Gem 2016/01/05(Tue)19:10 No. 691924 ID: 397dd3
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Thorn tucks his needle and thread into the folds of his robe before gingerly turning the amulet oer in his normally-fumbling hands, a slight pout across his face as he inspects the intricacies of what initially appeared to be a simple single-jeweled pendant. His fingers pass long ancient runes etched into the golden rim surrounding a smooth gem, its color ever-changing in the flickering firelight.

I have to give him some credit. Even though he might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, he really is nothing to laugh at in terms of his art.

Minutes pass soundlessly, the crackle of the fire filling the gap in conversation, and I turn my attention back to not burning our meal (though, by the size of the rabbits, there’s really not much to burn), before Thorn jolts me out of my reverie.

“Hyacinth?” His voice is quiet and hesitant; he’s looking up at me, sheepish and--honestly--a bit pitiful.

“Yeah?”

He looks down again and scuffs his shoe absentmindedly in the dirt, sending a small spray of dust to the side of the fire. “Um...are you mad at me?”

>“Um...are you mad at me?
*shrug* Nah. Not really.

Running from an angry mob is kind of a pain, but they kind of deserved what they got if their response to "that's really dangerous" was "prove it".

A little, but not much. shit happens.

Not really. Kind of used to you screwing things up. Birds fly, grass grows, you screw up. It's part of nature. Can't get angry at nature.

I'm not mad, just disappointed Yes.

How did the explosion even happen?

not mad, annoyed. But then again I'm always annoyed so don't dwell on it. If i was mad at you you'd know, I'm not much for that passive aggressive bullshit.

But if they're not mad, how can they have angry make-up sex?

.........no. but u gotta understand that this kind of thing gets exhausting, you know?

Gem 2016/01/08(Fri)19:46 No. 692321 ID: 397dd3
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I pause before answering. Despite the chaos that the last few hours have been, I honestly can’t say I’m mad at Thorn. Sure, a typical person might be pissed that his actions got us ungracefully run out of yet another town, but I’ve never really been one for towns to begin with--in fact, I spent more than half of my life in isolation, so any sort of town scenario isn’t really normal for me. At this point, weekly village destruction seems to be the status quo.

“Look,” I finally reply after what feels like an uncomfortably long silence. “I’m not angry--” his ears perk up a bit-- “but I can’t say that I’m not a little tired of this.” He slouches back down in guilt. “It’s, it’s just exhausting, yeah?” I stop for a moment, attempting to formulate my thoughts in a way that makes sense outside of my own head. “We go from town to town, usually not peacefully, and I don’t feel like you’re making much headway in finding...whatever you’re looking for.”

Thorn doesn’t reply, his shoe now tracing a small circle in the dirt. So fidgety. I think it would kill him if he sat totally still.

Gem 2016/01/08(Fri)19:47 No. 692322 ID: 397dd3
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“I, um, I might have another lead,” he finally responds, not lifting his gaze from the ground. “It’s a long shot, but a long time ago my family had some kind of involvement with the Royal Family...some of their belongings ended up being stored in the Archive, and I might be able to find what I’m looking for there. Or, at least, find out what happened to it…”

Thorn trails off, the eager enthusiasm that I’ve grown accustomed to these past few months absent from his voice. It’s hard to tell if something is wrong or if he’s finally just formed an awareness for the fact that you shouldn’t shout in a forest, especially after being pursued through it.

“Hyacinth, if…” he starts again but still doesn’t lift his head, “if you don’t want to come with me anymore, that’s ok. I know I’m not the easiest traveling companion…” He sets the amulet down on his tattered robes and wrings his hands together, searching for the right words. “If...if you want to…”

What he wants to say is “if you want to go home,” but we both know I don’t have that anymore.

>>692322
>“if you don’t want to come with me anymore, that’s ok. I know I’m not the easiest traveling companion…” [...] “If...if you want to…”
I'm not leaving you in the lurch, Thorn.

If I didn't want to travel with you anymore I would have abandoned your ass long ago. Trust me, if I was angry you'd know. Beside I have nothing better to do so I can tag along. It may not be easy to travel with you at time but it is interesting.

"Might as well. I got no plans. Still better than nothing I guess"

Ehh, keep following him. You want to see him succeed, and you have to be by him for that.

Dodge the uncomfortable subject as if it never appeared. "If I want to see how you manage to accidentally burn down the Royal Archive, I'd better keep up the good work until we get there. And I will."

>>692393
oh my god

Keep going, he may be a fool at times, but he maybe he just needs a little direction. Besides, if Thorn didn't trust you and need your help probably would have just told you he was going on alone. The question is, do you think YOU can trust him as a companion?

"And leave you unsupervised? Thanks, but I'd like the world to still be in place tomorrow."

Say it in a forced, whimsical manner.

>>697546
yeah let's say this

Gem 2016/02/09(Tue)18:31 No. 700605 ID: 397dd3
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I quietly listen to his nervous stuttering, his offer to travel alone, watching his hands fiddle anxiously with the chain of the pendant as he waits for my reaction, his legs crunched up to the edge of his bedroll.

Not once has leaving him ever really crossed my mind. Maybe it’s because it’s free entertainment, maybe it’s knowing that Thorn wouldn’t have lasted three days let alone three months without my knowledge and guidance...maybe it’s because at this point, I really don’t have any other place to go. He’s a charismatic enough guy, for sure, but he probably would have taken one step into a forest and fallen into a ravine, with his luck.

As much as I know, the Royal Archive is housed in the capital, about a week journey from where we are now. Imagining Thorn on his own in a huge city like that...I shudder involuntarily at the thought. Not that me being there would totally prevent any disaster, but at least I’d be able to usher us from certain demise.

Gem 2016/02/09(Tue)18:32 No. 700607 ID: 397dd3
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“And leave you unsupervised? Thanks, but I'd like the world to still be in place tomorrow.” At this, he immediately relaxes, laughing mostly out of embarrassment, but a little out of relief as well--while he was offering solo travel out of kindness, he knows as well as I do his chances of success alone. “Plus,” I feel an uncomfortable, almost wolf-like grin spread across my face, “if I want to see how you manage to accidentally burn down the Royal Archive, I’d better keep up the good work until we get there. And I will.”

Thorn continues laughing, not entirely sure if I’m joking or not. I’m not too sure myself, to be honest.

>>700607
now kees

>>700607
Did that thing glow before?

Look at the ring, it's glowing.

HUG HUG HUG HUG HUG HUG HUwait is that thing glowing?

>not entirely sure if I’m joking or not. I’m not too sure myself, to be honest.
It's best not to question such motives too closely, and just take credit later when one turns out to apparently correct.

>Did that thing glow before?
Laughter triggered illumination?

>>700607
Me thinks the reason you don't leave the big doofus is because you've grown attached to him. He's basically become your little bigger brother.

Wait, why is his thing glowing?

>>700607
>magic shit glowing
TAKE COVER!

>>700673
yyyyeah let's. drop the ring and take a few steps back, at least. we have no idea what it does.

Gem 2016/03/13(Sun)15:52 No. 708936 ID: 397dd3
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It takes a moment for me to realize that the amulet--its chain entangled in Thorn’s spindly fingers--is now glowing wildly, the only other point of light in our camp besides the crackling fire.

“Um, Thorn...is...is that supposed to be doing that?”

“Is what supposed to be doing what?” he chirps, clueless as ever.

Wordlessly, I point at the pendant dangling from his hand, now quivering and pulsing with energy as the light grows brighter and brighter.

Gem 2016/03/13(Sun)15:53 No. 708937 ID: 397dd3
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Thorn looks down and yelps with shock, sending the amulet flying toward the treeline as he frantically attempts to distance himself from the suddenly active necklace. There goes my theory that he might have actually known what he was doing for once.

The amulet lands with a soft thunk sound onto the cushioning grass, the glow from its gem becoming more blinding with each passing second.

Gem 2016/03/13(Sun)15:54 No. 708938 ID: 397dd3
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Laying open on the grass, the amulet starts to shake violently, sparks of magic appearing and disappearing in thin air. Suddenly, the color of the grass surrounding the pendant starts to fade, blades of grass wilting sullenly and turning black as char. As the nature around the amulet seems to die, the jewel upon the pendant continues to glow brighter, until all of the grass within a two foot radius of the pendant has been sucked dry--ashen and lifeless.

Unceremoniously, the amulet stops shaking and the magic sparks subside as quickly as they appeared. The gem now glints and swirls with a multitude of colors.

Gem 2016/03/13(Sun)15:54 No. 708939 ID: 397dd3
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Well, that was a thing that just happened.

okay so definitely let's wrap it up in a piece of cloth and Never Touch It With Bare Skin Ever. i mean, we don't even know if cloth would be enough, I guess - if you have any kind of containers or a pocket inside a bag or something that will keep it absolutely sequestered that would be ideal. also ask thorn if he's ever seen anything like that.

>casting identity triggers a death trap
Well Thorn's bad luck continues to impress.

So... it's a cursed trap? It sucks the life out of anything near it?

Could you tell what it just did, Thorn?

Keep your distance, toss something green into the circle of death. See if it's still active.

so thorn... any idea what just happened

It's got words on it did it always have words on it?

oh neat, looks like it's charged. pick it up and attempt to use it with no further investigation.

Maybe one of you managed to speak a trigger word to activate it? If you can remember exactly when it started glowing, go back over your conversation to see if anything you say activates it again.

Or maybe it was something he touched on it that turned it on?

Welp, you probably unleashed a Dark Lord or something upon the world.

Wow, and you had that around your neck. It's going in a pouch now, one that you can throw very far away very quickly.

LOL bury it and run

for some ooc explanations of recent events: wham bam disthread http://tgchan.org/kusaba/questdis/res/95266.html

also i post other fetch quest related drawings in there! and i'll prolly post other clarification things in there if need be

How good is Thorn's knowledge arcana/read magic? If the amulet is safe to touch have him do this to figure out what it does.

Shit one of your use magic device skills is high enough maybe we could use it for... What ever it does (as long as it's safe to use)

Gem 2016/03/23(Wed)13:27 No. 711028 ID: 397dd3
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I’m the first to break the unsettling silence after the pendant stops its overdramatic light show. “So...Thorn.” His name hangs in the quiet of the forest. “Any idea what just happened?”

Thorn shrugs, shaking his head. “I-I have no idea. I’ve never...I’ve never seen anything like that.” He pauses, trying to wrack his brain for some sort of explanation. “T-they say that druids and rangers, that they get their magic abilities from nature, you know? But, uh, well, this would seem counterproductive, wouldn’t it? They want to preserve nature, not destroy it.”

I eye the still pendant. “Wait, if druids and stuff get their magic from nature, then where do you get your magic from?”

“Uh. Different nature?”

Fair enough.

While I have the urge to just bury it, pretend we never saw the damn thing and be on our way, I can’t help but feel a morbid fascination with the perhaps-cursed necklace. I almost reach out to grab it before recoiling back reflexively--even though it no longer seems active, there’s no telling what it could do, even if I am wearing gloves.

Carefully, I perch over the circle of dead grass, plucking some fresh clippings off the ground next to me. Thorn hovers over me, expectant and skittish.

One by one, I let the blades of green grass fall into the ashen circle…

Gem 2016/03/23(Wed)13:28 No. 711030 ID: 397dd3
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...and watch as they settle among the dead grass, unaffected.

Well, guess it’s not a weird death vortex anymore? At least, not right now.

Gem 2016/03/23(Wed)13:28 No. 711031 ID: 397dd3
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Delicately (with Thorn nervously jittering behind me the whole time) I pick up the pendant by the chain with my leather-gloved hand, taking extra care to make sure the swinging amulet doesn’t touch anything.

“What are you going to do with it?” Thorn asks.

I stare at the swirling colors in the gem on the amulet, and feel a shiver creep down my spine. First the seemingly abandoned forest, and now this. Nature, I know. It’s wild and unpredictable, but it’s my wild and unpredictable. This...whatever it is, though...it makes my stomach churn.

I think we should take it with us just because I feel like it would be a bad idea to leave a curse pendent in the middle of the woods less some kid comes around and picks it up. Plus if nothing else we could pawn it for some quick cash if we ever need it.

yeah, if anything we have a responsibility to hang on to it so that nobody inadvertently gets hurt. we bought it, we have to deal with it, even if that just means taking it somewhere more responsible to dispose of it.

where's the closest town that would have some kind of guild or something where we can get an appraisal?

>What are you going to do with it?
I don't feel comfortable leaving it here. Littering dangerous magic is gonna end badly for anyone who stumbles across it, or maybe just the wood-life nearby.

I'm sure as hell not wearing it though.

We'll have to keep it till we can dispose of it properly. Or until we know what it is.

*peer* Can you tell... is it more magic-y now? Did it just kill those plants, or did it suck the life out of them? (Following Thorn's train of thought, maybe instead of earning power from nature like a druid, this is for taking power from nature? For someone who doesn't actually care about nature).

Wrap it in fabric so no one can touch it by accident. Take note of how big the circle of death is, when you go to sleep you want the package with the amulet inside it at least that far away from you, so if it goes off by accident, you don't wake up dead.

Talk to it.

>>711046
Ok so it's unlikely anything will happen but I really wanna try this.

Let's recreate events (and keep throwing arms at the ready)! It seemed to glow when you were happy, right? Maybe that's a factor.

Yeah take it with you for now, an important question to ask is how did some lowly shop keeper in some backwoods town come to possess it? We obviously can't go back and ask the shop keep. If you feel daring you can try putting it on although I wouldn't do that unless you are really certain about it.

For now stow the amulet somewhere safe and out of sight for now. If Thorn can't tell what kind of magic it is we should try and find someone who can.

Bury it, and run.
Have you not heard the stories? Holding on to cursed shit never works out. And it is cursed, does "death aura" sound like a blessing to you? Destroying it Is likely more effort than it's worth. Keeping Thorn out of trouble is hazardous enough, let this batch of bullshit be someone else's problem.

Find a long, reasonably straight branch and tie the amulet to one end so you can carry it more than two feet away from your body.

Gem 2016/03/28(Mon)15:32 No. 711918 ID: 397dd3
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“I don’t feel comfortable leaving it here,” I say, keeping my eyes locked on the swaying pendant, watching for any chance of further activity. “Plus, I bought it, I have to deal with it for now. I’m not the kind of person to leave messes behind for other people to clean up.” I grip the chain tighter as Thorn nervously laughs beside me. It wasn’t meant to be a dig at him, but now it seems to almost exclusively describe our traveling relationship so far.

I look up from the pendant at Thorn. “Does it seem...different now? Like...more magicky, or something?”

Thorn peers carefully at the amulet. “I’m not sure,” he finally says. “But there is one thing I could try--”

Gem 2016/03/28(Mon)15:32 No. 711920 ID: 397dd3
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“Helloooooo? Mr. Magic Amulet thing?”

I stare speechlessly at Thorn, who has crouched down in front of me and cupped his hands around his mouth to funnel his sing-songy call directly at the center of the pendant.

“Thorn.”

“Are you more powerful now? Did you have a good meal? Helloooooo?”

“Thorn.”

“Your gem is certainly very colorful! Have you been working out?”

“THORN.”

He perks up suddenly, his feathered hair bouncing. “What?”

“What the hell are you doing?”

His ears droop at my unamused monotone. “It...it was worth a shot.”

Gem 2016/03/28(Mon)15:34 No. 711923 ID: 397dd3
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I sigh as a I grab some fabric shreds from Thorn’s robe (torn to smithereens from our earlier hasty escape) and start wrapping it around the amulet. “Well, we can’t really go back to the shopkeep and ask how she got it, unless we want to get murdered.” Thorn mills around behind me as I fold linen over the swirling colors of the pendant’s gem. “I know you mentioned wanting to head to the capital next, but is there any place closer where we might be able to learn something about this, or at least get rid of it safely?”

I can’t help but think about what he said about druid magic, how it serves to bolster nature, not harm it. Could this be for taking that power, made by someone who doesn’t care about who or what gets hurt? If so, I can’t let it get into the wrong hands--I don’t have much, but I have these forests. I can at least stand for that.

It’s quiet while Thorn wracks his brain for our possible options. “There’s Winterhelm to the north, about a ten days’ journey from here. They’re remote, but their guild is rivaled only by the capital themselves. My teacher always said that every magical breakthrough, one way or another, could be linked back to the wizards in Winterhelm.” He starts nervously picking at the freshly sewn hems in his robe as he continues. “Falcrest is on the way to the capital, about halfway there--an eight days’ journey east, give or take. Their guild isn’t as prestigious, but it is a larger city. And of course, there’s always the capital itself.”

Now entirely wrapped in cloth, I grip the amulet solidly in my fist, and can’t seem to shake the unease from my stomach. More people means more chance of finding someone who might know what this is...but it also means a higher risk of running into its progenitor, or at least someone who would misuse it. Winterhelm might have experts, but it’s a detour that would add at least three weeks to our journey to the capital.

Thorn looks up at me. “It’s up to you what we should do though. You’re the pathfinder, after all.” He smiles warmly.

Winterhelm
even if they don't what to make of this thing it would still probably be better to leave it with them as their isolation plus actually teaching their wizards how to use magic wisely (hopefully) should let them actually be good care takers for the thing. Plus if thorn fucks up again you don't have as many people to run away from and since they're so far out of the way it's unlikely you'll ever have to go there again.

Winterhelm, they seem like they have the most experience and may even know the origins of the amulet. Also less of a chance of running into someone who might try to steal the amulet.

I am in agreement, winterhelm sounds the best. We might also find someone there with a bit extra muscle who would be willing to help out there, it sounds like a place where one might find some barbarians or warriors.

Might as well stick to the route. See what you can learn in Falcrest.

Falcrest. Winterhelm seems like too much of a detour, even if their guild is more renowned.

Winterhelm, bitches!! \o/ GET HYPE

go go gadget winterhelm

Head to Falcrest, there's no reason to add that much time to your journey.

Take it to Falcrest, less prestige means less intrigue.

Head to Falcrest. That way if things don't pan out there it'll only be another eight days journey to the capital and the best chance to determine what the heck this amulet is. Otherwise it'll be a long detour north to Winterhelm then back around to the capital if things don't pan out up there.

To Winterhelm. If this thing turns out to be really bad news, like some sort of a mana bomb, it would be better to be the farthest from the capital as possible.

Gem 2016/04/07(Thu)18:31 No. 714587 ID: 397dd3
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It’s by no means an easy decision...I mull it over for sometime as we dig into the meager meal I prepared (Thorn is less enthusiastic about the tough meat, but he’s gotten better at dealing with it than when we started this journey). Falcrest or Winterhelm. I take another bite into the leather skin of the roasted animal. Falcrest or Winterhelm.

Thorn doesn’t say anything else, doesn’t attempt to sway me either way. For some reason, this seems unlike him.

My eyes periodically dart back to linen-wrapped pendant (now sitting in the center of the dead-grass circle), watching for any potential movement or activity. Throughout our meal, however, it is motionless and silent.

“I can’t just let this go, Thorn,” I finally break the silence, previously only filled by a lackluster fire crackle. “If you think there are experts in Winterhelm...then I think that’s the best option for us, despite how long it’ll take.”

His eyes light up with unexpected enthusiasm. “Great! I’ve always wanted to visit Winterhelm! This is so exciting!”

I raise an eyebrow at him. “You’re not upset about the detour? I mean, your lost family heirloom and everything...”

He quickly waves away may concern with a huge smile plastered across his face. “The archives aren’t going anywhere! The heirloom has been lost for years, a couple extra days won’t change much. Plus, when will I ever get to travel the world like this again?”

Thorn does have a point--once wizards establish themselves in a guild, they don’t usually move around much, too consumed by whatever research they dedicate themselves to. I look back at the amulet, still quiet and innocent-looking enough.

Winterfell it is then.

Gem 2016/04/07(Thu)18:32 No. 714588 ID: 397dd3
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We finish up our meals and I clean up around the fire, discarding the makeshift spit and clearing any leftover scraps of meat from the game I caught. There’s really not much else that can be done tonight--Thorn idly studies his spellbook, presumably preparing spells for tomorrow. Unless there’s something I’m forgetting, I might as well turn in for the night as well.

(Currently, Thorn can prepare four spells a day, and can only prepare spells he’s collected in his spellbook. Thorn currently has these spells:

-Dancing Lights (creates a dazzling light show)
-Mending (repairs small objects)
-Mage Hand (creates a telekinetic hand that can move something up to 60 lbs)
-Magic Missile (basic offensive spell)
-Cure Light Wounds (basic healing spell)

Thorn can prepare multiples of spells, and once he uses a spell, it’s gone for the day. What spells should Thorn prepare?)

2 Cures, Mending and a Mage Hand.

well we're on the run and still kinda close to the town we just burned down so I'm going to go with
1 Dancing Lights
1 Mage Hand
1 Magic Missile and
1 Cure Light Wounds

I mean most things we have are things we can carry so if something breaks we can always mend it later and with dancing lights and mage hand we can create distractions to avoid people who we'd rather avoid and we grab magic missile and cure wounds just incase things don't go so smoothly.

2 cures, 1 magic missile, 1 mend

2 Cures, magic missile and mage hand

Gem 2016/04/26(Tue)16:35 No. 719346 ID: 397dd3
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(Thorn has prepared:

Cure Light Wounds (2),
Magic Missile (1), and
Mage Hand (1).

He will have these spells until he uses them, or until next evening, when he can prepare a new set of spells.)

Thorn settles into his bedroll, his lanky legs scrunched up under the knitted fabric, and he falls asleep almost instantly. I stay awake for a while longer, watching the last embers of the fire flicker out of existence. For a moment, I don’t think about our journey, or the amulet, or the road ahead. In the dying light of the flames, a pang akin to homesickness swells in my chest. Maybe it’s this forest in particular, the eerie silence of it, that makes me think of the place I once called home.

I shake the ghosts out of my head before they get any chance to take hold, lean against the felled log, and slowly drift off into sleep.

Gem 2016/04/26(Tue)16:35 No. 719347 ID: 397dd3
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Morning arrives after a restless night, and surprisingly, Thorn is up before me, dutifully rolling up his bedroll without any prompt. I blearily blink the sleep from my eyes and wince as my stiff legs crack when I stand up from the forest ground. Thorn jumps a little as I move before warmly smiling at me.

Gem 2016/04/26(Tue)16:35 No. 719348 ID: 397dd3
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“Good morning!” he chimes, and I involuntarily close my eyes from his volume. “Did you sleep well?”

I grumble back a response before helping myself to a breakfast of dried meat (was this from three or four nights ago? Who knows). The sun is only barely peaking over the treetops--a long day of travel is ahead of us.

Thorn is more restless than normal, eager to start our journey north to Winterhelm. He feeds Fidget a few stray acorns idly.

Having never been in this area before, I have no idea how thick this forest is, or how safely we can travel through it. We could return to the main road and hit a couple of smaller towns on our way--it might be a good strategy for us to get some extra coin and provision before venturing too far up north. Of course, we could always trudge our way through the forest and hope for the best. And that’s only two of our possible options.

I bite my lip as I deliberate a plan that has the least likelihood of getting us killed.

sorry for the repost! goofed up thorn's spells

>>719348
Maybe go through the woods for a bit, just in case any people from the last town might be on the road? In a day, or half a day, or something, you can cut back to the road, assuming the coast is clear.

Small towns should be reasonably safe, so long as Thorn doesn't start any more riots.

For today, or half the day anyway, follow the road from the forest.

agreeing with half a day in the forest, then small towns!

>>719353
I second this, be sure do a knowledge nature check while in the woods to make sure we don't run into anything we don't want to.

i'm with >>719353 !

Gem 2016/08/25(Thu)18:39 No. 744415 ID: 397dd3
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It doesn’t make any sense for us to leave the forest so soon--there’s no telling if an angry mob from the village might be waiting for us the minute we hit the main road. A more reasonable and cautious plan is to follow it from the shelter of the forest, at least until we’ve made some distance. But facts are facts; we’re going to need to stop in civilization sometime before traveling too far north. Thorn tells me that there’s a small fishing town down the main road: even traveling through the forest for half the day, we should reach it by nightfall.

“Seems like our best bet,” I offer to Thorn.

He simply smiles and nods enthusiastically. Sometimes I wonder if he’d walk into a cave of bears if I told him to.

We get rid of the remains of our ramshackled camp--brush away the ashes of our fire, clean up any debris we might have made--and I carefully pick up the linen wrapped amulet from the circle of dead grass (where we had left it last night). I warily stick it in my satchel.

The only remaining evidence of our stay is an imprint of Thorn’s bedroll, and the unnatural circle of blackened grass from the incident last night.

I clutch my bag tighter and we head into the thicket.

Gem 2016/08/25(Thu)18:39 No. 744416 ID: 397dd3
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The oddest thing about the forest is that it looks normal enough. The trees are healthy, there’s no sign of disease in any of the plant life..except there are no animals to be found at all. It’s like everything just...up and left. Migration might be an explanation for some of it, but for an entire forest to be empty...there’s something missing from this puzzle, that’s for sure.

We retrace the previous night’s hectic path through the forest and soon find the main road once more. From our spot, we can see the wizard’s guild in the valley, still smoldering, smoke spiraling into the pre-dawn sky.

“You fucked up so badly yesterday,” I observe.

Thorn shifts nervously and lets out a tiny laugh. “Y-yeah.” He scratches the back of his head, thin and boney fingers intertwining through his mass of curls.

We turn away from the site of his latest disaster and start on our way.

Gem 2016/08/25(Thu)18:40 No. 744417 ID: 397dd3
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Hours pass uneventfully, the sun making its slow and arduous journey across the sky as we trek through brush and thickets, having to stop every other moment to allow Thorn to untangle his robes from stray branches.

“Um, so,” Thorn starts at some point through our walk. “H-how are you?”

Oh gods. He’s doing the small talk thing again.

"same as i've been for the last few hours. you?"

is the forest still animal-less in this area?

>Sometimes I wonder if he’d walk into a cave of bears if I told him to.
Bears might be easier to placate, bypass, or subdue than an entire mob at once. And a cave is a defensible position that would constrain the number of mobsters who can reach you at once!

>It’s like everything just...up and left.
Is it possible they were driven away by the amulet? Maybe it has some kind of aura or presence that scares animals away, and the radius is a lot bigger than the kill-circle we saw in the grass.

>“H-how are you?”
*Snort* Typically, that's something you should ask when you've been away from someone a bit, or you see some sign their condition has changed.

I'm fine, Thorn. I've rested, I'm not tired yet, I'm curious and nervous about the thing we're carrying, and I'm wondering why there are so few animals around here.

>"H-how are you?”
"... Short"

But yeah for real ask him if he's seen any animals other then his pet today. Or if he feels anything weird.

>>744420
If the absence of animals were a reaction to the amulet I would expect the squirrel should be acting strange. Beside, as an experient ranger Hyacinth should be alert enough to notice whatever clue an wild animal would follow.

Gem 2016/09/06(Tue)17:13 No. 746635 ID: 397dd3
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Look, Thorn’s...social graces aren’t the best. I mean, mine aren’t great either (seeing as how I grew up...in a forest), but he tends to do this “poorly prompted small talk” thing every time he thinks I’m upset at him. He probably thinks I’m still pissed about yesterday (I’m not, honestly. I don’t really give a rat’s ass about some bullshit town we pass through), so he’s trying to start some inconsequential conversation to make sure I don’t want to shove him off a cliff or something.

“Short,” I quip out after a few terse seconds of dead air. He doesn’t react, not quite sure what to make of that. I crane my neck up to look at him and continue, still deadpan, “It’s a joke, Thorn.”

“Oh!” He starts, shocked, his smile fading from his face, but it quickly returns--wider, more relieved now. “I didn’t--you normally don’t--haha, you really had me there for a second there, Hyacinth.”

I’d hate to admit it, but it’s good to see him relax a little. Makes things feel more normal again.

Gem 2016/09/06(Tue)17:13 No. 746636 ID: 397dd3
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“But seriously,” I start again, “haven’t you noticed...all of this?” I grasp for the right words, and instead just motion to our still surroundings. Not even a bird chirp interrupts--only the crunch of grass from our steps fill out the eerie silence of the forest.

“There’s nothing here. Nothing!” I feel heat flood my chest as my last word unexpectedly turns into a yell--this really has been bothering me more than I’ve let on, even to myself. I clench my fist and try to control my voice so not to betray emotion--the last thing I need is to set off Thorn with even more worry. “I mean, even if it was migration...the season’s not right…” I trail off, lost in thought.

Thorn is silent, waiting patiently for me to finish. He at least picks up on that nuance.

“Have you seen any animals, Thorn? While we’ve been here?”

He perks up. “Fidget is right here!” As if on cue, the squirrel pokes out of his long curls.

My eyelids droop in disappointment. “Besides Fidget. Cause, you know, we brought him here with us.”

Thorn reflexively cocks his head to the side, deep in thought. A silent minute passes before he responds; I can almost hear him recounting the previous night. “No, now that you mention it, besides those two rabbits you caught for dinner, I haven’t seen anything.”

Gem 2016/09/06(Tue)17:14 No. 746637 ID: 397dd3
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Maybe it’s just paranoia, but suddenly the bag on my side feels heavier, as if it’s dragging me down. I straighten my back and grip the strap reflexively. “Do you think...do you think that amulet has something to do with this?” I ask him.

Thorn scratches his chin. “It’s possible...like I said, I’ve never seen or heard of any magic like what we saw that amulet do last night, but I wouldn’t rule it out. The forest seemed to be barren before we came here though, unless you saw something else?”

I’m almost surprised by his observation: despite how much of a bumbling goof he can be, he’s still quite intelligent. And, he’s right--all of the animal tracks are old, save for the rabbits’ last night, which were almost impossible to find to begin with. A shiver runs down my spine. The sooner we’re out of the forest, the better.

Should I…

A] Ask Thorn about _____ (determine subject)
B] Think about _____ (determine subject)
C] Continue through the forest to the next town
D] _________

Ask him about magical influences to wild life. It will be useful to know whatever we can about the nature of what we are dealing with, determine if there are signs animals can detect but you can't or aren't attuned to, and it can be a nice interception of both your interests. Whatever you elaborate in an internal monologue will probable be done better with his help and he IS your friend after all.

maybe when thorn blow up the tower it scared most the animals away. I mean it was pretty noticeable.

anyways ask Throne if he can sense any odd magic from these woods themselves. Maybe the wizards tower had some magical waste or something they just dumped in here from time to time that makes the local wildlife scarce.

>B] Think about _____ (determine subject)
Think about sex- no dammit brain, I'm busy being freaked out and worried!

Move on to C.

>>746655
What if the rabbits we caught had some kind of magical mutation then? Are we gonna grow an extra finger on our head?

>>746653
:o

If it's from before you came here, if could still well be the amulet. It was in a shop in town, after all.