The long and the short of it. Also THE MEDIUM

[Vipervertical]

Obviously, I stole that thread title from Rose's GameFAQ walkthrough. It seemed too appropriate not to use. As should be obvious, this thread picks up where Sgrub! left off. So you should read that if you're confused. Posting order is as follows:

♣ X1ND3R
♠ Sporkenstein
♥ illusionaryVulpine

Our fourth member, ♦ Sansit will be joining us after we have an OOC discussion at some unspecified order in the future. Sansit will fit neatly into some slot in the posting order and stay there. Organization is paramount.

EDIT: If somebody would like their post skipped, inform the next person in line. It's preferred to inform ALL other members involved, but only the next person in line needs to be informed. A skipped turn is just that. You will not be allowed to go again until your turn comes around again. It should only be done when your character is in a place where they cannot interact with anybody else and/or you have no idea what to do. We don't want to stall the thread after all.

That should cover everything, so I guess we should get this show pony on the road.

---

==> What about the girl?

Arquua stared out the large windows of her hives, watching the flurry of meteors tumble through the Alternian sky. Was this the end of the world? ...Probably. She again tried to contact her matesprit, she had to know that he was safe and well after seeing that large meteor fall so near his hive. She was feeling far too sick to go out and check for herself.

-- agrarianPredator [AP] began trolling intrepidStalker [IS] --
AP: perzac?~
AP: please answer~
AP: i saw a meteOr drOp near yOur hive~
AP: i'm wOrried sick Over here~
AP: just...let me knOw yOu're alright~
AP: please~
ERRNO: Y0UR P01N7L355 M355463 (0ULD N07 B3 53N7. Y0UV3 PR0B4BLY B33N BL0(K3D. L053R.

She sighed. It had been like this for a while now. It was really starting to worry her. His icon continuously flashed through online and offline, and she had no idea what it meant. All this computer stuff was confusing her. She just wanted to talk to...Wytmonde? What did he want? She hoped this wouldn't be another one of his awkward red solicitations. She had turned him down politely, but even so all future conversations had been...awkward. She shrugged and answered the message. It wasn't like it could make the situation worse.

-- recoillessBifurcation [RB] began pestering agrarianPredator [AP] at 18:05 --
RB: 4rquu4.
AP: wytmOnde?~
RB: Yes.
AP: i dOn¡¯t think this is a gOOd time~
RB: You've prob4bly noticed the meteors f4llin6.
AP: i can't get in cOntact with perzac~
AP: whO hasn't?~
RB: I h4ve...heh. I don't h4ve much time, in 4 cert4in w4y.
RB: 4nyw4y.
RB: He isn't import4nt. Listen to me.
AP: alright...~
RB: I'm 6oin6 to be rescuin6 you. I need to condense 4bout three sweeps of re4lity-w4rpin6 shen4ni64ns into 4 few words.
RB: Perz4c thinks you 4re de4d.
AP: three sweeps?~
RB: Perz4c thinks you die by bein6 struck by 4 meteor.
RB: 4lso.
RB: The two of us 4re f4iries.
AP: really this dOesn't seem the right time tO be jOking~
RB: I'm de4d serious i6ht now, 4rquu4.
AP: where is perzac anyway?~
AP: is he with yOu?~
RB: 6et the m4triorb.
RB: If nothin6 else, 6et the m4triorb.
AP: yOu're a terrible persOn fOr jOking at this time.~
AP: but i'll get it~
RB: I'll see you soon.
-- recoillessBifurcation [RB] ceased pestering agrarianPredator [AP] at 18:12 --

She shut down the husktop and captchalouged the matriorb from its position on the desk, still coated in the blood of her lusus that had died so long ago. A knock sounded on the door to her balcony, the shadow of a troll could be seen through the frosted yet transparent material. A troll with...wings?

---

==>

Land of Roses and Frogs

A gentle breeze shook the air. The endless field of multicolored roses jostled slightly, as if playful. The sun shone brilliantly in the sky, giving warmth and heat to the beautiful scenery. Small green amphibians hopped through the flowers, nudging them slightly and giving yet more life to the attractive world.

Perzac had to shield his eyes from the bright sunlight, surprised that he could even stand its intense rays. Somehow...it didn't burn him. It Didn't hurt at all. He marveled at the wonder of being unpained in the sunlight. Was this what Arquua could feel, being out and about during the daytime? This...this was bliss...

ARQUUA!

He rushed to the grubtop, ignoring the messages piling up from Wytmonde to attempt to contact Arquua.

-- intrepidStalker [IS] began trolling agrarianPredator [AP] --

IS: Arquua!
IS: What's going on?
IS: Please answer me!
IS: Youu've got me really worried.
IS: Look, youu're in danger there!
IS: There's a lot of meteors koming down.
IS: I...
IS: I want youu to get ouut of there.
IS: Juust, get somewhere safe.
IS: Please.
IS: I don't know if youu kan read this buut...
IS: I love youu.
ERRNO: W417 WH47? WH3R3 4R3 Y0U 4NYW4Y5?

He sighed. She had to be safe...she just....had to...

[Sporky]

Wytmonde finally opened his eyes. He wasn't blind. He took a look around his respiteblock..everything was intact..save for one thing. There was an incessant beeping, that of his hive's security system alterting him to something. From his suit, he accessed its monitoring program..my gog, the red lights.

The main power generator, a truly ancient fusion reactor he'd found in the bowels of the base he'd built his hive around was cut off, and the reserve power packs in each of the individual weapon systems were all draining rapidly before his eyes. And there went the anti-aircraft missiles. The mortar turrets, rebuilt from rusty old tanks. The 40mm autocannons. The searchlights. Everything. Every last bit of his security was offline now. Gog damn it, what was going on?

Kimball and Rommwel had disappeared. He didn't think about it, they could handle themselves. He rushed onto one of his hive's terrestrial landing slats to try and figure out what had...gone....wrong...oh, sweet jegus.

---

==>

Land of Beaches and Corridors

[/i][/size]


He..he...what was this? This wasn't Alternia.

For one thing, it was day out and he wasn't burning to death. Taking a chance, he glanced up. IT was a sun, but it wasn't burning his eyes oput to look at it. Yes, he had to shield them, but..he could sorta look at it. He did this for a while, simply staring, through cupped hands, the sun and the expanse of unmarred red sky.

Eventually, he looked down and...wow.

Innumerable islands were the bulk of the scenery, atop a rich blue expanse of ocean. Connecting some of them were odd, out of place...they looked like someone had cut out chunks of hallways from the base and placed them between islands, or leading down under the water. Odd. But after a few moments, they started to look...fitting.

It was just then that his nostrils filled with salty air. Oh gog, he'd missed that..

Wait, what?

He'd never smelled salt water before in his life. He'd never been near the sea. And yet...so familiar. He knew this scent, remembered feeling it kiss his skin many a time...but he didn't remember. Augh, gog damn it, his thinkpan hurt..for a moment. The feeling went away, and he accepted this familiarity. Whatever.

---

He was snapped out of his musing by a weak-sloppy punch to his back. He stumbled forward a step, and wheeled around to face his assailant. It was a shining silvery-grey...thing, face gleeful and wicked, and a mockery of a military uniform adorning its body. Something in his mind told him this was a 'Tungsten Imp', whatever that was.

Fury bubbled up in Wytmonde, the same fury that was reserved for FLARP sessions. His lips curled up ionto a snarl, and he bared his teeth at the Imp. It shrunk away from his a few paces, only to come at him again, attempting to scratch him. He caught the pitiful thing's hand in his own easily, and squeezed, causing the thing to shriek in pain. "This is my world," he snarled, leaning in close to the flailing Imp. "YOU ARE NOT WELCOME IN MY WORLD!" He didn't bother summoning something from his strife deck, there was no need for that.He balled his free hand into a fist, drew it back, and slammed it into the face of his adversary. It screeched for a moment, then disappeared in a grey puff, leaving behind...he recognized it as grist. He touched it, and it disappeared..probably added to his grist count.

Wytmonde had just slain his first enemy of the game...rather handily. Maybe this would be easy. Maybe. Probably not, though. Games had a tendency to get harder as the player progressed.

He felt a presence in his mind..a presence that did not feel entirely unwelcome, but not comforting, either. He ignored it, for the most part...but he still felt it there, watching....no. Observing.

[illusionaryVulpine]

==> Be the sprite.



You are now a KERNELSPRITE. You have no living player, due to an untimely disconnect by her server, leaving her without the required phrenalia. However, before her fiery, meteor-induced demise, she ordered you to flee, and gave you her LAPTOP. Somehow, you failed to disappear once your original session failed, so you now roam aimlessly.

Before her passing, your player called you SILENE. You use her chumhandle, illusionaryVulpine, to speak with other Sburb players. Since your session failed, you've realized you have a much larger base of knowledge than before, and are able to view potential results of others sessions. With that knowledge, you've taken to helping nudge other players back on the proper paths.

Being a sprite, you have no sylladex, and therefore, no strife specibus. However, also being a sprite, you have a significant ability to create objects as needed to ensure your survival.

When talking, y0u tend t0 1nsert 0nes and zer0es, l1kely as a n0d t0 y0ur spr1tely nature. otherw1se, y0u rarely use pr0per cap1tal1zat10n.

Since you started roaming around randomly, you've discovered an unlikely connection to a certain troll, whom will remain nameless for the time being. Specifically, you and he have become matesprits, to use the troll term, and have become 'That Couple'. Unfortunately, that was in the future. Of this Alternia. Or something. Time shenanigans still give you a headache.

---

Silene blinked slowly, not quite realizing whats going on. A moment ago, she had been talking to Wytmonde... and now, she's not. Her laptop beeped slowly, indicating a lack of battery power.

She yelped, as something inside her just 'clicked', and her kernel split, flying off to parts unknown.

"Ow... so thats what it feels like..."

She floated up off the ground, glancing around at the endless expanse of sand that surrounded her.

"... where the hell am I? This wasnt in the log..."

Silene shrugged, motioning to the side. A small blue beam came from her hand, making a similarly-colored desk and battery, which she proceeded to plug her laptop into. After a moment, it booted, and she launched Pesterchum.

---

-- illusionaryVulpine [IV] began pestering recoillessBifurcation [RB] --
IV: wytm0nde!!!
RB: Huh?
RB: W4it.
RB: I know you.
IV: 1m 1n!
IV: ... wa1t
RB: You, uhhh..
RB: Cr4p..
IV: ... y0ure the wytm0nde that just arr1ved 1n the med1um, arent y0u...
RB: The Medium?
RB: If you me4n the 64me, yes.

Her face fell...

IV: yeah, 1 meant the game. s0... th1s is awkward.
RB: Huh?
IV: sh0rt vers10n: t1me shenan1gans.
RB: Uh...huh.
RB: W4it.
RB: Time.
RB: Yes.
IV: l0ng vers10n... my name 1s S1lene. y0u pr0bably d0nt remember me.
IV: but 1 remember y0u. very well
RB: You spoke to me once, 4 few hours 46o.
IV: yeah, t0 me that was weeks ag0.
RB: Th4t m4kes no sense.
IV: 1m n0t fr0m y0ur un1verse.
IV: here...

Silene quickly ran a batch file she had prepared a while ago, remotely enabling the viewport on Wytmonde's Trollian client, targeting her location. She smiled up at the viewport camera.

RB: ..How did you do th4t.
IV: shenan1gans.
RB: 4 sprite?
RB: Th4t...m4kes no sense.
IV: yeah
IV: y0u called me y0ur matespr1te.
RB: ...
RB: Th4t's kind4...ummm..
RB: Is th4t even..
RB: Well, I 6uess you're kind4 cute..

She blushed a deep blue color, smiling.

RB: Silene, w4s it?
IV: yeah, s1lene.
RB: Silene...Silene..
RB: Hmmm.
IV: yes?
RB: I like it.

Silene couldnt possibly turn more blue. After a moment of glee, she attempted to project herself to Wytmonde... but nothing happened.

IV: ... 1 cant pr0ject t0 y0u...
RB: Project? Wh4t?
IV: never m1nd
RB: Uhhh.
RB: Ok4y.
IV: 1 used t0 be able t0 pr0ject stuff t0 y0u
IV: l1ke 1m pr0ject1ng th1s desk
IV: s0... 0k. 1 need t0 f1nd the p0rtal s0 1 can j01n y0u
IV: 1ll see y0u s00n, wytt1e!
RB: Ok4y..
-- illusionaryVulpine [IV] ceased pestering recoillessBifurcation [RB]--

---

Silene folded her laptop, placing it into a suddenly-appearing backpack, then flied off, the desk poofing out of existence. She ascended, looking around for a portal.

[Vipervertical]

Okay, Perzac's quirk is based on his speech. But I feel the chats are enough phonetical writing for me. His actual speech will sound the same as his text, with hard Cs and slightly longer Us, but I'll be typing it up correctly to save myself some stress. Of course, I say that and yet I'm adding in another vocal quirk with his Ferretsprite. It doesn't text chat, so I figured I'd have to add it to his speech. You can probably figure out how to read it aloud anyway. Now to what you care about.

---

Perzac fell backwards onto the the rooftop. Staring vacantly and the bright blue sky, so deep a blue, yet so bright. He could feel himself drifting into it, floating away into the vastness of the JEGUS CHRIS WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?

The yellow furry head of a dookbeast suddenly obscured his view of the sky, causing him to leap up in alarm (and untentionally yelp in a very unheroic manner). The dookbeast was mostly white, but tinged yellow, the same color as his blood (no wait, it was slightly brighter). It was long and ghostlike, the bottom end trailing off into a spectral tail just above where its hind legs would be. What it reminded him of was that little yellow ball he had unintentionally melded with a dookbeast pelt. But this one was bigger, and...less spherical. Maybe it was the same one, and he'd somehow missed this transformation. Wait, was it TALKING?

"Hiperzac! Imheretohelp! Imyoursprite! Illbeyourguidethroughthiswhackyadventure! Isntthatgreat?"

Perzac just stared at it, attempting to decipher the strange language it was talking in. It took him a few seconds to get the gist of it, all while the floating dookbeast-ghost was staring at him curiously. Wulfgangue, who had apparently awoken at some point, was shifting around strangel atop his head, but he couldn't figure out what the lusus was doing until he had leapt from atop his head. It took some quick reflexes (which Perzac was lucky in possession of) to catch the little bugger in midflight. Stopping it before it could tackle the strange yellow prey. With curiosity in its eyes, the lusus stared at him from the tight yet gentle grip.

"Careful there. The last thing that touched it became part of it. I don't want to lose you too." He looked up towards the "sprite" again, eyeing it warily. "Thatwasmyfirstprototyping! Imasprite! Icanbeprototypedasecondtimetoo! Ifwolfganguetouchedmeicouldprototypeagain!" The lusus nuzzled his hand happily while he again spent a few seconds figuring out what that high-speed babbling meant. "So you were that little floating ball thing? How did you...well, when did you get all...not small? And how can you talk now?" The sprite give an adorable giggle before it responded. Perzac found it annoying. "Thatwasmykernel! Whenyoufirstletmeoutofthecruxtruderiwasakernelsprite! Whenweenteredthemediummykernelopenedup! Onehalfwenttoprospitandtheotherhalfwenttoderse! Bothsideshavenowbeenprototypedwithyourchoice! Nowthativelostmykerneliamlargerandcancommunicatewithyoueasier! Isntitgreat?"

Perzac stared at the sprite for a few moments. It sounded as if it had just given him a large amount of information, if only it talked a little slower he might have gotten it all. Something about a kernel and prototyping and prospitandderse. Wait, maybe it was Prospit AND Derse. It sounded like two different places. This sparked his curiosity. Of course, asking about it would likely just result in more hard to decipher babbling. Instead he just told it to stay there and not touch anything until he had a chance to talk this over with Wytmonde. He sat back at the grubtop and planted the narcolyptic lusus in his lap before responding.

IS: I don't know if youu'll even get this.
IS: My messages to Arquua aren't going throuugh.
IS: Anyway, it souunds like I've done that prototyping thing too.
IS: Buut instead of some great ankestor, I've got a dookbeast as a sprite.
IS: It's not so bad, I guuess.
IS: I juust wish it wouuld talk a little slower.
IS: I'm barely uunderstanding the thing.

No error message so far. This was promising.

IS: It's been saying something about Prospit and Derse.
IS: They souund important, but I kan't figuure ouut how.
IS: And it also wants me to prototype it again.
IS: Any suuggestions?

[Sporky]

Wytmonde was a little pre-occupied at the time, mainly with having fun with Imps. And by fun, I mean 'racking up dozens of Imp kills. Hell yeah.'

They were all over his hive, trying to trash his stuff. He wasn't going to stand for that. In a flash, his Judgemental Congress was pulled from his strife deck. It was a truly beautiful killing machine, looking very much like a modern battleship, seven barrels arranged in a ring at her bow. Truly beautiful.

And truly destructive, too. He supposed his one-punch kill of that earlier thing was a one-time lucky blow, because they weren't dropping so fast to his fisticuffs anymore. But this gun? My gog, the power..they dropped like flies to it, as he cut a swath of tungsten grist through the multitude the were infesting his hive.

He heard a clambering, the scratch of metal on metal behind him. He wheeled around to see an imp leaping at him from the wall. As it neared him, he caught its head and slammed it to the floor. In one swift motion, he switched his machinegun for his axe, burying it in the stunned Imp's head. It was dead, horking up its bounty.

That had been the last one. He was alone in his hive now, far as he could tell. He definitely didn't hear any Imps scuttling about or anything breaking, so he ASSUMED he was alone. And Kimball and Rommwel still hadn't shown up again. Hmm. Well, whatever.

He opened Trollian via his suit again. Mere seconds after he signed on and briefly wondered how it was possible that he was accessing Trollian when he CLEARLY wasn't on Alternia, he was messaged by someone claiming to be his matesprit. No, that wasn't right..her tag was illusionarVulpine, not vinecoveredTrellis. That, and he hadn't spoken with his former matesprit in almost a sweep. So it couldn't have been her..

That she was a sprite, and...a rather cute one, at that, was rather disconcerting. He didn't know sprites could USE Trollian. And he didn't know WHY he was getting that fluttery feeling in his heart..gog damn it, there was that stupid relationship malarky again. It was weird..

Like a lot of things lately, he dismissed it. It wouldn't do well to dwell on it. She was a cute sprite that he was beginning to wax red for already, for some reason. No more, no le-- Oh hey, Perzac was speaking to him. That would provide a welcome disctaction.

[RB] : M4n, I h4ven't seen my sprite since I entered the 64me proper.
[RB] : But hell ye4h, these enemies 4re fre4kin6 e4sy to kill.
[RB] : I'm seriously just h4vin6 4n e4sy time here.
[RB] : 4s for prototypin6..I would s4y yes. But somethin6 th4t m4kes 4 little bit more sense, you di6?
[RB]: Like...hell, I don't know. I don't think I'll be doin6 4 second prototypin6 for mine. I don't w4nn4 t4ke 4w4y me epic 4ncestor, sc4ry 4nd yelly 4s he m4y be.

[Sporky]

(I knoooow this is a double post. >: But..just think of it as my other post going into another post. Sorry, ferret. But I just had to do this, after rereading certain pages of Homestuck. )

---

==> Fully explain time travel and planck time

You cannot fully explain time travel to someone who isn't a god tiered Time player. And they don't need an explanation. Anyone else, their heads would explode and you would be arrested by a legislacerator. Gog, that's just common knowledge to Time players, jegus. And planck time...you have no idea how to even BEGIN to explain that.

However, you CAN offer a simplified explanation based on your own personal interpretation of the time stream. No heads will explode, but some may call musclebeastdung and say it doesn't make sense. They don't understand, they're not father time...whatever a father is.

Time is like a river. Fluid, ever-flowing, and unstoppable. The notion that time can be permanently stopped is as silly as the notion that TROLL MICHAEL JACKSON didn't revolutionize the concept of the music video. It's really stupid. Jegus chris.

But getting back to the matter at hand. The alpha timeline for any given session, since the game in any form ultimately guides the fate of a universe, is the main river. Everything is set out at the universe's creation, and everything will happen as it is destined to. This is a somewhat disconcerting thought, that everything you have ever done happens because it is meant to, and you disregard it, pretending to have free will.

Any alteration to the alpha timeline's destiny creates a tributary to the river, an alternate timeline that continues to flow. However, this timeline is doomed from the start, and the game ultimately fails.

It is possible to interact with the past, future, or alternate timelines, but this changes absolutely nothing. In fact, it only reinforces destiny, because any meddling you do is MEANT to happen. Millions of time travelers were MEANT to go back and try to stop the Trolltanic from sinking, but they ultimately fail because they are meant to.

Take the case of the fancy suit you wear. Future you finds it in the Medium, recognizes it, then gives it Colferas so he can give it to you so you can recognize it in the future so you can give it to Colferas. This is predestined to happen, and is known as a 'stable time loop' to those Time players who like to think they have control over anything. But none of you do, everything happens because it is meant to. Failure to comply accomplishes nothing other than creating a pointless, doomed timeline.

It's all very neat and orderly, the time stream.

==> Introduce other Wytmondes

Due to the nature of the time stream, there are an infinite number of tributary Wytmondes, and looking at them all would be too confusing. We will focus on two, though others may show up.

==> Observe Alternate Wytmonde #1

This Wytmonde comes from a session where Silene never contacted him (And is for some reason completely UNABLE to contact him no matter how much she desires), he never met Perzac, Arquua, or Colferas, and his life continued as it was going when he was five. This results in three totally different players in the session with him:

- MOCERO MONODON, Page of Space: Wytmonde's best male friend, Mocero is an indigo-blooded troll that, despite having a great love for the sea, has no gills, only the ability to hold his breath for two hours at a time and withstand the same amount of water pressure as a sea-dweller. Despite his depression, he has really come into his own since playing Sgrub. Mocero's bow and arrow have saved this Wytmonde's life many times, since his specibus, MINIGUNKIND, is sort of unwieldly at times.

- CIRRIA NIMBUS, Maid of Breath: A redblood psychic troll, Cirria at one time tentatively, and unknowingly, solicited Wytmonde for the flushed quadrant. After she was rejected for another of their group, she simply became his peppy, optimistic friend. Apart from being a mighty warrior in her own right, having stuck to her ancestral relic javelin she acquired sweeps before playing, she was the team's cheerleader of sorts, always ready to shout out some words of encouragement to stoic Wytmonde or down in the mass solid trash disposal area Mocero.

- YAMUNA TERIDOP, Sylph of Heart: Dear, sweet Yamuna. Wytmonde's matesprit, and his unflinching pillar of emotional support, Yamuna is the reason Wytmonde has any sort of confidence and self-worth. When she met him, he had no faith in his strength, and was utterly convinced he had no chance of reclaiming his ancestor's glory. Though the latter means exactly nothing anymore, her influence and good-natured manipulations have given Wytmonde the confidence, stubbornness, and drive he possesses now. Yamuna's blood is a pure, deep green, and in addition to possessing extreme skill with her SCISSORKIND specibus, sticking to hedgetrimmers, a vast knowledge of poisons, and amazing stealth and agility, Yamuna possesses the psionic ability to manipulate plants. She is the smartest and most skilled of the four, the mental beast mated to the physical beast.

This timeline also differs in that all four of them had awoken prior to playing the game. Yamuna and Wytmonde consummating their matespritship had done it for the two of them, Mocero accidentally killing a friend in FLARP had done it for him, and Cirria had awoken after nearly dying at the hands of Nerina Caligen, matesprit to Wytmonde's kismesis, Armel Sigalit.

Their adventure has benefitted from the constant in all of Wytmonde's sessions: An economic collapse on both Prospit and Derse has given the players an enormous amount of time before their reckoning. Since the four have been FLARPING for nearly four sweeps, even their imps have been insanely powerful, and angels have appeared as a semi-common enemy to boot. They've been grinding like crazy, not for grist or echeladder levels, but merely to hone their skills as combatants. They've needed it.

Whether they play a part in the alpha's adventure will not be revealed just yet, for that would give away how many ferrums you have in the calefactor. ;;;;3

==> Observe Alternate Wytmonde #2

This is Silene's first Wytmonde, the one she originally fell in love with. He is her boyfriend, she is his matesprite, and they were, once he finally stopped worrying and asked her to come over, incredibly cuddly and kissy. Wing tickles were incredibly common, and so were, eventually, slow wing licks that drove Wytmonde absolutely crazy.

The main difference between this Wytmonde and the alpha's session is that Colferas entered the medium. As they adventured and realized they were the only three trolls left in existence, Colferas grew out of his obsession with the hemospectrum, and grew to genuinely respect and like 'Prozac' and 'Soldier boy'. The three formed an unbreakable bond, which is why Colferas and Perzac showed no hesitation in sacrificing themselves to the Black King, who gained the powers of a First Guardian when Doc Scratch forced Kimballsprite to use him as a second prototype in the last moments before Wytmonde entered the medium, so Wytmonde could escape to the alpha timeline. Their sacrifice, the fact that he is ultimately doomed, and the knowledge that Silene is destined to be with the alpha him all mixed together in a huge slurry to produce a Wytmonde that is utterly broken and depressed..but also angry. A rage flows through his veins, bringing his sludgy blood to a literal boil. He hates Scratch. Scratch knows this Wytmonde hates him. And they both know that in the end, this Wytmonde will engage Scratch in a one-on-one fight to buy the alpha Wytmonde times to take the other players back to steal a scepter from a Black King to alchemize into weapons strong enough to fight Scratch..but this is where the knowledge of both Wytmonde and Scratch ends. Alpha Wytmonde's session has a great many voids in it, and both time god and First Guardian cannot see into those voids.


==> Enough of these shenanigans, let's get back to the alpha adventure.

Yes. Let's check back in on Perzac or Silene, hmm?

[illusionaryVulpine]

Silene flied around aimlessly for a time, searching fruitlessly for the portal to the next Land... eventually, her laptop beeped, notifying that she's being pestered. She slows down, and retrieved the laptop, reading the message from her matesprit...

-- illusionaryVulpine [IV] began pestering recoillessBifurcation [RB]--
RB: ...Silene...?
IV: wytt1e?
RB: Flower..
IV: <3
RB: <3

Silene grinned widely as she realizes that this is the Wytmonde she loved, from her original timeline.

IV: 1 l0ve y0u wytt1e <3
RB: I love you too..
IV: ... are y0u 0k?
RB: Do you think I'm ok4y?
IV: n0...
RB: <33
IV: <33
IV: <3333
IV: all the <3
IV: please d0nt be sad
RB: Heh
RB: 6o be with the 4lph4.
IV: 1 cant f1nd h1m
IV: but 1 can f1nd y0u
IV: 0r rather y0u can f1nd me
IV: ...
RB: I h4ve thin6s to do
IV: wytt1e...
RB: Wh4t.
IV: why are y0u leav1ng me l1ke that
IV: the alpha d0esnt l0ve me l1ke y0u d0
RB: Love isn't simple, Silene. You c4n't bre4k my he4rt then suddenly st4rt t4lkin6 to me 464in 4nd expect me to 6o b4ck to bein6 perfectly h4ppy.

She stopped at that for a moment... break his heart? What? She never...

IV: break... what?
RB: Did I mistype?
IV: h0w d1d 1...
RB: Let's t4ke 4 look.
RB: There w4s the time you were destined to be with the 4lph4. 4nd then there w4s the time you 64ve me 4 hu6e fin6er by tellin6 me to kill you.

Kill her? What? Thats what he did, yes, but she never asked him to do that!!! That was Scratch's idea... wasnt it?

IV: what?!?
IV: but...
IV: wytt1e... y0ure here
RB: 6o be with your 4lph4.
IV: wytt1e, please d0nt d0 th1s...
RB: Now you know how I felt when you told me to kill you.
IV: but... d01ng that br0ught me 0ver
IV: 1t was the 0nly way
RB: Shut up.
IV: what
RB: I s4id shut up.
IV: wytt1e, please!
RB: Look, Silene. I love you...I will 4LW4YS love you. But..6o be with the 4lph4.
-- illusionaryVulpine [IV] ceased pestering recoillessBifurcation [RB]--

During the conversation, Silene slowed to a shocked stop...

What... but... this has to be a joke...[/color]

After a beat, she received another message.

-- recoillessBifurcation [RB] began pestering illusionaryVulpine [IV] --
RB: 4re you still here?
IV: yes...
RB: You h4ven't blocked me.
RB: Why?
RB: Purposely tormentin6 me?
IV: n0
RB: You've broken my he4rt, isn't th4t enou6h for you?
IV: ...
RB: You took 4 sweet, lovin6 troll, 4nd turned him into 4 we4pon.
RB: ..
RB: No.
RB: 4 distr4ction.
IV: what
RB: I know wh4t I'll do in the end, Silene.
RB: I don't know how it'll 6o down, if I'll survive, but I know wh4t I'll do.
IV: 1... what?
RB: When it 4ll comes down to the end, I KNOW my f4te is to fi6ht Scr4tch.
RB: 4s reven6e.
RB: For you.
IV: what?
IV: wa1t
IV: what
IV: y0u cant
IV: scratch d0esnt f1ght
RB: ..Hmm.
IV: he just talks
RB: So it 4ppe4rs th4t the 4lph4's voids h4ve ch4n6ed 464in.
RB: BUT WH4TEVER. NOT MY POINT HERE.
IV: w...
RB: I don't know if you ever truly loved me, or if you knew this 4ll 4lon6.
RB: But..
RB: Th4nk you.
IV: what?!?
IV: wytm0nde...
RB: Th4nk you for some of the best times of my life, even if they were but brief moments.
IV: wytt1e...
RB: The son6 my he4rt sin6s, even now th4t it h4s been sh4ttered, is for you, Silene.
IV: wytt1e please st0p... 1 l0ve y0u
RB: I h4te you..I h4te you...4nd yet I would still 6l4dly l4y down my life 4t your tiniest whim.
RB: I love you too.
IV: why d0 y0u hate me... 1 l0ve y0u s0 much
RB: I don't know if you do.
RB: But it doesn't m4tter.
IV: 1 d0!
RB: I don't know.
RB: I don't know wh4t you ever intended for me, Silene.
RB: But 464in, th4nk you for the best moments I ever h4d,
IV: 1 l0ve y0u s0 much
RB: I love you..
IV: and 1 y0u... <3. all the <3
RB: I don't know if you do.
IV: 1 s0
IV: 1 s0 d0
RB: 4fter everythin6, I c4n't trust you.
RB: I don't know if you're bein6 sincere, or just 4 bl4cksmith h4rdenin6 her bl4de.
RB: But I know th4t I love you. I trust th4t.
RB: I will love you up until the very l4st moment of my existence.
IV: ... c0me t0 me, and 1ll sh0w y0u
RB: But I 4lso h4te you.
RB: I h4te you 4lmost 4s much 4s I h4te Scr4tch.
RB: I h4te you for wh4t you did.
RB: You broke my he4rt twice...
IV: but
IV: 1 d1dnt d0 anyth1ng
RB: I love you, 4nd I h4te you.
RB: Bifurc4tion indeed.
RB: Did you enjoy it?
IV: m0re than anyth1ng
IV: 1f y0u mean the t1me we had t0gether
RB: Did you enjoy strippin6 4w4y the confidence I'd slowly built up, 4nd m4kin6 me re4lize how much of 4 SL4VE I 4m to the time stre4m?
IV: n0
RB: I used tot hink free will w4s possible.
IV: that 1 d1d n0t
RB: But no.
IV: because 1 have n0 clue what y0u mean
RB: I w4s wron6.
IV: 1 d1dnt ask y0u t0 d0 anyth1ng
RB: You.
IV: please wytm0nde
RB: M4de.
RB: Me.
RB: Kill.
RB: You.
RB: Do you h4ve 4NY ide4 how th4t felt?
IV: but
IV: n0 1 d1dnt
IV: 1 d0nt kn0w what y0ure talk1ng ab0ut...
RB: Do not lie to me.
RB: Don't p4tronize me, think th4t it didn't h4ppen.
RB: Th4t I didn't plun6e the s4me knife th4t killed ME into YOU.
IV: but
IV: what
IV: n0
IV: 1 d1dnt
IV: please
IV: 1 d1dnt
RB: You did.
IV: n0...
RB: Yes.

She started typing madly, desperate...

IV: 1 d1dnt please wytm0nde d0nt say that 1 w0uldnt d0 that please d0nt d0 that please d0nt g0
RB: You've cr4fted quite the we4pon, Silene. Your str4te6y is m4rvelous. I commend you.
IV: but
IV: 1 d1dnt...
-- recoillessBifurcation [RB] blocked illusionaryVulpine [IV] --

Silene stared in shock and dread at the last line...

-- recoillessBifurcation [RB] blocked illusionaryVulpine [IV] --

She drops her laptop and bursts into tears, flying wildly towards a nearby rock, curling underneath it and sobbing...

[Vipervertical]

Double posting now, eh? You could just like...edit it into your old post. Whatever.

---

==> Get in on this alternate timelines thing

The scent in the hive was rank. It was a sort of plum mixed with iron. Perzac licked the pinkish-purple blood from the knife. A smirk graced his face as the irony of the situation occurred to him. He exited the room silently after stowing the blood-coated knife into his strife specibus and leaving the headless Armel on the floor.

==> I'm a little disturbed. Can we view this in a more passive and less detailed manner?

Sure! This was a reality in which the SGRUB game never happened, and apparently Perzac never met Arquua or Wytmonde. With no quadrants filled to ground him, and this silly royalblood making black solicitations, he snapped when he was just over 10 sweeps old and started killing. It's rare, but not entirely unheard of for one of such low blood to go into a bloodcraze like this. The more bizarre thing was his newly obtained preference for drinking the blood of his victims. He was pretty messed up in the head.

With his targets being mostly highbloods, the Subjugglators were quick to start hunting him down. Surprisingly for a lowblood without psychic powers, he managed to kill several Subjugglators before they were finally able to detain and execute him with his own knife against his throat. Reports state that even the Subjugglators were creeped out by the fact that he continued laughing maniacally until the blade ran cut his throat.

The blade itself just sorta...disappeared after this. ...It might have ended up finding its way back to the Alpha Timeline or something. Who knows. Speaking of, let's get back there. This is just sorta weird.

==> Alpha Perzac: Wield the knife. Be the mass-murderer.

Perzac mused over the information while fingering his knife. There were a number of things he could prototype the sprite with for the second time. But what should he use?

IS: I haven't seen any enemies so far.
IS: But thanks for the heads-uup.
IS: Hold on...
IS: I think I juust heard something bakk inside my hive.
IS: I'm going to go khekk it ouut.
-- intrepidStalker [IS] gave up trolling recoillessBifurcation [RB] --

With his trusty knife in hand, Perzac descended the stairs towards the noises coming from his lower floors. There, in his kitchen and flinging about his utensils and pots was a weird little grubby monster. Without hesitation, the troll flung his knife at the opponent, watching as it impaled the side of its gray head. A small bar appeared over its head and he watched the "Lead Imp"'s health drop to zero immediately and it was replaced by a pile of items.

"Umm, okaaay.... What just happened?" "Thatwasanimp! Theyretheweakestoftheunderlings! Youllbefightingalotofunderlingsnowthatyoureinthemedium! Theyrethebadguys!" "Alright. So why was it a 'lead' imp? Are there different types of imps? And how come I could see a health bar or something? That's really unrealistic." The stupid Ferretsprite giggled adorably before responding. Perzac had to resist the urge to smack it. "Impsaregivenelementsbasedontheplayers! Yourimpsareleadwhilewytmondesaretungsten! Theotherplayersinthissessionwillaffectlaterimpswhentheyenterthemedium! Youcanseehealthbarsbecauseofthatneatlittleearpieceyoualchemized! Itgeneratesaheadsupdisplaysoyoucanseethehitpointsofyourenemies! Itmakescombatmucheasier! Thatwasagoodidea! Youcanalsocontactyourfriendsonit! Isntthatwhyyoumadeitinthefirstplace?" Oh yeah...that was why he made it. He casually collected the grist and began trolling Wytmonde again.

-- intrepidStalker [IS] began trolling recoillessBifurcation [RB] --
IS: I see what youu were saying.
IS: These enemies are pretty weak.
IS: I'd ask youu to uup the diffikuulty, buut I'm not really suure this is juust a game anymore.

[Sporky]

Wytmonde was only just starting to explore beyond his hive when Perzac started trolling him. When he'd first entered, he'd briefly entertained the idea of finding some way of getting his hive's security measures back up and running, but he'd abandoned that idea. It'd require far too power, pretty much the fusion power core he'd found down in the base.

Wytmonde had also discovered he knew how to swim. He'd never gone swimming before, he'd never been in any body of water bigger than an ablution trap. But from the first moment he'd dove into the water, he'd known how to swim quite well. He was halfway through typing his first reply to Perzac when he suddenly became very curious about this planet's sea floor.

The 'ocean', as it was, wasn't very deep, not even as deep as a hivestem was tall. He could see, through his combat HUD's display, the floor. It was littered with wreckage. But not wreckage of ships, no. Tanks, APCs, howitzers, bombers, even a small space frigate. Huh. Interesting.

Oh well.

RB: I...I don't think this w4s EVER 4 64me, bro.
RB: This is just some weird-4ss experiment 4nd we're the l4bor4tory test 4nim4ls. I don't me4n to spe4k so blue, but I don't think 4nyone is 6onn4 6ive uf fl4k. 4nd it's quicker.

==> I don't care about this, actually. That huge wall of text from iV made me curious about Alternate Wytmonde #2!

That had done it. That had burned his last bridge. He'd sent away Silene, the one remaining good thing in this wretched mockery that his life had become. He hated himself now. He hated Scratch, he hated Silene, and he hated himself.

He curled up into a ball in midair, whimpering as he let the waves of hatred and anger wash over him. The whimpering quickly turned to growling, then to a snarl. His eyes snapped open, and they were aflame with bright green fire, the same green as Alternia's moon. The same green fire consumed his hands, but they were not gone. This fire was HIS to control. He looked down, his Time symbol had turned the same green, now against a black backdrop. Hatred had consumed his mind, all he could think of was how much he hated.

He hated everything. Everything and everyone. If he couldn't be happy...

NOBODY COULD

[/color]


He had every timeline ever one which to exact his brutal revenge. He could kill anyone, anywhere. He was a god, nobody could stop him. And he wasn't evil, no. He was a shining paragon of justice, not evil. And this justice would be against all of creation for causing him undue suffering.

He was gone in a flash, to another alternate timeline. One where he and Perzac, while still playing Sgrub, had become matesprits. He had helped Perzac over the loss of Arquua, and their moirallegiance had become much more flushed. They didn't deserve to live, being so happy...GOG DAMN IT ALL.

==> Be the gay Wytmonde

You cannot be the gay Wytmonde, trolls don't have such nonsense! Gender is ultimately a moot point with trolls, due to them ultimately conceiving by offering genetic material in filial pails to the Mother Grub!

==> ..Okay, ew. Be Perzac's matesprit Wytmonde.

Perzac simply looked so adorable like this, curled up in Wytmonde's arms and napping. What Perzac dreamed of, Wytmonde didn't care to ask, because it was really none of his business.

The two were, in a break from grinding for grist as an assurance before they alchemized their weapons together as a second consummation of their matespritship, curled up on the roof of Wytmonde's hive in LOBAC. They were also completely lacking clothes, and by the looks of the pools of fluid around them, had just done the nasty.

Perzac's eyes fluttered open, and Wytmonde found himself blushing. Just so adorable. The way his hair framed his eyes, the expression on his face just after waking up, the way the expression curled up into a soft smile..Wytmonde truly loved Perza--

Wytmonde sneered at the impaled corpses of himself and Perzac, both their heads in his hands. Stupid sappy lovey-dovey matesprits..he hated therm. He hated their stupid dead bodies. He took a sample of Perzac's blood, and alchemized it into his old time-travel theremin. It was nothing compared to Perzac's god powers to travel, but it was enough for what he needed.

Combine THEREMIN TIME MACHINE && SAMPLE OF THIEF OF SPACE'S BLOOD = ANYWHERE AND ANYWHEN

He was gone again, back past his own life, back to Alternia's distant past, when adult trolls weren't confined to the reaches of space.

==>

Mindfang sneered. Such a pitiful fleet was all the navy could marshall against her, the great Spinneret Mindfang? Hah! It was laughable. Two 74-gunner ships of the line and a handful of corvettes? Really, now. Armorbane was slipping. The mighty Fusilier Grandus honestly though THIS stood a chance?

She indulged in a gleeful cackle as the Gamblignant fleet and imperial navy closed in on each other. This would be less of a battle and more of a 'wag her finger at him and tell him to try again.'

There was a sharp jolt of pain between her legs, and she slapped the brownblooded cabin girl that was on her knees down there, pleasing her new mistress to save her own life. "W8tch the t8th, you stupid girl!!!!!!!!" she hissed, and the lowblood whimpered and nodded, resuming her activities.

The battle began, and Mindfang watched with only mild interest. Cannons fired in the pitch black of the Alternian night, their staccato a welcome sound to her ears. She was correct, the navy fleet barely stood a chance against hers..

Which meant there was something wrong. She knew Armorbane, she'd even considered him a friend in their younger sweeps. He was smarter than this. He would have known this was suicide.

She dismissed the slave, and the wretched little thing scampered below decks to fetch Mindfang's dice. There was something very off here..wait, what was that? That sound. The beating of wi--

She looked down, down at the arm that had punched a hole clean through her torso, and now literally held her heart. It was the last thought Marquise Spinneret Mindfang ever had, for she slumped dead moments later.

Wytmonde scowled down at the dead blueblooded seagrift. The brownblooded cabin girl died also, from having Minjdfang's heart shoved down her throat. He turned his attention to the battling ships. At his whim, they either went up in a brilliant green flame, or their wooden hulls rotted to piece in a matter of moments.

Without a thought to anything else, he was gone again.

==>

Glub.

Glub glub glub glub glub glub!

Her Imperial Condescension giggled with glee at the scene unfolding before her. A truly exquisite ball was taking place, and the most influentual land AND sea dwellers were attending. Oddly enough that she, the empress and bearer of Tyrian blood, be a hemotolerist. Some had questioned her, of course..sweet Darkleer took care of them. Such a noble troll he was, and so committed to serving! If only he wasn't so caught up in the spectrum..ah, well.

The Fusilier Grandus approached her, and kneeled. She giggled. "Silly Kimball, you don't need to kneel! We're all friends )(ere, glub!" Her voice was still soft, high, and carefree, despite her age and position of power. Kimball considered her to be the perfect ruler for their race, perhaps she could truly bring the hemospectrum to an end..at least, the social implications. He saw Duchess Bloodbane glaring at him from behind the throne, and a smile flashed across his face.

"Your m4jesty, I request 4 priv4te 4udience with--"

He stopped short when he heard a scream and saw the empress' eyes widen. Slowly, and with innumerable .jpg artifacts, Kimball turned.

There was a troll striding through the crowd, and every troll he passed either aged into dust, reverted back to a pre-stalactite wriggler, or went up in green flames. The troll's eyes were pure green, green smoke issued forth from his nostrils, and when he opened his mouth to grin, the inside of his maw was naught but green flames.

Leaping to his feet, Kimball launched himself at the offender. Whoever..WHATEVER this troll was, he stood no chance against the Fusilier Grandus in one on one combat! He let out a howl of fury, and summoned up all the mangrit he could, which was almost all the mangrit. Almost all of it.

Sadly, he was stopped in midair, reduced, like many there, to a little wriggerl. Wytmonde smiled serenely down at his ancestor's newly-hatched form..and squished him benetah his shoe. He turned his attention to the empress and vizier. They would not die..not yet.

No, they would "serve" him until he grew tired.

==> ...Okay, you scared me straight. Please say this has a happy ending.

Yes it does, but do you REALLY want to skip right to it? There's lots to miss, and not just killing.

==> YES, god. I don't care, just stop showing such carnage!

Very well.

==>

The four FLARPers cautiously made their way through the cave, on the lookout for more enemies. They hadn't seen their clouder for some time, and he hadn't told them the game was over, so.

The cave suddenly opened up into a large chamber, and their mouths collectively dropped. Before them was the husk of a truly MASSIVE starship. But, that wasn't what surprised them. No, what got them was the symbol plastered everywhere on it: A star inside a circle. Wytmonde's sign. Wytmonde pounced on Cirria, and the psionic redblood flew him over to it, Mocero and Yamuna slowly following behind. Mocero was utterly speechless. These things only ever ended with a troll finding out about their ancestor. Yamuna, though surprised, smiled warmly. She knew the same as Mocero, and she knew this would bolster Wytmonde's confidence. Poor thing, he really just needed to be sure of himself. That was what had drawn her to him, that there was a truly mighty warrior buried somewhere deep in Wytmonde, and she was determined to bring that troll out.

Wytmonde was waiting for the four to all enter the ship. He'd been so dumbstruck at everything, he'd just stood in the place he'd entered, some sort of captain's quarters. Easy enough then, for the green-powered god to further age the floor beneath the group, corroding it and sending them plummeting down onto spikes of rusty old water piping. They all died there, creating another alternate timeline..he no longer cared.

He recovered his ancestor's journal again, and for a reason he couldn't fathom, began reading. The green faded from his eyes, though his outfit remained such.

==> View random excerpts from Troll Guile's Kimball's journal


- The Duchess continues to try 4nd 6et me to 6o out with her. It's re4lly kin4 skeevy, since I KNOW she h4tes 4nythin6 below te4l. Wh4t sort of sick shen4ni64ns she h4s pl4nned I don't know, but I re4lly don't w4nn4 find out..she re4lly re4lly creeps me the hell out.

- Oh my 6o6. Seriously, oh my 6o6. I don't me4n to sound like 4 little wri66ler, but oh 6o6. I met 4n aspirin6 pilot tod4y, Red. She is ten sweeps my junior, but..I'm 4lre4dy flushin6 for her. 4nd th4t mind-numbin6ly 4ttr4ctive dr4wlin6 4ccent she h4s, while still soundin6 upliftin6 4nd 4iry m4kes me feel like 4 youn6er troll bucketin6 for the first time.

- I'm putting it down ri6ht now. Ri6ht here. I do so feel like 4 youn6er troll 4round her, 4nd she m4kes me 4ct so silly.. <3

Fusilier 6r4ndus 4rmorb4ne <3 Red the 4ce

- 4rchhunter Nom4d 64ve me his ultim4tum tod4y. If I hurt Red, if I le4ve her, he's 6oin6 to put 4n 4rrow throu6h my br4in. Good 4rcher, best moir4il, th4t one.


==> Well, that was silly. Can we see an important entry?


-My suspicions 43 4ll but confirmed. Now th4t the empress h4s ordered me to 6o put 4n end to 4 suspected plot by Mindf4n6, Du4lsc4r, 4nd the 6r4nd hi6hblood while there's 4n inv4sion 6oin6 on one of our colonies, I KNOW they're 4ll 6oin6 to try 4nd 6enocide everyone below Te4l. I know, I prob4bly sound cr4zy, should 4nyone ever find this. But I KNOW th4t's wh4t is 6oin6 to h4ppen. 4nd if it costs me my life, I sh4ll stop it. I 4m 4 p4triot. I 4m loy4l to 4lterni4, to the troll species, not to 4ny p4rticul4r empress.


I 4m 4 soldier.

I fi6ht.

It's wh4t I do.


- KZ

==>

Wytmonde had read his ancestor's journal over and over countless times, seen the mighty warrior find love, be happy. He figured out the descendants of those mentioned in the journal through simple clues: Red the Ace was Cirria's ancestor, Archhunter Nomad was Mocero's, and the unnamed Florassassin that had cropped up from tiem to time was obviously Yamuna's, probably Petalthorne. Kimball's fall into paranoia and madness had been heartbreaking, but had only strengthened his resolve to recover the rank and return glory to his sludgy bloodline.

But..but now. Knowing what he knew now, being able to see all the timelines, see the future and the past...Kimball had been right. Oh, the attempt had failed for one reason or another across the board, but..he'd been right.

And yet, despite knowing that he'd died for nothing, knowing that his ancestor had stood against insurmountable odds, had given his very life without a second thought, had stood up for what he believed in without a moment's hesitation...

Tears dripped onto the journal. Wytmonde's rage had faded completely, and his outfit had returned to normal. He..

Oh gog.


What had he done?!


The deaths he'd caused to countless other Wytmondes, his ancestor, other trolls...they didn't matter, they were alternate timelines. He didn't give them another though, they were of no consequence. But...he'd harmed Silene. He'd broken her heart.

He dropped the journal, and returned back to the Alpha's LOBAC. He could fix this. He could rekindle the old flame. Him, and Silene. Together. Against the old man. They could BEAT him!