>>3799616
>>I have trouble believing that killing yōma is their only goal.
>If I had to guess it would be for power. What they need that power for I can’t say.

>>3799616
>I have trouble believing that killing yōma is their only goal.

>>3799616
>>I have trouble believing that killing yōma is their only goal.
>If I had to guess it would be for power. What they need that power for I can’t say.
>After all if killing yoma was their only goal they'd not be so careless with us warriors, as our awakening actively makes worse things. They seem to want a weapon they can control perfectly... I only wish I knew WHY.

>>3799841
>>3799616
Maybe a bit of meta knowledge, but it is a logical conclusion of what we know

>>3799616
>I have trouble believing that killing yōma is their only goal.
>If I had to guess it would be for power. What they need that power for I can’t say.

>>3799616
>>I have trouble believing that killing yōma is their only goal.

This thread isn't coming up in the qst catalogue for some reason

>>3801176
... how do you mean?

>>3801214
i think he is just looking for the older picture, i was confused at first too

>>3801240
This, it also hurts my eyes to look at it due to the colors.

>>3801553
I'll be using the old image again next time. To be completely honest I don't really like how this one works either.
>writing

File: __clare_and_miria_claymor(...).jpg (45 KB, 617x758)

45 KB JPG

>>3799616
“It seems like everything about the Organization and how it does things is aimed at creating ever more powerful half-blood warriors, who can be controlled in the field,” you muse, until you get to the hard part. “But as for why, I can only guess why they started working with twins, for example. It could be that they were already aware of the threat of awakened beings.”

“But how?” Justina frowns.

You shake your head. “I can’t say. Guess only the old men on the council would know.”

“And so you were an experiment as well?” Vanessa asks. “Do you think… well, that your… you know...”

“No?” Jenna replies with a huff. “Spit it out, Nessa!”

“Do you think your mother was aware of it?”

>I’ve been told that she had already awakened by then, so I doubt it was anything but pure opportunism.
>I cannot rule that out, of course. But I have reason to doubt it.
>It’s entirely possible, especially if she’s actually been trying to manipulate me since we met.
>Other?

>>3801605
>>I’ve been told that she had already awakened by then, so I doubt it was anything but pure opportunism.

>>3801605
>I cannot rule that out, of course. But I have reason to doubt it.

>>3801605
>I’ve been told that she had already awakened by then, so I doubt it was anything but pure opportunism.

>>3801605
>"Oh absolutely. "

>>3801605
>I cannot rule that out, of course. But I have reason to doubt it.
Partially aware or suspect perhaps.

>>3801605
>>I’ve been told that she had already awakened by then, so I doubt it was anything but pure opportunism.

>>3801605
>>I’ve been told that she had already awakened by then, so I doubt it was anything but pure opportunism.

>>3801605
>>I’ve been told that she had already awakened by then, so I doubt it was anything but pure opportunism.
>>I cannot rule that out, of course. But I have reason to doubt it.

File: 41237330_p0.jpg (60 KB, 769x577)

60 KB JPG

>>3801605
“I doubt it was anything but pure opportunism,” you shake your head, dismissing out of hand any notion that your mother would willingly cooperate with the Organization. “Sabela plainly despises the Organization.”

“Besides, even if she did suspect something she probably ignored it.”

“Why?”

“Because, Justina,” you begin to explain, “that’s just the sort of being she is.”

“I see,” Justina nods. “No, wait. Not really.”

“She seems like the type who just does whatever she feels like,” you continue, trying to communicate what you know only through general sentiments. “It’s not that she lacks the ability to plan ahead, but I know that she conceived me after she awakened. So I doubt given what she’s like now that she did that for the Organization.”

Vanessa nods along. “If anything it sounds more like she’d do that to help her fight against the Organization.”

“I can’t rule that out,” you admit.

Eventually, the Captain returns.

“Was a narrow vote,” he admits. “But the boys decided we’re gony take ya with us.”

You shut your eyes, considering that point for a moment. “Alright.”

>But are you prepared to take action if any of your crew act on their own?
>Please keep this in mind: I am VERY protective of my half-blooded sisters.
>Say nothing, simply go along for now.
>Other?

>>3803499
>Please keep this in mind: I am VERY protective of my half-blooded sisters.

>>3803499
I wouldn't put it past the sailors to try and have sex with the girls. For that they'll get a sound beating.

>>3803499
>>3803500
This
>>3803503
They are more than capable to beat them up, the Fucker needs to look out if he doesn't understand the concept of "No"

>>3803499
>>Please keep this in mind: I am VERY protective of my half-blooded sisters.

>>3803499
>Say nothing, simply go along for now.

Not like they can actually threaten us, and after all the heavy lifting we did it'll take a true idiot to not only try, but persist.

>>3803499
>>Say nothing, simply go along for now.

>>3803499
>Say nothing, simply go along for now.

>>3803499
“Please keep in mind,” you mutter, allowing a hint of yōki to release and stain your eyes metallic gold. “I am very protective of my half-blood sisters.”

As you pass the Captain you suppress your yōki again, and he manages a quick reply. “I’ll… keep that in mind, lass.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

You follow him aboard, leading your companions up the gangplank and onto a fairly modest wooden sailing ship.

“Make yerselves at home,” the Captain gestures.

>Find a place belowdecks, maybe in the cargo hold.
>Find a spot on the fore or sterncastles, someplace out of the weather but more fit for habitation.
>Find some canvas to shelter under on the decks.
>Other?

>>3803909
>>Find a spot on the fore or sterncastles, someplace out of the weather but more fit for habitation.

>>3803499
>Say nothing, simply go along for now.

>>3803909
>>Find a spot on the fore or sterncastles, someplace out of the weather but more fit for habitation.

>>3803909
>Find a spot on the fore or sterncastles, someplace out of the weather but more fit for habitation.

>>3803909
>>Find a spot on the fore or sterncastles, someplace out of the weather but more fit for habitation.

>>3803909
>>Find a place belowdecks, maybe in the cargo hold.

>>3803909
You do your best to find a place that will be both out of the way and off the deck… going belowdecks will either cut into already tight space for the crew or puts you in danger if any of the cargo shifts in the hold, and being on deck is going to be miserable. Even worse, in high seas there’s a chance of being washed off into the open waters. That’s one way that a lot of warriors could potentially go: you may be unusually strong, fast, and durable, but you can’t walk on water.

Eventually you settle on a small cabin in the forecastle, what looks to be a sail workshop that has space on the floor for four to sit uncomfortably.

“This is rough,” Jenna admits as the ship gets underway, slowly sailing out of the harbor. “You going to be okay, Nessa?”

Vanessa stares back at her friend with a dead look in her eyes. “I hate this already.”

>3d10, best of four

Rolled 5, 7, 2 = 14 (3d10)

>>3805974

Rolled 1, 3, 2 = 6 (3d10)

>>3805974
>inb4 several seasick witches

Rolled 4, 6, 3 = 13 (3d10)

>>3805974

Rolled 7 (1d20)

>>3805974

Rolled 10, 6, 2 = 18 (3d10)

>>3805974

>>3805974
You wait until it seems like Vanessa can’t handle it any longer before offering your assistance.

“Come here,” you insist.

Vanessa struggles to come towards you, and you end up pulling her the last little ways into your lap.

“Wh-what are you...” she groans, barely able to keep herself from being sick.

“Close your eyes,” you order her. “And don’t give me any backtalk.”

She does as you say, and then you cover over her ears with your hands. Hopefully by cutting down on the amount of overstimulation to her senses, you can keep her from feeling too ill from the movement of the ship around you.

It seems that so long as your trip is through relatively calm seas, this trick will help a little, at least. But as you’ve learned, the sea can be a harsh mistress…
>3d10, best of three

Rolled 7, 1, 4 = 12 (3d10)

>>3806024

Rolled 7, 10, 7 = 24 (3d10)

>>3806024
lets have Vanessa puke her heart out

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

>>3806024

>>3806024
As the seas pick up your measures grow less and less effective, until the only thing you can think to do is mass some yōki in your hands.

“Focus on my yōki,” you insist as Vanessa moans in agony. “Deep, slow, calming breaths, and focus on nothing except my yōki. Breath deep… stay calm… focus on my yōki.”

As she focuses, you begin to synchronize your yōki with hers. She makes no effort to resist your intrusion, gently adjusting her posture and breathing and heartrate. You feel a sense of nausea in the pit of your stomach, a fraction of what she must feel right now, and work to numb yourself to it as you increase your synchronization slightly. Then, when the sensation returns, you pause and get the unwelcome feedback under control again.

Slowly but surely Vanessa’s distress seems to ease until she’s sitting calmly in your lap, as if half-conscious.

“She’s okay now,” you announce to your other companions. “I’ve synchronized with her enough to help ease her condition.”

“You okay, Nessa?” Jenna asks curiously.

“… better,” Vanessa replies wearily.

>Remain like this, encourage your teammates to settle in. At least SOME of you should disembark well-rested.
>Try to reduce how intensively you’re synchronizing, to try and save some yōki.
>See if you can arrange a way to fall asleep like this, then take shifts sleeping.
>Other?

>>3806071
>>See if you can arrange a way to fall asleep like this, then take shifts sleeping.

>>3806071
>Remain like this

>>3806071
>Remain like this, encourage your teammates to settle in. At least SOME of you should disembark well-rested.

>>3806071
>See if you can arrange a way to fall asleep like this, then take shifts sleeping

>>3806071
>>See if you can arrange a way to fall asleep like this, then take shifts sleeping.

Huh, seasick Claymores. Who'd a thunk it? Well, one Claymore anyway. I think she's part of the newer slapdash generation too.

>>3807331
Noel's estimation was that they had created a sensor, but since she's inexperienced and relatively lower-powered compared to her sensing skill she gets overstimulated too easily. So not a hybrid failure so much as someone who has one skill that's overleveled relative to her other abilities.

>>3806071
>3d10, best of four

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

>>3807845

Rolled 7, 2, 9 = 18 (3d10)

>>3807845

Rolled 8, 4, 5 = 17 (3d10)

>>3807845

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

>>3807845

>>3807845
“We’ll take shifts sleeping,” you decide. “I’ll see if I can get to sleep while keeping this up… Justina, you take the first watch.”

“Right,” she nods intently. “Leave it to me.”

You try to do just that, but find it difficult to rest and maintain your synchronization with Vanessa. She can sleep easily enough, but so long as she’s reliant on your support you can’t do the same.

>Try as best you can to rest by meditating rather than sleeping.
>Tell the others not to bother. You’ll stay awake for them all.
>Other?

>>3807920
>>Try as best you can to rest by meditating rather than sleeping.

>>3807920
>Try as best you can to rest by meditating rather than sleeping.

>>3807920
>>Try as best you can to rest by meditating rather than sleeping.
No sleep and resting is better than no sleep and no rest

>>3807920
>>Try as best you can to rest by meditating rather than sleeping.

>>3807920
Alright, let's start off with a roll. 3d10 best of three

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

>>3809798

Rolled 5, 1, 9 = 15 (3d10)

>>3809798

Rolled 5, 2, 9 = 16 (3d10)

>>3809798

>>3809798
You take the time to try meditating to give yourself some time to rest, at least in a way. But it’s not the same as sleeping, even for the hour or so you’d need per night to remain fully rested.

By the next afternoon you’ve put into port and you’re exhausted, but at least there was no trouble with the crew. It was too rough and stormy for them to not be on deck or sleeping in shifts, making sure that the ship you’ve hired doesn’t end up swamped and you don’t end up trying to swim to shore.

“Ask them… where...” you grumble at Justina, whose shoulder you’re leaning on for support while Vanessa leans on Jenna’s.

Justina nods, prompting a hiss from you. “Please don’t.”

“Where are we?” Justina asks the Captain as clearly as possible.

“Alness,” the Captain declares.

Alness… Alness… that’s on the coast of Karluk, if memory serves, meaning that you sailed through the open waters of the Karluk bight. A miserable, storm-tossed stretch of sea that a century or two ago was regarded as completely impassable. Ships used to have to cling to the north coast for mile after mile to avoid the open water.

That’s fine. You’re fine, this was all worth it.

“We’re fine,” you grumble at the Captain.

“Sorry, lass?”

“We’ve come far enough!” you raise your voice, hurting your own ears. “The rest of the way we walk.”

>Hold up in Alness for a few hours, get your stomachs settled.
>Keep moving. To be safe you need to get into Sabela’s territory as soon as possible.
>Other?

>>3809869
>
>Keep moving. To be safe you need to get into Sabela’s territory as soon as possible.

>>3809869
>>Hold up in Alness for a few hours, get your stomachs settled.

>>3809869
>Keep moving. To be safe you need to get into Sabela’s territory as soon as possible.

>>3809869
>Keep moving. To be safe you need to get into Sabela’s territory as soon as possible.

>>3809869
>Keep moving. To be safe you need to get into Sabela’s territory as soon as possible.

>>3809869
>Hold up

>>3809869
>Keep moving. To be safe you need to get into Sabela’s territory as soon as possible.

>>3809869
>Hold up in Alness for a few hours, get your stomachs settled.
It's not smart to keep going in this state.

>3d10, best of three

Rolled 1, 10, 5 = 16 (3d10)

>>3810147

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

>>3810147

Rolled 3, 9, 2 = 14 (3d10)

>>3810147

>>3810147
“We need to reach our home territory as quickly as possible,” you declare. “The sooner we do the sooner we will be relatively safe.”

“You wouldn’t rather rest and recover?” Jenna enquires cautiously, her concern both for your condition and Vanessa’s obvious.

Justina nods. “She has a point.”

You remain resolute. “My own condition will pass, as will Vanessa’s. Until then continuing to make progress, even slowly, is preferable.”

Hearing no arguments, you begin to limp your way out into the plateaus of Karluk to the south. It’s almost a straight line to the nearest extent of Sabela’s territory and so every road that winds any direction other than due south delays your arrival and leaves you more likely to encounter another warrior.

You’re only managing to work off the sense of sickness by the next morning, when Justina gets your attention.

“To the west,” she mutters. “One warrior, fairly strong.”

“Any indication they’ve noticed us?” you ask.

She shakes her head. “No way to know.”

>If we stay still and suppress our yōki it gives us the best chance of eluding notice.
>We will continue moving slowly. Standing still during a potential chase is a mistake.
>No sense in playing around. We’ll make a mad dash for safety and hope we’re faster.
>Other?

>>3810338
>>No sense in playing around. We’ll make a mad dash for safety and hope we’re faster.

>>3810338
>We will continue moving slowly. Standing still during a potential chase is a mistake.

>>3810338
>We will continue moving slowly. Standing still during a potential chase is a mistake.

>>3810338
>We will continue moving slowly. Standing still during a potential chase is a mistake.

I wonder what Sabela's subordinates are like, or how many there are for that matter.

Sorry for missing yesterday, I was completely exhausted after having a migraine on a transatlantic flight. So I can upate later this evening.

>>3814500
It's cool dude. Appreciate the heads up.

>>3810338
“We should move more slowly,” you decide, “but not stop making progress. For a deer to freeze up when pursued by a hungry wolf would be tantamount to suicide, but to run too quickly is almost to ask for a chase.”

“Not inaccurate,” Justina agrees. “Though we may wish to adjust pace.”

“I agree,” you nod.

You spend the rest of the day heading south, carefully controlling your yōki release. Due to the distance involved and the course the other warrior is plotting it’s hard to tell if she is intentionally approaching you. She seems to be moving on a diagonal, some distance behind your own progress, but definitely is closing the distance somewhat slowly.
>3d10, best of three

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

>>3815440

Rolled 3, 6, 7 = 16 (3d10)

>>3815440

Rolled 3, 10, 6 = 19 (3d10)

>>3815440

>>3815440
The warrior comes perilously close at the perigee, but after a tense hour or so where it’s difficult to tell it feels like her yōki grows more distant. Perhaps she doesn’t sense you at all, perhaps she senses you and thinks you’re a group of warriors on a legitimate hunt due to the fact that only one of you is fully at the single-digit level. Maybe she just doesn’t care.

No matter the reasoning, the reality is that she continues her way towards the southern border of Karluk. Your own small group crosses the border into eastern Sakia before settling in for the night, tucked into a small grassy vale off the side of the road.

“That was close,” Jenna sighs. “You finally got your legs back under you, Nessa?”

Vanessa nods meekly. “Better, yes.”

“That’s good,” you nod quietly, feeling somewhat recovered now yourself from your self-imposed ordeal.

“You’re better too,” Justina states flatly. No, not a question of course. She simply has faith that by now you should have been able to shrug off the side effects of your little stunt.

“Yeah,” you confirm. “Since a few hours ago.”

“We got lucky,” Justina continues.

You nod. “Maybe. There’s any number of reasons why she ignored us, but whatever the reason was I’ll take it.”

“We can’t do this forever.”

Justina has a point… there’s going to be a time when the Organization and its warriors can’t be knocked out, evaded, or talked down. Sooner or later it’ll be single digits, and they’ll have been sent after you rather than it being an accidental meeting.

>Then we should remain withdrawn in Hazaran, operating in secrecy as long as possible.
>Then we’ll deal with that as each situation arises, one situation at a time.
>It may make sense to declare our intentions at some point. I’ll put it past Helen, see what she thinks.
>Other?

>>3815735
>Then we should remain withdrawn in Hazaran, operating in secrecy as long as possible.

>>3815735
>Then we should remain withdrawn in Hazaran, operating in secrecy as long as possible.

>>3815735
>>It may make sense to declare our intentions at some point. I’ll put it past Helen, see what she thinks.

>>3815735
>>Then we should remain withdrawn in Hazaran, operating in secrecy as long as possible.

>>3815735
>Then we should remain withdrawn in Hazaran, operating in secrecy as long as possible.

>>3815735
>>It may make sense to declare our intentions at some point. I’ll put it past Helen, see what she thinks.

>>3815735
“You have a point,” you admit quietly, “and we’ll need to discuss this with Helen and the others at some point. But my inclination is to make this the last time for a while we extend our operations so far outside of Hazaran.”

“Oh?”

You nod. “The lower a profile we keep the longer we will have to work and train unhindered, and the more ready we’ll be when that confrontation finally arrives.”

“Readiness?” Vanessa questions your reasoning. “If four former single digits isn’t ‘ready’, then what is?”

“She has a point,” Jenna agrees. “I mean, I’ve never even heard of that many single digits working towards a single goal before.”

“By the time the Organization decides to take us on openly I want even the three of you ducklings to be at the level of low single-digits,” you declare.

“Wait, us!?” Jenna demands. “You can’t be serious!”

Your eyes fall heavily on her. “It will be the most difficult task in your lives. I’ll find your limits and force you to break them yourselves. You’ll wish I’d simply killed you.”

“But between live students who resent me and dead students who adored me, I’d rather risk your resentment.”

Vanessa stares at you wide-eyed. “You’re serious. You really mean to train us until we’re that strong?”

“If I didn’t I wouldn’t have said it,” you assure her. “Now get some rest. We head out at first light.”
>3d10, best of three

Rolled 3, 5, 10 = 18 (3d10)

>>3818008

Rolled 9, 7, 1 = 17 (3d10)

>>3818008

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

>>3818008

File: 444837_p0.jpg (116 KB, 624x424)

116 KB JPG

>>3818008
It takes another two days of careful, cautious progress for you and the ducklings to reach the safe haven of Castle Scaithag. But when you do, the response is as always entertaining.

“This is where you’re living now?” Jenna asks in complete shock.

“Yup,” you reply succinctly. “Actually it was one of our smaller castles.”

“One of?” Vanessa repeats. “Smaller?”

“It’s an old fortification,” you explain, “from back before Hazaran was consolidated. It’s just a clan holding… a nice one that my father and I both used to like, but never meant for national-level politics.”

“You mean war?” Justina asks.

You shake your head. “War is just what happens when people decide to stop talking and start dictating. Politics for stubborn people.”

The gate is currently being watched by Serana, who greets you in her typical warm albeit silent manner.

WELCOME BACK. I SEE YOU WERE SUCCESSFUL.

“Not entirely,” you admit. “We need to get everyone together.”

Serana nods and charges off towards were you can feel Sabrina and Lucia are down on the lower defenses, as you and the others head for the main keep.

Once together you look over all of your little faction… Serana, the mute one-armed swordswoman. Valentina, the white-haired and chipper girl with the extendible clawed fingertips. Justina, the curt warrior with more joints than you’d know what to do with. Helen, the pointy-eared Single Digit whose sword is totally unpredictable. Laura, the former number Two with no nickname. Lucia, the curly-haired little warrior still trying to find her place among you. Sabrina, the spiky-haired survivor struggling to keep up with her changing situation. Alexandra, the defense-oriented duckling. Jenna, the aggressive duckling with the big mouth. Vanessa, the short-haired sensor who struggles with her own amplified senses.
>1/2

>>3818644
Well, no sense beating around the proverbial bush.

“We had a run-in with another warrior,” you admit. “Juliana, ranked 21, offensive type.”

“I was hoping it would take longer,” Laura grumbles.

Helen shakes her head. “It was bound to happen sooner or later.”

“We were counting on ‘later’ though,” Sabrina points out.

“Not completely unfair,” you admit. “But she doesn’t know any details about us nor did she seem curious to know, and we got three more warriors out of the deal.”

“Three rookies,” Laura points out.

“We all used to be rookies,” Valentina counters.

“True,” Laura allows, “but we’re not anymore. And the warriors the Organization will send when they make their move won’t be either.”

“If we look out for each other the way we should,” Helen muses, “then they won’t remain rookies for long. You said these three have potential?”

You nod. “I stand by that assessment.”

“Then we’ll have to trust your judgment,” Helen nods, turning to Laura. “Is that acceptable?”

Laura sighs, scratching her head. “Ideal, no. Acceptable, yes. Correct?”

She spares the three newcomers a quick glance.

“… probably. At very worst it’s in character for Noel, so I trust it as far as I trust her.”

“Who’s the bitchy one?” Jenna asks far louder than she seems to think.

“Laura, the former Second ranked warrior,” you explain. “Also keep your tone in check here, Jenna. Remember that some of us here are stronger than you with only one arm, and none of the others share my enthusiasm.”

“You’re getting a pass because Noel seems to like you,” Laura adds, making it obvious that she overheard the whole exchange. Well, obvious to Jenna at least, you were never in any doubt that she could hear. "But don't push your luck with me, girl. I'm too damn old to put up with any nonsense."
>2/3

>>3818747
“So, that leaves an obvious question,” Valentina points out.

WHAT NOW?

You nod along with Serana’s silent question, ruminating for a few minutes on the unspoken question on the minds of the other nine warriors present.

>We should establish other defensive positions. Give ourselves more options.
>The defenses around Castle Scaithag could still be hardened further.
>We should focus on crossroads towns. Establish a reputation and secure corridors for movement.
>Other?

>>3818771
>>We should focus on crossroads towns. Establish a reputation and secure corridors for movement.

>>3818771
>>We should focus on crossroads towns. Establish a reputation and secure corridors for movement.
I think a good amount of mobility would serve us better, for our numbers, than a good defensive position that relies on people who are not necessarily on our side solely.

>>3818791
>>3818771
Supporting

>>3818771
>>We should focus on crossroads towns. Establish a reputation and secure corridors for movement.

>>3818771
>We should focus on crossroads towns. Establish a reputation and secure corridors for movement.

>>3818771
>We should focus on crossroads towns. Establish a reputation and secure corridors for movement.

>>3818771
>>We should focus on crossroads towns. Establish a reputation and secure corridors for movement.

>>3818771
>We should establish other defensive positions. Give ourselves more options.
From defensive links between defensive positions.
Towns and villages in between will be used for support, and spreading word of our deeds.

>>3818771
>>We should focus on crossroads towns. Establish a reputation and secure corridors for movement.

>>3818785
>3d10, best of four

Rolled 6, 10, 4 = 20 (3d10)

>>3821387

Rolled 3, 6, 2 = 11 (3d10)

>>3821387

Rolled 6, 1, 9 = 16 (3d10)

>>3821387

Rolled 5 (1d10)

>>3821387

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

>>3821387

>>3821474
>>3821475
>>3821475
this is dice rolling on a moblie.

File: Map-Hazaran-Sept-16-2019.png (387 KB, 584x546)

387 KB PNG

>>3821387
“There are a few key crossroads towns to consider,” you declare, guiding the attention of your peers to the large map in the reception hall. “Here are the present borders of Hazaran, established under the rule of my father. Key in the north are the passes from Merced to Daria, and from Voi to Acerrae, controlled by Norwick and Voi respectively. In the east you have Scaithness and Balloch, in the center you have Dean, and in the south you have Drumbeg.”

“The western region is historically the most contentious border,” you continue. “Applecross and Rosemarkie are at the southern and northern ends of the Merced salient, with Norwick, Aith, and Baiko being the main staging points to move soldiers and materiel around the salient. After Merced changed hands for good we needed a new road to cover the strategic loss.”

Your peers watch as you mark the locations on the map and explain their approximate significance.

Helen is particularly keen to follow your explanation. “And so these would be the most significant nodes in the region’s transportation network?”

You nod curtly. “Exactly. Building up a presence and reputation in those ten settlements, plus Daria, Acerrae, and Taskavaig, secures our operations and our position at Scaithag.”

WHERE SHOULD WE FOCUS?

You ponder Serana’s question for a few seconds. “We’ve already done some business in Voi, and we live in Scaithness. I also have important contacts in Baiko, so that’s a start.”

“And the most important of the others?” Laura presses sternly.

“Dean, Norwick, Applecross, and Drumbeg,” you decide. “The southern border is where the Inquisition’s agents will be the most active, Applecross gets traffic both from both Bretonne and Tarsus, Norwick is the major point on the Dari pass, and dean is on a crossroads near the Capital.”
>1/2

>>3821568
“And where’s Sabela?” Justina asks curiously.

You lightly tap at the map. “I’ve only identified one of her lairs, outside Acerrae. She seems to move around a lot.”

“We spoke to the Lord of Tarskavaig,” Helen recounts, “so he knows what we’re up to and has agreed to keep in contact.”

“Our mutual friend in Acerrae as well,” Laura adds.

So that leaves the sheriff in Voi, and the four settlements of Norwick, Dean, Applecross, and Drumbeg to cover… possibly Balloch as the fifth, depending on whether news from Tarskavaig indicates that the Inquisition is continuing to expand its influence northward along the Hazari-Cuilan border.

There’s also the Captital itself to consider…

YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING.

You sigh, nodding to Serana as your hands flash a quick reply. GUILTY.

“I’ll admit, Dean may not be my best assignment,” you announce. “Too close to the Capital. I’d be better either in Norwick, or one of the southern towns.”

“Sigmunt?” Valentina asks.

You nod. “Sigmunt.”

“Why not… you know,” Valentina shrugs. “Deal with him, I guess?”

>I will only step back into Hazari politics if Sigmunt somehow dies on his own. Anything else will simply make matters worse.
>I might be able to convince him, eventually. But now is not that time.
>He’s a problem that needs to be dealt with tactfully, and soon.
>Other?

>>3821592
>I might be able to convince him, eventually. But now is not that time.

>>3821592
>Other?
I don't want to complicate our plans further by entering politics before we have to. Maybe in the future if Sigmund dies on his own or if he can be convinced, we can expand into the capital. But now is not that time, and doing so will only make matters worse.

>>3821592
>>3821713
This guys got it

>>3821713
>>3821592
sounds logical, supporting

>>3821592
>>I will only step back into Hazari politics if Sigmunt somehow dies on his own. Anything else will simply make matters worse.

>>3821592
Shit, you know what? My objective suddenly went from "survive the Organization" to "claim the throne ASAP" because of this post.

We're looking at two, potentially three threats right now (disregarding the wild cards that are Yoma and Awakened Beings): Sigmunt, the Organization and its Claymores, and the Inquisition.

If we get rid of Sigmunt, we can harness the vast resources of the nation's power to corral the radical church. Same goes for the human members of the Organization: without their Claymores, most human members generally act as spies or researchers. And who can be assumed to have a psy-ops and counter-intelligence program to rival them? The military.

This is, of course, contingent on us surviving the inevitable flood of Claymores set upon us by the Organization once we go public. So I guess we should focus on power-leveling everyone, and fast.

>>3821978
We'd probably have to kill humans which is a very core value or rule that will be hard for the others to accept breaking, and in doing so it will make it easier for other claymores to descend on us. Not to mention gaining control of a nation means a likely repeat of Noels childhood. The organization probably helped overthrow her father from the throne. Showing belligerence and attempting to retake a kingdom guarantees the Org. will do something, and it won't be pleasant.

>>3822018
No, anon. We become the usurper.

lol, no but it's not impossible to leverage public opinion into coming out with a "hearts-and-minds" victory rather than through military might, like we did with our castle.

I agree that this'll be a longer-term goal. But, at least in my opinion, going the 4X route sounds more interesting than shounen fighting our way to victiry.

>>3821978
Forgot the fourth the abyssal ones
Because the Org will leak our parentage to them so they can get leverage over on if we rebuff their heavy hitters enough

>>3822097
Over on mom

>>3821592
>HAZRAN IS RIGHTFULLY MINE ALL WILL BOW TO THE LONELY QUEEN

>>3821592
“Hazaran may be mine by right,” you grumble, “but I’ve been out of Hazari politics for quite some time now. And while I’ll probably have to get involved again at some point now isn’t the right time, and taking the role of another usurper isn’t the right way.”

“So until Sigmunt either dies on his own or comes to us I plan to remain uninvolved.”

There are a few moments of silence before Valentina speaks up. “Well I think you’d make a good queen.”

“Maybe,” you shrug. “And maybe we’ll even find out some day. But not today, and tomorrow doesn’t look good either.”

“Now, I think we can stop asking for a while?” Laura rolls her eyes. “I don’t think she’s gonna budge.”

Helen leans heavily over the tabletop map, looking over the marks you placed on it. “We’ll need to divide the tasks and proceed in a rotation. Leave no chances for any surprises.”

“We have eleven,” you nod. “Two teams of three active, one team of five inactive?”

TEAMS OF THREE WOULD BE MORE SECURE, Serana agrees silently.

“And a team of five rotated back here would be a deterrent,” you agree. “Helen’s plan is sound.”

“The best way to proceed is to deploy in such a way that we can back each other up if need be,” Laura decides.

>Suggest that you take one team.
>Suggest that you remain at the castle.
>Other?

>>3823269
>>Suggest that you take one team.
Sensing is my best suit, if trouble comes I can move the team I am on accordingly.

>>3823269
>Suggest that you take one team.

>>3823269
>Suggest that you take one team.

>>3823269
>>Suggest that you take one team.

>>3823269
>Suggest that you take one team.

>>3823269
>Suggest that you remain at the castle.

>>3823269
>>Suggest that you remain at the castle.

>>3823269
>Suggest that you remain at the castle.

For the consideration of my fellow questers:

I would like to propose now, before anything too political happens, that we, as a rule, will never condone half-blood warriors becoming directly involved in open conflict between humans. That power is ostensibly born out of a desperate and extreme measure to defend human life from a threat mankind was otherwise helpless against. The consequences of throwing all that out the window and using said power for killing humans instead of saving them would be catastrophic in a whole lot of ways.

That's not to say we do nothing, just killing or maiming humans is off the table. Let humans fight humans, if it comes to that. Self defense is fine too, but minimum force else it get out of hand.

Lets use fake or made up sigils while we travel so we are less likely to be found out or directly ID'd

>>3823269
>Put a Single-Digit on each team
>Put a duckling on each team
>Put a duckling AND a single-digit on each team
>Other?

>>3824803
>>Put a duckling on each team

>>3824803
>>Put a duckling on each team

>>3824803
>Put a duckling AND a single-digit on each team

>>3824803
>Put a duckling AND a single-digit on each team
Quack

>>3824803
“One trainee and at least one single-digit in each team,” you suggest. “Sound good?”

“Laura, you and Serana stay here on standby,” Helen declares. “Let’s see… your name was what exactly?”

Helen is indicating Jenna, who takes a moment to check that’s her intention. “Jenna, ma’am. Formerly number twenty-seven.”

“You’ll stay here too,” Helen decides aloud. “Noel, you take Valentina and… you, the one with the white bun?”

“Alexandra, former number twenty-eight,” she replies.

“Then you’ll take Vanessa and who else?” you ask.

Helen frowns for a moment, considering her options. “Sabrina, you’re with me. Justina, Lucia, you two will remain here as well.”

“I don’t know about you, Serana,” Laura sighs discontentedly, “but I need something to occupy my time. You wanna help me drill the rookies?”

Serana nods silently, flashing a simple gesture of agreement rather than wasting any words on someone who still won’t be able to understand.

>Then we’ll head for Norwick. Spreading influence along the Dari pass gets us three kingdoms at once.
>I’ll head for Applecross. It’s the furthest afield, so we should start dealing with them as soon as possible.
>Drumbeg will be our hedge against the Inquisition. We’ll need to be cautious in our dealings there.
>Other?

>>3825254
>>I’ll head for Applecross. It’s the furthest afield, so we should start dealing with them as soon as possible.

>>3825254
>Drumbeg will be our hedge against the Inquisition. We’ll need to be cautious in our dealings there.

>>3825254
>Then we’ll head for Norwick. Spreading influence along the Dari pass gets us three kingdoms at once.

>>3825254
>Then we’ll head for Norwick. Spreading influence along the Dari pass gets us three kingdoms at once.

>>3825254
>I’ll head for Applecross. It’s the furthest afield, so we should start dealing with them as soon as possible.

>>3825254
>>Then we’ll head for Norwick. Spreading influence along the Dari pass gets us three kingdoms at once.

>>3825254
>>Drumbeg will be our hedge against the Inquisition. We’ll need to be cautious in our dealings there.

File: OG-Sligachan-Bridge.jpg (270 KB, 1200x630)

270 KB JPG

>>3825254
“We’ll go to Norwick,” you decide. “I have contacts in Daria and I used to be stationed in Inner Tarsus, so I’m familiar with the area. If we can build a reputation along the Dari pass word will spread for sure.”

Helen nods curtly. “By all means. I will head for Applecross... we’ll need to be careful to assess the situation with this ‘Inquisition’ before making any serious moves along the border, and starting at the far west gives us the most options to withdraw.”

“Going straight to the drama,” you sigh. “I wish you luck.”

“I hope we don’t need it,” Helen sighs. “But thanks for the thought.”

You gently bump fists with Serana on your way out, and give Laura a quiet nod as well. Once out of the castle you make a right turn to walk through Scaithness, then continue downhill and out of the valley of Loch Scaithag.

Eventually Alexandra speaks up, shortly after you make another right turn to begin working your way back northwest towards the Dari pass.

“So… what’s this Norwick like anyway?”

Valentina answers before you can. “I actually grew up in the northwest of Hazaran.”

“Really?” you ask. “You never told me that.”

“It’s never come up,” she shrugs. “And unlike your childhood why would it?”

“So where are you from exactly?” Alexandra continues.

“A little village along the border, between Norwick and Rosemarkie,” Valentina explains. “It’s called Keisskirk.”

“Keisskirk?” Alexandra repeats with a frown. “What kind of name is that?”

“The name of a town,” Valentina smirks. “Kirk is an old word for a church, and this church was on a little river called the River Keiss. So the settlement there ended up being called Keisskirk.”

“There’s a famous bridge over the Keiss, isn’t there?” you muse, recalling a painting that used to hang on one of the walls in the Palace. “Quite picturesque, especially in the summer when the grasses and sedges are grown thick.”

“You know it?” Valentina asks, seemingly surprised to hear it.

You shake your head. “Only from an old painting. I’ve never been there myself.”
>1/2

>>3826801
“Well, I guess it’s a princess’ duty to know her realm,” Valentina shrugs. “I’d like to take you there sometime.”

“You sure?” you ask curiously. “Not many warriors are keen to go ‘home’ after… well, after the things a lot of us have been through. Yourself included.”

“The way I look at it the dead should stay dead,” Valentina sighs, continuing to look straight ahead as she walks. “When we obsess over stuff like that the memories keep cutting into us long after it should be over and done with, and the dead become like wraiths, you know? Haunting us even after they’re dead and buried?”

“You’re not wrong,” you eventually admit.

“Plus, it’s not like I’m from Keisskirk,” she points out. “That’s just the closest town to where my family was.”

“So, what are the towns over that way like?” Alexandra presses as gently as she can. “Having never been there either?”

“They’re simple people mostly,” Valentina explains, choosing her words carefully. “I guess you could say they’re a bit… jumpy, perhaps?”

“And justifiably so,” you nod in agreement. “Border skirmishes and bandits are definitely still a problem… the former less so in recent years but the latter increasingly since the last war in the area.”

“You think there’s a risk of getting attacked by bandits?”

>Probably not. Most bandits are clever enough to check their targets, and scared enough of half-bloods to leave us alone.
>We can just outmaneuver them. Bandits may be clever in some ways, but they’re NOT what you’d call ‘smart’.
>It would be a pain, since we absolutely can’t take their lives in any event, but we’ll deal with that if it happens.
>Just remember… minimum force, and only in the event that withdrawal is impossible.
>Other?

>>3826830
>>We can just outmaneuver them. Bandits may be clever in some ways, but they’re NOT what you’d call ‘smart’.

>Regale them about the one guy who wanted to rape our ass despite us having the Stigmata at the time.

>>3826884
Support.

>>3826830
>>Probably not. Most bandits are clever enough to check their targets, and scared enough of half-bloods to leave us alone.

>>3826884
>>3826830

>>3826830
>Hopefully the gang of bandits that live here still recognize me. They ousted their last leader after he showed he was degenerate enough to attempt rape even after seeing my Stigmata.

>>3826830
>We can just outmaneuver them. Bandits may be clever in some ways, but they’re NOT what you’d call ‘smart’.

>>3826830
>>Just remember… minimum force, and only in the event that withdrawal is impossible.

>>3826830
“The last time I was out this way the leader of a local bandit band kind of… well, lost it,” you frown, recalling the incident with measured distaste. “Insisted very loudly that he was going to rape me, even after seeing my stigmata. Which at that point still existed.”

“Seriously!?” Valentina huffs, indignant on your behalf. “So how did you resolve that problem?”

“Didn’t have to,” you shrug. “His own crew turned on him, then they left me in peace.”

“Huh,” Valentina muses. “Unexpected, but not unwelcome I’m sure.”

“Yup,” you nod. “Anyway, the bandits are something we can deal with pretty easily. We have nothing of value, and we’re more maneuverable on foot than they are on horseback.”

“And if they leave us no escape?” Alexandra asks nervously.

You sigh, having anticipated the question. “Minimum possible force, but only if we’re sure that every possible alternative has been exhausted. Just because we don’t have the Organization hanging a sword over all our heads doesn’t mean that key moral point has changed.”

“Understand? Consider it our duty to withdraw first.”
>3d10, best of four

Rolled 10, 10, 4 = 24 (3d10)

>>3828382

Rolled 6, 4, 5 = 15 (3d10)

>>3828382

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

>>3828382

Rolled 9, 3, 7 = 19 (3d10)

>>3828382

>>3828382
As you approach the city of Norwick, you hear something that causes you to stop in your tracks. After straining your ears for a moment you raise your hand to catch Valentina and Alexandra’s attention, then gesture for them to form up near you.

“What is it?” Alexandra asks.

“Either of you hear anything?”

Taking a moment to do as you did, Valentina eventually nods. “Yeah, actually. What is that?”

“It sounds like a battle,” you guess. “Somewhere up ahead. Men and horses, the clashing of blades against armor and shields.”

“Bandits?” Alexandra asks nervously.

You nod, your expression unusually grim. “For sure. It’s only a question of whether they’re doing the attacking, or being attacked.”

“How do you mean?” Valentina asks. “Like, the army or something?”

“Exactly.”

>We need to get a closer look.
>We need to take a different route.
>We need to find a place to hold up until this blows over.
>Other?

>>3828497
>We need to get a closer look.

>>3828497
>We need to get a closer look.
save husbando

>>3828497
>>We need to get a closer look.

>>3828497
>>We need to get a closer look.

>>3828497
>3d10, best of three

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

>>3828698

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

>>3828698

Rolled 7, 5, 3 = 15 (3d10)

>>3828698
Watch me!

>>3828785
perfectly mediocre, well done anon

>>3828698
“We need to get a closer look,” you decide. “At least enough to get an idea of what’s going on.”

“Are you sure?” Alexandra asks nervously. “I mean, do we really need to know that badly if it’s not something we can do anything about anyway?”

Valentina however is immediately behind you. “We need the information though.”

“We’ll be cautious,” you add. “Only move in closer when it becomes clear that there’s a victor.”

It takes a few minutes to get into position, up in the hills above the back country road you have been following northward, and drawing closer to the scene of the commotion confirms that what you heard before were the sounds of battle.

Eventually you see a trio of riders on horseback turn a corner nearby, riding hard south on the road at a thundering pace. Not far behind come four more horses, three of which are riderless and the fourth carries a bloodied body in the saddle. None of them appear to be soldiers… nor does the man on foot who scurries off the road some minutes afterwards.

“Seems like survivors?” Alexa muses.

“Probably,” Valentina agrees. “Just depends on who they were.”

What feels like very nearly half an hour later another group comes into view, and these men wear uniforms. Many carry spears and shields in addition to their armor, obviousl trained and equipped to ward off calvary. So that clarifies it.

“Hazari border guard,” you observe. “We could probably let them...”

“Hey!” one shouts. “Up there!”

You raise an eyebrow. “We’ve been discovered?”

“You sound surprised,” Valentina sighs. “We’re not that well hidden, and unlike the bandits before these guys aren’t panicking.”

A detachment of soldiers breaks off from the main group, heading uphill and cutting south of your position to cut you off.

>Just wait for the detachment to reach your position, and try not to look too threatening.
>Come out of cover. These are no bandits after all, but in THEORY men of some honor.
>Withdraw. You have the advantage of speed and mobility over rough terrain.
>Other?

>>3830334
>Come out of cover. These are no bandits after all, but in THEORY men of some honor.

>>3830334
>>Come out of cover. These are no bandits after all, but in THEORY men of some honor.

>>3830334
>>Come out of cover. These are no bandits after all, but in THEORY men of some honor.

>>3830334
>Come out of cover. These are no bandits after all, but in THEORY men of some honor.

>>3830334
>Come out of cover. These are no bandits after all, but in THEORY men of some honor.

>>3830334
>>Come out of cover. These are no bandits after all, but in THEORY men of some honor.

>>3830334
>Bravely run away

>>3830334
>3d10, best of four

Rolled 1, 3, 2 = 6 (3d10)

>>3832485

Rolled 10, 3, 2 = 15 (3d10)

>>3832485

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

>>3832485

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

>>3832485

File: [xPearse] Gun x Sword - E(...).jpg (71 KB, 1280x720)

71 KB JPG

>>3832490
>>3832494
>>3832495
>>3832498
Noel, what's wrong with your dice?

>will write the update after dinner

File: 62670791_p0.jpg (502 KB, 2000x1240)

502 KB JPG

>>3832485
“Follow my lead,” you declare, before raising your hands over your head and stepping out from behind what light cover you were able to find.

“We mean no harm!” you call out as the outriders take up a flanking position. “We were just trying to figure out what was going on up here!”

The soldiers continue to take up positions, as though they didn’t hear your words.

“You sure about this, boss?” Valentina asks nervously.

“They’re supposed to be men of some honor,” you sigh, none too thrilled at this turn of events. “At least that’s the theory.”

“You there!” what you take to be an officer calls back as the main body of the unit catches up. “Which of you witches is in charge here!?”

Alexandra and Valentina both glance at you nearly in sync, and you quickly respond. “That would be me… Lieutenant, isn’t it?”

“Explain!” he snaps. “What are you doing skulking about in the hills like a pack of thieves?”

“Trying to determine if we were running across a pack of thieves,” you counter, slightly insulted by the man’s tone. “If that’s what we were dealing with it was my intention to keep us uninvolved.”

“The bandit survivors fled this way,” the Lieutenant declares, “after we defeated them.”

“We saw that.”

“We lost good men in the battle.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

The Lieutenant narrows his dark eyes at you, his accusatory tone reaching a crescendo of sorts. “And you were skulking over here, trying to stay out of it while those good men died. If you’d been there they might not have died.”

>You’re right, they wouldn’t have. But our considerations are very different from yours.
>Then we would have watched them die up close. We don’t kill humans even to defend ourselves.
>Who are you, who is ANYONE, to say who deserves the annihilation we could bring?
>Other?

>>3833068
This will require a write in.

Someone quick, start scribbling!

>>3833068
>>Then we would have watched them die up close. We don’t kill humans even to defend ourselves.
>We kill a human, we get tracked down and executed. Because if we start breaking that rule? We could set ourselves up as nigh immortal queens who no man could realistically touch.

>>3833068
>Other?
No. They would have died either way.

We are explicitly forbidden from killing humans. You people already don't trust us, and have reason to fear us. What happens when we start killing humans, even in self defense or for good reason? The people would fear us so much as to rather live among Yoma would take one of you every day, rather than seek us out for assistance.

>>3833068
this: >>3833856

>>3833856
Perhaps change out "you people" with, "the average person" instead?

>>3833068
>Then we would have watched them die up close. We don’t kill humans even to defend ourselves.

>>3833068
>>3833856
This sounds good.

>>3833068
“We’re forbidden from killing humans,” you counter. “For any reason. Because no matter what the reason is, the very moment one of us draws human blood it validates people’s fear of us, and that makes carrying out our duties impossible.”

“Because we can only come to your aid if someone calls for it,” Valentina points out.

“We’re not gods,” you add. “We’re not all-seeing or all-knowing, so in part we have to rely on the people who rely on us.”

“Do you understand?”
>3d10, best of four

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

>>3835782

Rolled 2, 4, 8 = 14 (3d10)

>>3835782

Rolled 2, 5, 4 = 11 (3d10)

>>3835782

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

>>3835782

Rolled 9, 6, 9 = 24 (3d10)

man fuck these dice. I bet this is gonna be below 20 too.

>>3835782
“Like hell I do,” the officer replies bluntly.

“It’s fine that you don’t understand where we’re coming from,” you shake your head. “But that’s my explanation.”

Your response is the sound of a hammer being cocked, a rifled pistol in the hands of a sergeant standing behind the officer. He doesn’t aim it at you, he has enough sense not to do that. This doesn’t seem to be going well for you.

>There’s nothing they can legally do to you here. Just walk away.
>Motion for Valentina to lead Alexandra away to relative safety.
>Tell the sergeant he can shoot you if it makes him feel any better.
>Other?

File: l7yUr[1].jpg (23 KB, 500x363)

23 KB JPG

>>3835912
'Tell the sergeant he can shoot you if it makes him feel any better.'
(Not voting for this but it reminded me of this

>>3835912
>>Make a long suffering sigh and charge him before he or his men can get their guns into position, explain to him cearlly and slowly, that if we were to start killing? No mortal man could stop us, and no one would trust us, after all we'd be regarded as bad or even worse than youma. For example, if we were so inclined we could kill every single man here, and the worst lasting issue we'd have is bullet holes and maybe some splatter on our clothes. This is not a thing we are allowed a choice on, because if we do we're no better than the youma we hunt.

>>3835912
>Tell the sergeant he can shoot you if it makes him feel any better.

>>3835912
>>There’s nothing they can legally do to you here. Just walk away.

>>3835912
>>There’s nothing they can legally do to you here. Just walk away.

>>3835912
>Tell the sergeant he can shoot you if it makes him feel any better.
"First bandits, then bystanders. What next, innocents? Will that make the regiment proud? If you still fancy a shot, well, here I am. Fire!"

https://youtu.be/tOmTuPrSFog

>>3835912
>There’s nothing they can legally do to you here. Just walk away.

>>3835912
>>There’s nothing they can legally do to you here. Just walk away.

Any chance that this'll end lke the bandit episode and the sergeant is actually about to frag his superior?

>>3835912
>Just walk away

Later virgins

>>3835912
>Motion for Valentina to lead Alexandra away to relative safety.
>Tell the sergeant he can shoot you if it makes him feel any better.

>>3835912
>3d10, best of four

Rolled 6, 6, 8 = 20 (3d10)

>>3838103
DAMMIT QUEEN. WHY MUST YOU DO THIS TO US

Rolled 8, 6, 2 = 16 (3d10)

>>3838103

Rolled 10, 7, 5 = 22 (3d10)

>>3838103

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

>>3838103

>writing

>>3838103
Well, as ominous as that seems the fact of the matter is that there’s nothing they can do to you within the bounds of Hazari law. And so you decide to point that out.

“Bandits are considered hostis humani generis under Hazari customary law,” you observe, staring straight at the Lieutenant. “That’s why you can kill them without first prosecuting them. Anyone who isn’t in a similar legal status can’t be summarily executed, and since we haven’t committed a crime you have no grounds to detain us.”

“If there’s a point here I’d love for you to just get to it,” the Lieutenant grumbles.

“I think she’s trying to say you can’t actually do anything to us,” Alexandra tries to cut through your declaration to get to the gist of it.

You nod curtly. “Not just that. If you try to do anything other than let us go, you’ll be no better than bandits yourselves.”

The officer stares at you pointedly for about a full minute as he considers the point you finally presented to him. Ultimately, there’s no denying it: if he or any of his soldiers do anything to ‘punish’ you for refusing to help them it would break Hazari law. He’d have to be sure that none of you would ever get free and spread word of what had happened, or else it would come back to bite him in a big way. The look on his face tells you he’s surprised that a silver-eyed witch has such a grasp of Hazari law, and that he doesn’t want to admit that you’re right.

Eventually he shakes his head. “Put that damn thing away, sergeant.”

“Sir?”

“She has a point,” he finally admits. “If we shoot them it’s murder.”

“Attempted murder,” you correct him. “You’d have to succeed for it to be murder, and I’ve shrugged off gunshots before.”

“Just… put it away,” the Lieutenant repeats. “I’m angry too, but this does more harm than good.”

The sergeant slowly lowers the hammer on his pistol before holstering it.
>1/2

>>3838348
For a moment you consider saying something, but decide against it. After all, this man has recently lost subordinates.

Instead, you decide that it would be better to walk away.

“Aren’t we going to...” Valentina begins before gesturing to the men over her shoulder.

You simply shake your head. “What would we say?”

Valentina falls silent.

By sundown it comes time to settle for the night, your goal being fairly easy to reach from here by mid-morning tomorrow. But before you nod off, an unexpected question demands your attention.

“At what point are we in the wrong?” Alexa muses quietly.

>Does it matter, given the practicalities of our situation?
>For us to slaughter a human would never be right.
>When the consequences of inaction are worse than the expected long-term consequences of action.
>Other?

>>3838452
>When the consequences of inaction are worse than the expected long-term consequences of action.
But that has to be an extraordinary circumstance.

>>3838452
>When the consequences of inaction are worse than the expected long-term consequences of action.

>>3838452
>When the consequences of inaction are worse than the expected long-term consequences of action.

>>3838452
>When the consequences of inaction are worse than the expected long-term consequences of action.

Kill a human would represt crossing a line to the other side that we would never be able to go back on.

>>3838452
>When the consequences of inaction are worse than the expected long-term consequences of action.
>"Regardless if we're in the right or wrong, Our core mission has always been one simple thing: protecting humans. That's the very first rule of law."
>"Still, I dread the day I am forced to commit Regicide in order to save a kingdom."

>>3838452
>Other
I'm not sure I'm qualified to answer that. I'm a core part of a renegade faction of Claymores. I never planned for things to be that way; I didn't decide in advance what it would take to make me do it. I didn't expect any reason to. Then one day, I made a hell of a choice.

I don't have a good answer to that question. All I can say is that as long as you do your utmost to not be stupid and to keep a cool head, you should trust in what you believe is right: even if someone says it's wrong.

>>3838452
>>When the consequences of inaction are worse than the expected long-term consequences of action.

>>3838452
>When the consequences of inaction are worse than the expected long-term consequences of action.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”― Edmund Burke

>>3838452
I mean, you're all so fast and powerful could you not have intervened and avoided killing the men anyway? If not everyone surely Noel?

>>3838452
“It’s difficult to say,” you admit. “I might have charged in and knocked out the bandits, and might even have saved a life or two. But to do that I would have had to get closer, to the point where our involvement was guaranteed, instead of keeping us uninvolved.”

“Would that have been better?” Valentina muses carefully.

You shake your head. “Difficult to say. Staying uninvolved was the only way to guarantee an outcome that didn’t break our rules. And even if I had done the job without taking a human life by mistake, is that any better?”

“You think they would have killed the bandits anyway?” Alexa asks.

“Probably.”

“So what would it have even accomplished?”

With a sigh, you consider your response. “We would’ve effectively dictated who lived and who died. For one thing it’s no better that way than if we’d killed them ourselves, and for another, who are we to decide such matters?”

Valentina turns to face you. “So where does that leave us?”

“At some point we may need to bend or break our rules,” you admit. “That day will mean crossing a line that can’t be un-crossed, so when it comes we’ll need to be sure that the consequences of inaction would be worse than the long-term consequences of action.”

“We’ll have to keep discussing it, I guess, so we’ll know that day when it comes.”

>3d10, best of four

Rolled 5, 8, 8 = 21 (3d10)

>>3839923
We will save any people who matter to us.

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

>>3839923

Rolled 8, 7, 1 = 16 (3d10)

>>3839923

Rolled 9, 9, 5 = 23 (3d10)

>>3839923

>>3839923
The next morning you rise early, eat a few handfuls of herbs and scraggly wild berries between the three of you, and set off. By sunrise you know you’re nearing the Dari pass and its western gateway of Norwick. A lovely sunrise, warm dry air rolling up from the Tarsus plateau, the blooming sedges and shrubs, the faint scent of smoke…

… wait a minute.

“Do you...” you begin, only for Valentina to nod emphatically.

“I was about to ask!” she insists. “So it’s not just me.”

“A cooking fire?” Alexa asks curiously.

You shake your head. “Maybe. Hopefully.”

“It doesn’t smell like the sort of wood you’d smoke meat with,” Valentina decides.

You seem to come to a silent agreement that you should speed up, and so you hurry along the road until you start to pass some of the outlying fields and buildings around Norwick. The smell of smoke grows stronger and stronger the whole way until you can see the source: a burning house. A small crowd watches on, not doing anything to put the flames out.

“What the...” Alexa mutters. As you glance at her you can see her eyes narrowed.

“What is this?” you ask loudly at the back of the crowd, drawing some of the peoples’ attention away from the fire. “Why are we all standing around watching?”

“You came late,” a bearded, middle-aged man declares with a smirk. “We already took care of this one.”

“… this one?” you ask, starting to get a bad feeling.

“I think you’d better tell us more, if you can.”

>>3841287
So we're going to have to call it here for a moment, I'll start up a new thread tomorrow.

>>3841291
Complications today, I won't have a new thread up tonight.

Keep an eye on Twitter, since I'll be busy tomorrow too I may or may not have time to prepare the new OP.