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>>5874503
You are:
>Tatemichi Haruhi, you were smart enough to realize the rules didn't ban internet incapable handheld game systems. You made sure to bring your brother's ancient Gameboy to play on... +1 Intelligence dice
>Kuroda Haruka, the perks of being class president of 1-C means you get to have a cellphone but also have to be the class photographer. Right now, you're taking pictures of your classmates... +1 Charisma dice
>Fushimi Miki, you are dead asleep in your seat. You're a recent transfer student from Hakodate... a city in Hokkaido itself!!!... +1 Strength dice
>Yanagi Naomi, you're playing cards with your club mates and trying to have some fun. You're losing badly at Old Maid... +1 Dexterity dice
>Asahina Ruka, you are looking out the window of the train. You're alone but only because your best friend annoyingly abandoned you to flirt with her boyfriend!... +1 Constitution dice
>Nagumo Kyouya, you're in a group picture taken by the class president. Ironic, you are able to take pictures too since you smuggled in your cell phone for this trip... +1 Wisdom dice
>Write in, choose a name, what you're doing on the train and one +1 bonus on a stat or mix and match above premade options...

>>5874504
>Yanagi Naomi, you're playing cards with your club mates and trying to have some fun. You're losing badly at Old Maid... +1 Dexterity dice
Volleyball club?

>>5874504
>Kuroda Haruka, the perks of being class president of 1-C means you get to have a cellphone but also have to be the class photographer. Right now, you're taking pictures of your classmates... +1 Charisma dice

>>5874504
>Tatemichi Haruhi, you were smart enough to realize the rules didn't ban internet incapable handheld game systems. You made sure to bring your brother's ancient Gameboy to play on... +1 Intelligence dice

>>5874504
>Tatemichi Haruhi, you were smart enough to realize the rules didn't ban internet incapable handheld game systems. You made sure to bring your brother's ancient Gameboy to play on... +1 Intelligence dice
she also downloaded vampire survivors on her phone

>>5874504
>Kuroda Haruka, the perks of being class president of 1-C means you get to have a cellphone but also have to be the class photographer. Right now, you're taking pictures of your classmates... +1 Charisma dice
Prez benefits

>>5874504
>>Fushimi Miki, you are dead asleep in your seat. You're a recent transfer student from Hakodate... a city in Hokkaido itself!!!... +1 Strength dice

Hokkaido you say?

>>5874504
>Kuroda Haruka, the perks of being class president of 1-C means you get to have a cellphone but also have to be the class photographer. Right now, you're taking pictures of your classmates... +1 Charisma dice

>>5874504
>>Kuroda Haruka, the perks of being class president of 1-C means you get to have a cellphone but also have to be the class photographer. Right now, you're taking pictures of your classmates... +1 Charisma dice

>>5874504
>>Kuroda Haruka, the perks of being class president of 1-C means you get to have a cellphone but also have to be the class photographer. Right now, you're taking pictures of your classmates... +1 Charisma dice

>>5874511
>>5874512
>>5874519
>>5874526
>>5874582
>>5874586
>>5874660
>>5874697
>>5875052

Seems consensus is reached to be the responsible charismatic Class Pres of 1-C, so I'll call the vote at that.

>>5875081
It's a wonderful name.

>>5874503
hey OP, do you have any relation to the Mahou Shoujo Academia qm ?
>>5874504
>Tatemichi Haruhi, you were smart enough to realize the rules didn't ban internet incapable handheld game systems. You made sure to bring your brother's ancient Gameboy to play on... +1 Intelligence dice
too late, but w/e

>>5875164
Nope but I once qm'ed a sailor moon related quest called "Cresecent Dream" that crashed and burned because my work swamped me and destroyed my free time.

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"Okay everyone! Smile for the camera!"

Seven girls attempt to squeeze together close enough for a perfect group picture as though they were the best of friends since forever. In reality, you know that these particular girls never really hang out with each other at all because of differing interests and personalities. Most critically, they all went to different middle schools and therefore don't have a shared past acquaintance.

*CLICK*

The shutter sounds and you show the other girls the results. They crowd around the class cell phone to admire how the picture turned out. Already you can feel the subtle alignment of mutual feelings. A bit more social engineering and they'll be the very best of friends, never dreaming that they once were not.

You are Kuroda Haruka, class president of 1-C by near unanimous consent of your fellow classmates.

The 'near unanimous' part is because one girl wanted to be contrarian and spoil what should have been a perfect victory. Your natural enemy; the ever resourceful, annoying and contrarian Nagumo Kyouya. You got tipped off by a student that the girl had sneaked in her cell phone... somehow. There's definitely an aura of smugness rolling off Nagumo, which pisses you off but that annoyance is carefully kept off your face. As class president, you need to find a way to get your enemy to hand over her illicit cell phone.

"Good job Kuroda-dono," Nagumo mock worshipfully says as she gives you a thumb up.

You can feel your brow twitch. You are a genuine member of the Kuroda samurai clan. The Fuji Tomoe kamon family crest graces your meishi card when you're required to present it at certain occasions. The weight of the family name and its history has always encouraged a certain amount self-consciousness in you and a drive to exercise authority and responsibility over your peers. They say you're a natural leader and aware how to get the best out of people.

Though as a member of this illustrious clan, it never fails to weird you out how often your ancestors show up in videogames, television dramas and other odd entertainment works.

Everyone in your class knows about this and for the most part, they just find it an interesting factoid and forget about it.

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>>5875229
Except Nagumo Kyouya...

Speaking of which, how are you going to get this annoying girl to cough up her smuggled contraband?

Hmmm, decisions, decision, decisions.

>Convince Kyouya to come with you to the girls' washroom for a 'chat' and talk to her about it... Trait: A True Heart "Magokokoro", bonus in one on one interaction with a hostile opponent.
>Publically demand Kyouya to hand over her cell phone, this will subtly turn the class against the other girl... Trait: Obligations "Gimu", bonus when making a group hostile against one person.
>Subtly suggest to Kyouya that you know that she knows that you know about her secret, which will hilariously cause the girls in the group to get the wrong impression and maybe get her to surrender her phone... Trait: Gadfly "Outsuke", socially embarrass someone into doing what you want.
>Call over your teacher and get them to handle the situation, even though it'll get Kyouya into big trouble. It will definitely cause resentment... Trait: Political Power "Kenryoku", convince those with more power than you to help out against enemies.
>You hate tattletales on principal, so call over Haruhi and get her to do the dirty work! Delegating is part of being Class President after all!... Trait: Wear A Cat "Neko wo Kaburu", protect your reputation when doing something underhanded.

>>5875233
>You hate tattletales on principal, so call over Haruhi and get her to do the dirty work! Delegating is part of being Class President after all!... Trait: Wear A Cat "Neko wo Kaburu", protect your reputation when doing something underhanded.

Convoluted power structure to confuse meguca
Acquiring a competent, second isn't such a bad idea either.

>>5875233
>Convince Kyouya to come with you to the girls' washroom for a 'chat' and talk to her about it... Trait: A True Heart "Magokokoro", bonus in one on one interaction with a hostile opponent.

>>5875233
>>Subtly suggest to Kyouya that you know that she knows that you know about her secret, which will hilariously cause the girls in the group to get the wrong impression and maybe get her to surrender her phone... Trait: Gadfly "Outsuke", socially embarrass someone into doing what you want

>>5875233
>>You hate tattletales on principal, so call over Haruhi and get her to do the dirty work! Delegating is part of being Class President after all!... Trait: Wear A Cat "Neko wo Kaburu", protect your reputation when doing something underhanded.
Every competent villain needs a fall guy.

>>5875233
>Convince Kyouya to come with you to the girls' washroom for a 'chat' and talk to her about it... Trait: A True Heart "Magokokoro", bonus in one on one interaction with a hostile opponent.

The true strength of a student council president is in her steadfast heart! No one can resist! Except the protagonist. You aren't the protagonist, are you Nagumo-san?

Ask her why she is always so contrarian and why she smuggled in her phone.

Really, all of these traits are really nice.

>>5875233
>Convince Kyouya to come with you to the girls' washroom for a 'chat' and talk to her about it... Trait: A True Heart "Magokokoro", bonus in one on one interaction with a hostile opponent.

>>5875233
>>You hate tattletales on principal, so call over Haruhi and get her to do the dirty work! Delegating is part of being Class President after all!... Trait: Wear A Cat "Neko wo Kaburu", protect your reputation when doing something underhanded.

>>5875233
>Convince Kyouya to come with you to the girls' washroom for a 'chat' and talk to her about it... Trait: A True Heart "Magokokoro", bonus in one on one interaction with a hostile opponent.

>Convince Kyouya to come with you to the girls' washroom for a 'chat' and talk to her about it... Trait: A True Heart "Magokokoro", bonus in one on one interaction with a hostile opponent.

>>5875233
>>You hate tattletales on principal, so call over Haruhi and get her to do the dirty work! Delegating is part of being Class President after all!... Trait: Wear A Cat "Neko wo Kaburu", protect your reputation when doing something underhanded

>>5875235
>>5875250
>>5875508
>>5875565
Cat

>>5875236
>>5875251
>>5875487
>>5875515
>>5875550
True Heart

>>5875247
Gadfly

A True Heart is chosen!

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You take a quick glance at Tatemichi Haruhi happily playing Tetris against another student smart enough to bring his own Gameboy on the trip. The two are locked in intense competition on what can only be called ancient technology.

It is so tempting to get the girl to do your bidding and make her do the scutwork of rooting out the contraband; after all, she's the reason why you're aware of it! Haruhi reported she had seen the cell phone charger cord stowed in Nagumo's backpack and heard the phone ring once.

If the smartest girl in class hadn't brought the issue to your attention, then you would have been happy and uncaring. Or even better, Haruhi could have snitched to the teacher to get the issue dealt with.

This entire situation is troublesome, now you have do something to maintain your reputation amongst your peers as a upright and righteous Class President. Do nothing, and Haruhi's opinion of you will be lowered... and that could affect the opinion of others! Even if the other girl never tells people about your failure to perform your duty, her attitude and way she interacts with you would give away something.

While the temptation does tickle your innate political fancy, there is another issue that bothers you more.

The unrelenting defiance of Nagumo Kyouya. This girl makes perfect command over your class impossible. The kernel of opposition, the ember that could spark revolt, the rebel against order and authority! Your order and authority to be specific.

Trait: A True Heart "Magokokoro", bonus in one on one interaction with a hostile opponent.

You need to get her alone with you for a 'chat'.

It's simple to arrange, you see Nagumo reaching for her drink to take a sip. As the water bottle lifts in the air, you 'accidentally' jostle it by thrusting the hand holding the cell phone forward. Water splashes all over your enemy's shirt as she sputters in surprise.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry! We should grab some paper towels from the washroom! Come with me!" It sounds contrite, natural and helpful. You flash your most benevolent 'Class President' smile possible, a radiant calm smile that never fails to elicit smiles back. The girls encourage the reluctant rebel to go with you to the washroom.

"Fine, but I'll go alone!" Nagumo sputters and starts stomping down the aisle of the train car directly to the washroom next door. You have to hurry after the rapidly fleeing girl. Your effort will be entirely wasted if you're not able to talk to the other girl in private.

You reach the washroom in time before Nagumo can close and lock the door. The enemy can only huff in annoyance and does her best to ignore your intrusion.

"I'm sorry for what happen, I-"

You don't even get to finish your spiel before the other girl chops the air with her hand to cut you off.

"Don't wanna hear it, politician girl. Get to the point," Kyouya bluntly says.

Trait: A True Heart "Magokokoro" resisted by Trait:????

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>>5875981
You scowl and remain silent for a few seconds to consider what to say. The sound of the train clanking over the rails fill the air and before you can say anything more, Nagumo starts up again.

"Can't you ever say something without being so calculating about it? I can't imagine how exhausting it has to be. Come on, out with it!"

This arrogant annoying girl!

"Words mean things and they can do quite a bit, it's always a good idea to think on what you need to say. Shooting off your mouth causes problems. Speaking of problems, what is your problem with me!?"

Clearly being polite, nice or tactful is a waste of time. Nagumo Kyouya takes an absurd amount of time before answering your question. She carefully dabs paper towel over her uniform shirt and only when she's done does she answer.

"... Because you like power."

How the heck do you respond to that?!

"Power for the sake of having power, everything you do is measured in what makes you look good or how to get something over another person or to boss them around or arrange things to suit your agenda. People like that make me paranoid."

How dare she spout off something so completely utterly true! Well, not completely utterly true, you are a force of good for your class after all.

"Have you tried to do stuff without some sort of power!? Being able to get people to do things for you is a basic social skill that accomplishes great achievements. Nothing is done by complainers, slackers and 'oh so enlightened' opposition like you! Which brings me to another issue; hand over your cell phone!"

The scowl on Kyouya's face deepens and she leans over you.

"Take a look at what the teacher is doing."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just look at the teacher."

You peek down the hallway and look through the glass of the door separating the passenger train car and the restroom train car. Your teacher Ms. Okabe is looking down at her cell phone and fiddling with it, not even paying attention to the students behind her. She's in a fugue of social media scrolling.

"Why the hell should anyone follow such a ridiculous rule of 'no cell phones' if the people in charge won't obey it? Digital detox for powerless kids only? If they want me cooperate then the rule should be applied equally to the teachers and Class presidents." A resentful growl rumbles from Nagumo.

You turn to answer the other girl but you don't get a chance to respond.

Before the screaming train brakes are heard, you feel it. When a speeding object like a train comes to a sudden halt, the passengers within still have forward momentum. Your faces are too close together and this law of physics pushes yours towards Nagumo's.

OH SHIT!

Eyes widen in shock as both of you realize what is going to happen...

YOU ARE NOT GOING LOSE YOUR SACRED FIRST KISS TO THIS GIRL!!!!

>>5875983

Some basic rules on rolls, similar to Solarpunk Cleanup Agent Quest
Rolls are done with dice pools. Successes and the degree of success/failure is determined by how many dice land on 5/6. Certain situations and conditions may affect this range.
Base dice pool is 4d6. You get more dice as you level up, but also from role specializations, engagement options, and situational modifiers.


>Roll 4d6 to protect yourself!

Rolled 1, 4, 3, 1 = 9 (4d6)

>>5875985
GENDERBENT FUTURE-HOKAGE NO!

Rolled 6, 6, 5, 1 = 18 (4d6)

>>5875985

Rolled 2, 5, 3, 1 = 11 (4d6)

>>5875985

Rolled 2, 1, 2, 1 = 6 (4d6)

>>5875985

Rolled 4, 3, 4, 2 = 13 (4d6)

>>5875985
Is it bo3?

Rolled 3, 5, 4, 6 = 18 (4d6)

>>5875985

>>5876120
It's actually the best of 2 rolls.

But I'm still firming up how to handle the rolls best. I might have to divide up the rolls in the future.
Such as 2 anons would roll 2d6 each and count up 5/6 for successes.
Or the best of 1 roll.
Rolls are not so critical that failing them will kill you, so utterly failing will be annoying or minorly injuring. It's your actions combined with poor rolls that can get you killed or injured

>>5876011
>>5876033
Anyways, 3 successes out of 2! So great success! Writing now.

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The sudden scream of the train brakes is soon joined by the screams of students, but you and Nagumo can't join in the cacophony of sound.

Nagumo attempts to flatten herself against the wall away from you as much as possible, but there's only so much a human can do to battle against the iron laws of bodily dimensions. It's all up to you to avert the immediate disaster inches away from your lips. Neck muscles strain to pull the head backwards against momentum. It's not enough!

In desperation, arms shoot forward to slap your hands against the wall on both sides of Kyouya. With the arms pushing against the wall, you stop momentum from commanding your body.

SUCCESS! YOU'RE SAVED!

As the train comes to a complete halt, you breathe a sigh of relief and marvel at the salvation of your sacred first kiss.

"Could you please move?" Nagumo timidly begs, her back pressed against the wall. Oh wow, seeing her so compliant and meek is completely new. It's like another person entirely standing in front of you.

Wait, her face is too close. The warmth of her breath tickles your cheek. That's when you realize something.

You're in the classic position of the evergreen romantic shoujo trope, the kabe don wall slam, the 'both arms cutting off escape' version... Thank god none of your classmates are here to see this. It's super embarrassing.

"We need to get back!" You scramble out of the bathroom without waiting. The sound system of the train crackles to life as the conductor makes an announcement.

"W-we apologize for the sudden braking of the train. Please remain in your seats and do not exit the train. It appears we have hit.... an animal of some sort. And... we appear to be on a different section of the rail line."

An animal? Different section of the rail line? What are they talking about?

When you re-enter the passenger train car where class 1-C is sitting, it's absolute chaos. The aisle floor is littered with backpacks, snacks, and playing cards. The teacher is trying in vain to get everyone to calm down and sit quietly in their seats, but it's impossible. The students have opened all the train windows and are sticking their heads outside for a better view.

In fact, the crowd around the windows is so thick, you can't even see what everyone is looking at. Snatches of conversations indicate that whatever they're looking at, it's weird.

"Look at those walls! I've never seen anything like it."
"Hey Fushimi, where are we? You're from Hokkaido, right?!"
"How the hell should I know? All I can say is that we're not on the Ishikari plains outside of Sapporo."
"Everyone, please sit down!"
"We must be in Japan still, though; there's asphalt right under us. There's even a walkway with metal handrails too."
"Where are the train tracks?!"
"What did we hit?"

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>>5876736
There's a gap between the press of bodies as some students go back to their seats. They've had their fill of whatever novel sight is outside the train. You take the opportunity to finally see what's outside.

Earlier, the train had been running through what seemed like the endless farmland of the Ishikari Plains. Perfect square plots of greenery growing produce as far as the eye can see. What greets your eyes now instead are solid walls of granite, soaring high enough that the rays of the sun hide behind them, making it dark and cool. The train lies in some sort of valley, with a roaring river close by.

Looking down the length of the train, the other 1st year classes are agog at the beautiful, unnatural sight. Wait, are boys from class 1-F jumping out of the window of the train car!? Wait, that's not your problem. You have your hands full with students in 1-C; you need to let the class president of 1-F deal with the situation of truant students getting off the train when they're not supposed to.

"Everyone get back in their seats, follow the instructions from the train conductors," Ms. Okabe is unable to wrangle the students into cooperating. She looks like she needs help.

Wait, what is Nagumo Kyouya doing with Fushimi Miki and Tatemichi Haruhi? You don't believe it; Fushimi is grabbing a cell phone out of her backpack? You have two rule-breaking girls?

You should do something...

>Get out of the train and stop the boys of class 1-F... two anons need to 3d6 each!
>Help the teacher get everyone back in their seats... two anons need to 3d6 each!
>Stomp over to the three girls and confiscate that cell phone...
>You want to know what's going on, head to the conductor car at the front...
>Use your cell phone to see if you can figure out where you are, google map time...
>write in

>>5876738
>Help the teacher get everyone back in their seats... two anons need to 3d6 each!

>>5876738
Remember to roll if you choose an option that requires it!

>>5876738
>Help the teacher get everyone back in their seats... two anons need to 3d6 each!

Rolled 5, 6, 2 = 13 (3d6)

>>5876756

Rolled 3, 2, 3 = 8 (3d6)

>>5876756
Aight

Rolled 4, 2, 1 = 7 (3d6)

>>5876738
>You want to know what's going on, head to the conductor car at the front...
I'll ask the train conductor what we should do. A flimsy excuse, but it should work.

Rolled 6, 6, 6 = 18 (3d6)

>>5876738
>>Get out of the train and stop the boys of class 1-F... two anons need to 3d6 each!

>>5876818
Godamn son

>>5876818
I mean......

>>5876786
>Get out of the train and stop the boys of class 1-F... two anons need to 3d6 each!

Rolled 6, 5, 3 = 14 (3d6)

>>5876838
Hm... I'll roll the 3d6 for you since you've went and choose an option that doesn't have a roll for.

>>5876738
>Get out of the train and stop the boys of class 1-F... two anons need to 3d6 each!

>>5877181
>>5876838
>>5876818
stop the boys

>>5876772
>>5876761
help the teacher

Time to get off the train

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You stare hard at the absconding boys of class 1-F as they smoothly drop from the open train windows and onto the ground. They immediately start walking toward the front of the train. No doubt they want to see exactly what the train hit as well as take in the sights. The Class President and the teacher of 1-F must have their hands full, or else they would have popped their heads out the window to shout at the boys and make them return. Other students are watching the escapees with interest. A few even cheer them on and laugh at the blatant rule-breaking. Too many are eyeing them with admiration.

Even in your train car, you can hear some students speculate if they should get off the train and do some exploring too. The place you've somehow magically ended up in is beautiful and peaceful. What harm could come from getting out?

You grind your teeth; the longer those rule breakers are out and about, the more tempted the obedient are to disobey.

"Stop right there!" You shout and exit your train car through the window. Your classmates are surprised by your swift exit to confront the boys. Class 1-F is located 3 cars down, so when you touch down to the ground, they're still a little ways away. If they want to get to the front of the train, they'll have to get past you somehow.

"We aren't doing anything wrong. We just wanna have a look see," a boy answers back. Luckily, most students are pretty rule-abiding, so the scofflaws outside of the train make for a very small group of 3. But they don't stop walking. You recognize who they are: Kuno Morita, Ochanomizu Hiro, and Senou Ryuu of the Hiking Club. You aren't overly surprised that these boys would dare risk the wrath of responsible adults when they're surrounded by the great outdoors they love so much.

You need to guide them back, and you know just the right words to take control of the situation. It's going to be an incredibly easy task over these three boys, with more to lose than to gain in this situation.

"I get it. This place is super pretty; I can see the appeal of hiking now as I take a good look at how beautiful it is," you begin with a bit of sugar and the truth, berating and criticizing people is a poor way to negotiate and convince. You aren't the outdoorsy type, but the Hiking Club is and you need to call attention to their love of nature and camping before launching your main appeal.

"Yeah. This valley of granite is truly unique and beautiful. I've never seen anything like it. The river is so clear and clean, I mean look." The boys stop and look over the metal railing to see the white foam of the churning river waters. Good, they stopped! Now to turn them around.

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>>5877662
"We're here in Hokkaido for the class trip. And sure, you aren't doing anything wrong. But will your teacher, Mr. Ito of class 1-F, think that? He's not sticking his head out the window to chew your ass out. So I'm assuming something has gone wrong in your train car, and when that's sorted out, he's going to be spitting fire and looking to scorch your asses. It'd be a shame if he decided to prevent you from participating in the class trip because of it. I can see it now. The three of you stuck at the cabin when everyone is climbing up all those mountains in the National Park."

That gets their attention. You can see their eyes glow with the slow dawning realization of consequences; their imaginations now prey on their minds. It doesn't help that the teacher of 1-F is a hard-ass, no-fun guy. You didn't need a long spiel to cajole and convince them.

"Hm, oh, and those conductors would get pretty mad too. Who knows, maybe they'll force you to drag the dead animal from under the train. Let's see, a train travels about a hundred kilometers per hour and weighs a few tons. My god, the impact. All that blood and guts and..." You don't have to continue.

"Fine! Fine! We get it already!" The three boys pale; perhaps it's at the very idea of not being able to explore and enjoy Hokkaido's wilderness, or maybe it's the gruesome gore of whatever hit the train. In either case, they're ready to head back. The students watching your exchange are impressed and a little disappointed that the adventurous trio aren't going to provide any entertainment.

You beam at them, proud of your accomplishment, but that pride is cut short.

You hear a scream. It is a prolonged and blood-curdling one; a flush of fear raises goose bumps on your skin. You're not the only one affected by the scream; every single student freezes upon hearing the despairing keen. The chatter of young voices silenced as each head turned to the source of the scream.

Something is happening at the head of the train.

The heads of everyone snap to try and see what is happening. It is a sight that chills the blood.

It's a gigantic insect of some sort. Skittering all over the fallen conductor and repeatedly stabbing him with a long, sharp proboscis. It reminds you of a biology book showing the sharp needle-like point of a mosquito magnified a thousandfold. The head of the thing bobs up and down as it pushes and pulls the point in and out of the unfortunate screaming man. The abdomen of the thing begins to glow an eerie green, as though it is sucking and storing something other than blood within its body.

Soon enough, the conductor stops screaming. Stops moving... Oh god, did he stop breathing!?

The thing turns about searching for someone else to feed on; it focuses its attention on the group of students outside of the train car.

The four of you.

It starts skittering straight at you.

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>>5877665
The fear that froze you has melted away into the urgency of movement. The boys of 1-F sprint back to their train car in terror. The doors to the train are not open; that would require someone from inside the train to open them. Panic-stricken, they rush to get back into the train through the open windows.

"Hey, help me back up!"
"Fuck! Open up the train door!"
"Let me in! Let me in!"

A dozen willing hands and arms reach down to grab the desperate boys.

A thought occurs to you just then. If you hadn't stopped those boys, they would have been the next victims of that thing. You don't feel particularly heroic and proud of that though. As it stands now, you're the closest to that freaky bug! It's carapace has an unnatural pattern that looks like a face.

You need to get back into your train car! Wait, can you get inside in time?

Just when you thought the thing couldn't be more terrifying, the eyes on the eerie pattern on its back opened. The eyes hold a fire of unnatural intelligence...

>No time to get back in the train! Jump into the river...
>Try to scramble back in through the windows...
>Try to outrun the damn thing...
>Why is Fushimi leaning out of the window like that? What does she have in her hand? Hide under the train, maybe the bug can't reach you!...
>Go to the train door, hope someone will open it for you...
>write in

>>5877667
>>Go to the train door, hope someone will open it for you...

>>5877667
>Why is Fushimi leaning out of the window like that? What does she have in her hand? Hide under the train, maybe the bug can't reach you!...

>>5877667
>Try to scramble back in through the windows...

>>5877667
>Try to scramble back in through the windows...

>>5877667
>Why is Fushimi leaning out of the window like that? What does she have in her hand? Hide under the train, maybe the bug can't reach you!...

All the flailing to get into the window might give it a window to strike And Fushimi is the hunter girl who would have had the strength dice bonus, maybe she's aiming to chuck something at it. Also going under the train means we might be able to scramble into the windows on the other side.

>>5877667
>No time to get back in the train! Jump into the river...

Dangerous and we could be carried away or encounter a giant fish, but I don't want to be under a train when it shifts suddenly. People don't die well when a train rolls them.

Though...we are the charismatic one, perhaps if we just take the straightforward option and try and get back in, people will prioritize us.

>>5877667
>Why is Fushimi leaning out of the window like that? What does she have in her hand? Hide under the train, maybe the bug can't reach you!...

>>5877667
>Why is Fushimi leaning out of the window like that? What does she have in her hand? Hide under the train, maybe the bug can't reach you!...

>>5878025
>>5878000
>>5877924
>>5877798
>>5877697
>>5877679
>>5877675
>>5877673

Seems we're going to hide under the train while Fushimi tries to do something.

As it's the long weekend for New Years, the update will be on Monday, Jan 1 after all the celebrations.

Happy New Years everyone!

Yes

>>5878078
Happy New Years!

>>5878078
Happy new year!

Uh, my parents are in japan around the area of the earthquake. So I'm trying to contact them, it seems they're too busy to contact me. So I hope to update on Jan 2 this time around.

>>5879761
Shit, I hope they're okay. Hire take out to their residence.

>>5879761
The QM curse is vicious

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You have no idea what Fushimi is attempting. The girl from Hokkaido was the most unenthusiastic student ever upon hearing where the class trip was going. Apparently, going camping is something she's done numerous times all over the island with her family. Watching the tall girl wilt at the realization that the stereotypical Kyoto-Nara school trip is forever out of reach was sad. As the tallest girl in the class, Fushimi Miki was going to stand out no matter what

Now she's standing with her foot on the window and half her body outside, fully exposing herself to danger. The charging creature sees her quite clearly. In the tall girl's hand is an aerosol can, which she points directly at the gigantic bug with a steady hand and nerves of steel. How she could possibly endure looking straight at the unnatural thing is beyond you.

You need to get away and hide. If someone else wants to act heroic and brave, then they're welcome to. A quick glance shows that the train is resting on bare asphalt with nary a railway tie in sight. It's as though something took an entire train and set it down on a road. The steel train wheels have gouged a series of small depressions as their weight presses downward. There's a space between the passenger car body and the ground that you can squeeze into. The bug won't be able to get to you if you hide underneath the train. Without hesitation, you begin to crawl between the rail wheels and under.

As you struggle to get underneath, Fushimi pulls the spray trigger. A long white stream of vapor emits from the aerosol can and builds a large cloud some 20 feet away. The supernatural monster neither understands nor cares for the odd vapors hanging in the air. It simply goes straight into it without changing speed or direction. This would prove to be a mistake, and a particularly painful one, for the thing starts bellowing and stops its charge.

Safe beneath the train, you can see the many thin legs of the creature bumbling about. It careens into the ground and into the handrails blindly. But it is clear that the effects of the spray are a mere nuisance and rapidly recover.

"Haruka! Where are you!?" A voice in the train calls out in a panic. It's the voice of Nagumo Kyouya.

Wait. Isn't this the first time she has called you by your first name? Now that you think about it, you almost never refer to her as Kyouya. You don't dare to answer back though; the monster might overhear you and try to get at you. You hide behind the train wheel, your back slashed with dirt and oil during your struggle to get underneath earlier.

You watch carefully from your hiding place what the creature does next. It's clearly very angry; the eyes glare hatefully upwards, where Fushimi must still be standing ready with her spray can. It's a tense standoff, but it doesn't last forever. The thing opens its wings and starts flapping at such rapidity that a loud buzzing noise fills the air.

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>>5880658
You stare confusedly at the monster as it stays just beyond the reach of Fushimi's spray. The mystery of what the thing is doing is soon resolved. The loud buzzing is multiplied by many more. A few feet away, you see something land on the other side of the train. Spindly insect legs are similar to the bug monster that attacked the conductor.

There's more than one of them. The thing had been calling for reinforcement. There's no way to tell how many responded to the call from the injured bug.

You hear the screams of terror of your classmates above you as they hurriedly try to close the windows of the train. The sounds of smashing glass, loud bellows of inhuman pain from the monsters, and panicked conversation intermingle into a nightmarish cacophony.

Are you safer than your classmates? Despite being outside of the train? You have no idea, but it's too terrifying to move from your hiding spot. You can't imagine what is going on beyond your sight.

Just as the crescendo of panic comes to a peak, a clarion voice cuts through the chaos.

"Never fear, for we are here, the Knights of the Round Table to the rescue!" A powerful, regal voice takes command of your ears. It's a girl; you don't recognize who it could be.

"Light of Avalon!!!"

A beam of red light falls upon a bug scurrying about and disintegrates it with a single blow. Bits and pieces of the hard chitin shell melt away to nothingness. You lay stunned in your hiding place as more beams of red light fall and hit the bugs. This assault from above forces the bugs to take wing and fly upwards to their attacker to fight back.

There's the slashing of metal on metal, the battle cries of multiple girls, and the general sound of battle.

"Watch out, Gareth!"
"That was mine, Arthur!"
"What are you doing, Lancelot?"
"To me, Gawain!"

You would pay good money to crawl out of your hiding place and look up at what's going on. The only reason you don't is because of the many beams of deadly light falling around. What happens if you get hit by one of them? Probably immediately disintegrated based on how it obliterated the bugs.

The battle rages for a few minutes but is soon over. A silence descends as the last of the monsters are defeated and no more deadly beams of light rain down. The silence is immediately filled with the sound of raucous cheering as students in the train cars celebrate the defeat of the bugs.

"Holy! Real magical girls!"
"Knights? Why knights?"
"Awesome, they killed all those bugs!"
"Thank god, we're saved."

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>>5880659
You thank your ancestors for this unexpected salvation and start crawling out from under the train. You start gingerly crawling to exit.

"Right, that's all of them! Merlin, let's get out of here!" The regal voice from the beginning is content with her accomplishments. Pride oozes carelessly, as though nothing could detract from the moment.

... Wait? Get out of here? No, I'm not on board the train!

Desperation fills your arms as you try to crawl out of your hiding place faster. Finally, you realize that you won't make it. Already, the train glows with a strange energy and is fading away.

You start shouting, and Nagumo Kyouya's voice mingles with your desperate cries.

"STOP! HARUKA ISN'T----"
"WAIT, I----"

Suddenly, the dark shadow of the train is gone. The hulking bulk of metal has disappeared. Stunned, you turn on your back to stare upwards at a clear blue sky. You're all alone in the granite valley.

They left you behind!

>Lie on the ground, stunned...
>Try not to cry. Cry....
>Panic, get up and search for the train...
>Curse like a sailor in rage...
>Contemplate what happened in despair...

My parents are fine, they're in Kyushu so they aren't anywhere near the affected area.

This will be a pretty easy going quest, so hopefully an update every day or every 2nd day.

>>5880661
>Lie on the ground, stunned...

Arthurian mythos magical girls? Neat.

>>5880663
Glad they aren't hurt or endangered

>>5880661
>Panic, get up and search for the train...

>>5880661
>>Curse like a sailor in rage...
If ever there were a moment to rage, this is it.

>>5880663
Glad your folks are safe

>>5880661
>Panic, get up and search for the train...

>>5880661
>>Try not to cry. Cry....

>>5880661
>Curse like a sailor in rage...

>>5880661
>Try not to cry. Cry....

>>5880661
>Try not to cry. Cry....

>>5880661
>Try not to cry. Cry....

>>5880661
>Try not to cry. Cry....

It's so over magical girls.

>>5880661
>Contemplate what happened in despair...
Hey, QM. Any chance this MG quest won't be yuri?

>>5881329
I prefer to focus on vengeance, power and friendship more than romance but if the players want it to be yuri or hetero, I'll allow it.

>>5881367
Hetero-superior, like Sailor Moon.

>>5881367
Thanks for answering, QM.
>>5881374
I honestly should rewatch it. It's been a long ass time.

Why straight to crying? She seems to have great pride in herself and lineage.

>>5880667
>>5880673
>>5880707
>>5880749
>>5880766
>>5880806
>>5880853
>>5881062
>>5881162
>>5881175
Guess we're crying. no one can see us after all.

File: ahead.jpg (2.82 MB, 3024x4032)

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It's an incontrovertible fact.

They left you behind!

In the stories about magical girls you watched as a child, there wasn't a single anime or manga where the protagonists accidentally left an innocent behind because they didn't bother to double check to see if they got everyone. Now you're stuck... somewhere in Japan? A pocket dimension? WHERE!?

They left you behind!

Your state of being stunned morphs into a nameless emotional hurt. Tears rim your eyes but you hold them back. Only one person on the train paid attention to your absence! Not the teacher, not even your friends. It was your rival, the all-around jerk Kyouya, who called out in a vain attempt to stop those Magical Girls from just leaving without you.

THEY LEFT YOU BEHIND!

The tears you tried to hold back now start streaming down your face as a small sob escapes your lips. The memory of the last few minutes is crushing. You could have died! Just like that poor conductor who got attacked by the bugs! Just how will his family react upon learning he died? Hell, what about your parents?! Your family is going to go insane when they learn you are not on the train with the rest of your schoolmates.

You are alone in this strange valley of granite. Where do you even go from here?!

Wait!? If those stupid bitches left you here, did they also leave the conductor's corpse here too!?

That jolts you with horror, and the tears renew themselves. You wipe the tears off your face and get up to check where you last saw the conductor. At the very least, you need to confirm your suspicions. Darkness must come early to this place since the sun sinks behind the high cliffs. The chill of night is upon you, and the hot tears stream down more slowly now.

You arrive where the front of the train once lay. It's strange to see the deep impressions in the asphalt where the train's wheel rested, and even stranger to see the scattered abandoned backpacks of some of your schoolmates littering the ground still.

There's no corpse. There's not even any blood on the ground. All that's left of the conductor is his hat, which must have fallen off his head during the attack. You checked all over, even over the handrails and to the river. Nothing is there too.

Does that mean... They grabbed the conductor's body but didn't bother to wait around for a few seconds longer when Kyouya and you were screaming at them. You're relieved, though. Being alone is scary, but being alone with a dead body is even worse.

You still don't feel great, but you do feel a bit better. A good cry has gotten some of the stress and frustration out. Now you have to act; sitting around here isn't going to do much good for you...

>Check the cellphone, maybe you can call home...
>Check out the fallen backpacks, maybe there's something in them you can use...
>Explore the surrounding area a bit...
>Call out and see if someone answers back...
>Wash your face, the river is close by...

>>5881639

>Check the cellphone, maybe you can call home...

The obvious in character choice for any person in a situation like this. But, when it inevitably doesn't work,

>Check out the fallen backpacks, maybe there's something in them you can use...

Our immediate priority is making sure we have enough food and water to survive for a while. Clothes, electronics, and any other useful items that some of the other students might have brought are also important priorities

>>5881639
>Check the cellphone, maybe you can call home...
>Check out the fallen backpacks, maybe there's something in them you can use...
We should take the hat too, just cus.

>>5881653
>>5881682
+1

>>5881639
>Check the cellphone, maybe you can call home...
>Check out the fallen backpacks, maybe there's something in them you can use...

Take the hat too, conductor hats are nice.

>>5881709
Also yeah nab the hat

>>5881639
>>Check the cellphone, maybe you can call home...
>>Check out the fallen backpacks, maybe there's something in them you can use...

>>5881639
>Wash your face, the river is close by...
>Check out the fallen backpacks, maybe there's something in them you can use...
>Check the cellphone, maybe you can call home...
>Explore the surrounding area a bit...

If we can only do one, the first one.


>>5881682
Yes! Always take the hat.

>>5881639
>Wash your face, the river is close by...

>>5881639
>>Check the cellphone, maybe you can call home...
>>Check out the fallen backpacks, maybe there's something in them you can use...

>>5881639
>>Check the cellphone, maybe you can call home...
The Hat stays on.

>>5881639
>Check the cellphone, maybe you can call home...
Always try the phone (even if they fail in 99% of unusual scenarios)
>Check out the fallen backpacks, maybe there's something in them you can use...
>Grab the Hat
All cute girls in fantasy worlds need head accessories.

>>5881639
+1 >>5881682

>>5881639
>Check out the fallen backpacks, maybe there's something in them you can use...

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>>5881653
>>5881682
>>5881708
>>5881709
>>5881799
>>5881810
>>5881876
>>5881949
>>5881950
>>5881976
>>5881986
>>5882095
Seems a majority wants to call on the cellphone and take the hat which is, uh, running into a major taboo of Japan. I mean, it's 'kegare' to grab a article of clothing from a murdered man just after his death. I mean, our girl Haruka literally witnessed that a few minutes ago...

I mean, I get it. The Japan Rail Conductor hat is awesome. I mean, look at it!!!

I'll give it an appropriate send off.

>>5882276
We aren't a villainess for nothing. It all has to start somewhere.

File: kyushujrouentai.jpg (63 KB, 746x468)

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The conductor hat can't help but attract your eye. You've always been a fan of the Japan Rail Kyushu Ouentai cheer squad whenever you had to attend family ceremonies at Terumo Shrine. Perhaps your thing for nice hats comes from always seeing samurai kabuto helmets as a kid.

Proper headgear adds to a leader's presence and ability to command, after all.

And they look really cool!

You bend down to pick up the JR conductor hat to examine it thoroughly. The conductor uniform standards of Japan Rail are very fastidious, and the conductor definitely made them proud. The gold threading sparkles in the rays of sunlight. An idle thought of putting it on your head passes by, but it is extinguished the moment you flip the hat to look inside it.

You see stray strands of hair in it. The hair of the dead man, who was just minutes before alive. You don't know his name; you think there was an announcement stating his name when the drivers had to change somewhere in Hakodate.

A shudder passes through you, it becomes clear what you'll have to do.

To the river, you must go. The clean stones as a grave marker, the beauty of nature as a cemetery, the sound of rushing water as his indou requiem.

You make a small cairn of stones over the hat.

"In the name of Hotoke-sama, he has the passed the river Sanzu to the Pure Land. May he too become a hotoke."

You wash your hands in the clean waters and walk back to the road where the backpacks lie. As you get closer to the handrail, you realize you should check up on your phone.

It was time to see what sort of connection you have with the outside world through your cell phone. It is no surprise that the signal bars are completely empty. There is no coverage for calls. No cell data or internet connection. Hell, this is draining your battery; you should put this on airplane mode.

Then again, crazy things have been happening to you. It wouldn't hurt to dial a number and see if you connect anyway. The worst that will happen is nothing.

You phone home.

Nothing.

No signal means no connection. The cell phone can call no one and is just draining battery power. This was a waste of time. The phone is now in airplane mode, and you are about to go over the handrail.

*RING RING RING RING*

You freeze in surprise. There's no way a call can connect in this dead zone... or in an otherworldly dimension, or wherever you are. Yet the hope of salvation and rescue dances in your soul. You jump over the handrail excitedly to get back onto solid ground and immediately answer the call.

"Hello!? Mom? Dad? Is anyone there?!" You don't mean to, but you are shouting right into the phone desperately. There's a prayer in your heart that there's someone at the other end.

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>>5882471
What you get is an incredibly loud noise. It's the sound of a fax machine dial tone blaring out from the speaker. You know it is a fax machine dial tone because your grandfather's business still uses faxes on a regular basis with certain customers. You have to pull the phone away from your ear quickly as the familiar ear-piercing chirps and whistles blast away.

Then the cell phone goes silent.

"Hail Japan. Land of the fax machine. May it ever rule." You sarcastically mutter and hang up.

Wait a second. You put this damn thing in airplane mode. There is no way a call can be received in the first place. In addition, that ringtone bothers you more than it should. It's at the edge of your mind why it bothers you so much... Well, other than the other fact, you received a call somehow.

You stare hard at the phone and double-check the settings when it starts ringing again.

The retro ringing sound of a bell, the sort you find in the old-style rotary phones of the past. It's a standard ringtone; any phone can just put it on for incoming calls. But there's a reason why it bothers you so much. It sounds too real.... It feels too real. The air reverberates as though an actual bell is ringing; you can feel the jittery shake and the metallic ring of it. It is this subtle, off-putting sensation that triggered your unease earlier. It doesn't feel digital at all.

You are much slower this time to accept the call, yet what else can you do? You don't want to miss out on a call that can help you out of this situation.

"Hello?" You try to remain calm; it's difficult. A long silence stretches on as you patiently wait for an answer; you sense there's someone on the other end.

"Poor lost child, gone widdershin, I saw you crying," a soft feminine voice whispers. You don't recognize the voice at all, and there's something horrible about the voice. She sounded as though she enjoyed watching you cry. Wait, someone saw you crying?!

Before you can say anything, there's an audible click. Whoever it was, she had just hung up. The long beeps signifying someone hanging up on the phone is retro-sounding too.

What the fuck?!

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>>5882474
You look about the road, trying to see if you can find a clue as to who is watching you. But the dense trees, the darkness, and the sound of crashing water are all there are.

No wait, there's also the sound of buzzing wings. Exactly like how that giant insect monster sounded.

You don't have time to leisurely grab a backpack. You take a quick look at the nearest ones and take the likeliest one. You think it's the hiking backpack that Fushimi Miki packed; it's just so noticeably better in quality and better packed than all the rest. You are hoping that this is the Hokkaido girl's backpack; you trust the native to know what to bring on a camping trip!

Now to get out of here!

>Run north! It's a road going off somewhere...
>Run south! There's some sort of tunnel up ahead....
>Go down to the river, maybe there's a way across it to the other side...
>Hide somewhere in the bushes and hedges...
>Maybe you can climb up on the cliff face and out of this valley...
>Call on the phone again, that creepy lady is watching you right?! She could help, right!?...
>write in

>>5882477
>>Go down to the river, maybe there's a way across it to the other side...

>>5882477
>Call on the phone again, that creepy lady is watching you right?! She could help, right!?...

>Hide somewhere in the bushes and hedges...

also gotta say, loving the slow build up and the atmosphere you've established, can't wait for the shoe to drop and Haruka to become a dark magic girl

>>5882477
Support >>5882496

The only good thing we're good at is talking, even if this is a bit out of our wheelhouse.

I imagine it is also better to hide than run off somewhere out in the open, and towards a uncertain direction too.

>>5882477
Supporting >>5882496 as well.
RIP conductor man, your hat was too cool for this sinful Earth

>>5882533
I like to imagine him rowing down the Sanzu river, waving our way with his amazing hat

>>5882477
>>5882494
Supporting

>>5882477
>Go down to the river, maybe there's a way across it to the other side...

>>5882477
>>Go down to the river, maybe there's a way across it to the other side...

>>5882477
>Go down to the river, maybe there's a way across it to the other side...
Not interested in calling the hag back

OH hey, we have a tie. Hm, I'll leave it open for a bit longer.Otherwise it's time for a dice roll to decide.

>>5882973
I'll save you the trouble

>Go down to the river, maybe there's a way across it to the other side...

>>5882477
>Go down to the river, maybe there's a way across it to the other side...

Down to the river we go!

I made the horrible decision of socializing and drinking anons, so post will update on Saturday.

If you have any general questions, you can write in something I'll try answer Saturday too.

File: downtoriver.jpg (4.92 MB, 3024x4032)

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Your brain goes into overdrive. Breaking down what you can glean from that single phone call. What you know about this woman is that she's watching you and wants you to know it. Why else would she bother to call? What does 'gone widdershin' mean? Her use of 'poor lost child' didn't sound like she particularly pitied you, it seemed more like mocking.

For a split second, you consider hiding in the bushes and using your cell phone to call the mysterious woman.

Then realize that's stupid. You are not Kuroda Kanbei reborn with the ability to survive Arioka Castle with wit and endurance. To be able to convince a complete unknown with nebulous motivations to help you requires far more ability than you probably possess. Kyouya said something about you being calculating about everything you say to your classmates and how exhausting that must be, but that isn't true at all. Your classmates are easy; you spent time with them, know their motivations and their feelings, and have some sort of common ground with them. It takes no effort at all to convince and cajole them to do things.

It would actually be exhausting and fraught to negotiate with the mysterious woman who called. You would need to consider every word she says and weigh it while doing the same with yours. Also, try to keep a calm and friendly tone while in great danger. Avoid denials and disagreements, appeal to her ego, and make her feel understood.

Actually, this does sound like a 'Kanbei in Arioka Castle' situation. It's similar to hostage negotiations.

But a key element to convincing someone is time; you don't have that with those evil bugs buzzing about.

To the river!

You shoulder the backpack and run down past where you buried the hat. That particular location on the river is too rough and rapid to wade over, but further down the river might be more fruitful. Oh hell, you're going to be cold after this. The air feels wet on your skin as you come close to the river; the way the water rapidly speeds over stones sends spray into the air to form something almost like mist. As a bonus, this mist combined with the trees must hide you from the giant bugs flying overhead. Those things seem more interested in the scattered backpacks on the road than seeing what is by the river.

Will that give enough time to find a way over the river? Well, there's not much choice here; you'll have to find a way and survive.

Advance to attain Heaven, retreat to know Hell.

It takes a few minutes, but there's a calmer section of the river that seems shallower than the rest. This seems like a likely place to cross. Slowly, you advance into the water and shiver from the shock of the cold. The slippery stones and turgid waters make it hard to judge the depths and keep upright. Just as you think you're going to make it unnoticed, the familiar buzz of wings comes overhead.

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>>5884339
Those damn bugs! One has spotted you as it flew over the river at exactly the wrong time. As you scramble up the opposite side of the river, it wheels around and begins diving towards you.
It is time to run, and you are not an athlete like Naomi or Ruka. Panic fuels your desperate flight into the forest. Reducing the mobility of the bug by going in through the trees is an unexpected bonus, as the large creature can no longer fly and track you from the air. Instead, it has to blunder in the forest instead. Yet you aren't really gaining ground to escape the thing.

Darkness is growing. The tangled ground of the forest will be working against you soon once the light is gone. You need to escape.

Wait?

A stone arch? It is so incongruous and out of place, but you don't really have much time to ponder it. It is ancient-looking and isn't remotely Japanese. If it were a torii shrine gate, sure, you could buy someone constructing it, but this thing looks European. A bellow from behind pricks you onward and reminds you that you don't have time to daydream. Damn bugs, go and attack a bear or something.

If there's an arch, maybe there's a building up ahead. You keep running, pass under the mossy stone construction, and feel an electric jolt pass through your body as the forest shifts into something completely different.

You are high above some sort of mountain and coastline. The granite valley you were in a few moments ago has disappeared! You take a moment to look right behind you and discover that the strange arch is gone.

Did you get warped to somewhere else? Where are you now!?

A few seconds pass, and you remain stunned by the sudden transition of location. Timidly, you look around this wild mountain to get your bearings. Off in the distance, who knows how many miles away, is a ruin with dark gray walls.

Urgh.

"I'm safe... right?!" You speak out loud, if only to hear a human voice, even if it's only your own.

Your cell phone rings as though in answer.

With shaking hands, you press the button to see who is calling. Is it that weirdo lady again!?

"YOUR MAJESTY! YOU'RE HERE!"
"HIP HIP HOORAY!"
"LONG LIVE THE KING"
"CAMELOT, THY SHINING WALLS WILL RISE AGAIN!"
"MEEP MEEP MEEP."

A chorus of enthusiastic voices greet your ear. A lot of enthusiastic voices, you have no idea how many. They sound absurdly childish. Then the call cuts out and goes dead.

You take this moment to sit down and take a deep breath.

"I have to be dreaming... This is a dream. Soon the train will arrive in Asahikawa, I'll get off with my classmates and go to our hotel before we have to head out to the mountains tomorrow. I'll definitely go for a walk around the city with friends and eat Chinese food with them. Heck, maybe a bit of shopping! I... I..."

>>5884340
You stop talking, your jacket has changed. There's a strange patch on it....

>You need to check your backpack and see what is in it...
>Start walking towards the ruins...
>Try to find another stone arch, maybe it'll warp you home...
>Try to call back the strange woman...
>Try to call those weird enthusiastic voices...
>Take off your jacket and figure out what the patch is...

Sorry my trip dropped, I was reading another quest.

>>5884342
>Take off your jacket and figure out what the patch is...

>>5884342
>>You need to check your backpack and see what is in it...
>Take off your jacket and figure out what the patch is...
Interesting. We've already run into the "Knights of the Round Table", and I'm assuming that ruin might be "Camelot". So are we going to wind up being the Morgan le Fae in this scenario?

>>5884342
>You need to check your backpack and see what is in it...

Maybe something helpful that we should know before messing with whatever's up next

>>5884342
>>You need to check your backpack and see what is in it...
>>Take off your jacket and figure out what the patch is...

>>5884342
>You need to check your backpack and see what is in it...
>Take off your jacket and figure out what the patch is...

>>5884427
+1

>>5884342
>You need to check your backpack and see what is in it
>>5884421
They called us king so I'm guessing we are gonna be Mordred

>>5884588
We could still be the green knight, and yes this is me huffing copium as their is absolutely no evidence or connection between what has happened to us and Greenie. Who in all honesty, will probably be a corrupted magical girl, rather than a dark one, due to how that story unfolds traditionally

>>5884342
>Take off your jacket and figure out what the patch is...

>>5884342
>Take off your jacket and figure out what the patch is...

>>5884913
>>5884667
>>5884588
>>5884574
>>5884554
>>5884427
>>5884425
>>5884421
>>5884346

>>5885045
All agree for the patch double check, so that wins over the checking the backpack. You might be able to get to it later.

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You need to take off your jacket to fully see what the patch is. The moment you see it, you instantly realize from your exposure to various kamon family crests that it's a sort of Western heraldry crest. It's such a simple design, so simple that you conclude it's the sort of thing an NPC enemy would get to designate they're a mere mook to be wiped out by hero units.

Man, Western heraldry designs have no drip! Even the simplest Japanese Kamon crest has a sort of eye-catching quality to it. Unless you're just looking at a really crappy example of one. If you had a choice, you'd make it a round ball in the west with red rays emanating from it. A sort of reverse Rising Sun motif, it'd be a sun setting in the west. If you're going to be an NPC, at least you'd want an eye-catching design.

Knights of the Round Table... It's what those unknown magical girls called themselves. You never got to see them before they fucked off home without you. Thinking about it still boils your blood. But you realize you know nothing about the Knights of the Round Table beyond the fact that they're led by a legendary king named Arthur. This gap in your knowledge is irritating; you'll have to read up on it when you get back home. If only they were magical girls based on the daimyos during the Warring States of Japan, then your knowledge would be almost encyclopedic.

You touch the patch on your coat carefully and find a comforting cloth mundanity beneath your fingertips. You check over the coat and note that nothing has changed at all.

Right, that's done.

It's time to check out the backpack you grabbed. You're almost entirely sure it's Fushimi Miki's backpack, and when you start shaking out the contents of it onto the grass, it becomes entirely obvious as something hits the ground with a solid metal thunk.

Why did the Hokkaido girl think that stuffing a 5-inch blade hunting knife with her camping gear was such a good idea!? First some sort of pepper spray, now a knife. What's next, a shotgun? You hurry to sort out the items, but you stop as you feel a strange sensation in the air. Like how a storm brews right above before unleashing lightning.

Odd sparks of white and blue lights flicker in the air before a roar of wind blows away lighter articles of clothing and items lying on the grass. At first, you panic at the thought of losing them and try to grab them, but stop when you hear the buzzing of wings.

Grabbing the knife on the ground, you turn around. You come face to face with the stone arch you had passed through earlier and one large, ugly bug. The same damn bug you escaped from earlier by entering the arch in the first place. Right, of course, why did you assume the stupid thing wouldn't follow after you?

On this lonely height, there is only grass and stark cliffs plunging downwards to the sea. There are no trees to hide behind, no buildings, and no living soul to help. You can't outrun this thing, it's faster than you and can fly.

>>5885278

Just you and a knife against one frickin' unnatural monster.

It has now entered fully from the strange stone arch, the sight of the forest you had escaped from earlier winks away as though it never existed. Only the mountain and sea is seen behind it.

Today, you are going to really discover the battle cry, advance to attain Heaven, retreat to know Hell is true.

Choose one! 2 anons to roll 3d6 for a combined 6d6

>Desperate attack, roll 3d6...
>Brave attack, roll 3d6...
>Cautious attack, roll 3d6...
>Feint attack, roll 3d6...
>Defensive stance, roll 3d6...
>Fighting retreat, roll 3d6...

Rolled 5, 1, 6 = 12 (3d6)

>>5885282
>>Desperate attack, roll 3d6...

Rolled 6, 1, 4 = 11 (3d6)

>>5885282
>>Brave attack, roll 3d6...
if we die, we don't have to go down like a bitch

Rolled 2, 2, 4 = 8 (3d6)

>>5885282
>Feint attack, roll 3d6...

Like any good villainess, we fight without honor.

Rolled 2, 1, 5 = 8 (3d6)

>>5885282
>Cautious attack, roll 3d6...
We don't know what it can do.

Rolled 4, 6, 3 = 13 (3d6)

>>5885282
>>Feint attack, roll 3d6...
Based Fushimi, sneaking a knife on a school trip

Also, on an only tangentially related note, what do we look like? Height, hair length, build, facial structure etc?

File: 1688094859609399.jpg (39 KB, 656x679)

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>>5885331
5'5"; Long, black, straight hair down to our wide hips; skinny, hourglass figure, with slight muscle from swimming, archery, and kendo; big, bright, round amber eyes; a gorgeous face; full lips; squeezable buttocks, a real handful each one; and two huge, gigantic breasts.

>>5885282
>Feint attack, roll 3d6...

File: __original_drawn_by_hodan(...).png (503 KB, 607x1200)

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>>5885342
So a bit like this?

Rolled 3, 3, 2 = 8 (3d6)

>>5885282
>Feint attack, roll 3d6...

>>5885348
That's not the OP anon

dice+3d6

>>5885282
>Feint attack, roll 3d6...
Hopefully its not that smart

>>5885428
you tried

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>>5885331
I'm leaving that up to you really. You're not the athletic type despite the best efforts of your family to get you interested in martial arts.

You are quite the actress when required and can intimidate the hell out of people as well as charm them

>>5885331
I've imagined us as a nerdier Shizuka Tsuruki from girls und panzer ribbon warrior

Rolled 3, 6, 2 = 11 (3d6)

>>5885282
>Brave attack, roll 3d6...

>>5885441
OK I'll take this anon's description >>5885342 as canon then

>>5885291
>>5885293
>>5885296
>>5885301
>>5885310
>>5885347
>>5885373
>>5885428
>>5885467
Feint attack.
1 success out of 6 dice, so failed that's not a catastrophe.
I came home late, so if I can't post tonight, it'll be tomorrow.

>>5885782
just curious, are only the dice that voted on feint attack counted?

>>5886119
seems like it

>>5886119
Sorry for the late reply.
Feint Attack had the most votes, so it is the action taken.

>>5886563
Right, I think they're asking if only the dice pools from the feint attack votes were used.

>>5886572
Best 3 of the feint attack was used.
So unusually, there was only 1 success.

I also realize that if I do what I did for this vote again, people who see poor rolls might shift their votes to something else. So next time I'll ask for an action and then ask for rolls in the next post to avoid that.

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So it's down to you to save yourself. The question is if you can pull that off... with a knife... against a monster... and not being particularly fit. Should you make a straightforward attack? A suicide attack, throwing away all thoughts of survival? Retreat slowly backwards while fending off attacks?

You half-remember lessons from your uncle about how bad indecisiveness and being distracted is in battle. You were never a particularly physically active girl; the family lessons in spearmanship were almost completely wasted on you. It does, however, give you a greater appreciation of how reach is a major advantage in battle. Too bad the bug had that advantage. The greatest danger facing you is the long, needle-like proboscis of the giant bug. It pierced the abdomen of the conductor and sucked away his life.

You need to avoid this weapon while attacking the bug's main body.

Deception is a time-honored tactic in battle.

Crafty attacker: When making artful gambits and trickery in a fight, gain +2 dice to attack! It's not cheating, it's stratagem damn it!

If you can just get the timing right, you can slash the enemy while dodging the bug's attack.

But first, you need to bait it.

You hold your empty right hand to the front and make it a tempting target for the monster. If you're lucky, it'll try to stab it while you dodge out of the way and close in. If worse comes to worse, you could try to parry the bug's attack on the non-stabby portion. At least, that's the plan. You wish your older brother was here; he'd know how to fight properly.

???

There's something off. You feel stronger, you feel faster, you feel calmer than you should be.

!!!

The bug attacked while you were distracted. The very thing your uncle warned you against!

You screwed up. Time seems to slow down as the sharp point of the bug's proboscis spears right through your free hand and into your shoulder. You scream in horror and immediately retreat, just as the head of the bug pulls back, attempts to stab you again, and misses completely. Never have you moved back so quickly. How are you even physically capable of leaping ten feet backwards?!

OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT.... Wait? It doesn't hurt?

>>5886812
You take a quick look at your right hand for a quick second and marvel at how there's no wound or even pain. It's as though the stab you just received never happened. You remember how the bug had to repeatedly stab the screaming conductor before it scored a hit that silenced him. There was no blood anywhere on the ground when you went to check the location of the attack. Does that mean the bug can only truly hurt you if it hits a specific area of your body?

The bug charges forward to stab you in the torso.

That's not going to happen!

Cha togar m' fhearg gun dìoladh!

You shall never let any harm you with impunity! Thou art a King, let the pibroch harp be strummed to sound its most martial theme! Well fitted for Lothian! Aye, and fit for Camelot too! Fie on this ignoble foe.

You dodge the charging monster with ease and shove it hard from the side to unbalance. The creature didn't expect that, it trips over it's many feet and stumbles over hard sharp stones. Skidding to a halt, it slowly rises and tries to turn around to face you. An opportunity to strike!

Just choose one, whatever you think is coolest!

>A Legitimate King!
>Let No Insult Pass!
>What Is Rightfully Mine!
>Vengeance Heavy, Anger Bitter!
>A Relentless Blood Feud!
>Insurrection and Rebellion!
>Smite The Bastard!

>>5886814

>Let No Insult Pass!

Makes sense for the situation and is consistent with our character. Nobody shall defy the king and live to tell the tale

>>5886814
>A Legitimate King!

Haruka’s pretty big on getting respect and having people follow orders, with punishments and threats being a means to an end more than anything else.

>>5886834
+1 Support

>>5886814
>Vengeance Heavy, Anger Bitter!
We wanted to lead, so we became President. No respect was given to the title.
We wanted to help, so we brought back the flock. No lifeline was thrown in our time of need.
We wanted peace, so we left. No, even here, they chased us to the ends of the Earth.

NO MORE
RETRIBUTION IS AT HAND

>>5886814
>Smite The Bastard!

>>5886814
>>Let No Insult Pass!

>>5886814

>Let No Insult Pass!

>>5886814
>Let No Insult Pass!

>>5886814
>>A Legitimate King!

>>5886814
>What Is Rightfully Mine!

>>5886817
>>5886834
>>5886844
>>5886845
>>5886892
>>5886913
>>5887117
>>5887132
>>5887143
>>5887308
Let No Insult Pass!

Good thing our girl isn't prideful eh? Right? RIGHT?

>>5887513
So updates will be once every two days. Hopefully, I can get back to everyday but coming home late really cut into writing time.

File: spear.jpg (9 KB, 345x444)

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Rolled 5, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 = 22 (6d6)

Just need to roll this first.

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A strike it shall be!

You drop the hunting knife onto the ground.

A picture forms in your mind: a gleaming spear of cold iron radiating with a shimmering aura of ice. The very air seems to freeze around it, showering down shimmering gossamer threads of white frost. Yes, a spear as pure and cruel as the Northern Isles, freezing the dead branches of trees and lacing them with hoarfrost.

It comes to you as easily as a keen hound, ready for the bloody hunt. A swirling mass of blue energy starts from the palm of the hand and expands lengthwise until a spear five feet long is summoned.

Ah, it's beautiful. A fine weapon to avenge all affronts!

The monster pauses, and the yellowish eyes on the back widen with what looks like fear. You savor the sight; it nourishes your soul like a fine meal nourishes the body.

"Let No Insult Pass!"

A shout amplified with what you can only call magic shatters the air as the blade of the spear stabs into the monster. It slides into the carapace like a hot knife through butter, easily journeying through the body. You even take a few steps forward as the spear sinks into the bug, but you still remain out of its reach.

The damn thing is still alive.

Just as you think this, a whitish frost erupts all over the body of the monster. You are startled to see it is ice, it must be forming within the body from the blade of the spear. In seconds, the monster has turned into a solid block of ice. It didn't even have time to counter attack or bellow.

The icy spear in your hands fades away into nothing.

Oh wow.

With trepidation, you pick up the knife and tap on the carapace lightly to see how solid the ice is, and you discover it's far more brittle than you imagined. That light tap is the start of a spider web of cracks that splits the body of the thing into incredibly small shards. The sound is unlike anything you've heard. If you had to describe it, it's like a multitude of dry, snapping twigs crushed at the same time.

You won.

Are you a magical girl now?

It's hard to suppress the childish delight bubbling up when you realize you are actually clapping your hands and squeeing at the very idea. Monsters may be terrifying, but when backed by magical powers, it seems more like an adventure.

WAIT A SEC!

Do you have a magical girl costume?! You check yourself over and become very saddened to discover that you are not clad in an elegant and awesome costume.

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>>5888751

Let No Insult Pass! - When attacking, 4s also count as successes in addition to 5s and 6s. Use 1 per day

Frostbind - Your weapon... if you can figure out how to summon it again.

A wind blows, and things from the spilled backpack lying forgotten on the ground stir and move.

Oh crap! The backpack!

While some of the light items, like clothing and paper, are lost, you recover the majority of the heavier items. It's packed with whatever a serious camper needs for a trip, except there's no sleeping bag or tent. Curiously, there's over 5 'How to Survive in the Hokkaido Wilderness' booklets in the collection of items.

On the first page of each book, there's a single name listed. It seems that Miki intended to hand over the booklets to various classmates and the teacher, just in case. She must not have that much confidence in a bunch of Tokyoites tramping about in Hokkaido. You aren't surprised anymore; this girl was crazy enough to have bear spray and a hunting knife packed away. It's dead weight to keep all five booklets, but given how much got blown away by the wind, it's not a problem to pack away.

Right, it's time to get moving. You have food, water, water purification, first aid kit and other survival items. The booklet will come in handy as you are a clueless camping newbie and can refer to it.

Things are looking up!

YOU CAN USE MAGIC! OH WOW, OH WOW, OH WOW!!!

But where to go?...

>Head to the ruins off in the distance...
>Try to find another stone arch, maybe it'll warp you home...
>Head down the mountain to the coastline...
>Choose a direction randomly, what does it matter where you go?...
>Wander around the mountain...
>write in

>>5888752
>Head to the ruins off in the distance...
Structures will help us set up camp, and provide a point of interest to help us navigate

>>5888761
+1 This

>>5888752
>Head to the ruins off in the distance...

>>5888752
>>Try to find another stone arch, maybe it'll warp you home...

>>5888752
>Head down the mountain to the coastline...

>>5888761
I second this Anon

>>5888761
>>5888794
>>5888807
>>5888818
>>5888842
>>5889879
I hope to post tonight, so I'll just call the vote now and say you're heading to the ruins

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The most obvious place to head off to is the ruins in the distance. You don't know how long it will take to get there, but you'll never get there unless you move. So down the mountain, the loose scree rocks tumble to some of the most breathtaking heights you've ever seen. You aren't much of an outdoors person, but you can see why the Hiking Club exists. If only this wasn't some sort of strange world full of unknown dangers.

Along the way, you end up finding some articles of clothing and stop to grab them. They're Miki's, and they don't fit you at all, but given the situation, it's best to keep as many resources with you as possible. You wrap your coat around you tightly, and the cloth patch with your crest is comforting. You know you have a weapon, and it's clearly boosted your physical abilities.

The journey is both easier and more frustrating than you imagine. A girl used to riding trains, cars and planes, such as you never imagined that walking to places would be so damn slow. You ambitiously thought that a single day's worth of hiking would get you to your destination but are dismayed to discover that is not the case. You can see the ruins coming closer, but it might take another day or so to get there.

You make a few small discoveries along the way. One is that you are able to summon ice on command. You had been trying to summon the spear on command, but frustratingly, only chunks of ice appeared in your hands. The survival booklet that Miki stuffed in her backpack warned of deadly parasites in the streams of Hokkaido, so it comes in handy when you need water, but it isn't what you want. You want your weapon, or at least some sort of attack ability, in case you meet more weird monsters. Also, where's your super powerful costume that's awesome and beautiful? You want one!

Another is receiving random calls and your inability to call back!

"Welcome ladies! I am single and ready to mingle! For I am 'Rodomonte', the most powerful king of the world! Soon you shall fall to the might of my---"
"Heya, let's be friends! Won't you be my friend? Where are you? I can visit you, and we can have a good time. Maybe even---"
"Greetings from... wherever the hell I am. You may call me 'Vivian'. And no, that's not my real name. If you remember your name, don't tell anyone. Mag---
"This is 'Escanor', if I'm a King or Knight, who cares? Do you know how to get out of this place!? I am so damn tired... *sob*"
"I am 'Lucius Hiberius', rightful Emperor of all lands around Our Sea. Hmph, remember to send tribute lowly---"
"You're so fucked, my... girl? Guy? Whatever, you're so fucked. When you die, can I have your stuff? Because---"

File: camelotruined.jpg (2.33 MB, 2220x2220)

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>>5890597
The messages are very short, and the callers are never able to fully complete their messages, much to your annoyance. Also, the voices sound around your age and of both genders. 'Rodomonte' and the mysterious 'You're so fucked' were clearly teen boys. So 'magical boys' too? Hm, not quite like your childhood expectations of 'magical girls'.

You burst out laughing. 'Expectations', what right do you have to make 'expectations' about anything? So this world has others in it. Not too comforting.

Six calls, and not everyone declared their names to you. You try to figure out why only four of them did so. Perhaps they're the most powerful out of the bunch, or not the brightest. You wouldn't go around parading your name unless you intended to intimidate someone or seek an alliance. In any case, you tried to call 'Vivian' back since she offered advice right off the bat and potential explanations. The cell phone couldn't connect with her.

You tried to call the childish voices who declared you King earlier too. No connection.

So you can't call out. The cellphone only has about 50% battery life; it's best to conserve power.

Mysteries upon mysteries.

The evening catches up to you; you need to settle down for the night. Your soft, citified body is not used to resting on the hard, cold ground. You tried to lay a thin layer of Miki's clothing underneath as padding, but it was no good. It was almost impossible to sleep! It was cold too; you ended up tearing up pages from the survival booklet addressed to your teacher to feed a fire. Now you have only four left. You curiously scan the pages of the booklet and try to absorb some basic information from them.

Nagumo Kyouya, Tatemichi Haruhi, Yanagi Naomi, and Kuroda Haruka... So Fushimi Miki wanted to give you and these other girls a booklet. You take out a pen from the backpack and write a quick thank-you note to the Hokkaido girl on your booklet. When you get out of this place, you will hand this booklet over and be sure to tell the transfer student how helpful it has been.

The long night passes uncomfortably, and the sun rises behind dark clouds, which portent rain. You eat a quick breakfast of whatever camp food was in the backpack and hurry on to the ruins. Despite the speed of your journey, rain begins to fall around noon before becoming a torrent. Water seeps into your skin despite the rain poncho you took out of the backpack.

"I am the most miserable girl alive..." You lament, but the ruins are not that far away. You rest under a tree for a moment to try and take in the sight of gray, broken walls and battlements. This was once a noble and very large city; clearly, back in its time, it was beautiful and populous. Yet what was before you is now just an abandoned, lonely ghost of past glories. It had been a bustling place, but now it's dead. Only rack and ruin reside in it.

File: neverseen.jpg (3.66 MB, 4032x3024)

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>>5890602
Oh, there's a poem that matches the desolation of this city. From the Onin civil war, which ruined the Imperial city. 'Now the city that you knew has become an empty moor, from which the evening skylarks rises while your tears falls.'

Three anons, roll 3d6!

Rolled 6, 4, 6 = 16 (3d6)

>>5890604

Rolled 5, 5, 1 = 11 (3d6)

>>5890604

Rolled 6, 1, 1 = 8 (3d6)

>>5890604

>>5890613
>>5890648
>>5890653
Wow, that was faster than I expected. 4 success out 6 is a great success.
Hm, I wonder if I can wrote something tonight. We'll see.

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>>5874503
You've rested enough, and you don't want to keep standing outside under a tree barely able to keep the rain off. Once you get to the ruins, you might be able to find an actual roof to keep dry. The cold is starting to get to you; if you can find somewhere where the rain can't reach, then you can change into something dry. Miki's clothing is too big, but you don't have any choice but to wear it since that's all you have.

So the heavy backpack is once again shouldered, and the drudgery of the journey reasserts itself. The weather is like the rainy season of July in Tokyo; surely there'll be a break from all this water? The dark clouds don't give much of a clue to the end of it, though.

By and by, it takes three hours of hiking to finally see the entrance of the grand ruins you have been seeking. Your increased endurance and strength must definitely come from magic, because there would be no way your original body could have done the journey so quickly.

These desolate ruins are like a godsend now. You can't wait to enter the damn place and look for some sort of roof to get under. The walls still have a trace of nobility left in their shattered stones, and the gate is wide open.

You pause to catch your breath and give thanks to the gods that you've arrived at last. Just before deciding to start walking again, something catches your eye.

Movement!?

You dive behind a large stone and peer carefully out of your hiding place. You've seen some sort of movement by the front gate; you're sure of it. It was a flash of white stone moving just above the arch, but nothing fell down. If it was a crumbling stone of some sort, it should have crashed down to the ground... right?!

There it is again, but this time it's not an arm. It's a head of stone moving! Something is perched on the upper area of the wrecked gate. For a brief moment, you see the body adjust itself to peer outward, then disappear as though settling back into a hidden niche.

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>>5891750
That's not the only thing you can see.

A thin ribbon of gray smoke rises up in the air. You almost missed it, as the rain is so heavy that it dissipates most of it.

So the ruins are occupied. Good thing you decided to take a break before heading up into them. But the rain still pours; there's no sign it will relent any time soon. You need shelter unless you fancy hypothermia or not sleeping at all at night.

There are gigantic rents in the walls, clearly the result of a siege bringing them down in some long ago battle. You scrutinize one of them, far away from the shattered front gates, carefully to see if any oddities catch your eye.

It seemed safe enough to enter through there, but now you are on high alert. The place is occupied by who knows what, and they might not be friendly.

Decisions, decisions, decision....

>Go boldly to the front gate and pass through it anyways while alert to an attack from above...
>Go boldly to the front gate and announce yourself to the thing in the shattered gates...
>Sneak through the rent in the walls instead, no need to announce yourself...
>Try to camp outside the ruins, you have a small tarp that might help keep the rain out...
>Attack the thing in the gate with your powers, surely you can summon your spear...
>Cause a distraction! Create a big boulder of ice near the gate to attract their attention, they might come out...
>Wait longer and observe, maybe something will come in or out?...
>Write in....

>>5891752
>>Go boldly to the front gate and announce yourself to the thing in the shattered gates...
There's a chance that it will not become hostile if we try to talk (our specialty) rather than attempting to sneak inside it's "home"

>>5891752
>>Go boldly to the front gate and announce yourself to the thing in the shattered gates...

>>5891752
>Go boldly to the front gate and announce yourself to the thing in the shattered gates...

>>5891752
>>Go boldly to the front gate and announce yourself to the thing in the shattered gates...

>>5891752
>Go boldly to the front gate and pass through it anyways while alert to an attack from above...

>>5891752
>Go boldly to the front gate and announce yourself to the thing in the shattered gates...

>>5891752
>Go boldly to the front gate and announce yourself to the thing in the shattered gates...

>>5891752
>Go boldly to the front gate and announce yourself to the thing in the shattered gates...

>>5892117
>>5892067
>>5891932
>>5891910
>>5891863
>>5891855
>>5891824
>>5891806
Through the front door and not hiding at all.

In other news, I just twisted my fucking ankle, this is why I'm late. Hopefully I can post tonight

File: camelot.jpg (1.79 MB, 1800x2366)

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You could sneak through one of the rents through the broken walls and get in easily. Yet it doesn't resolve the singular issue confronting you. Do you want to be like a callow worm, constantly creeping in the shadows the entire time?. Why should a King have to sneak like a craven through the back into his own city? Besides, eventually you'll screw up and run into whatever is inside those ruins.

The next best idea is to just go through the front gates without a damn as to what that unnatural gatekeeper tries to do. If it attacks, you'll be ready for it! It's no longer a surprise attack; you can launch your own surprise attack if necessary. Yes, let's go straight up to the gate and just walk on through. Damn the consequences and damn that thing...

...

Can the thing talk?

You stop yourself from leaving the safety of your hiding with that sudden thought and instead sit in the rain to think over this possibility. As inhuman-looking as the animate piece of rock is, it seems intelligent. If it was just some sort of automaton, why would it bother looking out from its post above the gate like a bored guard?

Talking is your forte. Yet if it can't understand what you said, then it's pointless.

"Bah, going up to it and announcing my presence is essentially the same as ignoring it and going in through the gate anyway. It'll sound the alarm in both cases," you mutter to yourself. The worst case scenarios are the same for entering or announcing.

You march up to the gate with what you hope looks like the confidence of a Daimyo Lord. Your mind is blank. What did the Kuroda family military arts say about a situation like this? You're pretty sure this is pure utter recklessness and that the most proper thing would be reconnaissance and spies or some such thing. Unfortunately, that requires retainers, and you have none at your disposal. You also can't remain outside in the rain forever; your body, as enhanced as it is now, is still vulnerable to the inclement weather and exhaustion.

You are now before the gate; it's too late to turn back. If you did, it not only looks pathetic but also cowardly.

"Gatekeeper, show yourself! A King stand before the city; shall We be left waiting!?" You call out in a loud voice.

And you wait.

There, above the crumbling stones, is a strange figure. Almost like a man if one could ignore the body of stone and strange horns on the head. It stares at you, measuring your confident stance, and climbs down to the ground with surprising agility and silence.

It stands before the gate blocking the path in and tilts its head before speaking.

"A King you say? A King with no name? Shall I be forced to call thee King king? Tut, tut." It is a voice unlike anything you've ever heard. Like stones grinding against each other and the wind whistling through sharp stones.

>>5893826
But it can speak... And it is not friendly, but you've always possessed A True Heart to at least force an enemy to respect you.

"Says one who will not share his name or title." You are pretty much cribbing from all those samurai dramas you watched as a kid at this point.

>Three anons, roll 4d6!

Rolled 4, 3, 4, 2 = 13 (4d6)

>>5893830
Kneel knave!

Rolled 3, 4, 6, 6 = 19 (4d6)

>>5893830
Alright, time to show this peasant not to disrespect a true king/samurai larper

Also considering how many fours we have we might want to "Let no insult pass" here

>>5893837
You do have the option of activating it. But you'll need to vote for that.

Rolled 4, 2, 6, 6 = 18 (4d6)

>>5893830

>>5893848
I'd be down to use it. That'd bring our current success up from 4, to 8, doubling our RoS, and we still have 1 roll to make!

And I like the cut of this rock man's gib

>>5893835
>>5893836
>>5893857
We have at 4 successes out of 8 in these three rolls.
If throw in Let No Insult Pass, you will get 6 out of 8 due to 4s counted.

Seems like over kill. Haruka has 8d6 to roll in this situation, a combo of her personal charisma/trait and magical villainess boost.

>>5894085
I wanna befriend the rock knight harder than he's ever been friended before

>>5894097

You're the only person who voted and no one else to use Let No Insult Pass
So I will assume that the majority of players aren't interested.
Haruka passes with her 4 out of 8 rolls.
I'll be making Haruka's stat sheet soon.

What I should have done earlier was ask for 2 anons to roll 4d6 instead of 3 anons. That way I could combine the two and see what Haruka rolled up for 8d6 charisma roll. Oops but it worked out to in your favor anyways.

Let's see if I can post tonight

>>5894524
The guy who brought it up first doesn't count?

>>5894534
That makes it two, which still isn't a majority

>>5894727
Would it though? Not voting isn't a no, then again, the vote to use abilities like it probably should be made into an actual >yes or >no vote Instead of asking without calling a vote, since I have a bad feeling that way is going to make us just not ever use our abilities since anons won't notice the call to support or deny the use of them. But that could be the caffeine I am wigging out on talking.

Not like we even need to use the ability atm, since we did get a lot of successes without it. But I do think establishing a system of flash voting rounds when deciding to use an ability or not would be wise, but it's up to the qm if they implement it or not. Don't think it'd slow the pace of the quest at all if they did

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The stone man thing is silent and looks upwards to a cloudy sky; the water darkens his face to the color of blackish slate with mottled white spots all over. If it hadn't been for the fact that you saw it move and speak earlier, you would have mistaken it for a statue.

You maintain your proud stance and wait for an answer. Was the 'man' impressed enough by your presence and words to unbend a little? You need to move the needle of influence in a friendlier direction.

"Aye, to those who are worthy. Know this, oh nameless King: I was here before men dreamed of Camelot. I was here when men used freshly felled timber, not dressed stone, to defend their meager hovels. I was here when this city rose, gleaming white and grand by the efforts of mortal men. I was here when it fell; its grandeur only remembered in the songs and tales of bards. I was here when Avalon called out to Kings and Knights of the World!"

A bell tolls in some far-off tower. A rancorous clang all by itself for a few seconds, and then joined by many more to shake the very air. It is soon joined by the sound of many tramping feet. That would be the alarm, you guess, summoning the residents of the city to defend itself.

Not a great development, but retreating at the first sign of adversity would only invite scorn.

"Lost Child, you may call me 'Agrestes'. Know you are not the first to come before these gates, nor will you be the last. Kings and Knights, Witches and Wizards, fools and heroes have come and gone. None have held Camelot for long, and you can never hold the city as a nameless King. So speak up, you King without a name. Tell us all who you are."

There is something climbing up the battered walls, approaching the rents of the shattered walls, around the corner of the blasted gate, in the devastated battlements, peering from the darkened dead city... Shadowy figures are waiting to hear the name of a King.

You say it without thinking.

"I am King Lot of Lothian and Orkney; damned be He who contests my right to Rule."

The shadows now form into... into... little goats? They're little goat men? You aren't quite sure what you're looking at, but they are very cute. The small bipedal goats line the walls or peek through the gate or through the rents of the walls to look at you. At first, they are silent, but soon the air roils with their whispers, which grow in volume as more begin to speak.

"Who is it?"
"Is it She?! It must be."
"It's Her Majesty, the King!"
"It's true! Oh glorious day."
"Hurrah! Hurrah! She's here!"
"King Lot of Lothian and Orkney!"

Then a second of silence. An intake of air. They all draw in breath to shout.

"LONG LIVE THE KING!"
"LONG LIVE THE KING!"
"LONG LIVE THE KING!"

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>>5895787
The bells, which earlier tolled the alarm, now ring joyfully in celebration. These little goat men are about half your height and exit the city with long drapes of cloth held up by a long stick. They remind you of the sashimono banners worn by samurai except these are very large and carried by hand instead. On them is a copy of the crest on your jacket, the simple white shield with the red corner on the left hand side.

You can't help but feel that this crest is not the right one. As though there is a grander and more appropriate crest that you should possess but it remains out of your grasp... at least for now.

Everything feels like a dream, they raise over your head a rich brocade canopy to keep the rain off. A troop of guards guide you through the gate, leading down empty broken cobbled streets and past burnt out ruined homes. Where is Agrestes? Ah, he is following from behind. Strange that he is not at the front and fore, what is he exactly?

The little goat men take you to...

>A little temple, there's a giant round stone in it...
>A ruined white castle, a grand derelict...
>A large tower still standing, it casts a large shadow...
>A humble but still intact home, it is in good repair...
>Underground, it's a dungeon and storehouse...
>A large barn like structure full of reeds and hay, the barracks of your goat men...

>>5895787

>I am king Lot of Lothian and Orkney

OH Shit, we're Gawain and sometimes Modred's Papa!

>>5895789
>A ruined white castle, a grand derelict...

>>5895789
>>Underground, it's a dungeon and storehouse...

>>5895789
>A ruined white castle, a grand derelict...

>>5895789
>>A ruined white castle, a grand derelict...
let's restore our glory

>>5895789
>A little temple, there's a giant round stone in it...

I'm going to leave the vote up for tonight as I am busy with another project. Tomorrow I will count the votes and write.

>>5895789
>A ruined white castle, a grand derelict...

Seems the most fitting option for the MC's personality

>>5895789
>A large tower still standing, it casts a large shadow...

>>5895789
>A ruined white castle, a grand derelict...

>>5895790
>>5895845
>>5896031
>>5896126
>>5896291
>>5897210
>>5897223
>>5897673
Right to the castle

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Upwards and onwards.

The cobbled streets are definitely leading you upward to the highest point of the city. The steps have worn spots that sink deeply into the stone from the passage of many feet. Just how old is this place? The stairs lead up to the tenshu donjon and you are impressed by its sheer size. This thing must be bigger than Osaka Castle. The sheer whiteness of what is left of the edifice reminds you of Himeji Castle. It seems that whoever constructed this place wanted the purity of white to burn into the eyes of all who see it.

Beauty, however, doesn't change the fact that it is an absolute dump. Can a person even live here? The roof is gone in most places, and even with an intact roof, rain easily gets in through various cracks and open windows. They take you to the driest room in the place, and even that is pretty rough and uncomfortable.

"Please rest here, your Majesty. Thy servants will do what they can to make you comfortable." The little goat men start bustling about to start a fire and other sundry things. A few try to put up boards to block out the rain; others set down dry, sweet-smelling boughs of evergreen on the floor as a bed; and still others take your backpack and lay out everything in it to dry.

Somehow, these strange beings even find a rough hewn round table and chair. You sit down heavily on the chair and try to get comfortable. Throughout all this time, you don't see Agrestes at all. You have a notion that talking to the stone man would be a more profitable course of action. Exhaustion is creeping up on you and tempting you to sleep.

"Agrestes? I would like to speak with you," you call out, hoping that the strange stone man can hear you.

"Would like to speak with me? How unusual, King; most demand that I go to them." You hear the voice of the gatekeeper and then see his face form out of the very stones of your room. It's eerie to watch the rocks meld and morph into a face, though you control your surprise at the sight.

"Well, Agrestes, you aren't anything like these servants. I assume you have a different duty than them," you wave your hands at the bustling goat men who fuss and clean the room that apparently is now your residence in this ruined castle. You can't help but be deadpan at the idea that you can order around the stone man. Agrestes acts too formidably and independently. If you read him right, you doubt you could force him to obey your orders at all.

"Tis true; I shall be thy Herald to announce anyone who approaches Camelot. My voice shall carry all the way to your ears no matter where you are, should a Knight or King challenge your right to rule the city. If you should refuse the challenge... Then you are not fit to be the King of Camelot," Agrestes gives a smile as he explains.

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>>5898362
"What happens if I'm prevented from answering? Like I'm captured or unconscious?" You aren't really interested in being a 'King' of this place. You want to go home and get back to your family, and this is all just a distraction from that true goal. Yet you can't help but wonder about how the mechanics of being a King of Camelot is supposed to all work out.

"Alas, if that should be the case, you could arrange to have a Champion take up the challenge. That is, should a worthy Knight or King come into your service. Of course, should you have none... well, you lose your Right to Rule until you challenge and defeat the interloper. You are also free to renounce Camelot if you do not wish to hold it at any time. Several have done so, they found restoring Camelot too much of a challenge. Thus, they are deemed unworthy of the honor forever more. The last serious attempt to restore Camelot was by 'Mordred'. Alas, she never returned after going out on a Quest many moons ago. I called out to her when you announced yourself at the gate, and she never answered your challenge. Otherwise King Lot, you would have to fight against the 'Knight of Betrayal' to possess the city."

Good to know! Once you get out of this strange place and back in Japan, you'll tell Agrestes that you don't want Camelot.

"So only my Herald?" You yawn, a fire has been lit in a bronze brazier to warm the room.

"Indeed. So remember well, I am not thy servant nor villein to be commanded. Nor am I a seneschal or majordomo of yours." With that the face of Agrestes fades away, the stones go back to being a wall.

Damn, you wanted to ask more questions. Maybe you'll get to do that latter.

"Your Majesty, pray forgive the humble accommodations. Camelot isn't what it used to be, and much of the repairs were put off or ignored by previous Kings. We have prepared a bed at least," the largest of the goat men approaches you. He's tall enough to reach your shoulders and seems to be the leader of your little army of servants.

You are so damn tired. A good sleep will do you good and then you can figure out a way to get home.

"It doesn't matter. Any place to rest my tired body is good enough. I want you to wake me up in the morning and have something for me to eat. Please leave me alone until then." The servants salute crisply and exit the room at your command. At least these little guys are more obedient than your classmates. No sassing, no back talk or arguing... Oh, you forgot to ask them questions due to your tiredness. You'll have to do that in the morning.

You drop off to sleep to a warm fire and relatively soft bed of boughs. This is pure luxury compared to the previous night where you had to sleep outside on the hard ground.

Camelot is yours and whatever strange challenges come with it can wait until morning.

That's it for the first thread!
Join us next time, Thursday, January 25 for the next bit!

>>5898370
Thanks for running.

Interesting premise, didn't expect Arthurian myth in a Magical Girl setting. Curious to see how it ties with the MC being a villainess.