21c2a5 No.4933[Last 50 Posts]
Evening gents and welcome to the second part of this quest, our previous thread having reached 700 replies I believe it’s time for a fresh one.
Here is the archive to part one for anyone that would like to read them.
http://8archive.moe/qu/thread/3978/ and here is my twitter where I announce activity for the quest.
https://twitter.com/TaleOfMonsters and finally here is the archive of the main quest, you don’t need to read it in order to play this one.
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Monster%20Girls%20QuestNext, here are some stat sheets of the various characters. (Three of them are unfortunately missing, but that ought to be resolved before the next update).
Maegan Fayruz, protagonist and wolf monster/Youkai. (Updated)
http://pastebin.com/zB6wKkMnEvangeline Fayruz, mother of Maegan.
http://pastebin.com/Mw8jrsFKAme-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto, queen of Central Zipangu.
http://pastebin.com/1as1KXhpYumiko Takara, Matriarch of the Tengus.
http://pastebin.com/kmibKJNWHildegarde, foreigner of Kreszenz.
http://pastebin.com/Um9L9q7dOnto the main events.
21c2a5 No.4934
15th day of Prophecy. At the archery ranges of the castle capital.
The inner garden saw a brief burst of activity following a takeover of the archery range as curiosity spread amidst the guards trying their best to look busy upon the arrival of the rather eccentric group of four women. One of them was a detached looking woman of alabaster; white hair, white skin, white uniform giving an impression of sumptuous purity with only a pair of glowering red eyes as potential blemish. Prim and proper, the foreigner known as Hildegard walked at my side empty handed, yet still as dangerous as a blade. To my right was another girl, a more usual sight of the castle; a little lady known as Belphegor was holding a long scythe even higher than her own height, letting it set neat her clawed hand through some magical means of levitation; weight a stature of a girl barely in the beginning of adolescent and spliced humanity with a goat, she always lowered my guard while giving me the urge to stroke her horns or hooved feet, her innocuous aura being highly addictive – always awakening my sisterly feeling, even if she was a genius alchemist probably older than my mother.. The last of the group was another small girl, this time a genuine genius adolescent, a small blonde of boyish charm and energy that I’ve yet to see without a smile; Ithel Hermingild came from a prestigious family of alchemist but has yet to mention the subject – and just like the goatling beside her – I often felt compelled to give her a hug as her inner energy brightened every room she found herself in. Yet still this small one was just as competent in alchemy as her much older senior.
And last was little old me, the most normal sight of the castle; not something to linger on as I am a most simple wolf monster whose fluffy tail and ears somehow attract the hands of every one I meet. I was holding something most unique, a weapon unheard in this war whose enigma was finally…. Circumvented… thank to a Tsukumogami (a spirit capable of inhabiting object). Something referred to as a ‘’pistol’’ weighted in my hand, its entire material transformed into total steel after the spirit finished inhabiting, creating a most unique mixture of science of magic.
Now was the time for a long awaited test and the reason why we forced most of the peaceful militia guards out of the vicinity of the archery range for their own security. The pistol in my hand felt heavy and I wasn’t quite sure how to aim it either –but as the dedicated archer- it feel on me to try and hit the target, never mind the fact the weapon wouldn’t work with anyone else thank to the spirit possessiveness. I could see several heads, some of them sporting fluffy bits, peering inside the open room and felt a tad pressured, as if I was back in that archery tournament before my friends started to spread out more leisurely.
‘’I only need to press on this thing with my finger to activate it?’’
Even if I was thoroughly briefed on its working I still needed to ask one last time and; as I peered toward the little Belphegor flanked by the equally small Ithel, both girls nodded wordlessly as they observed me aiming for the farthest target in the range- the entire thing was built for leisure, not competition, so the star marks weren’t far enough to truly judges ones talents but for now, it’ll have to do. I took a deep breath to concentrate as the sounds of the wind and the whispers of the curious filled the air of the garden, while beside me the stoic Hildegarde observed in silence, her back straight with enough decorum to rival an elite knight before her liege.
‘’Aye, it’ll exit from the open barrel. Fire when ready’’
While I may be lacking in actual field experience compared to my family I’ve practically grown up with a bow and crossbow in hands; some new contraption in my palm isn’t going to scare me. With the go ahead, I squeezed the trigger and onward came a brief sound of thunder and a kickback from the weapon unlike anything I’ve ever experience before, making me tighten my arm to keep the weapon still, something like smoke seem to poor out of its cannons; many screams of confusions and surprised erupted all over the garden from the people that weren’t observing.
‘’Loud! This thing is so loud!’’
My heart almost leap out of my throat, it was pure reflex that prevented my dropping the pistol; the two smaller girls also tensed as light panic spread amidst the militia, the sudden sound was certainly an unexpected event and I began to feel a little fidgety with all these eyes…
21c2a5 No.4935
‘’Hmm, ya hit the outer circle’’
‘’I did what now?’’
Ithel somehow took a spyglass out of the front pocket, peering at the faraway goal – which immediately roused my pride.
The outer circle at this range…? No, I’m not going to accept that; I must have been tenser than I thought to miss, I’ve spent all my life firing bows and crossbows, this new weapon shouldn’t be any harder!
‘’Again?’’
I heard another voice, this time deeper than the duo of smaller girls; the immaculate Hildegarde spoke as I redid my stance, arm outstretched and pistol at the ready as the spirit inhabiting it buzzed softly, creating a light song of steel akin to the wind flowing in the trees of the garden, which also made the various onlookers ‘’ooos’’ and ‘’aaahs’’ in wonders at the manifestation of the Tsukumogami. For some reason, the song itself elicited a brief feeling of sadness in my chest which made me clutch the important amulet hidden beneath my clothing.
‘’I’ll hit the bull’s-eye’’
I announced, puffing my lack of pride with bravado and pressed the trigger, bracing for sound and impact… only for nothing to happen as the hammer came down in a hollow «thunk».
–(20 minutes later)—
The field test of this ‘’pistol’’ was highly educational. First, (outside being made a fool, of course), the Tsukumogami inhabiting the weapon completely changed its usual manipulation by completely removing the need of its powdery need that had our alchemist stuck, instead it need a source of steel; be it a sword, horseshoe or bolt, something made in its natural material has to come in contact with the end of the canon whereupon the spirit-object would carve a bullet and ready itself for another shot – with practice, it could be possible to match the firing rate of a bow- and all other maintenance needed to keep the weapon stable are completely unneeded thank, again, to the spirit inhabiting it.
Drenching the pistol in water didn’t hamper its ability to fire, fire near the hammer didn’t pre-emptively trigger the firing mechanism, wind was barely a factor to the accuracy of the shot with a range similar to what I could accomplish with a bow, although it was impossible to truly test how far I could shoot safely, so we had to make do.
Overall, it is a fine weapon indeed and perhaps just the thing to keep me safe in these catacombs – for that was the next objective, for our little group of four had made it inside the temple quite fast thank to the excitement of our success.
I’m really glad I took a serious wound to save this spirit yesterday…
–
The underground chamber housing the sleeping dragon had diminished considerably in term of personnel. While the numerous paper on the walls made the barrier with the Other Side (as I’ve started to call it) obviously eerie, all of the harpies-like dark winged Tengu had vacated the premise, leaving only four people behind who were enjoying themselves somewhat; my mother and the Matriarch of the fearsome crows were dueling on a game of chess whilst the twin daughters of the lady (who were also my step-sisters) were standing side-by side with the short haired, tomboyish one whispering some kind of nonsense to her introverted sister.
‘’You’ve raised quite the commotion.’’
The one to talk was my mother of white hair, white fur and piercing red eyes similar to the stoic maid of alabaster who walked near the sealed-off patch of darkness that separated this world from the next.
‘’Aye, at least now you aint sending a maid empty handed now’’
‘’Good, how about you girls enjoy yourselves for the next ten minutes? Our materials for the expedition ought to come in the meantime and afterward, you’ll have a little briefing and you’ll be good to go for the catacombs.’’
Just like that, the smooth voice of the Matriarch made the group scatter for some activity, leaving me alone…
>Assist the game between my mother, Evangeline Fayruz and the Matriarch of the crows Youkai Yumiko Takara. Perhaps we could talk?
>See what my step sisters are up to. Would they be accompanying us?
>Keep company with the tiny goat and the equally small Ithel who are standing beside the comatose water dragon, perhaps wondering her significance.
>The foreigner known as Hildegarde is waiting beside the portal to the Other Side; should I try to keep her company?
>I should take these 10 minutes to speak with the queen Ame-no-Uzume in a secure location.
>Free
cfb652 No.4936
>>4935I'd rather keep Hilde company but we need to report going ons to Ame like a good servant.
21c2a5 No.4937
>>4936I'll wait a little bit more due to the numbers of choices, but if nothing happen in a while I'll proceed with yours.
2bc61a No.4938
>>4935>The foreigner known as Hildegarde is waiting beside the portal to the Other Side; should I try to keep her company? 21c2a5 No.4939
>>4936>>4938Posting this again in case you guys forgot how to roll. My roll is to choose between the two votes.
e7c8ef No.4940
>>4935>Assist the game between my mother, Evangeline Fayruz and the Matriarch of the crows Youkai Yumiko Takara. Perhaps we could talk?We still need to find out the significance of the place that we dreamt about.
21c2a5 No.4942
 | Rolled 3 (1d3) |
Nevermind I completely forgot dices are actually implemented
>>4938>>4936>>4940Rolling between the three votes.
bd30ef No.4943
>>4935Ok, so in 10 minutes the expedition begins or will there be a bit more time after that to do something as everyone does final prep?
21c2a5 No.4944
>>4943The 10 minutes mark is for the last needed materials to be delivered and ofr hte briefing to begin, you'll be able to ask some questions or do some other thing if you insist.
bd30ef No.4945
>>4944I would like to speak with Ame somehow before we enter as I'm not sure if the communication function of the gem works inside the labyrinth.
Will that be possible? If we won't be able to it covertly after the 10 minute mark then I vote for Ame. Otherwise I'll go with the dice gods.
21c2a5 No.4946
>>4945The gem can be activated inside the labyrith, it's a direct link with her soul that isn't bound by distance or whatever reality you find yourself in.
bd30ef No.4947
>>4946Sweet, good to know. We just gotta bleed on it to activate it right?
21c2a5 No.4948
>>4947Aye, you've already got another needle for it.
21c2a5 No.4949
Yumiko Takara was the Matriarch of the Tengu, the oldest race of the island of Zipangu with the actual archive to prove it, I could scarcely guess as to what her job or ambitions entailed but I know I could trust her – the elaborate Sanctuary to protect the sleeping saint was require some painful effort on her part, her left hand was visibly wrapped in some tight silky bandages covered in magical runes forcing her to play with her right hand – the game wasn’t going well for my mother. Facing her, with eyes often straying toward the crows wings extending from the hips of the Matriarch, my mother seemed caught between frustration and amusement at her ever decreasing chances of winning this game of chess; between the two women was two cups and a bottle of alcohol, with my mother serving them both, my arrival was simply acknowledged by a nod from the two ancient women.
As I sat, I felt the amulet press on my chest and wondered if I should excuse myself to talk with the queen – but then I decided to relent as soon as the envy struck. The hour was just about noon and with the war going on, I can just guess as to how busy Ame must be, word is the northern capital of the Rahall dynasty was liberated by foreign forces, trying to talk to the queen would probably be fruitless until later today.
‘’Don’t risk your tower mom, you’ve only got one left’’
‘’I know what I’m doing’’
‘’Indeed you do’’
The Matriarch smugly replied as she extended her good hand toward the little bowl holding crystal clear alcohol, taking an elegant swig as my mother took my advice to heart and moved another piece to block the advance of Yumiko rather reckless queen, which made the crow eyebrow frown.
‘’How confident do you feel about returning inside these catacombs?’’
This time the question came from my mother, her red eyes straying from the board to look at me as I gently clutched the steel pistol; the Tsukumogami inside seemed always active, ready to react to people with a soft metallic sound, making my mom stare the perfect excuse for another brief windy music – if I were to take a guess, I’d say the spirit is feeling smug. Maybe it’s starved for attention?
As for her question, I lingered to answer; I felt like moving the discussion instead, back toward the dream she so adamantly refused to answer but again, my mom is a stubborn sort, I don’t know if it’s too soon to rock that peculiar boat.
>’’I think that, with Hildegarde and my grandmother, I don’t have anything to fear’’ [A little bravado hasn’t hurt anyone, right?]
>’’I’m honestly scared, but it’s a job I gotta do right? The fume inside is too toxic for anyone else’’[Still, I am feeling somewhat good about this, despite the dangers – I’m actually useful to Zipangu, in a way that isn’t about taking care of the guests or cleaning the queen chambers]
>Free
27e0cc No.4950
>>4949>’’I’m honestly scared, but it’s a job I gotta do right? The fume inside is too toxic for anyone else’’[Still, I am feeling somewhat good about this, despite the dangers – I’m actually useful to Zipangu, in a way that isn’t about taking care of the guests or cleaning the queen chambers]>Free "I just feel that where grandmother had her last stand still something to do with this. Are we moving the Great Dragon?"
cfb652 No.4951
>>4949>scurried awoo, but we feel better with hilde 21c2a5 No.4952
>>4951>>4950Hm, I'll try to mix those.
bd30ef No.4953
>>4949Man is that pic all kinds of suggestive. I approve.
e64ef1 No.4956
>>4949
>>’’I’m honestly scared, but it’s a job I gotta do right? The fume inside is too toxic for anyone else’’[Still, I am feeling somewhat good about this, despite the dangers – I’m actually useful to Zipangu, in a way that isn’t about taking care of the guests or cleaning the queen chambers]when have we ever been anything but polite and humble?
21c2a5 No.4957
>>4954
>so you moved here from 4chan?
Yeah, I didn't really felt like I had a place on 4chan /tg/ anymore after staying there for a good 3 years. Anonkun isn't really my jam, so for now I'm giving /qu/ a trial with a sidequest related to the main MGQ one.
>tower girls remastered
The what now?
e64ef1 No.4958
>>4957I'm not sure how kosher it is to just drop the actual link? So I'm gonna put this here:
http://imgur.com/a/ZvSulBasically, Tower girls is a monster girl CYOA that started on /v/ yeaaaaars ago. Got dropped, got picked back up a few times, about 2 weeks ago an anon started a thread about making a campaign based on it, the original creator came back, stated up ALL the princesses (only gen1: The original generation, were statted, the rest, barring the second two dragons and everything after eldritch princess, which are brand new). So yeah, somebody was talking about the need for somebody to run a civ campaign based on these (or possibly on the less lewd version some anons are planning on making once the bonus sheet is done), the question was posited did they mean a vidya game or a civilization style quest thread, they answered either, then your name came up, so yeah, I went looking to see what happened to you, ended up here. Now you know.
e64ef1 No.4959
>>4958rules I can link I guess if you're interested? Just don't want to distract more from the purpose of the thread but otherwise have no idea how to contact you than here. Sorry for the distraction.
21c2a5 No.4960
>>4958>>4959I’m not sure about actually doing one soon tough, I’ll be pretty damn busy in the near future to a point I can’t really give an accurate date for the next time I’ll do my thread, but doing something new could still be fun. Consider me interested.
e64ef1 No.4961
>>4960Alright, here's the rules for how you pick which princesses to rescue:
http://pastebin.com/ejPH6ywtAtleast for the moment. If you're interested in seeing more and having a hand in influencing how the thing evolves from here? (since we still got one more sheet to stat out… and then there's people making a parallel one for choosing which KNIGHT you are, though Gats, the creator, isn't involved in that one on the artside of things)
Go to 4chan's /tg/, and just search for 'tower girls'.
Alternatively, sent you a twitter message as well about this, so you can always get me there.
Good luck and have fun!
21c2a5 No.4962
‘’I’m honestly scared’’
How couldn’t I be? Yesterday I was almost killed by Grues; gaseous entities that should have be extinct thank to the feverish hunts of my ancestors and afterward I went inside a labyrinth of white stones to find an eerie mind having slaughtered some kind of horror that did not belong to this world and now I was asked to go in there once again – with companions yes- but even with a new lethal weapon there was no denying the simple dangers surrounding this place.
‘’Don’t let it churn your guts and ruin you now, fear is good but you’ve still got to beat it, understand?’’
My mother said after tried to bait the queen of the Matriarch.
‘’Well, I do feel some confidence don’t get me wrong; Hildegarde presence does give me hope, alongside grandma. I just wish I didn’t pass out so fast yesterday, I would have liked to say goodbye’’
Then Yumiko moved her queen in the worst spot possible, threatening my mother’s king who grunted in response; I already saw a way to get out of this conundrum, I’ve played this game countless time with the Ame-no-Uzume and her mother so I can honestly say I’ve gotten pretty good at it…
‘’The foreigner of Kreszenz is a unique sight.’’
Lady Takara began, interrupting herself for another swing of alcohol that made me frown given the hour, it was only noon after all… still, and I decided to give my mom some help «You’ve got a Knight left, sacrifice it» I said, tried my best to be subtle which made the crow smile.
‘’I’m not sure if you can count on her, she has her own objective and so will you; you’ll have my daughters will accompany your expedition as well so your safety come before everything else’’
As my mom listened to my advice, the Matriarch usual teasing smile disappear momentarily as her brilliant eyes faced me with utmost seriousness; Lady Yumiko was a leader, a good one at that but there was no denying she’s ready to go at great length to keep her kids safe, while still willing to put them in obvious harm’s way – perhaps I could say the same for my mom, too; I know that between my older sister and I, she’d much prefer for the elder to stand in my place yet she’s still giving me her blessing to go.
‘’I still believe my dream is important tough.’’
While most details were murky, I still remembered the golden field, the trio of colored Onis and the wounded wolf clearly; my words immediately made my mother grimace.
‘’Maybe, it’s not the time to talk about this’’
Meanwhile, the crow wings flapped gently as her eyes settled on me.
‘’A dream, huh…?’’
‘’Yumiko’’
Mother was bitter, I could tell, the crow was obviously interested but I decided to change the subject fast.
‘’Are we moving the dragon?’’
I asked instead, turning toward the sleeping Ryu, peacefully laid into her water bed with the duo of little girls peering at her curiously; the fact Belphegor was holding her scythe near the Saint was an incredible faux pas but nobody really paid it any mind given the circumstances.
‘’No, we won’t. While still somewhat dangerous it’s better than putting her near the freshwater lake, more than that tough, we’ve got to lay low until the representative of the cults poke their noses in – they’ll find every excuses to complain, but trust me when I say they’ll cry harder if we move her.’’
Yumiko spoke again, moving a few pieces to end the game as my mother brows knitted in frustration, probably because of the subject I’m brought up. Maybe I should be more delicate in the future; the only time she pouted this much about a subject was when she and my sister almost got killed while investigating an opium ring in the capital.
Still, standing beside the Matriarch and my mom was strangely homely and relaxing, the knot of nervousness in my guts had evaporated before I noticed it – their game would end in the victory of the crow, that was undoubtedly certain- but interruption came in the form of a trio of harpies flying low inside this subterranean chambers holding onto various little pieces of protected Ofuda stand up, dropping the game.
Look like this briefing is going to happen, question is, should I do anything, or simply listen until everything is done?
>Free
bd30ef No.4963
>>4962Hmmm… does anybody look like they could use a hug or other forms of morale boosting? And we got a good supply of steel to use as ammo right? Without bullets, all a gun is is an expensive club. Or an expensive spear, if ya put a bayonet on it.
21c2a5 No.4964
>>4963Your step sister, Ayumi, look vulnerable for a suprise hug.
bd30ef No.4965
>>4964Well then, as silence gives consent I say we try and give her a hug! Maybe hug Hilde too, poor girl's an awfully long way from home and could probably use some affection after all that time spent in the labyrinth slaughtering lovecraftian horrors.
21c2a5 No.4966
>>4963Also you'Ve got about 3 ingots for firing, making the number of possible shtos into about 100, so you're covered in that.
>>4965Hugging people it is
27e0cc No.4967
>>4962What about getting an ofuda or two that we can use to summon the Wolf?
21c2a5 No.4968
>>4967That's the plan, it'll be in the brief. I'm taking some time to write to explain all of that.
21c2a5 No.4976
This immediately brought everyone together as the harpies handed the protected scrolls to my mother and their leader; both moved in front of the unconscious Saint and I also saw the small goat walk at my mother side, gently tapping the ground with her scythe as an excited smile showed on her youthful face. Meanwhile, the crow’s sisters sported different expression – the short haired one looked serious, holding her chin with her hand as her magnificent wing folded in a cocoon around her shoulder whilst the longer haired one was trembling slightly with a blanche expression that stabbed my heart in compassion – so I decided to do the obvious thing.
‘’Whua!?’’
Ayumi screamed as I pounced on her back, putting my arms around her shoulders and squeezing lightly, gently constricting her magnificent black wing as a blush immediately spread on her face.
‘’Hm, so begin the sacred band adventures into the lair of the Shadow Lord… The beginning of the end!’’
Her twin spoke with faux gravity while still looking completely serious; Hildegarde sat a few distance away from the group and, were she actually sitting within arm reach, I would have pulled her too so instead I settled by making hypnotic movement with my ears and tail that immediately caught her attention up until our leading trio began to speak.
‘’I wish we had more to say but I’m afraid information is very scarce; however, Hildegarde provided us with valuable intel for the path she took up until her encounter with Maegan, doubling back on the way she came would prove fruitless for our endeavor –aside from a few rooms she didn’t fully investigate, there didn’t seem to be any exit toward another part of the catacombs, making the only possible destination the portal of Kreszenz and, given the gas, attempting contact is completely counter-productive.’’
At least we had some anchor of location inside these damnable white and dark tunnels; Hildegarde mentioned that she spent three whole days inside that place; I can see it wasn’t for nothing. Meanwhile, the crow Matriarch continued.
‘’You’ll be right on the first crossroad, form there judgement on how to proceed is entirely up to you – just know that your survival matters most – but you do have an objective. Maegan, you still have the alchemical cube that you’ve received from Belphegor?’’
With my arms still around Ayumi (who calmed down considerably, enough to be comfortable in my hug) I nodded at the Matriarch.
‘’I have it on my waist, it’s rather small so I placed it in a leather bag.’’
‘’My daughters will be given bigger ones. They size of lamps since we can’t account for the size of the items we need; these things are completely sealed, no oxygen will enter or exit, making them perfect for our purpose.’’
If I remember right, they are called Faithful Cocoon, alchemical apparatus invented by the church to capture sample of gas used by demons or the entities of the Swamp for later investigation, coming in all shape and sizes.
‘’Now we’ve also made a few new offensive talisman; five of them will be given to the mages of your group as they contain rather fabulous spell, two of which were made today and transferred here by Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto and her mother, Tsukiyomi so girls – don’t go wasting them. You should already know what they are’’
Walking forward toward her girls (and me, of course, I won’t be letting go of that timid crows; her wings are so sooooft~) she handed numbers of scrolls kept into protective bamboos cases and also handed me three of them, two of them kept in white colored cases and the lase one having the obvious ancestral sign of my grandmother on it.
‘’Now, Maegan, I’ve given you something very important; those two white Ofudas contain a linked portal spell, use it by putting it somewhere open and, once activated, it’ll fade into the construct of the Catacombs to open a portal that should last for thirty seconds, leading back into the upper room of this temple. This means that, if pursued, creature could come through and the gas itself just might leak into this place as well, which is why we will close the door of this chamber after you leave and keep the temple under strict guard afterward; I don’t believe the gas could come through one of Tsukiyomi portals but this isn’t something I’m leaving up to chance; when you come through and if the fumes follow, then all of you are to close the temple door and wait – I’ll contact the queen to help me remove the poison.’’
21c2a5 No.4977
‘’That’s… a big risk’’
I honestly said.
‘’Indeed’’
The Matriarch replied with full assurance.
‘’The alternative is to leave you in there with no way of doubling back, forcing you to go back the way you came; we won’t be making much progress in this case’’.
The pair of crows looked at each other’s uneasily while Hildegarde was, predictably, as solid and non-expressive as a wall.
‘’Now! Repeat what you’ve got to do!’’
My mother suddenly spoke and I decided to answer fast.
‘’Find how the gas is being produced inside the tunnels and bring back a sample of this item inside the cocoons for investigation.’’
‘’Good. Don’t overdo it, keep to what you’ve got to do – if successful we should be able to send some armed forces in there, or at least have more people accompany you’’
My mother eyes veered toward Hildegarde; the foreigner made her ambition very clear – she was here to hunt a peculiar entity that fled inside the tunnels- whether she would obey us fully or not remains to be seen.
‘’Aah yes, well I’m butting in now, it’s about the goat. Not me! That big bastard that ruined yer day’’
And then the small Belphegor decided to speak.
‘’He’s… well I can safely say that he’s the king of the world, the god, the big bad man, naming himself Baphomet as the one true overseer of the Sabbath; the girls in there seem to call him Papa too… anyhow, if you see him, don’t even true to fight, aight? You got pretty lucky because the bastard thought he could hypnotize Hild and Maegan but now I’m pretty sure he knows about you gals immunities, so he’s probably gonna be a whole lot less subtle.’’
Belphegor took a brief pause as her small, clawed hand tightened around her scythe.
‘’…but if ya do come across him, then Maegan is to summon the Sun God. No ifs, buts, nays. Don’t go believing in your own strength or that you can take the bastard on; you see a rotten giant goat singing like a woman… You. Summon. Saturmae. Capiche?’’
Belphegor even stuck the ground with her staff to emphasis the sheer importance of her word; I heard Ayumi swallow awkwardly and thus decided to hug her a little tighter, doing so greatly lessened my own dread.
‘’The scroll you got should allow the wolf to stay in the world for a good five hours, but there’s a reason why I don’t want you to summon yer grandma, Maegan, at least not until there’s a really, really big need. Y’see Baphomet is a god, the big honcho that control reality of this enclose world, the Sabbath dimension so that means he’s got ultimate authority over there; Saturmae is also a god, summoning is akin to making a giant fire announcing where you are – the entire dimension is going to mobilise for a fight, I honestly don’t thing you’ve got any chances of beating him’’
>Any questions?
21c2a5 No.4979
File: 1426737536887.png (2.02 MB, 1200x846, 200:141, b4596d6f8f10f184f759334a7d….png)
For ease of use, here’s the inventory, outside everyone’s main weapons.
>Five offensive Ofudas to be used by the Tengu sisters in time of needs.
>Two linked portal Ofudas to make it back to the temple.
>One summoning Ofuda containing Maegan ancestral symbol for summoning the Sun God.
>Two lamps sized «Faithful Cocoon» to bring back your objective.
>One small, cube like Cocoon for the same purpose.
If you want more, then ask.
0da5d4 No.4980
>>4977What can we do to hide our presence and go undetected?
Is there any way to quietly dispatch enemies who get in our way?
Was Hildegarde's intel able to provide us with an idea of which way to go?
Will Baphomet be better able to detect us the longer we're there?
>>4979Any Red Sand grenades?
Any items to quietly open locked doors quickly, such as vials of acid to dissolve hinges?
bd30ef No.4981
>>4977"But what happens to Grandma? What am I to do just use her to buy time to escape as she sacrifices herself to hold that goatman off? Is there any possible weakness he might have that we can exploit if we get stuck with no choice but to fight?"
>>4980These are also good questions. I'd also ask about some form of at least light armor of some kind for ourselves and if anybody knows how to lockpick. It's actually a rather simple procedure and most locks aren't hardened in some way against it.
After all, while the skill is simple and easy to do and acquire, it has never exactly been common knowledge. Failing that ask if our crows know any magic lock opening spells, that'd do too but not as optimal given how magic reveals your location.
Man Siggy would be useful if we ran into a locked door, he most definitely has a lock opening spell. Form fitting ice key and just turn it.
21c2a5 No.4983
>>4980>What can we do to hide our presence and go undetected?Nothing, the god is simply such an immense presence that Baphomet immediately zero in on you. You can't really hide yourself effectively.
>Is there any way to quietly dispatch enemies who get in our way?A big big maybe, your foes being otherwordly entities, killing them swiftly can be hard because sometime decapitating them isn't the right way to kill the bastard.
>Was Hildegarde's intel able to provide us with an idea of which way to go?Yes, the side you haven't explored yet. She has already provided intel about the other way and, aside form the gate leading to Kreszenz, everything else ends in impasses.
>Will Baphomet be better able to detect us the longer we're there?Unknown. Assumed as a yes.
>Any Red Sand grenades?Yes, there's a stock; pretty damn dangerous tough, especially since you can't summon an easy flame at will.
>Any items to quietly open locked doors quickly, such as vials of acid to dissolve hinges?Yes, but that's assuming acid works on the catacombs material. You can take some.
Name how much stuff you want to carry.
>>4981No weakness are known about the goat; if the worst truly does happen, then Saturmae is to sacrifice herself for your safety. This is the consensus of the leaders.
>light armor.Easily done, consider everyone aside from Hildegarde to wear chainmails on their bodies.
>if anybody knows how to lockpick.Nobody does, unfortunately.
>Failing that ask if our crows know any magic lockAyumi is an amazing geomancy/astral/lightning mage. She could use her gift to pick a lock, however that defeat the purpose of stealth since embracing Focus/Trance give your position away.
>Man Siggy would be useful if we ran into a locked door, he most definitely has a lock opening spell. Form fitting ice key and just turn it.Indeed.
.
21c2a5 No.4984
Sorry for not answering it all in story, I thought it would be more efficient to answer that way.
bd30ef No.4985
>>4983>She is to sacrifice herself for our safetyI'm still not clear on how this god summon works. I mean, if she's already dead then how can we even summon her in the first place? Do true gods simply not truly die and are in a sense immortal unless they get nailed by the Shiki Knife?
Also, they got alchemy yes? I assume people smoke in this setting so you honestly mean to tell me no alchemist ever thought about making a magical lighter? There'd be a huge market for that!
21c2a5 No.4986
>>4985>I mean, if she's already dead then how can we even summon her in the first place?First, the most important thing is that you are her descendant, her little girl so to speak, you've got her blood in your vein, making something of a demi-god if we go technical. Second, how she
died is unknown; it's heavily versed in myth but overall, people assumed the Water Dragon to be the only witness and she never spoke of it. How she's summon tough, in technicality it least, is by quite simply hijacking a
astral frame, namely the physical manifestation that require so much magic to construct; Saturmae project her soul into this body, a way of
assuming direct control if you will, with varying abilities to project her inner power.
>Do true gods simply not truly die and are in a sense immortal unless they get nailed by the Shiki Knife?In the old days, worship was power but as the Pretenders declined, they found way of semi-reincarnation by copulating with mortals, essentially creating powerful demi-gods whose souls they hoped to hijack - things didn't turn out this way, thank to Mother Earth, Father Sky and the four angelic Embodiments. Some of the True gods are dead, others aren't, as they managed to awaken to their descendant in a way similar to WanWan. To this day, in Zipangu, Saturmae is still worshipped as people are incredibly heavily centered around their ancestors pasts.
You can think of the Baphomet as a Pretender God of the age of legends.
As for alchemy, you got me there; consider my complaint invalid.
0da5d4 No.4987
>>4983Do the grenades explode on impact, or do they require a magnesium fuse to be lit?
If they can be detonated by impact, they might be too dangerous to bring along.
21c2a5 No.4988
>>4987Magnesium fuse to be lit, so no impact explosion.
bd30ef No.4989
>>4986So he's like a fake one or does he actually have the power of one inside that little dimension of his and thus makes Grandma look like a chump? On that note wouldn't Grandma be around his level as well if summoned in a good spot? You said she wasn't at full power due to the temple dampning magic but I assume magic functions as normal within the labyrinth.
>>4988>Red Sand>Magnesium FuseSo… magical Thermite grenades? Not much boom but damn will it suck for the poor soul it lands on.
21c2a5 No.4990
>>4989
>So he's like a fake one or does he actually have the power of one inside that little dimension of his and thus makes Grandma look like a chump?This isn't something I can answer.
>You said she wasn't at full power due to the temple dampning magic but I assume magic functions as normal within the labyrinth.It does, more than that tough, Ame also made an incredibly fast astral body, so Saturmae wasn't reaching her apex`the Ofuda you've got was made by Tsukiyomi, so I'll let you judge about the potency of your grandmother.
>So… magical Thermite grenades?Exactly, it's banned by the Church as unethical for a reason. Heavily used by the people around the Swamp tough.
So I assume you guys want grenade in addition to your stuff? You can take a maximum of five, you'll also change into some battle alchemist gear to keep these beauties nice and safe.
0da5d4 No.4991
>>49905 grenades, 4 vials of acid.
And a lantern filled with that concentrated wood fuel. It was a good distraction when Hilde used it, and it might come in handy again.
And an alchemical lighter with a few spares.
bd30ef No.4992
>>4990If Tsu made it it's the best you can possibly get, hands down no doubt about it the fluffy tenko knows exactly what she's doing in this department. Thus, Granny should be at the apex of her potential if we use it.
As it's also just an astral body her "death" won't sever her connection to this realm as long as we're still alive. It's just an avatar and as the death of Siggy's mom showed, killing the avatar doesn't really "kill" the god in question unless you cheat by using the Knife of Induced Death.
At least I hope that's the case, I like grandma, I don't want her to truly die if the shit hits the fan. She could be very useful if she's still usable by the time the final battle with church goes down. Though you probably can't give me a definitive answer on that. Gotta keep us guessing, it's your thing and I accept it.
21c2a5 No.4993
>>4991 No space for the vials but you can give them to Ayumi, since she'S a full mage there's low chance of her getting them broken. She'll still change in a alchemical outfit to keep the worst at a minimum.
The lamp is also good to go.
So here's the inventory, discounting weapons.
Maegan
>5 Red Sand Grenade>Full bodied chainmail.>Cube Faithful Cocoon.>Alchemical lighter (I'll find a way to make it function by ALCHEMY somehow).Hildegarde
>Liquid Fire lamp.She’s keeping herself very light because that’s how she fights.
Ayumi Takara
>4 acidic capsules for locks.>3 of the potent Ofudas.>Full bodied chainmail.As a mage, she’s not trained in the use of alchemical apparatus.
Akira Takara
>Full bodied chainmail.As a fighter-mage and an excellent low altitude flyer, Akira is keeping herself as light as possible.
>>4992>As it's also just an astral body her "death" won't sever her connection to this realm as long as we're still alive. It's just an avatar and as the death of Siggy's mom showed, killing the avatar doesn't really "kill" the god in question unless you cheat by using the Knife of Induced Death. Correct. But Grandma is a very special wolf, but you've got the logic nailed down.
As its one am, I'll stop here and continue tomorrow if I can. If there's more question, don't be afraid to ask.
21c2a5 No.4995
>>4993Aaand I forgot some stuff. Let me redo.
Maegan
>5 Red Sand Grenade>Full bodied chainmail.>Cube Faithful Cocoon.>Alchemical lighter (I'll find a way to make it function by ALCHEMY somehow).Hildegarde
>Liquid Fire lamp.She’s keeping herself very light because that’s how she fights.
Ayumi Takara
>4 acidic capsules for locks.>3 of the potent Ofudas.>Lamp sized Faithful Cocoon.>Full bodied chainmail.As a mage, she’s not trained in the use of alchemical apparatus.
Akira Takara
>Full bodied chainmail.>Two of the potent Ofudas.>Lamp sized Faithful Cocoon. bd30ef No.4997
>>4993I didn't expect you to answer in such a direct manner, let alone tell me *exactly* what I wanted to hear. Guess the leadership isn't as heartless, pragmatic, and stupid as I feared. Thanks INH!
I mean honestly, who throws away a "god" to merely buy time just to save two maids and a few high-level tengu? Idiots that's who.
And is it just me, but I feel some of the OST from "Eternal Darkness" and other fitting Lovecraftian music would fit as we delve into these catacombs? Because this is really starting to feel like a type of Call of Cthulhu game. We're the investigators, and we're essentially diving right into Dunwich. Good thing everyone seems resistant to SAN loss in some form, because normal people would likely be a gibbering mess moments after entering that particular magical realm.
21c2a5 No.4998
>>4997>And is it just me, but I feel some of the OST from "Eternal Darkness"Might actually be a good soundtrack to have when I write now…
>Because this is really starting to feel like a type of Call of Cthulhu game. We're the investigators, and we're essentially diving right into Dunwich.Honestly, I wanted thsi quest to be something of a SMT dungeon crawl meet Lovecraft, you've yet to see what's outside the catacombs after all…
>ood thing everyone seems resistant to SAN loss in some form, because normal people would likely be a gibbering mess moments after entering that particular magical realm.That’s the one thing that makes me love and hate Lovecraft. On one hand, people going mad at the mere sight of something feels cheap as hell, on the other hand, an entity so utterly ‘’wrong’’ that it drive you insane is terrifying. So instead I’ve decided to go for a compromise; some of these creatures can make people go mad in the world of ToM, but it take effort, there’s a sort of ‘’mind pressure’’ going on that trained/strong willed people can ignore or, as seen with WanWan, Hildegarde and the Tengu sisters, others are completely immune. Still, staring at a creature whose geometry make no damn sense will induce one hell of a headache, but it’s not a crippling madness.
I also like the fact that these otherworldly foes aren’t unbeatable; they are pure, raw predators yes, but the people of ToM found several way to combat them.
I don’t like Grim Dark I guess.
bd30ef No.4999
>>4998It really conveys the atmosphere. If I ever run a CoC game I'm sure I'll find a good place for one of those tracks. "Black Rose" is my favorite ATM, and the final boss theme is a close second.
And yeah, you really do love Grimdark, but like me and others you really don't seem to like it when it's so Grimdark that all your efforts, ideals, goals, what have you are essentially futile by default.
The odds are against you to be sure, but the "happy end" is in no way impossible to achieve. You *can* win and earn your happy ending. Emphasis on "earn" as it were.
Nobody said it'd be easy, but locking in a bad end no matter what ya do just doesn't feel right. Ya gotta give a good person a chance, no matter how slim it may be.
0da5d4 No.5000
>>4998Is the summoning of Saturnae projecting the soul of the Wolf into an astral frame, or inserting it into the frame?
The difference being, could Baphomet, as the supreme ruler of the closed dimension that the Sabbath uses, imprison Saturnae's soul within the Labyrinth once she's inside?
Or, because it's a projection and her soul is simply moving the frame via soul puppet strings, she's still safely ``outside`` and can't be trapped.
How much control over the laws of magic and physics does Baphomet have within the Labyrinth?
His powers seem to be limited to himself, and unable to actually manipulate reality for others, from what we've seen.
21c2a5 No.5001
>>5000>Is the summoning of Saturmae projecting the soul of the Wolf into an astral frame, or inserting it into the frame?I can't answer that, as it's pretty key, you'll have to find the answer in story.
Also the name Saturmae is an 8 letter anagram of Amaterasu
>How much control over the laws of magic and physics does Baphomet have within the Labyrinth?Absolute enough to completely warp reality to his whim, the problem is he can't change it afterward, but only create; he can also affect his denizens because they give him consent. People like you, enemies, can't be waved off because there's no such things as consent here and your presence as
anomalies essentially make you impossible to predict, control or otherwise crush.
Baphomet is many thing, but he is not omnipotent. He's trying tough, but overall he's trying to secede from the laws of this world by forcing his own, so the usual way of physic and magic will stil laffect him as he's not fully cut off from Mother Earth dimension yet.
0da5d4 No.5002
>>5001>the problem is he can't change it afterward, but only createSo he could create a wall to block our escape, but then he has to deal with a new wall that he can't simply make disappear?
He could brick off a door, but then has to deal with the fact that his followers will need to break through the bricks to get to him?
Stuff like that?
Can he create living things, like servitors, or is that still beyond his powers?
21c2a5 No.5003
>>5002>So he could create a wall to block our escape, but then he has to deal with a new wall that he can't simply make disappear?>He could brick off a door, but then has to deal with the fact that his followers will need to break through the bricks to get to him?Yes.
>Can he create living things, like servitors, or is that still beyond his powers?He can, creation of life is within his graps, like Mother Earth. Just remember he's the father of the most debauched banquet imaginable, the kind of thing even hardcore succubus go
FUCK THAT bd30ef No.5004
>>5003https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma63YQg6xrAKinda what I'm thinking if it all goes to hell. Gotta beat his own essence out of him. All those poor unfortunate souls crying out for vengeance, to make those loli rapists reap what they have sewn…
We can still win if it comes down to it, just won't be easy. Belphegor's warning is justified but hey, wan wan is super lucky just like Siggy is, we ain't totally fucked yet!
21c2a5 No.5005
>>5004Well I won't be railroading any dead end.
Let's just hope you know how to properly measure when to take risks.
Still this sidequest is shaping up, I might be able to make a few cameos here and there since Sabbath is a big fucking deal…
Well I'll see. for now we have a catacomb to explore.
bd30ef No.5006
>>5005We seem to be able too, with the dice gods siding with us at the most critical moments for now whilst betraying us to failure at such times as well. They relish drama it seems.
We almost lost Mylen to "The Beast", nearly got "well done" with Athena and that Salamander's cheats with her armor and weapons, crit failed at the "perfect" time with the magitek mech against Kyorn vs. Us and Fryface whilst trying to keep that Ahriman Lord of the Shadowrun bastard unawares…
Ya keeping me guessing man, still not sure how the hell we gonna get out of all this with the full happy end I'm aiming for but the very fact I think it's possible is why I keep coming back. It's a hell of a wild ride.
21c2a5 No.5018
Bombs, alchemical light, cocoon, chainmail and of course my pistol; the rest of the items came at a steady trickle after the three ladies finished talking. Changing uniform was a first, my maid clothing being exchanged for a rougher battle alchemist armor felt odd but given the place we were to go, I’m not going to snob protection in favor of comfort. The crows had a little difficulty with the armor due to the wings but didn’t complain (even if that shy Ayumi looked reluctant) and as Belphegor explained a few more details about the if and buts of the catacombs alongside a few hypothesis she came up with concerning Baphomet existence, the fact I was actually going back in this hell was sinking in, making my heart pound in anticipation as the fog gate looked twice as dreadful now.
‘’You’ll be fine’’
Yumiko was the one that actually helped me put on my uniform and armor while my mother did similar things to the Tengu twins whilst the little alchemical helped out Hildegarde by inspecting her limbs; the Matriarch saw my eyes straw and I saw the corner of her mouth curl upward.
‘’I know it’s an awkward thing we haven’t discussed about…’’
She started as I saw the tail of my mom twirl in the air as she gave the short haired twin a pat on the head.
‘’…but she and I shared the same husband and these girls are your sisters too, I’d like to think of you as family’’
‘’It’s a bit of a long path’’
‘’Aye, as long it isn’t forced. That’s what your father wanted before he disappeared’’
Her wings flapped and her face fell in brief sadness, which was more than enough to keep me quiet.
‘’Um about Akira…’’
The girl was going on to my mother about ‘’dealing with the Shadowlord’’ which made the white wolf laugh.
‘’Yes, I know she’s unfortunately stricken by a childish disease, but she’s a good kid all the same. And as a leader and Matriarch, I can vouch for her skill in battle; she’s the best fighter in the Tengu clan when allowed to mix her magic with her physical prowess and Ayumi is every bit as good as I am in magic, although unfortunately victim of an inferiority complex – they’ve known dangers before – so they’ll take this catacomb trek seriously’’
Still, her face warped in obvious maternal worry.
‘’…just please be careful, that’s three daughters sent into dangers we can scarcely imagine.’’
–
‘’I’ll enter first and come back to announce if the path is clear’’
As we stood before the portal, the maid spoke first and already disappeared inside its murky depth; the magical Sanctuary didn’t need any manipulation to make us pass and I felt tempted to follow as I tightened my hold onto the pistol but decided not to. With the tightness of the corridors, our formation was as follow.
Hildegarde – Maegan – Ayumi – Akira.
And if things even open up, the warrior Tengu is to take the lead as we change the formation accordingly.
‘’I’m kinda nervous…’’
‘’No need to be sis, I’m here! The dark claws of the Shadowlord shan’t come near you and his magical wave cannot affect us remember? This’ll be a walk in the park; maybe even a literal one, just watch your wing, it’ll be a tight fit.’’
‘’…alright Akira’’
It took a minute of silence for the maid to pop back into the chamber, looking tense but also perfectly fine.
‘’It’s clear, let’s go’’
So it begins.
>There is, however, one question I have to ask myself. If the other corridor is anything like the one I went through, it should hold many little rooms that could potentially be larger than they first appear.
>Should we simply proceed down the main corridor until we find something of worth?
>Or explore every small rooms and tombs we find for something odd?
5cb3d8 No.5019
>>5018Hilde has had the most experience in this place, having spent days on her own here. I would differ to her opinion on how much value checking out every nook and cranny has around here.
21c2a5 No.5020
>>5019Nearly all of them were simple little alcove for corpses, a few also had a basement twice as large, usually holding some slumbering beast that had to be dealt with. A very select few actually looked like they led into another path for someplace else but she didn’t explore them, instead favoring the main road of the catacomb.
5cb3d8 No.5021
>>5020I say go with that, then. It also keeps us a moving target.
21c2a5 No.5023
>>5021Only going through the main road? Alright, I'll be writing. I'll also try to update the map as best I can, but I think I'll focus on making the update first.
bd30ef No.5024
>>5020I'd think the gas generator would be either just a bit off the main path or at the end of this one. We can peek into rooms that interest us for some reason right? I don't wanna get caught from behind because we didn't see it lurking in a room a few meters back.
And how do I get rid of a pic in the post area? It's giving me issues.
c82374 No.5025
>>5023Yup, main road sounds good.
7607e9 No.5026
>>5023Can Maegan detect changes in the c?oncen5ation of the gas?
What about air flow and changes in its direction?
Shouldn't her canine nose help us with that?
21c2a5 No.5029
>Can Maegan detect changes in the concentration of the gas?
No.
>What about air flow and changes in its direction?
That's much more feasible, yes, everyone can.
>Shouldn't her canine nose help us with that?
The gas doesn't have any scent or weight so a good nose does nothing to help you. It's just… there, like fog.
bd30ef No.5030
>>5029Darn, guess they didn't want to make it easy. If it's like fog then shouldn't we be able to tell when it's getting thicker or is this stuff invisible?
21c2a5 No.5031
>>5030You can see it since it's black, a constant presence in the tunnels. Hell, you can literally see it enter your nose from each breath you take.
bd30ef No.5032
>>5031Ok then, the thicker it gets then the harder it should be to see into the distance (like fog). Keep an eye out for how far the light is traveling from that lantern. And keep those keen canine ears open, I really don't want to get caught flat footed in an ambush.
21c2a5 No.5035
Walking through the gate was an incredibly simple thing; the laws separating this dimension from the next didn’t induce any kind of feelings of vertigo or nausea, it was, simply put, normal enough that I only needed to put a foot in front of the next to walk into a completely surreal scenery of close corridors, square room and marble stones making the presence of the dark fog all the more obvious as it hovered everywhere.
‘’Ah…’’
I heard behind me as Ayumi briefly flapped her wings, she and her sisters eyes were big and round in surprise as they peered onto the walls, the opening and of course the dark air.
‘’I believe we should proceed on the main path without bothering too much with the side rooms we’ll find, unless of course we can see or hear something odd, I found quite a number of them on my first scouting run’’
I tried my best to measure my tone and avoid its reverberation inside this big room that look like some kind of communal grave, all the beds for corpses were nicely laid onto the walls and a few even carved into the ground yet there wasn’t any hint of skeletons to be seen.
‘’I agree with this, were likely to find a majority of smaller tombs carved into these corridors anyway and since we don’t need to maintain a strict path to avoid getting lost, we should try to progress as much as we can.’’
Me and Hildegarde toward the Tengus and they, too, agreed silently; for a moment I fear the energetic twin response but her face showed utmost seriousness as her eyes scanned the area relentlessly.
‘’Sis, you sensing magic too?’’
She suddenly said, which immediately caught my and Hildegarde attention.
‘’Yes…’’
The more demure Ayumi responded, black wings flapping gently, displacing the lingering fog.
‘’Seem to be coming from the right. It’s really, really weak and pulsing like a heartbeat, a constant thump of energy that’s spreading this way and going away a little past our position without any real anchor… hmm… how odd, has the Shadowlord come with a new way to try and scout me out?’’
Ahem, well last statement aside, Akira made a good point.
‘’Let’s be careful on our way’’
Hildegarde said, taking the lead and walking into the crossroad.
>Do you make finding this magical source your objective?
>Also, roll 1d20
5cb3d8 No.5036
| Rolled 1 (1d20) |
>>5035Sure, why not.
bd30ef No.5037
| Rolled 5 (1d20) |
>>5035Let's see here…
0da5d4 No.5038
>>5035Yes, let's check it out.
21c2a5 No.5040
>>5036Well now, this roll wasn't really that important but… Hmm…
>>5038Also you don't roll with the usual 1d20 in the email anymore, click on the show post options.
0da5d4 No.5042
| Rolled 11 (1d20) |
>>5040I that now.
bd30ef No.5043
>>5036I suppose it was inevitable, the dice gods giveth and taketh away… I wonder what terrible fate will befall us now.
5cb3d8 No.5044
>>5043Probably an encounter with the goat god sooner rather than later.
bd30ef No.5048
>>5044Man, we just got in here I don't wanna have to high tail it out of here empty handed so soon. And we can't afford to be captured or killed so we'd have to run. Last thing the world needs is goatman with Ame's Star Ball in his possession.
21c2a5 No.5055
Sorry for the time I'm taking, had a little delay.
21c2a5 No.5059
The next moments were careful repeats of yesterday progress, albeit with much more confidence thank to the group; with Hildegarde on the front and the rear guard closed by a surprisingly confident Akira, I held the pistol upright, needing only a quick movement of my arm to point and shoot; the Tsukumogami had also grown completely silent, the only sound became the light reverberation of our concert of footsteps and light rubbing of chainmail as we progressed inside the thigh hallway in a file, with Hildegarde taking a careful look inside each and every one of the many rooms we encountered before being satisfied of its safety to let us pass; a slow, methodical process uninterrupted by anything, quickly wrapping our tiny group in a potent feeling of isolation that made Ayumi hand reach for my freed one. I decided to squeeze back, trying my best to give her some courage, even if I was only filled with bravado – my heart was so filled with dread I felt it would leap out of my throat.
–
With ears peeled, eyes alerts and bodies almost strained to go action, we proceeded down the corridor for what felt like a good ten minutes of near uninterrupted march, the sheer volume of rooms made all the more creepier as we bypassed them entirely, the way back was, of course, completely obfuscated by fog, as if eating the bright white light of our lamps.
The way the scenery never changed and how every room were the same hidden veil of darkness started to raise a feeling of monotony but I wasn’t going to let boredom lower my guard and I could tell Ayumi had the same feeling thank to our joined hands. Everything continued on fine, even if we could barely see more than three meters due to the fog that seemed to have grown a little thicker now – if this thing is a poisonous mind control gas, I think I can understand why they’d need big hallways for its effect to start showing- fortunately for us, were all immune to such manipulation.
As my mind wandering, our first interruption came from Hildegarde as she stepped into something slimy and wet, its sound clearly squeaking against the white marbles. ‘’What the hell?’’ She muttered stopping and making my gun arm twitch as I immediately scanned forward for some kind of movement before looking down at the ground; her foot was trampling some kind… meat, wet and sticky, of brown reddish color with what looked like juices seeping out of overripe pores. It stretched toward the walls and the ceiling, organs pumping here and there, showing the very first movement outside our group as it stretched on like some kind of imitations of vegetation into the few openings of rooms we could see and well beyond the open archway and into the rest of the corridor, with the last light of the lamps illuminating the still dark fog and what looked like the very first fork in the path.
All traces of the previously spotless white marble was gone, all the stones covering by this ‘’meat’’ like a blanket, I braced for some kind of disgusting rotten odor but thankfully my nostril were spared of any odors; I felt Ayumi hand squeeze mind tighter and for a moment, I think she was just about to embrace her magical Trance up until Akira walked a feet behind us, holding out her lamp.
‘’Hmm… the way back is blocked.’’
She spoke with unwavering tone, and it was true; a few meters behind us, the walls and construction of the catacombs were still of spotless marble, a wall has somehow been erected, completely blocking off the path we came through, as if it literally came out of the ether – we were all on guard for any sounds – absolutely nothing warned about this.
‘’That’s not a problem, the main path is forking so we have a choice to make; left or what look like an opening leading northeast’’
The entire ground was replaced by this… new material and as Hildegarde proceeded forward lightly with every nerves alert and ready for conflict, she entered both room to scout them out and came back satisfied of their emptiness, giving me a few second to observes this new phenomenon a little closer and… I noticed odd.
There were damages on the walls and grounds, as if something had clawed patch of this ‘’meat’’ right out of spot, leaving bleeding wounds that looked erringly silent to pour out blood and pus.
>So far so good, do you go left or take the path northeast? There’s no difference in the fog yet.
5cb3d8 No.5061
>>5059North east, I guess.
bd30ef No.5062
>>5059Can they still sense the magical signature and where is it coming from?
Also, joy, we're now in what sounds like a mix between the nightmare of Fuminori Sakisaka and SCP 432. Thanks dice gods!
21c2a5 No.5063
>>5062Yes, it's faint and pumping, if the girls could give a direction, they'd say left but it's only a gut feeling.
0da5d4 No.5065
>>5059Which way does the damage to the meat go?
To the left or to the northeast?
Also it seems that Baphomet has already begun changing the Labyrinth to trap us here.
21c2a5 No.5066
>>5065>Which way does the damage to the meat go?It's on the left wall
>>5065
>Also it seems that Baphomet has already begun changing the Labyrinth to trap us here.The roll was in relation to that, but that 1 will probably accompany for a good long while instead of giving you one big OH FUCK moment.
0da5d4 No.5068
The magic pumping is probably what's feeding the meat and keeping it alive. But we have no indication that the miasma is produced by the meat.
Also, because of that 1, we'll likely be locked into one route after we make this choice, and Baphomet already knows we're here.
Does Maegan or the Sisters either feel any air currents coming from either path?
21c2a5 No.5069
>>5068
>Does Maegan or the Sisters either feel any air currents coming from either path?No, its all still and quiet
0da5d4 No.5070
>>5069Something dangerous is to the left.
The magical pumping is to the left.
Are the abominations in the Labyrinth under the control of Baphomet? Would they damage the walls in their mindlessness?
21c2a5 No.5071
So to summarize the choices
>The damage to the wall is on the left wall and the Tengus also believe the magical pump to be coming from there, but it's only a gut feeling at best as the magic is faint and spread like a wave,
>The corridor of the northeast opening seem to grow a tiny bit thinner, it'd make progress a little slower.
>The way back has been blocked by a wall.
>Everything is covered in meat.
Make your choices gents.
21c2a5 No.5072
>>5070>Are the abominations in the Labyrinth under the control of Baphomet? Would they damage the walls in their mindlessness?I cannot answer that.
0da5d4 No.5076
>>5071One more question:
Did Maegan notice the magical pumping before the first time she was here?
It could just be bait by Baphomet, since he knows we're here and is actively trying to trap us.
21c2a5 No.5077
>>5076>Did Maegan notice the magical pumping before the first time she was here?No. Neither you nor Hildegarde have the gift of magic and your grandmother didn't communicate if she felt anything odd in the tunnels.
Also, sorry for this lackluster update, that crit fail threw me on another loop so I had to rethink some stuff on the fly. I'll probably be ending soon, life is getting a bit busy for me but that's not going to be a trend. Still, I might not be able to continue the thread next week.
bd30ef No.5079
>>5077Ask Hildegarde about the damage and what she thinks of all this. This is, after all, her area of expertise.
21c2a5 No.5080
>>5079I'll make a quick update about that. Stay tuned
0da5d4 No.5081
>>5077It's a difficult choice to make.
Both paths have their disadvantages, and we are unlikely to be able to reverse our decision because the Labyrinth is now actively being sealed behind us.
Has Hildegarde seen the meat before in her days within the Labyrinth?
Do either of the sisters feel anything from the meat itself?
Can we see any miasma being let out from the pores of the meat?
21c2a5 No.5083
‘’Hild, there’s some damage here’’
The sudden appearance of this new materials and how it, quite literally, fused with the marbles to become its own thing was as scary as it was odd and interesting – even so, the decorum of the girls never fell and I felt compelled to squeeze the hand of my winged sister a little more as Akira took her place diligently behind us, not even swayed by the curiosity of looking at the meat. Her mother was right – for all her oddities – Akira is dependable.
The stoic woman peered at the clawed imprint on the wall; the wound still sewed a small amount of blood mixed in pus that slowly slides down to the ground.
‘’Ever seen anything like this during your three days in here?’’
‘’No.’’
She responded simply, quite categorical too. We silently proceeded with our guards on high alert, ready to pounce on any sound and movement until we finally reached the crossroad forcing us to choose a direction while the meat continued on as the new building material. No smoke escaping the large, bulbous piece of flesh and cancerous mutations, the fog was as thick and eternal as ever.
‘’Any magic from this meat, Ayumi, Akira?’’
Both girls simply shook their heads, all their senses were peeled and dread nourished their warrior heart; seem like the Tengus were to kind to grow very, very silent in potential dangers.
‘’What do you think of this, Hildegarde? That damage was on the left wall…’’
The spotless woman of alabaster lightly licked her lips and glared at the left path.
‘’I think something used the wall as feed, whether it went left or northeast I cannot say; our mages seem to feel magic coming from the left, it could be trap or simply something completely unrelated – I don’t know if the entities in this place obeying the will of the Sabbath are similar to what we can find in the Swamp – but if I were to operate on the knowledge of that place, then I would go left to confront and kill whatever is making itself obvious. Even so, these horrors are chaotic in nature, so you need to be very flexible in your hypothesis.’’
Fair enough, there’s probably going to be no way back after we choose a path…
>What now?
0da5d4 No.5089
>>5083Baphomet cannot hide a magical presence, can it?
21c2a5 No.5090
>>5089Not that you know off; there's no way to hide magic as it is back in the your world.
0da5d4 No.5092
>>5090And we have no idea how the miasma is created, if it's a purely alchemical process or if magic is involved.
And the only source of magic that we've detected so far is the pumping to the left?
bd30ef No.5093
>>5083Our pistol has a mind of its own, let's point him at either path and see which one it favors just to get everyone's vote in. It loves us, let's ask it what it feels like doing.
This'll also tell me a bit more about him. Let's see if it's brave and valiant or cautious and timid. It has pretty much sworn a life debt to us, we owe it to the spirit to let it have a say. It is locked and loaded right now yes?
21c2a5 No.5094
>>5092>And we have no idea how the miasma is created, if it's a purely alchemical process or if magic is involved.Aye.
>>5093
>Our pistol has a mind of its own, let's point him at either path and see which one it favors just to get everyone's vote in. It loves us, let's ask it what it feels like doing.Damn you clever anonI'm making a light update out of this.
bd30ef No.5095
>>5094I thank you for the compliment.
bd30ef No.5096
>>5094Oh, this is another thing I'd like answered. How exactly does it "see" the world? It is a spirit and all so it may see things in a different way than we do. It'd be a *huge* help if it saw things in regards to a "spirit world" like in WoD and thus might not need physical light or be limited by our own concept of sensory perception.
Wan Wan even expressed regret that she couldn't see into a realm that Ame could, and the fluff does seem to have a range of perception that can pick up on things even Siggy can't. We're in a kind of hell so any and all potential advantages must be leveraged if we want to make it out alive.
21c2a5 No.5097
>>5096>How exactly does it "see" the world?Since WanWan doesn't know, I can't answer this.
0da5d4 No.5098
>>5094How does the spirit communicate with Maegan?
Just impressions, or now that it's anchored to the pistol, does it communicate through more clear thoughts?
21c2a5 No.5099
>>5098>How does the spirit communicate with Maegan? You'll see how in my incoming update.
bd30ef No.5101
>>5097Damn. Ask the Tengu sisters about this kind of thing too then as well. I bet they or at least their mum would know something about this type of thing and she would have told them.
Sadly, the only certain answer can only come from the fluff and we can't exactly contact them now without seriously upping our target priority.
If that goatman bastard gets even the slightest wind of what our necklace really is we'll shoot right to the top of his priority target list. No way he'd turn down having a being like Ame as his bitch by yoinking that star ball from our cold dead hands. NOPE! Must. NOT! Let that happen. Ever. Period.
21c2a5 No.5102
>>5101>Damn. Ask the Tengu sisters about this kind of thing too then as well. I bet they or at least their mum would know something about this type of thing and she would have told them.I'll add that in the update. I'll take longer nad it'll be my last one for tonight.
bd30ef No.5103
>>5102I pride myself on being a consummate analytical thinker. I'm always looking for what we could be missing in a situation. All things make perfect sense in the end in my worldview. If they don't, they you have simply failed to see something.
0da5d4 No.5106
>>5103>All things make perfect sense in the end in my worldviewThat's just hindsight being 20/20.
bd30ef No.5107
>>5106Yes. But that can also teach you a lesson. You "missed" that particular detail that, in hindsight, you really ought to have caught.
Now that you know what you missed, how exactly you fucked up, you're now in a position to avoid that mistake again. It's a lesson in humility. A chance to truly learn from history. Though it is my experience that the only lesson people learn from history is that nobody learns from history…
21c2a5 No.5113
Feeling stuck on what to do, my eyes strayed toward the steel pistol in my hand, all this time the Tsukumogami stayed completely silent and I began to suspect something odd (especially given how chatty it was earlier) and, as the girl begin to wonder what path to take, I gently tapped the side barrel of steel.
‘’Hey, little guy, you can hear me?’’
The song of steel came swiftly in a gently tone as air was expulsed from the end of the barrel.
‘’Nice, I figure you could help us here, were in a bit of a meaty bind as you can see. I’d like to ask your opinion, since your part of the group, too’’
Another gentle sound came and for the first time in this accursed place I felt a smile on my face, I think this spirit is weak to genuine empathy.
‘’You can shift your tone right? So let’s go for something simple; the sound you just made will be taken as a yes, I believe you can do something else, a different sound. I’ll take that as a no, are we good?’’
It’s soothing voice of steel akin to a breeze flowing through a tight pipe came out again, affirming its comprehension; all the girls grew completely quiet now and Hildegarde gently moved away for me to take her place as I stood at the crossroad.
‘’First I’m going to ask something obvious; do you believe that, right now, as of this seconds, our group is in danger?’’
The smooth, gentle voice of steel that came out of the barrel felt like a bucket of cold water thrown into my burgeoning enthusiasm.
‘’I see. I know both paths are likely to hold some risks, so I’m going to ask you to answer, in a gentle tone, the way you believe to be the most dangerous.’’
Slowly, I hovered my hand left, then toward the northeast path; there was no reaction or way to know the spirit was doing anything but I kept going back and forth slowly and deliberately and, after accomplishing this motion six times, the gentle music of steel flowed again as I pointed it toward the tighter corridor of the northeastern path.
Next, I boldly thrust my arm toward the left path, grimacing at the meat.
‘’Is there something, an horror, an entity, an –enemy- in that direction?’’
The gentleness of the breeze felt like a cruel joke as he answered yes.
‘’Bless you for answering, friend’’
I said as went back to keeping the barrel of the gun upward, finger hovering near the trigger but not pressing on it either; an accidental discharge would be the height of incompetence right now.
‘’Say, sisters. Do you have some knowledge about spirit? I think our Tsukumogami helped us out tremendously’’
‘’It’s rather hard to explain…’’
21c2a5 No.5114
The way Ayumi answered right away tough made it clear she did know what she was talking about.
‘’Give it your best shot’’
Her wings flapped gently at my response, and then the twins looked at one another and nodded simultaneously as Akira held her lamp higher to keep guard, while Hildegarde did the same on the forward path.
‘’You know that everyone has a soul, right? And how us monsters and humans consist of about 25% souls and 75% body. The numbers tend to fluctuate a lot between the various species of monsters – especially for those with wings, since these appendages act as magical generators – but to keep it simple, having such a strong body means that our biology isn’t influenced by our beliefs and emotions. Of course traumatic experiences can make a person sick, perhaps even kill them, but there’s a huge difference when the numbers climb. Angels are 50% bodies and 50% souls – a perfect equilibrium – and why they are so amazingly strong in mind and body since emotions and ideals actually affect their biology, making them able to take a stab in the heart and live… then you have the few monsters and spirits that are about 75% souls and 25% body, the number can jump up to 95% souls. Ghost lingering in the world, people that somehow became sentient near-otherworldly entities that can be something of a common sight here and there, a lover dying of disease but unwilling to let go – that reasons are extremely numerous’’
Ayumi took a quick break, fiddling with her chainmail lightly as her wings flapped again.
‘’The Tsukumogami is, I suspect, an extremely rare case of about 95% souls, it’s why it needs to inhabit a body; if there wasn’t anything for it to reach onto, it’ll probably lose its ego and disappear altogether; I also suspect it can’t use magic at all, since there’s no projections emanating from it, even when it talked. How they perceive the world is… I would say through emotions; perhaps they have continuously one eye open toward a realm we can only perceive when dead, or maybe it can actually see the souls of people – which I guess, could explain quite a lot about its disposition. So if we go with this theory, when you pointed left, it means the Chosin-Obake saw a soul, a living thing.’’
‘’Yet he believes the northeastern path to be more dangerous…’’
‘’Perhaps it was his own form of ‘’gut feeling’’. He may be a spirit but he is also alive like you and me; not all-knowing, simply trying his best to help, too.’’
At the end of the crow exposition, a light, happy sound emerged from the steel barrel of the possessed gun; I guess the little guy liked this explanation, or at least approve of it. Seem like the girl isn’t that crippled by shyness…
>Ending here for tonight. I highly doubt I’ll be able to pick up tomorrow and I might be unable to continue the thread next week, just keep an eye on twitter, I always post activity.
21c2a5 No.5116
>>5114>people that somehow became sentientI meant object here.
0da5d4 No.5117
>>5114Since it could provide an answer to the question "which is more dangerous", a better question to ask of it now is "which way contains our goal".
We should ask it which way it thinks will lead us to the source of the miasma.
21c2a5 No.5118
>>5117It can't give a straight answer to this question, you'll get a negative reply for both paths.
0da5d4 No.5119
>>5118Which path leads to the target of Hildegarde's hunt?
Can it sense Baphomet, or more Witches?
21c2a5 No.5120
>>5119>Which path leads to the target of Hildegarde's hunt?It doesn't know, negative for both way.
>Can it sense Baphomet, or more Witches?No for both questions.
bd30ef No.5122
>>5117I'd vote for that too. Let the "spirit" of our gun attempt to point us in the direction where our end goal is most likely to be achieved.
Along with the feelings and votes of all others involved of course. We control Wan Wan, but the others are NPC's. It's a bizzaro world now folks, let us get everyone's opinion before we form one of our own.
>>5118As is your prerogative. You want us guessing right up until the very end. To only see what was the "right" choice afterwards. Thank god the dice gods liked Athena in that rematch…
>>5119In this instance we're pretty much trying to keep her from throwing her life away in a futile attempt to kill the bastard before we are able to send a dedicated kill team in there to assist her.
The optimal end of all this is to send in a hardcore platoon of badasses to fuck this "god" over once and for all. Optimally we'd equip her with the Shiki Knife, but we kinda need that one to off a certain Steel Skinned Angel on that critical date and thus can't count on us having access to it here.
My greatest fear? Deruella cut a deal with this fucker and intends to unleash his ass right after we deal with that particular Embodiment. Oh yeah, won't work out well for him as she's a bigger player than he is but hey, gotta break a few eggs to make an omelet.
21c2a5 No.5125
>>5122>It's a bizzaro world now folks, let us get everyone's opinion before we form one of our own.The spirit wish to go northeast, even if its dangerous, so does Akira since she believe following dangers means being on the right track.
Ayumi want to go left because she doesn't want an enemy potentially flanking you from the back.
Hildegarde want to go left because there's a bastard to find and kill.
0da5d4 No.5132
>>5125Can the spirit tell us what is the danger to the northeast?
Is it an ambush?
Will we be trapped by walls?
Is the danger of being flanked?
21c2a5 No.5133
>>5132I can't answer any of these questions. Northeast doesn't hold a presence tough, it simply seem to believe that path to be dangerous.
0da5d4 No.5134
>>5125>The spirit wish to go northeast, even if its dangerousCan it tell us why?
Does it believe that this path leads to our goal?
Or does it have some other gut feeling?
bd30ef No.5135
>>5125So it all splits down the middle in the end. The only vote left is Wan Wan's. What is she pulled towards? I know it may be a bit cheap but even she must have a "gut" feeling here.
As she grips the gem that truly is the soul of her one true love an instinct ought arise within her. What Would Ame Do? In situations like this all one can really do is pray. Pray to whatever "God" you believe in and trust that the one above all holds you amongst their favored servants and thus won't let it all go wrong in the worst of ways…
>>5132I too would like some kind of answers to these questions, but I doubt we'll get them until we commit to a course.
21c2a5 No.5136
>>5134>Does it believe that this path leads to our goal?Yes, that what the Tsukumogami believe. Just remember what Ayumi said tough, he's not all knowing, he's simply a living being that's a bit different.
>>5135
>What is she pulled towards? I know it may be a bit cheap but even she must have a "gut" feeling here.That's entirely up to you guys, she's the protagonist, you have to make this decision. I'm not going to make this easy.
399c82 No.5186
| Rolled 1 (1d2) |
Look like I might be able to continue the thread friday after all. Since we still didn't reach a consensus on the way to go, I'm going to roll as a final say.
bd30ef No.5187
What direction does that mean? I was kinda feeling like listening to the chuuni tengu and our gun.
399c82 No.5188
>>51871 was northeast
2 was left.
Now I'm dead tired and gone for the night, I'll lurk tough.
e64ef1 No.5238
>>4960>>5188polite saging for offtopic. Back, wanted to tell you that the major conversation moved from 4/tg/ to
https://8ch.net/twgrl/if you want to go take a look.
399c82 No.5245
| Rolled 1 (1d2) |
>>5238Cool, I'll take a look and see if I could help here and there.
bd30ef No.5249
>>5245Just be sure to announce periods of activity in some form here in this case. Really want to be involved in future projects.
399c82 No.5250
| Rolled 2 (1d2) |
>>5249I've actually been thinking of doing a Kancolle one shot for a long while, but that's not for anytime soon, gotta concentrate on this first.
399c82 No.5251
>>5250I need to drop that damn dice, too
f80ec9 No.5377
Ayumi Takara stat sheet.
http://pastebin.com/JjGLQCfcAkira Takara stat sheet.
http://pastebin.com/2GtmQeLsLearning to communicate with the spirit of the pistol will become a boon, I’m certain of it; I would have liked to linger a little more, perhaps ask Ayumi more questions about the difference between the soul and the body and its correlation to magic for she looked quite knowledgeable in that fascinating subject but, my own indecision led to spending a rather unhealthy amount of time on this crossroad where both paths seemed like bad ideas – with the two warriors at the front and back, I began to witness some sign of impatience and finally decided to put my own vote forward on where to go as the constant scenery of warped meat forming the walls began to settle in a little more, its mere vision enough to rise some dread out of me – maybe I simply didn’t want to go at all.
I need to remember to avoid being distracted so easily…
‘’Let’s go northeast, if there’s something down that hallway I really don’t want to test our luck.’’
‘’We’ll have to eventually’’
Hildegarde responded immediately, my refusal to indulge in her battle mania didn’t seem to strike any nerves but, then again, emotions on this doll-like maiden were hard to witness when the barest hints of danger showed itself.
‘’If were going in there then let’s try to be quick, if something catches us off-guard…’’
‘’I’ll take care of it, the shadow lord champions are no match for our merry band of heroes, all of us carry light in our bosom sis, you think I’m afraid of some meaty abominations?’’
‘’I’m scared you’ll go overboard in killing it, yes’’
‘’We are heroic soldiers! I know discipline! Now get in there!’’
‘’Hold on’’
While the merry shenanigans of the crows went on, Hildegarde abruptly stopped us we were about to squeeze into the passage ; it was thankfully enough to fit all of us in a line but it’d be a very tight squeeze, enough to make wings of the Tengu rub upon the worrying meats on the walls, always spewing out tiny amount of viscous liquid midway between pus and blood; I always grimaced at the sight, bracing for a scent of putrefaction that has thankfully yet to show itself.
‘’This could get dangerous, we’ll inevitably end up rubbing on the material; can you girls do anything to protect your wings?’’
Fortunately, both of them answered simultaneously with strong affirmation.
‘’Give us a few seconds to channel our magic.’’
‘’Of course’’
I felt slightly ashamed that I didn’t share my fellow maid forethought but I quickly set aside this feeling of inadequacy when our companions embraced they’re Focus; both of them twins of equal beauties, their veins bulged on their skins, colored in gold, tracing their bodies from heads to toes, giving them a brief natural glowers in the darkness, casting an organic light against the invasiveness of the fog. I saw Akira pull out a small capsule hidden amongst the many pockets of her battle uniform, what came out looked like dried out dirt whilst her sister invoked her inner magic of lightly as she gently flapped her wings, spreading them lightly to encompass our space before folding them neatly toward her shoulders as they become covered by a worrying purplish light alongside a characteristic concert of crackles that reverberated against the meaty walls, her magnificent obscure plumage had a new partial coats of electricity that visibly traveled its length.
‘’If anything tries to bit me, they’ll get a nasty jolt’’
f80ec9 No.5378
For the first time, the shy Ayumi puffed with pride.
Meanwhile, her sister appeared right in the middle of some ritual, having activated her focus her Nature became obvious as darkness spread from two fingers on her right hand.
‘’With my hand as the brush of creation, my will reject the laws of the Lord of Shadows to impose my own, to banish his ever encroaching manifestation I shall wrap myself in darkness; with the earth in this hand he will know my impenetrable spirit…’’
…somehow she found the creativity to speak some nonsenses again but there was something distinctive in her creation that appeared much more important than a mere show of art; unfortunately the fog made it hard to make out a clear distinction, it was only until she was finished that I finally witnessed her design; it looked like a pair of wing with several strange cracks all over them, painted in black and stayed into the air in a strange display of floating painting; Akira then put the tried earth in her palm onto that ‘’floating drawing’’ and a change immediately occurred on her wings. The previously soft looking and sharp feathers seemed to… stick on themselves and onto the flesh and skeleton of the appendages, none of the feathers stuck out anymore and Akira began to have obvious trouble with moving her wings, let alone stretching them.
‘’You could have done that in half the time sis, you didn’t have to show off.’’
Ayumi reprimanded her own wings full of dangerous jolts.
‘’You try drawing black on black sis’’
Akira barked back, knocking on her right wing with her fist, resulting in a brief thud as if she was striking the wall.
‘’I’m not too sure what happened, your wings just… changed.’’
The two crows faced me with a mixture of expression, namely pride from Akira and a bit of discomfort from her sister.
‘’Ya had a crash course on souls but I think my heroic self can share some knowledge too, there’s no secret between comrades-in-arms right?’’
‘’Later’’
Hildegarde sharply cut into the Tengu bravado, raising a brief ‘’hmph’’ of reproach from the crow, the doll-like woman of alabaster took the first cautious step into the tight passage before coming toward us, her glowering red optics glaring at a patch of wriggling, pumping meat like some kind of oversized tumor.
‘’Wa…Ahem’’
Why does everyone always come up with the same nickname…?
‘’Maegan, we’ll need to think of some way to keep you safe’’
‘’Eh? Is it really that dangerous?’’
‘’I don’t know, I’ve never been faced with this kind of structure before; but I know there’s a creature similar to what we can see, an amalgam of liquid flesh full of eyes and mouth consuming any and all organic matters in its path, this meaty…stuff isn’t quite unlike this being.’’
Her answer was curt and grave without emotion; Hildegarde straightened tree fingers and sharply jabbed onto that tumor after her sentence, squashing it effortlessly, releasing a line of thick yellow pus alongside a strangely brief sound akin to a plaint.
‘’I’m going to take any chances, I believes the crows to have adequate protections but I think you should proceed while being covered by their wings as well.’’
Her words made my ears and tail straighten despite my best attempts to remain motionless.
‘’You mean… proceeding like were in some kind of hug?’’
‘’Yes, I think you’ll be the one targeted if anything were to happen’’
‘’Why’s that?’’
Hildegarde didn’t answer right away; instead she turned to peer into the path again, her voice coming with a noticeable softer tone.
‘’Call it a hunch’’
>Out of everyone here, she’s undeniably the most experienced with «anomalous entities». Perhaps she’s being overprotective…
>Do I listen to her advice? Should I go under the –awkward- protection of a Tengu? And if so, who? Ayumi with wings of electricity? Or Akira whose appendages seem to have grown as solid as the earth we’ve been cut off from?
>Maybe I can trust myself in these tunnels; it wouldn’t do to handicap anyone…
2bc61a No.5379
>>5378Do I listen to her advice? Should I go under the –awkward- protection of a Tengu?
Go for Ayumi.
bf08b4 No.5380
>>5378Go while being hugged by Akira.
We need to hurry, the sisters embracing Focus will have been detected.
f80ec9 No.5382
| Rolled 1 (1d2) |
>>5380>>5379Rolling for one of the sisters.
f80ec9 No.5383
Given the tight fit of that corridor, I quickly understood that breaking our formations would be an act of foolishness; Hildegarde and Akira know how to handle themselves and melee, I shouldn’t rob this advantage of our group. Thus after the maid words my eyes strayed toward Ayumi with her briefly glowering wings, the crackles and snapping of electricity made my guts churns in anticipation but the long haired crow simply smiled and nodded, closing the distance to gently extend one of her appendage my way, to which I gave a tentative rub; the lack of subsequent pain was enough to give me the courage I lacked and the Tsukumogami in my hand let out a soft whisper of wind to encourage me further.
With ears and tail still awkwardly straightened, I gave my back to the crow and her wings gently poised themselves around my shoulders, their previous addicting softness I remembered from yesterday night completely gone; they felt rather dry to the touch as the electricity jolted back and forth. Matching our pace wasn’t difficult and the timid girl even whispered a «don’t worry, I’ll protect you» that made me tighten my grip on the pistol; the small hallway we’ll be getting into will make swift aiming difficult… so I understand Hildegarde train of thought.
‘’Very well, I’ll be moving with a little distance as always’’
Nobody spoke afterward, not even the unique Akira; everyone understood the gravity of the situation. The white doll penetrated the passageway first and after a few moments where she inspected the walls, rubbing her hands over the surface of the meat, she give a silent thumb up my way and I started to walk with Ayumi whilst Akira followed close behind. The crow’s wings immediately rubbed against the fleshy walls, their altered forms making an awkward slushing sound against the disgusting materials. I was probably the only one to hear it, which is why my grimace must have aroused some kind of empathy out of Ayumi as she whispered «I’m alright, you don’t need to worry».
For an introvert, that girl does have courage…
–
If I could describe my emotions of the small hallway in one word, it’d be oppressive; the inherent darkness of a subterranean path reinforced by an unknown thick black fog coupled with the nightmarish scenery of meaty walls, roof and ground felt like an attack on my senses, pustules ruptured from the rubbing of the wings, sometime our feet swashed a bulbous protuberance that released pus… the experience was beyond uncomfortable and I certainly felt grateful for not only Ayumi, but also the woman of alabaster on our front – I simply wished I could sing a little song to keep our morale steady but our silence was vital to make certain nobody snuck up on us…
Out of nowhere Ayumi twitched, her chin rubbed the back of my head from what looked like a nervous tick but then a loud snapping jolt resonated loudly in our path as –something- seemingly clashed with her electric wing, everything was over as suddenly as it began but our pair of warriors didn’t sit still. Behind me, Akira materialised a strange dark staff, turning her back and double her vigilance on our previously trodden path whilst Hildegarde literally bounced on front of me, her pale, ceramic-like hands balled into fists.
‘’Sis?’’
Akira spoke behind us.
‘’I’m alright, its okay. I felt a… movement on the wall, could you please peel off my wing, Maegan?’’
I did as I was told; carefully moving my palm to twist the wing tighter toward my shoulder, revealing the previously hidden wall that immediately gave our entire group a cold sweat. While the meat and deformed, organ-like structure extended in semi-uniform fashion, a mouth had somehow mutated into the fabrics, now laid open, dead, deformed with all of its teeth shattered by the impact of the lightning strike, open in a round oval shape with its tongue charred, immediately causing a disgusting smell of burnt meat that forced a grimace out of me.
‘’Ugh what the hell?’’
‘’…I think this hallway is sentient’’
‘’Um fellows heroes, not to be dramatic, but I do believe our path of retreat disappeared’’
Behind us Akira spoke clearly, throwing her dark staff into the fog whereupon a wet thud emerged… followed by a clear ominous growl as a snapping sound reverberated our way.
It wasn’t over; our lamps were strong, the white light allowed perfect vision of our meager surrounding, that’s why I immediately reacted when I saw movement on the short roof; something peeled away from a pore of meat to reveal another similar mouth looking like a deformed square full of wicked teeth that opened silently…
>Shoot it immediately
>Warn Hildegarde about this, the mouth can’t reach us.
>something else?
0da5d4 No.5384
>>5383>Warn Hildegarde about this, the mouth can’t reach us.The sound of a gunshot would be deafening. Hildegarde can punch the mouth before it can spit anything out..
bd30ef No.5385
>>5383Do Ayumi's wings still have a protective aura around them?
f80ec9 No.5386
>>5385Yes, wings are natural magical generator so keeping the aura on them is child play.
2bc61a No.5387
>>5383>>Shoot it immediately 0da5d4 No.5388
>>5383>>5384On second thought, maybe we should shoot it before it can do anything.
>>5386When we shot the gun before, was it painfully loud or just surprisingly loud?
f80ec9 No.5389
>>5388>When we shot the gun before, was it painfully loud or just surprisingly loud?Just suprisingly.
Right now I've written following the mindset of telling Hildegarde but if the descision change, say it now so I can rewrite everything swiftly.
0da5d4 No.5390
>>5389Changing to shooting, and I hope I'm not second-guessing myself into a trap.
0da5d4 No.5391
>>5389Was the lightning louder or the same as the gun?
Maybe staying quiet is still possible.
f80ec9 No.5392
>>5391It was about the same. Writing the update now
f80ec9 No.5395
My reaction can only be described as a reflex; I saw the abominable shift in the wall, moved my hand upward to point the pistol and fired as everyone else simply followed the movement of my weapon; the sound that erupted was a briefly deafening booming not unlike the previous jolt, Akira and Ayumi twitched in reaction whilst Hildegarde simply observed in silence. The bullet penetrated the open mouth effortlessly and something of a squeaky whine emerged as a mixture of blood and yellow pus escaped its wound, carrying with it a few broken teeth as large as my thumb; I didn’t wait after the shot either, the importance of reloading being obvious I took out a slab of steel the second after firing and the Tsukumogami inside carved its new bullet like a machine, it felt like we were already a well drilled duo.
‘’Talk about surprise…’’
Ayumi whispered beside me; I don’t know if that mouth was going to do anything yet, the moment I felt a little calmer Hildegarde suddenly punched the wall to her right where another such mouths formed; her first drove right into the upper part, shattering its meaty bones in a disgusting squeak that also shattered the upper rows of sharp teeth, the creature led out a plaintive gurgle and its tongue lolled out uselessly, hanging upon deformed, yellowish fangs; that wasn’t all, I saw another one being formed on the left… and a worrying growl resounded behind us, hidden in the darkness.
‘’My my, stuck with the shadow lord fiends in what look like the belly of a beast…’’
The Tsukumogami was right, this place is certainly incredibly dangerous – the mouths are easy kills but they keep reforming time and again and this tunnel is incredibly tight, killing any attempts at maneuvering.
‘’…We need to go’’
Hildegarde spoke with grim resolution, elbowing another abominable cavity as the gravity of the situation finally settled – it seem like the tunnel was awakening.
>Is it time to run forward? Or do you stand your ground against the denizens of this realm?
>If you choose to run, roll 1d20
bd30ef No.5397
| Rolled 6 (1d20) |
>>5395Cheese it!
bd30ef No.5398
>>5397C'mon someone else roll I don't wanna die here.
f80ec9 No.5399
File: 1427770770609.jpg (336.82 KB, 500x707, 500:707, 2adc4b708a3d0668afeccbe8e1….jpg)
>>5397>>5398Given the low activity, I'll wait for one more roll. then… we'll see what happen.
0da5d4 No.5400
| Rolled 10 (1d20) |
>>5395Run forward.
0da5d4 No.5401
| Rolled 18 (1d20) |
>>5400Decidedly average.
bd30ef No.5402
>>5401Aye the dice gods… they mock us in this dark hour.
f80ec9 No.5403
>>5401As pleasing as that 18 is, I can't take it.
Writing now, it'll probably be the last one for tonight, the usual trend should make tomorrow more active.
f80ec9 No.5405
‘’Mind your speed as you run!’’
In the time it took me to finish my sentence, Hildegarde had already dealt with two additional bestial mouths; my words weren’t an order by any means, yet she nodded wordlessly and took upon her the incredibly dangerous duty of scouting while running, the dark fog making it impossible to see beyond two meters, she still somehow found the presence of mind to stamp and strike any foes she saw, leaving me to follow as closely as I could whilst holding the pistol upright and minding the trigger; behind me I could hear Ayumi breathing a little loudly as she inevitably fell a little behind due to her wings – which began to produce constant loud jolts as the enemy formed again and again in an attempts to wound her. Behind us, Akira somehow manage to float – yes float- behind her sister, keeping pace while keeping her backward stance as she somehow managed to fly inside this incredibly tight hallway with the kind of dexterity that could only be described as surreal. However, the reason behind this became obvious as I gave a quick backward glance her way; some kind of small humanoid silhouette was bouncing toward her whereupon she gave it a sharp thrust with that dark staff in her hands, launching it back into the shadows.
I couldn’t quite describe what was hounding our group from the back. I only glanced at a small humanoid with deformed features – I wasn’t going to bother figuring it out. With the change to a sprint, our pace increased tenfold, most of the forming mouths zipped past before they could begin harming us while those that could were dealt with by the stalwart white doll, our paces created a concert of disgusting squish interrupted by lightning strikes and the few odd wet splotch coming from our back as Akira fought off whatever troglodyte trying its luck.
However…
I saw Hildegarde connect with something, her solid sprint coming to a full stop as she braced and shoulder tackled something covered by the fog that was quickly revealed to be some kind of… barrier of meat, as if a sheet of this gangrene decided to bar our path – thankfully she broke through without issue.
‘’Gah!’’
My right foot suddenly –sank- into the ground. A mouth had formed on the path; jaws open large enough to encompass my entire limb it immediately snapped closed with those large teeth as I was inevitably sent tumbling forward. Ayumi was unfortunately too slow to react and slammed right behind me, sending a blinding pain that made me cry out as I simultaneously felt the jaw close on my foot… unable to pierce through the armor.
f80ec9 No.5406
During our preparation, Hildegarde had made a very important point; our legs were to be covered in the best armor available outside the chainmail for our upper bodies because, she insisted, that her experience with enemies of the swamp had them target people legs, making adequate protection vital and I could tell this damnable mouth was having a hard time with the plates.
Still my eyes filled with tears at the pain as Ayumi face planted into the meaty ground, her collusions sending blistering agony throughout my back, especially the lower part she inadvertently kicked, making me wonder if something was broken.
Fortunately I hadn’t let go of the pistol but… behind me, Akira had already stopped her racing, planting her feet solidly on the ground, dark staff in hand, I couldn’t see her face but the darkness behind us was an ominous sight, doubly so when I heard a laughing fit; I saw the distinctive small silhouette of something lurking in the fog, but it didn’t lunge forward yet, instead staying at a calculated distance away from the light of our lamps.
Pulling myself back up proved fruitless as the mouth closed its lips on my limb, sucking to keep me in place while gnawing at the armor, breaking its teeth on the metal; all the strength I put into pulling was similarly reciprocated by the entity into keeping me trapped. Fortunately, Ayumi didn’t seem any worse as she quickly pulled herself back up, while at the front Hildegarde already doubled back in our direction, unfortunately began to worsen dramatically as arms began to sprout around the woman of alabaster; all of them thick limbs of gangrenous flesh covered in cancerous tumours, they launched and surrounded the maid who immediately grasped them back, pulling them out while forced into a walk, her strength so tremendous that she ripped from limbs from their growing sockets on the walls.
‘’I-I can help you its okay!’’
I heard Ayumi speak near me, already on her knees but my eyes were trailed on Hildegarde whose glowering optic were scarcely on us, the fog appeared to thicken around her, making those brilliant red eyes all the more beautiful as she carved a path in the meat, arms grasp at her shoulders, legs, hair, face, thighs… Nothing held her back, yet I also saw movement behind her, something she didn’t notice; the light of her limp was dimming and a little above her head, I saw face of rotted meat with a grin that froze my blood.
I…
>Shoot it [1d20+3] due to your natural marskmanship
>Warn Hildegarde
>Free.
bd30ef No.5407
>>5406Would it be possible to do both? We could shout right before we shoot.
f80ec9 No.5408
>>5407Hm, true enough, you could do both, just remember that it take some time to reload your gun.
0da5d4 No.5409
| Rolled 8 + 3 (1d20) |
>>5406>>Shoot it [1d20+3] due to your natural marskmanship>>Warn Hildegarde bd30ef No.5410
| Rolled 18 + 3 (1d20) |
>>5409C'mon…
bd30ef No.5411
>>5408>>5410That was for the dual option. Screaming out a name/warning wouldn't really do anything to the reloading action though. And didn't we just reload the thing? Aren't we already locked, loaded, and ready to blow a fuckers brains out?
f80ec9 No.5412
File: 1427777759316.jpg (380.96 KB, 912x702, 152:117, bc8adcf7b2d32be8980be87442….jpg)
>>5411Yes, the warning was for what could be happening after the shot, you might not have the opportunity to reload adequately.
>>5410Jeez talk about good aim.
Anyway I'll stop here for tonight and update tomorrow, where we'll have more people hopefully. Stay tuned, this tunnel is quite a danger aint it?
Also, as you've seen a little above in the thread, I might be tempted to attempt a new project… but for now I'm concentrating here as I'm still adapting to the little changes I went through the past two weeks.
bd30ef No.5413
>>5412Clutch time baby, gotta make it happen when it counts. Looks like the dice aren't willing to kill anyone yet.
f80ec9 No.5424
Resuming quest soon
f80ec9 No.5425
It was like seeing a nest of serpents pounce all at ounce; even with all her struggle Hildegarde could only do so much, her pace decreased substantially as she brute forced her way closer to us while behind me, I heard the distinctive sound of slicing as Akira began a much more lethal defense, sending back our foes into the darkness with bestial yelps while Ayumi seemed close to panic upon seeing my leg.
I didn’t have time to worry about that; I counted up to twenty arms stuck onto Hildegarde, her eyes now glowering with a much fiercer light as smokes began to waft from her arms and legs, the palms enrolled around them starting to burn and melt from the woman inner heat; yet the face behind her kept on smiling as I noticed the fog grows even thicker, what looked like tendrils of air sprouting to hover all over her body as the arms sprouted again and again from the meat of the walls as others body parts began to show up on our side, too, forcing Akira to kill them with a few solid strikes.
‘’Hild!’’
I was already pointing at her before screaming, which must have been all the warning she needed as her face widened in brief surprise, the sound of my gun erupted in the tunnel for a second time, a loud, explosive clash heralded the birth of new hostility as grayish particles of steel belched from the opening of the barrel while the bullet perforated that face of leprosy between the eyes, sending it reeling back into the darkness as dark, oily blood splatted onto the organic wall; Hildegarde seemed to catch a glance of it too, but contrary to my expectation she actually sprang forward to put some distance, breaking, melting and ripping apart the intrusive limbs that couldn’t hold the fury of the white Valkyrie anymore.
The presence of this ‘’face in the fog’’ had already disappeared after my shot without any kind of thud that’d betray an actual body, I felt Ayumi press her hands on my back and a strange prickly sensation suddenly invaded my body, as if every pores of my skin were touched by invasive fingers, the dark mauve colored electricity that was her magic suddenly traveled my entire body and the mouth that kept my leg prisoner was fried in seconds, its teeth shattering from the force, the skin inside its mouth rupturing and finally a gargling whine became its death rattle as I stood back up, pain burning in my leg, forcing me to limp as I fiddled with my ingot to carve a new bullet. I had never felt such a stinging sensation before, the mere act of putting it on the ground made me recoil as an incredibly painful jolt shot from my knee all the way up my spine.
For a moment it felt like this living hallway had ceased to function; the meaty abominations that previously formed and reformed seemed to have stopped still in bafflement and the entities behind us let out a few whine of fear while skulking the shadows.
‘’Can you run…?’’
Hildegarde was covered in blood, pus, charred piece of meats and skins while those bright red orbs of hers glowered with such fierce light they left afterimage in the illumination of our lamps.
‘’No but… I’ve got a potion’’
Meidir Elixir was a foul tasting brew that sped up natural recovery while numbing the pain of wounds; one of the most reliable healing potions out there, it was also unfortunately slow acting, I’ll need at least ten minutes for its effects…and there’s no telling if the fog could affect it.
Still, every one of us was given three of them inside sealed capsule.
‘’I can carry, we’ve got to go fast’’
Hildegarde immediately turned, kneeling down to offer her back to me and I felt my tail swag as she reminded me of a kneeling knight…The worrying fumes that escaped from her peerless limbs had already disappeared; the clothing covered her ceramic-like skin had all but come undone, leaving her nearly pant less and without any arms to her thick, protective shirt. Witnessing such purity against the gruesome meat of the soil made my heart skip a beat.
Behind me, I could hear Ayumi being slightly out of breath, her wings still filled with energy and her sister hovered in the back, keeping a stalwart, silent gaze behind us; all trace of naïve fun completely gone from her face, instead replace with grim resolve.
I’ll admit, I thoroughly underestimated these crows, both of them are tough girls.
>[Your leg has a minor fracture]
>Do I take the potion? Maybe the fog wouldn’t do anything if I drink it fast…
>Should I allow Hildegarde to carry me? This would significantly reduce our formation effectiveness.
>The tunnel seem to have stopped its attacks, perhaps it’s a chance to go a little slower, Hildegarde went off on her own and was almost…
>Free
bd30ef No.5426
>>5425>>5425This Capsule, what does it look like? A capsule would imply a kind of pill and as such we'd have nothing to worry about.
However, if it's a bottle of some kind and we're really paranoid about the fog all we gotta do is exhale really good, put it in our mouth, undo the cork and tuck in between our cheek and gums with a little tongue gymnastics and guzzle it down really fast.
And I bet Wan Wan is up to the tasks of those tongue gymnastics, Ame would have taught her well.
bd30ef No.5427
>>5426Sorry, I meant we put the neck of the bottle in our mouth, not the whole thing and press our lips on it really hard if it's a bottle.
f80ec9 No.5428
>>5426>And I bet Wan Wan is up to the tasks of those tongue gymnastics, Ame would have taught her well.W-wow anon…
But yes it's a liquid put inside a comestible capsule you can crack open with your teeth then eat.
Still, the choices is to either wait for the leg to heal or to take Hildegarde piggyback ride. Or something else, of course.
f80ec9 No.5429
With the lack of inputs I'll go with the presented choice.
Damn you guys for rolling lowand high back to back
797d1d No.5430
>>5425>>5425Take the potion and have aYumi carry us
bd30ef No.5431
>>5428So we could just exhale really hard, pop the capsule in, crack it open with out teeth then swallow the whole load in one big gulp potion and all and not have anything bad happen like we would if it was made of glass? If so we do that. Then reload the gun, we gotta be ever ready to bust a cap in an abomination's ass.
Still, any spells that'd make us a lighter load so as we wouldn't hinder Hilde too much even if we're being carried? Is it possible to make like, the equivalent of a 4-wheeled walker so we could just kick our way down the corridor with our good leg supporting ourselves with our arms and not lose too much speed or functionality until the potion kicks in? Or could we just get levitated for a bit and pushed forward by one of the crows with minimal effort on their part until that happens? A magic brace that'd enable us to walk on our bad leg anyway by transferring the weight to a place above our fracture so as not to bother it?
For example, if the injury is to the lower leg we just clamp something really good to the upper leg or knee that'll end up touching the ground before the foot does just slightly so that the weight is borne by the upper leg instead of the foot (which would result in force being transferred through the fracture and thus causing pain). It'd feel awkward but otherwise it'd be like running with one shoe on, which is quite doable. Maybe the whole nine yards with a kind of exoskeleton where both our legs are suspended a bit and it's all born by the usual points on the body, but no force is passing through our legs as we run?
f80ec9 No.5432
>>5430Ayumi isn't strong enough to support you adequately.
>>5431>Still, any spells that'd make us a lighter load so as we wouldn't hinder Hilde too much even if we're being carried? Is it possible to make like, the equivalent of a 4-wheeled walker so we could just kick our way down the corridor with our good leg supporting ourselves with our arms and not lose too much speed or functionality until the potion kicks in? Or could we just get levitated for a bit and pushed forward by one of the crows with minimal effort on their part until that happens? A magic brace that'd enable us to walk on our bad leg anyway by transferring the weight to a place above our fracture so as not to bother it?No to any of that, none of the girls have magical talents for that and you lack supplies for a brace since you planned for a fast and aggressive exploration. Also nobody had enough medical knowledge to make such an elaborate brace.
bd30ef No.5433
>>5432How fast could we go if we just took her shoulder and essentially skipped our way down the corridor using her as a kind of crutch? That way she wouldn't have to bear all of her weight.
Also, can't she fly? If her legs ain't strong enough maybe her flying ability is and we can ride her?
f80ec9 No.5434
>>5433Ayumi doesn't have the dexterity of her sister, flying in this tunner is going to be incredibly hard for her, let alone doing so while supporting you. Skipping while holding onto her is going t oseverly slow down the group^since you are all forced to walk in line.
Hild also seem adamant in picking you up
0da5d4 No.5435
>>5432If Ayumi isn't strong enough, then there's nothing for it. We need speed, so have Hildegarde carry Maegan, take a potion capsule, and get going.
bd30ef No.5436
>>5434If she's adamant then I'll let her, she's the expert here. She is to drop us unceremoniously on our ass the instant she thinks another fight is about to happen or we can't really outrun the threat.
And I said it already but, reload the gun after taking the pot. We need to be locked and loaded. We can still shoot even if she's carrying us.
0da5d4 No.5437
>>5436We're already reloading the gun.
>forcing me to limp as I fiddled with my ingot to carve a new bullet.Are you suggesting that we stop the reloading process to drink the potion?
f80ec9 No.5438
My hands were trembling form the pain, tears filled my eyes as the burning hurt in my leg seemed to debilitate my entire body but even if my vision lightly I could still see the gallant, kneeling back of Hildegarde in front of me and it was with an instinctive edge that I grasped the protective capsule holding the elixir; my all too comfortable life never prepared me for this pain… but I do have my pride, the black pill entered my mouth and I immediately crunched it between my teeth, nearly retching from the foul tasting brew that I forced myself to drink, immediately causing a brief tingle in my leg, the pain already lessening.
That was only the anesthetic effect of Meidir Elixir, I’d need a good 10 minutes for the wound to heal and even then, and my leg might feel sensible until I can get proper care but that’s much better than nothing, especially in absence of holy.
‘’Sorry for making you wait…’’
My voice came out breathless with an echo inside the now silent meaty tunnel.
‘’Come on, were comrades, no need to feel ashamed’’
I heard Akira answer behind me and the stoic woman of alabaster at the front nodded; I promptly decided that the heat on my face was caused by the pain and I moved gently toward Hildegarde back, skipping all my steps as my entire leg felt… strange, for lack of a better term – it was like countless tiny needle prickling the entirety of the bone yet, it wasn’t painful, simply distracting.
The maid was incredibly gentle when she placed her hands on my legs and despite my best attempt I felt my tail wag as she peered my way, her optics glowering in magnificent crimson.
‘’Thank. It seems I keep underestimating you, Maegan… but your aim was truer than anyone I’ve ever seen. I’m glad you didn’t hesitate’’
The way she held me on her back was incredibly delicate despite my wounded leg; perhaps she accurately predicted where I must have been hurting most because I barely felt a ting of pain as I tried my best to battle the embarrassment of her… honesty, shall I say. Having Ame-no-Uzume as a lover made this very easy at least.
–
All the meaty, rotten arms that previously trapped my fellow maid had disappeared, apparently shrunk back into the material as our party progressed at some speed, Hildegarde taking a very careful approach while the pair of crows behind us never uttered a single complaint; the wall she previously slammed into seemed to hold some kind of body that we didn’t linger to details, however as we progressed down the tunnel the fog became noticeably thicker, making the way forward that much harder to discern and forcing our pace slower and our group to tighten its line to avoid losing ourselves in the darkness…
>1d20+1 for perception.
0da5d4 No.5439
| Rolled 6 + 1 (1d20) |
>>5438 f80ec9 No.5440
>>5439I'll wait for one more roll
5cb3d8 No.5441
| Rolled 14 + 1 (1d20) |
>>5440 f80ec9 No.5442
Instead of trying to see whatever Hildegarde would miss, I decided to trust my ears; I felt them perk atop my head as I gently tightened my hold onto Hildegarde’s shoulders, our progress in the meaty tunnels made me increasingly nervous as the fog made it look like we were just about to step into another world… again, but that’s when I realized something odd.
First, our walking always elicited a few meaty squeaks as the armors of our legs met a few vulnerable part of the grounds, my renewed attention (to ignore the pain in my leg) made me realize that I heard something else form the roof, thus I immediately looked upward as I moved my hand holding the pistol, fearing renewed hostility from the tunnel but instead, for the briefest of glance, I saw something much odder; a humanoid face wrapped in dark fog lingered near a few bulbous piece of meat without any trait to speak off – I couldn’t spent any seconds on details because it felt like it was just about to disappear…
>Shoot it [1d20+2 since it’s more of a reflex shot]
>Something else?
0da5d4 No.5443
>>5442So it's just a face? No hostile intent, no bared teeth, just a face with open eyes looking at us?
f80ec9 No.5444
>>5443Yes, it'll dissapear shortly so there's no time to investigate further.
f80ec9 No.5445
I guess I should really do the quest during the week end.
bd30ef No.5446
>>5445Um, dude, this is Easter week. Most people will either be traveling to be with their family or actually with their family. This always happens near holidays in which people go see the fam fam.
However, I will list the possibilities I am seeing in hopes that someone will be moved to state an action.
1)The fuckers have seen us, and there ain't a damn thing we can do about it. Even if we land the shot it won't mean much and thus we ought warn them to keep everyone frosty and on high alert or otherwise avoid a nasty trap.
2)It's about to actually see us and if we shoot the damn thing now we'll avoid all sorts of unpleasantness if we land the shot so we ought to try and take it out.
3)You're trolling us and it's really nothing or actually beneficial to us and if we leave it be one way or the other we'll have made the right call in some form.
I can never tell with you, and that's why I'm still on this wild ride. You are damn good at cultivating an air of uncertainty with everything. It's both stressful and engaging. It ain't everyone's cup of tea but… I like it. Takes balls and a fine sense of balance to keep this up.
bd30ef No.5447
>>5445Oh, and 8chan is less smartphone friendly than /tg/ is it seems. I tried looking it up on it a bit ago, damn was this thread slow to load on my shit 3G connection (yeah, my phone was dirt cheap, sue me) and it took effort to reach the recent posts, I had to scroll down manually as I didn't spot a [bottom] button on it. Short of a successful google search on this thread's recent posts (not sure if you'd land it even if you knew how to google things as if you were a friggin' internet sage), it'll be too much of a pain to do for most individuals who always follow the paths of least resistance (i.e. most everyone alive on this planet).
So the type that likes to go off to the side for a few minutes every so often and check up on the thread and post from it are even harder to come by than the time you was on /tg/. Just saying…
f80ec9 No.5448
>>5446Follow your instinct, do you shoot the strange face in a hallway of meat? Only you can tell me my friend!
>>5447Hm, I see. I prefer /qu/ because I don't have to marathon as ahrd compared to /tg/ so I can spread my updates during several days, I guess it was just a bad week, we'll have better coming this week end.
bd30ef No.5449
>>5448Um… It's called "Easter Sunday" for a reason. The weekend will have most everyone spending time and being in the presence of the fam fam.
Given the issues with the smartphone I had, and the general reluctance for people even as Introverted as myself to reveal their true level of nerdiness to others for fear of being rejected or viewed with an air of disgust even by those that ought love me unconditionally… Yeah, tall order, not sure if I could do it even though I want to.
The average nerdy introvert going off to the side for a few minutes is normal. If he/she takes longer someone may come looking and get a glimpse of that screen. If they start asking questions and pushing for info it's all over.
"La Cosa Nostra" had rules for a reason, disregarding them led to it's decline. "This thing of ours" ain't to be found out by the normals, abandon the caution of the rules at thine own collective peril. Because the normals won't much like us if they find out what we're really into. You'll never get a /d/eviant to admit to being one in meatspace if he isn't absolutely sure he's surrounded by other /d/eviants and they're all sure that non-/d/eviants won't overhear. The tribe knows its own, and is supremely weary of those not of the tribe or even knowing of the tribe's existence.
Should someone get stupid and those not of the tribe search further they'll see things, things they probably won't like. That ruins the whole game, and if there's one thing we don't want, it's for the game to end because the outsiders ruin all the fun we're having.
f80ec9 No.5450
>>5449Methink you are being a little over dramatic, friend.
Anyhow I'll plan on dropping by around sunday, meanwhile anyone is free to roll so I can write the OP with the result of the dice.
bd30ef No.5451
>>5450Hard to be over dramatic when pic related has proven time and again to be true man…
f80ec9 No.5452
>>5451Fair enough.
I should be in better shape during the week end, I only had three days of planning before starting the thread again.
I'll take a little more time while simultaneously working on that potential one shot, mostly because I feel passionate about it. Stay tuned good folks.
4a8164 No.5454
>>5442Don't shoot the face.
It'll be difficult to reload while on Hildegarde's back, so save the shot for something obviously hostile.
And yeah, the other guy is being overdramatic and should actually vote for an action.
bd30ef No.5455
>>5450If that's your vote then we should at least tell them about it. "Something" has seen us, what it is we don't know, but that is a piece of info the others need to know.
After all, if it's really bad Hilde will probably know what's about to happen and get everyone nice and ready for it somehow. Forewarned is forearmed.
f80ec9 No.5458
>>5455Aye, since it seem people don't want to waste the shot, warning the party come next.
f80ec9 No.5501
It'll be better for me to continue the thread next Friday, general health isn't allowing me an easy planning.
f80ec9 No.5605
Starting the thread Saturday instead, got an idea I want to implemant so that require some planning.
f80ec9 No.5643
I only perused the vague shape of a face from the edge of my peripheral vision as it disappeared into the red-yellow meat of this new world we inhabited; the only sure thing I could say about this strange, second long event would be a total lack of definitive traits but then again I only caught a glimpse, which was more than enough to squeeze my heart in dread and similarly tighten my arm around the maid neck who didn’t protest my invasiveness, in fact our relatively rapid pace didn’t seem to inconvenience her in the least as she kept rushing forward, closely shadowed by the pair of Tengus behind us who had taken to levitate slightly now that the tight tunnel opened slightly, allowing their wings to stretches out. The group was making some good time and I decided to whisper at Hildegarde about my finding as I was starting to doubt my own sanity – maybe it was a trick of the fog? I had come very close to shoot another bullet, nervousness made my hands tighten around the handle of the pistol and the steel ingot.
‘’I saw a face disappear into the meat’’
She simply nodded silently, obviously there wasn’t anything to be done about it now but I still felt nervous and so, tightened my grip around the pistol as my wounded leg began to tingle, reducing the pain to nothingness as all sensations disappeared in the limb; the elixir finally entered its second healing phase.
‘’Seem there’s something very keen on keeping track of our progress’’
Hildegarde finally whispered back as her glowered optic never blinked once despite the increasingly thick dark fog; so much that our group was nearly blind to one another despite the tight formation while visions of the front and back were understandably hard to notice. It was a consistency of smoke instead of mist yet I didn’t feel any irritation in the eyes, breathing was easy and smooth, my fur stayed spotless not even the pus and grim of the meaty walls stained it, only the white light of our alchemical lamps suffered some changes as our vision was rendered near null, the lights were completely unable to pierce the pitch black patches of darkness.
‘’Feels like were going to run into a wall’’
Behind us, our rear guard was barely visible through the black smoke; our file was barely above two meters, so tight were the tunnels. Hildegarde running and decrease to a low jogging and after the remark from the warrior crow the only sound became the winded breathing of Ayumi and the constant wet splotch of everyone boots as they trampled the sensitive organs on the ground.
The previous dangers of this damned tunnel were seemingly gone, was my shot truly that effective…?
f80ec9 No.5644
–
It took another twenty minutes of blind progress before finally finding something of worth for our efforts; our pace had also decreased into a walk in the last ten minutes to give Ayumi some breathing room as the meaty hallway had grown seemingly dormant. Despite my guard I didn’t witness news anomalous phenomenon, the only constant being an appearances of new walls behind us to prevent going back the way we came. Everyone also felt a distinctive feeling of paranoia, my senses tingled with the certainty of being observed – a sentiment quickly shared by our small company and try as I might, I couldn’t pinpoint the source, but if there’s one certainty I can make it’s that wherever we’ll end up, something is going to be prepared to receive us.
‘’Ayumi?’’
I heard the sister speak out in concern as the crow behind us slowed her pace, her breathing ragged from effort she didn’t speak much and simply tried to keep her previous pace, only to be stopped when I made Hildegarde slow down into a walk by gently tapping her shoulder; thankfully fate favored us this time since we happened to find the end of this tunnel, still covered in its meaty material.
The tight walls finally opened in a brief spherical room without exit to speak off aside from a single circular hole in the center looking like some kind of perforated wound, without edges or apparent construction to prevent a fall, there was simply a caved in hole in this cul-de-sac, from which the smoke emerged in a continuous column like the top of a chimney. Investigating downward was fruitless – this evolution to the previous fog was so thick that we couldn’t see anything of this past floor, only the continuous flow of dark vapor kept its gentle flow into our temporary sanctuary without any kind of draft.
‘’You doing okay, sis?’’
With the two Tengus side by side, Akira gently rubbed her sister shoulder as she nodded in turn, her breathing mildly erratic from effort and stress. I also requested Hildegarde to bring me down, the numbness in my leg made it impossible to stand and the gentle woman of alabaster silently offered herself as my anchor, her solid naked arms allowing more than adequate support for me to test my footing on the uneven, slippery, meaty ground.
‘’Only way down is to jump’’
She said as she turned her gaze toward the hole briefly before snapping her eyes toward the entrance, her bright optics leaving a brief trail in the smokes that, I realized was actually powdery – those eyes were secreting some kind of substance.
I found myself too dumbstruck to say anything, I could feel my ears perked despite my best attempt – this woman, Hildegarde, she’s not human after all… Well, it’s not like this knowledge change anything in this hellhole doesn’t it?
>Going to try something a little different, mostly related to fast actions; I’ll try to respond within twenty minutes to something simple like we have here, don’t need my best prose if you are just throwing something down a hole.
>[Throw one of the non-weaponized lamps, maybe it’ll be possible to see something? A guess of how far down the bottom is?]
>[Send Hildegarde, she’ll undoubtedly volunteer for the job and she’s the most competent to react adequately in this environment]
>[One of the crows would be a better scout, they can fly and get out of danger fast]
>[Free]
5cb3d8 No.5645
>>5644Can one of the birds send down an orb of light type spell to illuminate it? I'd rather not lose a lamp.
f80ec9 No.5646
>>5645Not an orb but Akira is skilled in earth magic, she could throw something down there. The smoke is too thick to see anything down there however, but sound could help you out. Aside from that, the crows can't help out.
5cb3d8 No.5647
>>5646Throw a lamp or have her send something down for us is my vote. Just don't separate the group.
f80ec9 No.5648
>>5647The thing sent is simply an object that'll break once it reach the ground, like throwing a coin if you will so you can judge what's down there by sound.
I'll be writing now.
bd30ef No.5649
>>5646Ah, the old stone throw trick. Sounds like a plan. Too bad we didn't bring any rope. If we did she could make a stone and we could lower it slowly to gauge the depth without making a sharp noise. Seriously, if we didn't bring any then why didn't we bring any rope? You always need rope, even that one brother from the Boondock Saints got that. Rope saved their asses.
>>5647Indeed the immortal rule of RPG's. Never split the party.
f80ec9 No.5650
>>5649You've mostly kept your equipement on the light side in order to move fast, since the operation itself was about moving in and out quickly.
Remember this post
>>4993 f80ec9 No.5651
‘’I’ll-‘’
‘’No you won’t’’
I immediately interrupted Hildegarde bravado, squeezing the grimy back of her dark uniform which elicited something of a grumpy grunt from the woman of alabaster; only Ayumi was the one looking down the hole with us, our backs being eternally watched by Akira to a point that seemed to border on paranoia but… in this tunnel I wasn’t going to find fault in this decision.
‘’Akira, I’ve seen you use earth magic, right? Do you think you can throw something down there’’
‘’Sending a little greeting for the Shadow Lord? Of course, let’s see what could be down there…’’
Her boots loudly squeaked the meaty ground as she approached with solid step, taking out a few parcel of dirt from a capsule she rubbed it on her hands in a similar manner to her previous ritual, her hands lightly strained as something bulged inside her palms which was quickly revealed to be a spherical patch of clay-like material, the dirt was a smooth, spotless round of about 15 centimeters in circumference.
‘’That’s rather big’’
‘’We ought to hear something pretty clearly, now then let’s be quiet…’’
At her urging the sound of her company grew nil and Akira gently let go of her ball, which disappeared into the darkness and struck the ground bellow in an echoing ‘’pluck’’ as is, obviously, broke upon contact. There wasn’t that big of a delay between the drop and the sound, perhaps… a two or three seconds? I felt my ears twitch as I tried to pick up any sound from down there, it didn’t’ seem like anything was roused from the exercise, thankfully. The thickness of the fog made it impossible to discern anything.
‘’That’s a big enough fall to break your legs’’
Hildegarde spoke, facing us with her shining eyes as her smooth, spotless hand of ceramic squeezed the meaty, slippery edge of the hole.
‘’I still propose to go first’’
>What do you do?
5cb3d8 No.5652
>>5651Ask one of the birds to send an area blast spell down ahead of us, then we all go down with Hilde and one of the birds first, and the other bird we haven't gotten to cuddle with yet carrying us down.
f80ec9 No.5653
>>5652So you want Ayumi to send a big blast of electricity down there then she and Hild are to descend together while you are carried by the warrior tengu?
bd30ef No.5654
>>5651Big enough fall to break legs. How much stronger are Hilde's legs compared to normal ones? And wan-wan said she didn't think Hilde was human so we could ask her if she's certain she won't hurt herself.
f80ec9 No.5656
>>5654She's very confident she'll be fine, but I can add that to the update. Stay tuned.
f80ec9 No.5657
‘’I saw a face quickly after shooting that thing that was stalking you, Hild, I don’t think scouting ahead is a good idea; we should try to go down simultaneously if we can… but that’s not possible so we should try the next best thing’’
My words seemed to carry some weight, and I felt my tail wag despite my best attempt to be stoic as the three girls observed me in silence.
Even the Tsukumogami let out a brief song of steel.
‘’Before that, are you confident about that drop, Hild? It seemed like a dangerous one like you said…’’
A soft, confident smile graced the doll-like face of the woman of alabaster at my words and se gently shifted her stance, presenting her legs to all of us as she stood on one knee; her pants were ruined by the grime and would-be viscera of this meaty tunnel yet the oddest thing was that everything below her knees was gone, revealing peerless pear-like skin with obvious smooth solidity of such clean white that it could only be surreal.
With her fist, Hildegarde gently knocked on her leg to elicit a sound not unlike that of a piece of metal making a gentle strike with plate – over the years I’ve grown familiar with this peculiarity.
‘’You’ll never have to worry about me’’
‘’…alright.’’
No matter how strong someone shows themselves to be, I’ll never be confident to simply believe the best.
‘’…here’s my plan’’
f80ec9 No.5658
–
As someone without a trickle of magical talent I was still able to –feel- the raw energy swirling around the gentle crow; our room allowed her wings to outstretches and so she did, those darkened appendages had, no doubt, just as much majesty as the pure white of angels describe in ancient lore; Ayumi was standing close to the hole with Hildegarde facing her; both gazing down into the dark smog as purplish cracks and zaps swirled around the black wings to suddenly converge toward the shy Tengu palm as she outstretched her arm, a purple ball of light plucked itself away from her skin to hover down the hole and disappear into the smoke… then she balled that hand into a fist and a sound of Armageddon emerged bellow.
Describing it as a ‘’zap’’ would be underestimating the sheer intensity of the lightning, not even the cavernous booming of an overhead storm could rival the sheer strength I feel travel in my bones from this so very brief magical ‘’clearing’’ that happened; it felt like the ground trembled, nature itself lashing out from the will of Ayumi to find and kill anything; it was enough to make feel a surge of adrenaline.
Then the two girls disappeared nearly simultaneously, sliding down the chimney; Hildegarde impact resonated strongly as she landed first, probably breaking some parcel of the soil as Akira allowed me to climb on her back and, more than strong enough to support me, she folded her wings to jump only a second after her sister.
I tried my best to avoid strangling her, this airborne journey at least, was short lived as I couldn’t keep my eyes open during the second of vulnerability until Akira touched ground.
‘’Thank you for taking the Akira express, feel free to step off’’
Her voice held a slight echo as I swiftly jumped away to give her some space, my feet landed on something much more solid than the previous tunnel of viscera; white marble extended from top, bottoms and sides, albeit not uniform for I could see some patches of the above ‘’meat’’ to the right and left as our corridor seemed to open both way, probably leading into some kind of rooms. The thickness of the fog rendered proper observation nearly useless; we could barely see past three or four meters.
Our roof… disappeared in the fog and thankfully, Hildegarde was standing up without problems.
>So far so good, this fog will make exploration extremely difficult.
>What should be done?
f80ec9 No.5659
>>5658Oh, I missed a spot. No matter.
bd30ef No.5660
>>5658Left looks like a turn and right looks like a room…
Ask Hilde what she thinks and if the tengu can feel any magic, I feel we may be getting close to the source of this damn cheating fog. And tell our gun to alert us if it "sees" anything. We love our gun and we trust our gun.
b51556 No.5661
>>5442>>5658Ask the Tsukumogami which way leads to our objective and which way contains an enemy. The right looks like it opens to a larger chamber.
f80ec9 No.5662
>>5660>>5661Will do. Unfortunately I might be a tad slower since a situation came up tonight, I've got to stay a little vigilant.
f80ec9 No.5663
‘’Ah… phew.’’
My limbs were still caught in slight trembling from the sheer power projected by the spell of the Tengu, who still, somehow, managed to look meek and vulnerable; I wasn’t going to be fooled however, her eyes still looked sharp. With my pistol and the ammo holstered, I took both of them out as the corridor, thankfully, allowed us to proceed with more comfort compared to the tight squeeze of our above experience.
‘’Can you guys feel any magic?’’
I finally asked to break the silence, which to my ears became quite stifling; both of the Tengu simply shook their heads in response.
‘’Nothing so far, might change if we venture a little deeper.’’
Akira spoke beside me, brilliant eyes scanning the thick darkness with no hints of emotions despite her usual…habit. The walls and ground were built in spotless white marbles, extending for a few meters into the darkness and disappearing entirely with the fog, but it was easy to see something like corners opening… somewhere, without proper vision it was impossible to see unless we stepped forth ourselves.
‘’What do you think, Hild?’’
The maid was peering to our left with humourless intensity; my words seemed to bring her out of this concentrated stance as she gently shook her shoulder, then her head.
‘’Our only choice seem to be exploration.’’
She spoke while measuring her tone, I didn’t need to be told that her every sense were on high alert; she looked like a predator on the prowl.
‘’What about you? Any ideas?’’
The gun in my head seemed surprise but tis song of steel came forth at my prompting, coming swift and heavy in the form of negation – even this little guy couldn’t warn us of anything.
>Seem like we have only one course of action…
>What should be done?
>Also, I’m stopping here tonight, I’m feeling a little too stressed out to write, I’ll aim to continue properly tomorrow, I’ve done more than enough planning but something came up. Sorry.
2bffcd No.5665
>>5663We noticed that the miasma was coming up from the hole that we came down, right?
Shouldn't there be a breeze or air movement that we can detect?
f80ec9 No.5666
>>5665None, that's an important point. There's no breeze you can feel so far, the smoke seem to blanket ceilling complety, yet it somehow come out of the hole above without decreasing in mass.
2bffcd No.5667
>>5666That seems like it would be a magical effect, but the sisters said they don't detect magic.
When Maegan looks up, does she see the fog actually move up into the hole?
f80ec9 No.5668
>>5667>When Maegan looks up, does she see the fog actually move up into the hole?No, its a smooth line.
>That seems like it would be a magical effect, but the sisters said they don't detect magic.Don't forget this place play by different rules.
f80ec9 No.5675
Anyhow sorry about yesterday, things happen. I'll revive the thread in about two hours.
f80ec9 No.5678
‘’Let’s go’’
With all options for scouting useless, the one to break our momentary torpor was the maid of alabaster once again; I saw her stretch lightly as she fiddled with a few tearing clothes near her legs to, then, take a few steps toward the left part of the corridor. With the smog masking visions of both directions, actually taking the ‘’right’’ way forward was nothing more than a show of faith now and it’d seem that Hildegarde wasn’t going to tolerate my previous indecision now that the Tsukumogami couldn’t help; maybe it needed some time to acclimatize to this new place?
Still, out of the two path Hildegarde decision had some wisdom to it; the right seemed to open to some kind of grander room due to the shift in the walls that seemed inches sideway, opening… somewhere whereas the same couldn’t be said for the left, since only the upper wall showed an one way similar incline; however it soon became clear that it wasn’t going to be so simple.
With the maid of alabaster at the helm (as always) our group feel into a more comfortable formation thank to the proportion of the corridor allowing me and Ayumi to stand side by side, with Akira closing the march; with our echoing boots as the only sound inside the subterranean pathway, the fog forced us to rely on hearing instead of vision – our new objective became much odder the closer we got, once the light of our lamps grew strong enough to pierce the fog.
Fused with the marbles was a new instance of the meat-material that plagued our previous location, inching just a tiny few centimeters out of the open archway of a door, stones met meats like a corruption of overgrown vegetation, with the same disgusting squeaks and tumors growing out like flowers and oversized veins extending like vines, crawling up the white marbles to disappear in the near solid darkness. The room was a simulacrum of the various tombs that we saw on the way, an overall square shaped room without furniture, the… meat seemed to encompass all the spaces of the walls alongside the roof, lying there pumping, squeezing, squelching like some kind of innards.
That wasn’t the oddest thing.
On the far wall of this tomb was a body wrapped in this viscera-like fabric, the reddish-yellow color of the organic cover cave an impression of muscle instead of diseased guts, wrapped around this humanoid shape like a cocoon making it impossible to discern anything of the body aside from its humanoid shape that was…. Average in stature? Perhaps a little taller than I was, it simply stuck there to the wall unmoving, the only oddity inside this place.
‘’I’ve never seen anything like this’’
Hildegarde spoke as our curiosity had us observe this… this meaty cocoon, the fact it was in the shape of a person was enough to squeeze my belly in dread.
>Try and investigate?
>Or is it wiser to proceed down the path to try and find something else?
5cb3d8 No.5679
>>5678My gut instinct is to shoot it in the face, but I'm not sure.
f80ec9 No.5680
>>5679That's an option, of course. I'll wait for a little more inputs before proceeding.
f80ec9 No.5682
So, do you guys wish to shoot the strange phenomenon on the wall, or do we go back on the path?
5cb3d8 No.5683
>>5682Ask for everyone's opinion on shooting it in the face to be safe, I suppose.
bd30ef No.5684
>>5678What's Hilde's policy on unknown things?
f80ec9 No.5685
bd30ef No.5686
>>5685Damn, she doesn't fuck around. 100 percent pure business, I can respect that. Ask about what everyone thinks shooting it in the face will do.
If only they had a nice, honest uplifting primer for fighting things that are a pox on reality. That should be in everyone's personal library.
2bc61a No.5687
>>5678Investigate it. Maybe it's someone we can save.
f80ec9 No.5688
‘’Is this thing alive…?’’
I couldn’t help but ask, staring at this cocoon of meat was somehow enough to keep me afraid and alert and the urge of pointing the pistol to its forehead for a lethal shot was increasingly hard to resist.
Same could be said for anything we’ve stumbled upon in this place anyway.
‘’Hard to say, my hunch is to say ‘’yes’’ but… it look as alive as a plant’’
While the pair of Tengus stayed silent Hildegarde reached to the cocoon, trailing one of her solid finger on its surface, coating it in the viscous juice that already glazed its smooth surface.
‘’Might as well get rid of it to spare us some grief’’
Hildegarde stepped back after speaking, looking back to me with a nod.
‘’Could you shoot it? For all I know, it might spew out acidic blood, I’d like to spare myself unneeded damage’’
Her words brought me to stare at my gray pistol for a few seconds, the spirit inside let out a soft melody again as my stayed toward the lifted hammer, I only needed to point and press the trigger…
‘’Wait’’
Ayumi spoke while Akira kept a careful watch behind us – the way she always watch our backs is really something to applaud – the shy crow took a few steps of her own, glaring at the cocoon with a strangely fierce expression before straying toward Hildegarde.
‘’I don’t think we should do anything’’
‘’Why’s that? This entity could be housing an enemy that’ll give us grief later.’’
‘’Or it might also reveal our presence; nothing reacted to my thunder so I’m suspecting whatever creatures lurking here don’t respond well to magic, but if we get rid of this… thing then we might awaken them – until we know more, I think it’s too hasty’’
The maid of alabaster frowned in a half-glare but Ayumi kept her stance, looking back at Hildegarde with a mixture of worry and seriousness that seemed enough to vanquish whatever spark of aggressively that nestled in her heart.
‘’…This place isn’t the swamp, I’ll give you that. I’m probably making a hasty judgement but know that it’s always much, much better to get rid of things we don’t understand because they tend to wake up to kill you.’’
>Would it be wiser to leave this thing here?
>Or should I shoot it?
>Something else?
0da5d4 No.5689
>>5682No, do not shoot it.
See if we can remove the flesh that's covering the face.
f80ec9 No.5690
>>5687>>5689I think I can write up both of those without problems, unless new actions are voted I'll proceed with this.
f80ec9 No.5691
‘’For all we know it could be someone’’
‘’Or something’’
‘’I agree with Ayumi opinion, at least trying to understand a little more about this thing; Hild, do you think you can peel off its face?’’
Ever stoic, she nodded and immediately walked toward the cocoon as Ayumi and I stood side by side, the wings of the mage gently stroking my tail; I could see that she lacked courage but her hands were tightened in fists and she didn’t look away once, if my hands weren’t holding important items I’d have taken one of hers.
There was a disgusting sound of brief resistance coming from the cocoon, like a mixture of raw meat and someone toying with their saliva, disgusting globs of slimes escaped the skin as it yielded under Hildegarde touch; it didn’t seem like she was putting much force behind it, either and now she began to tear a hole in the fabric with her two index.
‘’Aside from the disgusting slime, it’s rather tepid. I didn’t feel any twitch, just…’’
Whatever she had to say trailed to nothing after finishing her work, the face of this ‘’entity’’ was absent, there was absolutely nothing inside aside from concentrated meat that looked more and more like viscera’s without bones, simply muscles, slimes, and again this damnable ‘’meat’’. I could see something like a few tumours popping from Hildegarde interruptions, releasing disgusting white pus that clawed down its throat whilst the bright red gore inside seemed to squeeze and spasms in some faux-life.
‘’Ugh, this is disgusting’’
Ayumi turned away, while Akira made a few steps outward, the brief echo caught my attention and our eyes met as her serious face tense.
‘’I think the fog has gotten thicker’’
She said, which obviously made me look, the world outside was still blanketed by this dark smoke, as if our room had become its own tiny reality, to say she was right or not was hard to say, I could still see the opposite white wall.
‘’…well that might be my imagination’’
>What to do now?
bd30ef No.5692
>>5691So Hilde is dissecting the growth and we're with the tengus right? Is there any way we could magic some eyes into the hallway like how Siggy can lob quickform slimes to see around obstacles?
f80ec9 No.5693
>>5692Nope, lightning and earth doesn't work like that.
0da5d4 No.5694
>>5691Ayumi is likely to be right. This most likely was something meant to lure us into shooting it to cause a reaction. Simply peeling back the flesh is causing a weaker reaction than it had hoped.
Have Hilde put the flesh back, ask Ayumi if she has enough soil to cover and hold in place the flesh that was torn loose (just keep it in place, not create a soil cocoon), and point the Tsukumogami towards the hallway and ask if it detects any danger.
We need to get moving again, continue down the hall.
f80ec9 No.5695
>>5694Will do, proceeding.
f80ec9 No.5696
‘’I think we’ve lingered long enough, Hild do you think you can put the flesh back?’’
‘’No’’
She answered back swiftly, stopping her fiddling with the humanoid meat cocoon; she tore a rather big hole in its face to reveal the soft insides, there wasn’t any peeling off skins – if the obstructions stirred something from its slumber, perhaps the next best step was to try to mitigate the damage of our curiosity; with my fellow maid walking beside us while shaking her hand to be rid of the gore, I hailed Akira.
‘’Think you can plug that hole with some soft dirt?’’
The crow reluctantly left her vigil to peer at the open face of the cocoon without a hint of her sister reservation and, with a shrug, Akira nodded.
‘’This thing look like some kind of food for some animal, I guess we shouldn’t ruin the Shadowlord treats’’
I saw her take yet another tiny capsule after speaking; I’m not sure how many of these she has, they are more than small enough to fit several time inside a single pockets so I’ll trust her judgement to tell us when she runs low. Ayumi was breathing a little loudly, obviously settling back some rise of nausea and the white maid walked beside her soundlessly, giving her back a rub while the other crow set to repair the damage done on the face and I, finally, planted myself near the exit with the Tsukumogami in hand.
‘’Hey, little guy it’s about time to-‘’
Instead the spirit interjected swiftly, its usual melodic chant replaced by something much more dreadful – ragged breathing, as if someone had just finished a sprint and began to exhale through a long pipe of steel, the sound alone was enough to straighten my tail and ears.
‘’Oi, what’s wrong!?’’
Yet again the Tsukumogami kept its feverish, desperate breathing – probably trying to convey some kind of message, or maybe something is happening that we can’t see…?
‘’Are you in da-‘’
>Roll 1d20 (reflex)
bd30ef No.5697
| Rolled 5 (1d20) |
>>5696 0da5d4 No.5698
| Rolled 2 (1d20) |
>>5696 f80ec9 No.5699
>>5698>>5697Look like this is going to sting.
bd30ef No.5700
>>5699I have the distinct feeling the dice gods don't like us too much. How good are the potions at healing things?
0da5d4 No.5701
>>5699Is the healing potion that Maegan took already completed its work?
What are the side-effects of drinking two healing potions in a short period of time?
f80ec9 No.5702
>>5700>>5701I like the way you guys asked about similar things. Drinking too much elixir result in a soporific effect, you'll need more than two potions drunk in quick succession for that tough.
Anyhow, you'll see what happen shortly.
f80ec9 No.5704
Something. Something rounded the corner faster than I could follow, as if spit out from the darkness of the fog; a tall body came from of the archway and charged straight with such speed that the only identifiable thing I saw was… something round, small and shiny and a vaguely tall humanoid shape, perhaps three meters in length – the movement caused me to dodge and shoot to defend myself but my aim was unfortunately too wild; the pistol discharged into the wall outside the room, its thunderous booming echoing into what felt the entirety of the catacomb. It collided right as I tried to jump, a thin limb grasping for my shoulder and then… I fell, or at least that was the sensation I felt while the world went dark, not by some loss of consciousness (for I certainly feel VERY alert), it was like my sense of vision itself had turned… off.
‘’Gah!’’
The struggle made me lose the pistol and the piece of steel used for ammo; complete and total disorientated invaded my senses, so I did the only thing I could do next – struggle. I knew wasn’t allowed to feel afraid, to let it rule me – because it’s impossible for anything to induce me with some kind of hypnosis, losing control would be my own shortcoming, thus as I fell I kicked, growled, punched and struggled like a child throwing a tantrum up until I –felt- something collide with my back, immediately knocking the wind out of me as the darkness cleared, as if my eyes had been plagued by the fog that hounded our progress.
‘’A-a-a…’’
I tried to voice some kind of plaint but the sound that came out of my voice was… reduced to a strange, echoic mess, that’s when I realized the soil under me was pumping, same for the wall even if both materials looked to be made in stone. A slow, constant beat that somehow never broke the uniform, slick stones; smoke, just like that in the catacomb, wafted inside leisurely, blocking my vision again – there wasn’t any light either, yet I could still see thank to a projection, a luminous aura of bluish white coming from my neck – the necklace of Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto.
«Where am I?»
I could –feel- a vibration in the air, that’s when I realized my lungs weren’t drawing oxygen, in fact I wasn’t breathing at all; nor was there any compulsion to do so. I was able observe somewhat properly, at the very least with clarity thank to the necklace hidden under my armor to identify that I was in some kind of hallway thick with smoke with a single destination: forward into darkness, because the path behind me was blocked by a wall, pumping slowly and dutifully, as if the stones themselves yearned to touch me.
«Have I been…»
Kidnapped? Killed? Was my mother wrong with the fact that my mind cannot be influenced? Hildegarde, Ayumi, Akira… they weren’t anywhere, I couldn’t hear anything and the world seemed to vibrate before my eyes as if… transposing, unable to fully ‘’stick’’ into its proper place.
I made a single nervous step forward and immediately came upon half of a bloodied skull sitting there on the floor, followed by a scene of carnage, blood thrown upon the walls and roof, skin and organs left abandoned; yet… yet as quickly as came, this gore disappeared as the pumping walls seemingly absorbed blood, viscera and bone.
>I can only see a single way forward
>What in the world should I do?
0da5d4 No.5705
>>5704Take stock. We lost our gun and iron.
Did we lose anything else?
f80ec9 No.5706
>>5705Everything but your clothing, armor and Ame necklace. Even your Ofuda is gone.
f80ec9 No.5707
I've posted this as a pause, but given the situation do you guys want to press forward? Or maybe try to contact Ame or your grandmother?
bd30ef No.5708
>>5707I know we can contact Ame if we've got a way to bleed on the crystal, but how would we ever contact grandma? Like, peer within ourselves for a connection or something?
0da5d4 No.5709
>>5707I was wanting to contact both of them, but I didn't want to in case the communication could be intercepted. We're not in a place where the rules work as normal, as you've said before.
Were we warned in any way that attempts at communication could attract attention or they could be hijacked?
We can't summon our grandmother because she'd be a beacon for Baphomet to lock on to, according to what we were told.
f80ec9 No.5710
>>5708Well, think of it as a desperate gamble. I'm not saying you can succeed, but you can try.
Contacting is mostly huddling in the corner thinking
Grandma please help >>5709>Were we warned in any way that attempts at communication could attract attention or they could be hijacked? Communication alone? No, you haven't been warned of anything concerning that. Manifestation tough, you already know the consequences.
>We can't summon our grandmother because she'd be a beacon for Baphomet to lock on to, according to what we were told.Aye, but see above, you can still try.
0da5d4 No.5711
>>5710>huddling in the corner thinking Grandma please helpDoes drawing her symbol automatically manifest grandma?
f80ec9 No.5712
>>5711No, it's her beacon. Something to help her manifest, but depending on the situation it's not quite enough… The place you are now isn't exactly playing by the rules either.
f80ec9 No.5713
Well given the hour it might be best to stop.
Since I've got a good amount of planning done for this floor I don't want to stop here, not at all so I feel like I should try a longer marathon, so see you guys tomorrow.
As for decision, if we don't have an agreement soon I'll simply assume you guys want to proceed carefully and so, have Wanwan go into the hallway.
bd30ef No.5714
>>5713Is it possible to pray to grandma in our attempt to contact her as we proceed carefully? Is it possible to attempt to contact Ame as we proceed? Do we see *anything* we could use to defend ourselves with?
f80ec9 No.5715
>>5714>Is it possible to pray to grandma in our attempt to contact her as we proceed carefully? Is it possible to attempt to contact Ame as we proceed? Yes on both account. you need to bleed on the crystal for Ame tough, are you willing to do that?
>Do we see *anything* we could use to defend ourselves with?Absolutely nothing.
0da5d4 No.5716
>>5713Attempting to contact Grandma may be necessary, because we need some guidance.
Would tracing her symbol help with contacting her?
0da5d4 No.5717
>>5713>>5716To make it clear: Make an attempt to contact Grandma.
Don't attempt to contact Ame; the blood may cause an adverse reaction from the environment, judging by how it sucked up all of that blood we saw.
f80ec9 No.5718
>>5717>>5716Very well, I'll have the continuation tomorrow
f80ec9 No.5726
I'll begun the quest in about two hours
6fe638 No.5727
Lurking …
f80ec9 No.5728
File: 1428969851338.png (1.29 MB, 1200x1261, 1200:1261, b7c38b957d998e64fcb512a9bf….png)
Looking at the walls was enough to hurt my eyes; in the timespan of walking a few feet following the unnerving appearance and subsequent consumption of blood (and bone), the previous dull gray color of the stones turned to charcoal whilst appearing to move, almost swaying like some kind of tiny kindling flame; I preferred to avoid touching anything, I was able sense strange vibrations in the ground going through my boots and that was more than enough to convince me to avoid trying my luck, yet thank to the light of Ame-no-Uzume pendant, I could make out some details… the walls were hard to define, like a patch of paint smeared along a canvas.
«Don’t panic, don’t panic…»
Inevitably my mind went back to what happened a few minutes ago; my memory was crystal clear, standing near the archway something rounded the corner, a tall, large body collided with me painlessly and then… here I am.
«I can’t be dead. I can’t be»
Yet I wasn’t breathing…
«Let’s see…Ah yes! I’m sensing something!»
Pinching my arms and legs yielding a sensation of pain that was more than enough to raise a brief sentiment of triumph – if I was able to feel something, it means I wasn’t thrown in some kind of limbo, yes!
«Come on Maegan, come on»
I slapped my cheek while walking, my boots moving soundlessly on the black stones; the bluish light of Ame-no-Uzume Starball was definitely the vital torch that kept me from panicking outright; the torch carrying my hope…
«Am I hallucinating?’’
I could see stairs descending downward, light projecting from the declining floor allowed some easy vision; yet I my guts convinced that something must have activated, because I hadn’t seen a single thing for the first minute after coming here.
«No… it’s impossible, my mind is unassailable»
The incredible solidity of my spirit (as Tsukiyomi-no-Mikoto put it) had been something of great curiosity for the pair of fluffed rulers during all of my life, from childhood to adulthood I was –willingly- subject of various experiment that increased in intensity the older I got and only got sick a few times, which made the foxes incredibly guilty. Hehehe…
«Grandma, can you hear me?»
Perhaps the fact that I was terrified was the reason my mind kept straying into distractions, once I got close to the stairs however, I felt a very real surge of fear travel my body, making tails and ears twitch yet again – never before in my life have I yearned for the invasive touch of my queen- but I couldn’t ask her for help, the Hoshi-no-Tama is a vital link to milady and, I suspect, her one vulnerability; I know my dear Grandma to not be so vulnerable, thus I imagined her symbol. Two lines of red surrounding the circle of the sun – simple, but it was hers and it resonated strongly, simply imagining it was enough to instill some courage, just like stroking the gem on my neck.
«…Fine, let’s say I’ve been kidnapped, I won’t play your little game, whoever you are»
Unable to talk and unwilling to bleed (the previous show of blood having left quite the impression) I descended down the stairs since I lacked any and all other option, making sure to avoid looking back – in my state, I’d probably imagine something and besides, I like to rely on my ears.
I was quickly forced to turn during the descend as the stairs became a brief spiral, I emerged inside some kind of tiny entrance hall with a pair of lamp on the sides chasing away the invasiveness of the fog; a pair of large wooden doors were opened, revealing the next room as my feet touched the wooden ground. Lamps had been strategically put on several spots of the wall of the next room, keeping the fog from masking my vision – the entrance hall opened into a giant dining room, the biggest one I’ve ever seen. A single giant of a table was in the middle, covered by a similarly large bright red sheet chockfull of silvery tableware with enough place for thirty people; the wooden chairs looked carved in place, made of dark oak but also possessing the strange ‘’transposition effect’’ I saw on the walls above, they vibrated in the air, the mere sight enough to cause discomfort in my eyes. The table and other utensils didn’t possess this effect, thankfully and I could see dishes hidden inside big cup of metals.
Aside from the dining table, the room was start of decorations; the walls had a more silvery colors but they extended for several long, long meters into a T junction, with each direction offering a set of double-wooden doors with, strangely, a bell on its side; all of them of dull gold.
>What in the world…?
>Should I reveal one of the hidden dishes?
>Go to the far end of the dining room?
>[Free]
5cb3d8 No.5729
>>5728>>Go to the far end of the dining room?Opening the hidden dishes would be humoring our kidnappers, which is probably a bad idea.
bd30ef No.5730
>>5728Aww crap, we've just become some Baphomet's plaything.
Sniff around, smell, listen, rely on our enhanced wolf senses. Stay alert, but above all don't panic. Panic and fear are what get people killed.
0da5d4 No.5732
>>5728>Go to the far end of the dining room?Will the bells ring if the doors are opened?
Or does it look like the doors are meant to be opened after ringing the bell?
f80ec9 No.5733
Steeling my nerve (or, more accurately, grasping my pendant while thinking of the symbol) I walked a brisk pace inside the dining room; my feet audibly resonated inside the room like a clock, for an instant I imagined an incessant ticking…. Up until I finally found myself on the end, three set of doors blocking my path – one directly on the front, the others to the right and left, all of them flanked by a bell supported by a grayish tube (that, too, appeared solid lacking the transposition effect plaguing the walls); that’s when I realized that they all lacked handles. My noses and my ears (obviously sharp, it comes with having wolf blood) didn’t pick up anything at all – it felt like I was all alone in the world – with only the impression of being observed fuzzing up the fur of my tail in fear, whether paranoia or a true sixth sense, I couldn’t say but I had good vision of the entire room thank to the lamps and there wasn’t any blinds spots aside from… the table itself.
>So far so good, nothing happened.
>Should I wait?
>Ring a bell?
0da5d4 No.5734
>>5733Do the doors also appear solid?
Is there any kind of gap at the bottom of the doors that would allow us to see beyond them?
If we place a hand on a door, can we feel anything such as hot or cold, or any kind of vibration through the wood?
f80ec9 No.5735
>>5734>Do the doors also appear solid?Yes, they just don't have doorknobs.
>Is there any kind of gap at the bottom of the doors that would allow us to see beyond them?Nope, the space between the wood and the floor is very tiny.
>If we place a hand on a door, can we feel anything such as hot or cold, or any kind of vibration through the wood?The temperature is a comfortable tepid and there's no vibrations.
In fact, the floor itself has stopped its vibrations, as did the air (maybe it was the fog?).
>Counting this as a brief passage of time. bd30ef No.5736
>>5733There's a table, we didn't look under the table, can we take a quick peek under it from this distance or is there a tablecloth that would prevent that from being possible?
f80ec9 No.5737
>>5736You'll need to remove the tablecloth.
f80ec9 No.5738
Hmm given the lack of input I might take this as a general wait and write accordingly. do you guys want to stand your ground instead of doing something?
0da5d4 No.5739
>>5735>Counting this as a brief passage of time.So we are being timed. Wait too long and we could end up getting overrun.
>the floor itself has stopped its vibrations, as did the air (maybe it was the fog?).Does that mean that everything looks properly solid now? Including the walls and chairs?
f80ec9 No.5740
>>5739>Does that mean that everything looks properly solid now? Including the walls and chairs?No, Only the walls and chairs keep having this
vibrating transposition 0da5d4 No.5741
>>5738Lift up a corner of the tablecloth and take a look under the table.
Then we need to decide which door to ring the bell on.
f80ec9 No.5742
>>5741Very well, making an update.
f80ec9 No.5743
«What the hell is even going on…?»
I muttered to myself after standing again following my brief crouching to try (and fail) to peer under the doors; it was too dark and small to see anything, making me wonder if they’ll need to be dragged on the floor to open. Still, the woods wasn’t vibrating and the temperature was normal enough to the touch; next came the huge, huge dining table with an equally massive tablecloth of bright red silk without adornment, it simply encompassed the entirety of the furniture in one smooth cover and falling down to touch the floor, I’d have to let it rest on my thighs if I were to sit.
I wasn’t going to open one of the hidden dishes – that’s what this kidnapper want me to do, no doubt – so instead I crouched once more and pinched the cloth, lifting it gently between index and thumb to take a peek down there and saw… darkness. Smog wafted in there, the very same that plagued our progression inside the tunnels, it expended like an unearthly blanket completely covering any and all visions beyond a sparse few meters, whatever speck of fog that managed to escape disappeared swiftly once they came in contact with the lamp.
«Huh…»
I heard something down there, coming my way; a brief sound of impact, as if something tiny just fell on the floor followed by a distinctive rolling, a quiet little whirl of a sound… that, for some reason, didn’t made me feel afraid.
>Should I wait?
>Or… [Free]
0da5d4 No.5744
>>5743Wait for the rolling thing.
f80ec9 No.5745
>>5744I'll wait for another input, not sure if you guys want to be very cautious or actually take the chance to see what it is.
5cb3d8 No.5746
6fe638 No.5748
>A thunk anna roll …
Play ball?
Yeah, let's see what it be.
f80ec9 No.5750
Bracing for whatever was coming, I decided to take a few prudent steps backs, stretching my arm while holding the cloth to avoid letting it fall; the quiet sound of the rolling felt deafening, the sheer intensity of the fear knotting my stomach was reaching a paroxysm…
«…what?»
I was more dumbfounded than scared by the discovery rolling gently out of the fog was a brush, a long and fine instrument with a handle of wood and a tuft of peerless white that reminded me of my fur; whatever momentum that propelled it forward stopped after coming into the light of the lamps and I decided to reach for it after a few seconds of observation. It looked, quite simply, like a banal little thing that I’ve seen here and there amidst the tools of artists or alchemists. It wasn’t plagued by the ‘’transposition effect’’ nor did it vibrate in my hand it was a simple brush without ink, somehow placed under the table.
When I finally stood back up, I immediately realized was amiss; the chairs that were previously so hard to focus onto looked solid, what I thought to be black oak was instead a more ashy woods and the briefly somber centers of the chairs was revealed to be some form of cover that I wasn’t willing to try out.
«A brush and the chairs…?»
A loud sound of collision suddenly erupted to my side, the leftmost door shook from some unseen impact, and the sound was quickly followed by a feverish series of loud knocks and thumps, as if someone was feverishly beating the thing with their fists.
Bangbangbangbangbang. Bang. Bang. Bang bang…
It echoed into the entire dining room and I immediately began to fear the worst.
‘’A-a-a…Hi…’’
Unfortunately no air came to my lungs, no words could flow out of my mouth; the doors had no handle, but that didn’t stop whoever was on the other side from striking.
Bangbangbangbang. Bang…
«Don’t panic don’t panic don’t panic…»
>A brush and now this!?
>What should I do!?
0da5d4 No.5751
>>5750Ring the bell of the center door.
5cb3d8 No.5752
f80ec9 No.5753
>>5751Just to make sure there's no misunderstanding, this isn't the door where the sounds are coming from.
bd30ef No.5754
>>5743I have… no idea what's going on now. Was that your goal here? And what door is it coming from and how big do those fists sound?
5cb3d8 No.5755
>>5753Oh. In that case changing
>>5752to cautiously opening the door with banging on it. My gut instinct tells me it's someone else trapped in here.
6fe638 No.5756
Got an idea for the brush but it looks like we better thump the ringy thingie first.
f80ec9 No.5757
>>5754>Was that your goal here?Yes. This whole thing will be explained in due time, don't worry>And what door is it coming fromThe left one.
>how big do those fists sound?Pretty normal, altough a bit uneven, as if someone is beating with only a single hand, most of the time.
So ringing the beel where everything come from, gotcha. I'll write now, albeit a little slower.
f80ec9 No.5758
Hm, after thinking about it this'll be the last update for the night so I'll make it a little longer. I fully intend to continue tomorrow so stay tuned to give your actions when I'm finished.
f80ec9 No.5759
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmIR5FC76bsThose knocks sounded urgent, if not panicked, telling me one very clear thing; I had to move, now – worrying about what if wasn’t going to cut it.
«Do I ring that bell?»
For a time of a few seconds, during which the knocks echoing in my skull I stood transfixed, looking at the bell in dread, wondering if, in the worst case, I would be able to drive the sodden end of the brush inside some would-be aggressor eye but in the end I yielded to the desire in my head that, despite everything I’ve seen in this accursed place, if someone – anyone- is in need of help then… I can’t just sit there, it’s not me; I don’t have enough survival instincts to stand there and watch (or in this case, hear) someone die, or leave them lost in some bygone dimension.
Thus I pushed the bell with my finger, its gentle chime ran concert with the knocks and I heard the door unlock as the bell resounded in echo far, far more time than it was possible, I could even hear the sound travel into the entirety of the dining room; with nothing but instincts, I took a prudent step back, then two, aiming for the center door as a distinctive crack ran across the wood and what was closed… opened as I saw a doorknob materialise.
A girl burst forth and as swiftly as she entered, she charged her back on the open door to close it, making a few strands of fog waft in the room only to evaporate in contact with the lights of the lamps; it immediately locked back with a definitive click and the knob disappeared once more.
‘’Ah…ah’’
I could hear her breathing, I could see beads of sweat on her face as her white sundress clung to her skin; she liked twice more alive than I was, I stood transfixed by the mere sight of this person. A short blond with neck-long hair, the girl was petite and fragile looking, even more than me; her eyes a pair of brilliant sapphire put me at ease immediately as we crossed eyes but I wasn’t able to keep hold my jaw. One single grand wing of the greatest alabaster extending from her right shoulder, resting upon the wood of the door I could almost make out each and every plume as, without exception, every one of them possessed the same dimension and atop her small head of silky wheat was an equally brilliant halo of liquid gold phasing into the material of the door when the movement of her head brought conflicts with its placement.
Her sleeveless dress made her amputated arm obvious; half of it ended in a smooth stump and there weren’t any signs of a second wing; yet still I could only stand there, enchanted by this vision of utmost purity because that’s what this girl looked like; small, vulnerable yet unbelievably bright.
I tried to voice something but my movement seem to cause an avid reaction from the angel (I can’t believe it, an angel in here…?) who twitched, as if retreated on herself, inching away from the door while clamping a finger on her lisps; her eyes weren’t panicked, I saw a will of unbending strength warning me and, as she tiptoed forward, she pointed toward the entrance of the dining room.
…
f80ec9 No.5760
What I saw almost made me break the brush, if it weren’t for the girl I would have cried out.
Something vaguely humanoid was standing in the entry hall, so tall half of its head was hidden from view due to the archway, yet the head itself looked like a skull for I was able to see two halves of obscure holes with an opened mouth displayed smooth teeth of onyx colored metal, just like the rest of the ‘’bone’’ that made up this visage. What looked like collars of multicolored pearls were rolled around its massive necks, each a small spheres of brightness ranging from yellow, to purple, white, blue… they shone beautifully against the bulbous, deep dark red of what I could only guess as the skin covered in sickly dark far here and there, missing several patches across its massive body, leaving more than a few piece of skin naked. Teeth and mouths opened inside its body, with one peculiar cavity open around the pearls that, I realized, were actually imbedded inside the entity body.
The most terrifying thing were… what I could only believe to be arms extending on the front of its deformed body that looked simply like an unending pillar, I lost count at twenty; numerous, numerous chitin-covered pincers sprouted from top to bottom, all of them of different length, possessing oddly formed fingers with more than a few looking like claws or pincers.
«What IS that!?»
Perhaps it might have been radiating some kind of aura; nauseating dread assailed me yet again but that was an all too familiar fear, it didn’t took much effort to avoid making a sound – I simply believed that uttering a single plaint would kill me.
When I felt a sensation on my shoulder my tail nearly slapped itself on the wall from fright despite the fact it could only be a single person; the only hand of that unknown small angel was a gentle touch indeed and as I stood stiff, paralyzed by fear, the girl stood on her tiptoe to reach my ears.
‘’There’s no time. You take the center bell, I’ll take the left; we’ll ring together, that way he’ll only able to pursue one of us’’
Her tone was gentle, spoken in such quietude that I almost didn’t hear anything but those eyes; a pair of solid sapphires told me that she was serious; like she said, there wasn’t any time, for in the hall the entity twitched, as if awakened by the voice of the angel.
>What should be done?
bd30ef No.5762
>>5760An anon said he had ideas about the brush. I'd like to hear him now. What you think that brush can do? We are still in the heart of madness here. I can only pray that Hilde and the tengu sisters survived and are hopefully searching for us.
We promised her that we would show her how to make a good dish for her mistress. Can't do that if we die here right?
f80ec9 No.5763
>>5762Just to make one thing clear, I won't provide any hints on what should be done.
0da5d4 No.5764
>>5760I don't like the idea of splitting up since it means one of us is going to get caught by the hunter and we won't have two people ready to fight it off.
I'd like to try using the brush but without any time to test it, we shouldn't be wasting time here trying to figure out how to use it.
f80ec9 No.5765
>>5764So you'd like to communicate your desire to enter a room together instead?
6fe638 No.5767
>An anon said he had ideas about the brush. I'd like to hear him now.
>KEEP BACK OR I'LL BRUSH YOU WITHIN AN INCH OF YOUR LIFE!
Actually, I was thinking about playing some swirly games with the fog. Painting in a bit of reality - or at least some petty vandalism - but we're a little pressed for time now to be pursuing artistic expression.
>What should be done?
Part of me is inclined to point over the monster into the far distance and say: "Hey! Look at that!" thence giving our broken angel a fair shove back into that room. Then running like all get out.
Nah.
With a daunted "Oh … kay?" let's line up at the center bell and prepare to ring up hell …
f80ec9 No.5768
>>5767>I was thinking about playing some swirly games with the fog. Painting in a bit of reality.Pretty sharp, if only you had the time… well I'm not making this easy on purpose.
>let's line up at the center bell and prepare to ring up hell …Do you follow the angel plan or do you insist on doing it together?
6fe638 No.5769
>>5768I OK with waiting a few for the other players to … ah … chime in.
Otherwise, I'm all for a bit of synchronized pealing.
bd30ef No.5775
>>5768Hey, can we try and paint shit as we run or do a quick something before we ring that bell? I'd like for the beast to run into something sharp and pointy regardless of who he's going to chase. Or into something that'll slow it down so either one of us has a better chance of making it out of this alive. Just, I want to *do* something besides simply ringing the bell.
Wan-wan's a softie, I bet she couldn't bear the thought of just leaving someone hanging for her own benefit without at least doing something to better the odds of the other.
f80ec9 No.5776
>>5775
>Hey, can we try and paint shit as we run or do a quick something before we ring that bell?Unfortunately there's no real option to do anything, unless you specify what yo uwant to do you don't have any options.
The fact you didn't look in any dishes means you didn't get any hints, sorryUnless stated otherwise, I'm going to assume that you guys want to follow the angel plan, since that's the vibe I'm getting.
Also today's thread might start a little later than usual.
0454e5 No.5777
>>5776Do not go with the angel's plan.
Ring both doors, open and go through with the angel on the one she was going to go through.
f80ec9 No.5778
>>5777So you mean obeying her plan, ringing both bells then taking a sprint into her door at the last second?
f80ec9 No.5779
>>5778Unless stated otherwise, I'll go with that. If we still can't reach an agreement then I'll roll a dice to make it final.
f93dcb No.5780
f80ec9 No.5781
Thread should restart around 9 pm, again sorry for the delay. I'll try to aim for something sooner.
f80ec9 No.5783
If there’s one thing I did understood, it’s that I wasn’t allowed any loud complaints under any circumstances. I don’t know how this angel talked without alerting our new guest (or perhaps it was the host?) but the twinkle in those bright blue eyes were enough to fill me with courage and understanding, her voice was a smooth music that briefly sent my ears in a twitch but I simply nodded at her demands – perhaps I could have shook my head in negation – but I decided to opt for something instead as the angel made a brief nod and tiptoed toward the last door while I kept staring at the…. Creature (for lack of a better term). It stood there motionless aside from the odd twitch coming from one of these arms, unwilling to move into the dining room quite yet; its thick pillar-like body made me wonder how it would even be able to find locomotion in the first place, maybe it’s some kind of slug?
To my left I peered at the angel who was also similarly looking over her shoulder toward me, having our eyes meet again; her sundress made her silhouette easy to see, her shoulders were small and slender with pale skin bereft of scars, making me wonder where her second wing could be, but also strangely glad by the lack of imperfection on her back. I was feeling a dangerous bout of adrenaline as she nodded, hovering her finger toward the bell; I already convinced myself to attempt something immensely stupid because I didn’t want to leave this newcomer alone, I didn’t know how this angel was but she had courage in spades for this plan and even if I had no ideas what was going on, I refused to simply sign someone’s death warrant.
So it was that I hovered my finger near the bell, bracing for tis chime and some reaction from the entity… and I was ready to jump down the corridor, hopefully I’ll make it, if not… at least that girl will.
>Sorry for the delay but I’ve been thinking and in the end, I need a roll.
>Roll 1d20 for perception and reflex.
0da5d4 No.5784
| Rolled 3 (1d20) |
>>5783 2bc61a No.5785
2bc61a No.5786
f80ec9 No.5787
>>5786Look in the show psot options & limits tag
2bc61a No.5788
| Rolled 1 (1d20) |
>>5787I was testing you.
bd30ef No.5789
| Rolled 7 (1d20) |
>>5783C'mon…
bd30ef No.5790
>>5784>>5788>>5789Sweet baby jesus the dice want our heads!
f80ec9 No.5791
>>5789>>5788>>5784Look like we have our results…
Now I can pull off what I wanted in the first place 0da5d4 No.5792
| Rolled 15 (1d20) |
>>5791I'm quite disappointed in the dice today.
bd30ef No.5793
>>5791Well you heard it from the GM himself folks. How much suffering we gonna get? I'm betting a lot.
>>5792See how the dice gods taunt us…
0da5d4 No.5794
>>5791Having the angel get torn apart in front of us?
Or is Maegan going to get even more injured?
Probably both, knowing you.
f80ec9 No.5796
Sorry for the delay folks, I guess I'm a little more tired than I thought. I'll be writing a long update and probably stop for the night, then take tomorrow off and restard thursday but for now, stay tuned to see the result of the roll.
ad9927 No.5798
>>5796Looking forward to it!
bd30ef No.5799
>>5798Anon, this dude's favorite series is Muv-Luv. If you haven't read those VNs well… I don't wanna ruin anything for ya but yeah, basically that.
f80ec9 No.5800
It was a good thing that I wasn’t able to breath, else the sheer tension I was feeling would have left me winded; my hand was trembling, as if the incoming chime of the bell was to herald an end of my life, my mouth was dry and I stole a few parse glance at the angel who hadn’t stopped staring back, her face showing a gentle smile that soothed some of my worries and finally the girl gave a nod, making that golden circle above her head move again; only once have I gazed at an angel and just like then, the fixation and wonder was hard to resist despite the stress.
Maybe that’s why I failed to realize something about the girl…
At her third nods we chimed our bells; their sound were soft, unnaturally echoing into the entire room as they clang gently, incessantly from the most minimum of force, the gentle push of my index seemingly activated this never ending music and out of the ether came a set of rounds metallic knobs firmly materialising upon the door, as if coming to view with the music of the bells. I didn’t bother touching it, instead my feet moved by themselves, spurred by adrenaline, my heart emboldened by a sentiment much similar to what I felt yesterday when the Tsukumogami was at the mercy of the murderous Grues. I don’t know how to put it… suicidal empathy? My survival instincts screamed, protested for me to take my chances with the girl plan yet… I just couldn’t leave her alone, even if I’ve only gaze at her once; she looked small, wounded yet so incredibly strong – I had to help out.
>This decision alongside the previous action of helping out the Tsukumogami is significantly changing Maegan personality toward honest empathy, meaning that you’ll be liable to some potential bonus here and there based on your choices if you keep this trend.
…unfortunately… I collided with something solid mere moments after my first steps, barely making any distances with the door. A screen of transparent, yet definitive gold somehow appeared to impede my progress, with two others completely blocking me off in a semi-complete rectangle. With the world having a new gilded shade, I suddenly realized the –true- meaning behind the actions of this nameless angel who, also, hadn’t turned the knobs of her door and instead began running in my direction. The smoothness of her skin had changed, her veins bulged slightly, colored in bright melted gold as shiny as her halo, running up and down her body in an almost alien fashion as, expectedly, magical energy ran throughout her body, keeping these tiny yet so incredibly tough shields alive and sturdy.
‘’Go!’’
She screamed, somehow able to draw breath, completely unafraid of what was inevitable doom from the entity that had somehow disappeared without a sound.
«Could it have… entered one of those rooms…?»
Still unable to draw breath, I couldn’t answer anything so instead I began to beat on the shields with my hands, making the brush sway in my grip as the young angel moved her arms feverishly, her one wing flapping in energy, which probably sent a gust of wind that I wasn’t able to feel.
‘’Go!’’
She said again and on the wall to her left, I witnessed a darkened spot amongst the gray stones that began to grow.
‘’You don’t deserve to be here! Nobody does! Go back, leave this place! I’ve been here before, he can only concentrate on a singl-’’
f80ec9 No.5801
I could only watch in horror as, out of the wall came the torso of the beast; its slicken red skin shining against the light of the lamp, the large many, ill-defined mouths in its body clapping together in some faux mimicry of mastication while releasing liquid I could only guess as spits. Only half of its body emerged from the wall, seemingly out of a portal that corroded the very stones used as anchor. The arms… I didn’t bother to count, three of them had sprung like spears, thrusting into the girl back, golden-silver blood erupting from the force, another one went to stab the back of her head and, in a disgusting sound of wet meat (that I’ve become quite accustomed to) something –expanded- inside the pincer-spears to ravage the insides of the poor girl in a fashion… that angered me, I felt a fire immediately light up in my belly- the tears crawling down my face weren’t fear or disgust, but rage.
«Damn it! Damn you! Leave her alone!»
I could only beat on the shield in total uselessness as the girl, dangling like a broken puppet, was lifted by the thin, insect arms; blood gushing likes a fountain yet still her eyes – those spheres of magnificent azures- still held that intelligent sharpness that ought to be impossible in her current state, angel or not and her index pointed at me as the shield held strong, her golden veins hadn’t extinguished.
The onyx-colored skull of that tall creature opened like a serpent, a wide, wide maw offering nothing but emptiness inside; some kind of aura seemed to burst out of a pair of horns on its head to extend backward, caressing the entire back of its skull to cackle loudly on the back whilst its colors of shiny jewels began to strain in their position, some of their light growing stronger whilst others diminished, sucked dry of vitality.
«These things are souls»
It was taking its time, slowly bringing the lolling head of the angel to its mouth in a teasing manner… like a master making a show of eating delicious food in front of its useless dog… yet, at my feet I noticed something odd; wet splotching from my moving feet made me look down to see blood covering my boots alongside a skull, resting against my leg.
>Leave right now
>Or… test your luck? Try to help out the girl? How can that be accomplished?
0da5d4 No.5802
>>5801>help out the angelIs Maegan any good at drawing or painting? What about calligraphy and drawing ofuda's?
A brush normally needs ink, but a magical brush may not need one, especially in this place where the rules are slightly different.
If we dip the brush into the blood on our boots, could Maegan draw something quickly, such as a sword or shield, or maybe a stick figure with a sword and shield? Or maybe we could draw over and wipe out parts of the creature?
bd30ef No.5803
>>5800>>5801https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u2jQdAXrSYI expected this. I only wish that I knew how to act "in character" here. We have nothing, and cannot allow our piece of Ame's soul to land in the hands of the bastard this entity serves.
Do all Angels have holy magic? Haddy has shown that they can risk it by going into burnout mode just like a human can. If we were to swallow the gem would we get any form of bonus?
I mean, Ame would obviously be against that as you'd have to then judiciously monitor your every last bowel movement but if it would provide a big enough boon in desperation then it'd be quite forgivable.
>>5802Now there's an interesting possibility. Perhaps we can use the entity itself as a kind of "ink well" and just splatter it recklessly. Sadly, we don't know if that is actually the case. It's a big risk, do we draw things out, or do we merely dip our brush into an infinite well. If only we knew…
f80ec9 No.5804
>>5802>Is Maegan any good at drawing or painting?Not quite, no. Not much talent at all for elaborate piece of arts.
>If we dip the brush into the blood on our boots, could Maegan draw something quickly, such as a sword or shield, or maybe a stick figure with a sword and shield?Yes, but understand she's under alot of pressure so actually drawing something of note that isn't very, very clear in her mind is going to be difficult.
Also you might be unable to touch the shields, making
wiping out part of the entity impossible, if you have no drawing board, and drawing on the air itself is impossible, what do you do with your ink? You've got time for a single action, make it count.
>>5803>Do all Angels have holy magic?Yes.
> If we were to swallow the gem would we get any form of bonus?Swallowing Ame Starball? That was… never done before, I won't be able to answer that. It is a small round piece so it'll go down easily, at least.
bd30ef No.5805
>>5804Reality is quite mailable here it seems… Just how malleable? The brush could be, if taken to a logical conclusion, a kind of "dagger of time" in which case we could rewind all this and try again somehow.
Of course that's highly unlikely but hey, if you are within the heart of madness well… crazy is the new normal.
Also, kinda behind the whole "suicidal empathy" thing. That would be the type that Ame would go for in the end. She, destined to eat the livers of anyone she truly loved, and meeting someone who didn't much mind that if only they could be with her…
Ah, so foolishly idealistic and yet so beautiful for it. Wan-wan is truly one in a million, no wonder she took her as her steady lover.
0da5d4 No.5806
>>5804Where did the skull and blood come from?
In fact, does the skull look like the skull we saw previously?
f80ec9 No.5807
>>5805Thing is, reality has become much more stable now that the entity is here. The weird smoke and general vibratiosn are gone, the chairs apepar whole and solid as do the walls now.
You can try to dip and draw something of course, if you want I can offer a few suggestions.
As for the dynamic between wanwan and Ame… well, if the chance does come, I'd like to make some emphasis on that. For now I'll concentrate on our dungeon running, be as active as possible for that so we can progress the quest.
>>5806>Where did the skull and blood come from?Can't answer now, you'll learn the truth if you make it out alive and explore the dungeon.
>In fact, does the skull look like the skull we saw previously? Yes, it is.
0da5d4 No.5808
>>5807What can Maegan draw right now?
Since we aren't intimately familiar with her capabilities for drawing or calligraphy, we need suggestions to give us a bound set of what she can draw.
bd30ef No.5809
>>5807I can go for a suggestion or two. I'd hate to lose the angel in a cold cost/benefit analysis. That's just not Wan Wan. We've made her out to be… Soft. She just can't fit into the shoes of her fluffy masters.
It's too bad the dice have suddenly decided to hate us this route, things could have gone… better if it wasn't for the fact that on all the rolls that actually counted we couldn't even breech a 10. That's some serious bad luck if I say so.
f80ec9 No.5810
>>5808Mostly abstract stuff.
>>5809Being Wan Wan is suffering.
Here are a few suggestions.
You have only one reliable canvas: your body and only a single type of ink, the blood at your feet. Given the way this strange place seem to work on, you could try to make your desires manifest by drawing some kind of anchor onto your body, the blood doesn’t have that weird ‘’transposition effect’’ that previously plagued the walls, chairs and fogs.
>Saturmae symbol [It is your most intimate link]>A rough shaped hourglass to, hopefully, turn back time.>A door, to get out of this magical cage and hopefully close the portal of the entity>A stickman with sword and shield – a warrior to help the angel in distress.>[Or something you guys suggests] 0da5d4 No.5811
>>5810>You have only one reliable canvas: your bodyWhat about the skull?
Wasn't the skull also solid back in the previous hallway, and now?
f80ec9 No.5812
>>5811It's covered in blood. You won't have the time to draw anything.
bd30ef No.5813
>>5812>Won't have time to draw anythingWell, say we did commit to drawing something. What could we pull off? We wouldn't need a friggin' Sistine Chapel or anything, just a quick and dirty thing that'd actually "work" and make the bastard stop taunting us and/or killing that angel somehow!
Is that even possible? Is there a way to save this broken angel in a fit of illogical love and infatuation? Is there truly now hope in this heart of eternal darkness?
0da5d4 No.5814
>>5810The little jewels around the creature's neck are souls; that's what Maegan figured out, right?
Would writing the characters for "soul" and "release" be quick enough to still have time for one other drawing, or is there not enough time?
f80ec9 No.5815
>>5813>Well, say we did commit to drawing something. What could we pull off?I might have expressed myself wrongly, the skull is very dirty, covered in blood so you'll have to clean it before attempting something, wheres you could draw something on your arm much faster.
>Is that even possible? Is there a way to save this broken angel in a fit of illogical love and infatuation? Is there truly now hope in this heart of eternal darkness?Am I that cruel?
>>5814
>The little jewels around the creature's neck are souls; that's what Maegan figured out, right?Aye, nothing more than instincts tough, not logical at all.
>Would writing the characters for "soul" and "release" be quick enough to still have time for one other drawing, or is there not enough time?For now, the creature is taunting you, obviously taking its time before snapping down its jaw onto the head of the angel, so you do have some time for wording alongside a single drawing.
0da5d4 No.5816
>>5815>you do have some time for wording alongside a single drawing.So does that mean we can get 1 phrase and 1 drawing, or 2 drawings?
f80ec9 No.5817
>>5816Three words and a drawing, tops.
0da5d4 No.5818
>>5817"Release Trapped Souls" and the stick figure fighter.
Or "Release Souls" and put the character for "Power" on the stick figure to make him stronger.
bd30ef No.5819
>>5815>Am I that cruel?In a word, yes. Yes you are. But I don't fault you for it. Everyone has their own way of doing things. That you favor suffering is not a thing I dislike you for. I just hope that the next time you call for a roll that the dice give us a friggin' break… Out of 5 rolls none have even managed to breach 10 when it mattered. Capricious the dice gods are, if only they would favor us…
f80ec9 No.5820
>>5818Since I'll restart in two days, anyone is free to make their inputs as well.
>>5819Don't worry don't worry, nothing bad is going to happen!
bd30ef No.5821
>>5820Hahaha… yeah, sure you suffering addict. I wonder if our gun survived the last roll somehow and whether or not our former party is looking for us.
I pray they are, but I also bet they're much farther away than we'd all like to know…
f80ec9 No.5895
Not too sure about continuing today, health is failling me. I think I'll take tonight to prepare some more and resume tomorrow
bd30ef No.5896
>>5895Cool. Say, what are Saturme's domains other than the sun? Could be important.
f80ec9 No.5897
>>5896Family, Community, Ambition and Fertility.
Well that was in the olden days, those domains have sort of gravitated toward the water dragon these days given Saturmae position as a
dead goddess.
f80ec9 No.5904
I'll attempt to start the thread a little sooner if I can
f80ec9 No.5905
Thread should begin in an hour, be warned the next udpate is a beefy one. Important things happen.
03f9d7 No.5906
>>5905Are we going with
>"Release Souls" and put the character for "Power" on the stick figure to make him stronger.>>5905>"Release Souls" and put the character for "Power" on the stick figure to make him stronger. f80ec9 No.5907
>>5906Yes I went with this.
f80ec9 No.5908
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eLoqFF6vjc [The font I was using for the language of the Soul isn't working here, damn]It was a spur without logical foundation that had me crouch toward the blood and viscera covered skull at my feet, as I watch the entity hold the small girl the anger that boiled inside me completely vanquished whatever reservation I had concerning my own survival. It was, perhaps, something close to some kind of psychosis; only now have I met the dying blond of pure wing and it was enough for me to not only wish her safety with every fibers of my beings (as if my queen was standing right there) but actually act on it despite her clear reluctance; being pierced behind the head by this small, pincer-like appendage and still retain consciousness is unreasonably tough indeed, I can only hazard a guess about the true strength of this angelic girl.
‘’No…’’
I know all too well that Ame would be intensely reproachful of my actions when I’ll tell her, once the tip of my brush found the blood I knew there wouldn’t be any turning back, especially when the entity big open mouth seemed exhale some kind of fume; an intensely dark smoke slowly wafted up from the nether that was its mouth while the fiery, gaseous manes sticking to its back horns seemed to grow in intensity briefly, all this whole the open portal on the big, gray stones melted its material further and further, creating a most unique and disgusting juices that pooled around the golden window acting as shield, preventing its mixing with the blood.
The red formless blanket peeled off in tendrils near the creature head, for a moment I froze as they made their way toward the head of the girl; aghast in dread and a potent feeling of uselessness. Bloodied the brush may be, I still had no idea what to do aside some careless, panicked scribbling and holding onto Ame-no-Uzume necklace. Instead of piercing the motionless angel head, these membranes took a careful detour to avoid slithering near the halo as they settled toward her face and scribbled a few symbols, jerking her head upward in a painful tug, splattering silver-gold blood from the deadly hemorrhage on her back, with enough force to crack her neck.
Gods… so much blood.
«…………..»Her azure eyes widened and despite the horrible wounds the tiny girl began to struggle, eliciting the first sound from the entity that sounded like a mixture between a painful, piggish whine and the wheezing of another animal. Smoke still wafted away from its mouth, its collars of brilliants gems shining and dimming at random, the poor girl wasn’t able to get away, she knew that, and so she simply peered at me with eyes of distress and intense guilt… before intense surprise seemingly robbed her of the sensations of crippling pain and paralyzing emotions.
«…………» f80ec9 No.5909
The white brush danced on my skin, the alphabets showed by the entity was the final missing link – something resonated within me after seeing those glowing letters – they held some kind of authority, allowing for a communication that was beyond the mere exchange of words. The creature was translating intents, emotions and something primal that I couldn’t decipher, it was enough scare that bright young angel who was already convinced of her death – her own purpose was obviously to save me. My very soul is unable to witness such injustice.
The talent required to write this unknown alphabet was somehow instinctive; my inner arm became my canvas, the letters in blood found their anchor… and the mouth of the onyx skeleton snapped closed without warning.
‘’No!’’
Only a single word escaped my lisps, the gilded shield disappeared, propelling me forward and nearly making me lose balance altogether, I barely dare to look at the carnage now…
Instead of being decapitated, the creature jaws had come to a stop, unable to burst through a suddenly erected shield around the girl head forming a nice, big sphere; its flattened teeth began to grind against the magical obstructions as the fog escaping its mouth became momentarily blocked, its numerous tiny arms started to move in response…
Things didn’t quite go so smoothly. The worlds around us was already diminishing, fogs pore through the walls despite the lamps while the portals form which the creature still sat in expanded, gobbling more and more of the walls, slowly but surely suppressing whatever reality reigned in this strange dining room.
Debilitating pain in my arms forced on my knee in a breathless scream. Liquid fire spread from the little drawing of a warrior beside my two words sentence, traveling the path of my veins.
‘’A-aah!’’
I still couldn’t breathe, the sensation traveled up my limb, into my shoulder, up and down my neck, into my jaw; even the nerves of my teeth, sending fresh wave of pure, molten hurt each time my trembling jaw made them touch, flattened ears throbbed in renewed sensation, my tail touching the ground was enough to thoroughly debilitate the entire area around my pelvis. My face met with the disgusting dark goop of this nemesis and when I inevitably curled in a ball, the arm I saw scribbled upon had grown thin. Deadly thin.
Bones attached to skins without muscles, the sheer thinness of what was my limb couldn’t be described as dehydrated – I had grown downright skeletal- with a few thin stretches revealing bits of bones; the sentence, the words and the drawing on my arm took the shape of a wound.
…and the world grew dark.
–
As the teeth clanked against the magical barrier and the arms goring the poor girl body twisted even more in retaliation, there was an unmistakable and worrying sound of broken glass, crackles spread throughout the sphere protecting her head as it began to deform and yield to the onyx jaw whilst the entity fiery mane brightened in vitality, stirred by the angel defiance. To have someone stubborn enough to struggle in the face of oblivion for every single seconds was a form of ecstasy unlike any others, unfortunately things began to change in earnest.
Three jewels around its neck popped out of their sockets; slowly inching themselves forward out of its red, slimy skin and the dark furs to shatter on the gooey ground.
From the walls and the ground surrounding the entity, three silhouette of pure white slithered through the materials, humanoids without details; they appeared in the vague shape of men, lunging toward the tall, nightmarish creature without hesitation and fear whilst its jaw worked diligently to decapitate the young angel once and for all, leaving a whimpering white wolfen girl on the floor; they lunged like a single body, and struck with the angers that only a lifetime of unending suffering can create.
One entered its mouth, body breaking into shapeless air, a second went for the angel, embracing the girl mangled body gently as she lost consciousness, her precious barrier disappearing alongside the liquid gold in her veins; if it weren’t for the wounds on her back and her ruined sundress, the girl would have the demeanor of a doll. Finally the last one disappeared into the portal – only to remerge, arms locked around the creature head whilst smoke-like steam began to waft out of its open mouth, the previous blackness replaced with purity rivaling the few remaining feathers not drenched blood of the angel who was gently laid on the floor by the mysterious silhouette.
f80ec9 No.5910
As master of this world, the entity was amused by the resistance; the three spirits were defiant, fueled by years upon years of abuses for its pleasures and sustenance; their rebellion was simply another tickle, a rare happenstance of surprise bringing with it an experience so rare, the entity delight momentarily left it numb and unmoving as the spirit trashed its guts, the pain reminding it of a forgotten mortality; pure bliss of the senses. But enough was still enough and as a few of its tendrils were pulled apart by the soul that had secured the angel, a white tendril of its fiery mane plucked itself away to write a single word of command that will be obeyed inside its domain.
«Killher»
The fumes of its mouth became black again as a new jewel sprouted back on its collar; the second one locking its head released dutifully and, just like its predecessor, willingly entered the open maws of the onyx skull, thereby sprouting a new jewel and the last saw a strange growth inside its belly. The darkened sphere immediately changed its attitude, the spirit turned toward the motionless angel who was still drawing breaths, lifted its leg and brought it down toward her defenceless, sleeping face.
>[Empathy +1]
>[Intervene]
If there is one truth amongst gods, it’s that none of them are bound by rules.
The soul of your descendent is brighter than a star inside the darkness of this place, a hunting resort for the master of the floor meant to warp senses and, most importantly, fool the souls of those trapped inside in some illusion of death- letting them go inside the maze with the illusion of freedom and then see how much they can take while being hunted, how much their curiosity would kill them because that is the purpose of the Hunter.
To punish the urge of curiosity, be it born from the natural instinct of a person self-preservation or simply the wonder of stepping inside someplace new – the human drive of learning activate its appetite, its urges of the hunt – and from there the nightmare is unending until they break and become a trophy, stripped away of all individuality, everything that would give anyone else a longing of knowledge.
Yet the white wolf hasn’t bothered to look, the dishes their hypnosis and psychoses-inducing Words of Power hadn’t been disturbed – not that they would have worked, for she is after all your great granddaughter – any and all shadows are dispersed under the authority of the Sun, but it also awakening a dangerous longing inside the Hunter; to corrupt her purity, for the soul of Maegan Fayruz is a danger of empathy. It’s undoubtable she will die in this place once anything actually get a peek of the girl; more importantly her chasteness, near sin-free soul has grown even brighter than yours, a god clinging to a fragment of life through the simple, stubborn refusal of passing on despite life heartache and ill-fortune plaguing your few, few scions.
You are Saturmae of the Sun, past patron of Zipangu and the one true sacredness of your very being, is and always shall be family.
f80ec9 No.5911
Here lays your granddaughter, her body nothing more than a carcass of thin bone, shivering still whilst her furred, white ears and tail coat themselves on the goop of the portal; her life is a beautiful thin thread that you need to protect, but more importantly is her ambition. She has truly given everything she can through this careless use of Words of Powers inscribing themselves inside her very soul; not only did she release and give form to three wayward beings, but she also broke an anchor tying her to her body, meaning that her future was one of damnation, stuck inside the labyrinth of the Hunter.
Maegan is too fragile for that.
With the brush you’ve given her, you take your own step into the enclosed world as uninvited guest, little by little you come forth, stepping away from the whimpering and now dead wolfen girl; the spirit about to murder the angel was long gone, disappeared by the mere presence of the Sun long before its foot committed murder.
Time eroded all memories of the last time you stood as your true self. The white wolf was an entity of battle. Now you stood beside your granddaughter and her mangled winged friend – the soul of your precious descendant was half-extinguished, drained by the Words of Power- there wasn’t any hope left for her, at least, as long as this ‘’dimension’’ was still standing.
The Entity, the Hunter, the Master – all of them mere titles to try and force some kind of senses and logic onto the beast before you has slithered out of its protective portal, as if expecting your arrival all along its slimy red skin bulge in bravado, the many souls imprisoned in its collars flash in mute defiance, slave to their master; its arms grows, each a sword of immense sharpness and finally bones start protruding from its back, lifting its mane as its body changed from sleek horror to bestial power, every morsel of skin was a poison, each muscle enough to crush a man head and the very bones keeping its skeletons were used a weapon – an entity of pure, unmitigated murder – vision of a world you have no right to stand in.
You look much more banal, with long flowing white hair, piercing red eyes and of course the obligatory furred ears on the head; your skin was a decoration of red tattoos from head to legs. Many would consider you a great beauty – fitting for a goddess- but too much things were missing. First was a lack of tail an appendage that should have been swaying near your hips in its mixture of white and red, next was the slashed circle of clay hovering behind you inside the aura of pure colored flame – a full half was missing – making the various inscription and drawing nonsensical, rendering a weapon of the soul completely and utterly useless.
The Wolf of the Sun is a crippled god, you have no hope of emerging victorious in this battle; already you can sense its joy, its unending appetite for your soul, it’s yearning for your purity reaching…
«NoMore»
Unlike the creature, you had no need of writing the deadly words of the souls inside a realm you cared nothing about; the symbols came out of your mouth and when your fire waned, the world itself shattered as the fog engulfed your flame.
>[Your link to your granddaughter has been severed]
–
f80ec9 No.5912
’'Don’t!’’
The massive dining room, the unspeakable entity, the courageous little angel and my gallant grandmother – all of them disappeared without a trace, melting away to nothingness when I opened my eyes again, instead finding myself back in a room of meat and peerless marble. My arm wasn’t marked anymore, my hands had a proper amount of skins to them, and most of all my head was propped on someone thighs, making it a comfortable pillow despite the armor; the gun and its ammunition rested on the floor beside me; I was drawing breathe again.
‘’Oh thank the Dragon!’’
A wavering voice overcome by emotion tickled my ears and I strained my neck to peer upward, only to gasps upon seeing a pair of beautiful dark wings alongside the long haired head of my step sister, Ayumi with her twin close behind as I heard a few solid steps to my left.
‘’She’s alright!?’’
‘’…yeah’’
I croaked, feeling dizzy and very, very thirsty.
‘’What…?’’
Sensing my distress, Ayumi fiddled with a metal flask, opening it and grabbing my arm to let me take it and so I did; fresh, delicious water fillet my throat, thusly making me feel intensely grateful for the crow.
‘’Something collided with you, a big scary dark… silhouette, it escaped as soon as it entered, two seconds tops and left you dead; despite the total lack of blood you didn’t wake up. Hildegarde took off after it like an enraged bull, aside from some far away echoes of struggle we haven’t heard from her’’.
Wrapping my head around Akira words was much more difficult than I thought. After finishing the flask I was forced to use Ayumi like a makeshift piece of furniture to help me up; the girl didn’t complain and I did my best to ignore her glistening eyes.
‘’She’s…?’’
‘’Out there on her own killing stuff I guess, not exactly one for the fraternity of the Light I’d wager. We decided to wait here, see how things could end up, how you’d turn out before going back home and leaving her here… It’s probably bad for me to say it, but you’re more important than our other maid’’
Aah… I feel exhausted.
>What to do…?
2851d2 No.5913
>>5912Did grandma take Maegan's place inside the creature's realm?
Check that we still have our ofuda to teleport out.
We still have a job to do. Follow the sounds of fighting, find Hildegarde, and find the source of the miasma.
bd30ef No.5914
>>5912Huh? We lost our link to grandma? Oh fuck, did we just lose her, as in, did she just sacrifice herself for our sake? I hope not but I'm scared.
Anyway, take a quick look around. See if we can see the angel (hard to kill, can probably recover from her injuries). Then chase after Hilde, I hope she left markers to tell us where she went. We have a promise to keep, we can't keep it if she dies on us.
f80ec9 No.5915
>>5913>Did grandma take Maegan's place inside the creature's realm?Her and the angel.
>Check that we still have our ofuda to teleport out.You do.
>We still have a job to do. Follow the sounds of fighting, find Hildegarde, and find the source of the miasma.If this is the primary objective you guys want, then that'll mean I'll have you make any necessary turns in the path without leaving you any choices in order to speed things along.
f80ec9 No.5916
>>5914>Huh? We lost our link to grandma? Oh fuck, did we just lose her, as in, did she just sacrifice herself for our sake? I hope not but I'm scared.
>did she just sacrifice herself for our sake?Teehee… Well there's sort of a reason why I decided to jump in the second person with her.
>Anyway, take a quick look around. See if we can see the angel (hard to kill, can probably recover from her injuries).The angel is nowhere to be seen.
2851d2 No.5917
>>5915Hildegarde chased after the creature; could she be fighting it now? If we kill it, can we free grandma and the angel?
f80ec9 No.5918
>>5917>Hildegarde chased after the creature; could she be fighting it now?Maybe.
>If we kill it, can we free grandma and the angel?I can't be answering that.
So it's time to pursue the wayward maid.
2851d2 No.5919
>>5918Wait, before we go, reload the gun.
f80ec9 No.5920
I think I need to call it quit. Only had 4 hours of sleep and it seem my big opening is striking harder than I thought so I'm feeling exhausted, which is really frustrating since I really do want to continue.
I'll see how I feel tomorrow I guess.
bd30ef No.5921
>>5920Damn, I was hoping for more too, leavin' me hangin' with grandma's and Hilde's fate. Still, it seems like the entity pulled us into a kind of "soul world" so killing the damn thing should probably fix things. I get the distinct impression that Hilde's "kill EVERYTHING" approach was one learned from practical experience. In this world and in the swamp, that is the correct answer 95 times out of a 100.
Something looks suspicious? Kill it. Looks cute? It'll look cuter as a corpse. Looks delicious? Yeah, deliciously poisonous I bet. I'll use it as bait for the next thing I want dead. Hope it eats it and dies. That's the "Death World" mentality.
5b66f0 No.5922
>>5920Alright, see you tomorrow. Get some sleep and feel better, INH!
f80ec9 No.5923
>>5921>Something looks suspicious? Kill it. Looks cute? It'll look cuter as a corpse. Looks delicious? Yeah, deliciously poisonous I bet. I'll use it as bait for the next thing I want dead. Hope it eats it and dies. That's the "Death World" mentality.The people of Kreszenz are pretty hardy, but it's also a mentality born from experience since the creatures tend to feed on all aspect of mankind, so curiosity and a thirst for knowledge can be very, very deadly.
You guys dodged a bullet by not investigatingStill, Hild is a bit of a special case since she's more passionate than pragmatic.
>>5922 Thank, I hope so too. Been feeling really under the weather all week.
bd30ef No.5925
>>5923Ha! Almost made me regret not lifting a platter. I just hope we make it all work. Hilde has a place to return to, I pray that we make it all work out long term somehow. Though I know you will not make that easy…
f80ec9 No.5930
Thread will start a little later than usual, probably in an hour
f80ec9 No.5931
Actually, I'll aim for tomorrow instead. Sorry
ac326b No.5932
>>5931That's fine, you probably need the rest.
In the meantime, we need to figure out how to save grandma and the angel.
f80ec9 No.5950
Feeling pretty good tonight, thread will restart in an hour
f80ec9 No.5952
Thankfully there wasn’t any pain in my limbs despite that… harrowing experience; the twins had taken to protect me by keeping themselves close as I regained some breath, the water having done wonders to chase off the lingering dizziness that first crippled me upon awakening. Images of my grandmother inevitably came to my mind during this respite; I have no idea how, but I saw her steps into that… that world. A tall beautiful maiden; a wolf of fiery passion and unreachable purity, I’m not quite sure what happened, the words she exchanged with the entities lacked context and senses.
‘’Can you walk?’’
Akira inquired from her watchful post near the entrance, holding onto a long smoky staff as if she reached for the fog besieging us and made a weapon out of it.
‘’Yeah’’
Whatever lingering dizziness I had was finally gone now and slowly, the dark winged mage at my side helped me up to my feet. From the darkness of the unending corridors, echoes of a faraway struggle made its way toward us in an incessant amount of worrisome sounds of impact followed by odd snarls that could only belong to a beast of some kinds, although such hypothesis aren’t too accurate in this place.
‘’I told her not to leave us alone in case you had to be quickly pulled back but Hildegarde wouldn’t listen…’’
‘’It’s a normal thing when a precious person is hurt right in front of you, especially among us warriors of the Light! Let’s not be speaking of cowardice now, one of our precious friends lost her way, it’s our duty to get her back’’
While trying very hard to appear charismatic Akira didn’t even spared us a glance for that little spiel, leaving me stuck between groaning and laughing. Instead I opted to observe the steel pistol whom, upon gathering my attention, let out a soft steely breath of greeting; reloading it was, of course, an easy matter and if it weren’t for the Tengu clutching my side (and occasionally rubbing my tail, don’t go believing I don’t feel it, Ayumi) it’d be like I was never rammed by some nightmarish entity at all!
‘’Let’s go get her. I’ve had a rather… unique experience that’ll share with you all once we can, but there’s two things I want to make absolutely certain with the two of you. First, we are not leaving this place until our business is done. Second, let’s not make any stops until we see Hildegarde, meaning we’ll have to rely on our ears which shouldn’t be too hard a thing given the slaughters that’s going on.’’
‘’As long as you are healthy enough…’’
The magician let go, but still kept a prudent stance beside me; I wasn’t about to say no to that, I may have some bravado but it’s always reassuring having someone so ungodly strong in magic being a little overprotective.
‘’Then let us away, I’ll be taking point!’’
f80ec9 No.5953
–
Hildegarde hadn’t gone too far; the sounds of struggles took us left, our previous safe spot of marble and meat giving way to a much more proper material of white stones, we ended up in a relatively large intersection with every exits blocked off by the fog, growls, light screams and other impactful sounds came from the southern path, so that was the one we took while taking every precaution of keeping our trio somewhat secure; I really was ready to fire at a moment notice.
Fortunately we didn’t encounter anything, even when I thought something was skittering in the back, hidden by the fog. The large corridor allowed us to stand sides by sides so we did, taking precaution not avoid stepping into the room we were about to walk into, the soil of marbles giving way to another hybrid of stones and meat. Our lamps (increased to their maximum output) revealed some hints of the our destination, several covered carcasses similar to what we saw earlier were lying on various spots, be it floor, walls or roofs, several of them damaged beyond repair as if… someone had kicked them open, revealing the same eerie ‘’meaty’’ insides that were hard to define, as if all organs and bones had grown liquefied.
Hildegarde was a very obvious sight. The maid of alabaster wasn’t so gallant anymore; her dark clothes were ruined, covered in viscera that I preferred to avoid lingering my sight on – the organs even coated her luxurious white braid. She emerged out of the fog like a Valkyrie of vengeance, her arms and legs nearly nude, covered only by the barest of clothes as the pearl, ceramic-skin wafted some smokes, the blood and meat covering them literally cooking on the spot and falling away by itself, as if unable to keep contact with the warrior-maid body, whose eyes of bright carmines left constant after images and brilliant powdery liens from her movement, peering at us with a visage of such unearthly non-expression that my mind registered it as unnatural – inevitably eliciting a strong sentiment of fear.
>[Empathy +1]
…that I made sure to squash without reservation, that was Hildegarde after all, my fellow maid and comrade.
I couldn’t quite see any corpses in the room but she didn’t say anything upon our arrival, merely turning around, balling her hands back into fists while obvious splotch, wet scratches and growls made it obvious she (and by extension, us) wasn’t alone; one of the culprit stepped into the light, but not from Hildegarde direction, no, behind us; it was only thank to my keen hearing that I realized we had an aggressive stalker.
>Do you…
>[Shoot as soon as you see the rogue without bothering to identify it?] 1d20 +1 (Reflex +aim)
>[Took cover near your friends?]
>Something else?
bd4316 No.5954
| Rolled 4 + 1 (1d20) |
>>5953
Shoot it as soon as we can, with a shouted warning.
bd30ef No.5955
>>5953
How do we know it's aggressive? Do we sense an intent to kill or something?
f80ec9 No.5956
>>5955
>How do we know it's aggressive?
You don't you just know something is creeping behind the three of you, enough to be a potential menace.
Going pistolero is merely a choice you can make, if yo uthink its wise given what you've seen with Hildegarde who is obviously busy.
>>5954
As always, I'll allow one other roll.
5cb3d8 No.5957
>>5953
>other
Draw our pistol and ready/aim it at it, alert others to it.
f80ec9 No.5958
>>5957
I'll wait to see if this is the choice agree choice.
bd30ef No.5959
>>5956
Can we tell how close it probably is?
f80ec9 No.5960
>>5959
Enough to be seen by the light of your lamps, which is a radius of 4 meters.
bd30ef No.5961
>>5960
Well… shit. Draw the pistol, warn and get ready to dodge again. Maybe with a jump towards our friends as we do this as a kind of preemptive move?
f80ec9 No.5962
| Rolled 12, 15 = 27 (2d20) |
>>5957
>>5961
Given the very similar actions, I'll go with this…
Don't mind my roll
bd30ef No.5963
>>5962
Please tell me that was for the good guys, the dice gods have been particularly abusive to Wan Wan as of late, she needs a break.
f80ec9 No.5964
I'll leave you in suspense
f80ec9 No.5965
…I’m not certain why I resisted the compulsion of shooting and I won’t be asking myself why anytime soon. What came out of the wall of darkness was something I felt compelled to describe as a gremlin or a troglodyte. Probably about the size of an adolescent, the creature looked like a naked man squatting on the floor, reducing to using its hands to help its locomotion whose fingers were, instead of proper bones, showing long sharp claws that left a brief trail on the white ground. Its skin was a sickly, bony collection of paste discolored at various places here (especially the knees). There wasn’t anything to properly identify its sex despite being naked, no nipples, nothing dangling between its leg, not even a nose or mouth; only a pair of slightly oversized ears gave it some simulacrum of humanity, its eyes however… were big, easily double the size of an average person, looking like a pair of sickly dead pearl rather than proper oculus; the fact its claws were caked in blood was more than enough to instill some terror back in me, completely chasing off my bravado.
It wasn’t making a sound, simply staring, moving clos-
>DC passed by Ayumi
I saw a brief surge of purplish color before an explosive sound reverberated into the entire corridor and what I felt to be the tomb itself; beside me, Ayumi seemed to have taken special care to keep a close eye on my person and she, unlike me, didn’t hesitate to attack first; I hadn’t realized it so soon, but the creature had already closed a meter since its arrival. The Tengu let out a fierce bolt of dark purpled colored lightning that struck it dead center on the chest despite its feeble attempt at dodging (by squatting even lower to the floor). The force of the magic was so intense, the creature leapt back into the fog, leaving behind a trail of cooked blood, meat and skin; it hadn’t made a single sound.
‘’I swear, you really like showing off sis’’
Akira spoke, keeping vigil at the front where Hildegarde was… probably fighting more of these things – my eyes, now strained by the thunder, could still pick up more suspicious sounds of crawling and scratching form the area behind us, while the front was occupied by my fellow maid whose constant struggles was also obscured by the fog, but the various sound of bashing, sizzling and bones snapping clunks was enough to, at least, made me believe in her victory.
>What do you do?
0da5d4 No.5966
>>5965
Take a proper firing stance and take aim with the pistol towards the group's rear to prevent being flanked while Hildegarde fights to the front..
Judging by the sounds, do they sound far enough away that a grenade could be safely thrown into the fog?
bd30ef No.5967
>>5965
Surrounded by stealth type enemies how swell… Keep a tight formation, make sure nothing can sneak up "behind" us again and move toward Hilde who seems to be making some progress through this nightmarish mess.
And as always, keep an eye out for anything strange, who knows what other horrors are hear waiting for us to slip up and drop our guard.
f80ec9 No.5968
| Rolled 18 (1d20) |
>>5966
>Judging by the sounds, do they sound far enough away that a grenade could be safely thrown into the fog?
That's pretty hard to say; you don't see them yet, and your radius with the lamps is four meters, there's a bit too much clutter (alongside ringing from the thunder) to make an accurate guess.
>>5967
So stepping into the room it is, are we throwing a grenade? If so, roll 1d20.
>Don't mind my roll
0da5d4 No.5969
>>5968
No, it's too dangerous with the kind of grenade we have to just throw them around without knowing how big this room is.
f80ec9 No.5970
‘’ Let’s get in there, regroup with Hildegarde. I’ll keep an eye on the back’’
The sisters nodded in synch, Akira took off the ground in some light levitation whilst her sister kept her foot on the ground, her skin alight by colored veins giving her somber hair and equally dark wings a brief new outlook; I could also see worrisome purple crackles of electricity traveling her hand as she leveled it in a fist, obviously intent on unleashing its contents on the first glance of the enemy.
For my part, I made doubly sure my lamp was functioned then trailed the pistol behind our group, holding onto its ammo with my second hand. As we entered our new destination, the ground changed into a spongy, meaty mess. Just like in the previous tomb the marble changed slightly, fused with a phenomenon of flesh that hovered between sickly peach and dying red, with more than a few tumors crunched underfoot- that was without mentioning the clear signs of combat from Hildegarde lone struggle- with the maid hidden by the fog it felt like our trio was going completely blind, it felt like the tension itself was enough to make my nerves snaps.
‘’Sha!’’
I think something sprang up front, Akira sprang forward and what followed was a sickening slam of something solid hitting flesh, followed by several cracks of broken bones; a brief glance was enough to understand that she handled some newcomers efficiently. This room appeared fairly large, made in a vague square the fog wafted in from two close opening and as we traveled onto the middle we saw a new exit open on the south, with the fog acting as barrier yet again, only hinting at what could be further in.
The creatures surrounding us seemed to take something of a cautious stance by keeping themselves in the fog; their scratching, reeling, grunts and little yaps was more than enough to tell that at least a dozen must be standing there now; the room itself didn’t appear large enough to contain so many bodies (especially if we count Hildegarde hunt), making me wonder…
…whatever hypothesis I had was discarded quickly once the bloodied maid reappeared, this time stepping into our protective light, the girl was as grim looking as ever except this time, she was holding onto ones of the gremlins, dragging it on the floor as it tried (and failed to) sink its claws into the white skin of its jailor, the grim fingers caked in blood and meat simply danced across the ceramic-looking limb, while the palm around its neck tightened, the flesh visibly burning from the contact.
‘’You aren’t feeling anything when gazing into their eyes?’’
She asked with such clear calm, I could only swallow in a mixture of dread and relief.
‘’Guess not, you’d be feeling it otherwise. Let’s not burden ourselves with some needless care then, and get to business; those title cowards won’t be staying on their asses for much longer, especially since they keep regenerating inside this damn biological bed.’’
Then, Hildegarde broke the creature neck with her grip strength alone; a disgustingly wet crunch resonated slightly and the creature died in a long gasp. At the same instant I nearly shot my pistol once I saw a white limb, but decided to keep my bullet instead while the Tsukumogami began a careful, quiet song of steel.
‘’You’ve seen the exits, this is probably their nest, or at least the main one; I’m guessing one of the adjacent rooms is where we can put a stop to them, problem is, they’ll wait for us to come out once we go inside and if it aint the right room, well… we’ll have a bigger fight on our hands.’’
I think the creatures began to communicate; I heard several yaps, grunts and distinctive movements, which made Hildegarde visibly twitch and Ayumi redouble her prepared casting, now filling both of her arms full of thunder.
‘’It’d be best if I go into a room alone, to at least split up the pack; just don’t get fooled by this small room, there is quite a lot of them, I don’t know where they hide…’’
‘’…my guess is that they come from the walls, the various carcasses full of meats are probably some form of cocoons’’
I answered her, making those bright red eyes fall on me soundlessly; I don’t know if she was glad that I was actually fine, but I decided to give her a smile and a nod – something she didn’t reciprocate.
‘’…ya sure you can handle yourself alone?’’
Akira asked, twirling her staff, glaring at the smoke.
‘’Yes, it’s smarter that way’’
>Is it? Judging by the sounds, there’s probably more than twenty of these gremlins now, it’s getting packed very fast…
>What do you do?
bd30ef No.5971
>>5970
What does she mean that one of the rooms will enable us to put a stop to them? Like, the core of this nest is probably within one of them?
f80ec9 No.5972
>>5971
>Like, the core of this nest is probably within one of them?
Yes, something like that. Hild is a tad unhinged at the moment so she's not too clear on purpose.
f80ec9 No.5973
Maybe it's getting a little too late for a weekday update, regardless I'm still going to hang around.
Unless you guys want some choices? Here, you can agree or refuse with Hildegarde fast plan, then choose to go into the left or right room or, of course, just flee outright on the paths you see.
0da5d4 No.5974
>>5970
Can we see the openings into the rooms?
Can Hilde throw a grenade into each one with a fastball throw?
bd30ef No.5975
>>5973
I can think of several options but… Those grenades are basically thermite right? That reaction gives off a lot of light so… how much would they illuminate once they go off?
f80ec9 No.5976
>>5974
>Can we see the openings into the rooms?
No, the fog prevent it.
>Can Hilde throw a grenade into each one with a fastball throw?
Unfortunately not, the rooms aren't angled properly.
>That reaction gives off a lot of light so… how much would they illuminate once they go off?
It'd be quite the light show for sure, easily illuminating the big room you are in now.
0da5d4 No.5977
>>5976
Does Hildegarde know how to use the grenades?
Could she run into a room, throw the grenade and then run to the next one? Would it cut down on the time she has to spend breaking whatever is in each room?
f80ec9 No.5978
>>5977
>Does Hildegarde know how to use the grenades?
Yes. Her arms get incredibly hot, she'll be able to activate it.
>Could she run into a room, throw the grenade and then run to the next one?
No.
>Would it cut down on the time she has to spend breaking whatever is in each room?
I can't tell you that.
0da5d4 No.5979
>>5978
>No.
She can't just run to the openings of each room, throwing grenades inside before running to the next?
Is this because the gremlins will drag her down and stop her? Or because she needs to stay in a room to really mess it up, that a grenade is insufficient for?
f80ec9 No.5980
>>5979
>Is this because the gremlins will drag her down and stop her? Or because she needs to stay in a room to really mess it up, that a grenade is insufficient for?
Both, plus the potential for some bad suprise popping up, but in her mind it's still better than everyone in the group being put in the same place and out of all your companions, she's the one that can take care of herself the best.
Now! No more hesitating!
0da5d4 No.5981
>>5980
Sweep the pistol around, asking it to identify which room has the core, then ask it to indicate a large group of gremlins ripe for being exploded. When it answers "Yes", have Hildegarde throw a grenade towards them, then run for the room where the gremlins are regenerating.
f80ec9 No.5982
>>5981
>then ask it to indicate a large group of gremlins ripe for being exploded.
It'll answer this question by a negative sound, so take that as you will.
The first can be done tough… Damn you for not forgetting the abilities of all your companions
Writing now. I'll try to keep it short.
bd30ef No.5983
>>5980
We have a mage, any way for us to get some breathing room with a nice big spell? If I recall Tsu gave us a few ofudas, what spell are they storing?
f80ec9 No.5984
>>5983
>what spell are they storing?
One of them (given to Ayumi in a seperate casing) is storing a heroic summon in case things get really, really bad.
Aside from that, Akira has spells that enhance her warriors abilities (temporary fire armor, enhancing her senses magically, calling the help of some ancestral spirits… rather hard to define, but you can expect her to become extremely strong by using one of the talisman.
Ayumi is naturally prone to AoEs thank to her lightning affinity, so her ofudas contain very strong single target spells made out of the foxfires while storing a few spirits to avoid friendly fire.
bd30ef No.5985
>>5982
You've trained us to be extra paranoid and thus extra resourceful. We know you're out for blood and suffering dood!
f80ec9 No.5987
‘’Wait! We don’t have to separate! We just have to ask him’’
Our stance become something of an overstretched triangle as I backpedaled toward the other girls, waving the gun in my hand before settling back on my read guards; the fact that we were soon to be in very serious dangers made the weight of the various alchemical grenades in their protective pockets all the heavier.
For a moment, Hildegarde seemed completely dumbstruck; her previous merciless expression softening as she peered toward the pistol and then, her face softening in a smile which was more than enough to give my heart a few triumphant beats.
‘’This guy is handy, very well let’s trust him; last time he was right, no reasons he wouldn’t’ be again’’.
Our closest destination was on the left, with the other three girls watching every parts of our would-be protective circle I quickly pointed it toward the visible entrance; the spirit response a quick steely breath. With such an easy process of elimination, our gaze turned toward the other room, however…
As if stirred by the actions of my partner-spirit, the gremlins hidden away in the fog began to let out chants of obvious communications; whereas before I heard constant yap, barks and grunts something like a concert of deep throated clicks began to resound all around us, as if some kind of oversized locusts were sizing us up all around the protective circle of lights from our lamps.
‘’I guess-‘’
Ayumi was momentarily interrupted by a particularly potent zap of lightning traveling up and down her arms.
‘’…they didn’t like that’’
She was right; the first of the creature came from the right, obviously impeding our progress. I did the most reasonable thing in response – shoot. The bullet traveled and hit the little guy right in the forehead, sending him on the ground in an unceremonious slump as the sound of the pistol felt like a thunder of its own, putting the entire nest of growling gremlins to silence as they, undoubtedly, witness the short demise of their comrade.
…and enough to break the stalemate, for all around our circle, the creatures swarmed shoulders to shoulders, my second shot killed another right on the spot, unfortunately the rate of fire was far, far from adequate as they closed in like starving hyenas.
This is going to need some very fast thinking!
>Have Akira and Hildegarde break through toward the right chamber while you and Ayumi keep yourselves safe, you shouldn’t try to stain one of the girls too much.
>Gather around the mage crow so she can unleash her most potent spell – while likely to tire her out – it’ll likely cull the swarm down to size faster than anything.
>Insist that Akira consume on of her Ofudas while Hildegarde charge forward, this way you’ll be able to break through without too much troubles.
>[Free]
>Also, each choice will require a dice with potential modifiers or malus given on what you want to do, I’ll name it when we decide on something.
0da5d4 No.5988
>>5987
>Have Akira and Hildegarde break through toward the right chamber while you and Ayumi keep yourselves safe, you shouldn’t try to stain one of the girls too much.
f80ec9 No.5989
>>5988
I'll wait for a few more votes, see if that's what most people want. I think I'll end it here for tonight.
5cb3d8 No.5990
>>5987
>>Have Akira and Hildegarde break through toward the right chamber while you and Ayumi keep yourselves safe, you shouldn’t try to stain one of the girls too much.
bd30ef No.5991
>>5987
>Gather around the mage crow so she can unleash her most potent spell – while likely to tire her out – it’ll likely cull the swarm down to size faster than anything.
When in doubt, NUKE THE FUCKER!
f80ec9 No.5992
>>5990
>>5988
>>5991
Hm, well this is a combat choice so I'll consider it important, unless you guys feel its better to proceed faster?
0da5d4 No.5993
>>5992
How quick was Ayumi's lightning spell?
If it's got a recharge time similar to our reload time, then we will need to reconsider our choice.
f80ec9 No.5994
>>5993
She has already prepared it, such a big spell is draining though. Meaning she'll be that close to Overcast
0da5d4 No.5995
>>5994
No, not the big one, the regular ones that she's using right now, that she used to blast a gremlin.
The gremlins are charging in, so she'll need a very rapid-fire spell, one that chains to nearby enemies readily, or a massive AoE one.
f80ec9 No.5996
>>5995
Then it's rapid casting, the domain that human are the best in (being a Youkai result in something similar thankfully). In term of speed, then its essentially rapid fire since all she need is aim and imagine the required spell. It doesn't chain, each hit is a single zap.
0da5d4 No.5997
>>5996
Okay, so Ayumi would be rapid casting, and essentially be a lightning machine-gun, if we go with >Have Akira and Hildegarde break through toward the right chamber while you and Ayumi keep yourselves safe
Is that right?
If it looks like the gremlins will break through, could Ayumi use her big spell?
f80ec9 No.5998
>>5997
>Okay, so Ayumi would be rapid casting, and essentially be a lightning machine-gun
Yes
>If it looks like the gremlins will break through, could Ayumi use her big spell?
Not without the risk of hitting your own people.
0da5d4 No.5999
>>5998
And it was one of these rapid-fire bolts that one-shotted a gremlin, right? I want to be sure she can actually put these things down without resorting to her big lightning storm.
f80ec9 No.6000
>>5999
Yes, it is.
So I assume you lean for the first option?
0da5d4 No.6001
f80ec9 No.6002
| Rolled 20, 3, 5 - 2 = 26 (3d20) |
>>6001
>>5990
>>5988
With three votes, I'd say we are good to go.
I'll need 1d20-2 from you guys.
5cb3d8 No.6003
| Rolled 14 - 2 (1d20) |
>>6002
bd30ef No.6004
| Rolled 10 (1d20) |
>>6002
C'mon…
f80ec9 No.6005
>>6004
>>6003
Not too bad, I'll have the answer by tomorrow.
0da5d4 No.6006
| Rolled 7 - 2 (1d20) |
>>6002
bd30ef No.6007
>>6005
Don't know who got the crit, let's hope it compensates for the other low rolls and everyone pulls through… mostly intact. We still got healing pots left right?
f80ec9 No.6008
>>6007
Everyone beside Hildegarde got a handful of them, yes.
bd30ef No.6009
>>6008
That's probably because Hilde seems to have a ridiculously high AC and a ton of HP at the cost of, well, not being able to heal any damage that manages to get through all that herself as she seems to be like a true golem girl with an actual personality.
She's still largely a mystery, but as of now I'm leaning on her being more the result of some… well, I don't think she's "human" in the traditional sense. Even her personality seems to be more "robotic" than anything but that don't mean she ain't got feelings. Quite the contrary, she seems to really care about her mistress and, because Wan Wan is so endearing, us as well.
f80ec9 No.6010
>>6009
You'll have the potential of uncovering Hildegarde mystery in due time.
First you have to make it back alive.
bd30ef No.6011
>>6010
Hope we do. An alliance with her country on top of Zipangu and Siggy's could form a new nucleus of a potent confederation.
f80ec9 No.6014
Going to be a little late today
f80ec9 No.6015
Never before had I seen such a single minded purpose for slaughter. From all around us the creatures charged in a concert of yaps and shrills growls, whoever that could proceed directly on all fours did so whilst others jumped over their brethren. Their numbers was such that surrounding us was a complete inevitability, a second of lingering around would have us overwhelmed; we simply didn’t have the proper number to name a stable frontline without any kind of environmental funnel.
My pistol sounded like thunder as it spit hot death at the enemy, my aim was more than adequate despite the movements; I elected to aim for the ones trying to leap toward our rear guard, slapping them with a bullet mid-jump or otherwise grazing their silhouettes, wounding and sending them crashing back down on the floor as the gremlins lost their balance; things began to get complicated very fast for the Tengu who began to get overwhelmed by the numbers.
Unlike animals, the white humanoids had no fear of death; the purplish crackles of electricity crashed again and again, each one an echo of unbelievable strength that not only pressed on my torso from the sheer strength of their attacks but also send several of the white troglodytes flying due to the sheer force surrounding Ayumi magical spells; at first, things were looking up as our mage cleared an efficient and merciless path, zapping again and again… but the creatures grew smart, or the girl began to falter – I didn’t know which and I hadn’t time to figure it out – but once one of the entities jumped and nearly struck my half-sister to the floor, I knew I had to help her out.
The pistol spit its death again, the spirit inside chanting a song of death whilst the constant bangs of its exiting bullets slapped the creatures away, the knockback from the shots began to feel natural and I saved Ayumi life twice while the creatures began to dodge her lightning. I saw it several times, as if those empty pearls could anticipate the magic, a few of them jumped away as lightning crackles and exited her arms and wings, striking the floor instead of bodies, leaving Akira to pick up the slack – unfortunately the warrior crow wasn’t faring any better.
Her levitating stance was a dance, with the rear guard facing the most pressure the smoking dark staff in her hands bashed and batted the creatures away more time than I could count – the times it took me to fire two shots, she had already crippled or killed five of the gremlins. When I could spare a glance, I saw her fly up to meet a few of the jumping creatures, slapping them upward with such strength that they collided with the roof before batting her wings and propulsion herself backward, usually stomping the butt of her staff right into another gremlins torso then using this momentum to vault again, keeping herself in the air but it was perhaps too little too late for more than a few manage to sneak past and more than once, the creatures raked their claws against her armors; the pressure was far too much for a single warrior or at least, one that had that couldn’t’ commit fully to the battle.
I knew the pressure was already as its breaking point when one of the disgusting fellow dropped from the roof – it was pistol that saved Akira from a nasty surprise, as I shoot the entity mid-drop, the stopping power of the bullet was thankfully more than enough to break its fall and send it crashing forward.
…only now did I finally notice why Akira kept herself in flight – the ground was too slippery with bloody meat for her to keep a proper ground stance.
f80ec9 No.6016
‘’Akira! Take my place! You three go inside, now!’’
If it weren’t for Hildegarde, I believe we would have been overrun and this would have marked the end of our adventure. The white maid of alabaster sprinted forward, breaking her previous stance and leaving me and Ayumi to deal with her flank that was… actually empty of threat, all the creatures laid dead on the floor in a mess of half-cooked flesh and broken bones, I could only spare a brief glances at her fight through the constant firing and reloading (the short minutes probably had me kill twenty of these gremlins). She looked like a vengeful Valkyrie, arms and legs shooting out for one solid strike and completely obliterating whatever poor soul they met, even breaking right through their makeshift, clawed guards – her skin was peerless, always- smoke wafted out like steam, burning whomever it touched. When I saw one jump toward her back I scrambled to reload – yet Hildegarde simply responded with a solid kick right in the creature torso, her naked foot leaving a bloody imprint of flame- when another slashed at her raised leg, she jumped to ram its head with her second leg, sending her crashing on the floor and simultaneously dodging a lunging troglodyte that was dealt with by a potent strike of thunder. Even on the floor, Hildegarde wasn’t less deadly for when two creatures tried a simultaneously flanking lunges, she met them by outstretching her arms, making them run right into those incredibly hot plates that was her skin as she jumped upward with unnatural strength…
All of these movements would have left anyone completely without breath, yet she continuing this whirlwind while keeping up with our ring of light.
–
‘’Ah! Dammit I shoulda… bah no need for reproach now!’’
To say Akira was dejected was a complete understatement, her clothes was ruined by the blood and damage of the creatures claws, revealing the solid-looking chainmail underneath. Akira looked better, if angry, her skin still alight without change – a good sign at least- even if lightning crackled through her arms and wings. Whatever creatures that made it past Hildegarde was dealt with without problem now – this wasn’t time for thinking.
The room was a long one, if not too large; having more meat than stones made out steps squeaks in a mixtures of sounds I’ve long grown used to, while the battle in the hall continued feverishly, Hildegarde dealing with all the creatures by her lonesome, not slowing down for a single moment, even when a rare few manage to land some painful-looking scratch, she simply continued her slaughter like a well oiled machine.
In my hand, I heard the Tsukumogami chant; my grip wasn’t too strong, my weapon leveled for a quick shot; with all the quick firing, I think I’ve grown used to firing the thing now…
>[You’ve grown some competence in the use of the pistol, resulting in a perk of your choosing.]
>Reflex shooting [Remove all malus from shooting on the move, reacting to ambush, or firing in extremely close-quarters]
>Aimed Shot [Gain a +3 modifier when you can actually take the time to aim a shot and remove all instance of critical failure]
>I’ll post the continuation once we decide on a perk
0da5d4 No.6017
>>6016
>Aimed Shot [Gain a +3 modifier when you can actually take the time to aim a shot and remove all instance of critical failure]
No critical failures is pretty big.
bd30ef No.6018
>>6016
>Aimed Shot
The dice… they have not been kind to us as of late. Reducing their ability to smite us would be helpful. I assume that with time we'll be able to attain the other perk yes?
f80ec9 No.6019
>>6017
>>6018
Aimed shot it is. In the event I forget to apply it, feel free to remind me.
>I assume that with time we'll be able to attain the other perk yes?
That, or gain new ones depending on your actions.
f80ec9 No.6020
‘’Let’s just find what we need!’’
It wasn’t a hard to find something more suspicious than the various wrapped humanoid cocoons attached to the meat of the floor, walls and roof. On the far, far end of the room, only briefly illuminated by the white light of the lamps was… something I first took as furniture but closer observation revealed another thing entirely.
When the fog gave way to the lamps, a large egg-shaped dark… thing seemingly sprouted from the floor, covered in some black-looking, slimy carapace. On closer inspection, the elevated, oval-looking shape was more akin to an insect cocoon rather than a proper egg; on its own it wasn’t that disturbing a sight, however countless of these ‘’meat carcasses’’ littered all around, some of them being nothing more than a torso; sprouting like bad herbs, a disgusting odor of filth came to my nose, leaving me gagging despite my best effort – I was thusly tempted to shot it right then and there- but thought better of it, especially with the sound of the continuous struggle behind me.
‘’That has to be it’’
>But how to deal with it?
bd30ef No.6021
>>6020
Ask Hilde what she thinks would be best but if she comes up blank then the only thing I can suggest is fire.
Fire cleans the skin from the bone and the sin from the soul. So we'd need a few grenades, a lantern, or our mage to nuke this shit if she ain't got a better idea.
0da5d4 No.6022
>>6020
Is it far enough that we could use grenade on it safely?
We should also have plenty of extra wood-fuel to use as napalm.
f80ec9 No.6023
>>6021
>Ask Hilde
Impossible, she's keeping the creature busy, supported by Ayumi here and there.
>>6022
>Is it far enough that we could use grenade on it safely?
Yes.
>We should also have plenty of extra wood-fuel to use as napalm.
If by that you mean your alchemical lighter, then yes, you haven't used it at all.
bd30ef No.6024
>>6023
Yeah but, don't we need that lighter to ignite the grenade fuses? How many nades we got on us and how many are left with the party?
5cb3d8 No.6025
>>6020
I vote for grenada.
0da5d4 No.6026
>>6023
>If by that you mean your alchemical lighter, then yes, you haven't used it at all.
No, I meant the condensed wood-fuel that is used in our lamps. We were told that it can be used like napalm, and we should have some extra.
I want to place grenades around the central cocoon, douse it and the grenades in the wood fuel, light the fuses, then run to where Hilde and Ayumi are, and get Akira to put up an earthen wall to protect us from the blast.
bd30ef No.6027
>>6026
Dude, we have to actually light the fuses with a lighter. If we douse the grenades with fuel we'll end up burning ourselves as our lighter will ignite the fuel they're doused in. Would you hold a lighter to a ball soaked in gasoline that you are currently holding?
f80ec9 No.6028
>>6024
You've got five, as for the ligther, it got plenty of fuel.
None of the others have one, so you are the only one in the party with an available supply.
>>6026
>I want to place grenades around the central cocoon, douse it and the grenades in the wood fuel, light the fuses, then run to where Hilde and Ayumi are, and get Akira to put up an earthen wall to protect us from the blast.
Unfortunately the wood-fuel is built in the alchemical lamps because too much accident happened with just such manipulation`you'll have to sacrifice one of your lamps as well. Combining sometihng like 3 grenades + the wood-fuel lamp is going to make one incredibly nasty fire tough.
f80ec9 No.6029
>>6025
>>6027
Is it safe for me to assume we have two votes for throwing a single grenade?
bd30ef No.6030
>>6029
Single, oh hell no. The instant that nest starts taking damage these fuckers'll go into a frenzy. If we're doing this we're doing this right. At least 3 grenades.
Do we have a spare lantern? That'll influence whether or not I throw that in too.
f80ec9 No.6031
>>6030
I began writing with the idea of a single grenade. If the opinion does shift for more, then I'll redo the update.
As for weaponized lamps, you and Ayumi have a spare one, meaning there's four lamps in total. (Akira and Hildegarde don't have any due to the fact thei fight in close combat.)
0da5d4 No.6032
>>6031
Again, three grenades and dousing the cocoon in fuel.
Is the wood fuel closer to gasoline or ethanol in terms of how its vapors can combust?
f80ec9 No.6033
>>6032
You can't douse them, you'll need to activate the lamp weaponized mechanism and throw it so it break and then light up the area. the weapon is built that way, Wanwan or Akira aren't strong enough to break it open without serious danger of lighting themselves on fire.
Anyway, the consensus seem to be three grenades then, I'll cahnge my writing.
0da5d4 No.6034
>>6033
Does it require throwing, or could the lamp's weapon mechanize be activate and let the explosions from the grenades break open the lamp?
f80ec9 No.6035
>>6034
The nades will be more than enough to break it.
So I assume we go 3 grenades + a lamp?
0da5d4 No.6036
bd30ef No.6037
>>6035
Hate to lose a lamp but we got 3 more and this shit needs to end. We can't hold out forever against this horde and the sooner this shit ends the better.
f80ec9 No.6038
‘’ I have just the thing, just stay back; I’ve heard more than my share of horrors story about those’’
Red Sand wasn’t native to Zipangu but the weapons made out of them were still shipped into all known conflicts zones despite the church ban – each such apparatus was dubbed a ‘’grenade’’ with a fuse kept very far from fire and heat- apple-sized, I took out one of them from the protective pocket of my uniform, shaking it lightly and hearing the sand making its whooshing despite the harsh echoes of combat.
It was made in a mixture of metal, silver and gold with some runic engraving that were, perhaps, the mark of the artisans; I didn’t quite care for that now, with this deadly weapon nestling in my palm an idea began to crop in my head as I took in the size of the egg; it was nearly reaching the roof itself, making it about… four or maybe five meters tall, with enough thickness for my entire body to step inside. There was also the room itself, full of half-formed gremlins. If we were to find some peace, then everything had to be dealt with, Hildegarde and Ayumi are holding on for now – the constant screams and lightning bolts being the obvious signs- but it wasn’t going to last against that horde, thanks the ancestors we made it here at least…
‘’Stay with your sister and make sure she’s alright, keep the way out clear, help out Hild if you need to. Once you see me running, don’t ask any questions, don’t stay to gawk, you go and flee’’
Everyone knew I carried a serious supply of incendiary and the deadly metal apple in my hand momentarily caught Akira attention as her eyes strayed there, then for a moment she peered into the dark, eyes settling on the visible egg room before giving me a grim nod, then took off near the entrance, gremlins yapping and screaming continuously.
–
Three grenades and one of the weaponized lamps nestled together at the foot of the dark cocoon; my own little inferno of an offering. The metal apples stuck to the disgusting ground and I made sure to grind the lamp onto the soil while activating its mechanism; the sharp blue light began to change to a much deeper shade of blue while the protective metal grew warmer and warmer; with my surrounding consisting of disgusting humanoid cocoons, it was hard to keep my nerves solid, especially when a few of them began moving, as if struggling against their bindings.
The fuses sticking out of the spheres were nice and dry and I light them forthwith, the slightly rotary mechanical ‘’bricket’’ letting out a few dangerous sparks began a controlled flames sprouted to life; one last look behind me revealed the coast to be clear and then, I finally light that dark rope which immediately began a sizzling sound, sending a terrified chill up my spine, straightening tail and ears – the watchword here was speed- thus I obeyed my instinct and turned around, having kept my spare lamp activated to keep myself free from the clutches of the fog, however…
>Roll 1d20-2 [reflex]
bd30ef No.6039
| Rolled 6 - 2 (1d20) |
>>6038
Burn!
5cb3d8 No.6040
| Rolled 8 - 2 (1d20) |
>>6038
0da5d4 No.6041
| Rolled 14 - 2 (1d20) |
>>6038
f80ec9 No.6042
| Rolled 2 + 5 (1d20) |
Not too bad, wanwan isn't that incompetent.
Don't go minding my roll now
bd30ef No.6044
>>6043
The dice hate someone, but hate someone else a bit more. I pray it's the bad guys they hate just a bit more. Please. Please Dice Gods, we need this, we don't want anyone to die!
f80ec9 No.6045
…bracing for some of the gremlins coming out of the fog would not prepare anyone for what happened next. It wasn’t a small, white animalistic humanoid that came from my flank but a three meter giant of flesh, fur and brilliant gems; that was all I saw out of my peripheral vision as I reacted as swift as I could to fire, landing a shot on its mass whilst one of its arm grazed my back, cutting the cloth and grazing the surface of the chainmail in a metallic sound of grinding. The force alone broke my running stance, something even passed into the fur of my tail, nearly cutting it in half and I unfortunately lost my balance, whirling around to land on my butt just as the grenade nearly finished its burning while the giant of red flesh and imprisoned souls had disappeared back into the fog from which it came.
…
Then came the detonation of the incendiaries and I think I lost consciousness for a brief second from the fright alone, raising my arms pitifully to protect my face I barely had the time to feel any speck of terrors; I hope burning to death isn’t too painful.
–
When I felt heat without pain, I finally found the strength to open my eyes and stared straight into Akira gilded eyes whose smile was a strain between smugness and effort, her veins light up by golden magic, she was staring at me from a crouching position, right arm stretched behind her while her wings hugged her body as a barrier of earth had sprouted from the ground, only to curve in a semi-circle to provide us with a roof. The entire exit of the room was a surreal world of bright flames, covering everything in its path in a blanket of deadly heat, covering some of the entities in its deadly coats, rendering them into a briefly screaming pile of burnt flesh as they could only squirm for a few seconds before dying off as the Red Sand burnt off their bones and brains like papers.
So intense was the flame, so strong was the force of the fire that I wasn’t able to breathe; even Akira visibly held her breath while holding onto our makeshift roof of magical earth; the fog had completely yielded to the lights of the inferno and that’s when, on the other side of the wall, I saw something suspect for the briefest of glance; a featureless face of gray, looking from the wall directly at me…
>Shoot it [1d20+3 for aimed shot]
>Don’t just wait out the fire.
bd30ef No.6046
>>6045
I bet this is a futile question but Wan Wan isn't me and, well… What she feeling now? Does she feel warm and fuzzy or is she filled with hate and rage? This seems like our choice will either save or doom grandma now and I'll take any info I can grasp at.
f80ec9 No.6047
>>6046
Looking at it doesn't arouse any kinds of feelings, mostly because Wanwan nearly died right now and is standing in an ungodly inferno; you'll have take a leap of faith in this case.
0da5d4 No.6048
>>6047
This is the same face we saw before we jumped down to this level?
f80ec9 No.6049
0da5d4 No.6050
Nothing directly bad happened when we didn't shoot the face before. We don't know if the face belongs to the Hunter or to Baphomet or its Witches.
It already saw us, so is there any advantage to shooting it? Wouldn't injuring it make it react more strongly to us?
f80ec9 No.6051
>>6050
I can't answer that; in this case, Wan Wan simply saw it, what you do is up to you guys.
f80ec9 No.6052
If no decision is reached, I'll make a roll in order to move on so I can write for tomorrow, or thursday depending on how I'm feeling. We've got some more dungeon crawl to do and we'll be able to glean some hints about its mysteries soon… Probably next udpate, if we move fast enough.
f80ec9 No.6053
| Rolled 2 (1d2) |
1= Shoot
2= Don't
See you guys soon either way.
0da5d4 No.6054
>>6053
>>6051
Don't shoot the face, as soon as it's gone, as the Tsukugogami if it thinks we should have shot it.
If yes, the next time we see it, we shoot it.
By not shooting it, and since it already saw us, we let whoever controls it think that we don't know about it until we shoot it the next time.
bd30ef No.6055
| Rolled 14 + 3 (1d20) |
>>6053
Shoot it. May the dice gods hear me…
f80ec9 No.6056
>>6054
>>6055
Given the result of my roll, I'll have to inch toward not shooting it. If someone else weight their voice then I'll change.
bd30ef No.6057
>>6056
We trust our gun. If he thinks that we ought not then he'll simply refuse to fire. He really does choose after all. We really are the gun, and he gets to decide where that bullet flies.
The only problem with that is simple. Sometimes… You really ought to have put a cap in that ass. Just saying… sometimes you be right, sometimes they be right. Now if only we had a way to know…
f80ec9 No.6058
Thread tomorrow folks, got some planning and resting to do today and if things go well I mgith be able to continue until Sunday.
bd30ef No.6064
>>6058
Wait… I just realized something. We were getting a +3 for Wan Wan's natural dexterity on unpressured (for the most part) aimed shots before? If we got the perk on top of that, wouldn't the roll be made at +6 instead of a mere +3 here?
f80ec9 No.6065
>>6064
The total modifier can go up to +6, but this is in ideal condition. For exemple, in a given action you could take the time to aim instead of shooting right away, thereby combining the perk with WanWan natural aim for a massive buff.
f80ec9 No.6085
I'll start tomorrow instead, not feeling quite up to it tonight.
f80ec9 No.6123
Sorry for the extended silence, just needed a little break. I'll try to restart tomorrow or Tuesday.
f80ec9 No.6151
>You have only 2 Red Sand grenades left
Without any time to think or talk, hesitations filtered through my mind and my hand grasping the pistol lowered on its own whilst the motionless, featureless gray face disappeared back into the material of marble-meat after taking it’s time to stare at me. I don’t know why I didn’t fire, despite the raging inferno my finger hovered around the trigger without pressing but in the end, I didn’t… and only the rage of the flames surrounded us, my winged saviour taking extra precaution to keep the earthen wall and roof solid whilst the Red Sand spread everywhere I could see, lighting the world in a mixture of red and orange that was as beautiful as deadly – it felt too hot to breath- this phenomenon was well beyond any and all expectation, making me wonder…
…Could the fog be a combustible?
–
‘’Paah… who the hell would have thought mixing the liquid wood with Red Sand would do that?’’
With the dispersion of the heat, Akira was finally free to talk and lessen the impact of her magical drain onto the walls, the both of us made a few tentative movement out of the shelter nearly simultaneously to inspect the damage of the gremlins ‘’nest’’ (for lack of a better term).
It was a tiny vision of apocalypse.
Bright red flames stuck to the walls, ceiling and ground, blanketing the entire area in a hot carpet of brightness, consuming not only the corrupted meat but also working into the marbles, cooking both in equal measure as the Sand stuck everywhere to burn and burn again, letting out a potent sizzling; all the humanoid ‘’cocoon’’ had disappeared, whilst the big middle egg was reduced to a mess covered in Sand and flames, reducing it to a collapsed mess of unidentifiable, cooked organic material. Perhaps there was something in there once, ti was impossible to see anything anymore.
The damage wasn’t contained in that single room however, back into the grander hall that saw the stalwart defense of Hildegarde, several patches of the Sand had stuck onto the meats and spread, lighting up the entire place as each spot acted like its own torches. The fog had also completely disappeared, allowing full vision of the room alongside the various corpses of the gremlins, most of them lying dead on the floor not too far from the fire.
When I saw the maid in white and the mage of dark wings, I breathed out a long sigh of relief whilst Akira tapped my shoulder amicably; there was something rather… worrisome when I actually witnessed Hildegarde glare, whilst perfectly fine (outside obvious marks and tears on her clothing from the claws of the creatures ) there was something of an angry scowl on her fine, sending a nervous jolt into my tail.
‘’What in Mother Earth love was that!?’’
She asked, not even taking the time to take a few steps closer, she simply gestured to the near-apocalyptic view of the room.
‘’I… took care of our problem’’
I said as gently as I could.
‘’Next time, try to warn me when you want to blow yourself up! What kind of idiotic stunt were you trying to pull anyway? If it weren’t for Akira you’d be dead! Hell, you wouldn’t have been able to run out of that place anyway! Is it normal for wolves to have a death wish?’’
While I’d like to reply (we certainly didn’t have the time to spare with that huge swarm) I simply decided to employ the same technique I sued with my mom over her anger; simply watch, nod and smile until she calm down, which only took a second; after her rant Hildegarde rubbed her neck in a groan whilst Ayumi rubbed her back, letting out a few words to help me out (most in the form of ‘’she’s alright now’’ that certainly didn’t help much) although, those red optic of hers settled on me and the previous anger all but vanished, replaced by a steady indifference that made me sincerely miss her previous agitation.
‘’…so you’re alright?’’
She asked and that prompted me to give the whole group a much needed explanation, now that we actually had the time, the safety of the fire chased off the rest of the horde and the illumination gave us great visibility of both exits.
–
f80ec9 No.6152
We made a swift exit out of the wreckages of that hall going in the opposite direction from the retreat of the gremlins (they fled northward) and right in the middle of my recount we found ourselves in a tomb empty of bodies, yet full of body-sized coffins on the walls, made one above the other like some kind of simulacrum of stairs, discarded jewels laid every which way alongside old, broken pieces of ornamentals golds scattered in piles and pierced silky white sheets adorned the similarly colored marble freed of its previous merge with the meat (that was still burning brightly behind us).
While tempting, the idea of bringing any of these treasures with us was discarded on the spot; while our group was undoubtedly immune to the poisons and hallucinogenic of this realm, the same couldn’t be said for the rest of the castle personnel. The risk was simply too great for some simple useless greed.
‘’Just how many people could they fit in there… fifty? Sixty?’’
‘’No need to ask, that’s probably where most of our enemies came from; let’s press on, what happened after you found those bells, Maegan?’’
The maid obviously didn’t like to be left wondering and so our group huddled a little closer as the fog wafted from the exit, again intruding upon our vision.
–
Our second stop came quickly after we exited the luxurious tomb (as we’ve dubbed it); a flight of stairs descending inward made us pause, however all temptation to walk down was shot down quickly when we realized it was completely filled with water, nevertheless it was still an important landmark and thankfully nothing emerged from its depths – our vigilance for ambush had tripled following my near death encounter with the Hunter- and while I recounted the last part of my adventure we kept our eyes glued to the roofs and walls in case the ‘’master of the halls’’ would try something unbecoming again.
–
Finally my tale ended upon reaching a new destination as the fog wafted back from the depths of the marble dungeon; we couldn’t quite see any horizons, of course, our path opened massively. The walls stretched far both ways to disappear into the fogs whilst a big bridge penetrated the blanket of darkness; the feeling of reclusion was strong, our voices echoed with every word, revealing only the potential measurement of this place.
‘’It’s almost like you’ve recounted a fever dream; an angel, of all things, in this god forsaken place?’’
With the relative safety of this new room we decided to rest, which was indeed a welcomed sight; the two Tengus sat beside me whilst the maid paced back and forth, observing every potential venue of attacks from a foe that could potentially appear out of the fog. She had stayed completely silent, but once Akira said the word ‘’angel’’ I noticed a visible frown coming and going as she restrained some comment.
‘’I think I might have an answer to what happened to you… well it’d be more accurate to describe it as an hypothesis’’
Despite the potential falsehood I was more than eager for some inkling of answers. The two sisters shared a knowing glance and nodded, apparently both having the same idea.
‘’I think you found yourself in something of a limbo; all the theologies I’ve studied talk about some kind of soul world or at least an explanation for the presences of spirits today; most subscribe to the belief in a higher being instead of the simpler explanation of having various degrees of souls and bodies, oftentimes one overtaking the other as I’ve explained earlier. Stretching as far back as the War of Pretenders, there’s been a few particularly strong entities able to erect some kind of pocket dimension through the manipulations, consummations and alteration of souls; your whole explanation made it seem that way, especially how you made a point about the general vibration and ‘’hard to focus’’ furniture – those objects simply didn’t quite exist when you walked the dining room- however interactions and times spent there was enough for the entire world to gain some kind of focus, or for your own soul to stabilise with its new home’’
‘’Meaning that fat bastard somehow kidnapped your soul, left the body behind and put it somewhere easy to find without being able follow you back, or it was unwilling to for some reason’’
I found myself shuddering at the implications and had to ask a simple question.
‘’Is it some sort of… god?’’
‘’If we are talking technicality, then yes, it is. It’d probably be in some kind of pantheon or maybe a pagan spirit of bloodletting given your description, although the definition of a ‘’God’’ is pretty far reaching but that creature did seem to have some kind of major authority over its little pocket of reality up.’’
‘’Until grandma came around’’
I thought my observation adequate but Ayumi shook her head gently while Hildegarde visibly leaned in to listen.
f80ec9 No.6153
‘’She was already with you from the moment your took that brush; the words you inscribed on your skin is the reason why the entity control completely broke; although… you’ll have to ask my mother about a more adequate explanation, I just know that, given your description, it has to be that forbidden alphabets –the Words of Power- I’m her direct heir and given if I’m twenty-two she has yet to teach anything about it but… well, I guess that’s beside the point now.’’
‘’The real questions are much more simples; if we go by my sister hypothesis and you found yourself in some kind of soul forged world after having your ghost stolen and taken for a ride… where is the body of the angelic girl that tried to help you? And what in the world was the skull and blood that so very conveniently appeared at your feet when you needed ink?’’
My silence was my only answer; perhaps there is something to be done about those vents after all.
‘’My thinking is, there’s two other people here and we ought to find them; it’s what heroes like us do after all! And… there’s also the matter concerning the great wolf, grandma is likely stuck in that place, given how the Big Ugly showed up again, she hasn’t been able to keep him occupied, still I think it won’t be able to pull that stunt again, else you’d have fallen into another coma earlier’’
This time Akira was the one to take the conversation, I could only nod at her words; I could only speak through instincts but, given what I’ve seen and experience this ‘’gut feeling’’ is often something to listen to, were I to leave this place… I doubt she could follow.
‘’I don’t want to leave my grandma here, but that girl also need our help’’
‘’Yes, if there’s an angel here, we are going to do something about it’’
Hildegarde was the one to interject and our trio actually turned toward her. She was making a solid vigil toward the bridge, not even turning to talk.
‘’I’m still hunting my prey, but angels are sacred in Kreszenz. I can’t stay inactive after knowing about this.’’
Even if her uniform was completely ruined by the tears of battle Hildegarde still managed to project some elegance, perhaps only due to the sheer strength that emanated from her, maybe that was why I wasn’t feeling afraid.
>[Empathy+1]
‘’I propose changing our main objective’’
I spoke up, making the Tengus peer at me curiously.
‘’Our previous mission was to find, isolate and bring back a source of the fog. I think finding the angelic girl take priority over that and, hopefully, we’ll be able to help out my grandmother as well’’
Thankfully, none of the companions had any reproaches.
>Do you proceed down the bridge? Or go back?
>What about your pace?
>[Be slow and very meticulous to identify any potential oddities in the floor or walls. There could be traps in there. (This will make progress slow).]
>[Be more moderate, we need a steady pace in case the gremlins come back]
>[Go fast, it’s a straight line, if there’s an ambush a burst of speed could take any would-be attackers unaware].
43bf58 No.6154
>>6153
>[Be more moderate, we need a steady pace in case the gremlins come back]
0ab7fb No.6155
>>6153
Cross the bridge.
Medium pace.
f80ec9 No.6156
‘’Hold up!’’
Hildegarde warning echoed into the invisible hall only a few minutes into our would-be journey as we crossed the threshold of the archway, her arms immediately outstretched to block our path, provoking a brief yelp from our crow friends who nearly took off in surprise; the maid carmine eyes were glued on the ground and I quickly identified the oddity for myself thank to that.
Whilst the ground was made of marble, the strength of our lamps illuminated the area more than adequately despite the encroaching fog. Upon first glance the stone simply appeared old and disused but a keener observation revealed a decoloration, followed by a brief spacing elevating a few piece of geometry from the ground itself.
‘’Pressure plates? Really? The Shadowlord is that old fashioned?’’
Akira spoke, obviously holding some laughter.
‘’We ought to continue down, fast; I think the gremlins might be coming back for a second, I don’t’ want to fight while having to jump and dodge these traps’’
Not only that, but the place might also hold some kind of other traps waiting to spring upon us, regardless, my fellow maid quick eyes avoided us a crisis, the first set of plates Ican see would be easy to walk past, but that’s hard to say if this good fortune would continue…
It's a dangerous bridge
>What do you do?
f80ec9 No.6157
Perhaps I should offer some advice? The bridge is littered with traps, some choices might need a roll, trying your luck into crossing it would need a little d20.
43bf58 No.6158
>>6156
Wanwan is living goddess of love and luck. Let's paint our shoes red and go fast.
f80ec9 No.6159
>>6158
So going through the bridge fast?
My first intention was to have it in two part (thus potentially requiring two rolls) but if you want to go through fast, I'll need 1d20-3
f80ec9 No.6160
Well, maybe today is a bad day, I've been off for a while.
Regardless, I'll stay here for a little while longer and I intend to continue for the rest of the weekend.
43bf58 No.6161
| Rolled 1 - 3 (1d20) |
>>6159
f80ec9 No.6162
>>6161
Well… damn. I don't think going fast was even the popular choice but it'd be such a shame to not take this roll…
f80ec9 No.6163
I'll wait for a few more voices, it just wouldn't feel right to take the crit now.
bd30ef No.6164
>>6161
>>6162
I keep saying it and I'm going to keep saying it. The. Dice. Want. Our. Heads. Plain and simple, the dice will not rest until we're all dead it seems. I must wonder what we've all done to gain their unremitting hatred.
f80ec9 No.6165
| Rolled 13, 17, 8 = 38 (3d20) |
>>6164
Now now, nothing too bad is going to happen.
So, I guess it's time to roll.
43bf58 No.6166
>>6164
>>6165
You can't keep wanwan safe from my rolls forever.
Soon.
bd30ef No.6167
>>6166
Safe? We never were "safe" from them. The dice seem to have found a sadistic need to break Wan Wan. I pray this is a phase they're going through but I fear it's a final judgement.
0ab7fb No.6168
>>6159
Oh, for fuck's sake.
I get pulled away for a little but and then we go with the idiot's plan?
We know its trapped so we should be using the gun to find a safe path across the bridge.
bd30ef No.6169
>>6168
Wouldn't hurt to try, but I'm not sure if the gun can "see" inanimate objects in the way it can see living ones.
f80ec9 No.6170
>>6168
Well it's mostly the roll that's tiping the balance. You guys can always try to make another one, since I always let at least two rolls per actions.
Still, I'm not sure if its fair to proceed given that there wasn't alot of people present when it happened.
0ab7fb No.6171
>>6169
It can see danger.
And it's rich to have you say anything since you didn't even vote for any kind of safe option or doing anything to mitigate our risk during this action.
62d5a0 No.6172
>>6170
Why aren't we using the gun to see if the gremlins are approaching? It can pierce through the darkness that we can't.
We can point it in the direction the gremlins went and ask the gun if it can see the I gremlins, and if they're coming back at us.
f80ec9 No.6173
>>6172
Yes, it can do that more than adequately.
…I don't usually do that, but given the situation, I don't want to take a crit and give a big penalty unless it's been the rolled choice for the majority of players, because I think it's fair to say msot feel cheated.
So I'll veto the previous roll and instead ask write a continuation with this course of action.
62d5a0 No.6174
>>6170
So his roll locked us into this course of action?
f80ec9 No.6175
>>6174
No, I've veto'd it because it wasn't a majority choice. I want everyone to feel bad when a crit fail happen because the majority wanted to roll.
bd30ef No.6176
>>6175
So you admit you want us, the players, to feel the suffering when it happens? Good to know I had a good read on ya.
62d5a0 No.6177
>>6175
Okay, thanks for that. At least our mistakes will be our own.
Of course, that means that we need to actually work for our good results, not just moan about how the dice are out to get us and not contribute anything to the decision or not vote and only wail about the results.
f80ec9 No.6178
>>6177
I never want anyone to feel bad
>>6176
Pretty much. Tonight is going to be a short update, but at least I'm glad we've cleared up this potential misunderstanding.
f80ec9 No.6179
‘’Before doing anything rash, I’ll ask our spirit friend something…’’
As we were all about to advance upon the perilous path of the bridge, my words cut into the tension of the girls who, it seem, forgot about the Tsukumogami once more. It became second nature now, to heft the pistol and point it toward my objective; its canon pointing to some unseen foe, I asked my question clear and simple.
‘’Are we being followed?’’
What came out was the same, short song of affirmation, sending a shiver through everyone spines.
‘’Is it the gremlins?’’
Is tried listening to some faraway echoes of some careless stomp but the spirit let out a short, breathless sound of negation that twisted my guts in momentary dread as I immediately jumped to the most obvious alternative.
‘’The creature?’’
It took a few second to get my answer, as if the Tsukumogami was hesitating; however it came out with a sweet song of steel, translating into obvious affirmation.
‘’Obviously, he’s waiting for us to slip up; I don’t know how far a drop this is, but I’m willing to believe the only ones with a chance of survival should they fall would be our winged friends’’
Hildegarde spoke up quickly as I stood motionless; with the fog back, it was impossible to identify a proper mean of entry to anticipate the arrival of this stalker, thankfully this loss in spirit of mine wasn’t felt by my companions.
‘’Well that’ rich, Shadowlord is right here with us, away from prying eyes, not so much minds’’
Akira glared at the half-hidden archway that we came through, its white stones would be a wonder to observe, were the situation any different.
‘’I’ve got an idea tough, with the soil being trapped and this huge fellow waiting for a chance… well’’
She flapped her wings, and then nudged her sister with her elbow.
‘’I figured me and sis ought to take you two grounders for a quick fly, this bridge is probably a straight line anyway so hey, it’ll cover speed and safety’’
For her part, Ayumi didn’t seem too keen on the idea for her face twisted in some obvious uncomfortable expression that looked much more like shyness than fear.
‘’I don’t know… I’m not really strong…’’
‘’Oh please, this cute white wolf here isn’t heavy at all, you’ll just have to strain yourself a little bit’’
>As it stand right now, you could hop on the back of the mage crow for a (hopefully) eventless flight to the other end of the bridge, thereby skipping the traps and also proceeding faster than your ambusher could anticipate
>However, the choice remains yours; what do you do?
bd30ef No.6180
>>6179
Let us trust the crows, pressure brings out the best in all of those who claim to be "human" after all. Speed is of the essence in the end here, and being carried to such a grazing degree by those who can fly would avoid triggering the plates.
Hell, even if ya did, if ya had enough speed the traps would trigger to no avail. Indiana Jones did escape with the idol because he was fast…
0da5d4 No.6181
>>6179
Point the Tsukumogami towards the bridge, ask if it can see any traps.
Test its trap vision on the pressure plates we saw.
If it can see traps/danger, ask it if see's traps on the bridge. Sweep the bridge to identify the traps.
f80ec9 No.6182
>>6181
For the traps themselves, no, it can't distinguish anything.
0da5d4 No.6183
>>6182
What about danger? Can it discern danger even if it can't identify a trap?
f80ec9 No.6184
>>6183
In that case, yes there's danger on both ends of the bridge, it can't identify anything beside that; it's just not safe. But that could translate into somewhere a little further.
f80ec9 No.6185
sorry for cutting it so short, I'll hopefully be much more active tomorrow but I' mthinking of speeding things along, we've been in this dungeon for quite a while now.
Altough, is the descision to fly with the girls, or something else?
bd30ef No.6186
>>6185
We've been getting a lot of "empathy" points recently, when do we get those instances as bonuses? Because we're about to have a +5 or more situation here. Wan Wan is being extra empathetic, how does that figure into our rolls going forward?
I mean hell, Hilde's rolls seem to already be modified quite heavily because of that and while I can't say I agree, she really seems to be the kind of girl I can get behind. That "emotionless" robot is anything but it seems. We still gotta show her how to cook her charge a good meal!
f80ec9 No.6187
>>6186
Empathy will come into play later, I'm more or less shaping WanWan personality according to these now.
I'm thinking of a way to offer a class of some kind, right now you could consider these points to be passives, a way to help stir the protagonist personality sort of like shaping her nature as a person.
0da5d4 No.6188
>>6185
Could Ayumi throw some lightning bolts onto the bridge in a path to try to trigger any traps/ambushes?
Could Akira do the same with some dirt?
f80ec9 No.6189
>>6188
>Could Ayumi throw some lightning bolts onto the bridge in a path to try to trigger any traps/ambushes?
Yes
>Could Akira do the same with some dirt?
No
0da5d4 No.6190
>>6189
Oh, we didn't tell the others we saw the face again, did we?
Tell them that we saw the face again, but it went away before we could get a good shot lined up.
And ask Ayumi to try to pre-trigger the traps in our path across the bridge. Will it tire her out?
f80ec9 No.6191
>>6190
>Will it tire her out?
No, it's just a simple bolt, she's got good reserves.
0da5d4 No.6195
>>6191
Then let's do that before we fly across the bridge.
f80ec9 No.6196
Will restart in an hour, stay tuned.
f80ec9 No.6197
Suffered some interruptions, gonna be a little late.
f80ec9 No.6198
‘’Are we sure this is a good idea?’’
Asked the prudent maid of alabaster, whose hair mirrored the stones.
‘’Us royal Tengus are every bit as good as angels in the sky, you should be glad we aren’t of lower blood and stuck as harpies; you wouldn’t like it to dangle by my feet’’
Answered the joyful tomboy, giving the uncertain warrioress a broad smile.
‘’I’m not sure if this statement could be taken as sacrilegious…’’
Even if she appeared grumpy, Hildegarde still moved toward her fellow warrior who gently scooped down on one knees, black wings outstretching fully; this was undoubtedly the most dangerous moment for ambush, so that was why I, alongside Ayumi, stood by as vigil with pistol and magic ready to discharge at a moment notice.
Fortunately the crow had no problem lifting up the maid and with a loud flap of wing that saw a morsel of the dark fog displaced, they took to the sky with swift momentum. I couldn’t help swallowing hard, knowing that it was my turn now; I’ve never imagined the prospect of actually flying before… I’m not sure why my tail is waggling, maybe it’s a mixture of anticipation and fear?
‘’Let’s go’’
‘’Right, once we take off do you think you can strike one of the plate with a bolt? I want to see what kind of traps that’s going to be sprung, hopefully us being in flight is going to be more than enough mitigation’’
‘’…I’m not sure I want to, this place is hard to predict’’
‘’I know, but I think knowing is better than being left in the dark, especially now that we understand a little more about this place’’
As I spoke, I tried to be as non-assuming as possible once I climbed on the back of the little mage; both of us were about the same height, however Ayumi didn’t seem to struggle too much once her hands locked themselves on my thighs. I felt my tail straight up once the crow stood up without straining.
‘’…huh, your pretty light, I won’t have any trouble’’
‘’So that’s what you were afraid off huh?’’
I don’t know if I should be glad or insulted about this.
‘’Well… I’m not strong, so yeah I was. Sorry’’
‘’As the lover of the queen, I’ve got to watch out for these things’’
‘’S-sorry I shouldn’t have said anything, let’s just go’’
When her wings stretched to their full splendor, my retort died in my throat as I was struck, dumbstruck by the sheer majesty that was the simple silhouette of the dark winged mage crow and before I could mirror her gracefulness to those images of angels I’ve seen every which way in the library, we took to the large sky with just enough momentum to make me yelp in fear as my entire body fought with the wind; still, when I opened my eyes we were… hovering beside Akira and Hildegarde, with the tomboy grimacing upon suffering the maid vice grip.
‘’Just relax!’’
‘’…I don’t like height’’
She answered with a voice dried of emotions, her face was turned, looking back into the fog; with our strong lamps illuminated a patch of darkness, it almost gave the impression that the bridge was part of another world.
‘’Just trust me!’’
‘’I really don’t like height’’
‘’Uf…’’
Meanwhile, magic crackled throughout the flapping wings of Ayumi whose gaze never left the white marble of the linear path before us, the bolt that escape came out of the ether itself, finding root into nothing a sparse few meters above our head as it struck right into one of the pressure plates, which immediately provoked a set of spikes to rise from the front and back, followed by a last set on the path upon which the plate previously stood, creating a potent echo of broken glass and ceramics whilst the spikes stood upright, blocking the entrance to the archway; at least they would if we weren’t flying.
I felt my hand tighten upon the grip of my pistol, the Tsukumogami let out a soft sound in response; perhaps some relief?
‘’You’d need some serious reflect to dodge that’’
I doubt I’d be alive if we’d stepped carelessly on one of those things…
>Regardless, there’s an answer; do you proceed swiftly down the path to the end of the bridge, or… is it time for something else?
43bf58 No.6199
>>6198
Not sure what to do. I'm waiting to see what you others think we should do, first.
f80ec9 No.6200
>>6199
That's fair, I'll just wait a little while then proceed things along if nobody pipe up. I might ask for a roll so stay tuned for that.
bd30ef No.6201
>>6198
How high up are we and how far can we see? Those are important.
f80ec9 No.6202
>>6201
Thank to the fact both crows are in focus, accurate numbers are available; you are about 4 meters above ground, staying steady above the bridge. If yo uwere to go further up into the fog the light of the lamps won't be able to pierce the dark veil, so you might lose sight of the bridge entirely.
bd30ef No.6203
>>6202
Just so long as we're all going at a speed where if something appears in front of us we can evade it. Last thing we need is surprise head bonk and a quick trip downward but I'm betting these girls are at least as good as the fliers Siggy has access to and they're damn maneuverable so a good speed should be both safe and doable.
This phenomena actually happens on freeways with heavy fog. Going at highway speed the fog is so thick that once you see the car wreck in front of you it's to late to stop or evade (cars can't "strafe" after all). The pileups can go on for miles in those instances.
f80ec9 No.6204
>>6203
>I'm betting these girls are at least as good as the fliers Siggy has access to
Royal Tengus are a very big deal in term of speed and maneuverability, there's only one angel whose the best of the best in the sky and that's Radiance.
Anyhow, I'll take this as a wish to continue at a safe pace and fly toward any potential destination.
545786 No.6205
>>6198
Fly at a medium rate.
f80ec9 No.6206
‘’Let’s go, we ought to keep close; if anything happen, give a shout, me and Ayumi will be able to take care of it’’
‘’I don’t appreciate being a dead weight… but it’s the safer plan’’
While Hildegarde could potential take care of herself dancing across the traps of the marble bridge, the same couldn’t be said for me; I felt glad, at least, that she was trusting her safety to the mage and my aim. That’s why both she and Akira took point as we proceeded in the back at a steady pace, the flight of the Tengu was a smooth one, even if my stomach churned at the prospect that only a pair of hands and my arm was the only things between me and a one-way downward trip to literal hell.
I could feel a pressure of the wind that defied the laws of physic; each flaps of wings from the mage brought us into a forward momentum despite my added weight, I could feel –wind- pressing upon my back, gently shoving us forward as we kept on flying… or perhaps a more accurate description would be hovering, even if our ace eclipsed that of a walking without falling into outright sprint either. A simple steadiness that was more than adequate for me to heft my gun forward with some solidity and aim.
In this fog, I had to try my best to trust my ears first before my eyes; as the bridge spread on and on onto its forward path all I could hear was the whooshing of our travel alongside odds pitter-patters behind us that had me look back more than once without seeing a single suspect as we proceeded on our flight…
>[You’ve successfully bypasses the traps!]
–
It was with cautious triumph that we finally touched ground. The bridge ended after several long meters into another long, large archway whose marble construction gave it a distinct gothic aesthetic that was very pleasing to the eyes. We ended up into another junction offering a left, right and forward path*whose hall opened up slightly), each ones made of the same marbles without a hint of the meat that plagued us previously.
Out of everyone else, Hildegarde was visibly on edge; her entire body stood as rigid as a statue whilst the other two girls hadn’t let go of Focus once, their glowering veins casting a golden light onto the whiteness of the lamps; everyone was obviously tense, wondering why things went so well; I simply decided to strike it as good fortune. After all, what kind of architect could anticipate flyers on this narrow path anyway? Or, perhaps it’d be better to ask how to anticipate those, even if the laws of physics aren’t absolute in this damnable place… then, on the left path I caught of a glimpse of a gray shaded face sprouting out of the wall and dissipate faster than I could heft my gun to aim a shot.
>What do you do?
15c6cb No.6207
>>6206
Tell the others about the face, and then ask the gun if it can see bodies down any of the three paths.
bd30ef No.6208
>>6206
The gun has a sight that none of us do. Ask it what path it thinks will lead us to our goal of destroying the entity holding the angel and our grandma. We need our grandma back as our trump card ASAP if we want to stand a chance at accomplishing our original objective and getting out with everyone alive.
Also, seems the face fears the power of our gun. Tell everyone about it if we haven't already and instruct them to trust their judgement as to how to deal with it. We may be descended from a god, but we aren't one. Mere mortals have a way of coming up with solutions on the fly that the falsely divine may not have anticipated. Try to do it at a time where we think we can get away with it on the down low.
After all, if you do have a plan, it's best if the enemy figures it all out far too late.
f80ec9 No.6209
>>6208
>>6207
Give me a few minutes to provide enough information, I gotta think this one a little bit.
f80ec9 No.6210
‘’It’s been two times now that I’ve seen it’’
I suddenly said, gun still pointed toward the wall whereupon that grayish face disappeared; everyone else gave me incredulous looks, but I wasn’t going to linger and reinforce any doubts about slipping sanity.
‘’I’ve seen that face that previously graced us in the meaty hall twice now, once during the inferno with the Red Sand and just now toward the left path’’
‘’…something inviting us?’’
Akira sked, glaring at the wall of fog with obviously a total lack of success; I shook my shoulders and decided to do something a little more pragmatic.
‘’Let’s ask the eyes of our spirit friend’’
–
In the end, the sweep of questions for the Tsukumogami revealed a few important facts. The first one was our forward path; the spirit was very adamant, almost panicky. This peculiar place held a danger of some kind, at least enough to make it lose some decorum. For the other two place, they didn’t arouse the same warnings of dangers, although the Chosin-Obake seemed quite interested about the subject of the gray face, not quite finding it dangerous, a more cautious warning was the best way to describe our friendly spirit demeanor toward this potential renegade.
As for the girls, they were of different opinions; Hildegarde wished to go forward to deal and neutralize the dangerous north whilst the crows wished to go left and see what this spirit could be.
>what about you?
15c6cb No.6211
>>6210
I agree with the crows and the gun; let's check that face. The danger that panicked the gun probably needs grandma to face.
bd30ef No.6212
>>6210
Charge forward. High risk, high reward. Siggy's mantis friend knows that well. We have ample power on our side, we best use it…
f80ec9 No.6214
>>6212
>>6211
Hm, perhaps I should wait for one last voice before proceeding.
15c6cb No.6215
>>6212
>bemoan the dice rolls putting us in danger
>go on incessantly about the danger here and how INH wants us to suffer
>immediately goes for the most dangerous option even as the tsukumogami warns us about the danger and we don't have our strongest aces
15c6cb No.6216
>>6214
Which way would we go, then?
Mine is to go left and the other is to go forward.
f80ec9 No.6217
| Rolled 1 (1d2) |
>>6216
Well, I'll make a roll in order to proceed. We've got this nasty habit of staying stuck when its time to choose a path.
1=Left
2=Forward
bd30ef No.6218
>>6217
I say we trust our gun once more. Let him feel the love as it were. If anything else the gun wants us to make it. So we should go with it. If you can't know what lies ahead, well, rely on the blind to lead the blind. It wants us to live, so we should follow it's advice…
I pray it's right…
f80ec9 No.6219
>>6218
Well, if you want an advice about your companions, your one truest of ally is and always will be the Tsukumogami.
bd30ef No.6220
>>6219
I trust the chuuni tengu and the gun. What do they have to say? I'd like to hear everyone out if possible, we're a team in the end, best to hear em' all out.
f80ec9 No.6221
>>6220
they've all said their pieces already, anyhow I'm writing now. Sorry for the delay
f94287 No.6222
>>6218
Well, that's a different tune from what you were voting.
f80ec9 No.6223
In the end I agreed with the crows about our course of action; whilst potential dangers lurked (again) the prospect of securing our flanks was much more important to me and Hildegarde agreed quickly, taking her spot as our vanguard our group feel into its usual formation in total silence, making me briefly wonder if we were displaying some kind of actual military competence.
…I shouldn’t let my mind stray like that.
Again the halls were made of white marble striking contrast with the void of darkened fog retreating against the luminescence of the alchemical lamps; the total silence of the catacombs made our steps hold a small resonance as we proceeded into the path that quickly opened into a set of four rooms carved out of the corridor itself, a brief and careful inspection revealed them to be tombs of some kinds, completely empty of anything be it bodies or the previous gold and jewels we saw in the room bordering the bridge. However, the oddity of this place displayed actual casket of stones instead of these open air ‘’bed’’ from which the corpses were undoubtedly laid to rest in.
‘’Isn’t the Sabbath a place of ultimate pleasure? Why is there so much allegory to death in here?’’
I heard Ayumi speak this question to nobody, which probably mirrored into all of us. Why indeed, would there be animalistic ghouls and tombs in a dimension of great pleasures?
–
Nevertheless, we found something at the far end of the hall that ended in a cul-de-sac; a level of steel stood by its lonesome cranked against the wall, all we’d need to do is grab it, tug it our way and we’ll probably activate something.
‘’What in the world is this supposed to be…?’’
‘’Let’s ask our friend before trying anything’’
Unfortunately the Tsukumogami answers were inconclusive; it didn’t know if the object was dangerous, or if it would lead to another danger.
>Could it be that he isn’t able to sense anything that doesn’t possess a soul?
‘’Girls’’
Hildegarde suddenly spoke as I kept looking at the steel pistol.
‘’Give me one of the lamps and take your distance, I’ll crank that thing and we’ll see what happen then; if it’s a trap, then, I’ll be the only one to suffer. Out of everyone here, I’m the most durable and likely to survive’’
‘’Almost sound like a death wish’’
‘’I’ll still be able to operate adequately if I lost an arm and I want to see what happen after activating this thing, might be a way to open a new path in these ruins; unless of course, you wish to go back and confront whatever entity that scared our guide – I want to secure our flanks- so we’ve got to be proactive instead of sitting here in fear’’
Her glowering optics of red held a spirit of steel that wasn’t going to take ‘’no’’ for an answer.
>What do you do?
f94287 No.6224
>>6223
Doesn't Akira have a staff? Can it be lengthened magically with soil, in order to activate the lever from a distance?
Is there anything else in our inventory that can be lengthened to pull the lever down from a distance?
f80ec9 No.6226
Damn I forgot to post the map
I'm also going to stop here for tonight.
>>6224
>Doesn't Akira have a staff?
Yep, her speciality weapon
>Can it be lengthened magically with soil, in order to activate the lever from a distance?
No, it'll become way too brittle. Her mastery of earth is rather limited in term of distance, she excell in strenghtening it and shaping it.
She could make a two meters stick while keeping it solid, afterward her mastery start to drop.
>Is there anything else in our inventory that can be lengthened to pull the lever down from a distance?
No
f94287 No.6228
>>6226
Could we take our clothes (which are probably in tatters already) and fashion a rope to be tied to the lever, and pull it down from a distance?
f80ec9 No.6229
>>6228
Unless you want to strip down naked (alongside some of your companions), you don't have enough to fashion something good. Only Hildegarde clothes are tattered, you've got more than a few tears alongside some damage on the chainmail but your stuff is holding up nicely.
bd30ef No.6233
>>6219
This lever… What's our tengu mage's casting distance and accuracy? We don't necessarily have to pull the lever so much as activate it.
While this is normally done by a "pulling" motion it could, if the thing is made of strong enough material, be activated by a nice hard slam. A big chunk of rock hitting it topside could, if the lever is strong enough to withstand the hit, activate it.
Think of a good lever like a good light switch. You normally pull it, but you could easily "punch" it down to turn it all on (and you likely have if you was pissed off about something) but you know that if you had too much strength you'd break it.
So, can we tell how strong the thing is, how hard it looks like we'll have to pull and can we rely on the mage to chuck an adequately sized hunk of rock at the correct angle to activate the lever from a distance without breaking it?
f80ec9 No.6234
>>6233
Alternatively, she could make a stick attached by a earth ring onto the level and all Hildegarde would need is to pull it. She'll be at a distnace of two meters from the level
The solution yo uare proposing is… honestly hard to graps. Maybe I'm just tired but I've got trouble visualiting it.
bd30ef No.6235
>>6234
A lever is really just a glorified light switch in the end. It's in an "up" position I'm assuming and thus needs to be forced into a "down" position to "activate" it.
Normally you gently pull it "down" with a finger or hand. However, it could be "forced" down by a random encounter with an errant thrown weight or a harsh fist slamming upon it at the right angle to make it go from "up" to "down" and thus "activate" in a non-conventional manner.
Provided the material is strong enough to withstand the force that is. Too much force will simply break the switch without activating it. However, this would require that the "pull" required to activate the switch was significantly higher than the strength of the material used to construct the switch in the first place.
After all, if the "stick" that composes the "switch" is not indeed a mechanism but instead locked into place like a torch sticking from a mount then you can never "pull" the lever as it is no such thing. Thus, it will always break. Same goes for if the mechanism is rusted to the point of essentially being locked into place.
It could also be visualized as a trigger or a bow string. The "pull strength" of the trigger/bow string will influence how hard you must pull said trigger/bow string to get it to do what you want. Pull too hard too fast and the damned thing breaks on you before it does what you wanted it to. Guns are made of metal for a good reason, metal doesn't break as easy as paper or wood if the alloy and forging techniques are fit for the job. Thus, the smart person does the math and research before attempting to do something.
f80ec9 No.6237
>>6235
Hmm, I see.
So you want to know if the material is solid enough to be activated with a rock throw; that's something I can't quite answer, so instead I'll give a description of what the lever look like.
It's a piece of rusted steel locked onto a semi-circle protuding form the ground, the material is different from the marble of the soil. It look old and rusted, well used in fact and pretty dirty too, with something more worrying than grime covering the staff.
You can always try if you want, altough that's bound to consume some of the decreasing ressources of our earth mage.
bd30ef No.6238
>>6237
How rusted? A little rusted (spots of red with a little or a lot of black or silver color shining through) or is the damned thing covered in the reddish cancer and thus look exceedingly brittle? That's very important.
f80ec9 No.6239
>>6238
It's honestly hard to make a difference because there's traces of old grimes covering it. Not much silver is picking through, only the handle which look fine and solid, alongside the crank at the bottom.
bd30ef No.6240
>>6239
The tengu are in focus I'm assuming and thus have mentat powers as a result. How thick and long is this lever? And I didn't know there was a crank, what's it look like and how's it looking overall?
Also, I gotta go eat and do a few things so it'll be a good long while before I can reply again so, sorry about that.
f80ec9 No.6241
>>6240
And I need to sleep.
The level is a meter, with the handle resting on the wall of marble; it's thickness is about that of a sword hilt. As for the crank, I was speaking about protuding end from which its sticking out, ie the the half circle popping out of the marbles.
Probably not the right way to refer to it.
2b3ef6 No.6242
>>6239
Does the lever even move in a direction where trying to throw or otherwise activate it from a distance is possible?
From the description and placement on the map, it's at the end of a corridor and the two side walls and the rear wall are closest to it. What is the amount of clearance that the lever has from those three sides?
And finally, which way does the lever move?
Looking north to the lever, does it move left to right, meaning that it moves from one side wall to the other, limiting how far away you could be anyway?
Or does it move forward to back, towards the north wall and back?
And is the lever currently pointed towards the north, meaning that it must be pulled towards us, to the south?
All of this questioning as to its material state is meaningless if the lever's position makes attempting to throw something to activate it impossible.
2b3ef6 No.6243
File: 1430664554032.png (23.35 KB, 200x634, 100:317, 200px-Crank_mechanism_geom….png)
>>6241
Yeah, that's not a crank.
A crank is a specific type of device.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crank_(mechanism)
f80ec9 No.6244
>>6242
>What is the amount of clearance that the lever has from those three sides?
It's resting on the far wall, looking at the map the group is standing directly infront of it; there's a distance of a meter with the two other sides.
>Or does it move forward to back, towards the north wall and back?
You'll have to pull it back, so that's how it'll be.
>And is the lever currently pointed towards the north, meaning that it must be pulled towards us, to the south?
Pointing north, so you'll need to pull it.
>>6243
I always refered to those as cranks, guess you learn something new before some very needed sleep.
2b3ef6 No.6245
>>6244
Then we come back to using Akira's staff and some earth to pull the lever from a distance of two meters.
Would using soil in this fashion use up a significant amount? Could it be recovered if nothing happened to the staff?
f80ec9 No.6246
Thinking aobut it however, Maegan couldn't really come up with this plan without some serious handwaving on my part. She's very knowledgeable about Zipangu political struture, its history, its theologies and most of the myths sin the lands, be they magical or more groudned in reality with some good studies of the land surrounding the island.
She also dabble in a little alchemy, but only the medicinal side; not so much physic. I'm not sure if I can accept this solution. The other girls are in a similar situation, more politics/magic/combat knowledge than the required knowhow to math your way out of most connundrum.
f80ec9 No.6247
…but I also haven't allowed you guys to customize her, I was planning on going a little more in depth about that after the dungeon. So I'm not sure if I'm fair anymore.
Oh well, I'll sleep on it. See you guys tonight.
2b3ef6 No.6248
>>6246
Well, we don't even have anything we could use to throw at the far wall to have it rebound back at the lever to push it into position anyway.
The entire mental exercise was nothing but hypotheticals and wishful thinking instead of actually useful consideration. Calculations are no good if we have nothing to actually implement them.
So don't feel bad about it.
bd30ef No.6251
>>6246
Maegan couldn't, but I bet our Chunni tengu might be able to. She is, after all, a chuuni and thus a huge nerd.
She may have read about something like this in the books and legends she's sure to have read far too many of to be considered normal. There's more than one way to know about this stuff, don't gotta be a math whiz to be right about this.
f80ec9 No.6255
>>6251
I'm not so sure about that, she may be Chuuni but she also lived in a rather reclusive area leaning the same thing her ancestors did, only with a morsel of modernity because the current matriarch isn't too conservative.
Regardless, if there's no other vote I'll have to accept that option even if I ahve a little hard time picturing anyone coming up with it.
bd30ef No.6256
>>6255
I'm picturing it easily. It's a common shtick you see in stories, the sheltered prince or princess sneaking out of the castle keep in disguise to mingle with the common folks. For most people it is just this interaction they crave, but for nerds, the goal is something else.
Say, the library. Mommy won't let you go to big city library for some reason? Well, the girl literally got wings, she can just put on a quick disguise and fly to the library where she will then proceed to regail herself with the authors, stories and legends of Zipangu and, if she's lucky and it's a darn good library, the authors, stories and legends of others as well.
How good was her mommy at keeping a close eye on her? Did she simply allow this to happen sometimes so her daughter could feel like she accomplished something? Many ways to play it.
f80ec9 No.6258
>>6256
Well I'll be starting in an hour, a good throw into the level can do the trick regardless; you'll need some serious aim (which is just so happen, you have)
Roll 1d20+5 for the throw, be warned that the dc is pretty high.
916fd9 No.6259
>>6258
Woah, wait. What are we throwing? Is it supposed to rebound off of the wall to hit the lever back towards us?
916fd9 No.6260
>>6255
There was this >>6245
To use Akira's staff and some soil to pull the lever from two meters away.
If the throw doesn't work, is it going to break the lever?
f80ec9 No.6261
>>6259
No, it's just a hard to hit sweet spot.
>>6260
Probably not
The option of making a bigger staff is there to.
So I'll make this clear, since we have two options.
One is to throw a roc kat the lever (which require 1d20+5)
The other is to use the staff and watch Hildegarde pull it at a distance.
Just be warned that all this caution could also be entirely useless.
916fd9 No.6262
>>6261
>No, it's just a hard to hit sweet spot.
But that's exactly "throw an object so it rebounds off the north wall to hit the lever so it gets pushed into position".
You said that the lever is currently in position facing the far wall, and it needs to be pulled towards us, which is south.
The only thing you be planning to do with throwing something is to bounce something off of the far wall into the lever.
So what are we throwing?
f80ec9 No.6263
>>6262
You know I'm more and more convinced that this option is just too complicated for its own good since nobody seem to know how it work. (Not even me really, I was just going to handwave it)
In order to push thing along I'm just going to ask for one thing.
Do you want the earth mage to make a staff so the maid can pull it at a relatively safe distance? Or save what remains of her magical ammunition? Let's not get stuck too long on this folks.
916fd9 No.6264
>throw a rock
I thought you said these chambers were completely empty except for the features you described. So there is debris lying around?
916fd9 No.6265
>>6263
Couldn't Akira take the staff after Hilde uses it? Unless the lever explodes and destroys the staff, I'm not seeing any reason why it would get used up.
f80ec9 No.6266
>>6265
Not really, the problem with earth magic is that it's the only magical energy that tend to synchronize with the world, for lack of a better term. The dirt is changed completely, and will keep itself somewhat steady.
I could go a little more in-depth, but I want to proceed with the quest.
916fd9 No.6267
>>6266
So what you're saying is that once Akira creates a staff and connects it to the lever, the staff will be fused to the lever and can't be removed short of breaking it?
f80ec9 No.6268
2bc61a No.6269
>>6223
Let her do as she wishes. I have faith things will be fine. Or the dice will protect.
916fd9 No.6270
>>6268
Its too bad Akira can't transmute some of this marble.
I'm for using an earth staff and pulling.
I mean, where are we getting a rock from? If there were rocks around that were big and heavy enough, then hitting the lever from a distance would be the safest option. But since this was described as being debris-free, I don't know where a rock suddenly came from.
Unless someone is suggesting we break one of the stone caskets to get a rock to throw.
5cb3d8 No.6271
Just have Hilde smack the lever with the stick type device. This isn't rocket science. We're not re-electing Obama. Just get the lever activated.
f80ec9 No.6272
>>6270
>>6271
>>6269
I guess we've got our option.
I'll get to writing in a little bit, tonight is a little busy on my end.
916fd9 No.6273
>>6271
Pull. She has to pull the lever towards the south.
This is a very rough idea of how throwing a rock and using the rebound to hit the lever could change it from the North position to the South position.
It's a simple puzzle solution, but it requires that you have something elastic enough to rebound off properly to hit the lever with enough force to move it.
A rock, which we would still have to acquire from somewhere, really isn't elastic enough to pull this kind of thing off.
To see why, just throw rocks at a brick wall. Angle it too low, and the rock drops. Aim it too high, and it goes back to you.
But even if it bounces back towards you, you see how little force it has left. And through it hard enough where it could have enough energy to bounce back enough to push a lever, and it's more likely to simply shatter, depending on the rock.
If anyone has math showing that I'm wrong, I'd like to see it.
f80ec9 No.6274
>>6273
I think I made you guys a little too paranoid
916fd9 No.6275
>>6274
That's only valid if our paranoia ends up with us choosing a disastrous action instead of a beneficial one.
bd30ef No.6276
>>6274
Um… no offense or anything but we are in a very creepy, scary place where everything is trying to kill us and we're currently without our trump card should the worst case scenario happen.
This… really isn't hard to see coming.
f80ec9 No.6277
>>6276
I'm kidding, friend.
I know I'm not making this any easier.
f80ec9 No.6278
I refused to allow Hildegarde to fall into a potential trap without some kind of fallback, or at least enough safety measure for her to react adequately to a potential threat of some kind; of course she reacted predictably with ‘’I’m strong’’ or other such truths about her own competence that I’ll never leave in doubt. Facts remains however, that despite our good fortune I still wasn’t going to let her jump into a lion’s maws, she already pulled that once earlier.
In the end, Akira fashioned a staff of earth attached to the lever using a magical operation that looked deceptively simple; two capsule of dirt were used to fashion and transform dirt into a hard, clay-like material, making a ring around the metal staff then extending out of her palm as the winged girl stepped back slowly, letting the sculpture flow out of her hands like some kind of artificial root.
For that was how to best describe earthen magic. The undeniable rarest talent and hardest to use in battle, most of the tomes of magic I glanced over referred to it as a concept of ‘’roots’’ spreading far under the oak of reality, making the two nearly imperceptible, for earth crafts find roots in reality without a steady supply of magic, unlike a fireball or a projectile of ice.
’’Ready’’
I made sure to avoid pointing the pistol at the girls after Akira was done, Hildegarde swiftly made her move to grasp the object then turned toward us with a nod, waiting for our departure; her side held one of our three remaining lamps and as we stepped back a few meters, the fog nearly succeeded in making a gate around us.
‘’Up!’’
Hildegarde wasn’t one to wait, she pulled on the staff and the handle of the lever struggled, then wielded in a slow forward thrust.
What came next was a long, slow rumbling followed by a louder echo reverberating behind us as something big and heavy rumbled across what felt like the entire ruins, then stopped in a loud snap; leaving us in total silence once more…
‘’There we go, safe; you didn’t need to spend so much effort, Akira’’
‘’Well, better safe than sorry right? Our Shadowlord friend must have a few tricks up its sleeves… although’’
As the two girls exchanged pleasantries and I allowed some of the tension to leave my shoulders as Hildegarde safely returned to us, the lively twin patted herself on the body a few time.
‘’I don’t have much capsules left, unless we find some dirt I won’t be able to continue with the earth magic.’’
‘’Why can’t you use the marble?’’
I asked as we set back the way we came, as there wasn’t anything left to do. I don’t know if I should feel paranoid about how… well things seem to be going; our feet echoed in the silence, the dead catacombs spreading far and wide.
‘’It’s… well I don’t know, really; I ought to, but it’s not registering, like magic is all instinctive y’know? Wait maybe you don’t…’’
‘’I’ve read about it, I know that’s the best way to describe it’’
‘’Right, well to make it simple, when I pass my palm over this wall…’’
She said, putting actions to words, stretching her wings backward. Her golden veins glowered slightly, putting emphasis on the shape of her skeleton.
‘’…I can’t do anything, the marble isn’t yielding to my will’’
‘’I think it’s because this stuff might not be stones, or you can’t interact with it because we aren’t home… inside our dimension’’
‘’But you can throw lightning around rather easily, sis’’
‘’Earth is a very different field of magic compared to ice, fire, lightning or whatever else, you know that. Practically a field of its own’’
‘’Hold…!’’
Our lively conversation died as Hildegarde tensed, holding up her ceramic arm, inching forward a few centimeters as she pointing forward with her other arm. Something tall, large of red skin and many shiny gems on its neck moved into the darkness at the other end of the hall, only briefly appearing into the light of our lamps before the darkness of the fog engulfed it.
‘’Shadowlord is even uglier than an ogre!’’
It was so brief I forgot to breath, all the tension shot back into my spine as I pointed the pistol fruitlessly toward the darkness.
‘’…I think it’s heading for whatever we’ve opened’’
Ayumi spoke, lightning crackling around her joints, creating an ominous rattling of pure, raw magical energy.
‘’Then let’s go and see for ourselves whatever little secret it want to keep hidden’’
>But is it wise?
>As it stand right now, you could go directly forward and secure your other flank… or cut around the corner and explore the area that had the Tsukumogami scared.
>What do you do?
916fd9 No.6279
>>6278
Do a quick scan with the gun to see if the dangers have changed, and if what had scared it before is moving closer or not.
Then go after the Hunter.
f80ec9 No.6280
>>6279
It's stance is still the same for the northern room.
bd30ef No.6281
>>6278
Did it look like the thing that caught us in the pocket dimension?
f80ec9 No.6282
>>6281
It's the same thing.
bd30ef No.6283
>>6282
I'm guessing the only way to save grandma is to kill that fucker dead. So we have to pursue, ask the gun what it thinks about it though, where should we try to aim?
f80ec9 No.6284
>>6283
Gun doesn't really have an answer there, it's ready for battle if you are.
f80ec9 No.6285
>>6283
>>6279
I'll take these as votes to pursue. I'll write accordingly.
916fd9 No.6286
>>6280
Let's quickly secure our flank, then. Go straight ahead into the south room. There wasn't any definite danger here so let's see if there's anything there that can help us.
f80ec9 No.6289
| Rolled 17, 20, 5 = 42 (3d20) |
A feeling beyond dread twisted my stomach while a surge of stress dried my mouth; while there wasn’t a single sound in the catacomb anymore, I still strained my ears for some kind of hint but… I wasn’t able to discern anything, yet for some reason I felt like I –had- to go, to follow the creature that toyed with pain.
‘’Let’s go’’
I said, pointing forward with the gun as the Tsukumogami let out a dry, curt whisper of steel.
‘’I don’t know If grandma managed to do anything to him, he might be able to pull you in his dimension… if that happen, remember to stay on your toes and avoid interacting with anything as much as possible. Your only hope is to head for a door’’
I sincerely hoped I was being overly cautious. We proceeded down the path at a jogging pace, keeping our formation somewhat stable with both of our warriors in the front whilst I and Ayumi kept ourselves ready to strike from a distance; when we crossed the threshold of the second corridor I noticed something quite odd in the time of a brief glance. The face of gray was back, this time however its feature were much more pronounced. What was a uniform, blank face of grayish smoke had changed into the distinctive shape of a skull.
–
The hallway made a sharp leftward turn only a few meters into our jogs, the fog seemed to thicken as we approached, abandoning all idea of subtlety as the white light of the lamps seemed nearly engulfed by blackness but that, thankfully, was only a momentary instance, as if the world itself was trying to warn us and push us back. We happened upon the end of the relatively short corridor, a previous cul-de-sac had obviously opened thank to visible marks on the floor alongside the near-broken marble ruining the previously uniform path; a new square shaped room was visible, that looked much more like a cell bereft of anything, a simple cubic place without much space to maneuver…
Yet here stood an entity of nightmare, standing sideway to peer as us from two jet black eye sockets belonging to a similarly onyx colored skull; an organic giant of a full three meters, the arms on its front body seemed to slithers as they twitched, snapped and otherwise moved in too much movements to counts. What was worse was its collar; many gems were embedded in the skin and they glowered in various intensity of light, casting red, orange, yellow, blue, purple… a rainbow of soul that didn’t belong as trophy for its vanity.
That wasn’t all, either; on the floor of the newly opened room was a body, apparently decomposed into a skeleton state; it was hard to see much details due to the thickness of the entity but I think I saw something blue flash before vision was cut off by the creature, that Hunter began to face us soundlessly, its opened mouth bellowing constant dark smokes whilst the pair of horn protruding out of its head seemed to hold a mane of fiery hair.
…then Hildegarde charged like a bolt out of a crossbow and battle was joined.
>How do you wish to fight?
>Concentrate on offense?
>Try to cover for Hildegarde and Akira?
>Wait and aim for an opportune shot? [Will activate a +5 modifier next turn]
>Don't mind my roll.
0da5d4 No.6291
>>6289
>Wait and aim for an opportune shot
0da5d4 No.6292
>>6289
While aiming, can we ask quick question of the Tsukumogami?
"Should I aim for the souls?"
f80ec9 No.6293
>>6292
I'll answer right now; your answer is a quick, firm negation.
0da5d4 No.6294
>>6293
That's helpful. Now we know one thing to NOT aim for.
f80ec9 No.6296
Once Hildegarde came close to the entity, our momentum shifted entirely. Waiting for the last few seconds, the tall entity lashed out toward the maid with a swiftness that belied its size, the arms were too many to counts; they struck like spears and swords, immediately forcing my fellow maid to a full defense as her arms and legs began to waft smoke, loud clangs of metal-meet-metal resonated inside the hallway of the catacombs while sparks similarly flew as Hildegarde blocked the blows, but it wasn’t enough to form a competent defense. Her armor and clothes were nearly reduced to tatter as the creature arms slashed, pierced and even crushed our companion body; if it weren’t for the quick interruption of the crows, Hildegarde would have died without a single doubt – she was outclassed, completely and utterly- without a chance to react.
However, this allowed me to get a grasp on the speed of those arming; blindingly fast, almost impossible to predict.
Thunders struck with what felt like the fierceness of a ballista as pure, raw electrical energy danced across Ayumi wings and arms, lighting her golden veins and giving her an aura unlike anything I’ve ever seen in all the description of magic; as Hildegarde retreated, losing her stance to fall on one knees as she held her side three bolt crashed upon the entity body nearly simultaneously as they erupted out of Ayumi fingers, its legless body shook, momentarily immobilized from the sheer raw power of impersonated nature.
That’s when the other Tengu charged, nearly getting struck by a fourth bolt the sister held her staff both handed and used a prodigious display of (impossible) magical flying to cut her speed outright; stopping right before the briefly disorientated entity… who opened its mouth in some mimicry of cackle and that’s when I realized we were approaching battle on a completely wrong foot when something inside its large body snapped; the Tengu was out of reach of its arms, but something wasn’t right.
>Even without the presence of your grandmother, your senses are tingling; Akira is in mortal danger.
>The previously darkened eye sockets of the entity have gained a new light and it has opened its mouth, resisting the blunt strike of the Tengu without a scratch.
>Do you wish to fire? The eye? The mouth? If so, roll 1d20+5.
f80ec9 No.6297
Perhaps it's getting a little late, regardless sorry if the fight isn't too clear; things are barely starting.
0da5d4 No.6299
| Rolled 13 + 5 (1d20) |
>>6296
Fire, aim for the mouth.
f80ec9 No.6301
>>6299
I'll pop back tomorrow to post the what happen next. If there's a new roll, I'll take that into account.
f80ec9 No.6437
Sorry for the huge delay, I had several things to take care of about the quest that couldn't wait, now that I'm done it's time to go back to our regular schedule.
Expect the next update to be fairly lengthy, as I've decided to expedite a few things.
f80ec9 No.6442
A pair of large, pincer-like arms nearly caught the flying girl around the stomach when my shot resonated like thunder, immediately piercing into the dark smoke escaping the entity mouth, leaving a tiny imprint as it penetrated the veil and wounded the creature right where it seemed to hurt; for it reeled in some simulacrum of pain, missing decapitating my crow half-sister as she maneuvered out of the way with a few panicky flaps of winds, finally putting some safe distances as her back knocked on the roof.
I had already reloaded and fired another shot into the onyx skull, again the snap of thunder resonated into the hallway while the bullet ricocheted upward from landing on the entity forehead, lurching its entire body backward as it closed its mouth in a loud, worrying snap of metal; that fumes still wafted out of his mouth, peeking through the uneven teeth jutting out of that rock-like skill. Its collars of souls seemed to dance to some unknown rhythm as the souls inside flashed on and off and with the absence of our warriors to keep it distracted I began to worry for my own safety.
‘’Step back!’’
Hildegarde spoke, voice breathless but spirit unabated despite that thorough defeat inflicted by that monstrosity; I began to scan its body for some obvious signs of weakness… Until my vision became briefly obscured by an outstretched wing of foreboding darkness as our enemy took a step toward us, its lack of legs giving it a strange impression of buoyancy.
While one crow was above, safe in flight while holding onto her staff, the other was aground and had completely slipped out of my mind until now; seeing our two talented warriors being reduced to uselessness one after the other made me forget about the mage and it’d seemed that, with her sister out of harm’s way, she decided to take matters into her own hands, for the first thing that forced the creature to stop was a potent surge of electricity that slammed right into its chest, appeared only briefly as a bright purple thin line of raw energy that spread through the red, dark body of our foe.
‘’That was too close, way too close’’
She whispered, her small hands balled in fists while her face showed an expression of rare anger, showed with furrowed brows and clenched teeth; the veins light up by the alternate, organic state of Trance seemed to grow a tad brighter before a hell of unmitigated energy was unleashed despite whatever reservations anyone of us could have had – Ayumi was blinded by rage, and our foe standing before us like a wall bore its full brunt.
A storm erupted from her stretched out left hand, every single one of the demure crow fingers seemingly disappeared under a bright purplish light, exiting her limb faster than I could see to snap with such tremendous force that the sound alone killed my balanced and forced me on the ground as the bolts struck the entity with enough forces to –break- parts of the marbles in the resulting shockwaves. They sprang like meaty serpents, forcing whatever momentum our foe had built to nothingness as she stood still unleashing an incomparable hell of magical might.
Bolts after bolts crashed, the walls shook, the marbles splintered, its skin seemingly caught aflame in patches; belly, head, legs even the trapped souls in the form of jewels, the crow didn’t even aim, yet it was enough, some rattles of pain seemed to escape its onyx mouth as it was zapped by another thunderbolt, scrapping off parts of its onyx ‘’skin’’. Meanwhile, I quickly realized that Akira wasn’t simply standing there, doing nothing.
Her golden veins seemed to grow brighter, unleashing an unearthly light heralding her true magical might; her second hand was lifted upward, directly pointing the roof with two fingers that glowered in some foreign bluish light that began to waft some kind of glittery powder, despite the anarchy unleashed by those heavy lightning bolts forcing our foe to endure again and again, Ayumi moved her fingers delicately, drawing a line… that quickly began to form a piece of geometry -a small trapezohedron- somehow made solid yet left levitating above her hand and, just like a magic circle the crow trailed her hand to a ninety degrees angle from her body, creating a line in the process to draw a circle with this strange, unearthly bluish magic, which quickly became a sphere.
f80ec9 No.6443
My mind must have been forced to a sluggish pace by the magical force afore me for only now did I realized that she was using astral magic in some kind of offensive manor. It didn’t last, while she showered the creature with enough magic to annihilate an entire company her sister rushed her from the back after a weighty landing that nearly buckled her knees, Akira wrapped her arms around her twin stomach while both pair of wings struggled in some futile struggles, she lifted her and trashed around, saying something that didn’t make it past the resounding clash of lightning that was quickly forced to a stop; allowing it to lunge.
I didn’t need to understand what was going on to level my pistol a second time, aiming then firing after bracing my arm for the recoil, a belch of fire escaped the canon of the steel pistol while the Tsukumogami sang and the bullet sank right into the empty right socket, its impact causing yet another potent impact to my nearly deaf ears, whatever movements our foes was about to take stopped dead in its tracks, for flames suddenly erupted from its mouth in the first sign of exhale, followed by a painful-looking lurch as its titanic body cowered, the souls trapped inside its collar glowered with enough intensity to pierce the fog.
It wasn’t hard to guess, something was cooking it form the insides, like some kind of dragon the creature let out a few sounds as the flames continued to spew before it stepped back completely, knocking its head onto the wall and, right as I was about to shoot it a third time, it disappeared into the marble without fanfare or magical phenomenon; my bullet landed into the half-broken white stones, creating a visible darkened hole.
This entire exchange of blows and magic took less than five minutes, yet I already felt exhausted and drained and a much deeper level compared to that close encounter with the gremlins and putting their nest to the Red Sands.
‘’Is everyone alright?’’
I asked, my ears still ringing from the magical thunderstorm. I could only thank my luck that I was still able to hear anything; my voice didn’t raise any answer, as the girls seemed caught in momentary reverie, staring at the deformed wall marking the departure of our foe (that we’ve, alas, thoroughly underestimated). My eyes shot toward Ayumi who, at first glance, didn’t seem any worse aside from relaxing into her sister arms, unfortunately I came to notice something worrisome by glancing at her veins; they still possessed their golden splendor giving her an aura best describe as ‘’artificial’’ except the single color had changed slightly by gaining a reddish hue; a phenomenon that didn’t escape anyone, for all our eyes came to rest upon our mage who saved us from the beast.
‘’I’m fine’’
She spoke with enough firmness to make me believe her, the girl slowly untangled herself from her sister arms to stand before us despite the new color of her previously uniform veins, me and Hildegarde simply stared in silence.
‘’No, you won’t be once you’ll be done with Focus; that new hue in your veins means one thing, sis’’
‘’Overcast’’
When I spoke, Ayumi visibly winced before hugging herself while trying her best to hide her body with her dark wings, her pale skin was stricken by these gold-red lines and I found my mouth drying at the inevitable prospect, especially when I didn’t see a trace of humor on the usually noisy crow.
When mages abuse their talents the colors filling their veins tend to change and that is the only hint of potential exhaustion for the person won’t feel any worse despite unleashing hell; Overcast means they’ve strained their magical internal energy to its limit, with blood seeping into these magical, biologicals routes. Once the mage extinguish Focus, it is said that every nerves in their body start burning; the resulting pain in so intense that many a soul succumbed during this ‘’episode’’ (usually resulting in cardiac arrest).
‘’I was fine once Maegan saved me, you didn’t need to go and put this heroic…!’’
‘’Enough!’’
f80ec9 No.6444
The maid of alabaster spoke with uncompromising strength in her voice, forcing the concerned sister into silence while the mage never spoke up once, instead Ayumi simply kept staring into her palm soundlessly.
‘’This is a problem to tackle once we make it out of this place. The fact her action may or may not have been excessive is irrelevant, as is the Overcast she will be forced to suffer later; she, alongside Maegan saved us and that’s the advantage we have to press now, even if we’ve lost our magical support.’’
I think Hildegarde expecting everyone to fall in line, but the demure mage seemed to possess a little élan of bravado for her wings flapped gently before her equally graceful voice came to a response.
‘’I don’t think I’ll be suffering yet, if I measure my spells I should be able to…’’
‘’No, you aint feeling it now sis but you’ll be suffering later. Do I need to remind you what happened to…’’
‘’You don’t. I understand… I almost saw you die Akira, I lost my temper… I just hope I’ve wounded the creature enough.’’
‘’Just don’t go casting stuff anymore for today, even if we’ve still got something to do here… I’m really tempted to insist on going back though’’
>It would seem that Ayumi has tapped dangerously into her magical reserves… would it be wise to keep her as an active combatant?
–
Pushing the issue of our mage health aside (as much as it pains me) the way forward was finally revealed after this near total defeat, the room before us was empty of the dark smog, yet simply ended in a cul-de-sac of slick marble with two very obvious oddities sitting on the far wall at the end of this newly found room, now visible thank to the absence of the creature.
A humanoid skeleton was lying against the wall, neck and skull exiting a thick blue plate armor whose chest and hip were irreparably damaged, dented inward by what could have only been an incredibly strong blunt strike, alongside several scratches and slashes marking it all over; unfortunately well beyond salvation. It was also holding a crescent-moon staff in its right hand, made of the same strange blue metal as the armor; some kind of inscriptions coved most of the shaft that looked similar to some of the runic languages I’ve seen in a few books of the queen-mother personal library.
‘’Huh, strange, that crescent has no edge, no blade it’s hollow inside’’
Having seemingly recovered from her bout of worriedness, Akira was the first one to step into the room proper to take the item. Now revealed to our lamps, the blue metal seemed to shine like a gem against the lights and for a moment I felt worried that something magical would happen.
‘’This thing seem inert, better not chance it.’’
I think Ayumi was trying very hard to keep herself distracted, she ran her hand along the staff held by her sister, whereas the white haired Hildegarde was crouched near the corpse, fiddling with the remaining items while I silently decided to take the roll of guarding our backs… thankfully I didn’t have to wait long.
‘’Found something else’’
Her peerless hand held a small book bound in heavy leathers that was hidden under the armored silhouette, despite the time it must have laid there it look serviceable enough, the pages underneath being not only visible and white, but also relatively solid; opening it revealed blanks after blanks with nothing inside.
‘’Doesn’t look erased, this thing is still in good condition’’
As Hildegarde came beside me, I ran my finger around the small tome, then glided it upon the pages, the sheets were simple enough and unlike the staff there wasn’t any hints about a potential magical nature; a song of steel quickly interrupted me, the pistol held at my hand roused from its previous long silence, making me look away briefly, asking the obvious «anything wrong?». Yet my query wasn’t answered by this dutiful companion.
‘’Come look’’
Hildegarde was staring holes into the book with those brilliant red optics, her words rousing everyone curiosity, I felt my breath stop in wonders upon seeing what had worked her up like that; words of dark inks had been scribbled onto the paper.
«My name is Uzziel, this is my journal and you are standing afore my corpse.»
‘’A sentient book? Now that’s a first, I knew we’d find some wonders inside the Shadowlord tunnels.’’
‘’Sis… please don’t get carried away’’
While the Tengu spokes, more words came to life as I peered over Hildegarde shoulder, the previous sentence being washed away, its inks disappeared like droplets of water landing into sands.
f80ec9 No.6445
«I’ve been watching, I’m glad you’ve found the correct path to me, for I was barely able to see you progress, let alone guide your group where they needed to be.»
‘’Guide?’’
I had to ask, wracking my brain over our entire journey so far, a few little occurrences began to seem overtly suspect now…
«The one in Grey, for I have forgotten the look of my own physique and the ink you needed for your Word, Shining One.»
‘’Shining?’’
I knew my hair and tail were whites and my own clothes underneath the armor shared this trait but I’ve never once been glowing, was he referring to the lamps…?
«Three souls shines brightly, one is dim, gray, burdened and nearly suffocated, trampled by the lights while amidst them stand a boy without traits; yet yours is shining a path of such incandescence that it feel like a beacon out of this wretched place.»
I…To have my soul complimented like that is a rather weird concept, I don’t exactly feel any different; I suppose a spirit has other priorities.
‘’Why did you need to stalk us?’’
Hildegarde asked with something of an edge to her tone.
Again the words disappeared, revealed a new sentence as our group huddled together to read.
«To see for myself that you weren’t going the wrong way, I needed you to find my tomb; I didn’t anticipate the Hunter would try to get rid of me now, after having fun for so long»
Hunter… so that its name, I certainly felt like a prey in that wretched ‘’soul dimension’’. I’d have been at its mercy if it weren’t for that angel.
«You’ve suffered the price of defiance already; this entire place is wretched beyond belief, so much that not even the God of the Sabbath would try his hand to get rid of it, instead it’s been working as an efficient mean of defense while indulging its pleasure of the Hunt, but also pain; I’ve observed many fall here and I know that it’s able to perceive some morsels of your emotions, which it take as enjoyment»
‘’Rather… animalistic for some kind of otherworldly horror’’
The one to speak was Akira, her face showing a disgusted frown.
«It came from a man and can only understand concepts of mankind; it’s why the shape of the Hunter still possesses some humanity. The one true horror of this realm, is the wretched god using these catacombs as defenses for its portals, the Baphomet.»
‘’I see, we aren’t quite into the true Sabbath… I guess it make senses given this place.’’
I had some suspicions, especially after meeting these gremlins denizens; Belphegor painted a completely different place, I certainly wouldn’t equate pleasure with claustrophobia.
«I will not be the one to satisfy your curiosity, for time is short.»
There was a slight pause in the writing.
«Please hear me out. Shining One, you’ve seen the girl when your soul was kidnapped, I plead thee and all the souls standing afore me now to save her and take her away from this wretched place; if you do not have any means of returning home, it is always possible to find a new portal.»
While the other three girls peered at each other in silence, I was the one to speak up; not out of some misguided sense of leadership, but simple empathy at the fact that these words were a simple plead to save someone in need – something that I’ll never be able to ignore.
‘’We’ve safeguarded our means of escape, rescuing someone isn’t going to compromise us, you can be assured of that’’
Beside me, I heard a chuckle make its way out of Hildegarde mouth as she proclaimed softly «from investigating the gas and finding a potential source to rescuing an angel…I don’t know if we’ll disappoint your leaders or surprise them».
f80ec9 No.6446
Meanwhile, our unseen communicator continued to use the book as catalyst.
«You have the might to bring an end to this wretched creature, even if your group is crippled of its magical support»
That sentence made Ayumi cringe in a mixture of awkward guilt. However, I didn’t quite feel so confident; that short battle taught many things, foremost being the sheer useless of trying to take it on in a straight up close-quarter battle.
‘’Perhaps we do, but I doubt we’ll be able to see it gone without casualty amongst us. No matter the importance of that girl, I’m unwilling to sacrifice any of the group to save her; the Zipangu denizens take priority, even over a sacred angel’’
When Hildegarde spoke, her previous amusement had completely vanished; her brilliant eyes formed a thin line as she glared at the book while everyone else kept silent, I tried my best to ignore the strange feeling created by her words, trying instead to think of something else as I clutched the amulet… I wonder if Ame is alright…
«To ruin its body with physical trauma or magical potency is futile as you’ve all seen for yourselves. You need to strike it soul, ruin its balance with the various prisoners it keeps as a trophy; you won’t have the time to do a ritual to accomplish this, so instead one of you is to use my weapon, I will allow the transfer of ownership.»
‘’So there’s something more to this staff after all’’
Akira spoke while holding the odd weapon, clanging the ground gently with its blunted end. Meanwhile, the words in the book disappeared completely, only for new sentences to shows themselves anew.
«An artefact of the Heavens. Its blade unseen, to be unsheathed only for the greatest of conflicts, at the price of a piece of your soul, it will strike at those of others, wounding, slicing and crippling them. It is a weapon of blasphemy for many; take heart In the fact that using it now only means carrying out justices, for the foe is beyond salvation and cast aside its humanity long before any of you were born.»
‘’To my people, angels are sacred and it is holding one hostage, I don’t need more motivations to risk my life.’’
‘’I reckon I never saved an angel before, I wanna see if they are as beautiful as people say’’
‘’…’’
‘’I’ve seen her in that realm, Uzziel. She saved my life, she and my grandmother might be trapped together – I intend to save them both’’
The only one to avoid speaking was Ayumi, whose glowering vein and awkward grimace told me what I needed to know; she most likely wished to go back, now that Overcast was a reality with the mixture of her magical fluids and blood.
There was a long pause in the book before the coming of two words.
«Thank you».
>’’Could you tell us who she is?’’ [I want to know more about this nameless, one winged angel.]
>’’Let’s get started, Akira is used to wielding staffs so I don’t think a polearm will be too difficult to adjust; we’ve no more time to waste’’ [Better to prepare now, hopefully catch our foe off guard.
>[Free]
bd30ef No.6447
>>6446
So we killed its body but it's basically a lich and we gotta nail its phylactery before it completely regenerates. Great. Can we get started while either we or our now out of mana mage ask the book some pertinent questions?
f80ec9 No.6448
>>6447
>So we killed its body
Not quite, it's just ridiculously tough, able to take an insane amount of punishment. There's no phylactery to speak off.
>Can we get started while either we or our now out of mana mage ask the book some pertinent questions?
Yes, thoses can be done while you get to your destination
f325ba No.6449
>>6446
>>’’Let’s get started, Akira is used to wielding staffs so I don’t think a polearm will be too difficult to adjust; we’ve no more time to waste’’ [Better to prepare now, hopefully catch our foe off guard.
>>[Free]
Ask the book of any weaknesses, special attacks, and patterns that the Hinter has.
Things like what attack is imminent when its eyes glow, or what it can bring out of its mouth, if cutting limbs off would help.
f325ba No.6450
>>6447
It escaped into the marble wall, what made you think we had killed its body?
f325ba No.6451
>>6449
Oh, and Uzziel said that the weapon uses a piece of soul each time its used; is that per activation or per strike?
Any special way to use it? Do we need to strike the Hunter at a special spot or will any contact with the weapon's blade be enough to cause soul disruption?
f80ec9 No.6452
>>6449
Sounds reasonable enough, I'll go with this and try to add a few more questions if they pop up. I'll be a little late in posting, but it shouldn't take too long.
f80ec9 No.6453
‘’Akira, do you think you can adapt to this weapon?’’
My sudden prompting made the group look at me, with my question quickly diverting everyone attention when the Tengu gently fiddled with the staff, knocking the marble ground a few time.
‘’Quite easily’’
‘’Then let’s go, we’ve got our destination already, I’ve a few questions to ask of our spectral fellow whom, I believe… could answer on the way, yes?’’
Holding the pistol forward, I decided to force everyone hands by taking a few steps out of the tomb and back into the corridor, the thick barrier of black smoke yielded to the brightness of the lamp; a quick concert of pitter-patter behind me heralded the quick paces of the girls to follow me.
–
«The Hunter is a simple being with easily discernable patterns for battles, using its many arms to overwhelm whoever it finds; morphing them into various organics weapons while striking blindingly fast without finesse. Its primary predation lies with the kidnapping of souls to force them into its own realm, doing so in a manner reminiscent of ‘’eating’’ by opening its mouths. Thankfully, this ability was nullified thank to the intervention of the warm wolf, but that doesn’t reduce your foe strength, for it will likely use its warping ability to some in and out of the floors, roof and walls to strike at your group. I have never seen it reduce to such a state before, so keep your wits sharp to react to whatever tricks it keep hidden as it’s backed into a corner like the wounded animal it is»
The enmity was almost dripping out of the book as we reached the path leading into the room that spooked the Tsukumogami, questions about the Hunter finding only a few morsels of information; we’ve already gained an idea about the creature speed and toughness, but it would seem that it wasn’t quite used to battle – at least, if I were to read between the lines- but the creature didn’t seem to need some elaborate battle plans, being able to endure a storm of lightning is certainly more than enough prerogative to make attempt at killing it pointless.
As we stopped before proceeding into the corridor, we decided to concentrate on the book again, this time asking about the weapon.
‘’You… said that weapon of yours need a piece of soul, what does my sister need to sacrifice?’’
The answer came after a little delay, as if the spirit was hesitating.
«Memories. Be they whole or simple pieces, a person souvenir is fuel for the soul. A potent sacrifice will result in a strengthened blade that will then slice at all the souls in its path, cutting right into the Hunter weakness.»
An angelic weapon… Perhaps this’ll be the trump card we need.
«It is possible that you will not be alone in its lair, for there are shades preying on whatever corpses left behind by the gremlins and their master; perhaps it has allowed some to stay. Either way, you will find the girl in a cocoon of corruption; an egg of pure darkness like the one used by the pale pests – inside lies the angel you need to save. Killing the Hunter isn’t your objective; with the angel help you won’t be facing it again».
The sentences appeared fast, perhaps I was only projecting my own feeling but I kept having the strong impression that our unseen guide and informant was holding considerable feelings for this angel in need we’ve agreed to save.
«I will need to activate it and transfer its ownership, before we go, please stop… however, I will not be able to talk after doing so, so please if there’s anything else you need to ask, do so now»
At its urging our first few steps into the hallway leading for the nest were stopped and I felt a brief surge of nervousness knot my stomach; something odd happened with Hildegarde, the woman of alabaster took a few steps forward then gently got down on her knees while putting her hands on her hips.
‘’…Hild?’’
‘’Don’t mind me’’
She spoke, facing forward with such a straight, solid stance it felt akin to watching a statue.
‘’Give me a few moments, meanwhile activate this thing and say goodbye to the spirit, as I doubt we’ll be seeing each other again’’
>…
>What should I say?
bd30ef No.6454
>>6453
To the book: "How do we get her out of there safely or quickly without getting corrupted ourselves?"
Once we have that answer we tell him thank you and hope that it isn't goodbye.
Then we say to Hilde: "Is there something wrong Hildegarde? Are you trying to meditate?"
Keep an eye on her regardless, she might just be doing her version of a recharge while it'd be convenient.
0da5d4 No.6455
>>6453
Questions:
What do we need to do to open up the cocoon? Can it be done safely? Can we simply blow it open or do we need to carefully cut it open?
Can the spirit still do some scouting for us? What does it know about what is down the last hallway that the gun was so scared about? Could he create a face in the Hunter's lair and tell us what is waiting for us?
Also ask the gun if it can sense the Hunter, and if it can give us warning when the Hunter tries to ambush us through the marble.
f80ec9 No.6456
The other two girls were also puzzled by Hildegarde but we opted to avoid commenting and instead continue our questioning.
‘’Tell us, how can we get her out safely? Without anyone getting corrupted?’’
Again, the words came swiftly.
«The membranes of the egg are soft, your hands are more than enough to tear it apart and pull Armisael out. For the corruption… Shining One, your companions haven’t succumbed to the gas; all of you are safe and angels are naturally immune to charms and mind altering effects, which still hold true even if they’ve been prisoners for years inside hell.»
Could it be that… there was someone inside the egg used as a nest for the gremlins?
No, now isn’t the time for such thoughts; if there’s blames to shoulders I’ll do it later.
‘’What are we to find inside its lair? Could you do some scouting perchance?’’
«To leave now means I will never return. The room you will enter is an arena, of marbles and marbles dusts with the egg in its center; there’s a basement that you shouldn’t venture into, for it is a trap full of crippled, maddened souls having lost their lusters to the Hunter. Perhaps you’ll witness a few wraiths battling inside its walls, or the entire area was vacated now that its master is back; either way, keeps your wits about you. The boy at your side should help you prevent ambushes.»
Boy…? My eyes trailed toward the pistol in my hand, not one did it left my palm since we came into this labyrinth. Could it truly be a child?
«I will activate the weapon… and disappear in doing so. Once you are out, please tell Armisael that Uzziel never forgot, never stopped looking and finally, that he came to approve of the path she’s chosen for herself. I hope the realm you hail from can help her. Farewell Shining One, the warm wolf watching over you won’t be trapped by the Hunter for much longer.»
Just like that, the words disappeared and with them gone, I felt a sense of finality; there wouldn’t be any more exchanges of words with this strange fellow any long, a face of grey slowly formed beside Akira. Its stare was an empty one, no eyes showed in its sockets yet still it stared unmoving, without a mouth and only a thin nose to give the briefest hint of humanity. Quiet light suddenly emerged from the staff as the runes burst to energy and, just like that, Uzziel face disappeared like smoke wafting away into ether.
‘’Whoa, I’m feeling some kind of buzzing in my arm’’
Akira arm jittered lightly as she kept a solid grip on the staff, this continued for a few second until she stopped.
‘’It’s fine now…. So the weapon is mine now? Guess I’ll try to do a little sacrifice, see if it works; ought to be just like Focus’’
‘’Sis…’’
‘’Don’t worry, I’ll just think about what I ate yesterday, can barely recall it anyway.’’
Closing her eyes, Akira concentrated for a few moments until a burst of light from the weapon made us all (save Hildegarde) stare in wonder. From the hollow shaft of the crescent came a blade of incandescent gold, emerging soundlessly of its socket like a wave from the ocean, stopping at a pointed peak to form a triangular blade of gilded metal, that unfortunately, began to dim as soon as it appeared, then grow semi-transparent.
‘’Damn… That’s rather… wow’’
Meanwhile, Ayumi eyes were as round as plates.
‘’That’s… really a blade of Heaven, a soul slayer’’
All this while, Hildegarde didn’t move from her spot, not even the magical phenomenon seemed to break her out of this strange meditation.
>Do I disturb her? Or wait for her to be done?
>[Free]
0da5d4 No.6457
>>6456
>[Free]
Take this opportunity to check Ayumi and Akira for any injuries, to prepare ourselves, take stock of our healing potions and Red Sand grenades.
Make sure that our needles are ready for reloading as well.
Also scan the area around us for danger with the Tsukumogami.
f80ec9 No.6458
>>6457
>Take this opportunity to check Ayumi and Akira for any injuries, to prepare ourselves, take stock of our healing potions and Red Sand grenades.
Save for Ayumi being into Overcast territory, the girls are doing fine. You have two grenades left, as for the potions… You've got three capsules left, while everyone else got five.
>Also scan the area around us for danger with the Tsukumogami.
Aside from the destination up front, he believe you to be safe.
0da5d4 No.6459
>>6458
Okay, wait for Hilde to be done before proceeding.
f80ec9 No.6460
‘’Hild…?’’
As me and the crows finished our final preparation my voice carried itself into the marble corridor, where the forlorn white silhouette of our tireless protector finally rose to stand, the gallantry of her stance losing nothing to the grim, tears and damages covering her ruined clothe. There was definitely something different about her, when my steps carried me close to her, my sharp ears began to hear something odd emerging from her body; a light, barely audible buzzing that had nothing organic in nature.
‘’Let’s go, the entrance isn’t far; a sparse few meters’’
Not that we could see anything in the fog, my eyes trailed toward our destination and would-be place of conflict with equal amount of dread and resolve.
‘’Don’t be like that, there’s something about you, why did you mediate…? It wasn’t simple mental preparation. I can hear a sound coming out of your chest.’’
My words elicited a rare reaction, for the maid hands trailed toward her torso to rest between her breasts before looking back at me with optics of brilliant yet choking red.
‘’Once we enter, I’ll be going all out on this «Hunter» of ours’’
‘’What do you mean?’’
‘’I’m Kreszenz best anti-horror weapon, I have a… capacity of my own to utilize, even if it’s dangerous’’
As we spoke, the maid gestured for the group to proceed and, under such insistence I had no choice but to yield. Our pace was a slow and prudent one, taking only a few meters before seeing the archway of a large opening built into the peerless marbles, only after this short journey did Hildegarde speak again, eyes glued forward to react to any potential ambushes.
‘’I’m not human, I know you’ve all guessed this easily enough so I’ll go straight to the point; I’ve surcharged my core and for now, it’s slowly warming my entire body. Once I go into battle I’ll discard my limiter and the heat contained in my arms and legs will run out of control and into my body while also boosting my mental capacity and reflexes, giving me a little ‘’Focus’’ if I were to give a comparison’’
She made a little gesture toward the crows while speaking.
‘’In doing so I’ll be able to bridge the gap of power between myself and that entity; most likely not enough to kill it, but more than adequate to pin it and give you girls enough time to do the rescue while moping whatever foes we find beside that flesh giant. I have five minutes before my internals start cooking from the overload of heat, but I believe that’s more than enough time to commit the rescue and open the portal back to Zipangu.’’
‘’Wait, I should take care of that giant, I’ve gained the secret weapon to strike at the Shadowlord weakness!’’
The blade of gold had already disappeared, unable to stay whole from Akira weak memory. Hildegarde gave her a neutral, yet dreadful stare of pure, raw red that drove her to silence quickly.
‘’Our objective is rescue, not annihilation; with your sister crippled of her magical potential, we’ll have to separate and act fast if we want to accomplish our task. If I am to perish, so be it; I’ll make sure to take it out with me, but the angels is more important than trying to slaughter a foe we don’t need to kill that has also proven itself stronger than us all’’
As she spoke, I kept hearing this light buzzing coming out of her, all trace of emotions have drained form her face, I could see a tiny amount of vapor escape her skin, her clothe began to give a distinctive burnt smell… and the temperature surrounding her mounted to a point that hovering one hands around the woman of alabaster was enough to feel some uncharacteristic heat.
>Do you go with Hildegarde plan?
>Ending here for tonight, this was an update to get back into the swing of things. I’ll try to be here tomorrow, too.
0da5d4 No.6461
>>6460
No, we don't go with her plan.
She may be only prioritizing the rescue of the Angel, but there's Maegan's grandmother to rescue, and for that to happen we need to kill the Hunter.
Basically, Hilde and Akira should attack the Hunter, with Akira trying to kill it.
Maegan covers Ayumi with the Tsukumogami since there's possibly other monsters there.
Ayumi herself is to concentrate on rescuing Armisael from the cocoon.
f80ec9 No.6462
>>6461
She's certain that there are more than the Hunter in the place your going, so she'd prefer to keep Akira as back up until the angel is safe, then have her try to wound him.
0da5d4 No.6463
>>6462
Wouldn't it be much safer if Hilde and Akira take out the Hunter as quickly as possible, then turn to eliminating anything that remains?
Also, as soon as the Hunter is eliminated, Hilde can turn her limiters back on and prevent irreversible damage to her systems, since the other monsters likely won't require her full power.
Hilde can't devalue herself; Maegan won't allow it, and it would really put a crimp in Zipangu-Kreszenz relations if we let their superweapon get herself killed unnecessarily.
Maegan and Ayumi can go rescue Armisael once the Hunter is down, since Hilde and Akira can then more effectively keep the other monsters at bay.
I do see some merit in Hilde's plan; keep the Hunter busy until the Angel is rescued, then pin the Hunter down to be skewered by Akira.
But that assumes that Armisael will immediately be able to help, or that Maegan will be able to protect a crippled Ayumi and a possibly unconscious Angel while under attack from many other monsters.
Is she also assuming that we will all need to enter the lair as a single group?
Wouldn't it be safer for Akira and Hilde to go in first to fight the Hunter while Maegan and Ayumi stay at the entrance and fire from there?
Maegan and Ayumi would then only need to protect from one direction, and could throw their grenades towards the right and left, since we expect the cocoon to be in the center of the lair.
f80ec9 No.6464
>>6463
>Hilde can't devalue herself; Maegan won't allow it, and it would really put a crimp in Zipangu-Kreszenz relations if we let their superweapon get herself killed unnecessarily.
It's not like Kreszenz know about what's happening right now.
>But that assumes that Armisael will immediately be able to help, or that Maegan will be able to protect a crippled Ayumi and a possibly unconscious Angel while under attack from many other monsters.
She was thinking that Akira could also proceed with them, allowing her to effectively protect the group.
>Wouldn't it be safer for Akira and Hilde to go in first to fight the Hunter while Maegan and Ayumi stay at the entrance and fire from there?
What you mean is, having the two warriors charge into the room while Maegan and Ayumi sneak in toward the egg? That… could be feasible. Perhaps a good course of action, one that'll need the opinion of more players but it's to keep in mind.
0da5d4 No.6465
>>6464
>while Maegan and Ayumi sneak in toward the egg
Depending on the number of other monsters, I was thinking of Maegan providing covering fire from the archway and taking out the other monsters while Hilde and Akira fight the Hunter, or Hilde and Akira use all of the remaining grenades and maybe one more wood lamp to take out the trash and create a big spectacle while Maegan and Ayumi go save Armisael while the remaining monsters' attention is on the two warriors.
f80ec9 No.6466
>>6465
I'll wait for tomorrow before proceeding but that does seem liek a good, feasible plan, one that none of the girls have any problems with. (Mostly because the warriors will take the brunt of the fight)
0da5d4 No.6467
>>6466
The big thing is killing the Hunter or running as soon as we have the Angel.
Uzziel and Hilde advocated concentrating on just the rescue, but Maegan definitely would want to kill the Hunter over a speedy rescue and escape.
Without killing the Hunter, the Wolf of the Sun will remain trapped, and Maegan would be very much against that. Not only because she's her grandmother, but also because Zipang would be immensely weakened at the strategic level with one more god gone.
I suppose that since Hilde already has 5 minutes and counting, and she's pretty sure that turning off the limiter gives her enough strength to fight the Hunter to a standstill, she and Akira need to kill the Hunter as quickly as possible. Keeping it pinned just means that they are effectively unable to engage other targets that could go after Maegan and Ayumi.
They shouldn't be considering simple escape, because the safest course of action is the complete termination of all hostiles.
Kill the Hunter, re-engage the limiters, and then take out the rest of the monsters as Armisael is rescued and the ofuda is used to create the portal back to Zipangu.
f80ec9 No.6468
>>6467
You also have a few offensive Ofudas, are they all to be given to Ayumi, to use are her will?
bd30ef No.6469
>>6468
Forgive my feeble mind but Ofudas don't really take a ton of mana to fuel activation as said mana has already been poured into them right?
Just seeking confirmation, we got one mage already in and willing to endure burnout mode and we all know that nothing sucks harder for a mage than burnout. Thus if activation costs anything except a proverbial drop in the bucket, using them will make things much worse for them. We don't want anyone to die here. Her sis is a mage too though and isn't in said sorry state, can she activate them both while fighting if need be?
Speaking of which, can't we catch a good chunk of this fog with one of those things they gave us so they could at least develop a counter-drug or something that'd enable a person to hang out for at least a few minutes without going batshit crazy with lust and whatnot?
Any good drug/temporary counter is better than nothing. Not the ideal we were initially going for, but hell, any port in a storm in the end.
0da5d4 No.6470
>>6468
Isn't Akira able to activate the Ofuda's as well?
What kind of spells are in the ofuda's, and I think all but two should go to Akira. The two would be for emergency use by Ayumi in case she and Maegan get targeted by the trash and Maegan can't keep up a sufficient rate of fire.
Since we want Akira and Hilde to be the center of attention, having Akira use one or two ofuda's along with the grenades to take out the trash in her initial charge will probably distract the monsters enough for Maegan and Ayumi to slip in.
0da5d4 No.6471
>>6469
>can't we catch a good chunk of this fog with one of those things they gave us
Didn't we already get a sample?
f80ec9 No.6472
>>6469
>Forgive my feeble mind but Ofudas don't really take a ton of mana to fuel activation as said mana has already been poured into them right?
Aye, you jsut need to enter Focus to activate them really, snce the paper talisman need a spark of magic to activate.
>>6470
>Isn't Akira able to activate the Ofuda's as well?
Yes, she's a mage.
>What kind of spells are in the ofuda's
You've got five of them.
Three are offensive spells made by Ame-no-Uzume using her foxfire. Very dangerous.
The other two are summoning, one is also made by Ame, used to summon a shadow of vengeance, to be used in a pinch.
The last one is made by Tsukiyomi and consist of the strongest summoning of all - one of the great heroes that slew the previous Demon Lord-. It was agreed to avoid using that one unless you really, really needed it.
>>6471
Only a sample of the fog, not something that Generate it. Alchemist won't be able to do much, if anything, with just a piece of gas inside a protective, airtight cube.
0da5d4 No.6473
>>6472
>The other two are summoning, one is also made by Ame, used to summon a shadow of vengeance, to be used in a pinch.
How long would the summon last? Did it require Ame to sacrifice anything to create? I recall that Tsu's ofuda's tended to shorten her lifespan (by very small amounts) because of the amount of power needed for them.
If Ame's summon will last some time, then it might be better to use the summon before entering the arena. It will give the attack team one more fighter; it can cover their backs so they can concentrate on the Hunter, and it provides one more person attracting the attention of the other monsters in the lair so that Maegan and Ayumi can slip through to the cocoon.
Then Akira can keep a Foxfire and Tsu's summon, and Ayumi can keep two Foxfires to use in case she gets the attention of the trash.
0da5d4 No.6474
>>6472
>Only a sample of the fog, not something that Generate it. Alchemist won't be able to do much, if anything, with just a piece of gas inside a protective, airtight cube.
So we do already have a sample of the fog, and unless we get a sample of something that generates it, the fog sample isn't doing the alchemists much good.
f80ec9 No.6475
>>6473
>How long would the summon last? Did it require Ame to sacrifice anything to create?
There's no way for Maegan to know so I can't reveal this information; perhaps you'd like to ring up the queen? Well, it's not like you have much time to spare…
But you can expect the summon to last a good while, since spirit given astral body tend to hang around to fulfill whatever deal they made with their summoners.
Also, the heroic summons don't really shorten Tsukiyomi lifespan, they just make her encroach ever so slowly into the inevitable disease of the immortals
>>6474
>So we do already have a sample of the fog, and unless we get a sample of something that generates it, the fog sample isn't doing the alchemists much good.
That's right.
0da5d4 No.6476
>>6475
>Well, it's not like you have much time to spare…
No, let's not waste the short amount of time that Hilde has.
Let's use Ame's summon, then. Probably best to have Akira activate it as she charges from the doorway towards the Hunter, as that's the most dynamic and force more eyes on her.
And tell Hilde that she is to turn her limiters back on as soon as the Hunter is down. With the summon providing one more fighter to take the place of Ayumi, we should be able to hold out long enough with Akira, Maegan, and the summon to complete the rescue and activate the ofuda back to Zipang. Also to make sure that Maegan's grandma is rescued.
bd30ef No.6477
>>6472
Five Ofudas ya say, what's the best nuclear option then?
How do we stack our deck in the best way towards ourselves? How do we use this potential nuke in a way that's best? We must make this fucker pay, and we may yet have the means to that end…
f80ec9 No.6479
>>6477
>Five Ofudas ya say, what's the best nuclear option then?
Burning the three foxfire Ofudas together with the grenades would make some serious collateral damage, to the point of killing the angel without a doubt
0da5d4 No.6480
>>6477
Great. You want to kill the angel that's in the same room as the Hunter.
Instead of, you know, using the two summons together and the grenades and foxfires on the edges of the arena to increase the amount of actual damage caused to the enemies in the room without killing the person we're here to rescue.
And before you say that you're just exploring all of the options, considering the option where you kill the hostages as the first resort when there are plenty of options on getting at least one hostage out alive, is pretty counter-productive.
bd30ef No.6481
>>6479
Well, I certainly don't want to do that. I want that angel alive over being a burning corpse.She mus be saved in the end, though I doubt Hilde will survive that but hey, we want the ultimate happy ending. We have been racking up "empathy" points, will they count here?
A pure and innocent angel who sought to save us from a horrid fate. Do we get another empathy point?
f80ec9 No.6483
>>6481
I've had an idea about those points that I'm not so sure about anymore, it'd be best to forget about them for now.
0da5d4 No.6484
>>6483
Generally, how much intellect do vengeance spirits have?
Will Ame's summon simply target and attack the nearest thing with hostile intent to the summoner?
Or can we depend on it to have the intellect to stick to our plan?
f80ec9 No.6486
>>6484
>Generally, how much intellect do vengeance spirits have?
One of the highest tier of summons, while impossible to voice its though it can be relied on to stick to a simple plan, altough it value its summoner life higher than anything else.
If we progress fast enough, you'll likely have a full description about them tomorrow.
f80ec9 No.6491
Thread should resume in about an hour, perhaps more depending on how much information I need to put in.
f80ec9 No.6494
Uzziel… As we neared the entrance toward the arena, I tried to call out toward that helpful spirit a few times, trying to elicit some kind of response with the book however the activation of the staff seemed to have him disappear completely; its gilded blade shone a sparse few time before disappearing completely despite Akira effort – it was obvious that the ‘’morsel of soul’’ she used as fuel wasn’t enough to make a proper weapon but I still found myself missing the spirit, our meeting having been all too short indeed.
‘’I know what to use next time.’’
‘’Akira…’’
‘’Nah, I won’t tell, one of those memories that’s best buried, forgetting it entirely to strike at the Shadowlord weakness is a more than adequate exchange. Let’s keep the talking down, maybe we’ll be able to see something interesting after entering.’’
Hildegarde, as always, took to the vanguard of the group, putting enough distance to mask the smoke wafting away from her body as the strange whirling sound emerging from her chest continued on unabated, slowly however, the temperature surrounding her increased to a point I could almost feel the heat caressing my skin, yet she didn’t show a speck of sweat while her clothes still kept themselves solid, perhaps… she hadn’t quite thrown away her limiter yet?
‘’Let’s not throw ourselves into a foolish melee again, I know we have to save the angel but that Hunter has also trapped Saturmae in its soul world; I want to free her as well… if we have to get rid of this entity entirely, so be it’’
‘’A dangerous prospect… but I agree, to think the Sun God was still alive in the first place!’’
Akira’s mirth didn’t last once we crossed the threshold of the archway leading into the new room, the absence of doors felt odd at first but we settled quickly, and avoided to venture forth quite yet as the path began a downward slope into the nothingness of the fog, with the sides stretched into benches of lightly elevated white marbles; proceeding completely blind, we decided to stop instead of triggering some kind of traps as the fogs covered everything in a thick blanket of darkness that our lamps were barely able to pierce.
‘’It’s time to use our talismans, Akira you should take the summons made by the queen, it’s a spirit of vengeance and if I’m to trust the books I’ve read, they get very attached to their summoner; if the two of you are to confront the hunter, you’ll need a little more help’’
‘’Wait, two of us? You intend to let us fight on our own?’’
‘’Ayumi and myself will try our best to lay low, find the egg and free the angel; I know your sister is nearing Overcast but the Ofudas can only be activated by magic, she’s not useless or crippled; if something happen to us, we’ve got options to help us out beside bullets, with the worst case scenario being the summoning of a Hero.’’
When the Tsukumogami let out a soft song of steel, there was no counter argument to this hastily thrown together plan; there was a strange wind coming from the center of this masked arena, followed by low gaps and eerie groaning; a sound that didn’t quite last, but it was more than enough to chill me to the bones, especially when something akin to running water flowed briefly for a parse few seconds.
Hildegarde stood up, wrapping her hand around the handle of her lamp, she walked up to me and gently put the object at my feet as I tried my best to avoid gasping form the heat surrounding her; her clothing was coming undone, melting without a hint of flame from that unimaginable warmth, with an obvious space between her breast opening to reveal a glass-like sphere of white, bright glowers that easily rivaled our alchemical light while steam wafted incessantly.
‘’I won’t be needing this; let’s quickly agree on where to regroup, then we’ll proceed with Maegan plan. We don’t have the time for counter argument or to devise something wiser, the time for action is now.’’
So be it.
>[Do you want to use that spare lamp as a marker to help in regrouping?]
>’’Let’s regroup by the entrance of the archway, we know where it is already.’’
>’’The egg is likely to be at the center of this place so this is where we’ll go’’
>[Free]
be7edd No.6495
>>6494
Regroup in the center, using the spare lamp as a beacon to show where it is.
No telling where in the room that Akira and Hilde will end up as they fight the Hunter.
f80ec9 No.6496
>>6495
Will do, tonight is probably going to be short in term of updates but I'll try to be as fast as I can.
f80ec9 No.6497
Look like my update might need more time than I anticipated, I think it'd be best to end it here tonight already; I just wanted to make two short updates anyway, as my way of saying that the quest is back on track and alive. Sorry about that folks.
0da5d4 No.6498
>>6497
No worries.
Will we also have updates tomorrow?
f80ec9 No.6499
>>6498
I'm planning on doing something Friday/Saturday.
Need a few days to plan out the final confrontation with our stalker.
f80ec9 No.6509
Sorry for yet another delay, I caught the spring germ or something so I wasn't feeling too hot. I'll be good to start tomorrow I think.
f80ec9 No.6512
‘’I’ll leave the lamp in the center, near the egg; this is where we are going to regroup to use our portal talisman out of this damnable dungeon once we are done… see you girls soon’’
‘’Aye, we won’t be out for too long.’’
Akira spoke softly, with a smile of confidence that seemed genuine enough to fool me; the blue staff in her hand glowered in a quiet light as her fingers traveled its length while her stare shifted into something absent, caught in silent reminiscence that left her twin sister with an awkward grimace of guilt and anger, thankfully the Tengu resolved her emotion with a grunt of disapproval as she watched her twin venture toward the thick darkness before us, taking place beside the woman of alabaster who was growing more and more surreal, her clothing coming undone by itself as the fabric melted slowly, remnant of the meat corridors and the gremlins cooking and sizzling on her peerless skin of pearl whose glowers had grown strong enough to irritate my eyes, and soon it’d be so bright that I’d only be able to gaze at her silhouette as her body seemed to disappear in this light emerging from her chest, with the air around her shifting in a haze, produced by the unbelievable warmth of her body that was still climbing even now.
The two disappeared down the path, gobbled by the fog despite Hildegarde brilliance, the sound of their footsteps against the marble drifted to nothingness after a few short seconds during which I prepared my pistol for another shot.
‘’I hate this…’’
The golden-red glower coming out of Ayumi body was a worrying sight, one that I could do nothing about. Her expression of strained courage twisted my heart some, but I decided to press on, giving her a solemn nod as our stares lingered to set out for our own destination, walking down the same path treaded by our warriors and continuing forward as silently as we could, the fog having robbed us of all potential sights aside from the somewhat elaborate architecture of marble before us, one that quickly expanded downward and into equally white sand as we reached the bottom of the stairs of this would-be stadium, presenting a small circular arena on a short drop below.
‘’Is it in there?’’
Asked my partner in a whisper, as if the brilliance of our lamps weren’t giving away our positions.
My answer was to silently extend my arm, holding the pistol for its usual scanning in this blind smoke; the spirit dwelling inside was quick to respond with a swift steely breath gently coming out of the barrel; that was all the answers we needed.
‘’There’s something after all, now let’s go’’
‘’Right’’
Ayumi pinched one of the Ofuda (colored in bright red with blue inscriptions covering its surface) as she walked in a mixture of uncertainty and resolve at the sand below; the drop was a short one and, without obvious signs of distress coming from our other two companions, I jumped right down to business and landed without fuss alongside the crow whose wings stretched from her flanks, heavy steel boots sinking lightly into the white sands after a brief crunching sound.
f80ec9 No.6513
‘’ Can’t spot any other walls, let’s proceed with caution; our spirit should warn us if were walking away, right?’’
A shrill scream erupted from some far-off place in the fog in front of us after I finished speaking; Ayumi nearly took flight in surprise whilst I had to actually regain my balance as my heart nearly leapt out of my throat, my sentiment quickly changed into panicky dread that turned my blood to ice. Obvious sounds of struggles began to erupt, some kind of clang of metals followed by grunts, screams and sizzling… and the voices of our comrades erupting in grunts and brief screams without coherent communications, oftentimes buried as whatever they were fighting let out some loud gurgles like some kind of throaty groan.
‘’Maegan…! Let’s hurry!’’
‘’No need to tell me twice, little guy be on the lookout alright?’’
The Tsukumogami flowy response came out swiftly as we both set out in a run, white sand crunching and kicking behind us; the struggled seemed frenetic by what I was hearing, with the loud strikes and colliding bodies creating a deadly echo of mortal struggle that made me feel partially relieved that our makeshift separation plan worked
Our objective wasn’t hard to find. With the constant clash and sounds of combat emerging from the fog, we quickly happened upon an object during our feverish run, forcing us to a stop as quickly as we began. Illuminated by our triple lamps, the thick fog of gray had turned into dark smog as it surrounding a big, protruding egg-shaped object nestled on the ground of soft white sand, its shell looking like a mixture of oil and raw meat going up for about two meters, finishing into a nicely even oval shape that looked most likely uniform (I didn’t take the time to round the thing).
Plopping down our spare lamp, Ayumi decided to take flight and made a quick flap of wing which inevitably kicked up a brief dust of sand as I approached the large egg that was, I realized, puffing out a constant stream of dark fog from its tip like a chimney; even so I wasn’t going to stop, the lack of warning form the Tsukumogami provided more than enough incentive to proceed and once my fingers lightly rubbed the surface of the shell, my skin pulled out a sticky membranes that stuck like glue upon my skin.
However, our short companion was right in his brief information; that egg was soft to the touch, it’d be easy to pull apart and with the clock ticking, me and Ayumi simply shared a glance before proceeding; one of us ought to tear it apart while the other keep a look out…
>Do it myself, with Ayumi watching from above ready to unleash her Ofuda, I’ve got nothing to fear.
>Ayumi should do it, I’ve gotten a little confident in my aim and… if there’s anything hostile in there, I’ve got a tactical flexibility that isn’t available with the overwhelming spell inside that talisman.
225754 No.6514
>>6513
>Do it myself, with Ayumi watching from above ready to unleash her Ofuda, I’ve got nothing to fear.
Wait, wasn't the vengeance spirit also summoned to give Hilde and Akira a third person in their team?
f80ec9 No.6515
>>6514
Yes, but it happened when you didn't see it. Maegan isn't a mage, so she couldn't feel it
f80ec9 No.6516
The clashes of battles was an increasingly worrying concert of swings, grunts, screams and other sounds that combined together in a melting pot of pure, unmitigated stress; enough to send more than a few trembling throughout my body as I imagined Akira and Hildegarde being overpowered by that titan of an abomination; my gaze drifted upward and met with the brilliant eyes of the she-crow whose projection of golden-red coming out of her brilliant veins worked wonder to increase the mystic of her fabulous wings.
The Ofuda pinched between her fingers glowered lightly and that’s when I set to work; our friends bought us this precious opportunity, it wouldn’t do to squander it…
With no choice but to use both of my hands, I quickly holstered the pistol and plunged my arms into the egg, immediately eliciting a disgusting slimy, humid squeak followed by a few snapping as I struggled with the constraints wielding it together, the dark smoky ‘’skin’’ momentarily sliding off, I hand to shift my fingers in an awkward claw position to get as much of a damaging grab as possible; I wasn’t about to be subtle here, the girls were fighting and I tried my best to ignore it, or lese I’d get carried away in worry.
‘’What in the world?’’
A particularly loud banging resonated into what felt like the entire room but I didn’t bother to look anywhere else; I was to leave that worry for Ayumi. As I kept pulling, the disgusting wet skin of semi-slime had already ruined what remained of my clothing but I began to make serious headway as my hands felt up something solid while the dark smog continuously wafted away from the broken egg center.
‘’There’s something there!’’
I screamed out despite myself, moving a little further into the large cocoon, clawing, shoving, throwing… I lost all pretence of grace as I breathlessly set to the task of removing this damnable slime and as the blind battle continued, I finally managed to do it!
I managed to extract an arm; it was small and pale, but an arm it was nonetheless, coming out of the seemingly endless flesh cocoon; I didn’t’ have any time to waste, my heart began to thump a storm in my chest… however, extracting her might not be so easy.
>Should I claw around the arm to get as much of her body out?
>Grab said arm and pull as hard as I can?
>[Free]
f80ec9 No.6517
Hm, guess today is a bad day.
2bc61a No.6518
>>6516
>>Should I claw around the arm to get as much of her body out?
Let's try this.
5a10b9 No.6519
>>6516
>Should I claw around the arm to get as much of her body out?
The gunk will probably cling to her body and make extraction difficult.
f80ec9 No.6521
With time in increasing short amount I immediately set out with my first idea and clawed at the biological material keeping the arm trapped within. With only a spare glance to spare toward Ayumi, I could see the Tengu looking around with clear worry on her face as the Ofuda glowered, ready to be unleashed at a moment notice.
The material around the arm yielded much more easily to my gummy onslaught and soon, I was surrounding by a new eruption of squeaky sounds while the battle seemed to enter its first calm lull while I pawed around the body… and soon managed to find something of an hollow cocoon inside the egg that must have been used as its inner core, for what I found inside… left me appalled.
A body plopped down after my feverish digging, as if cut down of its supports. It was the same girl from my fever dream, laid into a tiny lake of darkened juices that colored her fair, peachy skin into many spots of darks. Her hair of brilliant gold was glued together by the gunk while hints of a single wing was barely perceptible in the dark semi-solid liquid that was also sticking to most of her lower body, preventing it from moving. Of course, she was completely naked
There was something entering her mouth that I quickly extorted, a dark elongated, nearly serpentine ‘’thing’’ writhed under my gooey palms which elicited a small sign of struggle out the angelic girl as it slide out of her mouth accompanying by a brief surge of gastric juices; I wasn’t about to be grossed out now. More tendrils stuck to the girl body and as I made my way closer, I pawed them off, causing each of them to slither back into the main cocoon I was inevitably stepping into, wrapping my arm around her terribly dirty shoulder, I managed to extract her sole remaining wing whose feathers had lost all the brilliances I saw in my dream; I began to work in pulling her out after finally liberating her upper body…
‘’Maegan! Maegan!’’
Above me I heard a scream but I didn’t turn toward Ayumi because I heard a sound that didn’t belong to the battle behind me; in my position, I could only watch in horror as –something- came out inside the large space of this broken mess of a slimy ocean.
A spectre of bluish dark hovered, its mass half concealed by the genetic material surrounding me; there wasn’t much of a face or identifiable details aside from its humanoid shape, it was impossible to tell that it was even looking at me, it’s increasingly encroaching movement toward my person however, was enough to tell me about its nefariousness; the smoke surrounding its body seemed to mingle with the smog of the egg without problem and its silhouette began to ‘’puff’’ as it conquered the centimeters to touch me…
Ayumi obviously couldn’t fire her spell for risk of cooking me and the angel alive.
>Insist that she use the Ofuda, you’ll manage to live through this… somehow.
>Pull out your gun and fire, nothing else to do!
>Forcefully extract the small angel and beat it as fast as you can. This is going to get messy, but flight might be the best option; after all, that look like a bodiless wraith
>[Free]
5a10b9 No.6522
>>6521
>Pull out your gun and fire, nothing else to do
Could ayumi come down and free the angel the rest of the way, or is Maegan already too inside of the egg for an easy switch of position?
Also, could someone stay alive inside of the storage cube we have?
It might be easier to just put the entire egg, angel and all, into the cube and run if we can.
f80ec9 No.6523
>>6522
>Could ayumi come down and free the angel the rest of the way, or is Maegan already too inside of the egg for an easy switch of position?
You've said it yourself, Maegan is too deep inside to be puleld out by Ayumi. She'll get stuck in.
>Also, could someone stay alive inside of the storage cube we have?
No. No such thing as space magic here.
2bc61a No.6524
>>6521
>>Forcefully extract the small angel and beat it as fast as you can. This is going to get messy, but flight might be the best option; after all, that look like a bodiless wraith
Run away!
f80ec9 No.6525
>>6524
>>6522
Perhaps it'd be wiser for me to wait for a final descision.
f80ec9 No.6526
I guess if there's nothing by tomorrow, I'll make a roll. I don't mind the slow road, we'll be finishing this thread this week for sure.
0da5d4 No.6527
>>6526
The monster is in the egg with us; how far is it from Maegan?
And this egg was what was producing the miasma; would it fit inside the storage cube?
f80ec9 No.6528
>>6527
>The monster is in the egg with us; how far is it from Maegan?
About a meter
>And this egg was what was producing the miasma; would it fit inside the storage cube?
The egg is 2 meter tall for 3 in width. That's completely impossible.
bd30ef No.6529
>>6528
What about a part of it? Is there any way to limit what is captured and/or does it auto-limit itself? If we could suddenly cut out a good chunk of this shit using the device things would get a lot easier so long as it could discriminate corruption from organic matter in a way.
If we could just capture a big chunk of the corruption while not capturing the living matter (i.e. tearing ourselves apart with the cocoon as well) both we and the angel possess in doing so, then we could significantly reduce the amount of work needed to free both ourselves and our angel target. Is this even feasible?
f80ec9 No.6530
>>6529
>What about a part of it?
You could tear out a piece and jam it inside the cube, since there isn't any obvious organs or sign of what make the smoke; it's simply wafting from the egg itself.
>If we could just capture a big chunk of the corruption while not capturing the living matter (i.e. tearing ourselves apart with the cocoon as well) both we and the angel possess in doing so, then we could significantly reduce the amount of work needed to free both ourselves and our angel target. Is this even feasible?
No; think of the angel as being stuck into waist high glue and you've jumped beside her to get her out of that mess; Maegan is stuck in a big, sticky mess that isn'T easy to get out of.
bd30ef No.6531
>>6530
So… we could shovel shit into it and be done with it? Maybe feed a tendril or two into what I hope is a kind of toilet and let it take care of the rest as if it was a roll of toilet paper (i.e. let it eat it up like Pac-Man or do what's expected if you stick an end of a TP roll into a flushing toilet)? Inquiring minds want to know.
f80ec9 No.6532
>>6531
>So… we could shovel shit into it and be done with it?
Well, yeah. The cube is an isolator, put something in it and nothing can affect it, nor can it affect anything else until it's open again.
It's a simple, effective item to recover potentially toxic things.
bd30ef No.6533
>>6532
Then we shovel as much as we can as fast as we can before the entity we're faced with does anything drastic. Leverage that device as hard as we can!
Put it all away, let the scientists deal with it later in a place where BS has little chance of causing a bad incident. We have a mutilated angel to save now and we've already set her on the path to being overly optimistic.
Tis why Ame fell for her most likely, such people are a rare occurrence indeed. One ought cherish them.
f80ec9 No.6534
>>6533
So you want to shove slimes into the cube while running away from the wraith?
0da5d4 No.6535
I don't see how that's possible since we still need to use two hands for getting the angel out of the waist-high goop she's still trapped in, and you said the consistency is of a glue.
f80ec9 No.6536
>>6535
It's always possible to scoop up some remnant stuck on Maegan and the angel.
0da5d4 No.6537
Remaining gunk that's still stuck to Maegan and the angel are one thing, but that's not what's being suggested.
He >>6533 is saying to shovel stuff into a cube even as the monster is a meter away from us and both Maegan and the angel are waist-deep in movement restricting goop.
Does the cube simply suck in things? Because you've made it sound as if the slime will need to be shoveled into the cube, which means we'd be doing that while the monster approaches.
0da5d4 No.6538
>shove slimes into the cube while running away from the wraith?
Secondly, the angel is still unconscious, so even assuming we get her and Maegan out of the muck of the egg, how are we going to manipulate the cube and put the organic goop into it, while running away and carrying the angel?
f80ec9 No.6539
>>6537
>>6538
Both were fair points I didn't press upon because… well it would have been a major slip up that would result in an inevitable bad situation.
Think of that as you will. I can't really say what is a bad ieda or not myself
0da5d4 No.6540
So, if things are still tied tomorrow, are you going to include the obviously bad idea into the mix when you roll to determine what to do?
f80ec9 No.6541
>>6540
Given that's its been exposed, nope.
I try to grab any traps I can
f80ec9 No.6542
| Rolled 2 (1d2) |
Not too sure if I'll be able to continue, I'm going to make the roll regardless.
1. = Fire the shot
2.=Try to leave to the best of your ability.
a97c95 No.6543
>>6542
Dammit.
We're not going to be able to move much considering that both Maegan and the angel are waist-deep in the organic gunk.
>>6524
This is going to be all your fault.
a97c95 No.6544
>>6542
How badly is this going to screw us up?
It's not the worst option but it's still an obviously bad one.
f80ec9 No.6545
>>6544
>>6543
The shot might not work, leaving you in just as bad a spot as well; the few seconds of difference here are going to be a big deal.
Just wait for the update.
a97c95 No.6546
>>6545
I'm still preparing for the worst.
f80ec9 No.6548
Probably going to keep today short as well, twice now that I slept for only three hours and it's showing.
0da5d4 No.6551
Have you gotten over your insomnia?
f80ec9 No.6552
>>6551
I'd like to believe so, finally. I'm making up for lost time and planning to continue tomorrow, at least if my health doesn't tank again.
f80ec9 No.6555
A natural first reaction when faced with unknown dangers is flight and that’s what I nearly did after the brief glance I needed to understand the fact this creature was far from friendly. Having appeared directly behind me also cut off my escape route; my brief panic, thankfully, ended when I collided with the unconscious body of the angel half-extracted from that sticky mess of glue and thereon, sound judgement prevailed once again; perhaps I could turn around and shoot the damnable thing… but a quick reminder of my study and the simple fact it was hovering unhindered while simultaneously taking an agonizing time to inches a few centimeters was enough clues to reveal this foe to be a malign ghost of some kind, which are largely immune to any kind of physical traumas.
I wasn’t about to waste time taking a fruitless shots when I still had to pull out the girl from this tar; half of her lower body needed to be clawed out and thus I set to work, knowing full well I had less than a minute to complete while potentially running into a dead end of sticky goop. My hands already half-covered by the mess tore at what remained of the slime as I created an increasingly bigger hole, the consistency of the material around the stuck girl reminded me more and more of raw meat.
‘’Maegan! Hurry!’’
Above, Ayumi voice carried obvious hint of panics and I scarcely took the time to take a backward glance because I could feel the presence of that foe behind me. A cold gust unnatural to the warm temperature of the arena wafted to my back alongside a hint of a moan that felt halfway between a canine growl and a man in pain. With my nerves pushed to the brink, my mind momentarily went back toward a form of solace as I feverishly worked to extract the remainders of the angel legs.
Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto had been a teacher before being a lover and made an important point for me to study the various spirits of the worlds since dealing with these creatures is sort of a speciality of hers; with one peculiar lecture coming back to mind…
«Listen, it’s entirely possible that you’ll have to confront a rogue spirit if you are so adamant on sticking with me since I tend to attract them like… like a lamp in the night of summer; they don’t act all different from the moths that keep buzzing around.
They don’t see or recognize the world like we do, instead possessing something of a vision of souls that has a serious problem to identify basic geometry, what they see is your soul alongside your body heat and that’s what they want as they need both as a source of food to sustain themselves. If you can spot them and aren’t backed into a corner they won’t be too dangerous since they –are- rather slow but don’t go pulling any heroics; you need magic to harm them and even then, it only works to drive them away temporarily as they continue haunting whatever place they’ve taken a fancy to. Now, our castle has a few full times exorcists so don’t try anything rash, alright? Oh, also these rogues’ spirits I’m talking about are very different from actual ghosts possessing personalities of their own; there’s also another class of phantoms stuck in a sort of between limbo but out of all entities, there’s only one of them that is a truly unprovoked danger…»
As I looked back, the levitating smokes of darkened blue was leaving a trail of fragile ice into the glue I clawed out, barring my path of escape as I finally managed to pull out the angel. Her body was attached to the ooze by several membranes that took an active twist to pull apart and break while the oil-like substance stuck to her naked body from head to toe, nearly concealing her brilliant blond hair and the equally pure wing – her body was thin and fragile- and pulling her only arm around my shoulder made me wonder if I was breaking her, but then with the sounds of battles and the phantoms encroaching, blocking my only way of escape… I had to make a decision, fast.
>Rush forward on my own; being subjected to the rogue spirit hunger shouldn’t’ be lethal, with some luck Ayumi could be able to pull the girl out of her predicament. I… know I can manage on my own.
>The second set of wall shouldn’t be any thicker than the last, by stepping into the nexus of the egg and clawing for some exit I should be able to make it out… although carrying the angel as well is going to be a very risky endeavor, the corruptions seem to be slowing down that enemy.
>Insist that Ayumi use the Ofuda now that I’ve freed our angelic objective; I’ll take cover with her… if I’m wrong with this we’ll both cook alive.
>Free
0da5d4 No.6556
>>6555
>Free
Create a second exit on a different wall, yell at Ayumi to help create the second exit and help carry out the angel.
f80ec9 No.6557
‘’Ayumi!’’
I gazed upward at the flying crow whose hand glowered by the magical strength of the Ofuda; our eyes locked for the briefest moment but I saw resolve sharpen her features and that’s when I realized I had to make myself clear, fast.
‘’The wall! Help me make one!’’
Her brief incomprehension lasted only the time it took for her to fly her wings and soar aground, landing directly to the right; form her perch, she was obviously the best judge as to which part of the walls was the thickest.
‘’Let’s go! If you need me to cast, just say so!’’
Just dig!
Her voice had a distinctive edge of bubbling emotions as I cast a few more glance toward the slowly encroaching ghost making a trail of ice into the corrupted fluids all around its body; I had to make a serious effort while moving the unmoving, dirtied angel as squeaky sounds of wet tearing emerged from the wall whilst the echoes of battles seemingly interrupted themselves here and there, becoming a vague struggle that gave an increasing impression of distance… although I didn’t linger – I set to create a path with a surge of adrenaline from the fear of that damnable ghost behind me.
‘’Just a little more, Maegan! This guy is dangerous it’s a rogue-AAH”
‘’Ayumi!?’’
There was a terrible sound coming from her side of the wall of glue. A swift whooshing of wind. A disgusting tearing of meat that carried enough momentum to bend the goop my way as –something- traveled the length of the slime wall.
‘’Ayumi! You…STOP RUNNING!’’
This time I heard the distinctive voice of her twin sister in a growl of barely controlled fury; with my hands elbows deep in dark glue I couldn’t see anything but the sounds were telling; an inhuman shrieks and thick thinks of combats resumed in earnest, barely out of reach by an increasingly thin wall.
‘’Maegan, hold on! I’m here! I’ll remove what remains of the barrier!’’
Hildegarde spoke and I could –feel- the heat of her body even through the membrane keeping us apart. However, behind me I notice the ghost whose travel had finished near the angel, now hovering right above her; tiny tendrils of smoke wafted away from its humanoid body to penetrate the girl nostrils and mouth, provoking a voice of complaints to erupt from her previously unconscious mouth, the goop around the angel slowly growing cold…
>Dammit everything is falling apart!
>Pull out my gun and shoot the ghost; I don’t know if the Tsukumogami can do anything but I can’t just… sit there!
>Tackle the ghost, interrupted its feeding; I’m a much better bait
>Free
0da5d4 No.6558
>>6557
The Tsukumogami's attacks are purely physical?
It's shots have no sense of magic to them?
f80ec9 No.6559
>>6558
Yes to both.
As far as you know
Also seem like we've only got you as a player now, I can't really blame the absence given my terrible health. I do plan to continue for a little more tough.
0da5d4 No.6560
>>6559
Is it possible to combine firing the Tsukumogami and getting between the ghost and the angel?
Ame's lecture did say that heat also draws the attention of rogue spirits.
Or does that only mean body heat from a living being with a soul?
f80ec9 No.6561
>>6560
>Is it possible to combine firing the Tsukumogami and getting between the ghost and the angel?
Yes
>Or does that only mean body heat from a living being with a soul?
Ghost like the one you are facing are inherently drawn to life, but sudden heat does work to throw them off guard.
0da5d4 No.6562
>>6561
Okay.
>>6557
>Free
Fire the Tsukumogami at the ghost while getting between it and the angel.
Either the fire and shooting it with a piece of metal propelled by another spirit will be enough to disorient it so that Hilde can finish opening up the other wall, or we become the bait and hopefully Ayumi or Akira can get us out before we're completely eaten.
What has Ame taught Maegan about being fed upon by a rogue spirit? How much will it hurt and will it make her unable to move?
f80ec9 No.6563
>>6562
>What has Ame taught Maegan about being fed upon by a rogue spirit?
Nothing, she instructed her to run.
>How much will it hurt and will it make her unable to move?
Better grit those teeth
Unless other players show up, I might end it there already and pick up the thread again tomorrow.
f80ec9 No.6564
I'm thinking of restarting during the day, since it's about the only time I get some energy. Seem like I'll have to completely readjust my quest schedule. Sorry for this inconvenience good folks.
bd30ef No.6565
>>6564
By "during the day" what do you mean by that? Remember, most people don't actually get in front of a computer screen until around 5-6 if they aren't a NEET and this site is harder to use on cell phones. RL's a bitch unfortunately, can't ignore it.
0da5d4 No.6566
>>6564
If that's what you need to do, then there's really no choice. Since you've got that problem with insomnia, doing the quest during the day will be better for your health overall.
f80ec9 No.6567
>>6565
I know but I can only function through naps for some reason, so I really don't know what to do; I can't have an active quest if I stick around for 3 hours each update.
>>6566
I'll give it a try, can't harm me more.
f80ec9 No.6570
Now wasn’t the time to hesitate as the battle was joined closer than I could have ever anticipated. The constant shrieks of what I could only guess as the Hunter felt like the screams of a berserk beast, easily dwarfing whatever sounds that could resound from the struggle of our warriors duo; did something happen to Ayumi as she tried to claw out the other set of wall? I didn’t know and I couldn’t afford to care, for the ghost was about to kill our angelic charge, those tendrils seemed to jerk which caused a whine of pain from the blond…
I heard a faint whispery wind from the Tsukumogami as I surged forward, bringing the pistol to bear and pressing on the trigger despite my gummy fingers; the banging that followed was yet another echo in the fight. The bullet surged and penetrated the body of fog, leaving a visible indentation in the otherwise uniform silhouette that unfortunately didn’t budge from the force, leaving me with only the worst case scenarios to implement.
I only had a scarce few seconds to feel some regrets over disregarding the warnings of my queen; when my feet carried me closer to that homicidal entity there was something of a pause in its movement, the tendrils that had snuck inside the nostrils and the mouth of the angel retreated in some imitation of defense… once we collided, there wasn’t much to see anymore as I –felt- a distinctive drop in temperature once I entered its space, the slime coating the ground making it painfully slow.
My instincts screamed that this was a horrible idea but to allow the alternative of allowing this angelic charge an untimely death is more than worth its share of agony; I felt a cold spread into my limb as a state of semi-lethargy forced me to stop moving and simultaneously lose my balance; strength simply left my limbs and I crashed onto the slimy soil in a distinctive squeak.
Like some force traveling my bloodstream, cold enveloped my body in a slow deliberate spread, starting from the middle of my spike to grows like an active infection everywhere; soon I felt my jaw clacks, my shoulders shivers despite the resistance of the dark slime even my eyelid felt heavy, all of my energy having been sucked right out whilst the silhouette of fume hovered above me; I could feel my heart quicken, see the tendrils slip into my nostrils and mouths unable to put up any kind of resistance.
The face of my queen briefly flickered in my mind, a smilling, carefree dark haired Kumiho whose ears were just as fluffy as mine…
f80ec9 No.6571
«I’m a prey»
It was a thought that would have sent me into uncontrollable panic were I able to move an inch, a sensation of utter paralysis was leaving me completely helpless, only able to gaze here and there with my eyes, barely able to muster the strength to keep a grip on my beloved pistol. When I caught a quiet projection of something gilded, I craned my neck to gaze at the charge I wanted to save… and witnessed a pair of sapphires colored eyes that were previous closed in comatose sleep, the top of her head showing a circle of glowering gold that adorned her similarly colored hair beautifully.
I don’t know how much time passed; the battle, the scream, a few flash of blues… my mind felt addled and crippled in the cold.
A strident hiss suddenly erupted toward the exit I was trying to create, which also gave this spirit predator its first real pause; the tendrils keeping me paralyzed retracted like an animal freezing in fear and barely resisting the urge to leap back. I could –feel- a wave of heat touch my body coming from the opened path as if someone opened a door concealing a raging inferno. I took a glimpse there, trying to make senses of what was happening and caught of a glimpse of a comrade that look beyond otherworldly.
Hildegarde had finally came through her promise, having torn through the outer wall of the giant egg-like shell, she wasn’t anything like the elegant but quiet maid of alabaster I had come to appreciate during this trial of a journey. The dirty clothe and armor that previously adorned her silhouette was completely gone; leaving her perceptibly naked yet still concealed for a light of incredible bright white emerged from the middle of her chest, glowering with such intensity to force my face in a frown and filled my eyes with brief tears as I could only compare it to the sun itself. There was also heat, enough to make the slime near her body boils and bubbles, cooking by her mere presence, the organic material keeping what remained of the egg whole sizzling whilst what she –did- touch seemed to evaporate to the naked eye. Naked yet still full of overwhelming elegance; the coolness of my heart disappeared as the shade took what could be compared to a backward step as it wafted away from this… maiden, this angel of warmth; I could see her gazes, her face closed that wasn’t so empty of emotion if one simply looked, for she was glaring at the foe that did something so sourly to me.
Her arrival was timely indeed; the entity didn’t wait, it simply fled like the carrion it was.
‘’Ah… Hild’’
Strength didn’t come back to my limbs but I still tried to move, my greatest fear what that my grip lessened enough to let the pistol slip from my hand but, thankfully that didn’t happen for I heard a soothing song of steel as I moved my hand to point at the awakened angel; which also resulted in pointing my gun straight at her.
‘’Girl, can you move?’’
Her voice was without the edge of warmth that always belonged in her tone, she simply casted a brief glance my way and toward the angel who didn’t seem to fare any better than I was, squirming herself free of the glue while her wing moved to protect what remained of her modesty.
‘’Good enough, bring her out of this mess, I can’t help you’’
Then the warrior maid made a half turn…
>’’Wait! Please, stop that overcharge and help us, Hild… we… I can’t move’’ [Please… You've worn yourself too much already!]
>’’Can you…help me?’’[She looks so weak… but I can’t move my legs, I can’t depend on my own strength anymore]
>Free
bd30ef No.6572
>>6571
Did they get that damned hunter?
f80ec9 No.6573
>>6572
Not yet, the fight is still raging and by the look of things, Ayumi burned one of the Ofuda.
bd30ef No.6574
>>6573
Dang, how close do we think she is to truly hurting herself with the overcharge? She did say that after a certain point she'd start cooking her internal systems. How long does it take to vent the excess heat so that overcharge becomes safe again?
f80ec9 No.6575
>>6574
>Dang, how close do we think she is to truly hurting herself with the overcharge?
She's a good 5 meters away and yo ucan feel some serious heat already, the (corrupted) goop is boilling by merely standing close to her now. Aside form that, Hildegarde look fine enough, but there's no way to be truly certain.
>How long does it take to vent the excess heat so that overcharge becomes safe again?
A good while, easily 10+ minutes unless she decide to vent it through some offensive means, which can also damage her internal system.
bd30ef No.6576
>>6575
Is it possible to drag ourselves out of this with just our arms? What's our gun have to say about Hilde's condition, the fight going on around us, and if it thinks the angel is strong enough to help us out without being too much of a hindrance?
f80ec9 No.6577
>>6576
>Is it possible to drag ourselves out of this with just our arms?
No
>What's our gun have to say about Hilde's condition, the fight going on around us, and if it thinks the angel is strong enough to help us out without being too much of a hindrance?
The Tsukumogami can't give a straight answer to those questions because it simply doesn't know.
f80ec9 No.6578
Let's hope my recovery isn't a fluke, I'll still lurk and be here tomorrow to continue the thread. For now, I'll wait for more suggestions.
0da5d4 No.6579
>>6571
>Free
Tell Hilde to finish off the Hunter as quickly as she can. Also yell at Ayumi and Akira to use up the remaining ofuda to kill that thing.
She needs to finish it off in order to free the Wolf, and so that she can stop overcharging and venting her heat.
She can't help us right now because to get close to us is to burn us. And with the rogue spirit scared off, we have time to get Maegan and the angel out of here.
f80ec9 No.6580
>>6579
So, use the shoulder of the angel to walk back while the girls focus o nthe foe? (Possibly missing all the fun, how sad)
f80ec9 No.6581
As I try to move my sluggish body my eyes and the invasive red optics of the artificial woman meet for a scant few seconds and I feel nearly compelled to call out for her despite the futility; instead, I bite down the compulsion by summoning a few reserves of my strength to give my precious amulet a squeeze and with that, the maid turn around and exit swiftly, breaking into a run that see her out of this mess in barely a second.
‘’W-we have to…’’
Trying to talk through a frigid, clacking jaw isn’t easy, I couldn’t even finish my sentence as I nearly bit my tongue; thankfully the message must have come across for the smaller girl began to worm herself out of the sludge, unlike me she still seem energetic for she struggled to free herself of the mess that kept sticking her to the ground; meanwhile the sound became worrying indeed for I heard a shock of metal that shouldn’t’ belong in this place… I tried my best to mentally block this chaos; alongside the fact the holy girl was completely naked.
‘’It’s alright, I’m a lot tougher than I look’’
Finally she talked; her voice was as smooth to the ears as her appearance was a balm to the soul. Our way forward light up by the halo above her head, I noticed that she effortlessly wrapped my arm around her shoulders while covering my back with that slug covered wing, making a slow but steady progress through the slime as she didn’t even break a sigh of effort.
‘’It was rash to bait that specter like that… although the fact you are still conscious might just be everyone else saving grace’’
‘’Wha…?’’
I couldn’t speak clearly, my shoulders kept shaking, as did my jaw while the sheer lethargy that had invaded my body made the effort of putting one foot next to the other draining, as was that constant grip on my pistol whose quiet song of steel offered some solace with the backdrop of battle, my dread as to what was happening out there was only increasing by the seconds.
‘’We don’t have times for me to explain anything to you, suffice to say that trying to break the Hunter physical shell or slashing at its soul piecemeal is a fruitless endeavor, it’s already adapting to whatever it is that your friends are trying to do; the fact they aren’t dead yet make them exceptionally good, but I doubt they’ll last five more minutes. No, you hold the key, just don’t hesitate anymore; you’re the type to get yourself killed for a stranger, right?’’
‘’Y-you…’’
I couldn’t say the next word but she understood well enough for the girl let out a soft giggle that warmed my heart; we both tried to fool one another’s and sacrifice ourselves for the sake of someone we didn’t know; if I could help my friend there’s no way I’m going to hesitate, even if I can’t stand on my own anymore.
‘’You’ll need to employ a Word of Power; that pretty lady trapped inside the Hunter told me everything I needed to know, but there’s something I have to ask… you know about her aspect right? I don’t, but I suspect it’ll make more sense to you’’
I nodded my head soundlessly, trying my best to keep shivering or falling asleep. The wolf of the Sun Saturmae is most likely one of the oldest common ancestors of Zipangu and the only one elevated to proper godhood, with the Sun as symbol and the portfolio of family, community, ambition and fertility.
Not a resume you’d expect for smiting horrors, but it is this drive for civilisation that became the bedrock of her defenses of humanity and humanoid monsters alike against the Onis of old… although that’s a story for another time; now isn’t the time to forget my place.
‘’Think of the better aspects and summarize it in a single word; I’ll do the rest’’
As the battle continued, my ears flattened atop my head upon hearing a worrisome crash followed by a screaming gurgle that would have sent me in a run if I were in any condition to do so
The answer felt almost natural…
>’’Empathy.’’ [Saturmae is a goddess of empathy above all, extending into all of Zipangu; everyone she sees is her family]
>’’Sacrifice.’’ [Her love is all encompassing but above all, she know the meaning of sacrifice; what it take to keep your treasured one safe, to avoid needless slaughter… or the mistake of dying without gains]
>[Free. If it’s a good suggestion, it’ll be there]
bd30ef No.6582
>>6581
>Empathy
If nobody else has a better idea, this option would be most in character for our little wolf. She's sure been acting the part.
0da5d4 No.6583
>>6581
>’’Empathy.’’ [Saturmae is a goddess of empathy above all, extending into all of Zipangu; everyone she sees is her family]
bd30ef No.6584
>>6581
Me again, what other words of power could we use INH? I mean, I could get all sappy and suggest things like love, truth, happiness, and other such "trite" things that may have occurred to our wolf to use.
What are the odds here? Knowing you, they're pretty slim if we want to have our cake and eat it too, but it can't hurt to probe ya a bit.
f80ec9 No.6585
>>6584
First, remember Saturmae portfolio as stated here>>5897
The Words of Powers are rather all encompassing; you take a literal meaning of that word, wrapped by the capability of the host (in this case, Saturmae).
I will not go in depth about them now because you don't ahve the time to know them IC, just that thank to grandma nature you can't kill yourself by fucking up and saying the wrong thing.
So in essence yo ucould go wrath for Saturmae would be angry at people harming her family (you)…
How you spin it is very important, since Words of Power is the language of emotions.
f80ec9 No.6586
>>6585
And then I dropped my trip.
bd30ef No.6587
>>6585
Link didn't work. What's her "godly" portfolio again? Could be useful here, and our wolf seems to "get it" on an instinctual level.. Please forgive my ignorance but I feel that we may be missing something that ought be obvious in some form.
f80ec9 No.6588
>>6587
Alongside being seen as the living sun of Zipangu, people prayed to Saturmae on matters related to family, community, ambition and fertility.
bd30ef No.6589
>>6588
So "empathy" again. Whelp… wolf girl kinda still lived up to that. So pure and wonderful, a true hopeless idealist. I do hope it works out well for her, for I can list a whole long list of people who were idealistic that didn't get what they desired…
Hope she's right. I would love to see her selflessness rewarded somehow without the harsh pains that often go with reality…
f80ec9 No.6590
>>6589
Look like I've got my choice. I'll try to be here tomorrow, if not, then Saturday will do.
f80ec9 No.6592
‘’I-I…its empathy’’
An easy answer; the Sun of Zipangu isn’t something to be so easily summarized but the myths of her life, struggles and sacrifices (alongside the fact she didn’t hesitate to save me despite getting trapped with the Hunter) convinced that she’s a person of immense radiance.
‘’Yes, I believe so too’’
The angel whispered beside, having some struggle with supported me with a single hand; the sludge was thankfully lessening as we stepped into the area previously occupied by Hildegarde, the marks of the extreme heat dissipated by the woman of alabaster felt like treading a giant set of dry scars, removing form the constant resistance and impediment of the goo whilst the battle raged on; the opening was small but I could still witness some movements, even a few sparks after the collision of weapons as the fog wafted out.
‘’H-how…?’’
…can we kill this damnable creature?
‘’Let’s get out of here first, alright?’’
That was the moment I noticed an oddity coming from my companion; her skin (despite being heavily dirtied by the oil-like substance) was struck by a brilliant highlight of gold as her veins were light up by the brilliant magical substance; unlike the rather arbitrary spread I’ve come to identify Focus with, hers seemed to circle her limbs almost like some kind of tribal symbol… But I wasn’t in any state to ask questions, for she helped me through the opening of the egg to be dumbstruck by the valiant defenses of my duo of warrior friend.
With the fog as omnipresent as ever the area of engagement was still tiny and dangerous, with the white sand forming its own little arena from which the light of three lamps kept the darkness at bay; the smoke had grown much thicker, my eyes almost spotted something akin to tendrils trying to make its way in the circle of lights while the girls kept vigil; I immediately noticed that one of our group was lying on the ground gorging the white sand in blood.
Ayumi hands were holding the right side of her belly where blood had spread live a wave of ink across her clothes, barely contained by her drenched fingers as she managed to somewhat stench the flow by pressing remnant of clothes onto the wound, hiding it. With wings folded over her shoulders, her sitting form looked both forlorn and vulnerable. If I was in any better conditions, I would have likely leapt to help her.
Her twin sister was flying a little distance above, her equally majestic wings flapping a slow, methodic movements, carrying its will of movement to keep her afloat while the newly acquired weapon in her hand glowered magnificently; the staff of blue metal revealed its blade, transforming into a glaive of gilded edge; it gave an impression of possessing no mass at all, as if the light of that freshly made weapon was simply just that – a luminous manifestation not unlike that of our lamps, simply much more focused.
And finally there was the heat dissipated by Hildegarde glowering form; standing the furthest of the group, both of her feet were solidly planted on the sandy ground while the glower from her chest somehow grew in intensity during the short time I lost sight of her, making it almost physically painful to even gaze at her; but look I did, admiring the dutiful vigil of the maid.
‘’Alright, let’s-‘’
Before she could finish our sentence the enemy came upon us like a merciless bolt of lightning; emerging from behind us in the nest, I saw only a scarce hint of scarlet before a loud sound of collusion would have properly sent me to the floor in fright were I not tightly held by my angelic friend… and savior. For a golden cage of transparent gold appeared, locking us in a cube whilst a momentous crash nearly broke the protective screen, creative an impact of near-broken glass as the magic nearly broke against the physical mass of our foe that didn’t lose a moment to disappear again like some rogue guerilla; I only had a second to lock it in the eyes and form what I saw, it grew even more around its back and shoulders.
‘’You!?’’
The airborne warrior screamed, having landed near her sister who also gazed our way, albeit without much expressions given the wounds. This new cube of safety projected strong light of its own warding us against the emerging fog, there wasn’t any words to be exchanged anymore for I realized that all sounds seemed to have been cut, with only the small angel in this safety nest able to exchange words with me as the two warriors came a little closer together after the re-emergence of the Hunter.
‘’You’ll be safe for now and they’ll be able to handle themselves for a little while so for now, listen to me; the Word of Empathy has to resonate on your soul while finding anchor with your body.’’
f80ec9 No.6593
My eyes inevitably strayed toward the Tengu and I nearly leapt out of the reach of the angel when I saw the titan of flesh emerge on Ayumi flanks, only for her sister to run, slashing the glaive that somehow penetrated its skin like water, severing a pair of claw-like arms mid swing as the wounded crow tried her best to shield her head; the creature had emerged directly from the ground and would have likely killed my companion were her sister a second late in reaction.
‘’Here I’ll-‘’
As she was helping me sit down, another impact nearly shattered the shields again; this time the Hunter lingered and finally caught a good look of the beast; its entire body bore the brunt of damages and scars inflicted by our stalwart warriors most of the numerous arms sectioned off as if caught by a blade or torn off whilst a pair of giant bone-like scythes had erupted behind its back, nearly puncturing the thin glasses created by the angel, the girl barely flinched from the interruption; the entity was quickly set on by Hildegarde whose boiling body seemed to kindle some flames onto the skin of the foe that fled once more; its body disappearing from the very ether as it… dissipated like a puff of smoke in the air.
I did notice that much of the brilliant jewels adorning its neck were gone.
‘’… Do not lose focus’’
The tiny angel spoke, her sole wing stretching to touch the damage glass which regenerated to full strength as her single arm took hold of my wrist and gently turned my arm, and then she began to trace symbols into my skin, taking the glue coating her body as ink; it looked like a sentence, the single word of ‘’empathy’’ seemingly stretched into twenty-some letters, easily taking the entirety of my arm and even mounting up to my elbow.
‘’What does this mean?’’
‘’The most important thing for you to do now is to –not- speak this alphabet’’
‘’I don’t…’’
What I didn’t understood at first began to make senses as the alphabet I never saw before seem… as easy to understand as the two languages I’ve studied so far; even if there wasn’t any spacing in the letters separating the words, I could make out a sentence by craning my neck to properly look at the words.
«Shouldering Sacred Sun; You’re E-M-P-A-T-H-Y I Ask»
‘’How!?’’
But the blond simply smiled, offering a gentle expression to quell my rising worries. I began to feel heat caress my body, as if some kind of imaginary wind wafted across my entire skin without the barrier of armor and clothes; this quickly morphed into joy, that were I in any better condition would have me leap, dance, laugh and cry all at once; my anger, my fears, even the crippling tiredness began to dissipate while the joy stayed, tears began to stream down my face as, for a moment I felt stuck in some uncontrollable manic state, leaving me cackling as tears and laughter mixed…
‘’You resonate very well with the Word, don’t be afraid, sacred Wolf – you’ve taken the aspect of your ancestor; you are the only fit to render judgement now’’
Upon my hands were the red symbols of the Wolf of the Sun, atop my head was a glowering sphere of oranges light and I finally found the strength to raise atop my legs and keep myself steady as the uncontrollable emotions that sent my heart in a raging thumps felt… manageable; the sight of Ayumi wounded and so distressful filled with me with so much grief that I cried. Yet seeing the angel who shouldered so much for so long, whose body bore the scars of horrific abuses gave me hope, her missing wing and arm filled me with the hunger of justice as before me was a children victim of inequity.
f80ec9 No.6594
«I…what is this? My thoughts are changing…»
Yet the woman known as Maegan Fayruz, lover to queen of Zipangu Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto is no different; my freed hand went to cradle the glowing gem on my neck, the sheer mass of the soul of my grandmother was unbelievably bright and warm; yet to think that I was feeling mere fragments that wafted away from the Hunter whose presence… was the most disgusting, unredeemable ‘’emotion’’ I could ever feel; its fury wasn’t because we interrupted whatever fun it had, it’s because we put up too much of a fight; it want people to resist, but doing so competently will drive it mad in rage as it cannot toy with the living to its heart content.
It was once a little girl, finding a portal and getting lost in the catacombs; coming from the world I hailed from; cruel, so, so cruel selfish and uncaring, a child who found joy in overpowering animals to hurt them, fascinated by the scarlet of blood; there wasn’t any underlying reasoning or sad, complicated story. The Hunter was simply someone that once lived a normal life whose very nature as a human being was incompatible with the concept of civilisation that somehow stumbled upon this world… and mutated with the corruption to become the god of this floor.
«I see. We aren’t in the Sabbath; these catacombs are something else entirely»
I felt a mixture of pity and anger and as I looked through the world gilded by the shield, the creature puffed to life in front of me, wiggling its many arms, the onyx skull unchanging in expression yet the intent was one of angered gloating; my precious friend whose time was running dangerously short set out in a run whilst the sisters of good faith keep vigil on her… mortally wounded twin, Ayumi death was simply going to be slow with this wound.
With the soul of dear grandma still stuck inside tis body, I had an infallible anchor for my will; the sheer hubris of that hunter to consume souls was its undeniable undoing and even now it kept its lonely hunting ground afloat with a priestess of white praying for me; her will mirrored my own.
>The Sun is a loving mother: liberate the trapped souls that remain. [I will shepherd them back to the world of Mother Earth and Father Sky; this is going to be inevitably straining and arduous, but I think the shock will give ample opportunity for my companion to kill it]
>Incinerate all that remains of this pathetic creature now; there is no love without hatred and the Sun knows when to kill. There will be no violence, only judgement. [I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep myself from fainting for doing that… but removing the threat altogether is what I want to keep the girls safe]
>Free [If you want to try and do something else, suggest what you want. In this case you are nearly guaranteed success because your grandma is still ‘’Stuck’’ inside the Hunter and thus, transfer your will directly inside its body]
bd30ef No.6595
>>6594
How big of a shock are we talking if we free those souls and about how long will it take? We do got someone bleeding out here, but if it missed the kidney or other vital organs it'll take awhile, stomach wounds are one of the slowest and most painful ways to die.
f80ec9 No.6596
>>6595
>How big of a shock are we talking if we free those souls and about how long will it take?
You are already bordering total exhaustion because of tackling that ghost, so doing that wil lbe fairly significant; as for how long, that remains to be seen, wanwan got some guts.
0da5d4 No.6597
>>6594
We still have a healing potion, right?
Would crushing it in our mouth be a free action?
Would it be able to revitalize us?
f80ec9 No.6598
>>6597
Clever, damn you
Yes, it'll help.
f80ec9 No.6599
>>6598
And yes it count as a free action.
0da5d4 No.6600
>>6598
>>6599
What's the difference between liberating the souls and incinerating the Hunter?
Wouldn't incinerating the Hunter also liberate the souls?
Is this a question of how much strain Maegan will have to endure, or is this about sacrificing the lost souls in favor of a guaranteed kill?
f80ec9 No.6601
>>6600
Liberation doesn't kill it outright and does not inflict significant damage whereas incineration burns it inside out while potentially breaking its soul appart.
The souls are also likely to burn or flee into the depth of the catacombs, it's also much more strainign since you destroy everything that make the Hunter what it is (its soul)
0da5d4 No.6602
>>6601
The weapon that we got is supposed to be able to attack the Hunter's soul directly, right?
Also, is Akira staying with Ayumi, leaving only Hilde to engage the Hunter?
We can't just liberate the souls if no one is going to be able to destroy the Hunter's soul.
f80ec9 No.6603
>>6602
>The weapon that we got is supposed to be able to attack the Hunter's soul directly, right?
Yes, Akira has it.
>Also, is Akira staying with Ayumi, leaving only Hilde to engage the Hunter?
Indeed, Akira is highly unlikely to budge under any circumstance. The wounds on her sister make her incredibly protective.
0da5d4 No.6604
>>6603
Would Liberation also free our grandmother's soul?
And the weapon can't be transferred to Hilde partly because the weapon has a partial will of its own, correct?
Is there a way to liberate the souls then destroy the Hunter's soul?
f80ec9 No.6605
>>6604
>Would Liberation also free our grandmother's soul?
Yes
>And the weapon can't be transferred to Hilde partly because the weapon has a partial will of its own, correct?
It cannot be transferred, you are right in this the reason why is because it need a part of the wielder soul to activate, something that Hildegarde…. would find hard to do.
>Is there a way to liberate the souls then destroy the Hunter's soul?
No, one option is to cut with a scalpel, the other is to use a sledgehammer; you can't find an in-between here, because the souls are too chaotic to listen to anything.
Also, I'll be posting tomorrow given the hour; thread is also growing very, very big so next answer is likely to end it all.
0da5d4 No.6606
>>6605
Since grandma is doing the burning, would her soul be the one that will be guaranteed to survive an incineration?
And why isn't Akira getting Ayumi to pop a healing potion; they should both have some.