>are you a bad enough dude to continue?

What, and go home with all that shit with nothing to show for it? Fuck that, we're gonna climb this mountain if it kills us.

>>19597444
Everything hurts.
Everything is terrible.
You stay optimistic. The Magi can cure all this, right?
You look at what remains of your arms.
Can you even learn this "inner magic" like this? It's supposed to teach you how to use your body, but if there's nothing of the body left..?

No, you will not succumb to despair. You've gone too far to back down now.
Hell, it's not like our life was terribly exciting before. This is a chance to experience something that ordinary men are not meant to know, and you'll be fucked before you let this opportunity go to waste.

And so you hobble towards the mountain, firm in your resolve. You know you're going to get to the top and meet with the Master.

Wait, isn't that him walking down the pathway right there? What on Earth is he holding in his hands? Are those books?

He runs towards you, filled with happiness.
Wait no, not happiness. That other thing.

Anger?
Yeah, anger.

He's fucking pissed.

"YOU IDIOT! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" he screams at you from the top of his lungs.

He's standing just in front of you now, and he looks like you just shagged his mother or something. You've never seen a man with this much rage before, and you once met a guy with a neckbeard that covered the guy from chin to chest.

"Well? What happened?!"

>>19597526
"Wolf attacked me. I killed it."

>>19597526
A wolf ate my hand, it was rather unpleasant. I was going for a walk.

rolled 9 = 9

>>19597526
I was following you I tripped and hit my head a wolf ate my arm the rest is a bit fuzzy but I was going to try and climb the mountain

>>19597546
>>19597560
"A wolf attacked me. I killed it."
"A wolf attacked you? In the village? You expect me to believe that?"
"I was following you! I tripped and broke my leg, and a wolf ate my arm. The rest is a bit fuzzy, but I was just trying to follow you up the mountain!"
"Follow me? Without any training or knowledge of directions or equipment? Are YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? I left you near the village so you could wait until I returned, and you went ahead and got your limbs destroyed. Perfect. You are the most incompetent... Yevgeniya was definitely right about you. You're an idiot. Discipline. Do you know the meaning of this word? I told you, the only way to learn my way is through discipline, but it seems you have no regard for self-control."
He looks around as if to make certain that no one is watching the two of you. You're sufficiently far away from the village for him, apparently, because he takes a step and is now standing right in your face.

"You know nothing, Dave Davesson."

Wow. You really pissed him off.

>Do you want to interject? Say nothing? Punch him in the gut for being really mean and hurtful towards your feelings and stuff?

>>19597622
>Oh look, my trip fell off

>>19597622
Thrust out our chin indignantly,
"You're right. Are you going to send me away knowing nothing still, or teach me?"

File: 1340494200683.jpg-(120 KB, 415x497, 1340113762301.jpg)

>>19597661
You don't give a shit if he despises you, you came to learn, not to be loved.
You look him straight in the eyes, and with irreverence in your voice, you say:
"You're right. But are you going to send me away knowing nothing still, or teach me?"
The old man looks at you.
He opens his mouth, only to form a smile.
That same smile you saw in the ruins.
Heh, you guess it must've worked. Here's to doggedy perseverance, you think, moments before he backhands you so hard you're not sure you didn't get a concussion, being swept off your feet, crutch left behind on the pathway as you land to the side.
"I can teach nothing to a man who knows nothing.
My teachings are refinement. I teach you to use what you have. If you have nothing, you will be able to learn nothing.

That said, it is my responsibility, as your master, to teach you. At least you might be of some use as someone to talk with for your brother."
Yeah. Your brother.
Sure haven't gotten tired of hearing how your prodigy little brother is better than you at everything.
You always loved him, even if he did grow slightly arrogant, because he meant well, but it's beginning to be hard to love him more and more as time passes by.

'More potential' than you. You've been told the same since he was just a little kid. You were always holding him back, somehow. Either by wasting his time, or by not being there with him and helping him.

This isn't the time for this, you think, blood dripping onto the snow from your mouth.

"Hard words, old monk. Hard words."
That voice...

File: 1340494308709.jpg-(128 KB, 338x506, quite androgynous.jpg)

>>19597756
You'd say the voice from behind you was that of a woman, but you wouldn't be certain whether this was, strictly speaking, true.
Regardless, you’re certain of its source. You will never forget that voice for as long as you live.
Kaoru.
"Davesson, I believe I might have misjudged you earlier. You may very well be exactly what I need for my pupil. I watched your struggle with the beast. You persevered despite wounds that would have incapacitated a normal man.
You have not yet been trained in an Art, and thus I bring you this opportunity. Advani is with me as well, and he feels the same way."

File: 1340494453612.jpg-(238 KB, 496x812, 22e384b5c1aa5a42063cd69ab64758(...).jpg)

Advani looks you. He's not as scary as he was back in Oman. He's still terrifying, but at least you don't have to stop yourself from shitting your pants.

"Davesson, the inner magic of Master Gyatso requires your body to function optimally. If this is not the case, you will most likely not be able to fight once the time comes to battle the 78. At least not with the same capabilities you might have, learning a different Art."

Is he trying to tell you what you think he is?

Gyatso looks at him with apathy. It doesn't seem like he feels strongly against, nor for this.

You roll over to your back on the snow, thinking.

>what say/do?

>>19597784
Take the offer. Personally, I wanted to go with her to start with.

>>19597815
*Not narration*
Advani's wrong about you not being able to use inner magic, by the way. You'll still be able to use it perfectly fine, just with one less arm. Just, if this was influencing your choice.
*Not narrating*

>>19597854
Time and Space magic is still way cooler IMO, and it's the one I personally would choose if confronted with the choice.

That being said, I'd also like to thank Gyatso for his time.

>>19597874
Yeah, but being rampaging alpha inner magician sounds kinda cool now. Oh wait, our annoying little brother is with the inner magic dude right? Well then i choose
TIME AND SPACE

Take the option that would let us regrow our limbs.

>>19597913
No option will let you regrow them, per se.
That said, I am going with >>19597889
>>19597874
because of majority vote

>>19597923
>No option will let you regrow them, per se.
Then we might as well kill ourselves. It is not worth living without a working pair of arms.

>>19597943
Well, one of your arms is working. It's just maimed pretty badly right now. It just needs some medical attention and time to heal.

>>19597943
It's cool, brah. We'll get a sweet cyborg prosthesis in Japanoland.

File: 1340495418938.png-(487 KB, 3776x2520, The Eyes.png)

You look at Kaoru. He’s been the only one who hasn’t been a cryptic asshole.
You’re not entirely sure what he can do, but how on Earth are you going to fight hand-to-hand when you don’t even have hands. At least, not fully functional hands.
Gyatso’s spent the last month with you, and he certainly hasn’t been a gracious host. Water’s been scarce; food even more so.
You look at your bandage-covered stump again. It’s pathetic.
Gyatso’s right. You’re not cut out for this sort of work. Living as an ascetic in Tibet, with no one but your brother and an old man who clearly hates your guts to keep you company?
No. You wouldn’t be able to handle this.
You mull over your choices for a second.
Malhar Advani or Kaoru.
Advani scares the living shit out of you.
You’re not going with that guy.
“Kaoru, I.. I want to go with you if it’s okay.”
He doesn’t really seem to respond much. He walks over to you, lying there in the snow, crouching over you.
“Then it is decided. Is it okay with you, old monk?”
He nods solemnly. It looks like he doesn’t really want to let you go, but you’ve made your choice.
“Advani, I will be taking him to Anton. Might be the safest place for him.”
Advani nods at Kaoru before lighting his pipe (in this snowy landscape, no less) and dramatically turning to walk away.
Had it been any other man you’d have sniggered, but you prefer not angering a man who can make your spine shiver just by glaring at you.
You look into Kaoru’s eyesohgodhiseyeswhyaretheysoempty
You instinctively look away, remembering the chills his eyes gave you the last time you got a good look.
“Look into my eyes, Davesson. You’ll have to get used to it.”
You slowly open your eyes and look him directly in the eyes.
A single point of light in an eternal void.
You feel yourself being sucked into the void.

File: 1340495658966.jpg-(125 KB, 431x471, Anton.jpg)

>>19598014
As light breaks into your eyes again, you see you’re in a completely different place. An austere living room in what looks to be a mansion, with you lying on the floor, Kaoru overlooking you in a crouched position.
You see a man sitting in a seat, dressed in a fine suit, bags surrounding him, nonchalantly speaking without even looking in your direction.
“Kaoru. How pleasant that you showed up. Davesson, I presume?”
He looks directly at you now, and you really, really wish he hadn’t, because you can barely move from the sheer terror of this man’s visage.
“I, am Anton.”
Anton.
Advani’s master.
Why can these people never just tell you what’s going on?


>what do?

>>19598088
>>19598014
>Very sorry for the even slower updates than usual, but I'm taking a dump, and I didn't want to make you wait even longer, so I just took my laptop to the can. Apparently, it still takes longer.

>>19598088
Stand up and give the man a proper greeting. Being unflappable would be nice, but we should speak even if our voice shakes.

>>19598102
I'd rather you hadn't said anything.

Discipline? I haven't keeled over and died yet old man.

>>19598141
Son, you are all kinds of late.

>>19598088
Get up and dust ourselves off, "Pleasure to meet you Anton, hope you don't mind a lefty hand-shake."

>>19598108
This. We can black out afterwards.

Yeah I saw. This quest is hilarious. How on earth did we get this fucked up?

Can someone repost the rundown on Void magic? I've read it before but I didn't save the pic.

File: 1340496548457.jpg-(1.75 MB, 3032x1888, 1340113762300.jpg)

You're determined to make a good impression on this man. You really don't want to be on his bad side, you figure.

You attempt to stand up, asking Kaoru to help stand you up on your good leg, using him for support. You grind your teeth from the pain of having to use your thoroughly bitten arm but you're going to stand up no matter what.

You manage to balance on your foot, not applying too much weight on your broken ankle, and whatever the hell else is broken with that foot, and look at Anton. You look him straight in the eyes, as you gather all the resolve you can muster, and with great drive introduce yourself:
"Y-y-y-es, I am D-dave Davesson, s-sir. P-pleasure to m-meet you, Anton. I uh, I would shake your h-hand, but my arm is, uh, I need it to stand, s-sir. And my other one's been eaten."
You try to smile, and Anton certainly seems friendly enough, because he walks over to you and helps you sit on a chair.

Wait, where did Kaoru go?

Anton seems to notice your puzzled outlook.

"Kaoru will be your master, Dave, is it okay if I call you Dave? Anyways, he'll be your master, but we figured it'd be safer for you to stay with me for the duration of your training. Oh he'll pop up periodically to teach you, but heh, you know things are. No one really knows where he spends most of his time."

So, you'll be staying with this guy, apparently.
You won't miss your parents, that's for sure.

"Well if that'll be all, I have a business meeting in the inner city in oh, an hour, so I'll be going as soon as you think you can handle yourself."

Why does that sound so threatening despite him saying it in a relaxed tone?
>well?

>>19598214
>Had to spend a while digging it out, sorry.
And yeah, like 10 nat 1s in a row can do this to a person.

>>19598197
Huh, I was almost certain I wrote it was the left arm that got bitten off, but apparently, I forgot to mention that detail. How embarrassing.

>>19598348
Could be I just missed it, I was assuming it was the right.

"Just point me to a bed I can use and I'll be fine, thanks."

>>19598298
Could you just point me to a fridge and a bed? That's all I really need right now.

File: 1340497572494.jpg-(15 KB, 250x327, Yeah, he's your butler.jpg)

“Just.. just point me to a bed I can use and I’ll be fine, thanks.”
He looks slightly annoyed by this. What; did he expect you to do absolutely nothing while waiting for your foot to heal?
He sighs and tells you he’ll call on a butler to help you get to bed, and then says his farewells.
Wow, you have a butler now.
Cool.
You sit around for a while, before wondering whether Anton just took the piss. He just left the door and he certainly didn’t call for anyone before leaving.
You wonder what you’re going to do if he tricked you, before you hear heavy footsteps coming near you. The butler?
Yeah, probably is. You kind of have to wonder why he’s stomping while he’s walki- well fuck me
That’s your butler?
He towers over you, and despite his massive build, looks languid and pale.
“Master Davesson?” he says in a slow, heavy manner.
“Y-yes?”

“Come with me.”
“Uh, I can’t.”
“The Master asked me to escort you to your bedroom, Master Davesson.”
“No, I mean I uh, I physically can’t. My foot’s all messed up and junk.”
He doesn’t even raise his eyebrow or think before grabbing you in his arms, carrying you gently across the floor.
Holy crap this guy’s strong.
He carries you to your bed and places you under the sheets.
He’s still looming over you, however. Waiting for your next command.
These people are unnerving.
>Sleep? Ask Big Ol’ Butler here to get anything for you? Set fire to everything? What do?

>>19598538
I imagine we're probably dehydrated by this point, ask for a glass of water, thank him for his help and dismiss him.

>>19598538
Thank him and sleep, we're all kinds of messed and need the rest.

Also, this quest has been hilarious so far, keep up the good work.

>>19598538
Could you get me some water and maybe something light to eat?

Then we get some sleep.

File: 1340498185278.jpg-(42 KB, 400x300, Chicken!.jpg)

>>19598572
>>19598582
You kindly ask uh, butler guy for a glass of water and something to eat, and he hastily complies, bringing you a glass of, wait, is this mineral water?
"Uh, tap water would've been fine, friend."
"Tap water in India will kill Americans."
Wait, shit, you're in India?

You're far away from home, then.
You look at him apologetically, drinking your water in silence as he heads for the kitchen and comes back with a veritable feast, compared to what you've had the rest of the month. He gives you a plate of chicken in some kind of gravy, except the gravy tastes fantastic (if a bit spicy) and is clearly the main part of the dinner. He frowns as he sees you've eaten most of your dinner before handing you a small container with a bunch of flatbread, asking you how you even managed to eat the soup thing without the bread.
You probably shouldn't have just presumed you were supposed to drink the gravy, but hey, you were hungry.

You finish your dinner, content with yourself, and pass into a deep, pleasant sleep.

You wake up to the sound of horrible, horrible screams.
>what do?

>>19598665
Time to go investigate the screams.

>>19598665
Wake up, investigate the screams, from as good a distance as possible.

>>19598665
Make sure the room we're in is secure and see if the butler is anywhere nearby and not taking care of whatever this is to question him of what is going on.

>>19598665
Lay there. We can't move properly anyways. Mangled leg, remember?

File: 1340498895180.jpg-(899 KB, 960x1067, 12341243.jpg)

You notice your butler graciously left you a crutch by the bedside, and apparently he's quite a good surgeon, because your arm seems quite fine.
Either that, or you're so chock full of morphine, you can't even feel the pain any more.
Probably a mix.

You grab the crutch, placing one under each "arm", and start walking in the direction of the screams. They're coming from the living room.
There's no one around you other than the echoing sounds of harrowing pain.
Man, your life is beginning to suck.
You peek into the living room from the doorway, only to see an Indian pair, a man and a woman, each holding a knife, apparently sacrificially killing, well other people. White people, interestingly enough.
They're both start screaming a mix of Hindu and English.
"Aap KHUSH houn? Amriki bastards! Humaree loogh ko janwer banathe houn, aur hum apko stop nahin karen gay?"
What the fuck did he just say?
Did he just call you a faggot?
No, that's the morphine speaking, calm down Dave.
Then, something... weird happens.
They both freeze up.
They start cackling.
What a horrifying laughter.

They fall to their knees, the bound up victims who are still alive petrified, as they begin to carve... something, into the dead ones.
A very, very elaborate pattern if their movements are anything to go by.
You can't get a good look, but this is some insane shit.

>What do?

>>19598821
Tell them to keep it down and go back to bed.

oh jesus you guys

I went for a run after naming the dude and forgot about the quest

and then I come back and THIS happened

I sure hope we find a way to get a new arm

>>19598845
This, we are void dude. Nothing phases us.

>>19598845
Going with this unless someone else feels opposed to the idea

File: 1340499709741.jpg-(266 KB, 500x500, 1234123124.jpg)

You’re angry. You haven’t had a good night’s sleep in WEEKS, and these assholes come by, disturbing the peace, all for the sake of ritualistic killing.
You don’t know how things go down in India, but in AMERICA, a guest isn’t woken by assholes who feel like being assholes for no other reason than being an asshole.
Enlightened by the profundity of your thought processes, you call for the pair of ritualistic killers.
Nothing.
You don’t care if they respond, though.
As long as they listen to what you say.
“Keep it the FUCK down, people! I’m trying to sleep here!”
Everyone’s looking at you Dave.
The victims who haven’t been killed yet look at you with incredulity and look rather.. disturbed
The killers? Oh they look happy, with their faces all contorted like that, baring rows upon rows of sharpened knife-like teeth.
Indians have weird dentistry customs, you think, drugs surging to make sure you don’t start thinking too rashly.
They both walk slowly towards you, dropping their knives in unison.
They’re still smiling. Man, these people like to smile.
Uh, that’s…
What’s happening to their faces?
A cut opens in the man’s face, and then the woman’s across the cheek.
The cuts spread, somehow. They’re getting bigger, and there are forming more and more of them. They even mange to make a whole circle out of one of them. The pattern of wounds is disturbingly intricate. Even through the drug-fueled fog you can see there’s something very, very wrong.
Well, the fact that the two of them are now on fire, laughing with great disregard for their own blazing inferno, that’s tipping you off too.
They’re both consumed by the hellish fire, leaving nothing but ashes behind.
>Go back to sleep?

>>19599051
Hobble back to bed, grumble about inconsiderate assholes, waking you up with ritual sacrifices.

>>19599106
Going with apathy unless someone is against it

>>19599106
Seems like a perfectly reasonable reaction.

>>19599151
At least lock the door so they don't kill you in your sleep.
In fact, make sure you're totally safe and the mansion isn't burning down.

Walk back to your room and lock the door, grumbling grumpily all the way.

>>19599178
Indian houses are often made of stone, and this one is no different. You're safe. Marble floors are neat.

Anyways, back to the room it is! Give me a few seconds to go puke up the big block of buttermilk and biscuits I ate, that was apparently spoiled pretty big time.

I'm fine with apathy, just blame it on the drugs and having had enough of this shit.

rolled 10 = 10

>>19599051
so the usual Saturday night?

File: 1340501962045.jpg-(102 KB, 581x712, Portrait of a Dude.jpg)

Thirty minutes of puking and I'm back.

Tip: never drink spoiled buttermilk. Not even if you need it for your biscuits.
Just not worth it.


>*ahem*
You feel you should be afraid. Very afraid.
You aren't, though.
You've already lose half of your body mass, in parts of course, and couldn't possibly care less now.
Besides, it looks like the two assailants are dead, so why bother?
Not like you can do much in this condition.
You slowly hobble back to your room, ignoring the pleas of the terrified men and women littering the floor of the living room.
What the hell do they think you're going to do? Magically grow a new arm, sprint over and rescue them from whatever ails them?
People can be so stupid sometimes.
You tumble into your bed, resting your crutches on the night stand, hoping to get some sleep.

Mmm, something smells good.
Is that bacon?
Mmm... you've always liked... bacon.
*Yawn*

You slowly pass into a deep slumber.

When you wake, you feel more refreshed than you've ever been in your entire life!
You're still hopped on painkillers, but not to the same degree as before. You open your eyes slowly, savoring the rest you've just had.

Who the fuck is this guy?


The bearded fakir-like man looks at Anton who's sitting in the corner, then back at you.

"Anything you want to tell me?" he asks.
>Well? Is there?

rolled 6 = 6

>>19599545
hello my names dan whats yours?

>>19599545
I don't think so. I have been high on painkiller for quite some time now. Think there was something about undead hellfire creature cutting some americans, but that is probably just the pills talking.

>>19599545
There was a disturbance in the night, there wasn't a threat to my life and I figured it was Anton's business not mine. So I went back to bed.

There wasn't anything I could have done anyway, I'm kind of missing an arm, the other is injured as hell and I also have a broken leg.

Or I could have been hallucinating due to painkillers, can't discount that possibility.

>>19599545
"Morphine is awesome."

>>19599577
Voting for this guy.

>>19599577
Going for this, seems a good way to put it.

File: 1340503045933.png-(1.72 MB, 726x1191, 12341234512312.png)

“I don’t think so. I have been high on painkillers for quite some time now. There might have been a disturbance in the night, something with undead hellfire creatures cutting down some Americans, but that’s likely just the pills talking. That being said, I probably wouldn’t even have been able to do anything. Kind of missing my arm, here, the other is injured beyond belief and I also have a broken leg.”

Anton looks at you. Displeased.
Somehow, he manages to make you shit bricks even as you can barely think straight from the meds.
The fakir looks at Anton, and they share a meaningful look before a mutual nod ascertains understanding.
Anton stands up and walks over to you, making you wish you could just run away, never having to deal with his kind ever again.
“Listen, Dave, it wasn’t a dream. Who you see here is a man who was once under my tutelage. He’s here to help you with your limbs, hurrying up the healing process. Well, sort of. Did ol’ Gyatso ever tell you what my kind do? Uh, do you play video games? Roleplaying games and such?”
“Uh, I know of them, at least.”
“Yeah, I suppose I’m what you would strictly speaking call a ‘necromancer’.”
He even does that little finger quote thing.

Doesn’t matter. He could be breakdancing to an urban rendition of Yakety Sax wearing astronaut pants and you’d still think he was hellbent on dragging your soul with him to the darkest recesses of Hell itself.
“We can manipulate the body and whatnot, if we have enough of the resources we need. In any event, my friend here is going to force your bones back into place.”
You think you’ve done so many double takes recently, you might as well just presume it’s the standard way of responding to any statement.
“Yes, he’s going to snap your bones into place and probably clamp them together. Yes, this will hurt. Even with the painkillers.”
Kaoru walks in the door, breaking up the very, very chilling silence with a simple command.
“Time for training, Dave.”
“You’ll have to wait, Kaoru ol’ chap, I need to just fix him up and he’ll be all yours. A good host needs to take care of his guests, after all.”

>What do/say?

>>19599746
Limbs first. Karou will understand. I hope.

rolled 2 = 2

>>19599746
Thank you

>>19599746
Kaoru is our master, I think he takes priority over healing that could be done anytime.

File: 1340503431686.jpg-(70 KB, 395x296, guys this is bad.jpg)

guise
i just got here guise
but guise
seriously guise
what if
what is Kaoru
is guise listen to me here
pic related

>>19599785
Should I take that as a "healing first, then training"?

>>19599786
Agreed.

>>19599821
>>19599786
Well it's 2-for-2. Unless someone breaks up the stalemate, I'm going roll a d2. I'll give you five minutes

>>19599836
Training first.

Healing can easily wait. Mentor needs our attention.
Be fucking polite to everyone in there. Stay calm.

Hell, just ask if there's a lesson he could teach us while we're in the excrutiating pain of him fixing our bones.

rolled 5 = 5

>>19599817
yes

rolled 95 = 95

>>19599900
yeah i like this. but go with training instead of healing, if they are exclusive

healing first, no idea what the training actually involves

File: 1340504939376.jpg-(46 KB, 490x700, This thing right here.jpg)

>had to go throw up again, fuck my life
You decide to tell Anton that you think it's best if you go with Kaoru. You can handle a bit of pain for a while longer.
Kaoru looks at you. He's still as emotionless as before, but you think he's surprised. Did he expect you to say no?
He just disappears, though.
How did he just disappear.
You look at Anton, expecting an answer.
He looks just as surprised as you are.
"Uh.. I really don't know what just happened. Kaoru is the only one who still manages to confuse me. His Art depends on your determination and willpower, however. Maybe he was seeing how willing you were to disregard your pain in favor of going for the gold, so to speak? That's my best bet."
A test?
That was dickish.
You look to the Fakir, expecting him to work his magic. He nods understandingly, and lays his hand on your foot.
Well this isn't so bad. Anton must've been exaggerating, man, you sure are glad things aren't bad at all.

He's not even started, is he?

Yeah, life sucks.

You try to scream, but the fakir quickly stuffs your mouth full of cloth.
You bite down hard, feeling your nervous system being overloaded.
Dear God the horror, you can feel your bones moving slowly, ever so slowly.
Each centimeter of movement is like getting stabbed in the gut twice or thrice, and it doesn't get any better.

FUCK.

IT HURTS

HURTS
HURTS
HURTS
You look Anton in the eyes, as if to beg him to stop his friend, but he doesn't really seem affected at all by the blood that's spilling all over the bedsheets.

>>19600099

That's when Kaoru appeared again.
This time, with a slab of some kind of metal in his hands.
You realize everything's stopped moving.
The clock's stopped ticking, Anton's stopped breathing, your bones aren't making you feel like the unluckiest sod in the most hellish corner of the ugliest torture pit on the shittiest planet in the most malicious galaxy.

Kaoru appear right next to you, looks at you, and then suddenly, everything goes fast.

Within seconds you feel all the pain of the entire process that would probably have taken hours, almost overloading your sensory system, and then, the Fakir's gone. Walking out the door as fast as Master Gyatso would walk.

Is Kaoru doing this? Is he making everything go faster?
You're not certain whether to thank him or curse him for making you feel all that at once.

Anton leaves the room, leaving you and Kaoru alone.

"Are you ready now?"


>why can't I hold all this text in one field

>>19600109
what do i need to do.

>>19600155
Going with this.

We're not smart or disciplined, but least we don't let anything stop us from doing something.

File: 1340505782686.png-(420 KB, 3000x2000, His Eyes.png)

"Look into my eyes. What do you see?"
You're pressed not to make a bad joke and just say 'the cult of personality'. It becomes much, much easier when you gaze into the void that makes up Kaoru's eyes.
"What do you see?"
"Nothing."
"No. Everything."
You can see forever.
You can feel your mind unraveling at the seams as you're pulled into the void of Kaoru's eyes.
You're drifting in an ocean of nothingness.
You're falling awake,
Sailing upon a sea of blissful awareness.
The scenery changes, as the red tide washes you ashore.
You're standing on the sands of your own shortcomings.
Each grain is a failure.
You are standing atop them all.
Now you're amidst them, sinking beneath the stains of time.

You realize how few of your thoughts are your own, as you're catapulted from enlightenment into the void once again.
You hear a voice, bellowing.
"Do you see?"
You do not.

You want to, though.

You want to know.

Should you ask questions?

Or should you let the starless night float you towards understanding, guided by the sound of the angel's voice.

Your mind's not healthy, you realize in a moment of clarity.

And then, the moment is gone.

>>19600109
"Sure, this shits nothing, fucking wolf ripping my arm off only hurt a little less."

>>19600301
Well, that was interesting. I seem to be unhealthy. I'll work on that.

that was... enlightening

>>19600370
>I'm not entirely certain what this suggestion means
>If anyone wants to stop me being trippy, please do say so. I'm not sure I can write properly at 5 AM, but I'd be happy to switch up styles if people are annoyed by nonsensical introspection

>>19600424
No, trippy is good. It is void magic, after all.

>>19600424
It was something to talk to Kaoru about once we get to a place where we can talk to him.

We saw forever and among the enlightenment we saw our own failures and unhealthiness.

>If no one has any suggestions, I could just move on? More exposition?

>>19600463
Are we in the void, or back in the room staring at Kaoru?

"I think I saw it for just a moment. But it's gone now."

Question: would it be considered OOC to try to awaken now? I have the OOC knowlege that Void magic is dangerous to its user, but does Dave?

>>19600484
You're in the void, and Kaoru's asking you: "do you see?"

File: 1340506563054.jpg-(62 KB, 500x600, the-fuck-was-that-the-fuck-is-(...).jpg)

>>19600424
pic related

>>19600507
seeing a lot kauru.

>>19600505
You're exploring depths of your own insanity.
Not pleasant, and thus it's very much justified to try and escape.

Also, considering you're doing void magic, which is basically: "I CAN SEE EVERYTHING! FOREVER!", I encourage metagaming.

>>19600507
I did, maybe, for a moment. I saw who I was for a moment and then it was gone.

>>19600547
I vote this.

I don't think we try to wake up, as Dave is too determined to just run away when he sees into forever.

Heh, that asshole Hayes, a bird just took a huge crap on his head.

>>19600543
>Also, considering you're doing void magic, which is basically: "I CAN SEE EVERYTHING! FOREVER!", I encourage metagaming.

In that case, I would try to break free, try to find my own existence in this endless nothingness.

>>19600620
Nah, no exploring the multiverse just yet, wait till we can actually find our way around and back.

"I can see everything forever, the stars are laughing at my name."

File: 1340507393040.png-(553 KB, 950x680, The Sea of Blissful Awareness (...).png)

“Do you see?” he asks again.
“I think I saw it for just a moment. But it’s gone now.”
“What have you seen?”
“I saw who I was.”
“And what are you now?”
“Myself.”
“Who are you, then?”
“I am the sum of my failures.”
“And what of your successes?”
“A success is only a failure not acknowledged.”
Where are these words coming from?
It sounds like you’re saying them, and your mouth moves to push them out of you, but these are not your words.
Is anything you’ve made yours?
Can you truly call the words you speak yours, even if you feel they are?
What if someone takes your words? What if someone takes them and changes them? If someone takes them and gives them new meaning?
Are they still your words? Do your words mean anything? Do you mean anything? Are you what you mean? Are you your words? Is your meaning you?
Your thoughts aren’t yours either. The void is tearing deep into the roots of your psyche, and you can feel it taking its toll on you.
“You’ve seen enough for now. You’re becoming one with the Void. Your path is set. The road is paved with your frustrations and efforts, each diverging path, a separate temptation.
More paths will lure you away from the road to enlightenment than you will ever be able to measure. Temptations beyond a 108.”

File: 1340507427828.jpg-(129 KB, 500x500, The Seal.jpg)

And suddenly, something rises above your head.
A circle.
A symbol.
You recognize it.
Do you recognize it?
It fills your vision.
It fills your perception.
It fills what remains of your sanity, with questions of its existence.
And then, your foray into the Void ends.
You can feel yourself being torn back to the bedchamber where you began this journey.
“I will be back again tomorrow”, your Master says, as he disappears from your sight.
All that remains of your quest is a token. A symbol.
An omen.
>You can now kind-of walk without your crutches, although this is not advisable. Ever had a muscle fiber torn? It feels kind of like that. You can walk, but it’ll be unpleasant.
>What do?

>>19600775
>>19600787
>My throat hurts so fucking much why does stomach acid have to burn so much oh wait
>Fucking buttermilk

>>19600787
Stay in the bed for now, maybe examine the symbol and try and figure out why you both know it and don't.


>>19600851
If it bothers you that badly, I doubt any of us would mind you taking the rest off and ending early, unless it's one of those that makes it worse when you're not concentrating on something.

After a strenuous workout, I like to eat. Call for the butler.

>>19600787
Call for a snack, ask the butler if he could help us to the library, I bet Anton has a nice library.

>>19600871
It's not going to make a difference whether I run the quest or not, my throat's going to burn like a bitch no matter what I do.

>>19600903
If we do want to go to the library and would actually be able to read whatever languages he has his books in, make sure to ask the butler if we're allowed to first, no want piss of master necromancer.

File: 1340508412685.jpg-(55 KB, 443x333, 4.jpg)

>>19600871
>>19600903
>>19600879
Strenuous activities always make you feel a bit peckish, so you call for your good ol' butler to whip you up some food.
Any food is fine, at this point.
As he arrives with a tray of chicken (that's red, for some reason. Weird spices, maybe?), you ask him to fetch you as many books from Anton's library on semiotics, to try to find out just what that symbol that haunts your mind means.

Your butler kindly comes back with a whole stack of books, some English, most of them

You take a bite from a drumstick (holy shit this tastes good) as you thumb through the first of the dusty volumes.

You then realize you tried to thumb through the book with what remains of your stump of an arm.
Man, lacking an arm sucks.

>What, exactly are you looking for in the books? Do you want to actually go to the library, or is it fine if Big Ol' Butler (who we should probably just call BOB, for short) fetches them for you?

>>19601066
I'm fine with Lurch fetching us books.

Looking for anything that resembles the symbol we saw or holds common elements, books on the theory of magic, and if anything has more detail on Void.

>>19601066
we should read through the books looking for charms that can be used to protect us. A pinch of prevention comes a long way when our limbs and life are at stake.

>>19601066
Make sure we're extremely careful with these books and look through them for similarities to the symbol, once we're done eating and going through this stack and don't find anything, we can see about having BOB help us to the library.

I would look for symbols related to Roman or European magic systems. Particularly those that dealt in the concepts of gnosis or universal knowlege. I would look for words similar to:

USAND ROMALI
I/JUSAN DROMAL
LISAND ROMA

etc.

>>19601066
You quickly call back Bob, making sure to specify what books you need.
"Does Anton have any books on the knowledge of magic?"
"You shouldn't speak to people you don't know are Magi about magic."
Wait, when did Bob learn to talk like that? Does he know about the Magi?
"That said, there are no books on true magic. The Magi would not let them exist."
Oh.
True.
You didn't think of that.
Maybe you can still find some mention of the symbol in a book about the 'conventional' magic.

You ask him for any information that might help you, and he seems positively surprised you would want to know that.
"Are you not being taught by Kaoru?"
"Well, yes, but what does that have to do anything?"
"Kaoru knows everything. I am surprised he has not informed you of this."
Uh.
How can these guys still be cryptic despite saying everything as bluntly as possible?
You hate this shit.

"Well, get me any information on Roman or European magic systems. Particularly those that dealt in concepts of knowledge related to enlightenment and transcendental stuff and whatnot."

He sighs and gets you what you ask for.

After hours of search, you have to conclude there's nothing there.
Nothing pertaining to the information you actually wanted, at least. Although you are now much more knowledgeable on early European occult beliefs.

Wait, what's this? You find something strange in one of the books with information on something called Ars Goetia. Apparently, the summoning of demons, mostly.

Well that's strange.

The pages fucking disappeared.
What the fuck.

>>19601509
We summoner now?

look around the room for them pages.

Well, that's annoying. Take a close look at the book. Does it look like the pages were ripped out, or does it look like they were never there in the first place?

>>19601578
>>19601573
They just disappeared from under your eyes.

>>19601578
rampant speculation time. they were there at one time, but some time in the future we act on them and our master find out, and then procedes to go back and remove those pages from the book originally, but since we now know some of the void it took a slight bit of time for it to change for us.

or it could be something else entirely.

>>19601586
So all the pages are gone, interesting. Close the book, put it aside, and leave a note on it saying that it may need to be replaced.

Then in about 5-10 minutes open it up again and look more.

Appearing and disappearing seems to be Kaoru's specialty. I would ask aloud, "Master Kaoru, was that you?" He knows everything, so you know he can hear you.

>>19601613
Or maybe Kaoru's just fucking with us

"Haha, very funny Master K."

File: 1340511057741.jpg-(142 KB, 576x766, Ars Goetia.jpg)

>>19601647
You spend a while mulling over your choices. On one hand, a bunch of pages of a book with information you might've needed just disappeared from, literally, under your nose.
You close the book, leaning over on the trolley that Bob brought in with the books to place it there. Grabbing a blank piece of paper from your nightstand, you hastily scribble an apology note for Anton and details of what just happened, and place it in the book.

You wait for about 15 minutes before opening the book, and sure enough, the pages are still gone.

"Master Kaoru, was that you?" you say, audibly to anyone who would be present in the room, although you're certain no one could possibly be inside the room without your knowledge.

Kaoru is now sitting on a chair in a corner.
There was no chair there before.
You're pretty sure there wasn't a corner, either.

"I wanted to see if you could see. You still can't see. Disappointing.
Your brother just caught a bullet fired at him for practice a couple of seconds ago."

>>19601759
Oh fuck no, keep whatever your doing going master K, we are going to look at this book.

rolled 10 = 10

>>19601759
Ok, so he really wanted us to practice trying to see than researching the symbol.....

Say something like how our brother has always just been better than us and then try bring back that feeling we had while looking in his eyes and when we were submerged in our failures and see what happens.

>>19601759
wow, and he has only been at this for what? a month? depends on when he got to the monastery.

>>19601822
Oh hey! Please take this.

rolled 61 = 61

>>19601822
this. except if he submerged in the faiilures doesn't work then try the feeling of when we were standing atop them.

>>19601759
go back to our memory of the pages. we will make those words our own. we will give them our meaning, and through that, make them ours

Say: "Everyone's talking about my brother these days. I'm getting tired of hearing about him."

I have an idea. Why not try to make the pages reappear?

(Also, you're making me sad that I live in a town that lacks good Indian restaurants. It's been a long time since I had chicken Tandoori.)

>>19601822
"Well.. our brother always has been better than us. Every single step of my life has been eclipsed by my brother's genius. I'm not.."
You feel yourself sinking into the Void again, as Kaoru looks at you and blinks, breaking the nothingness's hold on you.
Momentarily, of course.
You can feel yourself sinking again.
"I meant that as a compliment to you, Dave.
Your brother's learning to do things ordinary men can do with a kevlar vest, while you are learning to see beyond what is real and into what is."

What does that even mean.
You don't care.
You can feel him carrying you out of your own failures.
Were they your own failures?
Are you standing atop the failures of others?
Of countless others?
Of civilizations who failed, to fuel your success?
Why did you begin to study archaeology? Why did you decide to find out everything you could about those who didn't manage to make it through. The ones who failed.
Kaoru blinks again, violently ending your contemplation.
You're not sure whether you're in the Void or real life any more.
"Master, I"
He stops you before you even get to ask a question.

"Stop calling me master. I am Kaoru. Nothing more, nothing less."

"R-right. Kaoru."

"Everyone's... everyone's talking about my brother these days. I've just been tired hearing about him."

You remember how you used to love him, once.

That was a long time ago.

You look at the book again. You wonder if you could make the pages come back?

"Kaoru, could I somehow return the pages?"
"Yes. No."
"What?"
"You could be able to. You won't be able to, however. You should forget about bringing things back. You don't need to. You will be able to see all time."
"All the time, you mean?"
"No."

File: 1340512186972.png-(95 KB, 221x361, Andromalius.png)

>>19601993

You think you're beginning to learn.
There's a name.

Andromalius.

There's a face.

You don't think you want to learn any more.

>And that seems like a decent place to stop for tonight. Thanks for playing guys, I'm gonna have to sleep as I'm dying o'er here.
If anyone would like to archive, I'd be grateful.

Here, have some theme songs for our foray into divinity and introspection:

>>19602018
Well, that was pretty cool, hope you'll feel better tomorrow. And your youtube vid vanished.

>Your brother's learning to do things ordinary men can do with a kevlar vest

Kaoru's the best.

>>19602018
i would like to say that was awsome. what time should i be looking for the next one?

and i have to say we seem to be having a better time with void magic than inner magic

>>19602087
We actually did pretty well with what little we used, it's just Gyatso never really explained much or helped lead us, as he said, he expected us to have everything already and him to just polish us up, while Kaoru doesn't exactly tell us what to do but leads us while he's teaching.

This is getting really interesting. Looking forward to the next session.

Can someone archive this before it's too late?

>>19602065
It was mostly a joke, but here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYv6GlcFGF0

And now, I sleep.

Please do give critique as I really want to improve my writing/quest-making, and that can only be done if you're willing to tell me what I'm doing right/wrong.

Thanks for participating, guys!

>>19602087
Probably tomorrow around the same time. I'm not sure I'll be able to, tomorrow, but I probably will. Don't count on it though.

If enough people want me to, I guess I could make a twitter or something and update schedules, but I doubt anyone would want to bother.

>>19602084
It's mostly due to you never actually getting to learn inner magic. Most of your time with Gyatso was basically just walking. You'd actually have been a pretty powerful Magi, even with only one arm, had you stuck with him, but Void magic is going to suit a one-armed man better, yeah.

File: 1340512843078.jpg-(40 KB, 405x412, 1339148631772.jpg)

>>19602123
Oh, and you uh, never actually used inner magic. No Magi (thus far) has been able to learn more than one Art, and you're no Mary Sue special snowflake who will change the paradigms of magic.
That's your brother's job.
>brother'sfw

File: 1340513019761.png-(74 KB, 222x369, You'll never guess this fucker.png)

Oh and uh, to those familiar with Andromalius and his kin: you can't spoil shit, I'm putting a Shyamalan-level TWEEST to their mythos.

Have a free sample of the one who comes after Andromalius.

Thread archived here: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/19597379/

I'm surprised at how easy it is to archive threads.

>>19602145
Have you listened to Sigur Rós? I was thinking you could find some fitting theme song, especially from the album "( )" where the lyrics consists of a gibberish language where you are supposed to interpret the meaning yourself. It is also REALLY trippy.

here is the first song from that album:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVLP-URFgQo

Also spotify link to the album:
http://open.spotify.com/album/1w39eKgHPPnfYl7BoQC0Aa

File: 1340544075285.png-(249 KB, 1000x552, 1328116435378.png)

Just finished reading through this thread.
>mfw

Oh wow, thread's still up. Cool.

I figure I might as well tell you now that I won't be able to run the quest tonight, but probably will tomorrow.
Sorry for the lack of transparency in the schedule, but I honestly don't know about what I have to do, until hours before it has to be done.