>>2765456
“Looking for a fight?” you counter, eyeing his weapons cautiously and suspecting highway robbery.

The man laughs. “No, of course not!”

“Good,” you sigh. “Because I couldn't give you one, and I hate to disappoint people.”

“Hey... so you are a Claymore,” he seems to realize, lifting the brim of his hat to stare at you. You get a better look at his face: neither old nor young, a little facial hair, dark eyes, scar on his chin... a warrior. A professional by the look of him. “It'd be pretty dumb to try stealing from you.”

“You'd be the first to realize as much,” you grumble. “Why are you out here alone?”

The man's expression grows a little less friendly, and a little more serious. “Sorry, official business from Acerrae.”

>Tell me what's happening in Acerrae. That's where I'm being deployed.
>Thank him for being so friendly, and move on as quickly as you can.
>Warn him about the scam you ran into at the customs station in the pass.
>Other?

>>2765460
>Warn him about the scam you ran into at the customs station in the pass.
>Tell me what's happening in Acerrae. That's where I'm being deployed.

>>2765456
>Warn him about the scam you ran into at the customs station in the pass.
>Tell me what's happening in Acerrae. That's where I'm being deployed.

>>2765473
>>2765456
Supporting

>>2765460
>Tell me what's happening in Acerrae. That's where I'm being deployed.

>>2765460
>>Tell me what's happening in Acerrae. That's where I'm being deployed.

>>2765460
>Tell me what's happening in Acerrae. That's where I'm being deployed.
>Warn him about the scam you ran into at the customs station in the pass.

>>2765460
>Tell me what's happening in Acerrae. That's where I'm being deployed.
>Warn him about the scam you ran into at the customs station in the pass.
>other: On second thought, can you tell me what's going on in Sakia's national rumor mill? If border customs is cooking up a scam like that, then things must be bad.

>>2765460
>>2765545
This

>>2765545
yeah this is good.

>>2765460
>>Tell me what's happening in Acerrae. That's where I'm being deployed.
>>Warn him about the scam you ran into at the customs station in the pass.
trade information for other information

>3d10 best of three

Rolled 9, 2, 4 = 15 (3d10)

>>2766204

Rolled 10, 5, 10 = 25 (3d10)

>>2766204

Rolled 6, 3, 6 = 15 (3d10)

>>2766204

Rolled 10, 6, 1 = 17 (3d10)

>>2766204

>>2766204
not beating that 25 but here goes!

>>2766223
you fudged the dice. dice+3d10 goes in the options row.

Rolled 7, 8, 5 = 20 (3d10)

>>2766225
Yeah I messed up, not that it matters!

>>2766204
“Are you going as far as the pass?” you ask.

The man nods in confirmation. “I was sent ahead to check the conditions for our ride south. You just came from there?”

“I did,” you confirm. “Watch yourselves up in the pass, the customs office tried to rip me off on the way here.”

“Yeah, they do that sometimes,” the man scratches his head. “I'll shout at them while I'm there.”

“What are you even doing riding through Cuilan anyway?” you ask, suspicion now overriding your immediate responses to the rider's overt friendliness. “And what is happening in Acerrae right now? That's where my current assignment has me deploying out of.”

The rider seems to consider your request for a few moments, as if he knows that he shouldn't be telling you anything about his business here. “It's one of the Horse Lords. The Goddesses only know what he's up to, but he's got some sort of business in Noroit.”

Noroit... the forested land to the south of Cuilan, the place that gets all of Sakia's rainfall. With several days worth of mountain peaks between the nearest part of Sakia and the foothills of Noroit, what could possibly convince a Horse-Lord to make the trip in person?

You commit that tidbit to memory, understanding that short of a full interrogation you're unlikely to get anything else out of the rider.

“Any reports of yōma?” you ask.

He nods. “A few scattered reports, but it sounds like no casualties. Thank goodness.”

Reports, but no casualties?

>Will I be able to find your commanding officer in Acerrae?
>Thank you for the information, I'll be sure to keep it quiet.
>This Horse-Lord isn't in Acerrae right now, is he?
>Other?

>>2766292
>Reports, but no Casualties... it wouldn't be animals butchered in graphic fashion with their blood left for writing would it?

>>2766292
Seconding >>2766301

>>2766292
>>Thank you for the information, I'll be sure to keep it quiet.

>>2766292
Supporting >>2766320

>>2766292
>>2766301
This.

>>2766292
>>2766301
Supporting this.
>>2766301
>This Horse-Lord isn't in Acerrae right now, is he?
>other: I think I know what's drawing the horse-lord there. There's been a case in Hazaran where someone mutilated several heads of oxen and horses and tried to blame it on yoma. Writing messages with their entrails to provoke the nobles and Horse-Lords. From my expertise, Yoma aren't that bold. They prefer to embed themselves in a village and lie low.

>>2766292
>>This Horse-Lord isn't in Acerrae right now, is he?

>>2766301
supporting

>>2766301
>>2766292
Supporting
>tinfoil hat go

>>2766900
supporting you with aluminum foil
>no pic since phoneposting

>>2766292
“Let me guess,” you begin, not fully understanding why you made this leap of logic. “Mutilated animals with threatening messages written in their blood and internal organs.”

The rider stares at you with a bewildered expression like he just watched you cut your own head off and sew it back on. “How did you know that?”

“Because the same thing happened to a landed noble home in Hazaran a few weeks ago,” you declare.

“And who caused it?” he demands.

You can only shake your head in doubt. “I never figured it out, but there was no evidence that it was a yōma. So I was obliged to move on to more pressing matters.”

“Not a yōma, hm?” the rider muses to himself. “Well, then I have a request. If you get a chance, find my commander in Acerrae? Tell him what you just told me?”

>Sure, I can spare some time.
>I'll make sure he gets the message, but I'm pressed for time.
>I can't guarantee anything.
>No, sorry.

>>2768121
>I make sure he gets the message,,but I am pressed for time

>>2768121
>I can't guarantee anything.

>>2768121
>I'll make sure he gets the message, but I'm pressed for time.

>>2768121
>>I'll make sure he gets the message, but I'm pressed for time.

>>2768121
>>I'll make sure he gets the message, but I'm pressed for time.

>>2768121
>>I'll make sure he gets the message, but I'm pressed for time.

>>2768121
>>Sure, I can spare some time.

>>2768121
>I'll make sure he gets the message, but I'm pressed for time.

>>2768121
>I'll make sure he gets the message, but I'm pressed for time.

>>2768121
>I'll make sure he gets the message, but I'm pressed for time.

>>2768121
>>Sure, I can spare some time.

>>2768121
>I'll make sure he gets the message, but I'm pressed for time.

File: abruzzo-1.jpg (240 KB, 860x572)

240 KB JPG

>>2768121
“I can't spare the time,” you sigh, realizing that you've already taken longer to contact your client than you'd like. “But even if I cannot meet him in person I will make sure he gets the message.”

“Thanks,” the rider nods resolutely. “I'm sure we'll be able to work with that.”

“Not a problem,” you shrug. “Travel safely.”

“And you as well, Claymore!” he replies, and then just as quickly as he stumbled across you he's off down the trail in a cloud of dust.

You clamber back onto Alysheba and continue your way down the mountanside, until it's well past noon and into the evening. The air has grown steadily warmer, the slope gentler, and the river slower with every passing hour. Eventually you see a town in the distance, amid the low rolling hills of southern Sakia: that must be Acerrae.

The town itself is up on a hill, built snug and dense against the upper slope, with trees crowding the lower areas where water is likely to collect more readily. The valley leading past this rise is terraced, filled with green plants irrigated by the same river you've been following from the mountains after several smaller streams have fed into it.

In fact, some of the fields and terraces are right by the main road towards the town...
>3d10, best of three

Rolled 10, 3, 4 = 17 (3d10)

>>2769740
looking for the rancher.

Rolled 4, 10, 7 = 21 (3d10)

>>2769740

Rolled 3, 8, 5 = 16 (3d10)

>>2769740

>>2769740
I wanted to get an update scraped together, but it'll have to wait until morning. Sorry, whatever I got had me out cold all evening.

>>2770558
Your eye picks out some details, many of which are more difficult to properly interpret than they are to see in the first place. The fields are discontinuous and not laid out on a grid system, and they seem to vary in size. By the river you see many smaller plots planted with oats and what looks like millet, with a few of the odd corners planted with various kinds of vegetables. There are larger plots along slopes, some of which are terraced, with some spots having been planted with grape vines.

The largest plots are those positioned along the slopes, and are planted predominantly by grapes.

“Grapes,” you frown, realizing what this all adds up to. Most of the richest people in this town are the ones who own these largest plots, and they're making wine out of the grapes. “But I wonder...”

As you ride closer to town you start to notice that these large plots aren't growing oats or millet, and they're not growing the sort of grasses horses might graze on naturally. So if you're talking about the “horse-lords”, how are they actually feeding their horses?

It's a question for another time. You push those observations to the back of your mind as you finally ride up the hill and into the town of Acerrae proper.

It's a sunbaked little town, with colorful plastered walls that have all faded slightly due to the prolonged exposure. There are a lot of big windows, all of which have been thrown open to invite the breeze through the buildings to keep them cool while their occupants remain outside in whatever shade they can find.

“Excuse me!” you ask as you stop Alysheba in front of a table with four old men, seated under an awning in front of what you can only assume is a drinking establishment. “Can any of you tell me...”

>Where I can board my horse for a few days?
>Where I can find a bunch of soldiers and their commander?
>Where I can find a man by the name of Byron?
>Other?

>>2771565
>find soldiers and their commander?

>>2771565
>Where I can find a bunch of soldiers and their commander?
We should pass the message asap. This might help protect Alysheba a little bit better when we do find a we protected stable to keep him safe from the livestock murderer.

>>2771565
>>Where I can find a bunch of soldiers and their commander?

>>2771565
>>Where I can find a bunch of soldiers and their commander?

>>2771565
>Where I can find a man by the name of Byron?
Presumably he can then point us towards soldiers.

>>2771565
>>Where I can find a man by the name of Byron?

>>2771565
>>Where I can find a man by the name of Byron?

>>2771565
>Where I can find a man by the name of Byron?
We can tell the commander after we talk to our client.

>>2771565
“... where I can find a man by the name of Byron?” you ask. “I also hear there are soldiers moving through this town, and I have a message to pass to their commander.”

“Byron?” one of the men repeats with a chuckle. “As in Stanislaus Byron? You don't know what you're talking about, lady. You don't wanna see him and he sure as hell don't wanna see you.”

>I assure you he contacted our organization, for reasons he was far from forthright about.
>It most likely has to do with the animal mutilations I've heard rumors about.
>Why, because he's a Horse Lord? I fail to see your reasoning.
>Other?

>>2774157
>>It most likely has to do with the animal mutilations I've heard rumors about.

>>2774157
>>It most likely has to do with the animal mutilations I've heard rumors about.

>>2774157
>>I assure you he contacted our organization, for reasons he was far from forthright about.

>Why, because he's a Horse Lord? I fail to see your reasoning.

>>2774157
>>I assure you he contacted our organization, for reasons he was far from forthright about.

So I ignored it earlier, but since we're dealing a case like this, but I think we might be dealing with someone making a prank call to the org. That or this "Stanislaus Byron" is actively snubbing the org.

Also, why are the townsfolk so prissy against the clays?

>waiting for a tiebreaker on whether you want to specifically call out the animal mutilations or simply insisting that HE was the one who called YOU

>>2774157
>>I assure you he contacted our organization, for reasons he was far from forthright about.

>>2774157
“That is the name of the Organization's current client,” you assure the table sternly. “If the request is genuine then I require this Horse-Lord to give up more details about the supposed yōma sighting before I can act. If there has been a mistake I will leave and report to the Organization.”

“Either way, for both our purposes a meeting is necessary.”

“Whadya mean 'both' of your purposes?” one of the men asks.

You glance at him. “Were you him, would you want me to be hanging around his property like a silver-eyed wraith?”

“No,” the man sighs, seemingly convinced. “I suppose I wouldn't.”

“Directions to the Byron estate then,” you press. “If you please.”

The oldest man at the table, who has been silent until this point, grumbles out a set of instructions which basically send you down the road, to the left, across a bridge, and up onto the far side of the river valley to the west side of town. Apparently you'll be looking for a big, heavily constructed masonry building like a rectangular tower, with a door on the second floor and no windows on the ground floor.

So, a fortified house much like the petty nobility of Hazaran.

>Head straight to the Byron estate.
>Detour, try and find the unit commander you were sent here to find.
>There must be an administrative office here. Leave your message there.
>Other?

>>2774472
>Detour, try and find the unit commander you were sent here to find.

>>2774472
>Detour!

>>2774472
>Detour, try and find the unit commander you were sent here to find.

>>2774472
>>Detour, try and find the unit commander you were sent here to find.

>>2774472
>>Detour, try and find the unit commander you were sent here to find.

>>2774472
>Detour, try and find the unit commander you were sent here to find.

>>2774472
>Detour, try and find the unit commander you were sent here to find.

>>2774472
>Detour, try and find the unit commander you were sent here to find.

>>2774472
>3d10, best of three

Rolled 10, 10, 1 = 21 (3d10)

>>2776032

Rolled 4, 6, 8 = 18 (3d10)

>>2776032

Rolled 5, 7, 9 = 21 (3d10)

>>2776032

>>2776041
>>2776044
RIP SSQ rolls, luck vamped to here

>>2776032
How hard could it possibly be to find the unit commander of a detachment of uniformed soldiers in this small of a town?

You really don't get a chance to see for yourself, as the commander finds you not five minutes into your search. It's obvious who he is by the fancy helmet he wears, along with the ornamentation on the bit, saddle, and the leather croupiere on his horse. He rides at the front of a group of four horsemen in a diamond, the two at his flanks with bows and short swords and the one behind bearing his unit's standard.

And so you ride across his path, forcing the group of soldiers to stop. Alysheba bucks almost playfully, which provokes the other four horses to rear back in alarm.

“Hey!” you bark, tapping Alysheba on the back of his neck. “No. None of that.”

The commander gets his mount back under control quickly enough, but one of his flank riders nearly slips out of his saddle.

“Who are you?” the commander demands sharply.

“Noel, ranked Seven in the Organization,” you declare, guiding Alysheba through a quick turn to put your sword and its markings on display. “I was approached by one of your riders in the mountains.”

“And?” the commander presses. “Speak quickly.”

“I have information regarding the recent animal mutilations,” you explain. “I encountered a similar situation in Hazaran about two weeks ago and determined it was done by a human, not by a yōma.”

“Did you investigate any further?” the commander demands.

You shake your head. “Once I determined it was not a yōma I decided it was outside my purview, but Noventus in the city of Baiko will probably know more.”

“Noventus?” the commander repeats with a frown. “That old bastard is still alive?”

“You have a history?”

The commander immediately denies it. “No more so than any soldier of Sakia, in the last border skirmish he was a pain in all our asses. And do you seriously expect me to send riders to find him? They'll be detained at the border.”

>Tell them to send a message to Noventus: “the Lonely Queen sends her regards”.
>Tell them to send a message to Noventus: “Noel sends her greetings”.
>Tell them to send a message to Noventus: “thanks for the boots”.
>Well, that's your problem to consider then. I'm just a messenger here.

>>2776366
>Tell them to send a message to Noventus: “thanks for the boots”.

>>2776366
>>Tell them to send a message to Noventus: “thanks for the boots”.

>>2776366
>>Tell them to send a message to Noventus: “thanks for the boots”.

>>2776366
>Tell them to send a message to Noventus: “Noel sends her greetings”.

>>2776366
>tell him “the lonely queen sends her regards”

>>2776366
>>Tell them to send a message to Noventus: “thanks for the boots”.

>>2776366
>>>Tell them to send a message to Noventus: “thanks for the boots”.

>>2776366
>Tell them to send a message to Noventus: “Noel sends her greetings. Thanks for the boots”.
He doesn't know about "Lonely Queen" IIRC

>>2776366
>3d10, best of three

Rolled 7, 2, 3 = 12 (3d10)

>>2776695

Rolled 5, 8, 1 = 14 (3d10)

>>2776695

Rolled 8, 4, 3 = 15 (3d10)

>>2776695

>>2776695
“If you want to avoid that, there is exactly one thing you can order your messengers to do,” you insist sternly. “When they are captured, instruct them to send a message to Noventus: “thanks for the boots”. Those exact words, nothing more or less.”

“Noventus will understand what it means.”

The commander stares at you in obvious disbelief. “I'm not doing that. I'd rather not risk my soldiers' lives on the word of a witch.”

You sigh, understanding how it came to such a conclusion. “Then my business with you is concluded.”

Now you finally make the last turn towards your goal: the Byron estate. Olive trees line a long, wide drive that winds its way upslope to the home itself, and between the rows of trees you see many more rows of vines alone with some plantings of wheat and oats. It seems these are fed by a diversion from upstream, a channel which runs fresh riverwater into a cistern at the top of the property where the grade becomes less severe... almost what you'd call flat.

The home itself is more a large cluster of 'wings', all around the main house and a tall defensive tower. Their thick lower walls serve as additional protection, which also happens to house servants and soldiers. There's a stable with no less than twenty fine horses and feed stores, there's the sound of an ironworker coming from a long, low hall that's mostly detached from the rest of the buildings, and one building with large doors faces out towards the valley.

>Head for the tower, look for Stanislaus.
>Head for the stable, tie Alysheba up.
>Take a peek inside the large open doors.
>Other?

>>2777359
>>Head for the stable, tie Alysheba up.

>>2777359
>>Head for the stable, tie Alysheba up.
Gotta treat our horse right.

>The commander stares at you in obvious disbelief. “I'm not doing that. I'd rather not risk my soldiers' lives on the word of a witch.”
Figures he'd think our statement was crazy.

>>2777359
>>Head for the stable, tie Alysheba up.

>>2777359
>>Head for the stable, tie Alysheba up.

>>2777359
>Head for the tower, look for Stanislaus.
Heading directly for the stable without presenting ourselves to the host is a) simply rude b) risking a conflict with security

>>2777359
>>Head for the stable, tie Alysheba up.

>3d10, best of three

Rolled 10, 3, 9 = 22 (3d10)

>>2778212

Rolled 3, 5, 3 = 11 (3d10)

>>2778212

Rolled 8, 10, 10 = 28 (3d10)

>>2778212

>>2778219
Unexpected result.
>writing

>>2778219
That is damn sexy.

>>2778222
First thing, you decide that Alysheba needs to be put up for the time being while you deal with Stanislaus Byron. So you ride towards the open end of the stable before dismounting, then leading your horse into the building through two open doors.

The inside of the stable is clean, having evidently just been mucked, and has been designed with openings around the gabled ends of the roof have been left largely open to invite a pleasant breeze in one end and to allow it out the other. By your count eleven horses are housed here in spacious individual enclosures, with fresh hay, feed, and water. Leather tack and saddles are set on racks here and there, some at one end of the building and others by the wrought-iron gates to each enclosure.

An exception at the end is a handsome-looking beast with a chestnut coat and dark mane, very finely proportioned: a quarter-horse. A fast, nimble working breed meant for bursts of speed. This horse you find out of its stall under the care of a weather-worn man with a few gray hairs, who has just finished cleaning its hooves and is now carefully brushing the animal's coat.

He hears the sound of hoofbeats and turns. “Ah, so good you could make it.”

“Stanislaus Byron?” you ask tentatively.

The man nods, setting aside the brush to offer you a handshake. “That would be my name, yes. And you are?”

“Number seven, Noel,” you reply, glancing around the inside of the stable. “Is there someplace I could stable my horse while I'm here?”

The man makes a broad gesture with his hands. “Pick an empty stall, they've all just been cleaned.”

“You do a lot of the hands-on work here?” you ask, gesturing to his own horse.

Stanislaus laughs warmly. “Afraid not, my back's not what it used to be. But I still handle all the close work with my horses, and I direct the winemaking pretty closely.”

“Well, you have quite the property here,” you reply, leading Alysheba into an open stall and setting to work removing his equipment. “It'd be a shame not to be involved in its upkeep.”

“I'd tend to agree,” he admits. “So, that'd be one of those Cuilan breeds, right? Must remind you of home.”

“You noticed the boots.”

“I noticed the boots.”
>1/2

>>2778390
“It does,” you admit. “I named Alysheba after the horse I learned to ride on when I was a child.”

“It's a fine name,” Stanislaus nods approvingly. “And a horse well worth owning by the look. He behaves himself?”

“Nothing I can't handle,” you shrug, understanding his meaning. Hazari horses are somewhat notorious for rebellion when poorly trained or incompetently handled, and without a firm hand you have no doubts Alysheba could make a remarkable nuisance of himself.

“Well, we'll be glad to have him here a while,” Stanislaus nods again. “So, I take it you'll want to know a few more of the relevant details?”

“You aren't wrong,” you admit. “Is there someplace we can discuss this in confidence?”

“To control any rumors,” he muses. “Sure. Come on into the main house.”

Stanislaus leads you out a smaller door at the back of the stables and across a small, sheltered courtyard left standing between the stables and two of the other buildings, one of which turns out to be the Byron residence proper. The floors are mostly smooth marble tiles directly over a poured concrete slab... the better to keep this level cool during the heat of the summers, you figure. Up the nearest flight of stairs you find a finely polished wooden floor, and rooms that are far better lit thanks to the absence of heavier curtain walls like what you found below.

It's in one of these more comfortable rooms that Stanislaus gestures to a pair of well-appointed wooden chairs which you settle into immediately.

“So, how much have you been told?”

>Only the barest details. You've reported a yōma incident but no fatalities.
>I've heard rumors about animal mutilations. Was one of your horses involved?
>Investigatory leap (requires a roll).
>Other?

>>2778395
>only the barest details
>I've heard rumors

>>2778395
>>Only the barest details. You've reported a yōma incident but no fatalities.
Well he asked what we've been told, not what we've deduced.

>>2778395
>Only the barest details. You've reported a yōma incident but no fatalities.

>>2778395
>I've heard rumors about animal mutilations. Was one of your horses involved?
>Investigatory leap (requires a roll).
>other: your town had a previous yoma case in which a claymore came in and took care of it. However, judging from the spooked reactions of the border customs officer when I revealed my identity as a claymore, It's likely that your town was subjected to being placed on the Organization's blacklist once, which after another yoma incident, the townsfolk and the local militia didn't take too kindly to my presence here. You on the other hand, have seen signs of Yoma around but didn't want to bring it up to the local administrative office nor the militia. You're a Horse-Lord yet your primary staple is grapes and wine, yet I see not a single wheat field in sight that's needed to raise and feed your stock of Horses, and because of your town's history you didn't want to become a social pariah for a man of your status. So you hired me in secret which explains the bare minimum details needed for the organization to send a claymore like myself here.
So here's my leap in logic. So King, does the explanation write-in help with lowering the DC for the investigatory leap?

>>2778420
It will make it a bit easier, but only if one of you absolutely nails it. And even if one of you did get it completely right I wouldn't tell you.

>>2778395
>>I've heard rumors about animal mutilations. Was one of your horses involved?

>>2778395
>Only the barest details. You've reported a yōma incident but no fatalities.
>I've heard rumors about animal mutilations. Was one of your horses involved?

>>2778395
>Investigatory leap (requires a roll).

>>2778395
>Only the barest details. You've reported a yōma incident but no fatalities.
>I've heard rumors about animal mutilations. Was one of your horses involved?

>>2778395
“Only the barest details,” you admit. “My handler was remarkably tight-lipped, all he told me was that there were no reported fatalities. I assume if that had changed you would have been more urgent about the situation?”

“That's correct,” Stanislaus nods in agreement. “In fact had it not been obvious that it was a yōma I wouldn't have reported the incident at all.”

“Well, tell me what happened,” you prompt him.

Stanislaus rises from his own seat and heads across the room to where a glass pitcher of water is set on a tiled counter, and he pours two glasses. He hands you one and takes a sip from his own before sitting down again. “Well, some wine was stolen from here.”

“Wine?” you repeat. “How much wine?”

“That was the striking part,” Stanislaus clarifies for you. “I had heard a crash from that wing of the house and so I came out to check with a few of the guards we have here on the estate. What we saw... it was a monstrous creature twice the height of a man with a barrel thrown over its shoulder.”

“A barrel?” you repeat, taken somewhat aback. “For those of us who normally drink it out of crystal, how much is that?”

“Sixty gallons,” Stanislaus informs you. “With a typical fill a barrel weighs about six hundred pounds.”

So not the kind of heist a single human could perform... that makes it less likely to have been the dark and the stress reaction creating an imagined twelve-foot figure shouldering a full barrel. But why would a yōma go to the trouble of stealing a filled barrel of wine in the first place? And why would it not have killed and eaten the witnesses?

The information you've gotten so far just muddies the water even further. None of this makes sense.

>Is there anything else you can tell me about the yōma? Any defining characteristics?
>Any other problems? Property damage, loss of livestock or crops, that sort of thing?
>Could you take me to the scene? If it was a yōma I should be able to sense as much.
>Other?

>>2783825
>Any other problems? Property damage, loss of livestock or crops, that sort of thing?

Sounds like some sort of Oni or Ogre

>>2783825
>>Is there anything else you can tell me about the yōma? Any defining characteristics?
>Any other problems? Property damage, loss of livestock or crops, that sort of thing?

>>2783825
>>Is there anything else you can tell me about the yōma? Any defining characteristics?
>>Any other problems? Property damage, loss of livestock or crops, that sort of thing?
>>Could you take me to the scene? If it was a yōma I should be able to sense as much.

>>2783825
>>Is there anything else you can tell me about the yōma? Any defining characteristics?
>>Any other problems? Property damage, loss of livestock or crops, that sort of thing?

>>2783825
>Is there anything else you can tell me about the yōma? Any defining characteristics?

>>2783825
>>Is there anything else you can tell me about the yōma? Any defining characteristics?
>>Any other problems? Property damage, loss of livestock or crops, that sort of thing?

>>2783825
>Is there anything else you can tell me about the yōma? Any defining characteristics?
>Any other problems? Property damage, loss of livestock or crops, that sort of thing?
>Could you take me to the scene? If it was a yōma I should be able to sense as much.

>>2783825
>>Could you take me to the scene? If it was a yōma I should be able to sense as much.

>>2783825
“Any other problems, like property damage or dead livestock?” you press.

Stanislaus shakes his head. “None on my property, though I've heard rumors about some strange mutilations?”

“I have heard the same,” you nod. “Though I have my own suspicions that the matter is not actually related.”

“You don't say...” Stanislaus rubs his chin, taking a bit of interest in your thought process. “And what makes you think that?”

“Because I saw the same thing in Hazaran and had my doubts,” you explain. “It isn't typical yōma behavior, and when I investigated the scene I sensed no yōki. It was a human hand which did the crime.”

“Do you think the two situations are related?”

You shake your head. “Impossible to say, aside from the likelihood of a similar motivation and the possibility that the second case was influenced by rumors of the event in Hazaran.”

“You believe that is possible?” he asks.

“Rumor spreads much faster than fact.”

“I see,” Stanislaus nods firmly.

“Are there any other specific details about the yōma I'm here to kill that you can recall?” you press, wanting to get more into the sort of discussion that may help your immediate mission. “Anything you can tell me will make my task easier.”

“It had four arms, with clawed fingertips,” Stanislaus tells you. “And it ran off at a good clip... hard to keep track of it with my eyes.”

So that means it's quick... if you were to dash into a full sprint a normal human would almost certainly lose track of you entirely, so by lord Byron's description of it the target is fast, but not quite as fast as you are. That's good, though the four arms means it may be a little difficult to engage with it. If you had that advantage you would likely use two of your arms defensively to stop an attacker's sword then counterattack with arms number three and four.

>I'll be examining the surrounding area, looking for evidence of the yōma. I will also require quartering.
>I need to talk to your staff and servants, to learn more about the possible routes a yōma could be following.
>Let me sniff around the area where you saw the yōma. I may be able to tell how strong it is, maybe even get an individual trace.
>Other?

>>2786024
>I need to talk to your staff and servants, to learn more about the possible routes a yōma could be following.
Detective Noel is on the case!

>>2786024
>I'll be examining the surrounding area, looking for evidence of the yōma. I will also require quartering.

>>2786024
>>I need to talk to your staff and servants, to learn more about the possible routes a yōma could be following.

>>2786024
>>Let me sniff around the area where you saw the yōma. I may be able to tell how strong it is, maybe even get an individual trace.

>>2786024
>Let me sniff around the area where you saw the yōma. I may be able to tell how strong it is, maybe even get an individual trace.

>>2786024
>Let me sniff around the area where you saw the yōma. I may be able to tell how strong it is, maybe even get an individual trace.

>>2786024
>I need to talk to your staff and servants, to learn more about the possible routes a yōma could be following.

>>2786024
>>Let me sniff around the area where you saw the yōma. I may be able to tell how strong it is, maybe even get an individual trace.

>>2786024
“If you can let me sniff around the area where you saw the yōma, I might be able to tell a lot more from the traces it left behind,” you offer. “I may well have gotten here soon enough.”

He frowns at you curiously. “You can sense yōma?”

“That's how we can do our jobs,” you explain. “If we could not sense a yōma hiding among humans, what would be the point?”

Stanislaus eventually shrugs. “That's fair. Follow me, then.”

He takes you downstairs and through the same heavy door you came in through, but instead of going into the back of the stables he takes you into the other building adjacent to the central courtyard. In this cavernous room is all of the winemaking equipment for the vineyards: a washing station with hot water to clean green glazed jugs, a massive container of corks, and barrel after barrel stacked three high from wall to wall. The amount of effort, and more to the point money, that has gone into this whole operation is stunning... the wine produced here must be very expensive indeed if its sale is enough to make the production worthwhile.

“This is where we saw the yōma.”
>3d10, best of three

Rolled 7, 2, 8 = 17 (3d10)

>>2789934

Rolled 1, 4, 9 = 14 (3d10)

>>2789934

Rolled 3, 4, 1 = 8 (3d10)

>>2789934

Rolled 4, 3, 1 = 8 (3d10)

>>2789934

>>2789934
You lean close to the floor and actually sniff, getting only the faintest impression of soapy water. This area has been cleaned since the yōma was here, meaning any physical traces of where it may have come from are gone now. But you do get the distinct sense that whatever was here had fairly powerful yōki and made no effort to hide it... a brazen individual, confident in its own power. But factoring in the amount of time that has passed you can't be sure how accurate your assessment of its power could possibly be.

It's possible that it would be what you might call a true 'voracious eater': a yōma whose size and power place it a step above the norm for their kind but which fall short of an awakened being. But you can't rule out the possibility that this could have been the genuine article either, a former warrior who lost control.

“Did you see whether it was male or female?” you ask.

Stanislaus stares at you in disbelief. “Well I don't make a habit of prying, but it wore no top and I saw no breasts. So if I were to assign it a sex I would guess male, though I wasn't aware that monsters even had such things.”

Male, then. So not an awakened being, but a powerful yōma. But the question remains, why here? Why wine and not food?

>I need to rest on this information. Would you be so kind as to show me where I can sleep tonight?
>Give me some space to train and drill. That will help me think this through more easily.
>So how much is this wine worth, per barrel? Where do you usually sell it? Tell me everything.
>Other?

>>2790038
>>So how much is this wine worth, per barrel? Where do you usually sell it? Tell me everything.

>>2790038
>>So how much is this wine worth, per barrel? Where do you usually sell it? Tell me everything.

>>2790038
>>I need to rest on this information. Would you be so kind as to show me where I can sleep tonight?

>>2790038
>So how much is this wine worth, per barrel? Where do you usually sell it? Tell me everything.

>>2790038
Seems to me if it's a normal yoma that's particularly powerful and brazen and does things other than simply killing humans, in this case theft of expensive wine, he's either the leader of other yoma himself or works for some sort of group.

Just throwing this out there, but what if this yoma hangs out with some sort of underworld group capable of supplying him humans without attracting the attention of the organization, and in return he does odd jobs for them? Why would yoma want wine? There have to be humans involved.

...Are slaves a thing here King?

>>2790038
>>Give me some space to train and drill. That will help me think this through more easily.

>>2790038
>Give me some space to train and drill. That will help me think this through more easily.

>>2790038
>>So how much is this wine worth, per barrel? Where do you usually sell it? Tell me everything.

>>2790152
They exist, Noel is not familiar with the relevant laws or whether they're present here.

>>2790473
Well shit, That's what's happening then I think, High price wine, Why go into a city and eat people when you can just buy them? Less risk of a claymore then.

>3d10, best of four

Rolled 1, 3, 9 = 13 (3d10)

>>2791587

Rolled 6, 3, 9 = 18 (3d10)

>>2791587

Rolled 8, 3, 7 = 18 (3d10)

>>2791587

Rolled 1, 4, 4 = 9 (3d10)

>>2791587

Rolled 10, 5, 9 = 24 (3d10)

>>2791587

>>2791587
You give Stanislaus a curious glance. “So how much was that barrel of wine worth per jug? And where do you normally sell your wines?”

“Well, that was a barrel of the most expensive wine I produce,” he explains thoughtfully. “That was one of three barrels which come to three hundred jugs each. Each goes for thirty pieces.”

Thirty? For a single jug of wine that's a massive price tag, seeing how there are far cheaper alternatives. So you already suspect what the answer will be before you even ask. “Who buys wine at that price?”

“Nobles, landed aristocrats, the like,” Stanislaus admits. “It's beyond what most people are willing to pay. The former king of Hazaran used to buy a case every year.”

So that's the game, then? What was stolen was one of three barrels of the finest stuff available to steal, taken without killing any of the workers who produced it or damaging any of the vines it was produced from. As unlikely as it seems, that is the only explanation that can account for the evidence.

“So we have a connoisseur?” you muse.

Stanislaus stares at you in complete confusion. “What?”

“Look at it from this perspective,” you tell him carefully. “What do you think the chances are that a yōma would come in here, steal one of only three barrels of your most expensive wine in this entire room, without harming a hair on any of your heads... completely by chance?”

“You think it was deliberate?” Stanislaus realizes. “That this was... targeted somehow?”

“All the evidence pointed me to that conclusion,” you declare. “I cannot say why but this yōma has stolen a barrel of expensive wine from you, and went to the trouble of ensuring you could still produce more of that wine next year.”

>It would be best if I rested for the evening, save my energy and not advertise my presence.
>I think I should spend the afternoon warming up, the yōma may take interest in me.
>I'm heading out while the yōki traces are still there for me to follow. I'll be back... probably.
>Other?

>>2791648
>>I'm heading out while the yōki traces are still there for me to follow. I'll be back... probably.
Well I guess being proactive is something.

>>2791648
>I think I should spend the afternoon warming up, the yōma may take interest in me.

>>2791648
>>I'm heading out while the yōki traces are still there for me to follow. I'll be back... probably.

>>2791648
I'm heading out

>>2791648
>I'm heading out while the yōki traces are still there for me to follow. I'll be back... probably.

>>2791648
>I'm heading out while the yōki traces are still there for me to follow. I'll be back... probably.

>>2791648
>I think I should spend the afternoon warming up, the yōma may take interest in me.

>>2791648
>>I think I should spend the afternoon warming up, the yōma may take interest in me.

>>2791648
>I'm heading out while the yōki traces are still there for me to follow. I'll be back... probably.

>3d10, DC 16, critical 20
>best of three

Rolled 1, 7, 5 = 13 (3d10)

>>2793122
I have a good feeling about this one.

Rolled 6, 5, 3 = 14 (3d10)

>>2793122

>>2793127
I don't.

Rolled 3, 7, 4 = 14 (3d10)

>>2793122
here's to failing

Rolled 2, 7, 1 = 10 (3d10)

>>2793122
rolling for a chance.

>>2793127
>>2793149
>>2793151
>>2793153
Oh my god, how do we fail a dc 16? We have been forsaken.

Rolled 7, 6, 7, 4, 9 = 33 (5d10)

>bad luck
>QM rolling

>>2793163
that can't be good. This yoma is running circles around poor Noel.

>>2793163
“If I leave now I should still be able to follow the trail,” you insist calmly. “I should return by daybreak. If it isn't too much to ask, I would appreciate a small meal when I do. If I am forced to fight I will need to recover my strength.”

“I can have something whipped up,” Stanislaus agrees. “You have any favorites?”

“... I like fruit,” you admit. “And spiced teas.”

“I think I can manage both,” he nods.

You head out into the foothills around the town and the Byron estate, following the barely-perceptible traces of yōki left by the fleeing yōma. There are a few spots where you can even spot the outline of a large footfall, consistent with the size, depth, and spacing you would expect from a large-bodied biped. This time, the Organization's insistence on trying to provide basic tracking skills to its numbered warriors seems to be paying off.

It's about a half hour after sunset, when there's still a glow in the sky, where something you feel stops you cold.

Yōki... distant, but powerful yōki. You may be sensing a different yōma from a distance, as it has a noticeably but almost indescribable difference in character from the one you're tracking. But there is another possibility, as you get the distinct impression that this could be an exceptional power that is being passively suppressed.

If the latter is true, it means that somewhere in these foothills is a being whose power eclipses even “Earthbreaker” Saria.

“Just that thought makes by blood run cold,” you admit to yourself quietly, noticing that you've instinctively lowered your profile like a predator whose prey has sighted them.

>Run back to the estate. This is something FAR beyond your ability. Best to leave it alone and avoid the possible conflict.
>If you try to suppress your own yōki you might be able to scout out a little closer, at least figure out where it's hiding.
>You're here to kill a yōma... something this strong has no reason to bother you, nor you it. So complete your mission.
>Other?

>>2793234
>>If you try to suppress your own yōki you might be able to scout out a little closer, at least figure out where it's hiding.
Well I'm curious.

>>2793234
>Run back to the estate. This is something FAR beyond your ability. Best to leave it alone and avoid the possible conflict.
NOPENOPENOPE NO ABYSSAL ONE PLEASE!

>>2793234
>>If you try to suppress your own yōki you might be able to scout out a little closer, at least figure out where it's hiding.

>>2793234
>Run back to the estate. This is something FAR beyond your ability. Best to leave it alone and avoid the possible conflict.
I am horribly curious, but I like our spine where it is

>>2793234
Well shit. We stumbled upon a big one boyos.
>If you try to suppress your own yōki you might be able to scout out a little closer, at least figure out where it's hiding.
I don't want to go out there bold, yet at the same time we have a mission.
And with dice being inconsistent as a crack bitch in both Shinigami Savant and this quest...
a fuck it. I wanna see who the big fish is in the mountains.
Somehow I get the feeling the Yoma we're tracking is a delivery boy who stole a barrel of wine for the BIG BOY.

>>2793234
>if you try to suppress

>>2793242
>>2793277
>>2793302
>>2793311
Why are you trying to get us killed?

>>2793329
Why are you trying to shame us for picking a perfectly valid option that Queen offered? Get the fuck off your high horse.

>>2793350
Why? Oh I don't know maybe because IT'S A FUCKING ABYSSAL ONE! Aka past number 1 claymore's. One who more than likely can sense us unless we get a ridiculously lucky roll. And considering how they were in canon what with one torturing claymore's to try and awaken so she could recruit them, And the other orchestrating a massacre of about 20ish claymores yeah, I think it's a fucking stupid idea to vote for going there.

>>2793234
>>If you try to suppress your own yōki you might be able to scout out a little closer, at least figure out where it's hiding.

>>2793234
>Run back to the estate. This is something FAR beyond your ability. Best to leave it alone and avoid the possible conflict.
>Attempt to contact the organization immediately, form a raid party

>>2793477
The past number one had an abyssal one? Nah I don't think the org would let a claymore keep a pet like that. Actually I don't think the org would let em keep even a gerbil. Those dastardly org suits, restricting the pets.

>>2793477
this ain't true canon. We're treating this as IC motivations. also it's a bit meta for your complaint but I would rather trust King on the direction the quest is heading.

>>2793234
>If you try to suppress your own yōki you might be able to scout out a little closer, at least figure out where it's hiding.

>>2793234
>>If you try to suppress your own yōki you might be able to scout out a little closer, at least figure out where it's hiding.

>>2793234
>Run back to the estate. This is something FAR beyond your ability. Best to leave it alone and avoid the possible conflict.

>>2793234
>Run away
>Mail back complaint to Organization.

>>2794388
lol

>>2794388
It's so gonna get us killed!
Let's do it.

Don't really do this

>>2794488
Not sure how it would get us killed, considering we've mouthed off to our handler over far less severe omissions of information and we're still here.

>>2793234
Sneaking wins, but just barely.
>3d10, DC 16, crit 20

Rolled 8, 7, 6 = 21 (3d10)

>>2795016

Rolled 10, 6, 5 = 21 (3d10)

>>2795016

Rolled 10, 10, 8 = 28 (3d10)

>>2795016
>>2795024
>>2795026
well this is good.

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>>2795062

Rolled 4, 7, 8, 8, 5 = 32 (5d10)

>>2795016
>qm rolling

>>2795062
>>2795069
We have learned well from our perving handler on how to sneak!

please let us do a roll against our handler in the future when we aren't decent and he sneaks up against us while semi nude like back when we were staying over with the general.

>>2795076
>>2795084
forgot link

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>>2795076
You decide that even despite the overwhelming power of this yōma, which is doubtless an awakened being, it's your duty to discern everything you can and to report back.

It's a tricky matter, knowing exactly how far to push before withdrawing safely. The grass tramples down slightly under your footsteps, but that is hardly of concern right now. Instead you focus on calming and consciously reducing your yōki usage, trying as hard as you can to go unnoticed for as long as possible.

The hills are bathed in moonlight, so you try to slink through draws between the crests and to stay as low as possible when obliged to cross higher ground. Eventually you spot a hillside ruin: what must have once been an old castle of stone. Little remains of any curtain walls or outbuildings, leaving a high tower and four turrets with a little courtyard at the center from the look of it.

That's when the yōki starts to move... before disappearing.

You freeze in place, straining your senses. Then you reach for the hilt of your sword and turn to swing blindly: you find the blade trapped between the palms of a beautiful, brown-haired woman in a fine green dress. For such a monstrous being, her smile is so... natural.

With a swift strike, you lash out at her ribs with your left foot... using the White Fist technique? Not only have you never done that before you've never even seriously considered it.

“Well, hello to you too young lady,” the awakened being greets you warmly. “That was quite a blow, anyone else might have been crippled by the damage to their liver.”

“You moved your liver though,” you realize, lowering your leg.

“I did,” the woman admits. “I can see how you could hold your own so well against Saria.”

“You heard about that?” you ask, pulling carefully against the woman's grasp and making no progress. Her hold on your blade is like iron.

“My dear, everyone has heard about that,” she laughs softly. “Tell me your full name.”

Without realizing you're doing it, you answer. “Noel Tiberius di Hazaran.”

“I see,” she nods thoughtfully. “Well then, you and I should take some time to speak. As you probably surmised, I am staying in the castle ruins just ahead of you.”

“And if I refuse?” you ask, still trying in vain to pry your blade free. What the hell did she do just now? How is she this strong?

“A kingdom disappears,” she replies... for a moment your arms lose all their strength as he eyes meet yours. You know in that moment that she isn't bluffing: she can do it. This woman could do it easily.

“Just kidding!” she insists. “But my guess is that your orders were to gather information. I am offering you a chance to do that... by speaking with me, one 'queen' to another.”
>1/2

>>2795252
“And what guarantee do I have of my safety?” you press.

“My dear Noel,” the woman coos, releasing your sword to caress your cheek, suddenly far too close for comfort. “Had I intended to harm you I could have done so as easily as you might strangle an infant in its crib.”

“That's not reassuring.”

The woman removes her hand. “One day you will come to me by choice, of that I am certain. We are too alike, you and I, to not end up... aligned, at very least in terms of our interests.”

“But today, all I ask is that you humor this old lady.”

>I have no interest in speaking with you. Please allow me to withdraw.
>I will play along, for now. But do not take offense if I'm cautious about it.
>Other?

>>2795270
>>I will play along, for now. But do not take offense if I'm cautious about it.

>>2795270
>>I will play along, for now. But do not take offense if I'm cautious about it.
She was casually holding down our sword and we couldn't even move it. We should just go with it.

>>2795270
>>I will play along, for now. But do not take offense if I'm cautious about it.

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>>2795270
>I will play along, for now. But do not take offense if I'm cautious about it.
>other: Play this as a diplomatic meeting between two sovereigns. put your noble background and Royal court lessons to use.
>other: "You have me at disadvantage, you know much about me but I know nothing of the kingdom you rule nor your name nor your title."
>other: I was here to gather information on why a fellow yoma 'purchased' a barrel of wine from a local horse-lord without 'paying'. Or was he simply the delivery boy?

Oh my. A 'Sovereign' of Awakened beings and Yoma. Now that we're hip-deep in this plot, this is gonna be a hard balance to maintain. We're supposed to kill the yoma who stole the wine, but encountered a country of Yoma and Awakened Royalty.

This really escalated quickly.

>>2795270
>>I will play along, for now. But do not take offense if I'm cautious about it.
Well shit. At least we managed to turn White Fist into a kick. Come on, White Shunko.

>>2795310
BONDREWD DID NOTHING WRONG

>>2795314
>White Fist
>White Feet

Sooner or Later Noel figure out a way to apply the white fist technique to any household object she holds.

We could find a way to turn White Fist into a defensive technique too. have ourselves become a VERY tanky defensive-type.

>>2795296
You also have to realize, we fought Saria for a week straight and Saria was actively holding back and making herself fight on Noel's level.

>>2795252
no picture of said
>beautiful brown haired woman in a fine green dress
?

>>2795323
>VERY tanky defensive-type
Could be what our awakened form is. Armored up, especially around our arms and legs.

>>2795344
But how would the Queen motif/theme work with Noel's Awakened form? I'm having difficulty imagining a regal yet terrible form.

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>>2795361
A crown of horns possibly? I'm trying to look up stuff that could work, and I think I found something, minus spear, traditional claymore armor and pink hair. We are half awakened, I believe, not fully awakened, so we're not 100% body horror.

>>2795404
Also Awakened Beings can and often do look like they would without being Claymores when they are not terrorizing people or fighting.

>>2795404
sigh, if only noel's chest was as nice as boudicca's.

Alas King is a victim of the "modest" breast meme

>>2795503
Who knows, maybe awakening adds a couple couple cup sizes for Yoki storage.

>>2795404
a good model, but needs more eldritch body horror

>>2795310
Supporting

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>>2795520
I will say this much, it's in a similar level of body horror as this.

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>>2795560
>similar level of body horror as this.
So since our dealo is punch, are we Rage Asura level of arms?

>>2795560
Eh I'd still fuck it.

>>2795606
I fapped to all the claymores and awakened beings.

even the male awakened

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>>2795740

>>2795579
not necessarily punch. We just found out we can use our technique with other body parts as well such as feet.

>>2795270
>I will play along, for now. But do not take offense if I'm cautious about it.

>>2795560
So compared to walking headfirst into Saria and agreeing to go into a deathmatch with an awakened being all alone to walking headfirst into a Awakened being who made herself queen (who is unmistakably stronger than Saria) and carved a territory for herself and greeting us at her doorstep alone. How deep are we in Queen?

>>2795990
Open water.

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>>2795270
You decide to play along with her request, seeing no realistic alternative. If you play your cards right you may even survive this.

“Alright,” you sigh, shutting your eyes. “I will go with you for the time being. But I hope you will understand my caution.”

“Of course,” the awakened being nods politely. “Please follow me then.”

She takes the lead, and you follow her into the castle ruins. There is a hardwood table on the ground floor of the keep, set onto a smooth marble floor. The woman quickly sets a fire in the nearby hearth, and lights a pair of candles sitting on the table.

“Would you like something to eat?” she asks. “Don't give me that look, of course I have food that you can eat. Fresh fruit, bread, wine if you want it.”

You take a seat at the table while your host is making preparations, until eventually she sets a small metal plate in front of you and takes a seat herself. Two glasses of wine are also set out... no doubt the stolen product from the Byron estate.

“You have expensive tastes,” you observe.

“Before you ask yes, I am the one responsible for the wine theft,” she admits. “The oaf who misinterpreted my request to 'pick up' some of the Byron estate's wine for me has been... disciplined.”

“I see,” you nod. “I suppose I should have asked sooner, but who exactly are you?”

The woman sips at her wine, then sets it aside. “I am Sabela, a former warrior in the Organization. Like you are now.”

“What was your rank?” you press.

“One.”

You stare at her in shock... you had heard rumors of course, nothing official. That there were not only single digits but former number one warriors who awakened a long time ago, beings of such power that the Organization's unofficial position is that they are simply to be left alone. Not only will the Organization not admit they exist, their agents refuse to even deny it when questioned.

And this woman has proclaimed herself one of them.
>1/2

>>2796997
“Now then, I have answered your questions,” she smiles warmly. “I will thank you, 'Lonely Queen', to answer one of mine.”

“Well,” you press. “What does an abyssal one feel like asking me?”

“What is your current rank?”

“Seven,” you reply. “You get one more.”

“What is the name of your handler?” she asks.

You frown, knowing that if you refuse to answer...

“Tomas,” you blurt out.

She raises her eyebrow as you frown at her. “You were about to lie to me.”

“You have an ability to mess with people's minds,” you surmise. “Make them tell you the truth, suggest courses of action. That sort of thing?”

“I do,” she admits. “My nickname was 'Trueheart' Sabela... though I cannot read minds, it was just that obvious you were about to lie. Now then, my turn again.”

Damn.

“How was it you came to be half-awakened?”

>By accident. I had no idea what the side effects would be when I took the gamble that I took.
>I planned something like this, to push myself past my limit in a way that I could recover from.
>If I'm being honest, I feel like it was bound to happen eventually. It feels so natural to me now.
>Other?

>>2797004
>You know I fought Saria. During that fight I was running out of youki, so I pushed myself as far as I could go and hoped that I'd run out before there was lasting effect on me.

>>2797004
>>2797013
This is a good summation, I'll support it.

>>2797004
>>By accident. I had no idea what the side effects would be when I took the gamble that I took.

>>2797013
In with this.

>>2797004
>It was a half-baked plan half a desperate gamble. Running out of energy in the midst of my transformation into an awakened being sounded feasible on paper. What I didn't expect was becoming half-awakened.
>Saria would've been happy either way in the end. But I'm glad I won her over. She even got to have one final chat with Olivia.
>You know I fought Saria. During that fight I was running out of yoki, so I pushed myself as far as I could go and hoped that I'd run out before there was lasting effect on me.

>>2796997
>see's pic
>Sabela
Well ain't she a looker for an abyssal one.

I wonder if Sabela we could ask Sabela to give us the money she was going to pay for Byron's barrel of wine so we could hand it over to Byron. But then it would be sketchy if we came back with no wine barrel and a bag of gold at hand. But It would tide the org over if we came back with the thief's head as well.

>>2797004
I'll second >>2797013

>I am Sabela, a former warrior in the Organization. Like you are now.
>former
>like you are now
Wait a minute. How is Noel a "former warrior" of the org? Last I checked, we're still on the payroll. Does that mean she actually has experience on how the org treats half-awakened warriors? Or is the Org marking Noel as a potential rogue?

>>2797079
There's no deeper meaning there. "Like you are now" refers to being a warrior, where Sabela is no longer a warrior but used to be.

And as I announced in SSQ, we'll be starting in new threads Sunday night.

Thanks for playing and see you then!

>>2797004
>>2797013

>>2797004
>>2797013
Second.

>>2795606
This.
I don't see what's so horrific, looks pretty nice to me.

>>2797004
>I planned something like this, to push myself past my limit in a way that I could recover from.
>By accident. I had no idea what the side effects would be when I took the gamble that I took.

Both of these are true

>>2797004
>You know I fought Saria. During that fight I was running out of youki, so I pushed myself as far as I could go and hoped that I'd run out before there was lasting effect on me.

>>2797004
>By accident. I had no idea what the side effects would be when I took the gamble that I took.

>next thread will be on the 25th due to schedule-related nonsense and a need to put some planning and thought into both active quests
Best to take a break and give it my all, I feel. Especially in SSQ where the fights are going to start getting more serious.