In your pack, you have the following provisions:
> Rations for one day of travel
> Twenty feet of sturdy rope
> One lantern, full of oil
> One flask of oil
> One ritual dagger, important for harvesting a proper Focus
> A small hammer and chisel
> A few pieces of chalk

In addition, you hold your weapon, your Ancestral Spear. Near the head of the weapon the Focus of your third spirit dangles, bound in heavy cord. The large white claw is the home of the mysterious entity which allows you to attain unnatural speeds in combat, though it refuses to speak to you.

It is a little after mid-day. Are there any other things you'd like to pick up before you go, or are you ready to set off?
---
>Previous thread: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/14975796/#14977758
>Unlike the previous thread, voters will come to a general consensus before decisions are made.

This still goin' on, or is OP five kinds of out of here?

>>15002459
Have you seen my bear Tabbers?

>>15002472
That's some kind of goddamn euphemism, isn't it?

>ausitink system
Yeah, captcha, you kind of reek.
I'm not going to play your game, anon. I'd like to play this quest, though.

[[ I'm still here. Feel free to suggest actions, folks. ]]

I'm still reading the previous thread, so while I catch up I'll ask for some quick information.

-Are we literate, illiterates in a world that knows how to write, read, etc, or part of a pre-literate civilization?
-What is our combat experience, are we a wimpy bitch or a more capable type?
-What's the lay of the land here? What resources are nearby, what COULD we pick up?
-What are the rules of ritual combat in terms of spirit harvesting - we don't want to screw this up by, say, setting fire to our victim if we're supposed to drown it and then drain it of blood or some crazy shit.

Do we know approximately how far the Rock Turtle nest is? We might need some additional rations if it's more than a day away. They also might be useful as bait.
On the other hand, I'm sure we could hunt something down if need be. It would take time away from the quest, though.

>>15002530
You are fully capable of reading and writing the language of your people. All youths brought up in the Raising House are taught to be basically self sufficient, and literacy is a part of that.

You are pretty handy with your spear, but you have very little experience in life or death combat. Your endurance for long fights is about average, and the long hours sparring with the village bullies and your master when he could find the time has taught you some basic tricks for wielding your Ancestral Spear.

The village has most of the services you would expect from a small settlement. A blacksmith's shop and the healer's tent are just down the road, and there is a small general store for travelers passing through. Your workshop is immediately behind you. You know of a patch of curative flowers known as Whint Blooms just outside of the village, but it's in the opposite direction of the mountains, near the outskirts of the forest. You have a handful of the dried herbs in your pocket.

The Feral Binding is a two-part ritual. One, runes of binding must either be placed in a circle around the arena or carved directly into the creature's flesh. Two, the creature must be killed in a manner deemed significant to it. For a rock turtle, this could vary widely, from cracking its shell with your final strike to beating it in a contest of endurance and determination. Once the creature is properly slaughtered, you use your ritual knife to carve a focus from its body and ritually imbue it. Once this is accomplished, the creature's spirit returns to the focus and enchants it.

>>15002583
>endurance, determination
>crack its shell

Here's a couple of plans, then:
1) set those runes of binding in a wide, circular pattern - five of them or something - around the lair, and lie in wait in a location above it, then push something heavy down onto the turtle. That should either crack its shell or suffocate it.

2) If the arena must be of limited or specific size, or the beast must be killed humanely in order to serve you willingly, perhaps you could lever it onto its back, climb on top of it, and kill it quickly with one strike to vitals on its underside, throat, or head. Surely a quick and potentially painless death might be significant for something with a reptile brain mainly devoted to fight or flight responses.

>>15002618
>>15002583
In the meantime, does the healer have any of those white blooms to spare? We could nip down to the healer's tent and see if the gatherer we asked the healer to send out has returned yet.

(about halfway through the first thread now, so I may be talking bullshit >.>)

>>15002647

The Whint Blooms only have a very specific flowering pattern. It's unlikely that the healer will be able to spare any. Do you want to go down to her hut to see if she has anything that might aid you, anyway?

rolled 73 = 73

Ask Amal for advice on how to deal with the RocK Turtle.

Also, in previous thread it was said that Basilisk Wyrm is still lying dead somewhere. We should go and scavenge indegrients from it.

>>15002667
If nobody else has an interest (foreveralone.jpg), sure, let's go see if she has something. It doesn't cost us anything, potentially.

After that, we might check our spear, possibly sharpen it with a whetstone or stop by the blacksmith's to see if he can give us a quick bit of help there.

>>15002692
Yeah, ask Amal for advice with the turtle on the way to the healer's tent, and consider finding a map and figuring out where the Wyrm is.

>>15002704
>>15002698
>>15002692
Seconded.
On your mark, storyteller

As you turn to trek down the road, you turn to the prism floating by your side. "Amal, what do you think the best way to go about this is? I'm not sure if my spear's going to have enough heft to take down a Rock Turtle's shell, but you know that the Feral Bind has to be a decisive blow."

The prism glows softly for a moment, pondering, before responding. "It seems to me," he says, beams of cyan light bouncing around his interior, "That you have a few options. You could always pick up a hammer at the blacksmith's, since we're heading in that direction. It will weigh you down, but if you want to split a Rock Turtle's shell you're going to need a hefty weapon. Remember, though, that older Rock Turtles develop cracks in their hides naturally with age. Erosion works just as well on turtles as it does the mountainside they spawn from. The younglings wont be as much of a danger, but if you try to take on an older Turtle it may have some pre-existing cracks that you can exploit."

You arrive at the Healer's door. Reaching forward, you rap twice against it with your knuckles. A few moments later the door swings open. Standing just beyond the threshold is the healer's assistant and your long-time friend, Elana. She smiles, immediately wrapping you in a hug.

"Hey Osy." she says, softspoken as always. "What brings you down here. Are you hurt?"

You shake your head, gently removing the smaller brunette girl from your torso. "I'm about to head off on a hunt. I was wondering if you could spare any herbs for me."

She looks at you for a moment, biting her lip. "Um... I'm not sure, Osy. You know that we're a little tight on curatives until the rainy seasons hits. I'll talk to her. Give me a minute."

She turns and walks inside, nervously wringing her hands over one another. Will you wait outside, or proceed into the Healer's hut after her?

rolled 97 = 97

Enter the tent ... unless it is seen a very impolite gesture or something.

Also, get smith hammer, just in case

Just finished reading the archive thread. I'm also seconding the above posts, the stuff here is for the update after next, storyteller, no need to focus on it just yet.

So, first off, the rock turtles, that's PLURAL, have a lair in the MOUNTAINS. We need to either not suck at climbing or have the right equipment. We might possibly trigger a landslide or some shit.

The lair of the Basilisk Wyrm Behemoth creature WAS mentioned, and urgently. Looting it has a limited shelf life, apparently, and the Rock Turtles probably aren't going to move too quickly. We might want to consider going to the lair first, except for the fact that our master died in there on some trap or some shit.

Perhaps the Rock Turtle spirit can make us tougher or protect us from poison in that fucking place? In that case, we should go kill it first.

rolled 11 = 11

>>15002812
yeah, now that you said it, we aren't actually in a hurry or anything. Rock Turtles aren't going anywhere in the nearest century.

Lets go to loot the Wyrm.
Heck, maybe we should carry the whole thing back with us by asking some able-bodied men and guys to help us.

>totemist quest
hey there you are! was looking around for you yesterday.

anyhoo I would say lets just get crackin on this turtle. the whint blooms might have been useful but they are in the opposite direction and it doesn't sound like the healer has any to spare.

first step of battle should be familiarizing ourselves with the area we're going, an advantage the rock turtle already has. finding a suitable arena would be next, one that gains us the advantage. possibly a steep hill with us on the high ground. and our spear sounds fairly powerful albeit mystically vague on what it can actually accomplish. yet i imagine it should be able to crack the rock turtles shell, which given our speed, shouldn't be too hard to flank.

welp. that's my plan, what say you other anons?

>>15002807
Enter the tent if it's polite, otherwise stay at the door. Tell the healer or her assistant that you're looking for FIRST AID kinda stuff, rather than anything they need for the FEVER mentioned in thread 1.

Be polite and unassuming to the healer. You're not the goddamn captain of this ship, the healer and other important figures in the village are your teammates at best and you're the new player on the team.

>>15002812
>>15002823

Looting the cavern of the Behemoth Basilisk Wyrm would be a dangerous endeavor. It lies in the swamp, on the far side of the wood, and its lair has no doubt been taken over by some nasty scavengers. However, to get the freshest ingredients time is most assuredly of the essence. Even if you are incapable of Feral Binding a corpse, the totems harvested from a Behemoth are always powerful spiritual aids.

>>15002846
hate to pass up on the opportunity for awesome totems and loot, but this sounds far too dangerous at our current level. unless we can quickly obtain a totem that helps us sneak around (perhaps our next endeavor) like i think was mentioned in quest1, then I think it should be altogether passed upon. maybe an alternative would be to earn enough cash/trade items/whatever this realm uses to eventually buy the items the scavengers took from there.

>>15002831
Not bad, though we've had some thoughts here that more or less agree with your plan: >>15002618

Grabbing some gear ATM.

>>15002823
The Basilisk's lair is what killed our master. Let's get some answers re: the turtle's capacities as a bound spirit to help offset that before we run off and die in a swamp full of venomous beasts and leave our blond "tomboy" sister to the attentions of the fat, paedo captain of the guard who has the nerve to call himself the Chief Slayer, belch, disrespect our former master, and spit on our totemic magic.

Caution and village politics seem to be a bit of a thing here, anon >.>

rolled 60 = 60

>>15002846
>>15002885

But can't we take some strong dudes who know how to handle their weapons with us?
We don't have to do everything alone, do we?

>>15002911
>nerve to belch
Er. Belch in our face on walking into our workshop right after we came back from master's fucking funeral

>>15002920
We should deffo take some dudes when we can, but the captain of the strong dudes thinks we're a wimpy sorcerer fag and not a real warrior.

Unless we have some childhood friends or buddies of our master on the village guard's roster, we're gonna need to impress them first, and the last thread said we'd do that by taking down a big fucking beast or something. Say, a Rock Turtle.

However, we could change our mind and go for the stealth beast instead.

Amal seemed to know what benefits specific totems provided. ASK HIM WHAT THE BOUND ROCK TURTLE SPIRIT WOULD DO FOR YOU.

You step inside, closing the door gently behind you. You can barely hear Elana in the next room, talking in a low and urgent tone to the Healer. After a few moments Elana is suddenly cut off by a much more audible voice.

"Osyki is going to what?!" the matronly voice exclaims, shortly followed by the Healer rushing out of the back room. A tall woman clad in the traditional white robes of her profession, she stops short when she sees you in the doorway, spear in hand loaded to go fight monsters.

"Osyki, don't you think that this is a touch hasty?" she asks, her voice high-pitched. A patient in one of the beds groans, and she quickly lowers her voice. "You've only just returned from your master's funeral and you're off to hunt in the mountains? Perhaps you should take a day or so to get your bearings, get a team together."

"Madam..." Elana says, appearing from the back room as well. "I believe Osy can do this. He's amazing with his spear, and he's got his spirits to aid him."

"Being good with a blade is all well and fine, but this will very likely be a life or death fight, Osyki. Are you really prepared to put your life on the line so soon after such a shock? I believe that perhaps you should hold off on this. Nobody would blame you."

>>15002968
tell her I respect her opinion but this is something that must be done sooner or later. no amount of time preparing alone can account for real world experience. my master has been training me to do this. it can be done, and I have to show myself, and the village, I can be trusted to perform my duties as a totemist...

Whether the following is true or not, we should be polite and set her at her ease.

Bow your head respectfully to the healer. Then speak, keeping your tone even.
"Madam, you are as wise as you are capable - I'll merely be doing some scouting. And I DO have the means of escape, given the speed this imbues me with." Heft spear.

"However, should I have a pratfall in the mountains or something, I really would like to have a balm or some bandages in case I scrape myself raw. There's hardly a reason to fail to be prepared."

You might throw in a meaningful glance at some smelling salts or whatever container she keeps the bandages and tourniquets in or some crap here, though that's not necessary.

>>15003007
Add, "If it turns out an opportunity arises that I'd be a fool to waste, I'd be eliminating a threat to the village."

That way you're not a fucking liar if you come back with the dead turtle's skinned face draped over your shoulder or something.

She does have a point though, maybe we should see if we've got any friends from the village that could assist us with some of the more basic stuff. It only really ever hurts to have a few extra hands when it comes to ratios but I'm sure there's plenty to scavenge

She looks at you for a long moment, then slumps her shoulders. "Very well, Osyki. You always were very serious about your work, even as a boy. Wait here."

She turns, brushing past Elana and into the back room. Elana gives you a shy smile and a thumbs up, then quickly resumes her proper posture as the Healer returns. In her hands are a jar containing a thick green salve, a roll of bandages, and a few white stones.

"Take these. It's not much, but it should bind and disinfect any cuts that you might get while scouting. Scrub the injury with the stones, smear it with the paste, then bind it tight with the bandages. It should keep you on your feet."

You bow deeply, then accept the provisions from her. "Thank you, madam." you say. "I appreciate your trust and concern. I'll be back soon, don't worry."

Despite your admonitions she gives you a long glance, then nods. She turns on her heel, quickly resuming tending to one of the ailing patients.

Elana approaches you, holding something cupped in her hands. She uncovers a single Whint Bloom, then reaches up and tucks it behind your ear. She stares at you for a moment before averting her eyes. "Good luck Osy. Come see me when you get back." She mumbles. You give her a quick smile, return her previous thumbs-up, then exit the Healer's hut as quietly as possible.

Acting on a sudden whim, you ask Amal what the Rock Turtle's spirit could do for you. He rotates in mid-air as he speaks. "Your guess is as good as mine, Osyki. Every Totem binds differently for every binder. All I can say is that it will relate to the beast you take down, and it will be beneficial. That is, unless you muck up the binding. Then it may not be so beneficial."

[[ Alright /tg/. I've got to hop in the shower and then head off to a picnic for a bit. Hopefully this will still be here when I get back. If it falls too low on the pages, feel free to archive this as Part 1. Part 2 will come later today. ]]

>>15003019
Sure, seconded, we're not running out the village gates just yet.

Can I get a second here? >>15003017
>>15003007

Namefagging so people can tell me to fuck off if I spam too much. Don't want to be a cunt >.>

EDIT: picked a more unassuming naem

>>15003035
Well, this is a more unassuming naem.
>ancient tintiar
capcha wants to know the level of available metalworking technology.

"You give her a quick smile, return her previous thumbs-up, then exit the Healer's hut as quietly as possible."

Beta

as

fuck

>>15003085
Especially considering that it's obvious SHE WANTS YOUR DICK BRO.

>>15003085
hey kamina, you're in the wrong board yo
>>>/a/ is that way

>>15003085
We'll work on that later, after we're a non-beta monster-killer rather than a fucking beta with mighty big alpha shoes to fill.
>growing sersibli
You get me, captcha.
>>15003059
I'll be here if you're here, storyteller.

rolled 18 = 18

>>15003085
we caught the hint.

It might surprise you but there are people in the world who can actually determine when someone is interested in them and not act on it.

We have serious shit to do. Business first, girls later

>>15003151
Anyone wanna do some plannan while OP goes and socializes? I was considering killing the rock turtle and sticking it's likely strength ahd endurance related focus into some armor, though that's pretty obvious.

rolled 100 = 100

>>15003163
>strength ahd endurance related focus into some armor, though that's pretty obvious.

If we can put it into a suit of (light or medium) armor, then I'm all game. We should go visit blacksmith to get a quality armor.

Also, we need to lure it into a prepared circle of runes rather than trying to write them on it.

>>15003163
YES!
Since protecting our village against behemoths is our top priority, we should slightly alter our plans for the hunt. When we perform the feral bind, we should use a rock or a shield of some sort as the focus, this way we can empower defensive structures within the village such as walls with the strength and endurance of the rock turtle. If this hunt goes well and proves profitable enough, binding more rock turtles seems like a good plan to ward off behemoths.

Also, is a map of the village up to the posters to supply?

rolled 23 = 23

I say we set Osyki on a psychical training routine too.
His strength and endurance need some shaping up.

>>15003394
seconded.
>>15003306
i agree to some extent. I think a shield would be a bad idea though, at least at the moment, as our main weapon (spear) requires two hands. also, since our main advantage is speed, as it would seem our weapons totem provides, we wouldn't want to make the focus anything that would hinder that as well. armor would be useful but in my opinion it shouldn't be anything heavier than maybe a small chain shirt. I would aim for leather tunic/jerkin but that's just my opinion.

>>15003482
>>15003394
>>15003306
>>15003270
Elegant gentlemen, nice thinkan.

I was considering pic related for helping pierce the thing's armor. Shortish handle, oblique spikes so it doesn't get stuck, fast weapon even without magical enhancement. Worth a try.

Adding the speed focus to a mace, if it'd go quickly, would potentially create the perfect weapon because of the physics of force and momentum. F=MA that rock turtle into a rubble turtle, goddamn it. There's your fucking endurance.

>physical trainan
We should see if we know some cool people among the Guards/Slayers that are old friends or deffo not paedo asshats. Sparring and training, fuck yeah.

>Also, we need to lure it into a prepared circle of runes rather than trying to write them on it.
Seconding, though yeah, mentioned it before.

The Rock Turtle lair is potentially on the side of a mountain. You could go above, below, and to the sides of this lair and carve the sigils with the proper equipment, then rig a stone-fall trap from above, baited appropriately.

Though we don't know what rock turtles eat. Possibly they eat totemists.

>shields, blacksmith, armor
We should at least check our dead master's workspace to see if he has any notes on this or was building us anything.

ALSO I wonder if we can talk to HIM. Spirits of the ancestors, etc.

>>15003482
Say you can imbue a tunic/jerkin/etc with the strength and endurance of the rock turtle and make it like a suit of armor?

Or some hides, I don't know. Something to cover the body without limiting flexibility.

>map, up to who?
Dunno, we could try and provide one. I was just looking for a text description.

Can do inventory tho...

-Weapons and magic items:
>Spear, mystery focus, speed benefit.
>Carved piece of amber, focus for Amal, knowledgeable nature spirit
>Carved piece of coal, focus for Trud, sarcastic soot imp.

-Pack:
> Rations for one day of travel
> Twenty feet of sturdy rope
> One lantern, full of oil
> One flask of oil
> One ritual dagger, important for harvesting a proper Focus
> A small hammer and chisel
> A few pieces of chalk.

-Medicinal supplies (probably in pack):
> One roll of bandages
> Several white stones (pumice?), for scrubbing wounds clean
> Jar of thick green disinfectant salve
> Whint bloom flower.

>>15003611
We could maybe use the oil and the soot imp to start a fire to help fight the rock turtle. Maybe some ring of fire to keep it inside the binding circle or perhaps pour some oil down its shell cracks and set the mofo on fire?

>>15003611
Perhaps the local blacksmith also works as a tannery, where we could pick up some leather armor for protection without a loss of maneuverability.

rolled 13 = 13

>>15003547
>I was considering pic related

It seems you have forgotten your pic, sir

>>15004227
Pic related was this one.

>>15004447
that is if the blacksmith even has one, or we could afford it.
in my opinion the hammer amal suggested should work just fine. heck we may already have one in our masters clutter somewhere. you suggested perhaps we should look through it, i second that idea.
also we already have a pretty awesome weapon that we don't even know the full potential of yet.
the stone-fall trap sounds kind of complicated and time consuming, not to mention exhausting. after we finished all that hauling and lifting we'd probably be too tired to carry out the actual battle and ceremony.
I appreciate your forethought though don't get me wrong, but i still think speed is the key, especially in this fight; the more stuff we have the more it's going to slow us down. still, that's not to say we shouldn't be prepared...

>again this is just the opinion of one; I do not deem myself an expert in catching giant turtles and the like, nor do I believe they are necessarily the best option. Just contributing to the thought process :)

>>15004713
Nah, you're not wrong.

But by stone-fall trap I basically meant
-see lair in mountainside
-climb up above it
-stick back of pear under boulder
-lever boulder down on turtle below you as it exits layer
-profit

Can't really know if its viable until we get to the lair itself and look around.

>>15004907
ah i see. that sounds reasonable if the situation allows it.

also here's a small list of criteria that i think we all agree is important.

presently:
•first and foremost defeating a rock turtle.
☑getting medical supplies
»decide on a sound strategy to defeat the rock turtle
»decide on and come prepared with the focus that will be bound: armor, a weapon, something more mundane etc.

future endeavors:
•a training regimen
•possible recruits to our cause
•better supplies
•utilize our old masters place:
-a library
-lots of useful stuff lying around
-a base of operations
•decide on what to bind next
•consider returning to the now dead behemoth our master slayed for excellent items.
•continue checking up on our sister

anything I'm forgetting?

>>15004942
Just that most quest threads don't last longer than part 3, so we'll have to wait and see if OP even comes back for this one.

>>15004942
well looks like im going out for beer and s'mores.
i'll catch up when I come back.

>>15005136
sad thing ain' it. With him taking so long, I'd hope he at least got laid or 'somfin to be worth making us wait.

Op, this is an awesome quest but you should try to give us a better idea of when the next part is going to start. I looked for it thursday and friday night and now I'm going to be waiting for you to come back tonight.

also- bump

[[ Hey folk, I return. Sorry for the wait. Can I get a general consensus of what people would like to do now? ]]

We should stop by the smith and get a hammer. Then we should go as I'm pretty sure it would be hard to be more reasonably prepared.

rolled 21 = 21

Get some people to come with us so that we can get those basilisk remains

>>15006397
Nah, that'd be dangerous and would likely get at least some of those people killed. It's our job to protect the village, we can do that well enough without the basilisk remains.

A short walk brings you to the door of the blacksmith, laden with heavy metal reinforcement. The sounds of metal on metal ring out repeatedly from within. You feel as though you would be wasting your time trying the door knocker, so instead you simply slip inside.

The blacksmith sits with his back turned to you, massive arms bringing his hammer down repeatedly on a long iron sword. The blazing metal sends sparks into the air with each thundering blow, slowly shaping to the smith's desire. You clear your throat quietly at first, then louder. When that doesn't seem to do, you reach out and gently tap the smith's shoulder.

He stops at that, turning to look. He's a bald man, with a large handlebar mustache of bright orange color. The edges of it are slightly singed from a few accidents at work. He smiles as he spots you, laying down his hammer and tongs and clapping you on the shoulder with a heavily gloved hand.

“Good to see you, boy.” he says, his voice full of pity. “How are you holding up?”

You return his smile, doing your best to stand tall as you speak. “I'm doing alright. I wondered if I could ask a favor of you.”

“Oh?” he asks, arching an eyebrow in surprise. Looking at you for what seems like the first time, he notices the spear in your hand and the pack on your back. “Going out on a journey, are we? You're not leaving us, I hope.”

“Nothing of the sort.” you assure him. “I'm off on a hunt to bind a spirit. I was wondering if you had a hammer or some sort of mace that I could borrow. The Rock Turtle's shell is likely too powerful for my spear to crack.”

He raises his eyebrow further at that. “A Rock Turtle? Ambitious. You can certainly borrow one of my spare hammers. That is,” he says, eying you up and down, “If you can lift it.”

You move past him, lifting a moderately sized hammer from the wall. It's about half the length of your spear, and you think that you can heft it with reasonable speed. You tie it to your pack with part of your rope, smiling at the man.

“Thank you, Merich.” you say, giving him a bow as best you can under your increased load. He gives you a nod and another clap on the shoulder. “Best of luck, lad. Be careful.”

>>15006424
>>15006397
>>15006349
We have a hammer, or do you mean a bigger one? look at the inventory post here: >>15003611
We should stop by the smith and see what he has.

Also the general store, also our master's workshop. See if OUR MASTER'S LIBRARY has any NOTES on ROCK TURTLES, like how to kill them for example.

We don't want a team yet, we're going to scout the area first and if it's too difficult a kill we're going for something else and potentially clearing out the basilisk lair, remember?

We should also see if he has a shield we can buy, that is if we have money.

Also, general store for climbing gear?

OP, what's the deal with money in the setting?

rolled 85 = 85

>>15006424
I thought it was moderately dangerous to go there alone

>>15006499

While your village does have a system of currency based on precious metals that the miners can carve from the mountains, you have none to your name. The apprentice of a craftsman is taken care of by his mentor until he is ready to set out on his own, at which time his mentor usually gives him a gift to start his own trade. You have no idea where or even if your master had any money to give you, though you suppose you could search his workshop. The idea of turning over his workshop to search for cash gives you a slightly cold feeling, however. It seems disrespectful, somehow.

>>15006520
Which place? The rock turtle's lair has only been called dangerous by the healer, and the basilisk lair is dangerous but worthwhile and has a limited shelf life for lootan.

>>15006525
ok then, forget the shield for now. Have we given any thought to what we're going to bind the turtle to? Aside from that I think we should say goodbye to the smith, thank him again and be on our way.

>>15006525
How do we as the Totemist make money?

>>15006525
>>15006579
Or are we just kinda supported by the village and given things within reason as needed?

rolled 18 = 18

>>15006539
basilisc cave

>>15006562
Seconding polite exit. Let's see what's in the general store and check the workshop for useful items or notes.
>>15006579
Perhaps we sell things? Should find master's account book and see what he was raking in cash for. However, if you're an adventurous type that clears out lairs, there's that.

Or you ask a nature spirit to perform a service and the community pays you for being the middleman. Like a dowser, only with, say, mineral deposits for miners or hostiles for guards or crop maintenance and pest control for the farmers.

>>15006603
I feel like we're quickly becoming Osyki THE PREPARED. We've got most everything we'll need, anything from the store would likely need to be bought; we should just go ahead and begin our hunt.

>>15006603

This poster has it right. People have asked your master in the past to do many bindings, from binding a nature spirit into a fertility statue to imbuing their plows with extra strength to take the burden from their oxen. You are the middleman when dealing with the harvest spirits are those of the rains. For this, your village supports you and pays you.

>>15006634

I'd like to point out that you're burning daylight, and also that you have to mountain climb with whatever equipment you gather. You've already got a sizable load. The more you pack up, the harder the climb will be.

>>15006714
Ask your information spirit to check your master's house for notes on your way out the village toward the Rock Turtle lair. And grab a spare torch if you can get one on the way. We're done with our boy scout bullshit now, I think.

>>15006785
Notes on murdering the Rock Turtle.

>>15006785
second

>>15006785
thirded

Amal is guiding you to the potential Rock Turtle nest, but you have another spirit under your command. You fish Tryd's coal rune from your sleeve, focusing on it. A hazy manifestation of the skulking imp shimmers into view, claws bared and ember eyes burning.

"Tryd, I need you to run to Master's Workshop for me. See if he has any notes on the Rock Turtles in the Ikrin Peaks. If he does, bring them to me. Don't burn anything, don't touch anything unrelated to your task, and don't whine about it."

"Yes, oh glorious master." the imp says, his voice dripping with venom. "I live to serve."

He turns, muttering a soft "...prick." over his shoulder before fading from sight.

You arrive at the base of the mountains after about a half-hour's walk. You re-adjust your pack, staring up at the towering cliffs. Amal informs you that the Turtle nest is somewhere in the neighborhood of another thirty minutes of climbing to reach. There are two paths you could take. Climb the sheer cliff face would be difficult, but it would take you directly to the nest. There is a small goat path that leads to the peak in a more roundabout fashion, with a few tough climbs interspersed, but young Drakes and the occasional Cave Devourer tend to make their nests along the path to snap up careless mountain goats.

>>15006924
The fuck is a Cave Devourer. That sounds frightening as fuck.

We've got a lot of stuff, I would say that we should avoid the risk of drakes but I think that the risk of falling off the cliff is more likely and even if we did manage the climb we'd probably be tired out. imo we should take the goatpath, albeit cautiously.

>>15006990
I'm going to say climb the mountain, because I don't want to fight my way up.

>>15007031
This is where we should've brought climban equipment, but whatever, WE'RE BADASS.

How big or small can a binding circle be, OP? Can we make rune-markings all around the turtle's lair from far enough away that we won't risk it seeing or otherwise sensing us and still have it work?

I'm going to second climbing the mountain, very carefully.

Hey OP, is there any chance you could post every fifteen minutes instead of every half hour?

>>15006990

Cave Devourers are enormous beasts, resembling scaled moles. They burrow into a mountain-side, leaving their wide mouths exposed. The rows of teeth they possess closely resemble stalactites and stalagmites, and they have adapted to resemble an unnaturally warm cave interior. Once a victim walks inside, the devourer snaps its jaws shut, swallowing them whole.

>>15007097
Binding Runes can be placed as wide as the binder pleases, as long as the two adjacent runes are visible from the rune the binder stands on. Otherwise, the largest behemoths could not be properly bound.

>>15007238
Sorry folks. Things where I am writing from are mighty distracting. Will be putting up the next bit in a few minutes. If the thread goes dormant for more than an hour, assume I'll be posting Part III tomorrow.

>> Two to one votes for climbing the cliff face

Removing the length of rope from your backpack, you tie one end around Amal. You instruct him to fly to the nearest outcropping and secure the end of the rope to something which wont snap off. The prism pulses once and ascends quickly. You tie the rope around your waist, waiting. A few minutes later the line goes tight, and you feel a tug around you waist. Amal materializes once more around waist level.

"Everything's all squared up above, Osyki. Should I stay with you, or stay above and make sure the rope stays steady?"

You ponder this, sliding your spear into a loop in your pack. It would be nice to keep Amal nearby, if only to have a conversational partner and someone to watch your back while you climb. You shudder at the thought of the rope suddenly going slack mid-climb, however.

Have Amal watch the rope up top. Maybe recall Tryd and talk to him, it does us no good to have one of our totems hate us.

Tell him to watch the rope, when the soot imp spirit comes back he can watch your back. The latter is slightly less fatal if left unwatched than the former.

Climb as carefully and quietly as you can without an unreasonable drop in speed.

"Watch the top of the rope, Amal. I'd hate for my trek to halt before it's even begun."

"Can do, Osyki." the prism responds, fading from sight.

You stare up at the dizzying heights of the cliffs above. You'll have to take the climb in twenty-foot increments, since that's all the rope you could scrounge to bring with you. Ensuring that your pack is secure on your shoulders, you tug the rope once and begin to ascend.

The rope burns roughly against your hands as you climb. No doubt that once you do this for a while, you'll develop plenty of callouses. The ascent is tough, and the afternoon sun bakes down on your head, but you struggle upward all the same. A few birds nests catch your eye; You may decide to take a few eggshells on the way back for use in rituals.

You reach the outcropping which Amal has tied the rope to after a few minutes, sweating already. The prism is waiting for you, and immediately begins moving the rope up once more as soon as you are secure on the ledge. The soot imp re-appears as you catch your breath, throwing a few pages of notes at you.

"Here's your thrice-damned papers. Took me an age to find them in that stack of shit."

He disappears in a puff of smoke short after.

[[ Notes in the following post ]]

>>15007765
YAY UPDATE

Also, any idea how tall this cliff is?

Have him watch the rope.

Condensed version of the notes follow:

Rock Turtles:

Nasty buggers. Herbivores, but fiercely territorial. Can grow to about thirty feet tall, in large enough areas. Younger turtles tend to be faster, and older ones have much stronger bites. Shells crack with age. The eggs are worth a pretty penny, but the mother will not stop seeking one who steals an egg from her nest, ever. May or may not be immortal, barring sickness or injury. Precious jewels occasionally become encrusted in their hides.

SPHERES: Strength, Patience, Longevity, Hardiness, Defense

>>15007782

Another two climbs should bring you to the top, so somewhere between 60 and 70 feet.

Keep climbing. Make Tryd stick around so we can talk to him and try to be friendly.

>>15007906
Where are we in relation to the lair?
Can we see it? Can we see good places to create runes of binding?
If we can't see the lair, let's get to the top of the cliff, checking it before we climb over the edge.

If we can find one with a jewel, we could probably use that as the focus, assuming such a Rock Turtle is available.

>>15007974
A jewel might get stolen for its value, though. The thing about lumps of coal and so on is, they're pretty easy for a thief to pass over.

We could use a fragment of bone or shell.

>>15008024
I think it would be a desperate individual indeed who would try and steal from a Totemist. No telling if they would have a focus for perception or not.

>>15008072
Are we that obviously a totemist? And what about another totemist, or an ignorant thief, unknowing of our power or responsibilities?

If you really want to do the jewel thing, we can. We just better chain it to something or wear it in a fashion that keeps it secure.

Or pick a relatively worthless jewel. Anything valuable we pull out of a kill is loot, you know. Gotta make money somehow.

We'll head up first, see what's available, then figure it out.

After a moment's respite, you tug the rope again. Assuming that it is secure, you tap Tryd's focus and smear a line of soot on your arm. Tryd's eye opens in the darkness, staring at you sullenly.

"What? What do you need now?"

"Just some company." you say, tugging the rope one more time for safety. "I think we should stop this sniping at each other. We're working together, and that wont change any time soon, so we may as well learn to get along."

The eye stares at you for a moment, then rolls. "Whatever."

Your climb is arduous, and by the time you reach your next outcropping you and Tryd have begun exchanging sentences every few seconds, as opposed to every few minutes. While the imp's attitude hasn't improved, it seems as though he's enjoying making fun of you slightly more than usual. It's a step, you suppose.

The final climb falls to silence as your tension mounts with the burning in your hands. Finally you reach the top, clambering onto a large rock ledge. A trail leads in a narrow canyon cut into the rock. Amal unties the rope as you wipe the sweat from your brow, informing you that the cave is just down the trail. Are there any final preparations you'd like to make?

>>15008268
I don't think we have anything to prepare, aside from the circle, and I don't think we want to set that up on the edge of a cliff.

>>15008268
Nope. We should proceed cautiously though, no need to be seen before we make our ritual markings.

>>15008319
>>15008316
>>15008268
How climbable is the canyon? Dropping a boulder on a rock turtle may be a decent strategy if we can get to the right place.

>>15008377

It would be a pretty trivial climb to get top of the canyon here, but you don't know how far down the canyon sinks as it goes further down. It would also be important to note that the binding runes must be on the same surface as the target you intend to bind, more or less. You couldn't surround the top of the canyon with runes and then drop the boulder to bind a turtle far below.

>>15008462
Well then - let's scout ahead a bit. Seconding/thirding these:
>>15008316
>>15008319

You draw your spear from your bag and untie yourself from the length of rope. After a moment's consideration you banish both Amal and Tryd back to their Foci. No point in having needless chatter. You stay close to the wall and keep your grip on your weapon tight as you creep down the ravine, your eyes occasionally flitting up the walls to ensure nothing is stalking you while you stalk your prey.

After a few minutes of nerve-wracking slinking, the canyon begins to open up. In a basin far below, you can see them. Their size was not exaggerated in the least. It... may have been understated. The massive creatures lumbering below could certainly be mistaken for a house if still. There seems to be a fairly even mix of ages, with the elders defending the outside of the pit while the younglings play within. There are likely two or three dozen in this basin, with a trail leading out of the back which suggests a separate area for the truly elderly, or perhaps a breeding ground.

>>15008665
Are any of them off to the edge or side?
Are there any loose rocks on the canyon's edges or walls that you could drop singly or use to start an avalanche down onto them?
Surely some of them will survive long enough under the rocks for you to carve runes into their shells.

Hell, perhaps even a large number of them, which prevents their guts from turning into a zombie graveyard of some kind...

>>15008665
We've got time right? Let's scout out this separate area. Perhaps via scaling the canyon walls or some other available sneaking path if one is available.

>>15008716
>>15008709
Yeah, try to scale the walls and look for advantage. Additionally, see if you can scout the area out back.

>>15008709
No need to kill a lot of them. That's complicated and we only need one. I say we keep an eye out for the oldest biggest looking one we can find and target it; and if that's what we're looking for we should check out the separate area(>>15008716 is me).

>>15008775
Or we could NOT take on the deadliest motherfucker in the place maybe >.>

Let's just scout and see what we can see for now.

>>15008808
Nah, the older ones while having a stronger bite are slower than the younger ones and we have the advantage of speed. I bet we can rush in, use the chalk to make the ritual markings on the turtle and kill it however the ritual requires without it ever being able to turn to face us.

>>15008808
Older ones are slower, and our spear gives us a serious advantage with speed as is.

>>15008862
>>15008854
That's not a contest of strength or endurance there, buddy. We have to kill it in some sort of ritualistically meaningful way, our speed advantage may be foul play.

CAN WE TRANSFER THE SPEED FOCUS TO THE HAMMER?

Gripping your spear tightly, you begin to commune with the semi-familiar spirit within the claw. You want to be ready to tap into its power whenever you need it, and you get the feeling that time will be soon.

Keeping as close to the ground as possible, you quickly scale the wall. Your trek is made much easier in short order as you can stand at full height, walking safely away from the rim of the basin. Your journey takes down a winding path. It seems that when the rains hit, this area is a lake with a connecting river. Perhaps the turtles are aquatic? It warrants further research.

The path terminates in the mouth of a cave. It doesn't show the signs of a Cave Devourer, so you assume that the remaining turtles lie within. It's about a fifteen foot drop to the canyon floor below.

>>15009008
How big is the cave? The turtles are big so it must be very big...
imo we should go in the cave.

>>15008898

Unbinding your focus at this juncture could prove very dangerous.

>>15009038

The cave is, in fact, enormous. Easily large enough to admit a Rock Turtle.

>>15009215
Yeah. Let's go in the cave then. (where the heck did the other posters go?)

>>15009008
>>15009215
This would be a fine time to experiment with bait and rations.

Did we manage to snag that torch on the way out of town? If it's dark in the cave, it'd be of use. Otherwise, look for a boulder you can loosen and roll down into or near the cave mouth. We can lure them out with rations possibly.

If there are no advantages to avail yourself of here, get close to the cave mouth and see what you can see. If it's safe to do so, send in Amal for a look around while you stay out here. Maybe he can flash light in their eyes and lure them out.

Check out the cave

[[ Guh. Hate to do this to you, anon, but power failure is imminent over here with thunderstorm incoming. The next installment of this will be tomorrow afternoon as soon as I can get back on. My apologies, Anon. Will someone archive this, please? ]]

>>15001904
>>15009711
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/15001904/
Done and Done.