Journal Entry

[steadypulse]

Sender: 76
To: Everyone
Subject: Information

[This finds its way across the journals a few days after the dreamshift ends-]

Going to attempt to keep this short.

If you remember the journal wide post warning about the Story Eater? Here's more of that.

Most of what was fought in that dreamshift, if we're going to keep calling it that, were created or caused by the Story Eater tampering in it much like it would in stories. More than enough proof points to that, including stuff found at Baba Yaga's hut, and it was a small taste of what it's capable of for those among us that didn't take a detour to the Realm of Stories before ending up here. Those red-eyed things were Eraser influence, and it looks like Story Eater may have it's own new tricks as well.

Thing is? There are Erasers here as well, not just in dreamshifts. They're not the Noctaere and it's safer not to mistake one for the other; they're entirely different beasts from each other and pose their own dangers.

Noctaere are best not come into physical contact with, as from experience that can hurt you as much as any of their attacks; seems like only this dreamotion stuff is the best way to deal with them. Erasers you can physically wail on to an extent and get somewhere, but using other means can keep them down longer or put them down faster. Some are a lot stronger than others, depends on how much the Story Eater put in to them.

If you recall the quest on the board about the witches that were dumping paint on people before we suddenly found ourselves neck-deep in that Halloween dreamshift? Those were Erasers, likely based off The Wicked Witch from Wizard of OZ; one reason throwing water on them seemed to destroy them with what info that notice provided for anyone who went after them. From what I can guess, they were a test of some sort and your guess as to why is as good as mine.

Look for red eyes, and ink coming out of it. Likely based off of something in a story, possibly twisted in some way. Easiest way to identify an Eraser.

I'm not going to respond to any private messages about this. You want to talk privately? Come find me. Otherwise? Anything you've got to ask or say here is better off public access for others' sake.

[Might not answer everything either, but there it was. Written out as much as he was willing, strange as most words felt to write.

Was as much information as 76 had to share with what knowledge and details he had.]

Comments

[flamekthunder]

Given the nature of this world...it's quite possible. However, if I recall the Story Eater traveled into this world, correct? Unlike the rest of us who only seem to be existing through our own dreams back home, the Story Eater may have it's entire being rather than just a fragment like us. If that's the case, then it could have even other powers.

[Why is this sounding even more complicated—yet he can't leave out any possibility, as unlikely as it is. At least not until it can be safely crossed out.]

Is there even a way to test it? I don't know how easy it is to study these creatures to begin with.

[steadypulse]

You're correct. Even in the other world, those of us there were only our souls in bodies essentially created by whatever story Essence latched on to help us and them exist in some sort of anchor. Story Eater came in whole.

More and more this is going to end up being even more of a pain in the ass than it already was either way, huh.

[A giant pain in the ass, but still needing to be dealt with.]

Your guess is as good as mine. I usually just beat an Eraser down until it stopped moving and went to the next.

[flamekthunder]

[Yes this really is troublesome... Especially to find some kind of countermeasure.]

Does that really work even here? I assumed you had to have the additional powers from when in the Story Realm to be effective against them.

[steadypulse]

Mine manifested in ways that allowed me to beat one down until it stopped moving. [No really, Raw Head had been extremely physical- magic in his bones.] You can get them to stop moving with physical attacks. Having another ability makes it quicker.

Part of that was to keep us there and give us ability to fight since only some aspects of ourselves transferred, too. Those additional powers were extremely helpful, but not the only way. Some only had fighting skills.

[flamekthunder]

I see. Did you feel any difference in the one you fought here? Any advantages when using dreamotion abilities?

[steadypulse]

They came in handy, more so when it came to disposing of them all at once. Brought them down physically with a touch of dreamotion to catch them. Couldn't tell much of a difference otherwise.

[He was very much more in to beating something to a pulp because it was what he was used to and it still did work. Would also agree that the extra abilities did their job, too.]

[flamekthunder]

It would make sense using the power of this world could give us some kind of upper hand.

How strong can these Erasers become?

[steadypulse]

It does, yeah.

It honestly depends on what they're made for. They're all dangerous in some way, but at the very least they can be stronger than your average man, and at worst they're some twisted monster version of a character.

[flamekthunder]

When you say "twisted," I assume you mean like a corrupted personality or appearance.

[steadypulse]

They don't normally have much personality to them, so it's appearance wise. Like taking a children's story character and twisting them in to a monster of sorts.

[flamekthunder]

Then they "should" be easy to spot. Are they capable of disguising themselves?

[steadypulse]

The only good part about them, they're usually easy to spot. They can be if created to do so.

[flamekthunder]

I suppose the next difficulty is recognizing them as Erasers and not a fae we've never seen before... I assume all Erasers are hostile?

[steadypulse]

Hopefully it can be managed, even with all the strange fae around so far. They typically are, yes. The only non-hostile Erasers I have encountered were the witches dumping their 'paint' before that dreamshift occurred.

They still fought back, but I believe they were only pulling pranks to not draw attention to what they really were.

[flamekthunder]

A test then. More to the point it makes it clear they truly aren't just brainless minions.

[He kind of wished they were—easier to deal with.]

Anything else about them that would be useful to know?

[steadypulse]

Very much a test. Some of them can be and others are clearly not, yeah. Difference between fodder mean to just overwhelm and ones with more of a purpose.

Nothing coming to mind right now, but I don't doubt anyone else who was in that world before this one might have something more.

[flamekthunder]

It's been informative regardless O I appreciate the answers.

[steadypulse]

Reason for it, so glad for it.