File: spookyShoes.jpg (186 KB, 900x900)

186 KB JPG

Barely any sound. Excellent! Soulsteel-on-stone is pretty audible, all things considered. You'd have been screwed if you had tried to sneak through without some kind of gimmick. You make your way forward, slowly, and soon make out the telltale glow of a campfire as you get closer. If you had a heart, it would be thumping about now.You creep forward, glad you have no breath to hold. A rocky outcropping gives you cover, and you lean out ever so slightly to catch a glimpse of your obstacles. One man on watch, four tents. They are nestled into a very convienient niche in the rock face, and the cave is visible right behind them. All you have to do is circle wide and edge your way into the cave, preferrably while he is distracted.

You step over to a good throwing rock and scoop it up. With a bit of a flourish you lob it high over the lookout's head, to hit the ground over on the opposite side from him you'll be sneaking. It hits stone with a 'crack' and his head snaps over to look. You're already in motion, scooting towards the cave at top quiet speed, and when no shout of alarm follows you know he didn't spot you as you slip inside. Your shadowland sense is screaming at you, and you only have a little further to go- when you wrech yourself to a stop before crashing into someone.

(2/3)

Someone taking a piss. Down into a pit in the cave.

A pit your senses tell you is most definitely the shadowland you are seeking.

The man mutters to himself in Riverspeak- "Man this place fuckin' stinks. I can understand tossing the bodies in here, but can't we at least relieve ourselves outside? Feel like I might slip and fall into shit zombie hell every time I gotta go."

Your jaw drops open.

Not only are these murdering thieves tossing their victims down into a dark pit before they are actually dead- they are using the SAME PIT as a toilet.

A toilet you were just about to leap into and then climb back out of to get 'home.'

Various emotions bubble up inside your damned frame, but foremost among them is:

[***]

[] Rage - This desecration will not be tolerated. Kick this asshole in, then go grab his friends to toss them in too.

[] Indignation - You are not happy about leaping into filth. Kick this guy in, and land on top of him to minimize your personal exposure to the filth.

[] Ambivalence - These guys are hilarious. Kick this dude in, and try to get his pals to come down after him to save him.

[] Apathy - Hang back, let this guy leave if he doesn't notice you, and then jump in.

[] Write in - Pick an emotion and a reaction!

(This choice weighs towards your virtues and intimacies/personality)

>>38875354
>[] Indignation - You are not happy about leaping into filth. Kick this guy in, and land on top of him to minimize your personal exposure to the filth.

>>38875354
>[x] Indignation - You are not happy about leaping into filth. Kick this guy in, and land on top of him to minimize your personal exposure to the filth.

>>38853970

>>38875785
Meh, it happens. In any case we started this mess back on Halloween 2014, so we have precedent!

Of . . . uh . . . something! Maybe! Or not!

At least *our* skeleton is coated in soulsteel. Yeah.

Anyways, still waiting for any final votes,

Calling it! Writing . . .

File: spookyPitFull.jpg (387 KB, 900x1500)

387 KB JPG

[x] Indignation - You are not happy about leaping into filth. Kick this guy in, and land on top of him to minimize your personal exposure to the filth.

[***]

Well, this is something, isn't it. You weren't going to focus on the terrible murders that caused this shadowland to form, but you can't quite forgive turning your path home into a latrine.

You walk up behind him as he fixes his pants, and gently rest your foot on his ass. He freezes, any violent reaction he may have had tempered by his awareness of the ledge he is standing at the end of.

"Welcome to shit zombie hell." You lean forward and thrust your weight into him.

"Oh no no NO NO NOT LIKE THIIIIIIS!" he wails, punctuated by a thunk and a crunch. "AAAAAAAAUGH!"

You step forward and peer down, and see that he both got his torso pierced on the splintered bones of one of his victims, and broke a limb of his own from the fall. Nodding, you leap down and land on top of him, trying to ignore the quiet splattering the extra stress of your landing caused.

You immediately feel better, as black power begins to seep into your being. You're in the shadowland, which means all you have to do is climb back out of this pit before sunrise and you will be in the Underworld proper instead of Creation. Before you move to do so, you take note of the precise point the shadowland ends- before the pit's wall, so you won't get dirty as you climb out.

(1/2)

Clambering up the sides, the bandit's whimpering cries echo through two versions of the cave entrance. You hear his companions yelling down to him as you approach the parallel point in space at the top of the pit, but you can't see them, or they you. You haul yourself the rest of the way up over the edge, and pause just long enough to hear the three intact bandits all argue about who, if anyone, was going to save their comrade.

Ah, mortals.

As you walk out of the cave, the dead stars of the Underworld greet your sight, and you feel your full share of Essence begin to soak back into you. As this is a nice sheltered spot, even in the realm of the dead, you decide to rest up until you are completely full on motes of power. You discard your improvised shoes, as they are now quite tainted. It's just you, naked as can be, in the vast and unforgiving parody of the world that is held up by the insane dreams of dead Titans.

In other words, it's Mercuryday.

What is your plan of action once you leave this alcove?

[***]

[] Lure something nasty back to further torment those bandits

[] Mug various sentient ghosts for grave goods and equipment so you're not totally naked and empty handed

[] Just run, until you are in a safer area. Mask or Walker's agents could be anywhere.

[] Just head to the closest point of ghost civilization, agents be damned. You're not obviously an Abyssal at first glance.

[] Something else?

>>38876945
>[] Mug various sentient ghosts for grave goods and equipment so you're not totally naked and empty handed

>>38876945
>[x] Just run, until you are in a safer area. Mask or Walker's agents could be anywhere.

Artist here- I am particularly proud of the most recent illustration, if I do say so myself.

More seriously...
>[x] Mug various sentient ghosts for grave goods and equipment so you're not totally naked and empty handed

Rolled 7 (1d20)

>>38876945
>[] Mug various sentient ghosts for grave goods and equipment so you're not totally naked and empty handed

Pretty sure you can't steal grave goods, they need to be traded or some rot.

>[x] Just head to the closest point of ghost civilization, agents be damned. You're not obviously an Abyssal at first glance.

>writing

File: spookyPlan.jpg (173 KB, 900x900)

173 KB JPG

[x] Mug various sentient ghosts for grave goods and equipment so you're not totally naked and empty handed

[***]

The thing about the Underworld is, it's full of ghosts. More importantly, it's full of sadsack idiot ghosts that go about repeating the same crap they did in life forever after death.

Usually, this is boring stuff like farming rice. Sometimes it's making stuff. Other times, it's trading.

And the Underworld had plenty of crap to trade. Some of it can even be stolen! For a small reduction in value, admittedly.

It doesn't take you long after your meditative rest to find a road, and following it slowly gave you ample warning of an oncoming horse-drawn cart. Scooting off the path, you get out of sight and consider your approach. The cart is escorted by three riders. The riders are masked, and seem relatively well equipped.

That's both good and bad.

(1/2)

Some ghosts are better than others at the whole 'unlife' thing. They shrug off the circumstances of their life and demise, and wander around this big dismal world doing whatever they want- within the limits of the local powers' tolerance. Much like Abyssals, if they cast of their former names and appearances, it serves as a kind of easing of the way for them to act outside their old roles.

Or some ghosts just had a fetish for wearing masks because they were boring as hell when they lived. Who knows?

The riders are armed; you see a bow, an axe, and a daiklave on each of their backs. That last one was not a mere mundane blade; it was a full blown artifact. The cart's driver didn't seem to have any weapon himself.

You're definitely going to make a play for their stuff, and that means defeating three armed ghosts and a potential fourth one. You're not getting this done without your magic.

You run your mind over your Charms, and settle on some that you know you can still pull off. It's go time.

[***]

[] Bear down on them openly, intimidate via presence magic.

[] Bear down on them openly, intimidate via combat magic. (Finish one or two, have the others cower)

[] Pretend to be an animated skeleton walking up the road mindlessly, then attack them swiftly once you're close.

[] Throw a rock.

>>38879794
>[] Bear down on them openly, intimidate via presence magic.

>>38879794
>[x] Pretend to be an animated skeleton walking up the road mindlessly, then attack them swiftly once you're close.

>>38879794
>[] Pretend to be an animated skeleton walking up the road mindlessly, then attack them swiftly once you're close.

>writing

File: spookyCaravan2.jpg (271 KB, 900x900)

271 KB JPG

[x] Pretend to be an animated skeleton walking up the road mindlessly, then attack them swiftly once you're close.

[***]

Right. These guys are used to some very particular facts of everyday unlife. Facts like: only really powerful figures can use Necromancy, skeletons walking of their own accord are always necromancy, and animated bodies are always dumb and incapable of adaptation or finesse.

So, you scramble back onto the road and take up a jerking, robotic gait. You've animated enough skeletons to know the movements by heart.

A minute later and the miniature caravan is bearing down on you. They slow and actually direct the cart off of the road, watching you warily after drawing their weapons. You amble straight down the road, not reacting to them moving out of your way. The archer even fires an arrow in front of you, which you walk over without slowing. As you reach a 45 degree angle to them, the riders all relax visibly, but they keep their eyes on you.

Like magic, once you are past them, you here the clicking and clanking of weapons being reseated on backs. You pivot around and charge at the riders before they realize anything, launching yourself between the archer and axeman's horses.

[***]

[] Disarm the archer, taking the bow so you won't get shot as you fight.

[] Disarm the axeman, taking the axe to fight with.

[] Kill them all with your bare hands.

[] Something else (You are Essence 2, and won't be using Thrown since that was 'throw a rock' last choice. These three choices are Archery, Melee, and Martial Arts. However, you might get creative! Abyssals are GREAT at killing in inventive ways!)

>>38881129
[] Disarm the axeman, taking the axe to fight with.
Throw axe into archer so he convulses and shoots someone else.

>>38881129
>[x] Kill them all with your bare hands.

[x] Disarm the axeman, taking the axe to fight with.
Throw axe into archer so he convulses and shoots someone else.

>writing

File: mostInterestingSpookyFight1.jpg (408 KB, 900x1800)

408 KB JPG

[x] Disarm the axeman, taking the axe to fight with.

[***]

You don't always harm people with your bare hands, but when you do, it's in the process of securing an actual weapon.

Kicking off the flank of the archer's horse, causing it to rear up, you land just behind the axeman-

Oh, my.

Correction: behind the axeWOMAN on her horse. Before she can turn around, you flare power into your hands and dislocate her shoulders.

And her upper arms. And her forearms. And wrists. And hands.

Tossing the useless limbs to either side, you throw her off the horse and throw yourself down onto it, ducking the first incoming arrow. Calling the axe to your hand with Thieving Raiton Claws, you lob it at the archer as the second arrow is nocked- timed perfectly so that it cleaves into his head such that the arrow flies wild-

(1/2)

File: mostInterestingSpookyFight2.jpg (454 KB, 900x1550)

454 KB JPG

-and hits the swordsman in the shoulder just before he decapitates you. He tumbles off of his horse, and you leap from yours to the top of the cart, then hop down to the cart driver and flash him a million talent grin.

"Is that an axe in your chest, or are you just happy to see me?"

His scream is cut short as you place your palm over his heart, and yank the axe you just threw out of his torso, sending translucent plasma giblets flying everywhere. You follow through on the draw, angling it behind your head to intercept the descending daiklave from the swordsman, who seems to be quite persistant. Your head rotates around to get a look at him behind you, and he recoils slightly.

"The 'ell are you?" he spits, before he leaps back and lands on the ground.

Keeping your gaze centered on him, you leap off after him, spinning your body in mid-air to orient itself back to your skull. You spin your axe with a flourish, and debate how to finish this for a second. You can't help but notice that's a nice daiklave he has there. It won't be as useful to you unless he gives it willingly . . .

[***]

[] Reveal yourself as an Abyssal, then try to intimidate him into becoming a minion.

[] Just kill him.

[] Try to recruit him as a minion without revealing what you are.

[] Write-in (Lie? Bribe? Trade? Attack? Magic? Item? Run?)

>>38883006
>[] Reveal yourself as an Abyssal, then try to intimidate him into becoming a minion.

>>38883006
>[x] Reveal yourself as an Abyssal, then try to intimidate him into becoming a minion.

File: ritual.jpg (55 KB, 600x600)

55 KB JPG

This is the end of the story posts for the thread! By all means please vote, and we'll resume next time. DEFINITELY sooner than four and a half months, hahaha! I have threatened Shyft with running without art if our schedules cannot align soon!

I'm glad I actually got enough votes to move forward today with each choice- wasn't expecting much given how long it's been since the first thread, and that this is a Sunday. We shall work harder to secure anon's interest as more threads happen!

In any case, I'll send out a tweet when we have hammered down the next scheduled thread, and one more when that thread begins! Ask any questions here after your vote before I go to bed~

>>38883158
Thanks for running!