Matou Shinji and the Broken Chains (HP/FSN CYOA)

[alfheimwanderer]

Had you planned Miyuki-senpai being here for quite a while, or did you decide to use her since you'd already created her for the AU?

She's been planned as being there for a while. There's a lot of details in the world that are not shown as they don't come up in the viewpoints you (Shinji) tend to have access to. But yes, remember how in the AU she will likely be heading back to Japan in the next year or so? In this timeline, she left Hogwarts and came to Mahoutokoro, where the fox may or may not have introduced her to the young Fujou head. (The engagement is recent, as of a couple weeks ago).

As ever, I am happy to answer questions here or discuss more on IRC, if you'd like to know a bit more.

[apsalar]

Yeah, he just got killed, but we were just told how we could potentially avoid a repeat. So 'a little danger' seems appropriate to me.

[sileaf]

I have no hope for that.

Truthfully, i rather go somewhere else that isn't this blatantly evil looking.
I am not interested in whatever is going to be found there either judging from the type of place it is.

I guess it is personal preference.

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Does Shinji has a character sheet posted somewhere?

[alfheimwanderer]

Does Shinji has a character sheet posted somewhere?

The most recent one was from just after the new year, with Shinji just having met Miss Asa Drake (and recovered from a bad end regarding "Chloe Ainsworth").

There have been a few minor changes to it since, like the replacement of his limbs with puppet limbs, gaining Fairy Eyes, having his Command Spells sealed off, and getting access to that shield of his.

[Malgos]

Seems like meditating is unlikely to happen so ice path.

[alfheimwanderer]

On a side note, I wonder how Rin is going to take being exposed to the ugliness of a civil war...

She's talented, but I don't think she's seen the ugliness of humanity (and wizard-kind) face to face yet.

[Skull Leader]

Change my vote to
[X] Repeat the choices of branch 2, until he arrives at the chamber with the pool of blood

Not my first pick, but in the effort of moving on, I will go with this. But people, you realize that we are forced in the next choiced to go out of Sprite form early if you want another shot opening the door. Assuming we don't get Shinji killed right off the bat again.

[Malorius]

Alf, I am afraid to sound like munchkin, but there is something I have seriously considered while rereading the quest.

Do we have some Combat Experience "skill" running on the background? Because the sheer amount of fighting Shinji has participated in and the level of opposition he has witnessed by this point is pretty impressive. Does it have some impact on his character/overall capabilities? Since, you know, his decision making still heavily relies on our votes and thus his judgement haven't actually improved. I know that it's not a game in the "everything adheres to these numbers" sense, but "Mind's Eye (false)" is a thing in Fate, so evidently battle experience compounds on itself in the setting somehow. (Not that I think that Shinji will get it in foreseeable future, though.)

What are your thoughts?

[alfheimwanderer]

Choice 347: [X] Repeat the choices of branch 2, until he arrives at the chamber with the pool of blood

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Do we have some Combat Experience "skill" running on the background? Because the sheer amount of fighting Shinji has participated in and the level of opposition he has witnessed by this point is pretty impressive. Does it have some impact on his character/overall capabilities? Since, you know, his decision making still heavily relies on our votes and thus his judgement haven't actually improved. I know that it's not a game in the "everything adheres to these numbers" sense, but "Mind's Eye (false)" is a thing in Fate, so evidently battle experience compounds on itself in the setting somehow. (Not that I think that Shinji will get it in foreseeable future, though.)

You mean Eye of the Mind (True)? He's not gotten to the point where he can use such a thing, though as long as he continues to fight and grow, his ambition and his will to stay alive will help him grow at a rate beyond what someone may normally expect. His decision making to some point relies on votes, though when it comes to the really important things, he will make his own choices.

There is also the remaining effect of the Blessing of Inari you received a year ago, which may be somewhat helpful.

---

Choice 348: It sang to him, calling to him as he neared it, and surrendering to its call, he followed it, willing his spirit through the treacherous cracks it seeped through. There was a distance yet for him to follow, as the song grew stronger, stronger, stronger, until at last, he emerged into a vast pool of it, within some kind of cavern, or perhaps ruins.

'Blood. A pool of blood...'

[ ] Go physical and bathe in it, as it seems to call to him to do
[ ] Get out of the pool and go physical, as his spiritual senses may not be completely reliable in such a place
[ ] Stay in spirit form and explore the cavern
[ ] (write-in)

[Malorius]

[X] Get out of the pool and go physical, as his spiritual senses may not be completely reliable in such a place

Well, the vote doesn't lie, staying in spiritual form is counterproductive in a spiritual trap. Let's see what we will be able to find without getting messed up by the mental influence.

[sileaf]

[x] Get out of the pool and go physical, as his spiritual senses may not be completely reliable in such a place

[alfheimwanderer]

Choice 348: [X] Get out of the pool and go physical, as his spiritual senses may not be completely reliable in such a place

---

Choice 349: Given the strength of the compulsions acting on him, Matou Shinji thought it was probably a good idea for him to step out of the pool and go physical, forcibly terminating the effect of the Potion of Fading. And as he did, materializing into the room, he closed his eyes, fighting off the thousand aches and pains that returned to his awareness along with his body, coupled with the vanishing of the euphoria that filled him whenever he took spirit form.

It made him feel...heavy, weak, tired, having to deal with the natural shocks that flesh was heir to, and he had to blink away a wave of fatigue.

Maybe he should have gotten some sleep last night - maybe his mind would be clearer, and he wouldn't be so uncertain.

'Not that anything is certain when I'm in a room with a great pool of blood.'

Finally feeling he had himself under control, the boy opened his eyes, only to blink again, dumbfounded as he saw that the pool behind him was glowing with an eerie inner light, pulsing in time with....

'...markings on the walls. Runes. A runic array.'

No. At first glance, they looked like runes, but looking more closely, they were anything but. They were...

'Information. Energy. Meaning concentrated into a memetic unit, to be absorbed by sight, by....'

...by touch.

By the time he realized what he was done, his fingers were already brushing against the first of the odd designs, and--

'A face...'

Fire. Fire all around was what he saw, as hundreds of lines of light streaked towards...towards...something massive. Dozens of figures, maybe even hundreds with all manner of weapons in hand.

They struck, strands of prana and power surging forth, only for their attacks to be negated entirely, as if--

'They're feeding it. Whatever they're doing, they're feeding it.'

The figure, before their eyes, grew....

And then Shinji was back in the chamber, the memories of the past blending together with the present situation. If each one of these glyphs contained a memory...and there were thousands upon thousands of such memories, then just what was this place?
...and did he have time to try and absorb all the memories here? Would they even help?

What does Shinji do?

[ ] Try to absorb all the memories, to see if he can find out more
[ ] Look for a way out, there's really no time to dwell on these records
[ ] Perhaps he should try bathing in the pool of blood after all?
[ ] Meditate for a while, at least nothing's coming after him, and he needs the rest
[ ] (write-in)

[sileaf]

A record? Hmmm...
Knowing more will be helpful to figure out the purpose of tgis place

Edit:
[X] Meditate for a while, at least nothing's coming after him, and he needs the rest

[Malorius]

[x] Meditate for a while, at least nothing's coming after him, and he needs the rest

Side quest get! We don't have to complete it now though.

The memory is an obvious shiny. I want it, badly. Yet Shinji is weakened, we don't have abundance of food and, most importantly, the memory array won't disappear if we decide to explore it later. And getting the memories now seems like an obvious Bad End from starvation.

Now we need to focus, Zelkova's return is nigh. Next, mark this place with ofuda, enter Fusion and escape to settle a camp. Get food. Then we can return.

On the other hand. Does Shinji have any food packed, Alf?

[alfheimwanderer]

He had food stored within the Book of Potions, as it's ability to store goods was such a convenient thing. Alas, he no longer has the book, and so does not have food packed.

[Malgos]

Look for a way out.

[alfheimwanderer]

I've been thinking about possible NG+ situations. Here are some possibilities...

1) Matou Shinji and the Cursed Professorship (HP Canon) - Wherein Matou Shinji is unwittingly thrown into a past of a Britain not his own, and to support himself, must wok as the Defense Professor of Hogwarts

2) Matou Shinji and the Sacred Void (FoZ) - Wherein Matou Shinji is summoned to another world as the familiar of one of the four Void Familiars of Halkegenia.

3) Matou Shinji and the Charon Relay (ME) - Wherein Matou Shinji, an Agent of Atlas, goes exploring the solar system and stumbles upon something hidden within the frozen moon of Charon

4) Matou Shinji and an Incarnating Radius (???) - ???

Thoughts?

[Malorius]

Matou Shinji and the Charon Relay (ME) may be more promising because others bear the stigma of children/teen-oriented media. Unless you are willing to put the same amount of effort into worldbuilding as in this story, it will severely influence expectations of readers
(like me, ofc). Personally, I find it disgusting when a character from "dark and mature" world finds themselves in settings like that. It never ends up as an interesting story, for one.

Have no idea what Radius refers to, so I'm cautiously optimistic.

EDIT. Wow, grammar was slaughtered here. Fixed.

[alfheimwanderer]

It goes without saying that I would put effort into world-building. That's one of my favorite parts about this sort of stuff, after all! That and delving into the existing lore and fleshing out what's out there.

[sileaf]

1 sounds fun, but i think it should be left as omake or a series of oneshot rather than a quest.
( Speaking of alt timeline...fate/grand order?)

2 is overused and boring.
I have no idea what is 3 & 4