>>31247851

You give Nolan a weak wave goodbye just as he turns to catch up to Mica, the both of them heading off to Bell Street. You glance back to the windows in town hall as you start to leave. Most everyone inside has gone back to carousing to various degrees. Muffled conversations can be heard over the deafening silence of the plaza.

A door on the side of the building opens, It’s Gil. He steps out, making his way towards you while admiring the night sky. You stop near a tree to lean on it, decide to stand instead when your bruise suggests otherwise, and then cross your arms after realising you don’t have any pockets to hide them in.

>1/2

>>31247858

“That was some show, eh Fera?” He leans forward slightly and smiles like he’s sharing a secret with you.

“Miss Whitetread sure seems to be going all out this year.” You smile, ignoring the developing headache, and the whiplash, and the deep bruising, maybe even some shifted ribs like Nolan said.

“Ah doon’t think she has anythin’ quite that theatrical like fer the rest o’ the hunt. She told us the golem wouldn’ta done any serious damage either.” He looks across the plaza to the largely unmenacing snowman that has finished putting itself back together. It found a hat from somewhere. “Commissioned it from somma the guild folks that arrived two weeks ago, some kinda trainin’ dummy.”

You drill a deadpan expression into his eyes.

“Well obviously she made some changes lass!” He shrugs defensively.

“Do you think we’re ready to head out there?” You shift your weight to the other leg as you release your folded arms.

“Nah,” he smiles warmly again, “ain’t that the point?”

>[ ] “I remember a time you weren’t this careless about these things.” [Aggressive]
>[ ] “You would know, it was your idea after all.” [Accepting]
>[ ] “I don’t think I’m capable of keeping the other two safe.”
>[ ] Custom

>>31247879
>>[ ] “You would know, it was your idea after all.” [Accepting]

>>31248801
second

>>31248801
>>31248972

You stare at the pattern of wrinkles that wrap around his smile and his eyes. It’s easy to tell he’s been smiling like that for decades. You wonder what he was like when he was your age.

“You would know,” you say grinning, “it was your idea after all.”

“Hey, you’ll do fine lass.” Gil reaches out with a gloved hand and smooths over a few of your cowlicks. “Ah should hope me own daughter’s capable of gettin’a couple a youngins to the mountains and back.”

“Whatever Da.” You have a bit of difficulty forcing the deadpan this time.

“Hmm, well then. Get back to the lodge then. It looks like ya pulled a fair bit a’ muscles back there. Ah figger a hot bath should help.” He pats you on the less hurt shoulder, gently pushing you along your way. “And make that water hot as ya kin!”

>1/2

>>31249127

On your way back, once return to the lake just before the lodge, you can see one of the other groups is here now. Iori’s you think, but you only see the mercenary’s son. The boy is in the process of stripping down to much the same amount that you are. His face is beet red as he coughs out bits of snow in his panic to tear off the constricting layers of woolly clothing.

Andrea’s two children that are present laugh at the boy’s misfortune as they skate around on the ice. The older woman herself waves to you as she sees you come down the road. You go to wave back. You accidentally use the wrong arm and it fiercely insists you do not do so in the future.

Andrea’s smile fades and she sits up a bit straighter in her chair. “Oh! Oh dear I hope the-” She stops and looks back over to the boy just as he cannonballs into one of the holes you three made in the lake previously. “I hope the snowman wasn’t too much for you!”

You stop in the middle of the incline, still about ten feet off the ground at the lake.

>[ ] “Are you going senile?” [Aggressive]
>[ ] “The others are fine Miss Whitetread, I took the worst of it.” [Indifferent]
>[ ] “‘Fraid it was! I’m calling it a night.” [Chipper]
>[ ] Custom

>>31249474
>[x] “‘Fraid it was! I’m calling it a night.” [Chipper]
>[x] “The others are fine Miss Whitetread, I took the worst of it.” [Indifferent]
in that order

>>31249720

“‘Fraid it was!” You call out. “I’m calling it a night.” Andrea stands up and collects your discarded clothes from one of the three coat hangers. Other than Mica’s Nolan’s and your things, you don’t see very much more clothing. Just the clothes that the black haired boy left. Is he alone?

“Maybe I should have warned you about that one a bit more.” She swings her worried gaze up the road behind you. “Where are your friends?”

“The others are fine Miss Whitetread,” it sounds weird when you hear someone else say it. “I took the worst of it.” You try to grin and stretch your arm as if you aren’t in a huge amount of pain.

“Well, I sure hope you aren’t sticking with that strategy once you head out tomorrow morning!” She adds, meeting you at the bottom of the road with your things.

“The next time something intends to eat me or the others, I intend to eat it first.” You heft the bundle of clothes Andrea passes you. “Plus I’ll have my bow with me.”

>[ ] Ask where the rest of Iori’s group is.
>[ ] Head to the lodge without further word.

>>31250033
>[x] Head to the lodge without further word.

>>31250128

Andrea smiles at your bravado. “Do take care. Truth be told, I was a little worried about some of this years Initiates. My son obviously, but also for Mica.” You tilt your head inquisitively. “Emphasis on ‘was’ dear!”

Andrea pushes your chin up unexpectedly before flashing a grin and heading back to her chair by the cauldron. A moment later you see the black haired boy breach the surface again.

“How da, hooh, how da heck is we supposed to move, huff, dose damn rocks!” He sputters in between gasps. “Gotta be like, 80 pounds each, EASY!”

You shake your head and make your way across the lake. You hear Andrea respond with something about letting the girls beat him.

>1/2

>>31250468

Once you get inside, you drop everything onto one of the seats and start up the stove in the kitchen. As you reach for the lever that diverts it’s exhaust over to a small boiler hooked into the well water pump, you spot Sister, lounging on one of the upper shelves.

“Hey, what did you do with the bucket that’s supposed to be up there?” The only response she gives at first to the thought is an errant tail flick. She gets up and meows, silently hopping off the shelf and snooping around to behind a chair and the partial wall that separates the kitchen from the main room.

She reappears shortly with it’s handle in her teeth. A slight limp on one side.

“You sure you don’t want in on the bath too?” Sister is not very amused by the jab.

Once you pump a few gallons into the boiler, you head around to your room to check on your gear for the fifth time today.

A week’s worth of jerky and bread, for emergencies of course. Some small bits of chocolate. Flint and steel. That harsh soap you buy from Andrea because it isn’t laced with prey scaring perfumes. Two sets of clothing. A Hammock. Your waterskin, your first kill actually. A good knife for preparing your successful hunts. Your trusty longbow, for enacting said hunts. And a quiver with 12 arrows.

And all of that you managed to stick into a single backpack you picked up just two days ago.

>SENSE+SCRUTINY 4d10 to inspect gear

Usually aren't many people here so feel free to continue rolling after you've done so already

Rolled 10

>>31250701
it might just be us again the only other person was the very first vote

Rolled 10

>>31250685

Rolled 6

>>31250685

>>31250719
>>31250746

And here I thought a difficulty 4 check would be a bit much.

Rolled 2

>>31250685
>>31250777
this is the only quest that i roll well in

>>31250799
Are you the anon that managed to roll three crits in a row with two different types of dice, and then crit fail to end the combo?

>>31250812
yup

>>31250719
>>31250746
>>31250775
>>31250799

>2x10 to inspect gear

>Fera gains 1 WILLPOWER for a 2x10 set!

What in the? Just as you run your fingers across the string of your bow, you feel a catch. You’re pretty sure you had just restrung it two days ago. Looking closer at the ragged line, you see it isn’t quite as ragged as it should be. The threads haven’t frayed very much, and all the errant threads are exactly the same length.

This was a cut from a precisely sharpened tool, and you haven’t used your bow since you last restringed it.

Sabotage? Really?

>>31250910

Elsewhere, dear reader, we happen upon a very long and wide street. So much so that it clearly cuts the smallish town of Lukewater in half. Alchemically treated tiles pave this street and keep it gleaming and snow free. The storefronts and business on either side of it bristle with signposts, tempting any and all travelers with good food, expensive gear, and warm beds. Most of it’s three hundred feet hum with excitable conversation and the twinkling of countless bells and wind chimes.

Two young adults step into view, dead center of Bell Street’s length, between a deli shop and a confectionary.

“But why did you have to side with the party pooper!” The shorter, gloomier of the two says.

“Mica, I... I wasn’t siding with her. She was right! She, she deserves to take a break. You saw that huge thing!” The young man says, adjusting his glasses as he promptly bumps into a passerby and issues an apology.

>1/2

>>31250953

“It was just a snowball fight! She just doesn’t know how to have fun.” Mica pouts.

“It ATE her! And, well, even if it hadn’t, I don’t think Fera’s the type to just ‘have fun’ so easily.” The boy punctuates the end of his sentence with a shrug while one hand scratches the back of his head.

The two look at each other for a moment. They are both barefoot and dressed in three layers too little for the currently heavily snowy weather. The shorter half elf sighs to herself before adopting her usual sleepy smile.

But, before she says anything, we should probably decide which one of these two we are at the moment.

>[ ] Well, uh, we appear to be Nolan.
>[ ] We are Mica of course!

>>31250980
>[x] We are Mica of course!

>>31250980
well its sucks but i have to go to sleep soon i have shit to do tomorrow. i'll see you again next thread

>>31251141
Ah well. Thanks for stopping by!

Whelp, Imma go ahead and prewrite a bit for now.
But I don't think this quest's gonna get any more players tonight.
Unless anyone intend to stick with us for at least three hours, in which case, please say so, I'm sticking a fork in this for tonight.

Come back tomorrow at 6PM MST either way!

>>31251304
Man. Original quests really do suffer from lack of players don't they?

File: 1396585107124.gif-(2.42 MB, 261x216, muh playercount.gif)

2.42 MB GIF

>>31251553
I ain't gonna say it's gettin' to me, but it's gettin' to me.

At this point I'm afraid I cursed this quest with the first thread's cock-up.
Not like there weren't a good amount of players to begin with.

I dunno.

I'll just get to drawing for the rest of the night.

>>31251842
I think you should be patient. You're not doing this to be popular (I think). You're doing this to have fun (I think). Honestly, I only participated in a single decision as you caught me when I was busy tonight.

Have fun with it and don't be discourage, bro.

>>31252577
I'd like to add one final one more thing.

Thank you for not making an anime-related or influenced quest.

>>31252596
Hey now, I can't say it isn't influenced at all.
But yeah I getchya, don't worry that stuff is none of my intention here.

Thanks for the encouragement though. It means a lot.