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>>47470485

“Don't worry, friend,” Murasa tells you as you're walking back to Nodens, “We'll be finished here soon enough. Out of the open waters again... and away from here. It'll be good, right?”

Grunting a vague response, you focus on putting one foot in front of the other. She must have seen the dark look on your face and attributed it to the grim buildings surrounding you, these ancient and drowned tombs. It's an easy mistake to make – you'd wager that anyone in their right mind would be cowed by the sight of these hollow shells – but it's still a mistake. You don't bother to correct her – let her believe what she likes. It'll be easier that way.

“We'll see Black Rock soon enough, though,” Murasa continues, in the voice of one who fears silence, “That'll be... something special. I guess...”

But she never finishes that sentence. Before she has the chance to, you arrive at the entrance to Nodens' pit, the deep crater that contains his true form. At once driven to silence by a superstitious fear, Murasa gives you an uncertain look, urging you to lead the way. It's a natural arrangement, really – just as you leave steering the Hijiri to her, so does she leave speaking with the gods to you. It's what the Mentor would call “harmonious cooperation”.

A less charitable soul might call it “knowing your place.”

With terrible animation once again entering his puppet body, Nodens stalks up to the edge of his pool, long tendrils leading down to the tumorous mass of his body. You don't see those black marks, those squirming leech-children, clinging to him any more. Rosaria's death, it seems, purged the last of them from this place.

“That's right,” Nodens gurgles, seemingly plucking the thoughts from your mind, “Without new children to replenish their numbers, I could destroy them easily enough. The deed, I shall assume, is done?”

>You don't need me to tell you that
>Rosaria is at peace now
>I destroyed her, yes
>Other

>>47470496
>Rosaria is at peace now
No need to go into details, it's done.

>>47470496
>>Rosaria is at peace now

>>47470496
>Other

> I'm sorry for your loss.

I don't really feel appropriate saying she is at peace. Honestly I feel what we would call Roseria died a long time ago, and that we simply avenged her on the creature that used her so cruelly.

Anyways. Nodens clearly didn't feel she was really gone yet, so I would prefer to lend him our sympathy.

>>47470592
It's fucked up to think about but for all we know she could have still been in there, suffering and unable to control what her abomination body did.

>>47470496
>I destroyed her, yes
>I'd like to say I gave her peace, but...

>>47470496
>>Rosaria is at peace now
We probably shouldn't dwell on it though.

What's done is done, you think to yourself, and there's no need to linger on the details. Perhaps you didn't give Rosaria any real peace – some small part of her mind might yet have remained, drowning in terror and madness – but you certainly destroyed her. Whatever doubts you might feel, whatever uncertainty you hold over her demise, Nodens doesn't need the harsh truth thrown in his face. Not now, not so soon.

Rosaria, you announce as you meet Nodens' eye, is at peace now.

“Peace, yes,” Nodens seems to mangle the words with his inhuman mouth, “Whatever peace there is in this world, at least. No, whatever you were forced to do, it could not have been worse than the fate Old Worm imposed upon her. I thank you, regardless, for your... kind words. When you look upon me, you may see a monster, a creature of the deep, but I am not immune to sentiment. For treating me as a man – as you would any man – I should express my gratitude. It seems that men have not lost all respect.”

No thanks necessary, you tell him quietly, and you're sorry for his loss. What will he do now, without the old sorcerer's blight?

“For now, I shall watch and wait,” Nodens decides, “The land is in a state of turmoil, and I have little desire to interfere with the affairs of men. Leave that to fair Selene, and her myriad of futures. Yet, neither do I desire another long sleep – so, for the first time in a great many years, I shall turn my eyes to the mainland. I would ask one thing of you, Wanderer, before you leave.”

One more duty, you ask, or something more convenient?

“Nothing that will test you,” the old god lets out a gurgling laugh, “Accept this gift. It might not break your enemies, but it might teach you a few things. There is a nobility in education, is there not?”

That's what Howa would say, at least.

[1/2]

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>>47470732

Holding his hand out to you, the slime coating Nodens' puppet body seems to glow with a brief, soft light. Some of it falls away, taking on a new, shifting form – like waves, you think, viewed through a distorted lens. It tumbles into your waiting hand, vanishing in a stab of white light and engraving itself upon your heart.

>New spell card gained:
>[Nodens] Drowning in History
>“We are all lost in the tides of time, Wanderer. Learn those eddies, however, and you will know much”
>By touching an object, you can learn about its recent or significant history. Important events such as violent acts take precedent events that are recent but more mundane.

True enough, a means to learn much. A valuable gift indeed, for one who seeks the truth. Bowing, you thank Nodens for his blessing.

“Let's not let ourselves get too sentimental,” the old god grunts, “A simple gift, and nothing more. Now – have we any last business to attend to, Wanderer, or are you going to leave me in peace?”

Charming.

>No, I think we're finished here
>This lens. What is this Truth it will lead me to?
>I did have a question for you... (Write in)
>Other

>>47470775
>>This lens. What is this Truth it will lead me to?
"And be honest, is there even a point to learning this Truth? Or am I better off focusing on what I have here in Tenngaru?"

(I think it's the latter)

>>47470775
>>This lens. What is this Truth it will lead me to?

>>47470775
>I did have a question for you... (Write in)
The Emperor. What do you know of the prophesy given to him, and how do you feel about his desire to....go over the gods' authority, putting it lightly.

>>47470793
>>47470775
"Selene told me that I'd die in every possibility she'd seen if I sought this out and while I don't take too much stock in prophesy she'd seen this in multiple futures so I am inclined to believe her a bit more."

>>47470849
Selene was lying.

>>47470878
Possibly. We won't know until we hit the catacombs.

night guys. Honestly, I couldn't care less about the lenses, the Emperor and this impending massacre is way more important. We still don't know if killing the War God is going to be the smartest way to go about it

>>47470775
which, I guess, is something to also ask. Best way to stop Kala?

>>47470922
>Honestly, I couldn't care less about the lenses
Yeah I agree, but if we continue to collect them like we have we should get some more info if we can.

This lens of his, you ask, what is this Truth that it leads to? Is it even something worth knowing, something with purpose, or would you be better off without ever learning it?

“For some, knowledge is its own reward,” Nodens replies slowly, “Learning such an elemental truth, a lost pillar that holds up much of our history, is a prize that would drive many to destruction – just to satisfy their own curiosities. It has done so before, in fact.”

Selene said as much, you reply with a careful nod, she warned that every path to this Truth would end in disaster. You're not one to believe, without a single doubt, in prophecy, but her words had a certain... weight to them.

“She said that learning this Truth would destroy you,” Nodens muses on that, a hideous smile touching his lipless face, “She would, I suppose. She always cared about her reputation, about the worth of her good name. That's why she's holding court in a silver palace, and I live in a pit. Still, she wishes to keep you away from this Truth, and I cannot bring myself to disagree entirely. I will tell you, Wanderer, what you NEED to know. Then, you can turn your eye to the live you've built here.”

Then please, you murmur, continue.

“Makai, the disaster that scoured it of all life,” Nodens croaks, “We three - noble Titanos, fair Selene, and I – we could have prevented it. We could have stopped it from happening... but we did not. We allowed the land to be purged. That is the crime we have sought to bury.”

They let it happen? They let the land fall into that blasted, ruined state?

“And I will say no more of it,” the old god says, in an unusually stiff voice, “Ask what you wish, Wanderer.”

The Emperor, you ask as you try to clear your head, he was given a prophecy. It weighs upon him, and it drove his family apart – what was it?

[1/2]

>>47471005

“A simple thing, really,” Nodens shrugs his shoulders, “But a thing need not be complex to destroy a man. Would a mother wish to see her son die young? Would a father wish to see his line cut short?” A hard laugh escapes the old god, one without humour or sympathy. “What would a boy think, growing old hearing these curses over and over – you will die young, boy, and as the last of your line.”

And that, you ask, was Selene's prophecy?

“You will die young, and as the last of your line,” Nodens repeats, “That was the prophecy she gave to them. Her reasons for doing so... they are her own. I could not guess as to her motives.”

Whatever her reasons, Selene's prophecy woke a terrible desire to defy the gods within Sho. Even now, he seeks to place himself above their authority – what does Nodens think about that, about the boy's arrogance?

“He is young,” Nodens waves a dismissive hand, “Dust, although he is yet to realise that. Either he will learn his place in the natural order, or he will not. It doesn't matter to me – allow him this arrogance, if it comforts him.”

The blunt dismissal, the utter lack of concern, surprises you a little. Then again, Nodens is naturally a thing of history, of the past – the present day is of little concern to such a mind. What of Kala, you ask, how best should you stop her?”

“Kala IS warfare – she may reach her end, but she will always rise again,” Nodens reaches down and drags a paw through the water, letting it fall through his deformed hand, “Destroying her will buy the land a few years free of her influence, but she will always return. That is the way of things. As long as one man seeks dominion over another, it will not change. Not the answer you were seeking, is it?”

No, you sigh, but it's the one you were expecting.

“A wise expectation,” Nodens replies, in a voice not without sympathy.

>Time to leave. You're finished here
>One last question... (Write in)
>Other

>>47471078
>>Time to leave. You're finished here
"Are you okay with me telling the land that you're up and about? It's kind of hard to keep a city rising secret."

>>47471078
>One last question... (Write in)
Has Seer trained any other sorcerers besides the Ascetic? How many are left?

>>47471078
>Time to leave. You're finished here

>>47471078
>>Time to leave. You're finished here
But ask these >>47471098
>>47471134

>>47470624
If so, then every cut would have been a painful step closer to freedom, admittedly the freedom of death but honestly that was probably the best result anyways for someone who suffered like that would imply.

I might not call it peace, but definitely rest. Or maybe I've spent too much time in hospices around peoplet who are old and tired and just kind of done with shit but haven't died yet. A lot of them aren't even in pain or anything, and a large number aren't upset by their infirmity or lack of capability, because there's nothing they want to do.

I mean, I personally won't ever go that route but I see people who do all the time. The future holds nothing for them because they can't go back to when they understood and enjoyed life without changing to the point of being someone they wouldn't recognize.

Again, that's not everyone. I personally hate that outlook and plan on enjoying every last drop of suffering I must to see what happens next. Fuck, when you want to argue your own point. Anyways, being trappedal for eons as a monster might change my opinion though.

>>47471078
> I won't ask for your reasons or to hear you justify what you did in the past. But do you feel that what you let Makai was . . . Right? Not just correct or fair or anything. Just do you feel that it was the Right thing to do? I find it hard to think about how such a thing could happen, and I dread to think about why it would be necessary, and I'm sorry you had to be in the position of making that choice.

> Also. We're helping out with the shrine of the Hero that saved you last time. The small god there (official title) would probably appreciate it if you could just talk to her, she'sstill human enough to have some regret and guilt about how things ended when she was here last.

>I'm just rewriting my last post now, sorry for the delay. I hope it shouldn't be too long.

>>47471286
Damn. Too late to see how Nodens felt about his decision. Or to get him to reach out to the Hero.

I mean, it's someone from the time when his city still stood. At the least he could forgive the Hero god and the Hero God could tell him about the good times of the city sInce apparently Nodens has forgotten much of it.

It's nice to have a familiar face when re-entering the world.

Shit. Also forgot to ask him about Selune giving prophecies that aren't actually true, but steer people to different futures by avoiding them. IE, prophesie that a King will never do something, so he acts to do that thing from spite and by doing so creates a better future than if he had just been told to do that thing.

>>47471323
>>47471341
Can we ask him about Selunes prophecies? I mean, if it's A future that would happen without acting against it then it's not a lie if she gives the prophecy and that action changes the future. It's just not necessarily true.

>>47471286
> Only a fool, a madman or a truly desperate soul would come this far to speak with me.”

Aw shit. Which one does he think we are? Also

> You will die young, and as the last of your line

Define Young. Quick. Let's kill him and then bring him back to life. Technically you're dead when your heart stops right? Then we can get him to take a new name as an Emperor with divine mand ate and start a new line. Then the Shah will have to unbanish us!

>>47471323
Could we be greedy and ask for a boon for our Sailor lady? Maybe just some maps and such, the right to copy them and use them.

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>>47471394
>Let's kill him and then bring him back to life. Then the Shah will have to unbanish us!
That was a fun thread.

What happened to Makia, you begin, you won't ask for reasons or justifications. All you want to know is one thing – was it the right thing to do? It couldn't have been an easy decision, and you can't think of what might have made it necessary, but was it, at least, the right path to take?

“The right thing to do?” Nodens asks, pausing for a long, long time to consider the matter, “No. It was wrong – a crime. A sin that cannot be forgiven.”

But...

“I will speak no more of this, Wanderer,” Nodens growls, “Do not overstep your boundaries.”

Frowning, scowling as hard as you can, you steer the conversation onto safer grounds. The Seer, you ask, has he trained any others in the ways of sorcery? You know that he has taken one apprentice, the Ascetic, but are there others?

“He is the only one,” Nodens confirms, “This... Ascetic is the last student, taught by one of the two masters left alive. Two too many, if you ask me...”

And what of Selene and her prophecies, you ask hastily, has she ever used them to steer people along a path? She has her own way with the truth, you know that from experience, but how willing is she to use her predictions to manipulate people?

“All too willing,” Nodens tells you, “Fair Selene... ah, she likes to see people dancing to her tune. Perhaps everything she does is for the best, for the sake of a pure future – or perhaps not. Always weigh her words carefully, Ira.”

It's going to be hard to keep his return a secret, you warn, is he okay with you telling the land about it?

“Do as you wish,” the old god shrugs, “I will not send you out to spread the news of my return, but if you wish to do so... I cannot stop you. As you say, it would not remain a secret for long – a single fishing boat is all it would take to reveal the truth. I doubt I will be bothered much, in either case. Only a fool, a madman or a truly desperate soul would come this far to speak with me.”

[1/2]

>>47471476
Inb4 Selene, Titanos, and Nodens were once sorcerers and killed Makai to attain thier godhood

>>47471514
I feel it might be something as petty as 'With the gods of Makai gone we will be the big dog Gods on campus in the lands that remain.'

Selene, Titanos and Nodens might have been small fry compared to the gods of the mainland/Makai.

>>47471476

That, you've got to admit, might be a good point. Any pilgrims coming this far hoping to be blessed by divine wisdom might leave sorely disappointed. Probably, you think with a faint smile, with a string of complaints still echoing in their ears. Before you leave, a thought occurs to you – the hero of legend, the small god of the north... is it possible for them to speak? For her part, she regrets her failures, and you think that they would both benefit from a long conversation.

“I fear that may not be possible,” Nodens admits, “The ocean between us is a great one, vast and wide. Perhaps a human could act as an intermediary, but such a task would be a lengthy, thankless one. A regrettable fate, but I cannot see a way to reach out to her.”

Nodding sadly, you accept his decision. Gods and their lands are tightly bound together, and their reach can only extend so far. Maybe one day you can return here with a ship of your own and help bridge the gap between them, but that is a task for another day – one when you're not busy. Right now, there are other matters to attend to, back out upon the open waters. You have but one last request – Murasa, your captain, was instrumental to the help you gave him. She deserves a reward as much as you do.

“Ah, but she cannot work her will as you do,” Nodens points out, “However... you recall my old college, yes? There, hidden away, there are stone slab – maps, from ancient times. A fine reward for a sailor. Take them with my blessing.”

“I...” Murasa, startled out of her silence, stammers helplessly for a moment, “I... thank you! A great gift, truly!”

“Now get out of here,” Nodens gurgles, “The land beyond this city still exists, unless you've forgotten!”

Hiding a smile at the god's sullen command, you offer him a deep bow, one that Murasa mirrors. With your business concluded, you turn and leave the pit.

[2/3]

>>47471580

For the entire journey back to the Hijiri, Murasa keeps up an excited, rambling speech about the stone charts you had been led to. Truly ancient maps, they nevertheless retain a level of detail that the modern charts cannot match. Not only is the northern island, the shrine to Veragi, marked, but countless other small islands as well. That information alone could be worth huge amounts to the right buyer, let alone the value in lost knowledge.

Suffice to say, Murasa is in a much better mood. It's only when the Hijiri enters her sight that her excitement fades to a more simple contentment.

“So!” she declares, “To the open ocean once more. We should move quickly – for the crew, you understand. They get restless, you see.”

For the crew, you nod, of course.

>Let's head over to Black Rock
>Time to return to the mainland. Can you take us to the capital?
>Time to return to the mainland. Can you take us to Garuna?
>Other

>>47471476
> A sin that can not be forgiven

Damn it. I knew I should have added the part about getting him to leave that shit in the past and make a new world. The Seer already caused enough problems trying to fix his old mistakes that quite frankly weren't problems anymore and all he did was make us almost go through an unnecessary fight.

Ah well. I said we wouldn't judge so we shouldn't.

I plan on asking the other gods about this though.

>>47471514

Eh. I think it was more likely they went "Man's mess, Man's problem. Not our place to get involved." And underestimated how bad it would be. Or they chose to let Men decide and thought they wouldn't be nuts enough to do it.

I mean, how could they have stopped it? Reached out and just made it not happen, or refuse to aid men in ventures that led to it, or ruled directly over men, or a bunch of other things. Letting something happen implies a lack of complicity but if you look hard enough you can always find guilt.

>>47471594
>>Let's head over to Black Rock
Let's end this thing.

>>47471594
>Let's head over to Black Rock
It's time. If our spells haven't come off cooldown yet meditate or something.

>>47471394
>>47471416
Elaborate.

>>47471637
Banished quest joke.

>>47471594
>Let's head over to Black Rock
The only one that can't walk off that island is Ascetic. For his men or the warrior priests we'll have to see when we get there, but the sorcerer himself needs to go.

>>47471594
> Let's head over to Black Rock

We got the anti-sorcery sword and anti-magic buff and we're pretty stabby.

I mean, what, we going to bring an Army to the land of the war god?

Nope. I say we pop in and do some recon and look for any opportune weaknesses to strike or alternatively open up some dialogue to negotiate with the locals. Hell, we can still negotiate with Kala without agreeing to any deals. Stall you know? Maybe find a different god to support I mean there has to be other gods. Or use negotiation to get close to her and scout things out while remaining non-committal. Or to shank her, but ehhhh war god.

Too many questions, not enough answers, and none of those are back in the Empire. At the least, even if we have difficulty getting through to Black Rock we'll have concrete information about that to give to the Emperor and his Generals - who also have nothing but "Possible invasion from war god buffed cultists."

So this way we can say "Here's the credible threat. Anything anyone wants to say about past deals and first Emperors? Because we might have to fight that battle again from the other side."

So it's not just mysticism and God's and shit but something familiar and tangible that will sway them.

Time to head over to Black Rock, you tell Murasa, it's time to put an end to Kala's influence. True, she might return within a few short years, but the militant cultists will suffer for her absence. When the land isn't perched on the edge of war, you'll all be in a better position to deal with her. That alone is worth the effort.

“Black Rock, here we come,” Murasa nods, her smile turning grim, “I won't lie, though, I've not got a lot of good things to say about that place. I don't think anyone who's ever been there does – it's... far from friendly.”

What, you ask, the island with the warrior goddess and her bloodthirsty cultists? That sounds perfectly welcoming.

“Of course,” the former pirate laughs, “When you put it like that... Anyway, it should be a short enough trip, and the waters are safe. I don't expect any trouble, not until we arrive, at least.”

Then you'll leave the sailing to her, you tell her as you head below deck, you should meditate and prepare yourself.

-

A few hours into your meditations, and the first signs of trouble show their ugly face. Starting with a frantic pounding on your door, you know that things aren't going as smoothly as Murasa predicted. Naz, that mousy pirate, is at your door, breathing heavily.

“Boss, sir, you're needed up on deck,” she says hastily, rattling the words out at a fair pace, “Captain's orders. Might be nothing, but it might be... something.”

Thanking her, you brush past and hurry towards the top deck. A light rain – nothing like the storms that hammered you earlier, thankfully – has started to fall, but none of the sailors pay it any attention. All eyes are locked on a forlorn shape bobbing in the waters ahead of you.

A ship, floating aimlessly along.

[1/2]

>>47471670
> Killing an Ascetic

Making a Martyr 101. Honestly might even be part of his plan. Or he's gonna eat a War God that he sees as being terrible and responsible for the Empire anyways. Ooh OOH ooh OOH OOHoooo.

I say we discredit his power of sorcery first by telling people it's stolen from the gods. Then telling them the gods are protecting us and using the knife/chant and that we are here under the mandate of the Empire to stop people from playing silly buggers. Tell them they've won in the end and that Sho has agreed to journey to the Dragon to seek a divine mandate to rule with, and that the Dragon has decided to meet with and test the Emperor directly to ensure that the Empire moves with the gods not against or away from them.

There's no-one left to fight, unless they just want to fight for themselves. The people want to move on and plant crops and worship and have kids and a drink or two. The Gods don't want to fight. The Emperor doesn't want to fight. Seriously, who are they going to fight?

Wouldn't they prefer to build a new world, the one they fought for, then tear it down for no reason that still exists?

>>47471819
A Martyr for who? The few people that know about him are on the island.

Anon I really think you have a tendency to overthink things.

>>47471810

“She's a cargo vessel, bearing the Emperor's colours,” Murasa explains, “Easy pickings. Lightly armed, and without much in the way of crew. You see them every so often, carrying all kinds of things between the islands and the mainland – grain, bullets, gold coins even. I used to make a good living picking on them, back in the day...”

So, you ask, so what's the problem?

“You see how slow its going? It shouldn't be moving like that,” Murasa continues, “It looks just about dead in the water. Besides, this isn't any shipping route I've ever seen – it's way off course. Nothing about this is right... I want to check it out.”

To investigate it, you ask as you raise a curious eyebrow, or to loot it?

“...Maybe both,” the former pirate admits, “If it's been attacked, there won't be much left to take. Still, I want to see what's up with it. Do you want to come along? Sure beats waiting here while I take a look around.”

>Sure, I'll come with you
>You're on your own this time
>We're not stopping. We've got more important business
>Other

>>47471819
Anon Soma made it perfectly clear that these militant couldn't be reasoned with. If they were disgruntled farmers sure, but these guys are deserted soldiers and the worst kind of people trying to cause chaos.

What you want isn't going to happen with them.

>>47471854
>Sure, I'll come with you
Spooky

>>47471854
>>Sure, I'll come with you
It's an ambush spot, I can feel it.

>>47471854
>Sure, I'll come with you
Does she have one of those breathing bladders for herself, in case we have to make a quick getaway into the ocean?

>>47471819
Huh. I mean, if the Emperor is building the railroad but using the Gods design, and the Gods recognize the Emperor as the ruler of men and secular matters, and the atrocities against the commoners have stopped so they aren't angry any more . . .

Oh wait they're fanatics. Who are probably more tied to this cause now that it's hopeless because they can all be martyrs! Or have personal reasons and grudges like the traitor priest did against Holm.

Hey. How paranoid ARE sorcerers? Would they pick a name that actually has no relevance to them in order to mislead their enemies? "They call him the Blade!" Is actually a dude who pretends to be him and is a duellist/knight whatever and the real sorcerer is the accountant who destabilizes the economy by fucking around with crop subsidiaries. And also ZAP Magic mother fucker. So you go expecting Sword dude but end up facing difficulty maintaining supplies or dealing with problems at home or can't fund significant forces. And then when you find him magic of fucking couse.

And then when you go to finally stab him, he pulls out a pair of daggers and goes full Parkour while shanking because Blades aren't just swords.

>>47471841
The remaining extremists who would tell stories about him.

The war goddess he was going to drain.

I dunno. But I assume he has some plan for it. You see, Ascetic originally had a meaning closer to athlete, and most accurately means one who trains/focuses to the exclusion of other goals. The concept of self denial came later but is really just an extension on the concept of exclusive focus. The religious aspect treats the denial as a necessary part, but keep in mind that even Bhudda Bhodisattavah said "fuck this" when he realized he wasn't moving towards enlightenment with Asceticism and was just waking off about how little everything meant to him.

So we have a Sorcerer called the Ascetic, who is focused on a goal or achievement to the exclusion of all other desires. Meaning EVERYTHING he does is (theoretically) to progress towards this single goal. He may or may not be swole.

So, while killing him might end his life there's no guarantee it will stop his plan. Ideally we could convince him his plan is counterproductive or at least a distraction from his goal. Heck, we might even get him to end his life voluntarily to get rid of sorcery if we can show him his goal is completed or inevitable regardless.

Or he might just be a dude who is massively depressed and doesn't care about anything like comforts or happiness or sadness because he never feels anything but depressed. And he's going to do what he is going to do regardless because it's something to do and he doesn't care about the outcome or even the journey, it's just easier than changing.

>>47472026
I...uh think I am just going to vote to kill him. And probably Seer when we see him. End the threat and all, not get lost in a myriad of 'But could this be his keikaku all along?'

You do you I guess.

>>47472026
Soma explicitly told us his followers are ex soldywho hate both gods and Sho. They won't care.

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>>47472026
>This everything

You know when I mentioned you might be overthinking things a little? They don't give a shit about gods or their country.

Sure, you reply as you gaze at that eerie vessel, you'll come with her. It might an ambush of some kind, true, but two people would be in a better position to deal with that. Far safer to have someone there watching her back, and you want to know about this just as much as she does.

“I was kinda hoping you'd say that,” Murasa admits, “You ever gone ship to ship before? We'll get close, and then throw grapples across to keep us together. Then, we can just swing across and the thing's ours for the taking. Easy really, once you've done it a few times.” Rubbing her hands together with what might be glee – it's clear that she has sorely missed the chance to do a little plundering – Murasa gives the vessel a hungry look. “Hey, Toramaru!” she calls, “You've got the wheel. Take us in, real close!”

Without waiting for the reply, Murasa gets to work gathering her kit together. Following her into her cabin, you watch as she tucks pistols and a heavy dagger into her sash. “If there's fighting,” she says to herself, “It'll be close. Bloody.”

What about making a hasty exit, you ask, does she have any way to breathe? On Dumas, they used goat bladders to store air. It wasn't exactly pleasant, but it certainly worked.

“Good point,” Murasa nods, delving into another chest and taking out a leather sack, taut with the air trapped within, “It's not a goat bladder, but it'll do. I think I've got a spare somewhere, if-”

No need, you correct her, you've got your own way.

“I bet you do,” she laughs, “Got a trick up your sleeve for everything, don't you?”

You try.

As Murasa is giving her weaponry one last check, the Hijiri's motions slow and eventually stop. As much as a ship on open waters ever stops, at least. Looks like you've arrived. Heading back onto the deck, you take a closer look at the ship, bound and helpless, that the Hijiri has snared.

It's dead – a ghost ship.

[1/2]

>>47472109

The Hijiri is close enough that the crew are able to drag a long plank across, forming a barely stable bridge between the two vessels. Slowly, carefully, you and Murasa cross over to the barren ship, your weapons at the ready.

“Look at this place,” Murasa mutters, gesturing around at the deck, “No blood, no bodies, no shell casings. Nothing that says “fight” to me.”

The rain could have washed away the blood, you point out, depending on how long this ship has been drifting. Still, you've got to agree with her – it doesn't look like a battle was fought here, not any kind of normal battle at least.

“Below deck,” the captain suggests, her voice barely above a whisper. Something about this place discourages shouting, any crass noise that might disturb the deathly silence. “If there's anything, it'll be down below,” she adds, “Standard protocol is to retreat and defend the treasure... the cargo, I mean.” Smiling a little at her slip – a forced smile, admittedly – Murasa leads the way down into the bowels of the ship. Down below, the darkened walls tell a different story.

Long arcs of blood are painted across the wood, telling a story of slashing cuts and bloody battle. Still... no bodies. Grimacing, you press on towards the hold, slipping through the ajar door. Inside, a glittering catches your eye – a chest, thrown open, shines with a heavy cargo of gold. On each wall, however, rifle racks stand empty.

“They took the weapons, but not the gold,” Murasa mutters, “But what did they do with the bodies?”

And who, you ask in response, are “they”?

“Shit,” she breathes, “Let's just get out of here.”

>The quicker the better
>Wait, I want to take another look around
>I've got a spell that might help, here... (Write in)
>Other

>>47471869
> Can't be reasoned with

I don't believe it. They're fanatics, true. That's why the first step is to break their faith in the sorcerer. Reveal his use of sorcery and remove his authority as a religious leader. Next break their faith in sorcery. So it's a tainted power, but it's still power. And if it's used to make a good thing happen, from their point of view, is it so bad? A bit of pain now to save the Gods later. Really, it's like borrowing the power. Fuck that, cancel his sorcery so they don't have faith in that.

Then break their faith in their cause. Let them know that not only do the people no longer support them, they no longer care. They've moved on. They haven't forgotten the reasons for the Cult, the atrocities at Sarna, or their faith and respeCT for the gods. They've just moved on, the Emperor and the Gods are reconciling, and nobody won or lost it's just not relevant anymore. There aren't any loses suffering reprisals to defend or winners looting or occupying to fight because everyone has just kind of gone home.

So they don't have a divine mand ate from the gods. They don't have the power of sorcery to do for the gods what the gods won't do for themselves. They don't have an oppressed people to defend or a Conquerer to drive out. They simply don't have a fight anymore.

What we can give them isn't what they lost personally in the fighting. What we can give them is the chance to return home. To reconcile with people they left, to rebuild what they lost, or to build something entirely new.

After all, the Empire DOES need brave men willing to stand up for what's right. Not the Emperor, but his citizens as well need them. Not as fighters, not anymore, but as watchmen who will raise children and teach them to stand vigilant. Who will stand for their fellows against those who would abuse them. Who would remember and protect the Gods.

There are other fights to come, it's the nature of the world. But this one? This one is over.

>>47472201
>>I've got a spell that might help, here... (Write in)
Magic detect. If nothing picks up, we leave.

>>47472227
MFW I'm just stoned and rambling because I want to do a big speech at people.

And then probably kill a bunch or at least kill the Seer and then boogy woogy out a there.

>>47472201
>I've got a spell that might help, here... (Write in)
The history spell we just got from Nodens! See what happened here.

>>47472250
>>47472247
>>47472201
These two. History first and if things aren't clear by then, use detect magic.

>>47472227
They do not CARE you idiot. They are fanatics powered on hate. Hate of the gods AND the Empire. The futility of the fight hasn't stopped ISIS, it won't stop them either. The want to burn it all to the ground, like the Joker. Who is never reasonable.

>>47472277
He's just stoned and likes to be long winded. Let him do him while we figure out what's up with this ship.

>>47472201
>>I've got a spell that might help, here... (Write in)
>[Nodens] Drowning in History
I hope that title isn't literal when we use it.

File: Unknown.jpg (103 KB, 500x707)

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If you didn't know any better, you'd say that Nodens knew this moment was coming and gave you a new magic to help uncover the truth. But then, the future isn't really his concern, is it?

Still, it's uncanny.

Kneeling, you gesture for Murasa to stay quiet – this is going to take a great deal of concentration – and press your hand to the bloodstained wood. What happened here, you wonder to yourself, what dark deeds unfolded in this place? Slowly, like fading into a deep sleep, the world around you drops away. When the curtain lifts, you find yourself standing exactly where you were a few moments ago. The blood, however, has yet to be spilled.

A sudden noise, in this memory, as the door to the deck crashes open. Sailors – panicked, terrified even – stumble down into the hold of the ship, fumbling with their weapons as they do so. The guns refuse to fire, some magic rendering them silent, and soon the sailors are defenceless against their attackers.

The warriors that flow into the hold of the ship – exactly a dozen of them, not one more or less – are human, but only in form. Too quick, too lethal to be natural, they set to work butchering the crew with knives and hatchets. It's disturbing, watching the streams of blood that you saw being painted in real time as the slaughter plays out before you. All too soon, the massacre has ended, the crew reduced to cooling corpses, many shorn of their limbs. As a terrible silence descends, a new figure appears, the thirteenth member of this gruesome company.

His face is beautiful, purged up all uncertainty, doubt or fear, but the expression is one of blank cruelty. Indifferent to the bodies piled up around him, he enters the hold and throws the chest of gold open, gazing upon the contents.

He laughs, a scornful laugh that chills your blood.

[1/2]

>>47472539

“Take what trophies you wish,” he announces to his band of murderers, “But no hands, no fingers. I have a need for these bodies.”

Leering with wordless lust, the killers strip the rifles from the racks and play with them, heedless of any safety or caution. With their trophies claimed, they set to work dragging the bodies away, up towards the deck. To throw them overboard, perhaps?”

“This will be a fine surprise,” the leader decides, “Whoever should stumble across this vessel... I only regret I won't be here to see it.” He starts to leave then, a mocking grace in his light step, and the vision starts to degrade. As reality returns, a great crash rocks the ship, and Murasa's voice punches your ears.

“Damn you, Ira, wake up!” she yells, “We've got a problem, a big damn problem. Something just hit the ship, we need to get out of here before we break away from the Hijiri!”

Nodding, slurring some affirmative, you rise and stumble forwards a few steps. You keep expecting to trip over bodies or to slip in pools of fresh blood, such was the intensity of your vision. Following her out, you start to feel a familiar hatred rising up within you. Murasa said something hit the ship, could it have been...

On deck, you see that the Hijiri has already come loose, the improvised bridge having fallen away from the vessel. Still, it might just be close enough to reach – for now. On the opposite side of the vessel, you spot a hand – a human hand – clinging to the railing. As that hand pulls, straining against the weight of the vessel, the ship begins to list to the side.

Whatever that hand is connected to, it starts to drag itself up, climbing aboard the ship. Another hand joins it... and then another pair, one after the other.

>Flee while you can
>Strike while the creature is vulnerable
>Other

>>47472624
>>Strike while the creature is vulnerable
Sorcery, REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

>>47472624
>Strike while the creature is vulnerable
Yeah... having none of that. Have Murasa jump to her boat while she has the chance so she can order her men and be out of harms way. She's more useful to this fight on her boat.

>>47472624
>Strike while the creature is vulnerable
Fucker used the crew's bodies to make an abomination, just as a trap for anyone that came across it. He is going to get his.

>>47472624
>>Strike while the creature is vulnerable
REMOVE ABOMINATIONS

>Looks like we're attacking! In that case, could I get a 1D100, aiming to beat 60/80/90, and I'll take the highest of the first three
>This is going to be combat, so we can use whatever spell cards we like.

Rolled 27 (1d100)

>>47472808

Rolled 78 (1d100)

>>47472808
Wrath.

Rolled 52 (1d100)

>>47472808
Wrath of the gods

>>47472816
>>47472808
Yup. Wrath. Start that combo early and it'll get us over the 80.

>>47472539
You know what the funny thing is, sorcerors kill gods to gain power, with stronger gods giving more. So chances are they went to the black isle to kill the god of war, eat her and gain her power that constantly grows and feeds on combat.

>>47472893
Not quite how it works, stealing a God's power forces her to sleep, it would not grow. She'd just wake up little PISSED.

>>47472893
Possibly though I don't think Kala would go down that easy specially to a newbie, although strong, sorcerer. I'd wager she is aware of his overall intentions but is using him to make war.

Snarling out for Murasa to flee while she can – she'll be more use aboard the Hijiri, and she won't get in your way – you draw your sword and dagger. This trap, this aimless act of violence, is a dirty trick, a vile act of sorcery. When the time comes, you'll crush the life out of the culprit. For now, though, you've got this beast to deal with.

This time, you embrace the violence burning within your heart. This is a desecrated thing, the bodies of the crew melted and twisted into a new and terrible form – destroying it will be a blessing, a ray of light upon the land. Calling upon Titanos to lend you his strength – it feels natural now, tapping into that well or wrath – you reach the beast as it is still hauling itself up to the ship. Leaning over the side for one brief moment, you have the misfortune to catch a glimpse of the thing.

Once, you saw the stiff, preserved corpse of a squid hanging in a shop window – it disturbed you on some nameless level, a silly fear that you never told anyone. This thing has the same rough shape, but only just. It barely seems solid, flesh squirming as it desperately holds onto physical form. As you stare down at it, it opens it's mouth – no, a shattered ribcage – and lets out a keening wail

The monster that created this beast, he let it scream. He left it with that one small privilege.

Cursing both the beast and it's creator, you slash the dagger's blade through one wrist, cleanly cutting the hand from the body. As it screeches and rears back, you take the chance to thrust your sword down into that yawning mouth. That knocks it loose entirely, sending the loathsome thing back to the sea.

You get a moment, a very brief moment, to celebrate your victory before the ship shudders again. From below deck, you hear the muffled sound of wood shattering.

[1/2]

Rolled 33 (1d100)

>>47473077

Near blind with anger, you storm down into the hold as the creature tears its way inside, human hands ripping away bits of wood with decidedly inhuman strength. Water begins to rush into the ship, pooling around your feet as the stricken vessel begins its slow demise. Coins from the overturned chest float around you, adding a strangely gaudy touch to the scene.

With it's four limbs – one missing a hand – flapping, the beast drags itself closer to you and lashes out. You duck, bringing both weapons around to intercept any of those grasping hands. Up close, you can see the flesh, that awful green and grey of a waterlogged corpse, and the white bone that shines though in sickening detail.

It doesn't move like it has bones. That simple fact infuriates you in a way you can't quite describe.

>Please roll 1D100, aiming to beat 60/80/90 again. This will be at +10, and I'll take the highest of the first three. Name any spell cards you wish to use, as well
>I'll roll an attack for the beast, aiming to beat 60/80/90 as well

Rolled 64 (1d100)

>>47473111

Rolled 80 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>47473111
It missed so we are okay on defense. Let's see the rolls.

>>47473136
And we are okay on attack to.

So I guess As the Mountains just to have it on.

Rolled 27 (1d100)

>>47473111
Seconding As the Mountain.

Rolled 65 (1d100)

>>47473111

>>47473111
>>47473136
So he failed horribly while we critical'd. Least this will be quick for them.

Flailing with a spectacular lack of grace – but then, what else should you expect from a thing pieced together from corpses? - the beast lashes out with its tentacles, the hands set in rigid claws. Ducking low and darting forwards, you step neatly inside its guard, the aimless attacks whistling through the air above you. Exposed, the beast can do little to stop you slicing clean through another tentacle, cutting the limb off at the source.

It doesn't bleed much, you notice distantly, another insult thrown in the face of natural life. But then, maybe you're just not trying hard enough – if there's a single drop of blood left in this thing's body, you'll see it shed. That, you swear, is a promise.

Shouting out to Titanos, you step forwards and bury your sword in that blind stump of a face, planting the blade deep inside the flailing, gurgling mouth and tearing upwards. As it falls open, split nearly in half, your eye falls upon the horror within. Clustered together, melted into one lumpen form, are the skulls of every sailor that once crewed this vessel. Some even have eyes left in their sockets, those blank and glassy orbs swaying madly in search of... what, some comforting vision?

It won't be found here.

Heaving your sword free, you throw all your weight behind the blade and smash down on that cluster. Bone splinters, shattering apart in a hail of shrapnel, and the grey flesh within bursts wetly. That, mercifully, is enough to still the beast's struggles.

Whilst this would have made a terrible surprise for any normal crew, it offered little resistance. All it's done, you think bitterly, is waste your damn time.

Time to get back to the Hijiri.

[1/2]

>>47473111
Tenngaru coins float?

>>47473493

>You know, I honestly have no idea why I thought they should float. That's a really stupid mistake for me to make!

>>47473402
>All it's done, you think bitterly, is waste your damn time.
Bad Ass

>>47473402

As the veil of anger drops away, you remember that the ship was slowly sinking, pulled down into the water with a kind of inevitable grace. Unlike the beast, that died floundering and flailing, the ship faces death with a remarkable dignity. Hurrying back up to deck, you shout across to the Hijiri and wait as they shake off their fear, their amazement. A second shout, this time from Murasa, and they snap into action. Throwing a rope across, they seem reluctant to get any closer.

When you return to the Hijiri, you join the rest of the crew in watching the nameless cargo vessel slide beneath the waves. A slow demise, it gives the various men and women plenty of time to say their prayers. Wishing the departed ship well, you presume, and hoping that their vessel will be spared the same fate.

“What was that?” Murasa asks you quietly, taking you aside so the crew can't listen in, “Someone trying to kill you, friend?”

That wasn't meant for you, you tell her as you shake your head, it was meant for anyone who got too close. An act of blind spite, lashing out at the entire land.

“Bastards,” Murasa mutters, taking out her pipe as she stares again at the sunken ship – now just a few ripples on the surface of the water. “Who were they?” she asks, “I mean, do you know?”

You've got a few ideas. Even discounting your vision, there are only three people – three sorcerers – in the entire land that could do something like that. You know the Seer and the Mentor on sight, so that means the man in your vision could only be the Ascetic.

“Might be, he won't be on Black Rock,” Murasa muses, “He must have had a ship of his own. Maybe he's already on the mainland.”

>Without a lead, we've got no hope of finding him. There might be something on Black Rock
>Good point. Take us back to the capital
>You're right. Let's head back to Garuna
>Other

>>47473601
>Without a lead, we've got no hope of finding him. There might be something on Black Rock

>>47473601
>Without a lead, we've got no hope of finding him. There might be something on Black Rock

>>47473601
>Without a lead, we've got no hope of finding him. There might be something on Black Rock
Gods help us if he got to the mainland. At least Seer has restraint, this guy will just kill whoever.

Meditate to restore our two spells and also try to work the sorcery rage into cold hate. Rage has it's place for sure, we just saw it right now but against a dude with a brain like Ascetic we can't go into it with blind rage.

>>47473663
>try to work the sorcery rage into cold hate
This. Let's be fucking terrifying.

Maybe he is, you admit, but there's no hope of finding him without some kind of lead. You need an idea, a clue to where he'll strike first. If there are any of his allies left on Black Rock, they might be able to tell you about his plans.

You pray to all the gods in the land that he has a plan. If a man with the kind of power he has chose to go on a rampage, killing his way across the land, the death toll would be horrific. No, better to be sure – you'll get every last scrap of information you can out of Black Rock, and then you'll consider your next move.

No matter how savage, how feral his warriors seemed, the Ascetic is no mindless brute. He's as sharp as dagger, and perfectly cold. You won't be able to get the advantage over him with simple strength, especially not if he gets your blood boiling. He can be calm, but you'll need to be unshakable.

“Ira?” Murasa asks, “Thinking deep thoughts, there?”

Perhaps you are, you reply. Can she handle things up here, taking the Hijiri the rest of the way to Black Rock? You need to concentrate, to meditate and plan our your next move.

“Everything under control here,” the former pirate confirms, “You... you should rest. I only caught a glimpse at that thing, but...”

Don't think about it, you suggest, it's better to forget that thing. Giving her one last nod, a firm, comradely nod, you head below deck and find your borrowed quarters. There, you settle down and make yourself comfortable, focussing on the rise and fall of the ship as you drop into a state of meditation.

[1/2]

>>47473910

What, you ask yourself as the Hijiri cuts through the water, does the Ascetic want? Not gold, for he left the chest of coin alone, but what else? Again, your thoughts return to that one issue – what if he doesn't want anything, save for what he's already doing? From what little you know, the ancient sorcerers were content to rule as tyrants and indulge their monstrous whims. Perhaps the Ascetic is no different to them?

It's an awful thing to consider – one of those butchers, dragged into the modern day to spread chaos and suffering. All the more reason to hunt him down and destroy him.

When the next knock on your door comes – a more sedate knock this time, thankfully – your thoughts have settled into a calmer rhythm. Naz, speaking with the usual haste, explains that Murasa wanted you up on deck. Nodding to the mousey girl, you head up to meet with the captain. On deck, the first thing you see is the island – Black Rock itself. It's a pretty mountainous island, with the foot of the mountain shrouded by thick trees.

“Ira,” Murasa greets you, “See that? A smart man could get lost in those forests. When I was here last, I travelled inland along a river. See it there, that thin streak of piss? It's shallow, but it cuts right through the trees. Follow it far enough, you'll get to kind of a village. Beyond that, and you're on your own – that's as far as I went.”

Sounds simple enough, you think aloud, but you doubt it will be that easy in reality.

“Leaving a skeleton crew here, we make a good attacking force,” Murasa offers, “But we might as well be declaring war on whoever's there. Course, they might attack anyone who comes ashore... Anyway, what do you say?”

>Get your crew, we're taking the island by force
>I'm going in alone. Trust me on this
>Come with me. The two of us can handle this
>Other

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>>47474010
>>I'm going in alone. Trust me on this

>>47474010
>I'm going in alone. Trust me on this

>>47474010
>I'm going in alone. Trust me on this
If I need to sneak being alone would be better. If we need to make a quick getaway I'd rather have you and your men on here ready to go.

>>47474010
>I'm going in alone. Trust me on this

>>47474010
>I'm going in alone. Trust me on this
Not only for stealth, but there is also Murmur's spell card to take into consideration as well as that command and teleportation card. They are the designed for solo missions like this.

You're going in, you tell her, alone.

“Ira-” Murasa begins, but you cut her protests off.

She trusts you, you ask, right?

“I trust you to be a bloody lunatic,” she sighs, “Alright friend, it's your life you're gambling with.”

If you're sneaking in, you explain, you're better off alone. If you need to make a quick escape, on the other hand, you'd rather have her keeping things ready here. After all, if you're going to need to go, you're going to need to go quickly.

Murasa is silent for a long time as she thinks this over, setting a flame to her pipe and taking a long, indulgent drag. As the dark smoke hisses from one corner of her mouth, she lets out another heavy sigh. “Like I said, this is your life you're putting on the line,” she tells you, “And I reckon that if anyone can do this alone, it'll be you. Still, you're gonna be careful, right?”

You're single-handedly invading an island that is populated with all manner of cultists and warriors, you tell her before pausing for a second, “careful” isn't really an option. You'll do your best to come out alive, though, and that's the important part.

“I guess it is,” Murasa shakes her head, smiling at your stubborn insistence, “You win. Toramaru – get that boat in the water!”

“Last chance to back out,” Murasa calls after you as you prepare to leave.

Not a chance, you call back, not after you've come this far.

“I knew you'd say that,” she mutters, loud enough for you, for everyone, to overhear.

Laughing softly to yourself, you sit in the little boat and begin to row, steering the tiny craft towards Black Rock. A lonesome island, foreboding and formidable. How many men have died, you wonder, on this little scrap of sand and dirt? How many have been bled dry by bloodthirsty cultists to feed their warrior god?

No matter. You won't be joining them.

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

>>47474339
Thanks for running!

>>47474339
Quicker thread but a good stopping point.

Thanks for running Moloch.

Hopefully Ascetic left some kind of clue to his plans.

>>47474339
So what does Murasa think of us? Did she see us slaughter the hand squid? Did the ascetic feel his construct die?

>>47474473
From her perspective I think she saw us cut off a hand and stab it in the face, then go below deck and came back up all bloody.

>>47474412

It was a little shorter than I like, yeah, but I'd rather do the next bit in one stretch. That could take some time!

>>47474473

Murasa likes Ira quite a lot, I'd say. He's not dull to be around! >>47474490 has the right of it where the squid is concerned - she didn't see us land the killing blow, but did she really need to?

As for the Ascetic, he was able to tell when his construct died, but he didn't get any other information from it. He doesn't know it was us, in other words!

>>47474581
Was he supposed to get more of it and we just killed it too fast, or did he just not care to set it up well?

>>47474609
I don't think he expected a Wanderer and more specifically Ira, the I don't get scared of abominations they are scared of me dude, to come across it.

It think it was meant for some random schmucks.

>>47474581
Ascetic and his goons set up some kind of base camp away from the cultists I assume right?

>>47474609
>>47474638

It wasn't really made with any particular care - more as practice, really - but it would have been a pretty big problem to anyone other than Ira who stumbled across it.

It just happened to be Ira who found it first - bad luck!

>>47474706
Hey Moloch, is Ira's backstory regarding his encounter with an abomination at an early age going to come up again or is it meant to be vague and up to our imagination?

>>47474702

He's got his own thing going on right now, yes, business far from Black Rock. I wouldn't call it a base camp, as such, but he'll be elsewhere. Hiding, probably - being very sneaky!

>>47474726

I wrote up some plans for that idea pretty early on, actually, but I've been very uncertain about the timing. I think, when things start to calm down a little, I might be able to bring it back up. I've just been having a little trouble deciding how, exactly, to approach it.

>>47474780
No what I was asking is if he DID have some kind of base camp on Black Rock? A physical place that we can go to and see if there are any clues to his plans.

*wink wink*
>[Nodens] Drowning in History

>>47474817

Ah, I see. That would certainly be a good source of information, wouldn't it? It might be worth exploring a little when we arrive, that's all I should say on the issue.

>>47474877
So how does the crew of the Hijiri view Ira? While not directly talking with him, he's been with them for awhile.

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>>47474877
Where do you fall on this Moloch?

>>47474581
Is Murasa a tiny bit jelly of the Howa?

>>47474942

On one hand, he's starting to be seen as part of the crew - after all, Murasa trusts him - but on the other hand, he's seen with the same superstitious caution that Wanderers tend to be associated with. Using magic and treading freely on sacred ground can attract the wrong kind of attention, sometimes.

>>47474971

Casual faggot. I'm not particularly proud of that.

>>47475011

Maybe a little bit, yes!

>>47475011
>>47475049
Doesn't Ira's face make babies go gray-haired in the womb?

>>47475049
A Casual Faggot ends of making the currently only successful SMT quest(s). That's hilarious.

I'm guessing Nocturne and the two Raidous for what you've played?

>>47475075
Only when he is angry I'd imagine. In all honesty he is only in his mid-thirties in spite of being called old constantly.

>>47475110
For a protagonist that is old. Just makes the imagery of a angry in his prime Ira that much more horrifying.

>>47475158
He's probably more dangerous now than then. If he ever finds a way to reverse his aging back to prime level's he'd probably be a lot scarier than he ever was.

>>47475110

Nocturne, and the Digital Devil Saga/Avatar Tuner games. I have the Raidou games, but I've never finished them. Not a huge fan of the gameplay, unfortunately. I've started Strange Journey, though, so I hope to add another finished game to my tally. Eventually.

In either case, there's also Task Force 666, so I'm not the only one to run a successful SMT quest!

>>47475075

Maybe? He can be pretty scary, if that's what you mean!

>>47475110
>>47475185
By the way. Is there any SMT/Persona game whete Judeo-Christian God isn't a bad guy? Cause I want to try one.

>>47475210
The first he's a good guy if memory serves.


>>47475185
>>47475110
Would Persona 2129 count?

>>47475185
>I've started Strange Journey, though, so I hope to add another finished game to my tally. Eventually.

Emulation was EZ PZ wasn't it? If you have any issues consult the Troubleshooting section of: http://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/DeSmuME

>>47475210
Digital Devil Saga both parts. It's very Hindu.
The Raidou games
Devil Survivor 2
All the Personas
Soul Hackers

>>47475181
Well. Yeah. Imagine if you will a young man entering the field with the sound of unholy mumuring coming from him, driving men mad. He commands your soldiers to flee and binds down the one he wants. Your sorcery can't do anything and he's cutting right through your abomination. He's getting stronger as the fight goes on, attacking him causes your men to get hurt, and then he heals up and gets even ANGRIER. He knows where you've been and who your ties are, he can pillage your mind and appear right behind you.

Ira would have horror stories about him on a bad day once this is over and done.

>>47475252
Thanks!

>>47475229
>>47475185
Only reason I was iffy about saying P2129 and TF666 were successful was cause at the current pacing in both of them I'm a little pessimistic about them finishing.

But that said they are certainly solid and hope they do reach their conclusions.

>>47475260
Christ, I shivered a little reading that.

>>47475260
>He commands your soldiers to flee
More we command them to kill each other while we slowly walk towards the summoner.

>>47475311
>summoner.
sorcerer I mean.

SMT on the mind.

>>47475260
>tfw you realize Ira is basically an eldritch abomination.

>>47475185
Never played any of the Personas huh?

>>47475291

That's certainly true. I think it would be a shame if they couldn't reach their conclusions. I don't like seeing things ending that way.

>>47475252

Emulation was a lot easier than I'd been expecting. Truth be told, I wish I'd gotten into it years ago!

>>47475260

I never actually looked at it that way. When you take all the various powers into account, Ira really is a scary guy!

>>47475367

Oh, I've played them, yes. I wasn't sure if they'd be counted - I played IS, 3 and 4. They're good games, but very different to regular SMT stuff.

>>47475383
>Oh, I've played them, yes. I wasn't sure if they'd be counted - I played IS, 3 and 4. They're good games, but very different to regular SMT stuff.

That list takes them into account. Congrats you've been upgraded: You blow. One more and you'll be a Bitch Ass Messiah.

>>47475303
And it gets better. This is only when you face him in combat. Ok, so you decide to play smart. Be social. He pops up to your guards and talks to them, making them feel comfy, finds a way through that. Nothing wrong there, but then he senses something magical and finds your connect. Ok, bad sign, he found your sorcery shenanigans. Just got to burn the building and choke the air with poisonous smoke.. which does not affect him due to that one card he has. So he has some new friends willing to talk, he walked out with evidence and escaped the death trap. Well, maybe a mental trap about some bad times will work?

And that is when things go horribly for you.

>>47475383
>That's certainly true. I think it would be a shame if they couldn't reach their conclusions. I don't like seeing things ending that way.

I feel you. With P2129 it may take literal real life years to get through how many days are in that quest and with TF666 Kaz can't seem to get out enough content per thread that he'd like.

And they both run only weekly. And TF666 is contesting for runtime with Kaz's other quest. Ouch.

>>47475383
>I never actually looked at it that way. When you take all the various powers into account, Ira really is a scary guy!

The thing is that we never really got a combat situation where we could go full out like. Ready the buffs, make our appearance, and begin the slow walk of despair. We are also mainly social and fight as a last resort.

This new guy basically spat in our face and has PROVEN that he is not willing to be nice and is going to be a full bastard the whole way down. I feel no remorse or pity in saying that if we get the chance, we shut him down so utterly it makes him a sobbing mess when his time comes.

>>47475462

I'll admit, I'm not sure if I'd be able to run two different quests. I'd like to, because I've got quite a lot of idea I'd like to try, but I think I'd be pushing myself too hard. Lot of respect for everyone who can make it work, though, even if it stumbles every now and then.

>>47475533

Early on, I tried to make the various sides reasonably equal. They all had their flaws, but they had advantages as well. The Ascetic, on the other hand, is a monster. I won't even pretend that he deserves to live.

>>47475403

Good news!

>>47475590
With the DS emulation you can play the Devil Survivors as well but you can only play the inferior versions unfortunately. The better ones are on the 3DS.

>>47475689

I think they released the updated versions of the Devil Survivor games over here, actually. I've seen the first one in the shops before. I might give the DS version a try, then decide whether or not to buy the rerelease.

It's good to have these options!

>>47475590
> All this Ira wank

Peeps keep forgetting that a) we have to decide to use our magic. So surprise or betrayal can fuck us. But you can't do shit about that, so we'll just try to be careful but not paranoid.

B) Our magic is gifted from the gods, or taught by the Mentor. The whole "gifted by the Gods" thing makes me nervous.

C) We have monoscopic vision. Depth perception is not our friend. That also means we have a blind spot. I feel like we should try using Testing the Web during combat, hear me out, so we can tell where our enemies are AND Guage their morale/emotions. Just tossing that out there.

D) Wasn't Ira a wrecker of a Wanderer that killed a major god with Howa? I am concerned that our powers, while useful, don't really let us take on armies or even trained squads I would prefer to avoid.

E) I don't know why people think only we have magic. There's the sorcerer, gods, okay, AND any wanderers that didn't return + apparently artifacts are a thing. I would prefer to be prepared for magic, not surprised by it.

So yeah. We're specced to get in, survive, and get out with investigation and counter skills/magic. Prolonged fights, surprise (oh yeah guns), enemy magic, and bigger gods (maybe heroic humans and abominations) are still super srs bzns.

Let's be like Greywolf Justice, and try to do everything to get the first hit and hurt them too badly to hit us back.

>>47475755
I can attest that the rereleases are big upgrades, in both content and balancing (DeSu 2 Record Breaker adds a whole new story mode, not as long as the main one mind you, but still substantial), but on the flip side emulation is FREE.

>>47475877
C hasn't really come up. Web would be useful though in certain situations

D we can't take armies but we could take on a squad with right magic timing.

E. We are specced for anti magic.

Most of the 'wank' as you call it was in relation to fucking up Ascetic and his 12 good men which we are prepared for.

>>47475877

Those are all relevant points. Generally speaking, one of the things I tried to keep in mind when making the mechanical side of things was that magic - the kind of magic that Ira has access to - shouldn't be infallible. A group of people with rifles should still be a credible thread, for instance.
Ultimately, your last point is the right one - we should focus on hitting the enemy so hard they can't hit us back!

>>47475882

I'd see the original versions as demos, just to see if I can get on with the gameplay. In either case though, I've got Strange Journey to finish first!

>>47475877
Well, as was said before we have an out with magic thanks to Murmur. Anyone who does not have the mark cannot use magic. So long as we keep it limited to us, we would be the only magic user in the field. I do agree that surprise can cause us trouble, but with the way our new foe goes about it, I don't think it will be hard to follow the trail.

Prolonged fights actually work in our favor with our various offensive and defensive buffs that slowly get stronger.

As is, we are really damn self sustaining and our gear is designed to deal with abominations even if he is out of magic. Our social skills allow us to deal with a group if we use it right, and if we use our magic sense, we could likely find magical traps.

We are incredibly versatile and as scary as the new sorceror is, we are built to hard counter him. He is probably the only real fight that I feel we could take on without a worry about complications because we simply do not need to hold back or focus on other aspects.

>>47476019
>In either case though, I've got Strange Journey to finish first!

Without spoiling too much SJ has my favorite Neutral route. It also helps a lot that there are Neutral (Humanity) dialogue choices in the game that shifts your alignment to neutral.

In a lot of other SMT games the way to get Neutral is to be a wishy washy, going back and forth between Law and Chaos options, fencesitter.

This time you can be decisively Neutral.

>>47476052
Also I'm guessing he is going to be a arrogant little shit which we can use in our favor.

>>47475590
> Ascetic is a monster

Hood to know that's the word of God. I would have preferred to find that out in character. Maybe risk trusting him and getting burned, probably stabbing him, I dunno.

I'm going to try not to meta-game though and sti'll give him a chance to surrender peacefully.

Haha wait no he pulled the shipbomination. I feel like Ira could forgive a lot of things if he believed the Ascetic honestly thought he had to do it, but not the slaughter of the ship. Not the creation of the abomination. And sure as hell not just leaving it to be someone's problem.

I'd like to say we should plot an elaborate revenge. But that seems petty. Let's just shadow him to his residence, bar the doors, start disrupting magic and set it on fire. I would like to be there to see his reaction when he can't use sorcery to save himself, but I would prefer to withdraw and patrol in case he does escape without it.

I feel like we should also assume he will start collecting info on us once we clash. Or before, possibly, we aren't low key exactly. Hopefully distance and ideology has kept him from keeping in touch with spies and shit.

But, you know, sorcery. It's a bag of dicks. Luckily he seems to be more messing about with abommos and shit than working on practical use.

>>47476109
You gotta put the joint/sleep medication down.

>>47476109
>Luckily he seems to be more messing about with abommos and shit than working on practical use.

Did you miss his twelve men going full superhuman on the sailors?
Also ira has EVERY indication this guy is an unrepentant sorcerer dickbag. He killed sailors and then desecrated their bodies to make an abomination land mine for fun. He is the essence of everything Ira hates.


Put the blunt down.

>>47476134
Sorry. I just get a little tetchy when DMs do word of god on things other than mechanics. It's not a big deal I realize.

Also. As excited as everyone is to fight a Sorcerer, we have yet to actually do so and they seem like they can pull off unfair shit. Especially with preparation.

I would like to actually go after the Seer first and call him on his shit with Sorcery existing again. Like, you had one vow. Our master refused to move directly against him all this time while he hurt him, hurt the Temple, and hurt the citizens of the Empire. So long as he refrained from just one thing, our Master would forgive him.

And then he went and did it and by God he might not owe us an explanation, but he owes our Master that and an apology.

I still don't want to kill the Seer. Maybe we can do like a reverse sigil for what Murmur has to prevent him using magic? Or we could get one of the big 3 (or all) to judge him and I dunno. Turn him into a magical battery or take away his Sapience and have him hunt down abominations and sorcerers with regular magic and sheeit. Or separate his consciousness from his body so that he can still teach, but not use his power. And we plant his body under a tree in Makai to pump magic back into it.

>>47476272
>Going to the Seer first
No, Ascetic takes priority over you wanting to be self righteous to Seer. Ascetic is a major threat right now that has no value over human life. He dies ASAP

>I still don't want to kill the Seer.
Too bad. He needs to go too.

>>47476272
>I would like to actually go after the Seer first
No, fuck that. The Ascetic will have carved a path of death and destruction and created countless monstrosities by then.

>Like, you had one vow. Our master refused to move directly against him all this time while he hurt him, hurt the Temple, and hurt the citizens of the Empire. So long as he refrained from just one thing, our Master would forgive him.
It's too late it's happened and now we have to deal with. Bitching at him over it would do no good.

>but he owes our Master that and an apology.
Seer isn't sorry, so any apology we force out of him would be hollow.

>I still don't want to kill the Seer.
he deserves it

>Maybe we can do like a reverse sigil for what Murmur has to prevent him using magic?
That'd require us LEARNING sorcery to do so, and probably sapping a god's power.

>Or we could get one of the big 3 (or all) to judge him and I dunno.
I can save you the time, They'll judge him and kill him. They want Mentor dead, much less Seer.

>Turn him into a magical battery or take away his Sapience and have him hunt down abominations and sorcerers with regular magic and sheeit.
Again we'd need sorcery for that, and it'd be kinder to kill him.

>Or separate his consciousness from his body so that he can still teach,
Yes have an evil demi-lich with a grudge teach students.

>And we plant his body under a tree in Makai to pump magic back into it.
That'd do fuck all, especially since there is NOTHING ALIVE IN MAKAI. Also it died well before he was born.


Put the drugs down.

>>47476217
Did you miss where I said we will kill him because he crossed the line? What's your excuse for missing shit.

And yeah. Ooh, strong humans and horrors! Dangerous, I'm sure it's also difficult in its way.

But I would be working on storing/manipulating stolen magic. Setting up communication with 5th columnists. 12 men can only be in 12 places at once. And explosives are a fantastic solution to supermen.

Or you could gather people up and give them a 'roid elixir that was reproducible, addictive, and built up a store of power in their body that you could use remotely or sick back in emergencies for instance.

Or at least make them all look like you. And have an extra guy ready to take your place if you leave to do other shit, so they think you're still there.

It just seems like he's enjoying the personal exertion of power, and only thinking tactically with sorcery. Those are the uses we've seen so far at least.

I don't mean to come off confrontational but I think it's currently a valid assessment. Otherwise we would have faced sabotage, and the abommo would have been for us particularly.

But hey. This is just speculation after the thread.

>>47476376
You do you man.

You do you. Thanks for the chuckles.

>>47476376
There is likely a limit to how many he can empower. remebr Sorcery works on grandiose gestures and numbers meaning something. Hence why they all take titles. There are things you can and cannot do because of that.


>Otherwise we would have faced sabotage, and the abommo would have been for us particularly.
Except we have no indication that he knows us at all?


I mean you are making massive suppositions with shaky at best support, and making paragraph long speeches that really do not apply.

>>47476356
We need leads on the Ascetic. The Seer is the one who knows about him. The reason we're headed back is so we don't play Carmen San Diego while he's carving said destructive path.

But hey. It's just an option I'm tossing out. Vote how you want next thread.

All the other stuff with the Seer is just me trying to think of God level punishments. Also not sure how he would be a demi-Lich if his consciousness was in a stone or something and his body under a tree and his sorcery inaccessible.

> Seer isn't sorry

Word of God on that? You want to point that out, or is it just your headcanon.

> Muh needing sorcery

Or the Gods could do it. Since, you know, sorcery is just their stolen power used inappropriately by humans. It's really more of a morally terrible thing than an objectively terrible thing.

> It would be a fate worse than death!

Yes. Divine punishments usually are. Sorry, dI'd you think I wanted to avoid killing him because he's been so nice? Fuck that. Dude is still possibly useful, and he's racked up a pretty big karmic debt to clear before he can die.

The Ascetic isn't useful, and is just dangerous. That's why I'm saying we should kill him.

> Makai is dead.

Well, there wouldn't be much point in using the Seers body to pump life and magic back into the area otherwise. I assume it's not hermetically sealed? It might take a while to recover it, but at least it would be a start. We could power it by bringing back tales of old Makai when it was nice and shit. Get people to make the odd blessing or prayer towards it at new years, or to explore their own personal rebirth of the City of Makai when they suffer loss and have to rebuild.

You could have the Pilgrimage to Makai where people can see it's damage, see that it's being healed even if it's slow, and find comfort in that. Or choose to stay and do penance or find themselves or whatever and help with reclaiming it.

>>47476603
>We need leads on the Ascetic. The Seer is the one who knows about him. The reason we're headed back is so we don't play Carmen San Diego while he's carving said destructive path.
Except we have NO idea where the Seer is, or any indication of where to start since he moved from his camp. He's in the wind.

>All the other stuff with the Seer is just me trying to think of God level punishments.
They explicitly want him dead, and his ashes scattered so he can't return.

>Word of God on that? You want to point that out, or is it just your headcanon.
The fact that he fervently believes in his cause and is a spiteful asshole. You don't see ISIS saying sorry for beheading people do you?

>Sorry, dI'd you think I wanted to avoid killing him because he's been so nice? Fuck that. Dude is still possibly useful, and he's racked up a pretty big karmic debt to clear before he can die.
Any teachings he'd make would be to poison the ears of his students against the people who cast him down. Not worth it, and the Gods would not want him to come back ever. They'd just ghost his ass. They want him erased, like all sorcery.


>The Makai shit
There is NOTHING THERE, the very place is inimical to life. No water, no microbes, no divine energy, no capacity of life, very little light. Moloch described it as hell. Nothing but Ash and shadow sparsely populated by constructs. Moloch said it'd take generation with Divine intervention to even grow a small plant there. Using a sorcery battery, something inherently selfish and unsuited to giving by it's very nature, would do fuck all.

>>47476603
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeYsTmIzjkw

>>47476422
We used the passage of time magic to see him build the abommo and leave it aimless. Right in this thread.

I suppose there could still be enemy action awaiting behind us. But usually you try to stop your foe before he gets a superweapon. Or tracks you down. A ship is ideal, sink that fucker and see if he has any magic to save him from the sea.

I would imagine us to have a rep among the Cult at this point. Also among court since we have had personal interaction with the Emperor, alerting nobles and politicians. Fought with Hirohito and ordered him, actually ordered him back because of Sorcery. Soldiers gossip badly, and that's the exact kind of thing that stands out. And finally we got granted land directly by the Emperor, which apparently is unique for Wanderers. So, you know, people in the countryside would talk about their new lord, how he was the wanderer that did all that shit there, speculation on what we are like and what changes we might make etc.

It's possible that anyone he left behind wouldn't know about us, but it would be unlikely. We aren't well known by the average dude, for sure, but we are a person of interest from several angles. Reputation in the Temple which was heavily infiltrated, the Empire, the envoy who talked directly to the Seer, the Noble Wanderer. Leadership of the cults would have a vested interest in looking for movement from the Temple/Empire and we happen to represent both, be recognizable if not popular or famous, and be a known significant threat if only by inference from the company we keep, let alone if they know any of our history or recent actions.

>>47476780
He did that to fuck with whoever came along, not us specifically dumbass.

>“This will be a fine surprise,” the leader decides, “Whoever should stumble across this vessel... I only regret I won't be here to see it.”

Even if he does know about us, he ahs no indication we know of him and are seeking him out. You're assuming he has eyes on us constantly, he obvious does not because if he did, he'd bumrush us before we got the fucking anti-sorcery weapon. You're making incredibly dumb assumptions, then making supposition based off them.


What your saying is some terrorist who kinda sorta know captain America is a thing, expects him to show up with 0 prior warning and no knowledge of his recent movements. He's not prescient.

>>47476780
Hey you're that dude that joined Devil Summoner New Cycle at like the very end and started proposing different forms of government for demons and humans after we'd already established everything while high as balls on sleep medication aren't you?

Delan right?

>>47476730
Uh. It would be a divine magic since that's the same as sorcery. The difference is only who wields it an how it's wielded. If I steal you money and by drugs, the money doesn't became evil suddenly.

And since they sorcerer is set up to steal magic, use that to catch what power would normally go to the gods and let it carry on. That way you don't have the gods losing all their power trying to fix it. It's clearly not a quick fix, but we don't need one. We should do passive shit like that so that it does EVENTUALLY eons laterm get better. Why do you need instant gratification?

> Explicitly want him dead

He would be pretty dead. And also a tree. Hey, we don't have to save his consciousness. I just want him to pay back his shit. Anyways, why don't you try to contribute and work with me on these things instead of shouting it down?

> The Seer is ISIS

Dude is committed. Also cornered. Word of God is that we could have joined his side though, so he's clearly not evil like the Ascetic. Just arrogant. And now that his shit has fallen apart it's reasonable I think that he could apologize for fucking up at least if not for the position he took. Be all "My bad, it was a calculated risk but man am I terrible at math". Definitely could apologize for teaching people sorcery. And not killing them when he lost control. Dude seemed reasonable when we talked to him. Well, polite and willing to talk which is still fairly reasonable even if he didn't change his mind.

> We don't know where he is.

You got me there. I thought he was still kicking at Makai. Still, if we approached him with a temporary truce so he could help with the TWO sorcerers that are loose he probably would come. Worth a shot.

And like you said earlier, we can leave him for later.

>>47476953
Moloch has said Sorcery is explicitly not divine magic anymore.

Furthermore the big 3 explicitly want all trace of sorcery erased. Including the bodies and lives of the sorcerer as well. They'd nuke his corpse not engineer it for whatever.

>Definitely could apologize for teaching people sorcery. And not killing them when he lost control. Dude seemed reasonable when we talked to him. Well, polite and willing to talk which is still fairly reasonable even if he didn't change his mind.
Did you miss the thread where Mentor said Seer's worst sin was his boundless spite? he might have started wholesome, but once things went south, he stayed on to punish and hurt everyone who stood against him. He is desperate, but he's a spiteful shit, he's not going to help an enemy, at least not without treachery.

>Still, if we approached him with a temporary truce so he could help with the TWO sorcerers that are loose he probably would come.
There are only 3 sorcerers left, Seer, ascetic and Mentor. Mentor we don't need help with. So what the fuck are you on about? Especially since he TRAINED the Ascetic and likely knew what he'd do.

>>47476953
>why don't you try to contribute and work with me on these things
God no. Most of what you've said has been retarded or born out of a need make Seer suffer or be useful past his death.

I'm going to vote to kill him, probably cleanly and that'll be it.

>>47476851
Are you capable of fucking reading? I've been consistently saying that from his actions, it appears he hasn't been spying on us, or the Empire, or the Temple or at least he doesn't have communication with them.

This guy is a Sorcerer, who was under the Seer, whose organization was built around a core of disaffected Wanderers who knew us intimately. Who had spies in the Empire, one of whom knew us personally, as well as us being high profile. In addition, we're the most visible member of the Temple in the Emperors court especially since he dislikes God's and magic and shit.

Right now, he's like a Terrorist given a nuclear superhuman serum by the Red Skull who he has seen been thwarted multiple times by Captain America, and knows that Cap is intimately involved in acting against the Cult, is one of the few who knows about Sorcery and Sorcerers even. He's seen us on "tv" as it were kicking cult ass and saving the day. We operate semi-autonomously but have pull with the Imperial Court as well as the Military, plus the major faiths.

He would have to be retarded to not try and keep tabs on someone like us who knows his secret. Or drunk wirh power, or massively hyper focused etc.

So yeah. The lack of directed action against us, at this point when really he should have started planning to take out everyone who knew about sorcery as well as anyone who might have come after him, I feel shows that he has not considered us a threat, been informed about us somehow (possible Seer keeping them in the dark about us somehow so we can act as his emergency plan? Worked for Red Skull. Have your enemy set up to take out your underlings if they betray you and ditch). Or he doesn't have the capability to do so.

So given that he had super soldiers and a cobbled together abomination for beginners, I would say it's likely he's just using sorcery for direct tactical things so far.

Because the best time for that has passed. Long passed.

>>47477167
You're moving the goalposts now, I think this is done. You are clearly to high on you medicine to debate properly. You said he was not using it on practical use. Said soldiers are practical. We have no idea what else he has or even CAN do. You're making stupid assumption and suppositions can can't maintain a coherent train of thought. Go to bed and sleep off your drug haze man.

>>47476927
>>47477030
> Moloch has said Sorcery is explicitly not divine magic anymore

I missed that. Which is why I asked for word of God on that. If that's so, then okay I was wrong.

I also thought there was a fourth unnamed sorcerer mentioned? Aight. My bad there too.

As for the Seers boundless spite. Well shit dude. All I'm saying is when we confront him we can ask for an apology for teaching sorcery to dudes. How the Seer reacts is up to him, but I would like to give him the option of reconciling before dying.

And yeah, I didn't think people would take the Divine Punishments so seriously. It's not like I have control over the votes. But wouldn't it be neat to use the Seers body like a magnet to draw mana back to Makai? Turn it into a tree, maybe uncorrupt the sorcery part of it or turn it around or something? Use it to destroy sorcerers artifacts and turn them back into mana?

I mean. Clearly my belief that Sorcery was just misapplied magic has resulted in a build up of errors.

>>47476927
I tend to shit post once in a while. I normally contribute a little and don't go off on wild tangents.

I just like to argue.

>>47477255
>All I'm saying is when we confront him we can ask for an apology for teaching sorcery to dudes. How the Seer reacts is up to him, but I would like to give him the option of reconciling before dying.
Given he knows we're going to kill him, and he fervently believed in his cause, he's not going to apologize, especially if we force it out of him.

>But wouldn't it be neat to use the Seers body like a magnet to draw mana back to Makai? Turn it into a tree, maybe uncorrupt the sorcery part of it or turn it around or something? Use it to destroy sorcerers artifacts and turn them back into mana?

The only way do that,iIf it's possible at all, would be to study sorcery. Because asking the gods would not work. They want each and every bit of sorcery destroyed, everything associated with it destroyed. The cannot brook anything sorcery related to exist. You entire idea is predicated on wild ass fantasy and drug logic.

>>47477230
Yes. I'm just saying that so far it appears that he's not using it to co-ordinate attacks on us. Since we are presumably a high value, high profile target who just got a sword that blocks sorcery and has been tracking him down and all, we can assume his lack of action against us means that he's limited in his ability to direct allies left behind or to use assets to stall or stop us. Or he has a crazy over complicated plan or something.

The rest was just ranting. But the core statement that if he was capable of acting it makes no sense to not have done so by now I feel is sound.

That plus the fact that the use of sorcery was recent, and his crude and experimental created abomination, gives more credence that he is limited.

Even better, that means he won't know who is after him or our capabilities.

>>47477283
I think you need to calm down.

Ultimately, convincing the cultists to stand down and give up would create the least.....transient end to Kala that does not involve eating him with sorcery.

But Ira is by no means a great orator. He is a fighter. Nobody on Tengaru still alive seems to be capable of that much on the spot charisma. MAYBE Mentor, but he spends so much time alone brooding I feel he's gone well past rusty and into just rust.

Sho could maybe manage it if he grew up and learned the world, but we don't have that time. The priests in general are relying on knowledge and scriptures of the past, and while that's enough for the faithful, it won't turn over people actively fighting against tradition.


Seer....the best outcome would be to hogtie Seer and bring him to Mentor. But that is obviously not possible. Even if we managed to physically do so without his sorcery finding a way out, Seer is just too spiteful. His good intentions are hard to give credit when he hands bomb instructions out like candy. He's probably carrying a few on his person just to spite anyone trying to capture him. He refuses to be reasoned with, and losing in a show of force only makes him MORE stubborn about that.

As for the means of getting rid of anything harmful to Tengaru without harming Tengaru in turn....that would involve sorcery. The modus operandi for dealing with sorcery is to quarantine and purge. To preserve even that little bit being sacrificed, which may be necessary given how small Tengaru already is, would involve sorcery. It MIGHT be the right thing to do, but you'll find no allies in god nor Mentor.

>>47477379
Well you don't call a truce with people you aren't planning to kill.

Heck we could just "He's a Sorcerer on another continent. You're one right here. Give me a reasonable chance of going after him first and then you have that much more time to run or repent. Whatever."

Win win. Ideally he would be pissed that we were dismissing him as a threat and attack us and we could kill him and rip the info out of his head.

Or he ignores us and we move on. Doesn't cost anything to ofFer the truce though.

>>47477531
What? What the fuck are you talking about? There is no other sorcerer fucktard. We have no fucking idea where he is and a truce would be in bad faith on both sides. Additionally you remember how ripping information out of a sorcery affected person's mind went? Badly, it nearly killed us. Seriously stop posting you drug-addled nitwit.

>>47477483
Yeah I can see the gods not being big on experimenting specially with Sorcery. That was just an idea to have fun with, using him to fix Makai. And then brainstorming Divine punishments.

The plan was for other people to post ironic or classical divine punishments for the Seer. Have fun, see what was ridiculous or if something surprisingly possible came up.

Everyone got mad instead.

>>47477612
Ehhh. I don't want to repay spite with spite. Seer needs to stop, but everything would be so much better if he wasn't such a bitch about it, and I'm not going to be a bitch in turn.

>>47477612
Because you posted retarded shit and clung to it instead of seeing sense.


It's like saying why are there no Jedi in Star trek? Or asking why batman has no powers? It will get people upset at you fast and in a hurry.

>>47477612
You've got a twisted mind mate.

>>47477646
>>47477597

Oddly enough. As tired as I am now, even I know better then to claim something is shit posting and still fucking respond to it.

If it bothers you . . . Don't reply!

Worst thing is that I ramble at the end of the thread.

Damn. You're acting stupider than a stoned person right now, and at least I'll eventually sober up.

I'm cool to keep arguing if you want though.

>>47477691
I'm bored, and telling a moron he's being a moron so he wills top being a moron when it matters seems like a way to pass time.

>>47477711
I think the main problem is I segue between the parts I'm serious about and the random imagining/theorizing without clearly marking the switch.

Also I totes thought magic was sorcery and it was the use that was wrong. So gods could do the same stuff but it wouldn't be sorcery, and they just didn't make monsters and shit.

And when I asked someone to clarify they just kept ranting about sorcery instead of bringing up sorcery inherently corrupts the magic, so gods Can't do or use sorcery/artifacts.