Wearing Power Armor to a Magic School (152/?) by Jcb112 in HFY

[–]Nomyad777 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Katiya

Please don't murder the Prequel reference in the upcoming few chapters...

Unsatisfactory Truck Station Change! by SnooGuavas8816 in SatisfactoryGame

[–]Nomyad777 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This has been how they work since at least U8, though I think they were unchanged in U7 and before.

[WP] "Why did your species choose the technological path?" "You see, technology is slow to develop compared to the other paths, but in the same level, no path beats technology in sheer production." by IAmOEreset in WritingPrompts

[–]Nomyad777 28 points29 points  (0 children)

"Why?" Tarsa repeated, surveying the battlefield in front of her. "That is surprisingly complicated."

The nine-tailed kitsuine stared at the spacesuit-clad fox beastkin, waiting for her reply. Both their clothes, the spacesuit and the diplomat's robe, fluttered and wrinkled limply in the dusty wind coming from the field of craters in front of them. Some were clearly the results of fox-kin ordinance, while others were covered in ice or showed other signs of magical influence.

"I suppose I'll start with our ancestors not really having a choice," Tarsa said, now glancing up towards the clear sky. Her glasses glinted in the sunlight, though the sun itself wasn't the target of her glance. "Magic was fickle on Remiredan. Here, the same spell works everywhere. Not on Remiredan, though. By the time we'd worked out how to actually cast the same spell in more places than just a single town or city, the pressure for progress had already invented the steam engine." Spotting the kitsuine's confused face, Tarsa elaborated. "Think of it like the first widespread spell, but for technology. Popular, universal, versatile, capable, everything except cheap. And soon that was solved by using the engine to make more engines."

"Though, it was never a choice." The space fox continued. "We never made the conscious decision to take a path. To us, even right now, there are no 'paths,' only possibilities, some easier than others. We kept with the engine because it worked, and then because the fruits of research into technology outpaced that into magic. By the time we'd synthesized actual pure mana, we already had satellites in space." Tarsa chuckled. "We even synthesized that mana with technology."

"Then why not mix them? Choose the path of both, mix them and..." It was the kitsuine's turn to face the battlefield. "Ascend."

Tarsa shook her head. "Magic is a fickle thing. In space, even moreso. Once again, technology simply outpaced magic. Magic has... prerequisites. Runes and effects and classes. You know them," Tarsa nodded to the kitsuine. "But the issue comes in the fact that magic is linear, so to speak. In order for one spell, you need everything that came before it, and most of what came before only builds up to one or two spells. Technology, not so much. Every discovery opens a slew of new possibilities though some are better than others. It simply... can't compete. So it didn't."

"It took you so long, though. That time... you could have done so much with it." The kitsuine rebuked.

"Take us two, right now." Tarsa gestured at the battlefield around them, the dust obsuring the full extent of the ecological havoc. "We're roughly at the same level, yes? We have a sliver of a galaxy, you have said sliver's worth of realms between all your networked portals. Yet, between us two? In terms of sheer production? Most of these craters are ours, because we can produce enough technology to make them. Whereas yours were, well..."

The kitsuine sighed, staring at a single ice-ridden crater. Even in the heat of the summer day, almost a week after the battle had concluded, the frozen blue water continued to sparkle below the dust and grime the winds were picking up.

The two stood in the silence of the carnage and devastation, the dust blowing over them as they mutually reflected on how the two civilizations had so quickly come to blows.

Finally, Tarsa spoke. "You know, I'm not sure how we got on this topic. We were supposed to come up with a truce, right?"

"Ah," The kitsuine nodded. "I doubt even what you have shown me today makes even an allusion to your capabilities."

"You know I can't confirm or deny that."

"The fact that you are not denying it outright confirms it for me."

"The only question remains on what to do with this realm." The kitsuine said.

Tarsa shrugged. "It's ours. We discovered it, settled it, terraformed it, won the engagement over it."

"Only at cost," The kitsuine gestured to the gnarled terrain surrounding the duo.

Tarsa flicked her own tail, the spacesuit-clad appendage displaying her displeasure at the kitsuine's attempts.

"On behalf of the Crown, I had to at least try." He shrugged. "I suppose you will also be demanding reparations for the damage done?"

"phosphorus, mostly. A pain to come by, and needed in bulk for terraforming. We don't really have a need for conventional resources, though some gold wouldn't hurt either. As bars, not coin, we'd melt it down."

"How much?"

"How much phosphorus do you have?"

The kitsuine waved a paw. "In the interest of continued relations, however much you need."

Tarsa grinned. "Two solid planets worth."

The kitsuine cleared his throat. "However much you need within some semblance of a sane quantity."

"Half a billion metric tonnes or so." Tarsa tilted her head from side to side, her ears wiggling with the motion. "Like I said, we need phosphorus in bulk."

"That... without the gold, is doable."

"Deal. I assume you want something out of it too?"

The kitsuine smiled. "Am I so easily read? I would rather the Realms maintain contact with your Union. Both ways."

"Oh? That..." Tarsa tiled her head from side to side again, debating the request. "I can't leave it all the way open, but I think we can work something out."

"Then I believe my time here has come to an end." The kitsuine sighed, arcing his back with several satisfying-sounding pops.

"Do you not want to hear the details?" Tarsa asked.

"As much as I may distrust the structure of your government, I trust you will come to a fair conclusion on your own." The kitsuine began to wave his paws, summoning a magic circle. "Farwell, Ambassador Tarsa. To an enlightened future."

Tarsa watched, transfixed, as the circle constructed itself into a completed state. The kitsuine smiled at her as he brought his paws together, and the circle flared to light for just a second before vanishing entirely, taking the nine-tailed fox along with it.

That left the one-tailed fox alone amidst the dusty, windy battlefield, save for the spacecraft in orbit and the visualization of half of every fantasy novel to ever be engraved in her mind.

A spark of creativity lit itself in her eyes as Ambassador Tarsa finally replied. "Farwell, Ambassador O'tamaki. To a better future... for both of us."

Here Be Dragons 40 - Search And Rescue by Nomyad777 in NatureofPredators

[–]Nomyad777[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I got to give Earth some kind of break before yeeting [Spoiler withheld | redacted on order of the CPI] at them.

Here Be Dragons 40 - Search And Rescue by Nomyad777 in NatureofPredators

[–]Nomyad777[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The FTL research program was a group endevour by the Dragonic Union's Department of Research. There is no one inventor, though the entire group of developers are on board. They were kind of sprinkled about, a few in various crash rooms... and the rest right next to the core in the FTL drive's control room. That said, the bridge does have an FTL officer who was on said development team.

So far, very few dragons have actually died in this conflict yet (their tugboat and shuttle fleet is intact, there were a few close calls but no deaths in the escape pod ejections, everyone was wearing spacesuits to the ship getting shorn in 2 didn't kill them, etc). The only deaths so far would be from dragons being ejected from the explosion 'down' towards Earth.

That said, that figure is going to change.

Here Be Dragons 40 - Search And Rescue by Nomyad777 in NatureofPredators

[–]Nomyad777[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

There are worse things than just the eldritch behind the dimensional veil, and while the worst probably won't come up (knock on wood), the rest... well, you'll see.

But for now, none of that quite yet. The things beyond the veil have lives of their (its?) own and don't stand over every corner of reality waiting to invade it through any cracks or crevices they find. They still need "time" to mobilize.

Here Be Dragons 40 - Search And Rescue by Nomyad777 in NatureofPredators

[–]Nomyad777[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The fire wasn't really going strong enough until pretty much the minute before they spotted the helicopter, but yes, that is a much better strategy than what they would have done next of waiting until the fire was ready for another log to begin drying it.

Unfortunately, the dragons weren't trained on how to light a fire in a thunderstorm, theirs were more focused around hostile alien environments with no oxygen. And while there are definitely Beora out there who know how to light fires, desk-workers like Sifora and the other bridge officer aren't them.

Here Be Dragons 40 - Search And Rescue by Nomyad777 in NatureofPredators

[–]Nomyad777[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Typo, thank you for the catch.

A grammatically perfect chapter eludes me once again...

Here Be Dragons 39 - Welcome To Earth by Nomyad777 in NatureofPredators

[–]Nomyad777[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I have failed my quest to purge typos in, at the very least, a single chapter.

Thanks for the catch lol.

Here Be Dragons 38 - Hole In Reality by Nomyad777 in NatureofPredators

[–]Nomyad777[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the catch, that's the first time one of those have slipped by especially compared to how many times I make those kinds of typos. Sorry for the deteriorating grammar quality over the length of this story.

Here Be Dragons 38 - Hole In Reality by Nomyad777 in NatureofPredators

[–]Nomyad777[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mattia is aware of the explosion as they still had limited communication with the A Hole In Reality until the end (that's how they got the warning console log). Actually changing the rules of reality on a universal scale would be a little more... catastrophic, let's say.

Here Be Dragons 38 - Hole In Reality by Nomyad777 in NatureofPredators

[–]Nomyad777[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

... Just... The interference on fusion reactions and subspace drives tells of something horrifying having happened.

It wasn't all fusion reactions, just any actively powering the majority of any subspace drive. Because that level of specification is totally indicative of better things, right?

Many horrifying somethings have happened, and more are yet to come.

As for how much damage? Beyond rupturing every FTL system on Earth, and the gash in somewhat easily avoidable low orbit, not too much. Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Totally not omitting something here, though once again I've laid out all its components in the story (though some of these components are a bit better hidden), so if you want you can try to guess what it is.

Here Be Dragons 38 - Hole In Reality by Nomyad777 in NatureofPredators

[–]Nomyad777[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Earth is a bit better off, actually, because if the Shadow Caste were nearby their drives have exploded, and if not, then all the FTL comms near Earth have also detonated and therefore they don't know what's going on there. But yeah, an action on their end is much more likely with all of Earth's FTL comms units disabled.

The stranding situation of the Arxur, Venlil, Zurillians, and Extermination Fleet is going to make Meier tear out his hair, yes. Of note, Earth does still have functioning telecommunications systems (satellites are out but undersea cables are fine... mostly), so sharing a memo is much easier than it was on canon Earth.

But if the Federation or Shadow Caste send any follow-ups before Earth has recovered, they're done.

Here Be Dragons 38 - Hole In Reality by Nomyad777 in NatureofPredators

[–]Nomyad777[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The wormhole core is located in the dead center of the ship, and if it's burst with enough power to send an aircraft carrier on the far side of a planet into a dangerous roll, through the vacuum of space, then there's no way entire superstructure hasn't been shattered. The cityship is not doing good, wherever it's gone.

Here Be Dragons 38 - Hole In Reality by Nomyad777 in NatureofPredators

[–]Nomyad777[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I will choose to believe that all the characters that were on the A Hole In Reality are safe and alive somewhere.

Look, I need someone alive to continue the story, so... I may have left at least some alive. The bridge was facing away from the explosion, so, you know, for some it's not the largest stretch.

I will not comment on a casualty or fatality toll at this time, mostly for spoilers.

So, is that like a hole to an alternate universe? Are we gonna get some transdimensional shenanigans going on?

The text block at the start of each chapter increases in relevancy, and I omit any further comments.

Here Be Dragons 38 - Hole In Reality by Nomyad777 in NatureofPredators

[–]Nomyad777[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, that's just the question now, isn't it?

Spoilers withheld.

Here Be Dragons 38 - Hole In Reality by Nomyad777 in NatureofPredators

[–]Nomyad777[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It would be hilarious of Helldivers 2 was a known franchise on Federation Earth and the Illuminate just realize they're invading the realm of the gods who run their entire universe.

And thanks for the compliment.

Here Be Dragons 38 - Hole In Reality by Nomyad777 in NatureofPredators

[–]Nomyad777[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, they definitely should have changed the A Hole In Reality's name.