Part 16: Daddy Issues, Part 3

Daddy Issues, Part 3

Last time, we met a sculptor who wanted to know the deep motivation driving a man to die by Sorrow. It turned out to be grief. Real insightful, writers.




I'm not sure if any attacks of this type hit evasion? Oh well, it's free! Also 2 resistance never hurt.



We crash The Pad of The Changing God again, because I want to be fully rested for this part of the main quest.



I level up the Last Castoff and realize she's still not at tier two despite Callistege and Tybir both being at tier two. Sigh. I give her a speed edge so that combat will be less draining.

Really, if you have to play this game, the nano is quite literally the best class for both talking and fighting. It's ridiculous.



You're supposed to wander the Underbelly like the Israelites wandering the desert to find Matkina, but I use my prior knowledge to talk to this guy immediately.





I'm not gonna ask this guy about his weird architectural fetish. I know he just wants to bring people together, but at this point I don't care. I already had to click through two textboxes describing him.

: I'm looking for a woman named Matkina. Do you know where I can find her?

: "Matkina? The White Death? I've heard of her. I know where she hides, too." He grins wide, exposing a mouthful of extraordinarily white and clean teeth.

: "I can tell you where she is, but I hate to say it comes with a price. I need to finish a patch of my Sagus Cliffs map, and I need bragging rights for the next time I see the navigators." He shrugs. "Also, she might not be happy I've told."



Oh boy, a fetch quest.



: Why don't you go look for the sanctuary yourself?



: Is there some other way into the sanctuary besides the sticha lair?



: I'll be back when I've found the sanctuary.


It's more trolley problem bullshit.





: You dig under the city, right? Can you take me someplace?



Alright, we're going to pay the nice alien and we can end this stupid bullshit.

: I have heard that the Changing God had a sanctuary underneath the city. Can you take me there?



: Why not?



: Forget it. Farewell.






: I was wondering what you're doing here.



: Maybe I can help you negotiate.

: She looks you up and down. "Doubtful. But you might have other skills I can use. The circumstances call for a new tactic, and these levies cannot do what needs to be done. Nor can I."

: The varjellen nods. "If you truly think you can help, let's put you to the test."

: She waves off the levies who flank her. Her gestures are short and choppy, sharp and irritated.

I see in addition to the lost technology, the writers left all the adverbs under the couch.

: "It's these damnable sticha," she says. "I speak to them. I offer, cajole, negotiate, and threaten. Yet they persist in their digging, and every day another house on the cliffs above slips into the sea."

Peliai: If the digging does not cease, the city itself may crumble. So here is my request. Find a way into their lair, remove their precious eggs, and return them to me. These hostages shall ensure the future of the city above."

It's more Trolley Problem Bullshit! Seriously, I could just close this LP right now with a repost of that train kid gif.



: I think I can help you.



It's not really a spoiler, she wants the eggs because they can also be used as batteries.



Thanks for the vendor trash, I have a reload button. No, we are not asking questions.

: Thank you. Farewell.






: I have come to ask you to stop digging underneath the city.



: What do you think of Peliai?

There is a specific dialog option I can't remember how to hit (you remember the stichus' language) so watch me flail around.

: The stichus seems discombobulated for a moment. "Who?" Then it thinks a little more.

: Then it sprays out a blast of pheromones, and you smell the sharp tang of acid and weakened stone. It smells like distrust.



Finally!

: [Anamnesis] Try to remember how to speak the stichus language.





Fuck. You.

: [Tidal Surge] Unearth the buried knowledge of the sticha language in your mind.



This unleashes a shock wave like the one after we fell.

: As you return to normal consciousness, Ch'kekt leans forward. "Ch'kekt smell granite. Knowledge." it rumbles. Its spiracles vent a miniscule trace of gas. The stichus looks at you, and its body posture and slight movements indicate a question. "Does human speak stichus?"

: Your muscles remember, and you twitch the proper response.

: Ch'kekt huffs the scent of lightning.



: I have come again to ask you to stop digging underneath the city.



: [Persuasion] Do you want your people to have a future? Do you want war with the humans above? They will destroy you.





Ok, maybe we can bypass all this shit now that we speak stichus.

: Can you take me someplace under the city?

: It regards you suspiciously. "Travel cost. Need shins. Cost 10 shins."



: I would like to go to the Changing God's sanctuary.



If we're talking in Stichus, why is this guy's grammar so bad?

: Let me ask you some more questions instead.

: I have come again to ask you to stop digging underneath the city.



: You can move deeper beneath the city.



: The humans above are suffering.



This raises...the passion tide instead of the empathy tide. Sure. Why not.

: Never mind. Let me ask other questions.



: Can we talk about Peliai again?



: She asked me to retrieve your eggs.



: Can you tell me about the sticha?

: It scrabbles briefly at the wall, and a bit of lightning flares about the crown of antennae on its head. Its shoulders shrug, and you smell dust. "We stichus. Live in rock, dig deep, devour electrical charge. Not-enemy humans, keep to community. Grow old in new home. More? Perhaps. But is detail. Human not interest."



: Why are you digging under populated areas?

: The stichus stares blankly at you, its eyes shimmering. It seems to be trying to put its thoughts into a statement you can understand. "Sticha must survive. Must live where food is, yes?"

: It doesn't wait for an affirmation. "Human watch every step? Avoid stepping on insects? No impact on other life? Sacrifice of others is natural order."



: You claimed that the people in the city aren't sentient. That's not true.



: Your digging is causing problems for the people above.



: Why are you digging here?



: How did you come to be under Sagus Cliffs?

At this point I'm desperately searching for a second persuade chance.





: I'd like to ask other questions.

...fuck it.

: I have come again to ask you to stop digging underneath the city.



: I can promise a regular tribute of power sources for your people from the city.

...Why not? It's not our money, and Sagus Cliffs is governed by idiots. I would be legitimately surprised if the executive of Sagus Cliffs could use a flush toilet without drowning.



: [Retry cost: 1 intellect][Persuasion] I've given all the reasons I need. If you don't stop digging, your people have no future in this city.





: It scratches the wall and drums a pattern there. "Sticha move deeper, burrow to less rock. Starve for human sake. Not fight with humans is better."




: I have news about the sticha.

:

: I've handled the negotiations with the sticha.



: I convinced Ch'kekt that digging deeper would be a benefit to both the sticha and the humans. There's no need to steal their eggs.



I see Sagus Cliffs recruits diplomats from its "special education" class.



: I told them the city would send them a gift of electrical numenera from time to time.





The three stooges leave.




: Can you take me someplace under the city?



Dude, you rock.

: I would like to go to the Changing God's sanctuary.





: Its claws work up and down slowly. "Future sticha moved far away. Sanctuary on other side of not-nest."

Finally. We walk through the area, grabbing some shins, and get to...



Whoa, calm down there Cal. Incidentally, playing with the mirror is instant death so let's not do that.





Hey, it's the probability engine. Let's end this shit once and for all!

: Turn the probability engines off.



: [Concentration, Tidal Affinity] Fight off the resistance, whatever it is.



That is not nearly enough XP for all that bullshit.

: That woman... All those variegated versions of her... You have put an end to them.



: What do you really want to ask me, Callistege?

: "What indeed?" She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.



: I would find a way to speak with the real you, and determine your wishes.



Well at least someone is happy.

: Tell me again how you're feeling.

: We get along more easily than I do with most, to be certain.



: That's all I wanted to know. Let's move on.




Anyway I loot the chest and it's the same laser gun I...spent all that money on. Let this be a lesson to you all.

Decisions Lie Before Us!

Do we want to proceed with the main quest and meet Matkina, fight some robots, resolve a stalking, or determine the fate of the rogue stichus?

If you vote for stalking or stichus, vote on whether we help or hurt the stalker/stichus.