Kaktus 2017/11/10(Fri)11:42 No. 844098 ID: 65a774
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GAH! STOP IT! IT BURNS!? WHY DOES IT BURN!?
Nero! Stop screaming and help me!

Kaktus 2017/11/10(Fri)11:42 No. 844099 ID: 65a774
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MASTER! SAVE ME!! AAAHH!!
NERO YOU FUCK! HELP!

WHAT!? What just transpired!? You… you despoiled the rune! You ruined everything! But that's impossible! You're just a pathetic mortal! THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING! NOOOOOOOOO-

Kaktus 2017/11/10(Fri)11:43 No. 844101 ID: 65a774
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Nah, I’m just fooling.

As the Six appears before you, you can feel as your body is freeze in place.

Honestly, did your truly believe the we, the gods themselves, wouldn’t consider that your plan, which I need to remind that you told us directly, might actually have merit? Of course we’ve taken precaution against anything you can even fathom. Our might is inconceivable to a simple mind like yours!

You can feel its mind focus on you, taking control over your body completely. As long as its attention is on you, you’re completely unable to do anything… let alone try to stop it.

But you somehow managed to return to the mortal realm, which we admit we must deem… impressive. For a mortal, of course. So… we have an offering for you. An offering that, if you refuse, we’ll simply consume your soul here and now. An simple offering… get down on your knees and worship us. Swear yourself; body, mind and soul, to us and only us! Do so… and I’ll make sure you and those that love, at least those still alive, will be moved somewhere safe as we ascend once again.

The Six gives you the ability to kneel and speak… but not much more.

SWEAR YOURSELF TO US, ALL SIX… OR BE CONSUMED!

>>844101
All six? Hmmm... I bet if you swore loyalty to just one of them, it would cause some infighting, which would buy you time. Swearing loyalty to Xuv specifically might work the best since she's the outcast. You could ham it up a bit and say that everything is going to her plan. Soon she will be the only god, and there's nothing the other five can do about it.

Also since that wand apparently kills body AND soul we can't use it on the Six, since that would kill Belseth permanently. We need to find another way.

...before you do anything tricky, ask why they're not afraid of Life showing up, but they were afraid of Cain showing up.
If they become sufficiently distracted you could try using the sword to cut where Belseth's rune should be. Alternatively you could kill someone in the room, if you think the reason Life hasn't shown up is because nobody's died who wasn't already dead. Like Kira.
Heck, it might even be possible to goad them into making you kill Kira.

...or maybe their deal has a flaw in it? Belseth is someone you love, so they'd be forced to give up their host body. Then once they're gone your oath of loyalty would be nullified.

...or if you want to go full defiance mode, you could swear loyalty to Life.

Oooh, you know what, I'm really liking the "cause infighting" plan. You could start out by telling them they're fools, you never came here to stop all six of them, you've always been trying to stop one of them. Xuv. She's the only one with any real power, since she's the only one with an intact soul. Do they really think Xuv will let them share the power once she's ascended?

If they band together and kill Xuv, you can then go on to say "Illasia, I have done what you asked, your rival is dead. Please, let me ascend alongside you as you promised!" If that works, then you can go "Oh did I say Illasia, I meant Ifocen. All Varkians revere the god of fire after all, and the Phoenix most of all." Then there's only three left. At that point it's pretty unstable on its own and they'll be real paranoid. They might off the god of water since he's unopposed, then there's just two left and you can go "Hmph, either one of you could take the other out." then there's one, and I expect that's not enough to hold Belseth back.

>>844101
>The Six gives you the ability to kneel and speak…but not much more.
Attempt to summon Cain again.

"I thought you guys were supposed to be all knowing? You want to know what the secret to coming back from the dead is? It's a nice cup of tea!"

If that doesn't work or you're unable to attempt it, then kneel, go for blowjob, and use your beak to put one big scratch through the rune to mess it up and remove it's effect!

>>844111
>blowjob to biting the rune
That could actually work but I doubt the Six are interested in such things. Also I don't think Kaktus is going to let us beat the final boss by being lewd.

>>844115
I was kinda hoping to play it like an, "I never got to be intimate with Belseth, please grant me this request." kind of moment.

"Everyone I know and love? Would that include Cain, perhaps? Ooh, I know! How about Xuv! Goddess of love and death!"

Two plans with one line, let's go.

>>844106
>Also since that wand apparently kills body AND soul we can't use it on the Six, since that would kill Belseth permanently. We need to find another way.
For fuck's sake, Belseth is already fucking DEAD! His soul has undoubtedly been consumed by the Six, burned up for its energy and is spirit shit by now! Only his body remains, a shell for these monstrous warped facsimiles of the real Six. If Kronos gets the chance to blast it and the Six away with that wand, he shouldn't hesitate for a nanosecond, 'cause that's not Belseth any more. ...And even if by some outrageous odds Belseth was still around in there, destroying the Six is many orders of magnitude more important than his life. Kronos should still not hesitate in the slightest because there's no way to save Belseth as long as the Six exist.

>If they become sufficiently distracted you could try using the sword to cut where Belseth's rune should be.
You do realize that Bri's sword is on Kronos' back, right? The Six are not gonna be distracted nearly enough to not notice him pulling it from over his shoulder and swinging at them.

>>844138
Goddammit, don't bloody announce possible flaws in their deal to 'em! If it's some kind of automatic magic binding oath thing that'll remove to safety everyone that Kronos loves to safety and binds the Six to not harm them, we don't allow the Six the chance to put in exclusions.

Also, Kira is included in the number that Kronos loves, and she's the ritual sacrifice. She goes and the ritual can't complete. ...Though there's still Karas and Kronos who can be sacrificed, so that won't put as much of a hitch in the ritual as we'd want.

>>844152
For some reason, they are absolutely scared of Cain. And if Xuv is part of the six, it'll probably cause the six to start in-fighting.

Mentioning both is gonna put them off their game, big time. Unless you have a better idea that you have yet to come up with?

>>844155
How 'bout don't mention it, kneel and swear fealty to the Six and hope that whatever magic shit they weave to bring Kronos' loved ones to a safe spot works autonomously from the Six and goes by what Kronos thinks so they can't override it in time. Oh, and hoe that the "safe spot" is this chamber, 'cause if it's some impervious empty box in the middle of nowhere then Kronos and his loved ones are just gonna end up sitting around for a hour while the Six ascend, then get yanked out to be at the Six's whims. Because the deal as the Six said it only lasts until the Six ascend, not any longer.

>>844167
>hope that whatever magic shit they weave to bring Kronos' loved ones to a safe spot
You believe that? There's a thing called "lying" and I'm pretty sure this is it.

What incentive would they have to tell the truth? And even if they are telling the literal truth, there are so many holes in the way they phrased that, anything could happen...

>>844182
>>844187
Right, right, you're both right. I was acting dumb and panicky. They already faked being Krotos. They've lied to and manipulated all their followers. There's zero reason to trust their word. And even if they honor the deal, as they worded it it'd only last 'till they ascend, which has to be just minutes from now. It's a rotten deal, through and through.

Kaktus 2017/11/11(Sat)05:12 No. 844258 ID: 65a774
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>How 'bout don't mention it, kneel and swear fealty to the Six and hope that whatever magic shit they weave to bring Kronos' loved ones to a safe spot?
While that might save you and those that you love, the rest of Risavia… no, the rest of the world wouldn’t be so lucky. Heck, you have no idea if they are even speaking the truth or not! No, you’ve gotten this far… you won’t give up now!
>...or maybe their deal has a flaw in it?
You’re pretty sure it isn’t a contract that follows the instruction to the letter. They’ll probably just alter the deal further if they notice something they don’t like.
>...or if you want to go full defiance mode, you could swear loyalty to Life.
And end your life right here and now… smart plan.
>Go for a blowjob.
Now that’s just silly! Do you really think the gods would actually… hmm… though, they are gods… and gods tend to be… you know… and how often do you get the chance to do it with a god? Hmm… maybe if you… no… no forget it.

>Everyone I know and love? Would that include Cain, perhaps?
We don’t know who this Cain is but we’ll see if we can find it when we ascend.
>Belseth is someone you love…
Oh, don’t worry. We won’t need a physical form after we ascend, so Belseth will have his body back. After all, he is more useful to us alive than being a pile of spirit shit.
>Kira?
Her on the other hand… her soul is needed for the ascension… so she has a bright future of being a royal pileGah stop it with the feces references, it’s disgustingWell excuse me, princessThe lady is right, it’s a bit muchI’m an IT you fools!
>...before you do anything tricky, ask why-
No more questions! SWEAR OR DIE! WORSHIP US!

…very well. I, Prince Kronos Helios Mediean the Second, swear my mind, body and soul to the one true god. The god of all gods… Xuv, the beginning and end of all things!
Xuv? The god of gods! HA! Don’t make me laugh! She’s the weakest of us allThat’s because you killed me you bitchIt’s your fault you’re so damn annoying, you hagLadies, please, stop arguing in front of our new head priestLadies!? I’m an IT, you fool! IT!!! Either way, I don’t know who this Prince is, but I like his moxie, willing to swear himself to meMoxie? Please… idiocy is more like it.
On second thought, I think I’ll swear myself to Illasia…
See, he has some common senseIn contrast to you, weedHey! She got a point, this all started because you killed Xuv andThis all started because you guys crucified me for killing Xuv! That’s when it happenedActually I’m pretty sure this all started to happen before we even started fighting overListen, stop fighting! We must ascend together!
Or… yes… Ifocen! I SWEAR MYSELF TO IFOCEN! All Varkians revere the god of fire after all, and the Phoenix most of all! Oh, lord of fire, you are truly the god of GODS!
Well, he got a point. They do revere me so it’s isn’t a stretch that he would become my head priestNo they revere me! I am the main god! Illasia, the god ofWhining! Hey! Just becouseLadies, stop fighting alreadyIT! I AM AN IT!
…no, I’ve made up my mind… there is only one god… one thing that I will get on my knees and worship… and that is… Thalia’s BIG FAT COCK!

Kaktus 2017/11/11(Sat)05:12 No. 844259 ID: 65a774
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…
…
…
…
…
…
…

… … …

Kaktus 2017/11/11(Sat)05:12 No. 844260 ID: 65a774
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BAHAHAHAOh shut it, that wasn’t funny at allYes it was that was hilarious!
That was just filthyWhich is what makes it so funnyYou guys are always just thinking with your penises!
Hey! I’m a lady, you knowWait does that mean you don’t have oneUgh, can we stop talking about this, I’ve had blue balls for thousands of years alreadyWell, I haven’tBecause you’re a freaking plantWhich is clearly superior!
I haven’t had blue balls eitherBecouse you’re a ladyLady or not, I for one is pent up like hell even if I don’t have ballsCan we please stop talking about this shit! It’s disgusting!
I don’t know about you guys, but I wouldn’t mind having someone worship my “BIG FAT PHOENIX COCK” right nowFor fuck sake, you sound just like XuvWell if you don’t like it you can always retreat a bit into our mind and make sure the ritual goes as intendedYou know what I’ll make go as intended? My boot kicking your assYou don’t even have boots, you’re a plantHey don’t disrespect people without boots! We tentacle people are a proud people who won’t-

…they seem to be… um… distracted. Very distracted. You can feel their grip on you disappear completely as you regain control over your body once again.

>You could try using the sword to cut where Belseth's rune should be.
Are you even sure you know where it is? You’re just guessing right now… if only there was a way for you to truly see where they hid the rune.
>If Kronos gets the chance to blast it and the Six away with that wand, he shouldn't hesitate for a nanosecond.
Sadly, the blast turned most of the wand into charcoal… apparently you had it on to high of a setting or something…

It is now time for you to perform the most incompetent castration in the history of your entire empire.

A.K.A. carve up his groin until you can pull it out with your bare hands and choke Belseth to death with it.

>>844260
>if only there was a way for you to truly see where they hid the rune.
Take your eyepatch off.

Remember when you tried to take it off earlier? They stopped you and said, "You don’t want to see what your little eyes can’t handle…" Which makes me think that looking through your missing eye will let you "see" where the rune is, the same way you were able to "read" that book in Tim's dream with your missing eye!

Okay, Kronos. You've gotten them distracted. Now, remember when you killed the assassin who took your eye? You are going to have to brutally kill the six's host with the same ferocity. Don't hang up on the fact that it's Belseth's body. IT IS NOT BELSETH ANYMORE.

>>844260
>no way to truly see where
Actually... there was a vision you had once of Belseth in this skeletal form. It was on his forehead.

You'll only have one shot though.

>>844274
>only one shot
This is why you need to confirm the target first. Go down on Belseth to check whether the rune is down there.

Kronos, you're gonna go down in legend as the prince who stopped the ascent of a mad god with quick thinking, deft speech and a raunchy line. Which is totally appropriate for who you are, isn't it?

Okay, one chance to find the Rune of Eternity on Belseth's body. You remember seeing it on his forehead in a vision of him as he is now, but you also know Bri saw a vision of it tattooed above his dick and he was thinking of getting it put there. Could be either place, though the Six very likely have access to Bel's memories and know that you know that Bel was gonna tattoo the rune down there, so they'll put it elsewhere. But you didn't tell anyone else about the Rune of Eternity in your vision of Bel possessed by the Six, so the Six shouldn't know about that to counter it. But again, they could have put the Rune of Eternity anywhere on Bel's body. You gotta confirm its location first.

The Six said you shouldn't flip up your eye patch 'cause you wouldn't like what you see, so get into position to look at Bel's forehead and flip it up. Just be ready to flip it down the second you confirm if the Rune of Eternity is there or not 'cause it's probably gonna be like looking directly into the sun with your second sight.

If the Rune of Eternity isn't on Bel's forehead, then next spot to check is above his groin. Though, how to do that without the Six feeling that you're pulling the front of Bel's pants down? Could you cut the fabric just enough to look in with your second sight? You're gonna need Bri's sword for this anyway, so get down low where the Six can't see, slip the scabbard off to hold it in front pull it off that blade. ...Y'know, if you carried a pocket knife you wouldn't need to use this big obvious sword.

And if you can't see the Rune of Eternity either spot, then check his feet and move around to check every side of Bel's head, 'cause those are the only other spots of exposed skin on him. Then you'll have to risk pulling Bel's pants down to get a look at everything below the waist.

>>844296
I don't think they have access to Belseth's memories, because they don't know who Cain is. Well, it's that, or they FORGOT who Cain is.

Kaktus 2017/11/11(Sat)12:53 No. 844315 ID: 65a774
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>Now, remember when you killed the assassin who took your eye? You are going to have to brutally kill the six's host with the same ferocity.
Attacking them head on is suicide. No, you might have one good attack but no more than that.
>There was a vision you had once of Belseth in this skeletal form. It was on his forehead.
>But you also know Bri saw a vision of it tattooed above his dick and he was thinking of getting it put there.
So… it’s either up there… or down there… if you only where sure…


>Take your eyepatch off. Look at them with your missing eye!
And thus the flesh lost opens the path of understanding. Witnessing the darkness of what you’ve lost you see the words of the prophets, or in this case the runes, carved in the skin of those that are damned. Only by seeing without eyes can find the fire that will purge the shadow cast by rotting gods be found…
You were lucky that you’d already lost your eyes, as you can almost feel your broken eye explode from your socket as you look towards the Six. Unable to peer at them for even a second, the image you see is ungodly bright that it burns itself into your mind...

…there are two runes… one up there… and one down there… and you only have one shot.

Behind you, you can hear Hera getting up again, finally being able to escape the grasp of the elementals.

GAH! YOU FUCKER! WHAT DID YOU DO TO NERO!?
-construct statues showing of my hugeSeriously what is wrong withBut if we carve out the world and give a part to each we can do pretty muchI still don’t want to see she-bitch over thereI AM AN IT, XUV, A FUCKING ITCalm down ladies, there’s no-

>>844315
...if Cain was here, he could do it. Another option would to get Kira on her feet, but does she have a weapon? ...or you could try to trick Hera into throwing a spike and hitting one of the runes. She aims for the head, so you should hit the groin.

>>844315
Try to trick Hera into hitting one of them and when the Six get mad at Hera, you swing the sword and hit the other one!

Crouch in front of the lower rune and taunt Hera by saying, "It's not my fault your aim sucks! If you had killed me in that last room, then Nero would still be here! So it's your fault that I made it to this room and killed Nero!"

When she throws a spike at your head, move outta the way so it hits the lower rune!

Then when the Six are distracted by what Hera did, pull out the sword and swing at the rune on Belseth's forehead!

>>844318
>She aims for the head, so you should hit the groin.
Flip it around the other way, Kronos hits the head and Hera hits the groin.

Because even if Kronos stood up and Hera aims for his head, she's only going to hit Belseth's nose and not the forehead.

>>844322
Also, if we need another distraction, then after they punish Hera, which will probably mean killing her, they'll focus on Kronos again.

So to get another distraction, Kronos should say, "Which 1 of you are ascending? Sure, you've got one body, but I've been told repeatedly that there's only enough power for one to ascend and there's 6 of you 7, if what they say about Bel still being in there is true. So which of you is ascending without the other 5?"

That should get them to argue with each other and give Kronos a chance to swing the sword!

>>844324
I'm pretty sure that they are trying to fudge the process a bit by storing the power in a central location (Belseth) that they ALL have access to instead of splitting it up.

But after they DO ascend they are most likely going to go about acquiring MORE power to fund godhood for all of them. (There may or may not be some backstabbing at this stage.)

Get the scabbard holding Briannah's sword off your back and into your hands to draw it forth. You're going to need that sword for whatever plan you go through here.

What you'll have to do here is not just cut both Runes of Eternity, but do so nearly simultaneously. And not just because one rune getting broken will catch the attention of all of the Six and they'll stop bickering and focus on what is going on here. It's also because they'll very likely use their power to immediately heal the flesh and restore the rune. This means you can't stagger breaking the runes.

You'd prefer any strike against the forehead rune be one that won't puncture or otherwise seriously damage Belseth's head. If it's possible for Bel's soul to get his body back after the Six are ripped out, that won't be possible if it has fatal head trauma. The lower one can take more "collateral damage," like a piercing hit from a thrown stone spike, and not be fatal. However, top priority remains maximizing the odds of breaking both runes at once, so don't do anything that'll lower those odds in the hope of saving Belseth. If getting the best odds means Bel's head gets punctured, then you have to take it.

Now, first idea that comes to mind is to put your head in front of one of the runes, then goad Hera into throwing a stone spike at where your voice is like she did earlier. Then you dodge out of the way, striking the other rune with the sword as soon as the stone spike hits the first rune. The first problem with this idea is that Hera isn't accurate enough when throwing that you can rely on her spike hitting the rune.

The second problem is that Hera doesn't have a pillar of stone spikes like she did before, so if she doesn't have one on her, or any other throwing implement, she'll likely resort to getting into close combat range to attack. If she does that, then she could try to grab or punch you instead of slashing at you, which means if you dodge out of the way her strike may not cut the rune. The noise and sight of a close in fight may also draw the Six's focus back, which you really don't want.

To reliably break both runes at the same time, you're going to need to get another cutting implement to wield. Any improvised tool will do, as long as it has a edge or point sharp enough to cut Sakkilian hide. One of the fingertips from the metal man could work since they looked pointy. A sharp talon from the skeletal remains of the foot of one of the Varks that died here could also work. The Six may have already created a ceremonial dagger for sacrificing Kira and left it on the table next to her, so look over there. You could even goad Hera into throwing a stone spike where it'd just harmlessly stop and you could pick it up to use. Any sharp edge or point will do.

Kaktus 2017/11/14(Tue)13:45 No. 845070 ID: 65a774
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Hey, Hera. Do you want to know what happened to your boyfriend? I freaking incinerated his SOUL!
You did wh- wait, boyfriend!? Do you really think I would have anything to do with that idiot?
And with my martial prowess we’ll split the atoms themselves!
I saw how you were looking at him… how you were undressing him with your eyes~
Pff… oh please. If anything, I’m glad that moron is dead.
Dibs on the southHey I wanted the southMe too, you can’t just-
Hera and Nero sitting in a tree, K-I-S-
Oh that’s fucking it. You’re dead!

She reaches into her… err… chest and pulls out a dagger to throw at you.

Kaktus 2017/11/14(Tue)13:45 No. 845071 ID: 65a774
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Of course, with her being blind and all the extra motions she must go through, you’re nowhere near where she’s aiming by the time the dagger whizzes past you.

I always wanted the isles at theWait what is even beyond the sea isn’t there supposed to be another- GUH!?

Instead, it hits Belseth square in the forehead, shattering his skull with a loud crack!

…Hera…
…Oh fuck. Master, please, it was an AAAA-

Kaktus 2017/11/14(Tue)13:46 No. 845072 ID: 65a774
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With a single stroke of their hand they make Hera simply… cease. Their skull is quickly repairing itself from Hera’s attack, but you don’t believe they can remake the Rune that quickly. At least, you hope they can’t. Either way, you take the opportunity while they are distracted to swing Brinnah’s sword between their legs… and manages to cleave a large part of their lower body before they react.

…did you just try to kill me or is this some kind of fetish of yours?
Err… the second symbol, I placed it down there.
What!? Why?
Because I didn’t think anyone would attack us down there?
Ha! You always were naïve.
No matter we still have another symbol.
Actually, I was never able to carve a third one.
What!? Why!?
I didn’t have enough soul energy! We voted to not eat Xuv, remember?
You did WHAT!?
Gah! Then quick, eat what’s left of Hera and the prince and carve another before he notice our-

Kaktus 2017/11/14(Tue)13:46 No. 845073 ID: 65a774
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Seven souls in one body? Why, I do believe I need to fix that. Time to remove the vermin and return this home to its proper owner.
OH SH-

Kaktus 2017/11/14(Tue)13:46 No. 845074 ID: 65a774
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Poke.
AAAARGHHGHJbLbjsdl,gn”#%/#¤(

Belseth seemingly explodes as your vision is filled with a blinding light.

Kaktus 2017/11/14(Tue)13:46 No. 845075 ID: 65a774
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…with nothing but soothing light.

…

…soothing… light…

…

…sooth…ing…

…

Kronos… time to wake up…
Ugh…
Are you alright?
I… I… it was just…
Another nightmare?
…yeah…
While I understand you’re still a bit shaken, I hate to inform you that you’ve overslept on this important day.
…overslept? Why didn’t you wake me up sooner?
I tried too… but you threatened to throw a shoe at me and… said some things that’s best not repeated in polite company.
Oh… wait… who… where… uh…

Kaktus 2017/11/14(Tue)13:46 No. 845076 ID: 65a774
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Good morning, Kronos, my old friend.
Who are you? Where am I?
You’re still in the sanctum of the Six gods. I’ve just taken the… liberty to stop the passage of the world for a bit, as you’ll need some time to think about what to do next. As for who I am… well, you’ve already met my two siblings so you understand what we are… as for me personally? I am the here and now, the guide of paths, the spider of the web, the… present.
…you are Fate.
…that is indeed one name your kind have for me.

Wait, you said I needed time to think? About what?
Why, which path to choose of course. When the old man ripped the souls of the six from your friend’s body and tore them to shreds, enough power was released to complete the ritual of ascension.
…wait, so I failed!?
Oh no, quite on the contrary, old friend. The six are gone for good, so they are unable to use this opportunity… but not the same can be said about your friend. As we speak, Belseth is, even in his weakened state, tapping into the gateway to the river of souls the Six opened and is absorbing a huge amount of power from it.
…he’s trying to ascend… to become a god…
Trying is the wrong word. He is succeeding… or will succeed, if you let him.
…wait, you want me to stop him?
:FateSB? Want? What I want is irrelevant, old friend, all I am giving you is a choice. Either you let him ascend into godhood… or you stop him by claiming the gift of gods yourself. As I said, he is still weak from what the Six did to him, so stealing the power from his grips would be… child’s play… even for you. There is no other way to stop him, not in the time you’re given.
…you want me to become a god?
I want you to choose. There are two paths. Nothing less, nothing more. That is what the dreamer dreamt off… and the chronicler has written… two paths to choose from… to become a god… or let Belseth become one.

Kaktus 2017/11/14(Tue)13:46 No. 845077 ID: 65a774
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And so it all comes to an end, old friend, with a simple choice. Who will ascend, Kronos… you… or Belseth? Do take your time before you choose.

Choose one of the following:
1) Become a GOD.
2) Let Belseth become a GOD.
































Kronos, Do take your time and consider. Think back on what has happen… on what you’ve learned… on the stories I’ve told you.
Dare to dream of worlds yet not seen, Kronos.
Past? Future? Are you here as well?
I have dreamt of this for ages…
This is an occasion that will be written about for eons, isn’t it?
Ah, indeed it is, sibling…

rolled 2 = 2

---

Defy the gods one last time by leaving it up to chance.

>>845077
1. Become a god. Fix what the Nightmare broke. Heal your friends, save your brothers. Take steps for a brighter future... then give up the power. Belseth would never accept this path, he would never give up the power. His pride would stop him- he firmly believes he would be a righteous god. And according to the Dreamer, he would be... for a while. The Six were for a while too, but power sinks its teeth into your heart and corrupts you bit by bit until what you think is right is no longer what is right for the world.

From now on, gods should be temporary. Make a pact with Life based on this act, form an order to keep the infinity rune from being used again, and through that order Life should allow the temporary use of the River in times of great need to steer the path of the world back towards peace and prosperity.

...actually I guess this path does not require you to steal the power from Belseth. Even if Belseth becomes a god, so long as you act quickly you can convince him to give up the power.

Though there is one piece of the puzzle I am still concerned about. Ask Fate who Cain is. He's no mortal, that much is certain. There is a slim chance Cain will steal the power himself.

>>845077
Isn't there a 3rd option to split the power between Kronos and Belseth? That way neither of them can become a god, they'll just be really powerful mages.

Let's be honest, this world doesn't need anymore fucking gods! The gods are the reason all of this "end of the world" bullshit started in the first place! And if either Kronos or Belseth become a god, then whether they mean to do it or not, they will end up repeating what the 6 were trying to do just now! So if neither of them become a god, then there will be no risk of this ever happening again in the future! And I don't care how good someone's intentions are, no 1 person should have that much power and the sooner that power no longer exists the better the world will be!

But if that isn't possible, then Kronos should become a god and then ask Old Man Life to take that power away.....after reviving everyone that died here.....and making sure Beatrix can be born as Kronos' and Bri's biological child.

Didn't we agree Zela would be a better choice? Or that messing up mortal affairs at all would be a bad idea? Or to try and put the elemental in the pilot's seat? or literally anything other than accepting a crap dichotomy?

..Aim the shoe anyways. Not like you've ever hit cain with it anyways.

This is certainly a big decision.. But if there's no ability to split the power between the two, it might be best to take it unto yourself.

You've sacrificed a fair bit learning quite a lot to get to this position.

>>845090
Well if we can split the power, will that be enough to fix everything? Will Kronos and Belseth be able to resurrect those that died fighting the Nightmare? If it's possible to split the power and still get the work done we need, I support that instead.

>>845104
After looking at your idea, I think that could work also.

So, yeah, I agree, if we can't do what we need to do by splitting the power, then Kronos should become a god and then give it up when he's done using it.

Destroy the source.
Destroy the false avatar of life.
Destroy L.I.F.E.

Harness what remains and use it to increase the intelligence of everything. And I mean EVERYTHING. Sentients, animals, trees, bacteria, rocks. Keep up the intelligence radio waves until you have nothing left.

They want you to be a god. You will be a mortal. Because in the next 24 hours, the definition of mortal is going to undergo a serious paradigm shift. Redefine godhood. Redefine power. Redefine civilization. Redefine mortality. Redefine how your world works, and you win.

Screw the mad, dead gods. Screw this binary choice.

option 3: siphon off half of the power and ensure that Belseth gets the other half.

After all you've heard and seen and read and experienced, you've come to the conclusion that no mortal should hold on to such power as this. Even if it starts gloriously, somehow it will all go terribly wrong in the end. With Belseth, you see him trying to save everyone, to solve all problems and ills, up to and including death, pulling ever more from the River of Souls to do so until it's drained dry and everything comes crashing down once more.

However, such power could be wielded for only a short while to make things better in the world, just not to fix everything now or forever. And once that is done, give up the power. Like in Chronicler's little story of the three brothers. (>>/questarch/752683) Then those in the world will be able to take that windfall and continue to make things better their own ways.

You'll become a god, but only for a bit. Only until the immediate power available to work with, including what's built up in the Soul Kiln/Catacombs, is used up. You do not want to cause long term problems by pulling too much magic from the flow of souls. Once that is done, you'll give up godhood and become mortal again.

First order of business would be to right what you can of the wrongs wrought by the Nightmare Six and their followers and their influence, including by Elete. Bring back to life those who died recently because of them, if possible. Fix injuries, both physical and mental. Return that which was stolen. That kind of thing. ...Could your brothers be brought back?

Then there's dealing with the Soul Kiln/Catacombs of the Godless. Use up its built up magic charge, safely release all the souls in it into the River of Souls, then open it up so it can't capture any more souls as well as rendering all its traps inert.

And then its on to healing and restoring crippling injuries in the populace, starting with yourself and those close to you. Kira, Belseth, Briannah, Thalia, your father Helios, onward and outward. Serious illness, lost limbs and eyes, malnutrition and starvation, disease and defect, and so on will be remedied. After that, food, shelter and wealth for the masses, so they will not be trodden upon easily by the powerful. And knock the powerful and wealthy down a few pegs too. Restore the farm fields and make the land fertile again. Do what you can to increase the odds of peace and prosperity for a long time after you're done.

Well, your self-loathing says everything would be better if you were never born...

So how about this: you go back in time and rewrite your existence, stealing yourself when you were just a little fetus and convincing the queen that she had a phantom pregnancy and whatever medical complications you can associate with breeding. Then you regrow the fetus-you to experience life as you did, but also steal the divine power from the catacombs before the Six can get to it. You also give Elete a thorough talking-to and if she still doesn't shape up you take her out of the picture. Then when your past self is fully grown, you give him the divine power so he can go back in time and do all of this over again, stabilizing the paradox, and you @#$% off to another universe where you can learn to harness your powers and attain enlightenment.

Divvy up the curse between Chronicler, Dreamer and Fate instead, watch them destroy each other over infighting.

Can we choose neither? Like can we take the power from him but then instead of using it or keeping it or what ever we just let it disperse or fade something? A world without gods.
but maybe fix what happened when we were going through the catacombs before giving up the power, like your fingers, Thalia, Sisah, your sister?

>>845264
I'd say hold on to that power a bit longer to search the world for any other hiding old gods or Runes of Eternity or other nasty surprises from the last age. Then remove them so there won't be a chance of another god ascending or some other shit that'd pop up to wreck the world. Also remove all record of what the real shape of the Rune of Eternity is from the world, including written, chiseled in stone or remembered in memory, including from Kronos' mind. Leave the only memory of its real form Chronicler's.

Kaktus 2017/11/15(Wed)13:57 No. 845297 ID: 65a774
File 151078307304.png - (64.42KB , 686x526 , 136.png )

…okay, first off I have a question. Several in fact.
Ask away. We have all the time in the world, after all.
In that case... Who is Cain? Or better yet, what is Cain? He clearly isn’t mortal.
Cain? He is… another actor of destiny, a mask for Fate to wear.
I still have many dreams of action he will do.
There are still history that will be written by his actions.
That didn’t explain anything!
Didn’t we? Why are you so inclined to know who he is?
Because he is a friend! And… and I don’t know if I can trust him anymore! What if he tries to steal the power for himself or something!?
The Power coming from the River of Souls is in your hands and your hands only. While he still have many roads to build, his role here is over.
The dreams I have is of the future, not the here and now.
There will be nothing written about him for a generation. He has done his part for now… and he will do his part in the future, long after your story is over.
…so what you’re telling me is not to worry about him?
It would be for the best, yes.

Can I bring people back to life?
Ah, you mean Sisah and Doxan?
It is… possible, but I wouldn’t recommend it. I’ve had nightmares of that…
You can bring them back… but history show us that they wouldn’t be… the same. At best you might have to deal with someone that can only lie twitching on the floor and drool… at worse… well…
*Shudder* The blood…
Unless you use the power to change history itself… but the amount of power that would take… it’s beyond even a god.

Right… next question, can’t we just share the power between us?
Ah, there is a bit of a catch with power. You need power to wield power… thus, if you don’t have enough… well…
You’ll go boom thanks to overindulgence of mana.
At best only one of you will die… at worse both of you will “survive”.
Imagen it’s a dam linked to the river. If you don’t ride on top of the wave when it breaks you’ll simply drown, and there is only place for one at the top.
…so I’m guessing I can’t just take some of the power?
Again, a dam. It would be like trying to stop it from flooding a whole valley with your bare hands.
And if I just let the power flow away?
You’ll flood the village in the center of the valley… in this case, Risavia and the nations next to them will… cease. In fire… lots of fire…
So there is only two paths you can take. Who will it be? Who will become the new god of th-

:KronoSB: NO! FUCK THAT!
But the web of fate says-
FUCK FATE! FUCK THE GODS! FUCK BELSETH! Not literally… except maybe the last one… but later.
But doing nothing will mean that Belseth will-
No… I will break this dam… and instead of riding the wave I will simply redirect it! I will do what the gods’ lust for power never let them… I will use the power here and now instead of ascending! I WILL REWRITE REALITY ITSELF!
B-but… but the web of f-fate… you can’t j-just-
I AM THE FUCKING PHOENIX! I will throw off the shackles of fate and make my own path!
T-this can’t be- This isn’t how it’s supposed to- You’ll mess up everything! Stop this nonsense!
Though… do you believe you are capable?
Do you know what needs to be done? With great power comes great responsibility, after all. I know you, Kronos, and you aren’t the most… responsible people.
But I am.

Kaktus 2017/11/15(Wed)13:58 No. 845298 ID: 65a774
File 151078308147.png - (63.53KB , 686x526 , 137.png )

Sis!? Y-you’re alive?
Apparently I am.
The Six souls was used instead of that of your sister… and brothers.
But what’s important is that I know what will need to be mended in our nation.
Ah, yes… yes… I see it in my dreams… with her guidance… and your compassion…
Together we will lead the world into a new golden age.
Not exactly… but you will make the world a far better place… with a far brighter future.
…which is good enough. So what do you say, Kronos, can I aid you in making-

HOLD IT!

Kaktus 2017/11/15(Wed)13:58 No. 845299 ID: 65a774
File 151078309024.png - (44.84KB , 686x526 , 138.png )

We both know who is at fault for the way the world turned out. We know how one of our actions changed the course of history for the worse!
Wait? Kronos?
Wait, what are you… err… me doing here?
Saving your sorry ass… again. This is your fault, after all.
I wouldn’t say fault but he does speak the truth, Kronos, some of your actions are the reason things turned out so dire.
So I suggest, instead of trying to repair something that is unrepairable, we simply change the course of history! We go back and change the single action that started this whole mess. We make it so mom never died… and the war never started.
There could be enough power to accomplished something like that, yes… and it would mean the war would never happen. Instead, the diplomatic tension between the Empire and your kingdom will dissipate… and an alliance, far stronger than the one you’ve so desperately formed today, would be born.
And the war wouldn’t feed the gods, thus this whole ordeal would never happen.
Actually, as you’ve destroyed the rune of eternity, the old man will simply collect them as soon as the change is done. After all, forever is in both directions, so the rune is broken today as well as tomorrow and yesterday.
Even better. So, what say you, Kronos, do you want to go back and right what once went wrong?

Kaktus 2017/11/15(Wed)13:58 No. 845300 ID: 65a774
File 151078310366.png - (84.86KB , 686x526 , 139.png )

Now hold on a moment! We can’t just go back and fix our mistakes like that. We’re supposed to learn and grow from them, not just unmake them.
Learn what? That starvation is bad? That massive corruption mess up our country? That war kills people? Are learning experience really that much important then the life of thousands!?
We still learn if we remember the mistake we made, even if we undid it.
Weren’t you on my side?
Oh, I am. I would rather see the future change than the past.
And I rather see history written in a new way. But we aren’t here to convince each other, are we? We are her to convince Kronos. He is the one who will make the choice.

Then let me begin with a simple fact. The war killed hundreds of thousands, laid waste to our economy, despoiled our farmlands and gave the already rich and powerful even more power to abuse. Starvation, corruption and death… and we can unmake it all in one action.
It will take work, but we can overcome all of that… and come out stronger from it! We can learn, grow and change so that it won’t happen again. What is stopping history to repeat itself, just against another opponent at another time?
Families was torn apart, life was lost, people were scarred both physically and mentally. That includes your family! Your mother and brothers are dead, your father is dying of grief and your sister is… well. We won’t heal from this, even with the power you’ll get… no, the life that was lost can only be brought back one way and one way only.
And of those that was born after that event? You will make hundreds of thousands people to never be born!
Others will be born in their place!
What gives you the right to decide who will be born or not!?
What gives you the right to decide who will die or not!?
What gives you the right to bring them back!? No, let me bring out the big swords. Briannah, your beloved wife… if the war never happened, you would never have met her.
And the children you have will never be made.
Wait, children?
She is bearing twins… and Zela is with your child as well.
Are you really going to throw thousands upon thousands of lives away because you want to protect your own blood? What a hero you are. No, then let retort. Briannah is… broken. She has experience more things that no one deserves to… and it has left her scarred. You know she will never be alright again, that she will always be unwell. She might not be suicidal anymore, but the path she took to get there will not be forgotten.
It is true. Her past will haunt her forever. Her scars will never heal fully.
Her past cuts to deep.
We can fix th-
NO! NO YOU WILL NOT! You will not brainwash my love, you will not remake her brain nor will you remove her trauma. She is Briannah, my love, and I will not let you force her to change against her will. No… what I ask is to give her a past… and a future where she will be whole… will be happy… and loved… even if that isn’t a future we are in. I love her just as you do Kronos, and I would give everything to see her truly happy.
…she would find a future where she was happy if you changed the past.
But she will find one in this timeline as well… just one that’s a bit more… scarred.

And there we have it… will you save thousands, save our nation, save Briannah… or will you be selfish and only do it for yourself? Are you a hero, Kronos, or just a spoiled prince who can’t make sacrifices for the greater good?
Those that doesn’t learn are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past. From where we are now, with the power we are given, we can do so much more than just prevent a war. We can truly change the future for the better… and not just bet that it will by undoing our past mistakes. We can make a better tomorrow… for your children, Kronos.
In the end, your choice will change the world… and history itself.
There are many paths ahead of you, Kronos, but these two are the only ones that will end well. Trust me on that one.
B-but… my web… it’s g-going to be ruined! I must r-redo everything from scratch! *Sob*…

…do you change the past with the help of Chronicler and… um… other you?
…or the future with the help of Dreamer and Kira?

What would your mother want for you?

>Retcon souls
Normally I'd oppose this, but... well, they'll all be reincarnated eventually. I'd rather chose the option that eventually gives people the choice to defy this. SO:

>vote
One final question: which choice brings about a future filled with science, discovery, and the will to live life to the fullest? My vote's for that one.

Also, why is Kira so attached to this timeline? And since she's the responsible one, shouldn't you listen to her? And unless I've messed up my chronology, wouldn't Bri still be down her particular path even if the war didn't start and not have that revelation she had not too long ago? And wouldn't those radical factions that started the war, including Elete, still be alive and full of wicked ambition? I'm not so convinced things are guaranteed to turn out better if we try again, and we've only got one chance to use this trump card.

As wild of a ride as it has been, I vouch for accepting the past, as scarred as it has been, and embrace the future with Kira and the Dreamer. With Briannah and the twins.

Messing with the past would likely only end up with another flavor of disaster anyways.

Wait, more questions. If we rewrite the past, will a Dragon-Phoenix hybrid offspring still be created? Xuv was talking about using that to defy fate, yet Krotos got manipulated by Nightmare and that never came to pass, and we killed Xuv's soul so that she couldn't use Kronos' child as a vessel to (I assume) overthrow the Six and rule on her own. With the war prevented, would Krotos and Briannah ever meet? Would they be able to have a child without Xuv's blessing? Would ANYONE be able to make a hybrid if we rewrite the past?

Secondly, how exactly would Kira's choice work? How would we take power away from the nobility without them immediately taking it back? I mean, Kira's choice implies that everyone still remembers everything that happened, so anything we change will result in people going "what the fuck just happened?" and possibly refusing to accept the new situation. According to the Dreamer it will work in the end, but I'd like to know exactly how. I suspect the methods involved are unsavory.

Another option I was considering was not directly rewriting the past, but simply allowing Life to reclaim the Six's souls at an earlier point as if we had. This would prevent the Nightmare from manipulating events, which is what caused both of Kronos' brothers to go nuts. The war might still happen but events DURING and AFTER the war would change. Maybe it would end earlier? Maybe we could avoid the worst changes in Varkian government? Has the Dreamer considered this option? It would certainly be the most hands-off option. Fate's web might even be partially intact. ...is that a good thing though? Fate intended all these horrible things to happen. Maybe we should give him the big middle finger. "Old friend" my ass, what was he even talking about there? Heck, ask him why he called you an old friend.

The biggest middle finger would be, of course, ensuring that Dragon-Phoenix hybrids exist. Those are apparently the most anathema to Fate that there is.

>>845319
>Briannah would still be addicted to sex if the war didn't happen
Hey that's right. Is the Dreamer lying to us about her being happy if we change the past?

>>845300
Change the past. If it was your actions that led to this outcome, then your happiness is the price you will pay for that of others'.

>>845300
Let's solve this with the usual methods. Start sodomizing everyone including both of your selves until something starts working.

>>845300
Look, hindsight is 20/20, everyone in the world thinks they know how they'd make the everything better if they just had the chance to go back and right a wrong that was done.

But all actions have consequences, nobody is above that.
Other You is right and always will be, but even changing history won't fix everything. That voice of regret won't go away, there will always be something you didn't say or do, something you want to change.

It's wrong to wipe away the past, present and futures of so many others in order to indulge that wish even once.
You'll just have to do what everyone else has to: live with the memories of the past and work for a better future.

Past. Roll the dice on a brave new world!

...if you change the past, will you forget you had done so? Will you become the immature, irresponsible playboy you were before you met Briannah? Also what's going to happen to Belseth if you change the past? You only asked about Briannah. He was a war hero. What will he do if there will never be a war? Will Elete be Archbishop again? Was she merely manipulated or was she a willing accomplice? She might get up to something terrible.

Lastly, you now know the truth about the Six. If you change the past, people will continue worshipping the Five, not knowing that they are dead. Not knowing what they did. People will try to become gods again someday, not knowing how bad an idea it is. It's not the lessons taught by the war that we should be worried about. It's the lessons taught by the gods.

>>845297
>You can bring them back…but history show us that they wouldn’t be…the same. At best you might have to deal with someone that can only lie twitching on the floor and drool…at worse…well…
>*Shudder* The blood…
So it's like Full Metal Alchemist when the Elric brothers try to bring their mom back to life? Ok then. Don't bring people back to life.

>>845298
Wait a minute! Waaaiiit a minute!

Kira, how the fuck can you see and hear what these guys are saying?!

>>845299
Other Kronos is here too?!

Ok, how do I know if either of you are real?! Because Kira is supposed to be laying unconscious on that table in the middle of the room and she can't see or hear Chronicler, Fate, or Dreamer! And.....other me, is supposed to be in my head and not outside of it!

Even though both of you are making good points in your arguments, both of you can't be real! Is this some kinda trick that Fate is trying to pull to make me not mess up its web?!

>>845300
>She is bearing twins…and Zela is with your child as well.
Wait, Zela is also.....?!

.....we're not looking forward to explaining that.

>>845319
This is true!

Would changing the past really stop others with wicked ambitions?

>>845330
This!

Everyone always wants to have the power to change the past, but that doesn't mean that the change would be best for everyone!

Hey, if the only thing we do with the past is to get Life to capture the Six earlier than usual, would we still have the power to change the future/present? I kindof want to annoy all three time-siblings.

...oooh, what if... Fate worked alongside us on this? We push Life into the past to get rid of Nightmare, but Fate ensures that most events go along the same lines as they did before?

I dunno, nobody else seems to want to support me on this hands-off approach to altering the past, but it would get what we wanted done instead of these two options which only do half of what we want. I don't really want to trust that the Dreamer has accounted for this choice, since the Dreamer wasn't aware before that we could choose anything other than who to ascend.

Okay, you want to hold up on deciding for awhile. This is the fate of the world we're talking about, after all. You want to ask questions and triple-check you're clear on everything. It's the prudent and sensible thing to do. And Fate said you have all the time you could want to deliberate and think before you finally decide. Can you conjure up the memory of comfy chairs for us to sit in and fine tea to drink while you contemplate this choice?

Now, there's a great threat lying over the horizon that you have, rather ironically, forgotten about: The Forgotten One. Chronicler and Dreamer can tell you what is, now possible and how dire the threat of the Forgotten One's rise would be. But from what bits you've picked up so far, from Dreamer, your mirror self's tirade and from when you met the Six-in-Krotos'-form (the text in the image from >>/questarch/805744) you gather it represents not just a existential threat to the world but to reality itself, and that it is a for a future generation to face. And so you must ask which of these two choices before you leaves a world that has better odds of stopping the Forgotten One, because that is the one you will choose. For if the price of failure is the end of everything, then you must choose the best odds possible.

However, this presents a third possible choice, a variant of the 'change the future' one: Use this power to remove the threat of the Forgotten One right now so it will never come to pass. Remove any chance that the Forgotten One will rise in the future by destroying it in the present. For no matter how prepared that future generation is to stop the Forgotten One's rise, there's always the chance all the dice will come up ones and they will fail. And the price of failure then will be the unmaking of everything that is, was and will ever be. In the light of such stakes, spending some, or even all, of this great power to make sure that threat never comes to pass does make sense. But you have to ask Dreamer what the possible results of this would be.

You have to wonder just what your mirror self is. You thought it was a manifestation of your self-loathing, then your suppressed "ruthless" side, but now that he has appeared right now you aren't so sure what he is. A manifestation of the thin blood of Ifocen that runs through your veins? Who you would have been if your mother had not died? What do Chronicler and Dreamer say this other you is? And how did he, before you reconciled, knew and saw so much, albeit warped by his dark view of you? Especially about the Forgotten One.

Question to Chronicler and Dreamer: If you choose to change the past, how much of what we have learned in this timeline be lost? Because without the Six's hints, the crypt of the gods would not be discovered and the true fate of the Five revealed. Without what has happened, we would not know so surely that mortals should not become gods, or how and why the world of the Old Empire collapsed. And most of all, we'd lose the forewarning of the Forgotten One's potential rise.

>>845319
>And unless I've messed up my chronology, wouldn't Bri still be down her particular path even if the war didn't start and not have that revelation she had not too long ago?
No, because it was Briannah's father's death in a battle in the early years of the war that turned her down the path she went. Losing him was her first deep emotional trauma. No war means Bri's father wouldn't die leading troops into battle and he would raise her instead of a emotionally distant army friend of his that felt obligated to.

>>845377
>We push Life into the past to get rid of Nightmare, but Fate ensures that most events go along the same lines as they did before?
>I dunno, nobody else seems to want to support me on this hands-off approach to altering the past, but it would get what we wanted done instead of these two options which only do half of what we want.
I don't know where you're getting the idea it would get the best of both worlds, because as far as I can tell it'd end up even worse. If events go so close along the lines they did before that it'd result in a world close to what it is now that wouldn't be any better. Kronos' mom is still dead, a devastating war still happens with all the consequences of that. And then Fate would have to make a hell of a lot of changes with Karas, Krotos, Elete and everyone else influenced by the Nightmare Six to have 'em behave close enough to how they behaved before to get a outcome close to what happened in this timeline.

And in the end it'd be even worse because there wouldn't be the magical power to make a brighter future because it had already been used up to make a past that was almost but not quite the same as it was before. And on top of that because Xuv isn't around to suppress Kronos' fear of Sakkilians, he'll have to take the long and fraught road to overcome his fear to find his love for Briannah. ...And Kronos may not even live that long, because Krotos won't be around to save Kronos from those deadly spores in the royal crypt.

Anyone who fucks with the past is doomed to failure. Change the future for the better instead. Take the power from Belseth, listen to Zela and everyone else. DO NOT BRING ANYONE BACK FROM THE DEAD.

So no war means no arranged marriage to Bri, no meeting Bel, no kids and going forward means no Sisah or Doxan or mother or those to brothers who's names I don't care about you know the ones.
Both these outcomes are bullshit.

There's no real guarantee that working towards a better future will actually beget a better future and are we 100% sure that changing the past will actually stop the war?
If we change the past we will still remember everything that happen in this timeline right? Is there a way to have everyone currently in the catacombs also remember?
I honestly don't know which to choose both have too many cons.

You know, since we still can't come to a consensus we should probably get some more people in here to talk about it. A bunch of our friends are still alive. Thalia might not be very helpful though.

Also we can ask Briannah directly if she wants her mind messed with, if we decide not to change the past at all.

>>845508
Uh, no. Pretty sure that the time siblings aren't going to cater to our every indecisive whim.

ALSO psychic brainwashing is a HORRIFIC IDEA even with all the best intentions in the world.

Ask how far back in time could be rolled back with the power at hand, both with and without changes to the past. Because the farther back the negative influence of the Nightmare Six is removed, the better you think things would go. How would things turn out in those scenarios?

And you have a idea for a possibly better variant on changing the past you want to run by Dreamer and Chronicler. What if in addition to making the small change that heads off the war, you send back a thick tome containing a complete detailed account of what happened in this timeline and the knowledge from it that would be lost otherwise to a few who would be most receptive to that knowledge and have the means to put it to good use. A incontrovertible gift of dire warnings and hard earned knowledge sent at great cost from a dark and bloody future, containing that which could not be known otherwise. Forewarning of the Forgotten One. The truth of the Six and how the Old Empire fell. Where the Crypt of the Gods is. Personal experiences from all those involved. All wrapped up in a tome with a Old Empire preservation enchantment upon it. Would this be possible, and how would things turn out if this was done?

Rewind time as far as possible with this power and remove the Six from living memory.

>>845502
>So no war means no arranged marriage to Bri, no meeting Bel, no kids and going forward means no Sisah or Doxan or mother or those to brothers who's names I don't care about you know the ones.
>Both these outcomes are bullshit.
You apparently forgot that changing the past would mean there's no 17 years long war that killed hundreds of thousands total between both Risavia and the Empire, trashed the economy of both, befouled and left the farmland untended leading to famine, and left both nations in such a bad state from war exhaustion they had to ally with each other, their hated enemy, out of sheer necessity, lest they be overrun by neighboring nations. That Kronos never has to marry Briannah and gets the opportunity to fall in love with her and have a family with her, and that he doesn't get to meet Belseth and have a romance with him, is very small in comparison.

>There's no real guarantee that working towards a better future will actually beget a better future and are we 100% sure that changing the past will actually stop the war?
Nothing is 100% sure, but it can get damn close. And we have Dreamer. It can say what the odds are. And from what we've gathered, it'd only take a small change. Just make sure 3 year old Kronos doesn't want to return to the palace to play with his toys so his mother and him don't leave the peace summit out where the ultra-nationalist Imperials can get at 'em. Either distract him at the crucial point or leave something interesting for him to play with. If little Kronos is anything like adult Kronos in the attention department, he'll forget about leaving half a minute later.

Going back in time always causes more trouble than it solves.

>>845534
Agreed!

Well, if the consensus winds up being to change the present/future, we should at least get Briannah in here to ask if she wants her PHYSICAL scars healed.

Also obviously Kronos should heal himself.

To summarize and clarify, as of now my order of preferences are, in order of most to lesser: Use the power here and now to remove the Forgotten One and its threat to the future and reality, then use whatever power is left to better the world.

If that is not possible, either because there isn't enough power or for some other reason, then use the power to not just change the past but also send back written record of what happened in this timeline. This is to, among other warnings and knowledge that would otherwise be lost or not discovered, warn of the coming threat of the Forgotten One.

If sending a written record back as well is not possible, then use the power for whichever of the two listed options will result in a world better prepared and more likely to stop the Forgotten One. I think it'll be the one where the power is used now to better the future, since in it we'll know of the coming threat and to prepare, but whichever one Dreamer says has better odds you'll go for.

However, if either of the first two is possible but Dreamer or Chronicler point out severe downsides or repercussions to either of them you have not thought of, then you'll have to reconsider.

Let's not change the past. Time travel of any kind usually ends badly!

Kaktus 2017/11/17(Fri)12:49 No. 845722 ID: 65a774
File 151095175407.png - (32.77KB , 686x526 , End.png )

>What would your mother want for you?
She would want you to be happy… and a responsible Prince who cared for his nation…
>Wouldn't Bri still be down her particular path even if the war didn't start and not have that revelation she had not too long ago?
She started walking that path when her father died in the war… so if there wasn’t a war, she would never have lost him in the first place.

>Kira, how the fuck can you see and hear what these guys are saying?!
I… I’m not entirely sure? …and why do I already know who you are?
Because you’re dreaming Kronos… we brought you into your dreams so we could discuss this.
And with Kira unconscious nearby it was easy to bring her in as well.
And my other self over there?
That’s your own creation. Another part of your mind.
>We should probably get some more people in here to talk about it.
There is no one else that’s nearby.
:DreamersSB: Well, no one that’s alive… or asleep.

>Fate intended all these horrible things to happen.
Intended!? What I intended was that I would be able to get back home and enjoy a fine cup of tea before tomorrow, but now with the mess you made with the web…
…you have homes? And tea?
We technically don’t. But Fate is right, it didn’t intend anything.
Ironically, Fate is far harsher bound by destiny than any mortal. It is one of the few things that can’t choose a path for itself, instead you make your own fate.
And I was really hoping my path would involve tea… I like tea…
>Heck, ask him why he called you an old friend.
Because I’ve always been by your side, old friend, ever since you were born. You are destined for great things, so Fate will follow you wherever you go.

>Why is Kira so attached to this timeline?
Those that seek to change the past are doomed to failure.
Her pride can’t admit that things might get better without her help.
T-that’s not- I’m not- That’s a lie and you know it!
>Wouldn't those radical factions that started the war, including Elete, still be alive and full of wicked ambition?
Without a cataclysm to start the war they so desire, their machinations will fail.
They either see reason or a noose… sometimes both.

>There's no real guarantee that working towards a better future will actually beget a better future.
Isn’t that the beauty of it? No matter how hard you try, sometimes you might just fail anyway. You can never be sure if you made the right decision… but what you can do is to try and make it the right choice.
>We have Dreamer. It can say what the odds are.
Actually, Fate is the one who count the odds.
The chance of you choosing that neither you nor Belseth would ascend was approaching zero! This isn’t supposed to be possible? Did… did someone manipulate the web!?
*Whistles innocently*
>Are we 100% sure that changing the past will actually stop the war?
You have my word. How much you value it is up to you, Kronos.
>Is the Dreamer lying to us about her being happy if we change the past?
You have my word as well. It’s value is about forty danar on the market of Cara’zil.
Cara’zil haven’t existed for forty thousand year.
Exactly, it’s priceless!
Or worthless…

>Which choice brings about a future filled with science, discovery, and the will to live life to the fullest?
Both or neither. One action might change the world, but people will still make their own destinies.
>With the war prevented, would Krotos and Briannah ever meet?
Possibly.
>If we rewrite the past, will a Dragon-Phoenix hybrid offspring still be created?
Possibly.
>What's going to happen to Belseth if you change the past?
Possibly.
That doesn’t even- are you just messing with me?
He would possibly be happy. He is intelligent, driven and good hearted, I’m sure he would find a place in the world by himself.

>...if you change the past, will you forget you had done so?
Having the memories of two lives would drive most people mad so…
It will be like a dream…
…and the closer you are to the epicenter the more lucid it will be.
…and seeing as you’re standing on it, yes, yes you will remember it.
Most of it. As a dream that felt real.
>Will you become the immature, irresponsible playboy you were before you met Briannah?
How can you become something you already are?
How can you not become something else when so much will change?
How can you not become something else if you don’t change the past?
>If you change the past, people will continue worshipping the Five, not knowing that they are dead.
They will continue to worship them if you don’t change the past as well.
Just because you and some other know the truth, doesn’t mean everyone else will simply accept it.
Many have worshipped those that don’t exist in the past… many do so today… and many more will do so in the future. You alone cannot change that fact.
>What if in addition to making the small change that heads off the war, you send back a thick tome containing a complete detailed account of what happened in this timeline
You don’t have enough power for that.
Changing history is… hard. There is a reason why people aren’t changing it all the time.
All you can send back is a single though… just enough to change the mind of child you at a critical moment.
Though… I do have some ideas for later…
Are you messing around with the mortal world again!?
Oh, no, of course not…

>Secondly, how exactly would Kira's choice work? How would we take power away from the nobility without them immediately taking it back?
I do have several plans, but they will take time. First, we need to strengthen the standing of the common folk… to make sure they can push back against the elite…
…and start a civil war?
I was planning to not let that happen. It is possible, correct?
Possibly.
>Use this power to remove the threat of the Forgotten One right now so it will never come to pass.
Oh… I’m not even sure the power of a god can stand up to it…
Nor do we know what to do even if it did. It is forgotten… thus we can’t remember how to combat it… or stop it… or what it is.
Not even you can damage the center of the web. It will come to pass, no matter what happens.
Great… I really hope I’m long dead by then…

So… have you decided yet? What will you do?
…I do believe I know what I need to do, yes…

To make it easier for me to count the votes, please use the finely crafted link below to vote.
http://www.strawpoll.me/14423231

>>845722
So, the Forgotten One will cause trouble no matter what we choose here, and people in the Palace will still remember the redacted history. "Possibly" isn't a good enough answer for us having access to a hybrid if we change the past, though. We need that to come to pass.

...considering Briannah is nearby, she'll remember some of this too. How about this: we change the past, then seek out Briannah and get started on making her pregnant again? Kira can help you with that since she's VERY close and will remember a lot of it.

> There is no one else that’s nearby.
Really? Not even Belseth?
>Her pride can’t admit that things might get better without her help.
That's stupid. This entire time she's dreaded the responsibility she's been saddled with to the point of absolute self destruction, now she wants to make bold new plans for the future?

What about changing the present, does Fate want to make a pitch? and what are we going to do with that 'suit of armor'?

>>845722
>And I was really hoping my path would involve tea…I like tea…
"So do I. In fact, I think we could all use a nice cup of tea."

<_<

>_>

".....guess I'll have to get used to Cain not appearing out of nowhere with tea anymore."

>Great…I really hope I’m long dead by then…
That shouldn't be a problem, as long as you don't keep the power and become immortal.

>Vote
I voted!

And if it wins then, Kronos should tell Kira that he trusts her judgment, but he should let her know that whatever her plans are, they shouldn't rely on him keeping this power because as soon as Kronos uses it for what is needed, he's going to give up this power. Keeping it would feel wrong, especially since this power is what caused all of this to happen in the first place!

.....and whisper that if she wants, Kronos can help fix Kira's "problem" so that she could one day have a child of her own. Obviously, Kronos isn't going to be the father.

>Cure fertility and other crippling injuries
I get the feeling that would be an abuse of power, but there should be enough to spare for a pouch of personal use.

Incidentally, if you DO retcon the past, what exactly are you going to do? Give baby Kronos his toys? Trip up the assassins so Sisah gets to them in time? Literally time-travel and defeat the assassins yourself, including a "I am you from the future, there's no time to explain, follow me to the - SIX BE DAMNED! AAA-"? Or will you just appear during the negotiations with Kira and Belseth AND the three brothers and perform an entire broadway musical about "church is bad, Dragobirds are good, magic toasters are awesome"?

>>845786
It says there right in the update that the past-manipulation is simply making baby Kronos change his mind about wanting to go home early.

Huh, I just thought of something. If resurrection normally doesn't work via god power because (I assume) the soul is already gone due to Life taking it, we can use reality rewriting to truly resurrect those that died here. I mean Life didn't collect everyone's souls yet right? Just fully heal the bodies and shove the souls back in. If gods normally can't reattach the souls properly, reality rewriting sure can.

I mean Kronos came back to life, thus it must be possible to bring back the others that died down here. It might even be possible to bring back Krotos and Karas but we'd have to figure out how to make matching bodies for them.

>>845796
It was already explained to us that we can't do that because we'll just end up with something like this: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bvpJjbphJWQ (from 4:07 to 4:18 in the video).

>>845800
No, that before we decided to rewrite reality. Nobody has ever done this before, and the power is beyond that of a god's.

In the end, you can only come to the conclusion that Kira's pride is clouding her stance. To get back what was taken by that devastating war and the Six's influence would be much more than what even this colossal power could do here and now. Here and now this power can't bring back the hundreds of thousands who were killed, nor restore the broken families, nor remove the memories of all the horrors and atrocities that were committed in that war. It can't bring back Briannah's father or your mother and brothers or Nero's sister or Sisah or Doxan or the hundreds who died assaulting the Crypt of the Gods or the tens of thousands more who died from starvation and the untold number who died in the Dynasty-Lorentia war because Risavia couldn't keep them apart. But changing the past, preventing the war and removing the Six, that would bring about a future better than what could be done with the power here and now.

You know what you have to do, and it twists in your heart like a dagger because you know what it means. Everything you've had with Briannah, and with Zela, and with everyone and everything else, and everything everyone else has done and experienced for the last twenty years will be gone. Your children with Bri and Zela will never exist. ...But you trust that in the end a better future will come of changing the past. One where Briannah will be happy and loved, even if it's not with you.

You reach into your suit pocket and take out the music rune, activating it in the process, and let the memory of your and Briannah's song wash over you. With tears running down your cheek you whisper "Briannah, I love you" and keep that in your mind as you choose Chronicler and to change the past.

>…and the closer you are to the epicenter the more lucid it will be.
So this means that Kira and Belseth will dream almost as much as Kronos does of this, since they're right next to him. And Briannah, Thalia and Xarrin will dream somewhat less of it, since they're nearby.

>>845732
>How about this: we change the past, then seek out Briannah and get started on making her pregnant again?
Have you forgotten that it took Xuv's blessing for Kronos to get Briannah pregnant? That magic ain't gonna be available after changing the past 'cause Xuv'll be gone. ...Actually, Xuv's soul would still be around in the past, trapped in the Catacombs and unreachable by Life. But Dreamer said her soul would have eventually leaked out of the broken Soul Kiln/Catacombs if not for getting snagged on Krotos' body. And without all the power from the souls of those killed in the war getting trapped in the Catacombs, Xuv can't do anything.

>>845742
>Really? Not even Belseth?
He's not asleep, so he couldn't be pulled into Kronos' dream. Kira could because she's both unconscious and right next to Kronos.

>What about changing the present, does Fate want to make a pitch?
The "change the future" option is to use the power to change the present so as to change the future. And Fate already made its "pitch" with the choice it presented between either Kronos or Belseth becoming a god.

>>845743
>...but he should let her know that whatever her plans are, they shouldn't rely on him keeping this power because as soon as Kronos uses it for what is needed, he's going to give up this power.
Kronos couldn't keep the power anyway. Without going through with divine ascension, he couldn't contain it. It has to be completely used up immediately, otherwise it'll explode with him as the epicenter.

>>845796
>I mean Kronos came back to life, thus it must be possible to bring back the others that died down here.
That was with assistance from Cain, Fate's agent, to heal his body, along with all those earth elementals, and also because Kronos was under the effect of the Rune of Eternity so Life couldn't collect his soul.

That said, I'd think it'd be possible to bring Sisah and Doxan back and not all the others who died in the assault because both of their souls presumably were trapped in the Catacombs when they died. So regenerate both of their bodies, then grab their souls and stick 'em back in. ...Ah, but even if it worked, as soon as they left the Catacombs, Life would sniff out that they shouldn't be alive and yank their souls back out. It'd take putting a working Rune of Eternity on both of them to keep Life at bay, and that a lot of power to do.

However, I still can't figure out how the Six could keep bringing Hera and Nero back to life without them both turning into either drooling vegetables or raging bloodthirsty beasts.

Que the Forgotten One showing up and being like " While all this was fun and shit I'm bored now" and clicking his finger and the world either explodes or we get the super secret super good perfect ending Please Kaktus PLEASE My heart can't fucking take this PleeeEeeEase!!?! or some shit.

>>845815
>...Actually, Xuv's soul would still be around in the past, trapped in the Catacombs and unreachable by Life.
Not true. The only thing preventing Life from coming down here was the Rune of Eternity and it was explained that since eternity goes both ways in time, destroying it in the present means that it'll also be destroyed in the past, which means that Life would be able to come into the catacombs and snag all 6 of the gods' souls in the past.

>>845815
>That magic ain't gonna be available after changing the past 'cause Xuv'll be gone.
Yeah but we just asked and the answer was that it's POSSIBLE. So we just have to find out how. Easy peasy.

As for Life un-resurrecting people, he doesn't work that way. Life is patient. As long as he knows a soul will eventually return to the river, he's willing to wait.

>>845828
But we don't know if the Crypt of the Gods, where Kronos is now, and the Soul Kiln, A.K.A. the Catacombs of the Godless, all used the same Rune of Eternity set into the floor here or if the Soul Kiln has one of its own. I was assuming the Soul Kiln has its own, but I realize now that that I have nothing to base that assumption on.

Okay nevermind, Kaktus is saying that there's no way to bring back the dead. If we want to save anyone who died due to the Nightmare, we'll have to change the past.

...another reason to change the past instead of the future is, if we change the future people will realize it has been changed, and to the benefit of the crown. This means they will know that it is POSSIBLE to change reality, which is a secret we probably don't want getting out.

hey kaktus you haveing fun