These Guys will surly stab us in the back once we cease to be useful. I bet that genius enemy of theirs could make us our own Anti-Tyrant Star weapon, or at the very least lend us some Legitimate aid in return for utilizing theirs to dispatch this fiend.
The downside in this is that the queen will surely expect such a double cross if we agree to destroy the weapon. We'll need to obtain her rivals head to put ourselves in the position to spring the trap.

>>732773

Brom 2016/06/30(Thu)21:32 No. 732961 ID: b1960b
File 146734755949.png - (16.25KB , 960x560 , 189.png )

Ain't got a plan, Bruco says.

You don't?

Yeah I was thinkin' we'll just feel it out.


Are you seriously going--
Strela pauses.
If you were a Leonial I'd say you're crazy, she says.

Good thing you married a Bandara, Bruco says.

Is it?

Yep. Bruco winks. You'll see.

We should at least nail down which one we're telling them we'll do, Strela says. My vote's still that town but I'm willing to be convinced.

A]] Town it is.
B]] Let's assassinate the King.
C]] ________________

>>732961
Sneak into the town.
Steal the weapon.

A) 2 on stealth 2 raiders on standby let's do it

I think B is the task more suited to bringing along 2 corsairs.

>>732997
>hey let's invite 2 warriors so they can sit back and watch
You can't be the real kome.

Tell them we'll do the assassination, but
>>732962
I want that weapon.

B and please let's not try anything tricky. I don't trust us not to fuck it up.

C) Cry.

hey strela, what do you think about doublecrossing the captain?

A.

>>732961
B. Let's get this done before there's complications.

Brom 2016/07/13(Wed)14:42 No. 735568 ID: b1960b
File 146844613814.png - (57.42KB , 960x700 , 190.png )

The Captain does not turn to look as Bruco, Strela, and their mercenary corsairs reenter her throne room. She is gazing out into the night void of Daranarache.

Far away in the darkest night in the world, a dim, flickering brightstar, swarmed by its photonegative adversaries, struggles to cast its glow into the umbra.

"You have returned with an entourage." The Captain's gaze is fixed on the star. "And, I might hope, a decision."
"We have, O Shuddersome Queen," Strela says. "We will kill the Tyrant Star's King."
"I am gratified to hear it," the Captain says.

"And, uh, there's somethin else," Bruco says.
Strela squeezes his hand.
"We were wondering if we could bring these two along," Bruco says. "As backup."

"Name yourselves," the Captain says.
"Stryza Thirdblooded of the Fifth Venomous Concretion, Grand Spearwitch of the Hematic Sisterhood, Murderer-in-Shadow of the Captain of the Barbarous Shrike, and Consort to the Champion of the Sanguinary Spoke."
"Growen Seventhblooded Of The Fifth Venomous Concretion, Arch-Murderer of the Nebulous Outrider, Champion of the Sanguinary Spoke, and Consort to the Grand Spearwitch of the Hematic Sisterhood."

"You are known to me," the Captain says. "The lover-dissenters."
Growen and Stryza exchange looks.
"I will grant you their services, sorcerers," the Captain says.
The corsairs exhale their shared relief.
"And now I would know when you will do this deed for me," the Captain says, "and what more you require."

A]] If you could give us some time to prepare and research the required incantations, we'd be grateful.
B]] The first step is to find him. Easy enough to do with an incantation. We can do it right now.
C]] Is there anyone else you might spare? The more spears the merrier.
D]] Maybe a vessel of our own. A smaller one we could track the King with.
E]] Do you have weapons for us? Bewitched ones, maybe?
F]] There was something else I was wondering if you could give us: _____________
G]] I have a question about the task you've given us: _____________
H]] ______________

Sounds familiar
A and D - flesh vessels are rad

A & D.

>>735568
H, confer with Strela.

A, and give us the D.

A. They need prep time.

A and D
>>735603
Fleshels

Brom 2016/07/17(Sun)01:36 No. 736413 ID: b1960b
File 146874457016.png - (19.45KB , 960x560 , 191.png )

"Well, uh. Your spookiness. Do these things come smaller?"
"Things?" The Captain blinks. "Ships. Yes."
"So one of those, maybe," Bruco says. "To let us track the King easier, if it please you."
"I will arrange it," the Captain says. "Perhaps we can find one the Star hasn't yet eaten.
"And if you could give us some time to prepare and research the required incantations, we'd be grateful," Strela adds.
"Awww, research?" Bruco whispers.
Strela elbows him in the rib. "Research, monkey boy."
"You may take as long as you require," the Captain says. "Provided you do not require over a week."
"More than generous, Conqueress." Strela bows low. "It will be our honor to serve."
She nudges the back of Bruco's leg with her foot. He bows too.

As soon as they're out of the throne room Stryza leaps into Growen's arms.
"We're ROYAL ASSASSINS!" she sings.
Growen twirls her. "With our own ship!"
Strela coughs.
Growen deposits his consort back onto the ground. "I mean: You don't know how to drive it, right?"
"True," Bruco says.
"Don't you fear, sorcerers," Growen says. "Leave that in our capable claws."
"Oooh and the thing," Stryza says. "The-- the-- what was the word--"
"Blockage?" Bruco offers.
"BLOCKAGE. Come on." Stryza yanks Growen away. "You're gonna blockage the hell out of me. Assassins!!!"
Growen lets himself be pulled away from the vestibule.
"We'll just-- we'll let you know," he calls.

"They seem enthusiastic," Strela says. "Hopefully they prove themselves valuable. NOW: Research."
Bruco grimaces. "My favorite."
"You dragged all my books aboard, loverboy," Strela says. "It would be a slap in the face if we didn't use them." She notes the look on her beau's face. "Well, I can use them. You can give me a backrub while I do. We have all week, after all."

What kind of Spirit assistance should Bruco and Strela research to help them find the King?

A]] A Spirit of Knowing who could give them the direct knowledge of where he is. The price would have something to do with the mind or memory.
B]] A Spirit of Tracking which could suss out and follow the trail of the King over time; this would be slower but the price would be lower, and more having to do with seeking and discovery.
C]] A Spirit of Transportation which could directly possess the ship Bruco and Strela borrow, to ferry them toward the King directly. The price would involve a journey or pilgrimage.
D]] A Spirit of Teleportation which could blink the sorcerers instantly to the King. The ultimate, speedy ambush, at a considerably steeper cost than any of the other options.
E]] ____________

>>736413
b or c i say.

>>736413
Hey, I think Stryza just said blockage at the height of ecstasy just now. Sweet, one more part of the contract down.

B

C) A Spirit of Transportation. Now, I'm not saying we should doublecross him or anything but I think it would really pull the wool over his eyes if we fed him to the Tyrant Star before the contract was up. The trick is not being onboard when it happens.

>>736421
Let's go with that.

C

Oooh >>736421

>>736983
>>736421
Clever... but how are we gonna drink the ships blood as it dies?
We would want Transportation's power, not give it to the star.

Brom 2016/08/22(Mon)23:39 No. 744038 ID: b1960b
File 147193434987.png - (21.47KB , 960x560 , 192.png )

Strela's leatherbound tomes and musty vellum scrolls are spread out across the bed, along with much of Strela's clothes, and Bruco's to boot, because they only have the contraception charm for the weekend and they can't let it go to waste.

Strela is reading Brastrod's Treatise of the Tramontane
Bruco is massaging Strela's feet, having moved down from her back, with a pitstop at her hindquarters.

"Where did you learn to do this?" Strela purrs.
"Captured a spirit of amazing footrubs." Bruco kneads her ankle.
"I could almost believe that." She tickles his stomach with her other foot. "Pass me Vaporous Intimations. I need to cross reference."
"Which izzat?"
She points at a book with her toe and Bruco slides it up across the bed. She cracks it open and lays it across her arm. "Why don't you like to read, Bruco?" she asks.

A]] Drop her foot and pick up a book. I don't mind it.
B]] It's boring.
C]] I read. Just not the kinda books you have.
--1]] I like ones with some action in em.
--2]] I like ones with some romance in em.
--3]] I like ones with some pictures in em.
D]] I don't see why you'd read about magic and such when you can do it instead.
E]] Guess I just never really grew up with them in Bandara country.
F]] When my sister was teaching me sorcery she always told me that books were just learning without risk, which ain't really learning at all.
G]] Why don't you dislike it?
H]] Cuz I'd rather just rub up on my wife instead.
I]] __________________

F because it's bad ass

E.
Monkey has no need of book.

G, D.
"Why don't you dislike it? I don't see why you'd read about magic and such when you can do it instead."

F.

E, F, D, then H.

C3 F G H

H, D

>>744044
True.

Brom 2016/08/23(Tue)13:21 No. 744083 ID: b1960b
File 147198367434.png - (24.57KB , 960x560 , 193.png )

"Guess I don't see why you'd read about magic when you can do magic," Bruco says.
"Sorcery is bigger than doing." Strela turns a page. "Sorcery is the thread of the world. And I aim to pick at it."
"To unravel it?"
"Mhm! And see its insides."
"When my sister was teaching me sorcery she told me books were just learning without risk," Bruco says. "And that ain't really learning at all."
"Do you know what happened to Brastrod?" Strela taps Treatise of the Tramontane.
"What?"
"He meddled with spirits," Strela says. "He experimented with strange summons and tangential powers. Always disobeying the cardinal rule of sorcery, that you must take exactly as much power as you require and no more. And one day he formulated an incantation that would let him cross a hundred miles with a single step, and tore himself in half."
"Damn."
"I don't want to know what I deserve to know," Strela says. "Or what is safe to know. I want to know everything. Not just my lifetime but his lifetime. And their lifetimes." She gathers her books close. "But I don't want to tear myself in half either."
"I'd sooner just rub up on my wife." Bruco's moved on to her calves.
Strela scoots closer. "That is an acceptable use of your time."
Bruco moves up to her hamstrings. "What about this?"
"Mmmm. Bruco. That feels good."
Bruco's hands trail down to her inner thigh, where it's warmer and fuller. She spreads her legs a little. "Your hands are so--" She trails off.
"Hm?"
"Found it!" Strela flips round and sits up. She holds up a book. "Despite your distractions, monkey boy, I have located the perfect candidate for our Transportation spirit. Perengrinate."
"What are my hands?"
"Forget about your hands, Bruco. We've got incantations to weave!" Strela waves the book at him. "Do you want to summon this one or shall I?"

A]] I'll do it.
B]] Your turn.
C]] Your turn. [Transfer perspective to Strela]

C!

C!
The cat came back/The very next day!

What, right now? What about gathering supplies, the Corsairs we promised we'd let help - and clothes?
After saying that, C.

C

C (Yay)

Strela time! C!

Brom 2016/08/23(Tue)23:25 No. 744157 ID: b1960b
File 147201994286.png - (14.22KB , 960x560 , 194.png )

"Don'tcha think we oughta gather supplies?" Bruco asks. "Or at least clothing?"
"That can happen after we learn the price," Strela says. "I'll just let the spirit know we'll need it to possess our boat once we get it. I'm sure it will be thrilled. If I were a spirit and I had the chance to possess a boat I would be. A flying boat."
"Well." Bruco snorts. "That ain't wrong. Your turn."
"It is." Strela fishes around in her discarded clothes until she finds her focus. She stands up and paces the room, looking for a good spot. Bruco lays back and enjoys the view.
Strela finds a spot on the floor that speaks to her, and sits cross-legged.
"OK," she says. "No distractions."
"Never."
"Seriously."
"All the way over here, honey."
"OK." Strela takes a deep breath and closes her eyes.
She runs her thumb across her focus' fangs. Concentrate. Empty mind. Remember your task. And......

Brom 2016/08/23(Tue)23:26 No. 744158 ID: b1960b
File 147201999373.png - (22.65KB , 960x560 , 195.png )

I am Peregrinate, Sorceress, and I am here to help you.
Quest? Geass? Great journey? Accept no substitutes. Always ask for the best! Ask for Peregrinate. Your destination. My affirmation.
What dream am I making come true?
Strela tells Perengrinate: I need you to take possession of a skyship, and lead it to a man who doesn't want to be found: The king of the Tyrant Star.

A pleasure cruise into an unknown land? An airborne manhunt? Sounds swashbuckling. My specialty.
I can do it for you. No doubt.
Let's talk toll, Sorceress. Now this is a heck of a thing: the king of the Tyrant Star is a well-hidden guy. But my rates are reasonable.

Here's what I need:
The most valuable thing you find at your destination is mine.
The ship, when you're done with it? Has to be destroyed.
You alone must make a journey of a fortnight by foot to the Peak of Skant and exhume the bones of the long-dead Mountain Knight, which I'll also need.
And until you reach your destination, a journey of a different kind; a journey of souls. You and your beau there on the bed are switching bodies.

How's all that strike you?

Loot dibs? Fine.
Destroy the ride? Fine.
Fetch quest? Fine.
Switch bodies? Is this negotiable?

>>744158
I want to be able to take him with me on my joruney to the Peak of Skant. Can we renegotiate that?

>>744158
Valuable how? We're not giving up our target.

>>744160
You can't negotiate with spirits, unless I misremember, you either accept the deal and then try to trap them or refuse.

>>744163
Spirits can be haggled with. A reminder of the rules can be found here: http://tgchan.org/wiki/Bruco_and_Strela_are_Married

>>744158
Ask how the whole save-the-world thing is going.

You need the journey of a fortnight to happen before the journey, right? Save the body switching for the boat ride. It's not a journey I alone make if my husband's body is there too.

Valuable things do not include valuable persons.

"When we're done with it" leaves a lot of room for interpretation. We can decide we're never done with the ship, and that'd give us the opportunity to trap this one.

Holy shit. The most valuable thing there might be the King of the Tyrant Star himself. This could go so right... or so wrong.

Haggle to bring your beau with you to the Peak of Skant.

What about, the most valuable thing that cannot give one power over the Tyrant Star? If we take out the King but lose his Most Terrible Crown That Grants You A Backdoor Into The Tyrant Stars Mind...I don't think our employer will consider that a Job Well Done.

>>744198
this!
plus valuable things dont include valuable persons
plus lets bring bruco to the journey
besides, he is hers and she is his, they are joined, they should sort of be one (item)
.....plus, we select which ship he possesses. wouldnt want him to posess the Tyrant Star.

bodyswap is good though

Yes to all of them but the graverobbing. Never had much of a taste for the stuff. As for value, you can have the loot with the most monetary value that we can get our hands on, rather than sentimental value.

The most valuable thing you take back instead of find. Dont want to be forced to grab trapped loot, or made to carry a gold statue bigger than the ship.

Okay, I think we may have a wonderful opportunity here. We're on a quest to kill the king, but Peregrinate doesn't know that. So if we can define "most valuable thing we find" to be the king, and Peregrinate's subsequent possession thereof to be, well, possession, then we've got an awesome win/win, as follows:
1) Keep whatever loot would otherwise have been spiritually appropriated.
2) Demonstrate the gory side of sorcery for those two lovestruck corsairs so they'll understand and/or respect it a little better.
3) Ritually execute the king to get an awesome travel cantrip.

Biggest potential problem I can see with the soul-swap is that it might mess up martial arts styles to be practicing in the wrong body.

Brom 2016/08/25(Thu)14:17 No. 744354 ID: b1960b
File 147215985374.png - (22.75KB , 960x560 , 196.png )

>>744173
It can happen after. Let's say you have a week after you finish your task to start mine.

>>744281
The graverobbing is nonnegotiable.

>>744285
No deal. If it means exposure to danger, I'm confident you'll be able to handle it.
Don't worry about carrying it.

>>744198
Granted. Interfering in the completion of your mission would go against my guarantee of satisfaction.

>>744160
I'll grant this one to you on this condition: nobody besides you or your husband must realize that you have switched bodies. If they do, you're journeying up the mountain without him.

What do you say, sorceress? Ready for the vacation voyage of your life?

>>744354
>nobody besides you or your husband must realize that you have switched bodies.
Oh hoho.
This'll be fun.
Just give us a minute to clue him in and it's a deal.

i don't think we can talk to bruco before the deal is complete, but yeah, all these terms sound kosher. let's do it, then let's explain it all to bruco.

>I'll grant this one to you on this condition: nobody besides you or your husband must realize that you have switched bodies. If they do, you're journeying up the mountain without him.
...do I get a chance to warn him? The game's gonna be up pretty quick if he's switched by surprise and goes "ah I'm in the wrong body".

Deal.

How about NO.

Renegotiate. You know this will haunt you forever. Seriously, if you're curious then invocate on your own time, not by casually raping your husband.

Can't think of a good reason not to.

Ya!

>>744407
No one was talking about rape, what the fuck are you on about?

we specifically made a rule with bruco that we can't do something weird or humiliating without telling him first. it's probably not a good idea to break a ground rule we set ourselves. at the very least, make the spirit only swap our bodies on commencement of the journey so we can give bruco time to prepare.

>>744458
Then the spirit will probably allow us to stick to that rule. If the only way this could work was forcing us to break a prior agreement would also go against satisfaction.

>>744458
Oh shit, I forgot.
Yeah, discuss it with him now if you can.

>>744466
! yeah

Brom 2016/08/26(Fri)12:56 No. 744564 ID: b1960b
File 147224140459.png - (16.03KB , 960x560 , 197.png )

I need to be able to warn him of what's about to happen.
Why? He'll find out.
This is nonnegotiable.
Well well well. Nonnegotiable from a mortal. That's really something.
We have a deal, sorceress! And you'll have ten seconds.
[i]Fine.
Stellar. We hope you enjoy flying Peregrinate.


Strela's eyes snap open.
"Bruco," she says. "We have to switch bodies."
"Whuh?"
"The spirit says. And we can't tell anybody. I'm sorry!"
"Oh." Bruco blinks. "No prob"

Brom 2016/08/26(Fri)12:57 No. 744565 ID: b1960b
File 147224142206.png - (16.61KB , 960x560 , 198.png )

"--lem." Bruco coughs. "No problem-- whoa."
"Did w--" Strela freezes. She clears her throat. "Did we sw-- oh shit--" She coughs.
It is an incredibly unsettling feeling to think words out and have them come out in a different person's voice. It makes her feel a little sick. "Oh, shit," she repeats, marvelling at the unwelcome bass tone of it. It makes her-- his? throat tingle in such an unfamiliar way.
The ghost silhouette of her nose on either side of her vision is different. She's actually afraid to look down. Bruco is in the same petrified state she is.
He very cautiously moves his hand to his face, flexes his fingers, then moves it to his chest and squishes his left breast. "Dude," he says. He bounces it a little.
Strela works up the courage to look down at herself. Seeing the wide, flat, broad stretch of thick Bruco torso still makes her jump. Her arms are so much lighter-feeling with all the extra Bandara musclepower behind them they lift almost by themselves.
"Pretty good view you got here," Bruco is saying.

Does her voice sound like that?

THIS IS SO WEIRD.

you're not really going to pass up the opportunity for body-swap sex are you

Okay.
This is manageable.
You're both already intimately familiar with each other's bodies.
This is just a different perspective.
You should both take a few minutes to familiarize yourselves with... yourselves.
You should clarify that this isn't permanent and then lay out some kind of plan.

>>744565
The biggest problem is going to be if any combat occurs, since you're both used to martial arts in very different bodies, and the styles you've trained in are sort of unsuited for each other.

Did your skills / powers stay with the body, or did they stay with the personality?

>>744573
basically
>>744566
it works for the weekend

Brom 2016/08/26(Fri)15:22 No. 744582 ID: b1960b
File 147225013929.png - (12.95KB , 960x560 , 199.png )

"Are you thinking," Strela says, carefully, "what I'm thinking?"

"Yep," Bruco says.

"I mean when are we going to get the opportunity to do this again?"
"Mhmm."
"And we need to get used to each other's bodies, right?"
Bruco grins. "We do."
"So," Strela says. "We going for it?"
"I'm ready if you are," Bruco says.

Brom 2016/08/26(Fri)15:22 No. 744583 ID: b1960b
File 147225015421.png - (20.23KB , 960x560 , 200.png )

With a sweep of her leg Strela sends the books and parchments flying out of the way.

Bruco springs up from his sitting position and into the Boar stance.

"Submission?" Strela asks.
"Naw," Bruco says. "First grounded."
"C'mon."
"I don't know how much your body can take."
Strela smirks as they circle. "Yeah you do, big guy."
"All right all right. How bout three count pin."
"Deal." Strela pushes her leg forward and does her best to get into a viper stance.

She almost staggers for a second with the way Bruco's weight is distributed, but then finds her footing.

1]] Rush Bruco. While you're both still figuring yourselves out.
2]] Get in touch with your inner Boar, ground yourself, and wait for Bruco to make the first move.
3]] Stay in Viper, and keep circling so you have the chance to get a feel for your new musculature. Try and identify your own weaknesses.
4]] Keep circling but focus on how Bruco carries himself in your body rather than how you carry yourself in his. Try and identify his weaknesses.
5]] Just fight how you'd normally fight. Can't be that different.
6]] FLYING KICKU
7]] Try and use a technique: ____________
8]] _____________

3.
Then 6.

4, then 6, because how will he defend against your FLYING KICKU without his manly physique? (What? Dodge? Don't be silly.)

>>744583
8]] Admire own butt, admire Bruco's dick, acquire first boner ever, slap your face with it with a kong fu dick slap

Definitely 3.
She'll definitely want to be familiar with Bruco's body.
More so than she already is, I mean.

3, but we have got to do FLYING KICKU at one point

Brom 2016/08/26(Fri)18:35 No. 744605 ID: b1960b
File 147226175544.png - (15.70KB , 960x560 , 201.png )

Strela circles, and checks in with herself.

She can tell just from the way she's moving; Bruco's body has a lot more raw muscle than hers, especially in the upper body. Strela usually relies on sharp bone and speed to sting with her punches, but Bruco's got a pair of sledgehammers. It probably has more to do with being a Bandara than being a male, but he's tight and thick all over.
The tradeoff to that tightness is that his body feels much more restrictive than hers. Strela's body is all loose, liquid energy; Bruco feels like a closed fist. She's a whip, and he's coiled. Her customary springs and snap kicks are going to be impossible without a great deal of practice in this body. And any light, ungrounded movement is going to be a bigger problem. Her own weight might anchor her and lend her hitting power but it can be used against her to unbalance her and blow her stances wide open. It gives her less margin for error.

She takes a deep breath.
Across from her Bruco's footfalls are getting lighter as he slowly tries to adapt to Strela's body.

1]] Make the first move. Sweep him and try and get him grounded while he's finding his footing.
2]] Make the first move. Duck into fist range and get punching. He's not used to having less padding so hit him hard.
3]] Stop circling, plant yourself hard, and get ready to counter. Get a better idea of his movements and don't give him any openings.
4]] Rely on your new muscle and for an all-in tackle. He's never had to fight himself before.
5]] FLYING KICKU!!!
6]] Use a technique: ____________

((as a reminder, techniques can be found on http://tgchan.org/wiki/Bruco_and_Strela_are_Married . Strela still has no idea if they'll work or not.))

4. Raw muscle is easier to use than catlike grace. We have the advantage early-fight when they're both clumsy.

FLYING KICKU

2 with SPITTING COBRA

3.
This is a learning phase. She's not quite ready to go full offensive. Best to practice her defenses first.

>>744605
3 and 6: Sting.

Sting's a good choice to test if techs work, since it's not very physical. And this forces Bruce to either let you shoot him at range, or close where you can counter physically, as you're planted to do.

>>744630
Dis.

>>744630
Also dis.

>>744630
+1 Dis

>>744607
Can't think of a good reason not to.

3.

2, 5
Let's see what she can do.

>>744606
This.

2

4! Cause why not?!