You sit up and give Elda a quick kiss on he cheek before going around to find all of your clothes. You're both out of breath, but you certainly feel very awake and energized.

Nothing like a bit of "exercise" in the morning to get theblood pumping.

Your pants and your cloak are all here... but where did you leave your damn shirt?

"It's downstairs" Elda says.
"Ah, yes" You say. "Thank you"

Elda stretches out and sits up. "Off to the smith?" She asks.
"Yes. I just need to pick up my order and then it's off to the docks" You say.

She leans forward and closes her eyes, so you take the hint and give her a quick peck on the lips.

"So... I guess I'll see you around" You say. "I'd like to stay longer, but while the ships will wait for me there are things in Laust that won't"

She smiles, and waves you off with her fingers. So you head down the stairs and put on your shirt and cloak, and you're out the door...

And into the smell. Fuck, you thought you'd be more used to this.

Ah well, you'll be leaving it behind soon enough. First thing's first...

>[ ] Head to the docks to see how things are going

>[ ] Head to the smith to grab your new sword

>[ ] Other

>>42629817
>[ ] Head to the smith to grab your new sword

>>42629817
>[ ] Head to the smith to grab your new sword

What if someone at the docks tried somethin'? Don't wanna be at a disadvantage.

>>42629817
>[ ] Head to the smith to grab your new sword

>>42629991
We still have a bazillion daggers, some of which are magic.

>writing

You try your hardest to ignore the stench as you make your way to the smith.

You find yourself walking with a bit of a spring in your step. It's either because of you excited you are, or because of your bit of morning fun. Or it could be a bit of both. Either way, you wouldn't mind feeling like this every day.

This mix of anticipation and contentment is a good one. You know that contentment is going to ba hard to come by in Laust, and any anticipation will probably border on anxiety.

And now you don't feel as good. Way to kill your own mood, Giles. You aren't even sure how you managed that.

You reach Mr. Wally's smithy slightly more downtrodden than you were when you left Elda's house. But it passes when you see what's on his table.

"Good mornin' sir" Mr. Wally says. "It's ready for you"
"Indeed it is" You say, picking up the sword and admiring the craftsmanship.

"Well, give it a test" He says.
"Don't mind if I do" You reply.

You take up a stance and give it a quick swing. It's a different weight than you're used to. With the cane the weight was all where the ball was, either behind the hand or at the tip depending on where you held it.

This is balanced a little ways up the blade. It gives it a better feel when you swing it, but it'll take some getting used to.

"You look like you know your way 'round a sword" Mr. Wally says.

>[ ] I dabble

>[ ] I trained with a master duelist for a bit

>[ ] It only looks that way

>[ ] Other

>>42630624
>[ ] I dabble

>>42630624
>[ ] I dabble

>>42630624
[ ] I dabble

And why would I be buying a damn sword if I didn't know how to use it?

>>42630624
>[ ] I dabble

>writing

"I've been known to dabble" You say. "My previous weapon of choice was a bit different, so this one will take some getting used to"

"You'll have time" He says. "That sword'll do you for life, if you take care of it"
"And take care of it I will" You say.

The sword is just as nice as you'd hoped. According to Mr. Wally, this style is known as a saber. The blade has a slight curve to it that you found appealing, and the guard wraps around the hand.

The guard is patterned with swirls and other fancy stuff, to make it look less dull, and the steel of the blade is almost pure white.

You have no doubt that whoever you happen to kill with this sword's last thoughts will be in admiration of it. Or... y'know, something along the lines of 'blargh I am dead' or something. You aren't realy sure what goes through a dying man's mind.

With that done, you sheath the sword and attach it to your belt, pay the smith, and bid him good day.

>[1/2]
>Next post might take a little longer. Smiley requires sustenance.

>>42631130
We put the mask back on, right?

With your shiny new sword on your belt, you head down to the docks.

Luckily, the smell of salt-water all but overpowers the smells from the town. It's probably the only reason why people find living in this place bearable.

The view of the sea is nice enough, though it doesn't beat the one from the Melissa's manor.

Down at the end of the docks you find your captain, organizing a group of sailors who are loading up a ship.

"Good morning" You say to him
"Good mo-... oh, it's you" He says. "Decided to drop the secrecy I see"

You touch your face. Right, the mask. Just like how you had forgotten that you were wearing it last night, you forgot that you weren't wearing it this morning.

Which means that it's probably still sitting on the floor in Elda's house...

Fortunately you have spares, but is there a point to wearing it now?

>[ ] Put a new one on

>[ ] Leave it be

>[ ] Other

>>42631604
>[ ] Leave it be
''Yeah, yeah, sooner or later it would come off anyway.''

>>42631604
>[ ] Leave it be

>>42631604
>[ ] Put a new one on
Nonchalantly, like we never didn't have a mask on.

If he says anything, just act like he's crazy

>writing

By the way, nice pastebin, Smiley; Melissa hooked Giles on loud sex, it would seem.

"All things come to light in time, I figured that I might as well let this come out on my terms" You say.
"You took it off last night and forgot to put it back on this morning didn't you?" He asks.

"And I forgot to put the mask back on, yes" You say.
"You look younger than I thought you would" He says.
"I look younger than most would be in my position" You say.

"You do have the coin though, right?" He asks. "Because it occured to me last night that I should have confirmed that before I got half the town in on this. It'd be a nice blow to my reputation if you were to be unable to pay up"

"Of course I have the coin" You say, reaching into your cloak. You pull out a bag of gold coins, and show it to him.

"Well I'll be" He says. "If you'll step this way, we can deal with the actual payment. Nothing serious, shouldn't take too long. Just some accounting things that my first mate says need to be done"

"Not a problem" You say.

>[1/2]

>>42631996
>Just some accounting things that my first mate says need to be done.

Cause that isn't fucking ominous.

Captain John takes you to the end of the dock, where there's a crate and some chairs. His first mate counts out the coin, and then divvys it up based on which ships will be getting how much before putting the separate piles into bags and taking them away.

"Pleasure doing business with you" He says.
"So long as business gets done" You say. "Any ideas on where we'll land on Laust?"

"I'm not really sure which ports would be accepting foreign ships, but if you weren't lying about your friends in Searise then we would probably make port there" He says.

"That might not be possible" You say. "Last time I was in Searise the whole place was ablaze"
"And if that's still the case, then we'll look elsewhere" He says.

You nod pensively, before something draws your attention down the dock.

"Tophiiiiiaaaaaan!" Someone shouts. Someone feminine.

Someone who, just hours earlier, was screaming something similar...
It sounded so much better then, for some reason.

Elda dashes up the dock towards you. She's not wearing a dress, rather she has a rather plain tunic and pants on. In one hand she has a large rucksack that looks full, and in the other she has your mask.

She reaches you, and doubles over to catch her breath. "You... *huff* you forgot this" She says, offering you the mask.

>[ ] Thank her

>[ ] Ask why she has a bag

>[ ] Ask why she's dressed like that

>[ ] Other

>>42632238
>[ ] Thank her
>[ ] Ask why she has a bag

>>42632238
oh god our one night stand is trying to follow us...
I have no idea how to deal with this without being a total ass

>>42632238
>[ ] Thank her

>writing

>>42632238
>[ ] Thank her

>[ ] Ask why she has a bag

>[ ] Ask why she's dressed like that

I think all 3 are fairly relevant.

I believe she might have contracted "Whovian Flu", a pandemic that affects young women who come into contact with mysterious, charismatic travellers.

Symptoms include unparalleled adoration and an incredible spike in wanderlust.

The D also helped.

>>42632473
I'd be lying if I wasnt somewhat pleased with this biting us in the ass.
It's nice to see questionable decisions have consequences.

>>42632666
Well... we did get a 20 AND a 1...

On the one hand, she's completely infatuated with us!

On the other hand, she's completely infatuated with us.

We're juggling more women than Archie Andrews.

"Thaaaaanks... Elda" You say, taking the mask from her and putting it away in your cloak. "What's uhh... What's with the bag?"

She catches her breath and stands up straight. "I'm coming with you aren't I?" She asks.
"You are?" You ask.
"She is?" Captain John asks.

"I'm not?" She asks. "I mean... yeah... silly me... I just thought that with all that talk about roses and dirt that you might..."

Elda slumps, looking like you just told her... something... something bad. You really don't have an example for this. She seems like she really had her hopes up...

"I mean, it's not like I'll be a burden! I know my way around a ship. Pa used to take me out fishing when I was a girl... an' I can cook too" She says. "I just..."

"Look, Elda. It's not that I don't want to bring you" You say, putting a hand on her shoulder. "But this trip will be dangerous. The seas between here and Laust are infested with pirates, and Laust itself is not an ideal place to be either"

"But I... I don't want to live here forever..." She says. "My Pa always said that this weren't no place for a girl like me... I was just... hoping you might take me away"

She turns and starts walking back down the dock, dragging her rucksack as she goes.

>[ ] Stop her

>[ ] Let her go

>[ ] Other

>>42632804
>[ ] Stop her
I stopped caring about our romantic situation a while ago

>>42632804
>[ ] Stop her

>>42632804
>[ ] Let her go
Eh, shit happens.

>>42632804
>[ ] Let her go

>[ ] Other

Non-binaray choice: Tell her to stay here till the wars over, and give her something so she knows we'll come back. If things work out well, no way we couldnt get her set up someplace.

>>42632804
Seconding >>42632938
Taking her along will only end badly, but there's no need to reject her completely.

>>42632804
>[ ] Stop her
side bitch acquired

>>42632804
>[ ] Stop her
We need to take responsibility. Any excuses we give her for leaving her behind at this point would seem hollow

>>42633055
Isnt that what a one night stand is in the first place

>>42632938
>>42633023
>>42632938
Yeah, Just because we dont want to take us with her on our ludicrously deadly mission adventure, doesnt mean we have to burn bridges and she has to stay here forever.
Wouldnt wish that smell on anyone.

>writing

>>42633083
Giles sems like he has a bit more class then that.

You sigh. "Hang on, I should probably deal with this" You say.
"You've got time" Captain John says. "The Gosian's crew aint done loading yet anyway, bunch o' lazy bastards"

You chuckle, and walk down the dock after Elda.

Even if you went into this with the intention of having a bit of fun and nothing more, she obviously thought it was something more. The truth is, whether you wanted to or not, you've stolen this poor girl's heart and you need to own up to that.

You catch up to Elda and stop her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Look..." You say.
"i know... I thought it was more than it was" She says. "After all, you're a lord and I'm just a barmaid. Silly me, right?"

"First of all, I'm not a lord" You say. "I just happen to be fairly wealthy"
"Fine, you're a rich man and I'm just a barmaid. It doesn't change anything" She says.

"Why did you think that I was going to bring you along then?" You ask.
"I... I thought that you were the dashing mystery man come to whisk me away from my dull life, like in the stories..." She says. "I know it's childish... but I just..."

"Alright" You say. "If you really want to come to Laust-"
"You'll take me?" She asks, suddenly full of energy again. "Ohhh I promise that it'll be like I wasn't there at all. Not a peep, quiet as a mouse! Unless you want me to be there... then I'll be there! I'll wait on you hand and foot! If you don't want me around once we get to Laust then I'll even go off on my own way, or you can keep me around. I promise I'll be good. Please please pleeeaaase?"

You really wish she had let you finish that sentence...

"If you really want to come to Laust..." You say again.

>[ ] I'll bring you up after the war

>[ ] Then grab your shit

>[ ] Other

>>42633683
>[ ] Then grab your shit

>>42633683
>[ ] Then grab your shit
"Mind you, I'm in to some dangerous work."

>>42633683
>[ ] Then grab your shit

>>42633683
>[ ] I'll bring you up after the war

>>42633683
>[ ] Then grab your shit
Just as long as she keeps her distance. As >>42633748 said, we're not the safest guy to be around.

>>42633885
She's gonna be in danger on the ship regardless of her proximity to us. Let's just enjoy the new waifu.

>writing

You get the feeling that you're going to regret doing this, but in comparison to the other option it'll be easier and involve less tears.

You've always hated tears.

"...then grab your stuff" You say.
"I know... I guess I'll..." She stops, and looks at you. "D-did you just..."
"I did" You say. "Come on. The Captain will probably want to further gouge me for having an extra passenger"

Elda's face lights up like the angel she is, only without the heat beams. She leaps into your arms, damn near knocking you back into the water.

"Thank you thank you thank you thank you!" She says, before locking lips with you and giving you a very firm idea of her appreciation. When she pulls away, she nestles her head into your shoulder.

"You are going to have to let me go. I still need to talk to the captain" You say.
Elda lets go and steps back. "Sorry! Sorry" She says.

"Don't you have to let your Aunt know you're going?" You ask.
"Aunta is the one who told me to go after you" She says. "I wasn't going to... but"

You have a nice little laugh at your own expense. No doubt that lady wanted this to happen. Still, you don't hold it against her; there are few goals nobler than wanting a better life for ones family.

"Alright, let's go" You say.
Elda nods, and she hugs your arm as you make your way back up the dock.

>[1/2]

>>42633921
Sorry, I didn't elaborate. I meant keeping her distance after we reached our destination. Maybe we could someplace for her to lay low while we sort everything out.

Speaking of waifus, I miss Marcy.

Elda has this excited smile on her face. If you weren't so annoyed with yourself right now, you would probably ne able to enjoy the cuteness of it.

"So she is coming then?" Captain John asks.
"... yes..." You say.
"You know th-"
"That it'll cost extra, yes" You say. "And I am prepared to pay said extra"

"Alright then, I'll let you work that out with my first mate when he gets back" The Captain says. "In the meantime, I'll have somone show you where you'll be sleeping... I assume you two will be wanting to share?"

Elda's face turns red. "W-well... I was hoping that... I mean if he doesn't want to..."

You roll your eyes.

>[ ] We'll share

>[ ] Probably best to sleep separate

>[ ] Which option costs less?

>[ ] Other

>>42634295
>[ ] We'll share

>>42634295
>[ ] We'll share
If only for her safety amongst all these seamen.
We're going to have to go straight with her about how this relationship is going to be from here on at some point though people.

>>42634233
Indeed, Marcy is pretty great.

And the thought of hooking up with the crossdresser is hilarious.

>>42634350
So you think shes going to react positively then when we show up after several weeks with some other random girl on our arm then?

>>42634295
>[ ] We'll share

>>42634295
>[ ] We'll share
>>42634349
Agreed.
And let us never forget, gentleman that we are, to treat her with respect, and not a burden.

>>42634395
Who says that we'll be ACTUALLY hooking up with Elda? Elda knows that we're not looking for anything serious.

>writing

>>42634487
Im just saying, that DID seem to be the way a lot of the anons seemed to be leaning.
To just keep SLAMming her while waifuing the other girls I mean

>>42634487
>>42634576
I understand, and I certainly hope that doesn't end up being the case, myself.

It could be a misconception, though.

>>42634487
Nobody can resist any of the waifus in both of smileys quests lately

>>42634698
Smiley's waifus all equate to Helen of Troy; they turn man against man in bloody conflicts that span countless threads.

Truly a testament to their effectiveness and allure.

>>42634698
She's not even a waifu, which makes this sad

"We'll share" You say. Not much point in sleeping separately at this point.

Besides, you did enjoy yourself last night. Not just the... "exercise" but having someone to keep you warm. After all, you did ask for a warm bed. Why not bring such niceties with you?

"Alright then... uhh you there! Bob!" The captain calls out to one of his crew.
"Aye sir?" Bob asks.
"Show Master Tophian and his lady down to where they'll be sleeping" He says.

The crewman nods, and motions for you to follow.

He leads you below deck, to where there are several doors. One you believe is storage, the other would probably be the Captain's quarters. You get a little antsy as you go by the cells. You aren't sure why, but you've been wary of betrayal this whole time.

Not that you would have any problem at all escaping the cells. But that issue is more one for once you're at sea. There are worse places to be than a cell when you're surrounded by water with no land in sight...

"And here's where you two will be sleepin'" Bob says, opening a door and showing you in.

After that, Bob hands you a key and leaves, and you enter the room.

"Well it's certainly... cozy" You say. The room is tiny. There's barely enough space for the one bed, nevermind the two people who are going to have to sleep in it.
"This is normal" Elda says, tossing her bag onto the bed.
"So... what do we do now?" You ask.

"I was going to go up on deck while the ships leave" Elda says. "Aunta said she'd be at the dock to see me off. How about you?"

>[ ] I'll come with you

>[ ] I need a nap

>[ ] I'm gonna go mingle with the crew

>[ ] Stay here and go through your remaining supplies/equipment

>[ ] Other

>>42634670
Ive been reading quests on /tg/ for years now.
My faith in anons judgement and class died completely shortly into the first yea

>>42634922
>[ ] Stay here and go through your remaining supplies/equipment

>>42634922
>[ ] Stay here and go through your remaining supplies/equipment

>>42634922
>[ ] Stay here and go through your remaining supplies/equipment

>writing

"You have fun" You say. "I'll stay down here for the time being"
"Oh... okay" She says. "I'll come back down here once we're off then"

You wave her off, and she leaves. You shut and lock the door behind her. Not with the intention of keeping her out for good, but more for privacy's sake.

You lay your cloak down and start pulling things out. Only supplies and equipment, though. You don't know who else has a key to that door, so you don't dare take any of your prizes out

By the time you're finished, you have a good idea of what's left and how long it will last.

36 daggers, 24 crystal daggers, enough food and water for maybe a week's journey, your supply of coin has not dwindled much which you are certainly happy to see. You don't count it out, as that would take time that you probably don't have.

You still have the spear that you took from the statue. While you doubt that it's the actual spear that was used to kill Rog, it's still a very nice spear. The haft is ebony wood, and the tip of it may as well be an ornate shortsword on its own. It's really closer to being a glaive than a spear.

You manage to pry your cane out of the still distrubingly warm angel's head with some difficulty. The length of it is bent and twisted and warped, and the ball is almost entirely melted off. You think it's safe to write it off, but you'll keep it around for old time's sake.

You put everything but the crystal daggers away, deciding that now might be a good time for some enchantment. You never could quite get up the energy to reapply your enchantments in the desert, so most of them are either weakened or fading completely...

You can probably reapply your usual stuff, and then...

>[ ] Learn something new from the book of Dark magic

>[ ] Learn something new from the book of non-visual enchantment

>[ ] Learn something new from the basic elemental book

>[ ] Take a nap

>[ ] Other

>>42635639
>[ ] Learn something new from the book of Dark magic

>>42635639
>[ ] Learn something new from the book of Dark magic

>writing

You do up a bunch of your simpler enchantments, your Dark Fogs, your Ember Sprees, your Night Shells...

Which reminds you that there are probably still fireballs suspended above Searise right now. You wonder if those have worn off by now...

You shake that off. You'll get a chance to see that when you get there. Right now you've got a chance to learn some new stuff, and you aren't going to let that pass.

You pull out "The Dark Element" and get reading. Last time you skipped right to the section on defensive magic. Night Shell has served you well so far, but you think that maybe something with some 'oomph' is what you need right now. Your lack of offensive magic revealed itself as a glaring hole in your arsenal when you were being pursued by that angel.

So this time you flip to the section on offensive magic and give it a skim. There's quite a few spells here, but like the defensive section there are a few in particular that stand out...

>Choose one

>[ ] Dark Star
Turns the enchanted object into a time bomb. When the bomb goes off, it shoots out a myriad of spikes on every direction, giving it the appearance of a star. Good for ranged combat, but it looks like it will be absolutely garbage for melee.

>[ ] Night's Edge
Gives the enchanted object- usually a blade -an aura of darkness, and makes it several times sharper and about a foot longer. You recognize this enchantment as the one that the assassin that killed the King and Queen of Laust used when you fought him. In contrast to the one above this one is the end-all be-all for melee enchantments, but it gives you little to no ranged power.

>[ ] Shade darts
Invoking this will summon a number of "darts" that will float around you, and turn the enchanted object into a beacon of sorts. Once you've struck something with the enchanted object, you invoke it again and the darts will home in on it. Good all around, but probably not as potent as the others

>>42636294
>[ ] Night's Edge

>>42636294
>[ ] Night's Edge

>>42636294
>Night's Edge
Sounds pretty pimp. Plus, it'll be poetic when we kill Roderick with it.

>>42636294
>[ ] Dark Star

>writing

Well, you already learned one 'Night' spell. Might as well learn the other.

You read about the visualization, and it seems pretty cool. Instead of the usual imagining of whatever element doing a thing, you imagine the sunset. As the night fights the day back to claim the night sky, you take some of that warfront and imbue your blade with it.

You try it first with a dagger, and invoke it. The dagger becomes about as long as a shortsword, and a few times sharper. Then you try it on your new sword.

"Wonderful" You say. The white blade turns pitch black, and the aura extends past its tip. You give it a practice swing, and accidentally put a sizeable gash into the only table in the room. You then release the enchantment and put the sword away before you break something else.

But it was almost effortless, the way you sliced the table. You shudder to think about what might have happened if you had been hit by that assassin...

You decide to re-enchant your sword, and keep a few daggers enchanted with this as well. You may have been wrong about its ranged properties. Hitting someone with a thrown dagger, and then making that dagger a foot longer could be pretty effective depending on how it actually works.

With that done, you put your things away. You felt the ship start moving a few minutes ago, so you must be out of the harbour by now...'

You wonder what's keeping Elda. She did say she'd be right do-

*knock* *knock*

"It's me" Elda says from the other side of the door.
You get up and unlock it so she can get in, and you open the door to see her with teary eyes.

>[ ] Ask what's wrong

>[ ] Don't ask, you don't want to know

>[ ] Leave her the bed and go see what's happening above

>[ ] Other

>>42636823
>[ ] Ask what's wrong
She's probably sad about leaving her aunt

>>42636823
Hug de girl

>writing

"What's wrong?" You ask.
"I'm actually leaving home" She says. "I'm leaving my home.. and my Aunta"

You smile and put a hand on her shoulder. "Having second thoughts? I'm sure you could still swim back if you got off now" You say.
"What? That's kind of..."

You pull her into a hug and kiss her on the forehead. "Kidding" You say. "And leaving home is never easy. Trust me"

"I guess you've done it before, haven't you?" She asks.
"Yep" You say. "My home was only a little better than this, but I brought the closest thing I had to family with me"
"You didn't have actual family?" She asks.

You lean back so she can see you, and point to yourself. "Orphan" You say.
"Oh... sorry, I-"
"Don't sweat it" You say. "I don't. In fact, I've met some people with families that made me glad to be an orphan"

She nuzzles your chest, and sighs. "I know what you mean" She says.
"And hey, if it gets you this down to say goodbye maybe I could have someone bring her up to Laust as well" You say. "Once the war is over"

"Really?" She asks.
"Probably" you say. "It shouldn't be so hard once the war is over and the navy can get back to culling the pirates"

She tightens her embrace and bounces. "Thank you!" She says.
"Don't mention it" You say.

Well, her spirits have certainly been lifted. Time to-

>[ ] Chat for a bit

>[ ] Head up to the deck and see what's going on

>[ ] Take a nap

>[ ] Other

>>42637429
>[ ] Head up to the deck and see what's going on

>>42637429
>[ ] Head up to the deck and see what's going on

>writing

"Well, I think it's my turn to head up on deck" You say, handing her the room key.
"Alright, you should keep that though" She says. 'I'm feeling kinda tired, and I might not be awake when you come back"

You open her hand, place the key in it, and close it. "I wouldn't worry about it" You say, pecking her on the forehead before leaving the room.

A few seconds after you leave, you hear the door shut and lock behind you. Not having the key troubles you very little, and Elda is the only one with anything worth stealing in that room.

Above decks, you smell nothing but the sea breeze. It's even better than it was in the harbour, since back there you could still catch the occasional whiff of Cortela.

You take a look around and find the Captain at the helm of the vessel. Behind the ship, Cortela and the shoreline both shrink into the horizon very quickly.

"Ahoy" You say to the captain.
"Ah, welcome back Master Tophian" He says. "Come to see how things are going?"
"And for some fresh air" You say.

"You won't find air any fresher" He says. "I'll admit that I was glad to find an employer. I would've gone stir crazy if I had to spend another day cooped up in that drinking hole"

"I know the feeling" You say.

>[ ] Ask about the other ships

>[ ] Ask about the route

>[ ] Ask about travel time

>[ ] Other

>>42637928
>[ ] Ask about travel time

>>42637928
>[ ] Ask about the route

>[ ] Ask about travel time

>writing

I'm starting to miss the days when we had more players in this quest...

>>42638247
I'm guessing that more'll pop in when Blood Moon's on hold.

>>42638346
Maybe. Seems like nobody is very invested in the story anymore. Not as much as they used to be.

"When do you think we'll be arriving?" You ask.
"If the weather holds, 5 days" He says.

"That long?" You ask.
"We're taking a little bit of a roundabout through the islands" He says.
"Why?" You ask.
"Working off the latest known territories, we're moving through waters controlled by the weaker and less agressive factions" He says.

"How long would it be if we just made a beeline?" You ask.
"Forever" He says. "Because we would never make it. The straightest route goes right through the most dangerous territory, and the pirates know that it's the straightest route. It wouldn't be a mattter of whether we run into trouble, but when"

"I see" You say. "Well, you certainly know what you're doing"
"I wouldn't have taken this on if I didn't" He says.

"Do you think we'll still run into trouble?" You ask.
"I don't doubt it. But 3 warships with trained crews should be enough to ward them off" He says.
"Let me know if you want me to lend a hand with that" You say.

"So the sword's not just for show then?" He asks.
"It is not" You say.
"Very well" He says. "I'll be sure to call on you if we have need of an extra sword, though I'd rather not involve the man financing this operation in any fights"

"Nonsense" You say. "If the ship gets boarded and taken over, this journey is as good as over. I'd like to be able to wet my blade in such conflists before the wrong side wins"
"Well said" He says.

>[ ] Ask about Pirates

>[ ] Head down for a nap

>[ ] Head down and read

>[ ] Other

>>42638519
>[ ] Head down for a nap

>>42638519
>[ ] Head down for a nap

>>42638477
Sadly, immature as it may seem, I believe that the Laura/Melissa arguments got some people to flip the proverbial table.

The playerbase has just migrated to Blood Moon, for now, but, I believe they'll come back when things pick up a bit, and DW's at the forefront again.

>>42638519
>[ ] Head down for a nap

>>42638519
>[ ] Ask about Pirates

>[ ] Head down for a nap

>writing

>>42638598
Granted, another reason, you must remember, is that Blood Moon is a different animal, entirely. There are no real casual threads; everything is tense.

The reason, I imagine, that it has more of a player presence is because every player believes that, if they miss a thread, there's a chance that the other players either "waifu'd worst girl" or got everyone killed.

Me? I'm not a fan of that theme, typically.

I support Smiley, though.

>>42638892
I kinda think the decreased popularity happened because the plot got sidetracked hard when we left with Marcy and Selene

>>42638969
True, also a valid point.

You stick around on deck with the captain for a while, talking about the details of the route, and the various different groups of pirates.

It gets to be around midday when you start to feel a little sluggish. You may have overexerted yourself this morning, and that bit of drama with Elda certainly didn't help.

So you head back down below deck to where your little berth is, and pick the lock open. You've never really needed keys.

You find Elda sleeping on her side in the center of the small bed, so you slip in behind her and lay down.

As soon as you're down, she rolls over onto you and hugs you tight. You weren't expecting this, but it's comfy enough. Maybe bringing her along was a good idea after all. If you'd left her behind, who then would you snuggle?

Satisfied with your position and the soft, warm body in bed with you, you close your eyes...

>[1/2]

And you awaken sometime later to someone knocking on your door.

"Who is it?" You ask.
"Captain wants you to come up" The man on the other side says. It sounds like the first mate, but it could really be anybody.

"Trouble?" You ask.
"We're not sure" He says.

You scowl. "How can you not be sure?" You ask.
"Just come up on deck, I guarantee you'll see the problem immediately" He says.

That's... suspicious. But if they were planning on betraying you, they would have no need for the trickery. So you shake Elda awake, as you aren't going anywhere with her on top of you.

"Mmmmm... what's going on?" She asks, as she sits up and more importantly, gets off of you.
"Dunno" You say. "I'm going up above to check. I'll be right back"

She gives you a slight smile, closes her eyes, and pushes her chin forward. So you give her a quick kiss before leaving the berth and heading up.

Okay. Whoever that was wasn't wrong. You see the problem.

The problem being your lack of sight. Shit, you don't think you've seen fog this thick in your entire life. You hear crewmen feeling their way around the deck, so you walk up to the helm.

"Where'd this come from?" You ask.
"Is that Tophian?" The Captain asks. "We don't know. One moment it was on the horizon, the next we were in the thick of it. You have any idea what might have caused it?"
"Not a damn clue" You say. "How are we navigating right now?"

"The light ahead of us is the Dawson, and the one ahead of that is the Surewind, behind us is the Gosian" He says.

You look to the front and back. There is one light behind you, but 4 ahead. If you count the closest light, which would be the one on this ship... that's still one too many.

>[ ] Mention it

>[ ] It's probably nothing

>[ ] Other

>>42639309
>[ ] Mention it

>>42639309
>[ ] Mention it

CASSANDRAAAAAA!!!!!

>>42639309
>[ ] Mention it

>>42639354
If this is our bitch demon mom, again...
Well, flash the angel head in her face if we see her.

>writing

>>42639506
>Something you and I have in common: we're both VERY hard to get rid of.

"4" You say.
"What?" The Captain asks.
"4 lights. Ahead of us" You say. "One for our ship, 2 for the others. What's the last one?"

You feel the fog on your skin. It's warm.

Fog is usually cold... isn't it?

"You're right" The Captain says. "Think it might be a pirate ship leading us into an ambush?"

"This isn't fog" You say. "It's too warm. This is steam"
"What the bloody hell could kick up this much steam"

*SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE*

The first light in the line flares up and blasts the second. The Surewind, the first ship in the line, catches fire.

"It was never a boat!" You shout. "We need to get out of here!"
"And go where? I don't think you've noticed, but navigatin' isn't a possibility right now!" He says.
"It doesn't matter! That thing gets us, we're goners" You say.

"What if we hit rocks?" He asks.
"Then we break even" You say.
"Tophian, what the hell is that thing?" The Captain asks.
"It's an Angel" You say.
"Angels don't exist" He says.
"Believe what you want, it won't change the fact that it's going to kill us all" You say.

The light flares up again, and more of the Surewind gets set ablaze.

You laugh, not because this is funny, but because you're desperate and you can't think of anything else to do. "By the Gods... I've damn well doomed us all" You mutter.

In the distance you hear that screech once more, as the light hits the Surewind one last time.

You can't help but think that that's going to be your ship in a few seconds...

Alright, time to end this on a cliffhanger like an asshole!

I'll be busy for most of next weekend, but if I find time to run DW I will. If I don't get a chance, I'll run it sometime during the week to make up for it.

As always I'll be sticking around for question/suggestion time!

>>42639927
So, any threads this week?

>>42639959
All BM this week, but I'm going to start announcing the quests in their own threads to avoid confusion

>>42640013
Right on. Good thread, as usual!

After the last Blood Moon... I don't know if my anus is ready.

>>42640092
I like DW, but I have to say I like Blood Moon even more. I can't wait for the next thread.