>>30718721
You'd progressed far enough to make some pretty sizable winnings from the bet, whether you won or lost the final fight. And you figured you probably could win...but knowing the way these criminal types tend to work, you decided to see about cutting a deal with the Thieves' Guild boss, a certain "Mr. Reedfeld", to maximize profits.

As fate would have it, however, the whole thing ended up being called off. As you were in negotiations with Reedfeld to rig the last fight, a messenger came running out to announce that your final opponent, the top-ranked fighter in the pits, had been found beaten silly in his chambers. After Reedfeld's initial suspicions toward you were rebutted, he proclaimed the bet nullified and announced the night's proceedings over. You ended up leaving empty-handed, with not even the reduced prize you would have received had you lost to the final opponent.

Leaving the pits with Kotori, you couldn't help but wonder who was responsible for beating up your final opponent. You wondered if the Thieves' Guild themselves may have arranged it to get out of paying your winnings, but soon you heard shouts from the guards in the corridors behind you. Whoever it was must still be roaming the cellars around the pits, and by the sound of things was making short work of the guards. Exhausted and thoroughly fed up with the insanity of the day's events, you decided to simply ignore it. Not your problem.

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>>30718728
Of course, for an adventurer, nothing is ever "not your problem". As you approached the tunnel exit, you spied a diminuitive figure coming out from a side tunnel. It was a puchi, unmistakably the same sort of thing as those two peculiar critters the guild had recently adopted as pets. As it approched, you crouched down and extended a hand in a gesture of friendship. The critter took your outstretched hand...and lifted you into the air by your arm alone, slamming you headfirst into the ground.

Hence, you find yourself now coming in to the guildhall nursing a throbbing, swollen bruise on your head, the most obvious sign of your misadventures coming not from any of the twenty-three pit fighters you dueled, but from a pudgy little critter standing roughly halfway to your knee. After swinging by the duke's palace to collect your reward for your efforts in clearing out the goblin tunnels, you arrive at the guildhall to find the girls cooing over the new puchi. In the better light here, you can see that it bears a striking resemblance to Makoto. Who, as it happens, seems to be most interested in it out of everyone there.

Ritsuko, on the other hand, looks rather irritated about the new arrival. She greets you at the door with a scowl. "So, Kotori tells me you had something to do with picking up yet another destructive mouth for the guild to feed. Is that right, Producer?"

>How do you respond?

>>30718748
nigga wat?
I just want a happy chihaya

>>30718748
"You've got something on your shoulder."

>>30718748
"It beat me up I had no choice!"

and aww no reward?

I thought I rolled good...

>>30718748
"I also picked up LOADS OF MONEY!"

>no archive link
>no twitter link
>no announce on QTG
Man you're really out of practice.

>>30718748
Oh I should have a real response


"Well maybe if you could acquire more food, this wouldn't be as problematic, wench!"

>>30718748
>It was a puchi

A book should start like that.

>>30718748

"Who's cookin'?"

>>30718748
"Hey, it's strong enough to whip me around with just one hand. And I didn't bring it here, it just followed us."

>>30718842
Whoops, you're right, my bad.

>Previous threads: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=iM%40S+Fantasy+Quest
>Inventory & other info: http://pastebin.com/88DNhJrp

I've never done QTG announcements, though. Should I start doing that?

Also, dice stuff: Thinking about it, I've realized that using only a single arbitrary roll out of a number of them (whether it's a fixed number or random like I've been doing) is silly. It's just making people roll more for the sake of rolling more.

Thus, the whole magic number thing that was done in the past is no more. Instead, I'll be taking the median result out of the first three rolls. For example, if the first roll is a 5, the second is a 12, and the third is a 2, the result used to determine outcomes will be the 5. However, 1s and 20s will override this, always being taken if present (and thus producing a critical success or failure, respectively). If both a 1 and a 20 are present in the first three, they cancel each other out.

This makes the multiple rolls actually meaningful, and tweaks the distribution of results in a way that I actually rather like. The overall ratio of success to failure odds are essentially unchanged, but the distribution of tiers of success/failure are shifted around. The most significant change will be that crits (both success and failure) will be more common.

In conjunction with this, if you wish you can use your reroll to simply cancel a 20 rather than rerolling, if you prefer.

>>30719203
ah...

farewell rolls that screw us over... those were fun

ah well this can be cool

>>30719203
>3d20 with crits
You do realise that gives us a 27% chance of crits on each roll, right?

>>30719203
nigg
im too drunk for this
just get me to chihaya
and i can die a happy anon

>>30718748
"Hey, it's strong enough to whip me around with just one hand. And I didn't bring it here, it just followed us. I certainly wasn't about to try to stop it after what it did to me when we met." You point to the angry lump on your head.

Ritsuko puts her hands on her hips. "Well, I guess if we can get it to do the same to a goblin or orc at least this one can earn its keep."

Makoto looks up from where she's crouched on the floor playing with the new puchi. "Ritsuko, you can't really mean to send Makochii out questing! Look at her, she'd never make it out there!"

Ritsuko whirls on her. "You've *already* named it?!"

From the back of the crowd gathered around the puchi, you see Chihaya look aside. You think you faintly hear her mutter something about wanting to call it "Gonzales".

>[] "I think Makochii is a perfect name, let's go with that."
>[] "Chihaya, did you say something? I couldn't hear you, speak up!"
>[] Suggest a different name

>>30719203
>QTG announcements
Probably unwise.
>>30719457
What are the other puchis called? I forget.

>>30719340
More like 24% and change, really, accounting for cancelling out. But yes, I'm aware.

I think it's a good thing, keeps things moving. Also, without tipping my hand too much as to the details of the system I'm using to process the rolls, I will say it works out pretty nicely for when you're attempting something with a low chance of success. It doesn't particularly affect overall chances of success there, but it does make it so success will tend to be dramatic when it does come.

As for the opposite case, where there's a low chance of failure, it does increase the proportion of failures that will be critfails, but particularly for the upper end of the capability scale the critfails already made up a fairly non-negligible proportion of failures even with a flat 1d20, so I don't consider it that drastic a change.

Also perhaps worth noting that I've always been running margins of success/failure beyond a certain amount as crits regardless of the natural roll, which really mitigates how much this change affects actual outcomes.

Suffice to say, I've crunched the numbers and deemed it suitable.

>>30719457
>[x] "Chihaya, did you say something? I couldn't hear you, speak up!"

>>30719457
>[] "Chihaya, did you say something? I couldn't hear you, speak up!"

>>30719457
>"Chihaya, did you say something? I couldn't hear you, speak up!"

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>>30719535
So far you've got Afuu and Harukasan.

>>30719589
Well okay then. A lot of QMs jump on the 3d20 bandwagon and then cry about CRITS EVERYWHERE.

>>30719653
well in that case
>>30719457
>[x] "I think Makochii is a perfect name, let's go with that."

>>30719457
"Chihaya, did you say something? I couldn't hear you, speak up!"

"Um, well, I was just thinking that Gonzales would be a good name," she says sheepishly.

She gets some funny looks and giggles at this. Haruka asks, "Didn't you suggest that for when we were naming Afuu and Harukasan too?"

"I just think it's a good name, really." She reaches across herself to clutch her opposite arm to her side in that awkward pose she seems to use so much.

>[] "Well, I for one think Gonzales is a great name. That gets my vote."
>[] "Sorry, Chihaya, I'm gonna have to go with Makochii on this one."
>[] Suggest another name entirely.

>>30719672
3d20 and Crit-fiesta? This should make things hilarious.

QM, what if two rolls out of three are the same? or worse, one is a good crit and the other a bad crit?

Also we stay to naming Makochii

>>30719998
>[x] "Sorry, Chihaya, I'm gonna have to go with Makochii on this one."
"Maybe we can get a dog? A good dog can be a valuable aid on certain quests."

>>30719998
>[] "Well, I for one think Gonzales is a great name. That gets my vote."

>>30720055
If two of the three are the same, that would make that result the median. That's just standard for taking a median, you list the results in order and pick the one smack dab in the middle. If your results are 13, 9, 13, then in order they are 9, 13, 13, which makes the one in the middle 13.

The case of two opposing crits I already addressed: they cancel each other out, leaving the remaining result as the one used.

>>30719998
>[x] "Sorry, Chihaya, I'm gonna have to go with Makochii on this one."

>>30719998
YOU GO TOO FAST

GONZALES IS A GREAT NAME
YOU'RE SO SMART CHIHAYA

>>30720233
Poor Chi-chan

>[x] "Sorry, Chihaya, I'm gonna have to go with Makochii on this one."

>>30719998
>[X] "Sorry, Chihaya, I'm gonna have to go with Makochii on this one."
"If we find one that looks like you though...? Feel free to name it Gonzales."

>>30719998
"Sorry, Chihaya, I'm gonna have to go with Makochii on this one." The others also seem to be overwhelmingly in support of that name, and so the new puchi was officially dubbed "Makochii". Chihaya seems slightly disappointed that her suggestion wasn't chosen, but it doesn't seem to have any lasting effect on her mood. It's just a name, after all.

You manage to pry Haruka, Yukiho, Miki, and the twins away from the puchis long enough to distribute their shares of the payment from the tunnel quest (450 silver pieces in total, so 75 apiece when split among the six of you), then ponder what to do next. You're not used to being off active adventuring; usually when that happens it's because you're laid up recovering from injury or there's just no work coming in.

>[] Try to identify those magic rings you got off the cultists
>[] Go check out that farm you wound up with the deed to
>[] Train in the yard
>[] Just hang out in the guildhall
>[] Other (write-in)

>>30720820
>[x] Try to identify those magic rings you got off the cultists
We may as well see if they're valuable.

>>30720820
>other [HUG CHIHAYA]

>>30720820
>[] Try to identify those magic rings you got off the cultists
See if the casters can help.

>[] Try to identify those magic rings you got off the cultists
who are the magic users that are at the hall?

bringing them with us to learn about magic stuff can maybe help with their own knowledge

>>30720846
>>30720895
>>30720901
I can't help but feel i am in the minority by sticking to chihaya.

>>30720917
she can come too. i mean she got the magic songs and all

>[] Try to identify those magic rings you got off the cultists

>>30720820
Right now, what you're really most interested in are those magic rings you took off the cultists. You take them out of your pack and examine them carefully.

Seven identical silver rings, each set with a clear stone and inscribed with runes on the inside of the band. You suspected from the outset that they were part of a set, and Ami's report of them flashing with synchronized colored lights would seem to support that theory. Neither Haruka nor Miki could figure out what they did, though they did confirm that it involved both light and air elemental magic. They'd said Iori or Takane could probably figure it out, and since Takane is apparently out at the moment you head to the kitchen, where Iori is chatting cheerily with Yayoi.

You explain what you know about the rings and set them on the table for her to look at. "Think you could figure out what exactly they do?", you ask.

"But of course!" she says, tossing her hair with one hand. "Let's see here..." She picks up one of the rings and peers intently at the runes inscribed within the band. "Mhm, definitely a linked set. I'll have to use a spell to see the details." She fishes around in her bag for a bit and takes out some chalk and a few odd baubles. Drawing a complicated-looking diagram on the tabletop, she places the ring in the center and arranges the baubles around the edge. Waving her wand over the setup, she chants some strange words and faint pink sparks lick over the ring.

>Cont'd...

>>30721958
inb4 explosion

The baubles shine with a rosy light and suddenly dissapear in bursts of pink sparks and Iori opens her eyes, which now glow with pink light. She looks at the ring, still chanting the spell incantation, then after a few moments stops chanting and closes her eyes. When she opens them again the glow is gone, and she turns to you with a smile.

"Just as I thought, they're signal rings. See, you just press on the stone in the center like this," she says, demonstrating, "and the rest glow with a color keyed to the one pressed." And indeed, as she pressed the first stone, the others all glowed simultaneously with the same reddish light.

"But wait, if that's how they work, and Ami says she saw them flashing the night after we left the tunnels..." you begin.

"Ah, look!", Yayoi says. "So many colors! How pretty!"

The rings were flashing now with a variety of colors, different shades of blue, yellow, and green, some purple, and silver. After a few moments, the colors die down and the rings flash only silver, a series of flashes of varying length before finally going dim again.

"There are others connected!" Iori says excitedly.
"There are otheres out there," you say at the same time, your grim tone a marked contrast to Iori's enthusiasm. "The other members of the cult have rings linked to this set, and now they might know we have one."

>Cont'd...

>>30722003
get to chihaya
or im leaving
she's the only reason im here

>>30721958
>>30722003
"Isn't that a good thing, though?" Iori asks. "If we figure out the code, we can intercept their messages! And we might also be able to use the link to track down the other cultists."

"On the other hand, if we can track them then that means they can track us..."

"I don't want cultists coming after me," Yayoi says.

"Why not break the link, then?" Iori suggests. "It could even be possible to break the link to the other rings while leaving the ones we have connected. We could use them ourselves!"

It's not a bad idea, you suppose. Being able to communicate silently at a distance would be pretty useful for adventuring. You'd have to figure out how to divide them up among the guild, though; 765Pro has 14 active members (once you get back to active duty, anyway), but you only have 7 rings. On the other hand, though the risk of being tracked yourself is not a pleasant thought, it could be very useful to be able to trace the remaining cultists.

>[] Cut the rings off from the rest of the set and use them for yourselves.
>[] Try to use the rings to listen in on the cult's communications and track them down, taking whatever precautions you can to prevent them from tracing you.
>[] Just destroy the rings; the risk of getting tracked down is too great.
>[] Other (write-in)

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>>30722035
Patience, man. It's a big cast, you can't always get your favorite to be in the spotlight all the time.
Have a fantasy Chihaya pic to tide you over.

>>30722283
>[] Cut the rings off from the rest of the set and use them for yourselves.
It's not like we'll ever be taking the WHOLE GUILD on a trip.

>>30722347
I'm drunk
it's all the same
she's practically my waifu
>>30722283
>ask Chihaya what to do

>>30722283
>[] Cut the rings off from the rest of the set and use them for yourselves.

although I wanna maybe keep 1 of the 7 for use of tracking cultists

>>30722347
Except Chihaya has had almost no interaction whatsoever.

>>30722283
>[x] Try to use the rings to listen in on the cult's communications and track them down, taking whatever precautions you can to prevent them from tracing you.
I wonder if we could talk the duke into giving us another contract to take down the cult.

>>30722467
We should definitely be filing that under 'someone else's problem', considering what happened the last time we fought them.

>>30722283
>>[] Other (write-in)

Cut off 6 rings, leave one for intercepting messages.

>>30722553
>>30722426

This

>>30722283
Five for conversion, one to be sent to investigation, another for our own signal interception.

>>30722681
thanks for disregarding me, assfuck

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>>30722746
what did I do? If I didn't read the posts enough, then sorry, but I made that choice after seeing the other posts.

>>30722923
I said
>ask Chihaya
unless that was to be sent for investigation
then you are forgiven.
I know I'm in the minority, but i will not give up on her. She didn't give up on me.

>>30722283
Of course, you could always do both. It's not like you need all the rings if you want to eavesdrop and track the others, so you could just cut off all but one for your own use and keep the one for monitoring the cult.

The question is how to go about doing this. You could certainly find someone at the Academy who could do it, but there could be some risk of the cult catching wind of you if you go through more public channels. Judging by their outfits and jewelry, the cultists you faced in the tunnels seem to have been pretty well-to-do individuals, which would suggest that this cult is decently well-connected. While perhaps not exactly *likely*, it would be *possible* that someone affiliated with the cult might see and recognize the rings and report back to the cult if you sent them out to be worked on.

The alternative would be to go with a more trusted connection. The only people you can think of who might be able to do it would be Iori and Findlay, with the latter being the most likely.

>[] Go to the Academy; the risk is small enough, and this is worth making sure it's done right.
>[] Ask Findlay to do it
>[] See if Iori could do it
>[] Other (write-in)

>>30723034
You know what
I'm going to stay the course.
My loyalty will be rewarded
>Ask Chihaya for her opinon

>>30723034
Iori first, then Findlay as another consultant. All else fails, then we send it to the academy.

>>30723034
>[] Go to the Academy; the risk is small enough, and this is worth making sure it's done right.

>>30723034
Just wait for Takane, see if she can do anything, or assist Iori.

>>30723034
>>[] See if Iori could do it

>>30723060
Actually, maybe you are on to something. It is wind magic... but when she can't figure it out, then I might as well push for my choice which is >>30723071 assuming that someone figures it out first.

>>30723132
>It is wind magic
Wait. Mikimiki!

BRING OUT MIKI

>>30723034
>[] Ask Findlay to do it
we need more peppermint sticks

alchemists cost cash and although deko is here would rather have someone experienced do it, she can come along and learn a bit though

>>30723034
You ask Iori if she'd be able to do the modifications to the rings.

"No problem! That sort of thing is nothing for me! Nihihi~" She seems pretty confident...maybe a bit overconfident.

"Iori, can you really change magic items like that? Wow! That's so cool!" Yayoi is pretty impressed by this.

"But of course! You don't graduate from the Academy of High Arcana as young as I did without being able to do something as simple as this."

Simple? You're certainly no wizard, but you'd always been under the impression that artificing was one of the more advanced forms of arcane magic. If nothing else, it would certainly stand to reason that if it were really so simple, magic items like this would be a lot more common.

But maybe Iori really is just that good and this sort of thing is simple as far as she's concerned? Ritsuko and Kotori had said she's only average, though...without knowing her better, it's hard for you to say just how much of her confidence here is justified and how much is just bravado.

>[] "Alright, I'm counting on you then, Iori."
>[] "Great! Just don't be afraid to ask for help if it turns out tougher than you expected, ok?"
>[] "On second thought, maybe I'll ask Findlay to do it instead."

>>30723742
>[] "Alright, I'm counting on you then, Iori."

Knowing Iori, the second option will set her off into a I'LL-DO-IT-MYSELF-IF-ITS-THE-LAST-THING-I-DO mode.

>>30723742
>[x] "Alright, I'm counting on you then, Iori."

>[] "Great! Just don't be afraid to ask for help if it turns out tougher than you expected, ok?"

>>30723742
>[x] "Great! Just don't be afraid to ask for help if it turns out tougher than you expected, ok?"
>[x] "And be especially careful of countermeasures."

>>30723742
I will abstain from this vote for what should be obvious reasons

>>30723951
You could've been the tiebreaker, but noooo...

>>30724341

roll d2 then.

Rolled 1

>>30724346
If I must...

>>30724341
I need chihaya.
That is all.

>>30723895
^

>>30724427
>a 1
WE WIN!

>>30723742
"Great! Just don't be afraid to ask for help if it turns out tougher than you expected, ok?"

"W-what is that supposed to mean? Are you doubting my abilities, Producer?"

"No, that's not it! It's just, you know, if something does come up that you didn't anticipate or something."

"Hmph! What do you know about magic, anyway? I'll be just fine, you'll see!"

It seems like you've irritated her a little bit. You change the subject and manage to get her calmed down. After a bit of small talk with Iori and Yayoi, you leave the rings with Iori and head back into the main area of the guildhall.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I think I'll have to call that a wrap for today, as I feel like my brain has gone to bed without me. As always, feedback is greatly appreciated.

Next session will tentatively be next Saturday. I'm not 100% certain on that, but it's definitely looking more likely than not.

>>30725166

See. Trap option.

Now she'll never ask for help.

>>30725210
It's just Iori. Who cares.
We'll send Takane in to observe and make sure she doesn't summon a demon or whatever.

>>30725210
well to be real i dont trust iori to do the BEST job per say

also we needed Peppermint sticks

>>30725166
t'was good

>>30725316

Which is why its important for her to be able to ask for help