>>273615

The impact sends ticklish agony flashing through your freshly-healed broken arm. (+2 Stress: 57) (+1 Fury: 76) An instant later, the sky, the rain, the whole world is eclipsed by the slogbuh’s incredible mass as he rolls overtop you.

Your horns and face are mashed against hard stone.

A thunder of sound and power shocks through the mountain of flesh atop you, rattling your bones and heaving the ground weightlessly out from beneath you. The momentous motion accompanies a flash of agony from Crabby. You feel his life burn away like a tissue in a furnace.

Your entire body is left buzzing from the intensity of the muted blast. The raw stench of burnt meat and sulphurous smoke threatens to suffocate you.

Choking on fumes, you drag yourself with shadow and claw out from under the dead whale crab. His armored plates catch on your horns, on your bony wings, but your desperation lends you strength to tear free. (-2 PP: 7)

Stained with Crabby’s blood, you emerge from beneath the behemoth into a hellscape.

The even stone of the parade ground for yards in every direction is cracked and aglow with searing heat. Blistering, sulphurous air fills your lungs – if you were human, you’d probably have third degree burns inside your throat by now.

>>273618

Stress: 57/103
Sanity: 92/100
Fury: 76

HP: 29/35
PP: 7/47
LW: 7/15

You turn and narrow an eye through the volcanic haze, spying Anatu immediately. The heiress clutches her spear as a crutch, trying to keep weight off her maimed leg. Seeing you chiefly uninjured, her expression turns frantic. “No,” she growls to herself, trying to pull herself further up her spear. “No no no! You’re supposed to die!”

Without her incredible reserve of magic to fall back on, Anatu’s weakness is so obvious you can taste it in her blood. It’s a fearful, ripe taste that drifts on the air, cutting through the smell of yours and Crabby’s like a searchlight.

>You killed my grabboid.
>You had your fun. Yield or die.
>Approach menacingly.
>If I had ten thousand dollars for every time somebody said that, I’d have like, twenty, twenty thousand dollars? Thirty maybe.
>Call all surviving summons to make their attack.
>You’re feeling beat. Draw your rifle and shoot her.
>Throw your Izhowak spear at her.
>Other (?)

>>273625
>>Approach menacingly.
>You had your fun. Yield or die.

>>273625
>>You had your fun. Yield or die.

File: 1justaddhorns.png (12 KB, 186x251)

12 KB PNG

To celebrate the end of the month-long wait, I will post random arts.

>>273625
>Other (?)
Corrupt her spear again so she finally drops the fucking thing.

"It's so unfair isn't it? Cry some more about it; your tears are delicious."

>>273625
>>You had your fun. Yield or die.

If she doesn't, shoot her. Or sick the summons at her. Or both.

Also, nice to have you back.

>>273625
>>You had your fun. Yield or die.
>>Approach menacingly.

>>273625
>Throw your Izhowak spear at her
>You’re feeling beat. Draw your rifle and shoot her.

Where's the "Just Fucking Kill Her" option?

No talking, no banter, none of that 'yield' shit. Just. Fucking. Kill. Her.

>>273625
>You had your fun. Yield or die.
>Approach menacingly.

>>273625
>>Approach menacingly.
>>If I had ten thousand dollars for every time somebody said that, I’d have like, twenty, twenty thousand dollars? Thirty maybe.

Anyone remember the snake lady? Good times.

>>273625
>If I had ten thousand dollars for every time somebody said that, I’d have like, twenty, twenty thousand dollars? Thirty maybe.
>Approach menacingly.
Fuck this "yield or die" bollocks, just fucking kill the bitch. Leaving her alive gives us no advantage and leaves yet another enemy about to fuck with us. Let's show Stygia what happens when they fuck with us.

>>273646
You should try and use the draw function.
>>273639
Adding not to accept her yield unless we can believe it.

>>273648
Yes, this is good. Seconded

>>273672
SPAAAAAAAAAWNNNNNNNNLIIIIIIIING!!!!
God I missed Ranthix.

File: 1424143401605.png (123 KB, 795x477)

123 KB PNG

>>273688

>>273673
It's possible that if Annatu dies, they'll kill Mr Crowther out of spite (Nabbuth is still runnning around somewhere). Plus there still her lieutenants hanging around and they're not going to allow the heiress to be ganked if they can help it

>>273689
Victory makeout afterr this is over? Victory makeout when this is over.

>>273625
>Throw your Izhowak spear at her.
No 'Yielding'. The trick with surrendering is to offer it at the start and if they refuse they don't get it a second time. Do this enough times and it will be part of your reputation in that "It's in your best interest to surrender to Sierra without fighting else you will receive no mercy otherwise." It gets people to take your offers more seriously instead of waving it away and trying their luck.

I think Cao Cao did this.

>>273688
I still think it's going to turn out that he killed Corinthis, given some of the things he's said ("The Imperiate only dies when she chooses to" -> "The Imperiate told me to kill her, thus choosing to die").

File: Ranthix.png (1.43 MB, 800x1892)

1.43 MB PNG

>>273690

As a side note, I feel like this is how Sierra would draw her own life in comic form if she wasn't going all try hard.

>>273690
Goddamn that fish though

>>273689
Is that the first pic we've seen of our Young Wolf?

He looks a lot more like a vampire than I figured.

>>273692
It's very possible Mr Crowther is already dead, given that level of spite. If her lieutenants are around to stop this, they would have stepped in earlier. I see what you mean, but she's tricky enough as it is, we can't trust her to stay down after she's yielded.
>>273689
>>273704
I hadn't seen these two before, and holy shit are they good.

>You killed my grabboid
>Call all surviving summons to make their attack.
>You’re feeling beat. Draw your rifle and shoot her.

File: 1409792642768.png (3.69 MB, 1497x2593)

3.69 MB PNG

>>273711

All those vampire jokes make more sense now looking back.

Also, I feel like Wolf is out of Sierra's league. If it weren't for her badass demon side, he probably wouldn't have taken a closer look.

>>273724

The fancy Ranthix is a fanart from a guy. Here's one he did of Moriah.

Kill her, then rescue Crowther, then stop her demon army and finally we need to stop the Yellow King as well.

Roll dice for shooting.

Rolled 86 (1d100)

>>273765

>>273738
Ouch. Hopefully no one ever informs Sierra of this league situation.

Rolled 56 (1d100)

>>273765

Rolled 83 (1d100)

>>273765

Rolled 20 (1d100)

>>273738

File: moriahquest.jpg (104 KB, 752x1064)

104 KB JPG

>>273765

Forgot to include a slick image.

>>273767

Well now it doesn't matter, they're pretty much hopeless now.

>>273777

Nice triples, but you're just lucky you've already pretty much won this fight and that Anatu's running out of tricks.

>>273695
That's a valid point, actually.

>>273782
Post Roger "Yeah in the R'lyeh" Lund

File: rogerprelim.png (18 KB, 150x245)

18 KB PNG

>>273847

You'll see more of him someday, I'm sure.

>>273857
Starspawn quest when?

>>273869

I almost held a vote for the last april fools thing, but I thought it would ruin the surprise.

>>273879
It's all good. Keep up the good work.

>>273782
Hopeless? Their relationship is doomed?

File: RumiaHungry.jpg (199 KB, 850x1133)

199 KB JPG

I'm slightly dissappointed that our situation doesn't lend itself to Seirra really tearing into Anatu right now. I'd love to see her go full demonic horror all over the crab-bitch, and leave her corpse a gory wreckage smeared across the rocks. It might also be a good signal to the Duke, before we go talk with him.

I think seriously threatening her family would be enough to justify Sierra acting on her more sadistic and troubling behaviours. But there's too much else happing around us right now for that luxury.

I think Languid means they're hopelessly in young love.

Her vain cries about what you should and shouldn’t be, however, only make you laugh. You walk menacingly toward her, unable to keep from snickering as you unsling your blood-spattered rifle from your shoulder. Cradling it tightly in your arms, you’re impressed again with how good the wood stock feels against shoulder. It’s way more solid than that composite crap from your MP5.

You smirk maliciously at the heiress as you take aim down the notched sights. “Yeah that’s it, cry you whiny bitch. Wah wah, I picked a fight I couldn’t win, life’s so unfair,” you mock the Stygian. “Yield or die, fucker.”

Anatu bares the many teeth of her maw at you. Then, in a sudden movement, spins up her spear and hurls it at you.

Green smoke pulses out in its contrail.

You weave to the side, dodging out of its path – it nicks the blackened shell of your arm and sails out back into the mist.

You don’t spare a second for the smoking green fleshwound it left. Anatu just gave you all the answer you need. She dives out of the path of your aim, but you track her real position easily, expecting the decoy. Your foreclaw tightens on the trigger.

Your dad’s gun kicks like a bull.

There’s no flashy lights or colors. No weird swirls of unholy magic. Just lead and iron, the way it was meant to be.

Your rifle barks fifteen times in the span of a few seconds. Some shots miss. Most don’t. Anatu’s illusion fails, and she snaps into view just as she loses her balance and collapses. The strength is gone from her two rear legs.

Desperately, she drags herself away from you with her arms, blood already beginning to pour from her many wounds. (Anatu: -65 HP: 15) “Guardsmen,” she croaks out. “Save your princess!” Her voice is lost in your white mists.

>>274014

You snap out the spent magazine, sticking it in a rear pocket and slapping in a fresh one. You rip back the bolt, ready to put an end to this debacle once and for all.

A small figure walks out of the mist before Anatu. Nabbuth’shazzar. His umbrella and little tweed suit make him look pathetically small. His eyes lock on yours, his expression fixed, unreadable.

Nabbuth takes one last puff on his cigar and flicks it away. “You win. I’ll get Crowther. You can let her go,” he says.

Anatu grasps Nabbuth’s pant leg with a weak claw – the scale of her oversized hands make him look even smaller in comparison. “Call the captains. S-set a firing line,” she orders.

Nabbuth doesn’t even look down at her. He keeps his eyes trained on you and your gun, grasping the lapels of his jacket in his hands. “Anatu yields.”

The blasé statement makes Anatu snarl, and her grip on the bottoms of Nabbuth’s pant-legs tighten. “Never while I draw breath, merchant scum,” she growls dangerously.

“Shut up,” Nabbuth replies, totally brushing off the heiress. “Sierra. We’ll leave. You have my word.”

>Yeah? What good’s that, exactly?
>Step out of the way, Nabbuth.
>Fine. Get the hell off my planet.
>Give me Crowther first.
>It’s Anatu’s word I need, not yours.
>Neither of you should’ve ever come here.
>Finish off Anatu.
>Why do you care? Anatu hates you. Ushola hates you.
>Other (?)

>>274018
>Give me Crowther first.
>It’s Anatu’s word I need, not yours.
>get them to swear on their names

>>274018
>>Give me Crowther first.

>>274018
>>Give me Crowther first.
>>It’s Anatu’s word I need, not yours.
>Why do you care? Anatu hates you. Ushola hates you.
>Yeah? What good’s that, exactly?

>>274018
>Yeah? What good’s that, exactly?
>I'll keep Anatu as my pet.

>>274018
>Give me Crowther first.

>>274018
>Yeah? What good’s that, exactly?
>Why do you care? Anatu hates you. Ushola hates you.
>It’s Anatu’s word I need, not yours.

>>274018
>Give me Crowther first.

>>Yeah? What good’s that, exactly?
>Why do you care? Anatu hates you. Ushola hates you.
>It’s Anatu’s word I need, not yours.

She won't be able to give guarantees that we need for her to live, but the rest can.

>Finish off Anatu.

>>274018
>Yeah? What good’s that, exactly?
>Why do you care? Anatu hates you. Ushola hates you.
>It’s Anatu’s word I need, not yours.

>>274018
>Give me Crowther first.
"Alive and in one piece, if you please. And no illusion horseshit. Any deception and she dies."

>>274018
>Still think you choose the right side Nabbuth?
>It’s Anatu’s word I need, not yours.
>Give me Crowther first.

>>274018
>Give me Crowther first.

We should still tear off Anatu's head and mutilate her corpse. Nabbuth is likely going to use her to build his own power. Do we want that?

>>274018
>>Yeah? What good’s that, exactly?

>Finish off Anatu

Ours mists are going to run out soon. We need to finish her off before the rest of her troops can see us.

>>274018
>Yeah? What good’s that, exactly?
>It’s Anatu’s word I need, not yours.
>Give me Crowther first.

"Enshrouding Mist: When near a large body of water, a dense fog may be summoned to cover an outdoor area for a few minutes."

Lets not delay getting rid of them. The mist lasts minutes, not hours. If they delay a surrender in any way, the rest of her troops may return to view and will start shooting us.

>>274069
Or he doesn't want to go back to Ushola with her heir in a body bag.

Maybe one of her other girls becomes heir. Or, Anatu remains heir and now owes Nabuth her life.

As long as we make clear (to both of them) that if she ever raises a finger against us again there will be nothing left of her to bury I'm all for resolving this quickly to deal with the Yellow King. He's the actual danger here, not the egotistical mommy's girl.

>>274028
>>274041
>>274050
>>274052
>>274054
>>274064

Why are you all asking for Anatu's word?
I'm all for getting Crowther before killing anyone like most of you, but she didn't give the slightest indication of being in any way trustworthy.

>>274018
>Other (?)
See if you can quietly claim Annatu's spear while everyone is distracted.

>>274134
Because if she doesn't say it then it doesn't mean anything. Even if she goea back on her word, the fact that she yielded gives a boost to our reputation

>>274134
We're keeping every other claimant out of Cali, but we're trying to do it as nicely as possible. Reneging on our word here gives Halthic polity the message that we can't be bargained with.

>>274195
Alternatively, it could give the message that we're weak and unwilling to deal with those who oppose us, leaving us a prime target
Plus no-one can tell the Halthic polity if everyone is dead

>>274201
I like you

>>274201
I dunno. Magic has been known in fiction to be able to allow conversation with the dead, and as far as I know Languid hasn't ruled it out. So cover-ups may be harder than you think.

As for the first part, everything we know about Demonville is that its members are hidebound traditional and archaic, with might being right.
They don't want open war because of the angels, and we don't want open war for obvious reasons.
As long as we don't completely break from tradition, we might simply get duels from time to time, instead of a shadow war.

“Yeah?” you ask. “What good’s that?”

“As good as it’s always been,” he answers with a shrug.

“Too bad it’s Anatu’s word I need, not yours,” you reply, keeping your rifle ready.

“But her word isn’t worth much if anything right now, is it,” says Nabbuth.

You narrow your eyes at the demon, unsure what his game is. Politics? Ambition? You can’t tell with him. “Give me Crowther first,” you say.

“The Hellion’s not... his to give,” Anatu snarls.

Whether or not that’s true, Nabbuth snaps, and Wolf’s dad appears between you and Anatu, bound with engraved bands. Crowther, unconscious, falls to his knees and topples over to his side like a bag of potatoes. Your heart jumps in its cage.

“Done,” says Nabbuth. He looks down at the seething heiress at his feet, offering a hand. “We’ve tried the lady’s patience long enough. Better to leave while you can still bleed.”

Anatu spits on his offered palm. The saliva sizzles and pops, burning away the flesh. Nabbuth doesn’t flinch.

Crowther lies within easy reach. It looks like him. It feels like him. It could be him, actually.

>Grab Crowther and pull out while the mists hold. Radio for cover.
>Try to touch him. Verify it’s the real deal.
>If I didn’t have bigger fish to fry, I’d have fried both of you. Don’t forget it.
>Step aside, Nabbuth. I don’t need your blood.
>Might want to hurry it up. Nobody’s going to be happy when Old Yeller gets here.
>Go back on the deal and execute Anatu.
>You have what you need. Gun both of them down.
>Why? What do you get out of this, Nabbuth? Next time, is it going to be you heading the army?
>Other (?)

>>274224
>Try to touch him. Verify it’s the real deal.
>Grab Crowther and pull out while the mists hold. Radio for cover.

>>274224
>>Try to touch him. Verify it’s the real deal.
Firstly.

>>274224
>>Grab Crowther and pull out while the mists hold. Radio for cover.
>>Try to touch him. Verify it’s the real deal.
>Might want to hurry it up. Nobody’s going to
>Why? What do you get out of this, Nabbuth? Next time, is it going to be you heading the army?be happy when Old Yeller gets here.

>>274224
>Try to touch him. Verify it’s the real deal.
>If I didn’t have bigger fish to fry, I’d have fried both of you. Don’t forget it.

>>274224
Fuck touching him. We have the truth revealing scope yeah? Use that instead.

>Look through the scope. Verify its the real deal.

>>274252
This

>>274252
>>274224
This.

>>274224
>>You have what you need. Gun both of them down.

>>274252
This.
Honestly that scope fixes a lot of problems pretty easily.

>>274224
>Other (?)
"Fuck, you're stupid, Annatu. Nabbuth is trying to save your miserable carcass. You should be grateful that someone actually gives enough a shit to do that for you."

>>274252
Changing vote here >>274235
to this.

>>274252
This

>>274018
>Yeah? What good’s that, exactly?
>Give me Crowther first.
>Why do you care? Anatu hates you. Ushola hates you.

Nabbuth can leave. Anatu dies.

>>274252
Shouldering the rifle to look through the scope could be seen as a hostile act.

>>274290

You removed the scope from the rifle for shenanigans.

>>274290
The scope is in our pocket not on the gun, I'm pretty sure

Rolled 82 (1d100)

Languid, can we please use Shadow Fore. I have been waiting for so long.

>>274306
I'm concerned that not letting either of them live is just going to get us seen as illegitimate.

>>274323
I'm rusty on my demon politics. Why is that?

>>274327
Because, and this is an assumption, if we kill everyone outside our little group the powers that be down below will find it easier to label us a pawn of the angels and send some people to ambush us than work with us. We should maintain some sort of dialog.

We still have all the buildings wired, we can have our cake and eat it here. Verify Crowther, grab him and leave, then once he's safely extracted have the explosives detonated and mop up. Worst case scenario she gets away via some other method with a bloodied nose and a few hundred men less.

>>274339
At the same time though if we let them live it sets a bad precedence that people can challenge the Empress and get away with it as long as they take a hostage and such.

At the very least Anatu needs to be executed for her insolence.

>>274304
Shadow Fire

>>274348
I honestly don't mind challenges. Duels and such, if might is needed for right to rule, are much preferable to war, open or secret. I'm still for fighting Anatu when we get Crowther back if that's what it takes, because we're better off against her than dodging assassins forever.

>>274348
Not entirely. The Duke offered to talk, we agreed to talk. Anatu tried to force us to do what she wanted, we broke her legs.

You can’t trust your senses. You pull your handy-dandy scope from your pocket and eye Crowther through the violet-tinted lens.

His human skin disappears, showing a battered, but whole, Hellion in a suit. It’s definitely him.

You call it in on your shoulder radio. “I’ve got him. Making my way back soon,” you say.

“WE’VE GOT AN EYE ON YOU, SPAWNLING,” Ranthix radios back. “

Feeling emboldened by the thultal’s vigilance, you turn to grab your prize. Beyond Crowther, Anatu finally acknowledges her physical inability and accepts Nabbuth’s hand.

Nabbuth grips her by the wrist and hauls her up off the ground like she was made of cardboard. Without another word, he ducks under her shoulder and takes the brunt of Anatu’s formidable weight on his tiny frame. Her blood stains the jacket of the little man’s suit.

Caught off guard by his otherworldly strength, Anatu’s maw gapes momentarily with surprise.

You might have cut a deal with Nabbuth, but you’ve been cut deals before with no intention of paying up. Maybe it’s time for you to return the favor.

>This way everybody walks away. Fireman carry Crowther out of there.
>Not so fast, Nabbuth. I’m not doing this again. She’s mine.
>I can’t let either of you get away with this, you know. Sorry.
>Other (?)

>>274430
>This way everybody walks away. Fireman carry Crowther out of there.
Piss people off as little as possible to defend your claim.

>>274430
>>This way everybody walks away. Fireman carry Crowther out of there
taunt the shit outta her before we leave

>>274430
>This way everybody walks away. Fireman carry Crowther out of there.

>>274430
>This way everybody walks away. Fireman carry Crowther out of there.

We're on a time limit. Crowther said 'he' was coming. Let's not be here when he does arrive.

>>274443
why would we do this?

>>274430
>This way everybody walks away. Fireman carry Crowther out of there.
SAVE EXCLUSIVE BOYFRIEND'S FATHER

>>274451
This. Yellow king don't sound fun

>>274430
>Not so fast, Nabbuth. I’m not doing this again. She’s mine.
She'll take seconds to dispatch now and will be a thorn in our side forever.

>>274462
Because it's Sierra.

>>274430
>>Not so fast, Nabbuth. I’m not doing this again. She’s mine.

>>274463

You'll for sure prove your ability to provide for your future family if you rescue his dad.

>>274502
We're the provider? I guess Wolfgang should start to learn how to cook.

>>274506
Wolfgang is the provider of snektongue. We're the provider of everything else that is important, like awesomeness, fire, explosions, and the hottest bod on this side of the plane.

Probably not money though.

>>274502
>"Sierra, I know that you're my daughter in law, but I must ask you desist from leaving bloody deer carcasses at the front door like house cat. It's most unsanitary."

>>274516
I dunno. When we're established as the feudal ruler here, we might be able to make that work for us somehow.

>>274516
Just wait until we get our "pay tribute to your master, puny fools" game going.

>>274430
I have the most bizarre feeling that Nab's crushing on Anu. Not even just as a powergrab, else he'd've left her to die.

>>274530

Cats actually do that to try to teach you how to hunt (because they know their owners are crap at catching birds).

>>274430

>This way everybody walks away. Fireman carry Crowther out of there.

>>274430
>Other

Unnatural Charm

The fight is over. Not like it matters if Nabbutts catches on that we are trying to be impressive.

>>274536
Why wait? The next words we say to Waldo should be "Buy me a house."

We fixed the shit out of his fucked up barony.

>>274549
we're doing it for the same reason

File: image.jpg (261 KB, 1227x1334)

261 KB JPG

>>274549
Pic related.

>>274558
Nope. We've just been through a harrowing adventure. First we make sure trouble didn't follow us home, then we have excellent rescue sex.

>>274566
I doubt Wolfie has had time to work on new magic to keep himself safe from his stabby and way-too-hot girlfriend.

>>274566
The night has only just begun. We still have to deal with whatever shit Hasatur has cooked up.

>>274582

True.

>>274577

Girlfriend is too hot pls help #firstworldproblems

>>274577
>>274588
Is Sierra pointy on the inside too?

>>274592
If she was she'd've torn the condom and inevitably gotten pregnant with a dozen little Crowther puppies.

>>274605
Hope they don't explode.

Or maybe it’s time for you to peace the hell out of this place. Crowther warned you about Old Yeller. In your experience, anything that proceeds forth from his mouth is big news.

Nabbuth and Anatu will just have to die another day. Just like that James Bond movie title.

You swoop in, pull Crowther’s limb body over your shoulder, and stand on wobbly legs. He’s a heavy guy – not nearly as heavy as Xathix when you’re throwing him around like a ragdoll, but it’s all dead weight here. You praise Ranthix for making you stronger than you look.

“Hey Nabbuth,” you call out to the Stygian, your voice strained, “wrong again with the sides, huh?”

He rumbles in reply. “Sometimes a side picks you.”

Confused by blood loss, Anatu chooses now to perk back up. “My spear,” she says, worriedly straining to look back where she threw it. “It’s a two-century old relic.”

Nabbuth grunts without turning from his set course. “So am I,” he says, carrying her off into the mist.

You pick your own destination and hurry off at a clumsy jog, using one wing to balance Crowther on your back and keep him from sliding off. Fortunately your shoulder-spine snags in his belt and sort of anchors him in place.

As you run, Crowther over one shoulder and your gun in your free hand, you come across Anatu’s emerald magicky green spear. It’s a pretty big handful. Not that you couldn’t manage, since your tendrils are still free.

>Confiscate Anatu’s spear. It belongs in a museum.
>Leave it. You can’t be lugging around two-handed polearms in the middle of a tactical withdrawal.
>Other (?)

>>274622
>Confiscate Anatu’s spear. It belongs in a museum.
Could have some fun uses, could be a good way to rub it in when we next see her.

>>274622
>>Other (?)
Toss it to her. We don't need her trinkets.

>>274622
>Confiscate Anatu’s spear. It belongs in a museum.
Keep it, we can kill her with it later.

>>274605
>puppies
What, he's a dog now?

>>274612
I'm pretty sure four+ bloodline mixes lose enough traits that they stop being hybrids and start being mutts. There probably wouldn't be enough Verwelken or Infernus left in them to show.

>>274622
>Confiscate Anatu’s spear. It belongs in a museum.

>>274622
>Confiscate Anatu’s spear. It belongs in a museum.
>Other (?)
The museum being our sweet armory when we'll get around to build one. With funky spookshit and passcodes and all.

>>274622
>>Confiscate Anatu’s spear. It belongs in a museum.

Score!

>>274622
Grab it. Might come in handy as a bargaining chip.

And if not, well, it seems quite the effective weapon. And we should get better with spears anyway.

>>274622
>Confiscate Anatu’s spear. It belongs in a museum.
Can't dangle that sort of hook in front of me and expect me not to bite.

>>274622
>Confiscate Anatu’s spear. It belongs in a museum.
It's an asshole tax on Annatu.

>>274622
>>Confiscate Anatu’s spear. It belongs in a museum.

>Confiscate Anatu’s spear. It belongs in a museum.

Proof of our victory.

>>274632
...did'ja miss that his nickname is Wolf?

>>274650
Indeed.

>>274622
“It’s a two-century old relic.”

Nabbuth grunts without turning from his set course. “So am I,” he says, carrying her off into the mist.

Holy shit, he's over 200 years old? If a demon can live that long, doesn't that mean he's a pretty heavy hitter, power wise?

Plus, we should give the Stygian brothers Scott and Alan a heads up at some point to inform them that Nabbuth is still alive.

>>274622
>>Confiscate Anatu’s spear. It belongs in a museum.

who is Nabbuth again? I wanna say hes that cleric guy with the funky sombrero but i don't think that's right.

>>274736
Nabbuth is the guy in tweed that saved Annatu's sorry ass. Ulam'uberatu is our sombero guy.

>>274736
He's the first full demon we encountered, I think. He was right in front of us when we raged for the second time, and broke Rowans arm.

And he survived.

>>274736
Nabbuth is from the beginning for the quest. the first of Mekors croonies we took down.

>>274736
He's the firdt stygian encounter and the cause of sierra's second freakout.

Also, he's babysitting, it's obvious his main interest is to return her in one piece because her mom is his boss. She dies and he fucked up, she returns alive and she gets to feel the wrath of mommy, not him.

>>274763
>>274772
>>274782
>>274804
Oh right. Him.

>>274622
>Confiscate Anatu’s spear. It belongs in a museum.

A treasure this priceless belongs in a museum. Your museum. Also this counts as Anatu’s bitch tax, you know, for being a huge bitch. Even if a tactical withdrawal is hardly the time to be lugging around a two-handed polearm, you duck down as you pass by and snatch it up with your shadow-self.

It’s damn heavy. The weight of victory, you guess.

As you run, Tiger, Monster, and your Ashwight form up at your back. Overhead, your surviving steam serpents twist through the air. Sierra Beckhoff, Pokémon master. (-2 Stress: 53)

You don’t make it as far as you’d like before the mists begin thinning. You see confused soldiers on your flanks, great pockets of whom have managed to form up again.

But mostly it’s what in front of you that’s important. And in this case, it’s Rowan, Orias, and Wolfgang.

Wolf rushes forward. “Sierra! Is he alive?”

Rowan glides forward at his side, Aleopher drawn and ready to defend against anything. She’s not lit up with glory, but her wings and halo are out on display.

“I think so, get him off me,” you beg, ready to flop over. You just threw yourself full into a no-holds barred duel that pushed you to your limit. You’re starting to feel like you can throw yourself full into vomiting if this keeps up.

“Give him here,” says Orias. He as stoops down, and you execute a slick transfer, shoulder to shoulder.

Rowan bumps your non-injured shoulder with her fist. “Smooth operating,” she compliments. But then her eyes catch on something at your back, and her smile fades. “We’d better get to higher ground.”

>>274844

You turn to follow her gaze. Through the dissipating haze, past the Stygian soldiers, the white waves of the bay continue crashing up onto the rocky shore. But something’s there, along the water line. When the waters recede, they leave slimy things. Waterlogged and bloated. Vaguely humanoid figures.

An ear-splitting wail rises from the nearest rocky cliff. A barnacled limb the size of a sedan hefts itself over the precipice, running with seawater. Thousands of rubbery fingers wiggle around on the underside for a brief moment, before it slams itself tight to the ground. Another follows a second behind – the entire creature inches forward on its many little fingers.

Something of the pattern on the creature’s rough back, its slowly emerging structure, is ambiguously familiar to you. When you see the third limb and its bulk maneuver fully into sight, it clicks. The mottled, leathery skin, the brackish colors. It’s a bus-sized starfish.

You hear shouts of alarm from the Stygians as similar creatures start cresting the perimeter of the parade field.

>Wolf, get your dad out here!
>Wolf, can you take us all back the way we came? You know, Nightcrawler style?
>Fall back to higher ground.
>Offer emerald spear to Orias for now.
>What’s the exit plan?
>Huh. Crow dad wasn’t kidding.
>Other (?)

>>274852
>Huh. Crow dad wasn’t kidding.
>Wolf, can you take us all back the way we came? You know, Nightcrawler style?

>>274852
>Huh. Crow dad wasn’t kidding.
>What’s the exit plan?

>>274852
>Other (?)

Bavarian Fire Drill. Begin issuing commands to the Stygians. Form a firing line and slowly fall back to a defensive position.

>>274852
>Wolf, get your dad out here!
>Offer emerald spear to Orias for now.
>What’s the exit plan?

>>274852
>Wolf, can you take us all back the way we came? You know, Nightcrawler style?
Gotta go fast

>>274884
This is great. add it to my vote here >>274885

>>274884
Second

>>274852
>>274884

Agreed. Show the spear to assert authority.

>>274884
Unnatural Charm might help smooth things out with this.

>>274852
I'll back >>274884

>>274852
Could we attach the scope to our rifle and start laying down covering sniper fire while the Stygians regroup?

>>274884
To good not to try

>>274931

You don't have enough ammunition to make much difference.

Also, roll some dice your your commandan voice.

Rolled 62 (1d100)

>>274957

Rolled 12 (1d100)

>>274957

Rolled 47 (1d100)

>>274957

File: addwingsfin.png (44 KB, 304x300)

44 KB PNG

>>274957

*for your commandan voice

>>274964
bretty good

>>274964
SIERRA A LOUD

A

LOUD

File: burning determination.gif (1002 KB, 500x629)

1002 KB GIF

>>274964
Listen hear fukbois...

>>275003
They fear and respect deadly women

>>275023
If they obey and survive do we offer them amnesty in our fief?

File: 1390729448201.png (80 KB, 559x272)

80 KB PNG

>>274964
Ranthix might actually make a non-cruel smile at this turn of events. Think about it from his perspective, his pupil the heir to the Imperiate beats the leader of an invading force and the SEIZES COMMAND of that force to attack another invader.

At this point we've shamed Anatu on many, many levels.

You cup your hands to your mouth. “Hey, idiots!” you shout in Heltic, your voice carrying over the windy clearing. “Shoot the things! Shoot ‘em!”

Your prompting galvanizes some semblance of order amongst the troops. Lieutenants take charge of their men, firing lines organize, and volleys of gunfire crackle in the distance. Starfish screech plaintively as their thick hides are peppered with .60 caliber long rifle shot.

You guess Stygian dudes feel more confident when dangerous, angry women are yelling at them what to do.

“Come on Sierra, quit playing legion and move,” says Rowan, grabbing your shoulder and pulling you on your way.

You scramble up the hill after Orias and Wolfgang, Rowan bringing up the rear. “Crow dad wasn’t kidding,” you puff between breaths. “Wolf, can you take us all back the way we came? You know, Nightcrawler style?”

“Don’t you know it,” he calls back to you, not so much hiking up the steep slope as he is flitting from ledge to ledge with strange, fluid strides. Stupid cool space magic.

Your party crests the ridge, rejoining the thul’tal, Reeber, and Harvey.

Reeber is very happy you’re okay, and jumps up to nuzzle your neck. You give him a hug, but you can’t afford dog luxuries at this moment. “Down boy,” you order.

He complies.

Ranthix stomps up to you, scoped rifle in one hand. “THE DULE WAS A RUSE TO TIRE YOU BEFORE THE TRUE STRUGGLE,” he says. “WE MUST LEAVE THIS PLACE IMMEDIATELY.”

Harvey and Xathix survey the growing carnage below, chiefly on the side of the fish things. The Stygian footmen have formed a series of square formations. The march steadily back the way they came, shooting and bayonetting anything that impedes their path. Several soldiers cluster around Anatu, bearing her up while Nabbuth barks commands to the officers.

“Cool,” says Harvey, his expression giving off just the barest hint of interest.

“A competent display of martial order,” Xathix agrees. “We should do likewise.”

>>275256

“Everybody gather round,” says Wolf, raising his staff into the air.

Everyone presses in to get a hand on the mage. You’re too rain-soaked and beat to bother trying to get fancy or romantic or anything like that. You settle on getting a good grip on the back of his jacket.

You feel a compression of power. The air tightens, and tightens, and then explodes outward like a rubberband.

The whiplash of force knocks you back like a bowling pin. Limbs and bodies go flying everywhere. You tumble over the hard ground for a few feet before splaying out on your back, facing the sky.

Head still spinning, you push yourself to your feet with your wings and try to get your bearing. Most everyone else is in a similar state of disarray, save Ranthix, Rowan, and Orias. Ranthix exactly where he was before, though his scowl has intensified. Rowan managed to drift perfectly to her feet thanks to her magic angel sword. Orias somehow settled himself even with Crowther on his back, and pushes back to standing out of a deep predatorial crouch.

You hurry to Wolfgang, who sits up with a dazed expression. You pull him back to his feet, him using his staff to steady himself. “Damn,” he says, holding a hand to his head.

“What happened?” you ask.

“There’s a barrier. Interference,” he says, recovering from the confusion. “I lost hold when I tried to warp us back to shore.”

“So we’re trapped,” says Orias, his expression dark.

Wolf shakes his head, his eyes narrowed sharply. “No. With how the interference was shaped, it was just too much weight,” he said. “I can still take you, just one at a time.”

>>275261

“Well, what are you waiting for?” asks Rowan, waving her hand in a get-along-with-it motion.

“Point,” says Xanissil, guiding Orias to Wolfgang. “Your father first. He is not well.”

Orias shrugs off Crowther, sitting him down at Wolf’s knee. “Good to see you alive, old fox,” he says dully, patting the unconscious Crowther on the cheek.

“I’ll be back in a second,” says Wolf. He grabs his father and vanishes with a loud snap.

“So...” says Harvey, swinging an arm back and forth.

Ranthix leans over the nearest cliff edge and glowers at what he sees. “THE TIDE SWELLS,” he calls out. “THEY COME.”

You join him in looking down. The parade ground, now clear of Stygians, is swamped with miscellaneous sea life of disproportionate sizes. You can’t even see the island beneath them. Reeber pokes his head out by your side and growls at the threat.

Wolfgang reappears, sans father. “Who’s next?” he asks, extending a hand.

>Whatever you’re doing over there, hurry it up Wolf.
>I’m out. (Leave)
>No rush. Take your time.
>Volunteer somebody (?)
>Well at least they’ve got a long way to climb.
>That’s a whole lot of fish down there.
>Other (?)

>>275267
>>I’m out. (Leave)

>>275267
>>That’s a whole lot of fish food down there.
>No rush. Take your time.

>>275267
>>Volunteer somebody (?)
Noncombatants out first. So, Moriah?

>>275277

Moriah was never in this mess to begin with.

>>275283
Right sorry. Orias then.

>>275267
We'll be the last one to leave.

>>275267
>Volunteer somebody (?)
Make Harvey give us the explosives before he bails.

>>275267
obvious choice is reeber

>>275283
Could we get a list of all people here?

>>275267
>No rush. Take your time.
>Volunteer somebody (?)
Rowan. Isaac would shit a brick if something to her

>>275286
Orias has that massive dragon gun. Harvey went for antipersonel. Might be best to square away him first.

>>275267
>>No rush. Take your time.

Harvey can skedadle with Wolfie this round. He's got hot elf waifu to take care of.

>>275298
Okay, I'll change vote.
>>275283
Harvey out next.

File: SierraHD.png (294 KB, 810x1012)

294 KB PNG

>>275294

-Rowan
-Harvey
-Orias
-Ranthix
-Xanthix
-Xanissil
-You
-Reeber

>>275310
Reebs next

>>275310
Probably should extract Reebs among the first.

>>275267
Harvey, Rowan, Reeber, Us, Orias, Xanis, Xanth, Ranthix

>>275310
Once enemies reach mid range to close range, just before melee, Orias should bail. Once Xansil exhausts her blood magic, she should bail. Xanthix and Ranthix and Rowan are CQC monsters, so they'll bail in order of injuries recieved. Reebes goes next.

>>275310
Reebs won't be a help here, he goes first.

>>275267
>Other (?)
Maybe drain a little power from everyone as they bug out with Wolfgang?

>>275310
Can we drain power from who's leaving before the fight?

>>275334
>>275310
This is an excellent idea. Supporting.

>>275321
Actually, on second thought put Rowan after Orias.

>>275310
Is the prison still wired to blow?

“I volunteer Reeber,” you say, throwing your dog at him.

Wolf is not sure how to interpret this turn of events. “Sierra, you’re bleeding.”

“I bleed all the time from all kinds of places,” you say, squinting at him.

Rowan makes a face. “Ew.”

You ignore her, even if it is pretty funny. “Stop arguing. No dog left behind,” you order.

Begrudgingly, Wolf grabs Reeber by the horns and vanishes again, hellhound in tow. Reeber is not happy to leave you, but it is his duty as family dog not to die. You hate those kinds of books.

“Speaking of dogs, Harvey, you’re next,” you say.

Harvey frowns, as if deep in thought. “But I have wings now,” he says, stretching out the wings in question.

Orias slaps him over the head. “That’s the worst idea,” he says. “In this storm you’d need to be an expert flier to navigate, and that’s if Hassatur didn’t prepare a way to strike you out of the sky as soon as you were over water.”

Ranthix’s voice draws the Belphegoran’s attentions. “ORIAS, I NEED YOUR DRAGON GUN. ONE OF THEM’S FASTER THAN THE OTHERS.”

Orias takes leave, unslinging his rifle and joining Ranthix by the side.

Out of curiosity, you join them. Indeed, one of the starfish is much, much faster than all of the others. It scurries up the side of the cliff face like some kind of massive detached hand. On its current course, it’ll overtake the top in just a few seconds.

Orias levels his rifle and fires. The resulting thunderclap matches the sound of the storm. One of the gigantic fish’s limbs explodes off, and it flops back down the rocks. Its seawater-spewing corpse smashes several of its lesser brethren and knocks several more off the incline on the way down.

The hunter doesn’t even watch the result of his work. He’s already pouring another load of powder down the barrel, shielding the dry mixture with one huge leathery wing. Wings. Orias has ditched his jacket and glamor, revealing his broad set of wings. They’re black as night and way better than yours.

>>275428

Gunfire sounds from Xathix’s position at the rear. You are distracted from wings to look. He unloads a full magazine around the corner of the main cellblock building, one burst at a time. What he’s shooting at, you can’t see. “I spy Mermenes circling round the back,” he bellows.

Heh. He learned English from you. You know, a little bit of it.

Rowan speeds to his side, swinging her sword around in a flourish. She evaluates the situation at a glance. “Save your bullets, they’re not worth it,” she says. “I’ll smite them down when they get closer.”

“This is escalating quickly,” you observe, unsure where you should be standing.

Harvey is right there with you. “I know that feeling,” he notes, flipping his assault rifle to automatic fire. “Anyway, since I’m going next, you want me to toss out all these grenades I brought, or do you want them?”

A question for the ages.

>Give em.
>You probably know what to do with them better than I do, honestly. Go wild.
>Could you set off the explosives around the island? I bet everywhere’s flooded with Yellow’s things by now.
>What I really want is your soul. Gimme. (Drain power)
>Other (?)

>>275435
>>You probably know what to do with them better than I do, honestly. Go wild.
>What I really want is your soul. Gimme. (Drain power)

File: tmp_23411-146534312436213(...).jpg (223 KB, 1920x2285)

223 KB JPG

>>275428
>They’re black as night and way better than yours.
Rub it in, why don't you.

>>275435
>You probably know what to do with them better than I do, honestly. Go wild.
>Other
Xanissil's next out.

>>275435
>You probably know what to do with them better than I do, honestly. Go wild.
>Could you set off the explosives around the island? I bet everywhere’s flooded with Yellow’s things by now.

>>275435
>Mermenes
I always read this as mer-memes

>>275435
>You probably know what to do with them better than I do, honestly. Go wild.
>Could you set off the explosives around the island? I bet everywhere’s flooded with Yellow’s things by now.

>>275443
They'll develop, right guys?

>>275435
>You probably know what to do with them better than I do, honestly. Go wild.

>>275435
>Give em.

>>275450
>I always read this as mer-memes

As long as you loathe them you can read it as whatever you'd like.

File: tmp_23411-020840eba34abdd(...).jpg (80 KB, 460x709)

80 KB JPG

>>275467
But I love fishpeople!

>>275496
Is it because they taste like fish, yet talk like people?

>>275514
Half of all normal people do that already tho'.

>>275435
Can we mist clone wolfgang to speed things up?

File: Eyebrows.webm (62 KB, 480x270)

62 KB WEBM

>>275523

To tell the truth, you’re not so good with explosives. You rely more on your innate pyrotechnics. “Eh. You probably know what to do with them better than I do, honestly. Go wild.”

Harvey shrugs. “Sure.” He tosses a grenade over to Rowan, unprimed.

She snatches it out of the air, pops it, and throws it on. A sharp blast shakes the air a second later, accompanied by the brackish taste of sea people blood.

Without so much as looking as guessing where good grenade spots would be, Harvey proceeds to toss a grenade out in most directions that matter. He shouts “Fire in the hole!” or “Heads up!” with each one. They fall down over the precipices and burst, no doubt fragging crowds of Old Yeller’s minions with shrapnel.

Explosives discarded, Harvey steps up on Xanissil’s side, where she watches with wide eyes at the incredible density of creatures clambering straight up the rock. “I had no expectation for this plane to foster such terrors,” she says.

“Yeah,” says Harvey, rocking back the action of his rifle, “it’s like this all the time.” He peers over the edge and greets the encroaching mass with a spray of gunfire. Within moments he burns through the entire magazine, only to replace it in an instant. He continues firing almost without pause.

Wolfgang reappears in a snap, shaking out his wrists and readjusting his grip on the staff. “Sierra,” he says, beckoning to you.

“Hold up,” you say grabbing Harvey by the tactical vest and dragging him to Wolf instead. “Here.”

“Hi,” says Harvey. He stops, realizing he has a couple more bullets left. Your brother zeroes in on some distant target on the parade ground and fires off one last burst. “All right, I’m done,” he says, surrendering to your boyfriend.

“There there,” you say, patting him on the back and siphoning away a bit of his power. (+6 PP: 17)

That actually manages to upset him. “Hey,” he says, sounding betrayed.

>>275603

“Complain later,” says Wolf. He lays a hand on Harvey’s shoulder and teleports away, vanishing instantly.

“ANOTHER FAST ONE,” reports Ranthix.

Orias narrows his eyes as he fits a heavy slug into his rifle barrel and taps it down with a ram rod. “Almost ready.”

Ranthix lets out an incomprehensible growl of impatience. “FINE!” He drops his machine gun and lifts a multi-barreled grenade launcher out from his duffel bag.

“Sierra,” calls Xanissil, “could you have a look at something for me?”

You hurry over, rifle raised. Behind you, rhythmic booms of impacting grenades signal Ranthix’s repelling volley. “What?” you ask.

She points a claw at the base of the cliff. Far below, down on the Mermene-spattered causeway, stands a tall figure in a grey hoodie. Aquatic creatures rush past him in their hurry to get to the cliff face. They have a lot of lost time to make up for, given all their peers Harvey scythed down. The strange but familiar figure ignores them and peers up at you, his face covered by a pale, stylistic mask.

“How do we address that one again?” she asks, her expression pulled into a concerned frown.

>I don’t know. Shoot him, I guess.
>Depends. Do you think he has blood?
>Weird mask guy, meet weird spear thing. (Chuck Izhowak spear at him)
>Well, if we knock him back in the water, I can keep him there.
>Hold on a sec. (Examine pallid mask with spectral scope)
>Isn’t he supposed to be off messing with Isaac and Roger?
>Other (?)

>>275610
>>Isn’t he supposed to be off messing with Isaac and Roger?
>Well, if we knock him back in the water, I can keep him there.
DO NOT LOOK USING SCOPE

>>275610
>Depends. Do you think he has blood?
>I don’t know. Shoot him, I guess.

DO NOT, repeat DO NOT do the following
>Hold on a sec. (Examine pallid mask with spectral scope)

>>275610
>>Isn’t he supposed to be off messing with Isaac and Roger?

>>275616
>Sanity damage
We must look!!!!

>>275630
shut up, you.

>>275610
>Hold on a sec. (Examine pallid mask with spectral scope)
>Isn’t he supposed to be off messing with Isaac and Roger?

File: tmp_23411-it hungers2101882976.gif (1.92 MB, 380x238)

1.92 MB GIF

>>275610
Oh fuck, not him again.
>Well, if we knock him back in the water, I can keep him there.
>Other: hurl looted spear at him

>>275610
>I don’t know. Shoot him, I guess.

>>275630
I'm excited about getting back below 90.

>>275610
>Isn’t he supposed to be off messing with Isaac and Roger?
>Well, if we knock him back in the water, I can keep him there.

>>275610
>Well, if we knock him back in the water, I can keep him there.

>Hold on a sec. (Examine pallid mask with spectral scope)

>>275610
>Well, if we knock him back in the water, I can keep him there.

Roll dice for knocking him in water and keeping him there.

Rolled 24 (1d100)

>>275686
Rollan

Rolled 78 (1d100)

>>275686
Watch this really high roll.

>>275695

I've seen higher.

Rolled 16 (1d100)

>>275686

Rolled 48 (1d100)

>>275686

File: 1453747951436.png (76 KB, 500x500)

76 KB PNG

>>275699

File: Sierra.png (107 KB, 1270x504)

107 KB PNG

We'll cut it here for now. I'll see when my new schedule opens up next week and let you guys know the next thread time on twitter.

As a parting gift, I leave you with the first test image appearance of Sierra, from a time before I ever considered running this quest.

>>275700
Should suffice

>>275716
>We had wings

>>275716
That's fucking great.

>>275716
Cute

>>275716
thanks for running.

>>275716
Ayo
>runs with gangs
Hol up
>get adopted and breaks down crying on day one
You be sayin
>freaks out a wrecks adoptive sister
We
>almost drowns in a pool
Had
>sees individual leaves on trees
Wings n shit?

>>275716
Ew she got ugly.

>>276121
Probably hjust the artstyle, if she supposed to look like ranthix does in his fancy drawing, a feminine version of that would probably be pretty in its own way, bet most fa/tg/uys would fuck demon form Xanissil raw in a heartbeat.

>>276652
Plus our face still has skin.

>>276121
I'd hit it.

>>275716
Thanks for running

>>275610
>Orias narrows his eyes as he fits a heavy slug into his rifle barrel and taps it down with a ram rod. “Almost ready.”

This is starting to be a constant thing. Perhaps Orias should consider having a second Dragon gun and bunch of retainers reloading for him so he could take a second shot while the first gun is being reloaded.

>>276926
Or discover preloaded cartriges

>>276926
>>276960
Halth really needs enchanters who have skill ranks in modern gunsmithing.

If he ends up acquiring enough hellforged weapons, which we can make sure of, Harvey's probably end up as the Q of the family.

>>275428
>“I bleed all the time from all kinds of places,” you say, squinting at him.
You're disgusting Languid.

>>277485
I thought it was funny