(The evening after the Liminal Ball, post Sift results)

[rosewater_path]

[Everyone will recognize ROSE's voice on the Network, and will see her in their minds' eye, as though she was using Image Projection - but she's gone fully monochromatic, her voice is curiously autotuned, her hair is done up in coiled buns on either side of her head, and she's wearing a simple, pale blue dress or robe the same color as her skin and hair.]

Okay, hep cats and hoppin' kitties. You did it. Now for our end of the deal.

You and everyone we scooped out of Godzilla's Midnight Snacktime get a free ticket back to the Umbrian Vale, any Spire except Stricken Star, any time from fourteen minutes before we brought you out to fourteen days after.

Me and the Heavenly Choir have veto power, but we trust you and we owe you on this one - so we're listening.

If you need more time here to prep we can give you a little while - but the longer we wait here, the more our options on where to drop you off narrow. For every day here, shave two days off the times we can drop you off after; and two minutes off the times we can drop you off before.

I'll open a channel where you can talk to me; a channel where you can talk without me; and a channel where you can vote.

((OOC: voting will close at 11:59 PM CST on 1/9; a fresh Jaunt plotting post will go up immediately thereafter, and the Jaunt will resume sometime on the evening of 1/10.))

Comments

CHANNEL 01: AMA

[rosewater_path]

[breakaleginhalf]

...why fourteen?

[someone has to ask]

[fearinahandfulof]

If you send us to a time after... that means that the attack still happened, doesn't it?

[It seems like it would follow anyway, but it's still worth asking, if only to confirm.]

[reallymean]

Can you tell us how extensive the damage to Fallenheart was, or would that be cheating?

Re: CHANNEL 01: AMA

[forcechanic]

Okay, that outfit? Seriously?

[She's supposed to focus but that's distracting]

Everyone has to go the same place?

Re: CHANNEL 01: AMA

[thornsofmalkav]

Okay. This is cool but, like, how are you doing that? I thought your brains were too big to talk to us on the network?

[claudiometer]

Can you split the party? Because giving the expedition a leg up would be awesome, but I'm sure at least some of us are champing at the bit to give the Nation-Eaters a taste of their own medicine.

[tookashirototheknee]

... I have so many questions about changing the space time continuum, but none of them are either relevant or useful, and half of them are sarcastic.

Is there any possibility of changing things if we go before we were pulled? Or is time set in stone?

... although I do have to say I love your outfit. I always thought she was the brains of the operation.

[neverfeltthatway]

I think the best idea I have so far is if we have the Arcana drop us off in a different spire, rewinding causality as far as they can. Then those of us who want to fight the nation eater immediately portal to just outside fallenheart - close enough to reach the creature but far enough to avoid collateral damage - and start spamming psychic and liminal skills as much as we can, hopefully drawing it to us. Maybe along with any other travelers who want to help make sure we can draw it out, but don't want to fight and are ready to jump back into liminal space and safety when it gets there.

If all goes well, the nation-eater will emerge outside the city and we can fight it without any damage to fallenheart or destruction of their much needed food stores and resources. If not... at least we've moved the people to relative safety, for the moment.

Of course, it's possible that the conflagration of psychic and liminal energy we use to draw it out could attract more nation eaters. With how slowly they move, hopefully sustained signals matter more than immediate intensity, at least for those that are far away?

That's the immediate solution I can see, anyway. What do you think?

CHANNEL 09: Private Discussion

[sagetime]

[desperate_times_right]

Sounds like we all have to go back together. If we go to before the attack, do you think we could make enough commotion to draw the Nation-Eaters up outside Fallenheart instead of in the middle of it?

[leftbehindagain]

Ten or so minutes isn't nothing, but I'm not sure it's enough to reliably get a whole city to relative safety. It might be better to focus on going forward and come back to Fallenheart later.

[Especially since they will be getting everyone to relative safety thanks to this interlude, if they go somewhere else.]

[claudiometer]

Lodestar. Some of us are going there anyway, and if a dearth of Magnators is a problem electricity-wise, give them a chance to redeem themselves that has nothing to do with ruling the world.

If they can split the party, by all means kick Jauntzilla's ass. If not, odds are we'll end up in a rematch at some point.

[fruitknife]

Where can we do the most for the fucking awful state of their food?

[crouching_sin]

There's another possiblity.

The Vale was connected to other Vales, at one point. This one's clearly fucked.

Why not just... get them out of it?

CHANNEL 21: Vote!

[rosewater_path]

[claudiometer]

One for Lodestar. 'Plausible travel-time deniability' wouldn't hurt, but I'm all for saving Hypatia a little trouble if I can.

Re: CHANNEL 21: Vote!

[thornsofmalkav]

Another for Lodestar. I'd like to try to have Chara rally the Magnators if she can.

[crouching_sin]

We may as well try Lodestar. With enough skipped time to be plausible as travel time if possible.

Re: CHANNEL 21: Vote!

[butthemiracleneverhappen]

...14 minutes before, to Fallenwrath.

I've used my Oracular powers to determine that the Kadadors will be most likely and willing to help the refugees, accept Traveller advice, and mount a defense.

A full 70% chance, in fact.

Re: CHANNEL 21: Vote!

[desperate_times_right]

Screw it. Fallen Wrath, ten minutes ago. Gives us two days prep time, offers us the best chance to save anything in Fallenheart, gives the refugees the best shot at survival.

[helborn]

Fallenwrath. As far back as we can.

Re: CHANNEL 21: Vote!

[highsteaks]

... ah crap. I'll lead the expedition from wherever you put us. Well, Kleio will. I dunno if you should wake me up in her or not.

[There's a brief pause, the psychic equivalent of biting your lip.]

There are people Kleio would trust in Fallen Wrath, if they're still there. She left because of herself, not because of them.

Re: CHANNEL 21: Vote!

[theflyingone]

Fallen Wrath, to give the people of Fallenheart their best chance. But all these portals may draw a Nation Eater, no matter what time we choose. Those willing to fight it must lure it outside the Spire, wherever it chooses to appear.

[brokers]

Fallen Wrath, with as much time as you can give us.