OH FUCK YEAH TOTEMIST QUEST!

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Your apprentice shakes his head. "I'm ready when you are, Osyki," he tells you with a cocky grin. It's almost certainly a show for Boand's benefit, judging by the slight tremor in his voice.

You snort. "Let me put my things inside. Then we'll begin."

"Osyki!" Terra calls to you from the roof. You glance up, then extend your arms to catch her as she hops off of the ledge. She giggles as you arrest her fall. "I think I want to try calling another familiar soon. Thenc and I have been talking, and we think he needs a partner." Her Salamander companion flickers into existence on her shoulder, watching you with a charcoal gaze.

> "Certainly. What kind of spirit were you considering?"
> "Give me a moment, Terra. I need to check something inside."
> Distract her with Boand.
> Other

---

[[Apologies for the new OP image. Someone posted my usual in another thread.]]

You are Osyki, journeyman Totemist and first line of defense for your village against the rabid Behemoths wandering the land. Your master, the previous Totemist, fell in a battle against a terrible Behemoth, leaving the duty of defending your settlement to you. Boand has informed you that the primordial spirit you met with in the forest has been stalking your village since you last saw it. After sharing a tender moment with her reminiscing on your Master's passing, the two of you have returned to your village to continue Quinn's training.

[[Previous Threads: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=totem

Plot Summary: http://pastebin.com/dqBSNUTM

The Cast Thus Far / Binder's Log (Current up to thread 50): http://pastebin.com/VsJpEUx3

Ask: ask.fm/DiarcaEXE

Wiki in progess: http://totemistquest.pbworks.com

Quest Twitter: @TotemistQuest]]

>>36308104
here we go time to bone spirits

>>36308188
> "Certainly. What kind of spirit were you considering?"
We're still going to train our cotemist first, right?

>>36308188
> "Certainly. What kind of spirit were you considering?"

>>36308188
>"Certainly. What kind of spirit were you considering?"
>Have her consult with Boand on a familiar to summon

>>36308254
>>36308188
seconded

>>36308254
>"Certainly. What kind of spirit were you considering?"
>Have her consult with Boand on a familiar to summon
Seconded.

>>36308191

Can we not turn Totemist quest into another wish-fulfillment harem quest? One of the things I like about this quest is that Oskyi can interact with a female without trying to make her his waifu.

man who did those drawings, the look really badass

>>36308104

> "Certainly. What kind of spirit were you considering?"

>>36308362
it was a joke m8 calm the autismo.

>>36308362
yeah. plus we already have a waifu!

>>36308397
Disgusting flesh girl is no substitute for my perfect spirit waifu.

>>36308427
kek!
Alright guys, I gotta get going, yall have fun! I look forward to the archives!

>>36308188
Seconding >>36308254

You turn to Terra, placing a hand on your chin. "Certainly," you tell her. "You've shown a remarkable dedication to your studies thus far. I don't think another minor spirit is out of the question. What sort of spirit did you have in mind?"

She holds up an offshoot of the Almanac, one of the minor treatise Ayren penned on the nature of the elemental courts. "A hearthling, maybe. Or maybe one a' these!"

She points to an entry in the book detailing a Glintfilch, a small badger-like spirit with a penchant for digging precious gems and ore out of the ground. They're commonly summoned by prospectors and miners to aid in discovering veins of precious metals, though one has to be careful not to let the Filch -eat- the stones it retrieves.

"Those both sound like reasonable options," you tell her. "Why don't you consult with Boa and have a decision for me when I return?" You point out the river spirit. She's busy chatting with Quinn, her customary sly grin firmly in place on her features. Your Cotemist is rapidly turning a shade usually reserved for berries.

Terra nods, snapping the book shut. "'Kay!" she chirps, dashing over to the pair.

While the three of them speak, you slip into the workshop. You dip into the library and flare your second sight, closing your eyes and focusing on the chest of drawers. As expected, the last of your translated seals has degraded.

(cont.)

>>36308395

Sorry, I've followed too many quests with interesting premises that just became shit shows once a love interests came into play.

You quickly tug the drawer open. Shards of spent spiritual energy scatter across the room as you pull out a long, thin container. Perched atop it is another folded note. You snatch the scrap of parchment, unfolding it with deliberate care.

Another note from Ayren. Did he expect not to be around when you finally opened these drawers?

"Osyki," the note begins. "The Celestial Binding is among the most potent tools in your arsenal. Pacts made with spirits of their own free will offer you a flexibility of energy that Feral constructions can't hope to match. Just be careful not to sell your soul to some curvy volcano goddess for a quick boost.

"Inside is a tool that should help you with future pacts of this nature. The mnemonic symbols on the bracelet will serve in place of a thick grimoire when it comes to translation and transliteration. Don't lose it, and try not to let other spirits see you using it. I called in a few favors to get this for you, and I'd like to keep it our little secret.

"You've done well. Ayren."

Within the box is a bracelet. Constructed of some strange green-blue metal, the artifact seems to be little more than a few metal plates connected by hair-thin chains. There are symbols engraved in its face, and upon examination --

> 1d100

Rolled 70 (1d100)

>>36308783

Rolled 7 (1d100)

>>36308783
Oh man my favourite part of Totemist Quest is rolling.

Rolled 17 (1d100)

>>36308783

Rolled 91 (1d100)

>>36308783
I was kind of hoping he'd have expected that Boand would be our first Celestial Binding and left a letter for her. Oh well.

>>36308824
>>36308804
>>36308797
Well, 70 ain't bad

>>36308783
At the rate we're getting items we'll have more totems than we know what to do with and that's hilarious.

>>36308783
>"Just be careful not to sell your soul to some curvy volcano goddess for a quick boost."

Ayren Overwake - Gigolo Totemist

Rolled 20 (1d100)

>>36308783

>>36308839
.... What happens if we bind our pet knowledge-spirit to the secret-decoder-bracelet?

>>36308839
>>At the rate we're getting items we'll have more totems than we know what to do with...
Then we'll start thinking of other things to do with them then. We still had the opening for a guardian spirit for the village, m and were probably just scratching the surfaceof what we can do as far as totems and bindings go.

>>36309033
>55 threads in
>scratch the surface
This thought excites me

>>36309083
We only need another one or two year hiatus to make it more exciting!

>>36309083
Diarca mentioned on the ask page that we're at most 30% of the way through the story, probably closer to 20% depending on how quickly we go through some of the plot points. Makes sense, I suppose. For all that he's done, Osyki's still a humble village totemist on the edge of map. We've still got a whole world to explore.

The sheer flood of information threatens to overwhelm you. Your senses are overwrought with a cascade of information, trees and codices of runic inscriptions and meanings. You grit your teeth as the library around you dissolves into strings of light, floating characters representative of their core concept. Your mind races as it desperately attempts to keep pace with the tidal surge of conceptual enlightenment that pulses all around you, desperate to be -learned-.

You tear your eyes away from the bracelet, gasping for air. The library around you is as solid as it ever was, but you feel you've a much more complete understanding of its intricacies now.

>[[Artifact Obtained: Bracelet of Binding Threads. This innocuous loop of unknown metal submerges the bearer into a trance-like state when meditated upon, revealing the Celestial Symbols inherent to the world to him. Warning: May be overwhelming to inexperienced spiritual workers.]]

You tuck the bracelet away in your pocket, careful not to let your eyes linger on it for too long. You'll have to keep that one under lock and key, lest Terra or Quinn stare for too long. You don't want to explain a spiritually induced coma to the elders.

You step outside, eyes scanning for Quinn. They find another figure altogether first. Pierce stands before the threshold, hand raised as if to knock at the now open door. A small dove sits on his shoulder, and there is a miniature scroll clasped in his hand.

"Osyki," he says. "Message for you."

(cont.)

>>36309164
or at least a continent.
A country, surely

You take the pinky-sized roll from him, scanning its contents. The message is brief, and not unexpected.

"Totemist: My superiors have agreed to host you for the duration of negotiations. Please make your way to Eluneia at speed. Charm gifted is deposited in a private room. Rime."

"Thanks, Pierce," you mutter, rolling the message again. He nods, clapping you on the shoulder.

"Not a problem. I need to get back to patrols, but..."

You wave him off. "Go. We'll catch up."

Hmm.

> Inform Quinn training will have to wait.
> Take care of your apprentices first. Travel will wait a few hours.
> Call Pierce back. You need to send a return message.
> Other

>>36309320
> Take care of your apprentices first. Travel will wait a few hours.
I'm sure they don't have an exact timetable on when this bird would arrive. It can wait a little bit while we get things in order.

>>36309320
>>Take care of your apprentices first. Travel will wait a few hours.

>>36309320
>> Take care of your apprentices first. Travel will wait a few hours.
>> Call Pierce back. You need to send a return message.
Tell them we need a few hours to prepare

>>36309320
> Inform Quinn training will have to wait.

>>36309320
> Take care of your apprentices first. Travel will wait a few hours.

>>36309320
>> Take care of your apprentices first. Travel will wait a few hours.
Let them think our travel-time is longer than it really is.

>>36309320
> Take care of your apprentices first. Travel will wait a few hours.

Try to leave them both with exercises/meditations to do while we're gone.

And we may wish to speak to our Elders quickly before we leave, go over what they want Grisoch to get out of this, and get some advice on how to best tell Eluneia about Pointsmar. It ought to make for a valuable trade partner for them if they play nice, but also means that we have a trade partner unaffiliated with them so we aren't as reliant on them as they want.

>>36309450
It's likely to be fairly long regardless. It took a few hours to travel through the spirit realm to reach Pointsmar, and that was right across the mountain, with Saeri clearing our path of anything that could interrupt our travel. Getting all the way to the capital of Eluneia without help could take us all day, maybe longer.

Let's not forget to bury that melon thing in the village somewhere so we can return quickly if needed.

>>36309320
> Take care of your apprentices first. Travel will wait a few hours.
2 reasons.
1: Home is where the heart of our responsibilities lie. The village always comes first.
2: The Eluneians can probably judge how fast the bird flies and how far away we are. So if they assume we leave immediately, they'll know our maximum comfortable travel speed. A non-trivial bit of information. If we delay a few hours, we leave the impression that we are slower than we really are. Totemist or not, any good magician knows the rule: Never show the audience all your tricks. Even if the tricks are real, it's our job to be mysterious.

>>36309594
We haven't made the fast-travel totem yet. I wish we had.

>>36309615
I wonder if they have some magical way of monitoring the bird, though? We know they have magic of their own, so they could be observing us through it. Then again, we've got anti-scrying wards strong enough to defeat the Magus' senses, it should work on them, too.

>>36309697
Yeah, the whole village should be a dead-zone to them.

And i've been suggesting since, the Magus incident happened that we expand their coverage and hide more in the surrounding forest, swamp, and mountains. Blot out half the continent. A blind Magus is a slightly-less-unkillable Magus.

>>36309825
Could work. But I'm worried that blocking too much of his senses could rile him up. From what I understand, the wards don't just make it impossible to scry here, they make the area protected seem like it doesn't matter. So not only can he not see inside the village, he doesn't question why he can't. If we do that to a large area, though, his suspicion might start to overpower the mental influence. Overlooking a village as unimportant is something that anyone could do. Overlooking an entire landscape is more likely to get him suspicious he's being affected.

Your work is here. Your duties are here. The foreign dignitaries will have to wait. You have apprentices that need seeing to.

You round the corner of your workshop with scroll in hand. Boand is entertaining Terra, a plume of water dancing in vaguely bestial shapes between her fingers. Quinn has assumed the meditative position in the training field, his foci perched on his lap. He catches the look on your face and frowns.

"What? Having second thoughts? Listen, I'm ready Osyki."

You shake your head, holding up a hand to stem any further defense. "No. I've received word from the Eluneians. They're ready for me."

Quinn seems to deflate a little at that. "Ah. So..."

"So we finish your training as scheduled. You think I'm going to give you the day off right before I leave for a trip? Don't be daft."

He grins. "Ready when you are." A nervous glance over his shoulder in Boand's direction later, he's closed his eyes and begun focusing.

The river spirit turns, eyeing the pair of you with interest. Terra follows her lead, rocking forward on her heels in anticipation.

How to start?

> Blindside him. He's got to be ready.
> Ease into it. No sense ending this too early.
> Give him some warning, then hit him full force. Ish.

>>36310166
>> Ease into it. No sense ending this too early.

>>36310166
>> Give him some warning, then hit him full force. Ish.
But no -ish.

>>36310166
>> Give him some warning, then hit him full force. Ish.

>>36310166
>> Blindside him. He's got to be ready.
our masted died because he wasn't ready we will be read for any and all

>>36310166
> Ease into it. No sense ending this too early.
Can we ask Boand to watch him, too? As a spirit, she perceives mystical energy differently than we do, it could give her some useful insight. Kind of like how we took the totemist candidates to visit her before we made our choice.

>>36310166
>Ease into it. No sense ending this too early.

>>36310166
>> Give him some warning, then hit him full force. Ish.
Keep him at the edge. I think blindsiding will have to wait for another time, though.

>>36310166
Blindside with low force, ramp up to high.

>>36310166
> Give him some warning, then hit him full force. Ish.

Work up to Ayren tier training.

>>36310166
> Blindside him. He's got to be ready.
We hit him hard once, with about half our force, then back off, let him stew for a while trying to anticipate us until he gets jumpy, then we ease into it with slight pokes.

>>36310166
> Give him some warning, then hit him full force. Ish.
Nothing to it but to do it

>>36310166
> Give him some warning, then hit him full force. Ish.

>>36310166
>Give some warning

[[Going to step out to get some lunch and pick up my copy of Pokemon. Feel free to spend the downtime preparing a loadout for your journey through the mists.]]

befor we go we must visit our little sister and cute healer girl (who's name eludes me)

>>36310749
Okay, here's my thinking: In the mists, we're lacking our usual advantage of mobility. The Skyscythe Drake is busy being our ride, and there isn't enough solid ground to use Cloudwalker Stride effectively. So instead we should focus on defense. Put the Elder Rock Turtle in our armor, so we can generate forcefields. Cordia goes in the mirror to orbit us and block attacks. There's not enough earth to justify having her in our gloves. Mask gets the Basilisk, in hopes that the improved spirit sight will help our senses penetrate the mists. Boand goes in our amulet so we can communicate with her easily. Bow gets the Deep Siren, because that's an awesome ranged weapon. Thane goes in our shirt instead of our cloak, since we can't really hide while riding a giant glowing dragon-spirit, and at least this way we get to be all cool and faceless. Raptor goes in our pants to speed reaction times. Avatar of Hunger goes in the sword to fuck up anything that gets close to us. And Gimmerwing Moth goes in the boots, just because I want to see how its flash-steps interact with riding on something rather than moving on our own power. The Ykree and Plate Worm can remain unbound for now.

>>36310825
Cute healer girl is Elana. Which is going to be annoying for her, now that we're working on a trade route with a similarly-named country.

>>36311048
i swear to all that is mystical if the new residents view Elana as the living form of their goddess i will flip my shit

[[ Quick update before I bounce.]]

You close your eyes and open your spiritual pathways, venting power into the air around you. Your aura absorbs the energy and writhes, twisting and coiling in on itself like a terrible serpent. Quinn tenses as he feels the oppressive weight of your aura bear down around him, and the wind whips through the practice field in tight spirals across the dirt.

"Prepare yourself," you tell him. "I won't go too easy on you."

He doesn't bother to rise to your jibe, focusing on reinforcing the link between himself and his foci. You flex your hands, directing the volatile cloud of invisible presence around you out in a wide circle.

Quinn expects a battering from one side. It's clear by the way he turns his head to and fro, ears perked, face tense.

You hit him from below.

The surge of spiritual energy erupts from beneath him, assailing his senses and shredding the defenses he's painstakingly erected. You see his link to his Foci waver slightly under the sudden blowout, but he grits his teeth and the tentative tie does not shatter. Boand lets out an appreciative hum behind you. You hear her quietly explaining to Terra what's happening behind the Material scenes.

How long will you keep testing Quinn today?

> Until he's exhausted. No point in not pushing him to his limit.
> Until he asks to stop. Not before.
> An hour or so. We're on the clock now.
> Other

>>36311048
That seems like a pretty solid Totem equip list.

We do have to settle our affairs her before we go however, have we even created one of those return home totem yet? That's 100% a necessity before heading out. We need to be able to get back at a moments notice if a fragment pops up or something.

>>36310166

> Ease into it. No sense ending this too early.

>>36311269
>> Until he's exhausted. No point in not pushing him to his limit.
i refuse to leave the village in incapable hands

>>36311269
> Until he asks to stop. Not before.
We brought a pretty girl along specifically so he wouldn't back down easily. We don't have to rive him to exhaustion. he'll do it for us.

>>36311269
>> Until he's exhausted. No point in not pushing him to his limit.
Waiting until he asks to stop would unlikely to work well, what with watching womanfolk and bravado.

>>36311269
>Until he's exhausted. No point in not pushing him to his limit.

>>36311269
>> Until he's exhausted. No point in not pushing him to his limit.

He wants to become as strong as us, let's show him how we got here.

>>36311269
>>36311336

> Until he asks to stop. Not before.

I agree lets, let him figure out his own limits.

>>36311336
>>36311337
Until exhaustion or he asks to stop. Whichever comes first. I still think exhaustion will come first, but I change my vote to include the option.

>>36311337
This was my previous vote.

>>36311269
> Until he asks to stop. Not before.
Or loses consciousness.

>>36311048
Those fucking moth boots are cool as shit.

>>36311269
>Until he's exhausted. No point in not pushing him to his limit.
I'm sure he'd appreciate having Boand take care of him if he's exhausted.

can someone cast the summoning spell of Diarca

>>36312261
Nah not this time, he told us in advance he'd be afk for a while.

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>>36312261
m8

>>36312261
Only works with unexpected dropouts. This is a planned break for him to feed.

>>36312453
what happens if the planned brake becomes an unexpected drop out and at what time do you call it an unexpected drop out

>>36312610
I usually give him the benefit of the doubt until 4 hours pass.

>>36312610
We'll perform the ritual if he isn't back by 9:00.

>>36312691
>>36312679
ok good to know

>>36311269
>> Until he's exhausted. No point in not pushing him to his limit.
He'll never ask to stop.

[[I return later than expected. Post incoming.]]

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>>36314092

>>36314092
FUCK YEAH!

You don't give Quinn a moment's quarter. Your aura probes at weak links in his defense, shattering bulwark after barricade with flickering tendrils of spiritual energy. His face is a mask of concentration. Eventually, he settles to letting your spiritual presence batter him, focusing his will on keeping his connection to the foci strong. The effect is that of a windchime in a hurricane.

You push him until you can see his breathing coming in ragged gasps. He's chewed his lip to bleeding, and his face is pale. His hands shake as he tries valiantly to maintain the flagging threads of light that mark his concentrated connection to his Foci.

The sudden -lack- of spiritual pressure bearing down on him from all directions is sufficient to knock Quinn over, sending him rocking back onto his back. He lets out a small yelp as the raptor bone bops his forehead, and you hear Boa giggle behind you.

"That's enough for today," you tell him. "If we go on any longer you'll sleep for a week."

"I can keep going!" he rasps, struggling to resume an upright position. His voice is thready.

"No, you can't. You can barely sit up straight," you point out to him. "Take it easy. You won't learn anything if I bury you."

He relents with a groan, slumping back onto the ground. He improved today, reacting more fluidly to your assaults than the last time. You nearly managed to test him the full hour that time before he lost spiritual coherence.

"Impressive," Boand remarks. You're not sure whether she's talking to you or Quinn.

"Thank you kindly," you respond. "Just taking a leaf out of a grumpy old book."

Quinn groans pitifully on the ground behind you.

> Time to head out.
> I have to check on something in the village.
> Terra. Did you make a decision?
> Boa, can I talk to you?
> Other

>>36314623
> Terra. Did you make a decision?

>>36314623
>> Terra. Did you make a decision?
Then
> I have to check on something in the village.
Elana

>>36314623
> Other Check on Quinn
> Ask Terra if she has made a choice

>>36314623
>Terra. Did you make a decision?

>>36314623
> Terra. Did you make a decision?
> Time to head out.

>>36314623
> Terra. Did you make a decision?
then
> I have to check on something in the village.
Elan and little sister

>>36314623
>> Time to head out.
>> I have to check on something in the village.
Go see Elena and then the Elders before moving out.

>>36314623
>Other
Check to make sure Quinn's not dying.
> I have to check on something in the village.

> I have to check on something in the village.
Terra and Elan

"Terra." You turn to your apprentice as she dusts the dirt from her skirt. "Did you come to a decision on your familiar spirit?"

She nods profusely. "Boa told me about a little water spirit that sounds cute. It's a little nymph that lives in reflections!"

You turn to Boand, one eyebrow raised.

"Mirror Nymphs," she clarifies. "Little fish-spirits that like to play tricks on travelers by taking the place of their reflections and making funny faces. There are a few that nest in my river. Maybe I could introduce the two of them?"

"I don't see why not," you say. "So long as you keep an eye on her. Terra, when you go to do the proper binding, make sure Quinn is with you."

She nods. Boa looks to you in confusion.

"I have a few things to check on in town."

"What's the rush?" she asks. You show her the note, and her expression sours. "Ah. Go time."

You nod. "I'm on a schedule again, it would seem. Keep an eye on the two of them while I'm away, okay?"

"Of course," she says. "Be careful, and don't forget to keep in touch." She lays a gentle hand on your chest, where her Link Pearl pulses gently beneath your shirt. "Let me know if you need anything."

"I will," you tell her with a nod. "I'll try not to be gone for too long."

You wave farewell to the three, making your way to the main thoroughfare.

> Visit Elana first.
> Visit Aurora first.

>>36315193
> Visit Elana first.

>>36315193
> Visit Elana first.

>>36315193
>> Visit Elana first.

>>36315193
> Visit Aurora first.

>>36315193
>> Visit Aurora first.
why? elana is near the exit of village

>>36315193
> Visit Aurora first.

>>36315193
>Visit Aurora first

>>36315345
We aint walkin nigga

>>36315478
ya but still counter productive

I know this is quest unrelated, but is Soma kill?

>>36315549
why would you say that

>>36315549
Yes. I kill him.

>>36315567
>>36315567
>>36315567
quest eta?
2-3 hours. Need a nap.
about 5 hours ago

>>36315193
>> Visit Elana first.

>>36315609
people over sleep all the time

Maybe visit the elders for late advices before going once we've paid our visit to our LI and sister.

>>36315622
I think it's more reasonable to assume someone killed him.

>>36315622
Yeah, and Soma's sense of time is a bit.. Unreliable.

>>36315639
Screw that.

>>36315729
We're going to travel to the capital of the country that we're in negotiations with. They deserve to know.

Also, something I just thought of: Rime's letter said that the tracking beacon was in the room they had prepared for us. What bets are we placing that it's a trap and we'll arrive in a holding cell? It doesn't actually matter, since our travel ritual isn't that exact and we're likely to land away from the beacon by at least a few hundred feet. Still, I wonder if they'd try it.

>>36315829
They already know we are going, they were there when we negotiated with moonman. Also what possible reason would they have to set a trap for us?

>>36316006
To get rid of the one line of the villages defense that actually has a chance to destroy them?

>>36316006
I was thinking more "going right now", not "going at all". As for why they'd set a trap, because our interactions with their soldiers showed that we are ridiculously powerful. You don't just let someone like that right into your capital city, you make sure he can't threaten you first.

>>36316068
Why?
>>36316074
Thats plain dumb. We have shown ourselves to be reasonable and helpful, why would they want to aggravate us?

The Raising House is on the way, and you may as well stop in to check on Aurora before you depart. With your bindings you make good time down the road, arriving to the sounds of childish laughter and roughhousing.

The children are in the fenced-in yard when you arrive, sitting in a cluster of small groups and playing games or singing simple songs. You spot Aurora perched in the high branches of a tree with her friends Leo and Warren. You give her a wave after you hop the fence, and she exclaims in delight.

"Osyki!" she calls. "I went to find you yesterday, but Quinn said you were in the forest." She clambers down the tree, rushing over to embrace you.

"I'm sorry, little one," you say. You pick her up, placing her on your shoulders. "I was staying with a spirit friend of mine in the brush. I came to say goodbye. I have to take another trip."

"Are you going into the mountains again?" she asks.

You laugh, shaking your head. "No, Rora. I'm going out past the swamp to meet with another village."

"Why?" she asks, already braiding strands of your hair.

> To make some friends.
> To explore for the village.
> To keep us safe.
> I don't know. Not yet.

>>36316145
>> I don't know. Not yet.
thats why it fun

>>36316145
>To make some friends.

>>36316145
> To make some friends.

>>36316145
> To make some friends.
> To explore for the village.
They're not mutually exclusive.

>>36316145
> To make some friends

>>36316145
> To make some friends.

>>36316145
>> To make some friends.

>>36316145
>For adventure!

>>36316145
>To make some friends.

You smile up at her, running a hand through your hair to dislodge her efforts at sibling beautification. "To make some new friends for the village," you explain. "There's a whole settlement out past the swamp that I'm going to visit. If it goes well, we might get some new people coming through town."

Aurora's eyes go wide. "Like Miss Saeri?"

You chuckle. "Not quite, but you're close enough."

Aurora squeals in excitement, kicking her legs on your shoulders.

"Be a good girl for me while I'm gone, alright? No sneaking out, no arguing with the matrons."

"I've been good!" she exclaims, pouting. "I've even been eatin' my veggies, 'cause you told me to."

You lift her off of your shoulders, gently patting her head. "That's my girl. Go play with your friends. I'll be back before you know it."

She nods, giving your leg one more fierce hug before she scampers back toward the tree. You give her a fond wave of farewell, then move on yourself.

The healer's hut is surprisingly busy when you arrive. Two of the woodcutters help a third limping fellow up the steps, a slick trail of blood in the dirt behind them. There's a bleeding wound in the injured man's forehead, and his leg looks to have been ravaged by some sort of beast. You can see Elana through the open door frantically preparing a poultice while the healer guides the men inside.

> She's busy. Best leave her be.
> I'm sure she can spare a moment.
> What can I do to help this man?

>>36316709
>> What can I do to help this man?

>>36316709
>> What can I do to help this man?
we still get our time with her and help out

>>36316709
>> What can I do to help this man?
Tell them to report to Quinn if another attack occurs while we're out

>>36316709
> What can I do to help this man?
Is this something we need to make a totem for?

>>36316709
>> What can I do to help this man

>>36316709
>Ask them what happened.

>>36316709
Is there a totem we can make that projects soothing/calmness or helps to alleviate pain/close wounds?
if she doesn't have that already

>>36316965
there is are totems that does just that

>>36316965
>>36316985
Is there a central totems-we-can-make location?

>>36316985
I believe we considered making one of those for her, but instead chose to make an anti-septic charm. We could make the totem of calmness without too much difficulty, probably.

>>36317051
i dont know

>>36317051
There's a page for it on the wiki, but I haven't gotten around to filling it out yet. I've been going kind of slow due to a lack of perceived interest. I'm the only one adding to it, so it doesn't seem worth working on it.

You follow the trio inside. The Healer's surprise at your presence is written plainly across her face, but like a professional she simply ushers you inside. The woodcutters lay their fellow down on one of the beds, explaining in rapid overlapping speech.

"-came outta nowhere-"

"..Should'a seen the SIZE of this thing-"

"-Teeth the length o' me arm!"

"And horns!"

"And scales!"

"Claws!"

"Gentlemen!" The healer sweeps both of them to one side with a practiced motion of her arm, clearing a path for Elana to begin applying the poultice to the bleeding puncture wounds in the man's arm. "Please. If you've worries about the dangers of the forest, the man to speak to is standing behind you."

They turn as one, glancing round the room until theirs eyes lock on you. The stockier of the pair, a burly man around your height named Jalt steps forward and grabs you by the arm.

"Totemist, you gotta come!" he exclaims. "There's a beastie out in the woods 'round our logging grounds that we are -not- equipped to deal with."

"Big snake. -Big-." The man emphasizes. "Wit' horns like you'd see on a bull elk."

> I'm afraid I can't right now. I'll send my partner out right away.
> Show me.
> A moment. Elana?
> Other

>>36317099
[[I was wondering why progress had slowed. I'll try to contribute what I can to it when I get a free moment.]]

>>36317099
Looks like the permissions are jacked up. Can't Add new pages or edit existing ones without creating an account, which requires "requesting access"

>>36317144
>> Show me.
Go murder the thing, then talk with the waifu

>>36317172
That's odd. let me see what that's about.

>>36317144
> Show me.
Didn't our corrupted water spirit friend have horns?

>>36317144
> Show me.

Let's try and get this done quickly. This should give Elena a chance to patch the guy up, so by the time we're done we should be able to give her a proper farewell.

>>36317144
>> Show me.

>>36317144
>Bring the Cotemist with us

>>36317144
>> Show me.
Send for Quinn, let him do the hunt

>>36317144
>Show me
once we kill it lets get goin

>>36317144
>> Show me.
our Cotemist is exhuasted, but maybe send Amal to ping Tera to watch us in action?

>>36317238
please no, I do not want her to be NEAR combat situations.

>>36317172
Okay, I added who I think is you, and changed the access settings. Could someone else try to edit to verify that it works?

>>36317285
Same guy, still permissions issues.

>>36317378
Okay, changed some more things, try again.

>>36317144
>> I'm afraid I can't right now. I'll send my partner out right away.
> And the village guard/militia whatever.
They oughta be good for something

>>36317416
Request access is back, same otherwise.

>>36317515
That is bizarre. It says no users have requested access. I'm not sure what's going on. Maybe I should switch to a different wiki host.

>>36317144
>Show Me

You were going to hit the road, but the logging grounds aren't far from the village and the wounds in the Woodsman's leg are worrying enough that a slight detour is certainly a necessity.

"Show me," you say to the men. "I'll deal with it."

They look at one another, then at you. You don't have the majority of your Foci bound to keep your reserves at their maximum for training. You'll have to equip on the move.

> Focus on offense.
> Focus on defense.
> Focus on mobility.
> Experiment.

> Head straight to the forest.
> Stop at the Workshop first.
> Call Boand.

>>36318000
> Focus on mobility.

Let's go fast.

>>36318000
>> Focus on mobility.
With one or two heavy hitters

>>36318000
> Focus on mobility.
Faster than a striking snake? Let's find out.

>>36318000
> Focus on offense.

> Head straight to the forest.

> Call Boand.

>>36318000
> Focus on mobility.
> Call Boand.
Ask Quinn to meet us en route

>>36318000
>Focus on defense
>Let boa know whats up

>>36318000
> Focus on mobility.
> Call Boand.

>>36318000
> Focus on mobility.
> Experiment.

What do we currently have equipped anyways? I'm guessing Cloudwalker's Stride and Nocturne's Embrace?

I'd like to try out the Basilisk Cryst in our pants. And get something scary in our bow immediately. Resplendent Gale or Ravening Bolt should both work just fine, as well as others.

> Head straight to the forest.
> Call Boand.

You arrange your bindings for mobility as you move, your progress toward the village gates marked by periodic flashes of blinding light.

>Loadout:
Cloak: Nocturne's Embrace
Gloves: Obsidian Touch
Boots: Cloudwalker's Stride
Pants: Bulwark Aurum
Shirt: Vestus Quietus
Bow: Crystfire
Sword: Moth's First Resort

As you step (silently) into the forest, you are wreathed in a veil of shadow. The woodsmen look around in alarm, and you have to lay a reassuring hand on their shoulders to encourage them to continue guiding you.

As you move, you wrap your hand around the Link Pearl at your chest.

"Boand. Something aggressive at the logging site near the village. Can you get a visual?"

There's a moment's hesitation, then: "Got it." There's a note of pride that echoes in your head. "Bird's got a beady eye on a serpent. Probably crawled up from the swamp. Looks like a cobra of some kind. Very large. Check the north end of the camp."

The loggers stop short a ways down the path. "That'away, Totemist," they say, casting their heads around for you in vain. "We'll be headin' back to check on Stin."

You wave them away, Vestus Quietus limiting your verbal capacities.

> Approach from the trees.
> Walk in and make yourself known.
> Swap bindings and bombard the logging ground from a distance.
> Other

>>36318626
>Approach from the trees.
If we're being stealthy, might as well.

>>36318626
>> Approach from the trees.

>>36318626
> Approach from the trees.
Even tree-climbing snakes aren't as mobile in the branches as we are.

>>36318626
> Walk in and make yourself known.
Diplomaner up in this bitch!

>>36318626
> Approach from the trees.

Be stealthy, we may as well, lets try to take this out quickly and cleanly.

You clamber into the low branches of a nearby tree. Practiced muscles from a youth of forest exploration carry you high into the boughs, and you traipse carefully from branch to branch. Vestus Quietus frees you from the need to concern yourself with your volume. Instead, you keep one eye on your footing and the other on the shadows, darting from one patch of veiling darkness to the next.

You circle round the logging enclosure. Tree stumps lie bare to the night sky in a small clearing. A woodshed (filled with axes and saws) sits as the only other evidence of human occupation in the clearing. There is a visible splatter of crimson across the hut's side paneling. Fresh. Still gleaming with wet.

A rustle of scales draws your attention. You crouch low to the thick branches at your feet, eyes scanning the underbrush.

It doesn't take you long to spot it. The silver-white horns give it away first. A cobra, nearly the size of a bear around with a rack of curved horns sits in the brush. It's fat with the lump of a recently devoured meal. Too big to be a human, your instincts tell you. A number of the trees around it bear marks of pitted black, spots of twisted rot.

You can't see how far back the coils go.

"An Emperor Cobra," Boand echoes in your mind. "Spiky, ornery, and liable to crush a man in those coils. I hear it spits, too."

Wonderful.

> Open with a salvo.
> Dive on it.
> Try to shoo it off. No need to murder the thing.
> Other

>>36319093
> Try to shoo it off. No need to murder the thing.

>>36319093
> Open with a salvo.

The petrification from Crystfire ought to at the very least make the rest of the fight easier.

>>36319093
> Try to shoo it off. No need to murder the thing.
Let's frighten it off by firing Crysfire near it. The ground suddenly erupting in spikes of black crystal should serve to scare it off. And perhaps it will recognize the Basilisk's venom, one King of Serpents to another.

>>36319093
>> Open with a salvo.

Beasties who've attacked humans need to be put down. Once they've got the taste, tain't nothing can prevent it from coming for another bite of homo sapien again.

>>36319093
> Open with a salvo

>>36319093
>Open with a salvo.
It's gotten a taste for manflesh now.

Even if binding it is mostly unnecessary.

>>36319093

> Open with a salvo.
try and pin it down it could make a good feral binding.

i was looking at the loadout we are set to be one terrifying assassin

You nock a dark quill to the string of Crystfire, bringing the serpent-skin and chitin weapon to bear. Below you, the Emperor Cobra snoozes with sleepless eyes, tongue flickering in and out of its mouth at even intervals. The thing's scaly hide heaves outward with each inhalation, displacing grasses and herbs with razor-lined scales.

It's a fearsome predator. Horns, fangs, venom, and enough strength to choke the life from a bull in those sinuous coils combine to make something very near an apex predator for your current environment.

A shame for the serpent, then, that 'very near' does not come close to touching your lethality at this moment.

The basilisk quill penetrates the snake's scaly hide with a whisper-quiet impact. The slight sting awakens the beast, and nearly twenty feet of emerald green coils unravel as the thing springs to life, fangs bared, bile and venom brewing at the back of its throat. A string of blue-black lolls from its fangs. Where it touches the grass, the spit liquefies the earth.

A curious thing, to see a monstrosity liquefying from the inside out even as it dissolves the land around it.

The basilisk's venom bubbles in pools of black tar from beneath the Cobra's scales. You don't see the full effects of your fire until one of the beast's golden eyes erupts in a gout of gore, painting the side of the hut once more. The Cobra slumps, writhing in agony, sinking its fangs into stumps, trees, anything within reach.

> Put it out of its misery.
> Leave it to rot.

>>36319659
We've already got a Ykree and a Basilisk. We're good for snakes. And you can arguably count the Skyscythe Drake, too, it's fairly serpentine. Not to mention the vermiform Plate Worm and Deep Siren. No more elongated creatures, I'm sick of them.

>>36319701
> Put it out of its misery.

>>36319701
>> Put it out of its misery.
overkill?

>>36319701
> Put it out of its misery.

>>36319701
>> Put it out of its misery.

Jesus fucking christ. Behemoth bindings, even baby ones, are fucking scary.

>>36319701
> Put it out of its misery.

>>36319701
>> Put it out of its misery.
this is not cruelty but mercy

>>36319717
This is just sad, though. And far too poetic to ignore the chance to take a ridiculously long spine for-you've seen what Quinn can do with one, imagine one from this thing!

>>36319701
Put it out of it's misery, possibly by binding

>>36319701
>> Put it out of its misery.

It's too bad Quinn was drained. This might've made a decent binding for him.

>>36319701
> Put it out of its misery.
We've damaged the forest enough. Best minimize the dange the cobra does.

>>36319701
> Put it out of its misery.
No need to be cruel. End it cleanly, but take care not to get exposed to its poison or ours. A Cloudwalker kick, maybe?

Also
>something very near an apex predator
We need to have a word with Sylviannis. All the life energy she pumps out is allowing predation on a seriously worrying scale. This many large predators should not live this close together, the land shouldn't be able to support it on its own. She's hypercharged the environment, made this place far more dangerous than it needs to be.

>>36319787
Nah, let's not meddle in how she runs her domain.

>>36319776
>possibly by binding
>What the hell Totemist! I was just trying to take some sun in the wood.
>Why did you attack the men of my village?
>I'm a feral spirit I cannot speak the tongue of men in the material world.
>oh...

>>36319812
>>36319787
She knows what she's doing. She's been doing it for a long time, after all. And if anything, she could consider it an investment. She knows we're going to hunt and slay anything too dangerous, and likely make ourselves more powerful in the process. In a round-about way, this could be her means of manufacturing better weapons for a proven champion she knows she'll rely on in the future.

>>36319852
I like that idea. Spirits intentionally making their lands dangerous so as to ensure that totemists never run out of worthy foes to bind. Not sure if that's what she's doing, but it's a nice sentiment.

>>36319833
Hey, we did the same thing to the ykree, man. Just saying, it wasn't bugging us, and we took the opportunity. Besides, it threatened our villagers actively. I can think of a few uses with random gear for some stuff, here. Especially if we don't wish to reducing something to fine goo.

>>36319899
I think it's too late for this thing not to be reduced to goo. The question is whether it dies before then or not.

>>36319852
Boa thinks it's from the swamp here >>36318626
though, and judging from the swamp's general level of lethality, this may just be par for the course.

im stating this for the future make sure that kingdom we are going to be dealing with wont send their criminals to the village and they must fully conform to the villages way

>>36319916
Bracelet. If popular opinion is not to bind, I will drop the argument. It seems to be that way, so I shall drop my opinion.

[[ I'm seeing some dissension, so let's put this to a vote.

>1 Attempt to Bind the Emperor Cobra
>2 Finish it cleanly ]]

>>36319787
I wouldn't hold Sylvia responsible for this one. Or even for making things more dangerous than they should be.

First, this Cobra came from the Swamp. And every single biome we've been to has some sort of nasty beasties, there's Cave Devourers and Skyscythe Drakes at the mountains, there was the Deep Siren when we visited Pointsmar, the swamp has plenty of big nasties, and we've read about all sorts of big murdery creatures in Overwake's books.

This isn't Sylvia upsetting the natural order, at least not so far as I can tell, this is just a world with a lot of big fucking creatures.

>>36319956
>>2 Finish it cleanly ]]

>>36319956
>1 Attempt to Bind the Emperor Cobra

Maybe we can dump the ykree now.

>>36319956
1

>>36319959
>2 Finish it cleanly

>>36319959
It was mostly a joke, honestly. It just seems odd that there are so many dangerous creatures in such close proximity. In the real world it would be impossible. I guess magic lets it happen in this one. And hey, it makes for a more fun game, so I shouldn't complain.

>>36319956
>1
One will serve as anti poison while the other will poison the shit out off whatever we're fighting

>>36319956
>1 Attempt to Bind the Emperor Cobra

>>36319956
>1 Attempt to Bind the Emperor Cobra

Its worth a shot, and I suppose sneaking up on a snake and poisoning it is a thematic way to kill it.

>>36319956
>2 Finish it cleanly

>>36319956
>1 Attempt to Bind the Emperor Cobra

We should feed it our ykree instead of just dumping it like this guy suggested >>36319988

>>36319956
2

>>36319988
>>36319994
>>36320002
>>36320010
>>36320022
> Wrap it up to go.

>>36320040
>>36319999
>>36319966
Put er' down.

Writing.

>>36319956
Finish it

You pull your ritual knife from your belt, descending from the treetops in a shower of leaves. The Cobra thrashes to and fro, its fangs spurting acidic venom in every direction. You can see tendrils of stone creeping through the soft tissue of its mouth. The ruined cord of one eye has already hardened to a stalactite-like spire. The plague of gray rock is slowly but surely sweeping through the beast's body-- you can hear the grinding of stone on stone as ribs and vertebrae take on a lithic texture.

Still, the beast is dangerous to approach.

You prime the bracelet at your wrists with a spark of spiritual power. A ring of binding runes flares to life round your wrist, ready to paint themselves across the cobra's scaly hide.

You duck low as a whipping tail sends a half-cut tree rocketing toward you. The trunk splinters against the upright oaks behind you, shattering into a cloud of splinters.

Very dangerous to approach.

> 2d100 for safety binding.

>>36320149
Oh dear, a bit too risky.

Rolled 52, 26 = 78 (2d100)

>>36320149
Stupid snakes, I'm sick of them. There better be some nice, non-serpentine beasts in Eluneia, Diarca.

Rolled 28, 59 = 87 (2d100)

>>36320149

>>36319956
>1 Attempt to Bind the Emperor Cobra

Rolled 48, 56 = 104 (2d100)

>>36320149

Rolled 88, 30 = 118 (2d100)

>>36320149
Use the bracelet for the runes and the spear to kill it from a distance.

And now we get bitten by a snake. Why did we have to try to bind this?

>>36320264
Greed?

i want to point something i know its a thing but ever time we go to see Elana some form of bullshit happens i say damn the consequences and we kiss her because fuck it

So when we get back the first thing we should do is make one of those Totems of Quick Recall to place in the village. It'll help considerably with travel time and safety.

>>36320293
Fuck off, retard.

>>36320387
what a hurt full thing to say

>>36320374
supported why don't we just do this before leaving they shouldn't expect us to get there in just a day after all. With our totems we should still be far faster than they expect.

>>36320412
Nah, we can do that when we get back, we should walk the way back this time to see where the road is going to go and place swamp lady's territory thing somewhere.

You plant Modi in the dirt (no need for him to get zealous when there's scalekin involved) then dart forward. Your ritual blade gleams in one hand, while a ring of rotating runes adorns the other. The serpent snaps at you with a terrible stony -crack- as you approach, its lithified muscles doing little to slow it down. You pinwheel back, barely avoiding the stone-bone snap of feral jaws inches from your torso. The Cobra surges forward as you throw yourself to one side. Its movements are slowing, but at too long a pace for your comfort. You dip behind a tree to avoid a stone coated in acidic tar, then loop 'round the far side. Bulwark Aurum sends you gliding--

Directly into a stone-plated tail.

You taste blood as you tumble through the underbrush. Something in your jaw feels off. There will be a lovely bruise across your ribs in the morning, if not sooner.

You clamber to your feet to see the Cobra limping strangely through the brush. The stone virus has spread from the quill still protruding from its side, making its undulating advance sloppy and roundabout. Even as the light of life fades from its eyes, this is a fierce beast. It fixes you with a single-eyed golden gaze, rears back with another sickening crunch, and lunges.

Too slow.

You step easily to the side, clapping your free hand down upon the beast's horn-ringed crown. The runes of binding flare to life across its flesh, and Moth's First Resort lances through what little flesh remains to take the last dregs of fight out of it.

"In the name of the Totemist's Pact..."

> Horn
> Fang
> Eye
> Scale

>>36320404
Fuck off, retard

>>36320461
>> Horn
could be good for our armor

>>36320461
> Fang
Let's see if there isn't any synergy betwen the basilisk and cobra totems.

>>36320461
>spine
Worked for Quinn.

>>36320412
We aren't doing it before leaving because the Charm of Quick Recall is an absurdly complex piece of totemwork. We still need to spend some time to work out exactly what we need for it.

>>36320461
> Horn

I think we might get something cool from a horn, its the most unique thing it has.

>>36320461
>Tail
The tip of the stone plated tail.

>>36320467
i love it when you hate me give me a kiss

>>36320461
> Horn
I guess Osyki's gotten good enough for that role to be enough against a foe of this caliber. Cool. Let's take the horn. See if we can get a whole "regal might" thing, coming from its display feature. Are the horns on its head or growing out of its hood?

>>36320461
> Eye

>>36320461
tail

>>36320496
The tail isn't stone-plated, it's stone. Crysfire petrifies its target. I'm not sure the tail counts as part of its body anymore for the sake of binding, it's sort of dead flesh at this point. You can't cut something off a beast and then bind it with that as the focus, it has to be one process. So this might be something similar.

>>36320575
I only typed stone plated because that is how Diarca described it.

>>36320461
> Horn

>>36320461
horn

The color rushes back to the world as you cradle the bone horn in your hands. There is a strong spirit still writhing within it, cords of whipping spiritual energy slowly quelling as the appendage loses its connection with the grand beast's body.

Rapidly, the remaining trunk-like body of the serpent succumbs to the Basilisk's stone virus. The venom has rendered the Cobra a perfectly carved statue, not a flaw in its construction.

It's a little eerie, up close.

> Head for the village and
> Report to the Healer
> Get some rest
> See about double-binding this with the Ykree

> Take a moment to recover.

> Other

>>36320785
>> Head for the village and
>> Report to the Healer

>>36320785
> Head for the village and
> Report to the Healer
We wanted to have a conversation with Elana before we left, let's get on that. Also show the loggers the horn if they're still there, reassure them that the beast has been dealt with. They even have a cool statue to decorate the camp now.

>>36320785
> Take a moment to recover.
And then
>Head to Eluneia.

>>36320785
> Take a moment to recover.
And grab another recognizable piece of the beast, preferably something long and straight. When we get to the healer hut, we'll offer to make it into a splint (no magic or binding, just a normal splint) to help the injured logger get back on his feet. The beast caused the problem, it can damned well contribute to the solution. And it sends a strong message to the village.

>>36320785
>> Head for the village and
> See about double-binding this with the Ykree on the way
on arrival
> Report to the Healer, then get going. those summons arrived a while ago now.

>>36320851
Oh, I like that. Not sure how useful a stone splint will be, though.

>>36320851
I like the sentiment, but a stone splint will have limited use.

>>36320785
> Head for the village and
> Report to the Healer

Let's go see Elena and get patched up. And hope the miners don't run into something nasty today.

>>36320851
What? That's a terrible idea, I'm sure they have they have their own stock of splints, we don't even know if he needs one. No point wasting people's time, including our own.

>>36320785
Supporting >>36320843

Let's not keep anyone waiting.
We told them we would arrive early so they should be expecting us early.

You suck in a deep breath through your nose, placing a hand on a nearby tree to steady yourself. There is a sharp pain in your neck, and spots dance in your vision as the line across your ribs flares. That snake must have hit you harder than expected. A few hundred pounds of muscle and rock were not soothing on the bones.

You amble your way back toward the village, skating as much as your reserves can comfortably allow on Bulwark Aurum's wings. By the time you reach the gates it is solidly mid-day, the sun waxing bright overhead behind a few drifting clouds.

You push the door of the Healer's Hut open to find Stin awake, being gently tended to by Elana. They both smile as you glide over the threshold.

"Beast's taken care of," you tell them, holding up the horn. "Gave me a crack across the ribs, but it shouldn't trouble you. Mind the rock and rubble when you get out there, aye?"

Stin nods. Elana rises from his side, wiping her hands on her apron. She tentatively places a hand on your arm.

"Are you hurt?" she asks gently.

> Just a few bruises.
> I think so. Can you take a look?
> No. I need to get going, and quickly.

>>36321137
>> I think so. Can you take a look?

>>36321137
>> No. I need to get going, and quickly.

>>36321137
> I think so. Can you take a look?

>>36321137
>> I think so. Can you take a look?
Slick

>>36321137
>> Just a few bruises.

>>36321137
>> No. I need to get going, and quickly.
We've delayed long enough.

>>36321137
> I think so, can you take a look?

>>36321137
>> No. I need to get going, and quickly.

>>36321137
>> I think so. Can you take a look?

>>36321167
>>36321215
We got more than enough time.

>>36321137
No. I need to get going, and quickly.

>>36321444
The longer we wait the more potential something wrong could happen, especially in a case where its a big power vs small power. Its in our best interest to strike them hard and fast in terms of the contract so they have less info on us and possibly willingly to concede more.

>>36321137
>Just a few bruises.
Say it shouldn't stop us from traveling.

You manage to keep a sly grin suppressed. You can almost feel Boand's voice in the back of your head as you wince from very real pain, nodding.

"I think so. That snake managed to hit me hard enough to take my off of my feet and through a sticker bush. Do you think you could take a look?"

Elana nods. "'Course I could," she says. Her grip on your upper arm firms, and she gently guides you to sit on one of the beds. She folds her arms in front of her, staring at you expectantly. You return her gaze, feeling a little lost.

"Well?" she says, tapping her foot. There's a flush of color to her face, and she won't quite meet your eye. "Off with the armor. Can't check your bones through your magic shirt properly, now can I?"

Your eyebrows raise in tandem, and you quickly dispel the bindings on your shirt. You carefully place the glowing Crystal Scale on the bed beside you, unlace your cloak, and pull your tunic over your head.

(cont.)

>>36321514
True. But we don't have to leave the minute we get the message. There's a certain amount of leeway allowed in this. We'll be fine spending fifteen minutes to get bandaged up.

File: Elana.jpg (238 KB, 1000x1412)

238 KB JPG

Across the room, Stin snorts quietly. A quelling look from Elana sends him white in the face, and he turns over to get his rest without prompting.

The brunette crouches before you, and gentle fingers probe (not painlessly) at your ribs. There's a professionalism in Elana's touch, though she keeps her eyes on your ribs without fail. She prods gently at the bruises already swelling on your chest, prompting a hissing intake of breath from you.

Her hands are warm. Nothing like the Healer's icy grip.

"Definitely some deep bruising. You might have cracked a rib or two," she says, tapping gently on the area that pains you most. She glances up at you, a faint pink tinge to her cheeks. "I'd tell you to avoid strenuous activity, but I think I might get more obedience out of a deaf mule. Stay here. I'll fetch you a draught that should help numb the pain."

She stands, scurrying into the back room. When she emerges she coughs gently.

"Y-you can put your shirt back on, Osyki," she says, extending a small milky-white vial to you.

> Right! Of course.
> Oh? Are you sure?
> Thanks. I should be off.

>>36321543
But we spent time on hunting and traveling and this option may lead to more time usage. Also forgot to add that the black master guy is slowly closing on to our village. By traveling far we might be able to mislead him.

>>36321554
>> Oh? Are you sure?
flex 'em

>>36321554
>Thanks. I should be off.

>>36321554
> Thanks. I should be off.

>>36321554
> Thanks. I should be off.
Be sure to tell her we'll be gone for a few days, apologize for not being around more often lately.

>>36321572
What black master guy? The Magus has been warded off. And the messenger spirit thing, whatever it is, is following us and not the village. Grisoch is fine, we're the ones who have to worry.

>>36321580
>flex 'em
Not a good idea with bruised ribs.

>>36321554
> Right! Of course.
> Thanks. I should be off.
Also mention where we are going and all that.

>>36321619
Yea I was talking about the Magus. The spirit was probably scout and the reason it follows us is that we are not in the protection of the wards most of the time and he knows us personally. By following he is able to create a map with locations we were sighted in and slowly narrow down the location of our village. The wards only protect from him scrying and teleporting there not physically entering the village.

>>36321554
> Oh? Are you sure?

Tease her a bit before we go.

>>36321554
>> Right! Of course.

And give her a goodbye kiss on the cheek, or something like that, before we go.

>>36321661
Well, the way the spirit talked it doesn't seem to be the Magus's servant. I suppose it could have been lying, though. Either way, it doesn't matter. The wards don't just prevent scrying. The Magus has already been here, keeping him from seeing it wouldn't help. They prevent him from realizing this place is somewhere significant. Even if someone told him "it's this place, they're totally keeping her here", he still wouldn't acknowledge it.

>>36321554
>> Thanks. I should be off.

>>36321554
>> Right! Of course.

We should promise to do something with her when we get back. And get her a nice trinket or souvenir from Eluneia.

>>36321554
> Right! Of course.
> Thanks. I should be off.

>>36321696
Nope the wards simply Totem just.
"Confuses long-range spying such as telepathy and scrying by putting up a ward of spectral dummies in the ether, a sort of ethereal proxy that the scryer cannot move past."

>>36321885
Why hasn't the Magus come back yet, then? He knows we're here. He doesn't need to scry on us to remember us. Either it does obscure relevance of a place, or the Magus's mentality is so warped that he can't focus on something as important unless he can scry it. Which is not entirely impossible, I suppose. Who knows how that thing thinks?

You settle for flashing her a roguish grin before pulling your shirt gingerly over your head. When the fabric clears your eyes her cheeks have settled on a lovely shade, a vibrant pink like the color of the sky at an autumn sunset. You frown, shake the poetry from your mind, and accept the vial from her.

"Thanks," you say, uncorking the vial and downing its contents. There's a thick taste, like licking a boulder, but the tingle in your chest reassures you that she knows her trade as well as you know yours. "I should be off. I've been called to attendance at the court of that foreign ambassador that visited, and I'd hate to keep them waiting."

"You're leaving again?" Elana asks, her tone somewhat quieted. "So soon?"

You nod. "Can't be helped, unfortunately. The Elders and I think that this is our best chance to bring some new life into our walls. How long's it been since we had travelers, anyway?"

"Months, I suppose," she responds. "Maybe even a full four seasons. When will you return?"

"Within a few days, I hope," you tell her. "Transit should only take a day or so either way if all goes according to plan."

She glances over her shoulder, standing at the door to the back room.

"Come home soon," is all she says. "And be careful."

> Enough time wasted. You need to move.
> One stop by the workshop. Then you'll go.
> Other

>>36321948
> Enough time wasted. You need to move.
"I will be. Take care, yourself. And if you need to contact me, Boand can relay messages."

>>36321919
I am thinking its because the wards have a bleeding effect on their surroundings and the time and energy it takes for him to create another splinter. He has the location of us or at least can track us if we are a sufficient distance away from the village but he still has to physically pinpoint the location of the village which is isolated in a large region full of spirits.
He may have the issues that you have pointed out but I am guessing his using intermediaries to smooth those problems.

>>36321948
> Enough time wasted. You need to move.

And set our bindings to a more defensive loadout, mobility and stealth aren't really big concerns for us when we're travelling through the mists on a Drake.

>>36321948
> Enough time wasted. You need to move.

>>36321982
Something like the one in >>36311048, perhaps?

>>36321948
>> Enough time wasted. You need to move.

>>36322024
Something like that, I'd personally put Boand in our Mask and keep the Basilisk in our bow. And maybe try out the Crystal Scale in our cloak.

"I will," you say as you head for the door. "If you need to contact me, Boand can pass messages along. Just call for her by the river."

She makes a small noise of affirmation and disappears into the back room.

As you make for the village gates, you conjure Amal into existence. "Fly to the workshop at speed," you instruct the prism. "Request that Quinn and Terra begin assembling the housing of the Totem of Quick Recall while I'm away. If they need my blood -- and I think they might -- there's a few vials squirreled away in the Everfresh drawer."

He pulses once, shimmering down the road.

You pull the Razor Wing from your bag. With an act of will the Skyscythe Drake unspools from the stone totem, flaring to full size around the village gates. It regards you with cold amber eyes.

"Into the Mists once more, Totemist?"

You nod. "Our destination's far afield this time. And we'll be unescorted."

You think you see a glimmer of mirth in the Drake's eye. "Unescorted, he says. You travel from your home to the healer's hut flanked by a dozen spirits, Totemist. Alone is not what I would call you."

You crack a smile at that. He's got a point.

An unseasonal mist rolls in as you quietly intone the words of the ritual, a bleached fog devoid of color and vitality. Your Drake seems to shine all the brighter for the absence of light around him, falling into solid existence around an increasingly ethereal gate.

"The Mists in that direction are largely unknown to me, Totemist," it tells you. "My haft flew the skies of the coast. Are you prepared?"

"As I'll ever be," you tell him. "Let's fly."

> 1d100

Rolled 7 (1d100)

>>36322340
Time for fun.

Rolled 5 (1d100)

>>36322340
welp

Rolled 60 (1d100)

>>36322340
Let's go. To Eluneia!

Rolled 3 (1d100)

>>36322340

Rolled 68 (1d100)

>>36322340
Dice!

>>36322357
Could be better, but it could've been a lot worse.

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>>36322354
>>36322355

>>36322355
>>36322354

Hey, you guys ever heard of Khornette Quest? How about Hellborn Quest? I know a few guys who would love to you around.

>>36322438
I was on a roll in the early threads of Hellborn, then I started to get low rolls *after* the required 3/5, then got almost nothing but 70+

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>Current Loadout:

Armor: Blessing of the Elder Turtle
Mask: Noxious Roar
Bow: Song of the Deep
Shirt: Guise of Night
Pants: Velociraptor Greaves
Sword: Hollow Fang
Boots: Moth's Flicker-Step
Mirror: Gnome Guard

Feathery wings flap on either side of you, lifting you away from the veiled earth and into the confounding blanket above. Your Drake rears its head to and fro, nostrils flaring as it symbolically and literally scents the air for the signal your destination totem gives off. It takes a full minute of hovering, circling, before your Drake's pupils narrow to slits.

"There," it says. "We'll be flying through the plants' domains. I hope you're on good terms with them, or this will be an interesting journey indeed."

"At least one of them," you say. "But keep your eyes peeled. I don't want unexpected trouble."

"Eyes... peeled?" the spirit says, turning to regard you with an expression akin to disgust. "Barbarian."

Before you can explain the turn of phrase it surges forward, barreling into the mists.

[[ That's where we'll call things to a close for the night, folks. You've been a wonderful audience as always. If plans hold true I may have time to run a second session this week on Tuesday, so keep an eye on twitter for updates. As always, Ask page for updates, or hit me up on the IRC. Have a great night!]]

>>36322340
Might be a good idea to have the next post be a cliffhanger unless you're really feeling it.

13 hours is a long time.

>>36322586
>>36322588
Oh good, you had that idea already

Thanks for the thread!

>>36322586
Thanks for running, Diarca. This was a good place to end things, I'm looking forward to where we go next. Have a nice night.