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"Well, then." You nod, "Lead on." You meet your companion's eyes, and she falls into step with the two of you as Vlatko leads you out of the orc camp, heading for the gates of the city.

You call him to a stop a few minutes later.

"Just one moment." You tell him, as you turn, arms crossed, to look at the three who followed you out of camp. The three orcs who have taken it upon themselves to be your personal guards stop as you do, curious expressions on their faces. The messenger seems somewhat bemused by your reaction. You shake your head, "I'm going to meet the Rector of this city." You tell them, with some help from your companion. "I'm not going to need guards." They seem doubtful.

"I'll have her with me," You gesture to your companion. "We can watch each other's backs for a little while." They huddle up for a moment, apparently discussing this with each other. Finally, they break up, and one steps forward, a little proudly.

>Izhar has joined the Party!

...Well, just one shouldn't be a problem.

"Fine, fine. Izhar, come on." You beckon it over, and the four of you continue on.

With the Rector's messenger, you have no trouble going through the gate, and once on the city streets.... there's actually far less staring than you would have expected, despite the orc towering head and shoulders over everything else on the street. People glance at your group, every once in a while, but their eyes seem to just slide across the orc like he was nothing spectacular. In fact, your companion is the one getting the most stares, and she seems to be a bit flattered by it.

The walk to the Rector's palace is not a very long one, and at the gate of the walled-off mansion grounds, a pair of armoured guards stop your party.

"You'll need to turn over your weapons."

You nod, unbuckling your sword and handing it over to the guards. Your companion, of course, has no weapons for them to confiscate, but Izhar...

Still no Twitter?

>>38565285
I don't see any options...

>>38565648
I think he's still writing.

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It takes two men to hold all of the weapons the orc turns over, although it grumbles as it does so. Overall, it's not so much the quantity of weapons that gives the guards trouble, but the sheer mass of metal that Izhar hands over - apparently, where humans would use wood, orcs tend to make their weapons in one solid mass, with only their polearms (which Izhar, thankfully, left behind in camp) using any wood at all.

Vlatko leads you from the gate into the main palace, eventually coming to a richly-appointed room, where a similarly richly-dressed man is waiting for you. The messenger himself waits outside, as the three of you enter.

"Ah, welcome, welcome." The man turns, welcoming you all with a grin. "I am the Rector of Rabrodnik, as duly appointed by the League of Free Cities, Hieronimus de Ghetaldi." He takes a moment to size up your companion and your orc bodyguard. "I understand you wish to trade in our fine city? Excellent!" He waves a hand, rings flashing, at the couches set up around the rooms only table, a low, wooden piece that has some parchments laid out across its surface. "Then let us discuss the details, friends!"

"What, precisely, are you dealing in?"

...Ah, now there's the question. You're basically trading directly in gold and currency - while a great deal of what you have locked away in the deep treasuries of the Dark Citadel could be extremely valuable, to the right individual, what you needed right now was easily-usable monetary equivalents - certainly, you won't be speculating with the Golden Hyperpyron, minted in the reign of the Last Hero King Komemnos, dearly beloved of collectors due to its scarcity.

No, instead, it's the jewelery, the golden chalices and fine plates, the silver perpers of the Old Empire, and other common valuables that you've come here to trade.

The question is really how you are going to explain that.

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>"Actually, I come on... behalf of the Kralj, recently coronated..."
>"I'm here to buy, not sell..."
>"I deal in the finer things..."
>"I...represent a party who would prefer not to be named, as something of a broker..."

>...?

As always, my Twitter is @QuestBaker, and I try to give you guys at least some notice these threads will happen.

>>38565732
>"I have a quantity of fine items to be disposed of, preferably in trade, depending on what you may have to offer in return."

>>38565732
>"I am something like a dungeon raider, and I hit a treasure trove. Old, ancient, but still of good value, and some even greater value to the right collector."

Is everyone over in Homeless Mutant Quest?

>>38565732
>>"I...represent a party who would prefer not to be named, as something of a broker..."

Fuck it, switching >>38565791 to >>38566090 to break the tie.

>>38565678
>"I am something like a dungeon raider, and I hit a treasure trove. Old, ancient, but still of good value, and some even greater value to the right collector."

seems plausible enough

>>38566291
... Never mind.

>>38565732
>"I deal in the finer things..."

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"I'm...something of an explorer, you see," You begin, carefully, "And not terribly long ago, I stumbled across quite the find..." The Rector raises a hand.

"Ah, say no more, say no more." He smiles, amiably, "Then, really, you are no merchant at all? I would be pleased to accept the consignment of your goods, friend. Absolutely pleased." He shuffles through the parchments, before coming across a blank one. "If you could estimate the value? And you certainly need to resupply, no? Just list for me what you need. I will be glad to take care of it."

You're getting a bad feeling about this particular course... This... de Ghetaldi, he seems entirely too pleased to hear about this.

>"...The castle of the Kralj, who needed someone who could speak the trade tongue of man to escort his ambassador..." Izhar can get thrown in front of this aurochs.
>This would at least be the easiest way...
>"I can handle my own supply, at least..."

>...?

>>38567328
>>"I can handle my own supply, at least..."

>>38567328
>"I can handle my own supply, at least..."
This guy screams 'out to screw us'.

>>38567328
>"I can handle my own supply, at least..."
>"I am not ENTIRELY ignorant of the intricacies of business. I have dealt with monsters just as often as I have dealt with people."

>>38567328
>"I can handle my own supply, at least..."
>"I am not ENTIRELY ignorant of the intricacies of business. I have dealt with monsters just as often as I have dealt with people."

I don't want to be stiffed.

>>38567328
>...?
"Sir, just because I am a fortune hunter, does not make me ignorant of the value of things, or a simpleton. We have our estimates of our wares, and are willing to have a neutral appraiser of your choice inspect our wares."

It's like players WANT to get screwed out of their money.

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"I can, at least, handle my own supply." You reassure the Rector, suddenly reconsidering the way you decided to handle this conversation. "As for an estimate..." You consider for a long moment. "Five hundred thousand artiliucs." You're lowballing yourself a little bit, but...

The Rector... you can't tell if he's laughing or choking.

"Five hundred..." And then he says the most wonderful thing. "If your wagons were loaded with nothing but gold and jewels, perhaps, but..." Izhar produces a heavy sack, as you allow yourself a smile.

"...As it so happens..." And the sack of lucre links down onto the table, falling over and spilling out fabulous wealth. "They are." You lean back. "I'll take payment in coin or letters of credit, thank you."

The Rector stares at the gold spilled across his table, surprised.

"...I'll send Vlatko with the appropriate papers to pick up the gold." He says, seriously. "Naturally, an assessor will be along to make sure everything is in order, as well. Speak to no-one about this." He pulls a silk cord, ringing a nearby bell, and the door swings open. "Please, enjoy yourselves in our city. As for this initial payment..." A servant enters, with seven small, leather bags. "Seven hundred artilucs. Your papers and so forth will arrive at your camp tomorrow morning. Until then..." He smiles once more. "Please, enjoy yourselves."

You collect your money, and are escorted from the palace.

It looks like you actually do have some free time. Your companion is looking at you almost predatorially.

>...You suppose it's time for that shopping trip.
>Let's go arrange things with the Bey!

>...?

>>38569828
>>...You suppose it's time for that shopping trip.

>>38569828
>...You suppose it's time for that shopping trip.

>>38569828
>Tell Izhar that the merchants are not to touch the merchandise without the proper papers. Bey should be able to handle it, and we can ask for an blank version of the forms now, if he needs to prepare.
With Izhar suitably busy:
>shopping trip

bumping

>>38569828
>>...You suppose it's time for that shopping trip.

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You suppose it's time for that shopping trip you promised her. Seven hundred artilucs is not an insignificant amount of money, and she seems to have her heart set on this shopping thing.

"Yes, yes." You tell her, resigned to your fate. "We can go shop around now." Her cheering and bouncing - probably more the second, really - draws some stares, but she quickly drags you off to the markets.

"Alright, Hero! Let's start...Over here!" She pulls you into the first of undoubtedly many stores and market stalls. This particular shop seems to specialise in...

Odd figurines and strange objects from distant lands?

You eye a hand-carved ivory totem warily, as it seems to watch you back.

"Maybe not this place." You suggest, as your companion backs warily away from a softly growling granite dog.

"...Maybe not." She allows.

----------------------------------------------------

"The rivers whisper, some nights, of the fine silks of distant Torangi, offered here at a wonderful price..." The patterns on the carpet blink at you.

-----------------------------------------------------

"I'll take it."

"Of course, madam." The obsequious shopkeeper bows and backs away, returning shortly with her purchase, and... You catch the corner or of a tightly rolled piece of parchment, cleverly folded and concealed by the wax seal on her purchase.

As you inspect it, you also notice the 'liquor' within appears to be... Yes, there's no mistaking it, a rare and exotic poison, known for the excruciating agony it causes the victim before they die.

In a nearby alley, out of casual view, the parchment turns out to be a carefully-cyphered letter of some kind. Spy reports? Assassination orders? It's hard to say.

------------------------------------------

"Thank you, sir, thank you. Please, accept this as a token of my gratitude..." The world-weary old man gives you a small, silvered pendant, on a copper chain. Worked into the silvery face of the pendant is a strange, twisting sigil.

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Eventually, the two of you find keepsakes and small luxuries that your companion is satisfied with - only she, apparently, can judge your satisfaction objectively - and make your way through the streets, heading for the gates out of the city.

You're not too far away when the sound of raised voices reaches your ears, a heated argument suddenly punctuated by the sound of steel on steel and a sudden, angry crack, followed by the unmistakable sound of a scattering crowd.

>Investigate
>Not your problem, not today.
>If this were something you really needed to worry about, it would have happened where you could see it.

>...?

>>38575650
>>Investigate

I'm starting to get discouraged - every time I try to get this third thread going, I'm immediately besieged by technical difficulties, personal issues, distractions, and work. It's starting to get ridiculous.

And how long it's taking to post isn't a joke either. Almost five minutes just to get the second part posted is just painful.

>>38575650

>Investigate

>>38575650
>Investigate

I'll be back in nine-ish hours - maybe by then something, anything, will work.

bumb

>>38575650
>Investigate

>Investigate

>>38575650
>If this were something you really needed to worry about, it would have happened where you could see it.

Bump

>>38575650
>Not your problem, not today.

>>38575650
Do we have our weapons back?

>>38582478
We're the hero, and we have our fists.

>>38582525
We're not the hero, we're the Dark Lord! Sort of. Technically.

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You exchange a brief look with your companion, before the two of you take off for the sounds of conflict. When you arrive, it's to six men, three of them wounded, having backed two others into an out-of-the-way alley. Any onlookers have long since scattered, and on the ground, there's what is unmistakably a corpse, lying in a pool of his own blood - it looks like the six used to be seven, before this one had a hole punched through him, somehow.

"Izhar." The massive orc moves in with you, his great size and orc-hood the best bet you have for ending this without any more casualties.

"...Shit!" One of them catches sight of the two of you approaching, "Boss, we've got company!" The toughs back off from the two men pinned in the alley, regrouping between you and them. "Fuck, it's an orc! They got friends!" And they run, taking off down a side alley, away from the both of you.

One of the men you've saved takes a step after them, but when his companion begins to sag to the ground, he abandons the pursuit to keep him upright, albeit barely. It's a little hard to tell, given the colour of their clothing, but... it looks like he's been stabbed.

Oh, and they seem to be devils, too.

How about that.

Your companion is already past you, helping to support the wounded devil as everyone present looks to you for direction.

With that corpse out in the street, you need to get out of here before the watch comes, but where?

>Head for camp. You can at least get him stabilized until the wound can be taken care of there.
>Find an inn. One that won't ask questions.
>You don't have anything to fear from the city watch. Of course not.

>...?

>>38583141
>Find an inn. One that won't ask questions.
We don't want heat coming down on our camp, and an inn here is more likely to be closer.

>>38583141
>Find an inn. One that won't ask questions.
devils huh wonder what they are like in this setting?
i imagine something like tieflings in D&D from the protags reactions.

>>38583141
>Find an inn. One that won't ask questions.
It returns!

>>38583141
>Head for camp. You can at least get him stabilized until the wound can be taken care of there.

>>38583141
>Head for camp. You can at least get him stabilized until the wound can be taken care of there.

>>38583141
>Head for camp. You can at least get him stabilized until the wound can be taken care of there.
Got a bad feeling about the other options....

>>38583141
>Head for camp. You can at least get him stabilized until the wound can be taken care of there.
Devils are pretty sturdy right?

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You toss the uninjured devil one of your potions.

"Get him to drink that. It'll keep him moving." And then, as the sounds of armoured guardsmen approach, you lead the group through the unfamiliar alleyways, dodging patrols and thugs alike.

You arrive at the town gate shortly before sunset. The guards eye your party suspiciously, although most of their attention is on the orc, to be honest.

Despite their suspicions, they don't hassle you - although once you leave, the bells ring to signal sunset, and the great gates of the city slowly swing shut.

"The camp is this way." You say, for the devil's benefit. "How's he doing? The bleeding still stopped?"

"He's not dead yet." The sword-bearing devil shrugs. "So, he's doing alright so far." There's a brief pause. "Why are you helping us?" He glances over at the orc.

"...I don't need a reason to help people." You say, shaking your head. "It's just what I do."

"...But you realise we're devils? You did see the horns?" He sounds doubtful.

"You're still people." You shrug. It's pretty simple, as far as you're concerned. The devil, meanwhile, falls silent.

"სადაც ... სადაც ვარ მე?" The wounded devil mutters something softly, eyes glazed and unseeing.

"თქვენ დაცული." The uninjured devils pats him on the back.

It's not much farther to the camp.

>Send Izhar ahead to warn them.
>Step up the pace.
>Another potion might be in order...

>...?

>>38585656
>Send Izhar ahead to warn them.
>Another potion might be in order...

>>38585656
>Send Izhar ahead to warn them.
>Another potion might be in order...

>>38585656
>Send Izhar ahead to warn them.
>Another potion might be in order...

>>38585656
>Send Izhar ahead to warn them.
Pretty sure >Another potion might be in order... is the drug them option...Might want to make itm ore clear

I need to head out now - about five hours, depending on how early things finish up.

On a brighter note, next week I have a vacation, so I can actually get things done here, without ridiculous delays and four-day threads.

Also, optimism!

>>38586321
Crap, I'll be asleep. Hopefully it'll be archived. Thanks for running!

bumb

>>38585656
>Send Izhar ahead to warn them.
>Another potion might be in order...

>>38585950
Drug them? With what? A more potent healing potion? We do need to keep him breathing until we reach camp and manage to give him proper medical treatment.

Also, Status Quo Quest! Hell yeah, motherfucker!

>>38585656
>>Send Izhar ahead to warn them.

>>38585656
>>Send Izhar ahead to warn them.
>>Step up the pace.

>>38575558
>your companion backs warily away from a softly growling granite dog
Now the question we must ask ourselves is, is her fear reaction simply a normal one or an instinctive one having to do with her species? Well, at least we know one other new thing about her, in that she has assets that bounce prominently.

>a rare and exotic poison
But is that our companion purchasing it, or some other customer?

>a strange, twisting sigil
Oh boy!

bump

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"Izhar." You say, as you dig out another potion. "Why don't you go ahead and warn them we're coming? They should be ready for incoming wounded, too." You pass off the glass bottle to a suddenly wary devil.

"Them?" He asks, as he helps his friend(?) drink the medicine. "There are more of you?"

"Ah." You realise that the devil doesn't really know anything about you. "There's a caravan." You settle on. "From out of the orc lands."

"From the orcs?" The devil seems surprised. "Orcish traders? Traders, with a t?"

"Well, not...not exactly." You're forced to admit. "She and I are the closest thing to traders in the caravan, and ...Well, we're not." You consider for a while. "It's more like a military convoy."

"...That sounds a little more reasonable." The devil allows. "Raiders?"

"No, no." You deny. "A legitimate trade mission, really."

"Ordered by the Kralj himself~" Your companion chooses that time to pipe up, and the devil's eyes go wide.

"There's a new Kralj?" He asks, shocked. You're not entirely sure what the big deal is, unless... Well, unless the orcish term for a king has some kind of special significance. Come to think of it, the Beglerbeg was the highest authority, before, wasn't he? And he didn't declare himself king, like a human would have...

"Yup~" Your companion confirms. "Defeated the Beglerbeg of the orcs in a single blow, even." She cuts a sly glance at you, even as she discusses your accomplishments.

"I see..." The devil murmurs, "That's big news."

That's about when you see the orcs coming from camp. They even have a stretcher, which you feel bad about being surprised by - you already know they're not simple savages, like some would claim. Your companion and the devil hand over the wounded devil, who seems to have lost consciousness, and they take off, moving at a comfortable jog. Well, for an orc. It's much too fast for any human to think of as jogging. Even the devil can only watch as they leave.

>Stay with them.
>Stay with your companion.

>>38596126
>>Stay with your companion.

>>38596126
>Stay with your companion.

>>38596126
>Stay with your companion.
I don't feel like suddenly leaving this devil guy in awe of our physical prowess by keeping up with our 2fast4u orcs. I feel like it'd be unintentionally making a statement we don't want to at this time and possibly undermining his (correct) perception that we're treating him as an equal.

Besides, I'm certain our orcs can be trusted to take good care of the wounded dude, and I don't think we know enough about medicine to be of help in this case.

>>38596126
So how long do you think until he realizes that the Kralj is us?

>>38596874
As soon as our orcs hail us as Kralj, which is probably about imminent unless the devil gets sidetracked. That said, I don't think we should go out of our way to hide from him it or anything, though perhaps when the time comes we should explain that we're trying to keep low-key and that nobody else outside our garrison knows.

>>38597078
To hide it from him, I should say.

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You resist the urge to follow them; you really don't have any way to contribute, for once.

"...So." You begin, "What happened, anyway?" You can't help but be curious - especially in a big trade city this far west, most people would be wary of causing an incident with the devils. Between their magics and their weapons, the devils are a major power, and deeply vengeful...

Well, they're incredibly fractious, even compared to humans, but they have an alarming tendency to unite in the face of non-diabolic threats.

"It was the Ranjina." The devil seethes. "Those were their men, I'm sure of it." His gaze is icy. "The Captain of the ship we came in on cut a deal with the Getaldic, so they came after us." He snorts. "After all, who'd go after Captain Separ?"

...Not a soul who valued their life, you'd have to admit. The name of Separ is famed far and wide; one of the Great Devils, the Old Devils, the most powerful of an already gifted race. If Separ is in that city...

Well, you pity the Ranjina, if this incident gets back to her. It looks like the Getaldic might have a bit of an advantage, in that they're not idiots.

"So you're in service to Separ, huh?" You ask, shaking your head.

"...No, we're not." He admits, after a moment. "We were just passengers." And there's a surprise.

"Passengers?" You confirm, startled. "What were you doing this far east, if you're not sailors?" The devil shrugs.

"Following him." He gestures into the camp as the three of you cross through the picket lines, orcs nodding to you as you pass. "What his plans were..." He shrugs. "Who can say?"

You nod, as Uzair approaches. The Bey goes right to business, as you've come to expect from him.

"The flesh-mender says your devil can be saved." He says, in the orcish tongue, the only language you think he knows. Your lessons are paying off well. "Although it would not be so easy, if you had waited."

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"Dobro!" You grin. Good indeed! "Your friend will be just fine." You reassure the devil.

When he hears this, a tension that you hadn't realised was there flows from his body, relief radiating from him in nearly visible waves.

"Thank you." He breaths, his gratitude palpable, "Thank you." He bows, first to the orcish Bey, and then to you. "My name is Tamazi. And I owe you a debt, for succeeding, where I have failed."

>"You owe me nothing."
>"...It was nothing."
>"Saving you was enough."
>"..."

>...?

I hate myself. I accidentally overwrote a fifth of this update, and when I went to post it, and it was gone...

In other news, I now have a little application that prevents me from fucking up my clipboard ever again. Hooray for solving problems after they're already unsalvageable.

>>38598742
>"You owe me nothing."
>"Saving you was enough."

>>38598742
>>"You owe me nothing."

>>38598742
>"I did what I could, and that is all anyone can hope to do."

>>38598823
This.
I don't want to insult them by refusing their debt of honor.

>>38598823
>"I did what I could, and that is all anyone can hope to do."

Properly heroic. We're a hero, right? >>38598823

>>38599059
Stupid mobile posting stupid touch screens stupid technology

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"I did what I could." You shrug. "That's all anyone can ever do, right?" Tamazi shakes his head, however.

"No, I think not." He says, "Not many would rush to the aid of a stranger at risk of their own life - and fewer humans would aid a devil." It's the truth, but still... "I owe you a debt. And it will be paid." You frown.

"It's really not necessary..." You try, but he overrides you.

"Three times I say it, I owe you a debt." He speaks with an air of ritual, this time, and understandably so - threes are powerful. "And we shall speak of it no more." You can do nothing but acquiesce. If he insists, then so be it.

The three of you follow Bey Uzair, as the large orc leads you to the 'flesh-mender's' tent. TO be entirely honest, you're not sure if it's a priest, some kind of magician or alchemist, or a mundane doctor of some kind. The tent itself is sealed, and Uzair warns the both of you not to disturb the flesh-mender in his work. The Bey even goes so far as to use gesticulations and drawing on the ground, to make absolutely sure that Tamazi understands perfectly that the healer is NOT to be disturbed. For some reason, the orc won't even let you translate.

The sword-bearing devil settles down on the ground to wait, and you join him, producing the cyphered spy-note hidden in the wax of what turned out to very much NOT be a pleasantly expensive liquor. You like puzzles. And there's just enough light from the fire in front of the tent to make out the writing.

You companion splays herself out next to you, as though she didn't have a care in the world.

"What a day it's been, huh?" She says, looking up at the sky. "The market in Rabrodnik is a bit odd." You hum in agreement. "Did you ever check that pendant the old man gave you?"

"No, I didn't." You shake your head. "Never had a chance, really."

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"Seems a bit much, for dealing with some rats, doesn't it?" She wonders, as she stares into the darkening sky, some stars already visible as the sun's light continues to fade.

"There were those packages, too." You point out, used to the phenomenon. "And the thug." She hums in acknowledgement, before flipping over, propping herself up on her elbows.

"So what is it?" She asks, watching as you tuck the paper away. "We've got time now, right?"

>I suppose it's not that hard...
>In the morning, probably.
>Eh. You're not particularly curious.

>...?

>>38600715
>>I suppose it's not that hard...

>>38600715
>I suppose it's not that hard...

And it's ridiculously late, so I'll be disappearing for about eight hours.

Thanks for putting up with my slipping pace, /tg/.

>>38600765
well it helps that you actualy come back when you say you do unlike some QMs who just cut and run.

>>38600715
>"Focus on our money. Might need to teach the orcs how to do this themselves in the future, anyway. We can deal with the others in the later. "

Alright, I'm a little lost: what exactly happened here >>38575558?

>>38600715
>I suppose it's not that hard...

>>38600765
it would be pretty close if I don't bump now.

>>38600715
>I suppose it's not that hard...
So this is PLOT coming to the Hero when he instead wants to fix the underlying problems to crises?

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"...I suppose it's not that hard." You decide, producing the small, silvered pendant. You turn it over in your hands, taking a good look at it.

"Great!" Your companion pops up into a sitting position, brushing her front off as she come off of the ground. She's always loved watching you do this, for some reason - you're not entirely sure why.

Its one of the few magics you know, and a fairly simple one at that. A spell which reveals the hidden qualities of an object, and their use. A simple Identification spell, and the very first thing your mentor ever taught you, it's since turned out to be just as useful as he promised.

Tamazi and your companion watch, fascinated, as you complete the spell and consider the small pendant.

"Wha-" The devil begins, but your companion interrupts.

"I know! Isn't it cool?!" She's as excitable as ever.

You ignore them, focusing on the small pendant. If you trace this line, here... The threads of magic woven into the pendant unravel before your eyes, becoming clear - you understand the pendant's purpose. With a long slow breath, you lean back, closing your eyes and ending the spell.

It's a little tiring, to be honest.

"Well?" Your companion presses. "What is it?"

"Give me a second, give me a second." You need to take a moment. But only a moment. "Alright, so at least half of this," you waggle the small silvered trinket, "is designed to draw on an outside power. No idea what kind or for what." You shrug. "Which means it's either unfiltered or set up on the other end. The rest looks like some kind of communication array, and a handful of simple physical enhancements like you'd expect to see from pretty much any little magical necklace like this."

Tamazi is still staring, but your companion claps, excited.

"Now put it on and see what happens!" She suggests, which is frankly not a terrible idea - as the Hero, you're pretty safe from this sort of thing, and activating these sorts of devices generally clears up the vague parts of your analysis. Of course, that doesn't always HELP, but...

>What's caution?
>Nnnnot just yet, I don't think.
>Maybe in the daylight.
>Hahahah, no. Not the way this thing is designed, no way.

>...?

>>38606667
>Maybe in the daylight

>>38606667
>What's caution?
Nothing ventured nothing gained

>>38606667
>Hahahah, no. Not the way this thing is designed, no way.

>>38606667
>Hahahah, no. Not the way this thing is designed, no way.
The "communication array" and "drawing on an outside power" makes me suspicious of it.

>>38606667
>...?
ask companion to try it..?

Among other things, I need to get a car scrapped and try and do something about all this water pouring through the roof, so I'm going to break early today.

I should still be back in about six hours, and since it's a Tuesday, that's a bit more time to write than the rest of the week.

>>38606667
>What's caution?

>>38606656
HAHAHAHA NO!

>>38606667
>>Hahahah, no. Not the way this thing is designed, no way.

>>38606667
>Hahahah, no. Not the way this thing is designed, no way.

bump

>>38606667
>What's caution?
It does say we're pretty much immune to Bad Things that might happen. Don't let your caution blind you to real opportunity, /tg/! Do you really think that man would have given us a cursed necklace after everything we did? I bet it's just an automatic translation or telepathy enchantment! Seriously.

>>38606667
>Nnnnot just yet, I don't think.
Get paid, first.

>>38606656
Does Identification tell you the physical properties, like what material it's made out of?

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I don't understand why some of you are being so skittish about this. What do you think it's going to do to us, huh? All the information we have so far tells us that it should activate when worn and deactivate when off and that it has something to do with communication. "Outside power" reasonably means a power outside the trinket, ergo the person wearing it. The fact that the powerflow isn't filtered probably just means it's simplistic in that not designed to have an on/off button that you can toggle while wearing the necklace.

>>38613219

It does not - It's clearly not actually made of silver, but what it IS made of, you have no idea.

The chain's simple worked copper, though.

Anyway, I need to restart my computer, and then I can get the next update out.

>>38614007
But paranoia is /tg/'s middle name.

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>>38616030
Yeah, but that's not a good thing. Now our companion will probably snatch it at some point and try it on herself, possibly suffering some kind of damage as a result due to her not being a hero, whereas we could try it out with barely any ill effects and could miss out on a highly useful magical item by not testing it.

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You can't help but laugh at the idea, though.

"The way this thing is designed?" You laugh, "Not a chance, no way." You wave a hand, as you tuck it away safely. "I give it even odds something tries to possess me or something, to be honest."

"Exactly!" Your companion slaps the ground, "It's a trap!" She declares, without a hint of shame that she was just urging you to dive right in. "So set it off already and see who set it!" She's always so reckless.

"No, I don't think so." You tell her, shaking your head. "Not here and now, at least." You glance over at the tent. She pouts, but subsides.

"Fiiiine. You're no fun, Hero." Tamazi, meanwhile, Is just staring at the two of you with something between awe and horror.

"You saw that, right." He asks your companion, a little dully, running a hand up a horn.

"Wasn't it cool?!" She turns to the devil excitedly. "I always love it when he does that, it's totally awesome."

"No, seriously, that's not right." He says, looking at you. "How can that ever not be disturbing?"

>What are you talking about?
>It's fine, whatever it is.
>...What? The Identification magic? It's perfectly normal.

>>38617347
>..What? The Identification magic? It's perfectly normal.

>>38617347
>>What are you talking about?

>>38617347
>...What? The Identification magic? It's perfectly normal.

>>38617347
>What are you talking about?
Sheet, what could this mean?

>>38617347
>...What? The Identification magic? It's perfectly normal.

Are we channeling elder gods when we use it or something?

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"...What? The Identification magic? It's perfectly normal." You reassure him. "Why?" Tamazi shakes his head, agitated.

"Not that... Well, sort of, but when you did that..." He hesitates. "Have you ever looked in a mirror when you do that?"

"Never." You confirm, in a heartbeat. "Mirrors aren't exactly a thing you see very often." You remind him, and he looks confused, for a moment, before muttering something in a soft voice.

"...Try it sometime." He settles on. "If you get the chance."

"It's like I said, Hero." Your companion scoots closer and nudges you with an elbow. "You look really cool." The devil shoots her a strange look, but doesn't say anything. The three of you lapse into a companionable silence, and you take the opportunity to dig some rations out of your pack.

"Anyone else want something to eat?" You offer around, but your companion refuses the rations, as usual - she really hates your rations, doesn't she - and the devil produces something from his own pack.

You eat, and eventually it's time to go turn in for the night. Tamazi insists on standing vigil until his - friend? Relative? Lover? He hasn't actually told you why he's following the other one around so much - is released from the flesh-mender, and you suppose you can't fault that.

Sleep comes easily, tonight, and you dream.

>Of the past.
>Of the orcs.
>Of the devils.

>>38619703
>>Of the devils.

>>38619703
Of the past

>>38619703
>>Of the past.

>>38619703
>Of the past

Also, after thinking on it for a little while, I realized we're probably indirectly using the identification magic on ourselves while we channel the spell, too. Goddamn, that probably means we're some kind of freak hybrid or non-human without knowing, doesn't it? Would explain why we're superhuman. Maybe "Heroes" are specifically bred for their Status Quo task by somebody behind the curtain orchestrating bloodlines, or there was some kind of ritual or something.

Looking forward to seeing where this goes, although I sort of hope this choice delves more into our childhood or our companion or both, rather than elaborating on the mystery of what the spell does to us.

>>38620729
Don't worry, the spell will have to wait for a mirror.

More in ten hours! It's time to get some rest!

>>38619703
>Of the past.

>Of the past.

>>38619703
>Of the orcs.

>>38619703
>Of the orcs.

>>38619703
>Of the past.

>>38619703
>Of the past.

Bumpin' for OP.

bumping for justice.

>>38628053
OP be ded.

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The past burns brightly in your mind. You dream, tonight, of your companion - the one who's been there for you for so long, at your side. Her faith and cheer rarely wavering.

------------------------

"Hero!" She shoots past you, claws flashing through the air before she almost casually pulls the man's arm from his body, the blade in his hand falling to the ground, the sticky black tar lining the blade revealing the true nature of the weapon: poison.

You move, and with a sharp, unpleasant noise, a crossbow bolt sparks off of your shield, deflected from its target only by your own quick reflexes. Now the two of you are even, right? She grins at you fiercely, and you can hear the crossbow shriek as it launches itself at the hidden sniper's face, his own screaming drowning out the sound only briefly.

---------------------

"Hero...!" She hits you, in the small of the back, and you stumble, losing your balance, briefly. This takes you, however, out of the path of the rusted spear that springs out of the floor, which slowly, slowly, begins to wind back down into its hiding place.

"Thanks." You smile back at her. Her own returned grin is very toothy.

"It's why I'm here, Hero." She tells you, cheekily, "Someone's gotta watch your ass." She waggles her eyebrows at you.

-----------------------

"...Say..." You start, setting your bowl aside to look at the woman who's been at your side for so long. "Why do you always just call me Hero?" It's a question that's been nagging at you. "You do know my name, after all."

"Isn't it obvious?" She asks, startled. She waggles the drumstick she was eating at you. "Well, it's because..." She looks a little embarrassed. "Well...you saved me, you know? In... a lot of ways." She breaks eye contact. "It's not really because you're THE Hero." Her hesitance is unlike her... "It's because, well..." She looks at you out of the corner of her eye. "You're...MY hero."

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It's dawn! The birds are singing, the sun is rising, and you feel well-rested! There's a stream, running near your camp, so you could go bathe, or you could get some early morning training in...

>Training is the cornerstone of your daily routine!
>Cleanliness! It's important!
>Sleep in, for once. You can't accomplish much until the assessor arrives, anyway.

>>38630477
>>Cleanliness! It's important!

>>38630477
>Training is the cornerstone of your daily routine!
We can clean off after training.

>>38630477
>Training is the cornerstone of your daily routine!

>>38630477
>Training is the cornerstone of your daily routine!

>>38630477
>Training is the cornerstone of your daily routine!

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HNNNNNNNNNGGG

>>38630477
>Cleanliness! It's important!

Eh, it's hard to decide. Going to bathe is alright, and it's certainly true that we should make sure we're presentable for whoever comes by (and that we make sure any stray streaks of blood are gone). On the other hand, if it's a calm enough stream, we might be able to catch our reflection in the water and test out the look-in-a-mirror thing, and I'm not so sure I want to open that can of worms right now.

Training out in the open could also have cons, though (making our powerlevel clear to anyone who might be watching, which we might not notice if we're too engrossed), and sleeping in and skipping stuff doesn't sit well with me. Skipping training for one day won't hurt us in the long run.

>>38630956
You realize she's going to be the real Dark Lord, and we'll have to kill her.

>>38630985
Nah, hot dickings. We will fuck her back to righteousness if she falls off the wagon.

>>38631071
Eh, I don't particularly like her.

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>>38630985
>2011 + 4
>agreeing to killing our faithful companion even if she was originally supposed to be Demon Lord
>not working out a peaceful solution with her like /tg/ is wont to do
>claiming someone else can be the "real" Demon Lord when we've already taken up the mantle

I seriously hope you guys don't do this.

Is this archived yet?

>>38632258
nope.

>>38632258
No, but that's a really good point. Isn't it best to archive at the end of a thread, though? I thought it only sweeps up the page being archived once?

>>38632445
Wait, nevermind. I should have read the bit at the bottom of the main page.

>>38632445
We keep getting to page 9, though. Eventually someone's going to forget to bump.

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Training is the cornerstone of your daily routine! You grab your equipment and slip out of camping, heading off to get your training done without disturbing anyone.

You run through several sword drills, both with and without your shield, and then spend some time practicing with your dagger, running through elaborate scenarios and working out strategies for dangerous fights.

You train with your blades for a few hours, before settling yourself on the ground and running through the basic meditations that your mentor taught you, so many years ago. Simple exercises, really, the barest of basics for a user of magic. You know that you'll never be a mage, but it doesn't hurt to keep an ordered mind, especially for those spells you DO understand.

You begin to get to your feet, your meditations complete, when you're forced to throw yourself clear as a set of viciously sharp claws cleave through the space you occupied, mere moments before. The only weapon you can get your hands on, in your frantic dodge, is your dagger. Your armour is back in camp, and your shield is behind your attacker, but your sword is off to the side... you might be able to...

And then you have no time to worry about that as your ambusher flexes their claws, and launches into another attack. Parrying claws with a dagger is not a very easy thing to do, without getting it torn from your hand, and since your opponent has two 'weapons', your best way to keep yourself unperforated is with frantic dodging and the threat of your dagger checking your attacker's own options.

But without either your shield or sword, at least one of them, it's pretty clear that you are going to have trouble making it through this.

You suppose that's what you get for having your training session away from camp like this, where no-one is around, and no-one will hear the commotion.

Go for your...
>Shield
>Sword
>VICTORY.

With...
>>Maneuver
>>Power
>>Magic

And it's that time again - I'll be back in perhaps six, seven hours. It's unlikely I can get back early this time.

>>38632486
>Shield
>Maneuver

>>38632486
>Shield
>>Maneuver

>>38632486
>Shield
>Magic

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>>38632486
>VICTORY
>Maneuver
What's in the victory box?! Boy howdy, I can't wait to find out!

>>38632938
Inside the victory box, there is only defeat.

>>38632486
>VICTORY
>Maneuver

>>38632956
That's some zen level shit, man.

>>38632486
>Shield
>Power

>>38632486
>Shield
>Maneuver

>>38632486
>>VICTORY.
>>Maneuver

Op is kill

>>38637503
OP is never kill. Just as the sun rises, so shall OP.

>>38637503
Boy, you're eager to pronounce me dead. Still one or two hours until I'm home and at my desk, but I thought I'd check in on my phone. No trip because it's hard to replicate.

And then I go to post this and apparently my phone is banned for three days from June 2014 for a post I didn't make. Recycled ip addresses, yay.

>>38638254
Better than some asshat getting your recycled IP permabanned by posting/soliciting CP.

>>38638254
Eh, I meant it as more of a challenge to prove the contrary.

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We have 42 unique posters, but only eight votes. Are people just posting once and then forgetting about it, or is everyone switching IPs like it's going out of style?

>>38640554
Some IPs change over time. Plus the thread has been up since sunday

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The sword...That would definitely give you an advantage, true, but...

You allow yourself a quick glance. It's a bit far away. And...if you're reading your opponent right, they're just waiting for you to make a move for it.

So you oblige.

You take a step towards your sword, moving obliquely, and as the enemy moves to intercept, your chance presents itself. With your foot planted, you launch yourself towards your enemy, dagger flashing as you strike - caught unprepared, and out of position, they're forced to dive out of the way, or get a nice new pocket, right there under their ribcage.

They roll back up to their feet, right between you and your sword - but you were never trying to get to that in the first place. And by the time they realise that, it's too late.

Dagger in hand, shield on your arm, you're much better equipped to fight off your attacker, and they know it. They begin to circle, towards your shield side, hoping to put the metal between them and your blade. You respond by lifting the shield, dagger at the ready - unarmoured, it's a lot easier to slip this blade under or around the side of your shield. If you had your sword, on the other hand, this tactic would probably be a lot more effective - and that's something to consider, actually.

You opponent fights in close, with those claws, at a range that makes a sword unwieldy, but your dagger is meant for that kind of fight. It's not really something you'd thought of, before - but then, most of your training has been to cut down your foe before they could get that close, or meant for the battlefield, where this kind of individual dueling is completely impractical and unlikely.

You feel like you've learned something - which is a small mercy, as they charge you unexpectedly.

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You sweep your shield across, catching one of their clawed hands, but they bowl you over with their charge, your footing unprepared for the blow, and you land heavily on your back, dropping your dagger to catch the claw coming for your throat.

The two of you struggle there on the ground, but as things are, neither of you can quite get the upper hand. one of your arms is pinned between your shield and your body, as their full weight rests on you, just barely keeping their claw occupied, and your other hand has checked their other 'weapon', leaving the two of you locked together, both unable to quite seize the upper hand.

>You'll have to do... that.
>Knees are the answer.
>It's time to do something a little crazy.

>>38642249
>>You'll have to do... that.

>>38642249
>You'll have to do... that.

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>>38642249
>It's time to do something a little crazy.
I foresee this will take us closer to the result I desire, yessss.

Then again, maybe not.

See you tomorrow, Baker!

>>38642249
>It's time to do something a little crazy

improv like there won't be a tomorrow if you don't!

>>38642249
>You'll have to do... that.

>>38642249
>Knees are the answer.
I guess I'm the only one going for a sensible answer.

So, here's the plan I just made just now.

Tomorrow's Thursday, the traditional Day of No Free Time. Or, well, it's actually today, and well into it, to be honest, but I'm nocturnal and haven't gone to bed yet.

But I'd like to put at least one more update into this thread before it dies - it's not likely to happen tonight, I've been drinking a bit, and drinking alone makes me tired, but I can't get up too early tomorrow or I'll be fucked that night. So!

Twelve hours. If the thread is still around, I get to make the update, draw the thread to a nice close, and start thread four on Sunday-maybe-Monday. With next week's schedule, I hope to get two threads in, over the four days I have to write, instead of one most-of-a-thread. I'll probably be able to focus better, too.

So get your votes in, keep this thread alive, and I'll see you all in twelve hours for the thrilling conclusion.

As usual, voting continues until I actually post.

>>38642249
>It's time to do something a little crazy.

>>38642249
>You'll have to do... that.

I wonder what you mean by... 'that'.

>>38643065
12 hours? we have 122 posts to do it. We'll manage.

Looking forward to faster threads next week!

>>38642249
>It's time to do something a little crazy.

You know, time is on our side. If we just stall, the situation gets worse and worse for our would-be assassin.

But who cares, we're the Hero!

>>38642249
>You'll have to do... that.

>>38642249
>You'll have to do... that.

Bump shift is on the job!

>>38642249
>You'll have to do... that.
The thread's still here? Beat you again, time zones!

>>38642249
Who's betting our assailant is Companion?

>>38646721
I don't take sucker bets.

>>38646721
It's painfully obvious, anon. Also, 'that' is most likely a kiss. I hope it is.

>>38648047
How do you know that's not something a little crazy, anon? I think 'that' is probably something we've done in the past, so perhaps it's a tickle-fight. Anyway, I hope there's a tie.

>>38642249
>You'll have to do... that.

the bump train continues.

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Well, if you don't want to lose here, there's only one option left to you. You'll have to do...that. With both of your hands pinned, your options are, after all, rather limited.

And so, you lean up, and you opponent has just enough time to look surprised before you catch her lips with your own in a soft and tender kiss. The kiss deepens, and she stops trying quite so hard to kill you. Eventually the two of you have to break off to breathe, and she pouts at your smile.

"I guess we'll call that a draw, then." Your companion allows, lying on top of you. "Geez, Hero, that's playing dirty."

"And ambushing me like that isn't?" You can't help but point out her hypocrisy. She laughs.

"Well, I've gotta even the odds somehow, right?" She asks you, and you just sigh.

"Well, can I get up now?" You ask her, but she just sticks her tongue out at you.

"No. I like it here." You laugh.

"Fine." You wrap an arm around her, and she only has a moment to look startled and uncomfortable before you pick her up, standing up and setting her on her own feet. "There we go." She laughs, a little awkwardly, as the tension eases out of her.

"You're mean, Hero." She tells you, with another little laugh.

>It's almost time for that courier to show up.
>You need to was up, after all of that.
>You should check on the devils.

>...?

>>38651952
Aaaaaand the waifuing officially begins. It was fun while it lasted.

This is the last update for this thread, actually - so get your votes in, and I'll use that for the next.

It turned out a little differently than I expected.

>>38651952
>You should check on the devils.

>>38651952
>It's almost time for that courier to show up.

>>38651952
>You need to wash up, after all of that.
We can't meet the courier with grass stains all over ourself!

>>38652002
Can you really call that when it's just one girl with 0 competition?

>>38652002
What do you mean? She's our faithful companion who goes with us everywhere; she was already pretty much our unofficial waifu, so this was almost inevitable. It's not like we're going to engage in waifuwars or something. Baker just needs to be careful not to write her such that she turns into something totally one-dimensional, and I have faith in him.

>>38651952
>You need to wash up, after all of that.

>>38651952
>You need to was up, after all of that.
Gotta be clean if we're meeting businessmen or a wounded patient.

>>38651952
>You need to wash up, after all of that.

Bump

>>38651952
>>You need to wash up, after all of that.

>>38651952
>It's almost time for that courier to show up.

Bump

bump

Early bump

>>38651952
Does Companion know magic?

>>38669758
But the thread is over, anon. Baker said so.

>>38671816
Pretty sure she does, based on thread one chargen, but it hasn't been displayed yet, so maybe it's a plot point.

>>38672127
>She grins at you fiercely, and you can hear the crossbow shriek as it launches itself at the hidden sniper's face, his own screaming drowning out the sound only briefly.

Then what the fuck is this?