>>1297158
>[ ] Leave sheep to horrible fate.

>[ ] Why are they frightened?

>>1297168
This. Such is the fate of sheep.

>>1297158
oh boy time for goats!

>[X] Attempt squirrel-thing-whispering.

>[X] Why are they frightened?

>>1297158
>>[ ] Leave sheep to horrible fate.
>>[ ] Why are they frightened?

File: poor sheep.jpg (142 KB, 850x574)

142 KB JPG

You nod, ignoring sheep.

“Why are they frightened?”

The lady straightens herself. “I’m not sure, dear. They like to dig you see, and sometimes they find trinkets and bring them back to me. Perhaps they found something else this time, but I don't know what could have scared them like this.”

The elderly woman calls herself Agatha. Her small rodent friends are almost as panicked as Mary is and don’t want to leave their new hiding place yet, so the lady invites you to her home.

“Do come visit. I’ll make you girls something for the road; you’ll be surprised by how many ways you can prepare a mushroom.”

You can’t decide how you feel about the offer. You follow, and Agatha takes you off the road and back towards the mountains. The ground is even enough for the sheep’s wagon, though she moves along slowly.

It doesn’t take long to reach a cave set into the mountains. Mary looks around then decides to sit on her wagon’s driver seat, carrying a bundle of hair with a brown-furred tail hanging out of it. The rodents seem to have calmed down for now, though the bundle shifts and shivers often.

While you follow the old woman into the cave, Lulette appears and lightly yanks the tail.

The chaos begins anew.

Agatha’s home is just by the cave’s entrance. There’s a place for a campfire with a fallen log as a seat, a table with seemingly random objects on it, a wooden cabinet, and a bed of straw. It’s simple and very homely. More than you thought a cave could be.

“Please make yourselves comfortable,” Agatha says kindly. Ashtia is next to you as a normal-sized wolf. The old woman doesn’t seem to mind. “I won’t be too long.”

She starts picking utensils and takes an iron pot out of her cabinet. You wonder where the mushrooms are.


>

[ ] Another question? (write-in)
[ ] Ask where the animals dig.
--[Adventure] Eager goat.
--[Mystery] Curious goat.
--[Help] Useful goat.

>>1297366
] Ask where the animals dig.
--[Help] Useful goat.

We are not sheep.

>>1297366

"I am a goat, not a sheep."

>>1297366

Omake: A Sheep-Girl's Journey

****

The flock was eaten by wild dogs, save for you. That's what happens when most of the flock are idiots who can't stay quiet. You felt a bit guilty but you could not have hidden them because they would have made noise.

Why do they have to roast your kind were you can smell them?

Well not your kin kin, they were mere sheep you are... more. You have hands, you can stand on two feet. You can use tools and speak human tongue.

Why did you hang out with those idiots again? You don't remember.

Anyway time to move on.

Revenge? What's that? Can you eat it? Is it tasty?

You are just a sheep with hands, what could you do?

You wait until the dumb dogs get drunk and fall asleep, then tie them up and set them on fire.

Really dumb dogs! Even normal dogs know how to stand guard. Maybe is their human part? Humans can be dumber than normal sheep sometimes.

Anyway, this is the start of your journey.

Where will you go? You have no idea. You got a big club stolen from the wild dogs gang.

And no clothes.

You decide to steal clothes from the town.

That was not your best idea because they caught you. Thankfully they decide to make you work instead of eating you.

You learn about something called money, you trade it for stuff.

After a year working on the town, you run away. Servant for life? For cheap clothes that only cost a copper or two at most? No thank you.

You wonder if when they find the teared clothes with pig's blood they might think you were kidnapped or eaten. You hope so, that was your best idea.

Anyway now you are in the road, with a better club, newer clothes and a squirrel.

You have no clue why you have the squirrel, maybe you are dumb sheep after all? And why you let her ride on your shoulder?

Anyway, your journey away from the town continues. Talking sheep seem to be rare and most people think you are dumb and weak. You might be dim sometimes but you are not weak, and you have your club. A year of hard labor and practice in secret using the club proves its worth.

'Be a smart sheep because dumb sheep get eaten.'

That priest told you that, then made you help to clean the church. And he wasn't even the person who had got you as a servant for life!

Stupid Lord of the Grasslands.

Although you might miss all that grass.

What you were doing? Ah right walking.

You leave behind those who tried to steal from you, your trusty club proved it's worth. And the squirrel stole all their shinnies.

Right, money is important.

Maybe you won't practice using your club with the squirrel.

Then it rains. Wet wool all over makes a sad sheep.

The sheep has no name but she has a big club

>>1297366
>[X] Ask where the animals dig.
>[Help] Useful goat.

>>1297366
[ ] Ask where the animals dig.
--[Adventure] Eager goat.

File: sheepsheep.jpg (531 KB, 935x1312)

531 KB JPG

>>1297459

(I'm... not sure if posting that here would be confusing to readers.
I guess it's not a big deal? Though maybe a pastebin would be better. Or another thread, since it sounds like you could run a quest of your own.)

File: marmots.jpg (129 KB, 640x427)

129 KB JPG

You don’t really want to sit around.

“The, umm, squirrels-”

“Marmots, dear.”

“Marmots. Can I see where they dig?”

The elderly lady grabs a large woven basket and lifts it up onto her table. “Oh, almost everywhere. You can see the holes they make if you just walk through my home. They had run out from the deepest part today, though.”

She points at a squarish metal object next to her cabinet. “You can take my lantern if you want to look.”

Nn. You have to leave your bucket to carry it. You don’t want that.

But you think you can help. You have to make up for the not-useful thing that’s bleating frantically outside.

And you’ll still have your shovel.

Agatha shows you how to light the lantern, and you carry it deeper into the cave with Ashtia following silently. The way goes down, and in the ground you see the holes that the old lady’s marmots dug.

You reach a place where the walls are less rock and more soft earth, also riddled with entrances to the animals’ tunnels and burrows. You think it’s a dead end.

There’s a shovel on the ground. Agatha had tried to see what was scaring her friends before, but it doesn’t look like she got anywhere. A bit of wall is partially dug out.

Your own shovel is something Elena gave you. It’s made from that smooth dark wood the witch made her totems from. Still heavy, but it feels like it could dig through all sorts of things.

Ashtia stays back a bit. You set the lantern down and continue the old lady’s work.

File: underground.jpg (70 KB, 900x394)

70 KB JPG

>>1297585

Which was apparently nearly done. You quickly break into some kind of cavern, then retrieve and raise the lantern.

Ruins. Two rows of carved stone pillars stretch up into the darkness, lining a wide road of dusty bricks that lead further down and forward. An old, untouched place of an intimidating scale that the lantern’s light can barely show.


>

[ ] Follow the road. Explore?
[ ] Stare at the carvings on the pillars. And whatever else looks interesting.
[ ] Look around for signs of... whatever little animals find scary.
[ ] Pester Ashtia for an opinion.

>>1297592

[] Cover the hole, with rocks.

>>1297592
> look around for what scared the furrballs
If there is something here to be dealt with there isn't much point in delaying

File: yup.jpg (161 KB, 600x900)

161 KB JPG

(Mmm... I think we've died.

Well, I've not been able to keep a consistent update schedule either way.

In general I've tried to continue after at least two or three votes. I'll take that as a minimum here, and keep writing whenever that happens.)

>>1297592
>[X] Stare at the carvings on the pillars. And whatever else looks interesting.

>>1297768
I like to check back every once in awhile while the quest is going but it may not run regularly but it's always a nice treat when you are running.

File: lonely_goat.jpg (53 KB, 634x347)

53 KB JPG

>>1297768

File: gate.jpg (340 KB, 839x1000)

340 KB JPG

There’s a short drop to the ground of the cavern from where you made your entrance, and climbing down is awkward when both your hands aren’t free. Ashtia lands gracefully next to you.

You wonder what you’re looking for. Maybe a big spider or something is scaring the marmots?

You continue onward, walking onto the old brick road. You don’t see any signs of life - no scratches, no spots where the dust is disturbed. Minutes pass in your search and you end up simply standing on the ancient stone, puzzled. Then the carvings on the pillars take your attention.

This one shows a... ziggurat? A building of some sort. There’s small carvings of people in ceremonial robes and outfits, and above the building is a big circular shape with flame-like waves coming off it. The sun?

You turn with lantern held high. The carvings on other pillars look different. They tell a story, you think, but your light source isn’t strong enough to really see.

Ashtia perks up, then walks away from the pillars. The road is wide enough for two wagons and seems featureless, though you also feel something odd when you start to take steps towards her.

Wind?

A barely noticeable breeze comes from one direction, from your right. You and the wolf trade looks.

You have traveling boots now, ones that aren’t all swamp mud, and each step in them leaves a long, lonely echo in the vast cavern. You find it harder to understand the carvings as you go. A battle, an army of humanoids against another of eerie, skeleton-like figures. Flames and sundered earth.

Then you reach a pair of massive double-doors. Carved into them are four figures that your lantern can only light the bottom halves of, around another ziggurat building that splits where the doors meet.

Then, with your next step, a large circular stone sinks into the ground with a click.

>>1297592
>[ ] Stare at the carvings on the pillars. And whatever else looks interesting.

>>1297768
Damn my meeting for keeping me from this!

>>1298137

The huge doors rumble open.

The impossible wind grows stronger. Not enough to move you, but the suddenness makes you shield your eyes with your left arm. The lantern light flickers as you lower it back down, and you blink.

Beyond the great threshold is a figure of tangible darkness. It is far taller than you, and humanoid if not for the four arms and a form that trails off into smog and black smoke where its legs should be. Angled, glowing diamonds of light are its eyes, and pieces of old faded metal plates form armor on its shoulders and chest.

The shadowy substance it’s made of swirls constantly, forever changing the entity’s shape.


>

[ ] Step off circular stone. Walk away calmly.
[ ] Hi. I’m Baphy.
[ ] Hmm. Nope.

>>1298189
[ ] Hi. I’m Baphy.
then
[ ] Step off circular stone. Walk away calmly.

>>1298189
>Hi. I’m Baphy.
Try do that sensing thing were you can tell what needs to be fixed. Maybe it is the little demons daddy.

>>1298189
>Hi. I’m Baphy.

File: shadow.jpg (83 KB, 646x807)

83 KB JPG

You look down at the circular stone at your feet. It’s big. You’re light. You frown at the stone.

You look back up at the dark, half-armoured being in front of you.

“Hi. I’m Baphy.”

The mist and smoke drifts forward, looming over you and Ashtia. The wolf is alert, her tense wariness bleeding over to you.

It speaks with a deep, rasping voice. One that comes from all around rather than one place.

“Greetings, ‘Baphy’.” Loud, yet whispering. Slow, trailing. “It has been a long time, since warmth has graced these halls.”

You try to focus on elsewhere, on your sight into the border of the world, but the entity doesn’t look like anything. You don’t see a flow of colours other than Ashtia’s and your own.

So you ask a question.

“Do you have a...” you slowly bend down and place your shovel on the ground, then lift your right hand above your left to form a small ball shape. “Child?”

You think the strange wind stills for a bit. Then a sound rings through the air, bouncing off distant walls in an endless echo.

It’s laughing. The sound is grating.

“I do not have creations, no.”

Then... “Who are you?”

There’s a short pause before it answers.

“I do not have a name like yours. I am a being of power. An elemental, a force bound to stability by tenuous chains.

Yet, I am more. I am the greatest of my kind. A pinnacle of a fallen empire, of Themia’s arcane might. I am an Archon of Shadow.”

“Oh,” you reply. “Can I call you Archie?”

“You may.”

>
[ ] Have you met small squirrel-things?
[ ] Do you have to stay here?
[ ] Can you be less scary?

>
[ ] Yup. That’s all. Thanks. Bye.
[ ] What’s a Themia?
[ ] Ask about the carvings on the pillars.

>>1298402
>[ ] Have you met small squirrel-things?

[ ] Yup. That’s all. Thanks. Bye.

>>1298402
[ ] Have you met small squirrel-things?
[ ] Do you have to stay here?
[ ] What’s a Themia?
[ ] Ask about the carvings on the pillars.
- [ ] And the 4 big ones from the door

So, so much I want to ask.

>>1298402
>[X] Have you met small squirrel-things

>[X] Ask about the carvings on the pillars.

>>1298402
>Do you have to stay here?
Subtext: Are you going to break out and make chaos everywhere?
>Ask about the carvings on the pillars. Ask about the carvings on the pillars.
Hopefully that will also explain about Themia a bit and maybe even that temple we woke up in.

[sad bleating]
I missed it!
aw.
Thanks for cutes. This quest is comfiest and the most good.

(Gah. I wasn't meant to disappear. Give me a sec, let me throw up another update.)

Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FTpZpMeSA0

Ashtia’s tension dies down a little. You don’t feel as guarded as the wolf does; Archie seems nice. Just big. And scary. Also sounds very evil.

But it’s not nice to judge by looks.

“Now, my own question. To what, do I owe your warmth?”

Right. “There’s some squirrel-things. Marmots.” You make another gesture with your hands to show the size of the small animals. “They were scared of something. Have you seen them?”

“No, I have not. But, they may have detected my presence, without my knowledge.”

Mm...

You think the elemental is smiling. It doesn’t have a mouth. “Worry not. I do not intend to stay.”

Oh. You were about to ask. Though that makes you wonder where it came from, and where it’s going.

“Was that, your task? Do we part ways, ‘Baphy’?”

The way it says your name is weird. Deliberate.

There was something else that you wanted to know. Maybe just out of curiosity. Maybe because something about this place seems-

Familiar?

You point back the way you came, at one of the pillars. “Can you tell me about those carvings?”

File: another time.jpg (203 KB, 1500x844)

203 KB JPG

>>1298681

A harsh, piercing noise. Archie laughs again.

“I can. They tell of the empire’s downfall, two centuries past.

Themia’s mastery of magic was, unmatched, yet its mages still desired power. They conceived of a ritual that would tame the world’s sun. To drag it down, to serve the empire.

Many had warned that the celestial, was divine. That the gods would not allow. Or that such magics reached beyond our world, and would attract unpleasant eyes. Yet, the ritual continued, and the skies darkened.

Hubris. I do not know what truly caused the end, even as I took to the battlefield against them. Heralds of divine will, said some. Demons, said others still. They tore the cities apart, and drowned the empire in flame.”

The billowing smoke and mist seems to draw forward, closer.

“It is curious, that you do not know.”

You don’t need to voice your confusion. Archie continues.

“You are older than I, are you not? Older, than Themia.”


> A memory:

[ ] What compelled you to wake?
[ ] Why did you close your eyes, and turn away?

>>1298682
>Why did you close your eyes, and turn away?
Ohh, it does know us!
I figure we will run into what woke us sooner or later anyway, if it caused enough ripples to wake us. Maybe it is selfish to ignore it for now but I'm more interested in the past.

Also, this guy said we faught in the defense of this world, or at least a civilisation of sentient mortals that lived here so maybe he isn't as bad as he seems.

File: goat and goat.png (1.68 MB, 1254x1771)

1.68 MB PNG

Ookay.

Sorry 'bout how disorganised things ended up. I'm going to run again on Sunday about 37-38 hours from now, but I will probably throw up one last update between now and then.

At some random time. Whenever it happens.

Ha ha.

Anyway - Thanks for reading and bearing with me. 'Till next time!

>>1298686
qst has been pretty dead all day anyway. Stay comfy!

>>1298682

[ ] Why did you close your eyes, and turn away?

"Do you want a demon in a jar? It could keep you company."

>>1298692
Goats never die!

>>1298682
>[ ] Why did you close your eyes, and turn away?

File: ruins.jpg (411 KB, 1280x800)

411 KB JPG

Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6munWBJcpOc

The temple is abandoned.

You don’t really care where its people went. Just that they’re gone. You need the quiet right now.

You pull yourself up the long staircase.

‘It’s fine. We can handle the rest.’

You’re tired.

Tired of how they never get along. Tired of conflict. Tired of how you always have to fight, how there’s always so much you have to fix.

Tired of burying them afterwards.

‘The next time you wake will be better.’

A sarcophagus. Unadorned. You climb in and close your eyes, dreaming of a kinder world.

‘Sleep well, Baphy.’

>>1300852

There’s warmth at your back, and gentle, steadying hands on your shoulders. You look up to see Ashtia.

You had staggered back, and she caught you.

You smile at her. She seems surprised, but returns with her own.

The doors ahead are closing. Emptiness lies beyond them - the elemental is gone, and the strange wind with it.

A loud thud and a cloud of dust, and the doors are still again. On them is the carving depicting those four great figures.

‘Heralds of divine will, said some. Demons, said others still.’

You glance at the lantern, glad that you didn’t drop it, then pick up your shovel. Ashtia becomes a wolf again, following you back to the surface.

>>1300862

The old lady is worried when you return. You were gone for a while and she thought you had run into something dangerous.

You tell her what you found: a cavern, a ruin, and something big but not as scary as it looks. You also tell her that it’s gone now, so her friends should be okay to dig again.

She gives you her thanks in the form of a filled cloth bag.

It’s mushrooms. You don’t know what you expected.

At least they smell nice.

Mary is sitting on the wagon outside as before, with three little rodent heads poking out of her hair and Lulette and her clay pot hovering closeby. The sheep has her eyes clenched shut and her hands stretched out in front of her holding the demon in the jar.

“HE- Hello!! M-My name is Maa- M- Mary!”

The demon is completely still.

“W-! Would you like to b-buy-”

“Closing your eyes isn’t allowed!” Lulette pipes up.

“B-But he keeps staring at me!”

You walk towards the useless sheep. It’s time to keep going.

File: this.png (14 KB, 400x500)

14 KB PNG

So. Something popped up, and turns out I won't be able to run a session on Sunday.

Hm.

There's quests on this board that run sessions as /tg/ did, and some that do a few updates a day. Could I get some opinions on people's preferences for either style?
I ask I can write during the next few days, but times would be kind of random.

I think either way I'll show up on Tuesday or Wednesday to continue.

>>1300902
We can try the occasional update thing, just to see if it works. Fire off a tweet whenever you update so we know to look in.

Personally, I prefer a straight session, but my schedule makes participating difficult quite often.

>>1300902
I'd say sure, give sporadic updates a shot

>>1300902
Personally I prefer straight sessions, but, whatever suites your style is ok.

File: ba.png (648 KB, 600x847)

648 KB PNG

Thanks for the thoughts.

I'll probably continue running this quest as sessions, though this thread will see some sporadic updates. Guess we'll see if I end up doing this often.

File: clay.jpg (15 KB, 322x350)

15 KB JPG

Hours on the road later, your group runs into something weird.

You see some kind of man made from earth and dirt. He has a large torso and no neck, and the shape of two circular eyes and a big goofy smile is carved into the rounded top of his body.

You’re standing on Mary’s wagon and watching the earthen man waddle across the grass, losing balance on each stumbling step. He makes it to the road then falls flat on his face with a loud thump.

The sheep yells and pulls her wagon to a stop. After a moment, you hear the earth-man speak in a dull monotone.

“Experiment Unsuccessful. Results Have Been Noted For Future Testing.”

You don’t get it.

A brown-haired boy or young man jogs after him, panting.

“Sorry, sorry! Don’t know what came over him- Wait a moment please, we’ll get out of your way.”

The earth-man is big and was moving quickly, so it’s good that nothing really bad happened. Chestnut seems fine as well. The horse was very close to the fall, but is for some reason much less shaken than the sheep.

Chestnut is a good horse. You admire her for the things she must deal with every day.

“Come on Howard, get up!”

The earth-man waves his arms and makes a cloud of dust. Then he wiggles his feet, kicking against the ground with a thud-thud-thud.

“Unable To Comply. Main Body Weight And Leg Stumpy-ness Exceed Maximum Thresholds.”

The boy groans.

>

[ ] It’s noon. Stop and eat some mushrooms.
[ ] ... Maybe you should help him.
[ ] Does he want a mushroom?
[ ] Does the earth thing want a mushroom?

>>1301297
>It’s noon. Stop and eat some mushrooms.
Some entertainment while we eat. Excellent. Maybe Lulette will want to help.

>>1301297

>It’s noon. Stop and eat some mushroom

"Silly wizard, are you doing a comedy routine?"

>>1301297
>[x] Does the earth thing want a mushroom?

>>1301297
>[ ] It’s noon. Stop and eat some mushrooms.

fantasy baymax is go
cute arrays set to high intensity goat focus
>{ } Hi, I'm Baphy. Do you like food?

>>1301297
>[ ] It’s noon. Stop and eat some mushrooms.
Meal and a show. What more could a goat ask for?

>>1301297
>Does the earth thing want a mushroom?

BAAH! Missed another one!

File: mushroom.jpg (18 KB, 325x325)

18 KB JPG

Hm.

You climb over to the wagon driver’s seat and drop down next to Mary. Then you open the cloth bag the old lady gave you and take out a white mushroom. The mushroom is whole, and about as big as your hand. You take a small bite out of it.

The mushroom gives way easier than you expect. It’s soft enough to almost dissolve on your tongue, and the distinct, woody, savoury taste is accompanied by a light peppery spice.

You stare at the mushroom and attempt to divine how it was made. It does not yield its secrets.

“Okay, push yourself up on three.”

“Low Probability Of Success. This Unit Queries The Low Muscle Mass On Your Appendages.”

“Oh shut up.”

Ashtia reaches from over your shoulder and pokes her snout into the cloth bag, withdrawing with a mushroom. Lulette appears as well, and starts feeding pieces of mushroom to her plant.

Mary swivels her head between you and the scene in front of her. You put a mushroom in her mouth and she stops.

“One. Two. Three!”

You finish savouring your mushroom, then hop off the wagon seat. Chestnut neighs thankfully when you offer her a mushroom.

Mushroom.

Another loud thump is made when the earth-man is pushed to his feet. The young man is collapsed on the ground next to him, breathing heavily.

“Freedom. Freeedom.”

The earth-man’s carved mouth doesn’t move when he speaks; the voice just seems to come from inside.

“Why did I make a voice module,” the boy laments.

You offer the boy a shroom and he thanks you. Then you hold out another for the earth-man.

“Uh, Howard is a construct. He doesn’t eat.”

“This Unit Proposes Its Dreams Module Be Allowed To Remain Intact.”

Howard takes the offered fungus with a trunk-like arm and pushes it into his chest, where it sinks into his body and disappears.

You are now out of mushrooms.

File: older than he looks, honest.jpg (41 KB, 604x850)

41 KB JPG

>>1302577

The young man stands and moves to retrieve a large bag he left on the ground, hoisting its strap over his shoulder while enjoying his treat with a surprised expression.

He apologises again, then you trade names. He’s called Alexander.

“You’d be traveling to Lortham, right?”

“Mhm,” Mary sounds. “I- I’m stopping there for a while. I think Baphy is going to the city.”

Alexander smiles, which makes him look even younger than he already does. “Great! Would you mind if Howard and I accompanied you?”


>

[ ] What’s Alexander doing out here?
[ ] Did he make Howard?
[ ] What’s a construct anyway?
[ ] Ask him to tell you about the city.

>>1302585
>[x] What’s Alexander doing out here?

Our mushroom supply was rather limited, wasn't it? We we told how to find more?

>>1302585
>Ask him to tell you about the city.
I kinda want Howard to carry us.

>>1302585
>[ ] What’s a construct anyway?
More importantly, whats going to happen to the mushroom that he just absorbed into his chest.

>>1302585
>[ ] Ask him to tell you about the city.

>>1303787
It will remain safe and happy forever.
Cozy little mushroom.

The sheep assures Alexander that it’s fine. You aren’t really paying attention, because you’re staring at the construct and wondering what will happen to the mushroom.

Mysteries.

Your group grows by two. You decide to walk alongside the wagon, and ask what Alexander was doing.

“Testing Howard, mostly. He’s my application to the White Staff Academy.”

“White Staff...?”

“In Skyhaven. You’re headed there, right?”

That’s the city that Elena told you about. You don’t really know anything about it, so you get Alexander to talk.

“Skyhaven’s the city of magic. It’s where you go if you want to learn about anything arcane. The Academy is, well, a school, where most of that learning takes place.”

The boy laughs. “The city's actually pretty normal; ‘city of magic’ makes it sound like more than it is. Some travelers expect every second person they meet there to be a magician.”

You notice Lulette hovering behind Howard, pushing a round yellow fruit into the construct’s body. The fruit is absorbed. You decide to stop thinking about it.

“Are you a magician?”

“No, no. I’m an artificer. Ah, well, I’m going to be after I show Howard off.”

You wish him luck.

>>1304490

You plan to go to Skyhaven tomorrow. For now, the village of Lortham is your destination.

It’s getting close to sunset when your group approaches the small settlement, passing by farmers and labourers as the sheep’s wagon rattles along the road. A few people wave at Alexander and Howard and both the boy and the construct wave back.

Alexander said he’s been staying here. He spent most of what he had on Howard, so he couldn’t afford to stay in Skyhaven. But for some reason he slows down when you reach the village.

You stare at him, and the boy brushes a lock of brown hair behind his ear.

“There’s someone who lives here that doesn’t like me too much,” he says awkwardly. “Guess I’m kind of avoiding him?”

Mm.

Whatever thought was being formed is interrupted. A scream fills the air.

File: armor.jpg (40 KB, 465x600)

40 KB JPG

>>1304492

Ashtia lands by your side in her larger form. You ignore Mary’s shout and dash with the wolf along the wide dirt road that runs straight through the settlement, reaching its center quickly.

A fight. A few injured guardsmen and women wield sword and spear, facing four attackers.

They look like people in full plate armour, but the openings in their helms show no hint of flesh, no sign of life. Their hands have been replaced with sword or axe blades and shields, melded with their armoured forms, and their bronze-coloured metal is stained with flecks and splashes of red.

And more wounded lie to the sides of the square, seeping blood into the earth.


>

[ ] Help fight them off. You can stop this from getting worse.
[ ] Check the wounded. If there’s someone you can help, you want to do so.

File: sleepy goat.jpg (115 KB, 850x1063)

115 KB JPG

That'll be the last sporadic update.

I'm aiming for the 29th to run another session - a confirmation or any changes will go up on twitter as usual. I might use this thread again depending on what page we're on.

Until then!

>>1304495

[ ] Check the wounded. If there’s someone you can help, you want to do so.

"Golems? Golems that bleed? Golems made out of people? Curious."

Why they always have to hurt each other?

'Such is their nature.'

>>1304497
Thanks for the comfy , boss.

>>1304495
>Check the wounded. If there’s someone you can help, you want to do so.

>>1304495
>[ ] Check the wounded. If there’s someone you can help, you want to do so.
*Sigh* "I'm getting way too old for this. The whole reason I went to sleep was to avoid this kinda crap. Oh well, at least by playing nurse I can avoid fighting. Maybe I won't have to bury anyone today." *lights cigarette*

>>1304495
>[ ] Check the wounded. If there’s someone you can help, you want to do so.

>>1304495
> check the wounded
Not sure our shovel is up to holding off these guys. Maybe we can buff the guards too.

>>1304495
>[ ] Help fight them off. You can stop this from getting worse.

>>1304495
[X] Check the wounded. If there’s someone you can help, you want to do so.

File: baaga.jpg (20 KB, 480x360)

20 KB JPG

>>1302607
>>1304641
n thanks fer readin m8

And the mushrooms are common white shrooms, but Agatha has her own recipe. They're prepared with a secret ingredient: salt.

Also love

>>1305458
The image of jaded, grizzled goat is amusing.

>>1306947
It's bob!

>>1304495
>[ ] Help fight them off. You can stop this from getting worse.
They need a good bonking. Hurting people's not cool.

>[ ] Sing at the hurts and make them good.
No baps! Fighting is bad.

File: BLACK_WOLF_.jpg (40 KB, 600x811)

40 KB JPG

WAKE UP SHEEPLE

>>1308101
But Mary's already awake...

>>1308523
nah, she was so "hawauwauwau" that she forgot to breath. Now she is taking a fluffy sheep nap.

File: not these.jpg (283 KB, 900x818)

283 KB JPG

Fighting. People getting hurt. You don’t like this at all.

Ashtia shares a look with you before rushing into the fray, pouncing on an attacking construct and slamming the metal-man to the ground. Another fends her off with its axe before her teeth and claws can do any damage and the prone metal-man quickly leaps back to its feet, dented but able.

There’s three battered village guards still standing, but though the numbers are evened you don’t know how you’re supposed to beat walking suits of armour.

And there’s something different in the air, making the wound on your chest throb.

You shake your head. You’ll have to trust that Ashtia can fight them off for now. Drawing your focus away you start to look over the wounded.

A crying girl clutching a cut on her shoulder that bleeds freely.

A man in farmer’s clothing thrown back into the wooden wall of a nearby building, knocked out.

A groaning guard with arm held limp and oddly bent.

An unconscious woman flat on the dirt in a growing pool of blood, next to a child calling for her through tears.

The one in most danger. There’s a slash in the side of her stomach.


>

[First Aid] Bandages and a yellow fruit. But that might take time.
[Imprison] Hide her away. But that might tire you out.

> Roll 1d100, best of first 3 regardless of choice
> DC 65

Rolled 44 (1d100)

>>1310748
> first aid

File: wait this aint grass.jpg (163 KB, 1024x768)

163 KB JPG

(Mm, I feel like I should have made a new thread.

I'll try waiting for now and run slowly.)

Rolled 29 (1d100)

>[First Aid]

>>1310945
aw, lookit its fuzzy ears!

You can help. Except, you don’t have bandages.

You hear clattering wheels behind you and spin around to see the wagon being pulled to a stop, Alexander and Howard catching up from a distance.

“Baphy?” Mary calls. “What’s happening- Who are- ?”

You interrupt her. “Sheep! Cloth!”

“Eh- Wha-”

“Mary!!”

“Y-Yes!”

The sheep jumps and climbs into the back of her wagon then pops back up and throws a small roll of blue fabric. You catch it and drop it into your bucket before picking up the container again and running off.

You carry with you gifts you received before leaving Silvercrest. From Claritia and Macarius a book on plants and a mortar and pestle. From Elena your shovel, and a small satchel that you wear around your waist.

Something the witch used to hold ingredients when traveling with her mother. It was empty when you received it, but you’ve added your own small collection.

You reach the unconscious woman and kneel next to her and the crying child. Pulling the strips of leather out of their clasps you retrieve from the satchel a phirin fruit, bumpy and yellow and small enough to fit in your hand, then search your bucket for the mortar and pestle.

And water. You’re supposed to clean the wound.

Lulette appears to leave Bob on the ground. The fairy vanishes for a moment then returns holding the plant’s watering can with lid off, the blue stone embedded inside glowing softly.

You haven’t done this before, but you will try your best.

File: miffed wolf.png (829 KB, 724x1023)

829 KB PNG

>>1311153

This is a crappy situation to have run into.

You leap to the side away from the sword-blade slicing through the air, landing on your paws with your tail out to help steady yourself. The second construct turns with axe and shield at the ready, covering its ally’s opening and leaving you unable to counter.

Nearby the three guards are fighting the remaining two constructs. Sounds favourable but it’s leather and flesh against metal and spirits know what. You don’t like their chances.

Your goat is busy, which you’re more than fine with. But that means you have to handle these damn things yourself.


>

[Ferocity] Overpower them in Great Wolf.
[Skill] Swap to Wildblood and fight hand-to-hand.
[Cunning] Find an opening with Weasel and position for a strike.

>>1311164
>[Cunning]
Maybe they have off switches.

>>1311164

>[Cunning]

I wonder if they need those gelmet visors to see? That meabs they would have trouble to see behind their backs.

>>1311164
>[Ferocity] Overpower them in Great Wolf.

Don't feel discouraged Qm I just arrived is all

>>1311164
>[Cunning]
Seek vulnerable points! Joints! Switches! Important-looking marks!
[ANGRY WEASEL NOISES]

>>1311164
>[Cunning] Find an opening with Weasel and position for a strike.
Hey, it's Tuesday.

(Sorry, had to walk off longer than intended. Also this update took ages for some reason.
Bah.)

A part of you thinks you should just walk away. Leave them to deal with the problems they’ve probably made themselves anyway.

You’re quite sure your goat doesn’t want to though. He wouldn’t have wanted to, either.

You charge forward and crash into one of the constructs, throwing weight and momentum into its raised shield. You’ve left yourself unguarded to its ally’s attack, and it takes the bait.

They fight well and seem smart enough to think, but they don’t know what you’re capable of. And you aren’t fighting fair.

The marking that runs across your neck and back shines to life and everything around you grows far, far bigger. The axe cleaves the empty air as your shape changes to that of a weasel, and you take the chance to scamper between the construct’s legs. Then you call your spirit’s power again, rapidly switching back to the form of a great wolf.

Being behind your enemies makes this easier. Pouncing onto the sword-wielder again you clamp your jaws over the back of its helmet, carving into the metal with your teeth, then yank it off with a painful rending noise.

The construct still moves but you’ve done enough damage. You push off and slam into the second one as quickly as you can, catching it just as it’s turning around to swing at you and biting into its axe-wielding arm with enough strength to crush the joint to pieces.

That is, apparently, enough.

A quick glance shows that the guards of Lortham have won their own battle despite your misgivings. You hop off your downed opponent; they hesitate, then come over and stab chipped swords into the backs of the construct’s chests to finish them off. The battle is over.

Your goat is next to a woman on the ground wrapping a blue bandage around her stomach. Her face is screwed in concentration, but though the bandage is soaked the woman doesn’t seem to be bleeding too freely.

You rejoin her. Changing your form saps your strength.

You need a nap.

File: zzz.jpg (91 KB, 838x559)

91 KB JPG

>>1311956

You’re not sure what you’re supposed to do.

You think you’re supposed to press down on the bandage, but not that hard because the cut is on the woman’s stomach and her insides might hurt. So you were doing that for a long while, but now the bleeding seems to have stopped completely.

Does that mean you’re done? Everything’s okay?

Ashtia has curled up next to you. The child who was crying was put to sleep by Lulette and is on the ground as well. Maybe you should wake him up or something.

You poke him in the cheek, and nothing happens.

Closer to the center of the square are four downed metal-men, all with holes in their chests and two with either a head or an arm missing. There’s villagers gathered and watching but all stay away from the fallen constructs.

Someone approaches you. “Did you bandage her, miss?”

It’s an older man with greying hair and a very neat moustache. You nod and he smiles gently.

“Thank you, stranger. You may have saved her life, judging from the blood she’s already lost.”

His voice is really nice and smooth. You might fall asleep.

“I am Lortham’s doctor of sorts. Let me handle it from here.”

Then there’s someone yelling, and both of you look to see a man staring down Alexander.

“You! What do you know about this?”

“Wait, me?” The youth replies.

“Who else around here has anything to do with these, these constructs?”


>

[ ] You can still be helpful. Follow the calming man. Leave Mary to deal with whatever is happening.
[ ] Maybe you should see what’s happening with Alexander.
[ ] Nap time. Then dinner time. Then nap time again.

>>1311970
>[ ] Maybe you should see what’s happening with Alexander.

>>1311939
Its fine mitts

>>1311970
>You can still be helpful. Follow the calming man. Leave Mary to deal with whatever is happening.
Trivial tasks like negotiating is best handled by lesser sheep.

>>1311970
>[x] Maybe you should see what’s happening with Alexander.

>>1311970
>Maybe you should see what’s happening with Alexander.
Don't be mean. Alex was playing with Howard all day. And Howard can't even stand up on his own let alone fight.

You turn to the calming man and nod. He looks a bit worried but turns away from the yelling to carry off the injured woman, calling someone for the child. You pick up your things and go over to Alexander, Howard, and the angry man.

“Heimar, I wasn’t even here.”

“Exactly! Who knows what you could be doing just outside our village?”

The angry man is probably in his forties. He’s tall and kind of thin, and has sharp eyebrows and narrow eyes made narrower by scowling.

You walk up. “Hi.”

They both turn to you. The onlookers as well. Did you do something weird?

“I was with Lexy-”

“Lexy?” The youth questions.

“- and he was out south,” you point down the road, “playing with Howard-”

“Playing?”

“-So he wasn’t doing anything bad. Don’t be mean.”

But the angry man doesn’t stop yelling. He says you can’t explain what he was doing before you met, or yesterday or the day before, and points at Howard and says they’re forced to just trust he isn’t dangerous. The other villagers don’t speak out, but there’s a hint of suspicion hanging around.

Why would they be suspicious? Don’t they know Lexy?

Thankfully the argument is broken up by some of the still-wounded village guards and everyone disperses. Nervous chatter dies down, and the village of Lortham turns to a normal sort of quiet.

>>1312418

You’re up before the sun, walking along a dirt path heading east with Ashtia and Lulette. You only stopped in Lortham to rest, and now it’s time to travel to the city.

Mary is staying here and waiting for a friend of hers. You permitted her one short hug, and the sheep left you with a maroon-coloured wool scarf that you’re wearing around your neck.

Stupid sheep. Only useful for wool. Soft, warm, fluffy wool-

Anyway.

A guard stops you when you reach the gate. You supply a Blank Look Of Confusion and he hands you a small silver locket, saying that doctor person told the woman you bandaged yesterday that you helped her, and that she wanted to give this to you.

“Do whatever you want with it, she said. As thanks for saving her.”

It’s a simple oval shape without any decorations, and is empty. You clasp the chain around your neck and wear it under your scarf.

>>1312479

Outside the village, you find the brown-haired youth and his big earthen friend.

Lexy waves and smiles. He’s going to the city as well to apply for that academy thing, so you travel together.

You ask him what the village will do about that attack. He simply says that they’ll probably send someone else to the city to report it.

There’s something sort of strange about his mood.

After a few minutes of quiet, Lexy speaks up.

“Hey, do you mind if I ask a question?”

“Mm.”

“Why did you jump in to help yesterday?”


>

[ ] It’s something you thought you should do.
[ ] Because you don’t like seeing people hurt.
[ ] You didn’t really think about it. You just wanted to.

>>1312519
[x] Because you don’t like seeing people hurt.

Being suspected when you haven't done anything wrong hurts.

>>1312519
>It’s something you thought you should do

>>1312519
>Because you don’t like seeing people hurt.
Or swamps.

A part of you thinks that what you did was right. Something that you should do, with what was happening in front of you. But that isn’t why you ran in to help. Not really.

“I don’t like it when people get hurt.”

“That’s your reason?”

You nod. Lexy grows silent.

“I couldn’t do a thing. Or maybe I could, but I was afraid.”

The youth looks up at his clay companion.

“Next time, it’ll be different.”

You wish him luck.

File: alsosleepygoat.png (608 KB, 1500x1875)

608 KB PNG

Aand we'll end it there.

Usual stuff:
Announcements for new threads at https://twitter.com/boxofmithril
Archives for previous ones at http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=GFQ

Next session should be next week. I'll have to think about timing, though it might just end up being on Wednesday/Tuesday like this.

There's also one more choice I want votes on:

> Heading to Skyhaven:

[ ] Take the demon with you. Keep it in jar.
[ ] Let the demon out of its jar and take it along.
[ ] Left the demon with Mary. Maybe they'll get along.

Anyway. Thanks for reading!

>>1313065
>Left the demon with Mary. Maybe they'll get along.
They will both be better off with friends. Yes I know they can't communicate but why should that be any barrier?

>>1313065
>Left the demon with Mary. Maybe they'll get along.
We've already got Lululette, and the sheep definitely needs help.

>>1313065
>[x] Let the demon out of its jar and take it along.

It's a good boy.

>>1313065

>Left the demon with Mary. Maybe they'll get along.

>Tell the demon to not hurt the stupid sheep.

>>1313065
>[ ] Left the demon with Mary. Maybe they'll get along.

Hahahaha

>>1313065
>[ ] Take the demon with you. Keep it in jar.
Its kinda fun to have a demon in a jar in a bucket.
can we name him calcifer?

>>1313065
>[ ] Left the demon with Mary. Maybe they'll get along.

>>1313065
All options are cute!
>Leave fluffy/useless sheep in bottle
>Bottle and things in bucket
>Bucket in demon
>Demon on shovel
>Shovel on shoulder
>Goat on Howard's head

>>1315015
I'll support goat on Howard's head, some of the others sound painful though.

>>1315329
It's okay! Sheep are very fluffy and they get smaller when you hug them!
As for demon, maybe he's good at space? He did come from some other plane of existence.

File: 最悪.webm (89 KB, 150x342)

89 KB WEBM

>>1313065
This is my favorite quest right now.
Thanks for running, you're the best.