bumpalooza

And bump again.

Tribump

>>16748603
Maybe the curse has something to do with his name? There has to be a reason he was known as the "Metal-Skinned". Also, that guy seems like he might be easily surprised. Let's approach his so that we dont surprise him and scare him off.

>>16749547

You walk over to the Stranger, well in his field of vision. He leans against a half of a pillar, the top crumbled to dust from some anciet ac of nature or violence. His arms are crossed, tightly, across his stomach as he gazes over to a square where, as he said, a hundred people may have gathered in a distant past. His head turns over to you, crocadilian mouth in a bemused grin.

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

Sup OP; Gar-bro here. My internet's been crashing and burning, so sorry about the late posting.

>>16749752
Mutter grudgingly.

"No...nothing."

Take a good look at the city with him.

"Have you been sight-seeing all this time?"

Can OP go over the list of powers the kobold has for those of us who haven't been following this?

>>16749828
We're like a level 15 Sorcerer (DnD), so we have access to some awesome tricks. For the most part, we haven't ironed out a specific list, but we've just said "oh, I guess we would know this kind of spell".

rolled 10 = 10

>>16749851

Then we should be able to use a spell to convince the stranger to tell us more about himself.

>>16749889
That would not be wise on a few levels.
1) He's a good friend (sort of) that saved Mynthar from a bout of depression where he would have probably killed himself.
2) The Kobold shows up out of nowhere, treats guns like toys, and has the general "I'm so powerful I don't give a shit" aura about him, so messing with him might not be wise.

Personally, I think option 1 is the stronger reason for not messing with him.

>>16749803

(Not to worry, my comic excursion took me a bit longer than I thought as well.)

"No... Nothing." You say, looking out at the city with him. "Have you been sight-seeing all this time?"

"Not many sights to see, anymore." The Stranger sighs. "Old homes, stores, barracks, they're just barely visible in my mind's eye. I suppose I could get the same thing if I just dreamed for a while." He looks over towards you. "Perhaps if you were to imagine things for yourself, you might get a better idea as to what it is you're looking for."

As he speaks, you silently concentrate, the ancient spells of one of your ancestors slowly burrowing into the Stranger's surface thoughts.

<<How long has it been? Too long, I think, to find any real trace of what has happened. But I won't volunteer it. He'll have to ask. I'm tired of speaking to stone ears.>>

>>16750008
Well, let's honor his request, then.

"Tell me Stranger, if you were a curse, where would you be hiding? I'm starting to think that this tomb isn't the correct place."

>>16750029

"Tell me Stranger, if you were a curse, where would you be hiding? I'm starting to think that this tomb isn't the correct place." You ask him.

The Stranger chuckles. "Like any magic, it is an effervescent thing. You can't hold it in your hand, but it can hang in the air like bad air in a mineshaft." He looks around the ceiling of the cavern. "There's bits of it here, now. Maybe it was still here after Hiraz died. Maybe it followed you from the Crystal Caverns." He strokes his chin, raising an eyebrow. "I don't know everything about it, and I've seen it for a while. A 'cure' doesn't live in that tomb." He turns, looking back over towards it. "You might say that's where the container for it lived. And also, the source."

>>16750118
"So that means it probably /was/ released by Dalak's expedition."

Rub our chin and lick our teeth.

"But if the leg is still in there, what's missing from the crypt?"

Begin pacing.

"A precious parting gift, perhaps? Maybe valuable treasure...or even..." Turn to the stranger, nodding. "A holding box for the curse."

If you'd like to catch up recently, by the way:

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/16678247/

Mynthar's abilities center predominantly around electrical offensive spells, and his remaining spells range from telekinesis to teleportation to mind-reading. He has a magically powered prosthetic right arm capable of absorbing and storing electrical energy, then firing it. His position is one of great political power, meant to help the caverns through quick and decisive allocation of resources.

Here's the search for it on sup /tg/:

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Kobold%20Sorcerer%20Quest

>>16750196
Oh, also OP, about last thread. The last few responses were cut off, so any posts after I said goodnight, I didn't see. Did I miss anything important?

>>16750190

The arm is still in there, as well.

Sorry, the old stuff was lost due to 4 chan's server replacement. The arm and leg are both in there, and Dalak put it back after he got it.

Did anyone ever save dust bunny quest?

>>16750216

If you are Garbro, then no. I was going to start off with your response this time, but it was sadly lost.

If you are someone else, than this happened:

You investigated the tomb.
This douchebag (The stranger) showed up an was all philosophical.
Your soldiers got aggravated and nearly shot him in the face.
He didn't mind.
You had him stand outside while you investigated the tomb.
The coffin contained a bit of dust and a bronze arm and a golden leg.

Hiraz the Metal-Skinned was called that because of those limbs, by the way. Other sources say he was called that because of draconic ancestry.

>>16750242

What do you mean?

Sorcerer Quest?

>>16750252
So did we take the metal limbs? Where they magic? Can we use them in anyway?

>>16750451
We examined them, did a few tests, and then referred to Dalak on what he originally did with them about a decade ago. Basically, all our current prosthetics are based off of these models. As for whether they were magical or not, OP didn't say; I'd imagine so.

>>16750451

You did not take them. They radiate powerful enough magic to shock the minds of those who try detecting magic in their presence, and when Dalak took them, it triggered a powerful curse that slowly but surely began to claim the limbs of the people of the Crystal Caverns. Or so you think.

You do have a cleric named Malmar who was a member of the original expedition and formerly carried the arm. It is a left arm, and he happens to be missing his left arm. He has a non-functional artificial shoulder that evidently still radiates the curses.

>>16750504
Just bumping my answer I posted here >>16750190, just in case you skipped over it after you posted the archived threads.

>>16750504

Radiates the curse's energy. Like as in showing where the curse has been.

>>16750190

"So that means it probably /was/ released by Dalak's expedition." Your mouth makes a clicking noise as you react to the realization. "But if the leg is still in there, what's missing from the crypt?"

"Nothing." The stranger says. "Like a disease from rancid flesh, it has moved out into its new environment." He clenches his jaw. "The leg still holds some of the curse, I'd wager. The ends are sealed up tight as a lockbox on those limbs."

You begin pacing. "A holding box for the curse." You say in confirmation.

"As I said before, the dragonness who rules over Hiraz's tribe before he wrested the limbs from her was a vehement beast." The stranger blinks a few times. "Her jealousy of the kobolds who took her life to ensure their own, in their darkest hour, would haunt them forevermore. Or so the legends say."

>>16750659
"We'll have to take the leg back for testing...hopefully this former king understands the needs of the People."

"...Malmar will need some explaining as well..."

Turn to the Stranger.

"I thank you for your counsel, Stranger." Look around the ruins. "Perhaps I can repay the advice...if not for now, then for what happened back then."

>>16750590
Could we use that as like a tracking spell to find where the curse has already been? You know just in case we need it.

>>16750743
We tried something like that already with little headway. The curse doesn't respond to neither arcane, necrotic, or divine detection, and it seems to play by its own rules. If anything, we'd need to find someone who specializes in hexes and curses (some kind of shaman or witch, perhaps?) and then get their opinion.

Alright OP, I'm assuming something's up, so I'm going to head off to bed and try again in the morning.

>>16750763
>>16750743

The curse shows up more strongly on some areas seemingly at random, and in a line across a limb that will be lost. It does not appear to show signs before that.

>>16750730

"We'll have to take the leg back for testing... Hopefully this former king understands the needs of the People." You say to the stranger, who remains quiet. "...Malmar will need some explaining as well..." You turn to the stranger. "I thank you for your counsel, Stranger." You look around the ruins. "Perhaps I can repay the advice... if not for now, then for what happened back then."

He smirks. "I wouldn't take the leg back, but who knows? It might prove to be a smart move." He pauses. "Do you have a host lined up for it?"

>>16751065

Wait! I was just held up in line at the market!

Well, shit.

Bump of interest?

>>16751096
"No, we are only retrieving the leg to get as much information about the curse as possible. Considering that this is the originating point, I'm hoping that something useful will show up when we have our test-labs available to us. Why do you ask?"

"Why would I give this ancient limb to someone? For the sake of experimentation?" Frown. "I do not enjoy having one person possibly suffer for simply having the limb, but..."

>>16751120
Fuuu-

It was getting late anyway, OP.

>>16753678
No, we're not taking the leg back.
If the curse doesn't register on any of our current magical senses, why are you so cavalier to bring the damn thing back to the Caverns?
Haven't you ever heard of a field lab before?

>>16753882
Because we have some equipment that we probably can't easily bring down to the site. Plus, we may need it on hand...er...on foot, while we're in the capital.

>>16754236
Why, when we can teleport?

For that matter, what reason would we have to take the leg to the capital? Anyone who needs to analyze it can teleport here to the tomb. If it needs to be analyzed in special ritual chamber, then Yuune would need to prepare such a chamber first, and we'd be left holding a potentially dangerous prosthetic of unknown magical power and filled with trace energies of a powerful, kingdom-destroying curse right in the middle of our only city.

>>16754393
Because we only have so many uses of teleport. We're better off using it to get to and from the Alloy brotherhood. Plus, Yashana can't depart from a very specific area, meaning she can't examine the relic. Finally, it's not like the curse hasn't already been disseminated throughout our nation.

>>16754985
We have more than 5 uses of Teleport a day, and are refreshed each day.
We have ambassadors and subordinates for a reason; micromanaging and doing things personally has to have a limit if the Caverns are to actually be able to fight the Golgremet Empire.
The infiltration of the Alloyed Brotherhood can be taken care of by our GRU and ambassadors. What else are you suggesting we personally do there?

Also, of what use is a ghost, of someone who was not a trained mage or scientist, going to be in determining a way to break the curse? She's been trying to find a way to break it for over 8 years now; her information was useful at the start of our investigations, but she's not an expert, and not a part of an investigatory team. She's just a witness, and should be destroyed as an unproductive collection of energy as soon as this investigation is over.

Finally, just because the curse is already in place over the Crystal Caverns, doesn't mean that bringing it more of its energy in the form of the curse energy still within the leg, won't bring about further harm.
What if the rate of accidents and amputations increases because we brought the leg, without even the preparations made to analyze it within our mage labs, or the proper quarantine procedures taken?

>>16755165
Granted, our number of teleports is good, but why exhaust ourselves?

As for the Alloyed Brotherhood, we still need to open diplomatic relations with the Church; something I don't think will be easy for anyone other than ourselves.

For Yashana (the ghost), she's the only one who could actually see the curse, which is quite impressive considering our arcane tests revealed nothing, nor did the necromancer's or cleric's tests. Furthermore, she couldn't manage to break the curse because she's dead! Who can she tell within her haunting zone short of her husband about the events unfolding? And we're going to neutralize her? Are we going to neutralize the skeleton grandparents at the bottom of the Dragon Inn too?

The curse may increase, but I'm hoping to neutralize this curse within the next few days. If bringing the leg within our city increases the rate, then we're sealing it with a bag of holding or something similar in between studies.

The Church is currently under siege from the H'Runten. Are you going to go behind our ally's back? Not to mention, we're not some petty warlord who does everything themselves, we're the appointed Head of State of a proto-modern nation-state. Diplomatic channels are opened by intermediaries and envoys first, then the leaders of the respective factions negotiate. Besides, are you forgetting that we don't have the power to sign treaties with foreign powers?

Yes, we're going to neutralize the ghost if she continues to be a problem. The difference between Yashana and the brood of Ghurken is that she is on Crystal Caverns property, while they are not.
Her ability to detect the curse is only a product of her current status as living-impaired; it is not to do with any skill or knowledge. She has already stated that she can only see the energy of the curse, not discern anything useful about it.

Finally, you would chance more deaths and amputations on a single guess and the hope that a Bag of Holding will be enough to contain the magical energies of the leg, without even consulting the experts in the field of whether it should be brought back or not?

>>16753678

(going with this for now as it's not a "hard" decision and it's the only response.)

"No, we are only retrieving the leg to get as much information about the curse as possible. Considering that this is the originating point, I'm hoping that something useful will show up when we have our test-labs available to us. Why do you ask?" You watch as the stranger shrugs.

"Well, to my knowledge, none have worn that leg since Hiraz. The curse should still be sealed inside it." He clenches his jaw. "And releasing it again may not be the best plan, but you may figure out something, I suppose."

"Why would I give this ancient limb to someone? For the sake of experimentation?" You frown at him. "I do not enjoy having one person possibly suffer for simply having the limb, but..."

He smiles. "Oh, no. From what I understand, those limbs are wondrous to have. The main problem is that damn curse."

>>16755420
Last I checked, the Church has withdrawn into their inner territories after their attack under the influence of the brainwashing poison. Therefore, we should initiate diplomatic relations with the Church saying: "Join us or we'll walk all over you considering what you allowed to happen to us and our allies."

However, if you feel so strong about it, I suppose we can ignore them and let the H'runten fight it out.

You would kill Yashana? Just save the Cavern and hopefully her spirit will be put to rest; no need to deny this patriot.

For the leg, if a different dimension can't keep the curse at bay, then we have bigger issues than some arcane lock or seal.

Ah, OP! You have returned!

>>16755787
"Wondrous? The limbs are double-edged swords, at best. We would need some curse-master in order to even begin to understand the depth of the curse, let alone remove the hex."

>>16755787
"Your help in this matter is appreciated.
"Now, I need to get a field team out here, and consult with some experts. If you will excuse me."

Go back to the others and have the GRU set up a perimeter while the necromancer and the other mages do what analysis they can on the leg.
Teleport back to the Caverns and Yuune. Tell him everything we've found, and how soon a field lab can be set up.

>>16755864
Do you realize that what you said is exactly the same thing that the Stranger said, only phrased differently?
He already said that the danger of the prosthetic is the curse, and he's right that the prosthetic is well-made if the curse wasn't a problem.

Your statement adds nothing to the conversation and is only so much static and useless noise.

>>16755925
>brings up possible curse remover
>Stranger never said anything about that
>said the exact same thing

...I'm not saying your retarded, but you're retarded.

>>16755979
>Stranger says problem with prosthetic is the curse
>say that the problem with the prosthetic is a curse and need a curse-master
>provide no ideas on where to find such a curse-master, or even any idea beyond 'yeah, we need to get someone to remove the curse'
It's still the same basic message of the curse being the problem with the prosthetic, and that it needs to be removed. What information from your post is actually useful towards finding a solution?
That we need a hex-master? We already knew that after seeing that the curse's energy isn't picked up by ordinary arcane methods.

>>16756028
So he's going to read our mind about wanting a curse master? We can't take too many short-cuts in the communication process; if we do, we could omit possible options. The Stranger is obviously some near ethereal figure; if anyone around here were to know about a curse master, it'd be him. Plus, I feel it's quite below Mynthar to ask directly for help when he doesn't have to. He's a politician for god's sake! Making direct decisions without testing both sides of the pool is a horrible political career.

We could have easily gone your route and left the limbs here, but now that we're dealing with a wondrous artifact, I think that the option is clear: continue shooting the breeze and hope the Stranger spills some more beans.

If he doesn't, then I'll go your route. I just want him to open up first. The best way to get someone to spill something is if they think that it's their own idea.

>>16756087
If we're going to get a curse-master, it should be through the Mage Guild back in the Caverns, where we could properly vet any such person, instead of getting some unknown person from a being whose allegiance is not to the Caverns.

We already read the Stranger's surface thoughts, and he's determined to not volunteer information unless directly asked.

>>16756134
True, the Mage Guild might be easier to sift through for our own use, but we can't deny this resource. He drove us away from suicide, so I can't imagine his intentions to be /too/ dark or counterproductive.

As for the surface thought scan, you are correct. Still, I don't think that would change Mynthar's way of getting what he wants just yet. Just a question or two more, then I'd be happy to be straight with him.

>>16755864

"Wondrous?" You say incredulously. "The limbs are double-edged swords, at best. We would need some curse-master in order to even begin to understand the depth of the curse, let alone remove the hex."

"Ah, yes." The stranger says, pausing for a moment. "But the glory associated with them is powerful indeed. They reportedly have the ability to move and sense earth." Your eyes widen in realization of these powers. Both are in very high demand down here, being very useful for mining and siege-breaking. You recall for a moment a debacle involving a staff of earth with the lich. "If you would be tempted by their power, I would scarce blame you." The stranger puts his hands behind his back. "These are symbols of a legendary king. It's hard not to be caught up in their potential a bit." He pauses for a moment. "However, the curse hangs here still. Even with the power they granted him, that king could not stop the curse's progress. And it seems to have only gotten stronger with time." He pauses for a moment. "Though, I have often thought that perhaps the dragon, being the source of the curse, was perhaps the cause of it. Maybe dealing with her spirit would help." He cracks his neck. "The problem is that no one knows where that old kingdom is. Even King Hiraz was said to have forgotten it long ago."

bump?

>>16756379
"I see, Stranger." Look back inside to our group. "If you see the leg as a problem, then I shall leave it here to collect dust until we have resolved the curse."

Begin tapping our fingers in deep thought.

"The Mage's Guild might be able to shed light upon this situation, but..." Nod slightly. "Where would you search out a curse-master, Stranger?"

>>16756678
Sorry OP; was taking a nap. :P

Also, I'm out gonna be out for the next few hours soon.

>>16756379
"You've thought upon this curse for a long time, then.
"But it's not the old kingdom we must find, it is the dragon's bones, and her spirit, that needs to be found and dealt with. And if she is the source of the curse's power, then there must be a thread connecting her to the curse, and likely even more to her physical remains used in the arm and leg.
"So, will you be observing us, then? Watching to see if we can unravel this riddle that you seem to be so preoccupied with?"

>>16756706

"You've thought upon this curse for a long time, then." You say to him.

"Aye. Most of my life." The stranger answers.

"But it's not the old kingdom we must find, it is the dragon's bones, and her spirit, that needs to be found and dealt with." You pace, while still deep in thought. "And if she is the source of the curse's power, then there must be a thread connecting her to the curse, and likely even more to her physical remains used in the arm and leg." You look back at the tomb, and then at the kobold. "So, will you be observing us, then? Watching to see if we can unravel this riddle that you seem to be so preoccupied with?"

"I think I will." The stranger says, shaking out his arm. "The problems of the past do not go away, Mynthar. They are like rivers, that if blocked off, will only burst free from their dam eventually." He looks over at the tomb. "The remains in there, not even really his remains, are they? They're remnants of that long-dead wyrm."

>>16756782
Mynthar smiles at the Stranger's analogy.
"Yes, problems of the past don't simply disappear, just as a blocked river will eventually become a problem. Do you know what we do to such rivers? We dig them out, we channel them, we turn them to our purposes irrigating our fields and powering our industry and so, they no longer are a problem.
"The Crystal Caverns do not suffer problems, Stranger, we solve them. Permanently.
"But yes, I agree with you about the King's remains. That arm and leg; they were never his, not truly his, if the dragon could still strike at her enemies through them. And so in the end, even the dust has become hers."

Now we need to talk with Yuune about what's been found, and how we should proceed from here.

>>16756872

"Yes, problems of the past don't simply disappear, just as a blocked river will eventually become a problem. Do you know what we do to such rivers? We dig them out, we channel them, we turn them to our purposes irrigating our fields and powering our industry and so, they no longer are a problem." You say to him.

"This is a river of poison, stoppered with gold." The stranger responds.

"The Crystal Caverns do not suffer problems, Stranger, we solve them. Permanently." You put a fist into your open palm. "But yes, I agree with you about the King's remains. That arm and leg; they were never his. Not truly his, if the dragon could still strike at her enemies through them. And so in the end, even the dust has become hers."

"Perhaps you're right." The stranger mutters.

You could always message Yuune.

>>16757011
Send a message off to Yuune, explaining what we've found, the need to track the origin of the curse by either tracing the curse's energy to its origin, or by using the physical remains of the dragon preserved in the arm and leg to scry the location of the rest of its remains.
Ask if a field lab will be required.

>>16757076

You message Yuune, telling him what you've found as your troop sets up camp for the night. You get a reply indicating that he will send some researchers over in a short while, once morning comes, to scry for the dragon's final resting place.

>>16757107
Send one more message to Yuune:
We need mages specialized in curses and enchantments to analyze the properties of this curse. If there aren't any in the Mage Guild, then we will need to contact our trading partners for any such specialists.

>>16757107
>>16757154
We should also message our other parties (in the Alloyheed Brotherhood and the Council) about a temporary leave of absence. Should they need us for something important, then they can contact us via whatever channel is in place. Though this curse is very important, we still need to prepare for the Trogs should anything happen.

Once we send out the messages, take a short rest and channel our inner-dragon rage; it's been a while since we probably did that. Plus, a clear head might be just what we need.

>>16757154

Alright then.

After a night of exhausted sleep, you have your specialists, enchanters and all, come in and begin analyzing. They determine that it seems to coalesce around some areas, and devise a method of detecting people who it is active on.

You find out, after they look over the group, that you have two kobolds who have been marked, one on his left leg and one on his right. Both marks appear to be "intense".

The scriers begin conducting the ritual, and contact the parts to a minimum.

>>16757246
>>16757246
Contribute to the ritual in any way we can. Increase their aptitude (Eagle's Splendor IIRC), burn some incense, and begin the "Go Crystal Caverns" chant....ignore those last two.

Anyway, I'm out for a little bit, OP. See you in a few hours. :3

>>16757212

After you ensure that everyone is working, you send out messages indicating that you will be away from some time, in all likelihood. You sit down for some extra meditation, and you begin focusing your anger. You feel it swarm over you, threatening to bury your consciousness. You breathe, although your chest shakes, and you feel a surge of electricity shudder through your body. You try to imagine attacking the curse, pitting the dragon against the dragon. A monster to kill a monster. Your stomach quakes as you allow the rage to flow through your body, feeling your muscles clench as the dragon tears through an ominous black cloud, the mist clinging to its body as it strikes again and again. It wears down its foe, becoming badly wounded in the process, and you feel a fury rise in your chest as it opens its black-stained jaws, blue strands of lightning arcing between its teeth like saliva on the jaws of a slavering beast. You can almost feel the pure expression of power, of rage, as you focus more and more-

And you suddenly feel it threatening to spring forth from your mouth. You spring to your feet, snapping out of your meditation, and look up towards the ceiling, seeing sparks and strands of lightning arc from your mouth like some kind of struggling insect. You compress your diaphragm, collapsing your lungs as you feel the energy force itself out of your throat. The sensation is rather like breathing out very thick, hot air. A bright blue bolt of lightning slices through the outside of the tent like a spear, and you see the edges of the hole where the electricity left it begin to combust. The bolt is accompanied by the sound of the air frying as it travels. You keep up a steady stream of the energy for a few seconds, before you feel a bit faint. You collapse back down to the ground, looking up at the surprisingly little damage. You extinguish the flames, and shake your head.

>>16757435

Lets go kill some shit.

>>16757435
At least we did it away from where everyone is working.

This dragon spirit only gets one chance at negotiation. If it refuses, then it will be labeled a terrorist, and the Caverns do not treat with terrorists. We will destroy it, even if we have to use Limited Wish in order to do so. Fuck trying to find a way to give it eternal rest; we will never do a dragon's bidding again.

>>16757536

What would you like to kill, exactly?

>>16757435
Let's check the range on that lightning breath, see how far it traveled.

>>16757813

The roof is about maybe 70 feet up. You take the time to calculate the angle, and determine that it traveled at least 110 feet.

>>16757695

Your people ask about the explosion, but you simply assure them it was a focusing problem with a new spell. They appear satisfied, and head back to work.

Your scriers find the bones of a dragon, crumbled to dust, in an area surrounded by a number of dwarven skeletons. A brief consultation with one of your geology experts indicates that the place lies far to the west, likely in an area that used to be dwarven territory.

>>16757926
Did the scriers detect any magic through their scry?
Can we get an impression of an area close to the bones so that we can teleport there rather than travel all the way?

>>16758174

You can't see any magic there. You can glimpse it through the scrying pool. Would you like to go?

>>16757734

Some dwarfs. I'm sure, being the chief or something of a tribe, I could raise a few men to go dwarf-hunting.

>>16758352
You have no idea who we are, or what the CCCP represents, do you?

>>16758348
No, don't go just yet. We need to be properly prepared, and fully rested with all spell slots restored. We would need to bring along other mages in case it turned into a fight.
Also, where is the Stranger? If he wants to see how this little tale ends, he'll want to come with us.

>>16758390
>Implying that matters

Hey I just want to break up the tedium of this a little bit by putting in some action.

>>16758352

Well, much as you hate dwarves, you have a bit more at your disposal than a chief.

Your troops are outfitted with steel armor, and some inventions called lineguns that fire small projectiles using a sudden expansion of ice into steam and a blast of electricity. Most kobold tribes have to content with subterranean trees and stone for weaponry, with perhaps leather armor if they have anyone able to make it. In addition, you are an accomplished sorcerer. And you have a lot of responsibilities. However, you also hate dwarves. Not as much as you hate drow, but it's a contest between green slime and red slime as far as you're concerned.

>>16758581
>>16758581

Alright, well, could we first head over to the nearest battlezone, between kobold and dwarf forces, or use some sort of magic to detect the nearest dwarf location?

>>16758581
VKO, why are you taking this guy seriously?

It's out of character for Mynthar to abandon his responsibilities just to pick a fight with some dwarves.
We can't afford to do that while the curse is still on the Crystal Caverns and the Golgremet Empire is marching towards us.

>>16758527
We don't have time to be doing this stupid shit.
Every day we waste not working on breaking this curse, is a day where more kobolds lose their limbs in accidents, production goes down, and that the troglodyte armies come closer to the border of the Caverns.

On top of being out of character, appropriating military personnel and going off to fight is exactly the kinds of abuses of power that the Council censured us for in the past!

>>16758648
>>16758689

I forgot that only certain, special anon's get to play quest threads while us peasants have to be content with lurking.

I'll continue to give my suggestions on the direction this quest takes since, last time I checked, it was the OP who decided what happens not a bunch of ornery anons.

>>16758782

They do have a point. It is out of character. However, I reserve the right to make your suggestions happen anyway in a way that works with the story.

>>16758390

You're as rested as you need to be, and you bring along some necessary parts of the group, including Malmar, Turen, and Tayn, as well as the Stranger and a couple of specialists. The remaining two are a pair of soldiers.

You appear in the caves, a sour scent hanging in the air as you find yourself in a dark, nearly caved-in cavern.

You feel a malevolent presence, and see the skull of the dragon begin to gently shift from its location.

"The stench of undeath is strong." Malmar states, raising his symbol in his good hand as you prepare to unleash a blast of lightning into the bones.

You hear Turen cry out in surprise as the dwarf skeletons near him begin to stand up, their empty eye sockets turning to the living creatures who now stand in the cramped room.

>>16758902
"You are the dragon who Hiraz took heart, muscle, and sinew to create his arm and leg. I suspected you weren't truly dead."

Are the skeletons actually coming to attack us, or just getting up?

>>16758902


Okay, I respect the fact my suggestions are not in-character, and I shall let this thread go unmolested by my out-of-place ideas. I do think,*however* ,that the very nature of these quest threads means that the personality of these characters are subject to change due to different people giving different suggestions, but I digress.

>>16758980
But then that means that the protagonist is mentally unstable and has some kind of psychological disorder if there's no consistency to a character.

Some quests make that work, by laying out in advance that the protagonist either is a hive-mind or has multiple competing processors giving conflicting directives.
But most of the time, that kind of lolrandumb behavior just leads to nothing getting done.

>>16758980

Well, no, I don't think you understand what I was saying.

In essence, you did just go out of your way to fight a bunch of dwarves. Dwarf skeletons. I just took your idea and twisted it a bit as I am subject to do. Besides, at present, there were no dwarves around. Now, because of you, there are indeed dwarves.

>>16758951

"You are the dragon who Hiraz took heart, muscle, and sinew to create his arm and leg. I suspected you weren't truly dead." You say, looking over at the skull as it twists, and then falls beneath the gnarled claw of a rising dwarf skeleton from beneath the rancid black earth. The dragon skull rolls off to one side, showing no sign of life.

The skeletons begin to stagger towards you, menacingly.

"Her spirit does not appear to be within her vessel." The stranger says, raising a single fist towards the skeletons. "However, the vengeful fury of these dead ones is still quite present."

"Good, I was hoping I'd be fighting something solid." Tayn says, smirking as he flexes his hands in anticipation.

>>16759113
"Undead dwarves...how banal.
"Well, let's put them down."

Fire off a Ricocheting Lightning spell to catch as many of the skeletons as we can.

>>16759195

"Undead dwarves...how banal." You say, and feel a bit disgusted as you see some rancid flesh fall off of one.
"Well, let's put them down." You zap a line of lightning around the room after a moment of exact calculations. Skeletons erupt in a blast of heat and sparks around you.

Tayn strikes two simultaneously in the chest, sending their ribcage and spine flying backwards as the skull and limbs go spinning to the ground. Turen dodges the claws of one, a ruby-red ray springing from his hand and cracking the bones of the undead abomination, causing it to fall in a heap of molten calcium.

Malmar presents his symbol, chanting a guttural prayer of vengeance. The remaining skeletons are silently robbed of their power, falling to the ground.

"Was that too easy?" Tayn asks, as you hear clicking and creaking from the half-collapsed entrance to the domed cave you now stand in. Looking out, you can see pale white bone, and countless dimly glowing red eyes advancing on you.

>>16759621
"Tayn, never say that, please."

It's too dangerous to use any fireballs in here, since it could collapse the cavern.
First, cast Web to trap the skeletons.
Then follow up with another Ricocheting Lightning spell.

>>16759717

You stop, looking over at Tayn. "Tayn, never say that, please."

You ensnare a few of the advancing skeletons in a web, then blast them with electricity, sending electrified bones flying in every direction.

Eventually, the red eyes begin to fade away from within the passage as they move away.

>>16759874
==>Cavern: Cascade onto people inside you.

>>16759874
"Tayn and Turen, keep an eye on that tunnel, warn us if those skeletons come back. Usually they're not smart enough to retreat; there might be something controlling them.
"Malmar, do you sense the old dragon's spirit anywhere? This...sense of malevolence, is it radiating from any specific object or location?"

>>16759973
>>16759874
>>16759934


Tayn looks over at you, sheepishly. "I... I'm sorry."

"No, it's alright." Turen says, patting him on the shoulder. "You haven't been through the military program. They would have gotten rid of that habit."

You send out a sensor, looking around the area. You see no animate skeletons, and those you do see are pieces of them on the ground.

"Looks clear." You say to the group. "Tayn and Turen, keep an eye on that tunnel, warn us if those skeletons come back. Usually they're not smart enough to retreat; there might be something controlling them." You look over at Malmar, who silently grasps his holy symbol. "Malmar, do you sense the old dragon's spirit anywhere? This... Sense of malevolence, is it radiating from any specific object or location?"

"No, but perhaps disturbing her bones would lure the spirit back." Malmar says, looking over at the bits of dragon skeleton. As if they were listening, the bones suddenly fall off to the sides, and you feel a quake as a large vertebrae cracks in the wall. A huge chunk of rock falls from the ceiling, straight towards one of the soldiers. You see only a greenish blur as the soldier is pulled away from the rock. You hear him let out a blood-curdling cry, cursing as he scratches against the rock, and against the stranger, who is slowly releasing him from his grip. The kobold is pinned beneath the boulder nearly three times his size by his left leg, and he cries out in pain.

"No! No, no no, you were wrong! I'm not cursed! I'm not!" The soldier collapses, clenching his fists in pain.

"I am sorry. I tried to save you from harm, but it seems that even that was already accounted for." The stranger looks down at him, the barest of emotions in his voice.

>>16760079
"So, disturbing her remains may bring her here, eh?"
Cast Bull's strength, and help to get the rock off of the soldier.
"Let's put an end to this."
Walk up to the skull and punch it as hard as we can.

>>16760146

"So, disturbing her remains may bring her here, eh?" You say, walking over to the pinned kobold and casting bull's strength on yourself. You try to move the boulder, and with some help from Tayn and the Stranger, you do so. The kobold's knee and leg below it are smashed, bits of white pulp mixing with the pink of his flesh. The soldier grits his teeth in pain as he looks at it.

"Damn the Gods! Damn you, you son of a bitch!" He growls at the green-robed kobold.

"I am truly sorry." The stranger says, reaching down to press on the kobold's wrist with two fingers. "This should help with the pain, but I don't know if anything can save your leg."

"Damn this curse, damn that dragon-bitch!" The soldier says, seeming to calm somewhat. "Fuck, that Godsfucking hurt!"

Malmar crouches down next to him, healing him with a touch. "Kurtulmak will avenge your injury through his people." he says, simply.

"Let's put an end to this." You say, looking over at the bones.

You see a phantasmal dragon's skull rise up from the pile of bones, and feel a surely malevolent presence within the room. A phantasmal body rises behind it, and the construction hisses one word down at you in a voice like the wind tearing itself apart.

"SUFFER."

>>16760325
"Oh ho, the bitch reveals herself at last."
Mynthar's lips pull back in a snarl.
"I am Mynthar, Head Magistrate of the Council of the Crystal Cavern People. I am, right now and only now, asking that you break your curse that has fallen upon my nation."

Mynthar may be a politician, but he's also a military kobold first and foremost.

>>16760461

"Oh ho, the bitch reveals herself at last." You snarl at the phantasm. "I am Mynthar, Head Magistrate of the Council of the Crystal Cavern People. I am, right now and only now, asking that you break your curse that has fallen upon my nation."

The head of the ghost looks at you, curiously, almost. It then snakes out like a viper, and you hear a cry out from Turen as the uninjured soldier moves in front of him, the soldier screaming in agony as his right leg thunks against the wall, without him attached. He shaking points his gun at the creature, firing a few times into its spectral body. The bullets pass harmlessly through.

You feel rage start to build in your chest, enough that you see bolts of electricity begin to fly forth from your eyes, and the knuckles on your right hand pop as you clench them, the metal screeching against itself.

>>16760598
"You said that there would be suffering. I'll make sure of it."
We need to make sure that our spells will even work on it. Start with something simple: Magic Missiles. See if they do the spectre any damage.

>>16760636

"You said that there would be suffering. I'll make sure of it." You say to the spirit, reflexively firing off a magic missile. The bolts of force pierce its hide, but barely seem to harm it. It rears back its head, the vertebrae of its ghostly neck extending as it readies a bite. You begin to move away, and see a blur that freezes you in your tracks. Are you still too close?

You hear the spirit let loose a high-pitched, barely audible whine, as Tayn lands in front of you, his tattoos glowing, and in a fighting stance. He grunts, looking down at his right foot, which is covered in scratches. "It's like hitting broken glass. Keep back from it!"

Malmar unleashes a burst of divine flames at it, but they seem to skirt around it.

"Oh no! Its spirit is still resistant to magic!" Turen shouts, dragging the injured soldier back. "Be careful! If it still has that ability of a dragon, it could have others as well!"

The she-dragon's eyeless head turns to look at the Stranger. Its jaw opens as it hisses out at him.

"YOU."

"Aye." The Stranger says, clenching a fist.

>>16760734
Look at the Stranger.
"A leap of logic, but..Hiraz?
"Regardless, anyone have ideas on getting past its spell resistance?"

Garbro has returned! ...only to post a few times and then head to bed. :(

>>16760734
"Is immortality one of your curses, Stranger? Because it's certainly becoming clearer on who you are..."

Care for our allies! Bull strengths, Eagle's Splendor, hell, even polymorph would be awesome right now. However, we may have to rely on our Malmar or the Stranger to find an effective means of exorcising the dragon. That, or we keep blowing spells until it stops moving...but that doesn't seem to be working.

After we buff ourselves, obscure the dragon's form with some heavy force attacks.

>>16760881
>>16761172

"A leap of logic, but.. Hiraz?" You ask him.

The Stranger looks over at you, an ancient and wordless fury in his eye. "I was called that name once, and have had many since."

The dragon's spirit rears back for a moment, before biting down at Hiraz with lightning speed. His hands are wedged between the dragon's transparent fangs, and his muscles strain against the titanic spirit. He wrestles it to the ground, pounding away at its skull with his fist as he holds it in place with one hand. It slips away, screeching.

"No way." Tayn says, looking over at him. "It can't hurt you?"

Hiraz holds up his hands, and you can see countless tears in his flesh, some kind of shining black surface beneath in place of his bones. "Not quite. I just hate this bitch."

"VENGEANCE!" The dragon howls, breathing out a blast of transparent, crackling thunder. It passes through Hiraz, blowing a chunk of his clothing off of his back, along with more of his flesh, but still he stands.

"Is immortality one of your curses?" You ask him as you move, casting protective spells on your allies.

"You might say that." Hiraz grunts, digging his fingers into the ground below him. He rips out a chunk of earth, and it begins to glow red hot, like molten rock, a moment later. "You might also say I'm too stubborn an old cuss to die peacefully!" He shouts, spinning his body and releasing the huge chunk of earth into the air. The glowing missile contacts the creature, and it yowls in pain. Bullets are fired into its form, and more and more they begin to split apart its form like water. The wounded soldier by Turen fires shot after shot into its skull, as Turen launches volleys of spells along with the other spellcasters. However, they seem to fall short, having no effect on the beast.

"Anyone have ideas on getting past its spell resistance?" You shout, but your voice is lost in the roar of combat.

"-luck, sir!" Turen shouts out at you, moving over to you and casting a spell on you. You feel a brief sensation of confidence as he does so.

Tayn and Hiraz square off with the dragon, each dodging an attack in turn as it strikes out furiously. The pair of them strike out at it repeatedly, battering piece after piece of its ethereal body away.

You finish strengthening your allies, bringing the other spellcasters back behind the two warriors.

Sorry for the delay, OP.

>>16761412
>>16761670
If the basic arcane spells are inefficient, perhaps some old-fashioned elemental fury is in order?

Let's begin with some frost attacks. Reducing the mobility of the dragon might work for protecting Tayn, Turen, and Malmar. If that doesn't work, then wait for the frost to settle in before heating it up with some fire.

Anything other than electricity/lightning since the dragon appears to use it as its breath weapon.

I'm heading to bed, OP. I'll see you tomorrow. :3

Also, what's going to take up your Friday slot from now on? A return to (vanilla) Sorcerer Quest perhaps?

>>16761890

You unleash a blast of icy power that seems to injure the spirit, but it still functions. You put on coat after coat, the dragon's bones beginning to crystalize. You unleash a blast of fire at it, shattering the ice at the same time as you scorch it. The dragon breathes forth another blast of lightning, this one at you. Your arm absorbs it, though you feel it getting high in charge as it does.

Tayn stays defensive, knowing he would be cut to ribbons if he were to leap whole into the beast. Hiraz rips his robe off with one hand shredded down to black bone and nail and deep red muscle, and leaps in wearing only a loincloth to strike at the beast. His arms wrap around its claw, and with a mighty spin of his entire body, you hear a crunch as its forearm is severed. The spectral bones remain in his hand, and Hiraz lets loose a furious roar, taking one of the ghostly claws and marking himself across the chest, slicing through his flesh like a fisher's knife.

Tayn takes the time that it is distracted to focus himself, rushing up underneath the creature and laying into it with volley after volley of punches. You hear his punches snap bones and watch as shards of rib fly up through the spirit's back, before unleashing a volley of rays that burn into its body and leave blackened scoring wounds across it.

>>16762090

This Friday, I'm afraid I shall have to pass. Running a playtest.

Back.

>>16762155
Discharge our arm against the ground.

Next, focus on the Stranger. Breath deeply, and give him either Bull's Strength (if we didn't already) or Enlarge Person (to give him more leverage since he appears to be GRAPPLING A DRAGON LIKE A BAWS).

Next, get a wall of force and put the starting point as close to the empty interior of the skull as we can manage. I don't think bone, even magic-spirit bone, will handle that amount of raw pressure.

>>16765345

You discharge your arm, readying yourself to accept another blast. You would give Tayn or Hiraz some assistance, but they are already right on top of the beast. Instead, you attempt to conjure a wall of force inside your foe's head. It seems to recognize your attack, moving away, but now it should have difficulty attacking through it.

Hiraz raises the beasts' claw, shouting furiously as he swings it like a club, smashing into the creature. It howls, blow after blow finding home on its body, and seeming to have a greater effect than the attacks did previously. Tayn moves agily to the creature's opposite side, coiling one leg and then forcing it out and up, smashing the creature's body into more of Hiraz's blows.

"A POX UPON YOU!" The dragon spirit screeches. She swipes at Tayn with her remaining claw, and he has to flatten himself to escape it. As Hiraz smashes her once again, her claws drive into him full-force, directly into his ribcage. The phantasmal claws slide off, carving through the flesh as they go, and revealing a taut red substance underneath as strips of flesh hang off of Hiraz's body. He makes no sound, driving the dragon's forearm into her body like a lance, ribs around it cracking like the surface of a boiled egg.

"Magistrate! We have a problem!" The soldier missing his leg shouts, pointing his weapon back towards the slim exist from this place. You turn towards it quickly, and see a large group of dwarf skeletons coming towards you.

>>16765951
Roll up our sleeves and get to walking.

"If anything will kill us now, it will be a Dragon; not some second rate Dwarves!"

Calm our breath, then blow, casting a straight line of disintegrate; trying not to hit the walls. If it means some skeletons manage to avoid the blast, that's fine.

>>16765951
A grouping of targets? Don't they know we have AoE spells?

Fire Ricocheting Lightning, followed by a Web spell to immobilize them for our support casters to take care of.

>>16766060
I'd advise against anything that ricochets in here; the walls are old and brittle, so anything that strikes it may cause a cave-in.

However, that Web spell sounds like an awesome idea.

>>16766156
This is cavern, not a structure. The walls have not been described as brittle.

Also, we've used the Ricocheting Lightning in here before with no damage to any of the walls.

>>16766045
>>16766060

"If anything will kill us now, it will be a Dragon; not some second rate Dwarves!" You say, feeling your blood run hot as more electricity flies from your mouth. You inhale it, and then bring one finger up to point directly at the skeletons, speaking three syllables with calmness and directness. A sickly green ray flies from your hand, and strikes the first of the skeletons, turning it to ash. The beam flies from it to strike against the wall, cleaving through part of the cave and flying back into another skeleton, and another. You clap your hands together, bringing them apart to reveal huge threads of lightning hanging from your hands like tripwires, and you bring your hands back to your sides, still crackling with electricity and then thrust them forwards. The blast of lightning is everywhere in the corridor, springing back off of walls and shattering skeletons into thin, blackened shards. They pop, like gunfire, until finally the lightning hangs in the air with no one left to destroy. The skeletons beyond the corridor glare at you, and you breathe out, feeling the powerful anger leave your body. You bridge your fingers towards the opening, then move them outwards, a thick web appearing in their way.

"The rest of you, hold them back!" You shout out to your allies.

>>16766173

OP made it clear that the cavern was severely dilapidated:
>>16758902
>>16759621

For the Ricocheting Lightning, it hit the dragon and pretty much stopped; we didn't aim it down a cramped corridor.

>>16766210
Turn our attention back towards the dragon. Does any of its bones appear to be weakened from fighting Halimar? If so, focus on that piece of yank it from the structure. Start dismantling the skeleton, basically. If we manage to prohibit from striking out, we'll have a much easier time just beating it into the ground.

>>16766210
Back to the skeleton. Use a force wall created at a right angle to the length of its remaining limbs at its joints in order to sever a limb apart at the joint.
Priority on its remaining front arm.

>>16766235
>>16766277

>>Halimar

Halimar? Like as in Hurricane Polymar? Shit, I want to see a kobold Polymar now.

You clench your fist, feeling the rage resurge through you. You raise up your hand, bringing it down like a knife through the dragon's other forelimb. It screeches, swinging the severed part through the air. The place of force falls against the spirit like a real wall would. Tayn touches a point on his leg, and the tattoos light up on his legs. He runs up the side of the wall, launching himself at the side of its head.

At the same time, Hiraz leaps up at the creature's head, leaping far higher than any kobold should be able. Tayn grabs the back of the dragon's head, and Hiraz wraps his arm around the muzzle at the front, and they turn the head to one side with the weight of their bodies. Wit an allmighty snap, they pluck the head from the dragon's neck, and the rest of the skeletal body shatters like glass.

Hiraz and Tayn land, holding the thrashing head as it tries desperately to break free. Hiraz' arms bulge with muscle, and he begins cracking the spectral bones of the head's muzzle, the spirit crying out.

"NO, NO! YOU DIE! YOU!"

>>16766556
>Hamilar

I done goofed.

"On behalf of the CCCP, I offer you one final chance to cease your hostilities." Take a quick, musing breath. "However, I don't think vengeful spirits takes second chances, so-" Nod to Hiraz.

>>16766589

You lower your hand, feeling drained from the fight. "On behalf of the CCCP, I offer you one final chance to cease your hostilities." You take a quick, musing breath. "However, I don't think vengeful spirits take second chances, so-" You nod to Hiraz.

Hiraz grunts as he crushes it further, the beast howling in dismay. "NO, NO, N-" The bones crack and crunch as the dragon's skull is further splintered by the powerful sinews of the former king. The skull implodes, and you hear a shattering sound as the dragon's physical skull behind it gains matching injury.

(That's it for now guys, playtest prep time.)

>>16766717
Ok OP; see you next week.

Also, two weeks since Gargoyle Quest ended. ;_;7