south!

Take the path less traveled by! Go west! (After all, there are limits to how unknown it will be with roads and all going there.)

>>551355
South.

south for lack of a better reason to go in any other direction.

There are mountains to the north, they could be used to get a rough idea of the surrounding landscape.

So head north.

North. Mountains are good for getting a look around.

>no trail to the west left
Look at you, subverting our default response. :V

Go West. If we prefer staying on trails then North.

1/2 The Pathfinder 2013/12/12(Thu)21:03 No. 551781 ID: 8f7720
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While taking the path less traveled does sound fun I believe that now is a good time to mention that I am really not much of a fighter. The roads of these lands serve two purposes and providing directions is the lesser of the two. You see, these roads have all been enchanted by the Keepers to keep monsters and other foul beasts away from them. So long as I stay on the road I will not be attacked.
Perhaps later, when I feel more confident in my abilities to not be completely destroyed by such threats, I will go off the roads.
The votes between north and south appear to be tied... Let us try for the north then. To the Mountains of Aurin!

The Pathfinder counts his supplies once again. More than enough to ensure that he is well fed for the trip along with some basic medical supplies. Once he is certain he is ready he steps out of the forest and to adventure.

The Pathfinder 2013/12/12(Thu)21:06 No. 551782 ID: 8f7720
File 138691118502.png - (113.12KB , 800x700 , 3.png )

It is a long walk but it's pleasant. Vast plains stretch as far as the eye can see but after two hours of walking he spots a city in the distance. There are no other roads around so he continues onward toward the city.
It is massive. Bigger than any work of architecture he has ever seen in his life. The sheer size of the walls surrounding it baffle him.

What are they trying to keep out?

As he continues down the road he sees a large wooden door with a single guardsman in front of it. The guard appears to ignore the Pathfinder but he can sense that they are keeping a close eye on him.

Hmm... Human? Aelor? Elf? It is hard to tell with that armor.
Do I approach? I have yet to meet a hostile human but... That was only within my own land.

yes, and say "greetings, i wish to enter the town"

>>551782
Well, you don't really need to go inside so just walk up, introduce yourself and ask the guard for some basic information so you can flesh out your map a bit.

The Pathfinder 2013/12/12(Thu)21:45 No. 551788 ID: 8f7720
File 138691351015.png - (148.94KB , 700x500 , 4.png )

The Pathfinder approaches the guard, paying close attention to their body language.

"Greetings! I wish to enter the city."

Guard: "For?"

The guard has a distinctly feminine voice. It is still, however, one that commands absolute obedience.

"I am The Pathfinder of the Curi. It is my mission in life to visit every landmark and fill my map."

He holds out his enchanted map as proof. The knight tilts her head ever so slightly downward then back up.

Guard: "Pathfinder. I do not doubt your intentions. However, I can not grant you entry."

"Why not?"

Guard: "Milord's daughter has been kidnapped and the city is closed. No one may enter or leave other than the Knights of Blade and Cane."

>>551785
Hmm... This is a bit of a problem. I actually need to be within the city and experience the life there a bit for my map to fill out. Just seeing the walls of it is not enough.

>>551788
Who is the culprit?

>>551788
So, the daughter is still within the city walls? In that case, ask how it would be possible for you to become a Knight of Blade and Cane. You wanted to get stronger on this adventure anyway, this could be good training if it's possible.

ask which way is the next closest town

The Pathfinder 2013/12/12(Thu)22:07 No. 551793 ID: 8f7720
File 138691486530.png - (149.12KB , 700x500 , 5.png )

"So, the daughter is still within the city walls?"

Guard: "We... Are not certain."

"Okay. Do you know who the culprit is?"

Guard: "... We are not sure about that either..."

"I see... Perhaps I can help you look for her? We Curi are rather adept at finding what we want."

Guard: "I'm afraid I can't let you in."

>>551792
And give up on this one? I am The Pathfinder. A closed door is only a minor inconvenience for me.

Time to schmooze.
"Miss, while your voice is lovely, your words torment me so. I could be of such help to you, and yet you turn me away. Ask the one who commands you about this."

>>551793
Ask if there's anything you could do for her that might change her mind. Anything at all. If not, maybe ask to speak to her captain?

If you're going to help you'll need a description of the daughter, too.

Hrrm...Maybe if we came back later the gate would be open? It'd have to be a while later, but then we could check out another road on the map!

...I don't suppose there's any way I could assist? (It would get the city opened, after all).

well if there is no way we can enter the city and you are unsure to weather or not the daughter is still in the city, are there any places outside of the city she could be being kept at? we could at least check them out for you seeing as we can no longer enter the city until this crises has been solved.

"If she is still within city limits who better to search out the treachery that has stolen her away than an outsider? If she isn't then her kidnapping won't be affected either way by my visit, will it?
"This closed-door policy seems misguided, but I appreciate you have your duty to fulfill. Who should I petition for entry?"

"It certainly makes sense to close all entrances and exits in the case of a suspected kidnapping. Perhaps I can take a look around the outside of the city and see if anything looks out of place? I could come back and report to you if I see anything."

>>551818
And then we can see not only if there's anything out of place, but also if there are any OTHER entrances to the city, maybe that aren't as well supervised?

The Pathfinder 2013/12/13(Fri)19:12 No. 551880 ID: 8f7720
File 138699073125.png - (161.73KB , 700x500 , 6.png )

"Miss, while your voice is lovely, your words torment me so. I could be of such help to you, and yet you turn me away. Ask the one who commands you about this."

Knight: "I... I really shouldn't. My orders are to allow no one in... Asking would be pointless."

"If she is still within city limits who better to search out the treachery that has stolen her away than an outsider? If she isn't then her kidnapping won't be affected either way by my visit, will it?"

Knight: "That... Is true. Fine, Pathfinder. You may enter. But if I hear that you have been causing trouble..."

"It will not happen."

She stands aside and opens the gate for him.

The best solutions to problems are usually the easiest.

The Pathfinder 2013/12/13(Fri)19:14 No. 551881 ID: 8f7720
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The Pathfinder enters the city. It is not as he had expected... Instead of the noise and busy streets he thought he would see the place is quiet and subdued. Those who do walk around do so with their heads down, eyes looking straight at the ground. There are a few stalls set up around the place for merchants but there are few buyers.

Hmm...
It seems this place has quite a few different races. I had expected it to be a mostly human city but I suppose it -is- in the center of the map.

...
It also has far less energy than I thought it would.

i think everyone is sad because of the missing princess.

hey is that another curi being a shopkeeper? say hi. and ask for some basic directions.

Flirty catboy quest.

So any thought on how you might sniff out the princess anyways? Your outsider pathfinding point you anywhere?

>>551881
Ask the shopkeep why everyone seems so down- is it because of the kidnapping? Also ask for some details on it.

Don't presume that the princess story is accurate, or that it is the whole truth even if it is accurate. Why would all these people care about some overprivileged girl?
Tell me, are you a bard as well as a pathfinder, by chance? A performer at a tavern can take the city's pulse while they fill their purse.

everyone is probably trying to keep there heads down since the guards don't know who took the girl and are looking for anyone acting suspicious. Well might as well ask around to at least get your bearings.

The Pathfinder 2013/12/31(Tue)15:46 No. 554494 ID: 8f7720
File 138853358174.png - (65.67KB , 582x500 , 8.png )

>Flirty catboy quest.
While it is certainly not my intention I will admit my species tend to have a silver tongue.

>Tell me, are you a bard as well as a pathfinder, by chance? A performer at a tavern can take the city's pulse while they fill their purse.

Indeed I am. I'm sure there are others with more talent than I but I'm quite skilled with the lute. However, I am curious about this princess situation...

>The Pathfinder approaches the shopkeep who has finally driven away the elf and undine that were at her table. She smiles as she sees The Pathfinder approach.

???: "Another of my kind, you are a rare sight. What can I do for you, sir?"

"Well, miss, I was wondering if you had any information on what has been going on lately. I heard that the princess was kidnapped and that the city was on lockdown."

???: "That it is, my friend. However word has spread among the people that the princess was not in fact kidnapped but fled willingly. Her father is a strict man and seldom lets her out. The ones who sleep in the streets told me they say her leave the kingdom on foot in a rather poor disguise. That was a bit ago though... Someone as delicate as the princess won't last too long out there in the world. But the foolish king insists that she was kidnapped and word from her kidnappers will come soon. Not only that but the knights under his command are looking for anyone who's even slightly suspicious... I don't know how you got into the city but try and stay low while this is going on."

ask about the surrounding areas.
and which why the street people think the princess went.

Hmm. The princess has already left, and they're searching the town, and holding it on lockdown?

If they're not searching outside the town, and no one in town is allowed out, that means no one who could help her survive outside can get to her. Puts her in a bad spot.

If you were to get outside again, could you track her? Does 'pathfinding' cover finding the path someone took?

huh, well what does she have for sale

As for the princess, it seems no one has any damn idea what's going on and rumors are running rampant, we're going to have to try to find some actual prof of what is actually going on before we make any real plans. Otherwise we'll just be floundering around in the dark hoping to get lucky.

>>554494
Well, if the problem he thinks exists doesn't actually exist, then we're gonna be stuck here a while.

Some options:
-Look for clues to where the Princess went from within the city itself.
-You could go to the king and pretend to be a messenger for the kidnappers, wanting to defect because you didn't want to get into kidnapping. Then you explain to the guards that will no doubt be sent with you that it's bullcrap, use your pathfinding skills to go after the princess, and bring her home so she can tell her dad to his face that he's too strict.
-Hide in town and wait for this all to blow over. Frankly, I don't expect this to work. You look pretty suspicious and the way you got in here to begin with is also pretty suspicious.

The Pathfinder 2013/12/31(Tue)19:09 No. 554527 ID: 8f7720
File 138854578074.png - (137.12KB , 700x500 , 9.png )

There are so many rumors it's heard to separate truth from fantasy. I think a bit of investigation is needed.

"I will definitely keep my head down. Can you tell me where the people are that saw the princess?"

???: "Sure thing, it's down that way. Just keep going down the mains street and take the first alleyway. There are some dwarves and otherfolk and they saw her go down that way."

"Thank you miss, it's been a pleasure."

>The Pathfinder gives her a silver coin and heads off in the direction the female curi pointed. The alley is littered with the homeless, some have fashioned makeshift wooden huts to live in. He asks around for rumors of the princess when finally one dwarf speaks up.

???: "Aye, I saw 'er. Lil lass was wanderin' 'round the place with a cloak bigger than 'er. She went down those tunnels that lead outta the city. Down there..."

>He points over to dark and damp tunnels.

???: "They say she was kidnapped but she looked like she was goin' off willingly nuff..."

thank the dwarf and compliment their beard.

Did you speak with the guards, by any chance?

Be sure to give the dwarf something for their trouble, as well.

...really hope he's not baiting us into a trap, that sounds like a great place for an ambush. Ah well it's not like we have better options

"Willingly enough, so she had at least one companion then?"

Just because she wasn't in chains doesn't mean she left by choice. It's possible someone was holding something over her.

However, we aren't going to get to the bottom of this by asking for rumors. The best way to get information about what happened could be to try to trace her path out of the city.

Or we could try to sit tight and fill in the city on the map.
It depends, what EXACTLY are the goals of a pathfinder? Just to travel and see, or to be a part of the world?

So, DO you have some kind of tracking magic? Or any other magic?

The Pathfinder 2014/01/04(Sat)23:10 No. 555241 ID: 8f7720
File 138890584172.png - (87.21KB , 700x500 , 10.png )

"So was she with someone?"

???: "Nay. Lass was all by 'erself."

> So, DO you have some kind of tracking magic? Or any other magic?

I... I do not. I am not especially adept at magic... The most I have is this map.

>It depends, what EXACTLY are the goals of a pathfinder? Just to travel and see, or to be a part of the world?

To travel, of course. But how we see the world can vary. I can simply walk all around and take part in a few small activities but then what would be the point of even leaving the Forest?
I want to be a part of this world before I return to my home.
And sometimes being part of the world means rescuing a princess.

"Thank you, kind sir."

???: "Aye."

>The Pathfinder pays the dwarf with a silver piece and goes down the tunnel he indicated. He is cautious as he walks, making sure that he does not fall into any obvious traps.
>None are found and he soon makes his way to the other side.

Hmm... No guards here. And the tunnel looks well used. There are woods beyond these walls though. The princess could be anywhere.

I spy with my little eye... a broken branch. She was not careful when she fled. Follow the disturbances in vegetation.

follow the path of broken branches and whatever else may be there, might as well see if we can't find her.

The Pathfinder 2014/01/04(Sat)23:21 No. 555245 ID: 8f7720
File 138890651325.png - (99.31KB , 700x500 , 11.png )

>>555242
>>555243
Ah ha, so there is. Let us see where this leads us, hmm?

>The Pathfinder follows the trail of broken vegetation and tossed up ground. It appears that whoever made these tracks were not very skilled at hiding.

I'm really not that good at tracking but this is too easy. Whoever left these either wanted to be found or simply doesn't know how to hide very well.

>At the end of the path he finds himself in a small camp. There is a tent set up, a fire going, and a woman bathing in a nearby pond.

Well
Didn't expect this.

>>555245
Awww yiss.

Walk behind the tent. Don't peek, then call out.

say hello!

>>555245
Lean up against a tree just within sight of the pond and mention something about looking for the princess and being quite surprised to find such a beauty bathing in a pond like a commoner.

Ask her why she's done this.

...the guards really aren't trying, are they. That or they've been completely forbidden from searching outside the city walls.

Well, I guess, be chill about it. Say hello, while sitting down facing the other way.

get behind something and call out

1/2 The Pathfinder 2014/01/04(Sat)23:47 No. 555252 ID: 8f7720
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>>555249
They really didn't. It took me less than an hour of searching to find the girl.

>>555248
>>555246
I probably shouldn't stare at her. As a princess I'm sure she values her privacy. There are plenty of trees nearby to stand behind. Wouldn't want her to think I was trying to take something from her tent.

>The Pathfinder sneaks behind a tree that is close to the pond. He clears his throat before calling out to her.

"Excuse me, miss? I'm sorry if I'm interrupting you but I was in the middle of looking for a princess when I stumbled upon your camp. I must admit, the last thing I expected to find was a beauty such as yourself bathing out here. Would you perhaps know where the princess is? Or perhaps you are the one I'm looking for."

The Pathfinder 2014/01/04(Sat)23:54 No. 555253 ID: 8f7720
File 138890847625.png - (122.12KB , 700x500 , 13.png )

???: "An what if I am? Ye gonna take me home?"

if you're her, just going to ask why you ran.

I suppose that depends. Do you want to head home? Or are you prepared to survive out here on your own while the guard fruitlessly searches the city over and over?

(Glance over her campsite and supplies as you say this- see if she's really as ill prepared as your contact suggested).

Your options boil down to leaving her here, taking her with you, or taking her back. (And/or sleeping with her). For now though I'm content just to talk, see what happens, draw her out a little.

"nope, i'm a pathfinder, and pathfinders are all about exploring the world. it wouldn't be right for me to make someone else unable to explore it too.
mostly wondering if you wanted to come along. see everything the world has to offer."

>>555255
I would note, for the sake of completeness, that a fourth option would be to aid her in staying where she is, like bringing her some supplies or something.

In any case, I think we ought to find out why she's here before we make any decisions. We could say something to that effect, like, "Well, that depends on why you're out here."

"If you want me to I suppose, but it seems like you've spent a fair bit of effort on getting out here."

>>555253
No reason to. We just want to spend some time in the city to have it revealed on our map. Then we can leave out the secret passage again, and she can come with us if she likes.

Ooooh, wait. They think she's been kidnapped. Is she going to leave a fake ransom note then collect the money and run? We could do that if she's not going to.

We probably shouldn't just ASSUME this lady is the princess.
Can you imagine what would happen if we started abducting random women and dropping them off in front of the king?

That said, it's very likely she is the princess; few others would call going back "home".

She seems to be fairly set up well set up with a nice camp, and she's unlikely to be in any immediate danger this close to the city.
At this point the only concerning things are why she chose to leave, and why no-one has tried to look for her. Dragging her around, telling the guards or pretending we never saw this won't help. We need to ask her what's going on.

Say you're a Pathfinder, and that you're there of your curiosity and mean no harm. Ask her why she chose to run away.

>>555425
Naturally, we can't assume. That's why we preface all these hypotheticals about what we might do with ifs.

The Pathfinder 2014/01/06(Mon)00:03 No. 555449 ID: 8f7720
File 138899541432.png - (114.85KB , 700x500 , 14.png )

"If you want me to I suppose, but it seems like you've spent a fair bit of effort on getting out here."

The girl nods.

???: "Aye. Set up me own camp an all. Pa didn't send you?"

"He did not, I am here on my own accord. I am The Pathfinder and have decided to investigate your disappearance on my own. I mean you no harm, your highness. However, I am curious as to why you decided to run away. You did decide to run away, right? I see no one else here and the tent is only big enough for one."

???: "Aye, I did. An ye don't haveta stay behind that tree. I'm wearin a towel."

The Pathfinder steps out from behind the tree and sees the princess. The girl is soaking wet but the day is warm enough to keep her from getting sick.

"Would you mind telling me why?"

???: "I was bored! I hate bein stuck in that castle all day. My pa doesn't let me do anythin so I... I just left. I got enough supplies to stay out for a while an I'm doin well for myself out here."

"That may be so miss but your father is worried. He has the whole city on lockdown because you left. No one can go in or leave."

???: "Well I ain't goin back. If I do he won't let me out again."

"do you want to join me on my journey then? as the pathfinder i am a traveler by trade"

>>555449
Well if that's true you could always simply threaten to scream him to deafness, weak fathers will always spoil their child, especially kings. Or you could plot to kill him if he does so. You're a princess, you have quite a bit of power. You probably have a whipping girl, so you could cut him yourself and have her... shit I don't know what would happen if a king's daughter threatened the king's life right in front of him.

Be interesting to watch though. It is quite an unpredictable situation.
We aren't advocating this however, thinking outside the box is what we advocate. Unpredictable is what we advocate.

Why, you could even pretend to ransom yourself to your father, probably get a lot of money from the deal with the appropriate people, than out yourself at the last minute about coming up with the whole ransom yourself plan and escape in a hot air balloon as your furious father has to sit and watch because shooting it down would threaten your life.

She'll be found eventually, regardless. By people meaning to make a quick buck themselves or the knights. Or even people who just want to leave the damn city already.

The simplest solution here is just to take the princess back home.
It will help the town, ensure that she is safe, and keep blame away from us. Yes it would be boring for her, but that's not the end of the world.


Unfortunately, I (and I suspect most others here) are suckers for good stories with happy endings, and that wouldn't really count.


So.
First we need to tell someone about this. We can't just leave the town in permanent lockdown, and regardless of how nice he is(n't), the king does have a right to know his daughter is safe.
Unfortunately it's going to be very hard to convince anyone that we aren't making this up, and if show up with proof (say a necklace or something) then we're just framing ourselves as the kidnappers.
We could get a note from the princess, but that could also be taken under duress.

The only way to pull this off is a sealed envelope proof.
We convince the princess to write a letter to her father containing something that is neither interesting to a kidnapper, nor publicly known. For confidentially, it goes in an sealed envelope without us reading it

Then we meet the guards and deliver the letter, claiming to have run into the kidnappers and been given the message to deliver to the king. Point the guards off in "pursuit" to keep them busy, and let one of the remainder take the message to the king.
Run like hell, and be in the next town over by the time anyone figures out what the hell just happened.

Finally If you want to help with the princesses safety? Offer her a trip to see the world. I bet it would less boring than the river bank.


It's over-complicated, risky, and a little ridiculous, but it'll make for a hell of an adventure.

>>555452
>hand over letter from 'kidnappers'
>detained immediately for consorting with kidnappers.
it's all or nothing. ditch the kingdom immediately. or return the princess.

The Pathfinder 2014/01/06(Mon)01:36 No. 555455 ID: 8f7720
File 138900099508.png - (92.33KB , 700x500 , 15.png )

Hmm... All these suggestions seem to be quite dangerous or involve more lies than I am comfortable with.
I think the simplest way may be the best.

"Miss, I understand that your father may be a bit strict and life may seem dull but I think it is best for you to return. I won't force you but I highly suggest it. He is worried about you and maybe he will consider giving you more freedom after seeing what you're willing to do to get it."

The princess sits down on the ground and folds her arm. She pouts and looks away from him

???: "No. I ain't goin nowhere an you can't make me."

>>555454
Sorry, I should clarify.
I meant pretend that you had been ambushed by the kidnappers and forced to deliver the letter.
Give your clothing a few rips and mud, and quickly point back in the direction you came and tell the guards where there were.

>>555455
>I think the simplest way may be the best.
Probably.
Anyway, you have three real options here:
Leave the princess alone, and let the city remain in lockdown.
Tell the guards where the princess is, and have life return to normal.
Do something downright crazy.

I'm a fan of crazy, but I can respect people with common sense too.

take on your journey you crazy cat man. she will be loads of fun. just give her a disguise. besides, adventure can also probably cure her attitude.

>>555467
cut her hair and disguise her as a man
it always works
always

Putting crazy plans aside, the lockdown is doing harm to the city, and it seems sort of wrong for us to be part of that.
If we walk away then fine, but we should at least talk to the girl and tell her what's going on in the city.

Also, we should verify her identity somehow. It's quite unlikely, but I can think of a few nasty things that could happen if we assume too much here.
Maybe we should talk a bit more to one of the guards, see if we could get a description of the princess and whatever information they had put together about her disappearance.
Something about this seems a little off.

>>555455
>dem freckles
Hey, one more thing Pathy McPatherson
Is she a redhead?
Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude

>>555455
"Never even dream of making you. City's just a mess is all."
Seduce princess; Insert yourself into the royal lineage. Then ask if she'd like to ADVENTURE with you.

>>555455
Why don't you just take her with you on your travels? That's not dangerous. She wants to do stuff. All that's required is that she isn't recognized while we're out and about. I presume she has had combat training, as most royalty does.

She'll need to stay out here until you get the castle on your map, though. That'll take a few days I think? Or if she can manage to disguise herself well enough she could follow us around town.

>I ain't goin nowhere an you can't make me.
Right. So sit your ass down right in her campsite and hang out.

You're right, I can't. Or won't. So what will you do now, then?

If she complains about you setting up camp with her- what, are you going to force me to go anywhere?

>>555455
This seems more like an impulsive decision to run than a planned escape. Has she thought about where she's going to go now that she's out? What about eating? Or wild animals? Or bandits? It took until you spoke for her to notice you were there, and quite frankly, you weren't trying to sneak up on her.

>>555479
>"Never even dream of making you. City's just a mess is all."
Agreed - point out that she's not the only person affected by this decision. Maybe we'll get lucky to have found a princess that actually gives a damn about others.

Also, flirt.

The Pathfinder 2014/01/08(Wed)00:51 No. 555803 ID: 8f7720
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>>555473
She is most definitely a redhead.

>She'll need to stay out here until you get the castle on your map, though. That'll take a few days I think?
Actually it wouldn't take too long.

The Pathfinder sits down on the opposite side of her.

"I wouldn't dream of forcing a princess to go anywhere against her will. It's just... Without you the city is a mess."

???: "Ah know but... Ah. Maybe you're right. I jus know pa will put me away again. Maybe... Maybe if ye can convince him that I'm okay out here? I don't wanna be in that kingdom no more. You're the Pathfinder, ain't ya? Maybe I can go along with ya?

"i would bet saying 'i saw your daughter' would result in instant jail time and torture. only you could convince him of that, but i doubt you could right now. you need worldly experience for that." introduce yourself and say "oh, in the hustle never asked anyone what your name was. everyone just said 'the princess' when taking about you."

spontaneously learn how to cast a plant withering spell.

>>555803
Yyyyyeah... if you go back and tell the king that she wants to travel with you, chances are he'll think you kidnapped her and break every bone in your body in slow methodical torture to discover her location.

Does she have some code or something that you could give to her father?

>>555805
wouldn't work, would just think we tortured her for it. which really defeats the purpose of such a thing but i digress.

>Redhead confirmed
DDDDDuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuudddeee

if she doesn't mind
can she tell us where she got the accent?
noble folk typically don't sound like farmers. she adopted? no offense. just curious.

>>555803
I don't know if torture is a forgone conclusion, but he is paranoid as heck and refuses to admit she escaped on her own, which means its likely he will think you are working with the kidnappers and this is a ruse.

However, she could go to the nearby town and stay there for a bit, then send a letter, via courier, to be delivered to the gate guards (who would then deliver it to the king). where she basically states she ran away and won't be returning until he ... I am actually not sure how he can communicate with her in return except making embarrassing public announcements.

We have a magic map, maybe there is some sort of magic communication device somewhere she can use to contact him safely from afar?

>>555821
Magic email?

There is a slightly risky way to deal with this:
Instead of appealing to the king, you could convince the public (and hopefully guards) that she left of her own free will.

You two could go back into town and have her tell some people that she's going of her own free will. Plenty of people already believe she left of her own will, so a public appearance would surely be believed. It would probably be enough to end the lockdown too if the guards are sympathetic.
The king himself might not like it, but if you left town afterward there's not much he could do about it.
The only catch is getting back to the tunnel. If things go badly it would be quite a sprint.

As for her traveling with you: It would be much safer for her than staying on her own, and despite her title she seems fairly competent so I doubt she'll be a handicap. Of course are hundreds of potential issues, but it definitely wouldn't be boring.

no offence lady but your old man locked up the city claiming kidnappers took you and are holding you somewhere within the city simply because you wanted to go on a camping trip, not to sure what he'd do if I just showed up and said "I saw your daughter but decided to leave her in the woods"

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
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>>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?"