Test Drive Meme - September 2025
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Previous event: Log - August 2025. Next event: Log - October 2025.
The Test Drive Meme event on 2025 September 4 posted here (overflow). This was the event for September 2025.
FAQ Pages
[edit source]Full questions here
Event headings
[edit source]I. INITIATION
[edit | edit source]II. VALENTIAN HOSTS
[edit | edit source]A. TEA TIME 🫖
[edit | edit source]B. CINEMA 🍿
[edit | edit source]III. HEART TO HEART
[edit | edit source]IV. COLOSSAL CAVERNS
[edit | edit source]A. THE ENTRANCE FROM BEYOND KELESIS
[edit | edit source]B. THE ENTRANCE IN THE HEART OF KELESIS
[edit | edit source]V. NETWORK
[edit | edit source]
FAQ Questions
[edit source]| Information | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| #1
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-10-02 |
Hello modlies! Katalyth studies update: Following up on Bricks & Jayces' Katalyth studies; they figured out how to get Katalyth to reduce in size before Jayce went on Golem hiatus. Brickston continued the work while he hibernated, and figured out the other half of how to make it worsen/grow, especially using music. His goal is definitely not to just make things worse Madness suggestion?: I'd love to have Brickston have an arc of possibly taking inspiration from Georges andor slowly go crazy/self destruct over the next month or two, so I don't know if there's any segues that might come about with some Very Obsessive Katalyth research/communication, or experimenting with augmented as-possible-resources, or if there's another aspect of the setting that might facilitate a character going a little mad and sounds fun, please let me know. I'm very into that. 👀 edit: it will be my turn for a little hiatus next month as I'll be traveling, actually very open to having Patho-Gen call him in for experimentation or find out he's been experimenting on Katalyth or messing with the computer terminal or something of that vein if that might slide in nicely with a hiatus mechanic, too! Kelesian connection error: Feel free to shoot this down (or if risking it for the biscuit is a dice roll option, I'm game) but asking since Bricks saw the corresponding communication computer a while back would want to try something. It seems pretty busted and not much to traditionally tinker with so he'd be willing to try one of three things in increasingly desperate order; How would any of that potentially go? where Gojo gogo: UNRELATED TO THAT at some other point in the month he'll stop by Patho-Gen HQ and ask anyone where Gojo Satoru's body went. He'll phrase it like. What would they say? Edited 2025-09-26 06:56 am (local)
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Sorry about the delay and also sorry for these words: because this ended up long That's some good work Brickston, being a very responsible sort and definitely only working for the greater good/benefit of all. It's not as though Katalyth is exactly 'conscious', or can react as a living (or reasonably sane) person could to this demonstration of empathy towards it. Not... exactly. It's not thinking, at least not at this time. But Brickston is hitting on more 'chords' that it is reactive to, through his persistence (and willingness to suffer for it). The more he communes with this specific piece of Katalyth, the more reactive it specifically becomes to Brickston. When he causes it to grow, it really grows. When he causes it to shrink, it will diminish more than someone else could do. And a greater portion of that diminishing- that energy that's quietly released with it (in itself a spell of emotion)- will be absorbed right into Brickston. It could be worse. As a Spectral-type, he's naturally resistant to arcane radiation (which this emotion-energy is). And aligning himself so deliberately with it, reading this piece and 'talking' back to it in a way that it responds to- will earn him a few bonuses. His magics as a Spectral will be temporarily enhanced after each session with the Katalyth. He's absorbing this energy that would kill a normal human- and be likely to sicken a non-Spectral (or Golem). It would feel both exhilarating, and absolutely dreadful. It's still Katalyth. Of course, if he does this too much (diminishing the Katalyth and feeding off of it), his physical state will corrupt more, developing more (temporary) little features. More winglets, more eyes, teeth in the wrong places, etc., it could be whatever you'd like. But alongside it comes the more ongoing (or permanent, depending on how you'd like to play things) mental effects... so tying into the Madness Request more specifically now. Just as Brickston is tuning into Katalyth as a construction, he is also imprinting something of himself into this particular portion of it. Whether he's causing it to shrink or grow, it's aligning personally to him (Brickston being the only one really concentrating on it for these weeks is what causes this connection to grow by leaps and bounds; no one else's 'signals' were in the way.). He'll start to hear it talking to him more often, through the music it gives off. While it had always done this to some extent (once he and the Science Team were deep enough to start hearing it anyway) it will feel that much... personal. Sometimes it's in language he understands (the language of home); sometimes it's utter gibberish but he will feel the meaning. The only meaning is what Brickston ascribes to it. In truth, there is no mind to his Katalyth companion, no heart- at least not at this precise moment. This is all delusion. But it is a very real delusion, it's reacting to what he wants to hear from it. It 'wants' to talk to him, to learn from him, to share itself with him... Brickston could feel as though he were always at the edge of a breakthrough with it, that if he communed a little harder, fed it and diminished it in some beautiful cycle... that he'd find his answers at the end of all things. But it always, always trails dark. It can't help it; the emotions written into its melody, that are being rewritten to fit Brickston's own fears, judgements, traumas... it can't help but react to his heart and reflect it in itself. It 'sympathizes' with them, expands them; when he causes it to grow, it will be written with him in 'mind'. When he feeds off of it, it will compound everything he's already feeling. At this point it would be very, very easy to spiral into greater madness (as though he weren't already there, having done all this). Kelesian connection error: Brickston continuing his clever ideas in bringing his pet Katalyth shard with him on holiday into the hell pit. 1. ...Luckily for him (rolled an 18 btw) Brickston's first attempt nets him the success he's after, without him having to resort to more desperate means. Maybe all the time spent around his Katalyth has paid off? Because it responds handily to Brickston's intent, his channeling of its energy (at cost to his own health/sanity) forces the computer back into brief operation. It's not operating on its own sanity any more; the machine remains broken in practice, but Katalyth energy transcends sanity. Even so, there's not any sort of keyboard available, or other obvious way of telling it what to do now. Fortunately, this thread of connection has spurred it into doing something on its own. Connection lost. Please wait... ... Logged into: Arboretum Hub Error in sending last report. Abort/retry/fail? There's no way of telling it to do anything. Smacking the monitor (a tried and true method) causes it to flicker and hum, and after a few seconds (whether manhandled or not) lines of text and numbers proceed to fill the screen. It's enough that it's all soon scrolling out of sight. But it looks to be information on various aspects of the area. Soil qualities, air qualities. There's that nitrogen reading again. The radiation quantity in every category is "catastrophic". There's a lot of numerical codes complete with short abbreviations and yet more numbers. Each row ends with either "unknown" or "lost". Still, it's a lot to take in at once and it's all flying by very quickly. But it's at least an impression of a lot of scientific readings, and perhaps some kind of inventory. The screen ends on someone's typed notes- a clear addendum to all this data. The words of the last person to have ever used this machine. It's already too late for us. You knew this would happen. What happens now is blood on your hands. We've disabled the teleporters. Maybe this will strike you as spite, but it's not. Containment has failed. ... Please wait... pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease ...maybe the Katalyth is doing more to this poor machine than powering it. The screen is quickly filled with a repetition of the same word, before shutting off completely. It will not turn on again, no matter what anyone does. It's dead, its final message conveyed. Gojo hunting: Brickston has been on good enough behavior recently, so he's not just shown back out the door when he turns up asking questions. The staff will be surprised at his phrasing, but it won't change their answer: a confirmation that Gojo is being held in Patho-Gen HQ due to an Augmenter malfunction. They would say the same thing even if he asked it in a less weird way. They would be apologetic about the news, and wouldn't hide that this meant that it was exceedingly unlikely that he would be seen again. They've yet to find a cure for this error once it's already happened, but they would assure that their engineers are doing their utmost to get to the root of the underlying cause. Hopefully it can be fixed and prevent losses like these from happening in future. |
| #2
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-10-02 |
Thank you, mods! sorry for the nuisance she's about to become. speaking of, if she enquires about "how about you never mess with the minds of augmented ever again, and failing that, never mess with my or pom's or the people I care about's minds <3" what sort of response will she get? and if she doesn't get that promise, and starts doing things like... sealing the entrances of patho-gen HQ with ice and other such total pain in the ass but not dangerous unless there's a fire (or plant monster) inside demonstrations of her displeasure with their decision, what happens? she's also going to refuse any instructions to do community service (and if they mess with her head to try and make her do it, or worse make pom do it.... well. the second that stops she will be flooding every inch of every patho-gen office until she passes out) |
Oh dear. Northly... this is not good behavior and not a good example for your fellow Augmented! Even though some may recognize that she's motivated out of concern for loved ones, that is a lot of trouble she's prepared to cause. Depending on who she talks to, the more sympathetic of Patho-Gen's staff would at least try to mollify her. These are also the ones least familiar (or responsible) for the "behavioral modifications"/mindfuckery that are placed on repeated aggressors like Pom (and soon to be Northly). From their perspective/understanding, the most that's been done is a bit of sedation to help with panic, and they don't really understand why she's this upset about it. They know that sometimes more bestial behaviors get the better of even the most respectable of Augmented, and surely it's better to keep them from hurting themselves or others until they calm down? Of course, even at its most optimistic, none of that is a promise (and it's a bit unintentionally condescending to boot)... and if Northly starts acting up, she would be some combination of spoken to/knocked out/artificially calmed down/put into Augmented jail (time out with Patho-Gen), as they try to figure out what to do with her (bureaucracy is a problem, the complication of different people with different authorities and perspectives trying to come up with an answer here). (For longer consequences/outcomes, it should probably be laid out after October's event (at least the kidnapping part), whether Northly is amongst those taken or not. Since it also has to do with trying to curb/control/rewrite some of these inconvenient Augmented behaviors...) |
| #3
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-26 |
I couldn't find if anyone had tried this yet so for Kelesis proper (and not the hell pit): Syrlya would like to spend a bit of time really focusing on the weird instability of the city and its people by specifically looking for any signs of it being a magically-induced illusion of sorts, since he's a spectral type that already specialized in illusions. Aside from the terrible headaches what does a bit of magically and metaphorically poking around at oddities, does he notice anything? | The first thing Syrlya would receive for his trouble is: more headaches. But if he persisted at this, he would begin to attract the attention of local Kelesians. Possibly because they noticed that he was in some sort of pain- but it's also just as likely that they're suddenly eager to talk to him about something. Maybe they're eager for him to visit their shop, or have a sample of what their stall is selling. Maybe they're looking for someone, and ask if he's seen anyone of their description. It's all very distracting. It is unnaturally distracting, at that, as these good-natured encounters encouraging Syrlya to partake in the world around him will make it exceedingly difficult to remember just what he was trying to do before. This in itself is something to notice, the uncanny timing and unlikely distractability, but catching on to it and fighting to view past it will earn him a brief flash of absolute dread and grief- before being forced into unconsciousness. On waking up, he will be outside Kelesian borders, and will not be allowed inside the city for a week. Any attempts after that, will lead to even swifter evictions from the city. |
| #4
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-26 |
Thank you! He'll likely do it twice total just to make sure so confirming the second eviction is another week ban or longer? | The second time would also be a week in length! He would be slapped with it more quickly, but the time out period would be the same. (If he persisted after that, it would ramp up in duration...) |
| #5
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-26 |
+1 to the "will flip right out if not immediately able to see the one they're bonded to" crowd! sorry x2 |
While Northly doesn't (yet) have the same reputation with Patho-Gen as Pom, she is rapidly ascending the list of troublesome patients. While some staff question the sense of putting two dangerous people together, others point out that they are studying the power of imprints/pair bonding, and this is certainly an example of it. After her initial outburst, Northly would be put to nap, and likely additionally sedated for everyone's safety. But they might give in and put her and Pom together, to see whether some genuine calm manifests underneath the artificially inspired compliance. As noted in the reply to Pom, they would be allowed to leave once things have stabilized somewhat, but before the calming drugs have entirely worn off. |
| #6
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-26 |
wake up in a high-security hospital room where Patho-Gen claims they're "monitoring their Augmenter for strange readings that may have caused the outburst" Just piggy-backing off this comment, and I am so sorry about him, but how will it go if one of said Augmented, say, reacts extremely poorly to the idea of being imprisoned in any way, freaks out even more and demands to see his Imprint buddy who was with him, and if she doesn't appear immediately goes right back to Shifting and tearing stuff up? How much knocking out can they do before turning his brain into Swiss cheese? Would they just rush Northly in there to calm him down, or knock him out so thoroughly that they can park him outside somewhere? Will they politely put him in one of those track suits if that happens, or is it another Pom-Stranded-and-Nude-In-Town Adventure? Coming back to mention that I'm cool with any kind of trouble he gets into, because whoops, I forgot to put that in the initial comment! I know he's been a pain in Patho-Gen's backside the past few months in particular. |
Patho-Gen is increasingly concerned over Pom's antics, as all these hospital rooms and equipment are both expensive and difficult to keep replacing. His reputation is also known amongst the staff (with only minor embellishments), and there's many who outright refuse to get near him if he's conscious. At the first sign of renewed violence, he would be put back to sleep, and would be administered medication to ensure that he woke up in an unnaturally compliant (and somewhat woozy) state. This will become a standard practice for future Pom-escapades. In this artificially calm state, they might concede to putting Northly in with him (particularly given her own outbursts), and see whether waking up together will see things continue to stabilize. If there's no more attempted Shifting/mauling even as the drugs begin to wear off, they will be permitted to leave together. (They are also likely to usher them both out the door before things have completely worn off, to increase non-violent compliance...) (If his clothing is destroyed at any point, they would give him yet another tracksuit. They would prefer to reduce the number of nude-Pom sightings in the area.) While there aren't any known consequences for being repeatedly Made To Nap, Pom is really putting that to the test. As of yet, there aren't any specific complications from clicker overuse, at least. |
| #7
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-20 |
question about the imprinting experiment! if a (helpful, respectable, scientific) mind wanted to see if they could replicate the experiment, would that be at all possible or does it require patho-gen tech/resources? | The Patho-Gen machines themselves would be a difficult thing to replicate, and they would be rather guarded about their proprietary technology. They'd been working on developing these tests for some time, after having first learned of the existence of these invisible bonds. And to potentially harvest this power... (for the good of the world, of course; understanding how it further bolsters a protection against arcane radiation, and even provides energy would be a boon to everyone!), well, they would rather not it fall into outside hands. Which isn't to say that the process (or at least a process) isn't replicable elsewhere. Even if Patho-Gen wouldn't allow even a very polite and responsible Augmented to use their machines, a capable and determined character could probably develop their own version of it. With all the different magics characters and their Natural Souls possess, it's not at all impossible that they could come up with something if they tried. Harnessing the very scientific power of friendship is a worthy goal for anyone. |
| #8
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-20 |
sliding in here with another Fungi Fuckery question because I suspect it's going to end up coming up in a thread - with the plants(? cursed caustic wall tendrils???) that are reacting to light under the middle-of-the-city Kelesis entrance, would it be possible for Momo to grow enough of himself onto parts of the tendrils to take control of them and stop them from attacking someone? even temporarily, to give extra time to drag someone out of there. or does the process take too long for that to be a feasible option? | Growing fungi on them and controlling the plants that way... this could work, at least temporarily, but only while Momo is consciously trying to control his collective spores. It would be a bit like a Terra-type seizing control of the tendrils- it's possible, but they are relentless, and there are a lot of them. As soon as Momo lets up, his mushrooms will be devoured by the plant life. But it would work as a means to temporarily 'leash' them, giving him more time to rescue someone (or allow them to rescue themselves). |
| #9
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-20 |
Oh this is all so delicious (no pun intended), thank you sweet mods this is everything I could have hoped for and more <3 (laughing at "they're still... uncomfortable at this explicit demonstration of a predator/prey outcome, when both parties are still sort of human-shaped," like, EXCUSE: just for the record, he was fully shifted at the time? This was way more "Jurassic Park" than "Hannibal", OK.) Sorry, you've already given me so much to work with but I do have just a few quick follow-up questions: 1. Does "(coming) in with a temperament Patho-Gen doesn't like" extend to just... Having a standard bad attitude about needing to do the check-ins, or are they specifically looking for signs of ferality? Or is the criteria for what counts 'player's choice'? 2. Similar Q to the above: the duration of the "exceedingly pliant and tame" effect of the injections: same range as on the TDM, or longer depending on player choice? 3. OK this one isn't really a question but: makes sense Patho-Gen wouldn't actually be that cruel, so we'll just think of some other way to force a confrontation later so as not to give the poor NPCs any more flak than they already get :3b [This is just additional info/context, not a question, feel free to skip: My idea was really just that they could wind up being brought in at about the same time; I'd previously established a backstory for Five's Natural Soul back during the May event that involved it having starved to death, so I was thinking I could extend the hunger/feral effect out beyond the pit by playing things out as if the spider lilies REALLY set his Natural Soul's old trauma off. Like to the point where it goes "mom says it's my turn to use the body now" and stays in an agitated, full shifted and unreasonably feral state that requires intervention to bring him down from. But... I do not think that would make Patho-Gen any more inclined to put him anywhere near Four, if safety/empathy are the concern, LOL.] 4. Is it safe to assume that questions/accusations directed to Patho-Gen employees re: the existence of the spider lilies would net a response similar to what people are getting when trying to ask them about the plant monster from last month? (as mentioned in the "everything else" FAQ for this month) |
Thanks for your patience on these! 1. Mostly signs of ferality, aggressiveness, hostility, disagreeableness... Things that would make it difficult for them to Do Science And Medicine. Ultimately, though, we shall grant the license of player's choice: if you want a Patho-Gen scientist to write him up for having a bad attitude and that's it, that scientist can absolutely be a pill and have a bad day! 2. Good question! We'll let this be player's choice as well. The intent is for it to last about as long as what's on the TDM, but it may spontaneously last for longer... 3. Patho-Gen is about as complex as any major organization, in that Good People Work For Them despite the horrors... In some cases, yes, they'll be humane and try to keep victim away from instigator to avoid any awfulness. Still, they're here to facilitate what's fun for players as well. 4. The spider lilies will garner the same sort of confusion from most of them, and for anyone who might know something more: the shock on even their faces will suggest that this is an unknown to them! No, Patho-Gen has not yet encountered these spider lilies; some might even ask where they were encountered and, if told, they will become quite grim and say the place sounds dangerous, and Augmented Ones should not investigate until Patho-Gen gives them the OK to do so. Which runs contrary to what the Kelesian Representative suggests, of course... Which is the right thing to do? <img src="https://emos.plurk.com/ae614ee6e6d6035afb3ad867b80774e3_w24_h21.png" class="imageshrink-actualsize"> |
| #10
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-19 |
2 imprinting questions! 1. Is physical touch absolutely required to imprint? What if two characters develop a deep emotional bond without touching? 2. If two characters have come to the game from the same world, and have a very close bond in that world, are they sort of auto-heavy-imprinted once they make contact with each other in Karteria? Or does it still build up from nothing, gradually over time, the same as if they were strangers? |
1. We're gonna say that physical touch is not necessarily require in the event that characters have developed a deeply emotional bond. Physical touch helps, and some characters (such as characters who don't really like each other but who imprint over a mutual connection/interest/etc) may need the physical contact to help move along the formation of their imprint. Feel free to play with this as is suitable in your character's threads to make it both fulfilling and substantial! 2. Two characters coming from the same canon & having a close bond from that canon... It doesn't automatically start as an imprint. But those two characters will have a chemistry that ignites quite readily, and this chemistry can be seen via Patho-Gen's machinery. Use the machines to force characters to acknowledge feelings they might have for each other, even if not yet imprinted! Characters who have a deep chemistry back home but haven't formally imprinted in Karteria may be faced with the reality that they feel strongly for one another, but that their "readings" aren't synchronized until they imprint. This will be interesting to Patho-Gen; they may attempt to coax the two members to engage in known methods of instigating an imprint, such as sharing like experiences or hand-holding. These characters may find that the imprint comes easily and, as soon as it's established, it's quite strong from the get-go. |
| #11
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-18 |
Break is blind, and uses his cane to help him navigate. The only problem is his cane has a sword in it. So my question is, how easy would it be for him to get access to a normal cane to navigate through the TDM? | Sword cane....... Chances are, as long as it's not a magical cane he'll be able to get it back after being apped. (Even if it's a magical cane, it depends on what sort of magical cane it is! We judge weapons/magical items on a case by case basis.) In the meantime, Patho-Gen can provide inert but functional prosthetics or mobility aides as you please. If you'd prefer for him to be deprived of his cane, they can be experiencing a shortage/the staff members all keep glossing over his needs and accidentally forgetting about his request. Likewise, if you'd prefer for him to have some basic cane, they can have something available for him to use. Choose your adventure as you please! Edited (this was one of those things where i reread "as long as it's not magical" like 5555 times to make sure i wrote "not", then when i posted it, i forgot "not") 2025-09-18 05:44 pm (local)
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| #12
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-15 |
Awesommmme THANK YOU SO MUCH 🙏 (And yeah they sure are. But also maybe Four should've tried not having a natural soul that looks like a tasty snack to a bird of prey??) Follow up questions... This is normally the thing I'd just self-report for reputation stuff but, since it is also going to affect a couple of potential aftermath threads, I wanted to ask: 1. What consequences from official channels can Five expect for having.... (Sigh.) Partially eaten, another Augmented. (Obviously he was not in his right mind when he did it and he's going to be, horrified, to say the least, once he's back to normal.) 2. Lex and I were kind of hoping to force an interaction between them in the aftermath, once Five's not feral and Four's back to life. Is it OK to finagle them possibly being in the same room back at Patho-Gen HQ when they wake up? (I have ideas for extra reasons for why they might bring Five in if needed) |
1. Eating anyone, even other Augmented (unless it's a bit of voluntary pruning of a Terra-type) is generally frowned upon by polite society. Patho-Gen staff, who'd been witness to either the gruesome outcome (or merely told about it by gossiping coworkers) would be considerably disturbed by Five's behavior. While they'll give him the benefit of the doubt as to it having not been a pre-meditated consumption, they're still... uncomfortable at this explicit demonstration of a predator/prey outcome, when both parties are still sort of human-shaped. At the same time, they're likely to recognize that this wasn't something Five would have done deliberately. And if his horror is notable in the aftermath, that will also count as a point in his favor. This was a tragic accident, and it raises some concerns over how best to temper these instincts in future, while not muzzling the predators completely. But they're still not going to be happy with him, or about this (why was he anywhere that this kind of psychosis could happen?). Consequences he can face will be as minor as the expected duration of a month's worth of community service (since this wasn't a premeditated crime; this matters somehow, even in cannibalization cases???), and as major as the dose of community service plus a required twice-a-month check-in with Patho-Gen staff where they... assess and treat him. This requirement would last about four months, or longer if Elan comes in with a temperament Patho-Gen doesn't like. If you wish to have him do the "check-ins," this would be something like being on probation where he has scheduled appointments with Patho-Gen (missing one is unacceptable and will incur more community service!!). They will assess his mental fitness to continue living in their society safely, and also continue... giving him different variants of the injectable drug featured in May's TDM, but more refined. In these cases, the drug is more likely to leave him exceedingly pliant and tame, subservient and easygoing. Besides this expected result, however, you're free to have the medication take on any of the effects described in categories 2-5 of the Volunteers Demanded promp. (At least Patho-Gen's figured out how to keep it from causing ferality...) You're free to choose either of these two options as you see fit for your fun purposes. 2. Patho-Gen would not deliberately or automatically room the pair together. It's as much for safety reasons, as it is for empathetic ones (imagine waking up, and the person who ate you is right there...). Which isn't to say that it's impossible for this to be overcome or changed, if you have a reason for why they might be brought together after all- Patho-Gen just wouldn't stick them together on their own accord. A feasible way you can thread this out is that, well... hospital intakes have been a bit high, especially after last month's events. Perhaps the two are in a room with... a curtain between them. That's privacy on a budget! |
| #13
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-13 |
Hi mods, real quickie question: for characters who are getting hit with the hunger effect from touching the spider lilies, is it safe to assume that impulse just wears off after a few hours the same way the intoxication does? Or are character getting hit with this going to need some kind of additional outside intervention? (you may have caught wind that some horrible enhanced person on enhanced person violence is happening down in the pit, just wondering what circumstances I can play around with, wrt Five snapping out of it and realizing what a terribad thing he's done <3) |
Yes, it should wear off on its own after a few hours, no outside intervention required! Exiting The Pit should also cause it to wear off sooner, given that it would put a person outside the range of the starving flowers. (There is no amount of eating that a character could do that would remove the urge; the starvation is just that relentless, bottomless. Only time and getting away from it will cause it to fade.) (The Elans sure are having A Time Of It down there......) |
| #14
Topics: Syntrofos, Golem, Katalyth, Technology, Imprinting Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-13 |
hi, mods! i have a few questions -- 1) elan really wants to eat his phone. someone's phone. anybody's phone, really. what would happen if he tried? is it edible for golem types? will he (or his victim) get a new one if it turns out that the syntrofos is, in fact, a delicious snack? i'm sorry. i promise he will not try to eat the servitons. 2) a strange (?) imprinting question. let's say you have (necessarily) positive feelings about your imprint, as a distinct, autonomous person, but your natural soul is the type to be scared shitless by their natural soul (say, a predator/prey situation). can this interfere with the imprint in any way, ex., on account of how the natural souls would likely respond to each other? -- addendum, sorry!: 3) is one half of an imprinted pair instinctively aware of when their partner dies, or are they just "more affected" when they find out through word of mouth, etc., that their partner has died? i wasn't sure when reading the faq if intuiting the partner's death is exclusive to the pair bonding mechanic. (if it is, i will have a small, very-particular-to-my-character follow-up question.) thank you in advance! 🫶 Edited (i can type) 2025-09-11 11:05 pm (local)
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1. Well. Provided that Elan can fit it into his mouth, either in whole or after smashing it up a bit, there's no one who can stop a determined Elan from eating someone's phone. It does come with an unexpected complication: Elan will probably die from this. Almost immediately after consumption, he'll be hit with a sense of absolute dread. This was a bad idea. And the feeling won't stop, only getting worse as the minutes pass. Depending on how intact the Syntrofos was to start with, it'll be somewhere between 15-30 minutes before he starts showing physical symptoms- that of acute arcane radiation poisoning. He's likely to automatically Shift in self-defense, to become covered in black boils, and to otherwise mutate. This is what happens when someone comes in physical contact with Katalyth. Being a Golem, and as the amount of Katalyth sequestered within a Syntrofos is miniscule, Elan has a greater chance of surviving this than were he another soul type. Allowing it to linger within him until it burns itself out still has a good chance of killing him anyway, but even if he survives he'll have an absolutely miserable, feral time of it regardless. Were he to cough up the Syntrofos quickly (ideally as soon as that dread started setting in), the effect on his health would be correspondingly reduced. He still won't feel great, but the poisoning will clear up faster. On replacing a eaten Syntrofos: should Patho-Gen be told the truth, they will be very upset with him. This is doubly true if he died and they've already had to intervene to revive him (in which case they might already have seen the evidence of a crushed up Syntrofos in him...). If he lies and says it broke, or he lost it, they'll reprimand him, and he'll have to pay for a replacement (price: 8000 numis) from them (if he has no money, it'll basically be loaned to him, and he will be pestered regularly to pay up), but he won't be otherwise penalized. (If he eats someone else's Syntrofos, his victim will be the one reprimanded for breaking it and have to... eat the costs. Unless it all comes out that it's Elan's snack-habit that caused this, in which case blame would be redirected back at him.) Even any old messages might be able to be imported to the new device, thanks to the wonders of the cloud! 2. Having opposing (in a sense) Natural Souls can interfere with the imprinting process- as it might put the prey-character more on edge than they otherwise would be, unconscious instinct telling them to avoid contact (and to recoil from the clear threat on experiencing it). Whether this is enough to altogether prevent imprinting is up to the players. The characters' own feelings could be enough to overcome this instinct, and the Natural Soul's fears are likely to reduce over time, soothed by the imprint's reassurance that this predator is somehow family. Or, the soul could be just too panicked and flood their host with the same emotion, enough to put a stop to any imprinting dreams. Some more mundane soothing (and a good deal more time) would probably be necessary in order for an imprint to take. So really, it could go either way, depending on how you wanted to play things out. Ex. Imprinted pairs are not automatically attuned to each other's deaths. It's only when the attachment has slipped into the depths of pair bonding that these emotional resonances occur (along with just being generally 'aware' of important fluctuations in their physical state). |
| #15
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-13 |
Hi, mods! Quick canon-to-setting translation question. I'm playing it loose for TDM needs, but if I were to bring Anders into the game, would Patho-Gen's power cut-off situation mean he was entirely cut off from the Fade back home? For some background for the canonblind, mages in Dragon Age get their magic from a sort of parallel plane/space called the Fade. If they (or anyone, really) get cut off completely from this connection, they canonically stop being able to feel their feelings or have any personal aspirations of their own. Would this be the case while Anders is on Patho-Gen property? Additionally, I'm playing it that Anders' connection with his other soul-roommate, Justice, is limited to a vague feeling he's still there since Justice's influence drastically boosts Anders' canon abilities and ability to heal himself. Almost like Justice is in hibernation. Is that kosher or would it feel like something else to him? |
Apologies for the wait on this.... Within Patho-Gen HQ itself, he would feel as though severed from the Fade entirely. Unpleasant... but it's also possible that some lingering attachment would remain in him for long enough to keep him from being completely deadened from himself- so long as he doesn't linger inside the building. (Of course, if you would prefer that he temporarily lost all connection to his heart while within their care, you're welcome to do so! Whatever option works best for you.) Outside of Patho-Gen HQ, Anders would feel instead that the Fade was there, but at an utter distance. Still present enough that while his magic might be harder to use, his personality would remain as it is, rather than drained from him. (As a side-note for general clarity, it's currently only Patho-Gen HQ that has the anti-ability effect in place. Their clinics, scattered around the city, do not stifle anyone's magic or native traits.) And that view of Justice sounds just fine! He's just taking a bit of a nap in there... hopefully his new Natural Soul buddy will make up for it. |
| #16
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-12 |
are there augmenters(/small pieces of metal that appear to be made by people) within the golems under kelesis or within the plant monsters? and what's the airflow situation under kelesis? is there air coming in from anywhere other than the two entrances pointed out? is the ground of the tunnels also concrete, or is there dirt? oh and can terra augmented manipulate the plants down there at all? is the lunar eclipse this month visible in karteria? Edited 2025-09-08 10:16 pm (local)
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There do happen to be Augmenters... or at least small pieces of metal within both the Golems and the plant monsters. Not every Golem remnant will have one, though given their bodily composition, it's possible that anything that had been there has since fallen out, to be irretrievably lost in the general filth of the place (or simply broken and/or consumed by something else). They are very small things. The airflow situation isn't great. Characters might find remnants of collapsed ventilation shafts that are clogged more with vegetation than air. Some of the broken, ruined machines might have had something to do with filtration but they're doing nothing now. The plants themselves seem to be the source of most of the 'breathable' air down there. The two entrances are the only sources of fresh air the tunnels have seen in some time. The ground is also concrete, but there's layers (and layers) of decaying plant matter, dirt, grime, bone, insect slurry, etc., on top of it. It ranges from being a few inches thick to over a foot in depth. It also ranges from 'uncomfortably squishy' to 'uneasily firm'. Terra Augmented can manipulate the plants! It's not always successful, or easy to maintain control- as there's other consciousnesses involved, and they will notice what they're up to and not appreciate it. It would be like a Terra trying to control the growths of another Terra. Possible, but a constant battle if there's resistance. Some of the smaller, more distant growths would be easier to 'steal' control of. The lunar eclipse would be visible! It is safe to assume that RL lunar phenomena like eclipses will also occur in game for convenience. (If there is ever any deviation with this- which would likely be in the addition of some sort of unusual phenomena- it would be noted specifically in event information.) |
| #17
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-10 |
Coasting off of this for a question of my own - so, uh. Eli may have started a SceneTM before the imprinting tests with Cas there getting effected, too. Would they have knocked out Cas as well, and if not, would they let him come with/bring him along? To try and keep Eli from doing it again and stuff (and maybe salvage some imprint information from them). | Oh dear, Eli... but given that Cassius has no prior record of violence with Patho-Gen, the staff would not automatically jump to knocking him out with the offender. As long as he refrains from threatening (or outright resorting) to violence himself, they might let him come along for that reason: to see if he can keep Eli from lashing out another time. Perhaps this is another power of imprints...? (Or just friendship.) |
| #18
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-08 |
Say someone, who is definitely not me nope, missed the part where the Heart to Heart prompt was at PG HQ and thought it was at clinics around the city like the injections were, and they had their character casually use their own magic and not their natural soul magic, could they pretend the study was being done at one of those clinics or something to they didn't have to rewrite... | Aw... Not to worry. That can work just fine! All of the same rules apply, after all: native powers are nullified, lots of Patho-Gen staff... all of the goods are still present. |
| #19
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-08 |
About what happens if someone brings light into the underground cavern: How fast is the encroachment of these vines that respond to the light? Could someone bring a covered or inactive light source down there, activate it, and then throw it away from them as bait for whatever is down there? | Clever... Yes, one could bring a light source down into the pit, light it, and toss it. Creeping vines don't snag their prey so quickly that someone couldn't throw the lantern off to the side, which would occupy the plant dudes. Once they grasp, crush, extinguish, or otherwise overwhelm the light or swallow it up, they'll redirect their focus to the living thing in the room. Or... un-living thing, for Spectral-types. It isn't a permanent fix once properly in the bigger room with the computer monitor in it, basically. |
| #20
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-07 |
Oh no :c the bodies breaking apart... also sorry, I misread the prompt a little and missed the skeletons. Since you called out the plant monster, I assume the other remains are okay as well. How are the skeletons/golems attached to the wall? |
Any other remains would be safe to remove from the pit, yes! It's just the plants themselves that would be warned over. The most visible bindings the Golems have are plant-based, which have been as much about tying them up as rooting in them... in the way that any plant would pull nutrients from the earth. This earth just happened to have been conscious at some point, and doesn't seem to have had much say in it. If one were to dig about in what's left of their bodies, there would be objects buried within them. Chains, long metal pins, a substantial amount of netting- various tools to keep the 'soil' of this garden in place. Whether there had ever been a struggle is hard to evaluate. What's left is badly damaged, but there's no sign of anything having escaped. Whenever their cage broke, it was too late for those within it to notice. |
| #21
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-07 |
Following up to this.... Are the golems down there the points of light/souls that Aves have seen in Kelesis? | The Golems are one source of the soul lights (although some of the Golem-shaped masses... their lights are completely gone). The plants themselves though are the other source. Not every little blossom is a soul, but there are... an uncomfortable amount of souls in the depths. |
| #22
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-07 |
Asking the question here so potential applicants can see: Does an Imprint require positive feelings towards someone? Can it be between two people antagonizing each other/beefing/hating each other? Or does it only require a connection? Looking at the FAQ: Imprinting cannot be forced. Tying two foes together will not guarantee that they will come out of it friendlier towards one another (unless they bond over a mutual dislike of the experience...). The physical contact that begins the process has to be voluntary, and both parties have to not be repulsed by it. So if two people don't like each other but are forced into some kind of cooperation necessitating mutual contact (that isn't repulsed), could something potentially still be formed? Asking because I love mess. |
We are always in support of mess.... So yes, a circumstance like that could totally lead to an imprint. Characters don't have to like one another for an imprint to form. Antagonizing can be a form of connection, an odd investment, or an interest. A brief tolerance, or recognition of necessity, or a guard being lowered just long enough... there's plenty of room for an imprint to slip in when contact is made. So long as one (or both) parties aren't repulsed by the contact, completely against it- an imprint can form. (Of course, if the players would prefer an imprint doesn't happen under similar circumstances, it can be avoided, the connection too tenuous. But it's certainly possible for the characters to end up tied together.) |
| #23
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-07 |
Are there any other clues in Georges' video that might point to a specific location or a specific time the recording was made? **ETA my eyes glazed over the "old video" part but I think he'd still be interested to know how old and if he the location could be pinpointed to investigate further. I can't remember if anyone has actually looked into finding/snooping through Georges' office? (Does he have more than one??) 🤔 Also, would Sabo be able to obtain the original video (file/CD/etc) if he (and possibly someone else keeping the Patho-Gen staff distracted) were to tinker with the projector very sneakily? I realize they probably know his face by now and may be extra wary of him due to his tendency for unhinged behavior, so to not draw attention to himself, he'd probably show up in a disguise. 😂 Edited (sometimes reading is hard) 2025-09-05 07:38 am (local)
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The most recent video (which is also the oldest video) doesn't suggest much of anything around him besides it taking place in an office-like setting. There's a window, a plant- nothing remarkable. Georges is existing in a room somewhere, at some point in time. Even with distraction, it would be difficult to steal anything from the projector- since as it's not long after the video is finished that they're wheeling it back into the depths of the building. There isn't a time where it's left completely unattended. As for where Georges' office is (or whether he has multiple of them) is not something any Patho-Gen employee would be willing (or able) to share. It's not as though any Augmented would be permitted there even if they asked nicely (and not if they asked threateningly either, as that would just be led to being knocked out...). Thus far, any attempts to break into Patho-Gen HQ/otherwise spy on the lower levels has not revealed anything on Georges' location. |
| #24
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-07 |
Hello! Say someone tried to completely dismantle (and not reprogram) a servi-tron robot... would there be any consequences for this? | Patho-Gen won't be pleased at all. ServiTons are made of valuable, hard-to-obtain resources. Dismantling one for any reason is not very nice, on top of being a punishable offense. Characters can do it, of course. And not putting it back together or relinquishing it to return to its duties means that if this behavior is performed in any variety of public building, or the Valentia, they'll have video footage of the perpetrator. Characters will be ticketed and required to perform some kind of community service, as found under Laws & Social Norms. This would be considered "premeditated," and Patho-Gen will have to take responsibility for the character's actions. (Next month our Reputation thread will open up, and Consequences will be outlined in our reply should you report it! This may include Dubious Kidnapping & Science, but it depends entirely on how magnanimous Patho-Gen is feeling at the time.) In short, there will be legal consequences that range between community service and Patho-Gen deciding that this is license to personally punish the character/keep a closer eye on them. Even though they dehumanize their local robots, they're Karterian property and it's considered premeditated theft and damage to property. :( |
| #25
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-07 |
Just a few points of clarification: 1. On the golem page it says they're immune to poison- is this in general, or only once they're fully corrupted and mostly inorganic? 2. Are characters experiencing their corrupted traits UNDER Kelesis as well as aboveground? 3. Similar to Icie's question I'm wondering if PG will make characters pass out to bring them to HQ for the imprinting thing, if they refuse. |
1. The immunity applies when the Golem is fully corrupted, or otherwise full-shifted, as it is largely tied to how inorganic they are at the time. But a fresh, uncorrupted or Shifted Golem would at least have some base resistance to poison, and any damage caused by it would occur much more slowly due to more minute changes to their circulation. So they would have more time to get help, or the damage might be limited to parts of their body. 2. They are! Their corrupted traits are in full bloom (or fur, or stone, etc.) underneath Kelesis as well. 3. Why is everyone so skeptical of Patho-Gen's free imprinting trial.... It depends. If a player would prefer their character to not be drawn in whatsoever, then Patho-Gen's invitation is left as just that- an invitation! This is supposed to be a show of gratitude on their part, after all, and demanding characters take part in their gift would sort of run contrary to that. Officially, anyway. If a player would prefer their character to be knocked out and scooped up, then a character might find themselves abruptly waking up in Patho-Gen's HQ, being led to the test room. They will assert that the character walked in of their own accord though, and will look concerned that they don't seem to remember it. It's probably nothing to worry about though. |
| #26
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-07 |
This is very helpful, thank you! Importantly in terms of Eli's spectral powers, are Patho-Gen performing these imprint experiments in the day time only? Or is the time of day flexible? For an idea of what I am thinking, if he's taken there in the evening he's very likely to kill a PG staff, but if he has daytime nerf he can't really do much but scare them. ETA: also, is it reasonable to say that Patho-Gen knows about some of the stronger imprints among the augmented and might bring in a bonded or almost-bonded pair purposely to study their particular connection? Edited 2025-09-07 05:37 am (local)
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They are mostly in the day, but they might also have some evening (to late-evening) sessions for those whose schedules can't make the early ones. They're not going to have anything at like, 3AM though. But if you'd like Eli to be an evening menace, or a poor sap dragged out during the day, either is possible! And that's also very likely! While they're still interested in what people new to one another can manage in a short encounter, they're definitely out to capture data on established bonds. (If they have any way of knowing about them, or guessing at a connection, at least.) They would love to see some of the stronger imprints at work... it's good science. |
| #27
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-07 |
Great! ONE MORE QUESTION, SO SORRY! Are characters' weapons always taken away from them when they enter HQ? Or just depowered? | They would temporarily confiscate any weapons they see, on being brought to the testing rooms. This is all just some harmless sciencing, everyone gets some numbers to gamify their imprinting strength, there shouldn't be any need for weaponry.... (However, if a character just wanders into the lobby to talk to reception, or goes to where the teleporation panel is to head to Kelesis, there's no confiscation involved there. It's just when being taken into other parts of the building, that they try to limit the damage characters can potentially do.) |
| #28
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-07 |
Hello, just a few questions! For the expedition in Kelesis, say your character naturally puts out a little bit of light constantly BUT (especially if they shift) the fire they're made from is made for sucking the life out of others. I'm assuming they're going to be a target, but would said fire deter the plants at all? And if not, are there any side effects to mutual life drain? And for the imprint machine... I've got a question about that regarding the Bough in Dante's noggin. Put super simply (because it gets complex and we haven't received an exact answer as to what they are in Limbus), the Boughs are said by one person to deal heavily with connection, and they've been used as a power source in the past. Do you think that would intercept/mess up some of Patho-Gen's machines at all and if so, how? |
Constantly putting out a little light natively would encourage the plants' growth and generally be a poor idea. They do not like being on fire, and will still burn, but 'instinct' will have them be drawn to the light nonetheless. They're desperate to take whatever they can get, and if some burn up in the process, it's not so much that they can't grow enough to surpass it. A normal flame (or any kind of inborn light) would attract the plants and be suffocated and devoured. Dante's specific trait, especially when Shifted, complicates things as they're drained and burned, but then have a stronger entity to try and feast on... it's a cycle that could go as wildly as you'd like. It's possible it reaches some sort of equilibrium, where they're neither able to fully consume the other, keeping one another in a very delicate check. Or they could bolster one another to a dangerous degree, and were anyone accompanying Dante, the plants would be that much more able to devour anyone around them. In any case, the plants are unable to give up on them. So long as Dante's giving off light, they have to approach, to take as much of that light as they can. And the longer they're down there, the more plants will react to them, and the more aggressive they'll be towards anyone around. Regarding their Bough, it could have an effect of interfering with Patho-Gen's machines. Depending on the strength of Dante's connection to whomever they're being tested with, it could lead to distorted data, machines lighting up in ways they shouldn't, rendering whatever's being recorded into garbage (or at least with sizable gaps). Or, they might manage to short out the systems entirely, similar to the effect of a pair bond... Dante already giving out too much energy for them to properly capture. |
| #29
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-06 |
Can the Golems be detached from the walls? If yes, can Hubert seek out/get the attention of whatever Kelesian powers that be to confirm if the Golems are safe to expose to light—that the "it" refers to the Pit/the plant monsters? It would be a colossal undertaking to carry literal stone back to the surface and they might be impossible to awaken, but if they were human experiments once, Hubert couldn't stand the idea of leaving their bodies down in the Hell Pit. |
The Golems can be detached from the walls, though their bodies may crumble or disintegrate. It would be a colossal undertaking to drag them out of there, but Hubert could absolutely find some more intact specimens and drag them out of The Pit. Or just fragments of specimens, as it goes. That being said... this particular question for the Kelesian Powers That Be will be somehow known, and a response will occur to Hubert in the same sort of headache-inducing way that the warnings to avoid light exposure did: they can be brought to the sun. No, no danger about the Golems being in the light; probably safe to assume it's about the plant monsters. |
| #30
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-06 |
I have a question about the imprinting machine! Can they refuse someone they're paired up with? What if someone has strong feelings for the other but also is hurt and upset with them and doesn't want to interact with them? Is it possible to stop the experiment or are they forced to finish it first? |
You're free to NPC Patho-Gen scientists to be as pushy or as understanding as you'd prefer! Each Patho-Gen staff member will be totally different from the next: some may take a more compassionate stance toward the Augmented and wish to respect their feelings and desires, while others may value Performing The Science At All Costs and pressure characters to remain until they can at least get them hooked up to the machine and get the demonstration started. But of course, imprinting is not a precise science. If the two characters aren't imprinted, the machine simply won't demonstrate much of a reading... and this may cause Patho-Gen to lose interest. Conversely, the feelings harbored by particularly close characters (even when in disagreement) may ensure that they have an imprint in the works, and their feelings will be shown for all if there's any imprinting involved. |
| #31
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-06 |
The general FAQ section on death/revival indicates that Patho-Gen scientists need an Augmented One's body in order to revive them. What would happen if someone did die down in the plant caverns in a way that made their body difficult or impossible to retrieve? Are they turbofucked? Corollary to the above: what would happen if someone did get partway eaten due to the hunger-for-flesh effect of the flowers? Would the Natural Soul still take over in the event of death involving partial dismemberment? Sorry to be nasty 🙏 Edited 2025-09-05 03:27 am (local)
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A very good question here. If someone dies in the Hell Pit, they'll be in great peril. It is recommended that a fellow Augmented One fetch their corpse. Failing this, however... Patho-Gen does have a failsafe: that handy Augmenter will tell them where the body is, and... they have a Secret Third Way of retrieving a body that is of ethical dubiousness. Who's counting, though. Loathe as they are to admit it, they might need to use a ServiTon. This is unheard of; ServiTons beyond the barrier are a huge no-go for some reason, but they might have to do it. One way or another, the corpse absolutely needs to be retrieved. This nasty question is a fav... Part-way eaten Augmented Ones will absolutely become consumed by their Natural Soul, even without all of their limbs present. This just means that they might be in severe agony, and that animal soul may do whatever it takes to protect themselves. Though the remotes to shut characters off require being within range of them, Patho-Gen does have another method to "shut down" characters in the event of needing to turn that soul off so they can collect the character's body safely, but the entire thing will be difficult to do. They'll prefer sending another Augmented to the scene, and whether or not that Augmented One encounters the dead character being puppeted by their NatSoul or not is up to players. Mid-combat, the character could also be 'shut off' by Patho-Gen if need be! All in the name of great fun. |
| #32
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-06 |
Thank you mods!! And apologies in advance for all the damage she's gonna do. Will there be any punishment for doing a lot of damage? And apologies if you're getting to this question later, no rush, but do characters (particularly those who were on dig team or tried writing back to the words) still feel watched in kelesis? Edit: additional question, would there be anything odd to note about the doe-eyed stranger if recorded on syntrofos? (tighnari's been getting used to whipping his out to record as much weirdness as he can, such as at the welcome speech.) What if someone was in Kelesis already (leading dig things and stretching the "only two nights" to three and four), would the doe-eyed stranger appear to Tighnari at dig squad HQ on the morning of the fourth? Edited 2025-09-06 12:48 am (local)
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There's a part of Patho-Gen that anticipates this kind of response from characters, so punishment won't be as stark as it could be. These are very volatile specimens, these Augmented. The punishment won't be considered 'premeditated' by the collective Karterian standard (which, as a refresher, premeditation to Karterian society is worth a more severe punishment in general), so if a massive amount of damage is done during the imprinting exercise, the character'll obviously 1. get shut down, 2. wake up in a high-security hospital room where Patho-Gen claims they're "monitoring their Augmenter for strange readings that may have caused the outburst", and then 3. issued some manner of community service to atone for their crimes. Damage a sciencey room, make it up to the whole of Karteria by helping other people out. Characters will still feel watched in Kelesis, yes. There isn't any sense of malevolence or upset, even toward the dig team. Kelesian reputation is still high! 💖 Doe-eyed stranger: they can be recorded like anyone in Kelesis, and the same sorts of Kelesis-patented video distortion may still affect their physical form. The doe-eyed stranger may indeed visit Tighnari at any point that is convenient to you to relay the same message, all before managing to steal away. What's important is that the Kelesian Mystery Person will only dispense this same amount of information, and no matter what, will manage to get away. As an un-asked for detail: Trying to physically restrain them or anything will fail. They will escape without a fight. If a character decides to attack them, restrain them, etc, the Augmented One aggressing them will...... get kicked out of the city for a day. Begone. Think about what you've done in time out. Edited (can't keep my city names straight) 2025-09-06 09:17 pm (local)
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| #33
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-05 |
Would it be possible to glean anything from that screen in Kelesis with [“https://www.wyrmfoe.com/2245/plug-and-play/“ plug and play], which is what allows Rowan to connect their phone/laptop to any device? Is there a computer/device there? Is it connected to anything? Or would they be snagged too quickly to be able to discern anything? Also, if an Aves’ instinct would be to sing back at the message, would that trigger Orpheus’ song over the network, or do they have to be there in person for that to kick in? Edited (Html fail) 2025-09-05 01:45 am (local)
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Rowan's Plug and Play... Inspecting the monitor and any of the machine it's attached to, the whole thing is cradled and suffocated by vegetation. They will have to try to work at prying through vines and roots, which sink into the device and squeeze it hard enough that parts of the machine are cracking. A delicate operation, and the approach of cutting at any of the vegetation will expedite how quickly Rowan's snagged by the plant-like creatures. They do not like it if any of the plant is cut or damaged, and the reverberation of an agonized wail will sound in the distance to warn them that they're about to get hurt in retaliation. Besides, anywhere that can be plugged into is severely damaged at this time. Any USB, CD, or any other slot is ravaged with weeds and dirt, and otherwise crushed... Even if they were to operate the Plug and Play, they'd find that it has only one thread of connection left to its server: a reading on... the soil quality. It's kind of high in nitrogen. Re: does Orpheus' song work over the network? Answer: no, it does not. Characters must be physically present for Orpheus' song to work. ...however, and imprinted partner of an Aves-type might find themselves mildly compelled even over the network! But that's the only exception. |
| #34
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-05 |
Quick cinema question, just in case! If our characters are from real world places but different time periods (in Konoha's case, alternate Japan circa 1630), would media from her world come in the form of "video of some form of movie-like entertainment from her world and time period", like a story puppet show or narrative lute ballad performance, or would it take the form of "movie from 50's/60's Japan or other period but beyond her time period when movies were invented"? Thanks in advance! Edited 2025-09-05 01:34 am (local)
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Most of the VHS tapes are actual movies/shows from worlds that characters hail from. However, to even out the playing field to allow players to let their characters recognize things even from a setting like Konoha's... we have Found A Way that is in-keeping with the method™ these VHSes are being obtained. Yes. Characters can find specifically recorded performances from their world and their lifetime. Movies and shows cannot be derived specifically from that character's world from a different time period, though real life Japanese films from the 50's/60's have an existing Karterian parallel—but they're not quite the real deal. But back to these recorded performances from Alternate 1630s Japan: they will have the quality of a shaky home video, and will be far glitchier than the movies snagged from canons like Human Earthworm 4. There will be only a single copy... and if anyone has the ability to tell, the VHS the performance is recorded onto is not a copy. It's the one and only, as if someone loaded a tape into a recorder and recorded such performances, somehow managing to avoid being seen running around with a hulking, antiquated video recorder. The footage is muffled, grainy, and not nearly so clear as being there in the flesh. But it's there. |
| #35
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-05 |
If our characters would never offer themselves up to be studied by patho-gen, will the same compulsion that encouraged the augmented to investigate the bridge back in... june? be in place for the imprinting study? and if yes, at what point would the compulsion wear off — immediately after having reported to patho-gen and performing the test(/breaking the machine)? and if it would wear off inside... how much damage could an augmented's natural soul based water magic (in the hands of someone who was basically a water god in her world) do before pathogen kill switch her? (asking because I don't wanna break the setting, but she would flip her ever-loving shit and conjure a lot of water. she probably won't intentionally kill anyone, but... ice needle iron maidens up to their necks on all patho-gen staff present (which she will then freeze to them using any blood from them grazing against the needles) is a distinct possibility.) does being near someone she's nearly pair bonded with have any impact on the effectiveness of the kill switch and would they take pom down at the same time as her, just to be safe, or would he have to do something actionable? Did the doe-eyed individual look anything like the drawing of "Saran"? How does the feeling of being watched go in the new kelesis places? what would happen if the augmented ask pathogen staff about the fact that a) If requested, would the patho-gen staff provide a copy of the video shown at the initiation? could they also provide copies of the other broadcasts? Edited 2025-09-05 01:24 am (local)
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Characters who would never voluntarily turn up might just feel that odd inclination to comply, to see what their good friends at Patho-Gen want from them. Once they're there, it could start to wear off whenever the player would like- whether that means remaining vaguely tolerant through the whole experience, or whether they immediately want out once they're inside and the tests have started. That level of violence though... a character could certainly manage to do some harm if they're abrupt enough about it, but there will always be someone observing out of range to shut her down before she drowned all of Patho-Gen (and ruined their poor machines, which have done nothing wrong). But she could do a fair bit of damage before she was stopped if she was fast enough. Having Pom with her specifically might leave the scientists that much more cautious during the test- though their wariness would be focused more on him. Because it's Pom, they would definitely knock him out with her (though if he doesn't try to do anything violent in that time, it would be no additional mark against him... but they're not taking chances, given how he's nearly killed a scientist before). However, with the strength of a pair bond in play... it's not enough to negate being shut down entirely. Once the button is pressed, they will go unconscious, but it will take a few more seconds! This will certainly alarm everyone watching, and further underline that this is a different phenomena, related to but distinct from imprinting. (For later reference: this resistance to being shut down can occur even when the pair are at a physical distance from one another, but is more effective when they're within the same room/can see what's happening.) As for whether the Kelesis figure looks like Saran... sort of. It's not a perfect match, or even particularly close, but there might be some aspects that are a little familiar. Were characters to ask Patho-Gen staff about the plant monster, they would refuse (or be unable) to answer either question. The average low-level staff would be telling the truth that they don't know, for characters who are capable of discerning that sort of thing, but they might feel more uneasy about it, harboring their own personal suspicions. But they would be unable to confirm it, saying only that it was under investigation. Any mention of the Kelesis hell pit would be met with confusion. Were a character lucky enough to catch the right person (someone higher up in the food chain, but even then it's a bit hit-or-miss as to who knows what), they would also reiterate that it was being investigated. But it could be possible to pick up that there's some manner of discomfort in regards to any hell pits. But there would be no one willingly saying anything. Unfortunately, the staff would be unable to provide a copy of (any of the) videos shown during Initiation. They're likely to be somewhat apologetic about it, if bewildered at the request. They would suggest turning up for the next scheduled Initiation if they would like to see it again, but they don't have access to the recording themselves. |
| #36
Topics: Edit question: edit
Answer date: 2025-09-05 |
Rolling in just to check on this before I get threads happening - with regard to how Kelesis has certain "blanket" effects on each soul type/amplifications of their Natural Soul that are listed under the city info, are there any specific effects like this for the Fungi soul that Momo might pick up? Also, would the fungal mycelium network stuff/ability to communicate through the ground provide any extra info/get any response from the Ominous Presence when going beneath Kelesis? |
A very good question... 🤔 Momo is the only Fungi-type Natural Soul present in Kelesis at the time. Special traits Fungi-types have in Kelesis include an even greater disregard for the concept of "individuality." The Augmented One standing next to Momo might be thought of as an extension of Momo... and in doing this, some of that character's feelings may become Momo's. Unless the other character is also a Fungi-type, however, they won't borrow from Momo's heart the way he borrows from theirs. This is the only special trait for Fungi-types in the Kelesian barrier; Wild Souls will find fewer impacts compared to other Natural Souls! Regarding the mycelium network and the Kelesian underground, one thing Momo can detect: there is not a trace of Fungi-type to be found, despite the prevalent scent of rot. Not to say things don't mold or decay down there, but no actual Fungi-types! However, his improved ley of the land tells him the layout of the structure, and he might have a greater ability to navigate its crevasses and caverns. The structure is massive., unfathomably so, and built in the shape of a complete sphere of concrete. How it was created down there is... staggering. There are many living creatures down here; they absolutely slap of the plant monster from Karteria the month prior, but there are other creatures, smaller if sturdy. Momo can remotely inflict some of these distant plant critters with fungi; this will be a lengthy process, but it might yield some of the "thoughts" or "feelings" belonging to the creatures back to Momo. This kind of attempt at communication will be jarring and painful to the creatures, who have lived for many years thrashing about, mindless and senseless. Their pain is all they can communicate at this time, unfortunately. |
