[ ] (wake up)

[ ] (wake up)

It's a pity. Enjoyed seeing your art. As for your title, if you want a suggestion from me, how bout "Deathseeker"?

>>159954
trust me, you'll get plenty of art.

[ ] (PUSH)

This option... it seems to have a hidden meaning to me

oh, and you want a name? does this one strike your fancy?
Ad mortem anima (Death of the soul)

[ ] (PUSH)
Why not?

>>159957
It's got moxy.

[ ] (PUSH)

If Demon Soul's has taught me anything it's that you have to keep pushing forward.

Freaking fog.

[x] (the real demon's souls starts here)

[x] (PUSH)

[x] (sink to the very bottom-)

[X] (sink to the very bottom-)

Under da sea, down where it's wetter life is much better, you'll see!

...wrong setting?

[X] (PUSH)

How odd. I was just watching a Let's Play of Dark Souls.

It's good to see you again, Stove.

[X](PUSH)

>>159969


You really should just play Dark Souls, or wait till the new content to be released on the PS3 or get the "Prepare to Die" edition of Dark Souls for the PC.

Plowed through Demon's Souls as well as Dark Souls multiple times so I'm intrigued to see how it'll play out regarding Gensokyo and its denizens.

[x]Get out of the water

Everybody out of the pool. Its crossover time.

>>159970

I'm a poorfag. Have no consoles, upgrade maybe one or two parts of my PC a year, if that. My system probably can't even handle this game.

A damn shame, really, since it looks harsh but fair in a way most games never quite seem to grasp. Kind of similar to Touhou in that regard, isn't it?

Also, Risen 2 and Prototype 2 are calling me. They're very hard to ignore.

Gonna go ahead and call it for [x]PUSH.

Will get to work on the update and image in a bit. should be done later today unless something goes wrong.

[x] PUSH

…something.

…Something.

I can definitely do something about this…!

Slowly- laboriously, through the freezing water, I wrench my arms down to my waist, quickly freeing the loathsome talisman secured there. A simple wooden idol on a chain. Straightforward in its foulness, its image clings to the back of the mind and festers there.

The Talisman of Beasts. A prize taken from a phantom, deep within a labyrinthine mine. Or perhaps it was a reward from the rogue in the golden mask…?

Regardless of its origin, it functions better than any other catalyst I’ve cared to use. A clammy warmth crawls into my veins, crude, slimy in an almost primordial way, and I focus on the sensation as the chain winds around my fingers.

Focus.

The talisman, invoking the image on the one true God, makes my task easier by an order of magnitude.

Focus.

The water grows darker; deeper; heavier. The pressure gradually begins to build behind my eyes, a great weight pressing in from every direction.

Focus…!

Within the swollen depths of my soul, a furious, molten essence resonates It echoes with an eon of wrath, a rage so powerful it approaches the level of divinity.

A true miracle.

With a blink, and a flash, the crushing weight dragging me down disappears. An enormous bubble of force pushes the entire body of water away, ensconcing me in a cocoon of fresh, untainted air.

With a casual sort of impunity, I make my way across the lakebed and towards the nearest shore, icy waters roaring at their sudden displacement. Towering around me in every direction are rippling walls of liquid, and an occasional fish darting about in confusion.

I hold the talisman aloft as I make my journey, feeling the not-quite-physical drain of magical exertion. It won’t be long now.

…

…Hm.

There, on the distant shore…

It seems to be-

------

[ ] –nothing out of the ordinary.
[ ] –a large gate. And beyond that, a manse of some sort…?
[ ] –an irksome-looking blonde woman.
[ ] –some sort of floating blue child. With wings of ice?
[ ] –some kind of write-in!

------
sorry if the writing quality is not-so great. I, uh, haven't slept. at all. BUT HERE IS THE UPDATE I PROMISED.

[X] –a large gate. And beyond that, a manse of some sort…?

Oh shit yeah, we're making this happen. Let's see if this guy can still talk. If he can, well, it's time to laze about chatting up a gatekeeper.

[x] –a large gate. And beyond that, a manse of some sort…?

[X] –a large gate. And beyond that, a manse of some sort…?

A Demon's Souls/Touhou crossover? Be still, my quavering heart!

Also, would it be possible to get a rough outline of what our intrepid hero is capable of? He seems to be high faith, judging from that creative use of Wrath of God. But he's also got pretty heavy armor!

Why do we always go for the SDM? Why? I'm am going to piss against the tide here

[x] –a Small cluttered house in deepwoods. Is that smoking cauldron in the front lawn?

>>159980
>Why do we always go for the SDM?

I don't know about other people, but I can answer for myself.

The short of it is that EoSD has the greatest concentration of my favorite characters. Patchouli, Daiyousei and Cirno are the only ones I don't really care about, and I don't dislike them, either.

I do agree that we shouldn't linger though, lest we become permanently mired in SDM shenanigans. There's more to Gensokyo, after all. So for now, I'm just in favor of chatting up the guard. Or getting in a scrap, if that's the way the wind blows.

[x] –a Small cluttered house in deepwoods. Is that smoking cauldron in the front lawn?

>>159978

The essential premise, if you look closely at the intro post...

>The Nexus is calling. Once more to lull the Old One back to slumber
>once more <<here is the important bit.

Let me put it this way- if you want to think about what his stats could be, consider him to have been somewhere late into NG++...+ territory.

>>159983

What are we equipped with other than Fluted Armor and the Talisman of the Beast? Or do we need to wait to do '[X] Inventory' once we've actually got time?

[x] –some sort of floating blue child. With wings of ice?

[x] –some sort of floating blue child. With wings of ice?

Wanna lick those wings.

>>159985
you don't want to know how long i spent on this

Holy shit, thats some dedication.

[X] –a large gate. And beyond that, a manse of some sort…?

I never played any of the games but YouTube has drilled the fear in me. Yet I'm really looking forward to an actual competent Meiling and killer household.

Ah hell, Flandre is in there. What's the Souls equivalent for an evil and hard hell rape train boss?

>>159991
i don't understand the question


Also, gonna go ahead and call it for meiling interactions.

Maybe.

[x]A large beast of steel and and oil

Surprise me.

[X] –some sort of floating blue child. With wings of ice?

Works for me~!

>>159989
Wait, we're still carrying around 3 Legendary Soldier Souls?

Wonder if that's going to have any strange side effects in this world. At least we should probably steer clear of the Yama and Komachi.

[X ] –an irksome-looking blonde woman.
Yay

>>159989
Okay, so we've the Adjudicator's shield, the Dark Silver shield, and I can't recognize the sword.

So, Health Regen and total Magic/Physical shielding.

[x] –some sort of floating blue child. With wings of ice?

>>160023
>>160021
>>159995
>>159994

Vote's already been called, guys.

[x] –a large gate. And beyond that, a manse of some sort…?

It looms on the horizon, perched upon it like a steady brushstroke of iron and stone, but it feels incredibly welcoming. …Welcoming compared to the labyrinthine walkways of Allant’s palace, at least.

The lack of crenellation to hide archers is some small comfort.

As I emerge from amidst the freezing waters, I take a deep breath, endlessly deep. The pungent fragrance of magic hangs tremulously in the crisp air, tantalizingly electric, overwhelming my senses for a blissful instant. The burden on my swollen soul lightens, and for a heartbeat I feel... light.

Untouchable.

Invincible.

Then, the moment fades. I let out the endless breath to make room for another. I never break my stride, even as the talisman returns to my waist. Even as the overwhelming aroma of magic fades to background noise, supplanted by a hundred different nuanced scents. Blood and sweat, spring rain and biting frost, clockwork and clean linen and something ancient; something old and best forgotten, deep beneath the cobblestones. Taboo and old parchment.

The air is heavy and layered and fantastic. I feel both close to home and immeasurably far away.

The contradiction is almost painful.

Lost in my contemplations, I arrive at the imposing gate without any conscious thought as to my next course of action. Certainly, it would be simplicity itself to bypass the structure of wrought iron. It would take larger gates than these to hold me back - larger by far.

But is what lay beyond them even worth the effort…?

I almost reach out to brush them aside when the tang of fire and perspiration knocks me senseless - acrid exertion and wood smoke and the beating of wings, wood blocks crashing together and… and lotus flowers blooming on a placid river, mingled with a hint of lavender.

Somehow, the gates are out of reach. When…?

A dragon with bloody hair and porcelain skin blocks the way forward, arms crossed beneath her breasts. Her stance is heavy and cocksure. With almost grudging admiration, I admit that it is also flawless.

…Why did I call her dragon-

“Lady Remilia isn’t expecting any visitors.” She speaks, but for her clipped words she doesn’t seem to bear any ill will. It’s a blunt greeting, born of necessity and repetition. And such an odd name – although I can’t exactly go pointing any fingers myself.

“…and definitely not any silent ones in masks.” She doesn’t make any sudden movements after her declaration, merely blinking. That- it’s kind of insulting to phrase it that way, isn’t it? I’m really hurt, you know.

And then.

“Care to explain yourself?”

Without warning, tension begins knotting in the air, thick ropes of anticipation coiling around my throat. How best to respond-"

------
[ ] –Remove your helmet and introduce yourself. What harm is there in being polite?
[ ] –Specify how to introduce yourself?
[ ] –Care to try your hand at explaining?
[ ] –Keep the helmet on, but introduce yourself anyway.
[ ] –Say nothing.
[ ] –Draw your sword. If it’s violence she wants…
[ ] –Something else? (write-in)
------

My apologies for the delay. Got dragged to San Francisco and Santa Cruz to go sight-seeing. Also apologies for the lackluster picture, will be drawing up another one to better reflect the update soonish.

is it obvious how uncomfortable i am with writing a character like meiling

sorry, the choices should read:

[ ] –Remove your helmet and introduce yourself. What harm is there in being polite?
----[ ] –Specify how to introduce yourself?
----[ ] –Care to try your hand at explaining?
[ ] –Keep the helmet on, but introduce yourself anyway.
[ ] –Say nothing.
[ ] –Draw your sword. If it’s violence she wants…
[ ] –Something else? (write-in)

[x]Something else
[x]Walk away

SDM is trap.

[x]Something else
[x]Walk away

I love Patchouli and Flandre, but I think it'd be more interesting to go somewhere else. Plus, the surprise on Meiling's face when someone actually listens to her will be amazing.

[ ] –Keep the helmet on, but introduce yourself anyway.
Visiting vampires in silver armor? This will be fun.

[x] –Keep the helmet on, but introduce yourself anyway.
-[x] "Where am I?"

[X] Keep the helmet on, but introduce yourself anyway.
-[X] In a polite, decorous manner suited to the courts of any kingdom.

She can be clipped and abrupt all day; we're still going to talk to her, and we'll do it like a Sir.

>[ ] –Draw your sword. If it’s violence she wants…
I'm suddenly reminded of the last time I read about an armored stranger challenging Meiling to fisticuffs.

And anyway, I suspect we've been through more than enough battle for multiple lifetimes. It should never be a first resort for this man.

[X]Keep the helmet on, but introduce yourself anyway.
"It is somewhat of a hobby of mine to explore all which I see, and this mansion is no different; however, if the owner's do not deign to give tours to travelers then so be it. I'll look elsewhere."
Try to be polite throughout, unless she starts moving to fight.

In every RPG I've played not exploring is never the right choice, and though you may die you learn something new each time.

[x] –Remove your helmet and introduce yourself. What harm is there in being polite?
-[x] In a polite, decorous manner suited to the courts of any kingdom.
-[x] Admit you found yourself suddenly in the lake and have no idea where you are.

I was not aware that there were so many discourteous peasants about.

[X] Keep the helmet on, but introduce yourself anyway.
-[X] In a polite, decorous manner suited to the courts of any kingdom.

Gonna go ahead and call it for

[x]Keep your helmet on
--[x]Introduce yourself politely.

Expect an update by tomorrow. Also, I am a filthy liar because I just updated Roll the Dice.

I'll somehow find it in myself to forgive you for being awesome.

[x] Keep the helmet on.
---[x]But don’t skimp on the polite introductions.

The tension hangs ripe in the air, thick enough I could clutch it with my bare hands.

…But tension hasn’t been an issue for me in a lifetime - in a dozen lifetimes. What tension is there in conflict when dying holds less than no meaning? When the connotations are almost strictly positive? The stink of death is an old friend, a battered bouquet of wilting roses that I’ve grown to appreciate over the years.

Still, it doesn’t hurt to keep things in perspective – I’ll keep the helmet on, thanks. But if I’m going to be introducing myself, I want to at least be intelligible, and sometimes all this fluted metal can get in the way.

Great when there are demons swinging at you. Not so great for conversation.

Slowly, so as to indicate no hostile intent, I raise one hand to my helm and lift the visor – and that’s just immediately an improvement. There’s an ever-so-subtle breeze coming in over the lake, and plate armor is incredibly humid even with your arms mostly exposed. Bask in it.

Mm. Now, on with the introductions.

“I assume you witnessed my arrival, Miss…?” A bit of subtle flattery while asking for her name. Never hurt anyone, did it?

The dragon- the woman nods hesitantly at the question, scarlet tresses dancing across her back in the wind. I’ve never seen hair so violently red. There- for an instant, there’s a flash of something in her eyes as she loosens her stance, but it’s gone as quickly as it appeared. Her face is perfectly neutral, with no hint of excitement at all.

I move to continue my inquiry, assuming I would get no information from her on this front-

“Meiling!” The suddenly-named Meiling pauses for a moment, as if gathering her thoughts. She has the grace to avoid looking even the slightest bit embarrassed at her outburst. “Hong Meiling. And as gatekeeper of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, I can’t afford to miss anything.” The stoic façade remains perfectly intact, but I get the feeling it may be just that- a façade.

Then again, perhaps not.

“Meiling, then.” I sketch a slight bow in her direction - not nearly a full bend at the waist, but demonstrably more than just a nod.

“Miss Meiling…” Why does that warrant a sideways glance? How odd. “…I find that I am in quite a quandary. You see, before this very moment, I have never had the pleasure of knowing any such Scarlet Devil Mansion.” And with a name like that, it would certainly stick out- it’s so incredibly blunt. It’s almost admirable, in a way.

“Neither it, nor its occupants. Not even its dutiful guardian!” Flattery again, but she certainly looks the part of the stalwart sentinel.

For a split second, there’s some degree of shock evident on her face – no doubt at my casual admission of ignorance – before a look of chagrined understanding replaces it.

“You must be new.” That… That was awfully to the point. “You’ll probably want to head toward the Human Village, then.”

…Well. Yes. That does sound like a, uh, solid idea.

“If you head straight out across the lake, you’ll hit one of the main roads. Just follow that back to the Village and you should be fine.”

…

How many times has she had to do something like this, I wonder…?

------

[ ] Heed Meiling’s advice and make your way to the human village.
[ ] Thank her, but stay and try to strike up conversation. She looks kind of lonely.
[ ] Thank her, but insist that you wish to visit this Scarlet Devil Mansion regardless.
[ ] Something else?

------

sorry for the lazy drawing, but I've already done a few involving what he actually looks like with NO helmet, and he just looks so much less cool with it on.

i drew them before i even posted this story, actually.

ALSO, HOW ABOUT SUBMITTING YOUR IDEAS FOR NAMES WITH YOUR NEXT VOTE? Names for our buddy Protagonist here.

[X] Thank her, but stay and try to strike up conversation. She looks kind of lonely.

Defiantly based on what We have seen so far, she doesn't get a lot of people to talk with, and if we come from Demon souls, then we could also do with a little conversation. Most of our time is spent killing anyway.

[X] I say Archer, it sounds pretty good

[X] Thank her, but stay and try to strike up conversation. She looks kind of lonely.

The world needs more delicious Meiling.

[x] Michael. With that Wrath of God, it'd be a shame to put that excellent faith to waste. And who knows? The Time of the End may be upon us even now.

[x] Heed Meiling’s advice and make your way to the human village.

[x] xXx-=WraithfulTreebiter=-xXx

[X] Thank her, but stay and try to strike up conversation. She looks kind of lonely.

Gatekeeper time? Gatekeeper time.

>>160107
Always liked Michael. I like most -el names actually. Never noticed that until now.

[x] Thank her, but stay and try to strike up conversation. She looks kind of lonely.
[x] Michael

[x] Thank her, but stay and try to strike up conversation. She looks kind of lonely.
[x] Gilliam

[X] Thank her, but stay and try to strike up conversation. She looks kind of lonely.

[X] Gilliam seems like a good name for a lost warrior from another world.

[X]Thank her, but stay and try to strike up conversation. She looks kind of lonely.
As for the name I vote for any name that doesn't already have a history attached to it.

[X] Thank her, but stay and try to strike up conversation. She looks kind of lonely.

[X] Stigandr, treading one, wanderer.

We are a mysterious, extremely competent stranger with a full-faced helmet. There is no other option.

And yes, that is the actual meaning of the name, which makes it even more appropriate.

[X] Thank her, but stay and try to strike up conversation. She looks kind of lonely.

This bandwagon, it was made for me.

[x] Gilliam

Gonna have to call it for: [x] stay and talk a while, stranger which won by almost unanimous vote.

And it looks like [x] Gilliam is the name of choice. What an uncool name, you guys gosh

>>160125

>And it looks like [x] Gilliam is the name of choice. What an uncool name, you guys gosh



Uncool name huh? I don't think so.....

>>160129

I wasn't going to say anything, but basically this.

What I WAS going to say is that I'm somewhat amused that Gilliam emerged somewhere near Misty Lake after passing through the grey fog. There's something tremendously appropriate about that.

It was probably intentional, thinking about it.

>>160129
Who's that douchebag?

>>160134

Gilliam Yeager. He's a secret agent and operative for The Federation in the Super Robot Wars OG series. He's famous for appearing when he's most needed, often by showing up in your doorway. The dude's watch is awesome, and so is his trenchcoat and his robot.

He's also Helios Olympus, an ex-supervillain and extradimensional traveler who accidentally brought Giant Robot Overtechnology to the OG Universe. He's since retired from world-hopping and is one of the good guys these days. He's sort of like Super Robot Doctor Who.

Call Gespenst! Code RV!

Sorry for the delay. I had a lot of trouble pinning down Meiling's voice, what little of it there is, and figuring out how Gilliam would actually talk to her.

It's still awkward and badly written, I know, but please forgive me.

------

[x] Thank her, but stay and try to strike up conversation. She looks kind of lonely.
---[x] your name is now Gilliam

Regardless.

Regardless of how many time’s she’s had to do something like this…

Doesn’t it just feel rude to walk away? Terribly rude. Unthinkably so. And if there’s one thing you aren’t, it’s rude. At least, not to the people who aren’t actively trying to murder you in some grisly manner. And she isn’t! She is, in fact, attempting to be helpful.

Which is wonderful. Great, even.

Of course, you’re just avoiding the issue here. The elephant in the room.

…What are you supposed to talk about? Small talk has never been your forte. That’s always been slaughtering demons, for better or worse. Not chatting up winsome lasses in tight shirts with long scarlet tresses.

Your visor falls over your face, soundlessly obscuring your vision once more. (Well-cared-for magical armor tends to not make much noise other than the obvious.) You raise it again, slowly, but you know that it is an exercise in futility – you risk a glance at her, and she immediately looks away. If you didn’t know better, you’d think she found your inconvenience amusing. Really though; this is rather obnoxious.

So you just tackle the problem at the source, and pull the helmet all the way off your head.

Oh. Oh that is nice.

You run a hand through your hair, combing it out and- mm, yes. All that water just made for a humid mess underneath your helmet. Taking it off feels incredibly liberating.

You sigh in contentment before turning your attention back to Miss Meiling. She seems surprised at something.

Hm.

“…’scuse my rudeness, but-”

“-how did I lose the eye?” She has the decency to look mildly embarrassed as you finish the question for her – rubbing her arm, looking off to the side; it’s almost... No, no, focus. It’s a fair thing to ask. Not having a full set of everything is rather uncommon in your line of work, after all.

Not to mention how much harder it is to see out of the damn visor.

Casually, you will the helmet away to storage. No sense dealing with it right now, after all, even if it only raises further questions. Perhaps, this way, you can strike up a conversation after all?

Ah. How rude of you. In your haste to break the silence, you’ve forgotten a very pertinent detail.

“Please, pardon my rudeness. You introduced yourself, but I failed to do the same.” This time, you give a proper bow, arm sweeping out to the side. Gilliam; that’s you name isn’t it? So you provide it, earnestly, embarrassed at your poor memory.

Now, where were you?

Oh yes. Now that introductions are truly out of the way…

“I would be happy to share that particular story if you’d share a tale of your own in kind, Miss Meiling.” You manage a hazy sort of smile, gaze locked somewhere on a distant horizon impossibly far away. But you shake your head and return to reality, grin just the slightest touch more wry.

“I’m quite fond of good stories. And you seem to be in an occupation that collects quite a few.”

Now then.

Where to begin?

------

[ ] “To be honest, it’s been so long I hardly remember. But what I do know…”
[ ] “I lost it to the holy arrow of a famous archer…”
[ ] “There are magical artifacts called eye stones, which hold a mysterious power…”

------

[x] “To be honest, it’s been so long I hardly remember. But what I do know…”

[X] “There are magical artifacts called eye stones, which hold a mysterious power…”

Lose your eye while helping another soul against a giant monster? Sure, why not. Alternatively, Gilliam got Black Phantom'd in the face.

[X] “I lost it to the holy arrow of a famous archer…”

"...then I pulled the arrow out with my eye on it, ate the eye, and killed the archer."

[X] “There are magical artifacts called eye stones, which hold a mysterious power…”

[X] “To be honest, it’s been so long I hardly remember. But what I do know…”

[X] "... is that it involved quite a large Dragon..."

>>160294

This. All of my vote for this option.

>>160294

+1.

[X] “I lost it to the holy arrow of a famous archer…”

"...then I pulled the arrow out with my eye on it, ate the eye, and killed the archer."

[X] “There are magical artifacts called eye stones, which hold a mysterious power…”

Is this is something like the Eye of Vecna, just without the "turns user to evil" bit?

>>160297

[X] “To be honest, it’s been so long I hardly remember. But what I do know…”

[X] "... is that it involved quite a large Dragon..."

This. Losing an eye to a dragon is a great thing to say. Is it a good idea to mention it in front of someone who we seem to sense is a dragon? Maybe. Probably not.

But that's half the fun!

Maybe we should state something like...

[X] Not that I have anything in particular against dragons.

>>160307
There is no relation at all aside from sharing the word "eye".

[X] “To be honest, it’s been so long I hardly remember. But what I do know…”

[X] "... is that it involved quite a large Dragon..."

[X] “To be honest, it’s been so long I hardly remember. But what I do know…”

[X] "... is that it involved quite a large Dragon..."

[X] Not that I have anything in particular against dragons.

[X] “To be honest, it’s been so long I hardly remember. But what I do know…”

[X] "... is that it involved quite a large Dragon..."

Changing to this.

[x] “To be honest, it’s been so long I hardly remember. But what I do know…”
[x] "... is that it involved quite a large Dragon..."

I'm all up for potential awkwardness.

[x] “To be honest, it’s been so long I hardly remember. But what I do know…”
[x] "... is that it involved quite a large Dragon..."

[X] “To be honest, it’s been so long I hardly remember. But what I do know…”
[X] "... is that it involved quite a large Dragon..."

This will be an interesting conversation. Unless it turns out the dragon was Gensokyo's god, then this will turn into a game of roll to avoid the killing blow.

>>160395
That would be stupid, and unfair. And I definitely don't plan on being unfair to you guys.

calling it, by an overwhelming margin, for [x] Dragon God Destroyed my Eye, expect an update by tomorrow. Er, maybe. I'll be on a plane then. By the day after tomorrow, at least.

Maybe I should update Roll the Dice instead, though. It got such an awesome vote, even if there were only two other voters.

3:30 AM decisions. also, the lack of response to my attempt at moeling saddens my heart. I'm not cut out for cuteness-

>>160407
I'm sorry, I'm just bad at words and worse at praise. You did great. too do cuteness, don't sell yourself short.

>>160407
>And I definitely don't plan on being unfair to you guys.

So basically, what you're saying, is that, just like Demon Souls, you're going to let us get overconfident and accidentally kick over a hive of plague mosquitos. Or fall into a plague swamp. Or anger a red eye knight.

Or something.

Also, you do a good adorable Meiling. So don't worry about it!

>>160407
your Meiling is what got me following this story