>>3997052
>>Wait here. Roderick would in fact notify you and the others if he ran across something serious

>>3997052
>Wait here. Roderick would in fact notify you and the others if he ran across something serious

>>3997052
>Wait here. Roderick would in fact notify you and the others if he ran across something serious

>>3997138
>>3997287
>>3997998

“I agree with Jut, we should wait for Roderick’s signal. We shouldn’t take any chances.” Jut leans back, as he hears your answer and gives Val a grin.

“It’s two on one Val,” he begins, “we’re staying here.”

“I’m not going to sit around and watch you two soil yourselves in fear.” Val seems disgusted with the notion of waiting it out. “They’ve been gone for too long and I’m not leaving them alone out there.”

Val picks up a sack filled with various items and strides into the woods without looking back.

“I knew this would happen,” Jut mutters to himself.

The two of you wait for what seems like weeks until suddenly Roderick’s voice projects itself from the campfire. It’s somewhat distorted so you stoke the flames so that you can hear what he has to say.

“Cynthia and I found a lone sorcerer near the center of the woods. Charred corpses surround him and he seems to be preparing a ritual.” You grip your knee tighter as he continues. “I don’t know if he’s trying to summon some sort of demon but he’s obviously taken over and claimed the bunker for himself. I need the three of you to get over here now; I left a trail of leaves in order for you to follow.

“Val went after you two awhile ago,” explains Jut with a worried tone, “we have no idea where she is.”

The fire in front of you remains silent for a moment then responds. “Never mind that, the sorcerer is the only threat here so far. We can find her after we deal with this. Hurry, there isn’t much time!” With that the fire goes silent and the two of you rise.

“This seems a bit too convenient don’t you think?”

“No,” you reply, “the pyromancer killed the bandits and is using them for one of his spells. This seems a clear cut as it gets.”

“I’m still worried about Val, and it isn’t like Roderick checked every inch of the woods.” He grabs his trusty mace and for the first time in awhile, his enchanted spear. It crackles with energy as he gives it a single twirl. “As a favor to me, could you keep an eye out for her. We can still follow the trail but if you follow me from a distance you’re more likely to notice something.”

“What about the sorcerer?” You ask as you prepare your own weapons.

“If we get to him without seeing Val then we’ll take him on. If you see her before we get there, go after her and I’ll handle the sorcerer with the others.”

What will you do?

>Agree

>Suggest that Jut take point instead of you

>Stick to Roderick’s plan

>Write in

>>3998210
>>Stick to Roderick’s plan

>>3998210
>Agree

We did just receive a message through fire, when the opponent is supposedly a pyromancer. Better to be cautious.

>>3998346
This setting and my storytelling lends itself to mystery, but it would be unfair if I left you completely in the dark, especially when it comes to things your character would know. I should not that Roderick is capable of utilizing some magic as shown in the beginning of the story and he is in fact capable of communicating and perceiving events through flames. Wether this message was from the pyromancer or not however, will remain a mystery until you confront him later. Based on this information, you may change your vote if you wish.

>>3998353
*Note

>>3998353
Yea I realize it could all be aboveboard, it was the exact signal we were waiting for. Thank you though.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>3998306
1
>>3998346
2

>>3998366
No problem.

>>3998210
>>Agree

>>3998662
Fuck. A minute too late.

>>3998662
Well that was some pretty bad timing. Since you were so close, and I haven't begun writing yet, I'll let it slide this time around and count it.

>>3998306
>>3998346
>>3998662

“That sounds like a decent enough plan,” you agree, “let’s move.”

Jut takes the lead and the two of you march into the woods with nothing more than the moon, stars, and a trail of leaves to guide you. You make your way through several thorn bushes, a few gullies, and even cross a small stream before you see a bright orange light in the distance. You see neither hide nor hair of Val throughout your short trek but you see the bodies of charred bandits spread about. It seems as if their placement is almost deliberate but you push that idea aside. If you can reach the pyromancer before he can finish his ritual, none of this will matter in the long run. You come to the end of the trail and see Roderick and Cynthia crouching behind a large, fallen tree. Roderick motions you over and as you approach he speaks in a low voice.

“Spread out and surround him,” he orders, “if we attack as a unit he’ll be able to dispatch us all with a single spell.”

You both silently agree and quietly move to another source of cover. Cynthia also silently moves away from Roderick while remaining concealed. You then prepare to strike at a moments notice; the pyromancer is seemingly unaware of your presence as he continues his chants. The bodies that surround him begin to burst into flame, and red smoke rises from their eyes or what is left of them. The sorcerer then channels a formidable amount of energy and prepares to expel it but is interrupted by an arrow lodging itself into his ribcage. He utters a curse and then launches a wave of flames in the direction of his attacker, and then bursts into a run as he attempts to put some distances between himself and his original position. You all come charging out of your hiding places and prepare to deal with the only obstacle between you and that tantalizing horde of ill gotten coins.

Roderick gets in another shot before you make it to him however and this one plants itself firmly into the shoulder of his target. With a shout, the pyromancer emits a large cloud of smoke from his hands and launches streams of fire in multiple directions, his frenzied attempts almost searing off your leg. You pull back as more streams begin to fly out of the smoke and jets of water approach them. It seems that range is going to be the most valuable asset here, though perhaps a joint attack with Jut might do the trick. Your foe is crafty enough, but his fighting experience leaves a bit to be desired.

What will you do?

>Hang back and let Roderick and Cynthia overwhelm him

>Use your enchanted dirk (it is imbued with the power of fire)

>Attack in tandem with Jut

>Tamper with the layout of the corpses

>Write in

>>3998718
>>Attack in tandem with Jut
Thanks for counting the late vote. Appreciate it.

>>3998718
>>Attack in tandem with Jut

>>3998719
>>3998730
I doubt more votes will come anytime soon so we'll go with this. Roll a 1d100

Rolled 39 (1d100)

>>3998761

Rolled 83 (1d100)

>>3998761

Rolled 73 (1d100)

>>3998761
Try and also move to cut off his escape route

>>3998769
>>3998771
>>3998941
Sorry for the delay, I’ll update sometime tonight and things will hopefully continue as normal tomorrow.

>>3998769
>>3998771
>>3998941

As you dodge yet another wave of fire, you quickly evaluate the situation. Your foe is simply striking out at whatever he sees as a threat. He’s been caught off guard and has no clear strategy aside from avoiding any further danger. As you go in for another pass, you run into Jut who like you, is also unable to see through this oppressive smokescreen.

“We have to finish this quickly,” you gasp once you get closer to him, “this place will be burned to the ground if this continues!”

“I’m with you, let’s put this loon down and get back to camp.” Jut seems more concerned with his sleep being disturbed rather than the prospect of burning alive, but no matter his motivations, you both understand what you have to do.

The two of you wade through the smoke, occasionally dodging streaks of fire while at the same time, getting closer to your target. Highly pressurized jets of water and arrows also behave as markers and obstacles for you. Finally you come across him in the eye of the smoke cloud. Thankfully this small section is devoid of smoke but that makes sneaking up on the pyromancer a bit harder than you originally anticipated. Thankfully, he is too occupied by the actions of your allies and you manage to slip behind him. The both of you then proceed to cut and stab at him, which brings the fire mage to his knees. As he falls, he turns around in shock at your sudden appearance and lands on his back, bleeding profusely. Just when the night appears to have been won however, the bodies that littered the floor expel flames from their mouths which then enter the mouth of the sorcerer. He convulses for a few seconds and then begins to levitate. He gathers swirling masses of fire in his hands before unleashing them on the ground below. The two of you narrowly avoid the attack and stare up at the fire mage who seems to have siphoned the energy from the bodies. He looks down at you both with a sneer and bursts into laughter.

“You fools have made a grave mistake. I will enjoy watching you writhe in agony as your flesh simmers.”

Jut twirls his spear again and light begins to gather at its head. “I didn’t get to where I am by falling to hedge wizards. You’re going to wish you had stayed in your little cave tonight!”

What will you do?

>Fight on

>Pull back

>Write in

>>3999921
>>Fight on

>>3999921
>>Fight on

>>3999921
>Pull back

Seems like a last ditch kinda move, we might want to wait it out while range division wears him down.

>>3999973
>>3999995
>>4000088
Into the fire it is, this will be a hard fight. It's time to roll.

Rolled 77 (1d100)

>>4000221

Rolled 75 (1d100)

>>4000221

>>4000248
>>4000258

In spite of the roaring flames, the thick clouds of smoke, and the desperate measures of your cornered enemy, you continue to press the issue. You jump at the mage with as much ferocity as you can muster but he seems undeterred by your actions, in fact he seems to welcome your approach. As soon as your blades connect with his body, they become red hot and begin to melt off of their hilts. You drop your daggers quickly as the steel begins to ooze towards the hand guards. Another blast of water accompanied by a volley of arrows, streaks through the smoke but the new found power of the pyromancer renders these methods ineffective. The water blast quickly evaporates as soon as it comes close to the mage, and the arrows burn up long before they reach the center of the smoke cloud. Jut attempts to strike the mage with his spear and though its enchantments protect it from the flames, he still cant seem to make contact. You make a last ditch effort to affect the outcome of this struggle and throw a large amount of dirt at the sorcerer. This seems to disrupt his form for a few seconds and causes him to turn his attention towards you. He sends a trail of flames your way and then summons a pillar of fire behind you. Seeing as you had little choice, you fling yourself through the pillar in order to avoid the attack and attempt to make your way out of the smokescreen. Your lungs burn as you sprint out of the cloud and make your way back to the perimeter manned by Roderick and Cynthia who are continuing their pointless onslaught.

“We can’t fight him like a normal human,” you rasp as you slip beside Roderick, “we need to treat him like a living flame!”

Not missing a beat, Roderick concludes the brief exchange; “We’ll attempt to route him into the stream then.”

You turn back to the smoke cloud, somewhat worried about Jut who you presumed was still locked in combat with sorcerer. Your worry then shifts to surprise as a flaming hand emerges from the smoke and grabs both you and Roderick, pulling you back in. You are then unceremoniously dropped back in the fray as you see Jut attempting to fend off many sets of fiery hands.

(cont.)

>>4000540

You all spread out and try to avoid the hands while moving out of the danger zone. Jut, who is breathing heavily due to both exhaustion and exposure to the smoke, collapses once he exits the smokescreen leaving the both of you to pull him away. You yourself are also on the verge of collapsing. Your eyes are watering, your breathing is ragged, and your skin is somewhat scorched. Thing grow even more dire as the accursed smoke is blown away and gives way to a large, flaming entity. The mage now towers above all of you and speaks in a booming voice.

‘Thanks to your meddling, I was unable to finish the ritual, now I must start all over again.” If he had any discernable facial features in this form, you’re certain that a twisted grin would be etched on his face. “These worms were nothing special, and since you have offended me so greatly, I will take great pleasure in molding you into their replacements.”

Upon saying this, he encircles the area in a ring of fire with the flames themselves reaching heights of at least thirty feet.

“So much for leading him into a trap,” says Roderick tiredly. He turns to Cynthia and calls out, “We need to outlast him!”

Cynthia nods and places a protective barrier on all of you then launches a blast of frigid air at the entity, once again disrupting its form for a few seconds. In response he brings his hand down upon Cynthia, trapping her under his burning palm. Within seconds, the entire limb begins to fizzle out as cold air erupts from it. It seems as if your foe has stretched himself too thin in an attempt to rid himself of you. Though he still burns brightly, you intrinsically know that at this point, he’s on borrowed time.

What will you do?

>Act as support and fling more dirt upon your adversary

>Use Cynthia’s protection in order to get closer. The mage could revert to his physical form at any moment

>Attempt to leave the ring of fire. It’s better to finish the fight quickly by leading the mage to the stream rather than wait for him to burn out

>Write in

>>4000542
>Attempt to leave the ring of fire

Did not know magic was flexible enough to transition from unknown ritual to final form magic. Next time we disrupt the arrangement instead of trying to rush the mage.

>>4000542
>>Act as support and fling more dirt upon your adversary

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>4000552
1
>>4000642
2

>>4001012

As Cynthia continues to fend off the sorcerer, you edge closer to the ring of fire. The ring is quite large and chaotic, had you approached it earlier you would’ve been killed the moment you came within arm’s length of it. As you predicted however, the mage’s power is rapidly declining and simply maintaining his new form is taking a toll on him. The ring of fire itself may as well be a flashy display; running through it certainly won’t be pleasant, but you should be fine once you emerge from the flames.

“Roderick, we can still route him if you want,” you say as you press your hand against the wavering flames.

Roderick watches as you step into the fire with little difficulty and follows your lead “Cynthia, grab Jut, we’re leaving!” This is all he says before disappearing into another section of the ring of fire.

Cynthia lifts Jut off of the ground and moves towards the ring as she occasionally blasts the pyromancer. Before long, you all manage to make it out of the ring relatively unharmed though the same can’t be said about your clothes. Pushing that aside you regroup with the others and begin your trek to the stream. The mage follows closely, launching fire at you and your surroundings, in an attempt to keep you from escaping. Though his increased size makes him much harder to avoid, his height advantage is slowly being reduced in a similar manner to his power as he gives chase. After a few minutes the frantic chase comes to an end as you come across the stream and once again spread out. In order to push him towards the body of water, you all set up a new perimeter and slowly retreat whenever he gets close, your patience is soon rewarded as you find yourself knee deep in the stream.

The mage looks down on you as you continue your tactical retreat. “What do you take me for? Did you really believe that I would follow you into the stream? Has my might made you so desperate that you would resort to this?” He lets out a bitter laugh, “Denying your fate will only worsen matters.”

He then launches his flames at the stream, which sets its surface on fire. You turn and begin to run to the other side along with Roderick. Cynthia flings Jut across the stream and summons a strong wind from behind the mage, once again tampering with his form. She doesn’t stop there however, and maintains the pressure, slowly bypassing his flaming exterior and pushing him towards the stream. The mage resists and attempts to stand his ground, focusing all of his efforts on escaping. The tense game of tug of war is interrupted when unexpectedly, a spear comes flying through the air and strikes the pyromancerin his back. A burst of energy erupts from the spearhead and the mage goes down, allowing the winds to carry him towards his demise. Once he tumbles into the stream, you and Roderick set upon him and make quick work of his physical form which, thanks to your joint efforts, has now been exposed.

(cont.)

>>4001216

The once confident pyromancer goes out with a gurgle as he succumbs to his wounds as well as the stream itself and he disappears without a trace. The flames that littered the surface of the water go out in an instant and the only evidence of your struggle are the hundreds of burned down trees which now populate the area.

You retrieve Jut’s spear from the stream and join him on the other side. You congratulate him on his impressive throw and flop down beside him. The four of you stay by the side of the stream for the duration of the night. Morning soon comes however, much to your displeasure and the journey continues. Roderick addresses the group as he discards his charred cloak.

“With all of that madness behind us we can get back to work,” he states. “However, there’s still the matter of Val going missing. With both the bandits and the sorcerer gone, dealing with the bunker should be fairly easy so I am willing to split up in order to deal with these matters.”

“I should go looking for Val,” Jut offers. “I’m the one in charge of breaking into secure places and maneuvering around traps.”

“I wouldn’t refer to these forts as ‘secure’ but your point stands.” Roderick then turns to Cynthia, “You and Devon can proceed and take what you can find from the fort, I’ll stay with Jut and look for our impatient colleague. Once we find her we’ll return to camp and make our way to your location. ”

Cynthia simply nods and begins to make her way towards the direction of the fort prompting you to follow her.

Is there anything you’d like to say to her while you make your way to the bunker?

>Yes (specify)

>No

When you get to the bunker, what do you do?

>Go through the main entrance

>See if this one also has an alternate entrance

>>4001220
>>No
>See if this one also has an alternate entrance

>>4001228
This.

>>4001228
>>4001359

You and Cynthia trek through the woods in silence while you track down the fort. Telltale signs of your earlier battle dot the landscape as you make your way through the burnt battleground. Once you pass through the center of the woods, the area takes on a more peaceful appearance. You come across more streams, gullies, thorns, and a few rotting logs scattered about. Though no conversation occurs between the two of you, the sounds of the early morning break up the silence as animals begin their foraging and hunting. The rustling of leaves and chirping of birds greet you as the sun begins to climb higher into the sky.

After a serene yet uneventful hike, you finally come across the fort. It seems to be no large than the last one you encountered but it has obviously been well maintained and it seems as if some slight improvements were made. One such improvement was a medium sized
watchtower which stood several yards to the side of the fort. Upon closer inspection, you find that the stone tower was hit by a few attacks by the deceased sorcerer but aside from a few scorched areas, it seems completely unharmed. There are also a few holes covered with tarps around the bunker that you presume were used for launching ambushes on would be attackers.

Where would you like to explore first?

>The watchtower

>The ambush tunnels

>Check for the secret ladder

>>4002113
>>Check for the secret ladder

>>4002113
>Look for the ladder

>>4002146
>>4002174

You decide to search for the secret ladder and walk around to the side leaving Cynthia to investigate the watchtowers and the other defensive positions. You find the secret ladder in a similar spot to where you found the last one and wasting no time you remove the tarp. You are greeted by a metal hatch which had apparently been built into the small hill, it seems you’ll have to work a bit harder to gain entry here. After fiddling with the lock for the better part of five minutes, you manage to unlock the hatch and pull back the opening to reveal the ladder. Once you make your way down, you begin to hear voices coming from multiple directions. Before you have any time to process this, you hear sets of footsteps approaching and you scurry off to the shadows in order to avoid detection.

These new arrivals stand by the ladder with nothing more than a game of dice to keep them occupied, it looks as if you made it in right before the changing of the guard. What alarms you more than their immediate presence however is the realization that the fire mage did not take out the competition for you and that you are now stuck down here with no allies and an unknown amount of cutthroats just like yourself who will no doubt be hostile towards any intruders especially considering how much of an impact the last one had.

What is your plan?

>Write in

>>4003004
>Kill one sentry and interrogate the other

>>4003142
Do you want to go into detail on how you would accomplish this or would you like me to handle the specifics?

>>4003356
I say we sneak up behind him and backstab him.

>>4003461
The guards are standing with their backs towards the wall which holds the ladder. You are all standing in a small hallway but you are currently hiding around the corner.

>>4003356
I figured we'd throw knives and then use the chain whip

>>4003566
This is perfectly fine, but I should note that you are down to three daggers since two of them were lost in the last encounter. Of course, you'll be able to shrug of that loss very easily considering your current situation.

If there are no objections to this within the next 20 minutes, I'll call for rolls and get to work.

>Take the guards by surprise with your daggers and the chain whip

Roll a 1d100

Rolled 89 (1d100)

>>4003688
We just need to not lose any more. Hopefully these guys aren't also living flames.

Rolled 39 (1d100)

>>4003688
Rollan, man. Yeah, yeah.

>>4003705
>>4003717

You ready your daggers as you peer around the corner, waiting for the guards to well…. drop their guard. You watch as the two shoot dice for a while. Before long, the dice are thrown incorrectly and land near your side of the wall; a golden opportunity has revealed itself. The guard walks over to the dice and bends over to collect the wayward dice, only to be given a vicious elbow strike aimed at the back of his neck. The second guard fumbles with his knife and his slow reaction results in his death as your own blade strikes him in the throat. You look upon the fallen guard for a moment then turn your attention to the other who is slowly getting back up. With a kick, you send him back down to the ground and you place a knee on his back.

“It would be in your best interest to begin talking.”

The guard tells you everything he knows with little hesitation. This bunker has a similar layout to the last one though there are a few additional rooms in this particular one. The barracks were expanded, a small mess hall was added, and the place even has a proper room for storing the money. All of the traps in the base have been removed aside from the ones which keep the prisoners from escaping. All in all, this fort seems to be much more advanced than the last one, though it had the advantage of people actually living in it. On the subject of the thieves themselves, there are at least a dozen of them not counting the two guards you have under control. He tells you about how the mage and his attempts to storm the base, but when that failed, he simply went after the bandits who were on their patrols. You inform him that his comrades outside are dead and that you’re hear to profit off of this fortunate series of events.

What do you do to the guard?

>Kill him

>Knock him out
Do you loot the thieves?

>Yes

>No

How will you proceed?

>Stealth, no one will know you were here

>Trickery, you will take a uniform and hide in plain sight while looking for the treasure room

>Create a distraction using an explosive vial

>Wait until nightfall

>Write in

>>4003819
>>Knock him out
>>Yes
>>Stealth, no one will know you were here

>>4003819
>>Kill him
>Yes
>Stealth, no one will know you were here

>>4003819
>Knock him out
>Yes
>Stealth

>>4003829
>>4004157
>>4004739

You formulate a plan and with one swift kick, put the guard down for a while. You take the few coins the pair were holding and their knives. You then hide them under a few spare tarps that are pilled up in the corner. You then proceed to peek around the next corner in order to scope the scene. The hallways in this bunker are much more spacious than the last one, and they house a few nooks and crannies where various items are stored. These makeshift storage rooms provide you with plenty of concealment as you make your way through the base. You occasionally come across a bandit but you are able to elude them with little difficulty.

After sneaking around for a bit, you get an even clearer picture of your surroundings than the guard had provided, but you still need a plan. Three bandits guard the treasure room at all times and due to their location, there is no way you could launch a sneak attack. As you reflect on this conundrum, you get the idea to visit the fort’s lower levels. If memory serves, the ambush tunnels outside lead to a chamber deep within the bunker. You could leave now and return with the others in order to handle this place properly. You struggle with this idea however, because while you trust in your companions’ abilities, this is supposed to be your specialty. You may not be a well-regarded assassin or master thief with numerous big time heists under your belt, but you’d like to think that this is something that you can handle on your own.

Before you can delve further into this internal debate, you hear the sound of many footsteps, coming from the direction of the front entrance from what you can gather. These footsteps are greeted by the voices of the bandits and soon an in depth conversation is being had. You find a suitable hiding place and listen in.

“We don’t know where the others are, if it wasn’t for Thomas, we wouldn’t have even known about the attack. We didn’t get back to the woods until this morning.”

“From the reports I’m getting at least sixteen of us were killed by that damn wizard but there were far more than that on patrol last evening, so obviously there are still many who are unaccounted for! I want everyone rounded up and brought back here. There is much to discuss.”

“We can’t go back out there we-“

“I’ve already told you, he’s long gone now. I had Declan get the anti-magic disk going. I’d bet my last silver that the dirty coward ran off as soon as he didn’t have his precious little sorcery to protect him.”

“The fires we came across looked pretty fresh.”

“The bruises across your back will be as well if you don’t bring my men back here before sundown.”

Do you continue to listen in?

>Yes

>No

>>4005560
>Yes

Get an idea of their plan. If we can't sneak up on the vault guards maybe we can cause enough of a disturbance to pull them away or at least reduce their numbers.

>>4005593
Supporting this.

>>4005560
>>Yes

>>4005593
>>4005994
>>4006446

“I want this entire base locked down,” the man continues. “Break off a number of your force to man the outside defenses. I’m breaking out the crisis equipment, once we’re all together, we’ll do a sweep of the base and then secure the woods. We can’t lose our standing at such a crucial moment as this.”

You watch as a few of the bandits come into the base while some of the returning party go back out to find their missing members. With these reinforcements, sneaking around is going to become much harder. You decide that you’ve heard enough and creep away from the scene, making your way to the ambush tunnels. Before you can slip into one of them however, a guard who has apparently been following you grabs you from behind. You fight back and you both tumble into the tunnel and into its entrance. Once you’re both inside a trap is sprung, plunging the both of you deeper underground. You let out a groan as the two of you land in a heap inside the trap pit. The guard limply rolls off of you and takes off her helmet.

“Sorry for the rough landing,” Val apologizes sheepishly. “I tried to get you’re attention earlier but you completely ignored me.”

“So what? Did you plan to just grab me from behind and expect me to play dead in your arms?” To say you are annoyed is an understatement.

“Well I couldn’t just call out to you while I was with the others.”

“Then how exactly did you ‘try to get my attention earlier’? Better yet, how did you even know I was here?”

“I just felt that someone was following me, and while I was walking around with another one of those thieves I saw you out of the corner of my eye. If I didn’t know we were supposed to be raiding this place I would’ve thought it was my imagination.”

“Speaking of which, had you not run off we would’ve all been here and we would’ve been on our way out of here by now. Instead the group is split up and we’re stuck down here.”

“Well I was trying to make up for it by infiltrating the base once I found it but that’s not good enough for you I guess.”

You pick yourself up and examine the walls that surround you. You then examine the ceiling above you in an attempt to view the area you had just come from. You turn to Val and make your plan of escape.

(cont.)

>>4007171

The two of you lean on each other and climb out of the pit using your backs as support. Once you make it out, the two of you discuss your plans. With the base getting reinforcements, the base will be a bit more crowded and with the group split up, nobody has any idea where the other is aside from those who are paired up. As far as you know, Cynthia is still outside though what she’s doing out there is anyone’s guess. From the conversation you eavesdropped on earlier, you know that she hasn’t been spotted yet so she either went looking for you or went back to meet up with Jut and Roderick. Of course, Jut and Roderick could be anywhere in those woods and could’ve run into some bandits.

You turn you attention back to the bunker and think about the situation on the inside. More thieves will be coming within the next few hours in addition to the ones who have just arrived. Most of their attention will be on the outside defenses however, so getting into that treasure room may be slightly easier especially with your newfound backup. Aside from the treasure room, this anti-magic disk and “crisis equipment” sound very interesting as well.

What is you’re plan?

>Leave the bunker and look for the others (Jut and Roderick

>Look around the bunker for Cynthia

>Stay where you are an attempt to raid the base


If you attempt to raid the base, what will be your first target?

>Treasure room

>Anti-magic disk

>”Crisis Equipment”

>>4007213
>>Stay where you are an attempt to raid the base
>>Anti-magic disk
The disk will impact some of us. Mostly Cynthia. Should be the first priority.

>>4007213
>Raid base for that anti magic disk

With an angry wizard after us it'll be invaluable

>>4007213
>>Stay where you are an attempt to raid the base
>Treasure room

It's what we came for, lets grab the loot and get out.

>>4007370
>>4007710
>>4007752

“We’re going after the anti-magic disk,” you whisper to Val as you peek around the corner.
“Why would we do that?” Val asks in a tone of voice that is noticeably higher than yours. “If we kept that thing around, nobody would be able to use magic. As much as I’d like to see Cynthia taken down a peg, we still need her. Even the magic items you and Jut have wouldn’t work.”

“If you were paying any attention, you’d know that it has to be activated in order to dispel magic. If we’re going to fight some crazy wizard who destroys cities just to kill one man, we’ll need it.”

“But what about the money?”

“We’ll get it later and even if we don’t there will be other chances. This is a one time opportunity as far as we know.”

You practically glide across the corridors as you make your way around the bunker with Val keeping up surprisingly well. Your pace is occasionally halted by patrols or bandits simply wandering around with nothing to do, but these interruptions are brief and you make it to a room with a large sealed off door. Unlike this room, most of the rooms in this base have none; only the important rooms have doors and from what you’ve seen, they’re of high quality. Val covers your back and acts as the lookout while you pick the lock on the door. The lock eventually relents and you find yourself within a dark room, illuminated only by the glow of the few objects which inhabit the chamber. You can tell by the dust covering the floor that very few ever enter this room. One item has been moved fairly recently however, and you can only assume that this clear spot on the floor was where the crisis equipment once sat.

You turn your attention to the large disk sitting in one of the corners of the room. It is much larger than any other object in the room with a diameter of no less than four feet. It appears to be made out of stone and silver, with many runs and symbols painted, carved, etched, and burned onto the surface. The face of the disk rotates without ceasing and a dull hum can be heard from it. You attempt to pick it up from the small table it currently sits on, but you can’t get it to budge. Even assistance from Val does little to ease the difficulty of the task.

“I guess this would be a good time to have Jut around huh?” Ask Val with a sigh as she looks around the room for something worth taking.

“He would be here had we all stuck together.”

“I didn’t take you for a whiner, Devon,” Val says absentmindedly as she picks up a grey cloak which emanates some sort of green gas.

You ignore her words as you study the disk in an attempt to find some way of moving it.

What will you do?

>Study the disk further

>Look for some other item to steal within the room

>Attempt to raid the treasure room and leave the bunker

>Look for Cynthia within the base

>Leave the bunker and try to do a raid with everyone present

>Write in

>>4009044
>Loot the treasury instead

It's too big to sneak out. We'll need to clear the place first.

>>4009080
Supporting.

>>4009044
>>Study the disk further

>>4009080
>>4009180
>>4009805

You weigh your options for a moment and come to the conclusion that you should simply stick to the objective. You’re sure that you could get this thing out of here if you had some help, but time is running out and you can’t continue to sneak around here forever. You decide that bringing in the others would take too much time and draw too much attention as well. It’s time to steal as much loot as possible and get a move on.

You stand up straight and brush off your clothes. With a wave of the hand you motion for Val to follow you and leave the room. You make your way to the corridor which leads to treasure room where the same three individuals are guarding the door. This one looks like it will be much harder to break into and of course, those guards are still a problem.

“Alright, how are we going to handle this?” Val asks.

“We can either try to take them out or distract them. We have two ways to take them out and one way to distract them.”

“Well…”

“We can either take them head on and try to keep the commotion to a minimum or we can take them out quickly but with a result that’s guaranteed to create a lot of noise.”

“And the distraction?”

“One of us creates a racket in the next corridor to draw the bunker’s forces while the other takes what they can. We’ll meet up at the secret entrance located on the side.”

“What about that little speech about ‘never splitting up’? It seems you forgot about that pretty quickly.”

“That was different, you ran off without a plan, this is coordinated.” You hear the sounds of conversation approaching from behind We’re running out of time here, we could be swarmed at any moment.”

What’s the plan?

Set A:

>Take on the guards as silently as possible

>Use an explosive vial to take out the guards and the door

Set B:

>Create a distraction using an explosive vial

>Have Val create a distraction using an explosive vial

>>4009981
>>Take on the guards as silently as possible
An explosive vial would surely attract more of them in. Depending on what's in the vault, we may not have time to gather everything. Silently would be best.

>>4009981
>>Have Val create a distraction using an explosive vial

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>4009986
1
>>4010012
2

>>4010151
Roll a 1d100

Rolled 50 (1d100)

>>4010160

Rolled 51 (1d100)

>>4010160

Rolled 30 (1d100)

>>4010160

>>4010160
>>4010165

You ready your weapons and step out from around the corner. Without a word, you dash right towards them brandishing your daggers. The guards react quickly and brandish their own weapons but instead of charging, they stand their ground. You throw out a few feints as you maneuver around them in an attempt to gain the best possible position and keep them from surrounding you. Unfortunately, the room doesn’t accommodate for much movement and it all results to somewhat of an awkward stare down. This is broken up by a crossbow bolt which embeds itself into the door behind you. Another comes and hits one of the guards in the shin, and then the conflict escalates. You do your best to maintain your position but you find yourself quickly overwhelmed by your opponents. Val drops her hand crossbow and leaps into the fray, truncheon at the ready.

You square off against one of the grunts as he swings at you with a shortsword. You avoid his attacks and using a ducking maneuver, you get in close where proceeding to stab him multiple times in the midsection. You look over to see Val caving in the skull of one guard as the other attempts to blindside her. You expertly throw a dagger into his arm which gives her enough time to bludgeon her would-be attacker. Without wasting any time, you get to work on the door as Val retrieves and reloads her crossbows. Two more thieves round the corner and proceed to attack; no doubt they were the ones you had heard earlier. You ignore the battle going on behind you as you work to bypass the lock and eventually your skill and patience are rewarded. You open the door with a shove and Val, who has disengaged from her foes, follows you inside. Utilizing the door as a choke point, she shoots down the remaining guards as you load a sack with as much coinage as possible, you even throw in the few gems you manage to find. You hear what sounds to a large bell tolling, no doubt an alarm and the two of you make your way out of the room.

(cont.)

>>4010160
>>4010331

You take the lead with Val bringing up the rear as you run towards the direction of the side entrance as quickly as possible. As you continue, you throw the torches that are lying on the walls behind you in an attempt to slow down any pursuers and obscure their vision. You occasionally hear the sounds of screams as the sound of a crossbow firing echoes off of the tunnel walls. Eventually, you make it to the ladder and scramble up as quickly as possible. The two of you run for what seems to be hours until you both collapse near a gulley to rest. Your rest is short-lived however, as you hear the sound of dogs barking and snarling and men shouting as they approach; it seems the thieves have abandoned their plans regroup and are in hot pursuit. After a while, you manage to shake them for a brief moment and make your way back to your campsite where Jut and Roderick are lounging about, enjoying the setting sun.

Roderick is the first to notice you and gets up from his sitting position. “Well, it’s about time you got back here and with Val too, I guess that means we’re ready to move out.”
“Cynthia isn’t with us, ”you say as you flop down on the ground. “To make matters worse, some bandits are chasing us down.

“This one is on you guys, it’s about time you did something useful around here,” say Val as she takes a seat on the ground. “I couldn’t take another step if I wanted to.”

“Yeah, well we’ve been looking for you all day, and you probably wouldn’t be in this mess if you had me as backup. But no, you just had to go off and make us chase our tails for the entire day. Now we’ll be roughing it for another night all because you couldn’t sit still.”

“Save it, Jut,” proclaims Val tiredly as she gets comfortable in the dirt. “Since when did everyone here start complaining so much?”

“How many?” ask Roderick as he prepares his bow.

“No less than twenty,” comes your answer.

“Then they don’t stand a chance,” replies Roderick as he tenses his arm. The arrow notched in his bow begins to shine.

Within moments, the bandits come charging out of the woods along with their hunting dogs. Within seconds Roderick reduces their numbers to shreds, leaving only a few left standing. Jut stomps over to the remaining forces and dispatches most of them with a few wide swings of his mace. Those who were still alive begin to retreat and disappear into the woods as quickly as they appeared.

(cont.)

>>4010622

“That was simple enough,” Roderick comments as he surveys the carnage.

“You had the easy job,” Val grumbles as she watches the thieves tear through the woods.

“So what’s the plan?” Jut asks as he begins looting the bandits for coins.

“We are going to go back in there and we’re getting Cynthia. Devon, I assume you got a good haul?”

“We got a decent amount considering the circumstances.”

“Alright, let’s go Jut, we’ll leave these two to rest. I imagine there can’t be too many of our little friends hiding out here anymore. Between us and the pyromancer, they’ve taken heavy casualties.”

As they turn to go, you feel the need to say something.

>Tell them about the watchtower

>Tell them about the anti-magic disk

>>4010558
Sorry, I was writing while you were rolling

>>4010624
>Tell them about the watchtower

That’s where we saw her last.

>>4010624
>>Tell them about the anti-magic disk
The disk could seriously impact Cynthia, and it is an important hazard that they should be ready to keep in mind.

>>4010624
>tell them about both

Disk first if time is an issue

>>4010624
>>Tell them about the anti-magic disk

>>4011090
Each option decides how deep into the base they will go. If you tell them about the tower, they will search around there and the ambush tunnels. Telling them about the disk will cause them to ignore the outside and head into the heart of the base.

Doing both will almost certainly get them killed as they’ll attract attention while searching the outside and be swarmed once they attempt to infiltrate the base itself.

>>4011165
>>4011166
Changing to
>Tell them about the watchtower

>>4011166
>Tower

>>4010797
>>4011043
>>4011169
>>4011175
Alright. I have one last question regarding tho. Do you guys want me to temporarily change perspectives here or would you rather I keep the focus on the MC and have this section handled in the background?

>>4011312
Perspective change would be cool

>>4011312
I'd prefer to stay as the same character.

>>4011332
>>4011361
Due to the significance of this decision, I'd rather not settle this with a roll of the dice. I'll give it an hour or so in order to get as many votes as possible before moving forward.

>>4011421
I don't feel especially strongly about it, we should stick to the same character if no one else chimes in

>>4011361
>>4011442
Alright, I'll stick to the status quo for now. I don't expect this debate to come up again but given the nature of /qst/ I can't be 100% sure that I won't revisit this idea.

>>4011361
>>4010165
This is me.

>>4011421
Was asleep for this vote. Still glad with the results. Not a fan of perspective switches.

>>4011612

“There’s a watchtower near the bunker, that was the last place I saw her.” You say as the two head into the woods.

You spend the next hour thinking over your plans while counting what you managed to pilfer before being chased through the woods. You have enough to be able to skate by for at least a week if you keep the spending to a minimum. Of course with this bunch, that’s easier said than done. As you mull over the unfortunate spending habits of your partners, you turn your attention to Val who is messing around with the cloak she swiped from the room which housed the anti-magic disk. It’s a shame you were unable to take it for yourselves but you reassure yourself; there will be other opportunities to find such artifacts. Judging from what you’ve seen of Alvin’s inventory, such things don’t seem to be as rare as legends and rumors would have most believe. The cloak Val took is definitely magical in nature but using such items is much harder when it’s purpose is unknown to its wielder.

By the time the others return, the moon is sitting high in the sky, surrounded by stars and a few clouds. A slight breeze is felt as your companions make their way out of the woods. Once they reach you, Jut is the first to speak.

“I still don’t get why you and Val were running from those guys. That was probably the easiest rescue mission I’ve ever had.”

“Calling it a rescue would be an exaggeration,” Roderick states as he makes his way to tend to the fire.

“If this ‘rescue mission’ was such a simple one, then why did it take you a few hours to get back?” you ask with mild curiosity.

“Cynthia ended up causing the tower to collapse when the bandits received reinforcements. Apparently, there were more returning from some sort of raid or mission.” Roderick fills you in as he continues to tend to the flames.

“My options were limited,” Cynthia explains as she makes her way over to the rest of you.

“Don’t you know over one hundred spells or something? I’m no spell caster but even I could’ve come up with something better than destroying the entire tower with us in it.” Jut is surprisingly quick to call her out

“None of you were among the slain or injured. ”
“Well that’s the most precise spell I’ve ever heard of,” comments Roderick.

(cont.)

>>4012510

Jut begins to tell the story of their little misadventure; you try to listen without nodding off as Val makes no attempt to keep up any pretenses. According to Jut, Cynthia found a few interesting documents regarding this elaborate ring of thieves. Apparently they have ties to a rather prominent mercenary group named “The Emerald Company”. It seems as if the thieves are simply another branch of the company, one that doesn’t need to worry about the constrains of following any sort of code. Even a mercenary band can only get away with so much until officials begin to take notice. You store this information in the back of your mind as you prepare to drift off to sleep. Aside from the deceased Alvin, Jut is pretty much the closest thing this group has to a celebrity within their ranks. You highly doubt that anyone will take notice of your actions here, but you know that you will need to be more cautious and coordinated next time.

Upon awakening, you pack up along with the others and being your trek to the nearest settlement. By this point, you are approaching the nation of Fliuna, one of the more developed nations in this region. Though it is a prosperous nation, it isn’t very note worthy, there are very few places here which could be described as landmarks The most important thing to note about this land is that it borders Eskad, home of the notorious “King of Sands”. You’ve heard his name uttered a few times over the years and none of the stories that surround him are pleasant. Of course, you aren’t here for him, if all goes well you should make it to the Shattered Canyons within the next three months.

Note: You’ve gained 1,500 coins and 4 gems which can be sold at varying prices

Would you like to speak with anyone on the way to Fliuna?

>Jut

>Roderick

>Cynthia

>Val

>Ride in slence

>>4012515
>>Cynthia
Ask her about the cloak and anti-magic disk.

>>4013365
Is there any question in particular that you’d like to have answered?

>>4013451
Does she have experience with such items?

Is it feasible to go back and take it with us?

>>4013472
She could do a basic assessment of the cloak to determine what enchantments are placed on it. As for the disk, you could try to convince the others to turn around and go back for it. It will take a little over a day of traveling to get back to the bunker.

>>4013494
Can we travel with it though? It seemed pretty big and it might need to be stationary to work.

>>4013494
Ask Cynthia what an anti-magic disk exactly does to determine how useful it would be.

>>4013365
>>4013597
>>4013646

While the others are enjoying the sights, you pull up alongside Cynthia who once again is flying well beyond the rest of you.

“What can you tell me about that anti-magic disk, and how were you able to cast spells even when it was activated?”

Cynthia takes a moment before answering, “Its name tells you everything you need to know about its purpose, its inner workings however, are bit more complicated.”

“Go on.”

“Each one is crafted in order to counter a specific set of spells or simply one type of spell depending on the intent and skill of the creator. They have many symbols placed on them through various means and when charged by a living being, the disk will block any magic user from casting any spells that the disk directly counters. This sounds simple enough but creating one takes several years and a wealth of experience.”

“So the disk didn’t have any symbol that could counter whatever you used to destroy the tower?”

“That is the most straightforward explanation.”

The disk now makes much more sense to you now, as she said it was fairly simple at least in its operation. You can only imagine how much willpower it would take for someone without any magical prowess to activate it but you’ve seen quite mundane people cast spells in times of crisis so it doesn’t seem too far fetched for a large group of thieves to be able to power it if only for a few hours.

“One more thing.”

“Yes?”

“Can you tell me what Val’s cloak does? She got it from the same room where we saw the disk.”

Cynthia halts her momentum and begins to levitate as you ride on, the others quickly make their way to where you were only a few seconds ago and Cynthia begins to hover next to Val. You can hear Val say something to Cynthia but you can only assume it was confrontational due to the nature of their relationship. Soon you find Cynthia once again by your side as she begins her explanation.

(cont.)

>>4014033

“The cloak has both a primary and secondary enchantment. The primary enchantment allows the user to cloak the area around them in obscuring mist, the user is unaffected by it. Its secondary enchantment allows it to change its appearance into a variety of forms as long as its general size is not altered.”

“Thanks for the lesson, do we have a plan for when we reach Fliuna?”

“The closest bandit fort is located eight thousand miles west of our current location. There will be no other forts within ranger until we reach the Principality of Regeld. I assume Roderick will devise some sort of plan to alleviate any immediate needs.”

Judging by the way she worded her answer, you realize that she is also keenly aware of your band’s poor spending habits. First comes the large meal and then the entire treasure is practically empty before the next sunrise. You ponder whether attempting to mitigate the issue would be worth your time as you spot the large, imposing border wall over the horizon.

After a few questions, the guards let you in and you find yourself in the city of Fust, the wine capital of Fliuna. You mentally prepare yourself for the upcoming disaster as you and your companions enter a nearby tavern. There are all sorts of people here; in fact you’d wager that many of them aren’t from around here. The music is loud and and patrons are louder still, it seems you’ve come at a very busy time of the day. You find a corner to converse in and seat yourselves.

What will you do?

>Talk to Roderick about the journey and attempt to organize this trip so that everything is planned out

>Speak with Jut who is eyeing a few of the patrons with suspicion

>Talk to Val about her cloak

>Attempt to stop the cycle of despair before it starts

>Go shopping for personal supplies before the money runs out

>Write in

>>4014041
>>Talk to Roderick about the journey and attempt to organize this trip so that everything is planned out

>>4014041
>Speak with Jut who is eyeing a few of the patrons with suspicion

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>4014145
1
>>4014930
2

>>4016554

“So what’s the plan?” You ask as you get yourself comfortable.

Roderick leans back in is chair and gets comfortable as well. “We’ll keep following the route that Cynthia laid out in the beginning. We’ve had a few setbacks,” he says as he looks in Val’s direction, “but we’re still making good time. My only concern is that Koleus should be aware of our location by now.”

“Do you think he’ll try to wipe out this town while we’re here?”

“I won’t let him get the chance, we’ll be back on the road by tomorrow morning. He won’t be able to get to us that way anymore.”

“We don’t have enough money to make it all the way there, and the nearest bunker is too far out of the way.”

“Those bunkers aren’t the only places where a man can find his fortune.”

You shift uncomfortably in your seat as he says those words. “I know what you’re thinking and I’ll tell you right now, we’re better off just doing odd jobs where we can find them. Let’s just find a high-end store and rob it. We’re more likely to make some money that way.”

“It seems you fear destiny, my friend.” Roderick orders a drink then turns back to you. “Weren’t you the one who suggested laying low as we went on this journey?”

“I was, and whenever you get the idea to go out gambling it always ends poorly and with a lot of attention on our backs.”

“This was before the death of Alvin, things have changed now. We’re on a quest for vengeance and justice, surely he’ll give us a bit of his luck as we make our way to the domain of his greatest enemy.”

“We haven’t heard him speak in weeks now, Roderick. He may have finally passed on by now.”

Roderick’s drink is served and he takes a large gulp. “Not Alvin, he’d stick with us until the end. Only once we stand over the corpse of Koleus will Alvin leave us behind.”

Suddenly, Jut rises from his seat and leaves the tavern with a deadly serious look on his face.

What will you do?

>Continue the conversation on Alvin

>Attempt to talk Roderick out of gambling

>Follow Jut

>Write in

>Continue the conversation on Alvin

>>4017859
>>Follow Jut
Ask him what's up.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>4019104
1
>>4019529
2

>>4021116

Something about this situation doesn’t seem right to you. Sure, you saw the town disappear with Alvin in it yet he still seems to linger. If he were some sort of ghost, according to the stories you’ve heard he should have stayed in the ruins of the town.

“Roderick, do you think that what happened to Alvin might not have been as obvious as we thought?”

Roderick sets his mug down and thinks over your inquiry. “Maybe,” he says after awhile, “I’ve never heard of a spell that can simply wipe out large settlements without a trace. It may have simply displaced him.”

“That would explain why Cynthia was so nonchalant about his disappearance.”

“I think that’s just how she is in general, she doesn’t seem to care about anyone or anything. All of that aside, you may have a point.”

“Points mean little if nothing is done about them.”

“Do you think there may be a way to get in contact with him or even bring him back?”

“Maybe she can explain what that spell really did.” You say as you turn to where you thought she would be seated. To your surprise however, she is also gone. In fact the only ones at the table are yourself and Roderick. You can see Jut near the entrance speaking to a few shady looking individuals and Val is at the bar, with several mugs next to her no less.

“That’s odd.”

Roderick takes another sip before addressing your statement, “I wouldn’t worry about it too much. We’ll all meet up again in the morning and head out.”

You lean back as you scan the crowd, contemplating your next move.

What will you do?

>Go outside and talk to Jut

>Go to the bar and talk to Val

>Try to find Cynthia

>Go shopping for personal supplies before the money runs out

>Write in

>Go to the bar and talk to Val

>>4021181
>Talk to Val

Don't want to disturb Jut when he's talking to his buddies

>>4021181
>>Go outside and talk to Jut

>>4021679
>>4021764
>>4021827

You get up from the table and begin to make your way to the bar. Out of the corner of your eye, you can see Jut and suspicious men walk across the street and disappear into an alleyway. Though you’re somewhat worried about him, you know he can take care of himself. If nothing else, you know for a fact that you wouldn’t want to run into him in a dark alley or even a well-lit one for that matter. You push your concern aside and approach the bar which is practically filled. There are a few other patrons sitting near her but they only give you a dismissive glance as they continue drinking and feasting. As you look at Val, you can see that her cloak isn’t fuming anymore; perhaps she found out how to use it. You also notice that she is on her fourth mug.

“You’re starting early.” You comment, as you get close enough for her to hear you over the several conversations that are going on.

Val finishes her drink and asks, “Is Roderick planning on gambling?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“Finally, some excitement! When we first started this thing, I thought there’d be a lot of fun involved but all we’ve done is ride and poke through some rundown forts.”

“This isn’t supposed to be fun, we’re traveling halfway across the world to kill some crazy wizard.”

“Yeah, but I miss the old days, I got to see a lot more action back then.”

“The ‘old days’ weren’t even a month ago. Besides, wasn’t that little tour of the woods enough for you?”

“I still don’t see why you’re going on about that, it all worked out and I even saved your ass for good measure.” Val gets the attention of one of the severs and orders another drink.

(cont.)

>>4023177

“While you were ‘saving my ass’ I was saving the entire mission. “

Val looks somewhat annoyed as she rolls a coin around on the bar. “I don’t see why you’re always so tense. We got it done, and made out like bandits.”

“This time anyway.”

“Did you come over here just to whine about me not doing things your way?”

You take a second to process her question. As far as the group’s dynamics went, you were never really the one giving orders. Even Alvin was always more of an overseer rather than a leader. He’d let anyone take the lead when their specific skillset was needed and when you weren’t pulling heists, intercepting carriages, looting dungeons, or fighting he never gave any orders. As a result leadership is a nebulous concept amongst the group. Roderick seems to be doing a pretty good job in general, but you wonder if you should take a more proactive approach to reeling the others in when things get too hectic.

How do you respond?

>”I’m just here to talk, we can save the arguments later.”

>”I’m not whining, I'm concerned. Alvin is gone, Jut and I almost died the night before that day, and we almost got killed trying to escape from the fort. We all need to step up if we’re going to pull this off.”

>”You need to start thinking things through. Rushing in and doing as you pleased may have worked back then, but times have changed. You can’t afford to be as sloppy as you used to be.”

>”Actually, no. I came here to ask you something.” (Specify)

>Write in

>>4023184
>"I'm just here to talk, we can save the arguments for later. "

Step up Cynthia

>>4023184
>>”I’m not whining, I'm concerned. Alvin is gone, Jut and I almost died the night before that day, and we almost got killed trying to escape from the fort. We all need to step up if we’re going to pull this off.”

>>4024016
Since it looks like I'll be rolling to decide again, I thought I should ask you: what do you want to talk to her about in the event that your vote wins?

>>4023184
>>”I’m just here to talk, we can save the arguments later.”
Was gone for a few days. Sorry. Back now.
If no one has anything better to put in, I suppose talk to her about what Jut is doing. Or join her in drinking.

>>4025142
Her sweet ass cloak

>>4024016
>>4026600
>>4026603
Ok, I'll update in a bit.

>>4026671

”I’m just here to talk, we can save the arguments for later.”
At that, Val relaxes a bit; her satisfaction is compounded by the fact that her drink has now arrived. “Alright, what’s on your mind?”

“Do you know those men who Jut went off with?”

“No, I didn’t recognize them but they had concealed weapons and were looking pretty serious. He and Alvin were running around doing who knows what long before I met them. Those guys could’ve been anyone.”

The man who was sitting next to Val bristles as he hears the words “concealed weapons” and after hastily throwing some coins on the table, he leaves in a hurry. You make use of this new vacancy and sit down Val smirks as she watches the man practically trip over himself trying to leave.

“He definitely wouldn’t make it in our line of work.” She get’s the server’s attention again and orders another drink.

“Speaking of our line of work, do you know what the cloak of yours does? I noticed it isn’t smoking anymore.”

“Whatever the stuff coming off of it is, it’s definitely magical but that’s all I know. It stopped when we got near this city.”

“That’s odd.”
“I’ll figure this thing out later but for now, I’m glad it’s not doing anything. There are a lot of people out there who would kill for something like this.”

You are well aware of this fact, as you were once a “trader” of such items. Even the most basic of magical items sold for a high price on the black market, and you separated many a poor soul from such valuables, sometimes through rather unsavory means. It was dangerous work, but it paid rather well. Sometime however, it got a bit too dangerous for your tastes, and eventually you decided your life was more important than a few dozen extra coins a month.

“It seems that dangerous things are always going on.” You remark as you take another glance at the door.

Val finishes off her drink and hands you the drink she most recently ordered. “Don’t worry about all of that now. If we can’t relax here we might as well never bother going into cities and towns.”

“Perhaps.” You respond as you accept the drink. You know that she’s not entirely wrong but you also know that your position may worsen if you lower your guard.

The two of you continue to talk for a while and after a few more rounds, Val leaves to check on Roderick who has garnered a large crowd at this point. From what you can see and hear, he’s actually doing quite well for himself, but that could change at any moment and you’re almost certain it will.

What will you do?

>Ignore your worries and join Roderick and Val

>Get your share of the money from Roderick before he bets it all

>Leave the bar and look for Jut

>Leave the bar and look for Cynthia

>Speak with some of the other patrons

>Write in

>>4026993
>Get your share from Roderick quickly but then stick around and hang out

>>4026993
>>Get your share of the money from Roderick before he bets it all

>>4027018
>>4027144
Do the both of you want to stay in the tavern?

>>4027870
We could leave I guess, to check on Jut unobtrusively.

>>4028542
Alright then. I'll update in a bit.

>>4029100

You decide that you would rather be safe than sorry and approach Roderick. A dozen men all cheering, groaning, and engaging in shouting matches currently surround him but you block them out and press on until you are within arms reach of him.

“I’d like my share of the money before disaster strikes.”

Roderick, who is somewhat out of it looks somewhat hurt by your comment but obliges. “Woe be unto you, nonbeliever, I hope you won’t be asking for a cut when I clear out this place.”

He leans towards Val and asks, “You’ll let me borrow your share right?”

Val, for her part, is completely out of it and is currently slumped over the table. As one would expect, she doesn’t answer.

“Thanks, you’re a true friend. Why can’t you be more like her Devon? Ah, it doesn’t matter, these boys won’t know what hit em!”

You shake your head at the display and accept the money. As for you, your not completely unaffected by the affects of your drinking and you feel a bit more loose and sluggish. You hope that Jut isn’t getting into anything too dangerous, for your sake if nothing else. After wishing the two of them luck, you step out into the evening light and begin looking for Jut and his entourage. The streets while not totally abandoned, or much more empty than when you first arrived. Most shops are beginning to close and many are making their way to their homes in order to bring an end to another long day. You ask a few people if they’ve seen a man matching Jut’s description, but it seems the big man made sure that he didn’t attract much attention.

You decide to search the shadier parts of the city. As you walk through the streets, a light breeze brings an extra chill to the environment. You notice a few eyes are staring at you but once you push your cloak to the side, you feel the gazes die down. You come across three youths hanging in an alleyway and casually approach them.

“Have any of you seen a large man with a few other people following him?”

They turn their attention to you and a few of them stand up.

“What’s it to you?” One of them asks.

“Let’s make this quick, I have other things to do and I’m sure you want me to leave as soon as possible.”

“And what if we just get back to what we were doing right now?” Another one asks as he produces a small knife.

You silently exhale as you take a quick look behind you, “You wouldn’t get that chance. If you don’t know anything, just tell me and I’ll leave.”

Your statement is met with sneers and one of them spits in your direction. “Come on boys, if this fool wants any trouble, we’ll give it to him.”

The youths then move deeper into the alleyway, silently begging you to test them.

What will you do?

>Teach them a lesson

>Leave them alone

>Write in

>>4029314
>>Teach them a lesson

>>4029314
>Teach them a lesson

>>4029320
>>4029393
Roll 1d100

Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>4029500

Rolled 66 (1d100)

>>4029500

>>4029520
>>4029533

In spite of your somewhat intoxicated state, you feel that squeezing some information out of these punks shouldn’t be a problem. You take a deep breath and make your way into the deeper part of the alley.

“You just made a big mistake.” The knife wielding youth says as he strides towards you. The others follow closely behind him.

With one fluid motion, you unfurl your whip and lash out at his hand. Your target drops the knife with a yell, but his cries are quickly silenced as you set upon him. You place one leg behind one of his own and give him a solid push, forcing him to the ground. You then place your boot on his torso. The other two ball their fists but keep their distance and a standoff commences. All four of you sit there, motionless without speaking a single word. The breeze is the only element of life within this dark and silent alley. The one beneath you occasionally attempts to struggle, but each time you simply dig your heel deeper into his stomach. Before you decide to incapacitate him and deal with the others, a loud voice from the deepest part of the alley cuts through the tension.

“What are you doing to my boys?” A loud and aggressive voice booms as its owner approaches the scene.

The man is considerably taller than you with hardened features and a bearded scowl; a heavy crossbow sits in his hands. The new arrival levels his crossbow at you as the punks who are still on their feet press themselves against the wall.

“Don’t make me ask twice.” He says in a low, aggressive tone.

(cont.)

>>4031524

Though his presence surprised you, his weapon and tone of voice doesn’t stir you. At this point in your career, few things do.

“I’m looking for information,” you say in an even tone. “Have you seen a large man wielding a mace and spear around here? He was also accompanied by a few other men.”

The man thinks over your inquiry and narrows his eyes, “Get your foot out of his gut and we’ll talk.”

You hold onto your whip tightly, but relent and allow your opponent to get up.

“Away.” Says the man, addressing the youths. They file out of the alley as quickly as possible, making sure to kick dust and gravel at you as they leave.

“If you’re looking for Marcus, you’re too late. He should be at the lower west side by now.”

“Do you know him well?”

“Hardly, but I know of him and his friend. The two of them caused a lot of trouble for the town guard about three years back. Now that he’s returned, I’m sure he’s going to start something.”

“Do you know where he’s going?”

“If I were to guess, I’d say he’s going after Hughes Brewery, For the last few weeks, I’ve heard talk that there was a plan to raid the place.” The man says as he lowers his crossbow and waves you off.

You offer up your thanks and leave as quickly as possible. Given the importance of alcohol in this city, you can only imagine how much security the brewery would have; perhaps some backup will be required if you want to aid Jut and make it through the night. However, you realize that your presence could complicate whatever plan he has laid out.


What will you do?

>Get backup

>Go alone

>Retire for the night and hope for the best


If you decide to get backup who will you choose?

>Go to the bar and grab Roderick

>Go to the bar and see if any patrons will accompany you

>Look for Cynthia

>>4031535
>Go alone

I am hurt he didn't come to us first

>>4031535
>>Go alone