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>>48356962
Flitter tugs your ear. "Jack," she murmurs. "Something's wrong."

You back away from the door you were about to open, in the Inner Ring. "What?" you ask, pulling the drawstrings of the Six Demon Bag free.

"There's souls, but they're, they're weird. Flickery, hazy. Like they were made badly, or made wrong. I can see 'em through the walls, in a mass..."

Badly made souls? That sounds like -

The Thirdborn. The Librarian's geargrinders.

"Where?" you demand.

"Coming in from the Cornucopia and ascending the Roost," Flitter answers quickly.

"They're going after the Atheneum and the rest of the artifacts here. Gods /damn/ it!"

> Go to the Roost; they won't know how to fight these things
> Sound the alarm. The Warehouse must be warned

So when is flitter going to find that size growth potion?

And now I must go be Gainfully Employed. See ya'll at midnight or so; votes remain open.

Questions, comments, discussion, feedback, and criticisms remain welcome and appreciated.

Thank you all for reading and participating!

>>48357030

> Sound the alarm. The Warehouse must be warned
People on the Roost can take care of themselfs. The Warehouse were there is a huge ton of artifacts needs to be alerted!

>>48357030
>> Sound the alarm. The Warehouse must be warned

>>48357059

This
>>48357035

>>48357030
> Sound the alarm. The Warehouse must be warned
Alert! Alert! Intruders in the base!

>>48357030
The roost murders shit every day, they can deal.

> Sound the alarm. The Warehouse must be warned

>>48357030
>Sound the alarm. The Warehouse must be warned.

I hope the Roost can deal.

>>48357030
>geargrinders
>Thirdborn

...the Librarian has robots?

>>48357149
Soulbots, like discount human angels?

A there is a saying that would be ideal for the Roost deneziens.

>If something attacks you shank it!
>if it bleeds keep shaking until stops bleeding!!
>if it isn't bleeding shank it until it stops moving!!
>if nothing works THEN you run.

>>48357196
Voting this into existence.

>>48357030
>Go to the Roost; they won't know how to fight these things
That's probably our best shot at stopping these things cold, along with saving more lives. If possible, let someone know while we're running that way and let THEM sound the alarms here.

>>48357030
Do we have an Athenium book? We're gonna need to fortify that floor, also.

>>48357030
>>> Sound the alarm. The Warehouse must be warned

>>48357030
>> Go to the Roost; they won't know how to fight these things
>> Sound the alarm. The Warehouse must be warned
We cant do both? if so:
> Go to the Roost; they won't know how to fight these things
the most important stuff from Warehouse has most likely allready been moved before it fell.

>>48357149
He's most likely a artificier or a golemancer

>>48357267
There is the Mine between the Roost and there, but the Mine is pretty porous and not really recovered from the Baron.

>>48357149
Of a sort. They were introduced in the side shot on /qst/; geargrinders are sapient machines that use clockwork to sustain their animating enchantments. The technology is not mature or remotely standardized.

>>48357418
Why are the options mutually exclusive? What is stopping us from shouting Raise the alarm while we rush to the roost?

>>48357418
In other words steam golens.

>>48357379
OR, alternatively, the librarian is a giant clockwork supercomputer, who is called the librarian because of how much information is stored in hi.

>>48357500
Only the fact, that, the keepers are mad at us.

>>48357500
Presumably the alarm system is in the opposite direction of the stairs.

>>48357547
Are they going to be mad that we warn them of hostiles on the march? Again? Really

>>48357500
There's multiple alarms that need triggering, as you may recall. Spending time to do the one thing means not having that time to certify the other.

>>48357521

Your idea is better. The librarian is actualy a super A.I. that hates the whole world...uh this sounds familar for some reason.

>>48357518
You'll find the thread here, if you care to peel through it: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/73746/

Six hours and change to call; still fielding questions and comments.

Slow day.

>>48358951
We can't send Flitter to do one thing while we do the other?

>>48360981
Could. She'd need to be going to the Roost; she's a bit small for the alarm.

>>48356962
Hey Vox, if we promised not to metagame, could you tell us what exactly is locked in The Center Itself?

>>48361037
Then

> Send Flitter to inform the Roost

Let's save lives, people.

>>48362028
Didn't he already tell us it's the remains of that one angel who got reanimated?

>>48357030
> Go to the Roost; they won't know how to fight these things

>>48362464
Spoilers you faggoy.

>>48362464
I don't remember him saying that.

>>48362353
If this is doable we should do it

>>48362862
It's not exactly spoilers, but it was suggested when we were acting as Jack in the Warehouse while Lora fought the Fae Prince. One of the Keepers heard 'angel' and thought, 'Oh Gods have mercy, its loose!'.

Fuck, even the Lich of the Warehouse was terrified of it being released.

>>48357030
Eh, they're still reeling from the epic battle between Archangel and Seraphim, the folks of the Warehouse are used to dealing with strange and dangerous things. The Harpies? Not so much.
>Go to the Roost; they won't know how to fight these things.

>>48357521
>>48357599
Well, fuck me sideways. It's a fantasy Skynet, or HAL.

>>48363799
is that a real question or are you being contrary?

>>48363836

It's a real question

I don't use this board often and I came over here and saw the quest thing and I saw all the quest threads

I asked in every thread but only you have responded

thanks

>>48363849
well /qst/ is a shithole and a lot of long running qm's to not want to run their quests there, because of that many have chosen to keep running their quests on /tg/ until the mods decide that they MUST run on /qst/. However the more likely scenario is /qst/ will just be closed as a failed project.

>>48363903

But i don't like quests on /tg/ because /tg/ gets encrusted with them and there's too many

>>48363941
sometimes in life we have to put up with things that we do not like, now please stop posting this is derailing the thread.

>>48363941
it used to be the case, but /qst/ really does weed out the bad quests outta /tg/. Now the quests that remain on /tg/ are the ones with quality in them.
Not to say that /qst/ quests can't be good - I've seen some good ones, but the majority of shitquests went there.

Now please, let us return to our collaborative story and begone. Nobody feed that troll more than this.

On my way home. Just gotta do dishes and find food. Thank you for your patience.

>>48363849
The short answer is "it started before /qst/ was a thing, and the QM didn't feel like transferring boards"

>>48364034
sorry, I thought there was a chance he just did not know and was not actually attempting to troll.

>>48357030
>Sound the alarm. The Warehouse must be warned.

>>48364061
Vox, do you deny the allegations that The Librarian is actually magical clockwork Skynet?

>>48364087
The Librarian is a believer in the idea that the body is a cheap and disposable container for the soul.

>>48364196
Is the librarian looking for a sidekick

>>48364196
So he's either skynet, or a cyborg. Bueno.

Gentlemen, we're gonna hack the Librarian

>>48363849
Because the posters suffer from the home board mentality. It means that they think "I use this board the most and like it and its posters a lot therefore I should be able to post about any topic here" and refuse to recognise the rules. They also decided t that qst was made because of a vocal minority and that the nigga are idiots, so they went to qst en masse to shitpost in an attempt to kill it before it becomes permanent.

>>48364791
They failed and now sit here and get angry if you mention that the board exists. They think that being given their own place with added functionality is a punishment for some reason plus they don't get that one you've opened a thread from the page or catalog it doesn't matter where the hell it's posted.

One day, Comcast will suffer for all it has done to me.

Called, writing.

>>48365442
>One day, Comcast will suffer for all it has done to me.
but not this day?

>>48365653
He's a lich; he can afford to wait a few decades before unleashing his terrible wrath on them, and all their ilk. So they are safe..for now.

>>48364791
>refuse to recognise the rules
And which rules are these?

http://www.4chan.org/rules#tg
>1. Board games, paper games, war games, card games, etc. go here!

http://www.4chan.org/rules#qst
>1. This board is for author-driven collaborative storytelling (i.e. "quests"). All threads posted here should be part of a new or ongoing quest.
>2. The author controls the story of the quest. They can take suggestions from other posters, or not, at their sole discretion. If things don't go your way don't complain!
>3. All threads on this board should be created by the associated quest author. Please refrain from making meta-threads.
>4. Erotic roleplay is not permitted. Frequent explicit descriptions of sexual encounters by a quest author may result in mod intervention.

Those are the rules. Does it say anywhere that quests are not allowed in /tg/? Check. Now let's get that alarm system going, the Roost guys should be fine.

Never fucking mind, can't keep fighting with Comcast tonight. Votes are reopened, with my apologies. I'ma go to bed and hope this gets better.

>>48366802
It's hardly your fault that Comcast is a colossal bag of dicks. Just get some proper shut eye and try again later, /tg/ isn't going anywhere.

Bump before bed!

>>48364351
Oh anon. With Vox powerlevel the librarian can be only one thing..

"Hate...let me tell you how much i've come to hate you since i be can to live."

>>48364196
Does the librarian need money. I would give money to him if he managed to give me a robot body.

Oh fuk bummp

Maybe I should give a friendly bump as well

>>48368167
OH FUCK YES. I've never wanted anything before as much as I want this to be a thing.

I'm up. Let me get coffee.

>>48370884
Black as your undead nigger cock?

>>48371818
Anon, I'm so white I dance in formation and encourage others to do the same, and I take my coffee with so much cream that my day gets a Brazzer's logo.

Called, writing.

>>48371969
I was talking about Sir Fetch.

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>>48357030
"We can't let them get the rest of these," you decide. "Especially not if they're here for the thing I just thought of."

"Which is?" Flitter asks, as she starts to summon her witchflames and prepare for a fight.

"Smashing all the kegs, burning all the food, and destroying all of the supplies."

"...FUCK," your friend shouts, after a moment to think about it. She zips to keep up with you as you sprint for the alarm in the Inner Ring.

"Battle stations!" you yell. "This is not a drill! We're under attack!"

One of the Warehouse residents, with more wherewithal than the others, shouts "From where?"

"CORNUCOPIA ENTRANCE!" you and Flitter yell at the same time.

You hear the sounds of battle joining in the Roost; the screech of the harpies is distinctive, as is the rolling toll of quiet from Silence's bell. For better or worse, the battle there is joined.

"Most of the supplies are down below," Flitter reasons.

"They'll secure an entrance first," you tell her. "The Librarian is nothing if he's not methodical. Here, watch my back."

Flitter turns to face the hallway as you start to work the alarm, cranking it furiously. You've been on the other side for less than a month and you're already fighting for you life. Ain't this a bitch.

"Jaaaack," Flitter calls, worriedly. "How do I fight these?"

"Go for the eyes and gears," you tell her, turning from the alarm to see three of the looming geargrinders, their bodies clad in plate that's been bolted to their frames. The one in the lead has a personal crest - a descending sword - stamped into his (well, sort of), chest plate.

"Cobalt," you say, evenly.

"Jack," he returns, his mechanical voice muffled by his armor.

"I can't help but notice you're heading for the Center Ring," you tell him, your hand reaching for the open mouth of the Six Demon Bag.

"I can't help but notice that you're a lowly traitor and oath-breaker, every bit the unreliable coward that Father said you are."

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>>48372601
"HE. IS NOT. A COWARD!" Flitter screams. The witchflames orbiting her brighten before their light lashes out.

Cobalt's faster than she expected. The geargrinder throws his subordinate in the way and watches impassively, his wooden face expressionless, as Flitter's attack slags his steel and ignites the wood and gears beneath.

"At them," Cobalt orders, plainly. You're wondering who he's talking to, until two doors on the side of the Outer Ring burst open, admitting a flood of geargrinders.

"Flitter, if we live, kill me."

> Run towards the Center Ring and the Keepers
> Use the bag (Air/Earth/Wind/Fire/Storm/Metal)
> Grab Flitter and use a book to get to the Athenaem
> Surrender

>>48372668
>> Use the bag (Air/Earth/Wind/Fire/Storm/Metal)

Hmm, whichever works the best in this situation, probably fire or wind.

>>48372668
>> Run towards the Center Ring and the Keepers

That old lich better have his wits about him and zap these things with death rays.

>>48372668
>> Use the bag (Air/Earth/Wind/Fire/Storm/Metal)
>>Fire, slag them!
>> "A Coward would not be here!"

>>48372668
> Use the bag (Earth)
Seems like the best course of action is to clog the hall with rubble or a temporary wall, then rouse the floor. Buy time

>>48372668
>>> Use the bag (Air/Earth/Wind/Fire/Storm/Metal)
>>>Fire, slag them!
>>> "A Coward would not be here!"
Liking this

>>48372668
>Use the Bag and use Earth, we don't have to kill them(though it is encouraged) but we do need to slow them down. I say do this while Flitter and Jack haul ass to the Center Ring and the Keepers. Seeing as we got everyone up, if we slow them down and make a lot of noise while in the center we can maybe catch this Cobalt bastard with Metal. If necessary we keep Flitter close and use the Book to get out and then get backup for whatever the hell these guys are here for.

>>48372668
> Use the bag (Air/Earth/Wind/Fire/Storm/Metal)
>Earth
More precisely mud/ quagmire so we can make then slip

>>48372668
>>48373232
This has my vote.

>>48372668
> Use the bag (Air/Earth/Wind/Fire/Storm/Metal)
>Earth

>>48373989
Not if you don't add greentext it doesn't. Vox has some sort of autism.

That fucking feel when real life.

Called. I'm at work, gonna try to update from phone. Looks like a combination of "earth" and "run".

>>48375733
Could we create some kind of sand or something to mess with their gears and ability to move? We don't have to destroy them, just keep make it hard for them to hurt anyone.

>>48376215
No way man. I just want to kill some bad dudes for once, and here we have robots with malformed souls. Guilt free destruction.

Also, re: Being a coward, we should yell out

> He's right, I am a coward! A living one, who doesn't have to do terrible things finally, and can run and get help!

Because I think not being ashamed of being a coward will piss Mister Domo Arigato off even more.

>>48372668
You open the Six Demon Bag and bark a command in the tongue of demons: "|Earth|!"

The bag rumbles worryingly as the geargrinders advance. "Jack?" Flitter asks, worried.

"Wait for it," you say steadily.

"Jack!" the pixie yells, when she sees some of them raise crossbows. She lances out with light, slagging one, two.

"Save your energy," you order, hoping you're making the right call.

You know you did when you see Cobalt throw himself aside in a panic, yelling futilely for his men (well, sort of) to take cover.

A massive boulder disgorges from the Bag, and you grab Flitter and run rather than staying to watch. The terrified screaming and cracks of splintering wood and steel are more than enough proof.

"Where are we going?" Flitter yells.

> Reinforcements
> Seal the access to lower storage
> Seal the door to the Cornucopia so the Lush can't send aid.

>>48377625
>Reinforcements

>>48377625
>call for Reinforcements, then delegate whoever shows up first to seal the door to the Cornucopia with the reinforcements. If that takes long enough for the bots to almost make it through the blockade then blast them with Water from the demon bag. Then we proceed to run screaming down the halls toward lower storage to seal all access, and haul ass toward the Keepers as planned to tell them to guard artifacts from the gearheads. With that settled go see if we can break a few bots and try to catch Cobalt.

>>48377753
That's a bit much vote for one vote, anon.

Gonna call in roughly three hours when I get home.

>>48377625
>>call for Reinforcements, then delegate whoever shows up first to seal the door to the Cornucopia with the reinforcements.

Would this fit?

>>48378211
Works for me.

>>48378236
> I'll back >>48378211

>>48377625
This then>>48378211

>>48378881
Greentext your votes

> Like this

It's not difficult.

>>48379255
Oh gee golly gosh sir, I'm sorry red arrows are harder to see than light green.

oh wait

Hour or so to call.

I have Professional Writing to do tomorrow on my day off. You are warned.

>>48379255
I generally haven't made a big deal about greentexting support votes; the post link makes it easy to pick out. This came up before if I recall correctly.

Home, will call and write Soon(tm). Votes are STILL OPEN at this time.

Called, writing.

>>48382358
...Vox?

>>48383509
Vox is kill?

>>48383509
>>48383578
Damnit, now we have to wait 2d4 days for him to reform.

>>48383603
..I wonder if he teaches his kid anatomy by having him put Vox's skeleton back together.
>The clavicle is connected to the scapula! The scapula is connected to the humerus!

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>>48377625
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD29aKGSS4w

"We're getting reinforcements. The folks in the Warehouse, they don't know how the Librarian thinks and moves," you tell Flitter. "Or the Lush, for that matter. We need this /contained/."

Flitter concentrates on summoning more witchlights. Her lasers exhaust them, but making the damn things is easy for her. It's part of her charm.

"What's the plan?" she asks.

"Block the door to the Cornucopia, seal the entrances to the lower storage, hold them off until the Warehouse can organize and crush them," you tell her.

"That plan lacks specifics!"

"THANK YOU FOR NOTICING!"

A crossbow bolt whizzes past you from behind and is answered by Flitter's turning blast. "Company!"

"No shit," you snap back.

"There's no need to be /rude/. Jerk."

"We're under attack!" you call out ahead of you, praying more scouts don't find you first.

You're in luck. The Keepers are already mustering for a counterassault. You grab the leader around her shoulders and point. "The Cornucopia door needs to be sealed or the Lush's men are going to flood into here," you tell her quickly. "Enemy's geargrinders, well-equipped, well-trained, methodical. They're moving through suites that connect the Rings."

"You and I are going to talk after this, Jack," the head Keeper says with narrowed eyes.

"Fine! Now /do it/. Where's that lich?"

"Guarding the Center Itself," she tells you, before taking her men to follow your orders.

Fuck. What to do what to do.

> Find the lich. You want backup
> Go hunting for Cobalt. He'll never expect it, and you can fight a crowd with the Bag
> Those entrances need sealing. You can hunt the geargrinders down later.
> Write-in?

>>48383509
>>48383578
Sorry about that. Now I am kill. See everyone in the morning or afternoon or whenever I'm un-kill.

>>48384305
>> Those entrances need sealing. You can hunt the geargrinders down later.

>>48384305
>> Those entrances need sealing. You can hunt the geargrinders down later.
Jack needs a weapon that lasts longer. We could be bleeding the geargrinders dry, but the Bag's got a set limit.

>>48384385
I forget does the bag run out permanently or not?

>>48384395
>>48372668
>(Air/Earth/Wind/Fire/Storm/Metal)
>elements that were previously used are now available
what do you think?

>>48384310
I'm curious; we know that there are a lot of dangerous or unstable artifacts kept contained in the Warehouse. Are there any that we could utilize against the other Chain-Holders, if Necrofowl Inc. can use (with the permission of the Keepers)? Like, for example, that cursed amulet that's harmless or even beneficial to Woundseekers. Or maybe a magical focus/amplifier for Amy's songs or screech.

>>48384305
>Those entrances need sealing. You can hunt the geargrinders down later.

>>48384395
>>48384427
They just have a cooldown timer. Probably a few hours in between uses, which is why Jack was so stingy with using it before; he'd rather not be caught in a fight /at all/.

What I'm curious about is whether someone with skills in elemental magic could work in tandem with Jack to amplify the effects of the bag, IE he uses Earth to summon a boulder the size of a minivan, but the elementalist can make the bag summon six huge boulders the size of dump trucks.

>>48384553
I doubt it. Rather, Jack can act as the "source", but more casters would allow more intricate control. Jack can instead focus on pure volume, which allows for elements that don't naturally occur in the environment to be used.

>>48384553
Well we have Amy's dad if we want to test that theory

>>48384565
This makes more sense than casters pulling more shit out the bag. Also.
>Those entrances need sealing, hunt Cobalt if we see him going anywhere else specific.

>>48384975
So, basically, another combo vote? Because I'm reasonably sure that the Librarian isn't after the undead Angel of Doom in the Center. I mean, how the fuck does anyone (barring Lora maybe, since she IS Death with a capital D) expect to control it?

I think it might actually be after some form of information or knowledge. Maybe its looking for a way to attain true life for its 'children', to fix the flaws in their design. Might make sense if the Librarian's goal (who may or may not be Skynet/HAL) was to do something only the Gods were supposed to be capable of.

>>48384305
>> Go hunting for Cobalt. He'll never expect it, and you can fight a crowd with the Bag

Forward assault; the keepers can play defense well enough but no fight was ever just won with just defense.

> Those entrances need sealing. You can hunt the geargrinders down later.

It should probably be a priority to keep the food/supply storage and the enemy as hard away from each other as possible.
We don't even know how many of these things have entered.

>>48384305
>> Those entrances need sealing. You can hunt the geargrinders down later.

>>48384305
>> Those entrances need sealing. You can hunt the geargrinders down later.

I'm up. Will call and write Soon. Need to go get my paycheck, prevent homelessness, and secure coffee. As warned earlier, there is Professional Writing to be done today.

>>48364918
>>48364791
>They also decided that qst was made because of a vocal minority
It was, by the admission of the very people who got it made who were not quest-people.

>They think that being given their own place with added functionality is a punishment for some reason
It was meant as a containment board to kill quests by lack of supporting audience. It failed at that too.

>>48384305
> Go hunting for Cobalt. He'll never expect it, and you can fight a crowd with the Bag

Fuck yeah. This way the keepers can be ready for the Lush's men and they'll be able to swarm the fuckers with random shit from the Warehouse.

Called, writing shortly.

Vox? You alive- I mean, undead out there?

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>>48384305
The entrances to lower storage. You dig your map out and hand it to Flitter. "We need to seal those doors!"

"On it!" Flitter calls back, as the two of you take off. She shouts directions, eyes flicking up from the map to the halls, wings buzzing overtime.

"If we don't make it -" you start.

"We will!"

"IF WE DO NOT, I am sorry! For everything!"

"Sweet fucking Mistlands Jack when we make it through this I'm going to tell you why that's stupid."

"I -"

"TURN LEFT APOLOGIZE LATER HOLY SHIT."

Hellfire, you try to give a girl your final apologies for breaking her heart and she just yells at you. The fuck even is your life?

The first door is fairly easy, as these things go. It's a metal hatch in the floor; Flitter welds it shut, and then the two of you throw a rug over it. That'll have to do for now; if anyone tries to break into it, you'll hear them.

You go running for the second and stop when you hear the distinctive whirring of clockwork.

> Try to sneak around
> Fight

>>48391619
>fight

>>48391619
>> Try to sneak around

>>48391619
>> Try to sneak around

>>48391619
Sneak, if they are near lets see if they are talking about anything, baring that lets seal some shit.

>>48391965
Fuck forgot to green it.
>Sneak, if they are near lets see if they are talking about anything, baring that lets seal some shit.

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>>48391619
> Sneak around to backstab a bitch.

That's technically fighting, right? I say we start throwing twigs.

>>48391619
see, now would be the time to keep the yelling match going on if we had other people to spring the ambush.
>Fight

>>48391619
So, do these niggers have exposed gears? If not, then lets pour mud into them.

>>48391619
>fight

Hit hard and fast, slag him (with a Demon if need be) and don't stop moving. We don't have spare time to tap dance here

As I warned you, I'm still wrapping up Professional Writing. Deadlines are a bitch.

Could do Q&A though.

>>48392585
You did already use up 'Earth'.

>>48394010
This time we'll be using "Water".

>>48394193
Would water do much to clockwork?

>>48395972
Cast Brine Spray and hope they got no stainless steel on them.

>>48395972
We'll use it to wash dirt into the clockwork.

I wonder, what would a Necromancy themed theme park look like?

>>48397975
Mr Bones' Wild Ride.

This is a pretty old meme.

>>48397975
It would probably be really spooky

>>48398098
>>48398119
But how about if Bri designed it?

>>48398234
you know that necromancy costs life, right?

there'd be a spooky daycare center to drop off the kids, and the rest of the theme park would be all smoke and mirrors, no necromancy.

The ghosts that play nice hang around the daycare center.

>>48398264
How about a themepark for Ghosts, then?

>>48398325
in the sunless lands, where they SHOULD be

>>48398374
What exactly is the Sunless Lands? Something like Hades is my inpression, but what does everyone else think? What defines the afterlife in DLQ, basically.

Called, writing. Narrow win for 'sneak'.

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>>48391619
You pull a door open, usher Flitter inside, and close it as much as you dare so that the sound of it latching doesn't give you away. You run through a door on the other side of the room, barrel through a pantry, and instinctively grab the geargrinder on the other side, whirling it into a wall and jamming a thick knife between its plates. You hear the screech of clashing gears, followed by snapping wood and metal.

"Sorry," you say with a wince. "I know that's gotta hurt but I can't finish the kill."

"I can -" Flitter starts.

"That will not be necessary," you and the geargrinder say at the same time. Man and machine share and understanding look before you take off running.

"Why are we always running during times like this?" Flitter asks.

"Because I tend to solve problems with my brain and my feet don't move as fast as I think."

"...Huh, that's cool."

The next door is just ahead. You've got this, you've got -

A mechanical hand fades into view, snatching Flitter and jamming her into a bottle. Another snatches at the Six Demon Bag, and you know you're not gonna be able to keep it.

"Has he been doing nothing but churn you fucks out?" you snarl.

"Yes," Cobalt answers, flatly.

You need to choose your weapon.

> Water
> Storm
> Air
> Fire
> Metal
> Destroy the bag

If we can't keep it neither should they
> Destroy the bag

Thank you for your patience during my deadline crunch and I'm sorry about the slow updates in general lately. Hopefully, things calm down soon at work and I can find my groove again.

Domo should have new lewds up soon, at the regular place. Please feel free to vote in Gallows Humor if you drop by!

Questions, comments, discussion, feedback, and criticisms remain welcome and appreciated.

Thank you all for reading and participating!

>>48399127
>> Water

>>48399127
>Water

>>48399127
>Water

Flitter is in a bottle and can't drown, this will also probably fuck them up.

Let's rock

What can come out the fastest here... we need a quick snap attack.

A blast of wind to get distance? That might play.

> Air

>>48399127
>Destroy the bag
Can we self-destruct it and dive for cover? Either way, they can't have my things, but if we can kill them for trying, better.

>>48399127
>> Water
The bag is the only thing making him viable best keep that shit

>>48399127
>Water
I was going to vote Air, because I was afraid of what might happen if Flitter's little glass prison shatter against a hard surface, but I'm not sure if a powerful wind would be enough to force Cobalt away.

Also, I have the sneaking suspicion that Richard (and by extension, the Librarian) wants Jack and Flitter alive.

>>48399127
>Storm
C'mon, lightning fries metallic golems like these and sets fire to their wooden parts!

>>48399127
>Water

Bump.

>>48399209
I'm curious, can Geargrinders use magic?

[spoilers] I'm also very interested in whether or not you'd be willing to continue the tale of Jack the Lesser and his now completely human and very cute best friend/love interest. [spoilers]

>>48401803
Well, fuck.
You get the idea.

I also wonder if the Librarian, if it /is/ in fact a sentient machine and not something born of any womb, can use magic either.

>>48401803
They've got intelligence and will, but many, even most, are built warded the way armor is, which makes it a bit of a bitch to try. On top of that, they're not great at sensing the things that help mortals and demons keep a handle on it, which can further complicate matters.

Will call and write after coffee.

Called, writing. Got called into work early so now I'm doin' a full eight-and-a-half; you've my apologies for the change in schedule.

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>>48399127
You thrust your hand into the mouth of the Six Demon Bag and let go of it with your other hand, calling out your order to it: "|Water!|"

Cobalt might've grabbed it, but you won't let him keep it for long. You sidestep instinctively, avoiding a second geargrinder's hatchet that fades out of invisibility where your head just was. Cobalt staggers back - he was expecting you to keep fighting for the Bag - while water gushes from its open mouth and wraps around your arms and hands, flows over your body, and freezes into a thick, yet somehow flexible shell.

"This is different," you remark, mildly, as you turn and crash a backhanded fist into the clockwork man behind you. The actual blow doesn't do much, until the ice juts spikes out that pierce its gears.

Ahead of you, Cobalt reaches into the bag and commands it: "|Metal|."

"Jack!" Flitter yells, her voice terrified. You raise a hand, firing thick icicles at her captor, and wince as you realize it's coming off of the mass of frozen water around you; you can run out, grow vulnerable. The geargrinder holding Flitter throws her before the ice pins him to the wall, and a hand across the passage catches your friend. "JACK!" she shrieks, beating against the glass while her wings buzz in a panic.

Cobalt crashes a pair of ice axes together, and their heads begin to glow with forge-fire. Stupid Bag.

Five of them, one of you, and Cobalt's armed with the Bag. Think fast.

> Focus on the Six Demon Bag
> Try to rescue Flitter
> Take out Cobalt

>>48403538
>Focus on the Six Demon Bag

Fff... we need a weapon. And the bag is (decreasingly) the only thing nearby of any value in that regard. Going after Flitter would be a distraction right now.

Jack, the bag cannot be the only thing you fight with, can it...?

> Focus on the Six Demon Bag

>>48403538
> You thrust your hand into the mouth of
Lewd

>>48403538
> Try to rescue Flitter
Yadda yada, not a coward, yadda yada, don't leave a friend ib trouble, yadda yada, save the fairy die a hero.

Aight folks, I gotta hit work. This'll be open until midnight or so; thank you for your patience.

>>48403538
>Try to rescue Flitter
There's no point to go for the bag. Cobalt's already used |Metal|, the worst |Fire|'s gonna do is melt our ice armor, and then all he'll have is |Storm|.

we have the time to rescue Flitter, then go on the offensive.

>>48403538
Fucking based water use.
>focus the bag, we need it to rescue Flitter. Maybe just shoot out the ice spikes like a porcupine, fuck up everything around him.

>>48405586
We've got a limited amount of water available. We can either wear it as armor and use it for close quarters, are expend that as ammunition.

>>48403538
>Pretend to take out Cobalt, but target the bag, either to steal it back or destroy it.
He watched an Archangel and a Fae Prince battle for his soul. Jack's done being a coward.

Also, if he destroys the bag mid-spell, would that release the elements contained within.

>>48403538
>Seconding
>>48406595

>>48406595
Lets get ballsy and shoot out the armor portion at the guy holding Flitter and take on Cobalt like a man. We kinda have to get the bag though.

>>48406595
No one's ever destroyed the Six Demon Bag, but Jack thinks an explosion of some kind is likely.

>>48403538
Also seconding >>48406595

Destroying the only weapon we can use seems like a pretty shitty idea honestly.

>>48403538
is the container locking Flitter just glass, or are reinforcements common?

>>48407748
It's likely just glass but that is not necessarily better. Glass shards have a hell of an edge.

>>48408422
okay, do flitter's magic beams posses enough....momentum....to blowback glass shards, but not enough to break the bottle herself?

>>48408452
They're lasers. It's glass. It'll melt before it goes anywhere.

>>48408520
right, I suppose there has to be a reason why bottles work so well on pixies.

Although I wonder if Flitter could refract a beam through the container and into cobalt, trusting Jack to catch her...

>>48403538
>Focus on the Six Demon Bag

Three hours and change to call.

I vote

>Do not destroy the bag

>>48410098
Waiting.

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>>48412938
...warmly until it is ready.

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>>48413165
aye

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>>48413184

>>48356962
Kill jester

>>48413165
>2 girls
>8 wine glasses.
Well *somebody* is going to have sloppy, drunken sex in the next few hours.
>inb4 touhou
yes i know they're chinese undead magic pixie dreamgirls who will blow your face off with unimaginable POWAH when they aren't looking like a cute girl doing a cute thing... but screw the canon, sloppy drunken lesbianisim HO!

>>48413484
>thinking the wine glasses are filled with wine

>>48413484
More specifically those two are vampires.

Home, called, writing. Running game tonight, though.

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>>48403538
Flitter's screaming but you can't let it distract you right now. You might both die if you go after her. You need the Bag to get out of this jam.

"Stay calm!" you call out. "Remember the plan!"

"Behind you!" the pixie calls. You turn and block a hatchet with the ice coating your arm and crash your armored fist into its wielder's blank wooden face. You turn, ducking a machete at head height, and rush Cobalt, who swings his picks to meet your charge.

It never comes. You /slide/, carried on a thin trail of water, between his legs. Cobalt pirouettes with inhuman grace, hooking one of his subordinates 'round the neck while you shout for storm from the bag.

It wasn't the results you wanted. The stroke of lightning hits the geargrinder full-on, seizing it up and making it spasm and whir erratically while its body smokes.

Cobalt swings a pick behind his back, casually parrying the lance of light that Flitter focuses through her bottle. It hits the forge-touched steel and ricochets, cleaving through the top of the bottle and disintegrating its cork and neck, which run in rivulets down the sides.

You stand, aiming your arm at Cobalt. The geargrinder obliges, offering up a zigzag rush with inhuman speed.

There's metal feet clomping behind you, coming fast with that horrible /tick-tick-tick/.

Flitter zips out of the reaching grasp of a geargrinder and ignites his face with a furious yell. It staggers away, blind, while she turns to see you blocking one blow from Cobalt, then another.

"Keep them off my back!" call.

"You can take him!"

Flitter encourages, stabbing one, two, three flashes of deadly light past your melee.

Cobalt's fast. You always knew it, but this, this is inhuman. He comes off of your parries like he's wielding matchsticks, pressing you towards his reinforcements with those blank eyes on yours.

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>>48413969
You block a double blow with either arm and kick him in the chest, lunging forward to follow up. Flitter's conjuring her witchlights to sustain her attack.

He drops, finding his balance in an instant, and rushes past you.

You feel a burning hit, deep in your gut, that blows the air from your lungs.

"JACK!" someone is screaming, distantly. That pressure, that burning /push/, in your gut slides out, only to be replaced by a hammer blow into your back. You cough something thick that splashes down your frozen chest.

Flitter's gonna kill me for this, you think distantly, as you crash into the floor.

The last thing you see is Flitter, face twisted in fury, disappear behind a burning, rippling rainbow of light, and the distant, fearful call of a mechanical voice: "Sir! Reinforcements are on their way!"

Darkness. A cool hand picks you up, helping you to your feet. You feel unsteady, injured.

"That's normal," a familiar voice murmurs gently. "You've had a hard life. Hard lives leave wounded souls."

"Az...Azrae...Lora?" you manage, slurring your words.

"It's time to go home, Jack," the Angel of Death murmurs.

"Flitter," you moan.

"She's living, Jack. You can't stay. You'll only hurt her more if you go back."

She - she needs me, I can't -"

"Jack, please," that gentle voice pleads. "Your fight is over. It's time for you to heal. To rest. Your friend has to live her own life, just as you lived yours."

> Go home
> Go back

>>48414025
> Go back

>>48414025
>Go home
Normally I'd say "Go back", but I feel like this option will have some interesting connotations that may not be obvious right now.

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>>48414025
>Go back
"Go home? And give you the satisfaction of taking the coward's way out?"

"No-can-do, Lora."

>>48414025
>Go back
Death is not the boss of us

>>48414025

> Go home

>>48414025
>> Go home

>>48414025
>> Go home
I wanna say go back and how Jack is a coward of dying and also needs to help Flitter stuff but at the same time I wanna go with the acceptance of this as it kinda has been what we created dlq to be about. Acceptance of death and sacrificing as a part of life.

I never would've thought I'd contemplate a "Do you wanna die?" vote this much.

>>48414025
>Go back

Like hell. Jack lived his entire life under the onus of his bargain, and now that he's finally free he just dies?

Screw that!

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>we're given, on a god-damned silver platter, a chance to show Jack's growth as a character - how he's not gonna be a coward and take the easy option
>lolnope, we should just let Jack die before his character arc even starts
Holy shit, /tg/. What are you doing?

>>48414025
>Go back

>>48413484
>>48413697
MOST importantly, they're SISTERS.

>>48414025
>Go back
FUCK YOU LORA SHE'S MY PIXIE
JACK THE DEBTOR HAS LITTLE, AND SURRENDERS NONE OF IT

>>48414412
>MOST importantly, they're SISTERS.
THAT has never stopped anybody.

He's coming back as some sort of undead isn't he.
OHWELL, LETS ROCK ANYWAY.

>>48414025
>Go back
Not because we owe something but because we want to.
I keep waking up to impossible choices I will regret making later(maybe/probably).

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>48413969
>stabbing one, two, three flashes of deadly light past your melee.
pfff damnit Vox.

>>48414025
of course you'd use that pic.

whelp, let's leave this one to the dice.

>>48414025
> Go home
Let him die a redeemed man

>>48414025
>> Go back
Nah senpai

>>48413969
> Go back

>>48414025
>> Go back

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>>48414025
> Go back

You probably already guessed, but this one's staying up overnight. I was running game this evening and now I've gotta head to bed.

Questions, comments, discussion, feedback, and criticisms remain welcome and appreciated.

Thank you all for reading and participating!

>>48415527
>running game
>vox has friends who actually play with him
>instead of just memeing builds back and forth all day
Who the fuck do you think you are, having a life? Especially a social one?

>>48415599
Better than me, that's for sure. He's a lich with an active social life, despite his debilitating caffeine and routine battles with Comcast.

>>48414025
>Go back.
I get the feeling this is /really/ going to hurt. Jack might not be the only one whose changed - Flitter probably had a moment there too.

Would Lora even allow Jack to become one of the undead? Even if she's somewhat forgiven him, that'd be a violation of the natural laws of Life and Death. Maybe it has more to do with what Flitter might sacrifice to save him?

>>48415872
Lora compared undeath to flying when John asked about it. If death is like gravity, being a ghost is like being a bird.

>>48414025
>go back

This is the second chance Lora is giving him, doesn't feel right for Jack to just shrug and be done with it.

>>48414025
>go back
WE DO NOT SURRENDER FOR SHIT!

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For anyone curious, here's the first installment of that little side story I talked about before:
Meanwhile, Some Time on the Surface...

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VFamzDS4NQrWM7Je8ocCdnXMWvnWZgngW7F5s3-kNT0/edit?usp=sharing

More will be coming soon. I wanted to get it posted so everyone would have something to read and mull over in the meantime. Comments, critiques, and questions are welcome, and expect that this will undergo multiple stages of refinement as it continues.

It feels good to get my writing juices flowing again with something fresh. I just hope I can write at another time instead of "As the Sun Rises whilst I Work an Overnight Shift."

Incidentally, I'll be around for another hour before I Go the Fuck to Sleep.

>>48416619
Huh. So new beasty for us to fight later, or some wizard fucking around again?

>>48416660
... Yes. Among other things that are going on.

>>48416677
(Please interpret this as an Observer-Class Yes, and all the connotations that elicits.)

>>48416619
It's not bad.

>>48416691
oh shit.

>>48416691
Because /that's/ not a cause for worry.

>>48414025
>...Do not go gentle into that good night.

>>48414025
>> Go back

I'm up. Will call and write after a shower; in the meantime, votes are open and I see Observer brought a present!

Getting coffee. Called, tallying, writing.

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>>48414025
You shake your head violently and pull away from that gentle touch. "I can't," you insist. "Belle's all alone. They're going to hurt her, I can't - I /won't/ leave her."

Lora fades into a clearer view, standing out against the darkness like she's cut from moonlight. Her expression is solemn, maybe a little frustrated, but she makes no move for the terrible blade sheathed at her hip. "Jack, you're dead," she insists one last time, like she's trying to explain it to you.

"Don't try to stop me," you warn, fingers flailing at your waist where the Bag - the /Bag/, that stupid thing - is supposed to be.

"Jack," Lora says softly, "if you want to dare to fly, it isn't my place to stop you. But what goes up..." she takes your face in her hands and kisses your forehead, with a small sigh. "If you can reach the Iron Lands, you're welcome to them."

You look around, at the darkness that seems everywhere. "I - how do I find my way?"

"Listen," Lora suggests, before she fades back into the misty shadows.

You close your eyes and strain. At first all you can hear is a breeze, gently tugging you towards the Sunless Lands. You curse, in the tongue of demons, and take a step away from it.

And then a voice. /Her/ voice. "Don't leave me," the pixie sobs. "Jack, I'm scared. Don't go, don't go..."

You turn and run for the sound, raising your voice to her.

"Flitter! Belle! Belle, I'm here!"

* * * *

You are Brianna la Croix, and you have no idea about any of that. You left for the ball, right on schedule, with Amy carrying you at Meadows' insistence. You've got a note for Brooks from him which contains his most strongly-worded instructions that she's to keep an eye on you and keep you from overexerting yourself. You've gone full formal, everything except the skull paint; Amy wears her snakeskin dress, with Nathan and River both in suits and vests that make them look sharp enough to shave with.

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>>48419037
Lark couldn't be persuaded out of his usual wear, but the tobacco grower did put on a new hat and a wide grin. It's hard to imagine anyone will manage to successfully take offense.

You pick Brooks up in Lakehallow. She and Amy share a quiet hug before the part-demon tucks her hands into her pant pockets and falls in.

"...Amy, why are you the only one here who likes dresses?" you ask, having just realized.

Amy shrugs. "I dunno. Maybe I like the idea of having a harder time picking a fight at fun events like this. Maybe I like looking pretty. I definitely like how you keep forgetting my eyes are up here."

Nathan snorts.

"What! They're small, I like it when they get attention," Amy says primly.

You roll your eyes. "You're something else, shankbird."

"Gods, I hope so."

You've got about an hour to kill. You...

> Catch up with Slaughter in Lakehallow
> Meet up with Henrietta to get the battle plan
> Talk with Kells for awhile, on the shore of Rose Island
> Enjoy a steadying drink at the Unlucky Bastard

>>48419078
> Talk with Kells for awhile, on the shore of Rose Island

>>48419078
>> Meet up with Henrietta to get the battle plan

>>48419037
I fear Jack won't be returning completely to life.

>>48419168
People do tend to die when you kill them.

>>48419078
>Meet up with Henrietta to get the battle plan

She knows more about this that all of us combined.

>>48419189
And now the anticipation grows!

Called, writing.

I may (read: will unless you manage to kill this thread in 30 minutes or less) have to leave a vote open during the eight and a half hour work shift that is to come. As usual, discussion and questions remain welcome during that time. If the thread's still alive when I get home, I'll update/make a new one. If not, look for a new thread nearabouts midnight or so, and I'll post the link in /qtg/.

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>>48419078
Amy sets you down once you get to Rose Island, both to straighten her dress and because you'll be damned if you let the world see you get carried in. The rest has done you a lot of good in any event, and though you still lean on your cane, a night out isn't going to kill you or, hopefully, anyone else.

Mind you, you still brought the cane with a sword in, because people insist on starting problems in your life.

"Ho, the Dungeon!" the watcher at the top of the lift calls. "Who goes?"

"We're here for the ball," Nathan answers.

"Lucky bastard. I've got watch duty."

Nathan and Amy snuggle in on either side of you as you ride the lift up, helping to support you and giving you that warm, loved feeling in your chest.

You notice River give Lark's hand a quick squeeze before she lets go, her cheeks burning bright. You're not sure if she's shy, if Robert gave her shit, or Yes, but either way you share a look and a grin with Brooks.

At your feet, Fetch preens happily.

<Looking forward to your role?> you tease.

<A noble lady such as yourself needs a bit of drama in her entrance> Fetch answers, with great dignity. <I am honored to provide it.>

<Never change, little guy>

The lift slows and stops, letting you out into Glen. The village is a-bustle with last-minute preparations; the main road has been lined with games and stalls from which the locals sell food and other products to visiting merchants, nobles, and soldiers. You catch Isoldt's eye; the succubus is selling jewelry with a shit-eating grin, teasing soldiers as they try to avoid making eye contact with her. River's new - friend? - Tina is running an honest-to-gods kissing booth next to her, and it's hard to tell which one's more distracting or having more fun.

"Let's go find Henrietta," you decide. "I don't want misunderstandings."

"Good thinking," Nate agrees. "These nobles can be a bit more...formal...than the ones you're dealing with."

"Any advice?" you ask.

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>>48419898
"Nah," Nate shakes his head. "If you're going to be accepted as you, you've got to /be/ you. Just keep in mind that this isn't like the Blind Marsh."

"Fair enough," you agree, pleasantly. "Everyone lived in each other's pockets at home, even the local baron. Nice family, them."

"Yeah?" Amy asks.

"Yeah," you agree. "C'mon, I see Joseph up near the entertainment field."

Sure enough, Henrietta's there with the head of her guard, along with Cooke, Razor Feathers (here to represent her people) and -

"Talon," you say, with mild surprise.

"This is what I was trying to avoid," the harpy says flatly to Cooke.

"Oh, grow up, Turducken."

"...Why do I feel like I just got insulted?"

"You did," Henrietta confirms. "And Joseph will hit you both shortly if you can't behave. Brianna, thank you for coming. I brought your ring. If you want it back in your box later, just return it to me." She offers it out to you, and you slip it, quietly, over the knuckle of the middle finger on your right hand.

"Do we have a plan?" you ask, frankly.

"Is there food?" Amy adds. Ettie laughs prettily.

"There's both a plan and food," she promises. "People will be expecting a ball, so we'll give them one. His Majesty is not in attendance, though I didn't precisely expect him to be, but he did send Princess Amalie in his stead, which is promising."

"The heir?" you guess.

Ettie shakes her head. "Amalie is the third child; Prince Wayland is the heir. Amalie /is/, however, the Mistress of Coins and empowered to speak for the Crown." She grins, conspiratorially. "She is well aware that the ball is an excuse."

"Scheming," Lark comments. "I like it."

"Aren't you the guy who makes those godawful cigarettes?" Cooke asks. "Sweet and Sour here gave me some and I damn near died."

Lark bows, with a grin.

"Must you?" Talon complains.

"Think of it as a compliment Talon," Nathan proposes. "He wants to taste you."

"Been there, he tastes great," Amy adds.

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>>48420023
Ahh, the sweet sounds of Cooke, Nate, Talon, and Joseph sputtering in various states of outrage or laughter. Sounds like petty revenge.

"Anyway," Ettie says past her grin. "You'll have the chance to get to know some people, talk, mingle, enjoy the food. Do try to stay sober. Cooke."

Travis holds his hands up in mock offense. "Drunk? At social situations? Never."

"Around sunset," the Duchess continues, "I'll make my formal proposal for the project. Miss Amy, I may call on you to speak." Amy nods her assent, and Henrietta's gaze goes to Nathan. "I'm definitely going to ask you to speak, as a denizen of Glen who can speak to a positive relationship with the Dungeon."

"Yes, your Grace," Nathan agrees. "I'm honored."

"Which leaves the question of when you'd like to be introduced," Henrietta says.

Hrm...

> Right after the proposal; do it all in one shot
> Give the proposal some time to stew and get talked about. Have another dance or three, /then/ introduce yourself.
> Actually...let's not do this now?

>>48420129

> Right after the proposal; do it all in one shot

>>48420129
>Give the proposal some time to stew and get talked about. Have another dance or three, /then/ introduce yourself.
Get opinions, try to sway people without them already hating us because they found out we're a necromancer early.

Alright folks, I gotta hit work. I'll be on as I can from my phone, but otherwise, voting's open for eight and a half, nine hours or so.

Questions, comments, discussion, feedback, and criticisms remain welcome and appreciated.

Thank you all for reading and participating!

>>48420023
>"Been there, he tastes great," Amy adds.
Pffhaha oh Amy

>>48420129
> Give the proposal some time to stew and get talked about. Have another dance or three, /then/ introduce yourself.

>>48420129
>> Give the proposal some time to stew and get talked about. Have another dance or three, /then/ introduce yourself.

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>>48420804
>This but have Fetch be our herald, and then sit on our head.
It has to be very serious. Like pic related serious.

>>48420129
>This.
>>48420889
>So much this.

>>48421868
I just realized that we didn't make a Angel joke at Henrietta's expense yet.

>>48420889
Yes.

>>48421868
>this
Holy crap please

Domochevsky got you a lewd present: http://pastebin.com/gHdisiMp

>>48423559
YAAAAAAAY!

>>48420129
> Right after the proposal; do it all in one shot, combined with >>48420889

Three hours and change to call.

>>48420129
>Give the proposal some time to stew and get talked about. Let a few people voice their concerns and stances after another dance, then introduce yourself after them.

>>48426108
With the hat? It is a very serious hat>>48420889

>>48426139
>>48426108
>.....without the "hat".
Fetch is a corpse. The other alternative is an ARMORED corpse.

There are tastefully flippant things we could do, more along the lines of the skull facepaint, but this is not one of them.

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>>48426171
Who the hell do you think we are?

>>48426239
see, the problem here is that "we" in this case does not include Bri.

Jack's going to be a ghost, isn't he? This is what the creation of a ghost looks like from the ghost's point of view, isn't it.

He died, but he couldn't just move on and was drawn back to the mortal world because of unfinished business with Flitter. He broke her heart and never got the chance to make up for it.

>>48426262
She would totally do it, we have Fetch as the Herald anyways so he might as well go to his proper place. Or Amy takes it, whichever comes first.

>>48426278
All cause you guys couldn't leave the grab bag alone.

Dunno how anyone thought that you could steal something back from a guy with superhuman strength and agility.

About an hour to call.

>>48419037
>. "If you can reach the Iron Lands, you're welcome to them."

>You curse, in the tongue of demons, and take a step away from it.

... Did Jack become a demon instead of an undead?

>>48428313
No, it's just that Jack is fluent in the tongue of the demons; it's the language that activates the magic of the Six Demon Bag.

Called, tallying, writing.

>>48426278
"Life is for the Living. Death is for the Dead"

For a motto that we kinda created its rather ironic that we don't follow it.

>>48429162
It's not a motto that /we/ made, it's a motto /Briana/ made, and there's no reason for Jack to follow it.

Personally, I hope Jack doesn't become a ghost. He still has too much character development left to happen.

>>48429239
He might come back a Revenant.

>>48423559
Excellent, Domo does good work. My dick approves.

>>48429359
The 'birth' of a Revenant requires a vengeful spirit obsessed with destroying their enemy. An example would be if Brianna or Amy were to die, Nate witnesses it and then dies himself, he could come back to destroy the bastards responsible.

A Ghost can just have some unfinished business, like an unspoken love for another or unfinished goal (like returning an ancestral heirloom or some such). A Spectre is just an angry, bitter Ghost with violent tendencies.

Okay, so! Real life kidnapped me, /actually/ updating now. "Let it stew a bit" won, but while I'ma respect the ice-breaking nature of the hat vote, I'm not gonna go directly for the hat thing, both for reasons of maintaining at least /some/ dignity with this nobility and because Bri /has/ a hat that she loves very dearly, as you may recall.

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>>48420129
You adjust your hat, not because it needs it but because it gives you an excuse to not talk while you think. "I...I wanna let things stew for a bit, on the proposal. If this works anything like it did back at home when politics had to happen, you'll propose the thing, people will chew it over, and you'll seal the deals in private."

"Precisely," Ettie agrees pleasantly. "How'd you know?"

"Grandmother used to do that, when folks hit hard times. It's easier to threaten stubborn assholes in their own home and amazing how polite they are after."

Cooke snorts while Nathan shakes his head with an exasperated expression. You shrug, with a little grin.

"Give them time to think, then hit 'em with the surprise," Ettie muses. "...I like it. Miss River?"

River looks up, surprised. "Your Grace?" she asks, formally.

"I have a ring for you too," Ettie says softly. "If you want it."

River bites her lip and looks to you, then back to Ettie. She wavers, for a moment, and then speaks slowly, walking her way through the thought.

"/If/," she begins, "Bri approves. And can explain why."

Good job sis, no pressure.

> Not yet
> Yes; she got into necromancy for the right reasons, and cares when others don't
> Yes; she has a skilled mentor with a vested interest in the family legacy
> Yes; River's belief in mercy and forbearance was just expressed in a huge way.
> Write-in?

>Yes; River's belief in (both) mercy and forbearance was just expressed in a huge way.

She shows her forebearance with Bri, and her mercy with the people she's dealt with.

>>48430514
>Not yet
not that she doesn't deserve it, but because she JUST complained about not liking carte blanche just yet.

>>48430514
>Yes; she got into necromancy for the right reasons, and cares when others don't.

>>48430514
>Not yet
>River still has not completed her haunting, by all accounts she is still a novice apprentice.

Remind me of what, exactly, it is supposed to mean to receive the ring. You'll be a sanctioned necromancer yes? I don't remember if there were ever any talk of what responsibilities came with it aside from maybe being allowed to build a school.
If it means that she won't be chased down by witch hunters or something while above ground I think I'll change my vote to yes.

>>48430664
>Sanctioned necromancer, not having to worry about being hunted by witch hunters and burned at the stake.
I think so, yes. I remember the talk between 'Ettie and Brianna, about teaching the ways of the La Croix to others in a newly established magic Academy. The rings are basically signs of her favor, indicating that Brianna (and now River) are friends of the (I doubt actually know Henrietta's family name) house.

Also, Vox? If the next quest you mentioned doesn't take place in the Academy of Awesome, I will be sorely disappointed. Fuck Harry Potter's broomstick, we could tame a Wraithsteel Gryphon and name it Feathers.

>>48430664
It means not only that you've been legalized but that, essentially, you have the especial trust and respect of the Duchess. It means that you, and your judgement, are exempt from the normal laws regarding necromancy.

If you recall, when Bri was asked about legalizing necromancy in general, she said she wouldn't suggest it. These rings are for the exceptions, the start of the project that the magic school is part of too: reaching out to people who might otherwise turn to necromancy or other extreme solutions and end up hurting others.

Rightly or wrongly, I gotta crawl into bed. Stupid real life.

See y'all tomorrow. Will post a new thread if this one does not survive.

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>>48430514
> Yes; River's belief in mercy and forbearance was just expressed in a huge way.

We believe in you, sis!

>>48430514
I think it would have been more in character for River to answer "not yet" but I don't know how Bri should answer.

Bumping for ring decisions

>>48430514
> Yes; River's belief in mercy and forbearance was just expressed in a huge way.

>>48430514
> Yes; River's belief in mercy and forbearance was just expressed in a huge way.

I don't think that we can honestly say she got into necromancy for the right reasons. She was essentially conscripted as punishment for crimes committed as a mercenary. And her mentor? Her mentor killed off a significant chunk of a continent. A vested interest in the family legacy? If anything she's expressed to Bri that she feels disconnected from the family.

What she did with the Daughter, however, shows that she is precisely the sort of person who should be permitted to use necromancy.

>>48430514
>not yet, she still hasn't finished her apprenticeship. But River's belief in mercy and forbearance was just expressed in a huge way. After she finishes her training absolutely.

>>48430514
>I'll support this: >>48432141

>>48430760
Ok so if it means River just doesn't get shit on by the law then I'll switch the first part of the vote to yes>>48432200
but only if she needs to be up and around the surface where the law applies.

>>48430514
Two of these choices are plain false, at what point in time did she get into necromancy for the right reason? And the other one, she has no real vested interest in the family legacy and Robert is the WRONG part of the family legacy.


> Yes; River's belief in mercy and forbearance was just expressed in a huge way.

>>48431090
Pretty much just endorsing whatever decision her sister makes.

>>48430514
>> Write-in?
Academically, she's furthering the field. (Sleep).
Responsibility-wise, she's diligent and dutifel. (Taking care of all the undead from the crypts.)
Morally, she's aware of the use of power and the decisions that come with it. (Not just the thing with Seraphina, but having been a mercenary and being on the other side of that.)

I'm up. Will call and write soon.

>>48433511
Okay Vox, question for you; How fucked would we be if someone built a Geargrinder with Death-in-Metal, like Sleep?

Also, does Necromancy even work on them? Because aside from a hit to a critical location, they won't suddenly keel over to disease, shock or pain from any of Brianna or River's spells.

>>48433548
Geargrinders are technically living things; I don't know if you /can/ build them with Death-in-Metal.

>>48433548
you don't really forge gears, though. You melt and cast.

Also, the question is more on how the magic that gives them intelligence would interact with the death energies.

>>48433548
Necromancy doesn't work great on geargrinders, no. Ones with souls do sometimes leave behind ghosts and those are easy enough to work with, but their bodies are 'alive' in a sense that most necromancers have not yet had to deal with. You can beat 'em down with rot if you're good at it, or shroud their senses in darkness if you understand how it is they see and hear, but for the most part it's a bit of a bitch.

Geargrinders primarily use steel for the metal parts of their construction, though individual makers do vary. Still, there's a lot of practical reasons to do it, chief among them being that steel is close to being magically neutral; it's neither particularly good, nor particularly bad, for conducting or resisting anything. Geargrinders need a steady flow of energy from the clockwork to their animating enchantments, and making them out of death-in-steel could well interfere with that flow in an unpleasant fashion.

Called, writing.

>>48434588
Do you have any ideas/aspirations for other books besides Mourners? I'd definitely fork over some cash for more of your pretty, pretty words.

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>>48430514
You give the matter some thought and watch the faces of the people around you. It's a curious contrast; Henrietta listens intently, while Talon and the cook seem to take your thoughtfulness as some kind of hesitance, because they look smug and mistrustful, respectively.

River's expression is patient, and warm.

"For all formal future reference," you begin at last, "this ring legalizes the bearer's practice of necromancy within Starfall and empowers us to advise upon or handle necromantic problems such as undead or hauntings?"

"Aye," Henrietta answers. "And I may consult such bearers on cases of necromantic law, and for future projects. Like the school."

"River is not just a necromancer," you point out.

"I know," Ettie agrees serenely. "But the Secondborn are provisionally legal in Greenwall to begin with. If your sister is of a mind, I can provide materials for her to study on the laws in question, and sponsor her to be licensed."

River blinks. "...Huuuh. Remind me to ask you more about that later, it sounds fascinating."

"It is," the cook agrees. "We retain a Royal Summoner whose job is mainly to ensure the staff around the palace aren't shapeshifted demons or mind-whammied by magic tits."

You try to hold back a laugh and fail miserably. "Then I'll back River's appointment. If I am being honest, my sister's had a difficult time lately, but despite these difficulties she's shown, time and again, to believe in mercy, forbearance, and patience. Those are qualities you need in an ethical necromancer, and she upheld them even when there was an easier way out that could still be argued to have been justice."

"This have something to do with Henrietta getting anointed as the Blessed Duchess?" Cooke asks. The Duchess slaps the back of his head without even looking, drawing a pained, "I regret nothing," from the man.

>>48435871
Oh this is going to be good.

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>>48435871
"She's still an apprentice," you admit. "River's not at the point where she can practice on her own, but I'm confident she'll be there soon."

Ettie's gaze slides to River. Your sister nods thoughtfully, a grateful blush on her cheeks, and takes the ring she is offered. She slips it on her finger, flexing her hand for a moment, and then frowns. "How'd you know my ring size?"

"I know many dark arts," Cooke comments. "Among them the power to look at people and accurately describe them later."

"Talon," Ettie says flatly. The harpy whaps Cooke with a wing.

"Regret. Nothing," Travis insists, rubbing the back of his head.

"Um. Miss Duchess?" Amy asks, politely. "You said Greenwall. I thought this was Starfall."

"Greenwall is the kingdom we're part of," Ettie answers, with a little smile. "My domain is the city of Starfall and its environs."

"...Oh."

"It makes sense after awhile," Ettie promises. "Shall we? I do believe we have a ball to throw."

Razor Feathers and Talon look at each other and flap up to the top of the seating area. You don't expect it'll see much use, but those two are also, mercifully, not your problem.

It's time to enjoy the party.

> You are Brianna la Croix
> You are Nathan Bookchild
> You are Amy the Dungeonbreaker
> You are River la Croix

>>48436177
>You are Nathan Bookchild
We haven't been Nate in a while.

>>48436251
Seconding. We had an entire chapter dedicated to River and Amy already, lets hang out with the suici...I mean hero.

>>48436177
>> You are Brianna la Croix
None of the others appeal right now. Nathan isn't a party guy, Amy is /too/ party, and River is ... to recent.