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The world was once ours and we shared it equally. The forest was our domain and it stretched between all four corners of the world. We lived in peace and upheld the balance. There was death, but no suffering. It was all part of the circle of life. However, all that changed when the creatures with the Red Flower came to this world. Humans, the Guardians called them. They came in the night and burned down our forests, killed our guardians, raped and pillaged our lands. There was no end to their crusade against us and no reason behind their cruelty.

We, the creatures of the forest, were brought close to extinction before our salvation came: The World Tree, the center and the roots of our Forest that once spanned the world, called us all back to it. Within its borders the last Guardian, the Great Horned Owl, placed three barrier spells that would keep the Red Flower out and whoever wielded it. Before he fell into a deep slumber from which there would be no awakening, he placed the new role of Guardianship upon the red-eyed Awoo Race. They would guard this new forest realm behind walls of magic until the end of time.

After three centuries of peace, the first of the three barriers were broken and we received a grim reminder that the Humans would not stop until all Creatures of the Forest lay dead.

You are Lin, a 17 year old Awoo girl that dreams of becoming the Strongest Guardian and assuming the mantle of the Hero that will save the Forest Realm and all those who live beneath the World Tree!

____

[STATS]
>Combat: ++
>Social:
>Knowledge: ++

[Traits/Perks]
>[Childish Energy]: You have an unusual amount of stamina and don't get tired easily from physical activities.
>[You Control It]: In a moment of great fear, you persevered without your Guardian Blade. Your mind can now endure more and you may enter fights/battles without your Blade by your side.
____

Twitter: @ShonenQM
Last Thread: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/282585/
Archive: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Awoo
____

Last Time on Hero Guardian Quest: Hao Sing descended into the cavern with his men to slay the Wild Beast, and Lin and her Team of Guardians completed their first task and soon found themselves in the same cave as the Wild beast and the Humans. The bloody outcome lead to the death of a certain character and Team 2 found themselves face to face with the Grim Knight.
>>
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>>298190

Aside from the pouring rain outside the cave, everything goes silent the moment the five Awoo Guardians lay their eyes upon the headless body of the Wild Beast that was supposed to be too strong for a simple Human to slay and the figure towering next to it. The black clad demon in human form stands tall with his iron slab of a sword that’s coated in the beast’s blood. A lost Guardian Blade tamed by a Human no less.

The Grim Knight throws a glance at the tattered body of his former Knight-Lieutenant before staring down upon the party of Guardians in front of him with his faceless steel helmet

Everyone’s on edge. You and Heim are battle-ready, Jin can hold his weapon, Mei can fight for a short while with her current head wound, but Kun is still out for the count. Four versus one. When you say it like that, the odds seem to be in your favor, but that’s just false hope. This man single handedly slew the only hope the Ichigo Company had of scattering the Northern Legions and thinning out their numbers before the actual assault on their main encampment. A plan ruined by a single fucking Human.

“This is a fight you cannot win, Lin.” Your Guardian Blade urge you to flee, but you can’t. Not at once. Carrying Kun would slow down the two Guardians carrying him and sacrificing him is NOT an option. You clench your hands around the grip of your sword, staring back at the motionless and faceless demon.

What’s he waiting for?

Everyone is awaiting your orders, but no one dares to speak up, too afraid to trigger an attack from the real monster casting a shadow over them.

>Stand and fight alone to let your team flee.
>Order someone to flee with Kun and let the rest stay and fight to buy them some time.
>Order everyone to stay and fight. You won’t be able to escape this Human. He needs to die before you and your team can be safe.
>Write-in.
>>
>>298207
>>Order someone to flee with Kun and let the rest stay and fight to buy them some time.
>Heim
>>
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Well, I guess I'll let the thread sit for a while and see when everyone pours back in.
>>
>>298207
>Order someone to flee with Kun and let the rest stay and fight to buy them some time.
>Heim
>>
>>298207
>Order someone to flee with Kun and let the rest stay and fight to buy them some time.
>Jin
>>
>>298251
He needs to be alive to continue the mission should we bite it.
>>
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>>298213
>>298246
>>298251
There we go.

Writing.
>>
Wait, no, I need rolls!

Roll me 3d10.
Best of 3.
DC: 6
>Combat [++] = +1 to all dices.
>>
Rolled 8, 10, 3 = 21 (3d10)

>>298263
>>
Rolled 1, 3, 6 = 10 (3d10)

>>298263
>>
>>298267
>>298269
DC reached!

Writing.
>>
Rolled 8, 9, 10 = 27 (3d10)

>>298277
Hey we get one more roll Awoo!
>>
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>>298287
After the DC is reached, all you're rolling for is either a critical success or a critical failure. I won't stop you from rolling all the same, I just announced it.
>>
>>298295
so we get a crit?
>>
>>298307
Rolling 10/10/10 is a Critical Success.
Rolling 1/1/1 is a Critical Failure.
>>
>>298207
>Order someone to flee with Kun and let the rest stay behind to buy some time.
>Heim
I figure Heim is a tad more important than Mei and Jin, and would prolly go into a rage at some point and fuck everything up. Best case scenario, we all get out. More likely scenario? Comrades die. Worst scenario? TPK, we are now Chao, the worst Awoo.
>>
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>>298207
>Order Heim to flee with Kun and let the rest stay and fight to buy them some time.

Staring back defiantly at the Grim Knight, you feel a mix of fear and determination when you order Heim to grab Kun, to run back through the cave, and then to meet you where the team went through the barrier. This time he complies without a word and turns about to fetch Kun. The second he grabs hold of his wounded comrade and commences his march back through the cave, he hears the echo of slow steel footsteps from behind. The Grim Knight is heading inside the cavern. The pair of Awoo will be slower than two holding the wounded Guardian, but Heim puts all his strength and endurance into it. He can’t fail his Captain or his team!

Mei and Jin find their place next to you, with their Guardian Weapons at the ready. Your palms feel sweaty, the air is wet, and your every muscle is tearing at their seams. You’re not ready to face an opponent that may very well mean the end of your dream to become the Strongest Guardian, but here you are!

“I can’t find a chink in his armor.” Jin mutters irritably just loud enough for the three of you to hear, as if the Human could understand him.

“Disarm him?” Mei suggests, gripping her blade harder as her gaze never falters from the approaching demonic human.

“Against that-- ‘sword’? Impossible. You won’t get within range without being sliced into pieces.” Jin counters. With no real plan between them, the three Awoo Blood Guardians enters the bout of a lifetime with the Grim Knight the second he comes within reach to swing his iron slab at them.

The sword crashes into the stone floor, missing its intended target but sends rocks to the sides in return. You and your Guardians dodge both steel and rocks all the same as you try to get closer to him to deal some damage. Mei is the first to go in for a cut, but as her blade slice across the human’s armored left arm, it leaves nothing but a small scar upon the black steel. She’s met with a backhand across the face, sending her reeling like a boneless fish to the stone floor behind her enemy. He spins about, swinging his sword horizontally almost as fast the Human leader you fought before.

The two still conscious Awoo Guardians dodge the giant sword in time to see it embed itself into the nearby wall, shaking the foundation of the cave for a second time since the wild beast still drew breath.

>Sign for Jin to go get Mei and make a run for it while you attack the Human.
>Sign for Jin to go in for an attack with you.
>Write-in.
>>
>>298370
>>Sign for Jin to go get Mei and make a run for it while you attack the Human.
>>
>>298370
>Sign for Jin to go in for an attack with you.
>>
>>298370
>Sign for Jin to go in for an attack with you.
>>
Rolled 7, 5, 4 = 16 (3d10)

>>298397
>>298428
>>298431
Roll for Combat!
Rolling for Jin.

Roll me 3d10.
Best of 3.
DC: 6
>Combat [++] = +1 to all dices.
>>
Rolled 10, 7, 3 = 20 (3d10)

>>298439
>>
Rolled 7, 7, 8 = 22 (3d10)

>>298439
>>
>>298448
>>298450
DC reached!

Writing.
>>
>>298370
>Sign for Jin to go in for an attack with you.

Jin throws a gaze straight back at you and quickly notice the sign you’ve made with your hand. You’ve both been taught that it means ‘attack’. The two of you simultaneously thrust your weapons upwards at the Human whose height towers above yours. A grunt emits from inside your head as the two Guardian Blades crash into the black armor, causing an instant spark before they drift off past the man’s armored shoulders. The attack only left more vain scars upon the armor, but no real damage to it or the man wielding it.

Instead of punishing your failed attack, the Grim Knight puts his focus on pulling out his own sword from the wall. You and Jin take this short moment to rush past him to flank your enemy, but by the time you get there, his sword is already out. He spins about and the iron slab comes in full swing heading right down for you. Luckily you’re able to take a small brunt of the force with your blade, causing a pained roar to erupt in your mind before the giant sword crashes into the floor yet again.

However, Jin isn’t fast enough time this and a flying piece of stone hits him straight across the left eye, sending him staggering into the nearest wall.

He’s still up and conscious, but his left eye is torn asunder and blood trails its way down his cheek and chin. His jaw is clenched and you can almost swear you spot fangs when he growls like a ferocious animal and bares his teeth at the Grim Knight. There’s no response from the Human when he pulls his sword from the jack in the cave floor, readying himself for yet another attack.

“We can’t win this! You need to flee!” The voice of your Guardian Blade screams at you, but it’s hard to ignore Jin’s newfound thirst for blood and Mei’s still unconscious body. Although hope is fading and you’re running out of options, you stand firm with sword in hand. It’s the only thing you can do to try and save Heim, Kun, Jin, and Mei. You swore you wouldn’t let them down! You won’t break that promise!

>Continued
>>
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>>298555

While the Grim Knight raise his sword and Jin prepares to leap straight into the Human, you catch something in your peripheral: Five Awoo clad in red are rushing straight at fight from the exit of the cave, everyone brandishing their various Guardian Blades.

Team 4!

The Grim Knight take notice of them immediately and swings his sword to his left, aiming to cut the group in half. They all avoid the grim slab of iron and go in for several attacks. You watch this unfold right before a hand lands on your shoulder. It’s the Captain of Team 4, although his name escapes you now.

“Get your Guardian under control and fetch your unconscious one before you flee, Raubtier! We’ll hold him off for you!” The other Captain orders you before he too joins the fray. Not a moment of bought time is wasted when you rush to Mei, hoist her up on your back no matter how heavy she is with what strength your adrenaline grants you, and then you throw a glance over at Jin. He’s already out of his bloodthirsty state after watching Team 4 barge in and is high on your tail as the three of you flee the cave, out into the heavy rain.

>Head straight for the other cave entrance. Maybe you can catch up to Heim and Kun before they leave it?
>Head straight where you told Heim to get Kun and wait for you.
>Write-in.
>>
>>298560
>Head straight for the other cave entrance. Maybe you can catch up to Heim and Kun before they leave it?
>>
>>298560
>Head straight for the other cave entrance. Maybe you can catch up to Heim and Kun before they leave it?
>>
>>298560
>Head straight for the other cave entrance. Maybe you can catch up to Heim and Kun before they leave it?
>>
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Rolled 52 (1d100)

>>298569
>>298572
>>298721
A decision has been reached.

Writing.
>>
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>>298560
>Head straight for the other cave entrance. Maybe you can catch up to Heim and Kun before they leave?

The thought strikes you while you struggle to leap through the forest with Mei on your back. The one-eyed Jin is following your tail, always throwing looks behind him as if he’s waiting for either Team 4 or the Grim Knight to catch up. You’re not so hopeful or cautious in your attempt to get as far away from that cavern as possible. Shifting course with the next leap, Jin quickly catch up to you in the trees while you continue between stones along the way.

“Why are we heading back to the cave’s entrance?” He almost shouts down at you, throwing his entire body from one thick branch to another, “We should take a route around this entire area. That Human might have placed more guards by the other entrance.”

“That’s exactly why we’re are heading there. If there are guards there, Heim and Kun will be in trouble!” Your answer shuts him up when he remembers that Kun was wounded and unconscious the last time he saw his twin brother.

It doesn’t take as long as it took you to find the second entrance to get back to the original one with your still relevant sense of direction through the thick autumn forest. Upon reaching it, Jin is proven wrong: There’s not a single human in sight close to the entrance or around it when he went to check for himself.

By the time the two of you are about to leave for the barrier, certain that the others have left, you spot two figures leaving the cave’s exit. Both are conscious, but one is clearly supporting the other’s wounded stride. Heim and Kun!

They’re alive.

You give way to a relieved sigh and with a leap after Jin, Team 2 is reunited.

“By the tree!” Kun immediately pushes Heim away and wobbly embraces his brother in a hug. Jin returns the embrace and despite his obvious pain, he can’t help but laugh at the fact that his older twin brother still draws breath. That you all still draw breath. You share a silent nod with Heim, both of you exhausted but unscathed thus far.

Mei remains unconscious throughout the reunion and the journey to temporary safety.

>Continued
>>
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>>298852

The first light of morning softly pulls you out from a dream you'll never remember and it near blinds you when your eyes open to the world and yet another day. It’s still somewhat dark, but the sun’s rays of light are slowly making their way across the autumn forest of the North. You rise and stretch your arms and body, filling your lungs with the fresh semi-cold air. Taking a glance to your right, Heim is still fast asleep, Mei is sitting in a corner, tinkering with something, Jin is off to get breakfast no doubt, and Kun is sitting by the the edge of the wall cave you all found 4 days ago. It’s neatly hidden from ground sight behind a couple of thick trees filled with coloured leaves.

You’ve spent the days letting your team heal and rest while you and Jin have been planning on how to draw out and assassinate the Grim Knight without coming in contact with the main encampment. So far, you haven’t made much progress, but at least your team is refreshed and healed up more than enough.

>Bother Mei.
>Wake Heim.
>Talk with Kun.
>Write-in.
>>
>>298856
>>Bother Mei.
>>
>>298856
>Talk with Kun
>>
>>298856
>Bother Mei.
>>
>>298860
>>298872
>>298878
You want to bother Mei.

Writing.
>>
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>>298856
>Bother Mei

You won’t bother waking up Heim when the sun will do that for you, and Kun seems to be enjoying his quiet moment by the edge, so that leaves you with Mei. You can’t say you’re curious about what she’s tinkering with, but like you’ve stated, it beats whatever you could talk about with the boys at the moment.

“Whatcha got there?” Mei jumps at your question, hiding whatever she was holding onto behind her back facing the wall when you take a seat on a rock on the opposite side of her.

“N-nothing, Captain.” She stammers into a mutter behind her scarf, obviously hiding something. It has caught your attention and curiosity at this point, but pressing the issue might be an uncomfortable experience for the both of you.

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely” She offers a weak smile, pressing her back against the wall. She seems more coy and shy than her usual Bitch-self, so there must be something, but maybe it’s not for your eyes and ears?

>Press the issue further. Find out what she’s hiding.
>Ignore it. Ask her about something else. (What?)
>Admit defeat and leave her alone to tinker with whatever it is she has.
>>
>>298944
>Press the issue further. Find out what she’s hiding.
>>
>>298944
>>Press the issue further. Find out what she’s hiding.
not too nosy though, just try a leading statement like "oh, a gift from your boyfriend?" then pause to see how flustered she gets, depending on her reaction we either press further (if its not related to romance) or drop the subject (if it does seem to be romance related)
>>
>>298944
>Press the issue further. Find out what she’s hiding.
>>
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>>298962
>>298971
>>298992
Pressing the issue!

Roll 3d10
Best of 3.
DC: 4
>>
Rolled 5, 8, 5 = 18 (3d10)

>>299015
>>
Rolled 1, 7, 6 = 14 (3d10)

>>299015
>>
>>299017
>>299029
DC has been reached.
>>
Rolled 1, 7, 8 = 16 (3d10)

>>299015
>>
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>>298944
>Press the issue.

“Oh, I see…” You drift off, playfully pretending to know exactly what she’s hiding. Mei narrows her eyes, setting her gaze upon you.

“What?” She inquires, her nervous tone ever present while you slowly swing from side to side, trying to catch a glance behind her back.

“It’s something from your boyfriend, isn’t it?” The playful remark gives you a full-frontal view of Mei blushing for the first time in your presence. She hides half her face behind her red scarf and shakes her head in silence before your eyes lock again. She eventually sighs and brings out what she has been tinkering with and hiding all this time. It turns out to be three small, yet beautiful flowers of purple, white, and red, with their stems twisted together neatly. It appears a three-way flower blooming with colours. Her hand stretches outwards to you.

“I wanted to thank you for, you know.” Her gaze leaves you and is cast upon the stone floor, “Jin told me that you carried me out of there. I thanked him, but I didn’t know how to thank you, Rau-- Lin.” She corrects herself, painting a smile upon your lips.

“You don’t have to thank me, Mei. Anyone of us would have done the same and you would do the same for me.” You accept the gift and the two of you share a small moment that might bloom, just like these flowers, into a strong friendship.

Eventually you pull yourself away from the conversation you had with Mei and find yourself wondering where Jin is. It’s been 2 hours since first light and he still hasn’t returned. Heim is still asleep and Kun is now sitting inside the cave again, seemingly talking with his Guardian weapon with a low tone.

>Go talk with Kun.
>Wake up Heim.
>Go scout for Jin.
>Write-in.
>>
>>299125
>Wake up Heim.
>>
>>299125
>>Wake up Heim.
>>
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We're pretty much grinding to a halt tonight. Going to call it for now and write a new update in a few hours. Might be better then. See you.
>>
>>299125
>Wake up Heim.
>>
>>299125
>Wake up Heim.
>>
>>299125
>Go talk with Kun.

Honestly surprised at out own lack of fatal casualties. (Poor Team 4).
>>
>>299125
>>Go scout for Jin.
>>
>>299125
>Wake up Heim

Jin will return soon, you’re sure of it, and Kun is busy with another topic at hand. All your options boil down to the one still sleeping. Heim hasn’t been himself ever since he lost control while your team was scouting the main human encampment up here in the North. After the incident he’s just been following the team’s flow without much say in the matter. Maybe he’s trying to collect himself. Seeing a Human again, live in the flesh, in front of him after what happened 3 years ago must have triggered something fierce within him. You can’t blame him too much for his hatred of them, but when he goes and jeopardizes not only your mission, but also weeks, if not months of planning on the Ichigo Company and the Blood Guardians side, it’s a problem.

Then again, why did Rushi send fresh Guardians like us to scout out the camp if a misstep could risk an important plan? It doesn’t make sense…

The thought of kicking him out of his sleep puts a smirk across your lips, but it would be too cruel even as a joke. You take a knee next to him and shake some life back into his cold body. Despite the semi-cold weather and no fire to heat the cave, all of the Awoo Guardians of Team 2 have slept well. Your thoughts return to Team 4, but if they haven’t tracked you down by now, they’re gone. You’ve already mourned them and they knew what they signed up for when they joined the Blood Guardians. Poor choice of words on your end, but out here you cannot allow weakness. Especially not in the face of Humans.

Heim wakes up with a groan, stretching his body over the stone floor and yawns before his eyes truly open to the light of day and the sight of you. For the first time in the past few days, Heim smiles, but it fades as fast as it came to be.

“I’m sorry.”

Here’s the part where you ask ‘for what?’ but you already know what he’s apologizing for and what he has been fretting over ever since you all escaped from the Grim Knight. However, you can’t get a word out.

“I’ve been nothing but trouble since we passed through the barrier.” He takes a pause, searching your eyes for a hint of judgement. Upon finding none, he continues: “By the Tree, I’ve been treating you like shit for the last 3 years and you still haven’t punched me for it. I would have punched me.” He tries to sneak in a jest and it gives you comfort. At least he’s back to his old self again. You punch his arm jokingly, but the two of you laugh it off instead.

“We’ve both been through some horrible shit, Heim, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stop valuing whatever friendship we have, you know? The few friends I have are my pillars, even if I sound pretentious saying that out loud.” You share a chuckle, both parties smiling yet again.

>Continued
>>
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>>301116

“Do you still think you made the right choice convincing Ming to not join us?” The question leaves Heim out of nowhere and it’s not something you’ve been thinking about. Ever since the two of you parted the night before you became a Blood Guardian, you haven’t spoken with her in any way. However despite that, after seeing what happened to Team 4 you’re certain that this life doesn’t suit her. Ming appears a delicate flower more than anything else, even if she has proven otherwise in the Guardian Trials.

“I--”

A large shockwave from outside the cave cuts you off and within seconds the four young Awoo find themselves at the edge, staring down at the scene unfolding before them through the leaves and branches. Jin is in a hunched position, exhausted but unharmed with his Guardian Blade in hands, and his opponent stands ever the towering demon.

How did he find us?! Did Jin seek him out on his own?!

Out here, you cannot escape my eyes, little one. - The cruel one from before has finally found its voice outside of your dreams and visions. Can it track you?! Your clenched teeth are evidence enough of your panic, but upon taking a breather and unsheathing ýour trusted Guardian Blade, the panic washes away. Whatever the voice is, you will need to speak with someone about it if you survive this. If it can track you, it puts everything at risk: Your team, other Guardians, and any plans you’re part of now or in the future with the Blood Guardians! You can’t allow that!

Your other team members move without orders. They follow your leap down through the trees with their Guardian Weapons, landing upon the ground covered in fallen autumn leaves. Just like that, the five of you have the Grim Knight surrounded. While he scans the Guardians around him, you listen intensively for any nearby or incoming Humans…

There’s one human, but whomever it is, they’re running away from the scene, not towards it. So he’s facing you on his own, and you couldn’t blame him. If he could take down Team 4, he’s sure to think he can take down Team 2 as well. You will prove him woefully wrong.

>Attack all at once from all five directions.
>Attack in pair-formation (Two attack first, when the enemy is distracted by them, two others attack his flank, and then the last goes for whatever weak point the enemy has to finish it off.)
>Wait for the Grim Knight to make the first move and adapt to that.
>Stay defensive. Dodge his attacks as much as possible, try to tire him out. You’re five versus one.
>Write-in
>>
>>301117
>Attack all at once from all five directions.

Those who strike first often strike last.
>>
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>>299929
There was a couple of close calls, but you rolled well and one character's fate was decided by a 1d2 on my part behind the scenes. A very lucky little SoB.
>>
>>301117
>Attack in pair-formation (Two attack first, when the enemy is distracted by them, two others attack his flank, and then the last goes for whatever weak point the enemy has to finish it off.)
>>
>>301117
Armor too stronk. Gotta find a weakness.
>wait and adapt
>>
Combine
>dodge his strikes
>wait and adapt
Can't get through his armor, and he's fucking Guts from Berserk, no way were gonna tire him out. Gotta find that weak spot.
>>
>>301124
>>301139
>>301154
>>301165
Waiting 15 more minutes before I end the vote.
>>
>>301117
>>Stay defensive. Dodge his attacks as much as possible, try to tire him out. You’re five versus one.
last time we hit him we did narthing to his armor .
>>
>>301117
>Stay defensive. Dodge his attacks as much as possible, try to tire him out. You’re five versus one
Make him commit then strike the joints in the armor.
>>
Rolled 5, 9, 7 = 21 (3d10)

>>301197
cant tuch this
>>
>>301124
>>301139
>>301154
>>301165
>>301185
>>301188
I'm getting a feel for the combined idea of
>dodge his strikes
>wait and adapt
From the majority vote.

Roll for Combat!
Roll me 3d10.
Best of 3.
DC: 6
>Combat [++] = +1 to all dices.

>>301202
This one counts.
>>
All right. No more rolls. Writing.
>>
Rolled 7, 2, 3 = 12 (3d10)

>>301203
GOD WILLS IT
>>
Rolled 4, 1, 1 = 6 (3d10)

>>301203
>>
Rolled 5, 10, 4 = 19 (3d10)

>>301203
>>
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>>301117
>Dodge his strikes.
>Wait and adapt.

The five of you have him surrounded. Your leather gloves crack softly as your hands tighten around the grip of your blade, steadying your breath and focusing on both your balance and the enemy’s stance. An enemy that is far too strong for you and your team. An enemy that has seen more battles and death than you can count on your fingers and toes. An enemy that has slain enough of your Guardian comrades to fill a river with their blood. An enemy whom bears a title that the Blood Guardians whisper with fear and hatred under their breaths.

The Grim Knight.

There’s near a harmonic and tranquil silence between friends and foes alike before the first move is made. Within one second, the Knight raised his sword from the ground and swung it at his first target, cutting a path through the very air itself. Kun dodge just in time to feel the giant blade swing over his head and ears. The Knight continues the rotation of the swing over his head before bringing it up, shifting his entire body, and slashes vertically-right at Mei who finds herself standing off to his side. She removes herself for the blade’s path just in time to watch it crash into the ground, spewing up earth all around the crash site.

However, the Knight doesn’t stop for a split-second and by twisting his arms around, the sword leaves the hole it made in the ground and swings upwards before he shifts his body again and goes for another straight vertical attack against the Awoo behind him. The weapon hits the ground once more, but the shock wave from the force of its descent trips Jin and he finds his ass on the ground and back against a tree, a little bit ways off from the Grim Knight’s sword.

Not knowing whether the Human will press his dangerous advantage on Jin or continue attacking everyone around him, you take a chance and rush in immediately upon seeing your Vice-Captain fall backwards. The Grim Knight sees your approach and grunts in approval, swinging a backhand straight for your face. You duck just in time and strike with all your might at the exposed joint in the armored limb holding the sword. You catch the sight of a small, almost irrelevant, hole in the joint of his armor between his lower and upper arm, before you make distance between yourself and the Knight.

“Finally. A small challenge.” He grunts to himself in a language only you understand, removing his iron slab from the ground with both arms and backs away respectfully from the sitting Awoo. He’s ready for the next phase of the fight as Jin gets up on his feet again.

>Continue with this strategy. Wait, dodge, and adapt. Make him commit and strike at his joints.
>Attack him all at once, everyone striking at his joints. Bet your team’s speed against his.
>Flee for now. You now know his weakness and can use it in the future, unless he fixes it.
>Write-in.
>>
>>301264
>>Continue with this strategy. Wait, dodge, and adapt. Make him commit and strike at his joints.
>>
>>301264
>Attack him all at once, everyone striking at his joints. Bet your team’s speed against his.

He's fast. But no one is that fast. ...right?
>>
>>301264
>Continue with this strategy. Wait, dodge, and adapt. Make him commit and strike at his joints.
>>
>>301268
>>301269
>>301270
Continuing with your strategy!

Roll for Combat!
Roll me 3d10.
Best of 3.
DC: 8
>Combat [++] = +1 to all dices.
>>
Rolled 2, 2, 3 = 7 (3d10)

>>301297
>>
Rolled 9, 8, 1 = 18 (3d10)

>>301297
>>
Rolled 1, 2, 6 = 9 (3d10)

>>301297
>>
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>>301304
>>301312
>>301317
DC reached!

Writing!
>>
>>301264
>Continue with this strategy. Wait, Dodge, and Adapt. Make him commit and strike at his joints!

Your team has discovered an advantage and a weakness on your enemy’s end. He’s fully aware of it and makes no move to flee or taunt. He’s embracing this new, more risky fight with open arms. He seems like a warrior that only lives for the heat of battle. A man who has lost all will to live and only seeks a strong opponent to finish his miserable life off. This is of course all in your end and you romanticize it far too much for your own liking, even when a lack of focus can mean the difference between life and death. You haven’t fully focused on the mission ever since you passed through the barrier 4-5 days ago. Your attention was doomed to be divided when you made the choice to keep a lookout for the hills in your… dream? Vision? Something.

Once again, the Grim Knight standing in the center of this polygon of Awoo Guardians is the first to run out of patience. However, the moment he takes a swing against someone else, Jin takes off in a sprint with his blade at the ready. He’s determined to do some damage against the Knight. He lands a strike at the knee joint before getting away from the Knight’s second swing that embeds itself halfway into a tree trunk. He removes it at once and continues his apparent rampage. Mei takes advantage of the wildly swinging human’s opening and charge at him, Guardian Blade ready for a thrust. She barely avoids being cut in half on her journey in and away from the Knight. Her blade opened up the hole you left earlier ever so slightly.

Slowly, but surely, you’re whittling down the defense via his greatest weakness.

The next to go in for an attack is…

>Heim
>Kun
>Someone else (Who?)
>>
>>301366
Heim
>>
>>301366
>Heim
>>
>>301366
>Kun
>>
Ending the vote in 5 min.
>>
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Rolled 1, 8, 5 = 14 (3d10)

>>301369
>>301370
>>301381
Heim is going for the next attack!

Roll for Heim's success!
Roll 3d10.
First roll against QM's roll.
>>
Rolled 5, 6, 7 = 18 (3d10)

>>301413
>>
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Rolled 3, 8, 3 = 14 (3d10)

>>301413
>>301414
Good. Last roll now before I get my ass back to writing.

Roll for Kun's success!
Roll 3d10.
First roll against QM's roll.
>>
Rolled 8, 4, 4 = 16 (3d10)

>>301421
Sorry, I'm posting off of mobile so my id has been changing.
>>
>>301421
>>301427
ID remains the same, no worries.

Writing.
>>
>>301437
Lurking, suddenly this fight looks winnable.
>>
>>301512
But just barely.
>>
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>>301366
>Heim

Heim is next to make progress towards the Grim Knight’s defeat with his Guardian Blade when he spins about, swinging his sword horizontally towards Mei, Jin, and you. An attack the three of you successful dodge while Heim strikes at the same knee joint Jin left a small hole in before. More pieces of armor is cut loose from the Awoo’s attack before he gets out of range for a round-about attack from the mighty knight.

Despite having his weakness struck and his defense slowly vanishing, the Grim Knight doesn’t seem worried nor is he looking for a way to flee this battle. Quite the opposite; he’s reveling in it. How one can enjoy their own imminent demise is beyond your scope of thought, unless he has an ace in his holes. You’d love to focus on your ears to find out if there’s any approaching humans, but if you do that you’re sure to get your head removed from your torso. The only option is to defeat and slay the Grim Knight before his reinforcement inevitably arrives. A human left the premise before the fight, so they’re bound to come sooner or later.

Next one to push the knight closer to his death is Kun. He readies his two scythes and takes point. However, he leaps forward when the demonic Knight-Commander is about to attack, not after he has attacked. It’s too early! The Human immediately notice who’s next on the attack list and shifts his body around, cutting down upon Kun!

Luckily, the Awoo is able to dodge it in time and with another strike, the Human’s skin is finally exposed amidst the shattered steel at the knee joint. However, before Kun can get away, the Knight finds his grip around the Awoo’s throat. The monster has adapted to the Guardians’ technique and speed!

By the Tree, No!

Kun is raised above the forest ground. He drops his scythes and struggles in panic and vain to get free from the grip that’s slowly choking him and snapping his neck in two. He can’t get free! The Knight has one hand around the grip of his sword while the other is on one of your team members. The Knight’s exposed knee joint is right there in front of you and so is the slightly damaged elbow joint that’s holding Kun!

You only have a few seconds to make a decision and you’re closest to the Grim Knight than anyone else.
What do you do?!

>Strike at the Elbow joint! It won’t be damaging to the Knight, but it will guarantee your comrades freedom.
>Strike at the exposed Knee joint. Wound the Knight and hope the pain makes him drop Kun!
>>
>>301520
>Strike at the Elbow joint! It won’t be damaging to the Knight, but it will guarantee your comrades freedom
>>
>>301520
>Strike at the exposed Knee joint. Wound the Knight and hope the pain makes him drop Kun!
>>
>>301520
>Strike at the Elbow joint! It won’t be damaging to the Knight, but it will guarantee your comrades freedom.

This guy probably fears no pain
>>
>>301541
>This guy probably fears no pain
Seconding this
>>
5 min until the vote ends!
>>
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>>301530
>>301533
>>301541
>>301549
Striking at the Elbow joint!

Writing!
>>
>>301520
>Strike at the Elbow Joint!

Hurting the enemy isn’t the priority right now. You need to ensure your team member’s safety. He’s sure to drop Kun if his grip is weakened. The damaged, yet armored elbow joint of the arm holding your Guardian friend is the perfect point to strike! With only seconds to spare, you rush forward at the sight of Kun’s body slowly becoming more limp and his face turning purple. With a leap, your Guardian Blade strikes true, meeting its goal with a quick and strong thrust. The sight of the knight’s hand releasing Kun of its fearsome grip is a relief. He lands and immediately tries to get away, despite his own imbalance.

However, horror fills you when you notice that the Knight-Commander’s elbow joint might be exposed now, but his arm is still as fast and functional as before. You watch as he grabs your Guardian again, more fiercely and quicker than before. It feels as if time stops for a few split-seconds while fear and horror creeps out from the back of your mind despite your Guardian Blade’s strong resistance.

The last thing you see of Kun is his teary eyes filled with terror and sadness along with a black steel clad hand firmly gripping the back of his head. The Grim Knight takes a knee to increase the velocity and the speed of his enemy’s descent before he slams the young Awoo’s head into the ground, crushing it to pieces against the hard earth. Blood, bones, red fur, brains, and other organs paint the point of impact.

You’re left speechless, staring at your dead comrade’s corpse. To the side you can already hear the insane screams coming from Jin whom Heim has hoisted up on his shoulder forcibly and is fleeing the scene. You find yourself in Mei’s grip and she quickly starts dragging you away from a battle that has ended prematurely. Your mind is elsewhere, but your legs comply with Mei’s dragging arms. The Grim Knight is still down on one knee, ready to get up, but he isn’t giving any signs that he’s about to pursue his remaining enemies. He knows he has won this battle, but not the war.

He wants to fight you again some day, so he allows your retreat.

>Continued
>>
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>>301684
____

You regain your sense upon reaching the barrier hours later. Your entire body shakes violently before it’s pushed through the barrier by unknown hands. There’s no visions, no dreams, and no voices this time. Only one image cross your mind in this timeless abyss between danger and safety: Kun’s broken, headless body.

With a large thud, you crash face first into the grass on the other side of the barrier. Again.

Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out.

In front of you stands Rushi and ways off behind him there’s Team 1 and Team 3, all alive and well if not exhausted both physically and mentally. Mei, Heim, and Jin cross through the barrier behind you without stumbling. You Rushi counting the four of you down.

“Captain.” Rushi approach you with a grim look while you get back on your feet and get your bearings, “Report.”

>Ignore him and rush back through the barrier. You’re going to kill that Son of a Toad!
>Give him the full report.
>Leave the scene without giving a report for now and get some rest. You don’t want to handle this right now.
>Write-in.
>>
>>301696
>>Give him the full report.
>>
>>301696
>>Ignore him and rush back through the barrier. You’re going to kill that Son of a Toad!
>>
>>301696
Report. You are the captain, act like it.
>>
>>301696
>Ignore him and rush back through the barrier. You’re going to kill that Son of a Toad!
>>
>>301700
Full report
>>
Feels like he was dead regardless of choice. Or is that just me?
>>
>>302373
maybe. perhaps if we had critted the knee strike he'd have lived. Surprised no one else hit the knee desu.
>>
>>302387
This whole Quest has had a very 'Rage Against the End Days' feel to it really. We're constantly told about how humans are horrible, impossibly strong monsters. We've been pushed back to just a little corner of the wide world that we used to have. And by all accounts they're so capable of slaughtering us left and right that we've come to accept that more soldiers is just meat for the grinder. Despite the summary of Tom, I feel like it's less being the hero and more trying our damnedest to stave off the inevitable extinction of our race for as long as possible.

Which, I feel, isn't going to be for very long.
>>
>>302440
*up top
>>
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>>302440
That's a very interesting take on the quest. I can definitely say I recognize that feeling throughout the quest up to this point!

>Starting another "session" in an hour if there's enough interest at this time of the day.
>>
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>>301696
>Give him the full report.

Standing tall, you reported everything that had transpired over the last 4-5 days to Rushi, from stealthily mapping out the Main Human encampment up in the North to the Wild Beast’s demise and Team 4’s probable death to your last fight with the Grim Knight and the fall of Kun, a Blood Guardian of Team 2. While you gave him the entire report, Jin left the scene looking both angry and sad. Your other two members remained by your side all throughout the report and Rushi’s condolences. You figured you could speak with him in the morning on how the enemy could possibly be tracking you. It wouldn’t be a pleasant conversation.

Nevertheless, you failed two of the three tasks of the mission. The Northern Legion remained as numerous and intact as before. It would put a huge strain on the inevitable assault on their main encampment, but at least you didn’t get caught scouting it out so they won’t be moving any time soon if he knew the Human’s patterns correctly.

In the end, the three of you left to get yourself a bath and sleep off the exhaustion. Jin was probably checking out the wound on his lost left eye with one of the Dwarf Oni’s. Those little guys were helluva good at alchemy and the healing arts after all.

With the promise for revenge and justice for Team 4 and Kun’s death in the incoming assault, you went to sleep without a bath.

>Continued
>>
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>>302904
____

~2 Weeks later~

For the last week you’ve been sending letters with ravens to the southern forest realm where Ming is stationed as a Realm Guardian. She’s been doing great, even if she hasn’t made a whole lot of new friends. She has mixed feelings about almost joining the Blood Guardians back at the graduation ceremony. She’s somewhat grateful to you after hearing all the rumors of what Blood Guardians have to go through outside the barrier, but also some regret for letting you convince her to not remain. She wants to help you and Heim after all.

The letters with Ming has been a comforting thing these past few days especially. Jin has started to take out his anger and sorrow over his twin brother’s death on you lately. He claims you could have done so much more and you failed everyone. You know he’s just blowing off steam and he really doesn’t mean half the things he says, but it still strikes home sometimes. It makes you wonder if you could have saved Kun or not.

Lin, Stop.

“In the end, that line of thinking will only slow you down. When it truly matters - when you have a split-second to make a decision - you can’t look back at the choice you made with regret. It will eat you alive.” Rushi’s advice never helps, but it’s food for thought if anything.

However, with the help of some positive reinforcement from Ming’s letters and after spending a day hanging out with Mei, you feel a little bit more confident that you can solve this mess. Maybe? Okay, not top-of-the-world confident, but the thought of trying is more enticing than the alternatives.

Upon leaving your train of thoughts, you find yourself outside of Jin’s room. It’s part of the Blood Guardian barracks located inside a short, but thick tree. In short, men’s dormitories. It’s closed, but you know on good authority (Thanks Heim!) that he’s in there right now.

But first, the most important decision that can either make or break this whole thing. Should you knock or not?
.
>Knock on the door. Always good to be courteous.
>Walk right in. Be assertive.
>Leave. You suddenly don’t have the metaphorical balls to do it.
>>
>>302909
>Walk right in. Be assertive.
>>
>>302909
>>Walk right in. Be assertive.
>>
>>302909
>Walk right in. Be assertive.
>>
>>302909
>>Knock on the door. Always good to be courteous.

I'm just a polite sort.
>>
>>302920
>>302929
>>303271
>>303308
A seemingly rare trait these days, anon.

Writing!
>>
>>303315
Depends on how militaristic the Blood Guardians are. Superior officers don't tend to knock in my experience.
>>
>>303358
Good point.
>>
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>>302909
>Walk right in. Be assertive.

Screw it.

You open the door to your team member’s room and stride in with a mix of real and false confidence. His attention is deep seethed in a book you can’t catch the title of from where you’re standing. He doesn’t give you the least bit of attention, probably mistakenly assuming you’re Heim. Upon closing the door, you hear a loud sigh pass by behind you. Here comes the real fight inside the safety of the barrier. You’ve been postponing this moment for a while, but it has to happen before the assault or Team 2 won’t be cleared to join it in 2 weeks. You have more reasons to do it than selfish ones, but you cannot deny that it’s up there on your list.

“What do you want, Raubtier?” Oh right, Jin has started to call you that ever since he redirected his anger and grief upon you. There’s no ‘Lin’ and definitely no respectful ‘Captain’, even though he was the one who pushed the most on using correct titles and names in the team. Hypocrisy aside, you have to fix this.

“Jin, I just wanna talk.” You plead with him, but he instantly throws his book to the side, locking eyes with you while leaning forward in what looks like a very uncomfortable chair, arms resting on his knees.

“There’s nothing to talk about. Nothing you say will bring… him back.” You noticed that Jin has started to refrain from using his twin brother’s name more often. Like he’s trying to forget him or distance himself from the pain and grief? It makes you think of gran-gran, but this isn’t the time to get sentimental about her. Let the World Tree bless her soul.

>”You need to get over yourself, Jin. We’ve all lost someone. Stop trying to make it seem like you’re the only one!” [Confrontation]
>”I know I can’t bring him back, but I’m trying to bring you back. This isn’t you, Jin.” [Sympathetic]
>”I suck at comforting others. I couldn’t comfort Heim or Ming and least of all myself after what happened 3 years ago. But I know one thing: I can’t lead this team without you. I, no, we need you, Vice-Captain.” [Appeal to sense of Duty]
>Write-in.
>>
>>303452
>”I know I can’t bring him back, but I’m trying to bring you back. This isn’t you, Jin.” [Sympathetic]
>”I suck at comforting others. I couldn’t comfort Heim or Ming and least of all myself after what happened 3 years ago. But I know one thing: I can’t lead this team without you. I, no, we need you, Vice-Captain.” [Appeal to sense of Duty]

Both, both is good.
>>
>>303452
>”I know I can’t bring him back, but I’m trying to bring you back. This isn’t you, Jin.” [Sympathetic]
>”I suck at comforting others. I couldn’t comfort Heim or Ming and least of all myself after what happened 3 years ago. But I know one thing: I can’t lead this team without you. I, no, we need you, Vice-Captain.” [Appeal to sense of Duty]
>>
>”I suck at comforting others. I couldn’t comfort Heim or Ming and least of all myself after what happened 3 years ago. But I know one thing: I can’t lead this team without you. I, no, we need you, Vice-Captain.” [Appeal to sense of Duty]
>>
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>>303472
>>303483
>>303559
Sounds good!

Roll 3d10 for Social/Diplomacy Check.
Best of 3.
DC: 7
>>
Rolled 9, 10, 5 = 24 (3d10)

>>303592
Hmm, this will be difficult.
>>
>>303597
I stand corrected.
>>
>>303597
7 Blessings upon ye.
>>
>>303597
>Hmm, this will be difficult.
Stop lying to me.

DC reached! I'm going to start writing, but you guys are free to roll 2 more times to see if you can get Critical Success or risk getting Critical Failure.
>>
>>303607
yeah nah
>>
Rolled 6, 8, 8 = 22 (3d10)

>>303592
yolo
>>
Rolled 2, 5, 1 = 8 (3d10)

>>303607
>>
>>303452
>[Sympathetic]
>[Appeal to Sense of Duty]

You lean against the door, not really in the mood to dare yourself to take a seat closer to Jin. This might come across as putting distance between the two of you, but you want him to still have his space and feel unagitated in his own room. You suck at dealing with these kinds of emotions, but at least you know how you would have liked things to be had your roles been reversed.

“You know, I suck at comforting others, I really do.” A forced smile appears on your lips that has zero effect on Jin, “I couldn’t comfort Heim or Ming and least of all myself after what happened 3 years ago.” You pause, letting it sink in. Jin and Kun never went through what you did, but you told him about it after the graduation ceremony. His gaze sinks to the wooden floor, not out of shame but only to think.

“But I know one thing: I can’t lead this team without you.” He’s about to raise his head, but refrains from doing so, still listening intently, “I, no, we need you, Vice-Captain.” While his face doesn’t change, his clenched fists finally calm down.

There’s a long silence between the two Guardians. The room is pretty neat aside from the book thrown on the floor. It’s not as messy as yours, that’s for sure. You’re not surprised either. You always figured Jin was a neat-freak of some sort the way he carries himself and speaks. Half-way arrogantly, and part ways with a sense of Right.

“And I know I cannot bring hi-- Kun back.” You correct yourself, not wanting to forget him or find other ways to cope with his death, “But I’m not trying to bring him back. It’s too late for that. I’m trying to bring you back.” Jin finally looks up. His eyes are teary and they’re filled with hurt.

“This isn’t you, Jin.” And with that, he gets up from his chair and hugs you tightly. You’re not sure if you’re surprised or if you knew this was going to happen. You settle for something in-between the two possibilities.

>Hug him back.
>Pat him gently on the back, not wanting to make this seem like something it’s not.
>Accept the hug, but don’t return it. You’re not much of a huger.
>Write-in.
>>
>>303721
>Accept the hug, but don’t return it. You’re not much of a huger.

Me Lin. Me Strong. Me no have feels.
>>
>>303721
>>Pat him gently on the back, not wanting to make this seem like something it’s not.
we say there there
>>
>>303721
>Pat him gently on the back, not wanting to make this seem like something it’s not.
Poor Awoo.
>>
>>303727
>>303741
>>303765
Pats on the back is a go.

Writing.
>>
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>>303721
>Pat him gently on the back.

“There, there.” You whisper to him, patting and rubbing his back gently. Comforting someone is, as you’ve stated, still foreign to you. There wasn’t a whole lot of people there for you after you had your initial transformation. Only Ming, and Heim when not in public. Which was an asshole thing to do, but you’ve forced yourself to drop it.

Jin eventually breaks his embrace of you and promptly takes a seat with his back against you. He doesn’t want you to see him cry anymore.

“I’ll, uh, talk with you later, Captain.” The title from his mouth is music to your ears on your way out.

One damaged relationship mended!

>You’ve gained a perk!
>[O Captain! My Captain!]: You’ve earned the Loyalty and Trust of your Guardian Team. Whenever you perform a Social Roll with them, you get +1 on the dice coupled with your actual Social Rank.
____

~2 Weeks later~

You can’t say you’ve counted them all, but there’s at least 14 five-man teams of Blood Guardians standing in some form of loose formation in front of the huge barrier reaching from the ground up into the air and away towards the World Tree, where the Great Horned Owl is the origin point. That’s one of the good things about the barrier: From this side you can look at anyone on the other side, but Humans or anyone else on the opposite side will only see an empty forest where at least 70 Guardians currently stands. The entire Might of the Ichigo Company, the Blood Guardians of the North.

>Continued
>>
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>>303994

Everyone’s wearing red, except a few individuals. Rushi is clad in his golden-red armor that will stand out a lot, even in an autumn forest. He probably likes the attention in the heat of battle. You’ve been stripped off your red Guardian gear and your mouth-garde. Instead you’re dressed in a beaten crimson, short-sleeved cloak with its tail reaching down to your upper calves. Underneath your orange shirt you have a tight chain-mail dress for your upper torso and over the shirt you’ve attached a piece of old steel at your chest area. The shoulders and upper arms of your cloak has been outfitted with several pieces of additional steel held together by iron strings. Black trousers with a grey flexible leather armor accoutrement worn from the belt, reaching around your waist and splitting by the front. It goes down to your knees.

Standard outfit for a “Scout specialist” in the Ichigo Company, according to Rushi. It doesn’t offer as much protection as your previous outfit, but it gives you more room to be faster, more responsive, and your reflexes and agility doesn’t suffer from it.

That’s not the point though.

See, you’re not going to lead Team 2 into the assault. That’s up to Jin. After your talk with Rushi, he and his officers decided that it was best to be on the safe side and chose to make you go solo on this one before you meet up with everyone at the main encampment right after the assault has begun. That way, those who are tracking you won’t suspect a thing. It’s a sound decision, but you still can’t help but call it ‘bullshit’.

“I’m not going to make any grand speeches.” Your attention is caught by the voice of Rushi where he stands atop a small tree stump before his entire company, “Go see Tao for that shit.” A small hustle of laughter moves across the crowd among those who know Tao, but the rest is quiet.

“We’ve been planning this attack for months and many lives have been sacrificed so we could see this day. Many of us will die today. We’re outnumbered and they have the Red Flower on their side. But no matter how grim shit gets and no matter who dies, we will drive the Humans from the North today once and for all!” He shouts triumphantly, as if he has already won the battle. More than half the crowd of Guardians shouts with him. The others make some noises, but they’re not as enthusiastically as their leader.

“You know your roles and your purpose! Follow your Captains and begin the assault when you hear the signal! Move out!” And with that, all 70 Blood Guardians rush and leap through the barrier, heading straight for a battle that’s sure to be remembered.

You know what you’re supposed to do, but even so, your fingers itch and there’s but one thing on your mind.

The Grim Knight dies today.
>>
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____

End of this session. Starting another one in a couple of hours. Twitter is in the OP, I will archive the thread myself when it ends, thank you very much.

Also thanks for playing! If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, I welcome those too. Have a continued great weekend!
>>
>>303994
>>You’ve gained a perk!
>>[O Captain! My Captain!]: You’ve earned the Loyalty and Trust of your Guardian Team. Whenever you perform a Social Roll with them, you get +1 on the dice coupled with your actual Social Rank.

Thanks man, that will come in real handy right before everyone frikkin dies
>>
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>>304023
No problem.
>>
>>304012
Good session dude. Guess we're just going to have to hope our friends are okay. Speaking of...hope Chao is doing okay.
>>
>>304064
Don't worry about Chao. You'll find out sooner or later.

Minor Spoiler:
If you survive, the next Plot Arc will take place on the Western Front, where Chao is operating as a Blood Guardian.
>>
I'd be surprised if we survive. I feel like nothing's going our way. I'm wondering, though, is there any Awoo out there who'd value their own life ahead of the tribe's, if you get my drift?
>>
>>304274
Most, if not all Awoo are raised to believe that the lives of the many, all the Creatures of the Forest, outweigh their own lives. However, yes, there are some Awoo that value their own survival first and foremost, even Guardians at that. One or two of them could even go so far as to sacrifice their next of kin to stay alive. You haven't met any of them yet though.
>>
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>>304004

You land gracefully on the other side of the barrier after journeying through it for the 4th time in your life. It wasn’t a wonderful experience like you had imagined when you were little, studying under Sensei and when Chao was still your friend. So far you’ve only had bad experiences passing through it. After the first time, you found yourself on the ground, crying your eyes out. During the second time you were haunted by a vision and that cruel, unknown voice. The third time you got to taste dirt and it was still only a few hours after Kun’s death.

No. The barrier hasn’t treated you well, even if its only purpose is to protect the remaining Forest realms and the denizens of them from total annihilation. You’re probably asking too much of the magical wall, which begs the question, are you alright?.

Shaking off the conversation you’re having with yourself, another leap after a series of them takes you out from the forest and back to the entrance of the crystal cave. Not the long-winded one further up the ridge, but the one where you found Heim and Kun a month ago. You already checked and there’s no Humans in the vicinity as far as you can tell.

You didn’t come here on your own accord though. That would be considered masochistic to your own heart considering who the cave reminds you of. No, you were told to go here and pretend like you’re investigating the cave entrance to fool whatever or whomever is tracking you. It’s not far from the barrier if you’re forced to flee in the face of a greater threat (which you won’t) and it’s not out of range of the signal for the assault. ‘Perfect location’, Rushi’s words, not yours.

>Continued
>>
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>>305252

Although you’re semi-enjoying this moment of peace that’s more akin to nervous waiting, you catch something in your peripheral when you get closer to the cave’s entrance. Something red, yellow, orange, and hot heading straight at you! With just a second to spare, you dodge the ball made out of Red Flower aimed at your head. It crashes inside the cave behind you and explodes into a sea of flames. You’re not so much worried about setting the forest aflame as you are of whoever aimed the attack against you.

Out from the thick scores of the forest comes three individuals, all of them wearing similar garb; black, boiled leather suits with masks upon their faces that looks like mocking versions of an Awoo’s features with eyes glowing crimson red. Their arms are consumed by the Red Flower, dancing intimately around and through their flesh and bones, leaving no wound nor corruption behind. Two male Humans, one female.

These must be with the human who caught ‘sight’ of me a month ago.

“The Fire spoke true.” One of the Humans note, motioning towards you.

“It always does.” The female replies with a monotone voice, devoid of emotions. Your Guardian Blade finds its way out from its sheath and into your hands on a moment’s notice. Three against one and if they hit you once, it might be the end for you despite the entity living within you.

There’s no fleeing from Humans today. Only killing.

>Stay on the defensive. If you dodge, wait, and adapt, you’ll win this. It almost worked against the Grim Knight. It will work against these Humans too.
>Go aggressive and be unpredictable. In a one versus three, no one expects the prey to leap straight into the pack of predators with claws and fangs at the ready.
>Move the fight into the forest. Use the environment to your every disposal. Use guerrilla tactics. Strike fast and hard and then hide. Repeat.
>>
>>305253
>Go aggressive and be unpredictable. In a one versus three, no one expects the prey to leap straight into the pack of predators with claws and fangs at the ready.
>>
>>305253

There's a reason no one just charges into a melee like this- it's easy to recover from shock when it's clear you have a numbers and skill advantage. Still, if you stay still, you'll be overwhelmed...hm. I'm voting a combo of
>Go aggressive
and when they start to feel you out,
>Move the fight into the forest.

The idea is to consistently switch up tactics to keep them guessing. When they think you're going to press, run, get them to chase, overextend, overcommit, jump at shadows, etc.

I am ridiculously curious why all humans seem to be so bloodthirsty. Is this just one of those kinds of settings where humans are just the evil race because reasons? Not necessarily against that, just wondering.
>>
>>305270
>Spoiler
I won't spoil it for you or anyone since it'll be revealed later down the road, but I can tell you this: It's not one of those settings.
>>
>>305253
>>305270
this
>>
>>305253
ill go with the strategy this guy suggests >>305270
>>
>>305272
also how much of this quest is inspired by Attack on Titan? I noticed that the barriers and guardian corps were similar to what AoT did.
>>
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>>305323
>also how much of this quest is inspired by Attack on Titan?
More than I'd like to admit. The first idea that came to mind when I saw this picture (Without the text) was "AoT, but in a Forest with magic walls, fantasy creatures, Guardians, and swords."
Humans became the "Titans" of the setting(With hopefully different reasons for why they fight than the actual ones in the manga), Red Flower is a means of power and growing stronger for both the Humans and the MC. The current Guardians are the different military branches, the World Tree is a more complex castle etc.

Of course this was just the first setup. I've started to branch out and came up with ideas of my own, so it won't be a Fantasy copy of AoT, rest assured.
>>
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>>305256
>>305270
>>305304
>>305314
All right. Before I leave for now (BBQ with the Family) I'll call the vote and let you roll.

Roll for Combat!
Roll 3d10
Best of 3
DC: 6
>Combat [++] = +1 to all dices.
>>
Rolled 5, 10, 2 = 17 (3d10)

>>305364
>>
Rolled 7, 8, 7 = 22 (3d10)

>>305364
Here goes.
>>
Rolled 2, 3, 10 = 15 (3d10)

>>305364
>>
>>305381
Thank god
>>
>>305571
? Not quite sure how the rolling works.
>>
>>305587
We passed, and given how brutal the QM is, I guess Anon thought we had insta death already. Then again, with our plus 1, we passed on the first roll anyways.
>>
>>305600
Bingo, but I forgot that we had a +1
>>
>>305600
Cool, but I'm still curious what the actual mechanics are.
>>
>>305647
Roll 3 D10s, 2 d10s have to match or beat the DC, 10/10/10 and 1/1/1 are crits.
>>
>>305657
Gotcha. Thanks. So two d10s out of the three you roll have to beat the DC to be counted as one 'success', and you need 2 out of 3 successes to be a 'win'.

Elaborate. Also brutal.
>>
>>305665
Its a best of three. You only need one 'success'. If the other two rolls didn't meet the requirements, we still would have passed.
>>
>>305685
Ohhhhh, gotcha.
>>
>I'm back and we're starting again in 1-2 hours.
>>
>>305253
>Combo: Be aggressive, but when they start to feel you out move the fight into the forest.

Three versus one. Predators versus prey. Monsters versus monster. Red Flower versus Guardian Blade. The prospects of this fight doesn’t look bright, but you have more than one ace up your sleeve for fights against enemies that have the numbers, the skill, and the experience on their side - An unpredictable approach throws most enemies off balance and if you continue to press whatever advantage you can achieve aggressively and create new ones along the way, you might walk away the victor. Of course, no victory is ever set in stone, but you feel at least a bit more confident about this fight.

No more words are spoken from the three Humans approaching you as they’re about to split up to flank you. Unfortunately for them, you’ve already made your move. Sword first, you leap into their midst, catching them off-guard for a split-second as you slash your Guardian Blade in around in a 180 degree angle. One of the male Humans block your blade with a force of Red Flower upon his hands while the female is fast enough to leap backwards - out of harm's way. The second male Human is not so lucky and is caught in your bladestorm. His leather suit is cut open along with his abdomen, releasing both blood and organs alike onto the ground.

You immediately take flight from the spot before the two unharmed humans get a chance to launch a counter-attack. Upon rushing towards the covers of the forest, you’re bothered by the sheer silence coming from the slowly dying human. He’s not uttering a single cry, whimper, or word despite his fatal wound. Did your eyes play tricks with you? Was he embraced by death the second his knees hit the ground? No matter how much your curiosity is throbbing in the back of your head, you’re determined to focus on the two still relevant threats following their so-called ‘prey’ into the woods.

Although they’re fast to retaliate, they find the forest empty after giving pursue of the strange-looking Awoo girl into its midst. While the female is cautiously throwing glances among the treetops, the male one is already busy setting the forest aflame, one tree at a time. If they can’t find you, they will smoke or burn you out of hiding.

3… 2… 1… Strike!

Roll for Combat.
Roll 3d10
Best of 3.
DC: 7
>Combat [++] = +1 to all dices.
>>
Rolled 5, 2, 5 = 12 (3d10)

>>306560
>>
Rolled 5, 2, 10 = 17 (3d10)

>>306560
>>
Rolled 5, 9, 4 = 18 (3d10)

>>306560
>>
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>>306567
>>306568
>>306571
Writing.
>>
>>306571
Barely made it
>>
>>306583
Roll 1d4 to see what limb is lost
>>
>>306585
Oh nevermind, rip
>>
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>>306560
>Roll for Combat
>Result = Failed.

Leaping from behind a blanket of standing leaves, you strike at your target! Although your aim is true, the woman’s attack is faster. Between the choices of embedding your blade into the neck of the male human and be engulfed in the Red Flower or change course mid-flight and miss your target on purpose to survive, you choose survival over an empty victory.

Fortunately, thanks to the skills you’ve learned through your trials, you don’t crash into the leaf-covered ground, left to die at the hands of these cruel two individuals. Instead, you drop and roll upon reaching firm soil before your feet find proper standing again, facing your enemies with your Guardian Blade held steady at the front.

“These two are strong.” Your Guardian Blade remarks with an oddly enthusiastic tone, “Let’s kill them!”

There’s no pause and no moment to think. The man charge you with his arms consumed with the Red Flower and from behind you spot two balls engulfed in the same fiery mist heading for your sides, forcing you to either charge the human or flee. You’ve already made your choice so there’s no point hesitating. You rush the man head on!

Roll for Combat.
Roll 3d10
Best of 3.
DC: 7
>Combat [++] = +1 to all dices.
>>
Rolled 7, 10, 7 = 24 (3d10)

>>306696
Jeez
>>
>>306703
praise
>>
Rolled 7, 1, 9 = 17 (3d10)

>>306696
>>
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>>306703
>>306729
Looking good. Writing.

One last person can still roll if you want to take a shot at Critical Success or risk Critical Failure.
>>
Rolled 3, 7, 3 = 13 (3d10)

>>306696
>>
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>>306696
>Roll for Combat
>Result = Success!

Facing the male human head on proves two thing:

He has a longer reach than you, but you’re faster than him.

Upon getting in range for a strike, he immediately slams his fist downwards, aiming it straight for your head or if you dodge, your kneecap. As long as he can render you immobile, he can easily beat you to death with his fiery fists. You meet his crashing fist with a thrust from your Guardian Blade in high speed. It cuts its way through the Red Flower, leather, bones and flesh as it embeds itself into the human’s hand and arm, preventing it from ever touching you.

However, he doesn’t seem to be the least fazed by the horrible pain coursing through his body. On the contrary, he’s already on his way to grab your throat with his other hand when you slice your way out from his arm, leaving it a fleshy, red mess. Like a warm knife through butter, the Guardian Blade moves from the insides of his arm, across the air, and then straight through the front half of his head, leaving him faceless and missing half a brain.

His body stops in mid-motion, twitches violently, and then crumbles to the ground where it continues to shake and spasm until it stops all together. Forever still. The Red Flower upon its arms dies out within seconds after the body stops moving. You lock eyes with the woman. She’s unfazed and untouched by her two companions’ deaths, as if they meant nothing to her or she’s incapable of feeling emotions. It infuriates you beyond belief.

Once more, into the fray you rush! There’s nothing standing between your blade and her anymore. You feel nothing to her, but her inevitable demise is on your mind constantly nonetheless. In the distance you hear the signal for the assault, but both of you refuse to look away from each other. Only one of you will walk away from here alive - If Kun is to be avenged, it has to be you!

Roll for Combat.
Roll 3d10
Best of 3.
DC: 7
>Combat [++] = +1 to all dices.
>>
If the guy got his guts torn out and is still alive, we might just want to wish for a quick death, because that's just unfair. People should die when they are killed.
>>
Rolled 5, 3, 2 = 10 (3d10)

>>306901
Once more...
>>
Rolled 2, 1, 5 = 8 (3d10)

>>306901

Well, lemme stop whining and do thing.
>>
Rolled 2, 1, 1 = 4 (3d10)

>>306901
>>
>>306916
>>306926
>>306931

Bahahah.
>>
Rolled 5, 10, 6 = 21 (3d10)

>>306901
PLEASE
>>
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>>306935
hahaaaaaa
>>
>>306935
Guess we'll have to try rolling again...after this next beatdown...
>>
>>306931
Sudoku
>>
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>>306916
>>306926
>>306931
[FRIGHTENED GUARDIAN NOISES]
>>
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>>306916
>>306926
>>306931
I mean...

Ok?

Writing.
>>
>>306954
This is assuming we live.
>>
>>306987
We'll be rolling alright, for a new char
>>
>>306987
Well, we do have the power of the red flower. Who knows what this will do? ALso we've failed rolls in this combat already. If it was a critical failure, I'd be considerably more scared.
>>
>>306961
>>306967
>>306987
>>307001
god damit guys!!! and i liked this girl
>>307022
but yer i was thinking about useing the red flower we made/lied to it about living insid of us in wxchange to help us(but at what cost) so when can we shoot fire balls?
>>
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>>306901
>Roll for Combat
>Result: Failed

Your Guardian Blade hits home, but instead of the expected result, it feels like you just struck at another weapon. The Red Flower surrounding her arms have increased in intensity, sparking outwards in all directions on its own occasionally as if it suddenly has a will of its own. It’s become a volatile weapon against both its enemy and the one who wields it, but because of its strength, the masked female human can now block your attacks.

Giving a moment to focus on your ears, you can hear the battle raging on over at the main human encampment In the far distance. The thought of Heim, Jin, and Mei fighting as best they can over there spurs you into another charge, aiming to strike at the woman several times in a row. You must break through her defense by force and speed alone!

Although you’re pushing yourself closer and closer to your limit, your blade continues to only connect with her burning fists. Your infuriation grows and your anger rises with it. Unfortunately, when you get angry you also get unnecessarily careless. A flaw you can’t seem to overcome. It’s not easy to forgive and forget everything the Humans have done and be rid of your anger.
Faster, faster, faster! I need to be FASTER! - You scream at yourself, your emotions raging on inside of you as your blade continues to spark violently each time it connects with the human’s burning punches.

“I-- can’t-- handle--!” You outright ignore your Guardian Blade’s pained cries as your uncontrollable anger pushes you forward onto the masked enemy. You’re lost to your own emotions.

Suddenly it happens: Your Guardian Weapon is blocked by another punch and this time, the blade breaks in two. A sickening roar fills your head that shakes you to your very core until everything goes quiet. Everything your blade used to provide for you and every mental wall it held up for you? Gone.
You’re paralyzed and before you know it, you feel a forceful kick in your gut, sending you reeling to the forest floor. With a half broken sword in hand, you stare up at your enemy and she meets your gaze with an empty stare of her own. She takes a step forward, crushing the other half of your former Guardian Blade into even smaller broken pieces.

>This broken blade is still sharp. Kill. Her. NOW.
>Flee. Survive.
>>
>>307209
>>This broken blade is still sharp. Kill. Her. NOW.
>>
>>307209
>>This broken blade is still sharp. Kill. Her. NOW.
>>
>>307223
use the red flower in side of use to shot a fire ball at her or something, have it burn away the bandges we have on us to show the fire danceing over us? the bite her neack ?
>>
>>307209
>>This broken blade is still sharp. Kill. Her. NOW.
>>
>>307213
>>307223
>>307355
Ending the vote!

Roll for Combat!
Roll 3d10.
Best of 3.
DC: 6
>Combat [++] = +1 to all dices.
>>
Rolled 1, 8, 5 = 14 (3d10)

>>307370
>>
Rolled 6, 9, 9 = 24 (3d10)

>>307370
Oops, guess we better learn how to use red flower
>>
>>307375
>>307392
DC Reached!

Writing.
>>
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>>307209
>Kill. Her. NOW.

Crawling backwards means death. Crawling at all will be the end of you, period. Trying to rise to your feet in time to make a stand is a futile attempt at best. Throwing your broken blade at your enemy would not only be foolish, but also suicidal should the attack fail. Out of the three options, futility appeals to you more than certain death and suicidal foolishness. You have no plan this time. Everything’s quiet and you move only by instinct, but whose instincts? Lin’s? Raubtier’s? The Red Flower within you? Something else entirely?


Doesn’t matter. Upon rising to a knee, the woman only have to take two steps forward to reach you and throw a fiery punch towards your defenseless face. A single hit will kill you. It will burn your face off and crack your entire front lobe. Although her punch comes at you at lightning speed, your body and head shifts to the notion, avoiding the punch while down on one knee. As you shift your body, dodging the punch, your arm shoots forward and up, burying the broken blade deep into her throat, pushing its shattered edge up through the woman’s mouth, breaking through the mask she’s wearing. Time stops for a few moments before the human coughs up blood and goes limp, her bloody throat still impaled upon your blade. You pull it out and push her body back, rising to regain your full balance. Your perception of time starts again.

You give yourself a few moments to breathe and calm yourself down, possible regain your senses after giving your body over to your inner instincts. Despite the unchecked inner turmoils of your heart and mind with no Guardian Blade there to hold it back, a decision is reached. You’re going to join the assault and make yourself useful to the cause. Fleeing now isn’t an option, even if it’s a fully viable and understandable thing to do from someone else’s point of view.

With control of your body restored to you, the road to the main encampment for the Human Northern Legions opens up through the thick scores of the forest.

“I’m sorry.” You whisper to no one, your words leaving with the wind as do you.

____

The sound of steel clashing against steel, the pained cries of both Humans and Guardians alike, and the rotten stench of death and other foul things fills your every being upon reaching the battle at the main encampment. Everywhere you look there’s an Awoo fighting a Human and vice versa. It’s a pure bloodbath. Gripping your half broken Blade, you sweep the battlefield, trying to find something or someone…

>Find Team 2.
>Find The Grim Knight.
>Write-in.
>>
>>307571
>>Find Team 2.
>>
>>307571
>Find Team 2.
>>
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>>307571
>Find team 2

Guess we "branded" now.
>>
>>307614
Knowing us, the blade will be back with a vengeance, and more than a few angry words flung in our direction.
>>
>>307580
>>307601
>>307614
The vote has concluded!

Roll for perception check!
Roll 3d10
Best of 3.
DC: 5
>>
Rolled 3, 9, 6 = 18 (3d10)

>>307651
>>
Rolled 9, 5, 1 = 15 (3d10)

>>307651
Lets see how bad we're losing.
>>
Rolled 4, 7, 4 = 15 (3d10)

>>307651
>>
>>307654
>>307662
>>307667
DC reached!

Writing!

Let me also remind you all that there will be an one hour break during GoT's running time. I apologize in advance.
>>
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>>307571
>Find Team 2

You scour the battlefield with your eyes, trying to find your team amidst the chaos. Eventually your sight falls upon Jin executing a wounded human across the field. Mei is not far from him, but there’s no sight of Heim anywhere. Avoiding as much fighting as possible, you find your way to your Vice-Captain. He greets you with a firm nod, his gaze no entirely on you. He’s constantly checking his every flank for another arrow to dodge or another sword to clash with. Half his face is covered in ash and his left eye is wearing an eye-patch. It gives him a silly or intimidating look depending on who you ask.

“What happened to your Blade, Lin?!” Mei suddenly erupts after noticing your presence. She can still be untactful when a lot of things are on her mind at the same time. Aside from the bloodstains of someone else on her armor, she seems fine. You shake your head at her, pushing the subject away.

“It doesn’t matter. Where’s Heim?!” You raise your voice over the chaotic sounds of the battlefield. Mei doesn’t catch your question, but Jin does.

“He disappeared shortly after the assault began. I heard some of our own screaming about a crazed Guardian running amok around the battlefield, but I haven’t laid eyes upon said Awoo. Given his nature, it could be him!”

The news does make you worried for your friend’s sake. When he’s in that state, he’s not right in his mind. He could throw himself into a fight he can’t take, but you still don’t know his capabilities and his limits in said mental state, so you could be worrying for nothing? Maybe it’s not even him? Ah, the excuses we tell ourselves...

Your gaze shifts back over the battlefield, hoping to catch a glance of Heim. However, your eyes land upon something else entirely. A towering demonic human clad in black steel plated armor with a sword taller than himself is cutting his way through a five-man team of experienced Blood Guardians like they’re nothing. Their half and broken bodies are left behind in his wake when he stops, lowering his slab of iron to find a new foe.

He still hasn’t caught sight of you.

>Find Heim.
>Fight the Grim Knight. End this!
>>
>>307844
>Fight the Grim Knight. End this!
>>
>>307844
>>Find Heim.
>>
>>307844
>Fight the Grim Knight. End this!
Even if we found Heim, what would we do ? This is a battlefield and our weapon's broken. Can't ensure he'll be safe.
>>
>>307861
>>307862
>>307871
You're going to End this. One way or the other!

Roll for Combat!
Roll me 3d10.
Best of 3.
DC: 7
>Combat [++] = +1 to all dices.
>>
Rolled 5, 7, 8 = 20 (3d10)

>>307954
This is insanity...
>>
Rolled 1, 2, 7 = 10 (3d10)

>>307954
Time to kill guts or die trying
>>
Rolled 5, 1, 4 = 10 (3d10)

>>307954
>>
>>307968
>>307973
>>307986
>This is insanity...
It's happening!

DC Reached! Writing!
>>
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>>307844
>Fight the Grim Knight

The Knight haven’t seen you yet, and you’ll use this to your advantage to keep yourself outside his line of vision and the edges of it. Even from here you can spot the pieces of his armor that he replaced by his joints. They’re still his weakness. He likes it that way. He loves feeling the rush of adrenaline and his blood pumping when someone discovers his weakness. It’s not something he gets to enjoy as often as he’d like to. Some might argue that he should change to a different set of equipment or fix his weakness, but no other armor fits his secret as much as the one he carries right now.

Your Guardian Blade is still no more, only a broken shell of its former self. However, it’s still sharp and can do enough damage if the aim is true and the strike is hard and fast.Two aspects you’re confident with. Throwing a glance behind you, something dawns on you while your feet carries you forward - Jin and Mei has disappeared into the crowd of fighting Awoo’s and Humans.

You’re on your own. Alone.

Fear threatens to take hold of you, but your mind has endured enough to let you continue your stride towards either your own doom or that of the most prolific and hailed human leader of the Northern Legions. You stride shifts to a sprint in the last few meters and when the Grim Knight notices you, your broken blade has already struck against one of his knee joints, cracking off a piece of its plating.

“You.” He remarks with a hint of sickening joy in his voice, swinging his sword about with crushing speed. You dodge it just in time to thrust at his other knee joint, removing more plating. He brings his sword down upon you, but your leap backwards is just enough to get out of the range of both his weapon, and the earth and stones erupting from the impact point.

You’ve put some distance between the two and now when you’re both face-to-face like this, the real fight can begin. Awoo versus Human. Guardian versus Knight. ‘Good’ versus ‘Evil’.

>Roll for combat
Roll 3d10
Best of 3.
DC: 8
>Combat [++] = +1 to all dices.
>>
Rolled 7, 9, 3 = 19 (3d10)

>>308212
Oh come on Awoo, you're killing me here.
>>
Rolled 1, 9, 8 = 18 (3d10)

>>308212
>>
>>308220
>>308230
See? It's fiiiine!

DC Reached! I'll be back after the GoT Finale. Then we'll wrap it up tonight or tomorrow.
>>
>>308258
Clearly my fear is the answer. Somehow...
>>
Gonna cut the session here, as anti-climaxing as it is. I really need to sleep. I'll continue tomorrow/today (Monday).
>>
>>308672
That's okay. I'll just hope that this is what ended it.
>>
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>>308212
>Fight the Grim Knight. End this!
>Rolled for Combat
>Result: Success!

You stare at each other, awaiting the other’s first move. Everything and nothing is happening at the same time. Guardians and Humans are fighting, killing, and tearing each other apart all around you. Although your team is out there somewhere, your attention is entirely on the towering knight just a few meters ahead of you. Your fingers tighten one by one around the grip of you half broken, yet dead Guardian Blade in anticipation and to stifle your fear. The Grim Knight’s faceless helmet reveals nothing of the man underneath, not even where he’s looking. If you knew that you could determine where he’s about to strike next when entangled with him.

The Knight-Commander is the first to make a move, raising his sword to waist-height before rushing in a straight line down towards you! It’s beginning! You hunch your back down, ready for anything! However, he stops abruptly just out of range of you and shifts his body backwards, as if it to wind up his strike, but the sword won’t reach you from where he is. He turns his body to his right side and upon shifting it to his left in the opposite direction with lightning speed he releases the right grip of his sword and swings it entirely with his left hand in a huge arch in front of him.

The sword didn’t hit you, but it sent an aerial shock wave that crashed straight into your entire body. If it wasn’t for your broken Guardian Blade and quick thinking, the shock wave would have launched you on your back and left you to die for the incoming Grim Knight. Instead, you dug the blade into the ground with all your might and endured the short storm. Rising up just as fast as you knelt, you find yourself eye to eye with the faceless Knight. It only took him a second to get to you after you knelt! His sword is already raised and it’s about to come crashing down upon you with a force out of this world.

>Roll for Combat
Roll 3d10
Best of 3
DC: 9
>Combat [++] = +1 to all dices.
>>
Rolled 10, 5, 8 = 23 (3d10)

>>309578
>>
Rolled 9, 4, 10 = 23 (3d10)

>>309578
>>
>>309579
>>309581
DC Reached! Writing momentarily.
>>
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>>309578
we are keen arnt we guys
but i sorta hopd thta we would go bat shit crazy if we lost an arm or started to use the red flower like victora from hellsing
>>
>>309581
>>309579
Holy SHIT
>>
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>>309578
>Fight the Grim Knight. End this!
>Roll for Combat
>Result: Success!

The slab of iron is rammed into the ground at full length and with a speed where it’s no longer a piece of thick metal, but a moving black trail of mist. You barely avoid being cleaved in half when you use what’s left of your Guardian Blade to propel yourself away from the incoming sword by ramming it into the falling metal just in time. Out of harm’s way for a few more seconds, you use every fiber in your body to strike at the Grim Knight as fast and for as many times as you can. You get three hits in, all at the same knee joint area. Thick, red lines trail down from the open hole in his armor. A wound, but you didn’t cut off any muscles or actual bone joints, but this is a good start!

I’ve wounded him!

However, something seems amiss. The Grim Knight has turned his gaze back onto you, but he isn’t moving. He’s standing still, staring you down. Is he mocking your attempt to wound him properly? Is he reveling in the pain? Is this making him excited? No, it’s something else…

“I wanted to enjoy this fight for a bit longer, but it’s over now.” His voice is ever as grim as the way he appears.

Suddenly the formerly black slits in his faceless helmet lit up with a crimson glow. Loud, cracking noises of bones breaking erupts from within his armor as it bulks outwards, forcibly making room for something larger than it can hold, but because of its strong metal and sturdy joints that only break from the touch of Guardian Blades the armor stays together despite being pushed to its very limit. From the helmet you hear a squeaky, high pitched cry. This is followed by the helmet taking a life of its own, breaking the helmet open - as if the metal headpiece has turned into a living, breathing being and it has opened its vile gap, revealing metal teeths and a burning insides where thick, swirling ash and the Red Flower is mixed together.

It’s as if the Grim Knight is gone and something monstrous, something wrong replaced him.

>Continued
>>
Rolled 8, 6, 10 = 24 (3d10)

>>309640
>>
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>>309637

Its foul gaze falls upon you, not concerned with anything or anyone around it. You immediately notice that the nearby fighting around you and this new creature has stopped. Humans and Awoo alike are watching the scene unfold with a mix of horror and morbid curiosity, everyone frozen in place. No one dares to step in.

This body is sluggish, too large, and its mind... The living armor caresses its helmet as an all too familiar and cruel voice emits from the the plated suit holding what looks to be a hidden figure engulfed entirely in the Red Flower - Its metal jaws don’t move an inch, but the voice reaches out to you nonetheless. This is like nothing you could have ever imagined. It’s a Nightmare.

... so slow. A pity. Its crimson eyes reopen, focusing on you again, I have watched you, Guardian. It feels as though I watched a piece of myself cross the barrier on the day before this morrow, but it happened years past. You carried it, but I became blinded by the wall. It was lost from the waves of my pulse. - The armored Red Flower creature steadily takes a step forward, still getting adjusted to the shell it’s wearing. You’re frozen, unmoveable. Strapped in chains of fear or something otherworldly.

Guardian. With another step forward, it addresses you, My interest in you is everlasting. You carry something of mine that which we now share. I want more. You will be the first of many. With your kind, the World Tree will be MINE!

And with that, the creature leaps into the air, a feat you thought impossible of the Grim Knight given the weight of his armor, but for this monster it’s possible. It’s gripping the same sword the Grim Knight held, ready to dismember you at best, and kill you at worst!

Lin, MOVE!

>Roll for Reflex Check
Roll 3d10
Best of 3.
DC: 8
>>
>>309642
My roll still counts right?
>>
>>309644
Yeah sure, but I'll be back to write more in an hour or so. I need a break after that shit fest with the .
>>
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>>309644
Cool, have a skull.
>>
Rolled 3, 8, 2 = 13 (3d10)

>>309642
>>
Rolled 1, 4, 7 = 12 (3d10)

>>309642
>>
Rolled 6, 3, 3 = 12 (3d10)

>>309642
>>
>>309644
soo lucky your rooll counts
>>
>>309642
>Roll for Reflex Check!
>Result: Success!

A whole range of nerves explode from your center and race throughout your body. The armored creature is fast approaching you, but it feels as though time has slowed down, descending from seconds to split-seconds and maybe even slower than that. You feel your body unshackle itself from the fear that rooted you, and your instincts push your body to its very limit as it tries to get out of the way of the incoming sword.

It’s not fast enough.

You save yourself from being cleaved, but your lower right leg is caught by the crushing iron slab. The loss of your leg sends you down on all four, your right hand still gripping on tightly to your broken Guardian Blade. Before the pain of your bleeding stump of a leg can set in, the armored creature have already lifted its sword, spun about, and cut upwards, removing your left arm as well, just over your elbow.

The pain burns all throughout your body, but especially from the bleeding stumps of your lost right leg and left arm. You hear a cry amidst the frozen crowd that has gathered to watch. Both Humans and Awoo alike are stuck in their places, forced to watch the scene unfold. The cry came from Mei who just arrived to the scene. She’s trying her best to run up to you, but she’s stuck where she stands. Jin equally so.

Your body is twitching along with the pain and your mind is empty, incapable of forming a single thought through this horrible experience. Upon falling to the ground due to your current horrendous imbalance, you hit your head over a stone. You’re bleeding from your stumps and the wound in your forehead. Blood is painting the right side of your face as you stare up at the armored creature from where you lie. It’s walking away from you in silence.

You close your eyes as anger, sadness, and pure frustration washes over you. Your tears mix with the blood.

Is this how it ends? After everything I’ve been through, is this how I die?

“Lin.”

I never defeated Chao. I never got to see Sensei again and make him proud.

”Lin?!”

I let Kun die and couldn’t even avenge his death. I’ve broken my promise to my team and to Mei. I’ll never get to see Heim smile again or hear Ming’s laugh.

”Raubtier, open your eyes!” - The voice you have been ignoring up ‘til now is getting on your nerves. You open your eyes to give him a mouthful, but when you do, a sight you’ll never forget greets you. Your Guardian Blade has reforged itself and changed. The grip is made out of a different wood, the blade is longer and cracked at some spots, but still sturdy and sharp, and the edge has a constant red colour to it. Your pain is gone, but your limbs are still missing and bleeding profusely. You’ll probably pass out from blood loss soon.

>Continued
>>
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>>309954

“What’s happening.” You ask no one. However, the voice from before replies all the same.

“We have split and fused with both your blade and your heart. We are your new Guardian Blade.”

You finally recognize the voice as the Red Flower within you. It sounds more clear, more intelligent, more… sentient. With your new blade’s help, you propel yourself up on your undamaged knee and rest on the grip of your sword while it’s stuck in the ground.

“How? Why?” You inquired, still confused, trying to find a plausible reason, but you’re too numb to think of something.

If you die, we perish with you. We have no desire for such a fate. This is but the first step in our true symbiotic transformation.” In the distance you hear the armored creature dig its weapon into the ground before it turns back to you. At the same time you feel a burning sensation in your heart, traveling outwards through your body until it splits where one goes up and the other down.

In pure awe, you and everyone else watch as your limbs regrow themselves, as if the Red Flower within you burns flesh, skin, fur, muscles, nerves, and bones anew upon your body, looking exactly the same as before with no scarrings or hint of corruption. You hear the armored creature pulling its weapon out from the ground again upon realizing that its task is far from over.

”We have restored your Guardian Blade and awakened something that has lied dormant within you. With its help, we can heal us. For a Price.”

The pain is gone. Your dizziness is gone. Your fear is gone. Everything has been restored, yet changed. It stings a bit that your old Guardian Blade is finally gone for good, but you’ve gained a new ally, a new ability that comes with a price, and something old and strong has awakened within you. Something fierce. It has changed the very way you look, all the way down to your former red eyes that are now dark yellow with thick snake-like pupils. You look less like an Awoo and more like…

“A White Wolf” You murmur to yourself, looking at your reflection in the Guardian Blade as you rise up on both feet.

”It comes! Be ready!” Your Red Flower warns you when the armored creature leaps at you. When you try to move out of the way of its attack again, you find yourself moving at an incredibly faster speed than before. The creature swings its sword about horizontally to cut you down where you stand behind it. You duck and without thinking, you slash your Guardian Blade across the creature’s chest, forgetting that it was useless the last time. However, you receive a painful roar from the Creature. Your sword has left an open gash across its chestplate. Ash mixed with the Red Flower pours and sparks out of the open wound.

IMPOSSIBLE!, It screams as it staggers backwards, staring at its wound. I forged this armor by my own fiery hands! Nothing can break it!

>Continued
>>
>>309963

Ignoring its anger, you waste no time to start a proper retaliation at last. As the Creature swings its sword about in panic, you dodge and dance around it, cutting, slashing, thrusting with your Guardian Blade. It continues to scream and cry painfully before the many wounds upon the plate eventually brings it to its knees in front of you. Silence falls over everyone when you stop your counter-attack and look upon the hunched and defeated Creature.

You think you’ve won, Guardian? My fire have burned longer than your race has existed and it shall continue to stay alight even after your kind has faded into obscurity. I will bring down your walls of magic. I will burn every single one of you to ashes. I will destroy the World Tree! Mark. My. Words.

And with that, the Creature let’s out one last scream before whatever’s inside the armor explodes outwards in an aerial shock wave filled with ash and dust, and a red mist fades into the wind. The human known as the Grim Knight is gone and what’s left is an empty and burnt husk of black armor still standing on its knees, arms stuck in the air indomitably. Its empty gaze is staring in the general direction of where the World Tree stands, hundreds of thousands of yards away, beyond two magical walls.

Suddenly everyone is free from whatever was keeping them frozen. The Humans all flee in fear of their lives, and while some Guardians give pursue, most remain encircled around the scene that just happened before their very eyes. You sigh and it feels like you’re breathing on your own for the first time in your life. It feels good.

The silence is suddenly broken by the chanting of a few Awoo. In no time, the chanting travels through the entire crowd of Guardians and it becomes a roaring and triumphant cheering.

“Raubtier! Raubtier! Raubtier! Raubtier! Raubtier!” They scream, shout, and cheer in unison while laughing! There’s no ill-will behind the name when it leaves their lips. Only pride and respect. Mei and Jin is cheering with them, one filled with life and the other out of respect. You catch sight of Heim amidst the crowd as well. He looks weary, exhausted, but nothing worse for wear. He gives way to a bright smile and nods at you approvingly.

Word of what happened here today would spread throughout both the Forest Realm and the Human lands, speaking of the fearsome Awoo, the strong Guardian, the bloodthirsty enemy of Humanity, the amazing Raubtier.

The Hero Guardian.
____

End of The Grim Knight Arc!
>>
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>>309969
Oh shit, this is amazing!
>>
>>309969
Huh, that went way better than expected. Didn't think our kin would respond that well to our new nature.

Good thread OP.
>>
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Thanks for playing/voting/lurking/reading! I will take a leave of absence for 1-2 days before the next Arc starts! I'll check the thread occasionally for questions, comments, input/feedback, you name it. My Twitter has been posted in the OP and I will archive the thread.

Thank you!
>>
>>309992
Excellent thread QM, definitely had us panicked more than a few times given rolls. But everything went better than expected.

>>309990
I question that in full. I'm sure we now have a loyal retinue that will support us, but that doesn't speak to the interior, and I think some will wonder how we regrew limbs. I think emotions are on high, and that helps, but I don't think Lin's persecution is over yet.
>>
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For future references, you also earned 2 new perks and a [+] to Combat and one [+] to Social!

>[Inner Wolf]: Your ancestral White Wolf within you has awakened and you’ve gained a portion of the speed it was known for. +1 on the dice when performing a Reflex/Agility Save.

>[Berserker Mode]: You may trigger this state to activate your rapid regeneration ability given to you by your inner wolf, but the longer you stay in it, the steeper the unknown price becomes.

>>310017
>>309990
>>309987
Thank you!
>>
>>310025
I was going to ask about our bonuses, but that shall do!
>>
>>309992
So what made you decide to kill Hao off behind the scenes? if he wasn't sent to the cave did you have other plans for him?
>>
>>310562
>So what made you decide to kill Hao off behind the scenes?
It was mostly due to all the successful rolls and decisions made at the time. In the end, he found himself on his way out of the cave with a much faster beast tailing him. The only logical choice was to kill him off in my mind. I didn't want to change PoV to him simply to kill him off in the same sequence and Lin, who held the PoV at the time, had no want or need to follow the 'human leader' and the wild beast out. She genuinely thought they had succeeded in the second part of their mission.

At the risk of sounding pretentious and full of shit, some QM's prefer full control over plot and characters, while me and possibly others prefer to throw characters into a plot/setting and see what happens as we go along. Reaping both the consequences and the rewards

>if he wasn't sent to the cave did you have other plans for him?
I had plans for him to be a PoV character all the way up until one of the last pivotal moments/fights in the quest, but it wouldn't be so.
>>
>>310620
Oh no are we going to follow the smug captain of the red flower special forces for the human side of the story now?

P.S. I don't know how to put a spoiler tag over text
>>
>>310728
>Oh no are we going to follow the smug captain of the red flower special forces for the human side of the story now?
Maybe. I'm currently debating between three options. We'll see.
Highlight your text and then Ctrl + s = spoiler.
>>
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Running again on the 30th!



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