Seer? Your mother's people? The White God? The strange words roll around in your head for a while, but you don't get anywhere with them. Instead you step out of your master- No, your cabin and make your way to the bath. You strip down and enjoy a nice long soak. You get out after perhaps an hour of relaxing and find your joints greatly loosened up, the cold fitful sleep and stress of your job causing your joints to become far stiffer than you thought. You redress and walk back to your cabin, the cold morning air causing small wisps of steam to rise from your still damp body in the slowly rising dawn. You spend a bit of time preparing a rabbit you had cleaned a few days earlier and making a small stew out of it. While it cooks you go down into the vault and look through the books, for anything related to your dreams.

Sadly it is either not there or so highly complex you can not recognize it, and thus you go back upstairs in order to prepare for the day. You realize you will have to stop getting so lazy with your meals and actually prepare proper food once and a while if you are going to continue cooking for yourself, but at the same time stew is the ultimate form of food. You consider this difficult line of thought before you plan for your day.
(cont)

You are currently good on your stock of arrows, and you are certain Urik will send a runner to you when he has all of the rest completed. Fulvia and Dianna could probably use some help setting up for the harvest festival, though you have already helped them once before. Then again you have an outstanding task for Vistillia and Magia to collect herbs in the southern woods, and going into the woods may yield a staggering amount of information about your late master's death. Or it could reveal nothing at all.

You could also go hunting for monsters in order to try and collect their crystallized cordis, or you could try to go into town for more work.

How should you spend your morning?
[]Go out hunting(Southern woods, eastern woods, mountains)
[]Help out Fulvia and Dianna
[]Go see someone else in town
[]Hunt for Webweaver
[]Other, please specify
((Forgive the short, delayed start, still dealing with cleaning up for the holidays))

Since it was asked for, my twitter is https://twitter.com/RangerquestOP I post on here when I over sleep, or have to run to the post box, or when I will be running.

>>29129899
>[]Other, please specify
See the mage about our dream.

>>29129899
>[]Help out Fulvia and Dianna

>>29129899
>[]Go out hunting( eastern woods)
>[]Hunt for Webweaver
>[]Other, please specify
Read up on the eastern woods, and maybe on the way tell the mage what you experienced.

>>29129899
Help Fulvia and Dianna. We need to get shit ready for the thing. We can go hunting in the afternoon.

>>29129899
>[]Other, please specify
Make more spark arrows.
And then
>[]Hunt for Webweaver
We already kept up our promise.

Calling it for Fulvia and Dianna and starting writing now.
>>29130001
You do not have a "spark" arrow as it were. You tried making burn arrows and messed up. Your schematic for them is not yet complete.

Also added bestiary to pastebin with known creatures. The ??? means you remember something but not enough to place a name. If it is not listed you do not know it at all.

Still writing.

>>29130363
How much time till the seasons change and we can no longer get those plants for that lady?

You think of Fulvia and Dianna and realize that if they are going to make it in time for the festival they will need help. You take your time getting ready, wearing the last of your clean casual wear and after some consideration, grabbing your saber and bow. You lock your cabin up and make your way into town in a leisurely pace. The pace gives you a chance to stretch and you decide that calling it an early night once and a while must become a habit with how much it seems to have rejuvenated you. You give a few testing steps on your formerly injured leg and twist your side a little and while your leg still gives the faintest dull ache, you decide it is healed enough that it won't provide you any issue. Your side is similarly on the mend and while it won't be perfect for a few days yet, you are plenty healed enough to go out in range.

The roads slowly start filling up with people, farmers going shopping or other people getting an early start on the harvest festival preparations. You feel a small bounce enter your step as you give a few nods to your fellow early risers and make your way to the tavern. You look over the darkened windows and test the door. Locked. You press an ear to the door and hear some activity inside so you give a gentle rapping of your knuckles against the wood frame and with. It takes a few moments, but you hear the locks slide open and Dianna pokes her face out. She has a sleepy look to her and you give a smile and a wave. She grumbles something almost coherent, then glances down towards her body for a second. She holds up a finger to you and you catch the side of bare arms and nearly bare torso before she mutters "Gimme a second." or perhaps "Great meaty silver." before shutting the door.
(cont)

You opt to believe the former and wait patiently for her to return. Sure enough the door opens and a much more dressed Dianna opens the door and beckons you inside. You nod your thanks and step gingerly over the threshold. You look around the room as Dianna shuts the door, and you note lots more of the finer woodwork seems to be done. Small figures to the gods and goddesses dot the room and you feel yourself shiver as your eyes pass over the usual terrors. Rashar, Nyx, and now to add onto your troubles Selvia now fills you with dread. Dianna mumbles something incoherent at you as she walks past and sits at the bar and you follow.

"Not a morning person?" You ask sitting down next to her.

"You are dead to me until I get food." She replies, her eyes closed.

You sniff the air and you can smell the cooking fat and potatoes, your still semi-full stomach growling out in a demanding manner. You decide to let her have her morning grumpiness as you wait. It doesn't take long for Fulvia to walk out with some glasses and arms full of food. She smiles upon seeing you and you thank which ever god decided to make her put a thick leather cooking apron over her thin nightclothes. "Delarus! You are here to help us set up?" She asks as she sets a massive plate of food in front of Dianna and a smaller plate in front of herself.

"Decided it was a good way to spend a morning." You reply as Dianna starts stabbing into her food and practically inhaling it.

Something subtly shifts in her smile as she walks behind the bar and stands in front of you. "Really, I am so grateful you are willing to help out." She says leaning forward, her breasts leaning against the counter and straining against the thin fabric of her nightshirt, her apron the only thing preventing you from seeing something very interesting.
(cont)

You try very hard to ignore it and give her a shrug of indifference. "I offered."

"Have you eaten?" She continues to which you nod. She seems to think about it for a moment before adding on. "Actual food, not just stew."

You consider lying and saying yes you do eat people food, but your stomach growls loudly preempting any lie you can make. She sighs before pushing herself off the bar and you focus on her face. "Well, let's see if we can't feed your appetite."

You curse her phrasing and almost manage to ignore how her hips sway as she walks into the back room, the sounds of plates and silverware clanging around.

You get a smaller plate then them and set out to eating, the meal making you forced to admit that Fulvia is a far better cook than you. After eating Dianna insists on Fulvia putting on people clothes, and after she does so you three set off to work.

Mostly, you have smaller detail work, or putting things onto shelves while Dianna does the heavy lifting. You help her move a few stands into the village center, and move some heavy barrels of mead to the various shops and corners where they will cure for a few more days before the fair. You manage to clear most of it out by the time the tavern opens around noon. Fulvia insists on you staying for lunch and, deciding that you could use more food, you wait.

She cooks a simple meal of greens with little meat, and you dig into it happily. You have nearly finished your meal when small fingers tug at your shirt. You turn and standing there is the youngest Crispin Child Annabelle. She looks much better than when you last saw her, her formerly sheet white skin now healthier, though still pale. Her arms seem thicker with proper muscle and her eyes seem focused and alert. You give her a nod and you notice her face flushes nearly as red as her hair on her head. She fidgets slightly while clutching her hands on the hem of her dress and you think if they were not doing that she would be rubbing them together.
(cont)

Deciding that while sitting here staring at each other is fun, you do have things to do later so you break the ice. "Hello Annabelle, you are looking much better. How are you feeling?"

"Very good! I mean, much better. I ate the honey, and I still have a bit just to be sure, but I mean, I am walking around now and- well. You saved me, thank you so much." She says, shifting her tone after her initial outburst to something imitating proper society speak in those story books.

"There is no need to thank me, I am just glad to hear you are feeling better." You say and she nods.

She bites on her lower lip for a few moments and closes her eyes before saying "If it's not too much trouble, could you maybe. I mean. PLEASEDANCEWITHMEDURINGTHEFESTIVAL!" You blink trying to figure out what she said, and finally realize. At the end of the festival there is a folk dance, and music and the like all around a large fire.

"Well let me-" You start and her eyes flare up.

"OHLOOKIHAVETOGOMYDAISCALLINGMEBYE!" She says before running out of the building, her face turning completely red to her ears and down her neck.

Your mouth is still open as the young girl runs away and you spend a few moments trying to figure out what just happened. The sound of giggling causes you to turn back and you see Fulvia sitting across from you. She lets the laugh play itself out as Dianna handles the few remaining customers. She opens her eyes and you can tell she is struggling to hold back her laughter still. "Seems someone has a crush."
(cont)

You stab a fork into the last of your food and shrug. "Suppose."

She shakes her head. "Don't be like that, it's adorable."

You think over what happened and despite your attempted facade of apathy you can't help but feel yourself smile a little. "She could have at least waited to answer."

"She looked like a tomato running out of here. You will have to give her at least one dance now you know. Otherwise people will think you heartless." She says.

"Assuming I make it to the festival." You say.

She shakes her head. "We should be about done with preparations for a few days thanks to your help. Though it makes me a bit sad we won't be able to see each other for a few days, perhaps we can meet up when I have some time off?" She asks and you just notice she seems to have had her hand on your forearm for a little while.

You shiver as you feel her warmth through her fingers, but remember to keep your wits about you. "Sure, if you time it right you can come with me to see a scary spider monster. It will be a laugh."

"You're no fun." She says teasingly as you stand.

"Oh, I'm barrels of fun. You just have no sense of adventure is all." You say and you feel like you have won as you turn to leave.

You hear her walk behind you and get close as she walks you to the door. You almost make it out when you hear her incredibly husky voice say in a low tone "One of these days, Delarus Hune, I will show you just how very adventurous I can be."

You feel your blood heat up as you make it outside and you check yourself in the window to make sure you are not as red as Annabelle was, but it seems you managed to avoid being totally embarrassed.

Well, it is now just after noon. There is a ton of things you can do.

[]Go hunting (Southern woods, eastern woods, Mountains)
[]Try to find the herbs in the southern woods
[]Try to find Webweaver's lair in the southern woods
[]Go see someone else in town
[]Other, please specify

>>29130576
She would prefer if you got it done before the festival which is in about a week. You still have plenty of time really.

>>29130676
>[]Other, please specify
continue research on arrows. We need to finish the schematics.

>>29130692
Well that's no excuse to put it off.
Let's go to the southern woods! (We'd probably get some potions out of it, and we need all we can get)

>>29130676
>[]Go hunting (Southern woods, eastern woods, Mountains)
Lets get that meal, so we can do the hrb and the meeting together.

>>29130970
Eastern Woods is my choice.

Rolled 3

>>29130705
>>29130829
>>29130977
Seems we are at an impasse. Dice choose for us.

So hunting in the eastern woods it is then. Please roll 1d20+3 for hunting and what in particular, if anything, you are looking for

Rolled 19 + 3

>>29131063

Rolled 7 + 3

>>29131063

>>29131063
any special herbs in the region?

>>29131098
You have already collected the herbs asked of you in the eastern region. There are some standard first aid herbs you can get, some numbing herbs, some herbs which are good for basic sickness and the like.

The eastern forest tends to be the friendliest region so barring unique circumstance the herbs in that area are fairly easy to get.

Looks like I am not getting very much traction. Will try and continue the game later when I can hopefully get more people.

>>29131098
A drider maybe. We know them better now and should be aware of their tricks.

>>29131195
meant to quote >>29131063

>>29131180
We're still doing fairly well. Please, continue.

>>29131180
People just didn't have any specific preferences on what to hunt for probably .

>>29131180
Didn't have a preference, i just said lets go get the web weaver her meal, so that we can get herb gathering and the meeting done together.

>>29131180
What wrenloft said

>>29131240
I see. I should say that she would prefer a living creature so she can "eat" it. So a blight tusk during the mating season would have a large one, but they are very hostile at the moment. You could still hunt just to collect a cordis.

Driders have a larger cordis, but you are uncertain how feeding a drider to a drider would work out.A forest manticore is not something that is often seen in the southern swap so while it would have a lower cordis it might be considered a delicacy, but you can not say for certain.

>>29131283
Ok, let's go with the manticore.

Then again if you would prefer to just hunt a creature I can just use the 19+3 and have you just find something.

>>29131283
Manticore if its a delicacy.

>>29131305
I did say might. So you will try and find a manticore?

Writing now.

>>29131283
I wanted to hunt a drider for cordis but it seems people want to deal with Solacae first so lets go with manticore then. Give the lady something different to taste.

File: 1388261963874.png-(774 KB, 1024x672, file.png)

774 KB PNG

>>29131323
>>29131340
Quick question if we succeed keeping this besat to an inch of its life should we head straight to her?i myself would like to either go cordis hunting or make more arrows.

>>29131063
Also I say we look for a blight tusk because they seem like they'd provide an interesting cordis. Hey does the beast's emotional state affect it's cordis? Like will a blight tusks cordis be larger or more potent when they are more aggressive?

>>29131323
Manticore ho!

>>29131363
You could. Keep in mind the creatures in the southern woods have a cordis as well. So do people really, which is one reason you think your master was so selective in who they chose to follow them.
>>29131370
Yes and no. Emotions can effect a cordis, as it does touch the soul. During mating season, in general, cordis' swell in anticipation of making a new life so they will almost always be bigger during that time for every creature. In theory if you kill them right when they are in the middle of sex their cordis might be even larger, but it is theoretical as you know no one who has tested that particular theory.

>>29131436
Lets test it after we are done with the manticorn.

>>29131363
We have absolutely zero hopes of fighting and winning against Solanaceae right now, so while i like to hunt for cordis, it wouldn't really mean much against lady. We hope to go and leave in peace.
I thing we should go see Lilly, she said she talked with her sometimes, if she can arrange a meeting for us, even if it just means going through the forest to lady without drider attack it would help alot.

You check the sun's position and decide you have plenty of time to go out on a hunt. You make your way back to your cabin at a quicker pace than this morning and quickly don your armor. You check your gear, making sure your leathers are securely fastened and make your way towards the eastern woods.

You spend the first half of your journey getting used to the wilderness, stepping lightly over the fallen wood and vines, trying to remember how to properly balance yourself over the uneven ground. It takes you a while, but eventually you feel confident enough to wrap your cloak around you and head deeper into the woods, intent on the hunt.

Hunting has an interesting ratio for luck vs skill. Some of the hunters would claim that there is no luck in the matter; that an experienced hunter can, and will, get what they are looking for as long as they are skilled enough. If they lose a trail, or fail to get a kill then they will just accept they are not skilled enough and try harder next time. Others have said that it is mostly luck, that you can teach someone to shoot and on their first hunt out they might get a big kill or they might end up with nothing, and that is generally how they believe most of their hunts will go. There is very little they believe can be done to change the will of fate, and take it as a gamble.

You tend to believe skill is mostly what matters, with just a touch of luck. You check your lures and traps and decide that most likely a forest manticore would make an interesting meal as they tend to not be in the southern woods. You step lightly through the trees and keep an eye out for the large scratch marks which indicate manticore territory.
(cont)

>19+3

You follow a small stream you think flows into Lilly's glade after a few miles and consider yourself lucky when you see a tree partially torn up. You examine the marks and feel satisfied you are in the right area as you nock an arrow and carefully track back and forth, waiting for the creature. It doesn't take long.

You step out of a thicket and freeze as one leaps from the top of a tree into a small clearing in front of you. The bat like wings flap as the almost feline like head swivels back and forth. You hold your breath as your cloak settles over you, changing to match the shadow of the tree. The creature’s large, sharp tail twitches as it scans the area, then you watch with some satisfaction as the beast seems to pass you by. It starts cleaning itself, evidently content to have a nice lazy afternoon.

Pity you can't allow that.

You move slowly, careful to not disturb the forest surroundings as you plant simple traps around, hoping it will be enough. You double, then triple check the robe trap which will, in theory, knock the beast out and bind it. You decide that is the best you can do under the circumstances and then take aim at the large creature as it starts curling up. You hold your ready arrow, keeping a close eye on the creature's breathing. When it seems the beast is asleep you let fly in what you hope is a non-vital area near the tail. The creature roars with rage as it tries to figure out what just happened to it.
(cont)

You fire again, this time in the tail proper, hopefully messing with it's ability to lash out and you feel it's eyes land on you. It roars in rage as it charges, your third arrow catching the left wing and hopefully grounding it. You take a few steps back, acting like a caught prey would and even making a show of fumbling an arrow you have to bend over to pick up. As the beast gets close enough you use the arrow you dropped to cut the hidden wire and nab the beast.

The creature’s face slams into the ground and gets hauled up and you nearly jump for joy, but then you notice the beast seems to be still awake. Cursing your luck as the hind legs swipe at you, you see the tail twitch once or twice, yet fail to lunge at you.

You realize that while the beast is certainly caught, it won't stop thrashing any time soon. You realize you have some time to kill.

[]Sit and wait for the beast to tire itself out
[]Club the thing, you are going to have a hard enough time just dragging it into the south.
[]Go hunt something else while you wait
[]Other, please specify

>>29131713
>[]Club the thing, you are going to have a hard enough time just dragging it into the south.

>>29131713
>[x]Club the thing, you are going to have a hard enough time just dragging it into the south.

>>29131713
>[]Club the thing, you are going to have a hard enough time just dragging it into the south.
>[]Go hunt something else while you wait

>>29131713
>[ x ]Sit and wait for the beast to tire itself out
We need patience if we want to make a good gift of it to The Webweawer.

>>29131785
Well why not just go hunting then?

>>29131808
Leave a trashing trapped animal unguarded? We will probably loose it to predators then.

>>29131713
Go hunting while we wait.
Also we cant keep putting off getting those herbs so that should be done soon

>>29131713
Brain him and go to the south. If we leave to go hunting driders will get it.

>>29131877
They are in the south woods a completely different place.

>>29131949
I know, and we still need to go there sometime instead of putting it off

>>29131713
>[]Go hunt something else while you wait
Better for it to tired it self.

>>29131713
Club it and bring it back to your cabin. Then go hunting.

>>29131987
For reference look at
>>29131363

You frown as you realize that driders can probably see better in the dark, and if you wanted any hope of getting this thing to the south before dark overtakes the area it will have to get tired a lot faster than you are totally comfortable waiting for. You look around for something to use and see a large branch. You lift the large item and look over at the beast, still thrashing angrily.

This may take a bit.

----

You pant heavily as you throw the large branch to the side. It had taken a while to hit it just right, and you may have gotten a bit cut up by the beast's claws, but in the end you managed to let it fall into the comforting embrace of unconsciousness. You wipe a bit of blood up with your cloak, the enchanted material deadening the scent and making it vanish quickly as you make a mental note to create some sort of sleep arrow, or poison, or literally anything that isn't hitting a manticore with a stick until it stops struggling.

Still, you manage to knock it out without killing it, and while hitting something in the side of the head over and over until you get the sweet spot enough times is not the most elegant of solutions, it is a solution. You manage to cut the beast down and swear as you realize the large creature will be difficult to carry, and while certainly not impossible to do, you don't think you will be as stealthy as you normally are.

Would you like to go into the southern woods? You are no doctor so you are not certain if the beast will die, or wake up justifiably angry at you. Of course you have no idea if either of those things will come sooner or later, and that means you have no idea how to plan around it.

Southern woods?
[]Yes, lets try and use the book's knowledge and make our way tot he cave you think it mentioned.
[]Let's go hunting first.
[]Let's wait till night and see if lilly can help us
[]Leave the beast here. You were unprepared and it will make a nice gift to the animals.
[]Take the beast somewhere
[]Other, please specify

>>29132045
>[]Yes, lets try and use the book's knowledge and make our way tot he cave you think it mentioned.

>>29132045
>[]Yes, lets try and use the book's knowledge and make our way tot he cave you think it mentioned.

>>29132045
>Let's wait till night and see if lilly can help us

>>29132045
>[]Yes, lets try and use the book's knowledge and make our way tot he cave you think it mentioned.

Let's make sure the manticore can't get loose when it wakes first.

>>29132086
>>29132088
Seems majority want to try and find the cave.

Please roll 1d20 please. Best of first three.

>>29132045
>[ x ]Let's wait till night and see if lilly can help us

Rolled 7

>>29132166

Rolled 6

>>29132166

Rolled 19

>>29132166

Rolled 18

>>29132166
we really should've asked lilly's help.

Rolled 19

>>29132166
man these rolls are shit.

>>29132194
saved us

You cut the manticore down with your saber and stand back a few feet as it lands. You wait for a second before carefully poking it with the tip of your boot. The beast does not move so you fall on it quickly, wrapping the beast with rope, making sure it can't escape then lift it. The creature is heavy, ad you find yourself in an awkward position as you lift the large beast and find it almost too much for you.

You orient yourself to the south and let out a swear as you start the long haul. It takes some time, you periodically stopping and letting the beast down as you rest, or as you check the bindings because it twitched slightly, or because you think you heard something in the distance and you had to check it out. You eventually make it to the southern border and you can almost feel the energies of the area change. You didn't notice how comfortable the eastern woods felt, like a great strong protector wrapping itself around life, the eastern woods was in every sense of the word, friendly.

As soon as you step into the south you feel like you are being hunted, like the whole of the forest is waiting for a chance to eat you. You shiver as you lean against a tree, the thin branches reminding you uncomfortably of fingers reaching out for you. You feel your pulse quicken as you think you see a shadow move, then another and it takes everything you have to control yourself. This land is a hunter, you decide. While nature can be peaceful, it can also be savage and cruel, the strongest hunting the weaker, and the rules belonging to them. You manage to calm yourself enough to check your mental map of the area. It takes a while, the daylight preventing you from checking your position by the stars in the sky, but you get a rough idea of where you need to go and you set off.

>19, skin of your teeth success.
(cont)

It takes even longer, your new found paranoia making you freeze in place as every shadow seems to be a fanged horror, riding on a wave of nightmares. Three times your paranoia proved justified, as a pair of massive driders and a heavily armored wyrm nearly caught you but you pressed on. Eventually you get within sight of a cave and you feel like the forest is no longer creeping up on your blind spot.

Because it got chased away by the great predator directly in front of you. An overwhelming sense of dread takes you as you stare at the cave yet despite your common sense and instincts screaming at you to turn away, to just leave and never return, you take careful, measured steps towards the portal. You pause outside of the cave as you realize you seem to have forgotten everything ever.

How should you deal with webweaver when you meet her?
[]Aggressive, she will respect strength
[]Terrified, she will see our weakness and decide we are not worth killing
[]Like a gentleman courting a lady. If you end up married to a spider then so be it, at least you won't be killed.
[]Blankly, look boring and she won't think it's fun to attack us
[]Other, please specify

>>29132589
>[]Blankly, look boring and she won't think it's fun to attack us

>>29132589
>[]Like a gentleman courting a lady. If you end up married to a spider then so be it, at least you won't be killed.
She wants to be treated like a woman, i assume we brought the jewelry.

>>29132589
Hold up, we went over this. Uh, I think it was be a gentleman?

>>29132589
>[ x ]Like a gentleman courting a lady. If you end up married to a spider then so be it, at least you won't be killed.
At least we live.just hope she is not the kind that eats her mates

>>29132589
>[]Like a gentleman courting a lady. If you end up married to a spider then so be it, at least you won't be killed.

Best take Lilly's advice

>>29132621
It is still listed in your inventory, so yes you did.
>>29132635
The marrying a spider bit may have been a joke

Being a gentleman seems to have won. Writing now.

>>29132654
Really? Cause i am totally fine with it.

I have not fallen asleep. Still writing.

>>29133221
Kind of you to let us know.

That's right, be a gentleman. You struggle to remember the points the notebook talked about, the standard fair about being proper in a lady's company and how to behave when meeting for the first time. Sadly you can only remember about half of it. You take a deep breath, the air even tasting wrong in this section of the woods, before stepping in carrying the manticore. You take a few steps inside and realize that the book covered how to be greeted and welcomed into a home, but not actually a cave. You look around for a steward, or butler to announce you and realize it isn't that easy. You continue inward, hoping things will work themselves out.

You walk through the cave system for perhaps ten minutes, groping blindly after the first five as the dark cave becomes impossible to see through, before a silky smooth voice calls out from everywhere around you. "Now what's this? A sweet looking thing walks in freely?"

You freeze, then quickly assemble your thoughts. "We- Lady Solanaceae, do forgive me for intruding but I had no method of calling ahead. Please, take this as a token of my apologies." You say tossing the manticore onto the ground in front of you. "A forest manticore, as I understand it they stay away from these woods and I though perhaps you might enjoy it as a change of pace. Might we speak?" You ask and you feel something move in the darkness beyond.
(cont)

Straining your senses you hear nothing, which terrifies you perhaps more than anything else. You barely hold back a shiver as you imagine great fangs sinking into you, twisted inhuman shapes lunging towards you, and chitinous fingers, gently stroking your body. You keep a careful count of the seconds, and while it is only ten it feels like an eternity. The voice calls out then from just ahead. "Will you walk into my parlour?" She asks.

You take a careful step forward, expecting to step on the manticore but find your foot hitting solid stone. You blink as you touch your foot around in front of you and realize that you only dropped it inches from you, meaning who ever took it had to be able to slip past you and pull it away without you noticing despite your senses being on high alert. You continue forward until you bump into a wall and decide, on a whim, to turn left. You keep close to the wall and move for a few seconds, keeping careful track of the time it takes in your head. After a few dozen feet or so you see faint light from a previously unnoticed gap in the wall. You slip into it and find yourself in a, what you assume, parlour. A comfortable chair sits before a circular table, the wood impossibly fine, and several vases and paintings line the wall.

Glancing around you get the uncertain feeling you are not alone, and on a hunch look up into the total blackness of the high ceilings. You think you see the thin outline of white thread, but you can't be certain in the dim lighting. As you try and focus your eyes more you suddenly feel a presence behind you and turn carefully. Standing behind you is the web weaver.
(cont)

Like all of her kind, the so called webweaver possesses the bottom half of a spider and the top half of a human, but in many respects that is where the similarities end. Where the driders from before had simple black scales covering them, she has solid, bladed on the joint plates. Where the simple black shell of insects was the only decoration of the spiders, her places seem to be inlayed with a white metal of some sort you can't identify. Where the driders from before had humanish top halves, thin too tight skin stretched over a black lumpy thing which hid underneath she looked, well, damn good.

Full lips, a matronly bosom held in finely weaved silk, and perfect hips which connect to the black spider half. Her skin is perhaps a pale violet, though that could easily be a trick of the dim lights. Her eyes, some sort of dark either red, blue, or violet, remain fixed on you, as if gauging something. You look her over carefully and note her long hair seems to hang freely down, covered in jewelry similar to which line her hands and arms. You manage to prevent yourself from making a very unmanly noise and give your best smile. "Lady Solanaceae I presume?" You ask.

She gives a nod and you gently lift on of her hands. "I must say, the rumors of you failed to mention how lovely you are." You continue placing your lips gently on her fingers.

You expected cold, you expected insect like feeling, perhaps with unnatural bumps along her body. Instead you are surprised as you feel warmth, perfect and whole. The gentle scent of some exotic scent touches your nose as you pull back from her after the brief greeting and you realize she seems to be wearing perfume. A scary spider lady in the middle of the wilderness is wearing perfume from some place you can probably not even pronounce.
(cont)

"My, my. How polite." Webweaver says, her voice sweet. "Yes, I think I shall enjoy this conversation. Much more so than my last. You have sought me out, young man, and I would be remiss to turn away a gentleman caller. Please, sit. I shall prepare something to drink."

You give a short bow, remembering that is something you are supposed to do at some point and take a seat at the table. You remember something about having to pull the chair out for her, but realize there is no chair to pull, so you strike that from the list.

Instead, as she approaches you stand and give your best smile. It is a clunky and awkward attempt at manners, but she seems to enjoy it enough as she sets a tea cup in front of you, steaming with an exotic smell. You take a sip of the liquid after sitting down and smile, the strange taste certainly unique but not unpleasantly so. "You are from that village. You have certainly come a long way." She says finally after adding a few small cubes to the drink.

"Indeed it is so." You agree, being careful not to be too overbearing.

"What could possibly interest a young man out here in the woods?" She asks calmly.

"Have you not considered you are the source of my interest?" You counter, but she doesn't let it fluster her.

"A drider? A being your kind fears? Such thoughts would be considered madness you see." She continues.

"Then perhaps I am mad. Taken by a fire known as love. I may find myself stricken by you and though it may be the life of me, the thought of life without you is simply unbearable." You say, grasping at whatever nursery rhyme romance tripe you can remember.

"But I am a monster. A being that devours and kills your kind. Not only that I am not particularly young. Surly there must be some village girl you find more interesting." She shakes her head and seems to be going along with it.
(cont)

"They hold no interest in me, for they are not you. The word monster? Just a name. So called age? Nothing before what I feel. Should I die, let it be by your hand for living a life without you..." You freeze as you realize you have been reciting some modified lines from a story your master used to tell you. You smile a little as you remember the words and continue "… Would be worse than dying a thousand deaths. Truly if it is the path of a madman I must walk then at least let me walk it joyfully with you" You say.

She is silent for a few moments and then you hear something strange. You narrow your eyes as you realize it is laughter, slowly welling up from her. You take a sip from your tea as she lets the laugh roll through her fully and you thank Nyx that your master was so in love with his stories that when he drank he would recite his favorite lines from it. She finally finishes and you see the whites of her teeth in the dim light. "Even if just at play it has been decades since a young man has said anything like that to me. It was worth letting you in. You have me at a disadvantage."

"Delarus Hune. I am, as you suspected, a ranger from the village." You explain.

"It is a pleasure to meet you." She extends her hand and you give it a small squeeze before continuing with your tea.

You spend a few minutes in pleasant silence before she speaks up again. "I assume you did come here for a reason. What, might I ask, is that?"

Why did you come here?

[]Write in questions please

That a lot to read, give us some time to suggest.

>>29133738
Happily.

>>29133695
I have come to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of my predecessor. I was wondering if you could assist me in my endeavor.

>>29133695
>Offer the necklace first.

>>29133833
>>29133695
This works for me, and also tell her that the spirit in the lake says high.(maybe ask her about seers)

>>29133860
Thats a parting gift.

>>29133695
Ask her for a shirt made of her silk. Wasn't it said that their silk is stronger than steel?

>>29133833
This is fine.

>>29133860
That is to come after we have our serious business talks.

>>29133944
Don't ask a host for a gift. We have to be polite here, remember?

>>29133974
Still' it'd be useful. How could we ask for it while still being tactful?

>>29134029
I don't really think we can. If we kept coming back and visiting her it might happen, assuming we stayed on her good side, but otherwise I see no way of us getting it this time around.

>>29134029
If she wants to give us a parting gift as well.

>>29134029
We have other priorities. After we get what we came for and if we keep a good relationship with her, we can get one from her later but it'll probably not be free anyways.

So it looks like you want to just ask her about your teacher and offer her a parting necklace when you go?

>>29134120
Maybe ask if she knows of the thing that tricked our old master into shooting the lilly?

>>29134120
Ask her about the evil women that tricked our master as well.

>>29134120
Ask her about the history of driders, where they come from and such.

>>29134120
Ask her if there is any beast worth hunting in the forest and if we can safely get some herbs.

>>29134172
this

>>29134222
Ah yes, it would be convenient if we could safely get those herbs while we are here.

>>29134159
>>29134159
Second this.

"I am curious about the events surrounding the death of my predecessor. I am curious what you might know if it, as I understand he traveled into the southern woods to deal with a life eater, but another told me there was no such being here." You say and she nods.

"He did travel through my woods. Actually, he made periodic trips through, carefully walking his ways. He did his best to avoid our traps and I did my best to trap him. He did not visit me as you have, I think he found me distasteful." She says with a small frown. "I know he entered the woods with far more-" She pauses as if looking for a word. "-cordis? Than he ever has entered with before. Really, such a bothersome thing to refer to both the spring of mana as well as the crystalized remains of the spring as one word." She says.

You give a smile to that as you remember saying something similar to Julius when you were starting out. "It is a phrase made by a bunch of angry old men who have spent far too long in each other's company."

"Perhaps it is so." She concedes with a nod. "During his other trips he would also bring Cordis, but never quite that much. When he came back through the woods all of his cordis was gone which was not too surprising of course."

"Why not?" You ask confused.

"Because when he made those little trips of his he would often come back with far less cordis than when he set out, assuming he came back with any at all." She explains. "Did you not notice?"
(cont)

You take a sip of the drink she gave you while thinking. After a moment you shake your head. "No, he was very secretive about his materials. If he took some out I would be none the wiser. In fact the only reason I noticed his cordis was gone was because I inherited his things when he-" You pause.

"I am terribly sorry for your loss." She offers.

"Lilly was... much less so" You say and Solanaceae shakes her head.

"She was hurt deeply by your teacher. Hurt and will continue to be hurt for as long as she remains, if it was not for-" She seems to stop herself from saying something there and you fill in for her.

"For Selvia." You say.

She seems to think it over for a moment before sighing. "Yes, the one you know as Selvia, it is likely she would have been obliterated."

"What exactly is Selvia?" You ask.

"Your people call her a goddess yes? If enough people call you a goddess then for all intents and purposes you would be one, is it not so?" She asks.

"My people." You say then furrow your brow. "What do you and Lilly think of her as if not a goddess?"

"A spirit like Lilly, though perhaps a different type. An old one connected far deeper with the elements than most other spirits. Since being called gods and goddesses her sort may have developed an ego problem." She says.

"So do driders not have a religion?" You ask curious.

Her full lips press into a fine line as she thinks about the question. "Yes, driders in general have some method of worship. The young follow basic animalistic totems and fetishes while proper drider society has a form of ancestor worship." She explains thought from her tone you think that isn't everything.
(cont)

On a hunch you decide to press on it "But you do not follow those ideas." You conclude.

She gives a sad smile and shakes her head. "I am afraid I have long since learned that the only things worthy of being considered gods or goddesses keep themselves well away from mortal affairs. It tends to make one a bit jaded." She explains.

You finish your tea and set it down in the saucer before standing. "It has been lovely, but I must be off. Please take this as a token of my thanks for your wonderful hospitality." You pull out a silver necklace and she smiles wide, her fangs showing.

"Really, you shouldn't have gone to all the trouble." She says, hunger in her eyes.

You remember something you saw in a book once and, after getting her permission with a nod of her head, go behind her and carefully clasp the necklace on, the strange closing mechanism making you momentarily jealous of Severus' skill. "Giving a gift to such a lovely lady and host is never any trouble." you say.

"Such a pity, I did quite enjoy our conversation." She says moving to finish her drink.

"I have to collect some herbs for my village. Though if there were some way to collect them more safely." You leave the question unasked and she blinks wide at you.

"Why would I be so cruel to you?" She asks.

"Cruel?" You prompt.

She stands and wraps her hands through your bicep as she walks next to you, her long fingers surprisingly strong. "Were I to get the herbs, I would be in no danger. Because I am strong. If you are in danger it just means you are not strong enough to do it safely." She says as her eight legs keep easy pace with you as she escorts you to the door. "The only way one becomes strong enough to perform a task is to do it when it is not safe. Over and over, and then do more risky things. To deny one the right to gain strength, such a cruel thing I could never do."
(cont)

You notice her elegant hands are able to guide you gently somehow through the darkness and you think it was a good idea you never went drider hunting at night. "And if I die?"

"Then you become another's strength. Such is the way of nature. Savage violence and strength must be gained to an impossible degree before you can maintain the guise of civility." She explains and you see the cave entrance.

"I see." You say with a nod as she lets you go.

She turns to leave and then an idea seems to catch her as she turns around. "Do come back any time you wish for a visit, however. I shall try to clean up a bit better."

You give a bow as she retreats back into the darkness. You look back over the southern woods, the imposing atmosphere once more washing over you.

She seems to think you being in mortal danger is good for you. You will never understand women. What do you do?

[]Go find the herbs
[]Go hunting
[]Back to town
[]Other, please specify

>>29134868
>[]Go find the herbs

>>29134868
[]Go find the herbs

>>29134868
>[ x ]Go find the herbs
Might as well do our job while here.

>>29134868
>[]Go find the herbs
>[]Go hunting

>>29134918
>>29134917
>>29134901
1d20+2 For herb hunting/gathering please.

Rolled 19 + 2

>>29134952

Rolled 7

>>29134952

>>29134868
>[]Go find the herbs
>[]Go hunting

Might as well get some cordis while we're here.

Rolled 2 + 2

>>29134952

>>29134959
Praise be to the dice gods

>21, not bad.

You pull out the small crumpled list of herbs you need and their quantities from one of the countless little pockets in your cloak. You mentally picture what each one is and where they would be at before pulling your cloak low over your head and moving out. You are careful, making sure each step is measured and calculated and taking extra time to double back and make sure you are still where you think you are. You use Solanaceae's cave as a natural landmark as you slowly make your way through the southern woods and try to find all the herbs on the list. It takes a few hours, more than it would take normally since you assume every sound and movement is something angry which wants to kill you which forces you to take extra care when walking around. Eventually however you collect most of what you need.

You are about to call it a day when you see a strangely luminous flower growing out of a log and snatch it up. The last herb on your list! You feel a surge of pride as you realize you managed to traverse the southern woods without something killing you or ambushing you and start to leave. You are nearly out of the woods when a strange feeling makes you hit the ground. You scan the area and your eyes catch the faintest movement. You slowly crawl towards the strange shape and see easily the largest blight tusk you have ever seen. It's horns are massive and curling, and even the grass below it is rotting away into nothing from the sickening poison it is pouring out.

It is on it's side dead or dying as an even larger moth sticks some strange tongue into it's body and slowly drains it's blood. You see it's strange eyes and fear that it saw you, but it seems that it is more interested in what ever meal it caught. You glance over the blight tusk body, curious about what happened. You see several holes where the creature's tongue must have pierced the beast, as well as some strange powder around the creature.
(cont)

You had hoped that the blight tusk was killed by something else, and the moth was just getting easy pickings but that doesn't seem to be the case. Instead the moth itself seems to have managed to kill it itself. With a massive wingspan larger than you, the crimson colored creature's veins bulge as the blood fills it, evidently helping it in some way.

It doesn't seem to have seen you.

YOU ENCOUNTER BLOOD MOTH, OH GODS THAT THING IS HUGE

IT HAS NOT YET SEEN YOU

BUT IT WILL PROBABLY WANT TO KILL YOU TO, JUST GOING BY TRACK RECORD.

What do you want to do?

[]Go around it
[]Time to hunt
[]Other, please specify

>>29135339
>[]Time to hunt

>>29135339
hunt eeet

>>29135339
>[]Time to hunt

>>29135339
>[]Time to hunt

>>29135339
Crippling shot to the wings!

>>29135346
>>29135384
>>29135385
Assuming you will be using the bow and arrow again as it is your best fighting ability.

1d20+4 please.

Rolled 15 + 4

>>29135422

Rolled 5 + 4

>>29135422
Rolling.
What are we equipped with right now, anyway?

Rolled 14 + 4

>>29135422

>>29135439
Equipment:
Hunter's leathers
Raelon Fur cloak(Enchanted)
57 Steel arrows
3 Burn arrows
1 Impact arrows
1 Garuk tusk poison arrow
3 days worth of food(Dried meat)
Waterskin(full)
Bow
Lure and snares (2)
Coin of Warmth(lvl1 heating charm)
Pair of earrings
Gold Amulet with Ruby inlays
Bracelet with chain and ring combo
Anklet

Rolled 14 + 4

>>29135422

>>29135469
I meant more about what we've got cordis in right now, but thanks anyway, anon.

right, so after this, shall we complete arrow schematics?

>>29135506
Maybe, isn't the festival today?

>>29135494
You have the jumping boots and the bow.

>>29135520
Not for another week or so depending on weather.

Writing now

>>29135522
Thanks
>>29135506
Enchanted arrows are a really big help if we can get more of 'em, so I'm down for that. We should get around to practicing with our sword more, though. Only a matter of time before something gets uncomfortably close.

>>29135550
I think Dianna can help us with swordplay

>>29135622
>>29135550
Skills:
Archery 4
Trap making 2
Enchantment 1
Potion: 1
Horseback riding: 3
Swordsmanship: 2
Cooking: 2
Flute playing: 4

>>29135550
We are about to finish with fire arrow schematics, so once we are back home we should keep on working them and make a few more. Fire is awefully of use against mosnters.
After that, look into impact arrows sometime. They are great too.

>>29135622
I think we should try and work on our bow and arrow skills. It's our main weapon and I really want to get to rank 5.

>>29135926
You cant always keep your distance.

>>29135926
Agreed, we should get it and trappings up quickly.
We already seen how good traps can be, and a bow is our main weapon.

>>29136001
Main weapon doesn't mean shit. If something gets close, and something will, it's going to tear us in half if we can't fight it off.

>>29135987
Thats what traps and enchantments are for, plus we are fighting against monsters not human enemies, plus its a smart thing to hunt from a distance.

>>29136013
shit has gotten close to us before and you saw how we handled it right?
We shot a fucking arrow into its heart/stomach.

>>29136016
Traps and enchantments are for close-range combat. I never knew!
You think nothing will manage to get close?

>>29136044
it has before and we were saved by fucking enchantments, we have to think smart above anything else.

>>29136044
We can train with her, I just think that our main focus (weapon wise) should be the bow.

>>29136131
Enchants and Traps are good too.

>>29136074
The wyrm that we killed with enchantments would've literally ignored everything other than that impact arrow we hit it with. In that case, I support enchantment. That doesn't mean being skilled in the use of a sword isn't smart. It would've saved us a hell of a lot of trouble when we were ambushed by driders.

>>29136171
Eh for that i was willing to use the bow, but i understand your point.
I still think we should master our Bow skills first since it has shown to be reliable.
Is enchanting is also crafting right?

>>29136261
I'm not saying we shouldn't master archery, I'm saying that we should keep our sword skills at an equivalent level. Fighting something faster and stronger than we are up close makes it damn hard to land a precision shot with a bow.

>>29136302
Might be hard to keep them both at the same level. I would prioritize archery but practice swordsmanship as well.

>>29136261
Whatever you use will be useful to you. If we had chosen to use sword to kill them then it would be useful. If we farted in their face to take them out than that would be useful. It is important to have a variety of skills and while a bow is a great weapon it's usage is limited to ranged to mid-range combat. Also any weapon can always be disarmed any time. Also having archery 5 will be much more harder than having swordsmanship 3. Even working on enchanting would be more efficient than practicing archery for our bow skill at this point, because it'll be much more easier to progress and it'll be just as usefull since we'll be able to make enchanted bow, not to mention other things.

>>29136385
I'm up for improving them, slowly like >>29136343
, but i feel like its best to master the bow before focusing on swords.

>19 fair.

You take aim at the creature's wings and take a calming breath as it continues drinking away at the beast. You measure the tempo, time the beats, then when you think you got it you let fly. The arrow strike's the creature true and it falls, letting out a hyper sonic scream. You ready another arrow quickly and fire, standing as you carefully close the distance and the second strikes just as true as the first. You think yourself fortunate until you feel the primitive stirrings of magic and a field of blood appears before the moth. You fire another arrow, but the barrier stops it before it can strike home. You see blood fill the wings where you damaged them and solidify into something resembling a crystalized scab. The creature goes airborne once more and you feel like you may have, perhaps underestimated this creature.

You throw yourself to the side as it swoops after you, rolling on the ground and firing another arrow at its exposed back section, but at once the creature's shield extends covering the back side in a fine red mist which deflects your arrow harmlessly off. You frown as the creature starts spinning around rapidly, and again you feel the stirring's of magic. Nothing overly fancy or powerful, but magic none the less. Blades of blood, like arcing crescents fly towards you and you realize there is no way around them. Thinking quickly you remember your boots and kick off the solid dirt. You get sent flying into the air with the peaceful 'Sproing' of energy being released. The moth twitches before opening its mouth and firing several slivers of frozen blood towards you. You squirm and struggle in midair in an attempt to get away, but you have no way to managing to move in midair apart from gravity or a particularly helpful wind.
(cont)

>>29136385
Agreed.

Thinking fast once more you curl up, shielding your vitals with your less than vitals as the shards slam into you. Your leather catches some of it, but you still feel the bite as the frozen lances pierce your body, then melt into sticky crimson slop as your body heats them. You want to scream and cry, but instead you pull yourself out of the ball and glare at the moth.

You nock a burn arrow and you see the moth prepare to attack where you will land. Waiting for what it knows will be the end of the battle. Instead you fire just before you hit the ground. Your arrow does not fly as well as you would like, the wind and fall playing merry with your aiming, but the arrow does collide with the blood field. Flames envelop the field at once before fading away into nothing. You hear a crack as the field vanishes and at once the moth is once again forming the magic needed to create a field, but this time you are ready. You fire an arrow into the creature, then another, and then a third! Your arms burning with fatigue and your fingers bloody from the string. The creature lets out a shout as you evidently hit some blood pouch, the sticky red falling out quickly and you take a deep breath.

You cast.

Again, your casting is sloppy, again, your energy spills out everywhere even messier than the fight around you, but you don't care. You mutter a few words and picture the circle in your mind as you quickly carve some symbols into your arrow. You nock the imbued arrow and feel your energy soar within, as if you were about to explode.
(cont)

Then you fire it at the moth. A wave of absolute exhaustion fills you as you let it go, like you have just finished running at a full sprint for three or four hours and you struggle to stand up. The arrow flies true despite the moths attempts at fleeing, and you smile as the arrow digs into what you hope is the creature's brain. It lets out a shriek before twitching and falling to the ground. Its wings give a few spasms before finally stopping. The arrow shatters, and on the ground in front of the open wound is a cordis of white with dark red veins within about the size of an orange. You blink as you consider the item and marvel at its size.

You have never killed a creature with a cordis that large, let alone one able to cast magic. Does that mean you killed a monster? You amuse yourself with that though, then hear something in the distance let out a howl and you realize just how dirty you are.

You take off at a sprint towards the village, uncaring what you look like. You master always said that something running to a creature looks damn interesting. A creature bleeding looks damn tasty. You decide you would rather look interesting than tasty to anything out there and press on, uncaring of all the noise you are making.

As the sun sets you feel your pulse quicken and your open wounds drool more viscous life force. Everywhere around you, the idea of vicious creatures scratching at your and chasing just at your heel make you press on harder. Tears well in your eyes as you start thinking of your friends back in the village, how you will never see them again. Some part of you realizes that is just the blood loss talking. The blood loss coupled with the exhaustion from casting coupled with the instinctual terror of the night. The rest of you is telling that part of your mind to shut up because a unicorn is going to eat us for some reason. Rather than control the terror you embrace it.
(cont)

You take in the instinct to live, the need to survive. You take in the natural chemicals in your body which terror turns on and let them flow through you. You let the things that hunt in the night scare you. You let them force your feet just a bit quicker. You let them let you let out a scream of terror as you feel your body grow cold. You let it all happen as you crash into a vanguard patrol just outside of town.

You must look awful as their eyes go wide upon seeing you. One of them raises their spear and you kick your feet on the ground, launching yourself up and over them easily. Of course you don't have the capacity to control your fall so you land with a less than elegant crash into someone. You tell them fitfully of the terrible things out there. The dark shapes after your blood. You tell them about the nightmare king leading his army of the nightmare thing which walks the nightmare ways and shall bring to us the nightmare days. Then you pass out.

It is a blissfully silent dream.

You open groggy eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. You are dimly aware of voices nearby.

"-Some sort of poisonous powder. Causes the body to go into overdrive. Produce more blood which the body tries to thin and as a result they become a bit terrified." The matronly voice says.

"So it's out of the damn fools system?" A younger voice says and you recognize it.
(cont)

>>29136573
We shoulda used the fire arrow on surprise shot, it would be greatly effective against a moth, how couldn't i think of that before...

"Yes, he should be fine now. We gave him some relaxants and the poison has worked its way out of him. I am surprised he made it into town like this." The matronly voice says.

"Well, I'm just glad the damn fool is done sobbing. You should have seen him running out of the dark woods like a- Oh, yer awake." Dianna says next to you.

You sit up in the temple and look around. Your body is wrapped in bandages and you see several marks where leeches were applied to remove your blood. You are aware of a dull warmth on your right side and you look over.

There, dressed mostly in her vanguard outfit, is Dianna. She has a slightly amused expression on her face as you groggily stare at her. "You-" You start sagely. "Are Dianna."

"Yeah, and yer awake now so let go of my hand." She says.

You look down at your hand and confirm you are in fact holding onto her hand. You let go and look around the temple, your head feeling very light. "How long was I out?" You ask.

"Few hours." She answers flexing her hand, making you dimply aware of something.

"You held my hand all the time. Why did you hold my hand?" You ask and she raises an eyebrow.

"Ye wouldn't let go!" She protests.

She could have, of course, forcefully removed your hand. But you have already had enough near death experiences for one day. "Temple?"

"Nah, me da and I decided to redecorate the smithy. Course it's the temple. You come into town screaming and flying through the air and crashing into people talking about who knows what then ye fall over. So I take you here and they say you got poisoned by something. Some weird red powder was all over you so we had to get ye washed and cleaned then you start calming down." You resist the urge to ask who washed you. "I take it nothin is actually after you."
(cont)

>>29136653
>You tell them about the nightmare king leading his army of the nightmare thing which walks the nightmare ways and shall bring to us the nightmare days
A fucking prophecy guys.

>>29136678
I dunno, the unicorn wanting to eat us hypothesis still sounds pretty solid.

>>29136560
OP has said that the better we are at something, the slower it will improve. In that case there is no reason not to focus on swordplay, trapmaking, and enchanting until they are just as good.

>>29136726
Its the QM giving us a hint guys.

"Probably not. Unless the unicorn is suddenly carnivorous." You say.

"Take me boys off alert." She replies and leaves.

You sit in the dim lit room for a few moments, enjoying the silence. After a while Vistillia steps out from her small office and you nod to her. "The herbs are in my cloak. Right section if you are wearing it in the pockets. Do I want to know who washed me?" You ask.

The older woman stares at you for a few moments before her gaze narrows in what you suspect is mirth. "Do you?"

"No." You say and look at your other hand.

Clutched in your tight grasp is the blood moth Cordis. You feel a smile tug at the corners of your mouth as you realize what a foe you slew today. A real monster.

Vistillia leaves you in silence and you think about what to do.

[]Back to your cabin, you can heal up fine there
[]It's almost morning right? Go see someone
[]Stay in the temple for today
[]Call for one of the priestesses(Vistillia,Magia)
[]Go to a different shrine, you hate it here.
[]Other, please specify

GET Archery+1
GET Blood Moth Cordis

Congratulations! You have bowed enough that you may now bow harder with an archery feat of your choice!

ARCHERY: Pick one
Rapid Fire: Fire arrows in rapid succession, making it easier to deal with either many opponents or just one you really do not like.

Shot on the Run: You can fire more accurately while moving. Able to use your feats and skills while moving at quick speeds.

Double Shot: You can now nock and fire two arrows on the same string with impressive accuracy

Far Shot: Able to fire much greater distances. Takes a moment to set up a truly distant shot without modification.

>>29136774
>[]Call for one of the priestesses(Vistillia,Magia)
vistillia

>>29136727
I am sure there is a unicorn who like a piece of us out there somewhere. Probably closer than we'd like too.

>>29136774
>Rapid Fire: Fire arrows in rapid succession, making it easier to deal with either many opponents or just one you really do not like.

>>29136774
>[x] Back to your cabin, you can heal up fine there.

>>29136774
>[]Back to your cabin, you can heal up fine there
Experiment with our new cordis.

>Shot on the Run: You can fire more accurately while moving. Able to use your feats and skills while moving at quick speeds.

>>29136774
[]Stay in the temple for today
Rapid Fire
Lets learn some potion bullshit from one of the priestesses

>>29136774
>[]Call for one of the priestesses(Vistillia
Time to give her the herbs.
>>29136774
>Rapid Fire: Fire arrows in rapid succession, making it easier to deal with either many opponents or just one you really do not like.
Quick question, so the more we bow the more we can pick these bow abilities?

>>29136774
>Rapid Fire: Fire arrows in rapid succession, making it easier to deal with either many opponents or just one you really do not like.

>>29136774
Pull out a notebook or journal and write down everything we can remember about the Blood Moth, its abilities, its magic, its poison. Writing things down is important.

[X]Back to your cabin, you can heal up fine there

Let's get home, take a proper long bath, get some food, read some, and experiment with the Blood Moth Cordis. Maybe take a nap as well. We deserve a bit of a quiet day after that hunt.

Shot on the Run: You can fire more accurately while moving. Able to use your feats and skills while moving at quick speeds.

Allowing us to stay mobile while doing our thing is incredibly useful.


>>29136860
We already told her where they were, I think she got them.

>>29136860
Yeah, I think each time our bow skill levels up, we get one more feat for it, but it gets harder and harder to level up every time.

>>29136774
[ x ] Rest there till morning.
[ x ] Go back to cabin to work on those fire arrows. They brought you another victory and you should know how to make more

>>29136774
>Shot on the Run: You can fire more accurately while moving. Able to use your feats and skills while moving at quick speeds.

>>29136892
>Writing things down is important.
Yeah but there are probably already a lot of info on master's books. Check them and if there are any new info fill it in there. It is more convenient that way.

>>29136900
Good to know, i wonder what the other traits for our other skills.
>>29136892
I think rapid shot is better since it helps deal with the slow fire speed of bow and lets us hurt an enemy allot(at the cost of arrows though)
>>29136860
Changing vote to cabin.

I do believe rapid shot and making it back to the cabin wins it. Writing now.

You sit in the dimly lit temple. The cots around you full of very few injured and sick. So few it is almost unheard of. But that is still too many dying people for you to be comfortable with.

You nearly throw your blankets off of you, but manage to stop yourself when Magia walks into view. She tilts her head at you curiously but you just give an easy smile. "Magia, hello. I am feeling so much better,so could I please get some clothes?" You ask.

She shakes her head. "What if there are side effects? What if you are not truly well and we need to work on you some more? It is in your best interests if you stay here." She says calmly as if she has practiced this speech a thousand times.

"Listen, my leathers are pretty beat up and I can always come back for the weapons. If you do not get my stuff for me I am going to walk out of here naked." You threaten and you see her cheeks flush.

"That would be most improper to do in a temple to the twelve!" She points out and you slide the blanket down a few inches. You hold eye contact with her for a few moments and she finally sighs. "Very well. I shall fetch your belongings if you insist on leaving the temple. But I will escort you to your home." She says.

You are about to protest when she fixes you with a stare. "It is my duty to watch over the hurt and in need. While I can not force you to stay here, I can not force myself to ignore someone who needs my help. It is either this or you can walk out side without armor or weapons in the dark. Your choice."

You give a grand sweeping gesture of your hands in surrender. She walks out and then returns a few minutes later with your things. You slip them on after she turns her back and you note how many holes your leathers earned in the fight. Magia is waiting for you by the door and she slips your arm around her shoulder, you using your bow as a make shift cane.

You decide to talk while you walk. "I notice you made sure to avoid looking at the gods." Magia notes.
(cont)

"Suppose so." You say thinking of Selvia's cold hands and wondering what sort of creatures the others might be.

She takes your lack of an answer to mean something more as she nods deeply and takes you back to your cabin. By the time you get there you are already panting heavily because of the fatigue which comes with pain, plus the run and the magic you cast. You snarl at the lock, making a few accusations about its questionable parentage, then manage to open it. Magia takes you over to the bed and sets you down.

She quickly takes off your boots and you try and get up. "No, you are not getting up any more today." She instructs.

"I need to write something down. In one of those journals about the southern woods over there. Before I forget." You tell her.

She walks over to the shelf and traces a finger of the spines of the books, opens a few, and then nods happily as she seems to have found the right one. She sits down at the table with a quill and ink and looks to you. "Okay, what do you need to write?" She asks.

"No, it's just. I need to modify the notes on blood moths and-" You say and you see her shake her head.

"No, you will not. You can tell me what you want written, and I can show you where you lay, but you are not getting up again." She tells you in a tone you recognize as being terrifyingly similar to Vistillia when she commanded Ioen and Severus to take their medicine.

You give a weak nod and start explaining things to her as best you can. For her part she does a remarkable job asking pointed questions which jog loose another bit you had nearly forgotten. You remember her scrunching up her nose, a small smudge of ink on her cheek where she had been pressing her finger in thought. You remember her glancing back at the fire and then you dimly remember someone covering you with blankets.

You hope you don't dream.

Okay, how about we end it here? As always I will be around for questions/concerns/comments Better than last thread? Worse than last thread?

>>29137406
Thanks for running Hunts! It was awesome, especially the blood moth fight! I thought it was just a huge moth, but then it started using magic and shit, super cool.

>>29137406
I continue to enjoy these threads very much.

>>29137406
Good job, Op, thanks for running. Do we get feats every time a skills increases a level? Do skills progress slower every time they go up?

>>29137406
The stroy is going enjoyable as ever.
Thanks for the run.

>>29137406
Thanks for running, when is the next session?

>>29137406
still pretty good

>>29137499
>>29137487
Thanks for playing! Yeah, the blood moth was something I hoped would be fun.
>>29137505
Pretty much there is like an offscreen counter sort of deal. When you bow extra hard or in dangerous situations it goes up, and when you level up it goes up a hell of a lot. So long as you actively use a skill, you will almost always get a feat as you level. There are some situations where you can level a skill without using it and in those instances they won't immediately give you a feat. I did it this way because I want players to have a chance to play around with a skill or a feat before they put a specific bonus to it. Sort of a way of making an informed choice.

Yes, the skills take longer the more you level them. Keep in mind for 5 threads and quite a few major combat situations you have been using your bow against creatures you are not used to. It will be slower and slower after this.

>>29137547
Hrm, I want to say tomorrow or the day after, but I also have a tendency to sleep a staggering amount. Best I can say is I will aim for one of those days and announce on twitter long before I run, then just before, then when I do.

>>29137588
Having your twitter added to the quest runner directory would be nice by the way.

>>29137640
Do people use that? Sent the guy a message so I should be added soon.

>>29137694
Yeah, i use it for one, it is convenient when there are like ten quest you follow when you can. I'd never bother to check their seperate twitters.

>>29137729
Hopefully I get added soon thanks for the advice!

>>29137845
We have either seen major spirits or animals/monsters. How about minor spirits? If they exist shouldn't they be plenty around? Did we just never met one? Things like flower spirits, minor earth and water spirits, minor spirits of elements etc...

>>29137910
You did not meet one, per say. Lesser Fairy are considered minor spirits and they are all around the glade. For mages they are easy to summon and use, but rangers seldom have anything to do with them. They are not strong enough to impose their will on them and use them and honestly their cordis is not worth it if you want to go renegade.