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>>958908
"How are you doing, Kat?" you call out to your shadow. She looks up from where she's repeatedly bashing an ice kit against the deck and starts pummeling it.

"My claws aren't working!" she complains. "They just freeze the wounds shut!"

"Yeah that's gonna be a problem you have with these," you admit. "I can't rot them either, which is a little fucking aggravating since I know they're alive -" you stop to block a diving ice kite and rake it with your sword-cane, making it shriek in pain.

You see Catherine vault from the helm to intercept a rimewraith, an axe in each hand that blaze with the cherry heat of forge-fire, and you sidestep so she can land next to you instead of on top of you. The Chosen of War nods her approval and charges into the fray.

> Blind the elementals; it'll sap your strength but it might turn the tide
> Focus on keeping Hati and Skoll up; they can tear these things apart
> Get higher for when Jack arrives
> Write-in?

>>958918
> Focus on keeping Hati and Skoll up; they can tear these things apart
Gotta keep the wardogs in the fight

>>958918
> Blind the elementals; it'll sap your strength but it might turn the tide

>Tell Kat to try pushing them overboard.

Are we not using Reunion?

>>958954
Bri reached for the sword-cane on reflex and because of the very accurate advice that a weapon you're not familiar with can be worse than not having a weapon at all.

>>958918
>> Focus on keeping Hati and Skoll up; they can tear these things apart

>>958918
>> Focus on keeping Hati and Skoll up; they can tear these things apart
Can't let them die in their first fight

>>958918
> Focus on keeping Hati and Skoll up; they can tear these things apart.
Just because I lurve me some upgrades, we might be able to scavenge parts and add them to the dogs. Maybe coat their fangs and claws with Ice instead of Necro-Venom?

>>958918
> Blind the elementals; it'll sap your strength but it might turn the tide

I think we should focus on blinding the elementals, because when it comes to jack we can talk him down

also is anyone surprised at how powerful he got so quickly?

Real Life(tm) is eating me here so I may have to leave this open while I'm at work; I'll do my best to field questions from my phone but we've been kinda busy.

Thank you for your patience while I'm indulging in my urge to do something seasonal over in July at Christmas.

>>959006
We never really fought him, and when he died, he didn't have time to prepare. Jack probably knows all sorts of magic from when he was searching for a soul.

We kind of really underestimated him, didn't we?

>>959335
well aren't ghosts supposed to start out weaker? If he was able to spin an entire ice castle out of the water before hand he really was more powerful at magic then was let on

>>959335
I mean, he was in charge of the level filled with sealed artifacts and dangerous experimental magic, and found out about the angel in the Center. Who knows what else he's found?

>>959352
Hmm...

>>959070
Vox, does all magic consist of some form of ritual, or are rituals something that lets users use much more powerful and/or complicated magic than is normally possible? Maybe a combination of some sort?

Jack probably learned all about rituals learning about the soul-immortality-oath thing.

>>958918
>Focus on keeping Hati and Skoll up; they can tear these things apart

>>959372
There's a doc about magic in Characters and Places up top.

>>958918
>> Focus on keeping Hati and Skoll up; they can tear these things apart

>>959352
As discussed in the ghost doc, fresher spirits are stronger, but often seem weaker because they hold back. Jack's succumbed to obsession and madness and is going as hard as he can.

Called, writing. Sorry for the delay there; I was winding down from work.

>>961848
No, fuck it, I can't. I'm too out of it. I'll get up early tomorrow and try to update but in the meantime the votes remain open.

Fucking kill me I hate December.

>>961925
You and me both, Vox, you and me both.

Voxy-poo, if we wanted to buy you Christmas presents, what would we do and how would we go about getting them to you?

>>961978
I. Am not sure how to respond to this or even if I want to, to be honest. I...have...difficulties, accepting gifts, if I'm being wholly honest.

In addition, I'd intended to wake up like, two or three hours ago and that did not happen even a little. I gotta hit work and will be back at approximately 6 PM, at which point the work on updating properly will begin.

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>>958918
You go in Catherine's wake, more to get closer to Hati and Skoll than anything else. The dogs have taken some bad hits already, and you hit your knees (a frost kite's claws snatch at the empty air where your head just was) next to them and start to shake out your corn meal into a veve. You throw the mangled corpse of an elemental into the middle of it and start cursing rapid-fire.

Death drains from your bottle, and Hati and Skoll stand straighter, the gouges in their bones filling back out and their ribs snapping back into place.

You order the dogs back into the attack, and they move as a pair; they tear frostlings limb from limb, leaving plenty of material scattered across the deck for you to use to keep them up.

You sweep a bit of the unmelting, elemental ice into a belt pouch so you can study it later. No point in letting that go to waste either.

Your first warning that Jack is getting close is the snapping and cracking of the water beneath him flash-freezing. The ghost is armored in the ice in which he died, and his expression is twisted into a rictus of hate.

"Jack, no!" Flitter yells, but it's pointless; he's beyond reason now.

You should have banished him when you first heard he'd come back, but it's a bit late for that now, isn't it?

Jack recoils away from an arc of balefire. Your sister stands at the bow of the ship, reigniting Sleep with the hideous substance that you are starting to think of as her specialty, and draws a bone wand for her other hand.

"Give her back!" Jack demands, his dead voice a shriek of rage.

"She's not yours!" you call in return. "You can't just keep her in a cage!"

"I HAVE TO FIX IT!" the ghost screams. "I BROKE HER HEART AND LEFT HER BEHIND! I CAN FIX IT!"

> "You can't fix everything, Jack!"
> Fly up to engage
> Just focus on the elementals (you are River la Croix)

>>963404
> "You can't fix everything, Jack!"
Gotta distract so River can get a good balefire hit in.

>>963404
>supporting
>>963410
Play distraction/defense so River can land a good hit.

>>963404
>"You can't fix everything, Jack!"
"IF YOU COULD MY FAMILY WOULDN'T BE DEAD."

>>963404
>> "You can't fix everything, Jack!"

>Do you really think this is making it better? Does Flitter look happier to you now then she was before? Seriously, take a minute to have a critical thought about what you've been doing since you died and whether or not that's helped or hurt your relationship with her!

>>963404
> "You can't fix everything, Jack!"
Seems like this is going to be a pretty unanimous vote.

Also, if Mister Sykes is as good as the crew believe he is, he better have a cannon lined up.

>>963404
>"You're making things worse!"

Well that's fairly unanimous.

Called, writing.

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>>963404
"Are you even /listening/ to yourself, Jack?" you yell out. "You can't fix everything! The dead are supposed to stay dead!"

"That's rich coming from a fucking necromancer," the ghost sneers. He gestures sharply, raining icicles down at your crew; you dive for the mast, taking cover behind it, and wince at the screams of your sailors getting punctured. "The angel said I could fly!"

"No shit but that doesn't make it right!" you call back. "Jack, /look at her/. Does she look like you're making her happy?"

The rain of ice slows, and then stops. In the silence that follows you can hear the crackle of River's blade, the steam of Catherine's weapons, and Flitter sobbing quietly.

"Belle?" Jack murmurs, as though he's seeing her for the first time. "...Belle, I - I can - Belle, I can make it better. I can still fix this."

"I don't want you to, Jack," Flitter begs. "Please. I was bean sidhe, I...I need you to go home."

You step out from behind the mast and see Jack hovering in place, his face fallen with heartbreak. You sigh and adjust your hat, making your way across the deck to stand near River.

"You'll never see me again," Jack says, quietly. "...Not ever. You don't - you can't enter the Sunless Lands."

"I know," Flitter whispers, her voice tight. "Please, Jack. Go home."

"She said I could fly," the ghost says miserably. He floats slowly downwards, the ice melting off of his form. His elementals, sensing something wrong, flee the ship; the crew lets them go. "The angel said..."

"You can, Jack," you tell him gently, putting a hand on his shoulder. "But what goes up, must come down. I'm sorry. I really am. You deserved the chance to live a real life, and you didn't get that. But it's time, Jack. It's time to go."

The Debtor that was nods. He shakes your hand off of his shoulder and turns, walking off of the deck of the ship. His phantasmal flesh peels away in strips, until all that is left of Jack is a distant patch of smoky mist.

River snuffs her sword and sinks to her knees, exhausted.

"See to the wounded," you tell Rachael. "We'll drop anchor here and discuss how to track the /Lonesome Dirge/ in two hours."

"Aye-aye, Captain," your First Mate agrees. She starts issuing orders. You...

> Commune with the ship
> Get some rest
> See to River
> Write-in?

>>964534
>See to River

>>964534
> Commune with the ship
It's past time we do so.

>>964534
>> See to River

>>964534
And so ends Jack the Debtor. May he have better luck in the Sunless Lands.

Goodbye, Jack.

>> Commune with the ship
We need to make some concessions to the ship and her crew, else we'll be looking at an uneffective crew at best or a mutiny at worst.

>>964534
>> See to River

>>964534
> Commune with the ship.

Would I be off to say that this felt rather anti-climactic? He was supposedly obsessed, single-minded, and desperate. Why did he suddenly just..give up? I mean, it would have made a crazy sense for him to blame Brianna for Flitter's rejection. I am glad that Necrofowl Inc. managed to get through this in one piece.

You're still awesome, just need to say that.

>>965042
> Would I be off to say that this felt rather anti-climactic?

Not at all, honestly (that is, you're not off). I'm starting to realize I shoulda listened waaaaaaaaay earlier in this Quest to the folks who said thirteen floors was gonna be too many.

I gotta hit bed. Votes remain open. I'll update before I go to work and then I've got Friday off. I'm working Christmas Eve but I'll be able to update in the evening, and then I'm spending Christmas Day with relatives so you can expect radio silence or, at most, phone-based Q&A.

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

Thank you all for reading and participating!

>>964534
>> See to River
>but also give Flitter a biiig hug.

Should we let the crew go for the treasure Jack had? seems like a good way to placate them for now.

>>965191
>Should we let the crew go for the treasure Jack had? seems like a good way to placate them for now.

That sounds like it might be a decent idea, provided the stuff there isn't obviously and recently someone else's.

>>965075
Thanks for running, and have a merry Christmas!

>provided the stuff there isn't obviously and recently someone else's.
I agree in spirit, but in practice that means we'd have to look over everything they brought back.

And posting here as well:

> Plan for eight hours of sleep and updates before work
> Work calls me four hours into it to ask if I can come in early
> Can't get back to sleep
> The house is out of both coffee and food I know how to cook

Now that last part is more or less my own damn fault and there will be a great Youtubing here shortly so I can get some fucking breakfast but god damn. There's days that are my day and then there's today.

I'll update before work if I can. If I can't...well, I can only thank you for your patience.

We're open for Q&A and feedback at the very least.

I'm curious: what would be something you'd like to see in this world?

I'm a sucker for history and seeing it in the world, so if there were, say, an abandoned giant city or other ancient ruin we could have fun exploring for an afternoon, I'd highly enjoy it.

How about the rest of you?

>>965419
Strength in adversity, Vox-lich. You can survive this.

What can they do, kill you again?

Hey vox, it's been a while since one of your paste bin extras. Those are always nice

[Spoiler]especially the lewds

>>967994
They might try to take away his coffee. Le gasp! The villainous curs!

>>968237
I loved the world-building docs. I'd kill for an expansion on the existing lore, the history and cultures. As for the lewds, I would let him do those at his own pace and leisure. Smut that's forced tends to be crap.

Don't know if any of you follow other quests, but The Raiders is fucking great. Especially Yzia. Gotta love trouble-making dragon-butt.

>>968319
XS knows how to do lesbian smut and dramatic fluff if nothing else.

And racial builds. Those too.

Called, writing. Narrow win for seeing to River.

Fuck everything about yesterday.

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>>964534
You sheath your sword-cane and kneel next to River. Your sister lets you put an arm around her shoulders and leans against you while she catches her breath.

"You doing okay?" you ask, gently. "Like. In all senses?"

River wobbles her hand at you and lets Sleep slide to the deck. "Balefire takes it out of you," she explains. "It wants to either snuff out or run out of control. Working it with any kind of finesse is...exhausting. And hurling it like that is a lot of control, a lot of concentration. As close as Robert was able to estimate a fight like that is three or four years right off the top."

"Hellfire, River -"

"Elf, remember?" she points out. "Like, yes, three or four years is a lot of time, but it's also hardly any time at all. I'm in acceptable tolerances for necromantic fatigue."

You frown, then sigh and pull your sister a little closer. "Alright," you murmur. "You're a grown-ass death sorceress, you can make your own choices. I just -"

"I know," River interrupts, with a little smile. "Believe me, I have an intimate awareness of why you didn't want to learn this. I don't know if I'll /teach/ this. But since I learned it anyway, I'm going to do some good with it. And...well...demonfire has its own problems."

"I've never quite understood how you get fire out of Hell," you admit.

"At great and annoying difficulty," River tells you. She pulls her glove off and pushes up her sleeve, revealing a series of nearly identical runes carved into her forearm. The angry scars stand out against her skin. "It's summoning, basically," River explains. "I could put this on, say, a coin or something, but then anyone could use it and that's a recipe for bad shit happening to innocent people. Every time I conjure hellfire one of these stops being useful and I have to re-carve it."

You stare.

"I realize this seems excessive," River admits, with a faint blush. "But it's...I mean, this is how demonologists keep a lid on their fire, you know?"

"And balefire's easier for you to conjure?" you ask.

"Well, yeah. I /make/ balefire. I don't have to call it, I can just ignite Sleep and use it as a fuel source. Admittedly it'd be rough without Sleep but still easier than slicing myself up. I keep demonfire around for when I need it." River pushes her sleeve back down and gets her hand back in her glove. "...Sis?"

"Yeah?" you ask.

"I don't think we're making the right choice, working with this ship. I think we should burn it down to the frame, send the survivors off to the Sunless Lands, and find another way to the /Dirge/."

> ...Alright, why?
> I appreciate you sharing this with me, but we're staying the course
> Honestly, I've been thinking that too
> Write-in?

>>969102
>Write-in?
>"You have a point, one which I have had under consideration, but I need to at least talk to the (I forgot the exact name of the god who made the plunderbus possible) before I can decide."

It's complicated, all of these people have made themselves guilty in some way or form but how many of the /original/ crew are actually left on board?

>>969102
>> ...Alright, why?
>> I appreciate you sharing this with me, but we're staying the course
"I am part of the crew, so you'd have to kill me to kill it. The rest would be nice, but I'd rather see this through."

>>969102
>I appreciate you sharing this with me and honestly, I've been thinking that too, but we're staying the course. I'm now part of the crew so thats a problem and I need to talk to (the god who did this).

>>969207
Why do you hate me anon.

>>969127
>seconding

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Alright folks, so a few things:

> July at Christmas
This is still ongoing >>955323 and has resumed updating. It's looking like it might bleed over into a second thread but you're invited to read, participate, and offer feedback if you're of a mind.

> Christmas Eve
I'll be running tomorrow starting at around six or so

> Booze
There is likely to be severely drunk running tonight, as my brother wants to drink with me. In a related story, there may be a pause sometime after five so we can secure dinner and then get drunk AF.

> Dungeon Life Quest
So...after our last talk about this, I've been giving the matter more thought and consulting with some of my readers that I have access to in a non-4chan context, and I think what I'd like to do is abridge some of the remaining Floors. That doesn't mean shortening this one (further than your choices already have/can) but it does mean that I'd like to get the Wyrm and possibly the Librarian off the table as plot lines we actively see through in the interest of advancing towards the climax. Narratively, DLQ is feeling like it /wants/ to peak here soon, and I'm not sure two more Floors of this is going to do the narrative much good.

I'd like your thoughts and feelings on the matter. This is as much your quest as it is mine.

>>969102

I like this.
>>969127
Seconding.

>>969236
Enjoy your solstice Vox. The Lunar Eclipse was lovely by the by.

As far as that goes, please do as you see fit, but please give us an in story reasoning for it.

>>969212
I do this because I love your writing.

>>969236
>DLQ
I've loved this quest and would like to see more, but if you burn out on it you'll do none of us any good. An IC reason for the shift in floor-clearing speed would be appreciated, if you can swing it. And honestly, having any ending at all is appreciated. Very few quests actually make it to any ending; most just go on hiatus forever, or are declared dead without any sort of wrap up, or the QM just drops off the face of the earth one day.

Have a merry Christmas (or whatever you celebrate)

>>969236
I'm fine if the Wyrm and Librarian were shortened (if it makes sense in character), but I am worried about casualties, we've been trying really hard to keep /most/ people alive (I need muh happy ending bruh).

Dick tried to fuck over the Librarian, why would he even resist us at this point?
Not too sure about the Wyrm, he seemed adamant about dying in battle, it's a little saddening.

Also, Seraphina had a floor, right? What happened to it?

>>969381
River asked Lora to 'detain' the remaining cultists rather than killing them.

>>969102
Supporting this; >>969127

>>969236
We HAVE allies we can call on to get things done. We aren't some ragtag bunch of adventurers anymore. Why not just call on them for aid in liberating the final floors?

We can get Lawrence (HE WHO MAKES STONE WALLS INTO DOORS! And Diving Shadow, just because I doubt she'd let Lawrence risk his neck alone), Borsh & Lista, Korl and the goblins to go after the Gauntlet Below (which is right up their alley). We can have Catherine, Emily and River can lead the Rose family into the Redoubt (I think we could give her the dogs for that one). Meanwhile Brianna, Nate and Amy can answer the Wyrm's challenge. After that, all we've got to do is Mr. Erectile Dysfunction.

We might want to do some serious preparation beforehand though. I don't want to hear that a friend got killed for a stupid reason.

>>969381
The Wyrm, I can kinda understand (though, Vox, he is almost exactly the same as the dragon from Mourners). The Librarian, however, will have to answer for what he's done. I'm not saying we execute him, but the Roost will demand justice be done for the fallen. Plus, we need to know how in the hell he knew about what happened to Brianna's family.

>>969553
> Mourners
I squealed like a little girl.

But yeah, I get the comparison. I like the trope of ancient and withered dragons, though I will say that the Valhallan is cursed, whereas the Wyrm has this problem where he's looking for the person who can beat him and can't find that person.

>>969553
>on the Librarian
We were told that he immediately sent out geargrinders to gather as much information as they could as soon as he knew Bri's name.
He is now also pretty much between two fires, Dick who tried to kill his inactive children, and Bri. I meant that he's pretty much lost everything, no friends to help him, just enemies in every direction.
Seems to me like Bri is the best option they have.

>>969596
Absolutely. We've spared a large number of his 'children', but the man himself needs to held accountable. Though, I doubt that the others, like Oak and Yew and Cobalt, will let him go without a fight.

I wonder if Kaleidoscope and some of the newly awakened Gear-Grinders would be willing to go and talk with their 'father' about suing Brianna and Necrofowl Inc. for peace? If we could end the situation there as peacefully as possible, with no blood shed, that would be an amazing win.

I just wonder what Lora has to say about the man.

>>969595
You have no idea how impatient and giddy I am for the book delivery. Like, fucking hell Vox, I am going to love the shit out of your book. Roses and a midnight stroll in the park before gently being taken under the stars.

Sticky pages Lich. All for you.

>>969102
> ...Alright, why?

Alright folks, I'm going to finish this rum and update in, like, either an hour or tomorrow evening, one of those two. I'll tell you when the rum is done.

In the meantime, to address the above, I do have an idea for the in-story reason that things move along, but it would, of necessity, take both the Wyrm and the Librarian off the table.

And no, it's not Richard blowing them up.

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Yeah this ain't happening until tomorrow. My thanks for your patience with my drunken stupidity and votes remain open.

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

Thank you all for reading and participating!

>>971047
My recommendation is coffee and Kahlua, maybe some Irish creme to top it.

>>969236
Yeah, overall I'm pretty ok with hurrying those two up, assuming we have a good instory readon to do so. (Like making use of all the friends/armies we've amassed. We are indeed not just a band of plucky adventurers anymore.)

Onwards to glory (and story completion)!

>>970537
>take both the Wyrm and the Librarian off the table.
Well that's unfortunate considering that those are the ones set-up as interesting so far.

>>971314
>>take both the Wyrm and the Librarian off the table.
>Well that's unfortunate considering that those are the ones set-up as interesting so far.

I dunno. I somewhat prefer the idea of having them work up the gumption to defy Richard and surrender their Floors without a fight, rather than have to fight and kill two more people (or beings, or whatever) whom we respect and would prefer not to see die.

Contrived fights for the sake of it bother me.

>>971535
Yes, but even that better would be shown to us in detail rather than skipped over.

>>971561

I didn't get the impression that he was going to /skip over/ the floors, so much as /shorten/ them by making them not be yet another siege, infiltration, and battle.

Called, writing shortly.

Like three weeks or catching up later and I'm finally live again.
Just gonna throw this out, I want to see if we can give Wyrm a reason to live again instead of just being a deathseeker.

>>972402
Welcome back, anon! Glad to have you here.

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>>969102
You frown, slightly. "You have a point, which...I've also had under consideration, but I should probably talk to the Quell before I just make a call on this. Lora doesn't seem to know what it'd think."

"I mean...there's no law in the Dungeon," River points out.

"No, there's no law as far as the surface world goes. Can you honestly look at, say, the Roost and tell me there's /no/ law down here? Everyone makes laws, mostly because at some point people want to know what the rules are, y'know?" You shrug. "It's complicated. Lots of things are."

"I cannot imagine," your sister drawls sarcastically, and the two of you share a laugh.

"I'll ask Lora if I can get in touch with the Quell." You pause. "...I'll do that now, actually."

"How are you going to get to sleep?" River asks.

"...Is it bad that my first response was 'I'll just have Nate jack me a good one right upside the face'?"

"Yeah, that's terrible. Robert taught me a tea that'll help you relax, I'll go make some."

You help River to her feet, at least until Whisper shows up to attend upon her - the shadow loans River her walking stick, /somehow/ - and check on the others. Flitter is unhurt. Nate's nursing bruised ribs but between actually wearing armor and his training he's escaped serious wounds.

Amy is brushing ice from her wings and displaying a comprehensive knowledge of various curses and expletives, but she seems mostly fine.

The Captain's cabin is lavish in a cramped sort of way, with a soft bed, a golden wash basin, fine ash wood furniture (why is it all ash?), and more. You hang your sword-cane on a stand and throw your coat over the back of a chair before taking a heavy seat on the bed.

In all, it takes River about forty minutes to get your tea ready.

"I might be a bit," you tell your sister when she gives it to you. "Let Rachael know?"

"You got it. Sleep well."

You drink your tea after River leaves and nestle into the bed to try to get some sleep. It's easier than you might have thought. The relaxants in the tea help you let go of your stress, which leaves just the exhaustion of battle and the general, soul-deep weariness you've been fighting with for years.

Lora is waiting for you, when you drift off.

"You get knocked out or something?" the angel asks, confused. "I /just/ got done dealing with Jack."

"Took a nap, actually," you admit. "I was hoping to be able to speak with the Quell. You were able to send me to the Forgemaster, so..."

Lora lets out a long breath. "Red Troth's going to be annoyed," she admits.

"I'll apologize to the Red God later," you tell your friend. "I really must speak to the Quell."

Lora nods and stands. She unsheathes Grief and sets it tip-first in front of herself, then bows her head in -

In prayer. Huh. But then, how else would she talk to the gods?

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>>972935
"The Quell will receive you," is all the warning you get before you are abruptly jolted. Miles flash by, until you find yourself standing on the banks of a strange river, with the sun setting. On one side of the river is a city, whose walls abut the bank almost to the point of threatening to drop into the water; on the other side is thick forest, so dense that light won't penetrate.

"I'm noticing a theme," you say to yourself, curiously.

"Do tell," a pair of voices answers. You turn and see -

Well, the Quell looks nothing like the pictures.

It (they?) are male and female. To you (you're pretty sure this is a 'to you' sort of thing) they're dark-skinned humans in judicial robes, standing back to back. One holds a pair of scales, which tip and swing with an almost bell-like sound; other other holds a gavel in their fist. Which is which keeps changing, and you can never quite keep an eye on them.

"I'm not sure I want to say it out loud," you admit. "...Aren't you the god of law and contract?"

"I am," those two voices admit. "But I am god of many things, as my peers, too, can claim. For what purpose have you sought me?"

You cough, a little off-put; each part of the Quell looks at you in turn, so that only one pair of eyes is on you at a time. "I'd thought you wanted to speak to me, my...god," you finish, a little lamely.

"Indeed."

You wait for it (them?) to continue and realize the Quell is not going to, so you take a breath to answer. "I have seized command and ownership of the cursed vessel named /Pallbearer/. Your daughter, the First Singer of the Death Choir, believes you may object to its destruction. I would know your feelings on the matter."

"My feelings are irrelevant," comes the simple answer, devoid of emotion.

> Uhh...yes they are?
> Why are all of these conversations museum showpieces of you bastards being deliberately difficult?
> Okay. What are the /legalities/ of the matter?
> Write-in?

>>972954
> Okay. What are the /legalities/ of the matter?

Damn it, Quell, this is the sort of shit that results in cursed pirate ships that rape, pillage, and murder for centuries.

>>972954
> Why are all of these conversations museum showpieces of you bastards being deliberately difficult?

>>972954
>> Why are all of these conversations museum showpieces of you bastards being deliberately difficult?
>> Okay. What are the /legalities/ of the matter?

>>972954
> "Uh..yes they are?"
> "If you think I can't understand your reasons, or show sympathy, then you clearly don't know who I am or why I do what I do.
> "Also, a descendant of those who were once nailed to trees is on an terrible quest to save the world from a madman. Entertain a tired woman."

I am pretty fucking tuckered out, just wanted to offer my barely coherent ideas before passing out.

>>972954
> Why are all of these conversations museum showpieces of you bastards being deliberately difficult?
Diety. Noun. Prounounced fuk-whit. A being incapable of holding a proper conversation. See also Autist.

>>973023
Wait, the gods are Anons?

IT ALL MAKES SO MUCH SENSE NOW!

>>973023
>>973076
I'm fucking dying.

>>972954

>Laws don't exist without reasons, and reasons are influenced by feelings. For better or worse, you made a group or pirates relatively immortal. For better or worse, I'm thinking about undoing that. Before I do, I want to know your laws, the reasons you made them, and the feelings behind those.

>>972954
>> Okay. What are the /legalities/ of the matter?

>>972954
>>973120
this

>>972954
>Laws don't exist without reasons, and reasons are influenced by feelings. For better or worse, you made a group or pirates relatively immortal. For better or worse, I'm thinking about undoing that. Before I do, I want to know your laws, the reasons you made them, and the feelings behind those.

I'm hittin' bed. Not likely to update over Christmas but we'll see how it goes. Votes remain open.

Aight, I'ma call and write Shortly (tm) after getting July at Christmas a new thread here. Thank you for your patience with my holiday celebrations; I don't really get those a lot.

>>976622
No worries Lich! I'm glad you got to enjoy yourself.

New thread for July at Christmas. I may have to hold up on updating this quest due to a confluence of Real Life events.

>>976880
>>976880
>>976880
>>976880

>>976936
It's cool. We all know that Shit Happens(tm).

At work now. Very willing to field questions and feedback.

>>977508
I know you've said that smith-sorcerers would sometimes bind Forge Elementals, but is it possible to tame the various spirits. I imagine a tamed Wind or Water Elemental would be incredibly valuable to a ship at sea, and they seem to be tireless.

I only ask because I figure we'll eventually be heading into that freaking storm at the center of the Sunless Sea, and elementals seem to give zero fucks about anything except their own and their opposite element.

>>977551
It's relatively rare but not unheard of. The trouble tends to be finding an elemental smart enough to take instructions and willing to take a deal. If all you need is to smash shit you can cram one in a jar and throw it at people. Forge beasts just need to be hot in a general area. Sailing needs more... Active participation.

Okay, as near as I can tell, the winner(s) are some mix of:

> Okay. What are the /legalities/ of the matter?

and

>Laws don't exist without reasons, and reasons are influenced by feelings. For better or worse, you made a group or pirates relatively immortal. For better or worse, I'm thinking about undoing that. Before I do, I want to know your laws, the reasons you made them, and the feelings behind those.

I can work with that. Called, writing.

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>>972954
"Look," you pause, then decide, fuck it, they wanted to talk to you so badly they can deal with you as you are. You take out one of Lark's cigars, light it, and take a relieving (well, sort of) puff. "I'm going to tell you some things you already know but framing them will help say where I'm coming from here."

"Proceed," that doubled voice invites.

"Look, no law is enacted without both a reason and a purpose. Those are influenced by feelings. For better or for worse, you made a group of pirates very nearly immortal. Also for better or for worse, I am seriously considering undoing that. Before I do that I need to know your laws on the matter, why you made those laws - including your feelings - and if, and how, they can be changed."

At first you think the Quell is going to make you supply both (all three?) sides of this conversation, but then it (they? Damn but this is aggravating) speaks. "There was great rage in my heart that day," it admits, its voice soft. "Rage at this brazen breach of the law. Rage at the priests my own law forbade me to reach out and spare with my own hands. Rage at the insolence and ingratitude of Reeves and the ship that bore him. And in that rage I made a binding contract, such that he might know the impotence and suffering that I had known at his hands. And he did, and has, all these long years. But my perspective has...changed."

The two halves of the Quell step apart and between them is a twilight of nothing, a void neither truly lit nor truly dark, and into it the god casts the scales and the gavel.

"In my youth I thought the law a purpose unto itself, greater even than myself and my peers," the male half admits.

"Only through the law could we create without destroying all each other would forge," the female half adds. "Only through the law could maybe become is. The first peace was my creation."

"The first execution, my order," the male intones.

"Those that breach the law could not be abided," they say together, and the gavel swings mightily against the scales, making them tip and jerk erratically. "For them there could only be the crushing, indifferent punishment described within the law itself, laid down upon them for their faithless actions and their faithless souls."

You take your cigar from your mouth and breathe smoke out of your nose. "That seems cruel," you say, softly.

"It was," the male agrees.

"It is," the female adds.

"It will be," they both finish. "In the beginning of this Creation, when the bones of mountains were laid upon the earth, there was no conception of purpose beyond the law. What was agreed was sacred. To profane the agreement was sacrilege. It was only later, far later, that something else came to us, from mortal prayers."

"Justice," the woman murmurs.

"Laws made not to restrain, but to serve. To promote. To enhance the lives of the faithful. Law kept to improve society," the man elaborates.

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>>978970
This time they set the gavel down on one half of the scales, and place a golden heart upon the other.

"It was new," the man tells you.

"Intriguing," the woman notes.

"It gave me a purpose I was lacking, a reason to care."

"My peers accuse me of indifference. I thought myself objective. This lesson was harsh to learn. I paid a high price for it."

"The world has paid a high price for it," you note. "How many lives has your revenge cost over the years?"

"Excluding actions taken in the Dungeon, which I cannot track, the /Pallbearer/ has been responsible for the death or maiming of six hundred million, four hundred and eighty three thousand, nine hundred and twelve sapient beings, as well as innumerable animals slaughtered for the sake of their gluttonous pleasure, and property damage on a scale I cannot easily express to you," the Quell says, frankly.

"...That was a rhetorical question," you say slowly.

"There is no rehetoric in a court of law," the man answers.

"I say as I mean," the woman tells you.

"If this is a court of law, who's on trial?" you ask, slowly.

The Quell puts itself back-to-back again and holds out one arm from each half, wrist up. Manacles bind them together.

"I am."

"...You know, I was just...trying...I only needed - you're going to say this needs to be resolved before you can answer me on /Pallbearer/, aren't you?" you finish, resigned.

"Correct," that doubled voice answers.

"I hate you so much. What are the charges?"

"Reckless and negligent use of godly power to the ultimate detriment of the collective peoples of the five Gods of Creation," the God of Law and Contract answers. "Of all of my mistakes, this is the most egregious. The most reckless and stupid. Is it sufficient to call for my removal from power and exile from Creation?"

You let out a deep breath.

> Yes
> No
> This isn't justice either you literalistic pair of asses
> Write-in?

>>978974
>This isn't justice either you literalistic pair of asses.
>It's a learning experience. It sucks, but that is what it is. Justice would be undoing what was done, but that isn't entirely possible. So you have learned your lesson, and I will correct the mistake you made as best as I can. Time to move on from your mistakes and grow from them.

>>978974
supporting this: >>978976

>>978974
>"Excluding actions taken in the Dungeon, which I cannot track, the /Pallbearer/ has been responsible for the death or maiming of six hundred million, four hundred and eighty three thousand, nine hundred and twelve sapient beings, as well as innumerable animals slaughtered for the sake of their gluttonous pleasure, and property damage on a scale I cannot easily express to you," the Quell says, frankly.

Fucking christ. The Quell /counted/.

>"I am."

Fuck it, they put themselves on trial. They get it.

It's kind of interesting how pretty much each god has their own mistakes and their own feelings on them.

Some experimented with life, some love. And they've all made these very humanizing mistakes, for all that the sheer scale means that there's some nasty fallout. The Quell's... I hesitate to say not human, but it made a choice in anger. And then it had to live with that choice. It didn't think things through, and watched millions of people suffer for it. And as the god of the contract, it /has/ to hold to it.

I wonder if it just despaired until now, or if it started looking for ways to end the contract.

... Christ Vox, now I'm wondering what Red Troth's going to be like.

All these godly meetings, too... I wonder what the divines make of Bri?

>>978976

Rolling with this.

>>978974
>six hundred million, four hundred and eighty three thousand, nine hundred and twelve

600 483 912 lives.

Christ.

How long does the pallbearer exist again?

>>978976
Supporting this as well. Talk about learning experiences on the grandest of scales.

...jeez, that is a busy workday, to amass that much death. Assuming 1000 deaths per day that'd be nearly 1700 years of looting and pillaging.

>>978974
Support >>978976
That they have been keeping track shows how much they care and I can't imagine how agonizing that time must have been. Now we can work towards a solution.

>>978976

Supporting this, with a note that

> Removing someone from power who has learned, through painful experience, why they should not recklessly exercise such power, is the exact opposite of helpful for the world at large.

Called, writing.

>>979160
Mind you, you also have to keep in mind city raids, getting paid to engineer unnatural disasters, and the fact that he included 'or maimed'.

>>979581
>and the fact that he included 'or maimed'.
Which they had to live with for the rest of their natural life. Yay, more sadness.

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>>978974
You take a deep puff on your cigar, let it out, and count backwards from ten.

No, still angry.

"That isn't justice, you literalistic pair of asses," you snap. "How - walk me through how it is you got introduced to this concept and don't get it. What's justice, to you?"

"The power of the law to better society and the life of its citizens," the Quell answers, swiftly.

"...Okay, that's a good thing but that's not actually justice," you tell it (them? Gods fucking damn it). "Law itself is supposed to serve the people, or at least we think it is. Law making our lives better is meant to just be, you know, the law."

"...I am listening."

"Justice is supposed to redress wrongs, Quell. To ensure they can't happen again. If someone's willing and able to atone, the just thing is to let them. If they can't or won't, you remove them from society so they can't hurt anyone else. I don't hear someone unwilling to make things right. I hear someone desperate to do it that's trying to play the fucking martyr to avoid the /work/."

"Excuse me?" the god says in surprise.

"If you walk out of Creation right now, are the /Pallbearer's/ victims less dead? No. Does anyone step into your place that can make it right? No. Do the people pressed into service by /Pallbearer/ get back what they lost? No. All you do is remove someone from power who has learned, through painful experience, about the responsible use of that power. That's the /opposite/ of redressing the wrong done here."

Quell thinks, and then finally nods its two heads. The manacled arms lower but remain bound. "I cannot undo the suffering that was done."

"I know," you murmur. "But you can stop it from happening further. You swore to the /Pallbearer/ that it would have nothing from the gods but what it can take. Fine. Do I have your blessing to destroy it?"

"...Yes," the Quell answers, at last. "I can do little else for the moment, as it is within the Dungeon, a place I cannot go. But the ship itself, as well as Captain Reeves, must be destroyed. The crew must not be permitted to steal or purchase another ship. It will become /Pallbearer/ and perpetuate the curse."

"...I'm technically part of that crew," you point out.

"My daughter may be able to help you," Quell answers in its doubled voice.

"...Dare I ask what it is you'd originally intended to talk to me about?" you ask, a little hesitantly.

The Quell's two faces quirk shy smiles. "I believe we have resolved the questions at the heart of my curiosity. Have you a further question for me?"

> Ask something (what?)
> Wake up

Alright folks, I gotta hit work. I've got the next three days off free and clear, however, Friday features Adventures in Dental Care including the installation of a permanent crown and the extraction of a molar that's frankly just kinda too fucking expensive to save. I make no promises on Friday.

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

Thank you all for reading and participating!

>>979757
Christ, man. What the fuck do you do to your teeth? I mean, I had eight cavities at once one time so maybe I'm not in a place to judge but still, that was after not brushing for three years. You had a tooth calve like a fucking iceberg and here you are again with mouth problems.

>>980110
It's less 'again' and more 'years of malnutrition, poverty, stress, neglect, and abuse have left damage that must be repaired in pieces, causing much of it to worsen in the meantime'.

Votes still open.

>>979725
I wonder how different these conversations with the Gods would have gone had we chosen to be a Chosen way back when. It is rather amusing to see the Gods themselves just sit back and take a tongue-lashing from a mortal.

This is an interesting dichotomy between laws as a way of describing how things /are/ and how they interact, and laws as rules imposed by society for the good of that society. No wonder he had such a hard time: he's switched from physics to a judge.

I wonder what a Chosen of Quell would be like?

Any guesses on how Lora's going to get us out of this?

All future reference, if we have no votes I'm gonna default to "wake up".

>>979725
>> Wake up

>>979725
Right, need to actually vote.
>> Wake up

>>979725
>Wake up

>>979725
> Ask something.
> "What do you think I should do with the Librarian and his mechanical children?"

I wonder what the Gods have to say about the Thirdborn. I wouuld LOVE for Jack and Cuckoo to make an appearance.

Also, Vox, I just wanted to let you know that you are fucking amazing and I love you. Like, in a totally lewd and obsessive fashion.

I got Mourners in the mail today, and I immediately squealed like a little girl. I've been coasting on good feelings all day since. I'm also slowly converting my siblings to your coffee cult. My dad may take a bit longer, since he is a veteran of the original AD&D and 3.5.

Seriously, thank you for being such a fucking mensch. If you ever need help burying a body or performing any unholy rituals, I'm your guy.

Called, writing new thread. This >>981921 is short enough that I'm gonna incorporate it.

>>981951
I'm flattered! If you have the time, leaving a review on the Amazon pages and/or the Paizo one (the latter only really matters if you have a Paizo account; don't bother if you don't already, as that store only really sells Pathfinder stuff and it's mostly better to get that from FLGS and/or the companies that publish it if you're not just pirating) can be a great help. Mourners kinda has the Small Publisher Problem, y'know?

Have you been enjoying the book? Any of your relatives reading it?

NEW THREAD

>>982285
>>982285
>>982285
>>982285