File: Amy.jpg (70 KB, 450x337)

70 KB JPG

>>43963808
Kells's house is, as he points out, right along the waterfront; the only nod to his position that you can see from the outside is a battered sign that reads 'Visitors Inquire Within Or At The Docks', swinging from chains just above the front door. You pocket the key and stand, shaking the old pirate's hand by way of farewell.

Amy is awake when you make it back to the Mercy Hut, though she looks like she's been through eight shades of hell. Which, admittedly, you did get her to drink an entire bottle of whiskey. She just might have been.

The part-harpy looks up at you with exhausted eyes. "Hey," she greets with weak cheer. "Nathan says you saved my life."

You shrug. "It's what anyone should have done."

"A lot of people wouldn't."

"Those aren't people."

You take a seat on the other side of the bed and give Nathan a grateful look before returning your attention to Amy. "You doin' okay?"

"Doc Meadows says I'll need time to recover. Treatment. I'm not to leave bed for the next few days while he administers the medicine and, um, draws up a diet plan."

You wince. "Sounds rough."

Amy tries to laugh and stops partway through, putting a hand on her ribs. "Well, yeah, but...couldn't complain if I wasn't dead."

The formerly winged girl gives you a significant look, but when you look up, Nathan's all curiosity too.

> Talk to Amy in private. She could use the gesture of understanding, and your business can wait at least a day and a night. Fuck. How /do/ they track day and night down here?
> Talk to Nathan in private. Curious looks could mean a lot of things. What if he wants to air something without worrying the girl?
> Tell them both how the meeting with Kells went.

> Talk to Amy in private. She could use the gesture of understanding, and your business can wait at least a day and a night. Fuck. How /do/ they track day and night down here?
And then, if it's not precluded by intervening events,
> Tell them both how the meeting with Kells went.

> Tell them both how the meeting with Kells went.
And then, if it's not precluded by intervening events,
> Talk to Amy in private. She could use the gesture of understanding, and your business can wait at least a day and a night. Fuck. How /do/ they track day and night down here?
Other way round but same vote

And then OP forgot the previous thread link, like a jackass.

PREVIOUS THREAD: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/43914719/

>>43963808
> Tell them both how the meeting with Kells went.
Then shoo Nathan out for a while.
> Talk to Amy in private. She could use the gesture of understanding, and your business can wait at least a day and a night. Fuck. How /do/ they track day and night down here?

>>43963870
>"Those aren't people."
BADASS
A
D
A
S
S

>>43963870
>> Talk to Amy in private. She could use the gesture of understanding, and your business can wait at least a day and a night. Fuck. How /do/ they track day and night down here?
she deserves a break. Surely she's already had a chance to talk to Nathan for whatever involves him?

> Talk to Amy in private. She could use the gesture of understanding, and your business can wait at least a day and a night. Fuck. How /do/ they track day and night down here?
> Tell Nathan that you'll be with him in a moment while he waits outside.

Step 1, send Nathan outside. You can't exactly step outside with Amy, after all.

> Talk to Nathan in private. Curious looks could mean a lot of things. What if he wants to air something without worrying the girl?

Step 2, after you're done here, go outside to have a chat with Nathan.

> Tell them both how the meeting with Kells went.

Step 3, come back inside with Nathan, tell them both what's up.

Going to bed, but I want to ask if Amy can cook better than our 2 culinary amateurs here.

>>43964085
Great question. You should ask her.

Vote extended while I eat my breakfast.

>>43964079
>If possible this. However, Step 2 can be delayed if if it would interfere with explaining how what happened with Kells went.

Votes called, writing.

File: Vintner.jpg (61 KB, 620x388)

61 KB JPG

"So, I didn't ask explicitly but I'm pretty sure the Lakewarden leads this town," you mention, adjusting your hat.

"He is," Amy clarifies helpfully. "Is Kells still holding the title?"

You give her an interested look. "Yeah. You know him?"

"Know of him. Good man. Rough, but fair."

"He seemed that way to me too, yeah," you agree. "Kells says Lakehallow's in trouble. Some asshole by the name of the Vintner is making a go at trying to rule the Basement, and he's been kidnapping people to use as bait for his traps. He also made the crocodile that ki -" you stop and clear your throat. "kills fishers along the lake and keeps them from thier livelihoods. Kells wants us to take care of either, or both."

"Or...?" Nathan asks, frowning.

"Or nothing, we're as welcome in his town as any other visitor. But he'll 'pay dearly' if we can help him out. And...I ain't one to walk away from people in trouble."

"Neither am I," Nathan agrees. "So you took the job?"

"I told him I'm interested, but I need to talk to the two of you," you say honestly. "He's given us his house for a day and a night, to sleep on real beds and use the kitchen an' such. Also gave me the name of someone we can trade our meat to in exchange for jerky, which sounds like, just, /the/ plan."

Amy smiles wanly. "You travel a lot?"

"I get run out of a lot of towns," you say modestly.

File: 43qu.jpg (9 KB, 280x153)

9 KB JPG

>>43964775
"Can't imagine why," Amy replies with a small frown. You give Nathan the sort of Meaningful Look that comes with capital letters and toss him the key in your pocket before shrugging off your backpack.

"You mind attending to some of that now, Nate?" you ask. "His house is near the docks. Jerky's two doors down. Oh! And can you head to the docks themselves and warn Kells - he's the old guy with a hook hand - about the trap we found Amy in and the effects of the illusion?"

Nathan's eyes flick from you to Amy, and he nods understandingly. "I'll handle it. I'll see if there's tea down here."

"Rose hip tea," Amy interjects, quietly. When you and Nathan look at her, she adds, "to prevent scurvy. The roses are grown on an island on the lake, which Lakehallow tends to. It's this massive garden, it's /so/ beautiful. Maybe after...after the croc, you can see it."

Nathan squeezes her hand before taking the meat from your backpack and setting off. The door swings shut gently, then opens again after the thin elf - he must be Doc Meadows - leaves to give you some privacy.

> "You okay?"
> "I'm sorry I wasn't here when you woke up."
> "I'm sorry about your wings."

>>43964854
>"You okay?"
>Got any friends in this town?

The wings were long gone, even for necromancy, right?

>>43964854
> "You okay?"
> "I'm sorry about your wings."
But it had to be done

> "I'm sorry about your wings."

>>43964883
Correct.

>>43964854
> "You okay?"
> "I'm sorry I wasn't here when you woke up."
> If she brings it up, then we comfort her about the wings. If not, then we'd probably be better served by not reminding her. She's been out since the amputation, she hasn't exactly had a lot of time to process things.

Votes called in favor of "You okay" and "I'm sorry about your wings".

Writing.

File: sMh6kGN.jpg (23 KB, 480x433)

23 KB JPG

"He's nice," Amy comments shyly. "He told me all about what happened. Said you stopped him from killing himself in the trap. I...my memory of it all is a bit fuzzy. Doc Meadows says that's normal."

"It is," you agree. "Are you sure you're doing okay?"

She nods, and sighs. "I...I thought I'd die down there, having killed all those people. All those people who meant well, who went to save me and, and..."

"That's not your fault," you murmur. Your hand twitches as you hold back the urge to try to comfort her. She might not be ready for -

"You were stroking my hair before," the party-harpy says in a tiny voice. "It was nice."

Well. Never fucking mind then. You brush a lock behind Amy's ear and stroke her dark hair gently. "You're safe now. Or, as safe as this town is, anyway."

"Lakehallow's a good town, with a good reputation. I was coming here, before I...before the cage."

"Well...um. Ta-da?"

Amy laughs, weakly.

File: It's a rough profession.jpg (28 KB, 480x383)

28 KB JPG

>>43965596
You take your hat off and set it on Amy's knees. "Look. About your wings, if I could have saved them -"

"You couldn't," she says gently. "I understand. You don't have to apologize."

"I don't have to have done anything wrong to feel sorry," you murmur. "Being willing to do rough shit doesn't mean I like it. I'd rather, I dunno, invent cocktails. Improve my fashion sense. Build a better phylactery."

"You'd turn into a lich?" Amy says, puzzled.

"I'd prefer to die on my own terms, no fate's," you say with a shrug.

"...But you're so pretty."

There is a long moment of awkward silence during which you both look anywhere but at each other.

"So, um," you say at last. /Someone/ has to keep this conversation going. "What do you do?"

"Me? I sing, some. Not as well as Mom, but I can soothe fears, attract the suggestible. Even without my wings I can still make myself and the things I touch lighter than they are. That's how I flew, before. And, um, I may have been trained as a dungeonbreaker."

"A what now?" you ask, curiously.

"Surfacers think of us as burglars. Dungeonbreakers are experts in environments like this one. /The/ Dungeon is the biggest and most complicated, but, y'know, sorcerers and temples and stuff build trap-filled holes and fortresses all the time. We study the art of dungeon security, and breaking that security, as well as stuff like fencing ancient goods, assassination, monstrous diplomacy, linguistics, field cooking...you know. Basically professional adventuring."

"Huh. I never would have thought."

"One owed Mom a favor," Amy admits. "I like the work. The thrill, the risk. Though..." she looks down at herself. "Sometimes it doesn't pay off."

"Hey, we need /someone/ to keep Nathan from becoming my next minion."

"Yeah, he'd be less fun that way."

"Do you have an opinion on what we should handle first?" you ask.

>>43965728
>There is a long moment of awkward silence during which you both look anywhere but at each other.
I see OP here swings a certain way.

File: The Caretaker.png (796 KB, 1912x4838)

796 KB PNG

>>43965401
Also that bit of greentext I referenced last thread and accused this of being inspired by.

No idea what the fuck is up with the randomly modifed text throughout it, I can't be arsed to find the original and it doesn't affect anything so whatever

>>43965755
/tg/ swings a certain way, and lets be honest, you perverted fucks are never going to allow a standard male-female romance anyway.

Not that I don't appreciate it sometimes

File: Arcadia.png (213 KB, 578x469)

213 KB PNG

>>43965728
"The croc. It's not just the fish that Lakehallow takes from the lake," Amy explains. "There's crops down there that they can't harvest. Bones and oil from the fish that more than just Lakehallow relies on. The roses, without which other communities will succumb to weakness and die. And with the other monsters in the river too, people don't dare to access it."

"Damn. I didn't know this place was so valuable," you admit.

Amy nods. "There's a shaft on Rose Island that goes up to Glen too. They've got trade going through a dumbwaiter for surface goods, and they can't keep that steady if they can't use the lake either. Glen's used Lakehallow's goods to survive seiges and get through rough winters. Nothing in the Dungeon is really separate from anything else."

The door opens gently, and Meadows walks back in. "I am sorry miss, but I must ask that you permit my patient to rest."

Amy frowns and squeezes your hand. "See you tomorrow?"

"Bright and early," you promise.

> What do you do?

>>43965755
>>43965782
OP plays for both teams and is not restricting romantic options for reasons other than sanity (that is, there will be no romancing mass-murdering lunatics).

>>43965811
Can we waifu Fetch?

>>43965782
they most certainly do with male MCs going for femals. Usually very badly, but the point stands. VERY badly.

>>43965796
Make something useful out of those shit cigs. Doesn't use necro powers that we're still recovering from, and there's no way MC will smoke them again after tasting the good shit.

Find Nathan, he wanted to talk.

>>43965818
Bri is not a necrophiliac.

>>43965854
What about invisible alligator-chan?

>>43965842
A friendly reminder to

> Please format votes like this

So that I can pick them out easily.

Voting here will be slightly extended so I can drive my brother to work.

>>43965811
you say that like Bri is guaranteed to remain sane.

>>43965796
>Go talk to Nathan
>then go to sleep

>>43965931
and this, OP, is why you make sure you know your audience before
>what do

> Leave and see if you can find Nathan. He seemed like he could go for a chat. Exchange opinions.

After that... how do you detect an invisible croc? Glitterdust? Use the Ghost Of Warning?
Getting it to attack should be the easier part, since it is bound to get hungry again. Use animated chicken-bait? But once you lure it out, how do you make it dead? Can we fashion something throwable that critically poisons it? Someone did mention earlier that we might be able to infuse a chicken skeleton with Lotso Death. Or if that is unappetizing, something o' Death that can be carried by a chicken skeleton.

Alternatively: Use actual meat as bait, then let the Death-filled one jump the croc?

Or... fisher. Do they have large nets we could peruse to comb the area we think has the croc? Animate two larger swimming animals to drag it around until they hit something, if need be.

>>43965757
Thank you so much for this. It's glorious and I'm saving it.

>Get food. Eat food. Get sleep. Probably argue with angel.

>>43965796
>>43966283
linking for the anon incase he didn't realize.

Aaand my car broke down an hour's walk from home. Jesus fuck.

Calling the vote in 10 minutes so I can warm up (literally) and eat food.

>>43966195
Ghost of Warning sounds like a good idea; hell, this is a river town, they might be willing to pay good money for use of a shade bottle that warns them about river monsters, if we want to go that route. Not that renting ghosts helps much with the croc, but it could be handy later.

Sacrificing something to rip its life out and fuel a necromancy spell taints the meat horribly. Wonder if we can sacrifice a few fish, use that to power a hex on their corpses, and then feed it to the the croc?

> Leave and find Nathan. Exchange opinions. Then... Go get some damn sleep. In an actual bed. But give the weasel orders to wake you up early; you have a promise to keep to Amy that you'll be there for her right in the morning.

>>43967135
You know, crocodiles love to eat dead things, in some cases picking them over living prey. Its likely we could throw a zombie at it (if we got one of anything) and use it as bait. Remember, its a dumb reptile, albiet one that knows how to be sneaky, probably.

>>43965796
> Take a small nap now that you're in a safe place. Then find Nathan and discuss anti-croc tactics over dinner.

>>43967135
>>43967195
Maybe we should think up some questions for the chain lady before sleeping

Calling the vote. It's looking like the general thing here will be Nathan <-> Dinner -> Sleep.

Writing.

File: mushroom1.jpg (111 KB, 1200x745)

111 KB JPG

Might as well get some food, and some real rest. The cookup earlier had helped but eating hearty when you can is always a good idea, and Kells gave you the run of his kitchen. You chuckle to yourself as you remember something a cousin said: "Always assume your hosts are generous. It's hard to be mad at a compliment."

From the smell as you approach the house, Nathan's had the same set of thoughts. The bone-and-scrap structure is surprisingly homey on the inside, with the bones holding up the interior lovingly carved with sea scenes. Ships in bottles line a shelf, competing with books for space, and a small table with two chairs sits near the stove. The detritus of life - cooking tools, utensils, knives, papers, ledgers, and the other evidence of a man who lives a busy and active life - are set chaotically, but by no means messily, through the house, though a painting of an olive-skinned woman with a shy smile takes pride of place.

Nathan, sans armor and backpack, is frying chicken and mushrooms in a small pan, and you can smell herbs and spices besides.

"I could kiss you," you say as you set down your pack.

"Don't make offers you can't keep," he quips without looking up.

"Don't assume things about young ladies who travel a lot," you retort, shrugging out of your coat and draping it over the back of a chair. "I'm glad she's doing better. Thanks for being there."

"Not a problem," Nathan says simply. Meat and fried vegetables are placed onto two plates before he drizzles the sauce from the bottom of the pan over them. He sets them on either side of the table and sits with you. You each murmur your own blessings over the plates before taking a bite.

Hell, ain't the worst chicken you've had.

"Had you needed to talk to me about something?" you ask, after you've both had the chance to take the edge off of your hunger.

"Not...as such," he admits. "it's just. First, I never thanked you properly for saving me."

"You don't owe me nothin'," you say automatically.

File: Medical Necromancy.jpg (69 KB, 640x645)

69 KB JPG

>>43967436
"That's bullshit and you know it," Nathan replies, calmly. "I owe you my /life/. Maybe I don't owe you for how you chose to save it, but I would be dead if you hadn't and you can't say I wouldn't be. So, yes. I owe you. And then you go and rescue a real actual damsel in distress -"

"Hey!" you protest.

"- and treat it like just another job," he continues. "I don't think I could have done that. I think I would have rushed in and died in front of her eyes like everyone else. She didn't want to talk about anything but you until you showed back up, you know."

You groan. "That's so fucking clicheeeeee."

"Welcome to your new life, Bri," Nathan says with a raised eyebrow. "So, since we're being cliche anyway, what're your intentions?"

"I've been down here less than twenty-four hours! My intentions are to not die, followed by continuing to not die, with a side of avoiding death, served with staying-the-fuck-alive sauce on a platter of Sweet Ancestors, Please Let Me Get Through This Shit." You huff, indignantly. "I mean, fuck, I think I've mentioned before that I'm not adverse to a hot lay but I'd like to make sure I'm not, for instance, stabbed in the back by a hook on a chain and dragged screaming into the dark first. Gods."

Nathan blinks slowly and leans back in his chair. "You done?"

"Yeah, I'm done," you admit with a sigh. "Been getting the same vibes. It's too early for this shit."

"Wine?"

"/Please/."

File: 44961097.jpg (60 KB, 483x270)

60 KB JPG

>>43967521
The wine comes from a skin hanging from the corner of a shelf, and it has more strength than flavor, but it's better than the wine you don't have. Still, you decide one cup is gonna be more than enough for now. Let's not get drunk in underground pirate town, aye?

"Amy thinks we should go after the croc first. I've got a few ideas on that, but I think the simplest one is probably best."

"Which is?"

You stroke your weasel's skull. "Pack him with poisoned meat, slather him in blood, and head out onto the lake in the biggest boat they've got. Use the weasel as bait. I can make necromantic toxins, either from these god-awful cigarettes or from the silver shards I was paid in to save you. If we can catch the croc, we have them haul it to shore and strip the meat. Meadows can cleanse the last of the taint from /that/ and the town can have a party while I prep the corpse for animation."

"What're you going to do with a giant croc skeleton?" Nathan asks in disbelief. "It won't fit in most of these tunnels."

"I'm not," you say with a grin. "I'm gonna train it to hunt the other monsters and clear the river."

"...Nice."

"I like to think I'm clever," you say, pleased. "I told Amy I'd see her in the morning. I'm gonna have Fetch wake me up so I can go visit. She's...wanting to make herself useful. And I'm inclined to let her."

"Even though she's giving you moon eyes?"

"Can you open up a locked door in a stone frame?"

"No. Wait. She /can/?"

You nod. "That's what she's lead me to believe."

You help with the dishes after you finish your meal, and you both decide it's time for bed. At which point your eyes go to the same part of the room and reach identical conclusions.

"There's only one bed," Nate says slowly.

"Yeeeep."

> "You take it. I'm used to roughing it."
> "Please. Please give me the bed, I need bed so badly."
> "Can you keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle during this ride?"

>>43967628
>> "Please. Please give me the bed, I need bed so badly."

>>43967628
>> "Please. Please give me the bed, I need bed so badly."

>>43967628
>> "Can you keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle during this ride?"
and keep them in ourselves

>>43967628
>"Can you keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle during this ride?"
Let's see how bright smith boy can blush.

>"Can you keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle during this ride?"
How can I not

> "Can you keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle during this ride?"

>"Can you keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle during this ride?"

>>43967628
> "Can you keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle during this ride?"

>>43968219
>>43967927
>>43967900
>>43967888
>>43967859
>>43967792
Really, samefag.

Votes called, writing.

File: Best Minion Ever.jpg (54 KB, 920x1024)

54 KB JPG

"Can you be a gentleman?"

Nathan looks at you in disbelief. "That bed is tiny."

"So our butts will touch. Can you, or can you not, keep your hands to yourself?"

"I...yes." He's /cute/ when he blushes. You always heard stories of Heroes from your family and here you've got one on-hand, right down to the small-town charm.

Still, you decide to keep your clothes on to sleep. There's trust and then there's /torture/.

The two of you dim the lights and get under the covers. As predicted, you can't not touch /at all/, but it's nice to have someone warm to snuggle against, honestly. You murmur instructions to Fetch.

"Thanks for not making me sleep in the chair," Nathan says sleepily.

"'preciate the thought," you mutter back, before you drift off.

>>43968818
Needs a gold beak and Silver spurs

>>43968818
I do hope we left good instructions on how she should wake us up
On that note can skeletal chickens vocalize?

File: death.jpg (49 KB, 642x744)

49 KB JPG

>>43968818
The bench is almost feeling familiar now.

Lora looks odd without a cigarette, though she's not any less bored. She quirks an eyebrow at you and adjusts her butt in her seat.

"Asleep again so soon?"

"Got a real bed. And a wounded girl, so..."

"Right. Makes sense." Her wings curl over her body, like a feathery coat. "I can't hold this one steady. You're going to wake."

"But I -"

"Too late."

Your eyes open as Fetch pecks the tip of your nose. You feel astonishingly rested, and warm. True to his word, the only part of Nathan touching you is his butt...not that you mind.

You stretch, carefully, and get out of bed without waking the smith's apprentice.

> Go see Amy immediately.
> Make Nate and you some breakfast first. Returning the favor is nice.

>>43968960
> Go see Amy immediately.
Cute as he is, you promised.

> Make Nate and you some breakfast first. Returning the favor is nice.

We kicked him out of the healer's house to chat with Amy; good to let him know he's still appreciated.

>>43968960
>Go see Amy immediately. Let Nate sleep; he's had a rough day. You can come back and make breakfast for him after you keep your promise to her.

>>43969012
>>Go see Amy immediately. Let Nate sleep; he's had a rough day. You can come back and make breakfast for him after you keep your promise to her.
seconded

Incidentally, thread archived so I don't forget to when I go to work.

>>43968960
>>>Go see Amy immediately. Let Nate sleep; he's had a rough day. You can come back and make breakfast for him after you keep your promise to her.
>>43969085
What fucking bizzare timezone are you in anyway? You run at 2 am and at 2 pm? A full 12 hours apart.

>>43969182
EST, but I work odd and inconsistent hours. I've got all of tomorrow off and will be making a go at a day of it.

>>43969202
You absolute madman. Do you even sleep!?

>>43969226
If you think that's bad, I've seen QM's run threads long enough for anons to join, play, leave to sleep, and then wake up and find the QM STILL RUNNING.

File: 1304203069066.jpg (120 KB, 1280x800)

120 KB JPG

>>43968960
> Make Nate and you some breakfast first. Returning the favor is nice.

Might as well add some art, long as I'm posting

>>43969226
Sleep is for the weak.

Calling in nine minutes while I handle some life stuff. Was looking forward to eight solid hours of run today but noooooo. My apologies for the extended votes.

>>43969497
Relevant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKTtUpDfj4Q

Votes called, writing.

File: dmr_T_Back_lg.jpg (59 KB, 387x432)

59 KB JPG

You look wistfully at Nathan and decide that he should get to sleep more. You can pay him back for dinner later, after all. You change into your spare set of clothes and throw your coat and hat on. Clicking your tongue softly for your minions, you leave the house and make your way to the Mercy Hut.

Amy is sitting up this morning, and she brightens up immediately when you arrive. She dips a piece of bread in broth and takes a bite, swallowing with both difficulty and satisfaction. "Bri!" she says, excitedly. "You came. I didn't think you'd actually...I mean, of course you came," she corrects, hastily. "How were things with Nathan?"

"Dinner. Wine. Shared the bed," you say with a shrug, looking down to shrug off your coat and put it on the back of a chair. When you look up you catch an expression of horrified loss on the part-harpy's face. "Not like that," you add, quickly, "there was only one and we stayed clothed fuckitistooearlyforthiswhereisthecoffee."

Meadow chuckles from behind his desk and pours something from a kettle into a wooden cup, which he hands to you. "Black tea do?"

"Black tea is /great/," you agree in relief, taking a long sip of the hot liquid while Amy goes from 'Oh gods, no, my broken dreams' to 'please strike me dead for this shame I have brought upon myself'.

"Sleep well?"

"Yeah," she says in a small voice. "You? Wait. No. Nevermind."

It's gonna be one of /those/ days.

> Be friendly. Comfort her, ask about her life.
> Distract her with business. You have A Plan!

And

> Sit close, brush her hair. She seems to like more touchy gestures of attention. She'd probably be a hugger, if she got out of bed.
> Sit in a chair near her. Close, but not yet sure if you want to pet the bird.
> Stand right where you are.

>>43969909
> Distract her with business. You have A Plan!
> Sit in a chair near her. Close, but not yet sure if you want to pet the bird.

> Distract her with business. You have A Plan!
> Sit close, brush her hair. She seems to like more touchy gestures of attention. She'd probably be a hugger, if she got out of bed.

> Distract her with business. You have A Plan!
> Sit in a chair near her. Close, but not yet sure if you want to pet the bird.
I want to pet the bird. Bri shouldn't.

>>43969909
> Be friendly. Comfort her, ask about her life.
> Sit close, brush her hair. She seems to like more touchy gestures of attention. She'd probably be a hugger, if she got out of bed. For that matter, would Meadow kill us for sitting on the bed next to her? If not, that would work.

>>43969909
> Distract her with business. You have A Plan!
> Sit in a chair near her. Close, but not yet sure if you want to pet the bird.

I'm going to leave the vote open until 6:15 (12 minutes from now) and then call it. I won't have time to update before I have to go to work, but I'll write one when I get home, before I go to sleep.

As always, thoughts, feedback, discussion, are welcome.

>yoooouuuu

I mean, uh
>Be friendly. Comfort her, ask about her life.

>Sit close, brush her hair. She seems to like more touchy gestures of attention. She'd probably be a hugger, if she got out of bed.

Votes called in favor of "Distract her with business" and THE SECOND OPTION IS FUCKING TIED GODDAMNIT.

Fuck it, ya'll gonna sit in a chair and brush her hair. Compromise get.

did op died?

>>43973182
OP is, as mentioned, trapped at Gainful Employment and will update once that unhappy state ceases. In the meantime I welcome feedback, questions, discussion.

>>43969909
>> Be friendly. Comfort her, ask about her life.
>> Distract her with business. You have A Plan!
>And

>> Sit in a chair near her. Close, but not yet sure if you want to pet the bird.

>>43973881
See: >>43970769

>>43973328
Gotta get the green OP

File: 1421794585953.png (38 KB, 475x347)

38 KB PNG

You pull the chair up next to Amy's bed and sit down, a bit tiredly. You finish your cup of tea - 's good tea - and fish your hairbrush out of one of your many coat pockets. Amy perks up and tilts her head so you can reach it; she closes her eyes and moves her head with the brush, chirping softly.

You give Meadows the universal 'really?' facial expression known among every humanoid species, to which he responds with the ritual Solemn Nod of Resignation.

"I think I'm going to take your advice and go after the croc. I've got a plan."

"Yeah?" Amy asks, her eyes closed while you brush.

"I'm gonna feed him my weasel, then turn him into a lake guardian."

"..That...would work. Would he need maintaining?"

"All necromantic constructs do, some," you admit. "But ideally he'll clear the lake and river, and then between his creation and eventual destruction Lakehallow can take steps to stay secure on their own."

Amy makes a little affirmative noise. "I'll be happy to help."

Oh. Oh, hell no. Time to head this off.

File: iqd6RAFlvSAtj.jpg (179 KB, 640x965)

179 KB JPG

>>43976884
Good to see you're done with Gainful Employment, boss. Still here reading.

File: Bri Recruits Minions.jpg (179 KB, 500x673)

179 KB JPG

>>43976884
"Amy, we need to have a serious talk here."

She opens her eyes, her expression worried despite your continued patient brushing. "What about?"

You sigh. "...Look, you don't know me. And you don't owe me anything."

"You saved my life -" she begins, but you put a finger to her lips and look her dead in the eyes.

"No," you say slowly. "I haven't killed you /yet/. That's the problem. You're trusting me for no good reason. You're hurt, and sick, and you need to recover. I like to think I'm a good person, but why, in the name of all the gods and the beloved ancestors, would you take that at face value in a place like this?"

The half-harpy looks confused. Hurt.

"It's natural to feel grateful," you say soothingly. "And to idolize your rescuer, and don't say you aren't 'cause Nathan ratted you out already." Amy does, at least have the grace to look guilty. "If you want to stick around, I'd love to have you around. You seem interesting, and, if I'm being honest, useful. But try to judge us based on the people you see living their lives day-to-day, not the ones that broke you out of your cage. We could be anybody. I could be fattening you up for a demonic fucking sacrifice. Alright? Keep a knife sharp and an eye open, and meet me for me."

"...That's a little depressing, Brianna," the harpy girl says warily.

You shrug. "Sometimes wisdom is. You promise to keep an open mind and I'll promise to let you help the moment I've got a job for you. Deal?"

Amy mulls it over, then offers a hand out. "Deal."

You shake with an easy smile. "Right now, I need you to /get better/. I'd hate to have saved your life only to watch you die for a really stupid, preventable reason."

"Yeah, that would suck. What're you gonna do now?"

> Sneak back to the hut at high speeds and see if you can make breakfast.
> Find Kells and explain the plan.
> See what sorts of supplies are available and what the town trades in.
> Write-in.

>>43977052

> Sneak back to the hut at high speeds and see if you can make breakfast.
> Find Kells and explain the plan.

Prolly be best to bring Nate with us in case he has any ideas.

Good quest so far OP.

>>43977052
>Sneak back to the hut at high speeds and see if you can make breakfast.
why do you have all these skeletons in your close-I mean art folder?

>>43977052
> Find Kells and explain the plan.
We have stuff to do. Breakfast can wait.

>>43977052
> Sneak back to the hut at high speeds and see if you can make breakfast. Nathan deserves good turn too, and that was basically the plan when we came here anyway.

>>43977031
Yep. Sadly, as promised, I must now go to bed; I gotta be up early to drive someone into work, and then at some point interrupt my run to get my brother's paycheck, aaaand then later gotta pick a guy up, and...

I'll start my run early tomorrow, sometime around 7 or 8 AM EST, and go UNTIL THE SKY RAINS FIYA - I mean until I need to hit the sack to be up for work on Saturday.

>>43977075
Started collecting them the moment you picked Brianna as your protagonist.

> Sneak back to the hut at high speeds and see if you can make breakfast.
I dunno about 'sneak'. We should enjoy being able to be in public.

>>43977143
I think 'sneak' implies getting back without waking Nathan, not just general sneaking.

>>43977143

But if we're seen then we might get roped into saving a kitten from a tree or precision-killing a tumour hanging off a guy's neck.

Sneaking gives best chance of speedy return and breakfast making, alongside all of the "Thought I wouldn't stick around for breakfast?" jokes we can make.

>>43977052
> Find Kells and explain the plan.
Any breakfast we can get from him, maybe?

> Find Kells and explain the plan.
> See if he has opinions on what could help with said plan.

Maybe he knows someone or something.

> See what sorts of supplies are available and what the town trades in.

Gotta make a poison and disguise it, after all.

Speaking of disguises... we're still unsure how to detect the thing. But then again, maybe we don't need to, if we just send out the weasle until it gets eaten.
But how would you verify that...

>>43977239
Unlikely since we're living in his house with free run of his kitchen and he's on his boat.

>>43977412
Disguise, yes. Poison-making is easy; killing anything and using the life from it to power a necromancy spell turns the meat very, very, lethal.

Also, we can probably tell when a skeleton gets nommed.

>>43977052
> Sneak back to the hut at high speeds and see if you can make breakfast.

Calling the vote, writing.

And gooooooood morning /tg/, welcome to the ALL DAY DLQ RUN, presented by our sponsors "Fuck this four hours of sleep shit" and "Please forgive the interruptions that will inevitably disturb the run."

File: Coffee break.gif (381 KB, 500x500)

381 KB GIF

"I'm gonna pay Nate back for making dinner last night," you decide. "You get better, okay?" You offer Amy your brush, but she declines it with an embarassed look. Tucking it back into your pocket, you perform the action known to adolescents of every species - the run-sneak, wherein you attempt speed and silence at the same time at the cost of looking like a complete fucking prat. Effective, yet undignified. Much like your profession, really.

Nathan's still asleep by the time you get back, which gives you plenty of time to find things like the eggs, the bacon, and the rose hips for tea. You have yet to meet anyone who isn't woken immediately by the scent of frying bacon, and sure enough the smith's apprentice is upright and yawning moments after the fat hits the pan.

"Sleep well?" you ask.

"Yeah," he agrees, blearily. "Was warm. Always thought it'd be cold down here."

"Common misconception," you say with a shrug. "A lot of people tend to think of the earth as cold, and the grave as cold. Both are remarkably warm and snuggly."

Nathan gives you a long look.

"Look, I've got this from ghosts, okay," you protest as you flip the bacon. "Grave is snuggly /according to the dead/. Who the fuck else are you going to ask?"

"Bri," the young man says in disbelief, "that is one of those things you maybe never say out loud again."

"Urgh. You people."

Nathan heads to the outhouse while you finish up with breakfast, taking his change of clothes with him. He sits down to eat with you, gratefully, and the two of you murmur blessings before reaching for your tea at the same time. You snort gently before taking a sip.

"Amy's doing well," you say conversationally. "Meadows knows his stuff. She oughta be up and at 'em soon, though...gonna ask you to help me keep her from doing something stupid. It's common, with magical healing, to think you're better than you are because your body isn't as tired and beat down as you think it should be."

File: ghost river.jpg (102 KB, 640x480)

102 KB JPG

>>43980685
"I got the trade taken care of. Kells appreciated the warning, incidentally, and said you can find him on the docks when you need him. Doesn't sleep much at his age, he says."

"I believe it," you say thoughtfully. "He's flirting with death, she just ain't taken his hand yet. Much as I hate to say it, we'll probably need to try and take care of the croc today. I ain't got cash for room and board. You?"

Nathan shakes his head.

"Alright. So here's the plan..."

> "I'll go out on the boat. It's important that I be there in case it doesn't die as dead as it should. You stay on shore to help haul it in."
> "I need you out on the boat in case it puts up a fight. I'll be on shore to help haul it in and finish it if it's not dead."

> "I'll go out on the boat. It's important that I be there in case it doesn't die as dead as it should. You stay on shore to help haul it in."

>>43980714
> "I need you out on the boat in case it puts up a fight. I'll be on shore to help haul it in and finish it if it's not dead."
We're kind of a soft target.

> "I need you out on the boat in case it puts up a fight. I'll be on shore to help haul it in and finish it if it's not dead."
This thing's already killed us once. Really don't want to give it another shot, whether or not we get to come back from it.

>>43980714
What kind of consequences does it not dying have? Aside from pissed off murdercroc. Anything to do with the necrotoxin we're planning to use potentially causing issues?

>>43980918
Pissed-off murder croc attacking the boat or the town are the biggest ones. Worse would be it getting away and being wary of the same trap again, which would make killing it /very difficult/.

>>43980936
If there's nothing necromancy-specific, then...

>"I need you out on the boat in case it puts up a fight. I'll be on shore to help haul it in and finish it if it's not dead."

Calling in eight minutes.

Vote extended for Real Life Interruption #01.

>"I need you out on the boat in case it puts up a fight. I'll be on shore to help haul it in and finish it if it's not dead."

>>43980714
>>"I need you out on the boat in case it puts up a fight. I'll be on shore to help haul it in and finish it if it's not dead."

Hes more qualified for up close and personal than we are.

>>43981247
THE QMS CURSE STRIKES AGAIN!

>>"I need you out on the boat in case it puts up a fight. I'll be on shore to help haul it in and finish it if it's not dead."
As much as I like nathan, I'd prefer not to die again. That said, it would be really useful to know exactly how our respawn mechanics work.

Votes called, writing.

>>43980714
> "I'll go out on the boat. It's important that I be there in case it doesn't die as dead as it should. You stay on shore to help haul it in."

>>43981418
It could mean that we relive the last 24 hours and are able to change things. Because last time we were back in the inn "almost 24 hours before we died". No guarantee that this is correct though. Remember to learn the lottery numbers daily.

>>43981763
Not 24 hours /before/, anon. 24 hours /after/. A day passed between your death and revival, but as far as Glen was concerned /you never even went down/.

>>43981778
Oh, okay. But since Glen didn't remember us, we were still "back in time" somehow and able to change the course of our actions, bringing supplies and Nathan with us.

File: rusalka_by_miguelcoimbra-(...).jpg (158 KB, 750x820)

158 KB JPG

"So, the basic plan is this," you explain. "You're going to head out in the big boat and offer the bait. Chum the waters a bit, stick the weasel in, attract the big sucker. Magically-modified animals tend to be a lot more vicious than their unmodified counterparts; I'll be shocked if there's more than the one croc in this lake."

"Okay," Nate says slowly. "Then what?"

"Presuming it dies, you haul most of it out of the water, we harpoon the fucker, and then drag it to shore. But I'm not confident in my ability to make it, you know, die fast enough to keep you absolutely safe, so you might have to, ah. You know." You gesture with a fork full of eggs. "Kill it the rest of the way."

"The massive, magically-modified, invisible hate beast," Nathan clarifies.

"Well. Yes, but if you stab it enough it should stop moving."

"/Most/ things stop moving if you stab them enough!" Nate says incredulously. "How am I supposed to /survive/ that?"

"You've got armor and shit, you'll be fine."

"Not if I /drown/."

Oh. Right. /That/. You clear your throat and adjust your hat. "I, ah. I can give you ghost breath to prevent that. You'll still sink, but you should be able to walk to shore. Downside is you'll have to smoke one of these nasty-ass cigs."

"How bad /are/ they?" he asks, dubiously.

"Real talk, I've had injuries I'd rather re-live."

"I hate you so much in this moment."

File: Lakehallow Docks.jpg (192 KB, 832x468)

192 KB JPG

>>43981852
"I'll be on shore, to make double sure of the death while it's near civilians and to help haul it in," you continue smoothly. "I just need some time to prep the weasel, and Kells' approval. Some decisions to make there too."

"When can we start?" Nathan asks, with a sigh.

"Moment breakfast is done and the ship's prepped."

"Want me to go talk to Kells?"

> Have Nathan run the plan past Kells. As the guy taking the biggest risk, it'll sound better coming from him.
> It's your plan, you run it past the Lakewarden.

And

> Use the remaining cigs (except for the one Nathan needs) as the basis for your toxin
> Use the silver shards as the basis for your toxin
> Use rusty steel from the town as the basis for your toxin

Captcha wanted bodies of water. IT KNOWS.

> It's your plan, you run it past the Lakewarden
> Use rusty steel from the town as the basis for your toxin
Best to save the more portable supplies for when we're on the move again.

>>43981905
Any further info from Bri's knowledge of poisoning shsit to death in re: poison medium that isn't just handing us the right answer? If we can cast wih the cigs I feel like we should keep them.

>>43981905
Fucking thing ate my post, let's try again:

Does Bri's knowledge of poisonmaking give us any more information on what to use as the basis, or would that just be handing us the answer? I feel like if we can cast through the cigs, we should keep them.

> Have Nathan run the plan past Kells. As the guy taking the biggest risk, it'll sound better coming from him.

> Use rusty steel from the town as the basis for your toxin

Can we mix-and-match? What are the benefits and drawbacks to each of these, so far as Bri knows them?

>>43981948
>>43981978
The cigarettes, as something already poiosnous, can be refined by necromancy into something deadlier. They're possibly the weakest toxin, but also the easiest to get back out of the meat.

Silver is naturally conductive to magic, and as a precious metal that tarnishes - that is, 'dies' - it has many uses in necromancy, with this being one potential use. Silver bars, shards, and talismans are some of the most useful shit you can have around; they're the pocket knife of death magic.

Rusty steel is, likewise, "dead" metal. The toxin resulting from it would also carry some of Lakehallow's essence, for better or for worse.

>>43982001
Choose only one; we're keeping it simple and elegant. You're drawing out deathly elements in the material rather than practicing true alchemy.

>>43981905
> It's your plan, you run it past the Lakewarden.
>Use rusty steel from the town as the basis for your toxin

Silver is supposed to PREVENT sickness. Using it in a poison just seems weird.

>>43982018
I feel like the rust, then. I was worried about the rust being the worst effect because it's the most common and doesn't "cost" us anything.

Let's be real: As nice as cooking up the croc afterward is, it's a side objective, not a priority. Killing the thing is where it's at.

"For better or worse" on the rust also makes me think either it carrying the essence of Lakehallow will either make our job easier--intrinsic nature resonating well with the land and people of the town--or it will backlash hard and obviously, making the meat very Don't Eat This, which, again--oh well.

>It's your plan, you run it past the Lakewarden.
>Use rusty steel from town as the basis for your toxin.

>>43982038
Unfortunate. I was hoping to use a little silver to make the magic stick better, a cig to make the toxin easier to draw out, and then steel as the base.

Anyhow, in that case, do we get any of the other associations? Steel is seen as strong; that might be useful in backing up the poison and making it more potent. Or, on the flipside, rusty steel would thus presumably be seen as something that was once strong and is now weakening, thus potentially letting us bypass resistances.

Silver has associations with purity; balancing out the scales with it might be useful, especially viewing the croc as a blight to be cleansed, which is a perfectly valid viewpoint.

Mine did it too. Prepare for dooooooom.

> Have Nathan run the plan past Kells. As the guy taking the biggest risk, it'll sound better coming from him.

Seems fair enough to let him explain it. He's not gonna mince that this is going to be dangerous. (Since he'll be on the forefront of danger.)

> Use the silver shards as the basis for your toxin

My reasoning:
The cigarette toxin would be the weakest, which would give us a lesser shot at killing the thing, which we clearly don't want.

The rust of the town has been said to carry the essence of the place as well, which sounds like an invitation for unintended consequences. We don't want to kill half the lake with this.

The silver shavings were given to us by the healer, for fixing Nathan. Now, that was as payment, but it seems fair that we put them to use to KEEP him (as) safe (as possible) without the toxin being either too weak or too heavy in other means.

>>43982126
Once you use it for death, you align it for death. A block of wood can be anything but once you carve it into a sculpture of a horse it can't be anything any more. You over-thinking in your lust for worldbuilding, anon.

>>43982178
Hmm. So, no, none of the other things it's associated with modify the death-alignment at all? Sad, though I suppose that is, again, more the province of true alchemy.

>>43982178
Oh, also, can we delay voting on the toxin in order to run the options past Kells and see what his opinion of each is?

>>43982018
>The toxin resulting from it would also carry some of Lakehallow's essence,
when you say "carry", do you mean the toxin affects Lakehallow or Lakehallow affects the toxin? Important distinction here.

>>43982237
The latter.

>>43982246
>>43981905
> Use rusty steel from the town as the basis for your toxin

>>43982212
You theoretically could, but all you'd be doing is replacing Bri's experience with his ignorance. It's not really much of a help.

Also VOTES CALLED.

>>43982462
I had been thinking 'Look, here are the risks, which plan do you, as Lakewarden, want to go with?'. But fair enough.

File: 37078.jpg (31 KB, 550x343)

31 KB JPG

You mull it over, then shake your head. "No, it's my plan, I should outline it. Give me a second."

You take out the cigarette case, removing one of the small, paper-wrapped sins against nature from it along with your lighter. You murmur a prayer over it and shudder as some of your energy flows into the cig.

You hand it, and the lighter, to Nathan.

"Smoke /all/ of that before you get on the water," you say firmly. "And I do mean all of it, no cheating. Down until it burns your lips. And don't wash it down with alcohol until you're done killing the croc."

"Will it negate the magic?" he asks dubiously.

"No, I just want you sharp for fighting the damn thing."

The two of you finish your breakfast and clean the dishes. You put on your coat, adjust your hat, and head out to find Kells. He is, once more, on the docks, looking thoughtfully out over the lake. You take a seat and bump him with your elbow.

"Nice house."

"Thanks. 's why I live in it."

You chuckle and tuck your hands into your coat pockets. "So, I've got a plan. I'm gonna need a big fishing boat to catch this thing with, a lot of chum, citizens on hand, and harpoons."

"Need anything else?" Kells asks, mildly.

"Rust. Rusty iron, about half a pound's worth, fresh meat, and blood. Any blood, it's there to mask the scent of the toxin. Basically, Nate takes the boat out and lures the thing to the bait. Ideally, the croc takes the bait and dies, but since plans never go right -"

"Preach it, sister," Kells interjects with a gruff chuckle.

"- Nate'll be on hand to try to put it down. He hauls the corpse up, we harpoon it from shore and then drag it in. Could probably drag it with the boat if we included a crew but I don't wanna put the citizens at risk."

"But you're fine with putting your handsome friend at risk?" Kells asks, with a raised eyebrow.

"He's A Hero," you say, emphasizing the words.

"Ah. Short life expectency."

You punch the old pirate in the arm. "Asshole."

File: Necrodance.jpg (94 KB, 869x960)

94 KB JPG

>>43983278
"What happens after?" Kells inquires.

"If Meadows can purge the meat, we throw a feast for the town. Either way, the hide will be damn useful, if you've got a tanner."

"Sorta. Glen has a tannery, we've got a leatherworker. Business partners."

"That is so odd," you remark.

Kells shrugs. "Welcome to the Basement. I can have the ship ready and pushed out within the hour. Will that give you enough time to prepare the bait, if I sign the chit for your supplies?"

"Yeah, more than enough," you agree. Kells takes a pencil and a sheaf of paper from the pocket of his gigantic coat and writes out a note for you.

"Best of luck, girl."

"I don't need luck," you say with a grin. "I've got the hardest-to-get advantage in the world."

"Yeah?"

"Decent help."

File: Fucking Hell I Need a Dra(...).jpg (173 KB, 640x853)

173 KB JPG

>>43983368
Your weasel, stuffed with meat that has in turn been laced with rusty shards of death-charged iron, looks like a parody of itself. You pierce the obedient skeleton on a gaff hook and then set it on the deck of the fishing ship that Nathan will be facing his foe on.

"You smoked the whole thing?" you ask for the third time.

"I even ate the cherry," he reassures you, showing the burn mark on his tongue. You wince, but nod.

"Good. Good. Okay. It's faster than you are, so don't try to swim away if you get stuck in the water. Um. Their jaws don't /open/ well, so if you have to you might be able to pin it shut. Don't let it roll if it bites you."

"Bri, I'll be fine," he says with confidence you can tell he doesn't feel.

"Don't do anything /stupid/," you say firmly.

"I won't," the young man promises.

> Wish him luck.
> Go to your station. Just. Go to your station so you can stop freaking out.
> Fuck it, kiss him. He's a Hero, right? It's traditional.

Hey guys, would now be a good time to mention that, in nature, alligators and crocodiles can eat pretty much anything and live? This includes up to and including things dead for over a month. In addition, they apparently have a bitch of an immune system. Just thought you should all hear this now that its too late.

Rolled 100 (1d100)

>>43983437
>> Wish him luck.
Rolling for his luck

May his ancestors guide his blade, and guide it true.

Sorry for the delay, Real Life Interruption #02 happened. #03 comes up in thirty minutes.

>>43983437
> Go to your station. Just. Go to your station so you can stop freaking out.

>>43983474
Holy shit! Necromancy works!

And I just wasted a nat 100!

>Wish him luck.

And tell him to stick it through the mouth with a harpoon if he can't shut it in time.

>>43983474
Nice.
> Wish him luck.

> Fuck it, kiss him. He's a Hero, right? It's traditional.
Plus, he's kinda cute, and we *are* sending him into Deadly Danger.

> Wish him luck /as we leave to/
> Go to your station. Just. Go to your station so you can stop freaking out.

>>43983474
...Well okay then. Seconding that plan because holy shit luck bonus, hopefully.

>>43983474
We're not spoiling the meat. We are sticking pointy bits of iron magically infused with death in it. I don't think the immune system comes into play.

>>43983509
>>43983507
>>43983437
>>43983512

Cross linking to OP because anons are especially bad today

>>43983525
To clarify.

>Wish him luck. And then use that roll because wow.

>>43983474
As much as I hate to say this given that amazing roll, I'm not doing dice-based randomization in this particular quest.

I'm sorry anon. Don't hurt me, I have children. Hurt them instead. [/GeorgeCarlin]

Rolled 69 (1d100)

>>43983564
Eh, most QMs wouldn't accept it even in a roll based quest, and if you aren't using them this extra roll certainly can't affect anything

>>43983474
i don't even quest on tg, just browse threads for ideas, but this was exceptional.

> Go to your station. Just. Go to your station so you can stop freaking out.

Chillaaaax. And like you said: Luck is for those who don't have good helpers. Are you trying to imply something for him here?

Votes called. Writing.

File: Spoiler Image (5 KB, 360x192)

5 KB JPG

"You got this," you say confidently, straightening up. "You wanna tell the story to Amy when we get back, or should I?"

"Eh, we'll burn that bridge when we cross it," he says with a grin. "Get to the harpoons, Bri."

You tip your hat and rush off before you can make more of an ass of yourself.

* * * *

You are Nathan Bookchild, mother dead, father unknown, and you are on a boat, in an underground lake, in full armor, because the gods love a good joke.

You push your tongue against the roof of your mouth, but the relief from the cigarette burn is only temporary. Your breathing's been more labored ever since Brianna killed...saved.../revived/ you, and though you don't bregrudge her you have this grim feeling that your soldier's career died before it ever lived. You can't march the miles like this, not when the march to Lakehallow made your lungs feel like they were being sawed by ice.

You spread chum into the water and lower the undead weasel - you've named him Ratty, in your head - starts obediently wiggling on the end of the hook. The water, except where the blood and guts spread into it, is remarkably clear to your sight. You're glad that Bri hasn't asked how you can see in the dark. Maybe she appreciates that people have things they don't want to talk about.

Minutes tick by in the silence, and you draw the knife from your belt in nervous anticipation. Axe would be bad in the water, Bri had said, and you're pretty sure she'd know.

Then the back half of the boat is torn away, sending you sprawling to the deck as wood splinters and cracks. The massive crocodile fades into view as its camoflauge vanishes, taking most of your vessel with it. The flotsam spreads while the croc dives to get distance, and then turns to charge.

Fuck. It didn't take the bait.

> Grab the hook and throw the weasel into its maw when it charges!
> VALHALLAAAAAA!
> Abandon ship!

> Grab the hook and throw the weasel into its maw when it charges!

well shit
> Grab the hook and throw the weasel into its maw when it charges!

> Ooooh that bastard Vintner is going to get it. Shove a weasel down its gullet!

>>43984409

> Grab the hook and throw the weasel into its maw when it charges!

Real Life Interruption #04 is coming up in 10 minutes, so I'm gonna extend the vote on this one. #05 shouldn't be until 10:30 PM EST or so, though.

> Grab the hook and throw the weasel into its maw when it charges!

Alternatively:

> Grab the anchor, ideally still with the rope/chain attached. We gotta tie something close in a rolling hurry.

That thing's gonna eat the bait or not eat at all! o/

Shadowrun time, either hes a vampire, a changeling, or has elven blood in him. Seeing we haven't been eaten alive in our sleep or had our blood consumed, chances are he has some elven blood in him, otherwise it would've been noticed.

At least in nethacks lore elves tend to have infra vision/low light vision

>>43985060

...wrong thread?

>>43985088
Nope, notice the line at >>43984409
> is remarkably clear to your sight. You're glad that Bri hasn't asked how you can see in the dark.

He can see in the dark, in a way people shouldn't be able to.

>>43985088
No, anon is theorizing on Nathan's vision.

Phone posting, vote still on.

>>43985060
His vision probably isn't due to him being elven. We're an elf, y'know? We seem to need magic to see as well as he does, so he clearly has something different aiding his vision.
>>43985060
Shadowrun time is just another way of saying 'wild mass guessing/paranoia time'

>>43985112
But what if the reason we keep dreaming about the angel is because we've died in our sleep every night? Have we OP?

>>43985138
Ahh. Bri is human, anon.

>>43985138
I had to double check, we're human. At least I think we are.

>>43985150
Sleep is the brother of Death, but make no mistake; similarity is not equivalence.

>>43985173
Misremebered the first thread then. Thought both the necromancer and the 'technical' priestess were both elves.

>>43985101

Oh. Shit, I'd missed that line.

Given she killed him and brought him back, I doubt he's a vampire. Not sure about the other two, but given that he seems somewhat ashamed about it (in the sense that he doesn't see the ability as a good thing and wants to keep it more-or-less hidden) I'm doubting changeling as well. If his father was unknown and his mom was a soldier, she might've gotten taken captive and raped during a war against some non-human country.

>>43985204
Nice characterization if that's the case. Not directly ashamed of it, but it's a reminder of darker events. Keeps it secret since he'd rather have people pry into the details.

>>43985259
*rather not
We could still let him know we know. No need to force info out of him, but if he ever feels to need to talk about it, at least he'll know he's not dumping it on us unexpectedly.

Well that was much more a fucking interruption than I was expecting.

Votes called, writing.

A NOTE, ANON: The next vote is a defining moment; you will have the chance to characterize Brianna's skill set in a way that has lasting consequences. Notably, whatever option is chosen means the other options are /not currently true/, so think well and choose accordingly.

>>43986178
Noted. Will we be getting an extension on that one as well to allow for additional discussion, or is it a case of 'Choose wisely and fast'?

>>43986178
Consequences? In a quest, no less! What have we stumbled into!

Should be fun, though. We have no idea what's in store for us or how we'll develop in the future, so we get to figure out what we want now, what we want for later, and how we'll bridge that gap as the croc tries to murder us all as we decide.

No pressure.

File: He Didn't Take the Bait.gif (636 KB, 320x192)

636 KB GIF

No time to think. You haul up on the chain, yanking the hook into your hand, and throw it just as the massive jaws open. You duck and grin in satisfaction as you see Ratty sail into the croc's open maw - and the croc fly over the boat, his lower jaw scraping what's left of the wildly bobbing deck .

Aren't you supposed to be scared? You feel /alive/!

You seize the chain in gloved hands and yank hard, feeling the satisfying catch of metal on flesh. The croc twists with a roar of surprise and fury, hitting the water in a massive splash. It rolls, spooling more of the chain from its winch, and finds its balance.

You can see hate in its eyes as it charges from the surface.

You pull the hatchet from your belt and plant your feet on the deck, knife in your other hand.

"Ho la, sons of sorrow!" you scream, in glorious defiance.

* * * *

You are Brianna la Croix and /merciful fucking ancestors Nate is going to get himself killed/.

The croc's coming right at him. Fuck. Dosomethingdosomethingdosomething.

> Your grandmother taught you magic, but Grandpa la Croix was a big influence too; he raised a huntress, not just a necromancer. Throw a harpoon.
> A la Croix is never alone. When the chips are down and the need is great enough, your family is there for you, in life or in death. Beseech the ancestors for aid.
> You don't like it, but Grandmother la Croix thought you were responsible enough to learn the killing arts, and intelligent enough to understand why they have to be known. Cast a slaying spell.

>>43986283
My next interruption isn't for another six hours. There will be normal voting time.

>>43986383
> You don't like it, but Grandmother la Croix thought you were responsible enough to learn the killing arts, and intelligent enough to understand why they have to be known. Cast a slaying spell.

>>43986383
Hmm. So, as a huntress we'd learn a bit of survival, fighting, and ambushing. Also gives us some non-magical ways of fighting and caring for ourselves, which would be nice. We've run ourselves to near delirium with magic use already. It'd take some pressure off.

By calling on the ancestors, we open up potential avenues to bring their expertise on a number of subjects. Gives us potential aid in a variety of situations, but it's reliant on our necromancy. Heavily so. The strain would be a lot.

Slaying spell means power. Life is for living, death is for the dead, and we know enough to help people make that transition *fast*. A lot of power in combat, not so much utility out of it. Unless we want to bully/intimidate a lot, maybe...

I'll go
>Beseech the ancestors for aid

It probably comes with some hefty strings attached, since it's necromancy, but it'll give us an out for almost every situation if we're willing to burn ourselves doing it.

>>43986383
> Your grandmother taught you magic, but Grandpa la Croix was a big influence too; he raised a huntress, not just a necromancer. Throw a harpoon.

> You don't like it, but Grandmother la Croix thought you were responsible enough to learn the killing arts, and intelligent enough to understand why they have to be known. Cast a slaying spell.

I don't feel that interested in the gish stuff, although it might be useful, which leaves me with Ancestors and Slaying.

I vote slaying for one reason: I think its a better story if Brianna /is/ alone, or at least that she has to find her own friends. Plus, it'd kinda ruin the impact of her Angsty Backstory if her family were just a magic phonecall away.

> A la Croix is never alone. When the chips are down and the need is great enough, your family is there for you, in life or in death. Beseech the ancestors for aid.

>>43986597
It does make a point that Ia Croix can call on their family *when the need is great enough*. There's clearly a price attached each time we use it.

Probably is for the slaying spell too, but I imagine it's less, in terms of mental/physical/magical effort. The primary drawback is probably in the sheer power we'd have to kill and the bad will that follows with it.

>>43986383
> A la Croix is never alone. When the chips are down and the need is great enough, your family is there for you, in life or in death. Beseech the ancestors for aid.

Save us Ghost Dad

>>43986383
>You don't like it, but Grandmother la Croix thought you were responsible enough to learn the killing arts, and intelligent enough to understand why they have to be known. Cast a slaying spell.

Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>43986383
>> A la Croix is never alone. When the chips are down and the need is great enough, your family is there for you, in life or in death. Beseech the ancestors for aid.


I BELIEVE!

>>43986383
>> Your grandmother taught you magic, but Grandpa la Croix was a big influence too; he raised a huntress, not just a necromancer. Throw a harpoon.

> Your grandmother taught you magic, but Grandpa la Croix was a big influence too; he raised a huntress, not just a necromancer. Throw a harpoon.

Bri is a traveller with a practical nature and she usually travels alone. She'd have some non-magical skills to fall back on.

Calling in eight minutes. Last chances for discussion and votes.

Your waifu is shit and so is your choice in favorite ancestor!

>>43986383
> A la Croix is never alone. When the chips are down and the need is great enough, your family is there for you, in life or in death. Beseech the ancestors for aid.

Ghosts are more characters to have witty banter with.

> Your grandmother taught you magic, but Grandpa la Croix was a big influence too; he raised a huntress, not just a necromancer. Throw a harpoon.

In some ways I prefer the magic death spell option - but Slaying simply doesn't have the votes right now and I really don't like Ancestors.

>>43986383
>A la Croix is never alone. When the chips are down and the need is great enough, your family is there for you, in life or in death. Beseech the ancestors for aid

>>43986950
Well, OP will be fitting the backstory to our skill set, so I suppose we're deciding more for ourselves what role we want Bri to play. Anyone want to chip in their thoughts on that?

I'm thinking the knowledgeable one. If we don't know what's going on, we know how to figure it out, at least. Seems the best fit for Bri right now in this group, and I'd be fine sticking with that.

>>43986963
You take that back about our Aunt!

>>43986383
>>43986684
What if part of the cost of the ancestors option is you need to channel the spirit into a living person, either yourself or a volunteer. This causes them to share a body - they can speak to each other mentally, and the ancestor may manifest physical changes and/or spectral equipment when in control. Also some ancestors are assholes and will try to take over the body permanently unless you can talk them down. That should help with the issue raised by >>43986597 saying it would make Brianna less alone.

I'm gonna extend the vote for another 15 minutes as I unexpectedly have been elected to cook dinner.

>>43987041
Having the potential for permanent possession makes me like that option even LESS, honestly. If sticks then we're out a Bri in the worst case scenario or we just fucked over our buddies and maybe ourselves.

>>43987041
That sounds p cool to me. I hope OP goes for that if ancestors wins.

>>43986383
>>43987041
Er, to be clear, I'm voting for
> A la Croix is never alone. When the chips are down and the need is great enough, your family is there for you, in life or in death. Beseech the ancestors for aid.
Though I think the stuff in my last post could add good room for character development/exposition (e.g. one of your allies is forced to badmouth you and feels shaken up afterwards)

>>43987083
I don't see it as something that would actually happen, just a risk that Bri is aware of, and is one of the reasons she doesn't like doing it often. An ancestor might try it once and fail. Or maybe Bri has a way of kicking them out that takes a lot of energy and injures the host in the process.

>>43987041
Could also be that the body rejects having multiple spirits inside it since humans aren't built that way. Nor are spirits meant to share a body, really. Necromancy can jury rig a solution to that, but it's far from optimal.

I'm sure there's pain on all sides, even theirs, to call on direct aid like we're probably doing now.

As for the magic phone call stuff, it's probably just taxing. We've seen how drained Bri got when she brought back Nate and helped Amy. How much energy is it gonna take to call on someone who's been dead for years or decades, even for just a chat?

... I really wanna reread the Abhorsen trilogy now.

>>43987091
I think you might be missing the part where this has potential to really, really, fuck us royally. Think 'Someone told me to use a cactus as a dildo and I thought this was a good idea, but I decided that I should nail some razorblades to it first' level of fucked. We are getting an ability that DESPITE OUR RESURRECTION MECHANIC can effectively permakill our main character. Either it never comes up and the 'cool' factor goes away or it does and it's a horrible ability that we will never ever use again.

>>43987150
If it never comes up, do please clarify how the fuck it does anything at all? And how Bri is supposed to use that ability if she's the one who gets possessed, which is entirely possible if it does happen? Either the consequences don't happen and they're no mitigation at all of the worries you said they were meant to alleviate as a result or they do happen and it's potentially awful for us.

>>43987275
We'd be getting possessed by a spirit of an ancestor who has more experience under the circumstances we are at currently. So we'd be suddenly fighting at an expert level at countering the enemy, however, you have to note that despite there skill all these ancestors died, meaning at some point they fucked up badly.

>>43987239
>>43987275
I'll let you in on a secret, anon: Vox will never create a situation that permanently ends the quest unless he wants to, y'know, permanently end the quest.

>>43987354
My concern isn't with the possession itself; that'd be kinda neat, even I'd be unhappy with how much flexibility it suddenly imparts. It's with the stupid-as-balls idea of making it a permanent takeover some part of the time.

Alright, time for bed. Don't die, don't let anyone else die (unless you want them to), and if you don't waifu/husbando our current party members, at least hook them up with each other. They can be adorable and awkward in this glorified death trap together.

>>43987390
>permanent some part of the time
Some ancestors will TRY to make it permanent because lingering attachments etc., meaning Bri either has to waste time talking them down, or waste energy kicking them out. And I'm not sure where you get the idea that Bri wouldn't be able to kick spirits out of her own head.

Okay, that took longer than I wanted to. On the other hand, yummy, yummy foods.

Vote called. Tallying, writing.

>>43987482
Because once it takes her over she's sorta not in control anymore to use her magic? Every piece of magic we've seen her use has involved physical materials or cursing, neither of which you can do with a ghost running your body. And breaking mental compulsions is explicitly noted to be more wizard territory as noted when jailbreaking the angel was discussed.

File: Hipster Undead.png (870 KB, 1280x720)

870 KB PNG

"Remember," your grandmother had said to you. "Nothing in life or death is free, not even among family. You can call the ancestors to aid you, and their sorceries will be greater than yours. They've crossed through the Veil and are full up of Death, with all of its power and all of its responsibilities."

"Then what do they want?" you'd asked.

"What the dead always want. A little taste of life."

Your grandfather's hunting knife clears its sheath in an instant. Yes, there's always a price to pay.

But you saved Nathan once already and you'll be damned if you watch him die like this.

"Croix," you call, as you slash a line down your wrist; red, arterial blood sprays into the air. "Save the Hero!"

Kells is lunging for you in an instant, putting pressure and cloth on your wrist, but your eyes are for the blood. The spray doesn't hit the water; it splatters into a vaguely humanoid shape, with familiar features and a smooth, easy grin.

"Hey cousin," Mark says smoothly. "Nice t'see ya again."

You groan and roll your eyes. "Get on with it, you asshole."

Mark turns and gestures authoriatively. "Hey, you duppies! Drag the croc under and hold him firm."

Arms reach from the water. Hundreds, thousands of them, with fingers or hooks or just raw, deathly hate for the living. The crocodile flails in fury as its charge slows, and then halts. Its anger never turns into terror even as it's dragged down, down into the depths, not even when the town's harpoons hit it and pierce its hide.

The water churns red, and eventually stills.

Kells is starting to treat your arm, swearing at you in a low, steady voice, when Mark turns to you, his bloody face a sideways smile.

"The usual price?"

"A day and a night to joyride in my body, yes," you say, nodding. "Same rules as before - don't kill me, don't kill anyone else without just cause, and don't get me pregnant."

"No promises outside of that, o' course."

You sigh. "You're a sick ghost, Mark. Back to death."

File: Bri - The Early Years.jpg (105 KB, 1250x1579)

105 KB JPG

>>43988179
The wave of exhaustion that hits you when Mark leaves - sending your blood cascading down to the water - is like a blow. You slump into Kells' arms and let him guide you to the ground.

"Bri!" Nate calls, his voice all concern.

"Get," you groan, "the fucking croc, you stupid heroic idiot, sweartofuckI'llkillyouforalmostdying."

"Don't talk, girl," Kells says softly. Something goes to your lips; from the awful flavor, a healing potion. You feel the cut close over and the distinctly uncomfortable sensation of rapidly-replaced blood.

"Izzit dead?"

"It's dead."

> "Yay."
> "Then 've got work to do. While the corpse is fresh."
> "I'ma. I'ma pass out now."

>>43988330
> "Then 've got work to do. While the corpse is fresh."

>>43988330

> "Then 've got work to do. While the corpse is fresh."

Do we get to choose when Mark takes his day, or is it Mark's choice?

>>43988374
You do, within a year and a day of now. But he gets you for the entire time; you nope out of consciousness and wake up to face whatever he's put you through.

> "Then 've got work to do. While the corpse is fresh."
Can't pass out yet...can't...*zzzz*

>>43988382
I presume that Mark would be justifiably rather upset with us if we, say, had Nathan chain us up somewhere and lock the door from the outside until we say a specific phrase, then said 'come get your day'?

>>43988438
Very. It'd also vastly reduce the odds that someone answered your call for aid in the future.

>>43988470
As expected. Mostly just heading off that sort of thing at the pass.

>>43988382

Alright then. I was imagining ways either of us could screw the other over, from

>him popping in on some day hugely important to us or where our knowledge is needed to prevent everyone from dying

to

>us holding off his owed day until our deathbed or we get trapped immobile for x>= 24hrs amount of time

Though admittedly we could still manage the latter. Do our 'resurrection days' count against the year and a day thing? (Like if we'd summoned him before we got eaten on the fourth, when we rezzed on the fifth would we have 366 days or 365?)

>>43988438
However, we can tell him that we'll be possessed for the day and that he should make sure we don't do anything excessively stupid.

>>43988528
I cannot rightfully answer that without spoilers.

Lets just have our party members watch us, chances are the next day and night will be spent celebrating anyway. The big bad gator is dead.

We can let our dead cousin enjoy it. Also make sure our party member knows the guy possessing us is a decent guy and to treat us well, just make sure we dont die or do anything irrevocably stupid.

>>43988588

>the effect of the rezzing on objective measurements of time is a spoiler

Shadowruns time!

> "Yay."
Nothing like understatement to get across exhaustion.

>>43988382
...So is the time that we spend "noped out" in any way restful? Obviously we return with our *body* in whatever state Mark has left it (unless there's something much handier going on there than it sounds), but would we feel mentally rested? Or, if Mark's been awake for 24 hours partying hard, do we wake up to exhaustion and a pounding headache? (yayyyy.....)

>>43988531
I'd actually like to make sure of that - are we allowed to tell people in advance 'When I wake up tomorrow I'm going to be possessed by a ghost, so bear that in mind'? I don't want us waking up to find, say, Amy in our bed with no idea that that wasn't us last night.

>>43988713

>What do you mean you don't remember anything from last night?!

>I mean that it literally wasn't me who was in my body at the time it was my asshole cousin!

Yeah, I can see that turning ugly real fast.

>>43988708
It can be de-stressing, but you'll get your body back in whatever state he left it in.

>>43988713
Imagine yourself as the hostess of a party. You invite Mark over to this party promising him a good time. You can make whatever preparations you want for this party, /as long as he can still have a good time/.

In many of these cases, the ghosts will /literally/ party; they will eat, drink, make merry, crack jokes, make friends, sing into the night, make love, carouse, and otherwise carry on. Sometimes they use the time to take up hobbies they miss from life; other times they use it to try and resolve those last few bits of business they never got to. Most are decent enough people but all of them have a slight disconnect from humanity that makes certain lines of thought, like "Maybe I shouldn't have sex in someone else's body" or "she's gonna feel all these Carolina Reapers I'm eating later" completely fail to cross their dead minds.

>>43988330
> "Then 've got work to do. While the corpse is fresh."

>>43988790
Basically, our plan should be sic the alligator out, Inform nathan and Kell, and tell them to make sure mark has a good time and that we don't make any irredeemably bad decisions during that time.

>>43988884
How certain are you that you want to turn over a body that's injured and exhausted to him?

>>43988918
That... is a good point...

>>43988753
Indeed. Especially since Amy looks up to us right now and would be pretty badly hurt we let this happen.

>>43988790
Reasonable.

>>43988918
Yeah, let's hold off on having Mark take over for now. He's likely to party and we'll both find that better if we're not as fucked up as we are now.

I think we probably want to find a situation that's significantly more, shall we say, *stable* before we let Mark have his day.

That'll make us happier, it'll make him happier, and I dare say it'll make our companions happier.

>>43989045
Lets be honest, hes going to probably end up sleeping with one of them, or some random person on the whole hero thing. Its going to happen. We'll just deal with that aftermath when it happens.

This is probably also why that kind of deal mainly is done with family, so that you know they wont dick you over too hard or sell your body into sexual slavery or turn you over to a death cult or something.

>>43989072
To be fair, as mentioned we ARE allowed to (and should) tell our companions who's going to be in our body, so they can decide with full knowledge if they want that list to also include them.

>>43988918
Vox, just what kind of person was Mark in life?

>>43989235
Bri never knew him in life. She met him the /first/ time she did this.

>>43989289
What kind of person is he as a ghost?

>>43989371
Would you prefer to get the information dumped on you, or to find out more organically, in the events of the story and/or as companions ask WTF just happened?

Also VOTES CALLED, WRITING.

>>43989399
organically and a funny wtf report

>>43989399
I'd like Brianna inform Nate and Amy before letting the bastard loose in our body.

>>43989399
FYI sex while we aren't in control will cause me to drop the quest despite enjoying it so far.

File: voodoo.jpg (329 KB, 638x850)

329 KB JPG

"Then 've got work to do," you say, your words clearing up as the potion works its (literal) magic. You stand, slowly; healing can replace your blood and knit the cut on your arm to a thin scar, but it can't restore the life force you spent, and calling the dead from beyond the Veil is rough work. "Haul it to shore. Get Meadows to cleanse it, drain its blood, skin it, strip it to bones."

"You're sure I can't get you to rest?" Kells asks solemnly.

You hear a splash as Nathan drops into the lake, presumably to start walking to shore.

"I'm sure."

You pitch in as best you can, hauling the corpse up and weilding a knife to help strip the meat from the massive crocodile. The trough the citizens of Lakehallow drained the blood into is quickly emptied by the bucket, with the citizenry carrying it away for their own purposes - chum, blood sausage, bait, and more. Eventually only the clean bones are left, which are lowered to the shore at your request.

You and Kells both suggest to Nathan that he go warm up inside and enjoy the upcoming Feast of Entirely Too Many Ways to Cook Crocodile. The old pirate waits quietly.

"A mindless skeleton won't do," you say at last. "Even if I could teach you how to give orders to it properly, it'd come up to a situation it doesn't have context for, and someone would get hurt. It needs something more, a guiding set of principles. Which means I need a piece of something or someone devoted to this town." You give the old pirate a look. "A fingertip would do."

"A fingertip, y'say?" Kells muses. "...What could you do with the entire person?"

> No. Absolutely not, not even with a volunteer.
> U fukkin wot m8?
> ...It's your life, and your death, but before we consider this there's some things you'd need to know, and some safeguards that would constrain your new afterlife.

>>43989668
>...It's your life, and your death, but before we consider this there's some things you'd need to know, and some safeguards that would constrain your new afterlife.

> U fukkin wot m8?
> ...It's your life, and your death, but before we consider this there's some things you'd need to know, and some safeguards that would constrain your new afterlife.

>>43989594
I make no promises about backstory elements. That in mind, it'd be an easy button to press, and I'm not often in the habit of easy.

>>43989668
>U fukkin wot m8?
Life is for the Living, Death is for the dead. Or whatever our fucking motto is.

>>43989698
Backstory isn't what I meant and I didn't really expect you to have our possession go that way. I just HATE loosing agency as it is almost always done poorly.

>>43989730
Actually, yeah. Vox, could Bri gel with this? Or is this what our vote is deciding?

Because honestly, she's also big on letting people make their own (informed) decisions, so I figure as long as we let him have his goodbyes over a pot of New Vessel stew, hey, go for it.

>>43989800
In a sense this vote is helping to answer that question. Part of Brianna's duty is to make tough decisions about life and death. If you feel like she'd want to know more about why he's looking to die, take that middle option. If you feel she respects his choice more than his reasons, take the last one. The first needs no explaining.

>>43989668
> U fukkin wot m8?

Strongly leaning into a segue to the last option--just as long as he knows our job demands that we make sure he knows the stakes beforehand.

Vote called, writing.

>>43989668
> U fukkin wot m8?


Thats almost certainly a terrible idea.

File: Baron.jpg (138 KB, 462x800)

138 KB JPG

"I'm gonna need you to explain to me," you said slowly, "why in the name of all the fucking gods you are volunteering to not only die painfully, but then proceed into the corpse of a giant mutant crocodile rather than, for example, your rightful rest."

"This is the sort of conversation that needs rum," Kells notes.

"Bulllshiiiiit. You get rum /after/ the serious conversation about your life and death," you say firmly. "...Won't say no to the pipe, though."

You wait patiently as Kells packs a bowl of tobacco and lights it. The two of you share the pipe for a long minute before he speaks up.

"I was not a good man for much of my life," the old pirate says slowly. "You and I, we know what exile to the Dungeon means. It means slow, painful, humiliating death. And I deserved it. I stole, an' I murdered. I plundered, and burned, and clove children from their families. Time was in my life that I traded in slaves. Time was in my life that I betrayed those who trusted me. I was a monster in man's flesh, an' nothin' would slake my lusts."

You listen quietly, respectully, as the old man bares his soul.

"They pushed me down here with my hook and my cutlass, and they bade me return in forty years. I almost starved to death my first week, but a stranger did me a kindness I did not deserve, and I did not die. My heart burned with greed and with anger, and they knew me for what I was, and yet...and yet."

Kells sighs and passes you the pipe. "That was a long time ago. That friend died, saving a man drowning in the water. I found love, and she, too, went to the deeps before me. I've been given much I did not deserve, down here in the dark. I have regrets, and I'll pay my tolls for them in the hereafter. But here, now, I have the chance to make m'death mean something. To save the town that saved me, an' pay back what I owe to the living before I go on to face the dead. And if I must suffer for it, so be it. I deserve to suffer."

File: sF5Ck3F.png (392 KB, 636x403)

392 KB PNG

>>43990363
"Pointless punishment is a stupid form of justice," you observe, taking a quiet puff.

"But that ain't what I'm askin' you for, girl," Kells rumbles. "I'm sayin' I'm willing to endure, to help others. Like I saw you do, just now, for that Hero you're totin' about. For the town you just met and owe not a thing to. I did a lot of evil in my life. Let me do good in my death."

"You understand that there would be constraints, yes?" you say solemnly. "Safeguards built into your new form to keep you from harming the living, should you go mad. You'd be in a body not your own, unfamiliar and alien. You'd be unable to pursue your old hobbies, and to enjoy the vital pleasures of life. And you'd /fight/, because the river, and the lake, would be your charge. You will fight, and heal, and fight again, until you are finally destroyed."

"Let no man say that Red Kells ever feared pain or death," the old man declares, taking his pipe back from you. "Will ye grant my wish?"

You sigh through your nose.

> No. I don't think you appreciate the consequences of this decision.
> Yes - on the condition that you tell Lakehallow, now, what it is you've asked of me, and let them say their goodbyes. This town will grieve you, and they deserve the chance so few get, to part on their own terms.

>>43990436
>Yes - on the condition that you tell Lakehallow, now, what it is you've asked of me, and let them say their goodbyes. This town will grieve you, and they deserve the chance so few get, to part on their own terms.

>>43990436
>> No. I don't think you appreciate the consequences of this decision.


We could take a bit less of him then his entire fucking life! Besides, we're the one who is supposed to make stupid borderline masochistic decisions here, Not him!

>>43990436
On a side note making captain hook a crocodile is very amusing

>>43990436
>> Yes - on the condition that you tell Lakehallow, now, what it is you've asked of me, and let them say their goodbyes. This town will grieve you, and they deserve the chance so few get, to part on their own terms.

>>43990487
I was going to suggest we name him Tock.

> Yes - on the condition that you tell Lakehallow, now, what it is you've asked of me, and let them say their goodbyes. This town will grieve you, and they deserve the chance so few get, to part on their own terms.

>>43990436
>Yes, with conditions
>you tell Lakehallow, now, what it is you've asked of me, and let them say their goodbyes. This town will grieve you, and they deserve the chance so few get, to part on their own terms.
and because I don't think you fully appreciate the consequences of this decision,
>another must share in the sacrifice. Whoever it is won't die, but you need to understand that your life is more than your life. Let one who vouches that here you are a good man give a bit of themselves, that let that anchor you against madness.

>>43990487
well played.

>Yes - on the condition that you tell Lakehallow, now, what it is you've asked of me, and let them say their goodbyes. This town will grieve you, and they deserve the chance so few get, to part on their own terms.
I think we should try to persuade him to not give his whole life... but in the end it's his call.

>>43990436
> Yes - on the condition that you tell Lakehallow, now, what it is you've asked of me, and let them say their goodbyes. This town will grieve you, and they deserve the chance so few get, to part on their own terms.

>>43990436
>Maybe - you consult with the town spend at least one more night with the living, reflect on what you have and what your death would do to others. Then come back to me and we'll have this conversation again.

Votes called. Writing!

This thread's headed for the grave. I'm considering letting the quest rest, but I'm also considering starting a new thread and running this shit for another five hours. Either way, this will be the last update for THIS THREAD, and I, as always, welcome discussion, questions, and feedback. Anon has a lot more experience with these than I do and I could use the advice.

>>43990929
Rest if for the weak, and the dead who have earned their eternal slumber.

>>43990929
>>43991004
And Vox, you are neither.

>>43989742
I think you need to chill. Bri isn't a young virgin, Mark isn't TRYING to ruin her life, and most importantly how much do you value life, and what is needed to preserve it?

And if you're so protective of your agency, why aren't you brainstorming ways to give Mark such a good time that he won't care that he's restricted? There is your agency: exercise it.

>>43990929
A lot of quests run during the weekends it is up to you if you want to do the same. Could attract more participants, which can be a good/bad thing. But that is up to you. You could rest and start a new thread during the weekend or you can start one now, and then hold like a Q&A or just general discussion for the quest over the weekend while people read and catch up on the quest/threads.

Overall, quest seems good so far. Will we eventually be seeing the same locales at a later date with the characters we didn't pick, or running into them later as Bri? Or can we ask questions about what things might have been like as them?

File: The Ride Never Ends.webm (546 KB, 576x324)

546 KB WEBM

"...I'll do it, on the condition that you tell Lakehallow about your decision. Let them say their goodbyes. Let them weep, and mourn you, and drink to your memory, and tell them to choose your successor. And before you ask me why you should do all that if you're going to still be here, it's because grief is for the living, and you're going to go join the dead."

"Not that I'm arguing, young lady, but why name my successor?"

"Because I'll be damned if I see the living ruled by the dead," you assert solemnly. "That'd be a complete dereliction of my duties to others, and I'll not have it. Lakehallow must know that they cannot turn to you for leadership."

"You have a deal. Make your preparations while they finish theirs, and I'll address my town."

"Fair enough." You draw your knife and get to work; symbols are carved into the massive bones, and you draw a veve beneath the massive ribcage. Kells watches with interest as you wedge a shard of silver in the underside of the croc's spine, and another inside its skull. You slice your fingertip and paint a mask of blood on the skeletal skull, then thrust an offering of jerky between its jaws.

"I'm done, for now," you murmur, sucking the tip of your finger before cauterizing the small slice with one of Kells' matches. "Let's go."

File: Mourn.jpg (148 KB, 467x500)

148 KB JPG

>>43991641
"On our way back, grab the portrait of your wife. We'll need it."

"Why?" the old pirate demands, patiently.

"Because it's your most beloved possession. Isn't it?"

His silence is all the confirmation you need.

Lakehallow has dragged a collection of tables into the center of town, and crocodile meat cooks in a dozen ways on merry fires. The citizens laugh and talk and make merry. You see Nathan and Amy sitting with a family, laughing at something one of the children says, and you quirk a smile. It was nice of Meadows to encourage her out for the party.

Kells hesitates.

"If you won't say goodbye, you can damn well stay alive," you murmur. It's the impetus Kells needs to step forward and clear his throat. Every eye in town goes to him.

"For fifteen long years I've been Lakewarden," the old pirate says, his voice clear and strong. "And a citizen for twenty more. I went from a young man to an old one in this town. Lakehallow...Lakehallow did a service for me that I can never repay, though I've tried to be as good to you as you have been to me. These years have been the happiest of my life."

"But now I'm retiring."

Concerned murmuring moves through the crowd, but they listen attentively as Kells continues.

"I am an old man, fierce in my heart and hale as I can be, but I cannot fight off our enemies any longer. I've taught you all, and taught you well, and Brianna has given us hope again. I cannot preserve that hope as I am, and so I have asked Brianna to give me a form that can defend you, and this town, and everything I love. Shortly, I will leave this form and become a giant undead crocodile, something I have gone me entire life never expecting to say."

The talking starts all at once, but Kells raises his hook and bellows, "Settle! This is my choice, and I make it of my own free will! I come to settle my affairs and say goodbye, an' then I intend to die in the place an' manner of my choosing. Can any of you say this is not my right?"

File: Go to bed Bri.gif (1.76 MB, 360x200)

1.76 MB GIF

>>43991812
The town goes quiet. You can see tears in their eyes, and wipe wetness from your own.

"First and foremost, I promised our visitors payment for their efforts. To them I give my worldly possessions, saving the portrait of me beloved wife. My house and land, my ship and creations, my rum and currency, is theirs to dispose of as they wish, provided they hold to their promise to drive the Vintner from the Basement."

"We will," you promise, solemnly.

Kells nods at you and then turns to the town. "Let us have a great stinking wake, with too much to drink and too much to eat, and let me say my goodbyes to you all, and then let me go off. Where's the wine?"

A nearby young woman hands Kells a cup, and he raises it high. "Drink hail!"

"Wassail!" comes the return cry.

You watch Kells say his farewells for nearly an hour. He thanks Nathan personally, and gives his best wishes to Amy. He talks to the young and the old, shakes hands with rough men and gives hugs to shy children. He hangs his coat on a chair and leaves his cutlass on a table, drinks toasts to his town and to his memory, and in the end returns to you looking flush with life, like a man ten years younger.

"Let us off to die," he tells you, and you nod. You stop outside his house and wait patiently while he enters and stays; you know about saying goodbye to a beloved home. The pirate leaves it quietly, pressing its key into your palm and cradling the portrait to his chest.

Oh Captain! My Captain!

> Yes - on the condition that you tell Lakehallow, now, what it is you've asked of me, and let them say their goodbyes. This town will grieve you, and they deserve the chance so few get, to part on their own terms.

File: top_hat_by_tevarro-d561fog.jpg (297 KB, 730x1094)

297 KB JPG

>>43991999
You ask Kells to stand in the massive ribcage of the dead crocodile. You rest the portrait at his feet and lash his arms to the ribcage. You sigh as you draw your knife.

"You're going to suffer. I need to draw the death out to make the transfer, and to bind your soul."

"I understand," Kells agrees. You put the hilt of your other knife between his teeth, to bite down on.

And then you start cutting.

In terms of volume, human beings contain surprisingly little blood, and yet it is astonishing how much of an area it can cover. Your slow, careful slices wring pained groans from the old man and drip blood onto the stone shore in a slowly-spreading puddle. You chant, pray, and swear almost interchangably; you can taste the death in the air, coiling around the bones like a layer of steel. You feel a heaviness in your heart - grief, and guilt, at what it is you're doing. It's the right thing, and Kells' choice, but you'd have to be heartless and soulless to feel nothing for his suffering.

"See you on the other side," you murmur to the pirate. "You're the bravest man I know." You thrust your knife up, into his heart, and hear him grunt around the hilt in his mouth. The knife falls out and clatters to the ground, and you place your palm over his face before slowly, oh-so-slowly, drawing your hand back. White-grey wisps, like mist through curtains, follows your gesture before being sucked slowly into the bones.

You pull your blade out and step back, as the veve and the blood, the silver and the portrait, and Kells' own body, begin to rot away in seconds, and the crocodile rattles and quakes.

"Up and at 'em, dead man," you call. "There's work to be done."

File: Kells Rides Again.jpg (28 KB, 395x123)

28 KB JPG

>>43992220
The croc skeleton shudders and then /shakes/, like a dog after a bath. Kell's voice, hollow and /massive/, issues from it.

"This is an odd sensation," he remarks, calmly.

"You'll feel better in the water," you promise, already feeling the wave of exhaustion hit you. You sway where you stand, and then catch yourself. "I'll keep my word, Kells."

"I know you will. You're a good person, Ms. la Croix. Thank you, for this chance."

"Yeah," you murmur blearily. "It's my job."

You watch Kells slip into the water, swimming away with powerful strokes of his tail, before staggering towards his - your - house. For a brief moment you consider trying to stay up to drink to his memory, but you're seeing double, and both of those beds are too good to pass up.

You collapse against the mattress, still in your clothes, and drift off to blessed rest.

>>43992317
Kellcroc, terror of the high....lake!

AND THAT IS IT FOR THIS PARTICULAR THREAD! Thanks all for participating, and look forward to the new one opening up after I take a brief mind break.

Feedback and questions are, of course, welcome.

>>43991153
I work this weekend, is the thing. Could still do the interrupted-run thing, I suppose.

>>43991229
Feel free to ask those questions, yeah. Or even to write your own stories about them, not like I own the guys (and girl).

>>43992370
I really enjoyed the Hook turned undead croc.
Keep up the good work!

>>43992370
Probably just necromancy info and lore. Like anything we need to be aware of for Kellcroc? Like maintenance and things to be wary of?

>>43992425
Bri's built safeguards in to restrain his behavior if his mind deteriorates. The soul-binding will see to his repairs, somewhat, but it may be more merciful to let him wear down and die and rejoin his natural afterlife. Standard repairs and additions of bone from other corpses (any corpses, just lots of it) can keep him hale and hearty, though.

>>43992370
would >>43990516 have been possible, kind of like a pact/familiar deal?

Is Nathan training and doing his own things/side quests while Bri is asleep?

>>43992456
Generally, when soul-binding, you want to involve as few souls as possible. Almost every living being in the world has just one soul and coping with a new body is bad enough without having someone else's annoying voice in your head. Like, imagine if you woke up one morning and suddenly you were a conjoined twin when you weren't yesterday, and the person literally attached to you at the hip *will never shut up*.

Nathan is indeed attending to his own concerns, though right now those concerns are 'enjoy the rest of the party', 'get Amy back to the Mercy Hut' and 'try not to drown in puddle of own vomit after passing out drunk like pretty much 99% of the town'.

>>43992370
For the whole "day and night" thing with Mark, do we get to choose when? Like can we just switch out when we need/want him do something or during a time we feel like Mark's presence would be needed? Or does Mark chose when? Like he can just take the wheel whenever, or without our immediate consent? Or do both Bri and Mark, compromise for when and where? Because letting Mark act during the after party, might be interesting and "safe-ish" than some other time in the future. Also it seems like we have done this before, what were Bri's and Mark's past experiences like doing this? Shenanigans?

>>43992455
He gave us his house; if we don't want it, could we incorporate /those/ bones? (Yes, yes I am suggesting we give them what's basically an undead battlemech.)

>>43992634
As mentioned before, you declare Mark's time started. He'll vacate at the end. You can't cut it up into smaller units; that's his party. See a bit up-thread for more explanation.

As for what it was like before, you'll find out soon enough.