>>31430893
> Blood Magic

>>31430893
>Blood magic
There is no other choice.

>>31430893
>gold priest avoids you entirely
>jealous friends
Heh.

Here's my priorities, in order of important.
> Blood Magic
swap out dem poisons when necessary
> Religion and lore of the gods
Ishtar: HOW bad is she going to betray us?
> Literacy
it is really hard to read these blood spell tomes.

The others are nice, but not quite pressing at the moment.

Also, let's get a soft padded thing to lie on during lessons.

>>31430926
but anon, there's like four other choices.

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>>31430893
You decide that it's most important to get more lessons in blood magic. The Blood Priest has been busy lately - negotiating something with the palace, he says - but he still makes time to give you some one-on-one lessons in shaping blood crystals and what spells can be derived from this basic trick. Kullaa spends much more time reading to you, and to her credit, she seems to treat you pretty much the same as well, though that might be because she's very nearsighted and can barely see you. You drag one of your straw mattresses and five or six blankets to lie on while she teaches you the old prayers to Aruru and the old myth of how her first attempts at creating humans were flawed, until she discovered how to give blood the power to clot and heal the body.

> Choose the next spell you'd like to try learning:
> Shape Blood Tools: when you make objects of blood crystals, they can be as hard as bronze
> Hear the Flesh: that spell Kullaa knows that lets you diagnose people by giving their flesh the power to speak to you
> Knit the Wound: With enough skill and enough pots of loose blood, you can heal minor injuries.

>>31431109
> Knit the Wound: With enough skill and enough pots of loose blood, you can heal minor injuries.

>>31431109
>Knit the Wound
Aka: Save the Redshirts

>>31431109
>Kit the Woud

>>31431197
>Kit
Now I feel stupid

>>31431197
>>31431211
>Woud

Am I helping?

>>31431109
> Knit the Wound: With enough skill and enough pots of loose blood, you can heal minor injuries.
we keep wanting to work on poison blood magic, but we keep getting the healing ones.

because goddamnit, a scorpion death machine who can heal itself using blood is almost unstoppable

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>>31431109
You don't particularly care about the offensive capabilities of blood magic or doing that creepy trick where you can make someone's flesh talk. You just want to be able to heal people. Kullaa likes that your interest lies in this branch of blood magic. This is her specialty. She's at the point where she can create working artificial limbs out of conjured red flesh to graft onto people, much like Nakurtum's right arm, and she hopes to one day be able to improve her own eyes. When it comes time to draw blood from the slaves and other servants of the pyramid, Kullaa has you stay with her so you can practice healing the small incisions she makes so they can each bleed a small amount into a pot.

> Roll 1d6 to not produce some humorous mishap on your first try

>>31431262
BECOME UNSTOPPABLE

Rolled 6

>>31431269
the MOST humorous mishap

>>31431285
Just to clarify, were you rolling to produce a humorous mishap, or to avoid one? For rolling a 6, I'll let you pick.

>>31431285
hahaha
yes
we were made for blood magic
perfection

>>31431321
Eh, as long as whoever isn't killed or hurt badly, I'll take whatever is most interesting.

>>31431323
also, it'd be cool if it reflected natural talent, even if it was a mishap

>inb4 we develop a healing poison eventually
Anyway, did we order smiths or whatever to reforge our equipment? Or we don't need it?

>>31431415
we need to order that
AND give them our old carapace.

it will be a fun trip

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>>31431269
You wait until a new slave you don't know takes her turn donating blood, just in case something goes wrong. Kullaa instructs her to hold still as she takes her tiny obsidian knife and cuts her arm, then holds her steady as she bleeds into the clay pot. Before the slave is in danger of passing out, Kullaa nods to you to give it a try.

You take two pots of blood that had been previously prepared for you, hold your hands over them, and start praying to Aruru. You apologize for calling her Abubu that one time, and you ask her to fill you with her power. The pots of blood turn to pots of glowing red mist, and you direct the life energy toward the small cut on the slave's arm. She whimpers and closes her eyes, even though she was quite brave while Kullaa was cutting her open. The cut on her arm glows pink and seals itself with a glowing scab. But then the scab starts growing out and wriggling around until she has a red vestigial arm, about eight inches long, growing out of her natural arm. Her hair also grows out by a whole foot and turns blood red. She runs away screaming.

You look over to Kullaa. "Is she gonna be okay?"

Kulla thinks it over with a serious look on her face. "Was she still bleeding? I didn't see her too well."

"No, she wasn't bleeding, but-"

"Then I'm sure she'll be fine." Damn, Kullaa really needs to fix her eyes soon.

> Chase down the girl to apologize
> You've terrorized her enough for one morning.

>>31431491
> Chase down the girl to apologize
Tell kullaa that you REALLY messed up.

>>31431491
>Her hair also grows out by a whole foot and turns blood red
Fucking radical
>Chase down the girl to apologize

>>31431491
>Chase down girl to apologize
"She had 3 arms!"

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>>31431491
"I really messed up. Excuse me, I've gotta go catch her..."

The slave woman is running as fast as she can, but fear and blood loss leave her nice and logey and easy to catch. You pull her into clawhugs to try to calm her down, but then you remember that clawhugs have the opposite effect on most people. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to, really! I was just trying to heal you!"

The slave kicks and screams, bruising your tender chitin. Ow! "Ahhhh! It doesn't matter what you meant to do! You made me a freak! They won't keep me around, they'll bleed me dry to make more freaks! I've got to get out of here!"

> "Hey, watch your tone. You won't even get past the gates without my help."
> "Come on, look on the bright side. Maybe some guys are into that sort of thing!"
> "There, there. I'll just snip off your new addition, we'll find some dye for your hair, and you'll be good as new."

>>31431569
>>31431539
>>31431507
I'm going to check the chase command with this:

Stop chasing once you realize ow, ow, OWWW, running

>>31431671
>Is there anything I could do to help?

>We could, uh, cut it off and have a REAL blood acolyte heal you

>>31431671
> "There, there. I'll just snip off your new addition, we'll find some dye for your hair, and you'll be good as new."
>Maybe we can find a, uh, good Blood Acolyte to do it

>>31431671
if she doesn't go for having the part snipped and her hair died, let's go for

> "Hey, watch your tone. You won't even get past the gates without my help."

We'll help her escape if she refuses help otherwise. Least we can do.

>>31431671
>"There, there. I'll just snip off your new addition. Your hair looks good on you though."

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>>31431671
You're sore and cranky, but you still try to comfort her. "There, there. We'll get you fixed up. We'll, uh, find a better blood acolyte to do it."

The slave whimpers a little, but she's hoping that you're telling the truth and Kullaa can fix her up, so she follows you back willingly. Using more of the blood she drew today, Kullaa numbs the slave to the impending pain, cleanly saws off the freaky red vestigial arm, and seals the new wound properly. She tries a few spells she knows for purging disease, but she's not sure if they worked, aside from just making the slave nauseous. "All right," she says, "I think that yourhair will naturally come in black again after this, and that the arm won't grow back. I think. This is all theoretical. I've never seen a spell go this far off course before." She realizes that she probably offended you with that last remark, so she turns back to you. "But in a way, that's a compliment! You have potential. You might grow up to do things even Ubar-Sin can't do!"

> "Thanks? Hey, do you know what he's been doing at the palace lately?"
> "He's not so great. And he's still kind of a bad person. What would you say if I tried removing him from office and putting you in his place?"
> "You're good with kids, right? Do you think you'd have time to take care of Meluku? I think he might be getting along TOO well with Rabi-Tammuz."

Wait, so... We can grow additional appendages now? Although IIRC using our blood is a bad idea, so I guess not

>>31431874
>"You're good with kids, right? Do you think you'd have time to take care of Meluku? I think he might be getting along TOO well with Rabi-Tammuz."

>>31431874
> "Thanks? Hey, do you know what he's been doing at the palace lately?"
Don't just dump kids on her
That's rude.

>>31431874

> "Thanks? Hey, do you know what he's been doing at the palace lately?"
> "You're good with kids, right? Do you think you'd have time to take care of Meluku? I think he might be getting along TOO well with Rabi-Tammuz."

These are good.

I don't know about overthrowing blood guy.
He's evil, but also I don't think he's killing anybody right now.

>>31431929
maybe we can just have him visit her occasionally?

to break up the creepy tailor experience?

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>>31431874
"Thanks? Hey, do you know what he's been doing at the palace lately?"

Kullaa nods and starts cleaning up all her blood collection supplies. She wraps all her pretty obsidian cutlery up in heavy canvas. "Oh, yeah. Someone in the palace is sick, apparently? Like, really sick. They're planning some kind of huge ritual, with us and all the petty-wizards, and maybe even some people from other cities! You'll probably be invited, too. I dunno what it's all for, though."

> Reveal the secret of the king's memory problem. Maybe it will help the ritual succeed if people actually know what it is they're healing.
> "I dunno. What could a ritual on that scale possibly do?"

>>31432071
eh, we've kept it secret so long, keep it secret just a bit longer and we're home free.
>"Oh, good, that means they'll get better no matter how sick they are, right?"
or just the
> "I dunno. What could a ritual on that scale possibly do?"
if mine aint good.

>>31432071
>"Oh, good, that means they'll get better no matter how sick they are, right?"


I like this. Hunzuu is adorable when optimistic.

>>31432071
> "I dunno. What could a ritual on that scale possibly do?"

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>>31432071
"Oh, good, that means they'll get better no matter how sick they are, right?"

Kullaa laughs and shrugs. "Maybe that's the idea. If the king has a growth or something else he wants cut out, having as many people as possible might help reduce the chance that he'll bleed to death afterward. In theory, even a simple ritual can be slightly improved by adding a bunch of assistants, by reducing the chance of an accident. But on the other hand, they could be doing something totally off the deep end. I mean, in only took twenty of us to turn that crooked tax collector into a hyrax. One can only imagine what they could do with two hundred people."

> "So advanced blood magic can turn people into other things? How does that work? Does it have any limits?"
> "Sounds exciting. I want to help!"
> "Sounds important. I think I might mess it up by helping, if this morning is any indication."

>>31432231
>> "So advanced blood magic can turn people into other things? How does that work? Does it have any limits?"
> "Sounds exciting. I want to help!"
Also, we want to check in with the blood priest and king to make sure, you know, they're not turning the king into a 50 story maggot.

>>31432231
> "So advanced blood magic can turn people into other things? How does that work? Does it have any limits?"
> "Sounds exciting. I want to help!"

Because a humorous accident won't keep us from helping, no matter how many extra heads the king might grow.

Come to think of it, that first question is rather silly to ask.
I mean she wasn't a scorpiongirl a few years ago...

>>31432320
I thought we needed like... a crystal?
but apparently you can just up and turn people into hryaxes.

Also, I always felt like we should, I don't know, get a gift basket or something for the family of the hyraxcollector. "Sorry the blood priest is crazy and magic"

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>>31432339
So.. Reparations?

We need to go back to the underworld to properly understand the Venom Ritual, right?
And have we had our swanky new Ishtar loot checked for curses?

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>>31432231
"So advanced blood magic can turn people into other things? How does that work? Does it have any limits?"
"Well, yes. Before we discovered these relics from before the flood, we could basically only turn people into hyraces and other unimpressive animals. Making up a new form whole cloth results in the whole thing collapsing into a bloody mess. Not that Ubar-Sin hasn't tried it anyway. They also have to be helpless for the duration of a long ritual, so you can't do it in the middle of a fight."
You imagine the possibilities. "Sounds exciting. I want to help!"
"That's the spirit. Assisting a ritual is pretty easy. Don't let all this stuff discourage you. We can practice come more tomorrow, okay?" She gives you a big hug and sees you on your way.

You head up to the high priests' solar near the top of the pyramid to find the Blood Priest. He's in the middle of writing a letter. "My dear Hunzuu. I haven't had much time for you lately, have I? You know I like to think of you as a daughter. Sit, tell me what's been on your mind."

"You're planning a big ritual at the palace. You're going to heal someone?"
"The king, yes. His people have told us that he has a... chronic health problem that requires delicate magic. The fact that they've asked the priesthood for help shows that the city is more unified than ever, don't you think? We have you to thank for that, dear."

"Are you going to betray the king and do the ritual wrong?"

"Heh. Well... I must admit I was considering it. You know me too well, Hunzuu."

> "That would be a bad idea. I can't fight right now. If the city goes to war with itself, we'll lose."
> "Please don't. The king is such a nice man! He said I was cute. And he does still need an heir, doesn't he?"
> "Hmm... We could pretend that it was just an accident. But who would take his place? They'll never accept you as a ruler. But they might accept me."

>>31432464
we have not gotten cursechecked I'm afraid.
And we DO need to go back to learn. Also ask them about if it's REALLY a good idea to ask ishtar for favors, given her history.

>>31432425
eh, I feel bad for them, but there's nothing really I can do to sincerely help

>>31432481
>> "Please don't. The king is such a nice man! He said I was cute. And he does still need an heir, doesn't he?"
also, mention in passing that we're softshelled and can't fight for a while.

>>31432481
> "That would be a bad idea. I can't fight right now. If the city goes to war with itself, we'll lose."
Hunzuu can't defend you guys, so let's keep this legit.

> "That would be a bad idea. We shouldn't have the city go to war with itself."
> "Please don't. The king is such a nice man! He said I was cute. And he does still need an heir, doesn't he?"

I don't really think "Hunzuu the Merciful" would be worried about winning or losing the fight, but rather that the fight shouldn't be started in the first place.

>>31432464
I doubt it's cursed, since Ishtar herself said we could have it.
Then again, it's Ishtar. Might actually be a good idea to check. Just in case.

>>31432483
I was mostly referring to the flavortext. I mean, a gift basket would be like "Sorry we turned your husband/father into a beast. Have a basket of fruit. We good now, right?"

>>31432481
>> "That would be a bad idea. I can't fight right now. If the city goes to war with itself, we'll lose."

>>31432481
> "Hmm... We could pretend that it was just an accident. But who would take his place? They'll never accept you as a ruler. But they might accept me.
>Haha, just kidding. But seriously, please don't. The king is such a nice man! He said I was cute. And he does still need an heir, doesn't he?"

>>31432562
but checking the stuff for curses sounds like it might insult Ishtar, which also sounds like a bad idea. and based on how much that former king wanted the spear, I don't think it's cursed.

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>>31432481
You don't want a fight to happen at all, even if you'd win, but you know that you have to appeal to the Blood Priest's cold practicality. "That would be a bad idea. I can't fight right now. If the city goes to war with itself, we'll lose."

The Blood Priest furrows his brow. "Earning people's trust and then not betraying it afterward feels like such a waste. This was timed poorly. I'll just have to do the ritual properly and find a way to betray him later."

"Do you betray everyone who likes you?"

"...Generally. How else do you think I got to live in this pyramid with these fancy robes and hat?"

You make your best sad-scorpion face. It's a little less effective than it was at you last molting, but you've been perfecting it all your life. "... Even me?"

The Blood Priest sighs. "No, not you. I was rather hoping that you'd live on to remember me fondly after someone else inevitably betrays me to my death. Call it sentimentality. The last woman who thought well of me... was not suitably rewarded for it."

> Eww, gross. Go back to see if the Gold Priest has identified those items you left with him.
> Go see if the armorer is working on anything useful for you.
> Aww, shucks. Spend some quality time with the Blood Priest, maybe ask him for more of his secret past.

>>31432625
The thing is, if we're dealing with Ishtar, ANYTHING "might insult her".
She's a moody bitch. I mean, that whole threat about "tearing open the gates of the underworld" was actually just her throwing a hissyfit after Gilgamesh didn't want to fuck her, because everyone else she's had her eyes on she has ended up in the shitter.

>>31432671
>> Aww, shucks. Spend some quality time with the Blood Priest, maybe ask him for more of his secret past.

>>31432671
crap.
seeing an armorer's reaction to being given a whole carapace to work with VS bonding time with crazy blood dad.

This is a tough, tough choice.
I'm leaning towards
> Aww, shucks. Spend some quality time with the Blood Priest, maybe ask him for more of his secret past.

>>31432671
> Aww, shucks. Spend some quality time with the Blood Priest, maybe ask him for more of his secret past.
For an evil dickbag, he's grown on me.

>>31432671
> Aww, shucks. Spend some quality time with the Blood Priest, maybe ask him for more of his secret past.


He might not be able to do the sad scorpion face, but he has his own methods.

>>31432699
>everyone else she's had her eyes on has ended up in the shitter
Dunno how I managed to end up with an extra "she" in there.

>>31432699
ishtar was the ORIGINAL "don't stick your dick in crazy" tale.

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>>31432671
Aww, shucks. As evil as he is, you actually find yourself guilted into spending time with this crazy magician who wants to be your dad. You figure he couldn't be any worse than your real dad, whoever and wherever he is.

When Nergal-Edir arrives with a light meal for the Blood Priest, you ask him to bring up some goat for you. You tell the Blood Priest about your life before you met him, perfecting your begging techniques with Meluku, and how you lost your mother. He seems to actually listen. "That would explain how you seem able to control people even without the threat of stinging them to death. Nobody would ever listen to me without a good threat. Threats got me apprenticed to a barber and then to the great priests, threats got me betrothed to the daughter of the physicians' guildmaster, and finally threats brought me here, to this solar. I rather thought that the threat of you would take me even higher than that. Imagine, Hunzuu - not just having cities pay us tribute, but every city between the sea and the holy cedars working together as one! A single nation, with a single king enjoying the best they all have to offer. A mad idea, I know. But I've had madder."

> "Okay, what happened to your wife? Confess already, you've been dancing around it for as long as I've known you."
> "Did you ever have children? I guess not."
> "Well, it's not that bad an idea. But getting there would take so much bloodshed, more than it's worth..."

>>31432876
> "Well, it's not that bad an idea. But it won't matter once the gates open. Nothing will."

>>31432876
>> "Okay, what happened to your wife? Confess already, you've been dancing around it for as long as I've known you."
> "Well, it's not that bad an idea. But getting there would take so much bloodshed, more than it's worth..."

>>31432876
>> "Did you ever have children? I guess not."
I'm interested in the other questions too, but I don't want to probe too directly about the wife, and empire is the sort of thing we can put off thinking about until our next war.

Also, would we do that BEFORE or AFTER we released the hungry dead?

>>31432876
> "Well, it's not that bad an idea. But getting there would take so much bloodshed, more than it's worth..."
and then subject change
> "Did you ever have children? I guess not."

>>31432913
Eh, let's not go blabbing about our deals with the other scorpfolks. People might take it the wrong way.

>>31432948
I sort of want to tell the priest we're still talking to the ghost scorpions.

Like, it's not a thing that's stopped since last we mentioned it.

>>31432876
> "Well, it's not that bad an idea. But there are other, more pressing business than that"

Also, what happened to the loot?

>>31432960
Yeah, sure. "I'm still talking to the ghosts of the other scorpion-folk" might be okay, but "I'm gonna break open the gates of the underworld to release all the other scorpion-people and hope that all the other dead don't rise up to outnumber the living" is a bit much...

>tender moment
>Bonding
>Admission that he kinda likes us
Alright
No other time to do this
We have to admit we did the prank for the favour of Ishtar.

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>>31432876
"Well, it's not that bad an idea. But getting there would take so much bloodshed, more than it's worth..."
The Blood Priest laughs, "As an expert on the value of blood, I'd have to disagree! Maybe in time, Hunzuu dear."

You tell the Blood Priest about the dreams of the underworld you've had, and about Lady Amata and Humbaba, but you thoughtfully withhold the part where you promised them to break open the seven gates and release the hungry dead. "Ah, so that's still been going on! I was wondering. It's funny. I never had time to have a child, and now that I sort of have one I still don't have enough time for her. We'll have to change that."

> "Want to see Mr. Clicks? He won't sting you He's a very good boy."
> "Okay, I have to admit. I was the one who ruined the festival of Sin. But it's okay, 'cause Ishtar told me to."
> "We can hang out later. I'm gonna go see if the Gold Priest identified those items I gave him. He's been avoiding me for some reason."

>>31433079
>> "We can hang out later. I'm gonna go see if the Gold Priest identified those items I gave him. He's been avoiding me for some reason."
Don't tell him about the prank.

>>31433079
>"Want to see Mr. Clicks? He won't sting you. He's a very good boy."

Because Mr. Clicks!

>>31433079
>"Uhm, are you still mad at the ruined festival? What ould the consequences of that be? Is it possible to appease Sin?
>after that last questions...>"We can hang out later. I'm gonna go see if the Gold Priest identified those items I gave him. He's been avoiding me for some reason."

>>31433079
> "We can hang out later. I'm gonna go see if the Gold Priest identified those items I gave him. He's been avoiding me for some reason."
Man, I really like the Blood Priest now.

>>31433079
>> "Want to see Mr. Clicks? He won't sting you He's a very good boy."
>> "Okay, I have to admit. I was the one who ruined the festival of Sin. But it's okay, 'cause Ishtar told me to."
one leads to the other.

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>>31433079
"We can hang out later. I'm gonna go see if the Gold Priest identified those items I gave him. He's been avoiding me for some reason."

"He's a lecher, but he knows how to survive. He's just making sure you don't kill him for looking at you wrong. Also, incidentally, please do not kill him for looking at you wrong. He's too useful to kill yet."

After promising not to kill the Gold Priest, you skitter back down to his private quarters to find him. You overhear a conversation through the door between him and a female voice.

"It's fine! There was no harm done. You don't need to get hysterical."
"But what if she wants to do it again?! Her or her master!"
"Shhh. You're my property now; I'll protect you. And anyway, Hunzuu has no personal interest in you. She doesn't even know who you are! It's not like she's following you around, waiting for..."

The door opens. You see that slave girl with the blood-red hair and a thick bandage on her arm. At the first sight of you, she screams in mortal terror and runs away.

The Gold Priest is still putting his robes on. "Oh, hello, Hunzuu. We were just talking about you. You've, ah... you've grown..." He pulls his robes very tight. "I've taken a look at those items you found and used my sympathetic magic on them. The balls definitely have something in them for expanding the senses. The spear matches that crown you found. Some kind of metalcraft that's lost to us, marked with the seal of some dead king. It holds an edge well and never corrodes, but other than that I think it's just a spear. The armor and glove have definitely been touched by Ishtar. Touching someone with the eye on the glove will give you a brief glimpse of something they feel strongly about. The armor repairs itself, though it might have some other properties. The coins don't have any magic; they're just historical curiosities."

> "You think I'm pretty, don't you? Go on, admit it.
> "I really didn't mean to mess up your slave..."

>>31433380
>> "I really didn't mean to mess up your slave..."
So many sorries.

>>31433380
>> "I really didn't mean to mess up your slave..."

>>31433380
> "You think I'm pretty, don't you? Go on, admit it."

Oho~

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>>31433380
>"I really didn't mean to mess up your slave/lover..."
>You think I'm pretty, don'tcha Gold Priest?

>>31433380
> "I really didn't mean to mess up your slave...

The other option just feels so much like "Tell me I'm pretty. I'm a pretty little girl." except the joke doesn't work because Hunzuu is both kinda pretty and a little girl.

>>31433380
>> "I really didn't mean to mess up your slave..."

>>31433380
>"I really didn't mean to mess up your slave/lover..."
>You think I'm pretty, don'tcha Gold Priest?

Hahahha, yes, this perfect. Admiting he is attracted to her should help to end this avoiding.

>>31433380
>"I really didn't mean to mess up your slave/lover..."
>You think I'm pretty, don'tcha Gold Priest?

Better get to know it now, before he try to make a pass on her, or worse.

Also, if this helps to develop Hunzuu mentally, all the better.

I'd rather not fish for compliments, btu I already voted to that extent.

>>31433380
> "You think I'm pretty, don't you? Go on, admit it."

Because she is, and she knows of his habits. And if it's an option given by the QM, it is in character.

Huh, even if the Gold priest tried to make a pass at hunzuu, what could he do to her?

Silly people, there is nothing down there.

>>31433582
Grope boobs.
Hunzuu doesn't need to breathe, so she probably gives great head.

>>31433602
nooooo

>>31433602
>Hunzuu doesn't need to breathe, so she probably gives great head.
Oh god.

Not that again.

>>31433602
>Hunzuu doesn't need to breathe, so she probably gives great head.
Every fucking time.

>>31433609
>>31433628
>>31433632
I-I'm sorry.
I just wanted to answer his question...

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>>31433380
"I really didn't mean to mess up your slave..."
The Gold Priest nods gently and gestures that it's all right for you to come in. "I know; I know. You're still learning blood magic. You should have learned gold magic, in my opinion. It's less flashy, but the range of effects it can have is at least as great. It's not just for identifying things, you know. Whatever you have, gold magic can bring you a little bit more of it. It can turn a probable victory into a near-guaranteed one."

"Well, I might have gone that way, but I didn't. Now I just want to get good at blood magic before I think of anything else."

"I know, I know. I'm changing the subject. But honestly, you din't mess her up at all. I rather like the red hair. I've never seen that before. It makes her so exotic... You know, if you'd like to practice more of that kind of thing, I can arrange to bring you a fresh slave or two..."

"No. No way. I will not make you freaks just so you can sleep with them. And anyway, you like just about anything, it seems like. Is that why you've been avoiding me? Because you like me now?"

The Gold Priest wipes his brow and puts on his gold chains. "I-I've been busy... Look, women are one of my vices; everyone knows that. But not you. You're the savior of the city. And you're only thirteen..."

> "I'm glad we have an understanding. I'll take that gear back now."
> "There's nothing wrong with having feelings. Because you have the power not to act on them. Nakurtum taught me that. Now where's that gear? I might want to use one of those clay balls now."

>>31433642
don't give gold priest ideas!

>>31433653
>I don't see what me being the savior of the city has to do with it
>And I totally look 16...

>>31433653
>> "I'm glad we have an understanding. I'll take that gear back now."

>>31433653
> "There's nothing wrong with having feelings. Because you have the power not to act on them. Nakurtum taught me that. Now where's that gear? I might want to use one of those clay balls now."

LIFE LESSONS, HO!

Also, improving the social link with him.

>>31433653
> "There's nothing wrong with having feelings. Because you have the power not to act on them. Nakurtum taught me that.

[s]Besides, if he tries something, we'll just have to sting him to death. Slowly and painfully.[/s]

>>31433602
Except she definitely has lungs connected to her mouth, otherwise she wouldn't be able to speak.

There's no evidence of her having book lungs in addition to her regular lungs, though.

>>31433653
> "I'm glad we have an understanding. I'll take that gear back now."

I don't know what we'd be getting in contact with ishtar for anyhoo.

though, I don't want to be too mean with him. I like the guy, but he's WAY too old for us. And not a scorpion.

>>31433695
can we do this but cut out using the vision ball?
>>31433701
we totally had to get our armor bent to accomodate our book lungs.

>>31433653
>> "There's nothing wrong with having feelings. Because you have the power not to act on them. Nakurtum taught me that. Now where's that gear? I might want to use one of those clay balls now."
>>"And I totally look 16..."

Should we tempt him, somehow? Flutter the eyelashes, push the breasts forward? Just for teasing and fun.

>>31433724
nah.
We should giggle into our hands like a little girl.

>>31433701

Hunzuu was also great at singing because of the book lungs. Anu said so himself.
>>31433653
> "There's nothing wrong with having feelings. Because you have the power not to act on them. Nakurtum taught me that.

Heh, naughty old man.

>>31433742

That seems more something a 7 year old would do.

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>>31433653
>>31433653

You giggle into your hands like the 13-year-old you are. "Hee! Of course I am. But there's nothing wrong with having feelings. Because you have the power not to act on them. Nakurtum taught me that. Now where'd that gear go?"

"It's back in the workshop. If you see my new girl, tell her the coast is clear and we can have a round two if she's still in the mood."


"I don't think she is, but okay!"

You find all of your haul from your treasure hunting mission in the workshop. While you're there, you fetch some fresh locusts for Mr. Clicks. He seems very pleased.

> Touch him with Ishtar's glove to see if he really loves you. Roll 3d6
> You're too scared. What if he's just a mindless animal incapable of love, like Nakurtum says?

Rolled 2, 6, 4 = 12

>>31433824
>Touch him with Ishtar's glove to see if he really loves you. Roll 3d6

Rolled 6, 2, 4 = 12

>>31433824
> Touch him with Ishtar's glove to see if he really loves you.

Trust in Mr. Clicks!

>>31433824
>> Touch him with Ishtar's glove to see if he really loves you. Roll 3d6
of course he does. No doubt in our mind.

Rolled 3, 1, 3 = 7

>>31433824
>> Touch him with Ishtar's glove to see if he really loves you. Roll 3d6

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>>31433824
You hold out the palm of your gloved hand to brush across Mr. Clicks' shiny black chitin as he eats. You see, just for an instant, a blurry vision decrypted from Mr Clicks' strange senses. His vision is dim and scrambled, but his sense of touch is clear. his sensitive pincers have a plump locust in their grasp, and there's a humanoid finger stroking his back. "WAH WAH WAH WAH," it says. Well, despite the limitations of his simple scorpion mind, Mr. Clicks apparently associates you with comfort and pleasure. That's as much as you could ask for, probably.

After two more days, the time has come for the big ceremony to heal the king. You're invited, of cours,e along with all the other blood acolytes and all the Great Priest, even the Bronze Priest sitting up in a stretcher. The entire Petty-Wizards' school, the Adventurer with the strange blue eyes who commanded the giant blight demon, the small cadre of court wizards who live in the palace, and even a couple of mystics from the Deathless Delta are all invited. Some are positioned along the palace walls or even on the roof, but you are lucky enough to be invited inside to see a confused-looking king seated in a large bronze tub full of blood. The city is being told that it's a blessing for the city, that it might know a lasting peace and be saved from the wrath of Sin. You know better.

> Cast Aid the Worthy. Roll 10d6 to represent the entire city's effort to complete the ritual to cure the king of whatever ails his mind.
> Just do as you're told and don't cause trouble.
> Give the king some parting words in case he doesn't survive this. "Be brave. Your father would be proud of you."
> "Psst! I think you're cute, too."

Rolled 6, 4, 4 = 14

We should comission a replica of the glove to wear it with the real glove. Then, we make a deal or something, we just use a handshake to discover if the person is going to honor it or not. Giving your gloved hand while the other is not is suspicious.

Rolled 5, 5, 5, 4, 5, 1, 4, 3, 6, 2 = 40

>>31434093
> Cast Aid the Worthy. Roll 10d6 to represent the entire city's effort to complete the ritual to cure the king of whatever ails his mind.

mr clicks confirmed to hear hunzuu talk as WAH WAH WAH WAH

Rolled 5, 1, 6, 6, 1, 6, 6, 6, 2, 3 = 42

>>31434093
>Just do as you're told and don't cause trouble.

So many dice.

Rolled 3, 1, 2, 6, 1, 3, 6, 5, 1, 5 = 33

>>31434093

Dice, don't fail me now!

>>31434137
DAMN
>>31434140
DAYUM

Rolled 5, 3, 6, 6, 1, 5, 6, 6, 5, 4 = 47

>>31434093
>> Cast Aid the Worthy. Roll 10d6 to represent the entire city's effort to complete the ritual to cure the king of whatever ails his mind.

Rolled 1, 2, 1, 6, 3, 5, 2, 2, 4, 2 = 28

>>31434093
haha, clicks likes us.

> Cast Aid the Worthy. Roll 10d6 to represent the entire city's effort to complete the ritual to cure the king of whatever ails his mind.
> Just do as you're told and don't cause trouble.

We want this to go off without a hitch. without a HITCH!

>>31434207
those rolls aren't that good, the expected value is 35

they're both slightly above.

>>31434210
this one is impressive

>>31434109
Nice idea anon. It'll cut down on shadowruns and is useful as hell.

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>>31434093
The Blood Priest begins the prayers. The blood starts glowing and giving off mist. You cast the most basic spell you know to aid the Blood Priest in his work, and everyone around you follows suit. Kullaa is next to you. You find that comforting somehow. She's been here for you during all of your clumsy forays into blood magic.

The basin of blood, and the pots of blood left out in a circle around the king, start bubbling lively and even giving off bright white sparks. You've never seen so much power focused on one place, not even during your own transformation. Though nobody knows the exact nature of the king's malady, the Blood Priest is hoping that taking a basic spell for alleviating disease and internal bleeding will work on him if done with an unprecedented amount of power and precision behind it. So far things are looking good

Halfway through the ritual, the king seems to forget why he's here. He looks at the luminous pink mist rising up all around his naked body and doesn't have the faintest idea what it is. He looks around. "What is this? What are you doing? What have you done?!"

> Speak comfort to him. "Shh. We're here to help. We're your people, and your people love their king."
> Hiss loudly so he freezes in fear
> Don't speak to him at all. Keep praying for Aruru's mercy.

>>31434413
>Speak comfort to him. "Shh. We're here to help. We're your people, and your people love their king.

>>31434413
>Man, this is a pretty serious injury.
>LETS ADD MORE ACOLYTES
I love this priest.
>Knock out the King with our new venom
It'll get flushed out with the brain-illness, and he can't move and fuck up the spell.

>>31434445
stinging the king are you fucking dumb the only person that knows are sting does not kill anymore is us to everyone else it would look like we killed him

>>31434413
> Speak comfort to him. "Shh. We're here to help. We're your people, and your people love their king."

>>31434445
can we not fuck up the ritual with our magic venom and retarded ideas? I mean what do you want to do here man, sting the king in front of hundreds? jesus, think things through.

>>31434413
Comfort the king!

>sin ookingby
Shhh Captcha, we seduce the king LATER!

Rolled 5, 3, 2, 2, 6, 5, 3, 2, 6, 5 = 39

>>31434413
>> Speak comfort to him. "Shh. We're here to help. We're your people, and your people love their king."

>>31434413
> Speak comfort to him. "Shh. We're here to help. We're your people, and your people love their king."

inb4 he does not remember us again

>>31434521
Well of course not, we've had a growth spurt after all...
...Now, appearing as a merciful Scorpion Goddess...

>>31434498
no, ND, maybe the captcha is warning us about Sin's wrath!

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>>31434413
All this magic might have drawn Aruru's attention, because you feel a funny inkling that if you sting the king, it won't kill him at all like it used to, but instead put him to sleep. Upon reflection, though, this seems like one of those instincts you shouldn't be following.

You try talking down the king the old-fashioned way. "Shh. We're here to help. We're your people, and your people love their king."

The king, sure enough, does not remember you. "I... I don't know what you are. I hope you're telling the truth. All I ever wanted was to be a good king... I think... If I died, that would be no good for anyone. I think..." He looks seriously troubled. "Or would it? How did I get here? How long has it been since father died? Oh, gods help me..."

The room fills with white light and the sound of rolling thunder. You think you managed to keep the king sitting in the basin of blood the whole time. When your eyes adjust, the blood is all gone and the king remains, quite naked and unconscious. Luckily, your skill proved sufficient to not make him grow any superfluous parts or otherwise turn him into an abomination against gods and men. His retainers rush into the room to throw a cloak over him and carry him away. You reflect that he doesn't look half-bad.

The Blood Priest rubs his eyes and picks up the headdress that fell off in the climax of the spell. "Right. Now remember, everyone, this was to bless the city. Nothing more. Who knows? Maybe it will bless the city after all. What would be better for the city than the crown actually trusting the priesthood? That hasn't happened since almost before the pyramid rose. The whole reason Ligish put all the priests under one roof was to stop them from leveling the city in their feuds with each other. Anyway, well done, gentlemen. And ladies."

> Follow the king. You want to be the first thing he sees!
> Don't make trouble and head out with Kullaa and the others.

>>31434758
> Follow the king. You want to be the first thing he sees!
Imprinting is one heluva drug.

>>31434758
>>31434783
> Follow the king. You want to be the first thing he sees!
Indeed!

>>31434758
>> Follow the king. You want to be the first thing he sees!
Did it work? did it wooork?

Rolled 4, 2, 3, 5, 2, 6, 4, 3, 1, 5 = 35

>>31434758
>> Follow the king. You want to be the first thing he sees!

>>31434758
> Follow the king. You want to be the first thing he sees!

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>>31434758
Kullaa pats you on your soft scorpion leg. "Good job, Hunzuu. Let's go home."

You shake your head. "Go on without me. I want to see!"

"But - "

You ignore her and go through the door the king was carried through. You hear the Blood Priest calling out behind you. "Hunzuu, what are you - Heh. And she thought that I was going to be the one making trouble! I suppose that's to be expected from girls her age."

The king's servants and guards try to politely stop you and direct you elsewhere, but the greybeard knows you and brings you to the king's chambers, where surgeons and court wizards are waiting for him. "Hello, Hunzuu. I believe we have you to thank for this arrangement. It took the innocence of a child to get a city to look beyond its petty infighting. But I suppose you're not a child anymore, are you?"

"Well, maybe a little..."

The surgeons try to wake up the king with cold water and smelling salts. After a minute,the king sits up and coughs up some dried blood. "Ugh..." He looks at you. "I remember you..."

You're so happy you could clawhug him. Wisely, you do not do so. "Really?"

"You said you were my people, or something. I didn't know Ligish's people included a... whatever you are." The king is apparently so relieved to be alive that he forgets his usual courtesy.

"So you don't remember anything else? My name? How we met when you were out hunting?"

"Um..." Out of pure force of habit, the king turns to his advisors. "I have so many appointments each day... I mean no offense..." He's remembering his courtesy again, but nothing else.

"Aww! It didn't work!"

The brown-beard raises an eyebrow. "Perhaps it did. The king's illness was that he couldn't make new memories. There's no recovering a scroll that was never written."

> Help fill in the king on the basic details of you and the city's recent troubles
> Get just a little bit flirty with him, mentioning that he complimented you once without even knowing who you were and it meant a lot to you.

>>31435056
>> Help fill in the king on the basic details of you and the city's recent troubles
>> Get just a little bit flirty with him, mentioning that he complimented you once without even knowing who you were and it meant a lot to you.

>>31435056
I didn't know we were making so much trouble here.
> Help fill in the king on the basic details of you and the city's recent troubles
Strictly businesslike scorpion blushing intensely when someone compliments her go

>>31435056
>> Help fill in the king on the basic details of you and the city's recent troubles

>>31435056
> Help fill in the king on the basic details of you and the city's recent troubles

>>31435056
> Help fill in the king on the basic details of you and the city's recent troubles

>>31435056
> Help fill in the king on the basic details of you and the city's recent troubles

>>31435056
>> Help fill in the king on the basic details of you and the city's recent troubles
>> Get just a little bit flirty with him, mentioning that he complimented you once without even knowing who you were and it meant a lot to you.

Get the king's favor.

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>>31435056
You keep it strictly business as you explain the king's brain injury, the conflict between the fighting schools, the battle at Turtak, the impostor who wore the king's likeness, and the rising threat of Pazuzu. The king looks increasingly troubles to hear how much he missed.

"Oh dear. That's a lot to happen in... what was it a few months?"

"More like a year. You've had your condition for two years, I think."

"Anu save me..." Something occurs to the king. "They didn't marry me off to anyone, did they?"

You laugh and shake your head, "No, your majesty. You're still available."

You think the king may have blushed just a little. "Well, we have that to be thankful for, at least. Thank you all for believing in me. It's more than I feel I deserve. At this rate, I don't know if I can ever catch up to my father as a ruler..."

You hear some kind of commotion outside, so you excuse yourself to go out onto the nearest balcony and have a look. Blood acolytes, Charioteers, and Footmen are all scrambling into their various formations. The Blood Priest stands behind Kullaa. All of this is in response to a procession of men and monsters proceeding up the broad plaza of bricks laid out in front of the palace gates. Leading them is a very familiar lizard-creature wielding two spiked glaives. His scales are thicker than before and reach further up his human torso than before. Scars zigzag across his skin. "Greetings, o great priest of Ligish!" he shouts. "We come in peace. We would like to negotiate a certain... exchange..."

> I'm gonna break here for the evening. Hope you had fun!
> Next thread will be Wednesday.

>>31435349
Oh ass
We're going to be exchanged.

>>31435349
Thank you for running Great Anu!

>>31435349
ah, hey guy.
I was hoping we'd be the ones to visit you.

>>31435349
Oh yes.
We're going to be exchanged.

>>31435413
>>31435374
ah man we're in so much trabble

>>31435349
thx 4 runin budi
gud thred

ugh, we're going to have to walk around in our heavy bronze armor to make it seem like nothing is wrong, aren't we?

It's going to hurt a lot, isn't it?

>>31435518
You don't even have bronze armor that fits you right anymore. So if you do have to do that, yes, it's going to hurt like hell.

>>31435545
oh man this is double bad

>>31435349
Well, shit.

Thanks for the thread, Anu! Even if I only caught the end of it.

>>31435645
just tell the priest not to exchange us and don't go anywhere the lizard can see us
ez

>>31435708
We're standing on a balcony in full view. He might have already seen us.

>>31435708
it might not be a voluntary exchange

>>31435545
In case nobody's asked yet, how long will it take for our chitin to dry?

>>31435751
good question.
I just sort of assumed like a week

>>31435728
It didn't say he saw us so I'm assuming he didn't see us.

>>31435744
>implying anyone has more of a say than us

>>31435833
Hopefully.
Assuming we're not legally just a little noble girl vulnerable to all girl based trades. Which would be an obstacle as long as we are soft.

I'm probably paranoid.

>>31435875
we are the cities main weapon no one is getting us unless they kidnap us so we should be careful since now is pretty much the best time to do that

Archived: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html

>>31435916
let's watch out.
Especially since lizardguy wants to kill us and centipede guy, if rumors are true, wants to date us.

>>31430893
This image annoys me, does shit on top of her own carapace? Whats with the buttocks?

>>31436009
Scorpions apparently shit from their tails. Blame Decu for scorpibutt.

>>31436009
um she's a girl anon
everyone knows girls don't poop

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>>31436009
My art is kind of ass, but I'll take a crack at drawing a post-molting Hunzuu. -100% scars, +100% tits and pixie cuts.

>>31436061
hey, everyone likes drawfaggotry.