>>31429411
>Wake her up

>>31429411
>Stay longer

>>31429411
>>Wake her up
It is time to wake up, kid.

>>31429411
>>Wake her up
Time for breakfast.

You nudge your shoulder a bit. “Wake up Alice, time to eat.” She should have jumped up at that, but she’s still blissfully sleeping on you. And she didn’t react at all to Sin entering the room. She might honestly be fast asleep right now, you haven’t slept like that since you were ten. You almost don’t want to wake her up. “We have stuff to do today kid.”

She sits up immediately and scowls at you. “Did you just call me kid?”

“It’s time to eat,” you say quickly as you stand up. She jumps on your back, wrapping her arm around your neck. You grab onto it and keep it from constricting, but she’s actually using quite a bit of her strength. “Come on now, I kept vigil all night, I’m hungry.”

“You know I hate being called a kid. I’m over two hundred years old and I’ve killed countless men and demons. The fact that I look like this is just a hindrance,” she growls into your ear.

“I’m sorry, sorry. But it got you up,” you explain. She loosens her chokehold and sighs as you walk over to the door.

“I haven’t gotten laid since we were soldiers and I outranked the footsloggers. Life sucks,” she sighs. You can almost taste her melancholy as she hangs limply from your shoulders.

“Well, good morning,” Sin says as the two of you walk back into the main area of the brewery. Lucian is sitting on the counter, next to a bushel of fruit and bread.

>Inquire about Lucian’s mother, Ali
>Inquire about Sin’s employment offer
>Inquire about somewhere to get cleaned up
>Say something else
>Other

>>31430002
>Inquire about Sin’s employment offer

>>31430002
>>Inquire about Lucian’s mother, Ali
>>Inquire about Sin’s employment offer
>>Inquire about somewhere to get cleaned up

>>31430002
I assume stuffing our face is implied with any of these options

>>31430134
I like this order.

>>31430002
>Inquire about Lucian’s mother, Ali

also say "hi" to the kid.

By the way, while I'm writing, what are your current goals?

>>31430342
Well, ascertain the situation first off. Then rebuild our power, and once we're strong again, we smash this society into whatever sort of mold we feel is worthwhile.

“How’s your mother, Lucian?” you ask as you sit down at the counter with them and swing Alice over to her own seat.

“The doctor says that she’ll have a weak chest for the rest of her life, but will otherwise recover. The treatment you gave her was superb. Who’s she?” Lucian asks, looking at your sister. He still has

“She’s my niece.”

He had been wagging his tail subconsciously, but it stops. “I thought you were just kind of a homeless drifter? Why are you on a pilgrimage to somewhere you have family?”

“We met incidentally,” you explain as you grab some dry apples. Alice is already eating, taking such big bites that Sin is staring.

“I guess the appetite runs in the family,” she says as she watches you fill your mouth and wash it down with a tankard of water.

“Guess so. Now, about that job you had for me? I might be interested.”

“Oh, yes. I’ve hit a bit of a rough spot you see. All of my friends that would do this have been drawn away with one thing or another, and I need a spot of protection. I’m just showing up to make a deal with someone, and if I show up alone, I might get jumped. You’d be done with it by the end of tonight, I’d pay you fifty Marks plus hazard pay if it’s accrued, and I’ll even pay to get you into the local bathhouse and get you cleaned up and such. I’ll need you looking good. Are you in?”

>Sure
>Sorry, but no
>Other

>>31430402
This, pretty much. Raise this planet back out of the dark ages.

>>31430437
>Sure

>>31430402
Find someone who can give us a clear explanation: Matt, Dragon, our long lost demons...

>>31430402
>not caring about vengeance

fucking whiteknights

>>31430437
"Depends on the deal. If it's anything illegal, I'd like to know just how illegal before I agree to anything."

>>31430522
If we figure out who betrayed us, we'll eat them alive. That good enough for ya?

>>31430522
>>31430543
>Impling the betrayer is still alive.

>>31430568
Why would I introduce the concept of betrayal if not to include the betrayer?

>>31430522
If you are going to use buzzwords at least learn their meanings.

>>31430526
Do you actually care if we do something illegal? Who can stop us?

We kill demons with our bare hands

>>31430437
>Sure

well we can be intimidating, but we don't do 'gently' very well.

>>31430597
To have us chaise a ghost for twenty threads and then bask in the heat of butthurt when it is revealed?

>>31430437
>Sure
It's a good enough job for one day. Get us fed and cleaned.
I am hoping it will not lead to a lenghty plot since i want to start recovering our demons.

>>31430617
I'm trying to avoid the grimdark route and go for an upstanding soldier who fights for what they believe in.

Seriously, why is it everyone jumps at the chance to do something illegal? We're weak now, and we CAN get our ass kicked. Alice chokeholding us right after waking up should have been proof of that.

>>31430660
You mean Alice, the other demonic supersoldier that has lived for centuries while slaughtering demons?

Did you forget the guy in the temple? who's skull we crushed in your palm before breaking his back with a pew?

>>31430660
what are you talking about

>>31430672
>>31430678
If we start making noise and shitting on everyone's day, the OTHER 'elves' might decide they don't want us to get back to full strength. I say, we stay under the radar UNTIL we're strong again. Then we can go around blowing shit up.

>>31430597
because you like to twist things.

>>31430660
They're murderhobos. This is where you are

>>31430725
Great. Another quest ruined by murderhobos.

Fan FUCKING tastic...-.-

>>31430749
Dude, the first thread description is "Joshua, a hero of humanity, awakens from betrayal to a whole new world."

Cool your shit.

>>31430749
There has been no murderhoboing. We haven't killed a single person. Worst we did was to the guy in the temple which we didnt kill, and everyone was even surprised at that. Shut the hell up with your retarded buzzwords.
Idiots throwing around murderhobos and whiteknight and whatnot without any context...

>>31430522
haha, learn what words mean before you use them you faggot

>all this bickering
>this kills the quest

“Sure, I can do that. You may want to arm me though. Bare hands aren’t very intimidating after all,” you respond.

“True enough, I’m sure I can find you a nice piece of steel to hang from your hip. I’ll also bring you some attire. I won’t need your help until tonight though, so you have the day to yourself. By the way, what are your measurements?”

You swallow your food and respond, “About one ninety seven centimeters and a hundred and five kilos.”

“He means he’s seven drans tall. Tell the tailor he’s built like a marauder,” Alice adds.

“Right, that should work. Not as well as if I were to bring you there myself, but I don’t need to pay for a perfect suit anyways. Here’s two marks for the bathhouse, it’s just two blocks east of here,” Sin says as she digs under the counter and hands you two chips made out of some kind of stamped resin. Must be a demonic byproduct. “Be back here before the sun sets, will you?”

“Of course,” you respond, slipping the coins into a pocket in your acolyte robes. Sin smiles and starts walking around the counter as Lucian jumps down to walk over to Alice.

“By the way, what are you going to do with her? I don’t think it would be a good idea to bring a little girl.”

“I can take care of her!” Lucian declares. You involuntarily snort in laughter.

“I don’t need anyone to take care of me!” she quickly protests. She’s of course right, but explaining might not work out well.

>Bring Alice along
>Explain that she can be left to her own devices
>Agree with Lucian
>Other

>>31430888
>>Explain that she can be left to her own devices
She spent a century by herself, she can manage a night.

>>31430888
>Explain that she can be left to her own devices

>>31430888
>Agree with Lucian

Hopefully, she won't kill him.

>>31430888
Agree with lucian.
They can have a little playdate!

>>31430888
>>Agree with Lucian

>Agree with Lucian

secretly tell Alice to keep an eye on him, cos' he's a little hothead.

>>31430888
>agree with Lucan

And as we/you/I leave tell her to have fun on her play date.

“Sounds like a good enough idea to me. If they keep a low profile,” you say. Sin shrugs and starts walking to the door. Alice stares at you, pleading for you to not do this to her.

“I’ll see you tonight then. Try not to break anything. And Lucian, you’re to stay here and guard the shop during the day. I’m your mother’s friend, but I’m not going to just let you freeload,” Sin says as she walks out and closes the door behind her.

“Oh relax Alice, and try to have fun on your play date,” you say, unable to hide your grin.

“Fun? He’s like eight years old!”

“I’m nearly a man grown! Demi-humans just age differently,” Lucian declares as he jumps up on a small box to stand eye level with her.

Alice takes a deep breath and leans closer to you. “you will pay for this Joshie. But first, I have to clean up that mess of hair. To the bathhouse!”

>Finish the food and go to the bathhouse
>Actually, I want to go (write in) first
>Say something
>Other

>>31431134
>say something
Worth it

>>31431134

>Finish the food and go to the bathhouse

>>31431194
this

>>31431134
>>Finish the food and go to the bathhouse
Time for a proper bath after a century.

>>31431134
>Actually, I want to go sightseeing first

tell me about this city.

Rolled 8

>>31431134
>>Finish the food and go to the bathhouse

You shrug. “Worth it. But first, food.”

Both of you return to what little food remains of the heaping bushels. “If you’re both elves, how come you’re staying here? Shouldn’t you be living in big mansions the size of my village or something? That’s what I hear the other elves live in,” Lucian asks.

“No you hick. Not even the queen has a home that large. The city is cramped and filled with people, mostly because demi-humans breed like rabbits. They’re supposed to, but it’s still really hard on the nation. If we didn’t have this pseudo caste system, we wouldn’t have lost the war with Naaf,” Alice explains as you finish the last piece of fruit.

“My father did all he could for this country!”

“Whatever Mutt. Ready to go Joshie?” Alice asks as she slides off her seat and back to the ground.

You snatch the last piece of bread and get to your feet. Alice quickly flees the brewery, but you take a moment to look at Lucian. He’s deep in thought, but doesn’t seem like he’ll get into trouble, yet anyways. The city has an entirely different air to it in the morning. Still smells terrible, but you can smell shipments of food from near the river. All the people who were loitering around are now busy running with errands and keeping the streets lively.

A few of the demi-humans still notice you two and stare, but keep to themselves. “Man, I never imagined the world would end up like this,” you comment, looking around at the technology deprived city.

“Well, how did you expect it would turn out? We holed ourselves up in here with basically no natural resources. Even if this religion hadn’t caught on, we’d have been killing each other over the last scraps of silicon, tearing down the walls around us to craft our blades, and running out of shelter. The Annihilation Wall was a terrible idea, and this is what has come of it,” Alice responds as you walk up to the bathhouse.

>Say something
>Just go get yourself cleaned up
>Other

>>31431588
>Just go get yourself cleaned up

>>31431588
>>Say something
I honestly kinda though we would of made mines under the wall by now.

>>31431664
The Annihilation Wall would force the mines to be very very deep, and even then, you could easily make a super highway for demons to get in through if things go south.

And mining for resources requires them to be there in the first place. You'd have to stretch pretty damn far

>>31431588
I certainly didn't expected to lose most of the advanced technology. It is sstrange to come back to a world that seems more primitive instead of a more advanced one after a century.

>>31431588
>Say something
We never had a choice, if we didn't build the Annihilation Wall all the humanity would be wiped out.
And who the fuck had the amazing idea of creating a religion based of that motherfucking dragon?

>>31431699
What about space travel?

>>31431758
Lost during the war, and even then, every time you tried to send up a rocket, something would have attacked it.

>>31431758
Probably something like SPACE DEMONS.

>>31431588
>>Say something
Who started this religion anyone we knew?

>>31431776
Do you think we could ride them?

“I really didn’t expect to see a less advanced world after a hundred years.”

“Well, the Pishon Accelerator wasn’t up to snuff for efficient fusion, and we couldn’t afford to keep it running.”

“So it goes, it was use the Annihilation Wall, or die.”

“A lot of days, I think we made the wrong choice,” Alice says. She drags her feet for a moment, but then quickly runs ahead of you into the bathhouse. You shrug and follow after her. By the time you walk up to the counter, Alice is enthusiastically thanking the old woman behind the counter. She runs off to the women’s side as you approach the counter.

“I understand it’s two marks?” you ask, pulling out the resin chips. The woman behind the counter puts her crocheting down to look you up and down. As she’s thinking, you take stock of the building. It’s an old style of bathhouse, the area under the building has a furnace nearby being fed by what you assume is dried feces. The furnace boils water into tubes through the clay walls to heat the building, and you can hear water faucets running in the men’s and women’s sides. More of a steam bath really.

“You’ve had it rough. I can afford to let an old pilgrim clean himself up for free,” she explains, sliding the chips back to you.

“Thank you.” You enter the bathroom proper and strip down. There’s a handful of men, human and not, lounging in the steam. You ignore them, but they don’t ignore you. The wolf men start sniffing the air, and quickly spread the word. By the time you’ve cleansed yourself, you’re the only one left in the bathhouse.

You shrug and make your way to the cool room with a towel. Alice is waiting for you in her towel, spinning a small pair of scissors around her finger and grinning. “Take a seat.”

>Let her clean you up as she will
>Keep the beard
>Refuse
>Other

>>31431588
The annihilation wall was always a temporary measure, Alice. It gave us time to prepare, but it's down now. Why haven't we expanded? Moved the capitol? searched for mines? We've far more soldiers than we could use, just waiting for orders. Elves and demi's alike. A war of expansion would solve many problems at once.

>>31431911
>Let her clean you up as she will
This sounds like she want to do. Just let her. As long as she doesn't give us a stupid haircut or something which i doubt she will.

>>31431968
We'll see...if she does, we're going bald for a while.

>>31431911
>Let her clean you up as she will

>>31431911
>>Let her clean you up as she will
If we end up with a stupid haircut I guess we could always turn it into a military cut pretty easily

>>31431911
>>Keep the beard

>>31431911
>Keep the beard
short beard.
>other
ask why it seems that people despise 'elves'.

>>31431965
i was thinking the same.

>>31431911
>Let her clean you up as she will

"If you give me a mohawk or something equally terrible then I'm going to drop you in a lake somewhere."

>>31432097
>>other
>ask why it seems that people despise 'elves'.
I assume it's because they're the filthy rich nobles whilst everyone else are dirt poor peasants

>>31432097
>ask why it seems that people despise 'elves'.
Because the world is now populated by tg'ers

>>31432176
Grimdarkians you mean.
Still couldn't uphold the quota of executing the doom on a world for their erected glee, which is made of their insecurity they call fun.

“As you will,” you say, seating yourself on a small stool so she can walk around you.

“Excellent,” she declares.

“But if you give me something stupid, we’re going to have problems,” you say as she starts combing your hair back with her fingers.

“I told you already, I’m going to get you that sexy ‘Last Man on Earth Still Fighting’ look you had going on. You’ll be a lady slayer by the time I’m done,” she explains as she walks in front of you to look at your beard. “This is going to be tricky, but it doesn’t really matter if I cut you, right?”

“I’d prefer it if you didn’t. Also, I’m married,” you says as she starts trimming your beard as close to the skin as she can.

“I know. But that doesn’t mean they won’t fall all over you. And then you can send them to me, right?” she asks.

“Alice, I’m not sure how effective of a wingman I can be for you.”

“Well, you’ll be a better one when I clean this mess,” she responds as she starts scraping the stubble. When it doesn’t come off well, she sticks the blade it her mouth and sharpens it with a quick tug between her teeth. “These are really bad scissors,” she mumbles as she starts shaving you better.

When she moves from your bleeding jaw to the hair on your head, you continue, “Why is everyone afraid of the elves? They’re our kin right?”

“That’s just because it’s easy to amass wealth and power when you live four times longer than them. Lyr is in a caste system, it causes resentment,” she explains, brushing the loose hair from your head. “Hmm, you actually didn’t do that bad of a hack job,” she says as she puts the finishing touches around your ears. “Just grow some stubble back and it’ll be perfect.”

She doesn’t have a mirror for you, but you run your hands through it and can tell that it’s just a short cut swept back. It looks like your hair would after returning from a week in the field. “Thanks.”

1/2

>>31432213
lurk more

“You’re welcome.”

Both of you get dressed quickly and head back out into the city. The sun isn't even at it's zenith yet.

>Head to the nearest temple
>Go sightseeing
>Track down Bartolome
>Other

>>31432365
>>Go sightseeing

>>31432365
>Go sightseeing
Let's see what this city has to offer.

>>31432365
Go sightseeing. "The caste system is going to end in rebellion. It works off of blatant oppression, and that always goes poorly....we need a war of expansion. We have an excess of manpower for it, supposing we can get our best and brightest off their satin sheets for a few years."

>>31432365
>>Go sightseeing

I'm not sure how many more updates I can churn out before I have to leave. I'm going to grab some food right now, very quickly, and I'll see from there. Sorry I got kind of sidetracked with minor character interactions. Hope the thread has been enjoyable anyways, even though progression has been rather limited.

>>31432424
Thread was enjoyable. Building characters is important. It's been too short if it's not going to go on for longer though.

>>31432365
>Go sightseeing

>>31432347
>Go sightseeing
What local government is in charge of a city?

“Let’s go for a walk, I should see the city a bit,” you say as you pick a direction and start wandering.

“What is it that you think you’re going to find?” Alice asks as she tags along behind you.

You shrug. “Information is always a blessing. I’m under no immediate threat right now. In fact, whoever betrayed me probably doesn’t even know that I made it out alive. I could even stumble on one of my demons, they’re all nearby, but the Dragon is also nearby, so the directions are all fuzzy.”

“Well, I guess you’ll want to head towards the Palace then, which would be that way.” You nod and start adjusting your turns to head towards a large hill in the middle of the city. You soon exit the slums and find yourself in the middle class merchant section of town. Artisans and craftsmen abound and you’re struck again by how peaceful the world seems to be compared to the battlefield.

Then you notice a crowd of people in a small plaza. It’s hardly out of your way, so you drift closer to it on your way to the palace. “Josh, the palace is the other way. We shouldn’t go over there,” Alice says as she tugs at your hand.

She’s tugging you towards the palace, but you can see over the crowds of people that they are surrounding two brass statues somewhere between men and demons, and both of them are holding blades reminiscent of your own.

>Go with Alice to the palace
>Investigate the crowd
>Other

>>31432864
>Investigate the statues

Rolled 86

>>31432864
>>Investigate the crowd

>>31432864
>Go with Alice to the palace

>>31432864
>Investigate the crowd

>>31432864
>>Go with Alice to the palace

>>31432864
>Investigate the crowd

well, I think I'm out of time. Can someone please archive? I'm rushing like crazy, and will try to get an update, but yeah.

>>31433046
Thanks for runnning, wish you had some more time.

>>31432864
If we are going to the palace with her, ask her what was that crowd about and why she didn't want us to go there.

“It’ll only be a moment, I want to see what’s going on,” you say as you pull away from her and approach the statues. The crowd is in uproar, and you quickly spot a group of guards nearby. But they aren’t trying to quell the riot, so much as protect some kind of official.

Then you hear the official pleading with the crowd, holding up some scroll, saying he has to do it, it’s the order of the Brigadier. The crowd quiets down as a man steps forward from it, holding up his hands for silence. “Let me make this very clear,” he begins. “These statues are part of our faith, a faith that we are allowed to follow. Naaf does not have the right to destroy the idols of our religion, you have no right to destroy them! You will have to raise arms against us, because we will not let you tear these down and mar the faces of the Demon Lords.”

“The Brigadier decreed them heresy, they are not protected by your faith!”

“He can rot in hell, roasted by the Dragon’s fires! We shall never forget our betrayal!”

You look again at the statues. They are two men, similar to marauders, but the horns are smaller, and the proportions much more similar to that of a standard human. Perhaps just an artistic exaggeration, but you figure that one trying to portray demon lords would make them seem less human. The two forms are back to back, one standing, the other crouching with his blade. The one crouching is facing you, and staring at the entire procession with a distorted grin and empty eyes.

>>31433255
I wonder what's the story here.

On my phone now. I'll have periods of time when I can answer questions. I did not archive and didn't have time to check either . I don't know when the next thread will be. What are you all thinking right now though?

>>31433255
Do we recognize either of them?

>>31433381
>What are you thinking right now

Moe. Alice is moe.

>>31433381
i'm fine with it, finally we get to know a bit more about this 'new' world.

>>31433255
>inb4 one of the statues depict Joshua and people believe he is a demon lord

I'm surprised you guys don't have questions

>>31436575
Is Alice hot?

>>31436616
Nope
Not even if you're a furry.

>>31436760
Are you the QM or someone similarly qualified to answer my question? No? How bout you go back to sucking dick.

>>31436807
Wow, what a badass. You must be the coolest kid in the neighborhood anon.

>>31436908
you bet

>>31436807
Haha, look at this fag getting mad at someone talking shit about his waifu.

>>31437351
talk shit get hit

>>31437421
Says the pedophile.

>>31437547
She's hundreds of years old.

>>31437611
Try explaining that to the cops.

>>31437626
k

Hey, did we trim down the cartilage in our nose and ears?

>>31436616
She was a bomb. Then she got younger. She does not enjoy the current situation

Also, you still haven't fixed the cartiledge situation

>>31437970
>Also, you still haven't fixed the cartiledge situation

What does the fix for that involve? Cutting off the offending extremities and having them regen?

>>31438198
That is pretty much the plan yes

>>31438623
>>31437970
>>31436575
>>31433381
These are me

>>31433411
Sorry for missing this, but no.

My thanks to whoever archived.

>>31443323
Are you continuing this thread tomorrow?

>>31443608
hmm, good question. It would require surviving many hours, like twelve more hours, and me succeeding in my work I have to do. But I'm sorely tempted.

Are there going to be anymore flashback threads?

>>31443649
Well theres a while till autosage so its quite likely it'll be around in 12 hours, baring a large amount of discussion, as long as people bump it periodically.

>>31444035
I think there will be on the future. I hope it/they will be short ones though, never longer than a thread. Short flashbacks are best flashbacks.

>>31444035
probably

I am also considering limiting it to omake like short stories as requested by drawfriends

but I don't currently have any of those.

yeah, betting on a thread tonight might not be the safest thing.

>>31451278
Well thats okay. Either way I expect the thread will stay up, its not really a huge deal. You can run when you can run.

>>31448055
>I am also considering limiting it to omake like short stories as requested by drawfriends
>but I don't currently have any of those.

not a very subtle request bro

How many of you are here, right now?

>>31456863
well i am

>>31456863
I am

>>31456863
Yo.

>>31456863

Here.

>>31457251
>>31457227
>>31456972
>>31456886
That's enough.

Do you want me to just append choices to the last update, or pretend this is a new thread?

>>31457292

Append choices. It's easier.

>>31457292
just append choices, i guess

>>31457292
Lets just append choices to the last update. You might as well have made a new thread if we are going to pretend its a new thread.

>>31456863
Im here for a hour or so

>>31433255
>Continue watching
>Head to the nearest temple
>Return to Alice and head to the palace
>Return to Alice and demand an explanation
>Other

>>31457395
>Continue watching

>>31457395

>Continue watching

>>31457395
>Return to Alice and demand an explanation

>>31457395
>Continue watching

A guard steps forward, in front of the pleading official. “These statues have been declared heresy. Your faith does not protect them. If you do no disperse immediately, we will forcibly remove you, and throw you in the dungeons. Does your code really mean that much to you? Can each and every one of you say that would will risk dying in prison over it?”

“Perhaps not our faith, but it runs in our blood, a burning resentment of these demons that drove us behind these walls and left us to die. You might threaten us with death in prison, but that’s already what we’re suffering. One big, prolonged death behind an invisible fence,” the old man explains.

The guard sighs. “Then you leave us no choice. We will return in a moment,” he says as he walks away from the crowd. His men fall in behind him quickly. “Just remember, Lyr would leave these statues up, but we lost the war. If you disagree, you should have done something sooner.”

As the guards file away, a few in the crowd cheer, but most are rather melancholic about the event. Those in the back are already slipping away, but their spokesperson sits down in front of the statues.

Alice grabs your hand again. “Really, we should get going.”

>Continue to the palace
>Go to a temple instead
>Go elsewhere
>Ask her something
>Speak to the old man about something
>Other

>>31457610
>>Continue to the palace

>>31457610
>Continue to the palace
ask questions on the way.

>>31457610
>Continue to the palace
>>Ask her something
"what was that just now?"

“So what was that just now?” you ask as you let her pull you along towards the hill.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. Just some politics. Those are never worth our time. Too much bickering and lying and backstabbing over ideas.Suffice to say, Naaf says their legends are bullshit, and as a show of force are tearing down all the images and statues of them. It’s been going on for a while now. I was wondering when they’d have the balls to go after the big statues,” she explains.

“Those people were rather convinced of themselves. Practically laying their lives down. At least for as long as the threat was imminent.”

“People can get worked up about anything, true or not. Don’t worry about it, really. We’re almost at the Palace, how do you want to go about this?” she asks as you finally get a clear view of the main fortification. The palace is more of a castle really, with an outer curtain wall, and a central keep that you presume is the palace proper. The walls are similar to the city walls, but smoothed and polished rather than left rough. From where you are, you can’t see anything inside of it.

>Let’s just sneak it, can’t be difficult
>Don’t you have contacts that can get us in?
>We only need to observe from outside, I could use some lectures from you anyways
>Let’s just bluff our way in
>Something tells me this will be a lot of trouble right now, let’s go back
>Other

>>31457925
>Don’t you have contacts that can get us in?
might as well ask

>>31457925
>Don’t you have contacts that can get us in?

Sorry for the delay, I was waiting on the third gentleman to vote, then realized that you two were already in agreement.

“Don’t you have contacts that can get us in?”

Alice turns away from you and twiddles her fingers. “You’d think so, wouldn’t you? But the only person I can rely on right now would be Cubierre.”

“What’s wrong, oh, right. Pedophile. Well, do you have a suggestion?”

“That depends on what you’re trying to accomplish right now,” she says, turning back to you. “Seeing the Queen or her advisors would probably be next to impossible short of breaking into their rooms, and that could go very poorly in a number of ways. Not that that’s ever stopped you, but still. If you just want to observe the proceedings, I guess you could make an argument to appeal to one of her stewards and use that opportunity to look around. So, what do you think?”

>What do you hope to accomplish here?

>Leave
>Sneak in
>Make an appeal
>Other

>>31458279
Fix the cartilage problem already!

>>31458279
>Sneak in
This can only go well

>>31458279
>Sneak in
let's just have a look, see if we can find anything interesting

>>31458279
>Make an appeal

>>31458279
>sneak in
might as well try it

>>31458279
>>Make an appeal
>

Vote is to sneak in, I'll need a d100, also a guide for what you're looking for

Rolled 14

>>31458617
Look for the throne room.

Rolled 98

>>31458617
maybe we should have waited for an official tour...
oh well, to the throne room

Rolled 35

>>31458617
Damn I really hope its best of 3

>>31458640
>>31458670

Oh dear god.

Gabriel, can we at least have best 1 out of 2?

>>31458617
Gabriel... Its a crit. PLEASE HAVE MERCY

>>31458679
Sorry but no.

Although you might tempt me to bring back ye olde QB deal.

>>31458709
>spoiler
tell me more...

>>31458709
QB deal.

Explain?

>>31458742
Real simple offer. Succeed brilliantly on a roll, but at some point somewhere in the future, at my disgression, you will fail a roll you would have otherwise passed.

If I recall correctly, it's only been accepted once.

>>31458889
Eh... I can easily see you fucking us over on that. Would you do it like spitefully or are you just going to like roll a die privately that determines when you do it?

>>31458889
Yeah sure lets do it

File: 1397438898734.jpg-(65 KB, 1280x720, I never get to post this (...).jpg)

65 KB JPG

>>31458952
Dramatic intent usually, like if the dice are trivializing a BBEG.

>>31458889
really tempting.
i guess us failing that would generate a lot of unwanted chaos...

alright, let's do this

>>31458952
>"QB deal"
>not fucking us over
come on...

>>31458889

Nah, let's pass this time.

>>31458889

Hell no, this is a small event.

>>31458982
Ya know... Sure why not. I can live with some dramatic intent. And I expect you'll use it fairly responsibly. Like not killing us off with it or something

>>31458889
NO. NO QB DEALS.

“Let’s just sneak in, up and over the walls. It’s easier to gather information when people aren’t already watching you.”

“Then may I suggest a particular mansion just a little ways south. He built too many stories on top and the Palace has been trying to tear the place down for ages, but he throws around so much weight the guards won’t touch him. Guy by the name of Elector Novak. Real douchebag,” Alice explains. You nod and she leads you through some alleys.

When you get in the immediate proximity of the Palace, the quality of the housing jumps up quickly. The roofs are tiered with multiple stories, tiles instead of thatch. Some of them even have room for internal gardens. The slums seem like animal pits compared to these extravagant mansions. Even the air seems cleaner, and you can see that most of the people moving from place to place are servants of the wealthy.

The two of you find Novak’s residence easy enough, it’s practically against the walls of the palace. You both hop over the small wall ringing around the complex. There’s a lone guard supposedly watching over the grounds, but he doesn’t even consider that someone might hop a two meter wall topped with broken glass. With hardly making a noise, both of you climb up the side of the building and get to the peak of the roof. The edge of the wall is only about two stories above you, but the wall is smooth.

“Not the easiest thing I’ve done. Glad I’m barefoot,” you say as you stretch out your calf muscles.

1/2

>>31458889

No, let's take our failure this time.

“You still able to do this? You’re really out of shape you know,” Alice asks. You grunt and squat down. With one push, you clear the distance to the wall and latch on. There’s a very very slight slope inwards to the wall, giving you just enough angle to push off and scramble up the side of it, just barely managing to grab the edge of the fortification.

You pull yourself up, and start swinging over when you make eye contact with the guard. A relatively young kid put on rotation for what you’re sure was supposed to be an easy job. And he’s staring straight at you.

>Bail
>Knock him out
>Try to reason with him (write in)
>Other

I didn't actually say I'd offer The Deal right now.

2/2

>>31459147

>Knock him out

>>31459147
>Knock him out
How do knockouts work in the world? Is it like real life where sufficient force to actually knock him out could easily brain damage him? Or action movie where you suffer no/little permanent damage?

>>31459147
>Knock him out
can we even do that without completely destroying his... everything?

>>31459147
Gag him and tie him up.

>>31459147
>>Bail
Why are we breaking into the palace again?

>>31459194

You whack a guy on the temple and there's a pretty good chance he'll go unconscious.

>>31459222
>You
remember what happened last time we gave someone a small beating?

>>31459259

Oh yeah, not us, but other people sure.

And we can just put this guy in a chokehold until he passes out.

>>31459222
This >>31459259
And its really easy to fuck someone up with blows to the head.

>>31459147
>Knock him out

>>31459194
I would also like to know this before I vote.

I am a man of science.

Incapacitating him has it. Mind giving me another d100?

Rolled 34

>>31459375
soooftly

Rolled 57

>>31459375

FOR JUSTICE

“Alright, just calm down Sir, this will all be over in a minute,” you explain as you finish climbing over the fortification.

“We’re like fifty dran above the ground!” the guard exclaims as you dig deep in your chest. It’s hard to find after so much time, but you do have the genes of a doppelganger in you. You burp a bit and exhale in his face, intending to dose him with a simple sedative courtesy of Beelzebub.

Instead, the spores catch in your mouth and burn. You quickly spit the small rocks out on the ground and look at them for a moment. Seems you won’t have that trick for a while. “Right.” You grab him by the chest, getting a nice hold on the chainmail beneath his tabard, and flick him over the side of the wall, aiming for Novak’s roof. He shouts in surprise, but doesn’t make a noise after crashing through the tile roof.

Alice’s head appears over the side a moment later. “What did you do that for?”

“If no one else sees us, they’ll just think he fell, or tried to kill himself. Slightly more plausible than clubbing him over the head. My sleep poison didn’t work. We have to move,” you say as you listen for the sounds of the other guards coming to check on his scream.

Beneath you the whole of the palace is laid out. There’s stables and barracks nearby, busy with the noise of guards and animals. Near the gate you bypassed, and past a large courtyard, is what you have to assume is the throne room. On the far wall is what appears to be a small temple, if the roof decorations are a fair method of judging. Which means the low lying complex in the middle must be the residential and bureaucratical areas. Oddly, the far side of the complex is higher than this side.

>Infiltrate the Throne Room
>Infiltrate the Barracks
>Infiltrate the Residential area
>Infiltrate the Temple
>Exfiltrate
>Other

>>31459658
>>Infiltrate the Temple
We can disguise ourselves as monks or something.

>>31459658
>Infiltrate the Temple
that shouldn't be too hard, and i guess we can find some interesting stuff there

>>31459658
Temples have cool stuff, right?

>>31459658
>>Infiltrate the Temple
whoops forgot to vote

“Let’s head to the temple,” you say. Alice nods and both of you step off the edge of the wall before any of the guards can catch sight of you. The inner surface is much rougher than the outer one, and you easily create enough friction to slow your fall. You both hit the ground with relatively loud thumps, the dry ground being harder than you expected, but you simply start moving before anyone catches sight of you.

Sneaking past the various people running around the palace is child’s play for you. Just a matter of watching where they’re headed, and none of them even glance in your direction. About halfway there, while you’re sneaking around a messenger building, you stop and watch Alice. She’s gotten better since you last saw her stealth. She’s using her smaller form to her full advantage. When she sees you watching, she grins.

A moment later she gets cocky, and starts following a guy just a half step behind him. When he finally notices her, he turns around slow enough that she easily slips in front of him, only to startle him twice over. She does a perfect job pretending to be alone and afraid, and the man kneels down next to her, breathing in her poison. She stares at you smugly as the man falls to the side, fast asleep.

You ignore it and signal for her to continue on. The front door to the temple is guarded, but you find a side entrance for the servants easy enough. Inside, the temple is rather similar to the one in the village. Except larger in every respect. Behind the podium is a very curious structure. The center of it is clearly a stained glass portrayal of the Dragon shining light down on who you assume is Lady Lyrra. The window is facing due east, so the morning light will shine through the window and on the podium. But around the glass is an old and gnarled tree, split down the middle and grown around the window, all the way to the ceiling, with roots splitting through the masonry floor.

1/2

There is something very wrong about this place.

>Look for their holy text
>Examine the murals more
>Speak with Alice about something
>Other

2/2

>>31460427
>Look for their holy text

>>31460427
>Look for their holy text

>>31460427
Look for robes.

The temple is empty, but you still silence your steps as you approach the podium. A thick leather bound book is on the podium, certainly the holy text. Judging by the mustiness of it, possibly the original. When you gently open the cover of it you note that the back of the book is secured to the podium by some means. But nothing prevents you from reading the book.

You flip through the holy text, skimming through it to spot where the lies end and the truth begins, and find something interesting. The story of the demon lords. They allegedly lived before Lady Lyrra was born, in the time when mankind stretched to every horizon. They offered their help to mankind, promising to deliver them from defeat. And for a time they did, but it was never enough, and they continuously demanded more and more of humanity’s ever dwindling resources.

Instead of beating the demons back, they became traitors, and returned to their demonic brethren. And by then, humanity was too weakened from their contracts with the demon lords to do anything against them. The Dragon, in his infinite love, finished the Annihilation Wall, as the final measure to protect everyone from the demons in the land beyond. The last time they were spotted was a surprise attack on the military heart of the world. And the last heroes mankind had left gave their lives to kill them, but it wasn’t enough. Now, everyone must abide by the Dragon Code, else the Demon Lords might return, and wreak havoc once more.

You scratch your chin. You’re not quite sure what to make of that story.

>Look for something else in the holy text (write in)
>Examine something else in the temple
>Leave for (write in)
>Speak with Alice about (write in)
>Other

>>31461040
>Examine the murals

>>31461040
>Examine something else in the temple
the murals, i guess

Not even that is enough to start the shadowrun speculations apparently

How disappointing.

>>31461040
>>Speak with Alice about (write in)
Ask her how much of that is true.

“You know, I’ve been in here plenty of times over the years, and something always felt strange,” Alice says as you close the book.

“I know what you’re talking about, there’s definitely something wrong about this place. I’m pretty out of touch with the Dragon right now though, so I can’t really put my finger on it. Probably has something to do with the rituals, the blood sacrifice and imbibing and everything. When I saw them do it, their souls lit up like the Dragon himself was reflecting from them. Whatever’s going on with this religion, it has truth in it thanks to a certain snake,” you respond as you turn around and look at the mural.

The view through the window is actually rather beautiful. There’s a very small garden on the other side, but the ground falls away to the river below. The city beyond rolls for a few kilometers, and the temple seems impervious to the noise and smell. Must be a stunning place to get married, large enough that everyone you know could attend. A hell of a lot better than the sun scorched hill practically overlooking the graveyard of your friends and family.

“I wouldn’t know. I’m not attuned with the other side like you are. I’ve only been in here for special events, not prayer,” Alice explains as you walk up to the tree. To your surprise, the old thing is still very much alive. It’s fighting straight through the stone to get to the soil and water, and practically supporting the roof above, but it still lives.

1/2

“How much of that story about the demon lords was true?”

“Don’t know. Headquarters got wiped out one night. If there was some shadowy demon lords making deals with the brass, it wouldn’t surprise me. You know they love their secrets. We didn’t even learn about the demi-humans until after the first generation had already died on the battlefield. The old bastards were desperate,” Alice explains as she wanders back to your side.

The hairs on the back of your neck stand up. You’re not sense a soul at all, this is raw battle instinct. Some old threat is coming for you. They’re trying to sneak up on you, with every intent to kill you. You glance at the front doors. “We should get out of here. Not good to get in a fight while trying to sty hidden.”

“Right-o.”

The two of you start walking back to the side exit you used to get in, but you glance back at the living mural. Something about it made you feel very much at home.


2/2

And this is where I'm calling it for tonight. Hope you enjoyed Thread 8 mark 2. Questions? Comments? Discussion?

>>31461797
don't really have much to ask/add, but yeah, it was interesting

thanks for the thread

>>31461912
and now I'm worried that I'm falling into the same mire EDEN fell prey to.

You really do have a lot of clues about what went down. Some good discussion could easily unravel the whole mystery.

Next thread should move things along since it will be Sin's job.

Liked the thread and I'm glad you were able to do a part two. Liking the lore.

>>31461993
That is definitely a possibility, but frankly I don't really have much of an idea, but I'm not too worried about figuring things out. I'm just enjoying the story.

File: 1397448828887.jpg-(33 KB, 450x304, 1389041304981.jpg)

33 KB JPG

*ahem*

Man, you guys don't even know. So much shit is going to stab you in the back.

You could stop it, but only if you knew

Everything you know so far is a carefully sorted nest of lies to protect the truth, and you're not even bothering to dig.

Did you forget you were betrayed?

It's going to happen, and it'll all come tumbling down.
>Shadowruns
>As brought to you by hugbox

>>31462545
Hmm... So Alice is putting on a show and is the betrayer?

shadowrun discussion bump?

>>31461040
>The Dragon, in his infinite love, finished the Annihilation Wall,
Wasn't it the Dragon's Gate ?

>>31462545
i sense something but i can't figure out the whole scheme.

I guess the betrayer kept Joshua alive for a reason and coincidentally there is a prophecy about the Demon's Lords return, aand coincidentally Naaf won the war and now want to destroy the old idols, aaand our GDC wanted to go murderhoboing for no reason.

>>31468163
I think its safe to assume we're just parsing it into what we know. The story wasn't exactly verbatim

>>31468163
Isn't it possible that we were just a bit harder to kill than they expected? Our betrayer might not be expecting us

>>31468573
It is possible, but why didn't the betrayer cut off the head or burn the body or melt it in the acid ?
MC was know to be very very powerful.

>>31469136
maybe he didn't know how to kill us?

>>31469154
even so, he would build a prison,or a container; you don't dump maybe-dead superman in a lake hoping that he's stays that way, it's just too silly.

>>31469246
Or maybe killing us was never the intent.

Maybe the religion couldn't take root properly while there was an effective demi-god fighting, killing, and giving no shits no matter what he was up against.

Maybe those statues were of us, since we were seen as an angel of death rumored about amongst the demi-humans and humans alike.

>>31469384
Forgot to remove trip, sorry.

>>31469136
We were missing moat of our brains as you'll recall. Then again, if they had even one of our demons they'd know that we were alive the whole time...

>>31469441
i miss something, aren't all of our demons absorbed INSIDE us just like GRD?

>>31469941
No. GRD is a parasite. The other demons still have their bodies, just not their power. Alice was living with her marauder, remember?

>>31470595
This guy has it right. Your other six demons are out and about in the world, GRD is just a symbiote, that's why he's inside you.

>>31469395
I really dont' care about namefagging/tripfagging unless it means I can identify cancer.

Good ideas guys.

>>31470595
I thought she kept demons as exotical pets...

>>31472768
Marauder's are about as intelligent as your typical American voter. More so when they have some human backwash from the contract. More like a big dumb friend than a pet.