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Incomplete Archives: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Lamplighter%20Quest
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OuroQM
Questions: http://ask.fm/OuroQM
Character Sheet: http://pastebin.com/4TrWRPPq

Complete Archive List
Thread One: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/535032/
Thread Two: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/563034/
Thread Three: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/598343/
Thread Four: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/666921/
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>>712231
Chapter Five: Wax


The train comes to a stop just before the track comes to ruin. One of the broken shards of concrete left lying at various angles in the wasteland has fallen upon the railway and crushed it. Is the rail truly broken? You can’t tell but neither does it matter for even if the track somehow persists beneath the tonnes of concrete there is little chance of you ever uncovering it.
The wasteland continues ahead for as far as you can see, a long flat plain shrouded in perpetual darkness. The broken concrete mark it like ancient tombs, memories of a civilization long dead before you were ever born.

And as the broken sun spills its feeble twilight across the horizon you spy distant figures upon the very edge of your vision. Statues sitting upon the horizon and though they look as dots you know them to be immense. The Sentinels wait for you and beyond even them, Dis itself and the far edge of the world. To think that you have come so far, from one side of the world to nearly its opposite and yet you would be stopped by this!

The rail continues on after the concrete landslide but that’s of no help to you whatsoever. You cannot move the train from one to the other, you doubt you’d even be able to do the same for the handcar hooked onto the very back.

Abe is standing beside you shaking his head.
“What are we going to do about this?”


>”We walk.”

>Spend time trying to figure out if you can move the concrete. This is probably a bad idea.

>Try to manhandle the pump trolley off the rails and back onto them after the blockage.

>You need some time to think.

>Other
>>
>>712237
>”We walk.”
>>
>>712237
>>You need some time to think.
>>
>>712237
>>”We walk.”
>>
>>712231
For those wondering about this somewhat ugly looking archive list, this will remain a feature until I manage to get Thread 4 back in the archive properly. And in that vein I'll archive this thread right fucking now to stop it from getting misarchived again. >>712231
>>
>>712237
>”We walk.”
Maybe send the train back to the town if possible
>>
>>712237
>You need some time to think.
>>
>>712289
Might work better as a pastebin but it's no big deal in the OP.
>>
>>712237
>You need some time to think.
>>
Rolled 1 (1d6)

Looks like a tie! Evens for walking, odds for taking some time to think this through.
>>
>>712231
Ouro I love you
>>
Well O was going to vote for try to move the hand trolley but I guess we'll see what we can come up with

I just hope that golem isn't still stalking us
>>
>>712237
Shit guys why not pull the dinky trolley round? The wheels will still turn in the concrete so it won't be too bad and even if it takes a couple of days we will still save time compared to walking.
>>
>You need some time to think.

“For now, I think we make this our stop.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. We can stop here and eat, it’s as good a place as any. And we can take our time figuring out where to go from here.”

“What about the golem? Isn’t it still following us?”

“We don’t know that for sure.”
You think back to what you saw as the train left, the lopsided top-heavy creature atop the hill.
“Its purpose likely has nothing to do with us and we simply got in the way. But even if it was after us for some reason it would have to trek for at least a day to catch up to us now.”
You don’t think the golem is following you regardless. Not after what you read of Zeno’s journal. This golem was likely here for him.

“I’ll cook something up,” Abraham says. “You two have been living on raw rations for too long.”

“Utility over style,” you remark, prompting Abe to evidently give up on you as a lost cause.

“Well Beatrice should appreciate it at least.”

“I believe she’s still asleep.”
The witch has also told you of her degenerate sense of taste but you don’t quite have the heart to inform Abe of that just yet.

You help him light a fire, the former barkeep keeping it small and wholly within the circle of lantern light even though he must stray from the train to cook. Hopefully it doesn’t attract anything.

Wick: 6/10

You step back into the train and check on Beatrice. You were right, she’s still asleep.


>Go back out and talk to Abe as he cooks.

>Wake the witch.

>Investigate the rubble.

>Recharge your Wick.

>Take the time to study the rest of the journal.

>Other
>>
>>712474
>>Investigate the rubble.
>>
>>712474
>Investigate the rubble.
>Recharge your Wick.
>>
>>712474
>Recharge your Wick.
Followed by:
>Investigate the rubble.
>>
>>712474
>>Take the time to study the rest of the journal.
>>
>>712474
>Recharge your Wick.
>>
>Recharge your Wick.
don't know if we'll get a chance to do it later on.
>>
>Recharge your Wick.

You find your way back to the engine room and sit down, locking the doors as you do so. You can’t afford to let anyone interrupt you as you do this. You might investigate the rubble later, try to think your actions over but for now you think this is your best choice.
The way ahead is dark after all and you might not get another chance for a long time.

Wick: 6/10

You focus upon the wick before you and drown out all other thoughts. Relighting your Flame Internal should not be difficult, you still have so many embers left within you.

>Roll a d6. The highest of the first 3 will be chosen.
>>
Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>712590
Praise the sun !
>>
Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>712590
>>
Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>712590
>>
>>712590
>you still have so many embers left within you

The hell? Are we hollow or something?
>>
>>712620
I think he just means we can still feel the wheel gods fire for now.
>>
>5

Wick: 10/10

Your meditation runs uncommonly short this time, the fire within you coaxed high without much effort. Stoking it when it was already so charged is rarely worth the time but you’d prefer to be prepared this time around. You get to your feet and swing the door open to join Abe outside.
He’s sitting over the small fire with a pot and you must admit, for all your praise for utility, it smells bloody good. It’s been a long while since you’ve eaten properly cooked anything.
“You see anything?”

“Of course not. I would have called out otherwise. The sun’s going down but that’s about it.”

“Right.”
You stare at the wasteland ahead, at the large broken shard of concrete lying across the railway. This must have been covered once probably back in the Second Age itself. That had been a golden time for the dominion of man, where all the earth of all the world was covered in concrete and sealed below. They had placed the stars in the sky and built marvels of steel and glass. But what’s left now? Just rubble and ruin and a dead sun.
The Fourth Age, the promised time of man and of the final victory over the earth, was supposed to have come to pass years ago. Decades ago. But evil stole that paradise before it could ever be and now there is no Age. Just a long slow slide towards the end.

“Is something wrong, Orion?”

You shake your head and clear your thoughts. That was uncommonly morose, even for you. You have to believe that you can change the world or at the very least, put it back on its tracks.
“Nothing.”

“Hmph. There’s something I wanted to talk to you about actually.”

“Can it wait?”

“Probably? Why?”

“Good. I’ll be back shortly.”

You walk out in front of the train and follow the tracks down to their inevitable stopping point. Yes, there’s no way you could possibly shift all this. Standing in front of it makes it appear as a wall of concrete, a shard that had broken off centuries ago and had sat embedded in the earth for just as long before it fell. And it must have fallen recently too, Zeno’s journal has no record of this or of any other blockage upon the express rail.
Parts of it have broken further, disintegrated into concrete chunks the size of your head but there’s probably little use in clearing them. You can’t move this. But what about the other side?


>Walk around the long way to inspect the other side of the rails past the block.

>Try to climb the concrete.

>Investigation over, go see what Abe wants to talk about.

>Inspect for any recent wrongdoing.

>Other
>>
>>712620
It was actually just a reference to the fact that your Wick was already 6/10 before recharging so getting it back to full wouldn't be hard.
>>
>>712729
>Inspect for any recent wrongdoing.
>>
>>712729
>Try to climb the concrete.
>>
>>712729
>Try to climb the concrete.
Maybe we'll see those sentinels
>>
>>712729
>>Inspect for any recent wrongdoing.
>>
>>712729
>>Other
i half remember you saying something about tracks tending to stick around for a long time this far away from sanctuary when we were poking around the fallen star and so knowing that could we maybe see if there are golemsized footprints around? basically i just want to try and determine whether or not the golemancer made this roadblock or not since our current theory is that she was after the other witch and not us.
>>
>>712729
>>Walk around the long way to inspect the other side of the rails past the block.
>>Inspect for any recent wrongdoing.
>>
>Inspect for any recent wrongdoing.

You get down on your knees and lean off the side of the track, brushing your hand against the dirt before bringing it back up to your face as you flip your visor open.
No witch-chill. If a witch has been anywhere near here it was a long time ago.

You look further and you find nothing else of worth. There are no tracks left in the ground to suggest anything and there are no signs that the shard was broken by an outside force. To be quite honest you’re not even sure where you’d start looking for that. Could it be that it just fell over time? It could have happened years ago and judging by how deeply some of the smaller concrete boulders have sunk into the earth, probably did.

So why doesn’t this feel right?

Taking up what you judge to the be the richest soil nearby you begin to construct a Black Compass. If the perpetrator is lingering or there is some ancient curse left behind this should point it out quite easily. But as you throw the grains of dirt into the air all they do is point back to the train itself. To Beatrice. Once again she is throwing off your divination.

You repeat the rite as best you can and this time try to search for the second-most direction that the dirt scatters in. It’s useless. This dirt has no trace of witch-chill within it, it’s all you can do to barely see the direction primary direction.

You start to walk around the immense spur, treading around where it covers the rail and past it to see the other side. Perhaps there’s something over here? Tracks or witch-chill or...or a house.
That could work.

The other side of the fallen spur is flat, no doubt once the surface back when it just part of the concrete plains. Unlike the other side it is unbroken, a steep slope that rises up into the sky at a near-45 degree angle.
And high in the air, anchored to the tilted slope of the shard, is a tiny little cottage with white walls, red tiles atop the roof and shuttered windows. You can spot a faint curl of smoke spiralling up from its chimney in the darkness. The entire building is on a tilt, having apparently been built atop the concrete shard before it fell over but is otherwise in a single piece. Sitting on the far side of the shard like this, it had been completely hidden from view from the train. And vice versa, whoever living within it must not have seen the train or its light.

It looks extremely homely. Too homely.


>Call out, see if you can rouse the occupant.

>Start climbing up the broken concrete slope to get a closer look without being seen.

>Go back to the train and tell the others of this immediately.

>Make a light from below and see if you can signal the occupant.

>Other
>>
>>713017
>>Start climbing up the broken concrete slope to get a closer look without being seen.
>>
>>713017
>Go back to the train and tell the others of this immediately.
>>
>>713017
>Start climbing up the broken concrete slope to get a closer look without being seen.
>>
>>713017
>Start climbing up the broken concrete slope to get a closer look without being seen.
Time to explore
>>
>>713017
>Call out, see if you can rouse the occupant.
>>
>>713017
>Start climbing up the broken concrete slope to get a closer look without being seen.
>>
>Start climbing up the broken concrete slope to get a closer look without being seen.

You probably should inform the others but that doesn’t mean you have to do so immediately. They would likely raise noise and alert the occupant of your arrival. And do you want to take the person within by surprise?
Of course. Look at that wretched house. It’s cozy and homely and it being here makes almost no sense at all. What do they eat? Are they never preyed upon in the middle of the wasteland? And so far from the rest of civilization at that?

This thing is almost certainly a trap. What foulness lurks within to take travellers unaware? Or perhaps the house is simply empty...but if so from where does the smoke come? No, better to investigate further now and leave whatever that lives within unaware then to rouse your companions and risk warning it.

You start up the slope and almost immediately begin to regret it. You’re not in danger of falling back down but it is steep and it stays steep all the way up to the cottage, perched high up on the side of the shard as it pokes from up the earth and into the air.
But you don’t allow yourself to slow or falter and by the time you approach the cottage your legs are burning. Looking closer lets you confirm that the windows are fully shuttered but just in case you’ve walked around the side just in case they can still see through them.

Now that you are close the cottage doesn’t somehow take on a more suspicious or malicious air. It’s just a little house with a single door and a slanted chimney. There’s no garden, no flowers. Nothing to eat. And yet you smell something sumptuous lingering wafting through the air all the same. It smells like roasting meat, of juices sizzling and marinating and the sweet tang of fruit beneath even that. Your stomach almost flips as you smell it and you only now become truly aware of just how hungry you are.

It must surely be a trap. But where there’s smoke there’s fire and creatures of darkness loathe such things. None of them would sit by a fire and there is no witchcraft that would let a witch light one. So what is it?


>Time to retreat and tell the others.

>Try to peek through the windows.

>Knock on the door.

>Climb onto the roof and inspect the chimney smoke.

>Other
>>
>>713343
>>Try to peek through the windows.
>Climb onto the roof and inspect the chimney smoke.
>>
>>713343
>Knock on the door.
>>
>>713343
>Time to retreat and tell the others.
>>
>>713343
>Time to retreat and tell the others
>>
>>713343
>>Time to retreat and tell the others.

Its witchcraft Ignore and move on
>>
>>713355
I honestly think we'd just fall through the roof
>>713364
>>713377
Our legs will be totally exhausted if we climb down and then back up, let's just check it out first
>>
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>>713343
>Other
Jump down the chimney
>>
>>713343
>Time to retreat and tell the others.
do everything on a full stomach
>>
>>713406
This thing stinks of a witchcraft though I doubt any good will come of investigating it.
>>
>>713444
Fire is literally antithetical to witchcraft. And where there's smoke, there's fire
>>
>>713406
I'd be more comfortable having some back up. And last time we knocked on a door, we met a crazy old woman.
>>
>>713343
> knock on the door
>>
>Time to retreat and tell the others.

No, you decide, you want nothing to do with this nonsense. Not alone at any rate. You’d expect it to be some kind of witchcraft but the presence of possible fire puts paid to that. But if there’s anything you’ve learned over the course of this journey it’s that you can usually trust such situations to be bad before you can trust them to be good. Foolishness could get you killed out here.

You back away from the cottage as quietly as you can and attempt to make your way back down the slope. But just as you do so, the concrete under your left foot breaks and skitters off, threatening to send you sliding down the side!

>Roll 1d6. The first three will be used.
>>
Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>713534
>>
Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>713534
>>
Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>713534
overly cautious options are annoying
>>
>>713460
we've seen smoke not fire, and I cant be sure if the addage of Fire being where smoke is can apply to witchcraft

>>713551
>cottage in the middle of nowhere
>looks super comfy
>no source of food seen
>no source of Water seen
>no wholesome plant life nearby
>no obvious way of protecting oneself from errant Ghouls or witches
>>
>>713551
Hey, if I had been here I would have voted for starting a fire.
>>
>5, 2, 5

You lean down and run your hands against the concrete as you slip, scrabbling wildly for a moment before finding purchase and halting your fall before it can even truly begin. It wouldn’t have been a fall exactly but rolling that far down along the concrete slope was unlikely to be pleasant. You even manage to do it quietly and without rousing the occupant of the cottage itself.

You make your way down back to the cursed earth without incident, staring up at the cottage above as you do so. That’s another thing that doesn’t make sense. If it really is a trap than why all the way up there? Wouldn’t they prefer to be closer to the earth?

You walk back around the side of the fallen spur and walk down the rail. Beatrice has finally awoken and is sitting next to Abe as the two of them eat. You can hear them talking.

“So what do you think? Is it good?”

“Mmm.”
Beatrice is starting to look intensely uncomfortable.
“It tastes good. So good. I can’t believe all this taste I’m having right now.”

“It’s a shame Orion is still looking at all the concrete. Do you think something happened to him?”

“Nah or there’d be a light or shit.”

“But what if he was attacked and taken out before he could fight back? By bandits or something?”

“Bandits? Out here? Who the fuck are they planning to steal from?”

“Wrong choice of words. There was something I wanted to talk to him about.”

“About what? Where he gets his lamp from? His deal?”

“Actually yes.”

“Don’t bother,” Beatrice says dismissively. “He won’t say.”

“Have you ever even tried to ask?”

“I don’t need to. I can already tell that he’ll just say some platitude that sounds wise but is actually stupid and then maybe threaten me a little or some shit. He’s a sod.”

“Then what about you? I still don’t know your story yet either.”

“Hey hey, keep it in your fucking pants God.”

“What? Fuck off Beatrice, now you’re just doing what Orion does but with more profanity.”

“Well what’s your big mysterious backstory then, huh? Maybe if you show me yours I’ll-”

“I don’t have one! Most people don’t! Only you and Orion feel the need to be pointlessly obtuse whenever people try to ask you about it.”

“Ask about what?”
You step into the firelight, your staff dragging along the rail behind you.
“Whatever it is, it doesn’t matter right now. There’s something you need to see.”

“Oh hey Orion, we were just talking about you! Here try this, it tastes...good?”

You ignore her offer and instead sit down beside them.
“There’s a house on the other side of the blockage. A cottage in fact.”

Abe is the first to speak.
“You mean an abandoned one?”

“No. It appears to be occupied. Come have a look.”

1/2
>>
>>713900
You lead the two of them back down the rail and around the side of the fallen shard so that you can show them the little cottage perched atop the tilted slope. Abraham at least makes an effort to move quietly but Beatrice accidentally kicks her boot against the rail as she walks several times.
“Well? What do you think of that?”

Beatrice snorts.
“That is a fucking trap. Let’s just ignore it or set it on fire.”

“Odd place for a trap,” Abe says. “Nobody goes out here. Maybe we can look through the windows or try to call them out so they have to come to us?”

“But even an odder place for a house then. Trust me Orion, nothing good will come of this.”


>Ignore it for now. You need to figure out how you’ll be travelling the next leg of your route.

>Follow Beatrice’s other suggestion and set it on fire.

>Do as Abraham suggests and call out.

>Go back up to the house and knock on the door.

>Other
>>
>>713911
>Do as Abraham suggests and call out.
>>
>>713911
>walk into the trap
It's not a trap if we know it's a trap
>>
>>713911
>Go back up to the house and knock on the door.
>>
>>713911
>>Go back up to the house and knock on the door.
>>
>>713911
>Eat something first so we are not hungry. Compliment the cook.
THEN

>Go back up to the house and knock on the door.
>>
>>713911

This >>713949
>>
>>713911
>>Ignore it for now. You need to figure out how you’ll be travelling the next leg of your route.

It's a goddamn trap
>>
>>713911
>Follow Beatrice’s other suggestion and set it on fire.

I said I'd vote for it.
>>
>>713911
This >>713949
There is something seriously wrong with our protagonist. He keeps delaying really short tasks until they become issues. And he was just talking about how good the food would be.
>>
>>713911
>Go back up to the house and knock on the door.
>>
>>713949
seconded
>>
>>713911
>Fuckin' eat.
>>
>>714110
This. Did we even eat yet? How can we fight on an empty stomach?
>>
>>713911
>Go back up to the house and knock on the door.
>>
>Go back up to the house and knock on the door.

You sit and ponder the situation for a situation until you are interrupted by an ever increasing and gnawing ache in your stomach. Right. In all your haste you forgot to even eat! Even after you’d spoken to Abe about it just before and after smelling the cooking coming from within the cottage.
“I think we should go back to the train and finish eating first. I haven’t eaten since Enoch.”

Beatrice grumbles a little but doesn’t complain as you walk back around and let Abe pour you a bowl of stew. It’s brown and you can see various chunks of chopped and diced rations floating within it.

“Oh, be careful Orion. It’s still hot…”

His voice trails off as you take your helmet off and start eating with gusto. If it’s hot you don’t even notice. You cannot be burned and all but the hottest of flames are nothing compared to the fire that you cultivate within.

“That was a bit of a stupid question to ask, yes,” Beatrice tells him as she refills her bowl.

“So how is it?”

You give him an approving nod.
“That’ll do. It’s good, thank you.”
And it is, it really is. And yet all you can think of is that this is but a shade compared to what you smelled from the cottage before.

“Uh, it’s great. I’m totally tasting it!”
Beatrice continues her completely insincere praise and yet you have to wonder why she’s even making this small effort to cover up for her ruined sense of taste. You’d think her the kind to bluntly lay her cards on the table rather than try to cover for anyone’s sense of pride.

Really, between you and Beatrice, Abe deserved a much better audience. You think you even spot Beatrice sprinkling gunpowder into her bowl when Abraham isn’t looking.

It isn’t long before the three are standing before the splintered concrete slope once again. Both of your staff and wick are ready, Abe is holding his cudgel in one hand and you can see Beatrice’s hands inching ever closer to her coat pocket.

“Let’s just walk up there and knock on the door. Take whatever comes head on.”

”What?”
If you hadn’t given yourselves away before Beatrice’s loud exclamation surely does it for you.
“Didn’t you listen to me before? Come on Orion, this is obviously a trap. I don’t know what of or why but there’s clearly something wrong here.”

“I agree. That’s why I’m going to see what it is.”

You and Abe start up the slope and Beatrice eventually follows though she does so with a groan that never quite stops. The gap between the two of you and her only widens as you all struggle back up the shard once again.

“I can’t believe it. Forget the fucking trap, I’m going to die before I even reach the fucking t-oh shit that really does smell good.”
The witch begins to twitch.
“Why does that smell good? How?”

1/2
>>
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>>714361
You ignore her and knock on the door, Abe standing off to the side with his cudgel raised to wallop anything that rushes through.

Of course, of all the response you were expecting, a muffled voice shouting ‘Bugger off!’ wasn’t any of them.

You go to knock again but before your gauntlets can touch the door it’s yanked open to reveal an old woman, tall and unbent and with bone-white hair pulled into a long braid.
“What do you want?”

Abraham backs away, looking more than a little confused. That leaves you to do the talking.
“We are travellers and w-”

“Don’t really want ‘em.”
She stares you down and you have to stop yourself from simply pushing this inexplicable old lady aside and investigating the cottage personally.
“But maybe you can help me with something. Come inside. Have something to eat if you want.”


>Accept her invitation.

>”Who are you?”

>Go inside but leave someone outside to keep watch and investigate.

>”What problem?”

>”What are you doing living out here?”

>Push her aside.

>Set a small flame upon her hand.

>Other
>>
>>714370
>Accept her invitation.
>>
>>714370
>Accept her invitation.
>>
>>714370
>Go inside but leave someone outside to keep watch and investigate.
>”What problem?”
>”What are you doing living out here?”
>>
>>714370
>Accept her invitation.
>Avoid eating anything here.
>>
>>714370
> Accept invitation
> give her a benediction
Don't fucking eat anything.
>>
>>714370
>”Who are you?”

>Go inside but leave someone outside to keep watch and investigate.

>”What problem?”

>”What are you doing living out here?”
>>
>>714370
>Go inside but leave someone outside to keep watch and investigate.
>”What problem?”
>”What are you doing living out here?”

Don't eat anything
>>
>>714370

>Accept her invitation.
>”What problem?”
>Other
Purging Benediction
>>
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>Accept her invitation.
>”What problem?”
>”What are you doing living out here?”

“Thank you kindly.”
You step past the threshold and into the cottage which is much bigger within than it seemed. White plaster walls and wooden floors and in the corner, a roaring fireplace. Does that settle it then? Surely no creature of darkness could stoke such a mighty flame. A large table is set out within with multiple chairs and atop it you see a magnificent roast chicken sitting on a bed of roast potatoes with their skins cracked and sizzling.

Abe walks in behind you but Beatrice dawdles at the threshold.
“Are we really fucking doing this? Yeah sure why not? Let’s just knock on the house and talk to the mysterious old lady and that worked out so well for us last time.”

“Hush,” the woman says. “My name is Belle. And you lot are?”

“...Beatrice.”

“Abraham.”

“Orion.”
You flick your coat up so that the wheel symbol emblazoned upon it is obvious.
“Lamplighter.”

“Oh,” she sniff. “Can’t say I ever had much use for you vagrants. Go on, sit yourself down. Better in than out.”

You’re not so sure about that but Abe sits down at the table anyway. Beatrice eventually crosses the threshold. She’s still muttering.
“Holy shit this is cozy, at least it’ll be a good place to fucking die.”

You tap the old woman on the shoulder, your hand lighting with a Benediction of Succour as you do so. She doesn’t flinch away or act as if she in pain.
“Blessings upon you for letting us into your home.”

Wick: 9/10

“Yeah sure, what’s mine is yours,” she says as she mangles the traditional statement of hospitality. “Sit down and eat if you want.”

Abe stares at the chicken, no doubt trying to understand where such a bird even came from in these parts.
“This is an awful lot of food for just one old lady.”

“I could say the same about your gut, young man. Shut up and sit down or leave.”

Would a trap not be more enticing? This old lady is annoying at best and the way she shrugged off your status as a Lamplighter is making you more irritated than you’d care to show.
“What are you doing living out here by yourself?”

“Minding my own business, that’s what I was doing. Maybe you should do the same. You don’t hear me casting suspicion over your big and surly self or that pasty-faced slattern of yours.”

Beatrice rises from where she had been about to sit, her gloved hands slamming on the tabletop.
“Excuse me? Watch your tongue you old cu-”

“Or what? You look like you’ve been boxed about the face a dozen times. Whose women are you? Or do they share ya?”

Beatrice goes for her pistol immediately but you grab her arm before she can pull it out of her pocket.
“Calm yourself. We are in her home.”

1/2
>>
>>714657
She starts to sweat just a little as you let go of her and immediately quiets down. As for you, you’re not sure what to make of all this. Is this some elaborate trap? And if so, for what purpose? To just be rude to you? It doesn’t make any sense.
But while you do not suffer insults from witches gladly you have many miles of patience to spare for the children of light. You’ll remain courteous for now until you figure out what’s going on here.

“You said you had a problem. May I ask what?”

“A bunch of filthy travelling types much like yourselves. They’ve been trying to make visits upon me, steal what’s mine. I’d give them food if they’d just asked! I’d like it if you could go and give them a talk, it’s why I’ve let you tread your filthy boots all over my nice clean floor.”

You’re starting to sympathize a little with Beatrice’s attitude now. Just a little.

“But before you do, don’t let this food go to waste.”
She sits down.
“Might as well eat. You look hungry.”


>Apologize and tell her you just ate.

>Make sure nobody eats ANYTHING.

>Eat just a little, enough to taste.

>Threaten her until she tells you what’s going on.

>Ask more about these ‘travellers’.

>Other
>>
>>714664
>>Apologize and tell her you just ate.

>Make sure nobody eats ANYTHING.
>Ask more about these ‘travellers’.
>>
>>714664
>Apologize and tell her you just ate.
>Make sure nobody eats ANYTHING.
>Ask more about these ‘travellers’.
>>
>>714664
>Apologize and tell her you just ate.
should have just burnt down her house like the other anon wanted desu
>>
>>714664
>Apologize and tell her you just ate.
>Make sure nobody eats ANYTHING.
>Ask more about these ‘travellers’.
>>
>>714664
> Apologize and say we just ate
Maybe Abe can be our taster hehehe
> Ask more about the filthy vagrants
> Ask about what happened to the concrete here.
>>
>>714664
>Apologize and tell her you just ate.

>Make sure nobody eats ANYTHING.

> Mention that not all hungers are of the body, and bless her food for her.
>>
>>714664
Eat just a little
>>
>Apologize and tell her you just ate.
>Make sure nobody eats ANYTHING.
>Ask more about these ‘travellers’.

You sit down and take off your helmet out of courtesy but you don’t touch your food. And as you watch, Abraham and Beatrice keep their hands away from it as well.
“My apologies ma’am but we just ate before arriving.”

“Hrm. I doubt it was as good as mine. I’m offering you my hospitality.”

“Such that it is,” you cannot stop yourself from muttering. You immediately feel somewhat disgraced for doing so however. That was something you’d expect out of Beatrice, not you.

“I’m sorry but I too am completely full. It looks wonderful though.”
Abraham attempts a pacifying gesture but you can see that his face is beginning to set into a frown. He hasn’t shown much of it on your travels so far but he has quite the temper once it’s actually roused, you know that much from your first meeting with him. Hopefully he can stay level-headed.

“Yeah same,” Beatrice says. “Although...fuck it, if everyone’s just going to ignore my warnings than why shouldn’t I do the same! Screw all of you!”
She reaches for a potato only for you to catch her hand in yours inches before she can touch it. She snaps her hand back and cowers just a little, pushing her chair back so that it screeches against the floor.

“She’s full. Now, tell me more about these travellers that have been causing you issue.”

“Just a bunch of layabouts, think I owe them money or food. Always bothering me. Don’t even know what they’re doing out here! They live up along the rail a little further. If you could handle those boys for me I’d be much obliged since you’re heading in that direction anyway.”

“And what have they been doing to you exactly?”

“Nothing, not yet. But they’ve been making a lot of threats and I don’t appreciate it.”

“I see.”

Belle starts to eat alone, shoving potato and chicken into her mouth with an astonishing lack of manners. She eats like some kind of wild beast, breaking them up in her hands and letting juice run down her chin.
“Well if you won’t eat,” she says dismissively, “then you’d best liven the place up in some way. You’re all very maudlin, aren’t you? I won’t have you darkening my doorstep. Give me a song or something. Go on.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“You heard me! Sing me something nice. You owe me that much, I let you into my house, I give you food, the least I could ask for is you three to not be so awfully dreary.”

The three of you look at each other awkwardly and Abe is the first to volunteer himself.
“All I have are drinking songs but-”

“No! Those sound filthy. How about...how about a hymn? A nice proper church one. Haven’t heard any of those in a long while. Long while indeed.”

1/2
>>
>>714989
Beatrice sniggers just a little.
“Well go on Orion, you heard the lady. Aren’t you going to be courteous?”

You do not sing. You practically hate having to do it and you were never good. This, this of all things, might just be a step too far.


>”No. Absolutely not.”

>Volunteer Beatrice instead since she’s been so eager to be a problem.

>”I cannot sing.”

>”Enough of these stupid games!”

>Other
>>
>>714995
>Volunteer Beatrice instead since she’s been so eager to be a problem.
>>
>>714995
>>”I cannot sing.”
>"In fact I was told my singing voice is so bad it could make the Earth get up and walk away."
>>
>>714995
>Other

Try to sing, or at least chant? Make Belle regret asking for BGM for her dinner.
>>
>>714995
> no absolutely not
The fuck are the chickens from? What happened to the ground under the house? REEEEEE
>>
>>714995
>>Other
Nut up and sing. Show Beatrice that you do what is required, even when it's unpleasant. And that humility comes to us all.

Besides, if we really are so bad, then it can also be a lesson about demanding things at all costs.
>>
>>714995
>>715116
Actually, changed my mind. No singing. Tell the old woman that us resolving the issue with these "Ruffians" should be more than enough payment for her hospitality.

Fucking Fae.
>>
>>714995
>>”I cannot sing.”
>"In fact I was told my singing voice is so bad it could make the Earth get up and walk away."
>"But if you insist...."
>>
>>715027
Probably some sort of not!Fae equivalent that got driven into hiding or survived in the corpses of the Dead God once the Tyranny of the Wheel God "purified" the world.

Pretty sure he was Space Hitler.
>>
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>”No.”

You’re still just staring at the roast chicken. Where did it even come from? Why does she live on a broken shard of concrete? If her house was here before than what happened to every other house here? If this really is some kind of trap why isn’t anything happening? This entire scenario feels almost like a dream. You’ve got half a mind to just try and threaten the truth out of her but you’ve chosen not to do that just yet.
Instead you settle for just shaking your head.
“No thank you. I cannot sing.”

Beatrice smiles, leaning a little over the table now that she is sure you cannot reach her.
“What’s wrong Orion? I thought we were going to be so polite to this old windbag and her fucked up house that makes no sense and her shitty food and her dumb trap. Shouldn’t you do as she says and sing?”

Belle slams her hand down on the table, grabbing Beatrice’s outstretched arm and pinning it down before releasing it just a moment later.
“That’s enough. If he won’t do it then you’ll have to. Though you really don’t look the kind to know hymns.”

Beatrice’s brow furrows as she stares at the woman, her mouth opening and closing several times but with no sound coming out. And then she just sighs.
“It’s not going to sound the same without a piano or a choir you shitty old bint.”

And then she launches into song, a slow and quiet tone betrayed by her grating and gravelly voice.

”When peace like a river, attends upon my way,
When sorrows like mud billows roll;
Whatever my lot, you have taught me to know
It is well, it is well, within my soul.”


You recognize the hymn, it’s a basic one that they teach to young choirs and religious students. Beatrice looks just as surprised as you are, her eyes growing wider as she muddles through the first refrain. Her ugly voice catches several times, each wore more of a rasp than a song.

”Though the dark should linger, though trials should come,
Let this blessed assurance control,
That the sun has seen my helpless estate,
And will shed his light for my soul.”


There are several more verses after this one and she continues for a time, stumbling over verse after verse and her face gets redder with each one. And then she finishes and mostly just looks confused.

“Didn’t think you had it in ya,” Belle said, not thanking her at all.

“I...I know lots of hymns,” Beatrice says weakly.

You’re not fucking sure what to make of this at all. But before you or Abe can say anything, you hear a crash and a thunderclap from somewhere down below at the base of the shard. Belle nearly falls from her seat with a shriek.
“Oh! They’re back! Quickly go and set them straight for me and I’ll give you anything you need.”


1/2
>>
>>715209
>Do as she says, you guess. They might know something about what’s going on here.

>”Did you mean to do that, Beatrice?”

>Threaten Belle. You’re not going anywhere until you receive an explanation.

>Set the house on fire.

>Other
>>
>>715212
>Do as she says, you guess. They might know something about what’s going on here.
Maybe she can even make the huge piece of concrete disappear or some shit. Who knows?
>>
>>715212
>>Do as she says, you guess. They might know something about what’s going on here.
>It was a good song Beatrice. You sang it far better than I could.
>>
>>715212
>>Do as she says, you guess. They might know something about what’s going on here.
>>”Did you mean to do that, Beatrice?”
She can...compel people? Not just with scents, but directly? Is the whole hospitability schtick a feint or a requirement for some ritual?
>>
>>715212
>Do as she says, you guess. They might know something about what’s going on here.
>”Did you mean to do that, Beatrice?”
What did she get compelled into it or something.
>>
>>715209

>Set the house on fire.
>>
>>715257
>>715212
We can kindle a blaze but hold it so it doesn't go off right away, right?

>>715252
Beatrice agreed and was bound. We should be VERY precise with what we say.

Fucking Fae.
>>
>>715209
>Do as she says, you guess. They might know something about what’s going on here.
>Thank Beatrice for the song.
>>
i hope that "thunderclap" was the golem somehow and we get to see baba yaga vs terminator
>>
Sorry for the delay on this one, I've been eating
>>
>>715340
sure, "eating". Totally not funposting or anything.
>>
>>715358
A man can do both
>>
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>Do as she says, you guess. They might know something about what’s going on here.
>Talk to Beatrice

You stand up, not really sure of anything that’s going on. You rack your brain for any kind of creature that matches all this but you find nothing. This doesn’t feel like any kind of beast of darkness to you. But something is clearly wrong here and the longer you stay the worse it starts to feel. So yes, you’ll deal with those ‘travellers’ that she wants gone. Maybe that’ll give you the time you need to clear your head.
“Thank you for the meal ma’am. We’ll be on our way to deal with those brigands now.”

You grab both Beatrice and Abe before they can say anything and gently push them out the door and back onto the slope.
“Now the two of you, we’re going to help her with her problem for now.”

Abe just nods, looking a little lost by everything and mostly just glad to be out of the cottage. But Beatrice is anything but quiet.
“Are you kidding me? So let’s recap here. We found this weird little cottage that can’t possibly exist and instead of doing what I suggested, the sensible thing and just left well enough alone we had to go and fucking knock! And sit down and have dinner even though all of that is a whole other different kind of impossible? And let’s sing as well, why the fuck not? Now let’s help her with her dumb shitty job. Am I asleep right now? Is this a dream?”

“Be quiet. Thank you for singing Beatrice, it was a good song and you did it better than I could. But...did you mean to do that?”

The witch looks deeply uncertain, hugging her arms around her chest.
“I...I guess I did? Because I did it. I don’t understand any of this. I don’t know who or what she is or what she’s doing.”

What about you Abe?”

“Beats me, I’m not sure how you’d expect me to know. But it was a good song.”

“Oh hush,” Beatrice says but she smiles all the same. “My voice these days is a fucking hacksaw and I know it.”

“Then we’re all in the same boat,” you say. “But these enemies of her might know more.”

Abe starts down the steep slope, peering out into the darkness below.
“Where are they? I don’t see them anywhere.”

The three of you reach the bottom and off in the middle distance, a hundred or more feet away, you see dark humanoid figures running along the rails.

>Give chase!

>Maybe if you wait long enough they’ll come back?

>Go back up to the old lady and give her a piece of your mind.

>Set fire to the house.

>Other
>>
>>715372
fuck it we grannybane now

>Set fire to the house.
>>
>>715372
>Check on the train, maybe they stole your food
>>
>>715372
> Give chase

Glad someone else is finally seeing sense. But now I'm thinking it might be best to get someone else to set fire to the house.
>>
>>715407
>Other

Follow at a distance not so much to lose them but enough to trail them

What the litreal fuck is going on here?
>>
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I'm actually feeling weirdly sleepy right now since I don't have work tonight so I might end the session here which is sort of a shame because I wanted to resolve this whole weird plot in just a day so people weren't kept waiting.
I'll be back tomorrow, same time and same place.
>>
>>715372
>Give chase!
Don't worry B, we are not being controlled by her. We are just doing this shit for fun.
>>
>>715441
It's lethargy go do some exercise come back and finish this
>>
>>715471
I'll keep this vote open for now and make another update later tonight after everything's done. And that'll stay open until the regular start of tomorrow's session.
>>
How would she have known which way we were going?
>>
>>715372

This >>715407
And this >>715426
>>
>>715372
>>715407
>>715426
This
>>
>>715372
Give chase. Have Abe guard train.
>>
Alright, the night update is coming in shortly. The next session will be in a few hours after I wake up, probably in about a bit more than 7 or so. Usual time and whatnot.
Oh and as a note to any readers coming to us from the sup/tg/ archives! You might have skipped Thread 4 which is currently absent from the archives at the time of writing due to a misarchival. Just use the complete link list in the OP.
>>
>Check on the train, maybe they stole your food
>Follow

“Alright!”
Abraham starts to run after the retreating figures but you stop him, catching his shoulder and spinning him back around.
“What’s wrong, Orion? Are we not going to track them down?”

“I’m curious about the direction they’ve been running. Or what they’re running from. Whatever these things or people are they’ve been out here without any civilization or tamed earth whatsoever for some time. We need to check on our supplies back in the train.”

Beatrice throws her hands up into the air as the three of you march back around the fallen spur and towards the train.
“Are we just doing her bidding now? Where did she even get a chicken?”

“I don’t know. Nothing here adds up. But I acknowledge that it was my fault that we wound up in this mess and I’m going to guide us out of it.”

“Well that’s something at least.”

The train doors are still locked and the windows boarded up. But the far window of the third carriage has been blown open, the detritus piled up to board and block it up scattered and burned.
“God damn it,” Abraham swears. “They’ve got our rations!”

Beatrice and Abe race through the train, desperately searching for further food but finding little. But you stay where you are beside the broken window, inspecting the charring on the edges of the sill, the burn-marks decorating the wooden boards that had been blown aside.
“Worse yet, they used fire.”

“So they’re human?,” Abe asks.

“Probably,” Beatrice says as she returns. “And they’ve got at least one person with a Flame Rite. What do you think this was, an Immolate?”

You shake your head.
“Immolate lacks physical force behind it. This was something else.”

“Fuck,” Beatrice mutters. “So are we looking at an Augustine situation here? These ‘travellers’ are good people and the one trying to sic us on them is the real monster?”

“Perhaps. But that doesn’t seem to fit Belle. If this is indeed a trap of hers it is slow and unwieldy.”

Beatrice pats her face with her hand, just hard and sharp enough to make her wince.
“I don’t think we’ve slept with our heads in the earth, have we? I don’t think this is a witch-sent dream or anything.”

And as the two of you are talking, Abe has taken his cudgel back up and is acting as if he’s about to leave.
“Are you two done yet? I know it’s not my place to offer up advice but we can talk about this later.”
His face is trapped in a deep-set scowl.
“Right now all that matters is that we’re trapped in the wasteland without food. It’s us or them.”

You all file back out of the train and walk back the way you came yet again. You’ve looped around this accursed concrete shard enough times in quick succession to have grown thoroughly sick of the process.
1/2
>>
>>716141
“Just follow the rail,” you whisper. “If they are human and those with strong Wicks at that, they’ll be keeping to the rail and avoiding the earth.”

“What was the explosion sound from?,” Beatrice wonders as you all creep along the rails. She is doing a much better job at keeping quiet this time.
“Them breaking into the train?”

“No,” Abe said. “Sounded too close.”

“Well fuck me,” Beatrice mutters. “I’m glad nothing makes sense.”

The three of you creep along the rail for several hundred yards in the darkness, lanterns hooded and wicks unlit. And that’s how you see the faint light up ahead, just past a rocky outcrop over to the side. Someone’s got a fire burning and they’ve been trying to use the outcrop to hide it. But you can still spot the reflected light creeping along the steel rails and you can hear them talking amongst themselves.
Three, four, no, five people. Mostly men.


>Have one person sneak up close to try and eavesdrop while the other two stay behind.

>Have all three of you try to eavesdrop. This is harder to keep stealthy but safer should it fail.

>Fan out to try and surround the outcrop from three directions.

>Have Beatrice give them a warning shot.

>Just walk up to them and ask to talk.

>Attack!

>Can you take the supplies back without them knowing?

>Other
>>
>>716142
>>Just walk up to them and ask to talk.
There are more than one kind of tracks, like the ones Orions decision making is going on.
>>
>>716142
>Just walk up to them and ask to talk.
>>
>>716142
>Other

We light our lantern and approach the fire while Abe and Beatrice stay off to the sides.
>>
>>716142
>Have one person sneak up close to try and eavesdrop while the other two stay behind.

The person in question being us. Have the rest stay in the dark to provide support if necessary.
>>
>>716142
Supporting >>716204
>>
>>716142
Just walk up and talk.
>>
>>716142
>Just walk up to them and ask to talk

> While Beatrix stays back to provide covering fire if needed and Abe circles around behind them.
>>
>>716142
I gotta go again, but we can also manipulate their fire yes?

We should probably let them take the train back to town as well, we ain't using it anymore.
>>
>>716142
>Just walk up to them and ask to talk.
They probably thought they were raiding Zeno.

....Unless it looks like they definitely saw Zeno's Journal?
>>
Session begins again in an hour
>>
>>716204
This, also get Beatrice and abe to ready themselves for a fight
>>
>Just walk up to them and ask to talk.

“Five?”
Beatrice screws up her face.
“We can take that many but it might be dangerous.”

“Maybe we can just talk to them?,” Abe says. “I’m up for a fight if we have to but if we just confront them I’m sure we can figure out a way for both of us to have food.”

You nod.
“Agreed and we might be able to talk to them about the old lady. Just stay behind me and don’t put your weapons away.”
You step off the tracks and start to walk towards the outcrop and Abe follows you almost immediately, leaving Beatrice standing on the rails by herself.

“Why is nobody listening to me today?”

You pad softly across the wasteland with wick in one hand and staff in the other, the wrapped and bound lamp-post across your back like always. Beatrice is quick to catch up regardless of her complaints. And because of the firelight you get a good look at the ‘bandits’ before they even so much as see you.

There are five of them, four men and one woman. The men are dressed in hard-worked farming attire done, patched and stitched back together after time and years of strain. A few of them have armour but not much, the four of them together could almost make up a full breastplate between themselves. The girl is wearing an ankle-length dress spun together from peasant cloth and over the top of it all the remains of a soft leather jacket that looks considerably more expensive than anything else here.
But as underdressed as they might be every man has at least one gun, long and slender rifles laid down beside them side by side. The young lady is the only one going without but the way she hugs a large lantern to her chest without fear of heat or flame tells you that she just might be more dangerous without.

The leader of the group appears to be one of the men, a fellow slightly smaller and more slender than his comrades. His only piece of armour is a battered old helmet but he has an entire brace of ancient pistols strung up and down his chest. He’s completely unshaven, as are all of them, but his red beard has grown in strange thanks to a long scar twisting along his chin.

“That was a good hit and run,” he’s saying to the rest of the group as you approach. “But we can’t take the train ‘til-”
He stops.
“Oh god damn it, they followed us back! Guns!”

You spring forward even as they scramble up to their feet, Beatrice and Abe lurking behind you in the dark.
“Hold!,” you bellow. “I am not here to fight. I only want to talk.”

The leader licks his lips nervously.
“We’re not giving your food back. We need that.”


>”That’s fine.”

>”So do we.”

>”What are you doing out here?”

>”What do you know about the old lady back there?”

>”We need your help.”

>”Who are you?”

>”An apology would suffice.”

>Threaten them.

>Other
>>
>>717735
>>”Who are you?”
>”What are you doing out here?”

>”What do you know about the old lady back there?”
>>
>>717735
>”So do we.”

>”What are you doing out here?”

>”What do you know about the old lady back there?”
>>
>>717735
>”So do we.”
>”What are you doing out here?”
>”What do you know about the old lady back there?”
>>
Maybe we should offer them a small portion of our rations in exchange for information
>>
>>717735
> so do we
Everyone has fallen on hard times, that doesn't give you an excuse to prey on your fellow man.
> What are you doing out here
If you did not mean to survive by stealing why are you so far from tamed earth?
> What do you know about spooky grandma?

>>717788
They not our rations anymore
>>
>>717735
>”An old lady near here said she would have given you good if you had but asked for it. What exactly is going on?"

> "Also, know that I am not alone, and that my companions aren't night blind from having huddled around a fire."
>>
>>717788
Probably better to offer them the train without a fight. They can use it to get to a town where they can get food, while we press onward.
>>
>>717735
>”Who are you?”

>”What are you doing out here?”

>”What do you know about the old lady back there?”

>”An apology would suffice.”
>>
>>717817
Yeah that definitely makes sense. Idk about sending these shady people to that town though
>>
Sorry about the huge delay on this one, had a phone call. Not that that's a particularly great excuse but eh.

>”So do we.”
>”What are you doing out here?”
>”What do you know about the old lady back there?”

“So do we.”
The group tenses further and you can see a few hands go reaching for rifles.
“But perhaps we can come to an agreement that benefits all of us.”

“What have you got to say? Spit it out.”

“I have some questions first.”

“Oi, we said agreement not questions, we don’t owe you anyt-”

Beatrice pulls back the hammer of her pistol and he silences himself remarkably quickly.

“You do owe us, as a matter of fact,” you say. “I understand that everyone has fallen on hard times but that is no excuse to pray on your fellow man. What are you doing out here? If you did not mean to survive by stealing why are you so far from tamed earth?”

The men are silent for a long ten seconds before the woman with the lantern slowly raises her hand. But a single glare from the leader is all it takes for her to retract it. He speaks instead.
“We’re mercenaries, travelling from town to town to do work for money.”

“And why here? There are no towns!”

“There’s Dis, ain’t there?”
The woman speaks up, the sound of her accent at odds with the splendour of her tattered (and likely stolen) jacket. One of the other men swears and the leader just sighs.

“Yeah, that. There’s no money left in the world these days even if you have an honest living. But everyone knows Dis is doing just fine, better even. So we thought we’d go there to ply our trade but....”
He shakes his head, clearly unwilling to admit his motivations in seeking out the City That Killed The Sun for monetary profit.
“This damn rail has been more trouble than it’s worth so far. We had a pump trolley and we’ve been doing our best to drag it around to the side but that crazy old bitch has been making it hard.”

“What do you know about her anyway?”

He scowls.
“Don’t even bother try to talk to her again, she’s gone soft in the head. Probably a witch too. When we first got stopped by the blockage we tried to talk to her but like hell we were going into her house. It just didn’t make sense. So...so we sent a bloke around the back to try and steal some of her food since we only had barely enough for the entire trip, not enough for the entire trip and also this damn waiting around! But it didn’t play out, she’s got eyes in the back of her head. So we just went back to try and drag our trolley around so we could keep on the Dis rail but then she pulled out a god-damned rifle! She’s been taking potshots at us every time we try and shift our trolley, making it real hard work to get anything done. We’ve still only dragged the damn thing halfway around and we’re running low on food quick."

1/2
>>
>>717936
“Is that all?”
You’re not particularly sure how civil you want to be with these people since they were apparently planning to betray mankind.
“Why not simply storm the cottage and take what you can get? You don’t sound like strangers to that tactic.”

“Because she never sleeps! And cottage or no cottage, it’s done up like a fort.”

Abe is the next to speak up, looming out of the dark with cudgel raised.
“Hold just a moment Orion. How do these folk know how to get to Dis in the first place? For all they know this could just be a stray rail.”

You nod.
“That’s a good question. Mind answering it?”

Once again it appears that they contemplating a fight. But in the end your advantage of already having drawn your weapons wins out. Nobody wants to be the first man to make a move and thus get shot after all.
“We got it from a previous employer,” the leader slowly speaks. “Man by the name of Zeno wanted us to get in a fight with some townsfolk, said he had other business he had to attend to and that his usual help was unavailable. Whatever that means. We finished the job early but a little bird told us that he’d kicked the bucket. And since he was the last damn person with any money and the inclination to spend it in that little corner of buttfuck nowhere we decided to cut our losses and make for Dis, Last city left. There, is that all you wanted? Because gun or no gun my patience is starting to wear thin and I know you don’t want to fight us. You might take one of us, maybe two but the rest of you will die. Nobody wants this.”

So not cultists. Just children of the flame willing to get their hands dirty with witches and worse. They don’t deserve any kindness at all.


>”We’ll be taking our food back now.”

>Pull up your cloak and show them the symbol on the back.

>”Why don’t you show us where you’ve hid your trolley?”

>”You are aware that he was a witch, correct? And that Dis is even worse?”

>Attack!

>Just leave for now.

>Other
>>
>>717940
>Attack!
>>
>>717940
>Attack!
>>
>>717940
>”We’ll be taking our food back now.”

>Pull up your cloak and show them the symbol on the back.

Also tell them you killed Zeno before he could drop a star on you to intimidate them, might make them consider walking away.
>>
>>717940
>”We’ll be taking our food back now.”
>Pull up your cloak and show them the symbol on the back.
>>
>>717940
> Show then your symbol
> You know that he was a witch right...
Maybe mention that you killed him
>>
>>717940
>>”We’ll be taking our food back now.”
>Pull up your cloak and show them the symbol on the back.
>>
>>717940
>>”We’ll be taking our food back now.”
>>Pull up your cloak and show them the symbol on the back.

Can we snuff out the fire as an act of intimidation?
>>
>>717976
You can't manipulate fire you aren't touching, no.
>>
>”We’ll be taking our food back now.”
>Pull up your cloak and show them the symbol on the back.

People such as this aren’t quite as bad as witches but they stray very close. Look at them, using guns and fire and Wick as if they were friends of mankind! They’d been given a gift and they had chosen to squander it. Worse than squander it. They don’t deserve your kindness. They deserve your judgement.

“Did you think this armour was just for show?”
You pull up your dark red hood and display your tattered cloak, most particularly the symbol of the golden wheel emblazoned upon it. The symbol of the Lamplighter.

Silence falls and is broken only by the leader cursing under his breath.

“It’s too late to regret your choices,” you say. “You’ve served witches, you plan to serve worse. You have turned gun and flame, righteous weapons all, against humans for the purposes of the dark. You deserve no mercy. But...give us back our food and I just might show clemency.”

“I guess we don’t have a choice do we? But this is a harsh mercy you propose. Just what are we supposed to do once you take it back and leave? Just keep on with what little food we have left?”

The woman swings her lantern open, the faint creak as loud as a gunshot in the silence. Everyone tenses just a little more.


>”It’s not my business what you do afterwards.”

>”We’ll be leaving this train behind. Do with it what you will and be thankful.”

>”What little food YOU have left? No, we’re taking that too.”

>”Maybe you should treat yourself to Belle’s hospitality.”

>”I might be willing to split it but only if you help us with the old woman.”

>Lunge with your staff and knock the lantern out of her hands. She’s their Flame Artist, you’re sure of it.

>”Beatrice, shoot her.”

>Other
>>
>>718016
>>”It’s not my business what you do afterwards.”
>>
>>718016
>Other
Put ourselves between the flame artist and Abe and Beatrice,If a fight breaks out knock her unconscious and go for the leader

They can take our/their trolley back the way we came if they want to resolve this peacefully
>>
>>718016
>”It’s not my business what you do afterwards.”
>”We’ll be leaving this train behind. Do with it what you will and be thankful.”
>>
>>718016
>”It’s not my business what you do afterwards.”
>>
Also remember if the girl is a flame artist we will be in affected by her attacks unlike Abe and Beatrice, so we better be the targets/obstacle of her attacks
Especially Beatrice
>>
>>718096
Unaffected by her attacks that is
>>
>”It’s not my business what you do afterwards.”

You start to pace, putting yourself between the woman and your companions as best you can. If worst comes to worst you want to be the one taking the full brunt of her attack. You’re immune to fire but nobody else here is save for the lantern-girl herself.
“So what? It’s not my business what you do afterwards.”

The brigand purses his lips.
“I was afraid you’d say that. You see, I don thi-”

He scrambles backwards all of a sudden, his hand going for a pistol! The rest of the mercenaries are reaching for their rifles as well. You hear Beatrice’s pistol sound off, an explosive boom that hurts your ears but you don’t see who she shoots. The only thing you have eyes for is the flame.

The woman shakes her lantern and the flame within multiples, a flood of sparks and flame spilling out from the lantern as the bursts into life. That’s not a Flame Rite you’re capable of it but you know exactly what it is. That’s a Stoke Rite, an advanced magic that temporarily boosts the Wick of any possible flame tool.
She brings her lantern up, the metal glowing red hot as liquid flame congeals around it. But you are already there and you are ready.


>Knock the lantern from her hand with your staff.

>Just hit her on the head with your staff.

>Block whatever magic is coming next with your own fireproof body.

>Grab hold of the lantern and attempt a battle of wills

>Other
>>
>>718146
>multiples
That really should be multiplies goddamn it.
>>
>>718146
>Knock the lantern from her hand with your staff.
>>
>>718146
>>Block whatever magic is coming next with your own fireproof body.
then
>Just hit her on the head with your staff.
>>
>>718146
>>Just hit her on the head with your staff.
>>Block whatever magic is coming next with your own fireproof body.

More accurately smack her in the face and then head butted her, make sure she goes down and stays down, then go for the leader
>>
>>718146
> Other

Snuff her flame or seize control of it.

Really wish you all had done some actual negotiating like giving the Train we have no use for away, or guiding them to Dis, or just outright attacking.

Instead of acting like a Saturday Morning cartoon villain.
>>
>>718146

>Block whatever magic is coming next with your own fireproof body.
>>
>Knock the lantern from her hand with your staff
or
>Just hit her on the head with your staff.
just so long as we're using our staff for dat sweet bonus.
>>
>Block whatever magic is coming next with your own fireproof body.
>Just hit her on the head with your staff.

There is much to be said for how the Flame Rites, while still an excellent tool for destroying darkness and laying waste to evil, are completely powerless against anyone else who is similarly blessed. And just as there is no pyromancy that can breach your natural immunity, there is no defensive magic beyond various levels of simply lighting oneself on fire.
So a battle between any two Flame Artists, no matter how strong their Wick, inevitably degenerates into a mere brawl where magic plays no part.

And while this woman might somehow possess Flame Rites beyond your own, it matters not. She could be a fully fledged Collegiate Abbess and you a mere neophyte and it wouldn’t matter. All that matters is that you are a large man with decades of fighting experience and she is, regardless of her own combat experience, a mere slip of a girl who probably hasn’t had to do more than lift her lantern to ever win a fight.

The fire that erupts forth from her lantern is thickly-flowing and practically liquid in the way it acts. She flicks her wrist as you charge but gets no further as you bring the broken end of your staff down upon her head. Her head whiplashes from the force of the blow and she collapses to the ground but not before her flame is loosed!
The fire arcs over your head, intent on spraying down upon Abe and Beatrice somewhere behind you. You leap, ready to do your best to intercept it.

But your best may not be enough.

>Roll 1d6. The first 3 shall be totalled and used.
>>
Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>718248
Oh god not Beatrice for all her annoyances she is fun
>>
Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>718248
>>
Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>718248
>>
>5, 3, 3

You manage to catch most of it, the drops of liquid flame splattering against your armour and setting your cloak aflame. Your staff is on fire as well but you extinguish both with a thought as you take the fire head-on.
You don’t even feel any warmer.

But your defence isn’t perfect. Her fire is remarkably solid and carries actual weight behind it, enough for a few shreds to spiral past your guard and to your allies behind you as they fight. You don’t really know how much or how dangerous it is but in the end the choice of which one to try and intercept falls to you.

You’ve had to make this kind of choice before. It never gets any easier.

>Protect Beatrice.

>Protect Abraham.

>Try to intercept all of it. This will prompt another roll, a failure of which will result in both being burned.

>Now that the majority of the flame is clinging to you, try to fling it back at the bandits still fighting. Those two can take care of themselves.

>Other
>>
>>718337
>>Protect Beatrice.

No going boom
>>
>>718337
>Protect Beatrice.
Frankly she's the more useful ally for our mission
>>
>>718337
is
>Try to intercept all of it. This will prompt another roll, a failure of which will result in both being burned.
a hard dc?
if so
>Protect Beatrice. (so she doesnt fucking explode like she warned us about)
>>
>>718337
>>Protect Beatrice.

A human sized explosion is bad but warn abraham
>>
>>718337
>Now that the majority of the flame is clinging to you, try to fling it back at the bandits still fighting. Those two can take care of themselves.
>>
>>718355
I feel that asking how hard the DC is would be extremely fucking gamey
>>
>Protect Beatrice

You have to be practical. That’s really all there is on the matter, isn’t it? Beatrice is just more useful to you than Abraham is. She is more likely to remain useful. There is also a small but significant chance that some of the flame might come into contact with her blood and start off a chain reaction. These are all very practical, very sensible reasons to choose to protect her.

To choose to protect a witch over a human.

You catch the flame and let the other burst go, searing Abe along the back of his legs and then clinging to him, becoming sticky. He screams and tries to scrape it off him but that only spreads it to his hands and arms as he falls to the ground. The earth, as cursed as it is, might be his best hope to diminish the flame.

And before that, it looked as if the fight had been going quite well. Beatrice’s first shot blew a hole through the leader’s head and she’d already fired two more times before the other mercenaries could reach their rifles, a seemingly mundane action made difficult by Abe rushing into the thick of things and kicking their guns away while laying into them with his cudgel.

But with Abe on the ground the last of the brigands pulls his rifle up and manages to get a shot off just as Beatrice is shooting. Her shot goes wide and cracks splinters of stone off the rocky outcrop behind him as she spins and falls to the ground, a bullet in her shoulder.
“Fuck!”

The brigand doesn’t even try to shoot again, he just runs. Not in the direction of either rail, just further and further into the wasteland.
You are left with two injured companions, three dead men and an unconscious pyromancer lying at your feet. And the rations too for all the good they might do.

>Stop to extinguish Abe’s fires. Let him run.

>Tell Beatrice to hobble over and do something about Abe, you need to pursue the last one.

>Other
>>
>>718479
>>Stop to extinguish Abe’s fires. Let him run.
>>
>>718479
>Stop to extinguish Abe’s fires. Let him run.
>>
>>718479
>Other
Stop to extinguish Abe's fires. Tell Beatrice to pursue the man
>>
>>718413
i dont think its gamey at all, pretty much every tg system i've played have open numbers to roll against and it seems like a good deal of quests here have em as well. ultimately its up to the qm though and i'm not willing to annoy a decent writer over his chosen dice system so lets just drop this.
>>
>>718479
>>Stop to extinguish Abe’s fires. Let him run.

Beatrice end the runner
>>
>>718479
>>Stop to extinguish Abe’s fires. Let him run.
>>
>>718504
>>718522
The runner dies, Beatrice should do her best to shoot him.

Tend to our man Abe.
>>
>>718479
>Stop to extinguish Abe’s fires. Let him run.
Tell B to shooty him.
Well that went an unexpected direction. I thought we were going the (little bit of) charity route. At least we can be friends with scary grandma now!
>>
>>718578
>I thought we were going the charity route.
You were, considering that you only knocked the Flame Artist out. Beatrice decided otherwise on her own accord.
>>
>>718585
Note to self chew B out for starting shit after we help abe and kill the runner
>>
>Stop to extinguish Abe’s fires.

“Beatrice, get the last one. I have to help Abe.”

“Go suck a dick invert,” Beatrice groans as she clutches her shoulder and does nothing.

You just shake your head, not sure what you were expecting. You kneel beside Abe and run your hands along his legs and his arms, first calming the flame and then pushing it back further until it is but sparks and then nothing but smoke. But the damage has already been done. Burns linger down all four of his limbs and he reeks of cooking meat. In many places his skin is practically gone entirely, melted and burned with the layers of muscle beneath. He’ll be lucky if he ever walks again.
“At least shoot him.”

Beatrice shifts her gun to her left hand and while still not getting up, leans herself halfway upright to take the shot. It goes wide once more and the recoil nearly knocks the pistol from her limp hand.
“I don’t know what you can really expect from me here.”
She’s even paler than usual.

You pass your hand over Abe’s face, light trailing past your fingertips as you summon up a Benediction of Succour. It won’t help him heal but the blessing will banish the pain for a time. He quickly sinks into a sleep.
Wick: 9/10
You rise and search the horizon for any sign of the running man but he’s already vanished into the darkness. You’re not going to be able to catch up to him even if you could find him.

But he’s probably dead regardless. Travelling the wasteland is dangerous enough. Actually leaving the rail alone is suicide. He has no light and no food.

You grit your teeth and kneel beside Beatrice. Better to tend her first than worry about wild chases into the night. You her coat to the side and start working on her blouse, stretching out the collar so that you can reach her shoulder. Her brand stares at you as if to remind you who you had chosen to save.

“Oh Orion,” Beatrice somehow finds the strength to facetiously moan. “Please be gentle.”

You don’t dignify that with a response and Beatrice quickly grits her teeth as you dig the bullet out. Lucky for her it didn’t go too far. Blood is leaking all over your gauntlets, thick and stringy and not at all like a person should bleed.
Luckily you have a remedy for that.

“This will hurt a lot.”

“Whaaaaaaaaaiiii oh shit!”

You warned her.
Your call upon another Benediction to make your gauntlets glow red hot as you push them over her wound. The witch bucks and screams beneath you as you cauterize the wound until it’s completely sealed. This would barely sting for a human to endure but for a creature of darkness there is nothing spared. By the time you’re finished Beatrice now bears a second brand, the shape of your blackened palm-print emblazoned upon her bare shoulder.

Wick: 7/10

“Feeling better?”

“I hate you.”

“A simple thanks would suffice.”

1/2
>>
>>718479
>Stop to extinguish Abe’s fires. Let him run.
>>
>>718707
>Try to chase down the runner anyway.

>Wake the Flame Artist and interrogate them.

>Take Beatrice and Abe back to somewhere safe.

>”Why did you kill them?”

>Tell her that you may have just saved her life before.

>Other
>>
>>718707
>>”Why did you kill them?”
>Tell her that you may have just saved her life before. Unless she wants to blow up in a flash of fire seldom seen since the Wheel God's death.
then
>Wake the Flame Artist and interrogate them.
>>
>>718727
this
>>
>>718718
>Take Beatrice and Abe back to somewhere safe.
Can we tie up the Flame Artist so they don't run away?
>>
>>718718
>Wake the Flame Artist and interrogate them.
I don't feel bad about killing those people at all
>>
>>718727
This and bind the flame artists hands O doubt she can do much without a flame but still

Poor Abe I hope we can do something to help
>>
>>718707
When the flame artist wakes, show her Abe.

"You did this to my companion. Tell my why I should not do the same." Or something to that extent.
>>
>>718718
>Take Beatrice and Abe back to somewhere safe.
Leave silly flame girl with an ration.
IIRC we hired Abe for his strong back. He is now a cripple, hence we don't need him. Leave him here too.
>>
>”Why did you kill them?”
>Tell her that you may have just saved her life before. Unless she wants to blow up in a flash of fire seldom seen since the Wheel God's death.
>Wake the Flame Artist and interrogate them.

“Why did you shoot to kill?”
You look over the brigand’s corpses dispassionately. It’s not that you feel bad or guilty about their deaths, it was ultimately what they deserved. But it hadn’t been what you chose to do. Beatrice took the matter of life and death once again into her own hands and she did so behind your back. And what’s worse, while you know these men to have been foul and that you know Beatrice’s goals to be good, the fact remains that they were human and she was not. The lowest human is leagues above the greatest witch.
And for many of your Lamplighter brethren that would have been enough. They probably would have killed Beatrice a long time ago. But you are a Witch-finder and you know the value of a useful tool when you see it. But even so you hardly enjoy seeing Beatrice have such a cavalier attitude when it comes to killing her moral betters.

“Why wouldn’t I? Did you think I was going to do something dinky like shoot them in the leg or something?”

“You could have.”

Beatrice sighs, still curled up around her injured shoulder.
“You know how to use a gun, don’t you?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then you know what it’s for. It ain’t some silly club or staff or whatever. It’s a fucking gun. It kills people. I never point it at anyone and pull the trigger without first wishing their death. To do otherwise is ...irresponsible. And besides, those kind of dumb trick shots are stupid as shit and will just get you shot.”

“It would have been better to leave some to interrogate.”

“Ya got one. Two if that runner ever comes back. You’re just…”
She shudders as she nurses the burn.
“Now you’re just making up shit to take me to task for. You could at least wait until I do something wrong!”

You shake your head, giving up on getting through to her.
“I saved your life you know. Just now.”

“Huh? When?”

“This girl down here,” you prod the unconscious Flame Rite with your boot, “was going to set you aflame. I stopped her.”

“But Abe is still-”
She stops and her eyes widen.

“Yes. I chose you over him.”

Beatrice is silent for a long time and when she next speaks her voice is even weaker.
“Don’t give that to me Orion. I don’t want to think about that.”

“Too late.”

You truss the Flame Artist up as best you can, binding her arms and legs while kicking her lantern far away. She has nothing in her pockets, nothing hidden that she could use to make a flame. By the time she wakes she is lying not that far from Abraham’s burned form.
You lean over her.
“You did this to my companion. Tell me why I shouldn’t do the same.”

“Probably because she won’t burn, Orion.”

1/2
>>
>>718959
“Be silent. Take a look, girl.”
You roll the young woman over and let her see the bodies of her comrades. She starts to cry quietly but says nothing.
“I have a few questions for you.”

“I don’t know anything! He already told you!”


>”What did you do for Zeno?”

>”Where did you learn your magic?”

>”Do you have any other friends?”

>Wait. What are you hoping to learn from this anyway?

>Other
>>
>>718965
>”Where did you learn your magic?”
>>
>>718965
>”What did you do for Zeno?”
>”Where did you learn your magic?”
>I would have been much more sorry they died if you didn't try to kill all of us first. You use and abuse mankind's gift so freely. Why?
>>
>>718965
>”What did you do for Zeno?”
>”Where did you learn your magic?”
>"What's your name?"
>>
>>718965
>>”What did you do for Zeno?”
>>”Where did you learn your magic?”
>>
>”What did you do for Zeno?”
>”Where did you learn your magic?”

“Where did you learn your magic? Who taught you to light your Wick?”

She blinks and says nothing for a few seconds, evidently not having expected that to be your first question.
“My mother was Collegiate back before the fall. I was born with her gift and she taught me what she knew.”
Another member of the Flame College? Tch. You suppose you should have guessed as much. Chosen students of the Order of the Wick and the only people besides Lamplighters to receive a proper and formal education in the Flame Rites. Such practices are meant to be sacred.

“Oh huh,” Beatrice groans in the distance. “Small world. Tell your mum that Beatrice Montgomery said hi.”
You’re not sure if she’s messing with her or whether Beatrice has begun to wind down from her gunpowder kick and has just stopped making sense in general.

“And where is she today?”

“Dead.”

“And what would she, a woman of the cloth, think about how you have perverted her gift to your own ends?”

“Oh my god Orion, are you seriously asking what would her mother think? She’s not a kid.”

You ignore Beatrice as you continue.
“Tell me, what did you do for Zeno? Your dead friend said something about a job in a village. What was it?”

“Just scaring some folks in a village called Maria,” the Flame Artist says softly. “They didn’t want to be under his rule so we were there to remind them.”

“And what did that entail exactly?”
You can already tell that she doesn’t want to give you the details.

“I...I burned their mayor alive in the town square. Zeno wanted that, said it would spook them worse than any amount of witchcraft. And then Magnus and the rest went and roughed them up a little and...and….oh, Magnus!”
She starts sobbing uncontrollably, tears staining the cold soil.
“Please don’t kill me!”

Disgusting. That she is still capable of shedding tears for those she loved doesn't make her look any better in her eyes. Couldn't she have spared that same remorse for Zeno's victims?


>Kill her.

>Take her with you.

>Just leave her tied up in the wasteland. Maybe if her friend finds his way back she’ll be safe. Maybe.

>Other
>>
>>719157
>Just leave her tied up in the wasteland. Maybe if her friend finds his way back she’ll be safe. Maybe.
As reduced as she is now killing her in this world would be likely be a mercy. But if we succeed in bringing the old world back she may well have the oppurtinity to serve the wheel god once more.
>>
>>719157
>Kill her.
takin out the trash
>>
>>719183
Leaving her tied up is just a crueler death sentence anon
>>
>>719202
Err, I didn't really read the option. I just meant leave her out here. And tell her sternly not to follow us, maybe supported by our famed backhand.
>>
>>719157
>Kill her.
She's as much of an enemy to the light as any witch
>>
>>719157
At the very least she may be able to help tend to Abe until we can figure out what to do with the two of them

>Take her with you.
>>
>>719157
kek. i hope this wasnt the lamp waifu you alluded to earlier.
>Just leave her tied up in the wasteland.
if shes willing to work in the service of witchcraft then she can be judged by it. i hope the ghouls make it quick.
>>
Rolled 5 (1d6)

Looks like a tie between executing her outright or leaving her to the wasteland. Evens the former, odds the latter.
>>
>>719263
Damn man that's cold

Grab a rifle for Bea and Abe and any powder+shot they have & pray to god that she dies quickly, I wouldn't want her coming after us with that flame magic she has

I hope that wasn't the pure waifu
>>
>>719263
I feel like she's just gonna eat some dirt and become a witch so that she won't die out here. Pretty questionable choice to just leave here out here instead of dealing with her. She's not a good person.
>>
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>>719281
>waifu
>pure
>ouro
>
>>
>>719287
the only thing thats giving me second thoughts is the higher potential of interesting developments if we bring her along but thats meta as fuck and i dont want to go against the character
>>
>>719263
Can we leave her not tied up?
>>
>>719333
Hell no. Why would we?
>>
>>719263
ouro how many people usually post in this quest? i could be imagining it but this seems like a big decision to leave up to like 5 votes.
>>
>>719296
>Implying I've read quests by Ouro before

Alternatively we could give her the trolley and tell her to take abe back Augustine
>>
>>719349
Player count always drops off at around this time due to americans going to bed I assume
>>
>>719349
Players always drop off at around this time thanks to time zones.
>>
>>719365
>>719375
man, i didnt know it was that sharp though. guess thats what i get for only ever reading archives.
>>
>Just leave her tied up in the wasteland.

“You are no cultist and neither are you a witch. But if you’re willing to work in their service than you can also be judged in their place.”
She’s closed her eyes, her face screwed up.

Beatrice finally manages to stand, her pistol still in one bloodstained hand.
“Do you want me to shoot her or are you going to execute you herself.”

“Neither!”
Your declaration is both loud and sudden, the woman at your feet opening her eyes in surprised hope. You step over her bound form and start rifling through the rations to make sure everything’s still there. Looks like they ate a little before you could catch them but that’s a loss you can handle. Food for the dead.
“Bea, grab the rifles and any powder and shot you can find.”

“Already on it. Are we really sparing her?”
You just shake your head and Beatrice laughs, an ugly little giggle.
“Oh I get it now. I hope you’re comfortable little miss, you’re going to be down there for a long time.”

“Maybe her friend will find his way back and she’ll be spared. Maybe.”

Beatrice sniggers again, bracing herself against the pain.
“I doubt it but let’s not make it easy for him.”
She rips the shirt off the dead leader. What was his name again? Magnus? It’s got his blood all over it from where she blew his head apart.

“Wait! Don’t leave me here please I’ll do a-”
Beatrice rolls the shirt into a ball and jams it into her open mouth, tying it around the back of her head in the process. You wonder if she’s done this before.

“There, now that coward will have to work a little harder. And she won’t be able to eat any dirt either.”

“Do you really think that’s likely?”
Simply eating dirt isn’t enough to become a witch. One must be contacted by the whispers of the earth and allow them in, to learn witch-sign with which to use the earth to fuel it. Witchcraft was a slow seduction, it rarely just happens.

“Probably not but you can’t be too safe. Oh don’t worry girl, your last friend may never find you but if there’s any wild ghouls stopping by within a few miles they’ll smell you up lickety split. They’ll carve you up and you’ll still be alive and conscious the entire time you know. Or maybe you’ll get lucky and they won’t be wild, they’ll have a witch mistress to carry your still-living pieces back to and she can sew you back up into a new form. A new form with a lot of mouths.”

“Is that really necessary, Beatrice?”

“Fuck her,” the witch says. “Fuck all of them. None of this needed to happen but they were cunts. Look at Abe! Let it never be said that I won’t kick someone while they’re down.”

“Hrmph.”
You stop by the tied up woman as you pass her.
“Repent. Perhaps God will lend you grace.”

“Cold.”

“I meant every word of it.”

1/2
>>
>>719440
“I know,” Beatrice says as you pick up Abe and the two of you start to walk away.
“That’s what really makes you scary.”

The two of you walk along the rail for some time in silence, the vast concrete shard looming ever closer and closer.

“God, I almost forgot we still had to deal with this old lady. Is Abe alright?”

“He lives. Whether he will walk is a different story.”

“Shit. Damn. Orion, why’d you have to tell me that? I didn’t want to know who you chose.”

“I didn’t expect you to care.”

“He’s not a bad guy! He was actually pretty nice to me. I don’t want this at my feet.”

“It was my choice not yours.”

She sighs.
“If I hadn’t seen your face I’d swear there was nothing under that armour of yours. Just one of those Second Age mechanical men, all fucking gears and clanks.”

“That’s enough. Look up.”

“Oh fuck, Granny Arsehole is back.”

Sure enough you can see the door to the cottage opening atop the concrete spur as you walk towards it. Belle stands in the doorway. She’s waiting for you.

“Do you think something awful would happen to us if we just ignored her?”
Beatrice doesn’t sound that optimistic.

“We’re stuck here until we can move the pump trolley around the blockage. That’d be a lot of ignoring.”

“Shit.”


>Ignore her anyway.

>She can come down here if she wants anything to do with you.

>March right up there and get into her face. It’s time for some answers.

>”What are the odds you can shoot her from here now that she’s out of the house?”

>Other
>>
>>719445
>>March right up there and get into her face. It’s time for some answers.
>>
>>719445

>She can come down here if she wants anything to do with you.

This whole thing has put me in a foul mood fuck being nice and polite
>>
>>719440
Fuck it I'm out.

I can't handle another Snake Catcher quest where three votes get us going Torquemada on a kid.

Enjoy ruining everything, anons. Not by accident, but because Ouro writes the characters to be faithfully as shitty as you are.
>>
>>719471
i hear you anon but she might have something that could help abe out if we keep up this shitty charade.
>>
>>719491
Oh go suck a dick I don't like it either but it's refreshing to have a quest where I'm not going to be able to diplomance everything

>>719496
Yeah but she a pain to deal with and if it's anything except helping abe i'll be less than impressed.

Hell I'd be unsurprised at this point if she's a gatekeeper to dis that puts would be intruders against one another indirectly
>>
>>719491
i get where you're coming from mate but i really just dont think sparing her would be what orion would do after hearing how shes abused the wheel gods gift.
>>
Looks like most of everyone has gone to sleep by now before we could really finish up. My own fault for being so bloody slow with the updates today.
We'll finish this thread off in a short session tomorrow, 17 or so hours from now. Usual time. Voting will remain open until then.
>>
>>719539
thanks for running ouro
>>
>>719445
>March right up there and get into her face. It’s time for some answers.
>>
If we're in need of tools as a witchfinder why didn't we just take the fire artist now that abe is out of action? yeah she roasted him, but her penance could have been aiding us in our quest and we need more hands now that abe is toasty

I mean we took Bea on for christs sake a Fire artist who abused her gift is the least sinful thing we'd have in our company
>>
>>719445
>She can come down here if she wants anything to do with you.
>>
>>719625
all we did was walk down the railway, put it to a vote tomorrow and see if the anons who dropped out early feel the same way. inb4 we go back and ouro gleefully describes how she was ripped apart by ghouls.
>>
>>719640
After something like 10-20 minutes?

I don't think ghouls are that abundant a threat anon

A guaranteed threat for any length of journey but not in vast quantity
>>
>>719665
well i guess we'll just have to find out tomorrow :DDD good night my man
>>
>>719445
>March right up there and get into her face. It’s time for some answers.
If she can do something for Abe, we're pretty much square.

We got our food back, right?
>>
>>719890
Most of it yes, they did eat some though
>>
I'd vote to go back for her. A powerful Flame Artist could be used well.
>>
>>719936
If she does come with us do we treat her better or worse than Bea? on one hand she is human but on the other she abuses her own god given talents not only for material gain but under the service of a witch
>>
>>719936
Abuse of power without the desire to repent? Nah.
>>
>>719962
>without the desire to repent?

Not that anon but that's not necessarily true, Bea wasn't exactly forthcoming with our redemption speal either at first either.

Besides I'd rather learn her flame benedictions on side and learn them before we throw her under the bus if she's pretending
>>
>>719936
She'll kill us in our sleep anon.
>>
>>719986
But she was a tamed witch. That by definition already brought her up from "not kill on sight", since it meant that she went to someone with repentance in mind, if not in heart.

This one just begged for her life.
>>
>>720037
prehaps I mean we won't know unless we can talk to her and see what she's like?

>>720031
we CAN keep her tied up until she proves useful/repentant
>>
>>720066
>“Please don’t kill me!”
>“Wait! Don’t leave me here please I’ll do a-”
We've heard plenty. Nothing else she could say would be more honest. There is no remorse, only fear.
>>
>>720072
fear first, repent and remorse later
>>
>>720077
I don't even think we'll even get those second and third bits out of her.
>>
>>719445
>March right up there and get into her face. It’s time for some answers.
>>
>>720083
then we kill her when she stops being useful or obideient
>>
>>720066
We killed her loved one and left her to die a horrible death. It's very likely she REALLY hates us now. Enough to pretend to be repentant to get a chance to kill us, for example.

Also, don't forget she can ignite anything flammable in the vicinity. She'll require 24/7 supervision. Which will eat into our marching hours because we'll have to sleep in turns. That's minus 6-8 hours of walking per day.
>>
>>720106
>We killed her loved one

well not necessarily

>It's very likely she REALLY hates us now.

true

>Also, don't forget she can ignite anything flammable in the vicinity. She'll require 24/7 supervision

only IF she has a source of fire

>Which will eat into our marching hours because we'll have to sleep in turns. That's minus 6-8 hours of walking per day.

we'll be in a trolley so it won't matter
>>
>>720099
>useful
she is only useful when she has that thing she can point at Beatrice and Abe very very quickly.

>>720155
you are trying very hard to get a huge liability into the party.

>we'll be in a trolley
we are the only one who can reasonably subdue her, and if she gets her hands on the lampost everyone in a kilometer radius is just going to die, including her.
>>
>>720155
>well not necessarily
We did. She was already grieving for him.

>only IF she has a source of fire
She's a naturally talented Flame Adept, she IS a source of fire.

>we'll be in a trolley so it won't matter
The trolley we aren't likely to be able to move around the concrete chunk? That same trolley?
>>
>>720168
>We did. She was already grieving for him.

we don't know their relationship she could be grieving for him as her friend

>She's a naturally talented Flame Adept, she IS a source of fire.

no or else she wouldn't need her lantern

>The trolley we aren't likely to be able to move around the concrete chunk? That same trolley?

we'll see
>>
>>719954
Worse. Bea helps and hasn't hurt us. And has done good things at her expense for our retarded ass.
>>
>>720190
>she could be grieving for him as her friend
Of course, no one would try to avenge a friend.

>no or else she wouldn't need her lantern
We had a lantern once too. It helps, but it's not mandatory.
>>
>>720233
>Of course, no one would try to avenge a friend.
well we really had no choice in the matter but I guess thats sort of beside the point

>We had a lantern once too. It helps, but it's not mandatory.

we are a fully fledged lamplighter, she is a flame artisan I'm not sure they are the same thing.
>>
>>720237
they aren't the same: a flame artisan knows a shit more about Flame Rites than we do.
>>
>>720241
I was talking about being able to user the inner wick and not just use flame rites
>>
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I feel at this point I should just but in and say that nobody can use Flame Rites without an appropriate tool. Not even Orion, he typically uses a long-handled lamplighter's wick. This is covered a bit more in the character sheet pastebin.

In hindsight you'd think I would have guessed that referring to both wicks (the object and flame rite tool) and Wick (the measure of Flame Internal that can be utilised with an external source of flame) would end up confusing.
>>
>>720371
Refer to the outer Wock as a wick and the inner wick as the/your Inner wick
>>
>>719445
>March right up there and get into her face. It’s time for some answers.
>>
What the fuck you guys.

Why didn't you either just kill her, or take her along to redeem her? What's with this "Leave her alone in the cursed earth" bullshit.

It's like you want our past cruelties to haunt us and come back to rub in our failures in our face.

Did nobody catch Ouro's other quest? If we're going to play an Evil PC, can we at least be smart evil and not Bond Villain Evil?

Jesus. I mean, I feed off the misery of other players, so this is going to be fucking delicious for me. It's honestly what I love about these quests.I play Valen Quest for fucks sake.
>>
>>720700
Only one guy actually wanted to leave her tied up and the option won due to a tiebreaker roll. You're right about it being a pure stupid evil choice though.
>>
Session in an hour!
>>
>March right up there and get into her face. It’s time for some answers.

You walk ahead of Beatrice, starting up the steep concrete slope up towards the cottage without breaking your stride. Abe stirs a little as you carry him over your shoulder but doesn’t wake. The witch follows you up, Beatrice looking none too pleased to be doing this again.
“Couldn’t we have at least tried to get her to come down? This is a hike and a half!”

“No.”
You’re sick of playing around. Her treatment of you all in the cottage had been hard enough to ignore but now? You did her bidding and yet learned nothing more of her or what to do about her. And worse yet, Abraham has been crippled because of her. It’s high time you stopped playing along with her twisted little games.

You march up to the cottage and as you approach Belle withdraws and steps inside. Is she trying to make you falter? Not today!
You step into the cottage without a moment’s hesitation, a puffing Beatrice standing in the doorway and blocking it off. You step close to the table and without breaking eye contact with the old lady, sweep your hand across it. The plates and the roast clatter to the ground in a mess while you lay Abe face-up atop the long table.

Belle scowls.
“Being a bit rude, aren’t we? Did you solve my problem with those travellers.”

“Yes but only at a cost. Look at him. Look at him! This is because of you and your ridiculous games.”

The old lady nods slowly, her face unchanging.
“And what would you have me do?”

“Tell us what’s going on. Now. And if you possess the capability to fix this man, please do so. Take some responsibility for what you have done!”

“Hmph. What if I told you I could do one or the other? I could tell you the truth or I could save your companion. What would you choose?”

“Oh bullshit!”
Beatrice kicks one of the fallen plates, breaking it even further.

“Choose.”


>”Tell me the truth.”

>”Help Abe.”

>”She’s right. This is just bullshit.”

>Punch her in the face.

>Other
>>
>>721939
>>”Help Abe.”
>He is hurt because I failed him, If I must live between knowing what you are and his health, his health will take precedence.
>>
>>720700
We could always mention her to the old hag. Either the hag takes pity on her, the hag gets killed in an ambush or does nothing but we leave knowing we've given her a chance. Its a win either way.
>>
>>721939
this >>721944
>>
>>721939
> Help Abe
I don't want to be stuck dragging a cripple around
>>
>>721939
>”Help Abe.”
>>
>>721955
all we did was walk down the railroad. if you want to go back and save her it should be pretty easy so just put it to a vote when we're done dealing with this crazy old lady.
>>
>>721939
>”Help Abe.”
>>
>>721939
>>”Help Abe.”

I can deal with strange bullshit that will soon be behind us, but I'm less keen to have a crippled companion
>>
Sorry for the delay on this one, been having weird pains.
>>
>>722068
Dude visit a doctor for real
>>
>>722068
See a goddamn doctor dammit Ouro
>>
The pain was brief and temporary and I am ready to continue once more.

> Help Abe

This isn’t even a choice.
As tempting as it would be to finally get to the bottom of everything happening here the price she asks is much too high. But why even ask it in the first place? This is obviously a false choice being presented here. So why even try to force you to make it? Is she mocking you?
And yet, if Abe can be saved then you’ll swallow your pride and go along with her.
“Help Abraham. He is hurt because I failed him. If I must live between knowing what you are and his health, his health takes precedence.”

“Oh come on!,” Beatrice groans. “Didn’t you just say you weren’t going to play around with this crap anymore?”

“This is more important!”

Belle steps back and truly smiles for the first time. The effect is actually quite strange, as if the look simply didn’t belong on her wrinkled old face.
“A noble choice, Lampbearer. You have proven yourself truly worthy of the burden you carry.”

That was far from the answer you were expecting.
“I beg your pardon?”
How does she know of the lamp?

Belle places her hand over Abe’s chest and her fingers quickly begin to glow, thick trails of almost tangible white light passing through her fingers and following them as they move. You recognize them for the same effect that appears upon your own hands whenever you invoke a Benediction but you’ve never seen them called forth this strongly.
His burns slowly begin to shrink before your very eyes, the blessing reknitting his flesh and returning it to as it was.

And as this happens, the entire table he is lying atop of disappears! The wood fades before your very eyes, leaving only a half-sketched outline of a table behind, drawn in the air with solid Benediction light. And even that slowly fades too, lowering Abe gently to the steep concrete ground.
Wait.
You’re in the cottage, there shouldn’t be any concrete! And yet the the wooden floor beneath Abe is giving way, vanishing to reveal plain concrete beneath. The rest of the house is shimmering around you, fallen plates and food vanishing and leaving only sketches of Benediction behind to fade a few seconds later.

Beatrice pulls out her gun.
“What the fuck is going on here!?”

Belle laughs at her confusion. And yours too, you suppose. You’re not sure what to do.
“It is just as holy to bend light as it is to move flame. Did you think this magic would not exist?”

The illusion fades and you are all revealed to be simply standing atop the concrete spur. No cottage, no food, no nothing. All just a trick of bent light and prodigious Benediction beneath it to lend it solidity.

1/3
>>
>>722158
“It is my duty to judge the hearts of the righteous,” Belle says, her own appearance beginning to fade away. “To know that they are pure of heart and that when the time comes they will be kind and true and faithful.”
Her skin sloughs off and turns into light and what stands beneath isn’t human at all.

A woman, tall and imperious and much younger and more beautiful than the ancient visage she presented. But she is not flesh and bone. Her skin, while somewhat gray, is mostly just a pale and supple white and is completely solid. A woman carved from a single piece of wax like a candle and with a faint light glowing from within her vaguely translucent form.

And at that moment you recognize her for what she is and you drop to your knees before her. Of course you hadn’t been able to figure out what she was, you had wracked your brains for every mention of every dark beast that you knew of but you would never have found her that way. You should have been thinking of creatures of light.
The idea of a living construct is nothing new to you. The Second Men constructed many mechanical men to do their bidding and to uphold the light with unswerving metal hearts. They had come in every shape and function and they had been destroyed and the secret to making them lost when the Second Age fell. But early in the Third a Lamplighter sculptor had repeated the feat, carving statues from wax and lighting them with holy flame from within as you would a candle. He had then died minutes later, his Wick burnt out and only his masterpieces remaining.
The Wax Saints had been immediately inducted into the church as a combination of both high-ranking clergymen and holy relics. Their immortal assistance had been greatly appreciated in those first few desperate years of the Third Age. You had thought all of them long destroyed, either by the ravages of time or these last thirty years of darkness.

“Fear not Lampbearer,” the Saint says as she lays a waxen hand upon your head. “You have proven yourself worthy to carry light into darkness.”
Her fingers shiver with Benediction and every ache, every discomfort washes away as she shares the same grace that God breathed into her long ago.

The sound of revolver’s hammer pulling back breaks the reverent silence. Beatrice is standing beside her with her pistol held to the Saint’s head. Belle doesn’t seem perturbed.
“Don’t you know what I am?”

“Of course I do. But as far as I can tell you’ve just been lying to us and acting like a bitch for no reason.”

“You can’t shoot me."

“I’ll damn well try if you don’t spill the beans!”

You rise to your feet.
“Beatrice, do not dare threaten h-”

“Yes I bloody well will! She’s fucking with us!”

2/3
>>
>>722167
The Saint smiles serenely.
“I can explain. Do you not see why I was so rude to you? It was a test of kindness, to see if you would really humour even a crude old hag who didn’t deserve it. A true hero of flame gives aid to all children of the light who still hew true to the Wheel God, no matter how scornful or low they may be. And by testing your concern for your companion I dubbed him merciful as well. He is truly righteous and worthy to carry God upon his back.”

“And that hymn shit? What the fuck was that?”

“An advanced Benediction and nothing more. I can compel the weakest and most snivelling creatures of darkness to do my bidding with its reversed effect. I was surprised it worked on a witch at all. Now put that gun down or I’ll have you belting out praise for God until your throat has withered.”

Beatrice pales just a little and slowly backs away.

“Now Orion, you have proven yourself most worthy. I have a gift and a blessing to bestow upon you for your journey. I can only wish I could have helped you more.”


>Accept this gift without question.

>”What are you doing out here?”

>”What about the bandits? Were they an illusion too?”

>”You might be holy but your demeanour is not pleasant. Why did you really do all this?”

>”The witch is right.”

>Punch her in the face.

>Other
>>
>>722173
>Accept this gift without question.
muh lamp waifu
>>
>>722173
>>”What are you doing out here?”
Why is she testing people in the middle of the fucking wasteland
>>
>>722173
> What are you doing out here?"
And can you illusion our train on to the other track?
>>
>>722199
I don't think you understand what illusions are at all
>>
>>722173

>”What are you doing out here?”
>”What about the bandits? Were they an illusion too?”
>”You might be holy but your demeanour is not pleasant. Why did you really do all this?”
>>
>>722173
>Accept this gift without question.
>>
>”What are you doing out here?”

There’s still not something right about all of this, as much as you want to believe her. You can’t judge her frozen expression well but you’re having a hard time parsing all of these events as truly benevolent.
“Why did you have to lie or hide what you are?”

“That would defeat the purposes of the test. Righteousness is not something you are in the light when you know you are being watched. It is how you act in the dark.”

‘Yes but why here? This is just out in the wasteland! The only thing of note here is the the rail to Dis.”

“Exactly. Did you think yourself to be the only one who understood what that city did? The only one to have been journeying to it?”

“So why linger here? It’s plain to me that you have been here for some time.”

“It...It is better to find and test those who are worthy to punish evil than it is to do so oneself. We were made to inspire others, not to fight the darkness directly.”

“Oh my fucking god you’re scared,” Beatrice butts in. “You’re terrified. You’ve been stuck out here because you don’t want to go to Dis.”

“Not another word witch! It is only that the Lamplighter tolerates you that I permit your presence here at all.”

Beatrice backs further and further away until she can be sure that she’s well and truly out of the Saint’s reach.
“I bet you fucking get off to this, don’t you? You might be holy and shit but you’re also just a jerk. We heard what you did to the travellers, I bet you just like messing with people.”

“About those travellers actually,” you interrupt. “Were they real?”

“Of course they were. They failed the test. It is good that you killed them, their hearts have no love for light.”

“You knew we’d probably fight them.”

“It is what they deserved. And should a hero not triumph over evil? I regret that you sustained casualties but fear not, I am a mighty healer.”

“Maybe fix my shoulder then bitch.”
Beatrice is still backing away, putting quite the distance between all of you.

“If I tried to I would probably dissolve your flesh. Not that you wouldn’t deserve it. Now Lamplighter! I will bless you and send you upon your way.”


>Accept it.

>”Hold up. I would like an apology from you as well.”

>Ask about whether the fate of the flame artist was just.

>”Can you help us shift the trolley?”

>Other
>>
>>722335
>>Ask about whether the fate of the flame artist was just.
>Despite Beatrice's abrasive and rather uncouth manner she still strides for redemption and the light despite he grave failing in her past. We're both proof enough that being holy in the light does not mean you are a pleasant person.
>>
>>722335
>Ask about whether the fate of the flame artist was just
>tentatively accept it
>>
>>722335
>Accept it.
Ask if she would come with us and help us with our mission
>>
>>722335
> Accept it
> Can you help us with the trolley
>>
>>722369
Oh and maybe she's familiar with the satellite control case too, let's ask her about it
>>
>>722335
>>Ask about whether the fate of the flame artist was just.
>Accept it.
>>
>>722335
>Accept it.
>Ask about whether the fate of the flame artist was just.
That shit still doesn't sit right with me either a clean execution or mercy anything else should be beneath us.
>>
>>722335

>Accept it.
>>
>>722383
Second
>>
>>722383
Yeah, we should also do this
>>
>>722383
that is a good idea
>>
>>722335
>Accept it.

Supporting >>722383
>>
If we mention that case, it's going to demand that we hand it over.
>>
>>722531
better in her hands than in ours, unless we want someone from Dis getting their hands on it.
>>
>Ask about whether the fate of the flame artist was just.
>Accept it.

You must admit, there has been something else preying on your mind as of late. You hadn’t questioned it at the time but seeing Beatrice’s reaction to it made you wonder whether it was something you should truly be doing.
“Just one more question first.”

“What is it?”
If you didn’t know better you could have sworn that she’s starting to sound irritated.

“We left the flame artist in the group alive. More specifically, we tied her up and left in the wasteland to fend for herself.”

The Saint stops.
“She’ll likely die out there and it will not be a kind death.”

“I know. It wasn’t intended as a mercy.”

“The willing servant of darkness left to be consumed by the darkness itself. Poetic. That was a just deed.”

“Would it have been better to simply kill her?”

“She deserves nothing. If this has been worrying you Lamplighter than let those worries go. I have decreed it just and righteous and so it is thus.”

“What? Just because you say so?”
Beatrice has to raise her voice to be heard now as she slowly backs away further down the concrete slope.

“Of course. I have spent my life guiding humans because of such. If I decree an action to be holy than it is so!”

You stare at the still retreating witch.
“What is she doing down there? I thought she was just staying out of arm’s reach.”

“I am currently compelling all weak and pathetic creatures of darkness to leave my presence. She probably thinks it is her own idea. Now if you have no more questions to ask, kneel and take up my blessing.”

You do so, kneeling before her wax robe. Is it just part of her body? That was probably not the right thing to think in this occasion but you can’t help it. You would have thought that meeting a Wax Saint would have involved more...awe. More wonder. Where is the celestial wisdom that they are supposed to bear?

“I pass to you my light.”
She takes up your outstretched hands in hers, her fingers cool to the touch and far firmer than any natural skin. But it is only for a moment and she swiftly releases in favour of lifting her hands up to her face. She grips the top of her head and tears it open. You recoil back slightly but she doesn’t seem to notice, both halves of her head resting limply on her shoulders with the same serene expression.
You must admit that despite the fact that this situation must be holy, it is somewhat disturbing to watch.

The inside of her waxen head is now free for all to see, a blank white cross-section through which a long thread curls. There is a literal wick inside of her, just like that of a candle. The thread spools through her entire body and at the very end, where her forehead would normally be, is a single brilliant ember. And even though it is bright, even though it is truer flame than you have ever seen outside that of the lamp-post itself, it is but a tiny spark.
1/2
>>
>>722562
“As the light dwindles so do I,” Belle says, both halves of her now-split mouth speaking in unison. “But the world is only as dark as you let it become. You must bear yourself with the same grace in pitch-black midnight as you would within the Wheel God’s embrace. As long as even a single man still upholds this there will always be light. Remove your helmet.”

You take your helmet off and watch as she reaches up to her bare wick and touches it, a great deal of flame jumping from the smouldering thread to her outstretched finger where it promptly begins to slowly but surely chew through the wax of her hand.
You lift your head to face her and she presses her melting finger to the very centre of your forehead. Rivulets of molten wax run down your face and you close your eyes to shield them until the fire fades and Belle pulls back.

She is darker than before, the light within that once made her wax form translucent now just a tiny glimmer.
“Take my spark Orion and wear it as your crown into Dis. It was given to me by God and I have passed it to you. It will burn when you need it, grant you strength and should ever be in your most desperate hour, you may burn it all to call upon me and to take my aid.”

>Orion now possesses a Spark. It is normally dormant but when called upon a small speck of fire will burn once more atop Orion’s brow. When active it counts as a constant source of fire for the purposes of Flame Rites, one with a maximum Wick of 8 that is recharged at the same time as you recharge your wick.

>It can also be consumed entirely to summon Belle.

>In addition it bolsters and strengthens your Flame Internal, lending you further power in all endeavors. This power will only increase as time goes on and these changes will not disappear if the Spark itself is snuffed out.

>Choose one Flame Rite or Benediction to improve.
>Ignite Weapon
>Detonate
>Self-Ignition
>Immolate
>Benediction of Warmth
>Cleansing Benediction
>Purging Benediction
>Benediction of Succour
>Cauterise Wound
>>
>>722569
>>Cleansing Benediction
>>
>>722569
>Self-Ignition
>>
Don't worry about the Starbreaker, there'll be time to talk to her about it later.
But you know who is out of time? Me. That weird pain issue slowed me a lot more than I was expecting and now it's time for me to head off to game day without being able to finish this thread properly.

Next session will be tomorrow as usual. I may pop in and out of this session intermittently as well for the upgrade votes but don't count on it.
>>
>>722569
>>Self-Ignition
or
>Ignite Weapon
>>
>>722608
Should these really be two different blessings? They don't seem too fundamentally different.
>>
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i wonder if people will stop crying over the past now that the avatar of god has told us we dun gud
>>
>>722569
>Immolate
>>
>>722569
>>Cleansing Benediction
>>Purging Benediction

What the difference and I'll go with either one that gets the most votes
>>
>>722642
Wait never mind I read the pastebin
>>
>>722569
>Self-Ignition
We've been fighting too many things that can go through regular armor.
>>
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>>722682
Whoops forgot pic.
>>
>>722692
I love that this summarises how we deal with witches by and large
>>
>>722626
That wax figure is clearly flawed, and not unquestionably benevolent
>>
>>722742
Isn't she essentially a golem?
>>
What would have happened if we had punched her in the face?
>>
>>722742
Hiss was a better moral compass.
>>
>>722569
>Ignite Weapon

Rather shocked there aren't flamethrowers or molotovs etc.
>>
>>723033
One requires a helluva lot of fuel while the other is a one hit wonder that can't be reused
>>
>>722569
>>Self-Ignition
>>
did Ouro die?
>>
>>722569
>Self-Ignition
>>
>>722569
>Immolate

We need more ranged options than just Beatrice.
>>
>>722569
>>Purging Benediction
For those fucking imps
>>
>>723550

>>722593
>>
>>723100
Alcohol.

Look, if humans exist in setting, then booze exists in setting.

If you have booze, you have molotovs.

You can make booze out of almost ANYTHING. "One hit wonder" my ass.
>>
>>723859
I think I remember Beatrice grabbing up bottles in the first thread for that exact purpose
>>
>>723864
Well, we should definitely try to find some of that to boost our offensive flame capabilities.

Like, soak an enemy in booze THEN set them on fire.

Also we can start drinking heavily as we slowly learn that the secrets of the Wheel Cult are darker than the night they claim to be holding back.

Or we can go full Evil PC again, while trying to pretend we aren't until Ouro throws it back in our faces how horrible of a human being we've made Orion.
>>
>>723859
What I meant was. It's not something we can reuse once we throw it, yeah we can stockpile it but once a Molotov breaks we can't use it again
>>
>>723874
Nah fuck that evil pic shit, Jaded preacher with a few secrets of the earth but mostly good intentions
>>
>>723879
Well, make sure to stay for entire threads so we don't have one person vote for us to do shit like we did in this thread, because of a fucking dice roll at that.

We pretty much gave someone to the cursed earth.

That's some evil fucking shit right there.
>>
>>723910
Well not evil by all puritan or simply Vengeful thinking we did a just thing, by any humane thinking yeah that was just straight up cold

In context the fact she crippled abe probably didn't help the choice


Personally while she could be useful I don't really mind we did it but whatever
>>
>>723921
I mind that specific choice. Justice is not for the Cursed Earth to decide. We should have either killed her clean or taken her in for redemption.

Hell, Beatrice is a fucking branded witch. We fave a Witch more consideration than a human.

By Puritan values or Humane values what we chose to do was evil and a failure of both duty and morality on our part. It was neither Justice nor Mercy but petty spite.
>>
>>723925
>We should have either killed her clean or take her in for redemption

True and I did vote for something in that manner

>Hell, Beatrice is a fucking branded witch. We have a Witch more consideration than a human

Yeah we kinda dun goofed here and lost our sense here, but to be fair one is a witch trying to redeem herself while the other is a human who willingly served a witch for nothing more than mortal coin, which I'd imagine is pretty contemptible in Orions POV

>By Puritan values what we chose to do was evil and a failure of both duty and morality on our part

She gave into darkness willingly and we left it to the darkness to judge her, an ironic and damn cold hearted punishment in my opinion but not one a puritan wouldn't give

We seem to be on the page though so whatever
>>
>>723933
> and we left it to the darkness to judge her,

That's the part I protest. If our God had been well and alive in the Sky I could have seen it.

We should have made her hold the Lamp so that she could have known his touch, and had it burn out any impurity - or have it kill her.

But, you know, I missed that vote.
>>
>>723944
>and had it burn out any impurity

I really REALLY don't think it works like that, unless you're talking about using it in the sense it would burn out any ''Impurities'' and Intimidate her enough to join us out of fear of holy wrath
>>
>>723944
The lamp doesn't burn out impurities as much as it just burns. We talked about this with Beatrice.
>>
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if you scroll up you'll see that there were 2 votes for straight up killing her and 2 for leaving her to die while only one person wanted to take her with us. if you're not going to trust the holy wax candle golem then just put it to a vote next update so we can finally move past all this whining. i personally find these attempts to apply *current year* western morals to a highly indoctrinated religious fanatic in a crazy nestorian apocalypse world a bit silly but i will refrain from bitching about such choices if they're enacted through democracy even if its the result of a tiebreaker dice roll.
>>
>>723960
Yep, that's more or less what I meant. Give her a good old religious experience, make it the opportunity to turn it into a lesson.

Instead we went with retard McEdgelords plan. After acting like a high-handed asshole resulted in a pointless and unnecessary fight that we did badly in because we weren't prepared.

I could handle us being ruthless. I could handle us being hard and callous. I could handle us being a zealot.

But we're just kind of a petty jerk.
>>
>>723969
>>723969

"Democracy"

My salt will prevent Carthage from being a problem later on.

Ain't shit all else to talk about anyways.

Who wants to bet little miss flame we let go hooks up with the Imp that we shot up and comes after us?

Also,

> Muh western modern values

Not being a dumbass and a dick travels through the ages. Your excuse is "It's what my character would do" for playing the guy Religious Retarded, not Religious Zealot.

I mean, Beatrice the Witch also agreed with our actions. That should be a warning sign.
>>
>>723973
>Who wants to bet little miss flame we let go hooks up with the Imp that we shot up and comes after us?

desu i really hope that happens if we dont go back since its far more interesting than just leaving another corpse behind
>>
>>723975
Oh, it's a guarantee Ouro will make us have to face our actions later on.

I really like how he's characterizing Beatrice, very faithful to how abused women act.
>>
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>>723979
kek. i'm looking forward to it.

>>723973
>Not being a dumbass and a dick travels through the ages. Your excuse is "It's what my character would do" for playing the guy Religious Retarded, not Religious Zealot.

tfw when you're playing old testament and anon is playing new.

"If a man injures his neighbor, just as he has done, so it shall be done to him: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; just as he has injured a man, so it shall be inflicted on him." vengeful sun moses when
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>>723985
This is why the Jews keep getting Genocide done, Anon.

> YFW Anon thinks Catholic expy, complete with Inquisitors, is fucking Kikes in SPAAAAAAAAACE.

Justice is the purview of the Wheel God, who lies broken, and is given out by his mortal agents. We half-assed our job and gave out neither judgement nor penance.

Maybe when the Wheel God still strode the sky I would have been okay with our choice, but not when we carry a broken piece of him around.
>>
>>723992
>imblying theres anything jewish about muh leviticus

still tho i get the feeling we'd just be repeating ourselves if we go on any further especially since its kind of what we're doing now so imma just agree to disagree and silently look forward to the next update bruv but more power to you n shieet
>>
>>723997

> The Hebrew name of the third book of the Jewish Bible (Hebrew: וַיִּקְרָא Vayikra/Wayyiqrā), and the third of five books of the Torah, comes from its first word vayikraˈ,[1] "He [God] called." Its Greek name Levitikon, "things pertaining to the Levites", and its Latin name Leviticus, are based on the term torat kohanim, "instruction of (or ′for′) the priests" from early rabbinic times.[1]

Anon. Please be less dumb.
>>
>>723969
I would have voted to just kill her too.

>>723985
eye for an eye doesn't really apply when she never, you know, left people stuck in dirt.
>>
>>724000
Let's burn her alive then. It's an accepted punishment for witch minions too.
>>
>>724003
Except she's fireproof
>>
>>724003
we, uh, can't. Flames don't do shit to Orion, and neither will they do shit to her. Guns still work, though.
>>
>>723999
>imblying theres anything jewish about hebrew
>>
>>724000
checkd
>eye for an eye doesn't really apply when she never, you know, left people stuck in dirt.

"The willing servant of darkness left to be consumed by the darkness itself. Poetic. That was a just deed."
>>
>>724017
For the record, I don't find using the wax golem as a moral compass to be very.....sane. Neither would listening to Beatrice most of the time, but still.
>>
>>724021
oh yeh i really wouldnt trust it as far as i could throw it either especially since we know that all of the wheel gods other creations are slowly becoming undone. whether or not orion would immediately doubt the word of what is essentially a living saint is another matter tho.
>>
>>724027
>You must admit that despite the fact that this situation must be holy, it is somewhat disturbing to watch.
when you have to say "must", there is already some doubt.
>>
>>724006
The lamp post we hold would have worked.
>>
>>724032
like I said before, yes, yes it would.

But unless we intend to burn along with her to prevent her, she will have enough time to cast one last Fuck You to everyone within a multi-kilometer radius.

She's the one who might actually know how to use 50+ Wick in one go.
>>
>>724027
Seeing as you're the guy who voted to leave her there, I can't help but feel you're biased in trying to (poorly) defend it as " what my character would do".

Oh look, >>719322 here you are literally using that defense.

I miss /tg/ and how this would get called out as complete bullshit reasoning.
>>
>>724030
eh i get more of a feeling of squeamishness than outright doubt from that but either way its a great opportunity for character development
>>
>>719242
>>724027
> if shes willing to work in the service of witchcraft then she can be judged by it. i hope the ghouls make it quick.

Also you outright state that your reasoning was to "let her be judged by witchcraft."

Judgement is the right of the Wheel God only.
>>
>>724033
There's blasphemy, and then there's BLASPHEMY Anon.

I mean you're assuming she could even handle that much wick and would be willing to doom the world.

Orion was played as a big enough cunt in that encounter to make it seem worth it though, to be true.
>>
>>724041
I don't know if you're disagreeing with me or not.

The lampost burns hot enough to go through immunities. I think it's safe to assume that a Flame Rite empowered by it would burn Orion as well.
>>
>>724036
wat. i'm a little shocked you went this entire time thinking i just happened to be talking about this without having been a participant. also i wasnt the only guy :^)

>trying to (poorly) defend it as " what my character would do".

my understanding of that was its only being a faux pas when its over the top pointlessly disruptive shit ala virtualoptim
>>
>>722569
>Immolate
or
>Ignite Weapon

Our Benedictions kinda suck.
>>
>>724049
>also I wasn't the only guy
the other guy wanted to leave her UNTIED

I don't mind this way or that for the validity of "what my character would do", but I disagree that Orion would resort to dirt-filled methods just for "poetic" justice. He hates witches, and only uses their methods out of necessity. It was not necessary to use dirt to kill her.
>>
>>724058
man, now i can see why that other dude is so upset if the other guy ended up changing his vote to something else. i guess he must have done it after ouro had already started writing? i dunno but it did seem like too big a decision to leave up to five people at the time. >>719349
>>
Bet the Flame Artist is terrified by now. I'm a bit torn. She's powerful and burned a guy alive and worked for a witch and is off going to work for Dis... But she could be such a useful tool. We brought Beatrice along because of the firepower she brought to the table and because of her contrition, which this woman doesn't have... but jeez, you all saw what she did with her lantern. She would been a big help with the cave full of bird ghouls.

At the peak of her terror, if we spared and scared her, she could stay loyal. I don't mind terrorizing her.
>>
>>724065
the fact the man she crippled is now miraculously healed may freak her out

we could use that
>>
Make noises around her, as if ghouls were coming for her flesh. Walk up behind her tied up body. Pick her up into the air. Turn her, and with no expression in our face or in our cold eyes, ask her, "Will you serve?" The wrong answer leaves her behind.

This has the side benefit of pissing off Beatrice and making her happy, since we didn't listen to the Candle.

Also, it reinforces the character trait of 'doing unjust things for the sake of expedience'.

You know, other Lamplighters would hate us. We're not unforgiving enough.
>>
>>724070
seems kind of corny desu, i'd rather just walk up and tell her we've changed our mind or something.
>>
>>722569
>Immolate

>>724065
Got here really late, and I thought that she would be a really powerful person to bring along at first. Then I figured it wouble be too big a risk. Might have worked for a while if she were pragmatic enough, but we did kill all her friends and muh Magnus. I think it would bite Orion in the ass later even if she can't harm him with her rites.

I would've gone with killing her, but leaving her there made me think, "Damn, Orion, that's stone cold," and I liked that feeling too after I accepted it, it works for this setting.
>>
>>724070
>>724071
No one will stay loyal to someone who changes his mind so easily. After all, in the next ten minutes we might decide to carve her into pieces, who knows?

She will either escape or kill us at the first opportunity. She can lead us into any number of traps using her superior local knowledge. She can betray us to Dis inhabitants/imps/other witches. She can just not use her flame at a critical moment and we will become ghoul feed. She'd be a liability, not a tool.
>>
>>724071
IT DEPENDS ON THE PRESENTATION I'M NOT CORNY YOU'RE CORNY SHUT UP
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>>724078
Depends on how scary we are. I think our mien doesn't lose to anyone on intimidation. Terrifying people into service works, just look at her former occupation.
>>
>>724081
s-sorry senpai...

>>724078
yeah, i'd be sticking with my original vote of leaving her there. i think a do-over would be more for the benefit of those who missed out but feel really strongly about this for whatever reason.
>>
>>724086
I'd like to just go back and finish the job.

If we're going to be a bastard, let's not be a dumb bastard.


I swear to God that whole scene was right out of the Evil Overlord list of "things not to do".
>>
>>724091
We didn't even burn her home village anon.
>>
>>724091
I don't want to flipflop on a choice, regardless.

Maybe come back, observe her current state, then give her a choice.

Stay there and die, or be judged by the searing heat of the lampost. If she tries to let go out of fear when it starts burning her, thinking that judgement has been passed, we kill her. But if she bears it stoicly, she gets to live.
>>
>>724096
But the lamppost doesn't judge. It just burns.
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>>724100
Do you not understand tests of character?
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>>724102
It's just a test of the pain threshold.
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>>724108
It's a test at how she reacts when there is indeed a fire that burns her. If her fear encompasses her guilt.
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>>724096
i dont think handing over a part of gods corpse to someone who is capable of manipulating its power is wise but ultimately i just want the story to progress beyond this so do whatever
>>
>>724110
I seriously don't understand what would this test actually test that would be a useful thing.
>>
>>724111
well I'm fine with killing her, and since she will be within arms reach when we hand it to her, we just need Beatrice and Abe to take very many steps back.

>>724112
Character. Forcing a self-reflection of sins. What's there not to get?
>>
>>724116
She could use it to cast nuke anon, something that'd kill us all. Bad idea.
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>>724153
yeah, I know. That's why she's in arms reach and we can just kill her.

If you don't like that, well I'm only offering this because flipflopping on a choice is terrible. We could all just stop whining, and get this show on the road.
>>
>>724156
No you don't get it, our immolate is nigh instant. If we give her that she could blast us to kingdom come no matter how close we are. Your plan is akin to a snakebreaker grenade being tossed straight down.
>>
Um. She's not a witch. Whether or not the lantern burns her has nothing to do with her moral standing.
>>
>>724158
>our immolate is nigh instant. If we give her that she could blast us to kingdom come no matter how close we are. Your plan is akin to a snakebreaker grenade being tossed straight down.

litreally citation needed that it would hurt us
>>
With that said I think we may be vastly overthinking things for now and this entire discussion is not worth the energy put into it
>>
>>724096
I could back this.

>>724094
Last survivor is last survivor left to die "off screen".
>>
>>724160
Whether or not she let's go is the test, not if it burns her.

Literally touching god is usually a life changing thing.
>>
>>724167
The lamp post burns us passively when not used as a weapon against us. It being used as a weapon would burn us worse. Logic dumbass.
>>
Trying to make her an ally is retarded. She's a literal bandit and we killed everyone she cares about.
>>
>>724177
There is religious precedence.

A bunch of it, actually.
>>
>>724209
where?
>>
Look, she burned a man alive while working for a Witch.

Leaving her there was dumb but going back to recruit her is even dumber. If we go back, it has to be to kill her. Killing her would probably be the best option, because leaving her to the Wasteland's mercy is just asking for her to come back and bite us in the ass.
>>
>>724524
I agree killing her would have been smartest, but I don't really want to go back and change that now. If we decide to show her mercy by killing her on the way back I think it should be too late. Either dragged off by ghouls already or somehow escaped and we might have to deal with her later. I don't like the decision made but I also don't want to be wishy washy.
>>
>>724533
It doesn't really need to be wishy washy. Orion obviously has doubts over his treatment of the girl, otherwise he wouldn't have asked if it was just. It doesn't need to seem to be wishy-washy to others, either, we could easily seem to have left her there to scare her straight. Beatrice won't mind, she'd love the idea that Orion isn't doing what the Saint says. Orion won't mind much, he's all about using the tools you have.
>>
Session resumes in 30 minutes!
>>
>>724575
Dude. You're being ridiculous right now. Trusting her after what she's done and what we've done to her would be such a terrible choice
>>
>>724779
Of course just as i'm going to bed, you devil
>>
>>724788
UK timezone?
>>
>>724789
Worse, UTC+1
>>
Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>724788
Naturally. Though this is the time I always start usually.

Anyway it actually looks like a tie so I'm going to roll it off. Evens for Immolate, odds for Self-Ignition.
>>
>Immolate

-Immolate-
Cost: 3+ Wick
The most powerful Flame Rite Orion has access to, this Rite generates a stream of fire from the tool and shoots it directly into the target. It has less range then most guns but is usually far more powerful. The cost of this Flame Rite is variable because while the base form of it costs only 3 Wick, Orion can choose at the time of casting to dump any amount of additional Wick into to it and empower the Rite. This both strengthens it and extends the duration of the stream.

>With the upgrade additional Wick can now be dumped into the Immolate Rite not only before casting but just after casting as well! Somehow it always just manages to be strong enough!

>In addition Immolate is also assigned a Power Number. Select a number from 1 to 6. Whenever you roll the dice for an action involving an Immolate every legal d6 (ie first 3 usually) that lands on the Power Number refreshes your Wick by 1 point. Thanks to Immolate's upgrade this refreshed Wick can be spent to further empower the Rite immediately.

>1
>2
>3
>4
>5
>6
>>
>>724842
>4
No particular reason, it's just my favorite number
>>
>>724842
>>3
>>
>>724842
>1
because clearly the smart thing to do is wish for critfails
>>
>>723033
Flamethrowers exist but they require a lot of fuel which is in shortage right now and unless you are a Flame Artist or nearby a Flame Artist or charged central lamp-post, it probably won't ignite all that reliably anyway.

And yes, this is just more upgrade choices. I had to leave off halfway through because of RL circumstances. Sorry.
>>
>>724842
>>4
>>
>>724842
>1
Since I want to sometimes be happy when I see a 1
>>
Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>724842
>4
We should just roll and use first to get two instances.
>>
>>724842
>4
>>
>4

You snap back to reality and slowly rise to your feet, Belle pushing her bifurcated head back into place. You watch in morbid fascination as what’s left of the spark within her heats the wax as she joins the two halves together, melting together into an unblemished whole.
She holds up a hand and light twists itself around it to show you a mirror. You look the same as ever but there are trickles of dried wax across your forehead and atop your brow the Spark dances as if you were crowned with a star itself. It slowly fades as you watch it but you know it’s still there, you can feel its relentless heat within you. It will ignite when you call for it.

“Take my light into Dis,” Belle tells you. “Show them that nothing they can do will ever find flaw in the righteousness of holy men. Only the sun has died.”

“Only the sun has died,” you repeat, phrasing it as if it were the end of a prayer. “But perhaps not even that. Will you be accompanying me to Dis?”

The Saint shakes her head.
“I...have my reasons to remain here. But for the duration of your journey I will grant you my grace.”

“Pardon.”

She lays a hand on your shoulder.
“For as long as I remember Orion, I have been ensconced within the church and used as a teacher. Every action I make is holy. I choose to define what is holy.”

You are not entirely sure that is anything close to official doctrine but if she’s saying it must be somewhat true.
“I see.”

“So I grant you pre-emptive Indulgence and absolution in the name of the Wheel God. I see your future sins and I waive them all. Everything you do from now on is righteous Orion. I declare it to be so. You don’t have to trouble yourself with moral quandaries any further.”

You blink as you step back. You’re not certain how you should take that.
“Thank you.”

Beatrice is standing down by the rail below, still forced away unknowingly by Belle’s Benediction.
“Are you done talking with the wax bitch yet? Because she is one. A bitch!”

Belle looks you in the eye.
“Your witch awaits you, Lamplighter.”

>Try to convince her to come with you to Dis.

>”How can this spark summon you exactly?”

>Ask if she can teach you Benediction.

>Show her the Starbreaker.

>Exact some form of punishment for her playing with the lives of you and your companions.

>Other
>>
>>724954
Oh and naturally there is an option to just
>Leave
>>
>>724954
>Ask if she can teach you Benediction.
>Show her the Starbreaker.
>>
>>724954
>>Ask if she can teach you Benediction.
>>Show her the Starbreaker.
Yay we are no longer bound by petty morals, lets rape a bitch
>>
>>724954
>>Show her the Starbreaker.
and ask if Abe is really fit to journey to Dis, considering he has no lamplighter/witch powers.
>>
Just kick rocks and get out of there
>>
>>724954
>”How can this spark summon you exactly?”
>Ask if she can teach you Benediction.
>Show her the Starbreaker.
>>
>>724954
>Show her the Starbreaker.
>”How can this spark summon you exactly?”
>>
>>724954
>Show her the Starbreaker.
>>
>>724954
>Show her the Starbreaker
So we're free to use our pocket tactical nuke now huh
>>
>>724954
>Show her the Starbreaker.

>>724969
He is still fit to act as a meatshield.

>>724966
Shit, we should have raped that flame artist and THEN left her tied up in the wasteland. That would really have given her something to think about.
>>
>>724954
>Ask if she can teach you Benediction.
>Show her the Starbreaker.
>”How can this spark summon you exactly?”
>Give Abe the option to head back home if he desires.
>>
>>724954
>Show her the Starbreaker.
>Is a lampost the only thing strong enough to contain the heat of the sunshard? Has Dis found other means to carry it? Trap it? Exploit it?
>>
>>724969
We armour him up and get him something better than that Cudgel to fight with

Maybe a maul or something along with one of the rifles/pistols
>>
>>725035
Where could we get any of those things though? Our next stop is Dis and I don't think they'll be huge fans of lamplighters with no money there
>>
>>725041
Well the people we killed have or had guns and ammo.
>>
>Show her the Starbreaker.

“Before I leave, there’s something I wish to show you. The meaning of it has eluded me for some time but you may have the answer.”

You start to walk down back towards the wasteland and Belle follows you, wax feet dragging against the sloped ground in a steady rhythm that never falters.
“What is it?”

“A Second Age machine I found in the hand of a witch. I believe it can command the local stars to move and to even fall. But I cannot read it and I do not wish to meddle with it before I can understand it.”

The Wax Saint nods.
“I believe you. I have heard say of such devices before though I was unaware any still functioned. The ancients used them to speak to the stars.”

You pick up Abe’s unconscious body as you pass it and start to carry him down with you. This in turn inspires another question.
“Is it right to take him further? Is he really fit to journey with us to Dis?”

“I cannot answer that Orion. Don’t you remember what I have just declared? Whatever choice you make with him will be the right one. But keep in mind that righteous heart and strong body can defeat any magic in time.”

As you walk further down the slope you notice Beatrice has resumed her walk backwards, compelled to remain absent from Belle’s presence. You wonder what’s going through her head right now. Does she really just think she wants to avoid her naturally?

Belle lays a possessive hand upon your arm as you help her down, her clumsy wax feet shuffling against the slope as she hits the soil. The two of you walk around the spur and back to the train, driving the witch further and further away until she’s sitting on the spur behind you watching from a distance.
The Starbreaker is right where you left it, hidden in the first carriage. You crack it open and show it to Belle who shakes her head.

“I cannot read this script. But what I can tell you is that this artifact is too dangerous to leave untouched. We must destroy it.”
She raises her arm.

>Let her destroy it.

>”I will not allow you to destroy a sacred artifact. And it may come in use later.”

>”I would rather have Beatrice’s opinion first.”

>Other
>>
>>725041
Looting I guess, we do have looted rifles/pistols from memory and if we don't it's one more reason to go back and kill/rescue the flame artist
>>
>>725044
>”I will not allow you to destroy a sacred artifact. And it may come in use later.”
>>
>>725044
>>”I will not allow you to destroy a sacred artifact. And it may come in use later.”
Dis isn't going to be brought down by one lone lamplighter, but it can probably be brought down by orbital nukes.
>>
>>725044
>”I will not allow you to destroy a sacred artifact. And it may come in use later.”
What happens when two infallable beings disgree?
>>
>>725044
>”I will not allow you to destroy a sacred artifact. And it may come in use later.”
>Ask her to teach us a benediction
Guys she knows amazing benedictions
>>
>>725044
>>”I will not allow you to destroy a sacred artifact. And it may come in use later.”
>Ask her to teach us a benediction
>IF it is at risk I will destroy it myself then. I hope you have enough faith in me for that.
>>
>>725044
>>”I will not allow you to destroy a sacred artifact. And it may come in use later.”
"Whatever choice we make is the right one" remember Belle?
>>
>”I will not allow you to destroy a sacred artifact. And it may come in use later.”

You reach out and grab hold of her arm before it can descend upon the machine. She is surprisingly strong for someone that appears to be a woman but not strong enough. You force her hand back as she stares at you. Her expression is mostly fixed into varying appearances of serenity but you somehow get the sense that she is looking at you in shock.
“Unhand me!”
Her hand begins to glow white but you know she cannot hurt you. Benedictions only ever have positive effects upon children of light and as for what flame magic she can summon up, you are immune to fire and have already taken most of her Spark for yourself anyway.

“Forgive me Belle, if that is your real name but I will not allow you to destroy a genuine relic. Particularly one that could come in use.”

She struggles for a few moments longer and then relents. You let go of her arm and she steps back.
“I...I lent you my grace and that applies to even this. Which of us is the more infallible?”


>”You are.”

>”You remain so but only second to myself for now.”

>”You no longer have any say at all about what makes something holy. You bequeathed that to me.”

>”I am fairly certain that the official doctrine states that you are a great teacher of what is holy but you are not infallible and you do not define it. Neither do I.”

>Other
>>
>>725044
>”You are.”
>Other
"Could it be used to raise the stars again?"
>>
>>725123
>”I am fairly certain that the official doctrine states that you are a great teacher of what is holy but you are not infallible and you do not define it. Neither do I.”
>>
>>725123
>”I am fairly certain that the official doctrine states that you are a great teacher of what is holy but you are not infallible and you do not define it. Neither do I.”
>>
>>725123
>>”I am fairly certain that the official doctrine states that you are a great teacher of what is holy but you are not infallible and you do not define it. Neither do I.”
Regardless
>I would hope that you have enough faith in me that you would know I would destroy it before letting it fall into the hands of the enemy. Who or whatever they may be.
>>
>>725123
>”You no longer have any say at all about what makes something holy. You bequeathed that to me.”
Kekekek

>>725133
I assumed they had to be refueled to get them up there again, like that one that ate 30% of our lamppost.
>>
>>725142
Supporting this

We rightful divine fury now, time for the holy inquisition
>>
>>725123
>”I am fairly certain that the official doctrine states that you are a great teacher of what is holy but you are not infallible and you do not define it. Neither do I.”
This, even for a holy being what she says is hubris.

Also is there an equivalent to fallen angels in this setting?
>>
>>725155
I assume that with enough tinkering, we could launch our own stars or relaunch fallen stars without consuming wick.
>>
>>725160
You're talking to one.

But if you want a serious answer, no. Calling the vote by the way.
>>
>>725166
Heresy!
>>
>>725166
well, no. You generally don't consume your wick to do any Flame Rites. Now your Wick, that's a different story.
>>
>>725201
What about our WICK?
>>
>>725208
T-that's l-lewd anon
>>
>>725208
Where did you hear that? Official doctrine does not acknowledge any.....WICK. Silence yourself or be branded a heretic!
>>
>”I am fairly certain that the official doctrine states that you are a great teacher of what is holy but you are not infallible and you do not define it. Neither do I.”

You raise your hand to stop her. You have humoured this long enough but now your doubts demand answers.
“The official doctrine knows you to be a great teacher of the faith, Belle. But you do not define holiness nor is it impossible for you to take an unholy action. The same applies for me.”
Alas, it would have been pleasant to believe that you had been granted such a potent reprieve from problems of morality but you cannot believe in such a miracle just yet. Even for one such as her Belle displays staggering hubris.

“You are wrong,” Belle says. “But this must be the right choice. Perhaps it is holier that you believe yourself capable of ill action when you are not.”

“You are not the font of sacrality you believe yourself to be. To think that is a heresy, a deformation of the doctrine.”
Are you really suggesting that a Wax Saint has fallen prey to heretical thought? You can scarcely believe your own words.

Belle looks like she can hardly believe it either.
“I suppose...that I must accept this chiding and absolve you for it as I have already promised. This is the right action.”


>Ask her to teach you Benediction.

>Request her to help you move the pump trolley.

>Tell her to stop repelling Beatrice.

>”You’re insane.”

>Punch her.

>Demand she tells you why she enacted your test.

>Demand that she come with you to Dis.

>Other
>>
>>725240
>Ask her to teach you Benediction.
>Request her to help you move the pump trolley.
>Tell her to stop repelling Beatrice.
>>
>>725240
She's like a broken music box playing the same tune on repeat

Nothing to be gained from her except

>Ask her to teach you Benediction.

>Request her to help you move the pump trolley.
>>
>>725240
>>Ask her to teach you Benediction.
>Ask she tells you why she enacted your test.
>>
>>725240
>Ask her to teach you Benediction.

>Request her to help you move the pump trolley.
>>
>>725240
>Punch her.
I'll take this bait. Wheel God knows you have offered it up enough.
>>
>>725240
>>Tell her to stop repelling Beatrice.
>Discuss the nature of repentance
>>
>>725344
I'll go with this.
>>
>>725240
>>Ask her to teach you Benediction.
>>
>Ask her to teach you Benediction.
>Request her to help you move the pump trolley.
>Tell her to stop repelling Beatrice.

It’s useless, you can’t get through to her. You’re not sure what to think about any of this. Are all the Wax Saints like this? Was it a result of their upbringing by the church or a symptom of the past thirty sunless years? You recall Beatrice’s earlier comments, about how Belle was probably just subjecting you to all of this for her own amusement. Was that actually true?

Are you actually holding more faith in the word of a former witch than you are in a living relic?

“Perhaps we should speak of other things for now. Can you teach me Benediction?”

“I can but after this talk of heresy I no longer know if I wish to or not,” she says, her tone finally growing curt. “You passed my test but your lack of faith in me grows wearisome.”

“Let me say that again in a different way. You will teach me Benediction.”

She stops and doesn’t say anything for a long while.
“I regret lending such a potent indulgence to you.”

“But you will do it, yes?”

“Yes. I cannot argue with aiding you upon your quest, you bear God across your back and work for the betterment of us all. But similarly, it is impossible for me to teach you all I know. Your grasp of Benediction is not great enough to learn the highest tier.”

>Learn one new Benediction.

>Upgrade a current one.
>>
>>725384
>Learn one new Benediction.
A way to recharge Wick faster, perhaps? Or maybe something to help with carrying large objects/repairing rails.
>>
>>725384
>>Learn one new Benediction.
More is better
>>
>>725384
>>Learn one new Benediction.
Something that'd actually heal wounds or burns would be good.
>>
>>725384
>>Learn one new Benediction.
>>
>>725384
>Learn one new Benediction.
>>
>Learn one new Benediction.

She sits with you for nearly an hour and the two of you speak on the nature of light and warmth, the soothing magic to counteract the harsh justice of the Flame Rites. But Benediction carries an edge within it all the same and you would be wise to respect that.

Benediction of Relief
Cost: 2+ Wick (Requires Light)
This blessing fuels the body and soul of those it touches, piecing them together and making them whole. The target of this Benediction has their natural healing process vastly improved and considering that Third Men already possess a healing factor, that can mean quite a lot. Additional Wick can be burned before the spell is cast to increase the blessing’s power. When used on creatures of the Dark this slowly dissolves their flesh.

Excommunicate
Cost: 3 Wick (Requires Light)
This Benediction imparts judgement, not in the final & fatal method of the Flame Rites but in a manner befitting Benediction. Slow, crushing and absolutely inevitable. Someone touched with this Benediction has their Wick snuffed out permanently. They cannot use guns, they cannot ignite anything, they are forever cold. They are banished from the pact of mankind and are treated as creatures of darkness for the purpose of Benediction while still remaining human for the purpose of witchcraft. Anyone who has cultivated their Wick is immune to this. When used on creatures of the Dark it has no effect.

Benediction of Bliss
Cost: 2 Wick (Requires Light)
This Benediction does not require one to touch their target. Instead burning the Wick for this causes the caster to radiate an aura that lends succour and restoration to all who stand within it without the need for multiple Benedictions. Creatures of darkness loathe this aura and the smallest and pathetic of them will refuse to enter it.

>Relief
>Bliss
>Excommunicate
>>
>>725506
>Relief
>>
>>725506
>>Relief
>>
>>725506
>Relief
>>
>relief
>>
>>725506
>Excommunicate

Oh hey look a soloution to the flame artist issue that doesn't involve killing her

Even if we don't know it we could bluff and threaten her into compulsive service with it
>>
>>725506
>Relief
Bliss doesn't sound strong enough to work on imps hiding in people.
>>
>>725565
Did you not read the part about DOES NOT WORK ON PEOPLE WHO USE wicks?
>>
>>725593
Fug
>>
>Relief

By the time Belle finishes imparting you with the power of Benediction her aura has waned to the point that Beatrice has wandered back onto the same train carriage as you, her hat jammed back atop her head.
“What’s going on? What did you two figure out?”

“I am imparting my sacred knowledge upon the Lamplighter and bidding him farewell upon his quest.”

Beatrice shakes her head.
“Nah. Until we find a way around these rocks we’re not questing anywhere. I’m not walking to Dis.”

“Indeed,” you say. “Belle, I was hoping I could rely upon your assistance for that.”

If a wax statue could look annoyed you’re sure the Saint would be a perfect picture of it by now.
“You are fortunate that patience is a virtue and that I am virtuous. I will gladly lend you my a-”

She steps out of the carriage and then stops as she finds a rifle pointed in her face. It’s the mercenary from earlier, the one that got away. He looks like he’s been running nonstop since then, slick with sweat and haggard. Had he been trying to sneak up on your train? To take it for himself perhaps.
“What the fuck are you?”
He’s staring at Belle.

“I judged you and your filthy comrades unworthy the moment I laid eyes on you.”
Before anything can be done the Saint moves, the bullet firing through suddenly soft wax with no effect. It’s like trying to shoot a golem, a comparison that puts you ill at ease. Her hand comes up, flush with white light and is slammed into his face with enough force to make him stumble back.

He tries to shoot her again but nothing happens. The trigger clicks uselessly over and over again.

“Fire is now your enemy. No gun will fire in your hands, no flame will warm you. The lamps and the sun itself should it ever rise again will blind you. Forever. You are a more a worm than a man.”
She takes a step forward and lays hands on him again with a different Benediction. And judging by what you’ve learned from studying her power for over an hour, you think it’s the the blessing that compels weak creatures of darkness.
“You don’t deserve anything. Bury your head in the dirt and stop breathing.”

The man steps back even further with a strange look upon his face before dropping the gun and scrabbling in the soil with his bare hands.

>Stop him.

>Just kill him instead.

>Let it happen.

>It can happen and he deserves it but that doesn’t mean you have to watch. Get to moving the trolley already.

>Other
>>
>>725663
>>It can happen and he deserves it but that doesn’t mean you have to watch. Get to moving the trolley already.
>>
>>725663
>It can happen and he deserves it but that doesn’t mean you have to watch. Get to moving the trolley already.
>>
>>725663
>Just kill him instead

He doesn't truly deserve to die in the dirt
>>
>>725663
>Just kill him instead

belle is crazy yep.
>>
>>725663
>Just kill him instead.
>>
>>725663
>Just kill him instead.
>>
The balls on this guy, trying to rob and kill us twice in a day
>>
>>725689
He helped steal our rations, leaving us to starve to death first. Then, he was perfectly happy to kill us. Finally, after he got away, he came back to shoot us and shot a holy relic/teacher from our church.
>>
>>725663
>>Just kill him instead.
>>
>>725663
>>It can happen and he deserves it but that doesn’t mean you have to watch. Get to moving the trolley already.
>>
>>725753
Yeah out of fear he did most of that but burying him in the dirt is basically sending him to hell

Witches and their servants deserve that not mercenaries
>>
>Just kill him instead.

No, you’ve had quite enough of this. You step out of the train and walk past her, pulling your sword from the scabbard as you do so. As he kneels to dig you lift the sword over his outstretched neck and bring it down in one swoop. Blood stains the hungry dirt.

Beatrice gives a low whistle as Belle walks over you, the body of the dead man lying between you.
“Why did you do that? He came back here to shoot you and to steal your train.”

“This train was useless to us. And...and the idea of using the earth to pass judgement upon someone doesn’t feel right. Judgement belongs to the flame and those who work for it.”

“But Orion, I only got the idea of this from you! Your description of your beautifully ironic punishment upon the Flame Artist inspired me. Those who sell their fellow man out to the darkness should suffer the same fate.”

“But then are we not also selling them to the darkness? We could be better than that.”

“We are better than that. We don’t need our actions to always remind us of this. If you want a more obvious example, you could beat that witch to death right now and it would be a moral good.”

You pause, unsure on what to think. The scenario she describes with Beatrice is correct.

“Fuck both of you,” Beatrice says. “But really I don’t care either way what you did to him. He and his mates tried to rob us and then kill us so as far as I’m concerned there’s nothing they don’t deserve.”

The Saint stares at Beatrice and you can’t help but notice the witch shift in her seat and start to slowly edge away.
“You should keep better control over your tame witch, Orion. She runs her mouth off too often.”

“Tame?”


>”There’ll be plenty of time to discipline her later.”

>”I trust her opinion more than yours.”

>”If I gave Beatrice the ‘grace’ that you extended to me what would you do?”

>”Beatrice is here of her own accord and we should respect at least that.”

>You don’t have time for this nonsense.

>Other
>>
>>725788
I mean he did literally serve a witch
>>
>>725797
>>”There’ll be plenty of time to discipline her later.”
She is a tamed witch do
>>
>>725797
>>”Beatrice is here of her own accord and we should respect at least that.”
>She chooses to seek redemption, something most beings, human, witch, or other never have the courage to do. And on that note, I have wronged someone in my fury over Abraham's wound. She should have a clean death, not the fate I consigned her too.
>>
>>725797
>”There’ll be plenty of time to discipline her later.”
>Ask for help getting to Dis again
>>
>>725797
Beatrice volunteered of her own accord to travel with me to Dis and see that my mission is successful.. And while I appreciate the help you've given me so far it pales in comparison to her commitment.
>>
>>725797
>”There’ll be plenty of time to discipline her later
>”Beatrice is here of her own accord and we should respect at least that.”

Tame?

I'm beginning to dislike how puritanical Belle is

>>725798
I mean your not wrong but greed is probably one of the lesser sinful reasons to serve a witch

We killed him it was justice enough so kinda moot
>>
>>725797
>”Beatrice is here of her own accord and we should respect at least that.”
>You don’t have time for this nonsense.
>>
>>725797
>”There’ll be plenty of time to discipline her later.”

>”Beatrice is here of her own accord and we should respect at least that.”
>>
So if we are going punish Bea for mouthing off to a living saint how do we punish her?
>>
>>725832
>”Beatrice is here of her own accord and we should respect at least that.”
Probably should've added this at the top of my post for easier vote counting
>>
>>725857
I'm really tired of abusing her. It's just counterproductive at this point.
>>
>>725875
But that mouth tho and her blasphemy
>>
>>725857
At this point, I think the appropriate punishment is to slap her on the back and tell her that she was right about this entire situation being crazy, and then remind her not to be a heretic. No real need to abuse her for echoing some of the concerns Orion also has over the wax saint.
>>
>>725857
Telling her she's a buttface.

>>725797
>"Beatrice is useful."
>Go check on the Flame Artist.
>>
>>725898
so turn Orion into Gibbs?
>>
>>725898
She's being flat out offensive though almost blasphemous
>>
>>725911
Who?
>>
>>725947
Leroy Jethro Gibbs from NCIS his trademark boss move is smacking someone in the back of the head.
>>
>>725942
So? The Wax Saint is crazy and acting a bit blasphemous herself. If the trolley wasn't an issue, I'd say we should already be as far away from her as possible.
>>
>>725960
>NCIS
man that show is trash
>>
>”There’ll be plenty of time to discipline her later.”
>”Beatrice is here of her own accord and we should respect at least that.”

Beatrice seems to take offense to being called ‘tame’ but that is probably a good term for her. She has been branded and willingly serves the light, even if you still believe she largely does it because she is unable to let go of her magical prowess. But you’re still quite uncertain of what her place in the world is or what it could be later. But you will not discourage someone who still seeks the light.

“There will be plenty of time to discipline her later. But more importantly, Beatrice is here of her own accord and we should respect at least that. She volunteered herself to travel to Dis so that she could see my mission successful. And she chooses to respect redemption, something that most beings, human, witch or otherwise never have the courage to do.”

Belle nods.
“To seek redemption is noble indeed. But nobler still are those who never have cause to seek it in the first place. Neither of us have ever needed it an-”

“Be silent,” you speak over her, sounding harsher than intended. Belle had quite unwittingly stepped over unpleasant memories.
“I’ll not impugn those who seek to make up for past wrongs as long as I know they do it for the right reasons rather than to make themselves feel better.”

“Wow thanks Orion,” Beatrice says. “For a moment it almost seemed like you cared about me.”

“She isn’t even grateful, Lamplighter. You lend her your kindness and she casts it upon the dirt.”

You ignore both of them and walk out of the train, decoupling the handcar from the back. You’re going to have to move it to the rail up ahead but that’s going to be long and arduous work.
Belle stops a few paces away from the trolley.
“I will lend you my aid as promised. I will bless you with strength and endurance.”


>Thank her. That’s all you need from her.

>Oh no, she’s getting down and pulling the trolley with the rest of you.

>Other
>>
>>725797
>>”There’ll be plenty of time to discipline her later.”
>>
>>725997
>Thank her. That’s all you need from her.
Let's not push her buttons too much now
>>
>>725997
>>Thank her. That’s all you need from her.

Enough of the puritanical saint let's get on the road
>>
>>725997
>Thank her. That’s all you need from her.
>What would it take to repair the rail? To melt a hole through the cement, or create a new rail around it.
>>
>>725997
>“To seek redemption is noble indeed. But nobler still are those who never have cause to seek it in the first place. Neither of us have ever needed it an-”
Oho? How eeeenteresting.


>>725997
>>Thank her. That’s all you need from her.
She is holy! HOLY!
>>
>>725997
>>Thank her. That’s all you need from her.
>>
>>725834
Beatrice is a branded witch. She is literally not a human, as we've had to remind her several times.

Still, we should rebuke Beatrice. With words, not fists. Remind her that she still chose to be a witch, chose to throw away her humanity, and that part of the path to regaining that humanity is to learn to respect the dignity of others.

She might want to be redeemed, but all too often lately she has been acting as if she feels it's something she deserves, and not something she has to EARN. Hitting her doesn't seem to help, only to drive her poisonous thoughts underground.

So if she isn't willing to actually try to start making changes, we aren't going to be left with much choice than treating her as a particularly dangerous tool.

She can begin by asking forgiveness of the Wax Saint, and of you, and hopefully actually meaning it instead of mouthing empty words.
>>
>>726124
Backing this
>>
>>726124
Belle is heretical and frankly sorta bitchy though
>>
>>725997
>Thank her. That’s all you need from her.
>>
>>726158
She's been away from the grace of our God for too long and has developed a warped sense of self. We should be grateful to be rid of her.
>>
Sorry about the delay on this one. I had to talk out some stuff on the phone with a credit card lady.
>>
>>725997
>>Thank her. That’s all you need from her.
>>
>>726147
Thanks, but too late lol.

Still, we should have a talk with Beatrice about WHY we keep hitting her. We don't enjoy it, but she just doesn't seem to fucking listen. Does she not understand that her problem isn't even becoming a witch but is the attitude and arrogance that led her to make that awful choice?

She might have left the Witchcraft behind, but she seems unwilling to let go of the sin.
>>
>>726225
>attitude and arrogance that led her to make that awful choice?
source?
>>
>>726225
>We don't enjoy it

Source?
>>
>Thank her. That’s all you need from her.

You had half a mind to make her push the trolley with the rest of you but as entertaining as it would have been you instead decide it would be better not to anger her further. She is still a Saint after all and she has already helped you greatly.
And to her credit, Belle doesn’t stint on her blessings either. You see the light within die just a little more as she fills you with holy strength and constantly soothes your muscles from ever tiring.

Beatrice is there as well but she makes a poor substitute for Abe who is still asleep. She barely contributes at all and takes it far worse than anyone else but even so, your combined strength and Benediction is enough to get it off the rails, past the spur and back onto the tracks on the other side in just under two hours.
You and Beatrice both collapse into the pump trolley after it settles onto the rail.

“Never again,” Beatrice moans.

“Get up. We’ve got to shift everything from the train to here.”

“Oh nooooooo.”

At least this work goes significantly easier and in time the trolley is filled with your rations, your clothes, the Starbreaker, the recovered guns, Abe’s unconscious body and all the other detritus of your journey. Beatrice just groans as she attempts to find a comfortable place to sit.
“There’s not enough room in here for three of us!”

“There is if one of us is standing. Start pumping.”

Belle waves you off, walking slowly alongside the pump trolley as it slowly gathers speed.
“Just remember this Orion. Mercy is a virtue but when given to those who do not deserve it mercy becomes nothing more than a sin.”

“Nice to see you too bitch.”
Beatrice waves over the edge of the trolley as you take over the pumping duties momentarily.

As for you, you simply nod your head.
“Thank you for all that you did. I won’t fail.”

“I know you won’t. We’ll meet again!”

“Phew,” Beatrice says as she rejoins you on the pump. “That sounded like a threat.”

You just sigh. You told Belle you would do something about the witch. But before you can decide on what to do or say, you notice a rocky outcrop coming ever-closer as the trolley rattles along the rail. It’s dark but you can just make out the woman. She’s still lying there, trussed up and with her back to you. But she’s alive for now.

“Don’t envy her,” is all Beatrice has to say on the matter.


>”Neither do I.” Keep going. She deserves nothing.

>Get out and execute her properly.

>Get out and talk to her. Perhaps she can still be saved?

>Tell Beatrice to just shoot her from here.

>Other
>>
>>726306
>Get out and execute her properly.
>>
>>726306
>Get out and execute her properly.
I put the suggestion up earlier, but I WOULD rather her just dead.
>>
>>726306
>Get out and talk to her. Perhaps she can still be saved?

She can help us or have a swift death
>>
>>726306
>>”Neither do I.” Keep going. She deserves nothing.
>>
>>726306
>Get out and execute her properly.
>>
>>726306
>>Get out and execute her properly.

>Apologize for leaving her in terror, we were rash, hasty and in fury over Abraham's wounds. Remove her gag for any last words or wishes before we execute her.
>>
>>726356
Can I change to this Ouro?
>>
>>726356
Yes so much this. We are a holy man. If we have some water or a liquor give her a final drink or something too.
>>
>>726356
damn, son. It ain't edgy, this is just stone cold.

Fuck, I'll switch to this.
>>
>>726306
>>Get out and execute her properly.
>>
>>726383
I feel like liquor would be a mistake considering her flame magic
>>
>>726306
>>Get out and talk to her. Perhaps she can still be saved?
MAGIC FIREPOWER

Honestly, I don't give a shit about redeeming her, we need her firepower. Witch Hunters use the tools they have.
>>
>>726356
>>726306
Supporting.

Maybe there's a sort of prayer for her soul.
>>
>>726385
I'd say it's very human
>>
>>726395
Not enough room on the trolley
>>
>>726395
Nah son. For one she would never really trust us and be loyal. We could never trust her. Bea for her part IS branded, but beyond that she does seem to have been on the "right" path for a while now and seems genuine. This woman is not the same.
>>
>>726395
I would only accept this if we had something like the Witch Brand.

But she made her choice when she killed for a Witch. She didn't abandon her humanity, so she gets a clean death as a human.

But she still chose to kill, for evil purposes.
>>
>>726423
>Nah son. For one she would never really trust us and be loyal

>What is bonding?
>what is character development
>what is fear of divine wrath

I mean the man she burnt to a crisp is completely healed ain't shit like that going to scare her pants off?
>>
>>726306
Also, let's not forget to tell her that we had to kill the other man, since he chose to come after us instead of trying to save her.

I SUPPOSE her confession could be one last chance for her to convince us to try and redeem her, but ehhh.

Ehhhh.
>>
>>726449
Anons want to play a grittier anti-hero this time, it would seem.

We aren't really in the business of redemption, more Atonement.
>>
>>726449
THERE IS NO IN CHARACTER REASON TO TAKE HER
>>
>>726462
So give her that then, magic napalm is probably worth it
>>
>>726462
"Yeah sorry about killing everyone you cared about and leaving you to die for a while, join my team now thanks"
>>
>>726467
Redemption and atonement for her sins and not leaving a relatively young woman to die in the middle of nowhere in the dark
>>
>>726472
>>726478

Uh, yeah. We ARE giving her atonement. In the form of a clean death.

Besides, pointing out that her "friend" chose to try and attack us instead of save her is . . . honestly just kind of twisting the knife now that I think about it.

But a good excuse for why we came back, since we confirmed that nobody was going to save her it would be just dickish to leave her for the dark.

Fuck the dark, they don't get shit from us.
>>
Calling the vote for execution, specifically this:
>>726356
Writing.
>>
>>726306
>Get out and talk to her. Perhaps she can still be saved?
As we just explained we are not infallible and should not overlook the value of redemption. Plus and even if she turned to dark paths the fact that she can wield flame makes her a true rarity and potentially immensely valuable tool in these dark times.
>>
>>726508
Tell you what, if we get the option again I'll support it.

She's still a murderer by choice, though. Burned a guy to death.

Redeeming her for working for a witch is separate from being a murderer.
>>
Picking her up or even trying to would be bad for the story
>>
>>726508
Missed the vote.

Maybe next person we can recruit. Or we can train Abe. Beatrice DID go to the training after all.
>>
>>726497
What would happen if WE tried Beatrice's "transubstantiation" thing with gunpowder, or Charcoal?
>>
>>726598
I think its. Familial deal passed from mother to daughter, Father to son kind of deal

Not something you can train people for
>>
>>726603
we're not a witch so probably nothing, besides we can't afford to be frail like her.
>>
>>726624
Nobody said anything about being a witch.

Just becoming closer to the Wheel God by ingesting flame.

And not being frail is why I said Charcoal instead of Gunpowder as an option. Even then, Flame can't hurt us so there's the possibility it wouldn't even affect us like that. It hurts her body BECAUSE she's a Witch.
>>
>>726603
I mean. We could try it and see what happens I guess.

>>726613
Could we check him for aptitude? He still has a wick after all.
>>
>>726650
It would do nothing.
>>
>>726659
>I mean. We could try it and see what happens I guess.
Good idea. See what happens...
>>
>>726664
Source?
>>
>>726659
Everyone has a wick though

Some are simply better lit than others
>>
>>726718
Only witches can gain power by ingesting either dirt or in Beatrice's case flammable stuff. Their body is changed when they become a witch.
>>
>>726736
Could we do it for religious reasons or just for fun?
>>
>>726763
Uh... Eating charcoal or gunpowder isn't really my idea of fun but go ahead and vote for it if you want. I definitely won't.
>>
>Get out and execute her properly.

“Stop pumping!”
Beatrice is more than happy to oblige as you reach down and twist the brake up, the trolley screeching to a sudden stop. The Flame Artist hears the sound and you see her twist around, her mouth still gagged with bloodstained cloth. She turns just in time to see you leap from the handcar with rune-sword in hand.

She starts to writhe as you walk across the wasteland and through the cold ashes of their firepit. You hear muffled screams as you kneel down beside her, bloodstained sword held flat across both gauntleted hands. And then as she watches, you lay the sword upon the rock and hold up the lantern clipped to your side instead. It’s the one you took from her.

Wick: 3/3
Light blossoms in the dark, throwing shadows across the wasteland and revealing the bloodstains that still linger upon the rock by her side. And it lets you see her for what she truly is.
This girl, just barely a woman herself, isn’t a witch. She isn’t even a proper cultist. She’s a human and she deserves a human end. That’s what had been bothering you.
“Sorry for leaving you out here. I was too hasty, too angry over what you had done. But I will not leave you here for the dark to claim, it will get nothing from me.”

You take off your helmet and set it atop the outcrop beside the sword. You set the lantern down on the earth beside her before pulling out her gag. Her muffled cries stop immediately and though she is suddenly silent, her eyes well up with tears almost immediately.
“I’m s-sorry.”

“You know as well as I that there’s no helping that now. Words do not return innocents to life or lamps to light. Do you have a name?”

“Please don’t kill me! I won’t do anything again I swear! I’m r-really really sorry for what I did. If...if I could do it again I wouldn’t!”

“I know. We all have our fair share of those. But you didn’t answer my question.”
You reach down of her and she screams, a startled yelp that stops as soon as she realizes what you are doing. You are undoing her binds, freeing first her arms and then her legs. You step back and she slowly rises to her feet, small and frail and trembling.
“What is your name?”

“Serena.”

“My name is Orion Polycarpus, Cenobite of Saiph, Ninety-Seventh Watchtower.”
May they rest in peace.
“Do you have any final words? Any final wishes?”

Her eyes stray to the sword sitting on the rock beside you. You make no movement towards it all. You don’t even look at it. And then with slow fumbling motions of her own she reaches behind her neck and unhooks something. A thin silver chain falls to the ground. When she next speaks her voice is quiet, resigned.
“If you ever visit a town called Ava could you give this to the mayor? He’ll know what it is.”

“Certainly.”

1/2
>>
>>726776

You say nothing else and do not move, watching her eyes flick back and forth to the sword over and over again. And as the silence continues she grows more and more desperate.
“I really don’t want to die.”

You say nothing.

“Please? Me and Magnus and Peter and Anthony and Basil...we were just trying to live!"

Nothing.

“Isn’t there anything I can do? Say something!”

You don’t mean to be discourteous. But you are looking at something long past her both in distance and in time. Broken stone and concrete brought to ruin. The bodies of people in the streets, the faces of friends among some of them. An empty and broken central lamp-post, its protection vanished and ruined forever by the actions of the fool who had cut it free from the base.

“I’m sorry,” you repeat. “I know you probably didn’t mean to let things in your life to spiral down as bad as they did. And greed is not so great an evil. I believe you. I have faith that if you had a chance to go back you would do everything differently.”
You watch the hope grow in her eyes and then crush it.
“But we all only get one life. And the consequences are ours to bear.”

A wild look passes over her face in an instant and she lunges for the lantern by her feet! She lifts it up and the fire within bursts outward, a wild spray of fury and desperation. But she knows as well as you do that it means nothing.
This is just how she chooses to die.

By the time she takes up the lantern you’ve already picked up the sword. By the time the lantern stokes itself to proper flame-belching life you’ve already stepped in beside her and by the time the flame spirals outwards she is leaning forward with your stolen sword buried in her chest.
Her arms go limp and she nearly drops the lantern but you grab hold of her hand as it does so and you keep the lantern held high for her. And the fire keeps spilling out without end, pouring over the both of you as she burns herself out.

And then you push her off your sword and let her fall to the ground, her corpse aflame in self-cremation. You keep the lantern held high for a moment more and then let it fall. It hits the rocks beside her and shatters.

You put your helmet on, speak a short prayer for a child of flame mislead and then walk back to the trolley with silver chain in hand.
Your journey continues.
>>
>>726776
>Polycarpus
I see what you did there
>>
>>726792
Well, that's all folks.

Kind of feel like we should try to find out what the chain means before giving it to the Mayor.

I also wonder what Beatrice thinks of such an end.
>>
Anyway I figured that's as good as place as any to stop. That's the end of the thread, I hope you all had fun!

The next thread will probably be in just a few days, check the twitter for advance notices and the like. This is also when I'd archive the thread but I already did that a few days back just in case of further misarchival. I sent an email to sup/tg/ about it a few days ago and hopefully they'll get back to me on that.

I hope to see you all next time!
>>
>>726826
See you Ouro. How's Beatrice handling this?
>>
>>726793
Its a pretty fitting name for anyone that fire doesnt burn
>>
>>726826
Thanks for running Ouro

Was she the pure waifu?
>>
So the sun shattered. In order to save the piece he found, Orion took the lamp post from his groups tower, which in turn doomed them.

Heavy shit.
>>
>>726840
Hahaha Ouro doesn't do pure waifus.

I mean, I guess Blue got Eva.
>>
>>726963
We'll hopefully die doing our duty.

But not until it is done.
>>
>>726963
Ooooooooor he ran from a witch which shattered a first age lamp that his group was supposed to protect. Either while she was killing them all or after. I mean that monstrously powerful witch we beat back in town solely thanks to sun lamp was still only number 2 after all.
>>
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>>726792
Damn.
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>>727000
Read the vision/memory he just had. He carries THAT lamp post on his back. Hea talked before about how he wasn't proud of how he came to carry it.
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>>727012
Yeah, which means he either failed or abandoned his fellows. He was carrying it before the sun shattered. Meaning either he or something else broke it out of the ground.
>>
>>726792
This is some heavy shit. Damn.
We need a filler episode now. Hot springs?
>>
>>727309
/a/ was a mistake.
>>
>>727512
It's like you don't even want to see Orion naked. Are you gay?
>>
Oh and for the record Orion eating gunpowder would do nothing.
>>
>>727771
Would it be tasty?
>>
>>727771
But charcoal would give him demure black teeth.
>>
Hi y'all. At the request of a player and to make up for not being able to update today, tomorrow or yesterday I'll be dropping a few interludes here soon before this thread falls off the board entirely.
>>
>>749216
Sexy invert lamplighter interludes?
>>
>>749240
Almost certainly not
>>
Interlude One


Many years ago…


The sun was at its zenith when Brother Thomas first darkened the doorway of the Polycarpus household. It was not a grand house, the small and modest dwelling a far cry from the luxurious manor that the Mayor of Nestor City had opened to Thomas upon his arrival. But the Lamplighter felt more at home here among the slums than he did with the rich. Better to be poor in wealth and rich in virtue than the other way around. Not that money of any kind meant anything to Thomas, as a Lamplighter he served the unifying church, an authority far higher than any amount of petty dukes and kingdoms. Nearly every human realm left in the world, whatever their pretensions towards authority, were part of the Second Dominion of Man and while the Dominion was not officially ruled by the Church and its attendant Lamplighter Cult all knew it was forever in their debt for carrying mankind through the tribulations of the Sundering. It had been the Lamplighters who kept the trembling flame of man alive when the Second Age fell.
As a result, Thomas had not needed to pay for anything ever since his initiation. The very concept of wealth or the lack thereof was far divorced from him and this let him take a step back and do things like praise the virtues of poverty without having to ever do anything so ignominious as actually living in it.


The house was small and bare but it was painstakingly clean, proof of the efforts of the woman who stood before Thomas. Her back was rather hunched and she was quite strikingly ugly but there was a quiet strength to her bearing, one that Thomas noted and approved.
“Hello miss, is your husband home by any chance?”


She shook her head.
“He’s still out in the army. Won’t be home for a long while.”


“Then who lives here with you? A brother or an uncle?”


“I’m afraid not sir…”


“Sir Thomas.”


“Sir Thomas. I’ve got a brother who stops by and checks in every day but that’s about the extent of it. It’s just me and the children and their father’s royal paychecks.”
She almost sounded resentful to Thomas’ ears. But surely no proper wife would resent her husband doing the Wheel God’s work? He decided to say nothing of it. It would be unseemly given the circumstances of his visit.


“Then it was you who submitted this letter?”
Thomas reached into his dark red cloak and pulled out a shabby envelope that had been sliced open on one side.


“It was. I had Terry down the road write it down all proper like for me, begging your pardon.”


“So I see. Well Tabitha, I must warn you that what you have written of here is nothing to be taken lightly. If this is not serious or is otherwise mistaken I may be called upon to punish you.”
1/3
>>
>>749300
Empty words really. Thomas was only in this backwater city to sniff for rumours of a witch laying low down south but that little incident was already over and he had been languishing waiting for the local railway to get repaired. Even if her claim had been made in falsehood any reprieve from the sins of idleness was a welcome one.


“Of course sir. But there’s no lie here I swear. Ki-..Children! Get out here!”


At least half a dozen children of all ages trudged into the room, most of whom had already been unsuccessfully hiding around behind the wall so that they could listen in. Thomas could only nod in approval at their number. There were many means to control birth and all of them were considered blasphemy in the eyes of the church. But they were small blasphemies and cheap ones at that and so it wasn’t uncommon for folk to partake in such small sins for personal convenience.
But not this family by any means. They had evidently hewn quite well to the Wheel God’s command to the Third Men to multiply. No wonder this woman looked so tired.


“Do you truly manage all this children just by yourself?”
The children were quiet, most looking up at the sign of the wheel upon his cloak with barefaced awe. The sign of a Lamplighter and, in Thomas’ case, a Witch-finder.


“Most of them,” Tabitha said. “The oldest help with the youngest. Speaking of which….set him down and clear out, the rest of you. You know what this is about!”


With a small chorus of mutterings and half-uttered moans the children slowly cleared out, no doubt going back to eavesdropping. Only the youngest of them remained, a small lad whose skin was still clustered and dark, having yet to even out into the more plain gray. Tabitha pushed him before Thomas but the child fell over, plainly unwilling to go near the strange man.
“Orion, this is Sir Thomas. Say hello. Say hello!”
When no such greeting came, the mother just sighed. Orion just hid behind her dress, occasionally peering out to stare up at Thomas with wide and untrusting eyes.
“I’m so sorry sir, he’s not good with others. But I wouldn’t have asked for you if I wasn’t certain!”


“Even the mightiest towers started from but a simple brick,” Thomas recited. “I am not here for what he is now but for what he could become.”


Tabitha took that as the cue to push Orion forward, the child plainly unwilling to do so.
“Alright Orion! Show the Lamplighter what you showed me!”
But all he did was look down.
“I swear he was doing it all the time before! I don’t know why he isn’t doing it now. Show him what you did with the fireplace, Orion!”

Her tone grows desperate as if she was afraid Thomas would grow impatient and strike her down for her impertinence right then and there.

“Fear not, there are other ways to test such aptitude.”
The Lamplighter swept his cloak to the side to reveal the small wick hanging from his belt.
>>
>>749303

It came to life the moment he picked it up, a small but pure flame burning along the tip. And without wasting any further time Thomas thrust the burning end of the wick into Orion’s back!

Tabitha shrieked and the child began to cry reflexively but the Lamplighter didn’t let up until he finally saw what he came here to see. And just like that the wick went out and he withdraw and Orion was left sobbing with a perfectly circular hole burned into the back of his tunic. And through that hole...his skin was only barely blistered.
“Nearly five seconds of flame before he burned,” Thomas said brusquely, ignoring Orion’s tears or Tabitha’s shocked look. “His Wick is already burning alright and it’s a strong one. You were right to call for me.”

Orion fled the large stranger and once again sought refuge in his mother’s skirts, Tabitha clutching his head to her side. Thomas could see the emotions making war upon each other in her expression and knew what she had to be thinking. This was no easy choice for any parent.
“Then...,” she finally spoke up, “Then you’ll take him?”

Orion stopped crying and stared up at his mother as if she had slapped him.

“Yes. I’m heading back to my Watchtower anyway and I believe we still have room for initiates. But,” Thomas said, “You do know that the time for recruitment has passed, correct? By all rights I should leave this for another year.”

“I know,” Tabitha said. “But it’s all I can do to keep all six of them clothed and out of trouble. I...I….”
She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence but Thomas already knew her reasoning. Having a son taken into the service wasn’t just an honor, parents were also compensated with a gild, the church essentially having bought their right to parentage away from them.
“He’s strong in the flame and it would be a better life with you than any he could have here,” the mother finally rationalised.

“And you could use the coin.”
Thomas didn’t believe in mincing words but he took no satisfaction in seeing Tabitha’s spreading shame.
“This was the right choice. Thank you for your sacrifice.”

And with that he placed two large coins upon the mantel, each of them easily enough to feed the entire family twice over.
“God has witnessed us. Come with me lad.”

Thomas reached for the child but he just cringed away and tried to hide behind his mother yet again. Only this time she didn’t let him, pushing him back towards the stranger.
“I’m sorry Orion. Live well!”

It was then that the boy finally understood and immediately turned to bolt. But this wasn’t the first time Thomas had seen this happen either and he was ready. A quick grabbing of the lad’s collar put a stop to his escape and from there it was nothing for the Lamplighter to pick him up bodily even as he screamed and bawled and begged for his mother.
“You’ll get over it lad,” Thomas wheezed. “It’s for the best.”
>>
>all that weird line spacing and formatting.
Ugh, don't know how that happened. Anyway I'll do some more interludes when I get home from work
>>
>>749306
Lamplighter life is not fun from the very beginning.
>>
>>749303
Hello me jedi how are you today?
>>
Alright, back from work.

Interlude Two

Even more years ago…

Cyrus Montgomery looked up from his repose in his padded chair. Had he heard someone call out his name? He waited a few moments more and hearing no following cries, decided it must have been in his head. The mind will trick itself sometimes!
If someone had been calling for him from within the manor he surely would have heard. The walls of his study were not that thick.

But now that he was roused he couldn’t quite get himself comfortable again and so he rose and began to pace from one wall to the other, as had recently become his wont. The sun had gone down a few hours since and the moon was beautiful tonight, a view he could appreciate even more knowing that his window was barred and thrice-locked. He admitted that it was paranoia, that no beast or witch had even trod this far into concrete lands for generations, that the world was almost tame as it had been in Ages past, that a single night would not give any of them time enough to traverse this far before the sunlight pushed them back but the scar along his chest and the pain it gave him every morning was a reminder that nothing can be certain.
But that had been a long time ago and he was no longer the same man as he was back then. He was now significantly heavier at the very least.

He sat back down and relit his pipe with a match. Irrational fears aside he had very little to be worried about anymore. Land was selling, rent was being paid, stocks were rising and as far as he could tell, the Montgomery name was growing stronger by the day. Not that he ever administered these businesses personally of course, he had men for that. A gentleman can’t be seen working.
The newspaper was, as always, filled with lurid stories of the frontier but the honorable Lord Montgomery had long ago stopped caring for such sensationalism. Why must everyone in the truly civilized lands care about those poor saps working to tame the edges of the wasteland? Most of these stories weren’t even true.
So he set the paper down and just relaxed for a time with his pipe and his thoughts of success. He was rich in money, land and name, as had his father been and his father before him. He had a wife, three strapping sons and a beautiful little daughter. He was enjoying a life far insulated from the harsh realities of almost every other human being in the world and he was well aware of it.

So why can’t he just get up and open the damn window? This was absurd. His life was too bloody good to be worried about old memories and fears. Preposterous! Why, he should simply gird his loins and-oh bugger there was someone calling out his name after all.

He slammed the door of the study open and prowled into the corridors beyond.
“What?”

It was Louise who had been calling for him, the tall and somewhat gangly nursery maid.
“I’m sorry sir but it’s Bea! She’s playing with fire again!”

1/2
>>
>>749617
Cyrus resisted the urge to curse or to chew the maid out. It wasn’t her fault. Louise had always been shy and his daughter....well, she could be a handful even though she was still so very young. His fault, he supposed, he’d spoiled her. But what else was a father supposed to do with his only living daughter? She was the apple of his eye and he could never keep his temper high with her.
Now if only she could cease her endless fascination with matches!
“Where’s Valeria? This is her job!”


“She’s there bu-”


“Then why isn’t she stopping her? What else am I paying the nanny to do?”


“I’m sorry sir, you just have to see this with your own eyes.”


Cyrus burst into the nursery as the spitting image of a stern yet fair father, a paternal disciplinarian to be loved and feared in equal measure. But as always the facade only lasted a moment as his little girl pranced into view. She was barely eight years old this summer and to even look at her melted his heart. She was cute as a button with a mischievous face framed by soft blonde hair. She looked so very much like her mother, God rest her soul.
“Good evening Little Bee,” he said, smiling as he watched the girl’s face scrunch up in response to the nickname. “Have you been causing trouble?”


“I’m not a bee! I’m Beatrice!”


“Oh but you’re still just a little bee to me! Oof!”
He gave a soft little groan as he bent down and picked up his daughter, lifting her into the air and watching her attempt at a serious face dissolve into helpless laughter. She grabbed hold of his bushy moustache in response and he was forced to set her down. God as my witness, he thought as he freed himself from her tiny grasp, this girl will be the death of me someday.
He was right, albeit in a far more direct fashion than he ever anticipated.
“Now Bee, haven’t I told you about playing with fire? Just because the Lamplighters in the stories do it doesn’t mean you should try. Once burned twice sh-”


“No watch!”
Beatrice made a grab for the half-molten candle Louise was holding and Cyrus could only watch as it fell...harmlessly into her hands. The fire spilled from the candle far quicker than it should and the little girl giggled again as she waved her hands, the captured candle-flame now dancing from finger to finger at her command.
“See?”


“My word.”
Did she get it from her late mother’s side? It certainly didn’t come from his side. But then again, does bloodline even matter into it? Was this not simply a gift from God? A sign that she was blessed with His favour?
“Do you know what this means Beatrice?”


The little girl broke into an uncontrolled smile.
“Yes! I’m going to be a Lamplighter! Go roaming around and burning the evil witches!”


Oh. Oh dear. He should have thought of this.
“I’m sorry. That’s never going to happen.”
>>
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What the fuck is up with this line spacing? The doc I write my shit in has never done this before.
>>
I was going to do some more random cutaways to different parts of things but I'm tired as hell and this line spacing is giving me a headache.
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>>749619
>He was right, albeit in a far more direct fashion than he ever anticipated.
by fire or soil?
>>
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>>749619
Beatrice was rich?

Holy shit my sides, I can't for the life of me imagine her in a stuffy dress acting sophisticated

>>749625
Things don't tend to format as planned on 4chan in my experience, not sure if it's the same for you
>>
>>749634
Ouro I need more!!!! These interludes are awesome.
>>
>>749240
I'd like to add my vote for
>Sexy invert lamplighter interludes

Thank you.
>>
>>749303
>Orion just hid behind her dress, occasionally peering out to stare up at Thomas with wide and untrusting eyes.
>“I’m so sorry sir, he’s not good with others."
He hasn't changed a bit!
>>
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>>749619
>The little girl broke into an uncontrolled smile.
>“Yes! I’m going to be a Lamplighter! Go roaming around and burning the evil witches!”
>Oh. Oh dear. He should have thought of this.
>“I’m sorry. That’s never going to happen.”
>>
>>749625
So Beatrice is older than Orion? Huh.

>>750003
Yeah that's her start of darkness, Riiiiiiiiiiight there.
>>
>>750886
What makes you think she older than Orion?

>>749984
Neither has Beatrice she still aants to be a special little snowflake
>>
>>751377
She had even more years ago in the start of her interlude, in reference to being many more years ago compared to Orion's.

Good point about Beatrice being a snowflake wannabe.
>>
>>751474
They don't necessarily take place in the exact same time period and there's nothing to suggest that, Beatrice is simply older when this life changing event occurs than Orion was with his
>>
>>751481

>>749300
Many years ago…


>>749617
Even more years ago…


Given that the only reference of time for the latter was the former, we can conclude the latter happened first.
>>
>>751377
>What makes you think she older than Orion?
It was mentioned in quest at some point to. Witches are able to change their apparant age.
>>
>>751486
Well I can't believe I missed that, I wonder what the age gap is...
>>
>>751492
Except for the fact Beatrice is no longer a practicing witch or still one to ingest loam soil

Unless the gunpowder enables her to do as she would with soil
>>
>>751497
Who knows? From the sounds of it Bea was a witch for a long while.



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