>>35478217
IT'S BACKKKKKKK

> Assume she wouldn't go in for that kind of thing. Her pride was bruised enough when her face was messed up in her transformation

>>35478217
>> Assume she wouldn't go in for that kind of thing. Her pride was bruised enough when her face was messed up in her transformation
Let's assume she doesn't want to until evidence shows otherwise.

Though, we can bring it up in conversation that the kids would enjoy it. we do it all the time.

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>>35478217
You're worried about making a good impression on Zakiti. She's been a little standoffish so far, though not actively rude. Asking her to carry children she doesn't know on her back and give them rides for their amusement would be asking a little much of her. So instead you just show up with your two companions in front of the Charioteers' School at the appointed time.

You're carrying most of the baggage on your own back, strapped to the hooks in your bronze armor. To your surprise, Soul-of-Lightning is letting Iltani ride her.

You can't help but smirk and comment, "I didn't know you two were that close!"

Soul-of-Lightning frowns and folds his arms. "I... she's supposed to be in disguise, right? We can't let everyone know she can run fast enough to keep up with chariots. It's just for the mission. I'm doing my best here..."

"No, I like it!" you say as Zakiti and her soldiers emerge to greet you. She is barded in bronze plates much like yours, and her helmet leaves her enormous sharp teeth exposed. It seems that she's come to terms with her new self a bit over the past few days.

Your procession through the streets of Ligish to the north gate is swarmed with spectators, as usual. They offer blessings and pleas for help to the "Lady Lizard" just as much as to "Hunzuu the Merciful." Zakiti is not amused. "Piss off!" She snarls at them while swatting the air with a front claw. "Make way! We're not here to do errands for you lot. We're on important business."

> Say nothing
> Apologize to the people on her behalf and explain that she doesn't really mean it
> Scold her for being so short with her people
> Ask her if everything's all right

>>35478575

> Ask her if everything's all right

>>35478575
>>Ask her if everything's all right

Maybe explain to her that this is kind of what happens everytime.

>>35478575
do >>35478623

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>>35478575
You go a little ways ahead of Zakiti to make way for everyone more gently until you've all made it outside the city walls. Nobody gets trampled by the lizard-girl's fearsome claws, and, perhaps more importantly, nobody recognizes Iltani riding on the centaur's back.

Once you're out on the open road with quiet farmsteads on either side of you, everyone picks up the pace. You ask Zakiti, "Is everything all right? Don't take it personally; the people always do that when I go out in public. They don't really expect you to answer all their prayers; it's just their way of showing appreciation. It's kind of nice."

"Nice?" Zakiti asks. "So you actually like it?"

"Well, yes! I like being loved. I didn't get much of that before I transformed... but anyway, are you all right?"

"It just... caught me off guard. I know I can't hide myself forever, but... did they have to be all looking at me? But yes, I'll be fine."

The charioteers assure you that the best way to make good time while still keeping the horses in fighting shape is to alternate your pace, occasionally breaking to drink or switch horses. You could go faster than this, and you suspect Zakiti could as well, but not without leaving the rest of the company behind. You have some choice in how to spend the time the company spends resting on the road.

> Scout the area around you each time the company breaks
> Offer to spar with Zakiti, maybe try to bond with her a little
> Stay with everyone else, getting to know all the charioteers and maybe praying to Ishtar
> Stay with Iltani and Soul-of-Lightning. You can spar with him, but not with her because it would give her away.

>>35478852
Another one of them kinda tough choices.

I guess let's spar with zakiti. Give her a chance to stretch her new legs in a fight without breaking any walls.

And I don't want a ninlil repeat.

>>35478852

> Offer to spar with Zakiti, maybe try to bond with her a little

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>>35478950
At sunset on the first day of the journey, you see Zakiti keeping watch up on a ridge above the site where he company has made camp. You clamber up to meet her. "Would you like to practice sparring a bit? I don't think anything's going to come for us this close to home."

"Nowhere is safe anymore, not even inside the walls of Ligish."

"Well, we can have one of your men do this instead, then. Come on, show me what you can do. We've already lost two monsters due to lack of training, and I barely survived my first fight."

"You think I can't hold my own in a fight." She doesn't intone it like a question.

"Well, I don't know! Had you ever trained in combat before you transformed?"

"...no."

"Well, come on!"

> Roll 5d6 to show her what a monster can do with her claws
> Roll 2d6 to focus on weapons training

Rolled 2, 4, 2, 6, 5 = 19 (5d6)

>>35479049
>> Roll 5d6 to show her what a monster can do with her claws
See if the lessons are translatable at all the lizard claws. Monster fighting is super helpful.

Rolled 5, 3 = 8 (2d6)

>>35479049
>Roll 2d6 to focus on weapons training

Rolled 4, 5, 6, 2, 2 = 19 (5d6)

>>35479049
>Monsters fight like this

Rolled 3, 1, 3, 4, 4 = 15 (5d6)

>>35479049
We are monsters - we fight like monsters.

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>>35479049
You didn't bring practice spears anyway, and you don't want to risk hurting Zakiti with the strange extra-hard spear that Ishtar granted you, so you stick the spear in the ground and open your claws. "Let's go! I'm passable with weapons, but in my experience, most monster fights are won like this..."

As you circle around each other, you're reminded of Hillallum and how he helped you with weapons training. That makes you kind of sad, even as Zakiti charges you and grapples you with her powerful forelegs. She's smart enough to not hit you head-on. She constantly tries to go for your flanks, where it's harder to reach with your tail and you can only use one claw at a time. Her instincts only take her so far, though, and you surpass her in the maneuvers you know as well as sheer physical training. After a considerable struggle, you flip her off her feet and climb on top of her to pin her down. She's blushing pink, probably just in embarrassment.

> "You did well! Don't feel bad about losing. It's your first try, and I learned that last trick from the best dead flesh-eaters."
> "If I were a Pazuzu freak, you'd be mincemeat right now. You need work. We're going to do this every night until you can beat me."

>>35479308
>> "If I were a Pazuzu freak, you'd be mincemeat right now. You need work. We're going to do this every night until you can beat me."

Oh my, Hunzuu~

It's too early to propose~

>>35479308

> "You did well! Don't feel bad about losing. It's your first try, and I've gotten plenty of practice!"

Don't mention the flesheaters anymorreeeeee
Our unleashing of the hungry dead should surprise everyone.

>>35479308
> "You did well! Don't feel bad about losing. It's your first try, and I learned that last trick from the best dead flesh-eaters."

Though, we WILL be sparring more.

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>>35479308
You help her up with a claw. "You did well! Don't feel bad about losing. It's your first try."

Zakiti dusts herself off as best she can, still looking a little ashamed. "Thanks, I guess. But I get the real message. I need to get better. Come on, let's go again."

You spar a few more times, beating her each time. She positions herself strategically when she has the freedom to move around, but when it comes to making contact and grappling she's acting purely on instinct, and she doesn't have good instincts yet. Still, you think you might have made a little progress tonight.

By the time you're done, most of the soldiers have finished eating and are starting to sleep in shifts. They left the two of you some dried goat and a fresh hyrax that one of the men caught.

You try to make conversation with Zakiti as you eat. "So, what did you do with your life before? What were your dreams, your ambitions?"

Zakiti shrugs. "I knew I was probably going to do the standard rich-girl thing. Be married off to someone or other, forced to have children that would take up all my time. I didn't like the idea, though. I thought I wouldn't get to have dreams. I dunno. I like reading, even though it's not very classy. History, that kind of thing. Where the old kings went wrong, and what they did right. I think I could be a pretty good commander. So far the men have respected me enough for me to play the part. How about you? What dd you want, before?"

> "I just wanted to be loved."
> "I just wanted to survive."
> "I wanted revenge against everyone who let me suffer."
> "Sometimes I dreamed of meeting my father, that he'd take me away to a better life one day."

>>35479592
Ah jeez.
Somewhere between loved and surviving.

I guess
> "I just wanted to survive."
though love is nice too.

>>35479592
>"I just wanted to be loved."
>> "I just wanted to survive."

Canw e have both?

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>>35479592
"To be honest? I just wanted to survive. And maybe to be loved a little."

"That explains a lot, doesn't it? How you drink up all that attention from the common folk. And now you're getting what you want, huh? Living the dream. And do people love you for real? Not just fawning over you in the street."

"Yes! My family in the pyramid. Nakurtum is like the big sister I never had, and the Blood Priest loves me like a father... in his own way. I have a boyfriend, too. The other scorpion, the one from Zagros." Maybe it's too soon to label him in such a way, but you can't help yourself.

"The Blood Priest?" Zakiti asks, tilting her head. "I heard he was an evil psychopath. He killed his wife, and sometimes he'll turn you into a hyrax if you offend him. In fact..." She looks down at the skinned and fire-roasted hyrax she'd been picking at. "I hope this wasn't anyone I knew!"

> "Lies! He's a good man. He healed the king."
> "Well... even evil psychopaths can love."

>>35480080

> "Lies! He's a good man. He healed the king."
From that one mysterious illness we can't specify.

>>35480080
Hah, well, he is a little evil.
but,
> "Well... even evil psychopaths can love."

Though he's been better lately. We've not caught him backstabbing once in the longest time!

>>35480080
>"Well... even evil psychopaths can love."

Let's be realists. This is a choice to defend him, not an instinct/naive relfex.

>>35480153
>>35480159
we're at a bit of an impasse.

He WAS pretty evil, but nowadays he's tamped that down a lot. possibly because of the threat of giant scorpion wrath.

>>35480080

> "Lies! He's a good man. He healed the king."
> "...Maybe a little evil."

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>>35480080
"Welllll..." You struggle to put into words your feelings about the Blood Priest. "He's been better lately. I've been with him almost two years, and I haven't seen him one turn anyone into a hyrax. I think I'm good for him."

"Hmph. Fair enough. The last thing I want is another war within the city. Keep him in line, will you, Hunzuu? You seem to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but clearly you see the danger."

You smile and nod. "I know, I know. I'll do my best!"

Zakiti keeps eating the hyrax, not really fearing that it's a transmogrified human. Big chunks of it get caught between her knife-like teeth, which she cleans up with her long, hideous tongue. "I'm glad we had this talk, Hunzuu. Ligish has too many evil schemers in it. That's one thing you learn from reading history. They want to tear the city apart and fight over the pieces. It needs good people who aren't up to anything to hold everything together. People like me. And you."

A few days later, while running at the head of the company, you come by something you were afraid of. No, not cultists or monsters. It's a vineyard by the river.

> Double back to make sure Soul-of-Lightning doesn't get any ideas
> Trust him to behave himself

>>35480484
>Trust him to behave himself

Disappointment in 3...2...

>>35480484
> Double back to make sure Soul-of-Lightning doesn't get any ideas

>>35480484
shit.
Is there any way we can discreetly lag behind to watch him?
I guess I'll
>Trust him to behave himself
without us around, but maybe send a guy to give him some rations or something later to check that he is still here.

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>>35480484
You trust him to behave himself, at least enough not to fall back and check on him. You keep leading the party forward, not daring to stop for water until the men, horses, and man-horse have made it well out of sight of the vineyard. That night, you see that Soul-of-Lightning is still with you, and there have been no reports of misconduct on his part. He's just standing with the Charioteers, telling old war stories, possibly from before the Flood. You notice, however, a telltale horizontal red mark on his neck. You realize that Iltani probably held a knife to his neck while she was riding him.

> Thank her for her discretion
> Scold her for behavior unbecoming of a reformed villain
> Say nothing

>>35480755
>>Say nothing
No need to draw attention to it. As far as everyone is concerned, soul-of-lightning had the strength of will on the inside all along.

>>35480755
>Say nothing

Eh...damned if do, damned if don't?

>>35480755
> Thank her for her discretion

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>>35480755
You're not sure whether you're thankful for Iltani's help or not. You definitely don't want to scold her, though. She's still sensitive, and you suspect that she still idolizes you a little too much. She might even have a crush on you. You just want to keep things stable with her. After sparring with Zakiti again, you join the circle and tell stories of your own of your time in the naga kingdom. Soul-of-lightning nods in recognition. "Nagas, eh? The snake-people? I knew some of them, in the old times. They were a brave lot, and clever. They were afraid of a flood even before it happened. They tried to warn us, but we didn't listen."

Just one day later, you reach the walls of Turtak. The place is eerily quiet compared to the last time you were here with the roar of battle all around you. There are still some off ridges and sinkholes in the land from where the blight demons rose, and the walls have had to be rebuilt and reshaped in places, but on the whole things are rebuilt and regrown. The gates stand open.

> Go in alone, announce that you're keeping your appointment to meet great Nur-Sin
> Send a charioteer as an emissary
> Go in force with all your men. The truce means that you should be able to do this unmolested.

>>35481057
>Go in alone, announce that you're keeping your appointment to meet great Nur-Sin

>>35481057
> Go in alone, announce that you're keeping your appointment to meet great Nur-Sin

We'll ask for permission to keep our men here as long as we stay, if we're staying for longer than a day.

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>>35481057
You order everyone to stay on guard, just in case, as you go in to explain yourself to the people of Turtak. As you skitter toward the open gates, you feel a twinge of guilt and fear. About a year ago you were killing these people left and right, destroying their walls, butchering their monsters. They will not have forgotten.

The guards posted up on the walls and in small wooden towers inside the gates recognize you immediately. Some more soldiers are called out to receive you. "Hunzuu! Welcome to Turtak." They're calling you Hunzuu. Not even your own people do that. They must be under orders to do so.

"Yes, thank you," you say. "I am here to keep my appointment with great Nur-Sin. I have a small force of soldiers outside, because we are hunting the cult of Pazuzu. If we are allowed inside the walls, you have my word that we will cause no trouble."

"We'll see about the soldiers," says a man in a strange bronze helm and bare, scar-striped arms. "But we we're under orders to bring you to His Magnificence without delay."

You're led through the fine streets of worked stone blocks, past the famous fighting arena. There must be something going on inside, from the sound of distant cheering. Common folk clear the streets and hide from you as you pass. That hasn't happened to you in quite a while.

You see that the prince's palace has been redecorated a bit in his absence, with a new stonework facade covered in centipede motifs. Servants offer to relieve you of your baggage and armor.

> Politely decline.
> Take a load off.

>>35481399
> Politely decline.
We don't know how long we're staying. Maybe give them the bags, but don't go about taking off all the armor.

>>35481399
> Take a load off.

>>35481399
>Take a load off.

Let's risk a bit more. Are we carrying anything important that we should not let go?

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>>35481399
The only valuable thing you're carrying is Ishtar's spear, and you don't think they'd dare to steal that. The rest is just dried goat, waterskins, blankets, and a nice change of clothes in case you had to make a good impression. But if the centipede wants to see you right away, you suppose that he'll be fine seeing you as you are. You lay down your burdens, and it feels wonderful.

You wait for a few minutes while Nur-Sin prepares to receive you, so you get the chance to change into your nice new red dress after all. Servants offer you morsels of meat both raw and cooked. You take only the cooked ones, because you don't think that it would be safe to undertake delicate diplomacy while your mind is filled with bloodlust and hunting instinct. Finally, the great doors open, and you are shown to the great hall.

Nur-Sin is there, coiled around the throne, draped in purple finery and golden chains. Sitting on his coils, looking perfectly comfortable on her chitinous perch, is a young girl, also dressed very finely. It's the girl you picked up from the ruined house while infiltrating Turtak.

Nur-Sin spreads his arms. "Hunzuu the merciful, savior of Ligish, protector of the people, Hunzuu the righteous, Hunzuu the beautiful. Welcome to Turtak. Long have I desired to see you again and celebrate the peace between our peoples. I understand that you have been keeping our hostage prince safe. I have been doing the same with this precious girl." He leans forward to pet her black hair.

> Say what he wants to hear. "It is good to see you as well. You said you wanted to show me the sights in your city?"
> "Before we do anything, I must ask permission for my men to stay within the city walls while we search for clues on the cult of Pazuzu."
> Speak only to the girl. "Are you all right? It's me, Hunzuu. Remember me? Are they treating you well?"

>>35481969
>Say what he wants to hear. "It is good to see you as well. You said you wanted to show me the sights in your city?"

Uh-oh...

>>35481969
> Say what he wants to hear. "It is good to see you as well. You said you wanted to show me the sights in your city?"

>>35481969
Huh, all three of these in reverse order is what I want to do.
>> Speak only to the girl. "Are you all right? It's me, Hunzuu. Remember me? Are they treating you well?"
for now, but then we can do the tour and business talk.

>>35481969

> "Before we do anything, I must ask permission for my men to stay within the city walls while we search for clues on the cult of Pazuzu."

>>35481969

> "It is good to see you again. Turtak is as beautiful as I remember, and far more welcoming now that there is peace between our cities."
> "How have you been, little one?"
> "I'd ask the same of you Nur-Sin, but we will have much time to talk as we tour the city"
> "However, before any of that, my soldiers are very tired and surely you could spare them some of Turtak's hospitality. We come in peace, I assure you, seeking cultists that are a threat to us both."

>>35482331
yeah, pretty much.

ALL THE THINGS.

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>>35481969
You bow just a little. "It is good to see you as well. You said you wanted to show me the sights in your city?"

"Yes, of course! If you are not hungry or weary, we may begin as soon as you please. I can show you our fighting pits, the envy of the known world. I can introduce you to the wizards who keep us so well-supplied with monsters. I can show you our circle of temples and the pleasure-garden within."

"None of those seem good places to bring a little girl."

"Oh, yes, of course. Nur-Ningal will stay here. I have kept my word and raised her as a father. Now all she needs is a mother..."

> "Okay, knock that off. I'm in love with somebody else."
> "Thank you for being good to her. I was a poor orphan, too, once. I worry about forgotten children, wherever they are."

>>35482356
>"Thank you for being good to her. I was a poor orphan, too, once. I worry about forgotten children, wherever they are."

>>35482356
Ah jeez.

I want to politely let him down, but I don't want bad things to happen to the girl.

I want to say

> "Thank you for being good to her. I was a poor orphan, too, once. I worry about forgotten children, wherever they are."
but I really feel we should mention we have a boyfriend at some point.
Like, this could get bad for ALL PARTIES if we don't.

>>35482356

> "You know there are still long roads I have to travel before I can have those talks. But I think you'll find happiness in each other, no matter what. At least that's my hope.
> "How have you been dear?"
> "And are you sure we can't bring her with us for part of the way? A little girl should be with her father and shouldn't spend all day cooped up indoors."

>>35482553
shit, I didn't even notice she wasn't coming with us most of the way.

I want to hang out with her at least a little.

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>>35482356
"Thank you for being good to her. I was a poor orphan, too, once. I worry about forgotten children, wherever they are."

Nur-Sin nods and smirks. "I know you do. Such a virtuous scorpion. Are you sure we can't take Nur-Ningal with us as we see the sights?"

You think it over. You do want to spend time with her, and you're not sure how much time you'll have here in Turtak. "Yes, we could do that. How have you been?" you ask her.

She looks away bashfully and clings to one of the centipede's many legs. "I've been good. Papa says you saved me. It was scary, though."

Nur-Sin makes her lift her head. "Dear, don't you have something to say to Hunzuu?"

"Thank you, Hunzuu..."

"There we are. Now, the fighting pits are in session right now, if memory serves. Shall we go there?"

> "With the girl? No, let's just go for a walk or something."
> "I guess you've taken her there before. All right, let's have a look.

>>35482751
> "I guess you've taken her there before. All right, let's have a look.

>>35482751
>> "I guess you've taken her there before. All right, let's have a look.
Be prepared for strategic covering-of-little-girl-eyes.

>>35482751

> "I heard the sounds of the Colosseum on my way through the city. What's the occasion?"

I realize, as a player, this is probably a vital plot development thing, so feel free to ignore everything below this if it messes up your plans

> Maybe we should let Nur-Ningle decide. Surely she has places she would like to see that would be safe for her eyes. When she's had her fill, we can sit in on the sights meant for adults."

>>35482751

> "Would you like to go to the Colosseum?"

I'm kind of against filling a young girl's eyes with the sight of immense blood shed.

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>>35482751
Before you go out with the two of them, you explain that you have men outside the walls and you're looking for the cult of Pazuzu. Nur-Sin mentions that the cult has dared to send one or two infiltrators into the city since their initial treason, but they have not dared to come in force. He promises to discuss the details with you later. In the meantime, there is plenty of room in the palace and empty stable space for the chariots and horses, since the wizards have been reluctant to make new centaurs after losing so many to treason.

Nur-Sin lets you hold the little girl as you proceed with him to the fighting pits. Commoners fall to all fours and bow when they see the centipede pass. Nur-Ningal excitedly tells you about some of her new dresses as you carry her in your human arms.

"I have worked hard to make sure my daughter is happy," explains Nur-Sin. "Not only have I taught her joy, but I have taken measures to drive away fear and despair from her. That is the secret I have discovered. You did part of that work for me, dear Hunzuu. When she came to me, she was already comfortable with the sight of... people of our unique physiology. She spoke to me freely. She even slept in my coils. Now I am showing her many things, so that she will become even braver. She no longer fears crawling things, nor fire, nor even blood and death..."

As you enter the fighting pits and pass through the line of guards to the royal box seats, you see down below a man busy eviscerating another man. The crowd goes wild.

> I'm going to break here. Tune in next weekend!

>>35483074
thx 4 runin budi gud thred

>>35483074

Oh, so he's exactly like a younger Blood Dad. Damn you Freudian psychology.

>>35483074
Dangit.
Thanks for running, see you next time and all, but I feel bad for that little girl.

Oh, who archives this usually? I forget.

>>35483074

Thanks for running, though this is kind of a really small thread. Is it even going into the archive?

>>35483165
of course it is
I'm pretty sure Anu usually archives because he has a layout with the tags and the description. I'll do it if we drop to like page 8 and it doesn't happen.

>>35483165
I archived it just now http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html

I ran for the customary amount of time; it was just slow today. I guess maybe there's more people on Saturdays.

>>35483214
I think it's a combination of the early hours and the long delay between threads.

It should get more lively again, hopefully.

>>35483214
Did you remember to announce and link the thread on twitter too? I just found it by luck on the catalog.

>>35483270
I did. Maybe a little more warning beforehand on the Twitter would help.

>>35483074
>> I'm going to break here. Tune in next weekend!
Ah dammit, I just arrived.
Thank you for running Great Anu!