Theodora wished that the laptop* was nearby so she could thank Alex/Ingru for removing the lid, but the odd, spiraling thing was probably more important. She walked up to it and gave it an inquisitive stare. Her first instinct was to poke it, but something in the back of her head went "This is a Bad Idea, don't do it", so she went and picked up the lid that had flown off the machine instead, then touched it to the odd spiral.
_____
(*She's not actually calling it a laptop, I'm just using the term because otherwise you'd see "communication device" or something similar every time I posted.)
edited 18th Oct '15 10:27:13 AM by Tojin
“Not a promise, not an oath, or a malediction or a curse. Inevitable." - Taylor Hebert"My guess is that it's food. A block of concentrated sulfur."
Rifa's advice is absolutely terrible. If anything, it's citrine, which makes a better seasoning than a meal.
🏳️⚧️she/her | Vio Rhyse AlberiaThalla saw the cyclops too and continued building up the stairs "Miss Gol! I have devised a ladder to help you ascend to the star we were looking forth to, please, head to the roof!" she'd send before noticing her client had linked to someone named Aradin.
On his screen he could see the reddish alien girl sitting at her desk in her room
, tending to her computer. Thalla decided to send him a message with her electronic messenger; "Hello Miss Aradin, pleased to make your acquaintance, this is Thalla, your client player, I send this in good will and hope we can cooperate in this game"
edited 19th Oct '15 8:55:32 AM by Sanojutsu
The graceless warrior, wielder of the edgeless blade, prophet of the old religions, writer of fluent nonsense, saviour of soul and song."OK, here goes nothing. Maybe literally."
The path to ascent was ready but Gol couldn't just leave the house to be destroyed. First they had to deal with this enemy, although Fishsprite could probably deal with the rest. Gol charged at the cyclops claws ready before darting to the side and trying to run straight past it. They then skid on their heels and got far away enough for a run-up before pouncing on it and trying to climb onto its back by digging in their claws.
"Hit the depth-damned thing!"
Gol shouted to the sprite as they mounted the opponent, trying to cling on and deal some damage. They had no idea whether this would work but a plan was forming in their head either way.
edited 18th Oct '15 12:45:47 PM by TenebrousGaze
.............
.............
<.............>
ok well just figure it out on our own
They go over to the device in the dining room, poking around it to see what it does.
Hmmmm, it looks like the cylinder will fit well on that small platform thingy.....
Ingru reaches over and puts the cylinder on it, then they wait to see what it does.
i think i mostly want to see what happens when this whole place breaks apartThe sprite flies up and slashes the single eye, swiftly flying out of the way of the beast's clawing. Attacking both the back and the eye seem to cause great damage to it, though it still seems to be hanging on.
When you put the cylinder on the smaller platform, the arm of the device folds out automatically, and scans the cylinder. Soon after, a plain, generic green cube appears on the larger platform. 1 out of 100 build grist is consumed.
The sprite flies out of the way of the lid, seemingly not wanting to make contact with it.
"Peridot. Inedible, too green."
"At this rate, the sewing machine whatever's going to give you something dumb, like emerald."
"It's the sign of a conquerer, don't you know?"
"Solenopians used to kill to eat."
"And then we realized how awesome fighting was and killed everything"
"That was a long time ago, though"
"Like, a thousand or so queens ago, I wasn't alive when we conquered everything"
"It was either rocks or cannibalism and we were worried that we'd taste good"
"So we make do with the rocks while beating the shit out of each other"
"It's a good system"
...dammit, now I sound smart.
🏳️⚧️she/her | Vio Rhyse AlberiaTheodora glared at the orb, then went hunting for something that might get a different reaction out of it. She went back inside and hunted around the kitchen and living room until she found a Bible that someone (most likely her husband; he wasn't very religious) had left sitting on the table. She picked it up, figuring that if it was a demon or something, then the Bible would have an adverse effect on it. Right?
She walked up to the orb and moved to give it a good thwack with the Bible.
“Not a promise, not an oath, or a malediction or a curse. Inevitable." - Taylor HebertThe beast lets out a horrible scream as you dig into your neck, but then it breaks into grist. A lot more than what the imps dropped, at least.
Hm. Maybe you could put it in the sewing machine thing if you turned the cylinder to the side...
Also available to both Rifa and Alex to deploy is a punched card resembling the ones you guys already have.
Thwacking the sprite with the Bible results in a big flash of light. When the flash cleared, the sprite now shows the book in its center in place of the spirals.
Upon Aradin's helmet screen, the server window changes to show a robed humanoid sitting near a computer. He has also been sent a message of sorts.
Now Aradin was starting to get annoyed.
The message he had recieved was clearly referring to whatever this was as a game, so this humanoid creature that popped up on his screen likely also was some kind of simulation. For what reason had he been sent this? Was one of his colleagues making fun of him? Considering the creature had also referred to him as a female, this seemed even more likely.
Aradin wasn't too bothered by the wrong gender denomination, but he was worried, that his peers apparently had time to program an entire simulation while he was still stuck here trying to create his first invention.
But there probably was no better way to find out what this was supposed to mean than to continue interacting with this simulation.
"Greetings, Thalla. I hope we will be able to figure out the meaning of this."
<Hey you, navigator person.>
Huh?
<Hate to do your job for you, but you missed something.>
Aw what.
Setting the block and the cylinder down on the ground, Ingru heads back over to the dining room where they left the laptop.
Huh, so I did.
Alex takes back his arms and-
<Hold on, hold on, lemme do this one.>
Uh, ok....
Ingru takes Alex's arms and clicks on the pre-punched card, setting it down gently on Theodora's head.
Wowwwww.
edited 21st Oct '15 1:48:23 PM by Brahian1
i think i mostly want to see what happens when this whole place breaks apartGol attempted to agilely leap off the monster as it was defeated but failed and landed roughly on the ground. They just shrugged and got up again, collecting the grist as they regained their footing.
"Right then. That... worked, somehow."
They staggered back inside and made their way up again. This was certainly a physical gauntlet but they were doing better than expected. They scaled Thalla's improvised construction and stared intently at the gate for a while.
"Well, this is stupid."
Gol then jumped and entered the swirling gate, floating computer following behind as they disappeared into the glowing spirals.
At about the same time as the card landing on Theodora's head, atop Alex and Ingru lands their own pre-punched card courtesy of Rifa.
To him this doesn't count as a blessing, he just figured he may as well because it didn't look like much of a hassle to plop somewhere.
🏳️⚧️she/her | Vio Rhyse Alberia"Well, I only know things that I've learned acting as server for another player Miss Aradin. As such I shall extend you the same opportunity that my client granted me and ask you to get comfortable with the controls" Would send Thalla to Aradin as she proudly saw Gol ascend by the stairs they had built together.
The graceless warrior, wielder of the edgeless blade, prophet of the old religions, writer of fluent nonsense, saviour of soul and song.Why do I get the feeling you and Rifa would get along greatly?
<I want him as my new host.>
Ingru puts the card in one of the slots and waits for something to happen.
<Nothing's happening.>
Try fitting the cylinder in the space with the needle there.....
Ingru does that.
i think i mostly want to see what happens when this whole place breaks apartTheodora stumbled forwards slightly, not expecting the Bible to be sucked into the sprite, then looked at it inquisitively. It hadn't had a bad reaction to it, instead seeming to absorb it. While she puzzled over the meaning of this, she heard a soft "foof" sound and felt something light land on her head. It turned out to be a thin tablet made of some odd, hard material, with uniform, rectangular holes punched into it. She went back inside to the kitchen and typed What's this card for? into the laptop.
edited 21st Oct '15 7:24:56 PM by Tojin
“Not a promise, not an oath, or a malediction or a curse. Inevitable." - Taylor HebertAradin received yet another message from this Thalla person, advising him to get used to the controls. The "controls" were likely the various options at the top of the window Aradin had to mess with. It seems you can select and move items, and deploy a few machines the game gives you right of the bat. You also have about 200 grist, whatever that is. The last few tabs seem to be empty, but seem like they'll have items later on.
The gate flashes, teleporting Gol and her floating computer somewhere at the floor of the massive forests. The trees made it seem even darker than before, the branches clouding out the already dark sky. The area was overgrown with flora, some of which was luminescent, but most of the plants were choked up by vines and weeds. You could also make out some tombstones in between flora. A close look shows a hut or two built in some of the trees. The area seemed to be populated by a handful of blue iguanas carrying small luminescent buds. There was still a worn down "path", indicating they might have been here for a while.
Thalla's screen does not follow Gol as she enters the jungle, instead focusing on the house. You have around 255 build grist and 10 slime grist, whatever that is.
While on the computer, Theodora notices that the other window had loaded up, showing some alien figure in an alien suit in some kind of alien location. It appears you can deploy the same machines your server has placed around your house. You have about 200 grist to work with.
Putting the card in the slot has a series of needles poke out from the top of the device. Putting in the yellow cylinder has the machine automatically carve it into some kind of totem.
Now that almost everyone has linked up, almost all machines have become available. Machines currently available to all players:
Cruxtruder - the mortar thingy. Extrudes cruxite cylinders
Pre-Punched Card - Used for pre game test.
Totem Lathe - Sewing machine/lathe like thin thing. Carves cruxite into a totem based on punched card put in the slot.
Alchemiter - larger platform. Allows you to create items with cruxite totems.
Punch Designix - fancy keyboard looking machine.
Jumper block extension - some kind of platform, looks like it connects to the Alchemiter. Costs 1000 build grist.
Punch Card Shunt - looks like a card case. Costs 10 build grist.
Gristtorrent CD - some kind of CD. Costs 100 build grist.
edited 24th Oct '15 9:56:27 AM by StarBee

Awww yeee dude look it's our colors!
<Yes, I can see that.>
Now to find out what this thing is. Also, we're probably gonna need that cylinder for something.
Ingru takes the cylinder and sends off another message to Rifa.
thanks bro!
i think i mostly want to see what happens when this whole place breaks apartany idea what this dealio is and what to do with it?