>>35732757
4chan is being weird as fuck, so no autorefresh, but welcome back scorpions!

Anyway, I'm somewhere between

> "That's awful!"
and
> "These rangers - could I talk to them?"

Because, you know, I think it's awful and I wish to see their fighting men and ask them what they've seen.

>>35732855
oh, now that I think about it, this might be the way they make so many centaurs.
We should probably make mention of it in some way.

>>35732757
> "These rangers - could I talk to them?"

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>>35732757

"That's awful!"
Nur-Sin turns back to face you and the girl. His look of sympathy is calculated, showing up right on cue. "Yes, I know, dear. But leadership requires making some hard choices. The people don't react well when the pits are closed, and our free fighters are too valuable to waste on killing each other. And anyway, the pits mean we always have plenty of blood to heal the sick and see to our defense."

"Sure." You try to continue the conversation with Nur-Sin without being distracted by the girl playing with your hair. "These rangers - could I talk to them?"

"When it comes time for you to leave. They patrol the land north of here. If the cult wanted to make trouble, the easiest way for them to do it would be to disturb the holy forest. Just imagine it - incurring the wrath of the gods, awakening whatever deadly monsters hide there, perhaps even finding the gates to the underworld itself!"

He slithers toward you. "We have to prevent that,, for the safety of the whole world..." He puts a hand on your shoulder. "For the children..."

> Back away a little
> Try to use the white glove on him
>Look stern. "You don't have to convince me. I'm doing everything I can here."

>>35733205
>>Look stern. "You don't have to convince me. I'm doing everything I can here."
It is just going to get more and more complicated to tell him we have a boyfriend, isn't it?

Also, I like this little girl. She seems not super traumatized.

>>35733205

> Try to use the white glove on him

>>35733498
>>35733259
no reason not to do both. Other than, you know, horrible mental images.

FUCK UEAH SCORPION GIRL QUEST

Though I'm damn busy, will try to participate when possible.

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>>35733205
You are the stern scorpion, You tighten your hold on Nur-Ningal protectively. "You don't have to convince me. I'm doing everything I can here."

"Good," he says, with a face that doesn't look entirely pleased. He reluctantly returns to his seat. "But individuals can only do so much. We should strengthen the peace and cooperation between our cities. Perhaps your priests know some secrets unknown to our wizards, and vice-versa. We stopped producing centaurs after the great treason, but we have other monsters at our disposal. We still have some lammasus. We could lend you one."

"And in return?"

"I'd ask for a priest to learn from, to come and trade magic with us. If you're wondering whether I'd ask for the return of our illustrious prince, don't worry. Keeping him hostage is good because... it keeps the peace. In fact, I have some personal items of him that you may bring to him at your leisure." You do remember that the prince asked for his flute, if you should ever find yourself coming this way.

> "I won't be going that way soon. You may send someone to Ligish to deliver the items."
> "No, no. That sounds dangerous, and unnecessary. What if there's some magic trick in his personal effects that he could use to escape?"
> "Nur-Sin... is this a coup? You hope he never comes home, don't you?"

>>35733735
> "Nur-Sin... is this a coup? You hope he never comes home, don't you?"

No need to play the fool.

>>35733735
>> "I won't be going that way soon. You may send someone to Ligish to deliver the items."
I don't mind magic cooperation. But we don't have time to administrate it right now.

And perhaps remind the centipedeman that the prince IS coming home one day. Right?

>>35733735
> "Nur-Sin... is this a coup? You hope he never comes home, don't you?"

If we assist him, we will have a better base of operations while exploring the holy forest.

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>>35733735
You've often gotten your way by playing the innocent scorpion, but you're not the stupid scorpion. You say what you're sure he's thinking. "Nur-Sin... is this a coup? You hope he never comes home, don't you?"

The centipede smiles his first sincere smile of the day. "You know me too well, my dear. But am I wrong? The prince started all this foolish aggression. We were tributary to Ligish, yes, but we were surviving. He endangered all of that, for the sake of foolish pride, and as a result he nearly destroyed our city. We're much better with me in charge. I will admit, I poisoned his flute, suspecting he would ask for it. You have a lovely venom all your own, I'm sure. Would you prefer to do it yourself? We could do this together. Isn't it lovely having someone to share secrets with?"

> "Would that please you?"
> "I'd rather not do it at all! It's a bad idea. Just be glad that h's gone. If he dies, we'll need another hostage."
> [Lie, partially] "I used to find you charming, but after seeing what you're really like, I want nothing to do with you."

>>35734064
>> "I'd rather not do it at all! It's a bad idea. Just be glad that he's gone. If he dies, we'll need another hostage."
I've not even met this prince guy, I'm not going to help assassinate him.

>>35734064

> Use the glove as we caress his cheek.
> "You remind me so much of my father, but even he knew killing kings was a terrible idea."

>>35734064
>>35734064
> "It's a bad idea. Just be glad that h's gone. If he dies, we'll need another hostage. Not to mention it would make us look bad."

>>35734064
> [Lie, partially] "I used to find you charming, but after seeing what you're really like, I want nothing to do with you."

I din't really unserstand this option.

>>35734064

It looks like the majority option (tag him with the glove) didn't happen last post. Anyway we can work it in now?

>>35734258
Basically, "I like you, but you're turning out to be a douche, so could you cut it out?"

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>>35734064
"It's a bad idea. Just be glad that h's gone. If he dies, we'll need another hostage."

"And I would be next in line, eh? Being your hostage doesn't sound so bad. As much as I like my position here, you must admit that it has a certain appeal."

You continue. "Not to mention it would make us look bad." You reach out with Ishtar's white glove to take his hand lightly. "You wouldn't want that, would you?"

You get visions in your head of something Nur-Sin feels strongly about. You're in his body, his human body, from some years ago. You're a boy, recently bathed, smartly dressed. Your vision is dim. Or maybe the vision itself is dim. Most people's visions are more bright and colorful and intense than real life, but here everything is subdued and shadowy. You're following behind a man in blue-green robes and beads of lapis lazuli in his beard. He has a large heavy urn in one arm. You come to a table where a beautiful woman has been chained up and gagged. The man pours blood out of the jug onto the table in circles around her. She screams through her gag. She glows red, the only bright color in the vision. She bursts open. Swarms of spiders and snakes crawl out of a bloody husk.

You have to focus on not screaming. Finally the vision ends. Where were you? Oh, yes.

> "I don't keep the hostages. Your stay would not be a comfortable one."
> "You want to be our hostage? That can be arranged. I think that would be good for everyone.."
> "No, this is a bad idea. We'll keep the prince safe in Ligish, and sooner or later he'll die on his own."

>>35734627
oh jesus centipede man, what kind of shit does your city get up to?
> "I don't keep the hostages. Your stay would not be a comfortable one."
Use truth where it is applicable and doesn't hurt us. That is the way!

>>35734627
> "I don't keep the hostages. Your stay would not be a comfortable one."
>"And besides, we can always extend his stay to...forever, maybe?"

>>35734627

> "I don't keep the hostages, and I'm often away. Your stay would not be as comfortable as you are imagining. Besides, a girl growing up needs consistency."
> Grab the child and touch her with the glove. She might tell us a lot about this man.

>>35734807

Inb4 we see visions of the two in bead.

>>35734906

And then we can violently murder him, making the remainder of the thread incredibly fun and interesting.

>>35734990

Anon, pls.

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>>35734627
"I don't keep the hostages, and I'm often away. Your stay would not be as comfortable as you are imagining. Besides, a girl growing up needs consistency."

"Yes, of course, the child. I can't forget about her. You know, before she came into my custody, I hadn't given child-rearing much thought, but she's become a little side project. We live off all our lives off of what we receive as children, don't we? With the right combination of experiences, a child could grow up to become perfect. A hero. Maybe even a god. It's just a matter of finding the right combination..."

Nur-Ningal now seems interested in your hard chitin. You offer a claw, and she holds just the tip of it. With your gloved hand, you hold her steady, and you receive a vision.

You are Nur-Ningal. The world is very large. You don't suppose the world has ever been any different for someone of her stature. You're in a small house that looks vaguely familiar. You've seen it before, but not whole. There's a red-orange fire on the hearth. You're in bed with your mother and father. There's a shiny, spotless bronze helmet hanging on a peg on the wall and some gear stacked under it. Perhaps this was the last night before he went off to war.

> "An interesting theory. Have you asked anyone else for advice? People who have raised good children, perhaps?"
> "That can't be true. I received nothing when I was little, and I turned out all right."
> "There's a child I know who has a chance of becoming... something powerful. It's strange magic from the Deathless Delta. They say the names of things don't apply to him."

>>35735018

I know, I shouldn't humor him. At any rate, I think Anu has better taste than that. I still think scanning her is a good idea because we'd get to know some stuff that would be pretty useful. He's been wringing the fear out of her and that might be translated to "doing horrible unspeakable things to or around her".

>>35735044
>> "An interesting theory. Have you asked anyone else for advice? People who have raised good children, perhaps?"


then bring up the
> "There's a child I know who has a chance of becoming... something powerful. It's strange magic from the Deathless Delta. They say the names of things don't apply to him."
We're TRYING to raise him as well as we can. But it's not actually so well, but we work with what we have.

we should make meleku hang out with our blood priestess friend more. She likes kids, and might be a better influence.

>>35735044
> "An interesting theory. Have you asked anyone else for advice? People who have raised good children, perhaps?"

Hunzuu received things to turn her ino a hero.

A badass scorpion body and a lot of hope from a shitty childhood.

>>35735044

> "A child is only as good as the people who raise her. Know that if nothing else you are the god in the weight of her world, and for good or ill, everything you say or do will shape her into the woman she will become. I know it can't be an easy burden. Have you tried asking anyone else for advice? People who have raised good children, perhaps?"

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>>35735044
"An interesting theory. Have you asked anyone else for advice? People who have raised good children, perhaps?"

Nur-Sin laughs. "You know, after I concluded that there was nothing written on the subject, I gave up. Foolish, wasn't I? It's a common enough trade. Making children, I mean. Commoners do it all the time. I'll try to track down the best people still in Turtak and interrogate their parents. That will teach me the secret..." The way that the centipede can be coaxed toward the right direction only to come up with something even more twisted than before reminds you of your dear foster father back home.

> Request some time alone with Nur-Ningal
> Request the prince's flute, just so you have a sample of the poison
> Offer an exchange of magical knowledge between Ligish and Turtak
> Any of the above

>>35735438
I want all three of those things, as they're all useful.

Let's do
> Request some time alone with Nur-Ningal
right now, since she's right here, but the other two can come as soon as we get back together for talks.

And I want to give the prince his flute back, just without the poison on it.

>>35735438

> All of the above
> Request the prince's flute, sans poison. He stays alive until further notice.
> Spend time with Nur-Ningal. Maybe she can tell us more than we can snatch from her head with magic.
> Offer to see about negotiating an exchange of information, the Lammasu coming as our escort when we leave the city to help smooth transitions with the northern guard and sticking around while we figure out what's going on.

>>35735438
We must never let him meet the blood priest unless we want both of them dead within 15 minutes.

>>35735438
> Any of the above

Any or All?

>>35735571
I'm not sure if it's because they poison each other, explode themselves in a horrible spell, or do something so horrible we have to kill them.

>>35735438
> Offer an exchange of magical knowledge between Ligish and Turtak

Make sure the lammasu he's offering to lend us can actually teach magic that we and humans can use. Don't want to be cheated into getting a monster that only knows magic unique to lammasus.

>>35735595
Yeah, getting magic would be one of the more actually important ones.
It's kind of unpleasant, upon finding out all the details, to marshall all the kingdoms together to work against the pazuzu freaks.
I can't wait until someone invents human rights.

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>>35735438
You gather your thoughts, your head still reeling from the visions you received in such quick succession. You put together a list of things you'd like from your many-legged host.

"Well, I've been very impressed by these pits, but I think it's time to move on. Give me the prince's things. Maybe if he starts misbehaving, I'll have to give him that flute after all."

"Of course!"

"And a magical exchange is probably a good idea. Both our cities want to guard against Pazuzu, so we should make each other stronger."

"I can only concur!"

When you get back to the palace, you manage to get Nur-Ningal away from the centipede and play with her, witnessed only by the occasional servant. She rides you around the wide hallways. Her grip is a lot stronger than it was two years ago. You question her further about how well she's being treated. She explains, rather inarticulately, that she mostly gets to play with the centipede and some nursemaids, but sometimes there are "scary times" when "papa tries to make me not ascared of things anymore. Like how I used to be ascared of you and papa, and of... not having real mama and papa around."

> Write in particular questions to ask her
> Suggest a particular Great Priest to lend to Turtak for the magic exchange
> Try to get some information from the servants about the poison on the flute

>>35735790

> Is your papa a nice man most of the time, though? You know, besides the scary times?
> Do you have any friends you can play with?
> What sorts of things are you no longer scared of?

> "Give us a lammasu to accompany us back to Ligish. They can act as your representative to the priests, explaining what you may have to offer and helping us figure out what we need to offer you for your defense."
> Try to get info on the poison if there is time. (Otherwise, we use blood dad).

>>35735790
> Write in particular questions to ask her
Tell her it's okay to be scared sometimes. Heck we were kind of scared about the no real parents thing too, and it's still a bit of an issue to this day.

Maybe ask her how she likes the city? Find out how much of it she's seen, and her take.

As for which priest in particular, well, I can't think of any that would be particularly jumping at the chance to go.
I imagine we'll have them draw lots. so instead of that,
> Try to get some information from the servants about the poison on the flute

>>35735790
> Write in particular questions to ask her

>"Has Nur-Sin spent time with other women at all?"

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>>35735790
Nur-Ningal, may only be five or six, but she's the only one in this whole palace you trust to give you straight answers. You've found an area lit by magic torches that make you glow bright blue, and now Nur-Ningal is drawing black doddles on your chitin with a piece of charcoal.

"Is your papa a nice man most of the time, though? You know, besides the scary times?"
"Sometimes I don't see him. He goes out to do things, like real papa did. I wish everyone would just stay and nobody would go."
"Do you have any friends to play with?"
"There's my nursemaids. They're nice. They say I'm lucky to be here. But my old house was good, too."
"What sort of things are you no longer afraid of?"
"Well, you and papa! And other crawly things. Crawly things can be nice, too. And the dark. And fire. And blood. Fire and blood are good 'cause they keep us safe, papa says."
"How do you like Turtak?"
She doesn't seem to understand the question. The city might be the whole world to her. "It's... good?"
"Has Nur-Sin spent time with other women at all?"
"Sometimes people come into the big room to talk to papa. Some of them are women. Fancy dressed people who have important things to say. I have to be very quiet when they're talking."
"No, I mean like... does he ever talk about getting married? Finding a new mama for you?"
She frowns. "Well... he said you might do it. That you might stay. Are you gonna stay, Zuu? Or are you gonna go away and leave me again?"

> "I have to go. I have to save the world. There are bad monsters, not good monsters like me. I have to save you from them. Just like your real papa..."
> "If you want to, you could come with me. Would you like to live with me instead? No more scary times?"

>>35735790
"Show me where he touches you"

>>35736186
> "I have to go. I have to save the world. There are bad monsters, not good monsters like me. I have to save you from them. Just like your real papa..."

No more baggage. Hunzuu will have her own kids.

>>35736186
Oh god my heart. Anu you always present the most difficult decisions.
Okay, risk calculus time. Is she more likely to be harmed in the possession of a guy with unrequited love for us that could turn into anger, who is also doing weird and scary things to her, or coming with us on a dangerous mission that may or may not result in mass casualties?
Gimme like, a minute.

>>35736186
>>> "I have to go. I have to save the world. There are bad monsters, not good monsters like me. I have to save you from them. Just like your real papa..."
Let's be perfectly honest, squishy things we care about and also take on adventures do not have that high of a survival rate.

>>35736269
>>35736186
Can we ask her if she things she's in a good home right now?
We want her to have a good home. We can't really bring her, because, well, people we bring with us tend to die. Unless they're REALLY hardcore.

>>35736186

> "I wouldn't make a good mama right now. I need to protect lots of people, and I'd be gone all the time. I'm sorry I can't be there for you, now, but I hope you understand. It's the job of big people to protect everyone they can."

>>35736186
> "I have to go. I have to save the world. There are bad monsters, not good monsters like me. I have to save you from them. Just like your real papa..."

>>35736269

By the time he is ready to hurt her, he won't be able to. It's pretty clear that he's already going all reverse blood dad on her. He loves her, in his own way. In time, he'll realize that love for a daughter is its own reward.

And if not, we have justification to tear Turtak apart brick by brick.

>>35736393
Can we maybe just like get him to stop doing super scary shit to her?
That can't be good.

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>>35736186
"I have to go. I have to save the world. There are bad monsters, not good monsters like me. I have to save you from them. Just like your real papa..."

She clings to one of your eight legs, clearly having a hard time coping with this. She nods in resignation, though. "Yeah. My real papa... did you know him?"
Your stomach churns. You really, really hope you didn't kill her father without realizing it during the battle of Turtak. He didn't look familiar in the vision, but you don't remember the faces of most of the humans you've butchered. "I know he was a soldier. He went to war to protect you. He didn't want to go, but he had to. Like me. But I'll come back and see you again."

She sniffles. "Okay..."

You spend some more time letting her draw on you, letting her tell you the stories she's being taught about Enlil and Sin and all the other gods, just holding her. Then you bid her and Nur-Sin farewell and go back to tell your troops what you'e learned.

Zakiti and most of the charioteers agree that it would be a good idea to go north to the rangers' outpost, the place where they pick up their shipments of supplies, to see if they know anything about the cult or can lend you any aid. After the meeting is over, though, and the men and Zakiti are all busy eating, Iltani comes up to you and lifts her hood.

"This centipede. Nur-Sin, his name was? He sounds... unstable. I know the feeling. Prideful, wanting to see how far his power can reach. We have to make him stop being obsessed with you."
You shrug. "That would be nice, but how?"
Iltani smirks just a little. You haven't seen this smirk out of her in a while. "He'll get over you the same way I did. By playing with someone else. Let me try to seduce him."

> "Hah! If you think you can pull it off, be my guest."
> "I appreciate the suggestion, but that seems like a really bad idea. Please don't."

>>35736561
"You realize he's a centipede, right?"

If she is REALLY okay with it, then I condone it, since they are basically a great match.
But I don't think it will work, illtani. And you must stay secret.

>>35736561
>"You sure you want a giant royal centipede obsessed with you?"

If she still is ok with it tell her maybe later, but right now doesn't seem like a good time.

>>35736561
>Y-you sure?
I'm also fairly certain he has a thing for chitin and a fetish for bugs.

>>35736561

> "Iltani, I didn't think he was your type... That was a joke. Stop making that face. Seriously though, I don't want you doing anything like that for me. Think about how I'd feel knowing you were doing that sort of thing with him. Let him plot. Let him scheme. If he tries to take advantage of me, I know you'll be the first one there to deal with him in what I hope is a more enjoyable way."

>>35736673
It might not be a good time right now, I agree, but I do think they'll make a good match eventually.
>>35736714
I think that's why there's so many "are you sure?"s. Like, to confirm she'd enjoy it and not just to get heat off us.

>>35736714

Add to this
> "You should only do those sorts of things with the person you love."

>>35736561
>his obsession is useful, Iltnai."

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>>35736561
You almost spit out the bit of goat you were chewing. You weren't expecting to hear that. "Are you sure?! I did mention that he's a giant centipede, right?"

Iltani stammers to make a reply. She even paces around a little. "Is it weird that I don't care? I think maybe Pazuzu messed up something in my mind, but he seems just fine to me for... that kind of thing, just like you did. Lots of legs, strong enough to knock a wall down, venom, great, I'm all for it! I don't remember what I liked before, on the farm, before the voices got louder. Maybe I didn't like anything. But I can do this. I'm trying to help here. If it won't help, I won't do it. But if it'd help, then... yeah! I think I could like it."

> "It won't help. I want you and I fighting side by side, with no distractions."
> "It sounds like you want an excuse to go. Go on, then, with my blessing. Here's hoping he has the right parts for it."

>>35736902
>> "It won't help. I want you and I fighting side by side, with no distractions."
>"besides, his obsession is useful. I can keep him reinged in, somewhat, for a while."

>>35736902
>> "It won't help. I want you and I fighting side by side, with no distractions."
Nuuu I don't want to lose Iltani.

>>35736902
> "It won't help. I want you and I fighting side by side, with no distractions."
>But once we're done with our little pazuzu hunt, there will be plenty of time to pursue romance, and I'd give you my blessing.

Priorities. You're free to go seduce him, just not while we're in the middle of a campaign.

>>35736902
> "It sounds like you want an excuse to go. Go on, then, with my blessing. Here's hoping he has the right parts for it."
Somebody's got to vote it.

>>35736902

> Hug that damn kid.
> "Iltani, I get it, but please stop. Take a deep breath. Good. You know that you don't have to do anything for me, especially not something like this. If this is something you want for yourself, though, if you think you might like to get to know Nur-Sin, you have every blessing I can think of to do so. Just make sure that this is something you want.

>>35736902
She has a god damn Us fetish. Haha.


> "It won't help. I want you and I fighting side by side, with no distractions."
Can we tell her that we'd miss her way too much to let her go? Perhaps add hug?

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>>35736902
"It won't help. I want you and I fighting side by side, with no distractions."
Iltani chews her lip and looks up at you with her unnaturally dark eyes. "So you like having me around? Sometimes I'd think that, when I was alone behind bars, waiting for you. It took me weeks before I even considered what you might actually think of me, and when I did start thinking about it, I realized it probably wasn't good. I know you only like boys, and one day you'll make Hillallum very happy. I've done bad things. Really bad things. I made others do bad things, too. And Ninlil died because the cult was trying to get to me. I have the worst thing in the world inside me, and it's all my fault..."

> Give clawhugs. "Shhh. It's not all your fault. I want to be your friend. If I didn't, I'd never have saved you from the king."
> Fold your arms and claws. "I've done bad things, too. We're all sinners here. Two bastards from a city of thieves, just trying to hold the world together. So be strong about it. Own it."

>>35737243
> Give clawhugs. "Shhh. It's not all your fault. I want to be your friend. If I didn't, I'd never have saved you from the king."

Though, some things are your fault. That goes for everyone.
LOTS of things are my fault! Let's not talk about that!

>>35737243

> Give clawhugs. "Shhh. It's not all your fault. I want to be your friend. If I didn't, I'd never have saved you from the king."

>>35737243

> Give clawhugs. "Shhh. We've all done bad things from time to time. If I've told you once, I've told you a dozen times. It's what we do after that defines us as people. I love you Iltani, and all I really want is for you to love yourself. I like boys, and your tastes are a little exotic, who cares? I just want you to be happy, whatever that means."

>>35737324
maybe a bit too much.
I mean, she likes goin' out and killing people. None of that.
And saying we love her is a bit dangerous.

>>35737324
>>35737377
>>35737243

Maybe something more like:
> Give clawhugs. "Shhh. We've all done bad things from time to time. What's important is what we do afterward. You're a wonderful person, Iltani. Never stop believing that, and know that the only thing I will ever really want from you is for you to love yourself."

>>35737488
I dunno man, we can't really call anybody a wonderful person around here.
Most we can say is they try their best, and everyone does some shit, and we hope they're happy.

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>>35737243
She looks like she's on the verge of tears, so you intervene with a timely clawhug. You know she's strong enough to handle all the hugging you can give without being crushed, so you don't hold back. "Shhh. It's not all your fault. I want to be your friend. If I didn't, I'd never have saved you from the king."

Iltani cries anyway, but she returns the hug, squeezing the area where your human trunk melds into your scorpion bits. "Oh, Hunzuu... you've been so good to me. Better than I had any right to expect. I'll find a way to repay you one day."
You lift her chin with your claw. "Hey, don't worry about it. For now you can just help fight our enemies. And if we earn a break and some peace and quiet, then you can think about finding a new creepy-crawly to play with."
That makes her laugh through her tears a little. "You're not creepy-crawly, Hunzuu. You're... never mind. I don't think I can explain."

A charioteer oversees you embracing the sobbing woman he believed to be your handmaiden. "What's going on back here?" he asks too loudly.

You turn to him and hiss. "Mind your own business!"

He breaks eye contact immediately and shrinks from your presence. "Yes, ma'am..."

>Head for the ranger outpost
>Stay longer in Turtak. Conduct a long, thorough search for people who know about the cult of Pazuzu

>>35737488
Stick with good person, that should be better than wonderful.

>>35737544
>>Head for the ranger outpost
They seem to not have any information on the cult here, and the rangers might be a better bet.

All our leads are so cold.

>>35737544
Head to the rangers, we don't have the time to stick around here. Maybe worth leaving a few charioteers here to follow up on leads though.

>>35737544
>>>Head for the ranger outpost

>>35737558

Whelp, didn't matter one way or the other.

>>35737544
>Head for the ranger outpost

Leave before Nur-Sin makes things awkward.

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142 KB JPG

>>35737544
The next morning, your men resupply in Turtak and set out for the ranger outpost. You're told that the rangers wander far to the east and west of here, trying to catch anyone who might be trying to commit the sacrilege of going to the cedar forest, but that there is usually a small force here to receive carts of supplies from the city. However, when you reach the small structure, you find it completely empty. There are no bodies nearby, nor any signs of pillage. They must have left here in a hurry.

Zakiti finds horse tracks leading east. You follow them with all the speed you can manage. After a few hours following the trail and losing it once or twice, you see a rider coming in your direction. He's well armed and armored and wearing a wooden mask. When he sees you, he pauses to try to get a look at you. He can see that there are two monsters in your party, and so can his horse, who spooks and rears up, though he manages to stay in the saddle. He looks ready to turn tail and run at any moment.

> Call out to him. "We come in peace. We were worried when we saw the outpost abandoned. What's going on?"
> Approach slowly with your claws up, but chase him if he runs. Roll 5d6.
> Chase him without delay. Roll 5d6.

>>35737858
> Call out to him. "We come in peace. We were worried when we saw the outpost abandoned. What's going on?"
He might be one of the riders we're looking for.
If he's the one who dissapeared the riders, well, give him a head start after we find out before we run him down.

Rolled 3, 2, 2, 2, 6 = 15 (5d6)

>>35737858
>Chase him without delay. Roll 5d6.

Rolled 3, 1, 5, 4, 1 = 14 (5d6)

>>35737858

Well, this is clearly the worst option, but fuck it
> Chase him without delay

>>35738034
>>35737952
C-can we at least slowly approach him first?

Rolled 6, 6, 4, 4, 3 = 23 (5d6)

>>35737858
Call out and approach slowly.

>>35738049
Yeah, we're faster than a horse so we can chase him down if he runs away.

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21 KB JPG

>>35737858
You approach him slowly, wondering what the deal is with the mask. Is he friend or foe?

Seeing that a force that could probably catch him is choosing not to, he dismounts and tries to calm his horse, who doesn't seem to like you. He lifts his mask. "Hunzuu, right? Our peoples are at peace. We are sworn to cooperate. You can't be part of this, can you?"

"Part of what? I'm hunting the cult of Pazuzu. What's happening here? Why was the outpost empty?"

He pulls his mask off the rest of the way and wipes the sweat from his dark brow. "We saw them. There was a small monster, but I didn't know they'd be so strong. They drove us back. We went to get more men, and they slaughtered us. East of here. They're building some kind of altar..."

> I'm going to break here. Thank you all for playing. I've archived this thread at suptg already, so vote on it and stuff. I liked this thread; I think we had some good character moments.

>>35738260
Thanks for running, anu. We're getting back in the groove, I think.

>>35738260
thx 4 runin budi gud thred

>>35738260

good run, I missed you.

Anyway, a bunch of guys died and that sucks, but we FINALLY have a lead!

>>35738260
Any eta for the next thread?

>>35738692
Maybe Sunday. If not then, next weekend.