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>>432455
Enemy: Werewolf
Health: 3/3
END: C
SPD: C
DIV: D

Things were going well. You killed some Maneating Hares, you killed some Crows, and you were just about to call it a day when you heard a Werewolf howling in the distance.

Now, Werewolves aren't the toughest enemies out there, but they combine strength, speed and divine power in a way Maneating Hares and Crows don't, which makes them more dangerous. The upside is that they can't fly.

"Everyone, be careful," you tell the squad. "This isn't over yet."

The girls unconsciously move into a diamond formation, while you keep an ear out for the Werewolf.

Thump.

Thump.

THUMP.

It jumps from rooftop to rooftop, cracking snow and ice every time it lands.

You hear another howl and spot a white streak across the sky.

"It's here!" Orianne calls out, readying her sword.

"A lowly beast is no match this divine huntress!" Selene flicks her hair back and looses an arrow at the Werewolf. It misses by a mile. "Lowly cur! How dare you avoid my attack!"

At least her "enthusiasm" helps you keep your mind off the crisis that's about to stare you in the face.

The Werewolf lands hard enough to crack through the layer of ice in front of you and leave a sizeable dent in the asphalt beneath it. It braces its hind legs and leaps towards you without the slightest hesitation.

You need to defend yourself.

- [DC12] Take the attack head-on.
- [DC13] Get the hell out of the way.
- [DC12] Order Natsumi to block the Werewolf.

Rolled 7 (1d20)

>>432459
>- [DC13] Get the hell out of the way.

Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>432459
>get away

>>432459
>Get the hell out of the way.

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>432528
Forgot roll.

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>>432459
Gained Speed D.

Enemy: Werewolf
Health: 3/3
END: C
SPD: C
DIV: D

Eamon O'Byrne
Health: 2/2

"Get out of the way!"

You and the rest of the squad jump out of the Werewolf's path as it charges. It swipes at you with its elongated arms, but between your order and the team's reflexes, everyone avoids having their guts spilled out.

Incidentally, the snow is too hard to break your fall. At least you didn't break any bones.

The Werewolf is currently recovering from its attack, which gives you a chance to bind it with Gleipnir. Once you can constrain the beast's speed or strength, it'll be easier to take down.

- [DC12] Reduce the Werewolf's Speed to E.
- [DC12] Reduce the Werewolf's Endurance to E.
- [DC12] Reduce the Werewolf's Speed and Endurance to D.

Rolled 18 (1d20)

>>432535
>- [DC12] Reduce the Werewolf's Speed and Endurance to D.

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>432535
>Reduce the Werewolf's Speed to E.

Rolled 16 (1d20)

>>432535
>[DC12] Reduce the Werewolf's Speed and Endurance to D.

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>>432535
Enemy: Werewolf
Health: 3/3
END: D
SPD: D
DIV: D

Eamon O'Byrne
Health: 2/2


"Gleipnir[/blue!]" You call out to your Relic, which immediately turns towards the Werewolf. "Bind its movements as much as you can!"

You can feel Gleipnir's eagerness. It constricts around the Werewolf, binding it with thick ribbons that prevent its muscles from moving as much as razor-thin threads that cut into the beast's flesh. The binding ends when Gleipnir muzzles the creature's snout tightly enough to audibly shatter its fangs.

"This is quite an impressive power," Orianne says. "The official reports do not do it justice."

"Gleipnir hates wolves in particular," you explain. "It was created to bind Fenrir, after all."

The Werewolf's howl is firmly stuck in its throat. It glares at all of you with hateful red eyes and prepares itself for another attack.

- [DC10] Take the attack head-on.
- [DC10] Scatter the squad to dodge.
- [DC10] Try to lure the Werewolf into a trap.

Rolled 12 (1d20)

>>432621
>- [DC10] Try to lure the Werewolf into a trap.

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>432621
>Try to lure the Werewolf into a trap.

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>>432621
Enemy: Werewolf
Health: 2/2
END: D
SPD: D
DIV: D

Eamon O'Byrne
Health: 2/2

Being a matador can't be that difficult, right?

You whistle and give Gleipnir a hard yank to get the Werewolf's attention. Its focuses turns entirely on you and it charges you on all four legs.

The next part requires careful timing. Too fast and the trap won't work. Too slow and you'll get ripped apart by a pissed off Werewolf. You stare the creature in the eyes and wait for the telltale signals.

A slight twitch of its hind legs. A sudden arching of its back.

You jump aside just as the Werewolf surges towards you. Its attack misses and it finds itself buried in a snowbank.

- [DC8] Unleash a team attack with Orianne's help.
- [DC9] Let Selene have a shot now that the Werewolf is immobilized.
- [DC9] Have Natsumi attack the Werewolf.

Rolled 19 (1d20)

>>432695
>- [DC8] Unleash a team attack with Orianne's help.

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>432695
>[DC8] Unleash a team attack with Orianne's help.

TEAM FINISHER

Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>432695
>[DC8] Unleash a team attack with Orianne's help.

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>>432695
Enemy: Werewolf
Health: 1/2
END: D
SPD: D
DIV: D

Eamon O'Byrne
Health: 2/2


"Orianne," you say, "you can take it from here."

"That sounds like a delightful idea." Orianne smiles and draws joyeuse[/red]. "Natsumi, take the left. I'll take the right. Selene, aim your arrow from the middle. Eamon, if you could pull the Werewolf out, please."

You snap your fingers and pull the stunned Werewolf out of the snow, still bound by Gleipnir. The girls get into their assigned positions.

Natsumi charges first, swinging her blade at the Werewolf's neck with a mighty cry; you vaguely remember it being referred to as a kiai. Ame-no-Ohabari bites deeply into the enemy's neck but its not a lethal attack.

Orianne's attack is simpler. She simply grabs her sword with both hands and pushes it into the Werewolf's flank. Meanwhile, Selene is calmly shooting arrows into its spine.

The Werewolf struggles and thrashes about to free itself from Gleipnir to no avail. Thanks to your little trap, it's still wide open to attack.

- [DC8] Continue with the current team formation.
- [DC9] Have Natsumi and Orianne pull back while Selene continues to loose arrows.
- [DC10] Join the fray personally.

Rolled 12 (1d20)

>>432778
- [DC9] Have Natsumi and Orianne pull back while Selene continues to loose arrows.
Question, are you sleepy?

Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>432778
>- [DC10] Join the fray personally.

Rolled 15 (1d20)

>>432778
Join the fray

>>432778
>[DC10] Join the fray personally
Why not, right?

Rolled 7 (1d20)

>>432792
And I forgot my roll. Again.

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>>432778
Enemy: Werewolf
Health: 0/2
END: D
SPD: D
DIV: D

Eamon O'Byrne
Health: 2/2

You roll up your sleeves and casually walk around the Werewolf so you're standing in front of it.

Then you pull your arm back and punch that motherfucker in the trachea. Your fist sinks into the Werewolf's neck and goes so deep you can kind of feel its spine at the back. Its head would probably snap down, if it wasn't for Gleipnir holding it tight.

"It doesn't seem to be struggling as much," Orianne says. "Is it dead?"

"The manual says the enemy is not dead until we incinerate the body," Natsumi says. "Did anyone bring a match with them?"

"It's not dead," you say. "Just dying. And we can't really set it on fire in these circumstances anyway."

The Werewolf's white fur is now stained red all over and it looks absolutely miserable. At this point, it's just a question of how you want to finish it off.

- [DC10] Snap its neck.
- [DC9] Crush it with Gleipnir.
- [DC9] Let the girls have the kill.

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>432847
>- [DC10] Snap its neck.

>>432858
Well

Rolled 16 (1d20)

>>432866
According to the rules, crits are disabled.

>>432847
>[DC10] Snap its neck.

Rolled 18 (1d20)

>>432847
>Snap neck
That head is going on the wall.

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>>432847
You calmly grab the Werewolf's head and wrench, using its own neck as a sort fulcrum. The creatures spasms in its death throes and goes still.

"Gleipnir, is it dead?"

"The creature is dead, master," your Relic answers. "I am certain of it."

"Okay, we're done," you tell the rest of the squad. "You can stop killing it now."

Selene lets loose one last arrow - trying to get the last word in, probably - while Natsumi and Orianne withdraw their blades and clean off the blood as best they can given the circumstances.

"Are you certain this is all right, Eamon?" Natsumi asks. "The manual is very clear about the fire."

"The manual was written for ideal circumstances," you say, "and circumstances are never ideal out in the field. We just have to deal with it. In this case, we have nothing to light a fire with, and it's too cold and wet to burn the corpses anyway."

"Since our work here is done," Orianne says, "I will call Francis to let him know. Let's just be careful until he arrives."

You form a close-knit defensive perimeter for the three seconds it takes Francis to show up and bring you on board his Vimana. You'll be in New York in a matter of minutes at most, but this was the squad's first real group battle, so you should probably say something as the veteran while you're all awkwardly standing around on the deck of Francis' flying ship.

- "That was an exciting outing, wasn't it?"
- "We all survived today, and that's all that really matters."
- "We took out the enemy. That's what makes today a success."

>>432924
>- "We all survived today, and that's all that really matters."

>>432924
>- "We all survived today, and that's all that really matters."

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>>432924
"We all survived today," you say, "and that's what really matters. Don't forget that."

"Of course we survived," Selene says. "These creatures were nothing before us."

"They were a bit weak," Orianne says, "but we shouldn't get overconfident, or else we won't be able to win against stronger enemies."

"My senpai told me many times that fighting a weak enemy is not the same as being strong," Natsumi adds. "True strength comes from defeating strong foes, not fighting the weak."

"That's what I like to hear, newbies," Francis yells from his pilot's seat. "Keep thinking like that and you'll have a long career."

You bite back the urge to ask him how a taxi driver would know about that.

The Vimana lands atop the headquarters at its usual spot and you all head straight down to the Commander for a debriefing. She's exactly where you left her, although you hope she has moved around a little while you were gone.

"Four people went out, and four people came back," the Commander says. "Just what I wanted to see."

"I already gave them the survival speech, Commander," you say. "The short version anyway."

"No need to go over the long version, then," the Commander says. "Your report?"

You step up first and describe the opposition and the difficulties you encountered, particularly with the terrain; the squad might need more training in the area. Each member of the squad adds details that the others had overlooked or forgotten as irrelevant, as well as a few comments about their individual Relics.

Once the debriefing is done, the Commander sends you off without further comment. You suspect she's quite satisfied with the squad's performance thus far, and it gives you some free time to enjoy.

- After that mission, you need a shower.
- After that mission, you need a drink.
- There should be a recreational center on the base.
- Go back to your room.

>>432995
>- There should be a recreational center on the base.

>- After that mission, you need a shower.

>>432995
>- There should be a recreational center on the base.
>bar

>>432995
> drink

It's like you want us to fail our heritage

>>432995
>- After that mission, you need a shower.

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>>432995
There should be a recreational center in this place, right? Maybe a gym or something? You find a nearby map and try to puzzle out what the legend means. It turns out the symbols aren't international standard.

"Eamon? Are you lost?"

You look over to see Natsumi coming towards you.

"I'm looking for a recreational center or gym or something," you say. "Do you know where I could find one?"

"Oh, yes," Natsumi says. "I am actually going there right now. I can show you, if you want."

"All right, thanks."

You take a winding path of corridors, elevators and walkways to get to the gymnasium, although by the time you get there, you don't have the slightest idea which building you're even in anymore.

"Here we are," Natsumi says. "I have not been here many times, but it is very nice."

The sign over the door says Recreational Center, but it really means Fitness Center, not that you mind too much. Staying fit is part of staying alive.

There are weights, treadmills, a shooting range, a batting cage, a decent-sized pool and showers, so you can relax, work out a little and clean yourself up. Overall, it's a pretty decent setup, even if it's almost empty at the moment.

Natsumi walks over to a vending machine and peers at its contents.

"What are you looking at?"

"Swimsuits," Natsumi answers.

"… they sell swimsuits in vending machines?"

"It is a Japanese innovation," Natsumi explains. "The Commander said it was more efficient than hiring salespeople."

Can't argue with that logic. Besides, you didn't bring your swimsuit down, and you can always you an extra pair of trunks anyway. You pick the plainest thing in the machine, but Natsumi is still hesitating.

"Eamon, which do you think would be better, a one-piece or a two-piece swimsuit?"

- "One-piece. It leaves more to the imagination."
- "Two-piece. There's more on display."

>>433082
>Depends on the person but in your case
- "One-piece. It leaves more to the imagination."

>>433082
>- "One-piece. It leaves more to the imagination."

>>433082
Depends. Cup size?

>>433106
Not sure if it was ever specifically stated. "Large" is a pretty accurate ballpark.

>>433118
Gonna say one piece then.

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>>433082
"One-piece," you answer. "It leaves more to the imagination."

"Imagination?"

Shit, you hadn't meant to say that out loud. Time to change the subject!

"I'm gonna go get changed," you say. "I'll see you in the pool."

Natsumi shrugs and buys her swimsuit while you head to the locker room to shower and get changed. The gym shower isn't as fancy as the personnel shower you used when you first arrived, but it gets the sweat and grime out and that's all that really matters. It's gotten to the point where just feeling clean is relaxing.

You step out of the locker room and Natsumi's already there with her feet in the pool.

The one-piece was the right call. You're not sure whether to ogle her ass or her tits first, so you keep your distance for an extra few seconds so you can enjoy both for a bit longer.

- [DC9] Time for a race!
- Just swim casually.

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>433153
>- [DC9] Time for a race!

Rolled 16 (1d20)

>>433153
>- [DC9] Time for a race!

Rolled 15 (1d20)

>>433153
>- [DC9] Time for a race!

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>>433153
"How about a race?" You ask.

"That sounds fun," Natsumi says. "It has been some time since I practiced swimming seriously."

You both take your spots - and you barely avoid getting distracted by Natsumi when she bends over - and dive into the pool at the signal.

The pool isn't Olympic-sized, so you have to swim to the other side and back to get a full race. Natsumi and you are neck and neck for much of it, but you slowly widen your gap until you're clearly ahead of her. Your victory becomes more and more certain as you reach the other side of the pool and turn around. You reach the finish line two full seconds before Natsumi does.

Natsumi congratulates you on your victory and you both decide to just drift around the pool.

"I love swimming," Natsumi says. "It is relaxing, but it still allows me to stay in shape."

"The water's cool or hot depending on what kind of weather you need a break from," you say. "And when you do get tired, you can just stand there and do nothing. I wish I'd gone to the beach more often back in the UK, but I think it was always too cold anyway."

"Maybe the Commander will allow us to go on vacation when the Wendigo is defeated," Natsumi says. "I was in Hawaii for a few days on my way here. It was very beautiful."

"Yeah, maybe."

It's more likely that the Commander will just ship you off to the next place.

Until then, you just quietly enjoy the fact that Natsumi's swimsuit doesn't have nipple pads. If Francis is going to keep going on about how you need to get over your alleged break-up, you might as well follow his advice.

>>433202
That's all for today. The next thread will be Wednesday August 3rd at 7PM EDT. As a reminder, I'll also be running Beleaguered Prince Quest on Friday August 5th also at 7PM.

As always, goodnight and thanks for playing.

>>433205
Thanks for running.

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>>433202
Natsumi pushes herself to the edge of the pool and grabs her towel to dry herself off. You decide to stay where you are for a little longer.

"There is something I would like to ask you, Eamon," Natsumi says. "You are considered a veteran, yes?"

"Yes and no," you answer. "I've been at this for a while, but I'm still technically a third generation Relic. I've seen some rough spots, but nothing nearly as bad as what the first Relics had to deal with."

The first generation responded to the Eskathos' initial advance and the second established the battle lines. Everything after that is the third generation, which has yet to make its mark.

"There is something that has been bothering me for some time," Natsumi says. "I have been idolized in Japan because of Ame-no-Ohabari, but…" She says something in Japanese before catching herself and starting over. "I feel as if people are giving me credit for the deeds of others or for what I will accomplish in the future. Sometimes, I do not believe that I deserve so much attention."

- "People need symbols. It's part of our job."
- "You've won one battle. That's an accomplishment."
- "You can't control what other people think of you, so don't worry about it."

>>441176
>- "People need symbols. It's part of our job."

>>441176
>- "You've won one battle. That's an accomplishment."

>>441176
>"People need symbols. It's part of our job."
"But the fact that you don't take their praise for granted says a lot about you. Not like some archers we know"

>>441176
Yay!
- "You can't control what other people think of you, so don't worry about it."
First can lead to thoughts on own unworthyness s a symbol, and secound leads to to thoughts on how inexperienced she is

>>441176
>- "People need symbols. It's part of our job."

>>441176
>- "You can't control what other people think of you, so don't worry about it."

>>441176
You might need to rework how exp works, I think we are growing too fast.

>>441215
Oh, I'm keeping an eye on it.

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>>441176
"People need symbols," you say. "It's part of our job."

"It still makes me uncomfortable," Natsumi says. "Perhaps it is different elsewhere, in Japan, the kami are still worshipped. To be considered as one of their representatives can be very… intimidating."

There were some religious conflicts when the first Relics emerged. They didn't last very long on account of the Eskathos' invasion, but they can still be seen in some places.

"You'll grow into it," you say. "Look, I know some people like Selene make a big deal out of this, but when it comes down to it, we're doing a job. Just like everybody else on Earth. It's totally mundane."

You briefly wonder where your life went wrong if you can consider magic and divine miracles mundane. It's probably best not to dwell on it too much.

Natsumi stifles a giggle. "Selene is very enthusiastic about her work," she says. "I will try not to let her influence me too much."

The pool doesn't have an official closing time, but it's getting late and your mission was a little tiring. It wasn't the worst you ever had to deal with, but that just makes it more important for you to rest while you can.

You follow Natsumi out of the pool and get changed before returning to your room and crashing into bed. You stare at the ceiling for a while until you finally start falling asleep.

In your dreams, you see…

- The Girl of your Dreams
- The Man Who Had your Back
- Someone from the present.

>>441275
>- The Girl of your Dreams

>>441275
> - The Man Who Had your Back
Mentor figure, go!

>>441275
>- The Girl of your Dreams
Let's see who is the girl who rejected us.

>>441275
>The Girl of your Dreams

>>441275
>- The Man Who Had your Back

>>441275
>- The Man Who Had your Back

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>>441275
Claiomh Solais is one of the mightiest Relics of Irish mythology. Although your own Relic is Gleipnir, you were always proud of your own culture.

You met her shortly after you obtained your own Relic. She was from the second generation, and she was older than you and your friend. She taught you the ropes and bailed you out when you were too weak to dig yourself of whatever hole you'd fallen into. Everyone loved her, but you loved her a little more than others, and you thought there might be something there.

In hindsight, you should have put more thought into it. Irish myth is not pleasant when women are involved, and Gleipnir's Norse roots weren't enough to protect you.

You took a chance. Told her how you felt. It looked like things might turn out okay, but you'd forgotten something. In the end, the only thing that mattered was ̶

The phone rings, the alarms blare and Gleipnir twists your arm to wake you up.

There's nothing quite like a million alarms to wake a guy up.

You reach out and pick up your phone.

"O'Byrne speaking."

"Hey, Eamon, wassup?" It's Francis. "Got the wake up call?"

"It's hard to miss, Francis." You get out of bed and start looking for your clothes. "What's happening?

"Good news or bad news first?"

- "Good news."
- "Bad news."
- "Stop screwing around and tell me what's going on."

>>441382
- "Stop screwing around and tell me what's going on."

>>441382
>- "Bad news."

>>441382
>"Stop screwing around and tell me what's going on."

>>441382
>- "Stop screwing around and tell me what's going on."

>>441382
>- "Bad news."
Bad news always first.

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>>441382
"Francis, when alarms are screaming all around the place," you say, "it's time to stop screwing around and tell me what's going on."

"Fine, be that way," Francis grumbles. "There's a Ghoul standing right outside New York. It hasn't done anything yet, but the Commander wants it removed with the most extreme prejudice."

"All those alarms for one Ghoul?"

"The Ghoul's half the equation," Francis says. "The Wendigo stopped moving and cleared its blizzard. That's the good news. The Commander wants to launch an attack as soon as the Ghoul is gone."

Less than a day after you go on a standard extermination job, a Ghoul shows up on your doorstep and the Wendigo leaves itself vulnerable to attack? There's just no way that's a coincidence. Hell, it's the most obvious trap you've ever seen.

But if the Commander wants to send you into it, all you can do is obey her orders.

You get dressed as quickly as you can and rush out of your quarters as quickly as you can, catching up with the rest of the squad before the elevator runs off without you.

"Hello, Eamon," Orianne says. "We're terribly sorry about disturbing your beauty sleep. Although I do like the worn-out look. It's very manly."

"Thanks for the complement," you say. "I got the short version from Francis. Is there anything else I need to know?"

"It's just a common Ghoul," Selene scoffs. "The Wendigo might be worthy of such attention, but a Ghoul? I could kill it from this building."

That's not necessarily a bad idea, although you'd have to be very precise when coordinating your attack.

- "Selene, provide support fire from long range."
- "I want everyone to stick together just in case."

>>441462
>- "Selene, provide support fire from long range."
>I am willing to bet that the Wendigo is puppetng this thing.

>>441462
>- "I want everyone to stick together just in case."
If it is an obvious trap like it seems then they'd most likely pick off anyone alone.

>>441462
>- "I want everyone to stick together just in case."

>>441462
>"I want everyone to stick together just in case."

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>>441462
"We're all sticking together," you say. "Just in case this trap explodes in a way we don't expect."

Selene shrugs and stays quiet. That's good enough for you.

Francis and his Vimana are ready for you on the rooftop. The squad climbs on with Orianne and Natsumi taking the lead. Before you even have time to catch your breath, it's time to disembark. Francis can be a dumbass sometimes, but you have no complaints about the way he handles his Relic.

"I'll pick you up to bring you to the Wendigo once the Ghoul is dealt with," Francis says. "You know, if everything goes according to the best-case scenario the analysts dreamed up in their pretty little heads."

"Keep that optimism, Francis," you say. "It might save your life some day."

"How should we approach the Ghoul?" Natsumi asks.

"It's just a monster," Selene says. "We should just kill it."

"Perhaps not," Orianne says. "It's obviously some sort of distraction, but we might be able to obtain information from it. We should try talking."

- "We'll attack immediately. I won't cede the initiative."
- "Let's try talking first."

>>441518
>- "Let's try talking first."

>>441518
>"Let's try talking first."

>>441518
>"Let's try talking first."
SOMETHINGS FISHY

>>441518
>- "Let's try talking first."

>>441518
>- "We'll attack immediately. I won't cede the initiative."

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>>441518
"Let's try talking first," you say. "I want to see where this goes."

"I have been wondering if the… creatures that come from the Eskathos are capable of thought," Orianne says. "I expect this to be very interesting."

Or suicidal. But hopefully it'll be interesting.

The Ghoul isn't difficult to find. It's just openly standing in the middle of a defunct road. It twists its neck to look at you as soon as you return. Gleipnir loosens its grip on your arm, but waits for your order before acting.

"yoU caMe." The Ghoul's voice is hollow and broken. Frozen maggots spill out from between its lips whenever it speaks. "Jst as the MASTER foResAw that yoU would."

Well. The Ghoul can talk. That's new.

- "Who's the Master?"
- "Who are you?"
- "Why are you here?"

Thanks to your CHA C, you can ask the Ghoul three questions total. You can use them all now, or you can wait to ask follow-up questions.

>>441587
>- "Why are you here?"

>>441587
>- "Who's the Master?"

>>441587
>why are you here?

>>441587
>- "Why are you here?"
Better ask just one for this round.

>>441587
>"Why are you here?"

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>>441587
Orianne and Natsumi move to your left and right respectively to flank the Ghoul, while you try to look cool as a cucumber and get it talking.

"If you don't mind me asking," you start, "why are you here?"

"the MASTER knows OF youR plans," the Ghoul. "LIke You, he knows tHat the stAlemate muSt end. HE welcomes yOUr challengE. he wishes esCAlatION. I MUST inform YoU of thiS."

So the Master, whoever that is, knows you're gunning for the Wendigo and wants you to keep going. That's concerning, to put it mildly. You'll have to inform the Commander, although you'll doubt she'll care. This could be some sort of trick, but regardless of whether or not it is, you still have to kill the Wendigo.

More concerning is the fact that your plans are known to the enemy. It's not surprise that there are plans to destroy the Wendigo, but the timing is more than a little suspicious.

- "Who's the Master?"
- "Who are you?"
- "What does the Master want aside from challenging us?"

>>441666
>- "What does the Master want aside from challenging us?"

>>441666
>- "What does the Master want aside from challenging us?"

>>441666
>"What does the Master want aside from challenging us?"

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>>441666
"Thanks for the tip," you say. "Can you tells us what the Master wants aside from challenging us?"

The Ghoul cackles and vomits out snow and more maggots.

"ThE MASTER waNtS pleasure, viiolENce, rape[/], indulgence," the Ghoul says. "he wanTS what aLl humas wAnt deep inSiDe."

The Ghoul sinks its talons into its own stomach and peels the flesh away to reveal its hollow entrails. Orianne and Natsumi look like they're about to be sick, but they hold it together. Somehow.

"YOu want this AS well," the Ghoul says. "You ONLY need to bE shown. LiKE me."

- "Who's the Master?"
- "Can you tell us about the Wendigo?"
- "Were you human?"

>>441746
>- "Who's the Master?"

>>441746
>- "Can you tell us about the Wendigo?"

>>441746
>- "Who's the Master?"

>>441746
>- "Who's the Master?"
I'll bite it.

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>>441746
Orianne and Natsumi are both looking increasingly nervous. You suspect that, although you can't see her at the moment, Selene is doing the same.

Still, there's one more question you need to ask.

"Who's the Master?"

The Ghoul stops moving for a mere fraction of a second. Then its facial features begin to shift. Its lips disappear and its eyes bulge out of its sockets.

"The MASTER waS the fIRst," the Ghoul says. "He was thE FirsT To heAR the teaCHIngs of the Eskathos. It quESTIoned him and he anSWered. Now, it questions YoU and yoU will ANswer."

The Ghoul's features return to normal… for a given value of "normal" anyway. It fakes a smile and poses its own question to you.

"Why DO you chalLENge the Wendigo?"

- "It's my duty."
- "I want to protect humanity."
- "I like a good fight."
- "I just feel like it."

>>441810
>- "I want to protect humanity."

>>441810
>- "I want to protect humanity."

>>441810
>- "I like a good fight."

The best thing to do with eldritch abominations is keep them interested. I doubt duty or protecting humanity will do so and the last is too wishy-washy.

>>441810
>- "I like a good fight."

>>441815
>>441816
>>441821
>>441838
I... think I can work with this tie. Writing.

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>>441810
"I want to protect humanity from cannibal giants who may or may not be undead," you say. "Plus I like a good fight."

The Ghoul laughs in your face until its rotten, liquefied spit out of its mouth.

"You unDERstand," the Ghoul says, "yet you still dEny YOurSelf. The barRIErs inside yoUr mind remain. The Wendigo wIll show you iTS trUth. YoU will kNOW the plEAsures of WRATH, just as the MASTER doEs. Your duty to others is A FALse chain. You must brEAk it."

"I've had enough of you." Orianne glares at the Ghoul and draws her blade. "We fight for the sake of humanity because it's the right thing to do. Even if it's difficult or tiresome, we won't back away from that because of petty selfishness."

"Orianne is correct," Natsumi says, drawing her own blade. "Even if I am uncertain, I am satisfied with my position. I will not fight for the sake of violence. To do such a thing would be to fall below the level of animals."

A Silver Arrow flies above your head and lands at the Ghoul's feet. Selene is getting in on this now.

"This divine goddess' motives are pure, foul creature," she says. "I shall not allow you to taint them!"

The squad is ready for a fight, no doubt about it. You were ordered to kill the Ghoul after all and another battle will help you tune your teamwork before you have to confront the Wendigo, but this opponent is tougher than the Werewolf you previously fought, and if something goes wrong, you don't be at full strength against the Wendigo.

- "We're killing this thing."
- "Retreat for now. The Wendigo is a more important target."

>>441902
>- "We're killing this thing."

>>441902
>- "We're killing this thing."
Hit him with a surprise attack from Gleipnir.

>>441902
>- "We're killing this thing."

>>441902
>- "We're killing this thing."

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>>441902
Since the ladies are up for a fight, you're happy to oblige them.

"We're killing this thing."

Orianne's Joyeuse glows with it divine light, and Natsumi raises Ame-no-Ohabari in a high stance. You step back to get out of Selene's field of attack and to position to unleash Gleipnir your Relic unwinds itself from your arm and encircles the Ghoul.

The Ghoul merely laughs at your efforts, slobber spilling out of its mouth. Its red eye glows with and it stares at you with a hate-filled gaze.

This will not be an easy fight, but it will be worth it.

>>441960
Not enough time for a mini-boss fight at the moment, so I'll call it here.

For the usual reminders, I'll be running Beleaguered Prince Quest Friday August 5th at 7PM EDT. The next session of Relic Quest will be Sunday August 7th, also at 7PM.

As always, goodnight and thanks for playing.

>>441965
Thanks for running. Good night.