>>47063208
As I have seen nothing indicating otherwise, I shall assume I am allowed to finish this quest where I started it: on /tg/

This should be the penultimate thread of the main story, followed by a single thread of epilogue and post-script.

suptg: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=DeadQM

Twitter: @DeadQM


You blacked out for a moment, and now you are immersed into what can only be described as a pool of spiritual energy. More than ambient, it seems to be making up the very matter of the realm you are in now.

You take stock of yourself. You are in your dragon form, and know by instinct that it would be foolish indeed to transform into human. That said, all of your limbs seem to be attached, all of your senses seem to be working. The place smells of ozone, it feels like electricity on your skin, it tastes like iron and magic. You open your eyes- for a split second you see elemental chaos- fire, wind, water and earth, as well as some more esoteric elements doing battle with one another on an epic scale. But then, they coalesce, and you are left in a hallway of green marble, lit by balls of shocking white light.

Ahead of you the hallway splits into two. Behind you it seems to drag on forever.

>Go forward.
>Go back
>Shout out
>Other

>>47063292
Go forward

>>47063292
>>Shout out

>>47063292
>Go forward.

>>47063485
I would ask of my players to please not get involved in any discussion about /qst/ and/or /tg/ and the propriety of running quests on either. If we're not supposed to be here the thread will be deleted, if we are and we get dragged into arguments it will only clog up the thread with useless shitposting.

You do what you have always done. You start moving forward. Space does not seem to work quite as you are used to, it is not the near instantaneous travel you have experienced in the Astral, and it is nothing like the sluggish movement in the realm of men, rather it is stuttered, punctuated, you only notice movement when you set your mind to it, and each step you mindfully take seems to bring you forward not by one step, but until the next object of significance.

The first step you take leads you to the nearest white light, and up close you see it blazing like a tiny white sun. You take another, and you are next to a statue of a god you presume dead- at least you certainly have never seen the eldritch being in person. It takes you but few short steps until you are at the fork in the way.

You see that it splinters further, each path splitting into two again not too far from you. You feel rather than guess that the paths will continue splitting as you go along them. You would be lost here within a minute without some sort of guidance.

"I am Vlad Tepish, and I would ask for some directions!' you shout. You hear only echoes. Only echoes, but something is not quite right.

To the left the echoes take deeper, more somber tone. To the right, they seem a little more clear, even melodic.

>Try to figure out what exactly is going on here. Take some time to study echoes and the nature of this place before you proceed
>Go left
>Go right
>Go back. You might get lost here otherwise.
>Other

>>47063540
>>Try to figure out what exactly is going on here. Take some time to study echoes and the nature of this place before you proceed

>>47063540
>Try to figure out what exactly is going on here. Take some time to study echoes and the nature of this place before you proceed

Roll awareness 1d20+4 DC 18 to be done quickly.

Rolled 13 + 4 (1d20 + 4)

>>47063736

Rolled 5 + 4 (1d20 + 4)

>>47063736

Rolled 18 + 4 (1d20 + 4)

>>47063736

>>47063978
Saviour!

>>47064004
I was holding my fingers crossed when I rolled that.

While you have ever been moving onwards, you have never rushed. You have never neglected to slow down and consider things. So you stop, take a deep breath, and consider your situation.

You remember, aside from the three gods you recognized, five more, for a total of eight. While it might be dangerous to presume, if the paths ahead do indeed split in half repeatedly, they might very well be split among the gods themselves.

You take a moment to appreciate the fact that you are taking all of this in a stride. You are, unless you are very much mistaken, walking in the house of gods. A mortal should be shaking in his boots, dropping to his knees in awe and reverence. But you are not very much impressed. Nor are you mortal.

So, you put your theory to the test, you shout a wordless shout and you listen very closely, and indeed, on each side you feel a mingling of several tones of echo. On the right you feel like you might be just about able to distinguish the 'sound' of Pern. On the left, you feel a certain absence that is likely Gurath. You feel other strange sounds, too unfamiliar for you to put to a face of a god.

>Go towards Pern.
>Chase after the god of Undeath.
>Take your time. Introduce yourself to the other gods before you rush onwards.
>Other

>>47064094
>Chase after the god of Undeath.

Pern just hates us for what we are, it's not really personal.

>>47064094
>Take your time. Introduce yourself to the other gods before you rush onwards

>>47064094
>Take your time. Introduce yourself to the other gods before you rush onwards.

>>47064094
>>Take your time. Introduce yourself to the other gods before you rush onwards.

With all of your magical power, the one thing that has brought you more success than anything else has ever been talk and diplomacy. Rushing blindly after one of their peers might cause the other gods to turn against you and an interaction with Pern or Grish is likely to turn volatile quickly.

So, you pick a path at random- sticking to the left-hand side, you go to meet whatever awaits you ahead.

Soon, however, your theory is tested. The path you have chosen winds strangely, and indeed often intersects with another one. You are just about to decide that your guess at what the paths represent might have been a faulty one, when you realize that the two paths might lead to the same destination, and as soon as you think that you find yourself next to a door, imposing even in your dragon form, far larger than any comprehensibly sized being might need to pass through.

You walk through the door and find yourself in a room that reminds you very much of your own office back in your hold. There are wooden chairs, stacks upon stacks of books, a general mess of a great proportion, and yet you feel that there is a definite method to the madness, you feel that whoever has made this mess knows exactly where everything lies and would do their best to unmake you if you disturbed any of their papers.

Speaking of the owners of this room, you notice two desks, and behind them, two gods deep in reading.

One has the form of an old man. The Old Man, indeed, for nothing could be more archetypal than the old man you see. His white beard runs so long that it disappears behind his desk, his hair is wispy and light, he wears glasses and the lenses are the size and thickness of millstones, he is wearing a strange robe, and a knitted sweater underneath.

The other is the woman that briefly spoke to you. While she is still blindfolded, she too seems to be absorbed in paperwork, paying you no more attention than the old man.

You open your mouth to speak,

(cont.)

>>47064537
'Ah, Vlad Tepish, I'd ask you to take a seat, but I am afraid we do not have anything suited for, ah, dragons,' the Old Man says in a voice of a brook overgrown in spiderwebs
'I merely seek to introduce myself, but it seems you know my name already,' you say.
'Indeed! How could I not? You will figure out my name, or something to call me by if you are worthy of it. But how could I, the god,' and you suspect you hear a hint of mockery at the term ' of knowledge and magic could not know of the only interesting person to spring up in a thousand years?'
'You know you are not allowed to have favorites,' the woman says.
'But I am not! He has made himself important, I did not give him any advantage!' The Old Man says.
'Indeed? The most talented wizard since the great dying, and you have not had a hand in it?'
'Oh, you know how it is. I give a little bit of talent, most folk squander it,'
'A little bit? The man is walking our halls!'

>'Sir, I thank you for any boon you might have given me.'
>'Lady, I assure you, I have studied hard and sought out knowledge and power by my own choice. Your... Colleague... is not to be blamed.'
>'I am sorry, but I am in a bit of a rush. Would you mind if I just asked you a few questions and left?'

>>47064654
>'Lady, I assure you, I have studied hard and sought out knowledge and power by my own choice. Your... Colleague... is not to be blamed.'

The mighty beard man opened the door, we chose to walk through it.

>>47064654
>'Lady, I assure you, I have studied hard and sought out knowledge and power by my own choice. Your... Colleague... is not to be blamed.'

>>47064654
>>'Lady, I assure you, I have studied hard and sought out knowledge and power by my own choice. Your... Colleague... is not to be blamed.'
Basket weaving in particular is an interesting topic.

>>47064654
>>'Lady, I assure you, I have studied hard and sought out knowledge and power by my own choice. Your... Colleague... is not to be blamed.'

>>47064764
DAMNIT, now we will never figure out what it was!

Can we ask the epic beard guy what was basketweaving all about?

>>47064654
>'Sir, I thank you for any boon you might have given me.'

'My lady, if you would pardon the interruption,' you say.
'Hm,' she considers it, 'it does go against the due process and most of the time ignorance of Law is not an excuse for the failure to uphold it. That said, it is not only you that is ignorant, but any man in the last thousand years, and you truly could not have known any better. Very well, I grant you my pardon,'
'I thank you. I feel I must say that that while your, ah, colleague, might have opened some doors for me, I have taken every chance to learn and to gain magical power by my own strength and will. He should not be blamed for my persistence.' you say.
'I see. Well, I suppose I have little choice but to believe you.' the lady says.
'I know what you are thinking. What is the significance of basketweaving in all of this,' the Old Man says.
'What? How could you possibly know that?'
'God,' the Old Man says.
'You are not omniscient. Otherwise there would be no point in you reading that book you are reading right now.'
'Good. Very good. Books can be complicated. People are quite easy. You like a good mystery, and you hate it when you have not got it figured out.'
'I,' well hell, you have to admit you're curious, 'You are right. What is the purpose of basketweaving?'
'I will tell you, if you can guess my name,'
'What if I get it wrong?'
'You're wrong! What kind of a god of knowledge would I be if I punished ignorance and failed theories?'

>The Old Man
>Wiseass McWizardface
>It's anything I choose, for men name gods
>[write-in]

>>47064881
>>It's anything I choose, for men name gods

>>47064881
>It's anything I choose, for men name gods

>>47064881
>It's anything I choose, for men name gods

The ammount of names all gods had up to this point seems to sugest this. We should probably name him as well.

>Dumbledore

>>47064881
>The Old Man

>>47064881
>>The Old Man
’Cause I like that name.

Also this seems like a double trick-question. We were asked to guess his name, not to quip about godly naming conventions like the others seem to be doing.

'It is anything I choose, for men name gods,' you say.
'Close! Oh so close, but-' the Old Man starts. You realize something, you have explained what his name should be, but have not actually named him. You string random sounds together as quickly as you can.
'D'Uhm D'Or!' you say before he can finish.
'Ah, I was almost ready to be disappointed. You just made that up, didn't you.'
'I did. And whatever I chose was right.'
'That's exactly right, though you had the entire start of my sentence to think about it.'
'So, what is the answer?'
'Ah, well, if you become extremely proficient in basketweaving,' dramatic pause, 'you can weave some rather impressive baskets.'
'You have got to be shitting me,' you say.
'Of course it is not as simple as that. But that's what it boils down to. Let us say, however, that as you advance your definition of 'basket' might have expanded quite significantly.'
'I don't know what to say to that.'
'Would you mind if you stuck to calling me The Old Man? And in any case, you have lied to us once already.'
'I have?'
'Indeed. You said you have grabbed at any chance to gain power. However, eleven years and three days ago you had the chance to tap into the source of power that is demonology, and yet you refused. Why?'

>'I was afraid it would lead me into servitude to some greater demon.'
>'I was unwilling to make the sort of trades that demonic pacts usually entail.'
>'I was sure there would be some dark god involved down the path, and no offence, but I have had quite enough dealings with gods.'
>'It would have been wrong'
>'I do not have to explain myself to you, Old Man.'
>[write-in]

>>47065110
>>'I was unwilling to make the sort of trades that demonic pacts usually entail.'

>>47065110
>'I was afraid it would lead me into servitude to some greater demon.'

>>47065110
some combination of
>'I was afraid it would lead me into servitude to some greater demon.'
and
>'I was unwilling to make the sort of trades that demonic pacts usually entail.'

>>47065110
>What I said was "I have taken every chance to learn and to gain magical power by my own strength and will". My strength and will. Not borowing it from demons, or the tall dark and demanding.

>>47065110
>>'I was unwilling to make the sort of trades that demonic pacts usually entail.'
Advancements for all, or for ourselves. Neither would be served by giving souls away.

>>47065110
"as you know my life up until now has been dedicated primarily to diplomacy and peace, demons are by nature creatures of chaos that aim to disrupt peace, creating pacts with demons would not have given me power either, I would be borrowing it from the damned, it would not be my own"

>>47065261
And we did use that one demonologist who already had promised his soul to them, didn’t we? It’s just that making new trades would cost more than they give benefit.

'I felt it would not be worth it. Demons demand much in trade for their services. Nothing that I felt I could give up. And I do not fool myself, I know that they seek to make servants out of men, I had no wish to serve.'
'You have shown as much in the past,' the woman says, 'And you did say that you sought to improve through your own strength and will, so I believe that D'Uhm D'Or was wrong in his assessment in calling you a liar. Demonology can hardly be called an achievement of either.'
'Do not let Blarthop hear you say that,' the Old Man says.
'My Word shall be heard by all the gods. That is my purpose.'

>'My lady, might I guess that Justice is your domain? Would you mind telling me a little about yourself?'
>'You mentioned Blarthop. Is he another god?'
>'I am chasing Gurath, and I fear that he might be getting away. I must ask my leave.'
>Other

>>47065317
>>'My lady, might I guess that Justice is your domain? Would you mind telling me a little about yourself?'
Mundanes in the gods’ realm are required to be nosy, right?

>>47065317
>'I am chasing Gurath, and I fear that he might be getting away. I must ask my leave.'

>>47065317
>'You mentioned Blarthop. Is he another god?'
>'My lady, might I guess that Justice is your domain? Would you mind telling me a little about yourself?'

'My lady, am I right in assuming that Justice is your domain?'
'It is my domain and it is my name, but it is not quite as you imagine.'
'In what way?'
'I do not prance around, involving myself in mortal matters, I do not make sure every peasant gets their hog back, nor that the borders between petty lordlings are set right. I am the justicar of gods.'
'I am not sure I understand.'
'I keep these beings in check. They would lay waste to the world with their petty squabbling if not for me,'
'My dear, I would never-' the old man says.
'Yes, yes, you would never, but the others might, or they might provoke you. You know what my purpose is.'
'Ah, ever it is the fate of wisdom to be interrupted by brashness. But I do apologize, the child asked about you,'
'There is not much more to say. I have a small handful of followers left, but I don't give them any real boons advice aside. You have met one, I believe.'
You remember the Warden.
'Might I ask if the Warden was successful in his duties.'
'You may ask, but I fear I may not answer.'
'I see. You mentioned Blarthop. Is he another god?'
There is a pause, one that you find significant.
'Yes. He is. Although he would probably style himself a Demonlord or some such nonsense.'
'God of Demons?'
'They are a part of this world. They must be represented.'
'My, but I am excited. It has been so long since I have met with a mortal with so many questions! Even during an epic chase of climactic proportions he makes the time to ask questions! You see why I like him now, Jus?' The Old Man says
'Do not call me that.' Justice says.

>'I really should be going. Thank you for the information.'
>Other

>>47065528
>>'I really should be going. Thank you for the information.'

>>47065528
>'I really should be going. Thank you for the information.'

'That does remind me, I really should be going,'
'Oh pish posh, have you not read a single legend? When the hero reaches the realm of gods he must ask for a boon from each god he meets, and those boons are supposed to give him a chance to succeed.' The Old Man says
'It is somewhat traditional. That said, it is hard to grant my shield to someone that cannot hold a shield due to his draconic nature,' Justice says.
'True enough. A flaming sword or a pair of enchanted boots would look strange upon him. Oh, of course! We should ask him,'
'Fine. He has composed himself decently enough,' Justice turns towards you, 'You may ask for a boon. Do not overstep your bounds.'

>'I ask for a shred of your power to use as magic,'
>'I ask for the time to reach my quarry.'
>'I ask for the physical strength to match him'
>'I ask for protection against his most vicious strikes.'
>'I ask for nothing, I gain my power through my will and strength.'
>'I ask for the knowledge of a weakness of his.'
>Other

>>47065659
>>'I ask for nothing, I gain my power through my will and strength.'

>>47065659
>'I ask for the knowledge of a weakness of his.'

>>47065659
>>'I ask for nothing, I gain my power through my will and strength.'

>>47065659
>>'I ask for nothing, I gain my power through my will and strength.'

>>47065659
>>'I ask for the time to reach my quarry.'

>>47065659
>'I ask for nothing, I gain my power through my will and strength.'

>>47065678
>>47065702
>>47065713
Guys I understand that we are a pridefull dragon, but last time we fought that guy he slaped the shit out of us in a single blow. And he wasn't even in his domain. And we had an army. How about we do ask for something?

'I ask for nothing. I gain my power through my will and strength.' You say.
'Oh, but you are right again! You might regret being right this time, but by the thirteen hells I must see how this goes down. Jus? I'll be stepping out for a bit.'
'It is Justice.' Justice says.
The Old Man has already shrunk down to a size that can comfortably ride on your back, and sat atop you.

>'No, truly, I cannot accept any help.'
>'Fine, but I must ask that you do not interfere.'
>'Alright, let us depart. Would you mind if I asked you about the other gods while we're on our way?'
>Other
>Other

>>47065769
>>'Alright, let us depart. Would you mind if I asked you about the other gods while we're on our way?

>>47065769
>>'Alright, let us depart. Would you mind if I asked you about the other gods while we're on our way?'

>>47065769
>'Alright, let us depart. Would you mind if I asked you about the other gods while we're on our way?'

>>47065769
>Alright, let us depart. Would you mind if I asked you about the other gods while we're on our way?'

You take flight, and the old man whoops in a surprisingly childlike manner.

'This will never get old!' The Old Man exclaims
'Would you mind if I asked you some questions on the way?'
'Are you insane? Nothing would please me more!' the old man says.

You are now flying through the hallways of the Hold of Gods. Flight is truly strange in these ancient halls, for you do not have a specific unit of 'flight' to use as reference for movement, so the flight is strangely broken up by jumps that might be described as teleportation, wrongly.

'Could I ask you about the other gods?'
'Of course. There are Pern, Grish, Gurath and Justice, and you are a little familiar with each of them. You are wrong in some of your assumptions about them, but it matters little.

Then there is Blarthop, a nasty creature of excess and excessive stupidity. He has a cunning of a sort, but he relies on the things he knows, he refuses to learn at all,' The Old Man says with palatable disgust, 'Uul, the goddess of Sea, and let me tell you, there is no way of knowing whose side she will be on, or if she is going to act at all. Layma the goddess of creation- she deals with music, art, childbirth, luck, that sort of thing. Very sugary, kind of boring, but she has some good ideas from time to time, really good ideas.

I think there is a dragon god flying about somewhere, but since he refuses to manifest and I don't know anything about him, we tend to discount him. He'll probably eat us all when the end-times come, hahaha!'

>Ask to visit one of the gods [which?]
>Ask if there is any god worth visiting.
>Ask something else.
>Ask for directions to Gurath and fly straight towards your encounter
>Other

>>47066084
>>Ask to visit one of the gods [which?]
Layma?

>>47066084
>>Ask if there is any god worth visiting.

>>47066084
>>Ask if there is any god worth visiting.

'Is there anything in particular we should visit? This Layma seems like she might help,' you say.
'Eeh, she usually stands with Pern when it comes to necromancy, but if I vouch for you she might hear you out. I thought you didn't want any divine intervention though.'

You are now back at the crossroads, somehow. You could have sworn you were going ahead, but you find yourself once more at the eight-way split.

'I am just looking for information at this point,' you say, and this pleases the Old Man. It almost seems too easy to make him happy with your answers, but on the other hand you are not lying, nor are you being disingenuous in any way.

'Well, Uul might be a mighty ally, or you might have to fight her, or run away from her- I recommend running, by the way- if she's in a bad mood. You could talk to Blarthop, of course, but I can tell you what he's going to say: "Blah blah, puny mortal, blah blah, power, blah blah souls". But you are forgetting the most obvious ally.'
'Am I?'
'Sure! Pern would trade his shiny codpiece for a chance to destroy Gurath.'
'Pern kind of hates me.'
'Nah, he's against you on sheer principle, he'd hate you as much if you were a mass murderer or an ascetic hermit raising dead only when they float upriver to you. You could probably get his help, or at least something like it.'

>'Very well. Let us go see Pern.'
>'Pern is going to attack me on sight. Let us go see Layma, she seems to be the most likely to see reason.'
>'I will take the roll of the dice over ancient scheming any day of the week. Which way to Uul?'
>'If Blarthop is as stupid as you say I should have no trouble gaining some information from him. We should go there.'
>'What about Grish? We have been at odds before, but I have undone all damage to the forest I'd caused before, so maybe we could get along.'
>'That settles it, if there is no certain help to be found among gods, then we shall fly to meet Gurath straight away.'
>Other

>>47066485
>>'Pern is going to attack me on sight. Let us go see Layma, she seems to be the most likely to see reason.'

>>47066485
>>'I will take the roll of the dice over ancient scheming any day of the week. Which way to Uul?'

>>47066485
>'Pern is going to attack me on sight. Let us go see Layma, she seems to be the most likely to see reason.'

>>47066485
>'I will take the roll of the dice over ancient scheming any day of the week. Which way to Uul?'

>>47066485
I'm
>>47066647
I'll swap to Uul to stop a deadlock.

'The goddesses, Uul and Layma, they seem like the ones worth talking to.'
'Really? Uul?'
'I will take a roll of the dice over ancient schemes any day.'
'A valid approach, though you can only rely on luck for so long.'
'Worst comes to worst we can run.'
'You say that, but I give you no guarantees that you will be able to escape the oncoming storm,'
'I thought she was the goddess of sea.'
'Where do you think storms come from? Keep up, kid.'
'True enough, so perhaps we should start with Layma,'
'Oh good! That way,' The Old Man says and points down a hallway. You cannot see his face, but you feel a leer in his voice.

Eventually you reach another great doorway, the portal to the room of one of the gods.

You enter, and you see a smothering array of satin, red velvet and silk. There is, in fact, entirely too much red and too much softness in this room.

The goddess herself is pale, blonde, blushing, wearing nothing and wearing it well. She looks a little surprised to see you.

>Avert your eyes, approach her with all due respect.
>Compliment her appearance and get straight to the point.
>Other

>>47066848
>>Compliment her appearance and get straight to the point.

>>47066848
>Compliment her appearance and get straight to the point.
We alpha.

Oh, and roll discipline 1d20+5 DC 20, nothing too bad on failure

Rolled 20 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>47066848
>Glare at The Old Man.

Rolled 10 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>47066915

Rolled 19 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>47066915

>>47066920
Not needed though.

Vlad Tepish! Godlike restraint!

You bow politely, though not excessively. You look the goddess of sex in the eye and say:

"My lady, you are the second most beautiful creature I ever have laid my eyes upon, and love makes men blind to all other beauty."
"Mmm, your Bathory, yes true love, I know. I had hoped to seduce you away from her, but I should have known. You are so strong.' Layma says.
'Eeeheheheheheheee,' the Old Man says.
'Any sane man might drop all of his other worldly wishes for the hope of being embraced by you, but alas, sanity is not a quality I can pride myself upon.'

The goddess walks up to the harp in the room, gold padded with red velvet. She plays and she sings and you know that what you hear is beauty that men are not meant to endure with their sanities intact. When she is done with her song you simply say:

'That was a beautiful song.'
'Oh, me. So, so very strong. Very well, if you insist on being so very professional, ask anything of me,'

>'I am simply seeking to understand the situation among the gods. I hope you could tell me a little about yourself.'
>'I must face Gurath. Do you have any advice for me?'
>'I must face Gurath and I would rather like to have an audience when I defeat him. Would you care to join us?'
>Other

>>47067175
>>'I am simply seeking to understand the situation among the gods. I hope you could tell me a little about yourself.'

>>47067175
>>'I must face Gurath. Do you have any advice for me?'

>>47067175
>'I am simply seeking to understand the situation among the gods. I hope you could tell me a little about yourself.'
>I may seek to reignite true worship of some of you in the future, and would like to know how to.

>>47067175
>'I am simply seeking to understand the situation among the gods. I hope you could tell me a little about yourself.'

'I am merely trying to understand the situation I have found myself in. I would like to ask you about yourself.'
'Oh, well I'm just me. I'm important, sure, but honestly, I'm just the goddess of what you humans would be doing without me. So I just watch you create. Life, art, beauty. Sometimes I give a little inspiration. A little poke in the right direction, a little word in the mind of the poet. A little hard-on in the pants of an oblivious lover. I do what I can to help.'
'What are your domains then?'
'You travel with the Old Man. I am sure you know. Creation. And getting lucky.'
'He said it was luck.'
'Oh, sure, that too. I am the base desires of all men and women. To create. To connect. To love. If we want to be disgustingly formal, my domains are Love, Art and Luck.'
'I see, you are as fascinating as you look,'
'Oh, little necromancer, flattery will get you anywhere you want. Anywhere.' Layma says.
'Eeeee- Ahahahahahaa' the old man says.
'As another point of business, I am going to be facing Gurath. Do you have any advice?'
'Shroud yourself in love,' Layma says, pauses and laughs, 'No, I wish you could. That beast certainly knows nothing about any real human emotions. And he thinks he is so clever. I wonder if he knows how many of the necromancers that came to him did so only for the power that they thought would let them come in someone else.'
'I am sorry, but you seem to not have answered my question.'
'Hm? Oh, right. Well, he does not comprehend life. I said as much, did I not? He doesn't understand love either, but knowing that isn't going to help you kill him. Probably.'
'I see, it has been a pleasure.'
'Not enough pleasure, not by a long shot. Hmm, I think I would like to see what Gurath does when faced by you with two gods in tow. I want to go with you, is that okay?' the goddess says and pouts in an openly manipulative way.

>'Sure, the more the merrier.'
>'I am sorry, but I would rather avoid distractions.'

>>47067519
>>'Sure, the more the merrier.'

>>47067519
>>'Sure, the more the merrier.'

>>47067519
>>'Sure, the more the merrier.'

>>47067519
>'Sure, the more the merrier.'

>>47067519
>>>'Sure, the more the merrier.'

>>47067519
>'Sure, the more the merrier.'
As long as she rides on the back, not the front

'Certainly. I would have my feats witnessed.'
'Wonderful.' Layma says.

She does not seem to find any need to put on any clothes, and she gets up on your back. Facing the poor god of Knowledge.

'Hi there, Old Man, miss me?'

Gods, am I right?

You fly for a while, making sure to stay very VERY level. You are uncertain if gods can get heart-attacks, but Layma bumping and grinding against the old god would certainly put that to the test.

'Next stop is Uul. Where to?' you say.
'E-eeh; ahah,'
'Come now, my beautiful Old Man, remember who you are, think,' Layma says,
'Eheh, right, of course, Uul, that way,' the old man points.

When you reach the lair of Uul, you are quite surprised by what you find. You were expecting some sort of an underwater zone. Perhaps something with a lot of kelp, the smell of fish, maybe filled with dead soldiers.

You find yourself on a beach. There is even greenery on the left side, with an endless sea on the right. There is a woman, her skin dark and her significant breasts and waist covered with an apparel made up of fishing nets, pieces of flotsam, and some simple canvas. She senses you in her domain and the sky grows black. You hear distant thunder.

>Looks like she's mad. Leave while you can.
>Introduce yourself. What's the worst that could happen.
>Other

>>47067783
>Introduce yourself. What's the worst that could happen.

>>47067783
>>Introduce yourself. What's the worst that could happen.

>>47067783
>>Introduce yourself. What's the worst that could happen.

>>47067783
>>Introduce yourself. What's the worst that could happen.

>>47067783
>Introduce yourself. What's the worst that could happen.

She wouldn't possibly attack us with two other gods in tow, right? R-right?

>>47067783
>Introduce yourself. What's the worst that could happen.
I mean, when's the last time she saw a dragon being ridden by not one, but TWO different gods?

>>47067783
>Introduce yourself. What's the worst that could happen.

You shake off any fear you might feel and stride onto the sand looking confident. Surely, she shall not attack you when there are two gods on your back.

As soon as you are entirely within Uul's domain, a great wave raises, and is rushing directly towards you.

>Dodge out of the way- the woods and the dunes might protect you
>Run back out the door
>Stand there unflinching

>>47067894
>Stand there unflinching
If she wants a game of chicken, we'll play her game of chicken.

>>47067894
>>Stand there unflinching

>>47067894
>>Stand there unflinching

>>47067894
>>Stand there unflinching

>>47067894
>>Stand there unflinching

>>47067894
What are the odds it'll be illusory if we flinch and real if we don't?

>>47068022
50/50-ish? maybe?

>>47068045
bloody gods amirite?

She must be playing chicken with you. Right? You decide to stand your ground. The wave keeps coming.

'Oh, you really shouldn't test her, Vlad, dear,' Layma says and you feel her disappear from your back. The wave keeps coming. Layma appears next to the goddess of the sea and...

They should have sent a poet.

Layma kisses Uul deeply, and both of them drop to their knees. The wave doesn't stop, exactly, but there is none of the furious god-magic making it rush forwards anymore, and it simply collapses over your head. You and the Old Man are thoroughly soaked, but otherwise fine. You approach Uul. She quickly recovers.

'Vlad Tepish. What makes you think you are worthy to speak to me?'

>'I mean no offense, I am merely making myself familiar with this realm.'
>'I seek to do battle with Gurath, and I think I should have all the information I can find. Can you tell me anything about him?'
>'I apologize, I should not have disturbed you.' bow and retreat.
>Other

>>47068092
>>'I mean no offense, I am merely making myself familiar with this realm.'

>>47068092
>>'I seek to do battle with Gurath, and I think I should have all the information I can find. Can you tell me anything about him?'

>>47068092
>'I mean no offense, I am merely making myself familiar with this realm.'

>>47068092
>>>'I mean no offense, I am merely making myself familiar with this realm.'

>>47068092
>I may or may not be worthy, but so far I haven't been smote by Justice.

You bow, a little more deeply than you did with Layma. You are, at the very least, sure that death in the hands of the goddess of Love would be a lot more pleasant, and so you hedge your bets.

'I meant no offense, Lady Uul. I am merely seeking to familiarize myself with this realm I find myself in.'
'You seek to know the sea? You seek to understand the workings of the waves, the dance of moon and tide? You. want. to. understand. me?'
'Only what you would be willing to divulge,' you say.
'At least you know your place. You have ever seemed a little too arrogant for a human. Even for a dragon, in truth. But at least you know what to do in the presence of the goddess of tide and wave,' Uul says.
'Oh, Uu~. Don't be like that. Vladdy wants to fight Gurath. Aren't we ALL tired of that jerk?'
'Gurath? He should be put into his place, but this insect is barely more than mortal. And I do not sense your boons on him. He has no more chance than a shark would have against me.'

>'If you think I need a boon to beat him, I implore that you should give me one.'
>'It is only arrogance if I ever fail. Gurath is the arrogant fool, and I have bested him at every turn. I do not ask that you respect me, but I need no boon to face him.'
>Other

>>47068309
Guess we keep on the path we have been on. No boon.

>>47068309
>>'It is only arrogance if I ever fail. Gurath is the arrogant fool, and I have bested him at every turn. I do not ask that you respect me, but I need no boon to face him.'

>>47068309
>'It is only arrogance if I ever fail. Gurath is the arrogant fool, and I have bested him at every turn. I do not ask that you respect me, but I need no boon to face him.'

>>47068309
>'It is only arrogance if I ever fail. Gurath is the arrogant fool, and I have bested him at every turn. I do not ask that you respect me, but I need no boon to face him.'

I''m not sure how much this might offend her.

'I succeed or I fail by my own ability. I might be a little more confident than you expect from a human, but I have earned that right.'
'Yes yes, for the depth of your understanding you make good enough decisions,' the goddess of the Sea sighs and seems to calm down a little. The skies turn sunny and the wind calms down. 'What exactly did you want to know?'
'What can you tell me about yourself?'
'I rule the waves. You were a man, you would fail to understand. You forget what the sea is when you are not upon her. I am power, primal and true, and no matter how much your technology and your magic might advance, you shall never be safe of me. Before you ask, yes, it is 'just' the Sea I rule. It shall be enough to break the mightiest nation and to make kings of pirates and beggars, and it is all up to my whim. I am chaos and I am the storm at sea and I am the becalmed ocean around a ship of men dying of thirst. I do not involve myself much in the dealings of men, but there is always one that decides to interfere in the dealings of mine.'
'But that is not my intent.'
'Tell that to me when you fly over the Southern sea and the winds and hail tear your wings to ribbons. Sooner or later all great men beg for my mercy.'

>'Cool, so will you accompany us to face Gurath?'
>'I understand. Thank you and fare well.'
>'This is why I am so sick and tired of gods. See you when I see you, bitch.'
>Other

>>47068554
>>'Cool, so will you accompany us to face Gurath?'

>>47068554
>'I understand. Thank you and fare well.'
If she wants to come with she probably will.

>>47068554
>'Cool, so will you accompany us to face Gurath?'

'That's neat. So, you're coming with?' you say.
'N- Neat? Human, know your bounds!'
'So, love, in or out?'
'You accursed beast of arrogance made flesh. I am coming, only to see Gurath make a plaything of you.'
'Cool. Hop on.'

Thankfully, Layma restrains herself from making some sort of an erotic sandwich on your back quite at this time. Uul and her seem to cancel each other's temperaments out quite nicely.

Finally, you are on the path of meeting the bastard god that has caused you so much annoyance and even some suffering. The last time you saw him, you were but a mortal that he could use as his own plaything. You hope that you have come a far enough way to face him as an equal now.

Nonetheless, you have an ace up your sleeve, or so you think.

CHOOSE ONE

>Your self-reliance, your force of personality and your might. You are much more than you ever have been before, and you shall show him what it means to face Vlad Tepish mano a mano.
>Your friends and allies. You have three gods just rearing to grant you boons, and asking them to call your allies here would be no great request. [Specify who you want with you]
>Your undead. The souls of those you have slain and taken into your service linger yet. Reach out and call them to your side.
>Other advantage

>>47068786
It's between 1 and 3, for me at least.
Can we rely on enough crits happening that we don't need any help?

>>47068786
Our Love of Bathory and child as well as the love of a nation that is being built up?

>>47068786
>Other advantage
We were a mortal once, and know what it is like to lack power. Where Gurath has always had the brute force to achieve whatever he wished, we have had to improvise, plan and weasel our way from powerlessness to what we are.

It is time we taught Gurath what it means to be weak and powerless for once in his existence.

>>47068786
I'll swap my vote from
>>47068919
to
>>47069069

Well, not so much an ace in the hole, as three jacks up your sleeve and a king in your boot. You are not one to stick to a singular plan, and you are certainly not going to put any of your friends into direct danger.

So you fly after the god of undeath and, even with having spent hours within the houses of different dieties of your own land, you find that the god of Death and Undeath is not a hard one to find.

You reach his door. It grates at you how predictable it is. The door itself is made out of skulls and when you push it open, you see a vast desert. You step on it, and when you look down you see- oh, surprise surprise- that what is under your feet is not sand, but rather bleached bones. The moon in the sky is red, and you almost feel nauseated by the cliche.

You sense the god of death before you see him, but you see him soon enough. He is not as large as his avatar on the material realm was, but you know that size isn't going to matter much in this confrontation.

>Charge him, suckerpunch him bad enough that you dictate the pace of the battle.
>Approach him for some pre-battle speeches.
>You have been very effective at being intimidating lately. He IS the god of death, but you think you can knock even him off his game. Make a truly epic entrance.
>Other

>>47069280
>You have been very effective at being intimidating lately. He IS the god of death, but you think you can knock even him off his game. Make a truly epic entrance.
And
>bring/summon our wasp guardian spirit into this realm somewhere where Guroth's attention won't be. We're facing a god, we can use every trump card we own.

>>47069280
>>You have been very effective at being intimidating lately. He IS the god of death, but you think you can knock even him off his game. Make a truly epic entrance.

>>47069280
>>You have been very effective at being intimidating lately. He IS the god of death, but you think you can knock even him off his game. Make a truly epic entrance.

Roll Intimidate 1d20+6 DC 22, remember that your currently nigh-divine charisma means you roll 4 times and the fourth roll cannot critically fail.

Rolled 17 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

>>47069431
here goes nothing. time to intimidate a god

Rolled 5 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

>>47069431

>>47069452
>DC 22
>I roll 23
This is the second time ever I'm actually useful for this quest.

Rolled 18 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

>>47069431

Rolled 4 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

>>47069431
fourth can't critfail, going for it

Rolled 11 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

>>47069431

Random song to pop up on my playlist right now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGx6K90TmCI

This would be hopeless for a mundane man. Even for a mundane dragon. But you are neither, you are a shaman atop everything else, and so you use the ambient spiritual energy to supercharge your fear spell- you know it is still unlikely to faze a god, not without extra effort.

And so you strike the god where it is most vulnerable- in its sense of omnipotence. The gods that came with you are already floating high above the likely battlefield.

This is the god of undeath, he is surely relying on re-animating the bones underneath your feet. You make sure to get to it first. Of course you could not truly re-animate the million corpses underneath your feet, but you do not need to. You merely need to make it seem as if that is what you are doing.

So you call up a storm. A very controlled storm, one that makes the bones shake, and then raise and then fly in a razorblade hurricane.

And just when the death god is surprised by the sudden bone storm enveloping its realm you fly through the bones, and breathe a mix of necromantic energy and acid. Your breath leaves scorched bones and eerie green flames in its path.

'You accursed cockroach! You shall tremble underneath my feet once more.'

>Talk smack
>If the god of death wants to talk shit he's getting suckerpunched. Interrupt his speech with your best shot.
>Summon bone treants [tactical genius perk]
>Other

>>47069686
Can we talk smack while being a tactical genius?

>>47069686
Combine these:
>If the god of death wants to talk shit he's getting suckerpunched. Interrupt his speech with your best shot.
>Summon bone treants [tactical genius perk]
Summon the treants out of bones above him, have them crash down on him

>>47069686
>>Summon bone treants [tactical genius perk]
>If the god of death wants to talk shit he's getting suckerpunched. Interrupt his speech with your best shot.

>>47069686
>>If the god of death wants to talk shit he's getting suckerpunched. Interrupt his speech with your best shot.

>>47069686
>Summon bone treants

We've been quite businesslike for awhile now. Lets continue that trend.

>>47069686
>If the god of death wants to talk shit he's getting suckerpunched. Interrupt his speech with your best shot.
>Summon bone treants [tactical genius perk]

Increased DCs to combine two options

Roll 2d20 1. Channeling +5 DC 20 2. Unarmed +6 DC 22

>>47069686
>Summon bone treants [tactical genius perk]

Rolled 16, 15 = 31 (2d20)

>>47069747

Rolled 7 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>47069747
First roll.

Rolled 12, 1 = 13 (2d20)

>>47069747

>>47069761
1 over and 1 under.

Rolled 8, 3 = 11 (2d20)

>>47069747
rolling

>>47069783
fuck you

Rolled 15 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

>>47069747
>>47069762
Second roll.

>>47069783
Hello darkness my old friend.

>>47069783
>>47069761
ok, so we suck at suckerpunching gods, but our channeling game is on point like usually

No matter how you split 'em, 1. Success 2. Critfail!

You fly high up above and dive down onto the god of death. The thing is so confused you almost feel sorry for it. You pick up speed. The black creature is covering its face with its hands. You might laugh.

It is the time of impact. And Gurath is not there anymore. You crash into the pile of bones he stood upon, and you feel your tough skin break under the strength of your own assault. Gurath takes the first blood. What's more, you crash deep into the pile of bones, and immediately they come to life and grasp at you to keep you immobile.

'Mortal! Born a mortal, and DIE a mortal!' Gurath shouts in a breaking voice, 'Wait, what the fuck?'

Your bone treants must have worked. You are up shit creek, but at least he cannot capitalize on it.

>You are out of his sight and he is off his footing. Double down on your magical assault [add in any specific spells you'd like to see]
>First things first, you need to be flying if you hope to win, and that means getting out of this pile of bones. Use the time you've gained to dig yourself out.
>Other

>>47069926
>>First things first, you need to be flying if you hope to win, and that means getting out of this pile of bones. Use the time you've gained to dig yourself out.

>>47069926
>You are out of his sight and he is off his footing. Double down on your magical assault [add in any specific spells you'd like to see]
Curse, Incite emotion (play with his rage), Raise undead (raise bones around him literally up to our boosted limit) and prepare to use Vampiric Touch on him once we get out of the bones.

>>47070037
I'll second this.

Roll Channeling 1d20+5 DC 19, try to not critfail

Rolled 10 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>47070161

Rolled 9 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>47070161
Critfail!

Rolled 14 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>47070161
Roll.

Rolled 14 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>47070161
don't you dare jinx us Dead.

>>47070206
>>47070208
Channeling, saving the day once again.

>>47070206
Marginal success! The best kind of success!

You stay quiet. Very, very quiet. You do your best mole impression and move underground, that is, under-bone towards where the death-god is struggling with your treants.

With a sudden explosion you tear at it from under its own feet. It is surprised, but it has had untold millenia to practice for battle. His scythe slashes about, but you are swift enough to dodge, and ascending you cast a barrage of dangerous spells at the god.

The curse and the drain that should leave any creature crippled seems to do but a little damage, but you do manage to drain a significant portion of its life(?) as you pass by. [your next offensive roll shall have an additional +1].

>Capitalize! You must attack it physically if you want to crush it.
>Overwhelm it with undead. You have been raising some as you pass by, and the grand tree-like creatures have been quite effective against it
>Try to use some of the advice of the other gods [how?]
>Other

>>47070357
>>Overwhelm it with undead. You have been raising some as you pass by, and the grand tree-like creatures have been quite effective against it

>>47070357
>Capitalize!

Hey Dead. I'm at work, but reading as I can. You rock. Keep on truckin.

>>47070357
>Try to use some of the advice of the other gods [how?]
love, life. Gorath can't deal with life in any way.
Plague and/or control plants. We've got to have some kind of seeds/bacteria on us. Lets make them grow uncontrollably on Gorath.

>>47070357
>Overwhelm it with undead. You have been raising some as you pass by, and the grand tree-like creatures have been quite effective against it

>>47070389
>>47070434
>>47070491
remember guys, this motherfucker is way outside our weight-class. We've gotta use underhanded shit or fight smart against him.

>>47070572
Deleted in 3.. 2.. 1..

>>47070357
Worth a shot. Seconding >>47070488

I just realized that the OP is kind of confusing. This is the penultimate thread of the actual story. The epilogue will be the thread AFTER the next. Just in case this was unclear.

>>47070472
Fuck man, the future of quests in general is looking bleak, so I am especially happy to hear from people enjoying this.

***

Your undead, of course, seem to be a great asset. But something that Layma said sticks to the back of your mind. The creature you are fighting doesn't really comprehend life, or any true aspect thereof. Now, what she said doesn't necessarily mean that he is especially vulnerable to living things, but fuck if you aren't going to try. You find every single living cell in this place, and call out to its spirit, forcing it to grow explosively.

Most of it is disappointing. The bacterium here dies too quickly to make a veritable assault. Whatever algae that might grow among your scales you have diligently cleaned off.

But you find something surprising in the depths of earth deep under the piles of bleached bone. Some strange bramble seeds are still there, and when exposed to the spiritual energy that you channel they grow like growth alone could sate their eternal hunger.

Almost without your direction the near-dead plants of this place assault the god of death. They envelop it in a brittle and thorny hold. You do not have a lot of time, but it is restrained for now.

>Breathe acid in its face for as long as you can
>Assault it physically
>Use this distraction to take flight and recuperate
>Other

>>47070572
And this is why whenever I'm asked to give my change to the literacy funds I say yes, that it is one of the only causes worth donating to.

>>47070667
>Other
Dragonbreath, yes, but lets use the drain breath, not acid.
Unless we can combine breaths, in which case I advocate for using all 3 types we know.

>>47070704
>>47070632

Guys,
>>47063540

>>47070667
>>Breathe acid in its face for as long as you can

>>47070572
don't forget, since the newest splatbook was added and /qst/ is now an accessible reality, we get a +20 to the roll!

>>47070667
>Use this distraction to take flight and recuperate
>Other
Scream in feigned agony so it seems you are more wounded than you are.

Roll Channeling 1d20+6 for potency

Rolled 14 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

>>47070783

>>47070783

Rolled 8 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

>>47070783
Thanks for running Dead. I've been here since the beginning and while I am somewhat sad to see it wrapping up, I am also really happy to be here while it wraps up and I'm loving how you're going about it

Rolled 9 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

>>47070783
I'm feeling lucky!

Rolled 19 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

>>47070783
oops misrolled

>>47070841
if only you had been sooner....
unless we can count your roll as the misroll >>47070818

>>47070897
both we me, sooooooo dead's call.

>>47070833
Fear not, I have new quests in mind. The /qst/ bullshit has knocked me off my game, so I'll probably wait and see if that board becomes something capable of sustaining life before I start the next quest, but I ain't going nowhere. I just felt that Vlad's story was getting a little absurd considering his powerlevel and the general powerlevel of the world.

You face the helpless god and you unleash your best dragonbreath directly at its face. You are almost surprised to see it truly injured when it finally breaks free of its restraints and jumps to attack you.

It is momentarily sluggish in its movement. You know that it shall recover soon, but you have a few ideas to capitalize fully on the disorientation of the creature.

>Drag it to Uul's ocean and try to drown it.
>Drag it to Blarthop's realm. Surely there will be some fire to burn Gurath in.
>Drag it back to the material realm and beat it into the ground in your hometown.
>Layma seemed to hate it. Feed it to her, whatever that may mean.
>Just keep beating on it here.
>Other

>>47070972
>Drag it back to the material realm and beat it into the ground in your hometown.

>>47070972
>Just keep beating on it here.
We'll beat him in his own domain.

>>47070972
>>Drag it back to the material realm and beat it into the ground in your hometown.

>>47070972
>Drag it back to the material realm

>>47070972
>Just keep beating on it here.

>>47070972
>Just keep beating on it here
let the gods watch us first-hand as we beat one of them to death.
We will return to our friends and family after we've ascended to godhood.

>>47070972
>drag it back to the material realm

It came to your home, for fucks sake. You need to show to the denizens of your hometown that no god is going to stop you from enforcing the greater good of your people.

'Layma, Old Man, Uul, get us back to the material realm!' you shout.

And as swiftly as you say it, you are back on your home turf, just where you had left, except the grand avatar is replaced by the relatively small god that you'd been beating in its own realm.

>Crash it through the mountains.
>Drown it in the sea
>Throw it into the sky
>Other

>>47071247
>hold it and breathe your dragonbreath over it

>>47071247
>>Crash it through the mountains.

>>47071247
>Throw it into the sky

>>47071247

>Crash it through the mountains.

>>47071247
>>Crash it through the mountains.

And for just long enough the god of death is a plaything in your jaws. You crash it into the mountainside. You breathe your dragonflame onto it. You finish it off by breaking out from a mountain from the inside, flying upwards until gravity becomes a smaller concern, and then you just let it float, you throw the god of death into the void of space.

You turn back to your planet, and you see it from a height none have ever reached before. You fly back down, and you see that the gods that you have come to know are crossing the barrier between worlds themselves, and trespassing onto your land.

And that is where the thirty eighth installment of Feral Necromancer Quest shall conclude.

You know where to find me and there shall be no more direct character advancement until the end.

I am going to sleep very soon. If you've anything to add and/or ask do it quickly.

>>47071454
Thanks for hosting yet another grand session; I'll be seeing you for the 39th installment.

Goodnight.

>>47071454
Thanks for hosting man been a wild ride.

>>47071454
Thank you for the thread.