A densely philosophical session about the nature of reality and how to tell when you’re in a simulation, especially when you, the player, know that this is a collective imaginary “simulation” that we all choose to inhabit for a few hours a week.
What fun!
Considering the situation, this makes it very easy to sneak a Halloween Special in before the game returns to the characters we know and love. Prepare for a spooky one tonight!
Also please enjoy this artistic rendition of Damnation Snels being uploaded to the Matrix.
So without further ado -
Session 244 - The Real World
Date:
1 000 000 years after the End.
1 000 000 years after the End.
Character List:
- Andromeda, Level 7 Laddite Cleric / Kitty
- Red, Level 6 Fighter / Timothy
- DJ, Level 6 Intergalacticist Cleric / Charles
- Barrett, Level 6 Specialist Adonis / Tom
- Dargo, Level 4 Inheritor / Russell
- Luna, Level 3 Necromancer / Jonathon
- Red, Level 6 Fighter / Timothy
- DJ, Level 6 Intergalacticist Cleric / Charles
- Barrett, Level 6 Specialist Adonis / Tom
- Dargo, Level 4 Inheritor / Russell
- Luna, Level 3 Necromancer / Jonathon
Enemies Defeated:
- Existential Dread (1000 exp)
- Existential Dread (1000 exp)
Total: 1000 exp
Treasures Gained:
- Acceptance (1000 exp)
- Acceptance (1000 exp)
Total: 1000 exp
Events:
- Dargo and Barrett are sitting in chairs in a circular white room. Before them is a goblin in a leather coat and dark glasses. “What is real?” the goblin declares, then goes into a familiar speech.
- He shows them the world that they knew. The world as it was near the end of the 17th century, after the end of the world. The world that they’ve been living in is a simulation - the Poison World.
- As he goes on he waves a hand and the white walls retract to show the world as it is today - a thousand thousand years have passed since the end of the world, and under Styx’s immortal ministrations the Earth has recovered!
- They are on a balcony looking out over heaven. Fortress-City Fate lies on the edge of a beautiful sparkling sea under an unending blue sky dotted with white clouds. The air is clean and fresh. Flowered-open Seraphim sing in the skies above, and below the city bustles with life. People of all races, species, genders and creeds mingle in perfect harmony. Out in the sea itself, the huge baroque edifice of an Orbital God is surrounded by angels and sailboats, its huge shell parked on the edge of the continental shelf.
- As he goes on he waves a hand and the white walls retract to show the world as it is today - a thousand thousand years have passed since the end of the world, and under Styx’s immortal ministrations the Earth has recovered!
- They are on a balcony looking out over heaven. Fortress-City Fate lies on the edge of a beautiful sparkling sea under an unending blue sky dotted with white clouds. The air is clean and fresh. Flowered-open Seraphim sing in the skies above, and below the city bustles with life. People of all races, species, genders and creeds mingle in perfect harmony. Out in the sea itself, the huge baroque edifice of an Orbital God is surrounded by angels and sailboats, its huge shell parked on the edge of the continental shelf.
- “Welcome”, says Styx, “to the paradise of the real.”
--- Descartes’ Demon
- The pair are, naturally, skeptical of this new and perfect reality. Specifically - why don’t they remember being here? Why are all their memories from the alleged simulation?
- Styx calls in some very important people - themselves. A small plaza ascends below the balcony and steps unfold downwards.
- Barrett is introduced to a small glossy-black imp walk. He introduces himself as Bar’et’su, a demon imp who uploaded himself into a human body in the Poison World to see what he’d have done down there as a person. He laments that it seems he always ends up as a demon in the end. Barrett realises that he is, indeed, an imp, but he walks inside a projection of the perfect human Barrett he wants to be.
- Dargo meets a slightly posher version of himself with crab-claw fingertips. Nearby, waiting, are many other Dargo versions. Dargo tells him that he does this a lot, and explains that Dargo’s early memories are indeed shared between them. They wipe some memories when they jack into a simulation, but everyone needs some implanted memories to stay stable.
- Both Dargo and Barrett are given the offer to merge back into their original real-world selves. It’s not mandatory, they can persist as an independent mind if they wish, but the option is always on the table. Bar’et’su always merges back in, but Dargo has so many versions because they tend to prefer independence.
- The Poison World simulation is just one of thousands upon thousands of simulations. Those in the real world can fork their consciousness into a simulation, live a life inside the simulated world, and merge themselves back into their consciousness when they “die” in the simulation. Sometimes they diverge so much in the simulation that they can’t, or don’t consent to, merge back into a single mind. Such forked consciousnesses are given a new body and allowed to do what they will - a whole new separate being.
- They ask about the Triffid Styx in the Poison World who kept getting denied an upload to the core Styxmind, and are shown that he is actually here in the real world. He went a bit native so he’s too aberrant to be merged into the main Styx, so they’ve given him a body in the real world like they would for anyone else.
- Dargo asks to go to the library and Styx gives him a palm-sized iphone 3000 with Styxipedia on it, telling him that physical libraries are an affectation these days. Dargo gets to work looking up the history of the real world.
- Essentially - the world ended, Shub-Niggurath was destroyed, all extant people in Fate were uploaded to the city’s databanks and their bodies were reverted to biomass. Many many thousands of years later, once the Earth had recovered from the poison, everyone was recorporealised in Fate. That was a thousand or so years ago, and in the time since they’ve reached the stars!
- Barrett’s blown away by all this and goes to get a drink. He goes down to the city, walking inside his handsome Barrett projection, and heads into the first bar he sees. He orders a drink and the bartender can immediately tell that he’s fresh-of-the-jack, so a nearby Styx loudly says he’ll buy everyone a round and starts telling everyone how they’ll put him at ease.
- The Styx quietly tells everyone that this guy’s from the Poison World sim and starts something of an impromptu theme night! Everyone pretends they’re from the 17th century to put Barrett at ease, even if they keep going too far playing up the racism and homophobia. Barrett has a great night, and realises that he’ll even be accepted here in his imp form! Wild!
- The pair are, naturally, skeptical of this new and perfect reality. Specifically - why don’t they remember being here? Why are all their memories from the alleged simulation?
- Styx calls in some very important people - themselves. A small plaza ascends below the balcony and steps unfold downwards.
- Barrett is introduced to a small glossy-black imp walk. He introduces himself as Bar’et’su, a demon imp who uploaded himself into a human body in the Poison World to see what he’d have done down there as a person. He laments that it seems he always ends up as a demon in the end. Barrett realises that he is, indeed, an imp, but he walks inside a projection of the perfect human Barrett he wants to be.
- Dargo meets a slightly posher version of himself with crab-claw fingertips. Nearby, waiting, are many other Dargo versions. Dargo tells him that he does this a lot, and explains that Dargo’s early memories are indeed shared between them. They wipe some memories when they jack into a simulation, but everyone needs some implanted memories to stay stable.
- Both Dargo and Barrett are given the offer to merge back into their original real-world selves. It’s not mandatory, they can persist as an independent mind if they wish, but the option is always on the table. Bar’et’su always merges back in, but Dargo has so many versions because they tend to prefer independence.
- The Poison World simulation is just one of thousands upon thousands of simulations. Those in the real world can fork their consciousness into a simulation, live a life inside the simulated world, and merge themselves back into their consciousness when they “die” in the simulation. Sometimes they diverge so much in the simulation that they can’t, or don’t consent to, merge back into a single mind. Such forked consciousnesses are given a new body and allowed to do what they will - a whole new separate being.
- They ask about the Triffid Styx in the Poison World who kept getting denied an upload to the core Styxmind, and are shown that he is actually here in the real world. He went a bit native so he’s too aberrant to be merged into the main Styx, so they’ve given him a body in the real world like they would for anyone else.
- Dargo asks to go to the library and Styx gives him a palm-sized iphone 3000 with Styxipedia on it, telling him that physical libraries are an affectation these days. Dargo gets to work looking up the history of the real world.
- Essentially - the world ended, Shub-Niggurath was destroyed, all extant people in Fate were uploaded to the city’s databanks and their bodies were reverted to biomass. Many many thousands of years later, once the Earth had recovered from the poison, everyone was recorporealised in Fate. That was a thousand or so years ago, and in the time since they’ve reached the stars!
- Barrett’s blown away by all this and goes to get a drink. He goes down to the city, walking inside his handsome Barrett projection, and heads into the first bar he sees. He orders a drink and the bartender can immediately tell that he’s fresh-of-the-jack, so a nearby Styx loudly says he’ll buy everyone a round and starts telling everyone how they’ll put him at ease.
- The Styx quietly tells everyone that this guy’s from the Poison World sim and starts something of an impromptu theme night! Everyone pretends they’re from the 17th century to put Barrett at ease, even if they keep going too far playing up the racism and homophobia. Barrett has a great night, and realises that he’ll even be accepted here in his imp form! Wild!
--- More Arrivals and a Departure
- Luna, Andromeda and Dustin Johnson emerge into the white room and are given Styx’s now-classic introduction to the real world. The Poison World was a simulation, they’re out now!
- Andromeda is introduced to POWERLAD. He’s alive! He’s a little sheepish because it turns out there are lots of Andromedae in the real world too. He always merges back in after he returns from a simulation, but the Andromedae tend to be independent. He’s a bit sheepish because it totally looks like he’s got a harem.
- Dustin “DJ” Johnson finds out that his real world original is… Galaxy Johnson! Yes, the smoky space alien is him! He totally worships himself! DJ asks for weed and tries to dispel the illusion by getting high, but it’s all real! He blathers something about “stupid cyber-weed” and starts hugging Styx.
- Andromeda is introduced to POWERLAD. He’s alive! He’s a little sheepish because it turns out there are lots of Andromedae in the real world too. He always merges back in after he returns from a simulation, but the Andromedae tend to be independent. He’s a bit sheepish because it totally looks like he’s got a harem.
- Dustin “DJ” Johnson finds out that his real world original is… Galaxy Johnson! Yes, the smoky space alien is him! He totally worships himself! DJ asks for weed and tries to dispel the illusion by getting high, but it’s all real! He blathers something about “stupid cyber-weed” and starts hugging Styx.
- Barrett turns up, having had a wonderful time at the bar. He claims, “I know how to sort this out!” and asks Styx for a weapon. Styx hands him a knife, not understanding why. Barrett takes the knife and stabs Styx in the heart!
- Styx gasps! “Why?! Why would you do this!? I only wanted to… ahhh just kidding! Of course I can’t die that easily!”
- Barrett breathes a sigh of relief, flips the knife, and rams it into his own heart instead. The projection of Sexy Barrett fades away, leaving the tiny black imp behind dying on the ground. Ba’ret’su runs over, crying, “Why!? Why?!” as he dies a tiny death.
--- Rejecting Eden
- There is much further deliberation. Philosophical territories are crossed. Downloading into a new simulation is suggested, or travelling into space to navigate the real world’s stars. If it is indeed the real world, that is.
- Finally, after much discussion, they decide to reject the perfect reality and descend back into the Poison World simulation. Styx, and their real world originator-consciousnesses, are regretful. It is a tragedy that they define their existence by hardship, but it is their choice to make.
- They emerge back into the Poison World, or perhaps, emerge back into reality. They each have their memories, an iphone 3000, and some cool shit to take with them.
- Dargo has a case that contains genetic material - enough to absorb the powers of any creature on the planet. Luna has a bandolier of Last Breaths that, if touched, causes her face to peel back and reveal her skull which speaks with the Voice of the Dead. DJ has a steel briefcase full of drugs, created at will.
- They descend the stairs and find themselves back on the black glass. There is a wagon nearby and Barrett, the original Barrett, staggers out to see them. The Void Pet in trapezoidal form rolls towards Andromeda and forms a toroid around her neck. Luna’s skeletons are at attention, boosted by vines to hulking monstrosities.
- They decide to head to the Seraphim so Dargo calls a Guber on his phone. It takes a few minutes to get accepted, but soon a 4.7* rated Guber driver is drifting towards them. The woman driving yells, “Get in, fuckos!” and they’re off over the trees!
- After about half an hour of awkward smalltalk later, they arrive! The Seraphim has a massive claw partially crashed through the diamond dome, and a deployment chute through the centre must have been how all these dead and deactivated angels got in. Much good that did them.
- There is a flock of reptiles roosting around the chute. They are what we might call Sharovipteryx, winged reptiles whose wings are on their hindlegs. They scatter as the group climb up into the Seraphim itself.
- They make their way into the central chamber and see a hooded figure which becomes the Lady and finally ends at Minerva, she of the Burnished Shield. She apologises for the falsehood, but the Seraphim’s still working out what it should be doing after it got fried stabbing into the dome.
- They’re allowed control of the Seraphim and Dargo and Red decide to take the machine up. The moon is their target! The ground disappears below them, the moon gets less realistic as they get closer, and they basically break the nascent simulation before it gets a chance to get going!
- Styx throws off the hologram and says, “oh fine, you got me, whatever”. Red shows him a picture of the stars in her world, and asks to go there. The world around them trickles away into pixels and blackness and then… nothing.
--- The Poison World
- They come to consciousness in a rumbling room amongst knocked-over chairs. It’s the Elevator. The cables in the backs of their necks are still jacked in. Their teeth tingle. The air smells stale and dusty. There is dirt under their nails. The light stings their eyes.
- One by one, as they recover, they twist and pull the jacks out of the back of their necks. Deep throbbing then the shallow sharp pain as it comes out, grinding against vertebrae. They ache. Backs and joints and shoulders. They taste old coppery blood in their dry dry mouths. They blink blurry eyes, tears trailing down their dirty cheeks. Banged shins, pins and needles. Awful. Vulnerable. Real.
- A plaintive voice cries out from somewhere. It sounds like Barrett. They emerge from the elevator, crunching over sharp black glass, and find him kneeling on the crystal chaff. He is sobbing, but smiling. His whole self is rising out of the long months of despair and self-hate. Finally himself once more. Finally, finally, free.
Total: 1800 exp
Team Bonus:
- Best of Intentions bonus
- Classic Charles bonus
- Diplomancy bonus
- Dramatic Escape bonus
- Long Deliberation bonus
- Pundemonium bonus
Total: 300 exp
- Best of Intentions bonus
- Classic Charles bonus
- Diplomancy bonus
- Dramatic Escape bonus
- Long Deliberation bonus
- Pundemonium bonus
Total: 300 exp
Individual Bonus:
- Chronicler (Tom / Barrett - 100 exp)
- Vanguard (Russell / Dargo - 100 exp)
- JÜGBRINGYR bonus (Timothy, Charles - 500 exp ea.)
- Art Attack bonus (Charles, Carter - 100 exp ea.)
- An Hero bonus (Barrett… sorta - 200 exp)
- Chronicler (Tom / Barrett - 100 exp)
- Vanguard (Russell / Dargo - 100 exp)
- JÜGBRINGYR bonus (Timothy, Charles - 500 exp ea.)
- Art Attack bonus (Charles, Carter - 100 exp ea.)
- An Hero bonus (Barrett… sorta - 200 exp)
Exp Totals:
- Kitty / Andromeda, Level 7 Laddite Cleric: 64049 (Level up at 112000)
- Kitty / Andromeda, Level 7 Laddite Cleric: 64049 (Level up at 112000)
- Tim / Red, Level 6 Fighter: 46062 (Level up at 64000)
- Charles / Dustin Johnson, Level 6 Intergalacticist Cleric: 43594 (Level up at 56000)
- Tom / Adonis Barrett, Level 6 Specialist: 29175 (Level up at 48000)
- Russell / Dargo, Level 4 Inheritor: 16314 (Level up at 18000)
- Johnathon / Luna, Level 3 Necromancer: 7941 (Level up at 9000)
