Previously, you and Hiss had an argument, discussed war plans and also there was a pretty sweet gun. History changed.
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>>44025833
You are sitting with Hiss in a long dining hall with a roaring fireplace at the far end. There’s something very familiar about this place but you can’t place it. The food is excellent and you don’t hesitate in stuffing yourself though Hiss, uncharacteristically, holds back.
“Shouldn’t you wait for the main course?”, she asks.
As she speaks the doors swing open and a monster enters the room. Teetering above you on five legs, each leg a sculpted column of raw flesh tapering down to stilts of bone, the thing is a flat sculpture of frozen flesh stripped of skin with a single human arm clutching an incriminating eye. There is only radiance behind it.
It breathes and all heat is stolen from the room. You are frozen, a faint coating of black ice climbing all over you.
You call out for help but Hiss ignores you. Instead she is bent over the dining table, eating enthusiastically. There is no food anymore, instead the table bears a massacre of human life. Pools of blood and excrement, rotting arms and legs, pickled heads. It makes you sick but Hiss doesn’t seem to care. She eats and eats and eats, gorging herself on humanity until the front of her tunic is slick with blood. But she never stops.
You are too frozen to do anything but you break free anyway, shards of ice digging into you and drawing blood. You are suddenly very tired. You ask Hiss to stop but she ignores you. You beg her, plead with her. She doesn’t seem to notice, blood running down her chin.
You sweep her feast off the table, forcing her to pay attention to you. You barely get out a word before she grabs you by the throat and slams you down onto the table in front of her. Her fangs are bared, teeth like jagged glass. You can look deep into her throat and she vomits snakes all over you.
You will replace the feast you ruined.
…
You wake with a start, erupting from the nightmare. You are in your bed inside your hut, pack sitting by the floor. There is nothing wrong.
1/2
>>44025847
Just a bad dream. It isn’t particularly hot but you’re sweating all the same.
Daylight is peeking through the window. Looks like it’s time for a brand new day!
> Go back to sleep.
> Brew. There was something you needed to brew...
> Pray
> Walk outside.
> Use Potion (Specify)
> Other
>>44025871
>> Brew. There was something you needed to brew...
Work on making a soul and body for Not!Hiss.
>>44025871
> Walk outside.
Let's find Hiss or Aash to keep an eye on us while we investigate Bart's soul
>>44025903
You know it will be very bad when she's freed from Hiss' soul right?
>>44025871
> Walk outside.
I get the hiss part of the dream but why was the first spirit we killed there?
>>44025970
and she's starting to fuck with our head right? She'll drive cennen insane if we don't START.
>>44025994
Just a reminder we're not going to heaven?
>>44025871
> Brew. There was something you needed to brew...
Caster brews!
>>44025871
>> Go back to sleep.
>>44025871
> Walk outside.
>>44026019
I agree we should start but this doesn't feel like her
> Walk outside.
You're already starting to forget the dream, information leaking out of your head like a sieve in the curious way that dreams do. It probably wasn't very important anyway. While it might be tempting to ascribe meaning to dreams they're really just your mind boiling over while it waits for you to wake up. Desires and worries made manifest, signifying little.
Probably.
You get up, get dressed and put your pack on before going outside. A little walk might do you good.
The village is bustling with activity as it always is and you notice something different. The long rows of captured humans are gone. Have they been placed somewhere else? Have they been eaten already?
You nearly stand on a long blue snake. It hisses at you.
>Continue wandering.
>Look for the prisoners.
>Find Hiss.
>Find Oster.
>Find Aashenpreet.
>Find Orange.
>Find Zigzag.
>Nobble
>Use Potion(Specify)
>Go back inside and brew.
> Other
>>44026251
>>Continue wandering.
>>44026251
>Nobble
>>44026251
>Find Hiss.
I really wanna investigate Bart's soul and give it to Hiss. Having him in the pack for so long is making me nervous.
>>44026251
>>Find Zigzag.
>>44026251
>Find Hiss.
>>44026251
>Look for the prisoners.
We're thinking as one tonight
>>44026251
>Find Hiss.
>>44026251
>>Continue wandering.
lets see what happens
>>44026300
>>44026323
>>44026358
Hiss slaves please. We don't have to go to the incredibly busy waifu as soon as we wake up every day.
>>44026443
I already gave my reasoning for going to see her. Having a wizard soul in our pack for very long seems like a bad idea.
>>44026479
He has nothing to store his power in so we're fine. stop panicking over something, if he could move we'd already be dead. Besides you're wanting to give it up without studying it which is stupid.
>>44026522
Read my vote again anon. I want to investigate it first. But if it tries anything, having a soul-eating monster nearby when it happens would be smart. She can have it when we're done.
>>44026549
>Read my vote again anon. I want to investigate it first. But if it tries anything, having a soul-eating monster nearby when it happens would be smart. She can have it when we're done.
Hiss will not stick around for that, and if we try to sit in on her meetings she'll shoo us out, again.
>>44026576
She might if we tell her how useful more intel on wizards could be in the war. And she stands to gain bart's soul after we're done with it, so she would likely be interested.
>>44026576
it's pretty annoying when you pretend that you know exactly what will happen with 100% accuracy
>>44026596
Hiss never sticks around while we do alchemy, ever. Additionally several snakes are immune to human magic, why would she care? She knows Cennen being the good little trained alchemist will just give it to her anyways.
>>44026626
>Using past characterization to predict what a character will do
>It makes sense, stop it!
>Find Hiss.
You consider just wandering about or searching for the prisoners but in the end you decide you should probably visit Hiss. You like spending time with her and besides, you should probably do something about Old Bart's soul at some point. It's starting to weird you out.
You find Hiss sitting in the chieftain's hall again, accompanied by her council of snakes and speaking to a small assembly of human servants. She looks up as you enter.
"Ah, just the man I was looking for! Cennen, how many Serpentbane brews have you made so far?"
Oh right. That.
"Uh."
Hiss looks decidedly less happy.
"Do you have any? Any at all."
"Not yet, no. I only just woke u-"
Hiss sighs and waves you away.
"Stop wasting my time then, I'm very busy. Don't come back until you have some results."
The snakes coiling around her hiss in unison, almost as if they are laughing at you.
"I still need an..."
You stop talking when you realize that you're outside talking to a closed door. You'd backed out and shut it when Hiss commanded you to and you didn't even immediately realize it.
You try to open the door again but you really don't want to do it. Looks like you can't come back without some Serpentbanes.
>Open the door and go back inside anyway. There's stuff you want to talk about.
>Go around the side and spy through the windows.
>Go brew.
>Inquire about your village.
>Look for the prisoners.
>Find somebody else who might be able to help (Specify).
>Use Potion (Specify)
> Other
>>44026664
Oh look we got shoo'd out, called it.
>Go brew.
>>44026664
>Find somebody else who might be able to help (Specify).
fine bitch, maybe we'll give someone else bart's soul
>>44026664
>>Inquire about your village.
>>Look for the prisoners.
>>44026691
to be fair to the other guy there's been a huge amount of totally unfounded or inaccurate predictions bouncing around these threads.
But we've clearly been spending too much time with hiss anyway
>>44026705
forgot to specify Oster. Let's just give him a soulgrasp.
>>44026664
>Go brew.
>>44026664
>Go brew.
>>44026742
Oster wouldn't be much help here, we should get someone like Ellessander or master ingrid for this
>>44026664
>Inquire about your village.
Gotta find a collaborator
>>44026664
>Go brew.
urge to murder hiss rising
>>44026812
Well that's a little extreme, don't you think?
>>44026773
We invented the entire field of soul alchemy, Master Ingrid wouldn't know what was going on at all
>Go brew.
Bereft of a higher purpose now that Hiss seems to have little time for you, you wander back to the hut and open up your pack.
Old Bart's soul is still there as far as you can tell. You ignore it for now.
What do you want to brew?
>Caster brews
>Experiment with mixing some existing brews.
>Experiment with reagents.
>Make some potions you already know how to brew.
>Try for a potion that...(Specify)
>SERPENTBANES, CENNEN
> Other
>>44026900
>SERPENTBANES, CENNEN
don't we need some snake reagents for this?
>>44026900
>Make some potions you already know how to brew.
Snake breaker.
>>44026900
>>Experiment with reagents.
it'll be interesting to see what else we can do
>>44026900
>SERPENTBANES, CENNEN
let's knock a few of these out and then move on to caster brews
>>44026900
>>SERPENTBANES, CENNEN
>>44026900
>Caster brews
I wanna make some anti-spirit ammunition. Maybe a modified bloodkin or journey brew. Pretty sure Rock is gonna bring some homies to fight us or attack us personally.
>>44026900
>Try for a potion that...(Specify)
Something related to soul inspection
>Experiment with mixing some existing brews.
>Soulsight and introspection
>>44026910
>>44026930
>>44026941
We should get a large recipient and organize a large reagent collect in order to mass produce them (Let's get Orange to work on that)
Calling for Serpentbanes. Writan'
>>44026963
my guess is (and here i go making baseless assertions) that rock did what we ended up choosing not to do and is warning and informing the surrounding polities.
anyway why would we want to hurt, rock is the best.
>>44027062
If Rock attacks us I'd definitely choose the rest of our friends over her. Rock is our enemy now.
>>44027048
Worried that you would stop with the snakes. It's disappointing to realize how many snaek gifs we have missed since you started doing this late.
>>44026963
>modified journey brew.
Oh man, can we make a type of shot that forces the Journey on people it hits, a "stairway to heaven" brew?
>>44027081
Plus, you never know when we'll be attacked by a random spirit. Best to be prepared.
>>44027132
I'm pretty sure that would already happen if we just loaded a journey brew in the ammo chamber. Apparently it doesn't send everyone to the dreaming though. It only sent us there since we'd already had a shitload of contact with spirits before we had it. Normies would just have extreme hallucinations.
>>44027081
arguably rock probably only wants to kill hiss.
>Rock is our enemy now.
We don't know that's the case or if it is what the particulars of it are but rock has always stood by cennen and it would be a real shame to just treat them like an obstacle or opponent.
>>44027167
I'd rather just use a brew to send Rock back to the dreaming if possible.
>Serpentbanes
You decide to heed Hiss' command for now, still fresh in your memory as if she'd just shouted it in your ear.
Unfortunately you alone won't be able to provide for all of Snakehome. Even if you worked to produce Serpentbane brews all day every day you'd eventually just run out of Art and get too tired to do anything. You need a whole lot of other people to help you, not just an apprentice.
You've made three Serpentbane brews when somebody knocks on your door. You're thinking on how to answer it but they just open the door and let themselves in before you do.
It's Orange, wearing his rather effeminate male form. You didn't notice before but he didn't even change his clothes from his old female form. He's carrying a list and a quill.
"Cennen!"
"Oh hi Orange, what's up?"
Is he mad about how you used your wishes? And what's that list for.
"I've just come by to record how many Serpentbane brews you've made so far. The Queen said you might need the reminder."
Wait, HE gets to speak with Hiss while you don't?
"Three so far," you grouch. "You interrupted me before I could make more."
Orange marks something down on the list and nods.
"I'll be off then. There's still so much to do!"
>Continue brewing.
>"Wait, hasn't your wish worn off yet?"
>"This isn't part of the census, is it?"
>Ask Orange to help you see Hiss.
>Follow Orange.
>"I'm pretty sure the chief census officer is me, not you."
>Apologize for your wishes.
>"Why? What else do you have to do today?"
>Other
>>44027276
>>"Wait, hasn't your wish worn off yet?"
>"Why? What else do you have to do today?"
>>44027276
>Apologize for your wishes.
>"Wait, hasn't your wish worn off yet?"
>"Why? What else do you have to do today?"
> When you report to Hiss tell her I'd like to deal with Bart's soul soon.
>>44027276
>"Wait, hasn't your wish worn off yet?"
>"This isn't part of the census, is it?"
> Ask him to collect reagents for us
>>44027276
>"Wait, hasn't your wish worn off yet?"
>"Why? What else do you have to do today?"
>>44027276
>Apologize for your wishes.
>"Wait, hasn't your wish worn off yet?"
>"Why? What else do you have to do today?"
Ask for whatever reagents we need for serpentbane brews
>>44027194
well its better than just offing her buts its also pretty cruel given they've previously stated preference for existing in the real world on pain of death to going back.
I guess its just kind of weird to me that people would hold out any hope of reconciling hiss to a not absurdly evil course of action but somehow aren't interested in trying to stay friends with the character who has been on point for cennan since forever.
I guess that not a totally fair characterization, since its fair to be prepared against spirit attack.
>>44027276
>"Wait, hasn't your wish worn off yet?"
>"Why? What else do you have to do today?"
Good work on the census by the way. Thanks for helping out.
Why don't we refine the serpentbane so it only destroys the wishbond instead of also disconnecting all a snake's souls?
>>44027276
>"Wait, hasn't your wish worn off yet?"
>"This isn't part of the census, is it?"
>"Why? What else do you have to do today?"
Calling it for asking a whole bunch of stuff.
>>44027559
Is it weird I could See Cennen backing up just enough to make it over-commit then nobble it?
>"Wait, hasn't your wish worn off yet?"
>"Why? What else do you have to do today?"
You get to your feet, accidentally towering over them.
"Hold on, hasn't your wish worn off yet? This can't possibly still be the census."
Orange shrugs.
"Of course not, I finished that yesterday."
"Then what are you doing?"
Orange looks confused.
"It might have just been the wish but I had a lot of fun doing it! And it's not like I was doing much before that. The Queen's given me the title of 'Bureaucrat in Chief'! I'm starting to set up a system."
"Isn't that my title?"
Orange shakes his head.
"No, you're the Head of the Census Committee. I wrote it down here, see? The Queen has told me that it's very important to write everything down for her since nobody else here does it."
Huh. You suppose that's happiness, of a sort.
"And how has that been going for you?"
"Very well! Still...still not as fun as the census but I'm sure I'll find a way soon enough. I'm developing a system to store all this information, the Queen tells me I'm very useful. Nobody else wants to help."
"Yeah, I imagine most folk here don't care much for that. So what else are you going to be doing today? You said you had places to be."
"I have to get back to the Pit soon," Orange mumbles. "They're going to start distributing the prisoners again and I have to be there because the Queen gave me a list of which snakes get which souls. And then I have to record it."
The Pit?
> Offer to help.
> Let them leave and go back to brewing.
> Other
>>44027790
>> Let them leave and go back to brewing.
>>44027790
> Let them leave and go back to brewing.
Glad things seem to be going well for you mate
>>44027790
> Offer to help.
carry dat weight
>>44027790
> Let them leave and go back to brewing.
Tell her to bring any snakes to you if they need a Nobbling. We'd be happy to help in regard.
>>44027790
>> Let them leave and go back to brewing.
>>44027790
> Let them leave and go back to brewing.
Damn, wishbonds might actually be useful for setting up a proper snake society long-term. Gotta remember this.
>>44027790
> Let them leave and go back to brewing.
that title kinda sells us a bit short I think
>>44027790
>> Let them leave and go back to brewing.
sucks about the prisoners but we've committed to staying this insane course, so we may as well be productive.
>>44027790
> The Pit
Yeah, I can imagine what that is, and we wouldn't like it, so...
> Let them leave and go back to brewing.
>>44027971
I'm pretty sure the Pit is just the big hole where the king used to hang out
>>44028013
indeed, though we could still ask if we want to kick ourselves.
> Let them leave and go back to brewing.
On second thought, you want fucking nothing to do with anything that's called the 'Pit'. And you don't want to look at the prisoners while they're being eaten, you'd rather just forget they existed.
"Have fun then, glad things seem to be going well for you mate."
Orange nods and departs, leaving you alone with your cauldron once more.
>Keep producing Serpentbanes.
>Caster brew.
>Experiment.
>You need to go gather reagents.
>Wander.
>Go back to Hiss now that you have some Serpentbanes.
>Brew Potion (Specify)
>Other
>>44027790
> Let them leave and go back to brewing.
Tell him when we finish we will help if there are no other pressing concerns. Orange is pretty fun.
>>44028013
That's Snakehome, the Pit is the place where the prisoners are kept and I DO NOT want to go there
>>44028105
>>Keep producing Serpentbanes.
>>44028105
>You need to go gather reagents.
Lets check up on Bunyip while we are out.
>>44028105
>Caster brew.
Let's just take a little break from the serpentbanes
>>44028105
This is going to take forever, drop it until we can maximize production.
>Experiment.
>>44028105
>>Experiment.
Alchemy is an art. Endless slog is less than productive.
>>44028013
That hole is the actual Snakehome and it's where the current ruler should live. But it was half caved in during the battle with the King so Hiss has relocated to the village.
The Pit is a walled-off bit in the village where they keep the eggs and hatchlings after the post-winter mating frenzy. It's currently empty for now so it's being put to use.
>>44028105
>Keep producing Serpentbanes.
How long did those three take us to make?
>>44028105
>Caster brew.
>>44028226
Part time nursery, part time concentration camp
>>44028105
>>You need to go gather reagents
Rolled 3 (1d4)
>tfw you wind up with a four way tie.
It's never come to this before. 1 for Caster Brew, 2 for Gathering reagents, 3 for experimenting and 4 for Serpentbanes.
>>44028470
Let's hope the dice gods are doubly pleased by this sacrifice
>>44028105
>>Experiment.
its not like its a good idea to send out a million agents right this second anyway.
>>44028470
>tfw you wind up with a four way tie.
wait why wasn't this greentext
>Experiment.
You decide that you need to give the Serpentbanes a bit of a rest, you don't need them all just yet. And besides, alchemy isn't just Art. It's also art. That's something you don't think Hiss quite understands.
You can't just slave away on one brew forever, you need to express yourself. Every potion you make is your lasting contribution to the world, the way you truly express yourself and what people will most likely remember you for.
You sort of hope that it won't the Snakebreaker that you go down in history for.
You spread out your pack and begin to brew. You still have some snake reagents left from Hiss so you can do a little bit of serpent-brewing.
>You should focus on potions that help snakes.
>You should focus on potions that help fight snakes.
>You should focus on potions that'll help you fight spirits.
>You want to focus on soul potions.
>You want to focus on transformative potions.
>What would Hiss want?
>Produce a variation on a potion (Specify)
>>44028602
>You should focus on potions that'll help you fight spirits.
>>44028602
>>You want to focus on soul potions.
>>44028602
>You should focus on potions that help snakes.
Serpentbane without the soul-detaching side effect.
>>44028602
>>You want to focus on soul potions
>>44028602
>You want to focus on soul potions.
>>44028602
>>You should focus on potions that'll help you fight spirits.
Hate to say it, but given Rock's recent activities we should be prepared.
>>44028602
>You should focus on potions that'll help you fight spirits.
>>44028602
>You should focus on potions that'll help you fight spirits.
Ideally something that can be used with the caster too if necessary
>>44028602
sorry cennen but if you go down in history for anything it will be for the caster and related brews
Calling for the spirit brews. Writan
>>44028837
If only Cennen had a cool last name like Browning, Gatling, or Colt.
>>44028951
>Cennen Caster
doesn't really have the same ring as
>Gatling Gun
2bh
>You should focus on potions that'll help you fight spirits.
You remember your talk with Aashenpreet yesterday by the river and the Bunyip. Rock is still absent and who knows what she's doing. And can you really blame her?
Rock has made her position on Hiss clear multiple times, it was only a matter of time before they left for good.
Will Hiss ask you to kill Rock? Fuck no. But you should be prepared to deal with spirits anyway, at least one meddling seems inevitable.
You try not to think about Rock winking out of existence after getting her halo struck by a dispel elixir.
>Spiritbane: Alchemical acid that has been bred with dispel elixirs and Antimagic. It should prove inimical to spirit's manifested bodies.
>Dispel Canister: A dispel elixir optimized for Caster use and mixed with an explosive gel at the bottom. Like the Snakebreaker it can be used without a second potion, ignition and ammunition all at once.
>Diminish Soul: You actually came up with the idea for this one ages ago, a brew that shrinks spirits and exposed souls.
>Spirit Repellent: Based on several aspects of soul-warding that you know of, this salve can be rubbed on the skin to make it uncomfortable and painful for spirits to even touch you.
>Dreameater: An evolution of the Soul Guise, this potion wraps a spirit it collides with in a fake soul. This allows snakes to bite it and potions that affect souls to take temporary effects.
> (Specify)
>>44029063
>Dreameater: An evolution of the Soul Guise, this potion wraps a spirit it collides with in a fake soul. This allows snakes to bite it and potions that affect souls to take temporary effects.
>>44029063
>>Diminish Soul: You actually came up with the idea for this one ages ago, a brew that shrinks spirits and exposed souls.
this could have many interesting uses
>>44029063
>>Diminish Soul: You actually came up with the idea for this one ages ago, a brew that shrinks spirits and exposed souls.
non-lethal in case Rock shows up with her crew
>>44029063
>Spiritbane: Alchemical acid that has been bred with dispel elixirs and Antimagic. It should prove inimical to spirit's manifested bodies.
Gotta love cennen's naming skills
>>44029063
>Dispel Canister: A dispel elixir optimized for Caster use and mixed with an explosive gel at the bottom. Like the Snakebreaker it can be used without a second potion, ignition and ammunition all at once.
>>44029063
>Dispel Canister: A dispel elixir optimized for Caster use and mixed with an explosive gel at the bottom. Like the Snakebreaker it can be used without a second potion, ignition and ammunition all at once.
This actually has loads of uses
>>44029063
>Dispel Canister: A dispel elixir optimized for Caster use and mixed with an explosive gel at the bottom. Like the Snakebreaker it can be used without a second potion, ignition and ammunition all at once.
>>44029119
That sounds nice but would shrinking a spirit really do anything to make it less dangerous?
>>44029063
>>Spiritbane: Alchemical acid that has been bred with dispel elixirs and Antimagic. It should prove inimical to spirit's manifested bodies.
>>44029063
>Spirit Repellent: Based on several aspects of soul-warding that you know of, this salve can be rubbed on the skin to make it uncomfortable and painful for spirits to even touch you.
>>44029063
>Spiritbane: Alchemical acid that has been bred with dispel elixirs and Antimagic. It should prove inimical to spirit's manifested bodies.
I think we're good enough at throwing dispel brews right now anyway
>>44029063
>Spiritbane: Alchemical acid that has been bred with dispel elixirs and Antimagic. It should prove inimical to spirit's manifested bodies.
Calling for Spiritbane. While I write, a question for you. What has been the most consistently useful potion throughout the Quest in your opinion?
>>44029063
>>44029117
>>44029214
I'll change this to dispel canister, since i feel like the variety of uses is nicer.
>>44029387
arguably its been healing based things, since those have allowed us to just keep going in situations where we would have been screwed.
Easy to forget that since its become somewhat ubiquitous s and we've achieved close to he highest level of it though.
>>44029387
Knockout brew has been pretty handy. Soulsight is pretty great too.
>>44029387
Probably the knockout brew. We might want to make a lethal modification of that brew sometime.
>>44029387
Healing and regen, though I don't think they should be counted because those things are always useful.
So... Soulsight, it's pretty handy
>>44029387
Knockout brew's been great. Other than that, we'd probably have been screwed at a few points without healing.
>>44029387
my favorite is the soulsight, but there's never been a time where it totally saved our ass or anything
>>44029387
Knockout brew because we use it a lot and any gaseous brew that we're immune to is extremely useful
>Spiritbane
You wind up spending over an hour brewing Identification Potions and using them to help refine your experimentation until you finally wind up with a potion you feel is worth using.
You call it Spiritbane despite the fact that the term Spiritbane is already a thing and actually describes you. You're here to brew not name.
The Spiritbane should make it painful for spirits to be in contact or near you and acts as a Soulguard as well for spirit-based soul attacks. You use up the last of your bottled snake blood to finish brewing this however so if you want to make more you'll have to gather reagents from somewhere.
You're looking over your creation when Zigzag suddenly slumps through the door. She's absolutely filthy, stains and smears of dried blood still lingering on her clothes. She hasn't even changed back once yet?
"Zigzag? What do you want?"
"I'm hungry. Feed me."
"I'm a little busy now alright. Can't you just go to the, ugh, Pit?"
"Queen said I wasn't allowed in there. But I can still hear it, everyone's eating humans but me."
She's suddenly very close.
"I want to eat more humans. Feed me humans."
"And what if I say no?"
"..."
Zigzag stops.
"The Queen would be mad if I ate you, I don't want to make her angry again. So can you please feed me more humans? Or gunk. The gunk is also good."
>Convince her that sometimes you just can't get what you want.
>Take her to the Pit.
>"What if I gave you something else to eat instead?"
>Give her some Snake Oil.
>Secure a villager for her.
>Maybe if you take her into human lands proper she'll realize just how unfeasible her appetite will be.
>"Can you just leave me alone?"
>"Why are you still in human form?"
>Nobble.
>Use Potion (Specify)
>Other
>>44029651
>>"What if I gave you something else to eat instead?"
>>44029651
Let's make a brew that tastes just like a human soul. Zigzag can be the tester. Maybe we could modify the soulguise. this would be a great way to help snakes and humans coexist too.
>>44029651
>"Why are you still in human form?"
>"What if I gave you something else to eat instead?"
>Nobble.
>>44029704
This. Definitely worth a try.
>>44029651
It seems like you described spirit repellent instead of spiritbane
>>44029651
>>44029704
Huh. Lets give it a go I suppose.
>>44029704
I thought the whole problem in the first place was because she didn't care about souls, she only wants the meat. That's why she's attached to Cennen since he's the only person that's ever found a way for her to fit a whole human into her mouth.
>>44029651
> "Well, the Queen would be mad if I made... Grunk"
>"What if I gave you something else to eat instead?"
>>44029704
This
>>44029651
>"Why are you still in human form?"
>"What if I gave you something else to eat instead?"
>>44029704
this
>>44029775
Whoops.
>>44029651
>>44029684
this is an interesting proposition but i wonder if its even possible at current state. But if we can may as well
>>44029785
Nah, she loves the taste of both souls and human flesh. Hiss said that snakes only eat human souls because they're addicted to the taste though, so it's worth a shot.
>>44029704
Why not go all the way and make a brew that creates a new blank human soul in any body that ingests it? As long as it doesn't mess with the original soul inside the body.
>>44029818
meant to also link
>>44029704
>>44029829
more like they are addicted to some property of human souls.
I think understanding this problem is crucial to coming up with any kind of solution to putting snakes on a level plane with humans.
If we can mass produce null souls we can potentially avert Snakes doing anything nasty.
I just realized that if we're actually successful with this brew snakes will never leave us alone ever again
>>44030078
Nobbling Bad
>"What if I brewed something up for you instead?"
A sudden idea strikes you.
"What if...instead of feeding you a human-"
"I don't like it."
"-I made you a brew that tastes like a human soul instead?"
"Can you do that?"
"I don't know. What tastes the best about a soul anyway?"
"Not taste."
"Pardon?"
"You taste with your mouth."
She opens her own fanged maw extra wide to demonstrate.
"Souls are felt with the mind."
"That's called a metaphor or something Zigzag, it's fine. So what makes souls feel good?"
"Memories? I don't really know, I shred them up when I get them."
How the fuck do you make a brew that tastes like memories? What does it even mean?
"How about this?"
You give her your last Mindbalm.
She drinks it without hesitation, cocking her head.
"Tastes nice. But it's a potion."
"Yeah and?"
"I want meat. Meat or gunk. Potion doesn't feel the same."
"Well hold on, let me try and brew something a little better."
You set up your cauldron again, even though you're all out of snake blood.
Halfway through your first test brew, you set your hand down on the ground. This proves to be a mistake as something quickly chomps on it!
Zigzag is still lying on the ground next to her, her jaw dislocated. She's jammed your entire hand into her mouth.
She hasn't pricked you with her fangs yet but if you struggle too much she might.
"Please...let go, Zigzag.'
"Nrnf."
If you try and push her off she'll probably bite down. And if she bites down you're going to be paralyzed in very short order. Paralyzed while right next to a very hungry Zigzag.
"This is unacceptable behaviour, the Queen won't like this!"
"Mrm"
>Keep brewing regardless.
>Tell her that you'll find someone for her to eat if she just lets go. This doesn't have to be the truth.
> Try to talk to her.
> Offer to ask Hiss to let her eat some of the corpses.
> Attempt to assert dominance.
> Threaten
> Use Potion (Specify)
> Pray
> Other
>>44030192
>Keep brewing regardless.
>>44030192
God damn it. Give her some snake oil then.
>>44030192
offer her snake oil if she lets go. then knock her annoying ass out with it.
>>44030192
>Keep brewing regardless.
>"I need my hand to make your food, moron!"
>>44030192
>Keep brewing regardless
>>44030192
If you eat my hand I can't make any more of that brew you like
>give that bitch some snake oil
>>44030192
> Offer to ask Hiss to let her eat some of the corpses.
>>44030192
>>44030293
>>44030322
These.
Fucking Zigzag. Sooner or later we need to get rid of her.
>>44030387
I find her endearing, and more importantly, easily manipulated
>>44030192
could we somehow make a brew that makes a copy of our own memories without becoming spiritbane'd?
>>44030192
>> Try to talk to her.
you can't eat me you know
>>44030192
I have a brew that will link my soul to yours, care to try your luck Zigzag?
>Snake oil
>Keep brewing regardless
You sigh. At least she isn't chewing.
"I need my hand to make your food you moron!"
She doesn't let go, leaving you to brew one-handed. Which is fine by you, this recipe isn't very hard anyway. It doesn't take long before the smell of Snake Oil fills the air, prompting Zigzag's mouth to first loosen and then let go of your hand entirely.
"Gunk! Feed me the gunk."
You pass the oily cauldron to her, this time being careful not to interrupt her while she's feeding. She doesn't stick her whole head into it this time, instead scooping it with her hands. She looks oil-drunk already.
"This is nice. You're nice. Feeeeeeeee..."
It doesn't take her long to pass out in a blissful sleep.
>Just let her be.
>Roll her outside.
>Nobble.
>The world is probably a better place without her in it.
>Use Potion (specify)
>Other
>>44030613
>Just let her be.
I'd like to nobble her but that would definitely be a problem if we plan to visit our village or any humans anytime soon
>>44030613
>Nobble.
>>44030613
>Nobble.
This will solve many problems
>>44030613
>Nobble.
She tried to stop us brewing, it worked with Orange.
>>44030613
>Nobble.
The ultimate meatshield will be ours
>>44030613
>>Just let her be.
>>44030613
>>Nobble.
I want her gone. But I want plausible deniability for it.
Nobbling will help limit the damage until we can find some.
>>44030746
sorry namefag but we're not gonna kill her
>>44030613
>Just let her be.
>Nobble.
You stroke your unshaven chin as you contemplate your situation. Nobbling her is probably the best action you can take here, somebody has to teach her manners eventually. But to do that you need to capture her, not just render her unconscious.
You'd tie her up but Aashenpreet broke your rope a long while ago. Could you stuff her in your pack? Not without alchemical help.
In the end you just step outside and hold the door shut, establishing that you have contained her inside. That probably works.
She's still asleep when you come back in. She'll probably asleep for a while.
>Wake her up.
>Harvest reagents from her.
>Just keep brewing.
>Maybe you should ask someone to help.
>Go outside.
>Use Potion (Specify)
>Other
>>44030887
>>Just keep brewing.
>>44030887
>Harvest reagents from her.
>>44030887
>>Just keep brewing.
>>44030887
>Harvest reagents from her.
Be ready to hold our breath/dodge though
>Just keep brewing.
>>44030887
>Harvest reagents from her.
>Just keep brewing.
>>44030887
>Harvest reagents from her.
>Just keep brewing.
>>44030887
>Harvest reagents from her.
>Just keep brewing.
>>44030887
>Just keep brewing.
>Harvest reagents from her.
>Just keep brewing.
You approach her cautiously, ready to hold your breath or to dodge at any time. You start by plucking a few hairs. It doesn't wake her.
Encouraged by this, your prick her hand a few times with your knife and harvest some blood. Looks like her automatic defensive Arts don't activate when she's asleep. Or is it because of the Oil?
You're unable to procure any snakeskin from her just yet so you settle for propping her head in your lap and pushing her jaw open so you can swab up her saliva. She's still not awake.
Actually now that you think about it, her venom should have different alchemical properties from Hiss'! You've gotten so used to only using her venom that you've almost forgot that each kind has different qualities.
You quickly cook up another Identification Potion to inspect her saliva with.
Looks like you can use Zigzag's venom to make a potion that immobilizes people without knocking them out. In addition, her venom twists any potion it's added to, rendering lethal brews non-lethal.
What should you do with this?
>Keep brewing Serpentbanes.
>Experiment with mixing potions together.
>Experiment with reagents.
>More Caster brewing.
>You really need an apprentice.
>Other
>>44031185
>Keep brewing Serpentbanes.
Let's see if we can reach our limit. Our Art is ridiculously strong.
>>44031185
>Keep brewing Serpentbanes.
fuckin sucks. but I really don't think having an apprentice is a good idea.
>>44031185
>>You really need an apprentice.
Potions we need to make
Artificial soul
Artificial freeze
Soul regeneration
>>44031185
>More Caster brewing.
You're not my mom, Hiss! You can't tell me what to do with my life!
>>44031185
>Experiment with mixing potions together.
> Mindbalm, soul guise and thoughtbrew
Should get us closer to making a pseudo soul
>>44031185
>>Keep brewing Serpentbanes.
Job's a job
>>You really need an apprentice.
but we really need to get on this soon.
>>44031328
Pretty good idea. Let's try it out.
>>44031185
>>44031328
lets try this
>>44031328
this. even if it doesn't win let's use it later.
>>44031328
what's the mindbalm for? giving it fake memories just by suggesting them or something?
>>44031440
fuck, meant to say thoughtbrew
>>44031328
So the soulguise creates an empty shell, the thoughtbrew interprets the hollow center as damage and fills it, and then the thoughtbrew gives it fake memories?
>>44031440
>>44031510
Don't want to get too metaphysical cause it's like 3 am here, but from what Zigzag said, thoughts and memories are the substance of the soul.
Guys, here's an idea. Let's make a soul and give it a body to make our own apprentice.
>>44031185
>Apprentice Zigzag
Sorry for the delay had a phone call.
>Experiment with mixing potions together.
> Mindbalm, soul guise and thoughtbrew.
Just like last time, Zigzag's attempted attack on your person has given you an idea! She seemed to like the Mindbalm so clearly there's a lead to be investigated there.
Just what is a soul? Thoughts and memories and mind all sloshed together inside a shell. You've spent enough time with Hiss to know that there is no inherently mystical or holy concept to the soul, nothing that renders inviolate.
They are things that can be manipulated and pruned, eaten and spat out, mushed together and brought back to life inside things that were never meant to hold them.
You remember the Children of the Master, the Melach, Hiss' own creations. You remember that stubby helpless doll that Hiss had placed a Melach soul in, the same doll that she had thrown into the ocean to suffer forever until his soul finally rotted to nothing.
You remember all of your own various potions, the distillation of snake blood.
You remember the death of the spirit in Melire branding you forever. Or when Hiss first coiled your mind and pulled you into trance, ravaging your soul for no reason but petty spite. When you put it that way, you've been walking on this path for much longer than you thought.
No, there's nothing special about the soul. It's just another resource. Something to be spent and used and...created. The fact that they are the sum of a person's entire experiences and love changes nothing about that particular truth.
A Soul Guise makes a hollow shell not unlike a soul but with nothing to sustain it. Mindbalm grows blank soulstuff from nearly nothing, it shouldn't be much for it to latch onto the pseudo-soul of the Guise. And then the Thoughtbrew and a few other potions like it will breathe life into it, tinging an otherwise blank creation with emotions and experiences.
1/2
>>44031985
aw shit it worked
>>44031985
Damn, we mad scientist now?
>>44032084
We always were
>>44031985
lol zigzag is our muse
>>44032084
Mad ALCHEMIST, thank you very much.
None of that science mumbo jumbo here.
>>44032173
Hey! Alchemy is a well respected and up to day science!
God damn astrologers trying to lump it down with their fake ass hobby
>>44031985
All three of these potions are creations unique to you, only made possible by your Snake Blood Revelation. Through them pumps not only your power but that of Hiss and Zigzag and every other serpent. Each of these potions is itself a masterpiece, a culmination of three long strands of research with resources and reagents that were available only to you.
Time slips away, hour after hour, as you remain bent over your cauldron. Zigzag has woken up but she is unable to attract your attention and cannot attack you.
You draw her close and harvest for additional reagents when you need it without even thinking about it.
You barely notice her, far too caught up in the creative trance that you had sunk into before when you've experimented or created. But this time you let it take you far deeper than it has ever before.
You've never let it grip you this hard before and you may never let it again. You are seized with the idea that you may be approaching the apex, that masterpiece that any craftsman knows he will only approach once in his entire life.
You let the rest of the world drop away, time itself irrelevant. The only things that matter are the materials in your ever-working hands and the formulae in your head.
At some point you dragged Old Bart's soul out of your pack and used it for reference, ever brewing more and more soulgrasp brews on the side.
When you finally come to your senses, night has fallen. The contents of your pack have been scattered everywhere. Zigzag is sitting next to the wall, looking disheveled and drained. Literally drained, it looks like you siphoned a huge amount of her blood during your day-long experiment.
But sitting in your cauldron is your finest creation yet. The brew itself is almost perfectly clear and constantly smoking but what interests you is what lies within it, something intangible and invisible. You pluck it up with one Soulgrasp-covered hand and deposit it into an empty bottle.
2/3
>>44032267
Well Zigzag is probably terrified of us now.
>>44032267
It's existent!
>>44032267
Finally! You'd gotten to this stage multiple times during the day but none of your pseudo-souls had survived outside of the brew. But this one, this one is wriggling and strong.
You fill the soul bottle with some of the brew as well and peer through it. Even without Soulsight the newborn soul is now visible as a sort of inky stain suspended within the solution.
Can it see you? Surely not, it has no means to perceive anything. It is completely cut-off from the world, coiled around itself. A perfect ouroboros.
You remember your Master's old books telling you about Tolemy, the Father of all alchemy in Old Khepri. Among his many mythical feats were the tales of his Homunculi, living creatures that had been given life through alchemy.
You're still far from his level, you've used the power of many magical creatures instead of just your own Art. But the result is the same.
You've created your very own Homonculus.
You are suddenly aware of how ridiculous tired you are. You're completely drained of Art.
>Fall asleep.
>Go tell Hiss.
>Ask Zigzag if she's alright.
>Feed Homonculus to ZigZag.
>Name Homonculus
>Other
>>44032432
>>Feed Homonculus to ZigZag.
>>44032432
>>Ask Zigzag if she's alright.
>Name Homonculus
Sim One
>Fall asleep.
>>44032432
>>Ask Zigzag if she's alright.
>>44032432
If heal-alls help blood loss give Zigzagone
>Name Homunculus*
Eva
>Fall asleep.
>>44032441
We can't give our first one away like that. Maybe the next one.
>>44032432
Aw shiiiiiiit
>Name Homonculus
This is it, we need to muster all of our naming expertise and talent on this, our magnum opusHomie
>>44032506
This works, I guess. I continue to be awful at thinking up names.
>>44032432
>>Name Homonculus
Cennen Jr the First.I'd say Galatea but Cennen has a bad track record with names.
>>Go tell Hiss.
>Name Homonculus
>Fall asleep.
You can't fall asleep just yet...you have to think of a name for your magnum opus. A proper name this time not some dumb placeholder because you couldn't think of a good one at the time.
Indeed, this may be the closest thing you will ever have to a child.
So it has to be dignified. Something like...
>Eva
>Cennen Junior
>One
>Experiment
>Blot
>Hiss Junior
>Homie
>Hom
>Ouroboros
>Snake Food
>>44032741
>Eva
>>44032741
>Ouro
>>44032741
>Ouroboros
>>44032741
>Eva
>>44032741
>Eva
inb4 spirithiss takes it over
>>44032757
>>44032741
>Hom
Hom is nice
>>44032741
>>Ouroboros
>>44032741
>Eva
Now we just need a drained but still living body from the pit.
>inb4 dreams of the creator looking at us judgementally
>>44032985
man if the creator actually does get involved it'll be pretty interesting
>Eva
You christen the alchemical blot to be named 'Eva' as you set the bottle aside. You suppose it's a girl now? Whatever.
You slump back onto your bed and fall into a deep dreamless sleep.
...
You wake up feeling refreshed, albeit still a little bit tired. Everything is as you left it only...Eva's bottle is gone!
Where her bottle had once stood is now just a pile of broken glass and a puddle of spilled brew. The puddle is smeared and from it stems a series of footprints large enough to be human.
Holy shit.
Did Eva make herself a body?
You follow the footprints to the other side of the hut, where Zigzag is sleeping with a very contented look on her face.
Or...maybe Zigzag just broke the bottle open and ate Eva alive while you slept. That seems more likely.
Fuck.
>Time to make another one.
>Wake up Zigzag.
>Freak out from having wasted so much time.
>Double-Nobble.
>Use Potion (Specify)
>Other
>>44033045
>Wake up Zigzag.
what the fug
>>44033045
>Wake up Zigzag.
If she ate it she gets to help us make a new one! Also
>Double-Nobble.
Something No ONE has done before!
>>44033045
>Wake up Zigzag.
> "Give it back you little dweeb!"
(Nevermind that this was the purpose of the experiment)
>>44033045
>Time to make another one.
>all that for nothing
damn Ouro you are cold as ice
>>44033045
>>Wake up Zigzag.
now this is the part of the experiment where i ask you some questions
>>44033045
>Time to make another one.
motherfucker
>>44033045
>Freak out from having wasted so much time.
>>44033103
Well after I considered the implications of just falling asleep while leaving Eva around with an unsupervized Zigzag it became obvious to me.
Called it for waking her up and starting another.
>>44033045
>Wake up Zigzag.
I actually hope she ate it because otherwise spirithiss took over hiss and fetched it herself
>>44033213
>Hissinthreadtwo
Boy was she wrong.
>>44033213
I blame those who wanted to fall asleep over Zigzag. Sneks gonna snek.
>>44033213
We could've thought that through a little more. Oh well.
>>44033299
to be fair it was a pretty reasonable thing to have happened.
>Wake up Zigzag
>Time to make another one.
You nudge Zigzag with your boot, waking her up. She stares blankly up at you.
"Eh?"
"Did you eat it? Did you eat Eva?"
Zigzag smiles.
"Yes. Tasty."
"Fuck!"
Still, you suppose that's better than it having escaped into the world.
"Now we're going to have to make another."
"I'm not hungry yet."
"It's not for you to eat!"
You drag your cauldron and your ingredients back together. This will take less time than the first at least but it will still be HOURS.
As you begin to brew, Zigzag hovers around looking confused.
"Something's strange," she says.
"What?"
"When I woke up I didn't want to eat you. Or bite. I don't understand."
>Ignore her.
>"I captured you while you were unconscious."
> "How would I know?"
> Tell a lie (Specify)
> Make a wish (Specify)
>Other
>>44033470
>Wishbond
Now we are going to make a new one, don't eat it!
>>44033470
We must have really bonded yesterday.
>>44033526
Ba dum tss
>>44033470
We can't wish for it back
Can we?
>>44033470
> "Yeah I have that effect on snakes"
> "Are you still hungry? I hope not, after you ate a day's worth of my work"
> "How does it feel?"
>>44033470
> "How would I know?"
>>44033570
You can wish for her to cough it up, it's worked for Hiss. The problem is that Zigzag has mentioned that she likes to shred and absorb eaten souls as quickly as possible rather than keep them around for future use so there might just not be anything left to regurgitate.
>>44033470
>Ignore her.
So did it seem any different than a normal soul?
>>44033470
>"I captured you while you were unconscious."
Snakes eat humans, Snakecatchers nobble snakes.
>>44033470
>>"I captured you while you were unconscious."
