>>3620137
Welcome to Modern Fantasy Quest. Updates are once a day.

Questions/comments/complaints are welcome at any time. pls no bully

>>3620137
>Talk about Winterpine

We're watching the city for Isolde, we should learn about it.

>>3620137
Talk about Father Cullen

>>3620137
Ike isn't a Templar, thrift isn't Bentor the Mentor's "thing" it's an expression of Poverty, which is a founding virtue of the Knights Templar from back in the Crusades. Not certain if abstaining from vices like alcohol is another Templar virtue but
>Is that red wine Ike's drinking?

>>3621875
I could be wrong. Also wine is fine. Reference to wine ration is found in the Latin Rule. It's not as if spaghetti is necessarily an extravagance.
Rrrrrr. Something smells funny.

>>3621875
>>3621927
I actually didn't know that. Thanks for the information anon.

But the Templar that Tristan is a part of isn't the same organization as the one from the Middle-Ages. That was established in thread one.

“So, does Father Cullen enjoy drinking Red Wine as well?” you ask.

“No, he’s more of a white wine person … do you not drink much?” Ike innocently asks.

“I never partake in alcohol outside of communion.” You didn’t see anything unforgivable about strong liquor, but it was still a mind-altering substance. While you didn’t fault the average civilian his vices, members of the Templar should be held to a higher standard.

“Shame, It tastes delicious.” Ike sits back and raises his glass to you, before taking a large sip. “Why are you suddenly curious about what wines Father Cullen likes?”

You smile slightly. “In the Americas, it seems that the clergymen either abstain from alcohol or love it.”

“True,” Ike agrees, “It’s the same in India … Although the last time I was there, there were only three Knights there …”

“That’s only to be expected so far away from our sphere of influence,” You say while wiping the spaghetti sauce from the corner of your mouth, “Unfortunately, I didn’t come to Winterpine to talk about wine and foreign experiences.”

“Of course not,” Ike sets down his wineglass, “You probably have things to take care of here, just like me. I hope I can offer some assistance.”

“I need to know about Winterpine.” You flatly state. You had lost your expected source of information on the city. While Isolde’s notes were decent, they still didn’t substitute for a human source of information.

“Sure,” Ike says, “What do you need to know? I’ll tell you anything I can.”

“I need a good picture of the arcane, occult, and supernatural state of affairs in Winterpine.”

Ike sucks his breath in. “Ah … Well, it’s been several years since I’ve visited Winterpine so unfortunately I have no idea ...”

You nod. “That’s fine … I just want to know if there are any leads for me to investigate in this city.”

“Yeah, I know,” Ike waves his fork at you, dismissing your platitudes, “But I really have no idea what’s been going on in this city. Your briefing probably knows more than me … although … I wonder if Jungczant is still around ...”

“What about Jungczant?”

“Well, when my Mentor was stationed in Winterpine, he frequently had meetings with a registered magus named Jungczant,” Ike explains, “But I don’t know where you’d find Jungczant.”

>”Tell me more about Jungczant.”

>”Thank you for the information … so what were you doing in India?”

>”Why was your Mentor stationed in Winterpine?”

>”Curry and Pasta … That’s a strange combination …”

>Other

>>3622649
>”Thank you for the information … so what were you doing in India?”

>>3622649
Have we established, then, that Father Cullen is Ike's mentor? Because I'm not clear on that point. If not,
>"Are you still in touch with your Mentor?"
Or maybe, and probably a better question
>"India's a long way from Winterpine. Why choose your Mentor in particular for the post?"

“Thank you for your information,” you reply, “But I already know about Jungczant.”
He had, in fact, been included in Isolde’s notes. You even knew how to find him.

“Okay then,” Ike says, “What else can I tell you?”

You try to think of your next question. What else could Ike tell you that would be useful?

… Nothing.

Ike didn’t know about the Ghouls, and he didn’t know what happened to Father Cullen. He hadn’t been to Winterpine for years now and had no idea what was the current situation inside the city. Besides, you had a solid lead to chase in the form of Jungczant.

“That’s all I have to ask you,” You say.

“I’m glad I could help,” Ike grins before he pulls out a notebook from his pocket, scribbles down a string of numbers, and hands it to you, “If you need any help, or just an extra speartip, please call.”

“I will,” you promise, pocketing the slip of paper.

With business out of the way, the two of you are free to enjoy your meals. The two of you pass the time chatting idly.

“India’s a long way from Winterpine,” You comment, “Why choose your Mentor in particular for the post?”

“Wait sorry,” Ike says, dropping his fork, “I think you’ve got something wrong here. I never went to India with my Mentor, I was just there recently myself.”

“Oh, I understand now. Yes, I misunderstood … So what were you doing in India?”

“Well, it is pretty far from normal Templar operations, right?” Ike laughs, “I was investigating a certain figure of interest. I had heard they had once been to India so I tried to retrace their journey.”

>”Interesting … did you find anything in India?”

>”So who was your Mentor?”

>Actually, you have something to ask Ike about Winterpine (what)

>”How are we going to split the bill?”

>Other

>>3625380
>”Interesting … did you find anything in India?”

Then i guest we pay the bill and get some sleep

>”Interesting … did you find anything in India?”

“Interesting,” you comment, “Did you find anything in India?”

Ike shakes his head, “Sadly, no. But what can you expect from a trail more than a century old?”
He shrugs his shoulders.

“More than a century old?” What could Ike possibly be doing that would involve following a trail that old?

“That does sound quite cold, right?” Ike admits, “Well … not when your quarry is a demon.”

Ike’s words were unexpected to the point of incredulity. A fully manifested demon? That was nearly impossible. Not unheard of, but so rare that you doubt that more than a handful were at large in the world.

“What kind?” You ask, “Eldritch? Fey? Infernal?”

“I’m not quite sure,” Ike admits, “But whatever type it is, it’s intelligent enough to move unnoticed through human society for hundreds of years.”

“Shouldn’t you be contacting an exorcist?” You ask. To confront a demon without an exorcist, and a high-ranking one at that, would be essentially suicide.

“Well, I don’t intend to confront the thing,” Ike says, “Just track it down.”

Well … if it had remained at large in human society for so long, then that in itself would be quite a task.

“The only thing I can do is wish you luck.” You say.

Ike nods in thanks just as the waitress appears, bill in hand.

“I’m sorry, but the restaurant is closing very soon. Could you please pay now?”

“Sure,” Ike says, digging into his pocket …

>Offer to pay for the meal. It’s the courteous thing to do.

>Offer to pay for half the meal. It’s the fair thing to do.

>Just pay for your portion. No need to make this overly complicated.

>Ike dragged you to this overly expensive restaurant. Shouldn’t he be the one paying?

>Other

>>3627661
>Offer to pay for the meal. It’s the courteous thing to do.

>>3627661
>Offer to pay for the meal. It’s the courteous thing to do.

>>3627661
>>3627910
>>3628500
yall serious
>"Wait, so then you have, at most, a bit of secondhand knowledge about a mage, regarding the town you were assigned by the Templar? Why would they send you so underprepared? Are you actually assigned to this town or...?"

>>3629185
Ike is only in Winterpine because Father Cullen called him and asked him to come

“Let me,” you say. You pull out your wallet.

“Eh? Shouldn’t I be the one paying?” Ike asks, “I invited you, after all.”

“Then let me repay your kindness. I’m not planning on using the money on any other luxuries.” You insist before turning to the waitress, “How much do I owe you?”

“70.77,” She replies.

You count out the appropriate amount of cash and hand it to her. She smiles before piling your dirty dishes and heading back to the kitchen.

“Have a pleasant evening.” She says. You look at the clock hanging on the wall. Evening indeed! It was just past eleven.

“I’ll pay you back next time,” Ike promises. He grabs the long duffle bag containing his retracted spear, slings it over his shoulder, and heads for the door, “Sorry wait a second …”

“Yes?”

Ike turns around again to face you. “Hey Tristan, where are you staying?”

>You’ve decided to get a room in the first reputable hotel you come across

>You got a room at a high-end hotel, the only one with a website you could make reservations at

>Isolde’s notes recommended a hotel, she called it ‘the cheapest hotel in Winterpine’

>Actually, you have no idea where you’re going to stay

>Other

And You’re planning to get there by

>Hailing a cab

>Taking the public transit

>Walking

>Other

>>3630409
>High end hotel
>Hailing a cab

I live the cheap hotel and public transit life. It sucks.

>>3630409

>Isolde’s notes recommended a hotel, she called it ‘the cheapest hotel in Winterpine’

Walking

>>3630409
>"I'm gonna sleep right here on the floor"
>Lie down immediately and sleep

>>3632632
Okay, this seems out of character
Any reasoning or motives?

>>3632906
The lulz, I'm guessing.

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>3632632 seems too out of character so I hope people don't mind if I roll to decide between >>3631050 and >>3631812.

>Odds - High-end hotel, cab
>Evens - Cheap hotel, walking

>Isolde’s notes recommended a hotel, she called it ‘the cheapest hotel in Winterpine’
>Walking

“There’s a relatively inexpensive hotel that I was recommended,” You say.

“You mean Jims’?” Ike asks, “That’s the cheapest hotel in town that I know of …”

“Shangra-La Motel,” You reply.

“Do you mean Shangri-La Motel?”

“No, the name given was Shangra-La … perhaps it was a misspelling of Shangri-La.”

Ike nods. “That makes more sense. Shangri-La sounds too high-end.”

“It’s the name of a luxury hotel chain.”

“Right! That’s where I remember it from!” Ike exclaims, “Well, enjoy your stay at Shangra-La anyways.”

…

You and Ike part ways at the bus stop on the street next to the plaza. With one last goodbye, Ike rode off on the first passing bus.

Yourself? You walk down the now-quiet streets towards your destination. It wasn’t that far. As a part of an old land development project, The Plaza was only a short distance away from the outskirts of Winterpine where the cheap motel was. Then again, everything was a short distance from everything else in this city.

You think you’ve been walking for about an hour now. The housing gradually grew cheaper and cheaper as you continued on, with the buildings transitioning from two-story suburban homes with well-tended lawns to one story bungalows with unkempt yards.

Now it was really nighttime. The moon was hanging overhead. A few stars were visible in the blue-black night sky. It was a night you had seen dozens of times by now. It wasn’t like you to feel sentimental, but between the repetitive action of walking and the calming night sky, you can’t help but think back to the night when all this had started. The night where you had raided The Church of Living Bread …

… There was a flash of movement on the roof of the house you just passed!

>There’s something there! Run!

>Jump backwards!

>Turn around to see what’s on the roof!

>It’s just your imagination. Continue walking.

>Other

>>3636795
>Jump backwards!

These feikkin ghouls

I would have expected more votes for something like this. Ah, well ...

>Jump backwards!

You jump backwards just in time: A bone-white shape flies through the air, claws outstretched. If you had stayed still or been even a fraction of a second too late, those claws would have sunk into your back and you would have been dragged to the ground.

The Ghoul tumbles ungracefully across the asphalt, before righting itself, seemingly unaffected from the rough landing. It must have been hiding on the other side of the roof, with only its head visible. Certainly, it’s long limbs seemed powerful enough for it to spring off the roof, across the yard, and onto the street.

In one practised motion, you draw your straightsword and flick it open to it’s full length. Already, you are classifying the creature in front of you in the way Bentham taught you. It was staying still instead of pacing around and circling you. It’s body was a distorted shape with limbs designed for long jumps and bounds. It lacked a cry or shriek. Just like how Isolde’s notes described them, the Winterpine Ghoul really was a creature designed for an ambush.

It silently bares it’s needle-thin fangs at you. It’s hairless, bone-white skin was stretched tightly over it’s emaciated ribcage and elongated, sinewy limbs. You force yourself to meet The Ghoul’s gaze. It’s eyes looked unsettlingly like human eyes, ones with dilated pupils on the verge of tearing.

Crouching on all fours, it seemed ready to launch itself through the air at you without any warning ...

>Attack it before it attacks you. It’s an ambush predator, so you can attack it confidently now that it’s in plain sight.

>You don’t know it’s capabilities, it’s unsafe to attack. You’ll counter the Ghoul’s first attack and formulate your response based on that.

>You’re not prepared for this. Run away!

>Other

[b]Roll 1d100. The first three will be averaged[/b]

Rolled 31 (1d100)

>>3640356
>Attack it first

Rolled 37 (1d100)

>>3640356
>You don’t know it’s capabilities, it’s unsafe to attack. You’ll counter the Ghoul’s first attack and formulate your response based on that.

Rolled 46 (1d100)

I'll do the missing roll

Rolled 1 (1d6)

Due to a lack of votes
>Odds - Attack it first
>Evens - Counter it attack

File: Imagine This Sharper.jpg (26 KB, 500x336)

26 KB JPG

>Attack it first

>(31+37+46)/3 = 38

2-25 - You barely graze it
26 -50 - You wound it
51 - 75 - You mortally wound it
76 - 99 - You deal a fatal blow

>You wound it

Your charge isn’t exactly a charge, more closely resembling a bound. You kick off the ground with one leg, just as the Ghoul launches itself through the air at you.

You were aiming to put the full power of your bound forwards behind the tip of your straightsword and penetrate the Ghoul’s ribcage to impale it’s heart. Instead, you catch it mid-jump, sinking your sword’s meter-long blade up to its hilt in the Ghoul’s stomach. Your hand grasping it so tightly your knuckles turned white, you use your sword’s hilt as a handle to throw the Ghoul to the ground. With the sickening slither of flesh on cold steel, the Ghoul slides slightly down your blade before it catches onto something inside its body.

It felt …sinewy. Like stabbing a mass of tendons. This close to the Ghoul, you realize you never felt any body heat emanating from it. More than that, the Ghoul’s insides were unnaturally … still. There should have been the feeling of it’s ropelike muscles clenching around your blade, the beat of its heart in overdrive pumping blood out of it’s wound. Instead, there was nothing.

The Ghoul craned it’s head at you, staring at you through cold eyes which looked both inhuman and disturbingly human. It’s claws twitched once before it sloppily raked at your face. You barely dodge it’s deadly swipe. You won’t be able to do so again …

>You need to retreat. Tear out your straightsword out and withdraw.

>The Ghouls claws are too fast. Let go of your sword and jump back NOW before it catches you.

>You have to end this fight quickly. Draw out your sword and stab it somewhere hopefully vital.

>Other

Roll 1d100. The first three will be averaged.

>>3643457
>Kick it off your sword and then try to behead it

Rolled 14 (1d100)

>>3643457
>>3644113
Forgot my roll

Rolled 6 (1d100)

>>3644113
Do this.
Kinda sounds like they ether wore made to look kinda human or they wire made from people some how

Rolled 55 (1d100)

>>3643457

>>3646117
wow
perfect 25 average comes in at just a point too low

>>3646516
The criteria for what is a success and to what degree are different depending on Tristans actions

Just keep that in mind

>>3646580
But did we pass?

>Kick it off your sword and try to behead it

Because the option chosen was more complex, the criteria for success are also higher.
2-10 - You get injured and are forced to abandon your sword
11-50 - You get injured but you retrieve your sword
50-75 - You retrieve your sword
76-99 - You retrieve your sword and strike the Ghoul

>You get injured but you retrieve your sword

You plant your heel into the Ghoul’s stomach, kicking it hard while yanking on your straightsword. It slowly scrapes it’s way out of the Ghoul’s stomach, inch by inch, coated in coagulous globules of some white ichor. Your straightsword’s thin blade must have been caught on one of the Ghoul’s ribs. Or maybe the thing’s insides were more alien than it’s humanoid appearance led you to believe.

The Ghoul struggles frenziedly as you struggle to pull out your sword. One long arm lashes out, easily raking your chest and shredding your shirtfront, splattering your blood across the pavement. The pain was nothing, the claws only shredded your biceps. But if you weren’t careful, if you stayed here for too long, you’d be torn to ribbons.

You push harder on the Ghoul’s chest, pulling with more vigour on the hilt of your straightsword at the same time. As soon as it comes loose, you jump back, putting about five meters between you and the Ghoul. But that might as well have been nothing for a monster as nimble as that Ghoul …

>Since the Ghoul is not completely humanoid and a Beast, Tristan is unable to initiate a duel with it

Caught unprepared and faced with an inhuman adversary, you won’t be able to engage the Ghoul in a conventional duel. Instead, you’ll have to rely on your reflexes and wits to prevail.

>Charge forwards again. You need to kill the Ghoul before you faint from blood loss.

>The Ghoul’s attacks are clumsy, you can counter them and gain the advantage.

>Your reflexes are itching to run. You know you’re not prepared for this fight. Run away.

>Other

Roll 1d100s. The first three will be averaged.

IRL it’s pretty hard to chop off someone’s head with something as thin and light as Tristan’s Straightsword

Rolled 17 (1d100)

>>3646979
>The Ghoul’s attacks are clumsy, you can counter them and gain the advantage.
I guse try to cut its hands and legs off?

Rolled 41 (1d100)

>>3646979
>The Ghoul’s attacks are clumsy, you can counter them and gain the advantage

Rolled 70 (1d100)

>>3646979
>Counter it

>>3647083
>>3647477
I might not have been very clear, but you should only roll and vote once.

>The Ghoul’s attacks are clumsy, you can counter them and gain the advantage.

2-10 - You fail to injure it and are wounded
11-50 - You injure it but are wounded
50-75 - You disable one limb
76-99 - You disable two limbs

>You injure it but get grabbed

The Ghoul leaps towards you again, claws outstretched to dig into your chest and pull you down to the ground. Immediately, you duck to the side, flicking your straightsword up to counter. As fast as it was, five meters should have been enough to sidestep …

The Ghoul’s left claw wraps around your throat, dragging you down and smashing the back of your head against the asphalt. You almost lose consciousness immediately. You realize you had understimated the Ghoul’s agility and speed. But more than that, you had overlooked a simple fact: The Ghoul was an ambush predator. It’s attack was more potent than it’s defense and you had let it gain the initiative. How could you have misjudged the situation so badly?

You barely stay coherent as the Ghoul lifts you up by your neck, standing up at it’s full height for the first time. You don’t even have the energy to struggle. Even if you did, you doubt you could escape it’s vise-like grip. Looking at you with it’s unnaturally dilated eyes, it hisses at you silently, exposing it’s needle-like teeth.

Fighting through the fuzziness in your head, you summon as much energy as you can. Then you stab the Ghoul through it’s left bicep.

The Ghoul doesn’t even seem to notice. You might as well have done nothing. In fact, summoning the energy to counterattack was even worse than doing nothing because now you had none left to fight for your consciousness as the Ghoul’s grip grew tighter and tighter.

>You still have a chance! Stab the Ghoul somewhere important!

>You still have a chance! Kick the Ghoul in it’s stomach wound!

>You still have a chance! Struggle out of the Ghoul’s grip!

>You might as well be dead. Give up.

>Other

Rolled 39 (1d100)

>>3649881

>You still have a chance! Stab the Ghoul somewhere important!

Under the chin

>You still have a chance! Stab the Ghoul somewhere important!

Since only one person voted, I’ll just count their roll.
2-50 - You don’t have the energy to wound it
51-70 - You barely graze it
71-90 - You injure it
91-100 - You stab it under the chin

>You don’t have the energy to wound it

You struggle desperately to keep the Ghoul’s iron grip from outright breaking your neck with your one free hand, while you attempt to raise your straightsword’s tip to stab the Ghoul.

The Ghoul tightens it’s grip. You almost black out from the pain of your individual vertebrae trying to seperate themselves. It’s impossible to even think about keeping your grip on your sword. Your straightsword drops from nerveless fingers, clattering as it hits the ground.

Your energy is spent. Soon, you won’t even have any left to keep the Ghoul from crushing your windpipe. Through bleary, flickering vision, the Ghoul’s uncomfortably human, skull-like face seems impossibly large. It draws back it’s other hand, claws primed to eviscerate you …

A massive cleaver erupts from the Ghoul’s chest. Made of pitted iron, serrated, and more than double the span of your palm, it’s appearance is as abrupt as the loosening of the Ghoul’s grip.

You fall to the ground choking and gasping for air. For the first time in what felt like hours, blood and air is free to flow to your lungs and brain.

“Wow, you almost got killed.” A concerned-sounding feminine voice says from somewhere high. You hear the slap of two boots hitting the pavement, before hearing the sound of someone walking towards you.

“Are you okay, Jayden?” The voice asks. You open your bleary eyes. Your sight is greeted by the hem of an anachronistic dress hanging above a pair of heavy boots. A small, dainty hand with calloused palms extends down as if to offer help getting up.

>”Yes … thank you for saving me.” Grab the hand.

>”Yes … I’m fine.” Get up by yourself.

>Silently grab the hand. There’s no need for words.

>”... Delilah?”

>”Sorry … Give me a minute and I will be.” Collapse on the ground and regain your strength.

>Other

>>3653580
>"Yes, thank you for saving me."

>Accept help rising.

Oof, embarrassing.

>Thank, accept help
[+1 Pious]

“Thank you,” You say to your saviour, “It’s a miracle you found me when you did. If not for that and God’s grace, I would have died.”

“It was a surprise for me to meet you again so soon, ahahaha!” You saviour laughs, seemingly brushing off your gratitude. They She pulls you to your feet, “But I thought you said you were an exorcist! So what are you doing fighting monsters in the streets at night? And why did you try to kill one with such a small weapon, I wonder …”

You finally get a good look at their face. As you had deduced already, it was Delilah. Despite yourself, you can’t help but feel a tinge of embarrassment from being saved by the eccentric woman whose purse you had searched and whom you had suspected of being an assassin and failed to force a confession. Being chastised by her on the obvious dangers of facing supernatural creatures unprepared only stung your pride more.

But you push those thoughts out of your mind. Such thoughts were base and petty. Who were you to resent someone who had saved you for reminding you of things you should had already known?

And there were more pressing thoughts as well. What was Delilah doing throwing cleavers from rooftops in the dead of the night. More importantly, who was Delilah? You can’t help but feel that your strong suspicions on her nature were being confirmed.

“Whoa!” Delilah exclaims, catching you right before you collapse. “Hang in there, okay? I’ll support you until we get to somewhere where you can rest.”
Delilah leans you against her shoulder and starts walking forwards, half-dragging you with her …

>”Who are you and what are you doing out so late at night?”

>Why did you save me?”

>”Freelance competition management, right? … Is walking the streets at night and hunting monsters with massive cleavers a common part of that job?”

>”You don’t need to carry me anywhere! I have a colleague I can call for help!”

>Other

>>3656630
>Where do you stow that cleaver?

>This happen often in your job?

Well shit, I didn't expect us to reach page 11 so quickly. New thread tomorrow.