I should probably use my trip.

>>29659165
>Secure the area! Begin laying a larger field of traps, and shore up the defenses of the base more.

>>29659165
>>Explore! Send a few scouting parties out to find more interesting stuff.

>>29659165
>>Secure the area! Begin laying a larger field of traps, and shore up the defenses of the base more.

>>29659165
>>Secure the area! Begin laying a larger field of traps, and shore up the defenses of the base more.

Securing the area it is! Writing.

Well. You wouldn't really want to die while you're not able to do much. You ought to take it easy for a bit. You tell everyone that you're gonna really dig into the ruined temple for right now, and they should all get to work making the camp safer.

So the whole group starts heading out to grab material to fortify camp with. Over the course of a few days, the shattered windows and crumbling walls get boarded up and you set a series of punji stakes and other traps around the whole base. Whoop and his weird fish guys started carving out weird totems and placing them all over camp. You didn't complain about it, cause you saw what he did to those undead guys, but it still weirds a lot of the boys out. And since you're stuck in camp, they all whine to you about it!

"I swear its lookin at me boss" "I tried eating one once and it poked me right in the cheek it did the thing is cursed" "Yeah, its gotta be cursed, I tried peein on one, but my piss wouldn't come out" "I think they smell weird and their totems do too"

You tell them all to shut up cause Whoop is really nice, and they do. But they seem reluctant. Oh well. Food is starting to run low, too. You get some scrounging and you've eaten a bunch of rabbits, but the supplied rations are starting to run low. The trolls are really eating through the supply! Why do they gotta be so hungry all the time? You'd ask them, but all they do is eat and stand around.

Anyway, with the help of some healing from Whoop, your arm starts feeling better after these few days. The temple is looking more like a proper goblin fort, and you're ready to get back to work!

>Let's get raiding! Head out into the Plains of Manderlin
>We still got work to do, boys. Head to a Forest PoI: [Creepy Hut, Quarry, or Shrine]

>>29659165
Fuck yeah finally.

>>29659531
>We still got work to do, boys. Head to a Forest PoI: Creepy Hut
Quarry and Shrine are practically guaranteed to be populated and hostile, might as well check out creepiness.

>>29659531
>We still got work to do, boys. Head to a Forest PoI: [Quarry]
They oughtta have food there to raid.

>>29659531
>Let's get raiding! Head out into the Plains of Manderlin
Raiding means CHICKENS!

>>29659531
> Quarry!

>>29659655
I'll back raiding. Raiding!

Going with Raiding. We really do need to get that done.

Alright. Let's get a good raid going on! Writing.

>>29659531
>>We still got work to do, boys. Head to a Forest PoI: [ Shrine]

That was the thing the adventurers were protecting, rigtht?

Well, your arm is better. And it has been a few days. You know you still got a long while before the army shows up, but they did send you out here to do a job... Guess you oughta do it. Besides, you don't want the boys or trolls getting hungry on you. Especially not the trolls.

"Alright boys, mount up! We're heading out!"

"What, all of us, boss?"

"Of course!" Wait, someone should probably guard the base. You got all sortsa cunning traps. Your boys are awfully devious! Good thing you don't have to attack this fort. But, still, leaving someone back isn't a terrible idea. "Except you guys." You poin out four fishmen, "I'm gonna hold you back to guard this base for now, alright?" They can throw spears real well, and it'll be slow going to get to them with all the traps. Also the boys have been nervous around them, if there were less of them around on the raid maybe things will go smoother?

After Whoop talks to them abit, you depart in force, heading out into the plains. You don't actually know what there is to raid out here... but it doesn't take long for Kuzr to report back from scouting. Apparently there is a very small village over to the east. It didn't have many buildings, and no real guard post he could see. Rund and Xab say there is a farm to the west. It looked pretty small. Gneb says there is a large farm to the north, with lots of livestock.

It all looks pretty easy.

Where to hit?

>Hamlet
>Small Farm
>Big Farm

>>29659744

Yep, that is all you really know about it.

>>29659983
>Big Farm
Best people to delicious food ratio. Of course, that means it'll be better prepared than the small farm, but eh.

>>29659983
>>Big Farm
Supplies yo.

>>29659983
>Big Farm
Hamlet might be too dangerous
Small farm can't afford to hire anybody too competent to protect it
Large farm can afford to hire people to protect it if rumors get out.

Therefore, large farm as it has largest potential for growing as a threat.

>>29660081

The most fun part of the quest is writing anon reasoning into Shax thought processes.

Big Farm it is! Writing.

Well... The lady said the longer you did this the harder it would get, right? So if something was big and you did other stuff first, it would just get more harder? So it would be the most hard thing to do later! That means you ought to do it right now while it is still easy.

Besides, it also probably had a ton of food.

"Obviously we hit the big one first! Gotta do things proper and get lots of loot, right boys?" Everyone enthusiastically agrees. Your group rides up to where Gneb says a safe distance is before you call them to a stop. No one has raided before, so you gotta think about how you're going to do this.

There are a couple of ways you can go about it.

You could hit them fast and hard with the whole gang, taking what you can get your hands on and burning the rest. It'd draw a lot of attention, but it'd work really well!

Or you could try to be sneaky, getting in and stabbing anyone there, taking all the stuff, and running off. It'd be harder to pull off, but it would be harder for them to run off and let anyone know about you. Plus, a farm that isn't burning is way less conspicuous than one that is.

What route do you prefer?

>Burn it all and leg it.
>Sneak in and sneak out.
>Something else?

>>29660316
>>Sneak in and sneak out.
Gotta practice this shit somewhere.

>Sneak in and sneak out.
A big farm has lots of livestock right? How about we cause them to stampede, while the farm hands are dealing with that we cut them down. Meanwhile the sneaky guys go in and murder anyone who stays behind.

>>29660316
>Sneak in and sneak out.

>>29660395
Cunningly brutal. I approve!

>>29660316
>>Something else?
Sneak in, burn it and/or stab it unless there are too many of it, then leg it?

There has to be burning, the lady said we should mess things up, and burning messes up farms really good.

>>29660316
>Sneak in and sneak out.
Time to rustle some cows

Alright. Guess we're gonna sneak on in. Gimme a d20 roll! Same rules as normal.

Rolled 18

>>29660478
inb4 1

>>29660316
>Sneak in and sneak out.
Quiet like.

Rolled 12

>>29660478
Fuck yeah!

Rolled 10

>>29660478

>>29660500

Alright! Writing.

>>29660500
Doing good!

Okay so... you got all these sneaky guys, so it would be a shame to not actually sneak. You tell the boys your plan. Make a distraction, get the people who deal with it, then in the confusion, get the rest of them. Seems simple, and they figure it ought work out fine.

Everything starts off smooth, and you all get up to the farm without anyone noticing you. You tell Gneb and the boys to make a distraction. But a quiet and sneaky one!

Gneb tells you he has no idea what a quiet distraction is. Kuzr and Rund begin arguing as to what would count as a distraction, while Xab just rattles on about how he one time stole a solid gold sword from a small group of ogres. It's a really good story full of clever tricks. Halfway through the story, Nost shows up with snacks. Xab doesn't get the sword in the end, but he learned the most important lesson of all: The value of friendship. Everyone learned something that day. Mnar wipes a tear from his eye.

"Hey, Nost," you say, munching on some more tasty raw meat, "Where'd you get all these snacks?" They were really good.

"Oh, these?" He mumbles with a mouthful, "I got em from some of those cows over there. Me and Truz set 'em all loose."

"'Swas an accident." Truz mumbles.

"He kocked over some fences." Nost says, raising his eyebrows.

You look over. There are about eight field hands running around trying to get all the animals in order. Oh, crap. This is the sorta thing you were looking for! You order all the boys to get to work taking out those field hands before they notice you.

>Continued

...It doesn't take long. They somehow totally didn't notice you were here. After the field hands are disposed with, you take a look at the main house and other buildings. It all seems quiet.

Well, so far so good. You get to work on the important task of overseeing the butchery and kidnapping of animals while you order the boys to mop up the survivors.

"This was sorta disattisfying," Milda grumbles to you, as you shove some more chickens into a bag. "I don't know what it is, but something feels off..."

You give her a look. You thought it went perfect! You got all the animals, killed all the farmers, and no one got hurt. Pretty ideal right? "What's the matter?" You say, mouthful of some kinda fruit you plucked off trees. This place was awesome.

"No idea. Just got a bad feeling. Don't worry about it."

Then you'll do just that. After the work was done, you order everyone to head home! You even get there without trouble. Maybe you're a good raid leader after all? Besides, that was really easy. Let's hope it stays that way!

>You're all loaded up on food, and you started raiding. Well done!
>You've earned a level! You're now level three! Your stats are definitely way higher, and so is your confidence. Not that any of this actually exists or matters.

The boys spend the night partying a little and their morale definitely seems higher. You got a nice fort, and you're pretty sure people on the plains don't know you're real yet. What's the plan?

>Hit up the plains again! Get loot while the getting is good.
>You gotta clear out this forest. [Shrine, Quarry, Hut]
>Let's train and fortify the fort some more!

>>29661184
>>You gotta clear out this forest. [Shrine]
Yes, I'm curious damnit.

>>29661214
>You gotta clear out this forest. [Shrine]
Seems a good idea.

>>29661184
>Let's train and fortify the fort some more!
No pressing our luck just yet.

Rolled 20

>>29661184
>You gotta clear out this forest. [Shrine]

Alrighty, getting to work on the forest then.

File: 1390255139303.gif-(844 KB, 800x786, 1377760851536.gif)

844 KB GIF

>>29661184
>You've earned a level! You're now level three! Your stats are definitely way higher, and so is your confidence. Not that any of this actually exists or matters.
Every time

Still, you were curious. They were scary but what did those adventurers want? They're really the only hiccup you've had on your adventure so far, and the smoothness of the raid makes you dwell on it more. What the heck was that all about? What were they doing out there? You can't stop thinking about it, and you eventually fall to a restless sleep.

When you wake up you decide it is time to do something about it! No sense in dawdling around. You get your morning training done and prepare to head out. The fort is looking good, people are in good moods, and you got plenty of supplies. The group can handle a few excursions without having to stock up again.

So, who are you bringing? This place had three rough customers guarding it, but who knows what actually is at it now.

>The whole raid! They worked smooth as clockwork and you don't know how big this shrine thing is.
>A small group! [Specify who] Gotta hold down the fort while you're out.

>>29661524
>small group
same as last time when we fought the adventurers, with one extra fish dude to replace dead gobby

>>29661473
>tripping
Alright, I swear to the gods I cleared that field.

>>29661524
>>The whole raid! They worked smooth as clockwork and you don't know how big this shrine thing is.
If it needed guardians, it probably has something to justify bringing the entire group.

>>29661524
>A small group! [Specify who] Gotta hold down the fort while you're out.
The sneaky guys, the fish guys and Milda.

We already killed the adventurers. They wouldn't hire adventurers if they could defend themselves

>>29661524
Going with >>29661629.

Alright. Small group of Kuo'Toa, small boys, and Milda.

Writing.

>>29661746
But the trolls are nasty fighters more than anything the adventurers would expect

has a lot of loot. When you asked Whoopaldookat and his followers to come along, he agreed readily. Resting up at base yesterday had apparently filled them with restless energy, and it would be good to get them out.

"Hmm? You're heading out?" Milda says, noticing you riding off. "Where to?"

"That Shrine thingy those adventurers were guarding. I wanna check it out."

Milda quickly gets her stuff together. "I'm coming with you, then."

"Ehh? Why?"

"That last fight was dicey, and I'm worried about you." She's so fussy. Oh well.

You stop by Mnar to tell him to watch the fort and not let the trolls eat everything before you head out. The two dwarven brothers tell Milda to take care and give you some sorta weird salute. And with all that settled, you head out.

The forest is still relatively calm as you ride along. The fish guys mostly stick together, still, and that is honestly starting to annoy you. You pull your lizard up to Whoop's.

"Hey! Your friends never really talk to me or anyone else. What's with that?"

Whoop looks around nervously, "This one apologizes. In this one's teachings, the Sea Mother blessed the Kuo'toa above all others. We consider others little more than animals."

>Continued.

"With you as an exception of course."

The other guys all nod at you. Their creepy bulbous eyes don't blink at the same time. Gross. You give them a weak smile.

"Oh, neat. Uhm. What's your names, anyway?"

"Bloopaldoolit." "Mliboopadoop." "Floobleploo." "Sloopadook." "Loodilpolp."

Wow are you serious.

>Minion Talent Unlocked! LOODILPOLP - Stupid Name! This is the dumbest name you've ever heard and you were born into a family of twenty three goblins with parents who were too lazy to even name their kids.

You try not to laugh. "Nice to meet you... Bloo, Mlib, Floob, Sloop, and Loodil." You are probably laughing right now.

This must be why they don't like strangers. Whoop gently rides further ahead and you follow him, leaving behind the awkward stares the fish guys give you.

The rest of the trip had you chatting a bit with the goblins until you arrive to where the adventurers were. Their campfire is still on the ground with a few packs of supplies that are quickly looted.

So the shrine should be near here, huh?

>Roll a d20! Same rules as always.

Rolled 13

>>29662185
Yo.

Rolled 2

>>29662185

Here's to a swift and successful advance!

We can't stop here, we've only just begun.

Rolled 2

>>29662185
ROLLEN

Rolled 18

>>29662185

Rolled 11

>>29662185
>>29662185
here we go

>>29662267
>>29662274

Here are the anons I know and love. The competence displayed earlier was a frightening and strange thing.

Regardless. Writing!

File: 1390257341646.jpg-(4 KB, 184x184, Imadeanoopsie.jpg)

4 KB JPG

Rolled 8

>>29662267

>2

You begin searching around for any signs of the shrine. After a few hours, you call Rund to you.

"Hey, Rund."

"Yes, boss?"

"Are you, you know... Runding it up?"

He makes a blank face. You give him a concerned look. He looks a little confused. You waggle your eyebrows. He shrugs.

"I... don't know what you mean, boss."

"I'm asking you if we're lost."

"Oh!" He scratches the back of his head and looks around a bit. "Nope, boss. This is definitely the forest."

"You can't be serious," you say with a sigh.

He cackles, "Of course not. We're not lost, but this place is pretty dang elusive. We're not even sure what we're looking for."

Whoopaldookat rides up to where you are.

"Perhaps I can shed some enlightenment on this subject." He fans his arms out, "A shrine can take many forms and shapes. Perhaps it is not a building we are looking for, but a more natural entrance." He nods at the trees around us. "I am not used to being in such a place, but in the seas we often hide the shrines to our Mother behind reefs and other hard to get to places. Perhaps we should be searching the area more thoroughly?"

Oh, that's a good point. You just assumed it would be a big building like the temple. The goblins all look at each other and shrug. You've wasted a lot of time.

It's dark by the time you find the shrine. You really didn't know it would take this long, but the entrance was at the base of a particularly large tree. The entrance was covered with dirt, branches, and leaves. What kinda lame shrine is this? You lift up the entrance, and find a thick, poorly cut stone staircase. A kobold could cut stone better than this!

"A goblin could cut stone better than this!" Milda says, glancing at you, "Oh, no offense."

>Leave some people behind to guard the entrance.
>Go in with the full party!

>>29662704
>>Leave some people behind to guard the entrance.
Who was the one who bitched the most while we were cleaning out our current base? Leave him.

>>29662704
Of course we didn't take offense, but Milda gets left behind to guard the entrance.

>>29662704
full party

>>29662704
>>Go in with the full party!
No sense dividing up further. Besides, what the guards would be guarding against? A vicious squirrel attack?

>>29662704
>>Go in with the full party!

>>29662704
>>Go in with the full party!

Alrighty! Rolling out! Writing.

Well, you can't imagine anything sneaking up on you out here in the middle of nowhere so you tell everyone to head on into the shrine. The walls are covered with tangled roots as you descend into a deeper darkness. Not that that is uncomfortable, since everyone sees in it easily.

After a long distance, the roots stop growing, and the walls get covered in strange etchings before the staircase opens into a large chamber. You're not sure how far you've gone down.

{You're a long way from home, creature.} A strange, soothing voice echoes in your mind. There is a large amount of movement in the room as your group fans out. {And you've blood on your hands.} It seems more curious than angry. {Blood of my guardians.}

Gneb glances at you nervously, "What the heck's talkin' to us, boss? It feels like someone's shouting right into my brain."

Whoop look around the room, "Suspicious. I don't sense the presence of any divine being."

The voice's laugh echoes in your head. {I have no such auspicious origins, priest. But do not doubt my power.}

At that line, several clay beings raise up from the ground in the chamber. They're huge! And they look tough. Maybe cause it has no face. {So I must ask, what brings you to this shrine?}

You have a feeling you shouldn't say 'to loot the place.'

Whoopaldookat looks at you. "It seems to be some sort of elemental spirit. Worship of such creatures is not uncommon in rural areas. I wonder how it roped those adventurers into this, however?"

You look at him. You wanna ask him what your odds are if you get into a fight. You make a series of gestures that you think convey the idea. He stares at you before shrugging.

...Does that mean he doesn't know if you'll win or if he has no idea what you're trying to say?

>Well. You're here to loot the place. Get to work.
>You don't want it messing with your raids. Ask it how you can make it leave you alone.

>>29663318
>You don't want it messing with your raids. Ask it how you can make it leave you alone.

>>29663318
Have a quick glance around, see if there's anything shiny in the room worth looting.
If not,
>You don't want it messing with your raids. Ask it how you can make it leave you alone.

>>29663391
this

>>29663318
>>You don't want it messing with your raids. Ask it how you can make it leave you alone.

>>29663318
>>You don't want it messing with your raids. Ask it how you can make it leave you alone.
What we don't want is an angry elemental spirit next to our base, while we're away looting and burninating the plains.

>>29663391
yeh, go with this. we really aren't equipped to get in a fight with bloody clay golems.

>>29663391

There's all sorts of stuff in here, but you don't know if it's worth anything.

But it seems like you're gonna try to talk it out. Writing!

>>29663318
apologize for liking it's guardians while trying not to cry

Gonna be a bit of a delay on this update as I eat supper. Gimme a bit.

>>29663987
That reminds me that I haven't eaten today. Thanks Chief!

There is a lot of loot in here. You think. You can't really tell. There is certainly STUFF, but you're not sure if it is loot or not. You are slightly more picky in regards to loot than Gneb. Which isn't really saying much. You're pretty sure he pocketed some of the roots heading down the staircase.

Still, the thing hasn't attacked you. If it was mad at you, you're sure it would have just sent those mud monsters at you already. Maybe you can make up? There wasn't anything in the raiding instructions about blowing up elemental spirits, so you're sure this is fine.

"Ummm, sorry about killing your guardians! The elf dude was mean and stabbed me a lot, but I thought they were adventurers, and the halfing lady killed Run's brother, and they didn't seem like they were really guarding anything?"

{What are you talking about?} It sounded genuininely confused.

"What?

{What elf?}

"You guardian."

{I don't have any elven guardians.}

"You said we had the blood of your guardians on our hands...?"

{You don't?}

"Do we?"

The negotiations were going well, you think.

{I thought you did.}

"Me too."

Milda clears her throat. "Ah, who, er, exactly were your guardians?"

>Continued

{Clay servants such as these roam the forest, and other such beings infused with the essence I gave them. Lately, they have been disappearing. I assumed you killed them and tracked their home to here?}

"I ain't never seen no rock monster 'till just now." Gneb says. "Me either." "Oh, these things are made from rocks? I thought it was something else." "Who would spend all day sitting under a tree making rock monsters?" "Shut up, Xab!" "No really what is the point?" Xab gets punched a couple of times. "Do rock monsters have blood?" "Obviously not, they got dirt." "Don't you think the use of 'blood' here is a little confusing?"

{It is more dramatic than 'clay'?}

"Coulda gone with 'earthen remains' or something." Milda points out.

{Ooh, that is a good one.}

"Why are you here?" Whoopaldookat asks, "What is your purpose, spirit?"

{Don't people often compare bones to earth? I could work that into the speech.}

"Yeah you hear that a lot. The Bones of the Earth and whatnot." You say, nodding.

Whoop gives you a flat look. "Oh!" Maybe you should actually ask what he did. "I mean. What are you doing here, anyway? Just making clay guys?"

{This forest is my home, and it is in turmoil. I simply sought out a way to restore it to serenity. My servants were to be my eyes and hands, and seek out and defeat the source of this chaos.}

"Oh. Well. Is that all? I mean, are we chaotic? We just sit in a fort on the edge of the forest."

{Why?}

"To raid the Plains of Manderlin, obviously."

{That doesn't really disturb the forest.}

"It totally doesn't, I agree." You nod vigorously.

{In that case, I don't see any reason to harm you.}

"Same here! Glad we could reach an agreement, Mr. Spirit." You're happy! You solved the mystery of the shrine.

>Continued.

>Quest Log Update! The Mystery of the Shrine quest chain is complete! You receive 300 gold pieces and 250 experience! These are fantastical items you cannot use.

>{You didn't actually complete the quest, though}

>What!?

>{You haven't solved the chaos of the forest yet!}

>Who cares?

>Quest Log Update! The Mystery of the Shrine quest chain is incomplete! Keep digging further!

>Dammit.

Alright, so that's done.

{Wait!}

"Huh?"

{If you could, perhaps, help me with that matter we were discussing earlier?}

"Oh? I think 'earthen remains' sounds best, to be honest. Clay is a little red, but it isn't really blood red, you know?"

{No, concerning the turmoil in the forest.}

"Oh! What about it?"

{Is there anything you can do to assist me with that?}

"What's in it for me?" You ask, narrowing your eyes. "I mean, we aren't enemies but we aren't friends." You aren't getting tricked into something shady!

{I'll provide you with earthen servants, of course, to assist in the matter. If you can find whatever is disturbing the balance of nature so, I would have greater powers to assits you with, as well.}

"Well, that sounds alright by me. What do you think guys?"

Milda shrugs. The goblins look around superstitiously. Whoop tells you that all assistance is welcome.

"Eh, fine, why not?"

{Excellent. These three servants of mine will accompany you for now. Through them I will know if you have brought the forest to peace as I have asked.}

Neat. You got three new friends! Though you guess it was just one and his three toys?

"Alright, well. I'll see you when we've cracked the case then, I guess?"

{Okay.}

This is awkward for some reason. You all start shuffling out of the cave before finally getting outside.

"Well, that solves that, I guess? Let's head back home before thinking about this stuff." Everyone just sorta shrugs as you ride back to base uneventfully.

>>29664980
anything more?

Thanks for playing tonight! I had a lot of fun. But I'm done for the night. Any feedback is welcome, of course.

As always, you can follow me on my twitter here to know when I'm about to post a thread or if I have posted one recently: https://twitter.com/Fouldrinking

I don't really treat it as a blog, so don't worry about me spamming you.

Thank you again for being a great audience and a lot of fun to write for! I don't know when we'll be able to run again, but I'll be sure to let you know.

>>29665035
Thanks for running.

>>29665035
I like the goofy earth spirit
they're normally all self important and sure of themselves and right about everything and so damn SNOOTY

seeing one like this was a nice change of pace

Another chapter in the legend of fearless raid leader Shax Bonemurder, legend in her lifetime!

>>29665035
Alright I really like how that one turned out.

>>29664932
>>29664956
>>29664980
>This entire scenario

How utterly surreal