[[To participate roll a d100 and post a course of action. The highest roll(s) will be given the most consideration. The important parts of the previous thread is screen capped in the attached pic but the full thread can be found here:
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/14855274/
and the two before it are posted as screen caps in the link.]]

bumping while I catch up

[[Bumping for any who are reading the archive still, or returning players. It's not too long of a read. Not yet anyways.]]

>>14867881
Well I'd say attempt another binding in the room of the east tower. A vestige that can work well in the darkness.

rolled 19 = 19

>>14868101
I swear I've forgotten how to roll...

rolled 7 = 7

IIRC, several of the symbols in the Book of True Binds were used as names of gods in one language - it might be worth investigating that to a greated extent. It might also be worth either binding Tene-something again, since the King's Letter mentioned his tower, or binding the others so that we can learn more about them. We'd want to have a lot of food on hand before summoning Gourmand, though.

You decide that now is the best time to attempt another summoning and that you should call upon your shadow of a friend Tenebrotep. He may be able to give you some answers and under cover of night he may be of use. But, most importantly, he's the only one of your vestiges you know anything at all about, unable to translate the cryptic pages of the book. And dealing with these eldritch fiends you don't know the first thing about leaves you at enough of a disadvantage as it is. You gather your things, making sure you have both keys securely in your pocket, and make for the tower. You walk the halls untroubled, everyone either in bed or returned to the festivities in the dining hall, and ascend the eastern tower to the guest room. You unlock the door and enter, re-locking it behind you. The room is lit only by moonlight through the open windows. Your bag of goods from the market, prepared to help you secure the room, still rests in your pocket. Your lantern is on the table along with your books in a neat pile to one side and the cabinet containing your treasures is still shut on the opposite side of the room.

Odd. You thought you closed the windows when you were here last. It was probably just one of the cleaning maids coming to clean the room. You'll have to keep that in mind during your stay here and not leave anything incriminating lying about.
You walk over to the cabinet, feeling the characteristic aura emanating from the objects within as you unlock it. Pulling the bundle of leathers out and shutting the doors you walk over to your table and unwrap it's contents. You place the steel disk atop your pile of books and lay the arcane tome before you on the table. You flip through the pages once more, finding everything as it last was, then look through the titles again:
-Xepoc, the Harbinger of Eternity’s Repose
-Seno and Eno, the Dichotomous Serpent
-Tenebrotep, the Lurker in the Night
-Asam’Ano Mora, the Architect of Misery
-Kuzo, the Storm Warder
-Gourmander, the Hungering One
You flip to Tenebrotep's page once more and look about the room. Are you certain that everything is ready? Is there anything else you want to do first?

rolled 75 = 75

>>14868313
Close the windows as much as you can. It'd be bad if someone outside were to see strange lights coming from inside. Recheck the door as well. A cleaning maid may have a key and a bad sense of timing...

>>14868313
>Kuzo, the Stormwarder
could it have anything to do with the storm Curwen mentioned? Maybe we should look at his page

rolled 70 = 70

>>14868313

My paranoia sense is tingling like crazy now. But if nothing else is out of place, and it looks like nothing was taken, then it means that we must have done a good job of covering our tracks. This is just a reminder to keep our important stuff securely locked and hidden.

I can't think of anything else to do. Perform the summoning.

After lighting the lantern, you close and latch the windows, drawing the drapes in front of them until there is no light penetrating through.
You return to the table and, thinking it may be of some use, turn to the pages of Kuzo, the Storm Warder. The only thing written in any sort of text you understand is the summoning intonation, the rest being in the cryptic dead language. There is a sketched picture on the fourth page of a lightning wreathed raven flying over a bear and a seal like all the others with different runes in different arrangements. There is nothing more of use in this entry that you can see.

SHIT YEAH BINDING!

Who would you like to summon?
Tenebrotep or Kuzo?

rolled 58 = 58

>>14868665
Tenebrotep?

rolled 57 = 57

You can't spell "Tenebrotep" without BROtep

You flip back to the passage of Tenebrotep's summoning ritual and read of the passage again out loud.
"I call upon you Tenebrotep, lurker in the night. Render unto me your counsel and your might. Come hither and stand before me."
The lantern extinguishes but you are not alarmed this time. Shadows quickly coalesce from the corners of the room and the familiar void of Tenebrotep's form rises up before you and steps forward from the table.
"It is good to see you again pact maker." Flows the icy tone from the dark room. Though you can barely see the figure before you in the light of the glowing runes on the floor, the pressure of the air reminds you constantly that you are not alone. "I knew you would return to me. Now, what is it that you wish to bargain for?"

rolled 76 = 76

>>14868765
I say we try to as him some questions before we do any binding. We can ask about the others in the book of true binds, specifically Gourmand and his relationship to Arnold. We can ask about our mission and Tenebrotep's past

rolled 91 = 91

>>14868765
"And good evening to you." I'd say, asking for the power to melt into the night and see through the darkness..

>>14868826
This. Knowledge is power. If he wants to go for a night jog after we can do that, maybe get some practice.

rolled 93 = 93

>>14868841
we need to try to do what Arnold was trying to do with Gourmand. Let him experience the "pleasures of the flesh" for a very brief period if he can answer all our questions. Not a true 2 hour bind.

"Hello to you too, specter," you say with a voice of authority. "I have need of your aide again. I think you will find my terms agreeable. I wish to adopt your form once again for a foray out into the night. You will have free reign to walk the world again. But before that, I must know a few things."
"Your terms are agreeable to me... But I must set a price. For each question I answer for you, you must answer one for me. And then I shall wish to have residence in your shell until sunrise, regardless of how long you actually have need of me. Those are my terms. Any objections?"

rolled 64 = 64

>>14868903
Faggot is getting greedy. We can summon any other spirit in the book of true binds if Tenebrotep doesn't lower his expectations

"I'm afraid that won't work."

>>14868936
Dealing with someone new though might be troublesome, but you do make a good point about him being greedy.

rolled 83 = 83

>>14868936
here. how about

"The may only experience my shell for one hour. I will answer a question for each that I ask you. Take it or leave it."

thoughts?

Shaking your head, you reject the offer. "You ask too much, Tenebrotep. I cannot risk so long a compact. When we encountered Gourmander there was talk of a 'complete release' for a short period. Would that be more to your liking over a shorter time?"
The shadow lifts a long hand to his blank face and strokes his braided beard of tentacles. "Perhaps... I could find use in such a thing. But I would require at least twenty minutes of time. No less. And of course, my questions answered in exchange for yours."

rolled 34 = 34

>>14868997

That sounds better. Agree to the terms.

First things first, we need to know more about the book we're supposed to be studying.

rolled 6 = 6

>>14868997
This sounds acceptable. Take the deal and commence with the binding.

rolled 13 = 13

>>14868997
this could be dangerous as fuck? what does complete release even mean? Arnold would only do that if it was for 2 minutes with Gourmander. Tenebrotep clearly means to use us.

I say we give him 5 minutes or less, or we summon another spirit and try to ask questions. perhaps Kuzo, the storm warder (doesn't sound evil as fuck. Might relate to the Gardener's comments)

"We have a deal. You may have your release when we have finished our exchange of questions. You will have 20 minutes and no more."
"Then it is settled," says the creature before you. Even without a mouth he seems to be grinning beneath his flesh covered face.
"Ask you first question."

[[Need to go away for a bit. Be back in less than an hour. Just list all the questions you want to ask. Roll decides order.]]

rolled 95 = 95

>>14869051

Ask him to explain what this release entails first, then we can decide. We kind of jumped into his offer last time and I want to be a bit more prepared as to what to expect now.

rolled 37 = 37

>>14869116

Well drat, looks like we're stuck with it now.

So, questions:
1. What is the book that we were given?
2. How can we read it?

And after that, I suppose just general stuff about binding and what to expect from practicing it, any important things we need to know otherwise.

rolled 31 = 31

>>14869116
"What exactly are the contents of this book. How much can you translate for me, for example."

rolled 14 = 14

We should also remember to ask him a bit more about his tower.

rolled 16 = 16

>>14869347

Seeing as the book was found near there, I would assume the two are related. We won't know until we ask him though.

rolled 25 = 25

I just thought of something potentially huge that we might want to keep in mind about Arnold
>He has always been quite rotund but healthy, and not far past his prime years
>not far past his prime years

If he is experienced in binding/magic, maybe he has some abilities that allow him to live longer. Maybe he has run into Tenebrotep at an earlier point.

We should ask Tenebrotep if he knows anything about Arnold and Arnold's relationship with Gourmander

rolled 28 = 28

>>14869441

"Not far past his prime years" just means that he's not really that elderly, just whatever is middle-aged for the time period we're living in. There's nothing really to suggest that he's older than he looks.

rolled 11 = 11

>>14869567
True, but he is older than us, and may have experiences with Tenebro that we don't.

Also I think to ask what he intends to do with his release? It seems fair, since we've already agreed to it.

[[Alright, back. Big post incoming so hold on. Also trying to deal with real life drama.]]

rolled 67 = 67

>>14868313
>Odd. You thought you closed the windows when you were here last. It was probably just one of the cleaning maids coming to clean the room.

PARANOIA!
...
Wait.. what?
Maids have access to this room? Fuck, if MAIDS have access to this room, _EVERYONE_ has access to it. I thought we said for secure place for research?

rolled 17 = 17

>>14869712

Well it doesn't matter what he does now, we can't amend the terms of the contract, so it's not like we can recall him if he says he's going to do something we don't like.

>>14869815

Yeah, I don't like it either, we can probably ask the chaplain to make sure it doesn't happen again. He wants this kept as confidential as possible, so we can probably convince him to close off the room to cleaning staff.

Of course there's always the possibility that is WASN'T a maid that left the window ajar,,,

rolled 15 = 15

>>14869861
Well yeah, but based on what he plans on doing, we could already have a way to fix it in case of an accidental release of an ultimate evil.

>>14869895

Oh come on, what's the worse he could do in 20 minutes?

...Actually, don't answer that. I don't really want to find out.

>>14869996
I have a feeling "Complete Release" means he has full control over our body for the duration of the pact.

>>14870007
we done goofed. whatever

You walk to the edge of the circle and grab the book from the table. "What is this book and why did it choose me? This can't all be just a coincidence."
Tenebrotep stands rigidly, his face blank. "It is the Veritalignicon, an artifact that has existed for untold centuries. It has the power to seal an entity away in the dark abyss of non-existence or to recall one. And you are right, it appears only once in a great while to bestow itself upon those who have need of it. Although it does not always select pact makers as... benevolent as yourself. It seeks out those who have the potential, like you."
He rotates towards without moving a muscle. "My turn. What is the EXACT year and location that we are occupying at this very moment and place. Be thorough."
You think to try to limit how much you give away but you feel compelled by the power of your word to answer. "It is the year 730 of the Zarian Empire, 500 years since the death of the last dwarf and 50 years since the beginning of the reign of the House of Sol. We stand in the Eastern Tower of Nordrime Monastery, 400 miles North West of the capital and 200 miles from the Hallowed Sea." You are horrified at how loosely your tongue flows at this spirit's command.

[[More coming.]]

>>14870031
> And you are right, it appears only once in a great while to bestow itself upon those who have need of it. Although it does not always select pact makers as... benevolent as yourself. It seeks out those who have the potential, like you."

So we're The Chosen One then, hmmm?

(Not a question to ask him, by the way)

>>14870031
He wasn't shitting us about having just as much control over us as we over him back during the first binding.

>>14870053

Yeah, well we can't do much about it now other than make sure we get all of our most important questions in.

rolled 24 = 24

>>14870053
Pact magic, man. My favorite phrase from ToM is "A Promise Possesses Power. An Oath Owns its Maker."

We promised to answer his questions in kind and so we shall...whether we like to or not.

You flip the book open and turn the pages to the cryptic language you do not understand. Holding the five symbols of your study on the paper before you you ask you next question. "Alright, tell me how I can read this language," you say trying to regain your composure. You feel deeply out of your element. "What is it and where does it come from."
"It is the language of the void, you can never read it's meaning because it does not exist. Only those who do not exist know it's purpose. Where it comes from even I do not know but it has existed since before man stepped first upon the earth."
Tenebrotep, flows to the edge of the circle and glances towards the nearest window.
"Now, for my last question. Where may I find the most beautiful thing in this town."
Horrified at what the meaning of this is you blurt out, unable to spot yourself, "She is the gardener's daughter and she lives in the town in the only two story house on Helios Lane."
You clasp your hands over your mouth. In rage you shout, "What do you need to know that for? What are you going to do?" But the dark form of Tenebrotep has vanished.
<Hush now. I have no more questions to ask, so our exchange is done. Now I will collect on my debt.>
The last thing you see is your twisted form leaping through the shutters of the window before everything fades to blackness.

>>14870130

rolled 12 = 12

Oh shit....
Something tells me that damage control would have been a good thing to have.

>>14870130

FFFFFFFFFFUUUCK

>>14870130
We dun goof'd bad. Looks like Tenebrotep has gotten lonely in the void all those years.

>>14870130
This is some fucking bullshit

Is TeneBRO implying that we can't ask anymore questions because he ran out? How the fuck could he break a pact as specific as we had?

Don't you think Gregory could ask more than 2 questions within 20 minutes?!

>>14870178

Well on the plus side, I doubt anyone will be able to trace whatever is imminently occuring back to us.

On the minus side, FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCK WE ARE NEVER AGREEING TO TOTAL RELEASE EVER AGAIN

It is a strange feeling, not existing. It would be quite peaceful being here, if there was a here to be. But you do not think these thoughts because you ARE not. You drift unseeing, unfeeling, unexisting. There is neither dark, nor light. Only nothingness.
And then suddenly everything IS once again. You stand in the dusk in the woodlands to the North of town across the Rime. You are panting heavily and there is a small form crumpled and bloody in front of you, a tangled mess of tattered clothing and blonde hair. Everything is so cold and dark but your eyes are well adjusted to the low light. You look down and see blood upon your fingernails, still wet. Looking around you glimpse the moon straight above you but no stars can be seen. You are wearing your clothing still and your pocket contents are still there, but it has blood speckled across the front. You try to contain your panic, not sure how you got here. But then, you realize you know exactly how you got here... But what to do now is the question.

[[I would just like to remind you that the last phrasing of the pact before the agreement was Tenebrotep saying "My questions answered in exchange for yours" to which you agreed. Next time get it in writing. An oath owns it's maker...]]

SHEEEEEET

Ok, damage control. See if she's dead or if we can anonymously drop her off at a doctor for help. We can make up an excuse about saving her from a wild animal attack or something.

>>14870222
Check to see if the body is alive.

rolled 92 = 92

>>14870222
Oshi-
Doubt it, but check if the poor thing is still alive, then ask tenebro what exactly happened?

>>14870226
but what the fuck allowed him to have free reign after two questions? Just cause he didn't want to ask any more questions?

bullshit. Even if we split the time 10 min questions/10 min free release, we could have had a lot more questions answered.

>>14870258
see >>14870234
Basically, Tenebrotep ruleslawyered us because we weren't specific enough.

You run to the crumpled form and turn her over. A large gash runs across her face and blood is flowing from her chest just above her heart but she is still breathing. It is unmistakably the Gardener's daughter. She does not seem to stir when you move her, but she is light enough to carry.

[[Going away for a few minutes. Argue amongst yourself over what to do and how I'm a horrible person.]]

>>14870272
whatever, I'll deal with it.

I don't see why we couldn't have ruleslawyered him into more question time if we have equal control over each other. That's how it goes with fucking demons and shit I guess

>>14870278
>horrible person
I only blame my fellow fa/tg/uys for not thinking a hundreds year old dead guy trapped in a void wouldn't be ronery as fuck. Anyways, use what's left of our clothing to try to bind her wounds then carry her to a doctor.

rolled 64 = 64

>>14870278
((Okidoki Loki. You're not horrible, though I'd like you to DM our group.))

So....I take it Tenebro doesn't like pretty things...
Ugh...are we even in a recognizable area? It's hard to get someone to safety if we don't know which way it is. I say we should try to backtrack to what appears to be a safe place to bring her. I...for some reason I don't think the village will be a good return point, but still..

Wait...our pockets are untouched, but please tell me we didn't go "American Werewolf in Paris" and forget all of our gear back in the tower...that could be worse than marring this poor girl's beauty.

CONSUME HER FLESH FOR KICK-I MEAN THE DARK ONES.

We're scholars and know languages, but have we read any medical books ever?

>>14870278

Remember. If she saw us do this then she needs to die, no other way around this, we cant risk another pact right know since we know our friend is not very... trustworthy. If she has not seen us then we can bandage her wounds and drop her somewhere where she will be found. If she starts waking up tho she needs to die.

>>14870526
Memory extraction, we've done it before.

rolled 21 = 21

>>14870530
YEAH!!
Wash, Rinse and Play the Hero.
I vote for a quick mind wipe and drop off at the medic...assuming we aren't knowledgeable on such a subject.

>OP says he'll be back in a couple minutes
>been an hour
The Inquisition must have nabbed him for trafficking with demons.

Heretical bump

OP?

rolled 53 = 53

I think that never again shall we agree to this full release business. Following that, perhaps two wrongs might make a right, we should see if Xepoc, or Seno and Eno, have any ability to heal the poor lass of what we (yes, we, no dodging the responsibility and blaming Tenebrotep for this) have done to her.

rolled 20 = 20

>>14870530
That would entail another pact with Tenenotbro, though. Not disagreeing, just saying.

[[Alright, sorry for the long delays. Real life is very distracting sometimes.]]

Using your small bit of knowledge in first aid you rip a piece of your clothing and bind the girl's chest wound blushing slightly with unneeded modesty. Once you are sure she'll be safe should you try to move her, you look around.
You look search about, trying the recognize your position. Unfortunately there is little to go by. The sound of the river is nearby but in what direction you cannot say. The stars could tell you where you are, but you cannot see clearly through the thick tree line above. There is a trail of bloody foot prints leading to your current position but it seems to move about at random and in no one clear direction.
You return to the girl and assess your situation. You have no idea where you are and she likely will die without serious medical attention. You have only the contents of your pocket and, you realize with both relief and disgust, the tome juts out from your other pocket. A last gift of mercy from Tenebrotep or a mocking gesture, forcing you to call him to save you from another mess?

>>14872230
Finding the river and washing our hands a bit might be a priority to make sure whoever we take her to doesn't put two and two together. We could also probably write off the blood on our hands/body as being from dressing her wounds and carrying her.

You need to find the river. You need to clean her wound as well as wash the blood from your hands. The blood on your clothing will be more problematic, but you can always pass it off as the result of your tending to her wound. You pick her up, careful to cradle her as not to wound her any further. The skin on her back is not broken so the wound did no penetrate all the way through, but she could very easily have a punctured lung. Her beautiful face has two marring gashes running from above her left eye and across the bridge of her nose to the opposite cheek. You open her eye lids to see if her eyes were damaged but both appear to be intact. The wound is very shallow and not nearly as threatening as the one below, seemingly inflicted to scar and not to harm.
You close your eyes and listen carefully but the direction of the river is hard to detect. There are many rocky outcroppings that the sound echoes from and the sound is very faint. You pick a direction at random and begin walking to see if the sound diminishes or increases as you proceed.
The girl is not heavy but your exhaustion is mounting. Wherever your adrenaline rush first flowed from it is now diminishing and fatigue spreads along your legs and arms. After a while you drop to one knee, needing to rest a moment. The sound of the river has not changed, as faint as it was before to your ears. It seems you are walking parallel to it, though whether you are moving west or east is difficult to say. You look up to the moon for guidance but it has vanished among the leaves above.

>>14872486

Well goddammit, see if we ever summon Tenebrotep again after this fine mess he's put us in.

We're not going to get very far in this darkness, not with how fatigued we are now. I vote for making the girl as comfortable as possible, finding some shelter and waiting until the morning to continue.

When we find our way back to town and get her some real medical attention, we need an alibi. Just say we snuck out to have a little fun with the ladies, and we were in the woods when we got attacked by a wild animal, I don't know, a wolf or something.

>>14872617
Bear might be a tad more believable since the wounds were likely made with our claws. Agree with plan though.

>>14872617
Maybe Tenenotbro deserves a bit of slack. All he asked for was chilling for the rest of the night, we offered him ~free reign~.

Well fuck, I leave for work and then come back to find out we're deep up shit creek without a paddle. What have we learned today, kiddos?

1. Complete Release is a BAD IDEA, and we should only ever agree to it if it's absolutely necessary, and even then the time allowed needs to be very limited.

2. We need to be MUCH more specific with the terms of our contracts to prevent us from getting screwed over like this again.

3. Learn exactly what a term entails before offering it as part of an agreement. Jumping into a contract with no idea what we're doing nearly burned us last time, and it certainly didn't help our situation at all the second time around.

rolled 13 = 13

>>14872617
Seconded. If something were to attack we'd be hard-pressed to flee with both tired legs and dead weight.

>>14872683

Yeah, we were kind of stupid with agreeing to something before finding out what exactly it meant. He's still a dick for taking advantage of it like that though.

You decide that you will have to find somewhere to set up a shelter for the night. In the morning you may be able to use the rising sun to determine your position. You find one of the many rocky outcroppings and gather some dry leaves from some low hanging branches to insulate you and the girl from the cold forest floor. You remove your night cloak and lay it over the young lady, hoping to keep her warm through the night. You find your sulfur striker in your pocket and consider making a fire. It would certainly help stave off the creeping cold but it might also draw attention either from hunters, wanderers, or wild animals. Discovery could be dangerous but could also be the only way to save the girl.

rolled 90 = 90

You guys are retarded.

We spent all of last night working out safeguards and plans for how to get shit off without a hitch, and you just piloted the magic school bus into the inquisitor's office.

We need to check our room, after this. Check for footprints in the inkchalk, and nails outside our windows.

>>14872750
Oh come on bro. We haven't been discovered yet. All we have to do is get help for the girl somehow in a way that doesn't make us look like murderer rapists.. ok we're fucked. Anyone got a plan?

rolled 95 = 95

>>14872749

At this point, we need the attention of anyone else in the area, it could be our best shot of getting back to civilization in time. Start a small fire.

>>14872750

Yeah, we were kind of retarded, but all we can do now is try to mitigate the damage as much as possible.

You quickly strike up a fire with practiced ease, tending to it with small sticks and standing before it. You sit down on a nearby rock gazing into the small fire and thinking of your perils. You are stranded in the woods with a girl you probably kidnapped and nearly killed. Your absence probably won't be noticed at the monastery due to the earlier revelry, but explaining your predicament may be tricky. All you have are the few contents of your pocket and the book, left to you by your devilish fiend of an accomplice. If the townsfolk do not know the girl is missing it could be some time before a search party is even assembled yet. Sleep might be best, but despite your exhaustion you continue to stare into the dancing flames. You turn at a sound from the girl. She is stirring, and makes faint sounds of whimpering though her eyes are still closed tightly.

rolled 54 = 54

>>14872948
I say try to say out of sight for a moment. If Tenebro really did hijack her in your body I doubt she'll be able to tell the difference between you and possessed you. She may freak out and further injure herself or you.

rolled 69 = 69

If she starts thrashing around, she could open her wounds again. This is pretty far out of our league. Maybe we should try summoning a new vestige, one that wont leave us knee deep in shit. Kuzo is the one in the book that sounds the least like some sort of Lich King, maybe we could give him a shot.

Mind, we should get a ways away from the fire before we do any of this. Don't want to be recognized.

She falls back into her fitful slumber but you are none the less extra cautious now. You decide it would be best if you didn't startle the girl when she woke, lest she hurt herself in alarm. She may well recognize you as her kidnapper despite your lack of any memory in involvement. You ensure that the fire is steady, adding another few branches to it, and walk off behind the outcropping and into the dark of the forest with your book in hand. You can barely make out the words in the darkness but you are close enough to the fire still to read the large print of the titles.
-Xepoc, the Harbinger of Eternity’s Repose
-Seno and Eno, the Dichotomous Serpent
-Tenebrotep, the Lurker in the Night
-Asam’Ano Mora, the Architect of Misery
-Kuzo, the Storm Warder
-Gourmander, the Hungering One
Perhaps since a spirit got you into this mess another one may be able to help you out of it.

rolled 100 = 100

Strangely enough I'm feeling the Two-headed snake.
I say summon Seno and Eno, the Dichotomous Serpent. Maybe two heads can balance each other out.

rolled 91 = 91

>>14873093

No, the last thing we want to do is bumble deeper into shit by messing around with summoning again.

We just continually keep getting screwed over by our lack of knowledge in these matters. But it seems the only way to get more knowledge is to experiment first-hand, and we all see how well that turned out. We have responsibilities to keep up as a monk and a scholar, and living with all that and having to constantly worry about interruptions or spying is really hampering our ability to knuckle down and learn all we can about this... process. Unfortunately, staying with the monastery is the only way we can have access to the materials we need to keep studying it though.

Quite a quandary we find ourselves in. In more ways than one.

You feel as though the serpent may be the key to your salvation though you can't say for certain why. You move closer to the fire light just long enough to read over the incantation a few times before walking off into the woods. You stop a fair distance away, sure to keep the flickering fire in your sights and orienting it in front of you so you won't forget it's location.
Then you speak with the reverent tone of the Samoyan tongue you have seen so much of the past few days.
"Dichotomous serpent, Seno and Eno, I seek your wizened guise. Crawl again upon the earth alighting mortal eyes. Come hither and stand before me."
There is a silence, and at first you think nothing has happened. But then you realize now the sounds of the woodlands have ceased and true quiet has descended. You look down to your legs and see an enormous emerald snake head slither around from your right, circling about until it creates a circle about eight feet wide around you. Once it has completed it's second cycle it's full form has emerged from the darkness and you see that where it should have a tail there is instead another head. The two heads both are raised and their black eyes are locked upon you. With a hissing sound they each open up their fanged jaws.
But then the creature turns it's head upwards and you see a bulge from it's throats. Two human hands emerge from each mouth and the head and torso of two beautiful women behind them. The snake heads lower themselves to the level of your eyes and there before you float two women, or at least the upper half with their lower portions hidden away in the jaws of the snake, with arms spread wide and slowly circling on opposite sides as the snake continues to slither.
"We are Seno and Eno, the coiled guardian of life and death. Who has called us forth after so long a slumber and for what purpose?"

>>14873472
((This is my last post for the night, sadly. Hopefully this will survive so I can peek in next time I'm online))

"In hopes of fixing a grave mistake. I require the skill to slip back into a town in which I have committed a crime, in order to deliver a woman injured by my own hand to one who can properly help her."

At least that's what I'm suggesting before i head off ot work. Good Night, Binder Quest guys.

rolled 34 = 34

>>14873472

Guardians of Life and Death? Fantastic. Ask them if they have the capability to heal a wounded friend. If so, perfect. We heal the girl up, drop her off in the village, no one ends up any the wiser. If not, find out precisely what they can do for us.

And for the love of whatever gods are about to damn us, do not offer any more complete releases.

The guardian of life thing does sound good. Do we have time to get some information out of him first though? Don't want to go into this blind.

You step between the two women, trying not to be distracted by their unnatural beauty. Unsure of which one addressed you, you speak to both, "I am Brother Gregory, the keeper of the book. I have made a grave mistake and need to rectify it. If you have power over life and death can you help me save the life of an innocent I have brought to harm? And if you cannot, can you at least help me to get her to safety?"
The two nymphs giggle, "All this and more is very much within our power, and we are always happy to turn the wheels of fate. A realm of possibilities await should you accept us upon you by our mark. Though you must promise never to create health without sickness, never to give life without taking it in turn, and you may never decline a request by another to use your power while our mark is upon you. Balance must be maintained in all things, for the great wheel turns only as closed circle. We will lend you our power for as long or as short as wish. Choose wisely young pact maker."

rolled 57 = 57

Accept the Offer

rolled 62 = 62

Oh, hell. We need to be incredibly fucking careful around these two. There's nothing that sends everything spiraling out of control faster than someone concerned with keeping the balance of things.

Tell them that we'll accept their mark for ten minutes, and no more. Ask them if it is acceptable to sacrifice plant life for human life before we accept their abilities. If it is, drain the trees around us to heal the girl. Then get back to town, posthaste.

rolled 37 = 37

Hrmm I say we accept the terms of their deal until it would become detrimental to our being.

Seconding the explanation on life costs, and also asking what the sign is.

Btw, how do I dice roll again? Something about the email field

>>14873918
This. We don't want them to heal the girl by giving us her wounds instead.

>>14873957

dice+1d100 in the email field.

rolled 4 = 4

Could we ask if the balance has to be maintained at once or could we heal a person then later kill, or if we could pay in advance?

>>14873957
dice 1d100 in email field best to not noko in quests so that OP can see the roll

rolled 34 = 34

>>14873986
>>14873980
Thanks. But yeah, explanations would be nice about what we can and cannot do, what the mark is, stuff like that. Don't want to get in more trouble.

rolled 43 = 43

If they are so concerned about balance ask to have a taste of their power first. Have Brother Gregory pay the price to heal the innocent he harmed to see what they consider a "fair trade".

"Balance?" You say, perplexed. "How exactly would I maintain balance? Could I trade the life of a tree for that of the girl?"
"It is far more particular than that." says the woman you look at. You have realized that while both seem to speak every word, which ever one you look at always seems to be the source of the voice. "Blood requires blood. Sap requires sap. Flesh requires flesh and wood requires wood."
"So I can only heal her by taking the wounds upon myself or another human, then?"
"Not precisely... An animal may suffice in some cases, though it depends on the particulars of the wound."
A ten minute period might be enough to accomplish all that you need. You ponder this while you ask another question, one that seems especially important considering your last summoned spirit. "What is your mark of which you speak?"
"A seal of serpents upon thine chest and arms. A tattooed marking of our coiled form as a conduit to channel our power."
This seems far more comfortable an idea than Tenebrotep's mark, though you have always been squeamish at the thought of permanent body art. The deal seems reasonable but sounds almost too good to be true. Perhaps there is something your are missing?

rolled 52 = 52

>>14874063
Does making the pact require a price?

>>14874084
Seconding.

rolled 7 = 7

It would probably be prudent to ask them if Tenebrotep's claws would have any unusual effects on the healing process. Don't want to heal the girl, only to have her infected by some sort of shadowy elder god.

If not, let's find an animal and drain it to fuel her healing. The size of her injuries will probably require something decently sized. Maybe a few rabbits, or a deer?

rolled 46 = 46

>>14874100
Good point on the claws. But this does seem too good to be true. What do you guys think?

>>14874155
Maybe they're equally as cool as they are asshole. Might decide to try to dick us next time we call them for the sake of "balance".

rolled 7 = 7

Fortune favors the bold, I say we accept.

You ask, "What is your price for all of this. You have not stated what you ask in return."
"Nothing at all," comes the hiss of a reply. "We are always present in this world so long as there are those that teeter between life and death, admits growth and decay... We answer the call of any who seek us, ending the suffering of one to bring new life into the world. We have no wants or needs of our own, desiring only that those who call upon us respect our wishes on how our power is spent."
You nod to yourself, understanding their position through your years of devotion to the lives of the people.
"One more thing, the girl I wish to save... She has been injured by the claws of Tenebrotep, another vestige like yourself. Would there be any complications with a wound such as that?"
The beautiful faces of the maidens alight in recognition at the mention of the name and they briefly glance to each other. "Tenebrotep is a cursed being indeed, but his power and presence cease with the ending of his existence in this world. You have little to fear from his physical effects, though his machinations may continue even while he is gone."
They descend and coil closer around you, their beautiful forms within arm's reach.
"Now pact maker, how long do you require our services?"

rolled 68 = 68

>>14874215
Hrm i think the complication is that for as long as we use them they are free to use us, sort of a catch 22. I say accept on the terms that the pact ends as soon we use their power to take more that they can give.

>>14874247
[[Please clarify what you mean. You wish the pact to end immediately after your first use of their power?]]

rolled 4 = 4

I say half an hour. With our abilities from the vestige, it should be enough time to find a suitable sacrifice and heal the girl. The tattoos should be easy enough to hide under our robes, so I don't think we have much to fear right now.

rolled 22 = 22

>>14874247
forgot to add or give more than they can take.

>>14874215
[[
God damn it.
admits = amidst
Stupid spell check is trying to make me look illiterate today.
]]

rolled 58 = 58

>>14874262
Sorry to be confusing I meant that we can use their powers for as long we don't attempt something beyond the scope of their capabilities.

>>14874247
>>14874305
[[You currently have the highest roll but I would like to remind you that choosing such an open-ended pact may be unwise, as you are not yet certain of the full extent of Seno's and Eno's powers and would not know when or how to terminate the contract.]]

rolled 32 = 32

As a curiosity, which is which guardian? I'd like to know whether we're calling on Seno or Eno to heal this girl.

rolled 27 = 27

I agree with half an hour.

rolled 14 = 14

We could agree to keep their power till we decide that it becomes a burden to us,

"I will make my pact with you until I attempt to draw upon more essence than I can receive or I try to distribute more than I can give. And should I fail to find nullify the contract, let it also be divorced at the end of half an hour's time." You are very careful in setting your conditions, not wanting to leave any loop holes to be exploited.
"Very well then, maker of pacts. You have our blessing." The two sister-like maidens move closer to you and wrap their arms around you, continuing to twist in an ever shrinking circle. Soon their forms melt into your flesh and you feel the warm flow of veins just beneath your skin. When you look to your arms you see an image of the heads of an emerald snake tatooed upon the backs of your hands. The body of the snake coils around each arm before reaching your shoulders and coiling over them to your back and out of sight. Though you cannot see precisely what the design on your back is, you have no doubt that the two ends of the snakes meet and join as one at some point. Feeling slightly warm in the cold night air and yet also distantly separate from the immediate location you consider how first to spend your new gift.

rolled 67 = 67

Go and find an animal, once you get one go back and heal the girl while sacrificing the animal, make sure you are unharmed.

rolled 3 = 3

First things first, find out more about the situation from the Brother.

rolled 84 = 84

>>14874557
Seconding this

You search about the area for something living to sacrifice, growing frustrated by the darkness and the great difficulty of your undertaking. You find a small bird's nest in the trees above, but when you attempt to climb the tree the mother bird harasses you. Searching for easier prey, you lift up a rock and you pluck up one of the large lizards clinging to its underside. Hoping that this will be enough, you return to the fire. When you approach the fire you feel no warmer than you were standing in the woods. You walk to the young lady, the lizard still clutched in your other hand.
Laying a gentle palm upon the wound on her breast, you give a mental cue to your supernatural guest. Sure enough, the emerald serpent on the back of your open hand glows black and the color travels as a long band across the length of the mark to your other hand. From the other end, a small white band travels in the opposite direction. When the black band reaches the other head of the snake, the lizard stops struggling. Apparently it was too much for the little thing, as it died instantly in your hand. You can feel the presence of death in the air around your hand.
You look to the wound to see exactly what you accomplished. You find that the wound closed a little bit but not completely and, with a check of her breathing, she seems to not be having such a laborious time breathing anymore. You fetch a few more small lizards that have come near to bask in the light of the fire and use them in a similar fashion. Satisfied with her improved condition, you toss the lizards into the fire.

You now decide to turn to the wound upon the girl's face. Though it is not life threatening it is certainly your fault, and having the power to fix it you feel compelled to do so. But when you try to remove the gashes upon her face with the use of another lizard you find that you cannot. It seems the deformity of the human face is too specific a thing to move to any mere animal.
Looking to her face and the scarring mark upon it you feel a terrible guilt and shame fills you for what you have wrought upon this poor innocent beauty. You lay your hand on her face and activate your power once again, feeling the flow of the black energy course up your arm. The marking comes to rest upon your face, along with a searing pain, but you merely blink it off.
Now you bear the full responsibility of your mistake, and will not hide from what you have done.

[[And this is the end of part 4 of our quest. The next chapter may continue tomorrow at 10 or 11 server time or it may be in a couple of days. Thank you everyone for playing. I had a lot of fun writing it.]]

>>14874745
"With great power comes great responsibility."

Till next time, then.

[[Well, looks like the thread made it through the night. Hopefully I'll have some time to continue this in the evening but it looks like I'll be busy all day so I doubt it.]]

Well, although I am somewhat free I have a lot of work to go through before I can hold another quest.

If anyone would like to ask questions about the plot so far or just wants to chat about quests in general feel free to.

I'd be especially pleased to hear some criticism on my own quest writing (besides 'you take too long between posts') for the betterment of myself.

Also, does anyone happen to know what are the best hours for quests during the week?

>RULES LAWYER QUEST WILL CONTINUE TODAY AT 1800 HOURS SERVER TIME<

And remember:
"A Promise Possesses Power. An Oath Owns its Maker."

>>14878661
Bump so others can see

>>14879472
Don't worry about it too much. If they haven't seen the thread it's in the archives now anyways.