>>3068668

>Focus on the pack: speak more with Lochlan and Mateo, learn more about them and their thoughts on you and the group. You are Ductus, after all.

>>3068668
>>Focus on the pack: speak more with Lochlan and Mateo, learn more about them and their thoughts on you and the group. You are Ductus, after all.

>>3068668
>Focus on the pack: speak more with Lochlan and Mateo, learn more about them and their thoughts on you and the group. You are Ductus, after all.

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>>3068668
>Focus on the pack: speak more with Lochlan and Mateo, learn more about them and their thoughts on you and the group. You are Ductus, after all.

You decide to speak with Lochlan and Mateo for the rest of the night. It is your responsibility to know your pack, you suppose, though this whole leadership thing is a bit new to you.

Lochlan happily drones on about his time as a merchant, sailing the seas, fighting off bandits, wrestling wild beasts, and bedding every woman from here to ‘London’, which is a major city in England, apparently. The tales seem a tad exaggerated, but he does seem to have some legitimate knowledge of trading, traveling, and salesmanship. He smoothly transitions into speaking about his plans as pack priest, how he’ll work for the Sword, what sermons he’s already preparing in his head. He’s eager, at least, if maybe a little bit… desperate? He definitely gives off that vibe.

Mateo is much more difficult to get speaking, but he does eventually mention more about his time in Mexico City, begging to get by. He’s got a good ‘head for the streets’, whatever that means, and he admits he did a bit of theft now and again. He shows you a lockpick he’s got hidden in an interior pocket in his ragged set of clothes. That could be handy.

Remembering how he reacted to Lochlan’s diablerie of Gregor’s childe, you decide to bring up his discomfort. He must be dedicated, fully, if you are to work together as a pack.

“Mateo.” He looks at you, seeming to already be on edge from your tone. “Does diablerie trouble you?”

He looks completely caught off guard. “W-w-what? No, of course not, Ju- my Ductus, it’s the path to p-p-power! For the S-Sword!” He tries to smile but it’s more a grimace; even you can see right through this sham of a lie. Lochlan leans in, smiling. “Mateo, chap, don’t act so nervous! It’ll grow on you. It WILL grow on you.” His tone turns serious at this last phrase, and Mateo gulps.

Well, not really how you’d have approached that issue, but spiritual matters are more the pack priest’s domain, after all… Your decision of whether or not to weigh in further is interrupted as Renata reappears. You can sense the Sun nearing. The others do too, clearly, and with eerie coordination that you barely even register the pack settles down for the day in their chosen spots in the building. Looks like that conversation will have to be continued another time. Your small bag of Monterrey dirt is a lump at your back as you lie down in a hidden corner, behind some boxes and away from the windows.

(1/2)

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>>3068910
Your eyes snap open with the new night. Muffled conversation reaches your ears as you stand up and look around. Looks like the other pack members are up already – Lochlan is holding a parchment of some kind and lecturing the other two excitedly. As you approach, you see it’s a map.

“Ah, Joo-an, great! Look at this! As I was resting, that Nossie’s memories kind of… seeped into me, I guess. Turns out the nosferatu know a whole hell of a lot about who’s who in the Camarilla! They even know where some Sabbat scouting outposts are. They don’t tell anybody, though. Creepy, huh?” He tilts the parchment more in your direction and you make out the general shape of a landmass. As the names come into focus, you realize it’s a map of the surrounding terrain. The scale, though… Saltillo to Laredo is such a short distance on the map! And the edges, they’re just water. Are oceans really that big?

Seeming to not notice your ignorant awe, Lochlan continues. “I figured, if we’re heading out into Camarilla lands to keep fighting the good fight – great decision by the way Joo-an, completely agree – we should know where we’re going, at least. I figured one of the travelling merchants in town would have one and I was right! Then it was just adding my worldly knowledge. Pretty nice, huh?” He looks at you, eager for your reaction.

>Pic related is the map of Camarilla and Sabbat holdings in the southern half of North America.
>Black and red denote Camarilla and Sabbat borders.
>Dots indicate outposts if in the wilderness, or cities if named.
>Grey boundaries are like ‘regions, essentially. The Archbishop Florinda de las Quintanillas, who you met in Saltillo, controls the northernmost Sabbat province, for example. In Camarilla terms, these ‘regions’ would have actual princes for every major city within
>So to the north there is a dense cluster of powerful Camarilla, whereas you can see to the west it’s more spread out, with more outposts and fewer actual held cities, although there are some, of course.
>Most of the Sabbat’s territory is not shown, it’s further south.

Dios, this is a lifesaver. The Nosferatu really know their shit, apparently. You’ll have to remember that. Well, if you’re heading into Camarilla territory…

>Head north. Shorter travel time, but HEAVY fighting. There is great opportunity to be had in that risk, though. Castellana’s up that way, too.
>Head west. Longer travel time, but lighter resistance. If your pack is killed by elder Camarilla before even accomplishing anything, you will have failed the Sword. This is the smarter choice for a new pack like yours.
>Other / specific path? (Direction has to be into Camarilla territory, though, that’s been decided)

>>3068914
>Also, note that everything shown here is under one human government - the territory of New Spain. From what you heard from Lochlan, further north is new France, whatever 'France' is.

Corpus Christi, sure things might be hard there if we were to actually wage a war.

However, not so if we are there with a clear material goal in mind. Namely stealing a ship with a bunch of cannons to get our enterprise started on Gulf of Mexico.

>>3068914

>Head north. Shorter travel time, but HEAVY fighting. There is great opportunity to be had in that risk, though. Castellana’s up that way, too.

We on the war path now boiz

>>3068914
>>Head north. Shorter travel time, but HEAVY fighting. There is great opportunity to be had in that risk, though. Castellana’s up that way, too.

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>>3068914
>Head north, to Corpus Christi

You point to the town named Corpus Christi, to the Northeast. “We go there. Nearby target.”

The other three look at you, surprised. Lochlan recovers quickly and nods. “Brilliant! They won’t expect that.”

Just like that, you and your pack depart, following your lead. You hope this was the right call.

It’s a four-day walk along the road, moderately long, though it SHOULD be free of Camarilla outposts if Lochlan’s memories are accurate. How to proceed, how to proceed…

>Keep heading down the road, it’ll make finding shelter for the day easier, not to mention food. There will be occasional rest stops, for merchants or the like, that you can… put to use.
>Head through the brush with Renata as the lead, it’ll be much stealthier, if slower. She can probably help you find shelters in caves, or the like.
>Other?

>>3069291
>>Keep heading down the road, it’ll make finding shelter for the day easier, not to mention food. There will be occasional rest stops, for merchants or the like, that you can… put to use.
Should honestly get rid of our boney face if we are gonna blend in

>>3069310
+1

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>>3069291
>Keep heading down the road, it’ll make finding shelter for the day easier, not to mention food. There will be occasional rest stops, for merchants or the like, that you can… put to use.

You direct the pack to stay on the road, figuring that the quicker you finish traveling between towns, the better. The four of you walk along throughout the night, Lochlan prattling along about some story or another, occasionally seeing fires or hearing animals in the distance.

Lola – your rat, you’ve decided on that name for it – runs along behind you. You’d expected him to get tired eventually, but it doesn’t seem to be the case.

>Roll 1d100 for events during the walk / finding shelter for the day.
>Anything you want to do while you walk?

Rolled 38 (1d100)

>>3069468

Rolled 49 (1d100)

>>3069468

Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>3068910
Good to see lochlan is enthusiastic, maybe he'll force Mateo into maturing somewhat.
>>3069468

Heavy fighting is gonna be a bit of a bastard though
Ask Renata how she believes she can be most useful to the sword.

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>>3069468
>38
>Random event
>49
>Finding shelter is challenging

After a half-night of walking, your group comes across something peculiar. A merchant’s caravan, carrying all kinds of fine goods, has been ravaged and left half-off the path, wooden frame shattered. Blood covers the surrounding area, but there is no sign of any humans or animals.

The goods are plentiful and of obvious quality. Raw material like silks, ingots, etc. is alongside finished goods such as clothing, preserved foods, and the like. There doesn’t appear to be any armour or weapons, though.

>Improve one of your articles of clothing (Which?)
>Take other finished goods (Which?)
>Take some raw goods (What?)
>Other?

Your group continues, away from the wreckage, keeping an eye out for shelter as the night grows long. From the caravan, Lochlan has improved his clothing, Renata took a couple ingots of metal, and Mateo took… twine. Odd, but Mateo is an odd old man.

You take the time to ask Renata about how she believes she can contribute to the Sword. She looks back at you.

“I am unseen. I kill things, find things. This is useful?”

Well, at least you know she’s not got some hidden abilities she’s hiding from you, now. Or, not one she wants to tell you about.

Anyway, your group continues walking, but does not find anything along the path. You can feel the Sun approaching, though you’ve likely got an hour still.

>Go off the trail, Renata can look for something a bit more rugged for tonight.
>Push on, there’s got to be one close by, merchants use these too.
>Other?

>>3070309
Take a little bit of jerky, we can reward Lola with it if our ghoul performs well. Grab some good strong boots while we’re at it, and maybe a compass.

>Go off the trail, Renata can look for something a bit more rugged for tonight

We ought to be able to find shelter in the wilderness

>>3070309
You grab some dried meat, boots that actually fit, and – at Lochlan’s recommendation – something called a ‘compass’. The arrow within swivels oddly as you turn about. Very strange. The boots fit well, at least. Lola nibbles at the pouch you put the dried meat in and you swat him off.

Seeing no other option on the path, you turn to Renata. “Renata. We must seek shelter in the wilderness for tonight, I think.” She nods and veers off the path, not waiting for another word. You and the rest of the pack follow behind her.

>Roll 1d100 for Renata’s pathfinding.

>>3069468
>Lola
>not Lalo
pls no
also, I don't think Corpus Christi is even a settlement at this point, at least not a civilized one. We might, at best, find a few Indian villages here and there, or an outpost of some sort if we're lucky.

Rolled 54 (1d100)

>>3070490

>>3070581
>It actually is Lalo

Shit. Typo.

Rolled 79 (1d100)

>>3070490
Fighting Indians sounds fun

time to ruin everything forever

Rolled 66 (1d100)

Yep, knew I was gonna fuck up somehow.

>>3070490
What's the Year? I'm wondering if we could fuck around during the American Civil war or the Spanish-American War

>>3070868
mid to late 1600's
The US won't be a thing for at least another century

>>3070904
>>3070868
From the first thread, for posterity
>Where and when the hell are we?
>In the second half of the 17th century, in what is present-day Mexico.

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>>3070490
>79

It drags on uncomfortably close to sunrise, but you do eventually find a seemingly-unoccupied cave. The four of you settle in for your daytime rest, surrounded by rough, damp stone.

Your new leather boots crinkle up as you kneel and lie down, no longer cutting into your feet with particular motions. It’s a good feeling. You see Lochlan admiring his clothes as he leans up against a wall. Mateo’s running the twine through a hole in his clothing. Renata runs a finger across one of her ingots. It seems you all got something of value today. Well, Mateo’s is pretty low value.

In a way, this was your first full night as Ductus. Weird feeling.

>Calling thread here for the day
>I had hoped to get more done today but Anon votes / rolls were coming in at a much slower pace than I expected
>Thread to continue throughout the week

>>3070967
As we travel the next night when we wake up, I'd like to talk to Mateo about his apparent fear of us. We're his packmates, brothers (and sister) in arms who wouldn't even think about harming him. In fact, we're liable to maim anyone who did harm him. We're fairly ferocious and brutal, yes, but it's nothing that he personally has to fear since it'll never be directed at him. Although, speaking of ferocity...he could also use some work in improving in that field himself, given his combat record.

>>3070967
You should make a twitter and announce threads on there, you may see an uptick in activity since people are kept updated rather than having to look for the next thread.

>>3071253
>>3070967
Agreed, I only noticed the thread was up (well and truly late as well) because I happened to see a post about it in qtg which I don't usually post in

>>3071253
>>3071344
this would probably really help. The only reason I found it as quickly as I did is because I hide literally every thread that doesn't interest on /qst/, so new threads are easily visible. If they don't interest me, I hide those too. Eventually I can just refresh every once in a while to see if my currently followed quests have updated or not.

>>3071645
This is.. smart. Gotta remember that.

>>3071645
>>3072150
Got any way to remember the filters on mobile btw?

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>>3071253
>twitter
Yeah, I meant to do that a couple threads ago. I'll get on that by the next time I run. Which won't be today, by the way.

>>3071645
>because I hide literally every thread that doesn't interest on /qst/
...Doesn't everyone do that? It's SO much easier.

>>3072162
not as far as I know. Kinda sucks because I use my phone a lot. Usually I wait to get home to check up on stuff.

>>3072921
Shame. Thanks for the idea though! :)

>>3072456
Next run when?

>>3080611
Next run might be a bit. I have to do more prep work to get to a point where I'm happy with how things are; This aborted thread made me realize that.

Tried to set up a twitter, but it immediately flagged me as a potential bot and wants phone number confirmation... not really sure what's up with that.

>>3084500
can also use gab or discord

>>3086316
god damn it no
just a twitter, please
i don't wanna be in another muted discord server

>>3086316
>gab
no one uses that.
>discord
does not provide the same functionality as twitter.

>>3086665
Well, at least those two usually don't ban you for no reason.

>>3088482
How the fuck did you manage to get banned from discord as a platform?
And a QM isn't going to get banned from twitter for telling people when they're running.

>>3088649
Reading comprehension.
And yes, twitter nowadays bans people arbitrarily, often even based on what sort of people follow you.

>>3090056
It's pretty absurd to say "QM, don't use twitter for updates" based on a fear that he'll be banned over it. It's so incredibly unlikely to happen

I need more shovelhead

>>3090064
Just saying twitter is a shit platform no longer fit for purpose.