Wave them over. It'd be nice to have all our friends familiar with one-another. Introduce them to Lily.

>>29496869
wave trish and shrike over

>>29496869
>Ask Lily for suggestions as to where you might level up more safely than the Underground.
gotta git gud

>>29496936
>>29496966
You stick your fingers in your mouth and whistle shrilly. "Trish!"

She looks over and grins and gives you a wave. She turns and talks to someone else and Shrike emerges from the crowd. They make their way over, all smiles. Shrike's been spending his money; he's carrying a backpack and a coil of rope and various other adventuring gear.

"Nice glaive," Trish says with a raised eyebrow. Still, she appears far too happy to give you shit over it. "Look at this thing," she says, lifting the sword off her back. "Isn't it gorgeous?"

"Pretty sweet," you say. "Lily, this is Trish and Shrike, they helped me with the slave last night. Guys, this is Lily, she's a friend."

"Hi," Lily says.

"Nice to meet you," Shrike says politely. The meat stand next to the table with a kind of take-it-or-leave-it air, while Lily just looks resolutely polite.

Awkward silence descends.

>Use diplomacy to break the ice 1d100 (no DC, just see how well you do)
>"Guys can we please just play the game and not politics?"
>Explain that Lily was in the Thunderlands fight, and hope that explains her reticence.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

Rolled 42

>>29497128
diplomacy

>>29496869
>>Wave over Trish (and Shrike; he’s bound to be nearby.)
>>Ask Lily to see if her friends would want to join an expedition.

>>29497128
>>Write in.
Ask if they want to go to the underground.

>>29497128
>Explain that Lily was in the Thunderlands fight, and hope that explains her reticence.

Rolled 44

>>29497128
Diplomacy, then >>29497213

>>29497157
>>29497158
>>29497186

"So, regarding that door to the Underground, this is our expedition so far," you say. "Um, sit down guys, have some tea." They drag over a couple of extra chairs and you crowd around the little table.

"Meat going to the Underground?" Lily looks surprised.

"They're really brave and skilled," you say, giving Lily a smile. Come on, trust me a little. "Lily was in the Thunderlands fight," you add, turning to Trish. "It was pretty brutal."

"Ah," she says, understanding. "Between the news of that and the bridge the city's been buzzing with news all day. Was it as bad as they say?" she asks Lily.

"Probably," Lily says soberly. She takes a deep breath and smiles. "Well, four people is a good start, but I don't think we can take on the Underground just yet."

"Where do you suggest?" you ask, relieved that everyone seems to be tolerating each other at least.

"Well, you guys are loaded up with Verdant weapons, so why not look for a graveyard? You'd probably have to go down a chasm though."

"We were planning on crossing the new bridge once it's done," Shrike says.

>Suggest they go to the graveyard. It has to be more interesting than re-crossing that bridge.
>Explore over the bridge.
>Get Lily to see if any of her friends want to visit the Underground.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29497412
>>Get Lily to see if any of her friends want to visit the Underground.

Also ask how long gates to the underground stay open and how strong the monsters are there.

Rolled 100

>>29497412
Ask Lily about passing the information on the Underground to a few of her friends for a cut of the loot, then suggest the graveyard to level up.

>>29497412
>>29497412
>suggest going to the graveyard
it would be a good place for us to grind first
also ask lily how she knew they were meat

>>29497472
DICE GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODS!

>>29497412
>Suggest they go to the graveyard. It has to be more interesting than re-crossing that bridge.
There wasn't anything interesting over there last time.

>>29497485 (you told her what you were up to last night, and that included who Trish and Shrike were.)
>>29497472
>>29497448

"How long will that doorway stay open, and how tough is it down there?" you ask.

"Well, secret passages usually stay open until a certain number of people go through them. Since this one's at the bottom of a dungeon, we probably don't have to worry about it closing anytime soon. As for how tough it is, it's kind of hard to quantify. I've never been there myself, just looked in a couple of times."

"That thing we fought nearly flattened us," Shrike says. "And there were a lot of them."

"Do you think you friends might want to go?"

Lily nods, "Probably. I'll put the word out if you like, although it might take a little while to organise. A lot of people haven't logged back in since the Thunderlands."

"Well, let's go to a graveyard. If we're geared for it, it seems a good option."

"I agree," Trish says. "If Lily's coming with us, I'd feel much better about heading into the chasm, and half the city is going to be swarming over the bridge." She grins, "Besides, I want to try out my new sword."

"Okay, it's settled then."

Shrike nods.

>You have 34 coins. Buy something (backpack etc) before you go.
>Ask them to wait while you log out and get a bite to eat.
>Let's go.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29497655
Ask them if they mind letting you go get a bite to eat before you go, give Lily the coins and ask her to stock up on adventuring gear for you if she doesn't mind.

>>29497655
>buy that backpack
food is for the weak

>>29497655
>>You have 34 coins. Buy something (backpack etc) before you go.

Buy a backpack.

>>29497655
>You have 34 coins. Buy something (backpack etc) before you go.
>Ask them to wait while you log out and get a bite to eat.
Give coins to Trish, ask her to buy it while we scarf some GAMER FOOD.

>>29497787
>>29497723
You remember how you had to borrow a sack from Trish to carry all your coins back last time, and you return it to her with thanks. A backpack would be much more useful, however.

"I have to go and eat really quick," you say. "Can you get me a backpack?"

You quit the game and stand up from your desk.

"Welcome back," Emily's packing her bag, but judging by the texbook she's stuffing into it, it's probably to do more study. "Are you doing anything for dinner tonight?"

"I don't know," you say.

"I'm going with a bunch of friends to the Three Moons for dinner later." You've heard of it; it's some sort of hipster cafe. "You're welcome to join us, if you're not too busy gaming." She grins.

"Thanks, I guess I'll see." You don't have to decide now, so you go and make yourself a sandwich while Emily leaves for a study group.

Refreshed and ready for adventure, you return to the game. Trish is waiting for you with a backpack and your change. It cost 12 coins in the end.

"The others are waiting at the gate," she says. "Let's go."

>Buy something else. (You have 22 coins.)
>Ask Trish how she met Shrike as you head out.
>Ask her what she thinks of the whole players vs meat thing as you head out.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29498054
>Ask what she thinks of the great meat war

>>29498054
>Ask her what she thinks of the whole players vs meat thing as you head out.
>Ponder the lewdness of discussing 'meat' all the time.

>>29498054
>>Ask Trish how she met Shrike as you head out.

>>29498054
Ask if she thinks her friends would give you a small cut of the loot for Underground access.

>>29498054
>Ask Trish how she met Shrike as you head out.

>>29498130
>>29498089
You stroll companionably, side by side, out through the markets, weaving your way through clusters of NPCs and players. Trish is tall enough to see the best way through the crowds, and you end up letting her steer.

"What do you think about this meat war?" you ask.

"Well, you have to understand, I wasn't a player for very long, and what killed me was my own stupidity. I aggroed too many things and died. So the only person I was mad at was myself." She shrugs, "So for a long time, I told myself I didn't care. But it does get tiring after a while being constantly mistrusted by players. That's why Shrike and I don't advertise it."

She smiles, "You're fine though. It's people like Lily - I'm not blaming her; I'd be worried if I'd fought in the Thunderlands too, but well, what can you do?" She laughs, "Some people take the game too seriously."

"Shrike was like that," she says.

"How did you meet him?"

"He was picking a fight with a player, who was winning. Apparently he did that a lot; he must have liked being mad or something. In this city, however, Mason tries to get everyone to accept yields, and this guy did. When Shrike was down, he just walked off. I dusted him off and asked him if he was having fun. We started talking and working as a team."
>>29498226

"Do you think I could make money selling access to the Underground?"

"Probably not. One someone else knows, they can tell any number of other people. I guess you could try though."

Shrike and Lily are waiting for you by the city gates. Lily's artifact is floating next to her, but she's walking for now.

You step outside the city, and are faced with a solid stone bridge, guarded at each end by a slave, over a chasm. On the other side is a forest.

"We need to find a way down," Lily says.

>"Just fly us down on your artifact."
>Start looking for a way down.
>Cross the bridge first.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29498054
>Ask Trish how she met Shrike as you head out.
>Ask her what she thinks of the whole players vs meat thing as you head out.

>>29498389
>>"Just fly us down on your artifact."

>>29498389
"Can you take us down one at a time on your Artifact? Or maybe we can make some sort of seat to hang off of it."

>>29498389
>Start looking for a way down
we can cross if there isn't one
lily's artifact isn't big/strong enough for all of us

>>29498389
>"Just fly us down on your artifact."

>>29498389
>Start looking for a way down.
>Send Lily across to look on the other side, and message us if she finds one

>>29498448
I assumed we would be going down one at a time with Lily

>>29498466
I still don't really wanna beg for rides from her
it's not like walking down will take that long

>>29498505
We don't really know how long it will take to get down without Lily's help. Based on current information, you could certainly be right, but it might take a considerable amount of time, we can't say.

>>29498444
"Can you take us down one at a time on your Artifact? Or maybe we can make some sort of seat to hang off of it."

You peer over the edge of the chasm, but see nothing but swirling white mist below.

"I can, but only one person at a time, which means someone's gonna be down there by themselves for a while. If we find a path we can stick together and be certain of solid ground; there's often a lot of water down there."

You look along the sides of the chasm, and the others join you. Some distance away you see a large, twisted tree, all by itself, leaning far out over the gap. Half its roots tangle into empty air.

"Could that be something?" you ask, pointing.

"Maybe," Trish says, shielding her eyes against the sun.

>Check out the tree.
>Have Lily fly you down anyway.
>"Why hasn't this bridge been busted?"
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29498587
>Have Lily fly you down anyway.

>>29498587
>>Check out the tree.

>>"Why hasn't this bridge been busted?"

>>29498587
Examine the tree.

>>29498587
>check out tree

>>29498587
>Check out the tree.

>>29498623
>>29498611
"Why hasn't that bridge been busted?" you ask. No one's even paying attention to it.

"The bridge that leads out of the main gate of any city never breaks, no matter how many people walk across it. And we kind of decided to leave every city with some way in and out, because even players need to buy gear and cutting off the cities is counterproductive." Lily shrugs, "Also look at it; it's solid stone. It would take ages to break."

Your group heads west, along the side of the chasm towards the tree. As you get closer, you notice the tree itself is quite spindly, and most of the bulk of its trunk is made up of a large scaled creature, as far as you can tell it's a giant snake, wrapped tightly around it. You can't even see its head.

In among the knotted roots is an opening cut in the rock beneath it, and a flight of steps lead down. Whatever is in the tree hasn't appeared to have noticed you yet.

>Ask Lily for a lift down anyway.
>Suggest some tactics to attack the creature (write in.)
>Attack with a weapon.
>Use Ability.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29498765
Do we have a rope?

>>29498765
Lily, take Shrike's bow and fly up out of range and start pelting the creature. I'll stay on the ground and draw its attention with my bow. While we distract it, Shrike and Trish can melee it.

>>29498765
>suggest ranged bombardment

>>29498807
Shrike has some rope.

>>29498816
This seems tactically sound, but it does seem a tad impolite to tell someone to take a second person's weapon.

>>29498765
[x] Talk to the snake.

>>29498866
That's why I didn't put it in quotes. It's not a command, more a suggestion.

>>29498889
Nevermind, reading comprehension fails me.

>>29498885
"Greetings scaled creature!" you call.

Shrike chuckles and the others grin, but nothing else happens.

"It was worth a try. What about if we attack it from a distance?"

Lily smiles. "Ooh, I know. I could show you Blasphemy."

>Yes. Please.
>Abilities are on a big cooldown, maybe we should save it.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29498969
"Let's save it."

Suggest >>29498816

>>29498969
>YES

>>29498969
>>Yes. Please.
I want to see it.

>>29498969
>Yes. Please.
I have a feeling it will be impressive.

File: 1389671122859.jpg-(292 KB, 480x640, 1310862448297.jpg)

292 KB JPG

>>29499036
>>29499012

"Go on," you grin. "I know you want to do it."

"It's true. Stand back." Lily leaps up onto her artifact and flies a bit closer to the tree. Shrike has his bow drawn and Trish is holding her sword.

"I'll finish you with one strike!" Lily declares, milking the moment for all it's worth. She points at the tree, and says a word. It's a terrible word; obscene, skin-crawling, filthy. To hear it fall from Lily's mouth shocks you, even though you don't know what it means. You don't want to know.

Lily smiles, and points upwards. Something is in the sky. It has many wings, and a smooth head with six glowing eyes. And it falls. It doesn't tumble, but instead streaks downwards, the planes of its face and the edges of its wings glowing with heat.

THOOM!

It smashes into the tree. Clouds of feathers and splinters and leaves and blood fountain up into the air. You smell ozone and sap, and you can feel the shockwave of the impact from where you stand. You blink, shielding you eyes from flying debris, and when you lower you hand, the tree is gone. Only splinters and shreds of meat remain. Something thuds into the dirt at your feet; it's a snake head. It's not very large, and you realise you see a few more scattered about.

"Holy shit," Shrike says.

Trish rests her sword against the crook of her arm to applaud and Lily bows gracefully. "It makes angels fall. I put a few points into it, of course."

>Applaud as well.
>Search the wreckage for anything useful.
>Head down the steps.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29499208
>>Search the wreckage for anything useful.
Loot!

>>29499208
"So that's why it can't be used underground?"

>>29499208
>Applaud as well.
>Search the wreckage for anything useful.
I don't see any reason not to do both.

>>29499308
seconded

>>29499208
>Search the wreckage for anything useful.
HEY LOOKS
SOME SKULLS FOR OUR SKULL THRONE

>>29499308 >>29499351

You put your hands together and Lily grins and waves, "Yes, yes. It's quite a show. You don't need to clap." She looks pretty pleased with the reaction, however.

>>29499250
"So that's why it can't be used underground?"

"Yep," she nods. "It can take out the roof of a building, so it can be used indoors if you're feeling brave, but underground not a chance."
>>29499362
>>29499246

You pick your way through the wreckage. There's nothing there that you could definitely say comes from the angel, but there's a big mess. As you approach the flight of steps, you can hear what sounds like the wind moving inside it, and smell something like damp mist.

Lily hops off her artifact and joins the three of you as you kick aside bits of wood, looking for anything at all that might be useful. A little distance away, dangling from a broken branch, you spot a length of fine metal chain and you know it's a Piece of Arcadia.

>Scoop it up for yourself.
>Lily did the work, point it out to her.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29499437
Point it out to Lily. Maybe she can increase her Artifact and get us all down.

>>29499437
>Lily did the work, point it out to her.

>>29499437
>Scoop it up for yourself
I'm pretty sure Pieces of Arcadia are unique to each person anyway.

>>29499437
>>Scoop it up for yourself.
Pick it up and show it to the party like you're pointing it out. If no one claims it pocket it.

>>29499493
>>29499466
>>29499457
You bend down and pick up the end of the chain between you finger and thumb, holding it up to the others.

"Oh, lucky." Lily says. "We'll take it turn and turn about for Pieces of Arcadia, okay?"

"Hey, what about us?" Shrike says.

"He's joking," Trish says with a pointed look. "We can't use them and we can't even see them for what the are."

You toss Lily the chain and she grabs it. "Thanks. There doesn't look like there's much else here, does there?" She puts in in a pouch at her belt.

Trish nudges a snake head with her foot and it tumbles over the edge of the chasm. "Nope, not really. I guess it was just guarding the steps."

>Lead the way down the steps.
>Let Trish go first.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29499611
>Let Trish go first.
How big are those snake heads? Could we make a hat out of one?

>>29499611
Ask if the snake skin can be used for materials, or fangs and the like.

Loot Identification 101.

>>29499611
>Lead the way

>>29499611
>>Let Trish go first.
She's the one with the big sword.

>>29499611
>Lead the way down the steps.

>>29499706
"We can't use these bits of snake?" you ask, stooping and picking one up.

"Materials usually appear in bits of stuff that all look alike. Every small shard of Verdant steel is identical. Every medium shard, and so on," Trish says. "Usually it's in weird lump in the middle of a creature, so it's easy to find, like the Verdant Steel, so you don't have to dissect things."

"Thankfully," Lily says. "Or everyone would have to carry around spare clothes and lots of soap."

>>29499679
>>29499813
You let Trish go first, following closely behind her, and Lily at the back, her artifact floating behind you as you start to descend. It's very dark for the first little bit. and Lily's staff provides just enough light so you can see where you're going.

Down you go, occasionally stumbling on the unevenly cut steps that switchback into the ground. Eventually it grows light, and you find the steps are now carved out of the cliff face. There's nothing but swirling white mist beside you as you decend further. Beads of water collect on your hair and clothes.

You hear a splash, and a short while later, you step down out of the mist.

The bottom of the chasm is a wide, mostly flat area dotted with small round pools. The ground is damp and spongy, but at the base of the cliff there is a rough stone path. You're relieved to step down onto solid ground. Above you is only white mist. It's very quiet here, and something about the oppressive atmosphere makes you keep your voices down.

Most of the colour in the landscape comes from brilliant toadstools that dot the area. To your left, some half a mile away is a ruined tower. To your right is an exceptionally large pool. The path snakes off ahead of you.

>Tower.
>Pool.
>Follow the path.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29500036
>Tower.
>"Hey look, magic mushrooms!"

>>29500036
>Tower
pool ain't gonna have undead
just scary monstars

>>29500036
Tower.

>>29500036
>>Tower.

>>29500117
>>29500108
>>29500091
>>29500084
"That looks interesting," you say, pointing to the tower.

"Let's go then," Shrike says.

Since you're off the path you're obliged to walk around the little pools as you make your way towards the tower. You hear the odd splash, and when you look into them you see little fishlike things with glowing eyes sitting on the bottom. Prodding the water with the end of your staff makes them dart away from the disturbance.

As you grow closer to the tower, you can make out more details. It's in pretty bad shape, and the surrounding area is dotted with blocks of dark, mossy stone. The tower's at least three stories high.

The top looks strange. You squint and realise that what you took to be bits of broken masonry are in fact moving slightly. There are things sitting on top of the tower. You can't work out what they are, however.

You point them out to the others and they stop.

>Lily to scout ahead.
>Fire an arrow at one.
>Try and get closer without being noticed.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29500259
Point out the gargoyles.

>>29500259
>Try and get closer without being noticed.

>>29500259
>>Fire an arrow at one.

>>29500295
>You point them out to the others and they stop.

>>29500259
Approach cautiously.

>>29500296
>>29500510
You creep closer, ducking down behind the blocks of stone, and watching the tower rise in front of you, grim and silent. It lists slightly to the left, slowly sinking into the swampy ground. You can see the entrance, a wooden door, rotted and barely hanging on to its hinges. You think you see a flicker of blue light in one of the empty windows, but mostly you watch the roof.

You're within fifteen feet of the entrance when the creatures stir. Great feathery wings unfurl and long, sharp beaks are lifted to the sky as they caw a warning. The harsh sounds echo back off the walls of the chasm, as they flap heavily into the damp air. There are three.

>Fire an arrow (DC 65)
>Use ability.
>Run for the doorway.
>Draw your glaive and wait.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

Rolled 44

>>29500585
>>Fire an arrow (DC 65)

Rolled 77

>>29500585
>>Fire an arrow (DC 65)

Rolled 57

>>29500585
BOOM, HEADSHOT!

>>29500628
>>29500616
>>29500611
You ready for battle and draw your bow. Lily hops onto her artifact and soars into the air, her staff at the ready.

You loose an arrow and the creature you aimed at caws in pain as it finds its mark. Beside you, Shrike does the same. Trish can do nothing but wait, sword at the ready.

The creatures retaliate, and fling sharp projectiles from their wings at you and Shrike.

Dodge 1D100 DC 60

Followed by:

>Fire another arrow DC 65
>Use ability.
>Run for the entrance.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

Rolled 97, 49 = 146

>>29500727
MOVE, BITCH!

Then

SHOOT, BITCH!

Rolled 87

>>29500727
>Fire another arrow DC 65

Why didn't you hold onto the crossbow Trish? This is exactly the reason why Shrike wanted you to have it.

Rolled 9, 35 = 44

>>29500727
>Fire another arrow DC 65

Rolled 92, 42 = 134

>>29500727
>Fire another arrow DC 65

Rolled 5, 79 = 84

>>29500769
Whoops

>>29500768 (crit fail)
>>29500769
>>29500770

You dodge and the ground gives way under your foot and all your arrows tumble out of your quiver, scattering on the ground as you fall. You snatch one up and send it into the breast of one of the creatures.

Lily reaches the first creature and smacks it with her staff. It's the one you shot earlier, and she batters it fiercely.

You have slain Rustfeather Raven.

There are two left. More importantly, something's grabbed your foot.

>Try and pull your foot loose. DC 50
>Shoot another creature. DC 65
>Use ability.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

Rolled 15, 75 = 90

>>29500987
Pull the foot loose, then stomp on whatever's holding it.

Rolled 68

>>29500987

>>29500987
>>29501044
Oops.
>Try and pull your foot loose. DC 50

Rolled 5

>>29500987
>>Try and pull your foot loose. DC 50

>>29500987
Oh god, equip glaive and cut at whatever's on our foot.

>>29501044
>>29501008
You yank your foot out of the ground as another scattering of steel feathers lands around you. You hear them plink off Trish's sword.

There's a hand attached to your ankle. Just a hand. Maybe a stub of wrist as well. It's greyish and mottled and it's hanging on hard enough to hurt, even through your new boots.

"Gah!" You try and kick it loose but it's gripped pretty tightly.

"Hold still," Trish says and carefully brings her sword down next to your leg. The hand tears loose as the blade crunches down into it.

You have slain Wandering Hand.

You have slain Rustfeather Raven. Lily and Shrike are still at it. The final raven folds its wings and dives away from Lily and towards the three of you.

>Duck.
>Fire an arrow fast, without aiming. DC 50
>Defend yourself with your glaive.
>Use ability.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29501068
The way we're rolling we'll lose our foot.

Rolled 4

>>29501186
>>Fire an arrow fast, without aiming. DC 50

>>29501186
>>Fire an arrow fast, without aiming. DC 50
I thought all our arrows scattered on the ground. Shouldn't we get some sort of penalty for this?

>>29501186
>Defend yourself with your glaive.
SWORD ON A STICK BOOYAH
>>29501262
We are, OP uses a roll-under system.

Rolled 54

>>29501186
>Fire an arrow fast, without aiming. DC 50

Rolled 53, 56 = 109

>>29501186
Shoot it then dodge

>>29501262
>>29501238 (That's a crit.)

You bend down and snatch up an arrow. You're not even thinking; you're working on pure instinct as that black shape fills up more and more of the sky. You've barely time to pull the string back far enough before you let it fly, and it buries itself right between huge dark eyes just above that wickedly sharp beak.

You have slain Rustfeather Raven.

Then you're knocked back as the sharp, feathery corpse lands on you. You're less worried about it than what you might put your foot into, and Trish helps you throw it off.

Lily floats back down to join you. You glance about and realise that there are spots of dead grass all about you, getting more numerous closer to the tower. It was into one of those you put your foot earlier.

"Is everyone okay?" you ask.

"Just a scratch," Shrike says. "I'll just sleep it off for a moment." He goes to lie down.

"Stop!" you order him. "This ground is full things. Wandering Hands. Like that one." You point to the remains near your foot.

"There must be a graveyard around here," Lily says. "Probably a bit further on."

>Careful where you step, go and search the bodies.
>Head inside the tower.
>Suggest skipping the tower for the graveyard beyond.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29501489
>>Careful where you step, go and search the bodies.

>>29501489
Kill Wandering Hands with the glaive for a bit. Bait them out with raven corpses.

>>29501489
>Careful where you step, go and search the bodies.
Search in pairs.

>>29501578
this >>29501489

>>29501489
>>Careful where you step, go and search the bodies.

>>29501535
>>29501593
You stoop down and pick up all your arrows. Luckily none of them broke, even though Trish stepped on a couple, they just sank into the ground.

The Wandering Hand has nothing of value and you split up to look at the raven corpses. They're surprisingly light, and as you handle them their rusty metal feathers start to disintegrate, covering your hands in metallic ash. You retrieve an arrow from the corpses along with a total of three serrated metal slivers, a dull rusty colour, but not actually rusted.

"Bloodletter Iron," Trish says authoritatively. "Makes you bleed."

"I don't want 'em," Lily says.

"Guys, I am still bleeding," Shrike says, wiping blood away from the shallow cut in his cheek.

>One each for the rest of you.
>Pass. It's not worth it.
>Tell Shrike to lie down and you'll take care of the Wandering Hands.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29501763
>One each for the rest of you.
>Tell Shrike to lie down and you'll take care of the Wandering Hands.
Bloodletter arrows sound pretty nifty.

>>29501763
Split them up. Take them all if nobody wants them, then have Shrike rest while you hand-ily kill monsters.

>>29501813
seconding

>>29501763
>>One each for the rest of you.

>>29501763
>Tell Shrike to lie down and you'll take care of the Wandering Hands.
>One each for the rest of you.

>>29501813
>>29501863
>>29501872
You split up the metal shards between the three of you. You wonder how many players have been turned into meat over dividing up of loot over the course of this game, and bet it's a significant number.

"Lie down," you tell Shrike. "And we'll handle the Wandering Hands."

"I feel so confident about this," Shrike says, as he gingerly stretches himself out on the ground. Lily sits on a block of stone and watches as you and Trish stand over him with your blades. For a little while nothing happens, and then from the dead spots underneath him, you see the ground start to move as the Wandering Hands claw themselves up towards him.

"Uhh, guys, I can feel them touching me." Shrike squirms unhappily.

"Hold still," Trish says.

You and Trish bring your blades down into the dirt.

You have slain Wandering Hand.
You have slain Wandering Hand.
You have slain Wandering Hand.
You have slain many Wandering Hands.

As soon as he's healed, Shrike leaps out of the way, while you and Trish apply yourselves. Eventually Trish stops and wipes her forehead.

"Hard work, huh?"

"I don't think you're getting much exp from those things," Lily says. "They're more of an environmental hazard."

>Stab as you go and head into the Tower.
>Stab as you go and continue past.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29502082
>>Stab as you go and head into the Tower.

>>29502082
>Stab as you go and continue past.

Would it kill you to include Quest in the title?

>>29502082
>Stab as you go and head into the Tower.
We did not just go through that to ignore the cool looking tower.

>>29502163
Mistakes happen. It was on all of the previous threads.

>>29502163 (Yeah, I completely forgot this time and by the time I noticed it was too late to start another thread. Apologies. Sucks for me too since it means foolz won't be as reliable. I'm not on my game today.)
>>29502120
>>29502168

You and Trish clear the way, stabbing into the dead spots as you go. You push aside the rotten door, it doesn't really swing on its hinges anymore and you prop it mostly open.

Inside you find a circular room, with stairs leading up. Broken furniture is littered around the place. The only thing that's still intact is an aged wooden chair.

There's a book on it. You have never seen a book in this game before.

>Examine the book.
>Let someone else look at it.
>Attack the book.
>Ignore it and head up.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29502398
>>Let someone else look at it.

>>29502398
>Poke the book.
Then examine the book.

>>29502398
>Let someone else look at it.
Tell Shrike to touch it. He's closest to a comic relief character I think.

>>29502398
>Examine the book.
IA IA

>>29502398
>Examine the book.

>>29502477
>>29502611
>>29502640
The tower smells dusty as well as damp, and as you walk forward little clouds of dirt rise under you feet, and you leave footprints on the floor. You see no other footprints; no one else has been here for quite some time.

You walk over, glaive in your other hand, and touch the book. It has no writing on the outside, just a leather cover, and it feels cold and slightly slimy.

You don't get a chance to open it. As soon as you touch it a blue glow pours out from it, and the book rises into the air, ruffling its pages.

>Attack with the glaive (DC 60)
>Back off quick.
>Use ability.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

Rolled 59

>>29502746
>>Attack with the glaive (DC 60)

>>29502746
>Back off quick.
"Lily I think I did something wrong!"

File: 1389680517737.gif-(1.13 MB, 320x180, what'd you do.gif)

1.13 MB GIF

>>29502746
>>Back off quick.

>>29502746
>Back off quick.

>>29502746
>Back off quick.
>Use FORESIGHT
Le's figure out if we should be pulling everyone out or something.

>>29502793
>>29502834
>>29502841
You back off.

"Lily, I think I did something wrong."

"I doubt it," Lily says.

The blue light coalesces into a ghostly skull, and only the faint outline of a person holding the book. The jaw drops.

Dodge. 1d100 DC 80.

Rolled 96

>>29502900

Rolled 81

>>29502900

Rolled 97

>>29502900
"Lily I fucking told you."

>>29502917
God dammit.

Rolled 86

>>29502900

>>29502917
>>29502949
>2 crits

Rolled 59

>>29502917
>>29502944
>>29502949
>>29502970
wow. /tg/ dice really do like to screw with people. In any other quest we'd be celebrating.

>>29502917
>>29502944
>>29502949
You try to dodge and smack into Lily, who's trying to move the same way you do. The four of you end up tangled in the doorway unable to go anywhere when the ghostly creature screams.

It's a noise you've never experienced before. You can't move, you can't think. It's like icicles are forming on the inside of your skull. You can only move your eyes, and you can see blood leaking from Lily's nose, and you can feel it trickling from your own.

Even when the noise stops, you can't move, stunned. Which gives it another free shot at the four of you, and you go through the whole thing again.

The screams reverberate up the tower, and from above, when the noise finally dies away, you can hear the fluttering of pages.

>Retreat. Shove everyone out the door, or try to.
>Step up and attack with the glaive.
>Use Ability.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29503089
>>Step up and attack with the glaive.

Rolled 6

>Step up and attack with the glaive.

>>29503089
Smack Lily and tell her to use Preach.

>>29503089
>Step up and attack with the glaive.

>>29503144
>>29503119
The fluttering from the floors above you subsides, presumably because the books are all in the air now.

You dart in with your glaive and Trish is right beside you. Her sword slices through the creature's body, the blue glow curling like smoke. You don't know how much good it did; it makes no sound.

>Aim for the skull DC 60
>Aim for the book DC 60

>>29503254
>Aim for the book DC 60

Rolled 97

>>29503272
Wow I suck.

Rolled 51

>>29503292
And that's two crits in a row. Maybe I'll just keep forgetting to roll.

Rolled 5

>>29503254
>Aim for the skull DC 60
>>29503292
That you do.

Rolled 81

>>29503254
>Aim for the skull DC 60

>>29503292
Yyyyyup.

Rolled 61

>>29503254
>Aim for the skull DC 60

Rolled 4

>>29503292
hopefully it doesn't count since it wasn't linked

>>29503292
>>29503332
>>29503336
>>29503338
(You have got to be kidding.)
>>29503455 (He linked the post he intended to roll for. It counts. Sadly your own excellent crit comes too late.)

You charge across the dusty floor. From the corner of your eye you see Shrike take up a position slightly to the left.

Your glaive misses the creature, and buries itself in the wall behind it. Stuck.

The skull drops its jaw again, and screams. Stunned, you are only vaguely aware of an arrow skimming past you and skewering the book. The book hovers there, and quivering in mid air and starting to glow.

"Oh, fuck!" You hear Lily say.

And then the next thing you know the world has turned ninety degrees and you are flat on your back on the floor, Trish beside you and Lily lying on you both as behind her the book explodes in burst of blue light.

You have slain Old Waily.

You hear a chime. You've leveled up. Also, everything is a nice shade of red. Trish looks barely conscious, and Lily sags, gritting her teeth between bloodied lips as she looks up at you.

>Lie here and regenerate health as long as you can.
>Get up and get out.
>Get up and get your weapon.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29503645
>>Get up and get your weapon.
>Lie back down.

>>29503645
I was hoping it would play out like a Three Stooges routine. The ghost would laugh itself into fits or feel so embarrassed for us that he let's us go. Today's just been a bad day.

>Lie here and regenerate health as long as you can.
"Told you, Lily."

Rolled 88

>>29503669
Lie down. Heal. Maybe put some xp into an ability.

>>29503742
Let's wait until we talk to Mason or someone that can tell us about all the classes abilities.

>>29503645
>Lie here and regenerate health as long as you can.
"Told you so."

>>29503742
>>29503730
>>29503669
"Guys! Don't be dead, please," Shrike says in a rather panicked tone.

"'M fine." Trish says. "Hold them off for a while."

"I told you so," you say.

Lily doesn't get what you mean for a second. "Oh. They were probably going to wake up anyway." She rolls off you and stretches out on the floor. "Haven't used Testify in a long time," she says.

"By myself?" Shrike asks.

Lily stretches up her hand, holding her staff. "Take it."

"Oh. Oh! Okay." Shrike perks up, and takes the staff from her hand. He also yanks your glaive out of the wall and hands it to you. Then he stands at the bottom of the stairs, staff ready, occasionally peering around to see if anything's coming.

Your vision slowly starts to clear.

You could spend some exp points if you wanted. You've got a breathing space. When you look at your mirror, you're unnerved to see you have two hitpoints left.

You have three exp to spend.

>HP
>SP
>Weapon skills: bow, glaive
>Improve abilities: Pray, Preach, Foresight
>Buy a new ability: Testify (Prophet), Eye of God (Seer), Ascend (Avatar) (each cost 3 exp)
>Another time.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

I vote Ascend. Sounds like a good combat boost.

>>29503920
>Ascend

>>29503920
>Another time.
Let's wait until we can learn what these actually do. We know someone that could tell us, even.

>>29503920
>>Another time.
btw who is it that we pray to that grants us a black tentacle for an arm? we should ask lily while we wait to recover

>>29504002
>>29503970
Well, without a consensus, I might call it there and ask again at the start of the next thread. Seems a good time to stop anyway.

Sorry for the lack of subject line, and I'm still working out how to make exploration vs combat work in this setting, so any suggestions gratefully received.

Next thread will be Wed evening EST or Sat evening EST depending on if I'm DMing this week. I'll keep twitter posted.

Thanks for playing.

>>29504134
You're a pretty cool dude.

>>29504134
I like that you've been making crits more impactful but I think you can go a step further without frustrating your players and make the situations more tense.
I like to limit my players' options to give them more of a tangible feel, like instant feedback. For example, they fumble a roll and hurt their hand, they'd have to fight with a dagger, one-handed with their weapon, or backoff and get support from another player. Uh, I find it makes my group think more and feel more engaged in combat rather then just rolling dice and ticking numbers. Take this with a grain of salt though, I know I'm not a great GM.

>and I'm still working out how to make exploration vs combat work in this setting
What do you feel your having trouble with specifically? I think your managing well for what it's worth.

>>29504311
I'll make crits tougher if you guys stop rolling so damn many of them.

I can't really tell from this side of the story how interesting it is for you guys to explore areas. I need to give you options (go to the tower, follow the path) but at the same time, I want to try and get that feeling of discovery as well, and the sense that you can go anywhere if you want to. But on the other hand if I spend the entire thread writing scenery porn, I imagine that would get boring for you and exhausting for me.

So combat makes a nice break. The trouble is, unlike in a real MMO where the grind has it's own hypnotic appeal, easy combat in this format is boring, but on the other hand I don't want you guys dying from random mobs when you could die doing something related to the story full of character drama and sacrifice.

That's sort of what I'm wrestling with anyway.

>>29504418
You've been doing fine, but maybe add simple descriptors to the actual vote choices themselves? Like 'go to the gloomy tower', 'explore the placid lake', 'climb the snake-infested tree' etc.

>>29504571
Good point, thanks. The vote options probably could be made a bit more interesting, although usually after I've described a new scene I'm running pretty close to the character limit.

My other problem is my inner editor telling me every scene which does not advance the plot must be cut, but I need to remember this is a game, not a story, and plotless violence like that inflicted today has its place.

>>29504418
>the sense that you can go anywhere if you want to.
I think you can get that across easily. While not now as we have a dungeon to clear (unless you stop us we're hitting every damn landmark), throwing in scenes where nobodies online and have nothing in particular to do other then go check out the set pieces you write for us gets that sense of freedom in this game across perfectly. Idle wandering is fun sometimes.

>>29504571
This would be good. I noticed in the slave dungeon you asked us to choose going left or right without any indication how they were different. You may as well have just flipped a coin and made the post a two-parter as the choice seemed completely arbitrary.

If you haven't, read the latest Oversized Weapon Quest. Simple combat that kept the players engaged and some light exploration done well too. Of course, the draw is humour and a moe goblin, maybe you'd find it handy to see how he handles quests?

>>29504716
You can just make a second post specifically for the options. Other QMs do it.

>>29504418
Dude, with your current system about 1 in 6 times you call for rolls there should be a crit. If you don't want so many crits, change the system.

>>29504794
>BUT maybe you'd find it handy
Not trying to suggest you change you quest. I really like it as it is.

>>29504801
Hm. You're right. I need to think about this. It wasn't a serious complaint; I like writing things going awry, but on the other hand if combat's too deadly that could lead to people avoiding it or just not caring as much.

I must confess, I'm not much good at crunch. Thanks for pointing that out. Next thread might see a few tweaks.

>>29504942
First off, by rechecking the math I noticed that the 1 in 6 for a crit I gave you earlier seems to have been the number for rolling a crit win or fail respectively. Rolling any crit has a chance closer to 2 in 7. (1-0.9^3 if I'm not doing it wrong).

If you want a suggestion, you could simply add a little to your current system. Let 1-5 and 96-100 still be crits, but now 2-5 and 96-99 are only 'minor' crits and only 1 and 100 are 'full' crits. This way only about 1 in 17 is a full crit and about 1 in 5 is a minor crit.

>>29505228
Or he could just critfails only count if every other rolls also fails, and crit successes only count if every other roll succeeds as well.

>>29505228
Two levels of crit.

That is a very interesting idea. Yes. Thank you. I need to consider how I might define them, but the more I think about it, the more I like crits in this format; firing arrows and then either hitting or missing gets pretty tedious so crits liven things up and get people angsting about rolls. But on the other hand, bit too much death.

You guys are great.

>>29505362
Or that. I'll give it a look when I'm not so tired. Again, many thanks.