>>1090111
Link back up but be mindful not to lose sight of your guide.

Is that really your tether? Confirm it.

you should probably tether Gabe as well, so you aren't stuck holding hands the whole time, you probably need those hands for something sooner or later

Toxoglossa 2024/05/02(Thu)18:02 No. 1090167 ID: 8a1605
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Casey waves and eyes the pair cautiously, “Wait, how do I know you guys are really Kol and Gabe?”

Kol reaches back and tugs on his tail. Casey feels a corresponding tug at her own tail and accepts that as suitable evidence. “How about Gabe?”

“Yeah, its him.” Kol confirms.

“Yup, I told him about how earlier he was spitroasting me with Raithe, while you were in the middle of a Miki sandwich.” Gabe replies.

“Yeah, that tracks.“ The mouse nods, confident in her knowledge of her partner. She extends another binding tendril, connecting the trio together by the tail, “What happened? How’d we get split up?” Casey asks.

“I don’t know. Gabe was apparently following the guide the whole time, so I just stuck with him.” Kol shrugs. “Maybe there are two guides?”

“Speaking of. Where’d our guide go now?” Gabe asks, looking around. Ahead of them, the roots seem to thin out, revealing a vast pallid-grey sea of dunes. The lost souls waft out over the desert , headed towards some kind of strange glitter on the horizon.

I don't think you need them anymore. Head towards the glitter.

It could be a bad thing that we lost the one part of this journey that we were warned of/were expecting but it'll probably be fine.

Also maybe don't go towards that glitter. If dead folks are going there, then that means you're on the wrong path.

"The only way out is through;" a Spirit Guardian is one who has walked the paths of the dead. If our guide has left now that the mice are out of the forest of roots, then there is nowhere else to go but forward, following the flight of souls.

But do try to be cafeful--you don't want to draw too much attention to yourselves.

how did we get here? the answer is did you expect a plane more or less made of mana to be stable.
the soul trail is still the best bet, in lieu of the guide, who we might meet again, or might not. Onward!

>>1090167
That's quite the long walk. But would using a gate be wise?

Toxoglossa 2024/05/05(Sun)10:03 No. 1090373 ID: 8a1605
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There’s a squeal and a crunch behind them. They turn to see something horrible and leggy being impaled by a giant talon. The clawed foot peeks out from underneath a cloak or a wing that seems to shed light off of it like water off of a duck.

Toxoglossa 2024/05/05(Sun)10:04 No. 1090374 ID: 8a1605
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The mice follow the edge of the shape upwards and realize that what they’re looking at. Standing right next to them is their guide.

“Seems like you were followed.” They say in Kol’s voice. “Ah, that happens.”

Oh! thank you guide, let's not stray too far from the guide this time, and keep your wits about you.

>>1090374
Show respect, thank them for being your guide.

Dang, we never heard that thing behind us? I guess we need to be more alert.
Thank your guide/savior and ask which way you should go next.

I’m almost afraid to ask what that thing would have done to Gabe. Was it some sort of demon?

Perhaps this is the thing that Gabe was following, having been misled, and it followed him out after Kol changed his course. Fortunate, in any case, that our guide was here to take care of it.

And this guide--it's in Binder colors. Is this a presence Casey knows, if only by reputation? A word of thanks may be appropriate, but it's probably best not to pry. We must speed the mission forward as discreetly as possible.

um, excuse? good to know there are living(?) things here that aren't maybe a fate, though one wouldn't think so given... souls go here, not even to stay

>>873010
Uh, folks, I think we might actually have just encountered our
first of the Fates: “ MINERVA, the moon, preserver” (appearance tracks: a huge white owl, see the post referenced above in Chapter 4 https://questden.org/kusaba/questarch/res/872282.html )

In this case, what seems to ace been preserved is Gabe’s ass, perhaps from whatever spite is left of Muir in this realm if my intuition is right.

Ask if your guide is known amongst mortals by the name, or serves, Minerva, and what they mean by “followed”? Followed through the gate just now, or followed in a broader sense?

Toxoglossa 2024/05/08(Wed)19:38 No. 1090612 ID: 8a1605
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“There’s things living down here?!” Kol asks, once the shock wears off. He eyes the carcass of the thing, which appears to be oozing liquid mana from its broken exoskeleton.

“A few.” Comes the reply in Gabe’s voice, “It’s a harsh environment, so they tend to be… robust. Most are benign, but some take interest in travelers. I would take care if I were you.”

“Uh… sorry, but was… was all of that a test?” Casey asks, reeling from seeing the immensity of the guide.

“All what?” Comes the reply in Kol’s voice.

“Uh, us getting separated and lost? Finding one another again?”

The voice that replies is her own and it seems slightly amused, “No, you did that to yourselves. I don’t know why you people worry so much. After all, I’m always nearby.”

I'm curious as to why she used our voices for a while there, but I'll just chalk it up to vague mischievous entity reasons. Let's get back to the task at hand though, I'm sure there's no time to waste. Unless time moves slowly down here or what have you. Is she the all-knowing all-seeing kind of ethereal entity or do we have to fill her in on the barghast situation?

If we did that to ourselves, then it's to us not to do it again. Stay close; make use of Casey's tether, hold hands or tie tails if you have to.

But do ask the guide if we might speed along. As fascinating as the experience is, we don't have much time to indulge our curiosity.

Sorry, it's a mortal thing to worry. Now that we're together again, where to?

"nearby". That's why Casey couldn't keep up, because Minerva decides to always be at a set distance from any mortal in the Spirit Realm. A kind of omnipresence, I suppose.

Anyway, ask where you're going next. Follow the souls?

"always nearby" is definitally a little weird, still think "guide" is a Fate posing as a sheet ghost. well at least we can't get seperated again.
...it would probably be a Very good idea for Kol to ask if he can use his spirit magic here safely

Toxoglossa 2024/05/10(Fri)18:26 No. 1090710 ID: 8a1605
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“Oh fuck. You- you’re one of the Fates…” Casey stares, stepping back as realization finally hits. “M-M-M-“

The figure turns and two eyes open, revealing a pair of blazing, golden rings that burn with the radiance of the sun. The intensity of their focus sweeps over the mice like a scythe, rendering them mute as pillars of salt.

After a few moments, the eyes shut, mercifully hiding themselves behind the veil of invisibility.

A voice quite unlike anything spoken by a mortal advises, “You might want to keep moving, unless you intend to stay here…” It sounds like a silence followed by a brief squeak in the dark, or the snap of jaws around a neck, or a last breath beneath a snake’s coils. It is the voice of death itself.

Well that's about how meeting god would go, yeah? Yeah. Let's follow god's advice.

Yes. Of course. Let's, do that..

Remember to breathe, everyone

>>1090710
We're probably going to be meeting each of them in this journey. Also, that was MUUT, not MINERVA. The "absence" we've been seeing was mistaken for the white feathers of MINERVA. ...heh, death is always close, isn't it?

Get moving. Respectfully.

Damn, there really was a muut to this point

oh
WELL, that was intense, at least we will be able to try bracing ourselves for the other two
we REALLY should get going, anyhow

I'm guessing it's probably not a good idea to try and speak their names. Not here. Names have power.

>>1090710
This is why Uncle Sifr said that you're not supposed to talk about anything when you leave this place.

Also, it seems like they don't want you to say their name.

Not sure how you would describe them, if were you allowed

That does not look like any of the original ménage a trois.

Moving on!

As you dash away, don't forget to hold hands. Staying together will be what gets you through this ordeal.

Toxoglossa 2024/05/13(Mon)17:52 No. 1090882 ID: 8a1605
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“Y-yes sir! Er, y-your honor! Er your Fatedness!” Casey squeaks, and the trio retreat in a scramble. They slide and half-tumble down a dune, trying to get away from the Fate of Death’s lair.

As they escape, the voice of the Fate follows them, as though spoken just over their shoulders. “Head for the lights, towards the Palace of Memories.”

When they finally stop running, they look back to see no sign of Muut. With his duty fulfilled, the Fate seems to have left to stalk other prey.

Oh heavens the palace of memories, that sounds like a place that's gonna get in our heads and tempt us with sex and/or exposition (sexposition?)

Anyway that Muut guy was kinda spooky, but surely that was the worst of the fates, right?

I think it's going to tempt us with crazy fantasies, tricking us into getting distracted so we stop guiding the team.

Don't push yourselves too hard. Death has passed. Keep a brisk but manageable pace. Be proud you met one of the Fates.

>>1090882
Well this part of the trip should be more straightforward. Refresh your memory on how to recognize the Fates, keep watch on the sand dunes for any weird creatures, and move towards the lights.

In particular, watch your step Gabe. Something's weird about that sand you're stepping on.

Don't forget to walk without rythm!
For death, he was quite civil.
I recommend making sure the "ariadne's thread" is still tied around you three. You never know

I'd say try not to let any paranoia lead you astray, nothing else is quite as good as destroying you as you.
Palace of Memories... seems like the name of a place that you reflect all that has happened to you, combine that with the fact Muut has left you alone and there is likely another Fate in there waiting for you, only question is which?
...not much of a question, given the nature of this next place is so closely Minerva, for how could we understand without Memory, and Melek Taus is the last stop on the journey through here, governing creation and presumably recreation

Toxoglossa 2024/05/15(Wed)19:15 No. 1091028 ID: 8a1605
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“Okay, lesson learned: don’t say the Fate’s names.” Casey says on the behalf of the group.

Gabe catches his breath, hunched over with his hands on his knees. “Didn’t think they’d be so touchy about it.”

“Well, names are power.” Casey explains, “And power attracts attention.”

“Don’t draw attention. Got it.” Gabe sighs, sitting up.

“How about it, Gabe? Think you can gate us over there?” Kol points towards the horizon and the strange lights.

The Sender nods and waves his hands, opening a gate for them.

As they land on the other side, gate closes with a thunderclap that seems to echo oddly across the desert.

“Huh, weird. I thought I got the distance right.” Gabe says to himself, as he looks out over the sand. Its still impossible to pick out details, but the distant shapes seem to look like a collection of towers, or buildings.

>>1091028
The desert is probably messing with your senses. The thunderclap might attract attention too, but... I'm not sure we have much of a choice considering we're pressed for time. Can't just walk all the way there can we?

...could the shapes be shadows cast by something smaller than you think? Look lower in the dunes.

>>1091028
Almost seems you could just reach out and touch it.

>>1091028
Perhaps this is part of the test? You might have to get there the old fashioned way, with no using portals for shortcuts.

may be a case of optical illusion, may want to experiment a bit, you can look through a portal without going through yeah? open one up above and look through it, much more likely to see truth

>>1091028

I suspect "distance" here isn't normal. You might not be able to necessarily calculate this one, so much as feel it out.

Gates were old fey magic, were they not? Perhaps its time to try and understand their very foundations.

Space may be different here, or the look of things confusing. Can Gabe look back and identify where the mice came from? It might be possible to recalibrate his intuition, if so.

If things are indeed farther away than they appear, it might be prudent to use at least one more gate to get near the Palace, given the need for expedience, but approaching it on foot once you're near enough for the sound to be noticeable would be the most likely to avoid undue attention.