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It is the 1550s.
A time of expansion, exploration, and trade.
Amidst great empires, a small country manages to establish itself as a trading center.

Within Sablestream lies Clawflash, the prosperous capital surrounded by rivers. A highly competitive world where wealth can be easily amassed and washed away. A destination for any goblin, human, or giant seeking to improve their status. This city was originally founded by birdmen, divine messengers of deities, who seem to take interest in the monarchy and the supernatural entities within this city.

Under the authority of King Chaisri, foreign trade and military power are emphasized. A ruthless leader, who came from a line of short reigning predecessors. He assumed power after executing the previous king, his five year old nephew, for unproductive behavior during the war between Sablestream and the neighboring country, Galepeak. With his extensive usage of firearms and foreign mercenaries, Galepeak forces were driven out from the north eastern provinces.

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You are Sira

Formerly an apothecary in training, ladykiller, martial artist, security agent of a slave health inspection company, and a member of Red Winter crime organization (who funded the slave health inspection company), his career was ended by Johannes, the military advisor and hitman of the monarchy due to him uncovering state secrets.

His left hand was severed and both of his thighs were cut. His colleague, Bow, was able to stabilize him with the blood magic, and his lover, Warin, used an occult resin to reattach his previously cut limb and muscles. However, the extent of his injuries forced him into an administrative role — he became a brothel keeper.

For years, he cared little about the Nectar Droplet, preferring to stay in his room and daydream about his past days. At the brink of collapse and nearing the end of his employment, Sira began to care about the brothel once more.

Month 1-4
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2023/5593108/

Month 5-7
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2023/5629008/

Currently, the Red Winter organization is divided ー the partial destruction of Boon’s textile workshop forced everyone into finding alternative sources of income. Some of their schemes conflicted with each other, but Sira’s intervention made the senior members and the associates work with each other.

In four months, his role as a brothel keeper will end and he can return to his old position.

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His allies

Within Red Winter crime organization..

Bloodbearer Bow
Head of Two Fencers gambling house and respected by the senior members. Her skill in manipulating blood kept Sira alive.

Tong
Bow’s brother and second in command. A charismatic leader that the lower ranking members and associates respect.

Cris and Zeal
Apothecaries who produce abortifacients for Red Winter. Extremist in their beliefs of distributing abortifacients and sterilizations, only fringe groups respect them.

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Within the Nectar Droplet brothel..

Military division — Sira’s Crows
His colleagues from the slave health inspection company, Catcher Corps. While there’s only nine of them, they are skilled in combat and infiltration.

Head of financial division — Dao
A goblin that oversees the funds of the brothel. She knows a lot about the entertainment district in general.

Head of security division — Arun
An old man that has seen and dealt with troublemakers his entire life, saved from bankruptcy by Sira and his crows. He is someone Sira consults when it comes to criminal activity and his reputation within the Red Winter organization.

Head of medical division — Warin
His most trusted ally and lover. Oversees the monthly contraceptives and abortifacients supply of the brothel. As a Player of the Dark Arts, she can utilize spirits to perform supernatural acts. As a Krasue, she straddles the line between life and death.

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Sira
Although proficient with many types of weapons, he mainly uses..

a sidesword
A sword with a swept hilt. Powerful in the cut due to the blade’s width, and strong in the thrust due to the profile taper. A well balanced weapon, able to stand up to rapiers or sabers.

wheellock pistol
An expensive firearm with moderate reach. Only stopped by well made cuirasses. It can take nearly half a minute to load.

tantō
A short blade, easily concealed and good in grappling distance.

Recently, his armor consists of..

Padded clothing
His shirt has layers of fabrics stitched to it, providing some protection against cuts or thrusts. Not as durable as an actual gamberson, but more breathable.

Sangu
A set of armor that protected his limbs. It consists of armored sleeves, thigh armor, and shin armor. Small metal plates and mail will deflect cuts and provide good protection against cuts.

Having nearly died and came back, Sira is permanently linked to the supernatural..

Fade
Teleport to a location within line of sight. Time slows down when concentrating. Consecutively fading 4-5 times will cause him to pass out. its daud blink from dishonored

Arcane Bond
Share his [Fade] with others. The power scales with how strong his bond is to that person. Warin and his crows are the current bearers of his blessing.

Overload
Command spirits to amplify a target’s senses. Sira can only use this 2-3 times before becoming ravenous.

To operate the brothel smoothly, there are 4 aspects Sira needs to keep track of…

Funds
Amount of money the brothel has.

Morale
The happiness and loyalty of employees.

Security
Speed of neutralizing troublemakers.

Connections
Reputation of the brothel and the ability to ask for favors from other members in Red Winter.

Each of these aspects can be used as currency in certain decisions (status will be displayed when these options presented)

Don’t let any of them hit 0.

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Seventh month ー later half
The first half of the month was spent getting the associates another source of revenue. With that accomplished, Sira can focus on the senior members.

Scamming the monarchy won’t be easy, especially with Johannes hunting down fraudsters. By discrediting the market district’s handicraft commission, it will satisfy corrupt officials enough to overlook Red Winter selling (counterfeit) items to the monarchy for the upcoming trade with Dawnfall islands.

The handicraft commission is an organization formed by artisans to regulate how much they get paid and how long they must work for. Some people in the government really doesn’t like the public having that much power.

Bow’s plot destabilizes them internally ー sow distrust amongst the artisans. Whether through ordinary means or the supernatural, Red Winter’s psychological manipulation will induce cracks within people and damage alliances.

Cris and Zeal‘s plot targets their customers ー the associates will bribe the journalists into publishing inflammatory reports. ‘Evidence’ of such ‘facts’ will be produced to support them. Rumors of sanitations issues could become truth. Inconveniences suddenly occurs. Long established qualities might vanish. The customers will grow to distrust the artisans.

These plots will occur simultaneously to ensure the commission is discredited, but Sira will only be able to take part in one of them.

>>5663879
Sira will take part in..

>Bow’s plot (internal war)
A joint operation between thieves, manipulators, poisoners, and those skilled in the occult (such as Warin). There’s a lot of variables in this plan, and a lot can go wrong, but the amount of support Sira will have ensures failure won’t come easily.

[Lower DC, more objectives]

>Cris and Zeal’s plot (sway the masses)
This operation requires a small force that can quickly infiltrate buildings and sabotage their equipment. Brief, but perilous. If things go wrong, Sira can rely on himself and a few others.

[Higher DC, fewer objectives]

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Q&A

Updates?
>usually twice per day

Drawquest?
>sometimes, depending on schedule

Trips?
>I have two trips. The one I currently use and picrel (i phonepost a lot)

>>5663879
>Cris and Zeal’s plot (sway the masses)
Welcome back, QM!

>>5663880
>>Cris and Zeal’s plot (sway the masses)

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>>5663930
>>5663910


>sway the masses

Sira and his crows have performed raids many times. A small, elite force that can quickly sabotage objects and leave undetected matches their description.

The associates will be helping them out by providing intelligence and doing favors, but the only ones helping them directly are Cris and Zeal, who will act as scouts.

Cris summarizes their objectives.

《You’ll need to infiltrate a pottery factory and a papermaking workshop. Here’s what they look like.》

The pottery factory is a series of interconnected warehouses. Rather than a precisely planned complex, this labyrinth was created from years of expansions. Due to the amount of stuff in there, sight lines will be short. Noise will be their main way of detecting people.

The workshop is smaller, merely a house with a large backyard. Within backyard are multiple small tents and huts where paper are prepared traditionally, using palm leaves. Spotting people will be easy due to the wide open nature of this location.

《There’s 3 points that the journalists will use to attack them ー sanitation issues, product delays, and quality control. Animal infestations and foul smells are the fastest way of doing those. We have bags of insects and rotten food.》

《You’ll need to find where the products are kept, dump the sacks of insects and food there. If you have the time, try to put those food in hard to reach places. We want that stink to last.》

「Alright. What time will we do this?」

>>5664379


《Tomorrow.》
《We’ll need to hit these locations in the same day so they won’t have time to send out warnings to each other.》

The order is…
>《Pottery factory in the afternoon, workshop in the evening.》
There will be more people at factory working when they infiltrate, but the cover of night will aid in infiltrating the workshop.

>《Workshop in the afternoon, pottery factory in the evening.》
The papermakers and their families are most active during the afternoon, but infiltrating the factory will be easier due to the noises of pedestrians around it.

>>5664380
>《Pottery factory in the afternoon, workshop in the evening.》

>>5664380
>《Pottery factory in the afternoon, workshop in the evening.》
Makes the most sense logistically. Be sneakiest where sight is the primary means of our possible detection!

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>>5664692
>>5664667

>pottery factory afternoon, paper workshop evening

They will tackle the labyrinthine buildings first. Long sight lines of the workshop will be obscured by the darkness.

While the market district was never the most organized part of Clawflash, this pottery factory stands above the rest. A sprawl of nearly identical brown structures, further obscured by shadows and disintegrating landmarks.

Even though the associates provided them with maps, they visited the market district to ensure information provided are accurate. The group spends the first half of the day going through the northern parts of Clawflash.

..
…

Although this visit was educational in nature, the group occasionally takes some time off to visit the street vendors for snacks and drinks. They managed to overhear a few interesting things from the vendors and other customers..

>vendors
They mention problems with suppliers a lot. Apparently they aren’t transporting certain things as fast as they used to. Sira suspects this is the actions of other junior members of Red Winter. Are they commissioning them to transport certain products while neglecting others? Pay them to swap out original products for cheap counterfeit ones? He’s not particularly sure either ー he allied with the senior members and associates, not the juniors.

>customers
Their opinions a little more diverse, but there’s a few useful details.

Slightly blemished products are being sold due to the merchants keeping the higher quality items for next month’s trade with Dawnfall ー the group’s plan of using insects might not work perfectly.

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>>5665117
Luckily, the group is prepared for this. They already have quite a few foul smelling concoctions and corrosive liquids.

With all the information gathered, the later half of the day were spent planning out the routes and alternate plans. There’s three important steps to their plans.

>〈Infiltrate the factory〉
They can do this by hiding in sight (pretending to be customers) or hiding out of sight. (pure stealth) The former will mean they will be more closely monitored, but they can distract the workers by talking to them. The latter means they will have an easier time sneaking around, but if caught, it will be difficult to explain who they are.
>〈Find the warehouse that stores the finished products〉
There’s three possible locations where they keep most of the finished products. The west, the north, or the east section of the factory. If they were pretending to be customers, they could ask about it, but it would look quite suspicious if something happened right after that. They’ll need to pin the blame on workers.
>〈Exfiltrate〉
They can easily fade away after its done, but not when they’re in view of people. If they pretend to be regular customers, this will be pretty difficult.

The group’s plan is to..
(CHOOSE ONE)

>Hiding in sight (pretend to be customers)
They can find more information, but more eyes will be on them. It will be more difficult to do illicit actions this way.

>Hiding from sight (complete avoidance)
Easier to sneak around, but detections will be a lot more difficult to recover from.

The group can call upon a few favors as well….
(CAN CHOOSE UP TO 2 FAVORS)

>Overheard secrets
Some associates overheard where most of the finished products are kept.

[1d2]
1 = know 2 possible locations
2 = know the precise location

>Pushing the right buttons <exclusive to “hiding in sight” option>
Certain topics can cause some of the workers to go on tangents for a long time, if the group knows about these, they could have time to do illicit actions.

[guaranteed success on one illicit action]

>Old uniforms <exclusive to “hiding from sight” option>
The associates managed to acquire old uniforms of some of the contractors that work with the factory. At a glance, the workers will think they are affiliated.

[1d3 when failing the first stealth DC]
1 = alerted
2,3 = undetected

[1d2 when failing the second stealth DC]
1 = alerted
2 = undetected

>>5665118
>Hiding from sight (complete avoidance)
>Overheard secrets

>>5665632
Supporting

>>5665118
>Hiding from sight (complete avoidance)

>Old uniforms <exclusive to “hiding from sight” option>

>>5665964
>>5665667
>>5665632
FYI if you only choose one favor, you’ll get more options of favors when infiltrating the workshop

Rolling for overheard secrets

Rolled 1 (1d2)

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>>5665964
>>5665667
>>5665632


>hiding from sight (pure avoidance)

Avoiding the workers entirely is likely the best approach — those workers won’t have their guard up and they can escape easier. No need to overcomplicate things.

>overheard secrets (2 possible locations)

Either the west or the north of that sprawl. At least they don’t have to waste time checking the east.

The evening is spent going over the final plans.

『We will wear normal clothing until we get to these alleyways here, change, then infiltrate the factory through the south.』

『Once we get to the middle, we’ll split into 2 groups, six people each — The first group will handle the west. Second group will handle the north. Cris will scout ahead in front of the first group, and I will scout ahead of the second.』

Along with the plans, the two have a few devices for stealth. Curious objects that can imitate animal noises.

『The blue one. Two scratches. Blow on this whistle and you’ll sound like a bird. Damn loud.』

《Press it like this.》

「Like.. this?」

《.. Yep. It took a while before we got the noises right. Crickets were pretty hard to copy.》
《Countersign is doing it twice.》

『Exhale a little more.』
『There. Like that.』
『There we go. Just don’t do it too much. There’s not that many dogs in the market district.』

>>5666219

North West Market District ー afternoon

Although the air isn’t as humid as before, the afternoon sunlight made it quite tiring to walk through all those alleyways. Shade is a luxury that the more dilapidated areas are unable to afford.

Now out of sight of the masses, the group remove their outer clothing, revealing a set of loose fitting brown clothes. Under poor light, it becomes difficult to discern their bodies from the similarly colored walls and products. The earthly sprawl awaits them.

With Cris and Zeal as the vanguard, the group successfully move through the southern portion of the pottery factory. Most of the customers and merchants interact in this area. Their banters and conversations mask the noise created by the group.

As they get closer to the middle, the pathways become more dilapidated. A crust of loose debris and fading paint indicate these were extensively used.

The group comes across a warehouse that mainly holds wooden carts and spare parts for them. Considering how clean they are, these are likely used for transporting the finished pottery in bulk.

>Cris and Zeal present

these look pretty small. The handles would fit a goblin better than a human or giant. These trails look-

Before the Sira could analyze it further, Zeal and Cris returned to the group and inform them of workers approaching. The crows leave the warehouse and hide nearby, pressing their ears against the warehouse’s walls in order to eavesdrop on them.

>>5666220
Their muffled words are basically gibberish to Sira.

These goblins must be speaking in the north eastern dialect. He’s not familiar with it, and neither does Cris or Zeal, who come from the southern provinces.

..
…

Judging from the grunts and wood striking against each other, these workers are repairing carts. This could take a while.

The group decides to..

>Wait it out [guaranteed success, increases future DCs]
A safe option, but if these carts are fixed, these workers would be moving around and working ー sneaking around will be more difficult

>Fade past [3d20 vs DC 10]
They’re far from tired. Sira and others can quickly fade past the warehouse and avoid these workers. While they can easily sneak past them, if they falter, they would need a very good excuse to get out of it.

[+4, +4, +5 bonus to roll]
[Failure on any roll will result in detection]

>Distract and use occult resin [1d20 vs DC 15, decreases future DCs]
The group can distract them by producing animal noises while Sira put a small amount of occult resin on the carts. Risky, but if successful, will distract them for a while.

[+4 bonus]

>Overload. [guaranteed success, 1d2 hunger roll]
Those workers will definitely be distracted when one of them (thinks they) are suffering from heat exhaustion. Using such a power will make him quite hungry — Sira won’t be able to use it often.

1 = 1/2 uses
2 = 1/3 uses

>>5666222
>Fade past [3d20 vs DC 10]

>>5666222
>Fade past [3d20 vs DC 10]

>Overload. [guaranteed success, 1d2 hunger roll]

Rolled 10, 18, 6 = 34 (3d20)

>>5666390
>>5666378

>>5666816
>Fade does it again
And oldie, but a goodie.

>>5666816
>Kendal from Succesion enters you are brothel
>"HEY WHATS POPPING BITCHES!!!! YOU GOT THE COKE I ORDERED?"

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>>5666927

>>5666938
>The Nun casts a +12 Stealth and +12 Combat spell giving Kendal from Succsession superior Ninja capabilities
>Kendal does The Stanky Leg to celebrate

>>5666938
>Kendal seamlessly dodges all incoming attacks
>Kendall summons DaBaby as part of his Party
>Kendall summons Christian Vander as a member of his party
>Kendall summons Euronymous as a member of his party
>Kendall summons Lizzo as a member of his party
>Kendall summons Bochi The Rock as a member of his party
>Kendall summons Fenriz from Darkthrone as a member of his party

Rolled 36 (1d69)

>>5666938
Rolling to seduce the nun

>>5666960
>Euronymous already seduced The Nun

>>5666390
>>5666378
>Fade past
The crows are becoming quite proficient at this. Although they aren’t able to concentrate as well as Sira or Warin, they can accurately aim where they want to go without taking much time.

>14 vs 10
Five of them lean past the walls briefly and traverse past the workers. The goblin workers were too distracted with repairing the wheels to notice.

>22 vs 10
Rather than peeking, Sira and a few other crows utilize the slits within the walls and align themselves to fade through, allowing them to reach the other end without exposing themselves for even a moment.

>11 vs 10
Although Cris and Zeal know of Fade, are not used to it. When a crow grabs them and fades, they can barely stand upright afterwards. Hearing those spirits, even if briefly, can be disorienting. Although incomprehensible to most, an instinctual panic occurs from hearing such. Luckily, the crows were there to help them up before they bumped into things.

With the workers avoided, the group is able to continue deeper into the sprawl.

As they go further in, shade become more prevalent and the buildings become larger. Ceramics scraping. Repeated slaps against wet clay. Heat in the air.

The middle of the factory is where clay are being turned into something closely resembling tableware.

>>5666978
What about Euronymous and DaBaby and Kendal from Succsession though? I'm telling mom that you were cheating.

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>>5666978
Obscured by the shelves and shadows, the group easily avoids any detection from any of the potters.

The associates reported that the east section of the factory isn’t where they keep the finished products, and this information seems to be accurate — occasionally, they see potters transporting blocks of clay and paint from the right side into the middle.

>undetected [observation bonus]

All of them blissfully unaware of people spying on them.

After observing for a few minutes, the group is able to find a few useful things…
(Choose one)

>Precise location of the pottery storage [Increases sabotage DC]
By looking at certain notes, they can determine which direction they need to go. However, it also state the storage is quite hazardous.

"A recent wind draft caused some of the pottery to fall and shatter. SHARP ceramic fragments could still be present."

>Water and wet towels [Decreases stealth DC]
It can get pretty hot inside the factory. To prevent heat related illnesses, staying hydrated is important. The group can nick some of these in order to prevent exhaustion.

>Pest repellent powders [Decreases failure severity]
Powders made from herbs that can repel mosquitos and other annoying insects. Bought in bulk. Convincing those workers might be a little easier if they have these — they are “merely” cleaners that got lost. The amount of clothing covering their skin also sells this lie quite well.

>>5666980
>Pest repellent powders [Decreases failure severity]

>>5666980
>Pest repellent powders [Decreases failure severity]

Rolled 75 (1d88)

>>5666965
Rolling to summon varg to stab euronomyous

>Pest repellent powders [Decreases failure severity]

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>>5667154
>>5666998
>>5666990

>Pest repellent

They nearly got caught. They can’t risk such a situation again. Having pouches of this stuff will allow them some plausible deniability.

Although they weren’t able to locate where the pottery storage is, the group does know a few things about the two directions they will be heading in..

>West
Generally wider and more open than the north. The sight lines are long, and shade is scarce.

《Smells a bit strange. Paint, I bet.》

>North
Much hotter than the west. Sight lines are shorter, and shelves are more prevalent here.

『The heat is coming from this direction.』

Ah. Dammit. What was the process for creating these again?

Sira isn’t an expert in stoneware. He roughly knows how they are made — clay is cut, shaped, then… something… either they’re painted then heated, or the other way around.

He decides to be part of

>Cris’ group [west]
Her stature and lightbending cloak will prove useful in keeping the crows from sight.

>Zeal’s group [north]
His similar silhouette to the workers will allow him to avoid detection at a glance.

>>5667189
>Zeal’s group [north]

>>5667189
>>Cris’ group [west]

>>5667189
>Cris’ group [west]

>Cris’ group [west]

It seems more efficient than just having a small stature

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>>5667905
>>5667795
>>5667785
>>5667193


>Cris’ group [west]

The west seems like a better option. Sira decides to go with the first group.

..
…

Sunlight becomes prevalent, revealing dots of pale colors amongst the drab structures. That strange smell becomes increasingly apparent. A somewhat repulsive thing to those not particularly familiar with stoneware.

Definitely where pottery are painted.

Eventually, they are in a wide pathway surrounded by shelves of stoneware in varying stages of decoration. Some have elegant patterns all around them while others are barely covered in glaze.

>Cris present [bonus to observation]

The group comes across a few dogs. Dark in color and not particularly well groomed, these must be strays.

Stares. Tails straightening. Teeth showing. They are getting aggressive.

《Let’s back up a little bit.》

Cris pulls out a packet of sticky rice and throws a small portion near them.

They bark and growl, continuing to advance. Seems like they’re uninterested in the food.

Dammit. That was a nice try.

Sira takes this as a cue to grab her hand and fade to higher ground — the roofs that shield these rows of shelves from rain. The others follow suit.

>>5667993


《Arghh…》

Cris momentarily uses Sira’s shoulder as an hand test.

《Than-…》
「Get down.」

All that barking attracted the attention of a few goblins from the other end of the pathway, who yells at the strays while tapping the ground with cudgels. Seems like they’ve done this before.

More growls. The goblins strike the ground with their cudgels, creating loud cracks. Those dogs concede, and begin to walk away.

Rather than turning around and continue their work, the goblins point at the small chunks of sticky rice and begin talking about it.

The group decides to..

>Rush [2d20 vs 8 / 10 / 12 / 14 DC]
Fade to the other side while these goblins are distracted. They won’t know the layout nor know how many people are there, but it’s better than staying on the roofs and potentially being spotted.

《Ahead of this pathway and that’s it. That’s where we’ll find the storage. I think.》

[+4 bonus for first roll]
[+5 bonus for second roll]
[1d4 to determine DC. 1 = 14 DC, 4 = 8 DC]
[Failure of either dice roll results in detection]

>Distract them with animal noises [1d20 vs DC 5 — 15]
With Cris and Zeal’s devices, the group can lure the goblins away from the main pathway by pretending to be barking dogs.

《Don’t do it too much.》

[Choose a single bonus: +2 / +4 / +6]
[If dice roll is below 5, future DC becomes slightly more difficult. If dice roll is over 15, future DC becomes somewhat more difficult]

>Wait it out [guaranteed success, reduced bonuses for next DC]
Patience is key to stealth. Better to observe instead of rushing in blindly. However, staying on the hot roofs under the blaring sun will make them tired. They should recover with some shade and water.

「We’ve been through worse. We can probably fade for a times after this.」

>>5667997
>Wait it out [guaranteed success, reduced bonuses for next DC]

>>5667997
>Distract them with animal noises [1d20 vs DC 5 — 15]

>>5667027
Varg doesn't exist in this universe. It would have to be Necrobutcher.

>>5667997
>Distract them with animal noises [1d20 vs DC 5 — 15]

>>5668120
>>5668075
Choose a bonus (+2 / +4 / +6)

>>5668267
I take it whatever we choose now, we can't use later? Split the difference, +4.

>>5668294
No, what Cris meant was that the total being over 15 means future DCs will be more difficult.

You can choose any number you want, but the higher that is, the more likely the total roll will exceed 15

>>5668297
But it will make this roll easier, yes. Sticking with >>5668294

>>5668304
>>5668294
DC 5 & 15

Rolled 1 + 4 (1d20 + 4)

>>5668305

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>>5668306

>Distract with animal noises

Now is the time for those contraptions to shine. The group blows on the cone like things in order to imitate barking. However, they are not particularly skilled with these devices. Due to stress and fatigue, most of the group produces quiet huffing and seething.

Cris taps their shoulders and tell them to calm down

《Stop. Take a breather. You’re not doing it right. Follow my lead.》

She takes a deep breath before bellowing. Her decent imitation of a canine’s bark is followed by series of passable barks soon after.

>5

After a series of barks, the goblins finally took notice and walked away from the main pathway to investigate. It took them a lot of energy and lung capacity, but they barely managed to distract them.

With those goblins now out of the picture, the group fades to the other side of pathway unbothered.

ugh.

It wasn’t the storage.
At the end of the pathway is a moderately sized workshop, dedicated to painting and glazing the stoneware. Light is plentiful here, owing to the openness of this structure ー it’s essentially a small house with many large porches.

《The porch roofs look pretty small…》

Such exposure to sunlight is likely necessary for the smell of the paint to dissipate and artisans to clearly see their work while painting.

>>5668522
Sira is able to vaguely recall the process of making stoneware by stalking those artisans.

After the clay is shaped, they are glazed, then fired. Stoneware will harden and become operational.

If only he knew this sooner…

At least those artisans and workers didn’t detect their presence.

《At least we know it’s not this side. Let’s go regroup with Zeal.》

Is there anything the group wants to do before regrouping?

>no
They’re good. No need to do anything risky..

>spill some paint [1d4]
This nuisance will distract quite a few workers, possibly making the trip to the north easier. He just needs to not overdo it.

[1 = no effect]
[2 = difficulty for next DC decreased]
[3 = difficulty for next DC heavily decreased]
[4 = workers become suspicious. Difficulty for next DC increased]

>hydrate and conserve energy [1d3]
The north is likely where the firing happens. Things will get hot. Taking some time to prepare themselves for that will likely be useful, as long as they waste too much time…

[1 = difficulty for next DC is slightly increased]
[2,3 = failure severity reduced]

>>5668524
>no.

Its all good.

>>5668524
>no

>hydrate and conserve energy [1d3]

Those are very good odds

>>5668524
>spill some paint [1d4]

>>5668524
>spill some paint [1d4]

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>5668540
>>5668642

>>5668739
>>5669008
Tiebreak

1 = no
2 = spill

Rolled 1 (1d4)

>>5669235

>>5669238
womp womp

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2.94 MB JPG

>>5669243
>>5669238

>spill the paint

Spilling some paint is a good way of distracting those artisans. This inconvenience that won’t look suspicious if they do it right. Careful adjustments to the angles and balance of these containers will make these fall in a few moments.

>1
They were a little too conservative with their adjustments. None of them actually fell. Those artisans would be amused (and slightly annoyed) upon seeing the haphazardly assembled towers of containers, though.

..
…
…..

The diagonal trek upwards was not easy. The heat combined with the large amount of clothing they wear quickly made it uncomfortable. Sweat clings to their legs and arms, slowing down their movement. Dry air crack their lips and force them to pant like dogs.

The water and damp towels they have prepared can only do so much. Sira’s long bangs proved to be quite an annoyance, as they stick to his forehead from the sweat and prevent it from properly cooling down.

this could’ve been a lot worse if i didn’t shave my armpits and crotch..

Narrower and cramped rooms. Shorter sight lines. As shade intensified, so too did the heat.

《Ha.. Halt. Get.. a wet towel and cover your nose with.. it.》

The smell of burning wood reaches their noses. They are near the kilns. Beyond those shadowy doors are the source of all that heat.

>>5669561
This is it. The final stretch before they reach the storage. They’ve come this far without being spotted. They’re not going to falter now!

Before they venture through this fiery abyss, they hydrate as much as possible and cover themselves with wet towels.

They’ll have to endure the heat and avoid the workers there at the same time.
[2d20 vs DC 17]
[current bonuses: +4, +5]
[failing either rolls will result in detection]

Choose actions to perform (optional)

CURRENT EXHAUSTION: 40%
[if exhaustion reaches 100%, some people will pass out]

>Consecutive Fading [1d3 exhaustion roll]
Rapidly teleporting will get them out faster, but it can be tiring.

[+4, +5 bonus -> +7, +6 bonus]
[1 = +50% exhaustion, 2 = +40% exhaustion, 3 = 30% exhaustion]

>Activate lightbending cloak and sprint
Being completely invisible will allow them to move much faster, although the noise could still give them away..

[DC 17 -> DC 13]
[+20% exhaustion]

>Let Sira’s deepest thoughts invigorate himself [1d2 success roll]
Why do I make these choices, anyway? What compels me..?

[1 = guaranteed success on 1st roll, 2 = guaranteed success on both rolls]

>>5669563
...Alright, I'm curious.
>Let Sira’s deepest thoughts invigorate himself [1d2 success roll]

>>5669563
>Consecutive Fading [1d3 exhaustion roll]

>Let Sira’s deepest thoughts invigorate himself [1d2 success roll]

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>5669615
>>5669591
1 = 1st roll succeed
2 = both succeed

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>>5669795
>invigorated by his deepest thoughts

Ever since he was attacked by that Bow Buffalo, spirits have became intertwined with his mind, pulling out all sorts of thoughts he kept buried within.

Sira isn’t particularly diligent about visiting the mental health professionals, but he has been taking his medication and followed their advice.

His darkest, unfiltered thoughts will always be with him, but he doesn’t try to deny or suppress it anymore. He is aware of it, and when necessary, such thoughts will help him accomplish something productive.

>2

Colors vanishes from the world. An infinite blackness surrounds Sira. Time no longer has any meaning. Within this abyss, only his heartbeat and breathing accompanies him.

..
…
…..

Throughout his life, he has caused suffering to countless people. He could form a mountain from all the people he mentally scarred, irreversibly injured, or killed.

He thought there was a certain coldness that permeated through him that allowed him able to do such things over and over again.

>>5670183
There was more to it than that.
Deep down, he loved it.

Turning those swindlers’ faces into bloody chunks. Crippling those cocky assholes for life. Watching the fear in their eyes leak out as their throat gets crushed.

Being able to snuff out what was wrong in the world felt intoxicating. It felt good. It made him felt powerful.

Normally, he tries to minimize this aspect of the life. He wants to take a path where uninvolved people don’t have to suffer as much.

… right now, he needs those thoughts. His body needs a reason to keep going. To keep pushing. He needs something strong.

Sira invokes…

>hatred
Sira has encountered so many that caused undue suffering onto the world. That desire to see his enemies tortured, crippled, murdered, raped... He can use it to keep going.

Let that anger power him, so he has the strength to take the kinder path.

>joy
He always enjoyed that thrill. That feeling of inflicting pain onto those deserving it. By recalling such satisfaction, he can push himself further than before.

Sira always cherished such feelings in the past. It serve him well once more.

>>5670184
>>hatred
Ree

>>5670184
>joy
Mad sadism? Sounds fun.

THERAPIST QUEST
You've graduated university and become a licensed therapist
Your first patient is a Thai man that calls himself schizo
Schizo: I feel sexually attracted to women that've slept with my dad
You: .........wut?
Schizo: that's right. I found out my dad was cheating on my mom with his secretary and now I want to have sex with the secretary
You: ........
Schizo: then I found out he's also sleeping with one of my classmates so now I want to have sex with the classmate too
You: .........
Schizo: I want to be tunnel buddies with my dad
How do you treat your strange thai patient?
>>[INSULT] "you're a cuck and an absolute degenerate"
>>[PRAISE] "you're a bull and not a cuck"
>>"alright I've heard enough" [JUMP OUT THE WINDOW]

>>5670184
>hatred

>>5670582
>>5670381
>>5670361

>hatred

He wants to do harm to those that deserves it.
He WANTS to break them. To see the fear in their eyes as everything they cling onto falls apart. He must live on, so that his enemies can never feel safe again.

what Sohm went through will be chickenshit compared to what i would do to them.

>2 [guaranteed success on both]

..
…

《.. Sira. You good?》

The abyss fades away. Colors and noises returns to the world. The passage of time continues.

Right now, he is being carried by Cris, his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

《..still got some water left. You good?》

He’s too exhausted to say anything, only able to pant.

Sira leaves a trail of crow feathers beneath him, a clear indication of fading extensively.

He begins to remember what happened ー he got all of the group to hold on to him as he fades through that kiln.

Most of the time, he doesn’t do this. The more people that he fades with, the more exhausting it becomes for him to fade, like adding more weight onto a sack that must be carried. It was a gamble, as he could’ve passed out a lot quicker than normal.

This time, it paid off.

In front of him was a desolate storage, sheltered from sunlight. Although not cold, the air inside it was a refreshing break from the burning sensation of the kiln. Emerging from the shelves were Zeal and the rest of the crows, who rushed over to Sira to administer some aid. Their water was slightly bitter, and the towels were barely damp, but they were helpful nonetheless.

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>>5671258
The second group already applied the corrosive solutions onto most of the pottery ー all that’s left to do is dousing those stoneware with the foul smelling liquids and leave.

『We’re doing good time wise. That was.. an hour in total.』

They accomplished their goal relatively quickly while have remaining undetected for the entirety of this operation. Quite the success.

They’ll have more time than expected before they infiltrate the papermakers workshop, which will be spent on…

>rest [increase stamina]
Snacks, tea, and naps can alleviate some of the strain their bodies have been through. A proper rest will let them perform more physically demanding actions easier. Consecutively fading will still be tough, but not as before.

>thorough disguise [decrease visibility]
Their presence could be obscured further with the use of some darker finishes to their equipment. Makeup is also a valuable tool — obscuring one’s age can help remove suspicions from them. Quite a long process, though.

>rest [increase stamina]
who can say no to snacks and tea

>>5671260
>rest [increase stamina]

>>5671260
>>rest [increase stamina]

>>5671260
>thorough disguise [decrease visibility]

>>5671260
>>thorough disguise [decrease visibility]

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65 KB JPG

>>5671620
>>5671611
>>5671341
>>5671277
>>5671274

>rest

The group returns to their hideout unscathed after sabotaging the pottery storage.

While a few crows decide to nap immediately, most choose to visit the pantry. They’ve stored quite a lot of things in it earlier, and they’re not letting it go to waste.

Sira’s bottles of dried butterfly pea flowers turns the jugs of cool water a rich ultramarine blue. A pinch of sugar and cuts of lime turns it into something more refreshing.

The other crows unravels their packets of fruits and chili salt, their selections reminiscent of those street vendors at the market district.

Zeal and Cris brought something more hearty ー deep fried pork rinds and sausages. Although best eaten alongside vegetables, the two didn’t really bring much of those. They brought meat,spices and little else. Even the sausages don’t have sticky rice mixed in, only having minced pork and garlic.

..
…

It has been quite a while.

After helping out Red Winter in Cinderpath all those years ago, they haven’t really met each other much.

Talking to those two apothecaries again reveal how much of their old acquaintances have changed.

『..Yep. That kid finally left it for good. Him and his uncle works at this restaurant in.. uh.. south Clawflash I believe. Their duck noddles were pretty good.』

Most of them have already left the life.

《…she’s doing pretty good, to be honest. Pine is like… almost fifty now and still writing books and cooking...》

Although they sound genuinely happy for them, Sira can tell there’s some sorrow to their tone. With every passing year, fewer of their old allies remain in the life. They do keep in touch, but it’s not the same.

>>5671781
The conversation did get him to think about the future a little. He can’t be a security agent for Catcher Corps forever. Maybe he could be an instructor? Write manuscripts like Pine and her husband?

.. it’s probably best to not think that far. He should get some rest.

..
…
….

Somewhere else — time unknown

The abyss feels.. different. Rather than a still darkness, there is now a wind. There was a breeze. Then a gale. Then a storm.

A silhouette appears, resembling a tall woman.

๏You two keep surprising me.๏

.. you two? Is this her teacher, then?

๏Ah, yes. I am Warin’s instructor.๏
๏I have been watching you for quite a while.๏

๏What I have seen was quite interesting. Series of events that feels novel worthy, even. It would be a shame to not let you know it.๏

get to the point.

๏You’ve chosen to align yourself with the seniors and the associates first, rather than your own kin. You’ve given little care to them in the past, but now, when things get desperate, you’d take part in their plots? That makes me curious.๏

「.. something happened to the junior members, I take it?」

๏Yes. If you want to know more, answer my question.๏

>>5671783
.. why did Sira choose to align himself with the seniors and associates? He always disregarded the former while he never interacted with the latter much.

FOLLOW HIS HEART

>They’re useful to me
I never cared for the seniors, but I can’t retire from Red Winter if it goes to shit first. There’s still quite a few good people in here, and I don’t want them get hurt because someone else fucked up.

FOLLOW HIS MIND

>For the brothel
You must’ve watched me kill Sohm. You probably saw me bury those infants. I choose this path because it was most likely to keep the brothel afloat. Their plots could be conjoined. My colleagues’ couldn’t.

FOLLOW HIS DEEPEST THOUGHTS

>write in

>>5671785
>They’re useful to me

>>5671785
>They’re useful to me
Politically expedient, too. If Red Winter fractures, we want as many powerful allies as possible, and the option to hire on mercs or exonad the organization to associates who think like us. We need to be able to keep us, and Warin, afloat.

>They’re useful to me

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>>5671962
>>5671935
>>5671825

>They’re useful

「I never cared for them, but I can’t retire from Red Winter if it goes to shit first.」

「.. like you said, I never had loyalty for either — if things really does go to shit, I can align myself to whichever side that’s winning. And maybe nudge a few things.」

i know there’s still good people in here… i can’t let them get hurt.

๏I see.๏
๏You’ve played the game for a long time. And you’ve played it well. Same cannot be said for your colleagues.๏

๏Some of them went “missing”. Quite a clean job from Johannes, I must say. Age has not weakened him much.๏
๏It’s only a matter of time before the entertainment district gets put to the sword.๏
๏Had you been there to guide them, perhaps they would not have been so careless in smuggling. Tharn - that tailor you once visited could have helped. She was quite clever. Surprising for someone who used to drool over a failed apothecary.๏

… you gush about me to Warin. I don’t think you have room to complain.

๏I do. I don’t involuntarily sweat when I see someone I like.๏

… easy to do that when you’re not alive.

๏… whether the seniors manage to discredit the commission or not, it ultimately does not matter. Through no fault of your own, Red Winter will crumble.๏
๏Once that Lobster latches on, he won’t be letting go. Maybe you could mislead him. Or maybe it is best to amputate the parts.๏

๏I wonder what you will do, knowing that the monarchy is looming over you once again.๏

The gale fades away, and her silhouette moves further from him with every passing moment.

>>5672288


A tap from Zeal wakes him up. It’s nearly evening.

Sira tells the group about the conversation he had while checking his equipment. While Zeal is willing to believe her words, Cris suspects that she could be misleading them.

『She didn’t even tell you when that happened? Amount of people ‘missing’?』

「Nope. That was it.」

《.. what evidence does she really have? We heard a few laborers went missing. That was it. Could be a coincidence. Last month, she could’ve helped Warin against the Bow Buffalo unconditionally, but no, she had to ask her a question first. She was willing to let her get gored if she got it wrong. If she’s willing to do THAT against her own student… I think this could be a test of some kind as well. See what we do.》

《She could be lying for all we know. Trying to create a self fulfilling prophecy.》

「She was probably fucking with her when she asked that question. When Warin called, she was there. She could’ve refused. I think she genuinely means well.」

「Besides, if what she’s saying is true, this could be our chance to take over. Let the seniors take the fall for the juniors.」

The two pauses for a moment. They always wanted more power within the organization, but betraying the seniors now is a pretty tough decision.

《It’s risky. That’s one third, or half of Red Winter if we really fuck up.》

The crows are also divided on this matter. Some say they’re supposed to be loyal to Red Winter. Other argued that the seniors are supposed to care for the juniors, but they never did. Some feared retaliation from the seniors if they fail this operation, while others say their current lack of funds makes it unlikely.

「I think..」

>Zeal is right
We need to prevent the seniors from gaining any more power. I have a few ideas on how we can fuck up this operation and pin it on someone else…

>Cris is right
We do need more evidence. She could be testing us. Let’s do this operation first and think about it later.

Just noticed a formatting issue. I accidentally used 「」in place of 『』when representing Zeal. Conversation was supposed to be Cris - Zeal. Only the final sentence is Sira’s.

>>5672289
>Zeal is right

>Cris is right

>>5672289
>Cris is right

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>>5672665
>>5672658
>>5672617

>「Cris is right」

What she’s saying could be true, but Sira would like some more substantial evidence before doing anything drastic.

Zeal concedes. They’ll look for evidence later.

..
…

Even with setting sun casting shadows across the city, plenty of people still roam the streets of the market district. Queues of restaurants and road side vendors seems longer with every passing moment.

Among the rows of buildings and houses lies the papermakers workshop, a moderately size house that is quite far from the main roads. Having a house also operate as a workshop or store isn’t uncommon, although the amount of vegetation around it is quite unusual, usually only seen on the more rural area of Clawflash.

Cold breeze accompanies them as the group fade back from rooftops to rooftops. A strange phenomenon, considering the day has been mostly dry and windless. Perhaps it is merely the weather being mercurial, or it is caused by Warin’s teacher.

Either way, it makes their long, flowing clothes slightly more bearable. Although such a design would make them stick out in public, since they are hiding from sight, it doesn’t matter that much. Being able to conceal most of their bodies and distort the silhouettes are more important right now.

Along side their clothings and tools of distractions, the group was able to call upon a favor….

(Choose ONE)

>foul smelling fishes [lower stealth DC, failure becomes more severe]
A house nearby the workshop is cooking food outdoors. Salted fish can produce quite a strong smell when fried. It can linger in the air and can stick to clothing for quite a while. This will definitely irritate the papermakers in the workshop, making them less attentive, but less tolerant of strange people in their backyard…

>a troupe performing [1d3 to determine stealth difficulty]
Nearby the workshop, there will be a play from a moderately successful troupe. The attention they garnered and the noises they could distract the people in the workshop.

[1 = harder DC]
[2 = normal DC]
[3= easier DC]

>rough illustrations [fewer DCs, DCs become more difficult]
A map of the workshop and the backyard. With this in hand, their routes become much more efficient ー instead of visiting 3 or 4 locations, they know that the paper are kept in 2 possible locations. A quick operation, but the paths they take will leave them quite exposed…

>>5673166
>a troupe performing [1d3 to determine stealth difficulty]

>>5673166
>>foul smelling fishes [lower stealth DC, failure becomes more severe]

Two more hours till voting closes and tiebreaker roll

>>5673166
>a troupe performing [1d3 to determine stealth difficulty]

Rolled 3 (1d3)

>>5673781
>>5673170

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>>5673820


>a troupe performing

They pulled a few strings and got a troupe to perform a play nearby the workshop.

Traditionally, there are two types of shadow plays ー small and large ones. While both take place outdoors, the latter is more costly and mostly reserved for epics. In this case, the troupe will be performing a small one ー cheaper, more focused on comedy, and usually attracts a larger audience.

>3 [easier DC]

A crowd quickly gathers around the troupe as they set up stilts for the screen. The commotion attracts the attention of quite a few people in the workshop, who seem to recognize them. Not an uncommon occurrence, as the musicians, artisans and puppeteers usually came from grassroots origins ー just like the papermakers of the workshop.

《Three hours before those guys take a break. Let’s go.》

There are four important locations within the backyard that could hold the processed papers. Although the huts may look similar at a glance, each serve a different purpose.

The cutting station is where the palm leaves gets cut up and stitched after being dried for several days. Clearly identifiable by the bundles of leaves.

The oven station is used to dry the palm leaves, preventing molds. After cutting away the excess leaves and smoothing the edges, the paper becomes usable. Shelves of wood and sand surround it.

The writing station is where the papermakers write down words onto the paper. Rather than a quill or dip pen, the process is much more complicated ー metal styluses, oils, and soot mixtures are used instead. There’s a lot more artisans here compared to other locations.

The assembling station is where the papers are tied together by rope and packaged. While fabrics bearing elegant patterns and intricately carved wooden labels are used for scriptures, most are simply wrapped in cloth and tied with rope. Very little cover is around it.

The processed books are likely somewhere within one of these stations, as when they faded into the workshop, they did not find them within the house.

While the writing station and assembling station likely hold the processed papers, there could be a chance that the oven station holds them ー books for the printing press are often roasted twice.

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3.21 MB JPG

>>5673917


《uhh.. I.. don’t think it’s supposed to be this cold.》

With every passing moment, the wind grows stronger. The air becomes colder. Their limbs starts to shiver. At this rate, even their clothing won’t stand up to this chill for long. They’ll need to do this quick.

not making this easy for me, professor?

※Status: Chilling※
If it reaches 100%, dice roll bonuses are reduced.

CHILL: 50 / 100%

The group decides to visit…
[choose one]

>Cutting station
Likely not where the processed books are, but they could eavesdrop on those papermakers and find out where the processed papers are kept.

[+25% Chill]

>Oven station
This might be where the processed books are. The warmth from the ovens will ease the chill slightly.

[-25% Chill]

>Writing station
Likely where the processed books are kept. Currently, it has quite a few people there, making it somewhat difficult to infiltrate.

[+25% Chill]

>Assembling station
Likely where the processed books are kept. It has barely anyone, but the howling wind strikes this location the hardest.

[+50% Chill]

>>5673919
>Oven station
Warm up, then check our the rest. Take advantage of our high roll fornthe distraction!

>>5673928
+1

>>5674045
>>5673928

>oven station

Warmth is means everything their fingers are trembling from the cold.

Fading to the oven statuon, their bodies are further obscured by the shadows of the shelves of kindling.

Grey smoke. The smell of wood burning. Crackling of the flame. The howling wind holds no power here.

>50 » 25/100% CHILL

Aside from warming themselves, getting close to the walls of this hut also allows them to eavesdrop on the people in it.

Some of the conversations were expected. Work. Family. Friends. The troupe nearby. One of their conversations offers insight on why they are experiencing such strange coldness.

‘..Yep. The one with the bird emblem. Dark grey beaks.’

“.. damn.. I don’t expect much from green lamps district, but shit... How much did they pay those laborers to smuggle booze?”

Definitely the Steel Beaks gambling house they’re talking about. The one time I wasn’t in the entertainment district and this happens.

‘.. no idea.’

“Agh. What a shitshow.”
“The hell were those employers thinking? Walking up to a gambling house, with an army of unarmed guys, and expect them to give their laborers back… they really think they’re gotta settle this with a fistfight or something?”

‘You have no idea how retarded people can be. I kid you not. I’ve seen a guy say ‘you don’t have the guts’ and to someone brandishing a knife. He got gutted.‘

“.. really?”
‘Yes. Some people really are that retarded. Or naive.’

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>>5674765


‘.. anyway, I didn’t see much of the fighting, but I did see those [law enforcement] officers using the- they were these.. cannons that shot out these really cold water. You could see their breath in the air when they’re using it. They were just.. hosing every damn thing in the street.’

“.. man, how come we don’t have that.”

‘.. I don’t think we can afford a Windbearer, let alone a Heatbearer to enchant our hoses. Not to mention the water cost..’

“.. wait, wait, what if we just use it as a.. uh.. cleaner. Get the windbearer to enchant a hose. It’ll just shoot out air. Might be good for getting rid of soot and dust.”

‘Hmmm..’

This isn’t good.
A lot of the entertainment district’s establishments are illegal. Prostitution and gambling houses are the main offenders, but law enforcement tends to overlook them if they pay their fees and don’t cause trouble. This incident is going to fracture that relationship pretty severely.

… A tap on the shoulder. Zeal has something to say.

『Papers are not here.』

Ugh. Damn.

The group could travel to another location, or continue eavesdropping here. They might be able to gain more information by staying, but more and more people are likely coming here so they don’t have deal with the cold. It will be more difficult to stay hidden.

The group decides to..

STAY
>eavesdrop [2d20 vs 12 / 14 stealth DC & 13 / 15 information DC]
They might be able to gain more information about this brawl.

[bonuses: +4, +5 ー ASSIGN THE BONUSES TO DICE ROLLS]

LEAVE (current chill: 25 / 100)
>Cutting station [+25% Chill]
Likely not where the processed books are, but they could eavesdrop on those papermakers and find out where the processed papers are kept. Easier to remain undetected than staying here, at least.

>Writing station [+25% Chill]
Likely where the processed books are kept. Currently, it has quite a few people there, but they won’t be able to stand the cold for long.

>Assembling station [+60% Chill]
Likely where the processed books are kept. It has barely anyone, but the howling wind strikes this location the hardest. With every passing moment, it becomes colder and more desolate…

>eavesdrop [2d20 vs 12 / 14 stealth DC & 13 / 15 information DC]
That's what we came here for

>>5674767
>Assembling station [+60% Chill]

>>5674767
>Writing station [+25% Chill]

Rolled 2 (1d3)

>>5675446
>>5674929
>>5674803
Tiebreak
1 = eavesdropping
2 = assembling
3 = writing

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>>5675480

>assembling station

The wind isn’t getting any warmer. Might as well go to that location before the cold completely envelopes it.

Cris and Zeal hold onto the crows as they fade to the relatively desolate hut.

>CHILL: 25 » 85 / 100%

Warmth quickly evaporates from their faces. Against the bellowing wind, the many layers of fabrics that drape over the assembling station’s windows and entrances wail around relentlessly. Although the group manages to shove them aside and enter, their hands are growing numb.

Is this.. really the result of using those water cannons? If the cold is this bad from this distance, the people that were hit directly probably won’t be alive.

After combing their way through the hut, they finally come across what they were looking for - shelves of completed books, some wrapped in cloth, and some stored in wooden cases.

《Perfect.》

Pouches and packets are unwrapped. While not particularly graceful due to the shivering, they nonetheless applied the acidic solutions onto the books and their covers. Normally, they would also apply the foul smelling mixtures, but the wind isn’t on their side right now ー it would give their position away too quickly.

What was once ink and soot elegantly carved onto palm leaves have now turned into an black undecipherable mess. They completed their mission. It’s time to leave.

『.. ugh.. h.. hhah..』

>>5675603

Zeal is slurring his words. His breath is labored, and he can barely keep himself standing. Even with the amount of clothing covering his body, he is still smaller than everyone else. He tries to quell the cold by shoving his hands underneath his armpits, but it doesn’t help much.

As the group begin to pack up their things, the goblin picks up on some noise.

『People.. coming.. left s.. side.』

Through the silts of the billowing fabrics that drape over the windows, they spot a few people. Their glimpses reveal that these middle aged people carry lanterns, but not much else. Likely checking up on their products, but not intending to move them around.

They just need a little more time to pack up their things and leave.

To accomplish this, they decide to…

>Overload [guaranteed success]
Amplifying the sense of touch on one of those middle aged folks will definitely be a good distraction. The cold will feel devastating. Then again, should he do this? The junior members already brought enough attention to themselves, and hurting a civilian (especially in a supernatural manner) could cause certain people to look into this incident more closely…

>Bark [1d20 vs 3 DC & 17 DC — ASSIGN BONUS]
They can pretend to be dogs inhabiting the hut, making those papermakers more reluctant to enter. They just need to make sure they don’t do it too little or too much. Too little and they won’t hear it. Too much and they’ll get suspicious.
[+1 / +2 / +3 / +4 / +5]
[final result being lower than 3 or higher than 17 will result in detection ]

>Rush it [2d20 vs 12 / 16 DC]
Speed is more important than noise. Pack up their things quick and get out of there!

「Don’t worry about losing things unless it’s the mixture. WE NEED TO GO NOW.」

[bonus: +4, +5]
[if either rolls are >16 = roll a 1d3 to determine items lost]
[1 = the foul smelling mixture <alarming>]
[2 = clickers <peculiar>]
[3 = empty packets <typical>]

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Feedback

We’re almost 15 days deep into this thread now. If you don’t mind, I would like you to answer these questions.

>how do you feel about the pacing? Too fast? Too slow?
>for difficulty, do you prefer the current DCs (dice rolling with advantages) or the previous threads’ (puzzle like options)?
>what aspect of the quest do you enjoy?
>what aspect of the quest do you dislike?

>>5675606
>Bark [1d20 vs 3 DC & 17 DC — ASSIGN BONUS]
>+3

>>5675613
>pacing
Just right, boss.
>difficulty
Both have their place, but I like the combo: standard DCs, reduced if someone chooses a smart solution
>enjoyable bits
The setting's rich mythological and political history is great, and characters' very distinct humility and humanity lends a lot of weight to choices. They all feel very fragile, fallible, pretty, and mortal in a very authentic way.
>Disliked aspects
None, really. Some decisions and the pre-written vote options come out of left field for me and seem very dramatic shifts in characterization, but that'll happen with QMs with any distinct personality: things which seem natural or obvious to one person do not always seem so to another.

>>5675630
Thanks for the feedback!

Can you give some examples on the
>Some decisions and the pre-written vote options come out of left field and seem very dramatic shifts in characterization
I’ll try to explain them as best as I can.

>>5675631
Tough to put my finger on a specific one right now. Some motivations or actions offered up definitely seemed like they'd induce some sudden emotional whiplash to choose at the time, though. It wasn't a big deal, but it's the only thing in the quest that even approaches "did not like" territory. The rest is great.