>>27315437
>>[x] Too dangerous... at least, with only you and Mal. Let's see if you can talk Cromwell into helping you.

I doubt the heart will burn like the remnants do, and we'd need a lot more runes and support to take it down. Let's go tell Cromwell and see what he makes of it.

>>27315437

>[] Too dangerous... at least, with only you and Mal. Let's see if you can talk ___ into helping you.

Cromwell, he has a golem or two up and running which may be helpful, at the very least he might be willing to give us an extra rune to kill it, the heart IS a large thread to the village after all.

<Let's go talk with Cromwell.> You say. <See what he makes of this.>
<Good idea.> Mal says. <He has those golems, too.>

You make your way back up the hill to Cromwell's small tower, and knock on the door. It opens almost immediately, and Cromwell peers out, large tired bags under his eyes.
"Yes?" He asks.
"We may have a problem." You say, and start to explain.


"You're right." He says, the scholar's eyes narrowing. "We do have a problem."
He taps his chin for a few minutes... and then gets to his feet. "It's too dangerous for just two of you. Even if you do have a Remnant helping you. I will come, and bring one of my golems."
"Only one?" You ask.
"Because I need the other core for something." He says, and picks it up. He examines it... then picks up a long red tool and taps on a few glyphs. "It's too dangerous to keep it intact, but if we're going to destroy that heart, there's something I need you to do before we do."
You watch him warily, as he snatches copper and leather straps off of his various workbenches.
"Your gauntlet detects remnants, yes? Takes information?"
You nod.
"Then I'm going to set this core to remember things." He says. "And attach it to your gauntlet. I'll need you to touch the anomaly with it. Take what information you can. Do you think you can do that?"

>>27315552
"I'll try as hard as I can."

>>27315552

"I'll try, but I can't make any promises."

>>27315552
"If I'm in reach, and we're safe, sure. I have no idea what it'll return, or even if the heart thing is a remnant in the first place."

"I'll try." You say. "But I can't make any promises. I have no idea what it'll return, or even if it's a remnant in the first place."
"Neither do I. But this is to find out precisely what it is. Even if it's not a remnant, I suspect I'll discover something.
You do so. He straps the golem core to your upper arm, and connects quite a few copper cables between it and the gauntlet, even to the point of using a small boiling welder to fasten some cables onto the gauntlet's runes. There's a strange spark, and your spine shivers uncomfortably. The golem core goes dark, the crystal fading into a dark purple. Cromwell taps the gauntlet's palm once or twice, and the crystal on your shoulder brightens each time he does.
"I may be right. It detects plenty of things, but only... 'understands' remnants." He says, using his index fingers for quotation marks. "This will work even if it isn't one."
You nod. He takes up the other core, taps another few runes, and then pockets it.
"Let's go." He says, and grabs something out from under his desk- a thick, heavy pushblade. He attaches it to his arm, and gives it a few untrained swings. The scholar's so tall that he has quite some power hidden in his body, though he doesn't know a lot about fighting.

The four of you make your way outside. Cromwell inserts the core into one of his golems, where it lumbers to its feet and changes your group to five.
<Anything else we should do before we go?> Mal asks.
<Maybe.> Cromwell says, through a thick lelan accent.
Mal blinks at him. <I thought you didn't speak galdian.>
<Learned. Not hard.> He responds, casually skipping half the tenses.

>Is there anything else you think you should do before going to the heart? Or something?

>>27315669
Charge up our steam pistol.

Ask Cromwell if he's got any spare runes we can use for the mission. Our Fire rune only has two charges left.

>>27315669

we a couple of torches to stab in to that octopus remnant we saw being born.

>>27315751
Flaming spears, not a bad idea.

You wind your steamsling, making sure it's at maximum pressure, and turn to Cromwell.
"Do you have any spare runes?"
"No." He says. "I gave my last ones to Ann. I don't quite have a need of the common ones anymore."
"Then I'll need to grab some torches." You say.

Borrowing Cromwell's lantern oil and spare cloth, you wrap some torches and mount them on your back alongside your other weapons.
"Are we prepared?" Cromwell asks.
"Seems so." You say, and turn to Mal. <Let's go.>
<Yessir, comrade.> Mal responds, pulling his musket off of his back.

The five of you make your way out of the village, and into the trees, heading toward the thicker forest. You walk, the golem tromping just ahead, the light from its eyes casting over the forest floor. You make your way deeper into the darkness, the canopy starting to block the sunlight more and more. You travel southward. The forest floor softens and dampens as time passes, moss becoming more common and the air starting to grow humid. You light one of your torches, just in case.

Suddenly the golem buzzes angrily, putting all of you on the alert. The sound of gibbering reaches you. Small, wretched remnants pour out from between the trees, pouncing the golem. You barely have time to watch Cromwell punch a remnant in the face before several charge toward you. That twisted gibbering is the same as it always is, almost maddening.


>Combat time! What do you plan on doing? Also, you'll need to roll for it.

Rolled 15

>>27315796
Let's use our spear on any remnants that draw close, and if one of the others becomes swamped, then provide some ranged support with our steamsling.

Rolled 35

>>27315796

spear combat, finish them one by one make sure to try and get them off the golem too, it can't fight well with those little shits on top of it, probably.

Rolled 10

>>27315796
Another roll, just incase.

>>27315844
>>27315862
>>27315875

and we haven't even reached the boss yet.

>>27315881
It's one of 'those days', I fear.

Rolled 86

>>27315890
Or is it?

>DC: 55. Failure!

You whip your spear into your hand, and start to fight. You jab one remnant, striking the second with the bladed butt of your spear. With a powerful shove, you knock the rest back, sending them falling across eachother. Behind you, half-crouched in the shade of a tree, Mal peeks out. Every time he pulls the trigger, a remnant bursts into smoke. By your side, Cromwell fights clumsily, missing half the time. The other half of the time, however, he either shears a remnant entirely in half or dashes it against a tree hard enough for it to burst into smoke.

In front of you, the golem fights, thrashing around wildly and smashing the main surge of remnants.
You turn to your own group of stunned remnants. You quickly start attacking, wading closer and keeping them away with a barrage of spearjabs, preventing them from surrounding you. Warily they back away, preventing you from doing much more than superficial damage.

You spare a moment to look back at how the rest of the group is doing- and the pit of your stomach grows cold.
Dropping out of the trees, a pile of remnants land between you and the rest of the group.
The remnants stop charging at the golem- and go toward you, who's been split from the rest of the battle.
<Bro!> Mal calls, and starts firing at the approaching swarm.
A remnant behind you attacks, pouncing onto your back. It takes a deep bite, and its mutated claws tear into your back, opening your wound again. You smash it off, growling- and whirl around just as another remnant tries the same thing.
The ones in front of you keep standing away, but the ones in your blind spots keep attacking.
This can't be good.

>You're fucked if you don't do something. Clever ideas will lower DCs, while open injuries will increase them.

>>27315958
Is our spear long enough to pole vault with? Because getting out of this group should be priority 1.

>>27315987
>Your spear is a shortspear- it's only about as long as you are tall. It's not long enough to pole vault with.

>>27315958
Let's use our Earth rune + Runeword to make a crescent shape around our back so we can focus on spearing the ones in front of us.

Rolled 8

>>27315958

I propose using a rune combination, Earth and self, if fire, self was anything to go by we might get some pretty high defense bonuses.

Rolled 9

>>27315998
Forgot to roll

Rolled 96

Here's to something over 50.

>>27316003
>>27316010

damn it!

>>27316010
I think I'll forget to roll for the rest of the day as well.

DC: 45+5! Success!

With another roar, you whirl around again to knock away the Remnant, spearing it in the chest.

<Earth.> You say. <Self.>

Your clothing rumbles, and you start getting heavier, your clothes growing denser. Thick stone starts ecapsuling you, surrounding you like dense armor.
Another Remnant slams into your back, trying to claw at you, but it can't even get through the stone.
The first priority is to get back to the group. So your response is simple. You lift your spear, which is getting heavier by the moment, stone surrounding it, and hold it in front of you... And charge. The Remnants surge around you, clawing and gibbering and snarling at you, but you completely ignore it. Their claws and teeth scrape hard against the stone, but you don't take a single scratch. With your thick, stone-wrapped spear, you tear through the swarm. It's almost like a lance, in this state.
More remnants pile on and around you, but you barrel right into the group- and the golem swings at you. You skid under its arm. The remnants on your back are torn away, where Cromwell executes them with his pushblade.

The earth around you crumbles into dirt as the runes wear off. With your back to Cromwell, the two of you defend yourself as the surge slows, and finally stops.
You pant, trying to claim as much breath as you can. Your back burns badly- you're injured.
But at least you aren't dead.

>[] Let's continue on- your injury can wait. The longer you take, the more remnants you'll have to face when we get there.
>[] Let's take a break. Your injury needs treatment again. Miriam will get pissed if it gets infected.
>[] Mal still has alcohol, doesn't he? Pour that on your back- that's one way not to get infected without wasting too much time.

>>27316122
"Five minute breather if that's alright, gang?"

>>27316122
>[] Mal still has alcohol, doesn't he? Pour that on your back- that's one way not to get infected without wasting too much time.

<Bro, I hate to ask this of you, but I need your booze so I can disinfect my back.>

we should probably cover up the wound as we walk, a simple emergency thing, we really can't waste any time.

>>27316171
Yeah, simple bandage time..

<Bro, I need your booze.> You say. <So I can disinfect my back.>
<Good idea.> He says.

You hiss as Mal dumps booze over your back.
"Let's hurry." You say.

While the five of you walk, You remove your shirt so that you can bandage it on the move. It isn't easy, but it's better than doing nothing at all.

The forest darkens more, but no remnants come pouring out while you're busy. Finally, you can feel something in your spine tingle- you're getting closer to that strange, pulsing heart.

>Roll Medical! Skilled, N/A Difficulty.

Rolled 97

>>27316251

>THE HEART

don't die on us now MC.

Rolled 77

>>27316251
<Any ideas on how to get close to the heart, Cromwell? I could ride on the golem, tap the heart, run back, and have you use the fire rune to annihilate it.>

Rolled 72

>>27316251

rolling again for THE HEART.

>>27316270
Now that's a roll

>Result: Perfect. Wound is now technically treated for now.

With well-practiced hands, you bind your own wound. You're still bleeding, blood seeping into the bandages, but you've done it tightly enough to keep anything from worsening.

"Any ideas on how to get close to the heart, Cromwell?" You ask.
"You have the time rune and the self rune." He says. "Those should give you the speed you need."
"Or I could ride on the golem, tap the heart, run back, and have you use the fire rune to annihilate it."
"That might work." He says. "But I'd need to figure out how to control the golem to ignore the remnants and barrel toward the heart. He's simply set to eliminate any remnants he sees, and to follow me. It may be easier to use your remnant."
Mal didn't say anything, reloating his musket. You notice that he takes some of his gunpowder and puts it into a larger container, putting a fuse into the top. He's making a small firebomb, it looks.

The five of you make your way closer, and Cromwell stops, peering through the trees. You do the same, and look out at the clearing ahead. There sits the heart, pulsing and beating. The ball-of-arms creature is actually still crawling out of the heart, doing so exceedingly slowly. Almost a hundred of the small, mutated remnants amble about, gibbering and jeering at eachother. All of their eyes are dull red, like dying embers.

>What's the plan?

>>27316349
Okay, plan.

Let's get Steve to carry us over to the heart, just close enough that we can tap it. Let's have Mal shoot the ball-of-arms, to get the attention of the swarm. As we're passing overhead, perform a fire+blast on the (hopefully) closely grouped swarm with Mal also adding in his fire bomb, then have the golem move in to soak up the attention of the rest of the swarm.

Rolled 7

>>27316349

we could: distract the small remnants with a firebomb further away but close enough to hit a few, Time Self run up to the heart (preferably away from the ball of arms and with Steve following us) tap the heart, have Steve pick us up, fire blast down when we're a little bit higher up in the air.

if Ball of arms grabs us, give it a lit torch treatment.

Rolled 74

>>27316349
"What does Time and Self actually do, Cromwell?"

Rolled 9

>>27316349

need one more die I guess?

"What does Time and Self actually do, Cromwell?"
"Speeds up your perception and bodily functions." He says. "As far as I've researched. It only works for a short time, and I've never used the two runes in conjunction, but others in the west have."

"Alright, here's the plan." You say, and say the same thing in Galdian.

<"Steve's going to carry me to the heart so that I can tap it. Mal, your duty is to get attention to the swarm and shoot the ball-of-arms. Maybe throw that firebomb. The golem will stand in front and soak up their attention. As I'm passing overhead, I'm going to use both fire and blast against the group. And I can use Time Self if something goes wrong or Steve drops me.">
"The golem should be able to survive a fire blast from that close. But it may be better if I use the fire and blast runes." Cromwell says. "So that you don't need to worry about it."
<Sounds good to me.> Mal says, readjusting his cloth.

>[] Let's do this. [Roll required.]
>[] Wait, wait, change of plans.

Rolled 10

>>27316567

>[] Let's do this. [Roll required.]

hand over the runes to Cromwell.

>Dice please.

Rolled 25

>>27316567
"Alright, Cromwell, provide fire support. I'm not sure how we'll kill the heart, so maybe keep the last rune use in reserve."

I can see it now. It's going to roll a one.

Rolled 75

>>27316567

come on dice, what did we ever do to you?

Rolled 87

>>27316567
It was five posts we said for criticals, yes?

Rolled 95

>>27316567

>>27316665

a bit wary of that damn nat 1, but I'm to tempted not to try for a 100.

>>27316703

>dice why do you taunt me so?

>DC: 50. Passed. Exactly.

"Alright, Cromwell. Provide fire support."
Cromwell stood, and removed his robe. Underneath he wore a simple black tunic, a strange brass plate sitting over one side of his chest. It hisses as he takes a breath.
"If you're going to rely on me to save your life, call me Isaac." He says.
"I'm not sure how we're going to kill the heart, so keep the last rune use in reserve."
"I will." He says.

You give Steve his commands, and the creature tears you into the air. You swoop upward, soaring toward the center of the clearing. The remnants jeer up at you- at first, until a small black object is thrown into the clearing. With a loud crack and a blast of flame, the firebomb explodes. The Remnants snarl, angry at the thrower for the flames, and barrel toward the edge of the clearing where Mal and the golem hid. The golem buzzes angrily in response, and starts smashing the remnants as best it can.

You carefully lean down, your right hand reaching out... And you touch the heart. Your gauntlet screeches, and the crystal attached to your shoulder blazes with red and orange light.

>LIVING FACTORY remnant. Invalid classification.
>Created by 'Failure'.
>[Err:Above highest value] degredation.

The ball-of-arms creature finally tears out of the heart, and starts gibbering, barreling toward the golem. On your command, Steve lifts you again. The remnants surge, and Cromwell calls out something. Mal clings to the golem, using it as cover, and Cromwell shoots a spark out toward the ball-of-arms creature.

And a blast of flame and plasma boil outward, red light tearing through the remnants easily. The golem's surface is lightly charred, and small fires start on the grass around, but the smaller, mutated remnants are gone.
The ball-of-arms remnant recoils, snarling and howling. It's little more than charred stumps, like a spider without legs. Its abdomen and head twitch, its beak snapping down on nothing. The fire burns through it, and it howls loudly.

>Cont.

>>27316810
Finally, the golem smashes down on the limbless creature, and it goes still.

The heart gibbers at you, and a brilliant red eye opens, looking up at you. It pulses, and quakes... And something black and inky starts climbing out. It's almost shapeless, like tar.
Your spine burns with power, magic rampaging around the area. Streams of black smoke starts rising throughout the forest, and soaring toward you.. and pass right by you, funneling into the heart. Whatever that strange black smoke is doing, it seems to be making the heart... larger. Making it pulse more quickly, and making that... *something* climb out faster.

"Hurry! Get away so I can blast it!" Cromwell calls.
As soon as you do, you hear something that makes your heart pound.
<Earth. Surround. Sustained.> The heart gibbers. As you watch, a shell of stone starts raising, slowly surrounding it. Before you can order Steve to fly higher or Cromwell to throw a second blast, the stone is already too high for Cromwell to reach.

You don't have long before the Earth Surround closes in front of you... but it shouldn't be hard to fall inside before it does. But if you did... you'd be trapped inside.

>[] Enter the Earth Surround.
>[] Fuck no. Have Steve set you down somewhere else.
>[] Other? Some other combination of runes might help.

>>27316843
>[] Enter the Earth Surround.

Into the breach!

Rolled 11

>>27316843
<Earth. Lance.>

SKEWER THE HEART.

>>27316843
>>[] Enter the Earth Surround.
<earth rune and break> try and make a whole to open fire on it from

Rolled 1

>>27316843

that thing is sentient?!

we need to kill it now!

>[] Other? Some other combination of runes might help.

fire an Earth, Time, Blast at it. will be fast enough to enter the barrier and will wreck its shit from the inside out, might even crack the shell and give Cromwell a shot.

Rolled 27

>>27316931
Well, it happened.

>>27316931
Welp.

We goofed

>>27316843
>[x] Enter the Earth Surround.
We can use our earth rune to break out after we kill the heart.

>>27316931

... seriously?

>I know I shouldn't get upset over small things, but then this happened.

Rolled 70

>>27316931
Today's fucking awful.

He didn't ask for a roll, right?

>>27316984

Not sure if this still counts as a combat situation but I'm guessing it does.

>>27317017
Well, we've got one more roll to try and get a 100 to cancel it out.

Rolled 27

>>27316843

>>27317040

you have a point but I fear the worst.

>Natural 1. Critical failure.

You push yourself down, out of Steve's arms, and grab your spear. You fall through the last remaining part of the Earth Surround just before it closes entirely, leaving you in the dark.

You fall, through the dark, and barely orient your spear downwards as you land. The spear slams into the heart, stabbing it. The thing pulses underneath your feet. You can't see at all, and your footing is unsteady.

<Paaaaaain.> It howls, echoing in the darkness.
Something- most likely the golem- pounds on the stone.
You reach up and stab the heart again. It howls again Then you draw your Earth rune and try to add a Lance to it... But you can't concentrate with all the noise.
The pounding comes again. You stab again.
<Paaaaaain.> The heart pulses.

Three brilliant, red eyes open right in front of you, illuminating the entire dark chamber with malevolent red light.

You're inside the dome, standing atop the heart. Black smoke emanated from the heart's wounds. Standing in front of you is a humanoid figure, pulsing and changing shape- like it's a liquid, not a solid. A fourth and then a fifth eye opens.

You jab at it. The tarry substance simply moulds around it.
It doesn't seem to care.
<Silence.> The tarry figure says, and stomps down on the heart. The heart promptly stops moaning. The figure tilts its head, and looks at you, before saying a few words in kystaran. <A trueblood. Interesting. Why have you not been consumed with your people?>

A sixth eye appears on its 'face'.

>>27317080
<Not trueblood, only half. What are you?>

>>27317080

"no clue, what the hell are you?"

retract spear and take up a defensive posture.

You pull your spear out of the figure, holding it up in a defensive posture.
<Not trueblood.> You struggle out, unfamiliar with the language. <Only half. What are you?>
<I am 'failure'.> It responds. <You have destroyed my minions and continually damage my creations. I am upset. I am angry.>
It tilts its head again, a seventh eye spawning on what you think might be its 'shoulder'.


There's another pound, and the Earth Surround cracks- but the figure in front of you swells, black tar shooting out to the cracked location. As you watch, it hardens, making a strange noise and supporting the dome.
<I am merciful.> It says. <Tell me why you do these things. I may not consume you if your answer carries reason.>

Rolled 1

>>27317080
<Are you another ghost? Are you going to bite on my heartbeat?>

>>27317191
<The servants from here attacked our village.>

>>27317191

<your creations attacked the inhabitants of a town nearby, I consider these people important to me so I will fight to keep your creatures from harming them, I saw the heart and the remnants spawning from it and here we are.>

>>27317191
<Your minions and creations are flawed.>

<The servants from here attacked our village.> You say.
<The village is filled with falsebloods.> It responds. It's voice warbles, unnatural. <Notable supply of soulforce. I require more power before I can domesticate them. No significant reason to allow them to survive. It is pragmatic to consume them.>
<Your minions and creations are flawed.>
<Yes. This is understood.> The being responds. <Significant resources are required for more perfect creations.>

You try to ignore the electric, burning sense in your spine. Whatever you're talking to, you're not even sure it's a person. It seems almost more like a tangible thing of magic than a proper being.

<Are you another ghost?> You ask.
One of the seven eyes blink.
<I do not understand. What ghost do you speak of?>
An eighth eye appears on one of its knees.
There's another pound, and the dome cracks again. The figure slams another splash of 'tar' against the crack. It hardens as well.

>>27317359
<The woman. The one who follows me. I killed her.>

>I am merciful.
>No significant reason to allow them to survive. It is pragmatic to consume them.
I think our Kystaran dictionary is broken.

>>27317359
"I'll be leaving now, thank you very much"

>>27317359

<you do know what failure means, right?>
<you yourself are flawed, that is what your name means.>

<The woman. The one who follows me.> You say. <I killed her.>
<I am not affiliated with that being. I am not similar.> It says.

<You do know what failure means, right?> You ask. <You yourself are flawed. That is what your name means.>
<Yes.> It says. <Significant resources are required for self-improvement. You have prevented me from gaining these resources.>

You take a few steps back, getting to the edge of the heart.
<I'll be leaving now.> You say. <Thank you very much.>
<You have not given me a suitable reason for your attacks against my minions. My mercy is approaching its end.>

The figure's head split into two halves- an open maw staring out at you.
There's another pound on the earthen wall, but this time, the figure doesn't even seem to notice it.
And then it crouches down, as if preparing to pounce.

>[] Try to stop it by using your words! Diplomacy! In which case, what are you going to say?
>[] Avoid it by dodging. The golem should finish smashing through soon, now that its attacks aren't being repaired. [Roll required]
>[] Avoid it by fighting! Though you're not sure how to fight a creature made of liquid. [Roll required]
>[] Other? [Roll required based on what's being done.]

Rolled 86

>>27317570
>>[] Avoid it by dodging. The golem should finish smashing through soon, now that its attacks aren't being repaired. [Roll required]

I was going to say Fire rune it by Cromwell has the fire rune so just wait it out I guess

Rolled 64

>>27317782
I'll roll again seeing as everyone else has vanished.

Rolled 10

>>27317898
I don't wanna be the guy to roll another 1.

>>27317570
"You oppose my own goals, which I hold to be of greater importance."

>Generic Argument FTW

>GM rolled dice results: 89
>DC: 60. Success!

'Failure' pounces, the entire figure being little more than a column of tar and teeth that leaps at you. You dive back, falling off of the pulsing heart and falling to the ground. You land on your back, wheezing. Failure tears past where you were, and slams facefirst against the earthen dome, splashing against it. All eight eyes stare down at you, casting enough red light for you to see.

Which gives you an idea.
Stay out of the light.
The figure burbles, and prepares to pounce- so you push yourself to your feet and run across the grass, diving behind the heart proper. You barely dodge two spears of hardened 'tar' that springs out of Failure's body, getting into cover. As you watch, the red light slowly comes closer as the being starts to circle the heart. You sprint the other way around- and stop, just as there's another slam. One of the walls crack, and cave in, the golem standing in front. You squint, blinded by the light, and someone grabs your arm.
You find yourself pulled out of the dome by Mal, while Cromwell steps in front of you.

<Falsebloods.> Failure snarls. <Meddlers. I'm going to devour you. And then I'm going to devour Rebel...>

Cromwell raises his palm.
<Blast. Fire.> He says, a spark of light slamming into the hole.

And then he dives into cover just as an enormous plume of flame blasts out of the hole. You hear something howling inside for a full ten seconds, fire and smoke pouring out of the hole... but then it finally stops.

You peer in, and there's nothing but an enormous scorched mark left.

"Are you okay?" Cromwell asks, while Mal looks you over.

>>27317948
"Surprisingly so."

>>27317948
"Yep. Learnt some interesting things too!"

"Surprisingly so." You say, as that sense of magic slowly starts to fade, smoke pouring out of the dome and stinging your eyes. "Learned some interesting things, too."
"Glad to hear it." Cromwell says, and pulls you to your feet. The strange brass plate on his chest hisses again, and he pulls on his robe. Then he hands you the Blast rune. "I'll need to repair the golem body when we get back. I'm sorry I used the last of your fire. I'll see about finding someone to replace it. Might cost some coin, though."
<Let's get back to the village, bro.> Mal says.

"You *have* to take better care of yourself." Miriam says, bandaging your back. "Did you fall on it after you reopened it?"
You nod. You're sitting in the tavern- Cromwell's simultaniously eating and examining the golem core he'd used to 'save' the heart's data, and Mal is simply eating, feeding Bruno at the same time.
"One of these days you're going to die. These scars will probably be permenant." She says. Miriam's been scolding you ever since you've returned, and you try not to flinch when her needle pokes your skin. "At least put on armor or something. You make my job harder, you know."

Eventually, she stops scolding you, and pats you on the head. "There." She says. "Now I'll go make you some food too. After I wash your blood off of my hands."
With a hmph, she walks back into the kitchen.
Cromwell meets your eyes. "So what'd you learn?"

>[] Tell him everything.
>[] Tell him it doesn't matter.
>[] Tell him about X (And possibly Y) but nothing else.

>>27318179
>[x] Tell him everything.
Don't see why not.

>>27318179
When Miriam comes back, let's tell her we have armor ordered, huh? Maybe she'll be less mad at us then.

>>27318179
>[X] Tell him everything.

No reason not to tell him, and not telling him could lead to bad assumptions that result in bad theories.

>>27318179
"More scars for the collection."

You sit down, and talk. You tell Cromwell about everything that had happened within the Earth Surround, especially about how the self-dubbed 'Failure' felt to you, like it was less of a person than a force of nature with a voice. You tell him about how Failure seemed to control the heart, and finally, about that last word it'd said before Cromwell threw the Fire Blast inside.

"Rebel. Or was it Traitor? They sound almost identical in kystaran." Cromwell says, writing down everything. "I'm not quite sure what that means. You said it acted like we villagers were resources, right? And that it needed more resources to improve itself and other remnants?"
You nod.
"It does explain why the remnants attacked, at least. And... before it came out of the heart, did you sense it? Or even after it came out?"
"No, it was only so strong after it started talking." You say.
"Then I'm not sure it's dead." He says. "It could be similar to that remnant with the control rune on its head. Being controlled by afar."

He underlines the word 'Rebel/Traitor'.
"Seems like this part of the country isn't as dead as I'd thought." He says, finally. "At least I have data stored about that heart, so I can start trying to figure it out."

Miriam arrives with food, and sets it down in front of you.
"Uh, for what it's worth, I do have armor ordered." You say.
She gives you a Look. Then sighs.
"If that's the most I can get, I suppose I'll take it." She says. "Or I might start charging you."

>>27318368
We should probably get a nice gift of some kind for her.

>>27318368
"I'm always happy to pay. Rare runes, fine jewels, take your pick."

>>27318451
We can't go giving away rare runes. They're the entire reason we're here.

>>27318368
"If you started charging I'd have to go on more dangerous expeditions to get the money to pay you."

>>27318475
It's a semi-serious humorous offer. The tavern owner who has shown no interest in runes is unlikely to want runes, wouldn't you agree?

"I'm always happy to pay. Rare runes, fine jewels, take your pick." You say.
She just sighs and sets down your meal.
"See you next time you get injured." She says, and makes her way back into the kitchen.

<Today was a good day.> Mal says, sticking a small carrot into Bruno's mouth. <We found a new location to search for treasure, and found out who was attacking the village. How far away are those ruins, would you say?>
<Almost as far as the city.> You respond.
<So we can't set out today.>
<Probably not.> You respond.
<Oh well.> He says.

You finish your meal rather quickly. Mal eventually ends up playing with Bruno, rubbing his belly, and Cromwell gets lost in studying the golem core, leaving his food half-eaten. You have a few hours until sundown, but your back still aches.

>How do you plan on spending the rest of the day?

>>27318596
Let's work on our Kystaran literacy.

>>27318596
Lying down somewhere, with our back to the sun, relaxing.

That, or visiting the woman in the portal and asking her who Failure/Rebel is.

>>27318634
Let's not. She'll either lie to us or try to kill us. And even is she doesn't lie, we have no way of knowing.

>>27318596
Let's go get some alcohol from Miriam if she has any available. And reassure her we're going to take a few days off to heal.

>>27318528
Idea: If we find any nice furniture out in the ruins, we can bring it back to the tavern.

>>27318596
I'll second hanging about and resting today. We did a lot and got injured for it. Sometimes you can take a day off.
And if we're well rested and healed, we can get more done when we do go out.

"Might as well spend the rest of the sunlight doing something useful." You say. You make your way to cromwell's tower, where it's thankfully unlocked. Then you clear off your workspace, and make your way back to the tavern, sitting outside on the porch. Setting stones on the corner of your paper, you start reading, using the sun's light to read and translate.

"I think that's wrong." Someone says, pointing at one of the words. "That word's not 'building', it means 'project'. They're really similar, though. Because architecture means 'working on a project'." You look back- Ann's there, and she's holding Bruno in her arms. The dragon happily makes a strange 'wark' noise. "Want some of my help?"

"Might as well." You respond. Ann pulls a chair out from inside, and you start spending time learning more kystaran.

The argument continues, in the transcript. The next day, they're still arguing about whether to activate the wall or not, and Ann notices that they seem to be divided by what they're calling 'departments'. One department is urging the wall to be put up, another wants to force the wizards to help in the war effort, the third wants to sue for peace, and the fourth, mysteriously, both wants the wall down and the wizards to work on their projects.

Four seperate projects, in fact. The Domain Project, the Rune Project, the Mind Project... And the last one, neither you nor Ann understands the glyph.
"It looks a lot like the mind glyph." She says, finally, scratching her head. The sun's starting to set, and the sky is orange. Cromwell's long since left the tavern to go back to his tower, and Mal's asleep on the wagon- looks like he's moved a bedroll out there. "But it's getting dark. Maybe we can figure out what it is tomorrow. I'll ask Isaac, maybe." She says.

>>27318810
"Thank you for the help, Ann. Stay safe, okay?"

>>27318810
We've seen the mind rune before, haven't we? When was that?

"It's all a bit ominous."
Thank Ann for her help, and see if we can steal Bruno away, perhaps by luring with treats. If you have a pet sleep in your bed you feel better, and I don't see why a dragon wouldn't work like a dog does.

Also check if Isaac has worked out the storage core yet.

>>27318810
Well the Domain Project was the portals, the Rune Project was the runes, presumably one of the Mind Projects was Failure, the crazy magic AI. The fourth project could be what wiped them out?

>>27318877
>You haven't seen the mind rune before- but according to Cromwell, the remnant rune had a mind glyph inscribed on it, alongside other glyphs wedded into it.

"It's all a bit ominous." You say.
"Yeah, it is." She says. Her eyebrows meet.
"Thank you for the help, Ann." You say. She shoots you a smile. "Stay safe, okay?"
"I will." She says. "You too. It'd be terrible if you got hurt, so don't."

You wave Ann off, pack up your papers and translation work, and make your way back to Cromwell's tower. You knock- but he doesn't respond.
You peek into the window, and he's asleep. Snoring, face down on his workbench. You figure you can bother him tomorrow...

You go upstairs, lay back in bed, and close your eyes.
What could that fourth project be...?

<I'm sorry.> A female voice croons. You open your eyes, and see that hooded remnant, crouched in the corner, looking away. Though she looked like Adrienne last time you saw her, she almost looked... different this time. Shorter. <We can't control ourselves. It's so hard to focus...>
And then she burst into smoke, vanishing again.
You have a feeling you won't sleep well tonight.

>End of session!
>My twitter is at @futureexabyte
>The IRC is #Exabyte on Rizon.

>>27318997
why the ghosts always gotta get @ us when we're trying to sleep

>>27319124
we need a "Silence-Surrount-Sleep" Rune. Then we can shoo them away.