Rolled 10, 10, 6 = 26 (3d10)

Rolled 5, 7, 6 = 18 (3d10)

>>3230032

Rolled 5, 3, 2 = 10 (3d10)

>>3230032

Rolled 7, 10, 1 = 18 (3d10)

>>3230032

File: 1536316779553.gif (447 KB, 497x280)

447 KB GIF

>>3230042

>>3230042
Not actually linked, so technically it shouldn't count. But since I spent about an hour trying to get home, I'll let it slide for the sake of getting shit done.
>writing

>>3230032
After a few moments, your new companion sighs deeply. Then she shakes her head. “I can't believe I'm considering this.”

“Whatever you say, it stays between you and me,” you tell her in a solemn tone. “I swear it on pain of death, should it come to that.”

Helen quietly raises her sword, then places its edge carefully against your neck. Right over the artery.

“I plan to hold you to that.”

“If you withdraw your sword,” you muse, glancing sidelong towards her, “then I'll nod in agreement. You have no need to threaten me, Helen. I already consider you a friend, so the chances that I will betray you are none.”

With a shallow, terse sigh she nods to you and lowers her blade. “Apologies. I guess when it comes down to it I'm still nervous speaking to anyone about this matter.”

“I... am not like other warriors, number seven.”

You turn, shifting your position to face her directly. “In what way, might I ask?”

“There was a time when I too was in a position to send my black card,” she admits, closing her eyes and forcing the words out. “When I began the process of awakening.”

“And you arrested that process somehow,” you complete the thought.

Helen actually chuckles. “So you're familiar with the phenomenon? Did Valentina sell me out?”

“Not by name,” you offer, defending Valentina's sensibilities and leaning back against a nearby rock. “And only after I told her... well, basically all of my own secrets.”

“Such as?” Helen presses quietly. “Don't tell me you've ended up like us?”

>I am.
>I am, and in a past life I was a princess.
>I am, and so is Serana.
>It's good that you're already sitting, Helen. I have a LOT to tell you.

>>3230189
>It's good that you're already sitting, Helen. I have a LOT to tell you.

>>3230189
>>I am, and in a past life I was a princess.
keep the conversation flowing, you want something from her, don't impede her with all your history at once.

>>3230189
>I am.

>>3230189
>I am, and in a past life I was a princess.


>>3230206
Do not out other people.

>>3230189
>I am, and in a past life I was a princess.

>>3230189
>>I am, and in a past life I was a princess.

>>3230189
>I am. My Stigmata is now basically just a scar, the cut itself is gone.

Serana can Tell her if she wants, and princess has no bearing on this, we can tel her later.

>>3230189
>I am.

>>3230189
>I am.

>>3230189
>>I am, and in a past life I was a princess.

>>3230189
“There are two things that Valentina knows about me now,” you admit. “The first thing is that I too am partially-awakened. It happened when I was fighting against an awakened being who was once 'Earthbreaker' Saria.”

“That was a single-digit warrior, wasn't it?” Helen muses. “And you were alone?”

“She was toying with me,” you admit with a frown, “trying to force me to awaken like her.”

“I see,” Helen nods thoughtfully. “I can see how that would do it.”

“The other thing is that I have a bit of an unusual background,” you sigh, already tired of having this come up over and over again. Every time, it feels like you need to defend yourself for the circumstances of your birth. “My full name is Noel Tiberius di Hazaran, and I am the only daughter of King Tiberius of Hazaran. By right I should be queen of the nation whose name I bear.”

For a long while Helen is silent, a far cry from the reaction of your fellow Hazari and mutual friend. You're actually beginning to wonder if this revelation will prove to be too much when she finally responds.

“So that is why your oratory skills are so respectable,” Helen chuckles. “It was quite impressive how you managed to convince me to admit to being half-awakened after only having met so recently. You must have had excellent tutors.”

“So are you... okay with this?” you press.

“It's a little disconcerting,” she admits.

“Why is that?” you ask. “Since we're on a streak of being honest with each other.”
>3d10, best of three

Rolled 8, 2, 2 = 12 (3d10)

>>3230358

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

>>3230358

Rolled 5, 8, 6 = 19 (3d10)

>>3230358

>>3230366
:D

>>3230366
saved? it would be nice if that 19 was one digit higher...

>>3230358
“I don't like this situation,” Helen admits. “It gets into something of an uncomfortable conflict you see.”

You frown. “How so?”

“Before it was simply myself, Valentina, and...” Helen seems to consider her next words carefully. “A third warrior who I will trust to introduce herself when she feels the time is right. Of the three of us I have always borne the highest rank, and I was the first to achieve partial awakening. There was no question that the others would follow my leadership, one from a fanatical sense of loyalty and the other out of a sense of companionship.”

“And having another warrior changes the dynamic that much?” you shake your head. “I'm sorry, but I don't see it.”

“You may not have factored it in because it is so ordinary for you,” Helen sighs. “But you are the rightful queen of a nation. A born leader, and the girl who Valentina has told even me that she looked up to as a child.”

“It would only be natural that Valentina's loyalty would be conflicted.”

>There's a fifth like us. One who I met after Valentina told me I wasn't alone, who none of you know.
>Loyalty goes both ways, Helen. You treat me right, I'll treat you the same as a matter of principle.
>I won't bend my knee to you or anything, but you're a friend. We won't end up at crossed purposes.
>Other?

>>3230452
>There's a fifth like us. One who I met after Valentina told me I wasn't alone, who none of you know.
Bend the fucking knee helen

>>3230452
>I won't bend my knee to you or anything, but you're a friend. We won't end up at crossed purposes.

>>3230452
>Loyalty goes both ways, Helen. You treat me right, I'll treat you the same as a matter of principle.

>>3230452

>There's a fifth like us. One who I met after Valentina told me I wasn't alone, who none of you know.
>Loyalty goes both ways, Helen. You treat me right, I'll treat you the same as a matter of principle.

>>3230452
>>There's a fifth like us. One who I met after Valentina told me I wasn't alone, who none of you know.
>>Loyalty goes both ways, Helen. You treat me right, I'll treat you the same as a matter of principle.

>3d10, best of four

Rolled 7, 4, 5 = 16 (3d10)

>>3230534

Rolled 2, 10, 1 = 13 (3d10)

>>3230534

Rolled 5, 5, 2 = 12 (3d10)

>>3230534

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

>>3230534

File: 1538158106261.gif (196 KB, 500x372)

196 KB GIF

>>3230549
FUKKEN SAVED.

File: giphy[1].gif (296 KB, 500x281)

296 KB GIF

>>3230552

>>3230534
“There's one other fact you should know,” you admit, earning a deep sigh from Helen.

“... proceed.”

“There is one more warrior like us,” you inform her calmly. “Who I'm fairly sure no one else knows of. But I can guarantee you this: if you treat us right, then we will treat you the same as a matter of principle.”

“So you're saying 'loyalty goes both ways', is that it?” Helen presses.

After a moment, you nod in agreement. “Yes, I suppose that's what I'm saying. Do you disagree with the sentiment?”

Helen shakes her head. “That's not what I'm implying.”

“Then what are you implying?” you protest. “Princess, remember? I don't appreciate having my time wasted by my friends any more than I would were we enemies... two of our number I love as I would my own blood. And you're concerned I would put them at risk over a juvenile power struggle?”

“So it's up to you whether this becomes a problem. Because there's only the five of us... we need each other, and we can't afford to let petty things like ranks or status keep us at each others' throats.”

After a long silence, Helen finally sighs. “You're right, and I knew you were right from the start. And I'm sorry. It's just that... knowing that someone else is now sharing responsibility towards the people I swore to protect, who I love? We spoke once before you sought me out not a full day ago, I barely know you.”

“I worry about them. A lot. And it's not easy to trust somebody I just met with their well-being, after years of the way things were.”

>I may be a bit headstrong, but a princess is born knowing loyalty to something greater than herself.
>Nothing I say will convince you. My fists will tell you who I am, and you will come to know me by my deeds.
>I could say something dramatic here, but we're both tired. We'll speak again after our investigation has concluded.
>Other?

>>3230670
>Nothing I say will convince you. My fists will tell you who I am, and you will come to know me by my deeds.

>>3230670
>I could say something dramatic here, but we're both tired. We'll speak again after our investigation has concluded.
We'll earn her trust by then

>>3230670
>Nothing I say will convince you. My fists will tell you who I am, and you will come to know me by my deeds.

>>3230670
>I could say something dramatic here, but we're both tired. We'll speak again after our investigation has concluded.

>>3230670
>>Nothing I say will convince you. My fists will tell you who I am, and you will come to know me by my deeds.

>>3230670
>>Nothing I say will convince you. My fists will tell you who I am, and you will come to know me by my deeds.

>>3230670
>>Nothing I say will convince you. My fists will tell you who I am, and you will come to know me by my deeds.

This isn't a 'duel me we shall know each other through the force of our convictions' shit right? It's just 'watch and know me by my deeds.'

>>3230777
>'watch and know me by my deeds.'
that's what I assumed

>>3230670
“I can see words alone won't reassure you,” you sigh, holding out one hand and clenching your fist. “Then watch my deeds. My fists will tell you who I truly am.”

After a few moments, Helen leans back against her own rock and closes her eyes. “I look forward to seeing that, Noel.”

The next morning you wake to the smell of smoke... and it's not from your pathetic little excuse for a fire.

“I have a bad feeling about this...” Helen mutters as you both take off running.

You reach the town where the black card originated only to find a ruin, the smell of smoke intense in the air. Burned wood... and the closer you get, burned flesh and hair and rendered fat.

“This happened recently,” Helen realizes. “It probably started about nightfall judging by the embers.”

“No survivors,” you guess. “Bandits?”

“Awfully convenient timing,” Helen counters with a scowl.

“It was bandits,” a new voice asserts. “You just missed them.”

You spin on your heel to spot the speaker: a woman in a uniform almost exactly like yours, with a short crop of silver hair and eyes that match. But what strikes you about her isn't her features, it's her expression... you never realized a smile could seem so cruel.

Then you notice the hilt of her sword.

“A single-digit,” you realize.

“Among several this morning,” the newcomer muses. “What a fascinating coincidence.”

Beside you, Helen is now so tense that you can practically feel it radiating from her body.

“I'm surprised to see you in my territory, Clarice.”

Clarice? Your eyes flit from Helen back to the warrior who stands before you. So this is her?

“Can't a warrior visit her friends without arousing suspicion, Helen?” Clarice muses, before turning her predatory gaze to you. “And who might you be...”

“... new friend?”

>Name, rank.
>Name, rank, nickname.
>Attempt to be friendly.
>Other?

>>3230882
And that's where I call it for tonight. Thanks for turning out, and I'll update both quests once tomorrow.

>>3230882
>Name, rank.

>>3230882
>Attempt to be friendly.

>>3230882
>>Name, rank.

>>3230882
>>Attempt to be friendly.

>>3230882
>Name, rank.

>>3230882
>Name, rank.

Isn't this the psycho number 1 that kills other and steals their shit?

>>3230927
YES

>>3230882
>>Name, rank, nickname.

>>3230882
>Name, rank.

>>3230882
>Name, rank.
>> Can't a warrior visit her friends
> We were told that "The Organization does not care for warriors who waste time with social activities"

>>3230882
“Noel, ranked Seven.”

You answer is succinct to the point of being curt, which you're not sure rises to the level of offensive. But Clarice is someone you've been warned about before, and what you've been told is true she's a complete psychopath who would absolutely kill you if given half the...

>3d10, best of four

Rolled 10, 5, 4 = 19 (3d10)

>>3233857

Rolled 5, 4, 9 = 18 (3d10)

>>3233857

Rolled 6, 2, 4 = 12 (3d10)

>>3233857
i am sorry

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

>>3233857

>>3233857
In an instant Clarice has drawn her sword and is bringing it down on you... you didn't even see her draw it. She must have used the sort of rapid-drawing technique you've been studying since your partial-awakening, and it came so unexpectedly that you were unable to draw your blade.

So you're forced into a response that comes instinctively. There's an upwelling of yōki within you, concentrating into your palms, and the sound of a clap.

Clarice smiles from the other side of her sword, a cruel and almost mocking expression devoid of the sort of joyfulness you should expect.

“How unexpected.”

You've used your White Fist to catch the incoming sword. Had you been allowed any more time you might have reacted differently, either sidestepping or even just taking the blow rather than displaying even a roundabout application of your signature skill.

Even Helen is staring at you in surprise.

“So how is it,” Clarice muses, her eyes firmly locked with yours, “that one of our little witches has learned such an exotic ability?”

>Monks.
>Luck.
>... your FACE is exotic.
>Other?

>>3233929
>So how is it that a warrior of the Organization is attacking another?

>>3233929
>>I would wonder how is it that a warrior of the Organization is attacking another?
I'll support this >>3233934
as long as we say it in a neutral tone

>>3233929
>I'm sure you'd like to know

your moms exotic lmao xd

>>3233929
>... your FACE is exotic.
I'm not saying we should kill her, I'm just saying if she died I'd not be upset and I'd help helen hide the body.

>>3233929
>>Monks.

>>3233948
She'll murder the monks man.

>>3233929
>... your FACE is exotic.
>"I'm not gonna end up as another tattoo on your ass."

>>3233941
>>3233929
supporting

>>3233945
>>3233957
She's the top warrior guys, there's no way we could take her. Let's not provoke this fight, we need to find out why she's here

>>3233929
>>I would wonder how is it that a warrior of the Organization is attacking another?

>>3233929
>Lots of personal training
>and being used as a chew toy for an awakened being who wanted me to awaken so she'd have a friend.
>You should try it.

>>3233929
>Other?
We ask Laura to team up with us and kill her.

>>3233929
“I was used as a scratching post for a week by an awakened being,” you frown, staring at her defiantly. “So that helped, strangely enough. I have to wonder how it is that one warrior of the Organization is attacking another without warning.”

Clarice pulls her sword free and instantly returns it to her back, as swiftly as she drew it in the first place. Instead of answering your question she simply laughs.

“Well met, number seven!” she manages.

Helen spares you a glance. “She does that to every single-digit warrior when she meets them for the first time.”

“You are the second to have caught it bare-handed,” Clarice informs you cheerfully. “Consider me... invested.”

Then she simply turns around and begins walking away.

“We're here for Claudia!” you raise your voice to her back. “Have you seen any evidence of her here?”

Clarice glances over her shoulder. “You received her black card?”

You nod. “I did, for some reason.”

“Then your job is done,” Clarice informs you, turning away again. “I slaughtered her myself.”

Helen quickly catches your attention, and shakes her head. It seems she's anticipating you asking more questions as Clarice is determinedly walking away from you both.

>Ask Clarice if Claudia had finished awakening.
>Ask if Clarice simply stood by and watched this town be destroyed.
>Keep your mouth shut.
>Other?

>>3235951
Where’s her corpse then?

>>3235951
>Keep your mouth shut.
We should listen to Helen and respect her advice. We seriously just talked about trust going both ways

>>3235951
>Keep your mouth shut.
It seems that Clarice is up to no good. This was our job and here this bitch goes about murdering other claymore girls whenever she feels like it to satisfy her urge to carve another tattoo on her ass.

>>3235951
>Keep your mouth shut.

>>3235951
>>Keep your mouth shut.

>“You are the second to have caught it bare-handed,” Clarice informs you cheerfully. “Consider me... invested.”
Let me guess. The other person who caught Clarice's blade bare-handed was Mommy Sabela.

>>3235987
Given Sabela is the Theresa Analogue for this quest? Easy bet.

>>3235987
Wish we'd have rolled higher.

>>3235951
>Ask Clarice if Claudia had finished awakening.

>>3235951
>>Keep your mouth shut.
I'm willing to show some trust in Helen here.

>>3235951
>Keep your mouth shut.

>>3235951
>>Keep your mouth shut.

>>3235951
>>Keep your mouth shut.

This is a random thought, but I hope we can see the monks again soon, it'd be nice to train with them or something to get Noel's head on straight.

(And learn more catholic kung fu)

>>3235951
As much as you want to demand answers out of Clarice, she is the first-ranked warrior and by all accounts she's also a psychopath. Helen's insistent glare also warns you against any ill-considered words or actions.

Perhaps it's best that you let her walk away this time, and content yourself with being able to do the same.

Once Clarice is gone, Helen releases a breath you weren't even aware she was holding.

“That was tense,” she sighs dramatically, her muscles visibly relaxing. “I was almost sure you were going to say something.”

“I wanted to,” you admit. “The look on your face told me I shouldn't. What were you so worried about?”

“You know the rumors,” she replies. “I hate to speculate, but she must have considered the risk of fighting both myself and a single-digit with unknown abilities to be too great.”

“Speaking of which, your first instinct was to catch the blade?”

“She caught me off guard,” you admit with a frown. “Had I half an instant to consider a plan I might have pursued a different path rather than show her any sort of exceptional capability.”

“That would have been smart,” Helen shakes her head. “Or it could have backfired, left her more confident about her odds of beating us both.”

“Fair point,” you admit. “Though it could have been worse, at least I didn't strike her back.”

“Is that your specialty?” Helen asks you cautiously. “You have exceptional skill at fist-fighting?”

>That's my combat specialty, yes. I kind of have a thing about yōma blood... can't stand it.
>Not quite. I spoke with Zoe, who considered my yōki control top-notch even by her standards.
>It's unique to me, but I wouldn't call it a specialty. I've been trying to expand my skills.
>Other?

>>3238066
>Not quite. I spoke with Zoe, who considered my yōki control top-notch even by her standards.

>>3238066
>>Not quite. I spoke with Zoe, who considered my yōki control top-notch even by her standards.

>>3238066
>>That's my combat specialty, yes. I kind of have a thing about yōma blood... can't stand it.
>>Not quite. I spoke with Zoe, who considered my yōki control top-notch even by her standards.
me being able to punch is a fortuitious side effect of my control, I punch because I dislike yoma blood, the better my control, the better the punching, the less blood, it's a self feeding cycle.

>>3238066
>>3238082
I'm good with this

>>3238066
>>That's my combat specialty, yes. I kind of have a thing about yōma blood... can't stand it.
>>Not quite. I spoke with Zoe, who considered my yōki control top-notch even by her standards.
me being able to punch is a fortuitious side effect of my control, I punch because I dislike yoma blood, the better my control, the better the punching, the less blood, it's a self feeding cycle.

>>3238066
>other: What started as a method to deal with pesky yoma because of my hate for the smell of yoma blood gradually evolved into something bigger than itself. Fist-fighting was only a small part of my specialty, some helpful monks in Daria gave me a book to read on how to refine my technique. Then came my week-long death match with the Awakened Being. Earthbreaker Saria forced me to learn how to control and conserve, control, and refine my yoki usage to stay alive. It wasn't until Zoe told me that my yoki control was top notch that I've been trying to expand my skills in internal yoki control in something other than fist-fighting.

>>3238066
>fist-fighting is how I apply it, but it's only effective due to my yōki control

>>3238066
>Not quite. I spoke with Zoe, who considered my yōki control top-notch even by her standards.
>States off as a way to kill youna without getting thier stinking blood everywhere, add in me doing a favor for some monks and them handing me a martial arts manual, and aforementioned being an awakened being’s chew toy? Well it grew into something unique.

>>3238066
Now I'm wondering if Noel can use her Yoki control to do more than just fist fight, maybe she can manipulate stuff outside of her body like her mother can....

>>3238066
“I had a chance to speak with Zoe,” you admit, “who maintains that it's my yōki control overall that stands out. My use of this in fist-fighting is simply a way of using it offensively that appeals to me.”

“Beating yōma to death with your bare hands appeals to you?” Helen muses. “Hazaran must be a strange land indeed if its princesses have such fondness for the pugilistic arts.”

“It's the blood,” you shrug. “Can't stand the smell of it, hate getting it on me.”

“That makes more sense.”

“And the better I get at striking yōma down with my fists,” you continue, “the better and cleaner the results, which gives greater incentive to further hone my technique.”

“You use your yōki to amplify your strikes?” she asks.

>Explain your technique to her in greater depth. If you're likely to work together in the future she should know.
>Offer to trade knowledge of your respective techniques. That whole 'trust goes both ways' thing applies here.
>You gave her this much information already, it's only fair that she match your openness before deciding whether to go on like this.
>Politely decline to explain any further. The exact mechanics should remain known only to you as long as possible.

>>3240714
>Offer to trade knowledge of your respective techniques. That whole 'trust goes both ways' thing applies here.

>>3240714
>>Offer to trade knowledge of your respective techniques. That whole 'trust goes both ways' thing applies here.

>>3240714
>Offer to trade knowledge of your respective techniques. That whole 'trust goes both ways' thing applies here.

>>3240714

>>Offer to trade knowledge of your respective techniques. That whole 'trust goes both ways' thing applies here.

>>3240714
>>Offer to trade knowledge of your respective techniques. That whole 'trust goes both ways' thing applies here.

>>3240714
>Offer to trade knowledge of your respective techniques. That whole 'trust goes both ways' thing applies here.
Offer to trade knowledge of your respective techniques. That whole 'trust goes both ways' thing applies here.

>>3240714
>Offer to trade knowledge of your respective techniques. That whole 'trust goes both ways' thing applies here.

>>3240714
>Offer to trade knowledge of your respective techniques. That whole 'trust goes both ways' thing applies here.

>>3240714
>>Explain your technique to her in greater depth. If you're likely to work together in the future she should know.

>>3240714
>Offer to trade knowledge of your respective techniques. That whole 'trust goes both ways' thing applies here.

We do this somewhere isolated and quite, so there is no prying eyes crazy eyes if you. know what I mean. Ideally somewhere obscured or indoors?

>>3240714
“We should trade,” you offer, “but perhaps somewhere more private.”

After a moment, Helen nods. “There is one more thing here to do.”

After a few minutes of searching, the two of you confirm it: a blade shoved into the ground, but no identifiable body to go along with it. The emblem on its forte matches the one on the black card you were sent, meaning that Claudia is indeed dead. Where her body is, you can't say. But wherever it is, it's no longer 'her' anymore.

“Well, that's one thing she said that was true,” Helen grumbles. “We should move south again.”

“Agreed,” you nod.

By that evening you've managed to return to Helen's modest home, and she lights a small fire in the fireplace.

“My ability,” she explains first with no preface, “is called 'Echo Sword', after the sound it makes when I use it. My fast-twitch muscles and hand-eye coordination are both among the best observed so far among our warriors, allowing me to make extreme changes to the arc of my swing at the last possible second. When I use Echo Sword, it even seems to land on the opposite side entirely from where I initially was aiming.”

“It takes a single-digit warrior's senses to even realize that I am doing it.”

“My ability involves concentrating yōki just outside my fists,” you offer in exchange. “So when I punch, the yōki passes through hardened surfaces like ribs or armor plates to strike at the soft tissue behind it.”

“An ability that was practically invented to kill awakened beings,” Helen narrows her eyes. “No wonder you made such a leap through the ranks.”

>Ask Helen what her plans are going forward.
>Admit your sense of general unease to Helen.
>Just get some rest.

>>3243782
>Ask her plans

>>3243782
>Admit your sense of general unease to Helen.
>"I'm very uneasy Helen, The fact that someone who I've never met in my life had her black envelope with my name on it. Clarice's 'coincidental' appearance and her interference in my mission, the village destroyed by 'bandits', and from what you and I know of Clarice. It reeks of a setup. It's almost as if Clarice purposefully set this up so she could scout me out and see if I was worth killing so she could steal my technique."

>>3243782
>>Admit your sense of general unease to Helen.

>>3243782
>>Just get some rest.

>>3243782
>Admit your sense of general unease to Helen.

>>3243782
>Admit your sense of general unease to Helen.

>>3243782
>Admit your sense of general unease to Helen.

>>3243782
>>3243811
In with this

>>3243782
>>3243811

>>3243782
You consider simply falling silent, trying to get some rest. But something is still nagging at you, and if Helen is the one who has been leading the other half-awakened warriors for a significant time she would be the one to share those thoughts with.

After some time, you finally speak up. “I've been feeling uneasy, Helen.”

A few seconds later, Helen responds without opening her eyes. “About what?”

“I never met with Claudia,” you explain carefully, “and until recently I was not even a single-digit warrior. That she would send her black card to me seems unlikely, and the interference of the number One is similarly suspicious.”

“Go on.”

“And then you have the destruction of this village,” you continue. “Every man, woman, and child killed and all the evidence razed, with the bandits who supposedly did it all having disappeared entirely before dawn. Not a trace of them to be seen.”

Helen is silent for a while.

“Helen?”

Eventually she speaks. “I have no doubt that Clarice has taken an interest in you. But the distance she would go to in order to lure you here... that I cannot say.”

“Do you believe it's possible she killed all those people?” you ask quietly. “To hide the evidence?”

“Did she?” Helen muses. “I cannot say. But is she capable?”

She considers her next words for a few seconds. “Without a second thought.”

“How scary.”

>Has she done something similar to you?
>So how concerned should I be going forward?
>That means we need each other even more.
>Other?

>>3247056
>Has she done something similar to you?

>>3247056
>>That means we need each other even more.

>>3247056
>That means we need each other even more.

>>3247056
>That means we need each other even more.

>>3247056
>That means we need each other even more.

>>3247056
I thought about this the other night, but yeah she likely sent us the black card. I mean we could have check for tracks of bandits.

>>3247056
We need to unite more single-digits against Clarice.
I assume that Clarice is particularly valuable to the Organization if they choose to close their eyes at her shit to the point where she can break the ironclad rule against killing humans. But is she more valuable than 4-5 single digits?

>>3247056
>That means we need each other even more.

>>3247056
“That just means we'll need to rely on each other even more,” you decide, settling back against the wall and watching the fire burn low in the hearth. “The Organization, the Inquisition, and for you and me Clarice as well... our list of mutual threats is far longer than the list of who we can trust.”

“You are correct,” Helen immediately agrees, grasping for the hilt of her sword. She then holds it out in front of her in a familiar gesture.

Your hand finds your own sword, and you match the gesture.

“With this we may as well be sisters,” she informs you.

“Sisters may quarrel,” you point out.

Helen nods, not even trying to debate the point. “They may. But they cannot avoid each other forever. And when the situation demands it, they are expected to be there for one another.”

“They may drift apart,” you counter. “Become separated.”

“Things that drift apart have a habit of drifting back together eventually,” Helen insists.

You sigh, and then chuckle lightly. “You win.”

“Of course I do,” Helen shrugs. “I was arguing your own perspective.”

“You aren't wrong, of course,” you nod appreciatively. “You seem to have a solid grasp on how I feel about this.”

“You convinced me, eventually,” Helen admits, setting aside her sword. “Of your sincerity I mean.”

“I need to head out in the morning,” you sigh. “We may not meet again for a while.”

“But we will meet again,” Helen insists. “I think the Organization will see to that.”
>1/2

>>3250956
The next morning you part ways with Helen at first light.

Serana, Valentina, and now Helen... that makes four warriors like yourself that you have learned of in the last few months, plus the fifth to whom you have never been properly introduced. You have the Inquisition acting against the Organization with increasing boldness, and then there's the mess with Laura.

Was the Organization always this much of a mess, or is this a recent phenomenon?

>Try to swing by the old fortress outside Accerrae. You want to speak with Sabela about Clarice.
>Head straight back to your territory. The less time Tomas has to himself the safer.
>It wouldn't hurt to check Clarice's story out in a little detail... right?
>Find some yōma and kill them gratis, you need the relaxation.
>Other?

>>3250977
>It wouldn't hurt to check Clarice's story out in a little detail... right?
>Try to swing by the old fortress outside Accerrae. You want to speak with Sabela about Clarice.

>>3250977
>>Head straight back to your territory. The less time Tomas has to himself the safer.

>>3250977
>It wouldn't hurt to check Clarice's story out in a little detail... right?

>>3250977
>Try to swing by the old fortress outside Accerrae. You want to speak with Sabela about Clarice.
>other: And pick up your horse from the stables while you're at it. It's been way too long.

>>3250977
>It wouldn't hurt to check Clarice's story out in a little detail... right?

>>3250977
>>It wouldn't hurt to check Clarice's story out in a little detail... right?

every intel about your supposed enemy is valuable, no matter how minor it might seem at first

>>3250992
>>3250977

>>3250977
>Other?
Did we manage to ask or know what Claudia's special attack or ability was?

>>3250977
>Head straight back to your territory. The less time Tomas has to himself the safer.

>>3250977
You decide to return to what remains of the border town to the south, to see if you can turn up anything that would directly disprove Clarice's statements about what happened there.

When you arrive the smoke has died down low, and a layer of fresh snow that fell overnight has shrouded the remains lightly in white that stands in stark contrast to the blackened wood and cracked tiles.
>3d10, best of four

Rolled 8, 10, 1 = 19 (3d10)

>>3254313

Rolled 6, 1, 7 = 14 (3d10)

>>3254313

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

>>3254313

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

>>3254313

Rolled 3, 5, 9 = 17 (3d10)

>>3254313

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

>>3254313

>>3254313
In one of the houses you find evidence of a violent end... human bones, all burned to ash. An entire family from the look of it. The stench is pervasive even in the snow. But notable, the glass from the shattered windows is all inside the walls of the house, meaning that they were broken inward. That seems consistent with the house having been torched. The door is also still locked from the inside.

What it doesn't tell you is who was attacking.

There are no footprints left, no evidence of a large group of attackers. You do find a single building with a large concentration of charred bones, many of which overlap and all of which are large enough to be men. The axes and metal farm tools lying around suggest that they were killed outside and brought in to be incinerated, though the bones are too badly burned for it to be obvious how they were killed.

A closer inspection shows only one with a penetrating wound to the temple, which could have come from any sort of weapon.

Each building is the same. Death, with all traces of how that death came obscured by fire and ice.

If it was Clarice she left no conclusive evidence that it was her.

>Keep looking.
>Withdraw to Acerrae.
>Try to attract your mother's attention.
>Other?

>>3254355
>Keep looking.
I'd love to talk to mom, but if anyone's watching us and mom shows up that'd be bad news.

>>3254355
>Keep looking.

>>3254355
>>Withdraw to Acerrae.

>>3254355
>>Keep looking.

>>3254355
>Keep looking.

>>3254355
>>Withdraw to Acerrae.

>>3254355
>3d10, best of four

Rolled 10, 8, 5 = 23 (3d10)

>>3256604

Rolled 6, 9, 7 = 22 (3d10)

>>3256604

Rolled 8, 6, 10 = 24 (3d10)

>>3256604

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

>>3256604

>>3256604
There's nothing more for you to learn here. Whatever events transpired were far too thorough in terms of destroying the evidence for that. But if there were in fact bandits in this region there should be evidence, campsites and stashes of goods for horses and fighting men.

So that's what you spend most of the day searching for. You check wooded hollows between carefully maintained fields, outcroppings of granite boulders, and deep cuts where turf has been lifted for roofing or other purposes. Not a trace of anything useful, though you do find someone's broken iron plough blade stuck in a field.

By dusk you're about ready to give up, having moved all the way up into the foothills. But on a slope facing away from the remains of the town below, you hear voices in the dim.

Creeping closer you see a group of about a dozen men of various descriptions, all of roughly fighting age, mostly armed with axes and bows. Their horses are uneasy at your unseen presence.

“What's the matter with the horses?” one of the younger men, really not much more than a boy, asks nervously. He's trying to calm one of the animals, with limited success.

“Horses are skittish creatures,” an older man shrugs. “Could be a snake, or a change in the weather. Maybe it's nothing.”

“Possibly,” a man whose age is seemingly somewhere in between. This one carries a sword in a leather scabbard, and wears a cheap and battered plate of armor over his chest. “Be on guard anyway.”

So these would be the local band of bandits?

>Approach from the dark, take the leader hostage and demand information.
>Sit down at their fire, don't overtly threaten but be firm in your demands.
>Hold back for a little while and observe, learn what you can from their behavior.
>Other?

>>3256757
>>Hold back for a little while and observe, learn what you can from their behavior.

>>3256757
>Hold back for a little while and observe, learn what you can from their behavior.

>>3256757
>Hold back for a little while and observe, learn what you can from their behavior.

>>3256757
>>Sit down at their fire, don't overtly threaten but be firm in your demands.

>>3256757
We may not be able to kill them, but we can kill their horses and take all their food. Let the cold end them.

What if they were paid by Clarice to sack the village?

>>3256757
>>Hold back for a little while and observe, learn what you can from their behavior.

>>3256757
>>Hold back for a little while and observe, learn what you can from their behavior.

>>3256970
The Org isn't retarded. That would give them justification to declare us rogue if they wished.

>>3257299
They have selective retardation.

When it comes to the protagonist they get the most scrutiny, but when its some big bad antagonist, they can get away with bullshit far more easily.

>>3257306
That and the 'rule' only applies if there are witnesses.

Just an observation.

>>3256757
You settle into a nearby bush and use the darkness to keep yourself hidden, choosing to listen for a while in order to learn as much as possible about these bandits before committing to any specific plan in dealing with them.

“We're running low on food,” one of the men points out.

The swordsman shrugs, settling down and seating himself on a fallen log. “We'll just have to stop in town.”

“What, the one just over the hill?”

One of the other men, slightly older by his tone, chuckles. “You're a new guy, I almost forgot. I'll just let boss explain it for you.”

“My older brother's set up in that town,” the 'boss' explains. “He and I don't see eye to eye, but I can always count on him for a quick meal between jobs.”

“Never knew you had roots, boss.”

“Yeah, it's a pretty nice town,” the boss chuckles. “Good place to settle down and start a family if you're interested in that sorta thing. My brother was, the life of a sellsword just called to me though.”

A sellsword? So these guys are mercenaries, not bandits? You suppose the line between the two gets blurred sometimes, mostly leading towards banditry and not legitimate business. Add to that the fact that this man seemingly has family in the destroyed town... he and his band of men weren't responsible for that. In fact it sounds like he doesn't even know what happened, which means tomorrow is going to be a real shock.

>Step in, hands raised. You just want to know if they can tell you anything that will help.
>You've already picked apart Clarice's narrative. You learned what you came here to learn.
>Other?

>>3259286
>Step in, hands raised. You just want to know if they can tell you anything that will help.

>>3259286
>Step in, hands raised. You just want to know if they can tell you anything that will help.

>>3259286
>>Step in, hands raised. You just want to know if they can tell you anything that will help.

>>3259286
>Step in, hands raised. You just want to know if they can tell you anything that will help.

>>3259286
>You've already picked apart Clarice's narrative. You learned what you came here to learn.

>>3259286
>>Step in, hands raised. You just want to know if they can tell you anything that will help.