“Alan,” you inform her.

“Arka,” Arka responds in turn, unaware you already know her name. And then she strides pridefully from your tent.

You put the quarterstaff down and make sure you're actually alone now. Once you feel you have privacy you get up and throw off your blanket. You begin to put on your clothes, starting with your shirt.

Just as you begin to pull it over your head, you hear the sound of footsteps running towards your tent. Shit, not enough time.

You toss the garment aside and grab your quarterstaff, ready for whoever wants to fight a spatially disoriented naked man. Rowe bursts through the tent flap in a hurry, carrying a tray with food and a bowl of water on top of it. She stops, frozen in shock as she sees you ready for combat.

You lower your weapon and relax at the sight of her, relieved at that one conundrum solved rather quickly.

(Alan . . . are you alright?)

(Yeah. Thank The Great Will you're here.)

Rowe walks over and places the tray on a makeshift table inside your tent. She carefully walks over to you: still tense, alert and on edge.

(I just saw Arka walk out of your tent.)

(Yeah. She –)

SMACK

Rowe slaps you across the face. You grab your cheek. “OW!” you shout, equal parts pained and offended. You look back to Rowe, then down at your nudity. You look at your girlfriend like she's acting like a lunatic because she is.

(You can't possibly think I was cheating on you! Last I was conscious I was fully clothed so somebody else stripped me down. I don't even know her.)

“What?” Rowe utters that out loud, surprised. (I thought she might have cast some mind control spell on you and was preemptively slapping you out of it.)

(. . . Oh. Alright then.)

SMACK

Another slap across the face. “OOOOOWWWW!”

(Let me guess. That one was for almost getting myself killed.)

(Actually, still just wary of mind control. Being extra cautious.)

(Does slapping someone even work to free them from a mind control spell?)

Rowe shrugs. (Dunno. Worth two attempts. Maybe even three.)

You give her a death glare. She laughs. (Alright. Alright. Let me apologize.)

She slips her arms around you and you kiss. Deeply. Her hands roam the newly formed muscles etched into your back, delighted sounds of discovery escaping her lips and you feel the overwhelming urge to dip your own digits you have wrapped round her waist a tad south. You realize you should probably stop now before you end up getting too involved in the moment.

And you also want to distract yourself slightly from the . . . illuminating(?) fact that those slaps didn't really do much to combat your own personal pitched tent.

You end the kiss and pull away from your lover.

(Alright. What happened after I was pulverized by that Hill Giant?)

Rolled 81 (1d100)

Rowe sighs. (I healed you as best I could, but you were pretty beat up. I'm not the most proficient magical healer and no one in Zar'kov's tribe is much better. So I put your unconscious body on Tornado and we rushed here into the mountains where the Mountain Rider Tribe is currently camped.)

(You've been recuperating here while I've been applying my best efforts at accelerating your recovery for the past two days. Jungle elf and The Stealthy One have been here for a while before us. Apparently Kardas has gifted the Mountain Riders a lot of guns as a sample of what a potential alliance betwixt the two might bring the natives.)

(The two Imperial agents are here as diplomats or something while they negotiate. There were . . . heated tensions when we all first arrived.) Rowe admits, her cheeks flushing rosy.

(But Zar'kov quickly brought order to the situation. We're on neutral ground for the time being. So no turning Arka into a pincushion and no assassination attempts from the ghost. And . . . that's about it.)

>Alright Alan, what first? (write-in)

>>352497
Can we take anything from the hill giant as a commemorative trophy?

Also, may want to tell Zharkov about the incident in the forest and ask what the hell is going on.

Afterwards, ask if we can have one or two of the rifles as a subject of study.

>>352498
>the incident in the forest

Which incident in the forest?

>>352503
>>352498
I think he means either the lion-orc or the mutants with Etriarch, seconding both

>>352497
First, let's check on our animal companions: Muffin, Pascala, and Tornado.
Then we should find Zar'kov and ask about the lion-orc.

Also, I think we need to step up our game; the Empire is doing a lot better than we are in getting Island groups to side with them, and we need to find advantages that we can ship back to the Republic so that they can start getting some victories against the Empire.

>>352522
ok, meant the lion- orc, but sure, let's ask both.
>>352592
ok

So, if we can destroy the Imperial docks, that should give us some advantages:
1. Find whatever they're using to pay off Burn, and interrupt it so that either we can pay him, or make him take his stuff and go home.
2. Slow the flow of Imperial money, guns, supplies, and personnel.

We might want to think about summoning and binding water elementals in order to raid the supply ships.
Of course, since the Empire is using neutral merchant ships, we'll need to be more careful. Maybe get pirates to do it for us? Find out if the Rosco trader nation is actually doing this entire thing under the table with the Empire, or if it's just a couple merchants who are abusing their nation's neutrality to profit from the war.

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You nod your head and rub your cheeks in contemplation. (Alright . . . how are my animals?)

(Tornado is having the time of his life with the rest of the tribe's horses. Pascala has been staying with me and Sif in my tent. And Muffin has been scurrying around. He's smart enough not to stray or get himself into any danger.)

You nod at the good news, relief seeping into you. (I should speak with Zar'kov about some things then.)

Rowe looks you up and down critically, indicating maybe you should put your clothes on first. You roll your eyes and wave her off. You obviously weren't going to go out naked.

You finally manage to pull your Mythral shirt over your head without interruption and put on your pants. You adorn yourself with your Cerillian uniform and slip on your general's coat. Saber in your scabbard of vigor. Strap on your efficient quiver. Mental ring of shielding on tight. A few more of your magical accessories follow and you end it all with adjusting the cap Rowe gifted you on the crown of your head.

(Thanks again, for this. This was a literal life saver.)

She shrugs. (I'm just glad it actually worked.)

Well you seem to have all your equipment and nothing seems to be missing . . .

Huh. A piece of dark parchment lays on the floor, beneath the rest of your belongings. The last thing you've yet to put back on. You stoop down and pick it up off the floor of your tent. You unfold the creased note and read the words.

Right, Gabby's IOU.

“ONE FREE MASSAGE. REDEEMABLE ANYTIME. WITH OR WITHOUT HAPPY ENDING.”

You chuckle. Remembering you slipped this into your pocket right before you left. Gabby's 'birthday gift'.

Suddenly, concern grips you tight about the chest. You fold the note again, covering the words in the irrational fear Rowe might be reading it over your shoulder. You look to her with your peripheral vision as she waits to your side, a blank expression upon her face.

You can't help but ask. “Were you the one who took my clothes off, during my recovery?”

(Yeah.)

You gesture with the note, smacking it rapidly and lightly into your open palm. You attempt to ask nonchalantly, like you're simply curious and not guilty.

“Did you . . . read this when you took it out of my breeches?” You show her the nondescript parchment.

(Oh. Is that the note Gabby left you offering to massage and fuck you?)

Rowe's facial expression goes a bit darker. Did you just audibly gulp?

( . . . Yeah.)

Rowe shrugs. (Gabby's such a kidder.) She follows the thought up with a quick derisive laugh.

>Ignore and go about your business
>Say something? (what?)

>>353873
>( . . . Yeah.)


Sorry, that should read.

" . . . Yeah."

>>353873
>Say something
"Eh, you know how she gets when she's got one too many drinks and not enough time to reconsider the wisdom of her actions.
"But let's hope we've got something to negotiate with, since the Empire's already brought crates of rifles and bullets."
We have to talk this through with Rowe, but in the middle of neutral territory where our enemy is doing a great job of swaying the neutrals towards their side is not the place to do it.

I'm going with an implication that Gabby was drunk at the time she wrote this note, calling back to when she got kissy with everyone during New Year's.
Also a subtle jab at Rowe's own passive-aggressive jab at Gabby of not telling her about Alan's birthday. A sort of 'if you didn't start it, she wouldn't have escalated it' sort of thing.

>>353873
>Say something? (what?)
"Not so sure about that... Pretty sure Gabby is attracted to me. I like to think I'm not that dense."

>>353924
Going straight to talking about how another girl is attracted to us with our girlfriend?

That's a bold move. What would you say we follow up with?

>>353947
Gabby being attracted to us is nothing we have power over, so Rowe shouldn't be able to turn it to our disadvantage (except for female irrationalism).
Now, adding "Gabby's attractive" is risky even when we add "but I love only you".

>>353947
>What would you say we follow up with?
That depends on what Rowe says. All we are doing right now is admitting that Gabby is probably attracted to Alan.

We can't keep beating around the bush forever with this shit. Some progress needs to be made, but it needs to be slow I imagine.

>>353877
this>>353918 I will support
>>353924
i don't think we should use this in the current situation.

>>353972
we could probably mention "She was kind of upset that you didn't tell her about my birthday."

though, I'm not sure now would be the best time to use it.

>>353972
Wasn't Rowe there when we found out that Gabby thinks Alan is cute?

>>354018
Well, I checked and Rowe may or may not have heard it from Eve, since it was Eve, Dolah, and Gabby that first heard it from Alan's mouth.
Then Eve told Quissonce, and Eve, Quissonce, Dolah, and Gabby teased Alan about it.
Rowe and Kyra came later, and it wasn't explicitly said that they found out what had happened, but this is Eve we're talking about. I don't think she could have stopped herself even if she tried.

ok, how about we just ignore it for now and change the subject, we'll have plenty of time to talk about it later, because I'm honestly not sure there's anything we can say without making it sound worse.

We try to change the subject here
>"But let's hope we've got something to negotiate with, since the Empire's already brought crates of rifles and bullets."

When we get to seaside, then we can talk to Rowe and Gabby about it.

>>354149
I think we should acknowledge that there is more we need to talk about, but that right now we need to concentrate on getting out of this situation alive and with the Republic's interests protected.

>>354221
not sure how to put it, though.

should we mention:
"She was a little upset when she wrote it, though."
?

>>354255
I suppose. It let's Rowe know that we know she fucked over Gabby.

Rowe must already know that Gabby is attracted to Alan; otherwise she wouldn't be doing this passive-aggressive bullshit to fuck up Gabby's friendship with Alan.
Admitting that we know that she knows may put things in motion, but I think we're all agreed that getting into the heart of the problem right now is not what we want, right?

>>354409
this would be better left until we have all three of us together to discuss, i think

Alright, putting options in to have this be more concise.

>She was a bit upset about you not telling her about my birthday

>Pretty sure Gabby is attracted to me. I like to think I'm not that dense.

>Gabby can be a bit impulsive.

>Let's hope we've got something to negotiate with, since the Empire's already brought crates of rifles and bullets.

>>354870
>She was a bit upset about you not telling her about my birthday
>Pretty sure Gabby is attracted to me. I like to think I'm not that dense.
>Let's hope we've got something to negotiate with, since the Empire's already brought crates of rifles and bullets.

>>354870
>She was a bit upset about you not telling her about my birthday
>Gabby can be a bit impulsive.

>Let's hope we've got something to negotiate with, since the Empire's already brought crates of rifles and bullets.

>>354018
>>354136

The conversation about Gabby thinking Alan is cute was only serious when it was a private-ish conversation at the bar. The rest of your friends were making fun more of you asking the question "do you think I'm cute?"

And I'm starting to write the update now.

>>355574
jk, taking some time to play dark souls 2 sotfs. Will write update later.

>>355613
is that game suppose to be really hard?

>>355761
I'm playing the Scholar of the First Sin edition.

It's a bit harder than Dark Souls 3 but that's because I can't account for shockwaves yet.

Finally writing that update.

“Actually . . . I think she gave that to me because she didn't have time to get me a real gift and Gabby was a bit upset at you for not telling her my birthday was coming up.” You try to say it as gently as possible to avoid –

“WHAT?!” That. “Why in the fuck is she mad about that?!”

You suck air through your teeth. This isn't going to be pretty. “It was rather . . . passive aggressive of you to snub her like that. You told everyone else my birthday was coming up in advance so they were able to get me gifts. The fact that you purposely left Gabby out makes it seem like . . .” you trail off, not particularly feeling comfortable finishing the thought.

“Seem like what?”

“Like you're trying to sabotage my friendship with Gabby because . . . you two had a fight,” you finish strongly, neglecting to mention one other reason Rowe might want to sabotage your relationship.

“Oh, so that's what it looks like, huh?” she asks rhetorically, tapping her foot as she crosses her arms. “Sabotage? Y'know if you're such good friends, maybe she should have asked you about your birthday without any prompting from me. I didn't tell Quissonce and Ed about your birthday so they could get you a gift and look like they're such better friends than Gabby. I told them about your birthday because of that.”

She shoots out her arm and grabs the cap off of your head. She squeezes it between her fingers and shakes it in your face.

“I was asking around about how to get you the perfect present and was asking for their advice on how to make a magic fucking hat.” She throws it down on the ground.

“And you're right. I didn't talk to Gabby because we had a fight and despite pretending things were alright, they were not. And if you haven't noticed, interacting with Gabby can be a lot like walking on eggshells.”

Pause.

“Would it really have been less passive aggressive if I had walked up to her and said 'hey, I know you want to FUCK my BOYFRIEND really badly but I'm keeping him all to myself for a few days so could you grab him a gift for his birthday'? You think that would have panned out a lot better than just avoiding a confrontation?”

You grimace as a few of her words shake your core harder than that hill giant's footsteps. Silence pervades the tent for a few long moments.

Rowe speaks first.

“Well, no big gasps from you at that revelation. So I assume you already knew.” Rowe clucks her tongue and stares at the floor.

“Of course. I'm not completely dense.”

“And yet,” Rowe grabs the note from your hand and holds it up, waving it like a burning cigarette. “You still decided to keep this around. So this is something serious and you're planning to 'collect' which makes you a dick. Or this is just a funny joke to you and you know its a big 'fuck you' to me and you know she has feelings for you which you're just playing with so that . . . makes you a fucking dick!” She shakes her arms in time with her declaration, her voice shrill.

“Or maybe Gabby shoved something into my hand and I put it into my pocket because I wasn't thinking about it too much or too hard. Look can we not do this right now?”

“Do what right now?” she demands, emphasizing the word as she cocks her head.

“Argue!” you qualify. “The Empire has thrown crates of guns at the Mountain Riders to woo them over and it looks like they've made a convincing argument. We need to work together right now to pull something out of our collective asses to negotiate with.”

“Please, you started this!”

>Move on
>Call Rowe out on her bullshit
>Something else? (write-in)

>>356246
When argueing with women, apologize. Tell her we understand how she feels and why she acted like she did, but that Alan still is friends with Gabby and that he doesn't want any of his friends to feel left out. inb4 that makes it worse

>>356246
>Something else
"You're right, I'm sorry, I shouldn't just sweep this all under the rug until a more convenient time.
"I'm not planning to 'collect', and it's not a joke to me. Yes, I know it's a 'fuck you' from Gabby to you, in response to what she thought was a 'fuck you' from you, and I'm sorry I didn't do anything to make her think otherwise. I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions myself.
"And I know she has feelings for me, but I've told her time and again that I love YOU, Rowe. I'm not playing with her feelings as if it's some big joke. I'm trying to be a genuine friend to her.
"She'll probably try to kill me if she knows I told you this, but she's going through a rough time right now. She's not the old Gabby who came back as evil on Dolah's GOD SENSE; that Gabby wouldn't give two shits. But right now, her outlook's taken a fundamental shift, and Dolah doesn't pick up that she's evil anymore. She's been forced to come face to face with the fact that there are gods judging her every action like some kind of bar tab that she can't skip out on. And the worst part of it is that it's when I gave her access to holy power. It's really freaked her out, and while she'll never admit it, she really needs a friend right now."

While saying all that, I personally think that as professionals we both should be able to detach ourselves from our emotions and do our duty, because there are lives on the line.
Also, I'm really unsure about talking about Gabby's recent alignment shift. It's a very personal thing, and while Rowe wasn't there when Dolah admitted to it, we did tell Rowe that we kind of forced the idea of redemption into Gabby with our Touch of Destiny.

>>356339
should we mention that the clash between believing she was in the right versus being evil caused quite a bit of cognitive dissonance, not necessarily helped by the fact that she kept believing she was evil for a considerable amount of time after Dolah stopped detecting her as such?

>>356344
>the clash between believing she was in the right versus being evil caused quite a bit of cognitive dissonance
No, it wasn't so much that.
She believed that being evil was being herself, and whether right or wrong, it didn't matter.

What our Touch seemed to do was to give her a channel to the Great Will, and forced her to experience a difference between good and evil in a tangible sense.

>>356339
>"And I know she has feelings for me, but I've told her time and again that I love YOU, Rowe.

I think the only part i would contend with is this, since I think Alan would also start loving Gabby as well.

We can leave this line out. If she presses for an answer like that, we'll make a response.

>>356362
Your waifu pandering's getting more and more blatant. Let's not leave that line out.

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“You're right,” you admit. “Sweeping this under the rug until the situation is more convenient isn't going to work. I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions. I figured that note was just another salvo in the war you two seem to be having. I'm not playing with her feelings because I don't think it's a joke and I'm certainly not going to collect.”

“Look, Gabby is going through a bit of a rough patch right now and it's sorta my fault. Her outlook on the world has shifted a lot and Dolah revealing that she hasn't been evil for a long time now has thrown that into whack. Gabby would never admit it, but she needs a genuine friend right now. I know she has feelings for me, but I've told her time and again that I love YOU, Rowe.”

(You've talked about it to her already?)

“Yeah.”

(Just talking?)

It takes you a moment to think it over, but you decide to just speak the truth.

“She kissed me once and I . . . kissed her back. For a moment. And then I pushed her off.”

You tense yourself and hold your breath, waiting for that third slap to rain upon your already bruised cheek.

(I . . . uh, I guess I really can't be too mad about that.)

You squint your eyes at her and recoil slightly in shock. She notices your reaction.

(I did something . . . slightly worse. Regarding infidelity.)

You feel your face drop and it's like all the color and light in your body has been drained from you. You start to see red and clench your hands into fists.

“With Etriarch?” you tentatively ask, not sure if you're ready to hear the answer.

(What? No. Well . . . unless you count dropping everything – including our relationship – at the drop of a hat on the off chance it could save his life as . . . cheating.)

“Uhhhhhhhhh,” you sound out, simultaneously processing your thoughts on that conundrum and feeling relief that at least if your girl was unfaithful, it wasn't with that shithead. “That's a complicated situation. But you didn't kiss him?”

(No.)

“Then who?” Ed? Gale? Blackburn?!

Rowe opens her mouth to speak instead of think the answer, but stops before uttering a sound. The expression on her face looks almost like she's confused about the altercation as much as you are right now.

(I, uh . . . made out with Gabby at The Sword and Shield once. That's it.)

Silence.

You digest that information.

WHAT?!

The thought is so loud you feel the ring of mental shielding vibrate on your finger, it's magic stretched to the limits to prevent that thought escaping from your mind into Rowe's.

“What?” you decide to vocalize it instead.

(I was drunk and it was very quick. Over in a few seconds. I regretted it immediately. Alright, we've aired our dirty laundry, let's get back to the business at hand. Time to act professional.)

Rowe turns on her heels after that rapid assault of thoughts and books it out of your tent, leaving you still standing there with your brain full of . . . Gabby?!

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No. No you're certainly not done. You pick your hat up off the ground, wipe the dirt off it and secure it snugly on your head. You follow Rowe out the tent, purpose in your stride.

Sure enough you're among the mountains, their grey stony bodies and white-tipped peaks of various sizes and heights surrounding you on all sides. The Mountain Rider tribe's tents litter the current valley they're entrenched in, the donkeys and scraggy horses completely in their element.

Children of various shades of green dance around your feet, yelling and playing with reckless abandon as you catch up to wherever Rowe has decided to flee. The smells of horse dung, cooked meat and fresh dew enter your nostrils as you hear the whinnies of horses, the whipping of the wind and the Orcish dialogue coming from all around the camp.

Thankfully you're used to mountains since you've spent most of your military career fighting in them. So charging uphill after a retreating opponent hoping to route and interrogate them is no alien feeling to you.

Rowe stops suddenly in her tracks as you catch up to her. You peer round her stiff form and spot a gaggle of Orcish children that stare and ogle her non-Orcish –

(GUN!) Rowe's thought jumps into your mind as you spot the kid – no older than six or seven – pointing a revolver up at Rowe. Finger on the trigger, wide smile on his face.

You reach forward and grab her by the arm, yanking her back out of the line of fire.

Before you can formulate a proper response to disarming the child, Zar'kov seems to just appear on the scene like an angry wraith, pouncing upon the group of kids. He leans down, grabs the pistol out the child's hand and cuffs him over the back of the head.

Before the kid can begin crying Zar'kov grabs him by the shoulder and shakes the gun in his face.

“This is not a toy. Where did you get this?” he asks, scolding the boy in a manner similar to an older brother.

You have only some experience with that situation.

The waterworks start, but Zar'kov has none of it. He pulls the kid's hair, causing the child to screech.

The boy eventually blubbers out about stealing it from “the pile”, before Zar'kov lets him go and orders him off to his parents' tent.

Zar'kov walks over to the two of you and with some difficulty manages to open the cylinder of the revolver. He shows it to the both of you. No bullets chambered.

“You weren't in any danger,” he tells you, embarassed. “But I apologize all the same.” He closes the cylinder and then stuffs the gun in his pocket.


>Zar'kov, just the man I wanted to see
>Welcome to the world of firearms
>Gabby?!
>Something else? (write-in)

>>357455
>>Zar'kov, just the man I wanted to see
>>Welcome to the world of firearms

as an aside to Rowe (though, probably save this until after talking with zharkov.
>>Gabby?!
>>Something else? (write-in)
"I have the hottest boner right now."

>>357455
>>Welcome to the world of firearms
>>Zar'kov, just the man I wanted to see

>>357455
>Zar'kov, just the man I wanted to see
>Something else
"How did the battle go? Did the orc who I got clobbered for get out alright?"
I don't want to be snarky about welcoming the orcs to the world of firearms, because let's be honest, giving them guns would have been OUR tactic to win them over.

And when you have border skirmishes with literal giants, you want every advantage you can get.

>>357466
>>357470
Guys, we need something that we can offer these orcs in trade to ally against the Empire that has a dragon on its payroll and who can easily afford paying a single merc 1,000 platinum coins a month, let alone all of the others they employ.
Don't snark off on firearms, which could be a trade item we can use in our negotiations.

>>357487
ok, retract the snark.

>>357466
>"I have the hottest boner right now."

Jesus Christ Wrenloft.

Alright, writing!

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IT'S SUNDAY AND YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS! ANIME! ANIME! ANIME SUNDAY!

>>357466
>as an aside to Rowe (though, probably save this until after talking with zharkov.
As much as Alan would think that, that is NOT what we should say to her.

Just a "Eh, you were drunk. And, I assume, Gabby was also drunk at the time."
Everybody gets one free pass sort of comment, if we ever say anything about it, which we shouldn't.

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“Zar'kov.” You clasp his hand. “Just the orc I was looking for.”

He chuckles. “And what does Alan the Giant Slayer want with a simple blood merchant.”

“Giant slayer?” you ask, quizzically.

Zar'kov shrugs. “I've never seen an orc slay a giant in single combat. And neither have any of my riders. The stories were told upon the night of our return and the title has stuck.”

“How did the battle go?”

“Very well. Other than Du'kov's horse we made it through without a single casualty. Much thanks to you and of course to your lovely tree-walker companion here. I've never encountered a fiercer battle maiden.” He bows to her gallantly.

She laughs. “Half tree-walker, actually. But thank you for the compliment.”

“So,” you interrupt. “Is Du'kov the orc I got clobbered for?”

Zar'kov nods his head.

“He made it out alright?”

Zar'kov sighs. “He made it out with merely a few bruises. Alright is a . . . different matter entirely. Perhaps I should let him ask you himself, but I think you should understand the context of the situation. Du'kov knows you risked your life to save his and believes himself indebted to you for your act. Du'kov is young and is coming of the age when a warrior chooses a proper mentor. One with experience. Most sons choose their fathers, but Du'kov's father was born with a limp and as such he has always tended the horses and children along with the elderly and the women.”

“I think I know where this is going,” you comment. Zar'kov nods.

“It is not forbidden for a mentor to be selected from outside the tribe, but it is meant to last for five years and until then the student is . . . honor bound to the mentor and his duties. Du'kov does not wish to act according to the wills of our council if their decision conflicts with his own beliefs. This would free him from that, categorically. You can refuse the offer, of course.”

>Sure, I'll take the kid on
>I think I'll decline
>Conflict?
>Something else? (write-in)

AND

>Ask about the lion-orc
>Ask about taking trophies from the Hill Giants
>Tell Zar'kov about the mutant orcs
>Something else? (write-in)

>>357684
>Conflict?
>Something else?
Can we ask Zar'kov more about the rights and expectations of both the student and the mentor?
I don't want to get the kid involved in a war without him at least understanding what he's going up against.

>Ask about the lion-orc
>Ask about taking trophies from the Hill Giants
>Tell Zar'kov about the mutant orcs
I'm kind of conflicted about telling Zar'kov about the mutant orcs; most likely they were taken from other island orcs, probably the enemies of the Mountain Riders.
But it also shows that the Empire has no moral limits on its weapons and super-soldier programs.

Writing!

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“Conflict?” you ask, pointedly.

“The elders of my tribe are cautious by nature. When it was simply one group of foreigners trading blood for bows it was alright. But now that we know there are two groups and your tribes are at war . . . some believe you are bringing your war to our shores. These . . . Kardassians bring us weaponry to aid us in defending our own tribe and offer a military alliance. There is a small chance our elders may side with them, but most likely we will choose to remain neutral since we have no stake in your fight. Whatever we decide it may severely alter the current trade agreement we have.”

“So,” you change subjects, “What are the expectations of the student and master in this relationship?”

“He is to attend to your practical needs like cleaning your weapons, your horse, your food. In return the mentor allows the student to watch him in action, perhaps accompany him in battle and answer important questions. You can smack him on the nose if he gets too talkative, however.” Zar'kov laughs.

(So a squire, basically.) Rowe points out.

“Alright, I'll think about it. Would it be possible for me to take some trophies from those Hill Giants.”

Zar'kov frowns and looks to Rowe. “I already gifted your companion your share of the spoils. You received their material possession while we took the necessary lifeblood that sustains our tribe. A lot to be found on Hill Giants.”

(A map of the Island that shows a few landmarks. Written in some language called 'Giant' as Zar'kov puts it. I've been looking it over. We also received a very large lantern and a very heavy but rather ornate painting of an elven maiden.)

You nod your head. “Are your elders aware that the Kardassian forces they're considering allying with have experimented upon –”

“Yes, they are. Upon your arrival, Arka informed me about the unfortunate realities of some of their encounters with the unique properties of our Island. Orc raiders captured and exposed to things their forces had no clue would cause the damage it did. I assure you, my people are taking such reckless acts into consideration.”

(Smart fuckin' bitch. Got ahead of it so the reveal was on her terms.)

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“One last thing. We recently went lion hunting in the hills. Rowe and I. Although the lion we killed transformed into an orc upon its death.”

“We're a bit confused,” Rowe adds on. “We were wondering if you had any idea what it was.”

Zar'kov frowns. “Sounds like a skinwalker.” His facial expression curdles. “Did it bite or scratch you?”

You shake your head. “Felled it with arrows before it got a chance to spot us.”

Zar'kov nods thoughtfully. “Good then. Skinwalkers are dangerous. The curse they carry transmits itself like a disease. On full moons you turn into a beast against your will and live like one, forgetting all sense of self until the next day. They have a form, not quite man and not quite beast – but a synthesis of the two. And in that form they are extremely dangerous. Tell me, did you use silver upon it when you put it down?”

You and Rowe share a look. “No.” you say in unison as you look back to Zar'kov.

“Burn the corpse?” he asks.

“Buried it,” Rowe informs him.

“Hmmmm, well if it's a skinwalker then it isn't dead yet. Almost there, but if it gets dug up and those arrows are removed it will be back out roaming the hills again. Culling skinwalkers is considered bestowing a kindness upon the land and freeing a pour soul from their horrid fate.”

“Are they evil?” Rowe asks, concerned.

“Uhhhhhhhh, the affliction certainly is,” Zar'kov finally says after pondering the question for a bit.

(We have to go back and dig him up.) Rowe immediately thinks into your brain.

>No, we're moving on
>Yeah, we gotta dig him up
>Yes, but only to put him down for good

AND

>Take on Du'kov as a squire
>Do not take him as a squire

AND

>Something else? (write-in)

>>358132
how is
>>Yes, but only to put him down for good
different from
>Yeah, we gotta dig him up
?

in any case,
>Take on Du'kov as a squire
this could lead to improved relations with the tribe


>Something else? (write-in)
on the ride over
ask Rowe whether or not she was attracted to Gabby in the least.

>>358154

>Yeah, we gotta dig him up

implies that you're going to dig him up and then let him go.

>>358132
>Yeah, we gotta dig him up
>Take on Du'kov as a squire
Expose him to knowledge of the world outside the Island. Show him the variety of skills we've mastered. Teach him what we can. Tell him in no uncertain terms NOT to try to keep up with us; we're an existence that demons, devils, and angels fear. He simply can't ASSIMILATE skills like we can.
I would offer him The Touch, but warn him that it's unpredictable and should not be used extensively, as it brings the risk of becoming mindlinked.

>Something else
Ask more about the skinwalker disease.
What beast forms are known? How can we test for it? Does the skinwalker retain their sense of self? Does he have some spare silver arrowheads or a pair of daggers he could trade to us?

>>358160
then we'll put him down.

>They have a form, not quite man and not quite beast – but a synthesis of the two. And in that form they are extremely dangerous.
For example, this part.
Is turning into this were-lion form something that the skinwalker can choose to do?
We took him down when he was in a pure lion form, so I assume that it was a full moon when it happened. Could he assume the were-lion form if we were to dig him up?

Do the Mountain Riders have a shaman who can tell us more about the spiritual aspects as well as the pathology of the skinwalker disease?

>>358164

You already have a silver dagger.

You could trade in 40 arrows for 40 silver arrows if you trade in the very large lantern to the tribe.

Do this? (Y/N)

>>358194
I mean, if the very large lantern we have isn't anything unique or particularly hard to come by, sure.

>>358189
>I assume that it was a full moon when it happened.


Actually it was day time when you killed it.

>>358194
>You already have a silver dagger.
Yeah, but I was thinking about Rowe also having one just in case the skinwalker recovered enough to put up a fight.

>You could trade in 40 arrows for 40 silver arrows if you trade in the very large lantern to the tribe.
No.
As useful as those silver arrows would be, that trophy would be hard to get otherwise, and I'm tempted to ask Gabby to have it put up on a wall of the Sword and Shield.

>>358207
>it was day time
Huh, then we should really discuss this more at length, because some of the characteristics aren't matching up with what Zar'kov is saying about the skinwalker curse.
>On full moons you turn into a beast against your will and live like one, forgetting all sense of self until the next day.

>Something else
Let's bring out the bracers and ask him about them, as well as the markings on the spear we memorized.
And warn him don't touch the potentially cursed item.

>>358194
yeah, on second thought, we probably won't need to trade them in. Just dig up the corpse and shank him with a silver dagger.

N

>>358219
Oh, and the orc had a tattoo. Don't forget that.

The spear.
>Effective and nondescript, save for the tassels of bird feathers that trails off near the head of the weapon, partly aiding in keeping the weapon tied together. It seems a bit garishly colored, considering the yellows, blues and reds so you make sure to memorize the pattern and the shade

The Tattoo
>You turn your head to see that Rowe has lifted the orc's body up giving you a view of his back. Smack dab in the center seems to be a design of some sort etched black into the green skin.

Alright.

If you trade in all of your throwing darts and all of your javelins and all of your nonmagical arrows you can get 40 silver arrows for yourself and 1 silver dagger for Rowe.

>Do this? (Y/N)

Regardless, writing!

>>358285
Yes

>>358285
Y.
We can resupply on mundane arrows, darts, and javelins back at Seaside on the cheap.

And please don't forget asking about the tattoo and spear decoration.

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“How many forms of skinwalker are you aware of?” you ask Zar'kov.

He clucks his tongue. “Hmmm, bears, wolves, tigers, rats, lions, boars. There could be more.”

“There a way to test for it?”

“Wait until a full moon?” he offers unsure, before chuckling. “You could also wound them with a weapon and if they regenerate from that quickly, try again with a silver one. Very few other things it could be at that point.”

“You said it happens only on a full moon,” Rowe brings up. “The one we hunted was a lion during the day.”

Zar'kov scratches the back of his head, brow furrowed. “Well . . . it is believed if a skinwalker lives long enough to bear children then their descendants will possess the curse, but have an instinctual ability to control it. Of course, not many would lay with a skinwalker. The first one killed by a skinwalker is generally who they sleep beside.”

“We found a pair of bracers on him that were magical. Plus a mundane spear with some bird feathers attached and he had a tattoo on his back," you list them off in recollection.

“Ooh!” Rowe utters like she just remembered something, before taking off her backpack and popping it open to rustle through it. She pulls out a picture of the very same tattoo you saw, drawn relatively similar to the one you saw on the orc's skin. "I had a lot of free time while you were unconscious."

Zar'kov takes the picture and studies it for a few moments. “Hmmm, looks like a tribal tattoo, but not one I'm familiar with. Which is . . . disturbing.”

“Why?” you ask.

“Well, if it was one I recognized I would assume this orc is a skinwalker who escaped his tribe before they could put him down. But since I don't recognize it and you claim this man was a beast during the day . . . there is a chance this orc might be from a tribe that condones skinwalkers. Perhaps is entirely composed of skinwalkers. I've never heard of such a thing, but it is not impossible to conceive.”

(When everyone else wants you dead, the only people who don't soon become your family.)

“Alright, well we need to go back and deal with the mess we've made,” you tell Zar'kov. “I want to trade with you some of our equipment for some silver weapons. Think you can spare a few?”

“We should be able to. Haven't needed to hunt a skinwalker in a long time. Are you thinking of accepting Du'kov's request for mentorship?”

You nod.

“Good. He'll come and ask you himself once he hears you have recovered. Try to act like you're surprised.” Zar'kov winks, before walking off back to his duties.

(We're not just going to kill that orc we dig up, are we?) Rowe thinks to you.

>Yes, we are. I trust the Mountain Riders on this.
>We'll give him a chance

AND

>Anything else? (write-in)

>>358563
Well, now that we think about it...
>We'll give him a chance
If he does try to lash out at us, then we'll kill him for real.

>Anything else? (write-in)
on the ride over
ask Rowe whether or not she was attracted to Gabby, even in the least.

>>358563
>We'll give him a chance
>Anything else
"But we'll be cautious. I did shoot him full of arrows with no warning, and he is infectious."

And let's leave talking with Rowe about our mutual feelings for Gabby until we can speak in private and not in front of our new squire.

>>358563
>>358574
could we request that one of the Zharkov's tribe besides Dukov come with us? Or, better yet, bring Zharkov? We should probably let him know that we would like to judge the character of the skinwalker before deciding whether to kill him.

>>358590
ok lets leave the talks in private.

>>358594
>could we request that one of the Zharkov's tribe besides Dukov come with us? Or, better yet, bring Zharkov? We should probably let him know that we would like to judge the character of the skinwalker before deciding whether to kill him.
This entire idea is pretty stupid.
Zar'kov's clan believes skinwalkers are a curse that needs to be purged, for the safety of everyone and for the salvation of the skinwalker's soul.

Bringing him or anyone still affiliated with the tribe is a bad idea.

Writing!

>>358611
my concerns are that if these skinwalkers aren't necessarily evil, we could have zharkov and the skinwalkers come to a peaceful agreement. we would need input from both, unless you think it will be better to act as a medium between the two tribes?

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“We will give him a chance. A very tenuous – one wrong move and I'm plugging him permanently this time – chance. He's infectious and the last thing I want is a lioness for a lover.”

(Rawr!) Rowe thinks to you, miming a cat's claws with her hands. You snort.

The two of you make your way to the Mountain Rider's quartermaster of sorts and manage to make a deal after much haggling with the silver-haired old orcess. She may not be a warrior, but she is a fierce combatant when it comes to the economics of a trade-based method of exchanging goods. It's a struggle to get her to agree to your final offer and at multiple points you wish you could just dump a handful of gold in her lap. Unfortunately, Zar'kov's people don't use money.

Eventually, you hand over your javelins, 46 arrows, seven throwing darts and Rowe's own dagger for a silver dagger and 40 silver arrows. As the two of you are examining and securing your new weaponry in place of the old, you spot a young orc running across camp. He barrels towards the two of you with a singular focus and you merely share an amused look with Rowe by the time he arrives.

He sucks in big gulps of air, out of breath from the steep climb up the mountain to where the two of you are speaking with the quartermistress of absolute steel. You'd say he was out of shape if you didn't consider how nervousness factors into stress on the body during physical effort. He's certainly jittery, as he looks between you and Rowe, still slightly awed like the two of you are blue or something.

He falls to one knee before you.

(Ooh.) Rowe cheekily thinks at the display, a quiet chuckle under her breath.

“Alan the giant slayer, of the humans across the sea,” he speaks directly to the ground in your stead, loud but shaky. “This humble warrior wishes to serve you to repay you the kindness you have shown me in saving my life. Please, allow me to attend the day-to-day duties required to help such a hero as yourself so that I may learn what I must do to become as valorous as yourself.”

You look to Rowe and then shrug.

“Alright, go down the mountain and get our horses ready. I'll need enough feed for at least six days of riding for my horse, my dog and my squirrel. So will my companion's horse and wolf and your own steed. I want all of that done so we can leave in about fifteen minutes. Can you handle that?”

He springs to his feet and looks at you intensely, with large, excited eyes. “Yes. I can.” He speeds off back down the mountain, vigor and an intoxicated joy in his step. A new strength entering his bones.

(This will be interesting.)

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A day's ride later and you find yourself back among the hills where the spot of your altercation with the skinwalker resides.

Du'kov proves an able and dutiful squire, listening and following your orders - and that of Rowe's as well - promptly and without question. Even though you ride hard and fast as only experienced riders and fighters can, he keeps up with the both of you either by skill or by sheer excitement. Most likely some combination of the two.

As you go through the hills you start to recognize certain landmarks. As you realize you're nearing the exact spot of the ambush, Rowe turns around on her horse and gives you a look.

(Right over the next hill. We bringing him along?)

You look over to Du'kov, bright-eyed and full of nervous, happy energy. You haven't told him where you were going, because he didn't ask and you weren't sure about what his reaction would be. He is a part of the Mountain Rider tribe but he is also honor bound to serve you.

>Bring him with you to dig up the skinwalker
>Leave him behind to tend some the horses and your supplies
>Tell him what you're doing, but still leave him behind
>Something else? (write-in)

>>358824
>>Tell him what you're doing, but still leave him behind

Writing!

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“Hey Du'kov,” you begin, stopping your horse. He halts his own as he focuses intently on your words.

“Rowe and I are going to go dig up a skinwalker that we buried alive. I need you to remain here and protect the horses.”

He nods his head. “Yes, Alan.”

“Also . . . we're not necessarily digging it up to kill it.”

The young orc looks at you strangely. “Why?”

You sigh. “I have to give him a chance. Despite what your people think about skinwalkers I can't just believe he is inherently an evil person who deserves to die without firsthand experience of some sort.”

Du'kov shrugs. “If that is your decision, sir.”

You nod to him, before dismounting and following after Rowe who has also left her own horse behind as well. You crest the next hill together and look down into the valley. Sure enough your impromptu grave remains, the spear still sticking straight up out of the dirt mound.

A bit of nervous energy enters both you and Rowe as an urge to free the potentially innocent man as soon as possible sneaks into the back of your mind. If he can feel or sense the unending hell of being buried alive in any capacity you don't want to leave him there a moment longer than necessary.

Rowe pulls her shovel out of the Devil's Crux and the two of you work with the energy of desperate, guilty people. In less than an hour you have extracted enough dirt to pull the body out. You grab his legs and Rowe grabs his arms. On a count of three you heave him back into the open air. He still has bits of arrow shafts lodged in his wounds, but otherwise seems to be quite dead. His body is cold to the touch. Although it hasn't started decaying yet, you notice with a sense of unease.

You dig out the arrowheads from where you feathered him, saving the one in his skull for last.

The moment you remove it, you already begin to see the wound around the foreign intruding metal sealing up at a rapid pace.

You and Rowe back up about twenty paces. You draw your longbow and five silver arrows. Rowe unsheathes her silver dagger, bending her knees enough to stay in a wary, battle stance.

in hind sight, we probably should have outline putting restraints on him before pulling out that last arrow.

About five minutes of tense waiting later, the orc suddenly shudders before drawing a big, gaspy breath, bolting upright from the waist up. He looks over to you, your hands clenching as you prepare for treachery.

The orc scrambles heavily to his feet. He looks around, hyperventilating and eyes shifting all over searching for information to take in with his new predicament. His eyes finally rest upon the two of you once he realizes you are the only ones around. The skinwalker's eyes narrow.

The orc spits blood onto the loose soil, still covered in some of it from his literal dirt nap. “You didn't finish me off,” it harshly spits in Orcish.

“We believed you to be an ordinary lion when we shot you,” Rowe responds. "We were out hunting."

He points with a finger to Rowe's dagger. “But you know what I am now. You going to kill me?”

“Only if you make us,” you tell the stranger.

He laughs, before looking around. He spots his spear nearby where you arbitrarily placed it and bends down to pick it up. He examines it and tests it to be certain it still possesses its ability to kill. Afterwards he examines himself and sees his wrists are naked.

He looks back to the two of you. “Give me back my bracers, dryad.”

>Sure
>Human, actually
>No, you're lucky to be alive
>Sorry about attacking you
>Assimilate?
>Something else? (write-in)

>>359039
>>Human, actually
>Sorry about attacking you

Also, what properties did the bracers have?

>>359039
>>359043
seconding

End o f dedicated run but i will update once more at least before I sleep

>>359043
>>359039
because if the bracers don't have anything sinister to them, sure, hand them back.

>>359039
>Sure
>Sorry about attacking you
>Human, actually

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“Human, actually,” you correct the orc.

“Never heard of you,” he retorts instantly. “Bracers. Now!” he snarls that last bit.

“Calm down,” Rowe warns. She brandishes the knife. “We're giving you a second chance. Don't waste it.”

“What are the bracer's properties?” you ask.

“They're magic. They're mine. Give them back.”

Rowe looks at you and you nod your head. She brings out the devil's crux and goes to pull out the bracers.

“Wait!” you shout, causing the skinwalker to tense and stare at you, wary of betrayal. “Are they cursed?”

“Why would I want them back if they were cursed?” he asks, offended.

Rowe looks to you and shrugs. (Good point.) She drags out the bracers and tosses them to the skinwalker. He catches them and manages to slip each one on in turn while still tightly gripping his spear, dedicated to being prepared for combat no matter what is occupying his time. Once he's done 'dressing himself' he looks back to you both.

“Sorry about attacking you,” you apologize.

He stands before you, as tall and straight a posture as he can possibly conjure with his impressively large form.

“I will neither forget nor forgive the indignity I have suffered at your hands.”

“We could have just come back here to burn your body or slit your throat,” Rowe points out.

“I accepted death when you slew me. It was clean. I was dying with my pride intact. Now you grant me back my life at the cost of my pride.” He spits once more in the dirt. “I would never make that trade. No, if you wish to pay for your transgressions this 'kindness' will not suffice. You still owe a debt that must be paid.”

You sigh out. Nothing can ever be simple, can it?

>Fuck this, kill him
>We don't owe you shit. Leave
>What do you want?
>Offer him something (what?)
>Something else? (write-in)

>>359296
>Fuck this, kill him

>>359296
>>What do you want?
>>Something else?
Stun him somehow, stab him in the head with regular weapon, and take him back for research

>>359296
just ask him what he wants. If he's unreasonable, then consider killing him.

>>359435
No. Let's be real here, shit has broken out of Seaside's jails multiple times. If you bring this guy to Seaside and he gets loose he can infect the whole city.

>>359538
>>359296
Second

>>359296
>What do you want?
Depending on his answer, we can kill him/offer a fight to the death.

>>359435
As much as the amount of dosh we would get for bringing a live werebeast specimen is tempting, we don't have the proper protocols or containment cells for him. It's too dangerous.

>what do you want?

Depending on answer kill him or give him what he wants... possibly do small favor if its that kinda thing.

If we kill him. Fully with silver. Take dead specimen to seaside for analysis.

While we wait on Trick, let's discuss our new squire.

>Should we tell him about our ability to Assimilate?
I think we should, because he'll likely hear about it from our friends. Also, really stress to him that he shouldn't try to keep up with us or our team mates until later; he doesn't have the superhuman abilities that levels in PC classes would grant him, or the ability to assimilate observed abilities like us.

>Should we give him the Touch?
I think that we should offer it to him, after he starts getting some levels in a given class.

>what should we train him in?
All our weapons, and see if he has any aptitude for magic.

“What do you want?” you ask the skinwalker, annoyance seeping into your tone.

He slowly, almost laboriously puts a finger to his chin and taps upon it imperiously as he ponders that question.

“What do I want? Or truly, what can you provide me?” He looks between you two, eyes sly and full of smug satisfaction, bordering on malicious mirth.

Rowe sighs out. “You already know what you want so stop jerking us around.”

His arm shoots out, a singular claw extending from his pointer finger. He points to Rowe. “That's what I want.”

You sigh once more as you begin readying your bow. Even cursed orcs retain their orcish tendencies you suppose.

Rowe rolls her eyes. “Yeah, I'm not going to sleep with you,” Rowe answers as she rolls her eyes. (Okay you can kill him now.)

He frowns as you draw back the bow. “I was pointing at the dagger.”

Rowe looks at him, a confused expression on her face. She looks down at the weapon, before holding it up and wiggling it, the silver shining in the sunlight. “This dagger?”

“Yes,” he confirms. You release tension in the bow as you lean back, slightly taken back.

“It's silver,” you tell him. “It can kill you.”

“It could kill you just as easily.” He shrugs. “I assume the handle is not made of silver, so I can still hold it.”

Rowe grimaces. “Why do you want a silver weapon?”

“I assume the same reason you two have silver weapons. It provides a sense of security.”

Rowe rolls her tongue around her mouth, thinking. (Maybe I overestimated the whole 'family' idea. How much you wanna bet this dagger ends up in the gut of King Skinwalker before the end of the month?)

>Give him the silver dagger
>Don't. Leave
>Kill him
>Something else? (write-in)

>>362323
>>Something else? (write-in)
"Does it necessarily have to be silver?"

if so,
>Give him the silver dagger

maybe we could buy some more silver weaponry back at seaside?

>>362323
>Give him the silver dagger
>Something else?
"I'm guessing that you come from a tribe descended from skinwalkers. That the other tribes don't know about you means that you keep to yourselves, for the most part. Just to let you know, we're from a group that came from outside the island. There's a group we are at war with, the Empire, that has also come here.
"I'm warning you as a courtesy, not a threat: they will try to capture you, study you, and use your abilities in our war. You should be careful of them."

>>362349
>they will try to capture you, study you, and use your abilities in our war. You should be careful of them."
not sure if this is a lie or not. Given how the Empire hasn't tried to pacify the Mountain riders, they may be doing diplomacy with other tribes out of pragmatism.

>>362365
We could modify it to "they will likely try".
The skinwalker tribe would be hated by all the other orc tribes as abominations, so the Empire could say they're wiping out the skinwalkers while actually capturing them, so that they can curry favor with the local orc tribes while studying them and creating controlled skinwalkers/forcibly created descendants to be molded into Imperial supersoldiers

>>362447
probably say that we don't particularly trust them, given their history. Don't know what they'd do to the skinwalkers, but we imagine it would involve experimentation and shit. Or, they could negotiate, we're not entirely certain.

>>362460
>but we imagine it would involve experimentation and shit
If I was the head of Imperial weapons development, I'd see about using the island orc ability to be grown from plants and infect a field full of orc babies, and find some way to accelerate their growth, and use brainwashing techniques to indoctrinate the crop into being loyal soldiers of the Empire.
Also infecting prisoners to see how the curse progresses, and if there's a way to allow an Infected to turn into the hybrid form at will, or keeping them sedated during the full moon to prevent them from going berserk.

>>362323
It could be that he wants the dagger because we would probably step close to him to hand it over and he might use that to attack. So if we give him the dagger we should do it by laying it on the ground and stepping back.
I'm still torn between giving him the dagger and killing him. On the one hand he might indeed kill his chief or other skinwalkers but on the other hand he still hates us and I don't see him doing us any favor except unintentionally. Any dagger might just be a superior weapon to his own spear and the probability that he uses it against our allies is as high if not higher as against our enemies. Seconding >>362341 asking if it really needs to be silver first. In the end, leaving him alive and armed is a huge risk and I don't know if it is worth it.

>>362323
>Kill him

“Does it need to be silver?” you ask.

“It needs to be that one,” he responds. Rowe looks over and you two lock eyes. (I don't like this . . . but it's a simple request and he technically hasn't done anything.)

Even without being able to read your mind she can tell from your protective gaze you don't want her getting close to him. (I'll toss it to him.)

You nod your head and rub your jaw as you weigh giving him what he wants against killing him right now.

Damn it Great Will, you better appreciate this.

“Alright, give him the dagger,” you tell Rowe. She hesitates a moment, but eventually relents. (And we went through so much haggling just to get it.) She flips the dagger so she is holding the blade instead and then underhand tosses it to the skinwalker.

He still manages to touch the base of the blade as he catches the handle. “Ah!” he gives the barest hint of an undignified scream as you hear the noise of sizzling flesh. He lets go and it drops into the grass. The skinwalker quickly bends down and snatches the dagger back up by the handle.

He weighs the dagger in his hand for a few moments before tossing it up in the air a couple times to get a feel for it.

“This will serve nicely,” he rasps with almost hunger behind the words. “Don't suppose I could get the sheathe as well?”

“This part of the debt?” you ask, an edge to your voice.

“No, just a request.” He chuckles.

(I got it.) Rowe undoes the sheathe from her hip and drops it on the ground. She turns on her heels and begins to walk angrily up the hill. You kick it over to the orc.

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“Hey,” you grab the skinwalker's attention as he inspects the knife's sharpness. He peers at you over the flat of the blade, keeping it at eye level. “I assume your tribe keeps to itself for the most part, considering you're relatively unknown by other orc tribes.”

He lowers the knife and stares at you blankly. You gesture back and forth between Rowe and yourself. “We're not from this Island of yours. We come from some place far away. And another group from far away – who we're at war with – have come here as well. They're called the Kardas Empire. I'm warning you as a courtesy. If they find you, they'll exploit you for their war.”

He gives you a calculated stare, appraising whether what you're saying is the truth or useful to him. A few moments pass before he stoops down, grabs the dagger's sheathe and puts the silver blade away before replying.

“I appreciate the warning." He ties the dagger to his hip as he speaks. "I'll kill any of these people I meet. For you, of course.” He rumbles again with laughter. The sound of popping and breaking bones starts once more as you watch fur begin to rapidly grow out of the orc's chin, like a rapidly growing beard.

His face shifts and cracks as his nose extends forward, changing slowly into a snout. You watch his fingernails shift into long, deadly nails as long as knives. His feet break and elongate. The jaw opens and tusks extend from the top of his mouth to match the bottom ones.

The whole process is filled with spine-tingling sounds and disturbing visuals.

Soon, before you stands a gigantic bipedal lion man where there used to stand an orc.

It turns round on his heels and bounds away in long, massive strides much faster than a creature that size should move. Soon he's around the other hill and out of sight.


You snap out of the stupor of watching such an unfathomable sight. You regain your wits and blink away your apprehension, shaking out the distractions. It's time to move.

You turn around and follow up the hill after Rowe, who waits at the crest of it. As you near, her angered grimace speaks volumes before her actual thoughts.

(Next time I advocate for us to do something nice for someone, please stop me.)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You spend the next four days riding back to Seaside. It was a fun vacation . . . you guess, but it's time to get back to work!

Thanks to the presence of your squire, you're able to include him in the guard rotation to grant yourself more free time on the journey back.

What do you do with it?

>Assimilate something? (what?)
>Train your squire (skillset?)
>Talk to Rowe about kissing Gabby
>Something else? (write-in)

AND

>Give Du'kov the touch? (Y/N)

>>363293
>Train your squire
Speaking in Common, so that he can at least know some basic words and phrases people may say to him.

>Give Du'kov the touch
Y

>>363293
train your squire common and give him the touch as a gift from master to squire

>>363293
>Talk to Rowe about kissing Gabby
>Give Du'kov the touch? (Y)

>>363293
>>Train your squire (skillset?)
thirding language

>touch
not yet, he should get to know us better first, let's wait a week

You give your free time to sitting Du'kov down for his first 'training' sessions. He's a bundle of excitement at finally getting a chance to learn from you. Although, some of that youthful, teenage vigor dies down when he realizes you're merely giving him a language lesson.

Seems he figured you'd start with something blood-pumping like sword fighting first. You promise him he'll get a chance to spar later, but for now you'd like it if he could speak more than Orcish. If he spends any great amount of time with you at a human city like Seaside, he'll encounter plenty of people who can't understand Orcish, especially his archaic version of it.

“So Du'kov,” you begin, “Would you mind telling me what you are already proficient at, so I know what we can skip over?”

He tells you he can ride horses and shoot a bow. You figured that to be the case, considering pretty much all of The Mountain Riders can do that. He keeps a curved sword on him that he has trained with his entire life. He considers himself able with the blade and the bow, but not particularly amazing. It's why he was giving the Imperial rifles a try since they seemed so powerful and easy to master.

However, he has since grown a distaste for the 'modern' weaponry and how unreliable they seem to be. He also keeps a skinning knife on him that in a pinch could provide as a last ditch backup weapon but it is much more suited to its nominal purpose.

You explain to Du'kov about 'some' of your unique gifts – specifically your ability to touch others and grant them some facet of your own abilities. You offer to use it on him, but warn Du'kov the imparted skill is completely random and you have no idea what exactly he'll learn.

He thinks it over for a few moments, pensive and thoughtful more than you'd expect a naive kid of his years. Eventually he nods and grants you his consent with a grunt.

You power your blood into a single point of your index finger and touch it to his wrist. He shakes his hand to remove the tingly sensation that must course through him after imparting the touch of destiny unto him.

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He sits cross-legged and ponders for the following few seconds until you catch the moment of recognition in his eyes. He looks at you and smacks his lips, before running his tongue over them and emitting a “hmmmm”.

“Hello?” he speaks in common. “My name is Du'kov. Nice to meet you?” He speaks like he doesn't quite understand why he is asking the questions he is speaking

You cock your head slightly. “You received insight into how to speak the human tongue?”

“Is that what . . . this is?”

Oh. Well these lessons will be going by much smoother than you thought they would.

While he doesn't learn the language in one fell swoop, over four days of constant dialogue utilizing phrases that are useful in daily life and pointers about certain key words, Du'kov is a capable speaker.

He still has an accent and he's slow and careful with the words he uses, but you think he can get by.

The walls of Seaside serve as a welcome sight to you and a new one for your squire.

The guards on the wall shout greetings to you and welcome you back home. You dismount in the entrance plaza of the city, giving Du'kov directions on where to stable the horses and to make sure they are fed and watered.

As he scampers off with a “Yes, Alan” you think about the next thing you should do after debriefing Blackburn of the illuminating pieces of information you discovered on your trip.

>Talk with Dolah and Desden about what you are
>Check in on any developments with Kyra's scouting
>Gather Gabby and Rowe to talk about relationship things
>Something else? (write-in)

>>365256
>Gather Gabby and Rowe to talk about relationship things
First, apologize to Gabby for accidentally giving her the wrong impression about Rowe's actions; she wasn't trying to exclude Gabby, just asking the magically able people she knows how to get a hat enchanted.

>>365356
Oh, woah, wait a minute.
Maybe we should get Rowe more comfortable with the idea of making out with Gabby first.
But the question is how to do that, as well as convincing Gabby that it's alright to tongue-wrestle with Rowe.
And that neither one has to give up Alan.

>>365256
We should first ask Rowe if she is even the least bit attracted to Gabby, seeing as how she decided to make out with her.

From there, then we can gather them to talk about our relationship.

Then, >Check in on any developments with Kyra's scouting
because I'm a bit worried about her.

>>365535
>We should first ask Rowe if she is even the least bit attracted to Gabby, seeing as how she decided to make out with her.
As funny as telling Rowe we're perfectly fine with her being attracted to other women would be, it could be taken badly.
Rowe herself doesn't seem to have liked what she did, after all.

>>365861
Well, part of it is that I wanted to share that, truthfully, we were also attracted to Gabby as well.

From there, I think we could also build up on it to get in a stable relationship with both of them.

>>365865
Honestly, I think that's too simplistic and optimistic.

Rowe's instant of attraction to Gabby was just that, an instant.

>>366155
Well, that's what we'll probing for. First ask her about it. I think it might open up an avenue. At the very worst, it'll just be a question out of curiosity.

While Du'kov deals with the horses, Rowe and yourself begin to walk towards the Overseer's Complex. You travel in silence for a few blocks before a rather mind-boggling piece of information creeps its way back into your brain while you reflect on everything that's occurred recently.

You look over to Rowe, a weird half-smirk, half-grimace on your face as your eyes bore into the side of her head until her peripheral vision catches you.

She turns and stares back, eventually thinking (What?!) rather defensively.

“You made out with Gabby,” you state.

Her eyes bulge out of her head as you speak. (OH YEAH I MENTIONED THAT AND HE REMEMBERED OH GOD DID ANYONE HEAR THAT?!) She quickly looks around to see if anyone's listening and when it's clear no one did, she quickly grabs you by the arm and drags you into a back alley, away from the passersby on the street.

“I mean you did this in a public place,” you comment, chuckling a bit as you are pulled off your feet and stumble after her, eventually leaning against a cobblestone wall. “I assume there were plenty of gawkers. Don't see that often I assume.”

(Actually just Scott, the bartender who I spoke with afterwards and he promised to keep his mouth shut. Thankfully at the time Eve had all the patrons engrossed in a story and we were in the back so no one noticed.)

“Are you embarrassed by it?” you ask, eyes narrowing a bit.

She mutters a scoff of a laugh in response. (I mean it was cheating and I didn't want you to think I'm . . . like that or a drunken floozy that needs to be watched 24/7 to make sure I'm not necking with some random stranger behind your back. I didn't want you to get mad at me or Gabby and I was afraid she would make some boorish comment about the event and the two of you might fight. Except unlike all the other fights you have where you enjoy getting punched in the face it would end in a broken friendship.)

You think about her thoughts. “I'm surprised she didn't make a comment about it,” you admit.

(Well we had a talk about it and I pleaded with her not to. That was right before you dropped by with the Etriarch information and I practically forgot about it.)

“So that's why you were having dinner together. In private . . . almost sounds like a date.”

(No. It wasn't. The kiss was a stupid mistake and I regret it entirely. I'm not like that at all.)

“You sure you aren't? I mean, not even a little? . . . I can't really fault your taste without being a giant hypocrite. I kissed her too. Well, Gabby started it. Unlike your encounter . . .” you trail off as Rowe frantically waves her hands.

(I'm not attracted to women. Or Gabby. In the slightest.)

“Then why did you make out with her?”

Rowe opens her mouth and no words come out as her mind goes blank.

( . . . )

(Because I wanted to really badly.) snaps out of her mind and you laugh at how contradictory it sounds with everything she's said previously.

(But only for like five seconds and I've never wanted to since. At all. It was a fluke brought about by alcohol and an oddly timed, yet strangely reality-defyingly, alluring bawdy joke. I have complete control over myself . . . other than that time I punched Gilda in the face and was going to defect to the enemy, but we've already established that doesn't count as cheating!)

You just stare.

(You're mad aren't you.)

>Actually I find it kinda hot
>I'm pretty fucking pissed about it
>I find it kinda hot and I'm pretty fucking pissed about it
>I'm mad you got to kiss her first.
>I'm mad I didn't get to watch
>You're in denial
>We need to see Gabby right now (Tone influenced by other selected options)
>You think you might have been under the effect of a spell?
>Something else? (write-in)

>>366491
>Something else
"First, I'm gonna qualify this, and in the process confirm every Gods-damned stereotype of males everywhere, but fuck it.
"Show me a straight guy in his teens to early twenties who hasn't wanted to see something like that, and I'll show you a liar.
"Actually, I find it kinda hot. It makes me feel better because, Gabby IS attractive and I'm not the only one who feels that way."
>We need to see Gabby right now

>>366504
Ugh, that really came out cringe-worthy, didn't it.

>>366511
S'all right dude

>>366504
>>366491

>>Actually I find it kinda hot
Disappointed I wasn't there to see it.
>We need to see Gabby right now

>>366504
seconding this. But add that Alan is glad to be together with Rowe, whom he loves. It's important for Rowe that he tells her.

Alright. Time for the roll. The most important roll of the QUEST!

I'm not gonna sugar coat it. It won't be easy. But I have faith in y'all.

1d100 + 33. Best of 3.

Target: 115

Which means you gotta roll an 82. Here are why you have the bonuses you do.

+5 from Bonded Mind

+8 from your Charisma modifier

+5 for circumstance

+15 for average of relationship level of Gabby and Rowe

Rolled 15 + 33 (1d100 + 33)

>>367255
>some-people-just-want-to-see-the-world-burn.jpg

Rolled 72 + 33 (1d100 + 33)

>>367255
Come on, don't fuck us over.

>>367356
Hmmmmm, good thing noone rolled a 28 here.

*Innocent unaware whistling*

>>367365
Goddammit, so close. I can feel the dice gods mocking us.

Rolled 59 + 33 (1d100 + 33)

>>367255
just roll with it

>>367424
Should've waited for Wrenloft, who usually gives us clutch rolls.

Instead you've failed us all.

>>367455
Hey are you also >>366511 this ID?

>>367485
Yes. I'm posting from my phone at work.

>>367505
As you can tell, the cell tower near me sometimes cuts out, resulting in a new IP address.

>>367311
>>367365
>>367424

Alright. Four rolls. All failures.

Wrenloft gets one chance to salvage this while I go out and about playing pokemon Go and generally being a creeper in my neighborhood.

Alright, so I'm essentially giving you best of 5 with the caveat that Wrenloft has to be the 5th roll.

If Wrenloft fails you then know that it was never meant to be.

Come on Wrenloft. Do it for Gabby.

Rolled 31 + 33 (1d100 + 33)

>>367255
The weight of this bears down heavily upon me. If I fail, I'll have wounded them with faint hopes of ever gaining their trust back. If I succeed, it'll be a dream come true.

The only way to know is if I try. Please, Dice Gods, I ask only this once and no more.

>>367566
>>368445
Yeah, this hurts quite a bit. Sorry for all the drama.

>>368445

The dice gods have spoken. Now here's an important vote.


>Dramatic failure to attain threesome

>Mundane failure to attain threesome

Neither choice results in losing Rowe, as a heads up.

>>368467
so I take it that particular route is no longer an option anymore.

>>368485
Not without some sort of major change.

Or brainwashing.

Or magic.

>>368492
>some sort of major change.
would Gabby and Rowe developing a better relationship with one another count?

>>368529
Yeah but we'd be talking super better. Like climactic event leading to climactic change better not 'they got ice cream together and decided to share it, so they're extrapolating that to Alan"

>>368549
Then that's what I'll aim for.

>>368467
am I correct in assuming that these will affect how Gabby positively or negatively sees us in the future?

>>368599
>>368599
Not . . . really

I'll put it this way. Mundane failure is that Rowe just isn't going to go for it.

Dramatic failure is well, more dramatic.

>>368467
What's the difference between the two?

>>368467
>>Mundane failure to attain threesome
best to go with this for now. mend friendships, give them time to build better relations in the future.

>>368467
>Mundane failure to attain threesome
This limits the consequences of the failure, and makes future success relatively easier, right?

>>368685
Limits the consequences but makes future success relatively harder, actually.

>>368695
wait, seriously? I'll switch to dramatic, then.

>>368695
Wait, what?
Oh shit then, that makes the choice more difficult.

Umm, Shit.
Switch me to dramatic then. We can immediately go into damage control mode.

>>368695
>Mundane

>>368467
>>Mundane failure to attain threesome
Maybe Rowe laughing for longer than necessary.
I don't want a threesome, I want a normalfaggy monogamous relationship with Rowe

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>>368467
>Dramatic failure to attain threesome

>>369372
I feel for you I really do. And honestly I agree. But I want to press the big blue button to see what it does. And I am sorry for that.

You steeple your hands and tap them on your lips as you think of how exactly to make this clear to Rowe. She watches you intently as she waits for your ire or dissatisfaction to unleash.

You eventually think you've gathered your thoughts into words and take a deep breath, Rowe leaning forward instinctively, waiting with bated breath.

“I am disappointed . . . that I wasn't there to see it.”

She blinks. Once. Then twice. (Whuh?)

“I think it's really hot. I wish I hadn't missed it,” you state matter-of-factly.

(It doesn't make you angry at all?) drifts out of her brain as she stands there stunned.

“Honestly, I'm relieved. Because Gabby is an attractive woman and I felt bad about being the only one who thought so.”

(I don't think Gabby is attractive.) Defensive!

“You think she's ugly?” you ask, trying to keep the deviousness of how loaded that question is out of your tone.

(No! I think Gabby is . . . pretty. She has a captivating appearance, I suppose.)

“Captivating enough to ensnare you, which is very captivating in and of itself.” You shrug.

Her mouth forms a firm, thin line as she stares at you with a look that SCREAMS I-told-you-so.

(I knew succubus was going to rub off on your personality.) She thinks as she smacks you on the shoulder.

You guffaw and point to yourself. “You think that notion was succubus in origin? No this is rooted purely in being a healthy, young adult male.”

(Scott wasn't enamored with ogling.)

“Scott lives in a single bedroom house with another man, Rowe,” you inform her.

(Uh – . . . oh, I didn't know that.)

“Come on, you used to hang around a bunch of soldiers. I can't believe you wouldn't know that two women getting it on is . . . up there on the food chain as far as fantasies go.”

(Well . . . sure, but I thought the fantasy was watching two random women make out. I can see how that would be arousing. T-t-to a man! But . . . – Look it isn't like I want you to be overbearing but I want you to feel slightly possessive.)

“I do. I love you Rowe. And I am so glad to be together with you. Now and always.” You grab her by the hands.

(I . . . I am too.) She interlocks her fingers with your own. (But part of loving you means I love that you're mine. And no one else's. Maybe that's selfish, but I don't want you being with another woman. Or another man! And so I would think if you love me you wouldn't want me making out with Gabby behind your back.)

“I . . . don't. I want you making out with her in front of me.”

Another bemused look.

“I want you to be mine and no one else's. You want me to be yours. But Gabby could be . . . ours?”

(Like a puppy?)

“Like a . . . very sexy puppy.”

(You want a threesome.)

God it's taken me like the whole day for one post because writing this type of scene without it being cringy is very fucking hard.

“Holy shit, The Great Will willing a threesome would be amazing. Especially if you also want to take a crack at her.”

(Gross.) She grimaces at your choice of phrasing.

You frown. “I take that as a no then?”

Rowe sighs. Then she furrows her brow. Then she nods her head back and forth in honest thought, making an auditory “hmmmmm” sound, like she's deciding between which horse to pick from the stable.

(Sure, let's do it.) eventually comes out, blandly.

You recoil and step back, looking at her intently as you let go of her hands. “Wait, what?”

(Sure.) She shrugs. You open your mouth and then quickly close it. No . . . you're pretty sure she's not a doppelganger and checking right now might ruin what you wish to preserve like keeping a fragile teapot in a precious position of safety during an earthquake.

(What?!) She thinks as she crosses her arms a bit self-consciously.

“I'm . . . a bit surprised you said yes, is all.” Honestly, she didn't seem as into Gabby as you were trying to imply she was.

(Well . . . between the two of us we've almost died dozens of times and since we seem to keep throwing ourselves headlong into danger . . . When I saw you get hit off your horse by that giant . . . I was sure – that was it, no stupid hat was going to save you. You were gone. And I regretted so many things in the excruciatingly long seconds it took to check whether you were okay. Never saying I love you. Never seeing your hometown together. Never meeting your parents. Even thought to myself at one point 'Why didn't I just tie him up for his birthday instead of go on this stupid hunting trip.')

(I realized while you were recovering that all my regrets were about things we hadn't done. None of the bad memories or the mistakes or the failed experiments. So . . . I'm thinking, if I were to die tomorrow) she interrupts her thoughts by knocking on the wood of her bow. (The horrible shit going through my head probably won't be 'why did I have that threesome!?' unless that somehow turns out to be the cause of my death for some . . . odd reason.)

(The point is – either of our lives might turn out to be ending very shortly. Maybe bringing Gabby into the bedroom will be weird, awkward, not arousing in the slightest and make looking her in the eye a lot more difficult for a week. Or who knows, maybe it will be fun. Sexy – even. So . . . sure.)

(Let's go fuck the shit out of her.)

Rowe adjusts her gear back over her shoulder and sticks a hand out. You grip it tightly and shake in agreement, sealing the deal as a couple in agreement as a single tear comes to your eye, before rolling down your cheek.

“You are . . . the perfect girlfriend.”

(If I don't like it though we consider it a failure and never try again.)

“Of course of course,” you utter meaninglessly to dismiss the hesitant concern, dragging Rowe by the hand out of the alleyway.

(Alan we're going the wrong way.)

“No we aren't. Gabby's at The Sword and Shield.”

(What? We're doing this now?! Shouldn't we debrief with Blackburn first?)

“Nope!” you shout as your feet move a little faster. You are too close to wait a few more hours for something horrible to happen like a giant monster attack to disrupt your dream scenario from coming true.

(Y'know) Rowe thinks a few seconds later in your mad dash for Gabby. (I think me and Etriarch talked about sexual fantasies at one point or another and I don't think he had a thing for watching two girls make out.)

“Yeah, well Etriarch is a fucking faggot,” you spit into the air as you utilize your intimate knowledge of these streets to take a shortcut.

Rowe makes a little 'uh!' sound at your brazen comment. (There's certainly a little bit of Gabby in you.)

You look back to Rowe over your shoulder. “Well, then there's soon going to be a lot of Gabby in you.”

Her eyes go wide at your sexually aggressive comment before a blush creeps across her cheek. (I guess when you put it that way the idea does sound a bit steamy.) She giggles, loosening up as she grows accustomed to the idea. You move faster!

You make it to the door of the Sword and Shield tavern, Bartom giving you a wave as you for once in your life pass up on one of his meat pies. You're of a singular focus today. Find Gabby. Take Gabby. Sex Gabby.

All you need is for her to say yes. Of course she'll say yes though. Rowe's consent was always going to be the hard part of making this work. Gabby won't just say yes, she'll probably accompany it with some lascivious comment and then try to take charge of the whole thing. Your hands are shaking in sweet anticipation.

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You grab hold of the door handle and throw it open. You take a few steps inside and your eyes instantly go to your team's usual spot.

There Gabby is. She sits right beside . . . you think that must be Kroll. The barbaric beserker member of Irontide's crew. Odd that Gabby would let one of them sit at your spot.

As you take a step forwards Kroll wraps his arm around Gabby's waist and pulls her close, causing her to gasp and let go of her beer mug. He shoves his lips onto hers as your eyes go wide.

Shit, Bartom mentioned he was one sexually aggressive fucking bastard. You prepare to lunge at the shithead as one of Gabby's hands go up to his neck, around his shoulders. The other sinks below the table to rest on his thigh most likely. She pulls him closer into her, deepening the kiss.

You freeze, halted by her reaction.

. . .

Yeah that's definitely consensual.

. . .

They're STILL GOING!

Your heart beats even faster in your chest than in your mad dash over here as you forcefully rip your eyes from the sight of what's happening at your fucking spot and look round the bar.

You spot Gale.

You spot Dart.

(Alan . . .) Rowe speaks from the entrance, examining your stunned form cautiously as she walks up behind you.

>Go to Gale, ask him what's going on
>Go to Dart, ask her what's going on
>Approach the table (Choose your attitude)
>Leave the bar
>Beat the shit out of Kroll
>Something else? (write-in)

>>369577
>>Go to Gale, ask him what's going on
I'm thinking them haveing sex might be a bad idea becase they might be spy's but.... If we interrupt we might get beaten up but one or both.

On another note I'm sure Dart reads as evil, but how many of the others read as evil?

>>369577
>Something else
Take a moment to breath and calm down.
"Guess you were right, Rowe. Gotta put some plans on hold for now."
>Go to Gale, ask him what's going on

>>369646
This isn't giving up, it's just putting plans on hold while we regroup.

>>369577
>>Go to Gale, ask him what's going on
>>369646
>>369664
Yeah, regroup

I take it this was the dramatic option?

>>369577
>Go to Gale, ask him what's going on

>Go to Gale, ask him what's going on
>Approach the table (Choose your attitude)
Nonchalant

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>>369577
It was too funny not to.

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>>369838
>mfw

>Alan is calm on the outside
>the mental shielding ring is vibrating and beginning to turn red with heat as it strains to contain the thoughts raging within him

>>369577
>>Go to Gale, ask him what's going on
>>369646

>>369850
But no, really, Alan should calm the fuck down and get a goddamn grip.
With Rowe's whole "I want you to be mine and no other woman's" thing she just said, getting jealously angry over seeing Gabby making out with another man may not go over well.

Of course, Rowe did also think "let's go fuck the shit out of her", so maybe some irritation can be warranted and appreciated.

>>369871
I'm still not sure if Rowe really means "let's go fuck the shit out of Gabby" or if it is more like "let's help Alan dig the hole even deeper for maximum punishment"

>>369879
>for maximum punishment
Would Rowe like that?
As in, is that another thing that she realizes is on her bucket list and so would want to try to see if she likes it?

She may not like Dart, but she is the one with the most experience in that matter, and Rowe may ask for pointers and advice.

>>369982
not evil punishment but show-the-boyfriend-what-is-a-no-go-so-hard-he-never-forgets punishment

>>369984
I was thinking punishments involving whips, wax, and leather thigh-highs and corsets.

Because that's what Dart gets off on.

>>369594
>On another note I'm sure Dart reads as evil, but how many of the others read as evil?

You've actually never asked Dolah about it. Or Desden.

>>369646
>Guess you were right, Rowe.

Right about what?

>>369722
This was the dramatic option, yes.

>>369838
Saved.

>>370369
>Right about what?
That we should go to Blackburn's to debrief and that talking with Gabby about a threesome should wait.

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You quickly turn on your heels and stride over to where Gale sits drinking at the bar. You give the bartender a quick wave and gesture 'no thanks' for alcohol. Not yet at least.

You clap him on the shoulder and he turns round to see you.

“Hey Alan,” the Fighter's Guild president greets you. “You're back!” He raises his glass to you.

“Yep, I am,” you quickly shoot through the small talk. “So, Gale what's, uh, going on?”

He gives you a confused look, before glancing around. “Uh, yesterday I killed some sort of plant monster.”

You sigh and take a step back, casually gesturing to your table where – THEY'RE STILL GOING!

Deep breaths, Alan.

Gale notices the spectacle you're referring to and then rolls his eyes. He looks back to you.

“I don't know. I guess they're making out.”

“Why?!” you ask while attempting not to shout.

He shrugs. “Why the fuck would I know? They're both violent, crude, lust-driven brutes. Maybe they realized they're soul mates. Hey Rowe.” He waves to her.

“Hey Gale.” Rowe waves back as she takes her seat and orders a drink.

You just shake your head and grab the bridge of your nose.

Gale throws up an arm and looks to the ceiling, deep in thought, combing through his memories to see if he can give you any better information.

Eventually his expression changes and he begins to speak. “A few . . . nights ago – maybe last week, I can't really remember. But I think Kroll approached your group's spot. I remember that because I figured those two talking was definitely going to lead to some sort of confrontation. Things between them got loud and heated –”

“What were they arguing about?” you interrupt.

“I don't remember. I wasn't trying to listen. Whatever the issue, they actually had the foresight to take it outside and not ruin everyone else's night. Came back a few minutes later, both looking beat up. Grabbed their shit and left.”

“Together?” Rowe asks.

“Uhhhh, at the same time. Maybe together. I wasn't paying them much attention. I try to ignore Kroll's unhinged antics.”

“Aren't you also a berserker?” Rowe points out as she grabs her ale.

“It's a fighting style,” Gale replies. “Doesn't mean you have to act like a fucking savage all the time.”

>Ask Gale something else? (write-in)
>Drink
>Go to Dart, ask her what's going on
>Approach the table (choose your attitude)
>Leave the bar
>Something else? (write-in)

>>370671
Stay calm, Alan.
>Ask Gale something else
Ask him if he's heard of skinwalkers/were-beasts from his time on the island.
Give him a quick description, the dangers, and their weakness. Ask him to spread the knowledge around so that anyone in the Fighter's Guild goes out, they know to be careful.
>Drink
>Keep all this professional
>Approach the table (Professionally and calm)
Keep things professional.
If we give ANY indication that we're concerned with Gabby and Kroll making out, Dart will do everything in her power to fuck up our chances for a threesome.

We're going to talk with Kroll and ask if his party met any skinwalkers in their year-long expedition.
Also to let him and Gabby know to be extremely careful of the skinwalker curse; they're the type to wade into the thick of the fighting, and we don't want them to get infected.

>>370696
>Dart will do everything in her power to fuck up our chances for a threesome.

That's how you KNOW she's evil

>Approach the table (Professionally and calm)
Let's not drink since Alan is pretty emotional right now. Why the fuck is he anyway? Gabby isn't his woman he just wants to fuck.

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>>370671
>>Approach the table (choose your attitude)
>Confident

>Something else? (write-in)
Give Gabby the IOU
"I'm cashing it in right now. Happy end included."


Don't be a cuck guys. Go. Get. Your. Girl

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>>370696
>>370723
Since we've got the time, let's take a step back: why would we approach the table?

Is talking about the skinwalker menace really important enough to disrupt Kroll and Gabby making out?
How will Dart use this to whisper doubts into Rowe's ear (because she will).
How likely is it that Gabby only considers Kroll to be a fuck buddy and she still would prefer to have a relationship with Alan?

>>370734
Well...Rowe is already onboard with the whole thing, so...maybe?
But we've got no information on how Gabby is using Kroll, and it might be a bad thing to do to our relationship if she's actually trying to get over Alan.

>>370741
For the love of god.

Do you not know how this works? Gabby is feeling neglected and envious of Rowe. Show her that she doesn't need to feel that way.

GO. Christ this isn't rocket science.

>>370746
Or things aren't as simple as you think, and you'd torpedo our chances.

Or, since you already stated that you're against a threesome, you're intentionally trying to sabotage this.

>>370757
Anon. It is as simple as I think. Kroll is a dumb barbarian that Gabby is using to relieve some of the blue balls Alan has been giving her the past month. But that's all he is.

Who the fuck do you think she is going to choose? Her best friend that she knows is attracted to her and she him. Or her literal pet dildo meathead?

There is a time for caution and a time to act. It's time to Act.

>Or, since you already stated that you're against a threesome, you're intentionally trying to sabotage this.
Buuuuuut, Apparently you are overly cautious paranoid fuckwit that thinks I am out to get him or 'sabatoge' shit so go fuck yourself. Hopefully the other anons with 2 working brain cells will understand that this is the best chance they got.

>>370757
Also fuck you for thinking I would ruin our friendship with Gabby to sabotage a threesome. Yes I prefer a normal relationship, but I roll with how the story unfolds and this is what we are working for, so I'll help with that.

>>370734
>>370671
This. Honestly I find myself agreeing with the points above. Gabby would choose us over Kroll. Fuck Dart, you can't stop a threesome when it's already out the door.

We convinced Rowe, but can Gabby be convinced so easily? Hasnt it been argued that she isn't the type to easily accept sharing?

>>370875
We'll see won't we? First step to figuring that out is to get her away from Kroll and make the situation clear for her.

>>370723
>Gabby isn't his woman he just wants to fuck.

Maybe I'm over exaggerating or misremembering past events but I thought you established there was something more than sexual desire to the Gabby attraction.

I mean arguably if you just wanted threesome with an aggressive strong woman you and Rowe could just grab one of the hotter former Forest Hunter Tribe orc women.

>>370919
>but I thought you established there was something more than sexual desire to the Gabby attraction.
I believe that we did imply something like that in the conversation in the church and when we talked with Gabby after the air and fire elementals fought.

>>370919
I do think that by this time, we are at least as emotionally tied up with Gabby as are with Rowe.
>>370823
>>370734

We can walk up there and introduce ourselves and talk about stuff relating to skinwalkers and his group (>>370741 >>370696), but I'd rather not hand the IOU right in front of Kroll's face. Maybe under the table or after our conversation.

>>371150
>but I'd rather not hand the IOU right in front of Kroll's face.

You guys are way too cautious. Make a statement. What do you think Gabby will appreciate more Wren? The stealth approach or the blunt 'Here is where we fucking stand' approach?

This is YOUR girl right Wrenloft? If Kroll wants to make something of it he can, we are the ones who just got Giant Strength.

>>371170
fair enough.

Never liked that guy anyway.

Alright, I want to be absolutely sure I know what the majority vote is here. So I'm holding a re-vote to make things crystal clear.

>Approach the table (professionally and calm)
>Approach the table (confident)
>Ask about skinwalkers (Gale, Kroll)
>Something else? (write-in)

AND

>Bring up the IOU
>Don't bring up the IOU

>>371282
>Ask about skinwalkers (Gale, Kroll)
>Don't bring up the IOU

>>371282
>Approach the table (professionally and calm and confident)

>Ask about skinwalkers (Gale, Kroll)

>Bring up the IOU
after the convesation about skinwalkers, because how else do you end a conversation and get down to a threesome?

>>371282
First
>Ask about skinwalkers (Gale)

Then
>Approach the table (confident)
>Bring up the IOU

>>371282
and also question kroll on what his group has been doing for the past year.

>>371320
Dude you are about to (in his mind anyways) cuck him. Now is really not the time for a pleasant chat about how things have been or how the weather is or if he is voting for Hillary or Trump in the general election.

>>371372
>>371282

fine, we'll leave out the conversation with Kroll.

>>371282
>Approach the table (confident)
>Bring up the IOU

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You take another deep breath and close your eyes. You weigh things over in your mind. No.

It's not over yet.

You open your eyes and smack the counter a few times as you turn round. Good they've finally stopped necking.

You walk towards them .

(Alan . . . what are you doing?) Rowe thinks to you tentatively as you make your approach.

No time to explain. Gabby's eyes light up as she notices you. She raises her mug. It is embossed with a sword over a shield and the words 'Cuntry Girl' engraved above it. You . . . doubt that misspelling was on accident.

“Hey Al,” she calls jovially. “Finally back from vacation? How'd the lion hunting go?”

“Oddly,” you tell her truthfully and smoothly as you place your hand on the table to support your weight. Kroll still has his arm wrapped around her waist. “Lion turned out to be an orc who could turn into a lion. Called himself a skinwalker.”

Kroll grunts. “Nasty beasts,” he comments. His voice is deep and baritone, but much silkier than Irontide's.

You squint at him. “You've encountered them before?”

He nods as he takes a big gulp of his drink. “Yeah. Get bit or scratched?” he asks and you see the slightest tensing of his muscles. You shake your head no. He relaxes before continuing. “Good. You ever do, rub wolfs-bane on the wound. You only got three days though or it won't work. Then you're as good as dead.”

“So the hunt was a bust then?” Gabby asks, slight frown of disappointment.

“Not quite,” you qualify. “Ended up meeting back up with the Mountain Riders and hunted down some giants.”

“Giants?” Gabby asks impressed, folding her arms. “How big were they?”

“Maybe . . . twelve feet?” you guess.

“Fire or Hill?” Kroll interjects.

You look at him, squinting your eyes. “What?”

“Did it look like a big fuckin' person or a big fuckin' person on fire?” he asks, stifling a chuckle.

“Just a big person,” you answer.

Kroll shrugs and gives a dismissive grunt. “Lucky,” he simply comments with another big gulp of his stein that drains it of the last dregs of its liquid. “Fire giants are much worse,” he speaks with a shake of the freshly emptied container. He slams it down more forcefully than necessary and leans forward gesturing for a serving wench to bring another mug.

You stifle the urge to bristle. One-upmanship. Great.

“So you snag me a trophy?” she asks, leaning forward with eyebrows raised and waggling.

“Yeah. Large painting of an elven maiden or an over-sized lantern. Your pick.”

“I'll take the picture of the hot elf bitch, thank you very much,” Gabby comments with a laugh. “Hang it on the wall of my shack.”

“I'd prefer the ceiling,” Kroll comments as he look over to her. “More fucking space that way. Unless you want me to ruin it.”

Gabby rolls her eyes and gives you a slightly apologetic look. “So, yeah. Al, Kroll here is –”

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You slip the IOU from your pocket and drop it on the table in front of Gabby. She looks down at it for a second before Kroll reaches over and drags it over to him, squinting his eyes to examine what's written.

“Sorry to interrupt but I'm here to collect on my birthday gift.”

Gabby gives a slight cackle as she cracks her knuckles “Finally. Take your shirt off and grab a chair. I'll show you what these fingers can –”

“Happy ending included.”

Gabby snorts with laughter and Kroll follows suit, looking up from the note. It takes her a moment of looking at your very serious expression before she slowly stops laughing and begins studying you critically. Like she's waiting for the punchline.

You simply shrug. “I'm being serious.”

“Fuck off,” Kroll simply commands with one more dark chortle. “You're smaller than she is, boy.”

“You have a girlfriend, Alan,” Gabby follows up immediately, waggling her knees with one arm over the back of the booth as she looks you in the eyes, ignoring the words that just came out of the meat head's mouth.

“I do,” you add nonchalantly. You take a step back and gesture to the bar where Rowe is currently. She notices you motioning to her and frantically puts her beer down and waves at your whole group, more friendly and amicable than sultry and erotic. You notice Gale sitting next to her try to scoot his stool away out of sight.

Gabby gestures between herself and you while making eye contact with Rowe and mouthing 'this is OK'.

Rowe responds gesturing between all three of you. Gabby's mouth drops and she looks to you.

You put your hand on the table and lean in to her, mock whispering as if you desire privacy even though you're sure Kroll can hear.

“We're hoping to get a two-for-one deal.”

You see her practically salivate as she licks her lips, the hunger in her eyes. “Oh fuck yeah.”

“Gabby!” Kroll bellows indignantly.

You don't even care that his mouth is moving you're too busy winning. You step back and grab Gabby's hand, 'assisting' her in getting up from the table. She daintily accepts your gentlemanly assistance.

Kroll's arm he had wrapped round Gabby's waist lashes out and grabs her other arm.

“You're fucking kidding me,” he protests. “This bitch can't fuck you like I can.”

“Actually, Kroll,” Gabby says simply, her arm limp in his tight grasp. “You can't fuck me like they can. Now, let go.” It's a brusque demand.

“If you want to dyke out I can buy you a fucking prostitute. Two prostitutes. A dozen fucking prostitutes, you dumb bitch.” He's a delightful conversationalist.

“I don't want to fuck a prostitute. LET GO.” This time it's a threat.

His brow crinkles and you see his mind working hard as if for the first time in his life he needs to come up with an adequate argument for why a woman should sleep with him.

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Suddenly he looks over to where Dart is sitting, wearing a mischievous grin on her face that melts to confusion as Kroll speaks.

“Dart!” he yells with implied meaning behind the call – like he's asking for help in a battle of life or death.

Dart lowers her drink and shrugs. “What?”

He nods to Gabby and raises his eyebrows at Dart.

She cackles shaking her head. “Noooooooooooooooooooo,” she draws it out long as she turns away from Kroll.

“Fuckin' bitch,” he comments, looking back to his ever-worsening predicament.

His grip tightens and you watch her arm suddenly tense. Kroll breathes heavily while Gabby just stares him down. You watch as the approaching serving wench turns around and speed walks away.

Eventually all of you are alerted by the sound of Gale sighing. He swivels around in his stool and just stares at Kroll. You notice Rowe also tapping her fingers on the counter.

Kroll may be dumb, but he knows that he can't take on all of you at once by himself. He looks to Dart once more, for martial support this time.

Dart's eyes narrow darkly. “She's not some random bar floozy, Kroll. Irontide will be pissed if you fuck things up for all of us. Stick your dick somewhere else.”

At Dart's advice Kroll finally relents and lets go, bringing his arm in sullenly. He sits and simmers, rage plain on his face from wounded pride. Dark thoughts in his mind as he throws a sullen, childish temper tantrum. You drag Gabby, giggling and excited over to the counter where you grab Rowe with your other hand.

Gale gives you a look equal parts disgust and discomfort as you bring these two beautiful women with you to the exit.

Dart gives you a cheery and suggestive little half-wave on your way out.

Once you're outside in the cool evening air, Gabby inserts herself between the two of you and throws her arms over both your shoulders. Rowe jumps a little, skittish and nervous as it happens, but not entirely put off by what you all know is about to occur.

“So . . . your place or mine?” she asks, suggestive eroticism dripping off every word.


IOU + CONFIDENCE HAS GIVEN YOU A +10 BONUS TO YOUR ROLL. YOU HAVE MET THE TARGET NUMBER OF 115

But it's not over yet. A sexual liaison involving Gabby brings about the unusual challenge of dealing with her desire to . . . win.

>Let her win
>Team up with Rowe to take her down
>Conquer them both

AND

>Your place
>Or hers

Roll me 1d100, Best of 3.

Rolled 39 (1d100)

>>371934
>Conquer them both
>Your place

here goes nothing.

Rolled 42 (1d100)

>>371934
>Conquer them both
>Your place

Rolled 89 (1d100)

>>371934
>>Team up with Rowe to take her down
Two words:
Teamwork feats
>>Your place

Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>371944

Taking a bit of a long break. Next update probably tomorrow.

Comments, criticism, concerns, ideas, compliments, insults, see any good movies lately and wanna talk about it -- go ahead.

>>371977
What kind of handicap are we working with here?

>>371981
the handicap of not enough stamina to go through the entire night. Unless, we magically spice it up or something. Or maybe we /will/ go all on through the night.

>>371977
You guys ever seen Hardcore Henry? That was some first person Awesome, that was.

>>371977
Would casting Bull Strength help 'win' at all?

Hey maybe Ed can slap our ass with Bull's Endurance right before we go into our room. I'm only slightly joking.

>>371984
Well we don't need to sleep so that's a plus.

>>371977
>>371987
No, this is perfect. We cast bull strength. Or maybe something that improves stamina, I don't know.

Probably want a lot of water, though.

But we must slap Gabby's ass as comeuppance for that time she slapped our ass.

>>371993
>>371987
Bear's Endurance. The one spell we don't know.
And Constitution, our weakest stat by far.

>>372008
Why not endurance, strength and constitution boosts?

like, all three at once?

>>372008
Ed! Quissonce! Help! Slap us with it real quick.

>>372014
Endurance is Constitution Wren

>>372020
sorry, it's been a while since I've played DnD.

>>372017
"No time to explain guys, just slap those enhancement spells on me! Lives are at stake!"

>>372022
>since I've played DnD.
We're using Pathfinder, not DnD.

>>372026
Isn't Pathfinder a variant of DnD?