Test Drive Meme - November 2025: Difference between revisions
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{{ | {{EventTemp|EventID={{SUBPAGENAME}}|EventName=Test Drive Meme <nowiki>#</nowiki>5|EventType=Test Drive Meme|EventDate=2025-11-04|EventLink=https://kelesis.dreamwidth.org/8246.html|EventOverflowLink=|PreviousEvent=Log - October 2025|NextEvent=Log - December 2025}} | ||
== I. INITIATION == | == I. INITIATION == | ||
Revision as of 03:06, 11 December 2025
Previous event: Log - October 2025. Next event: Log - December 2025.
The e Meme event on 2025 November 4 posted here. This was the event for November 2025.
FAQ Pages
Full questions here
Event headings
FAQ Questions
| Information | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| #1
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-03-07 |
Could tighnari appeal to them to get access to their employee records (citing "this stuff keeps happening you need proper emergency response protocols and this is what I do") to do headcounts and get a handle on the org structure and attempt to identify those missing? He would also try to appeal to "the augmented are essentially employees of patho-gen who didn't get a say in the matter, we are invested in our lives here" Edited 2026-03-06 05:39 pm (local)
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This is a compelling argument, but staff members who Tighnari speaks to insist that they've not only already tried a headcount, but that each department has their own employee roll. If there's a complete list of all employees, someone much higher up—and unknown to most—has it, not them. Various departments have already identified missing employees, and of these, they're happy to share. However, they do appreciate the "we are basically one of Patho-Gen's employees" bit. Staff who Tighnari can get ahold of will try listing various names in their department who they know are missing—and goodness, there are a great number of them. Nobody whose name matters in the grand scheme of things, but Celia's mentioned a few times by various people, whether she's in their department or not. Claude, too, is mentioned at least once. The amount of people identified is enough to suggest that many staff members have been disappeared. "As you say, if you see yourself as being colleagues of ours, it's a good idea that you keep tabs on whoever's missing amongst the Augmented as well," they might advise, though not with any intended malice. "We must find them. I hope they're safe..." |
| #2
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-03-07 |
Are things in the memshare hallucinations solid? Can objects/people be interacted with/touched, or would a hand pass through them? Also the usual question: would Rowan be able to trace that Syntrofos message back to anything/one? |
The memshare hallucinations look solid, and will even feel solid. It's a full sensory experience, conveying temperature and scent too- and were a present-day character to try and touch objects, they would get an realistic impression of what it would be like. Rough stone, cold snow- it would register as these things. But they would also be unable to change a thing. On trying to touch one of the memory participants, they might be able to feel an impression of fabric or skin, but will be unable to move them, to change their course, to make an impact. And the participants will naturally not react to their observers, and will walk right through them if they get in the way. This doesn't feel like much of anything, if it happens- just a bit eerie. Tracing the Syntrofos message: it's coming from Patho-Gen, in the same way that other official Patho-Gen messages can be traced to their servers. But the signal is... weird. There's garbage data around it, and its actual origin extends somewhere beyond that, merely using Patho-Gen as a conduit. Where it's coming from wouldn't be determinable, but it's an absolute mess. Not even encrypted, so much as a myriad of magical and electronic languages glitched together. Old router noises, hundreds of them. That it managed to connect with the Patho-Gen servers is something of a miracle. |
| #3
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-03-06 |
What happens to characters that live or are in the areas that are suddenly fleshified? | For those who live in the area that has been engulfed by the Phenomenon... We'll let you choose between three possible options. 1. Your character and their home has been engulfed, just like everyone else. If your character is disappeared, it will take about a week, give or take, from the time that new arrivals come in for them to be... spit out. They will slip into a coma while caught in the Phenomenon, but once rejected by the Mass Of Meat, they'll be coated in a slimy, alien membrane, body utterly worn, as though they experienced a full week of heightened adrenaline. They won't remember anything of the experience. 2. Their home may be engulfed, but the character can be conveniently not at home. They'll need to bunk up with someone else! 3. A path to their home amidst the flesh can be conveniently carved, as though sparing just their home... strangely enough. Is this thing sentient, deliberate? Does it know not to encroach upon the habitat of an Augmented One, is it responsive to things like that? Unknown, and difficult to measure. For some reason, your character's home can remain accessible and undamaged, but it might be safer to stay elsewhere for the time being. (Of course, if you'd prefer your character's home life be uninterrupted, you can say that it feels... Safe ENOUGH to remain in there.) If needed, the Valentia will happily offer rooms to those in need if theirs has gone missing to the Phenomenon. You may choose whichever is preferred, and anyone else with similar questions may do the same! |
| #4
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-03-06 |
Hello so sorry what would a sample of MEAT WALL look like under a microscope and is it giving off any radiation.... | To view it while attached to the wall itself, it would look like... well, meat. Kind of. For anyone who's been studying the mutated animals in the wilds, the microscopic composition of these meaty structures is similar. It's even more out of order, as there's nothing vaguely animal-shaped in there, nothing that resembles legs or wings, but the underlying patterns would be familiar (muscles, bones, skin, nerves, etc., grown into awful, irregular slabs). But that unrestrained, unrepentant growth- it's been contained, corralled. The cells are both hypercharged and inert. It gives an impression of something that could explode into growing further at any moment, but isn't. That potential is probably how any damage to the walls heals so quickly, rebuilding itself into its designated 'shape'. If a piece is successfully severed from the stable whole, that unrestrained growth kicks in again, but not infinitely. The sample might double in size, but probably not much more than that, especially if it's made distant from the site it was taken from (so it's not trying to reattach itself). These severed pieces, if microscoped, would demonstrate all of the above but with more instability when it comes to that growth-switch. Some cells are agitated to change, some are still quiet. It remains strangely alive, but will eventually perish and become completely inert, bizarre meat in a few days. It isn't giving off radiation, at least. Not in the way Katalyth does, and is generally "safe" to touch or consume. |
| #5
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-03-06 |
Just confirming: the memory is being projected ON reality, so would the character (Mel as an example) see themselves in the memory as a separate entity to be viewed? Or would they be temporarily doomed to act it out as a part of the memory? | The memory is projected ON to the world, yes! The present-day characters would exist separate from their past (or future) selves, able to take it in from a distance. |
| #6
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-03-06 |
I have a question regarding the memories!! What about memories that the character doesn't remember/is made to forget? Is that still viable? I assume so if they can see future events, but just figured to confirm on that. | As long as the events actually occurred to the character in their current iteration (meaning, not in a past life/another timeline/etc), that is A-OK! |
| #7
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-03-06 |
Is celia anywhere in sight at the initiation? If questioned about where she is will the staff know anything? Anything new about how the message from georges got there? | She is nowhere! They don't know where she is... Staff admit that a number of their coworkers were deeper in the building when it got overtaken, so they fear the worst. The Phenomenon was indiscriminate about who it swallowed up. Where they went, however... They're unsure. |
| #8
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-27 |
Here are the details from the discussion with all the participants! (cries.... as if this is a surprise) We have several participants, exciting! A good number of Spectrals as well, obviously. So getting in will be spearheaded by Jacye, who has a lot of goodwill with Patho-Gen, and is going to be ostensibly working on teleporter checks or maintenance, but also will be leaving doors and locations open for the group to break in. As the group itself will have several Spectrals, all who are fairly adept at using Glamors and once it's known regarding Possession, will likely be very aggressive (given...this group) with using it to help fight off the calling. Hugo will also be using practical makeup to help keep people from getting caught even without a glamor, and Lae is offering her invisibility spells and paralyzing glares. As a whole, the group is going to be very directed in get in, hunt around for intel, and get out. We have a good number of augmented with breaking in skils, including Hugo, Mista, and Silco. Also plenty of muscle between Mista, Johann, and the rest of the Spectrals. Silco will insist on at least one non-spectral with each independent group to ensure that there is someone who is not susceptible with them at all times to catch any Spectrals that would get caught otherwise. The information they are specifically looking for include: - How they leashed the spectrals/How the calling is being specifically used against them AND if there is a way to prevent it - What Patho-Gen think is particularly interesting about Spectral Types (or any soul type) - Controlling Augmented in general. What is it reacting to? - Where DID they get the Spectrals that are leashed / Were they being held? / Where did they come from? - Also interested in what research they're doing on Golems, and how it could be prevented/used - Information about Mt Pneuma. Particularly, is that where people were held, how do they keep people from getting close, and any other information about what is being done there. - Mista will be looking in particular for any objects that appear to hold significance for info! - Original corruption of the Katalyth (how did it happen?) OR the Interdimensional Tech and how it works - Silco is ALSO going to do a little quick search for who is ACTUALLY manufacturing most pharmaceuticals being used, and if it is Patho-Gen where the source manufacturing locations are, because he is a shit who wants to start ramping that up, and while inside, he's gonna try for some Please let us know if there are any details that you all would be interested in getting or anything that you need clarified! |
"Given... this group" is a very good summary for... a lot of the Augmented, but especially this group. It sounds like they'll be plentifully equipped for their mission: a bit of charm points with Patho-Gen, a bit of stealth and sleuthing and bitter determination, a bit of Spectral-type action mixed up with some non-Spectrals... We feel they'll be quite successful in their efforts! Here is what they will learn, as well as what they won't, despite their best efforts. (Some of these may be guaranteed, but others are being rolled for how much success the bunch will have in their efforts.) 1. How did they acquire Spectral-types and harness them as familiars? In the HQ, there is unfortunately very little luck to be had about further information on this front. Their singular shard of luck comes in the form of an employee. No, no, this employee has nothing to say... They're tight-lipped. But should they be rendered incapacitated, this employee will be carrying a Syntrofos that they're being really careless with: it has a proximity lock, so as long as it's near their body, it unlocks. LOSER. On their Syntrofos are a number of chatlogs, and unfortunately all of them are password protected. At least Patho-Gen has that safeguard up. But the one that is already pulled up contains the following information:
2. What does Patho-Gen think is interesting about Spectral-types? Why, their ability to meddle with the dreams of others in a way that is more substantial than figment! In recent history, there are some documents that are measuring the general atmosphere and surrounds of Kelesis, a city which some sectors of Patho-Gen seem aware of as being something of a dream-like illusion. The conclusion they reached involved researching entities that had sway over dreams like this... and while they did not know the full nature of what they dealt with, there is documentation that back in June and July that they'd sent employees of Patho-Gen to Kelesis (as some characters may recall having seen employees meddling about), only to have them come back home and die from arcane radiation poisoning. The barriers were fake... The city should be in ruins! Everything wasn't adding up, and this is framed as warfare upon Karteria in their documents. Documents mark this as a deliberate taking of life, and that these creatures that are causing this are dangerous illusionists that need taken care of. Thus: Patho-Gen was able to secure what is only described as... Unknown Eparsian Fauna. This creature is referred to as "Eparsian Specimen" in documents, and is the subject of various studies to understand what sort of entity this is. The fate of this specimen is unknown, and documents available here seem to be more about the results of the study (its power to create robust dreamscapes that are meaningful and physical rather than merely interfering with dreams and toying with them as Spectrals do) as well as the threat these beings pose, and their general disposition: eerie, sentient, threatening, silent. Further documents suggest a willing Augmented One who requested a greater ability to tap into their Spectral-type powers... and with this came the idea of honing the dream-meddling powers of Spectral-types. What a remarkable power this might prove to be! So they pitted this Augmented One in with their Eparsian Specimen and, mutually unconscious, they attempted to dial up that Spectral-types powers... And have found a way to let Spectral-types physically harm those who they meddle in the dreams of! This is not a talent most Spectral-types possess at this point in time, but is the result of Patho-Gen experimentation. "A psychological weapon," they call it; scientists feel increasingly secure in the fact that they will be ready for attacks on Karteria, should they come. (All of this just comes at the cost of a Spectral-type's sanity, no biggie!) As for what interest there is in other soul types... There are some documents available about the use of Terra-type souls in cultivating edible foodstuffs. Nasty. They're very sparse, and seem to point towards the Kelesian underground as proof of its viability. The desire for "samples" seems to have been the reason for that horrible Terra-type beast that attacked Karteria in the past year as well... If there is anything else, none of it is available here. But a Karteria looking at weaponizing, militarizing, putting up defenses... is surely one who is looking at the usefulness of their Natural Souls. 3. Controlling the Augmented: a general question, but there are plenty of answers to be found. Indeed, the ability to control the Augmented without even the use of Calling or anything else seems to have something to do with their Augmenter, as there is equipment available that shows that their ability to "turn on/off" the Augmented is a toggle that can be activated. How? It seems to impact the soul itself, disconnecting pathways between soul and body and rendering the soul inert. The Natural Soul is similarly disconnected; the Augmenter serves as a conduit to render a person disconnected fromt their bodies. Information for this can be found in some of the more exclusive-access areas of Patho-Gen, a few floors up. These documents - printed and physical, thank god - are beyond heavy doors that require a security key to unlock. Or, you know, some other crafty way in. Further info appears to be unavailable... Even researching from the angle of "imprints" doesn't seem to yield anything about a deliberate desire to control the Augmented. Not here, anyway. If there is information about this, it's elsewhere. 4. Where did Patho-Gen get the Spectral-types they're using in Kelesis? Unfortunately, there does not seem to be any information about this available in Patho-Gen's HQ, save for general information about how the Augmenter can contain a soul of a creature, as well as the soul of... an otherworldly entity! (Or just, a human soul. Maybe even more than two souls, as many characters have found out already.) There seems to be some kind of absurd document about how to insert a soul into the Augmenter, and it reads about as abstractly as that legendary Pepsi glove document, in that it has a lot of diagrams about SOUL BEING INSERTED INTO SMALL OBJECT, but little information about where the souls are from. ... But this still isn't about where the Spectral-types in Kelesis are from at all. It's the only thing even adjacent to it, alas: the answer as to where characters' Natural Souls come from are similarly obscured, aside from the fact that yes, they originally belonged to another living entity. It isn't a far stretch to believe the Spectral-types are no different: they were once autonomous entities themselves. Otherwise, see question 1! 5. The work Patho-Gen's performing on Golems: There is nothing in Patho-Gen HQ that specifically reads as being research into Golem-type entities. There are some short notes about Golem-types observed to be resilient against Katalyth, other observations about the soul type in general... In fact, there are some notes about the desire to help remind Golem-types that their agency must be preserved, as they seem to be somehow acutely aware that they are more pliant than most! It might even be a bit strange, how familiar Patho-Gen is with the ins and outs of Golem-types. Almost like they have experience with them... But there aren't any further notes aside from general listings of their attributes, how they could be most effective in helping to research Katalyth, how it's prudent to avoid tampering with their sense of self to give them the tools they need to remember what matters to them... ... Except for one strange document. This is in a digital file about various Natural Souls, an objective collection of some of their traits as Patho-Gen's come to learn of them... Thus, because it's digital and because of the Spectral-type tampering, it may be difficult to look into all soul types willy-nilly. There's a warning within the document pertaining to Golem-types: "DO NOT EXPOSE UNINTENDED SPECIMENS TO KATALYTH." Edited (teehee left link in here) 2026-02-27 12:53 am (local)
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| #9
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. |
| #10
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! |
| #11
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. |
| #12
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.) |
| #13
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. |
| #14
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-08 |
I'm going to have him accept the pact, thinking he can go the "cut it off" route (though it wouldn't work) if it's an issue. Would anyone from Patho-Gen be able to tell he had the pact and react to it? and does the pact offer any protection against arcane radiation while in kelesis? |
Good luck Tighnari.... But Patho-Gen wouldn't be able to detect whether he, or anyone else had pacted with Kelesis. There's that, at least. And as the pact does enhance all Augmented traits and abilities while in Kelesian territory, if the character was already particularly resistant (Golem, Spectral, Fungi), it would further increase that protection. And as 'greater resistance, compared to an unaugmented human' is a universal trait amongst the Augmented, it could provide a dash of added protection from arcane radiation to everyone else. (It would not make Terras, or other susceptible types more susceptible. The pact-enhancements are only in a positive direction.) Additionally, if a character were to fall properly sick from arcane radiation poisoning (challenging to do on accident, or without hugging Katalyth), the pact would help to mask symptoms, and make the experience more bearable. Which could be good or bad, depending. |
| #15
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-07 |
Question about the empty underworld, if Northly was to shepherd off some more restless souls as she did some months ago on aparallaxia, would they be able to be observed arriving in the underworld in any way? | No, there would be no evidence of these souls managing to arrive to the underworld. They must be lingering as ghosts...? Or maybe they're being interrupted along the way? Hm hm. |
| #16
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-07 |
Would kelesis be at all open to the idea of an augmented acting as a double agent? Tighnari's skill set is even more skewed towards passive fights these days so positioning him amongst patho-gen to fill them with spores and make them trip would be a better use for him than direct attacks. Would they still want a pact with him? If so and he agrees, is that pact detectable by patho-gen? Does fungi soul mean he could potentially find a loophole in the pact (splitting his sense of self and having only some of his consciousness engage with the pact, then uh disconnecting |
While the guardians were expecting more of a direct assault to remove Patho-Gen from Kelesis... they can readily accept that there are multiple ways to achieve this. While they don't necessarily like underhanded tactics as a rule, they will accept it for a sufficiently good cause. They would insist on a pact should Tighnari suggest this method, however- both for his own sake (as it would protect him more from Calling) as well as their own (to ensure that he was not actually siding with Patho-Gen). Unfortunately, agreeing to the pact causes it to be etched into a character's underlying soul- the whole thing. Trying to segregate it off wouldn't work- and the guardians would be most upset if they caught on to this intended duplicity. Not agreeing to the pact would lead to no penalty from them- though they would warn about associating too closely with Patho-Gen on the battlefield. While they would not go out of their way to target Tighnari, if he showed signs of aggression towards them, they would retaliate. |
| #17
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-06 |
too lazy to log out of my other journal gomen Does it mean the caster must be in danger for Furies' Sight to work or can the spirits be called to defend someone else? Like if Mel saw a friend was getting their ass whooped, could she feasibly summon them for that purpose in case she, personally, isn't getting beaten up? |
It's more likely to work should the caster be the one in direct trouble. But as Furies' Sight is inherently a bit luck-based where the 'luck' is determined by whatever the player would find more interesting... it could work out just fine. (And it really wouldn't be stretching the reasonability of the request, either. Even if there's always technically a chance for failure, it's most likely to go sideways if an Aves decided to poke the dead as a party trick, or something similarly trivial. Protecting someone else isn't trivial!) |
| #18
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-06 |
hewwo mod, is there anything about the SUSPICIOUSLY SPECTRAL nature of the weapons/attacks/etc that might give Helaena a clue that it's her brother that caused that? not that she'd tell anyone else most likely but so i have an excuse for her to text Aemond like BROTHER WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS etc. |
While most of the evidence would be kept in the form of documentation, in files and notes about the experiments done on Aemond and the result of months of labor, that doesn't mean that there's no practical evidence for someone looking. If Helaena is familiar enough with Aemond's Spectral powers, she could find that the techniques that Patho-Gen is using (both in Kelesis, and especially during the Celestial Shadows part of the event) has the distinct smack of him in there. Perhaps the Spectral-type entities move like him, very slightly... Or they seem to prefer using their powers in ways that Aemond is capable of. Patho-Gen learned a lot from him, based a lot of what they know about Spectrals (and about dream control/manipulation/illusion) from him. So while they've developed their weapons/powers since then... a part of him is still in that underlying 'code'. |
| #19
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.) |
| #20
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-05 |
Okay, in light of that, one more question. What is she hearing from the corrupted Katalyth? | The song she hears from the corrupted Katalyth would be just what's described above- that distorted version of her own songs. Now that she's heard it, though, it might linger in her thoughts, and when in the presence of normal Katalyth, Lune could continue to hear this corrupted version of the song. |
| #21
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-05 |
oh Hugo the spectral does not like The Implications here,,, But thank you!! I think at the very least Hugo and Silco will try to “tame” at least one of them, so just to double check for that! Assuming Hugo at the very least imprints with one of these Spectrals to calm them down, should I just treat them like a NPC that Hugo is good friends with? Or is there anything additional I should know about that? Like Hugo knows this is probably not the best idea but. He can’t let a spectral buddy be a tool :( |
Trying to imprint with any of these Spectrals... it doesn't quite work, or at least, it doesn't carry the same feeling as imprinting with an Augmented does. It could be described as more of an 'impression', or even a 'mark.' It's a frail, wisp of a thing, but it would allow both parties to recognize one another amidst a crowd. It wouldn't convey any of the usual benefits/complications of an imprint, but it is a form of connection. If kept safe from Patho-Gen and Kelesis both, any saved Spectrals will mostly come back to themselves. They're not Golems, who might have been more easily stuck in emptiness and dormancy- these are beings attuned towards spite, towards resentment. This leads to a kind of resilience, and will shake them back into activity. Many will flee, disappearing into the wilds of Eparsis to hide. Some will linger around Kelesis; the place is drenched in death, both old and new, and that makes it a comfortable place for Spectrals to be (The Kelesian guardians, should they still be in control of Kelesis, will tolerate this for a time. But the Spectral tendency to cause terror will lead to most of them being evicted for poor behavior. Not killed, just... put outside. Haunt somewhere else.). But Hugo and Silco could successfully leave an impression on one or two of the Spectrals they protect. And whether asked to do so or not, they could be inclined to follow them back to Karteria.... And yes, at that point they could be treated as NPCs that they're on good terms with. Their Spectral(s) won't exactly obey either party, and would mostly flit around Karteria getting their vengeance out. But they could turn up as you'd want, and would sometimes listen to requests (particularly if the requests were along the lines of 'haunt this person' rather than 'don't haunt this person.'). They're not particularly chatty, or have much that's very practical to share, as their interests revolve around causing mischief and getting fed (the two are frequently combined). |
| #22
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-05 |
Will the information that the guardians will provide, upon Pacting, include (1) whether the citizens intended/wanted to turn into a necrodreamblob or got involuntarily yanked into the necrodreamblob and (2) whether the citizens are having a reasonably good time in the necrodreamblob versus existing in a state of cosmic horror? (Happy to wait and get the info itself in the main log, just curious if that sort of thing will be among the info provided.) | As part of the experience of offering a pact, the guardians will be willing to answer a few relevant questions from characters. They're pressed for time, literally being attacked- but they recognize that most people would not just say 'yes' without knowing more. The log itself will attempt to address whatever we can anticipate as questions, and players will be able submit more specific ones once the event faq is live (But for some short answers here: 1. The caretakers didn't have much of a chance to ask; everyone was dying. They strongly believe that this was wanted, however. 2. The citizens are having a good time. They're satisfied with their lives.). However, because this is a crisis situation, the caretakers don't have the time to sit down and explain everything. But they'll suggest that once Kelesis is saved and Patho-Gen removed from the city, that they'll be willing to say more about the situation. They'll only be willing to answer the minimum to convince characters to either pact with them, or to not pact but still help remove Patho-Gen from the city. They would prefer the former, but would still gladly accept the latter. Should Kelesis survive/come out on top of this (as opposed to Patho-Gen gaining control of the city), there would be more opportunities to ask them more. |
| #23
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-05 |
How would Spectral possession interact with the guardian pact influence or Patho-Gen's Calling effect? Considering having this guy attempt it to snap a few people out of things. Additionally, for curiosity's sake, what might happen if Jamil tried to possess a Kelesis ghost? |
Oh, that's a good idea. Spectral possession could wrest control away from Patho-Gen, and place it into their own hands. Basically overriding one control and replacing it with another. The possessing Spectral would have to be careful to not end up Called in their own right (which would break the possession + leave them also controlled). A well-meaning Spectral would also have to be careful about releasing their possession too, so they don't get snapped right back up again. Just possessing someone will mostly cancel Patho-Gen's influence at that particular moment, but they'll be left disoriented. So some caution is needed. (Similar mind-influencing powers would also work to disrupt Calling, such as an Aves' Orpheus' Song.) Trying to possess any of the Kelesian citizens... do they have bodies to possess? Of a sort, though to take possession of one would feel very very wrong. Wrong, in a weird way, not that it's rejecting them or not working, but that there's some fundamental mismatch there that's clawing at the edges of their perception. This wouldn't even be the work of Kelesis' guardians trying to force the Spectral out of there, but a side-effect of the strength of the dream bubbles that they've put everyone in, and the Kelesians' self-perception. Trying to persist with the possession will feel increasingly disjointed, as though the body they're moving doesn't match whatsoever with what's underneath it, in a gut-wrenching horror sort of way. On ending the possession, the Kelesian will stagger away, looking ill, and the Spectral will receive a hasty mental note from the caretakers (or find it scrawled on the street in front of them). "Please leave them alone. You're hurting them." With it is a feeling of displeasure and a sense of being watched; trying to possess someone again would lead to a temporary ejection from Kelesis. |
| #24
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-05 |
Obligatory Patho-Gen interaction question: are the units attacking Kelesis from the [redacted] Patho-Gen branch, HQ, or a combination of both? i.e. how many might Momo pick up bloodstream spores on from his October shenanigans and potentially have an easier time reinfecting if necessary | There are, of course, levels of secrecy and involvement in Patho-Gen. While many of the forces employed against Kelesis would belong to [redacted], some are otherwise 'normal', not involved in all of the darker things the company has been getting up to. But involved enough to be called in here. As this assault on Kelesis has been conveyed to them as necessary for Karteria's safety. Kelesis has been described as a threat, as something monstrous and wrong- controlled not by its human citizens (who are dead), but instead some manner of capricious beasts. Whether as a part of [redacted] or not, most of Patho-Gen here genuinely believe that Kelesis is a danger to Karteria's stability for one reason or another. This is all to conclude: yes, some of Momo's spores exist within a portion of these Patho-Gen forces. Roughly a quarter of them are infected. |
| #25
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-04 |
1. For the most part, no- the Spectrals don't seem to be particularly stressed, beyond the stress of fighting to protect their Patho-Gen keepers. 2. Characters could definitely kill those scientists. Kelesis would love it if you did. And to do so would free the Spectrals under their command. As long as there were other scientists nearby, control would soon be snatched back up, but if enough of their keepers were killed, or otherwise sufficiently separated from their pets, their freedom would remain. Of a sort. Characters who were taken in October, or otherwise exposed to Patho-Gen's treatment would understand that it's not the easiest thing to shake off. And these Spectrals have surely been in Patho-Gen's custody for a longer time than that- and without allies, imprints, or a break from their experiments, the damage done to their mental state has grown that much worse. Some will react with confused violence, continuing to attack the Augmented, Kelesian forces, and even other Spectrals. They would have to be restrained and calmed, which could be done through a variety of means; in their disoriented (and pre-primed to be manipulated) state, they'll have little defense to it. Others will simply... shut down. They'll stop doing anything, completely lost without direction. The Kelesian guardians will certainly take advantage of this to try and kill them, so unless they're protected (or if the battle is sufficiently over, in Kelesis' favor; the guardians will leave them alone if they're demonstrated to no longer be a threat) they'll be torn apart. |
oh Hugo the spectral does not like The Implications here,,, But thank you!! I think at the very least Hugo and Silco will try to “tame” at least one of them, so just to double check for that! Assuming Hugo at the very least imprints with one of these Spectrals to calm them down, should I just treat them like a NPC that Hugo is good friends with? Or is there anything additional I should know about that? Like Hugo knows this is probably not the best idea but. He can’t let a spectral buddy be a tool :( |
| #26
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-04 |
hi...it's me... I had several questions that were clarification, promptly forgot them, so this may be a thread I come back to. HOWEVER. Aves have Furies' Sight, which besides the usual seeing-souls stuff, has this: Lastly, they can call upon the dead in a bid for boons, such as protection in a pinch—but the dead are capricious, and may inflict a bane instead. Especially if they are called upon in situations that aren't so dire. 1. If this were to be used in Kelesis (without the intention of affecting the Kelesians but, you know), what might this look like? 2. If this is used in Karteria or elsewhere, when you say the dead.... Are we talking actually summoning other souls/spirits? Are they human or Natural/Wild souls? (Also if I've asked this before because my memory is shitty af, please forgive, thank you!) |
1. Assuming the character was in actual danger (and not chilling in Kelesis proper, out of harm's way) using Furies' Sight would most likely succeed. And on a battlefield like this, one that occurs in the distortion of a dream, full of manifested nightmares- the dead are particularly at home. To the point of answering physically when called up, providing the Aves with temporary familiars. They would be animal-esque in shape, matching the kinds of Natural/Wild Souls the Augmented are comprised of. Some are zombie-esque in appearance, while others are hazy concentrations of energy. While they can be explicitly instructed, they will also obey the unspoken will of their summoner. Rather than full beasts, an Aves-type could also obtain a more personal protection. A shield from attack, a sharper sight or faster reflexes, a powerful boost to magics and flight. Within this particular circumstance (and in any other dream-like, or otherworldly fields), this would also allow the Aves to see more than usual of how this occurs. A flash of a monstrous spirit blocking an attack, or carrying them higher, or possessing some part of their body for an instant, enhancing the character's strengths. (Were a character not in sufficient danger- or if the dead just weren't feeling it- all those protections and enhancements would be inversed. They'll be slower, weaker, and more easily hurt. Any summoned familiars would be hostile.) 2. That's a complicated one. As has already been noticed by some characters, the 'underworld' of this world is empty, hollowed, and has the feeling of having been that way for some time. So when an Aves-type calls on the dead, where are they coming from? They won't be able to answer that, but it is the souls of the dead that the Aves are invoking. And the only ones who are answering match those of the Natural/Wild Souls. If there's humans out there, they're not replying. For successful casts of Furies' Sight outside of Kelesis/dreams, there would be no opportunity to receive whole (temporary) familiars. The various physical and magical enhancements would be the outcome, applied more invisibly. |
| #27
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-04 |
One last question. Lune is attuned to the Katalyth and hears its song. What is she hearing around Wriothsley while he is like this? | If she's around Wriothsley and the Katalyth he's working with, the song would be particularly loud and discordant. A mix of what she usually hears along with a strange echo of Lune's own song, the same thing that she sung for both Wriothesley and Peacock. But it would be dragged down, twisted to fit the tone of the dirge, all hope stripped from it and replaced with grief. Of course, being around just Wriothsley doesn't seem to change anything about the usual song Lune hears. Seems the Augmented themselves don't inspire any changes, even after exposure to it. |
| #28
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-04 |
Hello, hello! Doesn't this look like a good ol' time... I'm curious to know, would Augmented-run businesses be under threat during this time? Would local citizens just steer far away from them in fear, or feel compelled to target them? As for the guardians of Kelesis, would they be more inclined to listen to reason if a character has provided aid in the past? (Say, thoroughly torch the hellish experimentation tunnels?) Would they be more inclined to look the other way, if said character was on the guardians' side, but also verbalized discontent on behalf of Kelisian residents, and maybe even snuck a couple to freedom via Ereshkigal's underworld? And, that said, how possible do you think it would be to locate Anh's parents? |
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| #29
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-04 |
Is it possible to get through to any of the citizens of Kelesis about the fact that it's an illusion, even just on a one-by-one basis? | cw: death, body horrorIt'll take quite a bit of convincing... And will require giving a bit of a history lesson, if the character's up for it. If this is an illusion and they're dead, how did they die?! Kelesian citizens will need to be reminded of arcane radiation poisoning; they'll need to be told that they died from it, and may even need to be given an explanation of some symptoms to really help them recall the experience of dying. ... Doing this will create sudden, intense nightmares around the particular soul. As the guardians of Kelesis will explain to any curious Augmented, this construct is made not of one large dream, but many pockets of dreams; each pocket is a moving, malleable thing that has been being carefully safeguarded and let to become harmonious with its fellows, but this sudden jarring into reality shatters the peace, even if it doesn't quite wake them. These nightmares will be sickly, with vivid memories of mutated dead bodies (a la intense exposure to arcane radiation), foul odors, loud and discordant cries and voices, and pain. Even Augmented Ones will be subjected to the kinds of pain this soul endured in death, as though they seek to share in that experience. Merely shattering the illusion doesn't quite free them from the grasp of Kelesis's guardian. After a bit, Augmented Ones will find themselves forcefully ejected from the entire city, just to get them out of that nightmare bubble. (They're free to reenter the city immediately afterwards.) Augmented Ones won't see the Kelesian guardians, but they will feel as though they're being watched and judged while they tend to the disturbed soul, as though tucking it back into bed. The soul will return to a more peaceful dream after it's tended, the shroud pulled over their eyes once again. "Please do not do that. It causes suffering." That's all the guardian has to say. |
| #30
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-04 |
will it be possible to investigate the timing of (and motivation behind) the sudden attack on kelesis? because the last time there was shit happening and patho-gen were less than thrilled at the augmented showing up was the plant creature, and... yeahhhhh. depending on more of the specifics, tighnari is going to go full <img src="https://sighnari.dreamwidth.org/file/5921.png" width="200px" class="imageshrink-actualsize"> about: rogue plant augmented nixed as food source + kelesis interfering with the mt pneuma getaway = suddenly deciding to wipe kelesis off the map Edited 2026-02-03 10:13 pm (local)
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Oooh, a chance to investigate it... Hmmm. I'm trying to think about something that might tip off what caused Karteria to go down this path of attacking Kelesis. The answer is not a single source, though interest in Kelesis's underground is definitely a factor. But for this answer, I'm gonna focus on this: Some of this response is fueled by actions that the Augmented have taken since the start of the game. Certain parties seem to have inspired Karteria down a path of prioritizing its ability to defend its city... and to attack its foes. While Karteria's interest in Kelesis is a maintained, longer-term thing, this choice to attack isn't one that would've happened without that push... So, there's one bit. Evidence of that facet of what's going on... If a character chose to take advantage of the Spectral Madness in the city, they might be able to find correspondences if they break into the Counsel Offices, home of law enforcement and security. It'd be a lot of boring poring through papers and reports, but a conclusion could be deduced that there seems to be a greater inspiration towards defense preparedness of the city... despite there being no tangible threat? Who would attack Karteria, given the circumstances of the world?? Doesn't matter, what if someone attacks??? And what if Karteria needs to attack... someone? ?????? Really, it seems unnecessary, doesn't it. But they've been convinced of the fact that they need to be ready for something. ... In Patho-Gen HQ, of course, there might be some documentation that points towards Tighnari's suspicions: that laboratory beneath Kelesis is invaluable, and Karteria definitely had a hand in creating it. That they're being blocked from going to Kelesis is a move they disagree with, but the choice to attack isn't one they've always been prepared to do. Now they have all these cool Augmented to experiment on and to call to their aid, so things are really looking up for Karteria's ability to handle itself! |
| #31
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-03 |
A push and pull, delightful. In a prior question, I'd gotten the answer that the difference between waking and dreaming in Kelesis is nigh indistinguishable. For the purposes of Perissodactyla When Hubert is tasked to protect a thing, he does so no holds barred and would do so with the full extent of what the Guardians taught him. Given the blurring of waking and dreaming in the area, I want to be super sure what he can do where so I don't cross any lines. |
Yes, the Patho-Gen employees who enter Kelesis enter through: dream spaces. They don't mean to do this, but the guardians' influence is such that entering Kelesis from any angle is guaranteed to land you in a dream space of their making. Hubert would find that their influence seems to exist prominently in the city and not beyond it; if they were ever asked, they'd answer that they could extend it, but they would need to physically relocate themselves to exert that influence. And they're unwilling to leave. Thus: Hubert is able to manipulate space within the city's borders, and in a radius beyond it, but not everywhere on the island of Eparsis or beyond. They are unable to create these dream pockets far from Kelesis proper, but they will offer that anywhere one of their brethren is, such dream spaces can be created and linked together... But as it stands: they are all pact-bound themselves from leaving the city. Hubert has freedom to use his powers anywhere within Kelesis proper, and unfortunately, no such other dream space is available anywhere else at this time. |
| #32
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-03 |
meowdy, mods! quick character question: would it be alright if wriothesley is a touch less immediately affected by the madness during the celestial shadows event? not so much true resistance, but more a different threshold or susceptibility due to prior exposure (namely touching things he very much should not have at a certain pillar). |
Sure, that would be just fine! It's entirely up to every player just how much they would prefer their character to be affected during the event. Whether that's having a particularly rough time, or more capable of riding things out. And Wriothesley's recent and severe Katalyth exposure could totally be a justification for keeping a greater command over himself. With all that madness he'd endured so fresh, it could place him at a higher threshold of tolerance- so that it would take more than what's going around to knock him off-kilter. Additionally, as this accompanies, and deepens, the occurrence of a New Moon, Wriothesley's Carnivora side could be said to be another protection. It's quieter, and in its dormancy, is failing to be so reactive to the madness. (That said, any Carnivora can also use this opportunity to go snappish and wild... there's plenty of ways to approach things.) We're always welcoming of character specific questions (or general questions, or anything that comes to mind), so please feel free to come to us with thoughts! While we try with the event FAQs to account for the most likely situations/questions, we can't think of everything- and we're always ready to accommodate the particular nuances and specific situations that each character might be going through. |
| #33
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-03 |
Kinda wondering about the strength of the Calling magic PG are going to use to compel Augmented to fight for them... I know it's been said in the past that it's mostly a "suggestion" that can be ignored, but would it be stronger for this? Or perhaps it would be more effective on, say, a fully corrupted golem-type who already had an obedience complex in the first place.........? (I am trying to make an excuse for Dedue to hurt his friends do you see the vision) |
The Calling magic these Patho-Gen employees uses would definitely be stronger than the form performed by the average Karterian! Not because they're inherently talented mages, but as the result of proprietary technology enhancing, augmenting the effect it has on characters. It would additionally be stronger against Spectrals, and anyone who'd been taken in October, or has otherwise spent time in Patho-Gen custody. Golems, of course... they're just so good at following orders. They would be inherently highly susceptible to Patho-Gen influence. Dedue seems like he'd be perfect for Patho-Gen to grab.... |
| #34
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-03 |
so mods hi you lovely folks you how uh... feasible would it be for certain individuals, after seeing the way Patho-Gen is going after Kelesis, to maybe sort of... infiltrate Patho-Gen to get more intel on how they developed their weapons? Before I start REALLY digging in on plotting/gettig folks together/getting a plan together, I want to know if it is feasible or something that could lead to some good information, or if it's a no-go. Given that they are using Spectrals in nature, I think Silco (who generally doesn't give a shit) is probably going to want to know more about it! I can compile the list of how they try for this/what they are going to be looking for if we get a go ahead! |
Could certain individuals infiltrate Patho-Gen during the attack on Kelesis... absolutely! Patho-Gen HQ won't be in any sort of lockdown, and to enter the building everything will appear to be business as usual. There'll be fewer people around behind the scenes, and while a number of the regular staff have clued in to there being something going on, they don't know much about it. The building hasn't been cleared of everyone involved by any means, but most of the information to be found would be buried in offices and labs and behind computer terminals. Assuming the investigative parties are able to manage a certain amount of security, they could get something out of their excavation. Just let us know the sorts of things they'd be digging for (whether it's just about using Spectrals as weapons and how, or if there's any other specific aspects of that or anything else), and we can pull together some results. |
| #35
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-03 |
Sorry for bothering you again mods, but there are a few characters interested in helping Ereshkigal, and I was wondering if they could |
If that's something her power would permit, then some of Erishkigal's accomplices could take a few of those souls to her Underworld. This would naturally provoke the ire of Kelesis' guardians, more so than only supplying her with energy (which they would already disapprove of). It wouldn't approach the consequence that Erishkigal would face, but they would also face fierce scrutiny, and their time in Kelesis made disorienting and unpleasant. The caretakers are upset, hurt; this is a betrayal, in their eyes, of the kindness the Augmented has shown their city. It is also a threat to its survival, which is not easily forgiven. The more entwined in Erishkigal's work, the more unwelcome a character will become in Kelesis. |
| #36
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-02 |
Putting this here since it is relevant. Would singing at Wriothsley as she did at Peacock and using science team methods to shrink Katalyth help him maintain sanity during this period? | That's a good use of singing... yes, using her voice like that could work to help Wriothesley out. His mutation and pain is connected to the experiences that created the Katalyth, and related to Peacock's own pain; what shrinks it, would also help to ease his suffering. |
| #37
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! |
| #38
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. |
| #39
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-02 |
I love it I knew this would bite him in the ass so for the idiot Perissodactyla that made a pact before he knew pact magic was a thing, and also as a first-round Augmented repeatedly subjected to the Calling experiments in October: What's stronger? The binding of the pact, or the pull of the Call? | The pact magic is powerful, and provides an element of protection from Calling within the Kelesian sphere. To someone particularly inundated with Patho-Gen influence like Hubert, it might not be enough: he could well feel strong pulls to help Patho-Gen, or to at least hesitate on the battlefield. But it would be significantly more muffled, compared to someone who did not ally with Kelesis. A nagging urge that he might be able to resist, or recognize as irrational. Anyone who elects to form a pact with the caretakers of Kelesis would also experience a similar level of protection. Hubert conveniently pre-registered for the privilege.... |
| #40
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-02 |
So if someone has an Imprint with Patho-Gen because of all the experimentation a while back (and the fact she got her head blown off), and would be easily compelled to side with them during the Kelesis event, could someone who is Pair-Bonded with her break that Imprint somehow with their own? Does the Patho-Gen Imprint lessen over time with exposure to their other Imprints? How much cuddling does Pom need to do, or is it kind of up to us? Just making sure there aren't hard and concrete rules for this sort of thing. | Recovering from head displacements and additional brainwashing is some hard work, but it's good that there's folks like Pom around to help.... While Patho-Gen has certainly been committed to the understanding and harnessing (for questionable good or very unquestionable bad) of imprints, their ability to artificially create and maintain one remains limited. In certain cases, the sort of 'wound' they've left behind is particularly deep and lingering- but that doesn't mean it can't heal. A lot of cuddling, a lot of exposure and time spent around true imprints/pair bonds will do a lot to 'resettle' a character forcefully imprinted to Patho-Gen. Active emotional vulnerability with their partners and friends also encourages this healing. The Patho-Gen imprint has no natural ground, it's built on nothing; filling that void with trust and affection with real people will stabilize the character in a better place. (Weaker versions of the false imprint will simply fade over time. The equivalent of a light sunburn, or a scratch- something that may sting, but can heal on its own without complications.) For Augmented who've suffered a deeper imprint to Patho-Gen: a susceptibility to their influence is likely to remain even after healing from it, but the degree (and when/if it comes into play) would be left up to the players. But the company of natural imprints (and especially pair bonds) would work as a protection from being controlled (by making it easier for the character to recognize the compulsions as irrational, unwanted). Were the character caught alone and compelled, imprints/pair bonds intruding on the scene would also have a better time at breaking them free of it. But for the passive/everyday level, a Patho-Gen imprint can be successfully recovered from given enough time and love. |
| #41
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-02 |
How would attempting to persuade Kelesis's guardians to tell the truth go over? Would being against Patho-Gen/willing to help the guardians out help those chances at all? | While more information will naturally come out in the log: the Kelesian guardians will be telling the truth in everything that they present to the Augmented. Arthropoda/Ruminantia will be able to feel it, along with anyone else who has any good sense for honesty. However, they would not be willing to explain everything at that time, which they would admit to. They are currently being attacked, and Kelesis' existence threatened; they're willing to talk, but only on the most crucial topics right now. They are withholding things out of caution and urgency, but their dedication to save the concept of Kelesis is genuine. So there's not any persuading necessary, in that regard- everything they say will be true. |
| #42
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-02 |
Ah, sorry! That's what I get for trying to ask a question after just waking up... By "tell the truth" I mean something more like showing the truth. Giving people the chance to face their own death and decide what they want. |
Oh no, not at all- that's on me for not thinking about that other aspect of 'truth'.... The caretakers would be solidly against this. Dante would be free to make their case, but as of yet it would be unlikely that they would be moved to change their minds. Their dedication is to the protection and saving of Kelesis- and feel that they know best what their people want. They made a pact to save Kelesis, and this was the only way they knew how to do it. They would never break their oath, and it would be immensely challenging to convince them that what they're doing does not qualify as saving Kelesis. |
| #43
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-02 |
Hello mods! That's the longest shot, but... Ereshkigal is absolutely all in to save the dead and allow them to rest in peace, keeping them in a false reality is totally wrong and against everything she is, but she's also 500% against helping Patho-Gen! She will if she has to, but she hopes there is a third path. She's going to try and use her Noble Phantasm (her limit break, her super huge power) to manifest a portion of her Underworld underground and allow the dead to go and find refuge in there! If they did, she'd lead the souls to spear cages where they can sleep and rest until they're ready to move on. Of course, normally she can't use her NP in that setting. So she's going to shift, she's going to use her monthly mana bomb, she's going to ask those she's imprinted with for help, she's even going to try and grab Katalyth for it to work if she has to. I am fully expecting for it to fail, but I'm wondering if something will happen even while failing? Or if it's just going to be irresponsible and she'll waste her time to the last second. Thank you in advance mods! |
We are absolutely on board with this! This is an excellent time to use that EXCLUSIVE POWER to see her will enacted... Which is to say: Ereshkigal's attempt won't fail! It won't liberate the whole of Kelesis, but it can absolutely liberate a good chunk of people, seeing their souls properly off to death. Up to 50 citizen souls can be ferried off in this manner. Doing this, however, will 100% put her in opposition of the Kelesian guardian's will. They'll immediately view her as an enemy. While Ereshkigal won't be fully banned from Kelesis in future (if Kelesis remains intact in its current form after this month! we'll see!), her experience in the city will be vastly distorted: while citizens will be blithely unaware of her behavior, each turn or doorway in the city is likely to spit her out somewhere completely unpredictable, turning the city into a maddening maze. She will be subjected to individual pockets of "dreams" that citizens aren't ever subjected to, where her deepest nightmares assault her senses. The goal is to wear down on her sanity; the more worn someone is, the easier they are for the Kelesian guardians to take down. Whenever in Kelesis, Ereshkigal will gradually weaken, and her mental state will deteriorate. Being with an imprint will help reduce the strain. This kind of experience will begin as soon as uses her NP even once. The guardians of Kelesis will manifest before many of the Augmented during the event. When they speak to Ereshkigal, they'll make it abundantly clear that she is their enemy for her stunt. They won't forbid her from the city, but they'll tell her that every step in their domain is a step towards her ruination. They mean to kill her slowly, if she unwisely spends too much time in Kelesis. Likewise, any Augmented One who decides to make a pact with the guardians of Kelesis... will feel compelled to attack Ereshkigal! Feel free to use that tidbit to stir up some exciting drama. Thus, Ereshkigal can absolutely make her mark without even allying herself with Patho-Gen! But at this point, Patho-Gen's enemy is her enemy, so.... Nonetheless, if she ends up going this route, definitely let us know in your monthly reputation report once the log goes up! |
| #44
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-02-02 |
tacking on to ask: will those who help Ereshkigal with her plan also become enemies of Kelesis? | Anyone who helps Ereshkigal send the souls off... yes. They will be considered enemies, though they won't be as directly targeted as her. If these Augmented Ones also do other things to help the guardians of Kelesis maintain the integrity of their dream city, the scrutiny on them will also be lessened. |
| #45
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. |
| #46
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. |
| #47
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.) |
| #48
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-30 |
I'm so happy the mods understand the method to the madness, but thank you for this delicious information! It's like a malignant teratoma on some mutant steroids, but I absolutely love it! I just have some quick follow-up questions as Wriothesley and his imprints get to work.
Thank you again for the lovely answer! Edited 2026-01-28 05:22 pm (local)
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1. The madness could spread from Wriothesley's imprints, and onto people they touch, or are in prolonged contact with. The effect would become progressively weaker, the further away from its source, and it would be more readily treatable by their imprints. But it can spread past Wriothesley and his immediate circle! 2. It would probably take around a week for things to settle down. ~3 days for the most critical, life-saving care, with the rest of the week dedicated to keeping up with his improper healing. But if successful, after a week he shouldn't be growing anything more, nor catching those growths onto others. With some careful meaty pruning, he could look closer to himself. Some extra eyes/teeth/claws, etc. can linger for as long as you'd like. 3. From admittance to release would be 3-5 days. He would still not feel great, but he would no longer be 'contagious' or healing incorrectly. Wriothesley could stay in hospital for longer, and Patho-Gen would even recommend it, so they could keep an eye on his recovery- but they would let him leave at that point (Accompanied by PLENTY of concern/scolding over what he'd been doing! It's admirable that he was so willing to help in a crisis but they did not want him to wreck himself!). 4. That sort of help would be very useful! While the effect from imprints with those abilities might be more potent, anyone with those skills offering their assistance would be a great boon to his survival and recovery. Reducing his sensory overload is its own sort of healing- as his body would be in less of an absolute panic at itself, reacting to the stimulus by healing harder (badly). |
| #49
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.) |
| #50
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-28 |
Resident low-key Fontainian werewolf in Karteria took on a hearty serving of the tainted katalyth’s bad vibes and pulled off a pro-gamer strat of using his shifted form to more or less scrape the growths off the walls directly. Because I have no idea how to cleanly segue into the goofy question I have concerning potential character death, but that’s the TL;DR. |
cw: some body horror That's a lovely and in no way exceedingly reckless strategy Wriothesley has! It would certainly be effective, so long as he's capable of enduring the emotional battering and physical misery of not only spending time around the dark Katalyth but actively clawing at it. At least he 'only' set himself the modest task of clearing some of the lower floors.... As his effort is being followed with a significant amount of aftercare from his imprints + healing (and being a Carnivora-type helps, with their regenerative tendencies)... it's possible that he might survive his good idea. It will not be pleasant. Especially when his body's healing- whether it's as a Carnivora, or assisted by Dan Feng- does not proceed normally. While it may patch up open wounds- skin that split of its own accord, blackened by boils- it will do so incorrectly. Claws and teeth will appear inside muscle, as though attempting to bite or scratch their way out of it, along with malformed hands. Entire limbs- each swollen with errant fangs and nails- burst from wounds, grasping of their own accord for anyone who's in reach. And nor are they gentle, as these extraneous parts reflect the desperation and agony that his body is being put through. Jagged jaws open wide to snap onto any wayward helpers- and worst of all, perhaps, is that any wounds they create will generate more corruption. More teeth, more unnatural digits, more eyes. Wriothesley's madness will spread, his body unable to contain it all. Even the 'normal' parts of Wriothesley's body gain additions, which may or may not make sense. His jaw may split into multiple, each with their own row(s) of malformed teeth, or they may grow eyes instead. Or develop other viscera, the kinds of things that should be kept on the inside of one's body, it's now bleeding and leaking, helplessly growing as it attempts to heal. This all comes with a matching amount of physical and mental anguish. The close presence of imprints will be a massive boon when it comes to the chance of keeping some sort of sanity amidst it all, but he'll be set with vivid hallucinations, and inescapable terror and grief. Anything he hears or sees (through all those extraneous eyes and ears) will feel unnervingly real. His imprints will have their work cut out for them, managing their own wounds, while keeping Wriothesley in some kind of shape.... (Or he could just die, which would somewhat spare him from being aware of much of this. Patho-Gen would have to take him in to revive him, and he'd still be in rough shape afterward. But it would be the 'easier' outcome.) How awful you'd want to get with his condition is entirely up to you, but these are the kinds of things that would happen to someone rubbing themself up against the Big Katalyth. |
| #51
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.) |
| #52
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. |
| #53
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. |
| #54
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)
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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.) |
| #55
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! |
| #56
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.) |
| #57
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-23 |
Okay, so Five is going to help Rowan out, and together they'd also like to dig into any information about the OG Augmented, especially Peacock (because Rowan is doing the digging and they are slightly obsessed). Please roll the dice for us! | Unfortunately... things don't work out as well as planned. It seems like there were more passive defenses in the building than were readily apparent. Things that weren't deactivated by the situation in Basileios- or perhaps were, but the erratic nature of things causes them to trigger after all. A silent alarm is sent out. While Rowan and Five were able to safely collect the preceding data, their choice to linger and look for more means that they're there when consequences arrive. A soporific gas floods the room, causing all within it to fall unconscious in a handful of seconds. Holding one's breath (or not needing to breathe, or being otherwise immune to poisons) would accomplish nothing- as were it analyzed, it would seem to be operating on a sort of soul-level, lulling it into unconsciousness. It is harmless, at least. But Rowan and Five will awaken in police custody. If they were non-violent in their break-in, didn't kill or hurt anyone, their punishment will be limited to community service. The usual: menial work for a few weeks, have to do a presentation at the end of it to showcase that they've Learned Their Lesson and Will Not Be Doing This Again. (Apologies for my shit rolling luck :c ) |
| #58
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-22 |
help i can't believe he gets a free tour.... Thank you, this is juicy as always!! Follow up tidbits: 1. In the Uncomfortable Server Room, if he managed to put his little necromancer hands on one of those boxes before they shoo him out to the breakroom and etc., would he get any psychometry vibes? Like anyone in particular who handles these things physically on the regular beyond just moving them around, or worse, if the mystery magic has Living Energy in it... 2. Not technically a question, but he would be compelled to nudge that one guy's pragmatism into Real Human Empathy, ironically in a petty kind of way. Get empathy'd, punk. 3. can he steal a bunch of pens from the breakroom |
1. They would be very concerned about him touching the equipment- and would be genuinely more concerned for him, rather than that he might break things (it is a concern, but one that would only trigger once they ascertained he was okay). He would be quickly shooed away from it, but Pal could still pick up on a couple things:
So while the mystery magic doesn't have anything alive in it (or anything dead, for that matter), it almost certainly involves Katalyth. 2. Is this responsible cniding... But yes, his nudge of this guy into better empathy may succeed. 3. He can. They will be very exasperated about it but they won't go after him over it. If Pal wanted a complementary pen on his tour he could have just asked!! (Or maybe have gone to the job fair they had free pens there!) |
| #59
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. |
| #60
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-21 |
hi and welcome to pal's 5g conspiracy era So....... he's convinced himself that PG use some kind of physical device to create the "fields" that do stuff like nerf powers in the torture basement, or temporarily ramp up corruption like in this tdm's study. He would like to Find It. Therefore, the Qs: 1. Can a weird cnid boy get behind the scenes in the building they've set up for the corruption study? He'd go there rather than HQ because a) there's confirmed Effects there and b) he assumes less security. He is willing to use a sneaky cnidocyte or two to convince the employees he's supposed to be there for this*, if just a good sneak isn't going to cut it. *despite his uhhh hatred for pg he doesn't intend to do any violence, cnid soul touch only 2. If he can get behind the scenes, what could he actually find? He is specifically looking for the trick that makes the special rooms special, but he wouldn't ignore any open folders of data or anything like that. Nosy. ALSO would this be different depending on if he's cnidded a handful of people? 3. If there is A Device or an otherwise visible Thing creating the effects, can he pick one up and take it. Can he just steal it. If he cnids someone into feeling like answering his questions, what would they tell him about the operation? he just wants a tour, a totally innocent tour...... |
1. With a bit of careful sneaking, Pal could probably get his feelers inside the backrooms of the building. There is less security, fewer staff around at all, as this isn't a location that's been utilized by Patho-Gen for very long. It's possible that he might get caught at it, especially if he lingers for a while at any one spot. But if he weren't aggressive, he wouldn't get in trouble for it- as it seems like the Patho-Gen staff assigned to this study are of the more sympathetic variety. They would ask if he'd gotten lost (even if he's obviously snooping...), or even offer to show him around the place. He could have his tour! They're trying to regain Augmented trust! It doesn't mean they'd let him go through their computers (patient privacy, for one thing), but there's no secret rooms or anything particularly suspicious. 2. Unfortunately, if there is a device/mechanism for what Patho-Gen uses to shut down character abilities in a given space, it's not present anywhere in the building in Gloria. The only machines here are those that relate to the experiment (Along with just- normal computers for data keeping, monitoring, that sort of thing. There's also a limited amount of medical equipment on hand; while they hope no one will be hurt during the tests, it's better to be more prepared than not... and the building used to be a clinic, so it's already set up for it.). The experiment-machinery is expansive, so Pal would have no problem running into it. There's both a 'front-facing' side that the scientists interact with (operating from typical computers, where they control the parameters of the test and view the results) as well as a 'back-end' room where the magic (somewhat literally) happens. It looks a bit like a small server room, lined with glowing metallic boxes of varying sizes, thrumming with power. It's also sort of... uncomfortable in there. Not awful, but there's a kind of dread that goes with the place. (Any 'official' tour would not linger in the room, but would introduce it as how the experiment is being powered. They don't know exactly how it works, in the same way they wouldn't know the technical details of a computer, or the Syntrofos. They're not engineers! But it's some cutting-edge magical inscriptions on cards inside a lot of those glowing boxes. It's how a lot of their advanced technology works, like the ServiTons.) As for the rest of the building: there's a staff breakroom, a kitchen, some miscellaneous storage. There's also quite a few rooms not being used, and haven't been in some time. While formerly equipped for medical care, there's nothing of interest there now, with any electronics long-since cannibalized. 3. All of the above suggests that while there are plenty of Devices to generate the effects, they haven't been compressed down into any portable form. This is magic that requires whole rooms to project. For cnid-snooping: un(?)fortunately, the staff here are on the up-and-up. The intention is as described, to learn more about the Augmented's corrupted forms, and to give characters the chance to see what they'll become, if they're not yet at that stage. They genuinely don't know why the technology sometimes causes someone to turn into something incorrect. It is very new science, however. They're all pretty excited to be working with the Augmented, and hope that they can use what they learn here to come up with ways to make their stay in Karteria easier. They really did pick the staff for this assignment carefully. The worst Pal might be able to cnidcourage out of someone is a sort of wry pragmatism- that if the Augmented are going to help their city and world, it would be more effective for them to be both understood and comfortable. Torturing helps no one! |
| #61
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-18 |
Is there any record of the barrier failing this way before (or at all), say in searchable news records etc? Do the Patho-Gen staff collecting the stuff seem surprised by its appearance in any way? TY | There is not any record of the barrier failing (or any of its individual pillars) since it was first constructed. There's no news articles to find about it, and if asked the Karterians will agree that they've never heard even a hint of there ever being problems with the pillars or the barrier. It seems to be an entirely new phenomena. Even Patho-Gen staff would agree that there's never been an issue before. That there's Katalyth (deliberate) inside of the structure, clearly powering it... it's not a surprise, to most staff, who had at least suspected it to be the case. One of those unfortunate necessities that's best to not think too much about. (And of course many in Patho-Gen knew the whole time what was supplying energy for the barrier. There's regular maintenance on these things, and it'd be hard to do that without going inside.) The excess Katalyth, the uncommonly-colored sort found growing wild in the pillar: that is new, and very alarming to them. While Katalyth has always been a part of the pillars, yes, it's never shown any signs of growing outside of its containment. They're clearly disturbed by this development, and that it happened so quickly. |
| #62
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-16 |
Setting up shelters for displaced rich people at places like Patho-Gen HQ, government offices, and Peacock Theater y/n? | Oh, they won't like that... there will be Complaints. But Patho-Gen might reluctantly shelter some of their own employees and their families in the building (or try and send them to any of their clinics that aren't full; filling beds intended for the sick with the rich isn't the best, but they're at least beds and some limited privacy). They have conference halls, even the ballroom that Initiation takes in... they have unused space, though they'll scramble to arrange it in terms of shelter. The more bureaucratic and public-facing government buildings could also be convinced to convert to storing the rich until they can go home. Peacock Theater would be the easiest to commandeer, and some of the more eccentric or otherwise adventurous rich people might even find it sort of fun, to 'camp out' in a theatre for a few days. (They'll still complain about the amenities.) Overall, there will still be a lot of protest coming from the upper class, who remain more concerned about when they can go home rather than the state of the pillar (surely everything will be fine??). But it's not like there's a hotel in Karteria to send these rich folks too, and most of their families and friends are also in Basileios. Those who can't slum it up in Belle Ville with more distant relatives will have to go somewhere. So in essence: y. |
| #63
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. |
| #64
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! |
| #65
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-14 |
So, the Coordinator Carnivora Duo (that is, Dearka and Yzak) are more interested in snooping than looting. Using their considerable home-world experience in ~intelligence gathering~ combined with what they know of Karterian city politics, are there any specific homes of politicians, industrial magnates and/or Patho-Gen management figures that the boys might be able to suss out as good targets worth delving into? They’re both pretty cautious and wouldn’t want to repeat the act too many times (since that would risk detection and potentially tank the Augmented’s reputation for everyone), so they’d probably limit themselves to just one, MAYBE two high-priority locations. (I can get more into what precise kinds of info they’d be looking for if that’s preferred, I’m never totally sure what the best angle to come at these sort of investigation type questions is... Figured I'd ask what the general flavor of Powerful People they could look into is, first.) Edited 2026-01-06 08:38 am (local)
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OOPS! Discord decided to mark this one as replied to in our chat, and only now did we notice that is not the case! Stellar work. But here we are. Welcom... to the homes of rich people. There are indeed a great many politicians who have their roots deep in the city, and the CCD (Coordinator Carn- you get it) may find... a lot of Official Documents! Living trusts, deeds to land, Taxe's, yadda yadda yadda. Even in the houses of Important Figures, there is very little in their homes that are particularly interesting; the wealthiest of the wealthy often keep their important documentation pertaining to business (and thus, the inner workings of the city) in safer places, with accountants and secretaries and, well, other places. Snooping in Basileios in general... We can supply a good two "??cool??" things to find, and their locations.
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| #66
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-14 |
I should not be asking this so are katalyth-induced hallucinations... close enough to dreams to eat in case that might temporarily relieve the hallucinator...? And on a scale of 1 to whatever-Bricks-is-doing, how bad of an idea is this? |
The Katalyth-induced hallucinations are unfortunately(?) not close enough to dreams for them to be edible. Hubert could still try to eat them and rather than result in a proper devouring, it would be more like... joining in with the hallucination, becoming just as affected by the energy as the afflicted person. No one would be saved, and now an extra person (himself) would be caught in the situation. (It wouldn't have any particularly bad effects beyond this, as the hallucination itself would prevent him from trying to devour enough for a Brickston-esque-outcome.) |
| #67
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-10 |
If a certain someone tries to stop people from entering the trial locations (very loudly and possibly at spearpoint), how would Patho-Gen react? | Ah... Patho-Gen will be very startled, and try to politely dissuade him from doing this. It's important science! They will emphatically explain that this is for the benefit of Augmented Ones, in fact, and try to even lay out the precise parameters of the experiment. Maybe he just needs to hear what the trial's all about...? Of course, if nothing seems to placate Xiao, they may call security. (Ugh! Inconvenient that they can't resort to just SHUTTING THESE PEOPLE OFF NOW! But this is precisely the kind of thing that feature is for! He's getting in the way of science!) City security may attempt to physically detain and trespass him from the building... but if Xiao is too violent and strong for these otherwise average humans, welp, Patho-Gen will flip the switch and knock him out cold. They always have it as a failsafe, even if Celia doesn't want them to do it. |
| #68
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-09 |
Sooooooo one of the data back ups is in Basileios. If someone was to take advantage of the chaos to do a raid, what protection would they still find standing and what would they be able to discover? I assume Rowan would be able to pin point where it is, or at least get close enough to poke around until they can find it. They do have an ability that allows them to open all locks around them for one minute, but they can only use it absolutely maximum twice a day (because I doubled the cost for it to nerf them) and that would completely nerf all of their werewolf abilities if they did, so they'd only use it twice in an emergency, and they'll be bringing someone as back up, but that depends on who takes up the option. In particular they'd be looking for details around the back up in the south, and any mention of PG locations outside of the barrier. |
The backups are contained in an otherwise unassuming building in one of Basileios' business streets. While it doesn't advertise itself as being 'this is where Patho-Gen is keeping sensitive information', it's also not a secret that Patho-Gen owns the place, and does mundane data entry, clerical, etc., type of things. It's all aboveboard, just not advertised. There are no secret experiments going on in the basement, or science at all. So it shouldn't be too hard for Rowan to find out that this unremarkable Patho-Gen building is one and the same with the data back ups! Unlike the rest of the businesses in Basileios which are closed down for the duration and empty of employee and customer alike (even if the residents themselves might be stubbornly holing themselves up in their homes), there is a skeleton crew maintained here. A base precaution, intended to turn away idle opportunists, rather than protect against serious incursions. The floors above-ground don't have anything too interesting, and the machines up here are mostly unusable due to the pillar-breaking. The basement: it is very thickly protected, reinforced against natural disasters. It also has its own limited electrical supply, separate from the primary Karterian grid. Should some disaster happen, the information here is meant to endure. However... the pillar breaking in Basileios, and the particular nature of it, is more than it was ever expected to handle. The machines here are somewhat protected from the interference/corruption that's afflicting devices in the rest of the district and citywide. But there's still glitching, still errors- which might even work in Rowan's favor, as it disrupts technological security. And with suitable distractions/diversions, they could likely get a way down into the basement, and obtain a little bit of time to explore. For the back up to the south: the only location properly south of Karteria is... Mt. Pneuma. And outside of Patho-Gen HQ, Pneuma appears to be the largest center of activity. While the nature of the data is thoroughly encrypted, there's an active flood of it, indicating that the facility there is very much in use. Unsurprising, maybe, but another confirmation of a connection between Pneuma and Karteria. Other Patho-Gen locations: naturally, there's an extensive number of these within Karteria. Outside the barrier their number just as naturally dwindles, which makes them easier to go through. There seem to have been outlets in both Doxa and Phantasia, but are presently defunct, and have been for some time. Those look to be it, when it comes to Orexis. There is nothing tying them to Aparallaxia; it seems like the bridge town never warranted their intervention. On Eparsis: There were also locations within Kelesis, with smaller facilities (akin to clinics) having been shut down by the time they officially withdrew from the city. There is also a much larger, unofficial one underneath Kelesis. That is presumably the Terra "farm" that went rampant over these years. After being disconnected from them for the duration, there's been notable activity recently (beginning when the Augmented first made it to Kelesis). While the activity there has again dropped off, it hasn't entirely disappeared. There's also a much smaller lab near Lake Telos. It seems to have been abandoned at an even earlier point than the withdrawal from Kelesis. On Ekklisis: Not much, as neither Patho-Gen nor Karteria were ever made welcome in Enochlesis, or its territory. But there were several facilities in the city. Oddly, the connection seems to have been severed from the Karterian side, rather than the Enochlesian. More recently too, compared to Kelesis, with the most recent access being ~10 years ago, rather than 25. On Lupê: There's something here. Or there was- which is perhaps not surprising, as it's not as though they had always been in conflict with Karteria. It has also been accessed more recently than the end of the war, and the destruction of the city. All information in connection to Lupê carries the most thorough encryption/deflection/protection. It's unlikely that all of it is even here. (If there's anything else you'd like Rowan to dig for, we can roll a die to see how successful they are at continuing, with an increased risk of getting caught.) |
| #69
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....) |
| #70
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-07 |
Since it sounds like touching Katalyth is still Extremely a no-go, what methods would characters be using to transport the funky Katalyth out from the top of the pillar? edit to add: also does the patho-gen experiment room work like kelesis wrt recording and photography. a.k.a. if i'm making momo a jellyfish cnidaria for the unfitting soul prompt could he take a photo of his cnidsona and still have it after he exits the dreamspace or whatever exactly it is that's goin on Edited 2026-01-05 04:59 pm (local)
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Re: Katalyth Handling. The Augmented will still be the most equipped to handle getting close to it, but indeed, in the past Patho-Gen has often advised characters to simply note the location of outcroppings, rather than make any direct contact with it. In these dangerous circumstances, they have to resort to giving characters their own methods. (This probably would have been wise to include in the body of the text; I think I may well put a succinct version of this answer as a highlighted EDIT in the post itself, since I think many may have this question.) This circles back around to this: How has Patho-Gen been handling Katalyth, if it's so dangerous? They will provide the Augmented with as much PPE as they can. Thick suits or gloves; long metal foreceps, so as to keep as much distance between themselves and the Katalyth. Chisels, welder's masks, vests that have the same feeling as those radiation shields used during X-rays. If characters wonder if this is remotely enough to protect the average human from even average Katalyth outcroppings... it wouldn't be remiss to question it. Patho-Gen staff who provide such PPE have scarcely ever had to use it themselves, and for those who have, their contact with Katalyth has ever been fleeting and limited. Too much time around it is dangerous. Strangely, nobody who can be spoken to has ever been tasked with physically going out into the environment to deal with it. Re: the experiment room and photography/recordings. It works similarly to Kelesis! That is to say, recording and photos work with a level of glitchiness to it. Some noise here, something that wasn't originally there in the background over there, a couple silly artifacts but nothing groundbreaking. Momo may absolutely document his Cnidaria-type-sona. |
| #71
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. |
| #72
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-06 |
And while I’m thinking on it. What does The Calling magic do to him? Just so I know. | Oh, that's an interesting one... But yes, anyone with multiple Natural/Wild Souls would experience that Calling magic is more influential on them, compared to someone with only a single soul. A greater defense against Katalyth/arcane radiation, a greater weakness to the local people, should they try to take advantage of it. (Even so, Calling magic isn't hugely powerful in its own right. It works on animals, who are much simpler than people, because of that relative 'simplicity'. Foreign minds will always tangle up the mechanics of it.) |
| #73
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-06 |
Does the curfew apply to augmented who are (or who claim to be) helping with the pillar? Does the song from the dark Katalyth have anything familiar with Peacock’s song from the PG holiday camp? |
The curfew wouldn't apply to anyone helping with the pillar! They can work at their own schedule, their own time. Nor would the Augmented be held strictly to it if they're seen wandering around elsewhere (unless they're noticeably causing trouble), as it would be assumed that they're on some sort of important/relevant business. (How to enforce the curfew, you may ask? It may seem unfair, but for the wealthy, it's not being strictly enforced... It might do them well if the Augmented patrolled the streets to gently remind average citizens that they're safer indoors, and that there is a curfew they're supposed to follow.) The song doesn't sound too much like Peacock's, as the source of its melody derives from other places. Though it would have some underlying themes, moods in common- it holds a fresher pain, something particularly raw and recent. Peacock's contains an ache that's been made over the years- and is more of a proper 'song', at least, coming from an Aves. However, for characters who were taken on holiday (or are close to someone who was), some portion of the song might feel familiar. Like something that could have poured from their own throat, their own agony congealed and made to clot up in crystal. |
| #74
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-06 |
does the extra katalyth-y katalyth give extra glitchy glitches to northly's glasses? and do the protective suits as worn by the patho-gen employees have any notable stats or do they glitch out just like katalyth (given it powers the barrier and it powers syntrofos it seems pretty darn likely that it's also in the protective suits.....) speaking of syntrofos though, do they work on syntrofos given there's katalyth in there? will she find anything that kataglitches when she's off thieving the rich with eli and gale? (gonna bring them to try and ID RARE and SUPER RARE and SUPER SUPER RARE items.) Edited (sorry for all the edits, keep thinking of new things...) 2026-01-05 09:04 pm (local)
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The special edition Katalyth is VERY glitchy. The glitches are glitching. The special Patho-Gen suits: their stats would be somewhat readable! Some parts might be redacted (and those parts are glitching in themselves), but it would be clear that they are excellent at protecting the occupant from Katalyth, while being abysmal for comfort, mobility, or fashion. The Syntrofos themselves: as a unit, they would have mostly normal, readable stats. A few words here and there might be glitched, but the stats as a whole would remain comprehensible. Katalyth glitching in other goods: anything that's malfunctioning, whether it's in Basileios or the rest of the city (but especially Basileios) will have accompanying glitchy text. But like the Syntrofos, it won't be enough to corrupt the entire reading (a refrigerator will still have fridge stats rather than garbage, computers will have computer stats, etc.) but the display is staticy and messy. (After this event has resolved itself, and everything is mostly running again- that glitchyness will remain. Everything is just a little bit more agitated, it seems.) The rich folks will have plenty of top-of-the-line fancy consumer goods, as well as solid antique varieties. But anything that's mechanical, and draws energy from something, might be malfunctioning (and therefore, have some distortion in the stats displayed). It's not everything- but it's common. Especially in anything Patho-Gen branded- and they are the most popular manufacturer. |
| #75
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. |
| #76
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-05 |
For the Destabilization prompt: would the calming techniques the Katalyth talkers/musicians developed here have any effect on the super nasty Katalyth as far as shrinking it a bit? | This nasty Katalyth (which I am affectionately calling Dark Katalyth) is like the Katalyth Jayce is used to, on steroids. The sheer amount of dread and despair concentrated into these masses seem to have "aspected" it into sheer agony; it isn't the result of ambient despair and pain, but rather, the direct result of concentrated torment. The calming techniques, therefore, are hit or miss. They work sometimes; the Katalyth may respond to the calming techniques by shrinking very slightly, albeit at a pace more sluggish than commonplace deposits of Katalyth. (And a Golem-type like Jayce may have better luck at it.) But other times, these techniques may have the opposite effect, and even agitate the Katalyth into growing and flaring up, as though unable to be calmed. Sometimes, pain and despair responds to soothing by lashing out, like a wound opened up through tenderness. The same is true for this Dark Katalyth. It would take intense patience and care that nobody can really afford to give given the urgent circumstances, to truly shrink it down to nothing. But perhaps it might be shrunken down into more manageable specimens. |
| #77
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-05 |
TY OOCly I was hoping to give the team a minor success in this department to balance out some of the horrors they've gone through with their work, so if it's reasonable for a group of them to focus on a small section of the pillar's Dark Katalyth to shrink it to add in removal that would be great! But if that's too much success that's all good, he'll just try a few times and go back to regular removal. also if Patho-Gen is observing what they're doing and would question their 'technique', Jayce would refuse to elaborate with anyone but Celia at this point, whatever trouble he would get in for that (oocly I'm not looking for trouble one way or another!) |
The team could still have some success! All their ingenuity, everything they've gone through up to this point- it can't fix everything, but if they're persistent with working on soothing specific parts of the Dark Katalyth, they will be able to provide functional, practical assistance. It would take a lot more people (and a lot more sanity) to remove all of the Katalyth like this, in the same way that it would be a challenge to remove it from the world at large. But what they're doing would still make a difference, and they would be able to see that. Patho-Gen would certainly be curious about this technique if they witnessed it- and while they might be surprised at Jayce (Golem as he is) refusing to explain it, they would refrain from pushing too hard. It wouldn't get him, or other members of the team in trouble, as whatever they're doing is working. (Celia wouldn't be nearby, but if she caught wind of this mysterious technique... she would also probably not inquire. While she wants to trust Patho-Gen with information like this, well- there's reason for caution. And if the Augmented doing this aren't volunteering their methods, she will trust that they have a valid reason for withholding it from them.) |
| #78
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2026-01-05 |
With Kaeya having three souls of a Katalyth resistant type in him. How much will the effects of being inside the pillar hit him? | That's a proper wolf stack Kaeya has developed. He would be able to endure noticeably more torment compared to a double-layered wolf, or the mere single wolf. (Added protection would accompany anyone with multiple Natural/Wild Souls, unless they were of a type specifically weak to it (such as Terra) or otherwise specially influenced (like Spectral.).) He'll still feel it- and it'll keep getting worse with long exposure time, more time spent towards the top- but it'll be more muffled. Sort of like having a very dense fur coat, able to shake off the cold (severely negative emotions). Kaeya still shouldn't touch/eat it, but that too he would be able to survive much more readily than before. His wolves are prepared to endure as a collective. |
| #79
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! |
| #80
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-26 |
Hello hello i am back again 2 months later to say that the consequences of this (ankle monitor) have been very fun to play with and have also been (to his chagrin) inducing some character growth in Eli! He is truly learning to regulate his emotions the extremely hard way... However, there's a bit of planned drama coming up that will certainly induce some strong emotions in Eli, but I don't feel that him passing out in the middle of it would be narratively satisfying... I'm thinking maybe he goes to patho-gen and grovels at some point in December, because he wants to get a job. He swears he's been good (he hasn't- he and Cassius tormented the Patho-Gen staff member doing community service, but I'm not sure if they'd be able to find that out... Maybe if the guy complains... If he's still alive to complain). Alternatively, perhaps the anklet could malfunction? I want to give him a bit of freedom in this little sequence of events to be his melodramatic self, and once he loses Bricks he's going to go batshit insane and do some Bad Things, which I will post to reputation and can definitely be punished/re-ankleted for after. |
Oh, yes- the ankle monitor wasn't intended to be a permanent penalty on characters at all! (Of course, should a character be a repeat offender in the same violent directions, it's possible to be reapplied as penalty, but that in itself requires them to be free of it for a time, so that Crimes may occur.) After two months of (forced) compliance, it would be safe to assume that Eli could have had his monitor officially removed! So it shouldn't get in the way of his freedom to go wild, have some bad times. |
| #81
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. |
| #82
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. |
| #83
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. |
| #84
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!) |
| #85
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. |
| #86
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(?). |
| #87
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. |
| #88
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-15 |
re: the defectors, wrio gave malkuth the neat idea to see if there's a relatively up-to-date census log in the libraries across karteria in order to determine if they can put any names to faces and possibly trace where the defectors generally hailed from! sort of on the same line as kal's question but with more of a focus on what group is centrally leaving karteria's safe walls and any hint as to why -- are they being pushed out? do they just see their chances better away from the government and patho-gen? that sort of thing (malkuth assumes it's most likely the dispirited lower class rather than anyone from the cushier upper echelons, but a confirmation in some direction would be better!) |
The assumption that the defectors hail from the most impoverished and lower class groups... that would be accurate. Anyone with means (and just as important: a support network) would not attempt to live outside the city. Almost everyone, even should they become unhoused, would remain in Karteria proper, scraping out a meager life that's still preferable to the quicker death by arcane radiation outside the barrier. So those who do make the choice- or feel like they have to, with no where else to go, alienated from society- don't leave much behind them. It's possible to sift through census data to find names of people who are in Karteria one year, and gone the next time the census takers make their rounds. And the lower down you go in society, the more incomplete the information is, and the more people fall through the cracks. Occasionally, a very dedicated government employee will risk going out to the defectors, feeling a duty that their existence should still be recorded. This helps to fill in some gaps, but the people who live out there... aren't the most forthcoming when it comes to their personal information. The middle (and even, on some exceptionally rare occasion, upper) class have turned up amongst the defectors, but only for very short amounts of time, before someone (usually law enforcement) turns up to collect them. They still have people to look for them, are still under someone's watch, and going out there even in the short term is usually the result of a mental health crisis. For the lower classes/impoverished who live out there permanently, there's no one left to take them in, or no one who wants to. Their reasons are various, but there are common underlying threads, such as a paranoia towards governmental structures/Patho-Gen/everything. Do they feel like they were pushed out? Some of them do, though they'd have a harder time naming a specific culprit. Society itself, maybe. |
| #89
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-12 |
are the hallucinations from "My one true love...?" deceptive in nature? Or is it just like the rest of Kelesis, fake(/a dreamscape) but not deceptive? I imagine if the person appearing as the loved one had the intention of toying with or manipulating them that would ping Xiezhi's Insight as lying/guilty? |
Right, the hallucinations themselves aren't precisely deceptive, being more in line with the rest of Kelesis. The way characters are appearing to others isn't something they have control over, or active choice; there's no intent to deceive anywhere, so it wouldn't register as being lied to. But yes, should a character use that hallucination to manipulate, to actively take advantage of the illusion to pretend to be someone they're not- that would ping as deception, as lying. |
| #90
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. |
| #91
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-09 |
Slightly less belated than the other question I asked, but still belated: The new encrypted option. "There's no way to prove that they're encrypted", but if Rowan was looking into it with what they've already done with the network, what would they be able to discover? Would they be able to find out if they're encrypted so that the user is anonymous but Patho-Gen can still read the text of the message, or if the message itself is encrypted (with or without the user also being encrypted). |
With their general network prowess, as well as familiarity with the Karterian network from having been looking at it from the start, they probably would be able to determine whether the service is properly encrypted. And in this case: they would be able to find that Patho-Gen wasn't lying about this! There isn't any backdoor, secret access just for them: it really is genuinely encrypted, both in terms of message contents and the senders themselves. |
| #92
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-09 |
Oh boy. This is what he was worried about. Time to draft a copy of the interviews for the government. They need to know and he is keeping that starting relationship open. Will they answer whose department natural souls are? Just the title of the department and if they let more slip…he will be casually listening. Pay no attention to the law officer listening to you. Keep thinking just an Augmented. |
Most will shrug and say they don't know, that there's a lot of departments, and they frequently change names, merge with another, are split apart from another- basically, that it's hard to keep track. This is even true, though many are just as likely to use this as a redirect, or an excuse not to answer. Some will just refuse outright, whether they know or not. But it's possible to find someone who'll also shrug and give an answer: the modest sounding Department of Acquisition and Refinement. It used to just be Natural Resources, and dealt with things more akin to mineral rights. The last restructuring happened not that long ago, but they really don't know much more than that. It's not their business, how Natural Souls got there. |
| #93
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. |
| #94
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! |
| #95
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. |
| #96
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-08 |
1. Are any of the 30 Patho-gen employees actually individuals that conducted the experiments? Someone characters might recognize? Or are they all low rank/did they just throw the custodians and interns under the bus? 2. Does Karteria have any bizarre laws that no one in their right mind knows or actually enforces? Like "illegal to handle salmon suspiciously" or "no upholstered furniture is allowed on a porch" sort of thing. |
1. No, none of the characters would be recognized as somebody who performed an experiment. They were indeed employees who were performing tasks to assist those who were working on Augmented Ones, or even some who were overseeing operations, but none who were ever directly involved with harming their subjects. For a more detailed answer, I will direct you to this reply on the OOC plotting post! 2. What place doesn't?? Here are some random examples: -Showing the bottoms of one's foot, shoed or otherwise, in public establishments while seated is against the law. Exceptions are made to those who are made to do so due to injury or disability. -Flash photography is not permitted while it is raining. -It is illegal to use Calling magic on animals that are the property of another Karterian. -Selling or otherwise monetizing one's medical imaging documents is forbidden. Again, these are just about never enforced, and most people (including law enforcement) don't even know they're technically on the books... |
| #97
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-08 |
Sweet mods, can you possibly give me a ballpark of how many numis would be reasonable to charge an individual on the street for such an item? (because of course Five isn't going to trust Kalim with the money side of this nonsense,) | hahahaha Depends on the size! The current going price of solid gold... It's about 1000 numis per gram. A gram looks like this. (I needed Help understanding Gold Price and Envisioning a Gold Gram...) Sculpted into a beautiful feathers... If the feather weighs about a gram, it would be appraised for about 3000 numis! (in my mind i am getting reference points from, say, this, which is a hollow sculpture weighing about a gram. so.) But the more it's puffed up, the more money one can try to seduce from the coffers of the rich. Call him an ARTISAN and that this is PAINSTAKINGLY HANDCRAFTED from his VERY OWN BLOOD/SWEAT/TEARS and whatnot. Someone had to DIE for this feather. Kalim SLAVED over it. up to 5000nums could be at stake. QUICK EDIT: It's a good thing Five is selling it on Kalim's behalf. If a Golem-type were to sell it themselves, they'd probably be low-balled since this is a crafted work. Karterians do not try to underpay service Servitons when there is a listed price on an item, but they'd try to underpay for their labor if it were being sold and made by them. Edited 2025-12-08 07:57 pm (local)
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| #98
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-08 |
I was not expecting to mark 'Kelesis is Zanarkand' on my Kart conspiracy board So many questions. Very sorry about this interrogator man. 3. Hubert meets blunt with blunt: so long as whatever Kelesis is doing is not harming/impeding him or his, they will have nothing to fear from him. He just wants to learn; the current Augmented have been abducted into this world and held in the dark. He wants to understand what is happening to him [oocly, his gaining of the Peri-soul]; he wants to know if the doe-eyed figure is a former generation Augmented; he wants to understand how Kelesis protects its citizens from radiation in case that might be applied or adapted elsewhere; they once said 'Karteria has helped and hurt', can they confirm how; and it was them, wasn't it, that sheltered the Augmenteds' minds in the October dream carnival? He will guard Kelesis' nature and only speak of it to truly trusted; Hubert acknowledges even outside of Patho-Gen, there are likely some Augmented that could do serious damage with this knowledge. He will also not dispel these dreams (barring anything like the hallucination prompt/sidebar in the event). 4. He will express a marvel for the dream world, but also, if he is becoming like the doe-eyed figure... would the doe-eyed figure tutor him in his Perissodactyla dream abilities? In exchange, so long as it does not harm his own interests, he will offer to protect Kelesis interests outside their borders. Feel free to interpret this as a Pact offer—Hubert is a baby Peri and unaware of the pact magic. (Hubert definitely would utilize that knowledge to haunt the dreams of those who gravely wrong him.) |
3. Hubert's forthright nature goes over well with them. But they are a little surprised at the idea that the doe-eyed figure is a former Augmented. This much they will easily refute; no, they are not and have never been an Augmented. They had never seen one before their arrival on Eparsis. As for whether they aided during the dream carnival: they will suggest yes, but some of that was specifically performed by missing bretheren of theirs. Their greatest sphere of influence is around Kelesis, but dreams know fewer boundaries. And the distress of those 'nearby' resonated fiercely enough for them to take notice of it. There is an unease about this too, a worry that churns wordlessly in the background. As for Karteria's past actions: Karteria withdrew aid. We came to help. We were invited. We were The 'voice' abruptly shifts into a flash of imagery. It's drawn, in a crude storybook-like way, with the ground scratched out and the sky dark and simple figures collapsed in the streets. It's clear that this is a scene of mass death. The text just as suddenly clips back in, as though the prior scene had never been there. We saved what Karteria would not. But our protection... ... No. It wouldn't work for you. You don't need it. If Karteria ever falls come and find us. They don't seem willing or able to help with barrier creation outside of Kelesis- or at least, not until Karteria itself is in dire straits, its dying throes. Perhaps as recompense for its treatment of Kelesis? 4. As for whether Hubert is becoming a doe-eyed figure... they have to mull it over. He is, and isn't like them. He is a human and an arachnid, concepts they view in equal regard. But he is also like them now. But they will light up at the offer; once it's made, the surroundings of their dream bubble fade into haze and stillness. There's no sound left but the speech of the entity before him, the words etched into his soul. Promise to protect Kelesis from afar, and we'll show you how to use the part of us that we gave you. And they will make good on that offer, freely giving Hubert some pro tips on how to navigate dreams, how to create or modify them, how to speak in courier text, the kinds of dreams they think taste best... practical aid, encompassing the kinds of powers a Perissodactyla-type would possess. (What Hubert does with his new abilities does not concern them so long as it doesn't run contrary to Kelesian interests.) |
| #99
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-12-08 |
And I assume they dismiss any talk of dangers from the space between worlds. What do they know about how natural souls were uh, caught. Do they stick to the Patho-gen stance that they are out to save their world. Or is it all as said above. |
Dangers...?! A provocative line of discussion, and they'll actually be interested to listen, but not really heed anything. Whether this persuades them in any direction is another story, nor is it particularly material, as they're now stuck in jail instead of working with colleagues who wish to explore other worlds. Do they know about how Natural Souls were obtained? No. That is not their department (their department isn't torture, either, but here we are). Natural Souls are natural phenomena... Probably came from wolves and stuff. That this may imply killing other creatures isn't concerning to them. Do they stick to the Patho-Gen stance that they're going to save their world? Their answer is more along the determined line of saving Karteria, wishing to save humanity. Many of these people are deeply concerned with the fate of humanity, but for some reason have it in their minds that Tamariah itself cannot be saved. Why, they're less sure about and have fewer answers. If reminded that conditions are measurably improving from Augmented intervention, well... Some of them may cede and say "I hope that continues to be true. Maybe then we wouldn't need to leave." |
| #100
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.) |
