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File 142945236992.jpg - (120.47KB , 868x600 , 2015041818070000.jpg )
635280 No. 635280 ID: b9cef6

Author's note: Supposedly, the way to become good at a thing is to do that thing. And, as I wish to gain some drawing ability, I'm going to be drawing. And because I enjoy these interactive story doohickies, I'm going to be drawing one of those.
To put it simply: this is a test.
Expect mediocrity on a never before seen level.
Expect a child-like grasp of storytelling basics and an utter lack of artistic skill.
And, with that disclaimer out of the way, welcome to


RESCUE QUEST.
The princess of The Empire, your proud (but admittedly small and, in the grand scheme of multinational politics, probably insignificant) country has been captured, by Evil Forces Unknown!
The Castle was mostly unharmed in the abduction, but the princess's tower was blown to pieces. This took place in the dead of a stormy night, so details on the attackers are few. All anyone saw is that something huge flew in and landed on her tower, remained there for a few minutes, and she could be heard screaming for help as it flew away and her tower exploded.

This could not have happened at a more inopportune time, as, in thirty days, the Red Moon will rise. And while you weren't told the specifics, you were told that "there are like twenty ancient prophecies about that thing and princesses, and none of them end with the princess not at the wrong end of a sacrificial dagger."

Clearly, with a princess kidnapped, she must be rescued by a valiant team of Heroes, of the most Heroic caliber! Unfortunately, The Empire's greatest team of Heroes, the Four-Pronged League Of Defenders, are in the Holly Kingdom directing a play of their latest exploits. Equally unfortunately, The Empire is in "A bit of an economic situation" and couldn't afford to pay the FPLoD to rescue to princess even if they weren't busy. So, they get you.
Expand all images
>>
No. 635281 ID: b9cef6
File 142945247875.jpg - (70.62KB , 970x600 , 2015041818455500.jpg )
635281

The question is, who are you?
What is your name? What do you look like?
Are you a Knight-In-Training? Wielding your father's shield and an old broken sword you've fixed up and improved with your amateur weaponsmithing skill, you're rather strong, and hard to put down; not because you're particularly hardy or tough, but more because you possess the kind of will, drive and stubbornness that frightens brick walls between you and your goal. You're not experienced in actual battle, but you've been practicing since you were a little kid for adventuring, and you're excited to finally prove to yourself, and to everyone else, that you can be a real adventurer. You have a backpack full of various adventure gear, from chalk to rope to a grappling hook, and your mother's lucky pendant to guide your way.

Are you an Apprentice? You're a mage under apprenticeship, being taught by your (creepy as fuck) Uncle Bertrand. Seriously, you think he might be into you or something. It's fucking weird. But, as possibly pedophilic as he is, he's a decently powerful mage, and he's taught you how to manipulate the six elements: the Classicals of Fire, Water, Earth and Air, alongside the Energetic elements of Order (also thought of as Life, Growth, and Purity) and Chaos (also thought of as Death, Deconstruction, and Defilement.) Spellcrafting is a complex art, and you cast by taking bits of each raw element, thinking of the result you wish to create by using these elements, and then thinking through how those elements react to create the spell. For example, you could cast a spell of Ice by using Water and Order, as Ice is merely Water with tightly packed, Ordered molecules. Alternatively if you just wanted to blow something into dust you could throw a pile of Fire at something with a Fireball spell. In short, as your Uncle always told you, Magic is less about rules and formula, and more about intent, so long as you can adequately explain to yourself why what you intend to happen will happen. As a mere Apprentice, you can only carry a fairly limited amount of elemental energy within yourself, and can replenish it with rest or concentrated focus on a single element. You can also carry an amount of one "Combined" element within you: fragile mixes of basic elements. You have Light right now, a combination of Fire and Order, but can try making new ones with whatever you already know whenever you have time to work and focus on doing so. You carry with you a big stick you found in the woods once, and decorated to look like some kind of staff. You don't actually need it to cast, but it helps you focus, and looks pretty cool. And if push comes to shove you could hit someone with it or something. Luckily you've never been in a situation which might need that. You're actually kinda unsure about this whole "Princess rescuing" thing, and probably wouldn't be doing it if your Uncle hadn't signed you up for it. He says you'll grow up and become a real man or something. Whatever, creep.

Or are you a Thief? You grew up on the streets of The Empire's capital, an orphan and homeless. You're very good at not getting caught, whether that means never being seen or running very fast once you have been seen. Usually the latter. You survived by stealing food and doing small jobs for local criminals, and have honed reflexes and all the skills you might need to survive on your own: you can make some basic helpful concoctions if you have access to the right stuff, you're good with your knife and a decent shot with a crossbow. Less so with a normal bow, but you can manage. You also have a smooth silver tongue, or so you like to think, and know your way around tricky conversation. You wear a thick leather hood and coat, which conceals your short knife, and a small hand-crossbow. You have five bolts, but know how to make more if you have some good wood to work with. You're used to making do with little, and making a lot of what you have. You jumped at the chance to rescue the Princess, not out of any sense of loyalty to The Empire or anything, but just because it pays decently. And you might be able to filch something off the princess before you return her to her folks.

Regardless of who you are, your goal is simple: Find and rescue the princess, before the Red Moon rises in thirty days. Good luck!
Modifications to the histories of these characters I've come up with are, of course, changeable. Feel free to add and remove traits as you see fit. And if you ever have any kind of question about mechanics, the world, or anything like that, feel free to ask. I'll answer, no matter how seemingly irrelevant the question is.
Oh and criticism and advice is very welcome but I assumed that was a given.
I'll try not to throw in any more of these authors notes because they seem very disruptive.

>>
No. 635284 ID: bd8b82

apprentice
>>
No. 635286 ID: 840db8

Let's see, thief dude with a hand crossbow that probably has a range of five feet but is very experienced at running. A melee soldier that is poorly armed, armored and trained. And a mage that can maybe cast a spell and try hitting someone with his stick.

Screw it, the ability to throw ice at ranged distances makes our mage potentially the least useless when fighting the dragon we know we're going up against at some point.
>>
No. 635288 ID: 9297f4

Apprentice. MAGIC MISSILE.
>>
No. 635298 ID: 5db52c

Geeze, if they had like 20 prophecies about something bad happening to the princess, maybe they shouldn't have left her in the princess' tower. It's kind of the first place baddies would look.

>magic is based on intent / our ability to justify bullshit
Oh man, I think we can have some fun with that.

Apprentice!
>>
No. 635312 ID: 696535

Apprentice because wall of text.
But no, in all seriousness he seems the most prepared of the three, and we could really be the best one to mess with.
>>
No. 635327 ID: 296917

>>635281
I want to play as a Thief just for the dickass ending where we steal shit from the person we're rescuing.
>>
No. 635338 ID: de4854

apprentice.
>>
No. 635339 ID: b9cef6
File 142947376142.jpg - (89.37KB , 1001x600 , 2015041916011501.jpg )
635339

You are the Apprentice!
Your energy levels are pretty high, as you haven't yet used much magic today. You like to think of them as little vials of weird liquids, 'cause that's easy to think of. They aren't, though. They're actually some kind of weird energy bullshit flowing through your pressure points and mind or some shit. Whatever. It's a lot easier to mentally keep track of liquid in vials than some kind of hippy dippy swirly nonsense.
You've also received the first part of your payment through the mail: fifty Bucks. Just about everywhere uses the gold coin standard, so you won't need to worry about trading your coinage in different countries. A gold coin with a deer hoof on it is just as good as a gold coin with a beach on it, or whatever that country happens to have on its gold coins.
You carry with you your Apprentice Hat. All magic users are required by law to wear big headwear, typically big pointy things. It wouldn't exactly be fair if you couldn't tell who can do magic at a distance and who can't, would it? I mean, a highwayman could jump out from behind a rock and then get turned to ash without expecting it. Not fair at all. Because you're just an apprentice yours is just a big flumphy brown thing. If you get any better you might put some flair on it. Sequins, maybe.
You also have your Robes. You actually slept in these last night. They're pretty comfy. Warm, too. You don't like how they fold around you making you look kind of like a formless noodle, but what can you do.
And, your Staff! You're rather proud of the little job you did carving lines into it. They don't do anything, but it sure looks like they do. And magic is like half appearances.
No more info dumps, I swear.
>>
No. 635341 ID: b9cef6
File 142947380889.jpg - (82.46KB , 963x600 , 2015041916011500.jpg )
635341

You've just gotten back to town from the Castle. And... It occurs to you you don't really know where you're supposed to go. You're vaguely aware that your country is beset by evil on all sides, but it's all the normal, boring kind of evil like warlords and bandit leaders and stuff. You don't know of any specific groups or people who might kidnap a princess. Or much geography at all, considering that your mental map looks like this.
>>
No. 635342 ID: b9cef6
File 142947384086.jpg - (92.77KB , 963x600 , 2015041916011400.jpg )
635342

Well, there is one you can think of off hand. Pretty much every magic user knows about the Lich Lord far to the north. He's probably the kind of guy who would steal a princess for her life essence or whatever, but you don't actually know. And, you don't know exactly how far away it is, but it's probably not just a short walk away.
There's also the very real possibility of him just winking at you and then you blow up, or something.
>>
No. 635343 ID: b9cef6
File 142947388001.jpg - (95.78KB , 1056x600 , 2015041916005100.jpg )
635343

But, yeah, you should probably think about where you're going before you get there.
You could go back to the castle and inspect what remains of the Princess's tower. There might be a clue?
Or you could go talk to the guards posted last night. Hearing what they say might narrow down who stole her.
It also might be a good idea to buy some supplies, or a map, or something. Chances are, if you want to buy it, the Capital's market has it.
There's also these two buildings with annoyingly bright signs. And that guy over there.
Or you could do something else. It's the Capital, baby! If you can think of it, it's probably here.
>>
No. 635346 ID: de4854

A map would help. But first check out those meat logs.
>>
No. 635364 ID: 57d76a

>>635339
Okay, first off, either ditch the hat and staff or fancy them up. Having everyone know you're an inexperienced magic user does you no good. Except when you're trying to get a job (which I figure you're not going to be doing much of innthe near future) you want people to either over- or underestimate you.

Anyway yeah now is the time for finding more suspects. Talk to the guards, check out the wreckage, see what we can find out.
>>
No. 635373 ID: 5db52c

>A gold coin with a deer hoof on it is just as good as a gold coin with a beach on it, or whatever that country happens to have on its gold coins.
The main problem you run into is if one country's coins are larger, or weigh more, or are purer. If they're more gold, they're worth more.

(If no one else in the world has caught onto this, you can exchange all your money for the world's largest gold coins, melt it down, sell the gold in the country with the world's smallest gold coins, trade those small gold coins for an equal number of larger coins... repeat until rich).

>It wouldn't exactly be fair if you couldn't tell who can do magic at a distance and who can't, would it? I mean, a highwayman could jump out from behind a rock and then get turned to ash without expecting it. Not fair at all.
Doesn't that mean highwaymen are just going to put an arrow through you and rob your corpse instead of just holding you up for money? Announcing you're a dangerous mage means you invite overwhelming preemptive attacks from anyone who needs to deal with you.

>You could go back to the castle and inspect what remains of the Princess's tower. There might be a clue?
>Or you could go talk to the guards posted last night.
There is probably the best starting course of information. Check that stuff out before the trail goes cold.

You can get a map and supplies and stuff once you've narrowed down your suspects from "maybe everyone".
>>
No. 635412 ID: 840db8

We don't ditch the hat, we need to keep it for when trying to impress people with being a mage is a good idea. We should get a better melee weapon than a curly, line-carved stick though. I recommend a metal capped and reinforced straight quarterstaff (your height plus a quarter) and a variety of knives. See if you can trade in your stick for good value with one of those mage guilds, there ought to be another apprentice who appreciates your carving job and is willing to give you some coin for it, and by the time this whole affair is over you're either going to have the budget for a much snazzier magic stick that's actually magic or you'll be dead from being inadequately prepared.

All that said though, we need information fast to even know what direction we're going and what supplies, equipment and even dress-level we want for this thing. We might even decide we want to dress up in a jester costume depending on who has the princess and how we have to go to get to them.

Also, get cheap travel copies of some of those prophecies when you're done if they're not too expensive or hard to get. What if sacrificing the princess saves the world from something much worse than just an asshole killing off one overdressed, professional hostage-chick? What if it turns out that the benefit of the sacrifice is something better than what you'd get paid for her safe return and you get an opportunity to cash in on that?
>>
No. 635782 ID: b9cef6
File 142967546342.jpg - (148.26KB , 744x800 , 2015042200003900.jpg )
635782

>Doesn't that mean highwaymen are just going to put an arrow through you and rob your corpse instead of just holding you up for money?
Yeah! That way, it's fair.
>>
No. 635783 ID: b9cef6
File 142967550159.jpg - (100.17KB , 721x800 , 2015042200003801.jpg )
635783

>Having everyone know you're an inexperienced magic user does you no good.
>Announcing you're a dangerous mage means you invite overwhelming preemptive attacks from anyone who needs to deal with you.
>>
No. 635784 ID: b9cef6
File 142967553632.jpg - (193.69KB , 742x800 , 2015042200003800.jpg )
635784

>Put an arrow through you
Wait. That's... really stupid, actually.
How is forcing magic-users to wear hats helping anyone except the kind of people who can't afford to be surprised by suddenly finding out someone is a magic user? For example, bandits. Or business owners, maybe.
It just means that people can assess you as a threat from a distance, which, if they intended some kind of harm on you anyway, means they're just likely to, uh,
>Put an arrow through you.
Yeah, that.
>>
No. 635785 ID: b9cef6
File 142967559617.jpg - (84.41KB , 1059x600 , 2015042200003702.jpg )
635785

>Ditch the hat
But... But all that aside, you've worn this hat for four years! Its your wizard hat!
Wizards have to have hats, right? It's, just... Wizards have hats!
...right?
Look, kid, you imagine the hat says to you. I've been on your head for four years. It's time to let go.
"But hat!" you say. "You're my hat! I can't just leave you!"
Yes you can, kid. Because if you don't, you'll get shot by any bad guy that sees you before you see them.
And besides, you know I'm like a two buck piece of shit hat. If you really need one you can just get another.

"But it's illegal to be a wizard without wearing a wizard's hat!"
How are they going to know you're a wizard if you aren't wearing a wizard hat, dumbass?
>>
No. 635786 ID: b9cef6
File 142967563224.jpg - (139.89KB , 800x755 , 2015042200003701.jpg )
635786

You/your hat are/is right. It's time to get rid of this thing.
"Be free, hat!"
>>
No. 635787 ID: b9cef6
File 142967568559.jpg - (81.94KB , 919x600 , 2015042200003700.jpg )
635787

Huh.
I suppose it isn't a very aerodynamic object.
>>
No. 635788 ID: b9cef6
File 142967572010.jpg - (94.86KB , 1034x600 , 2015042200003601.jpg )
635788

One Air Spent.
"Be free, hat!"
>>
No. 635789 ID: b9cef6
File 142967578090.jpg - (154.56KB , 642x800 , 2015042200003600.jpg )
635789

Hm. That felt good. And your scalp feels a sensation it hasn't felt for four years - non sweatyness.
You'll have to find a mirror so you can do your hair up, now that you won't be wearing a hat. Or it might look fine now, you don't really know.
>Ditch the staff too
Hey! You made this! It took, like, an hour of effort! You aren't just going to throw it away.
Maybe you could sell it later or something, though.
Onwards to the castle, then! You start walking over. You'll return for meatlogs, and other goods and sundries.
>>
No. 635790 ID: b9cef6
File 142967581437.jpg - (159.91KB , 800x703 , 2015042200003500.jpg )
635790

Day One. Early Noonish.
You arrive at the castle. The Princess's tower is still smoldering.
There's the guards over there. What should you say? Or should you investigate the scene before you speak with them?
Or, you know, something else?
>>
No. 635807 ID: 57d76a

>>635790
Definitely talk to the guards first, if only to obtain permission to inspect the damages.

Either one has a roughly equal chance of being time-sensitive so it doesn't matter too much which you do first I think.
>>
No. 635884 ID: de4854

Ask the guard if they know anything about the incident and if you can go inside the castle. Maybe you can find some clues.
>>
No. 636315 ID: b9cef6
File 142997037368.jpg - (124.66KB , 936x600 , 2015042509571500.jpg )
636315

You walk on up to the guards.
"Hey, uh, I'm the hero that got hired to find the Princess?"
"Oh, hey. Hey, B, wake up!"
The tall one shoves the shorter one. Apparently, he had painted fake eyes onto his lids. The fact that you didn't immediately notice says something as to their quality. He must have practice.
He blinks, snorts, and stands up a little straighter.
"Hn? Whassap?"
"Look in front of you! That Hero kid that got hired to find the Princess is here!"
B snaps a quick salute, before blinking and lowering it.
"Ey, E?"
"Yes?"
"Whas wrong with 'is hair?"
E slaps B over the back of the head.
"You don't just say that in front of him like he's not here!"
You notice as he speaks that E has fairly convincing fake eyes on his lids as well.
"Look, don' you lecture me on who I can an' can't talk about as if they aint there! And, you know that if I see 'em I'm gonna call 'em. And that kid's hair looks like some kind of doofy triangle, man."
"Look, I know that he's, uh,"
E glances at you out of the corner of his eye.
"He's... rocking that triangular doo. But, you know, he's a,"
He does it again.
"He's a hero."
"Mmmmmmhm. So, whatcha want?"
>Ask the guards if they know anything about the incident
You do so.
"Alright, well, we were-"
>>
No. 636316 ID: b9cef6
File 142997046596.jpg - (118.60KB , 950x600 , 2015042509571501.jpg )
636316

E steps forwards, pushing B backwards, gesturing vividly.
"Oh, yes, last night! Oh, it's a tale of tales!
>>
No. 636317 ID: b9cef6
File 142997052730.jpg - (122.25KB , 1008x600 , 2015042509571502.jpg )
636317

"The night was a dark and stormy night, and me and Bernie here were dutifully doing our... duty!
When, suddenly, as I was dutifully doing my dutiful duty, keeping a keen eye out for evil and villainy of all types, I heard this massive wooshing sound! And, I turned to my partner here, only to find that he was sleeping on the job, and-!"
>>
No. 636318 ID: b9cef6
File 142997056274.jpg - (172.97KB , 995x600 , 2015042509571401.jpg )
636318

"Hey, don't go painting yourself as some kind of stand-up valiant guardsman bullshit. What happened was we were both sleeping on the job, and we heard that whooshing sound. And after that, it was kinda hard to hear over the rain, but kind of a rattly sound, and then another woosh, and we both looked up and saw this big thing landed on the castle."
>>
No. 636319 ID: b9cef6
File 142997060616.jpg - (120.38KB , 1005x600 , 2015042509571400.jpg )
636319

E gives B a sharp look.
"...yes. This "big thing," as he put it so elegantly. From what I saw, which wasn't much, but it was some kind of... pointed... flying, ah... thing. It was some kind of thing.
"So, obviously, we're now running through the castle going to capture this... thing, and the whole time as we get closer we keep hearing this rhythmic pulsing sound, kind of like a boiler or furnace being stoked over and over. Sounded like fire in any case. And the closer we get to the Princess's tower, we're hearing sounds of struggle. You know, grunts of exertion, things like that. But by the time we get there, the princess was already dragged out the window and that whatever-it-was was flying away. And we couldn't keep sight of it."
>>
No. 636320 ID: b9cef6
File 142997065889.jpg - (188.99KB , 936x600 , 2015042509571301.jpg )
636320

"All while making that woosh-rattle sound too." B adds. "Thing is, that's not when it exploded. While we were looking out the windows looking for that thing, we saw... I'd say four or five small flying things. I can't be certain, but I know I saw the outline of their big stupid hats, so my guess? Witches.
"So, maybe five witches come in flying from the East, and circle the tower for a second or two, before they split up. About half go West, and half go South. It's when me and Ert here were walking back down, that's when the tower exploded."
>>
No. 636321 ID: b9cef6
File 142997070020.jpg - (155.61KB , 1424x600 , 2015042509571300.jpg )
636321

They say that's all that's notable about the night, and wave you through to investigate the scene. There isn't much of a tower to investigate in, but the field behind the castle is strewn with rubble. If you're going to find anything, you'd find it here.
You immediately note a few things.
First, the rubble is heavily marked with burns and residue from the explosion. Magical explosions don't tend to leave much marking; because the explosion is a construct of energy rather than a reaction of physical components, a magic explosion is a "clean" bomb. It may ignite fires on its own, but stone and mortar, like here, wouldn't show much of anything.
That means the explosion had to have been non-magical in nature.
Second, the place stinks of magic, just a bit. Non-mages can't smell it, but a practiced magic user can detect the scent. It smells roughly like what 'Pale yellow' tastes like. The smell is roughly what you'd expect would linger from a few enchanted items coming and going, but during a cursory walk around, you noted that the smell was stronger in some areas.
>>
No. 636332 ID: 57d76a

>>636321
Is the magic residue consistent with the princess owning a few magic items, and those now lying around in the rubble? Or is there more than that?

Also, can you identify the elements of the magic residue, or just "magix"?
>>
No. 636335 ID: e114bc

>>636321
Could've been from the witches investigating. What's that box in the middle? Also check inside the wardrobe.
>>
No. 636374 ID: 809713

So if the explosion was non-magical, the abductor left a bomb when he grabbed the princess? Or someone magically teleported a conventional explosive inside the tower.

Any hope you can tell what spell was cast, or at least, what kind of magic it was?

It appears we have two leads to follow up on. A group of witches, and an aircraft.
>>
No. 636378 ID: de4854

>the smell was stronger in some areas
What do you notice around those areas? anything of interest?
>>
No. 636436 ID: 0426fe

Is it possible that an active enchantment, or other kind of spell, has been left in the rubble? I suspect that really broad sacrificial-powered spells would anchor to where the princess came from and require that place's destruction as well since people influence, and are influenced by, their environment.
>>
No. 636874 ID: b9cef6
File 143028056773.jpg - (145.26KB , 1158x600 , 2015042900063301.jpg )
636874

>>636332
You suppose the easiest way to explain it is

and bear with me here, this is the easiest-to-understand, most no-nonsense, most simultaneously accurate and respectable explanation there is

It's kind of like farts.

So, say there's a room full of guys. And they all fart at the same time. While you're there in the room, you smell all the farts, and you can kind of vaguely tell that someone in the room had nachos, someone had a lot of broccoli, that kind of thing. You can't tell which, but if you got to get a butt alone, you could tell what they had eaten from their particular farts. But if you came into the room afterwards, all you'd smell is a room full of generic farts for a while until they disperse.
It's kind of like that. With magic items equivalent to butts, and the magic they give off like farts.
So all you can tell just from what's in the air is that enchanted items are here, or were here within around a day.
>>636436
>Could there be an active enchantment on the area?
It's unlikely. A using a spell to permanently enchant an area requires both something that physically represents the spell, and a physical boundary to determine where the spell affects. Usually this is done by making some kind of fancy runic circle and inscribing art of the elements involved with the spell on it.
Theoretically if you just wanted to make an area warm forever you could light a campfire and draw a circle in the dirt around it, but it would require a lot of energy to make something sloppy and rushed like that work.
>Would sacrificing someone require destroying their home as well?
You're no expert on human sacrifice, but you don't think so. You've read about some huge spells taking more energy than the mage trying to cast them has, so they use up something to fuel the spell, like when Archibaldo The Benevolent burnt up a palmfull of rubies so that he could incinerate a town.
He came up with his own name, before you ask.
But when he did that, he didn't need to demolish whatever mine dug up the rubies. And you think sacrifice must be kind of like that.

AN: Feel free to ask any questions about majikz in the questdis. Or if you need me to explain anything again in a more coherent, less semihumerous way.
>>
No. 636875 ID: b9cef6
File 143028061799.jpg - (147.70KB , 800x619 , 2015042900063300.jpg )
636875

You check the little box in the middle of the field first. It actually turns out to be a huge stone brick, with what looks like a gilded knife point-first into the thing.
You give it a quick tug to see if it'll come out and
>>
No. 636877 ID: b9cef6
File 143028079005.jpg - (145.73KB , 927x600 , 2015042900063201.jpg )
636877

Valentine's Dagger.

Blade: Enchanted with Aggression tied to Order: To focus the wielder's anger and rage against their opponent, translating want to harm into ability in the weapon. <!-- A: Couldve just given her some lessons but noooo cant spoil their pretty pwitty pwincess with martial ability that's what magic is for right?// -->
Whole: Mild internal cognition, determining what the most recent wielder fears and therefore views as evil, and guiding the weapon towards it. <!-- A: PPP/P/V couldnt hit even with ^^base on blade. Thing might as well swing itself now. Wasting valuable capacity on guidance; could be used for effectiveness
W: Enchanting over prev. unstable?
A: Seems OK
A: Added name, thing warrants it at this point
W: Changed name to something that doesn't insult the family paying us for this.
A: Changed name back, girls probably so vapid she thinks its a compliment
W: Changed name again.
A: Changed it back
W: S.T.O.P// -->



WOAH that's some strong magic. Really, really strong to give you all this from just a touch. Usually you have to take a while and really examine the thing just to get the intention behind the enchantment, and not just anything gets its own intrinsic name! And, if you're feeling this right, it has an enchantment over a preexisting one? That's so cool! You always just read about how it was safest to just enchant something once, but it seems like whoever did this made a loophole for themselves and that's so cool but
You're gushing, aren't you.
However cool it may be, it seems like you can't just yank it out with strength alone. It almost feels like something's pulling against you getting it out. Besides the stone it's lodged in of course.
>>
No. 636878 ID: b9cef6
File 143028082687.jpg - (187.31KB , 600x914 , 2015042900063200.jpg )
636878

Then, you head over to that cabinet. It looks like one of the handles was pulled straight off; there's a hole in the door where it should be. It's some kind of hardwood on the outside, but the interior is solid metal plates! Iron, probably. Explains how it held together after being blasted out of an exploding tower.
It doesn't have much in it except some balled up, rumpled clothes. And this little box? What's in here?
>>
No. 636879 ID: b9cef6
File 143028086116.jpg - (124.35KB , 1034x600 , 2015042900063100.jpg )
636879

Oh. Nothing exciting then.
There doesn't seem to be anything else in the box besides feminine articles. And some miscellaneous jewelry.
This cabinet was probably meant to be some kind of safe room for the princess, but it looks like what/whoever took her was strong enough to punch through a metal door to get the handle, and presumably, the lock off.

Anything else you want to do here? Or should you walk back to town?
>>
No. 636899 ID: de4854

Take the jewelry while no one's looking.
>>
No. 636902 ID: e114bc

Ask what direction the flying thing went. Also look over the other pieces of rubble.
>>
No. 636915 ID: 0426fe

They're not paying you enough for this gig: Take the jewelry and use it as collateral for a loan from someone you can trust to not just hock the loot themself. Either we'll be dead or we'll have a rescued princess to our credit when we have to face that.

I'm having second thoughts about wanting to do this, although we probably still should. Stopgap measures to deal with being inadequately funded and prepared is probably only the least horrible choice from a menu of bad ones. We may end up with a bill to work off at the end if we play fast and loose enough with property-ownership to get a decent working budget to actually pull off the rescue.

Oh, and any chance we could get some information from that knife on what it last identified as a threat?
>>
No. 636921 ID: 57d76a

>>636915
I think the brick is the last threat, hence why it's pulling itself into it.

Although I suppose it could be something past the brick; try turning it around and see if the knife flies out.

...but first you should tie a string around the crossguard or something, so it doesn't just fly away. Magical tracking device doesn't do us any good if we lose it too.
>>
No. 637004 ID: fe7a48

Take the jewels mah dear wizard fellow...
then go buy a freaking wizard hat that'll up your magical strength (if that's a thing in this quest), mostly because wizards need hats.
>>
No. 637102 ID: b9cef6
File 143042281897.jpg - (77.08KB , 1067x600 , 2015043015354600~2.jpg )
637102

>Take the jewelry.

You steal the princess's jewelry reappropriate some jewels you found in a box in a cabinet in a field.
You're not a bad person, you swear.
You don't even know how these got into your pocket.
>>
No. 637103 ID: b9cef6
File 143042287960.jpg - (117.94KB , 800x616 , 2015043015354501.jpg )
637103

>Ask them where that flying thing went
They already said, they couldn't keep track of it in the night.
>Can we get anything else off the knife?
If you could get at it and have a few hours to study it? Yes. But just lodged in the brick as it is? Nope.
>Try turning it to see if it's trying to get past the brick

Nope.
>>
No. 637104 ID: b9cef6
File 143042298040.jpg - (157.74KB , 800x767 , 2015043015354500.jpg )
637104

Nng. Why is physical violence failing to solve this problem?! rattlerattlerattle
>>
No. 637112 ID: 809713

>It almost feels like something's pulling against you getting it out.
Could it be the enchantment? If something the princess ID-ed as evil is jammed in the brick with the knife, the enchantment would try to pull the blade into it, right? It could be she got one hit it, and there's a bit of the baddie, or his equipment or clothes caught in there.

>If you could get at it and have a few hours to study it? Yes. But just lodged in the brick as it is? Nope.
It's a brick. You could just take it with you.
>>
No. 637114 ID: e114bc

Why not just destroy the brick? Apply some Chaos to it, to break it apart.
>>
No. 637208 ID: 57d76a

>>637112
I still say the enchantment is targeting the brick itself.
>targets based on fear
>princess afraid the brick will hit her
I suppose you could still check if there's something inside though.
>>
No. 637892 ID: b9cef6
File 143065868737.jpg - (163.31KB , 800x730 , 2015050309004701.jpg )
637892

>If something the princess ID-ed as evil is jammed in the brick with the knife, the enchantment would try to pull the blade into it, right?
Proooobably. It did rattle when you shook it, it sounds like there's something in there.
>Take it with you
You suppose you could do that.
>>
No. 637893 ID: b9cef6
File 143065872850.jpg - (168.47KB , 800x777 , 2015050309004400.jpg )
637893

>Smash it with magic
One Chaos spent.
>>
No. 637894 ID: b9cef6
File 143065876568.jpg - (148.66KB , 774x800 , 2015050309104100.jpg )
637894

YEAH! Fuck you, brick!
>>
No. 637895 ID: b9cef6
File 143065879028.jpg - (136.33KB , 799x800 , 2015050309004700.jpg )
637895

Now, where'd that knife get to?
Oh. Is that a skull?
tinktinktink
>>
No. 637896 ID: b9cef6
File 143065884198.jpg - (152.98KB , 799x800 , 2015050309004601.jpg )
637896

That is a skull. And it's got some mystic magic hoodoo bullshit on it. Skulls aren't usually good news for a few reasons. First, it's made of someone who was using that skull. Second, see those little waves near where the ear would be? Waves could mean a lot of stuff, but waves that look like that next to where an ear would be? A representation of Sound, probably. Someone's probably been listening through this. Might be something in the eyes too, for sight.
>>
No. 637897 ID: b9cef6
File 143065887372.jpg - (152.93KB , 799x800 , 2015050309004600.jpg )
637897

Huh, no, doesn't look li
>>
No. 637898 ID: b9cef6
File 143065890941.jpg - (136.26KB , 791x800 , 2015050309004501.jpg )
637898

Small eyes ignite in the skull's eye sockets.
>>
No. 637899 ID: b9cef6
File 143065896538.jpg - (136.87KB , 790x800 , 2015050309004500.jpg )
637899

The skull looks up at you.
>>
No. 637911 ID: 809713

>>637899
Um. 'Sup?
>>
No. 637915 ID: 99d78f

stab the skull with the knife.
if the knife can't break it because of some magic ward shit then...idk throw it then.
>>
No. 637916 ID: 0426fe

We've already been made, say hi. The worst that can happen is it starts being used as a conduit to cast a spell like a curse or a lightning bolt but if I were the folks on the other end I'd want to know who had picked up my listening device and either intimidate or recruit them.
>>
No. 637958 ID: b9cef6
File 143068491297.jpg - (135.00KB , 785x800 , 2015050315254400.jpg )
637958

>It might be a conduit for a spell or something
You don't think that's possible. You typically need to be able to directly see whatever your target is to cast a spell at it.

>"'Sup?"
It looks kind of bemused, so far as you can tell from a pair of eyes.

>I dunno, break it
Yeah, it's probably not a good idea to have a monitoring device on you.
This'll teach you to portray a look of mild interest and amusement with your eyes alone at me, skull.
Heads up, wall, tree, or ground. Whichever this hits first.
>>
No. 637959 ID: b9cef6
File 143068497977.jpg - (151.08KB , 799x800 , 2015050316244900.jpg )
637959

The fuck?! Did a hand just come out of the -Ow, that pinches!- the, you don't know what it's called, the spine-hole?
>>
No. 637960 ID: b9cef6
File 143068502494.jpg - (153.28KB , 675x800 , 2015050316245000.jpg )
637960

Agh it feels all prickly it's climbing all over your back you didn't ask for this it's all poke-y agh what the fuck get it off and Oh, it's stopped? Where is it?
>>
No. 637961 ID: b9cef6
File 143068506022.jpg - (171.40KB , 780x800 , 2015050316244800.jpg )
637961

It jumped into your pocket. Little bastard, that's your money and reappropriated jewelry pocket.
>>
No. 637967 ID: bd8b82

take hand out, open coat, squeeze pocket from inside.
>>
No. 638070 ID: 0426fe

I don't even know: Can you spend some time figuring out what this skull even is so we can do a better job figuring out what to do with it?
>>
No. 638086 ID: 57d76a

I, uh, hmm.

It doesn't seem terribly threatening so far, except the whole "being a skull" thing. Ok, it could be trying to steal your shit, but it could just be agoraphobic.

Determine motives, and if notdangerous/sinister, keep it as a pet. Cause come on. That's awesome.
>>
No. 638312 ID: b9cef6
File 143086307681.jpg - (157.10KB , 800x778 , 2015050517463401.jpg )
638312

>Determine motives
It doesn't exactly respond to interrogation. It... seems to nuzzle itself deeper into your pocket.
Maybe your pocket's just comfy.
>Can we study it to figure out how best to deal with it?
Certainly, but you'd need time. In the past you've typically just put off sleep for a night to fully examine magical objects. It takes about that long.
>Keep it as a pet
So far it hasn't really done anything malicious except being kind of creepy. And, being able to go "Sic'm, Skully!" at someone Would be pretty neat.
You keep it for now.
Maybe you should name him/her/it/skull, if you plan to keep it for any amount of time.

Seeming to have exhausted all stuff to look at around the castle, you throw the dagger into your other pocket and head back to town.
>>
No. 638314 ID: b9cef6
File 143086312364.jpg - (119.17KB , 1107x600 , 2015050517463301.jpg )
638314

Day One, Late Afternoon
You're back in town! And you should probably gear up before you head out on your trip, right?
You can get a map and supplies and stuff once you've narrowed down your suspects from "maybe everyone".
Yeah, that was the plan. You still don't have much to go on except cardinal directions to start walking in, but there can't be too many people bad enough to kidnap princesses around here, right?
>Maps!
You head to... this place.
That sign isn't grammatically correct, is it?
They have World Maps for sale for fifteen Bucks, and more detailed maps of the Northern, Eastern, Southern and Western regions for five Bucks each. They also have some of those little Zaggit combined history/food/attraction guides for major locations to the North, South, etc etc for three Bucks each.
There's a deal where if you buy any two maps, you get a Zaggit for free.
>>
No. 638315 ID: b9cef6
File 143086316913.jpg - (123.99KB , 1055x600 , 2015050517463300.jpg )
638315

>Supplies!
You'll probably have to look all over for this kind of stuff, there wouldn't be a shop catering solely to adventures, would there?
No, of course there is, for some stupid reason. How do they stay in business? Their sign isn't right too.
They have rope at a Buck per twenty five feet, cheap backpacks, knapsacks, bags and other carrying devices for five Bucks, a package of paper, charcoal and chalk for three Bucks, a homemade grappling device for wow seventy Bucks, and probably other miscellany not listed here. Pretty much anything you might need for adventuring is on the shelves here.
It's perhaps worth noting that one of your pockets is full of skull and cash, and the other is half-full with knife.
>>
No. 638316 ID: b9cef6
File 143086321894.jpg - (124.95KB , 1038x600 , 2015050517463200.jpg )
638316

>Getting a Loan with your Jewelry!
What the fuck is wrong with people and apostrophes
You don't personally know if this place is trustworthy, but it seems alright enough. He offers you one hundred Bucks with the Jewelry as collateral.
You say you know that it's worth a whole lot more than that.
He says that it certainly is, but it's his policy to undervalue things for loans, so that if they aren't paid back he isn't stuck trying to sell stolen goods.
He winks.
>>
No. 638317 ID: b9cef6
File 143086326435.jpg - (122.96KB , 921x600 , 2015050517463400.jpg )
638317

>Other things!
You visit a bunch of shops.
A local smith offers to take your staff and make it into a proper quarterstaff overnight for forty-five Bucks. You could get other weaponry here if you wanted, but you don't really know how to use it. You're assuming wielding a quarterstaff means you just carry a big stick and whack people with it.
Alternatively, after inquiring at the Eastern Mage Guild (and getting your ear chewed off about "Those idiotic fancy-acting fruity nutcases over in the Western Guild") you find a student who offers you twenty Bucks for your staff as it is.
You head to the local Bedoua Incorporated Technologies Library to learn a bit about the prophecies involving the Red Moon. They only invented their Automatic Moving Typist machine like thirty years back, but there's already a library in just about every city. Of course, they have to plaster their name on everything they've made. You can see their little B logo somewhere just about anywhere. You heard that a while ago the owner bought some town way out West and turned it into a factory.
But that doesn't really matter much because they won't let you in unless you have a library card. It's only like five Bucks though.
You also might've visited other places not listed here!
Regardless, when you're done shopping, it'll be near sundown. You'll be getting a little peckish, and you'll need to decide whether to just set out at night or stay somewhere in town.
>>
No. 638332 ID: 0426fe

Traveling at night sucks: Either you're stumbling in the dark or you're walking around with a bright light that points you out to everyone that might want to ambush someone.
>>
No. 638456 ID: 57d76a

Alright, first priority: go to the "sighn makers's gild" and throw the book at them. And by "the book", I mean a dictionary and/or a grammar textbook. At their heads. Because seriously.

Oh, right! Priority two: meat logs.

>You're assuming wielding a quarterstaff means you just carry a big stick and whack people with it.

Nnnnnnoooo. How about you just stick to the magics; trying to enter melee with that attitude is liable to get you killed.

Hmm. Any possibility of hiring a merc to help you out, actually? Two heads (and bodies) are better than one, and you definitely have some weaknesses could use addressing.

Okay, so, suspects. I kind of got distracted by the whole "magical stuff in the rubble" thing, but the flying thing the guards described sounded like a plane, maybe rocket-propelled, but possibly jet/propeller and the guards just aren't familiar with the sound. Either case, we're looking for someone with access to a fair bit of tech and manufacturing capabilities. The fact they used a non-magical bomb also goes with that.

And then we've also got the witches. They're a bit anomalous, considering all the rest was done with (presumably) pure tech...
Hold the phone - they aren't allied with the kidnapper, they were chasing him! That's why they split up - they didn't know which way he went, so they were checking multiple possibilities. That means we might have some allies in the witches; on the other hand they might just also want to kidnap the princess and our Pilot X got there first.

So we know which way the witches went, but that doesn't really help much; what we need to know is where the plane went. We should probably ask the guards about that, actually, I think it's worth heading back for that, even if it does make us look like a scatterbrain.

But we should really find out where we're going before we get supplies; it kind of makes a huge difference.
>>
No. 639837 ID: b9cef6
File 143142093909.jpg - (125.56KB , 1040x600 , 2015051204523000.jpg )
639837

>Ask the guards if they know where the kidnappers went again
You'll set out to do that. But first.
>Throw the book at them
You spend five Bucks to get a library card, and check out a dictionary. And a book about the Red Moon while you're there.
>>
No. 639838 ID: b9cef6
File 143142102848.jpg - (123.99KB , 1011x600 , 2015051204522901.jpg )
639838

"Hey! Who did this? Who did this?! You vandals! I'll make you pay for th-wait.

Oh my god."
>>
No. 639839 ID: b9cef6
File 143142113089.jpg - (107.03KB , 1150x600 , 2015051204522900.jpg )
639839

"Thank you, sir! Thank you so much! Surely our signage will have a great increase in quality thanks to the help you've given us today!"
>>
No. 639840 ID: b9cef6
File 143142118690.jpg - (134.42KB , 800x623 , 2015051204523100.jpg )
639840

That wasn't really the message you intended to send. But you'll chalk this ups as a win.
Heroism!
>>
No. 639842 ID: b9cef6
File 143142127161.jpg - (122.79KB , 800x600 , 2015051204523101.jpg )
639842

Day one. Slightly Later Afternoon.
You ask the guards if they saw where the thing went.
"Sorry," says Ert, "but it was very stormy. Dark clouds and wind and rain and such, really hard to keep track of. Didn't really see where it went."
Bernie agrees. He says that the best they can give you for where it went is that the front was facing westwards as it took off from the castle, but that's no guarantee it didn't turn.
>>
No. 639843 ID: b9cef6
File 143142137929.jpg - (157.80KB , 799x800 , 2015051204523102.jpg )
639843

Day One. Near sundown.
>Mercs/Bodyguards
Checking around town, you find more than a few people willing to guard travelers for pay. However, most of them have the kind of price ranges that appeal to rich people who want a platoon of guards for a countryside carriage ride. You manage to find two with better rates.

The first is named Gunther Lam. He wears a long, flowing, but on the edges tattered and ratty, cloak. He claims to be a monk from a temple in mountains to the north, one of the guards and students. From what you can gather, his spiritual order seems to emphasize inner peace, nonaggression, and largeness. He's on some kind of pilgrimage, looking for knowledge valuable to his sect. He says he'll travel with you so long as you keep him fed.
You point out that he has no weaponry.
He says that that doesn't worry him.
>>
No. 639844 ID: b9cef6
File 143142160124.jpg - (154.60KB , 799x800 , 2015051204523200.jpg )
639844

The other calls himself Isaac. He doesn't provide a last name. He wears a fairly fancy looking navy coat, with one of those undershirts that have huge poofy things around the chest. He speaks softly and lightly, but seems very quick on his feet and fast with his rapier, as well as pretty cocky. He gives the impression that he's been doing this for a while, and is fairly good at it. He asks for just two Bucks a day, with ten up front and five upon departing.

It's getting a bit dark. It's fairly safe in the city, but the darker is gets, the more brazen the lowlifes will get.


Also if you want to ask the guards anything else we'll just assume you asked it before you went back to town, so you don't have to spend any more time going back and forth.
>>
No. 639863 ID: 57d76a

>Nose pointing west

Yeah, that's basically no help. We have no way of knowing if that's because it came from the west, or they were planning to head west after takeoff, or even if they were in the middle of a giant U over the castle.

>sign makers grateful
Works for me.

>Mercs
Something fishy about Isaac. He's got the flashy fancy dressed duelist thing going on (which I distrust on principle, nobody with real skill needs to be that flamboyant) but then he's apparently underselling himself? It's just weird.

I'd go with Gunther. His attitude speaks of serious competence (assuming you can get him to actually fight, of course...). The fact you don't really have to pay him is just a nice bonus.

Anyway, seems we still have yet to figure out where we're going... Unless we can get something useful out of skully or the red moon book, I guess head east to try and find where those witches came from. It's not a great plan but it's better than nothing.

I believe we still have some purchases to make, but I'm too tired to do that right now. Maps, rope and knapsack yes.
>>
No. 639875 ID: 79940c

>Heroism!
Improving the world through violence, vandalism, and delivering quest items. Yup, checks all the necessary boxes.

>who pick
Gunther
>>
No. 641248 ID: b9cef6
File 143198060503.jpg - (159.92KB , 800x767 , 2015051816220000.jpg )
641248

You ask Gunther to come with you, and he follows dutifully.
Isaac looks mildly butthurt about it, but quickly goes back to hawking his abilities at anyone looking to buy.
>>
No. 641249 ID: b9cef6
File 143198065457.jpg - (208.65KB , 800x636 , 2015051816215900.jpg )
641249

>Buy some stuff I guess
You buy twenty-five feet of rope, a World Map and a map of the East, and a Zaggit of the East because it's free. You also nab a backpack to hold it all in. Gunther offers to carry it all. This leaves you with 119 Bucks.
But, you also need some more carnal supplies.

>Meat logs.
>We should check out those meat logs
>MEET LOGS
You head back to that Meat Logs guy you saw earlier. He's still here, even though the street is dark. Which is kind of weird, right? But, whatever. Just means you get some meat logs right now, instead of having to wait!

"Hey, kid! Welcome to Oscar's Meat Log cart. You want a meat log? I hook you up with a meat log! Just a Buck a pop. Any where. Any time. All the time! Meat logs. Twenny-Four Seven. And I really do mean Twenny-Fo' Seven, cause you can eat these things for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, even if ya bought it last night! Or last week! Yeah, man! Meat logs! Made of fouuuuuifty per-cent Genuine Meat!tm"

This guy seems to be way, way too enthusiastic about these meat logs.

Gunther quietly asks you if money is a problem. You say that it isn't really.
"I will have twenty of your meat logs, my good man."
After fishing out Gunther's logs from some kind of briny water, Oscar rapidly violates your personal space.
>>
No. 641253 ID: b9cef6
File 143198084394.jpg - (104.46KB , 859x600 , 2015051816215801.jpg )
641253

way too enthusiastic
you can feel his teeth on your cheek
just, like
the flat part of his teeth
"The other sixty percent is pizazz. I don't tell everyone that. But I told you. Because I like you. And I think you'll like my meat logs.
This cart has wheels so that I can move my logs around.
I hope you'll be seeing a lot of me. I'm certain I'll see a lot of you.
Would you like a meat log?"

what the fuck
>>
No. 641254 ID: b9cef6
File 143198089026.jpg - (155.82KB , 800x752 , 2015051816215802.jpg )
641254

You look over to Gunther out of the corner of your eye.
"Theyr pretty ghud! You shud ghet some!"

>"...yeah."
>>
No. 641256 ID: b9cef6
File 143198096790.jpg - (132.24KB , 859x600 , 2015051816215600.jpg )
641256

Do you only want one?



Heeeh. Heeeeh. Heeeeeesh.


is that what his breath sounds like
why is he salivating so hard
that is an unhealthy amount of salivation

>"Two! I'll take two."

He backs off and cheerily hands you two logs. Which you hurriedly stuff in your pocket. As you flee walk away quickly, you ask Gunther if he saw anything strange about that encounter.
He says it looked like the man was passionate about his meatcraft.

You now have 97 Bucks.
>>
No. 641257 ID: b9cef6
File 143198109632.jpg - (183.31KB , 800x698 , 2015051816215700.jpg )
641257

>Traveling at night sucks.
Yeah, you wouldn't be able to see anything, and you'd probably be tripping over monsters and bandits all the time or something. You go ahead and stop at a local tavern/hotel. You know the kind of place, you can eat plenty at night, and they'll give you a room overnight. This place, the Motel VI, seems the nicest for a while around. Must be owned by some woman named Vi.
The place seems fairly nice and calm. A group of rowdy men drinking in the corner, a few tables with people drinking alone or at the bar, a bard singing over in the corner.

Allright stop, Collaborate and listen
I'm back with my brand new invention
Something grabs a hold of me tightly
Flow like a harpoon daily and nightly


And so on. You think bards are kiiind of bullshit. Why should they get magic just because they can sing well? Their magic is kind of shitty compared to real magic like you use, but it's still a crock of shit that they can use magic without having to work much for it.

You get a room for you and Gunther for forty Bucks, which also gets you a couple rounds of free drinks.
You order yourself a cool, frothy, amber mug of milk. Gunther has water.

You sit down at a table and read that book on the Red Moon and study your maps while Gunther eats his logs. He says he's saving most of them for tomorrow. First, the book.
The skull crawls out of your pocket and onto the table to read with you.

This book was published by Bedoua, and has a short "the known facts" section in the front.
The Red Moon is a type of Lunar eclipse, caused by a combination of factors.
The typical lunar eclipse happens once every two and a half years, roughly. This is a typical event, and does nothing other than make the moon look a golden orange-red. Exactly why this happens is currently unknown, but expert Bedouan astronomers are researching this, and an answer is expected within a short amount of time. The current working theory is that it has something to do with the linear alignment of the sun, our planet, and the moon, but this is unconfirmed.

The Red Moon is a phenomena that happens once every two thousand, five hundred years, roughly. Our astronomers theorize that this is much like a typical eclipse, but involves a fourth planetary body. Current observation marks it as an enormous, red, storm-covered planetoid that dwarfs our own. Some theorize that the entire thing may be an enormous storm rotating around the sun, but this is obviously unconfirmed.
The Red Moon is theorized to occur when this planetoid is between our own and the sun, while conditions for a total lunar eclipse are being met locally. This paints the moon as a deep, dark red color, which in turn reflects red light onto us.

While this event is obviously solely a solar coincidence and has no power in its own right, the fact that the last Red Moon took place on the night the Blight that affects the northern lands appeared has given the event a nearly worldwide perception of it leading to death, ruin, destruction, or other kinds of generally bad changes.

After the "facts" section, there are a whole bunch of chapters, all of which have a title that basically means "magic bullshit" or "dumbass superstitions" said in much nicer words.
There are a few common prophecies about the thing. You skim it for ones involving princesses that appear more than once, and actually get two that seem to appear in tons of societies worldwide, even ones that have never contacted one another.
The first is that whoever kills a "Fair maid of noble blood" in full light of the moon will be granted nigh-on eternal life.
The other is that should a princess (It actually uses the word in a lot of these) be slain on the night of the Red Moon, magic as we know it would unravel and cease to exist.
>>
No. 641258 ID: b9cef6
File 143198114925.jpg - (191.99KB , 1171x600 , 2015051723490600~2.jpg )
641258

Now, the maps. World map first.
And you paid 15 Bucks for this? This looks like something you could draw on the back of a napkin. And this isn't even the whole world! Just nearby places! Oh well, it's better than nothing. And you probably don't need one of the whole world anyway.
The map shows the nearest surrounding areas. The landmass on the left looks to be all desert, with large, geometrically straight roads crisscrossing it. It's dotted with large rock formations.
The whole area is owned by Bedoua, apparently. There's a "Geothermal Power Plant" where that square is, whatever that is.
The small island above it looks arctic, or at least snowy. Which... it shouldn't be at that geographic position, should it? That's north, but it's not that far north.
There looks to be some kind of ruins on it.
To the north of "The Selous Empire" (who knew it had a name other than just The Empire?) is a large swath of thick forest, which the road on the coast skirts around. Further north of that is the Blighted Lands, which is kind of in a valley surrounded by those mountains. You think you can see Gunther's monastery labeled on one of the peaks. The Lich's city is somewhere in there.
To the east, the road goes through a bunch of canyons and steppelands and such. Past that it looks kind of tropical around that enormous river coming off of that plateau. Or is it a mesa? You're not a geogrophist, you don't know these things.

Map credit goes to my lovely friend Baz. Long may he reign.
>>
No. 641259 ID: b9cef6
File 143198119458.jpg - (209.63KB , 800x613 , 2015051816220100.jpg )
641259

The map of the east isn't much better, quality-wise. And... is this one just a copy from the larger one? What lazy mapsmanship.
It shows a main road coming in on the left, around those cliffs. There are a few small wrecks dotting the sides, and what looks like some kind of little shantytown in the middle of the place. Further to the right, there's a whole lot of jungle everywhere. Closer to the river it starts looking a lot swampier, though. About equal parts water and land.
Across the river, it looks like a lot of effort has gone into removing the jungle and replacing it with fields. Consulting your Zaggit you got for the area, it says (in more detailed, complex terms) that the entire area is controlled by an oligarchy of witches, which run the place kind of like a mafia. They hire petty criminals to stop anyone they don't want into their turf from getting into said turf, as well as keeping the people that already live there from leaving. They basically make anyone who does live on their turf live to be working for them. Just being able to visit their city on that mesa to deliver the food grown in the fields below (80% of which goes to them, and not to the workers) is some kind of privilege.
>>
No. 641260 ID: b9cef6
File 143198123602.jpg - (235.72KB , 800x787 , 2015051816220001.jpg )
641260

Alright. Everyone got that?
Everyone feel informed?
All of you people feel like you know a little bit about what you're walking in to?
Good.
>>
No. 641261 ID: b9cef6
File 143198126409.jpg - (147.67KB , 800x735 , 2015051816215800.jpg )
641261

"Why did you have one of the Lich's spying devices in your pocket?"
Gunther doesn't say this with any kind of malice, just simple curiosity.
>>
No. 641274 ID: 57d76a

>>641261
Is that what Skully is. Suppose that should have been obvious. So the lich is involved as well, after all...

Okay, so, not counting the Empire, we've got three players here (at least):
*Whoever built the plane; I'm assuming this is not the lich. The only suspect I have for who this is is Bedoua, but only because they're the only faction known to have significant tech. The princess is currently held by them.
*The witches, probably the ones from the eastern plateau (it is a plateau, the difference being mainly in size). Either seeking the princess for their own purposes or just trying to keep her away from the plane people.
*The lich. So far only an observer; may be an ally, another enemy, or just want to know how things end up.

Gunther seems like he has more knowledge of the land in general than us (not that that's hard); perhaps we should share our information with him and see what he makes of it.
>>
No. 641317 ID: 78a595

>Why did you have one of the Lich's spying devices in your pocket?
Because it climbed into my pocket, and it seemed a hassle to get rid of.
>>
No. 641968 ID: b9cef6
File 143226196657.jpg - (145.63KB , 813x600 , 2015052122304900.jpg )
641968

>Gunther: Deduce
You share what you know with Gunther; the princess getting captured, you getting hired as a budget hero, all that.
He thinks for a bit, and chews on another meat log.
>>
No. 641970 ID: b9cef6
File 143226201108.jpg - (128.86KB , 799x800 , 2015052122304801.jpg )
641970

"Well, that fact that you found this skull inside a brick says that the Lich must've planted it there a while ago. That seems like the kind of thing he'd do.
The monastery is the closest thing to the easy path out of or into the Blight, which is also where the Lich has his city. Occasionally he sends groups of these little things out, to go keep track of things. Some of them are bigger, they usually come back with supplies or treaties or trade deals or something like that.
The Lich actually set it up when the place was founded to make sure that he could send as many things out as he wanted. I've never seen him, but he comes around every fifty years or so just make sure whoever's Abbot is still okay with it. Well, he doesn't come around, but some kind of projection of himself comes around. A fake him that's not really there. Some kind of magic thing, probably."

He puts a napkin over the skull.
>>
No. 641971 ID: b9cef6
File 143226205055.jpg - (122.05KB , 800x793 , 2015052122304700.jpg )
641971

"The way the older monks talk, he sounds kind of vain. And tacky. Bright orange suits, showy sparks and stuff. Talks about how great he is. That kind of thing."
>>
No. 641972 ID: b9cef6
File 143226210145.jpg - (117.39KB , 800x791 , 2015052122304800.jpg )
641972

"...but otherwise he seems like a nice guy I guess. From what I've heard."
The skull rolls its eyes.
>>
No. 641973 ID: b9cef6
File 143226212677.jpg - (140.28KB , 1012x600 , 2015052122304901.jpg )
641973

"But, what do I think about all this? I suppose going east is probably a solid move. If those witches came as soon as the princess got stolen, they probably had some way to know, right? So, they probably have an idea of who would want to take her? Right? That makes sense.
Thing is, I don't know a whole lot about the area, but I've heard it's kind of dangerous over to the east. If you're some kind of hero, what do you actually do?"
>>
No. 642068 ID: 57d76a

>>641973
Magics!
Fail to impress him with our mighty magics!

Anyway, so, the lich might not be involved after all. Cool. I see little enough harm in bringy Skully along, then; the lich seems not to be an enemy and might even help us if we tickle him right.

I take it Gunther has no theories about who might have the plane?
>>
No. 642218 ID: e114bc

>>641973
Well considering the lich is not a threat then we can go ahead and say you're a wizard. Light a flame on the tip of your finger to demonstrate, if he goes "but you're not wearing a hat". Also explain that you decided to ditch your hat because you didn't want to broadcast the fact that you're a wizard. So now your magic can be a surprise!

You might want to carry around a weapon of some sort at least for show, come to think of it.
>>
No. 642336 ID: b9cef6
File 143240142787.jpg - (160.18KB , 800x716 , 2015052313043700.jpg )
642336

>Magic!
One Fire used.
Snap!
>>
No. 642337 ID: b9cef6
File 143240147448.jpg - (119.49KB , 926x600 , 2015052313043701.jpg )
642337

"Hm! Useful." Says Gunther. "But isn't there some kind of law about wizards having to wear a big ha-"
You shoot him a glare that clearly communicates your sentiments about the hat law being dumb as shit. That you think being forced to essentially wear a big sandwich board that says "KILL ME FIRST" is a very special kind of dumbassery. You feel that your glare illustrates, both quickly and concisely, that whoever came up with that law probably made it up explicitly to fuck with and/or lower the general population of wizards.
"-aaaaaanevermind."

>Who might have the plane?
"Well, I can't recall ever seeing something like that, but I think it's safe to assume those Bedoua people made it. But, they're a company, aren't they? They don't just make and use their things, they sell them. So anyone who could afford it could have it."

>Carry a weapon for show
You have that dagger. And your staff.

Do you want to do anything else, or should you just head up to your room for the night?
>>
No. 642710 ID: b9cef6
File 143250113309.jpg - (150.89KB , 1372x600 , 2015052416562400.jpg )
642710

"Hey, uh... Kid? You alright?
Just, sitting over there? Thinking, I guess?"
Gunther knocks on the table.
"Hello? Anyone there?"
>>
No. 642711 ID: a19cd5

>>642710
bwuh? Shit, sorry, think I'm about to pass out.
>>
No. 642736 ID: e114bc

I guess go to your room for the night.
>>
No. 643239 ID: b9cef6
File 143260492240.jpg - (140.21KB , 829x600 , 2015052521481400.jpg )
643239

>Go to your room
You do so. You're kind of tired, but you don't need to sleep. You stayed up for four days once! Although you only remember that time as a kind of vague, drowsy haze. But you feel like you could probably stay up for maybe two or three days without any negative effects. Sleeping would restore you, physically and mentally, as well as refilling your mana.
You could also stay up and Research a magic object. This would let you know exactly what was put into it, exactly what it's intended to do, who made it, and, if you so wished, give you the ability to destroy the object, giving you access to the elements used in its creation.
You could also Create new magic elements. You could combine the elements you have in order to create something new, a more complex, or more specific, Combined elements. You currently only have one slot for these, filled with Light (Ordered Fire.)

Whichever you decide to do, you may also Upgrade one stat overnight.
Stronkth: Become physically stronger.
Tuffness: Become able to take a hit or two.
Endurence: Last longer without strain.
Classical Elements: Have greater capacity for Earth, Air, Fire and Water.
Energetic elements: Have greater capacity for Order and Chaos.
Combined Capacity: Add another slot for combined elements.
>>
No. 643241 ID: b9cef6
File 143260495082.jpg - (98.32KB , 821x600 , 2015052521481300.jpg )
643241

Fwump-CREEeeeaaak
It would appear Gunther has chosen to Sleep.
>>
No. 643294 ID: 57d76a

>>643239
Sleep seems good. This is likely the last time you'll have a proper bed for a while; take advantage.
>>
No. 643295 ID: 57d76a

Oh, and indurrants is probably good, you'll be doing a lot of traveling.
>>
No. 643296 ID: e114bc

Sleep would give us little benefit at the moment. No injuries, and barely any magic consumed.

I say gain another slot for Combined elements.
>>
No. 643353 ID: 164c83

We've got a lot of distance to cover and who knows how much time and safety we'll have for sleeping on the way. I'm tempted to suggest upgrading endurance and researching the skull just because we could really use some improvements in spying ability.
>>
No. 643417 ID: e114bc

Oh whoops I didn't read the post right. For the thing to do instead of sleeping: create MOVEMENT element. Air+order. Because air moves around unpredictably, adding order allows the movement to be predictable.
>>
No. 643985 ID: b9cef6
File 143294113494.jpg - (164.30KB , 800x620 , 2015052919090900.jpg )
643985

Your Indurence has raised.
As Gunther sleeps, (rather loudly, the guy seems to have a chest like a cavern, his snores almost seem to have a bit of reverb to them) you sit at the desk in the room, attempting to create new magic. Hopefully by the time morning comes, you'll have something to show for staying up all night.
You're sure you will, though. Magic has always seemed fairly accommodating, as far as figuring it out goes.
>>
No. 643986 ID: b9cef6
File 143294117924.jpg - (106.42KB , 957x600 , 2015052919090800.jpg )
643986

Day One Complete
Evil Plots Found: 1/2
Bad Guys Beaten: 0/2
Heroic Actions Performed: 1
Priceless Items Stolen: 2
Hidden Nazi Gold Found: 0
Cheat Codes Used: 0
Difficulty Modifier: Easy = x.75
Totally points: 1300
Day Grade: D+
See me after class.

Rescue Quest will resume soon. In the meantime, please direct any criticism, concerns, questions and suggestions to the Questdis.
>>
No. 644067 ID: 164c83

Alright teach, what's the remedial homework?
>>
No. 645528 ID: b9cef6
File 143347856273.jpg - (79.84KB , 1061x600 , 2015060500261000.jpg )
645528

>>
No. 645529 ID: b9cef6
File 143347860217.jpg - (128.89KB , 1051x600 , 2015060500261001.jpg )
645529

Day Two. Late Morningish.
After a long night, you and Gunther get up, and after a small complimentary Continental Breakfast, head on your way. You had no trouble getting out of the city, and are now pretty far out into the country. You're not sure exactly how far, but you've both been moving at a pretty steady pace.
It's a beautiful day. It's warm, but not overly so. The countryside is mostly thin grass and sparse trees. You hope this weather keeps up.
>>
No. 645530 ID: b9cef6
File 143347866633.jpg - (160.26KB , 800x763 , 2015060500260900.jpg )
645530

Last night you also managed to make Movement, by using Order to direct Air, forcing it to move in specific directions swiftly. This has replaced Light.
...you're not really sure what that actually means, though. So, should probably try it out to see how it works, y'know?
Okay, so, the element of raw Movement, representative of Motion, Speed, Direction, uh.
>>
No. 645531 ID: b9cef6
File 143347869674.jpg - (175.32KB , 800x783 , 2015060500260801.jpg )
645531

Going To Places? And, uh, Shifting? C'mon, this is supposed to work.
>>
No. 645532 ID: b9cef6
File 143347872590.jpg - (138.22KB , 800x727 , 2015060500260800.jpg )
645532

C'mon, woooooo o o o
>>
No. 645533 ID: b9cef6
File 143347879694.jpg - (115.74KB , 1006x600 , 2015060500260901.jpg )
645533

o o o o a aaAAAAAAHLY SHIT WH-uh?
Did you just teleport?
"Did you just teleport?!" shouts Gunther.
>"I just teleported! That's kind of kickass!"
It's kind of kickass. And it's less like a teleport and more like moving forwards faster than anyone can see, but that's pretty much just as good. And there's probably tons of uses for that besides just moving yourself! Like, you could, uh, throw Movement onto a fireball to make, like, uh, a really fast fireball, or... or, something like that. But there's probably a lot of cool stuff you could use this for! And there'll certainly be time for experimentation later.
And you didn't lose anything testing that out, either. Unlike raw mana, Combined elements don't have a solid numerical count for uses. You can just go ahead and use them whenever, it just takes a bit of concentration and energy. You certainly could've gone further than you did, it would've just tired you out a bit.
In the meantime, you keep walking.
>>
No. 645534 ID: b9cef6
File 143347883146.jpg - (120.62KB , 1018x600 , 2015060500260700.jpg )
645534

Noon.
"Is someone there?! Oh, please help me! Please, I'm hurt, someone, anyone, help!"
Well that doesn't sound good.
Actually it sounds fairly nice. It's a nice smooth woman's voice with good diction, though strained.
But the words she's saying don't sound very good. Sounds like it's coming from behind this wreck.
>>
No. 645536 ID: a19cd5

>>645534
yeah no, that's a trap.
>>
No. 645537 ID: e114bc

>>645533
YES. I knew that element was going to be useful.

>>645534
Well you could put some Air element in the cart to make it lighter. That'll let whoever's under it push the thing off without you having to get closer.
>>
No. 646664 ID: b9cef6
File 143362597988.jpg - (213.25KB , 868x600 , 2015060617211801.jpg )
646664

>What a blatant trap
What, really?
"Oh, please, won't someone help? I thought I heard footsteps! Is there anyone there?!"
Hm. Maybe.
>Make it lighter with air!
You're not sure if you can do that on the fly. That'd be more like enchanting it, which takes a bit.
You can totally push it up with wind, though.
Two Air spent.
>>
No. 646666 ID: b9cef6
File 143362606126.jpg - (96.17KB , 1025x600 , 2015060617211800.jpg )
646666

Hm. That seems like it should be enough to move a wooden carriage.
An additional two Air spent.
Notice: Four Air remaining!

The carriage flips onto its back with a wooden groan and a gust of wind. As it lands, you hear a loud thump from within the carriage, and a more human groan.

"Oh, uh... thank you! So much!" says the woman. "My, uh, my legs! They were caught underneath the carriage, when, uh. Bandits! Bandits attacked, and, ah,"

A deep male voice emanates from within the carriage.
"Ah, damn, Miss, what was that? Hit me head good in here, Miss! I'm fine, though, don't worry, Miss! Ready to pop out when you say the word, Miss."
The woman gives off a nervous, tittering laugh. "Shut up, Mac! Oh, don't mind him, uh, brave heroes! My rescuers! But, my, my legs! They were hurt in the wreck! I don't suppose you could, uh,"
>>
No. 646667 ID: b9cef6
File 143362609050.jpg - (150.48KB , 800x600 , 2015060617211700.jpg )
646667

"I, uh... Yeah. Yeah.
Does it count for anything if I say we probably weren't going to hurt you, just rob you?"

"Does this mean we goofed up, Miss?"
"Shut it, Mac."
>>
No. 646675 ID: e114bc

Alright how about we capture ourselves a couple bandits. Combine water and movement for an extra-powerful spray of water that you can use for ranged support that probably won't kill them. Gunther should be quite capable of subduing them without killing them.

How about before the fight starts, fire a warning shot at her feet? Tell them to surrender.
>>
No. 646677 ID: 57d76a

They're not worth your time. Just leave (with a wary eye on them, of course).
>>
No. 646710 ID: 164c83

What's the bounty on highwaymen (and highwaywomen)? We've got backup to pay, travel to budget for and treasures to get back out of hock when we come back.
>>
No. 646712 ID: 164c83

Alternatively, if the bounty sucks, is nonexistent, or takes too much time and trouble to get for turning these jokers in, what's the legality of just offing 'em right here? I mean seriously, we're probably gonna have to kill someone at some point on this quest, and practice with cold blooded execution now could make the difference between hesitating and dying, or living, later on. It's not like these are productive citizens--the world would be better off with fewer thieves and we have karmic debt to pay off for what we did with the princess' stuff already.
>>
No. 647810 ID: b9cef6
File 143404232545.jpg - (158.97KB , 800x728 , 2015061113020700.jpg )
647810

>What's the legality of just offing them?
Well, murder is illegal, but... well, nobody would ever find out.
>Bounties on bandits?
Well, you don't know, but you're sure that there's probably one in most cities. And you could get to the small city in those cliffs and such by... tomorrow night, maybe? It wouldn't be too far to take them.

>"Alright, lady? We're going to capture you now. For being bandits."
"You and what army?! You two don't even have any weapons, and I've got this knife I stole!"
>>
No. 647811 ID: b9cef6
File 143404236388.jpg - (152.33KB , 800x639 , 2015061113020600.jpg )
647811

"If you think you're going to capture me, you've got another thing coming! Do you even know who I am?! Come and get me! Yeah, come and geWRPFHFHFPHPFGH"
One Water + Movement used.

You and Gunther hogtie her, using a negligible amount of your rope.
>>
No. 647812 ID: b9cef6
File 143404239903.jpg - (130.75KB , 983x600 , 2015061113020601.jpg )
647812

"You can't do this! You can't kidnap me! That's what I do!"
>"It's not kidnapping, it's taking you in for a bounty."
"That's basically kidnapping! You're taking me, and making someone give you ransom to give me to them! Ransoming people off is immoral!"
>"Bounty, not ransom."
"Still money!"
>"Yeah, but legal money."
"Fine! If you insist on KIDNAPPING me and not letting me go, then, MAAAC!"
"Yes, Miss?" says Mac.
"The Word!"
"Yes, Miss."
The doors on the side of the carriage slam open.
>>
No. 647813 ID: b9cef6
File 143404245387.jpg - (145.77KB , 600x1064 , 2015061113020500.jpg )
647813

"Hello! My name is Mac. This is the part where we rob you! Thank you for falling into our trap. I'm sure you're nice people for trying to help Miss, but nice people are easy targets."
"Mac! Just shut up and get them! Why are you repeating those lines anyway?!"
"You said to come out and say that when you said The Word, Miss."
"Maaaaac! Just, hit them or something!"
"Yes, Miss."
wow he is extra large
how did he even squeeze through that door

He's wearing some kind of thick leather tunic, with occasional rigid spots you can see as he moves. Metal pieces imbedded in it, maybe? It definitely looks homemade. So does the mace: It looks less like a military weapon and more like a metal bat with a large, spiked hunk of more metal on the end.
>>
No. 647815 ID: a19cd5

>>647813
man this guys silly and polite, i like him. shame we gotta hurt him.
disturb thr dirt under his feet and have gunther knock that weapon off him.
>>
No. 647835 ID: 57d76a
647835

>>647813
I'm pretty sure his grip is all wrong, too. Should be pretty easy to disarm him. So do that.

>>647810
Aaah, ghost fingers!
>>
No. 647842 ID: e114bc

>>647813
Alright Gunther, you're up. Time to demonstrate your prowess.
>>
No. 647849 ID: ab7529

>"The Word!"
This is why you gag people when you tie them up. He would have never done anything otherwise.

>metal weapon
>metal studs
I'm thinking lighting or electricity is the easiest way to bypass his defenses. Can you do that without cooking him like a turkey?
>>
No. 647913 ID: 164c83

Don't think too two-dimensionally: Use some earth magic to put Mac's legs in a hole. I'm sure Gunther can manage to disarm someone that's tripped, trapped and untrained.
>>
No. 649457 ID: b9cef6
File 143475323776.jpg - (184.06KB , 1005x600 , 2015061619003100.jpg )
649457

>Gunther, you're up.
Gunther walks up to Mac, and places a hand on his arm.
"Do you really want to do this?"
>>
No. 649460 ID: b9cef6
File 143475334163.jpg - (110.40KB , 1045x600 , 2015061619261900.jpg )
649460

"Do we, Miss? I mean, we just wanted to take their stuff and then keep going, right, Miss? And besides, the small one can probably burn me or something, Miss."
>>
No. 649461 ID: b9cef6
File 143475338316.jpg - (120.51KB , 644x800 , 2015061918251001.jpg )
649461

"Y-"
>This is why you gag your prisoners
You clamp your hand over her mouth, to make sure she can't actually spit out an order.
>>
No. 649462 ID: b9cef6
File 143475343663.jpg - (124.26KB , 800x740 , 2015061918250900.jpg )
649462

Agh! She bit your hand! Not hard enough to hurt badly, but the shock makes you release your grip!
"Yes, Mac! Hurt them bad, and then untie me!"
Mac shrugs, and braces himself to swing his massive club-
One Earth used
>>
No. 649463 ID: b9cef6
File 143475347714.jpg - (138.12KB , 891x600 , 2015061918251000.jpg )
649463

And steps forwards, bringing the weight crushing down towards Gunther!
Or, he tried. The fact that his leg was encased in hardened dirt when he tried to step forward for the swing kind of hampered that. He shatters the dirt encasement as he moves, but it's tug combined with his heavy swing knocked him entirely off balance. Gunther takes the opportunity to use his momentum to knock him flat onto his chest, and his mace is flung from his poor grip.
Gunther holds him down while you use five feet of rope to tie him up securely. You also cut a strip of cloth off of the woman's dress and gag her with it.

So, uh... how do you actually get these guys anywhere to turn them in?

"You alright?" Says Gunther.
"Yeah, 'm cool." Says Mac.
"Muph Muh, Mupk!"


Author's Note: An up-to-date inventory and character sheet will be on the Rescue Quest wiki page from now on, for easy track-keeping-of of things like that.
>>
No. 649478 ID: c3a57c

How broken is that wagon, anyway? If they just popped a wheel off to make it look broken we can use that (after thoroughly searching it for weapons and sharp edges they could use to bust out).
>>
No. 649521 ID: e114bc

>>649463
You could repeatedly use Movement on them on the way to town.
>>
No. 650182 ID: b9cef6
File 143501737561.jpg - (93.02KB , 1008x600 , 2015062219204701.jpg )
650182

>How old is that wagon?
Pretty old.
A close inspection seems to say that it's been here a while. The grass is dead where is was lying before you flipped it, and weeds have grown up around where the edges are. Or, were. You only saw the one wheel, which is now under the thing.
>Cast movement on them
The next town to the east is, like, two days away. That seems really, really impractical.
>>
No. 650183 ID: b9cef6
File 143501743121.jpg - (57.92KB , 991x600 , 2015062219203700.jpg )
650183

>Check the interior
Not a lot of light in here.
Doesn't seem like there's anything useful in here. Unless you think mouldy leather cushions are useful. In which case, there's exactly one useful thing in here.
But it's probably not very useful.
>>
No. 650187 ID: c3a57c

How's this for an idea: Mac walks with his hands tied, and Gunther carries the lady under one arm. We tell Mac that since this whole robbery thing was mostly the lady's idea she'll probably get the bigger sentence, and since he's a big guy the guard would probably be interested in recruiting him. If that gets a argument for some reason, it tells us more about who these crooks are and where they come from we can maybe use to come up with a better plan.
>>
No. 651165 ID: b9cef6
File 143543467546.jpg - (136.08KB , 800x600 , 2015062715474200.jpg )
651165

>How 'bout this idea?
Sounds good. You explain your proposition to Mac.
He agrees immediately.
>"What, that's it?"
"Well, yeah." He looks at you like you just asked him if the sky was blue. "You won, so we have to do what you say."
>>
No. 651166 ID: b9cef6
File 143543475378.jpg - (128.04KB , 800x600 , 2015062715474101.jpg )
651166

>"Cool. Glad we understand eachother."
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No. 651172 ID: b9cef6
File 143543525114.jpg - (109.04KB , 1437x600 , 2015062715553100.jpg )
651172

You untie Mac's legs, and Gunther hoists the woman onto his shoulders.
You get walking.
>>
No. 651173 ID: b9cef6
File 143543529766.jpg - (142.74KB , 800x645 , 2015062715474100.jpg )
651173

Late afternoon.
Mac is actually very pleasant company, it turns out! He jokes around, he chats. Apparently he made his armor and weaponry by himself. He knows that they're not very sophisticated, but he's still pretty proud of them. All in all, he's made this trip very entertaining.
Miss, however, is not pleasant company. She spends equal amounts of time attempting to spit obscenities at you through her gag, trying to wriggle out of her bindings, and just generally kind of being upset about all this. Maybe reasonably so, but, y'know. No need to be impotently angry about it.
"So, where are we actually going?" asks Mac.
You show him your map, pointing out the small shantytown marked at the bottom of those canyons.
>>
No. 651174 ID: b9cef6
File 143543533413.jpg - (128.37KB , 800x612 , 2015062715474201.jpg )
651174

"Oh!" he says. "You're taking us back to Swindler's Cove? I doubt that you'll be able to get any money turning us in. I'm sorry about that. But I'm sure everyone will be glad to see Miss again!"
>>
No. 651265 ID: 37adba

Sometimes all you can do is laugh, to avoid crying.
>>
No. 651274 ID: e114bc

>>651174
great.

Ask why they'll be glad to see her.
>>
No. 652289 ID: b9cef6
File 143578602077.jpg - (98.80KB , 1019x600 , 2015070116411300.jpg )
652289

>"Why will they be glad to see her again?"
"Well, because she's supposed to help lead the first offensive against the witches in a few days! Duh. We're gonna finally take our land back! And take their land, too! And their stuff! They have a lot of nice stuff."
>>
No. 652290 ID: b9cef6
File 143578605822.jpg - (101.60KB , 1011x600 , 2015070116411401.jpg )
652290

"And, y'know, it's technically their land, because they own it, but it's totally our land! 'Cause we used to live on it! And, well, I guess we could still be living on it if we wanted, but those witches were being real jerks about it. Like, making us pay food taxes and having to get tickets to visit the town on the mesa and stuff. And making it so that I would have to pay them for a licence to sell blacksmith stuff! That's no fair!"
>>
No. 652291 ID: b9cef6
File 143578610139.jpg - (91.94KB , 991x600 , 2015070116411400.jpg )
652291

"Anyway, Miss said we were just heading away because she needed to pick up some stuff from "anywhere but here" and to not worry about it much and just beat up anyone who tried to keep her from leaving."
>>
No. 652371 ID: 6b0329

I... I don't even know what to make of this besides wondering if we should be actually talking to our tied-up sack of cursing about all this. It's probably a bad idea, but I really wonder.
>>
No. 653198 ID: 742b4a

>>652290
Educate him on why blacksmiths need licenses, and why people charge for tourist attractions.
>>
No. 653214 ID: b9cef6
File 143612733521.jpg - (136.30KB , 818x600 , 2015070516134100.jpg )
653214

>I don't even know what to make of this
He is kind of incomprehensible, isn't he? Or, he just seems to be assuming you already know a whole lot more than you actually do.
>I almost wonder if we should talk to our bag of cursing about this.
Well, should you? You doubt Mac will just flip out and try to gut you if she says the word. And besides, even if he did, his arms are tied up pretty tight. The worst he could do is fall on you.
...which might actually hurt quite a bit, given his stature. But still, low chance of that happening. Probably.
>>
No. 654267 ID: fab78f

ask him to cover his hears before you remove the girl's gag.
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