You open your eyes to late morning light. A strong ache courses through your body as you struggle to prop yourself up. You blink bleary eyes at the uncomfortable light and stretch, pausing before you over extend yourself. You undo a wrapping over your arm and take a look at your injuries. The small scrapes you got from the run don't seem particularly bad but all around your arm you can see dark misshapen blobs of bruises. The poison from the moth must have done something, you conclude, as you re wrap yourself. Suddenly the door latch clicks and the heavy wooden portal opens. Thinking quickly you roll out of bed, your body yelling at you for daring to act so glib, and you scoop up your nearby bow. At once you nock an arrow and draw back, your fingers reminding you that you cut them open on the string during the last fight. You take a deep breath as a thin crimson trickle falls down your fingers but you hold it in.

Magia walks in, her hair damp and a towel over her arm. You relax the string and sigh before putting the bow under your bed, just before she can see it. She stares at you for a moment as you stand up.

Of course, if she had spent the night naturally she would still be here, you remind yourself. You did come in acting like a madman and she did say she was going to tend the place for you.

"Good morning, or perhaps afternoon would be a better phrase here? How are you feeling?" She asks setting her towel aside and walking over to you.

"Like I got caught under a few horses." You answer and she nods.

She helps you clean and get ready for the day. As she starts redressing your wounds, the scab covered, black and red blotched holes from the moth, you think about how to spend your day.

[]Go into town, there are some people you want to see
[]Try your new Cordis on something.
[]Research something
[]Practice with flame salts
[]Other, please specify

>>29174159
>[]Try your new Cordis on something.
In order, Armor, saber, and mask?

>>29174159
>Try out that new big cordis

Also great timing Hunts, right before I have to go :(

>>29174159
>[]Try your new Cordis on something.
Sword, some cape, gloves

>>29174159
>[]Try your new Cordis on something.
>[]Research something
>[]Practice with flame salts
We are sick so i doubt we are leaving the house today, so all these please.

>>29174159
We should spend today resting up, nothing strenuous.

Start by
[X]Research something

Look up the Blood Moth, see if there's anything on them. Make sure we're on track for recovery, there aren't any other poisons or toxins to deal with.

Then we can try it out on things, our bow, a cloak, maybe the mask, and whatever else seems fun to try.

Be polite to our guest. Try to avoid leaving bed for now, we need our rest.

>>29174159
>[]Practice with flame salts
and complete arrow schematics

>>29174287
Yeah after working on the cordis we should work on those fire arrows and make a few more of them.

>>29174159
This >>29174296

Research the Blood Moth before we start sticking it into things.

Also, we'll want to finish up schematics for fire arrows ASAP.

Will read up on blood moths a little, then do enchanting, and then work with flame salts in the evening since you do not plan on going anywhere.

Please roll 1d20+1 for flame salt usage and I will start typing things up.

>>29174159
Go into town and speak to the mage about why our master would be taking cordis into the woods and leaving it

>>29174377
Yeah, can we have master's notes on them huntsman? Should make it easier to choose objects to try it.

Rolled 11 + 1

>>29174403
Rolling

Rolled 1

>>29174403

Rolled 13 + 1

>>29174403

Rolled 4 + 1

>>29174403
fire arrows incoming

Rolled 15 + 1

>>29174438
>>29174403
Does this count since it doesn't have the right modifier?

>>29174459
I hope not

>>29174438
Explosions to the face incoming.

Still working on update.

>>29174986
Thanks for letting us know.

>>29174986
let me guess, It's going to look horrible.

You think to the large Cordis you gained and decide it is best to probably figure out what it does before you use it in combat. You wait patiently for Magia to finish wrapping your wounds as you decide what you should put it in. You resolve you should test it on as much as you can and then on a whim look over the journal Magia had been writing in.

You open it up and flip to the section on Blood Moths.

"Blood moth, damn thing is a wonder really. Has the same unique skill of vampires, able to transform vitae in cordis. Or maybe it just mutates it inside. The creatures are monsters, though only in the strictest sense of the word. They use a low level form of magic, but likely won't retain sentience once one harvests their cordis. During the spring months the larva crawl out of the ground and go into cocoons. During the summer they hatch as moths and the southern woods should be considered extremely hostile until the moths die off, or scatter." Following the description is a rather poor drawing and in impossibly perfect scrawl are your notes you dictated to Magia. Evidently she was careful about keeping out your drowsy ramblings and just kept it to the facts.

It doesn't look like the book mentions anything about blood moths carrying any side effects and your struggle to remember what exactly a vampire is, or how it would relate. You wish your teacher had kept a manual for what his recipes were but you suppose he liked being difficult that way. You put the book aside as Magia finishes wrapping you and sits down across from you. "Will you be going into town today? If you wish we should leave now as I suspect your injuries are going to slow us down." She explains.

You shake your head. "I got that new Cordis, and some work I would like to finish up here. That is why I wanted to be up here rather than in the temple after all. You don't have to feel like you have to stay here you know, I will most likely be fine." You say.
(cont)

She gives a small smile "Until you are certain you will be fine I shall remain. Is there anything I can do to help?" She asks.

"Plenty, mind getting some of my equipment for me? And that large white gem I had." You ask and she moves quickly to accommodate you.

You feel somewhat bad having her do all the heavy lifting, but after her third or fourth sharp glance you got the message and let her do it herself. She gets your leathers, which are full of holes around the torso, your sword, your bow, the mask of Atraxion and the large gem. You marvel at the multifaceted stone, momentarily admiring the way the crimson veins within play with the light. You shake your head as Magia leans in close, watching intently.

You mutter a few words of power as you press the stone to the sword. There is a small shimmer as the saber changes from simple steel to a thin shard of alabaster with what look like channels or rivulets along the 'blade'. You look over the blade as Magia marvels at the sight.

"That was magic, yes? I have never seen such a thing!" She says.

"No, no. It wasn't magic. The soul just got placed into it, and it tried to make it more like it was. It remembers when it was alive so it tries to morph the sword into something close to part of it." You explain, trying to convey the cordis doing all the work.

"But you put the gem on it, said a spell, and then it transformed. If that is not magic then what is?" She asks.

You are about to explain how it wasn't a spell, more just random mutterings to give focus to your unseen will which did all the work, but decide better of it. You don't even fully get how it works after all. "It's really complicated." You say finally.
(cont)

You look over the thin shard of white. At a guess you grip the cruse handle and feel something strange. Thirst and hunger. A constant need to devour and fill. It is weak, and you can easily push it aside, but you can't help but feel like something is watching you. Suddenly there is a sharp pain in your wrist. You look down and see several thin white veins have stabbed into your wrist and fore arm, sliding under your skin. You scream and fall back, but the vein like protrusions hold you fast to the blade and your eyes water as you feel the strange things pierce your veins. At once, the small almost unseen rivulets on the blade become filled with a dark crimson, your blood you realize, and you hold back a scream as you try and pull the thing off of you. You fail but luckily the blade seems to fill the small rivulets and then drain no more.

GAIN: Blood Blade lvl 1.

You sigh as you test the blades sharpness and conclude it is stronger than steel, likely using your vitae as a power source. You think back to the fight last night and open the door as Magia eyes go wide. You focus your will and swing the blade in the air. Weariness goes over you as a thin line of crimson fires from the blade and goes out a meter and a half to two before vanishing to a mist. The small veins within the blade are empty, but slowly refilling on your blood.

Vitae: 7

You focus on the will within the blade, the ever hungry source, and try to remember the tricks you learned from your teacher. Imagine yourself in a circle. Imagine a great wall with archers and battlements. Imagine you are pushing against a great wind, and forcing your way through one step at a time. Eventually you feel the will bend under yours and the protrusions go back into the alabaster blade. You let out a sigh as you make a note of it.

LOSE: Blood Blade Lvl 1

"That was, it stabbed you!" Magia points out.

"Yes, well, it is a pretty nice sword otherwise.” You reply.
(cont)

You limp back into the room, set the sword down and with an effort of will remove the cordis, turning the blade back to ordinary steel. You then look at your leathers and look the chest armor over. You try putting the cordis in, but you fear it is too damaged for the gem to find a good method of reshaping it or working with it so you decide you will have to just try again after you patch it. Instead you grab the mask and put it in. You feel thankful when the sneering face of Atraxion is replaced instead with a strange, bug eyed thing. You put the mask on your head, careful for the hunger which tried to drain you of your vitae last time. It is still there, of course, though now it is directed outward.

You look around surprised the mask doesn't seem to be blinding you to the world as normal, but instead letting you see as if it were some sort of tinted glass. Through the glass you look at Magia and see coursing through her body, the major veins. You glance outside at a bird on the edge of the forest and can see the whole of the beast’s vein system. You are certain you can get a rough outline of the creature's major organs and arteries as the mask lets you get a rough idea of what is inside.

GAIN: Blood seeker mask lvl 1
(cont)

You take the mask off and make a note once more. You murmur vaguely focusing words as you take the gem out and look around trying to decide what to do next. On an idea you put the gloves in your leather gloves and again they change. Your gloves change to a pure white like a sword with again small empty rivulets along the seams. You put the gloves on, prepared for what is about to come. Sure enough you feel several pinches as the gloves stab into you. The rivulets fill with blood and you sigh, the strange exhaustion taking you again. You stand again and limp over to the door, opening it wide. You take a few testing punches but nothing happens. Thus you walk over to a piece of wood, set it on the chopping block, and punch it. A strong force fires from your glove, cracking the wood and sending it flying off.

Lose: Blood Seeker Mask lvl 1

GAIN: Blood Boxer Gloves lvl 1

Vitae: 6

You look over the glove on your offhand and note that it did not discharge, just your primary. So it looks like you can fire both at once if you wanted to.

You feel your blood pool out of your body as the glove refills and decide that is probably enough practicing. You focus on the will within again and push it off you as easily as removing a heavy cloak before limping back inside, cursing as you flex your hands and feel the small holes in them.

You help Magia with the food, for the first time in a long while not making stew and entertain her with stories and conversation. For her part, Magia is a patient listener, asking important questions which she knows will only add to the story. After you are done you get to work on those burn arrows again.

>Critical failure
(cont)

You think you have it. The letters flow from you like water and the ideas for the construction of a new rune outlet fills you with glee. It takes a while, but you have finally crafted the most perfect arrow you ever shall. You stride out confidently, certain you have just exceeded your master. You grab one of your test fire bows, nock the arrow, draw back and fire.

It explodes as soon as you let go.

You are sent spiraling back and hit the door three meters away, sending the air right out of you. The ground is scorched and you can see small dancing embers where the ground caught.

Magia rushes out. "Delarus? What happened I-" She starts then she gets a look at you and chokes. "Your eyebrows!" She laughs happily.

You run a hand over your soot covered face and confirm that yes, they seem to be gone. You rub the rest of your face but it seems that the only thing damaged was them as well as your pride. You think back to the rune configuration and realize when you told the energy to channel and build and funnel into a single point you didn't actually tell that point what to.

You hope your eyebrows grow back in time for the festival.

You lay down for an early night and are blessed with no dreams.

You awaken before Magia the next day.

The sun has not yet risen and you think you have a few hours before it does. What do you want to do?
[]Go see Lilly, she likes the night right?
[]Start working on the burn arrows again
[]Practice more with the cordis
[]Other, please specify

>>29175669
>[]Start working on the burn arrows again
I will not accept this defeat

>>29175669
>[]Practice more with the cordis

Put it into the bow and boots.

>>29175669
>[]Practice more with the cordis
Only really seeing the benefit in the mask to scope out weakpoints on monsters, seeing as the weapons drain our blood. Boots and bow?
Then work on the arrows again.

>>29175669
>[]Start working on the burn arrows again

1d20+1 for burn arrow schematic please

Rolled 12 + 1

>>29175752

Rolled 1

>>29175752

Rolled 2 + 1

>>29175752

Rolled 15 + 1

>>29175752

Rolled 11 + 1

>>29175752
>>29175790
Jesus.

>>29175790
Are you fucking serious? And again with the forgetting the modifier.

>>29175790
goddammitfuckyoushitcuntfuckhaaaaaAARRR

>>29175790
HAHA and this time it wasn't my fault

Rolled 6 + 1

>>29175790
It look like QM takes rolls with out modifiers.

>>29176283
I just assume they forgot and add them myself. No biggy.

Finishing up post now.

>>29176362
Oh, not again...

>>29176362
We'll never heal with these fire experiments.

You carefully walk over Magia's sleeping form and give her an extra blanket. You step softly, your ranger training allowing you to at least manage that, before grabbing a few more pieces of equipment. You mutter a few hushed whispers before pulling the cordis out of your boots and your bow. You set the lesser cordi on the table and press the large one to the bow, muttering the nonsense which helps you focus your will. The bow shifts, becoming a more twisted and gnarled, knotted wood. You give the string a few strums like it were a lute and don't note anything too strange. You give it a blank test fire and no waves of energy or screaming moths come flying out so that is most likely not the function it gives. You grab an arrow and nock it and draw. At once your arrow changes. A white sliver, hollow in the middle and with what looks like some sort of draining mechanism. You have nothing to test it on, but you suspect it would cause a target to bleed heavily so long as the arrow stayed lodged in the victim.

GAIN:Blood Drain Bow Lvl 1

You remove the cordis and put it to your boots, muttering once more. The boots shift like the gauntlets did and you sigh as you put them on. The pinching has become something you are used to, and you just ignore it as you look over the boots. The blood fills the thin white leather it shifted into and you feel drained once more as your vitae is pushed into them. You slip out the front door and give some experimental kicks, leaps, and jumps but get nothing. You focus on the strange will within you and then the boots themselves. You assume a sprinting stance and then take off about two to three times your normal speed. The blood drains swiftly, but while you were using it the boots gave you more speed when sprinting away.

GAIN: Boots of the Fleeing Moth lvl 1

Vitae: 7
(cont)

You take the boots off carefully and remove the cordis, then go back inside. You look over the sleeping form of Magia and then to your salts. You decide you may as well get an early start on the day of hard work and start carving the runes once again, intent on getting it right.

>Critical failure

You are smart about it this time; directing the energies within and without to be 100% perfect. You made a mistake last time, but that is to be expected. You are not good at enchanting, and you have never been good, but you have to learn some time. You take out one of your master's burn arrows as a guide and even copy a few lines here and there, making sure you get it right. Satisfied you have it you walk outside and scoop up the other test bow. You nock the arrow and carefully take aim at the target. Then you let go.

The arrow head lets out a gout of focused fire, going a few feet then canceling it's inertial. It lets lose another gout from the side then spins rapidly in place like some sort of mill. Then it explodes into fine splinters, propelling the arrowhead into your leg. You hold back a yell as the hot metal digs into you, but you do fall over.

You hope no one heard you, but are unrewarded as Magia steps out in her night gown, holding a light. "What happened? Are you alright?"
(cont)

You shrug as if it doesn’t matter, but while fallen over and holding your leg you are not very convincing. She looks at the bow, the arrow remains, and the smell of smoke then sighs. "You tried the arrow again didn't you?"

"You can't prove that." You say.

"Need me to dig an arrow head out of your leg?" She asks.

"Yes please." You reply.

She carefully lifts you and helps you hop in on one leg to the kitchen. You roll up your pant leg and she gets to work removing the arrow head. You are a trooper, for the most part. Holding in your screams and only asking for her to stop twice. It takes nearly two hours of her carefully working and cutting but she finally gets the arrow head out. She cleans the wound then sprinkles it with herbs which causes you to stiffen in pain as the medicine starts to work. She covers it and yawns heavily, slowly going about getting ready for the day now that you have woken her.

The sun is now up. Your leg is now less than happy with you. What do you want to do?
[]Fire arrow schematic
[]Go into town, some air will do you good
[]Go visit the temple
[]You are done for the day, sleep through the rest of it
[]Other, please specify

>>29176492
>[]Go into town, some air will do you good

The arrows are obviously cursed.

>>29176444
So what were our other bow types?
I like the moth version the most.

>>29176492
>[]Fire arrow schematic
third times the charm. But seriously, this is the last time we're doing it for now.

>>29176513
We're currently using a bow that doubles our range, which I'd say is more useful than something that makes them bleed.

>>29176492
>[]Fire arrow schematic
We can't keep failing right?

>>29176513
Longshot bow and the sonic bow. I think the mask is the most useful moth item.

>>29176492
>[ x ]Fire arrow schematic
WE WILL HAVE THOSE ARROWS

>>29176562
Agreed, letting us see the major organs of the things we're hunting will go nicely with called shots/whatever else.

>>29176492
>[]Fire arrow schematic
>>29176544
Well that is good, but the blood arrow is great in itself if the battle drags on and you have multiple arrows in a monster.
>>29176562
Lets put the Spined ravager in our boots thats the only thing we didn't put it on.

Okay, 1d20+1 for arrow crafting please.

Rolled 11 + 1

>>29176653

>>29174137
I LOVE YOU HUNTSMAN!

Haven't managed to catch a live thread yet, just saying I'm really enjoying the quest so far, and I hope you don't pull a Diarca on us.

>>29176666
a Diarca?

Rolled 7 + 1

>>29176653

>>29176492
I think we should use moth cordis on some things that would give more passive effects, like jewelry, since we are constantly being drained of blood when we use it actively. We should try it on ring, bracelet and amulet.

Rolled 20 + 1

>>29176653
>>29176683
being gone for months.
>>29176653
Does this constant crafting improve any stats and what about our failing?

>>29176712
eureka. epic win

>>29176712
For a second there i thought we caught Soul quest luck.

>>29176712
Two crit fails and a crit success.
>Level up incoming.

>>29176666
I LOVE YOU TOO ANONYMOUS I have no plans on pulling a Diarca.
>>29176712
It would count towards it if you didn't keep blowing yourself up like some sort of cartoon character.

Writing now.

>>29176787
>It would count towards it if you didn't keep blowing yourself up like some sort of cartoon character.
You learn best from your mistakes!

You rub at your eyes and grab another arrow and some flame salts. You hear Magia huff. "You are going to try again? Delarus, you are going to get yourself killed. Is it really worth it?"

You pause from where you were starting to etch some symbols and look up at her. You hold her gaze for a moment and then nod. "If it had just fizzled I would not go this far. The arrows are mocking me. I am a ranger, I shall not have my person mocked by arrows." You say before continuing your careful craft, making fine etchings.

Magia sighs heavily, the sort of sigh a woman tends to give a man before he does something which may kill him but she knows there is nothing she can do to stop it. Instead she starts tidying up, keeping a careful eye on you and jumping every time you make a harsh rune or start adding the flame salts.

>CRITICAL SUCESS!

You think about the other two failures and are suddenly struck with inspiration, or perhaps Magia gave you some particularly potent herbs. Regardless you improve on the design you were thinking of and you feel that this arrow will probably not try to kill you. You get a clever idea and run your fingers over the flame salts in the runes, muttering vague mystical sounding nonsense. You infuse the flame salts with some of your cordis and exhaustion sweeps over you.

Cordis: 5

You smile as you pick up your bow, both of your practice bows less than welcoming at the moment, and limp outside. Magia stands by with a small pouch of herbs and her medical tools, her eyes like one might expect when confronted with a man about to die, but you don't hold it against her.
(cont)

You draw back the arrow, take careful aim, then fire. The arrow soars beautifully into the target and you see a small ring of fire erupt on the ground around the target. The runes spill out onto the circle and create some strange shape, like you might find in Juilius' home. Fire shoots up from the ground in a small pillar around the target for a moment and you are pleased to see that the target has been burned successfully.

GET: BURN ARROW SCHEMATIC 3/3 COMPLETE
BURN ARROW SCHEMATIC LVL 2 9/9 COMPLETE
*CRITICAL SUCCESS EFFECT* IMMOLATION ARROW SCHEMATIC 0/0 COMPLETE

You nod satisfied and Magia looks to you actually impressed. "That circle. It was magic!" She offers.

"No, no. Just an application of enchantment which might look like magic is all." You say and she frowns.

"It made a circle and created runes within to focus energy, and you had to direct your power into it?" She asks.

"Yes, but it's totally different." You say and she shakes her head.

You look up at the late afternoon light and realize you spent a long, long time working on those but that it was probably worth it. You use your bow as a makeshift crutch and make your way back inside in order to get ready for the evening.

[]Go see Lilly, it will be dark soon.
[]Spend the night playing with your Cordis
[]Mess with the flame salts some more.
[]Talk to Magia about the gods
[]Other, please specify

ENCHANTMENT +1

>>29177293
>[]Mess with the flame salts some more.
actually, no, I change my mind. MORE FIRE.

>>29177293
>IMMOLATION ARROW
Thats nice. Combined with our longrange bow hunting will be convenient with this.

>>29177293
>[]Spend the night playing with your Cordis
Lets try the moth on some jewelry. Ring, amulet, bracelet etc... See if we get some nice power without it constantly draining our blood.

>>29177418
Seconding the jewelry.

>>29177293
[X]Talk to Magia about the gods

>>29177293
>[]Mess with the flame salts some more.
because there's nothing that could possibly go wrong.

>>29177293
>[]Spend the night playing with your Cordis
>[]Mess with the flame salts some more.
Spine ravanger on the boots.

>>29177418
This. We should find something useful to put that thing into before we move on. Options so far are not very appealing.

Calling it for further cordis experimentation

>>29177541
Well the bow and the mask are interesting choices.

Equipment:
Hunter's leathers
Raelon Fur cloak(Enchanted)
57 Steel arrows
3 Burn arrows
1 Impact arrows
1 Garuk tusk poison arrow
3 days worth of food(Dried meat)
Waterskin(full)
Bow
Lure and snares (2)
Coin of Warmth(lvl1 heating charm)
Pair of earrings
Gold Amulet with Ruby inlays
Bracelet with chain and ring combo
Anklet

>>29177580
Yeah mask is good but its situational, while it gives us that vision it also obscures our normal vision so we cant wear it for the whole time we are hunting.
And we have more useful cordis for bow really.

>>29177616
The long range one is great, but i like the blood bow as well since it makes any large monster/long fights easier to go.
Also i'm voting for more crafting since we are in no real shape to move yet since the cordis kept taking away our life.

Can... Can we put the blood moth into a flask or something?

>>29177693
We already did.

>>29177725
Flask. Its a type of container made to hold small amounts of liquids. Pretty sure they're mostly used for alcohol these days.

You momentarily think of Lilly in her glade, the lovely nymph with the feline eyes. Then you think to the pure unlife she has coursing through her, as well as the strange history the two of you share. Certainly it is something that has to be dealt with but just not right now. You are not quite ready. Instead you pull out your assortment of jewelry and place it in front of you with the blood moth cordis. You lightly touch the jewelry and realize you don't know anything about their compatibility or even how they set. Deciding you will have to become more acquainted with jewelry in the future you grab the amulet and press the cordis to it.

It resists the push and you frown. On a hunch you put the amulet on and then try the blood moth Cordis and at once it takes. Everything just feels more real suddenly. You See Magia cover her mouth in shock, but doesn't she know there is no need for it? Everything is just simply perfect. She points to your chest and you glance down to see something like a black pearl lodged where the amulet went. Veins stretch obscenely from where the pearl is embedded in your chest and you note the veins flow over your chest to around your neck. It doesn't hurt, just a strange noticeable pressure where it rests. You punch and kick and you notice something off. You do not hurt the same as before.

It still hurts, the quality of pain hasn't changed, you just feel like you have more life within you. You make a note of it.

GET: Vitae well lvl 1

Vitae 9
(cont)

You put your hand to the pearl and mutter your strange stirrings of power, and pull out the cordis. You don't feel bad, per say, but it is like coming down from a high. You give yourself a moment to reorient, then look over your other jewelry. You slip on the bracelet linked to the ring and then use the cordis. It changes quickly, the chains and ring becoming slightly fuzzy leather while the bracelet lets out a small poof of dust. You look at is closely then realize it is likely similar to the dust you had to deal with before. You quickly take out the cordis before it can give you any more waking nightmares about unicorns.

GET: Nightmare Grace Lvl 1

The gem does not take to the anklet, and while it does take to the earrings, becoming a curved strange sort of thing which looks like it will go into your ears, you do not have your ears pierced. You shrug as you put the cordis down and look over the boots.

You take the spined ravager cordis and touch it to the boots, whispering words of power. The boots change readily, becoming taller on the leg and up past the knee. Spikes stick out the front. You give it a kick and a spike stabs into your wall. You frown as you go to remove it and find it stuck. On an idea you step onto the spine and find it can easily hold your weight. You could use these to climb if you so wished. As you take the boots off and call back the cordis the spike slowly fates.

GET: Wall climbing boots (lvl 1)

Evening has turned into night now, and it is getting late. What do you want to do?
[]Go to sleep early. Early starts have been good for you
[]Talk to Magia a bit.
[]Read about something, you have enough material just grab it.
[]Other, please specify

>>29178001
>[]Other, please specify
flame arrow.

>>29178001
[]Other, please specify
Go get your ears pierced!

>>29178001
>[]Read about something, you have enough material just grab it.
Read up on nymphs.

>>29177974
>Amulet get
>Vitae well
What exactly happened here?

>>29178152
I think the amulet would increase our Vitae when worn.
Which would be good if we get another blood moth cordis, since the thing was draining our Vitae earlier

>>29178001
>[]Talk to Magia a bit.
and >>29178151
then turn in for the night.

>>29178001
[X]Talk to Magia a bit.

Socialize some. Thank her for taking care of us. Answer some of her questions about Cordis, ask her about the gods.

>>29178192
I think it has a downside to it too, from the desciption it sounds much like a drug.

>>29178001
Mess with flame salts some more.

>>29178152
A vitae well. Basically it gives you +2 Vitae while you wear it. Vitae is the life portion of your soul while Cordis is the magic. Of course the two can become interchangeable when you get down to the highly complicated stuff. For example a boxer being able to get up and keep fighting despite medical sense saying he should be out if not dead is vitae.

>>29178264
What side effects does it have?

>>29178277
I'd assume the loss of the extra Vitae would be the side effect?
I think it'd be kinda bad if we lost the two extra Vitae when its all we had left.

>>29178277
You have just worn it so, much like the coil boots, any side effects or secondary effects, if there are any, have yet to reveal themselves.

Also what >>29178314 said.
If your vitae ever gets down to zero you are dead. So if you wore it, got down to 2 vitae, then took it off you would die.

Talking to Magia and light reading seems to have it. Writing now.

>>29178001
>[]Go to sleep early. Early starts have been good for you

>>29178264
>>29178354
We should always wear it then, especially when we are out.
>>29178314 is not really a problem, since we'd be already long dead without its 2 vitae. This way at least we have 2 more vitae to live through before we kick the bucket.

>>29178429
In a lot of ways Vitae does more. It is the energy of life. Having more vitae means you heal faster, would find it more difficult to get sick, and things like that.

Granted you are not going to get wolverine levels of regeneration with just two more, but instead of a wound taking a week to heal it might heal in 4-5 days. If you want to you can think of it as the magic your body allocated to keeping itself going. Constantly casting spells to make sure your heart beats, your liver goes, your cells don't decide they are sick of you and just bolt etc.

>>29178552
Okay then, before we go to bed put the 'Vitae Well' on so it boosts our healing too. We should just keep it on at all times, it is a good passive boost, just what i wanted from this Cordis.

I still wanna shove the thing into a liquid container of some kind. Maybe we'd get a health potion. Or it'd fill with blood. Or hallucinogens. All three are good

>>29178713
Oh, this reminded me something i meant to ask for a while now.
If we put the cordis in some container, does it effect the item(s) contained in it. For example if we put a cordis in a quiver, would it effect the arrows we took from it? Or as this anon said, if we put it in a bottle, would it effect the liquid contained in it? Or maybe produce its own items in the container, like produce arrows for quiver and produce liquid(blood? hallucinogen?something else?) for bottle?

>>29178858
Yes, if you put them in a quiver of about 20 arrows or so it would turn all the arrows into a special sort of arrow. Same thing with a container with liquid in it.

>>29178899
well now we have to see what the cordis do with our quiver.

>>29178899
That's good to know. I'd assume it would keep changing them as we put new material into them. We could make pretty neat things with this.

You make your way down to the library and grab a book on spirits, remembering Lilly and finding your curiosity raised. You step back up the ladder and find Magia reading as well. A thin book with what you think are hymns to the gods and details about the rites she will be expected to know by heart as she advances through her holy duties. You sit across from her and open the book.

It was not written by your master, so the wording is a bit difficult here and there but you power through it. "Spirits, also known as djinn, alkollü içkiler, or in the langage of the Iltrazi 守望者五行 or holders" A small note by your master indicates that he finds this translation horrible, "are beings with a fascinating metaphysiological structure. Universally they are created with no Vitae and, unlike the loathsome undead, are able to still exist in a manner they could consider alive. The beings known as spirits are strange and numerous with each culture noticeably shaping the image of them. For example, the many myths of the djinn change the way the spirits act on the plane while some primitive cultures who worship them as gods needlessly empower the beings, forcing them to become god like in their behavior. The true nature of these beings should be researched more thoroughly, but in the interests of the empire I am forced to conclude that they should be-" The next sections are so heavily noted you can't keep up with it.

You close the book and look at Magia as she reads over her rites. You clear your throat to get her attention and she looks up at you with a curious look. "I wanted to thank you for staying with me. Taking care of my wounds and all that." You say and she nods.
(cont)

"No need to thank me. This is the closest thing to a break I can get, and I am happy to help others." She says.

"That why you follow Melidius? You love helping people and she is the helping sort?" You ask.

She seems to think on something and closes her book. "What are you getting at?" She asks.

You tread carefully. "I guess I am just wondering how you can be so, I do not know, faithful?"

"You are not." She guesses and you shrug.

"Not really. I mean, I give lip service to a few of them, but I don't go to temple just for them, nor do I dedicate anything I do to them. I just sort of stay out of their way and hope they will do the same for me." You explain, though they sometimes don't.

"You don't think they exist?" She asks.

"I am sure they exist." You clarify.

She seems to think on this for a few moments and you see her press her lips in a tight line. You are afraid you made a mistake but she finally speaks up. "It doesn't matter if they exist as long as the idea of them exists." She says.

You think to an overly complicated portion of the book about spirits giving thoughts form and shake your head. "Same thing."

"No, it isn't." She continues patiently. "The idea of the gods helps give structure to our lives and helps us. If the idea that we built up about them helps even one person then it is worthwhile. Say there is a child in a horrible home life. They flee and are nearly starving on the streets and a man passes by. He decides that the gods would favor him more if he helps the child, so he does. Does the child care so much about his motivations? Does he care if the man is doing it to be good or just to make the gods happy? It may not be a perfect order or system, but it works out well enough that most times people want to be favored by the gods." She explains.
(cont)

"So you don't believe?" You ask.

"Of course I do. But I cannot explain why I believe, or how you can believe. Just as no one can make me not believe. That is what it means to have faith. It simply is." She says.

"But do you like them? Like, say Rashar or Selvia. They scare me." You say and she smiles warmly.

"Well, you can be afraid of them as well, but they do have their good points." She explains.

"Even Rashar?" You ask as the carving of Rashar Neville made, the bulbous fat fly monster springs to your mind in excruciating detail.

She nods calmly. "She is the guardian of unborn children you know. Before they exit a mother's womb, all children start off as reptile like as they are being protected within Rashar's domain. She fills the mother with a liquid to protect them and even gives them an unliving organism, doomed to rot after leaving the womb. Even the generally considered good gods have their down sides." She explains.

"And Selvia? Gamblers, and thieves, and the like." You continue.

"Yes, but she protected you today. That arrow head could have shot literally anywhere. It could have killed you and there was nothing you could do to control it, yet instead of piercing your heart or your brain it instead went into your leg. Not harmless, but not fatal as well. The lady of luck seems to favor you greatly." She explains.
(cont)

"She couldn't have just had the arrow head go off in another direction entirely?" You ask and Magia laughs.

"Well, we can't expect them to do all the work, now can we?"

You spend much of the night going into detail about the cosmic ideology behind the gods and discussing the various ways the temple helps. It is late by the time you slip on the amulet and put the blood moth cordis in it then go to bed. You find it difficult to sleep with the extra life energy in you, but you manage it.

You have a dream of beautiful silk and strange perfume.

You wake late, stretching and popping your back. You feel slightly better though not back to 100%. The Arrow wound likely going to hurt longer than the moth damage, but you shrug it off. You clean yourself and dress for the new day. Magia is already up and eating the stew you put on as a knock on the door draws your attention. You limp over, being careful to conceal the gross black gem on your chest and keeping a sword at your side. It is a runner from town. Seems your arrows are ready.

What should you do today?
[]Go into town, get your arrows
[]Go into town for your arrows and walk around. May as well see your friends
[]The arrows can wait, you want to play with your Cordis more
[]Play with the flame salts
[]Other, please specify

>>29179487
>alkollü içkiler
what? that's "alcoholic beverages" inn turkish. i am losing my shit over it here.

>>29179551
>[]Go into town for your arrows and walk around. May as well see your friends

>>29179563
That was the joke

>>29179551
[]Go into town for your arrows and walk around. May as well see your friends

>>29179563
Spirits is another word for alcoholic beverages. So I guess it makes sense?

>>29179551
[ x ]Go into town for your arrows and walk around. May as well see your friends

>>29179551
>[]The arrows can wait, you want to play with your Cordis more
>[]Play with the flame salts
The arrows would be sent by carrier.

>>29179551
>[]The arrows can wait, you want to play with your Cordis more
Quiver time.

>>29179551
>[]Go into town for your arrows and walk around. May as well see your friends

>>29179611
>>29179610
Yeah i got it. It was an unexpected wild joke out of nowhere. That is why it was so funny

>>29179551
>[]Go into town for your arrows and walk around. May as well see your friends

Put on the moth amulet first.

>>29179551
>[]The arrows can wait, you want to play with your Cordis more
I still wanna see what happens with a flask.

>>29179551
>[]Play with the flame salts
I want better arrow types, plus i remember us saying that the smith would send up the arrows.

>>29179551
Go into town for your arrows and walk around. May as well see your friends
Enough with the bloody cordis

>>29179551
>[]The arrows can wait, you want to play with your Cordis more
>[]Play with the flame salts
I want us to be at 1005 first.

>>29179551
Go get arrow, then see friends.

>>29179551
make me some of them flame arrows baby.

>>29179551
>[]Go into town for your arrows and walk around. May as well see your friends

Hrm, seems a good divide here. How about we do a link vote. Link to this post with the number only. Nothing more or less.

1 Go into town and get the arrows yourself, then go see your friends.
2 Stay in your cabin and experiment with more stuff.

>>29179551
>[]Play with the flame salts

1

>>29179678
We will not get better arrow types with playing flame salts. We got our flaming arrows. If you want different arrow types you need to work on different enchantments for arrows.

>>29179808
2

>>29179808
1

>>29179808
1

>>29179808
1

>>29179808
2

>>29179808
1

>>29179825
look at
>>29177293
>*CRITICAL SUCCESS EFFECT* IMMOLATION ARROW SCHEMATIC 0/0 COMPLETE
is why i want to mess with flame salts more.

>>29179896
We have that already. Thats a special flame enchantment we got thanks to crit success. What more do you want from it?

Looks like 1 wins. Writing now

>>29179926
When he put that choice it suggest we could still learn more and improve it since there levels for the schematics.

>>29179977
We've already got level 2 flame arrows, and there's no point wasting time trying to get better ones when there's other things we could be doing.

>>29180020
Enchanted arrows are everything in our fights.(they helped a lot, and we are gonna run out of them soon).

>>29180057
If we had more skills to draw from (trapping, swording, etc.) then we wouldn't have to be a one-trick pony.

>>29180090
we can use trapping(we just never thought of using it before) and we don't fight human sized enemies.

We should get a boomerang.

>>29180124
Do we even know how to use one properly?

>>29180121
What does having a human sized enemy have anything to do with fighting with a sword or trapping?

>>29180148
Probably not. Does it really matter? It isn't that hard to learn how to throw something.

>>29180159
i worded that badly and was talking about the sword part.
Using swords brings more danger to use than it needs to do in the first place.(just look at soul quest and how fucked up the main character gets each time).
>>29180199
I figured there is some sort of technique and way to throw it.

>>29180245
Okay I'll be honest, I just want us to get a ranged weapon that doesn't need ammo. Boomerang was just the first one I could think of and actually spell

>>29180330
I'm still good with our swords really, even though i argue with the pro-sword people a lot.
I see more like a finisher(when something is trapped or on the verge of death) or something to use for defense instead of offense.

>>29180330
This makes me wonder if there is a cordis that makes arrows appear in the quiver.(they aren't the best quality, but are at least something)
Which makes me want to try the spine ravenger on it.

>>29180383
*i see it

You eat your stew quickly, the warm food filling you up nicely. After you finish you tell Magia you want to go into town. You manage to get her to not rest under your shoulder so long as you agree to use your bow as a makeshift cane. You walk through the peaceful landscape, enjoying the sights and smells of the wild for the first time in a few days. You make it into town with little incident, the vanguards barely chuckling as you pass. You decide that the smithy will be your last stop as you walk through the town and take in the sights.

The festival preparations are quickly filling in, with banners and mead lining the streets. It is really starting to feel like a festival is on its way. You give small greetings to the people you have met before stopping at Fulvia's for lunch. As always when you open the door she has a wide smile. "Delarus! It's been days? Oh, what happened to your leg?" She asks walking over and resting a hand on you.

You hold back the shudder, which you are not even sure means anything, as her fingers trace down your arm, eying you hungrily. "There was just a small accident up at the cabin. I'll be alright." You say with a smile.

"If you need anything." He says before a noisy customer shouts something from the bar. She gives an angry glare behind her before giving you another smile and walking off.
(cont)

>>29180994
>He
SHE HAS A DICK GUYS.

You take a seat at a table and get some simple food to tide you over. The loud tavern puts you at ease as you allow yourself to bask in the warm light of civilization. You take a deep breath of the tavern air and sigh happily. You feel like you are home, strangely enough. You feel like the village itself has finally become a home you can feel comfortable coming back to. Of course hiding in a cabin in the middle of monster territory will still be your MO, but being around these people just makes you feel relaxed.

You have a pint before you go and leave something as payment before wandering towards the blacksmith. You see Dianna arguing with her father as you approach, and while most people might consider stopping an argument between family members when nonfamily arrives Urik doesn't seem to really care. "Delarus! There you are. You'd sleep with my daughter, wouldn't you?" He asks making Dianna turn and look at you mortified.

"Right-" You look around the square and no one seems to be coming to your aide. "Right now?" You ask.

"Generally speaking! If she were to give up all this vanguard nonsense, don't you think she would make a mighty fine woman?" He asks and Dianna frowns.

"I- I mean. I am uncertain I understand the question you are posing to me right-" You start and Urik interrupts again.
(cont)

>>29180994
>use your bow as a makeshift cane
We really should get a stick. We need it quite often. Should be easy living in a forest.

"I mean, look at her! She got good hips. Damn fine for childbirth! Got some muscle, keeps the little ones in line and her husband too if'n she wants to. She won't be like this forever you know!" He explains and Dianna shakes her head.

"I am so, so sorry for dragging you into this conversation Delarus." She says.

"No, yeah. I mean we can have this conversation but I just wanted my arrows. I could turn around and come back after a minute. We could try it again." You say.

Urik is about to say something when the great cry of a bird startles you. You look up in the sky and see a massive winged beast of some sort circling the village. Julius steps out of a nearby shop and glares at everyone as if it was there fault somehow, then at the sky and you see a strange look cross his face. The beast circles a few more times while you grab a quiver of arrows, momentarily glad you were using it as a crutch. You nock an arrow but don't draw it, more curious than anything.

After a few moments the large beast lands in the center of town, carefully avoiding the festival decorations and allowing you to get a better look at it. An eagles head on top of a muscular feline like body with great wings stands there. On its back rides a man in a sort of tunic with strangely designed armor. He climbs off the saddle and grabs a scroll of some sort. The man is tan, a little taller than you, and with great muscles. He looks to be in his fifties, with great short cut hair and a scar through his right eyebrow. He looks around the square, ensuring he has an audience, before opening the scroll and showing it to everyone.
(cont)

On it is a picture of your teacher, though much younger. He makes sure everyone gets a good look at it before shouting in accented tongue "I am the legati legionis Gaius Antoninus. I server under the Governor of your region Marcus Pius dutifully appointed to this region by the Imperator Caesar Tiberius himself. This man, Mathios of Alexandria, is a criminal. Wanted by the empire for treason, conspiracy, heresy, and the foul act of necromancy.” He pauses and looks around the people gathered, trying to meet the gaze of everyone in the circle.

“He has used the dark arts to create weapons being used by the foul Ryshar’a and their agents to attack our empire! We know he ran here! We know he may have lived here!” He pounds his fist into his hand to add emphasis. “Your Caesar, and by extension your empire, requires of you to bring this man here at once, as well as any and all who might be working for or with him. Should you not comply, you may be deemed traitors, and I have been granted authorization to bring in a legion of men to put this village to the sword." He explains slowly scanning the crowd.

You feel like the whole village is doing their damndest not to stare at you. Except for Julius. His face is paler than a ghost and you smell the strange ozone stench of magic in the air as his eyes go near white.

This is not how you planned to spend your day.

Alright then, it has been about 6 hours, why don't we call it here? I am around as always for questions concerns comments, or just for you to tell me how truly terrible I am at names.

>>29181115
this is why i wanted to stay home and wait untill we were at 100%
>>29181115
So when is the next session Hunstman?

>>29181169
Unsure. I will not likely run tomorrow since I plan to watch to fireworks and I may have to spend the next day recovering depending how it goes. Maybe the second?

>>29181115
Thanks for the run.

Looks like our quiet village life is going to come to an end.

>>29181115
Well, cliffhangers are nice. I'm definitely looking forward to finding out our master's past.

So, is this supposed to be an empire heavily based off of the Roman Empire or is it the Roman Empire and we just happen to be in a more fantastical version of Earth?

>>29181169
If we didn't come we'd have an unpleasant surprise when they came to check out our master's cabin.

>>29181221
Fantasy heavily based on roman, at least this empire is. There are actually three empires in the world right now and, if you will remember at the beginning of the quest, I had you pick from three different paths.

>>29181282
Oh, that's what that was. Which path did we pick anyway?

>>29181326
Stingers, if I remember correctly.

>>29181326
Stingers.

>>29180383
You seem to have misunderstood quite a lot of what I'm advocating we learn swords for, and your reasons against it are, quite bluntly, shit. I have never advocated using swords as our main point of offense. I've been saying that we should level it up because having a backup weapon you can't use is beyond pointless when your life depends on it. The OP has stated, clearly, in previous threads that now that our bowmanship is so high it's going to go up a lot slower and lower level skills will get up faster. That means there is absolutely no reason not to get better at using the backup weapon our life will depend on when something bigger, stronger, and faster than we are gets too close for us to safely use enchanted arrows on, or even hit accurately with a bowshot.