>>47503639

Sand crunches underfoot as you take a few paces up the beach, scanning the horizon for anything that catches your eye. Other than the beach, there is only the thick trees clumped at the foot of the mountains, and that thin stream trickling out from their midst. That's where Murasa suggested you start, following the stream to an old village. If there's anyone here, that's most likely where they could be found.

Which, considering your position, might be a good reason to avoid that route. Far easier to go unnoticed if you-

The crack of a rifle shatters the still air and drops you into a low and cautious crouch. With redoubled care, you cast your eye around for the source of that lone gunshot. It seemed to come from the west, further along the shoreline. The land curves, and hides the source of that stab of noise from sight. If you had to guess, though, you'd say it wasn't a gunfight. Presumably nothing that might suggest combat, but you can't be certain - some fights end with the first shot, after all.

As you wait for another shot, you turn your eye to the thick trees. They'd give ample cover to you, if you chose to follow the river from a hidden vantage point, but they'd offer the same cover to anyone following you – or sneaking up on you. Moving through dense undergrowth has its own risks, noise for one thing, or having to slow your pace.

When the stillness is broken once more, another shot sending a number of birds scattering into the open sky, you slowly rise up from your crouch and plan your next move.

>Head upriver to the old village. You don't have time to waste
>Sneak through the forest. If there's anyone out there, you want to get the drop on them
>Investigate those gunshots. It's the first sign of life you've seen so far
>Other

>>47503643
>Head upriver to the old village. You don't have time to waste

>>47503643
>Investigate those gunshots. It's the first sign of life you've seen so far

>>47503643
>Investigate those gunshots. It's the first sign of life you've seen so far
Hope we don't get lost.

>>47503643
>Head upriver to the old village. You don't have time to waste
running with my gut

>>47503643
>>Investigate those gunshots. It's the first sign of life you've seen so far
But we shouldn't approach whoever is shooting right away. If they look hostile we should turn back.

Checking the weapons at your hips, you turn your eye west and begin to walk along the beach. Whoever is firing that rifle, they don't seem to be doing it out of anger or desperation – it's hard to describe, but there seems something almost leisurely about those shots. Once you've found the source of those sounds, you can decide how best to approach it. If that phantom rifleman is hostile, you'll keep your distance. No sense in risking yourself yet.

When the next shot rings out, it's close enough that your ears throb painfully. With the retort ringing in your head, you barely hear the rustle of birds taking flight, their white feathers caught up in the wind and scattered. Slipping into the tree cover as best you can, you close the distance between you and the shooter, cautiously studying them from your distant position. The scrawny man sits at the base of a tree, his rifle lying across his legs. Both his chest and his feet are bare, but the boots sitting a few paces away are military issue, and he wears an officer's sash around his head like a bandanna.

As you watch, he takes a long drag on a pipe and exhales, eyeing up the birds that return to their perch on the rocks. Slotting a fresh cartridge into his rifle, the soldier – former soldier now, you figure – lets off a poorly aimed shot, once again scattering the gulls. His missed shot doesn't seem to bother the man at all, who simply laughs to himself and lets the rifle hang loose once more.

He looks, you decide, too foolish to be dangerous. Then again, even a fool can be dangerous with a rifle in his hands. Still, he might know something about this island – wasn't the Ascetic's group said to have military deserters among it? If so, he must have been left here, left behind and abandoned.

He doesn't look much like a warrior, after all.

>Approach the man and try to talk
>Return to the river and head that way
>Enter the forest and head to the village
>Other

>>47503945
>>Approach the man and try to talk
See if he was part of Ascetic's crew.

>>47503945
>Approach the man and try to talk
Only so we can try out some of these social spells, for once.

[Water] Guiding the flow
nudge him further to being relaxed and friendly, particularly so he won't be surprised by a new face.

>>47504004
Isn't that spell meant for a big mob? Which we might need for the mob of warrior cultists on the island? Let's approach and gauge his demeanor first before we use spells.

>>47503945
>Approach the man and try to talk

>>47504055
yeah, warrior cultists who are the scum of scum. Anyone who could be persuaded to leave already has.

More importantly, I'm putting that little extra into making sure we maintain secrecy. If we want something to use in the village, let it be Test the Web.

>>47504094
>yeah, warrior cultists who are the scum of scum.

Not Ascetic's dudes. Kala's dudes, the denizens here.

>>47503945
>>Approach the man and try to talk
I'd say only use magic if he isn't willing to talk normally.

>>47504094
>Test the Web
>Angry Kala worshippers are in fact angry at Ira

Yeah I'm sure that will give loads of insight.

>>47504132
Oh, THOSE dudes. Still rather take the initiative.

>>47504233
well it'd point us towards Kala, if they didn't want to tell us.

>>47504233
and Ascetic, who so far has been pretty discrete.

Unless he mindwipes everyone he meets, of course.

>>47504248
I'm willing to bet Kala isnt one to make her presence a secret. Specially when a Wanderer is on her island.

>>47504260
Ascetic would need to be nearby for Testing the Web to tell us how Kala's warriors feel about him.

Although your hand never strays far from your pistol, you do your best to look friendly and approachable as you show yourself. As the slow, measured sound of your footsteps reaches him, the former soldier looks around at you and drops a hand to his own weapon. His reaction is one of surprise more than hostility, and he doesn't make a move to shoulder the rifle. Still, his hand remains stuck to the gun, just as his eyes never move from you.

Hello friend, you begin, it sure is a fine day to be shooting birds.

“You can't trust the little bastards,” he replies, in a skittish voice, “Back at the Stone, we read every message they brought in or out. Every damn word.”

So he is a soldier, from one of the three great forts. Which Stone is that, you ask, where was he stationed?

“The Stone of the South... the south...” he stops there, frowning to himself as he tries to finish his sentence.

What kind of idiot, you wonder, can't tell east from west?

“Matsuhiro,” he says at last, “I served under Matsuhiro, that fat bastard.”

The Stone of the South-West then, you tell him.

“That's the one,” he nods, “Thanks, stranger. The name's Marlo. Lieutenant. Former lieutenant, now, I guess.” With more trust than you had ever expected from him, Marlo sets his rifle aside and takes another draw on his pipe. Letting the thin smoke boil out from his nose – you can smell the sweet fumes from here – he stares across at the birds once more. “I guess you didn't come all this way just to shoot at the birds, huh?”

Maybe not, you agree, maybe you were after bigger prey.

“I bet you were,” Marlo looks back to you, “He ain't here, not any more. He took the ship, and he left – him and those dozen bastards he took with him.”

The Ascetic, you guess, right?

“The boss,” Marlo nods, “I don't know nothing about any fancy names.”

[1/2]

>>47504292

So, you ask a moment later, he came out here as part of the Ascetic's soldiers?

“That I did,” Marlo nods, “Speaking plainly, I don't know why I went along with them so easily now. Most of us, I think we got caught up in it all. Matsuhiro, you know, was a real bastard. I don't think there was a man among us who was upset about what happened to him. See, people think all us soldiers are the same, keeping the little man down and getting fat on the profits. A guy like me, though, I'm just one more little guy. It's the folks like Matsuhiro who come out on top. So when talk started of tearing down the whole system... yeah, we listened. Look where it got us – first the capital, and now here.” He snorts at that, reaching for his pipe to take a fresh draw.

Sounds like he had a disagreement with the Ascetic, you offer, a difference of opinions.

“Guess you could call it that,” the former officer laughs bitterly, “See, the boss only wanted men who had nothing. Nothing left, or nothing they weren't prepared to throw away. Turns out, most of us had, you know, stuff. Family, hopes for the future... stuff. I mean, I got family in the capital! If he did what he was always talking about...”

The Ascetic talked about the capital, you muse, what did he say about it?

“Man, he said a lot of things,” Marlo whines, “Like, he'd burn the whole city down, or how he'd kill the Emperor himself. He ranted about it, you know? I mean, if anyone could do that stuff, it'd be him, but...”

But what?

“I don't know, man,” he shrugs, “I guess I'm the doubting type. Probably why he left me here.”

>Did the Ascetic have a lair here, somewhere he spent his time?
>Do you know anything about Kala, or her temple here?
>Tell me a little more about the Ascetic
>I had a question for you... (Write in)
>Other

>>47504383
>Did the Ascetic have a lair here, somewhere he spent his time?
"Possibly where he'd make his plans, even if he left you out of the loop?"
>Tell me a little more about the Ascetic

Then
>Do you know anything about Kala, or her temple here?

>>47504383
>>47504411
This

>>47504383
>And what do you want to do now? Go back home, turn yourself in for what you were a part of? Go somewhere else and start fresh?
and the other stuff

>>47504411
>>47504383
This and
>I can get you off this island and back home to your family as long as you help me out here and also promise to never do this whole rebellion thing again. Fresh start.

Go home and be a family man.

You'd like to know a little more about the Ascetic, you begin as you lean against a tree, what can he tell you about him?

“I won't lie, he scared the shit out of he. Still does, I mean,” Marlo shudders, “Man, I saw what he did to those poor bastards. His twelve good men, he called them. You might not believe me, stranger, but I ain't lying about this. It was like he took those guys and ripped out what made them men. Tore it right out, see, and put something beastly in them instead. You know what that looks like, a beast wearing a man's skin?”

Thinking back to the vision you had on the ghost ship, you recall the awful violence – limbs torn free, guts split open, heads ripped from necks... You can imagine, you tell Marlo, you can picture it well.

“Huh,” he mutters, looking up and catching your dark expression, “Guess you can. Seen some shit, right friend?”

Never mind that, you assure him, you've got something you wanted to ask him. Did his boss have
somewhere he liked to lurk, you ask, somewhere on the island that he might have drawn his plans?

“Plans, huh?” Marlo pauses to think, the effort clearly taking its toll on him. Reaching out, he takes a loose twig from the foot of the tree and begins to draw in the sand in front of him. “I saw him going into a cave once, when he was taking them in... you know, his dozen chosen men. Guess I got curious, and I followed their trail. Anyway, he was about here, see?” The map Marlo scrawls is particularly shoddy, little more than a curved line that splits off at the halfway point.

“Uh, that's the village here,” he explains, pointing to the bottom of the line before pointing at the top “And that's the mountain, the temple thing. There's a little path about halfway between them. That should take you to his cave. I mean, it's the only place I saw him go. Other than the temple, I mean.”

[1/2]

>>47504629

You'd like to know a little about that temple, you add, and the goddess within. Kala, her name is – what does he know about her?

“That her name?” Marlo shrugs, “I never got the chance to step inside that temple. He was the only one to go in, our boss. He said we'd just get in the way, that he was the only one worthy of setting foot inside. Might be he was right, I guess – I ain't some great warrior or nothing.”

So what now, you ask the former officer, what does he want to do with his life? He could turn himself in, end all of this rebellion nonsense and make a fresh start somewhere.

“Friend, I just want to see my family again,” Marlo tells you quietly, “My sister might be a real bitch, but I'd like to see her face. I'm an uncle, see? It's about time I started acting like it, rather than wasting away up here. Shooting birds is fun and all, but I don't have that many bullets left and throwing rocks just ain't the same, right?”

You might be able to help him with getting home, you offer, and getting back to his family. He's been helpful, and that's worth a ride back to the mainland. It comes with one condition, though – he puts this talk of a revolution behind him, once and for all.

“Done deal, friend,” Marlo grins, showing broken teeth, “I reckon I'll be able to see the good side of that system now. I'll wait here, right, but I gotta warn you about something – the others, they're waiting at the village, and I figure they won't be nearly so friendly. The boss said he'd be back for them – bullshit, I reckon – but only if they stayed loyal. They see a stranger coming, they'd shoot on sight.”

They're still loyal to the Ascetic?

“Man,” Marlo shakes his head, “They didn't see what I saw. If they did, they'd be out here shooting birds with me.”

>Head upriver to the village
>Sneak through the forest
>Other

>>47504722
>Sneak through the forest
Well if they are shooting on sight let's not be seen.

>>47504722
>Ask Marlo where the most used path to the village is. The sneak beside it, not too close. This way we won't get lost and won't get noticed.

>>47504722
>>Sneak through the forest

>>47504782
sure I guess, seconded

Say, you ask Marlo, what's the best way to reach the village? Is there a path that sees the most use, something you could use to keep you heading in the right direction?

“Between the village and the beach, you mean?” Marlo scratches his head, “Most often, we just wade up the river. It's not too deep, so it's more or less a path. I mean, the only other way is to cut through the forest, and that shit is thick. I mean... real dense. There might be snares left over as well, stuff we left to try and bag ourselves a deer to eat. It's dangerous, is what I'm saying. If you were looking to stay out of sight, though...” he shrugs.

That was your plan, you tell him when his silence draws out a few seconds longer, would that be possible?

“You could stick close to the river, I guess,” the former officer decides, “It would lead you right to the village, and you'd be close to hidden. I mean, a passing glance would miss you, I reckon. Someone got close, you'd see them first. But man, I gotta warn you. Those forests, they're kinda... spooky. I mean, you hear things sometimes, you know?”

Another reason that people might avoid straying into them?

“I guess, yeah,” Marlo tells you unhappily.

That's all you wanted to know, you tell him with a slow smile. Thanking Marlo once more for the information, you return to the river and take another long look at the forest either side of it. Picking a direction more or less at random – the left bank looks a little easier to walk along – you assume a careful, cautious pace and enter the forest.

You've seen dense forests in your time, but these are incredible. Barely a few minutes after entering, the beach might as well be on the other side of the land. Even with the river splashing and gurgling close by, you sometimes lose sight of it for all the trees and thick ferns.

At least you're hidden.

[1/2]

>>47505009

Here, in the dense forest, it's all too easy to lose track of time. With only the sound of the river guiding you onwards, you press steadily onwards until a new noise reaches you, this one dry and hollow. It could be the sound of wooden chimes rattling together in the meagre breeze, shaking and sending their faint song into the air. Such chimes, you recall, often mark out the location of smaller shrines, tiny monuments for travellers to offer their prayers to.

Although you make sure to keep the sound of the river from straying too far away, simple curiosity guides you towards those mournful chimes. Eventually, you emerge at something that could, perhaps, pass as a clearing – in the centre, a small stone icon has been erected. In the trees above, you spy the chimes that led you here.

Not wood at all, you realise, but bone. A thigh bone, you would guess, hollowed out and strung up.

Turning your eye away from the macabre chime, you approach the little shrine. At the base, a bowl of water lies still, untroubled by even a single ripple. Looming above it is the statue of a woman, her lower half replaced by the body of a snake. Rising above her head, threatening you with it's tiny point, is a metal needle. If you pricked your finger, the blood would drip right down into that basin.

A way of making a sacrifice, you realise, a tiny offering of blood.

>Make an offering of blood
>Leave the shrine alone, return to the river
>Other

>>47505097
Sense magic

>>47505097
>Leave the shrine alone, return to the river
Yeah no...

>>47505097
>Leave the shrine alone, return to the river
>And be sure to avoid whatever path the people coming to this shrine use.

>>47505097
Should we use Noden's power? Then again, it might be better used on one of Ascetic's possessions...

>>47505161
No wait til we reach Ascetic's place.

File: Big Boss.jpg (30 KB, 382x751)

30 KB JPG

>>47505097
>>Leave the shrine alone, return to the river

>>47505097
>>Leave the shrine alone, return to the river
>>47505161
I'd say we're better off saving it for when we find the cave. Detecting magic might be worth trying though.

>>47505198
>>47505115
But what would sensing magic tell us? That the shrine has magical power? Isn't it true about any shrine?

>>47505221
I'm not sure what might be here. It might be nothing special but I'm pretty curious. It might tell us what would happen if we'd given our blood.

I wonder if it would be a bad or good idea to use animal blood.

>>47505424
I think making any blood sacrifices to shrines when we don't know what it entails is bad idea.

When Ira gets back he should put that rule in the Wanderer handbook if it isn't already.

Blood sacrifice, even offering a single drop, is something you'd really rather avoid. As long as you've got the chance, you don't want to sink to those depths. Still, this little shrine has got your curiosity roused, so you'll at least investigate it a little before turning away. Slowing your breathing, you focus on the air around you and let your senses expand. If there's magic here, you'll sniff it out.

Immediately, you're struck by the venomous sting that you've come to recognise as Kala's taint. You first felt it faintly, when you were meditating in the depths of the Hijiri, and now it's close, close enough to fill your mouth with its acid taste. Twisting ribbons of that power stretch out across the entire island, like veins carrying poison to every corner of a human body, but they all point in one direction – towards the mountain.

Yet, there's something else here, something within this little shrine. A trace of divine power, waiting patiently for some gift of blood to wake it up. A marker, you mutter to yourself as you touch the stone statue, something to point the way. A guide, leading the way to Kala's temple.

No matter, you decide as your senses return to bland normality, you'll be heading there soon enough without the need for a statue to point the way. It might offer the way to a shortcut, but it also might draw Kala's eye right to you – hardly a good thing, under the circumstances.

Turning your back on the shrine, you return to the slowly flowing river and follow its winding path. Soon, you start to hear something, the sound of swords clashing together and a listless, disheartened attempt at cheering. These must be the loyalists Marlo mentioned – bored, increasingly disillusioned loyalists by the sound of it.

[1/2]

>>47505472

Being careful to stay within the dense confines of the forest, you skirt around the edge of the village clearing, taking what glances you can at the place. Stone huts, cast about in no particular pattern or order, offer shelter to the loyalists, while the majority of them stand gathered at the far end, forming a loose circle around a pair of fighters. At both entrance and exit to the village, a pair of bored soldiers stand guard, their rifles ready for use.

Looking upon those loyalists, it seems hard to believe that civilised men could fall so far in a short time. Like Marlo, most of them wear little clothing, but unlike Marlo they all have scars, smears of paint or crude piercings decorating their naked flesh. It's as though the savagery of this place has infected them, urging them down a dark and primal path.

Kala's doing, you wonder, or the Ascetic's corrupting influence?

From your hiding place, you pause to watch the duel playing out before you – but it hardly seems worthy of such a grand term. The two fighters swing their swords, naked metal blades, at each other, heedless of the dangers. Whenever blood is spilled, the gathered crowd cheers with what little enthusiasm they can gather.

Play fighting, it seems, is not enough to satisfy them. Grimacing, you turn your eye back to the path leading out of the village. This could be a problem – the tree cover ends a small distance from the entrance to the mountains. You'll need to cross open ground, in full view of the guards, to exit.

Now, where to begin?

>Make a run for it. Perhaps you can lose them in the mountains
>Wait for a distraction, a chance to sneak through
>Approach the loyalists. Perhaps they can be reasoned with
>Use a spell card
>Other

>>47505611
>Wait for a distraction

>>47505611
>>Use a spell card
>[Water] Guiding the flow
“Rivers can be diverted, guided upon a superior path by those with the foresight to do so.”
You can instil a particular emotion (sorrow, rage, etc.) in any group of people you immerse yourself within. This can sway a neutral group, or push an already emotional crowd into a frenzy. This influence cannot be traced back to you.

Get them irritable, pissed off. Make it so those two play fighting end up fighting to the death. Let that death spark them to all fight each other.

Basically I want to cause a commotion so we can slip by to the cave while the soldiers take each other out.

>>47505611
>Use a spell card
Teleport across the guards' line of sight into cover, if possible. If not,
>Wait for a distraction.

>>47505661
>>47505611
If this is possible I'll second it.

If they aren't satisfied with play fighting make it so they are actually fighting with each other. Play on their frustrations and boredom. Send them into a frenzy.

>>47505661
They want blood? lets give them some! supporting this.

>>47505611
>>Wait for a distraction, a chance to sneak through
We can even make our own distraction:
>>47505661

>>47505661
Well. At least all the bloodshed will put Kara in a good mood.

>>47505661
>>47505701
>>47505807
Did you all miss the part about 'group of people you immerse yourself within'? How do you suggest we immerse ourselves without being shot by the guards?

>>47505831
That's why I asked of it was possible and since Moloch didn't say anything I assume it's going through and it's proximity based.

>>47505852
>>47505831

>Yes, sorry, I got distracted with writing up the post. We can get close enough to use our magic, yes.

What you need, you decide, is a distraction. Something to draw every eye away from that mountain pass so you can pass through without being noticed. Fortunately, you've got the perfect distraction in mind. They've already done half the job, you just need to push them over the edge. Moving to the very edge of the trees, you fix your eye upon the pair of fighters.

Watching that clumsy duel, you reach out with tongues of magic and stoke the fires of their aggression. Every trace of frustration, of boredom and rage, you drag right to the front of their minds. Within the first few moments, you can see the effects taking hold – a few cries rise up from the crowd, men crying out for more blood to be spilled. Those scattered cries soon take the form of a chant, the seething tide of blood-drunk lunatics yelling for death.

The fighters don't disappoint. As if empowered by the crowd, the taller of the pair throws aside what little caution he had and swings blow after heavy blow at his opponent. It reminds you, watching the furious fight, of Jain's frenzied attacks – only the other fighter doesn't have Koa's caution or care. With both men falling upon each other, it's only a matter of time before they tear each other apart. Perhaps there is one sane man, one cool head left in that crowd, for one figure leaps in to try and pull the fighters apart.

A mistake, of course.

As if that intrusion had been the signal they had been waiting for, the crowd casts aside the lingering traces of restraint and fall upon each other, yelling and brawling like drunken fools. Drawn by the sounds of conflict, the guards from both ends of the village rush in to try and restore order – or to join in and vent their frustrations.

Moving low and fast, you run from the trees and into the mountain path. As the village fades away behind you, the first gunshot rings out.

[1/2]

>>47505968

Even once the sounds of brawling grow distant and vague, you don't allow yourself to relax for a long while. Careful to keep to the areas of cover, rocky outcrops and withered bushes, you make your way along the mountain path. Finally, once the crashing din of conflict has disappeared completely, you rise to your full height and take a moment to examine the mountain pass. The view, you have to admit, is fantastic.

With thick forest stretching out beneath you, the island of Black Rock looks truly untouched by modern man. Those stone shacks had been the only buildings – buildings made with men in mind, at least – to blight the land here, and even those have faded from view. Further away, the ocean glitters with reflected sunlight, the distant Hijiri leaving a dark mark upon the water. At least it's still there, you tell yourself, waiting for your return.

The idea of having to row back to the mainland was not an appealing one, needless to say.

Shaking your head and letting out a weary sigh, you return to the task of following the mountain path. All the while, you keep your eye wide open for any diversions that might lead to the Ascetic's cave. It should have been about halfway up, according to Marlo.

Who, you admit, might not be the most reliable source of information.

Whatever state his mind might be in, however, he wasn't steering you wrong. After a while longer, you come across a junction in the path, one leading towards the top of the mountain while the other breaks away along a flatter route. If you had to guess, you'd say it would lead to the other side of the mountain. An isolated place, perfect for meditating.

Or scheming.

>Continue up to the summit
>Follow the diversion around the mountain
>Other

>>47506067
>>Follow the diversion around the mountain
Our cave might be over there.

>>47506067
>Follow the diversion around the mountain

>>47506067
>>Follow the diversion around the mountain

>>47506067
>Follow the diversion around the mountain
But rest up and recharge magic first

>>47506216
We've only used one spell mang.

I don't think we'll get much use out of Guiding the Flow again.

>>47506232
We've also used magic detection.

>>47506266
Right we did. Still, resting for two spells when we should be getting things done on this island fast might not be the best idea.

It will be nice, you think, to take a break from walking uphill. Your old bones could do with taking it easy for a while, and this level path looks easier to follow. The fact that the Ascetic's cave might be on the other end of the path is, of course, a bonus. Taking it slowly – here, the path grows narrow, and the ground is a long way down – you begin to follow that diversion out into uncharted territory. The further along you follow it, the more you begin to regret your decision.

By the time your original path has vanished from sight, you're nearly out of room on this narrow path, each step you take threatening to take you over the edge and into oblivion. Until now, you've never been particularly afraid of heights – now, you can see why people warn against looking down. If the Ascetic wanted a place free from pesky intruders, you think grimly, he picked a good spot for it. It takes a terrible determination to follow the path to its end, but it does eventually end.

When you spot the mouth of the cave, you waste little time in hurrying inside. Frankly, you would have stepped into the mouth of a great beast if it took you away from that perilous edge. Inside, once your heart has settled into something approaching normality, you cast a curious eye around the cave. You had been expecting... things. Piles of books and stone tablets, perhaps, or items of unknowable terror – the sort of things a sorcerer would collect, in other words.

Nothing of the sort, here. There is a worn mat, and a few dark stains upon the stone floor. One wall is terribly cracked and broken, but that's the only thing that catches your eye. A curse escapes your lips as you look around – was this a wasted journey?

>Head back, and continue on to the summit
>Search the cave carefully
>Use a spell card
>Other

>>47506232
>>47506291
I think we should push on, too.

>>47506358
>Search the cave carefully
Then
>Use a spell card

>[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.

>>47506358
>Search the cave carefully
Anything interesting about how the cracks and breaks in that wall looks? Or what the stains are?

>Use a spell card

I guess we could use the memory card.

>>47506367
>>47506358
Yup, this. That was the plan.

>>47506291
>>47506358
Speaking of which what is the rule for regaining spell cards?
8 hours? 24 hours?
Or do we need to rest?
Fall asleep? Sleep 1 hour? 2 hours? 8 hours?

>>47506395
I don't think there is a hard rule.

More when it's narratively appropriate. During travel time, sleep, when we decide to meditate, etc.

>>47506395

>We need a short time in a safe place to meditate and get our focus back. The Hijiri counts as a safe place, but this cave does not. In terms of time, we don't need long - less than an hour.
>However, it's flexible. As long as we're in no danger, and it's appropriate as >>47506425 says.

>>47506425
Yeah that's what I was thinking but my curiosity forced me to ask

It doesn't take long to check every hidden corner in the cave – in fact, all you need to do is flip over the mat and look underneath. All there is beneath is a scrap of parchment, a crude map scrawled out upon it. A map of the mainland, you decide as you study it, but it's only just recognisable as such. Whatever other talents he might have, the Ascetic is no artist.

The map doesn't have much detail on it, but there are a few lines penned in. Starting at the Stone of the South-West – if that's what that vague mark is supposed to be – the line wavers north to the capital, and then east to Garuna. Finally, the line reaches north again, stretching into blank space. A record of the places that the Ascetic has visited, perhaps, but it offers no hint to his next destination. Still, you fold the map and drop it into a pocket before turning your attention to the cave itself.

Staining the floor, those dark marks are exactly what you expected them to be – old blood, the source unknowable. Not much, a few drips at most, but still worth taking note of. Then you turn your eye to the wall and look at the cracks. It almost looks like someone took a hammer to the wall, trying to smash it down and reach behind it. Pressing your ear to the rock, you tap the butt of your pistol against the wall and listen. No echoes, nothing that might suggest anything other than solid rock. So why, you wonder, was someone trying to break the wall down?

Perhaps a glimpse into the past will give you the answers that present cannot. Sitting on the stone floor, careful to avoid those stains, you close your eye and focus your mind. Time to see what Nodens can show you.

This time, the images come as a montage, flashing past in disconnected scenes.

[1/?]

File: The Ascetic.jpg (103 KB, 500x707)

103 KB JPG

>>47506630

The first glimpse into the past shows the Ascetic in all his tainted glory. Bare to the waist, his body practically bulges with muscular power. Fast enough that your eye can barely follow him, the drives punch after punch into the stone wall, each blow cracking the solid rock. The onslaught seems to go on for an age without slowing or letting up, and the Ascetic never tires or breathes heavily. When he is finally finished attacking the wall, he pauses to gaze down at his clenched fists. They are completely unharmed, pale and pristine.

Next, you see him sitting with his legs crossed in a parody of meditation. In his hand, he holds a lens nearly identical to the one you possess. Turning it over and over, he studies it with a kind of intensity that borders on mania. It is as though all the answers in the world reside within that glass, if only he could find them. Even here, in the pale shadow of the past, you can sense the inhuman concentration seeping from him.

In the final glimpse, the Ascetic seems to be arguing with himself, pacing back and forth within the cave. He speaks openly, his words snarling out. “Anything can DIE,” he insists, “You just need to take its head. If the Emperor dies, the rest of them will fall to infighting soon enough. Just wait, wait for your chance to strike.”

A pause.

“Wait!” he hisses to himself, fists clenching and unclenching, “That's all you need to do. Wait for the perfect moment. Yes...”

As that last words rushes from his lips, he turns and throws a punch at the stone wall. As more and more punches follow the first, the vision returns to the start, like a snake swallowing its tail, and then fades to nothing. Reality, when it returns, doesn't seem quite real. He plans to kill the Emperor, you mutter to yourself, is that it?

Not much of a lead, but it's the best you've got.

>You've got what you came for. Return to the Hijiri
>Press on to Kala. No leaving the job half finished
>Other

>>47506630
So like we thought, he was behind the sorcery at the Stone of the Southwest. Then he attacked with cultists at the Capital, stole stuff some the Treasury, escaped, then went to Garuna, probably got a boat and went to Black Rock.

>>47506717
>Press on to Kala. No leaving the job half finished
I guess we should touch base with the God of War of Tenngaru. Not to fight, there's no point in that, just to talk. She might give more insights on how Ascetic is going to go about killing Sho and Ascetic's capabilities.

>>47506717
>Press on to Kala. No leaving the job half finished
Looks like we are going to have be Sho's bodyguard until Ascetic attacks. Only we have a chance at stopping him from killing Sho.

>>47506717
>You've got what you came for. Return to the Hijiri
I, too, would like to talk with the resident Khorne expy, but the Ascetic is on his way to the Capital right now and no one knows about it. With skills like that he probably could just walk through the palace security if it's unprepared.

>>47506829
Ascetic is waiting for the perfect moment like he said, probably when Sho is out of the Capital.

Like when Sho goes on his Tenngaru tour. That isn't happening for a bit. And besides if the hour we spend to talk to Kala is the difference between Ascetic doing his plan, we weren't going to make it anyways.

>>47506717
>Press on to Kala. No leaving the job half finished
Going to have to agree, the half an hour it takes to talk to Kala won't matter in the grand scheme of the attack. Hell she might give info that helps us with protecting Sho in the long run.

You didn't come here to leave the job unfinished, and that means pressing on to Kala. You'd have to brave the narrow path either way, and that leaves the uphill struggle feeling like a welcome change. Gritting your teeth, you cast one last look around the cave – you're still not sure whose blood that is – before leaving.

The path back to the junction doesn't seem quite so bad, but perhaps that's because you've survived it once before. Without pausing, you turn and start up the mountain towards the summit. A short walk later, and you find the first body. An old man, but one with the physique of a far younger one, his neck has been cleanly broken. His robes are plain, practical, and a broken spear – split right in half – lies not too far away. Grimacing, you bow your head to the corpse and move on. You don't have the time to offer anything other than a token gesture of respect.

There are other bodies, all in the same sad state, littering the pathway to Kala's temple. It's all too easy to imagine the Ascetic marching up this road, destroying anyone who tried to stop him – or even just anyone who got in his way. These, you guess, were once the warrior-priests of Kala. Old men now, one and all, but still butchered.

When you finally reach the temple entrance – carved into the rock of the mountain itself – you pause a moment to study it. The doors are vast, their height and width both come out to almost double your size, and crafted from what seems to be solid brass. The sheer amount of effort it would take to drag them up this far causes you to shudder, wondering at the terrible devotion that would create such a place.

Flanking the ajar doors are a pair of sentries -both dead and left to rot. These ones are upright, gruesomely propped up by the spears rammed under their jaws. Sentries in life, they continue to guard the door even in death.

Cursing the Ascetic, you make your way into the temple.

[1/2]

File: Kala.jpg (281 KB, 1920x1080)

281 KB JPG

>>47507106

Pressing on through the gloom, you descend a set of wide stairs and emerge in a wide hall. That such a place was hidden within the mountain strains your mind and challenges belief, but your eye does not fool you. Again, the effort required to create this place sends a cold shiver of fear down your spine.

The hall is lit by flaming torches at each corner, and filled with a motley assembly of statues. Every one of those idols is a warrior, engaged in a perfectly static vision of combat. Stone blades pierce carved chests, and a number of limbs – thankfully just as artificial as the rest of the statues – are littered underfoot.

The centre of the hall is devoted to a pool of old, stagnant water, and the ramshackle pile of treasure cast into it. Not treasure, you realise, but weapons – old weapons, stripped from warriors and thrown into the devotional pool. Sitting atop that crude throne is the form of a woman, clad only in a shimmering layer of unnatural blood. When she stands to greet you, the shadow she casts is not that of a human – it coils like a giant, blasphemous worm.

No... a serpent. A great and terrible serpent.

[2/3]

>>47507315

“Greetings, warrior!” Kala, the bloodstained god, announces, “Welcome to my sanctum!”

With your eye fixed on her face – never wavering lower for a moment – you give her a formal bow. The gesture causes her to laugh aloud, scorn radiating from her like heat from the blazing sun.

“No need to be so polite,” she scolds you, “You've already won my favour, warrior. That little trick down there, in the village? Masterful, splendid work – you cannot guess how boring those fools were, playing around with drops of blood and expecting that to please me. You, though...” A sensual chuckle escapes her. “Well, you've impressed me – so, let's talk. I think we have a lot to offer one another...”

>Show me your true face. Then we can talk
>What's it going to take for you to leave this land alone?
>Emperor Tatsuhiro came here, didn't he? What did you have to offer him?
>I'm not here to talk – I'm here to kill you
>I came to ask you something... (Write in)
>Other

>>47507329
>Emperor Tatsuhiro came here, didn't he? What did you have to offer him?
>What's it going to take for you to leave this land alone?
Probably nothing, but we have to ask.

>>47507329
>Emperor Tatsuhiro came here, didn't he? What did you have to offer him?
>I came to ask you something... (Write in)
"Did you give any power to Ascetic or did he take any from you?"

I feel like the first two questions are mistakes. There's no need for the first and I don't want to roll for SAN loss and as long there is war in Tenngaru she'll always be around, so the 2nd question is moot.

>>47507386
I'll second this.

>>47507329
>>Other
"Well you seem to be doing alright. From the scene outside I thought Ascetic might have stolen power from you with some sorcerer bullshit. Did you make a deal with him? If he gets his way Tenngaru would have more war so it would be a win for you I'd imagine."

You're not sure what kind of gifts she could offer you – or if you'd want any of her blessings. Emperor Tatsuhiro came to this island, you begin, didn't he? He came here to speak with her, to... learn from her. What, then, did she have to offer him?

“Power,” Kala replies with a shrug, peering at the razor-sharp nails crowning her fingers, “What else? I gave him the strength to lead armies, to bend men to his will. Isn't it a famous story among your kind that when he showed up at the gates to the capital, the soldiers laid down their arms and swore themselves to him? You didn't think that was anything to do with HIM, was it? I simply gave him... presence. Animals know a predator when they see one – why should men be any different?”

But she asked for something in return, you retort, didn't she?

“Nothing much,” this time, Kala yawns, “I told that he'd need an army – a great mass of soldiers and weapons, ready to kill at the first order. Isn't it good to see that he was obedient? Him and his entire line, they all love their toys so much... ah, they're too good to me.”

Then, the reason that Tenngaru has such a vast army...

“My doing, yes,” the bloodstained god leers at you, a savage grin revealing pointed teeth, “I don't need worshippers, I need soldiers – and you people are all too happy to oblige me.”

Gritting your teeth, you take your hand away from your sword – you hadn't even noticed that you were reaching for the weapon. What about the Ascetic, you ask in a tense voice, did she have anything to offer him? Or maybe he wasn't the type to make a deal – maybe he just took her power. At your suggestion – the idea that a mortal man might have beaten her – a flash of anger surfaces on Kala's face. Then, in an instant, it's gone again.

“We have an arrangement,” she purrs, “I LET him take some of my power. He wishes for war, and so do I – isn't that what you'd call “harmonious cooperation”, hmm?”

[1/2]

>>47507574

An arrangement, you repeat, from the scene outside you'd figured it to be something far less mutual. Weren't those her priests he slaughtered?

“Well, yes,” Kala admits, “But they were getting old. Boring. He really knows how to impress a lady, you know. It's an odd partnership, I won't lie about that – a god, and one who scorns the gods – but it's really very beneficial. He told me of his master's visions. The Seer saw a future of nothing but war, and now he seeks war to prevent that. I win either way. Even if he got his way, do you really think that mankind – scattered and divided – would find peace? No, it would be anarchy, the constant war that he sought to prevent.” As her eyes flutter shut, Kala shivers with pleasure. “Quite the wonderful thought,” she offers, opening one eye to gaze upon you, “Don't you think?”

And what would it take, you ask through gritted teeth, to get her to leave the land alone? Would she ever even agree to something like that?

“Never ever,” she taunts, “I like you people far too much to just leave! No, I think I'll stay... unless you had something to say about that?”

You could kill her, you grunt, and she'd be back within a few years.

“Correct,” Kala winks at you, “So, I have an offer to make you. A little deal, I suppose you could say. Hear me out – I'll give you power, a little gift to make plenty of corpses in my name.”

And what, you ask, does she want in return?

“Just... go,” she smiles coldly, “Leave this island and never return. Tell your masters that you failed, or that you couldn't find me. Tell them whatever you like, but let me watch the coming war in peace. A fair trade, wouldn't you say?”

>...A fair trade, yes. I agree to your terms
>Never. I'll kill you, no matter how quickly you come back
>I'm leaving, but I don't want anything from you
>Other

>>47507716
>Other

Get her to take back her power from the Ascetic if she can? That's the only thing I can think of. Otherwise

>I'm leaving, but I don't want anything from you

Because we promised no deals.

>>47507716
>I'm leaving, but I don't want anything from you
I know we're badass, but this is a war deity and we were almost killed by a schmuck with a knife not long ago.

>>47507716
>>I'm leaving, but I don't want anything from you
Not taking anything from her.

>>47507716
>I'm leaving, but I don't want anything from you
>Other
"Did you know that gods have a kind of duality to them? Titanos can go from a watchful protector to a raging beast if he get's different sacrifices or his worshipers change how they worship for example. I have to wonder, if Tenngaru's blood sacrifices you dried up, would you go to sleep or would you change to something else? Something better? I'm honestly curious. Maybe you are too. Once I hopefully stop the conflict on the mainland and bring some measure of peace to Tenngaru maybe I'll come back and we can talk about that more.

Until then, enjoy the show."

>>47507716
>Never. I'll kill you, no matter how quickly you come back

>>47507716
If I let you live, he'll come back and he'll take everything out of you. You'll struggle, for sure, but it'll only make him enjoy it more.
You're already dead, you gave him that bit of power, the likes of him wants it all and will do whatever it takes to have it. You let him take because you knew you couldn't beat him.

>>47507829
What? We aren't going to let that happen. Killing Ascetic is out next goal. He won't have a chance to come back.

And for all we know she could have beaten him easy.

>>47507829
???

No real point in trying to intimidate her famalam.

>>47507816
>>47507716
This. I admit I'm curious too.

>The next post might take a little longer than normal, I had to run a small errand. It shouldn't be too late, however.

Maybe it's possible for a man to pass judgement over Tenngaru's god of war, to deliver a sentence of death and to take on the role of executioner. Even so, Kala would simply rise again within a few short years, no doubt nursing a grudge. A young man could spend his entire life trying to put her down for good, and he'd only end his days as a failure.

You're not a young man – you're old, and you're tired. You've lost an eye, you've taken a knife in the guts. Over your life, you've been shot, stabbed and beaten – and you know when you've come to know a futile cause when you see one.

You're leaving, you tell Kala flatly, but you won't accept any gift from her.

“What?” Kala gasps, “You're just turning your back on me? Just walking out of here?”

Unless she's about to strip away the power she gave the Ascetic, you reply with a shrug, that's the only thing you'd let her do for you.

“But I...” Kala begins, stopping herself from saying anything else. Fury boils up in her eyes instead, and that inhuman shadow begins to lash ferociously, fuelled by the black rage that she does not allow her human form to show. Turning away, you start the slow walk out of her temple. Then, as a passing thought strikes, you pause and return your eye to her cruel face.

You're curious, you begin, how much does she know about the gods? Because they wear different faces, just as she has changed her guise over her long life. They can be cruel tyrants, or noble protectors. Without war, without her constant flow of blood sacrifice, which one of those would she become?

[1/?]

>>47508217

“Don't lecture me,” she hisses, “You foolish-”

Isn't she curious, you ask, has she ever wondered? Maybe you'll get the chance to find out, once you've brought peace back to the mainland – perhaps you'll come and speak with her again, and see how she feels. Kala listens to your words in silence, glaring at you with hard eyes. When you accept that silence as her answer, you turn to leave.

Until you return, you tell her flatly, enjoy the show.

“You... don't come back here!” Kala shrieks as you turn to walk out, “We had a deal, you bastard! You won't set foot on this island again, you hear me! We had a deal!”

You never agreed to that, you call back without turning around, you never agreed to anything. Leaving her there, standing upon that pile of rusting, discarded weapons, you let her shout herself hoarse.

-

Outside, as you're walking back down the mountain path, the sunlight feels very hot. As you pass the bodies of Kala's priests, you wonder about her. Who will worship her now, you wonder, the survivors from the village? Perhaps that's always been her way – the invaders take on the mantle of her guardians, only to fall to the next wave of invaders. A constant cycle of death, granting her more power than their prayers ever could.

Later, you realise that she'll have a hard time picking new faithful from the village – if there are any survivors, they have scattered like the gulls Marlo had been shooting at. Fresh bodies, crawling with flies, are piled up amidst fallen weapons and spent bullet casings. All too aware of your role in the slaughter, you press on through the village and into the forest. The trees seem to close in around you, hiding the world from sight.

You welcome their embrace.

File: 1444188417763.png (205 KB, 516x439)

205 KB PNG

>The god of war is tsun for Ira

>>47508327
CHARISMA BREAK!

File: Captain Murasa.jpg (44 KB, 700x760)

44 KB JPG

>>47508327

“Man...” Marlo says when you return to him, his face growing pale. “You look... man...”

Don't talk, you warn him, you're not feeling very talkative right now. Is he ready to leave?

“Nothing keeping me here, man,” he whispers, barely daring to give voice to those words, “You got a boat?”

Nodding, you wave a hand back to where your little row boat is beached. At least this time you'll have someone else to do some of the rowing, some of the hard work. Turning away, you set off towards the boat, only briefly glancing over your shoulder to make sure that Marlo is following you. He leaves his rifle behind, stuck barrel down in the sand. When you see that, you give him a questioning look.

“No bullets,” he tells you with a shrug, “Just dead weight now, man.”

-

When you return to the Hijiri, Murasa is there to help you aboard. She gives Marlo a strange look, but he wastes no time in making himself at home on the ship. With his ragged looks, he fits right in with some of the motley crew. As he wanders away, Murasa takes you aside.

“Ira,” she says, “What happened out there?”

>I don't want to talk about it
>We've got everything we're going to find here. Leave it at that
>I made the best of a bad situation
>Other

>>47508434
>I made the best of a bad situation
We honestly did. Wasn't pretty, but I don't think those guys could be reasoned with.
>We've got everything we're going to find here.

>>47508434
>>We've got everything we're going to find here. Leave it at that
Man, I love Ira. I think I like him more than Season one Amelia.

>>47508467
Ira's a bit more developed. They both had great moments though.

>>47508434
>We've got everything we're going to find here. Leave it at that

>>47508434
>We've got everything we're going to find here. Leave it at that
I guess we are going straight to the Capital then?

>>47508434
>I made a goddess spill mad spaghetti.

You look at Murasa for a long time, long enough for her to shift uncomfortably in place, before you look out to Black Rock. You made the best of a bad situation, you tell her quietly.

“Bad situation?” Murasa moves a little closer and touches your shoulder, as if trying to gently wake a sleepwalker, “You don't look wounded, but...”

You've got everything you're going to find here, you interrupt her, leave it at that. Murasa frowns at your answer, but then simply nods and heads back to the wheel of her ship. You barely notice as she starts shouting out orders to the crew.

In the back of your mind, you know that your words were true – it was a terrible situation, a game that had been rigged from the start, but you made it out alive. Alive, and with your principles intact. You were warned against making a deal with Kala, and you kept to that word. Whatever happens next, whatever future you're heading towards, she'll have no hold over you. That, above all else, is the greatest outcome you could have hoped for.

Murasa returns a while later, dragging you out of your grim thoughts by waving a jug of wine in front of you. That, finally, brings a weary smile to your face. As she hands you a cup and fills it, you murmur something close to an apology to her.

“Nothing to apologise for,” she tells you with a shrug, “We all have bad days, right?”

It was a bad day for everyone, you reply, even Kala looked pretty pissed off by the end of things. You might have made an enemy there, you admit, or something less straightforward than a simple enemy.

“Ah, let her get mad,” Murasa laughs as she raises her cup in a toast, “To making enemies!”

To making enemies, you echo as you tap your cup against hers.

[1/2]

>>47508750

After returning to your quarters for a few hours of sleep, a knock on your door – you're getting pretty sick of those – disturbs you. Heading up on deck, you take a moment to look out at the ocean surrounding you. Not so far away – relatively speaking – you can see Tenngaru's mainland. Garuna, you realise as you see Selene's temple – a sliver of white stone – rising up from the city around it.

The Hijiri is dead still, waiting for Murasa to set her moving once again.

“Ira!” Murasa calls, from her place behind the wheel, “I've got... news.”

News, you repeat once you've made it to her side, bad news?

“Maybe,” she frowns, “When we got close to Garuna, a bird reached us. Fresh orders.” Still scowling, she hands a slip of parchment over to you. “Listen, Ira, I don't like it much, but orders are orders. I start doing my own thing, and I end up in a cell.”

As she talks, you read the small, carefully printed words. “Return to the capital as soon as possible,” the notes reads, “Bring your passenger.”

That, you assume, means you.

“It's got to be important,” Murasa explains, “I mean, Ra doesn't give me that kind of order often. Look... I've got to bring you in. Still, we're close enough that you might be able to row to the mainland from here. Might be, you could “escape” and I couldn't stop you, see?”

>Thanks Murasa. I wanted to get off at Garuna
>No, I wanted to go to the capital anyway. I'll follow orders
>Other

>>47508848
>>No, I wanted to go to the capital anyway. I'll follow orders

>>47508848
>>No, I wanted to go to the capital anyway. I'll follow orders
"Want to show me fast the Hijiri is?"

>>47508848
>>No, I wanted to go to the capital anyway. I'll follow orders

>>47508848
>No, I wanted to go to the capital anyway. I'll follow orders

By the way, people. We've just killed a bunch of people who could have easily defect if they saw what Marlo did. I understand anons thought it would be cool, but how does it reflect on Ira's character?

>>47508916
The problem is there is no longer a way to do that, and they've likely gone feral. Ira is a good guy, but he's not a saint nor is he a paladin.

>>47508916
They were kind of having bloodsports with each other and we couldn't show them what Marlo did. You have to weigh your options. I didn't feel that going up to them and talking was work the risk judging from what I saw.

>>47508985
>work
worth*

>>47508848
>>No, I wanted to go to the capital anyway. I'll follow orders
What a better place to start our guardianship of the emperor

Looking down, you reread the brief note before returning your gaze to Murasa. She's worried, but she hides it well. There's no need for that, you assure her, you wanted to go to the capital anyway. This time, you'll follow your orders.

“Saves me a whole lot of trouble,” Murasa admits with a laugh, “And hey, I don't need to get a new boat this way!”

Happy to help, you tell her with a shrug. Now, you add in an attempt to move the conversation along, how about she shows you how fast the Hijiri can go?

“Oh, she's fast,” the captain promises, stroking an affectionate hand across the ship's wheel, “The weather's good, the waters are clear, and I'm in the mood to show off – I sure hope you don't get seasick, good friend, because I'm not gonna go easy on you!”

Giving her a tight attempt at a smile, you tighten your grip on the ship's railings. The sooner you get to the capital – to the Emperor's side – the better. With the Ascetic watching, waiting for his time to strike, you can't afford to let your guard down.

Not for a minute.

>I think that's a fair place to end for today. Next thread on Tuesday, and I'll stick around for a while in case anyone has any questions!

>>47509105
Thanks for running!

>>47509105
Thanks for running.

Was that like the first time anyone has ever kind of blown off Kala?

Is she giving that duality idea any thought?

How in control of their minds are Ascetic's 20 good men?

>>47509105
How butt hurt is Kala?

>>47509202
>>47509190

She's pretty mad at Ira - it's not often that someone gives her a good scolding like that! However, it's not the first time someone has refused her offer of power. Holm's ancestor turned her down, but he did it in a less impressive manner.
He just fled, running away at the offer.

Kala, however, is considering Ira's words. It's a pretty complicated situation, however, in her eyes.
Essentially, it would be very difficult for her to become a more "noble" god. As long as men like the Ascetic or Takino exist, she'll always be dragged back to the dark side. She's all too aware of this, and it bothers her.

The Ascetic's pet monsters are berserkers - outside of combat, they act as though they're drugged, slow and easily ordered around. In combat, however, they snap back to full power. Overall, they don't have much in the way of free will.

>>47509294
How long would it take a bird to reach Murasa? About how much of a lead does the Ascetic have on us.

>>47509379
Considering he had already left before we even encountered the ghost ship, I'd say around 2ish days

>>47509412
>>47509379
He did say he was going to play this patiently so that gives some time.

>>47509379
>>47509412

The Ascetic is a couple of days ahead of us, yes. That said, we've got one advantage over him. We're aware of him, but he doesn't know that Ira is on the case yet. As such, he's not going to make any hasty moves. He'll be taking his own sweet time to make a move.

As for the bird, I couldn't give you a precise answer for that. The Hijiri wasn't stopped for very long, however, so we've not lost much time at all.

>>47509294
Would Ascetic still retain Kala's boon even if we Song of Discord him?

>>47509467

That's getting into kinda sensitive territory, so I'll spoiler tag this bit:
Song of Discord would stop the Ascetic using any kind of magic, but he's already used his powers to perfect his body. Even with our abilities, he's going to have far greater strength and endurance than a regular human. However, using Song of Discord would force him into fighting like a regular human, so it's still a useful power.

>>47509513
That's actually kind of perfect.

Does his Berserkers get affect by Song or the dagger?

>>47509683

They'd die if we stabbed them with the dagger. That's a thing, right?
Song of Discord would cause them some problems. It wouldn't disable them completely, but it would confuse them. They'd be slow, and they might lash out at anyone close. Like, say, each other.

>>47509719
Is there a Fire spell that's a constant buff like As the mountain?

>>47509857

There is one, yes. Not a huge buff, but it last the entire of a combat.

>>47509929
How many of each spells are there? Also was Howa trained as a Rain even as Ira was trained as a lightning?

>>47509954

I started off with 5 of each elemental spell, with the thought to make more as we went. I didn't quite expect our divine spells to be that much more important, when I started prep for this!

Howa was trained in Water and Air which was Mist, I believe.

>>47509294
>Essentially, it would be very difficult for her to become a more "noble" god. As long as men like the Ascetic or Takino exist, she'll always be dragged back to the dark side. She's all too aware of this, and it bothers her.

So do you think it's a pipe dream? I mean Man is going to be Man, there will always be conflict and some bad eggs.

Then again Tenngaru is just one country, size and population wise. There have been peaceful golden ages in Earth's history for some countries.

>>47510036
Has Ira caught up to how he was before he lost all his powers?

>>47510198

I think it's possible, and although the immediate future could be rough, now might be the best time for it. If there's been one good side to the conflict building in Tenngaru, it's that a lot of problems that have been growing beneath the surface will have to be dealt with. If a temporary peace can be achieved, the land will be in a good position to move to a more permanent kind as well.

So, I'd say it isn't a pipe dream, but it'll take a lot of work. Fortunately, we've made a good start on that!

>>47510268

He had far fewer divine spells, in his youth, but more of the regular, elemental kind of magic. So, I'd say he's probably more powerful than he used to be, in a more versatile way.

>>47510307
Are the people at Dumas freaking out about Nodens right now?

>>47510487

I'd say that's an accurate summary of things. At least nothing is trying to kill anyone who goes near it, so things haven't reached full-blown "incident" status. Still, you don't just look at a city risen from the ocean and shrug it off - it takes some time to get used to that!

>>47510307
How's Howa, Koa, Aya, Tawm and Soma coping?

>>47510535

Koa and Aya are both very busy getting things ready to start printing newspapers. It doesn't give them much personal time, but they're getting friendly. The paper isn't quite ready to roll, though - they're making up a few books to practice with the new equipment.
Howa is fretting, as she is prone to do, but in a typically restrained way. She's aware that dwelling on her worries won't help, so she's concentrating on her work. Bullying Sanae, mostly!
Tawn, I feel, is faced with a choice. He's about ready to head back to the capital, but he's starting to feel at home at the Nameless Temple. He might end up staying a while longer as he thinks about his future.
Soma is remaining calm, and that's probably the best thing I can say about her. Until she gets more news from the south, I don't think she'll be very happy about life.

>>47510669
We should probably have a bird fly to Nameless Temple with a status update. Can a bird make it that far?

>>47510669
What about the kid we saved from the mines who's name I cannot remember? Has the whole duel disappointment thing happened with Aya and Koa yet? How's Sanae holding up?

Mentor's outlook on all this?

How's everyone in the capital?

>>47510669
Could Ira potentially make an elemental spell that has the properties of Song of Discord or Veragi's dagger? So that it can be taught to other Wanderers, anti-sorcery techniques should probably be standard issue among them.

I suppose the alternative is to make it mandatory new Wanderers to make a pilgrimage out to Murmur and help him write a few books in return for his boon.

>>47510703

For long distances, birds tend to make hops between outpost towns. That way, the messages they carry can travel as far as they need to. So, we could send an update back easily enough, yes.

>>47510758

Milo, I believe his name is. He mainly keeps his head down and does busywork in the archives. As such, the worst of the trouble and strife passes him by - exactly the way he likes it!
So, Koa might have exaggerated his performance in the duel a little bit, just to make it all sound a little more heroic. Hey, he's young and foolish, especially when a cute girl is involved.
Sanae, well, she's surviving. She has plenty of books to read while she pretends to work. What more could she ask for?
The Mentor is, all things considered, pretty positive about the situation. In his eyes, the worst has passed and things in Tenngaru are starting to get better. The fact that the problems in the Nameless Temple have settled down in a big help.
The mood in the capital is also improving. Life there is about back to normal, and folks are starting to feel safe again. The palace is a little less calm, but we'll get to that next thread!

>>47510772

It would be possible, given time and study, to create an elemental spell that has aspects of Murmur's magic. It might not be quite as potent - a sharp burst that cancels out a spell, rather than a constant field that stops all of them, say - but it would be useful nonetheless. Of course, sending new Wanderer's out to Voile remains an option as well.

>>47510880
Has Mentor's life been magically prolonged due to sorcery? Is he immortal in the aging sense?

>>47511129

In terms of aging, yes, he's immortal. He's chosen to lock his physical age as that of an old man, both for humility and because of the authority he feels it gives him.
As a reclusive figure, his unchanging age doesn't attract too much attention from the outside world. Within the Nameless Temple, however, there are a lot of rumours. Generally, Wanderers and apprentices consider it safer not to ask for the truth.

>>47511201
How Many other gods have anti-sorcery spells, items or abilities?

>>47511201
Did Seer do the same for the same reasons?

>>47511321

He did, yes, and it was for the same reasons. In many ways, they're both very similar - they set themselves up as teachers, modelling themselves after their own idea of the ideal authority figure.

>>47511314

There may be others out there, but any information on them has been lost to time.
I only wrote up details for Murmur and the Veragi dagger.

>>47511380
Could either move around and fight freely if need be?

>>47511604

They might look old, but they're pretty fit in terms of physical ability. Not on Ira's level, not even close, but they'd put men much younger than their apparent age to shame.
Plus, they both have sorcery, even if they avoid freely using it. In either case, they both have enough tricks hidden away to surprise any attacker who get a little too cocky.

>>47508916
I wouldn't have gone for inciting a riot, but ultimately getting a good first impression with Kala using minimal fuss was to our benefit.

Killing them all to a man would not exactly be preferred, after all. Nor ordering them to kill each other with Lapis.

>>47514090
I've noticed Anons have trended a lot more towards being a murder hobo the last few threads.

Hopefully not going to be a thing once we're done with the Ascetic.

>>47514221
I wouldn't say that. Sneaking into the treasury was pretty dope.

>>47514221
>towards being a murder hobo
How...?
Who have we killed recently that's bothering you? Those men? The ones that were going to shoot us on sight and slaughtered the island's denizens? The ones if they had a chance to get back to the mainland they'd probably kill a bunch of people? You can't solve everything by talking anon. We solve things a lot with that, but sometimes we have to fight.

In this case we spared ourselves from injury by getting them to fight each other.