ANUNU, BRING THE THUNDER! AHAHAHA!

Please, it's like we're not even trying.

Glory to Black Wind, Dweller in Darkness, The Faceless God, The Whispering Man! I name you, Nyarlathotep!

>>646852
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cjopaze R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn. Ai! Ai!

But if not this then >>646864

>>646890
>>646860
These two seem like the most interesting gods suggested so far, to me.

>>646890
>>646864
best ones

Apollo 2015/06/07(Sun)16:47 No. 646972 ID: 050ebb
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“Phonecia! Goddess of trade and mother of invention! Hear my prayer!”

So you have chosen. Hear my words, child, and let them guide you.

Apollo 2015/06/07(Sun)16:48 No. 646974 ID: 050ebb
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“This is pointless, the town was ransacked weeks ago. We aren’t going to find anything here.”

“We aren’t leaving until we’ve searched everywhere. No beast is so thorough as to slay every last man.”

“But even if they survived the attack, the cold would-”

“Let me have hope.”

Apollo 2015/06/07(Sun)16:49 No. 646976 ID: 050ebb
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“I think I see a survivor. Over there in the square.”

“Could be, or could be another monster. We already lost one man to their ambush, I won’t risk another.”

“You there! I am Sir Callahan, Knight of Vaena. Identify yourself or I will be forced to cut you down where you lay.”

>>646976
Not a monster! Please don't kill me! Cutting down, bad.

Uh, uh, Carol!
Don't stab me!

"Last time I checked I was human, but just to be on the safe side I think I should mention that I've been having some trippy dreams lately. You tell me, am I a monster?"

So geeze, you just stab people hurt too bad to answer?

>>646976
Kale Errendil.

I am but a humble merchant! Come to see my wares?

The name's Frank. Yes, I am a woman. Shut up.

Also, please don't stab me.

>>646991
Do this please.

marlo biggs, saint captain of the Betsy Mario.

Apollo 2015/06/08(Mon)00:24 No. 647029 ID: defceb
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“Name’s Francine, friends call me Frank and pleasedon’tstabmeI’mnotamonster.”

“Isn’t Frank a boys-”

“Shut up.”

All at once my body’s senses crash back into me. A tidal wave of freezing cold washes up from my feet, followed by terrible cramps and excruciating pain. I must’ve made some kind of primal noise, as the two visitors take a step back.

“They look like a cleric.”

“Fitting. It’s a miracle they’re alive. Can you walk? Do you need us to carry you?”

“I’mmjuust a humble merchant, have you come to sssee my wares?” I slur out with a weak lift of my hand. Snow sloughs off in chunks as I move. No, not just snow. I’m buried just as much in ashes.

“...probably Phonecian. I have bad news kid, whatever property you owned around here has been either burned or looted. Do you remember anything about the attack?”

>>647029
i remember rumbling, thick choking smog, and the greasy scent of oil. a churning mass of metal and smoke, tearing through buildings and people alike like some horrible spider god, crafted from polished brass and stinking hellfire.
i remember death.

what happened?

The weather picked up... it was like they used the blizzard as a weapon. I got knocked off my feet. At some point, I couldn't tell whether I was being buried in more snow or ash. It was so hard to see, so dark.

>whatever property you owned around here has been either burned or looted
*mumbling to yourself* Invention. Adversity is the mother of invention, ashes the fuel of creativity.

>what do you remember
...panic. We had time to see it coming. Not that we spent that time well.

Demons came down from the mountain, leaving ashes in their wake... They spoke a name in an alien tongue.

Bears! Er... I think they were bears? They were large, scary, hairy things, at any rate.

Apollo 2015/06/08(Mon)15:45 No. 647185 ID: defceb
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All my goods…? I pinch my nose and scrub the ash off my face. Adversity it the mother of invention, ashes the fuel of creativity. I’ll survive, as I always have.

I stumble up to my feet, despite harsh protest from legs. “A blizzard swept in from nowhere and we panicked. By the time we heard the beast it was already too late. Some churning mass of metal and smoke tore down our walls in a heartbeat. There was fire, ash, many died in the first moments. I don’t remember the rest, I was blown away by the storm.”

“Can you walk?”

“Pardon?”

“Are you feeling well enough to walk or will I need to carry you?”

“What Callahan is trying to say”, the cloaked man speaks up. “Is that we’re part of a mercenary band who’ve been sent to retrieve survivors. If you don’t think you’re about to drop dead, we would very much like to whisk you away to more civilized lands _{and also if you can manage divine magic would like your help as well.}”

“Devlin!” The knight barks.

“What? It’s true, we’ve been without a cleric for weeks now.”

Well our divine specialty is more figuring out how to make anything sell or how to make anything work if we fiddle with it long enough, but I'd be fine with helping you, considering I made it out mostly unscathed.
You said mercenary, right?
What will my cut be?

>also if you can manage divine magic would like your help as well.
Concentrate. See if you can make it glow.

There's really no reason not to try. If you're almost dead and can't stand, it's good to find out now, so they know and get you out of here to save your life. And if you can help, well, this was your home. Why wouldn't you want to help search for and tend to other survivors?

HA, Phonecia may not protect her flock livelihood from disaster but she does always seem to find a way for them to bounce back. I say go with them. I mean we may have nothing but if we can make some contacts with a band of mercenaries we could have a relabel client once we bounce back. I mean solders always need weapons, food, medical supplies, armor, and even basic clothing like shoes and winter clothing for the colder months, and if we can actually hoof it out with them for a while they'll even pay us some coin which we can use to start up our trade once more. Yes I think this could work out very nicely if we play our cards right.

Well, if we're capable of divine magic at our god's behest, making the ashes dance would be a good sign of that.

Wait, it's good to be able to think like a merchant, but are Phoenicia's priestesses supposed to be merchants themselves? What is a priestess' role here?

Apollo 2015/06/09(Tue)02:24 No. 647310 ID: defceb
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Mercenaries. Mercenaries always need supplies. Weapons, food, medical, clothing and armor. If they become reliable clientele I could easily get back to business. Not to mention the pay if I were to lend a hand. I’ve lost everything just to have another opportunity land on my lap. Phonecia may not be protecting me from harm, but I am surely blessed in chances to come back.

“...Yes. Yes I can lend you some of my magic.”

Sure not all priests of Phonecia are merchants, but then again not all merchants are priests. Most adventuring types hire clerics for their healing. Granted, I’ve always had more of a hand for sales and machines than divine magic, but it’s worth a try. I focus on the space in front of me, willing a light to appear or the ashes to dance. Cold wind whips against my outstretched hand during my efforts, numbing my finger tips.

With a sudden jolt, a surge of energy pulses through me, coalescing along my arms and leaping out to… form a jumble of gears and metal wire. My knees buckle and my vision swims for my effort.

The knight and his cloaked friend rush to my side as I collapse. “A novice, of course. C’mon kid, you’re in no condition to stay in this weather.”

Waste not, want not. Gather up what you've made.

Indeed, your first act was primarily directed by your goddess, perhaps she just supplied you with a holy focus or means of communication.

well you have nothing, even if it's junk it's still something, so might as well grab it. Who knows maybe their's more to it then meets the eye and even if their isn't we can always try and sell it later.

Question not the gifts of the gods.

Let your rescuers take you where ever they were planning to get you out of the cold.

Dust 2.0. There should be enough around here to make a fusion generator from scratch!

Apollo 2015/06/16(Tue)00:42 No. 648762 ID: defceb
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I take the gears as a gift and gesture for my saviors to take me away. Many nights pass. The hours blurred past us as we buried the dead and grieved for what we’ve lost. Only a few others survived the assault. Children… orphans, now. Callahan tells me that such children usually end up as mercenaries for the troops that save them.

My magic grows stronger with practice. The ultimate meaning of the gears I’ve conjured still escapes me now. But in tinkering with them I’ve come to have glimpses of understanding. Where pieces are supposed to fit, and what parts still yet need conjuring. My vision expands out even to other materials. In the mercenaries armor I’ve begun to see minor impurities, dents, and scratches that would become breaks in time. With a touch I can command the armor to be repaired.

Callahan has declared the search for survivors over, despite a few anguished outcries, and preparations for the return trip are underway. Roughly two hundred mercenaries are moving around the camp, dismantling to our temporary haven.

“Oy!” Devlin approaches me. “Glad I found you! The scouting party will be heading out shortly, making sure we don’t run into ambushes, traps, that sort of business. We’re a bit short handed after Carne… suffice it to say he’s not with us now. If you’re willing, an extra set of hands could make all the difference.”

Devlin leads the scouting party himself, with a small pack of close-knit soldiers by his side. Should I accept his offer and join them, my growing talents could be a major boon. The camaraderie of the scouts is a rare thing to find, and I doubt I’d go unappreciated among them.

On the flip side, the main party is now full of aimless, scared survivors. They need guidance, spiritual as much physical. Many have turned to desperate prayers for answers, for any sign of hope. Despair hangs over them like a dark cloud, and I’m sure that most would find solace in my presence.

Either choice is valid, but I must choose now.

>>648762
I think you're need more with the main party. While you can fix armor and your eyes are definitely good at seeing fine details I'm not sure how good you'd be in a fight. Plus the solders can handle themselves, these poor souls need you now... plus theirs a chance that they could go into business down the road and if you are on good terms with them you could get good deals while trading.

Thank Devlin for the offer. Were it just yourself, you would gladly join him. But there is great suffering and despair in the main group- people in need of guidance. You're the only priest for leagues these people have to turn to.

Ask them to check in with you later; you'd be happy to consult and help where you can, but right now you've got the remnants of a dead community to heal. It's clearly no accident that you became a priest when and where you did, so chances are you are meant to care for these survivors. Plus, you're not that much of a priest yet and you should create a holy place to develop your talents before you take them into combat.
These mercenaries might do worse than sending future refugees your way as well if/when you're established. It would also be good to help them and keep up a relationship because we may yet be called to wander later after establishing a community.

If we don't go with them, could we bless an object or something that would help the scouts? Give them a little bit of divine favor.

Choose the survivors, we need to start training a non-combat skillset ASAP if we're going to try to diplomance monsters later.

>>648762
Let's stick with the scouts. There'll be too much for us to handle with the town, we need to find them real help.

Apollo 2015/07/09(Thu)23:02 No. 654578 ID: defceb
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I thank Devlin for the offer, but decline. He frowns slightly, then nods and ducks away before I get a chance to explain myself.

I march with the caravan. We don’t get very far before my feet start to ache in protest. The flock of orphans follows behind me. They start pulling on my fingers as they ask their myriad of questions. What happened, why, where are we going, where are our parents?

Callahan marches to my side and shoos them off. His heavy footfalls are accentuated by the chorus of metal he wears. Without his helmet I get a clear view of the scars criss-crossing his face. He glances towards me with a wounded eye. “Sorry about that. It’s just that every expedition, it’s the same questions.”

“They’re lost, and looking for answers. It would be heartless not to answer them.”

“The first time I felt the same way. At this point it’s all just noise. We can sort them out when we find safety, any sooner is a waste of breath.”

“That’s cold.”

“This land is cold. Speaking of safety, if we get back to the capitol-”

“When we get back to the capitol.”

He pauses, looking over his band of mercenaries. “...when we get back, we’re going to need resources. Shelter, food, blankets. Do you have any connections back in the capitol?”

“I’m sure we could sort that out once we find safety. Any sooner and it would be a waste of breath.”

He frowns. I wave my hands in the air.

“Yes, yes, I have connections with the queen! We’re related, and I know all the government’s secrets as a result. Oh, and have I mentioned that she’s secretly an ancient vampire who controls the king through wicked mind magic? I’ll have you know that the entire senate is composed of artificial golems pretending to be people, and the government is really run by an ancient dragon under the castle.”

He balks at the absurdity of my claim. I try to suppress a giggle at his expense, but it bursts out against my wishes. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, but the look on your face was priceless.”

“I’m trying to be serious here. Do you or do you not know anyone in the capitol?”

We do know a golemancer at the royal school for gifted unicorns of magic.

I was a merchant- I have some business connections. Trading partners. Most of my trade was local, but there was some back and forth with the capitol.

And there's always the church, I suppose. I don't know that I hold any special influence there, but the priests might listen to one of their own, even if they too have started to hear so much suffering as noise.

And maybe an old girlfriend *cough*, but I'm not sure what help a thief would be.

I know eleven dwarfs who all pose as the same royal jester.

The head of the hosteller's-and-seamstress's guild is married to my cousin. They're, ah, not the sort of seamstresses who work with actual textiles, for blankets and such, but they do know quite a bit about feeding and housing people and blackmailing politicians.

maybe, I'm good friends with a someone who runs a caravan. During the spring and through the fall they travel around the country side collecting things to sell back at the capital during the winter when trade dries up a little and the roads become blocked by snow. He usually doesn't have anything fancy but does have a wide verity of things for sale. Assuming he hasn't sold everything yet or that nothing happened to him on his travels I could probably fetch you a good price from him and restock on a lot of basic supplies. Be warned though never drink with the guy. That's his favorite method to haggle someone on prices.