[X] Continue down the path

Hard work and consistency.

Is this even a question?

Continue down that path.

> Fuck the Harvest Goddess.

>>24449033
Lol, that thread was weird.

That said, Continue Down the path.

>>24448853
>[ ] Continue down the path, hope to reach your destination.
Hard work and preparation, boy.

>[X] Continue Down the Path

It seems only logical to keep going. You only have another days food or so, and the forest around you seems to be changing. The first few days were thinner, mainly coniferous trees. However, for the last four days the forest thickened and became mostly deciduous. Which is strange, because you could swear you were heading mostly north.

~~~

You come to a fork in the road, at the crux of which is located an old wooden sign. It's fairly worn, but you can discern the following letters.

The left sign reads "W t - Bou al y". The left path appears to lead gently downwards, sloping out of view into the thick treeline.

The right sign reads "Eas - Shad Riv "
The path to the right seems to stay fairly level, the trees appear to thin out and you can see the hint of what might be smoke rising over a hill.

You eat the last of your beef jerky (cracked pepper) and contemplate your next move.

[ ] Go left
[ ] Go right
[ ] Camp at the sign for the night, you're beat.

>>24449227
[ ] Go right

>>24449227
>[ ] Go right

I vote we go left.

Valleys are more fertile ground, in general.

>>24449227
[ ] Go right
(that might spell out river...hrm)

>>24449227

go right. if there is a river, we could build a watermill

>Right it is

The prospect of some kind of settlement piques your interest. You adjust your rucksack and begin the footslogging anew.

~~

After a few short hours a small hamlet comes into view. At first it's just one lone farmhouse with what seems like an acre or two of land. You note that the land is fenced, a mixture of wood and stone.

As you continue you see what must be a town square. The dirt road gives way to cobblestone again, and you see a few people squatting near the statue in the middle of the square. It seems odd that they squat, as you approach them, there are several benches in reasonably good shape.

You slow your pace and introduce yourself at a short distance. An older male wearing rough clothing stands up and nods. He beckons you closer and says "Hail strange young man. We don't get new faces around here. Well come to Shady River."

The man and the others look slavic in descent to you, which would explain the squatting, but the accent is difficult to place. On second thought, it might just be a country accent.

In the distance behind you, you see the sun beginning to set, casting gorgeous colours in the sky.

[ ] Ask about the town
[ ] Ask about a room, and some food
[ ] Boogy out of Slaville back down the road whence you came

>>24449519
[ ] Ask about a room, and some food

Slavtown! Good, perhaps they have already removed Kebab.

>>24449519
>a village of slavs

Holy shit, someone tell /int/ and /pol/.

[ ] Ask about the town

>>24449519

Ask about the town then about lodgings.

>>24449033
Seconding.

>>24449519
[ ] Ask about the town
It would be rude to immediately ask for food and you should make good impressions.

>>24449519
>[ ] Ask about the town
Let's learn if this is a place we want to set down in or not.

>town info first

You squat down, then simply sit down on a curb when your legs scream from overuse.

"Hello sir, my name is Keith. I'm from the City. I've been walking for a while now, looking for somewhere to live. Can you tell me about your town?"

The old man squats in front of you, close enough to be odd, but not close enough to comment on.

"The city? Never have heard of it. Must be far. My name is Gregor. I am the Pont of Shady River. Like .... priest, or mayor? Both. This village has been here since time of our grandfathers grandfathers...grandfathers. Or longer. Is hard to say."

He pauses to cough briefly.

"We are simple village, farms really. We have only five families left, so far away from other towns except the other one. We raise most chicken, cow, things like that. It keeps us alive, and it keeps us busy. Is simple life."

Gregor eyes you, shrewdly. For all his simple talk, you can tell he is no dull man.

"You must have tired from the long walk boy. Would you rest here for the night? The woods can be dangerous alone. Many wolves these days."

As he says wolves, he spits, as do the others that have gathered around. You quickly notice several girls that appear to be near your age.

[ ] Accept Gregors offer of a bed.
[ ] Ask about the other village he mentioned.
[ ] Politely decline, and continue on, either back the way you came, or on the road as it appears to continue

>>24449908
[ ] Ask about the other village he mentioned.

Slav town sounds fun, but lets check our other options.

>>24449908
>[ ] Ask about the other village he mentioned.
And what else is down the road.

I see what Gregor's game is; he wants us to marry in and settle down, help to keep the village going.

"One more thing though sir," You say, "you mentioned another village. Was it the one down the road I came from?"

Gregor's face hardens somewhat. He looks away from you, and his tone changes.

"Yes, other village. Full of damn moors it is. Cocky, arrogant moors. They claimed they were more blessed by God because their farms were more bountiful. Even claimed they spoke to God! Even claimed God was a woman!"

He becomes more incensed as he continues.

"Our villages used to have much trade, but that was two generations ago. Now they must have no animals. No milk. No eggs. No wool. Have not seen them in thirty years, and hope not to ever again. Bastards."

Gregor takes a minute to calm himself in the cooling evening. Then he turns back to you and stands, offering you his hand.

"Well boy? Will you be staying the night to be safe, or can we see you on your way?"

Looks like you've got him pissed, if not at you in particular, in general. And you're a complete stranger in his town, after dark.

Do you

[ ] Stay the night, and speak more the next day
[ ] Stay the night, but leave early in the morning and sneak out of town
[ ] Leave town immediately, perhaps buying some supplies first

>>24450172
[ ] Leave town immediately, perhaps buying some supplies first

Looks we can still fuck the Harvest Goddess, gents!

>>24450191
We can fuck the harvest goddess?

WE CAN FUCK THE HARVEST GODDESS

Leave town immediately, but get some damn food and water first, we're starving and shit

>>24450172

stay the night and speak more the next day. Also, apologize on bringing up the topic due to unfamiliarity with the areas past.

>Tale of Two Towns setting then?

>>24450172
[ ] Stay the night, and speak more the next day
Don't want to make the first guy you meet an enemy. Even if the other town is more prosperous, sneaking out isn't the way to do it.

>>24450191
>>24450222
the fuck is wrong with you two!

I'm a 20 year old, in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by slavs?

I choose wolves, let's get the hell out of slavdodge.

>>24450263

What the fuck is wrong with you, not wanting to fuck the Harvest Goddess? What are you, gay?

>>24450263

the other Harvest Moon quest... it was funny to watch, though it kind of when straight into the toilet because of it though...

>>24450315

When OP gives a rape option in the second post...

Ahh, a close, close decision here.

You don't feel exactly safe here, but you're damn near out of food.

"Well Gregor, sir, I think I might just keep moving on. I've got the wanderlust, and I'm not sure when I'll truly be able to stop. I am running low on food though, is there any spare food I could buy? I'm truly not picky, just need a few days worth?"

Gregor thinks for a minute, then speaks to one of the older women quietly. She bustles off, and returns in about ten minutes, which you spend in silence. She gives you a cloth bundle, it weighs about three pounds, and two leather water bottles.

You thank her, though she doesn't meet your eyes.

"How much do I owe you for the food kind sir?"

Gregor turns away from you again, and you can hear him sigh.
"Nothing, boy. My gift to you. Be careful in your travels. Go now in peace."

And with that, everyone shuffles off into the deepening darkness. It's a clear night though, and soon you are well lit by moonlight.

You turn away from the village and walk the western road, a bit confused about the world.

~~~~~~~

You eat as you walk, mostly dried meats. One of your favorite foods, though there's an odd aftertaste that you chalk up to local spices.

You hear movement in the brush around you, small animals most likely. You wonder offhandedly about wolves that Gregor mentioned.

All of a sudden you get a sharp pain in your stomach. And another. So sharp your vision blurs.

>Roll d100 for poison resistance, best of the first three posts will be taken.

Rolled 56

>>24450411
>Poison resistance

Way to spoil it.

Rolled 100

>>24450411
fucking hell....

Rolled 8

>>24450411

That bastard is trying to remove us like weeks old kebab!

>>24450439
What doesnt kill us makes us stronger.

>>24450439

IRON STOMACH ENGAGED

>>24450439
first merc quest now this good god

>>24450439
dam good roll m8 O.O

>>24450450
wait did you do that 20 for that yager bomb?

>>24450450

Ha, you rolled that 20 in the Jager bomb contest? Good shit.

File: 1366868579115.jpg-(31 KB, 344x347, 568457356hey.jpg)

31 KB JPG

Wait what state is the farm in? Do we have rock to smash, weeds to pull, and tree stumps to cut? Also when will we get our dog?

>>24450439
God damn.

Your pain passes as quickly as it came. A sense of calm washes over you. You don't know it for certain, but you feel like maybe after this you won't ever be bothered by eating anything ever again.

>you may eat food raw and gain the same recuperative bonuses as you would from eating cooked food. You will never suffer from any kind of food poisoning.

You spend thirty minutes squatting against a tree, hateshitting the food out. You leave the rest of the poisoned food for the wolves, but the water you might need.

You make camp for the night far away from that tree, and have an otherwise uneventful night.

[ ] Continue onwards in the morning
[ ] Go back to Shady River and speak to Gregor

>>24450477
He said there were wolves around. Could go get a dog right now, a bit violent one but hey.

>>24450520
yes..FRESH MEAT!!!

>>24450520
Next time we go back to Shady River, we need to be sure we are armed.

Go onward in the morn.

>>24450520
[ ] Continue onwards in the morning

> Hateshitting

This is now how I describe bowel movements.

>>24450520
>[ ] Continue onwards in the morning
And stay away from Shady River.

>>24450520
[ ] Continue onwards in the morning
Need to reach the other town and tell them how bad Shady River is and go live there

>>24450553
no the next time we go back we kill em...

You wisely decide that friendlier territories lie onwards.

~~~

Two days pass. You pick berries from a bush, and they're a bit bitter, but it sustains you. You've been winding steadily down into a valley, so far down your ears have popped. Twice.

But as you venture on, you see something odd. An old farmstead that seems to have been razed to the ground. You tell yourself that it was a simple housefire and quicken your pace a bit, despite yourself.

You reach a village. It was a large village. There was over a dozen buildings, and an enormous green space. It must have been beautiful.

But that was probably all before it was burned. Now there's a layer of ash two inches thick under your feet. Old, white ash. The scorch marks on stone have long worn down.

You're stumped, though an awful thought creeps into your brain. Suppressing the fear, you begin to search around for anything at all, really.

>roll d100 for perception, best of the first five rolls gets it

Rolled 60

>>24450650

Rejoice, dice.

Rolled 32

>>24450650
Slavs?

Rolled 18

>>24450650
I bet it was the dirty slavs.

You guys can reroll if there aren't enough people in the thread.

Rolled 98

>>24450710
Sure.

Rolled 87

>>24450710

Dont count this others show up.

>>24450714

Rejoice.

>>24450714
>>24450678
I guess it is only fair that I roll the highest and the lowest.

>>24450714
Well shit.

You spend half an hour looking through the ruined town. You come across a house that has only half burned, and as you carefully enter it, you spy a chest in the corner of the room. It's buried under some crossbeams, but you move them almost effortlessly. The metal lock warped from the heat of the fire, but the wood is surprisingly untouched.

Inside is a small stuffed black bear, more realistic than idealistic in design. It looks well loved.

You also find a diary. You consider reading it, but decide to get the hell out of ashtown first. It's bad for your lungs.

You look around quickly again, and spot a small path leading into the woods. It's not even a path really, just some broken branches, some crushed grass.

You decide to follow that path.

~~~~

Two more days pass.

You're really getting hungry now. You've been catching tadpoles in small creeks, but you hunger for something more sustaining.

Just as you go to find a squirrel or something, you spot a pair of eyes looking at you in the darker part of the woods.

A scream rings out, and shortly after, a bell begins to clang, alarmingly.

[ ] Run, anywhere, roll d100
[ ] Hold still, wait to see what happens
[ ] Approach the eyes

>>24450797
Lets not approach the eyes.

Playing dead works, right?

Hold still

>>24450797
[X] Hold still, wait to see what happens

>>24450797
Run, anywhere
sheep-mode doesn't work too often, need to gtfo

>harvest moon
>nothing about harvesting the moon

>>24450797
Go for the Eyes, Boo!

You don't take yourself to be a threatening person, so you decide to stay put and hope for the best.

You don't have to wait long.

Five cloaked and hooded men with long spears come running over the low hills towards you.

"STAY RIGHT THERE YOU DAMN SLAV"

You turn to face them and quickly attempt to placate them.

"I'M NO SLAV! YOU'VE GOT IT ALL WRONG!"

There is a look of shock on their faces that you can see at a distance. You assume it's your lack of accent that they pick up on.

They approach you cautiously, spears ready. The man in the center approaches you, a too well muscled obsidian coloured man, easily half a foot taller than you.

"I am called Hamad. You are called."

"Keith, sir."

"I am the head of this land, you are."

"Just a traveler sir"

"My intent is to protect this village. Your intent is."

This begins to wear on you, but his appearance brooks no hesitation.

"I'm looking for a place to live, sir. A safe place to live. I ran in to some trouble in Shady River. Do you know of that place?"

Hamad relaxes, if only a little.

"My young friend, if you survived Shady River you are either a spy, or incredibly lucky. Which is it?"

You stammer out a response along the lines of not feeling that lucky, but he cuts you off with a weary laugh.

"Be at ease my friend, you have honest eyes. I trust you well enough. You must be tired near death. Come with me into the village proper."

He sounds kind enough, but it's not a suggestion.

[ ] Go easily
[ ] Run, d100

>>24451015
They have spears.

Lets just chill out for a sec.

>>24451015
>[ ] Go easily

>>24451015
Go easily

>>24451015
[X] Go easily

Running will get us stabbed, and why would we run away from the place that very well might be full of delicious brown girls.

>go easily

You walk flanked by the men of colour. They looked like soldiers at a distance, but upon closer inspection they are clearly farmers. Dirt under the nails, weathered faces, small things.

Hamad makes small chat, and brings you into his home. It's of no style you recognize, but it's obviously hewn stone, well built. There must be at least one master mason in town. And for a farm village to have spears, a smithy as well. You can hear metal ringing out, distantly.

The village isn't as small as it first looks, nestled between some low hills with a moderate river running through it.

Most noticeably, everyone in the town is black. They range from a moderate tan colour to Hamad's own Black Hole tone.

You sit at his table, and a young woman comes in from another room. The first thing you notice is her beauty. Like, damn. Her exact age is hard to place, but you'd put it around your own. She's thin, but not emaciated. Her large eyes are her most noticeable feature.

The second thing you notice is that she has food, and your stomach grumbles loudly. She places soup and some bread on the table, and sits next to you, openly staring at you.

"Father, what did you bring home?" She asks, without taking her eyes off you.

"Damn it girl, manners. I swear you must be the most artistic person I know. I raise you better than this." Hamad moans, looking at his daughter painfully.

"Autistic, father,"

~~~~~

Over the next few hours, you explain your situation to Hamad and his daughter, who is well within your personal bubble, though it doesn't seem to occur to her. Hamad takes it all in sagely, and then says to you, "Keith, you've had a hard month it sounds. If you are looking for somewhere to live, it does so happen that we have a farm that needs tending. It won't be easy work, but you might be suited to it. I understand if you just want to keep walking out of this mess, but I know of nothing past this town for over three hundred acres."

>>24451191
[ ] Ask about the village
[ ] Ask about the farm
[ ] Ask about the daughter
[ ] Politely leave town, continue in a cardinal direction

>>24451191
Do we not have the choice to ask if they know anything about the ashen village? Have we not read the dairy yet?

If we dont, go ahead and ask about this one.

>>24451208
[X] Ask about the village

Also ask about the burned village and what in the fuck is up with those fucking Slavs.

>>24451238
We have not yet read the dairy.

>>24451191
Ask about the farm

>>24451208
>[ ] Ask about the village
Also, can we ask about the burnt down town? What happened to it?

>ask about the village

Hamad smiles, "Bounty Valley was a beautiful town for hundreds of years. We had master craftsmen, enormous harvests, even a school. A school! Life was perfect. We primarily farmed crops, and we traded with Sunny River, as it was then known, for animals and such."

Hamad pauses, his face falls.

"And then one day, thirty years ago, Gregor came to power. That man...he hated us. Hated me. You see, my wife, Shamir, Gregor had his eye on her for many years. He wanted her for himself. And when she married me, he became vengeful. At first, it was small things. A chicken sold to us would die on the way home. A batch of meat would be rancid on delivery. And then it escalated. Then, ten years ago, they came. All the men of Sunny River came in the middle of the night with torches, and burned our town to the ground. We used to number twice as many, but they trapped us in our homes while we slept. The bastards. We never saw it coming."

Hamad chokes up a bit. He looks away to maintain his manly image.

His daughter however, continues in an unaffected tone.

"Yes, it was quite terrible. I was only twelve at the time. I remember seeing mother burn, trapped in the house while father ran with me in his arms."

Hamad spins around.

"It's not that simple damn you! The house was collapsing! I could only save one of you!"

"Do you think I do not know that father, even now? I was simply remarking on the sadness of it all."

A silence permeates. You offer up a small starter. "So, the new village?"

Hamad warms somewhat. "Yes, it's a fine village. Nothing like it used to be, but with some help, it'll get there. Your help, I hope."

[ ] Mention the bear and diary you found in the old town.
[ ] Go see the farm.
[ ] Ask about the daughter.

>>24451412
[X] Mention the bear and diary you found in the old town.

"I know this is a longshot, but would these items happen to be yours?"

>>24451429
^^ [ ] Mention the bear and diary you found in the old town.

>>24451412
[X ] Mention the bear and diary you found in the old town.
[X ] Go see the farm.
Did you tell him about the poisoned meals you got?
He seems to be kind enough to be helped.
[ ] Ask about the daughter.

>>24451412
>[ ] Mention the bear and diary you found in the old town.
>[ ] Go see the farm.
"Rancid meat, huh? Yeah, Gregor, that bastard. He gave me some poisoned meat when I said I wanted to keep traveling instead of settling down in his village.
"He the one that changed the name from Sunny River to Shady River?"

You take the bear out of the rucksack first. As soon as it's head clears the bag you hear a cup shatter. Hamad's daughter has dropped her mug, and knocked her chair back as she stood up.

"th-th-thaaaaa-thaaaaaat's..."

Hamad's eyes widen considerably.

"My young friend, do you know what you hold? My wife made that for our daughter when she was five years of age. We thought it lost forever. May I see it?"

Hamad seems unfazed by his daughter's catatonia, but her eyes follow the bear across the table as though glued to it.

"Yes, this is surely it. I don't know how you came by it, but I am in your debt. Surely my sweet Daliah will be most appreciative to have this back."

Daliah, as you finally learn her damn name, looks at you with what can only be called reverence. She looks at the bear in her arms and begins to cry.

You awkwardly look away, then at Hamad, who motions to the door. You leave, looking back once at the cool headed girl weeping into a stuffed bear. It sticks with you for a while.

As Hamad leads you towards the farm, he introduces you to a few villagers.

Levo, the smith, a curt fellow who is clearly all work. For one man to supply a whole town, you can understand why he'd have to be. He also does the mining and half the quarrying for the villages stone, alongside the stonemason.

You briefly see the public house owner, a middle aged woman known as Henata. She smiles and waves at Hamad, who acknowledges her with a hand gesture.

The town seems laid back for having been razed to the ground a decade ago.

>>24451578
You reach the farm, about half an hour walk from the center of the village. It's not much. Cursory inspection reveals a one room house, and an average plot of land with trees and rocks in it. Your work will not be in short supply it seems. You turn to Hamad to make comment on it, but he's already down the road to town again.

"YOU'LL DO FINE, JUST HEAD TO BED FOR THE NIGHT, AND I'LL SEE YOU in the morning, sleep tight young man!"

Really? That's how he leaves you? You curse yourself for thinking about it, but you blame him a little bit for being careless with his village. You could be anybody!

You remember now that you forgot to show him the diary, in the commotion with the bear.

You head inside your shack, sit on your dusty bed, and open the diary.

It was owned by a girl named Rezna, with immaculate handwriting. It's full of inane daily events, such as "fell down stairs, embarrassed" and "potatoes again, yech".

You don't find anything terribly interesting, but you resolve yourself to find this Rezna girl, if she's still alive in the village.

Tomorrow though. You're about to have the first decent night of sleep since your parents died a month ago.

~~~~~~

Thanks for playing guys, I know I'm slow and bad at this, but I'll try to be here same time, roughly 12:30AM EST tomorrow.

>>24451652
Thanks for running. This was an interesting beginning. I wonder if we should invest in a weapon in case the Slavs come. Definitely a dog.

>>24451652
Well, it was short, sure.
But it was really good.
Like these short stories.
Good night, anon.

>>24451652
Thanks for running it, I hope to see more of this. It was a good start and it looks like we might get some major farming in.

Also, Daliah is best girl, unless it ends up with Henata as the best girl because she has a lot of beer and can presumably cook.

>>24451652
Random question, what would've happened to us if we stayed in Slavville? Would they have murdered us in our sleep?

>>24451755
Mmm, no. I would have run a completely normal game there, and would have made up a negative backstory for negrotown instead.

I don't want to punish you guys for your decisions, unless I make "rape the ogre" an option.

>>24451850
But then we would've missed out on delicious brown girls, so we made the right decision anyways.

Besides, you can't trust Slavs.

>>24451652

Hey guys. Woke up early just to archive this and not because I had exams, Rejoice and all that.

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/24448853/

This was awesome. I'm mad that I missed it last night.