>>42418910
Ooh, a new quest! Definitely going to see where this goes.
As for a name, what about Kyran? It means "little dark one," in Irish.

I'll check again in about 10 minutes. If no one else posts, then we'll go with >>42419050.

>>42419074
I'm seconding that response.

>>42418910
>Kyran

Kyran it is. Writing

For the last ten years you've trained with Sabela, when you were good enough she asked you to help train some of her new students with their lessons. She's even let you run the odd errand from time to time, never anything dangerous though. It hasn't always been easy, infact it almost never was, but you can't say it wasn't worth it. Recently, she's been giving your training a more hands off approach, letting your learn through your own trial and error instead of the rigorous lectures you're used to. At the end of yesterdays lessons, while the rest of her students were cleaning up, she took you aside and gave you some surpising news. "Kyran, I have a special job for you to do tomorrow. Get here early, there are a few things we need to go over before you can head out."

"Of course aunt Sabela. Should I bring anything with me?"

"No, you don't have to worry about a thing. Everything will be ready here for you tomorrow"

>Where does your aunt work?
>The Priests temple, guiding the next generation of exorcists and chaplains.
>The Hunters tower, teaching a pack of future rangers and wardens.
>The Mechanists shop, instructing a gang of would be engineers and fabricators.

If you have any questions about the choices, go ahead and ask. I'll do my best to answer them.

>>42419430
Mechanist shop seems intriguing. I'd like to know more but that is where my vote is going.

>>42419430
>The Mechanists shop, instructing a gang of would be engineers and fabricators

>>42419430
>The Priests temple, guiding the next generation of exorcists and chaplains.
Also what was her apprenticeship about? What has she done for the past 10 years?

>>42419531
Sabela was your teacher. I could have worded that better. Sabela is your fathers sister, she 'adopted' you sometime in her 30s. You were the first apprentice she took on.

>>42419568
A teacher OF WHAT? Art teacher? Math teacher? Medicine teacher?

>>42419584
She's the teacher for any child in the village who has what it takes to be a priest, hunter or mechanist, depending on the choice you make here. I'm sorry that I didn't make that clear.

>>42419430
>The Mechanists shop, instructing a gang of would be engineers and fabricators.

Looks like Mechanist has it. Writing.

>>42419430
>>The Priests temple, guiding the next generation of exorcists and chaplains.

*bump<

Sabela wasn't kidding. The workbench in the training hall, usually cluttered with crude axles and misshapen gears is instead covered with piles of food, rope, tools and other supplies you might need for a long journey. You even see a few different weapons poking out from a cloth bundle behind it all. The display is so suprising that you fail to see Sabela approach you. "I know it might seem like a lot, Kyran, but the job I have for you might take you a while to finish."

"What would I need all that for? I thought your were going to let me make a replacement part for the mill, or maybe help fix the signal tower, not go off who nows where for days."

"I'm afraid you do know where you're going." your aunt responds,"You might've been too young to remember this, but Thicket was a mechanists haven before you it was destroyed. Your mother and the other engineers did marvelous things there. What most people don't know, even I only heard about it recently, is that Thicket is the only place the Old Forest doesn't grow. Apparently, even when the Forest Heart was at its worst, none of its spawn went anywhere near your village. None of the other mechanists here think it's important, but if the Hive ever come back, we'll need every bit of help we can get."

[1/2]

"So you want me to look for whatever's keeping the Forest out."

"Not quite. I want you to survey the village, see what's still intact and what's fallen apart. If you do find it, that would be great, but I'm hoping to convince the guild in Cliffton to send an expedition down. If there is something there keeping the Forest out, removing it without an armed guard might not be the best idea. Which brings us to the next point. " As she's saying this, she moves over to the workbench, opening the cloth bundle. "I'm afraid you can only pick one, otherwise the blacksmith will have my head. I know you've been training behind my back, but I don't know what you've been training with. So I grabbed a sampler back while Braeylin wasn't looking. "

>Choose your weapon:
>Shortsword - Quick and deadly, though puts the user in more dangerous
>Spear - Long reach, doesn't hurt as much, but keeps the enemy at arms length
>Axe - Rip and Tear, as good against flesh as it is against trees
>Hammer - Slow but heavy, can crack just about any armored shell.

As always, feel free to ask any questions you may have.

>>42420377
>Axe - Rip and Tear, as good against flesh as it is against trees

>>42420377

>Spear - Long reach, doesn't hurt as much, but keeps the enemy at arms length

>>42420377
I'd either go spear just because I've come to like them recently or Axe because they are a bit more versatile. Whatever gets more votes.

>>42420377
>Axe - Rip and Tear, as good against flesh as it is against trees

>>42420377
Spear

In about five minutes I'll flip a coin unless someone breaks the tie.

>>42420377
>>Axe - Rip and Tear, as good against flesh as it is against trees

Alright, ax has it. Writing.

>>42420377
>Axe - Rip and Tear, as good against flesh as it is against trees

Is Kyran a male or female name? Because it seems to work either way?

>>42420952
The internet says male, but I'll leave it up to a vote.
>Is Kyran male or female?

>>42420973
Male

>>42420973
Male

>>42420973
Male

>>42420973
Male

That seems pretty clear. Kyran is a guy.

>>42421065
I demand a recount.

>>42421163
Overruled, you are clearly an insane magical practitioner here to wreak havoc and sow chaos.

>>42421182
NYAHAHAHAHAHA!
YOU'VE CAUGHT ME THIS TIME, BUT I'LL BE BACK!

"I didn't think you noticed," you say, as you pick out the axe from the bundle, "Thought I'd been more careful than that."

"Oh sweety, when you leave a pile of worn out training dummies just lying around, don't expect to keep a secret like that for very long." At this, she wraps up her bundle and turns back to the bench. "Now come on and help me pack up the rest of your supplies." It takes you a surprising amount of time to pack away all the various supplies she gathered. By the time you've finished you can hear the tolling of the morning bell, the sound that usually wakes you every day. Worryingly, Sabela has provided you with two backpacks full to the brim.

"Don't worry, I'm much too young to be going senile just yet. And I'm much too busy to go with you. The trip might be dangerous, so I was hoping you might find someone to go with you. I know you don't have many friends here, but you must know someone."

[1/2]

"I might, though it could be hard to convince them. Thank you, auntie." With a parting kiss, you set off to find a traveling companion. A few people do come to mind, people who didn't immediately ostracize you because of your past.
There's Kaia Valasdotter, the healers assistant. She was an apprentice, but she couldn't stand the sight of blood. Genius with making medicine, though. There's also Thales Simonides, the son of the militia captain. He's alright with his spear, but his real passion is botany. Hasn't really left him in the good graces of his father. Finally there's Sieghild, an orphan left as payment by a traveling bard. The bard didn't make it very far out of town. Despite her past, she's taken a liking to the lute the inn has lying around. Probably because of her upbringing, she's fairly mean with a pair of daggers. The question is who do you go to first.

>Kaia
>Thales
>Sieghild
>You don't have to recruit just one, or any of them. The more people you take, the safer it'll be, but the harder it would be to keep your secrets secret, if you had to use them. You'd still have to convince them to come along, of course.

>>42421266
>Sieghild
First maybe? Outcast to outcast, then kala and then thales.

>>42421266
>Kaia
We're going to need someone to heal us if we break a leg.

>>42421266
Just take Sieghild. keeping our secret is important but if she refuses then maybe take kaia and thales together

Looks like you're going after Sieghild at least. Writing.

You decide it's best to go to Sieghild first. You know she goes to the inn to play for tips, though no one's sure where she goes when she isn't at the inn. She isn't there when you make your way inside, but it doesn't take long for her to pop up at the stage near the bar. She plays a few unfamiliar songs before you approach her during one of her breaks. Despite only being here for half an hour, her cup is already almost filled with copper and silver coins. She always had a good read on her audiences mood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4JxEIFzLls

"Hello there, Kyran. Doesn't look like you came to offer me a tip for my fine work. What can I help you with?" she says, with a bit of a crude florish.

"Sabela wants me to go into the Old Forest, check out how Thicket's held up over the years. She left me with an extra pack, and I was hoping you'd come along."

"I don't know Ky, this crowd looks like a good one. Nice and tipsy, even at this early hour. Could get some good coin off these ones." For a second, you catch a dangerous glint in her eyes. The men here probably wont leave with full coin poaches if she stays.

>Well, how do you convince her? You think you have enough coin to convince her, but it would take most of what you have on you. She doesn't look like she's too against the idea though.
>Either way, roll 1d100, linked to this post. Only linked rolls will be counted.

>>42422120
>Should have said, this is a
>Write in

Rolled 31 (1d100)

>>42422120
>Have you considered the fact that ADVENTURE!

Rolled 73 (1d100)

>>42422120
"Because we cool?"

There would obviously be valuables left behind, as I'm sure no one wants to go there to try to loot. And cause we say "please"?

Rolled 92 (1d100)

>>42422120
Come on , might get some inspiration for your music show while on an adventure.

Adventure and loot, Writing.

"You're a bard, Hild. Or at least you want to be. Don't tell me you aren't the least bit interested in adventure, in traveling through the unforgiving Forest, of exploring a ruined village that can keep it at bay, even if no one alive still inhabits it, and searching for a lost secret that could be the key to man-kinds salvation."

"Laying it on a bit thick, aren't we? Last I heard, most of mankind was spread across dozens of Plates, most with stronger Barriers than ours." Sieghild says with a smile in her voice.

"Because that's what bards do, Hild. They tell stories, and exaggerate the Aether out of them. If you're serious about being one, you're going to need some adventures of your own. Plus, no ones been near the place since it was abandoned. There could be silver, gold, or who knows what else left behind."

Without much hesitation, Sieghild says "Alright Kyran, I'll come along. Though I might keep 'looting a dead village' out of any stories I write. I'll stay here until you're ready to leave, if you don't mind. Unless you want to leave now? You're aunt may have confidence that two people can make it to Thicket on their own, but she probably had Thales in mind when she suggested it."

>Do you want to leave now? If not, who do you want to try to recruit next?
>Thales, the soldier, sort of
>Kaia, the healer, sort of

>>42422915
>Leave
our secret magic should be more than enough to take care of whatever a soldier could help with

>>42422915
>Kaia, the healer, sort of

The more the merrier. A full party is better if possible.

>>42422915
>Kaia, the healer, sort of

>>42422915
>Kaia, the healer, sort of.
A healer is always a boon.

>>42423107
until her bitch-ass tells the villagers we do magic and we get lynched or exiled

>>42423107
Not when shes afraid of blood. It would be better to just get some medical supplies.

Looks like Kaia's getting recruited. Writing.

"You can wait here Hild, I still have to grab someone."

"Don't make me wait too long. Or do, I could always use more coin."

It doesn't take you long to find Kaia. She spends most of her days gathering all sorts of ingredients for the healers. Mostly she sticks to the meadows, harvesting herbs, moss and flowers by hand and sickle. You have caught her by the river a few times, chasing after newts and frogs. She was so confident you didn't have the heart to tell her they didn't live there. Lucky for you, you find her mixing medicine. Looks like one of the healers let her work in the hall today. She's so focused on her work she doesn't notice you till you're right behind you. Is that, is that a butterfly wing in her mortar? And wheat?

"Oh, hello Kyran. If you're looking for Rearden, I'm afraid he's already with another patient. All the healers are, actually. One of the farmsteads had a nasty outbreak of vine wart. It's not contagious, thank goodnes, but it can be quite deadly if not treated right away. You see, the wart actually burrows into..."

"Thank you Kaia, but I'm here to see you. I'm going into the Old Forest, and I could use a healer incase me or Sieghild gets injured."

"The Old Forest? I could get all sorts of plants there, maybe even a Shadebloom or two to help treat the vine wart..." During the pause, her eyes dart back and forth between you and her mortar. Finally here eyes settle on you. "There isn't much I could do for or Sieghild if you get seriously hurt, unless..."

"Unless what?"

"I've been working on something new. The healers tell me it won't do any good, but it just feels right to me, I don't know why but it does. If you were willing to use this if anyone gets hurt," she says, as she takes out a pot filled with red gel, " then I'd be willing to come along. But only then."

>Do you agree?

>>42423877

I have faith in you, but what do you think it does?

>>42423877
>>42423931
support

>>42423931
>>42423946
"Oh, right. I think it might help the healing process, maybe speed it up? That's what my instincts say, but I haven't had the chance to test it."

>>42423989

Yeah, we will use it if we get hurt. First goal though is to not get hurt.

>>42423877
Do you drink the whole thing, or apply it to the wound?

>>42423989
Sure

>>42423877
>No
not trying unknow concoctions based on instinct.

>>42423877
I agree

It looks like the yeas have it? Writing

"If it does what you say it does, I'll gladly take you along. Do you drink it or...?"

"It's not really liquid, so dab it on a bandage? I'll be there to help figure it out, if something happens. I'll need a few minutes to get everything together, where should I meet you when I'm ready?"

"Sieghild's still at the Drunken Lumberjack, you can head there when you're ready." Before you're finished talking, she starts pulling out pouches, glass pots and equipment and stuffing them in a bag nearby. After making sure she heard you, you head off toward the inn. The rooms really filled out since you left, its almost standing room only. All anyone in the crowd is paying attention to is Sieghild, strumming her lute on the stage. This is the best you've ever heard her, and yet something seems off about her music. Not bad, just weird, like she's playing notes that aren't really there. The crowd seems to love it though, some practically throwing themselves at the chance to give her a few coppers. You notice an empty chair nearby, and make a beeline there before anyone else takes it.

>[2/2]
"Kyran! I've been waiting for you. Heard you're getting an expedition to Thicket together. Frankly, I'm a bit insulted you didn't come to me first." Looks like Thales grabbed the only other chair at the table. He doesn't look angry, in fact it looks like he's having fun giving you a bit of a ribbing. "When I heard you went to Sieghild first, I must admit I was perplexed. Her music does have its charms, but I didn't see you as someone who would fall for them."

"How'd you hear that?"

"Why do you think this place is packed before midday? You weren't exactly subtle about it, now everyone figures you're both going to die in there. Course, that won't be a problem if you let me tag along. I won't even ask you for anything in return, afterall, going with you will piss off my father something fierce, and to me, that's its own just reward."

>Do you accept his offer? You can't use all your tricks, not without the chance of being caught, with Sieghild and Kaia tagging along, but Thales is a different stroy. He's a trained fighter, taught to observe as much as he can. With him tagging along, you won't get much chance to use your magic if you need to. On the other hand, he is a trained fighter. With him along, you might not need to.

>>42424670

Take him with, how close are we friendship wise and how much does he trust us? If it is a pretty high level then I would say give him a warning about some possible weird stuff happening (Do not actually tell him about us though, if all goes well we will not have to use it)

>>42424670
>No
we have way too many people as is.
Sieghild was already a risk. Cowardly healer girl was pushing it and now having the soldier is bloody impossible.

>>42424670
Wait.
We have magic?
When was this established?

>>42424809

At this point the whole town already knows, our hope for slipping out quietly is already out the window, might as well bring as many people as possible with us. I figured we were taking everyone the moment that we went and talked to the healer as well

>>42424833
They know we're going on an expedition they don't know we have magic or we would have been lynched already .

>>42424829
The end of the first post if you're observant enough.

>>42424670

Take him along. The whole town already knows we're leaving to go somewhere we shouldn't. If these three are really our friends, they won't mind if we have to use out magic in a dire situation.

>>42424883
Ah.
I, clearly, am not.

>>42424925
They are not our friends, they're just people who don't hate us like the rest of the village.

The whole town shouldn't care if we leave , i don't think thats an issue. we're just going on a scouting mission to see if we find anything that'll justify an expedition then returning to our aunt with our findings

>>42424730
If Thales isn't your friend, he's the closest thing you have to one. He started hanging out with you when he had a falling out with his dad over his hobbies, and he kept dropping by even after his dad stopped caring.
>>42424925
>>42424865
Just to be clear, while magic is considered myth, it's not that you have magic that's deadly, it's the type of magic you can use that is.

Anyways, it looks like the yeas have it again. Writing.

>>42425001
This is pretty good, QM. I'm liking the writing so far.

"I'd be glad to have you along, Thales. We just have to wait for Kaia to get here then we can head out."

True to her word, Kaia shows up a few minutes after you arrived, though with more gear then you were expecting. "You never now what we'll need out there. With what I have, I can make a sleeping drought, antidotes for all sorts of poisons, balms for just about anything and salves for the rest. Just need a fire and a few minutes to mush it all together."

With one final flourish, Sieghild grabs up her loot and walks over to your table. "Just so you two know, I've got first dibs on any loot." She starts pouring her earnings into her pouch.

Chuckling, Thales throws on the other pack. "Not if you don't have anywhere to put it, you don't. Besides, I've always worked on a finders keepers system myself."

Checking the last strap on your own pack, you say, "Looks like everyone's ready. Let's head out before we lose anymore daylight."

It's almost noon before you reach the edge of the forest. Stumps and logs dot the ground around you, but so do the ever pervasive saplings. No matter how far the lumberjacks push it back, the Old Forest always reclaims its lost ground. Thales calls everyone to stop, turning to addressing the group. "For those of you who don't know, it'll take the better part of a day to get to Thicket. If we're quick, and if we don't run into anything, we should get there before sundown. If we don't, we'll have to find somewhere to camp. We don't want to camp in the Old Forest. Been out here with the hunters a few times, now my way around a bit. I might not get us there unmolested, but we shouldn't run into any stalker nests or fall into any Hive remnants."

>Roll 1d100. Best of three, only linked posts count.

Rolled 29 (1d100)

>>42425336
Cmon

Rolled 36 (1d100)

>>42425336

Rolled 55 (1d100)

>>42425336

Rolled 49 (1d100)

>>42425336

Welp. Writing.

Rolled 42 (1d100)

>>42425336

You make it most of the way to Thicket before things go wrong. You think you can even see the old bell tower through the leaves, though it's more crooked then you remember. "Shit! Kaia, get down!" Before Thales uttered the last word, Sieghild springs into action, drawing a pair of daggers from, well you're not quite sure where. She's not quite fast enough, as a lone forest stalker rushes out of some thick underbrush, barreling through the air where Kaia used to be.
With a mottled green and brown hide, and the size of a large wolf with the strength to match, forest stalkers have always been a pain in Forest Watches side. Usually they hunt in groups, but this one seems young and hungry, otherwise it wouldn't have attacked a group your size alone. Before it can recover from its sudden attack, Thales positioned himself between it and Kaia, whose managed to regain her footing, while Sieghild looks like she's trying to flank it. "You're sort of the boss here, Kyran. If you want us to do anything special, just give us a shout."

>What do? You can give orders, or let your allies act of their own volition.

>Roll 1d100 regardless. Link the story post for it to be counted.

Rolled 85 (1d100)

>>42425733
Put your axe in his face

Rolled 19 (1d100)

>>42425733

Keep it distracted with Thales so Sieg can gank it from behind.

Rolled 41 (1d100)

>>42425733

Thales keep it's attention on you, give some time for Seighild to flank and then we will close and finish the job.

Meanwhile we will come up next to Thales with our Axe at the ready. Kaia should stay in the back.

Rolled 57 (1d100)

>>42425753

Rolled 10, 57 = 67 (2d100)

Writin and rollin. Looks like you distract with Thales while Sieg hits from behind.

With your help, Thales does a good job at distracting the beast. He's just not so great at dodging. "Come on you ugly son of a bitch, come at m-" The stalker obliges, charging in and
clamping down hard on his left leg. "Get it off,for the love of the Patrons, get it off!" His greaves stop most of the damage, but as the stalker thrashes about, you can tell he's definitely bleeding. Both you and Sieghild use the opportunity to lay into the beast hacking and stabbing with abandon. You're about to strike its neck when Thales, between curses, shouts a belated warning, "Watch out for its Aether blighted tail!" Before you can land the killing blow, it lashes out with its now barbed tail, cutting up Sieghild and throwing her across the clearing. It doesn't prolong its life any, as your axe comes crashing down, severing its spine.

With the fight over, Kaia begins inspecting the casualties. "Sieghild was either lucky, or better than she looks. No major broken bones or lacerations, despite those nasty lashers. Just
keep the ones you have clean, don't want them getting infected." "Right-o, healer lady." Now, lets take a look at Tha-" Before she's even done turning toward Thales, her face becomes bone white, her eyes bulging out of their sockets. In a flash, she's turned back around again. "Wow, that's really bad. Kyran, he won't be able to walk on that for weeks. Not without help, at least."

"You're telling me to use the potion, aren't you."

"Yes." she says, with a nod.

"Wait, what's this about a potion?" Before he has a better chance to complain, you bolt up, grabbing the red gel from Kaias pack. "Now, hold on here, I didn't agree-Mmph"You pour the stuff over his wound, trying to get this over with quick. Where it touches his wounds, it glows with a golden light, dissapearing while his skin and muscle visibly weaves itself back together.

"Well, that was interesting. Glad she didn't have to use it on me."

"Eat a rock, Sieghild."

And I'm gonna stop here. I might have a thread tomorrow, though if not then on Monday. I'll post to this twitter when I start writing.
https://twitter.com/Norman_QM

>>42426608

Awesome, Thanks for running, I liked it