>>38566592

“No, you didn’t,” Ranthix says, barring his teeth. “I thought you people knew your history. This is a swarm. There will be more, many, many more, and they will be everywhere, which bodes ill for hapless weaklings such as yourself.”

“So what’s the plan, then?” you ask. “I thought we were staying here for the night.”

“We will stay nearby, somewhere,” says Ranthix. “They will not return here for a day after losing one of their raid-chiefs.”

“What about the beetlemen army?” asks Farren. “Shouldn’t we be fleeing?”

Orias shakes his head. “Not at night,” he warns.

“The beetlemen saturate the countryside before they mount attacks this bold,” Ranthix says. “The darkness does not blind them as it does you - they await your flight with eager maws. Discipline, caution, and vigilance will ward them away better than cowardice. They fear risks, and in fear they are made weak.”

You frown. “Should we just peace out and do this later? I mean, I didn’t realize we’d have to swim through beetles on this trip.”

Ranthix laughs scathingly at the suggestion. “We are the greatest challenge to their number for miles in all directions. They are interested only in preying on the weak – they will not spare a force even half the size of this one to pester us.”

While you and Ranthix talk, you notice Farren’s slpped off back toward town. “Hey, where are you going?” you shout after her.

“If there’s time, I have time to find father,” she says, pressing forward.

You won’t argue with that. “Hey Rax, could you take Zote and check the village for any beetlemen that got left behind?” you ask. “I don’t know if we spooked them all off.” You think it’d be kind of crappy if Farren survived all the fire and beetles just to get ambushed by some random straggler.

>>38566622

“As is your will, Spawnling,” Ranthix growls. “Come, plate-face.” He lashes out and grabs Zote, and shoves him toward the town, following behind. Zote grates out an unpleasant response in his nonsense language.

Meanwhile, the excitement of the night begins to catch up to you, namely the bleeding cut on your face and the cracked rib. Adrenaline doesn’t last forever.

Looking at the burning city yourself, you find yourself curiously attracted to the flames. The way they dance in the sky. Kind of… weird. Houses and stuff just going up. Blood and creaming flash before your eyes, but vanish immediately. The taste of blood, belonging to you, beetles, and others lingers in the air. (+4 Stress: 38/100) (-1 Sanity: 83/100)

Reeber wanders away from you to sniff at the dead beetlemen.

Orias watches the burning town. He seems displeased.

>Yeah, kind of sucks we didn’t get here like an hour earlier.
>What’re you thinking about?
>Excuse me for a sec, I’ve… uh. I’ll be right back. (BEETLE BLOOD)
>>So you’ve never tried beetle blood before, huh?
>Let’s find someplace to set up camp, I guess.
>Go check the beetlemen for any good stuff.
>Head into town. Maybe somebody else needs help.
>Distract yourself by looking for a campsite. This is giving you weird vibes.
>Other (?)

>>38566664
>>What’re you thinking about?
>Excuse me for a sec, I’ve… uh. I’ll be right back. (BEETLE BLOOD)
>>So you’ve never tried beetle blood before, huh?

>>38566664
>Yeah, kind of sucks we didn’t get here like an hour earlier.
>Go check the beetlemen for any good stuff.

>Let’s find someplace to set up camp, I guess.

>>38566664
>What’re you thinking about?
>Let’s find someplace to set up camp, I guess.
>Go check the beetlemen for any good stuff.

>>38566664
>Excuse me for a sec, I’ve… uh. I’ll be right back. (BEETLE BLOOD)
>Go check the beetlemen for any good stuff.

>>38566664
>>Head into town. Maybe somebody else needs help.

>>38566664
>What’re you thinking about?
>Go check the beetlemen for any good stuff.
>Head into town. Maybe somebody else needs help.

>>38566664
>Yeah, kind of sucks we didn’t get here like an hour earlier.
>Distract yourself by looking for a campsite. This is giving you weird vibes.

>>38566664
>Excuse me for a sec, I’ve… uh. I’ll be right back.
>>So you’ve never tried beetle blood before, huh?

>>38566664
>>So you’ve never tried beetle blood before, huh?
>Let’s find someplace to set up camp, I guess.
Let's ask him what he knows about it before we drink liters of the stuff

>>38566664
>>Let’s find someplace to set up camp, I guess.

>>38566664
>Excuse me for a sec, I’ve… uh. I’ll be right back. (BEETLE BLOOD)
>>So you’ve never tried beetle blood before, huh?
>Go check the beetlemen for any good stuff.

>>38566664
>What’re you thinking about?
>Distract yourself by looking for a campsite. This is giving you weird vibes.
Hyesssss hellborn quest

>>38566664
>>Excuse me for a sec, I’ve… uh. I’ll be right back. (BEETLE BLOOD)
>Go check the beetlemen for any good stuff.
>Head into town. Maybe somebody else needs help.

>>38566664
>>Yeah, kind of sucks we didn’t get here like an hour earlier.
>>What’re you thinking about?
>>So you’ve never tried beetle blood before, huh?
>Distract yourself by looking for a campsite. This is giving you weird vibes.

>>38566664
>>Go check the beetlemen for any good stuff.
no beetle blood

>>38568854
>I don't want full hp

>>38568921
>Addiction

>>38568937
Dude we feed on blood it's not an addiction.

>>38568921
She has regen. She can back to full in 4 hours if she so wishes.

That said I'm not agaist indulging.

You tear your mind away from the spectacle and glance over at Orias. “What’re you thinking about?”

He hesitates before speaking. “Twenty beetlemen would never be able to do something like this in Halth,” he says, sounding slightly disturbed. “Mortals are so...” he searches for the appropriate word. “Frail.”

“Pfft. I know, tell me about it,” you say, smirking. “I mean. Beetlemen, no joke, but people are like water balloons filled with blood.”

An intensely thoughtful look comes over Orias’s face. “Balloon?” he asks.

“Uh. You know, like uh. A plastic kind of... bag thing you fill with air?” You’re getting nowhere. You snap, thinking of another way to approach it. “It’s kind of like a paper lantern.”

He considers this. “That’s an apt description,” he says. “These past few weeks in San Fransisco, I’ve felt as if at any moment if I didn’t pay attention, I would accidentally maim somebody.”

“You get used to it,” you tell him. “It’s kind of cool though, it’s like, yeah, I’m like, ultra-dangerous and whatnot.”

“You say ‘like’ a lot,” he observes. “Are you using it as an intensifier?”

You suddenly feel defensive. (+1 Stress: 39/100) “What? You got a problem with it?”

“No, no,” he replies quickly.

You catch another whiff of black licorice on the air, and expertly make use of it to change the topic. “You smell that?” you ask.

He sniffs the air. “The fire or the blood?”

“The blood, duh,” you say. “You’ve never tried beetle before?”

“Not in so many words,” he says shiftily.

“Why not? Is it addictive or something?”

He adjusts his grip on his rifle. “Not necessarily,” he says, “but it is a stimulant and painkiller in small quantities.”

“Like caffeine or something, I get it. What if the quantities aren’t so small?”

“The stimulating effects compound, and you can’t think straight,” he says.

>>38569051
AHAHAH I was right!

“Huh. Sounds kind of like reverse alcohol.” You can’t see any problems with this. “Hmm. If you’d uh. Excuse me for a sec. I’ll be right back. Going to check if the beetlemen have any good stuff on ‘em.” You inch away, and walk over to Daddy Tall Legs’s body. Bloods everywhere soaked into the earth from the gaping hole in the beetle’s carapace, but he’s got some neat crap.

You snatch up his jeweled mace. It’s a bit bigger than you thought, and it’s kind of unwieldy, but you can feel some kind of energy around it. It feels less subtle than the magic on Zelathis, but maybe it’s worth a more thorough look later.

You’re pretty sure this is the only cool thing on the body, but you stoop over to make it look like you’re checking his belts and stuff for anything else good. While you do, you manage to lap up a not unimpressive amount of beetle blood.

Man. It’s like, pow. You’d recommend it. You chuckle to yourself at the zippy flavor, and you find holding still is inferior to flexing your limbs and enjoying the feel of movement. The pains in your body fade in the afterglow. (+4 HP: 28/28)

Orias walks over. “How much have you had?” he asks.

“Not that much,” you say, smiling at him with your blood-stained teeth. “Don’t sweat it. I’m not going to eat the whole canary. You should give it a try though, it’s totally worth it. You deserve it for blowing his guts out in the first place.”

Slowly, he approaches. “One taste, at your invitation,” he says. He crouches across from you, dips two fingers into the blood, and brings them to his lips. He tastes it with almost an academic air. After a moment of consideration, he shivers as if cold, a slight smile creeping across his face. “Not bad,” he says. He rises back to his feet. “More than enough for one night.”

“Ugh. Fine,” you say, wiping your hands (and the mace) off on the grass and standing back up. You look about, making a point of not looking at the burning town. “I guess we should find someplace to set up camp,” you say.

“Indeed,” he says. “Perhaps behind those hills?”

“Maybe,” you allow. “Let’s go have a look.”

Some searching and stuff later, you locate an okay-ly defensible location in the tall hills behind the town. There’s a kind of rocky outcrop that makes a good backing to the campsite, meaning you only have to watch two or three directions. Or four. But not as many as otherwise.

“It’s fair,” says Orias. “We’re unlikely to be stumbled upon at least.”

You look about in the darkness, enjoying the warmth of your stolen fur coat. Better than freezing, anyway.

>Here it is then. Let’s call ‘em up.
>Eh. Not bad, but not good.
>We could be a little closer to town.
>Go meet up with the others.
>Hurry up and wait
>>Do stuff (?)
>>Make conversation (?)
>>Awkward silence
>Other (?)

>>38569108
Totally MDMA.

>>38569153
>>Go meet up with the others.

>>38569153
>>Go meet up with the others.

>>38569153
>Awkward silence
Try not to mock poor Orias too much.

>>38569153
>Here it is then. Let’s call ‘em up.
>Hurry up and wait
>>Make conversation (?)
"So Beetlemen are a problem all over the planes, yeah? Do they just wreck shit and kill people for giggles or do they have some kind of plan?"

>>38569153
>Hurry up and wait
>>Make conversation (?)

Ask about the other races and monsters on this world who we might run into and get to eat, I mean have to fight.

>>38569153
>Other (?)
Get a vial and safe some of the blood for recreational use
I love them stimulants

>>38569108
I like Orias.

>>38569153
>>38569213
adding >>38569338

>>38569153
>Go meet up with the others.

>>38569153
>>Eh. Not bad, but not good.
>>Here it is then. Let’s call ‘em up.
>>Do stuff (?)

Study the Mace.

I'll be back in an hour.

Time to speculate. What's the mace do?

File: 0984352.jpg (107 KB, 800x600)

107 KB JPG

>>38569788
Blunt-force trauma.

>>38569788
With some lubrication i know a lot of things it can do but without it would be quite painful so i suggest you pray it produces lube

>>38569788
It transports people to the shadow realm.

>>38569788
squish things

>>38569788
Minor Lordly Might action? Gems do different things?

>>38569831
You fool! It was enchanted to do slashing damage!

>>38569153
>Ask Orias about the spooky ghost shaman things on the way in, why they felt different etc.

>>38570801
Sure, why not, I'm curious about this too

“This’s it. Pretty good, pretty bad,” you say. “Let me give the others the little ol’ ring aling ding... ding...” You realize too late that sounded dumb, but proceed forward as if nothing is amiss. Orias gives no indication of having noticed. Casually, you get the radio and relay to Frederick’s team that you’ve found a place as good as it’s going to get.

“We’re coming up on the town now,” says Derek. He leaves it at that.

You put the radio away and give the mace an experimental swing. Its momentum catches you off guard and almost causes you to stumble. “Heavy,” you comment.

“It’s a mace,” Orias informs you.

“Okay,” you say, pointing accusingly at Orias, “how can you know the word for mace and not the word for balloon?”

“I had a Cerran tutor when I was a boy,” he answers. “I don’t believe they have that word here.”

That’s reasonable. So reasonable in fact that you go back to swinging your mace around. You don’t know if you really want it, but it’s probably worth something, even more so if you can figure out what it does.

After a minute, you give up and notice Orias has been gazing off at the darkened horizon. Suddenly, the silence becomes unbearably awkward.

“So uh...” you say, breaking the quiet. “Let’s meet up with the others. Might have trouble finding stuff, right?”

“As you say,” Orias agrees, bowing formally.

You both trek back around the hill and down toward the town, you switching the mace from hand to hand. You’re more used to the quick weight of a rapier – the mace just feels slow and cumbersome by comparison.

Ahead, the bright glow of the burning town brightens the sky. “So,” you venture, trying to divert your attention from the flames, “beetlemen are all over the place, right? Do they always just go around wrecking crap and killing people and stuff, or is there some kind of master plan?”

“There are different tribes,” says Orias. “Most keep to their own. In general they don’t breed often, but every once in a while there’s a season where their numbers swarm. Some chieftans use this time to expand their territory.”

“How are they all over the place?” you ask, watching your feet as you step forward into the snow.

He gives it a moment’s thought. “Some can manipulate magic. I suppose every once in a while there’s an enterprising chief who expands his tribe into the neighboring plane,” he replies. “I’m not certain.”

“Hm. Speaking of beetle magic,” you say, “what’s the deal with the whole spooky Scooby Dooby ghost thing? The beetle guy’s spirit buddies were giving me creepy vibes.”

“Their shamans are sorcerers,” says Orias. “It’s a kind of necromancy. They call lingering spirits back into the material plane.”

“So... they’re actually ghosts? I thought they were constructs or something.”

“Shamans have a host of willing beetleman spirits to call back, and since they’re not made completely of material magic, fighting them can be problematic.”

“Weird,” you say. “Is there any other kind of stuff like this that might pop out at us?”

“Plenty, but none as likely,” says Orias. “From here to Pelheft, the only other problem I see is the Order Seraphis.”

“That’s good I guess,” you say.

About half way toward town, you run into the rest of everybody.

Ranthix is with Frederick, and yelling things at him while Zote does the same. Alan Gracie is carefully following the conversation, while his brother Scott kicks at the corpse of one of the beetlemen you slayed.

Rowan waves and walks over. “I feel like I’ve been cheated,” she says, giving a weak smile. “You’re always getting into fights without me.” You can tell by her emotive vibes that she’s not really okay with the whole town being on fire thing. She's putting on an act.

Orias steps aside to afford you and Rowan room.

>I don't know. All this stuff is kind of intense.
>You didn’t miss much. Just a bunch of beetles and stuff.
>Man, their blood is something else. And they’ve got ghosts. And they’re like, ten feet tall.
>Your stuff’s kind of flashy, so it’s not too bad. People might’ve started asking questions.
>If you were here it would’ve just been like, wow, she’s invincible, the end.
>Wasn’t much of a fight with Orias’s super elite huntersmanship.
>I found this mace. It’s all magical and whatnot.
>Hey. If you want to go help in town and stuff, you know, you should probably go.
>Other (?)

>>38572686
>You didn’t miss much. Just a bunch of beetles and stuff.
>Wasn’t much of a fight with Orias’s super elite huntersmanship.
>Your stuff’s kind of flashy, so it’s not too bad. People might’ve started asking questions.
>I found this mace. It’s all magical and whatnot.
>Hey. If you want to go help in town and stuff, you know, you should probably go.

>>38572686
>I don't know. All this stuff is kind of intense.
>Man, their blood is something else. And they’ve got ghosts. And they’re like, ten feet tall.
>If you were here it would’ve just been like, wow, she’s invincible, the end.
>I found this mace. It’s all magical and whatnot.
>Hey. If you want to go help in town and stuff, you know, you should probably go.

>>38572686
>I don't know. All this stuff is kind of intense.
>I found this mace. It’s all magical and whatnot.
>Other
Listen in to what has Ranthix in a tizzy.

>>38572686
>Man, their blood is something else. And they’ve got ghosts. And they’re like, ten feet tall.
>If you were here it would’ve just been like, wow, she’s invincible, the end.
>I found this mace. It’s all magical and whatnot.

>>38572686
>You didn’t miss much. Just a bunch of beetles and stuff.
>I found this mace. It’s all magical and whatnot.
>Other (?)
"The town was on fire before I got here I swear"

>>38572686
>>You didn’t miss much. Just a bunch of beetles and stuff.
>>I found this mace. It’s all magical and whatnot.

>>38572686
>You didn’t miss much. Just a bunch of beetles and stuff.
>Man, their blood is something else. And they’ve got ghosts. And they’re like, ten feet tall.
>Other (Write-in)
"Hey Rowan let's hold hands and kissu kissu" *puckered lips*

>>38573288
>>Other (Write-in)
>"Hey Rowan let's hold hands and kissu kissu" *puckered lips*
+1

>>38572686
Something something if you wanna be a hero these people are all scared as fuck

“The town was on fire before I got here. It wasn’t really that dangerous,” you say. “If you were here, it would have just been like, oh wow, she’s invincible, the end.”

“I don’t know, they look pretty big,” she says, glancing back at the beetle carcass.

“Yeah. It was kind of wacky. Like. Oh wow. Their blood, Ro. It’s just... it’s way good.”

She smiles, but it looks more like a wince. “All right.”

You rub your knuckles between your eyes. “Okay, forget that part,” you say, “but still. They’ve got ghosts and are like, ten feet tall and stuff. If they just piled on me I could’ve been in trouble, but Harvey’s chainmail thing kind of spooked them off.”

“Wow. That thing actually works?” she asks, peering in at the mail.

“I don’t know, but it sure lights up bright,” you say. “Oh yeah. And I found this thing.” You swing up the mace to show it to Rowan.

She closers her eyes momentarily. “It’s enchanted,” she says.

“Any idea what it does?” you ask.

“It’s hard to tell if you’re doing it blind,” she says. “I can take a look at it later though.”

“Sure,” you say. You’re not exactly rushed for time right now.

Rowan looks back at the town for a moment. “It’s really terrible,” she says gloomily. “I know we can’t really do anything, but still.”

You nod, making sure to keep your vision directed away from the scene. “Yeah, it’s kind of intense.”

She looks back at you and steps forward. “Are you all right? You’re kind of... shaking.”

You look at your hands, and find that they are a little wobbly. “I think that’s the beetle blood,” you say. At least, you think it’s mostly the beetle blood.

“You’re sure?” she asks, her expression more serious now.

>Sure.
>Uh.
>Kind of.
>Maybe not.
>I'm fine. Just go be all heroic and stuff already.
>Other (?)

>>38573474
>Maybe not.

>>38573474
>About 70-30?

>>38573474
All this carnage and destruction is making me feel kinda weird

>>38573474
>>Maybe not.

>>38573474
>Sure.
>Kind of.
>Maybe not.

>>38573474
>Yeah
>Probably
>Totally fine
>hehe...
>Attempt to not puke beetle blood everywhere

>>38573538
This. Perhaps with the addition of, "That stuff is pretty intense, and this is a lot to take in, you know."

>>38573474
>Maybe not.

>>38573474
>Uh.
>It's like shotgunning 4 monster energy drinks and smoking a bowl.
>I'm probably fine.

>"Hey, Sierra, do vampires exist?"
>"That's false, vampires don't exist."
Later
>"Hey, you should really try drinking this blood! It's fucking awesome!

You're so silly, Sierra.

>>38573982
Not a vampire.

“70-30,” you say, tilting your hand indecisively. “I’m just... it’s....”

She takes the mace off your hands. “It’s okay,” she says, lightly touching a hand to your elbow. Ro searches the surroundings. “Where’s Reeber?”

“Around,” you say weakly.

She gives up the search and lets out a high whistle.

Your hellhound appears over a snowy slow and bounds over to her. She redirects him to you, and he pushes his head into your hand. “Hey there,” you say, looking down at him. Dog.

Rowan turns to the others. “We’re going ahead to the campsite,” she says.

“DON’T LET THE BEETLEMEN BITE,” Ranthix shouts back. He goes back to telling Derek exactly what they need to do any how they need to do it.

Meanwhile, you and Rowan walk off.

“You saved a ton of people. You did a good thing,” she tells you. “None of the bad stuff has anything to do with you, okay?”

>Yeah, I know. I’m the hero of the hour and stuff. I’ll be all right. Just... you can go.
>Okay.
>Not today, anyway.
>You know. Sometimes there’s... sometimes there’s parts I remember.
>Other (?)

>>38574145
>Not today, anyway.

>>38574145
>>Not today, anyway.

>>38574145
>>Not today, anyway.
>>You know. Sometimes there’s... sometimes there’s parts I remember.

>>38574145
>Not today, anyway.
>You know. Sometimes there’s... sometimes there’s parts I remember.

>>38574145
>Not today, anyway.
>You know. Sometimes there’s... sometimes there’s parts I remember.

>>38574145
>Yeah, okay.
>>Not today, anyway.

>>38574145
>>You know. Sometimes there’s... sometimes there’s parts I remember.

>>38574145
>Not today, anyway.
>You know. Sometimes there’s... sometimes there’s parts I remember.

>>38574145
>Okay.

“Not today, anyway,” you say.

That quiets Rowan for a while. “That’s not who you are,” she says.

You frown. “It kind of is though.”

“Sierra...”

“It’s always going to be there,” you say. “It’s not going to go away.”

“But you can’t even remember any of it,” she argues.

“You know,” you say slowly, “sometimes there’s... sometimes there’s parts that I do remember.”

Ro doesn’t say anything in reply the rest of the way to the campsite, while you feel a disgusting kind of satisfaction in contradicting her. You’re not sure what the Hallows think you are, but they might not really get entirely what it is they’ve let in their family.

Eventually you start chatting about other stuff, like Orias’s shooting stuff and what you’re going to do with all the money, but underneath, you know you’re both still thinking about what you’ve said.

In time, the rest of the crew arrives and camping stuff gets set up. Ranthix assigns watches and everybody eats some of their provisions. You’re not hungry and avoid the whole shindig.

Time passes, and the night grows darker and darker until everything is swarmed in impenetrable darkness. A light snow falls from the sky.

You’re stuck deep in thought when you spot movement headed toward the campsite. You’re fairly certain you can handle anything, and ready yourself. As the intruder approaches, however, you can tell easily it’s not a beetleman.

In fact, it’s the girl you saved, Farren.

Farren approaches, blindly stepping through the dark. You can tell she can barely see anything, but still she manages to slowly pick her way through the forest. Is it just you, or is she coming toward camp?

>Stand still and observe.
>Stalk her, see what she does.
>’Accidentally’ run into her.
>Where exactly are you going?
>Hey Farren.
>Nope, turn around and go back to your village.
>Shine a flashlight on her.
>Other (?)

>>38575016
>Stand still and observe.
>Hey Farren.
>Where exactly are you going?

>>38575016
>Hey Farren.
>Where exactly are you going?
She's cute. Can we keep her?

>>38575016
>Stalk her, see what she does.

>Wait for a sufficiently spooky moment.
>Hey Farren.

>>38575016

>>38575070
This is good.

>>38575016
>>Stalk her, see what she does.
Seems like a convenient place for a survivor. Let's make sure she is who she says.

>>38575016
>Stalk her, see what she does.
>Subtlety try and redirect her.

>>38575016
>>Stalk her, see what she does.
>>Wait for a sufficiently spooky moment.
>>Hey Farren.

Roll dice for stalkery.

Rolled 27 (1d100)

>>38575322
>roll 100
>walk right into her

Rolled 96 (1d100)

>>38575331
>roll 1
>be so stealthy you spontaneously develop verwelkin powers

>>38575331
>>38575343
How could both of you be so wrong!?

>>38575343
Not like that you won't.

Rolled 97 (1d100)

>>38575322

>>38575373
>>38575343
Welp, looks like shadow demon powers cant make up for being shit at dice

Rolled 35 (1d100)

>>38575322

File: 1418667678122.png (311 KB, 440x440)

311 KB PNG

>>38575331
>>38575343
Nice predictions, nerds.

Rolled 35 (1d100)

>>38575504
Yeah getting a 100 or a 1 is incredibly unlikely.

Actually have we ever rolled a 1 in this quest?

Rolled 90 (1d100)

>>38575585
Yeah

This seems like an awfully convenient place for a Farren to show up. You decide the only way to truly descry her motive is to blend into the darkness and stalk the crap out of her. You pull back from the campsite, careful not to allow yourself to be silhouetted against the campfire far at your back.

With care and expert skill, you slip around her flank and follow methodically in her wake.

While Farren moves slowly, once she has some light from the campfire ahead, she picks up her pace by a great deal and hugs the contours of the forest like a second skin. She’s pretty good. If you hadn’t spotted her a million years away, she might have even had a chance of sneaking up on you.

She’s wearing the winter gear you rescued for her, and you notice she’s armed with her crossbow on her back and a short sword at her hip. A feeling of nervous dread and resolution hushes from her as you follow along.

Shadowing her every move, you watch as Farren creeps up to the far outer perimeter of camp. She ducks out of Ranthix’s piercing gaze as the demon goes about picking out dry wood to feed to the fire. Once left alone, she takes a few minutes to note the particulars of everything. She watches the movements of those present, and watches with curious interest as Rowan sets up a small tent.

Her observations continue for a few minutes before she’s done. Then, she pulls back along the forested slope of the hill and creeps backward into the night. When she gets far enough off to be just barely out of sight, she finds a thick tree, tightens her coat, and is about to climb when you choose your moment to strike.

“Hey Farren,” you say.

Her reaction is better than you expected. She jumps and almost falls over before spinning about and drawing her sword, pointing it haphazardly in your direction. Her eyes are wide and searching, but you’re holding completely still about thirty feet off. No chance.

>Say stuff (?)
>Other (?)

>>38575642
What exactly are you doing?

>>38575642
Why are you here.

>Keep shifting about don't let her know what direction you are.

>>38575642
Did Ranthix and everyone else have their glamours on during this>

>>38575642
So, two beetles walk into a club...

>>38575706

Yep.

>>38575642
"Oi girlie it's dark out ya git whatchyu doin there's prowlers out?"

>>38575642
>Other (?)

Start giggling, keep it up for a couple seconds.

>Say stuff (?)

"Relax, I'm not gonna bite.

You decided to follow us. Why?"

>>38575642
Tell her to put the sword away before she trips on a rock and cuts herself.

>>38575742
That's an interesting accent.

>>38575787
>>38575642

I'll support this.

>>38575821
I ended up mixing nignog with chav, Irish shit I saw on tv, and bogans.

>>38575642
You know everything you just did is really suspicious at the best of times, but when you have a crossbow on your back... This doesn't look good.

>>38575585
>incredibly unlikely
2/100 isn't all that unlikely.

>>38575642
What's with the crossbow? No way you were going to hit anything in the dark. Almost looks like you wanted to shoot my friends there.

Out of curiosity, do you guys listen to music while reading this quest? If so, what do you listen to?

>>38575725
Do you have a playlist boss?

>>38575642
>>38575935
Realizing my post reads a bit weird now that I posted it.

>There's no way she could have used the crossbow to defend herself in the dark. It'd be too hard to hit anything. It would be useful for shooting someone by the campfire.
is the general thought process I had.

Or maybe she just kept it with her because her house burned down and she doesn't have anywhere to put it.

>>38575642
And when she questions how we can see her?

I guess we can say we could hear her. Or bullshit her by saying "I didn't know for sure until you opened your mouth and confirmed it." or something.

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89 KB JPG

>>38576055
We'd better get her to any available village if we can. She could accidently kill someone with those arms at this rate.

You let out a low chuckle at her pretty lame attempt to defend herself and/or threaten you. Even if she knows kind of how to use a blade, she’d be no match for you. It’s kind of adorable in a way. (-5 Stress: 34/100)

“Who goes there?” she asks, managing to keep most of the fear out of her voice.

“Relax, I’m not going to bite,” you say, smiling to yourself. You begin circling around just in case she tries something dumb. “I’m just curious why you decided to follow us.”

She seems to recognize your voice. “You’re the... you were following me the whole time?” She sounds defeated at having been out-maneuvered.

“Well, enough of the time,” you say.

“How did you see me?”

“I got good eyes,” you reply. “Now, what exactly are you doing here?”

She hesitates before speaking, unsure of how to answer the question. “The knight – the big one – he said the beetlemen would stay away from you after what you did,” she says. “I... I was going to follow you until it was safe.”

>No can do.
>There’s a few good reasons I can’t let that happen.
>The beetlemen might stay away from us, but there’ll probably be other stuff that’s worse.
>Well that big knight probably won’t be happy with you tagging along.
>Smart, I guess.
>What about the rest of your village?
>Your people should be good if they stick together.
>What’s with all the sneaking? Why not ask?
>You really think I’m going to believe that after you were hiding in the shadows with a crossbow ready to go?
>Other (?)

>>38576246
>Smart, I guess.
>What about the rest of your village?
>What’s with all the sneaking? Why not ask?

>>38576246
>You really think I’m going to believe that after you were hiding in the shadows with a crossbow ready to go?

>>38576246
>there's a few good reasons I can't let that happen
I dunno if she'll take our true forms well when we engage in combat. Plus, our objective is... dangerous for a kid.

>Smart, I guess.
>What’s with all the sneaking? Why not ask?
>The beetlemen might stay away from us, but there’ll probably be other stuff that’s worse.

>>38576246
>Smart, I guess.
>What about the rest of your village?
>Your people should be good if they stick together.
>What’s with all the sneaking? Why not ask?
I don't think she was going to shoot us. There's beetles about. Of course she's armed.
Invite her to the campfire. Tell Ranthix to shove it if he objects.

>>38576383
>Inb4 he shoves her into the fire

>>38576246
>The beetlemen might stay away from us, but there’ll probably be other stuff that’s worse.
Can't we sense emotions? Can we feel whether she's lying?

>>38576246
>Smart, I guess.
>But that big knight probably won’t be happy with you tagging along.
>The beetlemen might stay away from us, but there’ll probably be other stuff that’s worse.

>>38576434
Perhaps my choice of words was poor...

>>38576246
>Smart, I guess.
>What about the rest of your village?

Are.. we going to take her back to the realm of not Giant horrible bugs?

>>38576246
Couldnt find your father?

>>38576544
Her parents are Deaaaaaad.

>>38576553
Why couldn't you have posted the batman picture with that post?
You might have even gotten trips if you had.

>>38576605
It's not the post you need. It's the post you deserve.

I wonder if Sierra feels sympathetic towards the kid. Maybe Farren will get a bug phobia out of this whole deal. Only slightly less silly than a scissors phobia.

>>38576246
>>There’s a few good reasons I can’t let that happen.
>>The beetlemen might stay away from us, but there’ll probably be other stuff that’s worse.
>What’s with all the sneaking? Why not ask?
>You really think I’m going to believe that after you were hiding in the shadows with a crossbow ready to go?

>>38576246
>Smart, I guess.
>What about the rest of your village?
>What's with all the sneaking, why not ask?

“Smart, I guess,” you say. Seems like something you’d do. “But why all the sneaking? Could’ve just asked.”

Farren’s expression softens in relief when she hears you say this. Blindly, but not without care, she sheathes her sword. “If didn’t know if you would agree,” she says. “You seem like important people.”

“Easier to ask forgiveness than permission,” you mutter to yourself. “What about your village though? Couldn’t find your dad?” You realize too late that you already know the answer.

“Finding father wasn’t difficult,” she says, her tone precise.

You feel kind of bad, but you’ve felt bad a lot recently. You only have so many feelings. “If it makes you feel any better, my dad’s dead too.”

She laughs. It’s not a happy sound. “I don’t know why, but it does.”

You snort. “We kind of have our own problems. Worse than beetles might come after us.”

“I honestly, sincerely doubt that,” says Farren. “Me staying won’t help the others’ odds or mine. You can kill a beetleman. I’m willing to trust that.”

You consider her for a moment. She seems pretty competent, even if she’s not magical craziness. Plus it seems kind of harsh to send her away when you can’t really come up with good reasons, except for the usual she might freak out. But after having your house burned down and your dad killed by beetles, is there really anything left to freak out over?

“Eh. You can tag along,” you say. Might even be useful to have local expert opinion. If not, you don’t think she’ll get in the way.

Farren nods. “Thank you,” she says.

“Come on.”

You lead her back to the campsite. On the way, she pesters you with questions.

“Who are you?” she asks.

“What?”

“You’ve a fine set of mail, and your half-cloak... I’ve never seen cloth of its make,” she says, squinting inquisitively at your hood. “The knights with you, they wait on your command, and the dead beetlemen - one was burned to a crisp and the other had its innards scooped out all along the front of the house." She gives you a curious look, cocking her head to the side as she walks. “Who are you?”

>Say stuff (?)
>Other (?)

>>38577086
>Show her, don't let her run or scream. Let her know we help.

>>38577086
"Sierra"

>>38577130
Second.

>>38577086
>Only the coolest sorcerer you'll ever meet

>>38577086
A Raiders fan.

>>38577130
I really don't think that's a good idea. Medieval era type peasant will not react well to scary-as-fuck Sierra.

>>38577130
I'd rather not

>>38577086
>>38577190
Nah nah you say, "A raider from Oakland."

In all seriousness though.

>Sierra

>>38577086
"Well, today I'm Sierra the Beetle Killer, that's what's important right now right? Trust me, this is one of those things where it's safer not to know"

>>38577086
>Say stuff (?)
>Me? Just a traveler.

>>38577199
>>38577200
I'd rather get it our of the way now, rather than later.

>>38577130
Bad idea, we shouldn't show off our demon stuff when like, our friends couldn't handle it

>>38577239
I'd rather not do it while she's right here, able to run off to the village and start screaming about demons. I'd rather not show her at all, but at the very least I'd like to wait until Ro is able to bust out the halo to nullify it somewhat.

Plus the Gracies being all "ANGEL WHAT!?" and Farren being all "DEMONS WHAT!?" at the same time would be funny.

>>38577239
As I recall - and I might recall wrongly - the people of this land revere seraphim and angels in general, right? They might dig out their pitchforks if you reveal your demoniness.

>>38577295
You recall correctly. The humans of this plane are all even more anti-demon than normal.

>>38577224
>Channel your inner Dante

>>38577317

Technically the Seraphis despise anything from outside Cerra, demon or no.

>>38577239
You want to spook this superstitious medieval farm girl that we just met when we spent like a dozen threads agonizing how to tell our best friends?

>>38577086
I'll back this
>>38577212

>>38577086
>Sierra

>>38577086
"I'm a mercenary from far away. I'm just passing through here as part of a job.

As for what I am, that's a bit more complicated. Suffice to say I'm just about the scariest thing in these woods."

Give her a nice pointy teethed smile.

>>38577340
Dat's pretty racist, yo. Or is it planist?

>>38577424
Kek

Wow. You sound really cool when you put it like that.

“I’m an Oakland raider,” you say. Stupid jokes are the best when delivered with worst timing.

Farren gives you a questioning look.

“Just kidding. Seriously though, I’m Sierra.”

“Well met, Sierra,” she says. “I meant more who you are, though. Not what your name is. Names carry no meaning till attached to a person.”

“Well, today I’m Sierra the Beetle Slayer,” you answer, unserious. “That’s the thing that’s important right now. All the other details, that’s where you probably don’t need to know.”

Your foreboding words have the desired effect. “Should I be addressing you as ‘my lady’ or some such though? I don’t want to offend your traveling companions.”

>We don’t really do titles where I'm from.
>Uh. Sierra’s fine.
>My lady it is.
>Not me, but there’s another girl named Rowan. She’s definitely ‘my lady’ material.
>The big knight dude is Ranthix the Terrible. Get that one down and you should be fine.
>Other (?)

>>38577607
>>Uh. Sierra’s fine.
>>Not me, but there’s another girl named Rowan. She’s definitely ‘my lady’ material.
>>The big knight dude is Ranthix the Terrible. Get that one down and you should be fine.

>>38577607
>Not me, but there’s another girl named Rowan. She’s definitely ‘my lady’ material.
>The big knight dude is Ranthix the Terrible. Get that one down and you should be fine.

>>38577607
>Not me, but there’s another girl named Rowan. She’s definitely ‘my lady’ material.
>The big knight dude is Ranthix the Terrible. Get that one down and you should be fine.

>>38577607
>Uh. Sierra’s fine.
>The big knight dude is Ranthix the Terrible. Get that one down and you should be fine.

>>38577607
>My lady it is.
>The big knight dude is Ranthix the Terrible. Get that one down and you should be fine.

>>38577607
>>The big knight dude is Ranthix the Terrible. Get that one down and you should be fine.

I can see it now
"SPAWNLINGS THIS WEAKLING CANNOT COME WITH US"
"P-please sir Ranthix the terrible I beg of you"
"I WILL TOLERATE YOUR PRESENCE WEAKLING"

>>38577607
>Ha! I'm no lady. You're funny.
>Uh. Sierra’s fine.
>>Not me, but there’s another girl named Rowan. She’s definitely ‘my lady’ material.
>>The big knight dude is Ranthix the Terrible. Get that one down and you should be fine.

>>38577607
>>Uh. Sierra’s fine.
>>Not me, but there’s another girl named Rowan. She’s definitely ‘my lady’ material.
>>The big knight dude is Ranthix the Terrible. Get that one down and you should be fine.

>>38577642
That's adorable

>>38577607
>Uh. Sierra’s fine.
>Not me, but there’s another girl named Rowan. She’s definitely ‘my lady’ material.

>>38577086
>your half-cloak
The one we stole from her house?

>>38577607
>Uh. Sierra's fine.
>We don't really do titles where I'm from.

I'm going to bed. Next week seems like it will work out. Saturday or sometime around there. I'll twitter about it.

>>38577709
Ok- thanks for running!!

>>38577696
Think she means our hoodie

>>38577696
I think she means our hoodie that we brought with us.

>>38577696
We're wearing the jacket that Moriah enchanted.

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91 KB PNG

>>38577607
>Daughter of an Empress.
>Not a Lady.
Oh god.

Is Sierra secretly a dude?!!

In all seriousness though. I would follow Lady Sierra to Hell and back.
....
....
HA!

>>38577738
Wait....That's not the gif!

Why the fuck did it save as a png?!!

Allow me to crawl away in shame.

>>38577709
Thanks for the run, man!

>>38577607
>Half of them haven't figured it out yet and the ones that know won't mind as long as you don't go out of your way to be disrespectful.
>Sierra's fine. It's kind of a secret anyway.

Best quest ever!

>>38577709
Thak you for running!

>>38577607
Should we mention that Rowan is our sister along with the "my lady" thing? That could be taken either literally or she'd think we're some kind of battle nuns

So why did we let her join? she is clearly lying. If she wanted to join she wouldn't have watched the camp for a few minutes to watch everyone's patterns and then went off to climb a big tree with a crossbow.

>>38578602
She was planning on following us for a while, of course she'd want to be armed with more than a short sword.

It's pretty doubtful that she was going to try to snipe us, she chose a tree a decent distance away. She was probably planning to sleep up there for a bit of additional safety and trail behind our group when the morning came.

I really don't think she poses a threat to us. And she is well aware that she doesn't stand a chance against any of us.

>>38577709
Good thread, very enjoyable. I chuckled a few times, and I like the somewhat "on the edge of a cliff" feeling I get from Sierra.

People have ruined "edgy" as an apt descriptive word, it makes me sad.

>>38580739
Sierra is proof that a part-human demon princess, that's also a druid, and dance champion, can be still be a great character.

>>38578602
So her plan was... what then?

Ambush and kill eight dangerous warriors using a crossbow and a short sword?

If she was part of a larger force, she would be going to back to report what she observed, not looking to hole up in a tree for the night.

>>38578602
Hello captain paranoia.

tfw a bit late.

>Not me, but there’s another girl named Rowan. She’s definitely ‘my lady’ material.
>The big knight dude is Ranthix the Terrible. Get that one down and you should be fine.

So much these though.

>>38580773
Yeah, dry descriptions generally make things seem worse than they are.