We are LIVE, everybody! For those of you not in the know, this is FIST OF SHADOW QUEST, a martial arts/magical assassin quest to find your master in a strange world you know nothing about. You are Shun, apprentice of Sifu Tong, master of the ancient art of assassination – The Fist of Shadow. It’s a style that emphasizes quick, focused movements to quickly eliminate an enemy and use his force against him.The old threads are here: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Fist%20of%20ShadowThings sure are picking up, aren't they? Give 'em a read if you haven't already!
Last time, we entered a mine to get some mithral, and we got 40 pounds worth... until some red eyes started following us. After going back to the surface and heading back inside, we were beset upon by an absolute HORDE of vampires, who chased us all the way back to Sandoval. The Shard there managed to hold them off, fortunately. The sky Shard has just set and you're not quite sure what to do now.
>>19223379Oops, forgot something.Here's a list of techniques you know and can learn. http://pastebin.com/QM8BHiUcPeruse at your pleasure.Inventory: 5 wooden shurikens, 2 doses of Heaven Berries, 385 gp (75814 in the bank), a pendant of Ward Fear, two medical kits, about ten feet of rope, 13 healing potions, a watch, and a compass, 5 masterwork throwing daggers (1 enchanted with lightning, 1 with exploding, 1 with homing), 1 orb of light, 4 antidotes, belt of GO FAST (+1 to attack and defense).
You all sit at your camp on the edges of the town, darkness filling the sky. The black orb hangs above you. Jeanne still sits like a punished child, staring at the ground. Erin sleeps in her bag, while Khan looks off towards the Darklands.After a while, his head turns to you. "Shun, areyou to travel back to the Darklands?" You shrug. You can't really say- you're barely halfway to the ferry toll, and you don't know where you can scrounge up that much cash. After all, your blonde rival has been doing this for how long? Months? Years, even? As you return his stare, looking into his deep, green eyes, you realize that you don't really know that much about your companions.In return, they don't know much about you. At least there's the excuse that you spent most of your life in a tiny house in the middle of the woods without human contact. But Khan, he's traveled for what sounds like a long time. Erin's lived in one of the largest cities in the world. Jeanne... she's a total mystery to you.You're not sure how to feel about it.
>>19223446Not sure yet, it's a risky place and I'd rather not have to deal with a horde of vampires like that again. They just don't seem to want to die.For now no, later perhaps. Currently I want to take the small win these 40 pounds of mithral represent and take a different tack, if need be I'll return. Get back to Terec, see if there are any well paying jobs that suit my skill set and take it from there.
You sigh, brushing the thoughts out of your head. “Not sure yet, it's a risky place and I'd rather not have to deal with a horde of vampires like that again. They just don't seem to want to die.” Khan nods in agreement. You look down at the ground for a moment in contemplation. “For now no, later perhaps. Currently I want to take the small win these 40 pounds of mithral represent and take a different track, if need be I'll return. Get back to Terec, see if there are any well-paying jobs that suit my skill set and take it from there.”Khan stares into the blackness of the Starry Sea. “I understand, my friend. We’ve reached a seemingly insurmountable obstacle, but I know there is some way we can surpass it. It would be more efficient if we parted ways, then. Individually, it would be cheaper to make the ride. As is, only two of us can afford the ferry.” He pauses. He’s on to something. “We could make the trip ourselves, just you and I.” A solid idea. The world’s a little too dangerous for Erin to travel about at her current skill level, and Jeanne has no reason to follow you at all.
>>19223691I agree with you about Erin, but Jeanne while she has no reason to follow me, she still does and it's not like she has much else in the world. I'm going to keep looking for a little bit for jobs, worst happens I take a nice stroll through the Darklands, I would do better there than any of the rest of us.Besides who wouldn't want to hire the former Arena Champion, the current Arena Champion and myself.
You nod. “I agree with you about Erin, but Jeanne… while she has no reason to follow me, she still does. It's not like she has much else in the world. “ Khan remains silent at your statement, still looking at the dark horizon. “I'm going to keep looking for a little bit for jobs, worst happens I take a nice stroll through the Darklands, I would do better there than any of the rest of us.” You grin from ear to ear. “Besides, who wouldn't want to hire the former Arena Champion, the current Arena Champion and myself?”Your friend looks a little forlorn. He turns back to you with a distant face. “I apologize, my friend, but I think I will not be joining you anymore. I am so close to my goal. Looking at the sea… it haunts me. I must make the voyage as soon as possible, and I cannot wait for us to gather two hundred thousand gold. It would be torment on my heart.” He glances at the sand, eyes heavy. “I am truly sorry, but I will be leaving tomorrow.” What? No, he can’t…“But, Khan-““This is how things must be, my friend. It is my journey, and my journey alone. I thank you for the past few days, your companionship has been refreshing, but I must be travelling on.”Oh… dammit, Khan!
>>19223885"Do you have enough personal gold for the journey?""I too, thank you for your companionship and hope that we will meet soon."I don't know about the other anon, but I don't mind risking going in Darklands again to search for another mine
of course we could have Shun sneak on board using his awesome stealth technique. That way we could have 3 people travel.Anyway, it is true that we don't know much about our companions, especially their skills. So lets ask Jeanne the extent of her abilities.
You smile at your friend. "Do you have enough personal gold for the journey?"He shakes his head. “I am afraid not, but I believe I am only twenty thousand gold away. Acquiring such wealth should not prove too troublesome.” He softly smiles into the distant sea. “Yes, not difficult at all.”Well, that’s good. "I too, thank you for your companionship and hope that we will meet soon."“I grow tired. Would you take the first watch tonight, my friend?”“Khan, we’re on the edge of town. We’ll be fine.”He grins as he lays down on the sand. “You can never be too sure.” A valid point.
>>19224045"Well, since we wont be going yet, let me lend you the money you need."We spent almost an hour running, I think Shun should take the second watch.Yeah, I think I'll advocate the idea to travel Darklands again. Frankly, I'm getting tired of this shit, it seems that we keep being roaded into extremely hard fights no matter how hard we try to avoid them, so I guess we should stop running and take them head-on, even if that means we're going to die.
>>19224122You.I like you.
>>19224185YESONWARDSTO GLORY!
>>19224185>>19224214I'm not sure how would Erin feel about it though. She doesn't really have much combat skills, does she?
>>19224225She has zero.
>>19224230And her alchemy skills. She could transmute rather well, couldn't she?Oh and for suggestion for the update, this >>19224014we need to ask Jeanne if she could transmute steel. I remember during tournament she did that. Then use the steel to transmute to mithral
>>19224254Her transmutation is passable. She's better at the theoretical side of alchemy.Holy shit I just got deja vu so hard, what the hell.
>>19224269Then have them both work and try to synthesize mythral. We have enough on us for experiments, and I know that Jeanne can turn sand into steel/ironDamn deja vus. Sometimes I have a dejavu where in I'm having a dejavu. Those are truly inception style mindfucks.Anyway, I don't have anything to add. Update?You shouldn't take so long for updates, it makes the game incredibly slow.
>>19224346DUDE I TOTALLY FELT LIKE I HAD THIS DEJA VU BEFORE WHAT THE HELLAlso, I take so long sometimes because I want to get a feel for what you guys want.
>>19224365>Also, I take so long sometimes because I want to get a feel for what you guys want.Bah, we take too much time discussing shit, I noticed. Any suggestions after 5-10 minutes are probably good enough for the next update. Just make sure to refresh before posting in case there has been a massive shift in suggestions.NearFuture quest has quick updates and it seems to work well.... although it is much less lethal (for the mc) than Fist of Shadows.
You yawn heavily. “Sorry, Khan, but I’m exhausted. Would you mind if I took the second shift?Sitting back up, he says, “Not at all, my friend.” Without a word, you plop down onto your sleeping bag and promptly pass out. Your sleep is uninterrupted by dreams. It is interrupted, however, when Khan begins to shake you. Blinking the sleep out of your eyes, you look up at him, the black orb behind him. “Good morning. It is your turn.” Eh. Fine. You get up and do a few stretches to wake up while Khan goes to sleep. You look up at the sky to the black orb. What the hell is that thing? You contemplate it for about an hour, when something strange happens.A man with long, brown hair walks out of a building in Sandoval and stares up at the sky. He stares and stares, and you watch him. You watch for 15 minutes, and not once does he waver from his trance. It’s a little creepy.
>>19224433Keep observing.See if there are more people outside doing the same.
You stare at the man for another 15 minutes, but still, he is unwavering. Following his head, you realize he's staring at the black orb in the sky.You are now more than a little creeped out.
>>19224494Look at the orb, maybe there is something different about it now.If nothing, wake Khan up and ask him what the hell is up with that guy.
God dammit, I bet these people are cultists and worshipers of the Old Ones
Looking up at the orb, it doesn’t look any different from usual. Hmm. You gently nudge Khan, who instantly wakes up. “What is it?” You point at the man over there. “What’s up with him?” Khan shrugs. Man, nothing ever makes sense around here, does it?
>>19224578lets approach the man and ask him if he is alright, ask Khan not to go back to sleep yet and observe us while we talk. In case something bad happens.
We should try to learn more about the shadow orb
“Khan, stay up a bit longer. I’m going to go talk to him.” Khan nods affirmatively. Tentatively, you walk up to the man as non-threateningly as possible, which is a little more difficult than you would think. Upon getting closer, you notice that he’s been following the orb, which crosses the horizon. His neck is positioned in a way that cannot be comfortable in the least. Staying a few feet away, you call out to him. “Hey, are you alright?”His neck lolls around to face you like a doll with a broken neck. A wide, maniacal grin mars his face, and you swear that his teeth look slightly pointed. Wide brown eyes bore into yours. “PALE LUNA SMILES AT YOU.” What in the actual fuck. All your senses are on edge, waiting for him to make a move, but he just stares at you like a madman.
>>19224803Damn, that's just freaky. Assume defensive stance just in case."Who is Pale Luna?"
You brace yourself, ready for an attack. “Who is Pale Luna?” The man responds with a high pitched giggle that echoes throughout the night as his head rolls around to look straight up at the black orb, completely ignoring you and your question. His grin stretches across more of his face than you thought possible.
>>19224932Lets just hope that there aren't more of these crazy people around.Since he is not attacking us, we can't kill him or something. Go back to Khan and ask him if he saw what we did. Ask him if has any idea what the hell was up with that.
You’ve had enough with this man. He doesn’t seem to be hurting anyone, he’s just… terribly creepy. You leave the man to his lunar bullshit and go back to Khan. “So, you saw what I did, right?”“I saw an insane man.” Good, so did you.“Any idea what that was about?”Khan looks a little confused. “What did he say?”You shrug. “Something about Pale Luna. Ever heard of it?”Khan cross his arms. “I cannot say that I have.” He looks up into the night. “Do you think it has to do with that black sphere?”
>>19225088"I think so. He was staring at it intensely.""Have you seen it before?"
You nod at your friend. "I think so. He was staring at it intensely. Have you seen it before?"He shakes his head at you. “No, never. I have traveled far and wide, and I have yet to see anything like this." That black thing in the sky makes you almost as on edge as High Master Blaine does. Khan lays back down onto his sleeping bag. "If that is all, then I am returning to my slumber."
>>19225354"Sleep well."Continue standing on the watch. Be much more alert than before.
“Sleep well.” The next few hours are spent focused on your surroundings. Notably, the man doesn’t move until about 2 hours later, at which he returns to his home. Or what you figure to be his home. The rest of the night passes by quickly, the gentle sound of waves caressing the shore keeping you awake. Eventually, you awaken Jeanne for the final watch. Silently, she sits up and takes out a book. Interestingly enough, it looks like an encyclopedia of minerals. Interesting. You’d ask her about it, but sleep overtakes you too quickly.You wake up hours later, a couple of Shards rising into the sky. Jeanne’s where she was when you woke her up, still reading. Khan’s still out like a rock, and Erin sits by the beach, feet dipping into the cool water. Another day, another adventure, right?
>>19225491Go up to Erin and sit beside her. I hope she is feeling alright and doesn't have regrets about this."How are you feeling? Anything on your mind?"If she doesn't want to travel anymore, it is understandable. We mustn't make her do anything against her will.
>>19225491Approach Erin and check in on her. See what's on her mind.
You’re concerned about Erin. She’s never had to deal with the dangers of travel before. Walking over, you sit yourself down next to her crosslegged. "How are you feeling? Anything on your mind?"She glances at you. “How do you do it, Shun?”You blink confusedly. “Do what?”Her blue eyes return to the ocean. “Fight. It’s so dangerous, terrifying. I… I don’t get it. I don’t get how you can deal with… dead things. Or how you can kill. It’s all… foreign to me.” She’s sheltered from the world outside of Terec, and you can’t really fault her for thinking what she thinks.
>>19225646"I come from an upbringing you may not understand. My adopted father took me in as an infant and eventually became my teacher, teaching me his ways in the martial arts. I know nothing of his past -- I know nothing of much of anything, for that matter -- but he taught me the ways and nature of his style. It's a potent style, a powerful style. A deadly style."How great a freak I must be that I understood death and power before I knew what a Shard was. I'm the worst, aren't I?"
>>19225646"I'll be perfectly honest. I'm terrified myself. During these last few months, I've been in near-death situations so much, that I would honestly prefer to not get into the fights. The problem is, that it seems like the entire world is conspiring against me and forces me into these nigh-impossible battles."
>>19225744
>>19225646It's what I've spent my life training to do. All I know is training, learning and fighting. Just like you have devoted yourself to alchemy I devoted myself to martial arts.They're both tools that we use to do what we think is right and change the world around us.
You think for a moment. “It's what I've spent my life training to do. All I know is training, learning and fighting. Just like you have devoted yourself to alchemy I devoted myself to martial arts. They're both tools that we use to do what we think is right and change the world around us.”A difficult look crosses her face. “But magic and murder aren’t the same thing, Shun. I learned alchemy to help build things, to solve economic problems, to improve the city, but you… you learned how to kill. I know some people can’t be stopped any other way, but… does it really have to come to that so much?”Hm. You’ve… never thought about it like that.
>>19225879See >>19225716We've constantly thought about it like that.
>>19225879Hey, you didn't use this one >>19225744It would have make us seem more human than a murder machine
>>19225908It's difficult to reconcile multiple responses with different viewpoints, but I'll try and rework it into a response as we move along.
>>19225908It's also a little too meta for Adept's thinks, it seems. The GM doesn't like being critiqued like that.
>>19225942Hey, it wasn't critique. Shun has genuinely tried to avoid dangers but keeps finding himself in middle of it all the time.
>>19225942What're you talking about, I love it.>>19225759
>>19225879"I like to think of what I do as self defense, rather than murder. Hopefully, when I get older I can use this to protect those who cannot protect themselves."
>>19225879It's really all I know. I try to use my gifts for good, save the innocent and punish the guilty and the evil, there are far too many of the latter. There really isn't any other way to stop people like the late Master Richards. I wish I didn't have to do things like that.It's what I know, I knew death and shadow before I even knew what a shard was.
"I like to think of what I do as self defense, rather than murder. Hopefully, when I get older I can use this to protect those who cannot protect themselves. There really isn't any other way to stop people like the late Master Richards. I wish I didn't have to do things like that.”Erin gazes into the sea. “I know, but… it just seems like there are other ways to fix things like that. Like preventing men like him from ever getting that bad, like working through his mental problems, or… I dunno.” She looks up at you sadly. “Maybe I’m just naïve.”
>>19226053"I think you're a saint." smile warmly
>>19226053"No. That does make sense. If he had gotten help earlier on, perhaps he wouldn't have had become the madman that did those, horrible things."Erin the therapist!
>>19226053You're hopeful, which is as far from a bad thing as possible. People like you are what the world needs, much more then another killer.I would prefer problems like him to be solved before they require resorting to murder, but the world isn't always quite so kind.
You shake your head at her self-derision. “You're hopeful, which is as far from a bad thing as possible. People like you are what the world needs, much more than another killer. If he had gotten help earlier on, perhaps he wouldn't have had become the madman that did those, horrible things."She smiles softly and looks at the ground. “You’re right.” The two of you sit there in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the serenity of the sea. “Shun, I don’t think I can travel with you anymore. It just doesn’t seem like I’m cut out for it. The adventurer’s lifestyle… I’d just rather help people back home, now that I think about it.” She looks up at you, blue eyes gazing into yours. “I’m sorry, Shun.”
>>19226182I understand. If this is where you feel you'll do the most good don't let me stop you. Just promise me you'll help people in ways I can't.
>>19226182"Are you sure?""If you are, then don't apologize. It's your life and you are the one to take decisions, not me.""They way back is dangerous, so I'll have to accompany you back, I think"
>>19226182"Of course. I can't fault you for that. With a heart and spirit like yours, you'll likely do far greater things for this world than I will."If you like, Khan can take you back to Terec. He's not staying with me either. I'd only slow him down right now, and he's very dedicated towards getting to the Holy City. Unless you'd rather I take you back myself?"
You’re a little sad to hear this. "Are you sure?" She nods. "I understand. If this is where you feel you'll do the most good, don't let me stop you. Just promise me you'll help people in ways I can't.She beams at you as brightly as the Shards above. “Of course I will. I’m glad you understand. Thanks, Shun.”"If you like, Khan can take you back to Terec. He's not staying with me either. I'd only slow him down right now, and he's very dedicated towards getting to the Holy City. Unless you'd rather I take you back myself?"She shrugs. “Depends on where you’re going. I’d hate to get in your way any more than I already have.”
>>19226325"At this rate, I don't have much of ANY way. Jeanne and I will find a way to make the trip. Or cross the Deadlands. Or something. Whatever comes first, I suppose."
>>19226325I don't have a single idea. I'll probably check Terec for opportunities first, see if there's anything good going on. Worst happens me and Jeanne go through the Darklands, or I put her on the boat and go myself, I'm rather at home there.
>>19226325I still don't mind lending Khan the rest of the money he needs so that he can travel right now.
You shrug. "At this rate, I don't have much of ANY way. Worst thing happens- me and Jeanne go through the Darklands, or I put her on the boat and go myself. I'm rather at home there.”She looks back at the ocean. “Well, at any rate, we should probably hit the road soon, shouldn’t we?” You nod. Sitting around isn’t going to accomplish anything.So what’s your plan?
>>19226455Eh, wait a second.We need to know the exact extent of the abilities of our allies.Go up to Jeanne and ask her exactly what she can do. Also, I know she can turn sand into steel. And we need steel to transmute it into mithral or at least sell it. We could just solve our problems like that.
>>19226455Isn't the desert what we have to cross to get to the Holy City? That's what I was referencing.See if Jeanne has ideas about working with the mithril, sell what we have, then escort Erin back to Terec.
>>19226492No, you must cross either the Starry Seas or the Darklands. The desert is to the south, the Holy City is far to the north.
>>19226455I also think we could lend Khan the 20,000 he needs. How about we try to recover our shard from the Temple? We could use it against vampires if we try to treck through the Darklands.
>>19226492I think we must cross the Deadlands to get to the Holy City if we skip the ferry.>>19226505>How about we try to recover our shard from the Temple? We could use it against vampires if we try to treck through the Darklands.That could work. Besides, if Erin is going back, we need to accompany her so we wont be losing /that/ much time on this.Oh and during travels we should choose a technique from the book and train it.
>>19226517Deadlands =/= Darklands, despite their similarities.
>>19226525I meant Darklands. The place we just visited with the vampires.I just mixed the names.
>>19226569Just saying, since MAA got it mixed up, too.
>>19226585yeah, we keep mixing them up
Does MAA have a say on what we do next? Like I said I'm ready to escort Erin back to Terec, and then go for our lost shard. I'm not overly worried about the Dawnchasers, maybe they've already given up the chase after a few months. But we should keep a watch out for that Manhunter guy thats after us (the priest dude, can't remember his name).
>>19226638My answer was in >>19226492.
>>19226638And lend Khan the 20,000 he needs.To be honest, we are in no hurry to get to Holy City, now that I think about it
Seems like we have a plan.- Check if Jeanne can help us gain mithril- Sell the 40 pounds of mithril- Maybe check out that crazy guy that stared at the moon to see if he's more sane during day time. If not we could ask around about him- Warn the people in the village that the minig operation has been destroyed-Escort Erin to Terec
>>19226696And obivously lend that money to Khan if he will accept it.
>>19226696>- Sell the 40 pounds of mithrilLets not sell the mithral. We might find some other uses for it
You head back to the tiny docks and give the captain your mithral. Thanking you, he gives you 40,000 gold, half of which you immediately give to Khan, despite his protests. You’ve never seen Khan so excited, which means quite a lot. Walking away into the town, you turn to Jeanne and ask her if she can transmute mithral.She blankly looks at you. “It’s hard.” Her non-answers are a little frustrating, but Erin jumps in to help her out.“Shun, if mithral was easy to transmute, the walls of Terec wouldn’t be marble. In fact, it’s one of the hardest metals to deal with because of its insane magical resistance. Only the best and most experienced alchemists could pull it off.” Best and most experienced? Well, you can certainly think of someone like that. Heading towards the middle of the village, you notice that some of the villagers look worried about something. It sounds like someone’s gone missing… a man with long, brown hair and chestnut eyes.Well, shit.
>>19226771Ask them if it was the man from that house (the one he came from and later returned).
>>19226771Tell them what we know from last night. Ask if that is usual behaviour for the guy and who he is. At this point it really doesn't seem our concern but lets see what they can tell us. We should also warn people that the mine is infested with vampires.
You walk up to the group and ask if the man lived in the home you saw last night. One of them nods. You tell them about his strange actions, but none of the villagers have any idea why he would do that. Goddammit. Apparently he was just a random fisherman who had never left the village before. Hm. They don’t seem too enthused about the mine being infested, but they insist that it’s no big deal since they are primarily a fishing village and the mine was run by the ferryman.Ugh, the black ball is really starting to piss you off. You know it’s important, but… well, it’s a mystery. And you should probably come up with a better name for it. Pale Luna, maybe? Eh… you’ll think about it.
>>19226936Shadow Sun is good enough name.Well, guess these people are just oblivious as we are.Anyway, go up to Jeanne and finally ask about her abilities, skills, etc
>>19226969We'll ask on the way back to Terec.
>>19226974What if we are attack before that?It is good to know the extent of abilities of our allies.
>>19226993Fine, but ask when it's most pertinent. We're not going to be more awkward than the socially-stunted former human experiment.
>>19227015Not to intrude, but what would constitute 'most pertinent'? It's not like she's going to bring up anything.
>>19227109Point taken. I'd say when she appears particularly idle, but then again, when is she not?
>>19227015I don't see what is there to be awkward about. It is vital to know what your allies can and cannot do.
Wait, there’s one last thing you need to handle before you leave. You turn to Jeanne who, as always, trails directly behind you. Looking at the slim girl, you ask, “Jeanne, what exactly can you do?”Her icy eyes stare into yours. “Fight.”An awkward silence is broken by your cough. “Uh, what else?”“Transmute.”“Anything else?” She shakes her head at you. Man… Richards did a number on her. It makes you a little sick to think about it.
So, if you guys are going to learn a technique on your way back, which one do you pick?
>>19227272"I need you to be more specific than that, Jeanne."
>>19227281Haven't we already been learning two different techniques since the nights before the tournament?
>>19227281Can we develop our own? With that guy hunting us it would be great to have some "sense" skill. Like using our shadows to extend our senses around us to feel, skin to a radar.
>>19227302We should probably get Light within Darkness down, it's entirely possible we'll be going through the darklands and that looks like it'll be good against vampires, they probably aren't used to light in the least.
>>19227272"That doesn't tell me anything I didn't know already. I need something to gauge you properly..."Ask Erin "Hey, you understand transmuting, right? Could you determine the level of skill that Jeanne has and also explain me what exactly can be done with that school of alchemy."
>>19227281GODDAMN CAPTCHA----->Choking Shadows<----- For it's aplicationsfor assasination.Also, would it be possible to develop a twist for our blinding strike? I thought of a rather evil twist to it. If our shadow enters the opponents eye, why not have the shadow turn into spikes in the eye, gouging the eyes and blinding the foe for good? How long if possible would it take to learn this variation?
>>19227302Er, if we have been, please remind me.
>>19227324You could work on it.>>19227404You're a terrible person, but yes, it wouldn't take too long. Maybe 3 or 4 days, you sick bastard.Speaking of captcha, I just got a phone number...
>>19227404Why not have them go a bit further and attack the brain?>>19227706>You could work on it.Well, then I advocate this. We need better detection so that that fucker doesn't get away as easily.
>>19227684I can't recall them off the top of my head, but you said the first one would take several days to learn while in the city, except in that time, shenanigans happened. We probably already know them, so whatever.
>Why not have them go a bit further and attack the brain?And to not hear him writher scream in agony?I guess this "shadow sense" buissness would be more important for the time being so I'll be happy to roll with it but I wouldn't mind developing our permanently blinding strike at some point...And not to complain but would it really take 3-4 days to learn it? After all we were already able to produce blades out of a stone wall and pin six vampires by the neck, how hard can it be to make the tendril that we control a bit more... solid?
Sorry I'm taking so long, I'm cooking dinner at the moment.>>19227848Dammit, man, I don't want Shun to master every technique before he's 20! Although you make a good argument.
>>19227915I'd make a joke about the springtime of youth, but that might get taken the wrong way. I'm all for Shadow Perception/Shadow Radar myself.
>>19227915Aye, I think I can see the possible problem with power balance if we go around poking all our opponents in the brainssss... I don't think we've ever failed to deliver the blinding strike although Khan learned to counter it. I'd like to see him counter spikes in his eyes... Well not realy, he's a pretty decent guy to have as our eternal rival. I'd better off to bed since I have an audition tomorrow. Thanks again for all the fun this quest has been, shame though with the difference in our timezones. I'll be sure to catch the rest of the thread from suptg. maybe I'll come up with a new array of devious techniques during my slumber.
>>19227946Being able to passively know where everyone is around you strikes me as a it overpowered at the moment. After all, how am I supposed to surprise you if you can sense things through the shadows?To balance it out, I'm thinking about making it to where you need to actively concentrate to sense things, but you won't be able to use it in a fight,,, at first.How does that sound?
>>19228208That works, and it will also unless we obvious spread out the shadows or are in darkness not sense everything around us.
>>19228208Also make it that initially it works best at night. During the day and in lighter environments, its effectiveness decreases drastically.
>>19228234>>19228239Of course. This almost goes without saying.
>>19228208More than acceptable. And we're not supposed to be getting surprised anyway, not usually.
>>19228208Couldn't resist one last post. So it would enable us to do a thorough search/scan of our surroundings if we felt like doing some scouting? If so, sounds fair and we should try to learn it.
>>19228254Not anymore, at least.
So the plan is: Work on a Shadow Sonar and go to Terec?
>>19228316Sounds good.
>>19228316Seems the most reasonable choice. Khan gets his boat trip, Erin gets walked home by her one-time date, we get a new technique, and we start trawling for money. Plus, work with Jeanne some more, since she's attached to us by the hip now.
A thought just occurred to me: would it at some point be possible to actively imbue shadows with the properties of a liquid, as far as transfer of kinetic energy is concerned?
>>19228369Care to give me an example of its use?On a different note- I feel like too many things have been getting the drop on Shun lately. I will rectify this.
>>19228316Also, with Erins help gauge Jeannes skills, at least in alchemy.Oh, we should have spars with Jeanne once in a while. Like 1 hour per day
>>19228369I can see what he's getting at.We can turn our shadows solid, and we can make them appear gaseous. He wants to round out the element states and offer a liquid rendition of shadows. After all, all the best martial artists and strategists say you must move and act like water in your movements: adaptable, variable, smooth and formless.An example would be, perhaps, creating a shadow shield to guard against a sword swing. Instead of forcing ourselves against the sword with the solid material, the sword would deflect and slow down by passing through the liquidlike material. Alternately, do you have any idea how crushing high pressure water is? Imagine that from the shadows? Again, from another angle, it would improve our repertoire of shadow tools by, again, allowing for more variable renditions of them.Hell, at super-high levels, Shun could make it appear as though attacks pass through him as though he were a liquid or gas, leaving wisps or drops of shadow where the attack would pass through and seeming to reform, leaving Shun no worse for wear. I picture it as the attacks not so much hitting Shun and causing him to reform, but rather the attack disappears into a pocket of shadow that it travels through. Dude punches Shun in the chest? Liquid shadow explodes from where the punch would land, passing through Shun to the other side when the punch actually went through a pocket of shadows. Then he hardens the material from liquid/gas to solid, leaving the poor bastard's arm stuck and leaving us free to wail on him to our content until we release him.
>>19228413Obviously because we need to be able to channel hamon through it to fight the vampires.But seriously, I was thinking about using it for something like damage absorption. Like say, wearing a suit of liquid shadow that would absorb many impacts for Shun.
Waving goodbye to Khan for what you know what won’t be the last time, you depart Sandoval as the Shards fly though the heavens. As you head back onto the plains to Terec, a thought occurs to you: what if you could sense through the shadows? That would be advantageous to learn, that’s for sure. You resolve yourself to learn it on the road. Travelling mostly in silence, the road is a long one, which leaves you time to work with your shadows. Since it isn’t an active technique, you’re able to do it while moving, which you’re grateful for. It’s difficult to do, but you slowly get a grasp on it: You need to coax the shadows into letting you become an extension of themselves, similar to your shadow. It’s easier said than done.“Hey, Erin.”“Hm?”“You’re knowledgeable about alchemy. Do you think you can tell me how skilled Jeanne is?”She twirls her long red hair around a bit. “She’s exceptional, given her age. I’ve seen her do complex magic far quicker than anyone else, and her combat style is exceedingly dangerous, which I’m sure you already know.” Jeanne’s vicious as hell. “I don’t know if she knows anything about theoretical aspects or anything that doesn’t involve fighting, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t.” You look at Jeanne, who nods. Hm. Interesting.
>>19228621>Hell, at super-high levels, Shun could make it appear as though attacks pass through him as though he were a liquid or gas, leaving wisps or drops of shadow where the attack would pass through and seeming to reform, leaving Shun no worse for wear.An existing technique, but one that could fluffed about to play with.The rest of that shit is balls-out crazy, so you'll probably need to wait until you meet Sifu before he can aide you with it.
>>19228687If there's nothing here you need expanded upon, tell me, and I'll start on the next update.
>>19228781Nothing that I can think of outside of getting Jeanne to open up more, but that's a more gradual process.
>>19228781Can't think of anything. We'll be sure to train with Jeanne and get a hands on grasp on her abilities and get her to open up, maybe we'll eventually get a full sentence out of her. Once we get back we'll look for work.
The rest of the trip back to Terec is dominated by silence. You’re spending most of the trip on refining the Shadow Sonar, which you finally get down as you see the city gates. Jeanne, like always, reads. Erin keeps pace, but seems distracted. The gleaming white gates of the alchemical city loom before you yet again. Posted are two guards clad in the usual marble heavy armor. Upon getting closer, one of them stops you.“Halt, traveler. State your business.”Hm. Were they this defensive when you first arrived?
>>19228864"Travelers come home to rest."
>>19228864I left here a few days ago to go on an errand and have just returned. I live here.
>>19228942>I left here a few days ago to go on an errand and have just returned. I live here.No we don't. We just spend some time in the inn.Though that works for Erin.
You stare at the large man. "Travelers come home to rest."He gives you all the once-over and says, “Alright. Watch yourselves, though. Buncha people disappeared a few days ago, and we still haven’t found the reason why.”A few days ago… That sounds about like when you left Sandoval…
>>19228996>A few days ago… That sounds about like when you left Sandoval…Oh, same thing as what happened to that man? We should report to Blaine then.After escorting Erin back home that is.
You nod at the guardsman and thank him for the warning. Walking into the city, you instantly notice one thing: the atmosphere is tense. People hurry to and from places, not stopping to talk, most people look grim, and on the way to Erin’s house you see more than one person denouncing the evils of alchemy. Even on your first visit things weren’t this bad. Too many people look upset. From the crowded streets of the poor residential districts to the marble roads and walls of the center of the city, nobody is in a good mood. Jeanne notices this too, and her blue eyes constantly dart around alertly, as if expecting something.Erin, on the other hand, is oblivious to all of this. When you arrive at her home clad in pristine marble, she hugs you and asks, “Thanks for escorting me, Shun. You’re such a gentleman.” You can’t help but grin at this. “So what’re you going to be doing now?”
>>19229264Look for work, train, investigate what has people acting so odd and tense. Take care of yourself, this might only be the beginning of things going bad.
>>19229264"Honestly, I dunno. Probably hang around Terec for a while, find a way to make some gold. If I think of something, I'll let you know."
>>19229264Smile at her. "I couldn't leave a lady alone like that, could I?""As for what to do?... Well, I will try to improve my skills further and earn some money. Those are my short-term goals.""How about you, Erin?"Also, give her a hug or a kiss
>>19229317>Also, give her a hug or a kiss
>>19229329Eh? We've been going out for like forever, what is wrong with a hug? Or kiss?Have we ever kissed? Seems weird if we haven't.
>>19229317you cannothowwhyyou could not be more creepywith an ending like thati meanwow
>>19229344
>Also, give her a hug or a kiss
>>19229329>>19229346>>19229356You guys are weird.
>>19229356WHAT?Haven't we been going out for more than 2 weeks? That's how relationships work, man.Jeez, you're a damn prude.Never hugged someone as a farewell?Fine, be a that way. I just wanted her to feel nice.Also, you need new reaction pictures.
>Also, give her a hug or a kissI'm upset, if you haven't noticed. Romance ain't my gig.
>>19229388>Also, you need new reaction pictures.Indeed I do.
>>19229389I'm not telling you to write detailed sex scenes. Like it or not, that is normal even expected human behavior.Where are we, in a Christian Church with a nun or something that we can't give a simple hug or a kiss?Forget it, I don't even care that much. Honestly, didn't even think it was anything to be concerned about. I'm more surprised at the overblown reaction.
>>19229388It's just awkward and out of nowhere. Plus, we've only been on ONE proper date. A hug is fine, but a kiss might be pushing it.
>>19229426Funny thing is that I'm not a prude at all, it just makes me uncomfortable to write about shit like that, which is why I tend to gloss over datey stuff.
Wow, /tg/. I'm not much of a ladies' man, but you guys have issues.
>>19229436I guess weeks of traveling together don't matter?Actually we've been on two datesBy kiss, I didn't mean deepthroating with our tongue, just a light peck.... eh, oh well, I guess you might be right.>>19229443Man, you should read Slaver Quest.
You shrug. "Honestly, I dunno. Probably hang around Terec for a while, find a way to make some gold. If I think of something, I'll let you know." She smiles.“So you’re staying for a bit? Good! I’ll see you around, Shun!” Waving goodbye, she turns around to leave.You call out to her. “Take care of yourself, this might only be the beginning of things going bad.” Her face scrunches up a bit, and she nods, turning around and entering her home.Hmm. People are going missing, and it seems to be connected to the Shadow Sun. The plot thickens, and yet again, you stand in the streets of Terec as the Shard sets, still in need of money.Eh, you’ll think of something. At least you aren’t alone this time.
>>19229479We should seek out master Blaine and talk to him about these disappearances and what we saw in the village.
>>19229461>posting on 4chan>not having issues
>>19229479We should probably talk to Blaine about Pale Luna, growing discontent and if he needs anything dealt with.
There’s one man who’ll have an idea of what’s going on, or at the very least will pay well for getting some work done. Sure, he scares the shit out of you, but you need to deal with him.His massive dark tower soars into the twilight above. Why’s it so dark? Does he try to look evil, or does it just come naturally? Striding into the tower, one of Blaine’s black knights stops you with an outraised hand. “Who are you, and what business do you have with the High Master?” Jeeze, it’s like nobody recognizes you. No respect.
>>19229617"An acquaintance of his, on business to do with the well-being of the city."I think it's good that we're NOT recognized.
>>19229617"I might have information about recent disappearances that I want to share with Master Blaine. My name is Shun."
>>19229617I'm an acquaintance of the High Master. I have worked for the High Master before and I have some information regarding the mysterious disappearances.
"I might have information about recent disappearances that I want to share with Master Blaine. My name is Shun."You can feel the man’s glare through his pointed helm. “Stay here and don’t move.” He walks over to a strange coned contraption nearby and speaks into it. A short response later, he returns to you. “The High Master says he will confer with you for a short time.” What a stilted way to say he’ll see you. You’d almost forgotten how tight everyone’s asses were here.The trip up the obsidian elevator is, like usual, a silent one. Jeanne stares at the wall while you wonder what on earth is going on in her head. She has to think about something, and keeping all those thoughts pent up can’t be a good thing… but it’s her business, you suppose. Again, you arrive in the blackened dining room of Blaine, who stands by the staircase, clad in his dark cloak, and… as always… that rusty mask that never ceases to threaten you. The torch next to him flickers the shadows across his helmet as he calmly says, “Good evening, child of darkness. Let us get to the point: Why are you here?”Um… well, uh… you’re here…
>>19229730Few things quickly, do you know what Pale Luna is? Is there any explicit cause behind the populace being quite as edgy, grim and angry as they seem to be, or do the current events not fully explain it?Lastly is there any work you need done?
>>19229758>>19229730Just be quick and to the point. Tell him it is just something that we made connection to and thought that he might be interested in knowing that.Don't waste his time.And don't ask for jobs.
>>19229758>ask for jobs>>19229772>don't ask for jobsWell.
>>19229878We'll worry about jobs soon enough. Info and current events first. Let's not test Blaine's patience.
>>19229878I would suggest not asking for jobs. Blaine seems like the person that would give a job only if he needed Shun specifically to do it; otherwise, his own people would probably be better suited and more efficient for it.
You cut to the chase. “Do you know who or what Pale Luna is?” Blaine crosses his arms. “I cannot say I do. Why?”“A few days ago, a man in Sandoval was staring at the black orb in the sky in the night, and he said Pale Luna smiles. The next day he was missing. I think it’s connected with the disappearances here.”Blaine stares at you for a few seconds. “So the orb is connected to this. I had hoped otherwise. As for Pale Luna, I shall investigate the matter… personally.” You’re not sure what that means, but you don’t get a good vibe from it. You press on, taking advantage of what little time you have with Blaine. “Is there any explicit cause behind the populace being quite as edgy, grim and angry as they seem to be, or do the current events not fully explain it?”He shoots back, “My people do not trust me, nor my subordinates. I cannot blame them. One of our Masters, supposedly a paragon of morality, went rogue. Rumors about human experimentation and hording of augmentation potions are true, and have been confirmed to the public. The Workshops and Schools are both furious at the Guild, thinking that we misuse our power over the city. It has given me cause to think: what if they are correct? I have been far too focused on my personal experiments and not on the well being of my citizens. Not as well as I should.”Well… it looks like Blaine does genuinely care about Terec. Or he’s an exceptional liar. Both seem equally probable.
>>19230120"Outside of Pale Luna, are there any running theories behind the disappearances?"
>>19230120"You don't think anyone is spreading rumors and discontent in the city, do you?"
"You don't think anyone is spreading rumors and discontent in the city, do you?"He shakes his head. “Before the fiasco with Richards, his minions were leaking information about his experiments to undermine my rule. But now that the public knows the truth behind the rumors, no one needs to. The populace is angry because of my mistakes. I admit that.” Well, good for him."Outside of Pale Luna, are there any running theories behind the disappearances?"“No. People from all social and economic circles went missing: wizards, inventors, guards, shopkeepers; there are no connections between them. This Pale Luna is the only lead we have.”Hm. There has to be an underlying connection here that neither of you is getting.
>>19230380"On a different note, what would you recommend in the ways of crossing the Darklands, if any? I tried to mine some mithril from one of the mines therein; suffered a full horde of vampires for my troubles."...What *are* vampires, come to think of it?"
>>19230380I think we should conclude our meeting here, thank him for his time and do not waste it any more.Tell him that we will notify him if we find more information
Wait a minute. Blaine is a knowledgeable man. He’d know a way to get past the Darklands. "On a different note, what would you recommend in the ways of crossing the Darklands, if any? I tried to mine some mithral from one of the mines therein; suffered a full horde of vampires for my troubles.”“A shard will protect you from Them.” Thanks, asshole. You figured."...What *are* vampires, come to think of it?"He waves his hand. “Read a book. Multiple theses and interviews have been written on the matter.” Ugh. You kind of expected this. Leave it to the High Master to tell you to learn something on your own.
rolled 9 = 9>>19230419MAA, you are not allowed to speak to Blaine. Ever.
>>19230537Bar asking if there's anything other than Them in the Darklands, we're done here.
>>19230574Lets go read a book on Darklands instead. Damn, stop annoying the man.>>19230564heh>>19230537Thanks him for his time and leave
>>19230564Try and stop me.OH WAIT I JUST DIDAND HE DIDN'T DICK USAt least moreso than usual.
You bow at the ominous man before you. “Thank you for your time, High Master Blaine. I will return if I have any more information.” He waves you off, and stalks upstairs as you take the elevator down.So, Terec is in the middle of turmoil, Pale Luna is causing unknown disappearances, and you still don’t know if you can get the money for the ferry. Man, things aren’t looking good right now. You feel a hand on your arm. Looking over, your teenage follower looks up at you worriedly. “You look scared.” She cares? That’s rather unexpected, but a good sign.
>>19230726"Not scared. Just...irritated. This keeps happening to me, and I don't know why."See if any bounties have been posted.
>>19230726"He has such an effect on people."
>>19230726Little bit, there's weird stuff going on here. The city looks like there might be riots or other such things, a magic dark moon thing is stealing people and High Master Blaine is one terrifying guy.I'm alright, just a bit on edge.
>>19230773"Unless you're talking about Blaine. Then yeah, I'm pretty terrified. Still irritated, but terrified."
You smile nervously at Jeanne. "He has such an effect on people." She sees your smile and looks down at the ground. “There's weird stuff going on here. The city looks like there might be riots or other such things and a magic dark moon thing is stealing people. I’m a little on edge.” You hear something from next to you. “Did you say something, Jeanne?”She glances up at you and says, “We can handle it.”She's right. You can.
Alright guys, this seems like a good place to stop for now, don't you think?Like always, I'm here if you guys need me for anything.
Oh, I have a question for you guys: Does it feel like you're making any progress?
>>19230939We're taking out time but we're getting there. We got some cash on the last outing and we just got shadow sonar which is pretty cool. We don't want to jump up the ranks too fast. Though you might want to make it pretty easy to pick up the basic level shadow techniques, it might take more time to get the Shadow Sun techniques down.
>>19230894>>19230939I think we're getting shoehorned far too often for my taste. I'm a very patient fellow who is able to look long-term and can appreciate the power and the circle we've gathered, but I fear it feels like we're spinning our wheels right now. Half our party is disbanded, we're the only contact of a nigh-mute tykebomb who is only barely opening up to us, our sifu left us with instructions much vaguer than standard old master protocol dictates, we're blithely in the dark about damn near everything we see, we're severely short on money that we don't have any immediate plans of making up in the very short future, and the only other recourse is to cross a swathed-in-darkness no-man's-land filled to the brim with supernatural shit that could likely destroy us.And you said this quest would have kung-fu fighting.
>>19230991It is easy, I think. The higher level ones will take longer to learn, and the highest leveled ones will consume quite a bit of time.
>>19231019To be honest, I feel pretty similar. I never planned for there being a party, and honestly, I don't feel like I'm any good at writing the dynamics, and I don't want to be any shittier than I already am. You're in the dark a lot because I'm trying to set up some overarching plot shit (you didn't really think this would end when you found Sifu, did you?) which will gradually be revealed, although I probably should've done that earlier on.>cross a swathed-in-darkness no-man's-land filled to the brim with supernatural shit that could likely destroy us.I'll be straight up here: You can't die in this quest. No matter how badly you fuck up, I will not end this on a "WHOOPS YOU GOOFED QUEST OVER". There are disadvantages to making bad decisions and completely screwing yourself over, and they are certainly steep, but dying is not one of them.
>>19231087Will there at least be kung-fu fightin', with kicks as fast as lightnin'? Considering this is a quest based around being a monk, that's kind of a dealbreaker.
>>19231172Bro, every time we fight we're kung fu fighting.
>>19231183Good, 'cuz I really wanna kung-fu some hoighty-toighty vampire too big for his britches.
>>19231198WELP, TIME TO REWRITE SOME LORE
>>19231207No need to do so for my sake. I'll settle for regular old vampires, then.
>>19231220Hmm. I might not even have to rewrite anything, but that hinges on you guys fighting vampires in the first place.
Also, after I'm done with this quest, I'll be running another one. Would a music-based quest sit well?
>>19231615Elaborate.
>>19231662I dunno, I'm torn between mecha where the mechs are based off of various genres, which augment their combat potentialORFull on fantasy mode with all sorts of nations based on said genres.I haven't got much beyond that, but I like it, as far as basic ideas go.
Archived! http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/19223358/
>>19231198I kinda want to beat the shit out of those vampires too.The only way I see achieving this, is spending a lot of time grinding on weaker monsters and training to become strong enough to eat those vamps for breakfast. You have no idea how unwilling I am to give away 100k gold for a boat ride.
>>19233346You know, you could just, uh, do that whole stealth thing that you're so good at and stuff.
>>19233363I thought most of the shit in Darklands is so powerful that we cannot slip by them with stealth.Besides, Jeanne isn't good at sneaking (or is she?)
>>19233388She isn't, but you could force her to take the boat to the Holy City. You're only 4000 gold away from one ride.And the Darklands is a lot of hype. Some of it's justified, but to say everything there could eat you for breakfast wouldn't be fun, especially since I want you to go there.
>>19233411I'd also like Shun to be strong enough to travel Darklands.Also, I remember you saying that this quest follows DragonballZ logic, as in, there are no physical limits to improving. So we could have a long training arc?>She isn't, but you could force her to take the boat to the Holy City. You're only 4000 gold away from one ride.You mean, having her take the boat while we sneak through the Darklands?Also, can we BUY a shard. When we asked that inventor how much a fist sized shard costs, he said they go for 10,000gp. If someone sells shards, we could buy a small one for cheaper, no?
>>19233469Indeed, but few people sell shards outside of travelers. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone in a city who would sell it.And you could totally have a long training arc.
>>19233492>And you could totally have a long training arc.Cool. I suggest we work on our stamina/endurance and speed so that the thing that happened with vampires never happens again (in other words, I want us to be able to run like a motorcycle for half a day straight).And, our shadow techniques, of course.>Indeed, but few people sell shards outside of travelers. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone in a city who would sell it.I guess we'll have go back to that temple and see if the shard is left there.
>>19233706Of course, you would be wasting time by training instead of getting a move on.Not that I have a problem with that.
