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victorianflorist · 01-17-2021, 08:08 AM

Echo can do it. She's strong. Keep the wound above the water to avoid watelogging.

***knux400*** · (This post was last modified: 07-14-2025, 12:24 AM by knux400.)

That's water, I'll explain it to you later. Can you jump over it?
Y-yeah, probably.

Echo takes a running start but stops short, hesitating a bit. She's still unsettled by the water, and as a result just barely makes it over, having to catch herself with her wing. She quickly scrabbles to her feet and resumes running.

You said I should be trying to head left, yeah? There's a fork here, and it looks like I can head left or right.

You check your map and sure enough- looks like another fork. Reminding yourself that Echo is facing SOUTH, meaning her right is your left and vice versa, you consider your options again. If you tell her to head left (that's EAST for you), she should eventually get to your base, but you'll have to navigate some more tunnels to get there. She's also gone far enough SOUTH that telling her to turn right (WEST from your perspective) would lead to where Pickle said his base was.

MarxzVulpez · 01-22-2021, 10:57 AM

Can we get a refresher of where everyone is at, at least as far as allies go?

Check Echo, even though we've got a plug in that wound we don't want her getting worse and getting stuck if her stamina gets too low. Also ask her how she's holding up, the numbers for a Check are handy but don't tell us everything

Related to that: Our base is pretty far off but Hank is already at the base and we have the start of some hefty fortifications, and if Echo returns we could start building more. We could also try holing up at Pickle's base and seeing if we can have him help us out with Echo's wound and fortifying his base.

Problems there being that Our team is split and we can't make anything until Echo gets back.

There are ways to make stuff to make transportation easier but I don't think we should go too hog wild with those lest the Tech Level bumps up too high and we screw ourselves over.

Another thing is that even though we do have a placeholder for helping Echo, she's still losing fluid which is leaving a trail. We should find a better fix for that sooner rather than later

All in all I'm leaning towards heading towards Pickle's base and seeing what we can do from there

1011686 · (This post was last modified: 01-23-2021, 09:12 AM by 1011686.)

Clemont's base is probably to the east, and they seemed friendly enough that they'd be willing to help cover Echo's wound or help her get to our base, even if they wont fully trust her. I reckon we should continue east, getting back to our base is important.
Also, can we check in with Pickle about the drone and the location of the other TCP?

cosmo · 01-25-2021, 07:31 PM

pickle’s base and once we’re situated there, check in on hank. we’ve already left him alone for quite a while which is unfortunate but we need to guarantee echo’s safety first.

King-Clod · 01-25-2021, 10:20 PM

Either base we go to, our attacker is going to chase us there. Clemont's base would be easier to leave without getting closed in, but I'm afraid their player wouldn't take well to us leading an aggressive player to their base. I hate to lead to attacker back to Pickle's base, but he's the only one I'm certain will help us. Get to Pickle's, fix Echo's wing, and try to figure out a plan of escape from there.

***knux400*** · (This post was last modified: 07-14-2025, 12:25 AM by knux400.)

(Author's Note: Changing some formatting stuff with this update. Ingame text is now bold, which should make it easier to see text colors, and spoken text now has quotation marks around it to differentiate it from narration. If you want to suggest a formatting change or if anything is hard to read for some reason, feel free to leave me a suggestion in parentheses. Thank you all for reading!!)

You take a moment to recount what allies you have and where they all are.

The first allies that come to mind are the KOBOLDS you created- Orkahm, Ihu, Taipu and Tamaru. They're marked with a pink K on your map, and they're pretty close to your base. (On a related note, the knocker's den is marked with a grey N. Not an ally, but still useful knowledge to have)

You also created some MOLE PEOPLE at the same time you created the kobolds, but you haven't found them yet. They could be anywhere on the map, but if you had to guess, you'd posit that they're relatively close to your base since they're your creation.

CLEMONT is... sort of an ally, you guess? He doesn't seem hostile, and neither does his player. Unfortunately, you have no idea where he or his base is. Or who's talking in his earnub, for that matter. It has to be either CRC or ???.

PICKLE seems very friendly, if slightly tentative and scatterbrained. He has a blanket type TCP named Stitch, and she's the one piloting the drone that's tailing the hostile TCP. He says his base is in O-1 and O-2.

BACK AT BASE, you have Hank the freshly spawned puffy sticker type, Opal the generic animal companion, Pumice the mole, Topaz the canary, and the unnamed golem. Well, mostly unnamed. You put a 'FRANK GOLLUM' pin on it, but no one seems to have noticed it yet.

As for EVERYONE ELSE... MRM's TCP is the one chasing Echo down. From what descriptions you've heard, you're guessing it's a weapon type of some sort. There's one other player you haven't seen at all yet, either CRC or ???. They're the one that isn't Clemont's god.

With that sorted, you CHECK Echo.

Echo is a BAT TYPE TCP. She's feeling a bit panicked, but is doing her best to push through it in order to avoid getting shot again. She is thinking of how best to escape her current situation, and also wondering what the heck all this 'water' stuff is (although that's not really a priority right now). She cannot currently fly due to the sizeable hole in her right wing, although the bleeding has temporarily stopped due to pressure she is applying to it. Her health is currently at OKAY.

How you holding up, Echo?
Fine! Can we talk later, please??
Sorry. Change of plans, turn right instead.

Echo doesn't hesitate, sprinting WEST in the direction of Pickle's base. Speaking of, it's about time you checked in with him.

"What's Stitch seeing?"
"The TCP just jumped over a stream. It's slowing down a bit, though."
"Okay, we're heading to you. Make sure Stitch is somewhere safe."
"She's holed up inside the cottage, she should be fine for now."

As you're talking to Pickle, you can see Echo making her way through a few more rooms. She stops abruptly.

...Trinket??? I really don't think I can jump over this one!!
Go back the other way! Go left instead!
I've gone too far down this path already! It's blocking the exit!

"Uhh, Trinket?? I think Stitch is seeing Echo through the drone. Like, for real this time. The TCP has a direct line of sight on her."

For the first time, you hear a new voice coming through the speakers. It sounds like electronic whining and grinding, like the sound of a large, powerful machine waking up. In rough, ragged TCP speech, you can make out a single word...

Gotcha.

Lilium Mortem · 01-31-2021, 04:54 PM

I would like to know what Echo has on her, but barring that... Echo can't fight this TCP. Talking to them wouldn't do any good either. There is only one desperate gamble I can think of.

My Proposal: Ditch anything heavy and jump into the water. It's like dense heavy air. Swimming is like flying, except water has a lot more resistance, so you have to be careful and slower about your movements. Keep your head above water so you can breathe, if you need to breathe, and make sure you minimize the area of your wings when you push them forward, then maximize the area when pushing back. kick with your feet in steady motions, and get the hell outa dodge.

I can only hope that being weighed down by metal makes the TCP bad at swimming and that they can't take enough shots at echo before she puts enough distance or cavern walls between them. It's a big gamble, but I can't think of anything else to do.

King-Clod · 02-05-2021, 07:29 PM

Ask Pickles if he can divebomb the tcp with the drone to trow off the shot. Tell Echo to shock him.
If that works, ask Pickles to make a boat for us to get to their base, and check the enemy TCP's body for what type it is (and what gear it has) after it's knocked out.

cosmo · 02-06-2021, 03:57 AM

(02-05-2021, 07:29 PM)King-Clod Wrote: Ask Pickles if he can divebomb the tcp with the drone to trow off the shot. Tell Echo to shock him.
If that works, ask Pickles to make a boat for us to get to their base, and check the enemy TCP's body for what type it is (and what gear it has) after it's knocked out.

this but i want to add a few specifics and change up the escape plan.
1. tell pickle to specifically divebomb the tcp from behind so it doesn't see the drone coming
2. warn echo in advance and tell her to rush and shock the tcp as soon as the drone attacks
3. have echo re-activate her stealth suit and run back the other way as soon as the tcp is stunned - don't look back. the water is too risky and now that the bleeding's stopped it can't track us in stealth mode.

King-Clod · 02-06-2021, 04:28 AM

Once the TCP is stunned I think we should do something to tie them up and make sure they can't follow us, if we leave them stunned and head back towards our base what's stopping them from getting up after a few minutes and following suit? Once it's knocked out can Pickle's make some rope or something and bring it to us? Their base is nearby and they probably have a way to cross the water.

cosmo · 02-06-2021, 06:25 AM

we don't know how long the stun will last for, it could come to before support from pickle arrives. with the stealth suit activates and echo no longer leaving a trail of fluid, it shouldn't be able to track us, especially if we make use of its stun time to get a head start.

cosmo · 02-08-2021, 08:23 AM

nevermind, deferring to king-clod’s plan

***knux400*** · (This post was last modified: 07-14-2025, 12:27 AM by knux400.)

Thinking quickly, you tell Echo to shoot the TCP with her stun gun. At the same time, you talk to Pickle.

"Get the drone to divebomb the TCP! Hurry!"
"Y-yeah!"

You can hear frantic typing over the microphone. Meanwhile, you look back at the screen to Echo's reply.

I can't!! I'm not wearing my arms!!

You barely have time to mutter an expletive before you hear the shot- and a dull thwack. The shot goes wide, barely missing Echo's head. You can hear the sounds of a struggle from down the tunnel.

You give Echo a brief explanation of what water is and how to swim in it, and before you even tell her to jump in she understands what you're about to ask of her. As the sound of a drone being smashed on the ground resonates from the tunnel, Echo turns and leaps headfirst into the water. She flails a bit at first, but quickly figures out how to push herself forward thanks to your explanation. However, she's forced to release the pressure on her wing in order to swim properly, and the wound becomes WATERLOGGED.

"I told Echo to swim across, can you get Stitch over here with a boat or a rope or something-"
"Already on it! One second..."

Sure enough, you see a floppy blanket type scoot its way across the ground, flinging a life preserver into the water. The moment Echo wraps her good wing around the side, the blanket type wastes no time reeling Echo in. One final shot rings out from across the water, but it misses again. Echo scrambles to her feet as Stitch hurriedly pushes Echo out of the line of fire. You hear a new TCP voice that sounds of soft fabric rustling and thumping, and you realize it's Stitch's. Her voice is urgent, but still somehow calm and soothing despite the situation.

It's this way. Down this tunnel.

Stitch pulls Echo into a cozy-looking- if a bit sparsely furnished- cottage, where Echo collapses onto the middle of the floor. Just like with the kobolds, the roof of the building disappears the moment Echo enters. Stitch immediately wraps herself tightly around Echo, completely engulfing her.

What are you-
It's okay. This will help you feel better.

Echo sighs and visibly untenses. Stitch stays wrapped around Echo, fluid and water soaking into her body. If she cares at all about being clean, you can't tell. Meanwhile, a MEDICAL BED and a SUTURE KIT pop into existence on the far end of the room.

You'll need a fluid cycler.
They look like they've lost a fair amount of fluid, and the swim didn't help much, either. Let me stay wrapped around them for a bit longer just to get them stable and relaxed, and then we can work on their wing.

You realize Pickle must be talking to Stitch. She seems acutely aware of Echo's condition- Pickle probably taught her TCP ANATOMY or TCP MEDICINE or something.

Yes. I saw it turn and leave. It looked tired.

"Stitch says the TCP left after Echo got across the water. She also says Echo's wound has been bleeding a lot, and also that she's gotten waterlogged from that swim. She's going to stay wrapped around Echo for another minute or so, then we'll get them onto the table and start fixing them up."

"If, uh, that's okay with you."

King-Clod · 02-11-2021, 03:34 AM

I'm definitely fine with it. Sorry I'm using up so much of your resources, honestly.

Do you think that enemy TCP is going to come back? They know where we are.

cosmo · 02-12-2021, 08:48 AM

we need to check in on and comfort echo. I imagine it was really really scary to go through and I feel awful that we messed up in such a way that our carelessness led to her getting hurt so bad. I’m so sorry echo. you were so so brave and you did amazing . I’m going to get better at strategy to keep you and hank safe, I promise. This nice tcp here is going to help you feel better, but please let her know if anything goes past your boundaries. She’s here to help but you’re the one in control here. Let her know what you need, please. I’ll stay here as long as you want but I am worried about leaving hank alone for so long so if it’s okay with you I’d like to go check in on hank and I’ll be right back. (check on hank After talking to echo if she’s okay with it)

***knux400*** · (This post was last modified: 07-14-2025, 12:28 AM by knux400.)

Some sort of machine- presumably the fluid cycler- pops into existence next to the bed. It has a clear chamber on top, connected to another chamber and two rubber hoses, each ending in a needle. Stitch unwraps herself and helps Echo onto the bed, guiding her into position.

"That's fine. Sorry I'm using up so much of your resources."
"It's alright! You helped my TCP, and I'll help yours. Besides, we're at my base- technically I have infinite resources right now."
"Do you think that enemy TCP is going to come back? They know where you are now."
"..."

"Probably. Stitch said they looked tired, so it might be a while, but... Probably. I don't know. They seemed really intent on just..."
He trails off, but you get the idea. In the meantime, you type to Echo a bit.

I’m so sorry, Echo. You were so so brave and you did amazing. I’m going to get better at strategy to keep you and Hank safe, I promise. This nice TCP here- her name is Stitch- is going to help you feel better, but please let her know if anything goes past your boundaries. She’s here to help but you’re the one in control here. Let her know what you need, please. I’ll stay here as long as you want, but I am worried about leaving Hank alone for so long. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to go check in on him and I’ll be right back.

its okay

wasnt your fault

go check on hank, ill be fine

You're not sure if it's the exhaustion, the bed she's lying in, or the blanket TCP that was wrapped around her, but she's definitely starting to nod off. Poor thing.

Stitch is calmly talking to Echo. You decide it can't hurt to stay and listen for just a little bit before you go check on Hank- you're worried too, after all.

Show Content

You figure everything's working properly and Echo will be fine for a minute or two, so you switch to your view of Hank.

Sorry about that, Hank! Are you doing okay?
-Ah! Yeah, I'm okay. I decided to check out the RIGS upstairs. It took me a while to figure it out, but it's pretty fun! The controller is a bit hard to use, but I'm getting used to it.

RIGS? You realize he must be referring to the Rapid Response Gaming System, or RRGS for short. It's often anglicized to RIGS since it's easier to pronounce. You have no idea how he managed to pick up common Morbit slang, but it might just be the way TCP speech works.

That's good! Listen, are you okay to stay here a while longer? Echo is in a little bit of trouble and I need to help her out.
Oh no! What happened!?
She... Got hurt by one of the other TCPs. One of the other players I was talking about earlier decided to be mean, so their TCP hurt Echo. She's safe now, though- she's with a friendly player and their TCP, Stitch, is taking care of her.
Okay.
...Is there anything I can do to help? I'm not feeling bad anymore, I was just waiting for you to finish whatever you were doing.

You start to tell Hank to stay put, but... is there something he can do? It might be worth sending him to escort Echo back home. It would be a pretty big job for someone so new, but he seems eager to help.

***skinstealer*** · 03-19-2021, 10:03 PM

it might be dangerous to send hank out considering he's just a sticker...maybe he could go down to the other base and ask clemont to come with him as backup?

Monologue · 03-21-2021, 11:57 AM

Yeah, if he wants to help then it wouldn't be a bad idea to have him come alongside someone else.

King-Clod · 03-21-2021, 12:17 PM

I'm not sure if we can send Hank out right now in good conscience- we still can't make him any protective gear, and given everything that's happened, I'd be wary sending any TCP out without precautions. Maybe we can tell him that we're proud of his eagerness, and that he'll get his turn to help, but right now we just want to make sure he's safe.

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