File: Howa.png (763 KB, 650x885)

763 KB PNG

>>45513597

Even when your horse draws close to the Nameless Temple, you're still thinking about the Dragon River. When the Emperor of the time – Tatsuhiro the second, you recall – ordered a great bridge built across the river, there had been outrage. Some even claimed that the construction had been a turning point for the country, a symbolic victory that signalled the start of a new era. From that day onwards, some have said, the gods started to grow distant and spiteful, erratic and cruel.

And now Tatsuhiro the third want to send a great iron beast roaring across this sacred space whenever he pleases. It'll never happen, you think with vague doubt, he wouldn't start a war over something so petty and egotistical.

Then again...

Smiling bitterly to yourself, you dismount your horse and leave it in the able care of the stable attendants. Striding into the Nameless Temple, you pause only to glance at a cluster of posters, marked out with the faces of missing apprentices. There are a few more now, you realise with vague dismay, even in the short time you were away. Before you can think too hard about it, though, Howa calls out to you.

“Ira,” she greets you, “Back again, I see. Listen, I want-”

If she wants to give you another pointless riddle, you complain, she can bother someone else.

“Actually, I was going to apologise about that. Maybe, just maybe, I overdid it a little,” she smiles ruefully, leaning heavily on her cane, “I suppose I was just glad to have you all to myself for a little bit, just like old times. Can you forgive me?”

>Fine. Apology accepted
>Never mind that. Has there been any new writs?
>How is that apprentice, Koa, doing?
>Excuse me, I need to see the Mentor
>Listen, what can you tell me about these missing apprentices?
>Other

>>45513603
>Fine. Apology accepted
Wasn't really that big a deal.
>Listen, what can you tell me about these missing apprentices?
>How is that apprentice, Koa, doing?

>>45513603
>>Fine. Apology accepted
>Listen, what can you tell me about these missing apprentices?

>>45513603
>>Never mind that. Has there been any new writs?
>>How is that apprentice, Koa, doing?
>>Listen, what can you tell me about these missing apprentices?
Gotta keep working.

>>45513603
>Fine. Apology accepted
>Listen, what can you tell me about these missing apprentices?
>How is that apprentice, Koa, doing?
Ira really is a workaholic.

Fine, you grunt, apology accepted. Howa, you think to yourself, has always been a little too smart for her own good, a little too willing to play meaningless mind games with anyone unlucky enough to be nearby. A coping method, perhaps, to deal with her injury – and the isolation that came with it.

You've got your own coping measures, that's for sure. Maybe that's why you prefer to keep walking, to keep working.

“Good, great,” Howa sighs in faint relief, faint yet dignified wrinkles creasing the corners of her eyes as she smiles warmly at you, “I knew you wouldn't hold a grudge, not after everything we've-”

Listen, you interrupt, what can she tell you about these missing apprentices? You've seen the posters, and they seem to be increasing in number every time you turn your back on them. Something has to be going on, and it's serious enough to get your instincts rattled.

“Those?” Howa's face grows concerned, “Troubling, that. We've had a number of disappearances lately, falling into two distinct categories. The first are apprentices that have, quite simply, vanished from their dorms. We think they might have slipped out in the night, but we can't be sure – and we have no idea where they might have gone to. Not their old homes, we've asked around, and not the capital either. So, you can see why we're worried.”

She said there were two categories, you point out, what was the second?

“Even worse,” Howa lowers her voice, limping a pace closer so she can murmur to you, “Apprentices, out on field work with their teachers, have been vanishing as well. We've found their teachers...”

Well, that's not so-

“We found their bodies,” Howa corrects herself, “Always dead, usually without much of a struggle, and never leaving a trace of their students.”

Howa was right – that IS worrying.

[1/2]

>>45513991

All this talk of apprentices leads you, quite naturally, to your next point. How's Koa doing?

“He's doing surprisingly well actually,” Howa's voice brightens at this, as if she's glad to move past the difficult subject, “I think you must have really beaten some sense into the boy – he's been focussed on his lessons and spending most of his spare time practising his swordplay. That's certainly an improvement on before.”

What, you ask with a certain weary curiosity, was he getting up to before?

“Causing trouble. Trying to sneak into the girl's dorms, mostly,” Howa laughs softly, “When he wasn't busy with that, he was kind of a troublemaker, provoking fights with some of the other boys. Now, he's really settled down and straightened himself out. Oh, but he still wants to go another round with you in the training rooms. He's a restless one, that's for sure.”

You can't help but smile a little at the thought of the boy, seething with energy and looking for an outlet. Maybe you'll give him another thrashing, if that's what he so desperately wants. Then again, he'll probably just use it as an opportunity to hassle you about taking him out for some field experience...

“Oh, right!” Howa nods suddenly, “The Mentor wanted to see you, at your convenience. Nothing desperately important, I don't think, but...”

But it's never good to keep the old man waiting, you finish for her. You'll keep that in mind – now what?

>See what the Mentor wanted
>Find Koa to spar with him
>Ask Howa some more questions (Write in)
>Other

>>45514020
>>See what the Mentor wanted
We'll talk more after I see him.

>>45514020
>>See what the Mentor wanted
Seeing what boss wants is important.

>>45514020
>See what the Mentor wanted

It never pays to keep the boss waiting, you decide, even if he's said it wasn't an important matter. Especially if he said it wasn't an important matter. In fact, you're not sure if you've ever heard the Mentor describe something as an “important matter”, even when dozens of lives have been put at risk. You fear the day that he gives you an urgent mission.

In either case, you'll talk with Howa later – maybe. Casting a quick wave back her way, you stride away and into the cavernous halls of the Nameless Temple, heading towards the Mentor's chambers. Contrary to what you're usually faced with, you're waved straight in – no waiting required.

Not a good sign.

“Ira,” the Mentor, already waiting for you, speaks up, “I'm glad to see you back. When we received your report, I wondered if it was really you that sent it.”

Really, you ask as your attention suddenly sharpens, does he have a reason to suspect treachery? Could it be linked, perhaps, with the missing apprentices?

“Pigeon post,” the Mentor says gently, calming you with a gesture, “Not at all like you.”

Oh, you murmur as your momentum is suddenly snatched away, that. You've got a good reason for that, actually. Sort of a long story, but-

“Irrelevant,” the Mentor waves away your long story, “I have a question for you, one that needs no answer. Consider it a lesson, something for you to consider in the days ahead. In war, two sides clash with one another – the honourable men, and the ruthless men. Who, I ask, wins such a fight?”

He said this was a question that needed no answer. So, you muse, is he expecting one?

“For my curiosity,” billowing robes rustle as the Mentor shrugs, his wise eyes studying you, “and nothing more. Answer if you like, or we can proceed with the lesson.”

>The honourable men would win
>The ruthless men would win
>Nobody wins in war
>Other

>>45514250
>>Nobody wins in war
The honorable men die on their swords, tied into it by thier honor, and the ruthless men sacrifice all the fought to save to "win"

>>45514250
>The ruthless men would win
If they were smart about it they can use their opponent's honor against them.

>Nobody wins in war
But is it truly winning if you sacrifice who you are and what you stand for, for a chance at victory?

>>45514250
>>Nobody wins in war

Nobody wins in war, you answer carefully. The honourable men might die with their swords drawn, but the ruthless never win – they merely survive, having sacrificed anything worth fighting for.

The Mentor lets out a dry chuckle, his laugh rasping like sand. “An answer, I believe, that says a lot about you, Ira.”

He's judging you, you think to yourself, and keeping his opinions to himself. So, you reply after a moment, what's his answer?

“The honourable men will always win – because that is how history will remember them. The losers, meanwhile, will be recorded as ruthless, barbarians and tyrants. Tell me, when Tatsuhiro the first entered the capital at the head of the Farmer's Revolution, what was the first thing he did?”

He consolidated the army, you say after dredging up half forgotten history lessons, and solidified his position as the new Emperor.

“A common mistake,” the Mentor replies, “Actually, he had the records changed, making sure that the old Emperor was known as a pretender and a fraud. In time, he even erased their names, leaving history to proclaim him as the one true ruler of the land. It was said, in fact, that he wrote the charges that would be levelled against his co-conspirators before he ever entered the capital, and signed the arrest warrants as well.”

An interesting history lesson, you say after a moment of silence, but to what end?

“We can learn much from history, but we can also be deceived by it,” the Mentor says slowly, “Trust your instincts, Ira – of all my student, I believe you had the most potential.” He seems, as he says this, frailer than you've ever seen him – as if aged tremendously in the time you were away.

[1/2]

>>45514513

“Forgive me,” he says suddenly, strength returning to his voice, “I am an old man, prone to rambling as all old men are. The thought occurred to me while you were away, and I wished to hear it said aloud. Do you think the apprentices would appreciate it, as a lecture?”

Perhaps, you tell him with a shrug, it's been a long time since you thought like an apprentice. It might just confuse them.

“Confusion isn't always a bad thing,” the Mentor muses, “If it encourages them to make up their own minds. Ah, but... but there was something else...”

There it is again, that trace of weakness and frailty, surfacing for just a moment.

“A writ, yes,” the Mentor nods, “I left it with my assistant. If you wish, it's yours – a tricky affair, or so my instincts are telling me. I would trust you, above all others, with this.”

>Then I'll leave immediately
>I wish to take an apprentice along with me. Koa Temnos.
>I have a few things to take care of first
>Other

>>45514599
>>I wish to take an apprentice along with me. Koa Temnos.

>>45514599
>I wish to take an apprentice along with me. Koa Temnos.
Lets get the kid some field experience.

let sleeping gods lie

>>45514599
>I wish to take an apprentice along with me. Koa Temnos.

Mandragora a best

You're turning to leave when a thought strikes you. You'd like to take an apprentice along with you this time, you say slowly, to give the lad some field experience. Koa Temnos, you add as you dredge his full name from memory.

“Is that so?” the Mentor raises an eyebrow slightly, the wisp of pure white hair twitching, “I'll make a teacher of you yet, Ira Furyo. You have my permission, but may I ask what changed your mind?”

The boy has enthusiasm, you reply after a moment's thought, you think he could do great things one day. He just needs someone to get him started, and proper field experience is the only way to do it. Lessons are all well and good, you point out, until you run into real danger. Then, the classroom seems like a whole other world. The sooner he adjusts to life outside the Nameless Temple, the better.

Another rattling laugh escapes the Mentor as he listens to your answer. “Very well, I understand. Take him with my blessing – but keep your wits about you. You've heard, no doubt, about the disappearances?”

Howa told you, you mention, worrying news all round. Then, you conclude as you bow slightly, if you are excused? The Mentor, keeping silent, merely nods for you to leave. You feel his gaze burning into your back as you walk away, but the emotion behind that intense stare eludes you. Only later do you recall his exact words - “You had the most potential”. Not, “You were the most successful”, or “You made me proud”. He spoke of potential, as if you've yet to live up to his expectations. Or, worse, as if you've disappointed him.

It's a thought that haunts you, even as you take the sealed letter from his assistant and venture down into the training rooms in search of Koa.

[1/2]

File: Koa.jpg (123 KB, 850x525)

123 KB JPG

>>45514855

You find him exactly where you were expecting, within one of the sandy pits used for sparring. He looks different – you notice that straight away. More focused, and a lot calmer. Before making your arrival known, you watch him running through the same routine several times, swinging his training sword through the same series of motions over and over again. Only when he has it perfect, every movement precise and beautifully timed, does he move onto the next one.

Running through meditative practice is one thing, you think to yourself, but actual fighting is a different matter altogether. When faced with a real life enemy, he might lose his nerve or fly into a mad frenzy. You've seen both happen. When he has finished his routine, the practice sword resting lightly on one shoulder, you finally clear your throat and approach. The boy turns to look at you, his face lighting up even as he's towelling away sweat.

“Ah!” he says, voice light and deliberately unforced, “I heard you had returned. I've been practising, but... you probably saw that, didn't you?” He laughs, a little awkwardly, at his own attempt at a joke. “Do you want to go another round? If I win this one, will you take me out on a mission?”

He's certainly not wasting any time.

>I'll give you a rematch, sure
>Forget the sparring, you can come with me anyway
>I came to ask you something... (Write in)
>Other

>>45514924
>I'll give you a rematch, sure
(Don't tell him that he'll get to come anyway.)

>>45514924
>>Forget the sparring, you can come with me anyway

>>45514924
>Forget the sparring, you can come with me anyway
No more practice for now, time for a field test

>>45514943
>>45514924
supporting

>>45514855
>You had the most potential”.
The worst part is that it is in past tense.

>>45514924
>I'll give you a rematch, sure

>>45514947
Yknow what? fuck it.

>>45514943
Supporting this. Lets see what he learned.

>>45515013
>>45514947
Whoops
Meant to link that to myself>>45514953

Rolled 44 (1d100)

Preparing my nat 1

File: Ira.jpg (142 KB, 943x1230)

142 KB JPG

You're a little curious, actually, to see what the boy has learned in the short time you've been apart. True, you were going to take him along no matter how well he swings that sword of his, but he doesn't need to know that. Not yet, at least – he'll fight better if he feels like he has something to prove, something to earn.

You'll give him that rematch, you tell him with a slow smile, certainly. He'd better not disappoint you though.

“Alright!” Koa whoops, a trace of his old arrogance bleeding through, “Come on, I'll show you what I've learned!”

Shaking your head at his sudden shift, from cool and under control to excited in an instant, you take a longer, heavier training sword from the rack and test its grip. Not quite perfect, it's a generic practice weapon after all, but something you've swung countless times before. Reliable – an important thing in a weapon. Stepping into the dusty circle, you point the blunt tip of the blade at Koa, a thin skin of sweat still shining on the boy's forehead.

Come on, you tell him, don't hold back!

>Please roll 1D100, aiming to beat 40, 50 and 70. I'll take the highest of the first three!

File: 1453561547013.jpg (147 KB, 499x642)

147 KB JPG

Rolled 34 (1d100)

>>45515135

Rolled 38 (1d100)

>>45515135
We're an old fuck.

Rolled 52 (1d100)

>>45515135

Rolled 90 (1d100)

>>45515135
Ez

>>45515172
Goddammit. I shouldn't have rolled.

>>45515162
>>45515159
>>45515146
I guess that means he is improving.

>>45515162
So We didn't quite school him so hard this time? Fair enough

Just like the first time you've fought, you begin by circling each other slowly. Also just like the first time, Koa waits until you've feigned a stumble before lunging in for a quick attack. Sad really, that the boy hasn't learned a thing, even after all the training he's been doing. Too much time swinging at empty air, and not enough-

You lash out quickly to bat his attack aside, only for your sword to bounce against the sand with a muffled thud. Grunting softly, Koa pulls his blow at the last minute and twists up, worming his blade around your failure to parry. It's a good reversal, you've got to admit, but he put all of his energy into it – committing to one, all or nothing attack. You might be an old man, but you're still quick enough for the likes of him. Jerking your head back, his wooden sword whistled past you into the air.

Triumph turns to blind panic as you step around Koa, letting his own attack take him off balance, and slam the butt of your sword into his back. You could have hit him harder, but that wouldn't achieve anything – other than wounding your new partner, of course. Even so, your blow is enough to send him tumbling down into the sand, grunting out a curse as he lands. By the time he's on his feet again, you've already returned your training sword to the rack and dusted yourself off.

“I suppose it's back to my lessons again, huh?” Koa says, bitter disappointment in his voice, “I really thought I had you this time, you know...”

You know, you tell him, that's why you're going to show him something he won't learn in a classroom. How does some field training sound?

“You really mean that?” Koa's eyes light up, “I won't disappoint you, I promise!”

Too damn eager.

>Just follow my orders to the letter, you understand?
>I want you to speak freely. That's how you learn, after all
>I've made a mistake, you're staying here
>Other

>>45515347
>>I want you to speak freely. That's how you learn, after all
"Ask Questions. But!"
>Follow my orders to the letter when I issue them, you understand?

>>45515374
This is good

>>45515347
>Just follow my orders to the letter, you understand?
>I want you to speak freely. That's how you learn, after all

Okay, you begin, you want him to speak freely. If he has any questions, ask them – it's how he's going to learn, after all. But, you add sternly before he can give you a predictably eager reply, if you give him an order you're expecting him to follow it. To the letter. If you're pulling rank on him, there's going to be a damn good reason for it.

“Yes sir,” Koa nods, actually making the effort to sound professional, “So, what's our mission?”

You're getting to that, you grumble as you open the whit and read the contents. Then, frowning, you read it again. A fishing town to the north, going by the name of Odan's Harbour, has reported an abnormal number of animal attacks lately. They've requested Wanderer aid to investigate the causes and bring back peace and safety.

“Animal attacks?” Koa sounds doubtful, “Is that really... anything to do with us?”

Well, you say slowly, some gods can exert control over the local wildlife and rile them up. That's one explanation for what might be going on. That, or they've got a mean pack of wolves in the area and calling in the Wanderers is less risky than sending their own men into the wilderness to take care of them. Either way, you shrug, it's your job to investigate. Was he expecting something a little more glamorous?

“Well...” Koa pauses before he can admit to anything, “I'm just glad to get some practical experience. ANY practical experience.”

Good answer, you tell him with an approving nod, and the correct one. Now, he can ride a horse, right?

“Of course!” the boy replies, before hesitating, “Uh, more or less.”

Wonderful.

Now, how should you kill time on the journey?

>Ask Koa about his past. What brought him to the Nameless Temple?
>Make less serious conversation. No sense prying into his history
>Ride in silence and prepare for the task ahead
>Other

>>45515654
>Ask Koa about his past. What brought him to the Nameless Temple?

>>45515654
>Ask Koa about his past. What brought him to the Nameless Temple?

>>45515654
>Ask Koa about his past. What brought him to the Nameless Temple?

It can be a sensitive matter, asking an apprentice their reasons for coming to the Nameless Temple. The most common reason is because, quite simply, they have no one else to take care of them. Orphans, bastards and rejected children are most often used to make up the next generation of Wanderers – because, you've heard cynical minds say, they're more easily moulded and trained. So, knowing that you might be treading on unsafe ground, you ask Koa about his past. What brought him to the Nameless Temple, exactly?

“My father,” Koa says after a while, “No, I should start at the beginning. My town,” he begins, “It was up in the mountains, kind of a mining town. We sent out silver, mostly, and made a good living because of it. Then, there was a massive cave in and my father – among others – was trapped. The local priest told me that the gods were angry, and that there was nothing to be done about it. We took too much, and this was the price we had to pay.”

But he couldn't accept that, you reply, could he?

“No,” Koa laughs awkwardly, “So I took a pickaxe to the shrine and gave the god there a good thrashing. I didn't kill him, or destroy his manifestation thing, but it made him think twice about causing any more tunnel collapses.”

You're not quite sure if he's joking or not. Remaining silent, you nod for the boy to continue.

“Well, they were able to dig the trapped miners out, after that, but nothing was really the same,” Koa sighs, “It was a very devout village. Even though I'd saved lives, I was pretty much a pariah. A week or so later, one of the Wanderers arrived and offered to take me to the Nameless Temple. My dad couldn't get rid of me fast enough.”

[1/2]

>>45516071

All the while he says this, you realise, Koa's voice never dips too deeply into bitterness or self pity. He seems to have accepted his fate, accepting the price he paid to save his father. You can respect that, and you find a grudging admiration for the boy growing in your chest. He really could make a good Wanderer, one of these days. It's been said that audacity is one of the most important traits for a Wanderer to have, the sheer nerve and will to make demand of the gods.

He's got that, no questions there.

Leading on from there, you and Koa talk some more about his village – sticking to the kind of subjects he's more comfortable with by unsaid agreement. Just as he's talking about a particular style of pasty common to the region, you spy a settlement ahead of you. The wind here smells of salt and fish, so you judge the coast to be nearby. This must be it – Odan's harbour.

A particularly ugly town, you notice, not helped by the ring of wooden stakes thrust outwards in a cruel defensive wall. Especially not helped, you add, by the great grey wolf impaled upon two of those spikes, as if it lunged to its doom.

Animal attacks, they said. They weren't joking.

You and Koa lead your skittish horses around that bristling maze of spears and into the town, tying them up at the nearest post. Your arrival has drawn a fair amount of attention, a party approaching you with cold, neutral faces. The leader, a bald man with a busy, coal black beard, is the first to address you.

“You're the Wanderer?” he asks sullenly.

You nod with an inward sigh, accepting the fact that you're rarely asked your name. It's always “the Wanderer” with these kinds of people. Sometimes “Sir” if you've made a good impression, or “You there”, if you've not. Hazard of the job.

[2/3]

>>45516127

“You look like you've done some hard graft in your time,” the town leader adds, a note of approval finally entering his voice, “You'll do. I'm Odan, the boss of things around here. Come, I'll explain things as we go – you'll want to see the town.”

You follow Odan as he turns and walks away towards a particularly long building, noting that he ignored Koa entirely. Quite rude, but what else can be expected from the northern folk?

“This here,” Odan explains as he waves a broad hand at the long hut, “Is our lifeblood. We're fishers here, and there isn't much money in it. Salt the fish and send it out, though, and you bring in a little extra coin. A little extra coin means bullets for when the raiders come knocking, and medicine for when the fever takes our children. Coin means everyone has a little to spare, for when the lean times come around. I wager you've known a few of those times, right stranger?”

You keep silent at that, unwilling to delve too deep into your own past. Not with a complete stranger, at least.

“I take care of these people, best I can,” Odan says gruffly, “That's my job here, you see? Now you're here to do your job – I don't like bringing in outsiders, but I know when I'm beaten. I won't let my pride get in the way of saving my people. Where do you want to start?”

>What can you tell me about the local gods or faith?
>When did the animal attacks start? Did anything change?
>Any other troubles about, lately?
>Other

>>45516247
>When did the animal attacks start? Did anything change?
>What can you tell me about the local gods or faith?
>Any other troubles about, lately?

I guess ask them all in that order. Good to have as much pieces as possible.

>>45516247
>When did the animal attacks start? Did anything change?

>>45516247
>>What can you tell me about the local gods or faith?
>>When did the animal attacks start? Did anything change?

These animal attacks he mentioned in his writ, you begin, when exactly did they start? Was there any other significant changes going on at roughly the same time?

“Can't say I noticed anything,” Odan says, more or less immediately, “I keep a close eye on the goings on around here, so I'd know if any of my men smashed up any temples or anything. There was the salting house, that long hut back there, but we started that, oh, months ago. Nothing happened when we put it up, and nothing happened when we started selling our fish. Folks round here, we don't want to think it's connected. Ain't nobody around here that wants to go back to how things used to be.”

Even so, you think to yourself, you can't deny the connection. The timing isn't quite right, but still... Moving on, you ask Odan about the local faith. What kind of gods are around here, and what kind of demands do they make of the the people?

“Ain't too much I can tell you about that,” the blunt man grunts, “I've never held much with asking another for help, be it god or man. You'll be wanting to talk to the priest about that, but... there's a problem with that. I didn't want to write that one down in your writ thing, in case word got out.”

And there it is – the problem you were expecting. What other troubles, then, have there been?

“Suto, the priest,” Odan is slow to begin, “He ain't an easy one to deal with. Never was. Now though, he's been locked up – for his own protection, see? Right when these attacks were going on, wolves taking men whenever they went outside the fence, he got it into his head to try slitting a man's throat. Didn't work, stupid bastard can barely swing a knife, but we've got him locked up now. House arrest, see?”

[1/2]

>>45516711

“House arrest?” Koa asks, speaking up for the first time, “Why didn't you hand him over to the guards?”

“We look after our own around here,” Odan says, fixing Koa with a baleful look, “And that means we punish our own as well. We're no lynch mob – we'll give the priest a fair trial – but we don't look kindly on killers, or those that try to be killers. We kept him here till you got here, figured you'd want to trade words with him. He's the man you want to talk with, if it's the gods you want to know about, but I can't guarantee getting much sense out of him. I tried, and he just raves like a madman.”

So. A spate of animal attacks, a priest who fancies himself a killer, and a whole lot of salted fish. All the makings of a good mystery, you think to yourself. It occurs to you, then, that you've only heard Odan's version of events – he took you aside, away from his escorts, as soon as he began speaking with you. He's a closed man, difficult to figure out, but he seems respectable – the kind of man with his people at the front of his mind.

The kind of person that might do a lot to defend those people.

>I'd like to speak with this priest, Suto
>I'd like to explore town a little. Alone
>I've got a few more questions... (Write in)
>Other

>>45516727
>I'd like to explore town a little. Alone
(This implies with Koa but without Odan right?)

>>45516752

>Yes, I should have clarified that. Apologies!

>>45513597
It's sleep time for me OP, but came to thank you for the quest. Will be reading it in the morning!

>>45516727
>I'd like to explore town a little. Alone
Lets get some more perspectives before we talk to the priest.

>>45516727
>I'd like to speak with this priest, Suto

>>45516727
>>I'd like to explore town a little. Alone
Never hurts to take in the atmosphere.

You'd like to begin by exploring the town a little, you suggest. Alone, you add a second later, before Odan can say anything. He frowns at your request – or perhaps he's just not used to people taking that kind of tone to him in his own town – but nods sullenly.

“Stay inside the fence, stranger, and follow our rules,” Odan holds up a broad hand and counts the rules off on his fingers, “You don't steal, and you don't start fights. If you see someone working, don't bother then, and if you see someone who isn't working... you tell them to get back to work!” A bark of laughter follows that, to show that he was joking. “Find me if you need to go out, and I'll have a man sent with you. Don't wander off, understand?”

Message received, you tell him, and understood. With the ground rules laid down, you take Koa for a leisurely tour of the town, to see what kind of place you're going to be dealing with. No tavern, that's one of the first things you notice. In its place is a filthy flophouse, offering a free bed to anyone desperate enough. The streets are quiet, but there's little mystery behind that – there's no reason to be wandering. The ground is muddy, and the sky threatens further rain. The wind reeks, although you wager the locals have grown used to that by now. Koa, on the other hand, looks a little ill.

“He's a hard man,” the apprentice says eventually, speaking of Odan.

He needs to be, you tell him, as far as anyone knows this is the edge of the world – an unforgiving place for anyone to be. The town and the man are similar, closed off and remote, without even a trace of warmth to them. Unexpectedly profound, you think bleakly to yourself, this place is doing strange things to you. The coast has always been viewed with vague suspicion by Tenngaru's more central people.

Moving on...

[1/2]

>>45517120

“Do you think he's named after the village,” Koa begins, “Or the village is named after him?”

It might be hereditary, you suggest, a name passed down from the first leader of the newly founded town. Odan, son of Odan and so on. Or, you add a moment later, he renamed the town as soon as he took power. You've seen that kind of egomania before. You're about to launch into a bit of reminiscence when Koa stops you, pointing out a scrawled drawing on the side of one house. It looks like a leering, fanged mouth, painted in a mustard yellow sludge.

“You make that with mud,” Koa muses as he rubs a finger across the dry and crusty pattern, “A special kind, I mean. You find it near running water, something to do with minerals sinking to the bottom.”

Very insightful, you point out, but it doesn't get you very far. The design is far more interesting to you – a primal kind of marking, looking back to a more savage era. If this is truly the marking of the local god, you might be dealing with something pretty damn old, and pretty damn violent. Glancing across at Koa, you frown to yourself. This is going to be a baptism of fire, if your theory is a correct one.

“That's Bran's house,” a bland voice calls out from behind you. Turning, you come face to face with a woman, a basket of folded cloth under one of her arms, “Terrible, what he done to Bran. That scar ain't even half healed yet.”

Bran, you confirm, was the man that Suto tried to murder?

“Aye,” the woman spits, “Long past time we hanged that animal. Folks reckon that things might end, then. He brought them animals here, that's what some are saying.”

>And what are you saying?
>Did you see what happened?
>I've got a question for you (Write in)
>It's about time I talked to Suto
>Other

>>45517286
>>And what are you saying?
>>Did you see what happened?

>>45517286
>>And what are you saying?
>>Did you see what happened?
>>It's about time I talked to Suto

>>45517286
>>And what are you saying?
>>Did you see what happened?

Did she actually see what happened, you ask, with her own eyes?

“Aye,” the woman repeats, “The workers were coming off work at the salt, laughing and joking as the men do, and the priest came stumbling into them. He were yelling about... something. Like he saw their mouths or something, something he didn't like. I weren't close enough to hear clearly. Then the priest just yelled and swung. Thought it were a punch at first, then I saw bleeding. Rest of the boys mobbed him soon after, knocked him clean out.”

“Wait a moment,” Koa asks, “Bran worked at the fishery? At the salting house?”

“What I said,” the nameless woman tells him, turning her bland gaze upon the boy, “Not much else work around here.”

So, you butt in, if people are saying that Suto brought the animals down upon the town, what's SHE saying?

“Can't be sure,” the woman grunts after a long silence, “Can't trust someone who talks with things what other man can't see. Can't trust someone who talks with gods, speaking plainly.” That last comment seems directed at you in a particularly barbed way, threatening you with a kind of listless petulance. Having got the last word in, the woman shuffles off. Koa watches as she leaves, a look of distaste spreading across her face.

“I'm starting to understand how Suto felt,” the boy remarks, with a faint trace of bitterness, “Being surrounded by illiterate brutes like that, threatening anything or anyone they don't understand.”

You hush the boy, keen to avoid anyone overhearing and causing trouble. That's the sort of talk that causes lynchings – you've seen it happen before.

“Really?” Koa asks, his voice faltering slightly, “I mean, you've really seen it happen?”

You've seen it happen, you assure him as you touch the underside of your throat, he can trust you on that.

[1/2]

>>45517710

“So, what are you thinking?” Koa asks slowly, “What's our next move?”

It's about time, you decide, you talked to Suto. It's clear that whatever has really happened around here, you'll need to hear his version of events. True, he tried to kill a man – in plain view of a great many witnesses, no less – but that doesn't mean it's not worth listening to him. With the two of you, at least, you won't have any trouble dealing with him if he gets erratic. It's not easy to find the priest's house, in the end – it's the one with the guards leaning against the front door. Two surly men, both carrying barbed spears.

At least they stand aside when you ask, unhooking an iron padlock from the door and cracking it open. When the door closes behind you and Koa, you hear the lock being reapplied. It's a small house, dismal and cluttered with... objects. Wooden idols, whittled out of anything the demented man was able to get his hands on. The furniture, mostly. The priest himself is huddled in a corner, feverishly attacking a chunk of wood with a mostly blunted knife. As you approach, you lift one of the idols and examine it – the thing depicts a mouth, with crude pegs to imitate jagged teeth.

“The primal maw,” the madman says, his voice surprisingly clear and erudite, “That which swallows all life.”

This isn't going to be easy.

>Just give me your version of events and we can get this over with
>Suto? Tell me about this god, anything you can
>Do you know who's responsible for the animal attacks?
>Other

>>45517956
>>Suto? Tell me about this god, anything you can

>>45517956
>>Suto? Tell me about this god, anything you can

>>45517956
>>Suto? Tell me about this god, anything you can
>Do you know who's responsible for the animal attacks?
>Give me your version of events

Suto, you ask quietly, can he hear you? You'd like to know everything he can tell you about this god, you continue as you place the finished idol before him, anything at all would help. As his fevered eyes fall upon the older idol, the priest picks it up and turns it over in his hands. Then, jabbing the point of his knife into his finger, he smears blood across the idol's mouth. Koa looks away, grunting in distaste.

“The Sawmouth,” he mumbles, “The terrible teeth, the bloodied fangs! This is merely a totem, she would never sleep within these walls. A primal thing, she is older than this town and she is older than any of us. The beasts bow to her will, and throw themselves into her jaws.”

A primal god, you mutter, wonderful. Not something dependant on human will and worship, but fuelled by their own spite and power. In this case, your theory goes, fuelled by nature's own power – and, perhaps, by spilled blood.

“Not quite,” Suto says, in a furtive whisper, “She has grown small, in time. We've eaten her flesh and drank her blood, but we offered nothing in return! That is OUR sin!”

“Ira,” Koa murmurs, “This is getting... dark. Maybe we should keep focussed?”

Sighing, you turn back to Suto. Does he know who is responsible for these animal attacks?

“We are!” he hisses, “We all are! Odan is a good man, a good man indeed, but he is blind. He doesn't realise what he is doing to this place, draining it of all blood and power. The attacks will continue until the mouth has been closed – or fed.”

Is that what he was going, you ask, when he tried to kill Bran? Was he trying to... close this mouth? Or was he trying to feed it?

“Bran,” Suto's face falls, “Another good man. A shame, what needs to be done. A shame.”

[1/2]

>>45518303
Oh, so they've been overfishing/hunting and not giving the land time to rebuild.

>>45518303

“He's a madman,” Koa hisses, grabbing your arm, “Ira, listen to what he's saying! This is... he's talking about blood sacrifice, human sacrifice!”

Shaking Koa off roughly, you lean a little closer to Suto. He needs to tell you his version of events, you urge the priest, he needs to tell you what happened? When the priest can't talk, merely rocking back and forth on the ground, you reach out and gently take the idol from his sweaty, bloodied grip and move it out of sight. He calms, slowly, as you remove all the idols from around him – or at least turn them until those mouths are facing away from him.

“We've taken too much,” he rasps, “It wasn't immediate, it didn't start right away. We've taken food out of the mouth, and we've not put anything back. That's why I did what I had to do – Bran needed to die, to end all of this. I'm sorry, it's not what I wanted, but... it won't end, not now that we've started it all. It won't end until we're all dead, or we've closed the mouth once more.”

So he's not denying making an attempt on Bran's life. That means Odan would have him killed, no doubt about it – if you bring word of this to the stern leader. Standing, you take a few paces away from the slumped priest, practically dragging Koa along with you.

“Ira,” Koa says with forced calm, “This is not something we can go along with. What... what are we supposed to do?”

>We give this “Sawmouth” what she wants. It's the only way to end this
>We're going to kill this god, no matter what
>We should take this to Odan, see what he has to say
>Other

>>45518477
>We're going to kill this god, no matter what
Human sacrifice is non negotiable.

>>45518477
>We should take this to Odan, see what he has to say

We require further information, milord!

>>45518477
>We should take this to Odan, see what he has to say


>>45518526
you running tonight?

>>45518477
>>We should take this to Odan, see what he has to say
>>Other
Maybe we can cut a deal. If we find this god we could talk with them and see what they want.

>>45518547
Most likely. Typing up the prewrite now. Thank fuck for the weekend.

You're taking this to Odan before you decide on a course of action, you say after a moment of heavy thought, to see what he has to say.

“Even knowing that he'll have the priest hanged?” Koa replies bleakly, “Without trial? Murdering a priest is one of the worst crimes a man can commit – and we'd be helping him do it.”

Sometimes, you tell the boy, this job involves making hard decisions. He won't stand for human sacrifice, and that means you're going to have to go against the word of the law. You might be able to persuade Odan to hand Suto over to the authorities – to do things by the book – but that might be the best thing you can hope for.

“I just... I don't know,” Koa shakes his head as you pound on the door, waiting for the guards outside to let you out, “There's this part of me that says... what if he's got a point? What if the people here HAVE taken too much, taking one step too far into their god's domain?” Lapsing into silence as the door swings open, he follows you out and suppresses a shiver as you both enter the chilly rain. “I'm glad I'm just an apprentice,” he decides with a wan smile, “I don't have to make this call.”

Yeah, you grunt as you approach Odan's bearded form, you're the one with that privilege. That silences Koa, hushing him as you meet the town leader face to face.

“So you've talked,” Odan growls, nodding towards Suto's house, “What did he tell you, anything we can use to convict him?”

You tell the truth, you remind yourself, and Suto is dead. You lie, and this situation might just drag on and on.

>Tell Odan the truth, Suto tried to kill a man to appease the local god
>Lie, Suto lost control of his senses and never meant any harm
>Come up with another version of events (Write in)
>Other

>>45518917
>>Tell Odan the truth, Suto tried to kill a man to appease the local god
And why the local God is pissed.

>>45518917
>"He said you don't know what you're doing to this place. What could he mean by that?"

>>45518917
>Tell Odan the truth, Suto tried to kill a man to appease the local god

>>45518917
>He said the local Wild god is pissed that you're taking too much too fast. I think he was driven mad by it.

>>45518917
>>Tell Odan the truth, Suto tried to kill a man to appease the local god
I do think we should urge him not to kill Suto though. Hand him over maybe.

Suto said, you tell Odan, that he didn't realise what he was doing to this place. Does Odan have any idea what Suto might have meant by that? You say this casually, offering the leader nothing that might hint at your true feelings – or the extent of your knowledge – and taint his answer. He doesn't react straight away, but his brow dips into a slow frown.

“I know exactly what I'm doing to this town,” Odan says gruffly, “I'm giving everyone here a lifeline – a chance to make it through the tough times, and even a chance to make something of ourselves! That's no crime, outside, no matter what you might think about us.”

Fine. Time to reveal another one of your cards. Suto thinks that the town might have been taking too many fish – and offending the local god in the process. In return, the god has been riling up the animals, trying to spill enough blood to balance things out.

“That's what Suto thinks?” Odan growls, “That fishing caused this? Can't be – we would have known right away. We've been fishing these waters for generations without having wolves hurling themselves on our spears. So you can tell that lunatic-”

How many fish have they caught, you interrupt, since opening this fishery? How many more than usual? Judging by the size of the place, and the number of men working it... it can't be a small amount, can it? Odan can't answer that straight away, instead looking at you with a kind of furious contempt.

You'll tell him the truth, you say eventually, every word that Suto told you – but he won't like it.

You're right. He doesn't like it.

[1/2]

>>45519253

“Human sacrifice? Angry gods?” Odan huffs, “This all sounds like stuff and nonsense, pure fantasy, if you ask me. None of this has done anything other than confirm what I already knew – that madman needs to hang.” Finishing there, Odan turns away from you and starts shouting orders to a group of his men lurking nearby – orders to gather timber and nails. All the materials he would need for a gallows.

Wait, you snap, that won't solve anything. There are only two things that are going to end this – a sacrifice, or putting this god down.

“Huh,” Odan says coldly, turning back to you, “You want a sacrifice? Alright, why don't you do me a favour – you take that priest, and you slit HIS throat. It'll save us tying a noose, and it might just settle things down.”

That... might actually work. You're disturbed to realise that his idea might actually work. Still...

“Ira,” Koa points out, “We don't even know where this god IS yet. Suto might be able to lead us there, but...”

“Ugh, you outsiders and your meaningful bloody silences!” Odan barks in disgust, “Just sort this problem out, you two, however you do it!”

>We get Suto to lead us to his god. We'll decide what happens when we get there
>Take Suto and feed him to his god. That should end things
>Suto can lead us there, and we can kill this “Sawmouth”
>Other

>>45519364
>>We get Suto to lead us to his god. We'll decide what happens when we get there

>>45519364
>>We get Suto to lead us to his god. We'll decide what happens when we get there
Might as well.

>>45519364
>>We get Suto to lead us to his god. We'll decide what happens when we get there

>>45519364
>We get Suto to lead us to his god. We'll decide what happens when we get there
"And you are coming with us Odan. If there is chance at compromise here you need to be a part of the negotiations. If this god doesn't budge on human sacrifice then we'll kill it, but if we can hash out a favorable deal where this village and it can coexist favorably we should take it. Koa and I will protect you."

I don't know if you guys want to the dialogue part of my vote so veto or second it.

>>45519364
>>We get Suto to lead us to his god. We'll decide what happens when we get there
>>45519508
I agree with bringing Odan. We don't have the authority to decide anything that happens in his town so we can't make a deal without him.

You'll get Suto to lead you to his god, you decide. It should be easy enough.

“Then what?” Koa asks, “What are you... what are you planning?”

You've not decided yet, you reply with an honest shrug, you'll have to see how you're feeling when you arrive. There is one thing you want to add though – you want Odan to come with you. The bearded leader splutters at your sudden request, but you press on. You can't make a deal without him, you point out, so there isn't any point in going without him. Not if you're hoping to come to any kind of compromise, at least. He doesn't need to worry about his safety – that's why you're here.

“Huh,” Odan frowns hard, “Don't think you'll have much luck talking things out with that lunatic and his god, but I'm not fit to be the judge of that. If you think we've got a chance of making this right, I'll follow your lead. Not something I do lightly, outsider.”

Then the sooner you get there, you say calmly, the better.

Suto, as it happens, is surprisingly easy to convince. As soon as you mentioned taking him to see his god in person, he was desperately eager to lead you there. Almost enough to make you think that the isolation was wearing on his mind, you ponder to yourself, and not any kind of divine madness. With a leash of rope around his wrists, he led the way out across the coastline, across endless stretches of grey sands until you came to a jagged spire of rock.

“Here!” he hisses as you're lighting your lantern, “Here... deeper inside. We need to go deeper!”

“Wonderful,” Odan curses, his hand straying to the iron hammer in his belt, “I wager we're walking straight into a trap.”

Possibly, you admit, but that's all part of the job. You fall silent, then, as the tunnel widens out into a round cavern, with a shimmering pool of water within.

[1/2]

File: Sawmouth.png (1005 KB, 1061x1500)

1005 KB PNG

>>45519754

Still bound by his leash, Suto kneels by the side of that pool and drags his hands through the clear water, sweeping up a great handful of the stuff and pouring it across his brow. As he does so, you hear a dull rumble coming from further below. Something is coming, rising up out of the deep. A massed pillar of bones, gathered from countless animals – and not a few humans, if the occasional skull is anything to go by – surges up from the water to form a kind of throne. Sitting atop it, slavering and grasping at the cold air, is the Sawmouth.

The personification of blind hunger, the thing is terrible to look at, and yet you have the sneaking suspicion that this is a form... more suited to human eyes. Grinning with razor sharp teeth, it leans forwards and takes a good sniff at Suto's bowed head.

“This one will do,” she hisses, “Or him, the bearded one. Either really – I don't care who bleeds for me. You'll give him to me, won't you? Won't you?”

Not without talking first, you say sternly, drawing your sword and placing it between Suto and the Sawmouth. These animal attacks need to end, and you want that to happen without any human blood being spilled. What's that going to take?

“You drain my blood, and won't even give a little back?” the Sawmouth hisses, “Unacceptable! A life, and the fish are yours. Those are my terms – accept them, or refuse them.”

Beneath the dark beard, Odan is pale. “Let her have him, Wanderer,” he says, through a dry mouth, “One life, one that was lost anyway, is nothing to keep my town going. Give her the priest.”

Suto, you notice, is silent. Hardly volunteering to be sacrificed... but not refusing either.

>Let the Sawmouth take Suto
>Offer her Odan instead
>Refuse either sacrifice, do battle instead
>Other

>>45519892
>Refuse either sacrifice, do battle instead

>>45519892
For how long Sawmouth? For how long?

>>45519892
>Refuse either sacrifice, do battle instead
A god that demands human sacrifice is just going to demand more later and cause problems. Not to mention the principle of the matter.

Would anyone give me a tl;dr of what's happened in this thread?

>>45520005
Battled Koa, got a new assignment, went to fishing village, Priest went insane, local goddess requests for human blood due to being weak.

>>45519892
>>Refuse either sacrifice, do battle instead
Drawing a line in the sand here.
>>45520005
Short version? Too much fishing has offended the local nature goddess.

>>45520005
Ira and Koa investigate a fishing village that has been suffering wild animal attacks.

Local god is pissed that the fisherman are taking so much fish and demands a human sacrifice, makes the priest attempt to kill someone. He fails and is captured.

Priest leads us to god, we bring village leader to hopefully to compromise. God won't budge on human sacrifice. And here we are.

>>45520043
Thank you.

>>45520071
Thanks.

>>45519892
>Let the Sawmouth take Suto

>Seems like fighting wins out here.

You're drawing a line in the sand, right here and right now. Any god that demands human sacrifice will never stop at just one – how long before they demand another, or another two? Once men start to kill their own to feed the god, it becomes a never ending cycle, doomed to repeat itself until nobody is left to offer their blood.

You won't let that happen. Not here.

Your sword glints in the light of your lantern as you step fully between yourself and Suto. Koa, you notice out of the corner of your eye, moves to protect Odan, drawing his own, shorter blade in the process. The Sawmouth, that leering primal goddess, leans back in her throne and gives you a wicked smile, as if your choice to fight pleases her immensely. Perhaps it does – more blood and more carnage for her.

“I'll swallow you all, if I have to,” she gurgles, seawater flowing out of her mouth as she rasps and slobbers, “Oh, and I'll enjoy it too! Fight, humans, if you think you can break the rules of nature!”

>Please roll 1D100, aiming to beat 60, 70 or 90. I'll take the highest of the first three

Rolled 74 (1d100)

>>45520233
Time for murder!

File: 1452801530804.gif (34 KB, 400x240)

34 KB GIF

Rolled 20 (1d100)

>>45520233

Rolled 59 (1d100)

>>45520233
AND WE'LL RUN WHEN THE SUN COMES UP.

Rolled 48 (1d100)

>>45520233
Wind spell to close, Fire spell for damage.

Rolled 30 (1d100)

>>45520233
Sublime strike!

Rolled 61 (1d100)

You were expecting her to attack without restraint or restrictions, hurling herself at you like a wild beast. You were exactly right, but even so the ferocity of her charge took you by surprise. You slip to the side as she lunges, the stone slick and precarious beneath your feet, and allow her charge to take her past you. As she skitters wildly, somehow confident and precise despite the terrible conditions, you slash your sword across her side in a wide cut. It opens her up, letting a gout of black blood and white entrails hang loose.

The scent of fish, rancid and appalling, fills the cavern and you hear Koa gagging, choking against the stench that even now fills your eyes with tears. Her fanged maw drawn into a flat grimace, the Sawmouth presses a hand to her side and shoves the loose guts back into her, heedless of any pain it would cause any mortal creature.

“Oh Ira,” the creature croons, plucking your name from the surface of your mind, “I'm just so hungry – you understand, don't you? Don't you see how thin I am, how starved they've made me? I'm not the villain here – they are!”

She's the one out for human blood, you retort, that's something you cannot accept!

>Please roll 1D100, still aiming to beat 60, 70 or 90
>Rolling for the Sawmouth's attack, aiming to beat 50, 60 or 80. I'll get one roll for this.

Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>45520420
Skin of Porcelain this one. We'll take half damage and have her damage herself.

Rolled 11 (1d100)

>>45520420
>>45520263
WITH THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE!

Rolled 94 (1d100)

>>45520420
Skin of porcelain

>>45520459
>>45520420
+1 the Skin of Porcelain.

File: image.png (276 KB, 952x852)

276 KB PNG

Rolled 43 (1d100)

>>45520420
Rolling
>>45520459

So if this thing isn't dead from the 98 ad half of her own attack this round, we'll use 'Gift of the Soil' to heal and retaliate.

Time for a calculated risk. You were never the greatest with numbers, never scoring very highly on your maths tests, but you know combat. You know when it's time for a decisive strike. You lower your sword a fraction and take one hand from the hilt, pressing it lightly to your heart. You had so much power once, inscribed upon your soul. Now, only a few echoes of their divine sources ring out within the depths of your mind. Only a few – but enough. Exactly the one you need.

You feel your skin harden, crystallising into a layer of delicate – yet deceptively hard – porcelain as the Doll's blessing takes effect. Heedless, maddened by bloodlust, the Sawmouth lunges at you and rakes her claws down your chest. The skin, the magical shield, explodes outwards in a hail of glittering shards. Wincing at the pain – it hurts you too – you focus on the result of the spell. The Sawmouth, blinded and off balance, stumbles backwards. An opening, a chance to strike.

>Ira takes 10 damage, reduced to 5 by Skin of Porcelain!

You thrust forwards with your sword, brushing aside the whirling shards and planting the blade deep within the Sawmouth's bony chest. She gulps as the blade enters her flesh, the sound turning to a keening wail as you drag it down and out, gutting her like, well, like a fish.

With a final rasping breath, she falls backwards into the pool of water, her collapse shattering the pile of bones that once served as a throne. A killing blow – you've seen enough to be certain of that.

“Is... is it done?” Odan asks, a rare tremor entering his voice.

It's done, you reply simply, it's finished.

[1/2]

>>45520617

Suto, the mad priest, is strangely quiet as you're walking him back to town. Odan is quiet as well, but you think that might be more due to what he's seen. For a man who wasn't much of a believer, things must have come as quite a shock. There is also, no doubt, the matter of Suto in his mind. Send the man to the gallows, just as he had planned? Or show mercy, now that the priest's mad god has been put down?

Maybe he'll leave that up to you. You'd rather he didn't – crime and punishment isn't really your business. Still, you think to yourself as you're approaching the town – true enough, his men have been hard at work assembling a gallows while you were away – if you were to make a “suggestion” now, he would probably agree to it.

>Suggest that you take Suto to the closest outpost. Imperial justice will decide this
>Suggest that he let Suto go free. The man's ordeal is over
>Suggest that Suto hang. He's a risk to the rest of the town
>Stay silent, let him do what he wishes
>Other

>>45520679
>Stay silent, let him do what he wishes
I dunno if this is our call.

>>45520679
>>Suggest that you take Suto to the closest outpost. Imperial justice will decide this
His whole reason for being here is gone anyways. Unless there are other gods around.

>>45520679
>had to kill a god because it didn't want to starve
Today was a bad day. Don't know if a god can starve to death, but the people there certainly didn't do it any favors.

>>45520790
>Prevented human sacrifice.
Dunno seems like a job well done.

>>45520679
>>Stay silent, let him do what he wishes
Nah, this ain't our call.

>>45520790
No, Gods can't starve physically, just get starved of worship like the Doll. I think that human sacrifice is a pretty good place to draw a line. Never justified.

>>45520679
>Stay silent

>>45520679
>Suggest that he let Suto go free. The man's ordeal is over

We didn't save him and also kill a goddess so that he would be hanged.

>It looks like staying silent has this one by a thin margin. Proceeding along those lines, and writing the next post now.

You keep silent, as you're all marching back to Odan's Harbour, just like everyone else. As much as the decision sticks in your throat, you've got to admit that this isn't your call – you're not responsible for upholding the law in these parts. If Odan decides to send Suto to the rope, that's not something you're going to interfere with.

Koa doesn't like it, you can see that in his eyes and his downcast manner. He's young, unused to the harsh realities of the road – but, he wanted field work, and he's experiencing it first hand. You've got to wonder if you've changed his mind about anything today, if you've steered him down a different path with the decisions you've made. Maybe – but any teacher is put in the same position, any day of their life.

“We're going to hold a trial,” Odan says quietly, without turning around, “You might laugh, stranger, but it's going to be a fair one. Everyone in town will have their say, and if we decide Suto is fit enough to face the rope...”

Then he'll face the rope, you finish, hard but fair.

“That's how you survive out here,” Odan insists, “This is the way it has to be.”

You've got to wonder who he's trying to convince, you or himself. Has he ever sent a man to his death before? Maybe, or maybe not – it's still not your place to say. As Suto is being herded back into his prison, the gathering of townsfolk begin to filter away. In the sudden hush, the sound of hooves beating the earth becomes very loud – a rider, hurrying into town.

“Ira Furyo!” he shouts, holding a letter aloft, “Is there an Ira Furyo here? There's an important message from the Nameless Temple. Ira Furyo?”

Your work, you think as you raise your hand, is never done.

>I'll end this here for today. Next thread on Sunday, and I'll stick around for a short while in case there are any questions.

>>45521104
>Ira Furyo

>Ira Fury

>Irate Fury

Something tells me when we get mad we get scary.

>>45521104
Thanks for running Moloch.

So its not possible to get magic from defeating gods huh? I guess thats good incentive to do things peacefully if we can. Which we did try with this one anyway.

>>45521188
It makes sense. Can't get a blessing from a god that's "dead".

>>45521188

It does encourage dealing with the gods we encounter - although it doesn't have to be peaceful! I had a spell card prepared for going along with Sawmouth's desires, just in case. In future, I plan for there to be other rewards for taking alternative solutions. Equipment and mechanical prizes, for example, if Ira ends up taking the violent solution more often.

>>45521179

Accurate, but not actually intentional. I just picked sounds that I liked!

>>45521255
Hey Moloch have you seen that ReviewAnon over in the WQTDs? Ever consider getting Devil Summoner London reviewed?

First time I've managed to catch one of these as it was running rather than archived, and I'm so glad you're making more quests. Question on that note: would you be willing to make a pastebin or something with any ideas you had for Devil Summoner London that never got used? I'd be really interested in seeing what could have happened.

>>45521330
Messiah Amelia or Magatama'd Amelia could of easily happened if we chose a different path/ideology.

>>45521255
What would've happened if we sacrificed Suto?

>>45521290

I've seen the reviews, and I'm actually pretty impressed by the amount of work put into them. Truth be told, though, I'm a little afraid of what they might say! It's quite a long quest, as well, so it might not be that convenient. Once Sleeping Gods has reached 10 threads or so, I have considered putting it forwards though.

>>45521330

I only really had one big idea that didn't make it into Devil Summoner. A big masquerade ball, held in the fairy kingdom that ended up with someone attempting to assassinate Titania. It ended up unused because it would have been pretty clunky - possibly ending up in a criminal trial kind of thing. Most of the unused ideas I had when I finished the first half were recycled into the New Cycle.

>>45521411

We could have got a spell card from Sawmouth, and turned Koa almost entirely against us. That's the short term!

That was a pretty hard decision we had to do today.

>>45521440
>Truth be told, though, I'm a little afraid of what they might say!
If I had to guess they'd like most of it but rip you on the combat mechanics, at least until they came into their own half way through New Cycle.

>>45521502
Killing the human sacrificing god or Suto's fate?

For the former, easiest decision. The latter was complicated yeah.

>>45521502

I wouldn't really say there was a "right" decision, although some were definitely worse than others. We did pretty well, considering.

>>45521510

I could see that. Truth be told, mechanics were something I was content to have as "good enough" until I decided to start experimenting with various things. I do wish I'd included them from the start though.

File: Spoiler Image (369 KB, 900x720)

369 KB PNG

>>45521440
Oh yeah Moloch I was bored and did a thing after reading some alignment chart threads.

DnD alignments are dumb but hey.

>>45521578
Change the goods to light and the evils to Dark and it'll be true smt.

>>45521617
Basically the same thing, but yeah.

>>45521578
>>45521617

Those all seem to check out, pretty much how I'd rate everyone as well. I'd certainly say that's an overall outcome. First cycle Joseph was a lot closer to Lawful Evil, after all!

>>45521663
>First cycle Joseph was a lot closer to Lawful Evil, after all!
Man if you told me back then that he'd be an awesome bro that'd we root for hooking up with Gabriel I'd of called you crazy.

Man we wanted to kill him.

>>45521728
>Man we wanted to kill him.

Deservedly so, I'd say!
Really, that was a large part of the fun I had with the New Cycle, viewing the characters through a different lens. Getting our hands on them before they could get involved with anyone else probably helped though.

>>45521578
Joseph and Gabby will probably help Cass back up to Good, felt like she was on her way at the end.

Hopefully next time she fights for compassion and understanding, she actually uses you know, compassion and understanding.

>>45521799
Could you explain a little more about the farmer's revolution you mentioned at the start of the thread? I don't know if it's something you mentioned earlier and I missed before.

Wow, I somehow managed to miss this thread AND didn't even realize there was a thread before.

While there wasn't much reason to keep the Maw alive, it's not going to end just there with Odan. Without a god to care for the fish, it'll be all too easy for overfishing to kill the population, remove their source of livelihood.

These people aren't trained to watch for that. They will fall in time, the only hope is that the train will reach them in time to disperse. As for whether the land can be saved BEFORE all this can happen....

>>45522015

It's not something I mentioned earlier, it's something of a historical event. Before Tatsuhiro the first took the throne, Tenngaru was divided between land barons who were often corrupt, taxing the villages under their control. Tatsuhiro rallied the farmers, formed an army and threw the barons out. Then, riding high on his success, he marched on the capital and managed to overthrow the Emperor.

At which point he immediately declared himself Emperor, had most of his high ranking allies thrown in prison and returned things to a state of "normality". The land barons stayed away though, so many farmers still support the decision and believe it was for the best.

>>45522021

There would have been consequences, I feel, no matter what decision was made. At least this presents the people with something of a future, even if they need to think hard about it.

>>45522130
So how strong was this goddess compared to the one who robbed us of our spells? Compared to the one we met previously?

>>45522262

Stronger than Mandragora and the Doll - neither of which were in the shape to put up much of a fight - but considerable weaker than some of the worst monsters Ira has met before. The one that drained most of his power was a real terror - when Ira and Howa were sent, they were specifically ordered to kill. No negotiations.

>>45522346
What WAS that thing? Did the Nameless ever catch that demented Goddess?

>>45522262
This goddess was very weak. I mean we could have taken her down without using any of our spell cards.

>>45522399

In the end, it was deemed an "unknown entity", something that straddled the line between god and mortal - in open defiance of all known rules. Very rare, and poorly understood. Fortunately, they can be killed - as this one was.

Other entities of this type might appear later. Maybe.

>>45522491
Are we talking God fucking a mortal and out pops a kid type of thing?

>>45522491
How long does it take for a new god to set up shop?

I'm thinking the ideal setup is to get a more "modern" minded god to take the Maw's place, but it sounds like the time it'll take for that to happen is plenty time for the fish to die out.

>>45522509
I think no one actually knows, only that is immensely powerful.

>>45522509
Or a mortal stealing the power of a God to ascend/rule

>>45522547
Well, they could always just not over farm the fish and designate a renewable resources officer/priest to work in tandem.

Pity, we could have repurposed the one they had. I wonder also why he picked that one person specifically to sacrifice.

>>45522509

Gods and mortals can't breed, there's a law against that!
A natural law, I mean, not a legal one. Although, technically, it is also illegal. Tatsuhiro the second had some pretty weird ideas.

>>45522547

It would take quite a long time, and a lot of natural faith, for a god to come into being. It's not really something that can forced to happen. Building a shrine to a neighboring god and generally spreading their influence would be possible, under the circumstances - IF the people were willing to serve/obey the new god.

>>45522628
>Tatsuhiro the second had some pretty weird ideas.
Let me guess his anti-god stance started when a goddess shot him down?

>>45522680
I think the Third is the anti god one.

>>45522621
>we could have repurposed the one they had.
the thing is there's not a LOT of reason to do so. The only reasons are that its already there, and we generally don't want to be assholes.

But it gets a bit dodgy when you start working with divinities.

Besides, if a new god passing by wanted to replace the Maw, the Maw would certainly drive out/kill that new god.

> they could always just not over farm the fish
ha, hahaaa
I point you to >>45522628

These are the sort of people you need to whip in order to change their own ways for their own good. It would result in the "optimal" end, but that's not to say we can succeed at getting them to it. It's not like Ira is trained at preserving ecosystems anyway.

>>45522712
>It's not like Ira is trained at preserving ecosystems anyway.
Nor is it his job. Odan has all the truth about the situation and as the village leader the ball is in his court.

>>45522680
>>45522698

The Tatsuhiro family have always had "strange" views, including their remarkably forward thinking approach towards technology and industry. Interestingly enough, they also have a habit of dying young or mad, sometimes both. Must be all the mercury they use in the medicine!

>>45522712

As I see it the main problem is that there wasn't, technically, a shortage of fish. There would still be plenty of fish in a couple of generations, in fact. It's just that they were taking more than Sawmouth was willing to give. An act of arrogance like that, overstepping the god's boundaries, can seriously harm a god in the long term. That's why Sawmouth demanded sacrifice - an act to show that men were still beneath her in the food chain, so to speak.

Also >>45522756 has it. Ira's main role is to solve the spiritual problem and move along. He isn't immune to meddling or getting involved, but it's not really his trade.

>>45522809
>Must be all the mercury they use in the medicine!
at least they aren't using lead pipes for plumbing!

.....right?

>As I see it the main problem is that there wasn't, technically, a shortage of fish.
ah, I suppose that means the problem is far enough away for a Wanderer to not to stick his nose in?

>>45522873
>ah, I suppose that means the problem is far enough away for a Wanderer to not to stick his nose in?
It was far enough away once Sawmouth was taken care of. We can offer advice and educate but its not our job to solve the village's problems after the spiritual aspect is taken care of.

>>45522873

>Using plumbing at all
Really though, medical science isn't very high on the agenda at the moment. There's kind of a "whatever works" approach, lead piping included.

>>45522922

In either case, Ira might not be able to stick around very long. He's got important business, after all - important enough that they needed to send a letter out to him! Some passing advice might be all he's got time for.