>>2112123
You don’t know how long you lay there amongst the carnage of your battle, though when Theo wakes you up the moon is already high in the sky.

“Hey, Oscar. We need to get a move on man, get back to Moest.”

He hands you a waterskin and some jerky, which you graciously accept. Taking a moment to drink and eat, you examine aftermath of the battle. The possessed corpse lays in front of you, now still, with its head impaled on the end of Sam’s spear which now sticks out of the ground. The corpse has started to stink, though you’re not worried about it attracting predators, no animal would want anything to do with the corpse.

Your meal and short rest have done you a world of good, and you already a bit rejuvenated, though you’re still nowhere near well rested. [Essence restored! Now at 2/5]

A little across from you Sam still looks quite haggard despite the rest. It takes you a moment to remember the injury he suffered to his leg, barely able to make out the deep crimson the coats his leg in the dark. Digging through your pack you grab the ghost lantern, illuminating the area around you in its pale, white light.

You walk over to him and take a seat, examining his leg. You can still see the deep gashes, and judging by its crookedness it’s obviously broken, though his leg is in a lot better shape than it ought to be. Despite this, Sam keeps a straight face, apparently in no pain.

“I ate one of those glowing cubes of ice that Moest gave us, and it’s worked. I’m not even using insouciance, so I guess it dulls the pain as well. It’s fucking itchy though, and I swear if I don’t get back to sleep it’s gonna drive me fucking nuts.”

You take another swing from the waterskin. “Well, there’s no way we’re going anywhere tonigh with your leg in that shape anyway. Best rest up, we’ll move in the morning.”

Sam just takes a swig from his own waterskin, and his gaze slides to the corpse, expecting an answer. You’ll need to an antler for Moest regardless, though you don’t really know what to do with the rest of it. The fallen ranger’s sword still juts stoically out of the possessed’s chest, still there from when you plunged it straight into its back.

>Burn the corpse
>Bury it
>Write-in

Also, what else do you loot from the corpse? Pick as many options as you want.
>Take the sword
>Take a trophy
>Take nothing, just get rid of it
>Write-in

>>2112124
>Burn the corpse
>Take the sword
>Take a trophy

>>2112310
>>2112124
And remember to take what the old man asked!

>>2112310
yeup

>>2112124
>>2112310
be the big damn heroes and bring back the things head on a spear/pike?

>>2112124
>Burn the corpse

>Take the sword
>Take a trophy
>Take nothing, just get rid of it
>Write-in

>>2112310
>>2113332
>>2112676
All three for burning the corpse, taking back your weapon, and trophy hunting

>>2113332
1 anon also being a menace

Writan

>>2113392
Got caught up with shit yesterday guys, and unfortunately busy today. I try to do a post everyday because of the pace, but irl stuff gets in the way. Regardless, post tomorrow since I can almost always run on my scheduled days (Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday)

Looking at the corpse elicits a feeling that’s hard to describe. It’s just… unnatural. An alien amalgamation of animal and human, when you look it’s hard to believe that it even exists. Even though it’s dead, you still feel it, some deep primal part of you compelling you to erase its existence, never letting anybody know of it.

“We’re burning it, Sam. We have to burn it.”

The sound of your voice breaks Sam out of his trance. He looks at you and nods, though his conviction isn’t as sure as yours.

“Aye Oscar, I feel like we need to too. But that’s the thing, my instinct is screaming for me to erase it. Doesn’t matter how, just as long as it’s gone and nobody will ever find it.”

Sam pauses as Theo joins you, bringing cold leftover stew from Moest’s, handing a bowl to each of you. You place the ghost lantern in the middle of your huddle, bathing the conversation in its signature strange, white light as Sam continues.

“But why do I want it erased so badly? What difference would it make if animals ate the corpse, or if it just returned to the Earth anyway? I look at us sitting here right now, to the birds flying overhead, and then to that thing, and I feel so uncomfortable. Why? Why is it the outlier? All of those things are alive, so why do I feel so differently about the possessed? Because it tried to cause me harm? We’ve been attacked by wolves, bears, you name it, so why don’t I look at them with the same disgust?”

Theo gulps down a mouthful of food, the ghostly light casting weird shadows on his features. “Because animals do it out of survival. They don’t know any better. A wolf may not have remorse for killing you, but it doesn’t have any malice either. It just does what it needs to do in order to survive, and there’s no higher thought whatsoever. What the possessed had was intent. It intended to hurt others, to cause pain. That’s why you look at it with disgust, the same way you’d treat a cold blooded murderer.”

(cont)

>>2118594
Sam weighs up Theo’s words, spooning stew into his mouth, eyes still glued to the possessed. Honestly, you don’t really know where to side. Just because something didn’t intend to cause harm, does it really make it any different? The outcome is the same anyway, and harm is still caused to people around you. The way you see it, the possessed was an extremely aggressive being that presented an immense danger to your home and had to be put down, regardless of whether or not it had intent.

You all finish the little bit of stew you have left in silence. Once you’re done you nod to Theo, both of you getting up to collect tinder for the corpse. It doesn’t take you long due to the abundance of dead branches from the possessed’s previous flow intake, with pretty much all plant life around you dead and brittle. Next, you and Theo drag the headless corpse to the pit, the clammy skin sticking to your hands as you both drop the body. You look at the corpse, now desensitised to goriness of it and a thought crosses your mind. You’ve heard stories of legendary hunters who hunted great and dangerous beasts. When you were a lot younger, Sam, Theo and you would sit in The Sloppy Stag, Hearthspring’s only inn. You’d run amuck all day in the forest, then go to The Sloppy Stag at nightfall and listen to the bards tell their stories every night of trade season, when they would come along with the caravans. The hunters, after valiantly slaying the beasts, would always take a grand trophy as evidence of their glory. Thinking yourself akin to one of those great hunters is an amusing thought, though having a reminder of your efforts would definitely be nice, and thus you scan the corpse for a worthy trophy.

>Moest wants one antler, hack off the other for yourself
>Take a long, jagged claw
>Take the severed head
>Be especially gruesome, flay off a patch of grey skin
>Write-in

>>2118596
>Moest wants one antler, hack off the other for yourself

>>2118596
parade the head to put up on a wall in hearthspring, smash thots get zucced, be cursed by it's presence B)

>>2118596
>Take the severed head
We're big god damned heroes and the village better fucking recognize that.

>>2118668
>>2118663
2 for getting head

>>2118619
1 for antlers

Writin

Surveying the corpse, you find that the perfect trophy is no longer attached to its body, your eyes turning towards the possessed’s severed head. It’s still impaled on the end of Sam’s spear, the weapon now stuck into the ground. It’s a grisly sight, but easily the most upfront display of your conquest you could collect. Besides, you need to show the townsfolk exactly what vanquished the rangers, and get the proper recognition and glory you three deserve.

You decide to wait till morning to take the head off the spike. The only way you’d be able to take it is to put it in your pack, and without anything to wrap it up in it’d make quite a mess of your belongings. The only thing you can do is use some of your sheet from your bedroll to carry it, and you might as well use a full blanket for one more night. Maybe when you get to Moest’s he might be able to give you a spare.

One thing you do see though is the fallen ranger’s sword, still sticking out of the possessed’s chest. Rolling the corpse over, you grab the blade by the hilt and pull, the sword slowly easing out of the wound. The weapon is covered in gunk and blood, but underneath all the gore is still good steel. Besides, even though it wouldn’t be right to call it a trophy, it’s still reminds you of the fallen ranger and his tenacity, giving his life in the process of protecting the people he loved.

[Fallen Ranger’s Breaking Sword Acquired! 3 ATK, 3 DMG, Standard Sword]

You and Theo throw all the firewood you had gathered into the pit, and then you heave the corpse on top of the pile. Starting a smaller fire outside the pit with the flint and steel, you and Theo use it to light larger pieces of wood, which you then throw into the pit to set it alight. The smell of foul, cooking meat fills your nostrils as the three of you set up your bedrolls, falling asleep next to the orange warmth underneath the starry sky.

~~~

You all rise a little bit later than usual, even Theo taking a bit more time to rest after yesterday’s battle. It’s amazing what a proper night’s sleep can do for you, and you definitely feel a lot better now that you’re rested.

[Essence restored! Now at 5/5]

(cont)

>>2118756
Sam let’s out a huge yawn as he stretches, flinging off his blanket to check out his leg. As expected, it healed perfectly, the clearspring ice Moest gave Sam working its magic. It doesn’t take you long at all to pack up camp and have a quick breakfast, shovelling an assortment of dried forest fruit from Moest into your mouth. After a quick swig of your waterskin you cut off a piece of your bedroll and use it to wrap the possessed’s head, putting the trophy into your pack. As you do, you can’t but notice Theo give you a sceptical look.

“What’re you looking at me like that for? You don’t think we should show the village what’s really out there?”

Theo frowns, mulling over your question. “No… Not necessarily. We show that to the villagers, it’s going to send all of Hearthspring into panic. The amount of religious paranoia showing that head is going to bring could tear Hearthspring apart! You saw how everyone reacted to river running red, imagine how everyone’s going to react when they see the head of a real-life monster.”

Sam butts in, looking at Theo through scrutinizing eyes. “So you’re saying that the village doesn’t have a right to know? Because I think that fucking rid-“

“Of course not Sam, you twat.” Theo looks pretty offended that he’d even suggested such a thing. “Of course the villagers have a right to know, but there’s no point invoking panic. Show the head only to the people that need to know, and we can reveal what’s actually happened when protection is well on its way. If someone could get this head to Galas, or even Boedelle, the paladins would surely come to assist Hearthspring and give it the protection that it needs.”

Sam’s definitely not convinced. “That’s rubbish Theo, there could be plenty just like the possessed roaming out in the forest, or up in the Fridhoff Alps that we couldn’t even possibly know about. This could just be one of the first to come close to Hearthspring. We don’t have time to wait, and families should be given the choice to evacuate if they think they’re in grave enough danger, not just be left in the fucking dark!”

Sam grips his spear tighter as he looks at Theo venomously. After a second they both turn to you, expecting an answer.

>Show the severed head to all the villagers publicly
>Only show it to Hearthspring’s community leaders
>Don’t show anyone at all
>Write-in

>>2118757
We really need to quiz Moest on just how much danger is the village in. I'm leaning towards evacuating if there's going to be another one of these things or worse on the way.

>>2118765
yea write in for this reply

>>2118757
>>2118765
Agreed. Ask Moest about any other threats to the village. Then based on the information we gain
>Only show it to Hearthspring’s community leaders
Show it to them as proof of any threats that might end up plaguing the village. Even if there are no immediate threats, it proves we know something about the abominations, and should mean they actually listen to us in future.

>>2118769
>>2118767
>>2118765
All 3 for getting some expert advice, though leaning towards gtfo

Writan

File: Twin Rivers.png (32 KB, 960x541)

32 KB PNG

“Sam I agree with you, but there’s no point being hasty either. The possessed could’ve been one of first, or it could’ve been a one off. There’s no way either of us could know for sure. But Theo’s right too, if we show everyone the head and start a riot, and there ends up being no further threat, then we’d have torn our own home apart for no reason.” Both of them deflate a little at your mediation. “There’s no point making a decision now, I think it’d be best to hold off until we can ask Moest what he thinks.”

Sam and Theo weigh up your words, both of them soon agreeing with your point of view. With the argument done you shove the possessed’s wrapped up head into your pack, slinging the load across your back. You take one more in the pit, seeing nothing but a pile of ash and assorted flecks of bone, all that remain of the possessed’s remains, before setting off North towards Moest’s shack.

It’s a relief to finally get out of the dead foliage and back into the vivid, green forest. You feel much more in your element walking through the greenery, the ambient noise and thick foliage suiting you much better than the eerie, barren branches of the area around the possessed’s den. Despite your earlier argument, the three of you are in much better spirits walking back to Moest’s shack, riding the high of your victory and looking forward to going home. You’d hardly realised you’d been gone a week, and you imagine father’s going to be pretty pissed with you when you return after giving him some bullshit excuse about heading to the River Lorne to go fishing after having been gone all this time. Hopefully his initial anger blows over quickly once he realises what the three of you have done for Hearthspring.

As you walk, you go over the fight again and again with Theo and Sam, explaining to each other what you were thinking at each moment and going over the key events, talking about the battle even late into the afternoon.

“I saved your ass sooo hard Oscar. You should’ve seen your face when you were getting charged man, you legitimately thought you were going to die! Wish you saw it Theo, it was actually fucking hilarious!”

You stare daggers into Sam, not entertained by him making jokes about the most terrifying experience of your life. “Fuck up Sam, at least I was able to lure it into the pit and turn the fight.”

Sam pretends to be taken aback, acting out an expression of shock. “I can’t fucking believe it, the absolute audacity! I save this man’s life and he’s not even thankful? How can you even call yourself a man of honour?”

Theo grins at Sam’s caricature, and you can’t really help but smile too. “Nah you’re right Sam, you bailed me out hard. Cheers saving me man, though it still doesn’t change the fact I beat you sparring one on one.”

Sam scoffs and goes to retort, but Theo cuts him off quick, pointing to the sky through the canopy.

“Look.”

(cont)

>>2118780
A grey cloud of smoke billows into the light orange sky, coming from the general vicinity of Moest’s hut. The three of you immediately kick into gear, taking on the fierce gazes of men about to run into battle.

>Sprint to the shack to investigate, no time for subtlety
>Take it slow and sneak in, assess the situation first
>Sneak all the way around the shack and approach it from the back
>Write-in

>>2118781
sprint to shack , who the heck would attack moest , prolly just didnt put his dart out properly for his arvo nap

>>2118781
>Sprint to the shack to investigate, no time for subtlety
Might be too late but have to try.

>>2118781
>Sprint to the shack to investigate, no time for subtlety

>>2118783
>>2118785
>>2118787
3 for sprinting to the shack

Roll me 3d10+2 [+2 (Woodsman)] VS DC 19 [Base 15, +4 (???)]

Rolled 1, 6, 2 + 2 = 11 (3d10 + 2)

>>2118789

Rolled 2, 6, 5 + 2 = 15 (3d10 + 2)

>>2118789
time to trip and break a leg.

Rolled 1, 6, 6 + 2 = 15 (3d10 + 2)

>>2118789
doing last roll

>>2118790
>>2118791
>>2118829
>11, 15, 15
Severe Failure

You're not going to injure yourself sprinting there btw, you just happened to miss out on some stuff.

Writan'

File: Moest's Shack.jpg (174 KB, 1280x704)

174 KB JPG

None of you waste any time, immediately breaking into a full sprint in the direction of the plume of smoke. Navigating the woods is easy for you three, since you’ve played in the forest for as long as you remember, and the foliage blurs by as you swiftly navigate through the trees. Despite your expertise, you’re well off the beaten track and this section of the forest is true wilderness and the shack is well hidden and protected, with the brush being thick enough in places to slow you down substantially.

After sprinting through the forest, you quickly break through the tree line and run straight into the clearing at the base of the hill where you’d done most of your training with Moest. Above you see bright orange flame roar, black acrid smoke rising in great plumes from the burning shack. You do a quick once over of the clearing, though you see no sign of Moest, Bole, or anybody else around. After your quick examination you sprint up the stairs leading to the shack, sweat starting to form on your brow from the increasing heat. By the time you make it up the stairs the smoke stings your eyes, futilely wiping the sweat from your face, only for it to be replaced seconds later. The door of the shack is wide open, with a lot of the roof now caved in from the flames. Despite the roof, most of the house remains intact, albeit aflame. To the right of the door you see the various pieces of Bole, shattered brutally and scattered around the front of the house. Pain wells up in you at the sight of Bole’s remains, though you don’t allow it to cloud your judgement whatsoever. You still haven’t seen any signs of Moest.

(cont)

File: Bole, Little Golem.jpg (113 KB, 700x993)

113 KB JPG

>>2118890
>Bole’s remains are at the front door, which means he must’ve be protecting something within the shack. Run into the burning building and see if you can find anything
>Search the surrounding area for the assailant. You can’t let them get away.
>Search the surrounding area for Moest. Maybe somewhere like the tree stump he took you and Sam to reflect.
>Write-in

>>2118892
Use Flow Sense to try to find Moest

>>2118892
>Bole’s remains are at the front door, which means he must’ve be protecting something within the shack. Run into the burning building and see if you can find anything

Going to call it a night here guys, since it's just about 4am. I'll try and get one post done some time after I wake up, but for now just assume that the next session will be Tuesday 6pm AEST.

In the mean time, keep voting so we can hit the ground running next session. Thanks for playing.

>>2118892
>Bole’s remains are at the front door, which means he must’ve be protecting something within the shack. Run into the burning building and see if you can find anything

>>2118922
>>2119676
At least use flow sense to not get blindsided

>>2118914
yea

>>2118922
>>2119676
2 for running in

>>2118914
>>2119975
2 for also using flow sense (good choice)

As an aside, I'm very rarely going to prompt you to use your flow arts to your advantage. Think about what you've got in your disposal and add that to your vote if you think it'll help, just like this case.

Writan'

[Essence is now 4/5]

You close your eyes for a second, quickly getting in tune with your surroundings and activating flow sense. At first it’s overwhelming, the amount of pure flow that saturates the immediate environment, you can even feel motes of flow floating in the wind. From what you can tell, most of the flow that riddles your surroundings come from two distinct sources. One looks like dainty flecks of shining gold, which you distinctly recognise as Moest’s flow, and another that looks like coal dust from an unknown source. The universe pulses around you frantically like a panicked heartbeat as you look around, searching for Moest or any other sources of flow. Though you don’t sense any sign of the old man, you see a dense accumulation of his flow from within the shack, a pinprick of light as bright as the sun.

“I see something in the shack! Stay out here, but if I yell come and get me!”

Sam nods whilst Theo looks at you like you’re crazy, though before he can say anything you’re already running into the shack. As soon as you break the doorway the heat is absolutely unbearable. Your eyes immediately water from the stinging smoke, and you instinctively hold the hem of your shirt over your nose in an effort to block the smoke. You hear a crackle and a crash from above you, and you quickly hop out of the way a flaming roof beam, feeling the heat singe your face.

The pinprick of light is in the far left corner of the shack, which you’ll have to run all the way around the burning, caved in roof to get to. Immediately to your left is Moest’s bookcase, though it’s already caught fire from the burning rubble. If you want to salvage any books at all, you’d have to collect them now before they go up in flames. Around the right side of the house are Moest’s memoirs and the mysterious chest where he seems to store all of his artefacts. If you moved now you could maybe get something from the bookcase and either the chest of from his desk before you have to go, or maybe even forego the books and just try for them both.

>Grab something the bookcase immediately
>Forego the bookcase, run straight to the chest.
>Go straight for the memoirs. Moest used to write every night before he’d go to bed, maybe he’s left you some clues as to what the fuck’s actually happened. You might even be able to go for the chest on the way out.
>Screw everything else, run around the rubble and straight to the pinprick of light.

File: Moest's Burning Shack.png (16 KB, 960x540)

16 KB PNG

>>2121220
Forgot my image

>>2121220
Shout for the others to come over to start looting the place. We go for the thing pinprick since it's the most time intensive and sensitive.

>>2121223
actually I bet Theo could fight the fire a bit by suffocating it with earth.

>>2121226
oath! I also support going straight for pinprick, its furthest from door and man over material <3 could be a hot discovery. if Theo could move a slab of earth on top of an offending area would be neat ,,not sure if it could be put anywhere useful depends how fire is

>>2121223
and yeah have one fella go in (Sam with insouciance can ignore blazing heat ) while Theo keeps watch

>>2121220
Sam should grab that pinprick of light, Theo help deal with fire while we loot everything we can.

Wait can we use surge to run faster?

>>2121406
Yep, surge can definitely be utilised, along with flow sense.

>>2121403
Also, Sam won't be able to see what's emitting that light, as it's only visible with flow sense. He can still go look, but he's probably going to have a lot more of a hard time finding the object.

>>2121432
Changing my plan to use surge to grab that shiny thing fast while the other two try to loot or contain the fire

>>2121223
>>2121226
>>2121275
>>2121277
>>2121447
All 3 wanting to go for the pinprick of light, whilst calling the others in to help out.

Roll me 3d10+3 [+1 (Flow Sense), +1 (Surge), +1, +1 (Dodge)] VS DC 18 [Base 15, +3 (Smoke and Fire)]

Rolled 5, 7, 9 + 3 = 24 (3d10 + 3)

>>2123095
nat 3 inc

Rolled 10, 6, 5 + 3 = 24 (3d10 + 3)

>>2123095
Rollan to die in a fire.

Rolled 10, 6, 8 + 3 = 27 (3d10 + 3)

>>2123095
Rolling again just in case nobody appears.

Rolled 4, 1, 4 + 3 = 12 (3d10 + 3)

>>2123095

>>2123105
>>2123121
>>2123398
>24, 24, 12
Regular Success

Writan

It’s crazy how many decisions you can make in a short amount of time if you’re under pressure. In an instant you’ve dropped into a low crouch to avoid the rising cloud of smoke, skirting around the rubble towards where you feel Moest’s flow, and are yelling for Sam and Theo.

“Guys! Get the fuck in here! Try and save some stuff from the fire!”

Your eyes water and you keep your head down, creeping as fast as you can manage with the smoke already burning your lungs. A moment later you hear the heavy footfalls of your friends, dead brittle wood crunching under their feet.

You hear Sam yell. “Oscar! Where the fuck are you?!” Followed by a hacking cough triggered by a deep breath.

You try to yell, but your painfully dry throat turns it into a croak. “Other side of the rubble… Try and put the fire out Theo…”

“Don’t be stupid Oscar! There’s no way I could even begin to put this out!”

You just press onwards, using surge to increase the length of your strides. At this stage the smoke is so thick you have to close your eyes to shield them, purely relying on flow sense to guide you. As you draw closer you see that the source of the light in the darkness of your mind lies on the floor of the cabin. You move towards it, hand blindly reaching out-

You stumble, almost tripping on something on the floor. Opening your watery eyes, you lower your head closer to the floor, only to see a body covered in stab wounds and slashes. Moest’s wounds are incredibly grievous and you tear up even more when you see the glazed over glassy look in his eye. In your mind’s eye the shining light emanates from Moest’s left hand, from within his sigil ring. You quickly slip the ring off the old man’s finger, almost recoiling from handling the limp hand of your teacher. With no time to pay your respects you begin scuttling back around the rubble, wracking your mind trying to think of who would attack the old man.

As you begin to curve you see glimpses of the old man’s desk through the smog. The rest of the house is going to come down any second, the burning roofbeams and walls barely supporting the cabin, though the desk still stands, miraculously unburnt. The old man used to write every night, and if Moest were to leave behind any answers, it’d be contained in his writing.

“Oscar! We need to get the fuck outta here!”

>Risk it, try and loot Moest’s desk
>Not worth it, make sure you get out intact
>Write-in

>>2123650
You are also now at 2/5 essence

>>2123650
>Risk it, try and loot Moest’s desk
Maintain surge but flow sense can be turned off.

Did any of the other loot anything?

>>2123813
You don't know for sure, but you could assume Theo and Sam would've looted the two things closest to the door. From what you can see, the desk doesn't look rummaged through at all.

>>2123650
>Not worth it, make sure you get out intact
Turn off both

>>2123650
>Risk it, try and loot Moest’s desk

>>2124182
>>2123708
2 for risky business

>>2123849
1 for playing it safe

Since >>2124182 didn't specify whether to use flow arts or not, I'll just go off >>2123708 post asking to maintain surge.

Roll me 3d10+1 [+1 (Surge), +1 (Dodge), -1 (Burning Lungs)] VS DC 18 [Base 15, +3 (Smoke and Fire)]

Rolled 4, 9, 7 + 1 = 21 (3d10 + 1)

>>2125575

Rolled 7, 7, 1 + 1 = 16 (3d10 + 1)

>>2125575
Ded

Rolled 8, 7, 7 + 1 = 23 (3d10 + 1)

>>2125575

lord be with this roll

>>2125649
BOOYAH

>>2125580
>>2125582
>>2125649
>21, 16, 23
Regular Success

Nice rolls against a higher DC. Writan'

You weigh up the risk in your head, quickly deciding that making a detour for the desk would be quite an irresponsible move. Despite that, you do it anyway, not able to let maybe your only shot at answers from the old man himself go up in smoke. Your lungs burn with every breath you take, and the heat’s practically unbearable. A combination of tears, sweat and smoke stings your eyes, and all you can focus on is pressing forward, lest you succumb to the conditions.

You're so singularly minded, you don’t see the beam of wood coming down on you, instead noticing it fall from the heat starting to build above your head. You use surge to dive out of the way, the beam coming down with a fiery crash that singes your clothes. The beam splinters, sending out fiery embers shooting out into your surroundings, some landing on you as you meet the ground hard. You erupt into a coughing fit, slapping frantically on the embers that started to burn through your clothes and into your skin.

“Oscar! What the fuck was that?! Don’t get greedy man, we need to get outta here right now!”

You ignore Sam’s voice, way too close to the desk to give up on it. You half crawl, half stumble to the remains of the desk, a few stray embers having burnt through the lid and into the interior. Some of the papers smoulder slightly, though most of the content inside is untouched, albeit a little covered in ash. Your lungs feel like they’re truly on fire now, and you can feel yourself get lightheaded from the lack of fresh air, though you muster the last of your strength and open the desk lid. Delicately handling the dried out contents, you grab a book that you’re guessing is Moest’s journal, and a handful of scrolls that had been carefully wrapped.

(cont)

>>2128006
Tucking them into your coat, you frantically scramble away, not able to breathe in fear of the pain immobilizing you for good. You can feel your consciousness slipping as you try your best to skirt around the rubble and find the front door, though with the amount of smoke and the state of your eyes it's quite hard to even begin to locate where you are. You act quickly, figuring out that the most reliable way to get out is to keep walking towards a wall, then following it around until it opens up. You stumble through the haze, the heat building up your light-headedness. Finally stumbling far enough to meet a wall, you kind of just slump onto it, needing just a bit of a rest so you don’t succumb to the heat. You lean there for a second, feeling your lucidity slowly evaporate in the heat, until your gripped firmly by the shoulder. You’re jolted out of your haze, and before you know it Sam is dragging you though the smoke and out into fresh air.

You lose your legs as soon as you scramble out into fresh, breathable air, falling flat on your back as you gasp. All you can do is watch your chest rise and fall as you hyperventilate, your body thankful for the fresh air. Despite the fresh air you still feel extremely winded, your lungs still burn, and your eyes feel crusty and dry from the smoke.

You look up to see Sam crouching down, offering a clearspring ice cube to you. “Have this, Oscar. You’re fucked from that smoke, and we need to keep moving.”

>Take the ice cube. Sam’s right, you need to move quickly, and for that you need to be at your best.
>Don’t. We’ve only got a very limited supply and they should be reserved for more grievous injuries. Whatever you end up doing, just take it slow.

>>2128009
>Don’t. We’ve only got a very limited supply and they should be reserved for more grievous injuries. Whatever you end up doing, just take it slow.

>>2128009
>Take the ice cube. Sam’s right, you need to move quickly, and for that you need to be at your best.

>>2128009
fuck can't decide, 1 for ingest cube, 2 for dont

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>2128144
dice rolled off the table

>>2128009
>Take the ice cube. Sam’s right, you need to move quickly, and for that you need to be at your best.
There might be actual damage from that.

>>2128012
>>2128199
2 for aye

>>2128011
>>2128145
2 for nay

Looks like we have a tie. Next vote breaks it

>>2128227
I'll switch to nay to keep things moving.

>>2128011
>>2128145
>>2128232
3 nay

>>2128012
1 aye

Writan'

You wave Sam off, refusing his offer of the ice cube. You take a moment to lay there, catching your breath, before you sit up to look at the raging fire. The whole roof’s collapsed now and the flames burn high, fanned by the light afternoon wind. Sam’s bent over, hands on his knees, whilst Theo squats as he watches the cabin burn down.

“Why the fuck were you in there for so long Oscar? Saying you sense something in the shack and then bolting off into a fucking raging fire? I don’t even think it’s a death wish anymore man, you’re just completely fucking mad…”

A lump forms in your throat as you turn to face Theo and Sam. Both of your friends look at you sceptically, curious about your actions, and completely oblivious to the fact that the inferno behind them is actually a funeral pyre. How do you break it to them?

>Remorsefully. The man who equipped you with the tools to take control of your own life and save your village has just been murdered. Without him, the three of you would’ve had no hope of saving Hearthspring.
>Indifferently. Whilst Moest did help you, he only did it because your personal interests aligned with his. He didn’t want the possessed around, and wanted its antler for something, though didn’t have the means to slay it himself. The man was a cultist, his motives mysterious, and practically a stranger to the three of you.
>Don’t tell them at all. It’ll only distract everyone emotionally anyway. Stay as focused as you possibly can on moving forward.
>Write-in

>>2128284
>Remorsefully. The man who equipped you with the tools to take control of your own life and save your village has just been murdered. Without him, the three of you would’ve had no hope of saving Hearthspring.
Situation is fucked. Someone or something has just killed the only apparent defense the village had against the monsters and it's almost certainly not friendly or someone we could take on.

>>2128284
>Remorsefully. The man who equipped you with the tools to take control of your own life and save your village has just been murdered. Without him, the three of you would’ve had no hope of saving Hearthspring.
Pledge to take revenge on the thing that killed him.

>>2128284
>Remorsefully. The man who equipped you with the tools to take control of your own life and save your village has just been murdered. Without him, the three of you would’ve had no hope of saving Hearthspring.

>>2128288
>>2128351
>>2128377
All 3 for RIP Moest

At work atm, but will lead with this when I get back home in 8 hours

“I saw a bit of Moest’s flow, condensed into a little pinprick inside the shack. So I ran after it, just in case Moest was trapped or something like that…”

You trail off and already you can see Sam and Theo bracing themselves for the news, faces set in stone masks. You’ve kept your cool under some very stressful situations lately, and there’s only one thing that could’ve happened that’d rattle you this hard.

“I skirted around the rubble, just trying to get to that pinprick. It was hard to see because of the smoke in my eyes, but I was lead straight to Moest’s body, the man covered in stab wounds and gashes.” You pause for a moment, letting it sink in. Theo sighs and Sam clenches his fists hard. “I think he would’ve been dead before this fire was even set, left for dead in the shack to burn with his belongings.”

Sam just shakes his head in disgust, and you wouldn’t really think yourself the type, but you can’t help but get angry as well. The utter disrespect and callousness the assailant has shown to your teacher has begun to spark something within you. What kind of coward butchers a crippled old man anyway? The man only has one leg for Vaul’s sake! You know Moest could defend himself somewhat, and you’d wager now that if the three of you worked together you could probably take him, but compared to proper warriors you three are absolute amateurs. You have a feeling that whoever came after Moest was definitely skilled, and judging from the old man’s wounds he was not granted an easy death.

“This is fucked. This is completely fucked.” Sam holds his head in his hands, at a complete loss. “Who the fuck would attack Moest in the first place? Why would anyone attack him in the first place? He’s just some old fucker out in the forest!”

You think about the assailant, probably fled deep into the forest by now. Actually prescribing an identity to the thing that’s caused all this mayhem only heightens your anger further, and your pain finally remanifests itself as vengeance. Surely you could catch him, if you tried hard enough, though Vaul knows how long you’ll be trekking through the forest. Besides, do you really even want to be picking a fight with someone who was able to put down Moest? There’s no telling how strong they could be, and you could very easily find yourself out of your league.

>Get a move on now, track Moest’s assailant. Tracking them down and seeking vengeance might yield some answers
>Track Moest’s assailant, but recover first
>Let it go. There’s no telling how far gone they are, or how strong they could be. Getting back to the village is more important.
>Write-in

>>2130296
>Let it go. There’s no telling how far gone they are, or how strong they could be. Getting back to the village is more important.
We can find out more later.

>>2130296
>Let it go. There’s no telling how far gone they are, or how strong they could be. Getting back to the village is more important.

>>2130296
>Get a move on now, track Moest’s assailant. Tracking them down and seeking vengeance might yield some answers

>>2130301
>>2130415
2 for keeping your cool

>>2130831
1 for murderhobo

Have already finished writan, forgot to post that I counted votes. Update soon

You catch yourself, realising the pointlessness in being vengeful. Without Moest you’re now truly directionless, and you can’t afford to go off on a blind chase into the deep wild purely off the prospect of maybe being able to avenge Moest. Too many lives are at stake for you to act on a whim, and thus you begrudgingly let it go. It’s extremely hard at first, knowing the person who killed you teacher will get away with murdering him. You struggle, until you think about the village, and how they’re still in the dark after all this time. It’s uncanny how you’ve begun to feel so obligated to save Hearthspring after your first battle with the possessed. Initially, you three had only set out to see what had turn the river red, purely going because it was something adventurous to do. Only when the rangers were slaughtered, and it turned completely to you the three to save the town did your attitude change. Responsibility is a funny thing, you’ve practically avoided it your entire life, and it’s now something you’ve willingly embraced since you found it thrust upon you.

“We need to head back to Hearthspring, leave at first light tomorrow. We can’t afford to let ourselves get thrown off by being on our own.”

“Aye Oscar, you’re right. we can’t lose our heads, especially not now.” Theo glances at Sam who just shakes his head, brow furrowed with an intense expression. “We need to show that head to the duke, and others on the village council. They’ll know what to do, and we can go from there.”

You nod, agreeing with Theo. Sam doesn’t say anything and instead gets up, making his way down the earthen stairs and into the clearing where you used to train. You and Theo soon follow, leaving the shack to burn itself out, now a black husk with the lit up by the gentle light of smouldering embers, set on collecting Moest’s remains once the fire’s burnt itself out. You come down to Sam beginning to set up a campfire, a troubled expression on his face as he goes through the motions. The stars now light up the night sky as the moon gently rises. Today’s been completely fucked, having taken such a turn for the worse after your victory. Despite the uncertainty of the future and the sorrow you feel for Moest, your gripped by a certain sense of peace, a certain introspection. A week’s a long time to disappear for, though in the scheme of things it isn’t very long at all. You’ve changed and achieved so much in such a short amount of time, it’s going to be interesting going back home. To be honest, you don’t even know how you’re going to adjust.

(cont)

>>2133280
Theo busies himself preparing the food, not wanting to bother an obviously troubled Sam. What do you do in the meantime?

>You’re in an introspective mood after all that’s happened today. Go to the old stump in the forest and reflect. [Can reflect on flow, or focus of training your flow arts]
>Do a loot check. Go over what you, Sam and Theo got from the shack in depth.
>Help Sam with the fire, don’t wait till the food’s ready to talk to him. The man’s obviously troubled by something, help him get it off his chest.
>Read something. [Choose from Iroh Tomotaki’s Memoirs, Moest’s Journal, and Moest’s Scrolls]
>Write-in

>>2133282
>Read something. [Choose from Iroh Tomotaki’s Memoirs, Moest’s Journal, and Moest’s Scrolls]
Journal.

>>2133282
seconding >>2133288

>>2133288
>>2133289
2 for doing some reading on Moest

Where do you want to start reading?
>Start from the beginning. Find out about the man as an individual
>Start from the end. You're more concerned about finding answers at the moment

>>2133312
>Start from the end. You're more concerned about finding answers at the moment

>>2133312
>Start from the end. You're more concerned about finding answers at the moment

>>2134772
>>2133323
2 for getting straight to it

Been busy as of late, and will start the post tomorrow. Might make a new thread too cause this one's already 10 days old.

>>2135987
3rd for starting at end

New thread >>2140039