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>>2428841

”W-wha…Boss is there some kinda trouble?” he thinks to you dazedly before leaning forwards and stretching his back and legs then baring his razor-sharp canines. ”Could be,” you think to him as you step outside your hut and carefully eye the row of trees that surround the clearing, “Better to safe than sorry you know.”

”Scourge, in your honest opinion, does our little visitor look hostile to you?” you ask as you dust yourself off with your other hand in an attempt to look presentable.
Scourge gives ”Master, I believe if this man had hostile intentions, he would be displaying some measure of caution. If he truly does wish harm, perhaps he is confident enough in his skills to believe that such caution is unwarranted for you.”

Unwarranted, huh? So, either your visitor means no harm, or he does and is confident enough that he feels you aren’t comparable to his abilities. Perhaps you should put on a demonstration of force. Or perhaps you shouldn’t scare random strangers half to death.

>Demonstration of Force, put on a show of magic they won’t soon forget!

>Guarded response, have your familiars visible but otherwise act normal. They should expect a little caution out in these woods anyhow.

>Nonchalance, if they want to try something funky let them. You’re far from helpless.

(2/2)

>>2428843
I love fucking up my trip.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Leave_QM

Archive later.

>>2428843
>Demonstration of Force, put on a show of magic they won’t soon forget!
Fuck em up

>>2428843
>>Guarded response, have your familiars visible but otherwise act normal. They should expect a little caution out in these woods anyhow.

>>2428843
>>Guarded response, have your familiars visible but otherwise act normal. They should expect a little caution out in these woods anyhow.

>>2428843
>Nonchalance, if they want to try something funky let them. You’re far from helpless.

>>2428843
>Guarded response, have your familiars visible but otherwise act normal. They should expect a little caution out in these woods anyhow.

>>2428868
>>2428871
>>2428894
Called for guarded. Writing now!

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You decide to put on a display of caution, not wanting to outright inflict crippling fear on your visitor nor give them the impression that you’re going to be caught off guard at a moment’s notice. Getting Terror to stand at attention at your feet, you also direct Scourge to perch herself on top of your hut, prepared to swoop in at any time should the stranger prove hostile.

As for yourself, you straighten your back and hold the broomstick in a neutral, vertical guard ready to strike or defend. Whispering some of your own magic words, you’re ready to start casting at any given moment should the need arise.

Watching the brush shake slightly at the edge of the clearing, you watch carefully as a middle-aged hunter slowly walks into view.
Flashing you an easy smile, you slowly start to relax as he puts his hands into the air after glancing at your two familiars glaring at him with murderous suspicion. ”He looks friendly enough, doesn’t he?”you think to your familiars, who clearly don’t share your opinion. ”We’ll keep our eyes on him, Master, I’m sure you remember the last time you thought you could trust a non-witch?” Scourge thinks to you with a mixture of wariness and amusement. ”Boss still has the scars from that guy too!” Terror overloads your mental connection with a ripple of laughter before you give him a tap on the head with your broomstick.

Removing the sturdy longbow on his back with one hand, he unsheathes a long hunting knife with the other before placing both of them on the ground in front of him. At that, your familiars give each other satisfied glances before slowly making their way behind the hut, allowing the two of you a little room in private.
Walking up to you with that same relaxed grin, the hunter offers an outstretched hand which you take and the two of you shake vigorously. “Robert Holton, I’ve been appointed by the King to watch over this forest and I couldn’t help but notice that you’ve made your residence here without any express permission. Would you mind explaining yourself?” he says with that same easy smile but you find yourself a little more flustered than you’d like to admit.

How are you supposed to explain to him that you were planning on living on the King’s private land without permission? You can’t just admit to him that you’re trying to squat on his land!

>”I was planning on asking the King himself after the harvest! Besides, this hut was like this when I got here!”

>”I found this little hut completely empty, and figured I could maybe stay here until the next Spring.”

>”I’ve been here for months fixing this place up myself. I’ve wanted somewhere to call home, and here’s just where I thought that might be."

>>2429070
>”I found this little hut completely empty, and figured I could maybe stay here until the next Spring.”

>>2429070
>”I found this little hut completely empty, and figured I could maybe stay here until the next Spring.”
"Please."

>Give him the puppy dog eyes.

>>2429070
>>”I found this little hut completely empty, and figured I could maybe stay here until the next Spring.”

>>2429070
Can we combine the second and third?
>”I found this little hut completely empty months ago, and...
>”...haven't had anyone bother me about it until now for the months I've been fixing this place up myself. I’ve wanted somewhere to call home, and here’s just where I thought that might be."

>You can’t just admit to him that you’re trying to squat on his land!
Sure you can. Just tell him that your old house burned down and you're out of any other place to stay. And probably give him the puppy dog eyes the other anon suggested.

>>2429070
>”I found this little hut completely empty, and figured I could perhaps ask the King after the harvest if I could maybe stay here until the next Spring.”

Although the opening post says we made it, and he likely knows that it wasn't here for a while, so these probably won't fly.

>>2429086
>>2429097
>>2429100
>>2429107
>>2429110
Puppy-dog eyes and pleading called!

You’ve never considered yourself a prolific liar, but if you’re being honest to yourself, the years spent on the road have certainly made you much better at it than the average peasant. Looking into his watchful eyes, you realize that the man in front of you is similarly good at reading faces, leaving you with no choice but to hit him with a fatal blow before he catches on.

Bringing both your arms and the broomstick behind your back, you keep your eyes leveled at the ground while twitching your lead foot like a little kid. After a few seconds of faux-stuttering nonsensical words, you blink and begin unleashing your secret weapon with extreme prejudice.
Shuddering visibly with the sheer might of your acting skills, you drill into him with your absolute most desperate puppy-dog eyes and carefully watch his face for any changes in expression. Slowly buckling under the pressure, his face falls slightly and he tries to regain his composure through speech. “H-hey now you don’t need to be like that,” he says as attempts to try and harden his resolve against your withering onslaught, “I was only asking an honest question.”
“I-I f-found this little hut completely empty here a-and I figured I could stay, j-just until next spring,” you stutter out as you transfix him in place like a Gorgon, “A-and I’ve spent the last c-couple of months t-trying to fix it up b-because I have nowhere else to go. My old place burnt down, so if I c-c-can’t stay here I’ll f-f-freeze to death in the w-winter!”

You throw yourself onto his leg like a child and drop your broomstick in favor of wrapping your arms around him akin to a strangler vine around a tree. “P-please don’t make me leave mister! T-this is the closest I-I’ve had to a home in years!” you whimper as he stands frozen like a statue under your relentless assault.
Rubbing his head with a free hand, Robert smiles awkwardly and with one glance at his face, you know you’ve got him in your clutches. “Well, I’m not a heartless man and neither is His Highness, especially since you’re a witch and all,” he says with a firm voice, clear in his resolve to help you after your bewitching performance, “Soon as I can, I’ll get word to the King himself and if it’s the last thing I do, you’ll get permission to stay.”
Trying to hide your grin, you instead go for the coup de grâce and hit him with a firm hug, burying your face in his chest. “Y-you’d do that for me?! Thank you so much, I can’t even imagine how I can repay you!”

Chuckling nervously, he puts his hands on your shoulders and pries you from his chest and chuckles, “Well for starters you could avoid strangling me.” Nodding with a sweat-laced brow, he turns to leave, definitely worn out by your punishing antics before doing an about-face with what seems like military precision.
“My apologies, miss, but I never got your name. It’ll have to be put on the royal decree, you see.”

(1/2)

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>>2429350
Flashing a toothy grin, you just pick up your broomstick and smile. “I’m Solana Portula, though if I’m doing my job right you won’t hear it spoken too much!”

As Robert takes his leave, your familiars pop out from behind the hut and begin berating you without mercy. “Master, don’t you think you went overboard on that poor man? He looks like he’s seen a ghost! For shame, Master!” squawks Scourge as she scolds you with genuine outrage. ”Yeah I agree with bird-brain here for once! That was definitely uncalled for boss!” yells Terror with a mixture of amusement and disappointment.
”Hey, look! I did what I had to do okay!” you shout back through your mental connections to defend your actions. ”At least we won’t have to spend the next couple months in the open, AGAIN!”

All you get back from your familiars is laughing and a lot of finger-pointing so you just decide to walk it off. Well, try to walk it off rather because a few steps later, you end up tripping on Robert’s bow and landing face-first in the dirt. After wiping your face off with your hand, you give Terror a swift kick to shut him up for a moment before getting to your knees and looking at the bow and knife sitting in front of you.

“Master, shouldn’t you try and return his weapons before it gets dark?” asks Scourge who has already flown back to the top of the hut to avoid your outrage after seeing the knock you gave Terror.

Damn, you should but Robert’s getting farther away by the second. Maybe you can just hold onto his equipment for now? He knows this forest well, it seems, so he shouldn’t take too long to come back for it.

>Chase after Robert to return his belongings

>Hold onto his things for now, even a witch knows not to walk around in the dark

>Get Scourge to check how far away he is, if she can find him, you’ll personally return his equipment

(2/2)

>>2429354
>Chase after Robert to return his belongings

>>2429354
>Chase after Robert to return his belongings
With Scourge's help, of course.

>>2429354
>Get Scourge to check how far away he is, if she can find him, you’ll personally return his equipment

>>2429354
>Hold onto his things for now, even a witch knows not to walk around in the dark

>>2429376
>>2429399
>>2429402
>>2429437
Called for Chasing! Writing now!

>>2429354
>>Get Scourge to check how far away he is, if she can find him, you’ll personally return his equipment

>>2429472
Forgot my trip! Writing now!

>>2429472
>>2429473
>1 second too late
Shit

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Feeling bad for putting the poor man through so much, you hurriedly toss your broomstick to Terror and grab both his bow and knife before taking off into the forest. ”Scourge, I need you in the air looking for Robert,” you think to your familiar as you continue to sprint through the winding brush of the forest, “We don’t want to get stuck out here by nightfall.”

“Understood, Master,” Scourge replies as she takes flight and begins ascending higher and higher, until she becomes like a distant speck in the afternoon sky.

Racing through the woods, you start to slow down with exhaustion as Terror diligently follows with Broomstick in mouth. Without word from Scourge, all you’ve been able to do is continually run in the direction Robert took off in but you haven’t found any trace of him so far. With beads of sweat dripping down your face, you decide to take a short break and lean against a moss-covered tree.

Panting heavily, you lay your head against the solid trunk and drop Robert’s bow and knife at your feet, taking deep, long breaths. ”You need to exercise more, Boss!” Terror thinks to you with a giggle. ”Throwing spells and all that is fine and dandy, but you still can’t neglect your physical fitness.”
”Oh come off it!” you reply irritably, “Like you’d know anything about fitness you dumb nature spirit!”

At that moment, Scourge interrupts suddenly, her first observation in what seems like an eternity. ”Master, there’s rapid movement around your location. It looks like a single man, though I can’t make out his appearance. Act with caution while I make my way back.”

It’s probably Robert, after all, who else could be in this exact part of the woods at this exact moment. Grabbing your Broomstick from Terror, you use it to get to your feet and put on your nicest smile as the gathering of brush in front of you begins to shake.

“Hey Robert I got your st-“

(1/2)

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>>2429742
Suddenly, something sharp, metallic, and incredibly fast flies at your face from the brush and you barely manage to duck as it buries itself in the tree behind you with an audible thwack! Looking back, you see a nasty throwing axe wedged deeply into the wood with a familiar name engraved into the handle. Slowly facing your assailant, a scowl makes it’s way onto your face and your heart begins to pound.

“Thought I wouldn’t find you, Witch?” asks the scarred hulk of a man glaring at you from the savagely trampled undergrowth. Wielding a throwing axe in one hand and a wicked-looking blade in the other, the unfriendly face of your old rival, Konrad the Witch Hunter, stares daggers into you with cold, merciless eyes.

“I was hoping you’d learned your lesson the last time,” you say scornfully as you tighten your grip on the Broomstick, “But I’m flattered that you came back to see me again.”

“Still have those scars I gave you, Witch?” he asks wickedly, nothing but pure murder on his scarred, burnt face. “Enjoy looking in the mirror when you wake up in the morning, Konrad?” you reply with a savage grin, making him snarl in hate.

“Somebody pay you, or this is personal” you ask as you assume an offensive stance with your Broomstick, flicking the handle and activating the enchantment, making the straw bristles on the end pulse with magical energy, “Then again, with you it doesn’t really matter does it?”

Konrad nods slowly as the two of you begin to circle each other like predators, stalking back and forth with pure adrenaline beginning to flow through your veins.

”Master,” Scourge thinks to you amidst the sounds of fluttering wings and tearing wind, ”If you can keep him occupied for a few moments more, I will be able to properly strike this cur from above.”

Terror concurs, growling and baring his teeth at Konrad, who eyes your familiar with careful eyes and adjusts his stance. ”Or we can start now, Boss!” roars Terror, clearly obsessed closing the distance and sinking those razor-sharp teeth of his into exposed flesh. ”I’ll tear this bastard to ribbons and gnaw on his bones for weeks afterwards! Just say the word, Boss!”

You’d love to continue insulting the Witch Hunter, but that might just make him strike first, although a strike motivated with raw emotion is easy to counter. Keeping him busy with questions would also allow Scourge to tear into him from behind, opening him up to further attacks. Letting Terror rush recklessly in would endanger your familiar but would undoubtedly give you the most flexibility in your choice of attack, you could probably even hit him with a spell if Terror distracted him long enough.

>Goad him into making a mistake with your words

>Keep him busy with questions to allow Scourge to hit him from behind

>Let Terror rush in, and follow up with a physical or magical attack

>>2429746
>>Keep him busy with questions to allow Scourge to hit him from behind
" You know this is the king's land right? He'll hunt you down for hurting little old me"
Can we make mocking puppy eyes?

>>2429746
>Keep him busy with questions to allow Scourge to hit him from behind

>>2429746
>>Keep him busy with questions to allow Scourge to hit him from behind

>>2429746
>>Let Terror rush in, and follow up with a physical or magical attack

>>2429746
>Let Terror rush in, and follow up with a physical or magical attack

>>2429774
>>2429792
>>2429803
>>2429839
>>2429854
Called for distracting with questions!
Writing!

“I have to say Konrad, you look fairly healthy for a man who had half his bones broken and his face turned into burnt steak. What’s your secret?” you ask wickedly enough to make him lower his guard and purse his lips attempt to come back with something.

“Killing Witches. Good for the soul, that. I’ve killed my fair share of them after I got back on my feet, you know. Contracts on them tend to pay handsomely, eh?” he laughs out, carefully watching your expression for any sign of emotion, but you keep your face balanced between scornful and focused. Inside, however, a little ember of anger begins to slowly spread in your heart and you try telling yourself that Konrad is lying to get you mad. A part of you tells you that, however much of a lie he might be telling now, the man staring at you is responsible for the murder of countless others of your kind.

Taking a deep breath and ignoring the latent rage building inside, you twirl your Broomstick around and go through several different guards before ending with the same stance you’d used to beat him senseless before in the burning inn. “So, what makes you think you’ll beat me this time? Perhaps you actually enjoy getting beaten? I wouldn’t put it past human garbage like you to get off on being dominated.”

Konrad simply reaches back and throws the axe in his hand at full force, telegraphing the motion so clearly that even after you dodge it you figure that he’s simply trying to empty his hands in rage. “I’m going to enjoy my time with you, Witch. You’ll go out painfully but not quickly, I’ll make sure of that.”

Narrowing his eyes, he shifts his feet and begins to charge forward, a blindingly-fast swing beginning to take form in his hands as he wields his blade with disciplined motions.

Before his attack is even half-way formed however, Scourge dives from the sky like a bolt of lightning and rakes her talons across his back with such force that you can actually hear his skin and flesh tear open. As his back gushes forth blood, Terror leaps forwards and crunches down on Konrad’s right leg with enough force to wobble the Witch Hunter, presumably striking bone. Staring Konrad in his eyes as he doubles over you plant your lead foot into the earth and land a shattering blow to his jaw, toppling him like a tree.

As you raise the Broomstick above your head in an attempt to deliver a blow that will knock the cur unconscious, an arrow flashes from an unknown direction, grazing your cheek and drawing blood. Stumbling backward, you trip on a rock, saving you from a follow-up flurry of projectiles that sail above your head and splinter into some nearby trees.

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>>2430003

“You didn’t think I came to get you alone did I?” cackles Konrad as Terror and Scourge rush to your side, using their senses to try and get a fix on the location of your new assailants.

“I told them that if I couldn’t take you out myself, they’d get to split the reward with my cut!”

SESSION PAUSED

Thanks for Playing guys! Next session tomorrow at roughly the same starting time as today!

Plugging my twitter again! https://twitter.com/Leave_QM

>>2430006
Thanks for running!

this yuri?

>>2430018
Why would you think that anon?

>>2430006
At least we don't have to deal with Konrad for a time. What with him now probably slowly bleeding to death.
You didn't specify where terror's teeth met bone, but if it was somewhere in the calf area and hit a major artery then the man is already dead.

>>2430023
Apparently it was in the back and the leg. That's some fucked up shit; we could even perforate the lungs if we get another shot. Or go for the liver if we feel particularly nasty.

But first we need to survive the new assailants.

>>2430021
because every female protag ends up being a dike unless the qm hard rules them straight?

Im asking cause the writings pretty good and i'd like to keep reading.

>>2430042
if that's the case then why not make the protag straight?

>>2430042
I wasn't planning on making her a lesbian, no.

>>2430146
Dropped

>>2430371
ILU bby

>>2430146
Picked up.

I like this quest, looking forward to seeing more. Good choice for the protag appearnce too, she's qt.

http://danbooru.donmai.us/posts?tags=angela_%28arisaka_ako%29

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>>2430146

Shite I couldn't wake up at my alarms!

Writing the new session OP now!

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>>2432029
SESSION RESUMED
Amidst another barrage of projectiles, you lay down completely and roll until you hit a tree, prompting you to immediately make a dive behind it. Leaning against moss-covered bark, you wince as a storm of arrows begins landing in your general area, some even impacting your cover hard enough to shake the wood.

“You can’t hide forever Witch!” screams Konrad as he lies fallen in the soil bleeding profusely. “If you surrender now, my men will kill you quickly, I promise!” he continues to scream hysterically, even punctuating his words with cackling laughter.

You’d snap something witty back, but currently you’re not in the right state of mind to be insulting dead men.

“Scourge, Terror, you guys see anything?” you ask your familiars, who have fanned out to try and locate your attackers after watching you hunker down behind your tree.

”Master, the arrows seem to be coming from differing distances! adds Scourge as she weaves in the air higher and higher to avoid being tagged by projectiles. ”I can count at least five different archers, each of them arranged to prevent you from pushing forwards.”

Five archers?!

You really didn’t want to intentionally kill anybody today, but with circumstances like these you might not have a choice.

”Terror,” you ask quietly as you consider your narrowing set of options if you want to escape this ambush alive, ”Got any ideas?”
Instead of answering, Terror just dives behind a tree near you and pants before looking you in the eyes with a grim frown. ”There’s always a way out that doesn’t involve killing people, Boss. Me and Bird-brain might be predators but killing, even in self-defense, is nothing to joke about. I want you to think long and hard about what you want to do.”

Pulling your hat down over your eyes, you think carefully as another wave of arrows punctures the ground at your feet.

>Go Lethal. You aren’t going to trouble yourself with the moral implications of defending yourself against a group of hitmen.

>Go Non-Lethal. It’s not up to you whether these bastards deserve to live or die, you’ll leave that to somebody qualified to decide.

>>2432215
>Go Lethal. You aren’t going to trouble yourself with the moral implications of defending yourself against a group of hitmen.
It's self-defense, it's fine to respond with equal force.

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>>2432215
>Go Lethal. You aren’t going to trouble yourself with the moral implications of defending yourself against a group of hitmen.

>>2432215
>Go Non-Lethal. It’s not up to you whether these bastards deserve to live or die, you’ll leave that to somebody qualified to decide.
Just break their hands afterwards. No more archery for them.

>>2432215
>Go Non-Lethal. It’s not up to you whether these bastards deserve to live or die, you’ll leave that to somebody qualified to decide.

>>2432215
>Go Non-Lethal. It’s not up to you whether these bastards deserve to live or die, you’ll leave that to somebody qualified to decide.
We are not the law in these parts; our earlier encounter with Robert made that clear. It is not for us to take what can never be regained.

>>2432241
>>2432245
>>2432246
But I'm already going nonlethal in every non-strategy game I'm playing.

>>2432246
On that note, assuming Robert didn't get shanked by these guys on his way out of the forest, it's possible he might come back with help, assuming he noticed the commotion.

>>2432215
>>Go Lethal. You aren’t going to trouble yourself with the moral implications of defending yourself against a group of hitmen.

Why go non lethal, thats just stupid when its 6 on 1

>>2432215
>>Go Non-Lethal. It’s not up to you whether these bastards deserve to live or die, you’ll leave that to somebody qualified to decide.
The King may not take to kindly to it

>>2432215
>Go Non-Lethal. It’s not up to you whether these bastards deserve to live or die, you’ll leave that to somebody qualified to decide.
Can we also send Terror to go fetch mister Holton for aid?

>>2432265
Not sure how helpful that'll be, since we have his weapons with us and we don't know if the familiars can speak with someone that isn't us.

>>2432215
>>Go Lethal. You aren’t going to trouble yourself with the moral implications of defending yourself against a group of hitmen.

Fuck them, they knew the risks. between them and us, i choose us.

>>2432265
We don't know where Holton is and we probably need all hands on deck.

Hopefully he'll hear the commotion.

Kind of a tangential question, but what spells do we know? Or do the witches in this setting work differently?

>>2432270
He doesn't need his weapons to end this. He's the King's envoy: all he needs to do is announce as much, and say that she's in the middle of a civil conversation with the King (if a long distance one). If Konrad and his men choose to continue to attack, they wil then be consciously making an enemy of the crown. I'm certain Terror can't speak to him, but I'm willing to bet he's smart enough to convey the idea of "I want you to follow me".

konrads not gonna give a fuck, its personal and hes not gonna stop.
If we kill then the worst that can happen is the king doesn't let us live there and we have to move.
Worst case if we don't kill, we'll die

>>2432310
When roleplaying, pragmatism can and should often be disregarded when it clashes with how you wish to portray the character's morality. If she doesn't want to kill - or rather, if you don't want her to want to kill - then she shouldn't.

And if you insist on taking the metagaming perspective, we almost certainly aren't going to die, at least not permanently, because then there will be no story.

>>2432296
Witches in this setting are primarily associated with nature and manipulation of the elements.

There are two kinds of witches, those that are dedicated to prey animals and their propagation, meaning that they are extremely adept at magic that functions in an illusory, movement-based, or defensive manner.

Solana is of the much rarer second kind, a Witch that is focused on predators (Hence her familiars both being predators that are high on the food chain) and managing the ecological balance between predators and prey. As such, she can quickly pick-up martial skills but her magic focus is on purely offensive things like manipulating physical elements, altering the bodies of herself and others, and blood magic.

Generally, she doesn't like using magic because people are rightfully afraid of that kind of power and really doesn't enjoy killing outside of maintaining the balance of nature but is willing to put her feelings about both aside if need be.

(I was hoping to cover this stuff later but I haven't really setup any worldbuilding or context so far so there it is)

Vote is currently

Lethal >>2432229
>>2432234
>>2432259
>>2432283

Non-lethal>>2432241
>>2432245
>>2432246
>>2432264
>>2432265

I'll call it here for Non-Lethal. Writing now!

>>2432215
>Go Lethal. You aren’t going to trouble yourself with the moral implications of defending yourself against a group of hitmen.
if you're going to kill someone, be ready to risk your own life. Stupid hunters.

>>2432285
Actually, this makes sense to me. Nevermind sending Terror: Konrad's volume is being described as "screaming", and Holton only walked away a minute or two ago. Unless he's got some kind of modern transportation nearby (or the ability to teleport), he's probably within earshot of the fight.

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>>2432348

>30s
I'm sorry anon

>>2432369
I don't remember this episode of Naruto.

Even now, when there are arrows flying and making you wince as they explode into the tree you call cover, you can’t bring yourself to murder in self-defense. It was never your thing, you suppose. Standing up and flattening yourself against the tree, you rub your grazed cheek, staring at the scattering of crimson on your fingers.

You’ll make sure these bastards bleed, you just won’t kill them. In fact, after you’re done, they might begin to wish that you’d just aimed to kill instead.

Grinning wildly, you give Terror a quick smile that begins his infectious laughter again, making him pace back and forth behind his tree in anticipation.

Closing your eyes, you figure that you need something to close the distance between you and the opposing archers, something to prevent you from being turned into a pointy-hat-wearing pincushion. Whispering quietly, you begin to chant words in the tongue of the Witch, basking in the raw energy of this forest as your connection to the natural world envelops you.

Blinking your eyes open, your vision swirls in a whirlwind of different colors as you begin to see and feel through the eyes of not only the animals, but the trees, the insects, and even the moss. Forcing yourself to completely separate from the sensory overload through the disciplined application of your Witch training, you isolate the relevant information from your surroundings.

Five grim-faced archers, dressed in weathered furs and gambeson, firing arrows methodically at your location with crystal-clear focus. Each archer is positioned at nearly equidistant spaces, ranging from your far left to far right at about sixty yards. That kind of range and accuracy, especially in a forest like this, tells you that this definitely isn’t their first manhunt. Though armed with a varied assortment of melee weapons, you doubt that they’re nearly as proficient in close combat as they are from range.

All you need is something to close the gap. Luckily with the proper application of magic, and a little determination, turning this into your kind of fight doesn’t seem nearly as difficult.

Glancing at a nearby tree, you think that perhaps it would make a nice body for a raging wooden golem to use as cover as it rampages forwards. Looking down at the dirt, you imagine that a moving shield of compacted earth would also make for an effective barrier to push forwards with. Finally, noting the resting heartbeat of your foes, you wonder if perhaps slowly freezing their blood would incapacitate them long enough for you and your familiars to get close and personal.

>Unleash a tree golem to devastate your enemies

>Raise an earthen barrier and push forwards with it

>Chill their blood and rush into close combat

>>2432602
>>Raise an earthen barrier and push forwards with it

>>2432602
>>Raise an earthen barrier and push forwards with it

This might give you cover to do the first or the third.

>>2432602
>Unleash a tree golem to devastate your enemies

>>2432602
>>Unleash a tree golem to devastate your enemies
Even the odds, 4 on 5.

>>2432602
>>Raise an earthen barrier and push forwards with it
lets try to not fuck much the king's lands.

>>2432602
>>Unleash a tree golem to devastate your enemies

>>2432602
>Raise an earthen barrier and push forwards with it

>>2432602
>Unleash a tree golem to devastate your enemies
A good combination of offense and defense, and one that draws their attention off of us, yet it still feels inefficient.

What is the extent of our abilities to affect the blood and flesh of others at range, anyway? I assume that since we don't have an option to shatter the bones in their arms directly and incapacitate them that way, that it is beyond our powers.

>>2432602
>Unleash a tree golem to devastate your enemies
Nothing insulates quite like soil. Unfortunately, that insulation probably works both ways. Freezing their blood sounds pleasantly terrifying, but that seems like too temporary of a measure, and they might have some type of ward defense against directed magic like that.
A tree golem, though... What would be more appropriate for a fight than to introduce a proper fighter!

>>2432602
>>Unleash a tree golem to devastate your enemies

>>2432636
I've limited toned down some of the options to fit with a non-lethal approach, but in general your ability to manipulate flesh and blood is affected by both skill and range. Solana isn't a particularly skilled Witch, her not being very old or the studious kind but that can change with experimentation (especially now that she doesn't have to find a new place to stay every couple days) and practice.

For range, messing with flesh and blood usually has to be interacted with her hands and advanced techniques like healing grievous wounds or reshaping bones actually requires a hefty amount of substitute material (usable flesh and blood). You are able to affect the blood of your foes in this instance because they are currently surrounded and thus included in the wide swath of Nature that you have tapped into (you really don't want to fight a Witch surrounded by nature, especially a predator Witch)

I'll try my best to expand on it in later sessions because it is sort of complicated.

>>2432602
>Unleash a tree golem to devastate your enemies

>>2432612
>>2432613
>>2432622
>>2432633
Earthen Barrier

>>2432618
>>2432621
>>2432631
>>2432636
>>2432649
>>2432651
Tree Golem
+ >>2432778

Called for Tree Golem! Sorry for taking so long, I'll start writing (and hopefully eat something) now!

>>2432779
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EeZ69nxbY8

File: tree golem.jpg (91 KB, 900x887)

91 KB JPG

You decide to show what these bounty hunters what a Witch can do in her natural element. Shutting your eyes closed, you begin to chant in the Witch tongue, starting slowly and then gradually going faster and faster as the earth and soil itself begin to listen to your words.

The earth begins to quake, and you focus on the tree, raising it upwards by the roots and attaching stones and other materials to reinforce its frame. With a shout of surprise, the archers hold their fire, confused and perhaps slightly afraid of the sudden change in their surroundings. As the golem begins to slowly take shape, you decide to animate the construct with the tiny spark of anger burning in your heart at Konrad, and eventually the ground quakes for a second time as a loud crushing noise, akin to boulders breaking apart, is heard from the previously motionless construct.

Finally finished, the tree golem raises two massive fists and beats its wooden chest with savage fury, and for the first time in minutes, it is the archers who are unable to move. Charging with berserk rage, the golem sprints with ground-shaking footsteps and begins to take arrow after ineffectual arrow as the archers desperately attempt to put it down.

Rushing out from behind cover, your familiars follow your lead as the three of you close the distance between you and the archers with frightening speed. By the time you manage the distance, the golem has already began wreaking havoc among your enemies as they throw down their bows and begin chipping away at the construct with their swords and axes.

Futilely, you might add, as one swing of the golem impacts on one of the bounty hunters with a sickening crunch and sending the poor bastard limp and flying into a tree. With four to go, you engage in close-combat with another, ducking a telegraphed axe swing from your opponent and countering with a blistering strike to his right leg, making him visibly wince and sending him to one knee.

The sound of growling, squawking and screaming behind you tell that another bounty hunter is currently being harried, hopefully non-lethally, by your bloodthirsty familiars. Glancing at the golem again, it faces its nearest foe and slams a stone-studded fist into a nearby tree as it’s opponent ducks and rolls for dear life. Looking back at your current opponent, you stifle his axe swing by rushing forwards and whipping your elbow into his face, cracking the bone against his nose and drawing a stream of blood. Without thinking, you twirl your Broomstick vertically and bring it crashing down against his forehead, forcing the Bounty Hunter’s head into the dirt and knocking him out immediately.

(1/2)

>>2433182
>>2433182
At that moment, another manages to nearly catch you off-guard from your right side and his short sword clatters with a dull ring in your ears as you barely block the swing with a perfectly-timed horizontal guard. Driving you back with his superior strength, he throws you to the ground and delivers a swift kick to your stomach that nearly drives the air from your lungs. Narrowing your eyes in outrage, you let go of your Broomstick with one hand and ball it into a fist before looking up to see a murderous overhead sword swing forming directly above you.

Lunging forwards off your knees, you drive your fist into your opponent’s unprotected testicles, doubling over the stout man like a snapped branch. Avoiding the spray of saliva from his mouth, you stand up and place your lead foot backwards before using your free hand wrap around his head. Bringing your lead foot forwards like a cracking whip, you drive your knee into his face so hard his whole body almost goes limp.

You repeat the motion with murderous speed, snapping his head back again and again until blood covers your right knee and the face of your foe is nearly unrecognizable. Letting his motionless body drop to the ground, you turn around into the crazed eyes of the last Bounty Hunter who has suddenly notched an arrow directly at your face. Freezing up, you stare at the steel arrow-head aimed to land between your eyes and time seems to slow down as you contemplate your options. With horror, you realize that you really don’t have any left as the Bounty Hunter begins to loose his arrow before he is suddenly tackled by a blurred object and the arrow flies skyward.

Transfixed by the sudden intervention, you manage to blink and look at the face of your savior. Robert Holton, the man you’d come out here to return his equipment to, slowly chokes the air out of your opponent with arms of stone, tightening his hold until the man stops struggling madly and slumps to the ground in a heap.

Standing up and dusting himself off before stretching his arms out and chuckling, Robert gives you one of his easy smiles and flashes you a toothy grin.

“You know, maybe getting you that permit won’t be nearly as hard as I thought.”

SESSION PAUSED

(2/2)

Goddammit I'm sorry about taking so long between posts, guys! It's hard for me to actually write with any semblance of speed sometimes and I did get sidetracked with other things. Next and final session of this 3-day rush is tomorrow at the same time as when today's session started! I will try my best to finish it off on a good note, because after tomorrow I'll likely have to transition to running once or twice a week on weekends.

Have a good night all of you, and just know that I really, really appreciate everybody here even if you don't vote!

>>2433208
Thanks for running

>>2433208
Thanks for running!

>>2433208
Hey this looks cool! Thanks for running!

>>2433208
My dude. This was good.

Leaving a post for when. You pick up tomorrow:
-Kick em all in the testicles with your lead foot.
Strip them all naked. Not even any loin cloth.
-Keep their stuff to sell later.
-See if any of these men have any bounties. Ask for Roberts opinion.
-return his gear.
-is Konrad dead yet? I kind of hope he is.

Bollocks I slept through my alarms again!

Writing now!

SESSION RESUMED

Looking at the nonchalant game keeper in front of you, then back at the bloodied bodies of your assailants, you start to finally feel the stress of the last couple minutes hit you like a brick. Feeling sick to your stomach, you drop to your knees and double over before beginning to retch for a few seconds on the forest floor.

As you finish, Robert approaches with some worry on his face but you wave him off and get back on somewhat unsteady feet. “I didn’t know I was so popular with men,” you state out loud with a bitter grin, “Would’ve come in handy when I was on the move.”

Shrugging, Robert begins to kick over a nearby bounty hunter and check his pulse before nodding slowly. “You didn’t kill any of them, huh? I have to say, I’m impressed, missy. A lesser woman would have left them to meet their maker.” Chuckling, you just smile and lean heavily onto a nearby tree as your eyes spy the tree golem dangling the clearly limp body of an opponent with one tentative fist, as if confused about why the other can no longer continue fighting. “Killing people outright just isn’t my thing I guess,” you admit ruefully, “It would probably make things easier but I suppose it just rubs me wrong.”

Partially covered in blood, Terror and Scourge approach Robert with his equipment in tow, stowed in steady jaw or talons. Accepting his equipment with wordless thanks, Robert gestures for you to follow him and you drag yourself back to your feet with your Broomstick. As the two of you walk slowly over to the bleeding form of Konrad, you try to ask Robert the most pressing question on your mind without a hint of tact.

“I suppose you can figure out that we were chasing after you to return your weapons, but how’d you know that trouble was afoot?” you posit as you calmly punt a stray rock in your way, sending it flying into the forest. Robert just smiles and shrugs like always, “As I was making my way back, I noticed them stalking through the woods, shady as you like. I figured maybe they were poachers or bandits, and it’s my duty to make sure neither kind are around for long.”

Raising an eyebrow, a look of incredulity appears on your face, “But you left your weapons behind!”
“What would you have done if they hadn’t run into us?” you inquisitively, baffled at the prospect of this middle-aged game keeper taking on six trained bounty hunters without any weapons or magic.

Robert just gives you a playful wink and keeps walking ahead, leaving you trailing him with a look of shock on your face.

(1/2)

>>2436538
”Must be some game keeper, huh?” whistles Terror as he quietly chuckles before stretching out his back and legs with vigor, much of his fur stained with blood.

”In that we are agreed, Mutt.” Scourge responds as she takes to the air with graceful, blood-covered wings, likely looking for a quick snack to replenish some energy after the fight.

As you and Robert reach Konrad, the two of you are met with a simultaneously pitiful and horrific sight as your eyes meet his ruined body. Blood has managed to leak through his back and leg wounds enough to begin accumulating in a tiny crimson puddle. With pale, rent skin, the Witch Hunter looks more like a corpse than a man, though his weak breaths and slight inhalation tells you that the man is somehow still clinging to this mortal coil.

“Poor bastard looks like he’s on his wake already,” whispers Robert as he grabs Konrad and turns him over to examine his seemingly fatal wounds, “There anything you can do to fix him, missy?”

You just stare at Robert like he’s gone stark raving mad, but he merely continues looking over the man with worried eyes.

“Bounty for these curs will pay more alive than dead, King Blackwood prefers having the court make an example of them.”

Tilting your head to the side like Terror does on occasion when you ask him something that actually requires intelligence, Robert smiles and explains, “There’s an actual bounty out for Witch Hunters and the goons associated with them, but they pay more for a live capture than a dead one. Just mentioning it because it looks like you might need some cash for your place, yeah?”
At that, you bite your lip nearly hard enough to draw blood as a difficult decision approaches.

You hate Konrad, and rightfully he probably hates you more, but he’s worth more alive than dead.
Rather than let him die here, you can rest easy knowing he’ll rot in a deep, dark prison cell and get paid extra for it. Or you could simply choose to let him bleed out and give his body to the crows.

>Spare Konrad

>Let him bleed to death

(2/2)

>>2436542
>>Spare Konrad
just heal him enough to not die. Maybe leave his hands crippled or something.

>>2436542
>>Let him bleed to death

>>2436542
>Spare Konrad
We went to all this trouble on being non lethal it would be a waste to kill him now

>>2436542
>>Let him bleed to death
He seems like a loose end you don't leave untied.

>>2436542
>spare Konrad

>>2436542
>Spare Konrad

The guy is bound to have some kind of bounty. Too dogged and enjoys his hunts WAY too much.

He came back once, i wouldn't want him coming back again

Will extend vote for ten more minutes as I attempt to get some food.

>>2436542
>>Spare Konrad

>>2436598
But it didn't sound like we handed him over to someone last time

Spare Konrad
>>2436557
>>2436566
>>2436570
>>2436593
>>2436608

Let him die
>>2436560
>>2436567

Vote Called!

Konrad might be one of the most despicable individuals you’ve ever had the misfortune of meeting, much less fighting, but Robert does have a point. Coming across some expendable income not on the back of a loan or charity rings like music in your ears, and the prospect of leaving him in a castle dungeon has its own unique appeal.

Looking at Konrad’s burnt, scarred up face, you decide to spare him this time but on one specific condition. Stepping back, you raise your Broomstick high and strike Konrad’s hands with enough force to produce cracking noises as the bones in his hands are brutally crushed.

Watching with a frown, Robert merely raises an eyebrow as he watches you savagely beat Konrad’s unconscious hands. “I’m guessing that’s a no, then?”

When you’re finally satisfied with ruining his hands, you wipe some beads of sweat from your brow and sigh exhaustedly. “No, I’m still saving him. I just don’t want him hunting any Witches after he recovers.”

Holding up one of his warped hands, you examine your handiwork with a scowl. “He won’t be bothering anybody else, now.” Scanning the bodies of your beaten opponents, you eye the stout man who’d managed to kick you in the stomach. Rubbing the spot with a wince, figuring you might actually have a lasting bruise there, you point him out to Robert with an accusing finger.

“Would you mind hauling that son-of-a-goat over here, Robert?” you ask politely as you contemplate how you’ll go about fixing Konrad’s certainly lethal wounds.

As Robert nods and walks over to retrieve the fat man, you search Konrad and find a jagged, impressively intimidating knife with notches carved into it’s handle. Reading the tally, you find about seventeen marks etched into it, though whether that refers to Witches killed or bounties claimed is not exactly clear.

Robert grunts and surprises you by hefting the stout bounty hunter in front of you, again shocking you with the kind of strength he possesses for his age and look. Ignoring the thought, you get back to work and cut as many continuous strips of unbloodied cloth from the two unconscious men in front of you as possible. Wrapping and tying them into makeshift bandages, you begin by opening a deep cut on the larger mans wrist, releasing a spray of blood.

(1/2)

File: It's a pretty messy process.jpg (31 KB, 650x400)

31 KB JPG

>>2436862
Whispering in the Witches tongue, you tap back into Nature and start diverting the healthier stream of lifeblood to the nearly-gone Konrad. Carefully monitoring the balance of lifeblood on each end, you manage to at least stem the bleeding on Konrad’s end but his wounds refuse to wholly close. Gritting your teeth, you quickly begin applying the bandages to the bleeding openings of both men with haste, attempting to prevent them from dying of blood loss. Noticing the fatter man has turned slightly pale, in contrast to Konrad’s now healthy pink, you scowl in frustration as your working resources dwindle by the second.

Robert, for his part, seems to look on the scene with an expression of slight amusement at your predicament. “You just need to make sure they make it to jail, missy. No need to get angry, just do your best.”

At last, despite the soil being tinged a crimson hue underneath the two, you manage to stop your patients from bleeding out like stuck pigs, however you’re not very confident that they’ll survive a rough journey on the way back to Narrowater. Any slight impact might tear open their wounds, and you might not have what it takes to keep them whole again without having to excise some flesh from something to actually seal the wounds for good.

Robert, for his part, manages to assuage your fears of safe transportation by bringing your attention to your tree golem who is already carrying two of the bounty hunters in each hand, reminding you of a child playing with dolls.

“The Gamekeeper lodge isn’t too far from here,” he says with an easy smile, “Just make sure none of them die before I get back and I’ll rig something to your friend over there and we’ll be in Narrowater by sunset.”

Walking off with a salute, Robert disappears into the forest leaving you alone with Terror and your newly made tree golem. ”We ought to keep him around Boss!” suggests Terror, who decides to lay at your feet like a proper guard dog. ”But you ought to name the fella, I’ve heard that golems without names never learn to feel.”

”Where’d you hear that? you ask your familiar curiously.

”I dunno.” Terror responds, tilting his head at you with a blank expression.

Besides your urge to bonk your familiar on the nose, you do feel compelled to call your golem something. But what should you call him?

>Write-In for what to name your new friendly Tree Golem as you wait!

(2/2)

What the heck happened to my trip?

>>2436870
Fuck off creme faggot

>>2436870
Probably the April fools shit

>>2436871
Fuck you peep

>>2436874
>>2436871
>>2436870
team peanut butter for the win, you nasty sons of bitches.

>>2436867
Stomper

>>2436867

This is fine>>2436882

>>2436867
>Write-In for what to name your new friendly Tree Golem as you wait!
Larry

Name called for Stomper!

Also I might have to call this session short. I apologize for my slow writing speed but I just got some really terrible news and that's kind of screwed with my head. My uncle literally just went missing from the hospital (he has dementia) and the police are looking for him. I can't really focus right now, so we'll have to continue this next Saturday!

Thank you guys for playing! I really appreciate everyone who showed up, even the lurkers if there are any!

Here's my twitter so you can get an alert when I open up a new session!

https://twitter.com/Leave_QM

I'll work on archiving this thread now.

Again, thanks everyone! Have a blessed April Fools!

SESSION CLOSED

>>2436867
>Goliath

>>2436971
>My uncle literally just went missing from the hospital (he has dementia) and the police are looking for him.

Yeah yeah, great april fools prank on your two day old readership NU-QM. Try to come up with something a little more believable next time, assuming you actually survive a whole year.

Gimmicky stunts like this are best saved for after we've made the decision to stick around for whatever narrative it is here you're crafting.

>>2436993
Back to akun Trick

>>2436570


>>2436971
>My uncle literally just went missing from the hospital (he has dementia) and the police are looking for him. I can't really focus right now, so we'll have to continue this next Saturday!
I hope this gets cleared up soon. Things like that can really throw you for a loop. May you find him soon, safe and unharmed.

Strength & Fortune.

>>2437022
Thanks anon I really appreciate it.

>>2436971
>My uncle literally just went missing from the hospital (he has dementia) and the police are looking for him. I can't really focus right now, so we'll have to continue this next Saturday!

Shit, I hope they find him and that he's ok.

The police found his fucking uncle.

Source: I'm actually the QM's uncle.

The police actually did manage to find my uncle and I'm so, so relieved.

Get ready for session on Saturday guys! I'm definitely ready to get back into gear!

>>2441667
>Get ready for session on Saturday guys! I'm definitely ready to get back into gear!
Waiting Warmly.