>>6095278
>Male
>Anton
I'm gonna be honest, I have no idea for the name.

>>6095278
>Male
>Pariah

>>6095278
>Female
>Noah

>>6095278
>Male
>Anton
I like Anton.

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>>6095279
>>6095288
>Anton

>>6095281
>Pariah

>>6095285
>Noah

Anton it is! Let's get this ball rollin'! Writing!

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Anton… yea, that’s your name. Feels pretty familiar now that you let it leave your dry lips a few times… Anton…
… wait, do you have a last name? Is ‘Anton’ a pseudonym? Crap!

Shaking your head in frustration, you feel your shaggy, matted hair flop around on your shoulders–you must have had a rough sleep based on how sweaty and tired you feel. Grabbing a handful of what feels like one of your oversized sleep shirts, you air out your stomach as you give your butt a lazy scratch.

With your name now plastered back into the surface of your brain, you’re free to follow other worthy pursuits, chief among them the fact that you’re STILL in a cold, dark, musty room that smells like black mold and ozone. You don’t even know what the hell ozone is, but you’re pretty sure you can smell it!

Rising to your bare, shaky feet, you flinch as your heel comes in contact with a pool of warm liquid–one you’re pretty certain ain’t drool. Drawing on your immense well of masculine power, a falsetto ‘EEEEH!’ escapes your drool-caked lips as your reflexes carry you out of the puddle and onto what feels like a line drawn in…

… CANDLE WAX? Who can say?

This would be way easier if your damn eyes adjusted already–you never paid much attention in science class, but you vaguely remember that your eyes are supposed to adjust to low light eventually… that or your eyes are supposed to transform. Your memory’s still foggy.

In any case, the dark room doesn’t answer any questions you have, instead remaining content with judging you in a way only a drafty, impassive room can.

What do?

>Call out for help! If this is a prank then it sucks!
>Inspect the wax a bit closer!
>Check out that gross puddle on the floor! It’s still warm, eeeeeww!
>Scour the room for loot and items… maybe there’s a clue in here?
>Try to unearth some more memories!
>Write-In!

>>6095335
>>Check out that gross puddle on the floor! It’s still warm, eeeeeww!

>>6095335
>>Try to unearth some more memories!
Backstory time.

>>6095335
>Scour the room for loot and items… maybe there’s a clue in here?

>>6095335
>Try to unearth some more memories!

>>6095353
>Ponder the puddle

>>6095367
>Ransack the room

>>6095364
>>6095369
>Mine up some memories!

We'll get to the other two in a sec, but it looks like reminiscing is first on the docket.

>Roll me 3d100 to see how clear you can get! Best of 3, that means 1d100 per player!

Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>6095379

Rolled 94 (1d100)

>>6095379
Occult summoning gone wrong? Who can say?

Us, hopefully.

Rolled 61 (1d100)

>>6095379
Let's remember EVERYTHING

>>6095383
>>6095389
>>6095393
Jesus Christ, save some good rolls for the rest of the quest you goddamn maniacs.

Writing!

Rolled 51 (1d100)

>>6095395
>save some good rolls for the rest of the quest
no!

>>6095395
I plan on having every roll be a good roll from now until the end of the quest. It’s a flawless plan.

Assumptions? What are those? I clearly can’t have them if I don’t know what they are!

>>6095411
exactly. i dont know what "ignorance" is and i dont intend to find out.

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As much as you’d like to say you’re no stranger to waking up in strange situations, you know that’d be a complete and utter lie. This is definitely a first for Anton…

… Anton… Peas…. yes, you DO have a last name! You knew it! Spurred on by your success in remembering your name, you dare to delve a little deeper! Donning the most contemplative face you can muster under duress, you rack your fuzzy head trying to remember any detail you can about how you came to… wherever this place is.

You were definitely sleeping when this happened, that much is certain: you wearing one of your finest SLEEP SHIRTS makes that clear enough… but the lack of gunfire outside and your roommate playing video games tells you this can’t possibly be your apartment! By all accounts it’s an improvement.

Suddenly some wires connect inside your head with a little help from the wax on the floor and the scent of ozone in the air (Whatever that is): your memory whisks you back to late last night… or maybe this night… you were in your bed tired from a long shift at… your job?

It was hot in your room, that much was certain… hot enough for you to want to get some water from the bathroom faucet. As you tumbled out of bed, however, you found yourself falling as if in a dream… and the next thing you knew–

Your mind closes like a steel trap on what happens next and rewards your introspection with a throbbing headache and another mortifying realization:

YOUR JOB! YOU HAVE A SHIFT TOMORROW MORNING!

Panic settles in as your bare foot scuffs the flagstone beneath you–how could you forget your shift at GREASE MONKEY: YOUR ONE-STOP SHOP FOR DEEP-FRIED EVERYTHING!? Lars is gonna KILL you if you’re late again… he might even have to wear…

...The Suit….

You’ve gotta get out of here and fast. Wherever you ended up sleepwalking it’s definitely not in the same area code as your job. Maybe if you can track down your phone you can scamper home and change?

Rising to your feet with newfound motivation, you turn your attention to what you can see:

Nothing.

You can certainly feel, however, and as you gingerly take a few steps over to where your bare foot dipped into the warm puddle, you cautiously plop your least favorite finger into the mystery fluid…

Warm. Semi-viscous. Reminds you of the oil that always leaks underneath the deep fryers at work. You allow yourself a brief smile as you come to the conclusion that the liquid isn’t piss–if your pee felt like this you’d have bigger problems…

Well, unless this is someone else’s pee, in which case they have bigger problems.

Moving in to get a whiff, your leg is suddenly assaulted by a CRAMP that sends you tumbling head over heels into the puddle… and something ELSE!

>CONTD.

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>>6095649
Soft, feathery, and human-shaped–that’s your appraisal as you tactlessly fumble into the object. Scrambling to get off whatever you landed on, your blood goes ice-cold when your hand connects with the source of the liquid… a jagged, meaty cut where something used to sit between two very shoulder-like protrusions!

Scurrying away as quickly as you can, you slam your head against a cold, solid wall of stone. Whatever the hell it was you touched, it’s dead--unless it can survive without what you assume was its head!

As the gravity of the situation slowly weighs down upon you, you can’t help but wonder who it was that performed the butchery in the room… or what!

Moreover, is it still here with you? Did… did YOU kill it!?

You’re starting to freak out.

Taking a steadying breath, you creep back over to the corpse and give it a thorough examination. The body is taller than you, give or take, and while it seems pretty human, you can’t get over the sparse clumps of feathers on the body’s slowly-cooling forearms and legs. Whoever this was is wearing a PLUSH ROBE covered in wood trinkets and baubles giving you the image of some kind of LARPER! The thought sends a shiver down your spine.

Amidst the forest of gizmos and geewgaws sewn onto the soiled robe your hand brushes against some PARCHMENT poking out from one of the garment’s many pockets! Snatching it up in your hand, you immediately drop the paper when your thumb and forefinger come in contact with something hot!

Your second try goes a little better–ensuring you don’t grab the toasty end, you bring the parchment close to your eyes and begin to read it!

Or you would if it wasn’t so damn dark. Cripes, this is gonna be a problem, isn’t it? Just as you start to feel sorry for yourself, your fingers brush against a particularly BUMPY section of the parchment and it clicks–this is some weird paper they’ve got here.

With no pockets to utilize, you jam the SMOLDERING BUMPY PARCHMENT into your boxer short waistband for the time being. You briefly consider pilfering the PLUSH ROBE too until you remember it was worn by a LARPER--you don’t want to catch something.

As you rise to your feet once more, you feel your toe bump against something cold and hard on the floor… something metal. Picking it up, you nearly cut yourself on a sharp edge. A DAGGER!

Man, these guys were really roleplaying, huh?

Stowing the LARP DAGGER next to the SMOLDERING BUMPY PARCHMENT, you rub your eyes a few more times just to be sure you haven’t gone blind. No dice.

A frigid breeze blows from the far side of the room…

What do?
>Call for help! There’s been a murder, probably!
>Take the PLUSH ROBE anyways!
>Try to glean some more info from the SMOLDERING BUMPY PARCHMENT!
>Sneak into the next room!
>Listen to the wind! Are you alone?
>Write-In!

>>6095650
>Take the PLUSH ROBE anyways!
>Sneak into the next room!

>>6095650
>Try to glean some more info from the SMOLDERING BUMPY PARCHMENT!
>Listen to the wind! Are you alone?

>>6095650
>>Take the PLUSH ROBE anyways!
>>Sneak into the next room!

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>>6095655
>>6095704
>ROBE
>SNEAK

>>6095663
>LEARN
>LISTEN

Looks like grabbing THE ROBE and sneaking wins it! Late on my end so here's the last request for the night:
>Roll me 1d100+5 (+5 STEALTHY OUTFIT) to see how much your stealth pays off! Best of 3 rolls, please!

In regards to updates, expect weekday updates to happen around 6pm Mountain Time! Seeya then and thanks for playing! Enjoy some concept art in the meantime.

Rolled 87 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>6095770
Roll

Rolled 1 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>6095770

>>6095810
Shit yes, first Nat 1 of the quest! Going forward 1's and 100's will be Crit-Fails and Crit-Successes, so watch out for those. This time around I'll just make it a not-as-chaotic-fail so long as no one rolls a 100. Watch out!

Rolled 27 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>6095770

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>>6095810
Well, this is going to be some early 'excitement'. At least we're getting it out of our system early, right? Hahaha...

>>6095778
>>6095810
>>6095872
>HIGHEST ROLLS:
>NEVERMIND, FUCKIN' CRITFAIL
Writing!

>>6096213
>Out of our system
Anon... you saw what happened in Slice..

>>6096481
>what happened in Slice...
Oh, you mean when our partly my repeated critfails almost killed bestgirl? Haha, ha, well, what are the chances THAT could happen again?

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With each passing second you spend in the room with the mysterious corpse, you find yourself wondering more and more where the murderer could be. You’re no detective, but you’ve played a few detective games…

… okay, they were detective dating sims, but the point still stands. Based on how warm the body is as well as the blood oozing out of it, you’d wager whoever did this is relatively close.

Whether it’s due to anxiety, some odd sense of practicality, or just your run-of-the-mill panic, you get to work stripping the corpse of its PLUSH ROBE and immediately regret your decision when you find it to be marinated in blood.

Bloodborne pathogens are the least of your concern right now, though, so being the paragon of sympathy you are, you pull the robe over your head and leave the corpse headless and pretty much naked. You don’t have the heart to loot the body’s underwear.

The garment is a little big for you, but you’d be lying if it wasn’t PLUSH! Waving your hands around a few times just in case of magic, you abandon the endeavor when nothing happens. At least no one can see you fooling around!

As you ponder your next action, some motivation comes in the form of a sound in the next room over… at least, you think it’s the next room over. A low growl, by your estimation, followed by something akin to when your neighbor feeds his dog leftover chili.

DAGGER in hand, you creep as quietly as your bare feet can take you towards the source of the sound. As you do, however, you take a step into a patch of something that burns your foot like embers off a campfire! A surprised yelp escapes your lips as you stumble and stub your toe on a stone doorframe, and with both feet in pain you tumble head-over-heels into what you can only assume is the next room!

STUBBED TOE COUNTER: 1

Flopping into yet ANOTHER pitch-black room like a tumbleweed through a nail salon, you land in a heap on top of a nice, fuzzy cushion and take a moment to tend to both your burned and stubbed toes. Maybe this was a lounge of some kind?

Your answer comes in the form of a trio of sounds straight out of your nightmares: deep, aggressive click-clacking not unlike a dinosaur would make. Y’know, like in that movie!

Sitting up from the fuzzy chair, you feel hot breath wash over your face as its owner greets you with a menacing CLACK of a beak of some kind, prompting two other clicks to follow suit!

Diving to the floor just in time to feel one of the clickers pounce at where you just were, you grip your DAGGER close to your chest as you bump against yet another corpse–this one in the process of being eaten!

Looks like you interrupted a feast…

As you struggle to regain your footing, you hear a trio of beaks clicking around you…

>Roll me 1d100-10 (-5 Flatfooted, -5 Dark) to not get got! Best of 3 Rolls!

Rolled 17 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>6096511

Rolled 23 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>6096511

Rolled 27 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>6096511

>>6096513
>>6096517
>>6096529
>Highest Roll: 17!
Well this was a fun quest! Thanks for joining, guys! Writing!

>>6096511

Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>6096532
Trying again

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>>6096531

>>6096531
Glad to be part of it! I’m looking forward to DARK QUEST 2 with ANTOINETTE BEANS as the sequel.

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Bracing yourself for the inevitable attack, a thought occurs–maybe if you play deaAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Yea no that didn’t work. Sinking its beak into your tasty arm meat, the creature wastes no time in sampling your flesh and blood not unlike your aunt’s macaw used to do. Granted, Cinnamon bit you all the time, but it never hurt THIS bad! Putting way more effort into your shriek of pain than you did a strategy, you totally forget about the DAGGER in your hand and start punching your biter in the fuzzy, matted body!

Panic is one hell of a drug.

Not to be outdone, the monster’s pals each take one of your legs and start gnawing on them too, prompting you to go into WHIRLWIND MODE, aka where you flail about until something lets go.

It works, to a degree… somewhere in the middle of the fracas one of the beasts nips another, prompting the two to get into a quick turf war. The two tumble into the one still latched onto your arm, dislodging its serrated beak from your flesh just long enough for you to scramble away like a coked-up hamster!

Bloodied, bitten, but not beaten, you feel something awaken inside you as you steady your grip on the DAGGER... some kind of hidden potential you never knew you had!

… no wait, it’s just crying. You’re crying.

At the very least the beaked baddie’s dispute has afforded you a little time to strategize! What do!?

>Stab ‘Em!
>Try to slink away in the confusion!
>Light ‘em up with some of that invisible fire on the ground!
>Call for help!
>Loot one of the corpses for something useful!
>Write-In!

>>6096551
>Light ‘em up with some of that invisible fire on the ground!
Invisible fire... I wonder if we're just blind?

>>6096561
>LIGHT 'EM UP!
Let's see some more rolls, folks!
>Roll 1d100-7 (-5 Dark, -5 Injured, +3 Follow the Flames) to see how you do! Best of 3!
>>6096561
>Blind
Gonna have to live long enough to find out!

Rolled 6 - 7 (1d100 - 7)

>>6096607

Rolled 24 + 7 (1d100 + 7)

>>6096607
WATCH THIS AHHHHHHHHHHH

Rolled 77 - 7 (1d100 - 7)

>>6096607
>Gonna have to live long enough to find out!
These rolls aren't making that look too likely. You might legit need to switch to a quest with an undead protagonist or start again with a new character, kek.

Rolled 87 - 7 (1d100 - 7)

>>6096607
Let's see if someone can't salvage this.

>>6096615
Anton Peas doesn't die THAT easy, damn it! We barely know anything about him, but I know that much!

>>6096609
>>6096613
>>6096615
>HIGHEST ROLL: 70
That'll do! Writing!

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Your foot still stings from your encounter with the flames by the entrance–the ones that didn’t seem to illuminate the room at all, but had no trouble toasting your toes! They felt real enough, sure, but what’s their deal anyways? Could they be…

GHOST FLAMES?!

The paranormal investigation will have to go on hold for now. Following the faint sound of crackling and the heat, you manage to locate another pile of burning debris and snatch some up in your hand!

Flinging it in the hound huddle’s general direction, you allow yourself a quick fist pump when you hear the alpha dog yelp in surprise! Chucking the rest of the burning bric-a-brac at your assailants, your persistence pays off when you hear them scamper off into what you can only assume is a hole in the wall…

As the chamber goes quiet again, your victory holler is cut short by the post-adrenaline pain in your wounds! Clutching your still-oozing arm, you press your PLUSH ROBE against it and rise to your feet.

The beaked bastards may be gone, you think to yourself, but they’ll be back… you add a little nod to the end of your statement for good measure before continuing onward. As you move to see where your attackers went, however, you stub your toe on something even BIGGER and MORE METAL than your DAGGER!

STUBBED TOE COUNT: 2

Stumbling like a drunk at a wedding, you’re just about to regain your balance when you stumble over ANOTHER object: This one made of some kind of LEATHER! You don’t even bother trying after that–letting gravity carry you forwards, you ultimately lose your footing when you trip over a THIRD obstacle–one very similar to the one you encountered in the previous room!

You’ve had quite a few goofy pratfalls today, so getting up and recovering doesn’t take you much time. Still clutching your robe’s sleeve close to your wound, you take your time investigating the stuff you tripped over…

>CONTD.

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>>6096644
All bodies. All humanoid like the last one. The biggest difference is the state of the corpses–if you had to guess you’d say the monsters that just tried to eat you did quite a number on these guys… that said, you’re not sure how those beaky bastards could decapitate everyone… given your performance in your last scrap, however, you’re glad you haven’t run into anyone else yet.

One body is covered in thick armor–the kind made from a bunch of metal SCALES woven together. You give it a little shake and it jingles in response… a little armor couldn’t hurt right now, but it is a little noisier than your current ensemble. As you lift the stiff’s arm, you feel something resembling a HILT at his side… a quick patdown reveals it to be some kind of CURVED BLADE! You feel some kind of HANDLE too, but as you pick it up you feel some intense heat near your knuckles… guess someone torched the SHIELD.

The next body is… different, to say the least. Not in the sense that it was decapitated, of course, but that while the owners of these bodies seem to have clawed hands and patches of feathers on their bodies, this one, well…

Based on the design on the leather armor’s chest region you get the feeling this might’ve been a lady… that assumption checks out when a further assessment confirms that this outfit is lacking coverage of the thighs. Still, LEATHER ARMOR is leather armor, and as you continue to examine the gear, respectfully and tactfully, of course, you find countless THROWING DAGGERS stuffed into the armor’s many pouches!

The last corpse boasts a robe similar to your own, but hidden away in its pocket sits a few BELLS–ABOUT 10 to be precise. Giving them a little jingle, you can’t help but smile at how they all make the same exact tone. Weird stuff! You also find some more of that wacky BUMPY PARCHMENT. They must really like this stuff.

As you shamelessly loot the bodies, you feel another draft blow in across the room and away from where the beaked things departed. Things still don’t seem to be getting any brighter, but at least you’re making progress, right?

… you’re gonna be so late for your shift…

What’s next on the docket?
>Call for help!
>Put on the Scale Mail!
>Wear the Leather Armor! No one’s gonna see you!
>Investigate where the Beak Monsters went!
>Follow the wind!
>Head back to the other room!
>Write-In!

>>6096646
>Wear the Leather Armor! No one’s gonna see you!

>>6096646
>Wear the Leather Armor! No one’s gonna see you!
Bet the bumps are braille or something.

>>6096649
>>6096652
>The Rogue's Gambit!
Writing the last update of the night! Should have more on Wednesday around 6pm Mountain Time--seeya then!

>>6096681
Thanks for running, QM!

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Hey, any port in a storm, right? Manhandling the corpse with your now usual amount of delicacy and care, you unceremoniously flop the body out of the LEATHER ARMOR and strap it on. You’d be lying if you said it was the most comfortable thing you’ve ever worn, but once you snag the owner’s LEATHER BOOTS you feel a little better about the whole thing. You didn’t even have to shake that much corpse muck off of the stuff! Score!

Gathering up the remaining items in your many pockets, you ponder your next course of action. You’re a bit better armed now than you were before, but there’s no telling how long it’ll be before those BEAK FREAKS come back. You could take the fight to them, of course, or you could see if this place has an exit… or a room that isn’t pitch-goddamn-black!

The wind outside wherever you are picks up in speed…

What do?
>Call for help!
>Wait… Put the Scale Mail on!
>Investigate the Beak Freak hole!
>Follow the way the wind is coming from!
>Retreat to the other room!
>Write-In!

PASTEBIN UPDATED:
https://pastebin.com/xdk5kHyA

>>6096684
Thanks for giving it a try!

>>6096691
>Wait… Put the Scale Mail on!

>>6096691
>Put on plush robe over the leather armor!
Big pimpin.

>Follow the way the wind is coming from!

>>6096691
Seconding this>>6096706

>>6096691
>Investigate the Beak Freak hole!

>>6096706
+1

>>6096697
>WAIT, SCALE MAIL

>>6096706
>>6096715
>>6097057
>Antons have layers

>>6096717
>Seek the Beak

Writing!

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Letting your PLUSH ROBE fall to the floor, an idea hits you after a moment of concentrated contemplation: wait a sec, you think aloud, you can LAYER this crap! Tugging the robe over your head once more, you can’t help but give yourself a nod of approval: all the benefits of LEATHER ARMOR and none of the awkwardness! Not to mention how comfortable you are!

Satisfied for now, you stride with renewed confidence in the direction the wind is blowing in from–the breeze scented with faint hints of coniferous trees and dampness characteristic of a coming rain squall.

At least it’ll be brighter, you retort to no one in particular. Using your CURVED BLADE as a walking stick, you carefully make your way up a long, winding staircase that, were you able to see anything, would probably tower over your head like the canopy of a vast, stone jungle.

The climb is rough thanks to the weathered steps–each one varying in shape and size making each step something of a guess rather than a regular motion. By the time you’ve reached what you can only hope is the summit of the staircase, you’re panting like a… well, a not very athletic guy after climbing a mountain of stairs.

You knew you should have signed up for that martial arts class…

Catching your breath, you can almost be certain you hear the sound of claws scratching from far below. Motivation restored, you beat a renewed retreat in the direction the wind is blowing from. As you continue, however, you feel a tile depress beneath your now-booted foot… followed by a dull ‘SHHHUNK’ from the wall!

>Roll me 1d100+1 (-5 Dark, +3 Leather Armor, +3 Renewed Motivation) to duck and weave whatever it is you just activated! Best of 3!

Rolled 75 + 1 (1d100 + 1)

>>6097437

Rolled 54 (1d100)

>>6097437
I’m sure our PLUSH ROBE will let us glide through these arrow traps(?). Not even steel-tipped arrows can penetrate something of this comfort!

Rolled 23 + 1 (1d100 + 1)

>>6097437

>>6097458
>>6097459
>>6097467
>HIGHEST ROLL: 76!
That's the ticket! Writing!
>>6097459
Everything's worth trying once, right?

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A smarter man would probably connect the dots here and recognize the correlation between stepping on the tile and the ‘SHHHHUNK’ coming from the wall. You are not a smarter man.

As the last few minutes of your misadventures have shown, however, you’re a pretty lucky man all things considered! Granted this whole situation you’ve found yourself in is pretty unlucky, but… well, you get the idea.

So rather than avoiding the remaining trap triggers, you instead just sprint as fast as your robed legs can take you across what you can only assume is a gauntlet of every nasty trap in the book… and a few that got stapled on later!

Arrows, darts, axes, large rocks, rotten fruit, you feel it all whiz past with killing intent as serrated blades lap at your heels and just overhead! A lick of flame and a spray of hissing fluids tickle your sides, but neither get a clear hit in! Ducking as you hear the creaking of a massive spiked ball on a chain, you allow yourself a quick sigh of relief as you hear it slam into some other trap creeping up behind you!

You sprint for what must be minutes before you realize the traps stop coming… part of yOW!

STUBBED TOE COUNTER: 3

Damn it… erm, part of you almost wants to look back at everything you dodged, but your head still sitting between your shoulders is enough of a reward!

… also you couldn’t see the damn traps if you wanted to. Man, what IS this place anyways?! Are you still indoors?!

As if listening in on your inner thoughts, your whole body is buffeted by a mighty gale, one that nearly sends you tumbling back into TRAP-O-RAMA! Steadying yourself on the wall, you quickly yank your hand away when it connects with another plume of flames! Where the hell are these COMING from?!

Nursing your hand, you take a few tentative steps out onto what you assume to be some kind of entry landing–a wide open, wind-worn space that must look pretty impressive… but as you take the first fresh breath of air you’ve had in a while, the small bit of solace you gain is drowned out by the sheer confusion you feel when your next few steps take you to the edge of a bluff…

And the view?

Pitch. Black.

Knocking a pebble by your feet over the edge, your fears are realized when you hear it impact on a rock shelf far below. You don’t want to believe it, but it’s hard not to at this point:

It’s not just the room you were in. It’s the whole goddamn world!

>CONTD.

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>>6097524
As you struggle to come to terms with just how utterly fucked you are, the sound of creaking wood takes you out of your self-pity sesh. Following it to its source, you nearly trip over the edge next to an ancient wooden bridge–the ones that always break apart in the movies.

Your options, you realize, are pretty slim–you can head back the way you came, of course, maybe try to find a way out past those BEAK BASTARDS... or you can take the bridge.

Call it selfish, but your arm still hurts from its brief stint as a chew toy.

You probably grip the rope handrails for one second before you appraise just how old they are–flecks of rope come off in your hand with each movement you make, each ‘kiss’ making your palms itch. Taking every step as if it were your last, you don’t put your entire weight on any wooden plank until you’re certain it’ll hold, and even then you find yourself skipping a few.

Slowly but surely getting into the ‘rhythm’ of the swaying bridge, you begin to hear the faint rush of water far below… maybe if you’re lucky you won’t hit any rocks when this death trap falls apart!

You’re just about to send a loogie on the raddest flight of its life when you hear it–something you haven’t heard in hours… something you had pretty much given up on since you arrived in… wherever you are.

“OI!” Snarls a rough-and-tumble voice from far ahead, “Moron! This bridge is officially CLOSED!”

Following the smug voice to its origin, your eyes meet with another pair idling next to what you assume is the end of the bridge–blood red in color and dotted with almost reptilian irises…

“Now be a good little cult boy and scurry back into your little temple, hm?” Continues the owner of the eyes in a singsong tone, “An’ make it quick-like fore’ I roast ya like the others!”

The first girl you’ve met and she’s already threatening to kill you. The more things change, the more they stay the same, huh, Anton?

What do?
>Listen to her! Head on back, forget it!
>Keep going. She’s bluffing!
>RUN FOR HER SIDE OF THE BRIDGE!
>Introduce yourself! Start a dialogue!
>Uhhhh COMPLIMENT her!
>Get her talking… maybe ask who the hell she is?
>THROW A DAGGER!
>Challenge her to a DUEL!
>Write-In!

And on that happy note we're gonna call it for the night! Should have more for ya tomorrow around the usual 6pm Mountain Time! Sorry for the delay today--wind ended up fucking a gate up and I had to fix it. See ya next time!

>>6097526
>Introduce yourself! Start a dialogue!
I'm not in a cult! I think I maybe got kidnapped by one, though. My name is Anton Peas.
>Get her talking… maybe ask who the hell she is?
Who the hell are you?

>>6097526
>>Introduce yourself! Start a dialogue!
Keep it civil, they can see and we can't.

>>6097526
>Introduce yourself! Start a dialogue!

>>6097526
>Introduce yourself! Start a dialogue!

>>6097526
>Introduce yourself! Start a dialogue!

>>6097526
>Introduce yourself! Start a dialogue!
>Sit down next to the bridge and get comfy. You work in fast food, she stands by bridges you can’t see. You’re both fluent in KILLING TIME DURING DOWNTIME. Probably.
We may be the most interesting thing that’s happened to her today. As long as we’re not an asshole we can probably get through an introduction spiel and say things like
>I have no idea where I am.
>My home had a lot more light. Thanks for yelling at me, I could have walked next to the bridge instead of on it.
>Please don’t take advantage of that, I want to keep my insides inside.
>I got this from someone else. They, uh. Won’t be needing it back.
>Can I get directions to somewhere for the clueless? I’m pretty clueless right now.

>>6097545
>>6097619
>>6097634
>>6097661
>>6097678
>>6097993
>DIPLOMANCE!

>>6097993
>WITH EXTRA DEETS, PLEASE!

Writing!

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Your track record for winning fights isn’t so hot as of late, so you decide to take the path of what you hope is the least resistance and lean against the rope handrail. Hey, you begin, my name i-WOAHSHIT

Okay, maybe leaning on the rope isn’t a good idea. As you regain your balance, your introduction is met with a derisive snort!

“How interesting! Say, let me file that interesting factoid under ‘THINGS TO FORGET IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE I DON’T CARE!”

The girl lets loose a derisive laugh that actually makes you feel kinda bad. Your name is actually Anton Peas and you have no idea where you a-

“Ah-ah-ah!” Tsks the girl as she probably wags her finger, “What did I just say about not caring? Are all of you cultists this stupid, or are you a special case?”

Wait a second, you stammer as you shake your head in growing confusion, cult? Is… did you wake up in a cult-

“That’s right, you REALLY screwed up this time, moron!” Snaps the bridge bully, “I bet you and your little playmates thought you were going to have a little fun… drink some wine, bark at the moon, summon a devil… well you didn’t summon ‘a devil’, worm!”

She pauses for a moment. If you could see her finger, you’d assume she was pointing it at you. Dramatically.

“You, my knuckledragging nincompoop, summoned the mighty REZALITH: DEMON QUEEN AND SCOURGE OF CHAAT’TAI! Look upon my form and DESPAIR!”

It’s hard to look upon her form and DESPAIR when you can barely see your hands, but based on where her eyes are you get the feeling her form isn’t very tall. You don’t tell her this, of course.

>CONTD.

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>>6098336
Look, you sigh, you don’t know who she is or where she came fr-

CHAAT’TAI! THE RED PLANE!

Right, right, Pad Thai. The point is, you continue in a placating voice, you’re a newcomer here as well and can barely see-

“Save the backstory for someone who’s buyin’ it, MORON!” Snarls Rezalith with a click of her impressively-shiny teeth, “I can smell that crummy cult robe on you from a mile away, and guess what?! Your BINDING RITUAL didn’t work!”

You blink. Binding?

“Dwuuhhh, bwouuwwndwiiing??? Duuuhhhrrr?” She retorts in a voice that definitely doesn’t sound like yours, “Do you SEE me cooped up in a cramped little summoning circle?”

Well like you said, you can’t see much of anythin-

“Do you SEE me NOT slicing your boyfriends into ribbons and torching your dumb little clubhouse!?”

Ohhh, you nod with a laugh, that was her-

“I’m a FREE DEVIL now, fool, and I don’t care who asks, the only person I’m gonna serve from now on is ME, ME, and ME!”

Fair, you reply, but how about-

A mischievous glimmer forms in Rezalith’s eyes. “Y’know, you’re acting awfully annoying for someone standing on a rickety bridge… maybe you should stop blathering and start worshiping, hm?”

Punctuating her suggestion with a cheeky wink, the devil makes a show of scratching what you can only assume is one of the bridge’s posts with either a very large blade or a very nasty claw.

You’re not sure which possibility is the better one, but this girl is right–she’s got you in a nasty spot right now!

What do?
>Call her bluff! She’s not really a queen, is she?!
>Tell her to check you out–you’re not a damn cultist!
>Bring up something only a foreigner would know!
>Compliment her! You can’t really see her, but you can probably think of something!
>Just back away. You can find another way down.
>Stay quiet. Maybe she just wants attention?
>ATTACK while her guard is down!
>Ask her about herself! She seems to like that topic!
>Maybe you can make a deal! Devils LOVE deals!
>Write-In!

>>6098337
>>Compliment her! You can’t really see her, but you can probably think of something!
>"My what sharp teeth you have?"

>>6098337
>Write-In!
"Look, Rezdog, I'm not a cultist. I'm pretty sure I might be, I don't know, a sacrifice or something. And any enemy of yours is an enemy of mine!"

>Ask her about herself! She seems to like that topic!
"So, what kind of demon are you?"

>>6098340
+1

"I can tell you're obviously the fearsome kind by those teeth of yours, but why'd these idiots summon you? Slaughtering their enemies? Wisdom from beyond? Really like the color red? Spill, girl."

>>6098337
>Compliment her! You can’t really see her, but you can probably think of something!
>Her EYELASHES are rather vivid. Des she do anything to bring them out?
>Her TEETH are very bright and sharp. How does she maintain that? It’s a good routine.
>Her RED EYES are rather striking. Everyone where we’re from is real samey with white sclera and a small colored part.
How bad would you have to screw up a ritual to summon people from two planes? I’m guessing that’s what happened to us.

>>6098340
>>6098347
>>6098350
>COMPLIMENTS AND QUESTIONS!

Writing!

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It’s never worked for you before, but maybe this time will be different? Clearing your throat, you start off with what little details you can see.

Does she sharpen her teeth or something, or do they just have really good toothpaste in Chatty? Because those chompers…my oh my!

The devil gives you an impassive glance, but she does let her fangs poke out a little further.

“... go on.”

This is usually where the pepper spray comes in! You’re doing great! Fueled with renewed confidence, you dare to take a few cautious steps further up the bridge!

A-and those eyelashes, you add, does she do anything to, like, bring them out, or?

“All natural.” She grunts, batting her eyelashes your way. “But good for you to notice… for a cult-loving MORON, anyways…”

Ignoring that last jab, you go for the kill: and her EYES!

“... what about ‘em?”

So STRIKING, you reply! So BOLD! why, where you come from is just kinda samey… we have a white part and a little pupil-

“Getting bored. Try harder, stupid.”

Damn it, you thought ALL girls liked getting complimented on their eyes! Err, they’re very… pointy?

“Hmm… I’ll allow it~” She purrs, her stony expression slowly warming up again. “You know, it’s too bad you and the rest of your merry band of morons tried to bind me… I could certainly use a guide around this place. And a slave.”

She shrugs. Probably.

“I was planning on cutting your head off and hanging onto it as a snack for later, but-”

Look, Rezie, you begin as you take a few more bold steps forward, you’re not a cultist, okay? You may smell like a cultist, kinda look like a cultist, and are wearing the leather leotard of a cul-

“Wait, what?”

ROBE of a cultist, but you’re not! In fact, you add, you’re pretty sure you were summoned here from your own world just like she was! And by accident! So uh…

You pause mid-speech when you realize the devil queen’s eyes are lit up like bloody Jack-O-Lanterns. Guess she didn’t like ‘Rezie’.

>CONTD.

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>>6098423
What you’re trying to say is, you sputter, is that you’re on the same side here!

Covering your face to protect it against the inevitable fireball, you peek through your fingers after you realize you aren’t dead yet. ‘Rezie’s’ eyes have relaxed, somewhat, but you can tell she’s still a little testy. Like a cat that can’t decide if it wants to bite you or let it pet it.

“Hmmm…” She remarks, studying you like a chef about to gut a fish, “You DO have a slightly different scent than the other mouthbreathers… and you’d have to be especially dumb to race after me after seeing what I did to your friends…”

Exactly, you agree with an emphatic nod, you’ve been screwed over too! So if she wants to get revenge together-

“Hmmm…. No way in HELLS!” The devil hisses with a frown, “I can barely see you, but I can already tell you’re a weakling. You’d probably sprain your wrist the minute you picked up a dagger.”

Hey, that’s not true! You’ve been holding a dagger this whole tOW!

Her expression turns smug once again.

“... but I could certainly use a good SHIELD in case some torch-bearing rabble waylay me. You’ll do in a pinch, I suppose.”

Progress, you mutter under your breath with a stealthy pump of your fist! So uh… what kind of demon is she, anyways?

“A QUEEN. Of an entire plane. Don’t think about it too hard–you’ll hurt yourself.”

Sure, but… like, is she red? Does she have horns? Wings? Tail?

You’re answered with a derisive ‘PSSSSH!’

“Sorry cult boy, I’m not a SUCCUBUS. Not that you could handle one. Virgin.”

Your pride urges you to continue this argument, but a rare case of common sense getting through to you tells you it’s not worth the fight. She can still kill you, after all.

>CONTD.

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>>6098424
Okay, you sigh, how about this then: any clue why someone would try to summon her in the first place? Slaughtering some enemies? Wisdom from beyond? Big fans of the color red? Spill, gurl.

“The only things I’ll spill are your pathetic guts if you keep talking to me like that.” She snarls as an unseen claw ‘thunk’s into the bridge’s support post. “And how the HELLS should I know what they wanted? They were dumb and now they’re dead. End of story. Roll credits.”

Right, you retort, but isn’t she curiou-

“Nope! I’m free now. That means I don’t have to care about things like that~”

The way she ends her sentence makes her sound kinda proud. You can’t help but be a little impressed, but it doesn’t help you out much.

“Quit staring at me like that. I still might kill and eat you, y’know.”

Right, sorry.

Another thunk in the support. You take another cautious step towards your new best fiend.

“Oi, pervert.”

Anton.

“Autist. Your QUEEN has a question for you.”

Oh? Sure, ask away!

“You claim you aren’t a cultist–that you aren’t from this world.”

Exactly, you reply with another nod, you’re not from here! You come from the town of-

“I wasn’t finished. Shut up.” She snaps with a click of an unseen claw. “I don’t choose my slaves lightly, nor do I tolerate failure. So,” Rezalith adds with a clap of her claws, “What do you have to offer me in exchange for my continued tolerance of your presence? Tell me of your uses–surely you’re good for something besides a midday snack.”

Well, you begin, mind already aching from what might be the most important question of your life, you…

CHOOSE 1!
>Can be really sneaky! Once no one noticed you for a whole week! (+Stealth Checks)
>Know how to get on people’s good side! Once there was this customer… (+Charisma Checks)
>Take a lot of damage! There was this grease fire at work once, and… (+Willpower/Stamina Checks)
>Know a lot of cool stuff! See, there’s this thing called the ‘Internet’, and you basically spend most of your time… (+Intellect Checks)
>Are stronger than you look! You once moved a whole fryer by yourself when no one else showed up… (+Strength Checks)
>Are able to dislocate your shoulders on command! (+Dexterity Checks)
>Once held your breath for like… ten minutes! (Can hold breath for a long time!)
>Don’t believe in ghosts! (Doesn’t believe in ghosts)
>Can eat without ever getting fat! (Can eat a lot of food)
>Play an instrument! Kinda! (Choose an instrument. You can kinda play it.)
>Write-In (Something reasonable, but neat)

That's it for tonight, folks. Should have more for ya tomorrow at the usual time! Expect that unless I say otherwise. Seeya then!

>>6098425
>>Take a lot of damage! There was this grease fire at work once, and… (+Willpower/Stamina Checks)

>>6098425
>Kill everything you touch! Inadvertently. Plants, animals, you name it. (+Bad Luck Aura)

>>6098435
+1

>>6098427
+1

>>6098425
>Take a lot of damage! There was this grease fire at work once, and… (+Willpower/Stamina Checks)

>>6098425
>>Take a lot of damage! There was this grease fire at work once, and… (+Willpower/Stamina Checks)
Tank Build Let's go

>>6098425
>>6098435
+1
Just a mild bad luck one. Wouldn’t want our new boss to think we’re any more of a liability than we are now.

You know what? I like both of these. Damn fine write-in! Gonna update later, obviously, so the vote's still open, but would y'all want to have both +Willpower/Stamina AND this neat +Bad Luck Aura?

>Yes, give us both!
>No, Only the Willpower thing, Bones!

>>6098535
>Yes, give us both!
This can only go well!

>>6098535
Fits well together, we're tough because we are unlucky

>>6098535
>Yes, give us both!
I read the bad luck aura as a “we’re lucky until we really try to plan something out in detail” since we got through the traps fine.

As long as we don’t need to water or feed Rezalith regularly she should be fine. Probably.

>>6098535
>Yes, give us both!
Loving the way the quest is going! You’re a great writer.

>>6098581
I read it as the same way a black cat is unlucky.
Not itself, but others? Well...

>>6098535
>No, Only the Willpower thing, Bones!

>>6098535
>Yes, give us both!

Let's rock then.
>>6098427
>>6098448
>>6098453
>>6098456
>WILLPOWERRRRRR

>>6098435
>>6098445
>>6098528
>BAD LUCK AURA!

Writing!

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You can take a whole lot of damage, you begin as your voice takes on a whimsical tinge and your scars start to itch, see, there was this grease fire at work once an-

Over ten posts worth of flashbacks are swiftly shot down by a rock crashing against your jaw at sub mach speed! If you hadn’t chosen this bonus you’d probably be crying right now.

“Hmm… I guess that’s useful…” Purrs your new boss as you hear a few more rocks drop to the ground next to her. “What else? MY slaves have to have at least TWO skills.”

Erm, you stammer as you scramble to think of something else, well you’ve got a sunny personality-

Another rock gets intimate with your face. Still not crying!

Okay, you sputter, you… you’re like a BLACK CAT, okay!? Things tend to be pretty, well… unlucky around you!

The rock barrage is put on hold. For now. “... I have no idea what that means. Idiot.”

Like… like if you’re taking care of a plant, 9 times outta 10 it dies, okay? You barely work with any other coworkers anymore because of how often they slip and fall into the fryers!

“I understood the luck part, moron,” Chides Rezalith as she gives the bridge post another long scratch, “I have no idea what this ‘BLACK CAT’ is you speak of.”

Your eyes widen a bit. Wait, she doesn’t know what a cat is?

“I don’t make it a habit to do or know things that don’t concern me!” Snarls the devil with another scratch! “That’s what I have SLAVES for, duh-DOI.”

How uh… how many slaves has she had, anyways?

“How many times have you hurt yourself trying to think, hmm? It must be around that number.”

Is she always this abusive, you begin, or is today just a special occasion?

“A VERY special occasion indeed!” Cackles Rezalith with a swish of an unseen claw! “Today I am finally FREE! Free to do what I want, when I want, and how I want it! These dark lands shall QUAKE at the sound of my name!”

With what you can only assume is a dramatic flourish, ‘Rezie’ pauses with wide eyes as the two of you hear the sound of something creaking…

… She chopped up the support post, didn’t she?

“... You’re the one who said he spread Bad Luck. That means that you dying in a moment isn’t my fault at all!” She counters, sticking a forked tongue out at you as you feel the brittle wood beneath your feet buckle! “This wouldn’t have happened if you had WINGS or something. Idiot…”

Rezalith’s award-winning empathy does little to comfort you as you feel gravity take hold of you! Mustering one last-ditch jump, you leap off the crumbling bridge and over to safety!

Wait, no, you just slam your face against a cliff. Tumbling into the inky blackness below, the last thing you hear before you black out is a derisive snort from your would-be partner.

At least she’s amused…

>CONTD.

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You awaken what feels like a week later on your back, your pilfered clothes damp against your body, but warmed thanks to the comforting sound of a crackling fire just to your left and a warm fur wrapped around you like a tortilla in a chimichanga. Rubbing your eyes, your heart sinks a little bit when you still fail to see anything, but the area around the campsite is loud with the chitter of unfamiliar chitters and cheeps… bird and bugsong denoting a warm evening. The sound of a nearby rushing river tries in vain to drown them out.

As you mull over the last hour’s events in your still-reeling head, you feel a warm towel slip off of your forehead and onto the dirt below. Huh, you mutter, did Rezalith develop a conscience or something?

Before you can ponder ‘Nice Rezalith’ any further, a series of heavy footfalls in metal boots tromp over from the camp’s border! Freezing in place like a hot dog in a pack, you can’t help but let out a quiet whine as a yellow-eyed figure that must be at least twice your size stoops down to leer at you, a pair of tusks nearly poking your face!

Neither of you say a word, though you can both see each other’s eyes. You’re just about to piss yourself when your visitor breaks the ice with a surprisingly brash, but amicable voice!

“Well well, you certainly dozed off! How’s your head, stranger? You were a real mess when we found you!”

Errr…

“Oh Mitaar, what a relief! Morook’s going to be so pleased!” The stranger sighs, rising to her dizzying height again in a symphony of clanks from her unseen armor, “Don’t worry–he just went to grab some meat for the stew. You just rest, okay? Leave everything to Volka!”

Your caretaker winks one of her giant yellow eyes as she takes a seat next to the unseen campfire and throws some more fuel in.

“Now I don’t usually pry into other people’s business, but it’s rare to see a Gnok out here by themselves, especially going for a swim!” Leaning closer, ‘Volka’ prods your arm with a leathery claw that feels bigger than your head. “Especially one with no feathers! What were you thinking venturing out here alone anyways? Morook’s going to chew your horns off when he sees you’re awake, y’know! Fair warning!”

How do you respond?

>What are you?
>Where am I?
>Try to explain your predicament!
>Gnok?
>Who’s Morook?
>Did you see a devil around here?
>PANIC
>Run!
>Write-In!

>>6098721
>Write-In!
>I'm not gonna lie, I have no idea what you just said. Can you tell me a bit more about what the fuck is up around these parts?

>>6098790
>What the fuck
Yea that'll encapsulate a lot of this stuff! Writing!

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Maybe you’re still adjusting to the lack of light. Perhaps your brain is trying to untangle itself. It might just be the meteoric pace at which this quest is going. Whatever the reason, you find yourself having trouble parsing what your new friend(?) said to you, not that you had any trouble hearing her talk.

I’m not gonna lie, you begin, giving your temples a well-deserved massage, I have no clue what you just said.

“Oh?” Volka replies with concern leaking into her peppy voice, “Well that’s okay, stranger–which part was confusing for ya?”

All of it, you reply. Can she just, like, start with the basics, please? You’re still on Post 1 here.

“Wow,” begins your armored ally in a tone usually reserved for a parent about to explain the Birds and the Bees, “You must have been underwater for a while to be this confused! If we hadn’t dredged you out you’d probably be Jhekk chow!”

See, that’s what you’re talking about right there, you interject, pointing a finger at what you assume is her direction, she’s talking like an extra from that old show ‘Space Trip’.

“Show?”

Forget it. Just… where ARE we right now? What is this place?

“Mitaar’s light, you’re really confused, aren’t you?”

Make it as SIMPLE as you can, you reply as you pick up the warm towel from earlier and give your forehead a dab.

“Where do I even start?” Volka asks as you hear a claw scratch something rough and leathery. “Well you’re in Zoral, of course… though most folks call it the Darklands. You know, on account of the-”

The DARKNESS, you interject with a sagely nod, yea, you noticed. Is that-

“Normal? Well for most people, yea…” Volka replies in a slightly less-sporty tone. “Some folks were around before light went bye-bye, but a lot of them are really old… or crazy.”

And why did it go bye-bye, exactly? You hear a clatter of metal around the girl’s shoulders far above you. A shrug.

“Plenty of theories to choose from,” she sighs. “Some people think Mitaar The Sun God got angry with us. Others think someone just sealed all the light away…”

What does she think happened?

“Aww, I’m not too good at that philosophical stuff…” Volka replies bashfully. “But my dad has a lot of theories about it–maybe you can ask him!” She pauses. “If, erm… you didn’t plan on swimming more, at least.”

Yea, you’re not exactly jazzed about doing that again, you reply. And it wasn’t because you wanted to–you were on a bridge and some devil cut it loose-

“Woah woah WOAH, a DEVIL??” Volka interjects with a laugh in her voice! “Now I KNOW you’ve been breathing water! There’s no devils in the Darklands!”

“What’s this about devils?”

>CONTD.

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>>6098846
Both your eyes and Volka’s snap towards the new voice and find themselves staring at… well, at first glance they look like a pair of yellow disco balls!

“Morook!” Volka announces with a smile, “He woke up! Your medicine did the trick!”

“That remains to be seen…” Mutters the quieter voice belonging to the disco ball eyes. “You picked a strange place to swim, friend.”

You didn’t pick ANYTHING, you groan! You’re not FROM here, okay? You were… summoned, or something! By some weird cult!

Both of your saviors pause to appraise you for a bit. Finally they’re starting to LISTEN!

“... I think he’s deranged, Mor.”

Damn it! Morook, as he was called, doesn’t reply. Though nowhere near as tall as Volka, he still stoops to a knee to address you.

“A cult?”

Well for starters they were wearing these robes, you begin as you shake your accoutrement around, letting the trinkets sewn onto it jangle, and when you woke up you were in some cave full of traps… and beaked monsters!

“Beaked?” Volka asks.

“Makkar.” Replies the newcomer in a matter-of-fact tone. “Common and bold in these parts.”

As you wrack your brain for any other proof, you remember the pieces of PARCHMENT you pilfered from the cultists! Handing them over to Morook, you cross your arms and wait as he examines them closer.

“...These aren’t your usual incantations, that’s for sure…” He muses as you hear the parchment shift hands to Volka. “Would Master Volkir recognize these, you think?”

“It’d be weird if he couldn’t…” Volka replies with a click of something tongue-like, “You’re right, though:weird choice of runes for an incantation…”

Magic, you begin with awed disbelief in your tone, they’re… are they talking about magic?

“Not as common these days with the world going dark, but not uncommon.” Nods Morook as he rises to his feet. “So you’re no Gnok then… that explains the smell.”

No, you sigh, you’re not a ‘Gnok’. You’re a human, okay? At least… you think you are. The details have been pretty sparse.

“Human…” Volka repeats in a tone that almost makes it sound sacred, “What a funny word!”

“Surprising amount of similarities between you and a Gnok, though…” Morook observes with a hint of bemusement, “I was curious where your feathers and horns were when I examined your wounds.”

Wait a sec, you stammer, he… examined you?

“Well I started...” Volka replies with a touch of embarrassment creeping into her tone, “But when I realized you weren’t a girl, well…”

“Don’t worry, I didn’t find any permanent damage.” Morook steps in with a smirk, “Which makes you quite a lucky person if you truly fell from a bridge. Nothing but crags and cliffs in this neck of the Darklands.”

>CONTD.

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>>6098847
Well you DID fall, you grumble, and there was someone else with you too–some devil girl named ‘Rezalith’.

Both of your new pals go silent for a moment before Volka speaks up. “That’s… hard to believe…”

She doesn’t need to believe it, you retort–just follow the river back to the broken bridge! The devil’s probably still there laughing!

“No, I don’t doubt that…” Volka explains with a hint of concern, “It’s just that the Temple Guard are usually on top of snuffing out devil rituals long before they occur…” She pauses, then adds “Err, Temple Guard of Mitaar, that is.” In an apologetic voice.

“One question if I may…” Morook begins as his disco ball eyes burn holes into you, “What is your name and where are you from?”

“Huh?” Volka asks, cocking her head to the side.

Your name is Anton Peas, you reply, and you’re from-

“Wait, what did he say?” Asks the girl as she pops a squat next to you.

“He said his name is Anton,” replies Morook, “And he did it in an ancient Chytree dialect.”

You blink. What’s a Chytree?

“I am.” Morook explains, “But the dialect I just used is long gone… but if that’s not evidence of your story being true, I don’t know what is.”

When both you and Volka reply with a confused “Eeeh?”Morook strides over to the campfire and places something above the flames with a gentle ‘hiss’. “No one speaks that language anymore, least of all non-Chytree. Mages, maybe, but I can’t really imagine what use they’d have for it apart from novelty.” Turning towards you again, the Chytree clicks some unseen claws or mandibles intently.

“If I had to guess, I’d say your summoners added in some kind of language spell. Magic’s not really my forte, though.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Mor! I’m not good at it either!”

“It wasn’t a putdown, but thanks, Volka.” Smiles Morook. “As for you, Anton, I’m sure you have a lot of questions given your current predicament.”

That’s an understatement! How the hell do you get back home anyways!?

>CONTD.

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>>6098851
Morook clicks in thought. “I’m afraid I don’t have an answer to that, but I know where you can find someone that might…”

“Crossroads?” Asks Volka.

“Precisely.” Replies her friend. “It’s a trade hub, Anton–probably the biggest in the Darklands. I’m not overly fond of cities, but you’re certain to find answers there if you don’t mind some footwork.”

A city in the dark, huh? Sounds like a great place to get mugged.

“No need to fear: Volka’s here!” Announces your armored friend! “Erm… well what I mean is I’d love to show you around, Ant, but-”

“Leave the ingredients gathering to me.” Interjects Morook with a twinkle in his eye. “It’ll probably be faster if I’m on my own anyways.”

“Are you sure?” Asks Volka with a tinge of disappointment, “I mean… it’s my dad who wanted the goods…”

“Don’t worry–the wilds and I are old friends.” Morook explains with what passes for a wry grin in his voice, “Just send someone after me if I don’t catch up in two days. Maybe I can look into this cult temple too.”

That’s… that’d be really cool of him, you reply. Thanks!

“When all is dark, it’s our character that defines us.” Recites the Chytree with a bow of his head. “And don’t thank me too much–Volka will be your travel partner.”

“Heeeyy….” The girl snarls through sharp teeth, “If I didn’t know you better I’d toss you in the river, Mor.”

Heading over to the campfire, Morook kneels and gives something metal a few taps. “I’m going to head back out, but please eat some stew before you depart. Comforts can be few and far between in the Darklands.”

As Morook turns to leave, your new chaperone Volka turns to you with a reassuring smile. “No rush, Ant. Leave the worrying to me, okay?” Her smirk deepens. “... and the warrioring. Ha!”

Anything else before you depart?
>Ask Morook something else!
>Ask Volka a question!
>Snag some stew!
>Rest a little bit!
>Head to the river!
>Call out to Rezalith!
>Nope, let’s hit the road!
>Write-In!

>>6098853
>Ask Morook/Volka something else!
>>So what’s the deal with devils here? Rezalith mentioned something about GAD FLY, THE RED PLANE. Does that mean anything to them?
>What’s there to worry about, by the way?

>>6098875
>The devil in the details
>Worry?
Writing!

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Morook just dropped a truckload of knowledge on you–clearly he’s not a guy you want wandering off into the darkness… not yet, at least!

Wait a sec, Mor, you begin before turning to Volka as well, you guys mentioned that devils get hunted down by the Temple Guard–

“And devil worshippers. And devil priests. And devil ritualists.” Volka’s face scrunches up in thought. “...And since we’re on the subject I’d also loop in demons, deovals, daemons, and fiends too.”

“Mitaar’s Temple Guard is nothing if not thorough.” Nods Morook. “They’ve had a lot of time on their hands since light disappeared.”

No kidding, you remark as you kick a stone from one patch of darkness into another patch. How do they do that, anyways?

“I don’t know the finer details, but even with light gone Mitaal Worshippers still have tools and spells designed to track down… uninvited guests.” Morook explains. “As for what they do with them once they’re found, well…”

“Dad has a library with stories all about fights against devils in the past…” Volka adds with a slight wistfulness in her voice, “Can’t really read ‘em anymore, but dad knows some of the stories by heart and used ‘em to get me to fall asleep.”

Did it work?

“In a way!” The warrior snickers, “They certainly helped him fall asleep, in any case.”

“There’s a temple in Crossroads if you care to ask yourself.” Suggests Morook with a shrug in his voice. “Careful, though: many Mitaar worshippers can be somewhat…” He pauses, searching for the polite words.

“Intense!” Volka concludes with a nod. “But don’t worry–they’re part of the good guys!”

Can’t wait to meet ‘em, you reply, grateful that you’ve got some allies to look forward to in the city!

>CONTD.

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>>6099003
Say, Rezalith, err, the devil you met was mentioning some sort of ‘RED PLANE’... pretty sure it started with a C... Ever hear of other planes in those stories your dad used to tell you?

Volka drums some claws against some flat metal at her side… a shield, perhaps?

“Hmmm… I heard a lot of names…”

It had to be… CHATTY, or something.

“CHAT’TAAI…” Morook utters with a frown. Yea, that one! Good call, Morook!

“Oooh, I remember that one!” Volka exclaims as Morook fails to notice your attempt to high-five him. “Yea, a lot of demons come from that place in the old tales… they all had seriously creepy names, too! And how they looked?” The warrior shudders. “I still get nightmares sometimes!”

As you imagine the tusked amazonian getting nightmares, Volka clicks her tusks a few times in further thought. “Y’know, though… I don’t remember there being a Devil Queen... only a Devil King... can’t remember his name, though…”

Wait, wha? Is she suuuuure?

“Mhm, I always remember getting a little annoyed at that.” The woman replies with a nod. “I bet a Devil Queen could do a good job too!”

“Extraplanar Politics aside, use caution, Anton:” Morook interjects with a pointed tone, “You’re a newcomer here–don’t draw too much unwanted attention by shouting in the streets about devils.”

“Yep, that’s a great way to get some unwanted attention!” Volka adds with a nod. Man, Rezie’s gonna have an interesting reception waiting for her, huh?

Eh. She’s probably fiiiine.

>CONTD.

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>>6099004
As the three of you converse, you can’t help but pick up on strange noises in the air around you… clicks, howls, squeaks… if you didn’t know better you’d think you were summoned into a zoo!

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Remarks Morook as he cranes his neck skyward and sighs. “When you aren’t distracted by sight your senses are treated to an entirely different symphony…”

“Morook knows the land like the back of his talons,” Volka hisses conspiratorially into your ear, “But all that solitude can make you a little… kooky…”

“Trust me: I was kooky long before I became a ranger.” Adds Morook with a smirk in his tone, prompting a yelp from Volka.

He knows a lot about the land, right? Not that you’re ungrateful, but what should a guy look out for in these parts anyways?

“Well you already had a run-in with Makkar…” Morook begins as if listing the creatures on his talons, “Pack hunters. Easily startled, but packs never make the same mistake twice. It’s best to cull them the minute they attack a caravan.”

“They also make for some good eatin’!” Volka adds, “And the beaks are a crunchy snack if you boil and spice ‘em!”

What else, you ask as you gulp the contents of your stomach back down your throat.

“Ziib are irritating.” Adds Morook as he takes a step towards the campfire, “By the time you hear them it’s too late–they track you down by smell, so make sure to wash regularly–they won’t find you if you smell like grass or natural water.”

“They’re more annoying than anything else…” Shrugs your bodyguard, “They can barely get through scales or chitin to begin with, so at worst you’re left with a few nasty wounds…” She gives you a playful nudge with an elbow bigger than your head. “Gotta love natural armor, right?”

Yea uh… you don’t have that.

“Oh! Yea, they’ll probably devour you in minutes then.” Volka stammers as Morook massages the space between his eyes. “... Sorry…”

>CONTD.

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>>6099006
“There’s plenty more to worry about, obviously, but the biggest threat are the other wayfarers you’ll meet on the road…” Says Morook with a grave tone.

“Oh boy, here we go again…” Groans Volka. “Mor, you’re gonna have to trust other people even-”

“You don’t need masks in this gloom, Anton.” Warns the ranger as his eyes bore holes into yours, “You got lucky with Volka and I, but beware who you trust. Not everyone has your best interest in mind, least of all strangers.”

Foreboding! Still solid advice though!

“Stay informed, stay alive!” Morook replies with uncharacteristic cheeriness in his tone. “You’ll have to tell me how you fared once we meet in Crossroads.”

“Hah! He’ll have nothing but good things to report, you can count on that!” Chirps Volka as she rests an arm on your back that nearly crushes it! “As expected of the CROSSROADS LAMPLIGHTERS!”

Morook’s groan prompts you to dive deeper. Lampli-

“Don’t worry, she’ll tell you all about it.” He sighs with the energy of a man who’s heard it all before. “Trust me.”

A rumbling wind brushes past your campsite, prompting the ranger to glance skyward. “Best leave soon–if the weather holds you’ll get there by this evening.”

Any last questions before grabbing a bite and venturing forth?

>One more for Morook!
>One more for Volka!
>Nope, we’re good!
>One more check for Reza?
>Write-In!

>>6099007
>…how can you tell the time of day if there’s no sun?

>>6099064
+1, for whoever will answer it.

>>6099007
also,
>Are there any lights at Crossroads? How does anyone navigate this darkness without torches?

>>6099007
>>6099064 +1

>>6099064
>>6099085
>>6099099
>How can you tell the time, hmmmm
>Lights or anything in Crossroads?
Writing~did a little yardwork this morning so expect a slow update or two

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Wait, you yell, WAAIIIIIT!

“I haven’t departed yet.” Morook states in a dry tone, “Was there something else?”

It’s just uh, you begin with a smirk as you rub your finger along your chin, it’s just kinda funny that you can tell the time of day… without, y’know… light and all.

“... Is that suspicious?”

“Actually I was wondering how you did that too, Mor.” Adds Volka with renewed interest in her voice. “I thought you didn’t like magic!”

“I don’t.” Spits the ranger. “But it’s not magic… here, follow me.”

Beckoning you both with a few low clicks, Morook leads you away from the campfire and down a small grassy embankment. So plants still gro-AAAAH!

“Watch your step.” Morook warns a few seconds after you pick yourself up from a puddle at the bottom of the hill picking pond scum out of your teeth. When the three of you have ventured far enough away from the safety of the camp, your guide pauses and hushes Volka and you with a hiss.

“What are we doin-”

“Don’t speak, just feel…” Morook whispers as he deftly interrupts the warrior. “Take note of what you smell. Taste. Hear. Feel.”

It takes a moment to get comfortable in the darkness, but Morook hasn’t let you down yet. Taking a deep breath, your focus immediately shifts to the distant howls of the local fauna…

But then you feel the breeze… the type you feel nipping your cheeks as you walk to work in early Fall. That crisp chill that signals the end of Summer… and then you feel something else–the tickle of something warm tousling your hair and kissing your face like a flock of butterflies.

Sunlight. So it’s not gone, it’s-

“Perhaps.” Shrugs the ranger as you continue to bask in your senses, “It could also be a substitute conjured up by mages, or the lingering effects of what once was–like a phantom limb.” Morook sighs. “Nature’s a good teacher provided you stop to listen. You’ll notice too once the sun’s phantom departs for the day.”

“Yea well…” Volka begins as she stretches, shattering the silence with the creak of metal, “I’ll leave the timekeeping to you then, Ant, because I didn’t get anything except for a little nap...”

Just great–whisked away to a fantasy world and you’ve become a glorified clock.

>CONTD.

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>>6099369
One last thing, you add as the three of you trek back to the campsite, this Crossroads place… is it dark too?

“As dark as anywhere else, yes.” Morook confirms in a tone usually reserved for a mother answering a toddler’s question.

That must be absolutely bananas then, right? How does anyone find their way around?

“They get creative!” Volka replies as she gently places a bowl of stew in your hands, its contents tickling your nostrils with savory, spicy goodness and tickling your eyes with steam. “Just because you can’t see doesn’t mean you can’t get around!”

Well yea, you shrug, bringing the bowl to your lips and sipping, but-oh damn, that is GOOD!

“Thanks!” Snickers Volka, “I call it The Trail Special.”

“She’s gotten very good at avoiding toxic ingredients.” Adds Morook as he too takes a sip. “But yes, being a trade hub there’s quite a few innovations present, though most of them hail from UMBERAL.”

“That’s a city to the North!” Volka helpfully adds. “A lotta Mox and Durher live there, so they come up with all kinds of crazy machines and contraptions!”

The ranger pauses as if remembering something worrying.

“... I would stay away from there for now. For all of Crossroads’ faults, it’s also probably the safest place in Zoral.”

Pause for a sec–Mox? Durher?

“Oh, they’re tiny, but really smart!” Volka explains with the tact of a grade-schooler. “Mox are kinda like Skogs in that they have scales, but they like to be around wet stuff like lakes and the sea. Durher are kinda fuzzy and cute, but don’t say that to ‘em–they get real mad!”

Uhuh. And what’s a Skog? Volka’s yellow eyes light up like Christmas trees!

“Why, ME am-err, I mean I am! We’re big and tough and we also do a lot of interesting things!”

… Like?

“Well…” She begins, drumming her claws against her shield while Morook watches with a bemused look in his eyes, “We can march for DAYS. And we’ve come up with a lot of ways to fight without seeing… there used to be a lot of Skog cities in the South, but they’re all gone now… um… oh, and Skog food is THE BEST. Sorry, Mor.”

“It’s fine–my people don’t really ‘do’ flavor.”

Good to know…

>CONTD.

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>>6099371
“Anyways,” Volka continues, her voice even more confident now that she’s educated you on the many facets of Skog culture, “Crossroads is still really nice too! There are these boxes that tell you about shops and sales, and there are roads that feel different when you walk on them to tell you which way to go!”

“Yes, always walk on the left side of the road.” Morook adds. “It takes some getting used to, but-”

“I just forget sometimes, okay!?” Volka pouts with a clank of her unseen armor, “And it’s usually fine as long as you say you’re sorry afterwards!”

“Here, take these back.” You feel your PARCHMENT get pushed back into your hands. “This bump writing is known as ‘BUMOT’--a collaboration between Gnok, Mox, and Durher. Everyone can read and write it, so you’ll have to rely on a guide for the time-being.”

Thanks, you nod, but why’d he give these back right now?

“Because the roads in Crossroads are all carved in Bumot.” Morook explains, his disco ball eyes glimmering. “If you read with your claws as you walk you’ll know where you’re headed.”

“Some of the characters are pretty similar, so watch out!” The warrior laughs. “Not for me, though. I know Crossroads like the back of my claw!”

“You’ll do fine.” Adds the ranger, his eyes shimmering reassuringly. “Oh, that reminds me…” You feel something metal and damp slip into your hand. A moment of fiddling with it tells you it’s some kind of RING...

“This is a RING OF ECHOS. Try it on.”

As you slip the jewelry onto your favorite finger, every sound seems to LEAP at you! The crackling fire, the faint creaking of Volka’s armored joints, the whispering in the wind… and you can almost see the sounds too!

Woah…

“It’s a bit overwhelming in cities, but these rings draw attention to the sounds around you, however small they may be.” Begins Morook in a slightly amplified voice. “It should help a bit if you get separated from Volka or run into trouble.”

“Not gonna happen~”

“Just be sure to take the ring off if something loud approaches–brigands, monsters, Volka…”

“Y’know, some people like how loud I am!” Volka retorts as you instinctively remove the ring, “They find it comforting! Like the smell of a home-cooked meal... or a warm fire!”

“You’ll have to introduce me to these people one of these days…” Replies Morook as he cocks his head to the side.

>CONTD.

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>>6099373
He’s really just giving this to you then? That’s… What do you owe him? The ranger responds with a series of clicks. Laughter, maybe?

“Just give it back to me when you’re done with it. Frankly I don’t use it much anymore–I’m just glad your questions reminded me about it.”

“Lucky you, Ant!” Volka remarks with a low whistle, “I’ve known Mor for years now and he NEVER gives me gifts! You must be pretty special~”

“He is a stranger in a strange land, Volka.”

“Still.”

Anything else?
>Nope, that’s it!
>One more question, Mor!
>One more thing, Volka!
>Call for that devil!
>Write-In!

PASTEBIN UPDATED:
https://pastebin.com/xdk5kHyA

>>6099377
>Nope, that’s it!

>>6099377
>Write-in: Thank you for the assistance! I owe you for this, big time, and no amount of brushing it off is gonna convince me not to repay someday.

>>6099387
>>6099428
>Thanks, let's hit the damn road!
Writing!

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Pocketing the ring for now, you smile at the ranger until you remember he probably can’t see the gesture and opt for a friendly nod instead. You owe him for this, big time, and no amount of brushing it off is gonna convince you to not repay him!

“We’ll see. I’m very good at brushing off repayments.” Morook replies with a twinkle in his bulbous eyes. “Volka, are you prepared?”

“Rmmhrm!” Replies your guide as she finishes off the remaining stew. “Jusht reev it tr mrrh.”

“The path is about eighty strides ahead,” the ranger explains as he turns his gaze ahead of you. “Stay on it for an hour or so and you should reach the main road into Crossroads. Tread lightly and trust Volka–it’s what I’d do.“

“Gee, you’re really painting a fancy picture of me, Mor…” The warrior laughs with a sheepish look in her yellow eyes. “You take care of yourself too, y’hear?”

“I’ve got it down to an art by now, thanks.”

Morook’s gaze fades into the darkness as you and Volka make your way to the aforementioned path, the periodic creaks and clanks of her unseen armor making her easy to follow. True to his word, Morook’s instructions guide you out of a sea of tall grass and onto a flat, but narrow, dirt path. The choppy winds buffeting your face tell you you’re on a bluff of some kind… too bad you can’t get a glimpse of the view from here.

“Alright, Crossroads here we COME!” Announces your guide with a triumphant laugh! Adding your own spirited ‘Hell yea’, the word ‘yea’ nearly dies in your throat as you feel something pick you up by the scruff of your robe!

“Woah, sorry!” Sputters Volka after you let loose a gut-wrenching shriek, “It’s me! It’s ME!”

You can hear that, you reply, but why is she carrying you!?

“Oh uh…” Volka begins in a bashful tone, “I just thought it’d be easier for you since you don’t have much travel experience… and you’re pretty light…”

Yea, well, you sputter as you once again realize just how big Volka is, she could at least ask! You thought you were getting taken by a giant bird or something!

“Sorry! Sorry!” She repeats with growing embarrassment, “I just get so used to doing it, that’s all! My dad’s a Durher and he’s getting old, so…”

Okay, you sigh, but does she carry Morook?

“Well no, but he’s forgotten more about the Darklands than you or I will ever know!”

Taking a few more steps along the path, Volka’s metal boots come to a halt after an awkward silence settles in between you.

“Do um… would you prefer to walk?”

>Yea, let me walk!
>No, it’s fine… for now.
>Write-In!

>>6099449
>No, it’s fine… for now.
Have we found best girl?

>>6099449
>No, it’s fine… for now.
>We can be the SPOTTE-oh, right…
Her stride is probably longer and if we have to run to keep up with her then bad things are going to happen, I’m sure. This is all new to us, not to mention we’re still used to seeing things.

>>6099511
>>6099531
>No, It's alright....
Writing!

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You know what? It’s fine. This is fine!

“Oh? Well enjoy the ride then! I won’t drop ya, that’s a Lamplighter Promise!”

Say what you will about her, Volka doesn’t seem to let things bother her for very long. With the initial awkwardness nothing more than a distant memory, the girl hums a quiet, but soothing song as she carries you down the road like a very confused purse.

You’d be lying if it wasn’t kinda nice, though…

Passing by a babbling brook, you take the time to consider your new traveling partner. Bigger than Morook, by far, and built like a tank based on the armor you keep getting smacked against. Funny thing, though… the stuff she’s wearing seems to be different from the mail you saw on that cultist corpse–while that um… ‘Gnok’, if you remember correctly, wore something that felt like a solid piece, Volka’s seems, well…

Like multiple pieces connected together. It makes sense that different races would have different clothing, you reason, but just what kind of crazy place did you stumble into anyways?

Your thoughts are interrupted by something thick and scaly smacking you in the face.

“Whoops, sorry! Tail’s got a mind of its own!”

As the two of you head downhill, you can’t help but wince a bit at how much your guide is clanking… whether that’s on purpose or not you can’t really tell, but you can bet your trip would be a lot different if it was just you and Morook…

“Nothing quite like a nice stroll, is there, Ant? I bet you humans do this all the time in your world! Do you have light there? Oh right, you probably do otherwise the Darklands wouldn’t seem so dark, would they? Ever been on a mountain before? Do you like hot weather or cold? I like the rain, myself, but sometimes I like to stretch out on the roof when it’s hot… Volgir doesn’t like that, of course, always waving his cane and ranting about ‘crashing through the roof’, but that only happened a few times and I’ve always built it back nice an’ strong, so… oh, Volgir’s my father, just so you know. We aren’t related either, I bet you were confused when I said I was a Skog and he was a Durher… odd combination, right? You wouldn’t be the first to say it–why, once when I was stocking the shop for him-”

To her credit, Volka stops ranting a few minutes later when she realizes you haven’t responded at all…

>CONTD.

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>>6099596
“Whoops, there I go again! Sorry, friend, my jaw gets a little loose on the road–Morook HATES it whenever we travel together, but of course he does–he’s always on about ‘letting the senses feast’ and ‘embracing nature’s music’, whatever the Hells that means… he’s like a brother to me, Morook, but he’d take trees and moss over people any day…”

She pauses for the first time in minutes.

“You’re a little bit like him, d’yknow that? It’s like talking to a patch of grass with how quiet you’ve been!”

Not by choice!

“Relax, Ant–don’t have to be sneaky on these roads when Lamplighter Volka’s on the watch! Just gimme something, okay? My mind is going to eat itself if I can’t talk a little bit… and everyone knows travel’s more fun and fast when you’ve got good company!”

You can see why she’d drive Mor mad, but you also see her point. It’s not like you’ve got any scenery to enjoy, and if this tail hits you one more tOW!

“Sorry!”

What do? Choose 1!
>Just let her hum or something… you’re still processing stuff!
>Ask Volka about herself!
>Tell her about YOU!
>Inquire about Mor!
>Question her about her Father!
>Grill her about Skogs!
>Query about the Darklands!
>Write-In!

>>6099599
>Tell her about YOU!
I’d like a bit of backstory myself, if we can remember anything else.

>>6099599
>Ask Volka about herself!
>Grill her about Skogs!
So is she, like, a dragonwoman, or what? Spill, gurl.

>>6099613
>>6099626
I said choose 1, but I just can't seem to say no to you guys... so let's do BOTH!

>Tell her about YOU!
>Ask Volka about HERSELF!
>And SKOGS!
Writing!

>>6099599
>Ask her why eyes are still visible.

>>6099691
I can answer this one! It's kinda like how Sam Fisher's goggles can be seen in the Splinter Cell series: artistic license! Fuck if I know, I've been drinking Halloween Wine!

>>6099693
>EYES are a WINDOW to the SOUL
>WINDOWS let light pass through
>People talk about an INNER LIGHT
>SOULS must emit an INNER LIGHT that is visible in a world of TRUE DARKNESS through the WINDOW of the EYES.
Why not?

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Here’s a question, you begin with renewed interest: is she some kind of dragonwoman or something? What’s a Skog anyways?

“A dra’ghon?” Volka replies as she tries the word out a few times. “What’s that?”

It’s a mythical creature from where you’re from, you reply–they’re these really big, scaly monsters with massive wings and tails, nasty teeth, like to hoard gold… oh, and they can breathe fire!

“Oooh….” Volka remarks as she puts together a picture in her brain, “I guess Skogs are sort of like that! Never met one that could fly or breathe fire, though… but you never know!” She adds with a conspiratorial wink! “These draygins… do they help humans?”

Ermmm, not exactly, you shrug. Most of the time they eat ‘em and burn villages.

“Oh.” The air grows chilly as a silence forms between you. “Ant?”

Yea, Volka?

“I um…” She begins, slowly piecing the words together in her head, “I don’t know how long you plan to stay here, but you might meet some Skog that, well… aren’t very nice.”

Shit, you did it again, Ant… you always know how to make the ladies feel appreciated…

“The truth is, most people just think Skogs wanna hurt people.” Adds your guide in a very un-Volka tone, “And steal, and destroy… and I’m not gonna lie to you–a lot of Skogs DO do those things! Hells, the Western Lands are ruled by Skogs… and they aren’t nice, Ant… so when people see a Skog, they think…well..”

But not ALL of them are bad, right?

“E-EXACTLY!” Volka nods, shaking you around in her excitement! “And I know I probably seem really scary when you don’t have scales, or horns, or fangs… but, well…”

She pauses again in thought. “... I don’t know what point I’m trying to make here, but… just trust me, okay? Don’t be afraid.”

Okay, you nod, sensing this is more of a sensitive subject than Volka’s leading on, you will.

“G-great!” She laughs, her tail nearly whipping you in the face again, “Glad to get that off my chest!”

But just to confirm, you add, Skogs ARE pretty good in a fight, right?

“Oh Hells yea!” Volka giggles, “Once Mor had a bit too much Ruupaa to drink and he challenged me to a wrestling match–poor guy needed a solid potion regimen for weeks before he could talk again!”

Note to self: don’t wrestle Volka…

Anything else you wanna ask her in particular?
>Where’d she learn to fight?
>So her and her dad, what’s the story there?
>What’s this Lamplighter thing?
>Does she have many friends besides Mor?
>What does she do for fun?
>Tell me more about Skogs.
>The West… what’s it like?
>Nah, that’s enough.
>Write-In!

That's it for tonight--Halloween Wine be hitting me HARD, pals. Seeya early on Sunday, Mountain Time. Be nice to Volka, now!

>>6099715
>What’s this Lamplighter thing?

>>6099715
>What does she do for fun?

>>6099715
>Does she have many friends besides Mor?

>>6099715
>Tell her a bit about your world if she’s interested. You might not have magic, but you still have airplanes and video games. That’s pretty cool.
>She said most of the people who remembered light were old, crazy, and maybe both. Does she want us to describe… seeing things? How everything has color, that people wave to say hello, stuff like that?
She likes to talk, but maybe we can tell her some things as well. Kinda like a story, and she does seem to enjoy those.

We can’t get too technical since we didn’t roll intellect, but that’s fine.

>>6099744
>>6099801
>>6099840
>LAMPLIGHTERRR
>FUNNNN
>ANY OTHER FRIENDDDS?
Writing!

>>6099887
Definitely gonna keep this in my pocket for when Ant talks about himself! Scrumptious write-in!

>>6099887
+1

>>6099698
I enjoy this rationale.

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>>6099916
I'm really enjoying this quest so far!

That said, despite the scaly tail and the eyes being the wrong color, I can't help but think of picrelated when I see those tusks and that cute smile.

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Having deftly steered the conversation away from race politics, you decide to aim for a lighter topic: fun!

“Ooh, I love fun! Can’t get enough of it!” Volka replies with a wag of her massive tail!

Yea, you do too, you nod, but what does she do for fun anyways? Besides carrying people around like luggage, that is.

For some reason THAT’S the joke that nearly makes Volka drop you as she doubles over laughing. Pausing to catch her breath, the girl’s armor pieces jangle as she struggles to get herself back under control!

“Hoo…. luggage! I should start a business, ey? Okay, fun, fun, fun… well I enjoy laughing, as you can plainly see,” She begins, her stomach still quaking with the remnants of laughter, “And I like cooking, but I told ya’ that back at camp…”

Bringing you up next to her tusked face, Volka leans in with a conspiratorial tone. “My father can’t cook at all… and he runs an apothecary! Can you believe it!?”

He can probably whip up a mean poison though, huh? Oh boy, here it comes again…

“HA! You’ll have to tell him that when you meet him!” She snickers, body shaking with resounding laughter once again! “Ahh, you’re a funny one, Ant…”

You get that a lot. So she likes cooking, and…?

“Swimming! Loooooooove swimming!” The amazon replies with a shake of her tail! “I’d spend my whole life in the water if I could–there’s nothing quite like a dip after a long day! And it’s good exercise!” She pauses for a moment and gives you a gentle shake. “You exercise much, Ant?”

Oh yea, you nod, e-every day!

“Uh-oh, sounds like I’ve just found a challenger! Next lake we find! I won’t go easy on ya!”

That doesn’t seem even remotely fair…

“Ain’t about fair, it’s about fun!” Volka chirps.

Who even taught her to swim anyways? Her dad?

“HAH! No, I fell into the canals a few times when I was a whelp!” She giggles. “They’ve put up walls since then, but let’s just say I got plenty of practice!”

Huh. Well it’s good that she engineered a social change…

“Not enough!” She frowns, “Those walls are still way too short! And flimsy!”

Ah.

>CONTD.

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>>6099992
The road becomes a bit flatter as you continue along–the air filled with the pungent aroma of what must be fungi… or your apartment bathroom.

“I hope Mor’s okay by himself… he always is, but I can’t help but worry. That’s a rule for you to remember, Ant,” Volka begins as she kicks a rock the size of a BBQ out of your path, “Never roam alone. Promise me!”

It’s a little early in your adventure for a promise, but you respond with a semi-committal ‘uh-huh.’ She and Mor are pretty close, then?

“Mhm! We go way back!” Your guide responds with a wistful tone! “Found some street toughs beating him behind the shop one day–once I took care of ‘em I had father patch him up and we’ve been friends ever since!”

The brief introduction you had with Mor makes it difficult to imagine anyone getting the drop on him, but people change, huh?

“Hah! Yea, you could say that… once father realized he wasn’t planning on stealing me away or anything he warmed up to him really quick! We were actually running a job earlier when he came across you. Talk about lucky, right?”

Seriously… so does she have other friends besides Mor? The girl goes quiet for a moment as you ask, but you can’t tell if she’s pondering or…

“Well a few of the neighbors and I are on good terms!” She replies, quickly recovering her pep, “And they know me at most of the taverns… OH, and there’s the LAMPLIGHTERS! We’re thick as thieves, we are!”

Mor’s warning resonates in your head as you hear the name again… taking a steadying breath, you ask your guide what the Lampli-

“I’MSOGLADYOUAAAAAAAASKED!”

>CONTD.

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>>6099993
You barely manage to brace yourself before Volka leaps into a pose you can’t even see–the sudden movement and jangle of armor nearly sending you sailing into the stratosphere! “The Lamplighters are the lights keeping the darkness at bay! The last bastion between innocents and the forces of chaos! The shining blade carving through the shadows!”

You’re pretty sure you knew a girl like this in High School… Wonder where she ended up. So these Lamplighters, you begin with cautious excitement in your tone, they protect people?

“Hah! That’s like asking if fire warms you up!” She laughs, puffing out her broad chest with pride! “Yea, the Lamplighters protect people, but they do so much more as well!”

Like?

“Well we patrol, we greet everyone we see, we pick up trash, we make sure roads are in working order…”

So they’re a Neighborhood Watch, then.

“No, no… you’re thinking of the Bellcounters–they’re the watchmen employed by Crossroads! We don’t NEED payment!

Ah, so vigilantes.

“If that means ‘passionate home-grown heroes’, then yes, we’re a pack of raging vigilantes!” Nods Volka with pride! “Gotta protect your home, y’know?”

Seems pretty cool, you admit, do they get into a lot of fights?

“Weeeeelll the fights tend to find us,” Shrugs the amazon with a wag of her tail, “But don’t worry–our big rule is to NEVER KILL! That way they get a chance to amend their ways!”

Cool! So how do they do that? With magic?

“Nnnnno, usually we just knock them senseless. It’s worked so far!”

Your face starts to ache just thinking about Volka knocking anyone senseless.

“Now I know what you’re thinking: how can I get in on the action, right? How can I get a piece?”

You weren’t, actually, but she sounds excited about it so you make a grunting noise instead.

“I’m not gonna lie, Ant, it’s an exclusive brotherhood… and the path to becoming a TRUE Lamplighter is paved with blood, sweat, and krutze…”

You blink. Krutze?

“Yes, blood, sweat, and krutze…” Volka repeats in a solemn tone, “But you’re in luck, because you happen to be speaking to the one… the only…” She pauses to throw her arms out to the side, nearly hurling you into the abyss in the process! “LAMPLIGHTER GRAND MARSHALL!”

You give your guide a polite clap, unsure of how to respond. It seems to work. “Yes, yes… hold the applause please…”

>CONTD.

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>>6099997
As the Lamplighter Grandmaster takes the time to bow, a thought occurs…

Volka, you begin, how many Lamplighters are there, exactly?

“Sizing up the competition, ey?” She snickers in a smug voice, “Well don’t get too intimidated–there’s only four of us right now!”

She pauses.

“Oh wait, three. Forgot about Damius… poor bastard…”

What happened to Damius?

“Anyways, it’s just three of… I mean, an ARMY OF THREE! Myself included, naturally! It doesn’t sound like a lot, I know, but every great organization starts with a few good people!”

A sly look forms in her yellow eyes. “So whaddaya say, hmm? Care to be one of those few good people, HMMMM??”

You always knew you were destined for greatness, or at least some kind of quasi-legal mob, but you know how this kind of thing goes… what exactly do you have to DO if you join up?

“Patrol, greet everyone you see, pick up trash-”

But do you have, like, a schedule or anything? Because figuring out how to get back home is still pretty high on your ‘To-Do’ list…

“Come now, Ant! Our organization prides itself on treating its members right and respecting their busy lives! Let’s just say you’d be put on a… flexible schedule. How’s that sound?”

It sounds better than your current job, and potentially safer too…

“It’ll be great! We can patrol together, end the night at the tavern drinking ourselves sick and telling tales… and we can even get you your own unifo-” Volka pauses mid-pitch. “Wait, no, that got melted… well we can get you a HAT–wait, that was eaten…” Drumming her claws against her chin, she snaps a finger as an idea pops into her head! “A WHISTLE! I can definitely scrounge up a WHISTLE for you!”

Still sounds better than your current job!

“So whaddaya say, Ant? Want to join? No pressure!”

There’s definitely pressure–this girl could crush you like a grape. Still, you just got here–no need to commit immediately, right?

>JOIN THE LAMPLIGHTERS!
>GET BACK TO HER LATER ABOUT THE LAMPLIGHTERS!
>DON’T JOIN THE LAMPLIGHTERS!
>WRITE-IN ABOUT THE LAMPLIGHTERS!

>>6099989
She looks adorable and could probably kick all of our asses (not unlike our favorite Skog)! I'd say going forward the characters look like whatever the heck you imagine they do--I'm not gonna give away anything, but I'm glad people already have images forming in their heads!

>>6099998
>JOIN THE LAMPLIGHTERS!
She seems nice...

>>6099998
>>JOIN THE LAMPLIGHTERS!

>>6099998
>"I'd like to say yes, but I have a tiny problem where everyone I work with tends to get involved in horrific and entirely random accidents. I'm a bad luck magnet! It's better if I don't bring that to the lamplighters."

>>6099989
I have no idea who this busty dogbold is, but it seems appropriate. Even is Rezie is bestgirl.

>>6099998
She's making a strong case to be in contention, though.
>JOIN THE LAMPLIGHTERS!
Not like we have anywhere else to be, and staying close to the dragonwoman seems as safe as anywhere else...

>>6099998
>WRITE-IN ABOUT THE LAMPLIGHTERS! Ask if they have dental insurance; at the rate this is going you feel like you're gonna need it.

>>6099999
>>6100005
She comes from a very good roguelike I've recently discovered
It's called "Some Heroines Climb Up a Tower to Ask God Why the Game Has a Name That's So Long" (yes that's the real name) though I'll note it's very NSFW. It's in beta but is being worked on pretty regularly.

>>6100000
Nice quints

>>6100000
>>6100003
>>6100005
>JOIN THE LAMPLIGHTERS!

>>6100004
>DON'T JOIN THE LAMPLIGHTERS (BUT FOR GOOD REASON)

>>6100064
>ASK ABOUT DENTAL INSURANCE OF THE LAMPLIGHTERS!

Writing!

>>6100064
Gotcha--I was like "woah, this anon works fast on these drawings!"

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Your past is still a little foggy, but you distinctly remember being a guy who doesn’t commit to things easily, especially when they require work. Still, you’ll probably need all the allies you can get in this new world, not to mention it’ll help you get the lay of the land.

Alright, you nod, you’ll do it.

Volka lets out a resigned sigh. “Okay, I understand–just thought I’d float the ideWAIT, WHAAAA???!!?”

If you were wearing your RING OF ECHOS your head might have exploded just now–instead your ears just start ringing. Y-yea, you stammer over the fresh batch of Tinnitus, you wanna join!

You’re still not certain what a Skog looks like, much less Volka, but the high-pitched squeal that escapes her lips is neither something you expected nor thought possible for a girl her size. The Grand Marshall, it seems, is full of surprises. And energy.

Leaping up and down like a dog about to get a treat, Volka clasps her massive claws on your shoulders and spins you around like a very confused Hammer Thrower!

“ICAN’TBELIEVEITI’MSOEXCITEDWE’REGONNAMAKECROSSROADSSUCHAWONDERFULPLACEANDEVERYONE’SGONNALOVEYOUANDYOU’REGONNADOGREATI’LLTEACHYOUEVERYTHINGYOUNEEDTOKNOWANDALLTHEGREATTRICKSNOWMOROOKMIGHTJOINANDAAUGHI’MSOEXCIIITEEDD!”

By the time she stops twirling, your lungs, heart, and a few other organs have made their way down to your feet! With no horizon to focus on, all you can do is bite your lip and try to point your still-spinning eyes at Volka’s beaming face…

“You won’t regret it, Ant… or should I say ROOKIE?” She adds with a mischievous giggle! “Us Lamplighters stick together through thick or thin!”

Shwell… jusht one thing, zho…

The amazon blinks and cocks her massive head to the side. “Hmmm?”

It’s just that, you begin as your organs slosh back to their usual stations, everyone you work with tends to run into horrific and totally random accidents… you’re a bad luck magnet, is what you’re saying.

“Oh pshaw!” Volka remarks as she unhands one of your shoulders to wave your explanation away, “You’re not bad luck, Rookie…”

The last time you explained this the bridge you were standing on collapsed and you fell off a mountain, you retort. Not to mention every cultist in the temple you woke up in died screaming and snacked on by a pack of freakish BEAK WOLVES and a bratty devil queen.

Your Grand Marshall digests your explanation for a moment before shrugging her broad shoulders. “Trust me, Rookie–that’s just a regular day in the life of a Lamplighter!”

… How many Lamplighters have there been anywa-

>CONTD.

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>>6100109
“So don’t worry your tiny little head about it, okay? Besides, skills like fighting, footwork, and staying calm when covered in acid can all be taught! You know what can’t be taught?”

Luck?

“HEART,” She replies as she nearly pokes your eye out trying to place a claw on your chest, “You can’t. Teach. Heart.”

One more thing, you add as you dodge her razor-sharp claw, do they offer dental?

“Dental? Like… teeth?”

Yea, you nod, like keeping them clean?

“Hah! Worry not, chum–teeth grow back!”

Um-

Giving your nose one last poke, the girl gives you a gentle shake before continuing down the unseen path with renewed spring in her step. She probably gets about four notes of her humming in before another thought distracts her.

“Say, Rook–since we’re comrades-in-tail now until we die, I just realized I don’t know anything about you!”

Yea, you reply sheepishly, your mind’s been pretty foggy ever since you arrived here… you’re still piecing things together yourself!

“Oooh, how INTERESTING!” Volka laughs. “You’re gonna have to fight off hordes of ladies with that mysterious air about you, Rook!” You take an elbow to the face that was probably supposed to be a playful nudge. “Just kiddiiiiing~” Clearing her throat, the amazon swings you back and forth like a toddler would a lunchbox. “Really though, I’ve been jabbering for far too long! Tell me about Anton! Who is he? What is he? Where is he… erm, from?”

What do you tell her?
>Tell her about where you’re from!
>Tell her about yourself!
>Tell her about humans!
>Tell her about your dimension!
>Write-In!

>>6100111
>Tell her about your dimension!
>Tell her about humans!
In keeping with our mysterious air, let's talk about everything but ourselves.
Besides, she will come to know the LORE if we stick together.

>>6100111
>"I'm a member of the F.B.I. on Earth. The Federal Boob Inspectors. It's incredibly important work."

>>6100111
>>6100118
I’ll support this

>>6100134
This is too stupid not to also include!
Seconding it

>>6100111
I had the stuff up in >>6099887 that may as well go here. I’ll support >>6100118 as well.

For >>6100134, clarify that breast cancer awareness is a pretty big thing where you’re from. You’re happy to play your part in finding it. Noooot sure if it’s a concern here though, what with no humans anywhere we know about.

>>6100134
Fucking kek

>>6100118
>>6100134
>>6100135
>>6100142
>>6100157
>Tell her about your dimension, humans, tech, color...Also you're a member of the F.B.I

Here goes something! Writing

>>6100118
>>6100134
+1

>>6100111

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It’s no small feat to package the entirety of human innovation and history into a few posts, but if anyone can do it, it’s ANTON PEAS! You may not remember much of who you are, but you can give Volka the broad strokes, right?

The girl hangs on every word as the path once again departs from the fungi-scented trees and into a winding, rocky path assaulted on all sides by winds that feel strong enough to blow you away! Your guide holds firm, however, and her eyes light up with childlike excitement as you tell her everything, especially when you mention trains!

“And this ‘Innt’uurneht’... it can find anything you want?! Answer any question!?”

Yep, you nod, just another one of humanity’s greatest inventions!

“And these ‘Cats’... they just live there?”

No, you frown, you’ve been over this–the stuff on the internet is just an image… a copy. But, you add with a shrug, there was a cat somewhere... That’s the only way the picture could have been taken!

“I get it now…” Volka nods, most likely not ‘getting it’, ”Wow… so getting a picture taken means you basically live forever…”

You didn’t really think of it like that before, you reply, but you suppose so! As you finish your response, the amazon comes to a halt with a look of determination on her face. “Such a weird place… so much information… and so many people arguing… forever…”

Hey, it’s a bit more complicated than that, you add, a little hurt at her simple breakdown of the greatest invention ever, people also insult each other too!

“Rookie,” Volka begins, “This ‘Intoornit’ of yours… we should MAKE it!”

You do miss it, you nod, but-

“It would change all of the Darklands! For the better!” Gripping you by the shoulders, Volka brings you close to her face, her eyes wide and glittering like gemstones! “How do we do it!? Tell me!”

Well uh, you stammer, you’re um… you’re not sure. Volka’s expression visibly deflates as she cocks her head to the side. “B-but… but you humans made it…”

Yea, well… someone ELSE made it, you explain in an apologetic tone. You just uh… use it. For stuff.

“Like what?”

A chill runs down your spine as you realize what corner you’ve backed yourself into! Important stuff, you mutter! For work!

“Oh yea, you haven’t mentioned anything about YOU yet!” The amazon nods, already forgetting the last hour or so of exposition! “Do you work at one of those ‘Zooz’ you told me about? I hope so!”

You open your mouth to give her the grim truth, but something causes you to stop… something WICKED!

The truth is, you begin in a grave tone, you work for the FBI...

“What’s that? Is it like the Lamplighters?”

Almost, you nod. You’re a… Federal Boob Inspector…

>Roll 1d100+15 (+5 Volka Gullible, +5 Volka Trust +5 No Sense of Right or Wrong, Apparently) for reasons! Best of 3!

Rolled 21 + 15 (1d100 + 15)

>>6100204

Rolled 2 + 15 (1d100 + 15)

>>6100204

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>>6100210
>>6100224
We have one more shot at this, FBI Anons.

Rolled 36 + 15 (1d100 + 15)

>>6100204

>>6100210
>>6100224
>>6100230
>HIGHEST ROLL: 51
Writing, you Satans...

>>6100245
I’m happy we only have a marginal success at best. I didn’t want her taking it too seriously.

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“‘Khaahn-Xer:’ there’s no potions that can cure it?”

No, you reply with a shake of your head, the best treatment is to catch it early… and that’s where YOU come in!

“Wow…” Remarks Volka as she digests what you told her, “Those poor human women…”

It’s tough, you sigh, but it’s really for the best. You’re not sure if the disease in in this world too, but-

Before you can continue this weird joke/sham you pulled out of your ass, you feel yourself being lowered to the ground before a pair of metal pieces land on the path with resounding ‘CLANG’s.

Volka, you mutter, what’s going o-

You hear the gentle giant kneel next to you, a look of genuine concern in her yellow saucery eyes.

“I know it’s silly, but…” She stammers, genuinely biting her lip to stave off fear, “B-but can you… ch-check?”

Part of you is disgusted. Disgusted that you abused Volka’s trust, that you capitalized on her whimsy and curiosity.

Another part of you, however, is fuckin’ STOKED.

+1 DEVIL POINTS

Okay, you stammer as you attempt to feign professionalism in an area you have practically zero experience with, let’s uh… let me just-

You feel something snap inside your chest as a pair of claws firmly, but gently grab your wrists and guide both of your hands towards-

Dear LORD...

“C’mon,” Groans Volka with fear in her voice, “Really GET IN THERE!”
The next few minutes are a total blur, even more so than your memories. More chipper than ever, Volka continues to carry you along the road humming her song louder than ever!

“Yep, nothing like a clean bill of health, right, Rook?” She asks in a singsong voice! “You’re just full of surprises, y’know that?”

You gurgle a response, mind still occupied by what just happened. Even with the scales it was… she is…

All you can do is gulp. Size… shape…They defied any and all explanations–they simply… were...

Maybe ending up here wasn’t so bad after all…

>CONTD.

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>>6100291
It takes a while before you recover from what very well may be a memory you’ll never forget, but once you do you realize you’re still walking. Where IS this Crossroads place anyways?

“Should arrive on the main road soon!” Reports Volka without any hint of tiredness in her voice. “Why, getting tired of me already? Just kidding~”

Quite the opposite, in fact… say, you begin, she mentioned before that most people don’t remember the world before light went away, right?

“Yep!” Your guide nods, “My dad wasn’t around before that happened, but he read a lot of books and knew mages who DID exist back then! He says once upon a time everything had a ‘color’... Y’know, like you mentioned earlier! Gee, I hope I can see a firetruck one day… red seems like a great color!”

Thinking of the truck with a smile on her face, Volka looks down at you with a curious expression. “What color do you think I am, Rook? I bet you’re something neat… like GOLD or something!”

Her color, huh? Well when you think of scales you think GREEN... that’s the color of grass… trees…

“HAH! Can you imagine!?” The amazon laughs, her tail swishing with mirth, “I’d look like a big mound of GRASS! Scary, right?”

Well there are different shades too… it’s hard to explain without any examples, though.

“Well I guess you’ll just have to show me one day~” Shrugs Volka as her armor pieces continue to clank like some strange wind chime. “And we can take a picture, too!”

Sure, you smirk, once you find a way home you’ll be sure to leave the way open!

“Orrrr maybe if light ever returns here…” She retorts with a resigned sigh. “You’re right though–we need to get you home. Your family and friends are probably worried sick!”

Neither come to mind as you mull over Volka’s words… you’re not sure if you’re happy or upset about it.

“Hey, Rook… what’s your FAVORITE color?”

>RED
>BLUE
>GREEN
>YELLOW
>ORANGE
>PURPLE
>WRITE-IN!

Also...
>Roll me 1d100-3 (-5 Loud, -5 Distracted, +7 Volka Senses) for reasons! Best of 3!

Rolled 13 + 3 (1d100 + 3)

>>6100292
>RED
My personal favorite. Though I also like GREEN (Green Ranger was the coolest Ranger) and PURPLE (color of royalty, for reasons ANTON likely doesn’t know).

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Rolled 32 - 3 (1d100 - 3)

>>6100291
I mean, anyone can feel for lumps, and she asked, so...
Yowza

>>6100292
>RED

Rolled 65 - 3 (1d100 - 3)

>>6100292
Cowards, the lot of you! Rerolling.

>>6100298
>>6100301
>>6100326
>HIGHEST ROLL: 62!
Writing!
Also just something I forgot to mention: Let's keep the rolls to one per player, okay? I forgot to bring it up in the first post, but just wanna make sure everyone gets a chance. I'll count it this time though since it's Sunday and I wanna get some posts in before work tomorrow!

>>6100298
>RED

>>6100301
>spoiler
She's a swell gal!

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>>6100335
It’s a tough choice, you murmur, face scrunched up in thought, but if you had to choose you’d probably pick RED...

“Like the firetruck, right!?” Asks Volka as she connects the dots with a smug grin on her face! “Good choice, Rook… that’s a good choice right there! I like red too!”

No need to pick right now, you warn with a smile on your face, she hasn’t even seen it yet, maybe!

“Hah! All or nothing! No second guesses!” She fires back! “Red though… I’ll have to remember-”

Dropping into a wide stance mid-sentence, your guide doesn’t say a word as she brings her sword close to her chest before swinging outwards like a samurai chopping bamboo! You’re fast enough to grab onto her shield arm, but the unseen target isn’t… a quiet ‘SPLUT’ is all you hear before a pitiful whine sailing through the air culminates in a ‘CRUNCH’ several feet away!

Before you can react, Volka drops you behind her and creates a barrier between you and your attackers with her muscular tail!

“Stay close–no sudden movements.” Before you can ask, your answer comes in the form of a familiar series of clacking beaks… at least FIVE if your ears are working correctly! Relaying the info to Volka, you feel her feet shift a bit to adopt a more solid position. Despite her usual boisterous manner, the Skog becomes a statue when facing down the beasts–the only noise coming from the quick, deliberate swipes of her blade… swatting another beast out of the air that leaps at her side, Volka keeps you close as she pivots to face the pouncer–the beaked baddie winded, but not injured!

“You see one sneaking up, gimme a tap.” She hisses under her breath. “Breathe, Rook.”

You do, but only after her reminder! FIVE beasts remain, and it looks like you’re not leaving until they’re all done and dusted…

Just gotta listen, right?
>ROLL 1d100+5 (+3 Ring of Echos, -5 Noisy Pack of Beasts, +7 Volka Senses) to spot! Best of 3!

Rolled 30 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>6100358
Ears open!

Rolled 17 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>6100358
>ROLL 1d100+5 (+3 Ring of Echos, -5 Noisy Pack of Beasts, +7 Volka Senses) to spot! Best of 3!
The noisy malus should reduce as the beasts die. That’ll be good.

>>6100375
So far my plan of only rolling successes has been hard to implement. What could I be missing? It’s only one step!

Rolled 29 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>6100358

>>6100395
>>6100375
>>6100364
Never have I been so sorry to be the MVP of a roll-off. Yikes.

>>6100364
>>6100375
>>6100395
>HIGHEST ROLL: 35!
Writing!
>>6100381
It is a mystery...

>>6100407
At least we can take some punishment…

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The Makkar spread out around you, the menacing of their clicking beaks staggered to hide their numbers. Though outnumbered and outflanked, Volka holds strong…

As for you, well, you’re not exactly as confident. Even with your CURVED BLADE and a few THROWING KNIVES at the ready, you know all too well what happened the last time you squared off with these things… Hell, your arm still hurts! As you try to focus on just one of the clickers, one of the bastards leaps at Volka’s back before you can call it out!

To her credit she’s able to bat it away with her shield… but while the beaked beastie wasn’t ready to get smacked upside the head with the tempered metal, you weren’t either. Feeling the shield collide with the back of your head with all the force a big, scaly truck can muster, it dawns on you just how strong your bodyguard is when you’re launched like a golf ball out from her tail and into the air!

Icy air nips at your face as your skull throbs with pain only a shield to the head can provide, and though you land safely in a patch of what feels like swampy peat, you can already hear the Makkar baying like wolves at your sudden flight!

“ANTON!”

The beasts don’t give Volka any wiggle-room… based on the clanging you hear, you can only guess that some of the critters are keeping the Skog busy… while at least two monsters click their beaks menacingly as they circle your prone form…

Feeling them close in, the pain in your head grows into a persistent whining in your ears and a burning in your eyes… you just need some help, you think through your muddled mind, it’s not FAIR...

>Roll me 1d100 for reasons! Best of 3!

Rolled 79 (1d100)

>>6100425
Maybe we can be bad luck for THEM, since they're near us? Come on, bird-killing coincidence!

Rolled 59 (1d100)

>>6100425
Are we summoning help?

Rolled 82 (1d100)

>>6100425

>>6100426
>>6100427
>>6100536
>HIGHEST ROLL: 82!
Aw hell ye you guys I was gonna go to bed and feel bad about leaving things on a roll, but you GOT there! Writing the last update of the evening!

On an unrelated note, CAPTCHA was 'NMSTD'. Peculiar.

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Anger courses through your blood as the ringing in your ears becomes a rumble! So this is it, huh? Ganked by a pack of stupid monsters you can’t even see moments after you managed to grab a handful of scale? No adventure, no excitement, just a tumble off a bridge followed by feeding the animals?! You never had a goddamn chance… not a CHANCE! you weren’t even supposed to BE here, damn it! Why couldn’t you be a hero just this once!?

Your heart skips a beat as you hear a pair of screeching horrors leap for your stomach. You don’t even bother closing your eyes…

Lucky you. Just when you feel the air shift above you, your hands erupt with an explosion of glowing RED power that sends both of them flying! Blinking in utter confusion, you glance at your palms and nearly let your jaw drop into the moors when you see it…

Both hands burning red hot… and completely visible, no less! As you study the phenomenon, you feel something itching from within your skin yearning to break free… something that wants to FIGHT! To WIN! Just like you!

Why on Earth would you ever say no?

From the depths of the light bursting from your hands, you see it:

>A long red CHAIN, each link spiked and impossibly strong!
>A jagged BLADE, its edge impossibly sharp and dripping with otherworldly energy!
>Motes of FLAMES on your fingertips–each one dancing from digit to digit just yearning to be THROWN… to be USED!
>GAUNTLETS of molten stone–their surfaces cracked and hissing with impossible heat!

That's it for tonight! Seeya around 6pm Mountain Time, folks!

>>6100558
>GAUNTLETS of molten stone–their surfaces cracked and hissing with impossible heat!