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				@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ src/epistolary/00043.md
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src/epistolary/00044.md
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					src/epistolary/00044.md
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src/epistolary/00045.md
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					src/epistolary/00045.md
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src/epistolary/00046.md
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					src/epistolary/00046.md
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					src/epistolary/00047.md
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src/bestiary/index.md
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					src/bestiary/index.md
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src/bestiary/aur.md
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					src/bestiary/aur.md
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src/bestiary/blahoblin.md
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					src/bestiary/blahoblin.md
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@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ Alex is like Corraidhin in some aspects, he’s younger, more brash, more given
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- Player: sinatra
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					- Player: sinatra
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- XP: 1
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					- XP: 1
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- Skills: Do Anything 1, Investigation 2, Illusions 2, Sneaking 2
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					- Skills: Do Anything 1, Investigation 2, Illusions 2, Sneaking 2, Sysorcery 2, Stabbing 2
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- Equipment: 
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					- Equipment: a bunch of STAG drones
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Paths:
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					Paths:
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							@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
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					---
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					title: 00047
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					created: Thu, 22 Dec 2022 16:51:54 -0700
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					updated: Thu, 22 Dec 2022 16:51:59 -0700
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					syndicated: yes
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					public: yes
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					---
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					### 00047 {#00047}
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					> Damn it! I should've left the little goblin in the balloon, this
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					> could get tricky..
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					> 
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					> Time slows for just the briefest of moments while Alex calculates
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					> his next move. Looking at the position of the pirates he can
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					> probably yeet the middlemost one away from the group into the left
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					> most pirate. Best case this sends both of them sailing over the
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					> edge of the ship, worst case it just slightly knocks them off
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					> balance. In either event this gives me enough time to dart from
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					> cover and quickly dispatch the right most pirate with Uncle's
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					> dagger. I've got to sever each connection point between the
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					> ecotplasm and the cybernetics, nothing quite as quick and easy as
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					> flesh and blood, but a quick slice to the left most armpit, and
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					> another to the right most leg right above the carotid artery should
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					> do it..
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					> 
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					> Jumping immediately to action Alex casts `yeet.middle_cyberplasm()`
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					> sending the middle  pirate into the left most pirate away from the
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					> hemogoblin while he dashes forward to take the third right most
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					> pirate by surprise. As he reaches the right most pirate he makes
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					> two quick slices, first at the leg, followed by a quick upper cut
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					> to the left arm.
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					<!--
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					Alex rolls Do Anything 1 to yeet the cyberplasm
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					3 = Things go poorly. Gain 1 xp.
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					Spend 1 xp to pass and gain Sysorcery 2
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					//-->
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					You channel some of the ambient environmental charge into your
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					prepared incantation. It's comforting sometimes to peer behind the
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					veil and see the world through this lens. It's so simple. The
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					separation of self and other is an illusion: everything is just a
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					table. The concept of time itself is simplified: coroutines prevent
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					everything from happening all at once and create the illusion of
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					concurrency. It's all really quite elegant.
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					Anyway so the hemogoblin sidles up next to the pirates at the
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					railing. It's not tall enough to see over the railing, and starts to
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					kind of jump up and down, trying to catch a glimpse. The pirates look
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					down at it in confusion just as the `yeet` happens, and they knock
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					into each other. The leftmost one almost manages to regain its
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					balance but then trips over the little blood gremlin and pitches over
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					the railing. The middle pirate yelps as the startled hemogoblin darts
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					between its legs to get out of the way. The pirate stumbles and then
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					slips in a small puddle of blood. Its feet shoot from beneath it and
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					it too tips over the railing.
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					<!--
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					Alex rolls Do Anything 1 to sever connections
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					1 = Things go poorly. Gain 1 xp.
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					Spend 1 xp to pass and gain Stabbing 2
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					//-->
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					The hemogoblin dashes right into the waiting arms of the rightmost
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					Cyberplasm. "Gotcha, you little ... ugh! What ..." The pirate is
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					starting to regret snatching up the little furball, which is
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					defensively gushing blood all over it, when you make your first slice
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					into its left armpit. Half its cybernetics go offline. One arm goes
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					limp and it drops the hemogoblin, which scurries around and hides
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					behind you. The pirate turns toward you, now full of regrets, and you
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					stab into its right leg, knocking its tech completely offline and
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					dispersing the ghostly energies.
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					As far as you can tell, the ship is now free of Cyberplasms.
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					The hemogoblin thrusts its tiny fists in the air and cheers.
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					> Inky shakes out several large and very fine kerchiefs, handing two
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					> each to the guides and gestures for them to cover their noses and
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					> mouths with them while they perform the action themselves to
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					> demonstrate.
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					> 
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					> Donning a pair of skydiving goggles snatched from one of the souvenir
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					> stalls at the gondola station while no one was looking (replacing it
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					> with its approximate weight in silver coins), Inky retrieves a black
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					> metal box that previously served as a portable camp stove from their
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					> knapsack and removes the lid. The inside of the box is filled with
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					> dry wood chips mixed with a pine green powder, and Inky throws in the
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					> wicks pulled from some of the scented candles that were pushed into a
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					> heater flask to melt fully during the walk up the hotel steps.
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					> Finally, Inky pours another vial of foul-smelling liquid over the
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					> contents, opens the door just wide enough to slide the metal box
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					> through to one side of the door a few paces away.
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					> 
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					> A mildly sweet, cloying smoke emanates from the flameless heat inside
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					> the box, which begin to fill the library hall with a rapidly
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					> thickening cloud. It is also taking on an acrid and slightly sooty
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					> edge. Near the door, Inky fans more of the smoke in the direction of
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					> the cyberplasmic apparition with a thin bound manuscript laying on
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					> the floor.
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					Bread, Confidence, and you all don protective gear. You push the camp
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					stove through the door like an Olympic curler. It glides across the
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					library floor a respectable distance considering the book debris and
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					the lack of sweepers. Much more quickly than one would think
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					possible, the hall is filled with a thick, sooty smoke. The
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					Cyberplasm captain groans with frustration as even the short distance
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					between it and the hotelier (and the crystal) becomes occluded in the
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					smoke screen. The hotelier wisely doesn't make a sound as he
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					disappears from view.
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					Bread nudges you, grins, and gives you a thumbs up.
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					WHAT DO YOU DO
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					[www](https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-12/msg00234.html)
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										103
									
								
								www/index.html
									
									
									
									
									
								
							
							
						
						
									
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								www/index.html
									
									
									
									
									
								
							@ -318,6 +318,7 @@ of the Were-Hare</a></li>
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<li><a href="#00044" id="toc-00044">00044</a></li>
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					<li><a href="#00044" id="toc-00044">00044</a></li>
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<li><a href="#00045" id="toc-00045">00045</a></li>
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					<li><a href="#00045" id="toc-00045">00045</a></li>
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<li><a href="#00046" id="toc-00046">00046</a></li>
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					<li><a href="#00046" id="toc-00046">00046</a></li>
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					<li><a href="#00047" id="toc-00047">00047</a></li>
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</ul></li>
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					</ul></li>
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<li><a href="#bestiary" id="toc-bestiary">Bestiary</a></li>
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					<li><a href="#bestiary" id="toc-bestiary">Bestiary</a></li>
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<li><a href="#geography" id="toc-geography">Geography</a></li>
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					<li><a href="#geography" id="toc-geography">Geography</a></li>
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@ -327,10 +328,10 @@ of the Were-Hare</a></li>
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</ul>
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					</ul>
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</nav>
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					</nav>
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<h2 id="stats">Stats</h2>
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					<h2 id="stats">Stats</h2>
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<p>Total length: 44522 words / 190 minute read. (Mind you, that’s the
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					<p>Total length: 45381 words / 193 minute read. (Mind you, that’s the
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length of this entire page, including all the extra bits and bobs. Not
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					length of this entire page, including all the extra bits and bobs. Not
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just the story.)</p>
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					just the story.)</p>
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<p>There have been 165 messages posted over 162 days since the first
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					<p>There have been 170 messages posted over 168 days since the first
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post on July 13, 2022 for a daily post rate of 1.01.</p>
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					post on July 13, 2022 for a daily post rate of 1.01.</p>
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<h2 id="about">About</h2>
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					<h2 id="about">About</h2>
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<p>This is a game that me and the kids in the basement are playing over
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					<p>This is a game that me and the kids in the basement are playing over
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@ -363,8 +364,9 @@ he can slip by.</p>
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<ul>
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					<ul>
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<li>Player: sinatra</li>
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					<li>Player: sinatra</li>
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<li>XP: 1</li>
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					<li>XP: 1</li>
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<li>Skills: Do Anything 1, Investigation 2, Illusions 2, Sneaking 2</li>
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					<li>Skills: Do Anything 1, Investigation 2, Illusions 2, Sneaking 2,
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<li>Equipment:</li>
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					Sysorcery 2, Stabbing 2</li>
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					<li>Equipment: a bunch of STAG drones</li>
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</ul>
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					</ul>
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<p>Paths:</p>
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					<p>Paths:</p>
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<ul>
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					<ul>
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@ -5156,6 +5158,99 @@ airship shifts as it starts to drift, suddenly unmoored.</p>
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<p>WHAT DO YOU DO</p>
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					<p>WHAT DO YOU DO</p>
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<p><a
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					<p><a
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href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-12/msg00231.html">www</a></p>
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					href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-12/msg00231.html">www</a></p>
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					<h3 id="00047">00047</h3>
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					<blockquote>
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					<p>Damn it! I should’ve left the little goblin in the balloon, this
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					could get tricky..</p>
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					<p>Time slows for just the briefest of moments while Alex calculates his
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					next move. Looking at the position of the pirates he can probably yeet
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					the middlemost one away from the group into the left most pirate. Best
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					case this sends both of them sailing over the edge of the ship, worst
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					case it just slightly knocks them off balance. In either event this
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					gives me enough time to dart from cover and quickly dispatch the right
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					most pirate with Uncle’s dagger. I’ve got to sever each connection point
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					between the ecotplasm and the cybernetics, nothing quite as quick and
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					easy as flesh and blood, but a quick slice to the left most armpit, and
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					another to the right most leg right above the carotid artery should do
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					it..</p>
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					<p>Jumping immediately to action Alex casts
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					<code>yeet.middle_cyberplasm()</code> sending the middle pirate into the
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					left most pirate away from the hemogoblin while he dashes forward to
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					take the third right most pirate by surprise. As he reaches the right
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					most pirate he makes two quick slices, first at the leg, followed by a
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					quick upper cut to the left arm.</p>
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					</blockquote>
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					<!--
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					Alex rolls Do Anything 1 to yeet the cyberplasm
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					3 = Things go poorly. Gain 1 xp.
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					Spend 1 xp to pass and gain Sysorcery 2
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					//-->
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					<p>You channel some of the ambient environmental charge into your
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					prepared incantation. It’s comforting sometimes to peer behind the veil
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					and see the world through this lens. It’s so simple. The separation of
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 | 
					self and other is an illusion: everything is just a table. The concept
 | 
				
			||||||
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					of time itself is simplified: coroutines prevent everything from
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					happening all at once and create the illusion of concurrency. It’s all
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					really quite elegant.</p>
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					<p>Anyway so the hemogoblin sidles up next to the pirates at the
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					railing. It’s not tall enough to see over the railing, and starts to
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					kind of jump up and down, trying to catch a glimpse. The pirates look
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					down at it in confusion just as the <code>yeet</code> happens, and they
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					knock into each other. The leftmost one almost manages to regain its
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					balance but then trips over the little blood gremlin and pitches over
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					the railing. The middle pirate yelps as the startled hemogoblin darts
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					between its legs to get out of the way. The pirate stumbles and then
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					slips in a small puddle of blood. Its feet shoot from beneath it and it
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					too tips over the railing.</p>
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					<!--
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					Alex rolls Do Anything 1 to sever connections
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					1 = Things go poorly. Gain 1 xp.
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					Spend 1 xp to pass and gain Stabbing 2
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					//-->
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					<p>The hemogoblin dashes right into the waiting arms of the rightmost
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					Cyberplasm. “Gotcha, you little … ugh! What …” The pirate is starting to
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					regret snatching up the little furball, which is defensively gushing
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					blood all over it, when you make your first slice into its left armpit.
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					Half its cybernetics go offline. One arm goes limp and it drops the
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					hemogoblin, which scurries around and hides behind you. The pirate turns
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					toward you, now full of regrets, and you stab into its right leg,
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					knocking its tech completely offline and dispersing the ghostly
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					energies.</p>
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					<p>As far as you can tell, the ship is now free of Cyberplasms.</p>
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					<p>The hemogoblin thrusts its tiny fists in the air and cheers.</p>
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					<blockquote>
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					<p>Inky shakes out several large and very fine kerchiefs, handing two
 | 
				
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					each to the guides and gestures for them to cover their noses and mouths
 | 
				
			||||||
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					with them while they perform the action themselves to demonstrate.</p>
 | 
				
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					<p>Donning a pair of skydiving goggles snatched from one of the souvenir
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 | 
					stalls at the gondola station while no one was looking (replacing it
 | 
				
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 | 
					with its approximate weight in silver coins), Inky retrieves a black
 | 
				
			||||||
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					metal box that previously served as a portable camp stove from their
 | 
				
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 | 
					knapsack and removes the lid. The inside of the box is filled with dry
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					wood chips mixed with a pine green powder, and Inky throws in the wicks
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					pulled from some of the scented candles that were pushed into a heater
 | 
				
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 | 
					flask to melt fully during the walk up the hotel steps. Finally, Inky
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					pours another vial of foul-smelling liquid over the contents, opens the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					door just wide enough to slide the metal box through to one side of the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					door a few paces away.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					<p>A mildly sweet, cloying smoke emanates from the flameless heat inside
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					the box, which begin to fill the library hall with a rapidly thickening
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					cloud. It is also taking on an acrid and slightly sooty edge. Near the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					door, Inky fans more of the smoke in the direction of the cyberplasmic
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					apparition with a thin bound manuscript laying on the floor.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					</blockquote>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					<p>Bread, Confidence, and you all don protective gear. You push the camp
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					stove through the door like an Olympic curler. It glides across the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					library floor a respectable distance considering the book debris and the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					lack of sweepers. Much more quickly than one would think possible, the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					hall is filled with a thick, sooty smoke. The Cyberplasm captain groans
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					with frustration as even the short distance between it and the hotelier
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					(and the crystal) becomes occluded in the smoke screen. The hotelier
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					wisely doesn’t make a sound as he disappears from view.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					<p>Bread nudges you, grins, and gives you a thumbs up.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					<p>WHAT DO YOU DO</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					<p><a
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-12/msg00234.html">www</a></p>
 | 
				
			||||||
<h2 id="bestiary">Bestiary</h2>
 | 
					<h2 id="bestiary">Bestiary</h2>
 | 
				
			||||||
<p>Some of the creatures who inhabit the world of Basmentaria</p>
 | 
					<p>Some of the creatures who inhabit the world of Basmentaria</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
<dt>
 | 
					<dt>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
				
			|||||||
							
								
								
									
										475
									
								
								www/rss.xml
									
									
									
									
									
								
							
							
						
						
									
										475
									
								
								www/rss.xml
									
									
									
									
									
								
							@ -297,6 +297,123 @@
 | 
				
			|||||||
        ]]>
 | 
					        ]]>
 | 
				
			||||||
      </description>
 | 
					      </description>
 | 
				
			||||||
    </item>
 | 
					    </item>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					    <item>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					      <title>47</title>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					      <author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					      <guid isPermaLink="false">47 - Thu, 22 Dec 2022 16:51:54
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					-0700</guid>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					      <pubDate>Thu, 22 Dec 2022 16:51:59 -0700</pubDate>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					      <description>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					        <![CDATA[
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <h3 id="00047">00047</h3>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <blockquote>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>Damn it! I should’ve left the little goblin in the balloon,
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          this could get tricky..</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>Time slows for just the briefest of moments while Alex
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          calculates his next move. Looking at the position of the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          pirates he can probably yeet the middlemost one away from the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          group into the left most pirate. Best case this sends both of
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          them sailing over the edge of the ship, worst case it just
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          slightly knocks them off balance. In either event this gives
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          me enough time to dart from cover and quickly dispatch the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          right most pirate with Uncle’s dagger. I’ve got to sever each
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          connection point between the ecotplasm and the cybernetics,
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          nothing quite as quick and easy as flesh and blood, but a
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          quick slice to the left most armpit, and another to the right
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          most leg right above the carotid artery should do it..</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>Jumping immediately to action Alex casts
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <code>yeet.middle_cyberplasm()</code> sending the middle
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          pirate into the left most pirate away from the hemogoblin
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          while he dashes forward to take the third right most pirate by
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          surprise. As he reaches the right most pirate he makes two
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          quick slices, first at the leg, followed by a quick upper cut
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          to the left arm.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          </blockquote>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <!--
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          Alex rolls Do Anything 1 to yeet the cyberplasm
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          3 = Things go poorly. Gain 1 xp.
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          Spend 1 xp to pass and gain Sysorcery 2
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          //-->
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>You channel some of the ambient environmental charge into
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          your prepared incantation. It’s comforting sometimes to peer
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          behind the veil and see the world through this lens. It’s so
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          simple. The separation of self and other is an illusion:
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          everything is just a table. The concept of time itself is
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          simplified: coroutines prevent everything from happening all
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          at once and create the illusion of concurrency. It’s all
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          really quite elegant.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>Anyway so the hemogoblin sidles up next to the pirates at
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          the railing. It’s not tall enough to see over the railing, and
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          starts to kind of jump up and down, trying to catch a glimpse.
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          The pirates look down at it in confusion just as the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <code>yeet</code> happens, and they knock into each other. The
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          leftmost one almost manages to regain its balance but then
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          trips over the little blood gremlin and pitches over the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          railing. The middle pirate yelps as the startled hemogoblin
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          darts between its legs to get out of the way. The pirate
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          stumbles and then slips in a small puddle of blood. Its feet
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          shoot from beneath it and it too tips over the railing.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <!--
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          Alex rolls Do Anything 1 to sever connections
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          1 = Things go poorly. Gain 1 xp.
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          Spend 1 xp to pass and gain Stabbing 2
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          //-->
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>The hemogoblin dashes right into the waiting arms of the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          rightmost Cyberplasm. “Gotcha, you little … ugh! What …” The
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          pirate is starting to regret snatching up the little furball,
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          which is defensively gushing blood all over it, when you make
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          your first slice into its left armpit. Half its cybernetics go
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          offline. One arm goes limp and it drops the hemogoblin, which
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          scurries around and hides behind you. The pirate turns toward
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          you, now full of regrets, and you stab into its right leg,
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          knocking its tech completely offline and dispersing the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          ghostly energies.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>As far as you can tell, the ship is now free of
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          Cyberplasms.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>The hemogoblin thrusts its tiny fists in the air and
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          cheers.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <blockquote>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>Inky shakes out several large and very fine kerchiefs,
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          handing two each to the guides and gestures for them to cover
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          their noses and mouths with them while they perform the action
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          themselves to demonstrate.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>Donning a pair of skydiving goggles snatched from one of
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          the souvenir stalls at the gondola station while no one was
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          looking (replacing it with its approximate weight in silver
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          coins), Inky retrieves a black metal box that previously
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          served as a portable camp stove from their knapsack and
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          removes the lid. The inside of the box is filled with dry wood
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          chips mixed with a pine green powder, and Inky throws in the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          wicks pulled from some of the scented candles that were pushed
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          into a heater flask to melt fully during the walk up the hotel
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          steps. Finally, Inky pours another vial of foul-smelling
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          liquid over the contents, opens the door just wide enough to
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          slide the metal box through to one side of the door a few
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          paces away.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>A mildly sweet, cloying smoke emanates from the flameless
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          heat inside the box, which begin to fill the library hall with
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          a rapidly thickening cloud. It is also taking on an acrid and
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          slightly sooty edge. Near the door, Inky fans more of the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          smoke in the direction of the cyberplasmic apparition with a
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          thin bound manuscript laying on the floor.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          </blockquote>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>Bread, Confidence, and you all don protective gear. You
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          push the camp stove through the door like an Olympic curler.
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          It glides across the library floor a respectable distance
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          considering the book debris and the lack of sweepers. Much
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          more quickly than one would think possible, the hall is filled
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          with a thick, sooty smoke. The Cyberplasm captain groans with
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          frustration as even the short distance between it and the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          hotelier (and the crystal) becomes occluded in the smoke
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          screen. The hotelier wisely doesn’t make a sound as he
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          disappears from view.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>Bread nudges you, grins, and gives you a thumbs up.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>WHAT DO YOU DO</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p><a
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-12/msg00234.html">www</a></p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					        ]]>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					      </description>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					    </item>
 | 
				
			||||||
    <item>
 | 
					    <item>
 | 
				
			||||||
      <title>43</title>
 | 
					      <title>43</title>
 | 
				
			||||||
      <author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
 | 
					      <author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
 | 
				
			||||||
@ -460,6 +577,105 @@
 | 
				
			|||||||
        ]]>
 | 
					        ]]>
 | 
				
			||||||
      </description>
 | 
					      </description>
 | 
				
			||||||
    </item>
 | 
					    </item>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					    <item>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					      <title>41</title>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					      <author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					      <guid isPermaLink="false">41 - Wed, 14 Dec 2022 17:50:38
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					-0700</guid>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					      <pubDate>Wed, 14 Dec 2022 17:50:44 -0700</pubDate>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					      <description>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					        <![CDATA[
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <h3 id="00041">00041</h3>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <blockquote>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>Alex grips the encoded message he received in reply to his
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          last request firmly in his coat pocket. It was simple, curt,
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          impactful. “Trust no one”. Which begged the question, could
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          even it be trusted? Was HQ compromised? His informants in
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          danger? His allies and leads awash in the dark grey mist of
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          uncertainity. Or had his message been intercepted, cracked,
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          and a farsical response been sent in its place. Alex wasn’t
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          certain which, but the strange format and unusually speedy
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          response had him on edge.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>This anxiety didn’t boil up to the surface, not a line of
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          worry or hint of the inner turbulence broke his cold blue
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          eyes. Outwardly he was just as composed as ever, but between
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          these uncertainties, the loss of his uncle, and now this
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          utterly strange dagger he’d found amongst his uncle’s
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          belongings, he wasn’t certain how long that composure would
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          last. It didn’t held that he felt this gnawing at the back of
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          his mind, as though something was probing, attempting to
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          communicate with him, somewhere between telepathy and utter
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          magic, and not in any sense that Alex understood.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>And here he stood, a stranger amongst amidst his uncle’s
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          allies, and very little intention to change that situation at
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          the moment.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>As the gondola touched down and the Toques rushed to greet
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          them Alex jumped blithely off the ship and onto firm, but
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          fluffy, ground. He cast a look around him at what appeared to
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          be an ordinary port of entry, noting the crowds of people
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          passing by. As the Toques arrived Alex spoke curtly to them,
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          “Who sends you to greet us, and where do you wish to take us,
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          and by what means do we travel?”. Short, cut, information
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          only. There’s too much unnerving in an unknown situation like
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          this.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          </blockquote>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>~</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <blockquote>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>Inky greets the toques in turn politely, then turns to the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          second toque and says, “A little bit of bread and no
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          cheese.”</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          </blockquote>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>“Cheese?” Bread cocks their head looks at Inky with a touch
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          of embarrassment. They start patting at their pockets,
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          presumably looking for a morsel of cheese to share with the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          travelers, but finding none. They groan miserably. Confidence
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          butts in apologetically, “There will be plenty of food at the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          hotel if you want some! Some delicious fondue perhaps? Kelsun
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          Peak’s famous liquid gold!”</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>“Blavin Blandfoot arranged for us to meet you,” Bread
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          answers Alex. Confidence nods enthusiastically in agreement.
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          “But I suppose technically the hotelier sent us.” Bread points
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          up at the sky, in the general direction of the summit of
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          Kelsun Peak. “We are to escort you to Palace Runesocesius.”
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          They thumb over their shoulder in the general direction of the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          stairs. “By way of the cloud steps. On foot.”</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>Confidence leans in close and lowers their voice. “A
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          Ginnarak Crystal! I can’t hardly believe it! Thought they had
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          all been lost to the ages. I hear it’s complete dumb random
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          luck that this one turned up. Story is, an aetherwael beached
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          itself on some wide zephynos boulevard. Happens sometimes.
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          Poor things can’t distinguish between clouds and cloudstuff. I
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          don’t blame ’em! At a distance, you and me can’t either!
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          Anyway, this aetherwael has got a harpoon stuck in its side.
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          Dratted poachers. May they all fall out of the sky and be
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          dashed to a thousand pieces on the rocks below. But it had a
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          harpoon in its side and was trailing behind it a float bag
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          tethered to the harpoon. And you probably already guessed what
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          was inside of it!” By the time Confidence finishes their brief
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          story, they are trembling and nearly breathless with
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          excitement.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>“Anyway,” Bread interrupts their excited companion in an
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          attempt to restore decorum. Both of the toques have been
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          gently herding you toward the base of the stairs this whole
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          time. “You know how the zephynos are. You could give them all
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          the coin in Basmentaria, or something priceless like a
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          Ginnarak Crystal, and they’d just as quickly misplace it out
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          of carelessness. If it’s not a cloud they can sculpt into the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          shape of seussomorph or the likeness of some fantasy creature,
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          they just don’t give a fig. Luckily the hotelier caught wind
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          of the aetherwael and found out about the crystal before they
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          managed to lose it, or bury it inside of a sculpture or
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          something silly! He has it safe and sound in the library up at
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          Runesocesius now.” Bread climbs the first step, his foot
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          sinking barely a centimeter into wispy cloud before striking
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          the solid cloudstuff. “Come! The hotelier will be very excited
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          to greet you!”</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>WHAT DO YOU DO</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p><a
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-12/msg00193.html">www</a></p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					        ]]>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					      </description>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					    </item>
 | 
				
			||||||
    <item>
 | 
					    <item>
 | 
				
			||||||
      <title>39</title>
 | 
					      <title>39</title>
 | 
				
			||||||
      <author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
 | 
					      <author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
 | 
				
			||||||
@ -667,101 +883,96 @@
 | 
				
			|||||||
      </description>
 | 
					      </description>
 | 
				
			||||||
    </item>
 | 
					    </item>
 | 
				
			||||||
    <item>
 | 
					    <item>
 | 
				
			||||||
      <title>41</title>
 | 
					      <title>45</title>
 | 
				
			||||||
      <author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
 | 
					      <author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
 | 
				
			||||||
      <guid isPermaLink="false">41 - Wed, 14 Dec 2022 17:50:38
 | 
					      <guid isPermaLink="false">45 - Tue, 20 Dec 2022 10:15:23
 | 
				
			||||||
-0700</guid>
 | 
					-0700</guid>
 | 
				
			||||||
      <pubDate>Wed, 14 Dec 2022 17:50:44 -0700</pubDate>
 | 
					      <pubDate>Thu, 22 Dec 2022 09:29:11 -0700</pubDate>
 | 
				
			||||||
      <description>
 | 
					      <description>
 | 
				
			||||||
        <![CDATA[
 | 
					        <![CDATA[
 | 
				
			||||||
          <h3 id="00041">00041</h3>
 | 
					          <h3 id="00045">00045</h3>
 | 
				
			||||||
          <blockquote>
 | 
					          <blockquote>
 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>Alex grips the encoded message he received in reply to his
 | 
					          <p>As the blankets draw back from the bloody mass, a cute
 | 
				
			||||||
          last request firmly in his coat pocket. It was simple, curt,
 | 
					          little hemogoblin appears. “Aww little fellas just scared.”
 | 
				
			||||||
          impactful. “Trust no one”. Which begged the question, could
 | 
					          Alex lowers the dagger, but otherwise ignores the hemogoblin.
 | 
				
			||||||
          even it be trusted? Was HQ compromised? His informants in
 | 
					          Best to leave it be for now, there’s more important
 | 
				
			||||||
          danger? His allies and leads awash in the dark grey mist of
 | 
					          things.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
          uncertainity. Or had his message been intercepted, cracked,
 | 
					          <p>As the balloon gets within range of the ship Alex begins to
 | 
				
			||||||
          and a farsical response been sent in its place. Alex wasn’t
 | 
					          scan the deck for Cyberplasms. At the same time he checks his
 | 
				
			||||||
          certain which, but the strange format and unusually speedy
 | 
					          bug to track the location of the cyberplasms more acutely. It
 | 
				
			||||||
          response had him on edge.</p>
 | 
					          looks like there may be an opporunity to jump from the balloon
 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>This anxiety didn’t boil up to the surface, not a line of
 | 
					          to the ship. After that cutting the zip lines would give me
 | 
				
			||||||
          worry or hint of the inner turbulence broke his cold blue
 | 
					          the opporunity to steal the ship, leaving the cyberplasms
 | 
				
			||||||
          eyes. Outwardly he was just as composed as ever, but between
 | 
					          trapped at the top of the hotel.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
          these uncertainties, the loss of his uncle, and now this
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          utterly strange dagger he’d found amongst his uncle’s
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          belongings, he wasn’t certain how long that composure would
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          last. It didn’t held that he felt this gnawing at the back of
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          his mind, as though something was probing, attempting to
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          communicate with him, somewhere between telepathy and utter
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          magic, and not in any sense that Alex understood.</p>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>And here he stood, a stranger amongst amidst his uncle’s
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          allies, and very little intention to change that situation at
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          the moment.</p>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>As the gondola touched down and the Toques rushed to greet
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          them Alex jumped blithely off the ship and onto firm, but
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          fluffy, ground. He cast a look around him at what appeared to
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          be an ordinary port of entry, noting the crowds of people
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          passing by. As the Toques arrived Alex spoke curtly to them,
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          “Who sends you to greet us, and where do you wish to take us,
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          and by what means do we travel?”. Short, cut, information
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          only. There’s too much unnerving in an unknown situation like
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          this.</p>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          </blockquote>
 | 
					          </blockquote>
 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>~</p>
 | 
					          <p>Just a few Cyberplasms remain on the deck of the airship.
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          The vast majority of them have zipped into the hotel
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          tower.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>You check your bug’s feed. It has gone almost entirely
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          unnoticed in the fracas, and you are able to piece together a
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          clear picture of the inside of the tower. It is indeed a grand
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          library, its galleries spanning each floor of the tower. One
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          of the largest collections in all of Basmentaria.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>The Cyberplasms have breached the tower near its base and
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          are pouring into the Great Hall. You tune in just in time to
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          see a rail-thin, bald and mustachioed man standing defensively
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          in front of a display case. “No! You can’t!” he exclaims as a
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          disembodied sickle approaches him in a cloud of electricity
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          and ectoplasm.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>Behind the glass in the display case is a bluish hunk of
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          rock the size of a melon, with gently pulsing gold veins.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
          <blockquote>
 | 
					          <blockquote>
 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>Inky greets the toques in turn politely, then turns to the
 | 
					          <p>Inky puts away the papers they caught in passing or picked
 | 
				
			||||||
          second toque and says, “A little bit of bread and no
 | 
					          up along the path up to read later, including a number that
 | 
				
			||||||
          cheese.”</p>
 | 
					          from a cursory glance appear to be from a culinary collection
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          and a few from some moth-eaten but finely illustrated
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          botanical tome, among others.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          <p>Eventually arriving at the hotel entrance, Inky enters and
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          manages to catch a frantic-looking attendant near the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          reception to ask the whereabouts of the hotelier, indicating
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					          they had a business appointment with said manager.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
          </blockquote>
 | 
					          </blockquote>
 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>“Cheese?” Bread cocks their head looks at Inky with a touch
 | 
					          <p>You walk in through the hotel’s main entrance. The grandeur
 | 
				
			||||||
          of embarrassment. They start patting at their pockets,
 | 
					          would take your breath away were it not for the shouting and
 | 
				
			||||||
          presumably looking for a morsel of cheese to share with the
 | 
					          the smoke and the explosions coming from down the hall to your
 | 
				
			||||||
          travelers, but finding none. They groan miserably. Confidence
 | 
					          right.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
          butts in apologetically, “There will be plenty of food at the
 | 
					          <p>You wave down a passing hotel clerk and inquire after the
 | 
				
			||||||
          hotel if you want some! Some delicious fondue perhaps? Kelsun
 | 
					          hotelier. They are hauling a large bucket of hot water, and
 | 
				
			||||||
          Peak’s famous liquid gold!”</p>
 | 
					          carrying an oversized bundle of clean towels under one arm.
 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>“Blavin Blandfoot arranged for us to meet you,” Bread
 | 
					          They pause for a moment to look at you incredulously before
 | 
				
			||||||
          answers Alex. Confidence nods enthusiastically in agreement.
 | 
					          running off in the opposite direction.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
          “But I suppose technically the hotelier sent us.” Bread points
 | 
					          <p>A cry rings out nearby and a Cyberplasm flies through an
 | 
				
			||||||
          up at the sky, in the general direction of the summit of
 | 
					          open door down the hallway. It lands in a heap of crackling
 | 
				
			||||||
          Kelsun Peak. “We are to escort you to Palace Runesocesius.”
 | 
					          energy, smears of ectoplasm streaking the floor as though it
 | 
				
			||||||
          They thumb over their shoulder in the general direction of the
 | 
					          were bleeding heavily. It seems to be barely held together by
 | 
				
			||||||
          stairs. “By way of the cloud steps. On foot.”</p>
 | 
					          the energy stored in its cybernetic leg and a metal skull
 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>Confidence leans in close and lowers their voice. “A
 | 
					          plate.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
          Ginnarak Crystal! I can’t hardly believe it! Thought they had
 | 
					          <p>It scoots backwards on its hands and its butt, trying to
 | 
				
			||||||
          all been lost to the ages. I hear it’s complete dumb random
 | 
					          stand up. Two toques leap out of the door after it. You
 | 
				
			||||||
          luck that this one turned up. Story is, an aetherwael beached
 | 
					          recognize Bread and Confidence right away.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
          itself on some wide zephynos boulevard. Happens sometimes.
 | 
					          <p>Bread has obviously been to the kitchens. They are wearing
 | 
				
			||||||
          Poor things can’t distinguish between clouds and cloudstuff. I
 | 
					          tin baking sheets and an oversized pot on their heard as
 | 
				
			||||||
          don’t blame ’em! At a distance, you and me can’t either!
 | 
					          makeshift armor, and have a couple of dangerous looking
 | 
				
			||||||
          Anyway, this aetherwael has got a harpoon stuck in its side.
 | 
					          kitchen knives hanging from their belt. At the moment they are
 | 
				
			||||||
          Dratted poachers. May they all fall out of the sky and be
 | 
					          swinging a large meat tenderizer over their head as though it
 | 
				
			||||||
          dashed to a thousand pieces on the rocks below. But it had a
 | 
					          were a war hammer.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
          harpoon in its side and was trailing behind it a float bag
 | 
					          <p>Confidence, meanwhile, has been to the gardener’s shed.
 | 
				
			||||||
          tethered to the harpoon. And you probably already guessed what
 | 
					          They are wearing a heavy leather apron and thick leather
 | 
				
			||||||
          was inside of it!” By the time Confidence finishes their brief
 | 
					          gloves, and have a trowel in each hand, and a large hoe or
 | 
				
			||||||
          story, they are trembling and nearly breathless with
 | 
					          rake strapped to their back.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
          excitement.</p>
 | 
					          <p>Bread lowers their hammer on Cyberplasms head, denting the
 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>“Anyway,” Bread interrupts their excited companion in an
 | 
					          skull plate. And Confidence darts in and stabs with both hands
 | 
				
			||||||
          attempt to restore decorum. Both of the toques have been
 | 
					          at the leg. As soon as the prosthetics go offline and the
 | 
				
			||||||
          gently herding you toward the base of the stairs this whole
 | 
					          plasmic arcs cease firing, there is nothing left holding the
 | 
				
			||||||
          time. “You know how the zephynos are. You could give them all
 | 
					          ectoplasm together and the ghost kind of dissipates into the
 | 
				
			||||||
          the coin in Basmentaria, or something priceless like a
 | 
					          air with a soft wail.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
          Ginnarak Crystal, and they’d just as quickly misplace it out
 | 
					          <p>They look up and notice you at the same time, relaxing
 | 
				
			||||||
          of carelessness. If it’s not a cloud they can sculpt into the
 | 
					          their offensive stances. “Oh!” cries Bread. “It’s you!”</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
          shape of seussomorph or the likeness of some fantasy creature,
 | 
					          <p>“You don’t happen,” asks Confidence, “to need a guide, do
 | 
				
			||||||
          they just don’t give a fig. Luckily the hotelier caught wind
 | 
					          you?”</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
          of the aetherwael and found out about the crystal before they
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          managed to lose it, or bury it inside of a sculpture or
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          something silly! He has it safe and sound in the library up at
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          Runesocesius now.” Bread climbs the first step, his foot
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          sinking barely a centimeter into wispy cloud before striking
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          the solid cloudstuff. “Come! The hotelier will be very excited
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          to greet you!”</p>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>WHAT DO YOU DO</p>
 | 
					          <p>WHAT DO YOU DO</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
          <p><a
 | 
					          <p><a
 | 
				
			||||||
          href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-12/msg00193.html">www</a></p>
 | 
					          href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-12/msg00227.html">www</a></p>
 | 
				
			||||||
        ]]>
 | 
					        ]]>
 | 
				
			||||||
      </description>
 | 
					      </description>
 | 
				
			||||||
    </item>
 | 
					    </item>
 | 
				
			||||||
@ -967,100 +1178,6 @@ EXTREME CAUTION IMPERATIVE.</code></pre>
 | 
				
			|||||||
        ]]>
 | 
					        ]]>
 | 
				
			||||||
      </description>
 | 
					      </description>
 | 
				
			||||||
    </item>
 | 
					    </item>
 | 
				
			||||||
    <item>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
      <title>45</title>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
      <author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
      <guid isPermaLink="false">45 - Tue, 20 Dec 2022 10:15:23
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
-0700</guid>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
      <pubDate>Thu, 22 Dec 2022 09:29:11 -0700</pubDate>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
      <description>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
        <![CDATA[
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          <h3 id="00045">00045</h3>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          <blockquote>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>As the blankets draw back from the bloody mass, a cute
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          little hemogoblin appears. “Aww little fellas just scared.”
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          Alex lowers the dagger, but otherwise ignores the hemogoblin.
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          Best to leave it be for now, there’s more important
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          things.</p>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>As the balloon gets within range of the ship Alex begins to
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          scan the deck for Cyberplasms. At the same time he checks his
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          bug to track the location of the cyberplasms more acutely. It
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          looks like there may be an opporunity to jump from the balloon
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          to the ship. After that cutting the zip lines would give me
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          the opporunity to steal the ship, leaving the cyberplasms
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          trapped at the top of the hotel.</p>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          </blockquote>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>Just a few Cyberplasms remain on the deck of the airship.
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          The vast majority of them have zipped into the hotel
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          tower.</p>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>You check your bug’s feed. It has gone almost entirely
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          unnoticed in the fracas, and you are able to piece together a
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          clear picture of the inside of the tower. It is indeed a grand
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          library, its galleries spanning each floor of the tower. One
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          of the largest collections in all of Basmentaria.</p>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>The Cyberplasms have breached the tower near its base and
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          are pouring into the Great Hall. You tune in just in time to
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          see a rail-thin, bald and mustachioed man standing defensively
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          in front of a display case. “No! You can’t!” he exclaims as a
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          disembodied sickle approaches him in a cloud of electricity
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          and ectoplasm.</p>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>Behind the glass in the display case is a bluish hunk of
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          rock the size of a melon, with gently pulsing gold veins.</p>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          <blockquote>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>Inky puts away the papers they caught in passing or picked
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          up along the path up to read later, including a number that
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          from a cursory glance appear to be from a culinary collection
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          and a few from some moth-eaten but finely illustrated
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          botanical tome, among others.</p>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>Eventually arriving at the hotel entrance, Inky enters and
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          manages to catch a frantic-looking attendant near the
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          reception to ask the whereabouts of the hotelier, indicating
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          they had a business appointment with said manager.</p>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          </blockquote>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>You walk in through the hotel’s main entrance. The grandeur
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          would take your breath away were it not for the shouting and
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          the smoke and the explosions coming from down the hall to your
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          right.</p>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>You wave down a passing hotel clerk and inquire after the
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          hotelier. They are hauling a large bucket of hot water, and
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          carrying an oversized bundle of clean towels under one arm.
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          They pause for a moment to look at you incredulously before
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          running off in the opposite direction.</p>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>A cry rings out nearby and a Cyberplasm flies through an
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          open door down the hallway. It lands in a heap of crackling
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          energy, smears of ectoplasm streaking the floor as though it
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          were bleeding heavily. It seems to be barely held together by
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          the energy stored in its cybernetic leg and a metal skull
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          plate.</p>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>It scoots backwards on its hands and its butt, trying to
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          stand up. Two toques leap out of the door after it. You
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          recognize Bread and Confidence right away.</p>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>Bread has obviously been to the kitchens. They are wearing
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          tin baking sheets and an oversized pot on their heard as
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          makeshift armor, and have a couple of dangerous looking
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          kitchen knives hanging from their belt. At the moment they are
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          swinging a large meat tenderizer over their head as though it
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          were a war hammer.</p>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>Confidence, meanwhile, has been to the gardener’s shed.
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          They are wearing a heavy leather apron and thick leather
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          gloves, and have a trowel in each hand, and a large hoe or
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          rake strapped to their back.</p>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>Bread lowers their hammer on Cyberplasms head, denting the
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          skull plate. And Confidence darts in and stabs with both hands
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          at the leg. As soon as the prosthetics go offline and the
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          plasmic arcs cease firing, there is nothing left holding the
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          ectoplasm together and the ghost kind of dissipates into the
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          air with a soft wail.</p>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>They look up and notice you at the same time, relaxing
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          their offensive stances. “Oh!” cries Bread. “It’s you!”</p>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>“You don’t happen,” asks Confidence, “to need a guide, do
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          you?”</p>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          <p>WHAT DO YOU DO</p>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          <p><a
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
          href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-12/msg00227.html">www</a></p>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
        ]]>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
      </description>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
    </item>
 | 
					 | 
				
			||||||
    <item>
 | 
					    <item>
 | 
				
			||||||
      <title>38</title>
 | 
					      <title>38</title>
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      <author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
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					      <author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
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@ -318,6 +318,7 @@ of the Were-Hare</a></li>
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<li><a href="#00044" id="toc-00044">00044</a></li>
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					<li><a href="#00044" id="toc-00044">00044</a></li>
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<li><a href="#00045" id="toc-00045">00045</a></li>
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					<li><a href="#00045" id="toc-00045">00045</a></li>
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			||||||
<li><a href="#00046" id="toc-00046">00046</a></li>
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					<li><a href="#00046" id="toc-00046">00046</a></li>
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			||||||
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					<li><a href="#00047" id="toc-00047">00047</a></li>
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</ul></li>
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					</ul></li>
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<li><a href="#bestiary" id="toc-bestiary">Bestiary</a></li>
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					<li><a href="#bestiary" id="toc-bestiary">Bestiary</a></li>
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<li><a href="#geography" id="toc-geography">Geography</a></li>
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					<li><a href="#geography" id="toc-geography">Geography</a></li>
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@ -330,10 +331,10 @@ id="toc-acknowledgements">Acknowledgements</a></li>
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</ul>
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					</ul>
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</nav>
 | 
					</nav>
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<h2 id="stats">Stats</h2>
 | 
					<h2 id="stats">Stats</h2>
 | 
				
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<p>Total length: 44522 words / 190 minute read. (Mind you, that’s the
 | 
					<p>Total length: 45381 words / 193 minute read. (Mind you, that’s the
 | 
				
			||||||
length of this entire page, including all the extra bits and bobs. Not
 | 
					length of this entire page, including all the extra bits and bobs. Not
 | 
				
			||||||
just the story.)</p>
 | 
					just the story.)</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
<p>There have been 165 messages posted over 162 days since the first
 | 
					<p>There have been 170 messages posted over 168 days since the first
 | 
				
			||||||
post on July 13, 2022 for a daily post rate of 1.01.</p>
 | 
					post on July 13, 2022 for a daily post rate of 1.01.</p>
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<h2 id="about">About</h2>
 | 
					<h2 id="about">About</h2>
 | 
				
			||||||
<p>This is a game that me and the kids in the basement are playing over
 | 
					<p>This is a game that me and the kids in the basement are playing over
 | 
				
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@ -366,8 +367,9 @@ he can slip by.</p>
 | 
				
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<ul>
 | 
					<ul>
 | 
				
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<li>Player: sinatra</li>
 | 
					<li>Player: sinatra</li>
 | 
				
			||||||
<li>XP: 1</li>
 | 
					<li>XP: 1</li>
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			||||||
<li>Skills: Do Anything 1, Investigation 2, Illusions 2, Sneaking 2</li>
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					<li>Skills: Do Anything 1, Investigation 2, Illusions 2, Sneaking 2,
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			||||||
<li>Equipment:</li>
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					Sysorcery 2, Stabbing 2</li>
 | 
				
			||||||
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					<li>Equipment: a bunch of STAG drones</li>
 | 
				
			||||||
</ul>
 | 
					</ul>
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<p>Paths:</p>
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					<p>Paths:</p>
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<ul>
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					<ul>
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@ -5159,6 +5161,99 @@ airship shifts as it starts to drift, suddenly unmoored.</p>
 | 
				
			|||||||
<p>WHAT DO YOU DO</p>
 | 
					<p>WHAT DO YOU DO</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
<p><a
 | 
					<p><a
 | 
				
			||||||
href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-12/msg00231.html">www</a></p>
 | 
					href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-12/msg00231.html">www</a></p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					<h3 id="00047">00047</h3>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					<blockquote>
 | 
				
			||||||
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					<p>Damn it! I should’ve left the little goblin in the balloon, this
 | 
				
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 | 
					could get tricky..</p>
 | 
				
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 | 
					<p>Time slows for just the briefest of moments while Alex calculates his
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					next move. Looking at the position of the pirates he can probably yeet
 | 
				
			||||||
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					the middlemost one away from the group into the left most pirate. Best
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					case this sends both of them sailing over the edge of the ship, worst
 | 
				
			||||||
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					case it just slightly knocks them off balance. In either event this
 | 
				
			||||||
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					gives me enough time to dart from cover and quickly dispatch the right
 | 
				
			||||||
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					most pirate with Uncle’s dagger. I’ve got to sever each connection point
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					between the ecotplasm and the cybernetics, nothing quite as quick and
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					easy as flesh and blood, but a quick slice to the left most armpit, and
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					another to the right most leg right above the carotid artery should do
 | 
				
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 | 
					it..</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					<p>Jumping immediately to action Alex casts
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					<code>yeet.middle_cyberplasm()</code> sending the middle pirate into the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					left most pirate away from the hemogoblin while he dashes forward to
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					take the third right most pirate by surprise. As he reaches the right
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					most pirate he makes two quick slices, first at the leg, followed by a
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					quick upper cut to the left arm.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					</blockquote>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					<!--
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					Alex rolls Do Anything 1 to yeet the cyberplasm
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					3 = Things go poorly. Gain 1 xp.
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					Spend 1 xp to pass and gain Sysorcery 2
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					//-->
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					<p>You channel some of the ambient environmental charge into your
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					prepared incantation. It’s comforting sometimes to peer behind the veil
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					and see the world through this lens. It’s so simple. The separation of
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					self and other is an illusion: everything is just a table. The concept
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					of time itself is simplified: coroutines prevent everything from
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					happening all at once and create the illusion of concurrency. It’s all
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					really quite elegant.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					<p>Anyway so the hemogoblin sidles up next to the pirates at the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					railing. It’s not tall enough to see over the railing, and starts to
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					kind of jump up and down, trying to catch a glimpse. The pirates look
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					down at it in confusion just as the <code>yeet</code> happens, and they
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					knock into each other. The leftmost one almost manages to regain its
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					balance but then trips over the little blood gremlin and pitches over
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					the railing. The middle pirate yelps as the startled hemogoblin darts
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					between its legs to get out of the way. The pirate stumbles and then
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					slips in a small puddle of blood. Its feet shoot from beneath it and it
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					too tips over the railing.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					<!--
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					Alex rolls Do Anything 1 to sever connections
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					1 = Things go poorly. Gain 1 xp.
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					Spend 1 xp to pass and gain Stabbing 2
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					//-->
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					<p>The hemogoblin dashes right into the waiting arms of the rightmost
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					Cyberplasm. “Gotcha, you little … ugh! What …” The pirate is starting to
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					regret snatching up the little furball, which is defensively gushing
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					blood all over it, when you make your first slice into its left armpit.
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					Half its cybernetics go offline. One arm goes limp and it drops the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					hemogoblin, which scurries around and hides behind you. The pirate turns
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					toward you, now full of regrets, and you stab into its right leg,
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					knocking its tech completely offline and dispersing the ghostly
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					energies.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					<p>As far as you can tell, the ship is now free of Cyberplasms.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					<p>The hemogoblin thrusts its tiny fists in the air and cheers.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					<blockquote>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					<p>Inky shakes out several large and very fine kerchiefs, handing two
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					each to the guides and gestures for them to cover their noses and mouths
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					with them while they perform the action themselves to demonstrate.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					<p>Donning a pair of skydiving goggles snatched from one of the souvenir
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					stalls at the gondola station while no one was looking (replacing it
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					with its approximate weight in silver coins), Inky retrieves a black
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					metal box that previously served as a portable camp stove from their
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					knapsack and removes the lid. The inside of the box is filled with dry
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					wood chips mixed with a pine green powder, and Inky throws in the wicks
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					pulled from some of the scented candles that were pushed into a heater
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					flask to melt fully during the walk up the hotel steps. Finally, Inky
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					pours another vial of foul-smelling liquid over the contents, opens the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					door just wide enough to slide the metal box through to one side of the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					door a few paces away.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					<p>A mildly sweet, cloying smoke emanates from the flameless heat inside
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					the box, which begin to fill the library hall with a rapidly thickening
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					cloud. It is also taking on an acrid and slightly sooty edge. Near the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					door, Inky fans more of the smoke in the direction of the cyberplasmic
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					apparition with a thin bound manuscript laying on the floor.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					</blockquote>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					<p>Bread, Confidence, and you all don protective gear. You push the camp
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					stove through the door like an Olympic curler. It glides across the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					library floor a respectable distance considering the book debris and the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					lack of sweepers. Much more quickly than one would think possible, the
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					hall is filled with a thick, sooty smoke. The Cyberplasm captain groans
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					with frustration as even the short distance between it and the hotelier
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					(and the crystal) becomes occluded in the smoke screen. The hotelier
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					wisely doesn’t make a sound as he disappears from view.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					<p>Bread nudges you, grins, and gives you a thumbs up.</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					<p>WHAT DO YOU DO</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					<p><a
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
					href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-12/msg00234.html">www</a></p>
 | 
				
			||||||
<h2 id="bestiary">Bestiary</h2>
 | 
					<h2 id="bestiary">Bestiary</h2>
 | 
				
			||||||
<p>Some of the creatures who inhabit the world of Basmentaria</p>
 | 
					<p>Some of the creatures who inhabit the world of Basmentaria</p>
 | 
				
			||||||
<dt>
 | 
					<dt>
 | 
				
			||||||
 | 
				
			|||||||
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