Recursion of Fate[TEXT] (HIATUSl)

**simon.clarkstone** · 04-02-2012, 06:05 PM

> Kaylyn: diplomacy skills.
> Chester: Check hitpoints/status.
> Can you get information about this person other than just by looking at it?
> Green person: be inevitableDownfall
((Just a guess.))
> Green person: be in need of a chair
((

))

**mysticCharlatan** · 04-02-2012, 11:42 PM

>Hershel: See whether inevitableDownfall can be contacted.

You have stepped away from the game once again, knowing that there is not chance that anything interesting or surprising could happen while you're not looking. You aren't even going to glance back at the television, you're that sure.

Anyway, you skim to the end of the guide you've found, to the Contact section.

Originally Posted by inevitableDownfall

Contact [GTHL]

Look, in all likelyhood I'll be dead by the time you get to this section. Hell, I'll probably be dead before you even start reading. If, by some bizarre chance I've survived past this point, try and get a hold of me through Pesterchum. Don't bother waiting around if I don't get back to you. If you need to ask what my chumhandle is, then take a look at the beginning of the guide, you freakin' idiot.

Alright, let's see if this works...

Pesterlog:

>What's up back at the Ellis house crater?

You are now Jon, and you are very glad to be alive. You are sore, and fairly singed around the edges, but don't seem to have suffered any permanent injuries. Looking around the now ruined car, you are immediately aware of the fact that you appear to be alone. Both Geoffry and Victoria are nowhere to be seen, and that is a fact that is unchanged by exiting the vehicle and looking around. You did notice Victoria's phone nearby where you awoke, and took it with you. Turning your attention to it, you notice that one of Victoria's friends had message her. You wipe a layer of soot from the screen and read.

Pesterlog:

**simon.clarkstone** · 04-03-2012, 06:40 PM

> Herschel: Acquire courage needed to talk to this intimidating person.
> ID: You were expecting us?
> ID: Oh you must have seen our session on the main menu. Are you in the corrupted one?
> Lindsay: You can't have some kid getting involved in all this, especially if you've only known him 5 minutes. That's just irresponsible.
> Lindsay: Doesn't Jon have parents to go home to?

**Xindaris** · 04-03-2012, 06:45 PM

SMyth is starting to have ramifications remarkably similar to META, now that I think of it. (I mean specifically in terms of how it seems to pick and treat its players)

>Chester and Kaylyn: The only, ONLY appropriate verbal response to this situation is a simultaneous chorus of "Now what", with optional groan.

**mysticCharlatan** · 04-03-2012, 08:54 PM

>Lindsay: Don't get a kid involved.

Yeah, like that's going to happen. You haven't actually gotten his age, but you can infer from some of the things he's said (and the pranks he tried to pull) that he's not even a teenager yet. You're not about to let him get caught up in whatever it is that's going on right now.

Pesterlog:

>Hershel: Aquire courage needed to talk to this intimidating person.

From the comfort of your Cave, you have little difficulty doing this. You are certain that if you were talking to him in person this might be a bit more difficult, but you don't think that's going to happen any time soon.

Pesterlog:

>Chester and Kaylyn: Appropriate verbal response.

"Now what?"
"Now what?"

You both sigh in synch, and then mentally recoil at doing anything in synch with the other. You turn to the source of the voice, deliberately turning a little slowly so that you are not in synch with Kaylyn, and see a Gremlin. You are a little surprised that these things are actually capable of speech, let alone know English, but you quickly forget that because your personal curiousity has gotten in the way. This Gremlin seems to be built much thicker than the last you dealt with; its talons are more reminiscent of some sort of dinosaur rather than a bird, its tusks would not be out of place on the Erymanthian Boar, and its thick right horn is large enough that you wonder how it keeps its head raised (its left horn is broken off near the base). It wears armor made out of leather and bone, with sharp teeth jutting out at entirely preposterous places. When it opens its mouth again, you have no doubt that the gravelly voice you heard before came from this.

Dialog:

The Gremlin, done with what was apparently a non-interactive monolog, pulls out a large club and begins making threatening motions.

You suppose the game wanted to throw you a boss fight before you left.

**Malrone** · 04-03-2012, 10:49 PM

Woohoo, stone walled! And they failed to interrupt the monologue, of course.

>Kaylyn: This is an Emergency! You equip that slingshot this instant!
>Chester: Have you tried *ejecting* instead of retrieving that tree? I'd try that about now.

**mysticCharlatan** · 04-05-2012, 06:48 PM

>STRIFE! BOSS STYLE!

The Gremlin charges. A lesser person may have panicked, frozen, or run. However, you are not a lesser person. You have a plan.

You charge.

With no weapon in your hands, you have little difficulty navigating the menu with speed and dexterity, especially since you know exactly what you are looking for. You wait until the last moment, until you and the Gremlin have almost reached each other. You summon the desired object out of the Deck, and just as expected it appears before you, travelling in the same velocity and direction.

You skid to a halt.

The Laughing Tree does not. It barrels into the Gremlin, hardly slowing at all. Once it finally halts some distance away, knocking down several more trees in the process, you turn to Kaylyn, who is now holding an empty slingshot with a look that just might be amazement on her face. You open your mouth to tell her to put it away when the clapping starts.

"Very nice, very nice."

You look up in time to see the Gremlin fall from the branch above you, and dodge just in time to avoid his giant club. He straightens up from the drop, and for all appearances appears to be no worse for wear. Which is very probably a bad thing for you.

"You have a few tricks up your sleeves. I like that. Guess the Master was right."

He reaches into a pouch at his side and withdraws his own red bordered card, smiles at you for a moment, and throws it in the air.

"You want to play Cards? Fine with me."

The Card floats and rotates for a moment. As light begins to emanate from it, you turn back to Kaylyn. You gesture to the slingshot in her hands.

"If you've figured out how to use that thing, I suggest you start using it."

**Malrone** · 04-05-2012, 08:08 PM

>Kaylyn: Shoot the card.
>Chester: Move to flank.

**simon.clarkstone** · 04-06-2012, 09:13 AM

> Chester: Ah, this is like Pokémon isn't it? Try to summon the gremlin from your own red card.
> Chester: Cheat; grab the gremlin chief's card from mid-air to stop it from activating.
> Kaylyn: You could throw the card further by using the slingshot.
> Hershel: How do you know that inevitableDownfall is male? (It seems a reasonable guess I admit.)
> Hershel: Better do as he says and read the guide; it could be funny.
> Kaylyn: Try talking to the gremlin chief; you have already seen that NPCs can have personalities e.g. that rubber chicken.
((... assuming that they were NPCs.))

**Xindaris** · 04-06-2012, 07:35 PM

>Kaylyn: Have you allocated a weapon sort yet? If not, I suggest 'mediated ranged kind' or something--which would include gun,bow, crossbow, slingshot, sling, blowdart, etc., but not throwing stones or throwing knives or throwing darts or shurikens. That ought to be just the right mix of ambiguous and specific to be a balanced kind.

>Both: Consider the possibility that such a clever action early in the battle may have turned an otherwise 'tutorial boss' into a REAL fight. Like, "Oh, you already know the thing I was gonna teach you? Well let's find out how WELL you know it!"

**mysticCharlatan** · 04-07-2012, 11:57 AM

>Hershel: Read the guide.

You suppose you should do as ID says and read his guide. At least you assume that it's his. You suppose ID could be a girl, you guess it's just the effects of living in a male dominated society that made you assume he was a guy. Man, Kaylyn would have something to say about that.

Originally Posted by inevitableDownfall

Getting Started [DMNT]

Alright, I should probably make one thing clear: I'm writing this assuming that you, like me, were one of the poor saps who were drawn into this after the fact, rather than the freaking moron who started playing in the first place. If you are that guy, please go and beat your head against the most durable object you can find until until either it or your head breaks. Seriously, you are probably the worst person in the world, if suicide is an option you should be considering it. That, or contracting a terminal disease, you asshole.

Anyway, once that asshole's in, he should be able to figure out a lot of the basics with trial and error and the in-game Lore menu. I'm just going to fill you in on the stuff that isn't really well laid out or even mentioned at all, as well as the stuff where trial and error will probably kill you.

First off, you should know that every session of this game is taylored to the players. The mythology, the population, the Locations are all going to be based off who's playing in the first place. Hell, the game even knows exactly how many people are going to be playing when it starts up. I know one of my teammates say that this means the entire thing is predestined, but I think that bullcrap she was saying to get me to lay off our Player One. Well, I'm not, because he's an asshole who's the reason we're all going to die and nothing will ever convince me otherwise.

Anyway, if you're expecting a step by step walkthrough, you're just shit out of luck because that ain't happening. To many variables. However, there are a handful of things that seem constant throughout each session. The game always takes place in Locations that arise from the Quintessal Sea, which I swear looks like something God threw up after he ate a discoball and some glowsticks. In case the Lore entry isn't clear enough, DO NOT TRY AND SWIM THIS THING! You won't just die, you'll be unmade, and I'm telling you now that is not a pleasant process.

Other constants will include some bullshit prophecy involving you and your friends, oh lucky player. The details will differ, but essentially you will be considered the chosen heroes of your session's gods, whatever the hell that means. Don't worry, you won't have to go all religious, hell, I'm an atheist who tried to argue the whole thing to death with the High Priest of the Doomspeaker, and he just sat there nodding. Really, all this stupid "chosen one" crap will really amount to is a unique class, refered to by the game as a Destined Path. The game won't let you know what it is at first, being listed in the menu as "unknown adventurer". You'll have to do something archetypical of you Path to get it revealed, but once you have you'll get some major bonuses so try and figure it out as quickly as you can.

There's also a handful of conserved characters. There will be kingdoms with rulers set up: while they will be different every time, they are always just on the brink of war with eachother. One of the game's major objectives is to resolve this, siding with one of the kingdoms and helping them defeat their enemies. It's largely a waste of time, usually if you stay out of it it won't affect you too much. What you really have to worry about are three specific characters that seem to be drawn from a limited pool. One is the Big Bad. He'll be hounding you, sending monster's and minions your way for no decernable reason, and up to a certain point is unbeatable. He's always some figure of ultimate evil from real world mythology: Set, Cronos, and most devil figures from modern religion are pretty common. The specifics of what you have to do to beat this guy are laid out in the Big Old Prophecy of Stupidness(tm), and it always involves travelling to find one of a pair of characters. These two will always be... not opposed, but opposite to one another. Sometimes they'll be outright aggressive, while other times they simple are opposites in every respect. They usually come from matching set in mythology: Artemis and Apollo, Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu, things like that. Things might be slightly easier, or probably much worse, depending on what pair you're working with. I'll put notes on the pairs I've discovered in a later section. The prophecy will state you need to find one of them, though what you do after that is maddeningly vague, and then you'll be ready to face the Big Bad. He won't have changed stat wise, but he'll be beatable now for some damn reason.

Speaking of, game mechanics are pretty constant as well, with Cards being at the centre of the whole thing. Because the game is a bitch about letting you know, I'll lay the details of the cards out here:

Each card has three basic components: type, class and aspect. There are four types of cards: Entity cards contain either a specific individual or a generic creature that is depicted on the card. Objects are items, plain and simple. Location cards are rare, you probably won't find them to begin with, but they allow you to create your own Location in the Quintessal Sea. And finally there's Concepts, which are essentially equipable skills. Aspect are an optional component, and give the cards elemental properties. Classes are shown with Roman Numerals, and each class has a specific theme. I have a working list of classes later on in the guide. Same goes for essence, which is related to cards but distinct enough to get its own section.

While we're on the topic of game mechanics, when your first player tries to leave his starting Location, he will run into what I'm going to call the tutorial boss. This guy will be a direct servant of you session's Big Bad, will have a tendancy to monologue, and will have some sort of honorable streak if you look into his history like a freaking nerd. Anyway, this is important, so don't skip this: DO NOT FIGHT ALL OUT ON THIS GUY. Hold back as much as you can until he says something like "is that really all you can do? I'll show you how to really fight." Then he's going to run through the basics of combat with you, and show you about using cards and essence in battle (I'll cover that stuff in more detail in later sections, keep you pants on). If you fight all out, you won't trigger this and he won't be holding back in your fight. He is actually really tough, so I would suggest just going with the game on this one.

--------

**simon.clarkstone** · 04-07-2012, 02:10 PM

> Hershel: hooray, more useful facts and trivia.
> Hershel: better warn Kaylyn and Chester about that "tutorial boss".
((Are there things like that in real computer games?))

> Hershel: If you can't get hold of them, tell someone else what you have learnt.

Originally Posted by mysticCharlatan

"I don't see why we should even bother with you."
"But the Master says we should deal with you now."

> Chester: wait, he didn't mean that "the Master" did he? That'd be some serious franchise-creep.

((The description of the Big Bad does kinda fit: "figure of ultimate evil from real world mythology".

Come to think of it Gremlins are a 20th-century invention too aren't they? Surely this game has a better sense of mythology than that.))

**Malrone** · 04-07-2012, 10:28 PM

seconding simon

**Xindaris** · 04-07-2012, 10:43 PM

Weh? That wasn't the intent of my command. I just thought it seemed like one of those ironic/sucky things that a game which hates your guts would do to players.

**mysticCharlatan** · 04-08-2012, 10:24 PM

>Chester: Cheat; take the card before it activates.

You rush forward again. Perhaps if you can get the card you can claim it, despite it originally belonging to someone else. A single mad dash, you reach out to grasp the card in your hand...

And promptly feel the sting of a rock in the back of your head, sending you tumbling off course. You lift yourself up from the dirt and send a glare back at Kaylyn, who is holding her slingshot with a guilty look. You shout at her, of course, but before you have a chance to finish the flash of light dies away and you are knocked off your feet by something that gives off a bird-like cry.

You are now pinned on the ground by an avian creature that, by its body structure, appears to be a giant raven as large as you are, except for its colouration, a blue and red affront that would not be out of place on a parrot, but here in a temperate forest would be a completely nonsensical adaptation for native fauna. You don't have time to go over the finer details of natural selection, because right now you need to fight for your life. Extending your sleeve towards the birds face startles it enough to make it get off you, and as you rise you barely are able to avoid another one of Kaylyn's projectiles.

"Designate your damn weapon, Kay!"

>Kaylyn: Designate your damn weapon

Thankfully, both of the enemies are currently focused on Chester, so you whould have enough time to go into your menu and designate your weapon specialty. With two enemies focusing on him, he probably won't last long, so you'd better hurry.

You decide you'd rather not be limited to slingshots, as you really look rather silly fighting with what is in truth a children's toy. You decide to go with a more general choice: PROJECTILELAUNCHERKIND, or PRJTLNCHRKIND as the game abbreviates it. That way, you can ditch this slingshot in the future for a bow and arrow, or even a gun if they exist here. Equipped with a weapon and the knowledge to wield it, you prepare to re-enter the fight.

--------

**trulyElse** · 04-08-2012, 10:51 PM

> Kay: While Ches is busy trying not to die, look up anything you can find on Combo-Techs. Hell, while you're at it, get in touch with Henry.

**simon.clarkstone** · 04-09-2012, 06:25 AM

> Get Henry's attention; there is no time to talk to him.
> Chester: Try to summon the gremlin from your own red card.

**trulyElse** · 04-09-2012, 06:30 AM

Originally Posted by simon.clarkstone

> Chester: Try to summon the gremlin from your own red card.

Originally Posted by mysticCharlatan

I will take any chance to screw things up for these kids. Even if it is retroactively.

These two things combine to form one very bad idea.

**Xindaris** · 04-09-2012, 10:17 AM

Well, not if the game's predetermined rules make summoning monsters from your own deck always a good thing. I mean, there's being retroactive and then there's breaking your own rules, which is entirely different.

**mysticCharlatan** · 04-10-2012, 05:53 AM

>Chester: Try to summon a gremlin from your own red card.

An idea strikes you. Actually, this idea struck you a while ago when the Gremlin Chief first pulled out his card, but you have been too busy dealing with an attack on two fronts to put it into action. Your sleaves snap out like whips, but the Chief is quicker on his feet than he first appeared, and the giant raven-parrot thing flies just out of reach between attacks. It catches you once when your back is turned, sending you sprawling. You rush to return to your feet, just barely avoiding the Chief's club, and become aware in the back of your mind of a green bar that has been depleted to about 75%.

Thankfully, Kaylyn seems to have finally gotten her head into the game. She begins pestering the bird with her slingshot, and with a ranged weapon she is having a much easier time keeping it at bay. Finally with some breathing room, you can put your idea into action.

The first phase is to open your menu, which had closed automatically in response to entering combat. You time it carefully, waiting until the Chief telegraphs a large, horizontal swing. You open the menu and, as expected, the floating screen is solid enough that the club does not pass through it. It is pushed back several feet, along with yourself, but neither it nor you seem to have been damaged. Seizing the opportunity, you reach into your Deck and grab the red card depicting a Gremlin. You throw it as you saw the Chief do, all the while whispering under your breath.

"Please let this work, please let this work, please don't blow up in my face..."

The card rotates, flashes, and disappears, and in its place is now a Gremlin, apparently identical to the one you fought before (then again, you've only seen two gremlins, for all you know the all look alike). It looks at you for a moment, and you swear you can see something like resentment in its eyes, but it turns towards the Chief and makes aggressive grunts all the same.

"Looks like you do know what you're doing after all..."

The gremlin engages the Chief, though you doubt it will last long unaided. You menu is still open, your controller in your hand. You can see that your deck still contains the UMDP, one GREMLIN'S HEALING POTION, and the mysterious mist still occupying a slot.

**simon.clarkstone** · 04-10-2012, 07:20 AM

((Haha, just noticed that you used my name suggestion too.))
> Can you combine the mist with either of the other two cards?
((I suspect not, since that is likely a location card or a precursor of one.))
> Kaylyn: aim for the eyes.
> Kaylyn: or, aim for the back of its throat when it tries to bite you.
> Cellphone: ring.
> Chester: throw your coat to smother and/or blind the Chief.
> Chester: Give that gremlin a club. Gremlins loooove clubs. (And healing potions, but wait till it becomes clear that it needs that.)

**trulyElse** · 04-10-2012, 07:35 AM

Originally Posted by simon.clarkstone

> Chester: Give that gremlin a UMDP. Gremlins loooove UMDPs. (And healing potions, but wait till it becomes clear that it needs that.)

Fixed and Seconded.

**Malrone** · 04-10-2012, 02:23 PM

n'thing simon here, with the addendum for Kaylyn and the UMDP-equipped Gremlin:

>Team Combo Tech: Sticks and stones.

**mysticCharlatan** · 04-10-2012, 08:31 PM

>Chester: Combine mist and UMDP.

You look curiously at the mist in your deck, and a peculiar urge comes over you. You don't exactly have time to debate it with yourself, so you decide to just go with it. After all, what's the worst that could happen? You select to mist and the UMDP in quick succession, and both the card and the mist, now partially losing its card shape, appear in front of you. A quick, though perhaps unnecessary, movement of your hands and they collide.

If you had perhaps been chatting with Hershel recently, or in fact had access to the guide he is currently perusing, you might have some knowledge of what it is you just did. You might have deduced that the mist with which you were working was Raw Essence. You might have an understanding of the dangers and randomness of working with Raw Essence when Embuing. You might have even had a basic understanding of Class Synergy Bonuses or Aspect Multiplicity, though that is less likely since by then you probably would have given up reading such an informally written guide. But you don't understand any of these things, you just close your eyes and hope.

Opening them again, you find that the UMDP is floating in the air in front of you. Except now it has... changed. Instead of the standard white colouration with red near the tip and handle, it now sports a whispy black pattern covering the entirety of the object. You take it in your hand and cannot help but feel that it is now something entirely different.

You have obtained the PHANTASMAL THROWING CLUB!

>Chester: Give the gremlin a club. Gremlins loooove clubs.

"Hey, catch!"

You throw the new weapon towards your apparent gremlin ally. The gremlin turns and, perhaps misinterpreting what you meant, dodges and allows the club to hit the Chief right between the eyes. You watch it ricochet into a shadow and vanish. You continue watching as it reappears from another shadow from an entirely different direction and lands into your gremlin's waiting hand.

Well. That just happened.

>Kaylyn: Aim for the eyes.

You are currently working with your own enemy, and while what is happening with Chester and his gremlin hasn't escaped your notice you don't really give it much thought. After watching Chester's magic labcoat skills you wouldn't be surprised if he could pull a firetruck from his sleeve.

The bird lunges again, and you dodge for more tree cover while firing another shot from your slingshot. Now that you've designated your weapon specialty you are having a much easier time with the fight, landing more hits than you miss. You are thankful that there seem to be enough small stones at your feet that you don't have to worry about running out of ammo. However, despite your newly aquired skill at ranged combat, you are still having trouble hitting a definitive weak spot, such as the eyes. You recall Chester telling you that picking too general a specialty might limit your effectiveness with a weapon and wonder if you should have been more discerning with your choice.

You don't have much time to ponder this, however, as the bird once again swoops down towards you, taking the tree you were hiding behind with it. You were a little slow in that dodge, and feel the wind knocked out of you as one of the creature's wings sweeps you aside (in the back of your mind you are aware of a green bar that has shrunk to about 9/10ths its original length). You rise up again in time to see the bird take to the skies, your chance of hitting it while grounded missed. You quickly glance over to get a better idea of how Chester and his gremlin are doing.

The two of them are managing to hold their own, flanking the Chief. Chester makes use of his magic Extend-o-sleeves, while the gremlin is putting his new club's ability to disappear and reappear in the shadows to good use. However the large Chief, while showing some signs of wear and tear, is still standing strong. Apparently his bone and leather armour is tougher than it looks. You realize that unless the three of you figure something out, you run a serious chance of losing this fight, even with all the advantages you've given yourselves.

The gremlin backs away from the melee for a moment, and turns to meet your gaze. Unspoken words pass between you, and almost unbidden you raise your slingshot as he raises his club.

>Club/Slingshot Combotech 1: Sticks and Stones!

Not entirely sure why you are doing so, you let loose a stone towards the gremlin as he throws his club towards you. As the two collide in midair, you begin to see the reason. They bounce off of each other, and the surrounding trees, ground, and most importantly enemies with much more velocity than they should have. They ricochet off of various surfaces and eachother multiple times, always striking your enemies with tremendous force. The club disappears and reappears seemingly at random, allowing it to hit the bird, Gremlin Chief, and the speeding stone at otherwise impossible angles.

The effects of the combo are apparent as the stone finally thuds to a halt after hitting the bird right between the eyes. The feathered monster crashes to the ground, clearly dazed and on its last legs from the multiple club/rock assaults that it has endured. The Gremlin Chief, unsurprisingly, held up better, but is distinctly worse off than he was before. You don't have a health bar to go by like you do for yourself, but you would assume that he is at least half way to defeat.

--------

**Malrone** · 04-10-2012, 11:36 PM

Proud of you, girl.

>Chester: Feel outshined as the obvious main character. Unleash some Cufflink Fisticuffs to compensate.

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