File: Beast Eye.gif (2.14 MB, 420x236)

2.14 MB GIF

Rolled 5 + 3 (1d5 + 3)

>>47117778

Rolled 4 + 3 (1d5 + 3)

>>47117778
>>47117823
Whelp

Rolled 2 + 3 (1d5 + 3)

>>47117778

File: Raleigh.jpg (84 KB, 488x613)

84 KB JPG

>>47117823
>>47117854
>>47117992

Pretty damn hard, apparently, but within the limits of non-lethal force. Silverow is not going to be getting a broken neck anytime soon, but by no means was it going to be an easy hit to take in stride. Especially since he’s a mage. The veritable epitome of a glass cannon.

Your fist drives itself into his neck. You allow yourself an inch of penetration before you quickly retract your hand and return to a neutral stance. Assassins do not use heavy attacks. A quick jab, by all means. Certainly no haymaker, but it was definitely far from a mosquito’s kiss.

The mage seizes up, choking half-way through one of his incantations as his eyes bulge out of their sockets and his face turns an interesting shade of red. There are worst things than having the air being driven out of one’s lungs, and he seems to be experiencing a different form of air deprivation.

You have to give him credit for holding onto his spellbook in spite of the blow. Most others would have dropped straight down to the ground. So he does have some merit in being on the Crowngard. Not that he was going to be casting his magics anytime soon.

>Silverow cannot use this round to attack.
>Silverow is Mute for three rounds.

Sputtering and trying to curse, he uses his free hand to unsheathe a blunted dagger of his own. It’s certainly no standard issue blade, with the symbol of his family engraved onto the hilt of the blade, a pair of swords cresting a scale.

>Attack him with the daggers.
>Try and get him to the ground.
>Custom option.

>>47118314
>Attack him with the daggers.

>>47118314
>Attack him with the daggers.

>>47118314
>>Attack him with the daggers.

>>47118314
>>Attack him with the daggers.
Go for the fingers. Make him drop all his shit.

>>47118314
>>Attack him with the daggers.

>>47118314
>Try and get him to the ground.
If he can't cast spells, we can just CQC him and end it with efficient submission. No need for daggers.

>>47118314
>Custom Option

KICK HIM IN THE BALLS

>>47118628
HE DOESN'T HAVE ANY!

>>47118628
That would be useless anon, they're protected by the chastity cage bitch princess keeps on him.

>>47118348
>>47118349
>>47118363
>>47118369
>>47118399

Now’s your chance.

You close the distance, transitioning from one form to another as water over stone. It is not laughably easy to sip past his defenses, but noticeably easier than his prior speed before. Silverow is still trying to recover his breath, and his sluggish movement shows it.

The minute you deprived him of his ability to cant spells, it was all over for him.

Never let a mage fight by themselves, against opponents with the superior physical advantage.

Especially against someone of your caliber.

>You do not have to roll.

Cold steel flashes in the dim light of the torchlight as you attack the mage. One strike with the flat of your blade to knock the tome out of his hands, and another strike to the temple of his head with the pommel. From the way blood comes away from his head, you had to have at least made some significant impact.

It shows. Silverow wobbles once, twice before his legs give way underneath him. But you’re quick to follow through with your work. You catch him before he hits the floor, throwing one of your blades to pin his tome into place. The other weapon moves towards his throat, now an angry shade of red, and you press the dull edge tight against the jugular.

There’s nothing to worry about. Because it isn’t going to cut through anything.

Not that it’s going to stop the desperate fear of being vulnerable to a lethal blow. The confidence and haughty nature is gone from his eyes. All that’s left is an adrenaline-fueled terror.

>“Yield.”
>“Surprised now?”
>“Was that all?”
>“You’re pretty good.”
>Custom option.

>>47118728
>“Yield.”
>“Surprised now?”

>>47118728
>“Yield.”
after he does
>“Was that all?”
>"I've killed tougher in worse condition."

>>47118728
>“Yield.”

>>47118728
>>“Yield.”

>>47118728
>>“Yield.”

>>47118728
>“Surprised now?”

>>47118728
>“Yield.”
>“You’re pretty good.”
Sound surprised, not a lot of mages have that kind of physical fortitude

>>47118728
>>“Yield.”
>“You’re pretty good.”

I'm honestly pretty impressed at how well he's able to keep focus.

>>47118758
>>47118800
>>47118822
>>47118827
>>47118949
>>47118986

“Yield.”

Your voice comes out a little more savage than you originally intended, a sharp contrast to your flat neutral tone of voice. Perhaps it was the stress and events of the last week finally catching up to you. If that was the case, Silverow’s arrogant demeanor only helped to fan the flames.

Or maybe, just maybe, it’s the blood in your veins that rejoices at combat.

Regardless, the voice does the trick. Swallowing as best as he can with your steel against his throat, Silverow drops his dagger and raises his hands in supplication. “I…I yield!” He gasps out, in-between huge gulps of air. “…yours…is this…victory…”

You look to your audience. Palme’s neutral expression betrays nothing, but the glint in his eyes speaks enough of his approbation. The Ingulan’s expression has narrowed significantly, eyebrows furrowed into severe lines. Bellatrix struggles to scrape her jaw off of the floor, her wager long forgotten.

With that and a grunt of your own, you release Silverow and sheathe your blades. “You’re pretty good.”

It takes a moment for him to realize that you’re addressing him. Coughing once to clear the rasp out of his voice, he answers in a disbelieving tone. “…I…I beg your pardon?”

Hmph. He thinks you’re mocking him. You shake your head. “It takes a good mage to keep their concentration, let alone their weapons in their hands in close quarters. Whoever trained you did a damn good job of it. Better than most are ever going to get in their lives.”

“Ah…” At the unexpected praise, his cheeks color. It could have been anything: shame, embarrassment or mortification. Receiving compliments from one he was fully intent on barring from the Crowngard certainly did something for his ego.

“With that said…” The corner of your mouth curves up into a slight grin. “Surprised now?”

>Help him off the ground.
>Just leave him there.

>>47119197
>Help him off the ground.

>>47119197
>Help him off the ground.

>>47119197
>>Help him off the ground.

>>47119197
>Help

>>47119197
>>Help him off the ground.

>>47119197
>Help him off the ground.

>Whoever trained you did a damn good job of it.
>his cheeks color. It could have been anything: shame, embarrassment or mortification.

Maybe the way we trained Serena to keep her concentration using lewds wasn't that unusual after all.

>>47119264
Maybe he's just not used to being praised.

>>47119477
>>47119264

Nah, he's clearly a prancing lala homo man.

>>47119477
Well, yeah, but that's not any fun.

>>47119197
>his cheeks color
Calling it now, it's a female mage pretending to be a man for whatever reason.

>>47119517
Are we going to have to deal with him having a crush on us after this?

>>47119538
>reverse trap
Dammit Kaz, one of my greatest weaknesses.

File: 1459311184684.png (74 KB, 253x196)

74 KB PNG

>>47119552
Of course anon. Our actions will always unintentionally cause us headaches, even when we try to be nice. This is our cross to bear.

File: Releigh Silverow.png (1.04 MB, 889x1304)

1.04 MB PNG

>>47119217
>>47119228
>>47119232
>>47119245
>>47119255

You’ve never been the exemplar of chivalry. The most decent thing you’ve ever done that even pertained to that flowery code of conduct…barring addressing Ellana with her proper title, there was little else. Running the Black Alley Locusts had you using more of a ‘tough love’ approach when it came to things.

But then again, this is a new turning point in your life. Your…third chance at trying to make something out of yourself. And if Palme’s silent approval was any indication, then these were the people that you’re going to be working with for a long time. Best to make good impressions while you still could.

You extend a hand out towards the fallen Crowngard. Silverow’s eyes widen in surprise at the gesture, searching you for any ulterior motive, false sympathies. The only thing on your face is a pleasantly neutral expression, the ideal look for your persona.

Eventually, he relents and accepts your hand, gripping yours with a surprisingly strong grip. His hands are surprisingly rough to the touch, and show no signs of pale coloration along his knuckles. A sign of an efficient mage. Anything other than an almost constant skin tone meant that they were wasting their energy whenever they cast their spells.

After standing on his own, his face resembles one who had swallowed something particularly sour. Either a lemon, or a very hard truth. His mouth works to form words, but eventually he speaks to you. “…I am…indeed surprised,” Silverow mutters slowly, as if carefully picking which words he wanted to use, “…that…a commoner such as yourself would have…such proficiency in battle…”

…well, at least it’s an upgrade from ‘vagrant’. You nod slightly at his backhanded compliment. “It’s either learn quickly or die out there.”

(cont.)

>>47119552
We're going to have to deal with him having a crush on us even if he really is a guy ala ocelot

>>47117778
Great OP picture, but the typesetting desperately needs work. At the very least, slap a darker red or black border around the text, it looks completely out of place right now.

File: Ser Palme.jpg (180 KB, 800x1203)

180 KB JPG

>>47119587
“…indeed…” For a moment, he trails off before his eyes regain their sharp edge. “But do not think that this is over…Painel! Yes, Painel…I was merely…caught-off guard by your disarming appearance. I have done you a great disservice by underestimating you.”

You tilt your head in confusion. Hold on, what-

“I shall not make this mistake again. Come sometime later, you will face me once again on the Floor, with your weapons and my magic. And this time, I’ll bring the full extent of my abilities to bear. You deserve that much at least.”

…it’s an odd sight. The words coming out of his mouth don’t quite match the look in his eyes, as well as the blood pouring down his cheek from the head injury you left him.

“But I will show you that I have the superior skill in combat. That, I swear to you. I bid you good day.”

With that, he bows stiffly to Palme and the others and brusquely walks away from the arena. As he stoops over to retrieve his tome, he stumbles. Just as you and his fellow Crowngard move to assist him, Silverow regains both his balance and his tome. He continues his exit as if nothing happened.

…what the hell was that?

Bellatrix snorts. “Stuck-up bastard’s still prideful as ever, even in defeat. Still, nice job taking him down a notch, Painel. ‘ve been meaning to do it myself, but I didn’t have the heart. Glad to see you don’t.”

The Ingulan taps her shoulder, and holds out an outstretched hand. It takes the knightess to realize what the gesture means, before cursing and pulling out a pouch of coins. He smiles and says a few words in Tathal before pocketing the purse.

Ignoring their exchange, Palme walks up towards you and claps a hand on your shoulder. “That certainly cleared the air,” He says with a grin. “And left no room for doubt that I made the right decision. The prince would have to be blind to not have you sworn to our service.”

I've reached the time limit where I have to be off to take care of some shit. I'll be back in...four hours. I only started this thread to wrap up the previous one, but if you like, we can keep going when I return from Civil War. Keep the thread bumped if you want to continue when I return.

>>47119805
Fuck he really is Ocelot.

>>47119830

Sounds good man, I appreciate it

>>47119805
>[desire to fight the rest of the crownguard intensifies]

I won't be satisfied until we get our face pushed into the dirt so hard we strike oil.

File: 1462496476775.jpg (104 KB, 700x1000)

104 KB JPG

>>47119805

File: 1454184200662.jpg (62 KB, 1920x1080)

62 KB JPG

>>47119830
Fuck you man.

Enjoy yourself.

>>47119805
So is this second duel actually happening? What happened to Palme's "official" terms?

>>47120951
He's pulling the rival shit of "I'll beat you next time". He's just tsundere though.

>>47119587
gay tsundere confirmed.

>>47122090
Or just punch drunk. Did fuck up his throat and head.

bump

File: 6NYRy5Q.webm (666 KB, 720x404)

666 KB WEBM

Another weapon we should get.

>>47123013
Between the shit lighting and all the retarded spinning, I can't see shit.
Where's the blade come from, given that the blade is quite a bit longer than the hilt?

>>47123013
A dagger-sized switch blade?

Meh. Too much trouble to safely pull out, weakened durability due to moving parts.

The point of folding knives is that they're easy to conceal. Making them big makes that pointless. A butterfly knife would be more practical for a hidden poisoned blade that can do flashy tricks and won't slice your fingers on a bad swing.

File: 1242d4ad26bfb19075557eb1a(...).jpg (63 KB, 736x489)

63 KB JPG

>>47123013
this, but in ballistic knife form, except we handwave the implausibility of it actually flying straight

>>47123088
>Shit lighting

Get better eyes

>>47123136

It's a full folding sword with no reduced combat capabilities.

>>47123310
Did you not read the part where throwing knives are not intended to hurt? Distraction weapons rely on accuracy and risk of damage, rather than the gravity of damage.

You don't throw stabbing weapons, especially this one, a weapon that sucks in every way compared to other weapons until it hits.

>>47123433
>folding sword
that is by definition reduced combat capabilities

who would even make this shit? It's not exactly easy to design and smith this stuff.

>>47123433
Explain to the class how you can make a blade that folds in the middle and doesn't have shit for structural integrity nor a tendency to fold when force is applied.

>>47123310
Let's not

>>47123520
>>47123310

Hey, give that stabbing device some credit, it wouldn't be as easy to break as a regular knife.

>>47123607
true. I don't see how that's a concern when we can carry a lot and loot the rest, though.

>>47123668
Sometimes it's better to not worry about your stabby device breaking in half at all. Rather than having your stabby device break mid-swing and be stuck for that short moment with half a weapon.

are improbable weeb weapons like razor floss on the table or are we stuck just garotting people?

how about slingshots with a variety of delivery options to take advantage of our explosives/poison training? Seems more concealable than conventional ranged weapons

Sorry, are we sure Releigh is a guy? I keep on staring at his picture but I just can't see it. His face is way too feminine, holy shit.

>>47124027
He's a dude.

Been referred to as a he multiple times.

File: soren.jpg (130 KB, 850x1182)

130 KB JPG

>>47124027
even money says tsundere reverse trap

source art is apparently a dude for what it's worth

>>47124000
Oh, you're talking about using it as a melee weapon.

I would NEVER have Markus use this as a melee weapon, the shape is absolutely crap for parrying. Curved edge and no guard makes it pointless to try.

If you wanted a sturdy parrying weapon, I'd rather a thicker than average swordbreaker, triangle blade if you're so insistent on commiting war crimes, or just a damn regular dagger.

>>47124096

All that means is Marcus THINKS he's a guy. Doesn't mean he physically is one (though the source image is a dude).

>>47123520
>>47123582

Clearly, it's made out of some kind of special metal. It functions just fine and, in some cases, is even superior to a normal sword.

>>47124165
Great! Now justify why those same flaws would not resurface when compared to a normal sword made of the same bullshit!

>>47124165
I would rather have a normal shaped sword that is ALWAYS superior to a normal sword.

Or a handwavium dagger that can somehow parry arrows or greatswords.

this is why I called you out on posting so much dishonored stuff

>>47124103
>parrying
>for any reason

Psht, nothin personnel.

Seriously though, optimally we shouldn't need to parry, we should just dodge and stab a motherfucker.

>>47124156
Bellatrix called him he as well.

I mean, honestly. I'll be disappointed in Kaz if he turns out to be some tsundrere reverse trap. It's just grossly typical and reduces the character to nothing but waifubait, And Bellatrix being here, in the position she's in. Shows that there's not much of a problem for women getting into jobs like the fucking crownguard so that's no excuse.

>>47124185
have you not read the first 2 threads of this quest?

>>47124182
not that guy but I'm pretty sure he's being sarcastic there broseph

>>47124213
>yfw it's one of those dummies who is ashamed of their gender and demand everyone call them by what they "identify" as

>>47124182
>>47124184

The advantage is it's a normal sword that's concealable without losing the qualities that make a sword a good weapon. An equivalent blade made out of the same material would probably be quite a bit heavier, expensive or both.

>>47124213
...maybe he's trans?

Can't imagine there's been many advances in sex-change operations in this setting.

>>47124260
it has moving parts. It's going to be heavier than the standard blade.

>concealable
I direct you to >>47123136

>>47124247
topkek
every player thinks they've figured out the character but they've latched onto the wrong trope
releigh is actually a genderfluid BBR-universe sjw equivalent whose seeming tsundere tendencies are actually just him/her/it/they/whatever being offended by everything. And Marcus can't shank them because they draw their strength from their mental illness and are actually a useful asset

>>47124247
To be completely honest I wouldn't have too much of a problem with that but I know people would come out in droves, screeching about the tumblr boogeyman. Even if it's not written in a tumblr way.

>>47124230
>the best course of action is to not waste energy turning blades but instead avoiding them entirely and murdering people

>this, apparently, means that we should never ever parry and that the anon in question deserves a snide remark

Optimally, you are not connecting with them in any fashion other than killing them, or hampering them to make killing them easier.

Just because we have two blades and are utilizing them properly (blocking with one and striking with the other simultaneously) does not mean our go-to strategy should be to lock blades with people.

The only reason you should be getting yourself caught up in that is because you couldn't dodge and let them overextend.

>>47124297
But it clearly isn't, judging from the way it flips around.

And it's a hilt. That's pretty concealable.

>>47124312
and this means we should completely remove any capability to parry with the weapon?

>>47124374
Where the fuck did I say that? Jesus, dude.

>>47124312
yeah to be fair, given the lack of real healing in this setting and the fact that we're not really 'durable' so much as able to power through immense amounts of what should be crippling pain we probably don't want to be doing that much front line fighting anyways

especially since we've been recruited for an infiltrator/sneak role; can leave that tanky combat shit to the guys in heavy armor. Even the first few threads were us being successful because of high rolls ambush tactics and sneak attacks. We still won our 1v1s but we def took lots of damage in them.

>>47124247
>ashamed of their gender

Think you mean 'sex' rather than gender, mate. Sex is the physical, gender is the mental.

It's like calling a fetus a baby. It's literally wrong, because a fetus is a human between the embryonic and birth stages of its development while a baby is a post-birth human between the ages of one month and two years of age.

I don't give a fuck about your politics, just get the goddamn terminology right, yeah?

>>47124412
>>47124185
Yes, optimally we shouldn't need to parry.

But there's nothing wrong with keeping options open.

>>47124453
No where did I say "We should not be able to parry"

Quit moving the goalposts.

>>47124429
Gender is a reference to the social stigma attributed to the genitals you possess.

Being a woman typically means people picture a housewife.

Being a man typically means out making the bread.

If you are not happy with your gender, a.k.a. you don't want to be the demure princess who marries the gallant prince because royal marriages and shit, you are ashamed of your gender.

If you don't like being a woman because of what being a woman entails, you are ashamed of your gender. If you don't like being a woman because you don't have a dick to put inside of things you are ashamed of your sex.

Perhaps you misinterpreted me.

>>47124464
.....so what were you trying to say? Did you think I thought we should ALWAYS parry?

I pointed it out as a loadout issue because Markus is clearly able to parry, and using the twisty knife completely removes the ability to do so.

You replied by joking about the edge(which is ironic in itself given you got this far), and you argued against my criteria for choosing. I assumed you meant that parrying at all was not something we should be doing, and so directed you to the previous threads that indicate that Markus HAS parried before. You repeated the notion that parrying is not optimal, I took it as you saying it's a "bad" action rather than "sub-optimal".

So I would assume your initial goal is accomplished? That of "parrying isn't everything"? What's your beef?

>>47124579
Nigga. I ain't the nigga who was talking about that weird twisted knife thing.

I ain't got no beef, you're just insisting on arguing something for no reason.

File: FirstTsurugiDiagram.jpg (50 KB, 600x931)

50 KB JPG

>implying people aren't just funposting retarded implausible shit because we know kaz isn't coming back

>Raleigh is a dude. End of discussion, no more fucking around. Original draft had a female Mage disguised as a male, but I scrapped that.

BOOOO, fuck you Kaz, you eat all the fun.

Not really, I just noticed this was posted literally 17 seconds ago when I saw it. And I'm not even whatevered to see twitter updates. Subscribed? Whatever.

I am back. Getting on my computer now....

>Raleigh is a dude. End of discussion, no more fucking around. Original draft had a female Mage disguised as a male, but I scrapped that.

Oh poor Kaz

>>47124761
Huzzah!

For the record, how good is Combat Skill 3? Like, is that equal to Jaime Lannister or what?

>>47124806
Again, we have a +30 on a d100, even the shittiest rolls are gonna be around average and we're starting, judge by yourself.

>>47124761
see you tomorrow bruh

>>47124806
We were good enough to put the apparently melee minded crown guard Bellatrix' jaw on the floor.

There.

>>47124858
I want Word of God please.

>>47124881
So you're just starved for attention?

File: honestly.gif (2.05 MB, 500x391)

2.05 MB GIF

>>47124893
>Wants info on character capabilities directly from QM
>Starved for attention

File: Constanzo.jpg (16 KB, 250x250)

16 KB JPG

>>47124940
>We have accurate data on the character
>NO I WANT THE QM TO ANSWER ME

File: Luke falls to the Derp Side.png (317 KB, 462x353)

317 KB PNG

>>47124967
>We have crunch not fluff
>Belittling attempts to get information

>>47124991
>We beat an entire gang while bleeding
>BUT THE QM HAS TO TELL US OR ELSE IS FALSE.

>>47124967
Calm down, it's obvious he wants to establish a comparative image between the prowess of characters.

He's said as much many times. He wants to know what "+30" means in a narrative sense rather than a mechanical sense.

The only person who can answer that is Kaz.

Maybe you should just calm down, even if he is being incredibly forward about asking Kaz for the answer.

>>47125028
Holy fuck you need to be braindead to not get that +30 on a d100 is pretty fucking good, and you have enough examples to get that our murderhobo is on point.

File: Look of Disapproval.gif (25 KB, 400x400)

25 KB GIF

>>47125010
>Wanting clarification is a bad thing

>>47125049
>Being retarded is a good thing.

>>47125048
It's understood it's good. The question is HOW GOOD. The fact you missed that either means you're retarded or you just a cunt.

>>47125064
Again, beat a gang all on our own, what else do you need? The fact that the QM says "yeah it's pretty jaime lannister" means the definitive contrast in the setting or something? It clarifies anything beyond "we're good"?

>>47124858
desu Kaz should probably iron out whatever dice system he has going because this +30 shit is kind of ridiculous and people are just distracted by the awesome successes. Thing is, we have something like a ~30% chance of rolling a 100 on a d100 with our bonus

Without any DCs people are just going to assume <50 is fail, 60-70s are okay, 80s are good, 90s are really good, etc except we are literally more likely to roll a crit than we are to roll under 50

at this point in time, this is basically a freeform RPG with no crunch

>>47125091
I am assuming there will be dc that go above 100 eventually.

>>47125091
Depends on the fight. You dont put DC according to bonus, you put DC period. If it's some sort of braindead baby you shouldnt have to roll above 50 because it's an easy task but if it's megamurderman with 2 katanas and a bandana then you shouldnt just get it with a 60.

>>47124806
In this setting, I would say that a +30 is what a person of insane amounts of skill would only be able to achieve after several years of training. Not necessarily the pinnacle of human capabilities, but it's high up there. +40 is neigh mastery (which is what Palme has), and anything beyond that is either magic or...your innate talent for combat is just that bullshit. The best that a rank and file could get is +10, if they worked hard for it. Expect a knight to have at least +20.

Again, it's just for this setting. Similar system I used TF666 but adjusted for a low-power fantasy. Like >>47125091 said, I'm still trying to iron out the kinks. And I haven't had much time to do that since it's finals week. Then again, I got a really good DC sheet that an Anon provided me with in the previous thread, as well as a general 1d100 thing I got from /wqdt/. I'll see what I can do with that when I have more free time.

Hope that clears things up. Writing...

>>47125139
Thank you! That clears things up significantly.

>>47125048
Why are you snapping at me, anon?

What have I done to inflame your hemorrhoids so?

>>47125295
Stupidity triggers me.

>>47125139
>Then again, I got a really good DC sheet that an Anon provided me with in the previous thread

the AEQ one? You might want to tweak it a bit. Despite the fantasy nature of AEQ,
it was more grounded in 'realistic' combat and less rule of cool/badass which seems to be the theme you're going for here

it was also a different system (2/3 must beat DC iirc, with the second numbers being chance of crits) and iirc was also built around a (kinda flawed) skill system with a weirdly unbalanced setup that basically forced players into a certain style of play if they wanted to optimize (though nobody realized that it basically encouraged turtling for turns on end and then going for a 1HKO)

if you're open to suggestion, have a look at the action chain system Deniable Assets Quest had http://pastebin.com/KypPFgFr
it's a really well designed system for action heavy quests that encourages lots of player input on actions, while still allowing buildup for rule of cool shenanigans on consecutive successes, plus it allows the QM to break up posts into smaller chunks for faster posting.

>>47125306
I was clarifying what anon said in case you misunderstood.

Now I see you're just a retard. Carry on, sir.

>>47125354
I didnt misunderstood and it still is retarded. The fact that you need Kaz to go out of his way when he's already telling you the MC prowess in the story comes to prove how much of a retard you are.

>>47125351
Action chain requires player write ins which getting is sometimes like pulling teeth. I remember when Holy Sword made the switch it mostly me and maybe one other dude actually making plans. Got better as people got used to it but still tough. Decent system though.

>>47125382
>implying I was the anon who requested clarification, or an anon who wanted it

We get it, you hump doorknobs.

>>47125407
You're implying that, I'm not implying that. You're just the retard that is trying to defend the retard by being retarded yourself pretending that Kaz hasnt already answered with his writing that question.

Also everytime someone is discussing something and goes "we" is fucking hillarious. I didnt know you had a BRQ meeting in your house.

File: Butthurt.webm (942 KB, 320x320)

942 KB WEBM

>>47125511

>>47125520
>You're retarded
>Lol butthurt

Yeah I guess the conversation has ended.

>>47125538
It never would have started if you weren't so retarded.

>>47125567
LOL ur mum bro

>>47125400
when did Holy Sword start using action chain? I remember trying to get into it early on but the writing just didn't grab me. Might have to go back and revisit it.

Kaz please get that post out soon.

>>47125606
Around halfway, thread 26 I think. It's a fun little quest but the QM got hit by Real Life and hasn't been able to run for months so shit kinda sucks.

>>47125351
I wonder if it'll be appropriate though. Certainly a better fit than for TF666, but we may be going through a lot more mooks in a lot less time in BRQ.

>>47125400
But if ever it happens,
>mostly me and maybe one other dude actually making plans
at least we're both here

>>47125609
No. You have offended me and I'm not writing anymore.

File: 1444091311533.gif (481 KB, 141x141)

481 KB GIF

>>47125653
>at least we're both here

>>47125666
>no trip code
>Not even an attempt at a fake one
Weak bait man.

>>47125666
>666
Hey Lucifer, were you Alyssa or not?

>>47125690
Shitposting =/= baiting

>>47125609
Here ya go.
>>47125666
Trips, nice man.

With your impromptu ‘test’ with Silverow completed, there had been little reason for the others to stick around. Lupine sulked off to cover her shift with Princess Adrianna, muttering about ‘deceiving appearances’ and her lack of a coin purse. The unnamed Ingulan had bowed to Palme before vanishing off on his own to do whatever it was he was assigned to do.

“Princess Adrianna’s other retainer,” Palme answers when you ask. “There are always three personal attendants to each member of the royal family. There’s normally an escort of ten unranked knights assigned to each member, but Prince Emeron took most of them on his latest campaign. We can barely rub together three a piece, let alone four to guard the barracks.

“Not that I blame him,” the knight sighs, sitting down on a nearby bench with a noisy rattle of his armor. “There’s trouble brewing, and I’d want good men riding with me into battle. Nothing major, just an unusually large number of brigands harassing the peasantry and their local lord. There’s no better men, or woman in the case of Bellatrix, that are finer than those of the Crowngard.”

Palme eventually finishes his monologue, and gives you a reproachful look. “I’ll let the guardsmen and servants know that you’ve got my permission to walk around the castle. Consider yourself a temporary member of the Crowngard until Prince Emeron returns from the North. Should stop the guards and staff from giving you pointed glares.

“You'll have access to our barracks and training fields. I’ll see to it that you get a room of your own here. Given how…insistent Ellana was about your little tutoring sessions, I don’t see why you shouldn’t have access to the magister’s library. Ansell would never approve of letting your knowledge slip away.”

(cont.)

>>47125695
Actually I'm a christian questmaster and I dont appreciate people naming the satans. Go to church you disgusting heathen.

Also I'm announcing my next quest here. It's gonna be based around dragon ball and you're gonna be mr. Satan, who decided to change his name to Stu and is now an insurance salesman. Will you be able to make the big bucks or will you cost the company billions in the next super saiyan scuffle?

>>47125778
With that, he gives you a dismissive wave and heads off to take care of his own business.

You should head to…
>The library. Gathering intelligence is always a good thing to do.
>The kitchens. You’re feeling a bit hungry after your tussle with Silverow
>The tower. Go back to your day’s lesson with Princess Ellana.

>>47125786
Get 'im outta here![/Trump]

>>47125803
>The kitchens. You’re feeling a bit hungry after your tussle with Silverow

Rustle up some grub.

>>47125803
>>The kitchens. You’re feeling a bit hungry after your tussle with Silverow
Random encounters!


>>47125786

no joke I'd read that quest

>>47125803
>>The kitchens. You’re feeling a bit hungry after your tussle with Silverow
Remember to bring a snack to Elena.

>>47125803
>The kitchens. You’re feeling a bit hungry after your tussle with Silverow
Fooooooooooooood

>>47125786
Lucifer =/= Satan.

>>47125803
>The kitchens. You’re feeling a bit hungry after your tussle with Silverow

>>47125803
>Ask about the broken dagger. What's happened to it, and what CAN we do with it. It's.....important.

>>47125803
>>The kitchens. You’re feeling a bit hungry after your tussle with Silverow

>>47125786
Fake Kaz, pls go.

>>47125851
No.

>>47125871
call yourself Zak, and be a chaosfag.

>>47125910
You call yourself Zak. I'm Kaz.

>>47125803
>The kitchens. You’re feeling a bit hungry after your tussle with Silverow

Time to make friends in low places

>>47125931
I knew a guy named Zak, once. He fell into an alligator pit at the zoo and died. His mother blamed me for shoving him in but I was on the other side of the park. I was arrested because she was so loud people believed her. I spent a few years in prison for no reason and all this talk about Zak made me sad.

>>47126001
Ok you are probably bullshitting but did this take place at gatorland in Orlando?

>>47126001
Did you drop the soap anon?

>>47126037
I'm gonna fuck you up the ass, you faggot.

>>47126031
No. That's guy's name wasn't Zak.

>>47126037
I didn't, but I did get my incisor on the top of my mouth to the left broken in half and swallowed the half that broke off and had to get surgery because it tore my throat open on the inside. This was because an inmate smashed my face onto the leg of a table in the mess. I still don't know why.

>>47126070
Is that a promise?

>>47126072
>I still don't know why.

Gee I dont know... Maybe because the people in prison are there for a reason?

>>47126161
Random violence isn't as prevalent as you're led to believe. Even gang violence doesn't occur as often as media portrays. It could have been gang violence, but I don't think so juggling the factors involved. He could have just been really fucking crazy, I suppose, but I don't recall any of the inmates to be particularly mentally unstable.

I guess I will never know.

>>47126238
I dont suppose every guy in prison killed without reason but amongst killers there's bound to be the eventual psycho.

File: kitchen.jpg (89 KB, 600x456)

89 KB JPG

>>47125816
>>47125823
>>47125825
>>47125832
>>47125843

Your stomach rumbles ever-so-slightly, and you can’t help but snort. The only meal you had since this morning’s breakfast was the bread that Palme’s servant brought you. That, you wolfed down in a hurry in order to get here. Not to mention that the Dance is physically demanding, and demands a heavy tribute for its use. Even for a brief spar, just like the one with Silverow, your body requires nourishment.

It is with a peckish stomach when you set off in the direction of the kitchens. You leave the blunted weapons behind, only pausing to take your own dagger from the hook it was hanging from. It was still broken, but it still had its uses. And there was no way in hell that you were going to go without a weapon, and not without this one.

After a few minutes of meandering around the lower quarters, you eventually come upon the scent of food. Following the growing scent of herbs and sound of bustling activity leads you to the castle’s kitchens, a large room filled with servants in the process of a midday meal for the nobles.

The head cook, a portly woman of indeterminate middle age, shouts orders to her servants as she goes about inspecting the various dishes laid out. Chicken roasted on the spit, fresh loaves of bread, some kind of tomato and basil soup, and a bowl of fresh fruits imported from the south. Maidservants dressed in the livery and colors of the Crowmonds bustle about carrying trays upstairs to the dining hall.

Your mouth waters at the sight and smells, but you keep a stoic front. This is not your meal, not in a hundred years or by some miracle. This is what the royal family is going to eat. To them, nothing less than the finest of meats and the freshest of produce would be served on their varnished tables of mahogany and oak.

(cont.)

File: hfw.jpg (150 KB, 840x1065)

150 KB JPG

Someone was bound to notice you eventually. One of the servants, a cook by his apron, whispers something to the head cook and points in your direction. She squints once to get a good look at you and scowls. “Who are you? And what in the nine hells are you doing in my kitchen? I ought to have you horsewhipped for coming in here uninvited-”

>You tell her that you’re a member of the Crowngard.
>You tell them that you want some food.

Her eyes narrow, as if searching your face could reveal some hidden sign of falsehood and deceit. She finds none. Her scowl deepens before she jerks a finger towards the back. “There’s a larder set aside for the Crowngard for whenever they wish to eat. Help yourself to whatever’s there. Just don’t expect it to be fresh.”

You thank her for her time and quickly head off in the direction where she pointed. All she does is mutter a curse and return to her work, yelling at a servant who left a breadstick too close to the flames of the oven. This is one servant who takes her duties quite seriously. Little wonder why the food was good. Hers was a tight ship-

“Eep!”

The sound and impact of someone running into you jolts you out of your train of thought, accompanied by the tinkling of metal striking against metal. On any other day, this is something that you could have avoided with a quick step to the side. But the crowded confines of the kitchen made it very hard to navigate through the flow of bodies.

The individual that you collided with is a maidservant, a young woman about your age with brown hair that gently comes down her shoulders. What you would normally consider to be graceful features are currently scrunched up in misery as she scrambles to pick up her fallen load...are those tears in the corner of her eyes? The snickering of the other servants does nothing to improve her demeanor.

(cont.)

“Oh, gods, not again!” She wails, desperately moving as fast as she can to collect the fallen utensils. Her coordination with her hands is not the best you’ve ever seen, which strikes you as an oddity as she’s a servant. It shows when she yelps, retracting a hand violently from a fork she accidentally pricked her finger with.

Sucking on the injured digit, she uses her other hand to gather what’s within reach. Which is not a large number given her small hands and the large handles of the knives. As well as the fact that your boot is currently pinning some of them down to the stone floor.

>Apologize for bumping into her.
>Chastise her for her clumsiness.
>Help her pick up the silverware.
>Just keep walking. Not your business.
>Custom option.

>>47126593
>>Help her pick up the silverware.
Hurray we might have a friend

>>47126593
>Apologize for bumping into her.
>Carefully walk away, it's busy here and we'd just make it worse.

>>47126593
>>Help her pick up the silverware.

>>47126593
>>Help her pick up the silverware.
No words, then we go get lunch. Or dinner. Supper?

>47126593
>Apologize for bumping into her.
Mah bad.
>Help her pick up the silverware.

>>47126593
>Apologize for bumping into her.
>Help her pick up the silverware.

Always befriend the maid, it'll pay off longterm.

>>47126593
>>Help her pick up the silverware.
Don't say anything just help her get on her way.

>>47126593
>Apologize for bumping into her
>Help her pick up the silverware.

Hurrah! The second/third/fourth waifu candidate appears!

Also advocating supporting her when Kitchen Hitler inevitably comes bitching at her!

>>47126732
The only true waifu is the waifu who can boss Marcus around.

Which so far are realistically, none. I mean, princesses and shit, woohoo, but they don't -really- have authority over him, they themselves can't stop him from doing whatever he wants.

Ain't no weak waifus worthy of Marcus.

>>47126593
>>Help her pick up the silverware.

How sharp was that fork?

Incidentally, what are we actually wearing right now?

>>47126822
>The only true waifu is the waifu who can boss Marcus around.

So Serena's memory basically. Even dead he keeps recalling what she said or would have said.

>>47126870
Until a waifu shows up who can actually boss him around of her own volition and not by virtue of telling others to tell you what to do.

Yeah.

>>47126593
>>Help her pick up the silverware.

>>47126881
>Going for living waifus

You anons are degenerates. Deadfu is the only true love.

>>47126929
So you're saying

deadfu for laifu?

It's getting pretty spoopy in here.

File: Marcus.jpg (41 KB, 636x900)

41 KB JPG

>>47126836
This minus the hood and the mouth cover.

Writing...

>>47126941
We will await our death and then reunite with her, just like the gladiator ending scene.

just once I wish a QM would write a realistic social outcome to white knighting when the protagonist hasn't established themselves yet, and doing the morally right thing by siding with an incompetent actually saddles us with significant hardship that is difficult to overcome due to the constraints of an established social hierarchy
making overcoming that hurdle, burden and all that much more satisfying

>inb4 edgelord nihilism and r9k

>>47126952
Does ours have tassels and part of our arm exposed too?

>>47126959
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRY1N5yhL-U

She's waiting for us ༼ つ ಥ_ಥ ༽つ

>>47126971
Well it happened. That kid we saved from the fire got us really fucked up. Probably just as bad our worse than taking out he rest of the gang before the old man.

>>47126952
We're wearing blue? Wouldn't have guessed it.

>>47127052
Maybe it's because of the heraldry of the kingdom or some shit.

>>47126952
That outfit screams "I am an assassin, kill me before I enter the building."

>>47127069
>Letting your targets see you at all

Worse.assassin.ever.

>>47126991
>Tassels and arm exposed
I'll edit that out in Photoshop in the morning.

>>47127052
>>47127063
Crowmond colors. Blue-grey, trimmed with gold. Dyed black as per Palme's specifications to the armor tanner.

>>47127069
It's not on there, but that's Crowngard armor, with the symbol on one of the gauntlets. And I would think the lack of a hood or mouthcloth makes all the difference.

Besides, you're not the first Crowngard visitor to the kitchens. The servants are used to having strangely dressed individuals raiding the pantry at the ungodliest of yours.

One more paragraph...

File: 9MillionHoursinPaint.png (227 KB, 335x765)

227 KB PNG

>>47127069
Without the hood and mouth covering Anon.

>>47127124
Still a trial board.

>>47127141
Dont answer, dont acknowledge existance.

>>47127131
>black leather
>Full armor one set
>Obviously expensive and well maintained
>No obvious weapons despite being a soldier
Still screams assassin to me. Lucky we're in crownguard colors.

>>47127131
It's INCREDIBLE!

What masterful disguising talent! He looks like an actual Dullahan with a bag over its neck!

>>47126624
>>47126625
>>47126639
>>47126643
>>47126645
>>47126732

You take your boots off of the silverware and kneel down beside her. With a kind expression to match her surprised face, you quietly begin collecting the errant forks and knives that have been scattered along the floor.

“Oh…you don’t have to do that, ser!” She quickly tries to tell you, moving both hands to try and get the fallen items before you can. “…this is just a minor thing that I can take care of on my- ouch!”

You can’t believe it. She pricked her other hand on another fork. The expression on your face slips to one of wry disbelief. Even on their worst days, not one of the Locusts was ever this clumsy, both in the field and the kitchen.

But you give way to a softer expression as you place the silverware in her basket. They gently clink against her own utensils “I am partially to blame for your little mishap. And for that…I offer my apologies.”

That actually gets her to freeze in her tracks and stare at you in abject confusion. The kind of look that one has when their world has been turned upside down. It makes enough sense when you think about it. Those in the lower position of the social hierarchy always must cede to those in higher position.

You shake your head. “I’m no ser. Just…the latest recruit for the Crowngard. I have no titles or names attached to me.”

A dawning comprehension supersedes her confusion. “Oh…ah...I see...”

As soon as the last of the utensils have been returned to her basket, you stand up and offer your hand to the serving girl. “I would recommend seeing a healer for those injuries before preparing food. I can’t imagine the royals being too pleased to have your blood mixed with their luncheon.”

She tentatively accepts the offered limb, gently coming up to her feet. With a polite nod, you leave her to her work before heading to the pantry.

(cont.)

>>47127167
You just described a Dress Uniform.

>>47127167
>Leather

How can you tell?

>>47127167
We also have the bandolier and the 2 daggers dont we?

File: larder.jpg (94 KB, 736x549)

94 KB JPG

>>47127177

You look back once, but she’s disappeared into the myriad crowd of servants and bustling scullery maids. Hopefully she doesn’t get too much of a browbeating from the head cook for her mishaps. The girl doesn’t seem to be too confident, and her clumsiness apparently did nothing to help her.

It’s smaller than the one reserved for the royal family, but it is no less impressive in its stock. Even if the items here are ‘not as fresh’ as the ones presented to the royal family, it’s still certainly a large and significant step from the slums gruel you’ve been so accustomed to eating.

You quickly take what you can before heading off to a quiet corner to eat your meal. From the larder, you grab wedge of cheese, a slab of dried rabbit meat, three cured sausage links and a loaf of bread that hasn’t gone stale. You skipped the wine and quietly fill a waterskin from one of the numerous water barrels in the cellar. More than enough to restore what energy you expended against Silverow and keep you going until supper.

>You spend an hour eating your meal.
>By the time you finish, it is well past noon.

Once you’ve finished, you set your tray down for a servant to pick up and decide where you want to head off to next.

>Crowngard barracks. Train, train, train.
>Library. Time to put your nose to the grindstone.
>Tower Room. Finish your lesson with Ellana and Ansell.
>Wander the castle. Random encounter??

>>47127272
You set those down and replaced them with your old broken dagger.

>>47127290
>>Tower Room. Finish your lesson with Ellana and Ansell.

>>47127290
>Tower Room. Finish your lesson with Ellana and Ansell.

MORE KNOWLEDGE.

File: larder2.jpg (40 KB, 559x372)

40 KB JPG

>>47127290
This is probably a better image for the larder.

>>47127290
>Crowngard barracks. Train, train, train.

Gotta GIT GUD. And Regain the muscle we lost while recovering.

>>47127290
>>Tower Room. Finish your lesson with Ellana and Ansell.

>>47127290
>>Library. Time to put your nose to the grindstone.

>>47127290
>Wander the castle. Random encounter??

Keep an eye open for gardens/greenhouses or an apothecary, we'll have to source ingredients for poisons somehow.

>>47127290
>>Tower Room. Finish your lesson with Ellana and Ansell.

>>47127290
>Tower Room. Finish your lesson with Ellana and Ansell.

>>47127290
>>Tower Room. Finish your lesson with Ellana and Ansell

>>47127290
>>Tower Room. Finish your lesson with Ellana and Ansell.

File: miwa shirow.jpg (107 KB, 850x749)

107 KB JPG

>>47127131
yeah I figured we'd be more generic like picture, except without the flamboyant colours

File: Ff14-hyuran.jpg (545 KB, 699x1753)

545 KB JPG

>>47127349
alternatively standard generic leathers

>>47127349
Weab alert.

>>47127367
The proportions in that are disgusting. Look at them gloves you can fit a whole family in them.

>>47127379
Or a couple lock picks, two smoke bombs and three poison darts

>>47127405
and a partridge in a pear tree

>>47127405
And a secret midget-ninja to throw at your oponents.

>>47127431
For snacks, yes.

>>47127434
Or surprise attacks.

>>47127431
>>47127434
Still can't do both at once.

File: ID5lmnT.png (49 KB, 1024x463)

49 KB PNG

>>47127434
>Not using midget halfling

Halfway finished...

>>47127431
>>47127405
>>47127379
Hey I'm Kaz and I'll allow it.

>>47127481
>I'm commander Anon, and this is my favorite shitpost on the board right now.

File: 2183903-ezio.png (267 KB, 384x762)

267 KB PNG

>>47127349
>>47127367
Alternatively, these. The most generic outfit when the hood is pulled down.

File: You dont even know.png (248 KB, 615x447)

248 KB PNG

>>47127530
Did you know if you walk near someone with a hood down you're actually invisible to enemies?

>>47127544
if you can't see them they obviously can't see you

>>47127553
That's like basic physics.

>>47127563
if you crouch low enough you can make them forget the arrows sticking out of their heads as well

>>47127587
Only if you're away from their field of view, remember that.

File: dove.jpg (60 KB, 600x600)

60 KB JPG

>>47127299
>>47127302
>>47127316
>>47127331
>>47127332

It suddenly dawns on you that Ansell and Princess Ellana were expecting you to return after lunch. To continue on the noble houses of Aderaveth. And since Palme took you out of the room for your little duel with Silverow…you’re quite late.

>>Tower Room

You come through the door, not quite running as if the spirits were chasing you, but a few notches down in your intensity. Your sudden arrival scares a dove perched by the windowsill, much to Ellana and her pile of birdseed’s great dismay. Ansell merely nods at your entrance with little fanfare, as if he knew that this was the appointed time that you would come back to them.

He makes no remark about the armor that you’re wearing, and motions for you to sit down. “Young Painel, I hope that you had a very satisfactory luncheon. It is highly unwise and widely studied that an empty stomach and unsatisfied cravings are quite detrimental to the learning process.”

You disregard Ellana staring daggers into your back for the bird's sudden flight as you reply to the old magister. “…I suppose could say that. I’ve certainly returned with a full stomach and…” You shift your feet, and the armor you wear clanks in response to the movement of your limbs, “…well, satisfied cravings.”

“You changed your clothes!” The princess’ anger gives way to surprise and she stares with a surprising focus at your new uniform. Her little hands pinch the fabric of your robes and she pokes at the metal gauntlets strapped fast to your wrists. “You’re wearing Crowngard colors now. Does that mean Ser Palme approved of you joining? You’re now a full member of the royal guard?”

Ansell gives a dry chuckle at the spectacle her intense line of questioning is causing.

>“Just a probationary member for now.”
>“Only with your brother comes back will I.”
>“…what do you mean Palme ‘approved’?”
>Custom option.

>>47127613
>I stole them because they were hanging out and I needed to wear something that would let me in
>shhh keep it a secret

>>47127613
>“Only with your brother comes back will I.”

>>47127613
>>“Only with your brother comes back will I.”
>>“…what do you mean Palme ‘approved’?”

>>47127613
>“Just a probationary member for now.”
"Once your brother comes back we can make it official."

>>47127613
>>“Just a probationary member for now.”

>>47127613
>What do you mean

>>47127613
>>“Just a probationary member for now.”

>>47127613
>“Only with your brother comes back will I.”

>>47127613
>“Just a probationary member for now.”

>>47127613
>only a probationary brother until another member comes back and approves will I be Palme

>>47127379
Gloves of holding

File: Ellana3.jpg (234 KB, 800x600)

234 KB JPG

>>47127628
>>47127633
>>47127637
>>47127700
>>47127743

You kneel down to face her at eye level, and you can’t help but let the corner of your mouth tug upwards into a small semblance of a smile. “…I’m just a probationary member for now. Meaning that we’ll have to wait for a bit until I get the full ceremony. I’ve been told that your eldest brother is going to be the final arbitrator in that decision.”

The sudden cackling to come out of Ellana’s grinning face is enough to shock Ansell into looking away from his book. Standing so close to her, the abrupt change nearly causes you to step backwards. “Oh…I cannot wait for big brother to return! When he gets here and sees that you’re worthy of the Crowngard, Adrianna is going to eat her words just like those little chocolate balls she loves so much. That will get her to cease her disparaging comments about you and my judgment!”

…you look to the magister, who merely shrugs and returns to his reading. Not his problem to deal with.

Traitor.

“Right…” You cough and sit yourself down in an empty chair. The genealogies and history of the noble houses of Aderaveth has never looked more interesting than it does now. “Okay, so we last left off on finishing the names of your family’s vassals, am I right?”

The change is instantaneous. At the mere prospect of being asked knowledge, Ellana eagerly pulls herself up to her chair and pours over the voluminous tome with you. “Yes, that’s right! Ansell said that we’re to begin on the other noble houses after lunch. Where do you want to start?”

You trace a finger down the chapter list, eventually stopping at the first bolded name. “Hastings. They’re the next in alphabetical order. So what can you tell me about them?”

(cont.)

She takes a moment to clear her throat before reciting dutifully, “House Hastings is an old and ancient line, and can trace their gene…genea…genealogy all the way to the founding of the Empire. Their banner is the Red Tower, and their words are ‘Steadfast and Firm’. They are charged with..."

===========================

And that's it for tonight. Time to put my nose to the grindstone and study for finals.

File: Saviour.jpg (90 KB, 500x609)

90 KB JPG

>>47127932
>Traitor

>>47127999
you have a look at those heraldries yet, Kaz?

>>47127999
Thanks for running!

>>47127999
Thanks for running Kaz, good luck with your studies!

>>47128014
Yes I did. Thanks for linking me that.

>>47128040
>>47128042
You're welcome guys.

Once finals end on Monday...tri-weekly sessions once I move out of the dorm is the ideal goal for the summer when I'm not traveling.

==============

Gonna archive it in a few minutes.

Follow me on Twitter for session times and other Bladebound related stuff. https://twitter.com/TaskForceKaz

Don't forget to check out the previous sessions on suptg: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Bladebound%20Retainer%20Quest

Hope y'all have a good night/morning/day/afternoon wherever you based anons are.