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Recent Events Summary:

You've learned that Lucifer, an angel second only to Sandalphon, is leading an excavation effort - and his goal is the very artifact you've set your sights on, the Staff of Winds. He's using Vonnegut's resources to accomplish this task as fast as possible, but his anxiousness to see it done created a rift between himself and the crime lord. You capitalized on that, earning Vonneguts allegiance and promising him access to your contacts, and to have him accompany you if you ever meet with the Black Lady, Queen of Vampiria.

Before Vonnegut could create his promised distraction, the earth split open - and the constructs of City 002 attacked in great force. You and your party managed to reach the inside of the excavation, and you discovered under the dirt was an airship once piloted by Flint's ancestors, long since buried after they fled from the skysever.

The ancient technology recognized Flint's touch, and began to power up once again. Poised so close to finding the staff, you decided to pilot the wind-driven ship through the storm of the skysever to reach the islands of Xile, the floating kingdom of Aeolus.

While your allies crewed the ship, you moved to the upper decks, where Lucifer was battling against a powerful robot powered by an earth dynamo. You were forced to intervene before the fight ripped the ship apart. Lucifer ignored you, for the most part, and your combined attacks destroyed the robot. You salavaged its dynamo core for yourself.

The ship entered the skysever, and, exposed on the decks, you were blown into the storm. You managed to fight your way through the winds and make it to Xile, injured, but in one piece.

You quickly ran across a strange abberation of darkness, powerful, but seemingly mindless. You evaded its attacks and made your escape. It briefly tailed you, then lost interest and let you go.

>>26915564
so early leh

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Meanwhile, the remnants of the airship made it through the storm, but promptly plummeted to the ground in a storm of smoke and fire. The resident dragon does not seem to have taken too kindly to the disturbance.

You reached the airship before the dragon, and managed to find your friends - but Flint was buried in the engine room. You decided to hold off the dragon while the others extracted him from the wreck. Abigail joined you, making a few summons to help you fight.

The dragon was strong - but you proved stronger. You managed to rip one of its wings off, and it spiraled into the barrier of wind that surrounds the island. You rushed back to the wreck.

Flint was safe, but he, Auriel, and the others were facing down Lucifer and a handful of his remaining angels. Vonnegut and three of his men were trapped between them.

Auriel and Lucifer had a brief, tense conversation - but neither were in the mood to fight. When Vonnegut voiced himself in favor of sticking with you and yours, Lucifer teleported himself and his troops away, somewhere else on the island.

With that battle put off for now, you were feeling a bit relieved - until Auriel pointed out that Abigail has still not yet returned.

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Ability Tree

GREEN abilities have been unlocked and learned.

BLUE abilties are unlocked, but are not yet purchased.

RED abilities are revealed, but locked due to prerequisites.

UNDERLINED abilities are active-use, as opposed to passive. Not all active abilities require mana.

All Revealed Ability Descriptions:

http://pastebin.com/BCgtZZFe

Books the Main Character has read:

http://pastebin.com/dAXR00gP

Character Sheet including learned abilities and other important information:

http://pastebin.com/aPNv4aM7


---------
---------

Current Statistics:

HP: 54/81
Mana: 5/58
EXP: 13

Shards of Erebus:
(Isolation) - Normal
{Hunger} - Broken
(Silence) - Empowered
{Temerity} - Empowered

New Shards:
{Humanity} - Resonant

--Summoned--

none

--Automatons--

Earthen Construct (currently in Haven)

--Equipment--

Utility belt with purse

--Inventory--

Moonsong Shards x 3
Sun-Moon Key
Lightning Key
Succubus Reagents x 1

--Current Location--

Xile

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>>26915564
Hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo finally!

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Vonnegut's haughty calm slowly returns as he gets a grip - a confidence born of the fact that you faced down the dragon and survived. "No, Lucifer. I've got other plans."

"Excuse me?"

"It's like you said," the crime lord says. Now he's smiling. "Sandalphon isn't here."

Lucifer glances at Vonnegut, Auriel, and back. He narrows his eyes. "And that is what I get for hiring a thief." He gestures sharply, bringing a fist down into his body. "Don't regret it."

His angels move as one - obviously they're familiar with the command. Each one lays a hand on Lucifer. There's a spike of Lightning and Light, and they're gone, -moved- somewhere else. You're rather impressed despite yourself - you can't take people along when you Blink.

Auriel sighs. She looks ready to collapse. Adavan puts a steadying hand on her shoulder, and she sighs, then gets her feet back under her, nodding to him gratefully. "So...slimeball. You coming with us?"

"Humph. I'm not going with you. I'm going with Shadow."

You emerge from the trees. <I'm glad we were able to escape that unscathed. But now he could be anywhere, and with his speed, he could very well beat us to the Staff of Winds. Auriel...are you sure that was the right decision?>

She nods. "Lucfier was tired, but his tired could still wipe us out. Maybe not you..." She gestures back at the party. "I wasn't willing to risk 8 on 5, not in the state we're in. Someone would have gotten hurt. Or worse." She looks at Vonnegut. "Didn't think you'd throw him to the demons, though."

"He leaves much to be desired as a business partner," Vonnegut says shortly. "We should vacate the wreck. The dragon was bad enough - I don't want to meet the vultures that follow."

>con't

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<Is there anything we can salvage?> you ask.

"Core burned out trying to keep us shielded," Auriel says. "Nothing else worth lugging around." Auriel frowns. "By the way, where's Abigail?"

<...she was in the woods, controlling her summons. I assumed she'd make her way back here.>

"...Abigail!" Auriel calls.

Flint cups a hand to his mouth. "ABIGAIL!"

His voice fades into the trees.

There's no answer.

You feel an ugly flutter in the pit of your stomach.

What do you do?

>just wait; Abigail's probably on the way back right now
>retrace your steps, carefully looking for signs of her passing. Try to stay discrete
>she's got to be nearby. Head into the forest, keep calling for her
>use Deep Focus to pinpoint her location
>some other strategy

>Replicate - Bend light to your whim...
LIGHT MAGIC TREE CONFIRMED

>>26915659
Deep focus.

If we deep focus we basically ping every nasty motherfucker on this island. Trace steps

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Hey sm. I edited the number on the shoulder in case you ever want to throw City 02 Katanabot at us.

CITY 02 is a plague.

>>26915700

Niiiiiiice. Just what I needed for the next stage.

Was contemplating several images but this takes the cake. I'll have to recolor it for earth-theme.

>>26915659
>retrace your steps, carefully looking for signs of her passing. Try to stay discrete
Warn them about the Black Hand monstrosity. Holy shit, that thing is worse than the skysever. Sure, less powerful overall, but all concentrated in one spot.

Follow our steps. Look for signs.

Grant champ tree w/ pocket. Fill champs pocket with water (and a mana pool if sm okays it). You got a portable nether lake you can heal in anytime anywhere

>>26915718
Ha ha! Time for more dynamos!

>>26915744
There has to be a /lot/ of water for Water Recovery to work. I don't think our pocket would even hold enough.

sM, would it work? How big is our netherpocket?

>>26915760
Make just the blue lights green instead and awesome.

>>26915788
From the pastebin.
>The size of the pocket is determined by magic power level (3^lvl meters cubed. For example, pocket with magic level 2 = 9 meters cubed of space)

>>26915659
>retrace your steps, carefully looking for signs of her passing. Try to stay discrete

>>26915760

green-brown would be ideal

>>26915802
>>26915788

To avoid breaking the game I'm gonna have to rule that Water Recovery only works with natural bodies of water connected to lakes, rivers, oceans, etc. You need to be mostly submerged; a little stream might not be enough.

---

Writing for retracing steps.

if it were a high enough leve I think it wouldwork, especially with exponential growth

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there you go

So I think I may have an idea to get past Lucifer's super speed and defense. From what Auriel said, he bends thing around himself. This means he's basically made himself into the eye of a storm of his own magic, a sort of current that redirects everything around him. When he wants to go fast, he just bends himself toward his desired location and bends anything that would slow him down out of the way. However, he isn't technically shielding his own body, he's shielding the area around his body. This makes him vulnerable to point-blank attacks and grappling if we can get into that gap(like we did with Bind). Normally not a problem for him because of his speed but we have a way of making sure he can't shake us. We can slip into his shadow.

No matter how fast he goes he won't outrun his shadow and as long as he's close or on the ground that shadow will be right up next to his body. And he will be on the ground because he can't fly on Xile. Furthermore, his own power helps this strategy even more. He bends the light around himself, and when light hits something and has to go around an area a shadow is cast in that area; he is literally casting shadows on and around him in vulnerable spots with his powers. Just blink and slip into those shadows. He can't do anything about it without leaving him open to the other's attacks.

>>26915836

excellent

>>26915836
Fucking awesome

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY1_HatYTp0

Is time.

I thought it was an electromagnetic field.

Flint takes another breath.

You put an arm on his shoulder. <No. We should stay quiet. She has to be close by.>

"...sorry," Flint says. He frowns. "She's a smart girl, she'll have hunkered down. Uh...at least, she was."

<She's at least as intelligent as her uncle.>

"...I'm not sure if that reassures me or not," Flint mutters. Adavan chuckles.

Vonnegut clears his throat. His three men are still gathered behind him, clutching their weapons for comfort as if they were stuffed animals. They eye the treeline nervously. "Frankly, I think conducting a search in unfriendly and uncharted territory is the last thing we should be doing. We need to find a way back to the surface."

"I agree with your sentiments," Auriel says, "in one sense. Our priority should be a means of escape. We can push our luck with the Staff afterwards. But first, we find Abigail."

Vonnegut puts his hands on his hips. "This is life or death. One person isn't worth the - "

"Listen up, you thieving sack of lard," Flint snaps. "We're not doing a damn thing until we find her, precisely because this is life or death."

"My thoughts exactly," Adavan growls. The two men, knight and lich, look ready to tear Vonnegut's throat out at the implication that you abandon one of your own. They make an odd pair, but you're glad they're not glaring at you. Auriel gives Vonnegut a flat look, but she isn't outright angry; she's probably familiar with Vonnegut's more active sense of self-interest. Ila, perhaps from long habit, is silent. She stands just at your shoulder.

Vonnegut raises an eyebrow at the two men. "I suppose you're her knight in shining armor?" He gestures at Adavan. "And what are you, then, her pet skeleton? By the elements, Shadow, how do you stand breathing the same air as these fools?"

<I don't breathe,> you state.

>con't

Auriel gives you a look. Ila smirks.

"...anyway," Vonnegut says, "I say we create some distance between us and the wreck and try to recover. I don't know about the rest of you, but I could sleep for a week."

"That makes sense," Flint says. "You don't look much for hard work."

"It's a waste of time and effort. You'll get us killed."

"I'd rather die from my own stubborness than listen to an idiot like you."

"You had better remember who you're talking to, Sir Flint."

Flint slowly draws himself up to his full height.

You change shape so often you hardly appreciate it, but he's truly a huge man - nearly six and a half feet tall with a chest like a barrel. He towers over the stocky, heavyset Vonnegut. But Flint doesn't say anything. He just stares.

Vonnegut is the first to break eye contact.

<My first goal is to find Abigail,> you say, trying to relieve the tension somewhat. Vonnegut opens his mouth, and you raise a hand. <And after that...as Auriel said, we'll find a way home, first.>

Vonnegut settles back, folds his arms, and nods. "...fine."

<Let's retrace my steps. She can't have gotten far.>

>con't

Hey, whatever happened to abbys necklace? You guys didn't pay attention to the GIRLS PEARLS?

>vonnegut agrees to help us in exchange for Yi Fang's protection
>first thing he does is try to leave his niece behind

I know he doesn't know she's his niece but still.

The group slips into the treeline. The party is quiet - everyone here has picked up that skill at some point or another, thankfully.

You move several hundred yards into the trees, back near where the forest was torn by the dragon's wind attack. At that point, you separate slightly, looking over the area for traces of Abigail's passing. Flint sticks next to you.

"Shadow."

You peer into the dark spaces between rocks, looking for footprints. <Yes?>

"...how long are we working with Vonnegut, exactly?"

<At least until we get off this rock.>

"Fair enough." He eyes you squarely. "The man's a criminal. He's killed a lot of people. We don't tolerate slavery in Arland. It's what separates us from the empire. In my opinion, he should be locked up for good. Don't trust him for a second."

You remember your promises to Vonnegut. You suppose there will have to be a reckoning at some point. <...I'll watch him carefully. Help me out with that.>

Flint gives you a firm nod, and turns his attention back to the search.

>con't

--------
--------

>>26915925
Broke in the archonium during her adventures. Didn't I say that before?

>>26915945
Well, he doesn't know...so...there you go.

Ila's aura pulses in your senses - just a flicker - once, twice. A pause. And then a third time.

Flint looks up. "That's the signal."

You regroup at Ila's position. She points in a direction heading back toward the airship. "Here. She was trying to get back - but this slope. I think something must have happened." Ila crouches and indicates a track of dirt brushed free of leaves. "That's what it should look like if someone slid down."

You glance down a long, steep fall. <Let's go.>

You climb downward. It's slow going; your allies have to move carefully to avoid falling themselves. You can see why Abigail might have lost her balance. The slope presents little trouble for you, yourself.

What do you do?

>stick with the party. You shouldn't split up.
>Abigail is out there alone. Go on ahead, let them catch up.
>some other strategy

How many summons can we have active at once? Am I right in assuming they last indefinitely?

>>26916030
>Abigail is out there alone. Go on ahead, let them catch up.
Really, though. Warn them about the Black Hand monster. I know it kinda fucked off somewhere, but it was bad. Really bad.

>>26916030
Sticking with the party is usually the best idea but I get the feeling we may need to hurry up and get to her just in case. Go on ahead.

>>26916045

One summon at a time. They last as long as your mana holds out. If you don't order them about, they are technically indefinite as long as you have 1 mana. There are more details on the specifics in the pastebin.

-----------
-----------

OH! By the way,

>mana: 8/58

You're regenerating while in the shade of the forest. The sun has set. It's getting dark fast.

>>26916030
>Abigail is out there alone. Go on ahead, let them catch up.
SHE HAS WINGS, IF SHE FELL, IT WAS BECAUSE SOMETHING DRAGGED HER DOWN!!! RUN GO NOW RUN

Grab everyone, turn into toboggan. Slide baby.

>>26916069
No one could fly here. Sky sever is super stronk on this island.

>>26916085
She can still flap to keep from falling down.
>Start tipping
>Flap to right self
No need to launch into the air.

>>26916081

Hmm, cool idea!

Y/N?

>>26916101
Go for it.

Y

Can we send wispbro ahead?

>>26916101
Why not?

>>26916101
Y

>>26916101

Y

>>26916101
Y

>>26916111

I think he's dead at the moment.

Shadow slide coming up!

>>26916101
>>26916111

Y

So summon a new one

>>26916143
Well, we can resummon can't we?

<This is taking too long. If she fell...she should be able to right herself. Magic. Something.>

"We can't go too fast, Shadow, or we'll be in the same situation," Auriel says. "We don't have any backup to save us if something goes wrong."

An idea strikes you.

<I've got a plan.>

You extend shadowy tendrils out and clamp them around your companions.

"Please tell me we're not flying," Flint says. "Please!"

<Relax.> You stretch your body out into a flat dish, and load them all on top of you. Ila sits calmly, folding her legs underneath her. Everyone else stands and glances about, uncertain. <Hold on. Stay quiet.>

You let go of the slope and slide down at top speed, weaving between the trees. Flint visibly works to keep from screaming.

In a rush of leaves, you slide to a stop at the bottom of the slope. Everyone disembarks and takes a few moments to find their legs again. "Well," Auriel says. "That was interesting."

>you summon wisp
>you inform everyone of the abomination you encountered earlier
>mana: 8/10

Ila points at a trail. It's half footprints...and half a dirt trail. It looks as if someone dragged their leg through the brush. "...I think she hurt her leg. But she was in a hurry."

"It wasn't that thing, was it?" Adavan asks.

"Let's move!" Flint says. He pushes ahead of the group. You sprint to take point.

>con't
>taking shower, next update in a little bit

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>>26916220
>You extend shadowy tendrils out and clamp them around your companions.

>>26916220
What shampoo do you use?

A point of spirit flickers ahead.

You direct all your thoughts toward it. <Abigail!?>

For a moment, silence.

<Shadow?>

<It's me, I'm with the others. Where are you?>

<Go straight. There's a building up ahead. I've got to concentrate! Watch out for wind magic!>

You feel her power warble and flicker - she's casting a spell.

<She's up ahead!> you say to your friends. <I just spoke with her!>

"What's going on?"

<I'm not sure, but she's casting magic! I think something's attacking her!>

What do you do?

>mana:9/58

>sprint ahead
>fast blink up to her position as quickly as possible
>some other strategy

>>26916519
Sneak forward

>>26916519
>sprint ahead

>>26916519
BLINKAN

>>26916519
>blink
She's probably gonna need help

>>26916519
Blink.

>>26916519
>sprint ahead

Oh hey Shadow quest.

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<I'm going ahead!>

You Blink. You skip through the trees, and in a few instants, you find a ruined building.

Spots of Wind dot the inside of the building - Abigail's Spirit lingers in the back. They've got her surrounded.

And then you hear a roar.

You jerk your gaze up to the sky by reflex - but then you realize it's coming from inside the building. She summoned a dragon!

Wind and spirit magic flares. They battle back and forward. The Wind mages drop like flies.

Frustrated by a lack of entrance, you're about to simply burst through a wall when a snapping burst of orange Spirit-breath does the job for you.

The inside of the ruin is overgrown, crumbled by the pushing roots and branches of vines and trees. The bloody remains of several Wind mages are scattered about the room. Two more are still alive.

But before you can do anything, the dragon's claws swipe two of the mages together, crushing them like peanuts. Their limp corpses topple to the bottom of a old flight of stairs.

You rush up to Abigail.

Her right leg is broken, badly - but more frightening is her left hand. It's shredded. Fingers are twisted, bent. Blood from the wound is forming a pool on the ground.

She's pale, and breathing hard. She looks at you, then at her hand. "...I think hurt my hand. Wind...it hurts."

She has to be in shock.

What do you do?

-------------
-------------

>>26916634

Amazing.

>>26916634
City 02 is most insidious...

>>26916692
Heal her.

>>26916692
>She summoned a dragon!
Awww shit nigga

>>26916692
heal that bitch

>>26916692
Obviously cast Heal, those wounds might make her pass out if we dont.

>>26916692
Heal

>>26916692
Heal now, then bring her over to the others for extra healing.

I'm going to assume the best you can do at the moment: 6 mana normal Heal.

Roll 1d100

>>26916692
Heal, then immediately gtfo back to Auriel for something better than the piddly 2mana heal we're about to use.

Rolled 54

>>26916750

Rolled 32

>>26916750

Rolled 1

>>26916750
>6 mana normal Heal.
This is prolly gonna piss everyone off, but doesn't Fast Blink spend mana? We shouldn't have 6 available.

Rolled 94

>>26916750

>>26916749
>>26916730
>>26916724
>>26916713
>>26916706
Use max mana heal for our gf

>>26916758
Well, I'm pissed off but for a different reason.

Rolled 98

>>26916750

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>>26916758

Rolled 1

>>26916750

>>26916758
You had ONE job anon.

>>26916758
I'm not even surprised anymore.

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Rolled 27

>>26916758
>>26916750

[Despair intensifies]

>>26916758
Ah, oh well. Least we got other healers.

>>26916758

Actually, that's correct, the best you can do is a 2 mana heal!

And you rolled a 1!

Welp.

Writing.

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>>26916758

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>>26916758

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>>26916803
Welcome back

>>26916758
Yea, we sure as hell inherited BQ's bad luck...

You desperately drudge up the rest of your mana as you set yourself to Heal Abigail. Your Wisp vanishes.

Her wound scabs over just slightly. The bleeding stops.

>mana: 0/58

Abigail's face changes. "...hurts. Really hurts." She cringes, then bends over her hand and starts crying. "Shadow, please!"

<I'm going to get Auriel.>

"No, don't leave!"

<I'll be right back, I promise. Auriel will be able to heal you. Try not to move.>

"Ok." Abigail is clutching her arm to her chest. "Ok."

<Bite down on this.> You grab a nearby twig, fumble it a moment, then stick it in her mouth.

Abigail chomps down on it. Her stomach keeps clenching, as if she's about to scream, but she keeps stopping herself. Tears are running down her cheeks.

You turn, prepared to run faster than you've ever run in your life.

The dragon faces you. A steaming breath snorts out its nostrils.

<...Abby...is it under control?>

"...what? Is what?"

The dragon's lips open up in an ugly snarl. Spirit magic builds between long, sharp teeth.

What do you do?

>figure it out, I'm out to lunch for a while!

>>26916886
Shattenkrieg into its mouth!

>>26916886
Shadow Dominate and commandeer the fucker we ain't got time to fucking fight it and we can't leave it behind to attack Abby.

Rolled 51

>>26916886
>figure it out, I'm out to lunch for a while!

Godamnit you cheeky cunt.

Kick his jaw up, that will force him to close his mouth and explode the wind magic inside it. I saw it in cartoons, it's bound to work.

>>26916886
>Abby didn't summon a dragon
welp

Rolled 93

>>26916886
I roll to supplex the dragon

>>26916928
She did. It broke from her control because she can't concentrate anymore due to severe pain.

Can't we just burn the 3 exp it would take to cast a great heal and avoid all of this shit?

>>26916886
Hit the jaw upwards. Hard. Really hard.

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>>26916898
Sounds like a plan.
>nobody threatens abby sabby infront of us and lives.

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>>26916886
You know what must be done.

Rolled 43

>>26917004
Honestly? I'd support burning all of our xp right now. We're manastarved.

But I know people hate spending any, so I'll support only 3 if that's all we can others to support.

>>26917041
I think, since it's night, we're close to making camp and finally getting some rest so I don't think binging on the exp burn is entirely necessary. The 3 exp is all we probably need.

>shoulda used earth's gift

>>26917159
Earth magic costs double mana here. We'd need 12 mana just to cast it and if we had 12 mana we would've just used great heal.

>>26916886
If only we could use shadefang poison on this thing.

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>Shadow Quest starts up early
>insta critfail
>SM takes shower
>goes out to lunch

>>26917793
And then he will return 6 hours later and say "Don't even ask what happened". Same old, same old.

>>26917822
Obviously, when he's not writing the best quest on /tg/ he's some sort of batman-esque billionaire playboy superhero.

>>26916886
Well, at least it will give me a chance to catch up with the thread. Just got out of class.

Started up the transcript for Chapters 61-70, you can find it here: http://pastebin.com/Wp7bQXac
It's up-to-date as of right now.

>>26918071
Nah. He's just shopping with his grandma.

This time did you include the rolls and stats?

>>26918340
what

Alright, whatch'all doin?

>grab Abby and run
>shadow UPPERCUT
>shadow SUPLEX
>German shadow missile thing
>some other strategy

>>26918507
>grab Abby and run
Time to GTFO

>>26918507
>grab Abby and run
Not really the best fightan time. Besides, if she gets healed the dragon will be back under control.

>>26918507

grab her a d gtfood

>>26918507
uppercut that bitch

>>26918507
German Shadow missile.

>>26918507
grab her plz

we need 2 speed

Roll 1d100 to tactical retreat

>>26918507
Suplexing the dragon sounds manly enough.

>>26918507
>grab Abby and run

Fighting while she is right there and injured is more likely to get her killed.
We bring her back to the others, then go kill this dragon.

Also, tell her to use shadow eater on all of them.
It doesn't cost anything and doesn't hurt them, and it will heal her a little.

Rolled 5

>>26918627
swag

Rolled 97

>>26918627

Rolled 98

>>26918627

>>26918641
>>26918645

Damn, what a save. Writing.

Rolled 31

>>26918627
Rolling

Rolled 98

>>26918627
Prepping my dice sences.

Rolled 90

>>26918627
Prepping my dice sences.

>>26918652

>I guess your sences are extremely sharp

>...whatever the hell those are

>>26918627
>>26918641
>>26918645
Awww yeah.

Watch as someone still insists on rolling and we get a 1.

You don't need to turn - you extend limbs from behind you and snatch Abigail off the stone. You wish you didn't have to move her, but you don't have much of a choice. You hold her tight to keep her as still as possible.

You sprint down the stairs as a rush of Spirit erupts from the dragon's mouth. Stone and ivy is flayed up off the ground as the stream of orange light follows your progress through the room. It cuts off.

The dragon attempts to follow - and it catches a low-hanging support beam right in the face. You dash out the hole you first entered.

A few moments later, and you run into your party members. <Auriel, she's hurt badly!>

"Set her down, quickly!"

You gingerly place Abigail on the ground leaning against a tree. Her head lolls to the side; she's unconscious. You support her with your arms until Auriel slides up next to her.

She mutters a few curses as she inspects the hand and the leg. "...you should have waited for me."

<She was losing too much blood.>

Auriel heaves a sigh, nods. "...you didn't set this." She taps the broken ankle. "It's healed slightly. And the fingers, too...whatever magic you have isn't subtle enough for this kind of work. I'll have to rebreak them, then heal them. At least she's out already. Donovan, get over here, I want your help."

Flint is already there. "...Auriel...can you handle this, right now?"

"Hold her ankle," Auriel says.

Flint does as he's told.

Auriel quickly moves her hands. There's an ugly mix between a snap and a crunch. Auriel pours light magic into the leg, and the skin wavers and sets itself. The odd lump created by the broken bone vanishes.

Auriel's breath comes ragged. She spends a moment collecting herself, then gestures vaguely. "The hand."

"Auriel - "

"The hand, Sir Flint. Don't tell me you're getting squeamish."

>con't

Man. Morning SQ threads are pretty slow and quiet. Not sure if I find it peaceful or lonely.

Flint grips Abigail's hand by the palm. Auriel works quickly, efficiently - as if she's done it many times before. You suspect she has. You try to ignore the sounds Abigail's fingers make as they're forcibly realigned. Wet twigs.

Auriel swallows, and creates a spell. It takes her longer. The sigil seems to be more complicated. The finer points of repairing a human hand likely demand greater finesse than you can muster. Soon, the magic pours out of her. Muscle knits and grows back over exposed bone. Flesh sweeps down and merges over that like liquid, then goes still.

Auriel sighs, and sits back. And then she falls over sideways, as unconscious as Abigail.

A roar comes from the building as the dragon leaps up out of the ruins. It hovers in the air for a moment.

>mana: 1/58

What do you do?

>stay quiet. avoid attention
>take it out, end the threat
>some other strategy

>take it out, end the threat
we need the magic

Rolled 83

>>26918875
sneak attack consume the dragon

>>26918875
>stay quiet. avoid attention
Sky-sever will take care of it if it stays in the air like that.

>>26918875
>It hovers in the air for a moment.
Let it get smacked down before we go to fight it.

>>26918896
good pointm changing vote to waiting until the sky sever has damaged it them Blink-Consume.

>>26918896
>>26918910
>>26918912

I'm proud of you anonymous. Gotta use that environment to your advantage.

Writing.

>>26918875

"Fallback and stay together I will find you after dealing with that."

>>26918923
Shadow Master how it flying without it's wing?

>>26918940
Not the same dragon, it's a summon that abby lost control of.

Also, reminder to have her eat everyone's shadows when she comes to.

>>26918940

I think you're confused; this is the dragon that Abigail just summoned. The dragon you fought earlier vanished into the outer barrier of the skysever.

>>26918956
of course we all know its going to come back angry.

>>26918952
>>26918956
Oh okay then

>>26918961
Or it'll keep falling and hit surface level and we'll have to deal with it once we go back down.

>>26918875
Take the bitch out.

<Abigail summoned that, but she lost control of it. Everyone stay quiet!>

You feel your allies suppress their auras. It's more difficult for Flint, being a Light soul, but his is already squashed by the parasite, and with Abigail and Auriel unconscious, they aren't exactly channeling magic.

Effectively, you're low-enough profile that the dragon doesn't notice you immediately. It decides to fly higher, probably for a better view.

That's the worst and last decision it makes.

The skysever erupts from thin air. Teal-green winds surround it in an instant. You see the torture faces twist in the wind, and hear the screams vibrating in your very being.

"...by Hyerpion's Light," Flint whispers.

The swarm of wind-borne souls shreds the dragon like paper. It's wings are ripped to pieces. It plummets to the ground. Before it gets there, half its neck is reduced to skin and bone, and its tail is simply eaten away.

What do you do?

>rush over, consume the remains
>keep moving; get distance from this place

>mana: 2/58

Just a hint of pink remains in the sky. The forest is only dimly lit.

>rush over, consume the remains

>>26919005
>keep moving; get distance from this place

We have better things to do and the leftover wont give us anything

>>26919009

No, at least not if its too far away or still hasn't hit the ground.

>>26919017
... thats a lie. consuming corpses give us less true... but never nothing.

Also we can blink in and out since we aren't in combat.

Just a quick fyi, but judging by how SM is tracking the time until nightfall, I think it might be a very bad idea to be outside at night here. Probably related to the Black Hand Monstrosity.

>>26919017
It might give us a little mana.

>>26919023
I assume we would wait till it hits the ground.

If nothing else, it might heal us a bit.

>>26919005
>rush over, consume the remains
blink in and out.

CONSUME!

>>26919005
>rush over, consume the remains
After it falls to the ground of course.

Then we have to set up a camp.

>>26919005
I say consume - it's a summons, we might be able to wring some mana from it.

Seems like consume won out a bit.

Writing.

Ugh. Xile is just a wave of threat after threat. Watch, we're going to get ambushed by wind mage reinforcements or something for going off to consume this fucker.

I just want a night's rest.

>>26919078
you've had a week.

>>26919094
Yeah. But Shadow and his party haven't. Their all dead-tired and injured, two of them are unconscious, and Shadow has no mana.

<I'll be back. I might be able to extract some magic from that thing.>

Flint, still holding Auriel off the ground, glances up at the sky. "Don't be long, Shadow. We've got to find a safe place to hold out."

You get over to the landing site of the dragon's corpse. It's already half disintegrated, and going fast. You latch on and manage to squeeze a few drops of energy out of it before it vanishes.

>gained 2 mana (5/58)
>gained 1 HP (55/81)
>gained 1 EXP (14)

A presence makes you snap to attention. A Wind mage is at the edge of the trees.

It's the first time you take a good look at them. The man is bare-chested, but wears a long piece of clothing made of string and leaves to cover his legs. Feathers and more leaves are intertwined in a ring about his forehead, and a carved wooden mask covers his face. He stares at you through the eyeholes in the mask.

He glances up at the darkening sky, and then takes off into the trees.

What do you do?

>try to call after him
>return to the party. If the natives are calling it quits, so should you
>chase him down, consume him. One less problem to deal with, and you need mana.
>some other strategy

>return to the party. If the natives are calling it quits, so should you

>>26919120
>return to the party. If the natives are calling it quits, so should you

Night is not a good thing here, apparently.

>>26919120
>Return to the party.

>>26919120
>return to the party. If the natives are calling it quits, so should you

>>26919120
>try to call after him
I suspect the reason Lucifer is to destroy the Sky-sever which is what the natives are trying to protect.

>>26919120
I hope that Xile isn't even more fucked up at night. Lets return to the party, and find a nice place rest.

>>26919120
>>return to the party. If the natives are calling it quits, so should you

We've got to set up camp, and we can regenerate mana at night anyways.

>>26919166
Lucifer is here because apparently he figured out Fang's plan for the Staff of Winds or something going by his conversation with Vonnegutt,

You decide to not push your luck and return to the party.

<Alright,> you say, <let's keep moving. This ruin might have been a good place to camp...but not after the fight. Too much attention.>

"Now you're talking sense," Vonnegut says. "Let's proceed."

You move through the forest. You decide to evade the lake, where you left the abomination. That's south from your current position. The airship wreck is just a bit east.

In the center of the island is the castle, which is where the first dragon made its roost. Far to the northwest is a city of sorts you remember spying from the air. You also noted scattered ruins and other buildings; perhaps one of those would be enough shelter to fend off the night and the elements.

What do you do?

>head for the central castle
>head for the city
>try to find a more reclusive spot, an isolated building or ruin
>some other strategy
>use Deep Focus

>try to find a more reclusive spot, an isolated building or ruin
We can use earth forge to seal off any exits if need be.

>>26919224

>try to find a more reclusive spot, an isolated building or ruin

>>26919224
>try to find a more reclusive spot, an isolated building or ruin

>>26919224
Hmm, tough. City would be the obvious and best decision but I can't help but feel we'd run into the natives or Lucifer because they thought similar. Castle seems like a gamble since the dragon may not have been the only thing there.

>try to find a more reclusive spot, an isolated building or ruin

I think this makes us the most vulnerable but it also makes us less detectable.

>>26919263
I agree

so guys while we hold up do we
a) scout
b) patrol
c) meditate

?

>>26919224

Castle would be a defensible position... if we knew for sure it was empty.

I would rather go for a more secluded spot that we can clear easily.

>>26919224
>head for the city
I admit: as beaten and battered as our group is, I'm curious. And a little impatient.

>>26919298
I think we should stick to patrol. Everyone else NEEDS sleep while we don't and we shouldn't stray outside at night until we know what's what.

<...we've got no information, really,> you say. <We should try to stay quiet as possible. Isolated.>

"Then we'd better get moving if we want a roof over our heads," Adavan says.

The party starts through the forest.

Roll 1d100

Rolled 69

>>26919321

Rolled 9

>>26919321

we find the abominations hidey hole...

>>26919187
He never mentioned anything like that.

Rolled 18

>>26919321

Rolled 6

>>26919321

Rolled 66

>>26919321

Rolled 30

>>26919333
>>26919321
I swear, I can never roll above 50...

Rolled 20

>>26919321

>>26919298
Whereever we choose to stay, I think we should recover our shards a bit. Let Ila handle Sentry duty - she's in good shape and she's can stay hidden while watching.

Rolled 38

>>26919321

>>26919332
>"Sandalphon himself is expecting immediate progress on this mission. We thought the staff was dead and buried. We thought it wouldn't be a problem. We were wrong, and I need your men to dig faster.

Sounds like it to me. They left Xile and the Staff alone but the second it looked like someone else could actually get it they mobilized.

>>26919328
>>26919333

Let me consult the TABLE OF DOOM...

Well, it can't be helped. We'll have to use -that-.

Rolled 66

>>26919321

Rolled 98

>>26919321


xile is being just vile

File: 1377895171514.gif-(1.09 MB, 853x480, 1373674337203.gif)

1.09 MB GIF

>>26919365

Fucking random encounters.

>>26919321
0 pls

Rolled 53

>>26919321
>>26919355
Mhm. We've got to get out of shard danger zone.

...If we get the chance to rest at all.

Rolled 55

>>26919321
0 pls

>>26919362
You forgot that there are other of gaining that knowledge like how did Fang find out about it in the first place.

>>26919391
The point is he's here for the Staff because suddenly now it's a problem. Considering they've dealt with the sky-sever for 700 years I highly doubt that it is the sudden problem. He's here for the staff, not to do anything about the sky-sever.

>>26919434
Bitch it's been problem from day one because it limits their mobility (can't fly freely) but airships helped them around that.
But since a certain someone stole their only ship with a warp-drive their severely hampered again by it.

You crunch through the leaves.

In the deep woods, night falls rapidly. It's dark, and quiet. Silence.

No birds, no bugs. They didn't survive here. No sounds but footsteps, and breathing.

>mana: 7/58

Suddenly, there's a break in the trees. You're hopeful - but those hopes are quickly shattered.

A huge gap in the ground stretches before you, a fissure in the earth. It's at least a good fifty yards across, and it stretches through the wood far to the east, and the west, a jagged crack chiseled by some giant. The darkness of the pit is absolute.

You think you notice something moving down there.

Vonnegut's men approach the edge. One of them leans over the gap, whistling. "Think it goes through to the bottom?"

Adavan peers into the crevice. "...powerful magic opened this up. Or lack thereof."

<What do you mean?>

<Well,> Adavan says so that only you can hear, <back in the day, we knew a bit about Xile. It was the logistical core of the enemy - it could move, you know. If there was one thing the Black Hand was useful for, it was intelligence. Anyway, apparently the island is lifted by magic - powered by some sort of engine. It's also held together by that same magic - a flat plane this big would just break off, like a piece of pie too long to hold in your hand.>

<I see. Think we could find that engine? Maybe we could move the island.>

Adavan shrugs. <Who knows? If the island is cracking, I doubt the engine is in good repair.>

You examine the crack yourself. An engine that can move this much mass...it must be powerful.

You see something move in the darkness.

>con't

<Get back, now.>

Adavan doesn't waste any time in backing away from the edge of the cliff, but Vonnegut's men linger. "What? It's not like anything's - "

Smokey grey tendrils reach up and grab the ankles of the men. They're dragged over the edge of the cliff before they have a chance to scream. But you hear their wails as they fall. And then they're cut off.

Smoke rises from the lip of the crevice. It flows over the ground like a fog, shifting, pulsing. Searching.

What do you do?

>run
>try to attack the fog
>some other strategy

>>26919580

Back into the tree line!

Analyze/Deep Focus!

>>26919533
But how does that make the Staff of Winds, specifically a problem if he's after the sky-sever? Why would the very fact that it still exists or is attainable be the thing that he's worked up about.

>some other strategy
Have everyone retreat while we try to CONSUME the fog.

>>26919591
Seconding. Not the time to be fighting.

>>26919580
>run

We can't stop here, this is where Lost was filmed!

>>26919609
hah!

>>26919580
>run
Run while analyzing, see what we can figure out about the fog, and try to find another place to stay.

>>26919580

FUCK! How much shit did the black hand unleash on this place!?

this is like those optional dungeons in JRPGs. everything is high level hah.

>>26919638
Their entire attack force.

They turned whatever they could of it into monstrosities while the Sky Sever obliterated them.

>>26919598
On second thought would you like an artifact this powerful to fall into anybody's hands other than your own.

<...run!> you shout.

The party takes off into the trees, striking in a new direction.

You glance back at the fog, extending your senses. Maybe you can discern something about this thing...

Roll 1d100

Rolled 26

>>26919663

Rolled 6

>>26919663

Rolled 33

>>26919663

Rolled 95

>>26919663
here we go...

Rolled 14

>>26919663

Rolled 39

>>26919663

>>26919625
>>26919661
And? I originally brought this up because of a claim that Lucifer is trying to destroy the sky-sever and I stated that that is unlikely because what he seems to be worried about is the staff and that's it. The whole point I've been making is that the staff is a problem to them if it gets in the wrong hands and that's why they're here

>>26919679
Dammit, my one good roll and it's too late...

Rolled 25

>>26919663

Rolled 14

>>26919663

Rolled 95

>>26919663
trying for a nat 100

Rolled 93

10th roll

>>26919663

Rolled 91

>>26919663

>>26919700
>>26919705
>>26919711
never change /tg/ dice. never change.

The power sits in the crevice like a bog of darkness. It's...more souls. More blood magic.

But its source, and where it's being controlled from - if it's being controlled at all - elude your grasp.

The party is well into the trees, now. You can feel the fog slowly unrolling behind you.

Auriel and Abigail are still unconscious. You carry them both, so as not to burden anyone weaker; you're still faster than any normal human, even given the weight.

You push forward into the forest.

Roll 1d100

Rolled 7

>>26919737

Rolled 65

>>26919737

Rolled 16

>>26919737

Rolled 56

>>26919737

its... gonna be one of those days.

Rolled 84

>>26919737

>>26919745
>>26919752

This was really not the time, dice.

WELP

Rolled 20

>>26919737

>>26919745
>>26919752
Ugh. I actually roll well and it doesn't even matter

Rolled 34

>>26919737

Rolled 47

>>26919737
gonna throw another roll into the ring

Rolled 81

>>26919737

Rolled 4

>>26919737
I WILL SAVE US

Rolled 27

>>26919737

File: 1377897152097.jpg-(85 KB, 1032x774, 1372452079248.jpg)

85 KB JPG

For a while, you outpace the fog without trouble.

But the sun finally sets altogether, and the sky goes dark. You feel the fog rapidly make up its lost ground.

"It's gaining on us!" Adavan shouts.

"I realize that!" Vonnegut snaps. He huffs and puffs as he pumps his arms. "We can't take to the air, because the air itself would kill us, and now this shit is coating the ground! Why did you people want to come here again?!"

"Shut up and keep running!" Flint says. "We ran into mages. Maybe it can't get inside buildings!"

<Flint's right. There must be some way to fend it off. Don't slow down!>

A peel of fog rolls in from the left, and the party cuts right to stay ahead of it. A figure looms in the deep darkness...a strange creature. Masked, like the thing you met before. Limbs hold lanterns...but they aren't friendly, cheerful lights.

>mana: 8/58

What do you do?

>try to bowl over the creature to create a path for the party
>try to evade the creature
>magic
>some other strategy

I think it might be time to burn some exp. We're obviously not getting a break anytime soon.

>>26919885
Try to evade the creature

Rant about blood magic.

>>26919885
>try to evade the creature
Let's try a multishade for good measure. We don't have the mana for anything big and at least and Empowered Silence can save us from shit rolls.

>>26919885

run around it. hopefully it will be too busy dealing with the fog to chase us...

Mayhap it is some kind of physical ward.... something that keeps the wind mage's safe...

Rolled 46

>try to bowl over the creature to create a path for the party
we can be huge when we want to.

also ground level schattenkrieg.

>>26919943
We're carrying to unconscious people. That is completely stupid.

Evasion is popular.

Roll 1d100

>>26919938
Were you not paying attention to the last masked shadow creature we ran into?

Rolled 56

>>26919987

Rolled 83

>>26919987

Rolled 41

>>26919987

>>26919987
>>26919995
>>26920005
>>26919926
Can we add a multishade to this?

Rolled 8

>>26919987

Rolled 57

>>26919987
wow where did all the rolls go?

>>26920063
Let's not

>>26920092
We already got three, though it took a while. No need to risk it anymore.

>>26920112
Ah, more rolls, right.

Still an option for later.

>>26919987
We need a break so we can heal ourselves and the allies up get some mana back and then deal with these various threats one at a time.

You keep your distance from the creature. Flint and Adavan run in front of you, separating your vulnerable cargo from the immediate danger.

But the creature turns not toward you three, but Vonnegut.

One of those limbs stabs out, extending, snapping, and extending again.in a sudden rush.

Vonnegut brings up a shield of ice, but he isn't fast enough. The bony appendage slices him across the stomach. Vonnegut stumbles, but his ice smacks the limb away before it can do more damage.

You're about to go over and help him, but he brings a hand up to his wound. Ice freezes across his flesh, creating a patch that staunches the blood. He keeps running. He's tougher than he looks. Well, you learned that firsthand.

The creature does not pursue you. It wanders into the fog, and vanishes into the black.

The fog is gaining speed. It licks at your heels.

You grab Flint, Vonnegut, Adavan, and Ila, then hoist them up above your body. "Shadow, what are you doing!?" Flint shouts.

<I can run faster! Stop moving!>

Realizing the logic, Flint stops struggling. You manage to put a bit more distance between yourself and the grey smoke, but it peels after you, dogging you relentlessly.

Roll 1d100

Rolled 48

>>26920161

Rolled 31

>>26920161

>>26920154
Come to think of it we really need pocket too

Rolled 36

>>26920161