Chapter Four, Verse TwoPrevious Threads:http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=And+I+Will+Fear+No+EvilYou are Bartolomè de la Fuente, an ordained priest of the Catholic Church, though you are still young. Following the disappearance of your father, Hidalgo, you were recruited by a woman named Catarina Belmont to take his place within a secret branch of the Church, the Executors, and serve as a weapon to destroy those who would besmirch the name of your Lord.A bit of discrete exploration in Kayton's home brought you close to a terrible force you can't describe. Shaken, you are accompanied by the mage to dinner.Bartolomè:Wounds: 5/15 (Healthy.)Faith: Shaken (+0 to Rolls, Holy Relics at .5x effectiveness.)Strength: C (3 Wounds dealt per hit, +0 to strength-related rolls.)Agility: C (1 attack per round, +0 to dexterity-related rolls.)Endurance: C (Can sustain 15 Wounds.)???: E (Unknown effect.)???: C (Unknown effect.)Traits:Gifted Skirmisher: +5 when using Thrown WeaponsButcher of Dead Apostles: +1 Wounds dealt to Dead ApostlesMissing Eye: No Penalty, but depth of vision reduced.Extra-Sensory: +2 to Combat Rolls, Can perceive Secret Options.Instinct: Chance to perceive the optimal strategy in combat.Items:Black Key (x4): +10 to attack rolls, currently at 1x effectiveness. Can be thrown. Bonus doubled against foes with Faith ratings.Cross of Orleans: +10 to Attack Rolls, +1 to Wounds dealt, deals 1 Wound per round after hit as burn damage for two rounds. Treats Faith lower than Stable as Stable while held.Priest's Clothes and Frock: -1 Wounds taken when hit.Inventory: Catarina's cell phonePriest's Clothes and FrockBlack KeysRosaryCross of Orleans
The hall is filled with the sound of silverware clinking upon plates. You sit at one end of a grand banquet table, atop which lies a snow white tablecloth and many platters. The foods that this mage has prepared for you are gourmet in quality, bountiful in quantity, and remarkably varied in taste and texture. Your fellow houseguests have joined you for supper. Kayton, your host, sits at the head and two seats to your right, and holds his back straight against the chair. He casually chews on bits of steak, multitasking with Wayne, who sits between you both. A game of Stratego has been set up, and the both of them are playing quite viciously. The competition is fierce and fiery, but even you with your poor knowledge of board games can see that Wayne firmly holds the advantage. Kayton's only delaying his loss at this point, yet he takes it with collected poise.Across from you sits Aldric, who has a banquet all to herself. She's been provided with several glasses of what Kayton likely hopes you think is red wine. But Catarina's training was harsh, and your nose is too keen not to pick up such a concentrated smell of blood, even over the variety of perfumes that pervade this dining hall. Though you can see her perk up with every sip, she sits laxly at the table, and doesn't make any attempts at socializing. Her eyes pass to you every few moments, hoping for some breakup of the monotony. You're not sure you can oblige right now.Your hands are still shaking as you struggle to keep your soup spoon balanced, tenderly dragging it to your lips and imbibing the broth before it spills everywhere. You blink your eyes, trying to refocus yourself, but every time they shut you find yourself back in that hallway, cowering before a spiritual presence so strong it knocked you from your feet. Kayton called it a Ghost Liner as he guided you away. You don't know what he meant. You don't know if you wish to learn.
>1. Your fear must not impede you. Be blunt, and ask Kayton to explain what lies behind that door.>2. Whether you choose to learn more or leave the monstrous thing be, it will be saved for later. Talk to Kayton about something else.>3. Speak to Aldric or Wayne about something.>4. You don't believe you're in a mood for company. Leave the table.
>>30717287>>1. Your fear must not impede you. Be blunt, and ask Kayton to explain what lies behind that door.
>>30717287> 1 , Should not hinder your fear. Is explicit and asked to explain the facts behind these doors.
>>307172871.Let's get this show on the road! When has knowledge ever hurt anyone? ha ha ha
>>30717287>2. Whether you choose to learn more or leave the monstrous thing be, it will be saved for later. Talk to Kayton about something else.From last thread.>At last, you give up and slide back down the ladder to ground level. A pitiful stack of paper is all that you have produced for your efforts: a few of Dr. Seuss' works (more than a few, really. You wonder about asking Kayton why he has so many of these, but so few of things like them.)Sounds like decent conversation.
>>30717593>>30717656>>30717682"Mr. Abraham," you begin, setting your spoon back into the bowl. He glances away from his board game to appraise you. You suspect he already knows what you're going to ask. "That 'thing'. I need to know what it is.""Do you?" he asks rhetorically. "There are many things, as I'm sure you're beginning to understand, that are better left unsaid." A brief moment passes in silence, but the conversation does not stop. Intently, he studies your expression. With a look you affirm everything he's looking for, and he is satisfied. "Very well, then. Know this, Bartolomè: the thing that is trapped behind that door is a spirit. Though to call it such is a disservice to all that it encompasses. You would not understand what I meant if I told you everything about it, so in layman's terms I will say that its power cannot be measured on a scale you or I could recognize. It is closer in scale of being to something such as your companion, the Brunestud." His attention turns for just a moment to Aldric, in a way that you cannot interpret. Kayton lacks the fear that you see in Wayne when he looks at the girl, but he possesses far greater amounts of something like reverence. "Though, they are two different things still. I have bound this spirit here, in my home.">1. How did you manage to bind something so powerful?>2. For what purpose did you bind it?>3. Ask if the unique golem is something similar.>4. Ask him something unrelated to the spirit.>5. Talk to Aldric or Wayne.>6. Finish supper quietly.
Rolled 29>>30718097>2. For what purpose did you bind it?
>>30718097>1. How did you manage to bind something so powerful?"Aldric is powerful, but she's but was human, once. That....thing... felt too inhuman for words."
>>30718097>1. How did you manage to bind something so powerful?>2. For what purpose did you bind it?>3. Ask if the unique golem is something similar.
Rolled 39>>30718614Let's not ask number three. I feel like it would be benificial to keep that to ourselves for the time being.
>>30718097>>1. How did you manage to bind something so powerful?>>2. For what purpose did you bind it?How you doing Beatta? What was up with that semi?
>>30718351>>30718597"Aldric is powerful, indeed, but she was human, once. That...thing...it was something else. I lack the words to describe it. How did you manage it?"Kayton's body language changes as you say this. He folds his hands and sits up a little straighter in his seat, glaring at you in a way that seems disbelieving. Even Wayne's pulled his head away from his game of Stratego to balk at you. "...What is it?" you ask meekly.Tepes opens his mouth, but gets cut off by a dismissive hand by Kayton. The two glare at each other, sharing some visual exchange that you can't follow. Your friend backs down, though, and Abraham addresses you. "If you do not know, I have not the right to tell you. But you will learn in time the folly of your words.""I do not care about that now," you tell them, though that may be a lie. "How did you bind this 'Ghost Liner'?"Kayton scoffs, and you spot a smile curling into existence. "It was difficult. Taxing and some might even say suicidal to attempt. It took many months of effort, and the destruction of many of my resources. But my success was never in question. It was determined that in the future the spirit would be in my possession. And so it came to be."Out of the corner of your eye you see Wayne grumbling to himself. You can only assume this somehow relates to the mysterious "Painter" you've heard so much about. Following up on the last question you ask the logical follow-up to "how": "Why did you bind it?"Kayton raises his eyebrows. Flatly he states, "Because it was known that I would have it. There is nothing more to discuss of it. It had to be, and so it was." He seems to be making some claim of fate, that it was destined to be so. But you are not sure you believe him. His delivery changed from the last answer to this one. You suspect he's been hiding much from you, but this is the closest he's come to outright lies. But you are not sure why he would choose to draw the line here.
>1. Press the issue, and demand the truth.>2. Let it slide, and ask him, Aldric, or Wayne something.>3. Finish supper.>>30719023Doing good, thanks. A little loopy right now, so I've been taking a little extra time to proofread these posts. Some bruises and cuts, and my car got thrashed, but it's looking like I won't be paying for it. The semi kept on driving after hitting me, though I'm told they found the guy and he might be getting charged with something or other.
>>30719082>1. Press the issue, and demand the truth.
>>30719082>3. Finish supper.Might be able to sue and get some extra cash, either way good luck man.
Rolled 36>>30719082>3. Finish supper.I don't think he will say anything useful.
>>30719082>2. Let it slide, and ask him, Aldric, or Wayne something.Ask about his choice in reading materials. Doctor Seuss and C.S. Lewis were mages?
>>30719171me hereswitch to >>30719442I like the idea of casual dialogue, just couldn't think of anything myself.
>>30719024Section 1 provides. Press exit and find the truth.
>>30719442>>30719549Whatever his reasons are, this isn't the place to question them. You have something else to needle him on. "Well, as long as we're talking, I had a look in your library earlier... I was not aware that Dr. Seuss was a mage."Wayne snorts, loudly, and quickly clams a hand down to stifle his laughter. His whole body quivers and shakes, and you see Kayton's dark skin take on a reddish tint. Tugging at his collar, he tries to put on his calmest tone. "There is nothing wrong with keeping copies of classic literature..."A squeaky jet of air squirts through Wayne's enclosed fingers. Muffled though he is, you can hear him giggling the word "classic" to himself over and over. Kayton glares at him, and swells his chest. He declares, "They are not for my research, but they are important all the same. I need them for my child."Aldric's ears perk up. "I didn't smell another human here. What child?"His face tints again. "...My FUTURE child, to clarify. It is obvious, is it not? Every lineage needs an heir to carry on its legacy. I'm simply preparing for that day. M-my studies are toward thaumaturgy, not child-rearing! There is only so much I could teach my son without... aid."His eyes sharply home in on his food, and he pecks a bit of turkey with his fork, jamming it into his mouth. For the first time he speaks with his mouth full, most uncouthly. "Was there any other question on your mind, Mr. de la Fuente?">1. You are satisfied. Finish supper.>2. Talk to Kayton, Aldric, or Wayne about something.
>>30719960>1. You are satisfied. Finish supper.
>>30719960>1. You are satisfied. Finish supper
>>30719960The parameters of the 1st Division. You are comfortable with. Complete dinner
>>30720022>>30720163You tell him with a smile that that will be all. Quietly you and he return to your food, you feeling better for the brief break from all the solemn things you've been getting up to lately. It hadn't occurred to you that a man like Kayton was paying such close attention to his biological clock.The rest of the time passes leisurely, you trying to enjoy your meal while the mages play their game. Kayton was thoroughly crushed at Stratego, as well as chess, checkers, backgammon, and Go Fish. Aldric was quite fascinated with a vein atop Kayton's forehead that grew after every loss. It was a quaint experience that you hadn't expected when you first arrived here, and it passes all too quickly....Several golems are sweeping up the table, ridding you of your empty plates. You feel a little peckish, still, not having gotten around to properly consuming most of your meal. The anxiety had gotten to you too much to maintain an appetite. Kayton and Aldric have vacated the room as well, leaving you with Wayne, who is smoking a cigarette in the corner. You still have several things you'd planned to accomplish tonight, including learning more about that "living" golem. But that wriggling voice called doubt questions the sanity of that course of action. Knowing what little you do now, is it wise to try and learn more? Perhaps you should simply go to bed, and let the night pass without fretting further.>1. Ask Wayne if he'd like to do something together.>2. Wait until the sun has gone down, and proceed with your plan to track the golem.>3. You need rest after today. Go to bed.
>>30719024>"Aldric is powerful, indeed, but she was human, once. That...thing...it was something else. I lack the words to describe it. How did you manage it?"Dammit, we should've asked them about Aldric.It's obvious they know she's a True Ancestor, or Kayton does at least.Boy are we going to get a surprise.
>>30720507>1. Talk to Wayne about the question we asked earlier. Why did Wayne and Kayton stare at us for asking so simple a question?>2. Wait until the sun has gone down, and proceed with your plan to track the golem.I want to bring Wayne along, but I'm not sure if we should
i just want to say that introducing aldric fucking ruined this quest. it's so cringey reading your descriptions of her and her character in general. lawl so randumb lol *holds up spork* cuddle
>>30720507>1. Ask Wayne if he'd like to do something together.Ask about the golem, he seems like the type that would be up for a little adventure
>>30720584...I'm not getting that at all anon, and I absolutely despise that shit.
>>30720582>>30720589You approach Wayne, who gives you a friendly nod. "Wayne, I had a question if you don't mind."He removes the cigarette from between his lips and stamps it into the floor. "Shoot.""It was about the question I asked earlier. Why did you react that way to such a simple question?"His lips curl inward, and his eyebrow flexes. "Listen, Kayton made me agree not to tell you. And I thought that was bullshit, and was basically gonna tell you anyway. But I've been thinking, and he's got a point.""What sense does that make? Why keep me in the dark? What are you trying to get at?""Can't say," he tells you. "Aldric's ears are strong, buddy. She could hear me fart in a sealed room in France from where she stands if she really needed to. All I can tell ya is, the thing you don't know, Aldric doesn't seem to know either. And it may work to our advantage if we can keep it that way. So as it stands... can't tell you a darned thing." He retrieves another cigarette and lights it. You wonder if that might be damaging the walls at all.You cross your arms in defeat, and see about recruiting him in your other plan, explaining that you wish to find out more about Kayton's golem. He chuckles and waves you off. "Nah.""What? Why not? Don't you want to find out what it is?"He leers at you, looking a little disappointed. "Dude. I'm an Enforcer. It's my job to know these things. Only reason it's a secret to you is because you don't have the knowhow to tell what you're lookin' at." He waves a hand at you as he moves from the wall and walks past. "Have fun with your wacky stealth antics, though!" His footsteps trail away as he starts to leave you.>1. Ask him to tell you what the golem is.>2. Never mind Wayne, and go on with the plan as intended.>3. Do neither, and go to sleep. You'll need rest before you meet the Painter.>>30720584Okey-dokey-lokey. At least you bailed before she got a spray tan and started making duckfaces.
Note that my updates are slowing down a little bit because on top of my pain medication, I apparently gave myself food poisoning from 6-year old organic milk.
>>30721327Jesus Beatta, try not to kill yourself. >>307213042. Never mind Wayne, and go on with the plan as intended.Well if he isn't going to play along we'll adventure by ourselves!
>>30721304>2. Never mind Wayne, and go on with the plan as intended.
>>30721304>2. Never mind Wayne, and go on with the plan as intended.>>30721327Oh man, that sounds rough. Don't push yourself Beatta.
Rolled 87>>30721304>2. Never mind Wayne, and go on with the plan as intended.
>>30721304>2. Never mind Wayne, and go on with the plan as intended.You haven't been hanging around AC-guy, perchance? His curse is contagious!
>>30721508>>30721526>>30721593>>30721593>>30721757The sun in the sky dips, and begins its descent. You can hardly make it out behind the thick layers of clouds and the unceasing snow they drop, but the sky darkens ever further until the outside cannot be seen through the windows. That is when you know it is time.You slink into the hallways, pressed low to the ground. Your feet slide along the carpeted floors, careful not to make a sound above a breath. The lights have gone down in Abraham's castle, and you feel truly alone. At least, in a sense of souls. Golems stalk the halls, patrolling in set patterns to seek out anything that doesn't belong. You are in luck, however: Kayton seems to have instructed them to treat you as a guest, and they pay you no mind. Lacking agency, they have no means to question your presence at this time of night. And so you skulk throughout the manor, looking for the creature that Aldric warned you of. The living golem.>1. Start by searching the lower levels. (1d100+1)>2. Search the ground floor and the floors near it. (1d100+1)>3. Do a sweep of the upper levels. (1d100+1)>4. If one monster is kept in the side wings, maybe this one is as well. (1d100+1)
Rolled 55>>30722194>1. Start by searching the lower levels. (1d100+1)We'll go up from here. O and Beatta, if there is a consensus but not three rolls I suggest you roll for however many we need to reach three that way we're not potentially cheated out of a better roll.
Rolled 62>>30722333>4. If one monster is kept in the side wings, maybe this one is as well. (1d100+1)Go big or go home.
Rolled 44>>30722194>1. Start by searching the lower levels. (1d100+1)
Rolled 96>>30722194>>1. Start by searching the lower levels. (1d100+1)
>>30722333>>30722996>>30723108You'll begin in the lower levels. Underground is where you imagine secret things might be kept. Weaving through multiple hallways, you find a doorway that seems to lead downward. A chill courses through your body as you pass downward into the dark depths of the castle dungeons.The walls are stone, and produce echoes. You do not feel alone down here. Many sounds play in this place, and trick your mind. From above you hear the distant clamor of the golem's marching, each step in sync with all the others. It is too rigid to be lifelike, and fills you with unease. And below you come other sounds. Sounds that cannot be explained away with things you already understand. Something rumbles down here.You reach the bottom of the stairwell, and find yourself in a cold and damp room. Bugs skitter across the floors and only a single torch provides light. A golem stands at the door, and opens it when it senses you approach. How odd. Does it not distinguish Kayton from other humans, or have you been granted permission to enter this place? You step through the arch regardless, and find yourself in a grand hall. Doorways sprout off every which way from this place. You count six in total, starting from one and going clockwise to account for the others. There is a single lectern at the center of this place, within a beam of light, that gets your attention. You approach it and find a book. It is a journal of some sort, and well-kept. Your cold fingers pry open the tome and lay it flat on its spine to study its guts. The penmanship is exquisite and presumably Kayton Abraham's. It is a record of some kind of series of experiments."August 10th. Initial binding procedures are at last complete. The soul I plucked appears to have been chosen randomly. My catalysts lack weight in the identity chosen. Will have to redouble efforts studying Makiri's notes. Will keep subject regardless."You flip the page and keep reading.
"October 1st. Have concluded first batch of experiments on Subject. Can surmise his identity, but it is worthless to commit to paper. Being ripped so forcefully appears to have denied me the personality of the spirit. I have been left with an empty shell devoid of agency or thought. Tainted, cannot be used for primary experiments. However, physical binding may still be possible. Will conduct further research.""October 28th. Physical binding was a success. The spirit has been tethered to a physical puppet. The golem I've constructed lacks humanoid form, and shackles the spirit's true power. Intriguingly, however, returning the spirit to physical form seems to have granted it some measure of its old sense of self. It is sluggish in obeying my orders, and does so in ways that vary slightly from my intent. Curious: will its agency grow, or is this just a defect of my imperfect binding? Will need a more stable subject and more human body to be sure."You delve further and further into the journal, eager to learn more of Kayton's studies. You stop on one dated in December."December 15th. Subject One has shown no deviance beyond initial observations. I consider him a failure, though a worthwhile guard. Beginning regimen on Subject Two, bound and restrained as of last night."One from two days later reads: "Subject Two is a failure as well. Whereas One possessed no remnants of personality, Two has been driven mad. Its screams shake the castle's foundations, and keep me awake at night. I fear what will happen if it is unshackled. I need to transfer it to a body, and soon."The most recent entry reads as follows: "February 2nd. Have fortified the spirit's shackles, though if they will hold, I do not know. In the event of escape, Subject One may be able to subdue it. Have contacted a supplier and procured a puppet. Not perfectly human, but closer than One's golem tomb. Perhaps it will regain some measure of sanity within a more human body? Only time will tell."
You shut the book.You grind your teeth, unsure what to make of what you've found. Kayton is an accommodating host, and surely kinder than you expected him to be. He's been helpful, even, in arranging a meeting with this Painter. And yet, this. Could he mean anything but what he has written? The forceful binding of souls? You feel like you've stumbled into the lair of some villain from the comic books you read as a child. It is all too bizarre. Slowly your eye moves to the six remaining doors, and you take stock of the situation. If you choose, you could go beyond them, and perhaps shed more light on this troubling puzzle you've found.>1. Go through Door 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6. (From left to right.)>2. You are not of a mind to solve more mysteries. Leave the lower levels.
>>30723826Shit, I'm too tired for this. Try not to fuck it all up guys. Door number 1 I suppose
Rolled 6>>30723826Rollin for doorThe Almighty DiceLord is my shepherd
Rolled 27>>30723826>3For the Holy Trinity!
>>30723826>2. You are not of a mind to solve more mysteries. Leave the lower levels.I really don't see what we have to gain other then a bad end continuing on like this.
>>30723925You approach the door on the far right. It is of a dark green hue, clearly labeled as one that you should not approach by Kayton Abraham. And yet you feel compelled to do so. The journal has piqued your curiosity, and you seek to learn more. There is label above the door, a relief carved to form a name. But you do not recognize the script. You push through, and enter Room 6.There is a smell of rotting flesh as soon as you enter. You remember it vividly, and imagine you will do so for as long as you live. You recall the mound of corpses you discovered your first night as an Executor. This isn't quite the same, though. It is fresher. Wetter. Whatever body lies here has not been here for as long, but the warm and humid air has magnified the stench. It is disgusting to you, but you do not feel fear like you did on that night. You were surprised and mortified to find a vampire on that night, and the shock nearly got you killed. But you are calm as you step forward into the middle of the chamber, the wet floor caked in drool and blood. You feel no fear as you estimate its area to be about twenty by forty meters. You felt true terror today... so the beast that thinks it is sneaking up on you has nothing to offer in that regard.You dive forward, rolling on the ground as great claws slice through the air where you once stood. If you had remained you'd have been reduced to fleshy chunks. You rise to your feet instantly. "Face me, beast!" you cry, pivoting on your heels to meet this thing that Kayton has trapped. You are not scared, but you are still surprised. "If there are vampires that stalk the night, I should not be surprised..."
A loud howl rings in the air as a great, brown wolfman eyes you hungrily. Its large and furry snout snuffles, picking your scent out of the horrid air. Even hunched over it is greater than you, some eight feet tall at the shoulder. Its colossal arms paw at the ground, with humanlike digits ending in terrible, sharp claws. Its throat rumbles, and with a guttural snarl it speaks to you."Live prey. Abraham, what do you play at? Do you think... I am your garbage disposal?" You back away from the beast, getting some space as it rants at a man who is not there to hear him. "No matter. I hunger, and if you sent this lamb by mistake..." it licks its chops. "You will sorely regret it.""I am no lamb, nor am I your meal, creature of the night," you warn it. "I am Bartolomè de la Fuente. And all you shall taste tonight is the shepherd's crook.">1. Make use of the distance and throw a Black Key. (1d100+17)>2. Close in with the Cross of Orleans. (1d100+12)>3. Maneuver away from the beast. Try and get it cornered. (1d100+2)
Rolled 25 + 17>>30725041>1. Make use of the distance and throw a Black Key. (1d100+17)
Rolled 27>>30725041>1. Make use of the distance and throw a Black Key. (1d100+17)
Rolled 34 + 17>>307250411
>>30725220>>30725252>>30725425being a priest is suffering.
Rolled 60>>30725041>The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want...
>>30725678Shit, forgot to mention - THis was a Black key attackAdd +17 to the roll
>>30725220>>30725252>>30725425Your arm extends in a brilliant flourish, producing a silver blade upon a red hilt. The Key dances between your fingers as you pull it back for a launch. Squinting, your eye can already see the beast's weakest point. You pick it, and let the blade fly straight for it.This was your mistake. You're too accustomed to dealing with static targets, and beasts like Ghouls and Vampires, who make little to no effort in defending themselves from your projectiles. But this beast? If you hit it, it would be hurt; that's why as soon as your Black Key came within arm's length, it swung a thick limb at the blade.The fluctuation of air was like a contained sonic boom. Your blade is flung upwards and goes harmlessly over the wolf, clattering to the floor some distance away. "Darn it!" you curse, and throw yourself back to avoid its counter-attack.But you're too slow. Its hind legs, built like a beast's, are packed with muscle and power. You can feel the floor buckle beneath it as they release pressure, and catapult the thing towards you. Its slavering jaws aim for your throat. The best you can do is offer an arm in its stead.Your piercing shriek cuts through the muggy air as flesh and blood go flying away. The carnivore's teeth are suited to tearing meat, and dig in to the proffered limb. Its head jerks to the left, and your whole body is dragged along for the ride. Only barely do you manage to keep your arm in its socket. Then it lifts you up, leaving your belly exposed.You scream again. Long, gnarled claws rake across your stomach, flaying your frock and inching closer to the organs hidden beneath. Your body writhes and wriggles to escape its grasp, your free arm uselessly punching against its face."Hrr." Was that a chuckle? The thing isn't amused by you any longer, and with a flick of its jaw tosses you to the floor. You roll, blunting an impact that could have broken bones.10/15 Wounds Taken!
"Your blood is delicious," the werewolf tells you. "It tastes fresh. Young, and naive to the world.""Is that meant to be mockery?" you spit, struggling to stand."No. A compliment. You are full of youth and vigor. I have pups that would be your age about now. I shall think of them fondly as I feast on you tonight.""You shall do no such thing!" You force yourself back up. Your vision darkens from the exertion, but you can't afford to be devoured here. Not to an emaciated prisoner. Though as your arm continues to bleed, you wonder if you'll last long enough to savor any victory you'll earn.Bleeding! 1 Wound sustained every turn until the bleeding is stopped.>1. Try another Black Key. (1d100+17)>2. The Cross is your best bet. (1d100+12)>3. Ask the wolf how it came to be trapped here.>4. Do something else.
Rolled 51>>30725757>1. Try another Black Key. (1d100+17)
>>30725757>3. Ask the wolf how it came to be trapped here.
Rolled 33 + 12>>30725757>2. The Cross is your best bet. (1d100+12)
Rolled 97 + 12>>30725757>1. Try another Black Key. (1d100+17)
>>30725802>>30726136You only have three blades left to fight at a range, but you are prepared to expend one more. You bite your lip, carefully reading the wolfman. There is an image in your mind, ever so faint, but visible. It is the path to your victory, and you believe you know how to get there. Your second Black Key descends to your hand, and you hold it tightly. The werewolf makes no effort to stop you, and seems to be awaiting your strike. No doubt, he will bat it away like the trifling attack it is, and then he'll tear you to shreds.Or so he believes. You twirl your body to the right, and make your move. Your arm snaps out, and the wolf anticipates your strike. It lashes out, arms batting at the air to deflect your blade. But as it moves, the beast realizes its mistake.You haven't thrown the Key yet.It fumbles, diving forward and trying to prepare for the real attack, but it's too late for that. You've already made a full rotation, and your body has geared for the real toss. Your arm cracks out, and lets loose your missile. There is a font of blood and a pained howl as the wolf's snout is stabbed.You come to a halt, body shivering as you collect yourself. But the blood continues to pour from your arm.11/15 Wounds Taken!And your opponent isn't dead just yet. You seem to have hindered its communication, as it speaks no longer, only growling in a pained, vengeful voice as it readies for another strike. You draw the Cross of Orleans and hold the holy sword tightly in your palms, slick with sweat, awaiting the onslaught. And it comes with fury.Grasping, swiping, terrifying claws lash at you from every direction. Possessed with a furor all its own the Cross moves your body to repel the blows. Your sword and the beast's claws meet above your head, retracting and coming together once more to your right. You swat away a lunge for your groin, and ward off snapping jaws coming for your face.
The flaming blade's light flickers, illuminating the dank hole you wage your war within. Wisps of flame burn away the beast's excess fur, creating the fiery visage of a truly fearsome beast. Not even for a moment does it consider its own pain, focused entirely on your demise. It's an effective strategy, you admit, as your defenses crumble. A lash at your calf draws blood, and you buckle to one knee. Another slash gets just far enough past your parry to slice your shoulder open. The pain weakens your resolve-and your blows-just enough so that when it hammers down on you, you are pushed backwards. It does so again, and this time you are knocked flat on your butt. You take the momentum and roll backwards, but the retreat is costly. Nipping at your heels, the werewolf shreds your frock further and gets in another slash at your exposed back. The wound is decisive.You come to your feet, giving the illusion of a battle-ready man. But you can already feel your strength waning.16/15 Wounds Taken! Now Critical!Every inch of you trembles. The wolf strikes again, and the Cross demands you reprimand. Your unwilling arms raise the sword to catch the downward blow, and hold it there. Locked there, you and the creature compare strength; but it's a lost cause. You are far weaker than a magical beast such as this. Slowly your arms are pushed back. In another moment, you'll lose what reserves you have left. And you'll be dead.You bow your head, and feel a heat in your chest. Great warmth. Kayton spoke to you of destiny. Your father is missing, and you are the only one who cares enough to find him. After being handed a burden like that, are you really going to die here? In a dank hole, fighting a mongrel with no name?>1. There's nothing I can do. My death is inevitable.>2. I am a servant of the Lord. Through Him, there is nothing I cannot do!
>>30726430>2. I am a servant of the Lord. Through Him, there is nothing I cannot do!
>>30726430>2. I am a servant of the Lord. Through Him, there is nothing I cannot do!Send him to Dis.
>>307264302"Oh Lord, though your servant is beaten and bloodied I shall fear no evil. The sword may cut and the whip lash I will stand against those who would harm your flock, basked in your light til my soul has joined your side"
>>30726451>>30726474>>30726589No. No. The gap between you and your opponent cannot be crossed. You have no means by which your power may ever rival that of this beast's. He will surely kill you in any battle.But your strength is so much more than your own. Through grinding teeth you hiss a verse that pulses in your brain. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." You repeat the phrase, over and over again in your head. You don't even know if you can even call it your own will performing the act. So much depends on you. You are the only one who still searches for your father. You are the only one who can bring him home to your family. It is too much for one man to carry alone. But you are never alone when you walk with God, and you smile as you feel His strength guide you.You repeat the verse again. Something in your arms burns. A fresh pain, one you haven't felt before. But with it comes vigor. You push. The Cross of Orleans moves upward, and the claws of the wolf are pushed with it. You repeat the verse again, and your nerves begin to boil and bubble. Something inside of you is tearing your muscle apart, but this strength! Purpose drives you as you push away his claws. One hand leaves the sword's hilt, and holds steady by your face. It is only for a second as you take aim, and you repeat the verse a final time. "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear NO EVIL!"Every inch of your body screams for release. Like a rocket your arm is shot loose, and with all your might placed behind the swing, your haymaker burrows into the great wolf's chest. Everything halts for the crucial moment as you wait for your arm to shatter.
But it is the wolf that breaks. A tremendous crunching noise shakes the air and the ground, and for a moment the beast's entire body vibrates, its whine puking up blood and bile. A great force erupts between your fist and your target's belly, and it thrusts outward. A ragdoll, not an enemy is blown away from you, and you watch its bones shatter into a thousand shards as it violently smashes and rolls along the ground. With a violent crash the werewolf hits the far wall of its enclosure, twitching and shivering.And you stand victorious, still frozen in your punching stance. Your ragged lungs draw in musty air, and your ruined arm wilts, dropping to your side like a sack of raw meat. You have won.And yet your eye looks upon your own hand with such terror."H-How?.."
And that's where we'll be drawing to a close for tonight. Thank you all so much for playing, I've had a blast running, and I look forward to doing so again soon in the future!Follow me @Frolloswagedir on Twitter for news about the Quest, and let me know there or in these threads what you think of the Quest, what you enjoy and what you think can be improved!See you all again soon.
>>30726970Thanks for running.
Super Jesus Powers Activate!>thanks for running
