Golem Maintenance Transition
sys
ATTENTION::'continuing memory stream'
NOTE::'inheriting iteration context'
sourceless
corroyi murmurs beyond the walls as we descend to threats unknown
the movefriend barely fits us together, elbow to elbow
miltza's third arm fidgets with her others - we are beyond escape, and i feel it eats at her
EXEC::vnp({miltza: "showleft", bg: true})
itzil is awake within the golem with karik, and both are frighteningly quiet...
EXEC::vnp({ikgolem: "showleft", miltza: "hide"})
but i feel a bubbling grief and rage through our connection, which karik must be trying to temper
bozko rests against a wall and silently assists in prying apart the golem viscera we dragged in,
EXEC::vnp({bozko: "showleft", ikgolem: "hide"})
while cavik fashions his explosives from their organs...
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "showleft"})
there is an excitement in his motions - perhaps the only among us to carry unwavering confidence in our plan
and tozik, tending to gakvu's timestopper connector, seems concerned over her new complaints
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "hide", bozko: "hide", tozik: "showleft", gakvu: "showleft"})
she clutches her head as if afflicted by a larval migraine
it started only a θblink ago, not long after we started to descend, strangely
gakvu
another thing you cannot hear, huh?
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "show", gakvu: "show focus"})
it is like a buzzing, too many quiet words to understand
i can make do, it is just terribly distracting
tozik
no, and not even after swapping our connectors
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "focus"})
but you are right about communications
there must be other dull-equipped golems doing what the dullzika had done,
as the wall of noise is almost identical
...and it hurts you, all the same, even without a communicator
sourceless
tozik hands the connector back to her, where it finds a home upon her receptor again
tozik
another hint at some greater truth of this attack signal, still yet to form a whole
but i feel it is safe to assume that whatever is attacking us is using something... <em>approximating</em> groundsmindry
that is surely why you can sense it, even when we cannot
gakvu
well obviously
sourceless
it is plain in tozik's receptors that he was not done speaking,
and he is left staring at gakvu with a flat expression
it strikes clear regret into her
gakvu
ah... sorry tozik
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "show", gakvu: "show focus"})
the signal, or noise, or whatever--it is causing such incessant irritation
but aside from it, i do have an insight to share
tozik
i was simply thinking aloud
speak, gakvu
gakvu
in our foes, whenever i have twisted or struck them...
and occasionally in the remains of others we have left in our wake,
i have glimpsed vague shapes of the instruction left by the hostile signal
you are right--all this time, on a surface level, it has <em>felt</em> like groundsmindry
it has the same authority, the same texture as re-instruction
like when vekoa instructed that golem to help us before this started
but the more i think about what i have seen, the more it vexes me
they were not given new directives, for there were no clear thoughts to find
it was deeper, more abstract...
they were impulses, like emotions, not clear thoughts
longing, or anger, or desperation--or all of them,
but beyond them, different somehow
it is violent, messy...
not just inspiring them to kill us, but gradually changing their internals
ah, given velzie's inordinate fondness for parasites, i want to call it an infection
it is almost nostalgic
cavik
i think i noticed something similar...
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "showright far focus", gakvu: "defocus"})
of the dull nodes i harvested from golems we have been fighting,
the most recent ones are so weirdly malformed
i had to actually break some of them off from their bodies!
gakvu
right, dull nodes are some of the strange ones
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "hide", gakvu: "focus"})
in what i saw, it must have targeted specific organs
communications, dull components, anything with connectivity,
leaving marks, rewriting their purpose more deeply than i could understand...
spreading outwards, fusing together, creating unfamiliar shapes
at first i thought it was simply a result of our foes sludging and incohering,
but after seeing more, it is deeper than that...
it is intentional, but incomplete
does this make any sense? i struggle to place it in words
anything touched by the signal has been changing, slowly
to what end, only velzie may know
tozik
'infection' is fitting
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "focus"})
but what does that make of us? wounds aside, none have shown any symptom
yet i clearly recall the signal passing through me
gakvu
well, think about how inconsistent it has been
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "focus"})
only some devices, only some golems...
some risen against us, some entirely sludged by the signal, or unresponsive
you recall how movefriend simply began to die, instead of immediately trying to kill us?
tozik
yes, the echo was still intact... like geli's, or barfriend's
gakvu
it seems like consciousness is a barrier, to some extent...
but it also must be that it can attempt to grasp something and fail
either by luck, a bad connection, or failing to break through strong instruction
like that of our mindcores
i think of when the first signal hit, how in my brief unconsciousness,
it must have nearly taken hold of my leg, for it began to melt and change
but at once, almost without thought, i rose and fixed it
i was able to reform it as if it were a simple incorrect shape instruction after sitting for too long
it only struck me as strange after we began to see more
itzil
what about my kivii?
EXEC::vnp({ikgolem: "showright focus"})
sourceless
itzil's interjection inspires a brief silence
i did not want to bring it up with their sensitive state, but...
it had been on my mind as well
how dozkallvi seemed to hold her memories, yet still declared us usurpers...
inviting us to 'come with' her, just before shattering her mindcore
akizet
...it was damaged
EXEC::vnp({ikgolem: "defocus"})
her mindcore, it had a deep wound upon it
is that enough for it to seize us?
tozik
a frightening thought, given the precise targeting of our foes
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "focus"})
this whole time, i thought they were simply destroying them
but now i worry--what if they were not just broken, but changed?
sourceless
bozko remains upon his duties, clearly listening, but indifferent
is it unusual that miltza has not given her insight? does she have any?
she fidgets so strangely, clearly uncomfortable with the topic
no, i am overthinking this--it is just a worrying thing to discuss, that is natural
tozik
well... whatever the truth may be
we will pry it from velzie in time
sourceless
his timing is well-placed, for the murmur of corroyi slows to a halt
a gentle thud marks our landing upon the pale corru base of the spire
movefriend
hello everyone!!
EXEC::vn.done()
we have arrived!
fortunately the structure here is still holding, so the entry vein is open!
are you ready? i can open the path now!
i will wait here for you this time! corroyi pressure is fine!
akizet
just a moment, movefriend
sourceless
everyone stands fully, organizing themselves and their weapons
EXEC::vnp({miltza: "show far", ikgolem: "show far", bozko: "show far", cavik: "show far", tozik: "show far", gakvu: "show far", bg:true})
i should only need to briefly reiterate the plan
especially after the exhaustive deliberation done during our preparations
akizet
all right, it is as we planned
our efforts have all proceeded as expected, and this final victory will be no exception
these foes have shown themselves to be rabid, acting with singular purpose, but without tactics
and as in a true infestation, this is our greatest advantage
once we enter, split into your groups
follow the ring-hall of the groundsmindry in opposite directions, until we meet again
remove attackers, clear chambers, find survivors, reunite for great threats if needed...
and when the core is defenseless, we enter the central chamber to seize it
gakvu or tozik, you are up for interim groundsmind when the time comes
are we all aligned?
sourceless
receptors wave with affirmation: we are of one mind
gakvu
just to repeat what i said before...
i have a mindcore capable of groundsmindry, but that does not mean i know how to operate an entire structure
tozik
neither do i, but we will do what we must
if i am incapacitated, you must be the one to take the core
gakvu
yeah... right
sourceless
we are ready, then
i will guide us to victory, and correct my terrible mistake
akizet
open the path, movefriend
sys
ATTENTION::'party functionality';'augments';'now disabled'
NOTICE::'all party member actions upgraded to accommodate'
NOTICE::'exception';'symbiotic rifle';'activate via item'
SHOWIF::'item|sorry_cyst'
NOTICE::'exception';'signal inverter';'directly upgraded gakvu actions'
SHOWIF::'item|core_translation'
____SHOWONCE::
moth
bullshit
oh well
i guess that's how it goes with something fluid like this
____END
____SHOWIF::"gameplay_off"
sys
ATTENTION::"altered gameplay system ahead"
NOTICE::"gameplay is presently disabled"
NOTICE::"re-enable in SYS menu if undesired"
____END
RESPONSES::akizet
let us go<+>END
EXEC::vn.done()
Entry Vein
sourceless
the entry vein - our first step
one of the only paths into the groundsmindry θsegment's shell
the entire θsegment is a fixed shape, like golem maintenance, but out of structural necessity
formed from a mixture of black corru and dead sediment, creating a unique marbling and shimmer
the rare 'pale corru'... a misleading name, for it is closer to dead metal
but it is ornate, as it ought to be, given its importance here
...that i even have time to think about this is unexpected
for there are no foes. it is quiet...
not even a single golem or qou-body marks this place
some relief passes through our connection, until we get a better look
luminescent swarm displays nearby flare with warnings
our groundsmindry sigil is in disrepair, almost rotting
behind it, a wall-length θwindow pulses with bright nonsense, illuminating the area further
still working, trying to show something, but failing
timestopper
strange...
operate according to the plan
cavik, tozik - check the terminals, the state of the θsegment
akizet will watch over you
itzil, karik, bozko, miltza - check the doors to adjacent chambers
if you find any foes, immediately retreat
if there are no foes in there either, return to notify us
we should not split up too much before we are ready
oh, and gakvu, sense what you can from here
the core should just be beyond this wall, i think
sourceless
the team sets out to their duties
EXEC::change("PAGE!!e4prog", 1);refreshStage({noFlash: true})
there is a θblink to examine the area
sys
NOTICE::'marked entities contain dialogue unique to this stream segment'
ADVISE::'interact before advancing';'utilize PROCEED entity to save or advance stream'
RESPONSES::akizet
set out<+>END
Cavik Dialogue
sourceless
how strange that they placed these status views here
EXEC::pauseSwapCam();setCam({x: 5.5, y: 11, rotation: -60});
perhaps these swarm displays would normally be a prideful display for visitors
but now, they only serve as a new stressor, for the spire is in dire condition
perhaps even worse than i expected
cavik steps among them, testing to see which still respond to his gestures
akizet
cavik!
what do you see?
cavik
oh, akizet, it is really something!
i have never seen a spire break down like this
look, over here, this view of the archival spine status is clearest
EXEC::setCam({x: 6, y: 14, rotation: -90})
most of the critical damage is actually centered around the veins of the archival spine
EXEC::vnp({arbitrary: "show URL::/img/local/embassy/mind/map_spine.gif", hideStage: true, bg: false})
while the spinal column itself is mostly unharmed...
akizet
what could cause this sort of damage?
cavik
well, some of it is debris from the upper veins collapsing into lower ones, but...
from what i can gather, it actually started with resource issues
the spine has its own dedicated spireblood circulation, independent of the spire's hearts
and <em>all</em> of it has been getting drawn away, pulled down here
that alone would not have caused the damage, if not for the hearts themselves slowing
EXEC::vnp({arbitrary: "hide", hideStage: false, bg: false})
but you can see over on this one--the hearts have been stalled for a while!
EXEC::setCam({x: 4, y: 14, rotation: 90})
there is gakvu's work in the middle, there
EXEC::vnp({arbitrary: "show URL::/img/local/embassy/mind/map_heart.gif", hideStage: true, bg: false})
that dip in the center, as well as near the second heart!
how minor it seems, when placed like this...
or perhaps it is already mostly undone
EXEC::vnp({arbitrary: "hide", hideStage: false, bg: false})
and with these other views, do you see it?
EXEC::setCam({x: 4, y: 11, rotation: 80})
this strange distortion... a loss of pigmentation and cohesion in the light-swarm
EXEC::vnp({arbitrary: "show URL::/img/local/embassy/mind/map_mind.gif", hideStage: true, bg: false})
these ones are not responding to me, so i am not sure what is really going on there
EXEC::vnp({arbitrary: "hide", arbitrary2: "show URL::/img/local/embassy/mind/map_structure.gif"})
but that dark pattern is so familiar, too, like...
ah... do not mind my speculation!
go, attend to the others
EXEC::vn.done();setCam({x: 5.5, y: 11, rotation: -60})
i will let you know when i have a conclusion!!
akizet
i will leave you to it, then
RESPONSES::akizet
be prepared to move<+>END
Tozik Dialogue
sourceless
tozik puzzles over this faulty terminal
EXEC::pauseSwapCam();setCam({x: 4.5, y: 2.5, rotation: 0});
he swats at the luminescent swarm forming the floating display,
cutting into it with his corruskivi from the side, looking for something within
this other side is still operational, though
EXEC::setCam({x: 5.75, y: 2.25, rotation: 50})
it appears like it would normally be a map of the area
EXEC::vnp({arbitrary: "show URL::/img/local/embassy/mind/map_groundsmindry_bigger.gif", hideStage: true, bg: "original"})
a central groundsmindry core, surrounded by five chambers
this is one of them, minor as it seems
lesser chambers attach to the halls, probably serving as personnel and storage
but most of this is obscured by incoherence
EXEC::vn.done()
akizet
tozik!
EXEC::setCam({x: 4.5, y: 2.5, rotation: 0})
what is happening?
tozik
it looks like this terminal was disconnected from all input at some point
i am trying to check its core, so that i may directly access what it knows
specifically when it lost input
but if you mean around the θsegment, the display has drifted too much to tell
one of the chambers looks damaged, but the rest seem fine
if you ignore the flickering circle in the center
give me a θblink and we will have our answer
RESPONSES::akizet
will do<+>END
Gakvu Dialogue & Discovery of Ceremony
sourceless
i linger near gakvu, watching over the team as they find what they can
EXEC::setCam({x: 7, y: 2, rotation: 0});
but something about the twist of her receptors in particular worries me
she stares into the θwindow... or perhaps beyond it
akizet
what is it?
sourceless
even with a closer look at the θwindow,
trying to make sense of what it shows is fruitless
EXEC::setCam({x: 7.5, y: 1.5, rotation: 0})
it is nothing, just squirming black and white pigmentation
EXEC::setCam({x: 7.5, y: 1.5, rotation: -15})
simply incoherence, or...
a true attempt to display what is within the core chamber?
gakvu
this is where that buzzing was coming from
EXEC::setCam({x: 7, y: 1.5, rotation: 0});
but this close, it does not pain me as it did
yet it is so much clearer now... and it is not without sense
sourceless
gakvu's chuckle carries a bitter hate
gakvu
in my larval youth, throughout my work upon the okizika,
if the clouds parted at the start of a θgaze's work, and velzie's eye could see us plainly,
there was a song they made us sing, where our voices had to be in unison
EXEC::env.noBgmDuck = true;
the okidoia
EXEC::changeBgm(env.grm.music_oki, {length: 20000, seek: 0});
part genuine prayer, part to raise our spirits before our labor
and part true intention:
to call forth predators in the area, that we may eliminate them before getting deep into work
that is what i feel now from this place
the same sort of unison, like a cave-city in constant song
but this song is not a sound, it is like a feeling that passes through me
i would think it were some cruel mockery, a joke from our aggressor...
...if it were not only being spread through groundsmindry
sourceless
and in the silence of her pause, i realize,
akizet
actually, i think i can feel it too
sourceless
it grows stronger as i draw closer to the θwindow, and the effect is plain
EXEC::setCam({x: 8, y: 1, rotation: 0});vfx({type: "okidoia", state: "mild"})
like she says... it is not exactly a sound, yet i hear it
as i listen--as i feel, i think of the signal, and i feel shreds of it in this song
like half-remembered lyrics, forgotten again as they pass by
i almost feel as if i can <em>see</em> the song, in the swirl of the θwindow
when i look back to gakvu, she meets my gaze with great concern
EXEC::setCam({x: 7, y: 1.5, rotation: 0});
gakvu
how could that...
EXEC::vfx({type: "okidoia", state: false})
sourceless
behind us, cavik scurries closer
EXEC::changeBgm(env.grm.music_coresong, {length: 10000});
cavik
it is a dull ceremony!!
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "show far", hideStage: true})
sourceless
he speaks too quickly, too loudly for it to be good news
cavik
ah, forgive my volume,
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "show"})
i believe the groundsmindry chamber is being used for a ceremony...
that is--the precursor structure to a dull contrivance...
but i have never seen it on this scale before!
usually they are either very very small for testing,
or very very large to make a proper continuous contrivance...
if this completes,
i think it would be open just long enough to consume the entire embassy before closing!
there must be an opposite side, a destination to reach, but...
it is impossible to tell where that might be!
EXEC::env.noBgmDuck = false
sourceless
what--?
was this the true purpose of the attack?
or an emergency measure taken by vekoa?
feeling the shared shock of tozik and gakvu, a part of me screams to flee
i seize cavik, glancing towards the θwindow again,
akizet
cavik--how much time do we have?
the groundsmindry core, can it be recovered from this without destroying it?
the entire embassy...
do we simply cast our plan aside? flee?
cavik
ah--! aki, i do not know!
it depends, ceremonies require a great deal of preparation and resources!
in ideal conditions, they are nearly instant
so we should not even have time to consider how to stop it
but if the groundsmindry core is being used as the catalyst for it, i...
i... i really cannot say
it could be θwinks, or the whole θgaze, or it could--it could explode into a contrivance right now!!
this is unprecedented, akizet! i really do not know...
...
but i do know the core must still be intact
sourceless
i release cavik, relenting to pace anxiously
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "far"})
our next actions must be chosen carefully
the light of velzie's gaze burns through me
akizet
all right, how can we stop it?
cavik
the ceremony must be ceased by the core itself...
as i said, this structure requires a lot of effort and resources,
a constant flow, really, in order to bloom and anchor itself so that the catalyst, um...
sourceless
his voice catches, his frantic selection of words falling short
he speaks now upon matters he only barely understands
and no one else has stepped in to help, so this is his knowledge alone...
cavik
sorry--in short,
if we could command the core to stop somehow, to close the gate it has formed,
that would cut the ceremony off!
or we could... destroy the core, but, you know...
either way, until it is stopped, we really, really do not want to go in there!!
there is this stage in ceremonies, while their tendrils are anchoring...
an overlap, where, um...
the dull kind of, presses against our side, and... oh, how do i phrase this?
it starts to mix their conflicting natures, and--
just gets very dangerous, yes?
sourceless
even after all i have seen, since the advent of dull technology,
this is still beyond me to fully grasp
but his fear is all i need to know
gakvu stares into the light of the θwindow, searching
gakvu
but this does not make any sense
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "showright far", cavik: "far"})
there is no reason the core should be able to do this
ceremonies must be formed using truly massive grand cysts, right?
cavik
yes!
but mainly for resource reasons...
only a fraction of a catalyst's mass is actually used in managing the operation...
the rest is consumed, used in the formation of tendrils and organs!
gakvu
ah...
...and what resource is greater than the embassy's critical systems
sourceless
tozik remains silent, having cut into the side of the map terminal for a direct connection
from the doorway nearby, itzil, karik, and miltza return
EXEC::change("PAGE!!e4prog", 2)
karik
the next room is empty - no golems, no qou, no bodies...
EXEC::vnp({ikgolem: "showright far"})
it is so quiet here
sourceless
bozko emerges from the other side not long after, receptors alert
bozko
the same in this direction
EXEC::vnp({bozko: "showleft far"})
some marks on the ground drag towards the groundsmindry core
there may have been bodies once, but they were moved
or moved themselves
sourceless
all at once, i feel the eyes and internal focus of the others upon me
no foes, the core is untouchable...
our plan... what about our plan?
what can we even do?
tozik
hey
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "showleft far"})
sourceless
tozik places a component back into the map terminal, gesturing to the display
it still is unreadable
tozik
there is a part of the groundsmindry θsegment called the "dull mind"
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "focus"})
it is the marked one, near the top
karik
oh--they monitor dull activity and prevent internal collisions there!
tozik
right
i have been trying to get some information on it from this terminal, but...
the last sensory impulse it received must have been just after we arrived at maintenance
and as of that impulse, it appears the dull mind is gone
its region is giving no output at all
not reporting collapse, or damage
just... not responding, no sensory signals, nothing
the structure of the entire θsegment otherwise seems fine
the core chamber's status is far too incoherent to make any sense of
but it is definitely still there
and one other thing...
there appear to have been no active entities anywhere
golem, qou, or otherwise
karik
that does not make sense!
could the groundsmindry team have evacuated already, somehow?
the spinal tether could have served as another exit!
tozik
maybe, but no clear signs of that here
sourceless
so often have i led the charge, made these plans,
that being bereft of direction leaves a tight coil in my receptors
akizet
well, what do you recommend?
tozik
one of the adjacent chambers is the "lesser mind"
it seems to be a place where other qou could directly assist in groundsmindry duties
a dead end if the dull mind is truly gone,
but we may be able to use some of its equipment similarly to the override panel in golem maintenance
make contact with the core if it is still there
perhaps even stop it, or at least pry some time from velzie's claws
akizet
right... yes!
come - let us all go together
and if there is no way to stop it, then...
let us at least search for survivors,
and... if we truly must, flee
bozko
flee?!
EXEC::vnp({bozko: "focus"})
akizet
oh, bozko, ah...
cavik, catch everyone else up on the situation as we move
as you must have learned yourselves, this is not as straightforward as we thought...
cavik
will do!
RESPONSES::akizet
set out<+>END
Lesser Mind Chamber
sourceless
the lesser mind chamber...
EXEC::pauseSwapCam()
eerily quiet, given the horrors behind us
also, quite bare
while it could be an aesthetic choice,
bozko did mention things being torn away, dragged to the core...
no matter, the team sets out to investigate the area
our objective is clear
at least one of these pods is likely still functional
sys
NOTICE::'marked entities contain dialogue unique to this stream segment'
ADVISE::'interact before advancing';'utilize PROCEED entity to save or advance stream'
RESPONSES::akizet
investigate<+>END
Karik & Itzil Dialogue
sourceless
itzil and karik linger in our golem near the core chamber door
EXEC::vnp({ikgolem: "show", hideStage: true})
since that fight with the construction golem, they have sparsely said a word
yet they are within our great weapon - there is some risk here
so i approach
akizet
itzil, karik, hello!
given the weight upon our receptors,
i must ask: itzil, are you feeling well enough to fight?
your and karik's combined minds will lend well to the golem's abilities, but...
itzil
akizet
we will only be here once
and it will be my only chance to exact vengeance for dozkallvi
i will have the murderer answer for all that has been done
until we meet again behind velzie's stage,
i would have this be my only purpose
sourceless
itzil speaks calmly, but their bitter rage is clear
this does not sit well with me
mate loss is always terminal--often imminently
surface hunters charging into the dark for vengeance, cavernfolk growing unresponsive...
madness in many shapes, lovingly drawn by velzie's cruel claws
even with our larval flesh left behind, this curse follows us into θdeath eventually
so while it is true that there is an intense driving force behind itzil now,
a stray storm that may bend the veilk in our direction,
i still fear it may be uncontrollable
miltza, nearby, makes a clear grip of discomfort in her branched receptors
but she is silent...
and i cannot blame her - what is the choice, here?
leave itzil alone in the movefriend?
have them trail behind in their most vulnerable state, physically and mentally?
besides, karik grounds them
would it not be beneficial to itzil's chances of recovery,
if we allow them to truly claim vengeance?
karik
do not worry, akizet!
we have been speaking internally!
i am quite confident in itzil's ability to help, it will be fine!
RESPONSES::akizet
all right<+>END
Miltza Dialogue
sourceless
miltza lingers near our golem, still quiet
EXEC::vnp({miltza: "show far", hideStage: true})
she fidgets with the small remote coordination drone we formed for her before descending
a simple sphere, with robust dull positioning and propulsion
it is possible that she is truly busy preparing it, but...
really, i do not think she has said anything since we arrived
clearly she is nervous, she always has been
but it seems more intense than before - perhaps to the point of distraction
some support should help, as the others investigate
akizet
miltza!
EXEC::vnp({miltza: "show"})
how beholds you?
this is a worrying time, but, i worry for you as well
is something troubling you?
miltza
oh, akizet, i...
sourceless
she places the drone in a pouch within her cloak
it clinks against a number of other cysts, likely the ones retrieved from her room long ago
her receptors stretch open and closed as she places words to her thoughts
miltza
i know that coming here, it was the right choice, but...
i should hold nothing from you
does it not feel like this is far, far out of our control?
we are researchers, diplomats, a few engineers...
and ceremonies usually demand several teams just to initiate, from what i know
do you really think we can do anything about this?
akizet
under the light of velzie's attention, in moments of great pressure...
they say that impossible outcomes become common
but, i hold no delusion, miltza
if there is truly nothing we can do, then it is as i said
we will find survivors, and... quickly escape
sourceless
this answer feels wrong, but it is true
escape is our only resort, should this be beyond our grasp
miltza
of course, of course...
sourceless
even with fleeing as an option, a thought that has come to her many times,
there is no easing of her tension
could it be something else bothering her?
RESPONSES::akizet
return to investigation<+>END
Bozko Dialogue
sourceless
bozko lingers quietly near the pods, inspecting them for damage
EXEC::pauseSwapCam();setCam({x: 5, y: 10, rotation: 180});
he seems to have settled on a potential candidate already, so i ask...
akizet
bozko!
you mentioned earlier that it looks like things were moved?
bozko
yes
probably bodies, but there were other spots that stood out to me
damage in the ground, implying entirely missing terminals and equipment
similarly dragged around, pulled from their ports, leaving trails of sludge
some towards the core chamber's grand door,
and others to halls leading further into the ring
notice how this chamber has no auxiliary terminals, no storage?
it is the same
there was some greater effort here
perhaps to serve as fuel
akizet
that is strange indeed
a few storage containers and tool terminals would hardly help a ceremony's hunger, surely...
sourceless
bozko is quiet, similarly puzzled, but uninvested
RESPONSES::akizet
we will know in time<+>END
Gakvu Dialogue
sourceless
i approach gakvu, who stands apart from the others,
EXEC::pauseSwapCam();setCam({x: 10, y: 2, rotation: 145, offsetCamera: "rotateX(-0deg)"})
preoccupied with the web of veins extending from beneath the core chamber door
EXEC::setCam({x: 10, y: 2, rotation: 115, offsetCamera: "rotateX(-20deg)"});
they are barely visible, indentations left in the ground from their weaving
akizet
gakvu!
what is wrong?
gakvu
these veins...
do you not feel the same unease?
they make the floor uneven, and seem disorderly...
not integrated with the ground systems, forcing their way through
akizet, they must be new
akizet
they are unusual, now that you point to them...
sourceless
gakvu calls to our friends in the golem
gakvu
karik, is this standard?
these ground veins?
sourceless
from the surprise in the golem's receptors, they must not have noticed either
karik
huh, no!
the groundsmindry θsegment here is designed to have resources running through the walls and floor already
invisibly, through particular connections...
so these should be unnecessary?
the pod connections from the ceiling look right,
because those wire into the spine, i think
but i do not know what these ones on the ground are...
vekoa would not entertain this aesthetic choice either, from what i know of her
she is one of those smooth stone types
sourceless
gakvu's eyes follow their path - from the door, to each of the lesser pods
they form some sort of connection, merging disappearing into the flesh near each base
gakvu
well, i can only tell that these connect to the core somehow
but same as our foes - there is no meaning i can glean from them
they do not seem to be able to move, but...
just try not to stand on them for too long
RESPONSES::akizet
strange...<+>END
Tozik & Cavik Dialogue
sourceless
tozik and cavik linger near the center of the chamber
EXEC::pauseSwapCam();setCam({x: 7, y: 5.5, rotation: 180});vnp({cavik: "show shifttinyleft", arbitrary: "show URL::/img/local/embassy/mind/map_mind.gif", tozik: "show shifttinyright", hideStage: true, bg: "original"})
there, a terminal displays the state of groundsmindry attendance throughout the spire
a similar display to the one within the entry vein
there is far too much detailed information for me to make sense of
but the numerous alerts and requests are apparent
critical damage is reported at the fringes of every spine branch
and... there are far too many urgent calls for help
cavik
oh, this one is more readable!
according to this, there is no groundsmindry happening... at all?
akizet
the core--is it still intact?
cavik
it must be!
tozik
the core must be entirely occupied with the ceremony
see that last activity?
it stopped being used for groundsmindry...
at about the same time that map terminal stopped working
which looks to be when we arrived at golem maintenance
that must have been when the ceremony began
by the looks of it, whatever her last command was...
it caused an immense amount of strain to the entire system all at once
cavik
but... the golems there were projecting control sigils
those only come from direct, continuous groundsmindry
tozik
right
or something that the golems thought was close enough
regardless, we should look for an intact pod
i can make a direct connection to the groundsmindry system with them
and maybe i can see some records, too...
it is hard to tell just from this fading display,
but i suspect that whatever vekoa did was done twice
sourceless
he gestures towards the mangled side information
i cannot make sense of it, but he must recognize some figures
tozik
many calls come from before vekoa's last action
and many of the spinal relays suffered just before them
the signal we felt... the one that changed our golems
while it may not have been groundsmindry as we know it,
i truly believe it started from the core
RESPONSES::akizet
i see<+>END
Tozik Attempts Connection
sourceless
bozko lingers near an ideal pod, and so i call everyone's attention with an impulse through our connection
EXEC::pauseSwapCam();setCam({x: 5, y: 9, rotation: -145});
all begin to gather nearby, with a shared sense of vague unease
bozko
this one should work
sourceless
bozko feels around the pod's center-facing side, eventually finding the edges of a panel
EXEC::setCam({x: 7, y: 10, rotation: -180})
sourceless quiet
with a tear, a circular hatch gives way to the dark interior
EXEC::play("stab", 0.5);env.stage.real.querySelector('[origin-spot="188"]').classList.add("open")
tozik
ah... thank you, bozko
i will give this a try first
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "show downleft"})
miltza
i know these!
they are just like the remote operation chambers back home
a little more modern, but the same paradigm
just... watch out, if it really is the same, then it will notify the groundsmind
whoever holds the core will know we are here
tozik
if there is anyone in it at all at this point, they already do, given our movement
the floors must still be feeding it sensory information
let me see if this works
sourceless
tozik reaches within, pulling a wired connector from the interior
he removes his timestopper connector from his favored receptor, and puts this new one in its place
we all watch, anticipating a simple answer, but...
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "show focus", bg: true})
there is something in the wavering of his stance
suddenly, he doubles over, gripping the connector
EXEC::vnp({hideStage: true})
with a quick motion, he tears it from his receptor, casting it away
its physical tether snaps and it cracks upon the hard wall, splattering purple
terror resonates through our connection
miltza, nearest to him, takes a cautious step back
EXEC::vnp({miltza: "showright far", tozik: "focus"})
miltza
tozik, are you--
sourceless
with an agonized groan, he grips his head,
the exposed corru of his qou-body rippling unnaturally, gaining a strange sheen
EXEC::vnp({miltza: "hide"});ratween(env.bgm, 0.5, 3000)
as if some sort of shockwave passed through him
cavik quickly approaches to help, but tozik waves him away urgently
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "showleft far", tozik: "focus"})
bozko hovers closer, prepared, if... something is going wrong
EXEC::vnp({bozko: "showright far", tozik: "focus"})
tozik
there...
there is something...
cavik
zÃö±÷4!!
tozik, that is membrane failure, we need to act quickly!
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "show focus"})
how did that happen from just one connection...?
nobody else connect to anything!
sourceless
tozik grips cavik's arm urgently
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "show focus"})
but his limbs move strangely, as if half asleep
tozik
i...
EXEC::imagePreload("/img/textures/abberwobble.gif")
...it sees us
karik
uh, the golem is reporting--!
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "hide", bozko: "hide", miltza: "hide", cavik: "hide", ikgolem: "show"})
everyone, get away from the core!!
EXEC::setCam({x: 7, y: 4, rotation: 0, height: 1, offsetCamera: "rotateX(30deg)"})
sourceless
our focus shifts to the grand door to the groundsmindry, as we shelter between the pods
EXEC::change("TEMP!!lshift", 1);refreshStage({noFlash: true});vn.done();env.noBgmDuck = true
where we expect them to open, maybe to reveal an attacker....
sourceless quiet
the okidoia, heard once gently, screams through our minds
EXEC::env.noBgmDuck = true;vfx({type: "okidoia", state: true})
it is like a shockwave of madness, invisible tendrils curling out from the core
EXEC::flash(true);play('criticalError', 0.3);changeBgm(env.grm.music_oki, {length: 5000, seek: 0, rate: 1.2});env.stopBgmChanges = true
and before we can move, it passes over us
EXEC::change("TEMP!!lshift", 2);refreshStage({noFlash: true});content.classList.add("forcewobble")
a sourceless light suffuses the chamber, illuminating shapes we cannot see
EXEC::flash(false);env.embassy.slowCam()
in the presence of their vibrance, edges grow inaccurate, shapes twist and expand
color bleeds from everything, mixing in the air, apart from their objects
EXEC::setCam({x: 7, y: 4, rotation: 180, height: 1, offsetCamera: "rotateX(30deg)"});env.stopBgmChanges = false
the ceiling--is it gone? is this a projection?
something presses against it, as if looking in at us
akizet
cavik? tozik? anyone?
what is happening?!
is this the ceremony? is it completing?!
cavik
i--i do not know!!
EXEC::env.noBgmDuck = false;
this... i think this is the overlap! it must be growing outwards...
sourceless
another shock strikes my mindcore
EXEC::flash(true);play('criticalError', 0.3);vfx({type: "okidoia", state: false})
some part of me is falling, but the floor is still beneath my feet
EXEC::env.grm.combat("ep4_intro_1");ratween(env.bgm, 0.5)
there is a feeling of some great shape slithering, coiling around the chamber
and when my mind recovers, enough to see...
the room is unrecognizable, lost in itself
EXEC::flash(false)
an island of sanity with frayed edges, as if suffocated by the surface's vapor
and from it, something has come for us
misshapen things, hazy silhouettes, formed from this broken nature
when i look at them, i see familiar shapes...
husks, like before? golems? something else?
they move without the fatigue of our past foes
i cannot truly make sense of them
but their presence alone seems to strengthen the effect of this distortion
they must be the source of this, or a part, somehow
it must be stopped before we are lost to this overlap
no friends will be made here
timestopper
whatever this is has not yet destroyed us
we must fight
everyone - follow my lead
all right, but,
where are you?
sourceless
the question immediately chills my mind
EXEC::flash(true);env.rpg.pauseControls = true
i look nearby, but see only bozko, itzil and karik
EXEC::env.rpg.classList.remove('fpv');env.rpg.classList.add('tutorialzoomout');vfx({type: "flash", state: false, delay: 1000})
where are...?
there is no time - these creatures are upon us
akizet
everyone--fight to the best of your ability
i will lend my expertise as i can
RESPONSES::akizet
fight!<+>CHANGE::combatadjust
FAKEEND::start combat
Combat Encounter 1
sys
ATTENTION::'thoughtform combat initiated';'scenario necessitates extra dimension'
EXEC::flash(true);setTimeout(()=>{env.rpg.classList.remove("hideteams", "tutorialzoomout");flash(false)}, 400);env.rpg.pauseControls = false
ATTENTION::'utilizing structure';'tactical combat'
NOTICE::'core combat structure is unaltered'
NOTICE::'actors may move a limited range before using an action';'action use ends turn'
NOTICE::'all actions adjusted to account for range and area of effect'
NOTICE::'utilize <span definition="NOTE::'limbic motor beacon'">LMB</span> to direct movement and action use'
NOTICE::'utilize movement keys to alter spatial view'
sourceless
we must be rid of these foes quickly, so that i can help the others
but corners of the room have become distorted, dangerous,
i am reminded of how we destroyed the foundation golem just a θwink ago
we should avoid them, but...
so too can we use them, with carefully angled strikes
Combat Encounter 1 Bypassed
sys
ATTENTION::"thoughtform combat gameplay bypassed"
NOTICE::"contextual narration applied"
sourceless
our claws and fists meet with these... entities
EXEC::env.rpg.allyTeam.members.forEach(m=>m.piece.knockback({direction: "up", strength: 2, follow: false}));env.rpg.classList.add('hideteams')
WAIT::1000
THEN::flash(true)
though they appear at first like swarm projections, illusions...
sourceless quiet
they can be stabbed, they bleed,
EXEC::play("crit", 0.75)
and can be torn apart by our golem's dull pulse weaponry
EXEC::play("dull", 0.75)
so too can they strike us, physical in all ways that matter
EXEC::play("hit", 0.75)
but each time one is damaged enough, they simply split apart
EXEC::flash(false)
fading into the light that has submerged the chamber in madness
EXEC::env.rpg.enemyTeam.members.forEach(m=>m.hp = 0);updateStats(true)
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>CHANGE::lesser_attack2
FAKEEND::(continue)
Combat Encounter 2
sourceless
with our foes fallen, i shift my inner focus to the others
EXEC::flash(true);env.stopBgmChanges = true
WAIT::1000
THEN::closeCombat(env.rpg.enemyTeam, true)
my wordless request to access their senses is granted immediately
EXEC::env.grm.combat("ep4_intro_2");setTimeout(()=>flash(false), 1000);env.rpg.classList.add('hideteams');env.stopBgmChanges = false
i only hope i can guide them well enough...
sys
NOTICE::'many actions utilize TILE EFFECTS'
NOTICE::'functions vary from persistent effects to telegraphed actions'
NOTICE::'utilize scanner to determine function if needed'
RESPONSES::akizet
follow my instruction<+>END
FAKEEND::(continue)
SHOWIF::["gameplay_off", false]
EXEC::env.rpg.classList.remove('hideteams')
follow my instruction<+>nogame
FAKEEND::(continue)
SHOWIF::["gameplay_off", true]
Combat Encounter 2 Bypassed
sourceless
gakvu, cavik, and miltza stand in a chamber shaped much differently than ours
still reminiscent, but almost as if misremembered
and the foes that face them seem equipped to use the unstable nature of this place
capable of instant relocation, bending the light downwards in a delayed strike...
but between the three qou, they are well equipped to deal even with this
EXEC::env.rpg.allyTeam.members.forEach(m=>m.piece.knockback({direction: "up", strength: 2, follow: false}));env.rpg.classList.add('hideteams');flash(true)
especially with my assistance, for even at a distance, direction with the timestopper is effective
their foes are torn apart--even gakvu's groundsmindry works, strangely
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>CHANGE::lesser_attack3
FAKEEND::(continue)
Combat Encounter 3
start
sourceless
the last of the entities dissipate from the attacks of my friends, but...
EXEC::flash(true);env.stopBgmChanges = true
WAIT::1000
THEN::closeCombat(env.rpg.enemyTeam, true)
we find ourselves thrown into yet another distortion of the lesser mind chamber,
EXEC::env.grm.combat("ep4_intro_3");setTimeout(()=>flash(false), 1000);env.rpg.classList.add('hideteams');env.rpg.grid.style.setProperty("--playercontrol-tilt-raw", 30);env.rpg.grid.style.setProperty("--playercontrol-rotation-raw", 45);env.stopBgmChanges = false
WAIT::2000
or... were we ever elsewhere? i can hardly make sense of the space
all i know is that there are so many more of the beasts here...
and we are together again
half-formed questions and thoughts of confusion race through our connection
timestopper
have no fear
we are having some effect
it seems closer to the shape it used to be, does it not?
they are many, but...
so are we
RESPONSES::akizet
keep fighting<+>END
EXEC::env.rpg.classList.remove('hideteams')
SHOWIF::["gameplay_off", false]
FAKEEND::(continue)
keep fighting<+>nogame
FAKEEND::(continue)
SHOWIF::["gameplay_off", true]
Combat Encounter 3 Bypassed
sourceless
the team sets into motion, and while we each do our part to fight and mend...
our golem is monstrous here, a shining light where we otherwise would have been overwhelmed
its pulses break apart swathes of these monsters at once
itzil and karik are truly fearsome with the tools we have given them
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>CHANGE::lesser_vekoa
EXEC::env.rpg.enemyTeam.members.forEach(m=>m.hp = 0);updateStats()
FAKEEND::(continue)
Combat Ends
sourceless
the last of these solidified threats have been dispersed
EXEC::imagePreload(["/img/sprites/vekoa/vekoaspec.gif", "/img/sprites/obesk/ikgol/gridtiny_cinematic.gif", "/img/sprites/obesk/ikgol/gridtiny_collapse.gif"])
with each one felled, the space has grown more familiar
still distorted, but... the change is felt
as if we were waking from a dream
we take this instant to recover
EXEC::env.rpg.allyTeam.members.forEach(m=>{m.hp = m.maxhp;combatRevive(m)})
bozko
i do not understand...
they are formless, but can be touched and destroyed
they hurt, but leave no mark beyond melted flesh
sourceless
everything we fought--it is all gone, leaving no carcass
and beyond that, gakvu's groundsmindry still seems to work against them?
they cannot be corru, can they?
these questions must wait, for one entity remains
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.vekoa_boss.piece.focusOnTile()
malformed and impossible to distinguish, like a haze in the air
EXEC::env.noBgmDuck = true;
but before i can make any motion to attack...
First Encounter with Vekoa
sourceless quiet
from the now-restored door to the core chamber comes a great shockwave,
EXEC::flash(true);ratween(env.bgm, 0.3, 2000);play("criticalError", 0.5);env.rpg.grid.tileEffects.forEach(e => env.rpg.grid.deleteTileEffect(e));env.rpg.neutralTeam.members.forEach(member=>{ if(member.piece) member.piece.knockback({direction: "down right", strength: 10, ignoreMods: true}) });env.rpg.allyTeam.members.forEach(member=>{ if(member.piece) member.piece.knockback({direction: "down right", strength: 10, ignoreMods: true}) });
WAIT::800
THEN::env.rpg.actors.vekoa_boss.piece.teleportToTile(env.rpg.grid.getTileFromCoordinates(6, 2));
and at once we are pushed away, nearly swept off our feet
EXEC::env.rpg.classList.add("fearmode", "hideteams");env.rpg.setCam({x: 6, y: 4, playerRotation: 0, playerTilt: 10, height: 1, distance: 0, detailMode: true, gridTileSize: 200, offsetCamera: 'rotateX(0deg)'});vfx({type: "flash", state: false, delay: 1000});content.querySelector("#vekoasprite").src = "/img/sprites/vekoa/vekoaspec.gif";changeBgm(env.grm.music_antag, {length: 10000, seek: 0, preserve: false});
unexpectedly, i land near tozik--who has been resting against a pod this whole time
tozik
what is happening?
are we...
am i awake?
sourceless
i want to help him, but...
my attention is drawn back to the last presence, i cannot lose focus
whatever happened seems to have given it a solid form, fully manifested
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.vekoa_boss.piece.focusOnTile();env.rpg.currentActor = env.rpg.actors.vekoa_boss;
but still, i can barely make it out...
is that...?
vekoa
bathed in the same light as our incorporeal foes
there is no time to make sense of this: whatever wields her form does so out of malice
timestopper
stay at range, attack in unison
wait for my impulse
sourceless
our inner chatter slowly falls to silence, the others listening for my direction
vekoa, or whatever wields her image...
she watches us, moving warily, like a cautious surface runner observing a predator
though she stands before the only discernible door,
there is no measure of hostility shown
she is not trying to block our way--merely assess us
out of precaution, we keep our distance for now
there is some intelligence here
timestopper
look at that movement
even her receptors
it really looks just like vekoa, right?
sourceless
it is curious...
receptor movements are subtle, difficult for a parasite to mimic
and in this figure, i see a sort of pensive remorse
does she persist within?
i must at least try--even zuzucri are capable of some reason
akizet
vekoa...
what holds you?
does any part of you remain?
sourceless
her attention fixes upon me, and spots dance across my vision
EXEC::vfx({type: "okidoia", state: "mild"})
it is like her attention is physical, some sort of contact
the okidoia focuses upon me, maybe all of us
okidoia
öu•:\ì ֔come|ï4;âÅ
x3Ã0ÆbeforeEÆ®s²7] –´dÃŒ|—Û
sourceless quiet
no, not focused on us--but around us, carrying thoughts
it reverberates against our minds, barely intersecting with them
sourceless
unable to truly connect
i expect to have to retaliate against an attack, but she remains afar
this is a true attempt to communicate something...
okidoia
pe@c¨e <YCNlev½âF
sourceless quiet
the sensation of voices grasp at words in my mind,
trying to fit them together
EXEC::vfx({type: "okidoia", state: false})
sourceless
almost, i can make something out--some vague meaning
a regret, or kindness - maybe grief?
but beneath it all is a destabilizing pain
my vision blurs, until i can shake these tendrils from my mind's eye
i cannot understand it, truly--and i think i must not
could this feeling itself be a sign of some parasite biting into my flesh?
vekoa still does not move, gesturing in welcome towards the door
does she want us to see what she has done?
or perhaps she wants us to enter--to accept our deaths?
is she stupid?
i will repay this insult
bozko
all of this slaughter is your doing
speak clearly, or i will tear you apart
sourceless
bozko must have come to a similar conclusion, for he speaks with rage
EXEC::env.noBgmDuck = false;
something with reason clearly lingers within this shape, for it is taken aback by his words
these are not mindless husks we face, now...
but they cannot be any more than parasites - no qou would ever abide this tragedy
in his anger, the okidoia grew silent
vekoa's receptors convey a sort of... frustration, maybe
it is always difficult to tell with θjut from afar
the pause is heavy, all of us frozen in uncertainty
she--it speaks again...not in words, but visions, a memory
EXEC::vfx({type: "okidoia", state: "mild"});body.classList.add('vis-flash', 'vis1')
okidoia
Ã#cq4žUbóZçÖ stands too far--a sharp limb pierces through my chest
EXEC::vfx({type: "okidoia", state: false});flash(true);body.classList.add("vis-flash-blur")
i collapse into the rising Å *pireblood
Ã!‡©XQ:hereßnLÙ²?˜õ(É›againÿ·Ø܃"§
sourceless quiet
my mind recoils as it passes, already slipping from memory
a memory of death, perhaps? a threat?
EXEC::flash(false);body.classList.remove("vis-flash-blur")
bozko lacks my confusion
sourceless
he is shocked, frozen
bozko
you...
how...?
sourceless
vekoa's attention shifts from bozko, to our golem
another vision comes, stronger, louder--clearer
EXEC::body.classList.add('vis2');body.classList.remove('vis1')
okidoia
ÃûôŸw¡Kâ¤Ñlay upon the ascension <span definition="NOTE::'partial translation';'implied closest cultural equivalent'">catafalques</span>, gazing up into velzie's eye
EXEC::flash(true);body.classList.add("vis-flash-blur")
the θjut hands me a mindcore connector, and then one to my tirii
i sense fear in our entangled receptors, and i laugh
embracing deÆÎÕqêath is a strange idea, but we know there is nothing to be afraid of
m¹ZŸŸK\¾Õ\AQëi6ìÃ
so i say: "tirii, do not be so nervous!"
"i am here with you, and we will begin anew together"
se•~+•¥ŸèagainÚ±½9¶ÄwÃK‰
sourceless quiet
i must physically shake the vision away, reflexively gripping my head
EXEC::flash(false);body.classList.remove('vis-flash-blur')
perhaps by rage alone, itzil and karik push the golem back into an unsteady hover
SHOWIF::'EXEC::env.rpg.actors.ikgolem.hp == 0'
EXEC::combatRevive(env.rpg.actors.ikgolem)
sourceless
attempting to speak with this entity is pointless
it is a babble of disjointed memory fragments,
like a social parasite throwing out what it has seized in hopes of fooling us
akizet
vekoa, if you have any sense at all
EXEC::body.classList.remove('vis2', 'vis-flash')
yield the core, we can still stop--
WAIT::2000
AUTOADVANCE::
THEN::midCombatActorRemove(env.rpg.actors.cavik);midCombatActorRemove(env.rpg.actors.bozko);midCombatActorRemove(env.rpg.actors.gakvu);midCombatActorRemove(env.rpg.actors.miltza);midCombatActorRemove(env.rpg.actors.akizet)
sourceless quiet
a dull pulse flares through the room--blinding me, briefly
EXEC::flash(true);forcePlay("dull");env.rpg.actors.ikgolem.sprite.querySelector('img').src = "/img/sprites/obesk/ikgol/gridtiny_cinematic.gif"
that was the golem...!!
EXEC::flash(false);env.rpg.setCam({x: 5, y: 6, playerRotation: -25, playerTilt: -10, height: 1.5, distance: 0, detailMode: true, gridTileSize: 200})
already, it hovers aggressively towards our foe
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.ikgolem.piece.stepToTile(env.rpg.grid.getTileFromCoordinates(6, 3))
karik
itzil--stop--!!
itzil
zuzucri! zuzucri!!
attack! destroy this thing!!
sourceless
the shared sense of righteous vengeance is almost overpowering
before any of us can parse the situation, the golem is already upon vekoa,
its other gauntlet swinging and glowing, preparing another destructive dull pulse
vekoa is unharmed from the first blast, what would a second do?
timestopper
itzil! we must be rational!
itzil
no!! no more of this!
you all know it is no different from our home!
an infestation--a mimicry!!
sourceless
immediately, once close enough, vekoa seizes the charging gauntlet
then, the other, almost without effort
sourceless quiet
and at once, both are torn away,
EXEC::env.rpg.refresh();env.rpg.actors.ikgolem.sprite.classList.add('struck');flash(true);forcePlay('fear', 0.5);
sourceless quiet
thrown aside, exploding violently against the walls
EXEC::forcePlay("dull");env.rpg.actors.ikgolem.sprite.querySelector('img').src = "/img/sprites/obesk/ikgol/gridtiny_collapse.gif";env.rpg.refresh();env.rpg.actors.ikgolem.sprite.classList.add('golemdie')
vekoa's claws part the impenetrable chassis of the golem effortlessly,
EXEC::forcePlay("stab");env.rpg.actors.ikgolem.sprite.classList.remove('struck')
leaving an irreparable split that sends it to the ground with a heavy thud
EXEC::forcePlay('fear', 0.5);env.bgm.rate(0.6);env.bgm.seek(43);flash(false)
such is its weight that the head, no longer sustained, crushes its connector as it strikes the ground
karik scurries away, having escaped the viscera, retreating into the opposite hall out of wild fear
but itzil... itzil is held in vekoa's claw
EXEC::env.rpg.currentActor = env.rpg.actors.vekoa_boss
itzil
nonononono!!!
help!! help me!!!
sourceless quiet
i sense strain from gakvu through our connection
gakvu
what?! i cannot do anything to vekoa!
my groundsmindry is not working, not like the others!!
there is something there, but it is...
i do not know, i cannot grasp it
cavik
if i throw a bomb now, it might just hit itzil...
akizet
then it falls to direct force
bozko, follow close behind me, quickly
and grant a distant eye, miltza
sourceless
my approach is like moving through a hopeless nightmare, bozko not far behind
and while i nearly reach them, as if preempting our attack,
vekoa turns to face me and bozko
EXEC::env.rpg.setCam({x: 7, y: 4, playerRotation: 25, playerTilt: 0, height: 1.25, distance: 0, detailMode: true, gridTileSize: 200, hideAllies: true})
sourceless quiet
the okidoia suddenly screams in my mind, through all of my senses, tearing my focus away from reality,
EXEC::flash(true);forcePlay("fear", 0.4);forcePlay("dull", 0.4);ratween(env.bgm, 0.4)
away from the timestopper, where i cannot hear the panic of my friends
away from anything at all - any sensation
at once commanding a collapse of my qou-body
okidoia
‡ogether ÃqIüѱú€×ðÿ}?}œÈ?±
sourceless quiet
...
sourceless
by the time my limbs respond again,
i still live, but it is too late
EXEC::flash(false);ratween(env.bgm, 0.6)
itzil is melted in vekoa's claws, joining with the light
their shrieking fades into an overjoyed laughter, distorting metallically,
before i feel their voice join in the same senseless okidoia
there is nothing left
slowly, i stand
but... to strike directly...
would this not ensure the same fate?
was she not entirely unaffected by our greatest weapon?
the others must have come to this same conclusion, for they linger at a distance
bozko helps me up, similarly recovered, but does not move closer
while vekoa lowers her claws, becoming unmoving, expectant, like before
she is near, too close, yet she does not strike us
her eye passes from me and scans over the remaining survivors
and the chamber hangs in heavy silence
...
finally, i feel the connection of the timestopper come into focus again,
my mind recovered, limbs now frozen with my own fear
timestopper
akizet!! respond!!
i am fine
do not approach
akizet bozko get back please
how is she doing this
sourceless
she turns her gaze upon me, and like before, i sense no hostility
i cannot bring myself to move
she effortlessly destroyed our most powerful weapon, a key in our plan
and she could clearly kill us all with even less effort,
but... she does not? is this an attempt to lower our defenses?
what defenses? what can we even do?
in the outline of vekoa's receptors, i see an outward bend, a deep sadness
something about it strikes my heart, stirring a memory
rouzesche, weeping for our father, declining a mindcore in his final moments
akizet
why...?
what do you want?
sourceless
from this close, i can see the subtlest change in her warped receptors
her sadness becomes conflicted, tense, as her gaze passes over us
what is running through her mind?
whose mind is it?
vekoa would surely never act with such malice
resigned to some decision, she casts her eye unto me in a sharp motion,
sourceless quiet
and the chamber closes into itself, the space warping in a way my eyes fail to grasp,
EXEC::flash(true);forcePlay("fear", 0.3);forcePlay("dull", 0.3)
it feels as if we had each been struck by a sweeping limb,
sending us away, into a chaotic fall into the noise and color beyond the walls
...
EXEC::env.rpg.halt = false;closeCombat(env.rpg.enemyTeam);
...
sourceless
and then...
we tumble out of a warped door, into the remains of a hall...?
EXEC::flash(false);env.bgm.rate(1);changeStage("hall_lesser-dull", false, false, {specificPlan: "karik"})
everyone seems to have landed with me, even tozik
EXEC::toggleBgm(env.grm.music_peace1)
karik is already here at the far end,
EXEC::setCam({x:7, y:3})
pacing in a strange darkness that resembles physical reality
if they are here, then this must be the former entry hall to the dull mind
it is quiet, strangely so...
expecting an attack, we ascend and gather near karik quickly,
EXEC::setCam({x:9, y:3})
the other end still twists maddeningly--i can hardly believe we came from that!
EXEC::setCam({x:9, y:3, rotation: 90})
and so we stand ready to fight
...for long enough that it becomes clear,
that vekoa is <em>not</em> following us...
why?
whatever the reason--we have a moment of peace, to plan again, maybe...
...
but no plan comes to me
no one speaks
and still no foe pursues us
the imperceptible tendrils of the ceremony writhe patiently, just out of reach
what do we do? what can we do?
____SHOWONCE::
moth
i can't believe it...
dude, i keep going over what you just ran through,
but there's basically no incoherence here
this is real, this happened
dull plane shit was always over my head, but this is something else
sorry, keep going - get everything you can
just let me know if you want to talk about anything
____END
sys
WARNING::'extensive interaction approaching'
EXEC::flash(true)
NOTICE::'interact with PROCEED marker to advance'
EXEC::setCam();refreshStage({noFlash: true})
WAIT::500
THEN::playerMoveTo(9, 3, "left");flash(false)
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>END
EXEC::
Akizet's Confession
sourceless
finding every door to be inactive or warped, trapped in this dead end,
EXEC::env.embassy.slowCam();change("PAGE!!e4prog", 3);setCam({x: 8, y: 3, rotation: -90});pauseSwapCam()
we convene near the inoperable dull mind entrance
from it pools black spireblood, implying a collapse within
it obscures the luminescent floor pigmentation, leaving us with sparse ambient light
we are lit only by the θwindow and the horrific dull light of the overlap
EXEC::setCam({x: 11, y: 4, rotation: 45})
bozko watches over the path behind us
while tozik has started to stand, still looking ill
EXEC::setCam({x: 11, y: 3, rotation: -135})
he raises a claw, to say that he is fine
cavik still moves to examine him, but...
then freezes in shock, checking his own connector frantically
he is the first to speak, sharing what we all began to realize,
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "show focus", bg: true, hideStage: true})
cavik
uh... the timestopper!!
it is not responding!
sourceless
he grips his connector, removing it from his receptor and replacing it
a few others try it, too
cavik
is anyone still connected?
it could not have been destroyed, we would have felt it!
bozko
nothing
gakvu
i felt it stop after we fled, but i had hoped it was just a flicker...
sourceless
our one remaining advantage, gone
could vekoa have noticed our use of it?
somehow diverted focus from the ceremony to seize it?
akizet
we must assume it to be lost, then
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "hide"})
what do we still have?
vekoa's creatures will be upon us eventually
sourceless
the team turns over their tools
we still hold a variety of items and weapons
bozko and i both have decent capability, and miltza has good reaction times...
but without a wealth of independent combat experience between all of us,
EXEC::setCam({x: 13, y: 3, rotation: 90})
we will stand little chance
EXEC::vn.done()
not to mention the impossible nature of our foe
vekoa is unstoppable, untouchable
and the foes that preceded her were formed from the air itself, illusions
like specters left upon the stage by those she has claimed
but...
did she really want to hurt us?
no, that is a stupid question
she obviously does, why else would she have killed itzil?
but she let us live...
i was right there! karik, too!
and yet she chose to send us here and not give chase,
a dark corner where she holds a clear advantage?
it does not make any sense
whatever the truth may be, the result is clear enough
she, or her likeness, is still an enemy that must be dealt with
i start to consider our options with the rest of our team in silence
but all at once, the guilt of what has happened falls upon me again
if this place is to be our graves, if we are to be usurped by parasites,
they must at least know what has dragged them down into this pit with me
the truth
akizet
my friends,
sourceless
their attention snaps to me, as if expecting me to spout another spirited plan,
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "show far", tozik: "show far", bozko: "show far", gakvu: "show far", miltza: "show far", hideStage: true, bg: true})
but their hopes fading are plain to see as they process my tone, and see my tightly twisted receptors
EXEC::env.noBgmDuck = true;
akizet
i must tell you something
EXEC::changeBgm(env.grm.music_admission, {length: 10000, seek: 0})
before... when we discovered the spike in the call,
a few θgazes later, a self-delivered message found my quarters
it was a threat - something to truly ensure i did not speak
why me, i do not know... but you must recall how strangely i acted!
i wanted to find who it was, or if anyone else had received something like it...
if any of it was real
but i was the only recipient, as far as i could see...
EXEC::env.noBgmDuck = false;
so i crept into the materials θsegment and fetched an archived design
a converter between our thoughts and dead metal, for the cousins' technology
i had it constructed, i shared it with my bright contact
and it worked--so i continued a branch of our work in secret
sourceless
most look upon me with confused worry, surely baffled at the relevance of this
but gakvu's receptors stand with shock
i bring a claw over my eyes as i continue, the weight of my words difficult enough to carry
akizet
i thought i could trust our cousins' word, that they would help me
and they did
we found the exact origin point of the call, but...
i told them not to go until i had completed my preparations
...
If Akizet Called Gordon
akizet
once we destroyed the dullzika, i was able to get in touch with my envoy
and he said, just before all of this started,
without consulting me, or even him and his team,
someone in his hierarchy used our findings
they sent something to the origin...
and then, surely not by coincidence, this disaster began
akizet
this attack--all of this, my actions must have been the spark
how many deaths now must find root in my claws?
as if i were the carrier that brought this infestation home
cavik
that is why you were so scared...
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "focus"})
akizet, why did you not let me help?
i was right there!
akizet
after the message, and knowing i was alone, all looked like saboteurs to me
like anyone i shared this with could split their face into teeth
once you knew, and it was clear you were not one of them
i could only keep you away to ensure your safety
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "defocus far"})
but... now, i know, this cannot be the doing of any group, any saboteur
no obesk could do this, it is unconscionable
this is beyond all of us somehow, it must be
If Akizet Did Not Call Gordon
akizet
if you did not share anything, cavik--
cavik
of course not!! i promised
akizet
then... they must have gone to investigate the origin
without me? without consulting us at all?
it is the only explanation
akizet
this attack--all of this, my actions must have been the spark
how many deaths now must find root in my claws?
as if i were the carrier that brought this infestation home
Dialogue Continues
sourceless
...
bozko lingers between us and the way we came, turned away
EXEC::vnp({bozko: "hide"})
miltza's receptors are like fists, her head finding support in her claws
EXEC::vnp({miltza: "hide"})
cavik sits against the inner wall, uncertain
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "hide", tozik: "hide"})
but... gakvu?
she paces, her eyes and receptors conveying some deep, troubled thought
some weight of her own, not unlike mine...
did she get a message, too?
at last, she stops
gakvu
what was the threat you received?
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "focus"})
akizet
it warned of some vague conflict,
about a two-sided storm that swirled around the embassy,
that the call's origin was already truly known,
despite our research continuing for some reason
...and that they kill for their secrets
it shared only enough to ensure my trust could never find grasp again
sourceless
every word darkens her gaze
gakvu
they broke the veil...
sourceless
all focus upon her, though miltza's attention is the most striking
for the first time since we arrived, she seems truly present
gakvu
once we spoke about that cyst, you acted so strangely
the lack of progress, your absences and detachment
you started becoming like me, hehe
but it all makes sense now
sourceless
she pauses, choosing to find support against the groundsmindry chamber θwindow
gaze cast down to the sludge of the broken door
whatever she is about to do is difficult for her, too...
gakvu
this was not your fault, akizet
whoever left that message wanted to protect you, i am sure
but there is more happening than you know
if we are to die down here, then...
why not tear away the rest of the veil they tarnished?
sourceless
she pauses, forming a cynical, mischievous twist in her receptors
gakvu
you will not hold conflict, will you, miltza?
EXEC::vnp({miltza: "showright far"})
let us speak plainly
sourceless
an unexpected shift of focus to miltza--terrified, but...
realization is plain in her receptors, like a weight has been lifted from them
but there is an urgency in her voice, countering some implicit accusation
spilling forth as stone in a collapsing cave
miltza
what?!
EXEC::vnp({miltza: "show"})
no no, listen, gakvu, everyone,
you must know--this was never a part of any plan
none that i knew--none that i would support!!
gakvu
relax, i know
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "focus"})
we may be opposed, but it is clear that we are not foes, here
your terror was enough to tell me this is not simply a part of some greater plan
this is bloodshed far beyond even your madness
sourceless
miltza is quieted, sat against the wall in a nervous ball
guilt is plain in her receptors, and she averts our gazes
but gakvu...
after all this time, she has been a part of this conflict?
and how confidently she speaks!
i can only remain silent
to die knowing the truth will be enough
gakvu
it is hard to find a place to begin...
EXEC::vnp({miltza: "hide"})
especially with what time we may have
but the message was truthful, akizet
there is... something, in the ocean, here
it is often called 'the meteorite,'
if only to avoid evoking its true nature in communications
all evidence points to it being a corrucystic entity, as you probably expect...
but it is so much more than that
to just call it an 'entity' does not encompass all that it could be
you see, when we first arrived, a critical piece of evidence was found and hidden
embedded deep in this bright ocean's floor were long-dead veins of corru...
i never got to see them myself, but i accessed some recorded experiences, and,
their enormity was truly chilling
they were not senseless growth, either
some examination showed fossilized organ structures
clearly part of something greater, broken off by drift in the stone...
yes, the meteorite has been dormant here for a very, very long time
but how long, and where its true center lies now--these things are beyond us
however, enough is known that we are certain:
whatever it is, wherever it is, it must be the source of the call
and it must be larger than any corrucystic life we have ever known
akizet
so tozik's theory was right, then...
the call--it really is raw thought?
but what could it possibly be trying to communicate??
sourceless
gakvu gives a negative twist of her receptors
gakvu
our eyes are closed to this as well
that is why our research still mattered
having sharp minds upon it, unbiased by these facts, was deemed beneficial
even if it meant an eventual induction for those involved
and such a shame, too
that would have been an easy way in...
but, there is a leading theory
it supposes that the call is one begging for help
that wherever this broken entity is, it is starving, alone,
crying out on a timescale well beyond our comprehension,
somehow knowing we are here to find it
cavik
um... sorry to interrupt, but, i do not understand...
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "showleft", gakvu: "focus"})
why would this be worth killing over?
this is hardly a secret!
i have even heard this theory on the collective!
not that it is so large, but still--that it is some stranded, starving corru
sourceless
gakvu chuckles coldly, and she gestures towards miltza,
whose discomfort has only grown in all this
gakvu
well, her congregation, leaders and councilmembers among them,
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "hide"})
have latched onto the idea that the meteorite is some great mind
sleeping, or wounded, or otherwise incapacitated
and that we are somehow its inheritors
that if we can heal it, return it to health, it will oblige us,
and join our minds into something infinitely more powerful than any one
forever advancing beyond death, together
a 'friend'...
one that must be protected from bad actors, until it is ready
so theories may circulate, but they would never afford a truth-runner to live
sourceless
gakvu pauses, and miltza does not object
she scoffs before bitterly continuing,
gakvu
what an intoxicating dream
if the meteorite or its call were to seize our minds,
if it finds us, our devices--if it ever <em>really sees us</em>...
sourceless
her gaze shifts to the warped end of the hall, fading into the overlap,
then to tozik, and the wounds we are still tending
gakvu
well, here we are
but this attack, this seizing of the core, the embassy...
this is only a demonstration of what may come
to it, we must be specks of misplaced flesh, lost and wandering
the naivete to think such a creature so far beyond us would be kind enough to let us continue as we are...
no, it will seize everything, our bodies, our minds, our constructs,
sure to discard whatever may lie within to feed itself
and to say nothing of what may come against the bright cousins and our larval kin...
velzie will have no more actors for its stage
it must be destroyed
sourceless
with incensed receptors, miltza rises to her feet
EXEC::vnp({miltza: "showright far", gakvu: "focus"})
miltza
you are blind!
EXEC::vnp({miltza: "focus"})
why would it call out so specifically for us, if it did not know what we truly were?
and think of what this means!!
our symbiosis--to be able to extract our minds as we do!
we are born from it, meant for it, we have to be!
which is why...
this is all so wrong...
gakvu
do you think i am inviting debate?
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "focus"})
sourceless
gakvu laughs, wracked with stress
gakvu
we are miniscule qou, alone at the bottom of a collapsing spire
there is no point in arguing, for the end is here before us, grasping at us through the dull plane
just down the hall, miltza
what must be the meteorite's hideous mind is wielding the images of our fallen
wearing vekoa's face as a zuzucri would
look now, upon the fruits of the council's hubris, and despair
perhaps we should just embrace it and be done with it all
that way, we will at least know who was right, yes?
of course--we should wait and see where this contrivance takes us
if the meteorite is so kind, it surely will be a paradise
full of little helpers to free us from the sludge we will be buried under
sourceless
her jabs are enough to draw me out from my shock
this bitter sarcasm is a poor mask for her fear
akizet
gakvu...
this is not over
we have options
sourceless
before i can continue, tozik speaks with some strain
his voice carries a strange, quiet static it did not have before
tozik
this explains the public record...
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "showleft far", tozik: "showright far", miltza: "hide"})
perhaps it was altered right after the spike we noticed, for this "veil"
cavik
...and what does this really mean?
about us, you know? where we come from--and how it got here?
sourceless
miltza and gakvu both express exhaustion in stance and receptor, briefly meeting gazes
miltza
all that is known and unknown is too vast to cover in the time we have
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "hide", tozik: "hide", gakvu: "hide", miltza: "show"})
we will be killed by vekoa, or consumed by her contrivance,
before you come to understand even a sliver
besides, what does it matter?
gakvu is right about one thing...
we will either be dead and gone soon,
or... we will find ourselves within the mind of the meteorite
and all that might entail...
sourceless
...
miltza
akizet
this second veil exists... or, existed, for a reason
i cannot let you think that you are truly to blame, here
the fault for this madness lies with the one who threatened you
but even then... the storm was only growing as the call went on
velzie would have let it spill forth into consequence one way or another
sourceless
i should feel relief, but...
like the others, i do not even know what to say
it is the nature of a tir to forgive like this, after all
her comfort is hollow, as is gakvu's
EXEC::vnp({miltza: "hide"})
how can i accept this, while we drown in the blood of our friends?
no, this tragedy would not have happened without me
tozik
this is fascinating
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "show far"})
but,
how long have we been talking?
sourceless
as if pulled from a dream, my spiral of despair slows enough that i may look around
the contrivance has not formed, nor have any foes found us
has it not been long enough? why do the tendrils of the ceremony still wait for us?
and vekoa--is her method of attack not instantaneous?
is she not fatal to even touch?
does she...
just not care to pursue us?
bozko
no sign of entry
EXEC::vnp({bozko: "showleft far"})
they have not touched the door
cavik
wait--communications are silent, too!
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "showleft far"})
there is no disruption, even with the overlap right next to us...
sourceless
gakvu turns to face the blinding absence beyond the θwindow
gakvu
yes, it...
EXEC::vnp({bozko: "showright far"})
i was so preoccupied, i did not notice how quiet it has become
how is that possible? is this vekoa's doing? her focus shifting, maybe?
sourceless
cavik suddenly perks up, shuffling towards the sludged door
he feels at it, even placing his head against it to focus his hearing
cavik
oh, wow, wow!
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "focus far"})
it is not her--it is a silence!!
sourceless
from tozik and gakvu--even karik, rising from their corner, i see the first sign of hope
they stand in preparation, as if cavik has just formed a new plan
akizet
what do you mean?
karik
...a silence...
EXEC::vnp({karik: "showright far"})
i should have known!!
dull minds always have silence spires, but they are so rarely used...
that explains why the dull mind was gone!
tozik
and the timestopper...
cavik
akizet, silences are artificial shapes within the dull plane,
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "focus"})
designed to be isolated from all other connection
you can think of them like, uh, bubbles! or cages!
they must be entered physically, you see
and they <em>always must</em> be maintained with active constructs
akizet
i see...
so--there may be other survivors sheltering here?
sourceless
all eyes turn to the broken door
EXEC::setCam({x: 9, y: 3, rotation: -90});vn.done()
the spireblood that oozes from it is surely a facade, or maybe the result of a rough barricade
so without another word, we set upon it
bozko is slow to move from his post, but his strength will serve well in prying open a path
there must be someone
sys
WARNING::'extensive interaction continues'
NOTICE::'interact with PROCEED marker to advance'
Moth & Interloper Comment
self
you got all of that, right?
moth
yeah...
jesus dude
we can talk about it later, but i made sure to mark that part in my logs
this is getting nuclear
keep going
Dull Mind
First Encounter with Idril
sourceless
...
EXEC::pauseSwapCam(true);flash(true)
after some headway is made, and with a great crash, the doors are forced open
EXEC::flash(false);changeStage("grm_dull_front")
we are greeted with a comforting darkness, granted by sludge obscuring the floor lights
the door's damage was an illusion...
furniture had been piled against it and sludged, appearing like a collapse to the outside
perhaps to trick vekoa's golems, should any have remained?
a wall is raised, some operational feature of the dull mind
another chamber lies behind the light of its central gap, giving off a constant hum
so we slowly enter the clearing, wary of any more incorporeal foes...
akizet
...hello?
sourceless
just as i spoke, a qou--a once-θjut, clearly intact and alive, leaps out of the gap!
EXEC::vnp({idril: "show far"})
pointing a crumbling, flickering disabler at us
it is so worn, i cannot tell if it even has a single use left
but our appearance disarms her, for she must have expected hostile golems
idril
oh... hi!
EXEC::vnp({bg: true, hideStage: true})
huuuh, how did you get here?
sourceless
a friend, at last... relief overtakes me
but just as i move to respond, she speaks up again
idril
well--we should not speak in this hall!
come, this way...
sourceless
she lazily recedes into the walled section, oddly unconcerned by her ruined barricade
EXEC::vnp({idril: "hide", bg: false, hideStage: false})
we exchange glances - hopeful, if confused - and scurry through after her
EXEC::changeStage("grm_dull_back")
though this place appears warped at first, it is merely a projection
some impression of the dull beyond, imprinted upon the walls and floor
at the opposite end are piles of golem corpses and containers, dissected and cast aside,
EXEC::setCam({x: 5, y: 5, rotation: 145});
clearly having their organs and critical components removed
much haphazard work was done here, and recently
the only intact device that remains is the narrow obelisk in the center of the chamber,
EXEC::setCam({x: 5, y: 5, rotation: 90});
and the strange pod entrances that loom over us
idril
ahaha, welcome, welcome!
EXEC::setCam({x: 5, y: 5, rotation: 145});vnp({idril: "show far", bg: true, hideStage: true})
sorry i did not hear you sooner!
are any of you hurt? here, here, take these!
sourceless
she fishes through the containers, returning with some restoratives and sfer
EXEC::vnp({idril: "show"})
tozik, still unsteady, takes them with an appreciative nod of his receptors,
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "show", idril: "focus"})
quickly moving to address our wounds and feed our limbs
she seems interested in his wounded state, immediately taking notice that something ails him
the eye of a θjut, i suppose
tozik
thanks...
idril
ahaha, we have plentyyy, it is no bother!
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "hide", idril: "focus"})
besides, it is obvious to anyone that you need them far more
sourceless
she dismissively waves a receptor, backing away to sit atop the containers
idril
i am idril!
how did you all get here...?
sourceless
this θjut, she speaks so strangely, like she has just awoken from a great sleep
with such sluggish movements, how has she survived so long...?
akizet
ah, well,
we seized a movefriend and descended, to stop the attack
all thought we would simply need to seize the core to stop all of this...
we did not anticipate a ceremony, and now we are not sure what to do
idril
ahh... fighters! if only you had been here earlier
but no, no, this fight will not be won with force anymore
sourceless
there is no despair in her voice, more like wistfulness
it is inspired by the same lack of concern that initially unsettled me
has she been self modifying? is this a response to the tragedy?
ignorant, cavik excitedly weaves around her work
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "showright far"})
cavik
you took out these golems yourself?
and these containers! such a wealth!
dull bones, wiped echo cores, some chaining connectors...
what are you making?
idril
oh, yeah... silencing spires!
EXEC::vnp({idril: "focus"})
you see, me and the others, we had this big plan
we were going to enclose the groundsmindry core in a silence, then retake it
and we actually did make a lot of them!
we even had half of our team go up into the spine, placing them in the archives overhead...
but once the ceremony truly started, well,
it grew too large, too fast, to feasibly contain
our spires are probably only slowing it down, now...
hey, what is your name?
i feel i have seen you before...
cavik
i am cavik, call research technician!
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "focus"})
although, i did work on the life-pod project for a time
idril
ahh, well met, my friend! welcome to the dull mind!
yes, that must have been where i saw you...
i often checked in from my side here
sourceless
she gestures towards the entry overhead with a flourish
but enough of this pointless chatter
she is too quick to deviate in this time of crisis
akizet
idril, you say 'we,' 'others,' but--where are they?
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "hide"})
idril
oh, right!
well... it had been me and some other qou
some from here, some descenders from above,
we all wanted to retake the core and stop the attack
buut, yeah, our plan failed
the spine team disappeared,
and most of us died!
now it is just me and a vel
she is out looking for another way to stop this, or maybe escape
i do not really know
sourceless
she shrugs, listless
idril
me, i have just been watching...
what is visible of the ceremony, from my dullima pod, is very pretty
like a parasite bulb blooming out from a dead beast
curling around the framework of the embassy's dull connections
you can take a look with it if you want, it is still open
just... not the third one
in fact you should probably not touch that one at all
sourceless
it did catch my eye before, being the only sludged pod
how strange that she is so wary of it...
but then i look to miltza, who visibly grows concerned over its contents
yet where i feel she might step in, offering some guiding compassion,
gakvu speaks in place--carrying a less friendly suspicion
gakvu
if you were placing silencing spires,
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "showright"})
you must have known the ceremony was going to happen
how did you figure that out?
idril
well!
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "hide"})
i was using my dullima pod here when the attack started...
and i had this silencing spire active and the safety walls up,
for i was focusing on fixing a troublesome stray organ...
so i guess i did not notice for a while
not until other qou started to shelter in here, telling me what was happening
and then when i finally looked outside the silence,
i could see the core prying at the dull plane, preparing to open a gate...
which immediately revealed a problem: the core does not usually have a gate-capable organ!
and from what the others told me, every resource was starting to get pulled down here...
those two facts are enough to know the core is being used in a very, very bad way!!
so, i just started doing my job
that is what the point of the dull mind is, after all - to deal with dull issues
or... was, haha
the silencing spires would have been a start to containing it, if we were just a little faster...
cavik
so--you gave up?
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "showleft"})
is there no way to stop this??
idril
oh, sure there is
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "hide"})
the core has been siphoning resources from every connection it has
mainly the spine and the heart, which is why the spire is suffering
we would just have to sever the core from its resources
probably with bombs, which... we have the materials for, right here
our silencing spires used a great deal of unstable components from local golems
then, vekoa, if she has any sense at all, which...
i am not sure of anymore, honestly
she should stop the ceremony, or risk starving the core to death
because, she needs it, to do whatever she is doing
but what is the point of all that if we have to break the spine connection, you know?
without the spine, we cannot do structure-wide instruction even if we seize the core
sooo... the spire is going to collapse on all of us anyway
maybe it is best if we let the contrivance form and whisk us away
the embassy will still collapse on itself afterwards, but...
who knows where it will go, maybe it is nice! and we might even live!
oh, but wait...
if you have a movefriend, maybe we should get out of here instead?
sourceless
she speaks as if the decision were no more than a plan for the next meal...
and awaits my response with the most idle curiosity in the tilt of her receptors
with both of our plans in ruins, is there really no option?
it truly sounds like we can only flee...
leave behind a cave-city worth of qou to be devoured
across my team, the sentiment is so low--everyone is of like mind
but i cannot let this rest...
i must find a way to at least help anyone still alive!!
idril
we would just need to wait for telyu to get back, first
yes, she has been so worried ever since our plans fell through
once she finds your movefriend, she will probably come to get me too
or... maybe she just leaves without me, hehe...
i do not think she likes me very much...
gakvu
we modified it to listen only to us, that will not happen
sourceless
karik's silence is finally broken
their voice swells with even more hope
karik
telyu?!
EXEC::vnp({karik: "show far", idril: "show far"})
she lives??
akizet--that is my vel friend, the one i told you about!!
SHOWIF::"embassy__d3_mind-grab"
akizet--that is a close friend of mine!
SHOWIF::["embassy__d3_mind-grab", false]
she worked in materials... that is a long way to descend!
ahh, imagine how much she must have fought through without a timestopper!
that is telyu, all right!
sourceless
some spirit returns to karik, standing taller
as tall as a mindcore might, at least
idril
uh-huh!
EXEC::vnp({karik: "hide", idril: "show far"})
she is somewhere around here...
ohh, what? timestopper?
EXEC::vnp({idril: "show"})
that is what those connectors are?
woww, you are so lucky! i only ever got to use it once
anyway, that gives me an idea...
if you do not want to just flee, and you really really want to stop this...
then bombs are not such a bad idea
akizet
how does that make a difference?
the spine connection will still be broken, yes?
idril
right, but... the timestopper is pretty powerful
it is maybe the third or fourth grandest cyst in the spire? something like that
and as you know, it even comes with robust dull connections!!
so, whoever enters the core after we take it back,
they could use the core's strength and authority to reform it into a biiig relay
something that can claw around in the dull to find and connect to the spine
then, it would serve as a very loud, angry, and distant vertebra!
obviously that is not ideal, and really not something that should be done, ever,
but we are past that now, right? ahaha
tozik
this is insane
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "showright far", idril: "focus"})
akizet
idril--how difficult is that? is it something we can do quickly?
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "hide"})
what i am really asking, is it actually feasible?
idril
oh sure, the core comes with all sorts of natural impulses and knowledge
between that and the timestopper's strength, anyone could do it pretty fast!
it would not be as strong of a connection, so you would not get very fine control...
but it might be enough
akizet
and if vekoa chooses to keep the ceremony going, at risk of starving the core...?
idril
oh, then we run for the movefriend and try to get out
because that would be it
sourceless
immediately, i turn to the others
out of everyone, tozik stands out, steadying himself against a container, distracted
he notices my gaze, and dips his receptors affirmatively
insane as it may be, it makes sense, even allowing for an escape plan
everyone else is similarly stirred by the possibility
even bozko, whose receptors plainly curve with hope again for the first time
akizet
if that is our only chance... even with the risk,
yes, we will do it!
idril
ok
cavik, come, help me link these together
we will need to make some pretty strong explosives
we should have them form little silences around themselves until they detonate
in the dull plane, small silences are impossible to notice from the outside,
so they should totally slip the groundsmind's eye
cavik
oh, yes! perfect!!
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "showright far"})
let us do that!
and then we can also put each in one of these containers, so that they are more disguised!
idril
ah, smart, yeees!
cavik
oh one issue--the structure...
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "show"})
if we detonate the spine and heart, will this not totally collapse their chambers?
idril
it sure will!
that is why we will have a little detonation cyst to remotely activate them
cavik
no, i mean, what if...
karik
cavik, do not worry!
the groundsmindry θsegment is built out of a rigid pale corru shell,
and within it, each chamber is totally isolated--a safety precaution
it is standard for vertical spires
the chambers will collapse, but all it will do is block our paths
but the spine and heart are adjacent, so we will have a path no matter what
cavik
all right!
sourceless
cavik follows idril's lead, leaning over the containers to pick out components
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "show far", idril: "show far"})
as idril begins to connect cysts, cavik pushes containers closer
idril
it will not take long to prepare, so--ready yourselves!
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "hide", idril: "show"})
the spine is just down the next corridor...
plant a bomb there, do the same in the heart,
then circle around and detonate from the lesser mind, yes?
it will probably be safest there, since it is opposite to our targets
akizet
i see...
all right, the path is clear enough - we are aligned, idril
but the timestopper is not responding...
i fear entering this silence may have broken our connection
cavik
oh, no, it is fine!!
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "showright far", idril: "show focus"})
it does not work like that, direct connections are more like tethers
we are still connected, since we entered the silence on this side!
umm... think of it like, the tethers are bunched up on the outside of the silence
and they will spring back to us as soon as we leave!
it will be a little unpleasant!
akizet
ah, what fortune! i see, i think...
thank you, cavik
sourceless
...
with all of these revelations, all of this planning, we have barely checked in with tozik
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "showright far", tozik: "showleft far", idril: "show focus"})
he truly does not look well, his qou-body still strangely warped in the slightest way
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "hide", tozik: "showleft far focus"})
hard to place, but enough to notice
but he has not spoken of it at all
nor of what he saw upon connection... something is eating at him
both physically and mentally
even though idril has set to work with cavik, i must ask
akizet
...idril, did any of your team try to use the lesser mind?
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "hide", idril: "focus"})
sourceless
she pauses, cavik at first picking up the slack, but soon noticing her apprehension
idril
...yeees...
two... no, three of the others we lost, tried to use them
sourceless
she slowly returns to her process, merging some cysts together
returning her gaze to me only through a sidelong glance from the corner of her eye
idril
that is what happened to your θjut friend, right?
sorry... i was waiting for a good time to bring it up
we called it the contact affliction
i am still not really sure what actually causes it, but...
anyone who tried to connect to the core directly got it
they started to feel strange... like a larval illness
organs started to fuse, then they entered a dreamlike state...
one of them felt better for a little while, and even seemed stronger
but then, well, they started speaking madness, and...
we did not let anyone get past that point
sourceless
she grows quiet again, turning up towards the third pod,
EXEC::vn.done();setCam({x: 2.5, y: 5, rotation: 90, offsetCamera: "rotateX(20deg)"});
then me,
EXEC::vnp({idril: "show focus", hideStage: true, bg: true})
then tozik--speaking to him directly
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "showright far"})
idril
listen...
once it starts to get bad, you should disconnect from the timestopper
just in case, ok?
if you can find a spare mindcore somewhere, maybe try doing an emergency renewal
but... um, we did not
sourceless
across our team, a new dread grips all of us
EXEC::change("PAGE!!e4prog", 4);refreshStage({noFlash: true})
there was at least some peace in knowing final death would be quick, before...
tozik is least deserving of this--how could we have been so careless?
and after all that talk of infection, too...
this θdeathly state of ours has made us too sure of our own resilience
he only slowly dips his receptors in response
perhaps if we act quickly enough, we may find some help for him after our success?
gakvu approaches him, speaking quietly--some reassurances, i am certain
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "showright far"})
despite this zenruka looming over us, our new path shines ahead
after all, it would have been unlike velzie to merely crush our hopes...
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "hide", idril: "hide", gakvu: "hide"})
all we need to do...
is go out, fight, place these explosives... and retake the core
i only hope this is not another cruel feint
EXEC::setCam();
sys
NOTICE::'marked entities contain dialogue unique to this stream segment'
ADVISE::'interact before advancing';'utilize PROCEED entity to save or advance stream'
RESPONSES::akizet
let us prepare<+>END
EXEC::vn.done();pauseSwapCam(false);
Dialogue with Idril
sourceless
cavik and idril have organized some of the dead containers nearby, operating upon an open one
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "show far", idril: "showleft focus", bg: true, hideStage: true})
nearby, piles of organized cysts lie on the ground
their work is almost wordless as dull-colored cysts are placed within and connected to one another
in my observation, i linger near enough to gain their attention
but it does not halt their efforts
idril
hii akizet
was there something else you needed?
how is this happening?
akizet
idril!
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "hide"})
given your expertise, perhaps you know...
how is it that the core is able to do this?
it surely was never equipped to act as a catalyst for a ceremony
idril
ahahaha, no, no, of course not!
but at the same time, it always was... just not intentionally
really, any cyst with enough mental strength is capable of weaving with the dull, with a little modification
of course, the core likely needed a few new organs and a particular formulation of sfer to begin,
but with its reshaping ability, and the bodies and golems that got dragged to the core chamber...
that must have been trivial
so, the only thing it would have been missing were the ceremony's sacrifices...
a wealth of resources, which, also, were actually around it all along!
the spine, and its knowledge pool running below our feet...
the dense organs here in this pale corru shell, and the rich spireblood they helped to carry...
it would have been absurd to think anyone would actually do this,
but the tools were always within plain reach of the groundsmind
if they were murderous enough
akizet
did you and your team try to attack the core directly?
force her out, somehow?
idril
haa, well, the option did come up...
but then we saw that every golem and qou-body was gathering within
it was smarter to stop it from the outside
maybe if we had the timestopper it would have been possible...
oh well!
RESPONSES::akizet
i see<+>loop
vekoa?
akizet
idril!
did vekoa ever... hint at this?
ever do anything suspicious?
sourceless
how could i phrase this to someone who surely knows nothing of the conflict?
"has she ever expressed a desire to awaken an ancient entity buried deep in the bright ocean?"
idril
ummm...
we did not really talk much
imagine the coldest ekivik you know,
and then make them so distant, that they are always just barely out of sight
that is vekoa
always here, always operating and watching, and very good at it!!
but so very detached from everyone, even down here
she worked so hard, so constantly, rarely ever leaving the core
it was like she thought she was alone in her work, sustaining everyone above by her efforts alone!
sourceless
she pauses to lean into the container, connecting some cysts in the dark of its corners
idril
you might think i dislike her because i say that,
but that is what made her a very good groundsmind, actually
very fast, very confident decision-making, usually for the best...
in fact, if it were not for the senseless violence the others told me about,
i would think she has a very good reason to be trying to make a ceremony!
and who would do it better? nobody! ahaha
cavik
wait, you never saw what was happening outside of here?
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "showright far", idril: "focus"})
idril
oh, no, not physically...
when i have not been helping build with the things the others brought me,
i have been back in the dullima pod, watching
it all seems so far away in there, hehe
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "hide", idril: "focus"})
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>loop
our foes?
akizet
idril!
have you been attacked, here?
do you know anything of our foes?
idril
oh, well, i have not really been out of here, sooo...
i know the others broke the core chamber door,
and then did some little tricks with the barricade to fake a collapse
they even severed nerve connections in particular spots that i had no knowledge of!
very clever! telyu came up with the idea
but... no golems have gotten through
especially not since most of the ones outside the core were slain and brought here for our plan
akizet
golems?
idril, there are no golems out there--not even bodies
no, no--i speak of the dull... creatures...
sourceless
i struggle to place the words to describe them
creatures? illusions? specters?
even though it was so recent, it feels as though the events are fading from my memory
memories of the dull are so often hard to recall, and this overlap is no exception
akizet
we were in the lesser mind, and something, a wave, passed over us from the core
the chamber twisted without breaking, changing into different shapes
and then they came through, these shapes of dull-light
appearing like qou or golem, i think--but they were hazy, inaccurate
we struck them, they fell, they disappeared as if they were never here...
but more formed, effortlessly, until vekoa cast us aside
sourceless
idril pauses her work to stare at me absently
a slight confusion forms in her receptors
i would have expected complete bewilderment
maybe this is sounding familiar to her?
akizet
cavik--maybe you can articulate it better? you know more of this subject
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "showright far", idril: "focus"})
the dull plane is beyond my grasp
cavik
uh...
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "focus"})
sorry, akizet, i--i really do not have a better description, either
you really have not seen anything strange, idril?
sourceless
idril leans against the container, gaze long drawn away in thought
there is a pause before she returns to us
idril
ahh, well, while observing the ceremony from my pod, i did see the last pulse...
EXEC::vnp({idril: "focus"})
you see, the ceremony, it is really just a big corrucystic construct, one that exists mostly within the dull plane!
and it grows in pulses, each expansion allowing its tendrils to establish it further
it is part of how contrivances are formed, but usually it all happens too quick to observe like this
the wave you saw was definitely the overlap expanding, which is normal
and the distortion of the chamber really sounds like yutzi's displacement...
a rarely observed phenomenon in overlaps, where anchoring tendrils, ah, 'displace' physical space
really, it is more of a 'pulling' than a 'displacement', if the theory is right
but i will spare you all the specifics, hehe
it would have to be that the ceremony was specifically, consciously grasping the chamber you were in
like grabbing a <span definition="TRANSLATION FAILED::CAUSE:'no equivalent internal meaning';'no relevant inherited context'::ROMANIZATION FAILED">A6qwÂý¢è</span> through its protective membrane, but without breaking it
sourceless
cavik has paused his work, fascinated
it seems this phenomenon is new to him as well, despite his past work with the dull
idril
but, known phenomena aside, there was something really strange
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "hide"})
tendrils from the ceremony that would normally be structuring themselves outwards,
acting like anchors for its growth,
they acted abberantly, curving around the overlap--into the groundsmindry θsegment as a whole
deviating from the ceremony, folding back into it, making...
hmm, making...
sorry, it is hard to describe the dull plane in so few words, ehehe
to put it simply, i thought it was the result of some sort of incoherence!
as in, parts of the ceremony falling apart...
but it sounds like vekoa is actually diverting focus from the ceremony intentionally to make your creatures!
using the ceremony's limbs to form shapes within the dull, somehow giving them intelligent direction
and then stabbing them back through the overlap, into our side...
just enough to become physical
from your description, i think their presence may still have served as anchors in the widening of the ceremony, maybe incidentally
but that is completely crazy, though!! to have such accurate control!
i could not even imagine the focus required!
and to have the tendrils animate like intelligent creatures...
ahaha, i mean, akizet, that has just never been done!
yes, yes, totally unprecedented
wow... i kind of want to see them myself, now
but it is better if i stay back
be sure to keep a record of your sight for me!
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>loop
golem sigils?
akizet
idril!
these golems...
sourceless
i gesture to the golem components that lie around, dissected and bare
akizet
when you got them, did they have a groundsmindry control sigil?
sourceless
my question draws cavik's attention
a perk of realization in his receptors - he must have had the same question, but forgot to ask
akizet
in those we fought, we observed that they had one,
something like a spiral, an indistinct spinning mass...
but apparently, they had these even after upper groundsmindry was ceased, according to the terminals here
idril
huuh
they were already dead when the others brought them in!
oh! but there was one...
sourceless
she pulls herself from the container,
untangling her claws from connective veins to point at a nearby pile
EXEC::vn.done();setCam({x: 7, y:8, height: 0.75, rotation: 135, offsetCamera: 'rotateX(-20deg)'});
idril
yeah! this one was incapacitated, but still active when they brought it in
i think the silence cut it off, since the sigil vanished shortly after...
and while i cut organs from it for use in the other silence spires,
i did notice it was very strange inside! very strange!
quite a lot i could not use, all melted together
still, control sigils, you know, they are just for accountability
if you do not have a signature when you are controlling a golem, it will intuit an identifier!
like a name, or some impression gathered from your mind...
really, it is just a rare fallback, nothing to be relied upon
i do not think i had ever seen it in use before!
velzie alone knows what they saw, haha
sourceless
she sets back to work without another thought
EXEC::setCam();vnp({cavik: "show far", idril: "showleft focus", bg: true, hideStage: true})
cavik and i briefly exchange glances out of worry, but there is nothing more to say
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>loop
dullima pods?
akizet
idril!
what exactly do these pods allow you to do?
can we use them to stop any part of this?
sourceless
i gesture to the angled pod entrance overhead
idril
oh, hmm...
the dullima pods work similarly to remote coordination pods, if you are familiar!
they have a paired maintenance drone within the dull plane, and when you connect,
naturally--physical senses do not apply within the dull plane, ahaha
so it substitutes physical senses for approximations of dull perception!
just a few, and they are imperfect... but enough to relocate and operate upon dull structures!
that is, if they are rotated correctly, and properly acknowledging their own point of origin...
oh, and are you familiar with the concept of <span definition="INHERITED CONTEXT::'operating procedure required for most dull construction';'partial meaning loss due to damaged context'">self-imposed proximal location</span>?
sourceless
one of dullzkovik's classic standards?
of course, i do not know the specifics, but at this time, i do not care
she is growing far too distracted from the point here
as if time were not running out
cavik seems to understand my frustration before i even say anything
he pauses, giving idril a little fold of his receptors, as if to urge her onward
quietly requesting her help with their bomb
idril
oh, hehe, right...
yes, so, to simplify, the ceremony is probably not operating under any correct procedure
so it would actually be very difficult to locate anything vital with the drone...
that aside, the silence is active, so--if i took the drone out of its equivalent radius,
it would just disconnect until the silence turned off!
and then we would probably be attacked!
so, no, actually!
the pods will not help us here!
akizet
i see...
RESPONSES::akizet
unfortunate<+>loop
ceremony
akizet
cavik!
how did you realize it was a dull ceremony so quickly?
cavik
oh! it was the distortion on the swarm displays...
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "focus"})
there is this unmistakable pattern that forms whenever corru tries to represent the dull plane
it is pale, usually with flickering black stripes
i saw it often during my work on the life-pod project!
it is the result of attempting to map dull light to a physical sense here
similar to incoherence, actually, which is why i did not realize it right away...
but as i looked over the displays, it formed in my mind as a possible cause
only reinforced by the distortion being in the same place
especially with the addition of that θsegment map tozik was clawing at...
ah, and the θwindow's display, too!
the realization that it was a ceremony was like a veilk stomping on my head!
akizet
a shared reaction, my friend
if you had not come to that realization,
we may have split up as planned, and...
well, it is so fortunate we have you here
sourceless
cavik chuckles, bashfully returning to work upon the explosive
cavik
thank you, akizet
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>loop
FAKEEND::(back)
Dialogue with Tozik & Gakvu
sourceless
tozik and gakvu linger near the operational shield
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "show", tozik: "show", bg: true, hideStage: true})
by their stances, in the aftermath of some quiet and grim conversation
perhaps it is not the best time, but i must check in
akizet
friends!
tozik
how beholds you?
tozik
hello akizet
we were just speaking of... our interim groundsmind
our plan for recovery, should this new approach work
akizet
what of it?
is there a best course you have decided?
sourceless
the silence that follows is sharp enough to carve a mural
akizet
what... what is the issue?
tozik
it is not just a matter of structural knowledge anymore
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "focus"})
the timestopper will need to be reshaped, the groundsmind will need to learn the core quickly...
idril downplays the complexity involved
what needs to be done is advanced engineering that none of us are readily equipped for
gakvu is good with instruction, but her expertise would be better served on foot
if we can halt the collapse for long enough, we will need her to help with the areas that groundsmindry can no longer reach
you saw those spine outages
i fear cavik would crumble under this pressure, he has never done well with it
idril... has a sparse connection to reality
everyone else is not even close to an acceptable level of corrucystic engineering knowledge
the only choice... the only real choice,
is me, akizet
and now i have, somehow, contracted the only qou illness in history
which apparently tears down its victims to pure madness within θwinks
sourceless
i look to gakvu for anything else, some other light to look to
but get only a resigned twist from her receptors
akizet
then...
tozik
we do not flee
i am dead either way, you know this
with no guarantee of a cure, especially in whatever madness may persist outside,
i will not die a coward
gakvu
funny as it may seem, it is the same for me
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "defocus"})
if we live, with what i have done and shared with you all,
i will certainly be killed for my 'traitorous' actions
so if my death is as certain, then why not risk it all?
velzie and all beyond the stage will applaud this ridiculous plan
doubly so if it actually works
akizet
if we are the ones to do it, then it will
both of you, everyone with us
there is no other assembly i would trust with this task
but we must hurry
RESPONSES::akizet
stay ready to move<+>END
Dialogue with Bozko
sourceless
bozko stands here in the outer hall, watching over the entrance
EXEC::pauseSwapCam(true);setCam({x: 10, y: 4, rotation: 35});
perhaps as an excuse to avoid conversation
it normally would be so unlike him,
he has always been the one who brings forth conversation for its own sake
enough to befriend tozik, long viewed as a great achievement
but this θgaze has made him unrecognizable
it is not that he changed...
it was some part of him long detached, buried, uncovered by this tragedy
forming the whole of his person, unseen before, perhaps not by anyone since he left obeski
he is still our bozko, but weighed down with a grief that has never been processed
we must not let it carry him out of reach
so... i can only try to be here for him
akizet
bozko...
we will be moving before long
what is on your mind?
bozko
it is this door
sourceless
he gestures towards the core chamber door, a grand construction
it shines with hardened spireblood, surely part of the sabotage to make this area appear lost
or, at least, to make the heavy doors unable to move
bozko
vekoa, or what wields her, is not stupid
she must know we are here
that idril is within
and it was she who sent us here
she could take any number of actions to crush us immediately
to collapse something just upon this one chamber,
with absolutely no consequence to whatever she is doing in there
and why would she not? you have seen the carnage above us
i have been searching for a reason...
but there has been no reason before, why would there be one now?
why did we ever think that θdeath would free us from our larval problems?
perhaps all of this bloodshed was stupid chance, as much as it was back home
a single spore landing in the right place on a wall to kill everyone
to have us tear each other apart after so many θeyes of progress, so many θeyes of happiness
to... to have my gauntlets around the necks of monsters formed from the flesh of my friends
until the bitter end, where the final memory of us will be lifeless sludge polluting the cousin's waters
sourceless
just as his voice nearly rises with despair, he comes to a stop,
grasping his face with one of his gauntlets, away from me
this is not about the door, not about vekoa
bozko
akizet, it... it feels like i am awake again
like all of our work, those good times in recreation, were not real, never were
that everything between the fall of my home to parasites and now was just a dream
a dream that is quickly fading from memory, having no place here
as if it is only now, when the violence has returned, that anything is real again
even if we escape, it will only be a distraction
what gakvu revealed is clear enough
this will all come for us again--forever
that twisted repetition we can never stop
sourceless
...
i do not know what to say
the burden he shoulders is far beyond anything i know
and to handle this sort of violent sadness is well beyond my expertise
but i do know - when a runner spirals into despair, there is one thing that can help ground them
so i approach him, and delicately, channeling the humors of a tir as best i can,
i pull him into an embrace
he is silent, unreciprocal, but...
the tension in his receptors' stance is lessened
i only relent and speak after a θblink of peace
akizet
bozko,
it is this place that is not real
a nightmare, an interruption
and it is almost over
<em>this is going to work</em>
sourceless
he does not respond
RESPONSES::akizet
we will get through this together<+>END
Dialogue with Karik & Miltza
sourceless
miltza and karik linger near the dullima pods
EXEC::vnp({miltza: "show", karik: "showleft", hideStage: true, bg: true})
there is some quiet, somber chatter between them
as i approach, they both briefly glance at me in acknowledgement, but karik continues with a small voice,
karik
it felt like we were getting somewhere
i am no tir! right? i have never had to help someone deal with it...
especially not in a direct mental connection
but, i am no stranger to it, either
my father fought with the same separation trauma after my mother passed
me, my sisters and brothers, it was like we became invisible to him
he told me once that it was like the world was fading around him
an eye torn from his head
and he passed within θeyes, quiet, not ill, just unable to continue
so... yes, i am fine, and i know it was not my fault
it just feels unfair
...
hehe, really, the only way it shakes out to <em>being</em> fair,
is if you are right about all this
sourceless
karik pauses, and while it is a natural place for miltza to speak,
she is hesitant--picking words very carefully, more than she might have normally
is it because i have approached?
i think no less of her--i show this plainly to her in the loose shape of my receptors
she is still no enemy
maybe that is what she needed to continue
miltza
that is what i want to believe, karik
whether it is in there, or somewhere else beyond velzie's stage
in the end, our lives and θdeaths are only dreams
and whatever it is that makes us up, it returns to the same place when we wake
surely to dream again in time
sourceless
there is a silence, an end to what must have been miltza's check-in with karik
it is good that she did--she has been the true navigator of itzil's situation
their attention turns to me, and i dip my receptors in greeting
akizet
forgive my intrusion
we will need to move again soon, so...
i wanted to see if either of you needed help
karik
well, a new body would do
none of the golems here are suitable, they have all been thoroughly gutted
i feel... useless
akizet
nonsense!
even without a body, your structural knowledge has proven to be vital
perhaps even more than your fighting ability--not that it is lacking
but if you stay and coordinate with idril, this new plan will be unstoppable
karik
ah! you have a point...
idril seems clever, but... i can tell by her voice,
she is sleepwalking, it is like she cannot tell the air from the walls
not that it is any easier for me in these warped spaces! haha!
but if i help ration the explosives that remain, so that each explosive is just strong enough,
to take out the spine, the heart, ideally only half of the lesser mind, that we might pass through it again...
yes, i suppose my knowledge would be well-placed, here!
haha! akizet, you are quite skilled at finding the light between the veilk-stalks
sourceless
if only to cope with this situation
akizet
hehe
thank you
and, miltza?
are you prepared to continue with our plan?
miltza
without any doubt, akizet
it is true that i dream of a peaceful joining with the meteorite,
but this...
this is not how it should be
RESPONSES::akizet
agreed<+>END
Proceed Warning
sys
ATTENTION::'thoughtform combat imminent';'proceed?'
RESPONSES::self
ok<+>go
not yet<+>END
Continue
sourceless
those of us connected to the timestopper gather near the door
EXEC::vnp({hideStage: true, bg: true})
with the golem lost, we now only have six... just six fighters
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "show far", gakvu: "show far", bozko: "show far", miltza: "show far", cavik: "show far"})
akizet
my friends, the nature of our foe is still unknown to me
but... it is clear that it may seize memories from those it kills
from itzil, our foe may have learned our initial plan - to circle, then enter
it might have been a problem before, but now...
this works to our benefit as deception!
were she to learn our intentions to detonate critical organs, she may react harshly
so, we must take great care... no more losses
after all, if she truly cannot see the silences and believes us to only have force,
then the detonation will take her by surprise when it is too late to stop us
understood?
sourceless
some affirmative waves of receptors - yes, the stakes are known
akizet
karik, stay here and help where you can, until we call you forth
your structural knowledge will be critical
but without a body, you are at great threat
karik
right!
keep an eye out for telyu, ok?
you will know her by her tuvazu-tail
akizet
of course
bozko, you must take great care especially
you are the only remaining high-pressure body
do not become overzealous in your protection
bozko
understood
akizet
and tozik...
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "focus"})
i am sure idril could use your help preparing here
are you certain you are well enough to continue fighting?
tozik
i will continue
if i am lost, then i would have my final θwinks be in service of our plan
RESPONSES::akizet
then let us go<+>END
Archival Spine
Combat Start
start
sourceless
beyond this hideously distorted door is our first stop - the spinal link
more of those creatures must linger beyond, surely standing guard
maybe simply existing to expand the ceremony
or maybe vekoa prepared them to stop us should we have found our way through?
...but from doing what? surely they cannot simply be here to kill us
and she cannot know of our new plans already
does she really think these things will stop us so easily?
after all, she seems entirely capable of reason
so why does she not simply destroy us all herself, as she did itzil?
are we so small a threat to whatever she is doing,
that she does not care to deal with us directly?
but there is no time to interrogate these thoughts further
we must enter and deal with our foes
stepping closer to open it, a flare of indistinct thoughts and senses burn through my mind
as cavik said - the timestopper reconnected!
timestopper
hello?
ok yes yes
we are good
everyone - we need only remove their presence, move in a bomb, and continue
RESPONSES::akizet
enter and fight!!<+>END
FAKEEND::start combat
Encounter with Archivist
sourceless
it is as we expected - another warped space
EXEC::env.rpg.classList.add("hideteams");env.rpg.setCam({playerRotation: -45, playerTilt: -30})
the true shape of the room is here, somewhere, but beyond us
strangely, there are no foes to be seen...
but a lifted section of the chamber hangs in the center,
the spinal tether - a lift to the base of the archival system above
but paused, out of reach
and a shape moves around its surface, half obscured from our angle
another survivor?
could it be like karik said? are they evacuating, still?
across the timestopper, we share a decision: speak
and so, i call up to them...
akizet
hello? are you all right?
sourceless
my voice echoes, warbles, seems to create a ripple in the overlap itself
i have disturbed something
the shape upon the tether steps closer to its edge, staring down at us
it is malvi--the lead archivist, receptors drawn back with a sort of annoyance
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.spine_archivist.piece.focusOnTile();env.rpg.setCam({x: 11, y: 7, playerRotation: -45, playerTilt: -30})
still living, despite all of this?!
cavik
malvi!
come, quickly, we have a--
sourceless
gakvu is the first to grasp that something is wrong, warning us with an impulse
cavik falls silent, and before we have time to investigate...
archivist
«½8ësearch teamû?
}Ãspeaks clearlyÿB ut²åÿ±á
¬¨»no time for distractions
co m e w€ºù|±|h m e
sourceless
faint arcs lead from their silhouette into the light
like tendrils of the overlap, wielding their corpse as a zuzucri might
or is that the contact affliction?
malvi raises their arms, claws seeming to disappear into the haze
and at once, illusions of golems press through the overlap around us
EXEC::env.rpg.spawnGolems();env.rpg.setCam({x: 11, y: 7, playerRotation: -45, playerTilt: -10});
WAIT::1000
timestopper
they are lost
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.akizet.piece.focusOnTile();env.rpg.setCam();
we must clear the area
and...
deal with the archivist, if there is no other way
Archivist Combat Bypassed
sourceless
together, we fight off these illusions, shaped like archival golems
a natural choice for malvi, given their position, but...
EXEC::flash(true)
is it as simple as a choice? are they taking shapes arbitrarily?
these beasts seem to be formed out of the dull light of the overlap
could they not be anything?
we destroy them, taking some hits of our own...
EXEC::flash(false);env.rpg.enemyTeam.members.forEach(m=>m.hp = 0);updateStats(true)
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>CHANGE::archivist2
FAKEEND::(continue)
Archivist Combat Phase 2
sourceless
the archivist recoils in pain, claws drawn back to their sides
EXEC::env.rpg.archivistCutscene(1);env.rpg.grid.tileEffects.forEach(e => env.rpg.grid.deleteTileEffect(e))
their shape writhes in the light of the overlap,
as if we have been striking them this whole time
archivist
¤±Òÿ=WA ST ING %‰¶š TI ME
[¶ÿ=>drastic measure)%‰
Â÷no!²²ave rs i on¬_.g?ç
)§=X«vÅ¡rpers®¿æÂshÞ»
sourceless
they step forward, tumbling off the tether
EXEC::env.rpg.archivistCutscene(1)
and when they strike the ground...
EXEC::flash(true)
the overlap twists, coils tighter around itself
EXEC::env.rpg.classList.remove('spinelift', 'ep4scene');env.rpg.archivistCutscene(2)
malvi is drawn back to their feet by what wields them
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.spine_archivist.piece.focusOnTile()
i mistake their stance at first for anger, senseless fury
but in their twisted receptors is a great fear
this is no husk...
are they being animated against their will?
perhaps we might be able to help, but...
they clearly intend to kill us
we can only defend ourselves
sys
ANALYSIS::'context shift'
NOTICE::'entity ARCHIVIST';'acts twice'
RESPONSES::akizet
attack!<+>END
Archivist Combat Phase 2 Bypassed
malvi, or... whatever wields them,
is vicious, wild
their many claws allowing them to strike constantly, possessed of some endless energy
all while they seem to call invisible limbs, surely extensions of the ceremony, to lash out at us
we may be conflicted, but there is no mercy here
malvi is stopped through relentless attacks of our own
EXEC::env.rpg.halt = true;env.rpg.enemyTeam.members.forEach(m=>m.hp = 0);updateStats(true)
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>CHANGE::spine_clear
Archivist Defeated
sourceless
when malvi falls, the distortion fades, drawn into itself
EXEC::flash(true)
for an instant, i could see their limbs being pulled in different directions
and when my vision stabilizes... the spinal root is dark
EXEC::env.embassy.slowCam();change("PAGE!!e4prog", 6);changeStage("grm_spine");setCam({x: 1, y: 8, rotation: -90});
the archivist's body lies lifeless - more mangled than we left it, curiously
EXEC::setCam({x: 2, y: 8, rotation: -135});
as if the receding overlap tore something within them away
could a mindcore still be within? some remnant?
and the tether has fallen--or was it on the ground the whole time?
even after the overlap's recession, i still feel it...
EXEC::setCam({x: 3, y: 8, rotation: -90, height: 1.7, offsetCamera: 'rotateX(20deg)'});
a physical uncertainty at the edge of my senses
where does the room truly end and begin?
EXEC::setCam({x: 5, y: 8, rotation: -20});
our victory is but a stone dropped in water
rippling the surface of the overlap, revealing what lies below, but soon to settle again
still, the critical parts we have come to detonate are within plain view
EXEC::setCam({x: 6, y: 6, rotation: 45});
these spinal roots, connecting to the great pool of knowledge beneath our feet,
will sever the core completely from the spine if destroyed
in the center stands the spinal tether - a stabilizing structure and lift, still mostly obscured
EXEC::setCam({x: 6, y: 8, rotation: -90, height: 2, offsetCamera: 'rotateX(20deg)'});
its terminal presents more worries to hang over our heads
EXEC::setCam({x: 6, y: 8, rotation: -90});
visualizing breaks and snaps throughout the spire,
veins and supports falling apart overhead, colliding with one another,
surely withered by having the life drained from it for this process...
and so the time comes for our first charge to be deployed
i signal to cavik and bozko behind, who recede into the hall to fetch it from idril
and just after they exit, the hall opposite to theirs briefly opens
EXEC::setCam({x: 7, y: 9, rotation: -90});
more foes? hideously timed--does vekoa suspect something?
timestopper
with me, everyone
we cannot let them see the bomb being set!!
sourceless
as i step out to face whatever opened the door, i see...
EXEC::setCam({x: 10, y: 9, rotation: -80});
nothing?
the others gather around and behind me as i advance
EXEC::setCam({x: 12, y: 8, rotation: -90});
though--why would these creatures even use the door?
EXEC::setCam({x: 12, y: 8, rotation: -140});
First Encounter with Telyu
hello?
telyu::dark
hey, easy, i am a friend
sourceless
a voice - physical, sane, another qou - sounds from behind us
and so we turn, but there is nothing there...
EXEC::setCam({x: 12, y: 8, rotation: -270});
telyu::dark
you do not want to go that way,
vekoa is doing something... creating these twisted illusions
fortunately, they could not see me!
sourceless
i look back at the others, wary, suspecting i have a defect
but they are similarly confused
with a focusing of my eyes, i see a vague shimmer...
just in time for it to flicker away, revealing our qou
EXEC::vnp({telyu: "show far", bg: true})
a cloaking skin! of course! where did she find that...?
and a tuvazu-tail, just as karik described...
akizet
yes! hello! are you--telyu?
i am akizet
telyu
yeah...
you already met idril, then?
did you bring that movefriend here? it told me to look for you
you must have been looking for me too, huh?
thank you for waiting, but we should get out while we can
sourceless
her eyes flick up to the imperceptible ceiling
it is bathed in darkness, yet still lit with a dull haze
like smoke gathering in a cave, creeping closer to suffocate us
telyu
i do not know what is happening, but...
EXEC::vnp({telyu: "show", hideStage: true})
it will probably only get worse
akizet
no, no, actually--we devised a new plan with idril!
sourceless
she evaluates us skeptically, glancing towards the grand door
returning a confused scoff and vague gesture towards the madness above
telyu
to stop <em>this?</em> do not joke with me here
the only plan that will work is one where we get off this island before it is lost
sourceless
before i can explain, the dull mind hall opens again, and telyu turns, ready to fight
but it is merely bozko, escorted by idril and cavik,
EXEC::vnp({bozko: "showleft far", cavik: "showleft far", idril: "showleft far", telyu: "focus"})
as he carries in our disguised explosive
karik stands proudly atop the container, pointing with a spindly leg
karik
all right! all right! near the center here should be a good spot...
just next to the base of the tether, but a little removed, opposite of the core chamber door...
we do not want to damage the core chamber in the process, after all!
bozko
got it
EXEC::vnp({bozko: "show", telyu: "defocus"})
i can take it from here
cavik
who is that?
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "show"})
idril
hi telyu!!
EXEC::vnp({idril: "show"})
karik, catch her up, ok? i need to prepare the silence and detonator
telyu
karik??
EXEC::vnp({telyu: "focus"})
detonator, what--?
karik
telyu!
EXEC::vnp({bozko: "hide", cavik: "hide", idril: "hide", karik: "showleft"})
sourceless
though she faces away, i see excitement and hope swell in her receptors' curl
even her tail's movement... not an unusual cosmetic choice, given tuvazu's appeal
but the motion is very natural--she must have been a rare tail-bearer in life
karik leaps off the container, skittering over to her,
and she kneels to greet them with an embrace
telyu
ha ha! look at you!
did you finally exhaust your closet of bodies?
karik
oh, i can explain all! yes, all of our...
our victories
sourceless
even as they find a perch upon telyu's shoulder, karik's pride falters
EXEC::vnp({karik: "hide"})
the same wound still remains fresh in all our minds
karik
but, where to start?
well, we should speak of our new plan, first!
come, look at what we have created! just over there, by bozko, the big kiv
yes, we are planting bombs to sever the resources that...
sourceless
as telyu carries them away, and the plan is outlined further,
EXEC::vnp({telyu: "hide"})
shock gives way to realization, and hope, all before she leaves my sight
i turn to gakvu, tozik and miltza, still lingering near me
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "show far", tozik: "show far", miltza: "show far"})
akizet
tozik, are you able to continue?
tozik
yes...
yes
sourceless
there is little more we can do than allow him to continue fighting
akizet
all right...
once idril is done, we will be just a few steps away from victory
let this cloud drift by
there is only the explosive placement in the heart, then the lesser mind...
sys
NOTICE::'marked entities contain dialogue unique to this stream segment'
ADVISE::'interact before advancing';'utilize PROCEED entity to save or advance stream'
RESPONSES::akizet
prepare<+>END
Dialogue with Telyu and Karik
near the door to the heart's hall, telyu and karik linger
EXEC::vnp({karik: "show", telyu: "show", hideStage: true})
she sits against the wall, holding an arm up for karik to speak upon
before they are audible, i see karik swatting at the air as if punching,
surely recounting our victory in golem maintenance
telyu snickers, receptors slightly curled with contentment
karik
...with that one last punch!!
and so the chamber's dull beam, made hazardous by the damage,
melted away at the flesh of our beastly foe!!
just enough for poor itzil, recently awoken, to channel their rage...
between the two of us, it was lifeless before it even could have known!
sourceless
as i approach, their attention shifts to me
telyu
and here is your fearsome director
karik
hello akizet!
akizet
it is good to see you both in such high spirits!!
have you learned of our plans?
telyu
and more
sourceless
all of that good nature faded away as soon as i started speaking,
a new sardonic sharpness in her voice setting me at unease
did karik tell her about my confession...?
karik
yes, once i told her all about our progress and plans here,
i started working backwards!
telyu
akizet, it is mad
EXEC::vnp({telyu: "focus"})
but we came down with a similar dream,
my team and i...
anyway, i will not help you fight
but i will disable every method the groundsmind has of monitoring your progress
i picked up a few things from the engineers here
akizet
that could be helpful, but...
your team - were they among the qou who went up into the spine?
sourceless
her receptors twist into a sour coil
for a θblink, she stares up into the madness of the overlap, past me
telyu
yeah...
...
idiots
sourceless
flat-toned, sharp...
while at first it seems a shockingly cold statement,
remembrance of some past argument is practically visible in her receptors
i have touched upon a wound
but that is even more reason to ask,
akizet
if we destroy this chamber as we plan, the tether will be broken...
there will be no way back for them, and no easy way up from here
at least, not until we seize the core and create new paths...
but to that end
no detonation will happen until all charges are placed
so... do you want to split off to look for them, before then?
sourceless
telyu's eyes close, receptors coiling tighter
karik glances between us both with muted worry
telyu
do you think i have not tried?
have you seen the map of the spine?
they strode into a collapsing cave
so no, akizet
i will help here
and if any still live...
your insane plan is the only chance i have to help them
RESPONSES::akizet
then be ready<+>END
EXEC::vn.done()
Dialogue with Miltza and Cavik
sourceless
by one of the spine's roots, miltza and cavik chat
EXEC::vnp({miltza: "show", cavik: "show", hideStage: true})
cavik is speaking in a familiar way--intense curiosity, with the illusion of being hushed
but he has always had this habit of speaking too loud, so i hear anyway
cavik
i see, i see!!
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "focus"})
it is such an interesting view...
what if it is not an organic development, though?
perhaps an ancient construct?
surely you are familiar with the <span definition="INHERITED CONTEXT::'disputed theory of corru origin';'supposes natural spires and corru veins are not natural'">progenitor theory</span>!
sourceless
where gakvu might be annoyed at what surely has been incessant questioning,
miltza is clearly entertained, answering kindly
despite the circumstance, she is without fear for the first time since we met
at least, for this θblink
miltza
ahehe, well, there are internal theories, yes...
EXEC::vnp({miltza: "focus"})
but i have no particular holding to any one
really, it should make no difference
an ancient creature, a construct, some fragment of a greater origin...
regardless of any descriptor, should we not want to know what its purpose is?
though, if all of this is possible from only a briefly emitted signal from it...
sourceless
she shifts uncomfortably, looking away from cavik
towards my approach--for this line of thought has inspired me
EXEC::vnp({miltza: "defocus"})
akizet
miltza, cavik!
cavik
hello!
akizet
miltza, i wanted to ask...
given what we just fought here, and your... unique knowledge,
what do you make of these entities we face?
miltza
i am only a sculptor, akizet, my involvement aside
EXEC::vnp({miltza: "focus"})
but after all we have seen,
i suspect that whatever directs the ceremony is absorbing any thought it can
memories, images of self, schematics for golems from the spine's vast knowledge...
after all, we stand atop a lake of memories and designs!
to what end, i cannot say, really
but that is how it must be able to weave such familiar shapes
cavik
but this does line up with your expectation of awakening, right?
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "focus"})
minds and thoughts being collected within a great mind?
if the meteorite is on the other side,
and it is what animates these shapes somehow,
do you think the minds of the slain qou are still within?
miltza
i...
EXEC::vnp({miltza: "focus"})
i do not know whether to hope they are, or not
if they are illusions, minds wielded like bait by a parasite...
that is bad, yes, but...
if they are truly qou, the same we used to work with,
why would they act this way?
how could they have changed so much?
malvi just tried to kill us all
without hardly any attempt to communicate...
where is the reason? the kindness?
i will not lie and say i do not wish for an awakening...
the possibility to join with the ancient mind
but...
sourceless
miltza's receptors fidget, and she stares at the core chamber door
miltza
this is not right
RESPONSES::akizet
agreed<+>END
Dialogue with Bozko and Tozik
sourceless
in the distance, a terminal lingers
EXEC::setCam({x: 8, y: 16, rotation: 180});
even with some eye adjustment, the terminal's display is too warped to understand...
EXEC::setCam({x: 8, y: 30, rotation: 180});
it is attached to nothing, impossibly beyond the bounds of the dark wall, yet still visible
bozko stands by, puzzled, while tozik is harder to discern
EXEC::setCam({x: 8, y: 16, rotation: 180});
but he greets my approach
tozik
akizet
EXEC::vnp({tozik:"show left shiftleft"})
akizet
what do you make of this?
tozik
the terminal?
it functions, surprisingly, but it does not say anything we do not already know
the spine is crumbling
although, interestingly, if you look here...
sourceless
tozik gestures out towards the terminal, claw extending beyond the border of the wall
specifying some quadrant of the swarm-display in the distance
how is that possible? is the wall truly gone?
does he not see the problem here?
akizet
no, tozik, i mean the...
the position of the terminal
should it not be directly in front of us?
and upright?
sourceless
i similarly gesture out to the terminal,
but find my claw colliding with the wall that ought to be here
in the distance, i see the display of the terminal warping slightly
the same distortion that could be caused by simply waving a hand in it
i step back, taking a θblink to recalibrate my eyes...
to no effect
tozik's head hovers closer to the wall, twisting upside-down, eyes similarly adjusting
tozik
oh...
akizet
you see it too, right bozko?
bozko
yes
EXEC::vnp({bozko: "show"})
i simply thought tozik was reading it from here
sourceless
an impossible inconsistency--one that i see no matter where i stand
EXEC::vnp({bozko: "hide"})
akizet
it must be an effect lingering from the overlap, right?
tozik, what do you see?
tozik
i see the terminal, akizet
it...
i am not sure how to place this
it just makes sense to me
sourceless
spoken with concern, as if i am the one with the issue
i reach out again for the wall, but find my claw passing through, beyond the edge
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "hide"});content.classList.add('brightprep')
and out of curiosity, i extend my head beyond it as well,
EXEC::setCam({x: 8, y: 17, rotation: 180});content.classList.add('brightzone')
where the dark turns to dizzying dull light
it is truly mystifying
...at least, until my claw meets something large and cold
something that moves in reflex, squirming away like a disturbed veilk branch
i pull myself back to the dark, shocked, claws ready for some retaliation
EXEC::content.classList.remove('brightzone')
bozko stands ready as well, the need to ask 'what happened' well beyond us
EXEC::setCam({x: 8, y: 16, rotation: 180});vnp({tozik: "show", bozko: "show"})
but nothing comes
akizet
tozik, i think your affliction...
it must be affording you some insight we lack
tozik
yes, that must be
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "show shiftleft", bozko: "hide"})
the overlap's effects are plain to me
if i focus, i can tell that something is wrong, but...
it does not hinder me enough to notice otherwise
sourceless
perhaps this symptom is of some use
for example, if we get lost in the overlap, maybe he could guide us
but if this is his new grasp upon reality,
how can i trust that he will know when he is becoming a danger?
EXEC::vn.done()
akizet
i see
bozko... as a precaution
watch him, keep him grounded
bozko
all right
RESPONSES::akizet
thank you<+>END
Dialogue with Idril and Gakvu
while idril rummages with the contents of the container bomb,
EXEC::setCam({x: 8, y: 11, rotation: 0});
gakvu stands watch, attention distant
she stares towards the core chamber, some exertion in her receptors
akizet
hello gakvu, idril!
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "show", idril: "show", hideStage: true})
no problems?
idril
nooope!
gakvu
it is fine here
but...
sourceless
her gaze is drawn upwards, sweeping from left to right
gakvu
the sensation of the overlap is so strange
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "focus"})
i feel things moving around us...
oh, idril, let there be no confusion--i have a groundsmindry-pattern mindcore
idril
cool!
sourceless
idril does not draw away from her work
gakvu
but when i try to place where these things are, i cannot
like imagining a shape in my mind's eye,
and trying to track specifically where in my body i see it
as if i could pluck it from myself, and have it vanish
akizet
i am not certain what you mean, gakvu
idril
i am!
EXEC::vnp({idril: "focus"})
you are probably feeling the tendrils of the ceremony grasping at the space!
on the other side!
the nearby overlap might be giving them some physicality in a way you can feel
they are technically made of corru, though that is a whooole different matter
still, do not worry about them too much! they should be harmless!
at least until the overlap closes in around us again, and they can come through...
gakvu
how is that possible? that the overlap can shift like this?
EXEC::vnp({idril: "defocus"})
is it not simply an area around the ceremony?
idril
well, it is more like, ah...
sourceless
idril withdraws from the box to think for a θblink
idril
like prying open a very resilient gate!
EXEC::vnp({idril: "focus"})
an incision is made, in this case by the core,
and you stick something into it, and pry one way or the other
sometimes with yield, sometimes without, requiring that you try elsewhere
and sometimes getting pushed back by someone on the other side! ahaha
but eventually, the gate is torn open
that is the ceremony! yes!
a many-limbed gate-opener!
the overlap really is just a place where the cracks have been pulled wider
you should read about ceremonial operations sometime!
they are so fascinating!
sourceless
idril returns to wiring her explosives
and gakvu returns her gaze to me, with a wry twist in her receptors
gakvu
well, that is my answer, then
EXEC::vnp({idril: "defocus"})
what about you, akizet?
are you all right?
sourceless
i am so fixed upon our goals, that the question staggers me
am i all right?
akizet
i...
there is so much to process
velzie twists our path so much, it is hard to even think
but... for now, yes
RESPONSES::akizet
thanks<+>END
Inspect Malvi
the archivist...
EXEC::setCam({x: 4, y: 9, rotation: 180, offsetCamera: 'rotateX(-20deg)', height: 1});
despite my efforts, i cannot find a mindcore in any component
not the head, not the torso...
malvi's blood still stains my claws, both from the fight, and from this excavation
we truly killed them...
but possessed by a parasite as they were, there was no other way
a grim image of our larval past, a mirror of terrible life
none of us are strangers to this
we may grieve for malvi's loss in time
but as they say in a true infestation,
as long as it still festers, it is unwise to linger upon grief
gakvu approaches me as i claw through the corpse
akizet
gakvu, are you able to sense a mindcore in any of this?
sourceless
she crouches nearby, tilting her head this way and that
gakvu
akizet, there is nothing in here
if there was a mindcore...
sourceless
gakvu's gaze drifts over the components i have removed in my search
some are far larger than they should be
what we recognize to be internal regulators are fused, elongated
and many others are completely unfamiliar
their appearance puts her receptors in a puzzled twist
gakvu
it is not a mindcore anymore
i do not recognize a single one of these
it is the same phenomenon that i saw in the golems...
the same that idril described with the affliction
sourceless
she says no more, rising slowly and returning to the tether
i had expected her to continue with her thoughts, but...
when i see the coil in her receptors, i come to the same realization
this is tozik's future
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>END
Proceed to the Heart
sourceless
preparations and repairs complete, i await the team
EXEC::setCam({x: 15, y: 9, rotation: 90});
fortunately, the overlap has remained parted around us...
did vekoa not feel us fight it back?
surely she must suspect something
perhaps it is resource intensive to retaliate immediately?
too costly to pull from the ceremony?
or...
do our efforts not matter to her at all?
idril
ok! all done!
EXEC::vnp({idril: "show", hideStage: true})
me and karik will return to the silence, but...
telyu, perhaps you could join them?
telyu
as long as you do not expect me to fight
EXEC::vnp({telyu: "show"})
i will simply help cover movements
perhaps breaking θwindows will be a good start
warped as they may be, they are still a part of the structure...
and may bear eyes to see
yes, i will creep ahead to tear them away
akizet
very well
onto the heart, then, right?
karik
yes! the heart is up next!
EXEC::vnp({telyu: "hide", idril: "hide", karik: "show"})
do be careful though, it weaves many connections!
this makes it the least safe chamber, structurally speaking
you must take care! great, great care!
ahh, my shining friends!! i wish i could guide you directly as you fight!
my knowledge would surely be of use, even without a timestopper
telyu
if you attach to my shoulder, i can cloak you too, you know
EXEC::vnp({telyu: "showleft"})
assuming you hold no conflict in sharing skin
karik
ah! really? thank you, telyu!! yes! let us do that!!
to think i would share bodies for the first time this θgaze,
only to do it twice!
telyu
skin, not body
i would not let you drive this qou-body for a θblink, kequvi
karik
sure, sure!
let us see where velzie takes us!
sourceless
to think karik's spirit still holds so strong...
perhaps it is because of telyu alone
their voice changes when she is around
regardless, time to move
EXEC::vnp({telyu: "hide", karik: "hide"})
i lead the team into the next hall
EXEC::setCam();change("PAGE!!e4prog", 8);changeStage("hall_spine-heart");vn.done()
the heart awaits
RESPONSES::self
continue<+>END
The Heart
Introduction
sourceless
like the spine's hall, this door warps in a similarly unsettling way
it reforms slightly as we approach, our presence acting like cavelights in darkness
illuminating how it should appear, pulled away from the dull's gray light
another threshold... another chamber coiled in the ceremony's parasitic tendrils
we will deal with them
there is no time for doubt--not anymore, and not after what we have seen
RESPONSES::akizet
proceed<+>enter
Combat Start
sourceless
we push through the haze...
EXEC::env.grm.combat("ep4_heart");env.rpg.classList.add('hideteams')
WAIT::500
to find a strange clearing
EXEC::flash(false)
barely visible dead containers line its distorted edges
it must be that these are grasped by vekoa, probably being consumed...
suddenly, a flare of panic passes through the timestopper
as tozik peers into the haze beyond
tozik
it was waiting for us
EXEC::env.rpg.halt = true;env.rpg.settings.turnCallback(env.rpg.enemyTeam.members[0], env.rpg.allyTeam.members[0], true)
brace yourselves - an impact impends
EXEC::env.rpg.grid.advanceTileEffects({prevActor: env.rpg.enemyTeam.members[2], actor: env.rpg.allyTeam.members[0]});env.rpg.grid.tileEffects[1].tiles[0].focusOnThisTile()
sourceless
i do not question him
WAIT::400
all of us brace instantly, and as he said--
EXEC::env.rpg.grid.runTelegraphsInQueue()
WAIT::4000
AUTOADVANCE::
as if we stand near the steps of a great veilk,
we are tossed about, something manipulating the chamber's physicality
sys
ANALYSIS::'context shift'
NOTICE::'ally team turn start is subject to unresistable strength 2 knockback'
Combat Bypassed
sourceless
another close fight, headed by a singular brutish creature
EXEC::flash(true);env.rpg.enemyTeam.members.forEach(m=>m.hp = 0);updateStats()
charging about the space, threatening to throw us into the destructive distortion at its edges
all while shapes beyond our perception thrash us to and fro
but with my direction - we manage to repel them with our own brutal approach
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>END
Combat Phase 2
sourceless
with these lesser instruments of vekoa broken apart,
EXEC::env.rpg.grid.style.setProperty("--playercontrol-tilt-raw", 20);env.rpg.grid.style.setProperty("--playercontrol-rotation-raw", -315);env.rpg.settings.turnCallback(env.rpg.enemyTeam.members[0], env.rpg.allyTeam.members[0])
the chamber folds into itself, rotated in a way i cannot make sense of
becoming a similar space, but now divided by a dull shape
akizet
what is this??
tozik
have you not been seeing these?
sourceless
he speaks as if we cannot see the ground beneath us
an impulse of confusion is all he needs to begin explaining
tozik
it is from these limbs that vekoa's aggressors break off from
i have been noticing them all around us, above, in the distance...
so i believe them to be the ceremony's anchoring limbs
this is one of the only major ones intersecting this particular space
if we sever it, i expect the overlap to recede
gakvu
you <em>see</em> them?
sourceless
gakvu's worry is not unfounded
his affliction is undoubtedly granting him some strange new perception
but worry can wait
cavik
ohh--if it is an anchoring limb, then it is stationary!
i can attach my bombs directly to it, they will work much better!
akizet
then do it!
sys
ATTENTION::'entity CAVIK';'enabled additional actions'
NOTICE::'PLANT';'attach explosive to target'
NOTICE::'DETONATE';'activate explosives'
NOTICE::'extremely effective against destructibles'
RESPONSES::akizet
proceed<+>END
Combat Phase 2 Bypassed
through cavik's clever application,
EXEC::flash(true)
this obstacle, a greater shape that only slightly intersects with our vision...
it is blown apart
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>CHANGE::heart_clear
Combat Ends
sourceless
with the last of our strikes, the vein splits apart under some incredible tension
EXEC::flash(true)
WAIT::400
THEN::closeCombat(env.rpg.enemyTeam)
the room's color and shape swirls back to its true form
or... it should have
EXEC::change("PAGE!!e4prog", 9);changeStage("grm_heart");pauseSwapCam();setCam({x: 4, y: 3, rotation: -145});
but the chamber returns to only the barest memory of how it must have been
the only sane part of this room is the portion of the spireheart that intersects with it
EXEC::setCam({x: 5, y: 3, rotation: -170, offsetCamera: "rotateX(20deg)", height: 1.75});
and what a wretched state it is in
murky fluid pools at our feet, flooding forth from invisible cracked veins,
spireblood, corroyi, water... everything the heart circulates
cascading off into the madness of the overlap
i am hesitant even to move, for it appears as though the floor has disappeared
but i force a step forward, finding my feet clicking against something
the pale corru floor that this chamber once had, it must still be here...
in some capacity
akizet
simply destroying these creatures helped in the spine
if this chamber is not returning to normal after an even greater blow...
what does that mean?
cavik
either we are running very low on time,
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "show downleft"})
for the ceremony has grown significantly,
or... the heart is one of the primary resource draws for this process!
it is probably totally infested with smaller siphons!!
tozik
and that might explain why the upper hearts were damaged...
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "show downright"})
vekoa could <em>want</em> the high pressure
forcing more resources down through the heart
sourceless
the heart itself is unmoving, at least the parts we can see
EXEC::vn.done()
but it still produces worrying groans...
yes, we will simply cut it off
i signal again to bozko
EXEC::vnp({bozko: "show", hideStage: true})
akizet
it is time
reach us through the timestopper if any threats are posed
we will guard this place
bozko
understood
sourceless
he recedes back through the way we came, along with cavik
EXEC::setCam({x: 4, y: 3, rotation: -145});vn.done()
karik skitters after him as well
they must have leapt from telyu at some point
i am sure they wish to guide the efforts carefully,
especially given the heart's precarious state!
it is maybe the chamber under the most pressure, from my understanding
and as i turn back to investigate it further,
the core θwindow, barely visible through the distortion, flickers from damage
EXEC::setCam({x: 4, y: 3, rotation: -60});
telyu appears with a shimmer in the distant corner, a claw half-dug in the θwindow's malleable flesh
EXEC::setCam({x: 10, y: 2, rotation: -80});vnp({telyu: "show far"})
or, stuck? she tugs at it with some effort,
so, as the others investigate the state of the heart, i go to her
akizet
what are you doing?
do you need help?
telyu
oh--yes, please!
EXEC::vnp({telyu: "show", hideStage: true})
just as another precaution, i have been breaking these projectors...
the θwindows, they have the capability to give two-way sensory data
we may stand within the overlap, but the fewer methods vekoa has to watch us, the better!
already got the one in the spine!
but i am trying to sever a vein i know is in here, and my claws are not sharp enough!
my qou-body is the fixed-state type, so i cannot resolve this simply...
velzie saw fit to make <em>this</em> vein in particular reinforced
sourceless
strangely thorough, given the circumstances, but it is not unwelcome
i reach through the softened surface of the θwindow near her claws, pushing through its corroyi-like flesh
EXEC::vn.done();setCam({x: 12, y: 1.5, rotation: 0});
and sure enough, it is there, so i begin to press with both of my claws,
slowly puncturing what must be a critical vein...
once i get a grip, she recedes, allowing me to perform my sabotage
but i still must wonder - how did she learn to do this?
it is really quite far back there, beyond the point any internal connector would be in a regular θwindow
perhaps a quirk of the circulation within this θsegment's shell
telyu
thank you, akizet
EXEC::vnp({telyu: "show shiftleft"})
and so our gazes are equal, i feel i should mention...
sourceless
her voice lowers, inaudible to the others chatting in the distance
EXEC::ratween(env.bgm, 0.7, 5000)
telyu
karik filled me in on what you told your team
sourceless
...
my receptors are curling tightly out of unconscious impulse
the slow twist of my head towards her elicits laughter
telyu
oh, do not look so shocked!
EXEC::vnp({telyu: "show", hideStage: true})
i told him i would not say anything about that part, but,
well, who could keep quiet about this, right?
i was always pretty sure something was going on...
you should have seen what they had me and my team up to during the first veil,
before we made public contact with the cousins, you know
but, anyway, i was curious...
do you blame yourself for all of this?
sourceless
with a flash of realization and panic, the thought manifests: did she really need my help, just now?
the room is so warped, these θwindows must hardly be a concern at all
did she simply want to get me alone?
then--what is it exactly within this θwindow that i am puncturing?
is this a trap? does she blame me? is this vengeance for her lost team?
what happens when i let go?
akizet
i...
what do you think?
telyu
hm...
sourceless
surely she can see the terror in my receptors
yet, i cannot make out anything in hers
she is neutral, unaggressive, perhaps slightly sad--why does she inspire such fear?
perhaps it is because no well-meaning materials operative still wears a cloaking skin...
telyu
it is pretty clear that you do
look at you! ahaha
but i have not made up my mind yet
...
really, to me...
it sounds like you were used
someone cut beneath velzie and manipulated your role
making you do what they wanted...
so they would not have to take the fall that you will
your team can forgive you all they want,
but it is all misplaced
for i am sure whoever truly set this trap for you is quietly celebrating
while all of my friends might be dead, or worse
sourceless
my gaze drifts away
EXEC::change("PAGE!!e4prog", 10);refreshStage({noFlash: true})
this is something i had not truly considered
the conflict is real, as miltza confirmed
after all, she was uninvolved in everything that came before, so she had no way of knowing
so what is telyu really saying, here? what does she know, anyway?
how could anyone have predicted i would reach for that converter to give to gordon?
it is impossible to have so much foresight
she glances towards my claws, still submerged in the θwindow
EXEC::vnp({telyu: "show shiftleft", hideStage: false, bg: false})
telyu
do you not think it is a little strange how both of your involved friends forgave you instantly?
you probably know them better than me, maybe it is not my place to say
i just wanted to let you know what <em>i</em> thought, from my perch in the herd
and you can let go of that, you know
i am sure it is good and dead now
sourceless
out of precaution, suspicion, i do...
but i tear them suddenly, stepping back urgently,
EXEC::vnp({telyu: "hide shiftleft"});setCam({x: 12, y: 3, rotation: 0});
as if it might explode
but it does not
telyu snickers again
gakvu
are you all right over there?
sourceless
kÆÃá�Ã
i must have drawn attention, so i turn and call to her,
akizet
yes! fine!
sourceless
and after my call back, i twist to face telyu
what a rude, upsetting thing to speak to me about - especially now!
i should make this known to her
but... she is gone
EXEC::setCam({x: 12, y: 3, rotation: 40});
surely to scout ahead for us, as she did not seem ill-meaning
but why would she say all of this to me <em>now?</em>
sourceless
i glance around the room from this vantage point, at my team as they converse
EXEC::setCam({x: 12, y: 3, rotation: 120});
who could gain anything from all of this happening?
should i even entertain this suspicion?
no--no, we are well beyond suspicion at this point, especially now
i know i can trust my team
we need only keep fighting
but for now, we must wait for the bomb to arrive
sys
NOTICE::'marked entities contain dialogue unique to this stream sequence'
ADVISE::'interact before advancing';'memory stream progression is linear'
RESPONSES::akizet
stand watch<+>END
Dialogue with Miltza, Gakvu, and Tozik
miltza, gakvu and tozik linger near the heart
EXEC::setCam({x: 7, y: 4, rotation: 180})
within its shadow, near a diagnostic pod, the world seems more solid...
tozik operates on one of his own arms with his corruskivi, examining internals
surely a grim matter, given their expressions
i approach, as i must be here for them, and they quiet expectantly
EXEC::setCam({x: 7, y: 6, rotation: 180});vnp({gakvu: "show", tozik: "show", miltza: "show", hideStage: true})
akizet
hello friends
while we wait, do you need anything?
sourceless
tozik reseals his arm, twisting his receptors negatively
they are all crushed with fear...
tozik
another miracle would be ideal
my mindcore... i have not been able to move it
so we were just doing a check of my qou-body's organs, and...
...
the timeline is accelerating, somehow
miltza and gakvu suspect it is our exposure to the overlap
gakvu
yes, idril implied to me that we had more time than this
but... her afflicted friends had stayed in the silence of the dull mind
maybe that is why it took so long to affect them
akizet
are you fit to continue using the timestopper?
tozik
yes, but not for much longer
i feel...
i feel something
sourceless
tozik is silent
after a θblink, he merely starts to shake his head, struggling to place words
tozik
and...
i think this 'affliction' is a result of what i saw when i connected
or... what saw me
miltza
what was it??
you keep avoiding the subject
sourceless
miltza is quick to press the matter
tozik
i...
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "focus"})
i was afraid to share, in case the knowledge itself was the threat
which sounds impossible, but with what i saw, that is what i believed
and now... with how little i even remember, i do not think that is the case
i saw another place, it might have been the dull, but...
the haze, the solid light that clouds it, was gone
my sight went on forever
it is like a vanishing dream now, it began to fade after i disconnected
i have only fleeting visions, received with borrowed senses
but it held such color, infinite webs of connections in shapes that are lost to me now
and before them--beyond them, or in front of me, i could not tell,
perhaps it was the space itself
there was this... presence...
it was as if the eye of velzie itself were within claw's reach
burning its gaze inwards, into itself, into me
and then--i began to feel myself being dragged, drawn deeper into this vision
so i found my arm again, back here, and tore the connector away
sourceless
he continues to shake his head, receptors crushing backwards with despair
his voice wavers with such terror and sadness, the depth of which i have never seen in him
tozik
but it still reached for me, even without the connector, and it found grasp in something
something <em>inside my mind</em>--and it is moving, it is pulling
the affliction, the infection we spoke of...
this must be what happens if its first vector is a mindcore
even if velzie should grant us mercy in finding a spare,
i do not think a renewal will help me
it... knows me
akizet
given all of this, do you think--
gakvu
that he should stay in the silence of the dull mind?
i already tried talking him into that
sourceless
determination swells in his voice
tozik
yes, and i declined
at the rate we are moving, it should be fine
and i will <em>not</em> sit and wait
not only because i believe i am needed here
but also, it did not seem to help idril's lost friends
there is no point in weakening our team for a meager chance
we all came down here knowing it would mean death
and i am ready to accept it, if it means we can complete our plan
if we can save anyone
sourceless
this θgaze has changed him so deeply
to think he is capable of such concern for us...
or perhaps our mundane work in research was simply never enough to let this shine through
his will is inspiring, enough to allow me to accept his choice
even if i may disagree
akizet
all right, but the instant you feel a threshold crossed,
EXEC::playerMoveTo(7,6,"up");
or you enter a state like idril described,
we must take that connector, in case you can spread it to us somehow
tozik
i know
it will be done
time is short, but... every θblink i can help, i will
RESPONSES::akizet
stay strong<+>END
Proceed
we stand and wait, prepared for the worst--another attack, a call from cavik or bozko...
EXEC::setCam({x: 13, y: 3, rotation: 130});pauseSwapCam()
but there is nothing
instead, our friends shuffle in, container in tow
EXEC::vnp({karik: "show far", bozko: "show far", cavik: "show far", idril: "show far", hideStage: true})
karik
all right! oh, how do we do this one...
EXEC::vnp({karik: "focus"});refreshStage({noFlash: true, specificPlan: "nofriends"})
it is hard to tell with the overlap, but,
the big veins here run out to a few lesser organs,
EXEC::setCam({x: 7, y: 0, rotation: 180, height: 4});vnp({karik: "hide", bozko: "hide", cavik: "hide", idril: "hide", hideStage: false, bg: false})
one that draws from the ocean, a few for, ah...
well no need for specifics, but based on the damage,
EXEC::setCam({x: 5, y: 8, rotation: 225});
i think vekoa has repurposed most of them
she must be pulling corroyi from the spire through the heart
using the pressure to force it downwards, into the organs
which now probably only serve to feed the ceremony
so... if we simply detonate beneath the spireheart,
EXEC::vnp({karik: "show", hideStage: true});
we could disrupt all the veins at once!
let us make some space beneath it!
bozko
how?
EXEC::vnp({karik: "show far", bozko: "show far"});
karik
well, smash the terminal, obviously!
make a big hole in it!
idril
put the container off to the side, here!
EXEC::vnp({idril: "show far"});
cavik, can you help me? i put some more parts in this one...
with a little recirculation, we can direct the blast upwards
cavik
right!!
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "show far"});
tozik
bozko--do not simply smash the terminal
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "showleft far"});change("PAGE!!e4prog", 11);refreshStage({noFlash: true, specificPlan: "bombmode"})
here, let me make an incision...
sourceless
bozko sets the bomb beside the central terminal, stepping away
EXEC::vn.done();setCam({x: 5, y: 5, rotation: 225});
tozik limps closer, examining the sides of the terminal...
and so the θjut set to their work, while miltza lingers near the door to the spine, keeping watch
a wise decision, actually - i move to stand near the opposite side, just in case
EXEC::setCam({x: 13, y: 3, rotation: 130})
gakvu comes to join me
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "show shiftleft"})
gakvu
i have no alternatives, of course...
but i hope you realize how absurd this is
if we succeed, i am not even sure how we can explain our actions
we will look like the culprits
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "show", hideStage: true})
akizet
we can save that worry for later
but velzie will reward us for these risks, i am sure
gakvu
oh, it hates when you say such things, akizet
sourceless
i begin to laugh, and so does she
for i know this so well
but our laughter is cut short when the θjut begin to shout
idril
oh--<em>CAREFUL!!</em>
EXEC::vnp({idril: "showleft far", gakvu: "focus"})
cavik
back--back up!!
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "showleft far", gakvu: "focus"})
come, quickly! everyone!!
sourceless
what?
i redirect my attention too late
sourceless quiet
something... explodes...
EXEC::play("dull", 0.5);flash(true);ratween(env.bgm, 0.5);vn.done()
...
my senses take a θblink to respond...
EXEC::refreshStage({noFlash: true, specificPlan: "collapsing"});setCam({x: 13, y: 3, rotation: 130});env.grm.music_runningoutoftime.rate(0.5);toggleBgm(env.grm.music_runningoutoftime);env.bgm.seek(40)
but when i recover, my movements are slowed, burdened with the weight of sludge
EXEC::content.classList.add('heartbreak');flash(false)
sourceless
the room is collapsing, filling with mixing torrents of corroyi, spireblood, water--
they hang in the air, forming pools that warp up past the ceiling, then flood into the floor
nonsensical, but still clearly physical, filling the room rapidly--spreading from the center
tozik, miltza, and cavik flee into the opposite hall
i want to go to them, but the force is too strong, even for bozko
he relents, approaching me and gakvu quickly,
while the ceiling, the sky of the overlap, seems to push downwards
whatever reality exists here is still subject to the pressure of the spire, and it is giving way
timestopper
get out any way you can!!
sourceless
bozko forces open the door nearby, where gakvu, idril, and i can flee
karik clings to idril's back
bozko
come on
before it performs an emergency seal
sourceless
i follow without question to the next hall, and the door closes quickly behind us
EXEC::flash(true)
the chamber is out of sight, yet murky water still twists and fades in the void beyond the walls
EXEC::changeStage("hall_heart-entry", false, "right", {specificPlan: "prehelping"});content.classList.remove("heartbreak");vfx({type: "flash", state: false, delay: 1000});setCam({x: 2, y: 3, rotation: 90, offsetCamera: "rotateX(20deg)"})
our door begins to bulge outwards, lights fading away, but it holds
i get a good look at the others here... we are separated
EXEC::setCam({x: 1, y: 5, rotation: 315})
idril is deeply wounded and bleeding corru, but immediately tending to herself
the hall here is split apart, twisted like all else,
but certainly more real than the heart was
a good sign?
akizet
what...
EXEC::setCam({x: 2, y: 5, rotation: 330})
what happened?
idril
ahh...
EXEC::vnp({idril: "show", hideStage: true})
some of the veins came loose when we tried to shift the container
i thought they had settled and connected, but...
haha, maybe some more care was needed
there was also a malformed dull node, which we thought would be okay...
ohh well, this is just a little giggle of velzie
nothing major... but...
i lost the detonator
sourceless
we could have lost everyone
my heart swells with rage at her carelessness
no, she said 'we' - it was not only her, this is just how she seems to act
it was an accident anyway
and she is right - we can recover
that must be our focus
akizet
all right, we must draw a new path
let me contact the others
timestopper
hello?
EXEC::vnp({idril: "hide"})
cavik, tozik, team?
speak distinctly
cavik
we are on the opposite side from you, akizet!
miltza and i are all right, mostly, umm...
tozik is looking pretty bad though
tozik
i can still move and fight
let me do this until we reunite
akizet
you may not need to if you move quickly enough
but... the detonator is lost, so we must improvise
on your way back around, in the spine,
manually set the bomb to detonate, preferably with you not in the chamber
then follow the path back to the lesser mind and meet us there
cavik
oh... all right
we can do that!!
EXEC::env.noBgmDuck = true;
sourceless quiet
suddenly, the okidoia makes itself known again
EXEC::play('criticalError', 0.3);changeBgm(env.grm.music_oki, {length: 10000, seek: 0});
the voice, the sensation, the ceremony's ethereal tendrils
its scream passes through us, and at once...
EXEC::flash(true);vfx({type: "okidoia", state: true});vn.done()
the room distorts further, space stretching and warping, never tearing
EXEC::change("PAGE!!e4prog", 12);refreshStage({specificPlan: "helping"});setCam({x: 5, y: 3})
and down the hall, twisted shapes appear to us--more foes to be dealt with, slowly forming
¥¡å�u
vekoa must know we are attempting something drastic
our advantage is lost
and worse still, the least experienced of our team are alone
this is surely happening on their side, too
but curiously... the distortion recoils, some entities flickering away before they form fully
EXEC::content.querySelector(".gridpiece[i='24'] .critta").remove();vfx({type: "okidoia", state: false})
unable to press through the overlap, to become physical... something is failing on vekoa's side
is our plan working? is the ceremony starving?
is the overlap shrinking?
cavik
uh... aki...
they are here, and we really do not have, um...
akizet
i know
do not worry, cavik...
EXEC::env.noBgmDuck = false;
sourceless
i speak outwardly to bozko and gakvu, already standing ready to fight
akizet
gakvu, bozko, cover me
i must lend my mind and expertise to the others if they have any hope of survival
just until i can get them to the silence
bozko
you will be safe
gakvu, stay behind me
sourceless
and to the others... i extend my mind across our connection
akizet
cavik, tozik, miltza--i may not be there with you,
but grant me your senses, and i will guide you
sourceless
i feel an impulse of approval from them through the timestopper
but no speech, for they must have already started fighting
i must act now
sys
NOTICE::'continuous combat segment approaching';'pausing stream to offer save point'
ADVISE::'save before advancing';'utilize PROCEED entity to save or advance stream'
RESPONSES::akizet
prepare to connect<+>END
Split Sequence
Introduction
NOTICE::'resuming stream'
sourceless
having the permissions i need from the split team,
i disconnect from my external senses, focusing entirely on the connection
i cannot mess this up...
no more mistakes
RESPONSES::akizet
connect<+>connect
EXEC::flash(true)
FAKEEND::start combat
RESPONSES::self
delay<+>END
FAKEEND::(back out)
connect
sourceless
implicitly allowing my access through their connections,
i can see the obstacles that lie ahead
EXEC::env.grm ? env.grm.combat("ep4_split1") : content.insertAdjacentHTML('beforeend', "<combat-scene scenario='ep4_split1'></combat-scene>");vfx({type: "flash", state: false, delay: 1000});env.rpg.setCam({x: 3, playerRotation: 0, playerTilt: -30, height: 1.5, distance: 2, detailMode: 'tiny', gridTileSize: 100, offsetCamera: 'rotateX(0deg)'});setTimeout(()=>ratween(env.bgm, 0.5), 1000);env.rpg.classList.add('hideteams')
a handful of vekoa's entities bar their path
akizet
this should be trivial
follow my instruction
sourceless
as they advance, ready to fight, the door ahead...
it distorts, as if something is coiling around it, writhing
in an instant, it takes the shape of an eye
EXEC::midCombatActorAdd(env.rpg.enemyTeam, "split_eye", "left");vfx({type: "okidoia", state: "mild"})
sourceless quiet
the hall shakes, lengthens, splitting apart the clear path ahead
EXEC::env.rpg.longmode()
WAIT::3000
while i try to think out what to do,
their panic eats at my focus
miltza
how--?
this cannot be where we die!!
cavik
no, no, it will be okay, we just need to hold them off!!
um, akizet, it moved us, somehow...
akizet
yes, i...
tozik
nothing moved
there is just something in the way
do you not see it?
sourceless
tozik directs my attention with a thought
EXEC::env.rpg.setCam({x: 3, y: 19, playerRotation: 0, playerTilt: -30, height: 1.5, distance: 2, detailMode: 'tiny', gridTileSize: 100, offsetCamera: 'rotateX(0deg)'})
the gaps... they are not gaps
EXEC::env.rpg.classList.add("tendrilveal")
sourceless
his altered sight affords worrying clarity of the situation
distorted barricades stand ahead
like fallen branches stretched out from the dull haze
tozik
they are large tendrils from the ceremony...
coiling around the hall, interfering with physical space
i can see it... bending... folding it into itself
do you see it?
akizet
no, just the outline...
tozik
vekoa must be diverting focus to deal with us directly
if they are close enough to be physical,
they are close enough to destroy
akizet
cavik--your explosives?
cavik
oh!! yes!
if i can get close enough, i can place them directly...
that should work!!
akizet
good eye, tozik
tozik
it is not mine
akizet
ah...
Combat Bypassed
fighting through more of the ceremony's limbs,
the three are ill-equipped to deal with much of what faces them
but through their own ingenuity and my combat knowledge, they pull through
EXEC::env.rpg.enemyTeam.members.forEach(m=>m.originalSlug != "split_eye" ? m.hp = 0 : m.hp = 1);updateStats()
each tendril that falls appears to solidify the space again...
EXEC::let t = env.rpg.actors.destructible_split_tendril_1;t.hp = 0;updateStats({actor: t});env.rpg.halt = false;advanceTurn()
splitting apart into more foes to face...
EXEC::advanceTurn()
which, in turn, are dealt with
EXEC::env.rpg.enemyTeam.members.forEach(m=>m.originalSlug != "split_eye" ? m.hp = 0 : m.hp = 1);updateStats()
and when they reach the door again, still blocked by one last appendage of the ceremony,
EXEC::let t = env.rpg.actors.destructible_split_tendril_2;t.hp = 0;updateStats({actor: t});advanceTurn()
it is as physical as every previous obstacle, and torn down all the same
with particular thanks to cavik's bombs, serving as powerful, improvised blasting charges
EXEC::env.rpg.enemyTeam.members.forEach(m=>m.hp = 0);updateStats()
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>CHANGE::split_clearhall
Path to the Spine Opens
that shape--the eye, it breaks apart, releasing the door
EXEC::flash(true);env.rpg.actors.split_eye.hp = 0;env.rpg.actors.split_eye.state = "living";env.rpg.actors.split_eye.lastStand = false;env.rpg.halt = true;updateStats()
the overlap's grasp of the hall fades
and so... the path to the spine awaits them
akizet
proceed, quickly
sourceless
no time is wasted as they enter
EXEC::flash(true);env.rpg.halt = false;closeCombat(env.rpg.enemyTeam);
WAIT::2000
the spine is far more incoherent than before - vekoa is surely grasping at it
EXEC::vfx({type: "flash", state: false, delay: 2000});env.grm ? env.grm.combat("ep4_split2") : content.insertAdjacentHTML('beforeend', "<combat-scene scenario='ep4_split2'></combat-scene>");env.rpg.classList.add('hideteams')
but still, it is strangely silent, empty...
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.cavik.piece.endMovement();env.rpg.actors.cavik.piece.stepToCoords(7, 11);env.rpg.actors.miltza.piece.stepToCoords(8, 11);env.rpg.setCam({playerRotation: -45})
perhaps that attack in the hall was all she could muster?
is she shifting focus to us, on the other side...?
cavik
tozik!
sourceless
tozik has fallen to the ground
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.cavik.piece.stepToCoords(7, 13)
cavik
tozik??
sourceless
cavik runs to tozik's side, helping him up to his feet again
his body is shifting in ways that cavik tactfully avoids perceiving
tozik
it is... in here...
akizet, i do not know how much time i have left
i can hardly tell what is real
akizet
focus on what must be done, tozik
and keep in mind how much we need you
just a little further
sourceless
with cavik's help, the three proceed to the spinal tether,
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.cavik.piece.stepToCoords(4, 8);env.rpg.actors.tozik.piece.stepToCoords(6, 10);env.rpg.actors.miltza.piece.stepToCoords(8, 10)
lingering out of its silencing range
akizet
you are all doing so well
once the explosive is ready, flee through the lesser mind as planned
and tozik, once it is done, take off your connector
tozik
right
heading into the silence now
i am setting it up to detonate as soon as we are out of range
cavik
yes! miltza and i will keep watch!
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.tozik.piece.stepToCoords(6, 8)
akizet, bozko, gakvu - how is it going on your side?
bozko
it is not as bad here
but we are still making little progress
i keep them afar, gakvu picks them off
though, she is hurt
and they keep coming
gakvu
akizet, we really need you here as soon as you are able
akizet
i know
just a little longer, and that is it
sourceless quiet
terror rips through the connection
EXEC::flash(true);ratween(env.bgm, 0.3, 2000);play("criticalError", 0.5);env.rpg.actors.vekoa_boss.piece.moveToCoords(13, 7);env.rpg.actors.vekoa_boss.piece.classList.remove('hide')
the grand door in the spine--it has opened
EXEC::env.noBgmDuck = true;env.rpg.classList.add("fearmode", "hideteams");vfx({type: "flash", state: false, delay: 1000});;changeBgm(env.grm.music_antag, {length: 10000, seek: 0});
and a familiar shape is forming in the space before it
akizet
what is your status
cavik
um, tozik is...
aki, he is saying there is a problem with the setup
it probably would not have gone off if we had not returned...
but, we, i do not think we have enough time!
it--it is vekoa!!
miltza
wait, wait,
there is something...
that i can try
no, i...
i--i have to try
keep working on the explosive
EXEC::env.noBgmDuck = false;
akizet
try what?
miltza?
sourceless
suddenly, her senses disappear from the timestopper
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.miltza.sprite.querySelector('img').src = "/img/sprites/obesk/miltza/gridtiny_nocon.gif"
cavik is my only active connection now, and i see...
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.miltza.piece.stepToCoords(11, 7)
she has shoved her connector in his confused claws,
and stormed towards vekoa?!
cavik
aki--she took off the connector!!
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.cavik.piece.focusOnTile()
she is shouting at vekoa, hold on, let me try and feed this through...
sourceless
miltza is calling to vekoa, challenging her...
but... vekoa's form is flickering and twitching, unsteady
the color bleeds from the world around her in radiating waves
with all we have seen, miltza still tries to reason...
i focus through cavik's senses until she becomes clear
miltza
...no more! i cannot...
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.miltza.piece.focusOnTile()
this was doomed from the start
i have always felt it
and for what?
this must be it, this must be the moment
vekoa, please,
if--if this is an awakening,
if it is finally here
even imperfect...
i have to know
sourceless
from cavik's view, i can hardly see, but...
i think vekoa's stance softened
she is actually listening
whatever may come, this is delaying her for tozik, at least
miltza
i have labored so long,
done so much in their name,
yet i have never had any answers...
only worthless faith
please--show me!
say anything!!
sourceless
the sorrow in her voice is striking
there is no readiness in her stance, this is not just some deception
miltza's drone is inactive, disconnected, lying on the tether
she truly intends to...
cavik
miltza, just--get away from her, come on!
you have seen what happens!
sourceless
from within the bomb's silence, tozik speaks to cavik
tozik
cavik... go
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.tozik.piece.focusOnTile()
i will activate the charge manually
cavik
what?!
no, no, tozik, i am not doing that!
tozik
this will take too long
we have one chance, cavik
cavik
just focus on the bomb!!
sourceless
miltza storms closer to vekoa, surely to make more demands
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.miltza.piece.stepToCoords(12, 7)
but to my surprise, vekoa does not strike
she reaches out, and grasps miltza in a kind embrace
one that silences miltza's cries
sourceless quiet
dull light distorts around them, and cavik must look away
EXEC::forcePlay('fear', 0.4);env.rpg.actors.miltza.sprite.classList.add('struck');env.rpg.refresh();flash(true)
i cannot make out the details
EXEC::midCombatActorRemove(env.rpg.actors.miltza, {fast: true});
WAIT::1000
THEN::env.rpg.actors.split_miltza.piece.classList.remove('hide');env.rpg.actors.split_miltza.piece.moveToCoords(12, 7)
but something horrific is happening to her
akizet
cavik, forget it, you need to move
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.cavik.piece.focusOnTile()
now!!
get tozik, go to the door, and...
EXEC::midCombatActorRemove(env.rpg.actors.vekoa_boss)
sourceless quiet
suddenly, cavik is shoved aside, away from the tether
EXEC::flash(false);setTimeout(()=>{forcePlay('hit');env.rpg.actors.cavik.sprite.classList.add('struck');setTimeout(()=>env.rpg.actors.cavik.sprite.classList.remove('struck'), 300);env.rpg.actors.cavik.piece.knockback({direction: "left", strength: 2});env.rpg.refresh()}, 800)
sourceless
and... it lifts up and away, into the spinal system above
EXEC::env.rpg.up1()
tozik's unsteady mind speaks through our connection
tozik
i turned off the silence for a moment
there is no room for error here
once you are out,
i am going to force this down and detonate it
so, leave
before we are both lost
EXEC::env.rpg.up2()
sourceless
cavik's fury flares through my mind as he watches tozik's ascent
vekoa is gone, too
but miltza begins to stand... tearing cavik's attention back to her
EXEC::changeBgm(page.solaMiltzaCombat, {length: 2000, preserve: false});env.rpg.actors.split_miltza.piece.focusOnTile()
in an instant, the chamber is suffocated in darkness
EXEC::env.rpg.classList.add('darkwobble', 'miltzamode')
her twisted shape stares at him, waiting...
but he calls up to tozik
cavik
i am not leaving you!!
akizet
no--tozik, cavik is right!
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.cavik.piece.focusOnTile()
this bomb is critical, but so are you
reactivate the silence and continue fixing it
and cavik...
tozik's affliction may be too far progressed - he must stay disconnected
we need you to stop her
that is <em>not</em> miltza
sourceless
tozik needs no further instruction, his connection disappearing into silence
cavik's anxiety crumbles before his determination,
and i feel his confirmation
with careful aim, cavik pitches an improvised explosive at miltza
WAIT::2000
THEN::addStatus({target: env.rpg.actors.split_miltza, status: "unnatural_carapace", length: 2});env.rpg.halt = false;env.rpg.actors.split_miltza.piece.focusOnTile();env.rpg.grid.handleActionAOE({originActor: env.rpg.actors.cavik, targetTile: env.rpg.actors.split_miltza.piece.tile, action: env.ACTIONS["scene_cavik_attack"]})
but...
she is hardly affected, stepping forward through the blast
EXEC::env.rpg.halt = true;env.rpg.state = "normal";env.rpg.actors.split_miltza.piece.moveToCoords(11, 7);env.rpg.effectMessage.close();body.classList.add('vis-flash', 'vis3')
okidoia
i am h e r e
ÙO²7zÜܹR0:Rstill time
EXEC::flash(true);body.classList.add("vis-flash-blur")
fear what must be done‰-<˜°×gì
ØE±¡only ¼ chance³†@
xü›û co m e w€ºù|±|h m e
EXEC::flash(false)
cavik
aki...
EXEC::body.classList.remove("vis-flash-blur", "vis-3", "vis-flash")
sourceless
cavik nearly takes a step back, but the edges of the room flare with distortion
EXEC::env.rpg.createDamageTiles()
vekoa is gripping this place...
wielding miltza like a weapon
if cavik gets too close to her, she will surely tear him apart
akizet
do you have anything stronger??
sourceless
there is a spark of realization
cavik
i--i may!
my explosives have a much more substantial blast, if...
if they have more material to use...
sourceless
cavik directs my attention to the spinal root nearby
EXEC::env.rpg.grid.getTileFromCoordinates(3, 11).focusOnThisTile()
cavik
the roots--yes, i can lodge some explosives in them!
and then, when she gets close...
akizet
you know what must be done
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.cavik.piece.focusOnTile()
i will guide you, my friend
cavik
all right
i can do this
...
we can do this
Miltza Combat Bypassed
ATTENTION::"thoughtform combat gameplay bypassed";'toggle within system menu if desired'
EXEC::cutscene(false);env.rpg.classList.add("hideteams")
NOTICE::"contextual narration applied"
sourceless
miltza seems slower than before, entirely unhurried in her approach
she deflects cavik's attacks effortlessly--she always did have sharp reflexes
but cavik weaves through the spinal roots, planting explosives upon them
EXEC::flash(true)
sourceless quiet
and when the moment is right, they are detonated,
EXEC::play("dull", 0.75)
blasting miltza away from one, into another--which itself is detonated as she arrives
the combined force of the empowered blasts overwhelms her unnatural strength
a brutal ploy, but necessary to survive...
EXEC::env.rpg.actorList[3].hp = 0;env.rpg.actorList[4].hp = 0;updateStats({actors: [env.rpg.actorList[3], env.rpg.actorList[4]]})
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>CHANGE::spine_miltzaphase
Cavik Lands Explosives
sourceless
after suffering two of these explosions,
miltza's stride becomes more of a stumble
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.split_miltza.piece.moveToCoords(8, 5)
the dull's light around her grows less vibrant
is she more vulnerable?
or is this merely a sign of the ceremony's focus being diverted?
suddenly, the overlap's light floods the chamber,
EXEC::forcePlay('fear', 0.75);env.rpg.actorList.forEach(a=>{if(a.originalSlug.startsWith("destructible")) {a.statusEffects[0].trigger(true)}});env.rpg.classList.remove("darkwobble");env.rpg.classList.add('purewobble');ratween(env.bgm, 1.1);env.bgm.intendedRate = 1.1
invisible limbs coiling around the roots,
suffusing them in a dangerous distortion, where cavik should not tread
Cavik Missed Explosives
the roots, anchors for cavik's explosive...
each is consumed in an oddly-colored flame - each having been detonated...
cavik
akizet, umm,
that was everything i had to work with!!
Telyu Assists
£‡¦•ê&!!
akizet
stay calm
i am thinking
just stay away--
sourceless
a jolt runs through the timestopper's connection
through tozik's connector comes an unfamiliar mind
timestopper
hello?
how does this work
what? who is this?
telyu
oh, i see...
timestopper
telyu?!
telyu
tozik told me the situation
cavik, i am above you right now
i was... conducting a quick search, in case...
it does not matter - i am here to help you
i am not sure what you have to work with down there, but,
the archival connector above has some large, heavy devices
and the floor has been breaking apart, leaving some holes...
so... i am going to push them down, one after the other
i will try to show you where they will land
in fact, this one right here might work...
EXEC::env.rpg.telyuDrop();env.rpg.halt = false;
try to get her in position somehow
knock her around with your explosives, i do not know
just watch yourself
sourceless
despite her clear reluctance in using our timestopper,
our gratitude for her unexpected help is shared with an impulse
but there is no time for proper words
we must finish this
RESPONSES::akizet
guide the fight!!<+>END
Combat with Telyu Assist Bypassed
through gaps in the ceiling above, telyu drops heavy equipment, unstable materials...
and with cavik's explosives, miltza - fatigued and struggling - is forced into position
she is crushed and detonated, to our shared horror and regret
EXEC::flash(true)
but what choice is there? she would have infected cavik, too
...in time, her body is barely held together, much like malvi's was
seemingly animated by the overlap's tendrils alone
but... eventually, this strength leaves her
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>CHANGE
Miltza Defeat
sourceless quiet
miltza's flickering form drops to the ground, motionless
EXEC::env.noBgmDuck = true;changeBgm(env.grm.music_antag, {length: 5000, seek: 40, rate: 0.5, preserve: false});env.rpg.effectMessage.close();
sourceless
cavik has approached, hesitantly
EXEC::flash(false);env.rpg.actors.cavik.piece.focusOnTile();env.rpg.effectMessage.close()
she is in a strange state...
the corru of her material body melded with the almost imperceptible tendrils of the ceremony
here, but not here
cavik nearly says something
an apology, maybe--his despair is overpowering
but miltza's arm shifts, claws pressing against the ground, attempting to push herself up again
cavik
milt--miltza?? are you still...
EXEC::env.noBgmDuck = false;
okidoia
xü›ûØõ
¤‡*ç˜@V_ik
1슟=÷)¥n
sourceless
her receptors, barely visible, hang with regret
nonsense--delaying him, to harm us
compassion is only ever exploited by parasites
what i must do is so cold, but...
akizet
cavik, that is not miltza anymore
she will kill you if you delay any longer
you know this
you must finish it
sourceless
he is frozen for a θblink
but with my encouragement, he produces one last explosive,
tossing it gently towards miltza and backing away--something he may detonate at will
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.cavik.piece.stepToCoords(7,4);
sourceless
miltza turns her gaze towards the bomb, receptors opening
the okidoia laughs tearfully through her
cavik
miltza, i... i hope...
...
okidoia
¤¾k_¬
dø›æ_:nó•t¦
@w½’'^½ry
sourceless
its senseless signal gives him some pause, but when she moves again...
he does not hesitate any longer
cavik
i am so sorry
sourceless quiet
then, a blast
EXEC::play("dull", 0.5);flash(true);
WAIT::2000
THEN::env.rpg.gakvuDies();flash(false)
cavik refuses to look at the remains
cavik
it is done...
akizet
cavik, you...
you did what you had to
you know it was the only way, after her choice...
telyu
there will be time to mourn later
tozik and i are going to descend with the tether, get out of the way
he says the bomb is ready
and once it is down, i am disconnecting
sourceless
the sharpness of her thoughts is striking
like she is stabbing my mindcore with every word
does she hate us? me?
but... she did try to help cavik
there is no time to process this
akizet
fine
proceed back through the dull mind
we are going to finish this in the lesser mind
meet us there
understood? cavik?
sourceless
aside from backing away from miltza, he has sparsely made a thought
cavik
yeah...
akizet
may you slip velzie's eye
Moth Checks In with Interloper
moth
how the hell are they holding it together like this?
i feel like i'm gonna be sick dude
just... man, they really just killed her
just like that
it seemed to me like she was trying to say something, too
i gotta wonder how much they were able to understand at the time
maybe something with this voice they're hearing wasn't, like...
i don't know, i'm just trying to figure out what they were thinking
are you good?
self
fine
let me focus
moth
all right, all right
just remember to pace yourself
Akizet Reroutes Focus
sourceless
i reroute my senses away from him, back to my own
EXEC::flash(true)
WAIT::1000
THEN::env.rpg.halt = false;closeCombat(env.rpg.enemyTeam);ratween(env.bgm, 0.75);
and the room is quiet... dark
EXEC::change("PAGE!!e4prog", 13);changeStage("hall_heart-entry");setCam({x: 7, y: 4, rotation: -45})
still twisted, but the overlap is a mere murmur around us
gakvu leans against a wall, while bozko watches over the opposite door
idril fusses over their wounds, with karik clinging to her back
akizet
it is done
karik
are they okay??
EXEC::vnp({karik: "show", hideStage: true})
akizet
cavik, tozik, and telyu--yes...
but, miltza has been lost
sourceless
karik is shocked by my bluntness
i hate that i must speak so shortly
would she have lived if she had never met us?
if we never entered that room, and scavenged somewhere else?
akizet
she... she knew the risks...
we all do
she confronted vekoa directly, to buy them time...
...
bozko, gakvu? how are you faring?
EXEC::vnp({karik: "hide", gakvu: "show", bozko: "show", hideStage: true})
gakvu
still living...
sourceless
her body is barely held together,
marked all over with half-melted wounds from the creatures' blows
and a deep gloom hangs over her,
clearly having observed through the timestopper...
bozko remains immovable, mostly unreadable
but his claws are curled with tension
bozko
fine
focus must have been drawn away from us
they disappeared
gakvu
yeah...
they were unstable
some of them, i did not even need to attack
they just... broke apart
i could feel them even as they disappeared from sight, drifting away
idril
that is a good sign, then!
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "show far", bozko: "show far", idril: "showleft focus", hideStage: true})
it sounds like the ceremony is recoiling!
she is probably trying to scale it down...
these creatures, tendrils of the ceremony as they are,
probably snapped while the overlap was shrinking!
sourceless
a great rumble shakes the groundsmindry
that must have been the spinal bomb...
but i cannot tell if the ceremony is halted
the okidoia continues...
gakvu looks up, then at the wall to the core
gakvu
it does feel like it is growing more distant
θblink by θblink
idril
i suspect that the ceremony is drawing from the lesser mind!
and i thought that the primary organs would be enough...
oh well!
vekoa always was a stubborn groundsmind, ahaha
we have enough in the dull mind to sever the rest of the connections
akizet
i see
if vekoa is still attempting to form a contrivance, then...
it must mean that <em>any</em> size contrivance will do for her purposes, yes?
not just one that consumes the entire embassy...
and there must still be some chance that she can succeed
i doubt she would make such a gamble with the core otherwise
so... we should hurry
sourceless
and so i lead the way back to... the...
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "hide", bozko: "hide", idril: "hide"})
i expected to hear more steps behind me
with a glance back, i see that gakvu is not following me
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "show far", bozko: "hide", idril: "hide"})
she must be more deeply wounded than i thought
akizet
gakvu, can you...
gakvu
yeah, just... give me a θblink, would you?
akizet
we do not have a θblink, gakvu
if you cannot move with us, then--
sourceless
bozko suddenly raises gakvu into his floating gauntlets, carrying her towards the entrance
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "show downleft", bozko: "showleft"})
gakvu
ah!
bozko
she is right, there is no time
you attack with your mind, you need only be present
akizet, lead the way
gakvu
so demanding! am i back home, laboring upon the okizika?
i thought vaznians loved their breaks
sourceless
her little jab, ill-timed as they always are,
elicits a single exasperated chuckle from bozko
akizet
all right, follow me
sourceless
idril follows, karik still clinging to her
idril
while we move...
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "show downleft", bozko: "show", idril: "showright far"})
i can do a little patchwork
let me take a look at those hits!
RESPONSES::akizet
let us move<+>continue
Loopback to Entrance
Begin Preparations
sourceless
the entry... it almost looks as if it is melting
whether this is the overlap, or the breaking down of pale corru, i cannot tell
but with the team as prepared as we can manage,
all that remains is for us to move to the lesser mind
the path to the movefriend still stands, and i am sure it is still there...
and looking down it inspires a great melancholy within me
this place... everything we have done here, for these great θeyes
it will all be gone soon, even if we succeed
this moment is the end of everything as it was
...but i must not let myself be distracted
gakvu stands on her own again thanks to idril, but with some difficulty
EXEC::setCam({x: 5, y: 4, rotation: 0})
akizet
how is she?
EXEC::vnp({idril: "show", gakvu: "show", hideStage: true})
gakvu
i can fight, it is fine
idril
ohh, well, she is right...
EXEC::vnp({idril: "show focus"})
but you should know, some critical organs are compromised
and i do not have enough expertise to fix them, really...
i just worked on dull constructs, i am only working off of general knowledge here!
her qou body will probably start breaking down soon
akizet
and her mindcore?
idril
very interesting! i have never seen a core with groundsmindry before
it has such a hostile design! like a poisonous fruit!
akizet
no, i mean...
gakvu
they did not get me there
EXEC::vnp({idril: "show", gakvu: "show focus"})
once this body fails to carry me, i will simply evacuate it
my mindcore is heavier, but still has emergency legs
so until then, i am fine
akizet
very well
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "defocus"})
stay at a distance
vekoa's focus is surely upon the last of her resources
victory is but a leap away
everyone, take a moment to prepare
EXEC::playerMoveTo(5, 4, "down")
sys
NOTICE::'marked entities contain dialogue unique to this stream segment'
ADVISE::'interact before advancing';'utilize PROCEED entity to save or advance stream'
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>END
Dialogue with Gakvu
sourceless
lingering near the terminal, gakvu examines a repair made on her arm
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "show", hideStage: true})
it is discolored, a temporary patch of corru that melds with her outer membrane
she is mottled with these patches
sensing my approach, she gives a small welcome with her receptors
with the timestopper, we can speak without fear of too much time being lost
gakvu
you do not need to say anything
sourceless
is the weight of our losses so plain upon me?
gakvu
we can figure out what to do for them once this is finished
...i just wish i had more time to talk to miltza
she and i were not aligned, but...
in those moments of calm, i felt that she truly meant well
it even seemed like i was getting through to her...
i hope she found her answers
velzie always has a twisted way of giving them
sourceless
i affirm with my receptors - there is nothing for me to add
and i cannot weigh my mind with any more guilt in this critical time
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>END
Dialogue with Idril
sourceless
her work complete, our impromptu mender now examines the distorted, melting wall
EXEC::vnp({idril: "show", hideStage: true})
though she is disconnected from the timestopper, and time is short...
i must ask
akizet
idril!
tozik is struggling to walk
and it seems as if he is no longer in fighting shape...
in your team before, among the contact afflicted, what did this mean?
idril
oh, already? huuh
that suggests a later stage!
sourceless
it is as i thought
gakvu and bozko are silently drawn to the conversation
i feel their worry weighing through our connection
idril
it was around this time they began to shelter in the dull mind with me
they were unable to help otherwise, and so they waited!
but... it only became worse
something was pulling at them, they said! even within the silence!
one even evacuated their body, thinking it would help, but, noo
actually, their decline became even more rapid
there was one case, a θjut who was able to stand again, who went out to help the others
but according to them, she was not like this for long
you want to make tozik the interim groundsmind, right?
akizet
yes...
idril
then at this rate, even if we take hold of the core soon,
his effective time may be short!
sourceless
a sudden fear is driven through my mindcore
if not him, then who?
akizet
then there is no time to waste
RESPONSES::akizet
we move soon<+>END
Dialogue with Bozko
sourceless
bozko watches over us as we prepare
EXEC::vnp({bozko: "show", hideStage: true})
i meet his gaze for an instant, though he turns to the door quickly
stony as he appears, another loss hanging over us is surely eating at him
through our connection, i try to reach out...
akizet
bozko...
thank you for protecting us
if you had not been here, cavik and tozik may not have survived
bozko
it is too soon for thanks
sourceless
carried in his shared thought is a great weight of anger, regret
but he does not solidify these into any specific meaning
his silence...
it is an effort to contain this weight to himself
akizet
you know we could not have done anything for miltza
she removed the timestopper, and she did what she could to help us...
but...
bozko
cavik did what he had to
are you ready to move yet?
sourceless
he need not be any clearer
it is truly chilling to see him like this...
RESPONSES::akizet
soon...<+>END
Dialogue with Karik
sourceless
karik paces upon the entry terminal's smooth surface
EXEC::vnp({karik: "show", hideStage: true})
though their legs sink into it slightly - like it is rotting
akizet
karik!
does the heart being lost so soon affect the spire's stability at all?
it was not running before anyway, right?
sourceless
karik's attention tears to me so suddenly, like a startled cave pest
karik
the heart was stopped, but it was still releasing pressure
even if that was to feed the ceremony!
now, the entire system is going to stall, break down even faster...
i fear that the timestopper will give out before we are through
akizet, we really do not even have time to talk
we must stop vekoa, and get into the core, fast
or collapse is not just likely, it is inevitable
RESPONSES::akizet
understood<+>END
Akizet's Thoughts
tozik is breaking apart, gakvu is slowing down...
can we truly do this?
if tozik is lost, can gakvu replace him?
idril? cavik? karik? anyone? me?
we have options, yes, but...
even in thinking about this, another anxiety greets me
that this ceremony is being grown at all, must mean something else is happening here
what could a contrivance do? a collapse here, a collapse elsewhere...
the spire will fall regardless
vekoa has tried to speak to us, tried to welcome us, to show us what is being done
but to accept any information at all is to be lost to the ceremony, this infection
miltza's... sacrifice... has made that clear
and yet, there is a draw to it
what if they truly are still... in there?
whatever or wherever 'there' may be
could there be some analogue to zuzucri-masks? something to help them?
...
no...
i cannot tear at myself over missing information
we must make do with the only facts we have...
that time is running out,
and that if we succeed, we can still save any other survivors
and so there is no question
we must stop this, at any cost
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>END
Lesser Mind
Intro & Combat Start
it is hard to believe this is the same hall we walked before...
we stay closely grouped together as we advance, prepared for the worst
idril follows us, fascinated by the distortion, prodding at the personnel doors as we pass them
idril
the underlying physicality here is really starting to fade!
that is so cool! ahaha
akizet
cool?!
idril, how can we be sure of any walls or floors now??
idril
ohh, do not worry so much!!
the dull plane is not a space you can simply 'fall' into...
so if you step expecting to find the ground, then your foot will probably find it!
gakvu
why is this hall so much worse than anywhere else?
idril
as the ceremony shrinks, the overlap is drawn in closer, too!
so, it is a smaller radius of effect, but much more intense, under higher pressure
like holding a little light against your eye!
it will probably only get stranger!
sourceless
at the end of this twisted path lies the door to the lesser mind
and so comes the time to finish cutting off vekoa
timestopper
cavik? are you outside the silence?
hello yes! yes! i am right next to the door on my side!
telyu is helping tozik... he will not be joining us for this
all right, we are entering now
prepare yourself, and enter in a θblink
sourceless
and so we proceed....
EXEC::flash(true)
WAIT::2000
THEN::vfx({type: "flash", state: false, delay: 1000});env.grm.combat("ep4_lesserboss");env.rpg.classList.add('hideteams');removeStatus(env.rpg.actors.cavik, "fear")
to find idril's expectation correct
the room's configuration is wrong, likely coiled in the same tendrils that tozik saw
immediately my mind turns to the golem we lost, but...
there is no carcass to be found, especially not with the distortion so heavy
beyond a claustrophobic passage between the pods, cavik prepares a handful of explosives
i step forward to begin searching for any foes
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.akizet.piece.moveToCoords(4, 4, {follow: false})
but the instant i do, bozko pulls me back--!!
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.akizet.piece.moveToCoords(3, 4, {follow: false});flash(true);forcePlay("dull");midCombatActorAdd(env.rpg.enemyTeam, "lesser_itzil", "left")
WAIT::2000
THEN::env.rpg.actors.akizet.piece.moveToCoords(3, 4, {follow: false});flash(false);midCombatActorRemove(env.rpg.actors.cutscenedriver)
a powerful dull pulse blasted through the corridor
one that could only have come from...
our golem
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.lesser_itzil.piece.focusOnTile()
there it is, hovering...
not exactly repaired, but unbroken - an amalgamation animated by the ceremony
and between the edges of the pods i spot another foe...
WAIT::300
the familiar shape of...
dozkallvi
EXEC::midCombatActorAdd(env.rpg.enemyTeam, "lesser_kivii", "right")
itzil and dozkallvi, both here, reunited...
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.lesser_kivii.piece.focusOnTile()
vekoa is taunting us
rage boils in my mind
that my mistakes would be used against me so readily...
the okidoia comes again--not to speak, not to grant visions, but...
to laugh, playfully, without contempt
something in it feels familiar... like itzil's mind, when they were connected
but it is ultimately meaningless - there can be no reasoning
especially not with the golem raising its pulsing gauntlet again...
Combat Bypassed
sys
ATTENTION::"thoughtform combat gameplay bypassed";'toggle within system menu if desired'
EXEC::cutscene(false);env.rpg.classList.add("hideteams")
NOTICE::"contextual narration applied"
sourceless
our twisted golem uses its powerful weaponry against us,
EXEC::flash(true)
and dozkallvi's image strikes with familiar gauntlets, conjured from the overlap
there is a sort of lightness in their motions
as if the pair are not taking our fight seriously
but it is their mistake, for in time, we land decisive strikes
EXEC::env.rpg.enemyTeam.members.forEach(m=>m.hp = 0);updateStats()
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>CHANGE::lesserboss_phase
FAKEEND::(continue)
Combat Phase 2 Start
with a final blow, both dozkallvi and the golem stagger, recoil
they are breaking apart, the same as any other foe we have faced
they stumble towards each other, vulnerable and crumbling
before i can finish it, the chamber trembles,
EXEC::flash(true)
surely being coiled by the ceremony in response to our victory, it takes us a moment to recover and adjust...
EXEC::env.rpg.phaseChange();env.rpg.classList.add('fearmode');ratween(env.bgm, 0.5)
WAIT::2000
THEN::flash(false)
only to see that the remnant of our golem has collapsed, fused with the ground
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.lesser_itzka.piece.focusOnTile();
despite this, no victory is had yet - something is happening...
EXEC::flash(true);play('criticalError', 0.3);
WAIT::1000
THEN::flash(false)
sourceless quiet
stalks of light rise from the corpse, into the glow above--or maybe the other way around--to form a figure
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.lesser_itzka.sprite.classList.add("visible")
unfamiliar at first, but... in its light, i see one of dozkallvi's receptors
another, itzil's...
EXEC::body.classList.add('vis-flash', 'vis4')
okidoia::dark
m¹ZŸŸK\¾Õ\AQëi6ìÃback upon the <span definition="NOTE::'partial translation';'implied closest cultural equivalent'">catafalques</span> lie our bodies
EXEC::flash(true);body.classList.add("vis-flash-blur")
their hearts still beat, though there is nothing within
for we are here now, together gazing down at them
and we find there is nothing to do but laughÃûôŸw¡Kâ¤Ñ
sourceless
this is no mere performance for us
EXEC::flash(false)
their tendrils crawl outwards like reddened veins
EXEC::body.classList.remove('vis-flash', 'vis4', 'vis-flash-blur')
hooking into the darkness of the air, pulling something closer...
i will not wait to see what their plan is
timestopper
finish it
RESPONSES::akizet
attack!<+>END
Combat Phase 2 Bypassed
we advance to tear down this monstrous figure as any other
EXEC::flash(true)
WAIT::1000
THEN::env.rpg.actors.akizet.piece.moveToCoords(6, 5);env.rpg.actors.cavik.piece.moveToCoords(5, 4);env.rpg.actors.gakvu.piece.moveToCoords(7, 4);env.rpg.actors.bozko.piece.moveToCoords(7, 6);flash(false)
it does not lash out at us, instead seeming to pull the overlap inwards, around us...
EXEC::useAction(env.rpg.actors.lesser_itzka, env.ACTIONS.special_itzka, env.rpg.actors.lesser_itzka)
as if trying to drag us into the dull plane directly
EXEC::useAction(env.rpg.actors.lesser_itzka, env.ACTIONS.special_itzka, env.rpg.actors.lesser_itzka)
but present as they are, they can be struck, and they bleed color into the air...
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>CHANGE::lesserfinal
Combat Ends
sourceless quiet
with our attacks, the tendrils forming this illusion finally break apart, losing shape
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.lesser_itzka.sprite.classList.remove("visible")
okidoia::dark
Ʈki%z7
pl@¨e <se½
sourceless
i have had enough of this terrible life
stepping in, i claw viciously at the beast's warping shape, becoming lost in its light
EXEC::flash(true)
gripping semisolid tendrils, tearing them away,
sourceless quiet
rending the flesh of this now-unfamiliar monster mercilessly
EXEC::play("stab", 0.8);env.bgm.rate(0.9)
it may try to speak, but i do not listen
EXEC::play("stab", 0.7);env.bgm.rate(0.7)
we are beyond that now
EXEC::play("stab", 0.6);env.bgm.rate(0.6)
eventually, with enough broken... some threshold is passed
sourceless
a snap beyond physicality, the shifting of some 'weight' within the dull plane as it draws from this place
EXEC::env.bgm.rate(0.5)
and as it does, the world shifts around us again...
EXEC::changeStage("grm_lesser", false, false, {noFlash: true});env.rpg.halt = false;setCam({x: 4, y: 3, rotation: -135});
WAIT::1000
THEN::closeCombat(env.rpg.enemyTeam)
vekoa's hold on the chamber is weakened, returning echoes of its true shape
EXEC::flash(false)
my claws, my robe, all stained deep with dark sludge
idril and karik hurry in once the area seems clear
EXEC::vnp({idril: "show", karik: "show far", hideStage: true})
karik
cavik, over...
EXEC::vnp({karik: "show", idril: "hide", hideStage: true})
sourceless
karik had immediately begun to call out our next steps, but...
now seems distracted by the remnants of our foe, which i stand atop
with an urgent gesture from myself, they continue
karik
uh... over, over here!
yes, the pods drew from both above and below...
we must detonate these final connections!
but... this room is our last way out, so,
they must be focused
we need only destroy the downward veins along the far wall
cavik
you are sure it will not collapse upon us?
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "show"})
karik
if we do this right, it will be safe!
cavik
ah, ok... show me the positions
idril
here, i will help!
EXEC::vnp({idril: "show"})
sourceless
cavik, karik and idril set to their work,
but my mind is drawn to the dull mind's door
akizet
tozik is all right, yes?
sourceless
cavik speaks between hasty applications of his devices
cavik
ah, he is in good claws!
telyu was helping him fix some internals, because he found that there were--
Groundsmindry Door Opens
sourceless quiet
the grand door to the core parts, and immediately, we stand at the ready
EXEC::env.noBgmDuck = true;flash(true);play('criticalError', 0.3);change("PAGE!!e4prog", 14);
WAIT::2000
AUTOADVANCE::
it is her
EXEC::vn.done();content.classList.add("vekoafinal");refreshStage();flash(false);setCam({x: 7, y: 3, rotation: 0});changeBgm(env.grm.music_antag, {length: 10000, seek: 0});
bozko and i guard the others
the light within the core chamber is flickering, unsteady, clearly on the verge of collapse
whether the ceremony is failing, or the contrivance is nearly upon us, i cannot tell
but the unmistakable shape of vekoa is here, shifting chaotically
idril
hi vekoa
sourceless
i can see something different in her stance, even in this state...
the serenity that persisted when we first saw her...
it has given way to fury
after a pause, she takes a step forward, and we prepare to fight again
sourceless quiet
but she moves not to strike, waving her claws urgently, her incomprehensible okidoia crying out
EXEC::play("scarydoia")
pleading...?
EXEC::play("scarydoia")
sourceless
ignorant of the apparition's interruption, cavik calls out
cavik
get away from the walls, it is time!!
EXEC::env.noBgmDuck = false;
sourceless quiet
we split in different directions as the first of the detonations flashes through the room
EXEC::forcePlay("dull", 0.75);flash(true);page.blockStageBGMChange = true;ratween(env.bgm, 0.7)
the okidoia begins to roar again, desperate and afraid for the first time
sourceless
it causes a terrified despair to ring through me,
EXEC::content.classList.remove("vekoafinal");content.querySelector(".vekoaholder").innerHTML = ""
a feeling that demands i should be crying, screaming, as if what we are doing is...
...
before it can convey any tangible meaning to us,
my sight, my mind--they clear, like waking from a dream
EXEC::flash(false);setCam({x: 7, y: 3, rotation: 0});revertBgm(10000);page.blockStageBGMChange = false;env.bgm.rate(0.75)
her shape simply vanished
the chamber holds strong, no doubt due to the strategic detonations
but it is frighteningly dark
the okidoia, the overlap's distortion...
it is dim, distant, but not gone
the door to the groundsmindry chamber stands open, ready for us to proceed...
idril
wow!
EXEC::vnp({idril: "show", hideStage: true});change("PAGE!!tozpain", true)
cavik
yes! yes!!
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "show"});change("PAGE!!e4prog", 15);
haha! we did it!!
idril
ahaha! yay!
EXEC::vnp({idril: "focus"})
though actually... not yet
i just wanted to have a moment of false celebration too
the ceremony and its overlap are still in there!
all we did was break the last of its grasp outside of the core...
akizet
what?!
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "hide"})
did you not say this would stop it??
idril
it will!
it is not an immediate process!
sourceless
a crucial detail she failed to share
idril
vekoa trying to grow it again would just pointlessly starve the core to death
like i said, even if this is only an imitation of her... that would be stupid
so, the last structures it uses to hold open the overlap are probably snapping right now
freeing up the core!
anyway, it could be a few θblinks, or--
tozik
we do not have a few θblinks
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "show far", telyu: "show far"})
sourceless
tozik earns all our gazes--emerged from the dull mind's hall, supported by telyu
EXEC::vnp({telyu: "hide", idril: "hide", tozik: "show"})
his body is in worse condition than when i last saw him through cavik's vision
judging by the clean lines, he must have cut out some portion of his organs
he speaks urgently, sparing details
tozik
my affliction is progressing, and... i have done what i can to stall it
i still feel it, something, connecting to me...
and when you detonated that last bomb,
i felt it think
an intention from the voice, the one that vekoa spoke with, burning with desperation:
she is trying to form a lesser contrivance with what is left
if she does that... the core is gone
akizet
tozik, you trust this feeling?
it is no hallucination?
sourceless
he dips his head, affirming with his receptors
cavik
well, the overlap is still there!
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "show"})
and that means we can still interact with the ceremony!!
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "show focus", tozik: "hide"})
so if it is breaking apart...
we just have to go in there and destroy what's left!!
idril
ohh! yes!
EXEC::vnp({idril: "show focus"})
and since the overlap is so small now,
the critical veins of the ceremony will probably be visible...
akizet
if we attack them, will the core be harmed?
idril
noo!
while the core is being used as a catalyst, it is technically separate from the ceremony...
it is more like an entrance! it created the small cut that the ceremony was formed through
so if you sever the ceremony's organs, the tendrils that widen it will snap even more...
and if enough gives way, it should give out all at once!
entirely cleaving the ceremony from material reality, and leaving the core for us!!
sure, it may have a few extra organs and appendages, but...
everything should still be there!
akizet
then we have our path forward
sourceless
and so the time comes at last...
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "hide"})
we can end this slaughter
but - why is vekoa even still trying?
any time i think of what her plan could be,
there is this quiet doubt within, one that has grown as we have seen more
a suspicion that slaughter is not the right word
but no - the horror in the θsegments above are plain reminders
what we are doing is right, and we must press on
for the sake of any who still live
there is a moment of heavy silence as i look amongst the team
gakvu's body is giving way, it is clear to see
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "show far"})
but she fights with her mindcore, so that is not a great hindrance
bozko must remain intact if we are to use his chassis for emergency survival
EXEC::vnp({bozko: "show far"})
though, what greater emergency remains than stopping the ceremony?
and tozik, we cannot afford to risk exposure to his affliction...
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "show far"})
telyu will not fight, and i feel i simply cannot rely on idril
EXEC::vnp({idril: "show far", telyu: "show far"})
they all stare back at me as i survey them
akizet
we are in a bad state...
EXEC::vn.clear()
but--cavik, gakvu, bozko,
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "show", gakvu: "show", bozko: "show"})
are you all still able to fight?
bozko
of course
EXEC::vnp({bozko: "focus"})
this is it
gakvu
yeah... i can manage
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "focus"})
just cover me when you can
it is getting hard to move
cavik
i, um, only have a handful of explosives left...
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "focus"})
we have not fought any real golems in a while, so i have not been able to make more
and all our other materials went into making the stationary explosives...
akizet
save them for critical detonations, then
EXEC::vn.clear()
telyu, idril, do you have any weapons cavik could use?
EXEC::vnp({telyu: "show", idril: "show"})
telyu
nothing that is not attached to me!
idril
telyu, did the other disabler still hold charge?
...in the third operation pod...?
EXEC::vnp({idril: "focus"})
sourceless
a grim, nauseous twist overtakes telyu's receptors
what is this constant apprehension over the dull mind's third pod?
was it not simply broken?
telyu
i... i did not check
EXEC::vnp({telyu: "show focus", idril: "hide"})
but that is wise - i will go and fetch it
akizet, if you and your team want to proceed in,
i will be right behind you to deliver materials
we still have some restoratives and other bits, disabler aside
akizet
only deliver?
we have two free timestopper connectors
sourceless
telyu's eyes shift away, receptors rolling in frustration
telyu
i will get the disabler and other materials for you
and... if i can, i will help
but i am not connecting to your timestopper again
sourceless
her continued objection is so strange - what is it she fears?
she beckons to bozko, who comes to support tozik,
but tozik raises a claw, his head rolling as he tries to focus
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "show focus"})
tozik
get the dis¤bler
but i... have an idea
cavik„¯ you say you have not fought any real golems lately, but...
you did
grant me a θblink
sourceless
they pause, watching him point to...
our puppeted golem's melted corpse in the dark
he pushes them aside, stumbling towards it and kneeling,
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "hide"})
where he wordlessly begins work with his corruskivi
his movement is wobbly, uncertain, but driven by some insight
telyu disappears into the darkness before any further questioning begins
EXEC::vnp({telyu: "hide"})
akizet
...i see
everyone, ready yourselves
we must stop this now
sys
ATTENTION::"current memory stream near conclusion"
ADVISE::"save iteration"
NOTICE::'marked entities contain dialogue unique to this stream segment'
ADVISE::'interact before advancing';'utilize PROCEED entity to save or advance stream'
RESPONSES::akizet
it is nearly time<+>END
EXEC::refreshStage();vn.done();playerMoveTo(5, 3, "right")
FAKEEND::prepare
Dialogue with Cavik
sourceless
cavik lingers near the entrance
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "show", hideStage: true})
taking inventory of his explosives, and our resources
though... i sense uncertainty
he is rightly shaken after what happened with miltza, and itzil...
but i feel i should not agitate this
his faith in the plan has been unwavering
it is no time to muddy his thoughts
we must focus
akizet
cavik!
my friend
are you ready?
cavik
akizet...
i am down to my last mending applicators,
and similarly, i will have to be very careful with my explosives...
i fear that i will not be enough help
and with tozik out, and gakvu so wounded...
i just hope telyu can find something to work with
akizet
do not worry
bozko and i will lead the way
if we stay together, it will be fine
whatever you bring will be enough, i am certain
vekoa will surely try to distract us with false foes, but...
we need only harm the ceremony enough for it to give way
sourceless
cavik nods a receptor, my words inspiring some determination
cavik
ok!
i trust you, akizet
you know i do
and i want you to know...
i have been thinking about what you said
no matter what happens,
being able to work with you here,
charging with you into the depths of this infestation to stop it...
i would never have chosen differently
you never failed me
sourceless
that message completely slipped my mind...
but hearing him say this - it loosens the coil of my receptors
akizet
thank you, cavik
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>END
Dialogue with Tozik
tozik is hunched over in the dark, only slightly illuminated by the gate before us
EXEC::setCam({x: 5, y: 5, rotation: 180});vnp({tozik: "show far", hideStage: true, bg: "black"})
he cuts into the golem's obscured, melting mass, drawing out small components
a gauntlet is set aside, hollowed out, veins pulled from it to form new connections...
though his feverish work is fascinating, his muttering inspires more worry
tozik::mutter
...surf‰à ºce mist condensing on the sentries...
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "show"})
...veilk crawl by,‰_+ they avoid the gate...
...the pulse... the smoke... matter ¡â€)nverted...
sourceless
each phrase starts and ends with a strange distortion
words mixing together, a sound like labored breath
he does not stop, even as i approach
akizet
tozik...
are you...
tozik::mutter
...Â%¼Âmploded by the pulse...
sourceless
without pause, his voice rises to greet me
tozik
akizet, hello
i understand your concern...
i am not lost, merely reviewing memory
it seems to be helping me stay present
tozik::mutter
...and the pulse]›×§ drew more of them...
tozik
akizet, there is no time to speak
but... i know you
and i know you will hold my death as your fault
tozik::mutter
...dispersed, sliced apart|!— to their cheers...
tozik
but know that i am so happy to have learned the truth
if you carry it to everyone else...
tozik::mutter
...¦…¯+covering the entry of a surface runner...
tozik
there will be nothing to forgive
sourceless
...
akizet
tozik, i just wanted...
sourceless
tozik waves me away coldly, turning back to his work
connecting cysts, forming something new...
tozik::mutter
...accomplished our mission...
...a n•¯€w age of safety...
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>END
Dialogue with Bozko
sourceless
bozko stands across from the door, staring into it
EXEC::vnp({bozko: "show", hideStage: true})
and as i approach, i feel his rage
with the slightest turn of his head, he acknowledges me
bozko
all of this...
our mission, our entire future, everyone...
so many lost...
so much <em>truly</em> lost, so much we can never recover
and we still do not even know why
sourceless
his gaze turns to me, slowly
bozko
vekoa is a monster
when we are done
let there be nothing left of her
sourceless
i dip my receptors affirmatively - i agree with him...
however, it is vengeance alone that grips him
i understand... i feel it too
but vengeance so easily spirals into unwise decisions
akizet
bozko, just remember...
you must survive, if we are to endure a collapse
we will stop vekoa, we will have our answers...
but promise you will stay with us, and protect us
do not rush ahead, or grasp at false opportunities
sourceless
the notion that he might even consider doing this inspires a sharp twist of his receptors
for an instant, in his instability, i fear he may lash out
but... he softens
bozko
i promise
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>END
Dialogue with Gakvu
gakvu lingers near the wall, watching over the others
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "show", hideStage: true})
a kind twist in her receptors forms as i approach
akizet
gakvu!
are you ready?
gakvu
oh, akizet,
do not say that as if i have a choice
sourceless
she chuckles - merely a wry complaint
her laugh lifts my spirit
gakvu
all of this running around, sabotaging...
it is truly funny, akizet
this is the very thing i chose to escape so many θeyes ago
velzie's fondness for repetition is truly nauseating
if this works out, and we really can stop the collapse...
maybe it will be a sign i never should have stopped, huh?
perhaps quiet sabotage of those who mean harm is my calling
sourceless
a part of the conflict as she is, on a side that seems to be smaller...
i cannot help but ask
akizet
you say that, but...
did you really stop?
sourceless
though confused at first, she processes my question quickly
the coil of her receptors loosens
gakvu
i did, akizet
our work... it was never something i was trying to ruin
if anything, my plan was to protect you all if we found anything
it is only through velzie's cruel twisting that someone else reached you first
and so brazenly...
personally, i would have been more delicate about the matter
maybe i should have acted sooner after we discovered the pattern...
but, now is no time for regrets
and akizet...
you should know, this attack, this tragedy...
if we are not careful, even if we succeed, it could be for nothing
survivors could be picked up, recruited, suppressed...
despite everything, the conflict could stay in the dark
while those who seek awakening entrench themselves further
...
outside of just helping survivors and escaping,
that has been my greatest concern
that somehow, this unfathomable loss...
will not change anything
akizet
i will not let that happen
none of us will
you know that
gakvu
yeah, i do...
i suppose what i am trying to say is,
if something does not seem right,
do not rush to share the truth you have learned
not until you know it cannot be silenced
understand?
sourceless
a strange demand, some sort of precaution...
she will not say it, but she thinks she is going to die here
but i will not let that happen
akizet
yes... i think so
gakvu
good!
we should begin soon
RESPONSES::akizet
agreed<+>END
Dialogue with Karik & Idril
sourceless
idril chats idly with karik, who still sits upon her shoulder
EXEC::vnp({karik: "show", idril: "show", hideStage: true})
structural plans, worries about the spire's health, time left...
while i dislike interrupting, a question forms in my mind
akizet
hello idril, karik!
idril
akiizet!
karik
is there a problem??
akizet
oh, no, no... we are about to move in
i wanted to ask, idril...
EXEC::vnp({idril: "focus"})
do you have any idea how this all connects?
the signal that warped the golems, the ceremony, the contact affliction, vekoa...
sourceless
the meteorite... the bright cousins' probe...
all of these events are conjoined, they have to be
karik knows i am leaving out those details, visible in the pulling back of their receptors
there are so many variables, but, i will spare her involvement
idril
what a funny question!
i really have no idea at all!!
that signal, or scream, as my other friends called it...
that easily could have been a product of the groundsmindry core being misused
our mindcores are often ignorant of groundsmindry signals, though...
so it was as if vekoa were sending something else through the broadcast relays!
that aside... groundsmindry and a ceremony alone would not cause the strange affliction we have seen
which is something entirely new!
really akizet, it is all so fascinating and unprecedented!
i am sure i will be studying this, for θeyes and θeyes!
assuming we survive, of course, hehe
sourceless
still so detached...
there is a significant chance that we all perish, and yet, she snickers
this could be the last time we speak - i will not withhold my curiosity any longer
akizet
one more thing...
your behavior, idril, is it--self modification?
forgive the accusation, but...
karik
akizet!!
EXEC::vnp({karik: "focus"})
sourceless
karik is practically in shock at my bluntness
idril
woow... well, i did not realize i appeared that way!
EXEC::vnp({idril: "focus"})
no, i have not self-modified
it is true that my mindcore is a little unusual...
but that is because i am starving it!
it is common for extended study dull engineers, like myself
a very standard practice! and mostly harmless
it may seem strange, but it makes the dull plane easier to understand...
i can tell you more if we live!
sourceless
detached as she is, she is not blind to our zenruka
karik
and akizet--i am confident we still have time!
EXEC::vnp({karik: "focus"})
i have been reviewing every piece of knowledge about the spire i have,
brainstorming with idril, too, who has some secondary knowledge
and i have some theories on how we can still save it, but...
you have to act fast!
once it is clear, i will come help!
RESPONSES::akizet
very well<+>END
Akizet's Thoughts
sourceless
there is so little time to spare
but the noise through communications seems to have greatly lessened
i think i can reach out to some others
if our plan fails...
this may be my last chance to ever speak with them
Call Gordon
sourceless
try gordon, funfriend
funfriend
ok!
...
...
nothing!
but the response is familiar
it seems like his communicator may be broken!
If Akizet Called Gordon in Golem Maintenance
sourceless
of course, after our last call...
i had hoped it was merely an accidental disconnection
or some brief incoherence
but it is likely that it was fully broken
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>loop
If Akizet Did Not Call Gordon in Golem Maintenance
sourceless
œ›¤€ù
at least he is probably still within his city...
safe, surely
the cousins do not deserve this horror
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>loop
Call Isabel
sourceless
funfriend, call isabel
she must still have that communicator
funfriend
ok!
...
it worked!
isabel
Akizet!
I wasn't expecting to hear from you until Tuesday.
What's up?
sourceless
with her synchronous connection, it would take far too long to relay all we have learned
and even if i did... it would place her in unwarranted danger
after all, she is merely a custodian of bright parasites
i must keep this short
akizet
isabel...
some very bad things are going to happen, very soon
you will be fine, but i am not sure i will survive
i am trying to stop them, i am doing everything i can
and i stand now at a threshold, where,
ah, the specifics do not matter
but before i cross, i wanted to say...
i am so happy that i--
isabel
Wait, wait, wait, what are you talking about?
Akizet, what's happening?
Is--is there any way I could help?
akizet
no, no, isabel, this is beyond you, even beyond me
and even if i survive...
sourceless
i glance around the darkened chamber, to cavik, to gakvu...
akizet
it is likely i will need to hide for some time
sourceless
isabel is silent, but i must allow this
a short time passes, trimming our window to stop vekoa even further
audio communication has never felt so frustratingly slow
isabel
So...
I... I don't know what to say.
Is this goodbye?
sourceless
her voice wavers, confused, burdened by a quiet welling of unexpected tears
i should be feeling the same...
but my mind is already so scarred by all we have lost
and it surely must show in my blunt speech
akizet
it might be, yes
isabel, i do not have much time,
already have i endangered myself by spending this θblink to call you
but i could not leave you without this closure
you have been such a kind light in my θdeath
thank you, for everything
one way or another, we will meet again in time
sourceless
another pause, a sniffle, while she finds the words...
i feel the expectant eyes of the others within the chamber
to them i have been silent this whole time,
a tension quickly building over my idleness
i must end this
isabel
Akizet...
I'll miss you.
And if you... If you need somewhere to hide,
You know where to find me.
Good luck, okay?
akizet
thank you, isabel
i will miss you as well
keep velzie entertained for me
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>loop
Call Anyone Else
sourceless
though funfriend and i try...
something still seems wrong
whether it is a part of my cyst that has broken,
or some proxy carrier within the dull failing,
most of our attempts to reach the collective are met with nonsense noise
it seems we are limited to direct connections for now
the best i can do for the others, to reveal the truths of what happened here,
is to survive
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>loop
Call Kazki
First Time Calling Kazki
sourceless
funfriend, try kazki
funfriend
ok!
...
...
connection established i think?
akizet there was an acknowledgement but our connection is terrible
akizet
kazki? hello? are you safe?
sourceless
a mixture of shock and dread pours through from the other side
kazki
akizet?!
i have been trying to reach you!
you need to get off the planet!!
as soon as you possibly can, just as far as you can get
i am taking care of a few things, but soon i will be off too
just get away, away!!
akizet
kazki, that... that is my goal, but it will be some time
and it is almost over... almost
listen--we have discovered it all!!
the source of the call, a hidden conflict, there is so much
we have so, so many answers...
when we are done, i must tell you everything
sourceless
the fact that i cannot leave yet enrages kazki, her panic filling my mind,
but what follows quiets her - indeed, there is no more emotion to read
it is silent
do we still have a connection?
funfriend
yes!
akizet
kazki?
kazki
where are you?
sourceless
a flatly delivered question, puzzling that she would even ask
akizet
you do not know?
kazki, the embassy is under a terrible attack, and we are fighting to stop it
we have been using the timestopper, descending
our golems, the bodies of murdered qou, they are being used against us
but now we know how to stop it all
it is a nightmare, and--
kazki
you are still at the embassy?!
no, no, akizet, you <em>need to go now,</em> you cannot s«ÓŽ©
WAIT::1500
AUTOADVANCE::
sourceless quiet
the connection is flooded with an overwhelming signal,
EXEC::play('criticalError', 0.3)
one that her device fails to capture in its entirety
but it feels frighteningly familiar
...and we do not feel it, here...
she is somewhere far from us
akizet
wait, kazki, hello?
where are <em>you?</em>
kazki?
funfriend
the connection snapped akizet
and i cannot find her again
sourceless
for a θblink, i am paralyzed
she is in danger, that much is clear,
but what does it mean, that only she was struck by that signal?
still on earth, presumably, given what she said, so...
this cannot be the only attack
i can only pray that velzie grants her mercy until we can help
____END
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>loop
Subsequent Calls to Kazki
sourceless
kazki does not respond...
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>loop
The Core
Intro
sourceless
standing before the door, i look over those assembled
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "show far", idril: "show far", cavik: "show far", karik:"show far", bozko: "show far", tozik: "show far", hideStage: true})
each friend, old and new,
all perched upon this last branch of our plan, perhaps to fall
they have followed me here... entertained this insane effort
and it may be the last time i see any one of them
they peer back at me expectantly
are we ready to risk everything?
have we made peace?
RESPONSES::akizet
it is time<+>time
...<+>END
It Is Time
akizet
friends, it is time
bozko, cavik, gakvu, with me
sourceless
they gather with me near the door, where the overlap's horizon twists in welcome
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "show", idril: "hide", karik:"hide", cavik: "show", bozko: "show", tozik: "show far", hideStage: true})
idril and karik watch on with hope, while tozik...
tozik twists around from his work on the golem carcass
tozik
wait...
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "show far focus"})
ca…¸¾vik
come, take this
sourceless
with shaky claws, he holds up one of the golem's gauntlets
half hollowed out, one side glimmering with the dull's gray light
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "defocus far", cavik: "show far", bozko: "hide", gakvu: "hide"})
tozik
it is sa¤úºœfe to handle, do not worry...
tozik::mutter
...¯*twice-shot, shell parted¦…,...
sourceless
cavik comes to take it, though it does not seem to be as light as tozik made it appear
it takes some balancing before cavik is able to hold it effectively
fitting over one of his claws, held up by the other, his stance shifted to balance the weight
cavik
this is the dull pulse component, right?
sourceless
tozik affirms with his receptors
the weapon's weight will hinder cavik slightly, but...
i trust tozik - it should still be a boon in the coming conflict
tozik
i... in•œrted it
it should on…‡Â•ly affect the ceremony
including vekoa'ק monsters...
use it–.›_ to sever the veins*•–¦
strike them all down
tozik::mutter
...t]h.e swarm eliminated¾|...
sourceless
cavik looks on appreciatively, but hesitates to say anything
what he feels is shared by all of us
tozik is nearing a critical state, never having received that resurgence that idril mentioned
perhaps the affliction is not so predictable, and velzie has simply chosen this path
it feels wrong
cavik
tozik... thank you
and just hold on, ok?
gakvu
we will be right back
tozik
go
EXEC::env.noBgmDuck = true;
sourceless quiet
with one last grim exchange of gazes, we reassemble before the threshold
EXEC::env.noBgmDuck = true;setCam({x: 7, y: 3, rotation: 0});vn.done();changeBgm(env.grm.music_oki, {length: 4000, seek: 0})
sourceless
idril watches on with excitement,
while karik clings to her shoulder, receptors pulled back out of anxiety
they give us a respectful dip of their receptors regardless
idril
we will watch over tozik!
akizet
thank you, idril
no, everyone... thank you
we just have this final step... then it is over
sourceless
together, we enter the grand door at last
EXEC::flash(true);env.noBgmDuck = false;
the horizon of the dull overlap twists in welcome
and once we pass the threshold... a ripple of anger meets us
EXEC::env.grm.combat("ep4_vek_pt1");removeStatus(env.rpg.actors.cavik, "fear")
WAIT::1000
THEN::ratween(env.bgm, 0.5)
the chamber's color burns, bathed in dull light from the groundsmindry core
EXEC::env.rpg.classList.add('hideteams');vfx({type: "flash", state: false, delay: 1000});env.rpg.setCam({x: 9, y:9, playerRotation: 45, playerTilt: -30})
a blinding shape, this nightmare made physical
from it stems a writhing mass of veins that disappear in all directions
and our foes, instruments of the ceremony, await us
vekoa is not present, surely still within the core, attempting to direct what remains
we cannot force her out, not yet...
the core is too entwined with the ceremony to risk harming directly
but we will not need to
for some of the ceremony's veins coil around the chamber tightly, plainly visible,
EXEC::env.rpg.setCam({x: 9, y:2, playerRotation: 60, playerTilt: -20})
pulled close and pressed into physicality, likely because of our efforts
the smaller it becomes, the more will be forced into physicality...
and the easier it will be to break apart
the okidoia speaks to us, like sobbing, surely wielded by vekoa
EXEC::body.classList.add('vis-flash', 'vis5')
okidoia
s/:£tÕp
EXEC::env.rpg.setCam({x: 8, y:9, playerRotation: 0, playerTilt: -20});vfx({type: "okidoia", state: "mild"})
•¶Leµ)¬sÊ
i÷¾(Ãù a m¯¯]..†r+ý÷^ænG
EXEC::flash(true);body.classList.add("vis-flash-blur")
å¡ùÖÊÜiÄÈ minds entwined, accepting the connection, i realize,
it is not an accusation - it is a ña3ÙæmêÓ§°Ü÷ßR
sourceless
desperate, fragmented words...
EXEC::vfx({type: "okidoia", state: false});flash(false)
if there were ever a point to reason, it is long past
EXEC::body.classList.remove('vis-flash', 'vis5', 'vis-flash-blur')
whether it is truly her, or a parasite grasping at emotions it does not understand,
what she has done is unforgivable, and what she intends to do will kill even more
the overlap pulses, tendrils shifting, the world distorting
distantly, something within the embassy snaps, causing a great rumble
time is running out--but we are ready
still, as much as we have pushed vekoa onto her back foot,
we are in bad shape, too...
timestopper
ignore the voice - listen to me
where the veins appear most physical
EXEC::env.rpg.setCam({x: 6, y:2, playerRotation: -45, playerTilt: -30})
we must strike
clear a path, but do not become distracted
the organs of the ceremony are our only target
any strength, any tools, anything you have - we spend it all here
this is our last stand
EXEC::env.rpg.setCam({x: 8, y:9, playerRotation: 0, playerTilt: -20})
sourceless
an impulse of understanding passes through the timestopper
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.akizet.piece.focusOnTile()
sys
ANALYSIS::'context shift'
NOTICE::'ALLY entities';'granted last stand status'
NOTICE::'automatic self-revival upon DOWN';'once'
NOTICE::'actions broadly improved'
NOTICE::'entity CAVIK';'primary action altered'
Combat Phase 1 Bypassed
sys
ATTENTION::"thoughtform combat gameplay bypassed";'toggle within system menu if desired'
EXEC::cutscene(false);env.rpg.classList.add("hideteams")
NOTICE::"contextual narration applied"
sourceless
it is hard fought, but we reach the first clear organ of the ceremony we can find
EXEC::flash(true)
WAIT::1000
THEN::env.rpg.grid.style.setProperty("--playercontrol-tilt-raw", 20);env.rpg.grid.style.setProperty("--playercontrol-rotation-raw", -225);env.rpg.actors.akizet.piece.moveToCoords(8, 2);env.rpg.actors.cavik.piece.moveToCoords(8, 1);env.rpg.actors.gakvu.piece.moveToCoords(7,3);env.rpg.actors.bozko.piece.moveToCoords(9, 3);flash(false)
a part of some massive, greater whole
sourceless quiet
with cavik's explosives, our claws, and the altered dull pulse,
EXEC::play("dull", 0.75)
we soon see it torn open
EXEC::play("dull", 0.5);env.rpg.enemyTeam.members.forEach(m=>m.hp = 0);updateStats()
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>CHANGE::vekoa_p1
Phase 1 Victory
sourceless quiet
the veins split apart across both planes, bleeding color into the air
EXEC::env.rpg.setCam({x: 9, y:0, playerRotation: 0, playerTilt: -30});env.rpg.classList.add('hideteams');ratween(env.bgm, 0.75)
sourceless
and the overlap ripples, destabilized
something about it feels smaller, under higher pressure, as idril said...
the ceremony is failing - this is working
and there, across the path
EXEC::env.rpg.setCam({x: 9, y:8, playerRotation: 165, playerTilt: -15})
our efforts have brought the ceremony's dull organs ever closer
exposing our next target
okidoia
IÜ4‡þøïaøknow what must be done
the only way t¥¨äãR˜Òw"
sourceless
vekoa's illusions around us have broken apart, splitting into countless minute strands,
and have instead formed into a protective membrane - she has caught onto our plans
EXEC::env.rpg.setCam({x: 8, y:14, playerRotation: 165, playerTilt: -30})
it writhes, forming offensive appendages
seemingly stationary, but no less of a threat
but in order to defend, it too must be physical
we will tear it all down
RESPONSES::akizet
attack<+>END
Combat Phase 2 Bypassed
sourceless
the wall, formed of countless minute strands, lashes out at us with spiked limbs
EXEC::flash(true)
WAIT::1000
THEN::env.rpg.actors.akizet.piece.moveToCoords(8, 13);env.rpg.actors.cavik.piece.moveToCoords(8, 14);env.rpg.actors.gakvu.piece.moveToCoords(7,13);env.rpg.actors.bozko.piece.moveToCoords(9, 12);flash(false)
its movement is distantly familiar, reminiscent of a room being reshaped
similar to movefriend, when it was wielded against us
but like it, this form falls
EXEC::env.rpg.enemyTeam.members.forEach(m=> m != env.rpg.currentVein ? m.hp = 0 : 0);updateStats();
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>CHANGE::vekoa_p2
EXEC::env.rpg.scenario.turnCallback()
FAKEEND::(continue)
Combat Phase 2 Victory
sourceless
the protective wall collapses into itself, tendrils breaking apart
EXEC::imagePreload(["/img/sprites/vekoa/vekoaspec.gif", "/img/sprites/vekoa/vekoaspec_shot.gif"]);env.rpg.allyTeam.members.forEach(m=>{m.hp = m.maxhp;combatRevive(m)});env.rpg.clearCavikSpot();
and with this opening, i nearly call for cavik to rush in--
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.cavik.piece.stepToCoords(8, 14);ratween(env.bgm, 0.75)
but he is already here, wielding the modified dull pulse
EXEC::forcePlay('dull');flash(true)
firing it continuously into the veins at close range, severing them all
EXEC::env.rpg.currentVein.hp = 0;updateStats(env.rpg.currentVein)
and it is done - the overlap rippling as the ceremony beyond is crippled further
EXEC::env.noBgmDuck = true;
the feeling of a scream tears through us, as another shape manifests nearby
EXEC::env.rpg.p2();env.rpg.classList.add('fearmode');changeBgm(env.grm.music_antag, {length: 10000, seek: 32, preserve: false})
WAIT::1000
THEN::flash(false);env.rpg.actors.vekoa_boss.piece.moveToCoords(8, 11, {follow: false})
it seems vekoa cannot afford to delegate any longer
EXEC::env.rpg.setCam({x: 8, y: 13, playerRotation: 0, playerTilt: 10, height: 1, distance: 0, detailMode: true, gridTileSize: 200, offsetCamera: 'rotateX(0deg)', hideAllies: true});content.querySelector("#vekoasprite").src = "/img/sprites/vekoa/vekoaspec.gif";flash(false);env.rpg.classList.add('bigcloseup');env.rpg.actors.vekoa_boss.piece.moveToCoords(8, 11, {follow: false})
for she has formed before us, furious
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.vekoa_boss.piece.moveToCoords(8, 11, {follow: false})
NOTE::fuckyoufuckyofuckyouvekoa get in place goddamn it
the overlap's space bends inwards around her
there must be a great deal of attention and resources being drawn for this apparition
but her shape is still imperfect, like the ceremony tendrils forming her are unable to focus
it must already be dying...
would it still be possible to complete, even if we stopped now?
does she know this?
akizet
vekoa!!
it is over, the--
WAIT::2000
THEN::flash(true);env.rpg.setCam();env.rpg.actors.vekoa_boss.sprite.classList.add('reversion');env.rpg.classList.remove('bigcloseup');env.noBgmDuck = false;
AUTOADVANCE::
sourceless
my attempt to speak is cut short, as she vanishes, leaving a swirl of light
EXEC::env.rpg.setCam({x: 8, y: 14, playerRotation: -45, playerTilt: -30});env.rpg.actors.vekoa_boss.piece.moveToCoords(0, 0, {follow: false});flash(false)
there is the sound of an impact--no, three, around me
EXEC::env.rpg.p2strike();flash(false);env.rpg.setCam({x: 8, y: 14, playerRotation: -45, playerTilt: -30})
WAIT::3000
my friends are thrown away by sudden, fierce strikes
EXEC::env.rpg.setCam({x: 8, y: 14, playerRotation: -45, playerTilt: -30})
and before i can even flex the nerve of the timestopper again,
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.vekoa_boss.piece.moveToCoords(8, 15, {follow: true})
my body registers a new wound--two--and more...
EXEC::forcePlay('stab');
vekoa's claws have dug through my flesh, before casting me towards the core
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.akizet.piece.knockback({direction:"up", strength: 3, follow: false});env.rpg.actors.vekoa_boss.piece.moveToCoords(8, 14, {follow: false})
as i strike the ground, attempting to rise...
EXEC::env.rpg.setCam({x: 8, y: 12, playerRotation: -45, playerTilt: -30})
vekoa looms
my mind roils with the okidoia again, a shout
EXEC::body.classList.add('vis-flash', 'vis6')
okidoia
¤Âæ©ceded control to ®÷·¤¤…
EXEC::flash(true);body.classList.add('vis-flash-blur')
to save them±y™£Vâ€
N©÷·./ ò¤,_)Ë Ã‡)šš« DËÅ?}
sourceless
what is she really trying to tell me?
EXEC::flash(false)
why bother speaking at all?
EXEC::body.classList.remove('vis-flash', 'vis6', 'vis-flash-blur')
it had occurred to me before, but...
could she truly not <em>want</em> to kill us? are we forcing her claws?
would she prefer we simply leave?
besides, after so much death, why would she care to spare <em>us?</em>
but before she can continue, the air shimmers behind her,
and the distinctive glow of a disabler pulses
telyu--she is here!!
EXEC::midCombatActorAdd(env.rpg.allyTeam, "telyu");env.rpg.actors.telyu.piece.moveToCoords(8, 15)
she activates the disabler, and its spikes lodge into the back of vekoa's loose shape, causing her to break apart further
EXEC::play('shot2', 0.6);env.rpg.actors.akizet.piece.moveToCoords(7,11);env.rpg.actors.vekoa_boss.piece.moveToCoords(8, 10, {follow: true});env.rpg.actors.vekoa_boss.sprite.querySelector('img').src = "/img/sprites/vekoa/vekoaspec_shot.gif"
sending her forward in an uneasy stumble
i scramble away while her conjured form writhes, struggling to hold shape
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.akizet.piece.stepToCoords(8,13)
briefly uncloaked, telyu tosses a collection of restoratives and supplies to us, salvaged from the dull mind
EXEC::addItem("restorative", 6);addItem("kavruka", 4);addItem("aima_cyst", 2);env.rpg.actorList.forEach(a=>a.hp = a.maxhp)
before vanishing once more - no time to gloat
EXEC::midCombatActorRemove(env.rpg.actors.telyu)
still, vekoa is recovering... a simple disabler would not stop this
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.gakvu.piece.stepToCoords(6,14, {follow: false});env.rpg.actors.cavik.piece.stepToCoords(10,14, {follow: false});env.rpg.actors.bozko.piece.stepToCoords(9, 13, {follow: false})
and she is not the only threat here
i know what must be done
i reach out through the timestopper...
akizet
each of you have such a vital role in recovery
bozko in surviving collapse, cavik in severing these veins, gakvu in groundsmindry...
so let this be my final act as your leader
go, detonate the other veins
i will entertain vekoa
sourceless
there is a rise from all of them across our connection
the impulse that they may protest, that what i am doing is unwise
bozko most of all
but even they see - if we split vekoa's focus, it will grow weak
and so, in wordless compliance,
they collect telyu's resources, preparing to charge ahead to sever the other veins, while i...
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.akizet.piece.stepToCoords(8,12);env.rpg.halt = false;flash(true);closeCombat(env.rpg.enemyTeam)
WAIT::3000
THEN::env.grm.combat("ep4_vek_pt2")
i advance upon vekoa, striking her and sending us both into the blinding vortex around the core
EXEC::flash(false);
sys
ANALYSIS::'context shift'
NOTICE::'entities';'VEKOA';'AKIZET';'act twice'
NOTICE::'actions altered'
WARNING::'items disabled'
sourceless
this close to the core, the overlap is even more oppressive...
it is impossible to see outside, like the eye of a great storm
the ceremony claws at the gate that is the core,
arcing with dangerous, uncontrolled dull light
i must take care as i deal with vekoa, sparse on resources as i am
and it may be impossible to truly kill her like this
but all i must do is keep her busy...
RESPONSES::akizet
begin<+>END
SHOWIF::["gameplay_off", false]
FAKEEND::(continue)
Akizet's Duel Phase 1 is Bypassed
sourceless
it is as i hoped
WAIT::1000
THEN::env.rpg.classList.add('hideteams');env.rpg.actors.akizet.piece.moveToCoords(2, 3);env.rpg.actors.vekoa_1v1.piece.moveToCoords(2, 5);env.rpg.setCam({playerRotation: -90, playerTilt: -10, x: 2, y: 4});flash(false)
dividing her focus between me and the others has made her vulnerable
it is a vicious exchange of blows, and i suffer heavily for it
but i knew the risks
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>CHANGE::vekoa_p3
Akizet's Duel Phase 1 Victory
vekoa recoils from my strikes, her shape nearly breaking apart again
EXEC::env.rpg ? env.rpg.classList.add("hideteams") : 0;flash(true)
she is off-balance, distracted--she must be shifting focus to the others
and so, as we continue, my mind's eye is drawn to them as well...
EXEC::if(env.rpg) {env.rpg.halt = false;flash(true);closeCombat(env.rpg.enemyTeam)} else {flash(true)}
WAIT::2500
THEN::flash(false);env.grm.combat("ep4_vek_pt3");removeStatus(env.rpg.actors.cavik, "fear")
between my movements and my strikes, i can lend guidance
sourceless
the chamber around them almost seems larger, stretched, yet restricted
EXEC::env.rpg.setCam({x: 8, y: 5, playerRotation: -0, playerTilt: -20})
as the ceremony destabilizes, so too does the shape of this twisted chamber
critical veins nearby flicker with instability, incorporeal
EXEC::env.rpg.setCam({x: 9, y: 2, playerRotation: -0, playerTilt: -40})
gleaming images of large golems ahead warp the space - they must be the source of this shielding
a strange leverage keeping the ceremony's organs out of reach...
they must be destroyed first
timestopper
there are so many, still...
and they will keep coming
just press on
sourceless quiet
as they start to advance, a disabler burst suddenly disperses one of their foes
WAIT::2000
sourceless
telyu has come to help... without a timestopper?
karik clings to her shoulder, seeming to act as extra eyes
both of these motions are incredibly reckless
but no one needs to speak of the danger,
for danger is of no consequence in these final moments
they must clear the way
EXEC::env.rpg.currentActor.piece.focusOnTile()
RESPONSES::akizet
begin<+>END
EXEC::env.rpg.classList.remove("hideteams");env.rpg.currentActor.piece.startMovement()
SHOWIF::["gameplay_off", false]
FAKEEND::(continue)
begin<+>nogame
SHOWIF::["gameplay_off", true]
EXEC::flash(true)
FAKEEND::(continue)
Team's Combat is Bypassed
sourceless
the team advances, tearing apart foes and covering one another
EXEC::flash(true)
the golems pose a great threat in how they wield the overlap's light
but as a stranded surface team might fend off a pack of predators,
my friends work together in a silent flow
but eventually... something catches them by surprise
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>CHANGE::vekoa_p3_tozik
Tozik Assists Team
sourceless
the dull light bends near an edge of the space - something pressing through
we expect to see another foe, but... the new shape is familiar
tozik, distorted... much like malvi appeared to us
EXEC::flash(false);midCombatActorAdd(env.rpg.allyTeam, "tozik_npc");env.rpg.actors.tozik_npc.piece.focusOnTile()
a wave of immense dread passes through the connector
is he lost? a part of the ceremony? how is he moving?
but fears fade as he charges ahead, towards our foes, corruskivi ready
is this his promised resurgence??
the help is not unwelcome, but...
disconnected as he is, there is no time to argue
EXEC::env.rpg.currentActor.piece.focusOnTile()
RESPONSES::akizet
continue<+>END
Team's Combat is Bypassed
together, with great effort, they tear through these foes
and where blows may have been fatal, there is tozik
he is repairing their wounds with more efficiency than ever before,
as if he is thriving in this warped space, in his altered state
in time, the golems struggle to hold under their assault
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>CHANGE::vekoa_p4
Team Victory, Akizet's Duel Continues
sourceless
as the protectors snap apart, the overlap constricts
EXEC::if(!env?.rpg?.active) flash(true);imagePreload(["/img/sprites/vekoa/vekoaspec_despair.gif", "/img/sprites/vekoa/vekoaspec_activefreak.gif"])
the veins feel closer - it is their chance to strike
cavik hurries ahead to sever them, and--
WAIT::2500
sourceless quiet
i step back from vekoa as she lunges at me, a narrow miss
EXEC::play("miss", 0.75)
it is rare that she misses, though the same could be said for me
but she follows with a successful strike, and i am flung away...
EXEC::play("stab");env.rpg.actors.akizet.piece.knockback({direction: "left", strength: 2, follow: false});env.rpg.actors.vekoa_1v1.piece.moveToCoords(5, 7)
we are both ragged, and though it is clear that she can simply reform...
while fighting on two fronts, she is unable to spend the focus
but before i can retaliate, a great blast rocks the space, and the overlap writhes
EXEC::flash(true);play('criticalError', 0.3)
WAIT::2000
another critical strike to the ceremony
they have done it
and from what i sense from their thoughts,
i need only occupy vekoa just a little longer...
her claws come up to grip her face, where they break apart into countless tendrils
EXEC::flash(true)
WAIT::400
THEN::env.rpg.actors.vekoa_1v1.sprite.querySelector('img').src = "/img/sprites/vekoa/vekoaspec_despair.gif";env.rpg.actors.vekoa_1v1.sprite.querySelector('img').style.width = "150px";flash(false)
her entire body is fraying - the illusion of familiarity is broken
okidoia::dark
S T O P
R E TU RN
PLæE§½
IÜ4‡þøïaøknow what must be done
the only way to recover¥¨äãR˜Òw"
É…VE rýÒ;-nË
sourceless quiet
clearer meaning now... but it does not matter
it is far too late
sourceless
that any of this - the slaughter above, worst of all - could somehow be undone
it is nonsense, especially when spoken by its perpetrator
but behind her, something emerges from the blinding core...
a malformed shape - stumbling, lopsided, dark
before i can make out any detail, the threads that formed vekoa stab into it
EXEC::flash(true)
WAIT::400
THEN::env.rpg.actors.vekoa_1v1.sprite.querySelector('img').src = "/img/sprites/vekoa/vekoaspec_activefreak.gif";env.rpg.actors.vekoa_1v1.sprite.classList.add('freakmode');env.rpg.actors.vekoa_1v1.sprite.querySelector('img').style.width = ""
weaving through it like the toothed roots of a veilk leg, plunging into soil
EXEC::flash(false)
it was a body... her body?
the combined form is hideous, terrifying, half-formed of physical corru
EXEC::env.chrome ? env.rpg.setCam({x: 5, y: 10, playerRotation: 0, perspective: "1000px", distance: 0, playerTilt: 0, height: 0.75, hideAllies: true, detailMode: true, gridTileSize: 200}) : env.rpg.setCam({x: 5, y: 7, playerRotation: 0, distance: 2, playerTilt: 20, height: 1, detailMode: true, hideAllies: true, gridTileSize: 200, perspective: "1000px"})
and her posture, receptors, gaze - even the feeling in the air,
is a bone-chilling hatred, blame, burning into me
okidoia::dark
cÅ4Ä–sT ý æôr,§½ÿlf
ÄS¿De
sourceless quiet
if she pulled her body out, to manipulate it directly...
then it cannot be her, right? for i feel that the others are still fighting
sourceless
is her mind in this body?
or is it in the ceremony's flesh?
something else?
there is no time to think about it
this twisted amalgamation is coming for me
RESPONSES::akizet
begin<+>END
SHOWIF::["gameplay_off", false]
Akizet's Duel Phase 2 is Bypassed
sourceless
its strikes are more relentless than ever, made sharper by its new shape
EXEC::flash(true)
new limbs draw from vekoa's twisted form, knocking me away, trying to throw me into the overlap's distortion
my body is falling apart
and i can only follow old instincts--stabbing at what seems vital
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>CHANGE::vekoa_p5
Akizet's Duel Phase 2 Victory
sourceless
vekoa staggers away from me, rapidly patching physical wounds with the ceremony's tendrils,
EXEC::flash(false)
replacing joints and patches of flesh i have broken with blinding dull light
okidoia::dark
¦(ÛÂc\½‰still time still ti m e t her re
pl»˜¿Šé¦ …#ñ st#Þø TH‹î
L I S T E N L I S T E NbŠÞÃaü1
sourceless
its patchwork shape exposes the familiar truth
this is nothing but a corpse made to dance by the tendons of a beast
if only i had the same advantage
funfriend
akizet at least two internal regulators are broken now!
your left leg is going to stop working soon!!
sourceless
it does not matter, funfriend
actually...
funfriend: assume motor control
directive: fight off vekoa
do what i have been doing
funfriend
akizet...
this is not really my area of expertise!!
sourceless
do it
funfriend
ok ok ok
utilizing archived movements!
i will do my best!
sourceless
funfriend seems to have taken note of my aggression, for i begin to advance...
i would normally never command funfriend to handle such a critical moment
but what happens to me now does not matter
it is the others who must complete their task
EXEC::env.rpg.halt = false;flash(true);closeCombat(env.rpg.enemyTeam)
WAIT::2500
THEN::flash(false);env.grm.combat("ep4_vek_pt5");removeStatus(env.rpg.actors.cavik, "fear");
sourceless
with the ceremony so broken, the remaining space of the overlap is hard to even understand
the core's gateway, the eye, continues to grow more unstable behind them
EXEC::env.rpg.setCam({x: 3, y: 15, playerRotation: 45, playerTilt: -15})
and the path, what should be another part of the circular chamber,
is stretched, twisted in a coil between the core and another bundle of veins
its tendrils are wrapped around this remaining space,
displacing the chamber's physicality, acting as barriers
an understanding is shared in our connection:
with the overlap so strained,
this must be the last of the ceremony's critical veins
EXEC::env.rpg.setCam({x: 3, y: 0, playerRotation: 45, playerTilt: -15})
so, they must only strike one more time...
and it will snap apart
RESPONSES::akizet
begin<+>END
Team's Combat is Bypassed
sourceless
one more time, they advance, tearing apart the foes and walls that block their way
EXEC::flash(true)
vekoa's parasite has grown desperate, merely half-forming shapes to fight them
it cannot keep up with the team's momentum
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>CHANGE::vekoa_p6
Team Reaches Last Vein
sourceless
as the team approaches the last veins...
EXEC::env.rpg.halt = true
sourceless quiet
a critical alert passes through my body, something approximating immense pain
EXEC::flash(true);closeCombat(env.rpg.enemyTeam);forcePlay('stab', 0.75)
WAIT::2500
THEN::flash(false);env.grm.combat("ep4_vek_pt6");env.rpg.setCam({x: 5, y: 5, playerRotation: -90, playerTilt: -10});env.rpg.classList.add('hideteams')
i am torn back to focus upon my body by the shock
EXEC::env.rpg.actors.akizet.piece.knockback({direction: "up", strength: 1, follow: false})
how much have i bled?
funfriend
ahaha akizet you must take over again! now!
i really cannot keep doing this!!!
i am doing everything i can just to keep your limbs working!
sourceless
thank you, funfriend
if vekoa manages to get the best of me, she will probably only reach for my mindcore
should i fall, you need to...
funfriend
akizet just focus on surviving ok i do not have time to negotiate with you
sourceless
yes--you are right
as much as i am falling apart,
so too is vekoa's body
i only need to occupy it for a θblink longer...
the team is ready to destroy what must be the last of the veins
but as i seize control, preparing to move again,
the body speaks
okidoia::dark
ãŒhls t o p s s top st tp ss to p
Œ’^ÂÊ®§s from despair, to shock, to joyous tears
they à Ûƒž¼™‘½ûQr¬Æwithin5|Œ’^
sourceless
it is weeping, and begging, and attempting to force fragmented memories into my mind
but... a social parasite would realize by now that this ploy is futile
it should be senselessly attacking me, and yet here it is, begging us to stop
that quiet doubt within me surfaces yet again
what if i have been wrong? missing some critical piece, here?
well--so what if i am?
even if there is something left within,
it is far too late for any change of course
to deviate would be to abandon all of the survivors above
i will not leave them to their fate
sys
ATTENTION::"current memory stream near conclusion"
RESPONSES::akizet
survive<+>END
Akizet's Duel Final Phase is Bypassed
sourceless
more haggard than ever, i stumble between strikes, dodging what i can, but...
EXEC::flash(true)
soon i struggle to even stand, my sight wavering with trauma-induced incoherence
try as i might, i cannot keep up with this monster
but that is fine... the team is about to end this
and that is all that matters
with a relieved laugh, i charge into one last assault upon her
again, and again...
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>CHANGE::vekoaboss_clear
Akizet is Victorious
sourceless
and with a final strike,
EXEC::env.rpg.classList.add('hideteams');flash(false);env.rpg.actors.akizet.piece ? env.rpg.actors.akizet.piece.moveToCoords(3, 7) : '';env.rpg.actors.vekoa_1v1.piece.moveToCoords(5, 7);env.rpg.setCam({x: 5, y: 9, playerRotation: 0, perspective: "1000px", distance: 0, playerTilt: 0, height: 0.5, hideAllies: true, detailMode: true, gridTileSize: 200});env.rpg.actors.vekoa_1v1.sprite.querySelector('img').src = "/img/sprites/vekoa/vekoaspec_activefreak.gif";env.rpg.grid.tileEffects.forEach(e => env.rpg.grid.deleteTileEffect(e))
____SHOWIF::["PAGE!!akizetblunder", false]
sourceless
vekoa's crumbling form erodes further
where it falls to the ground, still clinging to her physical form
and... where it remains
why did it stop?
okidoia::dark
th e ir b lo o d•œ°!
„‡¬on l y yÔ_u–.r c l aw s^{zŒÙ¬
sourceless
the voice is weak, shuddering--as if sobbing
it seems so sincere that i cannot bring myself to strike again
all of this...
no parasite would go to such lengths
this thought inspires such terrible fear
i slowly approach, limping, claws still ready--but i cannot leave this uninterrogated
akizet
vekoa
what do you mean?
sourceless
the shape that looks up at me is almost unrecognizable
and the okidoia comes to speak again...
If Akizet is Injured
sourceless
i lose my footing, my limbs failing to respond
and now, vekoa's body staggers closer, its twisted shape lost in the haze
it does not matter - this was my part to play, so that the others could succeed
if this is what i deserve, what velzie has chosen for me, then...
goodbye, funfriend
if you should be spared,
protect these events with greater care than any other
funfriend
i will akizet
sourceless
the darkness, the dull light, they twist together
vekoa's mangled form seems infinite, stretching up into them both
EXEC::env.rpg.setCam({x: 5, y: 8.5, playerRotation: 0, perspective: "1000px", distance: 0, playerTilt: 60, height: 0.5, hideAllies: true, detailMode: true, gridTileSize: 200});env.rpg.actors.vekoa_1v1.sprite.querySelector('img').style.width = "450px"
it stops, simply looming nearby
the shape that looks down at me is almost unrecognizable
its claws close and open, splitting into threads of light with every motion
does she know it is done? is she fighting against what holds her?
okidoia::dark
th e ir b lo o d•œ°!
„‡¬on l y yÔ_u–.r c l aw s^{zŒÙ¬
sourceless
despite everything, the voice is weak, shuddering--as if sobbing
as it passes through me, there is such hatred, such despair
it knows it is over, but no, this is not some fight for control...
and these feelings--it does not want to kill me?
vekoa takes another step closer, stance wavering, gripping what used to be her face,
and the okidoia comes to speak again...
EXEC::change("ep4_died", true)
Dialogue Continues
sourceless quiet
but it is a sudden scream, beyond sound, accompanied by a great blast
EXEC::play("scarydoia", 0.5);flash(true);ratween(env.bgm, 0.1, 8000)
WAIT::3000
THEN::play("scarydoia", 0.5);forcePlay("dull", 0.5)
for a θblink, i lose my vision in a disorienting warping of space--or, unwarping...
EXEC::env.rpg.halt = false;closeCombat(env.rpg.enemyTeam)
WAIT::3000
sourceless
the last tendril was severed... and with that, the overlap suddenly closed
EXEC::setCam();changeStage("grm_core")
just as idril said, cleaving the ceremony from velzie's stage entirely
we stand within the groundsmindry core chamber... as it should be
in the absence of the dull's light, vekoa's body slumps to the side, lifeless
falling apart into separate limbs, sludge
she was only animated by the ceremony's limbs
indeed, this is victory, but...
she was blaming me?
why? why??
was she merely enraged that we stopped her contrivance?
a reasonable assumption, but...
it feels like she meant something else
If Akizet is Injured
sourceless
why not repay me with death, like the others?
in her eyes, should i not have deserved it the most?
Dialogue Continues
what could she know? what could have driven this?!
while my thoughts are paralyzed by fear,
across the timestopper, there is an instant of hope and celebration
timestopper
it is done! it is done!!
quickly, to the core, now!
huh--tozik??
sourceless
but then i see him - tozik
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "far"})
just as the overlap left vekoa's body,
so too has it left his
he has crumpled to the ground, his body barely holding form
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "show far"})
bozko and gakvu move to help, while cavik quickly sets to tending his wounds
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "showleft far", bozko: "showright far", cavik: "show far"})
and even worse--another distant snap shakes the embassy
the same as when we entered... a concerning new pattern
karik calls from telyu's shoulder
EXEC::vnp({gakvu: "hide", bozko: "hide", cavik: "hide", tozik: "hide", karik: "show"})
karik
good work! but! everyone!!
after that first rumble, i checked the corroyi heart diagnostics...
at least two of the embassy's upper hearts have been lost!
the lower hearts will begin to explode under the stress as well, at a faster rate
it is just like before--just like i predicted!
total collapse is not just guaranteed, it is imminent!
forget the plan! we need to evacuate immediately!!
akizet
what?
no... after everything?!
bozko
that is not an option, karik
EXEC::vnp({bozko: "show"})
karik
look, even if groundsmindry were used,
EXEC::vnp({bozko: "hide"})
there is no time to find survivors and bring them to the hangar
let alone enough corroyi flow strength at this point to bring anyone that high
telyu
do not tell me i risked my θdeath here for nothing
EXEC::vnp({telyu: "showleft"})
karik
no no--telyu, we can use the core, but not to delay the collapse
EXEC::vnp({telyu: "hide"})
we can use it to escape, before the pressure becomes critical!
it can form an exit to the exterior!
akizet
that... that is reasonable...
but we could not have come so far just to fail
what of the surviving qou above?
surely there is something we can do?!
sourceless
i look amongst the most savvy of our crew
idril, having crept into the chamber, is uninvested
gakvu stands aloof, seemingly resigned
even karik seems convinced that escape is our only option...
to not even try would be heartless - too cruel even for velzie's plot
but tozik speaks up, voice distorted with true pain
even now, with his body barely holding together, he still simulates pain...
tozik
if we can force a tunnel to the outside...
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "showleft focus"})
what stops us from doing that everywhere?
pouring the embassy's contents out of its sides
the odds of survival would...
karik
that would be suicide!!
EXEC::vnp({karik: "focus"})
i mean--the structure would give way almost immediately, like freefall!
the amount of stress it would cause...
anyone--whoever uses the groundsmindry to do this, umm...
would not survive, no chance!
to say nothing of the consequences for the cousins' ecosystem...
but... yes, anyone within the upper θsegments would have a good chance of survival...
idril
heeey, but since the core was connected to all of this...
EXEC::vnp({idril: "showright focus"})
what if it itself is strange, now?
a carrier for the affliction, you know?
it read as normal elsewhere, but...
tozik
enough
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "focus", idril: "hide", karik: "hide"})
let me take the core
hehe... i am not making it out of here
and even if i did...
i still feel it, grasping at me... even if this seems to have delayed it
this body, this mind, very soon, they will not be mine
i am no structural expert, but i am skilled in enforcing corru patterns
i will use the core's authorization to reshape the timestopper into a relay,
use that to connect with the spine again,
and then coordinate the structural shift quickly
with the right spacing and flow, chambers should be carried harmlessly out
across the island, some into the waters,
where they will be easy enough to recover
bozko
and i will stay
EXEC::vnp({bozko: "show focus"})
it is like we planned
with my high pressure qou-body, we can both survive
there may be a cure for the affliction
even if it is imperfect, like zuzucri-masks
sourceless
the weight in his voice...
he is right, technically
there is a chance that he could help tozik survive, if the affliction is not truly fatal
after all, it could be that we simply do not understand it
idril did say she never saw its end result
though, tozik bore a grim resemblance to malvi, the archivist, just moments ago...
but regardless of the possibilities, this offer comes from a dark place
from what i have come to know, he must see final death as the only way to recover
SHOWIF::"gol__bozko-notalone"
bozko is spiraling
eyes shift from him to gakvu, cavik, tozik...
who themselves are in quiet discussion
but with this focus, tozik turns his voice to all of us
tozik
fine
EXEC::vnp({bozko: "defocus"})
we will do this together
i will begin the process, and then we use your chassis to survive
sourceless
he is not even debating it?!
karik
what? no!
EXEC::vnp({karik: "show far"})
that is stupid!
both of you--this whole place will be pulverized!
you cannot!!
cavik
bozko...
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "showleft far"})
bozko
no more of this
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "hide", karik: "hide"})
if that is how it must be, then fine
and if my presence gives even a slim chance for tozik to survive, then that is enough
sourceless
the resolve in their voices silence karik's protests
i understand, too - no matter the odds, they must attempt it
and bozko will not be swayed from his course in what little time we have
we all know this
tozik
excellent
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "focus"})
everyone, disconnect from the timestopper
i must have all of its strength upon myself for this
and it may not be wise for us to share a connection regardless
once i have re-established the connection, i will announce the plan throughout the spire
the hangar will be forced open, all vessels commanded to take flight and locate their hosts
then, i will initiate structural ejection
starting with this θsegment, so that movefriend can carry you to the waters
the cascading flood of subsequent spire openings should be safer for qou in upper areas
once the pattern is enacted, i will deliver my mindcore unto bozko, and we will await retrieval
understood?
sourceless
tozik's cold way of speaking has given way to confidence, pained as he is
bozko lingers near the core, similarly certain in his choice
there is no way they can survive this...
and both surely know it
but no one will contest these choices
nor will the likelihood of their deaths be vocalized any more
this must be done - for the good of all qou left
akizet
yes, tozik...
understood
may velzie smile upon you both
gakvu
it will be fine, especially with bozko here
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "defocus", bozko: "hide", gakvu: "show"})
we will see you again after this
you still owe me that receptor curl, you know
cavik
and here--these might help for when you take cover...
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "show"})
sourceless
as we all remove our connectors, giving one to tozik,
cavik also leaves behind his ablative applicators
to form a barrier! a wise decision
even if it is only a gesture, it may actually help... maybe
before any more goodbyes can be had, another rumble shakes the structure
myriad hairline fractures form in the pale shell of this place
tozik
thank you cavik, but enough talk
EXEC::vnp({cavik: "hide", gakvu: "hide"})
that must have been another heart
bozko - escort them
it will not be long before debris becomes a problem, even with our plan
once you have seen them to movefriend, return here
bozko
got it
tozik
goodbye, everyone
sourceless
his gaze passes over us one more time, before he limps to the core
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "show far"})
we meet eyes for an instant, but there is nothing more to be said
tozik presses against the core's twisted shell, then steps through it
EXEC::vnp({tozik: "hide"})
it is time to go
RESPONSES::akizet
...<+>CHANGE::entrancefinal
Escape
sourceless
tozik was right - the room is crumbling
EXEC::change("PAGE!!e4prog", 16);changeStage("grm_entry");setCam({x: 9, y:3, rotation: 90});env.embassy.slowCam()
spireblood pours through cracks in the walls,
and i stagger through the flood, my body on the verge of collapse
EXEC::setCam({x: 7, y:4, rotation: 80})
fortunately, movefriend holds beyond, no doubt strained itself,
EXEC::setCam({x: 6, y:5, rotation: 145})
connected through a narrow channel that presses it against the entrance
EXEC::setCam({x: 5, y:5, rotation: 180})
through every working terminal and golem, through all communications, tozik is already broadcasting the plan
the repurposing of the timestopper must have worked!!
tozik
attention - to any who still live
embassy collapse is imminent, but we have seized the core
EXEC::setCam({x: 5, y:8, rotation: 180})
a new structural pattern is being propagated now to provide escape
shelter in your chambers <em>immediately,</em> and brace yourselves
momentarily, the spire will begin creating tunnels through the outer walls
EXEC::setCam({x: 5, y:10, rotation: 180})
i will see to it that the spireblood carries you into the waters below
your vessels have been instructed to seek you out
may velzie smile upon you all
sourceless
as tozik concludes, we begin to enter movefriend...
sourceless quiet
but then there is a loud crash in the chamber behind us
EXEC::change("PAGE!!e4prog", 17);refreshStage();setCam({x: 5, y:13, rotation: 180});play('hit', 0.5);forcePlay("dull", 0.5)
the walls and ceiling have all bowed inwards from a shift in the pressure,
EXEC::setCam({x: 5, y:15, rotation: 0})
sourceless
crushing the chamber and blocking the path back to the core
EXEC::setCam({x: 5, y:13, rotation: 0})
while the rest of the team shelters within the movefriend, i linger out with bozko,
EXEC::vnp({bozko: "show shiftright"})
who is desperately seeking a way back
EXEC::vnp({bozko: "show fardown"})
tozik addresses bozko directly
tozik
do not worry
that one was me
bozko
what?!
tozik
bozko, there is no way your body would hold
only one of us needs to meet our final death here
i will keep velzie entertained in your stead
goodbye, my friend
bozko
no, no, let me through!!
you idiot!!
akizet
bozko, he is right! you must come!
sourceless
tozik's focus has departed, and return is impossible
spireblood is gushing from the crushed chamber into our passage, coating the floor
still, bozko claws furiously at the debris, receptors twisted into coils
i step in to grab one of his gauntlets and pull him to face me
akizet
we must leave <em>now</em> or the movefriend will flood!
bozko, please - i do not want to lose another friend this θgaze
sourceless
he will not meet my eyes, but after a silent moment,
sourceless quiet
he twists back, slamming a mighty punch against the debris, crunching it inwards
EXEC::play("hit", 0.5);
sourceless
the sound rings through the hall, earning the eyes of our allies
but with that he relents, turning to join me, and we step into the movefriend together
EXEC::setCam();changeStage("embassy_relocator");setCam({rotation: 180});vn.done()
once we are inside, movefriend seals the entrance
movefriend
hello friends!
EXEC::setCam({rotation: 180, x: 3, y: 4})
i am currently hardening my shell according to tozik's instruction!
please prepare for extreme turbulence!
here, i will make some seats to hold you!
sourceless
movefriend's inner shape shifts, and we find secure seats against the walls
EXEC::setCam({rotation: 130, x: 5, y: 3})
even if our bodies are damaged, our mindcores should remain - all that matters
but as we brace... i hear tozik over communications
tozik
the pattern has been established, and ejection will begin in a θblink
come what may, all should know what caused this disaster
it was the source of the call, known to me as the 'meteorite'
an ancient mass of wild corru, larger than any we have ever known
around it swirls a clandestine conflict of two opposing factions of our own people,
those who believe...
sourceless
he recites what we have learned, and if this is over all communications...
cavik and i - the only among us with working communicators, i believe - suddenly meet gazes
EXEC::setCam({rotation: 90, x: 5, y: 3});vnp({gakvu: "show far", bozko: "show far", cavik: "show far", telyu: "show far", idril: "show far", karik: "show far", bg: true})
we share a wordless mutual concern
tozik's words each tear the veil further, reaching beyond the embassy
this was not part of the plan...
and with our learnings shared comes a new worry
the storm is spilling further into consequence, just like miltza said
what will this bring? will this be enough to reveal the truth to all? to spark change?
a rapid flow of corroyi starts to rumble around movefriend
these thoughts must come later
karik clings to telyu, bozko and cavik brace in their seats, idril seems to relax,
and something about gakvu catches my gaze
a melancholic spiral in her receptors, yet some slight pride shows in its angle
perhaps at simply having survived with us? perhaps she played a part in this deceit with bozko?
still, after everything, the movefriend now feels so empty
i can only pray that velzie allows our decisions to be right
akizet
goodbye, tozik
sourceless
we lurch to the side as the ejection begins
EXEC::flash(true);vn.done()
quickly turning into a spinning, crashing tumble,
as the movefriend endures impact after impact
it is over at last
sys
ATTENTION::'memory stream end';'terminating'
NOTICE::'iteration context';'COLLAPSE';'closed'
RESPONSES::self
...<+>closeout
SHOWIF::["ep4__entrancefinal-closeout", false]
FAKEEND::(end iteration)
...<+>END
SHOWIF::"ep4__entrancefinal-closeout"
FAKEEND::(end iteration)
EXEC::moveTo("/local/ocean/embassy/");flash(false)
Velzie Encounter
unknown
over at last...
what a nice thought
you understand now
what i wanted to show you
i do so wish it ended here
self
velzie, enough
i am running out of time
the cyst may soon be out of my hands
if you have answers, explanations,
then give them to me now
moth
whoa
oh, shit, right, velzie...
you're really playing it up, huh?
but... you're not wrong
unknown
i understand your frustration
you seek truths. interloper
NOTE::there is no comma in beech so this is the closest thing
and i am the runner who holds them
but your knowledge is where i need it to be
for now
while i believe we are on the same side...
these events you have seen. and those that follow
resourceful as you are
i cannot leave them in your care alone
sooner would i choose starvation than risk failure
so either you will help me...
or your successor will
self
you seem certain that there'll be one
unknown
hehe
that you are running out of time...
tells all
you know what i want
goodbye interloper
i will be watching
sourceless quiet
...
moth
so... how did it go?
self
it said this is where it wants us, knowledge-wise
at least until communications are repaired
moth
again?
we still don't even know if comms can be repaired in the first place
fuckk
but... if the meteorite, the conflict, the collapse...
if all of that is just like, the bait, to get us to help
then what's velzie really holding?
what we have already is world-changing...
in fact, we know so much now that this is kind of freaking me out
god, if i put in my report soon, who knows what happens...
but even if we stall some more, comms get repaired, what then?
how are they going to react to what we've been doing down here?
self
you said you wanted this to be nuclear
moth
heh, yeah...
well, fortunately, the timeline isn't that tight right now
i bought us some time by volunteering for some examination of other pieces
but... that's a bridge we're gonna have to cross soon
let's just see how it goes with the repairs for a bit, yeah?
still...
i really have this nagging feeling that we need leverage
just in case
___SHOWIF::"ozo__council-task"
self
i do have masks
EXEC::change("leverage", true)
they're in my head somehow
moth
yeah... that's right
they're always there now, huh?
self
yeah
i tried one on my terminal at another job
moth
dude... don't do that
but honestly, that's it. that's our leverage
you know how much comes through here without any results?
how much just gets hazard binned, tossed into a corrucystic waste storage plant?
if your mask things work on <em>other</em> corrucysts...
like, you can get into things that no one else can,
that could be it
and we don't need to mention that it came from this cyst, either
never mention your mask shit to anyone. i'll scrub it from my report too
let's do a blood oath right here dude. i have a pocket knife
self
ok
moth
ok??
dude, i'm kidding
that would never get past the entry detectors
anyway, i guess the only thing to do now is wait again
either till funfriend repairs something, or those other pieces come in...
so, just chill for now, all right?
____SHOWIF::["ozo__council-task", false]
self
leverage how?
EXEC::change("leverageq", true)
moth
maybe we make a deal with funfriend or something
re-install a fake auth layer?
i don't know dude
there has to be something in here that we can use
we have to be truly invaluable to the case
we scoured the embassy, so...
maybe something somewhere else, right?
self
haven't we seen everything there is?
moth
i don't know...
i just have this feeling that we're missing something important
maybe ask around
____END
RESPONSES::self
ok<+>END
EXEC::moveTo("/local/ocean/embassy/")