>It's like you went back home!

but you /are/ home amy!

>>44515892

The mines are not the roost.

>>44515982
but the roost is on our head according to the OP image.

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>>44515745
"Mom, I can explain," you attempt, because you have to make the /attempt/ at least. It does you precisely no good; Diving Shadow tackles you in a long leap, her wings buffetting you with surprising amounts of actual pain; it's like being slapped silly.

|Gods, mom, it wasn't like that!|

|YOUR FATHER AND I HAVE BEEN WORRIED TO DEATH!| she screeches back, her pitch rising and falling in angry birdsong. You move your arms up to block your face and feel her weak punches hit them feebly - thank you, Dad. |Did you think that note would make us worry less? Do you know how many times we fought about going after you?|

|I'm a fucking adult, mother| you chirp in exasperation. |I was an adult when I left!|

|I know that! Who do you think argued not to go?|

|THEN WHY ARE YOU HITTING ME?|

The two of you roll along the cavern floor - that armor /hurts/ when you're tussling like this - and come apart in a breathless, angry pair.

"Should I step in?" Brianna asks, wincing.

"No!" the two of you snap at her, at the same time. You and Diving Shadow share a look and pick yourselves up slowly. The anger's gone from her eyes, at last, and she looks at you with wide, tearful eyes.

|Who did this to you, Falling Knives?| she whispers. |What happened?|

> I fucked up, Mom. I fucked up and I paid for it.
> It doesn't matter. I had my revenge, and it's over now.
> One of the Baron's allies threw me in a cage for three years. I only got out recently.

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Alright folks, I gotta hit bed. See you in about six and a half hours, and vote definitely remains open until then.

As always - and I'd like to repeat this in light of our recent conversation, as /always/ - comments, critique, discussion, questions, feedback, and criticisms are welcome and appreciated. They help me improve.

Thank you all for reading and participating!

>>44516063
> One of the Baron's allies threw me in a cage for three years. I only got out recently.

>>44516063
>> One of the Baron's allies threw me in a cage for three years. I only got out recently.

>>44516121
Also, this picture never fails to make me laugh

>>44516063
> I fucked up, Mom. I fucked up and I paid for it.

>>44516063
> It doesn't matter. I had my revenge, and it's over now.

>>44516063
> I fucked up, Mom. I fucked up and I paid for it.
This seems... I don't know, the most genuine?

>>44516063

> One of the Baron's allies threw me in a cage for three years. I only got out recently.

Ooooooh, I have a feeling this'll turn out badly, but the Mama Bear rage is too potent a weapon to be ignored.

>>44516063
>> One of the Baron's allies threw me in a cage for three years. I only got out recently.

>>44516063
> I fucked up, Mom. I fucked up and I paid for it.

> One of the Baron's allies threw me in a cage for three years. I only got out recently.

best way to get her on our side.

Utterly random and irrelevant to the current point, but I just noticed/remembered that Fetch was originally a girl.

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/43914719/#p43942020

>The bird returns in obedient triumph, and you pat it on the head. "Good girl. I'll call you Fetch."

>>44516063
> It doesn't matter. I had my revenge, and it's over now.

>>44516321
non-canon and i won't believe otherwise

>>44516321
I think gender is even more of a choice when it comes to the undead.

>>44516361

It was before Fetch's promotion, and he's always had a male,voice, so it was prolly just Bri assigning a gender to what was at-the-time a nonsapient animate puppet.

That or Fetch's body was a hen and he's a transcock.

>>44516063
>One of the Baron's allies threw me in a cage for three years. I only got out recently.
Baron? Meet bus.

>>44516456
Vox confirmed in an earlier thread that all the chickens were hens originally, including Fetch. So yes, Sir Fetch the Nightfeather is trans.

>>44516063

> One of the Baron's allies threw me in a cage for three years. I only got out recently.

While I was in high school, I was walking the dogs with my mom when some drunk guy came out of nowhere brandishing a baseball bat and claiming I'd broken his dog's leg. My mother (who was 53 and 120 pounds soaking wet at the time) beat him so badly that he had to spend a week in the hospital.

I do not envy the Baron.

>>44516557
>>44516456
>Vox makes new thread
>Proceeds to pass out
>We decide to discuss the (trans)gender of our undead cock.

> One of the Baron's allies threw me in a cage for three years. I only got out recently.

>>44516608
This is our life now.

>Posts, containing nothing but a vote.
>Refreshes to see if it's there.
>It shows up, read discussion.
>Refresh again, it's gone.

Um. Did I do something wrong by voting, thread?

>>44516609
Or is it back? Just seeing if that shows up as me...

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>>44516608

>Vox's most likely response

Pic related but in gif format (fucking tablet can't do gifs)

>>44516704

Oooooor it can now. Huh.

>>44516608
/tg/ as usual

> One of the Baron's allies threw me in a cage for three years. I only got out recently.

>>44516063
> One of the Baron's allies threw me in a cage for three years. I only got out recently.

Does MommaBirb have a non-birb name like Amy? Other than Shadow, I mean?

>>44516063
> I fucked up, Mom. I fucked up and I paid for it.

I would like to pick option three but I'm worried about how Mommy dearest will react to it. I think it's best if we let Bri explain that particular piece.

> I fucked up, Mom. I fucked up and I paid for it.

I....I'm sorry mom, now I must live the rest of my life as a necromancer's hat.

>>44516063
>I fucked up, Mom. I fucked up and I had my revenge, and it's over now.
>Well, not QUITE over, seeing as the perpetrator's allies DARE to mess with my family

So this is coming out of nowhere.

Missy Brooks. Is she part demon? What happened there? Was there ever an explanation of why she had horns and a tail?

>>44518140
>Is she part demon?
yes
>What happened there?
she's an orphan, she wouldn't be able to say

>>44518140
>>44518168
The orphanage itself, however, might know a bit more, as might Marsh.

>>44518140
>>44518168
>>44518277
I wonder how things are going with that guy she was after, she deserves happiness, best girl in all of Glen.

I'm awake.

Coffee, then will call vote and write.

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>>44516063
You take a deep, steadying breath, though you can't quite keep the shake out of it. You see Bri give you a look, silently asking if you need her, and you give her a grateful shake of the head.

This is between you and Mom. Bri can't help with this one.

|I spent most of the last three years in a cage, mom| you chirp softly. |I got caught out by one of the Baron's allies in the Basement. He used me as bait for his traps.|

Fetch clucks from beside you, and you look down in surprise at him.

|She has been a brave and good-hearted companion| Fetch says loyally. |And if you intend on hitting her again you and I shall have a grievance.|

Diving Shadow looks at the undead bird, then back to you, then to Brianna. "That zombie is talking to me."

"He does that," Brianna agrees; she leans against a cavern wall and rubs at her ears.

Your mother decides to ignore, for now, the fact that you've clearly fallen into a madhouse beyond her comprehension. |This man took your wings? How did you escape?|

|I was rescued. Brianna navigated the traps and opened the door to my cage. My wings had to come off, they were rotting, but - MOM WAIT!|

This time Brianna sees the dive coming and whips herself aside with a surprised yell. "YOU TOOK MY DAUGHTER'S WINGS!"

|Mom it wasn't like that!|

"I didn't have a choice!" Brianna yells back, ducking another talons-first lunge. "They were rotting through and only held in check by magic! Diving Shadow, they would've /killed her/."

"LIAR!"

|MOM STOP TRYING TO KILL MY MATE!|

|Your fucking what now young lady?| your mother asks, jolted out of her killing rage. In the silence between her answer and you trying to draw a breath, you hear it - soldiers, hustling this way.

|My men| Diving Shadow says grimly.

> Stay
> Abscond
> Flee with mother in tow

>>44520391
>Abscond
I'm sure she'll be able to find us if she wants to

>>44520391
>Abscond.
I'd vote to take Momma Bird with us, but we don't know what would happen to Wizard Dad if we do, and the Baron might have some way to scry his lieutenants. Just let her know that we're with Silence, and hope she doesn't do anything reckless; like, for instance, kill the man whose ally imprisoned and tortured her daughter.

>>44520391

> Stay
And punch her in the face. Slap her out of it.

>>44520391
> Abscond
>Make sure Mom doesn't do anything hasty, like go confront the baron about this, because then he'll know right away that Bri is here.

>>44520460
Bridgette told us that he hasn't erected any other defenses because he thinks the enchanted death-averting slave-collars make him invulnerable.

>>44520489
Yes, but he doesn't know Brianna's location yet, which makes our job just a little bit easier.

>>44520391
>|Your fucking what now young lady?|
Bri. 'Mate' does imply that. Her and her large, undead, co- no, that last part is a joke, don't murder everything.

>Abscond
Let her know we're working with Silence to take down the Baron. She can come to either Shadow or Lark to talk to us further about our plans.

>>44520391

> Flee with mother in tow

Continue with explanations, without the soon-to-be-added distractions.

>>44520391
> stay

Alright, this anon is off to work. Wish me luck!

Hey Vox! Will we be able to check in with Nathan later? I really want to see what we get from hunting the magic-metal beastie. Voting for some magic-metal wings for Best Bird.

>>44520391
>Stay

They're her men right? That means they have to obey her orders

>>44520861
Not necessarily. Ultimately, they're really the Baron's men. He's already had trouble with this particular overseer, these particular "underlings" may well have been specifically chosen to keep an eye on her.

Vote extended for real life stuff. I'll be back shortly.

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>>44520391
>Flee with mother-in-law

>>44520391
>>Flee with mother-in-law

>Abscond

Called, writing.

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>>44520391
|Where can we meet you?| you ask quickly.

|Our house. Key's still on the roof. Go, now.|

You grab Brianna's hand and run; Fetch gets the idea and clucks for his brothers before following swiftly.

"Where are we going?" Brianna asks, holding her hat to her head.

"My old house. It's not too far from here." You tell her. "...Which might be a bad thing but I trust Mom to deal with her men. She knows how to motivate people."

You hear another one of those shots, and the distinct sound of a human dying slowly.

"...I'm sure that made sense in the context," you say meekly.

Brianna sighs.

>>44521698

>his brothers

So they're ALL transcocks?

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>>44521698
You are Brianna la Croix, and holy fuck, fucking harpies.

Amy leads you to a low stone house, carved right out of the side of the tunnel. She leaps onto the roof and comes down with a small brass key that fits into the front door. You rub your neck where those talons had started to dig in and wince. You've dealt with killers before but...damn. Amy's mother is fucking primeval.

Your ears are still ringing from that screech.

Amy pulls out a chair for you; the home is modest but well-supplied, though it seems like everything's been put into long-term storage. You note the telltale magical supplies of an academic mage, as well as a shelf of books relating to dungeon survival. You take your seat and cradle your aching head in your hands.

"That went well," Amy says pleasantly. You look up at her, slowly, and she lets out a guilty squeak.

> That was /well/?
> Mix a potion from your supplies and drink it.
> Pull liquor from shelf next to you and have some without breaking eye contact.

>>44521778
>> Mix a potion from your supplies and drink it without breaking eye contact.

>>44521778
> Pull liquor from shelf next to you and have some without breaking eye contact.

>>44521778
> That was /well/?

>>44521778
> That was /well/?

>>44521778
>Mix a potion from your supplies and drink it without breaking eye contact.

>>44521778
>That was /well/?

Well at least no one die-... Oh, Yeah.

>>44521726
Fetch calls them his brothers because he has a terminal poetry overdose. The lesser chickens are not intelligent enough to possess a gender identity or in fact /any/ identity.

>>44521901

I figured as much. Just found the line funny given the discussion earlier.

>>44521778
>Mix a potion from your supplies and drink it without breaking eye contact.

Called, writing. We have a tie; in this case, I will combine.

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>>44521778
Without breaking eye contact, you set your pack down on the table and take out potion supplies. You mix them into the bottle, put your thumb over the mouth, and shake it vigorously.

Amy squirms in abject guilt while you down the contents, still staring at her. The pain from the healing makes you shudder from head to toe, but you grit your teeth through it and set the empty bottle down.

"That," you say slowly, "was /well/?"

"Well yeah. It was a good reunion."

"That was child abuse," you protest in disbelief.

"I'm an adult!"

"THEN IT WAS ADULT ABUSE!"

"Don't run your mouth off about my culture," Amy snaps. "You don't understand anything about us."

You take a deep breath and rub your neck.

> "...Okay, so teach me."
> "From my end it looks like she was mad at you and mad at me too."
> "I'm sorry Ames, I'm still a little out of it from feeling those talons poking into my neck."

>>44522565
>Teach me your ways, Pretty Bird-lady

>>44522565
> "I'm sorry Ames, I'm still a little out of it from feeling those talons poking into my neck."

>>44522565
> "...Okay, so teach me."

>>44522565
>Doesn't make it any less crazy compared to ours

>>44522565

> "...Okay, so teach me."

I'm gonna go ahead and leave the vote open while I'm at work rather than attempt to rush an update.

As always, discussion, questions, comments, feedback, and critique are welcome.

Thank you all for reading and participating! I'll be around to talk until about 2.

>>44522565
>Teach me your ways, Pretty Bird-lady

>>44522565
>> "...Okay, so teach me."
Advisor Bri must understand how others work in order to advise properly.

It's nice to show interest in your girlfriend's heritage too, I guess.

>>44522954
How did the la Croix name first solidify itself as the necromancy line over other families practicing necromancy?

Was the la Croix line already large, and happened to drift in that direction as they made breakthroughs and could share knowledge, or did a small la Croix family manage some great work that caused other old necromancers to call themselves la Croix as a sort of star power and everything just kinda muddied from there with the adoptions and such?

>Teach me your ways, Pretty Bird-lady

>>44523064
Family legend holds that the la Croix name was first given to the (previously nameless, as many are) family during their stay with a kingdom that had a thing for nailing people to sticks. Their longtime habit of practicing necromancy got a lot of them rounded up, and they became known as the family of the cross - the la Croix.

The name stuck when they spread out to escape the persecution, morphing in local legends into a reference to crossroads. As chunks settled down in various places they attempted, with differing degrees of success, to stay in touch with one another, keep the family traditions, and share secrets. They've had a tendency to spread and put down roots in new places ever since, usually because of some jaded teenager or another deciding they really cannot stand their immediate relatives any more.

>>44523157
Interesting. Any heroic figures from that time that the la Croix keep in memory/occasionally talk to?

I'm asking for potential writefaggotry at some point

>>44523202
"Heroic" is debatable. They had a stronger slant towards being salty assholes back then; it was well before the family acquired its current chill mindset. That in mind, there's Mama la Croix, who invented the spirit bottle to transport her relatives' restless ghosts to family plots, and family legend talks about Briar la Croix, the first adopted member of the family, who helped them escape their cirumstances and sheltered them in the forest while they were being hunted. She was made a la Croix by dint of apprenticeship in thanks; her father eventually married in to the family.

>>44522565
>> "...Okay, so teach me."

We have time to spend before she gets here Teach us about the birds and the ... bees?

>>44523324
You've mentioned before that the dead do crave life when called back, and that's why Mark, for example, wanted to possess us, since he could live through us for a day. Do the dead who aren't called forth forget more about life than those that are called more often? Are they, in general, more ornery or more detached than their counterparts who get to live again? Are the long dead that rest more powerful than the long dead that are called on to serve?

So many questions, never enough time.

Whats the ETA Vox?

>>44524899
Five hours and change to call. Will have a break and lunch to talk on.

>>44523830
The dead enjoy getting a taste of life but they hardly require it. Not being called or spoken to often can make them withdrawn and confused, and they likely aren't caught up on modern events, but for the most part the fully dead are sane and collected.

So this wraithsteel snake, What does it look like?
I've been imagining it as a Gyreworm from World of Warcraft to this point.

>>44522565
>>Teach me your ways, Pretty Bird-lady

>>44522565
> "From my end it looks like she was mad at you and mad at me too."

>>44522565
>"...Okay, so teach me."

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>>44526872
>I've been imagining it as a Gyreworm from World of Warcraft to this point.
I'm just gonna headcanon that.

Three hours and change to call.

>>44526872
>>44527448
If pic related is it, I'm afraid not. But I'm not familiar with the creature.

On lunch for 20 minutes or so. I can talk.

>>44527702
So do sacrifices/offerings to the dead work?
Can the dead drink offered coffee?

>>44527702
You are on lunch... At 6 PM on a weekend? What?

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>>44527702
Yes, pic is the gyreworm.

So how does the wraithsteel snake look?

>>44527807
Time zones, they are a thing. Besides which, time is irrelevant to stomach.

>>44527776
Yes and no. They take something from it, but the most important part of the offering is that they've been remembered and honored.

>>44527807
Retail.

>>44527776
>Gyreworm
Remember that River's ghost drank her booze for her, so that's a thing. We should do some research into ancestral spirits that can get ghosts drunk. Ultimate bargaining power for necromantic favors.

>>44528144
Disregard inexplicable gyreworm.
(though as long as I'm waiting on the timeout, I've been imagining it as a literal metal snake/dragon monster thing)

>>44522565
> "...Okay, so teach me."
> "From my end it looks like she was mad at you and mad at me too."
I kinda want to combine these, though if its just the one, I'd prefer the former.

>>44527894
I feel your pain, Vox. I work fucking fast food.
Some of the animals I have to deal with? Jesus fucking weeps.

>>44528332
Contract-theater-cleaner here, moviegoers are the fucking devil-in-disguise. People leave their shit in toilets like it's going out of style.

>>44528548
Newly-appointed data entry person here.

S' okay. Things are much better than they were in retail.

>>44528578
I gotta imagine your hands are gonna fall off in a few months from the amount of typing. Remember your wrist exercises.

>>44528578
Trackballs save you so much wrist strain - if you're going to be doing that much computer absolutely get a good trackball.
Ergo keyboards, depends on posture, can go either way

Hour and a half to vote call, plus or minus change.

Will describe snake when home.

>>44522565
>"I'm sorry Ames, I'm still a little out of it from feeling those talons poking into my neck."
I think mercurial would be a decent word to use here, but damn, I can't imagine anyone wanting to deal with that.

>>44522565
>Teach me your ways, Pretty Bird-lady

>>44522565
> "I'm sorry Ames, I'm still a little out of it from feeling those talons poking into my neck."

>>44522565
> "...Okay, so teach me."

Off work, heading home. Get your final questions in.

>>44531365
Would you rather fight a horse sized duck or a hundred duck sized horses?

>>44531459
Vox has said the horses would be easier to spook. Maybe we need a FAQ?

>>44531365
How many boards would the Mongols hoard if the Mongol Hordes got bored?

>>44531365
Boxers or briefs?

>>44522565
> "...Okay, so teach me."

Votes called. Coffee, tallying, writing.

>>44531365
Since the next level is New Hell, is there a particular system of command among demons? Y'know, different castes separated by skills or raw power. We've learned a bit about the Seducers (being the Succubi and Incubi, who are separated by their skill sets), but are their demons or devils dedicated to the arts (like music, poetry, and considering their connection to earth, fire and water, sculpting), crafts and trades?

Also, are there any unique creatures or species native to the Dungeon? It seems like it was designed to be flexible and multipurpose, while remaining isolated and contained.

>>44531854
I got the impression that New Hell was more of a descriptive name, not literal. I want expecting a particularly high secondborn population. Maybe a little cuz they like forges, but not like it's name might suggest.

>>44531854
The way I figure it, there's either going to be a large population of demons in what is essentially a colony of Hell, or its going to be what mortals wrongly assume Hell is. Either way, demons will inadvertently be there.

Also, there are probably those Secondborn who would like the Chain-Holder's to go just as much as we do.

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>>44532265
I've been imagining an emphasis on forging, but thinking about if it's been New Hell for as long as the dungeon's been around, it's probably the Fire Level.

I'm holding out hope that the firstborns who live there are just embarassingly into the red jumpsuits and horny-headbands style devil costume, though. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x22lnz8_the-book-of-mormon-spooky-mormon-hell-dream-nic-rouleau_music

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>>44532405
I've been picturing something between the Renaissance and fantasy Hell.

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Okay, getting coffee and tallying took longer than I thought but it's done. I also had to finish something else.

Writing now. Will address questions. Wraithsteel snake thing will be answered in a particular manner.

This'll be the last time I alert anon to Gallows Humor updating; I don't wanna clutter the thread up: http://wildwestscifi.net/gallows-humor/13716-the-traitor

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>>44522565
You reach for a cigar, then stop and sniff the air. The house smells smoke-free - almost remarkably so - and you recall how poorly Amy handled smoking before.

Nah, you can wait.

"Okay," you tell her calmly. "Share your ways, O Maiden of Feathers, Whose Song Bewitches Me In the Night."

Amy's glare holds up for all of three seconds before she goes down in snorting laughter.

You push a chair out for her with your foot, and Amy perches her butt on the back of the chair, with her feet on the seat; she hunches foward comfortably, with her elbows on her legs.

"So, you may have noticed that Mom's kind of...emotional?" she begins. "Harpies tend to be very open people. Maybe more importantly, our mutual talents at hypnosis and manipulating emotions give us an appreciation for genuine emotional reactions. Harpies are...very honest, about how they feel, and when, and to whom."

"Uh huh. And the murdering?"

"I'm getting to that," Amy chides. "Do you want to know about us or not?"

"Sorry," you murmur. "Please continue."

"When I was younger, we lived in the Roost. Mom's job was to protect me but, more importantly, to teach me how to protect myself. Play battles became informal training. She'd go with me when I left the house, her or Dad, and always kept me in the shadow of her wings in case there was trouble, which there sometimes was. Always, from day one, the goal was to raise me into someone Mom didn't have to protect - an equal. So when I got my dungeonbreaker training and turned into a warrior, Mom started treating me like one."

"What, you mean you'd treat Nathan like that?" you challenge.

"You mean you wouldn't?" she retorts, with a raised eyebrow. "It's not like it's to intimidate me. It's different, with fighting folks. We..." Amy gestures, vaguely. "If I got into an argument with Nate that ended up with fists, I would not be shocked if we fucked passionately after and then finished talking it out. Because it'd be, well, /passionate/. Expressive."

>>44534251
>implying the fists wouldn't continue into the sex

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>>44534251
"Ignoring the mental image," you say thoughtfully, "how is that not just hitting people because you're angry?"

"What's the difference between you hitting me with your hat and that?" Amy asks, with a shrug. "We know each other's limits. And if one of us said stop, that'd be it - fight's over, time to separate if you're still angry. And really, that's a lot of what harpy culture is like when it comes to conflict, especially if they're feeling confused in their hearts. Harpies have a strong killer instinct. They lunge before almost anything else, because dead shit cannot continue to cause you difficulties."

"...Okaaaay..."

Amy rolls her eyes. "So that still holds true when they're /not/ trying to kill you. When I became an adult, my relationship with Mom changed. I didn't need her to protect me any more, so she treated me like she'd treat any adult harpy. If she didn't respect me, she wouldn't attack me."

You put your hat on the table. "That still sounds kinda bad."

Amy shrugs. "I never claimed they were great ethicists. My people run hot and bloody, but so do I." The look in her eyes is perceptive - and vulnerable. "I thought you liked that in me."

Ahh, fucking hell. This got tricky all of a sudden.

> I do, Ames, but I've got a human perspective just like you've got a harpy one.
> Honestly, it worries me. It's almost like you become someone else when there's blood in the offing.
> I think this might be a Roost thing and not a harpy thing, Ames. Unless you're suggesting that harpies made the Roost into the hellscape you described?

>>44534378
>> I do, Ames, but I've got a human perspective just like you've got a harpy one.

As someone with experience, the topic of a significant others upbringings being questionable is a massive fucking minefield, one we should not traverse.

>>44534378
>> Honestly, it worries me. It's almost like you become someone else when there's blood in the offing.

>>44534378

> I do, Ames, but I've got a human perspective just like you've got a harpy one.

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>>44534378
>> Emotional turmoil

>>44534426
Amy's description of fighty people dating comes from some friends of mine who are combat athletes - boxers, medieval recreation, MMA - describing what it's like to have dated/be married to other athletes in their sports. It's a bit hard to express in words; how'd I do?

>>44534378
>I do, Ames, but I've got a human perspective just like you've got a harpy one.
I really doubt anybody can be right in the gray field of ethics.

>>44534498
Wait what? I only have experience with dating people of questionable family backgrounds her father was a cop, mother was a fortune teller/EMT, and her grandfather was the town judge, not of fucking violent or athletic backgrounds. I'm not remotely qualified to answer that question.

>>44534538
>fortune teller/EMT
What.

>>44534538
I didn't mean to imply that I was asking you specifically anon, and I apologize for giving that impression. Mostly a for-the-thread kinda question.

The thing is, to non-fighters it comes off as abusive, which can be a bit odd when the two people dating/married give them a puzzled look and point out that not only was the fighting mutual but downright fucking enjoyable and sometimes done for recreation.

TL;DR boxing is like sex: if both people consent clearly and are competent adults, it's fine.

>>44534554
EMT was her job, with fortune telling being a hobby.

>>44534378
>> I do, Ames, but I've got a human perspective just like you've got a harpy one.
Though I'm not sure of where this will ultimately lead.

I suppose point out that it's important we understand each other. We did *not* know this beforehand, and miscommunication could have hurt both of us. Now that we do, we can work together to bridge any momentary misunderstandings due to cultural/species gaps in expressions.

In other words,
>I'm still learning about you, and that's alright. Just gives us room to get even closer.

>>44534378
I think this is even less about race and more about culture. I mean, there have been plenty of times humans have behaved the same way and thought nothing of it.

I dunno. I've never even had a romantic relationship, so I can't really say I have room to judge or give sage advice. Also, I think I'd like to merge two of the choices.
>Honestly, it worries me. Are you sure that this is a harpy thing and not just the Roost itself?

There's a reason her Mom and Dad decided to get the fuck out of Dodge.

>>44534538
What the actual fuck? Were her parents fucking PC's? Fighter/Paladin is married to the Bard/Sorceress.

>>44534771

Not quite, just a bizarre family. All in all pretty decent folks though, granted her father was fucking intimidating to be around, especially knowing he could shoot me if I managed to piss him off.

> I do, Ames, but I've got a human perspective just like you've got a harpy one.

>>44534378

> I do, Ames, but I've got a human perspective just like you've got a harpy one.

>>44534378
>It scares me, not the fighting itself, but don't accidents happen all the time? As a human, that kind of constant vigilance would wear me out, and I go through enough coffee as it is.

>>44535074
>It scares me, not the fighting itself, but don't accidents happen all the time? As a human, that kind of constant vigilance would wear me out, and I go through enough coffee as it is.
This actually sounds bloody perfect, to me.

>>44534591
kickboxer/fencer/boxer here, this is what I feel to be true, but only in armed combat.

> I do, Ames, but I've got a human perspective just like you've got a harpy one.

>> I do, Ames, but I've got a la Croix perspective just like you've got a harpy one.

because the la Croix are /not/ your typical human.

>>44534726
> This
Honestly, the whole fighting-to-work-out-emotions thing doesn't bother me (as long as it's unlikely to inflict serious injury), but the potential for miscommunication does. I'm just... glad it never became an issue before we had a chance to talk about it.

>>44534726
Actually, I like this. Add it onto my vote here: >>44535341

And then maybe flavor with this: >>44535364

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I almost don't wanna call the vote because I'm enjoying watching the discussion but I suppose I should update sometime.

Votes called, writing.

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>>44534378
"I /do/, Ames," you tell her gently. "But it's not so much the fight as the...the /life/. You're so involved in everything you do, so...so /invested/." You give her a little sideways smile. "After being raised by people who stopped giving a fuck about so many things in sheer self-defense, it's nice to warm myself by you and remember that I'm allowed to care, and to cry."

"Aww," Amy chirps; she hops across the table in a smooth, weightless motion, and lands behind you; she starts stroking your hair with a pleased little air.

"I don't mean to give offense, Ames," you tell her. "I've got a human perspective on things, just like you've got a mostly harpy one, and I'm trying to make sense of something that seems strange to me. Y'know?"

"Yeah," Amy agrees softly. "I can get a bit touchy because of the whole harpies-are-monsters thing. Which, I mean...yes? But it's so frustrating to see people lump my mom in with those filthy vultures who kill for sport. It's like with your family, where people hear 'necromancer' and write you off without ever thinking there's more to it! Except. I mean..."

"Oh, no, trust me, you're better off punching the shit out of most necromancers and then apologizing later if they turned out to be a good one," you tell her. "Harpies the same way?"

"Gods, yes."

You reach up and take one of Amy's hands down so you can hold it. "I'm glad we had this talk. Communication's important - can you imagine what could've happened if we had a misunderstanding later without stopping to ask about this?"

Amy chirps guiltily. "I didn't think about it. I kinda...y'know, take life as it's coming."

"See, that right there's one of the things I like," you tease. "Why don't you tell me more about harpy fighting - like, how do you keep from killing your family members when you scrap?"

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>>44535999
"That's an etiquette thing. Using your talons is a lot like a human pulling out a crossbow or an axe - it escalates to lethal intent. Harpies not wanting to kill will hit with their fists - their arm strength is /shit/ - or their wings, sometimes headbutts. Basically, there's two kinds of fight with a harpy. There's arguments, which tend to be showy, clumsy, and full of shouting and screaming, and then there's real fights, which are over in seconds and usually deadly silent."

You nod, thoughtfully. "...So back there, your mom's stress kinda boiled over, and she was trying to subtract anger out of the mess of things she was feeling?"

"Pretty much," Amy agrees. "Her fight with me was an argument. Her fight with /you/ was attempted murder. And I say murder because harpies don't have /wars/. Open battle is for suckers."

"Heh. Hear me argue really loud."

The doorknob clicks, and Amy whirls with an axe in her hand in an instant. The throwing axe goes back to her belt when she realizes it's her mother; Diving Shadow steps in, slathered in blood and clearly exhausted. She hops up to a wooden perch - huh, so that's not a weird hat rack - and regards you with her wings folded over her front.

The harpy woman drips blood onto the floor, the steady plip-plip-plip disturbing the silence.

"I've disposed of my men," she announces at last. "What do you mean, /mate/?"

> No, you back that the fuck up right now. Disposed?
> What about that is confusing?
> Excuse me Ames, I need to step outside and find where I left my chill for a minute.

>>44535999
>take life as it's coming

Kinky, but it's probably rude to kill them before they finish getting off.

>>44536139
>> Excuse me Ames, I need to step outside and find where I left my chill for a minute.

>>44536139
> You have a daughter. Do I really have to explain how sex works?
> Also you might want to towel off, blood is a bitch to get out of hair and clothes once it dries.

>>44536139
> No, you back that the fuck up right now. Disposed?
Those were /slaves/, yes? Not cool, Diving Shadow.

>>44536139
> What about that is confusing?

>>44536196
Oh god, I have to support that first part.

As a side note, I am worried about her men, but they're *probably* not dead. They're hers, after all.

Alright folks, I've got an exhaustion-based migraine hitting me and for once I neither have to be up early nor go to work tomorrow. I'ma leave the vote open, smash my alarm clock with a hammer, pitch its shards into the deepest pits of Hell, and sleep in for a bit.

If the thread is still alive when I wake up, I'll update after I awaken and secure coffee. If not, I'll start a new thread. I'll archive now, just in case. My sincere apologies for not getting to wraithsteel snake tonight; I chose to prioritize advancing the quest, considering how tired I felt.

As always, questions, comments, discussion, critique, and feedback are both welcome and appreciated. Kinda curious as to anon's thoughts on what you've seen of harpydom & Amy's family situation, if you'd be kind enough to share.

Thank you all for reading and participating! Archiving now.

>>44536139
> No, you back that the fuck up right now. Disposed?

you know, i dont think we ever got a full description of Diving Shadow,

>>44536298
These; >>44531854
I really am quite interested, and I think this kind of information might come in handy later.

Also this:
>>>44536196
Because cheeky Brianna is Best Brianna.

>>44536196
This

>>44536304
Diving Shadow's height is hard to estimate properly; her bird-like legs mean her body tends to crouch or hunch (mimicking her posture is where Amy gets it) and she tends to keep her shoulders forward and her arms close to herself. She has large, brown-and-black feathered wings that take up most of her personal space, with owl-like feathers and a broad span. Her eyes are brown and deep-set in a hatchet-shaped face that is not precisely pretty but might be called handsome, and she dresses in clothing and armor that won't impede her flight or range of motion.

For those wondering, Amy gets her nice round Cs from her mother.

Thread archived. I am passing the fuck out now.

>>44536139
>What about that is confusing?
also this >>44536196
kinda the same thing

>>44536298
I think you had Bri hit in on the head with the differences between how she's going to approach situations versus Amy. La Croix necromancers have learned to chill the fuck out, while Amy is a more kick ass first and make up later harpy.

Family situation seems okay. There's a lot of fighting that goes on, which is worrying, but it seems like everyone knows what they're doing, so that means I'm only *slightly* worried.

>>44536139
> You have a daughter. Do I really have to explain how sex works?
>I see it's going to be hard to get out of this with minimal casualties.
>How many WOULD be considered "acceptable losses" around here?

> What about that is confusing?

Honestly, if you're going to write smut of the principal characters at some point, combat leading into passionate fucking is highly recommended from this anon

>>44536298

>>44536298
Holding out for Wraithsteel snake.

>>44540133
I'll give you my wraithsteel snake bb :^)

>>44536196
>This

>>44540209
What would Wraithsteel sex toys be like?

>>44540971
well they don't need batteries

>>44540971
They can be whatever you want

>>44540971
What Nate's sword would have looked like if Joy won.

>>44536139

> No, you back that the fuck up right now. Disposed?

>>44536356
Hell comes off as fairly disorganized to mortals; as far as anyone can tell it appears to segregate into gang-like organizations in which a few demons command many subordinate ones in a chunk of territory. However, this is not solidly provable and frustrates demonic scholars, mostly because of how hard demons hedge and evade when interrogated about Hell /at all/. Smaller demons are generally thought to be "lesser" and as a result subservient to larger ones, but beyond that and family rivalries (succubi/incubi for instance, or the evident hostility that exists between imps and gorgers) it's hard to say for sure.

As far as arts, crafts, and other esoteric interests, demons of all kinds have displayed varying levels of interest. Some show up and just want to wreck face; others create works of astonishing art and beauty during the spare time granted to them by their summoners. All demons are smiths; however, it's curiously notable that imps have an affinity for working precious metals, and especially gold, which they can sometimes be bribed with.

>>44537757
Smut in general is going to be a rare event coming from me, based entirely on whether or not I have inspiration for it and if I feel like I won't be slowing the quest down to write it.

>>44540133
Hold out just a little longer, my friend.

>>44541671
Joy would have had sheet music crawling up its blade (music which, if written out properly, could be played into a rising, defiant song to lift the spirits) and a delicate quality to its handguard, like it was woven rather than forged. A small bell in its pommel rings whenever the sword is moved or swung, lifting the spirits of Nathan and his allies. Joy thirsts to raise hope in the hopeless and to cut down those who spread their miseries to others.

>>44541905
Joy sounds literally perfect.

>>44541946
> Lemme just stealth kill this horrible monster
> *jinglejanglejingle*
> Well now I'm dying, but at least I'm having a good time.

>>44542181
> *jinglejanglejingle*

I got a sword that jingle, jangle, jingles / As I go delvin' merrily along / And it sings, 'Oh ain't you glad you're single' / And that song ain't so very far from wrong

>>44542520
Bells on sabers sing / Making spirits bright. / What fun it is to ride and sing / a slaying song tonight.

That feel when you pass back out only to wake up to your work calling you in for an eight hour shift.

Votes called, writing. Will possibly only update once or twice before SUDDENLY WORK.

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>>44536139
You take a deep breath and look at Diving Shadow.

Plip-plip-plip-plip.

"You see," you begin, deciding to deal with the problem that obviously seems more important to the blood-splattered harpy, "when two women lust for one another very much, one lies down and spreads her -"

Diving Shadow squaks indignantly while Amy tries - and fails - not to giggle. "You know what I meant!"

"I have no idea what you meant," you answer honestly. "I wouldn't have thought that the concept of being your daughter's lover was particularly complex."

Diving Shadow chirps something angrily at Amy, who returns the sound with a surprised look on her face. A heated argument follows, in which Diving Shadow manages to get blood all over the floor (the drip is slowing, at least...) before Amy sighs, defeated, and puts her head down on the table.

"...Someone want to tell me what that was about?" you ask slowly.

"What are your intentions towards my daughter, necromancer?" the harpy asks, pointedly.

> Uhh....
> We've kinda been playing this by ear?
> Well you see, if it later turns out those women love each other and have a deep and trusting friendship...

>>44543517
Cheeky Bri is best Bri.
> Well you see, if it later turns out those women love each other and have a deep and trusting friendship...

Also, I think Diving Shadow might have a conniption when she learns about Nate.

>>44543517
> Well you see, if it later turns out those women love each other and have a deep and trusting friendship...

>>44543517
> Well you see, if it later turns out those women love each other and have a deep and trusting friendship...
I and another person rescued her, that's when we first met. Then, we got friendly...

>>44543517
>We've kinda been playing this by ear?

I feel that the time for snark has passed.

>>44543517
>> We've kinda been playing this by ear?
We've had our fun. We should switch back to business mode before Shadow gets too upset and starts taking out her frustration through violence.

Calling in five.

>>44543517
> Well you see, if it later turns out those women love each other and have a deep and trusting friendship...
There is a gun-toting harpy dripping blood and inquiring about our love life. Sounds like time for our most favorite of coping mechanisms: ill-advised snark.

>>44543517
>"Has anyone supplied a satisfactory answer for that question? Ever?"

Called, writing.

>>44543517
> We've kinda been playing this by ear?

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>>44543517
"I cannot believe that I'm having this conversation," you mutter.

"Answer me," Diving Shadow snaps.

"Well you see, if it later turns out those women love each other and have a deep and trusting friendship, they may choose to sanctify their union in the eys of the gods," you drawl. "Generally they spend quite a bit of time together beforehand, since it never pays to rush into hasty oaths, but it may be on one or the other's mind early on, or even both's, as an idea."

Amy turns bright red with the happiest little expression you've ever seen on her face.

"Of course," Diving Shadow says with a defeated sigh. "Why should it be simple?"

"Ma'am," you tell her patiently, "I am attempting not to yell at you here but you're making it very difficult for me. How is this not simple?"

"I'm engaged," Amy says in a very small voice.

> Excuse me, I just remembered that I left my extra chill outside.
> REALLY NOW? HOW INTERESTING. THIS SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING MAYBE I OUGHT TO HAVE KNOWN.
> Amy, I'm gonna light this pipe now, and you're gonna tell me in excrutiating detail about this.
> Literally kill yourself.

>>44543909
> Amy, I'm gonna light this pipe now, and you're gonna tell me in excrutiating detail about this.

>>44543909
>Amy, I'm gonna light this pipe now, and you're gonna tell me in excrutiating detail about this.

>>44543909
>>Amy, I'm gonna light this pipe now, and you're gonna tell me in excrutiating detail about this.

...except without the pipe. Remember the house seems to be smoke-free

>>44543975
That would be part of the point, yes. That's Bri's very subtle way of saying 'That was shocking, stressful, and hurtful, but let's talk this out'.

>>44543909
> Excuse me, I just remembered that I left my extra chill outside.
*Bri leaves.* *muffled screaming is heard from outside the house* *Bri returns* "So, Amy, why don't you tell me more about you being engaged?"

>>44543909
Question. This option > Literally kill yourself. is for us to kill ourselves because we'll just come back, right?

>>44543909
actually, scratch my vote>>44544010

I'm gonna go with >>44544005
>> Excuse me, I just remembered that I left my extra chill outside.
>*Bri leaves.* *muffled screaming is heard from outside the house* *Bri returns* "So, Amy, why don't you tell me more about you being engaged?"

Alright folks, that'll be the final update before I get home from SUDDENLY GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT. I'll be working from 1 PM EST (24 minutes from now) to 9 PM EST, and will have at least a break and a lunch to try and address simple-ish questions on from my phone. As usual, vote will remain open.

Discussion, comments, critique, feedback, and questions are both welcome and appreciated.

Thank you all for reading and participating!

>>44544057
Correct. It's been offered a few times before, once as a way out of the Obstacle course. In this case, it'd be saying, "Nope, too much, see you tomorrow," and then respawning.

Mind you, this is likely traumatic as fuck for Amy, but then, it was kinda a bit of a revelation just now.

>>44543909
>> Amy, I'm gonna light this pipe now, and you're gonna tell me in excrutiating detail about this.

>>44543909
>Amy, I'm gonna light this pipe now, and you're gonna tell me in excrutiating detail about this.

Now THIS, is awkward.

>>44543909
>Amy, I'm gonna light this pipe now, and you're gonna tell me in excrutiating detail about this.

>>44543909
>>44544005

I'll support this.

Though given that Amy's never mentioned it before, I'm assuming that it was an arranged marriage, in which case she'd actually probably be well within her rights to call it off (given that historically almost all arranged marriage laws have had a "if the husband/wife is actively opposed to it then it cannot be done").

Plus her fiancee is probably either dead/moved on by now.

>>44543909
>Amy, I'm gonna light this pipe now, and you're gonna tell me in excrutiating detail about this.

>>44544850
>(given that historically almost all arranged marriage laws have had a "if the husband/wife is actively opposed to it then it cannot be done").
How upper-class Eurocentric of you. Both present-day, and *historically*, *most* arranged-marriage situations at least one party to it (more often the female, but sometimes the male or even both) have either no recognized say in the matter whatsoever, or none of their paths that get out of it end without them dead or otherwise *very* severely punished.

>>44543909
Yeaaahhh....
That was...fuck.
Gonna have to go with this: >>44544061

And to think that Nate's missing all of these exciting revelations on his dumb old snake hunt.

>>44545046

>no recognized say in it whatsoever
>none of their paths that get out of it end without them dead or otherwise *very* severely punished.

Both of those were more than often due to the heavy familial involvement and cultures of honour that arranged marriage customs tended to root in.

In most cases the partners HAD a say, but their families would put so much pressure on them that they'd cave and go along with it. Consent does not necessarily equal approval.

Punishment for refusal was rarely part of the arrangement law and almost always on the part of the family in response to the 'dishonour' the refual usually brought. Though severe and/or fatal punishments were, admittedly and unfortunately, perfectly legal methods of restoring the family's honour, they were rarely actually REQUIRED for a refusal.

Y'know, for once just to break up the monotony of seeing this trope over and over again, I'd like this to not be an arranged marriage.

Mainly because I have no fucking clue how arranged marriage would jive with harpy culture and it sounds kinda anachronistic to the societal setting for the Roost.

Mind you, this is from a glance and what we've heard about it from others.

>>44545465
I actually suspect it was a regular engagement, i.e. she was all into them before going on an unfortunate adventure.

Being stuck in a cage for three years with her beloved not coming in to play hero obviously puts a lil damper on things.
Or alternatively, the crush has died, either during capture, captured and separated, or in the trap.

....Yeah I kinda covered pretty much every single possible thing there.

>>44545465

>anachronistic to the societal setting

Not necessarily. I could see allied murders arranging a marriage to strengthen the alliance, or former enemy murders binding their peace with an arrangement (as they were often used for historically). As well, it would probably be rather difficult to engage in romance and courtship given how violent the Roost supposedly is, so I could see parents arranging for their children in order to ensure the continuation of their lines.

>>44545537

The only problem I could see there is that Amy said she IS engaged, which would imply that her fiancee's still alive to the best of her (and likely Shadow's) knowledge. If she saw them die trying to rescue her, she'd probably have mentioned it earlier or say she WAS engaged.

Though that they apparently didn't come looking for her probably means they've moved on or that they didn't particularly care for her in the first place, and if they turn out to be alive we can sure as shit use it against them if they try to continue the engagement.

Am I the only one who read it to mean Amy misunderstood Bri and thought that was a slow and careful proposal?

>>44545666
Honestly, that sounds a tad fucking childish.

The only reason for breaking up the engagement should be, hey, she doesn't like you anymore. Thems the breaks.

We shouldn't berate them for not fighting their way from the Roost all the way to the Basement against hordes of undead, demons and invisible monstrosities to end up most likely blowing themselves up anyway due to the trapped nature of the Amy room.

Don't be a cunt to the ex.

Everybody keeps saying that whoever this is didn't rescue Amy means they weren't really into her...but it's also not like her Mom rescued her? She was kidnapped, and people who tried to rescue her ended up dead. *Nobody knew where she was.*

>>44545787
Amy left on her own and was later imprisoned.

It is very likely that Diving Shadow and the fiance expected her to return home at some point and that the engagement could continue towards a wedding.

>>44545762

Gah, sorry. By "continue the engagement" I meant if they said "oh, you're in love with someone else? Too bad, we're already engaged" or something equally dickish. Didn't mean to say that we should just throw it in their faces the second we meet them; if they're reasonable about it then we should be too.

>>44545826

Amy /snuck out/ on her own and was later imprisoned.

They might have expected her to return, but I can't imagine they wouldn't have TRIED to search for her, especially given how long she was gone.

>>44546033
Even then. Our response to 'we're already engaged' should be 'yah, nah'. At no point do we have to have some justification for her not wanting to commit. A simple, 'nigga, it's been three years' and the strength of arms to blow the fuck out of anybody disagreeing is all we really need.

>>44546077
Amy /snuck out/. She left by stealth, intentionally going out of her way to add obstacles to the path of anyone who might try to follow her, and she didn't exclude the fiance from that treatment. Pretty damn obvious she didn't still want to marry him. If he took the hint, then we have no problem here, and if he didn't, we'll upgrade from "hints" to telling him to his face next we see him. If his not getting the hint turns out to be refusal, not failure, then at that point any continued attempt by him to press the matter constitutes sexual assault, and will be treated accordingly.

>>44544005
> Excuse me, I just remembered that I left my extra chill outside.
>*Bri leaves.* *muffled screaming is heard from outside the house* *Bri returns* "So, Amy, why don't you tell me more about you being engaged?"

Most definitely the best and funniest answer.

Six hours to vote call.

Sorry again about unexpected gainful employment.

>>44543909
> Amy, I'm gonna light this pipe now, and you're gonna tell me in excrutiating detail about this.

>>44546245

I wasn't saying that I thought she did want to marry them?

I wouldn't be surprised if (at least part of if not entirely) the reason she snuck out was to avoid the marriage. I didn't say that their expectation that she'd return was valid.

>>44543909
>> Amy, I'm gonna light this pipe now, and you're gonna tell me in excrutiating detail about this.

break out the sass boys, were going in sarcastic!

>>44546332
Sorry, I was sloppy about my linking. I intended the reference to your post to tie in my comment about her having "snuck out", rather than to indicate whose comments my main point was responding to. That was ill-advised on my part.

>>44546717
Not really all that sarcastic here. We really do need an explanation here, and it really does need to go into a LOT of detail. This should also make the point to Momma Bird that Best Bird hadn't mentioned this before, just in case she didn't already pick up on that, which is nice, but getting the explanation is really the main point here.

>>44546808

Ah. No problem then.

>>44543909
> Excuse me, I just remembered that I left my extra chill outside.
>*Bri leaves.* *muffled screaming is heard from outside the house* *Bri returns* "So, Amy, why don't you tell me more about you being engaged?"
Suppose I'll back this as well.

On the whole engagement snafu, we may as well reserve judgement until we ask Shadow and Amy our questions. Things along the lines of:
>What engagement?
>For how long has this been a thing?
>Did they try searching for you?
>Did you leave because of the engagement?
>Do you like/love this other person?
>Should we mention Nate?

Some questions may wait until later, but we can assume that if the person Amy is engaged to is in some way an ass we'll find a way to *fix* that problem. If they aren't, we'll play it by ear, see if we can get along and if we'd want to.

tl;dr
>>44546865
Basically this.

>>44543909
>> Excuse me, I just remembered that I left my extra chill outside.
>*Bri leaves.* *muffled screaming is heard from outside the house* *Bri returns* "So, Amy, why don't you tell me more about you being engaged?"

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>>44543909
>>> Excuse me, I just remembered that I left my extra chill outside.

>>44545708
That’s exactly how I read it.

Alright, here's the flowchart.

1. We're talking arranged marriage or Amy left because she no longer loved the person or maybe the guy's just Saturday Morning cartoon levels of evil. If it's anywhere in this category, we essentially don't even have to give a fuck.

2. They had a real, genuine relationship and Amy left because of wanderlust and was either planning to return or at the very least wasn't planning to be gone for three years due to imprisonment.

If we're talking 2, then we need to look at a new set of criteria.

1. If the fiance has moved on, we essentially don't even have to give a fuck.

2. They have not moved on and have been waiting patiently or naively in hope that Amy would return one day.

IF we're talking 2 again, then we need to look at a new set of criteria.

1. Amy no longer love this person in the slightest If so, then the proper thing to do is to get into contact and break it to them as nicely as possible. They deserve some closure. And then we can stop giving a fuck.

2. Amy does have residual feelings for this person.

If 2 again, well, then Amy needs to ask herself a whole bunch of questions about her life and honestly needs a fucking lesson in IMPULSE CONTROL.

>>44543909

...kinda surprised noone's voiced suspicion that the Baron (or one of his allies) might be hthe person Amy's engaged to.

>>44547603
I'm definitely thinking it.

But again, I'm the anon who's tired of the arranged marriage cliche.

So I really am going to need some large amount of efforts from Vox in terms of verisimilitude assurance as to why Amy was going to marry a slaving shithead or why Amy's mother or father would arrange a marriage with their daughter to a slaving shithead if that is the case.

>>44547603
>>44547659
While it could be possible, I doubt the Baron would have need of these kinds of engagements simply because he can do whatever the heck he wants by virtue of being nigh invulnerable.

>>44547659

I'm thinking it's not the Baron, but one of his locally-recruited lieutenants, and the arrangement occurred while Amy and the fiancee were kids (ie before the Baron came down and the fiancee joined up).

The fiancee's joining up might've been the reason Amy left, even. And it'd kinda make sense that she didn't want to be known as having ties to the Baron.

>>44547865
Wasn't Amy working for the Vintner for a short while?

>>44547889

The Vintner imprisoned/enslaved her.

>>44547988
"This is it," you murmur. "The door into his sanctum. He makes the wine elsewhere, nearer the Vineyard, but this will be where he is. He does his work here."

"How do you know?" Nathan murmurs.

("You could work here, pretty bird," a smoky voice murmurs. "If you're a good girl. If you do as I say.")

"He showed me."

This dialogue makes it sound like Amy was offered a job by the Vintner, was willing to accept and then got le tricked into imprisonment. It's slightly vague, but if my interpretation is correct it means that I'd rule out abandoning a fiance for working with the Baron, seeing as how the Baron seems roughly on par with the Vintner in terms of Bad News Bears.

>>44548086

("That's no tone to take with me, girl. You must act for the station you wish to hold.")

...

("I'm sorry," a soft voice says in the dark. "One day we'll both be free. I can always go back to hell, but...well. I brought food. Don't tell the Master.")

Given these later quotes, I'm seeing it as Vintner captured her and offered her a 'job' in the same vein as Miles. I don't think he'd show that off to a prospective worker he plans to actually enslave, but he might to a slave who'd be willing to help him for a promise of freedom.

>>44548086
That's not how I read that at all. I read that as, she's already his prisoner, and he's offering to upgrade (or possibly "upgrade") her position if she's sufficiently obedient.

>>44548086
>>44548248
She may have been hooked into the cage for disobedient attitude.

>>44547329
> Impulse control

You don't say?

You can't see it but I'm grinning.

>>44547329

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it was 222; I've known plenty of people who retain 'residual feelings' for a former partner even after they've entered into another relationship. What matters is whether said feelings are strong enough to cause Amy to suffer emotional conflict between the fiancee and us/Nathan, which I doubt given that she's never once at all mentioned them before.

That said,

>>44548795

Worries the fuck out of me.

>>44548795
I mean, Amy has never exactly shown herself to be a paragon of self restraint.

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>>44548887
The worst part is, if it's actually down to a tossup between the fiance and us/Nathan, well, honestly, from the most utilitarian standpoint I can imagine, she should probably go back to her fiance, if it truly is 222.

Because, well, I mean, the best part about having two lovers is God granted you a spare.

>>44548976

Problem is that that might not be what AMY wants. Plus you forgot to factor us in to the utilitarian equation; it wouldn't be Amy's happiness versus theirs (which might swing one way or the other depending on how strongly feelings on either side run) it would be Amy's plus ours plus Nathan's versus theirs (which will damn certainly swing in our favour).

Also (though I'm hoping you were joking about this) Amy and Nathan are equal; neither one is a 'spare' and neither one is someone we can just give up. It'd have to be a mutual agreement between the three of us, which is HIGHLY IMPROBABLE for this subject matter.

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Called, writing.

>>44549175
Sorta the reason my quasi-quote was about a guy who lost one of his eyeballs.

I assume Amy's going to choose us over the finace, but remember, Bri wasn't exactly able to weigh Nathan or Amy over the other and thankfully had the out of being able to choose both.

I could easily see Amy having the same problem except without that out.

Plus, I'm not even factoring in the MAD and OUTRAGE and BETRAYAL components.

But yeah, Nate definitely needs to have some sort of say because I have absolutely no clue how strong the Amy/Nate connection is.

>>44549489

>I could see Amy having that same problem

The problem is that Amy and Nathan were both constant presences, both in the field and in our heads; Amy's been disconnected from the fiancee for ~3 years and has not once mentioned them, nor thought about them during the times we've seen from her perspective. I have doubts that she was/is particularly attached to them in the same or a greater way as she is to us.

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>>44549579
Unless, behind the scenes, she's just constantly going
> now isn't the right time to bring this up
> I like these people
> this is fine

>>44549579
But remember, we're talking about someone with major impulse problems.

Like, ADD to the fucking extreme. If Amy got locked up for three more years, do you really think she'd be thinking of Bri or Nathan at all once she got let out?

Seriously, question how strong our romance with Amy really is.

honeymoon period's a fucking bitch of a set up

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>>44543909
There is a long silence that follows while you grapple down the flurry of emotions that results. One by one you push down the flash of anger, the sting of betrayal, the pang of sorrow around your heart, and the sheer shock of it all, and save them for later.

Amy deserves the chance to explain.

You dig out your pipe and set it on the table so you can pack the bowl. Amy looks at it, the guilt in her eyes deepening, and opens her mouth to say something. You meet her gaze with a cold glare.

"Your mother needs help cleaning off," you murmur, significantly. Amy chirps forlornly and gets up; wood is thrown into the stove and lit to heat up some water.

You smoke in silence for one bowl, then two, while Amy helps her mother get the blood from her feathers and starts to scrub down the floor. You're polite enough to get out your mess kit and tap the tobacco out on your plate, at least.

"Alright," you say at last. "Tell me about this engagement. In detail, please."

Amy looks up, chirps obediently, and moves back to the table. She runs her hand through her hair and sighs. "...His name's Hunting Talon. I still lived in the Roost. He was set up to take over his mother's murder, and he was..." Amy looks a little wistful. "He never made fun of me for not having talons. He never called me soft or voiceless. We were a thing for a couple of years before he proposed. I didn't tell Mom and Dad, then."

Diving Shadow starts to speak up and you fix her with a hot glare and shake your head. Surpsingly, she settles back down on her perch.

"We still saw each other. He took over the murder, eventually, and started expanding its reach. I was pretty impressed. But at the same time, Dad had started talking to me about maybe going out to see the rest of the world or at least the rest of the Dungeon. Mom got on board eventually, but I was being petulant about it and finally I threw Talon in their face."

You light your third bowl and puff it gently, keeping your eyes on Amy.

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>>44550217
Amy sighs, her fingers tapping nervously on the table. She isn't precisely avoiding eye contact but she looks down at her hand and only glances up at your expression sometimes. "For Mom that settled the matter. I'd made a promise and I should keep it. Dad was far from settled. He and I had a big fight. Biggest fight I've ever had with him. Screaming, insults, broken objects, whole nine yards. Finally asked him what was so bad about marrying a harpy if it'd been good enough for him, and he got this real hard look on his face, like I've never seen before or since, and told me that if that's what I thought his objection was then he'd failed as a father and raised an idiot."

You chuckle, in spite of yourself. "Sounds like my Grandmother."

Amy gives you a shy grin. "I went and stayed in the Company Store for a couple of days to find where my head was. Came back to talk to Dad about our fight. Told him I was sorry, and we sat down and talked for a bit. He told me that he'd chosen my mother and the Dungeon after a lifetime of travel and experience, and he wanted me to have that chance too. He said that he worried sometimes that I was missing out on my heritage, that I was human too. And it...I dunno, it spoke to me. I went to see Hunting Talon and realized that if I stayed with him I was going to live in the Roost forever, that my future was going to be set in stone. It was a worrying thought." She takes in a deep breath, and lets it out very slowly. "I couldn't figure out what to do. I didn't want to admit to Talon that I wanted to extend our engagement. I didn't want to tell Mom and Dad, because it'd cause another fight between them. So I left, hit the Atheneum and hid in the books for awhile. I suppose that would've been when the Poet was taking over, though I didn't notice much since I was avoiding essentially every power group."

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GODDAMMIT! ITS A 222 ISNT IT! FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!

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>>44550440
"The rest...well. The rest of what /happened/ you already know," the half-harpy continues. "I learned more about other cultures. Saw more of the Dungeon, learned more about the world too. Did some excursions to the surface, talked to humans that'd never had to kill another sapient to survive or steal to eat, and..." Amy runs her fingers through her hair. "And I wanted that for myself too. When I went back down into the Dungeon it was because it was time to face the music and tell everyone how I felt. Put it all on the table, see where they stood. I wasn't sure how I felt about Talon any more, about his ambitions, but he deserved to know. Then the Vintner got me. And then there was you."

"...Do you still love him?" you murmur.

"I don't want to rule the Roost," Amy says softly. "I don't need a throne of bones and loyal minions at my feet. I..." Amy stares at the table. "...You don't think I'm weak for choosing peace. You don't think I'm a hypocrite for being willing to fight anyway. The futures I can imagine with you and Nathan are futures I like."

"Nathan?" Diving Shadow asks.

"Not now, Mom," Amy says wearily, on the verge of tears. She looks at you, waiting for a reaction.

> What do you say?

>>44550539
How very... human.

>>44550516
Mind you, there's a reason Amy hasn't talked about this, and it's because she assumed - not unreasonably - that with how important the Roost is to moving through 4 - 8 that Talon would be dead. When she found out it was sealed off that was just extra dude-is-fucking-dead confirmation.

Him being /not/ dead is a bit of a surprise for her.

>>44550539
> Well. We'll need to talk more about this. With Nathan, and I guess also with Talon. Not sure I want to think about how that'll go. But... I meant what I said earlier. When your mom asked what my intentions were. And I still mean it, if you want it.

>>44550539

>You didn't answer the question.

As lightly as possible, before

>We need to talk to Nathan about this.
and
>If you want to stay with us, then you should stay with us. I think you do and I hope you will, but you have that choice. Nathan and I love you. We don't /own/ you.

>>44550539
Tell her you're angry she didn't bring this up earlier when she had all the time in the world to do so.

Tell her she also needs to bring this up to Nathan.

Tell her she needs to talk to this Talon guy.

Tell her /we/ won't leave her for this, but of course Nathan has to chime in as well.

>>44550629

Wait, so since before we started dating, Amy thought Talon was dead?

>I'd like a future with you, too. But that can only work if I can trust you not to pull shit like this.

>Any future, friendship or romance, has to be based on trust. If you're worried about how I'd respond to something, remember I'll always be more upset if you hide it. And although I can't speak for Nathan, I'm willing to bet he'd say much the same.

>What do you plan to say to Talon?

>>44550776
> Wait, so since before we started dating, Amy thought Talon was dead?

Life is cheap in the Roost. When she got locked in the cage she'd held out hope for rescue, which was slowly ground down over the long confinement and became the conclusion that Talon must be dead if he hadn't come after her.

After her rescue and learning from Lora and Bri about the siege of the Dungeon, as well as witnessing firsthand how far the chain-bearers are willing to go, she figured Talon would have died fighting back against them, mostly because he'd never submit to their will.

TL;DR in a bet between an army of assholes and Talon she bet on the assholes.

>>44550839
The problem is that is 'hilarious inept super villain' level of expecting a person to be dead.

Like, at the very least a 'I have a fiance who is most likely deceased' mention is something I'd expect to be given.

>>44550780

>pull shit like this

Like what? She literally just learned that the dude isn't dead. She wasn't hiding the engagement, she thought it had been ended.

And she told us very very soon after she herself learned of it.

Vote extended while I do some dishes.

> The problem is that is 'hilarious inept super villain' level of expecting a person to be dead.

Well yeah. She came to a conclusion during a shitty part of her life and then when there was new evidence she just changed the reason for the conclusion. Amy left because she was afraid of telling the people close to her that she had doubts; does this sound like someone who's good at handling emotional conflict regarding her own actions? If Talon was dead she wouldn't have to feel conflicted about her current situation, and she certainly wouldn't have her mother holding her promise over her head. Even if she doesn't want to go back, she has to resolve this now and admit to someone she cared about deeply that she was too much of a coward to be honest with him. Nobody wants to have to do that in their lives, which is why so many don't and just keep being cowards.

>>44550539
> Wait, so since before we started dating, Amy thought Talon was dead?
I know it was an OOC question, but we really need to get that part aired out between these three.

>How very....human. I'd have liked for you to have mentioned this sooner, whether or not you thought he was dead. But we've certainly been living busy lives.
>Well, let's go to the Roost, after this, or during, if we suddenly need reinforcements. I can tell THAT is going to be a messy affair.
>.....so we're trying to take down the Baron, particularly these slave talismans.
>>44550959
I kinda agree, part of the reason I was wary of Amy's forwardness right after being rescued.

>>44550959

I have family in Syria that I haven't heard from in over two years. They lived in Aleppo.

Am I a 'hilariously inept super villain' in assuming that they're dead and trying to move on, no matter how desperately I hope that they're alive?

>Not gonna lie, I'm still pretty mad. But I still want you with me, I still love you. Just... tell me about this stuff, if it happens again.

>>44550971

Right. But Bri doesn't know that - Bri only knows that Amy was heading back down to talk to Talon and then got captured. So it's understandable she'd be a bit hurt by not even a mention of 'I had a fiance but he's probably dead now'. Especially since Bri is the kind of person who plans for contingencies (see: lich kit, familiars, etc) - in Amy's place, she'd likely have had a plan for Possible Encounter Of Somehow Still Alive Fiance, so it's not inconceivable that she'd be a bit hurt that Amy didn't even mention this, especially since they were passing near the Roost.

Like, at least she'd probably want a mention of 'hey I never mentioned this before but I had a fiance, he's probably dead now, but I figured you should know'

>>44551078
If you hide that shit from whoever you're in love with, you aren't moving on. Tell them before things get serious with her, broseph, especially if you had a wife/girlfriend back there.

>>44550657
>I meant what I said earlier. When your mom asked what my intentions were. And I still mean it, if you want it.
I really DON'T want to say this. We hinted at the possibility of marriage down the line maybe; we're not proposing.

>>44551078
>>44551132

By the by, if we're going to go full blog up in this shit, my dad underwent a surgery that he had an insignificant chance of surviving, as in his chances of living were so low they were effectively 0%. I refused to write him off until there was a corpse in front of me that day and here he is, three years later. Shitsux, but miracles happen all the fucking time and the worst part is they're absolutely random.

>>44551078
I was going to say something, then realized it's hilariously off-topic.

>>44550539

> ...No, I don't think you're weak, or a hypocrite. I do think that if Talon really is still alive, then you owe it to him to tell him what's happened to you—and where your heart is now.

I'd like to pint out, Bri had not shown that great of intrest in Amy's past. Is it really that great of a surprise that Amy forgot to mention a dude that she thought was dead?

>>44551385
>forgot to mention a dude

I'd just like to replace the phrase 'forgot to mention' with hid from us and 'a dude' with the word fiance.

Like, if Amy's response had been, lol? oh yeah, totes magotes forgot.

Sure, I'll accept that Amy is a little scatter-brained.

But, y'know, intentions and shit.

>>44551498
Did she really hide it if Bri never asked Amy about her life in the spire?

And fiance seems to not have been all that important to her if she left him to go adventurring.

>>44551030
Vox, I read all your stories linked in that giantitp post. They're awesome, both Mourners and the short ones. As in DLQ, the characters feel like full personalities instead of one-dimensional archetypes. Please continue writing stories, and tell us when the kickstarter starts.

Why do Aisling and Kes have wings?

>>44551651
Aisling doesn't. She got blood magic instead.

Kestrel has them because she's a harbinger of 9th level or higher and picked them up. More significantly, Kes developed wings because she lives in a city that's like 40% sheer vertical drop.

>>44551636
>Did she really hide it if Bri never asked Amy about her life in the spire?

Yes. Yes she did. You don't ask anyone for a laundry list of their previous sex partners, that's considered poor form. But you do expect something as major as 'potentially deceased fiance' before making a big leap like that. I'd even argue 'dead fiance', but that one is a bit more touchy.

Sure people need time to tell you things, but like lets compare this to Nathan who told us he was both a wound seeker and revealed that his mother is somewhere in the dungeon. Both of those things are shit that honestly, I could understand not telling us as they have nothing to do with our relationship.

As for the fiance, yeah, pretty sure the life he'd provide isn't the one she wants. But remember, she was absolutely planning on staying with him until her father essentially had a harpy-tier fight with her.

So to say he wasn't important is like saying her parents aren't important because she left them too.


As a slightly related question, Vox. How long have Bri, Nathan and Amy been hanging? How long have we been dating? And it's only been, what, a day since we started fucking?

>>44551784
It's been approximately four to five months since you entered the Dungeon. The three of you became an official thing a little less than a month ago, in the conversation in Glen when everyone laid their cards on the table.

And yeah, about a day.

Still mostly AFK, I appreciate your patience.

>>44550539
>...
after a significant pause,
>I'm trying, Ames, I am, but what the fuck? We've known each other for months, we decided to give 'us' a go, and none of this has been mentioned.
>I get why you left, what you wanted. I don't think you're weak for choosing peace; I don't think you're a hypocrite for being willing to fight anyway.
>But didn't Nate and I deserve something too?

Called, writing. Thank you for your patience.

It looks like we've got all the suggestions looking to hit a particular feel so I'ma try a blend of 'em. Lemme know if you feel I wasn't being fair to the vote.

>>44552575
Honestly, play more to Bri's already established character than jerk it jarringly towards what you think us anons are trying to do

>>44552612
This.

I'd say "understandably hurt, but also understanding Amy's reasons and loving her enough to still want to make things work" is a decent way to put where anon is going with this, though.

Y'know guys, after Nathan leaves us for killing his mom and Amy cucks us with Chad ThunderTalon, we could always try to finagle our way into that glorious Brigette/Victoria shit to get our threesome fetish rolling again.

>>44552945
>killing his mom
We did what?

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>>44550539
You set your pipe down on the plate and put your hat back on your head. "You understand why I'm angry, Ames?"

Amy bites her lip and nods. "...I do."

"I know you're not a coward, Ames. Nathan and I deserved to know about this, and Nate /still/ doesn't know. That's gonna be a hell of a welcome-back surprise." Amy flinches at your quiet words, but she doesn't look away. "I don't think you had bad intentions, but that's not necessarily an excuse. If this is going to work, there has to be trust, and what you just told me is that you don't trust me."

"I didn't - Bri, I..."

You raise an eyebrow. "You what?"

Amy deflates and looks down at the table. "...No, I get it. And I've betrayed him twice now, once when I left and again when I didn't believe in him."

"You never answered my question," you point out softly.

"She doesn't have to," Diving Shadow interjects. "It takes a lot more than love for a successful relationship. I went through a lot of growing pains with Larry, a lot of misunderstandings. Amy could love Talon with all her heart but if she can't stand the future she sees with him, it's doomed. Promise or no promise."

You give Diving Shadow an appraising look. "...You're not wrong."

"I like to think my marriage has succeeded for /some/ reason," the harpy woman says modestly.

You look back to Amy and reach across the table to squeeze her hand. "I'm gonna go outside and be angry for a bit while I wait for Nathan. I still want us to be a thing."

"I do too," Amy whispers, icy eyes wide and soulful.

"I know, pretty bird. I need to be by myself for a bit now."

Amy nods and puts her head on the table when you let go of her hand. You take your chair outside with you and set it down a bit away from the house. You sit, heavily, and shake out a cigarette before lighting it.

The foul flavor is somehow comforting.

"Damnit bird," you mutter softly to yourself. "...Stop to think for five minutes sometime."

>>44552978
His mom is in the dungeon anon. We gonna kill her cuz she's a chain holder and we already used our 'save one villain from eternal torment card' on Brigette.

>>44552978
Going to. We are _going to_ kill his mom, because per the discussion in Glen while were dealing with our exile, she's doing Bad Shit in the dungeon.

>>44552978
Not yet. Anon is just suggesting (not baselessly) that we may have to.

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>>44553010
You are Nathan Bookchild, and despite the fact that you're surrounded by about eight people who want your guts for garters, you're excited as hell.

"I don't get you, woundseeker," Silence mutters. "You smell like a Hero."

"People do accuse me of that," you agree. "I wouldn't claim the title for myself."

"There a reason you've got that saber of yours chained into its sheath?"

"It's wraithsteel," you explain. "The snake'd just absorb it."

Silence nods, sagely. "That makes a lot of sense. Before you ask, no one knows how it fights. No one's survived an attack yet. Hell, we only know it's a snake because someone caught it fleeing the scene."

"What makes you think you'll live?" you inquire, not accusingly.

"It's not a trap if you walk into it knowing it's a trap," the fairy says with a shrug. "And the other groups didn't have me. This is my home."

The group stops in a mining tunnel, near glittering veins of silver, and Silence takes out a small hand bell. "Everyone ready?"

You pull a hatchet from your belt. "Ready." The other hunters echo their assent.

When Silence swings the bell, a roar of quiet cuts through the Mine, swallowing the sound in a wave. For a moment all is silent, but as it moves through the Mine, sound slowly returns.

She swings it again, and again, pulsing the quiet out, and then puts it back in her pack. She flicks a coin out of her sleeve and flips it through the air - as it spins it lengthens into a golden spear that she catches in one hand.

"Let's have a fight," the fey woman hisses eagerly.

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>>44553356
The background noises of the Mine have been disturbed, probably by confused Miners wondering what the fuck just happened, but there's a new sound you're picking up at the edge of your hearing. You can tell that Silence has noticed it too, because she cocks her head with a confused look.

"That's not tunneling," she murmurs. "It's almost like...a screech?"

Oh no.

"PROTECT YOUR EARS, SLACKEN YOUR JAWS!" you yell, stuffing your ears with plugs. You can see someone asking you why, to which you respond with "JUST DO IT!"

Silence and most of the men obey. The two that didn't regret it when a circle of stone disintegrates out of the cieling. The snake slithers through and aims its face at the group before letting out another sonic blast.

You can feel the force of it rip through you, like a blow, but Amy's advice keeps you safe. The two men still at the ready, on the other hand, hit the ground.

They could have withstood the shockwave, if it hadn't been for their teeth shattering in their mouths and their eardrums shredding.

You've never seen a wraithsteel creature before. The snake is massive - almost as large as the Vintner's crocodile - and its silvery flesh is painted with dirt and dust. You can see innards almost like clockwork grinding away behind a delicate lattice of metal that encloses its form and goes from its tail to its sleek, fanged maw.

Gears of living metal in its throat spin up and unleash another shriek, and it rears up in anger and confusion when it realizes its attack isn't working. Quick as you can, you scoop up your axe and throw it into the beast's open mouth, and are rewarded with the shriek of metal-on-metal and a thrash of pain.

"BRING IT DOWN!" you yell, and you draw your machete before sprinting into the fray.

>>44553538
>boss battle music intensifies

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>>44553538
Crossbow bolts fly through the air at the beast; some shatter against the metallic lattice around its core, while other fly through and puncture the living gears. The snake roars, distracted from you, and gets a spear to its belly for the trouble.

<Good thing you're deaf at the moment> Silence murmurs in your mind. <This trick doesn't work on people who can hear.>

The towering fairy levers the spear, slamming the creature into the tunnel wall and giving you an opening for the machete. You swing the heavy blade and grind the gears within the snake.

Then the electricity hits you, running up the blade and down your arm. You're thrown back into the tunnel wall, and your vision blossoms with stars. When you stagger to your feet you can see that Silence got hit too; she stomps the tunnel floor and catches a new spear, of solid stone, that ejects from it.

You pull a hatchet and see the snake strike one of the men, biting him nearly in half and spraying blood over the battle.

This is going to go badly.

> Distract it
> Let the rest of Silence's hunters distract it

>>44553660
> Distract it

As you may have noticed, you're not getting full narrative control for this fight. This is because you stuck with Amy's perspective, but also because quite frankly I don't wanna write a fully interactive combat for this right now, near the end of the thread.

>>44553660
>> Distract it

>>44553660
>> Distract it
>Be a Hero

>>44553660
You don't smell like a hero for nothing, you know.
>Distract It

>>44553660
> Distract it
Hero and all. Please try to not die though.

>>44553660
>> Distract it

>>44553660
>>44553725
>> Distract it
>Be a Hero

Yep yep. Let's do this.