>>36742087
>I don’t mind at all either.

>>36742087
>I don't mine at all either.
Wth, romance choices in an auri quest? I'd never thought we'd see one or live long enough to see one

>Writing

>>36742242

You turn your head around to look at your passenger. “I don’t mind at all either.” Your statement is returned with a smile.

“Well, that settles that. See, all you have to do is ask.” Cecilia brushes her hands against each other and happily returns to jumping on stones in the stream.
“Hmm, anyway keep your eyes open, Ryg should be close by.” Vi says flatly.
Autumn scans the surrounding area. “A huge talking bear, you said?”

“Yes!” Cecilia calls out from ahead.

Autumn responds with a mild note of intrigue.

You compare your first encounter with Ryg to now and begin to think that all of you are beginning to understand this world.

“Whoa!” Autumn hunches down quickly to avoid a low hanging branch that hits you square in the forehead, scratching you badly.

Vi revels at the sight of you getting hit and you feel her convulsing in laughter on your shoulder.
“Did he do something funny again?” You hear a familiar man’s voice call out not too far ahead of you.

A few moments later you are face to face with a rather large and intimidating bear, sitting calmly near the rainbow covered pond from which he had you pick herbs for him.
[1/2]

File: bear.png (1.45 MB, 950x713)

1.45 MB PNG

>>36742979

“Somehow, he never ceases to impress.” Vi giggles as she pushes one of her feet into the side of your face.
“I’m glad to see you all came back in one piece…” Ryg stares at Autumn, who hops down from your back to get closer to Ryg. “And with a new friend, I see.”

Autumn introduces herself excitedly.

“You weren’t lying.” Autumn says in awe as she lightly pets Ryg’s head, who seems to enjoy it greatly.

Vi clears her throat to return him to reality.

“Oh, sorry.” Ryg reluctantly pulls himself away. “So if you’re back, I’m guessing you met with the warden. How did it go?”

Your mind flashes back only to running around the dead forest being manipulated by many forces, the rejuvenation of part of the forest, and the eventual battle that killed so many of Hugoth’s kind.

>It went well. (Lie)

>It could have gone better. (Be vague.)

>Tell the truth.

>Write in.

>>36743011
>Tell the truth.
Honesty is the best policy.

>>36743011
>It went well. (Lie)
Maybe we don't tell him about killing the person in charge of taking care of his home and probably his friend

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>36743033
>>36743097
>Writing the winner

>>36743011
>>Tell the truth.
"Honestly, just about everything went wrong."

>>36743196
I'll be sure to include the text.

>>36743184

You stare back at the bear’s inquisitive eyes and sigh. “Honestly, just about everything went wrong.”

Ryg raises one paw to point at your hip. “I figured. He wouldn’t give up that sword so long as he lived.” He shakes his head sadly. “He wasn’t always so unstable. Perhaps it was the power that got to him.” Ryg absentmindedly scratches at the light red grass underneath him for a long time in silence. “Tell me what happened.”

You retell everything that happened in that dead forest. From Hugoth’s proposition, to Sylvas’ lies which had you kill just to figure out that you were being used, and the unfortunate battle, you went over it all with Ryg only nodding slightly.

After you are done, Ryg takes a few moments to ruminate over what you told him.

Finally he chuckles slightly, which builds into a steady laugh, and then uncontrollable guffawing. “What idiots!” He looks at you again. “Thank you for telling me, Ed. To be honest, I knew he was dead even before you showed up.”

“How?” Vi asks for you.

The bear gets a mischievous look in his eyes.
[1/2]

>>36744113
Is he the new guardian?

>>36744113

Ryg laughs. “Let me show you.” He stands on his hind legs, towering over you, and then slams back into the ground and swipes at the floor. The grass is torn by his dark brown paw, and then is torn four more times by ethereal limbs.

“That’s how.” He says with a note of pride on his two voices.
You stand shaking your head and smiling at the new warden. “I hope you do a better job than the last warden.”
“I will.” Ryg responds in his normal voice. “As such, allow me to help you.” He sits on his haunches and stares off into the distance for a long time, leaving you to wonder what in the world he could be doing.

“I see two gates and….”

He closes his eyes and focuses intensely.

“One is a garden of sand, with towering boulders littered across a perfectly carved landscape, there are many wonderful sights, and many horrible ones. Many lost souls.”

He pauses for a long time, straining. “I can’t see what’s in the other piece at all, my vision is being blocked, by some strange force.” He opens his eyes. “Curious, but there shouldn’t be any reason you can’t travel there. Where do you want to go next, Ed?”

>Ask where he thinks you should go.

>The garden of sand.

>The unknown piece.

>>36744138
You got it right!

>>36744169
>The garden of sand.

>>36744169
>The unknown piece.
>>36744187
I actually guessed right on an Auri quest even if i was only a head a few seconds. Woo!

>>36744169
>>The garden of sand.

...and with that, I got to go to work. Don't die, guys.

>>36744169
>>The unknown piece.
Over the garden wall we go.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>36744169
>1 garden of sand
>2 the unknown piece

>>36744169
>The garden of sand
Something strong enough to block a wardens power probably means death for us.

>>36744206
>>36744240
>>36744263
>>36744283
To the sand garden!
>Writing

>>36744333

“We’ll go to the garden of sand.” You respond firmly.

“Interesting.” Ryg muses as he closes his eyes once again. He raises a paw and slowly turns it until it is pointing towards the northeast. “A day’s travel in that direction, maybe two if you’re slow about it.”

“Thank you very much, warden.” Autumn pets Ryg again, much to his delight.
“I had planned on traveling with you after you had returned from speaking with Hugoth, but I’m afraid that’s no longer an option for me.” Ryg says with eyes closed, not in focus, but in pleasure.

“You’re bound to this piece now, aren’t you?” Vi asks with a small note of sadness in her voice.

“Ahhh, don’t worry about me. There’s plenty to see and do in here.” Ryg gestures to the entirety of the bizarre forest.
You chuckle softly. “There’s no denying that.”
Ryg looks you in the eyes. “Well, I guess this is it for now.” He extends his right paw outward, you can see the scar you gave him from your last meeting.
“For now.” You accept his paw, you gripping his scar, and him gripping yours. Pain doesn’t surge through your arm like you had expected, only a comforting warmth.

“Ooof!” The air is pushed out of your lungs as take a blow to your stomach.

Vi giggles wildly.

You kneel to the ground gasping for air with Cecilia rubbing your back. “You never change.”
Ryg laughs proudly. “We’ll see about that..”
[1/2]

>>36745195

~

After hours of traveling from the meeting with Ryg, your group decides to take a break before heading out again.

You stand, staring off at a strange pair off trees in the distance. You are taking care of your bodily business, politely well out of ear shot and sight of your female companions.

One tree stands sloping out of the ground at an unusual angle, its white leaves trailing from the canopy like long straight hair. The other tree, of a deep indigo, coils itself around the other. From here you’re not sure if the coiled tree is merely supporting the angled one, or strangling the life from it.

Once you finish your business, you wash your hands in the small stream next to you and turn to return back to your group.

Bang!

A chill goes through your whole body as, something you haven’t heard since your first day in this world, echoes through the forest. Your heart beats intensely in your chest as your mouth goes dry.

A woman's voice screams in fear.

Bang!

Again, slightly closer.

It’s him.

>Investigate.

>Return to your group and leave quickly.

>Write in.

>>36745257
>>Investigate.

>>36745257
>Return to your group and leave quickly.

>>36745257
Investigate but keep out of sight, sounds like magic which means you're likely not a match unless you have a lot of backup.

>>36745257
>Investigate while staying out of sight.
>>36745342
Nah dude, it's the guy with the gun from the first thread.

>>36745382
We likely don't know its a gun, given we're a swordsman and not a shootist. So magic until we're told it isn't like Autumn's golem arms.

>>36745295
>>36745342
>>36745382
>Writing.

File: ..jpg (110 KB, 513x700)

110 KB JPG

>>36745489

You don’t succumb to your own fear. Without any more hesitation you charge to the source of sounds. The sounds of your own heart and breathing seem deafening as you get ever closer. Once you hear the sound of a woman’s voice pleading, you slow down and creep forward, keeping out of sight.

“Tell me, fiend. Where is the other you were traveling with?” A deep voice demands.

The scene comes into view as a blood covered woman in strange robes leans over the body of a young man dressed similarly. She stares with tears streaming down her face at the imposing figure armed with the same long metal tube you saw your first day in this world.

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about!” She screams in desperation.
The large man grunts as if in pain. “Don’t. I will find out eventually, it’s just a matter of how painful you want to make their death.”

A small figure shifts a few yards away from you, startling you slightly. You can’t make out many features, but you see that it is a young girl, also watching.

“Ahh, somebody is not far away after all.” The large man says flatly.

“No!” The woman stands as large pointed icicles form around her and shoot with blinding speed to the large man.

They don’t hit their target.

BANG!

The man reappears directly behind her in a flash, leaving only a scene of gore at the end of his long metal tube. The woman’s body collapses to the side, with blood pouring from what remains of her head. Her body spasms involuntarily.

The assailant turns his attention to where the young girl is. “Now, come out.”

A heavy silence ensues, with no movement.

The man sighs. “This unnatural world is crawling with fiends and liars.” He walks slowly toward her.

>Remain silent.

>Jump out of the bush but don’t attack.

>Jump out of the bush and attack.

>Write in.

>>36746254
>Jump out of the bush but don’t attack.
"Yes it is filled with lairs and very strange entities, but you are the only fiend i see here. Only a murderer like yourself is fit for that term magician."

>>36746254
walk out "I agree with that statement"

>>36746254
>Jump out of the bush but don't attack. >>36746322
And this only because In afraid the other one will get someone murdered

>>36746322
>>36746405
>Writing.

>>36746254
>>Jump out of the bush but don’t attack

And
>>36746312
Is fine for dialogue. Don't be a coward.

>>36746458

“I hate to say, but I agree with that statement.” You shrug as you walk stiffly toward the large man, quelling your fear.
“You.” He says, disappointed. He briefly takes another look at the bushes but then turns his attention back to you. “What you say isn’t a lie. Explain yourself.”

Choosing your words carefully you slowly formulate an answer, hoping that the girl is taking this opportunity to run. “My journey thus far has shown me that to be true.” You answer vaguely and laboriously.

He grits his teeth. “What do you know of the magic that was released into the sky nights ago?”
Your mind shoots back to the magic that was released from Hugoth. You continue rambling. “Indeed I may have seen something to do with that. This journey has been a long an eventful one. It has taken me to you, to answer your questi-“

You stop as he points his lethal metal tube only a few inches from your chest.

“Choose very carefully what you say next. If you waste my time any further, you will SEVERELY regret it. Who are you trying to protect and where are they?” His stare bores into you.

>Tell him about the girl.

>Tell him about the treefolk’s magic.

>Tell him about Ryg’s magic.

>Lie

>Remain silent.

>Attack

>Write in

>>36747052
>Tell him about the treefolk’s magic.

>>36747052
>>36747052
>Tell him about the treefolk's magic.
This is a no win scenario if we want to save the girl

>>36747052
There was a guardian of this place who abused it's people and let the land die. I struck the killing blow in a revolt and magic left his corpse going some place else. The leaders of the revolt took back from him what he stole. I got his sword.

>>36747149
>>36747136
>>36747095
>Writing

>>36747276
Hope you caught I was trying to be as vague as humanly possible.

>>36747350
Gotcha!

>>36747388
Cool, figuring he thinks anything that's vaguely magical in nature is a fiend.

>>36747481
isn't he magical? teleportation, lie detection, other stuff?

>>36747559
Hypocrisy is a terrible thing anon.

>>36747276

You take no hesitation and give an answer just barely specific enough to not waste his time. “The magic you saw was from the guardian of this place. A horrible one who abused his people and let the land die. It left his corpse after I killed him. I took his sword, they took his magic.”

Carefully, you intentionally neglect to mention the magic that transferred into Ryg.

“The treefolk then.” He states as your heart skips a beat at his knowledge. “You have my thanks for this, and for splintering that powerful magic.” He lowers his weapon. “Until we meet again.”

Nothing remains in front of you besides the two bloodied corpses.

You take a moment to make sure that he is indeed gone and then start to run back to your party to search for the girl.
[1/2]

>>36748012
Well crap,At least we know he's been here for a minute or ten

File: er2.png (555 KB, 680x970)

555 KB PNG

>>36748012

You don’t make it far before a small figure crawls out into the open, not more than a foot away from where you saw her originally. A young girl of no more than fourteen years of age appears in a light blue robe similar to that worn by the corpses. Her long hair is a dark brown and her eyes are a stunning blue.

A long sigh of relief and exasperation escapes you. “You were supposed to run you know?”

She stares at you with her piercing blue eyes, silent.

“Umm, did you know those people?” Your head nods toward the two corpses. You think that the woman, when still alive, shared quite a number of similarities to this young girl.

The young girl takes a moment to look them over and then turns back to you. She shakes her head.

Maybe she knew them once, but not anymore.

“Can you speak?” You address your new largest concern.

The girl shrugs.

You rub your eyes in slight frustration. “Well, I should take you back to the group, to see what they think.”

You extend your hand for to shake which she does so lightly. “The name is Ed. Come on.” You head out to return to your group, when suddenly a small disc of ice appears in front of you.

Slowly a name begins to carve itself in elegant penmanship.

“Erin”

~

That's it for tonight! Thank you all so much for playing. I'm afraid that I wont be available for questions or comments this time, but please feel free to leave them at the start of next thread if you have any.

Take care and I hope to see you again next time.

https://twitter.com/QM_Auri (Twitter)
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=otherworldly+arboretum (Previous threads)

>>36748136
thanks for running.