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>>46084509
The angel takes a long drag on her cigarette.

"There are others I hate more, Hero," she says, with a sigh. "I can understand feeling obligated to a duty you hate. I've had time to think. To be honest, I have nothing /but/ time to think. And what I think is that I want to see where this...experiment of yours goes."

"Experiment?" you ask, dubiously.

"Brianna has chosen to extend mercy to her enemies. To understand and sympathize, rather than harry and revenge. And, having gotten to know her, it bothers me that I don't understand why someone would do that. So I'm going to let it happen, and see what results, and try to learn."

"You don't understand mercy?" you ask, puzzled and worried.

"Death only offers one kind of mercy, and its cost is...high. Go. Speak to your mother."

"...Did she ever -"

"You were the only thing she spoke about, Nathan," Lora murmurs. "Orders for me, and /you/."

You sigh, heavily, and trudge towards your mother. All the aches and pains you hadn't noticed in the heat of battle throb all over your body, especially the legs; acrobatics on steps is far from easy these days.

The dead men look almost peaceful.

You kneel next to your mother and brush her hair back from her face.

"I'm so sorry," Natalia whispers, harshly. "You must think I'm a coward. I am. I'm sorry..."

"Natalia," you murmur. "The angel is willing to let you live. Do you have any feelings on that?"

"Fear."

"Do you want that?"

The older woman sobs and nods, unable to speak.

"Even if it cost your Sight?" you press, wanting to be sure.

"I don't want to die a monster," Natalia begs. "I'd offer anything. /Anything/."

You look up at Lora. "Do it."

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>>46084804
Lora flits over with surprising grace. You take a step back, more on instinct than anything else, and watch as she kneels next to your mother. Black wings fold around Natalia, and you catch snippets of whispers in the angel's voice, words and phrases spoken with complexity and care in rapid-fire divinity.

There is a scream of pain, and then Lora's wings open. The angel sets your mother down, gently, onto the floor.

"She needs to rest," Lora murmurs. "And you have a final decision to make."

"The guns," you hazard.

"Aye," Lora agrees. "I can destroy the guns on this level. I can annihilate the plans made with my power and break the specialized tools used to forge the equipment, but ultimately, that will only set the technology back. The people here are smart, and have been involved in this for some time. They will re-invent the technology, in a matter of perhaps a decade. It will be cruder, to be sure..."

You remember the crank guns, from the Mine, and shudder. "What about Natalia's client?"

"That's your problem now," the angel says, frankly. "Do I destroy the guns or not?"

"Can you keep them contained within the Dungeon?" you ask.

"Maybe, but I won't," she says flatly. "I won't disrespect the work of New Hell like that. They're forbidden or permitted, not both."

You look down at the revolver in your hand, thoughtfully.

> Set gun development back
> Let it proceed

>>46085331
>Set gun development back

>>46085331
> Let it proceed

We're going to need help taking the rest of the dungeon. As long as we're on good terms with those that build the guns, they are an advantage we need.

>>46085331
>> Let it proceed

It's already happening, whether we want it to or not.

>>46085331
>Set gun development back
start fresh, no angel cheats.

Besides which, give time to make proper infrastructure to go with the guns, transportation, fortification, and supply management.

>>46085331
>> Set gun development back

It'll sting for New Hell, but they have everything they need to start over again. Plus, I doubt Natalia, going over the edge as she was, picked out a client that had noble intentions. When they come out again, the world still won't be ready. It never is. But at least we won't dump a bunch of weapons into the hands of a possible warmonger.

Honestly though, I can see the vote going either way.

It's a complex decision that I really don't think has a right answer.

>>46085331
>Set gun development back
Let's let shit happen naturally.
let this info diffuse so other people can make shitty guns that blow up.

>>46085331
>> Set gun development back
Slower, so people can adapt to the technology.

>>46085331
> Set gun development back
Ensure that the lower levels won't be able to get more from New Hell.

Final Boss Richard
Speaks a few Divine words
His weapons are tipped with a few shards of the godslayer
Invisible guntraps

>>46085723
He was Lora the whole time
No, wait.
HE WAS THE STUFFED GRIFFIN

>>46085331
> Set gun development back

>>46085331
> Set gun development back

>>46085331
>> Let it proceed
But Try and reason with the floors on why it would be bad to let em out. We can't stop em but we can attempt to reason with em.

>>46085331
>> Set gun development back
Yeah I don't like the idea of risking guns getting to the lower floors

I was gonna call and write but to be honest I'm fucking exhausted and my head is killing me. Votes are open until I get up.

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

Thank you all for reading and participating!

>>46085331
> Set gun development back
Sure they can reinvent the arbalests and junk.
But at least they won't be skipping to machineguns.

>>46087069
Oh, meant *arquebuse there.

>>46085331
>> Let it proceed

>>46085331
> Let it proceed
Patrick told me to vote for this, but this time I have a stake in it.

Guns are cool nigga! Keep em coming!

>>46085331
>Set gun development back

>>46085331
>Set gun development back.
We can't stop the smiths of New Hell from doing their work, but we can prevent the rest of the Chain-Holders from emulating the Baron.

> Set gun development back

They are useful in this whole killing business, yes, but... let's not. Let 'em build the prerequisites first this time around and then we'll see how it goes from there.

>>46085331
Can we also ask her a bit in addition to selected action?
>"Are there guns on lower levels?"
and if we decide to destroy them
>ask her to keep in mind wiping the guns on them whenever each subsequent level is brought back under her control

>>46085331
>> Set gun development back

They'll fix it in less than ten years, and without angel raping magic.

So my fellow readers, what's your favourite theory for the meaning behind Lora's name, whichever it turns out to be?

I'm settling on "bringing forth apocalypse when the ordained time comes"

>>46090529

Lucifer?

>>46090591
I am specifically not asking for the actual word.
That can be anything, possibilities are way too wide for theories to hit outside of blind luck.

I am asking for guesses about the /meaning/ of her true nature.

She certainly has a little bit of some depictions of Lucifer in the backstory she already gave us: she challenged the gods.
But instead of being smote from heavens, she was given ground to try and prove her opinion.

>>46085331
>set gun development back
Skipping steps on the tech tree is never a good idea. When they work it out again in the future, they'll have a stronger understanding of the concepts involved as a result. If we allow things to remain as they are, they'll try to advance on what they have without ever having worked out the fundamentals needed for the lower steps.

>>46090862
>Skipping steps on the tech tree is never a good idea.
I disagree when it comes to infrastructure. Plumbing and good cement/mortar go a long way....

>>46090900
Even then. Giving people plumbing when they lack, say, enough knowledge of metallurgy to make their own pipes, is still a bad move. It's trading fundamental understanding for short-term comfort.

>>46088413
Lora can only affect each layer we free; she can't touch the lower levels because the chains binding her are still intact.

>>46090529
She might be the literal Reaper. I mean, if the gods gave her enough power to /create/ life rather than just take it, she might be destined for something huge.

But, I have to agree with the other anons, there's only a few things that come to mind, and they ain't pretty. Killing the gods, destroying the world, slaying the sun, etc. It'd explain why she asked Brianna & company not to fear or hate her.

>>46090922
Not really. Machu Pichu had a working sewer system, and I don't think they had much in metallurgy except 'Oh, this shiny rock-like stuff is better for stabbing things than a stick!"

>>46090922
>enough metallurgy
considering the intricacies of New Hell's cooling system, I don't think the rest of the world is that far behind. Rather, the key points of the technology are the logistics necessary to implement it, knowing how much it helps cleanliness and healthcare, and just how convenient it is to have running water wherever you want.

so two-thirds of it is really purely ideas, and the last third is not necessarily tied to technology level.

I'm up. Morning shit, coffee, then will write.

>>46090900
Funny you should pick those particular examples, when the Romans had both those things. I wouldn't call that skipping steps, so much as investing more in infrastructure than was fashionable in most of the middle ages.

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>>46091481
This seems appropriate. Got your Double Coffee ready?

>>46092465
You fuckin' know it.

Called, writing.

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>>46085331
You give the matter some thought. This genie is already out of the bottle, but that doesn't mean it can't be handled in a more sane fashion than what's already happened. You can just imagine what might happen if the Pit doesn't decide to stop working for the Chain-Bearers lower down, to say nothing of anyone else on the level. You haven't even /met/ the orc yet. Destroying the weapons also keeps them from Natalia's client.

You're understanding now why Brianna had the first set destroyed.

"Destroy them please, Lora. It might happen on its own, but /let/ it happen on its own."

Lora turns and swings her blade in a blurred arc. The tip barely touches the edge of the stained glass, but the structure glows briefly with power before shattering into colored sand that sprays over the floor. The wave of power blows its way through New Hell; you drop the revolver in your hand as it turns back into its base materials, and hear the surprised shouts and panicked yells that come from the denizens of the level.

"There are still cannon, in the Dungeon," Lora warns. "You will find them in the Sunless Sea."

"I understand," you say, with a nod.

"Brianna will be worried about you," Lora notes. There is a mighty beat of her wings, and you find the world sliding away in a dizzying blur of light and color.

You reappear, with River, Amy, Catherine, Fetch, the demons, and Bri's undead minions, in the guard room left by the Baron. Natalia lays on a cot, groaning miserably in her sleep.

A black feather drifts into your hand, before crumbling to dust.

"...Lock the door," you say with a sigh. "We all need some rest."

END PART V: TRAITOR'S ROAR

>>46093137
Very nice arc, if short. I have to agree with a couple of the other anons. I was expecting a longer, more grueling fight to free New Hell and defeat Natalia (if only because of her Sight and the very personal matter between her and our poor Hero). We haven't even seen the meat of what Darshan could do, because Natalia left the doors to Fort Regicide open for Nathan.

Speaking of the Rakshasa, I wonder what we'll be making for him (as per River's agreement in the summoning)?

>>46093137
We need to make sure we get those items for that smith down in New Hell as soon as we're able.

>>46093137
I definitely liked a lot about this arc, but I'll agree with the general sentiment that it felt a bit rushed, and therefore too easy (even if no part of it was especially easy compared to the other levels). This is a natural adjustment after the leviathan that was part 4, but nonetheless I think it may have been an over-adjustment.

Still, I'm enjoying myself immensely, and if this is what you can do writing something on the fly, I'm really looking forward to your more polished work.

>>46093228
>>46093521
I appreciate the feedback.

>>46093430
Nate'll be handling that off-screen.

There's going to be a BRIEF DELAY before the interlude starts, not because I need a break from writing the quest but because I really need to finish this goddamn script for Gallows Humor

>>46093228
>little short

First arc: 8 threads
Second arc: 7 threads (+2 interlude)
Third arc: 4 threads (+2 interlude)
Fourth arc: 18 threads (+7 interlude)
Fifth arc: 7 threads (+? interlude)

No, it's well within normal length. Arc four was just fuckhueg, as noted by literally everyone.

>>46093691
>I really need to finish this goddamn script for Gallows Humor
Which is fine, too. At least in my opinion. I've been following (If you can call it that...) with some interest, but the update rate is... less then impressive.

... Did we remember to get the smiths items and jar?

>>46093899
Perils of the time zone issues, sadly. Sometimes there's just not an ability for the artist and I to successfully talk.

>>46093907
Yes, but we were too bussy to deliver them yet.

>>46093803
It WAS wasn't it? Not just because of the amount of stuff going on, but because of how important it was and the amount of discussion (and small arguments, compared to other quest threads). Lora's abuse, the discovery of Amy's engagement, Aunt Carol, the Wraithsteel snake, Silence, all of it. It was a big, fat arc full of fantastic, yet it never felt bogged down and moved forward smoothly if more slowly than the previous arcs.

Well, we are going to have a lot to do in the coming interlude, so you could almost call it a small 'Rest, Recovery and Rehabilitation' arc.

Back, writing.

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>>46093137
You are Brianna la Croix, worried sick, and you had to go to bed /sometime/. The breakneck journey up to the surface had nearly killed you - high-speed impacts with things like stone walls tend to do that to humans - but now that you have some confirmation that everyone is okay you can proceed downward at a somewhat saner pace.

Somewhat. Forty-eight hours of walking had put you back into Fetch's range, and the bird had immediately given you a scathing lecture. You'd limped, exhausted, to a cot in the Atheneum to pass the fuck out.

Lora is waiting for you. The angel looks at you solemnly, not upset but not precisely happy either.

"You let her go," you murmur.

"She started it," Lora retorts, childishly.

"...Really? That's how this conversation's going to go?"

"It's not the conversation I intended on having," the angel admits. "I owe you a name."

"Lora, you don't -"

"Yes," she interrupts. "I do. My true name is a phrase of the Divine Tongue and I cannot speak it aloud in your presence without annihilating you. In the distant past, when I flirted more often with mortals, humans called me Azrael. The elves knew me as Aphrael, the dwarves as Elli. The Secondborn call me the Rusting Lady. I am not /an/ angel of the Death Choir, Heritor."

"I'm /the/ angel," she whispers. The angel looks away, guiltily. "The first, the source of death, of entropy, of destruction. It is embodied in me. Where there is death, I am there. Where things wear out, break down, dissapate, and destroy, I am there. If this world were to come to an end, I would attend upon it. All that has died, and does die, and will die, and can die, is the fault of my creation."

You light a cigar and puff, quietly.

> What do you say?

>>46095445

> My family is pretty damn tightly bound up in the theory and practice of death, Lora. Did you expect this to make me hate you? Fear you?
> I know *you*—Lora-you and Azrael-you—better than most people, mortal or not, and...well, I'm glad to be your friend. Both because I find you to be a *good* friend, and because...if there's anyone who needs a friend, it's you, and I'm honored that it can be me.
> So don't expect me to be all horrified and run the other way now.
> All things *must* end. Growth requires entropy. That is the essence of *change*. And...of life.
> *Hugs.*

>>46095445
"Neat"

>>46095445
>...thanks for the job?

More seriously,

>You're still an angel. You do what you were made to do. You aren't killing for pleasure or profit or any of those other stupid things. I'm not going to get mad at you for that.

>>46095655
>>46095617
Yeah, I have to second these. Bri's not about to have a fit because Lora/Azreal is technically responsible for giving her a job in the first place.

>>46095617
This is amazing. 100% seconding it.

>>46095617
>This.

>>46095445
>Smoke a little more: "Is that it?"

This changes nothing, except maybe the urgency of Lora's release.
Life without death is fucked up etc...

>>46095445
>What do you say?

>"If this world were to come to an end . . ."

Is it coming to an end, Lora?

>>46095934
>>46095445
Seconded.

>>46095800
>"Is that it?"

Seconding this, because Bri.

>>46095934

I'll support this too.

I have a funny feeling that Dick is either trying to eliminate death / prevent the end of the world / force the end of the world so that he can remake it in his own image.

I will say, I'm glad some people guessed Lora's name correctly and Vox didn't feel the need to change things to appear smarter than us. I hate when writers do that. So props to you Vox.

Also, Lora has become pretty fucking awesome in my mind. She's essentially been made to kill everything as her job and has watched for eons as countless innocents, children, and families have directly suffered from her position and it pissed her off seeing that her entire role is to cause suffering so she essentially rioted so hard that the Gods gave her her own domain where she decides the rules and they have to stay the fuck out.

Urge to waifu rising

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>>46095445
>"You done?"
>"Is this the part where I'm supposed to recoil in fear and disgust?"
> My family is pretty damn tightly bound up in the theory and practice of death, Lora. Did you expect this to make me hate you? Fear you?
> I know *you*—Lora-you and Azrael-you—better than most people, mortal or not, and...well, I'm glad to be your friend. Both because I find you to be a *good* friend, and because...if there's anyone who needs a friend, it's you, and I'm honored that it can be me.
> So don't expect me to be all horrified and run the other way now.
> All things *must* end. Growth requires entropy. That is the essence of *change*. And...of life.
> *Hugs.*

Nobody asks to be born.

Gotta say, I'm almost disappointed Azrael has so little confidence in us. And I kind of wonder now /why/ Natalia blocked her name. I mean, we figured out pretty quick Lora belonged to the Death Choir, we just weren't expecting her to be Death Choir Prime.

I mean, sure. Lora's the Agent of Entropy. But I don't see a reason to blame her for it or hold it against her. I'd blame the Gods, if anything. But, it seems like she already did that, and they actually understood where she was coming from, and gave her the Dungeon. I personally doubt that even the Gods could completely stop entropy, and probably regretted forming Azrael. Maybe regret is the wrong word, though. Perhaps they just wished for another way?

Ah, well. For now, the big thing is to go over and hug the shit out of her.

>>46096184
I additionally to you, like the fact that she cared so much about her creation, enough to see that death has to exist or else there is only suffering.

>>46096235
Would anon - and therefore Brianna - really have treated her the same if you knew from the beginning? If you hadn't had the chance to know her as a person before you found out that she's essentially a $0.25 downgrade from a god?

>>46096336
Not going to lie, I know that I would have. This reveal could have happened any point from about level three onwards, though. Not complaining, mind you! Just saying about when we would have been fine with it.

>>46096336
Seriously my honest to god reaction was "Neat". We would've treated her the same.

>>46096336

This is anon we're talking about.

We might've bowed down and worshipped her, but we also might've decided to waifu her. Bri's hard headed enough that she might have just sighed and gotten on with her job anyway, because who cares if Azrael's a nicer version of Hades, only not a god because she decided she didn't want to be called one.

She needed our help.

But yeah, I can definitely say we probably wouldn't have the almost equals relationship we have now. I wonder what Natalia was trying for with that? I mean, Fate bullshit aside, strengthening our relationship with our friends is only going to make us tougher in the long run, and give us more motivation to beat every Chain Holder's face in. Was she really so unsure of her future there? More than that, was she always planning to die in that forge?

>>46095445
> Yeah I kind of figured it was something like that.

>>46096336
An upfront "hey, I'm pretty much this universe's version of the Apocalypse" would have made me trust Lora more, actually.

I have been maybe one of the few anons who has been hesitant and disliking the whole 'BEFRIEND THE ANGEL' attitude a lot of people have had specifically because i didn't know her.

I'm still hesitant, mind you. Because I have no idea what the fuck Dick is doing this all for and thus we still have no clue about what the actual conflict is and yet we've already chosen a side.

Would really like to have a sit down with Brigette, Natalia and Azrael about exactly what Dick's master plan is here.

>>46096491
>a nicer version of Hades

I dunno, Hades was a pretty cool dude.

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>>46096235
HUGS FOR EVERYONE! Somebody give this poor angel a stuffed griffon!

>>46096336
It would be different if we had started as a different character. Choosing Brianna, and the various choices we made to define her character, has basically meant that Death is an old pal. For anyone else, this /would/ be a shock.

>>46096336
Can't say if I would have or not. I would have worried a lot more about direct confrontation with Dick's merry band of assholes if I knew they subdued a (sort of) god.

>>46096557
If you read the actual Greek mythology, Hades was the only god that didin't actually do anything outright evil. Didin't even comit the extremely popular sin of cheating on his wife.

>>46096631
>>46096557

I know this, but he was still a greek god who more or less kidnapped his wife. Of the big three, he's ironically the one most often cast as the villain despite you know, being the least dickish of the Big Three, but he's still a greek god.

None of them were all that nice.

Lora, meanwhile, actually created the Dungeon, which despite being seen as a sort of deadly catacomb, actually is pretty homey. She tries to make the place better, and to accommodate the peoples there. The Mine, Cornucopia, Lichyard, and New Hell are all pretty effective demonstrators of this.

I still don't know what's up with the random traps in the Basement, but I'm assuming there's a reason for those.

>>46096950
Blame mortals for those, mostly. Some of the deadly shit in the Dungeon is quite on purpose, but the Basement hit meme levels of defenses and traps because it's been used by just about every opportunist looking for just enough privacy to do something illegal, nefarious, or weird.

>>46096950
>who more or less kidnapped his wife.

Who he absolutely dotes on. She's got it good

>>46096950
You know Cerberus? The three headed dog?
His name, Kerberos, means "spotted"
Hades has a dog and his name is Spot.

>>46097274
You read the Dresden Files too?

>>46095630
Seconding!

>>46097381
I was so amazed to find out that it was actually true.

>>46097465
Jim Butcher pulls a lot of shit out of his ass, but he does do the barest amount of research.

>>46097513
At least he pulls interesting stuff.

>>46097563
No doubt, he's one of my favorite authors for a reason.

>>46096336
I have to basically echo this anon here>>46096562
Bri's (and our) motto has been "Life is for the Living, Death is for the Dead." We kinda flat out accept that death is a part of life. Why should we be shocked or afraid that we are helping her?

She's got a job just like us. It's just in a slightly higher ranking than ours.

Thank you for your patience with this vote thus far; I'm almost done with chores and will call and update at that time. I may end up combining elements from a few of these.

Back, called, writing.

>>46096336
I would have trusted her more. A great deal more. In terms of treating her as an "equal" she was already an angel with alien perspectives on human concepts, so I'm quite sure there wouldn't be much else to change.

And fearing her power and might? WE ALREADY DO THAT.

So, who wants to tell Nathan that he literally had a swordfight with capital-D Death?

>>46099249

We are all Brianna, Mr. Anon.

>>46099249
Holy shit he did didn't he?

>>46099249
He fought death and did lose a second time!

>>46099249
We should mention to Lora that we are going to tell Nathan that and how impressed he's going to be. It should make her really certain that we are more impressed than scared.

>>46099599
I would second this is the vote wasn't called

>>46099678
We might get a chance still.

Sorry about that folks, got distracted by something exciting on this end of the keyboard.

NOW I am writing.

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Let's be honest here guys.

Brianna has a harem that consists of Nate and Amy.

>>46100731
Oh god why

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>>46100844
All for you buddy.

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>>46095445
"Is that it?" you ask, frankly.

"...The fuck you mean, 'is that it'?" Lora asks, looking back at you in offended bewilderment.

"Am I supposed to be afraid of you? Abandon you? Be angry?" You shrug. "It's not like you lied to me or even withheld information on purpose. My family, as you keep noting, is bound up in the theory and practice of death. Did you really think this would make me upset?"

"...Yes," the angel says, in confusion.

"I know /you/ - as Lora, and as Death - better than most people could claim to. I'm glad I got that chance to know you better, because you've been a good friend, and because you need a friend too." You stand, taking your cigar out of your mouth, and cross the waiting room to give Lora a hug. She squeaks, surprised, but returns the gesture, folding you in her wings.

"I get it," you murmur. "And I appreciate what you do. I've seen life without death, it's not fun."

"Yeah," the angel agrees, meekly.

"You got a name you prefer?"

"...Lora's been nice."

"Lora it is. Nate's gonna freak when I tell him who exactly he had a sword fight with."

Lora snorts in surprised laughter and pulls back from the hug to give you an incredulous look. "Ass."

"Always."

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>>46101042
"So what does this mean for our immediate situation?"

"Not much," Lora admits. "You have some context as to why my enslavement might be a serious problem beyond my own treatment, but circumstances haven't changed. Natalia may be able to tell you more than I can, if you can get her talking."

"...I imagine she's not feeling her best."

"She isn't," Lora says flatly. "I took her Sight from her. She will be feeling much less than her best for a very long time."

You wince. "Harsh."

"Mercy can be harsh."

> Pick a topic

I'm not gonna lie I brain farted on voting options here so fuck it, have a write-in.

>>46101570

> So what can you tell me about the Cornucopia and what's going on there?

>>46101570
You, uh, ending the world any time soon?

>>46101848

If that's meant to be a vote, anon, it should be greentexted...

>>46101570
>You, uh, ending the world any time soon?

I'ma go get some moonshine and call when I return.

>>46101570

Hum, we actually have a second where business isn't pressing in on us from one side or another. Unfucking the general issues with New Hell is probably going to be a pain in the ass, considering all those lovely contracts Natalia still has going on, plus the fun with the already agreed upon orders from New Hell that people down Below have ordered.

>>46102188
>>46101848

Right, these just strike me as really asshole kind of questions to be asking. She just said that ONE of her jobs was that, and we just affirmed a deep and abiding trust and faith in her. Also, given the state of the world, I really doubt that that's on the horizon.

Beating Dick's face in remains just as important though.

> You know, I've seen you smoke and drink, but I don't actually know what kind of foods you like... (Talk about food, likes, dislikes, favorites from Bri's youth)

After all this, I think it's time for another cool off, or asking about Cornucopia. Personally, I want to try and find a way to sneak some La Croix Family Gumbo down here and give it to her.

>>46102471
Seconding this. Affirming our friendship is better than asking about the end of the world for no real reason.

Called, drinking, writing.

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>>46101570
You take a few steps back and sit back down on your bench so you can continue to enjoy(?) your cigar.

"Can you tell me what's going on in the Cornucopia?" you ask.

"Agriculture."

"...I don't know what I was expecting," you admit.

"The Lush is a dangerous man. Don't let yourself get lured in by his air of simplicity or his appearance. For all of his vices, he is deadly, focused, and organized, and he'll drop any of them at the first sign of trouble so that he can focus properly. I'm looking forward to seeing you end his life."

"...Do I want to know why?" you ask, softly.

"You know why," Lora mutters, harshly. "What hedonist wouldn't want an angel for a concubine?"

You put out your cigar, get up, and walk over to sit next to Lora. The angel puts an arm around your shoulder, gratefully, and looks down at the floor.

"...You know, I've seen you smoke and drink, but I don't actually know what kind of foods you /like/," you offer.

Lora chuckles. "Well, I sort of only eat for flavor. I don't need much to survive. In all honesty, all I need to /live/ is to want to live. It is remarkably hard for me to die unless the gods un-create me or I am slain."

"You /can/ be slain?" you ask.

"Don't know, but I wouldn't rule it out. Entropy is a fairly universal law and I don't think /being/ entropy exempts me from the decree of annihilation. To exist, you must be capable of /not/ existing. My palate's pretty close to a human one, though I like to think it's refine."

"So what's your favorite meal?" you ask, all interest.

Lora frowns and thinks. "...I think the best thing I've ever eaten was prepared for me when I was in a mortal guise, walking amongst the denizens of the Dungeon so that I could get to know them better. A man offered me stew in a bowl of garlic bread, seasoned with herbs from a dozen lands and prepared with care. It was his daughter's wedding, and his beliefs asked of him to give freely of his table to all and sundry on the day of joy."

>>46104765
>bread bowl
Nice.

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>>46104765
"Not gonna lie, that sounds fucking wonderful. I shold bring you a bowl of the family gumbo sometime..."

"Gumbo?" Lora asks.

"I want to let it speak for itself," you tell her. "I remember the recipe, though. I'll get Amy to help and fill in any blanks."

"Would it be the family gumbo then?" the angel asks, puzzled.

"Every generation does it a little different," you say with a shrug. "And you have to remember, we have a tendency to splinter. Being in new places makes for new traditions, yeah?"

"What's it like, having a family?" Lora asks.

"Don't you have one?" you inquire, confused.

"...Sort of? The gods are my parents, but my fellow angels of the Choir are more...subordinates. Their job is to /run/ death, but my job is to /be/ death. They've never really understood me or sought my company, and I haven't really understood them or sought theirs. They prefer to see themselves as my servants."

"Sounds lonely," you murmur.

"It is," Lora agrees. "Maybe I should do something about that, when all of this is over."

You give the angel a warm smile. "Maybe you should."

> Remain Brianna la Croix (Reunion)
> You are Jewel (Job Hunting)
> You are River la Croix (Family Values)

>>46105779
>You are Jewel (Job Hunting)
cute kid adventures

>>46105779
> You are Jewel (Job Hunting)
We could use a bit of light heartedness around here right now.

>>46105779
> You are Jewel (Job Hunting)

Alright folks, I'm gonna leave this vote open. I'd like to say it's because I'm too drunk or that I'm tired but honestly it's because there's other shit I'd like to do tonight and I've only got enough focus to do one thing at a time right now.

As always, questions, comments, discussion, feedback, and criticisms remain welcome and appreciated.

Thank you all for reading and participating!

Archiving thread now.

>>46105779
>> You are Jewel (Job Hunting)
Time for adorable children adventures

>>46105779
>>You are Jewel (Job Hunting)

Lets just be careful how much we encourage entropy to visit the world, we don't want death itself to develop a justice complex.

>>46106435
>we don't want death itself to develop a justice complex.

Or do we... On second thought what if we made lora an evoker of justice, decaying the chains of tyranny and finally making death a much more subjective and warm embrace. We could revolutionize the world! In fact, what if we used lora to kill the worst of the gods, we could create a whole new generation, and all it'd take is a chain or two...

>>46106488
Zombie armies, anon!

>>46105779
>You are Jewel (Job Hunting)
>thinking this is going to be lighthearted and not cruelty of a level only children are capable of

> Remain Brianna la Croix (Reunion)

Cuddle piles are lighthearted.

>>46107754
I'm fairly certain we'll be able to do all three. These votes are typically just for the order.

I think, I could be mis-remembering.

>>46108061
Two, anon. Bri can do Nathan and Amy, but Lora isn't part of the relationship.

>>46108103
You know what I meant anon, no need to inject lewdness.

At least not yet.

Why the fuck is the thread in negatives in the archive?

>>46108575
Some faggot has been down voting every single thread today.

>>46108575
Because it was only archived a very short time ago and some people are whiny children about quest threads and/or threads being archived before they die.

>>46108648
You know, what if we banned quest threads on /tg/ for a day and replaced them with dubs threads, maybe people would appreciate true original 4chan content as opposed to the contributions of quest threads instead.

>>46108697

Dubs threads, rekt threads, rickrolls, harlem shake threads, pepe comparisons, rage comics, mods are asleep: post ponies...

Plenty of content to choose from, all of which are /obviously/ superior to quests threads for /obvious/ reasons that I don't have to explain.

>>46106435
she already did. She made the dungeon to try and prove to the gods she wasn't necessary. She failed and grudgingly accepted that she was necessary.

>>46108824
Do I want to know what these things are?

>>46109940
You...don't?
I don't understand what's unfamiliar.

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>>46109940

You have identified yourself as a newb.

This was perhaps not the most intelligent decision.

Brace yourself.

>>46109940
Holy fuck at least pretend you're part of the culture you're exploiting

>>46109940
don't you still have 2 and a half months?
oh, right, spring break

>>46105969
I went into this arc fully ready to kill the shit out of Natalia, that plan went into the trash, But I am fairly confident that The Lush will warrant a killing!

>>46109940
> /b/ was never good

Remember this, and remember that half the boards here are containment boards for shitposting.

>>46110283
Hahaha, we should just get someone to sell him a necromantic "hot shot".

Sometimes, being able to die is a /blessing/ not a curse.

I wonder if Lora can tell us about any tolerances/immunities he has.

>>46110283
Considering that he's apparently raped Lora at least a few times, I doubt she'd spare him even if we wanted to. The Poet wasn't terrible to her (and apparently Lora ended up nursing a crush on her), and from the sounds of it the Traitor didn't really interact with Lora all that much (on top of the whole being Nate's mother thing).

The Lush, on the other hand, was definitely an abusive chainbearer and it would take a pretty serious reveal to get Lora to even consider not killing him. Remember, the Baron didn't do all that much to Lora beyond simply being a chainbearer loyal to the Master, and she was still totally looking forward to killing him.

Bump for the lich.

>>46084509
Ah yes dumb nigger voodoo dindu quest . Featuring her cuck

Hey everybody. As previously stated, I have written a DLQ fic, so if anybody could be nice enough to check it and give me their opinion about it, I would be very happy.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NULh7L-RIQj07Ss_VtoovuAkWh2G_qfY61MkiO8GK80/edit?usp=sharing

P.S:It's been two weeks since it was first posted and I didn't get a review or anything ;_;
P.P.S:Currently debating on whether or not I should continue it seeing as the reception... just hasn't been there.

>>46112663
maybe tomorrow. I'm sleepy, and this thing is long.

>>46112630
I haven't noticed anything arguably even resembling voodoo, and there hasn't been THAT much cuckoldry, try harder scrub.

Try harder

>>46113089
Anon, Bri is seriously voodoo-themed. The top hat, jacket, and cane, her formal wear including skull facepaint, the sheer Louisiana of her? The fact that she's a necromancer named La Croix? All of those are references to voodoo tradition, my friend.

Now, don't get me wrong, obvious troll is obvious (and honestly kind of pathetic), but let's not ignore Vox's deliberate voodoo theming in putting down said troll.

>>46113202
Fuck, I discounted that as just being southern themed.

Up. Need to handle this hangover, then will call and write.

>>46113202
There's also elements of hoodoo, which is a distinctly American magical tradition, but yeah.

>>46113222
It's an easy thing to miss, honestly. Don't worry about it.

>>46112663
I'll give this a look when I'm not hung over. Sorry about the delays.

Called, writing.

>>46113941
Hoodoo, voodoo?

>>46114171
We've got friends on the other side

>>46114171
>>46114210
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4pStVNQc4M

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>>46105779
You are Jewel, and you have a babysitter. Sort of.

Or. You think sort of?

"Don't think of it as me being here because we don't trust you," Victoria had told you, as she slung on her backpack. "Think of it as a combination of safety in numbers and making the other adults happy."

"I have Cherry," you'd sulked, petulantly.

"Cherry doesn't know how to dodge ghost-killing traps and spells."

"...Point."

Now you're arriving at the first place in your journey to decide what you want to do with your life. You decided to see...

> Harry, in Glen, about potentially becoming a blacksmith
> Meadows in Lakehallow; you're curious about healing
> The Rose Cult in the Lichyard, to put your skills to use
> The Caretaker. You know Brianna won't approve, but necromancy has your interest.
> Write-in?

>>46115539
> Meadows in Lakehallow; you're curious about healing

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>>46114171
Vodoun is a religion, prevalent in the Carribean and the American South, though the largest body of its practitioners is actually in New York City, New York. Vodounists believe in spirits of various kinds which take an interest in the world, from almost elemental beings to spirits of the dead. The tenets of the faith emphasize community, responsibility, respect for the living and the dead, and the sacredness of home and family. Like some faiths, vodoun has elements of mysticism as part of its worship, and its rituals - magical or otherwise - tend to be down-to-earth and homey.

Hoodoo is an American branch of mysticism whose origins can be summed up "White people heard there was magic and wanted some." It is not religious in nature and emphasizes sympathetic connections, the manipulation of symbols, and deal-making, deal-breaking, and curses. It is often confused for vodoun, primarily because of lazy Hollywood research/screenwriting.

Sorry for that small update taking so long, real life ganked me and now I need to go be Gainfully Employed. There will be more/better run this evening, just after 8 PM EST.

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

Thank you all for reading and participating!

>>46115539
>> The Caretaker. You know Brianna won't approve, but necromancy has your interest.

>>46115539
>> the caretaker.
Brianna has an understanding (I think technically older) sister. Lets give her a bratty younger sister to even things out.

>>46115539
>> Meadows in Lakehallow; you're curious about healing

>>46115539
> Meadows in Lakehallow; you're curious about healing
Because we know quite a bit about killing people already.
I don't feel that Necromancy would add a whole lot that Bri and River aren't bringing already. Aside from the Ghost Trick.

>>46115539

> The Rose Cult in the Lichyard, to put your skills to use

Let's join the Family Business in a different way.

Also...

>Hoodoo is an American branch of mysticism whose origins can be summed up "White people heard there was magic and wanted some."

This actually sounds hilarious. I mean, it's actually terrible sounding in lots of other ways, but I can't help but imagine these rich white people showing up in suits asking to be taken to see their dark sorcerous master, and Vodoun people just sort of staring and edging away a little bit, before just bluffing them away because white people are absolutely crazy and they want none of that.

>>46115584
>>46115715
>>46115737
Just curious to your reasoning, but Bri is already going down the healer's path as well.

>>46115738
The divergence began well before the Civil War in the USA, so...not quite that, but also yes kinda like that?

>>46115798
She has all the skills required of La Croix healer with the exception of actual healing.

>>46115798
I don't really see how necromancy would benefit Jewel in the way that healing does.

>>46115539
> Meadows in Lakehallow; you're curious about healing

>>46115539
> Meadows in Lakehallow; you're curious about healing

Healers in this universe have to deal with all sorts of insanity,we will do fine

> Meadows in Lakehallow; you're curious about healing

First you made people dead, now you do the opposite. Lesse how that works out.

>>46115539
this is MOSTLY a joke
>The Chef, to learn cooking and "self-defense". How you came to this point mystifies you, even as you witnessed it yourself.
>Him and Cherry are really hitting it off, which disturbs you somehow.

Three hours and change to call.

>>46112663
It's uh, it's kinda bad. I had to stop reading where my comments end.

I still don't know how to describe that feeling when you know the author inserted their OC into another story, the way that all the other characters are sort of...."watching" this new person.

>>46119375
I love this

>>46119978
Thank god. Any criticism is better than no criticism. I'm gonna go torch it this instant!
Nah, seriously I understand what you mean.
The reason I used an OC was because I didn't feel confortable using one of Vox's character.
My main idea was more or less to hand this character to Vox so that he could do whatever he want with him, as a way of contributing to the universe he built. Now that I think of it, this is extremely arrogant of me to expect anyone to make room for any OC... Ugh, what have I been doing?
Anyway, I get it. So beyond the use of an OC, any complaint about the writing style or anything else?

>>46120116
just, just read the comments I put there. They are by no means a complete analysis, because

>I am not an experienced writer either
and
>I didn't even get very far into it before I had to stop

>>46120152
Yeah, I read them. I won't ask you to read seeing how obviously painful it was to you, and know it can get REALLY painful reading somebody who is writing garbage.
Well, at least I suppose I can still salvage from that.
I'll answer to your comments on the page itself, so feel free to stop by and see if you have anything else to say.
Thank you anyway.

>>46120268
Don't let a joke overstay its welcome. Although for comparison, Vox dances through jokes a little TOO fast, the way 'ol Pratchett did.

>>46120116
If it's the intention to "hand" a character for someone to use, you're better off having the fic somewhere with less focus, maybe Glen or another town within the kingdom, but on the way to the Dungeon. That way, you have more control over what characters are around and what actually happens, to explore your OC's reactions to such themes. From there, Vox can decide which characters he thinks would mesh well with this guy.

>>46120489
>Don't let a joke overstay its welcome. Although for comparison, Vox dances through jokes a little TOO fast, the way 'ol Pratchett did.
I assume you must be talking about that "Granted" stuff. To be honest, I wasn't really sure about that either.
>If it's the intention to "hand" a character for someone to use, you're better off having the fic somewhere with less focus
Actually, that's a very good idea! I had thought of that but decided against it because I wanted to establish a link between the fic and the original work. I suppose it only makes sense that I ease the character into the story rather than trying to shoehorn him into meeting the main characters.
Now I'm hesitating: Do you think it would be a better idea to just rework what I did so that it better fits or to just start from scratch?

>>46120683
"Knight-errant" beaten up by undead chicken knight is not a bad opening at all, so there IS something to work with, but considering the general tone right before New Hell, I'm not sure if that's the right time to have new characters appear.

On the other hand, jokes about Bri picking up new harem members ahoy if you introduced your character while she's alone.


I would personally prefer if you had more freedom by starting from scratch elsewhere, but there is merits to both whether its how you can make it work or what kind of experience you'll get.

>>46121024
Hmmm...
I'll definitely keep that in mind if I decide to do this again.
Aside from that, I suppose it's just up to me to get better at writing.

Hour and a half and change to call.

>>46115618
>>46114240
>>46114210
>>46114171

Nobody replies with "You do Voodoo" I am dissapointed a little.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78bj6ebUVqA

So what all needs doing this interlude?

>>46115539
> Meadows in Lakehallow; you're curious about healing

Home, called, writing.

>>46120489
> Although for comparison, Vox dances through jokes a little TOO fast, the way 'ol Pratchett did.

Huh. Could I get an example, my friend?

>>46112663
I'll read this Soon(tm).

>>46125035
Speaking as a non-euro reader:

You know how you can read an entire Discworld book, and only get 40% of the jokes?

Then you read it again, and get 80% of the jokes?

It's not that they're BAD: I thoroughly enjoyed them when I DID get them, but that with so many things happening and contexts that I don't necessarily have, for example Bri's voodoo attire, it's not easy to understand everything. Switching from interesting tidbit to tidbit with only implied details is a double-edged sword, but one that I'm generally fine with because it's the kind of fine-tuning that takes way more time than just getting on with the story.

>>46125170
I think you are poorly read if you get so few of the jokes.

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>>46115539
You decided to see Meadows, in the Mercy Hut in Lakehallow. Healing's a challenging profession, and people - like Victoria and Brigette and Brianna, and, well, everyone - keep saying that you're smart, and that you might like a challenge.

And maybe helping people will make the dreams you have every night go away.

<I like this town> Cherry notes happily. <Everything seems so calm here. I like the lake and OH MY GODS THERE'S KELLS SAY HI!>

"I'm not shouting at Kells," you tell her, firmly. "I'll say hi to him later."

<Awww, /Jewel/> the little ghost pleads.

"No, Cherry."

"She wants to go see Kells, doesn't she?" Victoria asks.

"Yep," you say with a sigh.

"He's popular with kids," Victoria notes, with a knowing grin. You blush hotly and stare firmly ahead.

Giant undead crocodiles are /cool/. That doesn't mean you're a kid.

Well it /doesn't/!

"I'll wait out here," Victoria offers. "It's your future, you deserve to make a decision on it without someone hovering over your shoulder."

"...What if I need advice?" you ask, hesitantly.

"Then I'll be just outside," Victoria promises. "Meadows only hurts people who don't follow his advice."

"What does he do to them?"

"The sort of knots that you generally pay leather-clad women with whips to tie. Head on in, Jewel."

A fuzzy memory flashes through your mind, leaving behind the customary headache and a distinct feeling that you knew what she was talking about once. Embarassed for reasons you can't name, you adjust the pack on your back, take a deep breath, and step inside the Mercy Hut.

>>46127073
>a distinct feeling that you knew what she was talking about once. Embarassed for reasons you can't name
kinky

>>46127127
Makes sense for an assassin, pose as a dominatrix and your target will willingly let you fully restrain them.

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>>46127073
You like your first impression of the place. Something about the scent of brewing tea, soap, clean linens, and flowers is familiar to you; it tickles the back of your mind, telling you that this is a well-kept place of healing. There's a surprising amount of people here, most of whom don't seem injured at all; they sit around tables or on beds, talking quietly, playing games together, or reading on their own.

"Can I help you?" a male voice, pleasant and gentle, asks. Your gaze catches -

"...Why are you an elf?" you ask, puzzled.

"Once upon a time, an elf man and an elf woman fucked," the man answers, his pleasant tone managing to mask the sarcasm for a moment. Your hand twitches towards your belt -

<Jewel no!> Cherry yelps.

"Twitchy, for such a small thing," the man murmurs. "No scars, no callouses, but good reflexes. None of the classic signs of a half-elf raised among elves, but you seem to have matured properly rather than being held to human age standards. You're not sick that I can see, and not injured."

"...I came to ask if you were taking apprentices," you say, firmly. You straighten your stance and clasp your hands behind your back, politely.

You're off-balance already and you don't know why. Why are people so /confusing/ lately?

"And why should a violent little thing like you want to become a healer?" Meadows asks, his tone still gentle.

You open your mouth to say something angry, then close it. It's...it's a fair question.

> To help people
> To challenge yourself
> You're curious, but not attached to the idea
> You think you'll be good at it
> Why'd /you/ become a healer?

Pick up to 2.

>>46127717
> To challenge yourself
> Why'd /you/ become a healer?

>>46127717
>To help people
>Why'd /you/ become a healer?

>>46127717
>> To help people
>> To challenge yourself
Neither of these are necessarily selfless

>>46127717
>> To help people
>> To challenge yourself

We want to not be what we were before, so this is a good way to not do that.

>>46127717
>> To help people
>> To challenge yourself

Seems pretty reasonable.

Voting may be slightly extended.

I'd also like to get an idea of what anon is looking to accomplish, goals-wise, during this interlude. You'll have the choice, once more, to either assail the Roost or press on to the Cornucopia once you're done. There'll be more freedom to define your own time in this interlude as well - you can take longer, or shorter, as you're seeing fit. Jumping the gun means resolving a problem faster and gaining access to the resources of the level you assail if you win, but it may also mean being behind on additional training and/or sanity checking.

>>46129254
All I want at the moment is the reunion scene after this jewel bit.

The rest we'll have to see what happens.

>>46129254
Roooooooooost.

>>46129254
Roost. Transportation is key. Not a lot of good supplies can do if you can't get them to those who need it.

As for the Interlude, I'm plenty content with a childlike character with not childlike memories.

>>46129460
...Implying you'd be happy to play Jewel for the entire interlude?

>>46129484
Oh please no

>>46129484
sure?

>>46129522
well I don't see any other suggestions....

>>46129549
I want to have the Bri, Amy and Nate scene and do the roost with all three of them.

>>46129460
>>46129549
>>46129781
Well, I mean. Off the top of my head personally there's:

(Scheduled)
> The reunion
> Settling Natalia
> Trying to learn more about the other Chain-holders

And

(Potential)
> Training
> Story time
> Rehabilitation
> Minion upgrades maybe?
> River time
> Checking up on various injured and/or temporarily dead people

Anything else anon might like to see on that second list? ATM it's sorta sounding like you might prefer to cut this interlude short and hit the Roost.

>>46129847
>> Minion upgrades maybe?
>> River time

Seem like a good idea.

Also Vox it's late on Saturday, you aren't going to get a lot of feedback about this.

>>46129847
I like Jewel, but apparently some anon here really hates this?

>>46129847
>Fetch grieving
>Kells.....stuff, maybe him meeting the Duchess' people

>>46130328
Jewel is great, but I want to see fluff from more characters as well. Also not hate filled anon from above. P.p.s. Anything with Kells is good.

>>46130328
>>46130875

>People think you hate Jewel...

I just didn't want to spend the whole interlude as her...

>>46130916
oh, my mistake then.

> Damn I feel bad. What is it?
> I've had a good day
> Decent shift at work
> Quest is going decent
> Gotten actual writing done...
> Oh wait, I haven't eaten in sixteen fucking hours

Now that that's corrected, called, writign.

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>>46127717
"You don't know anything about me," you begin, slowly - you're not challenging him so much as walking yourself through what you want to say.

"Except what I can observe," Meadows agrees, calmly. His eyes stay on yours, and it makes you uneasy. Something says 'threat' to you, here, in this peaceful place. Why?

You swallow, hard, and shake it off.

"I want to help people. I...I didn't help people, for a very long time, and though I can't remember all of it, what I can remember is...it's bad. But what I did before was challenging, engaging, difficult."

"So you think of healing and see an art that is both of those things," Meadows says thoughtfully, with a nod. "You are not wrong."

He throws a punch out of nowhere, straight at your face. The motion is barely telegraphed, but that faint hint of intent is all you need. You sidestep, lock his arm at the wrist, and slam your palm into his elbow.

The grisly snap of bone breaks the quiet and startles the patients. Meadows cries out in pain - how could he not? - but keeps his eyes on yours.

<Jewel, I'm scared> Cherry whispers.

"What if I'd been a patient, there?" Meadows asks, his voice still calm through the pain. "A madman? A sick man, hallucinating from fever? What then?"

> What. The. FUCK?
> Fuck this, you're out
> H-how can I fix this?

>>46131808
>> H-how can I fix this?

>>46131808
>> H-how can I fix this?

Shit shit shit shit shit, and in a curse in elvish.

>>46131841
*add in

>>46131808
>H-how can i fix this?

Jewel needs serious retraining.

>>46131808
>At least you aren't dead.

>>46131808
>> What. The. FUCK?

>>46131808
>> What. The. FUCK?

>>46129847
> Checking up on various injured and/or temporarily dead people

> Minion upgrades maybe?
Should at least fix up or replace the chicken.

> Checking up on various injured and/or temporarily dead people

The rest would be interesting but not all that important. Or, like storytime and probably training, I'd assume it to happen anyway sooner or later (in the case of storytime) or kind of offscreen (training).

>>46131808
>H-how can I fix this?
We have he reflexes, but reflexes without memory can be dangerous.

>>46131808
>> H-how can I fix this?

>>46131808
>First rule of battlefield medicine. It's hard to fix people with broken bones or while knocked out. Still I get your point, please observe the fact that I refrained from killing you.

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As you may have guessed already, I need to go the fuck to sleep. Votes remain open until the morning.

Questions, comments, discussion, feedback, and criticisms remain welcome and appreciated. You folks help me improve, and I'm grateful for the recent feedback.

Thank you all for reading and participating!

>>46131808
>What. The. FUCK?!
Well holy shit, Meadows must have had some interesting training to try this. Like, pass-or-die type stuff.

pre 'loss of consciousness' bump

>>46129847
>Checking up on various injured and/or temporarily dead people.
I think River can check up on Diving Shadow and Lark. Also an excuse to hook little sis up with our dealer!

>Minion upgrades maybe?
We can replace our lost chicken /after/ we have a somewhat solemn conversation with Sir Fetch. Would his confusion over how to feel be because he's a shard of Bri's soul, or would it stem from some part of Brianna that doesn't know how to properly mourn? I mean, how many years did it take for her to just stop and cry for the family she lost?

As for the others, I think Vim and Vigor could get a couple of finger-less gloves with the La Croix family crest stitched in. Our Brutish Bone Boar (whom I have now decided will sound and behave decidedly like Eeyore) could get a breath of balefire (or, as a less destructive and cruel option, smoke or smog), not to mention some radical armor from New Hell as a thank you from the people we saved. We could also look into finally getting some Witch-Bats, and maybe even upgrading Kat (though that WILL require caution, considering she came from a cruel and seductive feline demoness).

>Training
For Brianna's purposes, furthering her alchemical and necromantic studies will be best. And Nathan will be too busy trying to help his mother turn over a new leaf to train her in swordplay.

We definitely need to hit the Roost before we wreck the face of that rapist bastard on the sixth level. And we can't let the issue of Amy's previous engagement just sit on the back-burner forever.

Whadda ya mean "what then?", Meadows? Then she'd STILL have broken your arm. What does this have to do with anything? It just indicates that her old reflexes are still in place and working. Shouldn't it be part of apprenticeship to shape those into something else? o_O

> H-how can I fix this?

Fukkin' 'ell, mate... swim or die ain't the best teaching method. For anyone involved.

>>46135923
>Whadda ya mean "what then?", Meadows? Then she'd STILL have broken your arm. What does this have to do with anything? It just indicates that her old reflexes are still in place and working. Shouldn't it be part of apprenticeship to shape those into something else?

You know, I'm pretty sure that was his point.
I mean, he probably didn't want his arm broken, but he assumed that her old reflexes would get the better of her. That he wanted to show her that, and drive home the necessity of getting them under control, if she'd really want to change her life, her self so radically.

I'm up. Called, making coffee, then I'ma write stuff.

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>>46131808
You can feel Cherry's frightened trembling, nestled up against your soul. The poor thing doesn't know what's going on.

You think you might, though.

"H-how," you start. You swear in elvish and take a steadying breath. "How can I fix this?"

"Which part?"

"Let's start with your arm, sir," you answer, politely.

Meadows smiles warmly. "Good answer. I'll walk you through it. Everyone, if we could have the stove? Thank you."

You've mixed field potions for healing before - few people in dangerous professions haven't - but making hospital-grade is another matter, and the differences are honestly kind of intriguing. Everything's just a bit different - dosage, ingredients, the cooking process. Meadows helps you set the bone so that it will heal back together properly and patiently walks you through the creation of the medicine.

The other patients watch, first out of concern, and then out of curious fascination. A few ask questions of their own about the various steps in the process, which Meadows answers pleasantly.

There's not a lot of covering up his scream after he takes the potion, but you can /see/ the arm heal, twisting slightly and clicking into place with greasy popping sounds. You hold him up, worried, but after a long moment Meadows flexes his arm, clenches and unclenches his fist, and nods.

"Well done," the healer compliments. "You have good reflexes, little one. Do you have a name?"

"Jewel, sir," you answer, keeping your eyes on his. "...What was that about?"

"I needed to see how you'd react. There are many maladies in the Dungeon that encourage or cause violent behavior. Someone, or something, taught you to fight and, I think, to kill, but I can't have you tearing a patient's throat out on thoughtless reflex."

"You /are/ still alive," you point out, offended.

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>>46137360
"I noticed," Meadows answers with a grin. "I may in fact be in the market for an apprentice, Jewel. Right now, most of the people I am helping have a particular common difficulty, which we are working through, but it does leave me with quite a bit of time to potentially teach - and you time to learn, study, and perhaps even take some time with the healers in Glen to learn from them as well."

"That'd be nice..."

"Take some time to think about it," Meadows prompts. "You came to me; I'm in no rush or need to pressure you. It is, after all, /your/ future."

The elf offers his hand to shake, and after only a moment, you take it.

<What just happened?> Cherry asks.

<Have you ever seen two dogs circle each other, sniffing and staring?> you ask.

<Uh-huh. It's kinda funny.>

<We just had the people version of that. I think.>

You bow, politely, and head out the front door of the Mercy Hut. You take a deep breath and let it out as an exasperated sigh.

"Well?" Victoria asks, her voice all interest. "What'd you think?"

> He's /crazy/.
> I think I wanna be a healer
> Let's see someone else (Who?)
> Were you watching?
> Can I get a bit to talk to Cherry?
> Write-in?

>>46137414
>> He's /crazy/.
>> ...I think I wanna be a healer

Found someone who's crazier than we are? Perfect!

>>46137414
>> He's /crazy/.
>> But he's someone I can comfortably be completely myself around.

> He's /crazy/.
> ...I think I wanna be a healer

Absolutely.

>>46137414
seconding>>46137458
>>> He's /crazy/.
>>> But he's someone I can comfortably be completely myself around.

Called, writing. Sadly I gotta go to work pretty soon so this'll probably be the last update before I get home tonight.

Sorry folks. My mornings have been a bit fucked lately.

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>>46137414
"He's /crazy/," you exclaim in frustration. "He took a swing at me, and then I broke his arm, but it was all according to plan somehow, and then there was potion making and shit and he was /happier with me after I broke his arm what the/ fuuuuuuuuuddddge bar," you correct hastily.

<Oooooh, you're in troooooouuuublllleeeee> Cherry sings teasingly.

"Well, Harry's right nearby, we can -"

"Hold up, I didn't say I wasn't interested," you say hastily. "I - he /gets/ me, somehow. I think maybe he's known people like me..."

"Wouldn't surprise me," Victoria agrees.

"I think this is what I want to do," you tell her, more firmly.

"Well, I'd be remiss if I didn't give you the chance to meet at least a /few/ more people," Victoria notes, wryly. "So let's go up to Glen. You can meet the smith, and maybe the healers there too."

"...Okay."

<Can we have candy?>

"Cherry wants candy."

* * * *

You are Brianna la Croix, and your lovers are waiting for you at Diving Shadow's house in the Mine. Nathan hadn't wanted to move his mother too far, but he hadn't wanted to stay in New Hell either, and this was the compromise.

You get hit by bird hug the moment the door opens; Amy squeezes you tightly, lifting you off of the ground and chirping excitedly. Her feathers chime joyously, filling the air with almost bell-like sounds.

"Everyone has all of their bits attached!" Amy announces, proudly. "River got a new demon!"

"Zachary's service run out?" you ask with a chuckle.

"Yes," Nathan confirms, from further inside. Amy ushers you into the house. Nathan sits by the bed, where his mother sleeps the deep sleep of the healing. He gives you a wan grin; the Hero looks tired. Worn.

Quietly, you go over to him and hug him from behind. He looks down when you press Feathers into his arms and grins sheepishly.

"I think you did the right thing," you tell him softly.

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>>46138710
"I hope so," Nathan agrees. "I..I think I need a break for awhile. Find where my head is. Help Nata...my mother out. Fuck. I don't know."

"Not sure how to think of her?"

"She wants to be my mother. I'm just...it's easy to tell her, 'Too late, ship sailed,'" Nathan says with a sigh.

> "Give her a chance, Nate."
> "You're right; that ship /has/ sailed. She'll have to get used to it."
> "Yeah, that's heavy. Listen - do you need me to get Ames out of your hair?"
> Write-in?

>>46138773
> "Well...maybe that ship /has/ sailed. Maybe it's too late for her to be your mother, and she'll have to get used to that. But that doesn't mean that you two can't have some kind of relationship that doesn't involve either of you trying to kill the other."

And now I must go be Gainfully Employed. I'll return just after 8:30 PM EST or so; votes remain open.

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

Thank you all for reading and participating!

>>46138773
>>46138844

...this works rather well.

>>46138773
>Give her a chance Nate.

>>46138844
Seconding this as well.

>>46138773
> >>46138844
Supporting.

Bump.

Three and a half hours and change to call

>>46138844

Supporting that as well, as unfortunate as it might be.

You're both adults. Have been for a while now, too. The mom/child days have passed by, but you can still be mother/son, if that makes sense.

Making a note about drawing Feathers with Nate as well. The plush shall be the salvation of all.

>>46143460
I'm telling you man, Feathers is Richard

>>46143686

GASP! It all makes sense now! Why did I not see it earlier...? The deceptively cuddly appearance, the fraudulent, cheerful expression... it was all a ruse! Planned over the long hand, from the very beginning.

>>46138844
This seems about right. Sad, but appropriate.

>>46138929
Goddammit. I go to work the moment you leave. Night shift SUCKS BALLS. Well, at least I'll have something to look forward to at 3am.

>>46143460
This needs to be a thing with every major character. River, Jewel, Silence, Brooks, even Henrietta.

Feathers is love. Feathers is life.

Forty minutes and change to call.

Home at fucking last. Final chance for votes and interlude ideas and suggestions.

>>46147281
Interlewd!

>>46147281
drunk nate and nat bonding session

>>46138773
> "Yeah, that's heavy. Listen - do you need me to get Ames out of your hair?"

Bri is the type to know this. He needs time to hash it out with his mother, her interference won't help

>>46147281

I'd like to get to some of that Rehab you mentioned before, story time is pretty much always fun, and checking up with that Chosen, assuming they haven't just skedaddled onto something else could be really neat too.

The Chosen also gives us a straight line to Red Troth, and could be used as a sort of emergency beacon to call in Divine Back-Up... But I'm fairly sure that the gods already know that Somethin' Ain't Right down there. and have their hands tied by their own decree that they CAN'T go down there.

... Of course, there's nothing stopping them from sending regular ol' mortal aid, But I think Lora would take pretty poorly to any sort of encroachment on her territory. It's been pretty shitty for her, but she still has her pride.

>>46148344

This is also a good idea.

>>46149507
she admitted earlier that her attempts to call for backup failed

>>46150085

That was /in/ the Dungeon.

... Unless you're talking about Lora, in which case I don't remember her saying something like that, just that this was her 'last' plan.

>>46147281
>2&1/2 hr since last Vox post

Is you dead?

>>46150320
I'll try to look it up, it was around the first. She said that she tried to call to for backup but her plans failed so she was trying this heriter gambit.

>>46150475
"This is the first time I've appointed a heritor," Lora says with a shrug. "I should have tried it earlier, but I thought I could escape on my own. Now it's become clear that I cannot fulfill my duties without outside assistance. Attempts to recruit...assistance...failed miserably."

thread #3

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>>46138773
"Well, maybe that ship /has/ sailed," you tell Nathan. "Even if nothing else had happened, it's a little late for her to suddenly be your mother. You're already a man."

"...Yeah," Nathan agrees, squeezing the stuffed gryphon.

"That doesn't mean you two can't have a relationship, though," you continue, softly. "You both already made the decision not to kill each other. Now you need to decide if you're willing to be family."

"That's something you can just choose?"

You punch Nathan in the arm. "Who the fuck are you asking that?"

"Point," he says sheepishly; Nathan gives you a grin and rubs his arm.

"Where's Fetch?"

"On the roof. He asked Amy to put him up there so he could have some private time."

You nod against Nathan's cheek and squeeze him in the hug.

> Stay with Nate
> Give him some alone time; talk with Amy
> Give him some alone time; catch up with Fetch

>>46151319
>> Give him some alone time; talk with Amy

>>46150416
Sorry, I was disturbed by life events of a romantic persuasion.

>>46151319
>> Give him some alone time; catch up with Fetch

>>46151335
You better have gotten her off boy.

>>46151319
> Give him some alone time; talk with Amy

>>46151360
How you know it's a her?

>>46151319
>Give him some alone time; catch up with Fetch

>>46151360
wrong

>>46151335
You better have gotten her off, MAN-LICH.

>>46151319
>>46151319
>Give him some alone time; catch up with Fetch

>>46151438
Shit, where's that "when I'm wearing the skirt, I'm a girl!" pic when I need it.

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>>46151542
too lazy to crop, but it's in there

This vote'll stay open for a bit; I'm trying to get the thread killed, but I'm also doing some Other Writing.

God fuck why do I already have ideas for a second quest this one's not doooooone.

>>46151648
Don't do it Vox, THATS A BAAAD ROAD

>>46151669
I don't intend to, that'd be fucking insanity of the highest order! Plus there's this issue where the idea is in an established setting instead of one of my own, using a proposed development of that setting in one of its late-run books that was offered to people running games in it but never worked into canon. I'm not sure how much I'd be crucified as a 'fanfic quest' at that point, considering...

>>46151697
people don't actually cruxify anyone for running fanfic quests, there's just a heavily known concern that the QM will be unable to "make it their own" or just ride on the coatails of nostalgia and in-jokes instead of creating something new.

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>>46151697
>the idea is in an established setting instead of one of my own

>>46151697
Unless it's porn, you would be better off dead.
or re-dead or whatever
frickin liches

>>46151733
ironically, I say this even though I'm the one who referenced Going Postal.

>>46151697
Vox. Vox.
Do an Evangelion quest. Be merciless. Only then you can taste how fanfic quests are like.

If it didn't devolve into waifu/moe/yuri/weeaboo degeneracy that is.

>>46151697
Please just finish this one first

>>46151770
I'd have to have watched Evangelion first. Besides, the idea is for an RPG setting.

>>46151697
I love how this post got more of a horrified reaction than this(>>46151609) did.

>>46151797
>haven't watched Evangelion
But that's perfect, Vox. Go by hearsay, fill in the gaps, ignore the roving diehard fans that will try to correct you - or use them to your advantage...
Who knows, you might end up with Pacific Rim mkII or even Macross.

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>>46151836
Why would you expect a horrified reaction to something so banal? You straight or something?

Called, writing.

Are there capuchins in the Dungeon? I want to raise some of their skeletons, staple bat wings on, and have a platoon of flying undead monkeys.

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>>46151319
"I'm gonna drag Amy out of the house for a bit," you tell Nathan. He squeezes your hand, gratefully, and you manage to usher Amy out with a minimum of fuss.

"How's he been?" you ask, the moment the door shuts.

"Worried," Amy admits. "There's a lot of loose ends to clean up. Was I...was I bothering him, by being close?"

"Sort of. Your heart was in the right place, but I don't think Nate knows what he wants right now. Just give those two privacy. Stick around, if you like, or don't."

"What're you going to do?" Amy asks.

"I should talk with Fetch," you tell her. "I know he's upset. He's never...lost someone, before."

Without a word, Amy grabs your shoulders and flits up to the roof with you. You yelp, in surprise, but before you can really be scared you're set down next to Fetch, the remaining chicken, and Vim & Vigor.

"I'll be close by," Amy promises, before she flits away.

"My queen," Fetch greets, formally.

"Sir Fetch," you greet, equally formally. "I understand that one of your brothers has been destroyed."

"Yes," the chicken knight agrees, solemnly. "...Yes, he has."

> Tell me about the battle
> Thinking about your own death?
> What you're feeling is normal, Fetch.
> Write-in?

>>46153174
>> Tell me about the battle
>> Thinking about your own death?

>>46153174
>> Tell me about the battle
>> Thinking about your own death?

I know that multiple answers are sort of frowned upon, but part two would probably be a normals consequence of part one.

Alright folks, we need the thread killed. Now's a great time for questions and feedback.

>>46151933
>>46153174
Speaking of cocks, Vox makes a perfect segue!

>>46153305
What rpg setting will your second quest be set?

You realize you won't be running this quest for a long time unless the next eight parts go by as quickly as that one. My advice, kill the desire. I'm a QM halfway into my own quest and the need to run this other one that I know I won't get to for a while keeps gnawing at me to the point where I think it is operating at a detriment to my current quest.

>>46153174
>> Tell me about the battle
How honorable was her final hurrah?

And I don't take Fetch as one to worry about his own death. I see it as more he was the leader and lost a comrade under his watch.

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>>46153333
Changeling: the Lost. Loved the fluff, hated the mechanics, but what else is fucking new with White Wolf? Specifically, the conceit I'm thinking of introducing is the Mask, which shields and shelters the Lost amongst normal humans, /going away entirely/. The concept was introduced and talked about in the late-run supplement Swords at Dawn, which was themed around change and the sacrifices needed to enact that change.

As far as killing the desire, I waited ten years straight to write a supplement that I'm having to write in pieces /right now/ amongst working on other projects.

I know how to wait.

>>46153364
You glorious motherfucker.

Vox I would so play in your Changeling: The Lost roleplaying game, quest, video game, internet online chat group, fuck, I'm not even one of your fans that usually sucks your dick and i'm hype.

>>46151797
An RPG setting is even less likely to get any of the already few autists to complain.
But really, finish this one, stop being afraid of things and DO IT

>>46153333
I've seen it work, but of course not with QMs that hold 24/7 threads.

>>46153364
That's pretty cool.

>I know how to wait.
Good to hear. .

>>46153381
I'm flattered.

>>46153494
> But really, finish this one, stop being afraid of things and DO IT

Haha, you're funny. Do you have any idea how much of a full-blown panic attack I have every time I try something new here? Fuck, dude, I can barely handle posting the lewds. I expected to get the hammer dropped on me for the /perspective swaps/.

>>46153522
>Fuck, dude, I can barely handle posting the lewds. I expected to get the hammer dropped on me for the /perspective swaps/.

I of course can't speak for everybody in here, but frankly? I'm here because I enjoy your writing. The setting and story, kinda, but they are, for me at least, way less important. I'm pretty sure that you could write about something totally different, and people (at least a notable share of your readers) would still read it, because they enjoy your writing, or the way you set your situations up, not because your potential other main character might be all that interesting.

>>46153522
I will say you should run a quest some time where the perspective never changes. Adds to the fear and paranoia when you don't know what other characters are doing.

>>46153522
And when the hammer consistently /doesn't drop/, what does that say?

(Sure there were people with criticism, but none of the torches and pitchforks and mass quitting.)

>>46153522
Vox, you stopped needing to worry about shit like that some 40 threads ago. Trust in your inner storyteller/bard/skald/thespian, fair lich.

I'd actually be interested in some more world-building, if possible. These are just some ideas, and they wouldn't spoil anything for future endevours (except maybe fueling speculation about the future).
>The History of Glen - The towns founding, famed peoples or holidays, and recent events.
>(In)Famous Events of the Dungeon - A rough timeline describing things of a more unusual variety than is the norm.
>The Seven Holy Choirs - A theological script on the angelic orders and the duties they perform (at least, the ones they can or will tell mortals about).

And, of course, we still have the options to explore the species write-ups from before, like learning more about harpies and imps and elementals.

No rush or demand, mind you. I'm just really liking your magical realm. Feels..homey. And fun in a way I haven't felt in a long time.

>>46153381
>Not sucking anonymous dick
What are ya, a faggot?