>>1089427
>Smoke them out

>>1089427
>>Smoke them out
Evening Smiley

>>1089427
>>Smoke them out

>>1089427
>>Smoke them out

>writing

Rolled 9 (1d100)

-smoke them out" You say. "You're up Cheska"
"Waaaayy ahead of you" She says, a fireball already in her hands.

"You're not gonna throw that from here are you?" Meyu asks. "No way. You could never hit that window at this distance"
"Maybe you couldn't. I happen to be an expert at throwing things through windows" Cheska says, as she pulls her arm back for the toss.

She then throws it, putting her entire body into it like a seasoned pitcher. The fireball hurls through the air for what seems like a while, but long before it reaches its target you can see that she's on the mark.

"It's good" You say.
"What? No way" Meyu says.

The ball of fire smashes through the window, and you can see the flames start to take inside the garrison.

"Well I'll be damned" Meyu says. "I may owe you an apology"
"Apologize later. This plan has a part 2, remember?" Cheska asks.

You nod, and motion for everyone to follow as you close in on the entrance. Then sun is just barely coming up, so the low light should be enough to conceal you.

Unfortunately, that means a fire will stand out. You have to make this quick.

>Roll 1d100 with focus

Rolled 35 (1d100)

>>1089545

Rolled 31 (1d100)

>>1089545
That focus target oh dear

Rolled 23 (1d100)

>>1089545
High focus

Cmon dicegods.
An pls no flushing dices

>>1089557
>>1089559
>>1089562
Wow, we did not do good

>writing

All these bad rolls, and none of them even came close to the low focus.
Somebody hasn't been keeping up with their sacrifices.

File: 1484952304927.jpg (92 KB, 1097x588)

92 KB JPG

Rolled 53 (1d100)

>>1089583
I sacrificed my lamb today. kek is with me

Rolled 36 (1d100)

You get as close as you think you can without being seen. At least you think they won't see you.

These things are hard to gauge when you don't see things like the average person...

"Something is wrong..." Meyu says.
"Give it a second. They might have been sleeping in there" Cheska says.

The fire spreads quickly, definitely much quicker than you were expecting. Before you even see signs on people inside the building, fire and smoke are already pouring out of the broken window.

"That'll turn some heads..." Meyu says.

Suddenly, someone emerges from the building. They're on fire, and not too pleased about it judging by the screaming.

Several others come out after that, turning this operation into less of an ambush and more of a succession of mercy kills...

You're the good guys, aren't you? This doesn't really feel like 'good guy' work...

"Yuu!" You hear Dustin shout.

You turn to Dustin, wondering why he's shouting. Then you see that his arms are scratched, and the bundled cape is empty.

"Oh..." You say.
"I was calling for you! The screaming startled her and she-"
"Which way?" You ask.

Dustin points off towards the town, and you scan around for her with your eyes. You don't see her. She must be hiding somewhere...

>Roll 1d100 with focus

Rolled 26 (1d100)

>>1089678
Fucking Vivi

Rolled 85 (1d100)

>>1089678

Rolled 51 (1d100)

>>1089678

>>1089678
Too bad that wasn't the focus roll last time.

>writing

"You guys take care of things here" You say. "Emi, can you put out that fire?"
"I'll try" Emi says.

"Cheska, come on" You say.
"Wha- shit, wait up!" She shouts.

You dash off in the direction Vivi ran to. If you're quick, you can get her before she gets to town...

The mansion is surrounded by a solid stone fence. It's not all that high, or spacious. But it would be enough to keep Vivian in... you hope. If you're right, then the only way for her to get out would be the gate.

You pump your legs all the way up to the gate, and whip around to look at what's on the other side.

"Damn..." You say. You don't see her.
"We lose her?" Cheska asks.
"We might have..." You say.

...

"Hold on. You're not actually going to go and search the city, are you?" She asks.
You sigh. "I am" You say, as you start walking towards the city.

"You remember that you have a mission, right?" She asks.
"I haven't forgotten" You say. "This is also a good opportunity to scout the town. Plus, I'm kind of responsible for her..."
"Whatever you say..." Cheska says.
"Look. I made the choice to bring her along when I could have brought her back" You say. "I put the mission first there. But right now that ball of fuzz and claws is out there, alone and scared. Compared to that, the mission can take a back seat, alright?"

You see something in Cheska's eyes. Like a momentary flicker of sympathy. But as quickly as it came, it passes. "Alright, alright. You don't have to give me the speech" She says. "Not like I have a choice but to follow"
You smile. "Glad you know who the boss is" You say.
Cheska jabs you in the ribs.
"Ow! I was kidding" You say.
She gives you a sly smile. "Whatever you say, boss" She says

>1/2

You move into the city, stepping cautiously. The guard isn't out in force, but the occasional patrol does pass.

"Doesn't anybody in this city know what a trash bin is?" Cheska asks, as she kicks an errant piece of litter out of her path.
"Apparently not" You say.

It's been roughly half an hour since you left the mansion. No sign of Vivi yet...

"Damn it... if I were a tiny Felid, where would I go?" You ask.
"I dunno" Cheska says. "Maybe somewhere that smells good? I've heard their noses are really sensitive at that age. All this trash would give her a headache"

You think back to the path you took, and come up with a few places where she might be.

"Let's backtrack a bit. I have a hunch" You say.

You head back along your path with Cheska, stopping to peer out of the alleyway where your hunch lead you.

Sure enough, you spot her padding around in front of a small bakery. Unfortunately, there's also a few guards there as well. One of them spots Vivian and walks over to her.

"Well hey there little kitten" The guard says as he leans down to pick her up. "What are you doing ou- Yikes!"

Vivian immediately flips out, clawing at the guard's armor and trying to wriggle away. In his surprise the guard drops her and she dashes back towards the alley, where she immediately spots you and climbs up your pant leg.

This has the unfortunate consequence of leading the guard right to you...

>Prepare for a fight

>Act natural

>Other

>>1089877
>>Act natural

>>1089877
>>Act natural

>>1089877
>Act natural

>>1089877
>Act natural

>writing

"There you are, Vivi" You say, as you pluck the tiny Felid off of your leg and hold her up in front of your face. "We've been looking everywhere for you!"
"Meeeeeeeeew" Vivi says.

"Thanks for finding her, mister" You say to the guard.
"Well helping is my-... hang on. Aren't you..." The guard says. He seems to recognize you.

"See anything, guardsman?" A voic ecalls from further up the street.

The guardsman eyes you for a moment, before turning to the voice.

"No, just a stray cat" He says, before turning to you and winking.
"Keep looking. The slave drivers say the ones who started the fire in the mansion ran this way" The voice calls again.
"I'll check out this alleyway then" He says.
"Suit yourself" The voice says.

The guard steps into the alley with you, walking further in before turning. He examines you for a moment, and smiles.

"It is you" He says in a whisper.
You tilt your head. "Have we met?" You ask.

"Ahh... sorry, You probably wouldn't recognize me" He says. "I was on gate duty that day, so I had my helmet on"

You narrow your eyes. Now that he says that, his voice does sound familiar...

"Sally?" You ask.
"Simon" He says.
"I was close" You say.
"No you weren't" Cheska says. "Who the hell is this guy?"
"Simon" You say.
"I got that part..." Cheska says.

"And how the hell are you still alive?" Simon asks.

>Answer Simon first

>Answer Cheska first

>We should talk somewhere private

>Other

>>1090002
>>We should talk somewhere private

>>1090002
>We should talk somewhere private

>>1090002
>>We should talk somewhere private

>writing

>>1090002
>We should talk somewhere private

"We should probably talk about this in private..." You say.
"Fine by me" Simon says, as he heads back over to the street and calls out to the other guards. "I think I saw something over this way. I'm gonna check it out!"
"Suit yourself" The voice calls back. "If you die, try to do it in a way that doesn't ruin your armor"
"Aye" Simon says, as he heads back towards you. "Come on. There's an abandoned house up this way"

"Wow... just like that?" You ask.
"They don't care" Simon says. "It's been a while since anyone here gave a shit about much. Not the crime, or the rebellion, or the slave camps under our feet..."

You tilt your head. "You seem to care" You say.
"I do care. I just can't do anything about it" He says, as he leads you along the alley to the other side. The street here is empty, so the 4 of you head up to one of the houses.

"I recognize this place" You say. "This is Tian's house"
"Yep. Monkey Queen used to live here, 'till the inquisition ran her out of town" Simon says. "Word is she was with a guild rabbit, which was the tipping point to them siding with Lady Altea"

You head inside the familiar household, careful not to step on any webs. You know Ariadne isn't here, but once bitten... "I know" You say. "I was there"

"You were... here?" He asks.

You nod. "I came here to see Tian on my way to Locke" You say, patting the weapon at your hip. "I was told she could teach me a few things"

"Well I'll be damned" He says. "So... how are you alive?"

>Cheska's question first

>Tell him your tale

>Other

>>1090163
>>Tell him your tale
Short and simple version.

>>1090163
>>Tell him your tale
The short version preferably, time is of the essence

>>1090163
>Tell him your tale

>>1090163
>>Tell him your tale

>writing

"Well, they took me to Mortifas" You say, as you hold up a hand. Focusing your energy into that hand, you conjur a small ball of soul. "Which backfired horribly. Not only did it not kill me, but when they took me to the room where all the killing happens I got strong enough to punch down the door"

"You're... is that chaos?" Simon asks.
You nod. "I'm different" You say. "Which has come in handy..."

You continue your story, keeping it as short as you can. You tell him about Sherton and your first run in with the Legion, the side-trip to Contique, your arrival here and consequent escape, the time you spent in Locke, and you finish with the destruction of Mortifas.

"So... that was you?" He asks.
"I take... 1 third of the credit" You say.
"1... third?" He asks.
"Well there were 2 other people there" You say.

"So you're a part of the rebellion?" He asks.
"There's more to it than that, but yeah" You say.
"Are they coming here?" He asks.

"I'm not sure I should be talking about that..." You say.
"If they are, then the guys will want to know" Simon says.
"What guys?" You ask.
"A few of the other guards. We're sort of a 'coalition of people that give a shit'..." He says.

"Hell of a name" Cheska says.
"It's a working title" He says. "But if you're here for the rebellion, then we're all at your disposal"

>I just need the gate opened

>Ask what he knows about the caves

>Ask why he doesn't just join the rebellion

>Other

>I just need the gate opened

>>1090276
>>Ask what he knows about the caves
>>Other
Any patrol routes, times, how many inquisitors, the leading powers.

>>1090276
>>I just need the gate opened

>>1090276
>I just need the gate opened

>>1090276
>>Ask what he knows about the caves

>writing

>>1090276
>>I just need the gate opened

"I just need the gate opened" You say.
"That's it?" He asks.

You nod.

"So... you ust need the gate opened? They sent you in just for that?" He asks.
"Believe it or not, we're a little pressed on time" You say. "The rebellion can move right now, because the Legion isn't currently prepared to fight a war"
"Where'd that info come from?" He asks.

You point a thumb at Cheska.

"I thought it was weird that the rebels would have a blood demon..." Simon says. "So the quicker things move here, the better"
"Yeah" You say. "And on that note, what can you tell me about the caves?"

"Only been down there once or twice" He says. "Place is heavily booby trapped. You need the lead Inquisitor's mark to actually get in without triggering anything"
"That's a problem..." You say.
"Because the army can't move on without clearing the caves" Simon says. "The bigger problem is the prisoners. The Inquisition talks a lot about honour, but they won't hesitate to use hostages"

"That was why we destroyed the prison" You say. "I thought they'd get the message after that..."
"They're pretty dense" Simon says.

"Reminds me of someone" Cheska says.
"Who?" You ask.
"Don't worry about it" Cheska says.

>Where can we find a lead Inquisitor?

>How quickly can you gather your friends?

>I need to get back to the mansion...

>Other

>>1090375
>>Where can we find a lead Inquisitor?

>>1090375
>>Where can we find a lead Inquisitor?

>>1090375
>Where can we find a lead Inquisitor?

>How quickly can you gather your friends?

>>1090375
>>Where can we find a lead Inquisitor?

>>1090375
>Where can we find a lead Inquisitor?

>How quickly can you gather your friends?

>writing

You ponder the situation for a moment. You won't make it back to the mansion without being detected right now.

From the sounds of things, you and Cheska running from the place after setting the garrison on fire drew attention away from the mansion. Fortunately that means your friends are in the clear. Unfortunately that leaves you cut off...

But that doesn't mean you're helpless. It just means you have to tread carefully.

"Where could we find a lead inquisitor?" You ask.
"I figured you'd ask that" He says. "There are only 6 of them in the city. For the most part they stay underground, with few exceptions..."

"What are they?" You ask.
"One is to confirm a demon sighting, the other is to perform mass at the church" He says. "They usually bring back up and come ready for a fight when there's a demon sighting, but if we catch him as he's leaving the church..."
"We can't do it in the church?" You ask.

"Fighting inside the church is forbidden" He says. "I know, it's more courtesy than we should be giving them. But I'd rather not piss off the gods"

>Fine. When does the mass end?

>Gods?

>Other

>>1090454
>>Fine. When does the mass end?

>>1090454
If we have someone call in a demon sighting, we could lead a large amount of the inquisition into an ambush if we have time to set up beforehand. And it would give us the seal we need.
We need to get back in touch with our cru and work out an ambush location and prep the things needed for it. Traps and shit.

>>1090454
>Gods?
>Fine. When does the mass end?

>>1090454
>>Fine. When does the mass end?

>>1090454
>Gods?
Hate to say it Simon, but, these people who preach in these churches have also been slaughtering innocents en masse. Throw in the slavery, and the point of fighting in the church becomes moot. If the god opposes these acts, then we're doing it a favor. If the god IS in favor, then who gives a shit?

>writing

>>1090489
I mean, why should the inquisitors get to hide behind this rule? If there were innocents that they planned to kill in the church, then we couldn't go in to stop hem?

>>1090454
>Gods?
What is a God to a nonbeliever?

"I keep hearing people talk about these gods..." You say. "Who are they?"

"Well, they're the beings that watch over us" Simon says.
"How many of them are there?" You ask.
"Only 3" Simon says. "Origin, the Creator, Eternal, the Watcher, and Apocalypse, the Ender"

"Hang on. You've actually never heard about the gods?" Cheska asks.
"It's never really come up" You say. "What do they do?"

"Well, Origin is the beginning of all things" Simon says. "It's said that she holds a seat at the beginning of the universe, and she continues her work from there. On the other hand, Apocalypse exists at the end, and he guides all things to their doom"
"And Eternal?" You ask.
"He watches and guides us through everything in between" Simon says.

"What do they look like?" You ask.
Simon looks around. "Most houses have their figures somewhere... there" He says, pointing to a trio of statuettes on a table.

You look over at the small statues. On the left is one of a woman, dressed loosely and clearly pregnant. In the centre is a robed and hooded figure, but beyond that no details are visible. The last one on the right is of a hulking figure in full plate armor, standing dutifully with his sword in the ground, like he's on guard.

"Neat" You say. "So why would they care if I happen to rough up an inquisitor in their church?"
"They might not, but the people will" He says. "Churches are a haven for all, good and bad. Even the Inquisition wouldn't dare harm anyone in there"

"I get it... I guess" You say. "So when does this mass end?"
"It varies" He says. "Sometimes it's short and sweet, sometimes it drones on a bit"

"What do you think it'll be today?" You ask.
"Well, given what's happening it'll probably be short" He says. "It should be starting soon... what time is it?"
"7:30" You say.
"It starts at 8" He says.

"Then I should get closer to the church" You say. "Any suggestions?"
"A few. I can show you a couple good stakeout spots, if you'd like" He says.

>Let's go

>No, gather your friends

>Other

>>1090560
>>No, gather your friends
re-group time

>>1090560
>No, gather your friends

>>1090560
>No, gather your friends

>writing

You take a breath, and let it out.

You miss the times when you could let everyone else make the decisions, and all you had to do was fight the occasional thing...

As you think on what to do, a little red blur flies in through the window carrying a note.

"Coral!" You say.

The little sprite zips over and comes to rest in your lap. You take the note from her and read it.
It's from Derrick, letting you know that they put the fire out and they're currently laying low in the mansion. He asks if you're okay.

You pick Coral up off your lap and go looking for a pen and paper, finding one quickly and getting to work writing a reply.

"Is that a... sprite?" Simon asks.
"Her name's Coral" You say. "Coral, go say hi to Simon. You'll be seeing him quite a bit today"
"She will?" He asks.

"About how many of you are there in this 'coalition of people that give a shit'?" You ask.
"I've never really counted us out... but if I had to guess, with both guardsmen and capable townsfolk our numbers would be up above a hundred" He says.
"How quickly could you muster them up?" You ask.
"Not quickly enough to have anyone ready by the time that mass finishes" He says.
"Let me worry about the mass" You say.

"Oh, alright" He says. "An hour, maybe 2. Depends on where they all are and how fast the word travels"

"That works..." You say, as you finish your note and hand it off to Coral.
"What do you have in mind?" He asks.

"I've decided that I want to do one better than just having the gate open" You say, checking your watch. The army will be arriving at around 3... that gives you a little under 8 hours. "When the rebellion arrives, this city is going to be ours"

Cheska raises an eyebrow. "Gonna claim the whole city with a cat on your head?" She asks.
"Mrow" Vivi says, as she paws at your head and licks your hair.

Your determination falters for a moment. Vivi's been so quiet that you kinda forgot she was there. When that moment passes, you smile. "Of course. How else would I do it?" You ask.

Cheska giggles. "So what's the plan then?" She asks.
"I'm glad you asked..." You say.

That's all for tonight!

I'll be continuing either tomorrow or Friday.

As always I'll be sticking around for question/suggestion time!

>>1090651
Great thread, Smiley!

>>1090647
I hope COPTGAS doesn't take too many casualties.

>>1090651
Thanks for running Smiley

You and Cheska sit by the window in one of the abandoned houses overlooking the church. The streets are still pretty quiet, but you saw a decent number of people go inside when the mass started.

Vivian is currently sitting up on your shoulders, holding onto your head with her paws so she can lick your hair. She's been up there for quite a while... you'renot sure you want to know what your hair looks like now.

"Mass should be ending soon" Cheska says. "What's the plan?"
"Working on it" You say.
"I thought so" Cheska says.

"If possible I'd like to get the mark without him or any other inquisitor knowing" You say.
"Easier said than done" Cheska says.
"Yeah... kinda makes me wish I had someone like Pip along" You say. "She probably could've done it no problem"
"Well, you've got me" Cheska says. "Take it or leave it"

You sigh. Derrick sent a message back letting you know what his plan was. Him and the others are headed to the town's jail to set Dustin's workers free. After that he said he'd try to meet up with you.

Simon is off spreading the word to his coalition. They'll be meeting at Tian's old house at 10:30, whether he manages to contact everyone or not.

Everyone is doing their jobs, now you just have to do yours.

"So?" Cheska asks.

>We can get Vivi to attack him as a distraction

>Couldn't I just run up and punch him?

>Think you could lead him in here?

>I'll try being sneaky

>Other

>>1092898
>I'll try being sneaky

Much as I want to give Vivi the psychological damage of knowing she did more for the world while her major concerns were biting and grooming than during her adult life.

>>1092898
>>I'll try being sneaky

>>1092898
>>Think you could lead him in here?

Roll seduction.

>I'll try being sneaky

>>1092898
>Think you could lead him in here?

>I'll try being sneaky

>writing

"I'm gonna try and sneak up on him when he comes out" You say.
"You sure that's a good idea? You stand out a little..." She says. "Y'know, with the cat and all"

"Mrrrrow" Vivi says.

"That's why I need you to distract him" You say.
"You realize that he'll be on guard as soon as he realizes I'm a demon, right?" She asks.

"I only need a few seconds" You say. "Can you do something to distract him from both me, and the fact that you're a demon?"

Cheska gives you a blank look. "Sure, and while I'm at it I'll just go ahead and pop open the gates, then maybe I'll go clean out the mines in my spare time" She says.
"Sarcasm?" You ask.
"You're getting better" She says.

"Look... I'd really like if it I had better people for this, trust me" You say. "But like you said, I've got you"
"Don't compliment me too much now, it might go to my head" She says.

You sigh and step over to her, extending your hand to help her get up. "Can I trust you with this?" You ask.
"I dunno. Do you trust me at all?" She asks. Judging by the way she's looking at you, she wants a straight answer...

>I do

>I don't really have a choice

>Not really

>Other

>>1093068
>>I do

>>1093068
>>I do

>writing

Rolled 32 (1d100)

"I do" You say. "Which is why I'm leaving this to you. After all, I'd never have agreed to be tied at the wrist to you if I didn't trust you"
"There's a difference between trusting someone not to cut your hand off in your sleep and trusting someone to do something..." She says.

You put your extended hand on her head. Her hair's kinda soft. Not as soft as Stella's or Flit's, but you get the feeling that both of them put more work into their hair than Cheska does.

"Alright! Fine, I'll do it!" Cheska says, as she swipes your hand away.
"I knew I could count on you!" You say.
"Yeah, yeah" She says. "Let's go, people will be coming out of the church any second now. We should be in position before then"

You smile and follow her as she walks downstairs and out of the building.

"And if you want something to pet, use the damn cat" She says.
"Mow" Vivi says.

As you walk to the church, you finalize your plan. You'll wait next to the door, while Cheska will stand by one of the pillars. The Inquisitor should be the last one out, so when he exits the church Cheska will distract him so you can grab his mark.

It would be foolproof if it weren't so full of holes...

You'll just have to hopes it works.

>Roll 1d100 with focus

Rolled 4 (1d100)

>>1093142

Rolled 60 (1d100)

>>1093142

Rolled 61 (1d100)

>>1093142

>writing

You get into position, and wait. Vivian keeps licking the top of your head. At this rate you're going to have a bald spot up there by the time Katherine arrives.

The church doors open, and people start to file out. The door itself has figures carved into it, and the half facing you has Apocalypse and half of Eternal. You wonder why they would bother to do that much work on a door. It's not like anyone spends all that much time looking at them.

...

Well, except for you. Since you're taking the time to look at it right now.

You sigh, trying your best not to look too interested in the people coming out. The inquisitor should stand out, so you shouldn't have to examine anyone too closely.

"Ow!" You say, as Vivi bites your scalp. "Stop that"
"Mow" Vivi says.

"Hey... Haven't I seen you before?" Someone asks.

You look back to the door, and see the inquisitor standing in front of you.

"Uhh... probably not" You say.

His eyes narrow. He definitely recognizes you. This is the same inquisitor that you ran into the last time you were here. Though with a new hat.

"I think I do" He says, as he draws his sword.

...

Any time now Cheska.

...

Cheska?

...

Shit.

>Roll 1d100 with focus

Rolled 84 (1d100)

>>1093230
C'mon higher than a 4

Rolled 17 (1d100)

>>1093230

Rolled 7 (1d100)

>>1093230
GIVE ME YOUR HAT

Rolled 35 (1d100)

>writing
Also focus roll, because I have the attention span of a gerbil

"You're under arrest" He says. His hand glows dark purple, and tendrils of shadow extend from the floor.

"No I'm not" You say.
"Yes you are" He says.
"You're mistaken" You say. "I see you got a new hat. It looks good"

The Inquisitor, done talking, attacks.

You duck and weave around the shadows as they attempt to close in on you, feeling Vivian's claws dig into your head as she tries to hold on for dear life.

You reach up and grab onto the little Felid with your left hand, while your right goes to your mageblade. The blade springs to life in your hand, its activation more of a reflex than an exercise now.

As another bundle of tendrils closes in on you, you cut through them. Turning towards the Inquisitor as he advances, careful to keep Vivian on your other side.

Your blades clash, and you're much quicker than he is on the counterattack. You suppose that's the advantage of having a weightless weapon.

You push the Inquisitor back, not with desperation but with purpose. If you keep pushing him, he'll be right next to the pillar that Cheska is behind.

If you could tell one thing from this, it's that you're definitely the better fighter. If you wanted to, you could end this here and leave them short one lead inquisitor. But that's not what you're here for...

You get him closer to the pillar, and land a solid kick to his chest. He stumbles back until he hits the pillar, and then you see the barest flicker or red slide out from behind it. Cheska's tail reaches up and snags the badge on the inquisitor's chest, and then retreats with it.

Cheska starts to walk away, but you know she can only get so far...

>Run

>Take hat, then run

>Other

>>1093315
>Take hat, then run
Knock 'em out

>>1093315
>>Take hat, then run
preferably leaving him unconscious

>>1093328
"By the way: you've got some creepy looking magic for one of the 'good guys'".

>>1093315
>>Take hat, then run
priorities

>writing

Alright. Mission accomplished.

Now you just have to do something that'll keep him from noticing his missng mark...

You smile.

"By the way, your magic is kinda creepy for someone who's supposed to be a good guy" You say.
"And what does yours look like then?" He asks.
"Something like this..." You say, as you extend 2 fingers out from your mageblade and fire a soul bolt at his face.

Unfortunately, the soul bolt isn't quite on the mark, and it knocks off his hat instead.

"Quite finished? Yes? Good. Then it's my turn" He says.

The tendrils of shadow thicken, and you get the feeling that he's preparing something big...

"Hang on" You say. "That's not what I meant to do. That was supposed to go more like..."

You fire another soul bolt, this time hitting the mark dead on. You figured he wouldn't be able to mount much of a defense if he was charging something big, and you were right.

"... that" You say, as the inquisitor falls to the ground.

You then walk over and grab his hat, dusting it off as you follow after Cheska.

At the sound of the guard arriving, you both pick up the pace a little...

>1/2

"That went well" You say, once you and Cheska are in a safe spot.

"Yeah?" She asks.
"Yeah. Not quite according to plan, but still... it worked out" You say.

"I was kinda panicking for a second there" She says. "But once you started forcing him to me, I got the drift"
"I was hoping you would" You say.

"Sorry I didn't stick to the plan. I figured that he'd suspect me too quickly if I came out then..." She says.
"It's fine. Like I said, it all worked out" You say. "Out of curiousity, what were you planning on doing to distract him?"

Cheska leans back and puts her hand on her chest in a ceremonious manner. "Well my plan was to use my womanly wiles to keep him occupied" She says.
"Womanly... wiles?" You ask. "What's that?"

Cheska gives you a sly grin. "Well, first you get nice and close. Giving a nice sway of the hips to let them know where to look" She says, as she starts walking towards you. As she said, she sways her hips as she goes. "Lead with a line like 'Hey there, sailor. I'm a little lost...', as the tail comes out"

She gets close, leaning towards you and stroking your cheek with her tail. She pouts and puts a finger on her lips, before giving them a lick and closing in, placing 1 hand on your hip and draping the other over your shoulder. When she's just a few inches away from your face, she stops.

"And after this, I dunno" She says. "I was kinda hoping you'd have the mark by then, and I could just turn cold and walk away"

You blink a few times, hoping it might stifle the heat i your cheeks.

Cheska giggles at the sight. "What, did you think I'd try to kiss the guy?" She asks. "I happen to be a pure maiden, you know"
"A-ah, yeah" You say.

She pokes your chest with her tail. "Alright, alright. Let the blood go back to your brain" She says. "We've gotta figure out what to do now"

>Head to the prison to see how Derrick's doing

>Head to the old guild hall to see if there's anything you can use

>Lay low for now, and wait for Coral to come back

>Other

>>1093480

>Head to the prison to see how Derrick's doing

>>1093480
>>Head to the prison to see how Derrick's doing

>>1093480
>Head to the prison to see how Derrick's doing

>>1093480
>>Head to the old guild hall to see if there's anything you can use
Adventure!

>>1093480
>Head to the old guild hall to see if there's anything you can use

>writing

>>1093480
>Head to the prison to see how Derrick's doing

"L-let's go see how Derrick's doing at the jail" You say. "This is a good chance to group back up with them"
"Alright, I think the jail was east of here..." She says, as she heads to the door.

You sigh and squeeze your eyes shut, trying to clear your head a bit before you go... an action that distracts you from your surroundings, because when you open your eyes Cheska's face is right back in front of yours.

She steps up and gives you a quick peck on the cheek, pulling away with a smile.

"What?" You ask.
"My way of saying thanks" She says. "Y'know... for trusting me"
"Oh... uhh... you're welcome" You say.

...

"Merrerrrrrrrrrr" Vivian says, as she squirms in you arms.
"Yes, yes, I know. I'm cute. Pay attention to me" You say, as you shift her in your arms and give her cheek a squeeze.
"You speak kitten now?" Cheska asks as the two of you start moving.
"We've bonded. I understand her cat noises now" You say.
"Meeeeeeeeewwwwwww" Vivi says.

"Alright what was that?" She asks.
"I'm gonna go with... hungry" You say.

"I'm getting there too" Cheska says. "We should have brought some of our rations with us"
"Yeah, unfortunately all I have is Coral food" You say.
"Well, let's get going. If the guard's not too heavy then we might be able to grab something..." She says.

>1/2

You and Cheska continue making your way through Bell's Run, with a pair of meat-bread things each, and a little bottle of milk for Vivi.

"It was nice of that lady to give you the baby bottle" She says.
"You should've seen her face" You say. "She practically melted when Vivian mewled at her..."
"Well, she is pretty damn cute..." Cheska says, as she goes to pet the little kitten's head.

Vivi takes expection to this, swatting away Cheska's hand and growling.

"Calm down, you. She's not trying to steal your bottle" You say.

This earns you a swat as well.

You sigh. Hopefully she cheers up when her mom gets here...

As you near the prison, you notice that there doesn't seem to be much going on there. One of the windows is broken, but you don't see a lot of movement from the inside.

Oh, wait. You guess Madelaine must be on lookout, because you just saw her peek out. They must have it under control already.

You head inside.

"Yo" You say.
"Welcome back" Madelaine says. "I see you found the kitten alright"
"More than that, but Derrick's probably been keeping you up to speed" You say.

Madelaine nods. "He's in the back" She says. "You should go give them a hand. All the prisoners have chaos braces on, and they can't seem to get the bracer working to get them off..."

>hang here for a bit

>Head to the back

>Other

>>1093643
>>Head to the back
Lets om-nom some delicious chaos

>>1093643
>Head to the back

Time to work our magic. Draining these things'll give Yuu a good power boost as well.

>>1093643
>>Head to the back

>writing

>>1093643
>>Head to the back

"Well, keep holding down the fort" You say.

"I don't think we need to. I'm not even sure they know we're here" Madelaine says. "Their communication is terrible"
"I'll say" You say. "Think they know what happened at the mansion yet?" You ask.
"Maybe. Maybe not" Madelaine says. "They'll probably freak out once they realize what Zaine did to their little hole"

"Hopefully we'll be ready by then" You say, as you head to the back.

The back of the jail is mostly cells, with a pair of small offices on one side. You hear cursing coming from inside one of the offices, so you look inside.

"Stop! Stop! That's just making it bigger" Derrick says.
"Well I don't know what the hell to do then" Meyu says. "One setting does nothing, the other makes a bunch of sparks, and this one makes it bigger"

"You guys need a hand?" You ask.
Derrick turns, and his relief is plain to see. "Oh thank god..." He says. "I was starting to think we'd never get these off"

The prisoner, a little girl with puffy white hair and spirally horns, looks confused. "Is he gonna fix it?" She asks.
"No, kiddo. He's gonna take it off" Gerard says. He seems to be the only one in the room who's making an effort to keep the kid calm...

You walk up and get to work absorbing the brace. Thanks to the malfunctioning machine, the normally small wristband is now roughly the size of your head.

>Ask why they decided to do all this testing with a kid

>Update Them on your progress

>Try to cheer the little lamb up

>Other

>>1093751
>>Update Them on your progress

>>1093751
>>Ask why they decided to do all this testing with a kid
>>Try to cheer the little lamb up

>>1093751
>Update Them on your progress

>Try to cheer the little lamb up

>>1093751
>>Update Them on your progress

>>1093751
>Update Them on your progress
>Try to cheer the little lamb up

>writing

>>1093751
>>Try to cheer the little lamb up

"Alright, I'm gonna need both hands for this" You say, as you pass Vivian to the little lamb. "Hold this"
"Okay!" She says eagerly, taking the little kitten and cradling her with her un-braced arm. She seems pretty confident about her baby handling skills, and for once Vivi is calm about being passed off. But that's probably just because she's getting fed...

"You have any little siblings?" You ask, as you start to absorb the brace. The crystal is oddly dense, so it takes a little longer than normal.
"N-no..." She says. "I have little cousins"
"Oh yeah? Where are they at?" You ask.
"M-my aunt lives in Locke" She says.
"I might have met her then" You say. "Me and my friends came from Locke"

"She runs a clothing store" She says.
"Is it the one with the clouds?" You ask, taking a stab in the dark. That lady was pretty much the only sheep-person you met in Locke.

The little lamb nods.

"Then we have met" You say, as the crystal starts to thin. "I bought my pajamas there not too long ago. Super soft, by the way"
The lamb nods.

"Are your parents around?" You ask, and immediately wish you hadn't. Judging by the look on the girl's face, the answer is probably 'no'...

"It's only kids, the sick, and the elderly here" Derrick says. "Anyone who could work was brought down to the mines"

You smile. "Well it's a good thing we got this-" You say, feeling around your pockets. You suffer a moment of panic when you don't feel the mark.

"He means this" Cheska says, as she hands Derrick the mark.

Right. She's had it the whole time.

Derrick looks over the mark and smiles. "Nicely done" He says.
"Now we're just waiting for word from Simon so we know what kind of numbers we're dealing with, and we can start planning" You say.

>1/2

After you get the lamb- Esther's brace off, she sits quietly in a corner of the room with Vivian while you get the rest off.

Derrick wasn't kidding. The only people here between 12 and 60 are the sick ones.

"So much for finding some capable allies..." Meyu says, once the last prisoner leaves the office.
"I dunno. Some of those boys looked ready for a fight" Zaine replies.
Meyu snorts. "Those kids? They barely had enough blood to spill. Nick 'em once and they're likely to drop dead" He says. "They'll have their battles down the line, but not now"

"They aren't that much younger than us..." You say.
"Yeah, but I've seen how much blood you've got boy" Meyu says. "Like an unending fountain of it, you are"
"No he isn't..." Emi says. "Trust me"

"But we did still find some friends" Derrick says. "Well, hopefully. You never said that you met anyone when you were arrested here"
"It didn't really stand out" You say. "He was just kinda there, while his friend went to get the inquisitor"
"Lucky for us though" Zaine says. "I don't think we'll be able to match their numbers, but I guarantee that we've got better tactical minds"

"And whether they like it or not, we've got the key to their stronghold" Meyu says. "But, we'll have to wait until we hear back. I'm gonna relax for now, maybe sharpen my blade a bit... that rock wall really dulled its edge"

You nod. You should be hearing from Simon soon, but until then you'll...

>Ask Emi how she's holding up

>Hang out with Esther

>Keep watch with Madelaine

>Talk strategy with Derrick

>Other

>>1093899
>>Talk strategy with Derrick
Relay what we have about Simon

>>1093899

>Ask Emi how she's holding up

>>1093899
>>Talk strategy with Derrick

>>1093899
>Ask Emi how she's holding up

>writing

>>1093899
>Talk strategy with Derrick
>Ask Emi how she's holding up

Just a quick "Hey, you doing alright Emi?" should suffice.

>>1093899
>>Talk strategy with Derrick

You sit down behind the desk and put your feet up. This is kind of comfortable. Maybe when you get back to Locke you could ask Altea if you could have an office...

"How are you handling all of this, Emi?" You ask.
Emi smiles. "It's... stressful" She says. "But I think I'm doing okay. The garrison was a bit much, though"
"I agree, and so did Vivi. Little stinker..." You say.

"Mrow" Vivi says.
"Don't give me that back sass. You know exactly why I'm calling you that" You say.
"Mererrerrr..." Vivi says, before going back to her bottle.

Emi giggles. "She certainly seems happier than she was earlier" She says.
"She's fed. Everybody gets grumpy when they're hungry" You say, as you turn to Derrick. "So, any ideas on what we're gonna do next?"

"I had some ideas, but you still have the map..." Derrick says.
"Ah, yes" You say, as you pull out the map you pilfered from the inquisitors.

The two of you look over the map for a while, talking about the merits and pitfalls of each approach. Eventually you settle on a few good ways to do things.

"Come up with anything?" Meyu asks, as he comes back in. "We could hear you guys talking out in the hall"
"A few things, yeah" Derrick says. "We've got it down to 3 entrances..."

Derrick pulls the map over to him, pointing out locations as he goes. "This one is the closest to the holding cells. Not a huge advantage, but it'll let us get the prisoners out first and avoid any possible hostage situations"

"This one is by far the largest entrance. Not too close to anything important, but we'll be able to get our full force into the tunnels much more quickly this way"

"And this one comes straight into the officer's quarters" Derrick says. "It's tight, but we could sever their command right then and there. After that it would just be cleanup"

Before you can say anything else, Coral flies into the office with Simon's report.

Reading it over, it sounds like he's put together 2 forces: 1 large and 1 small...

>Where do you send each force? And where do you go yourself?

>The holding cells

>The main entryway

>The officer's quarters

>>1094060
We go to the officers quarters with the small force, and the large force goes to the Holding Cells

>>1094060
>Small Force Holding Cells
>Large Force Main Entryway
>Self Officer's Quarters

>>1094060
Small force: Holding cells
Large force: Main entryway
Us: The officers quarters

>>1094094
this

>writing

>>1094094
>>1094095
These

"So it looks like we have 2 forces" You say. "Well... 3 technically. Simon's put together a larger force of about 150 men, consisting of mostly guardsmen. A smaller force of around 50 ex-army men and mercenaries. And then there's us"

You flip the map back towards you, and look it over for the moment.

"Unfortunately, we only have one mark" You say. "Which is why we'll be going in first. We'll hit the officer's quarters. At least 1 of the other 5 lead inquisitors should be there. And 1 is all we need"

"So, we bust into the officer's quarters and bloody the place up... then what?" Meyu asks.
"Then Coral-" You pause to pet the little sprite's head. "Will take one of the marks out to the smaller force. Once they have it, they can storm the holding cells"

"That'll draw an awful lot of attention..." Derrick says.
"Which is why we'll send a runner to take the other mark to the main force, who will draw most of their forces to the main entryway" You say. "The main entryway and the officer's quarters are pretty close together, but we'll need a fast runner. Timing-wise, both attacks should go off at around the same time"

"What do we do once we have the emblems?" Meyu asks.
"I dunno. Keep fighting? Break things that look important?" You ask.
"Sounds good to me" Meyu says. "When do we start?"

That's all for tonight!

I may run again tomorrow, so I can get through this battle. We'll see how things play out.

As always I'll be sticking around for question/suggestion time!

>>1094160
Great thread, Smiley!

>>1094168
You, Derrick, Cheska, and Madelaine all sit in what is now your office, getting a bit of downtime before it's time to move.

Esther sits in the corner with Vivi. When you asked if she wanted to be with the other kids, she declined. You don't mind her being here, especially since she seems to have a knack for keeping the kitten entertained.

"So if this all works out, what then?" Madelaine asks.
"Well, then we wait for the main force to arrive" You say. "Maybe we can give them a grand welcome instead of the fight they were expecting..."
"I've never seen the Commander surprised before, but I think that would knock her socks off" Derrick says.

"I mean after that" Madelaine says.
"After that is Sherton, I guess..." You say.

Derrick hums. "That'll be a fun time. We don't exactly have a good way into Sherton like we did here..." He says, as he leans back and blows a puff of flame into the air.
"Huh? How did you do that?" Cheska asks.
"What... the fire breath?" Derrick asks.
"Yeah, even I can't breathe fire" Cheska says.
"My mother was a dragon" Derrick says. "It's an inherited thing"
"I see..." Cheska says. "I didn't know boys got stuff like that too"

"Only sometimes" Derrick says.
"Uhh... I know a boy whose mommy is a wolf" Esther says.
"Oh yeah?" Cheska asks. "What... does he smell?"
Esther nods. "Really bad" She says with a smile

...

>I like this kid

>6/10. Up your pun game

>Other

>>1099490
>6/10. Up your pun game

>>1099490
>>6/10. Up your pun game

>>1099490
"Isn't it weird that feet smell but noses run?"

>writing

>>1099490
>>I like this kid
We should ask to keep her.

"6/10. Up your pun game, Esther" You say.
"Really? I ranked you 'peeking hours' one at 6, and this one was easily better than that" Derrick says with a grin. "I'd give it a 7, maybe an 8"

"I dunno, if Cheska hadn't said anything it might've fallen flat" Madelaine says.
"I had a back up plan" Esther says, giving you a thumbs up.

You chuckle. "On second thought, I like this kid. Can we keep her?" You ask.
"No we can't keep her" Cheska says. "I thought the whole point of this was to get her parents..."
"I mean after that" You say.
"Not after that either..." Cheska says.

Derrick chuckles. "Imagine that conversation" He says. "Hi there Mr. and Mrs. Sheep. I know you just got out of prison, but your daughter is funny and I want to keep her"
"Well I probably wouldn't say it like that..." You say.
"Oh yeah? How would you say it?" Cheska asks.

"No clue" You say. "I like to wing things like this"

Derrick raises his legs up in the air, swinging them down to give him momentum as he stands up.

"Speaking of winging things, we should go" He says. "I wanna be in position when Coral comes back"
"Yeah..." You say.

You turn to Esther and Vivi. Vivi is now up on Esther's shoulders, holding her little curly horns like they were handle bars.

You'll be leaving this place in Dustin's care, so you're not worried about Esther wandering off. But Vivi...

>Leave Vivi with Esther

>Take Vivi with you

>Other

>>1099639
>>Leave Vivi with Esther

>>1099639
>>Take Vivi with you

>>1099639
>>Leave Vivi with Esther

>writing

You stand up as well, and walk over to Esther.

"Alright, now I've got an important job for you" You say.
Esther looks scared.

"Relax, relax. It's nothing dangerous" You say. "Just keep on watching Vivian for me"
"That's it?" She asks.
"You're the only one who can do it" You say.
"I am?" She asks.
"Well, she keeps biting everyone else, so... yeah" You say
"I can do that" She says.

You ruffle your hair, and raise yourself up slightly to Vivi's level. "And as for you, you behave" You say.
"Merrrrrrr" Vivi says.
"Don't give me that" You say. "If you don't behave, I'll tell your mom when she gets here"
"Mew" Vivi says, stretching her arms forward and slumping over Esther's head.

Esther cranes her neck to look up at the kitten, and Vivi licks her nose. Esther giggles.

"Alright, looks like things are settled here" You say. "We'll just let Dustin know what's happening, and then we can go"

"Good luck!" Esther says.
"Meeew" Vivi says.

"Thanks" You say. "You two be good. This shouldn't take too long"

>1/2

You head out of the prison and move towards the where the entrance to the officer's quarters is on the map.

The place seems pretty dead. Even though there were shops open earlier, everything seems to be closed down now. You guess someone must have spread the message that something's going down...

No people. No guards patrolling. No inquisitors either... The place is like a ghost town.

Which serves you just fine, since it means that you don't have to avoid anyone.

As you move, you pass by a few buildings that seem familiar...

"Have I been to this area before?" You ask.
"I think this is where the guild hall is" Derrick says. "We've got a bit of time. Wanna check it out? Maybe see if they have anything useful?"

>Sure

>Let's keep moving

>Other

>>1099784
>>Sure

>>1099784
>>Sure

>writing

"We might as well" You say, as you head towards the heavily vandalized building.

The inside looks just as trashed as the outside now. You guess with the hunters gone, nobody was stopping anyone from coming in anymore...

"Wow..." Derrick says.
"They've redecorated" You say.
"That's one way of putting it" Derrick says. "The hunters are gonna have their work cut out for them when they come back here..."

"We might be better off just burning the place down so they can rebuild it" Cheska says.
"I think it's best to leave that up to them" Derrick says. "Come on. Let's see what we can find"

"What are we looking for" Madelaine says.
"The Hunters have all kinds of creative tools that could come in handy" Derrick says. "They left in a hurry, so there's probably some left"

>roll 1d100

Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>1099863

Rolled 15 (1d100)

>>1099863

Rolled 29 (1d100)

>>1099863

>writing

You start checking around the desk, while Derrick heads into the back and Madelaine heads up the stairs. Cheska walks along the wall of monster head.

"Woow" She says.
"Find something?" You ask.
"Nah, I'm just surprised by the size of some of these things" She says. "Who knew they got this big around here..."
"They have some big ones in Sherton and Locke too" You say. "I don't think I looked at the wall in Contique, but I'm sure they had some there too"

Cheska chuckles. "Sounds like you and the guild get on well" She says.
"I guess we do..." You say, as you find something familiar inside the desk.

You pull out a photo of a family of rabbits. The same as the one Stella showed you that day she bought you dinner...

"Huh..." You say.
"What's up?" She asks. "A picture?"
"I think it's Hella's" You say, as you fold it back up and put it in your pocket. "I'll give it to Katherine when she gets here"
"Not keeping it for yourself?" She asks with a sly smile.

You tilt your head. "Why would I do that? It's not mine..." You say.
Cheska sighs. "Nevermind" She says. "I think I see a storage room back there..."

>1/2

"Find anything good?" You ask, as Derrick comes out from the back of the hall.
"Lots of broken glass" He says. "Smells a bit like piss back there, too... maybe we should just burn the place down"

"That's 2 votes. 1 more and the majority will be for burning" Cheska says.

Derrick chuckles. "How about you guys?" He asks.

"We found a few things" You say, putting the tools you found on the table. "We don't know what any of them are, but they look interesting"

Derrick looks over the various trinkets and devices with a curious expression.

"This looks like a some kind of barrier projector..." He says. "You set it down, and it slows anything that tries to go through. It only slows, though"
"Still could be useful" You say.
"Definitely" He says. "These look like firepowder bombs. You light the fuse, and when it burns out the ball explodes"

"Is that like the spellbomb?" You ask,
"No magic involved" He says. "They're also not illegal, though the average person would have trouble getting their hands on one, given how hard it is to get firepowder"

"What about this?" You ask, sliding another device towards him.
"This is... uhh..." He says. "I'm drawing a blank on this one"
"Why don't we turn it on and find out?" Cheska asks.

>It's worth a shot

>Ask why firepowder is so rare

>Ask what's taking Madelaine so long

Also

>Which devices do you bring?

>>1100020
>>>It's worth a shot
>
>>Ask why firepowder is so rare

Barrier projector and the firepowder bombs

>>1100020
>>It's worth a shot
>>Ask why firepowder is so rare
>>Ask what's taking Madelaine so long

Also

>Bring Barrier Projector

>>1100020
>>Ask why firepowder is so rare

>>1100020
>It's worth a shot

>Ask why firepowder is so rare

>Ask what's taking Madelaine so long

>>1100020
>*Don't* turn on the unknown device.

>writing

...

"I'm turning it on" Cheska says, as she reaches for what you assume is the 'on' switch.
"Wait no!" Derrick says, but he's too late. The machine hums to life and then... does nothing.

After waiting for a few seconds, Cheska pipes up. "Well that was disappointing" She says.
"Why would they make a machine that does nothing?" You ask.
"We don't know that it does nothing" Derrick says. "For all we know, it could be killing us..."

...

"Madelaine's taking a while up there. I'm gonna go check on her" You say
"Sure thing" Derrick says, as he reaches for the machine's off switch.
"Wait! I wanna try something..." Cheska says, as you get up and head upstairs.

You check each of the rooms, until you finally find Madelaine cowering in a corner.

"Uhh... Madelaine?" You ask.

She squeals in fright, before she realizes it's you.

"Are you okay?" You ask.
"Uhh... Y-yeah. I'm fi-" She stops talking and screams, pointing to something behind you. "There it is again! Kill it! Kill it!"

You whip around, expecting something big... but there's nothing behind you.

Your eyes move to the floor, where there's a small, yet creepy looking creature that looks like it went overboard on the whole 'legs' thing...

...

Is this what she's so afraid of? It's so small...

>Kill it

>Ignore it

>Pick it up

>Other

>>1100177
>Pick it up
>Pet it
>Show it to cheska

Its a weapon

>>1100177
>>Pick it up
I mean, we don't have a heart, so even if it is poisonous its not going to do much

>>1100200
this

>>1100177
this>>1100200

>>1100177
>>1100200

This

>writing

You reach down and snatch up the strange creature. It wriggles and writhes in your grasp. It looks kinda like a snake, if a snake had about 100 legs, and a face made of nightmares.

"It's not so bad, look" You say.
"What? Don't fucking bring it over here!" Madelaine shouts.

Before you can continue, you hear two pairs of hurried footsteps coming up the stairs.

"Guys" Derrick says. "Don't ask questions, we have to go"
"What? Why?" You ask.
"He just said no questions!" Cheska says. "Go! Go! Go! Out the back"

Cheska and Derrick urge you and Madelaine through the hall and out the back door of the guild hall.

"Okay, now can we ask questions?" You ask.
"No" Cheska says.

Madelaine sniffs the air. "Do you guys smell smoke?" She asks.
"No" Derrick says. "I don't know why you'd bring that up"

You look at the device in Derrick's hand. Looks like he brought the barrier thing, but... "Where are the firebombs?" You ask.

Derrick and Cheska echange a panicked look, as several loud 'booms' come from within the hall.

"Shit..." Derrick says.

>What did you guys do?

>We should go...

>Hey Cheska check this thing out!

>Other

>>1100177
Did Yuu just forget about the bracelet thingies again?

>>1100331
>>Hey Cheska check this thing out!
>What did you guys do?

>>1100331
>Hey Cheska check this thing out!
>What did you guys do?

>writing

"What did you guys do?" You ask.

"Well, we had the machine on, and Derrick made a little puff of fire breath" Cheska says. "And the frggin' thing sucked it in, charged up, and released it like... ten times more powerful"
"So the guild hall is on fire..." You say.

"Yes" Cheska says.
"Well, what's left of it after those bombs went off..." Derrick says.

The 4 of you stand in silence for a moment. Derrick is the first to speak.

"I motion that we never speak of this again" He says.
"Agreed" Cheska says.
"I dunno..." You say. "I'm sure they'll understand if we tell them it was an accident"

"Damn it..." Cheska says.
"Well, it's up to you anyway since you'll be meeting Katherine..." Derrick says. "Maybe try to downplay the fact that we were screwing around with that machine..."
"I can do that" You say. "Hey Cheska, check this thing out!"

"What? You kept it?" Madelaine asks.
"Holy fuck, is that a centipede?" Cheska asks. "Why the hell are you carrying a centipede?"
"I thought it looked neat" You say.
"It looks creepy as hell!" Cheska says. "Don't come closer with it!"

Cheska's arm glows orange.

"Cheska no! We never turned the machine off!" He shouts.

Flames shoot out of Cheska's hands. They only fly a few inches, before being sucked back into the building.
There is a pause, as the 4 of you wait to see what will happen. Then a pillar of flame erupts from the building.

"We should go" Derrick says.

>1/2

"What took you guys so long?" Emi asks, when the 4 of you arrive at the meeting point.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it" Derrick says.

Emi looks down at the device in Derrick's hand. "What's that?" She asks.
"Oh, it's a barrier generator. We found it at-"

Cheska elbows Derrick in the ribs.

"Ow! Ahh... ahem... we found it" Derrick says.
Emi tilts her head. "Where?" She asks.
"Not important" Derrick says. "How are things here?"

Emi looks concerned, but shakes it off. "We're all ready here" She says. "Just waiting for Coral"
"Good" You say. "Nervous?"

"Not as much as I thought I would be" Emi says. "Vivian isn't with you guys?"
"I left her with Esther" You say. "She seems to like the lamb, and I figured she'd be safer there than she would be here"

Emi nods. "From what Meyu was saying, the guard is almost finished their preparations" She says. "Coral should be back any second now"

>You've got a few minutes to prep. What do?

>I'll be taking a short cooking break here. Will resume writing when I return

>>1100506
Double check that everyone is prepared and knows what they are doing.
Who all is coming with us to the quarters, is it just Derrick, Emi, and Cheska?

>>1100506
this>>1100583

Okay, now that I have food...

>writing

"Is everybody ready?" You ask.
"As I'll ever be..." Derrick says. "I'll admit that I didn't think we'd be doing quite so much today. But here's hoping it goes well"

Emi giggles. "You should have heard Meyu complaining" She says.
"Was he all 'I thought we were just here to pop open a door, now these youngsters wanna take the whole damn city'?" Madelaine asks.

"In almost those exact words" Emi says.
"I spend a lot of time around that man" Madelaine says. "It's funny, because he only whines like that when he thinks I'm not listening"

"Who does what when you're not listening?" Meyu asks.
"Nothing" Madelaine says, giving an innocent look, and doing a very convincing job of it...
"How does it look?" Emi asks.

"Couldn't get close" Meyu says. "They're thorough with those traps. Almost the whole passage is lined"
"You still have the mark, yeah?" Gerard asks.
"Yup" Cheska says, pulling it out for all to see.

"Good" Meyu says.

You talk stratgey for a minute or so, deciding who goes in first, who covers the back, who does what when you get in, etc. Until Coral shows up.

"All right" You say, reading her note. "Everybody else is ready. They're just waiting for the marks from us"

"Let's get started then" Derricks says.

The 8 of you head towards the tunnel.

>Roll 1d100 with focus

Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>1100977

Rolled 99 (1d100)

>>1100977
Missing the focus, Smiley.

Rolled 78 (1d100)

>>1100977

>>1100992
>>1100995
Holy shit guys.

Rolled 4 (1d100)

>>1100977

Rolled 93 (1d100)

>writing

Also focus

Did we hit focus, too?

>>1101132
Yes

>>1101132
>>1101139
It's a 6+/- range now so we hit it twice.

File: 3840779-intensify.jpg (37 KB, 574x480)

37 KB JPG

>>1101139

Jesus Christ boys

You all move into the tunnel, with you and Cheska in the lead with the mark.

The mark gives off an aura that shuts each trap down for 10 seconds as you pass it. You're not sure how it works, but you're certainly glad that it does.

You take note of each trap as you pass it. There's no doubt, if you had to disarm these all 1 by 1 it would day hours, if not days.

You slow down as you near the end. The tunnel makes an abrupt turn before entering the officer's quarters, so you can't see in just yet.

"Weird" You say. "Does anyone else hear that?"
"Hear what?" Derrick asks.
"I hear it too" Cheska says. "Sounds like... chanting"

You frown and pick the pace back up. It's just the officer's quarters... why would there be chanting?

When you reach the turn, you look in. This doesn't look like the officer's quarters at all. No beds, no tables no furniture at all...

Instead there's some kind of circle on the ground, surrounding an 8 pointed star. At each point of the star there is a prisoner who doesn't look happy to be there.

"What are they..." You ask, before Cheska cuts you off.
"Stop them" She says. "Stop them, NOW!"

>1/2

You don't ask. The urgency is clear in Cheska's voice.

Despite her panic, you feel... calm.

You draw your mageblade and step forward. In moments you're on top of the nearest inquisitor, bringing your blade to bear.

He's wearing a strange covered robe that affords him little protection against you, as you dispatch him quickly and cleanly.

You step left and lean to one side as an axe hits the ground where you just were. Its wielder picks it back up, preparing for another strike but he's... so slow.

Everyone is so slow.

You twirl, swinging your sword arm out and cutting deep into the man's chest. You catch his axe as it falls, and throw the heavy weapon at another hooded figure as he prepares a spell.

The rest of them notice the danger now, and start to enclose on you. Too many for one blade.

So you pull out the other, activating it into a shape that mirrors the first.

As your enemies approach, you measure their distances carefully, lengthening each blade to exactly the size it needs to be to strike true as you swing. All the while you're wary of the prisoners around the room, whose feet are sunken into the stone floor.

When the fight is over, it's just you and one inquisitor. You pin him to the ground with your foot and-

Hang on, that's not right...

You look around, seeing your friends still peering around the corner from the tunnel.

>Well don't just stand there

>Is there something on my face?

>What are these prisoners here for?

>Other

>>1101352
>>Well don't just stand there

>>What are these prisoners here for?
Oi, get to work.

>>1101352
>>Well don't just stand there

>>1101352
>Is there something on my face?

>What are these prisoners here for?

This looks a little too much like a demonic ritual.

>>1101352
>What are these prisoners here for?

>writing

"Well don't just stand there" You say. "Zaine, start freeing these people"
"Yes!" Zaine says, as he marches out of the tunnel and into the room.

"So Cheska. What are these people doing here?" You ask.
"I'm more interested in how you just cut down like 30 guys singlehandedly" Cheska says.
"It wasn't singlehanded..." You say, holding up your second mageblade. "I was using both hands"

Cheska pokes your eyes with her tail, and then looks closely at your face.

"Ah... was that it?" She asks.
"What?" You ask.
"Your eyes are glowing" She says. "That means that they're doing whatever it is they do... what do they do?"

"I just get to see what I should do if I want to succeed" You say. "Back there I saw that I'd need both blades, so I used both blades"
"Huh... beats mine" She says. "I just get to see how best to kill someone, and occasionally make them think they've already been killed"

"How does that work?" You ask.
"Like this" She says, bringing her face close to yours. Her eyes light up red, and you feel a burning in your chest.

You open your mouth to speak, and smoke starts to pour out. As you start to panic, the red glow fades, along with the burning and the smoke.

"Scary, right?" She asks.
"A-a little..." You say.
"The only problem is how taxing it is mentally" She says. "I personally avoid doing it, but it makes a good distraction when I need one real bad"

"I see..." You say. "So why was it so urgent that I stop this ritual?"

>1/2

Cheska looks around at the circle on the floor before answering. Around the room, the others are searching the hooded men for the second mark.

"I was kinda hoping I might be wrong..." Cheska says. "It's a blood portal"
"A what?" Meyu asks.

"A blood portal" Cheska repeats. "I told you about them, Yuu. A sacrifice of each element to open the doorway to the Black God"
"What the... fuck?" Zaine says. "Why would they want to do that?"

"The boons are powerful, if you can handle them" Cheska says. "Maybe they wanted that power for themselves..."
"They never seemed that powerful to me" You say.
"Because they don't work on you" Cheska says.

"The boons... you mean things like that spear?" Emi asks.
"Yep" Cheska says. "That's right, it did you in for a while right?"
"Yes..." Emi says. "I couldn't imagine trying to fight someone with one of those..."
"You'd probably die" Cheska says. "And you wouldn't be the only one. A weapon that can sap most of your strength away with one hit is no joke"

"Unless you're like Yuu. Which nobody is" Derrick says.
"Exactly" Cheska says.

You turn and start to help with the search, and eventually Madelaine manages to find what you're looking for.

"Alright, what now?" Derrick asks.
"Now somebody has to bring this to the main force, while Coral brings the other one to the smaller force" You say. "Any volunteers?"

"I nominate one of you youngsters" Meyu says "Specifically Derrick or Maddie. No offense, Emi, but you don't seem like the quickest runner. And if Yuu or Cheska takes it then both of them have to go"

>Send Derrick

>Send Madelaine

>Emi is plenty fast

>Other

>>1101644
>>1101644
>Send Madelaine

>>1101644
>Send Madelaine

>>1101644
>>Send Derrick

>>1101644
>Send Madelaine

>>1101644
>Send Madelaine

>>1101644
>>Send Madelaine

>>1101644
>Send Madelaine

>writing

"Madelaine, you're up" You say.
She shrugs, and takes the mark from you. "Alright"

"You know where to go?" Derrick asks.
"Yep" She says "Should I come back after?"
"You won't have the mark anymore..." You say. "Work with them, and push into the prisons. We'll all meet up afterwards"

Madelaine nods. "Got it" She says.
"Good luck" You say.

Madelaine gets into a sprinter's stance, and takes off down the tunnel. You send Coral off immediately after.

"Ahh... they grow up so fast" Meyu says.
"She was already grown when we found her..." Zaine says.
"Not important" Meyu says. "So, what are we up to? Holding down the fort? Pushing out somewhere?"

>Stay and interrogate the last inquisitor

>Push towards the main entrance

>Push towards the prisons

>Other

>>1101839
>>Stay and interrogate the last inquisitor

>>1101839
>>Stay and interrogate the last inquisitor
+Acquire Hat if possible

>>1101839
>>Stay and interrogate the last inquisitor

>>1101839
>Stay and interrogate the last inquisitor

Incidentally, don't hide our disdain at the fact that they were using demon magic.

Seriously, these freaks are doing exactly what Carthac did.

>>1101880
This

>writing

"So!" You say, turning to the Inquisitor on whose chest you still have your foot. "Why don't you tell me exactly why you were performing this ritual?"
"I-I don't know! They just told us what to say, w-we don't know nothin'!" He says.

You lean down to get a little closer, making no attempt to hide you anger.

"Look... what's your name?" You ask.
"D-davin" He says.
"Look Davin. I'm a busy guy" You say. "You can either tell me, or you can tell my commander. And I guarantee she won't be as friendly as I am"

"He's right you know" Derrick says.

"Alright! Look, Grand Inquisitor Arlen heard that Altea got some kind of weapon that can counter a chaos engine, and he wanted something that could beat it" Davin says. "The others said that this odd guy who wore a bunch of skulls went to him and told him about this ritual"

"Weird guy with skulls... what did he look like?" You ask, pressing your foot harder into his chest.
"I never saw him! All I know is that he wore a bunch of metal skulls!" He says.

"Sound familiar?" Derrick asks.
"It could be Terry..." You say. "And does anyone else find it funny that they were trying to summon a weapon that works on everyone but me to counter me?"

...

"No? Just me?" You ask.
"Okay, it is kind of funny..." Meyu says. "But let's be serious here, please"
"Fine..." You say.

>Ask who was going to wield the weapon

>Ask about the Grand Inquisitor

>Move along

>Other

>>1102075

>Ask who was going to wield the weapon

>Ask about the Grand Inquisitor

>>1102075
>>Ask who was going to wield the weapon
>
>>Ask about the Grand Inquisitor

>>1102075
>>Ask who was going to wield the weapon

>>Ask about the Grand Inquisitor

>>1102075
>>Ask who was going to wield the weapon

>>1102075
>>Ask who was going to wield the weapon

>>Ask about the Grand Inquisitor

>writing

"Who was going to wield that weapon anyway?" You ask. "Not one of these guys, I hope. They were all terrible"
"It would have gone to Inquisitor Mason..." Davin says. "But originally it was to go to the Order's Champion"

You tilt your head. "Who?"
"You've met him" Meyu says. "Storm"
"Oh yeah..." You say. "Whatever happened to that guy?"

"Probably locked up now" Davin says.
"By who?" You ask.
"Us" Davin says. "When the Grand Inquisitor told him about this, he disagreed. Told him that he'd go to the rebellion with all the Inquisition's secrets..."

"Well what do you know? That kid's actually got some sense" Meyu says.
"Except he went ahead and told them that he would betray them..." Gerard says.
"I did say some" Meyu says. "He's not exactly a bastion of rational thought, but he's learning"

"And what about this Grand Inquisitor?" You ask. "What was his name... Darling?"
"Arlen" Derrick says.
"Close enough" You say. "What's his deal? Did he have any idea who else uses this ritual?"
"I... don't know" Davin says. "Nobody has seen him in years. He commands through his 'speakers', and remains solitary in his chambers... but, who else uses this ritual?"

"The Hell's Legion" Cheska says. "It opens a portal to their God. If it decides that you're worthy, you get a disgusting yet powerful weapon"
"A-and what if you're not?" Davin asks.
"That I've never actually seen" Cheska says. "I heard that it kills everyone by sucking them dry, but that's just hearsay"

Davin suddenly looks very afraid, but before he can say anything you hear shouting coming from further in the cave.

"Lord Inquisitor! The townsfolk are revolting, is the weapon..." The man skids to a stop as he enters the chamber. "... ready... oh gods..."

The room is silent.

With a smile and a wave, you break that silence. "Hi~" You say. "No weapon, I'm afraid. Well, we have weapons, sure. But you won't like what we're gonna do with 'em"

>1/2

The man sputters for a moment, then turns and runs away.

You could probably catch him pretty easily, but if he tells all the other Inquisitors what he saw here the panic will spread fast...

>Let him go spread the word

>Chase him

>Other

>>1102316
>>Chase him
This is a sneaking mission.

>>1102316
>>Chase him

>>1102316
>Yell "Now, with the weapons from the ritual, let us destroy the inquisition, my followers!" before he is out of earshot.

>>1102316
>>Chase him

>>1102316
Chase him, apply sword directly to ankle.

>writing

>>1102353
I nearly spat out my drink. Well done.

>>1102420
Just wanted to say that I really appreciate you QMing. Maybe it's the gin talking, but there's something familiar but different enough to keep me reading through your stuff.

Cheers mate!

You break into a sprint, gaining on the fleeing Inquisitor quickly and stopping him with a single cut across his ankle.

He cries out as he falls to the ground, clutching his now severed ankle.

"What was that you said about the townspeople revolting?" You ask.
"Th-they've marched in through the main entrance and the prison tunnel... the traps didn't work, they-" He says.
"Good. That means it's started" You say.
"And the marks worked" Cheska says.

"The... marks?" The downed man asks.
"Of course. How did you think they got past the traps?" You ask. "This base will be ours within the hour, but it's downfall started long before the attack"

"First Mortifas, now Bell's Run" The man says. "When will you degenerates be satisfied?"
"I dunno. I'd like to punch the king at least once" You say. "Maybe get a few hits on Grand Inquisitor Darlene"
"Arlen" Derrick corrects you.
"Thank you. And on that note, I'm not really sure what a degenerate is. But I feel like it was an insult" You say.
"It was" Derrick says.

You lean over, giving the man your most menacing glare. You say nothing.
The man looks terrified, cowering behind his arms. "I-I'm sorry!" He says.

You stand back up. "Better" You say.
"Sounds like the attack is in full swing" Derrick says. "I'd be fine with sitting back, but we've got a good opportunity for a pincer..."

>Let's stay here

>Help out in the main entryway

>Help out in the prisons

>Look around the place

>Other