>>44028183
Someone needs to get the paraplegikeet a set of robot limbs.

Are we able to have bri make skeletal wings for her?

>>44028183
It sure is quiet in here.

>>44028558

It's Vox.

The man's been running this quest for somewhere around four-five days straight now.

Op WILL deliver.

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>>44028183
PREVIOUS THREAD LINK BECAUSE OP IS A JACKASS JESUS EVERY THREAD WITH THIS: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/43993816/

Sorry about the delay, had to tally the votes, get more coffee, fight off the sleep demons.

"You know," you say warmly, "I'd love your advice. Walk with me?"

"Wouldn't have offered otherwise. Just don't get in any more fights, you dolt."

You ruffle her hair and dash ahead before she can catch you with her tail.

You tell her about Brianna and Amy as you walk Glen's marketplace. You leave nothing that you saw out and fill in the things you missed as best you can. Brooks looks thoughtful at the tale of Kells' sacrifice; you rub your arm, where she punched you in the middle of the story of your fight with the giant crocodile.

"Amy, I think, needs something pretty to call her own," Brooks muses at last. "Something she doesn't have to share. You said she's half-harpy?"

"Yeah," you agree. Brooks leads you to the general store, where she picks up a small wooden box. When she opens it up, clockwork begins to play; inside the box is a forested scene, where tiny birds fly in a forest to the sound of beautiful, rippling music.

"Came in last week, from an adventurer who needed supplies and tinkered with this sort of thing," Brooks explains. "I had my eye on it, but I think she'd like it more, and I can always find another tinker."

"It's perfect," you agree. The store's owner, a young man whose homosexuality has half of Glen's teen girls weeping into their pillows at night, haggles generously for it and tells you to consider it a re-birthday present. The pun hits you ten feet out the door, and you groan at it.

>>44028784
Reminds me, Bri is going to be incredibly bemused at our after-action report.

>You were gone for twelve hours.
>You matured as a person
>Turned the other cheek
>Turned the fucker's other wing when he jumped you anyway and gave him a compound fracture
>Told him to go to the healer
>Popped your cherry with the healer
>And almost got exiled?

To which we should respond "I also got you coffee."

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>>44028784
Brianna proves to be both easier and harder to shop for. When you learn that there's a fifty-pound bag of dried coffee beans on the offering you buy it on the spot and have it delivered to the warehouse with the rest of Lakehallow's order, but that's not quite enough.

"I want to get her something she can /use/," you complain, "but I'm not sure what to get for a necromancer. Or an adventurer. Or an adventuring necromancer. I mean, I could bring her a dead animal but I somehow think that even if she liked it, the gesture would be a little..."

"Like you wanted to skin her face and wear it?" Brooks prompts, helpfully.

"Yeah, like that," you agree.

"Hard to go wrong with silver," Brooks suggests, but you shake your head.

"We've got silver, in our payment for killing the croc."

"...What about a sword-cane? Oak or ash, for preference, so she can use it in her workings in addition to stabbing people with it."

"That's /perfect/!" you agree. "Harry makes those all the time! And I've got to get something from him anyway. Let's go!"

You rush back to Harry's forge, where the big man is sanding the hilt of a knife. You explain Brooks' idea in excited tones, and the blacksmith chuckles.

"Aye, that's well-reasoned," your master says. He looks carefully through his stock before handing you a polished oak cane, the wood nearly black, with a silver top. He also sets down a pair of leather gauntlets, their palms and backs protected by a dark metal inscribed with runes and folded enchantments.

"For you, m'boy," Harry rumbles. "Spellcatcher gloves. You'll have to be quick, but the protections should let you handle most combat magic and spells of slaying, if you can grab them. The metal's adamant, but don't go thinking you can short sell just anything. You might not break the metal, but you /will/ break your hands."

You try them on with an awed expression; Brooks watches in happy amusement. "I...I can't thank you enough."

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>>44029131
"Sure you can. Come back alive sometime and tell me about your adventures. And maybe bring that girl with you, if you can convince Glen not to throw her back in the pit. I'd like to thank her in person."

"I will," you promise. You look outside, then back at Brooks. "We've got about an hour. Dinner, drinks?"

"You know it," the healer agrees warmly. You take up the cane and walk with her, a happy smile on your face.

You know, despite the ups and downs, it's been a /good/ day.

The Unlucky Bastard is busy, but you and Brooks manage to get a table and a hot meal going. You stick to half a pint of ale - you get the grim feeling that no one should descend the dumbwaiter drunk - but it's fine ale, and you've got fine company.

"So," Brooks asks, her eyes on yours. "What're you hoping to find down there? I mean, I get that you owe Brianna, but eventually that's gonna be paid off. So what're you after? Boon companions, like in stories? Wealth? Glory?"

> "I know it's weird to say this so soon, but I found friends I'm willing to die for."
> "I want to die a worthy death, fighting for something I can believe in."
> "I've had a taste of the Dungeon, and it's not like a lot of people think it is. I want to know more."
> "I don't know what I'm looking for, but it's down there."
> Write-in.

>>44029263
> "I know it's weird to say this so soon, but I found friends I'm willing to die for."

>>44029263

> "I know it's weird to say this so soon, but I found friends I'm willing to die for."
> "I've had a taste of the Dungeon, and it's not like a lot of people think it is. I want to know more."

Maybe something to do with what I aGODDAMNIT VOX STOP TEASING US ARGHALBARGHASKSADJFBS

>>44029263
>> "I want to die a worthy death, fighting for something I can believe in."

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>>44029375
Your choices, your consequences.

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>>44029420

>>44029263
> "I don't know what I'm looking for,> "I don't know what I'm looking for, but it's down there."

>>44029263
> "I don't know what I'm looking for, but it's down there."
but
> "I know it's weird to say this so soon, but I found friends I'm willing to die for."

Honestly, we don't know too much about Nate's personally to adequately say what were are exactly looking for or doing down in the dungeon. But so far, Nate's seems like he wants to do good, based on his past so far and how he has acted, and his description as a "hero". Most heroes have some reason to be one. And Nate doesn't really seem like he has found one, not yet anyways. Alot of the answers are generic "hero" answers and nothing wring with them, but Nate so far has died and come back to life, he is also fairly young. He now has some experience of what being a hero is. As an oprhan he proably grew up to hero stories and wanted to be one when he grew up. And now he is "living" it, sort of. And Bri, seems to have shown so far that she is a good person trying to do good. Which would generally attract Nate to her.

>>44028398
Dead or undead things don't graft well onto living ones. There's some things you could safely make such a thing from, though, notably things that weren't conventionally alive to begin with: demons, angels, the corpses of elementals.

Which is not to say that this problem isn't solvable, just that if there were a simple solution Bri would've proposed it already.

>>44029571
>Dead or undead things don't graft well onto living ones.
Obviously we just need to make Amy compatible then...

>>44029263
>> "I know it's weird to say this so soon, but I THINK I found friends I'm MIGHT BE willing to die (again) for
we don't know for sure yet because we don't know them enough, and also a bit of
>> I want to know more."

>>44029263
> "I've had a taste of the Dungeon, and it's not like a lot of people think it is. I want to know more."

>>44029571

My first thought is to slay a foul demon and take its wings for her, but honestly, wings made of fire or water would be boss.

>>44029263
> "I've had a taste of the Dungeon, and it's not like a lot of people think it is. I want to know more."

I'ma go snag some dessert and then call the vote. Five-minute warning, give or take some change.

Vote called. Writing.

>>44029717
Let's just cut off the wings of every winged creature we meet so Amy can have a wing wardrobe.

>>44030220
Brilliant, although I feel like the pair of Heroes in the party would object.

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"You know, we grow up with the Dungeon in our shadow," you muse, "but we hardly know anything about it. We think of it as this dumping ground, or a challenge, or the thing that keeps Glen's economy going, but people live their whole lives down there. They're born to parents that love them, in places they love. They struggle for power, or glory, or to do good. I don't think we know what the Dungeon is at all, and I want to find out."

Brooks' expression is all interest as you continue. "And...and I know it's weird to say, this early, but. I've found friends I would die for. And, I mean, there's you, but you're not exactly in danger in Glen."

"I'm not," she agrees.

"I've always wanted to be a fighter. I thought I could be a soldier like my mother, but now I can't. Down there, though, Bri needs a strong sword arm, and I can provide one. Not just to be needed, but to...to live the future I wanted for myself. You know? You're giving me a look. What is that look."

"Admiration, doof," Brooks says with a wistful smile. "And appreciation. You've never lacked for bravery, Nate. I'm happy for you. I do hope you find something besides a good death down there, though. There's a lot to be said for, say, finding love or starting a family or, I dunno, taking up a useful non-murder trade."

"What about you? You got your eye on any of that?"

Brooks grins. "There's a gentleman over in Kurt's Crossing who doesn't know I've got my eye on him yet, but he does good work. He's fun, holds a great conversation. I just need to actually get him out on a date at some point."

"Good luck," you say. You look out the window, down at your finished meal, and sigh. "I should probably go."

"Yeah, you should," Brooks agrees. She leaves the inn with you and escorts you to the warehouse. She gives you a goodbye hug and one, final, smoldering kiss. "Remember what I said. Your companions deserve to know about, well...you."

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>>44030660
"I'll remember," you promise. She waves and walks off, her tail swishing thoughtfully behind her. You take a deep breath and call Brandon to take the dumbwaiter down.

The trip back to Lakehallow is fairly uneventful. You're left with the personal supplies you gathered - travel food, Brianna's coffee, your own clothes and possessions, and various essentials for the Dungeon - and loaned a wheelbarrow to carry them in. You walk, tired but happy, towards the center of town - and hear a high-pitched "Weeee!" pass overhead.

You look up in time to see Amy caught by a man standing on one of Lakehallow's roofs. He whirls and throws her across the street; the half-harpy giggles madly as she's caught again and tossed. She notices you on the way over and gasps in excitement.

"Bri, Bri!" she calls out, "toss me to Nate!"

Brianna catches her, whirls, and throws Amy straight at you.

This is it. This is how you die. Gods, why?

You're so shocked when the impact isn't a bone-crushing murder-by-waif that you actually drop her, sending Amy floating, giggling like mad, to the stone floor. Brianna flashes you a grin and takes a ladder down from the roof; the dark-skinned necromancer walks up with her hands in her coat pockets.

"So," she says, "how did it go?"

> Tell her everything. Leave nothing out.
> Tell her everything /but/ how it went with Brooks. That might give her. You know. The wrong impression about things like your availability.
> Be non-committal.

You will resume being Brianna after this vote.

> Tell her everything /but/ how it went with Brooks. That might give her. You know. The wrong impression about things like your availability.

Ideally, Brianna works it out anyway. It's funnier that way.

>>44030856
> Tell her everything /but/ how it went with Brooks. That might give her. You know. The wrong impression about things like your availability.

Same reasons as >>44030993.

> Tell her everything. Leave nothing out.

>>44030856
> Tell her everything /but/ how it went with Brooks. That might give her. You know. The wrong impression about things like your availability.

I'm not too worried about the availability just don't think we should tell a person we just met like less than a week, about our now active sex life. Some boundaries ya know, even if she like saved our life.

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Well, Nathan's section took longer than I thought it would, but I had a lot of fun running it. If anon(s) would like to provide feedback I'd love to have it. How did you feel it went?

And, again, as of next update you will again be Brianna.

GUESS WHO DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ASLEEP UNTIL LIKE 2 AM?

>>44031134
It was good. Perspective changes that don't result in horrific death are always a nice thing.

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>>44031134
>We still don't know what Nathan is

Vox you fucking tease. Been a fun read though. Looking forward to the next part.

Well, anon has consistently refused the "BEHOLD MY FINAL FORM!" options when they've been offered. One cannot expect both eprfect exposition and a dramatic story; that's why "show, don't tell" is a tenet of good writing.

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>>44031169
...Do those /normally/ result in horrific death?

>>44031233
Usually swapping to a non MC means that the MC is either incapacited, that the character is about to die or do something very plot vital, or that everything is about to burn the fuck down.

>>44031134
I liked it.

>>44030856
> Tell her everything /but/ how it went with Brooks. That might give her. You know. The wrong impression about things like your availability.

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Extending the vote so I can go get more drugs. By which I mean caffeine. By which I mean inadvisably large doses of caffeine.

I'm not a madman. /You're/ a madman.

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>>44031605
Says the guy who's been alternating questing and working for almost a week with roughly no sleep.

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>>44031605
No great detail on Nathan's face or hair looks like from the description in gogdoc. I winged a rough draft.

> Tell her everything /but/ how it went with Brooks. That might give her. You know. The wrong impression about things like your availability.

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>>44031897
ERMAGERD. THANK YOU BASED DRAWFAG.

Votes called, incidentally.

I've been thinking, the shadow thing is definitely pushing me towards his mother being a fae of some kind. That would actually explain a lot.

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>>44031772
Quick aside before I write - I'm hoping to sustain this until Christmas Day or so, both because I doubt I'll have any voters on Christmas Day and because I work retail, it's the holiday season, and the resulting pitiless hellscape has left my ability to write /professionally/ completely gutted by hate and sorrow. Quest has been a lot of fun thus far and makes the day better. Also I get lots of ideas at work, which makes work better.

So. Wee?

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>>44032311

>Literally a month-long quest planned

Holy shit, man.

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>>44032371
...What? Is that bad?

>>44031605
Some people skip the coffee and spoon in caffeine powder straight into their drinks.

You're not a madman.

>>44032539
No it is ridiculously awesome.

>>44032539
It makes you an Absolute Mad Man, and I salute you. Oh Absolutely-Insane-Sleeplessly-Writing-QM, for your long meandering stories and never ending your threads.

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>>44030856
You are Brianna la Croix, journeyman necromancer, and you're not sure if Nathan knows he's got hickies and lipstick all over his collar and the top of his chest or not. Like. Congratulations but /damn/, was he with a whole lot of girls with the same shade of lipstick on or just one /very bitey/ one? How? Who? At this point you're half-expecting to be regaled with the tale of him in gripping death combat against some kind of succubus or a giant vampire bat or /something/ because /damn/.

"If I can direct your attention to the wheelbarrow," Nathan says wryly, "you will notice a fifty-pound bag of coffee."

Your hug is more like a flying tackle. You squeeze hard and let go, bouncing excitedly. "Real coffee? Real actual coffee?"

"Real, actual coffee," he promises. "Can we go back to the house and then I'll tell you about my day?"

"Sure," you agree. "Bunk isn't built yet, but -"

"Cuddle piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiile!" Amy says from the ground, still flush with adrenaline and glee.

"That," you agree with a sigh. "Not like you both haven't shared the bed with me already. Who needs personal space?"

"This ground," Amy says, "is surprisingly comfy."

"Amy, get up," you say, and she pops obediently to her feet.

Yeah. That's. That's still a little creepy.

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>>44032703
You don't make any coffee yet - everyone's thinking of bed, primarily - but you do pour everyone a shot of rum to cut the glasses of lime juice all around the table. You sip yours while you listen to Nathan's tale, noting that he gets very vague in the details around his visit to the healer.

"I got this for you, Amy," he says to the harpy girl, offering her a small wooden box. The song it plays to go with its clockwork scene is pretty, but it practically entrances Amy; she closes her eyes and hums gently along, swaying happily in her seat.

"And this is for you, Brianna," he says, offering a straight oaken cane with a silver top. He shows you how to draw the blade from inside of it, and you grin savagely. Oh yes. /This/ will get some use."

"So," you say casually. "You didn't mention that the healer was your lover."

You /almost/ feel bad for puncturing his swagger. Almost. Nathan turns scarlet and opens and closes his mouth like a fish trying to breathe air.

"She's not," he finally says. "She's just...she's a very good friend. Someone. Someone I could trust with all my secrets. She made an offer and I -"

"You're fine, Nate," you say soothingly, taking a sip of your rum-cut juice. "You're both adults. And...y'know, I've had friends like that too."

"What happened to them?"

"There was this big flood, and they died."

"...Oh."

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>>44032813
You shrug, faintly. "Shit happens. I got the house cleaned and some of the stuff sold off, though not much. A lot of it should probably be group decisions. Amy's going to need equipment."

You both spare the half-harpy a glance, but she's still humming along to the song.

"Also, turns out she can still use her flight magic to do stuff," you add. "Which is, to be frank, kinda awesome."

"Yeah," Nathan agrees. "I could tell. So...what's the plan?"

"Cuddle pile, then do concrete planning in the morning, with coffee," you admit.

"Everything done for the night?"

> Yes. Go to the cuddle pile.
> No, one more thing (write-in).

>>44032813
>"There was this big flood, and they died."
>"...Oh."
Brianna the necromancer, she kills moods not people!

>>44032873
>Yes. Go to the cuddle pile.
Amy is so cute

>>44032873
>Any advice on catching spells of slaying? I've got these SPIFFY new gloves...

>>44032873
>> No, one more thing (write-in).
>Do something other than cuddle

Amy is creeping me out

>>44032905
waaaaaait: We're not Nathan anymore
>those gloves, I should probably explain to you how spells of slaying work before you go off and do something stupid.

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>>44032908

>>44032908
You want to hear the worst part? If this is what shes like, imagine what a full fledged Harpy is like.

> Yes. Go to the cuddle pile.

I'm too tired to say no to cuddles

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>>44033023
Anon. This is what she's like after three straight years in a cage. Undernourished, neglected, forced to participate in the murder of people who thought they were rescuing her, with only her captor for meaningful company.

Let that sink in before you assume it's about her species.

>>44033051
So what you're saying is I'm a racist and shes got a moderate case of the crazies?

>>44032873
>Yes. Go to the cuddle pile.
This sounds awesome!

>>44033092
Moe shit tard

Okay. The drugs have stopped sustaining my unholy power. I'm going to call the vote, write the last update for the night, fold my laundry and go to bed. Expect this to resume at 7 AM or so.

Archiving now, so I don't forget.

>>44032873
>>WARM CUDDLES FOR THE BRAVEST OF HEROES
Also, I've been wondering - is it possible that when Brianna resurrected Nathan, she learned about whatever he is, and just doesn't care or mind? She is pretty fucking chill.

>>44033298
No, because she noted that it was weird that he could see in the dark perfectly fine in the dungeon.

>>44033315
>>44033298
Yeah, I'm still all for Bri mentioning his eyesight and wanting to learn more. I doubt we'll have her press the issue, but maybe the gentle reminder that, hey, we notice these things, and we're cool with it, but a girl's curious, y'know, will be the gentle push he needs to actually open up a bit about it.

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"...Yeah, I suppose so."

Amy reluctantly puts her new music box on top of a shelf. Turns are taken with the outhouse, followed by washing up, before you all squeeze into the bed together.

You have to admit, you've never been one to object to cuddling up, but, c'mon. Note to self: get bunk completed as rapidly as possible.

Amy chirps happily and nuzzles her head into your chest before falling asleep.

"Bri?" Nathan murmurs, tiredly.

"Yeah?" you whisper.

"Remind me that I want to tell you something in the morning. Just you and me."

"...You're not going to confess your undying love, are you?" you ask, in some concern.

"No," Nathan says sleepily. "Somethin' else. Not that you aren't attractive, it's just. We just met."

"Thank you so much for saying that. I'd started to think I'd been entirely surrounded by insane people lusting for my pants."

"Heh. Story of my life."

>>44033800
clearly they're lusting for that look you pull with that snazzy hat.

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>>44033800
"Someone had an eventful day," Lora drawls. "How's that human companionship thing working out for you?"

"You know," you mutter, "I used to dream about my dead relatives and their accusing stares, what with the bit where they died and I lived. I kinda miss that."

"Bite me," the angel says tiredly. She shrugs her black wings and looks up at you. "Planning on taking on the Vintner?"

"Soon," you admit. "We're going to do our whole war council thing tomorrow, see what our plan of action is and what kind of time frame we're looking at to start it up. I'm gonna ask Amy's advice. I get the feeling this is more like gang warfare than real warfare."

"That's a good feeling. Hold on to it." Lora lays her sheathed sword across her lap. "What sort of help would you need to make it happen faster?"

> Amy's hurt. If we could get her to recover we could leap right into the fray.
> We need more information about the Basement so we're not flying completely blind.
> ...Nothing. I don't trust you. Even if you're actually trying to help, who says you haven't been ordered to betray me?

>>44033900
Who IS Vintner? What's he trying to do, or at least where do we investigate to deal with the most time-sensitive agendas?

>>44033942
Vintner is a winemaker, sorcerer, and illusionist who has been populating the waterways of the Basement with monsters and kidnapping sapients, both as bait for his traps and for purposes unknown. You've promised Kells, who is now a giant undead crocodile, that you'll deal with him.

Leaving vote open for the night. I must sleep; see ya'll in 6.5 hours or so.

>>44033996
I uhh, meant to ask Lora that. He's obviously much more, with these mysterious purposes.

>>44033900
> Amy's hurt. If we could get her to recover we could leap right into the fray.
Not that I want to leap into the fray. I just think Amy will take longer to recover than it will take us to form a plan and get ready.

>>44034029
Ah. See, this is why I ask folks to format their votes

> In this manner

So that I might see them properly.

>>44033900
> Amy's hurt. If we could get her to recover we could leap right into the fray.
I really want that information, but we can get *something* out of the residents here concerning the Basement, I'm sure. Healing might be expensive and/or time consuming.

>>44033900
>> Amy's hurt. If we could get her to recover we could leap right into the fray.

Also when do we plan to deal with the whole possession thing, I was thinking sooner rather than later.

>>44034069
oh right, sorry.

>>44033900
> We need more information about the Basement so we're not flying completely blind.

Helping Amy is cool and a nice thing and all that. But additional knowledge about what will be ahead of us would be much more useful. We would be able to prepare and plan ahead of time much or effectively. And although we know her dungeon skills would be useful don't know if they would be needed at this time. Amy will heal over time and be ready when we need her.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

Y'know, we should magic phone call our family at some point and see if we can learn anything about the Dungeon from them. What gods/angels rule it, general tips, that sort of stuff.

We could also consider mentioning the whole time rewind on death. Telling them that we've attracted the attention of a being powerful enough to nosell our death by *overwriting history* is the sort of thing that might get them to help us without asking for much in return.

After all, this is big enough that even the dead may be dealing with the shockwaves from what' s building up here. And if the Ia Croix motto means anything, they'll likely step up to shield the dead from what's happening on our side.

>>44033900
Changing vote from >>44034081 to
>> We need more information about the Basement so we're not flying completely blind.

>>44034491
We can probably have best access to that in the Lichyard, where the La Croix shrine is.

>>44033900
See, I'm torn because, while we do need more information on both the Vintner and the Basement, the last time we spoke with the angel, she gave Brianna back /YEARS/ of her life that she had to sell to make her necromancy work. So I'm sitting here and wondering if she can give Amy back her wings.
>>Amy's hurt. Fix it, oh magical genie of the lamp.

>>44034627
I'm hoping for that too, but I sure that'd be too easy, and narratively it cheats her out of a character-defining moment.

However, Vox did mention that some things could be grafted into place if the source isn't conventionally alive in the first place. Like the flesh of an angel.

I'm not saying this will be pretty, but if Lora is *really* serious about helping us, she might offer an actual pound of flesh to help us build knockoff wings for Amy.

I do not advocate asking her directly for that, of course. I just wouldn't be surprised if Lora did that when we asked for help healing Amy and Bri starts freaking the fuck out because ofcourseshefuckingwould.

I'm sure the resulting wings would be off-looking too. Enough so that people may think she's an actual monster. Cross that bridge if it comes to it, though.

>>44034763
Now's not a good time for Amy to get back her wings. That would elevate Bri to god status to her.

Most important is that we get a proper look at how her stumps are doing, and I'm guessing that she's not in any shape for invasive healing until her diet stabilizes, anyway.

>>44035048
Yeah, that was the other thing I was worried about. Amy's too pliable right now to have a proper conversation with concerning the downsides of any possible wing healing.

'Now Amy, I think I've found a way to give you some wings ba-'
'Really?!'
'Shouldn't have opened with that, since we have to talk about the drawbacks, like poor stability, tentacle appendages, possible soul consuming... you're not paying attention, are you?
'Bri, this is amazing! Once I get my wings back, I can show you so much cool stuff I can do to help you, and- *continues rambling*
'Godsdammit, you're only concerned about being useful to me now. Think about yourself and how others are going to treat you when great Cthulu starts spawning from your back!'

Alright, time for work. Vox isn't the only one working a terrible job in retail!

Sleep well, anons.

>>44035152
Nonono, what if I try a different tactic?

'So Amy, how do you feel about massive bone tendrils sticking out of your back in the event of failure?'
'Would I be able to control them?'
'What? Well....I suppose....'
'Perfect, now I can fight alongside you two!'
'Godsdammit, this wasn't how it was supposed to go...'

>>44034491
Jesus. How many times does Vox need to point out WE DON'T GET A REWIND. It leaves us AHEAD a day, not a day BACK.

>>44035152
>>44035480
normally I advocate telling party members THE BIG SECRET, but honestly there isn't much to tell. Besides, if playing our cards right gets Bri some life back, I think it's acceptable to keep a little secrecy.

>>44035544
Honestly, As a necromancer Bri has no reputation with anyone, if we even went out about it we'd get laughed at probably.

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>>44035048
True. Still, I feel like having another experienced set of hands (Talons? Might be something to look into, Vox. Unarmed Combat +2!) will be really fucking important. Plus, having the high ground is huge tactical advantage.

Maybe much later in the quest we can get our feathery fangirl some artificial wings made so she looks like a speed metal album cover.

So anyway, amys magic affects inertia and gravity weirdly, kind've making both make no sense.

>>44035996
>Maybe much later in the quest we can get our feathery fangirl some artificial wings
Didn't she say that her dad made some of those already?

>>44036389

Think less "capability to make them" and more "when she's less obsessively hero-worshipping us".

We COULD probably get/make her wings right now, but we want to wait until she's a little more mentally balanced and able to take them as a gift from a friend rather than a hand-out from a living god.

>>44036549
Well our friend is a smith we could get him to make and gift them and thus avoid having them seem to come form us.

>>44035544
I'm fine either way, just saying, we don't go back in time or anything.

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Who hates everything and is awake early for no good reason?

THIS GUY.

Votes called. Writing.

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>>44037490
I cannot color worth shit and accidentally forgot to save one with a transparent background for easier coloring.

>>44037514
I hope you don't mind but I'm probably gonna use both so I have copies on hand. 'cause. Yeah.

(Thank you again based drawfag!)

>>44037514
I think technically that's... Inking, maybe? I dunno. It's been way too long since I did art. Still neat though!

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>>44033900
You mull it over, though maybe not as long as you would like; you're still not sure what the time relationship is between these chats and your sleep.

"Can you help Amy?" you ask. "She's hurt. And she /wants/ to help, but if she has to recover on her own, even with magical healing..."

"Tell me more," Lora asks, her tone all soft seriousness. So you do; you describe Amy's rescue, the extent of her injuries, and the enchantment that was sustaining her life. Lora frowns in what you would swear is /sympathy/ as you expand, and winces when you explain how, and why, you removed the harpy girl's wings.

"...That's rough," the angel says at last. All at once she beats her black wings, and the blast of air shoves you back against the wall with painful force. A single feather, nearly as long as your arm, floats towards you. It almost /drinks/ the light.

You catch it delicately, between your thumb and forefinger.

"If given, it heals the hand that holds it," Lora explains, looking pointedly away from you. "If taken, it cuts the hand that clutches it. It won't last forever."

"What'll happen?" you ask quietly.

"The same thing that happens to all feathers. It's a piece. It can't survive on its own. Good luck."

"Lora, wait, I -"

The angel glares at you with tears in her eyes. And then you wake.

>>44037639
>The same thing that happens to all feathers
My mom throws it away because she calls it "junk" and tells me I have hoarder tendencies?

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>>44037639
Okay, the cuddle pile is actually kinda nice. Warm, snuggly, neither of them are frankly all that bad to be pressed-up close against. You pet Amy's hair, and she makes sleepy bird noises. Then your eyes go to the rest of the room and -

"Nate. Nate. /Nathan/." You poke him in one of the hickies and he jolts faintly with a wince.

"What?" he asks, blearily.

You point to where his new saber is floating, out of its sheath, with its point down. Verve rotates gently in place.

"Is that the thing you needed to show me?" you ask in a murmur.

"...No," the young man says slowly. "That's new. Um." He raises his voice, somewhat. "I'm awake, Verve. You can, ah. Go back to bed."

The blade drops smoothly into its sheath.

> Extricate you and Nate from the bird without waking her. Leave a note and see what Nathan wanted to show you.
> Wake the bird. Coffee, breakfast, war council.
> Tell Nathan you need to speak to Amy privately.
>Write-in.

>>44037676
> Wake the bird. Coffee, breakfast, war council.

>Extricate you and Nate from the bird without waking her. Leave a note and see what Nathan wanted to show you.

>>44037676
> Extricate you and Nate from the bird without waking her. Leave a note and see what Nathan wanted to show you.

OF TALKINGS

Calling the vote, for time if nothing else.

>>44037639
someone still remembers semi-old MTG cards

>>44037676
>Extricate you and Nate from the bird without waking her. Leave a note and see what Nathan wanted to show you.

>>44037676
>>Extricate ourselves from the cuddly monstergirl hug and learn more about our aspiring young Hero.

I get the distinct impression that the angel's gift could restore Amy's wings, it'll come with a heavy price.

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It takes some doing, but you manage to get Nathan out of the bed without waking Amy up, then extract yourself from the harpy girl. She frowns and makes a small, unhappy noise, somewhere between fear and sorrow. You tuck a pillow into her arms, and she holds it close, relaxing visibly.

You point out the door, and Nathan takes the hint. You each grab your coats and boots on the way out.

When Nathan looks down, Verve is buckled at his side.

"I really hope that sword's not the jealous type," you note.

"Wraithsteel," he replies. "I named it."

"/Daaaaamn./"

You walk along the, for lack of a better term, 'beach', for some time. Against your better judgement you light one of Lora's godawful cigarettes. It tastes the way drunken depression feels.

Nathan stops beneath a witchlight along the shore; in the shallows, you can see blindkelp growing in the lake by its glow.

"...I need to show you something," he says hesitantly. He sighs and runs his hand through his hair. "...I haven't done this on purpose much."

"Would it be easier if I closed my eyes?" you offer.

"...It sorta would be, yeah," he agrees gratefully. You shut your eyes cooperatively. You hear something, like glass cracking from flexing too far.

"Okay," he murmurs.

Nathan looks...different...when you open your eyes. His shadow stands apart from him, with its arms folded defiantly and hollow spots marking where eyes would be on a human face. Nathan's eyes have fractured, like glass orbs struck just before the point of breaking, and each shard is a new shade of gray and black. You can smell the faint whiff of blood.

"They call us woundseekers," Nathan explains softly. "Scripture prefers to refer to us as the sons of sorrow. There are some atrocities so heinous, so beyond the reach of anything godly, that they leave permanent marks on those who experience them."

"Something happened to you?" you ask.

"No. My mother did something, and this is one of the many consequences."

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>>44037952
You process this, silently, while for some unfathomable reason still smoking the faintly burning war crime between your lips.

"She didn't go off to war," Nathan explains, pain cracking his voice. "She went off to die. She never told anyone what it was she'd done. Most of Glen doesn't know I'm anything other than normal, and I've kept it that way. I don't want..."

"You don't want her sins on your shoulders," you finish for him.

"Yeah."

> Ain't this some fuckin' shit?
> She's not who you are, Nate.
> What does this mean for you?

Okay. Gonna leave this vote open and attempt to snag a few more hours of sleep. I'll either be back very soon, or in 3 hours.

>>44037968
> She's not who you are, Nate.
You're a good person.

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>>44037968
Huh. Interesting. We'll need to find out just what the hell she did to warrant such a backlash.
>She's not who you are, Nate.

Nathan's mom killed everyone Bri knew.
Nathan's mom is the BBEG at the end of the quest.

>>44037968
>She's not who you are, Nate.
>What does this mean for you?
The way he phrased it sorta implied that he was witness to some of it?

>>44037968
>What does this mean for you?

>>44037968
>Will it be useful? Then all we can do is count our blessings.

>>44037968
> What does this mean for you?

>>44037535
>>44031897
Fellow drawfag, nothing against you but I am gonna re-ink and color your work. Vox, can you give me a general color scheme for Nathan? Mainly, skin, hair, coat, sheathe and boot color.

>>44038040
That'd be difficult, as she went off to die when he was an infant, leaving him to be raised by the orphanage and figure this out on his own.

>>44038826
Nathan's got a gentle tan from outdoor work; hair is a sandy brown. Coat is dark grey or dark blue (to blend into the dark dungeon environment); boots are a dark leather. He's probably taken the time to scuff up those greaves on his shins. Being shiny is not advised down here.

>>44037968
Who the hell do you have to piss off to curse your entire fucking bloodline for all eternity!? Seriously now you have my attention.

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>>44039456
Rough of Bri. Again working off gogdoc and the little cartoon pic you have for hairstyle.

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>>44037968
"Whatever your mother did, that's not on you. Besides. You know, literally," you add. Nathan gives you a Look, but at least he's not crying or stabbing you, which means you probably didn't fuck the sentiment up. "What I mean is, you're a good person. Hell, everyone so far has pretty much agreed that you're a Hero, capital letter and everything."

"Okay, Brooks wouldn't tell me what that meant," Nathan complains. "I suppose you won't either?"

You grin sheepishly. "It's not a term that gets used formally a lot in, ah, respectable company. Not surprised Brooks knows it. Your average Hero is...they're do-gooders. Literally. They Set Forth on a Grand Journey to Do Good Upon the Land. Often young, usually warriors, low life expectency, horrific attrition rate. We've got songs and stories to thank for their...your...continued presence."

Nathan stares.

"Look, I didn't say you'd /like/ knowing," you point out.

Nathan pinches the bridge of his nose while his shadow points at you and mouths what you're pretty sure are offended swear words. "So, the good news is that in theory this is more like a side effect than an actual...curse. I say in theory because priests have this tendency to nail people like me to walls and kill us."

"That's got to complicate your personal theology," you observe, flicking the butt of your cigarette away.

"You have no idea," Nathan agrees. "But it means a few things for me. As you can see, most of the time I can maintain an entirely human look. When I let it run loose, I can sense pain and injuries, and they vitalize me. I become resistant to pain and harder to put down; I don't get less injured, exactly, but you have to kill me a lot more dead to keep me down. I can see in the dark, even in magical darkness, as though it were day. Trouble is, looking like this is sort of like speaking two languages. When I'm stressed in any way, I slip towards this unless I focus."

>>44039743
Well, seeing as every other spell we know involves inflicting pain or injuries on ourself, I'd say that hes in luck.

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>>44039743
Comprehension dawns upon you. "So all those people you turned down at the party -"

"Yep. And yes, Brooks already knew. She...we...let's say there was an abortive effort when we were both younger to do the sorts of things young villagers do, and I chickened out when she found out."

"...That's honestly sort of adorable, Nate."

"I will put vinegar in everything you drink."

You laugh and cross the distance between the two of you, putting a hand around the young man's shoulder. "I'm glad you told me. You just...y'know, you do you. But for what it's worth, I can think of worse things for this environment than being hard to kill."

"Sure." The relieved grin on his face takes the effect out of his attempted sarcasm. "So...what now?"

> Wake the bird. Breakfast, coffee, war council.
> Tell Nathan you have to speak with Amy privately.
> Show Nathan the feather and ask his advice on dealing with Amy.

>>44039818
> Tell Nathan you have to speak with Amy privately.

>>44039818
>> Show Nathan the feather and ask his advice on dealing with Amy.

>>44039818
>> Tell Nathan you have to speak with Amy privately.

Need to get this done before the magic wears off.

Also, rare stroke of good luck for Nate by running across someone who can kinda sorta understand some of his problems.

>>44039818
> Show Nathan the feather and ask his advice on dealing with Amy.

Please inform us Quest Ma...um...Nate, on your advice and perspective on this situation.

And then
>Wake the bird. Breakfast, coffee, and war council.

> Show Nathan the feather and ask his advice on dealing with Amy.
Actually, could we get /him/ to give it to her? Might mitigate the hero-worship-crush problem. When we know what it does, that is.

>>44039818
>Show Nathan the feather and ask his advice on dealing with Amy.
Don't want to start the Cult of laCroix, that's how you get Heroes after you. No offense, Nathan

>>44039873
You /could/, in point of fact. Asking him to do so would even avoid using the feather's power, since you're not giving it to him so much as appointing him the executor of your will.

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>>44039818
"Well, since I have you here anyway," you say as you bring the feather out from under your coat. "I, um. Acquired something, that could help Amy. An angel feather."

Nathan whistles under his breath.

"Yeah. But there's a couple of catches. It's not unlimited-use, for one, and it needs to be given, rather than taken. And if it's like any other kind of magical healing, it's going to put her through eight shades of hell even if it probably won't re-grow her wings. Three years of captivity and starvation, undone in an instant..."

"Okay, I needed to envision anything but that. Give me one of those cigarettes."

You pass Nathan a smoke and light him up; he shudders as he takes a few drags. "Okay. So obviously we do this with Meadows supervising, yeah?"

"Definitely," you agree. "She might need time to recover from her recovery too, which..."

"It'd be worth it, though. Even if she goes under for a day and a night or something, it'd be faster than the months it'll take her to be better the normal way." Nathan smokes thoughtfully. "Might be better to wake her up, get some breakfast, and then ease her into the idea after she's not, you know, still sleepy. Just to be ethical about the whole thing."

> Good idea. Will you give her the feather, after?
> Good idea. I'll give her the feather, after.
> Not sure I agree.
> Write-in.

> Good idea. Will you give her the feather, after?

>>44040078
>Good idea. I'll give her the feather, after.
>warn Amy of the consequences of the feather's use
It's going to be pretty obvious that we're the source of the feather.

>>44040078
> Good idea. Will you give her the feather, after?

Rather we do it all together under supervision of those needed.

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>>44040078
So, when do we tell them we have a guardian angel who is entirely done with every kind of shit and gives us shit cigs and vague hints?

>>44040284
Whenever you like. Thus far Bri's hesitated because she's not sure how to express it herself, or if Lora's entirely trustworthy or not.

That and there's some uncertainty as to what's going to happen when you die again. Will Nate even remember you?

Calling in seven minutes, I need breakfast.

Or someone ate my fucking food. I'll be back in a bit while I go get some.

>>44040534
I blame elves.

> Good idea. Will you give her the feather, after?

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>>44040534
Probably Gnomes...

Yay, time for my second test of the day, see you after that.

>>44040078
>Good idea. Will you give her the feather, after?

Votes called. Writing.

>>44040888
No, it was my asshole brother, and great will be my vengeance upon him.

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>>44040078
"Good idea. We can take her to see Meadows, discuss the risks and side effects, and then handle it with supervision. Do you mind being the one to hand her the feather?"

"...No, that's fine," Nathan agrees. You hold it out, and he accepts it with a nod. "I've been thinking though...you ever think Amy's used to working in a team?"

You frown. "How do you figure?"

Nathan shrugs. "She acts a bit like a soldier. Admittedly an unprofessional one, but she snaps to, follows important orders, sticks close to her commanding officer -"

"I'm not anyone's commanding officer!" you protest.

"You keep telling yourself that," Nathan says with a cheeky grin. He takes another drag on the cigarette and blanches. "Gods, these are awful. I wonder if priests make them for penance."

"I fucking know, right?" you agree. "Let's go wake the bird."

Note to self: figure out where the outhouse leads. Someone in town has to know why the thing doesn't smell or in fact fill up. You and Nate take care of the morning routine. You start a pot of coffee up while he wakes Amy; the bird girl yawns hugely, and you wince when you hear her jaw pop. That's /never/ fun.

Soon enough the three of you are sitting around the table, hot cups of coffee steaming before you and breakfast prepared. You take yours, as Aunt Carol said before being slain by an enterprising Hero (she had it coming), "black as night, sweet as sin."

"So," you tell Amy. "We need to go see Meadows this morning. Afternoon. Post-sleep period."

"We usually just call it Post-Camp down here," Amy says helpfully. "People kinda operate on their own schedules outside of places like this where the markets are regular."

"That...makes sense, actually."

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>>44041344
"Anyway," Nathan cuts in. "We've got something on hand to help you recover a bit faster. Which means taking on the Vintner that much faster."

Amy brightens up immediately. "Really?" she looks at you. "Really-really?"

"Really," you say with a little smile. "But I wanna run it past Meadows first, and make sure you have a full understanding of what's going to happen. You know how magical healing sorta feels like getting hurt in reverse?"

"Yeah, wh - oh." Amy's face falls, and she hugs herself tightly. "Oh," she repeats, in a tiny, terrified voice.

> Hug her.
> Reassure her.
> Ask if she'd prefer to recover naturally.

>>44041454
> Reassure her.

>>44041454
> Ask if she'd prefer to recover naturally.

>>44041454
>> Reassure her.

Might even tell her that it was given by a literal angel; that might give her some (undeserved) confidence in it as a method...

>>44041454
>Reassure her
It is ultimately Army's choice. She has the right to refuse, though maybe the healer knows more about angel feather healing. Hopefully it won't suck.

>>44041454
>Reassure her.
and
> Ask if she'd prefer to recover naturally.
There's no reason we can't do both and this should really be her decision.

>>44041454
>Reassure her.
and possibly get painkillers.

>>44041766
Considering your body does not want pain killers, I be magical healing makes you get rid of them right quick.

Votes called, writing.

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"Hey," you say soothingly. "Ames, it's alright. We won't make you do anything you don't want to do, okay? We're here to help."

Amy bites her lip and nods; her entire body trembles.

"Amy, would you prefer not to go through with it?" you ask gently.

"I wanna help!" she wails desperately. "I don't wanna sit here and do /nothing/ while you two risk your lives /again/. I...I can't, I can't, don't ask me to do that."

Nathan takes her music box off of the shelf and opens it, setting it down on the table in front of her. Amy picks it up and holds it close to her face, crying gently while she watches it.

"I wanna help," she repeats after awhile, her voice small. "I can help."

"But if Meadows says we shouldn't, you'll listen to him. Right? He's a healer. He's here to help too, and you can't help us if you do something stupid and die."

Amy nods obediently. "Can. C-can I have a minute?"

"Take all the time you need," Nate offers. Amy nods absently and sets her music box down before leaving the house.

You and Nathan share a concerned look. With a sigh, he gathers up the dishes and starts to wash up.

>>44041974

Fuck.

Before we go anywhere with this, even if the healer says she'll be fine, we need to make damn sure that she's not only doing it to be 'helpful'. She has to want to do it for herself.

Convincing people like this that selfishness can be okay is one of the most difficult things to do in psychology, especially if they think they're being actively detrimental to their group by NOT 'improving' themselves.

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>>44041974
Amy comes back after roughly half an hour, significantly wetter than she left; she grabs a towel and dries her hair briskly while you and Nate look away. She glances at the two of you, down at her clothes, and sighs.

"I'm used to communal baths, okay," she mutters. "It's not my fault you two are afraid of naked people. 'm not even naked."

"We'll just see ourselves out," you say. "While you get dressed."

Amy eventually comes back out with a ruffled, annoyed expression. The three of you head to the Mercy Hut in a group.

You look back and realize the other two are flanking you, like bodyguards or wolves. Gods. What?

Explaining the situation to Meadows makes the elf break down in shoulder-shaking laughter. Then he looks up at your annoyed expression and the mirth vanishes.

"You're not kidding."

"Does this look like the face of someone who kids about her fucking patients?" you snap.

"You're /insane/," he says in disbelieving tones. "The healing shock would put her under for a day or more. The pain involved would be excrutiating, to say nothing of any potential magical side-effects. What kind of angel was it?"

"Black wings, dark hair, sword," you say. "So probably Death Choir."

"How can you even seriously -"

"Will it work?" Amy interjects. Meadows looks at her, his anger turning into concern.

"Amy, whether it would work or not is irrelevant. I cannot condone -"

"Will it work?" Amy demands, her shoulders hunching forward and her face moving forward; the gesture reminds you of hawks peering at something. "I'm a big girl. I can take pain."

Meadows sighs. "Technically, yes, it will do precisely as Brianna has outlined. But -"

"So do it."

Meadows gives you a pleading look.

> Support Meadows.
> Support Amy.
> Mash the 'I would like to know more' button with your face.

> Support Amy.
> With one additional question to Meadows: "Could it kill her?"

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>>44042173
> Mash the 'I would like to know more' button with your face.

>>44042201
> Support Amy.
> With one additional question to Meadows: "Could it kill her?"

What that dude said.

>>44042201
Seconded.

>>44042173
> Support Amy.
> With one additional question to Meadows: "Could it kill her?"

>>44042173
> Mash the 'I would like to know more' button with your face.

>>44042173
> Support Amy.
>Mash the 'I would like to know more' button with your face.

As long as we have a proper understanding of what the process entails. She'll know what's going to happen. As long as she makes a properly informed decision, I will respect it.

Alright, I'm gonna call this for a combined 'I would like to know more' and 'support Amy', since almost everyone is asking at least one additional question. Writing soon.

>>44042173
> Support Amy.
> "Cruel question Amy, but important: If we left you behind no matter what, would you still want to do it?"

> Mash the 'I would like to know more' button with your face.

>>44042639
Man, I was hoping to just drop off a vote and go to sleep after getting home from work. Now I have to wait for you to finish writing, and that's going to take what feels like hours.

Meh. Guess I have LP videos I can watch in the meantime...

>>44042676
An interesting question.

>>44042739
Well, good news: I'm writing now.

Also curious about the name. You manage the archive, or...?

>>44042805
Hah, no. I just spend most of my time on the archives as opposed to /tg/ proper. I picked 'bro' instead of 'fag' as the suffix since, well, the latter implies I'm a part of the culture here. I'm not, really. Hence using a name most of the time.

Kinda feels like I'm a Canadian to /tg/'s American.

...Probably not the best analogy. See: sleep, lack of.

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>>44042173
"Could it kill her?" you ask.

"You of all people should know that living through suffering does not make it preferable to death," Meadows says solemnly. "In her position, I would not take the treatment."

"You're soft," Amy hisses. "I'm not some little girl, I'm a dungeonbreaker, the child of an adventurer and a monster, and I'm not /weak/."

"There's no call for that," Nathan interjects, giving Amy a withering glare. "Meadows is doing his duty."

You look between the healer and your companion and fold your arms. "We'll handle the Vintner while you recover, if you're so insistent on it."

"You can't!" Amy snaps, caught somewhere between pleading and betrayal. "You can't just leave me!"

"And how would you stop us?" you point out. "You'll be laid out on the bed for at least a day and a night, probably longer. By the time you got up and could move out, you wouldn't know where we'd gone."

"You /promised/!"

"No, I didn't," you answer calmly. "I said I'd let you help if I had a job for you, not that I'd let you kill yourself after I went through all the effort to save you."

"I want to help," Amy begs.

"Not good enough," comes your low reply. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't take this problem off of your plate."

"I HAVE TO WATCH HIM DIE!" Amy screams. She looks at everyone in the stunned silence that follows, trembling with anger and fear. "Are you happy now? Huh? Three years! Three years in that cage feeling myself die, treated like an animal! He /visited/. He /mocked me/. He hurt people, gods, I could hear the screaming for days sometimes, for /fucking days/, and I need to watch it /end/. I need to see him die in fucking agony and then eat his heart so he can never come back, and then it'll be OVER, it'll be OVER and I can stop being scared."

The harpy girl takes a deep, shuddering breath. "Give me the goddamn feather."

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>>44042958
"Amy," Nathan begins, but you tap him on the shoulder and shake your head.

"Make the preparations, Meadows," you say quietly. "Ames, get on the bed."

"...You won't leave me?" she asks in a fragile voice.

"I won't leave you."

Amy lays on one of Meadows' beds; the elf takes her vitals and records them before giving you a long, sad look.

"I will repeat, a final time, my objection to this procedure," the healer says quietly.

"This left your domain awhile ago," you answer, with a heavy heart. "Revenge...is more my thing."

"Then she is ready."

You nod to Nathan, and he approaches the bed. He takes the feather from his coat and offers it out. It seems like such a small, innocent thing that it's hard to believe it's caused all this trouble, just by trying to help.

Amy's fingers close around it, and she lets out a long, drawn-out scream. Her back arches at the power floods through her veins, making them glow with white-hot light. Then she is unconscious, though by no means immobile. Meadows restrains her with practiced professionalism.

"I can care for her," Meadows offers.

> "I appreciate it, but I should stay here with her."
> "Thank you. I can't. I can't watch this."

>>44043061
>> "I appreciate it, but I should stay here with her."

...What, we can handle both killing an innocent, and dying ourselves, but we can't stay with Amy when she really needs us?

>>44043061
>"I appreciate it, but I should stay here with her."
You're a necromancer, you can't pull the squeamish card!

> "I appreciate it, but I should stay here with her."
it'd be a dick move to say 'this left your domain. but do the hard bit anyway.'

>>44043061
>> "I appreciate it, but I should stay here with her."
This is the path we chose. We need to see it through.

> "I appreciate it, but I should stay here with her."

No good deed goes untraumatized.

>>44043061

> "I appreciate it, but I should stay here with her."

...whelp, at least she's not just doing it for us.

And I can't imagine we haven't seen worse.

>>44043061
>> "I appreciate it, but I should stay here with her."

This was her decision, but we bear some responsibility.

>>44043061
So basically, shes trying to keep up a light cheerful demenour to hide her deep seated white hot burning hatred of everything related to this guy.

>>44043264
That and she feels like if she lets him turn her miserable, he "won", somehow. Amy was a happy person before her imprisonment and she doesn't want to give the Vintner the satisfaction of knowing he changed her.

>>44043264

Mix of that and genuine happiness at actually being free and not starving to death every day and not being forced to watch as hundreds of people who're trying to help her get brutally murdered all the while her attempts to warn them away are twisted into pleadings for them to come rescue her, yeah.

>>44043264
>>44043296
>>44043321
So is this another one of those universes where psychologists don't exist? Sounds like our party could use one or two.

>>44043346
Priests often fill the role, as do spiritual advisors like Brianna. As far as psychology as a formal discipline, well, maybe. There's certainly reasons for people to specialize in mental health, with detecting mind control being chief among them, and there's not a whole lot of, "You don't seem typical, clearly you are a witch," to shake off.

That in mind, finding one at the bottom of giant murder pit might be difficult.

>>44043374
Kinda figured Bri would be the closest we'd find to one. As someone who deals regularly with death and the (un)dead, she probably deals with a lot of people when they're at they're lowest.

Calling the vote. Last update before work, will be back at approximately 10:30 PM EST. Will discuss further after update.

>>44043432
Also don't forget that we aren't exactly in good mental health either, we mostly cope by being an ass to everyone and encouraging them to not form long term relationships with us, evidently we fail at it.

>>44043061
>I appreciate it, but I should stay here with her."

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"I appreciate it. And, I mean, don't leave, but I should stay here with her."

"I understand," Meadows says gently. He watches as you pull up a chair and drape your coat over the back. Nathan looks at you with concern, but you shake your head and nod it at the door. He takes a deep breath and leaves, hands stuck in his massive pockets.

When Amy finally stops thrashing, you take off your top hat and put it on her dark hair.

"I'm sorry," you murmur, before putting your hand in hers. After awhile, Meadows brings you a book, and some tea, and you settle in to wait.

Hours pass, in soft silence. Meadows leaves to go do his house calls. Eventually, Nathan slips in softly, in case you're asleep. You aren't.

"Hey," he murmurs. "Can I get you anything?"

>...Coffee.
>...Rum.
>...Talk?
>...Stay while I take a walk, clear my head?

>>44043653
>...Talk?
social links- wait, wrong reference.

>>44043491
>...Talk?
Not quite sure about what, though. Maybe ask whether he wants to stay here or explore the Dungeon after we kill Vintner?

>...Talk?

Maybe mention the whole "if I die, this all might un-happen" thing?

>...Talk?
def. Although I too am not sure what about

>>44043769
If we do that, open with how he thinks we knew about the croc before we talked with Kells. I'm curious what he can come up with.

Alright folks, post will stay open until I get home from work. Looks like I may possibly have to make a new thread tonight. We've been eating this one up.

In other news, you may have noticed that I'm repeating a lot of the same images. I'm grabbing more as they become relevant, but if anon(s) have pics of interest I'd be eager to snag them.

Thanks again for participating thus far, and I look forward to continuing tonight.

I'm not a madman, you're a madman.

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>>44043892
No, you're not a madman. If you can keep this pace up for a month, then you're a madman.

Yes, I've seen QM's do that.

>>44044062

Who?

According to one of the posters in the last(?) thread, Vox broke the record for longest consecutive run yesterday.

>>44044127
FemCOCK, of BFQ fame.

A thread nearly every day, often multiple threads a day, for 3 months. Unbroken chains of threads that lasted for weeks.

It was a fucking circus made out of multiple magical realms and a level of Shadowruns that made a serious game of Paranoia look like a hippy commune.

All of it surrounding the central act, the endurance trail of a QM who seemed to be literally fueled entirely by sex.

>... Coffee and talk?

Seriously, she needs both

>>44044325
Damn.

Challenge accepted.

>>44043892
I'm afraid you must be mad, or else you wouldn't have come here.

>>44046538
Lasciate ogni sanità voi ch'entrate.

>>44043653
>...Talk?
I suppose now is as good a time as any to mention having a Guardian Death Choir

>>44043653
>... Coffee and talk?

Three hours to vote call. Will be taking anon's topic suggestions for conversation if it wins, which it currently is.

>>44047349

Subsequent suggestions only, or including suggestions from >>44047028, >>44043715, >>44043769, >>44043798 ?

>>44043653
supporting
>>44045065
as for topic see if he'll talk about whatever it is he wanted to speak to us about earlier. I mean we're not technically alone but I doubt birdbrain is going to be waking up anytime soon.

>>44047786
Including.

>...talk

Calling for "coffee and talk", since there really honestly is no reason they can't be combined and all the votes were one, the other, or both.

Writing.

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>>44043653
"Can you bring back some coffee? I'll wash out the kettle, make us some cups. Wouldn't mind company."

Nathan takes a look at Amy wearing your hat; the bird girl lets out faint moans of pain in her sleep, and squeezes your hand.

"I'll wash it out," the young man says softly. "You just sit."

Soon enough, Nathan's come back. He washes out the kettle and gets the process started, and shortly you've got a cup of strong black.

"Not sleeping tonight?"

"I can sleep when I'm dead," you mutter, taking a whiff of the cup and a cautious sip. "...I wanna be awake when she wakes up."

"I can get that. Hey, um." He adjusts in his seat. "...You wanna tell me where you got that feather?"

You mull it over for a minute. Nathan'd trusted you with his secrets. You can trust him with yours, yeah?

"You know how I already knew about the croc?" you say mildly.

"Yeah. I'd thought it was - wait, an angel told you?" he says incredulously.

"Not exactly," you admit. "It killed me." You take a long drink of the warm coffee while Nathan stares at you, then offer out the cup for a refill. The young man looks at your face and sighs.

"You're serious." It's not a question. "Okay, so...what happened after?"

"I...woke up back in Glen. And no one remembered that I'd gone into the Dungeon already. The soldiers were still there, like we'd just arrived the night before instead of two nights before. They let me explore the town, because I was nice enough to ask, and you know most of the rest. Except...that door? The open one, on the left of the T-section? I was the one who opened it. That was still changed."

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>>44051011
"So where does the angel enter into it?" Nathan asks.

"Met her when I died," you explain. "And I talk with her every time I sleep. She gave me the cigarettes, and the feather. Assuming her appearance is true, she's probably Death Choir, which...is not the oddest idea? I don't know what her relationship is to this place, though. I don't think she's a normal example."

"What /is/ a normal example?" Nathan asks. "I know they're grouped by task, but..."

You nod. "Death, Leaves, Fangs, Rain, Depths, Sorrows, and Mysteries. The Seven Choirs of Angels. Each attends to some function in the name of the collective gods, usually ensuring the sanctity or function of some celestial process. The Death Choir is responsible for the cessation of life; that is to say, they ensure that the soul behaves properly when the body is bereft of life."

"Properly?" Nathan leans in, fascinated.

"Imagine if you were trapped in your own corpse, still able to feel everything happening to it but unable to move or express yourself." When Nathan turns pale, you continue. "They ensure that the soul leaves the body and obeys various magical and natural laws. It's a job that mostly does itself, but when it goes wrong it's usually for a powerfully difficult reason. In fact, you could describe pretty much all of the duties of the various Choirs that way."

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>>44051175
"Angels have various properties that aren't well-understood because it's rare to catch one in a physical form," you continue. "And because neither they nor the gods seem to see fit to talk about why they were created or why they look and act as they do. Why do angels 'fall'? Why do they lay with mortals sometimes? Why appear with weapons or with armor when they put on bodies the way we'd put on a beloved outfit?" You shrug. "No one really knows. No one in a position to know is talking. But this one seems to think I can die and live again, and appointed me to do...something...down here. Something that will be aided by defeating the Vintner."

"Is that why you're helping Lakehallow?"

"I know you didn't mean that maliciously, but I want you to sit back and examine that sentence while I drink this coffee."

Nathan has the grace to look guilty.

"I'm helping because the place needs help. Because the Vintner is, evidently, a power-mad asshole who needs to die all the way to death. And now, because someone I'd like to call my friend was hurt, down to her soul, and she needs the closure that revenge will give her."

"...I'm not sure I can approve of that," Nathan says softly.

"Thankfully, it's none of your business," you say simply. "I'm going to talk to her, when she wakes up. About what revenge will and won't get her, and what she's willing to sacrifice to get it. But, ultimately, I'm with her. She needs it. I've seen too many ghosts cling to the world for the lack of it. This part of her life won't be over until he's gone, and frankly, after everything he's done? To her, to this town, to these people? He dies."

Nathan nods, and sighs. "I just..."

"We'll be there to make sure she doesn't become the thing she hates."

The two of you lapse into companionable quiet.

> Talk about something else (suggest a topic)
> Suggest that Nathan do something to help the group prepare (timeskip).
> Write-in.

>>44051314
>Suggest that Nathan do something to help the group prepare (timeskip).

>>44051314

> Talk about something else (suggest a topic)

So how's your sword?

Or something along those lines. Figure Bri would want to know if she was going to have to deal with a yandere sabre in the forseeable future.

>>44051314
> Talk about something else (suggest a topic)
>Get Nathan's opinion on Lora. After all, Lora's been quite obtuse and opaque about everything, despite how helpful she is.

>>44051314
>> Talk about something else (suggest a topic)
What >>44051404 said. I want to know what wraithsteel actually is.

Calling the vote. Writing.

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"Your turn," you say at last, gesturing with your cup to the saber at his side. "What can you tell me about that sword? I know wraithsteel's expensive, but..."

"Not much else?" Nathan says with a grin. "Not surprised. It's hard to find, harder to acquire. Wraithsteel's..." he pauses. "Hard to talk about accurately, because people leap to assumptions. Wraithsteel is found in certain kinds of magical creature and sometimes in deposits in the ground where large amounts of such creatures died, usually in fires of some kind that melted them together. As you might imagine, it's somewhat more common in volcanic regions. In its natural state, wraithsteel is a 'living' metal, forming the creatures made of it in much the same way as skeletons form us. When found, the metal contains some of the life that used to occupy it."

You nod attentively, genuinely fascinated.

"Wraithsteel's impressionable," Nathan continues. "It takes a fragment of the life it used to hold, and retains it. It takes yet more of its purpose from the mind that works it. As the smith makes something with wraithsteel, he imparts some of himself, his intent, and his skill to it. Finally, the resulting tool or weapon is named, cementing its purpose and aligning the energies contained within it. Done right, the results are typically very magical and very responsive. Verve was made for me and kept nameless for...almost twenty years," he admits. "It's been yearning to be defined. Now that it finally has been, it's rather eager."

"It has a soul?"

"It has a self, but that's not the same thing. It's a...a keris," Nathan explains, awkwardly. "It is awake but not aware. It has desire but not thought, purpose without will. The blade is as it is /because/ that's how it is."

"Urgh. No wonder primitive cultures thought smiths were a kind of wizard. My head hurts." You set your cup down. "So knowing all of this, you named your sword 'Verve'?"

Nathan shrugs. "It felt right."

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>>44052272
"How does it take to necromancy?" you ask.

Nathan shakes his head. "Ruins the metal. Rots it away like you wouldn't believe. It's been tried. No one's like the results."

"That's fucking fascinating," you say, honestly. "...Thanks for sticking around, Nate."

"Been my pleasure," he says with a small smile. "Do you want me to stay here, or...?"

> Yes. It's nice having you here.
> Yes. I need a friend.
> No. The talk I need to have with Amy needs to be private.
> No. You should probably get supplies packed and ready, and ask around about the tools Amy will need.

> Yes. I need a friend.
> No. The talk I need to have with Amy needs to be private.
Why are these mutually exclusive? I want him there until she wakes.

>>44052431
Mostly because it won't /feel/ like she's has privacy if she wakes up with everyone there. There's going to be that nagging emotional implication that Nate's in on it.

>>44052371
>> No. You should probably get supplies packed and ready, and ask around about the tools Amy will need.

>>44052371
>Yes
>I need to....take a bath and stuff. Make sure that Amy doesn't see a tired face and gets whipped with guilt she doesn't need.

>>44052371


> No. The talk I need to have with Amy needs to be private.
> No. You should probably get supplies packed and ready, and ask around about the tools Amy will need.

>>44052445
got it.
> No. The talk I need to have with Amy needs to be private.

amy's feelings take precedent over us being bored, cause brianna's a martyr like that

>>44052470

>brianna's the martyr
>not the players

> No. The talk I need to have with Amy needs to be private.

> No. You should probably get supplies packed and ready, and ask around about the tools Amy will need.
Getting someone to prep is a good idea.

> No. The talk I need to have with Amy needs to be private.
> No. You should probably get supplies packed and ready, and ask around about the tools Amy will need.

Both of these. Gives him something to do so he doesn't feel so bad about being sent off. Mr. Hero-Who-Disapproves does not need to be around right now - but this'll make him feel better about it.

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Calling in 12 minutes, will be final update of this thread. I'll leave the thread open for votes/discussion/questions.

HOPEFULLY I WON'T FORGET THE PREVIOUS THREAD LINK THIS TIME LIKE A FUCKING JACKASS.

>>44052371
>No. The talk I need to have with Amy needs to be private.
What are we talking about? I'm not quite sure but let's talk anyway!

>>44052738
Revenge, hers. Making sure our adorable birdie doesn't become an evil bitch-queen reigning with the force of song (badass though that now sounds) after she gets it.

Votes called. Writing final update of thread. God, but we peeled through this one.

Amy DOES know this may not be permanent, right?

>>44052865
If it's not, we are going to have a Talk with Lora about being clearer.

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>>44052371
"I'm tempted, but...no," you decide. "The talk I need to have with Amy should be private. Maybe more importantly, she shouldn't associate you with it, because she might want your perspective on the matter."

"Thanks," the young man says thoughtfully. "I never would have thought of that."

"It's almost like one of us is a professional spiritual advisor, and the other turns large people and objects into much smaller people and objects."

"Smartass," comes the answer, with a roll of Nate's eyes.

"Mind starting the prep work?" you suggest. "Maybe figure out if people in town have any idea on common dungeonbreaking tools?"

"I'll get a list prepped," Nathan promises. He leaves with a wave, leaving you alone with Amy. The bird girl squeezes your hand and chirps unhappily in her sleep.

Okay. Realistically, you've got some time before she wakes up.

> Bathe, put on good clothes. Spiritual Advisor Mode.
> Bathe, keep on normal clothes. Friendship Mode.
> Stay as-is. Amy's...affectionate. You think she'll understand the gesture for what it is.
> Write-in.

>>44053034
> Stay as-is. Amy's...affectionate. You think she'll understand the gesture for what it is.

>>44053034
> Bathe, keep on normal clothes. Friendship Mode.

>>44053034
> Bathe, keep on normal clothes. Friendship Mode.

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Thanks again for participating folks. This thread will be left open for votes/discussion/feedback/questions, as well as (hopefully, if I fucking get to it) the link to the new thread.

> Bathe, keep on normal clothes. Friendship Mode.

>>44053034
>Bathe, keep on normal clothes. Friendship Mode.

> Bathe, keep on normal clothes. Friendship Mode.

NEW THREAD

>>44053626
>>44053626
>>44053626
>>44053626