Avatar of Zeroth

Status

Recent Statuses

4 days ago
Current "You're me from the future, and you came back to the past to keep me from suffering like you did?" asks my childhood self. "Something like that," I reply as I load the gun.
5 likes
5 days ago
That bot left a number and email. Someone should cast "Unending Newsletters" for them.
2 likes
27 days ago
Writing horror is super difficult because it requires telling a story while shutting up at the same time. It's fear of the UNKNOWN, not fear of the well-written descriptions.
9 likes
2 mos ago
Say "thanks," when they compliment you and smile. Watch more of what's going on around you instead of staying inside your head. If eye contact's hard, stare at her forehead.
1 like
2 mos ago
@ColdAtlus: Cheems.
1 like

Bio

On CST time, United States. Typically busy most of the week and do most posting/replying on weekends.

Most Recent Posts

Did some editing and adding new stuff today to the "World" section of the Character Tab! A list of what was added can be found in the OOC Zeroth post!
Update has arrived! As always, let me know if I missed anything or if anything's unclear!
Forest


@ERode

Obtained Tungem Branch x4
Obtained Jackalope Antlers x2
Lost 1 Tungem Branch > Broken Wood Pieces x3
Obtained Pimplestool Mushroom x2
Obtained Crushed Pimplestool
Obtained Mushroom Shreds x3
Obtained Mycellium Lash x3
Obtained Frayed Mycellium Lash x2

Consumed: Partial Frayed Mycellium Lash
You have resisted Poison!
Activate [Ingestion: Pimplestool] (Y/N)? Approximate Ingestion: 0 > 10%.
Ingestible Skills [Pimplestool] - Further Progress Required.
Warning: This will ERASE current Ingestion progress!
Current Ingestion: Elwet 85%
All Ingestible Skills [Elwet] known; Additional Biomass Required for further Ingestion.

Jackalope Antlers have been broken down.
Obtained Jackalope Point x5
Obtained Broken Jackalope Point

You've attempted to Craft something!
Materials: Tungem Branch + Jackalope Point + Mycellium Lash
Process: Handcrafting

...Success! You've Crafted a weapon!
Jackalope Spear - 2H Weapon - A decent, if primitive spear. Not suitable as a throwing weapon due to its weight, but made of tough, sturdy materials. Jackalope horn is surprisingly sharp, almost as much so as metal.
SYSTEM:Esfir


The Tatzelwurm that lunged at Esfir met the orc runt's eyes as they flashed. In that instant it understood that not only had this creature seen it, ruining its ambush, but that the creature was stronger than one might expect for its size, and that it not only had the capability to kill the tatzelwurm, but the will to do so as well. The sheer wave of hostility threw the creature off just as Esfir hoped, and in that moment the runt made her move!

The jackalope spear pierced the monster's hide far easier than her sharp stone would have, catching it through its open mouth and piercing into the back of its head! The tatzelwurm was pretty much dead--but, like some venomous snakes of earth, its jaws continued to snap and its body writhed out the last of its energy! Its claws flailed at her, and if she wasn't careful its thrashings would push the body up the haft of her spear within biting range of her hand--!

Up above, the Harpy took off from its perch, and began to circle in the air...



Orc Camp


@King Cosmos

HP Increased! Healing Points are expended when you are injured, and when you suffer infection, illness, or certain status effects. When Healing Points are spent, your body will not be able to tolerate further expenditures. If Healing Points experience a sudden, severe drop, you may enter the Shock condition. When Healing Points are fully expended, you will enter the Unconscious condition. Further damage taken while in the Unconscious condition is highly likely to cause DEATH.
SYSTEM:Akeno

As Akeno explored the camp, she would see that many of the adult orcs and the Grunts were having their lunches around the cookfires, taking naps, or generally doing things that didn't require a lot of moving around, like sharpening weapons or crafting various bits and pieces. The weather wasn't especially warm, but the sunlight reflected off the rocks of the mountains and there wasn't a lot of shade. Combined with the ambient heat of the fires, it was comfortable enough for resting and bearable to move and work in, but unless it was absolutely necessary most of the camp seemed to be in "siesta" mode.

The entire camp rested at the base of a mountain, with a sloping ledge and trails at its edge back to the forest. Many of the camp’s shelters were thus carved into the rocky outcrops and cliff faces, though tents and crude wooden buildings were scattered around as well. Usually only the stronger or more renown monsters lived in the natural caves, with the rest being forced to make do with tents and teepees. In the case of some poor Grunts, it was the best they could do to make an A-frame shelter with a bed of leaves.

The few orcs who were moving around a lot, were doing something important enough to warrant it; Akeno saw a lithe-built orc running with a double armful of freshly cut logs, drawing the ire of several other adults he almost bumped into. Another had several wooden buckets and woven baskets balanced on his shoulders and head, and seemed to be making a lot of effort to keep them that way as he wibbled and wobbled towards a large patch of unclaimed ground near the brood pits. As the stack on his head did its best slinky impression, causing the orc to walk in circles under it until the whole height stabilized again, Akeno saw a couple of small beans fall out of the basket onto the ground.

She also saw the huge orc blacksmith, the one the other adults called Bowbh, working under a simple wooden shed. Several tall wooden posts had been planted into the earth, and thinner branches formed a frame for a sloping straw roof on one side. Underneath this shed, a furnace of fired clay bricks had been built along with bellows made from animal skins. Crude tables of both wood and stone held various tools and a few works in progress, although for a "blacksmith" it seemed like he worked as much with tree branches and knapped blades as much as he did with any actual metal. In place of an anvil he simply had a huge, square slab of stone. Its upper half had been blackened over time by the heat of objects laid upon it, and a fine layer of ash and soot. The orc carrying the wood deposited it next to a big charcoal pit, and said something to the blacksmith only to get a dismissive shake of the big orc's head and a halfhearted gesture of his hammer.

The Shaman enjoyed a rather cozy home by comparison: the cave itself was set at an angle to a curved rock face, and the lean-to had been built as an extension of sorts. It was similar, perhaps, to a covered patio or porch built as an add-on to a human house. A few of the Shaman’s personal belongings and knicknacks could be seen around the corner of the stone entry, but the outer area seemed to serve as her “workshop,” or ritual area…maybe even a lab? She seemed to have just finished talking to another Runt, one that had returned earlier than Akeno, and as the orcling went on their way Yambagorn shuffled back to her mortar and pestle.

Shamar, the Head Hunter of the tribe, could be seen near a large, yurt-like dwelling on the far western side of the camp, in an area of flat, unshaded rock. Away from the hustle and bustle of most other orcs, it was unclear whether she settled here out of personal taste... or because the fumes from her animal pelts, stretched and tanning in the sun, were so strong. Even to an orc's nose, they were unpleasantly pungent. The finished product of her pelts could be seen in her home's construction, stitched together in a multitude of colors with fur still attached. It looked like she had just finished hanging some new hides in front of her fire to dry, and now she was looking at several carcasses hanging over bowls of fresh blood as she decided which one to take down next.

As Akeno continued to wander the camp, however, she soon heard a group of orcs suddenly break out in chanting. One of them even began to beat a drum that happened to be sitting outside a tent. In rhythm they stomped their feet as another, larger orc passed by.

"HOO! HAA! AG-RO-NAK! HOO! HAA! AG-RO-NAK!"

The Warchief of the tribe passed among them with a wide berth, two other orcs trailing exactly three steps behind both of his shoulders and scowling at any other adult who dared get closer. Agronak walked up the first set of stairs to a larger, more ornate dwelling than any of the other orcs had, one that seemed to have been properly constructed (by orc standards) to take advantage of the mountainous terrain. His two bodyguards stopped at the bottom of the stairs while the warchief continued on. They turned back, looking out at the rest of the camp, as they crossed their arms and scowled in an appropriate manner for their station.

After seeing all the "major players" of the camp and continuing to wander for a bit, Akeno would also overhear several snippets of conversation--or, as it happened, a few shouting matches.

"Wot's he mean that ain't enough wood?! I spent all morning cuttin' down that damn tree!"
“Hmph, more wood? What ‘e needs is more ore! And better stuff, too. That bog iron ain’t worth gruhk!”


"Anybody heard from them mukhs wot was talkin' bout a new cave they found down south? They oughta been back by now!"
"They's prolly dead if they ain't, then! What they been gone for--three days already?"
"Two o' them new Runts went lookin' for 'em! Fat lotta good they'll do if sumfinn's killed the others!"


"Dat idjit, what's he think he's gonna do? Crops take too long, we needs food now! Besides, where's he gonna get da water?!"
"Specially when da spring keeps stoppin' every few days! Won't be long afore we gotta start goin' to da lake again with them stupid big tubs!"
"Hah! Weakling already knows 'e can't fight worth a grukh, 'e might as well kill 'imself!"



South Caves


@Kazemitsu

Obtained Red Cream x2
SYSTEM:Grunthor

"Camazots are like...a giant bat, I guess? Imagine a wolf, but with its forelegs as bat wings and a way, way creepier face. Nasty predators, and they live in colonies big enough to split into multiple hunting packs. If you still remember what it was like sleeping in the Brood Pit, they were the things that screamed and blacked out the moon every so often." answered the Runt whose name Grunthor still hadn't learned.

As Grunthor watched the ceiling, he saw more web trails here and there but no sign yet of the spider that had made them. The two Runts came closer to the camp, and sure enough found the remains of a campfire, now burned down to cold charcoal, and three bedrolls. There were a few scattered belongings, the blackened remnants of a chunk of meat, and tracks...which led to the Runt's right, further into the tunnel. It was completely pitch black in that direction.

The belongings that Grunthor could make out in the gloom were:
  • A necklace of bones and dried ears. The ears were now the color and texture of jerky, but had a more elegant look to them than orc ears. They were long and pointed, but otherwise human-like. The bones all seemed to be finger bones. They appeared humanoid, but much smaller than one would expect from a normal person.
  • Leather gloves. Oddly, they seemed too small to fit an adult orc's hands, but they could probably fit a Runt just fine.
  • A lucky paw from some bear-like creature on a thin string.
  • Fingerless gloves, these properly adult-orc sized, made from plant fiber wrappings.
  • A set of playing cards made from squares of tree bark, with smudged charcoal markings for symbols and numbers.
  • A red cloth bandana.
  • Stone dagger - A properly knapped and shaped stone blade set into a handle that looks to have been made from an antler of some kind.


"Hey, check it!" said the other Runt in a whisper that still managed to carry in the cave. "There's only two sets of these footprints--this other track is like something, or someone, was being dragged!" He grinned back at Grunthor. "So your giant spider must've grabbed one of them, taken him deeper into the cavern, and the other two went after it!" He pointed back at the webbed up tunnel. "But if we haven't seen it again so far, that makes me think they either wounded it, or killed it. If we had a torch we could burn those webs easy, and go deeper to see if there's anything else down here--I bet they were carrying weapons and maybe some other stuff with them!"

From here, when the two looked back, they could also see that the cave wall to their left was a little smoother and less craggy than what they'd passed so far. Near where the wall joined the floor, they could see little lumpy masses that were oddly smooth, like rocks at the bottom of a riverbed. The first thought, of course, might be a mass of spider eggs--but there were no webs around this part of the cave, and where the sunlight's longest rays from the entrance hit them, they glimmered with a black luster...



Deep Forest


@ReusableSword

Skill Gained:
Muffle - Rank I - Muffle the sounds of your movements to become stealthy. The user's footsteps will be significantly more quiet, but this is only a deduction from the normal amount of noise they would make. Therefore, one's armor, weight, etc may still produce sounds beyond a certain level.

+Previous experience carried over
New Observation: Elwet, Goblin
New Ingestion: Tatzelwurm
You've gained a new skill!
New Items Crafted
Discovered New Area: Deep Forest

LEVEL UP! Level 2 > Level 3
  • Increase HP (Health)
  • Increase MP (Magic)
  • Gain 1 Skill Rank Point
  • Gain 1 Empty Skill Slot
SYSTEM:Agar


Agar's new skill and his mud camo did wonders for his movement through the forest, as did his use of Field Scan. As he entered the dark grove of trees, the magical "sonar" wave expanded from him...and upon its return, a flood of information almost threatened to overwhelm him!

Skill Progression:
Field Scan Rank UP I > II!
At Rank II, one can roughly sense the silhouette of the creatures within range.
SYSTEM:Agar


Not far from Agar, in fact so close that he could probably catch it if he lunged with the longer reach of his spear, was a rabbit shape with horns--one of those Jackalopes! But there was much, much more to consider before he decided on whether or not to pursue this prey...

In one of those dark trees, a large, bird shaped shadow sat nestled in what was probably a nest. It was bigger than that chicken-like thing he had encountered before. It was staying incredibly still, so much so that the silhouette he sensed actually grew dimmer--was it hiding from something?

That was very possible, given that on the ground in roughly the center of the dark trees, something with a silhouette like an alligator, plus ox-like horns, was slowly stalking through the forest. It was headed towards what looked like a ring of blurry shapes--they were apparently not close enough for Agar to make out the distinct shapes of them with his Field Scan. But based on their size...and the fact that he thought he could hear voices...were they more of those goblins? Or more Orc Runts like himself, possibly sent out here by Shamar? Whatever they were, they were definitely being hunted by this large, spike-backed beast...

Oh, and of course there were things more related to his actual quest. Through careful observation of the area and his stealthy movements, Agar had identified several mushrooms and other potentially useful materials:

  • A pointy-capped mushroom that is shiny silver towards its top, dulling to gray, then black, then rusty red towards the base. x2
  • A short, leafy tree no higher than six or seven feet, but many smaller branches on its trunk reaching up to nine or ten feet in length. The larger branches, usually near the bottom or middle of the tree, have round green nuts with thick shells.
  • Red Cream - An unmistakable red mushroom that oozes a red, creamlike substance when its bulbous head is cut. You once heard an Orc say a single mushroom could keep someone full for several hours. But they only grow in dark places… x2
  • Another of the mushrooms that look like a weeping willow, with all the tendrils.
  • A Turtleshell Mushroom! x2


However, based on where the various mushrooms were, harvesting them might prove a problem--the Red Creams were under the bushes near Agar, and not far from the Jackalope. Harvesting them, even if he was stealthy, would probably disturb the prey and send it running. The shiny, pointy-cap mushroom was further into the tree copse, closer to that big alligator-esque creature. And the Turtleshells were nestled in the roots of the same tree that the large bird was nesting in!

The other mushrooms, and the tree, would be easier to get to without being seen...in fact, that tree's branches would probably be sturdy enough to climb, if he needed to get away from something very dangerous on the ground...
I think I need to just say, I'm going to be cutting back on RPing in general for a bit. Thanks for the invite Z and I'll maybe return in the future but atm I'm just feeling a little burned out, I think.


Thanks for letting us know! We'll hope for your return, but get some rest! Enjoy the holidays!

I'm starting work on an update, those still working on posts feel free to continue!
Posted. I'm assuming that our demons are basically just in "spirit form" or a pocket dimension or something when they haven't been summoned and we can still interact with them in some fashion? Since we don't have COMPs or something that stores them?


Tokyo Streets


"...N-nani?"

The trembling, bespectacled girl looked up at the man who offered her his blood drenched hand. Yet, though the crimson essence trailed from him like a streamer caught in the wind, it didn't wet the ground or stain her clothes. Instead, it disappeared as if evaporating. He had no shadow, either. But she could see him, standing there as solid as a rock. His blade reflected the sunlight in its cold steel--and it was definitely there, it had left a mark on the ground and everything.

"Ye cried me tae form a contract, didnae ye?" the creature said again, his eyes glowing like dull embers. He knelt down, his kilt barely brushing the cobblestones of the alleyway, and tilted his head at Miyuki.

"E-eto...Ai amu sorreh, m-mai Engrish iz not varry guud!" She could write it and read it pretty well, given all the cross-culture study of medieval and fantasy literature she'd done, but she hadn't gotten much practice speaking it since high school! It didn't help that this guy clearly had a really thick accent. "Sah-sank yoo for hepping me!" She fished her wallet out of her pocket, and grabbed the biggest bill she had--a measly 2000 Yen. "Th-theese is all Ai have, s-sorreh!" She bowed her head, and held it out to the man in both hands. What else was she supposed to do?! Was he going to cut her up next!?

"Ah accept!" Lham Dearg grabbed her hand rather than the money, the same hand that now burned with some strange mark. There was a flash of blue flame around both of them--and Miyuki suddenly felt cut off from the rest of the world.

A battle raged around her. She had no idea who fought against who, only that men fought and died with swords and spears in the shadow of great stone castles. The green hills ran red with blood, and the eyes of crows glimmered as they descended to feast. Miyuki screamed and covered herself with her arms as a wave of black feathers spilled over her.

Then she was back on the street, next to the closed shop, in the alleyway where an unearthly man had cut down a vicious goblin and spilled an entire bin of recyclables. But now, strange whispers in the back of her mind filled her with new knowledge.

"You...you're...not human. Not anymore, at least." she said, in her native tongue, as she looked at Lham Dearg. "But you're...my contracted demon? So you'll help me if...another one of those things shows up?" She looked towards the remains of the goblin--and as she did so, she noticed a scrap of paper fluttering underneath one piece of its corpse.

"Aye." Though the demon spoke his own language, somehow Miyuki understood the eerie echo of his voice. Through the power of their contract, no doubt. All of this...this was what that strange dream had been about? Even now she barely remembered having it...but everything was too real to deny. "Ye ainlie need tae ca' fur me by name, 'n' ah wull serve you--so lang as ye let me rammy tae mah heart's content!" Battle. He wanted to fight, to satisfy the deep bloodlust within his soul. A human spirit twisted by bloodlust and a savage grudge, dragged beneath the faerie hills and emerging as a dark warrior. Lham Dearg, the crimson hand...

"Til we meet again, wee lassie..." The demon's body began to disintegrate at its edges, and the wind appeared to blow him away in a cloud of sparkling dust. But somehow, as her hand throbbed and she slowly rose to her feet, Miyuki knew he was still there, watching her. He just wasn't in a material form anymore.

Was this...magic? Ghosts, demons, strange dreams--it sounded like something out of a crazy anime! Shaking her head, she looked once again at the goblin. Its body, too, was starting to disappear...With a quivering hand, she reached down and grabbed the slip of paper before it could blow away. As she held it, the black stain from the monster's blood dried up and flaked away along with the rest of the body.

"Messengers of Hope? That weird cult?" Of course, specifying "that weird cult" in Japan was like throwing grapeshot in a fish barrel given all the different groups one could run into on any given day passing out flyers or doing weird qigong dance routines. But the symbols on the flyer matched up with what she'd seen on the news a few times. The Messengers of Hope, and some other group--the Crimson-something--seemed like the latest bunch of whackos trying to get everyone from the homeless to politicians to lend them an ear. Was the demon...part of the cult?

Miyuki blinked. Maybe, her inner conspiracist whispered, the cult had summoned the demons! Like one of those fantasy games where an evil organization tried to break the seal on the demon king!

But she had summoned a demon too. Did that make her part of the evil group? And if the Messengers of Hope had summoned the goblin, had they sent it after her specifically? Or was it random? Why have a demon attack people in the streets?

The details of the flyer noted there was to be a meeting going on later tonight at Inokashira Park. For her that would be a little over an hour by train...Did she dare go to something like that? Even in search of answers?

"La...um...Lham Dearg? Do you know anything about this?" She asked in a quiet voice.

The whisper was inside her head! She jumped with a little squeal.
"Ah ken ainlie that mony powers ur converging oan this steid. A battle th' likes o' whilk haes nae bin seen afore shall soon be upon us!"

"...That's a no, then..." Her demon sounded almost glad for the prospect, but wouldn't be much help. However...she couldn't be the only one this had happened to, right? All those news reports of people getting attacked and claiming they had seen monsters, maybe it happened to them just like her own experience! She had no intentions of joining any strange new-age movement or letting anyone extort her for cash...and she had a rather scary fellow protecting her now!

"Umu!" With a pump of her fists and a tensing of her jaw, Miyuki felt her determination settle. She would go to this cult's little show, and find out what was going on!

Then she looked at her phone, and saw what time it was.

"Ah! I still have to do the shopping, and get lunch, and figure out what to make for dinner! Awawawawah!" She shoved the flyer into her pocket, hurriedly began throwing the bottles and wrappers back in the recyclable bin (everyone had to do their part, after all!) and then dashed away down the sidewalk!



That Evening, Inokashira Park




She wore the black hoodie from her fencing club under her jacket now, along with a red scarf that she could wrap around her face if need be. She even had one of her bokken--the wooden swords used for martial arts training--in its cloth tote-bag over her shoulder. As if that wasn't suspicious at all. But she felt a little like a ninja, or a mysterious hero, brooding under a tree as the park began to darken!

Nevermind that her legs were shaking, and she kept looking around as if expecting another goblin, or some mugger, or a crazed religious fanatic to accost her at any moment.

But around this time of day, aside from a few evening runners or people taking a shortcut on their way home from work, the park didn't have a lot of people in it. Surely a big group like the Messengers of Hope would be easy to spot...Would they all be wearing weird robes or uniforms? If she saw them...what was she supposed to do? Should she just...go up to them and ask them?

Hi guys, my name's Miyuki! I contracted a demon this morning, with the cursed mark that appeared on the back of my hand! I don't suppose you know who opened the gates of hell and let all the monsters out, do you? She closed her eyes and sighed at herself. Why had she let her whimsical side get the best of her now, of all times...?
what nerd do you know that researches proper lifting techniques for optimum core muscle gain lol


*looks up from scribbling in workout logbook, hurriedly closes "How to look like Goku" Youtube tab*

I'm with @ERode on this one lol, these days tons of weebs get pissed enough at society that they start lowkey turning into Chads. Or they get internet radicalized and start preparing for The BoogTM.

Eyo, planning on doing a buncha things that'll probably still be dependent on what the harpy does while Esfir's doing those things. Wanna do a collab? Or would it work out if I just PM you things piecemeal?


Either way is fine! It might take me a bit to reply because I'll be leaving for my class shortly.

Post is up! Let me know if I missed anything or need to clarify something, this was a long one!
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