>>45838148

Yet, still doubts and suspicions lurk at the back of your mind, whispering poison into your ear. What if you're wrong, those treasonous voices suggest, what if your instincts have failed you? A single false clue, misleading assumption or hasty guess would be enough to send you chasing shadows, while Miura's captors burrow deeper underground. Lose her now, and you might never get the chance to find her again.

Doubts, haunting your every step even as you rise and pace the length of your humble tavern bedroom. Forcing yourself to stop dead in your tracks, you listen to the muffled sounds of the night. The walls here are thin, considered a barrier by technicality alone, and you can easily hear your neighbours. In the room to your left, Koa's room, you can hear the soft padding of footsteps repeating the same pattern over and over again. Practising his swordplay, you imagine, or just seeking solace in the mindless exercise.

By contrast, Tawn – your opposite neighbour – is far more sedate. Silent, in fact, save for the occasional sigh of frustration. Through cracks in the warped wood, the flicker of a burning candle can be seen. Although Tawn has given you good reason to see him as a reliable ally, you've got to wonder where his true priorities lie – with Miura's safety, or with his mission?

Either way, you decide, your goals are the same. As long as you're pursuing the same end results, you don't care too much about his motivations. With that thought in mind, you sit back on your lumpy bed and glare up at the ceiling. Maybe, eventually, you could get to sleep if you tried, but you're tempted to consult with one of your companions. A moment of conversation might put your mind at ease.

>Speak with Koa
>Speak with Tawn
>Take a walk through the city streets
>Try to get some rest
>Other

>>45838154
>>Take a walk through the city streets

>>45838154
>>Take a walk through the city streets
Get some fresh air.

>>45838154
>Take a walk through the city streets

>>45838154
>Speak with Koa
Teach Koa how to not get himself captured like a scrub. More perception than combat training.

MIURA IS THE MASTERMIND

>>45838154
>Take a walk through the city streets

Fresh air, you decide, should help calm your thoughts. A slow stroll through the streets of Garuna is something you rarely get a chance to enjoy and, while it's hardly the ideal time to be indulging in such leisurely activities, you never know when the next opportunity will present itself. So, pulling on your boots and tying your weapons around your waist, you slip out of the tavern and into the still night air.

It really is fresh – hardly what you expect from a city. Thoughts of the capital, caught under an unbroken cloud of filth, fill your mind as you look up at the stars. Brighter than any other celestial object, the moon looks down upon. Selene is watchful tonight, you muse as you pick a direction at random and stride off. Walking can be a form of meditation in itself, and the distance passing behind you does an ample job of lulling your mind into something approaching peace. Until, that is, you see a flicker in the street ahead. A dark shape, a swirl of robes and cloth, vanishing down an alley.

Even as you consider your options, you find yourself walking in the same direction, following the figure. A trap, you consider, but not one that you're afraid of. Perhaps the night air is still soothing your nerves, because you feel somehow... safe. Not a trap, you decide, although you couldn't quite name your reasons for that. Loosening your sword in its sheath – better safe than sorry – you let your instincts guide you down the mindless path. If you had to guess, you'd say that you were heading up, back towards Selene's tower. In that case, perhaps...

“Couldn't sleep?” a coy voice sings out from behind you as you enter a clearing, a square of empty ground devoted to some god or another, “Or perhaps you prefer the darkness?”

[1/2]

>>45838433
Sup Selene or imperial Selene spy.

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>>45838433

Maab, you begin as you slowly turn, wondering when the priestess got behind you. It could have been any time really, a hidden alleyway granting her the perfect chance to double back without being seen. To answer her question, you reply stiffly, you couldn't sleep.

“My,” Maab sighs, taking a few paces forwards so that the moonlight pours across her powdered skin, “Neither could I – what a coincidence! I wonder, perhaps we should walk together? These are, after all, dangerous times. Even in a sacred space, there lies danger. Or the chance of danger, at least.”

Sacred spaces, you remark, can be the most dangerous places of all.

“All the more reason for us to walk together, wouldn't you say?” humour glints in Maab's eyes as she reaches your side, “There was something else I thought you might like to see. One of Selene's gifts that you may benefit from.”

Very well, you decide with a shrug, you'll take a chance on this gift. Selene's temple, that's where she was leading you wasn't it?

“I wondered if you'd follow me,” Maab smiles at you briefly before taking to the streets once more, moving with the fluid grace of a dream, “While we walk, though, there is a story you might be interested in. When the world was new, it was divided up between three gods. Who was it, you ask, that did the dividing? Ah, but I can't say – some supreme being, above even the gods, perhaps. Regardless, the world was divided up into three. The land went to Titanos, while the oceans were given to drowned Nodens. The sky, then, was given to Selene.”

Nodens?

“But that's not all,” Maab continues, “Nodens was also given the past as his domain, while Titanos claimed the present. Selene, of course, was given the future to hold. My gift, then, is the chance to peer into what is coming. Does this please you?”

>It does, yes
>I don't believe in fortune telling
>Wait. You said Nodens...
>Other

>>45838555
>Wait. You said Nodens?

Also, ask her how Selene can hold anything if the future is constantly becoming. Does she fight with Titanos over territory often?

>>45838555
>Wait. You said Nodens...
Someone trying to take out and destroy all the major gods. Fuck.

>>45838555
>>Wait. You said Nodens...

>>45838555
>Wait. You said Nodens...
great, the past is haunting us.

Are we gonna fight Ira's old nemesis, this time without Howa?

Wait, you ask, she said Nodens. That's a familiar name, and not for any good reason. What does she know about that god?

“Drowned Nodens is, as I said, the lord of the seas,” Maab glances back over her shoulder as she walks, her pale face as cool and distant as the moon itself, “Not very well known these days, I'm afraid. He had a city of his own once – just as Selene claims this city and Titanos once claimed dominion over the capital – but it was destroyed. Some say that Nodens destroyed it himself, drowning it in a single night. Why, I wonder, would he do that?”

Some say, you repeat, who says that?

“Madmen,” Maab shrugs, her voice light, “The same kind of people who claim to know what motivates the gods. Prophets and lunatics – ah, but I say the same thing twice – often claim to have special insight from the divines. Maybe they're correct, who are we to say whether their delusions are true or not?”

Fine, you mutter with a frustrated sigh, you'll let that matter rest. But how, you ask, can Selene lay a claim on the future when it's constantly in the process of becoming? Does she fight with Titanos often, you add with a slight smirk, over the exact moment that future becomes present?

“True, the future is not set in stone,” Maab admits, “Perhaps Selene only weighs the odds and shows us what she deems most likely. Or perhaps her prescience is perfect – too perfect for mere humans like us to understand. She only sends us signs and portents, it's our duty to interpret and understand them.”

Politely ignoring your second comment, you think to yourself as Maab leads you up to Selene's temple. Passing by the front entrance, she leads you around to the reflecting pool.

The sacrificial pool, a dark voice whispers in the back of your mind, tainted by countless ancient bones.

[1/2]

>>45838820

“Perfect,” Maab says, more to herself than to you, as she kneels by the perfectly still pool, “Now, Ira, may I have a coin? A single silver moon, of course – what else would we offer to the goddess?”

A priestess, you almost suggest, biting your tongue at the last minute. Smiling bitterly – you must be the most gullible man in the land – you offer Maab a coin from your personal funds. She told you a story, so the least you can do is make a “donation” to her temple. Taking the coin, Maab lifts it to her painted lips and kisses it, throwing it into the pool a second later. Remaining silent, you watch as the ripples spread out across the surface of the water, distorting the disc of reflected moonlight.

“Ah yes,” Maab muses, “I see... conflict in your future – although I doubt that makes for a difficult guess – conflict and strife. You're heading into battle for a righteous cause, and Selene blesses you for that. The portents are clear tonight – ask me a question, and I might be able to answer it.”

A question, you repeat, any question?

“Hmm, potentially,” Maab tilts her head, a vague apology written across her face, “But the reading will be less accurate the more vague it is. As you include more and more people, more tangled fates, it will be more difficult to be accurate. A personal question would be easiest, regarding you and you alone. So, Ira, what do you want to know?”

>Will we bring Miura back safely?
>Will peace ever come to the land?
>Will the wounds I've taken ever truly heal?
>This is a farce. Nothing more than an act
>Other

>>45838862
>But the reading will be less accurate the more vague it is. As you include more and more people, more tangled fates, it will be more difficult to be accurate
what of fates all aligned towards a single purpose? strung to the whims of a single instigator, or cause?

but eh, I'll stick to
>Will the wounds I've taken ever truly heal?

>>45838862
>>Will the wounds I've taken ever truly heal?
That suggests something more than just physical wounds. I'm curious.

>>45838971
Ira started this quest with just 1 spell card. He used to have a lot more.

>>45838902
>>45838971
>Will these ever heal?

We already know the answer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9dEZ0hRlF4

She speaks of multiple fates, tangled together and distracting her from one true reading, but what of multiple fates striving towards one purpose? If there is only one cause, and one desired effect, does that truly confuse her ability to read the signs?

“I assume that wasn't the question you wanted answered,” Maab's lips twitch in a sly smile, “In one regard, you are correct – multiple people, motivated by the same goals and desires, can be read easily enough. However... how can you be sure that their motivations are truly the same? One man seeks love, another status – both of them walk the same path, but their destinations are very different.”

You frown at Maab as she says that, her voice as calm and innocent as can be. Those were just random examples she picked, you say doubtfully, with no implications behind them?

“I wonder,” Maab reaches out and strokes the surface of the lake with her fingers, drawing her nails across it and leaving faint trails behind, “Ask a question, Ira, that you REALLY want the answer to.”

Unable to shake the feeling that she's toying with you, you sigh and ask your question – the one question that you've really been wanting to ask since this started. The wounds you've taken, you ask cautiously, will they ever truly heal?

You don't tell her what the wounds are. If this is for real, you shouldn't need to.

“I think they will,” Maab murmurs, her voice nevertheless piercing the quiet night, “But the final decision, I feel, will lie with you. You will be given a choice – never bow to the easy option, Ira. That's the best advice I can give you.”

As vague as you were expecting.

“I just read the omens,” the priestess says lightly, “I, a pale and imperfect human. Our time here, I think, is over. Get some rest, Ira. You've got a long day ahead.”

>True. We'll meet again, Maab
>Before I leave, a question... (Write in)
>Other

>>45839138
>True. We'll meet again, Maab

>>45839138
>>Before I leave, a question... (Write in)
Did the story ever say what would happen if all three gods of sea, land and sky were removed?

>>45839138
>Before I leave, a question... (Write in)
>Do you and Miura have a good parent-child relationship?

>>45839138
>>True. We'll meet again, Maab
"I only hope Miura will be with us."

That story of hers, you ask, it didn't happen to say what happens if the gods of sea, land and sky are removed, did it?

“That, Ira, is where the philosophers argue,” Maab stands, shaking droplets of water free from her slender fingers, “Some say that men will enter a new golden age – standing astride a world that the gods no longer have a claim on. Others say that the world will become a lifeless and sterile place – a place where men will struggle on, listless, for a few sad generations before choking on ash and filth. Of course, there is the third option...”

The third option?

“Men will live on,” Maab shrugs, “Without the blessings of divinity, men will struggle a little more. Without curses, men will live a little easier. In the end, though, will our lives really be that different? Some say not.”

Perhaps they have a point, you admit. But before you leave, you wanted to ask her a personal question. Her relationship with Miura – was it a good one, a close relationship between mother and daughter?

“In Selene's embrace, she was not raised as my daughter,” Maab's voice is carefully neutral here, slow and evenly worded, “We are all sisters, expected to keep a respectful distance from each other so we do not disturb one another. In truth... I had little chance to see her as my child. Do not think, however, that I don't care for her. Never think that, Ira.”

You wouldn't suggest such a thing, you assure her softly, the thought never crossed your mind.

“I see,” Maab turns away from you, gazing down into the reflecting pool, “Now...”

You'll see her again, you promise, and you can only hope that Miura is with you when the time comes. Bowing silently, you turn on your heel and slip from the temple grounds. With your mind burdened under heavy thoughts, you take your time walking back to the tavern.

[1/2]

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>>45839432


Upon entering the tavern, a rush of warm, beery air strikes you in the face and drags you back to reality. Your whole encounter with Maab is already receding like a dream, the memories a curious mix of hazy and pin-sharp in your mind. Shaking your head, you start off towards your room when you pause. Sitting at the bar, drinking a mug of beer without much obvious pleasure, you spy your young apprentice. With his attention directed down, at the scratched table, Koa only notices your approach when you sit next to him.

“Ah!” he yelps, “I didn't know you were-”

It's fine, you assure him, rest calm. You couldn't sleep either, so you went out for a walk. Getting a little more than you bargained for, you add silently to yourself.

“I suppose I'm a little nervous,” Koa offers you a sheepish smile, “I thought maybe something to drink might take the edge off but, well, it's not very...”

He'll grow into it, you tell the boy, or he'll just learn to deal with it. Sometimes, a man needs a drink - “taste” doesn't come into it.

“Huh,” Koa risks another sip, his brow dipping in a frown, “I suppose you've got more experience in these matters.”

And he's got a quick answer for everything, you shoot back, doesn't he?

“Sorry,” again, that sheepish smile, “I should get back now, try and get some sleep. Uh, was there anything you wanted while I'm here?”

>I wanted to remind you – do not get involved with Miura
>Just be careful, a little caution will serve you better than hours of sword practice
>Keep an eye on Tawn. I don't know what his motives are
>Just get some rest. It's going to be a long day tomorrow
>Other

>>45839484
>Just be careful, a little caution will serve you better than hours of sword practice
>And get some rest. It's going to be a long day tomorrow.

We've already told him the first option and it would only sow distrust if we said the third, which we don't need.

>>45839484
>>Just be careful, a little caution will serve you better than hours of sword practice
Might as well keep acting like the wise old mentor.

Just be careful, you warn, a little caution will serve him better than hours of sword practice. If everything goes well, he might never even need to draw his blade.

“You think?” Koa looks a little doubtful, “You really think we can solve this peacefully?”

That's not what you said, you correct him, you just said you might not need to get your sword dirty. With a little caution and patience, you might be able to in and out without letting your enemies know you were there. If that means sitting a few throats in the process, that's something you'll just have to do.

“Right,” Koa forces a laugh. The thought of silent murder doesn't sit well with him, that much is obvious – even when your enemies have done plenty to deserve such a fate. “I guess you're right,” the apprentice adds, nodding, “The quieter we do this, the less risk we'll put Miura in.”

That's the spirit. Now, you order, go and get some rest. There's a long ride ahead of you both, and an even longer day.

“Understood!” Koa nods again, more eagerly this time, and stands, “You get some sleep as well, sir. Lead by example!” Without waiting for a response, he turns and hurries off towards the bedrooms. The only break in his stride is when he pauses, turning and throwing a hasty bow back in your direction before continuing on his way.

Lingering in your seat for a moment longer, you heave a heavy sigh and lift yourself to your feet. Now, at least, you feel tired enough to pass out at any minute. Between Koa's enthusiasm and Maab's playful mystery, you've had about enough for one day. Like Koa said – time to lead by example and get some sleep.

[1/2]

>The next post will be delayed slightly. A small matter has come up. Apologies for the delay!

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>>45839774

Morning finds you riding fresh horses out of the city, yawns and muttered complaints passed between the members of your little group. Tawn spent most of the night reading – or so he claimed – researching anything that might prove useful. Returning from sending out a bird bearing his orders, he had picked up several books on what he called “unconventional” tactics.

“We don't know what to expect,” he said at the time, “But someone might. If there's even the slightest hint out there, I want to read it.”

You have no idea how successful his research was, but the dark circles under his eyes and his sullen silence suggest that it wasn't particularly successful. Either that, or the result he got were nothing good. If you're marching into a doomed situation, you think to yourself, you'd rather not know about it. At least that way you've got optimism on your side.

“Listen,” Tawn says suddenly, slowing his horse a little so that the beast is by your side, “I asked for them to scout out the area and confirm – if possible – that Miura is being held there. That's all I ordered – we're going to need to do the hard work ourselves. I didn't want to risk alerting our enemies too soon. For all we know, they might already know we're coming.”

Yes, you reply slowly, they've proven quite capable of that before. On the road to Garuna, they arranged for an ambush. Who knows what surprises they have waiting on this stretch of road? Even if nothing gets in your way between here and there, your pace has been slowed by the mere suggestion of a trap – and every moment you spend here is another moment that Miura is at risk.

“It's a difficult situation,” Tawn says with a frown, spurring his horse on without another word. You don't say anything else until the sun is beginning to dip once more, and the outpost town is approaching.

[2/3]

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>>45840144

This is an unexpected surprise.

Commanding the troops that Tawn had ordered up is Captain Musari, a familiar face. It makes sense, you consider, since he seems to be stationed down in this corner of the world. Joined by four of his troops, Musari raises an eyebrow at the sight of you but makes no comment. In fact, he makes no sign of recognising you at all – wisely, in your opinion. The last time you met, you weren't exactly on official business.

“Only four troops?” Tawn asks, examining the gathered soldiers. Although they have pistols tucked into their belts, they cradle heavy crossbows in their hands.

“Speaking plainly, sir,” Musari begins, “These are the only men I trust not to trip over their own feet. You wanted scouts, sir, not muscle. Every one of these men has experience in hunting and tracking.”

Four men will be plenty, you say before Tawn can complain further, what have they been able to discover?

“Well,” Musari scratches his unshaven cheeks as he thinks, “Our best estimate puts them at twelve men, plus an unknown number holed up in an old hunting shack. They've build a crude barricade around a pass leading up into the mountain – our maps say there's a lake or something past that way.”

The reflecting pool.

“Right,” the captain shrugs, “They're not professional soldiers, that's for sure. Sloppy patrols, and they take frequent breaks. If you ask me, sneaking in shouldn't be too much trouble. With these crossbows, we should have the silent advantage.”

>That's all I need to know. We're moving in
>You said there was a shack?
>Captain, keep your men back in reserve. We're going in alone
>I need to know something else... (Write in)
>Other

>>45840239
>>You said there was a shack?
>>I need to know something else... (Write in)
what weapons?
noticed anything suspicious?

>>45840239
>That's all I need to know. We're moving in

>>45840239
>>You said there was a shack?
>I need to know something else... (Write in)
Is there a girl with them? A captive?

He mentioned a shack, you ask, is there anything special about it? Anything that might suggest a trap?

“It's a shabby old thing,” Musari explains as he rolls out a crude map, significantly rougher than your version. Pointing, the indicates a box close to what you assume is the mountain pass, “But there's only one door and no windows. Big enough for four, maybe five people easy. From what we've seen, some of the enemies sleep in shifts. They come and go, you see.”

“That could be where they're holding her,” Tawn suggests, “Although, why barricade the path to the reflecting pool? Just to slow down any attempt at giving chase?”

Weapons, you continue, what weapons do these men have?

“A mix. Mostly rifles – just the basic kind of rifle, it looks like – and swords. They look, if you ask me, like a thrown together militia. A mob of civilians armed with whatever they were able to come up with.”

“That's not right,” Tawn insists, “The men we fought earlier were anything but thrown together. They were well trained and knew exactly what they were doing.”

More bandits, you suggest, hired as extra muscle?

“Maybe,” Tawn frowns down at the map, “Something about this whole situation doesn't add up...”

Captain, you ask as you glance across at Musari, is there anything else here that strikes him as suspicious?

“They've not sent out for fresh supplies at any point,” Musari says slowly, “Or at least, we've not seen them if they have. No, wait, there was something else. Once, a couple of men came down from the mountain pass but I'm certain that we didn't see them going up it. Either they were lurking there before we started watching, or they've got reinforcements coming down from the mountains – the uninhabited mountains.”

[1/2]

>>45840593
>the uninhabited mountains.
Probably not uninhabited.

>>45840593
Could we get a quick map made in paint?

Sounds like the "old hunter shack" is the entrance to some rather important tunnel systems

>>45840593

“Not so uninhabited,” Koa mentions, “I guess you could hide a lot in there. I mean, people never really explore very far that way since there's nothing really worth looking for. You can't really grow anything, and they've never found any gold or anything...”

People do explore sometimes, you correct Koa, they just never return. Maybe this is why. In either case, you say as you move on, has Musari seen a girl with them? Probably being held as a captive, you add.

“Can't say I have,” Musari shakes his head, “But if they brought her in before we started watching them and kept her in that shack, we'd have no chance of seeing her. On the other hand, we've not heard any shots or seen them moving a body, so...”

Alright, you say as you meet Tawn's eyes. He nods, wordlessly assuring you of his readiness. That's all you needed to know, you decide, it's time to move out.

“I'll pass the word onto my men,” Musari says as he rolls up his map, “What do you want us to do? We could draw their attention with some gunfire, or pick off their stragglers. You might be able to get closer either way, but...”

>You draw them away with a diversion and we'll sneak in
>We hit them with a full assault. Finish this before they can react
>Pick off the stragglers, and we'll look for a route in
>Other

>>45840644

>I'm working on one now. It's very rough though. Please wait warmly!

>>45840652
>You draw them away with a diversion and we'll sneak in

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>>45840710

>Here is the map. The locations of known enemies are marked in red. The brown lines are the barricade.

>>45840652
>>You draw them away with a diversion and we'll sneak in

>>45840652
Can't they both
>pick off stragglers
and
>draw them away
?

>>45840652
>You draw them away with a diversion and we'll sneak in.

I honestly want to do a few false fires near the base of the mountains and near the blockade. Perhaps lure out the enemy to try and deal with them while we go straight for extraction. We do have a few cards that can help with extraction and making sure we aren't ambushed.

Last thing we want is to draw out the fight. 8 people are not going to be able to fight a prepared army.

>>45840785
Dude starting fires is a never a good idea

>>45840781

>They could do both, yes. The main difference was that drawing them away would use loud gunfire while picking off the stragglers would use silent crossbows. However, combining both would be a valid strategy.

>>45840652
>>45840768
>>You draw them away with a diversion and we'll sneak in
If Musari hits them from the left we could probably sneak in through the right hand side. The shack is pretty close to the trees so we could probably get there and back easily enough.

>>45840811
Do that then if it's not a detriment to either
>pick off stragglers
>draw them out after that

Draw them out, you instruct the captain, and you'll slip in while they're distracted. If he hits them from the left flank, you should be able to approach on the right and make it to the shack. Before going loud though, you suggest, see if he can pick off any stragglers with crossbow fire. The fewer enemies he has chasing after him the better.

“Twelve,” Koa says suddenly, pointing at the crudely drawn map, “I only see eight markings here, but you said there were twelve. Does that mean they've got four men inside the shack waiting for us?”

“Maybe so,” Tawn thinks aloud, “But I wager a few of those will leave to see what the noise is once Musari's men start firing. In either case – four of them versus the three of us. We should be able to overpower them with a quick strike.”

Then it's decided, you announce, time to make your moves. First – Musari and his men striking the left flank while you get into position on the right. How far away is this mountain pass, anyway?

“On foot?” Musari thinks for a moment, “We can be in position within the hour. We'll have the cover of darkness going in, which should keep the odds in our favour. Your favour, at least – you're the ones sneaking in, after all. Might not get the chance to say this again, so good luck you three.”

“And good luck to you too, captain,” Tawn says, shaking Musari's hand. Repeating Tawn's words, you give the captain a firm nod. Hopefully, you'll all be walking out of this one.

Enough chatter. Time to move out.

[1/2]

>>45841050

From the shadows of the tree line, you can see exactly what Musari meant about the enemies. They move without much grace or skill, wandering back and forth in loose patterns. They rarely keep watch on each other, leaving great gaps in their defences that even an amateur could exploit. It's too simple, a worried voice repeats in the back of your mind, too good to be true. There has to be something waiting for you within that shack, some trick or trap.

As you watch, a low whistle sounds from the left flank. As the noise repeats, you see one of the guards breaking off from his position and wandering into the trees to investigate. He doesn't come back out again. When it becomes clear that he was the only one taking the bait, one of Musari's men lets off a pistol shot, the sudden sound piercing the night and drawing shouts and cries from the gathered militia. Moving as one aimless organism, they begin to flock their way towards the left flank.

All of them. They leave the shack completely unguarded.

“Come on!” Koa hisses, surging ahead before you can advise caution. Cursing softly, you rise from your hiding place and follow the boy out into the open, racing across empty ground towards the cover of the shack. Four men inside, you remind yourself as you slip your sword free, and maybe more. At least Koa doesn't barge straight through, halting himself and dropping to a crouch as he reaches the door. You arrive a second later, joined by Tawn not long after.

“Ready?” the older man whispers.

Ready, you reply as you get ready to break through the door, as ready as you'll ever be.

>Please roll 3D100 to breach, for Ira, Tawn and Koa. Everyone is aiming to beat 60, 70 or 90. I'll take the highest of the first three!

Rolled 5, 80, 74 = 159 (3d100)

>>45841198

Rolled 83, 29, 71 = 183 (3d100)

>>45841198
Good luck everyone.

Rolled 70, 8, 75 = 153 (3d100)

>>45841198

>>45841231
>>45841232
>>45841294
Everyone managed to beat 70, but no 90s. Not bad.

>>45841198
Remind me to ask what the roll "tiers" mean usually

I'd it's
>barely a success
>success
>critical success

>>45841391

>That's it, yes. The lowest value will succeed, but at a cost, while the highest value will usually get better than expected results. Missing the values altogether is a failure, of course.

Taking the lead, you lower your shoulder and burst through the door, shattering the lock in an instant. With your momentum carrying you inside, you get a chance – a brief yet almost luxuriously graceful moment – to see what awaits you. Four men, just as you were expecting. Two have rifles – almost useless in these tight quarters – while one clutches a heavy iron hammer in his meaty fists. The final man seems unarmed, too involved with tearing at the loose planks covering a rear window to pose any real threat.

Three men really, and only one is close to being a danger. The point of your sword meets the first rifleman, taking him through the chest and killing him almost immediately. He still gets his shot off, but it flies wide, past your shoulder and out the doorway you just cleared. Tawn shoots down the next rifleman, putting a bullet through the man's skull before the long weapon can fire. Koa, quicker than you had been expecting, mirrors your attack – a quick thrust that plants his blade in the remaining enemy's chest.

As the fat man collapses, the hammer dropping from his limp grip, you see the final enemy pulling a pistol. Rather than turn to fire it at any of you, however, he thrusts his hand out the newly opened window and fires it into the air. Through the holes in the shack's roof, you see a brilliant light – a flare, a signal to whatever allies he has lying in wait.

Dropping the bulky pistol, the unarmed enemy turns to face you just as you reach him, barging him up against the wall and knocking the wind from his lungs.

A prisoner. Excellent. Keeping him pinned against the wall, you prepare to bark out your questions.

>Where's the priestess?
>Who were you signalling?
>What's your objective here?
>Other

>>45841506
>>Where's the priestess?
>What's your objective here?

>>45841506
>>Who were you signalling?
>>What's your objective here?
>>Where's the priestess?

>>45841506
>Where's the priestess?
>Who were you signalling?
>What's your objective here?
>Where's Scarecrow!?

>>45841506
>Where's the priestess?
Where's the president's daughter?!

Also got a feeling that the cultists are coming. We need to get the priestess now before we are over run.

The priestess, you snap, where is she? Repeating the question, you put a little more pressure behind your grip, a little more strength into your arms.

This is what you would call “gentle persuasion”. You don't see any reason to start off roughly.

“She's a priestess?” the prisoner – not old, now that you've got a chance to study him, but not really young either – replies immediately, “They never told us nothing about a priestess! They said... they said she was a noble, some rich brat!”

The GIRL then, you snarl, where is the girl?

“She was here,” he stammers, “I mean, she was. Last time I saw her, she was here. I went out to patrol and she was gone when I got back. Let me go, man, I don't know anything!”

He sent up a signal, you snap as you loosen your grip slightly, who was it for? You say this, but you have an idea of what to expect. His next words are going to be...

“I don't know!” he insists, his voice growing shrill, “We were just given those pistols and told to send up a flare if we were attacked. My boss, he was the one that gave it to me!” Desperately, the prisoner nods towards the dead man sprawled out on the floor next to his hammer. “Listen, we were just hired to watch the girl. Said we were ransoming her off, we'd all be rich, I promise you that's all I was-”

The first shot that rings out misses you all, but it causes you to drop flat, pressing yourself as low as possible. More shots, coming faster than any gunfire you've ever seen or heard, pour down upon you as you scrabble against the walls of the shack, seeking any kind of cover you can. The prisoner, dazed and standing in the open, is shredded in an instant.

And still, the bullets rain down upon you.

[1/2]

>>45841843
We have some kind of contingency plan right
[worry]

>>45841843
>coming faster than any gunfire you've ever seen or heard
They have a Gatling gun don't they?

>>45841843

It seems to last perhaps five minutes, the longest handful of minutes in your life. Five minutes of constant overlapping gunfire, bullets tearing through the wooden roof and skittering across the floor as malformed blobs of lead. When the bombardment finally stops, it takes a moment for the information to sink in. Senses overloaded to the brink of collapse, you take a slow and dazed look at your surroundings.

Koa is alive, curled up in a tight ball and trembling like a mouse. Tawn, as white as a sheet, is flat against the wall – also alive and relatively unharmed. Blinking once, or perhaps passing out for a few seconds, he gradually regains his wits.

“We're... alive,” he confirms, swallowing hard.

You're alive, you rasp, but that was... like nothing you've ever experienced. They were firing down upon you, shooting from the mountain ridge. When the hired muscle fired that flare, it must have given them the signal to hose down the entire area – with no regard to allies caught within the killzone. Shuddering at the sheer brutality of their actions, you reach out and touch Koa on the shoulder, slowly pulling him back to awareness. Even when he has stopped trembling and straightened out, the hollow look remains in his eyes.

“What now?” Tawn says, half to himself, “What can we do against something like that?”

What indeed? Frowning as you try to think, you go over the mercenary's words. Miura WAS here, but not when he returned. That must mean...

>We search this shack. Leave no stone unturned
>She must be at the reflecting pool. We've got to hurry!
>We need to regroup with Musari. She might have slipped out earlier
>Other

>>45842002
The reflecting pool. We've got to hurry.

They draw us in to kill off resistance and then they enrage the god, preventing anyone with the skill to stop her from being able to reach her in time.

Something that big can't be moved fast. We need to book it.

>>45842002
>quickly search the shack
>regroup with Musari (we'lll need him to move toward the pool anyway)
>she must be at the reflecting pool

>>45842002
>She must be at the reflecting pool. We've got to hurry!

>>45842002
>>She must be at the reflecting pool. We've got to hurry!
Got a bad feeling about this.

The reflecting pool, you snap, she has to be there – and that means they could be preparing to sacrifice her as you speak. There's no time to waste, you've got to hurry! Without waiting for anyone to argue, you haul Koa to his feet and drag him out of the shattered shack, Tawn hurrying behind you. There was little point in a prolonged search – nothing left in that shack could have survived that onslaught. A few steps outside and you run into Musari – blood splattered across the officer's uniform.

“Don't worry about me,” he insists, “It's not mine, it's-”

No time, you interrupt, they've taken the girl to the reflecting pool. He needs to get any of his surviving men, you order, and follow you up the mountain pass. You can't afford to waste any time. Biting back any objections, Musari nods firmly and hurries back towards the trees. His men must have scattered when the attack hit – and you can't really blame them. At least Koa has recovered enough that he doesn't need any help to scramble up and over the crudely thrown together barricade.

Fully aware of how much of a target you must make – anyone lurking on the ridge above would have a clear shot at you – you run along the broken stone ground. Thinking back to the maps you studied, you picture the route in your mind. A straight path, more or less, and not a very long one. Any minute now, and you should be-

There. Loose gravel scatters as you grind to a sudden halt, confronted with the sight of the two figures before you. Miura, bound with ropes and large rocks, and the masked cultist that holds her. The priestess is perched, precariously, on the rim of a deep and terrible pool.

Freezing dead in your tracks, you hear the others reaching you. Koa wavers, bumping into you. No, not bumping – passing something behind your back. A small knife, by the feel of it.

>Try negotiating
>Try fighting
>Other

>>45842444
>Try negotiating
Et tu Koa?

Didn't expect that.

>>45842444
Do we have a loaded pistol?

>>45842525
>passing something behind your back

>>45842553
Oh whoops. I saw 'pressing' when I first read that.

>>45842525

>Oh, no. I mean he's passing you a knife that you can use as a tool. It's not a threat.

>>45842541

>We do, yes.

>>45842444
>Try negotiating.
Buy us time to figure out the situation. Get our sense card going, ready some defensive ones. When we see a opening, we teleport to her side and get her and the cultist away from the pool.

Above all, NO ONE must fall in the pool.Especially a cultist since they could probably use the same method to enrage selene.

>>45842573
How fast is 'Towards the Great Land'?

>>45842619
Should we try the Water spell to make the cultist relax a little more?

>>45842626

>It's more or less instantaneous. If someone was pointing a gun at Ira from across a room, using it would take you straight into close combat before the enemy could pull the trigger.

>>45842647
Not likely. They seem hostile already so it won't work. At best we can do is set up a surprise attack and milk some information from them. I don't think these guys will let themselves live if captured.

>>45842647
If he's confrontational it will have no effect

>Seems like negotiating is the chosen path, specifically trying to buy some time and study the situation. Writing the next post now.

Before the conflict begins in earnest, remember what we have.

Melancoly and Tectonius have cards that will help us the most once combat starts. Halving damage and increasing our combat skill against a dire foe. Doll and Mandy can serve to further negate and counter damage as well as boost us.

Sublime strike should be saved for a critical moment, possibly when we rescue the priestess, and saint's endurance can be used to rescue her if she falls into the pool thanks to the negation of negative terrain.

Don't be afraid to go all out. These guys are professional.

You wish you could see the cultist's face right now, just to try and gauge exactly what it is that he's thinking. There could be anything behind that mask, but all you're presented with is the sardonic image of a contented dragon, taunting you with the festive blue paint smeared across it. His posture is unreadable, the kind of relaxed ease that can explode into motion at any minute.

Bastard. He's got you right where he wants you. Except... maybe not. He could have thrown Miura in at any point. He still could – a single push is all it would take.

Say friend, you begin, how about taking a step away from that pool?

The bastard doesn't even speak back to you. Slowly, dolorously, he just shakes his head from side to side. Nope, he seems to be saying, quite fine where he is. Fine, you'll try another tactic.

Kill the girl, you inform him, and he won't walk out of here. As long as she's alive, he can still look forwards to a long and fruitful life. That's something to keep in mind, isn't it? This, at least, finally gets a spoken reaction – just not the one you were hoping for. Not the one you were expecting, either.

“No sir,” he says, in a surprisingly soft and humble voice, “I'm afraid I can't comply. We cannot make a compromise – not one inch.”

Why not, you ask, is there someone forcing him to do this?

“History, sir,” he answers mildly, “Those who compromise are defeated, just later rather than sooner. Better to die a martyr, sir, than to live as a slave.”

You just can't figure him out.

>Take a shot with your pistol. You've got a decent angle
>Quickly approach with your magic and use Koa's knife on him
>Try talking some more (Write in)
>Other

>>45843026
>"Why haven't you pushed her in yet, then?"

>>45843026
>>Try talking some more (Write in)
ya know she hasn't broken any law of your god so all that is gonna anger the gods

>>45843188
Pretty sure that's the whole point, or is that what you were going for?

>>45843188
>that is gonna anger the gods
That might be the point.

>>45843244
>>45843251
ya you're probably right i was trying to use what Maab told us about how they were punshed till she lightened up

>>45843026
>Quickly approach with your magic and use Koa's knife on him

>diplomancers

>>45843026
>>Quickly approach with your magic and use Koa's knife on him
Diplomacy has failed.

>>45843026
>quicky approach and stab him
Can we use 2 cards at once (or rather one immediately after the other) ?
If so
>use that +20 card

>>45843401

>In this case, we could use magic to approach and then use Sublime Strike on our first attack, yes.
>Writing up a post now. Should be 5/10 minutes at most.

The girl, you say calmly, hasn't done anything wrong. Killing an innocent like this, someone who hasn't broken any laws or commands, will only anger the gods. What will that achieve?

“Maybe the gods deserve to be angry,” he sounds almost... sad, “Every day, men like the Emperor push and push, taking more and more of what was never theirs to take, never giving anything back. Once, I thought we could solve this with words, with compromise and debate, but now I know that I was wrong. YOU are wrong – and so is your master. The only thing that can end this quiet war is action.”

So, you ask, why hasn't he pushed her in yet? If he's not afraid to die, and he think he's doing the right thing, why hasn't he gone ahead and done it yet?

Hesitation, then. Just what you were hoping to see. Maybe you've got something you can work with, here. Just as you're considering your next words carefully, the sound of heavy footsteps echoes up the mountain path.

“Ira!” Musari bellows, “It's no good, the bastards brought down all my men! I'm the only one that can even walk – I'm coming now!”

No, no, no, NO!

The cultist freezes at the sound of Musari's pugnacious shout, reeling back before throwing all his weight into a desperate shove. Behind the crude cloth gag covering her mouth, Miura tries to scream. Magic flows into your feet as you blink across towards the cultist and his prisoner. Water splashes up across you as Miura hits the reflecting pool, dragged under by the rocks she is bound to. Turning on his heel, the cultist prepares to flee.

>Dive in after Miura. She can't die!
>Chase the cultist. He has information you need
>Other

>>45843551
>>Dive in after Miura. She can't die!
Have Towa go after the cultist.

>>45843551
>dive and use that water breathing card

I'm sure Thrawn and koa can catch him

>>45843551
>>Dive in after Miura. She can't die!

>>45843551
Dive in after Miura.

Use the Earth card that helps with extreme enviroments. Get in and get her out fast. She takes priority!

Get after him, you shout, don't let him get away! Then, not stopping to see if your allies are following your orders, you grip the knife tightly and plunge into the water, dropping into the still rippling surface. Darkness swallows you up as you slide down, twisting around and propelling yourself deeper still with a powerful kick. Dimly visible – more as a sinking trail of bubbles than anything else – you spy Miura below you.

Powering after her, you feel a strange calm settle over your mind. The water around you becomes less of a burden as memories of the Mentor's teachings sooth your thoughts. That old hermit became like the earth itself, stoic and enduring the worst that the elements could throw at him. Compared with that, a little cold water is nothing. As serene as you've ever been, you wrap one arm around Miura's thin body and reach down with the other, hooking the knife's blade around her bindings.

Sawing patiently at the ropes, Koa's blade – as keen and eager as the boy himself – quickly cuts the heavy weights free. The sudden lightness cuts through your perfect focus, hammering home the urgency of the situation. You can breathe down here – Miura cannot. Wriggling out of your grip, the young priestess begins to claw her way towards the surface, one slipper falling free as she kicks at the dark and clinging water. Desperation lends her efforts a terrible energy, and she soon disappears up into the circle of light above.

Returning, as it were, to the embrace of her loving goddess.

Snapping back to reality, you begin to swim upwards once more and soon, your head breaks the surface of the water.

[1/2]

>>45843872

Even with the potent magic saving you from drowning, there's still nothing quite like taking a deep breath of clean air as you return to dry land. Close by, Miura is coughing and spluttering, vomiting out dirty water as she purges every trace of the reflecting pool from her body. When her energy is finally expended, she collapses forwards with an inelegant gasp, panting as she sprawls out on the stone.

“Ira,” Tawn says softly as he approaches, putting a hand on your shoulder, “Good work. It's a damn good thing that you were able to save her. I just wish...”

What, you rasp, what happened?

“The cultist. He got past us, I tried to get him alive but he was too quick. He ran right into Musari, and...” Tawn shakes his head, “I don't know, maybe we can recover something from the body. There has to be something!”

Shaking your head, you let out a low curse. So much for that lead. Although, you mutter, you can't call this a defeat. After all, you got what you came here for – Miura, alive and... well, she's alive.

That's something.

>Miura, are you alright?
>Tawn, show me the body
>We shouldn't waste any time. It's not safe here
>Other

>>45844025
>>Miura, are you alright?
Then
>>Tawn, show me the body

>>45844025
>Tawn, show me the body
>We shouldn't waste any time. It's not safe here

>>45844025
>>Tawn, show me the body
>>We shouldn't waste any time. It's not safe here

She'll be okay, but we gotta move.

>>45844025
>>Miura, are you alright?
>>We shouldn't waste any time. It's not safe here
Grab the body take it with you and gtfo

File: Miura.jpg (155 KB, 670x1282)

155 KB JPG

Nodding sadly, you ask for Tawn to show you the body. You'll take it with you when you leave.

“We're leaving?” Koa asks as he strips off his outer layer, draping the baggy coat over Miura's shoulders, “Already?”

It's not safe here, you remind him, wasting any more time here is just going to invite trouble. As your apprentice helps Miura to stand, you glance back as ask if the priestess is okay. After all, she's had quite the ordeal.

“I am... I can walk,” Miura gives you a breathless nod, “You're right, of course – it's not safe to linger here much longer. I will answer whatever questions you have, once we're safe.”

She's smart, this one. You lead the way back down the mountain path and run into Musari. The man, burdened down by the cultist's body, looks furious. “Three of my men are dead, torn to shreds by these animals,” he barks, “And I'll be lucky if the last one survives the night. This girl had better be worth it.”

Miura doesn't say anything about this outburst, but guilt flashes across her face. That's the guilt of having three deaths on her conscience – how will she cope when she learns at the massacre at the Dragon's Head? Better, you decide, to let someone else break the delicate news.

[1/2]

>>45844025
Tawn show me the body.

We can provide after care for her once we are safe. Right now we search the body. Carrying a corpse will make the escape more difficult.

>>45844398

The mood remains solemn as you return to the outpost, pausing only so that Tawn can help up Musari's lone survivor. It's only when you arrive back at the safety of civilisation that Musari speaks up once more.

“Strangest damn thing,” he growls, “I recognise some of those men, those mercenaries. Deserters from the army, men who signed up expecting an easy wage and couldn't take the discipline. Scum, the lot of them.”

So, you deduce, this group was using soldiers for cheap muscle. That explains the poor discipline – men who deserted because they can't deal with taking orders would never be very well trained. Who, then, is the cultist?

Grunting, Musari lays the corpse out on the ground and reaches down, sweeping the mask away. The cultist, his face finally revealed, is far younger than you had been expecting. Koa, standing beside you, gasps in horror.

“I know you!” he cries, “Ira, sir, I know this man. He was an apprentice – he was at the Nameless Temple!”

Looking again, you realise that Koa is right. You've seen this face before – sketched out on a poster for a missing person.

>I'll end things here for tonight, I think. Next thread on Tuesday, and I'll stick around in case anyone has any questions!

>>45844495
>He was an apprentice
Had a feeling those missing apprentices were either being turned or used for something.

Thanks for running Moloch.

>>45844495
..ah shit. I think we have a classic hashashin issue here. Take in apprentices after killing mentors, use some good words and possible drugs/magic, send them out as assassins. Mr Steel Ring is playing dirty pool this way. Weakens the temple, strengthens his army.

>>45844495
shitjustgotreal.gif

>>45844534
>>45844659

Well, I figured it's about time we got a lead on that little mystery!

>>45844595

What's worse, the idea that apprentices are being brainwashed or the idea that they turned willingly?

>>45844695
Both in equal parts. Many I can see not doing so willingly considering the methods to get them. Those you can't talk into, drug. Those you can't drug.. well, lots of ways to dispose of them when you need sacrifices t piss off gods.

In the end, they are kids. A honey tongue and good lies can do wonders for brainwashing.

>>45844746
>In the end, they are kids. A honey tongue and good lies can do wonders for brainwashing.

Which raises the uncomfortable issue. Is what the Mentor does really that different?

Wild theory: Noden sinking his city was a trial run for "corrupting" gods

>>45844919
That's what I immediately thought
>tale tells us about 3 primal gods noden titanos & selemene
>noden hands cut off/stolen titanos angered and now selemene

>>45844911
Considering him not telling the truth is probably why they were so easy to turn in the first place? Not really. While his intentions are probably more respectful than steel ring, the end result is that he has made weapons as opposed to people.

Steel Ring just took that concept to the most extreme. The scary part is that they got a hold of high end weaponry. Even as novices it does not take much to litter a field with lead.

>>45844919
>>45844952

Here's an interesting fact about Nodens, actually:
The thing we encountered on Dumas that called itself "Nodens" was merely claiming the name. The real god lies deeper still

>>45845218
Soooo what you're saying is we shoould pay the real Nodens a visit now that we can breathe underwater ?

>>45845282

Such a thing would be possible, yes. Consider it a plot thread for a little later though - we'll need a suitable in-character motive to start that particular chain of events.

Actually, there was a question I was wondering about. Out of the more episodic content and the overarching story, what do people prefer so far?

>>45845378
I like how you've done a good combo of both. One part non-Steel Ring issues that a Wanderer normally does for spells and worldbuilding, and one part Steel Ring Conspiracy over arching plot.

>>45845541

I've been trying to keep the two integrated, to a certain degree, so I'm glad to hear that things are working out. Next session will probably return to episodic content for a while though!

>>45845785
Yeah I figured the cult or whatever would go to ground for a bit after losing Miura. And start throwing darts at a dartboard that has Ira's face on it.

>>45844495
deserters I get, impressionable apprentices I get, but GATLING GUNS!?

The fuck are they getting the production facilities for these? They could be producing a model that uses the same bullets as everything else, but the dedicated parts....you couldn't possibly sneak those out of Empire factories, could you? I hope we can sweep the skies for factory smog.

You deserved this, Mentor. Wanderers are the LAST people to be ignorant.

>>45846419

Well, the gatling gun is still entirely theoretical. We never saw what the cultists attacked us with - although I won't explicitly say they DIDN'T use a gatling gun!

>>45846512
A way to make a bullet hell without gatling guns....
>rifle arrays that are more inefficient, less accurate, and somehow even more expensive
>Nodens powers that call upon "bullets fired in the past"
>Every member across the continent has a "teleport bullet" spell

but really, this cult leader guy.
>maybe they should be angry
yes, that makes total sense when the one who performed it is you and not the emperor.

>>45846641

Without giving too much away about the cult and its overall goals, I imagine them as being close to the sort of people that want to return to an old testament kind of deity. They'd rather have harsh laws and cruel punishments than a more permissive society.

A strange decision. What, though, if the alternative was losing the gods altogether? That is, ultimately, one of the main motivations behind the cult.