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>>45646523
You grin viciously at the demon's challenge and unshackle your shadow; you can feel it spread along the dimly lit serviceway, hear the icy cracking behind your eyes.

"Catch me, demon," you taunt. You - not 'feel', exactly, but percieve the /flex/ of your false leg as you spring back and fire a pair of shots into the gorger's open maw. The demon starts to charge, only to be interrupted by an explosion against its spine.

Its outraged whirl shows you Amy catching Blame as the axe returns to her. She screeches a battlecry and hurls the demonic weapon a second time. The gorger ducks, only to take the axe in the back again when it goes to return to Amy, sticks the bony armor that protects its back, and explodes.

Shards of bone and steel rain down onto the floor.

"River, its spine!"

River nods, ducking a scything chain. Her bastard sword crawls with a sickly gray-green flame that burns without smoke, which you recognize from some of Brianna's books.

Balefire.

The elf raises the blade and is caught under her armpit by one of the gorger's fists. She goes crashing into the pipes with a cry of pain and slumps, unconscious. The flaming blade skitters across the ground.

> Protect River
> Go for the sword
> Attack the gorger
> Write-in?

>>45646670

> Protect River

Amy goes for the sword?

>>45646670
> Attack the gorger
With Amy on the flank odds are pretty good they could keep it distracted from River.

>>45646670
>> Attack the gorger

don't we have a better sword already? is there something balefire can do that wraithsteel can't?

>>45646670
>> Protect River
Save the damsel in distress!

>>45646786
Balefire is fucking nasty on a level wraithsteel isnt.

>>45646670
>Protect River

>>45646786

Balefire isn't what it's made of, it's what it's coated in.

Arrived. Update in thirty or so after we get food.

>>45646670
>> Protect River
Bri asked us not to come back minus more than one limb. Pretty sure her sister is worth more than a leg.

>>45646670
>Protect River

Called, writing.

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>>45649887
In regards to Nate's leg, this picture will come in handy.

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>>45646670
You don't think twice - you dash between the gorger and River, warding it back with a backhanded slash that lays part of its cheek open. You take a step back and swat one bony chain aside; a second and third slam into your armor, and you feel the air get punched out of your lungs.

That massive maw opens ever wider, sucking in hungry breaths of the baking air.

Amy leaps onto the demon's back, stabbing at it with Shame and another short, triangular dagger. Wraithsteel feathers slash at everything they can reach while Amy screams.

"/You don't touch my family/!" the half-harpy snarls. "I'LL CRACK YOU LIKE A LOBSTER AND DRINK YOUR BLOOD WHILE YOU LIVE!"

The demon charges you, jaw scraping the floor while its bony armor cracks beneath Amy's assault. You press your back against the pipes and /jump/, planting your foot and your prosthetic against the edges of those yawning teeth. The gorger shrieks in agony when its flesh begins to sizzle beneath you living iron.

When it tries to recoil, you grab two of its chains and wrap them around your arms, /pulling/ grimly.

"Unnhaaaaaaaaaaaaaand mee!" the demon gurgles, thrashing to get out of your grip.

"Mourn," you hiss between gritted teeth. "Mourn, child of laughter!"

The chains strain, where they anchor to the gorger's flesh.

"MOURN, AND BOW YOUR HEAD IN CEASELESS SORROW!"

The chains rip free of their anchors, spraying demonic blood through the room and ripping a wail of agony from your foe. It staggers back, slamming Amy against the pipes behind it - your lover falls to the floor, stunned - and gibbers in slack-jawed pain.

It turns and starts fleeing.

> Chase it with Fetch
> Attend to the wounded

>>45650211
>> Chase it with Fetch

HO LA SONS OF SORROW

>>45650257
eeyup. The wounded can wait till the one who hurt them is dead.

>>45650291
Unless they can't

>>45650291
We also don't have much medical training

>>45650305
I'm sure Vox would let us know if they were dying

>>45650338
Or would he?

>>45650362
One is just knocked out and the other is stunned. At worst they'll be eaten by some wandering forge beast.

>>45649953
You glorious bastard.

Alright, I'm gonna let this go for the night, as I mentioned before. Vote will remain open until I get up in the morning.

Questions, comments, discussion, and criticisms remain welcome and appreciated.

Thank you all for reading and participating!

>>45650211
>> Chase it with Fetch

i love how like 6 people commented, but only 1 voted so far.

> Let Fetch chase it while you attend to your companions

That way we can tell where it's going and quickly make sure that the girls are fine.
Or at the very least Fetch can keep the heat on it, if not slay it outright.

(Gotta admit, against big enemies like this he and the other chickens feel a bit... ineffectual. In fact, I'm not sure the other two chicken were even here. You'd think that putting envenomed bone quills into someone's eyes would make it harder for them to run anywhere in particular.)

>>45650211
>> Chase it with Fetch
But do a quick yell at Amy like "Nod if you're not gonna die" and if she does give chase, but if not do a quick check up and chase when she's stable.

>>45650211
>Check to see that Amy is in one piece, then hunt down that cowardly glutton with Sir Fetch.
I'm pretty sure that Soaring Song cushioned Amy from the worst of the blow, so all she needs is a moment to collect herself. River, on the other hand, probably has a couple broken ribs (which is still infinitely better than being eaten alive).

>>45650740
True, but this /is/ a demon were talking about, so normal rules need not apply. Plus, this thing has been roaming around devouring everything in sight and becoming even stronger. I think we did well.

>>45650211
>> Chase it with Fetch

>>45650211
>>> Chase it with Fetch

I /hate/ leaving Amy and them behind, but we know if this thing gets away, it's going to get stronger and nastier.

We need to punk it out now.

>>45651654

Reasonable. This seems a bit like the Worf Effect happening. Fetch is quite deadly, but if he's only put up against things that are even tougher he seems weak in comparison.

...not that him stomping minor enemies would be much better, admitedly. Tricky situation.

>>45651803
Technically speaking, it isn't just Nate and Fetch. Verve can function independently of its master, so Nate can try to kick the shit out of the demon with his badass prosthetic.

I can't remember if Verve had any hereto special abilities, aside from the whole 'levitation and slashing bitches like clearance prices' thing.

>>45650424
Even though it was only a few posts, this was a really cool fight. The gorger was hyped up as being dangerous and it really lived up to that, it laid out 2 powerful people in a 1v4 fight. I half expected this to be a "welcome to New Hell, here's your first quest" kinda fight, but was pleasantly surprised.

>>45650211
>Chase it with Fetch
>Let go of Verve and focus on a speeding ironkick
>Verve can follow anyway
Now would also be the time to shoot the gun, but Nate's is one-shot, right?

Bump or the love of caffeine everywhere.

>>45651818
It does help that the Gorger makes for a big fucking target.

>>45650211
> Chase it with Fetch

>>45650424
You up yet?

>>45656928
I am now. Run's gonna be slow while I'm here, though.

Morning shit, then will call and write.

>>45650211
>> Chase it with Fetch

We can't let it get away and heal now.

That feel when my schedule was the literal opposite of what I was expecting.

I'm going to finish the gorger fight when I get back from this caffeine run. AT THAT TIME, my extended break is gonna begin. I realize we're barely into this thread but, again, work schedule ended up being ass backwards.

After that, DLQ will resume on WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2nd at 12:30 PM EST.

I'll keep an eye on this thread for questions/comments/feedback once I begin the hiatus.

Thank you all for your patience.

>>45657531
Enjoy your break.

>>45657531
Gonna be weird to not have DLQ running for those days. But if ya need a break, take it.

>>45657531
Finally! You deserve some breathing time.

>>45657531
We're grateful for the constant running, but I can tell it has taken a toll. Enjoy your rest, lich. Your faithful /tg/ zombies will be waiting when you rise from your tomb.

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>>45650211
You look at Amy to make sure she's going to be fine - she's just stunned, as you suspected, which is a vast relief - and give chase. Fetch gives out a squaking cry and follows, his brothers in tow.

"How is that thing not dead?" you ask, in disbelief.

"I know not," the undead chicken answers. "That quill through the eye would have killed one of the Firstborn."

You fire your fourth shot, straight into the crack in the gorger's rear armor. It snarls in fury and staggers forward, chips of bone spraying from its body, and whirls to face you.

You have to admit, you weren't expecting its hand to have turned into some kind of bony cannon.

You slide without thinking, and the blast of demonfire and molten steel goes sailing over your head. You hit the floor with your palm and kick with your posthetic; the satisfying feeling of the iron hitting bone is matched by the melting shriek of the gorger.

Fetch leaps, claws outstretched, and begins pecking at its face.You roll away from a blindly thrown chain, try to stand, and can't get both of your legs under you.

Okay, fuck it.

"Fetch, down!"

The chicken lets go, just ahead of the gorger's grasping hand, and you fire the last two rounds of your revolver into the gorger's face. One flattens against its skull, snapping its head back. The other hits the eye that Fetch's quill sticks from, shattering the bony dart and spraying jelly and fluids like a popped blister.

You find your footing and lash out with Verve. The saber bites into the demon's neck and lays its throat open, letting out a tide of black blood that boils and hisses. The gorger hits its knees, clawing at its throat in vain agony. Its body sizzles away, leaving behind only bone and steel, scattered over the floor in broken chunks.

You roar your victory through the empty halls, and turn to attend upon your companions.

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And one last thing before I go into "check thread infrequently to address feedback". Domo brings unto you: pic related.

>>45659059
Cute.

>>45659059
Daawww!

>>45659059
That's some weapons grade adorabilium right there.

>>45659059
I am so fucking glad I suggested letting her cuddle with the griffon

>>45658846

Well, that's done.

Time to go hope that this wasn't planned and we don't come back to see River and Amy being dragged off by a group of thugs.

>>45659412
Mate... Thank you. For you have done a great deed for us.

>>45659528
>Let's hope nobody dragged away the ex-mercenary necromancer and shankbird wielding hell's steel in the approximately two minutes it took to get that thing.

Granted, they are both wounded/a bit out of it. Still, I have my doubts.

>>45659528
Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?

>>45659899
Yeah, why is that particular anon always saying something bad's going to happen! Put on a name and say something nice for a change so we know you're being positive.

>>45659899

Now that we've defeated the Gorger, the rest of what we have to face here in New Hell will surely be simple to deal with!

>>45659939

Okay, then.

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, the Gorger doesn't seem like something Natalia would use. This means that at least she's averse to random and indiscriminate murder. The fact that she's made use of mostly traps and ambushes as well, instead of proactively striking people indicates that she /probably/ isn't interested in causing pain.

So, I'm still really hopeful that she can be saved, although that's tempered by the fact that any serious attempt to do so will likely result in her killing herself.

>>45659955
>>45659899

Once again, Nates Mom wants him to win. So, yeah. The more danger we toss Nate into, the less likely she is to kill our companions.

>>45660103
her name is the traitor, just saying we should take what she says at face value.

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>>45659899
I do believe you forgot your pic anon.

>>45660103
Oh shit, thats why they both got injured here. Shes trying to take them out of the picture! FUCK!

>>45660593
>>45660713

She's magically bound by the chain, so it's probably acceptable for her to get around having to be dangerous to Nate so long as she's sufficiently dangerous to his companions.

She might not even want to hurt them, but be working on a zero-sum equation.

What if the demon wasn't hers?

>>45660712
Left it out intentionally, was hoping someone would get the reference

>>45659059
The sword isn't screamy enough.

Thread archived, incidentally.

>>45660090
>the Gorger doesn't seem like something Natalia would use. This means that at least she's averse to random and indiscriminate murder.
She's trying to start a fucking world war for literally no purpose other than to maximize pain and misery, a Gorger totally seems like something she would use.

>>45659059
Yeah, there's plenty space to add a new screaming face as each holder is killed.

>>45659528
While I DO think Natalia had a more deliberate purpose in mind making the Gorger, I don't think it's as a distraction.

What it does sounds more related to her in terms of "sacrificing lives for power", it may have been an experiment for a different plan later down the line.

>>45659059
Domo is my fucking mensch.

>>45661656
Q&A time? Q&A time.

Do each of the Secondborn have a metal or precious stone they have a special link to? I remember you saying something about imps having a talent for gem-cutting.

What kind of animal did Verve come from? I've been envisioning some kind of panther or big cat, ferocious but graceful.

Has River learned any tricks she can use with demon parts? I just feel that with the Gorger down, the adventuring heroes can get their loot on.

>>45657531
>hiatus ends when I lose my internet
kms

>>45661656
Is Natalia a MILF?

>>45665286
She's more than a little crazy, with abrupt and probably violent mood swings, she's missed out on sleep and meals, her hair is greasy and stringy, and the only clean things on her are her armor and weapons.

So, no, not really. Actually, she might have been a good looking woman /before/ she went off to war and managed to become even crazier than the normal seers.

>>45665507
Well, somebody fucked her. And that's the truth. I have evidence to prove it.

>>45666221
Truth.

>>45665286
See >>45665507

>>45664015
Some are known to be better at certain things. In some cases it's cultural, such as succubi often favoring discplines like goldsmithing. In other cases it's because of traits inherent to them that make them better at something - for instance, imps, with their smaller hands, fine dexterity, and keen eyesight are good for gemcutting and inscriptions.

Verve was forged from an aquatic wraithsteel predator.

River can help you with the bits of bone and metal left by the gorger, though the majority of the demon has returned to Hell.

>>45668264
>aquatic wraithsteel predator.
So it's not especially graceful above land, but underwater it moves just fine?

There's not much variety in "aquatic predator" though. Sharks are pretty much all bite, and more bite. Anglerfish go for the bait. Manta-Rays with their camo? Do crocs count?

It's funny how dolphins aren't included, but would be quite formidable as a weapon.

Really, I can't understand why someone would make a long thin slashing weapon out of an aquatic. A pilebunker or handheld bear trap, even just a short, aqua-dynamic weapon would make more sense.

>>45669134
Sabers were a sailing weapon.

>>45669658
and I'm seeing them used more often on cavalry than sailing.

Weren't shorter, wider blades preferred so you had mobility while boarding? Either way, why not a spear? Heroes Have to Use Swords?

>>45669658
Sabers were more of a cavalry weapon, though they were fine to use on foot. the length reliance on cutting is a bit of a disadvantage in the potentially confined spaces of a ship.

>>45669134
>So it's not especially graceful above land, but underwater it moves just fine?
Probably not as it's considered "AQUATIC" which is kind of the definition of the word.
>There's not much variety in "aquatic predator" though. Sharks are pretty much all bite, and more bite. Anglerfish go for the bait. Manta-Rays with their camo? Do crocs count?
>It's funny how dolphins aren't included, but would be quite formidable as a weapon.
Dolphins would still fall under aquatic predator as I'm rather sure they eat meat and live in the water.
>Really, I can't understand why someone would make a long thin slashing weapon out of an aquatic. A pilebunker or handheld bear trap, even just a short, aqua-dynamic weapon would make more sense.
You're questioning why Nate had a sword made? I'd imagine it's since swords are pretty much the most common weapon you can have and the one that most people are skilled in. You would rather have some smith fashion you a 'bear trap' out of a giant metal aquatic monster than a weapon you know how to use?

Hell we even just used the metal from a giant snake that lived in a mine to make the wings for our harpy lover. None of that is really about making sense other than we wanted to give it to Amy. I don't get why this is weird to you.

>>45659059
Good lord I haven't stopped grinning for like 10 minutes, wallpaper right there

Sword fits quite well for something like a barracuda, which is the first critter that came to my mind when Vox said Verve came from something aquatic.

>>45669986
>why Nate had a sword made
he didn't? Natalia had it made.

Just saying that a trident or cutlass may have been better.

>>45671129
mimicking the form rather than function? Hmm, I guess that could also work.

>>45668264
Nice. So, it is in spirit one long tooth. Does that mean Verve gets more aggressive once its tasted a foes blood?

Actually, how intelligent or aware is Wraithsteel? Dog, chimp or child level? And I know Verve can respond to commands from Nathan, but how well could it function without him?

Bumpin' for the love of Vox.

>>45668264
>bits of bone and metal

I wonder what we should do with that.

>>45674959
Nathan and Amy already have some awesome Wraithsteel gear. I think that the next one's up one the epic loot list are River and Brianna.

>>45674959
>Brianna
weighing her down might not be a good idea

on the other hand

>Boar
hellooooo armored pig

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>>45675282
Did someone said armored boar?

>>45675350
you got that right. Armored head, front hooves, and a proper nest for Fetch/saddle for the others

....still would have preferred witchbats

>>45675368
Who says we can't get them later? We first discussed turning the boar into a minion somewhere in the second act, but we didn't get around to it until the interlude before New Hell.

So far I've enjoyed the direction we've taken Brianna's necromancy and minions.
>The chickens are fast, small targets, have potent necrotoxin, and Sir Fetch is a little whirlwind of humor and chivalry.
>The skelehands are deft and agile, and they still have room to be upgraded with poison claws or maybe even tails, so they can be like little bone scorpions.
>Our shadow, Kat, has yet to be upgraded (which I think is a wise move, until Brianna finishes her necromantic studies under the Caretaker and become a true Master), and could become very versatile.
>The boar is going to be our tanking minion, so I very much support the option to clad his bones in demon iron. We could even give him the option to belch balefire like a fucking Sherman.
>We could go for witchbats, but there's also the option to use bugs, snakes, birds, or any other critters we can find.

>>45675636
I still can't imagine what exactly the hands DO right now.

I mean, other than cupping them under someone's breasts for some VERY strange "intimidation" factor.

>>45676438
Didn't they kill the boar? I mean, no Idea /how/, but I think they did.

>>45676503
Venomous claws and bleeding to death. Each fingertip has a claw, and they crawl around on you, meaning they stab you with every step they take. A little necromantic venom and they literally pins-and-needles you to death.

I wonder what kind of combinations we'd get by combining Brianna's necromancy with other branches of magic (aside from Balefire), and what kind of bonuses our minions would get from them.

>>45677624
We know that alchemy can give us more varieties of necromantic toxins as well as healing and nonlethal options.

>>45677624
Combine necromancy and healing to create a magical paradox.

>>45677861
Yeah, that too. I just figure that having some elements spliced in with necromancy would give us spells that can ignore some enemies immunities.
>Earth magic and necromancy creates weathering effects and petrification.
>Water magic and necromancy creates strong acids that chew through metal and flesh alike.
>Wind magic and necromancy causes haunting winds that bite at exposed flesh and fuck with morale.
>Fire magic and necromancy creates eldtritch Balefire, which we've already seen from River - though we haven't seen how effective it is in combat.

>>45678464
You mean cancer, right? Heal a body so much it destroys itself?

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>>45678464
zombie armies anon.
zombie armies.

>>45678691
>You mean cancer, right? Heal a body so much it destroys itself?
You do realize this is what we cured Nate of right?

>>45678464
>>45678752
That's what we cured Nate of.

Are y'all mufuggas trying to keep this alive until fucking Wednesday?

>>45679745
ya know if we pulled that off would it still count toward his chain or do we need to count the record already?

>>45679783
Bump count is only at 100. All we need is one or two people dropping a bump every hour or so.

>>45679745
I don't know if trying to keep the thread alive is an exercise in futility, but goddamn it Jim, we've got to try!

No! The thread must live! LIVE DAMNIT!!

>>45679783
I'd say it doesn't count. He doesn't run, after all. There being a thread doesn't count. Shouldn't count, at least.
Plus, what worth is there keeping it alive if we know Vox'll be absent for half a week?

>>45682755
Well how big a break can a qm take without it considere being a broken run?

I mean, one plot post every 24 hours at the least?

>>45682974
Well, I'd consider it a broken run at least by the point where the QM actually says that he needs a couple days breaks.

>>45682974
>>45683041
The runs over I'd say. Granted he lasted a really long fucking time.

>>45683041
>>45683101

But he's done shit where he goes to sleep, wakes up, posts once and goes to work.

One post in like, 14 to 16 hours?

That's a broken fucking run imo

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Arise great lost one!!

necromantic bump in the night.

>>45685444
>>45687431
if you don't have new stuff to talk about, you really should just let it die.

>>45679783
Call the count already. Vox is on break, honestly and officially.

>>45687864
B-b-but my trips...