It only took minutes of questioning to determine it was very likely you likely left the town. Yet your father refuses to search anywhere but inside. That means he's not listening to anyone around him, or that even those he trusts most are afraid to bring up the issue.

I do have something of a silver tongue, but I doubt in those circumstances I could walk in and convince him of much of anything.

...maybe an indirect approach could work? If we passed on a letter, or something. Maybe it wouldn't stop him from worrying about her, but he'd at least know she wasn't kidnapped, and he wouldn't have reason to keep the town in lockdown.

And we have no objections if she wishes to travel our way, for a time. *laugh* Although that could raise it's own problems if and when your father ever catches up to you.

The Pathfinder 2014/01/08(Wed)21:59 No. 556022 ID: 8f7720
File 138924715913.png - (76.34KB , 366x449 , 17.png )

>>555818
I'm curious about that as well. Her common is a bit... Rough around the edges.

"While I certainly wouldn't mind a companion I'm afraid you can not simply just leave. The town would still be under lockdown. I may be able to speak with the king but I doubt..."


>>555855
>>555830
"Well...We could have you appear in person, not directly to your father of course, and tell the people you are leaving of your own free will. This would be a bit risky. Or you could simply write your father a letter. He might still think you're kidnapped but at the very least he won't keep the town under lockdown if he knows you're out here. But then... Well, he'll know you're out here."

???: "Then can ye take the letter to him? Give me some time ta get a disguise and get a bit away. I'll write it for him and sign an everything. An then we can just meet up down the road. Is that good? Ye won't have to look out for me or anything. I know I won't be a burden. So whattya say? We got a plan?"

She leans forward with pleading eyes.

...something tells me you may be getting played. Agree to it, then ask someone in the palace about the circumstances of her disappearance, and how the king tended to treat her. We need more details.

Also definitely read the letter she gives you.

Agree.

We'll have to come up with an excuse as to how we encountered the princess (not hard to do, as an outsider, I suppose).

...we should check with the knight first, though (approach her from the side of the gate she expects us to be on). See if they recognize her handwriting. If yes, we'll get our audience / delivery pretty quick, if not, we've saved ourself a lot of pain not bringing a fake message directly to the king.

umm, isn't there somewhere we could drop the letter off, I mean I bet the king would say we're part of the kidnappers if we delivered this letter in person.

The Pathfinder 2014/01/08(Wed)22:21 No. 556033 ID: 8f7720
File 138924849378.png - (75.50KB , 498x500 , 18.png )

>>556024
>>556026
"Alright. Let's do it."

???: "Great! Give me a sec..."

The girl goes off and writes a quick note then signs and seals it. She hands it to the Pathfinder and wishes him the best of luck as he leaves. He heads back into the kingdom through the tunnel and knocks on the large gate.
The knight from before opens it.

Knight: "Is your business concluded?"

"Not quite. I was wondering if perhaps you could identify this handwriting."

He hands the knight the note. It seemed honest enough and filled with a young girl's desire to be free and explore. The knight scans through the paper and hands it back to him

Knight: "I can't say I do... Why?"

"Ah, well someone calling herself the princess has asked me to deliver this to the king. She has long red hair, about this tall, a-"

Knight: "Freckles?"

"Yes. She had freckles."

Knight: "That would be the princess. I'm glad you found her so quickly. I'm certain the king would love to know where she is. Come with me."

"Ah, I uhm... She really didn't want him to find her."

Knight: "This wasn't a request."

The Pathfinder feels a blade pressed against him

Ah...
I may not have thought this out fully.

SMOKE PELLET! don't tell me you have no smoke pellets!

roll away! use superior agility to evade her and drop the letter! get on all fours if you have to!

>>556022
"Well, that would get him the message, but even if you used your codewords to signal everything is fine he'd still at least have me followed.

Hmm... You brought your royal seal or signet ring? Any guard would have to deliver a letter with a royal seal unopened, so by the time anyone knew who it was from we'd be long gone.

Just... mention that if I tried to bring you back you'd just escape and have no protection at all, so I'm going with you to keep you safe.
That should at least keep me out of serious trouble."

Oh, yea. You should totally romance her.

>>556033
"Please. I must uphold a promise to a lady, at any cost. I must see that letter delivered. Imprison me if you must! But deliver the letter first!"

Cute kitty eyes.

CUTE KITTY EYES

>>556033
Yep, you were being played alright. You're a distraction, the princess doesn't actually plan to meet you on the road.

Dial the charm up to 11 and proclaim woe that you are being forced to choose between the orders of two beautiful women. Surely you can come to some agreement?

If you can get away from that spear you may be able to escape into the woods through the gate. Don't reuse the secret passage.

>>556040
not really, if we did the smart thing and handed over the letter and left, we would be gone by now.

...can we cheat with the knight's orders? If they're still forbidden from searching outside the city, you can't take her there until she has permission from the king, anyways. Meaning we might as well deliver the letter, first.

>Give me some time ta get a disguise and get a bit away
Uh, did we do the part of the plan where we waited a bit before bringing the letter to anyone? If we did, she should already be gone, right?

If we didn't, we could try and appeal to the knight's sense of logic. *Sigh* I could lead you to where she was, but if you princess does not wish to be found, and has any sense at all in her head, do you really expect her to have stayed put? Surely she would realize you would come looking, there (covering up the fact we obviously missed that).

The Pathfinder 2014/01/08(Wed)22:45 No. 556049 ID: 8f7720
File 138924993309.png - (150.60KB , 700x500 , 19.png )

You do realize I can only do this once per day, right?

The Pathfinder pulls down his hat and unleashes Adorable Kitty Eyes

"Please. I must uphold a promise to a lady, at any cost. I must see that letter delivered. Imprison me if you must! But deliver the letter first!"

Knight: "!!! I... I can't just..."

"Please..."

Knight: "... I will deliver the letter to the king. But I will be back to arrest you... Do not move from this spot."

The knight takes the letter and walks pass the Pathfinder and into the kingdom.

...
Should I...
Should I just run?

wait until you are sure she is gone. then BOOK IT!

>>556033
"She doesn't want to be found, and the king doesn't want her leaving to be public knowledge.
I'm in a terrible position, so I'll explain this clearly: I don't know where she is, and I don't know where she is going. She sent me here to deliver this note, and I'm sure she would be insulted to know you think her so foolish.
If you take me to the king then I'll miss our rendezvous and she'll leaves without me. You'd be responsible for her wandering the countryside unguarded, and we both know how that would end.
If you had me followed or sent somebody else to meet her, she'll spot them and abscond. Same result.
If I meet her without being followed I'll be able to keep an eye on her and keep her safe while she's traveling. I'd also be able to send word to keep the king informed.

Duty to the crown is more than following orders. My apologies."

THEN smokebomb and flee.

>>556049
You made no promise. GO GO GO

>>556049
Oh, fuck it. Just run. Run for all your stupid little legs are worth.

>>556049
Wait until she's out of sight. Then yes, run. Get to the meeting spot, but out of sight from the road. When the princess shows up immediately go up to her and say that you need to hurry. Then we decide what direction to go next.

1/2 The Pathfinder 2014/01/08(Wed)23:07 No. 556063 ID: 8f7720
File 138925127124.png - (93.95KB , 700x500 , 20.png )

And...
She's gone.

The Pathfinder turns and runs as fast as he can. The princess had picked a spot where the two were to meet...
He sprints as fast as his little legs can carry him and spots her down the road.

???: "Ey. I was wonderin when ye'd show up. I got all my stuff packed an'-"

"NO TIME TO TALK LET'S GO."

He pulls her by the arm and together they leave the kingdom.

The Pathfinder 2014/01/08(Wed)23:10 No. 556065 ID: 8f7720
File 138925141223.png - (81.31KB , 800x600 , 21.png )

Once they are a safe distance away from the city The Pathfinder pulls out his map.

Ah ha. It did fill itself up a bit. It seems that more roads are open to us... Let's see... We are by these small woods over here so we can either go Forward, Left, or Right.

???: "Wassat?"

"This, my dear, is the main purpose of my job. A magical map that I must fill out by traveling. You and I will see quite a bit."

???: "Amazing... Never really seen magic stuff 'fore."

let's go north again!

>>556066
North!

And nuzzle into dat fit belly. You owe it to yourself.

>>556065
Go left!

and chat her up. ask what she wants to get out of this journey. you have your map to fill, but what about her?

>>556065
Forward. We're going for distance!

Ask her what prompted her to get out and see the world. Impending arranged marriage? Some stupid edict? King banish her lover?

>>556049
Holy shit, that actually worked?1?

>>556063
>>556065
At this point heading doesn't really matter.
However, east looks slightly better - it gives us more more options and would make us slightly harder to follow.

More importantly though, once we're away from the town we should introduce ourself properly.
So far we've only traded titles.


>Sometimes being part of the world means ̶r̶e̶s̶c̶u̶i̶n̶g kidnapping a princess.

Am I the only one worried that that poor guard is going to have something really bad happen to her now?

>>556093
Oh, boo. I hope not.

Also EEEEEEEEEEE ADORABLE KITTY EYES

...well, we never promised the knight we'd stay put, but we did tell the princess we'd meet her. And we can't exactly throw away our duty at pathfinding.

Our options are to head east or west? From the map, west looks open. Easier to follow. If we go west, we have the forest to lose any pursuit with. And with the map, we're less likely to get lost ourself.

You should ask her name. After all, you won't be able to call her princess in front of other people while she's on the run. (People might assume it's a nickname, but it might also attract unwanted attention).

>>556093
...it's a possibility, but there's not much we could have done to prevent it.

In retrospect, the best approach would have been to have gotten a description of the princess to check her identity, and then dropped off the letter and left (you found that, but not her).

>>556145
>If we go west, we have the forest to lose any pursuit with
Unless I'm missing something, isn't the forest to the east?

>>556147
Whups. You're correct. I accidentally labelled both directions west.

Cue the guard tailing you across the continent, to rescue the princess/reclaim her honour/can't get the Cute Kitty Eyes out of her head.

Uh, guys, we're at the intersection to the SE of the woods, facing east.

head east, the right side of the map is a bit bare

Ask her about her accent

The Pathfinder 2014/01/13(Mon)23:29 No. 557274 ID: 8f7720
File 138968454910.png - (99.46KB , 700x500 , 22.png )

North it is!

>And nuzzle into dat fit belly. You owe it to yourself.

Hahaha. Perhaps another time. Right now we're fleeing from a very scary woman. Though I should mention that a plus side to my short stature is that I can nuzzle all of the bellies.

The Pathfinder and the Princess make their way north. They go up, deeper into a dense forest. Eventually the trail changes from well placed cobblestone to dirt and even that begins to lose it's defined edges the further they go.
Finally, once the Pathfinder is sure that no one is following them any longer, the two of them rest and have lunch.
As they eat the Pathfinder breaks the silence.

"So... What is your real name? I can't simply call you Princess."

???: "'S Ella. An yours?"

"You may simply call me The Pathfinder. It is tradition among my people that our job be our names until we have completed them. To tell you my name would be very bad luck."

Ella: "Pathfinder, eh? 'S fine. Thanks again for takin' me along with ya on your trip. 'S gonna be lotsa fun. Was my pa mad?"

"Uhm... He is probably a bit upset but I'm sure he's happy to know you're alive."

Ella: "That's good."

She digs into her simple meal of cheese and bread. For someone of royalty she doesn't seem to mind their rather simple meal.

"Ella, I hope you don't think I'm rude for asking but where did you get your accent from? It doesn't seem common among the people in the city."

Ella: "Ah, I get it from my sitter. She was a good lady an she took care of me a lot when I was a babe. Pa couldn't watch me with all 'is king duties, ya know? So she was all I had to talk to for a while so I guess I just picked it up."

The Pathfinder checks his map.

Huh... It seems we've entered a large forest. My map shows most of it but there's a giant empty chunk further north. If the place didn't have any major civilization in it it would just fill completely.
That means there are people in here.

>>557274
Ask her if she knows of anyone living in this forest- elves or what?

Is there any concern for food supplies? What about funds to resupply with?

behind the tree behind ella's head!

oh uhh... keep watch of them but don't let them know you know.

The Pathfinder 2014/01/14(Tue)00:13 No. 557283 ID: 8f7720
File 138968719961.png - (96.76KB , 700x500 , 23.png )

>>557275
Funds and food are not much of a concern. I've enough rations to last the two of us until we reach a new village and more than enough gold pieces to fund the entire trip.

"Ella, do you know of any elves in these woods?"

Ella: "Eh? No, I ain't heard of none of their kin 'round these parts. Don't they live down south? The Dark Elves are in the mountains but we ain't nowhere near-"

THUNK

Ella: "BWAH! Wh-what the fu-the heck was that!?"

An arrow sticks out of a tree only a foot from Ella's head. There's a letter attached to it...
The Pathfinder opens the letter and finds something written in runes that neither of them can understand.

Ella: "Ah... I don't think we're welcome in these parts..."

"but i cannot leave it alone, it would leave the map incomplete. so we must press on"

Yell out loud if anyone can write or speak common and translate this. Because seriously guys, can't read this!

>>557285
Alternatively, turn back, go another way, learn how to fight and THEN comeback here.

>>557285
Maybe, but we can definitely leave the bits that shoot at us until last.

>>557283
Lets head back south out of the dense forest, and see if we can spot any guards out on the road. If the coast is clear, lets head west and see what we find.

>>557283
Call out:
"Excuse me sir or ma'am? We can't understand your note! Do you have it in common?"

Clearly, the best option is to appear too stupid to be a threat.

How late in the day is it? It's awfully dark for simply being in a forest.

>>557300
I like this idea, tactical cluelessness is an option that's sure to be entertaining.

>Ah... I don't think we're welcome in these parts...
Hmm. But not that unwelcome, or they would not have aimed for the tree.

It's also regrettably somewhat difficult to heed a warning we cannot read.

>>557305
Unless they sent the note because they're unsure about the Pathfinder's and the Princess' combat prowess. Maybe they looked at the little guy and thought "WIZARD". So they try to go with intimidation rather than directly picking a fight with what might be a powerful spellslinger. If we display stupidity, they might decide we're no threat and skewer us then and there.

The Pathfinder 2014/01/19(Sun)00:03 No. 558350 ID: 8f7720
File 139011861161.png - (107.86KB , 700x500 , 24.png )

>>557300
I did mention the woods were dense, did I not?

"Excuse me sir or ma'am? We can't understand your note! Do you have it in common?"

A figure partially reveals itself. An unusually tall woman with a bow in her hand stares at The Pathfinder and his companion. Even without an arrow in place The Pathfinder feels that she could still take them down before he could twitch.

???: "I apologize. My note simply stated that if you have come here with ill intentions I will kill you."

"Ah."

Well, at least she's honest.

"then we are safe, for our intentions are pure."

>>558350
Oh! Well then everything's fine. Introduce yourself as The Pathfinder, and the princess as uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh your traveling partner, leave out the princess part.

>>558353
oh oh, just call her your 'companion', and that you are 'together'.

can you see her lower body? because for whatever reason I can't help but think she's a centaur, no idea why but that thought is stuck in my head.

Also as for what to say, "I'm simply here to fill out my map, if this is considered ill intent then I'll leave before I can cause any problems"
Might as well keep up the small and innocent act as it's always better to have any enemy (potential or otherwise) underestimate you and give you chances to either get away or turn the tides more towards your favor.

>>558350
"Oh, no. We wouldn't dream of causing trouble; we're simple travelers out seeing the world and meeting its people. I am Pathfinder, and my companion is Ella. Pleased to meet you!"

>>558350
Not really possible ma'am, we're just the pathfinder miss and a traveler that we're helping out.
I mean I guess we might want to party with some elves if they'll have us. Getting drunk with good company is always fun. And our tongue gets us into trouble occasionally, I mean, it is supposed to be made of silver but honestly, I think that tongue is only good for eating fish ma'am.

What's that weird face your making ma'am, it's only natural for a Curi to love getting down and eating some good fish, I mean, really, that's one of the stereotypes we actually don't take offense to.

The Pathfinder 2014/01/19(Sun)01:25 No. 558377 ID: 8f7720
File 139012355807.png - (99.69KB , 700x500 , 25.png )

"I'm simply here to fill out my map, if this is considered ill intent then I'll leave before I can cause any further problems"

???: "It is not, Sir Pathfinder. I was not aware your kind had sent a new one. Someone of your title is always welcome within our lands."

She steps out from behind the tree. Before The Pathfinder can see her he can hear the sound of hooves stepping on rock and grass. The woman reveals herself to be a centaur, which certainly explains her height. She puts her bow away and folds her arms.

???: "I must warn you, Sir Pathfinder, that while my people will not hinder you on your mission you may find the dangers of the forest might be a bit more than you and your..."

"Oh, this is Ella. She's my companion."

???: "I am Selene. As I was saying, I fear that you two may have trouble safely navigating this land. I see you are without weapons... Are you spellcasters?"

"Unfortunately, I am not."

Selene: "Hmm... I cannot in good conscience allow you to wander our land by yourself. Not only for your well being but it would shame my people if The Pathfinder were to perish in our land. If you would have me I could guide you through the land, at least enough to fill your map."

Ella: "Oh man... Are we gonna ride the centaur? I always wanted to try that."

"Ella, don't be rude. you can ask, but just assuming is playing on stereotypes.

so, Selene, may Ella get a lift? i am fine with walking myself."

>>558377
That's a bit of a high honor for strangers Ella, even for a Pathfinder. Then again, I suppose I'm only guessing at that. Maybe they would transport a stranger that's a child on their back, but only if the child's alone out in these dangerous woods.

Write to Ella that maybe we should just call her El because if anyone actually knows your name in these lands near you home it could be bad. I'd say whisper to her but honestly the centaur probably has good hearing. Unless that already is an alias. We know we didn't want to call you Princess earlier and wanted your name, but we should have asked for a fake name a while back. it just came to my mind right now when we introduced ourselves.

>>558377
Facepalm.
"Ella, that's not polite.
Thank you, Selene. Your help is most welcome."

We would gladly accept your offer of assistance.

When was the last time a pathfinder passed through these wood?

(I imagine your people only send out something like one or two pathfinders a generation? That implies the centaurs are either long lived, or keep their history well. And if you've had peers map this area before, why is your map completely blank? Wouldn't it be smart to build on or improve old knowledge rather than start fresh each time?)

>Are we gonna ride the centaur?
Only if our guide decides to indulge us. I imagine she has some say in the matter.

>Ella: "Oh man... Are we gonna ride the centaur? I always wanted to try that."
"That would be up to her and I imagine that she would not extend such privileges without an emergency or the trade of something she believes of equivalent value. You might be insulting her by asking, since that compares her to a horse, so please don't press the matter.
"I am a bard of some skill, perhaps I can repay your kindness with song and story?"

>That would be up to her, I imagine
That's really all we need to say. We shouldn't make any presumptions about it being rude or a special privilege anymore than we should assume it's her place to offer us rides.

ha, fucking called it, centaur

anyways to the guide thing, "if you would be willing we'd be very grateful."

to Ella riding Selene's back, "I don't believe she would allow such a thing, at least since we've only just meet."

>>558377
Ride a centaur like a common pack animal? I highly doubt that is socially acceptable. It seems like it would be something only done in emergencies. She's not wearing a saddle anyway, it wouldn't be very comfortable.

Wait, another one? This has been attempted before, I take it? The other one must have died or something considering that we don't have knowledge of these lands.

The Pathfinder 2014/02/04(Tue)23:14 No. 560936 ID: 8f7720
File 139158444257.png - (123.36KB , 700x500 , 26.png )

>Wait, another one? This has been attempted before, I take it? The other one must have died or something considering that we don't have knowledge of these lands.

As I mentioned before we Curi do this every few years. It helps us keep the maps up to date. Sure some have perished on the job but our maps of this particular part of the land are fairly up to date. However, none of us have ever gotten a full map of any villages or cities here.

"Ella, that's not polite. Thank you, Selene. Your help is most welcome."

Selene: "It is my pleasure. Please, follow me. I will be sure to stay close."

The Pathfinder and Ella stick by the centaur as she leads them through the woods. As she does she points out the different plants and landscapes around them. The forest is brimming with life and a few things seem to dart away as the Pathfinder spots them.
However, as they walk he can't help but notice that there are no other centaur around.

"Selene, are you alone out here?"

Selene: "Hmm? Of course not. My people are all around us and many are at my home. We are not easy to spot unless we desire and I am forbidden from leading you to my home unless there were an emergency. I apologize if this causes you some difficulty."

"It's fine. So tell me, are you a hunter for your people?"

Selene: "A guard. Though I do hunt when needed. People of my rank typically take this position."

"Of your rank?"

Selene: "It is complicated to explain to outsiders. It is similar to the Curi, I suppose. We are given ranks upon our birth and our jobs are restricted based upon that. I am too high to be a simple farmer but not quite enough to be a merchant or ambassador. This job is fine with me. I enjoy testing myself against creatures. In fact... It is my dream to one day hunt the Dark Dragon, Ur-Embra. I will bring it's meat to my people and fashion a bow out of it's horns. It will be glorious."

>>560936
She's forbidden from leading you to her home, so that means we won't be getting it on your map, doesn't it? That would be why your maps never have info of the centaur village, right? Ask if there is some way to get around your map's requirements. If not, I suppose we can just play this by ear.

Ask about the dragon. Does it live near here?

>>560936
Well that sounds like a dream to achieve. Well, want to achieve it while we map our shit? If you're going to do it someday, might as well be in your prime and with a party. We'll imagine we'll pick up a few adventurers along our way, a nice quest with a party ought to fill up our map pretty good.

We'll get rapped up in sidequests, Princess gets to see more of the world and adventure, we get to map a lot of the shit that the adventurers get us into, centaur gets the horns and meat and the adventurers get the some of the hoard, with us taking a bit of a finders fee and mapping fee from the hoard, not to mention some sort of rewards for sidequests we are a large part of.
Win/win for everybody.

does this beast live in the forest as well?

is this dragon nearby or is it far away? Why do you wish to hunt this dragon anyways? Is it because it's a threat to your home and/or people, simple to prove your mantel, or is it for some other reason if you don't mind my asking?

>>560936
Ask what's stopping her from pursuing her dream.

The Pathfinder 2014/02/20(Thu)23:59 No. 563672 ID: 8f7720
File 139296958037.png - (112.26KB , 700x500 , 27.png )

>>560937
Unfortunately without going in the city my map will have a bit of a blind spot. Ah, if only I could just get close to it that would be enough...
We'll see what happens. I may have to use my other Dailies.

"So what is stopping you from pursuing your dream?"

Selene: "A few things. Namely that I am certain fighting the beast will mean my death. Dragons are not to be taken lightly. Even their kin, the Dragonborn, would hesitate to fight one. I could fight Ur-Embra any time I wanted, he is not far away, but it would be foolish. But that is why it's my dream. It's a goal I can work towards. A dream that could be easily achieved wouldn't mean much, would it?"

"No, I suppose not. You and I are similar. We both have tasks that many would find daunting. I would love to help with yours, if I could."

Selene: "Heh. Thank you, Pathfinder. But I think t-!!!"

The centaur gasps and shudders. The Pathfinder can hear a sizzling sound.

"Selene..? Are you okay?"

S: "Pathfinder... I think you and your companion should flee..."

"What's wrong?"

S: "I said flee!"

The Pathfinder can see something creeping down from the tree branches. Blobs of some kind of slime drip down and land on Selene.

>>563672
ACID SLIME! It may be a paralytic!
Cast Neutralize Acid on her back, then levitate her and drag her out of there FAST!

What spells/powers/abilities DO you have, anyway?

>>563672
Looks like a clothes-eating slime to me. I think your centaur guide here is more concerned about you seeing her naked than your personal safety.

So run off and duck behind a tree until she's dealt with it, I suppose. It's not like we can help her fight the thing.

Well, frick; fleeing entirely would, while saving your own skin, be rather cowardly. Unless you ran to get help. However, backing up quickly and trying to get a better grasp of what's going on might be more merited.

If we have no combat abilities (which I suspect), at least one of you two should run shrieking and hollering for help into the woods. She did say "my people are all around us".

oh dear, it seems a slime just landed on her, do you have anything in your arsenal of tricks to help her out with such a thing cause I think it would be in poor form to just leave her... You may also want to look up and make sure the 3 of you aren't under any more of the pesky beast as well because that could make this situation... a bit more hectic.

you could, like, grab a branch or something and whack at it. or give us a list of your Dailies.

she can't reach her back properly, help throw them off!

Back up, and put an arm to hold Ella back as well.

Don't flee, but quickly study the creature in the tree and what's happening. Is it some form of a slime, or is it merely dripping some kind of slime? What's the effect on Selene? Is that stuff just burning through her clothes, or is i harming her as well? What effect does it have on leaves or branches that it's touching?

Then we're going to need a list of dallies. Anything in the way of dealing with hostile creatures, or freeing or healing or buffing allies? Seems like that would be relevant, now.

>If only I could get close enough...
All you need to be allowed in is an emergency. And if that slime stuff is at all corrosive, you may have one on your hands very soon.

The Pathfinder 2014/04/16(Wed)23:51 No. 571156 ID: 8f7720
File 139771746569.png - (139.84KB , 700x500 , 28.png )

>>563673
I can't do any of those! All I have are Cute Kitty Eyes, Find North, and some basic Bard skills! I don't think lute playing will help here!

>>563694
"I'll save you!"

S: "Fool! I said run! I am okay, I simply do not want-OW! Why are you hitting me!"

"I'm trying to get rid of the slime!"

She cries out in pain as the Pathfinder keeps trying to remove the slime. His attacks seem to have no effects. The centaur backs away with each hit, trying to shake the Pathfinder away without removing her hands.

S: "Stop! It's mostly harmless! Just leave before-!"

E: "The ledge!"

Huh?

The Pathfinder 2014/04/17(Thu)00:02 No. 571158 ID: 8f7720
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The duo tumbles down a cliff and land in more dense woods. Tree branches snap and break as they continue falling. They land with a THUD.
The Pathfinder is knocked out...
================================================

When he comes to he sees his guide nearly naked laying beside him.

S: "Sir Pathfinder, you're awake. I'm so glad."

"What happened?"

S: "We fell. We are no longer in my people's territory..."

"Where are we?"

S: "Goblin land. But we are at the fringes of their land. Few venture here. Are you okay? Anything broken?"

The Pathfinder moves about. A bit banged up but he's well enough.

"I'm fine. Yourself?"

S: "I sprained my leg. My potions were in my satchel."

"Hold on, I may have something."

The Pathfinder checks his own bag and finds that all of his potions have shattered.

S: "Pathfinder, you must leave me here. Go around the cliff and back to my people. These are dangerous lands..."

awesome hat powers go! wrap legs around her waist, hold hat above head and use it as a parachute

>>571158
"You misunderstand. It's impossible for me to leave an innocent person in distress.
I'll have to help you walk out of here. There's no other way."

"it is at LEAST partially my fault this happened, i cannot in good conscience fail you again." remove shirt, give to her.

I don't like the way her left arm is hanging, is that dislocated?

>Pathfinder, you must leave me here.
I could not in good conscience abandon you here, especially as it was due to my own recklessness that you took a fall in the first place.

>Go around the cliff and back to my people.
If we are fortunate, Ella will encounter your people, and they will learn what has happened to us.

>The Pathfinder checks his own bag and finds that all of his potions have shattered.
I don't suppose we could wring anything out of the cloth of the bag? It might not be a full does, but being able to partially treat her wounds is better than nothing.

>what do?
Offer her your own shirt (you appear dressed in layers, anyways). We're at a disadvantage if she's forced to sacrifice one arm to maintain her modesty.

Sacrifice more cloth (if it will help) to splint her injury (you're supposed to compress sprains. ...you're also supposed to keep them iced, elevated, and rest, but I doubt we can afford those luxuries).

she's got like three good legs. you make do with two. she'll be fine if you guys travel slowly.

Give the lady your shirt like a gentleman

>>571347
That's like, not how horses work, man.
Besides, she's built like a thoroughbred. A barrel on stilts. Not without aesthetic or athletic appeal, but entirely sans durability.
If she were built more along the lines of a courser, or a goddamn shire, she'd probably not even have a sprain right now.

The Pathfinder 2014/10/16(Thu)16:44 No. 598595 ID: 3e87de
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"I'm afraid I can't possibly leave you here."

>"Sir Pathfinder, I appreciate your chivalry but I am wounded and it begins to grow dark. I will be worse than useless if we were to be attacked."

"I'm afraid I'll have to insist. I don't think I would be able to live with myself if I found that you were attacked and I couldn't help you."

>"Pathfinder... I ask that you reconsider."

"I can't."

>"... Very well. My people will eventually notice I am gone and find my tracks. Perhaps your friend will find them first."

"Exactly. If we both just wait here I'm certain someone will find us."

>"That is partially what I am worried about..."

The Pathfinder removes his tabard and hands it to Selene. She thanks him and puts it over herself. It's small, barely reaching her navel, but it's enough to give her some modesty. After patching herself up a bit she sighs.

>"This is perhaps the worst thing that could happen to me..."

"I'm not terribly familiar with your people but I know that a sprained leg can be bad."

>"It can. And my potions are gone. I need to make sure it heals well or... Pathfinder, will you do me a favor? There is a plant within these woods that would help. I'm afraid I don't know where it is, that is something the lowerbreeds would know, but I recall that it has blue flowers. Or was it that they had purple flowers... Either way, if you could find it and help me wrap it against my wound it would help. I understand if you simply want to wait, however. As I said these woods are dangerous."

>>598595

Well, what are you waiting for? Go find those plants! Make sure to mark down the way you wander, though.

>>598595
Hang on, she was telling you to leave her, now she's saying the woods are dangerous? What was she expecting you to do exactly, after leaving her? But yeah, go get those herbs. We can't just stand around awkwardly forever.

This isn't a ruse to try and get me to leave you alone again, is it?

Assuming she doesn't react to that, agree.

Press for more information on the herb. Does she know what shape the leaves or flowers are? If it grows low to the ground, or high in the trees? If it has a distinctive smell or taste? Why only lowbreeds would be familiar with it. Anything that would help.

1/2 The Pathfinder 2014/10/16(Thu)17:11 No. 598606 ID: 3e87de
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"You are not trying to trick me into just leaving you, are you?"

>"Of course not. In fact if you can not find the plant nearby I think you should return. It is deeper into the enemy territory and farther from my people. I would not even ask you to search for this if not for my condition. I am sure you are formidable in combat but beyond these fringes even I would be wary."

"Then I suppose it's better I didn't wander off anyway."

>"You would have been more safe going the way I wanted you too. The enemy seldom treads there."

"Fair enough. Can you tell me anymore about this plant? I need to know everything I can."

>"Do you have a notebook? Let me use it."

The Pathfinder hands her his book and a stylus. She draws him a quick example of the plant while noting a few features. She says that her information is only what she was able to glean from seeing the thing secondhand. The lowerbreeds, those who farm and work with such plants, would know more about it than her own people.

She wishes him luck on his search and asks again that he not wander too deep into the woods and stay along the fringe.

The Pathfinder 2014/10/16(Thu)17:22 No. 598607 ID: 3e87de
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The Pathfinder follows her wishes to the best of his ability but finds no such flower along the edges of the deep woods. He takes a few steps into the forest, the thick trees obscuring even more light, and continues his search.

Every step he takes he hears the crunch of twigs snapping underfoot. Creatures move about him but seem to pay him no mind. As he gets farther and farther into the woods he decides that his search may be hopeless.

He turns to walk back when his eyes happen upon a glowing blue flower. A quick check in his book shows that it shares the same characteristics as the one the centaur had written down. He picks up the flower and carefully adds it to his pack.

He then hears shuffling around him. His ears pick up the sound of careful movement and slowed breathing. Something is approaching him from both sides.

Act unawares, and move at the last moment so the creatures flanking you crash into each other.

>>598607

Get ready to bolt out of there. Observe the way back and pay attention to things that could hamper your movement: roots, branches, etc.

Keep moving back, and, very calmly, speak up and say you are not hostile, and neither should they be.

>>598607
Ever spoken to goblins before? This could be your chance! Heck, maybe if they give you a tour of their encampment, it'll count for the map.

drop pants, spin around with hands behind head and pelvic thrust in the direction of the sound. will cause enemy to suffer a massive confusion blow.

>>598607
"Can we talk about this?"