>>227437
You sit down across from Aash at the table, the room curiously restored to how it must have been back when this house had been owned by humans. Humans that Aashenpreet had...well, no point retreading that little issue.

"There's something I'd like to ask you about the Seventy-Seven Shrines."

Aashenpreet starts to look sour.
"You mean those shrines that I betrayed. That you broke my faith in?"

"Uh. Yeah. Those ones."
Why do all of your friends hate you now? You thought Aashenpreet at least was over this.

She just sighs.
"Go ahead. Ask me whatever you want. Capture me again if you want to. I don't care."

"Come on Aash. I met one of your sisters yesterday."

"What? None of my kind would be here!"

"They had two heads so I'm pretty sure."

"They wouldn't send a priestess on a war fleet Cennen, that would be stupid. There's nothing we could do."

You hear a distant crash out somewhere nearby. It strengthens your resolve.
"The snake was on one of their ships and there was something really weird about it. It had black eyes like Eva. You remember Eva, right? And it ate Art."

Aashenpreet's eyes widen.
"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. Being near it felt awful. Like I was choking and I was going to die."

"I didn't think they were real," Aashenpreet mutters. "What you and Hiss did to the Compact House, it must have been too much! I didn't think they'd ever let one out!"

"What? Let what out?'

Her eyes dart from side to side as if checking for watchers.
"You recall our visit to the House, do you not?"

"Of course."

"And do you remember the tunnels? The darkness? Do you remember the shortcut through the mountain heart?"

You stop. You remember it. You remember the darkness, the whispering, the things locked deep down within the holy mountain. You'd tried to pay them no heed. You'd practically forgotten about them!
"I do."

“Cennen, you must promise me that what I’m about to tell you must not leave this room. Tell nobody else. Not Zigzag, not your homunculi, not even Hiss. Do you understand?”


>”Of course.” You’ll keep your promise.

>”I’ll do my best Aash but if I feel like this is something they need to know…”

>”I keep no secrets from Hiss.”

>”Of course.” Lie.

>Other

>>227438
>”Of course.” You’ll keep your promise.
Oh shit Ouro is finally back!

>>227438
>”Of course.” You’ll keep your promise.

>>227438
>”Of course.” You’ll keep your promise.
Though we might have to kill two heads later

>>227438
>>”Of course.” You’ll keep your promise.
with the obvious stipulation that we'll relay tactical information to those that need it.

>>227438
>>”Of course.” You’ll keep your promise.
But if it's something tactically important I will have to relay it, but only as far as what we need to do to not die.

>>227438
>Other
Ask why we cant tell anyone

>”Of course.” You’ll keep your promise.

"Of course. You know me Aash, I keep my promises."

She raises an eyebrow and you get the feeling that she disagrees.
"You want to know? You really want to know?"

"Yes!"
It was intriguing at first but you're starting to lose your patience just a little.
"You don't have to give me the full story, just how to fight it. Uh...you don't mind that I have to fight it, do you? Because I can't guarantee the safety of either head."

"That's fine. If you could grant her death then that would be ideal. I'm sure she would love it. But the point is moot. I can tell you what they are but I can't tell you how to fight them."

"What, you don't know?"

"You could say that. But it would be more accurate to say that they cannot be fought. You said it ate Art. Did you feel anything else from it?"

You nod, loathe to recall the thing's uncanny presence.
"It was unnerving but in a way I couldn't place nor explain. And being near it felt oppressive, for lack of a better word."

"It was hot? Uncomfortable? You wanted to look away?"

"Yes."

"There are some things in this world that should not be, Cennen. You know that more than most. We are inherently disgusted by such things because we know, in the core of our beings, that such creatures have no place in Aashimid's plan. It is easy to distrust or be disgusted by homunculi. But they are nothing compared to that."

"Great. Now can you tell me what it is already?"

"Along the slopes of the Chau Devi there are Seventy-Seven Shrines."
Aashenpreet bites her lip.
"But there are...there were others. The Deep Shrines."

You think back to the darkness in the tunnel.
"They're underground, aren't they? Beneath the mountain."

"Nothing in this world is a coincidence and the location of the Compact House is not exempt. I was told that what made the Chau Devi so special in the first place, so unique that Aashimid would mark it for himself was that it was already home to something else."

She stops and looks to you but you don't say anything. Eventually she continues.

"There's something buried down there Cennen. It calls to all of us with hooks in our hearts. No snake is exempt but most human servants cannot heart it. You could though I know not why. The lower and deeper you go, the louder and more insistent it becomes. And it is used as a trial."

"What do you mean?"

Aashenpreet looks to the side again, back and forth.
"It is a matter of priestesses alone. Not even the Suzerains are permitted to know!"

Now that sounds important. To your best knowledge, the Suzerains are the three constrictors who govern the Compact House itself. They have primacy over every other shrine and command the priests and priestesses. Attaraan had been one of them.
"Tell me what you meant by a trial."

"It is not the province of the Suzerains," she mutters. "They do not hatch with Aashimid's touch upon their scales. They are whole."
1/2

>>227588
>No snake is exempt but most human servants cannot heart it. You could though I know not why.
Maybe because we're an alchemist? It would make sense if the art heart is buried there

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>>227588
>"There's something buried down there Cennen.

A fucking physical portal to the heart?

>>227588
"They are free to seek light and love as they see fit. But it is us, the chosen ones, we who Aashimid saw fit to scorch before we were ever even alive, who must seek darkness. The sun cannot abide us and we must be kept in shadow and secluded from all the impurity of the world. So you understand Cennen, why we must do service in all Seventy-Seven Shrines before we are fit to serve in the Compact House. We are the Chosen but our holiness makes us flawed, purity of the mind and soul but impure in form. That is why we must safeguard it so!"

You find yourself drumming your fingers on the table just a little. Aashenpreet can get really caught up in this sometimes. You guess she has a lot of conflicted emotions about being chosen in such a manner.

"Sorry. I'll try to get to the point. The Suzerains govern us but they leave many of our rites to ourselves. They are ours, the dark ways that those who approach the Compact from an origin already in light cannot be part of."

"Right, right. You said something about a trial?"

"I was getting to it!," she snaps. "In order to prove our purity, any priestess who wishes to leave the First Shrine and begin her ascension through them all to the Devi's peak must first undergo a test. It is not a pleasant one."

What Shrine had Aashenpreet been a part of again?
"You did it."

"Yes. And I'll say no more about that. But suffice to say, the hopeful initiate is lead down through the tunnels that spiral further and further into the deeper dark beneath the mountain. There are many tunnels down there, ones that we did not construct! And it is a labyrinth. The initiate is stripped of all human slaves and is turned around and lost within the tunnels on the very fringe of the Labyrinth. And there they must stay for a full turning of the day in the world above."

"Isn't it cold down there?"

"Extremely. But worse are the voices. When you're that far down they are loud enough to be real. Louder than the hisses of your friends as they slither beside you. They twist and tear at you and you cannot be rid of them and yet while you are there...while I was there, I was never more alone."

"But you made it through."

"Of course. Back then, at least, I was pure. There had been no doubt in my head. I had always been blessed, to have been Chosen and yet only with a superficial deformity. Albinos like myself often do well and become matrons."
You recall the fat and bloated white snake that greeted you in the First Shrine.
"Back then I thought it a sign of favour. Now I know it to just be a sign of luck."

"Okay. Okay. But how does this tie into the other priestess?"

Aashenpreet glares at you just a little.
"Not everyone makes it back, Cennen. Some become lost and are never found for even the matrons with the most experience have never mapped more than the tiniest edges of the Labyrinth. They starve to death and we find their skin and bones later. But a few get lost in more ways than just the physical."
2/3

>>227649
Reminder that we need to at some point check out the portal in HOM and see if we are any closer to discovering a new type of Magic.

>>227702
We need a nat100 for that though

>>227712
It might have changed
No harm in checking

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>>227694
Despite the mood and situation, it's nice to talk with Aash again

>>227694
"They lose their way and do not return and for a time we assume them to have starved and mourn them. If only they had stayed! There is no shame in remaining a First Shrine handmaiden for your entire life or at least, no shame compared to what awaits below. A human marks their name upon a wall and life goes on. But then you hear them call through the mountain and the matrons send out searches and convene and their names are struck from that wall. That is when we know that the initiate failed in the worst way possible. That they listened too closely and for too long and couldn't resist. They had strayed down into the core of the Labyrinth and they had lost their faith, become unChosen, set aside for something else. It is best," Aashenpreet says, one hand cracking the table beneath it, "to forget that they had ever lived."

"What happens to them down there? What IS down there?"

"I don't know! Why would I know that? But they are why we seal the tunnels. Every entry and exit to the Labryinth below is blocked and is only opened for initiations. We cannot allow them to return to us! They are traitors and beasts and they are already dead! So we keep them trapped within the damn Labyrinth they love so much and we keep to the upper tunnels. If you stray too far down you hear them through the walls. Pleading and begging."

"So you just keep them locked up forever? Isn't that cruel?"

"Don't you dare judge," she hisses. "It is only natural that we should be ashamed! But if you were to meet one face to face then you would know why. For one to be here now...what Hiss did to the Compact House must be dire indeed."

"And that Art, uh, Art is common to them?"

"Yes," she says, though she neglects to say how she knows that. "Nobody knows who teaches them that. It is useless to talk to them. They are faithless monsters and the worst of the impure. End her suffering."

She sits back, dragging the chair across the floor.
"Is that all? You've already debased me countless times, are the shames of my sisters enough for you? Are you satisfied?"

"Ye-"

"Then leave."
She doesn't sound angry anymore. Just weary.

>Do as she says.

>Try to press for more information.

>"How long are you going to keep this up?"

>Introduce her to Aqua.

>Nobble.

>Pet snake.

>Other

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Jesus christ I took way too long on that update. A little out of practice I guess.
In addition to the thread stuff I'm going to be running up Interludes between the posts. I got asked to make a few of them after all.

>>227789
>Introduce her to Aqua.
Sea snake from close to Quedesh. They treated her like shit too.
>Sounds like that place is similar to the Art Heart. Snake wizards, lovely.

>>227789
>"How long are you going to keep this up?"
Thanks for telling me all this. I understand that you're upset and I'm sorry for all that's happened to you but your have a responsibility to be strong for Zukhdeep. He thinks of nothing but your well-being and you need to take care of him too instead of wallowing in misery

>>227789

>Introduce her to Aqua.
a barbarian by your standards i don't doubt but another person from the far side of the world who has tentatively joined up with us. an interesting example of how quedesh treats snakes not part of its political hegemony.

>>227789
>"How long are you going to keep this up?"
>>227811
No worries, it was a really long update

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>>227789
>Introduce her to Aqua.
The first snake whose life somewhat improved after meeting us!

Also, I want a mod for Darkest Dungeon set on the labyrinth, it'd be a kickass location

>>227789
>Introduce her to Aqua.
Distraction snake, take care she will try to seduce you.

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>>227437

REQUESTED INTERLUDE 77

Sarminda yawned as she stared at the rising sun before petulantly biting into a small loaf of bread. Disgusting. It wasn’t even fresh!
But alas, such were the rigors of seafaring life. Nothing was fresh.

Yes, Sarminda thought to herself as she tossed the half-eaten loaf back to one of the human slaves attending to her in her immense gilded cabin, the seafaring life was hard indeed. She hadn’t been prepared. No fresh food, only half a dozen personal attendant and just a single room to call her own...She sighed as she watched another plume of smoke twirl up from the barbarian city on the shore.
She understood how the barbarian humans must feel. War was a harsh mistress.

“Mangoes,” she said idly, her slaves twitching to immediate attention. “Fetch me a basket of those instead.”

“Forgive us,” one of her slaves stepped forward. “You ate the last basket yesterday.”

Sarminda did her best to restrain herself and stopped from stamping her foot. This was a ship, not a palace. Everything was made from wood instead of stone and it was all too easy to forget that and get carried away. Namjott had already asked her not to put any more holes in her floor.
That was another prickly subject. How dare Namjott ask anything of her? He was just a human! A decorated human, certainly, one with a solid history of military campaigns in pacifying the Ti but just a human nonetheless. He acted as if he was in charge of the whole war effort!

Absurd. Sarminda was the Supreme War Leader here, she’d been appointed as such by the Invisible Court themselves! Her chest swelled with pride as remembered that appointment. She had been making inroads into securing her own position in the lesser echelons of the Court, she was sure she had been doing very well. And others must have recognized her excellence! She had been called into the personal court of a particularly glorious Rani, Tanni. Tanni had towered over her in the same way Sarminda towered over humans and just being there had made her know that was just one step closer to reaching that status herself.
And as a reward for her excellence and ambition, Sarminda had been assigned to lead the Punitive Force, a military power comprised of the forces of a whole THREE Rajas. The fact that every constrictor present was at least as young as she was had worried her somewhat, as had the presence of a human commander at all but Tanni had assured her that Namjott was necessary for doing all the busywork that Sarminda couldn’t possibly be asked to do.

And that ‘busywork’ had spread to encompass what seemed to be the entire campaign. Sarminda had thus far spent the war lounging about in her cabin while Namjott had handled all of the...actual war business. That wasn’t right. It had all sounded so clear when Tanni had explained it to her but now it just didn't feel right.
1/4

>>227955
All of the great military campaigns she’d read about and studied...they didn’t have human commanders present to do the work for them. Snakes had lead them on their own.
The fact that those snake generals were typically multiple centuries old and that the forces they lead would eclipse this puny offering by a mere three Rajas completely escaped her.

It was almost like Namjott was the actual commander and that was absurd! That wouldn’t do, Sarminda decided. She didn’t want anyone to get the wrong impression. It was time to assert her authority. She pushed her fawning slave aside as she got to her feet, taking special care not to break him.
“Stay.”

Sarminda stepped forward from her cabin and into the halls of the Srstiputra. The corridors of the august command ship were the appropriate size, the ceilings at least fifteen feet high. The black wood creaked under the weight of Sarminda and the numerous other constrictors who currently called this ship home. Some of them bowed as she passed and she took the time to inspect them. A lot of them were wearing armour. Finely made armour of course but just the sight made her lip curl in disdain. Sarminda wore no armour, she was protected by her magic alone!
There were plenty of humans too of course, bustling through the corridors at roughly waist-height. The dimensions of the ship, the proper civilized dimension, dwarfed them and made them look like children. Fitting. For what were humans but short-lived children to be guided? Guided and used. The humans here were soldiers and slaves and attendants and were almost entirely male. Indeed, Sarminda had chosen to wear a female form upon this endeavour to help further differentiate herself from the human herds in a way beyond size, power and natural glory.

She let herself into the room that Namjott had claimed for himself without knocking or announcing her presence. The thought of catching the human in a disorderly state was strangely appealing. She was to be disappointed however for the commander was seated where he always was, apparently inspecting the plans of invasion.
The room was large, even for the Srstiputra, a large window of tinted glass over a six-foot high desk and table. It was here that Sarminda was supposed to be spending her time.
Namjott was to the side, seated at a much plainer, much smaller table that was forever at odds with the gigantic luxurious ensemble that she never used. She had set it up that way deliberately.

Namjott stands immediately, setting his work aside to bow.
“And to what do I owe this visit, Glorious One?”

Sarminda stopped. What was she doing here again? Surely she had a more important objective than to just annoy her subordinate.
“What are the plans for today?”
2/4

>>227965
Her tongue nearly stumbles and she curses inwardly. Tanni had chosen her for this most important of missions, one guaranteed to kickstart her career among the Invisible! By the time she takes her first step in the Courts, she would not be able to afford such stumbles. She would be devoured, first metaphorically and then later, literally.
It was unlikely Namjott had picked up on her uncertainty, he was just a human after all. But she felt compelled to look extra impressive anyway so she took a few steps forward to tower over him, nearly banging her knee on his desk as she did so. Another near-miss she could ill afford.

“We will continue the bombardment, Oh Superior Most Beautiful and Bountiful. Resistance promises to be heavy so it would be wise to soften them up further before we close for the kill. Repairs are going well and we have upped the defe-”

“That is not a very glorious means of victory.”
Sarminda frowned, somewhat thrown off by the title he had used. The other humans didn’t speak like that. She had the sneaking suspicion she was being mocked but a human would never do that.
“There is much more at stake here than mere expansion or a few thousand human lives. When people hear of this, they will hear of me. The destruction of the city of Teleran must be impressive, it must be absolute, it must leave no doubts in the minds of my rivals of my power. Do you understand?”

“Of course, Holy One. But I believe the city is named Taldenral. Teleran is the countr-”
He didn’t get far before Sarminda spoke over the top of him again. It was only natural. The most important proclamation of a human could not be worthy of more time than her most basest of whims.
“The name is unimportant! It will be named Sarminder once I am through with it! Now stop wasting time reading reports and get out there and do something. Something to make the barbarians quail.”

“Did you have a particular act in mind?”

“Just make it impressive.”
Was it right to delegate this to Namjott? She had been against it before. But then she had been reminded of how much painful work it all was. A war hero does not read reports. She’d never heard them do that in the Songs.

She stomped back to her expanded bedchambers, still hungry, still vaguely dissatisfied. Her slaves were happy to see her but they had not magically conjured up any fresh food in her absence. She settled for swallowing one of them alive. It was a waste, she now only had five personal servants.
But she should have more than enough slaves before long.

3/3

>Introduce her to Aqua.

"Fine. I'll leave. But are you doing alright, Aash?"

"What do you think?"

"No not about that, I mean about...well yes, that. I thought you were putting this behind you."

"I'm fine," she mutters. "Or at least I would be if you weren't here."

"Have you been talking to anyone besides Zukhdeep? Anyone at all?"

That gives her a little pause.
"I don't need anyone else."

"We both know that isn't true. Hey Aqua! Get in here!"
Aqua pokes her head into the room a few moments later, her shirt riding high on her midriff.

"Yes Senna? Who's this?"

"Who is she?"

"Aashenpreet, Aqua. Aqua, Aashenpreet. You're both Quedeshi, I'm sure you'll get along just fine."

"I'm not Quede-"
Aqua starts to protest but you manage to silence her with a look.
"I'm kind of close," she admits.

Aashenpreet narrows her eyes.
"A barbarian."

"Maybe by your standards, yes. By a lot of standards actually."

"Thanks Cennen but I'm not sure what this is supposed to acco-what happened to you?"
She's standing up, her eyes fixed on the mostly indifferent Aqua.
"Where did you get all of those scars?"

Aqua, somewhat taken back by the sudden change in direction, resorts to her default response.
"Why don't you come close and look for yourself?"

"Aqua please no, that's not going to work here. You can't eat Aashenpreet anyway."

Aashenpreet does seem to have taken her up on her invitation however, brushing past you to take Aqua's arm.
"They're everywhere," she mutters. "You poor thing!"

"Yes?"
Aqua seems confused by the attention.
"It was you lot who gave them to me."


>Leave them be for now, you have a team to organize.

>Find Zukhdeep.

>Hang around for a bit longer.

>You can't let Aqua stay here, she's supposed to be coming with you.

>Other

>>227774
That snake looks so happy! Cute!

>>228033
>You can't let Aqua stay here, she's supposed to be coming with you.
Poor oster has been through enough, let's go save him already

>>228033
>Leave them be for now, you have a team to organize.

>>227789
Yep definitely the Art Heart. Can't wait for Shrine Journey 2: Albino Boogaloo. I guess it makes sense if the purpose of the compact house was to make something that could destroy the Heart that the heart was close by.

>>228033
>Aashenpreet is pretty Sheltered Aqua, she doesn't get the snakes of Quedesh treat anyone who isn't a snake in their courts worse than dogs. She's still a very nice person.

>Find Zukhdeep.

>>228033
>>Hang around for a bit longer.
Make sure this doesn't backfire too horribly. Once we're sure they bond over being fucked by constrictors:
>Leave them be for now, you have a team to organize.

>>228048
Then I messed up the filename

So what's the plan for that anti-art snake? Aash's info wasn't exactly useful. Maybe we could make a large single shot long range ammo brew for the caster?

Calling it for
>Leave them be for now, you have a team to organize.

It is very cold

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>>228084
Haha.

>>228137
Drop a large rock and hope it doesn't have dragon scales?

>>228137
Brews are a no no, since she can affect our art trough them. We could go old school and set the boat on fire, have aqua finishh her off if she tries to swim away

>>228154
Let's make the brew solidify as it reaches the air outside of the barrel of the caster. If we're outside of the art eating range the constrictor can't stop it. At that point the damage will come from physical force instead of art

>>228137
Fire, Bigass rock, Ishmin, Sword it to death, use a bow. Basically physical force.

>>228150
I'd like to think we can make a more clever idea than to drop a fuckin rock on it anon

>>228175
So, using the caster as an actual gun. We don't even need to use a potion, just a regular projectile will do.

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>>228194
Clever doesn't mean better. Also seems like something they wouldn't expect since its purpose is to fuck with the substantial amout of Art our forces can muster.

>Leave them be for now, you have a team to organize.

"What do you mean? You're a serpent, aren't you?"

"Yeah but I don't think I was the right kind of serpent if you get my drift."

"You must be mistaken. All of our kind are free back home. Even the little snakes here would be venerated. This shouldn't have happened to you."

"It did. And I have to say, I didn't feel particularly venerated."

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea! Do they hurt?"

"Not anymore."

Aashenpreet winces.
"I can't believe it. This isn't right! Here, stay still. Let me help you."

It sounds like it's going just fine. You probably won't regret leaving them alone. And that's good because you're about to be real fucking busy.

You step outside, passing by Zukhdeep, the little homunculus still embedded in the trash where Aqua dropped him. He'll probably be fine.

Now, you can't afford to get distracted or side-tracked anymore. The sun is up and the day's only getting older. If Oster is still alive, if he's still out there somewhere...he's going to need your help.

But you and who else? Who do you plan on taking with you?

>Aqua. Obviously. They're on a boat.

>Zigzag. She's usually more useful than she isn't.

>Hiss. She's by far your most powerful ally. Nothing could go wrong!

>Aashenpreet. Not much of a combatant but helping Oster might help her.

>Hom. Why not? He's a giant pig monster and you're pretty sure he can swim.

>Orange. Choosing this is very mean.

>Other

>>228240
>>Aqua. Obviously. They're on a boat.
>Zigzag. She's usually more useful than she isn't.
>Hom. Why not? He's a giant pig monster and you're pretty sure he can swim.
>Make lots of alchemy

>>228240
>Aqua. Obviously. They're on a boat.
>Zigzag. She's usually more useful than she isn't.
>Aashenpreet. Not much of a combatant but helping Oster might help her.
>Hom. Why not? He's a giant pig monster and you're pretty sure he can swim.
Didn't Hiss say she had to stay behind to lead or something? Also Hom might be useful against that anti art abomination

>>228240
>>228249
>Make lots of alchemy

Supporting if nothing else. Get the homuculi off whatever they are doing to help. We need to be stuffed to the gills.

>>228240
>Zigzag. She's usually more useful than she isn't.
>Hom. Why not? He's a giant pig monster and you're pretty sure he can swim.
>Aqua. Obviously. They're on a boat.

Not >Orange. His female form has large flotation devices.

>>228240
>>Zigzag. She's usually more useful than she isn't.
>Aashenpreet. Not much of a combatant but helping Oster might help her.
>Aqua. Obviously. They're on a boat.
and
maybe hiss as well but only if we feel we have a solid plan that doesn't risk her getting swamped

>>228235
I don't see how dropping a large rock on it would work. If we become a large enough bird or dragon to carry a large stone we'd just be shot down

>>228240
>Aqua. Obviously. They're on a boat.
>Zigzag. She's usually more useful than she isn't.
>Aashenpreet. Not much of a combatant but helping Oster might help her.
Plus she has the skillset of an infiltratior
>Hom. Why not? He's a giant pig monster and you're pretty sure he can swim.

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Called. Writan

>>228272
Aqua didn't get shot down

>>228307
Because we flew as high as possible and then we needed to drop like 5 brews to perfect our aim before hitting the ship. We can't fly that high or accurately hit a target with a single huge rock.

>>228323
Unless we use a collapsible brew on several large rocks to shrink he down to carry them. We've been overusing the whole turn into a bird and drop things tactic lately though, we should do something different

>Aqua. Obviously. They're on a boat.
>Zigzag. She's usually more useful than she isn't.
>Hom. Why not? He's a giant pig monster and you're pretty sure he can swim.

Aqua is the most obvious pick by far. You're going to all have to get out there somehow and she's the only way you can do it undetected. As for the others? You and Hiss have already spoken why she can't go. She's essential for the defence and the whole reason the Deep Priestess is here in the first place is probably to take Hiss out the moment she shows herself.
But Zigzag, Zigzag is plenty durable. You've gone on missions with her before and they've always worked out well. She's just very useful in general provided that you can keep her tractable and that hasn't been a problem lately.
Guess you really scared her straight.

And then you've got Hom, your first and only combat homunculus. If anyone can handle it it'll be him. He might be able to offer some more insight on the priestess as well.

You'll leave Aqua here right now and go get the other two. Didn't Orange tell you that the homunculi were back at the mansion that Hiss stole? You've really got to tell those two to stop wandering around.

You make your way slowly back through town, noticing the devastation more and more. Entire sections of the city have been emptied in the face of advancing Ishmin infestations and the constant rain of missiles has taught the populace fear. There are rumours of serpents and monsters everywhere and people have started to avoid the rivers. There's something swimming in there, they claim.

You find Hom out in the mansion gardens, accompanied by a pretty redhaired snake but without Eva.
"Have you seen his sister? Uh, black eyes, kind of pale..."

The snake laughs as Hom pulls out more of her hair.
"I saw her before, she's gone off with Blue."

"Ah thanks. Who were you again?"

"Twisty."

"Pardon?"

"That's my name."

"Shit, that name sucks."

"And whose fault is that?"
She flicks a forked tongue in your direction.

"Right."
With that kind of body and that name she must have been one you'd given shape to in the census.
"Sorry about that."

"It's fine. Just something I'm stuck with for the rest of my life apparently."

You think back to Snouty.
"It could be worse. Hey Hom! You ready to brew?"

"aaaaaaaaaaaa"

You're going to assume that's a yes.

>Start restocking.

>You should do some experiments!

>Get Eva in on this as well.

>Nobble

>Other

>>228431
>>Get Eva in on this as well.

>>228431
>Start restocking.
At the very least we need a soulsight brew to locate Oster. I wish we could experiment though.

>>228431
>Start restocking.
>You should do some experiments!
>Get Eva in on this as well.
Maybe make one new brew while Eva and Hom restock and help us brainstorm our experimental brew?

>>228431
>Start restocking.
So is there a consensus on how we're going to deal with the deep one?

>Start restocking.

You send Twisty off to go find Zigzag for you. And while she's doing that, you and Hom are ready to brew up a storm. This might be the last time you brew for quite some time. Best use it wisely.

>Choose fifteen potions. You can choose multiple of one type.

>>228533
Hom might know more when he sees her. I still like the long range caster idea but idk how feasible it is since it wouldn't be very accurate unless we spend loads of time refining and practicing with it

Just a heads up, my internet might be feeling that Game Of Thrones shake soon. Don't know if it'll stay good for the duration or not.

>>228305
BUNYIIIIIIP

>>228569
chapter just ended and it was 10 minutes shorter

>>228548
Heal all x3
Soulsight x2
Champion brew x2
Snakebreaker x3
Lethal gas
Bloodkin x3 so we can all communicate silently
Soul guise so we don't freeze them

>>228569
>a single show can tank an entire cunt's internet

Still can't get over that. Preemptive thanks for running if worse comes to worse.

>>228576
Bunyip would probably be handy for this mission.

>>228586
My reasoning with that second soulsight is maybe we can fuck up the snake by entering its soul like we do with homunculi

>>228548
6x Heal-All
3x Champoin Brews
3x Snakebreakers
1x Panacea
1x Love Potion

>>228586
Looks good enough. I'll go with this so I don't have to go through the inventory and party pastebin on my phone

>>228597
Not how it works with wizards or homunculi, doubt it'd work here.

>>228548
Heal all x3
Soulsight
Potence
Champion brew x2
Snakebreaker x3
Lethal gas
Bloodkin x3 so we can all communicate silently
Soul guise so we don't freeze them


>>228609
second soulsight is literally useless.

>>228586
Looks like it's going to be this one. Writan'

>>228548
>>228586
This but here's a smart idea that can deffinitely not go terribly wrong: how about we try Advanced thought brew or Mutagenic medicine on her?
Have hom brew them for extra cowardice

>>228605
We don't know how to make panacea

>>228586
Might want to squeeze a potence in in place of asnakebreaker.

>>228622
Oh....well then
6x Heal-All
3x Champoin Brews
3x Snakebreakers
1x Soulsight
1x Love Potion

>>228619
Can we not? The whole reason he wants the second soulsight is to try and rip up it's soul, which is infinitely more likely to kill us, then do nothing, than actually affect the snake.

>>228625
We only need one potence and we already have it

>>228619
Belay that remark, we've got a few more options coming in late!

Alright you lot, choose between these three:
>>228586
>>228618
>>228635

Cast yer votes

>>228641
>>228618

>>228618
>>228641
backing mine

>>228641
>>228586

>>228653
why? The second soulsight is completely superfluous.

>>228659
Well we can always use extra soulsights. Your potence is superfluous too. We already have one in our inventory

>>228641
>>228586
I'm not sure how this works but I'm voting for my original vote I guess?

>>228659
>>228671
you guys know what could be super useful in a pinch and isn't superfluous.....Love Potion.

>>228694
only if we catch a snake, and don't want to use wishes on it.

>>228659
I think it's good to keep our options open. We can't kill it with art so maybe soul fuckery is a possibility

>>228715
>can't kill it with art
>Try to sue art to kill it


Furthermore our soulsight explicitly DOES NOT work like that, at all, and every time we got near something like that it fucked us up badly. It's literal suicide to try.

Rolled 1 (1d6)

Okay, this is actually going to a tiebreaker roll? Alright.

Evens is purple's list, Odds is the fellow with the gray kind of bruised color.

>>228710
Catch snake. Wish for it to drink love potion. Wish for it to destroy it's memories of doing so as opposed to forgetting, so it doesn't remember when it wears off.

Save third wish.

Snake now wants to protect us and keep us happy for unknown reasons but it's their biggest motivation.

They're all young, and clearly don't have Tanni levels of experience with loopholes and lateral thinking.

Also clearly no concept of self examination or emotional control.

>>228740
> love potion
> using obsolete potions

>Heal all x3
>Soulsight
>Potence
>Champion brew x2
>Snakebreaker x3
>Lethal gas
>Bloodkin x3
>Soul Guise

The two of you brew as quickly and fervently as possible and fill your pack near to bursting with potions, elixirs and brews.

You work up a good sweat in the process and it stings your eyes, prompting you to step back from the cauldron for a little while. And by the time you've finished wiping your eyes Zigzag is standing right in front of you.
"You wanted to see me?"

"Yes. Do you remember what you told me this morning?"

"If this is about Orange you can stop. I don't understand your problem with him."

"No, no, not about that. Oster. We're going to get him back!"

Zigzag looks out over the bay.
"I'm not sure if you've thought this through."

"Does that make a difference?"

"No. As long as it tastes better than eating those Ishmin things. But what do you want me to do?"

>You want her to help infiltrate. Her venom is a very useful stealth tool.

>You want to use her as a human(?) shield like you have in the past.

>"Because I trust you not to mess this up."

> You want to point her in the vague direction of the enemy and watch her go.

>"Sometimes it feels like you're my only friend who doesn't hate me. Is that good enough?"

>Ask her to shapeshift into a different form.

>Other

>>228776
>You want to use her as a human(?) shield like you have in the past.
>You want her to help infiltrate. Her venom is a very useful stealth tool.
>"Because I trust you not to mess this up, or if you do, be tough enough to un-mess it up. Just watch out they have an art canceler on one of the ship."
>Give her a knife so if she wants to take a few bites off someone not allied with us she can.

>>228776
>"Sometimes it feels like you're my only friend who doesn't hate me. Is that good enough?"
We'll see what she should do judging by the immediate situation. Stealth is preferable though

>>228776
>You want her to help infiltrate. Her venom is a very useful stealth tool.

>>228776
>You want her to help infiltrate. Her venom is a very useful stealth tool.
>You want to use her as a human(?) shield like you have in the past.
>"Sometimes it feels like you're my only friend who doesn't hate me. Is that good enough?"

>>228776
>pretty much all
>"You're really good to have around, Ziggy"

Connection being very choppy right now. I might have to collect these votes and come back later

File: tegaki.png (11 KB, 400x400)

11 KB PNG

>>228895

>>228945
>snekpepe
I'm actually sort of impressed anon

>>228776
>>You want her to help infiltrate. Her venom is a very useful stealth tool.

>>228776
>You want her to help infiltrate. Her venom is a very useful stealth tool.
>"Because I trust you not to mess this up."
And at this point
>"Sometimes it feels like you're my only friend who doesn't hate me. Is that good enough?"

But who knows how Ziggy really feels

Yeah sorry guys, this shit is flickering on and off and making me pretty damn pissed. Unless it stops real soon we might have to just call it for today.
I will definitely be back tomorrow and in fact, I will be back everyday like I was in the Compact House until this is all finished and done.

>>228945
so rare it's unique

>>229010
see ya flek snek

>>229010
>all finished and done
...like with the quest
omg is the quest ending
holy shit

>>229010
It cleared up pretty quick last time you ran on game of thrones day, don't give up yet

>>229010
no worries man, happy to be back in business even for a bit

>Mostly all of it.

"It'd be great if you could help with all of it. You can help us infiltrate with your venom breath, you're good in an actual fight and to be honest, I kind of want to use you as a human shield again. You're just really good to have around in general. You up for that?"

Zigzag shrugs.
"Sure. But why me specifically? I don't really care about Oster."

"Because you're someone I can trust not to mess this up and you're tough enough to make it even if it is. And hell, sometimes it feels like you're my only friend who I haven't pissed off. Is that good enough?"

"Are we?"

"Pardon?"

"Friends? Am I your friend?"

"You tell me Ziggy. But I'd like to think so."

"I've never had a friend before."

"What about Orange?"

That stops her.
"I hadn't thought about that."

"See? You already have more friends then you know what to do with!"

"I guess I do. I don't think I'd like it very much if you died today. I wouldn't want that to happen. Is that a friendship?"

"Close enough."

>Time to grab Aqua and get ready to leave.

>Give Zigzag a potion.

>There's someone else you need to see first.

>Other

>>231507
How does her strength compare to a constrictor? Might be worth giving her a potence

>>231514
Zigzag is about as strong as an average human.

>>231507
>Give Zigzag a potion.
Potence

>>231520
Okay yeah definitely give her a potence then

>>231507
>Give Zigzag a potion.
Potence.
>Time to grab Aqua and get ready to leave.
let's roll
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VogWfA4zesA

>>231507
>>Give Zigzag a potion.
Potence, but tell her save it until we get close to the fight, it doesn't last long.

>>231507
>There's someone else you need to see first.
Let's say bye to Hiss at least. Kinda wanna see Eva too

>>231584
this too

>Give Zigzag a potion.

"And," you say as you rummage around in your pack for the bottle you're thinking of, "we can't have you go unprepared. Take this."

She takes the Potence and weighs it in her hands.
"This isn't like the potions you normally give me."

"It's a Potence. There's going to be constrictors about. Now, are you ready?"

"Sure?"

"Great. How about you Hom?"

"aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"

"I'll take that as a yes. Let's go."

You put your pack back on and buckle your scabbard to your side while Hom hefts the entire cauldron onto his back. Zigzag trails behind the two of you as you depart.

You can see stones and missiles drifting through the sky above you as you make your way through the city. They move with deceptive speed through big and lazy arcs and the ground shakes beneath your feet.
Looks like they've gotten at least some of those trebuchets back up and running.

Aqua is sitting out front waiting for you, perched in the windowsill of Aashenpreet's impromptu house.
"It's about time," she says when she sees you coming. "Any longer and I'd probably dry out."

"You ready? How's Aash?"

Aqua just smiles cryptically.
"Exhausted. Let's go."

That's a little worrying.
"What the hell do you mean by that?," you ask as she drops down beside you.

"Guess."

"She wouldn'-"

"We got into a bit of a fight. Nothing serious. Why, what'd you think I meant?"

"Uh...that, I guess. She alright?"

"I'd hope so. I never said I won."

Hiss is waiting for you down by the docks, directing what's left of the human defenders of Taldenral to raise the battered down and broken defences back up. She kicks an anaconda corpse off the side and into the ocean as you approach.
"Cennen!"
And then her face sours.
"And...the rest of you. Are these really the people you've chosen?"

"Wouldn't have anyone else. Except maybe you."

Hiss just smiles wearily.
"You know I can't come."

"I do, I do. I'll see you later, alright?"

Hiss frowns.
"I can only hope so."

"Sennen! What's the hold up?"
A voice from behind. That'd be Aqua, of course.

"I'm coming, hold on."


>"Just give me a moment here first, please. Alone."

>Say goodbye to Hiss.

>Pet snake.

>"It's not too late to join us."

>Give Hiss a potion.

>Other

>>231616
>Say goodbye to Hiss.
Kiss the snek

File: snekiss.gif (979 KB, 500x370)

979 KB GIF

>>231616
>>Say goodbye to Hiss.
>>231626
You mean like this

>>231626
This. Also use this chance to drink a soulguise and make bloodkin links to Hom zigzag and aqua
I can't think of any brews she might need except for maybe a dispel brew

>>231616
>Say goodbye to Hiss.
>Pet snake.
>Kiss and semi-lewd hug

>>231626
Actually let's give her the hiss brew too. Just in case.

>>231616
Also, very important
>warn her about the deep priestess
Keep our promise to Aash and just tell her to wach out for the two headed snake who eats art.

This is just in case they send her in earlier.

>>231642
I can get behind this as a precaution. I have a bad feeling that something awful will happen while we're gone

>>231657
>>231642
Her avatar of death form is pure Art, she may get hard countered by the priestess. If she can absorb all art, Hiss' poison won't affect her.

>>231671
The brew kicks her venom production into overdrive and I think her venom is natural and not magical in nature

>Say goodbye to Hiss.

"Goodbye, Hiss."
You wrap your arms around her and pull her close. She feels as cold as ever and you savour it as best you can. You don't care that everyone is watching, that you have an audience mostly consisting of complete strangers.
You try to kiss her but she beats you to it and she doesn't let you go until you start to signal semi-urgently that you need to breathe.

"Don't you dare die," she whispers.

"I wasn't planning on it."

She tightens her grip just enough to hurt.
"This isn't a joke, Cennen. Promise me that you'll be safe. Promise me that I'm not making the worst decision of my life by staying behind."

"I promise. The people here need a Queen."

"And the Queen needs her alchemist! Cennen, sometimes I don't think you understand what you do to me."

"Goodbye."
You say it a second time, a touch more firmly and she gets the message. You press the Hissbrew into her hands.

"Find Oster and leave. No heroics, no attempts at nobbling. Just do your damn job for once."

"I will. But only if you promise me that you won't worry about me too much."

"Someone has to, you certainly don't do it enough. What's this brew for?"

"The deep priestess, that crazy two-headed thing I told you about, she might show up. She's their weapon against you."

"And what if she doesn't? What if she's still in the fleet when you arrive?"

"We'll think of something. I'm not going alone after all."

She scowls at Zigzag, Hom and Aqua.
"You might as well be. You have until nightfall."

"Pardon."

"If night falls and I don't see you again, I'm going to stop sitting back. Let it not be said that I don't fight my own battles! I'll crush this whole fucking fleet myself."

"What about the deep -"

She shoves you away but not unkindly.
"Goodbye Cennen. You should leave before I change my mind."

>Do as she says.

>Give her another potion.

>"Nightfall? I'll be back long before then."

>"No Hiss, you can't do that."

>Other

>>231693
>Do as she says.
Let's do this shit

>>231693
>Do as she says.

>>231693
>Do as she says.
>"You too, stay safe"
I'm spook

>>231693
>Do as she says.

>>231671
Pretty sure venom doesn't count as art. The DP might cause the potion to stop working but it wouldn't affect all the poison Hiss put out before hand. I thing.

>Do as she says.

You back away from her and return to where the others are waiting for you. Zigzag and Hom are standing by the very edge where the broken down and crumbling docks give way to the sea. Aqua is already in the water, still in human form.
"Are we good to go?"

"Yes. Let's do this."

"Haha, alright! Finally!"
Aqua suddenly sinks like a stone as she rapidly increases in density.
You don't bother waiting for her to come up.

"Come on, you two. In!"

You grab Zigzag and Hom's hands and the three of you plunge into the ocean. The water is cold enough to send a shock running through your body and you feel Zigzag's grip tighten as the snake reacts to the cold.

But she isn't the only snake down here. A long blue tail quickly wraps around the three of you and tightens into a long coil. Aqua gigantic half-human form picks you up bodily from her tail, one hand wrapped around you and Zigzag's torsos and the other holding Hom.

And just like that, you're off! Aqua darts into the ocean with tremendous speed, leveraging her size and strength into speed with each movement of her immensely muscular tail.

The water around you is murky and only gets dirtier as the force of Aqua's advance thrums the sand and muck of the ocean bed up into clouds. It rises around you, obscuring your vision and hiding you from above.

And then as your breath is about to give way, the muck fades away as Aqua briefly holds her hands above the water. You hear Zigzag grasping for breath beside you and she latches onto you immediately for what pallid warmth you have left.
But that's only a brief reprieve as Aqua returns to the depths just a moment later, determined not to be seen.

This repeats several times before Aqua finally retreats from the fleet, swimming far out into the open waters beyond the bay before finally surfacing again.

Zigzag gasps and moans beside you but says nothing coherent.
"Aqua," you speak through cold-numbed lips, "have you found it?"

"I think so."
Only her head and her hands are above the surface, her eyes locked onto the fleet in the distance.
"It's larger than the other ships but it isn't a siege-ship. It feels...more solid in the water too. Sinks deeper. Means there a lot of people like me on board."

Huh. You'd never even thought of that.
"Good work. Let's go."

It's time.

>Approach from the top. To the skies once more!

>Approach from the side. Have Aqua swim you in and then climb up to the deck.

>Approach from below. Aqua can get you in deep beneath the ship and you can make your way up from there. A bit more risky but they'll never see it coming.

In addition, vote for what potions you are giving to who. Currently Zigzag is still holding onto a Potence.
>Hand out potions (Specify)

In addition:
>Ask Hom to transform now.
>Have him wait until you're on board.

>Pet Zigzag

>Other

>>231791
>Approach from the side. Have Aqua swim you in and then climb up to the deck.
>Give Hom a Champion
>take a soulguise
>Give everyone a bloodkin

>>231791
First drink the soulsight to locate Oster and see what kind of opposition we have
>Approach from below. Aqua can get you in deep beneath the ship and you can make your way up from there. A bit more risky but they'll never see it coming.
Drink potence and regen
Drink a champion elixir
Give one to Aqua and Hom
Drink soul guise
Bloodkin link with all of them

>>231791
Should we give aqua a bloodkin and have her wait four us outside as backup and getaway vehicle?

>>231830
Also have Hom wait until we're on board

>>231830
This

>>231830
Calling it for this.

>Plan of attack

You do your best to ignore Zigzag for now as you use Aqua's hand as a brace to lever yourself up to inspect the distant ships.
"Can you point out which one you think it is?"

"That one. It's near the siege-ship but it's not too close."

You drink the Soulsight and immediately cry out as the souls of the fleet pop out to you. No! That's too much!
You narrow your vision, blind yourself to all but that single ship. A jumble of mish-mashed souls are what awaits you and you can instantly tell that the ship is full of constrictors. Far too many souls on board have their own entourage of captive human souls lashed to them. Some of them have at least hundreds! The beauty of their souls range from shadowy slinking things not unlike Hiss to plump fat monstrosities to multi-faceted jewels. And around the core of the constrictor souls aboard the boat is the ...detritus. Wounded and bitten souls abound, some of them still leaking. But they are not who you are looking for!
You catch a glimpse of him in the back, hidden by the glare of so many more souls stronger than his. A crippled and weary soul with a dozen marks and scars of older bites and venom. The only damaged soul there in the process of healing.
You shut off your Soulsight before it drives your eyes from your skull.
"He's there. I saw him."

Aqua bobs slightly in the water.
"Are you sure?"

"Oster's a little unique in his own way. That soul couldn't belong to anyone else."

"Alright, let's g-"

"Wait!," you call out as Aqua almost sinks you all into the water again.
"Just a moment."

You drink your last Potence and your Regen as quickly as you can, chasing them all down with a Champion's Elixir before passing the other two Elixirs to Aqua and Hom.

"Zigzag? Now would be a good time to drink your Potence too."

She just murmurs something indecipherable as she clings to you.

"Come on, Ziggy. Oster needs you. I need you."

She scrunches up her face and does her best to shake off the cold.
"R-right."
She drinks the Potence and you suddenly gasp.

"A little lighter of a grip now thanks."

"Sorry."

With that done, you pass out the Bloodkins and down the Soul Guise that you'll need to protect them from contact with your Bane.
Are we all together?
You send out the thought as best you can and Zigzag twitches, surprised.

Yes?
That was Aqua.

Feels tingly
Zigzag.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
No prizes for guessing who that was.

You give Aqua the nod and she drops you all back into the depths. You won't be approaching from above or the side this time. You've already done that and they'll probably be ready for it. No, you'll be doing something far more dangerous.

The water clears and you find yourself beneath the shadow of a huge ship, Aqua holding you up just beneath it. If you wanted to, you could reach out and touch the hull above you.
That's the plan actually.

Zigzag? If you please?

1/2

>>231933
I don't like this water. It's cold and it's salty and it's nothing like the bath. I thought it was going to be like a bath.

Zigzag? If you please?? You can have as many baths as you want later.

I'll hold you to that.
She adjusts herself beside you and you watch as she reaches out and gently touches the bottom of the ship. Touches it with her jagged, scale-encrusted hand.
Splinters and shavings of wood begin to dirty the waters around you immediately as, helped by both Potence-given strength and razor-sharp scales of her own personal Art, Zigzag pushes her hand through the ship's hull.

Up!

She breaks it wider and Aqua is already pushing you forward. Your lungs burn as you break the surface of the water and find yourself in a dark and empty hold at the bottom of the ship. There's nobody around.
You did it. It actually worked!

Zigzag pops through the hole by your feet a moment later, shivering and cold. She wastes no time in latching back onto you.

Hom is next, squeezing himself through just barely. His form is starting to become a little more fluid.

Aqua presses her face against the hole, unable to fit through.
I'll have to shrink back down, give me a moment.

>Wait. Tell Aqua you need her to stay outside and plug the hole with her tail. She's your getaway.

>Let Aqua come on board and ask Hom to plug the hole instead.

>Surely you have some kind of potion that'll stop up the hole for now...

>Leave the hole. Sure the ship will take on water but you don't plan to be here for long.

>Other

>>231961

>Wait. Tell Aqua you need her to stay outside and plug the hole with her tail. She's your getaway/ distraction in the way or widening the hole if need be. Be careful.

>>231961
>>Wait. Tell Aqua you need her to stay outside and plug the hole with her tail. She's your getaway.

>>231961
>Wait. Tell Aqua you need her to stay outside and plug the hole with her tail. She's your getaway.

>>231961
>Wait. Tell Aqua you need her to stay outside and plug the hole with her tail. She's your getaway.
I was thinking we could use a tree brew but this wood is dead so it wouldn't work. Maybe we could cover it with plants grown and removed from our body but idk how long that would last

>>231961
>Let Aqua come on board and ask Hom to plug the hole instead.
Ready the caster too

>Wait. Tell Aqua you need her to stay outside and plug the hole with her tail. She's your getaway.

Hold it, Aqua. Just stay down there and use your tail to plug the hole. It's probably for the best if one of us stays outside.

Well I won't argue with that.
She flips around and your view is immediately obscured as the tip of her scarred tail wedges itself into the hole. It's not a perfect fit but it'll do.
I don't really like being a lamprey so don't take too long!

Lamprey? The word is unfamiliar to you. You absent-mindedly stroke the tail and are rewarded by what feels like a full-body shiver.
Stop that.

You chuckle just a little as you unpack and ready the Caster. The three of you are in what appears to be some kind of store-room, surrounded by crates and barrels. Is this where they keep some of the food?

Cennen!
Zigzag's thought-whisper snaps you out of it as she points towards the far wall. What appears to be a human passes by the open doorway before stepping inside. You duck down behind a crate, dragging Hom with you too as the Quedeshi man wanders aimlessly through the hold.
Is he looking for something? He's saying something under his breath but you can't understand Quedeshi anymore.

If he keeps on going he's going to see the tip of the fat blue tail protruding through the floor and then you'll all be in trouble. You have to take him out and you have to be quiet about it.

>Do it yourself (Specify)

>Tell Zigzag to do it.

>Tell Hom to do it.

>Maybe he'll just pass you by?

>other

>>232059
>>Tell Zigzag to do it.
Paralysis breath

>>232059
>>Tell Zigzag to do it.
>Daze him and eat him
>"Hold your breath Hom"

>>232059
>Do it yourself (Specify)
Vine tightly around the throat so he can't make a noise and finish him with the sword

>>232059
Vine tangle, have zigzag paralyze him, use a word theft on him and leave him here

>>232094
Also I just remembered that bloodkin would spread the knowledge of Quedeshi to everyone so that's kinda neat.

>Tell Zigzag to do it.

Go on Ziggy, this is what you're here for.

She just sighs and opens her mouth.
Hom might want to stop breathing for a moment.

The man keeps walking forward, checking one crate and another. He isn't dressed like a sailor or a soldier. Is he somebody's servant?
And then, without another word, he simply collapses limply upon the ground.

Zigzag closes her mouth.
This is the part where I'd normally start trying to eat him but...
Her thought message trails off.

What's going on? Is something happening? Do you need me?

No, Aqua. Everything's fine.

You grab the paralysed man and drag him behind cover so that he won't be seen by anyone else passing by.
He groans very quietly, his eyes slowly darting around. Oh right. Zigzag's venom keeps them conscious throughout the whole process. Great.

>Just hide him and keep going.

>Take his clothes. Yours are sopping wet and cold.

>Kill him.

>Knock him out.

>Give him to Aqua.

>Use a word-theft on him.

>Use a different potion (Specify)

>Hom can probably dispose of the body very efficiently if you ask...

>Other

>>232116
>Use a word-theft on him.

>>232116
>Use a word-theft on him.
>Hide the body

>>232116
This >>232124

>>232159
Zigzag doesn't eat souls anymore, I don't understand this plan anyway

Okay this looks like a tie but I'm not sure what 'give him to Zigzag' means in terms of this vote.

>>232165
>>232162

Had forgotten about that. I meant to have ziggy eat his soul.
change mine to

>Use a word-theft on him.
>Knock him out.

>>232116
>>Use a word-theft on him.
>Knock him out.
>HIde him

>Word-Theft

Alright, just give me a moment. I'm going to need some of your blood Zigzag.

I'm starting to have second thoughts about this whole friendship thing

You don't bother to brew up an improved version of the Word-Theft. Just the base form will do. It's more useful to you this way.
Hom pops the man's mouth open and you force it between his lips before drinking the rest yourself.

You then bury him beneath a small pile of crates and sacks. He can probably still breathe underneath there and you know from personal experience that Zigzag' venom lasts for hours.

Let's go.

The three of you are at somewhat of a disadvantage when it comes to passing yourselves off as people who are meant to be here. Not only are all three of you obviously Teln but you're all human-sized as well. So even if you could pass yourselves off as Quedeshi you'd still be on a ship that treated you as inherently second-class.
If you'd found a way to get Aqua inside she could have posed as a constrictor and the rest of you could have been her slaves but that plan is off the table for now.

So disguise isn't really an option right now. What you need is to go unseen for as long as possible.
You lean around the edge of the doorway and confirm that the corridor is empty.
Oster should be up a few floors above us and on the other side I think. Unless they've moved him. Go!

The three of you dart down the corridor as silently as you can. There are doors here, small cabins for the less important human crew you'd guess. You pass by an open door that confirms your assumptions, long lines of empty hammocks.

And that's when you hear a loud stomping just around the corner.
That's an upside of a ship filled with constrictors. At least you'll always hear them coming!

You all creep into the open doorway into the empty barracks as silently as you can. It's a bit unusual really. The doors here are so large! But everything in this room is of human proportion at least.

The constrictor in question is wearing armour, a long battle-dress of woven and highly decorated chain-mail and plate. They're too tall to see their face.
Now, they should just pass you by and-

"Who's there! Announce yourselves?"
The constrictor paces down the corridor, inspecting each doorway.

Shit. Had they heard you somehow?

It's only a matter of time before they come back to this room. You look around but there's nowhere to hide, the room is full of only hammocks and small wooden lockers at the foot of each one. It is awfully dark at the back however...

1/2

>>232170
Supporting.

>>232248

>Get everyone into the back. Maybe they won't see you there.

>Run out into the corridor and make a break for it before they reach you. Maybe they'll be looking in the other direction?

>Shout out in your best Quedeshi 'Commander's business!' and hope he doesn't inspect you himself.

>Get into the hammocks and obscure yourselves, pretend to be sleeping sailors.

>Zigzag can go back into her natural form and fit inside one of the small lockers at least.

>The rest of you might be able to fit into a locker as well if you use the right potion.

>Have either Zigzag or Hom make a distraction so that the other two of you can leave. (Specify)

>Aqua! Do something!

>Wait around the sides and try to ambush this guy quietly. It won't be easy.

>Use a Potion (Specify)

>Other

>>232260
>The rest of you might be able to fit into a locker as well if you use the right potion.
Use shapestealer on zigzag?

>>232260
>Shout out in your best Quedeshi 'Commander's business!' and hope he doesn't inspect you himself.

>>232289
Can we still use our brews and stuff if we do this and shapeshift back to her human form? Or can we return to our own form?

>>232260
>Get everyone into the back. Maybe they won't see you there.
>Have ziggy turn back into a snake and carry her.

>>232307
You can still use brews but you'd be stuck in her form.

>>232289
Wait shit this would give Aqua her form too. Then she wouldn't be able to plug the hole anymore. Nevermind. Let's hide in the back and use our plant brew powers to blend into the wood as much as possible

>>232260
>Get everyone into the back. Maybe they won't see you there.
I can't think of anything clever

>>232260
Have Ziggy transform into small snek and obscure herself near hammocks while you and hom hop into hammocks. If he comes to check, have ziggy bite him on the ankle. Unless he has scales up already he would need prey sense to avoid being poisoned.

>Get everyone into the back. Maybe they won't see you there.

Get back! Get back! Quietly!

What's going on up there? Do you need my help?

...Not yet.

You lead Zigzag and Hom into the back of the barracks, far from the light of the window and hope to hell that if you just stay still he won't be able to see you from the doorway.

To her credit, Zigzag freezes up immediately. She's very good at staying still. Hom has somewhat of the opposite problem, getting to his hands and knees in a vain attempt to obscure himself behind a hammock while you just crouch down and pra-

Actually no. Don't pray. Don't ever pray. That would be fucking disastrous.

The giant stops by the open doorway once more and obscures the light.
"Who's there?"

You can't help but notice the scabbard buckled to his waist. That is very large sword.

>Roll a d100 to hide. Best of the first 3.

Rolled 81 (1d100)

>>232344
Gimme a 100 for thread 100!

Rolled 96 (1d100)

>>232344

Rolled 56 (1d100)

>>232344

Rolled 25 (1d100)

>>232344
>>232348
noice

>>232348
Damn. Nice roll anon.

>96

The constrictor's gaze passes over you without a trace of recognition and you feel yourself relax for just a moment.
"Just the damn ship," he mutters and stomps off.

You let out a sigh of relief and you motion back to your two companions.
Give him some time to get ahead of us and let's go.

Hom gets back to his feet, his human form becoming more and more shaky. There's a distinct blood-and-blubber tinge to him now and Zigzag is starting to look hungry in spite of herself.

Please stop smelling like food Hom, she thinks. They'll sniff us out even if they don't see us.

You wait a minute or so and then re-enter the corridor, Caster ready in your hands. You probably won't be able to use it however. Too noisy.

The three of you pad through the corridor as quietly as you can. You're lucky that these all seem to be the sleeping quarters and that it's the middle of the day.

The wooden stairs up to the next deck are a strange contraption, most of the steps far too large and high for humans like you to walk along. But running along the centre of the stair is a separate stairway, one smaller and human-sized, built into the larger stairs themselves. That's the path you'll be taking.

Your trip up the stairs goes without incident but once you reach the top of it...well, that's another problem. If your earlier Soulsight was at all accurate this should be the floor that Oster is on but it would appear that there's a small complication in the plan.

While the lower decks might have been mostly empty, up here is anything but! You open the giant door just a crack and look out to see the hall filled with both humans and constrictors, all going their separate ways.
How the hell are you going to make it through there?

Let's just keep going up the stairs.
That's Zigzag's suggestion.

But we need to be on THIS floor!

Hom grunts quietly and points at the window. It only takes you a moment to divine his suggestion.

That's insane. Sorry, Hom.

What's going on up there? Do you need my help?

Maybe?

Zigzag shakes her head.
We can't just sit here forever. Someone is going to use the stairs eventually.


>Use the Skinshedder to disguise yourself as a constrictor.

>See if you can lure a constrictor in here to use Shapestealer on.

>See if you can lure some humans in here to use a Shapestealer on.

>Go by Zigzag's plan and go up another floor and figure out a different way down.

>Go by Hom's plan and go out the window and climb around the outside of the ship until you find Oster's room.

>Toss a potion into the corridor (Specify)

>Ask Aqua to make a distraction.

>Come up with a non-Aqua distraction.

>Try to take a hostage.

>There will be chaos if you just attack now while they're unprepared and unready!

>Other

>>232402
>>Go by Hom's plan and go out the window and climb around the outside of the ship until you find Oster's room.
This one might just be crazy enough to work, and it would be extremely unsuspected.

>>232402
>Go by Hom's plan and go out the window and climb around the outside of the ship until you find Oster's room.

File: índice.jpg (10 KB, 299x168)

10 KB JPG

>>232402
>Go by Hom's plan and go out the window and climb around the outside of the ship until you find Oster's room.
>>Come up with a non-Aqua distraction.

>>232402
>Go by Hom's plan and go out the window and climb around the outside of the ship until you find Oster's room.
I'm tempted to throw some snake dispel clouds and open fire with the caster but let's try the sneaky way

>>232402
>Ask Aqua to make a distraction.

>>232402
>Go by Hom's plan and go out the window and climb around the outside of the ship until you find Oster's room.
Zigzag first so her claws make hand holds

>Go by Hom's plan and go out the window and climb around the outside of the ship until you find Oster's room.

Actually, you know what? Let's do it your way, Hom. Nobody's gonna see this coming.

See what coming?
Aqua is still down below and very confused.
You better not be doing something stupid up there!

That remains to be seen!

Zigzag uses her edged scales to smash the window and squeezes herself through the porthole with ease. You do the same, smashing the wood apart to widen the window where you need it, splinters of wood and glass scraping against your iron flesh.

That was a little louder than you wanted it to be. You're now on a clock. It's only a matter of time before someone notices this!
You squeeze out and quickly lash yourself to the side of the ship with vines and branches.

You're only halfway up the grand ship itself and the sea rolls and churns beneath you. Once you've pulled yourself out Zigzag abandons her temporary handholds and grabs onto your branches, accidentally putting her boot in your face in the process.

Hom has a bit more trouble. You can see his flesh liquefying as he squeezes through the smashed-in window and for just a moment, you see three squealing mouths begin to emerge from within.
You take his hand in yours and he calms.

What's wrong with you, Hom?

aaaaa

Zigzag frowns.
Maybe he doesn't like boats? Something on this ship doesn't seem to be agreeing with him.

Could it be?

You slowly begin to work your way around the ship, climbing across it as best you can with the aid of your branches. It's a lot tougher than it looks.
Not only do you have to keep hanging on but you have to extend yourself in such a way to stay out of view of the windows! It's nearly impossible.

But the window you suspect to be Oster's comes closer and closer and you're nearly there...when a mighty shout can be heard from the smashed in window that you exited.
Oh no.

There's nothing to be done. You can't hide out here. You're going to have to leap for Oster's window.

>Need d100 rolls. Best of the first 3.

Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>232494
Feelin lucky!

Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>232494

Rolled 24 (1d100)

>>232494
>>232504
Wew

>>232494
Wait is the deep priestess fucking with Hom's magic?

You scrabble along the side of the ship as quick as you can, no longer caring about being entirely quiet. As long as you can get out of view before someone sticks their head out of the window you'll be fine!

You don't quite make the leap but your vines save you, lunging out to smash a window and to pull you within. In all the hurry you're not quite sure if it's Oster's window mind you, but it should be close enough.
As long as it's unoccupi-

You squeeze the three of you through the window and then fall ten feet from there to the floor. It's not particularly dignified either. You land on top of Hom and Zigzag lands on top of you.

This doesn't look like a prison cell.

You find yourself at the back of an ornate cabin, the walls covered in thick and colourful tapestries and the wooden floors hidden by thick rugs and skins. There's an enormous couch in the centre of the room, one with its back to you. A bed and a desk sit to the side and the whole room is warmed by a fireplace crackling off to the side.

You'd consider it extremely cozy if it wasn't for the fact that everything is scaled up to twice the normal size.
And yet, disconcertingly large or not, it seems to be empty.

Zigzag wastes no time in making a beeline towards the fireplace and promptly begins to melt into an approximately Zigzag-shaped hot mess.
Oi, Ziggy! Stay focussed! We need to find Oster!

You pace around the other side of the room to see if there's anything you can use but a slight sound makes you stop dead in your tracks. Is that...snoring?
You ever so slowly round the corner of the couch. It's a magnificent thing, built to handle something far larger than any human, made from thick brass and red cushions. Now that you can see the front of it, you can pick out the silver dishes littered in front of it and the empty wine-jug that's almost as big as you are!

And more importantly, you can see that the couch has an actual occupant, one that its high back stopped you from seeing when you first entered the room. A beautiful Quedeshi woman in a mostly unsecured gown. She's lying in a state of disarray that you can only put to drunkeness, one delicate hand dangling off the edge.
She's probably around eleven feet tall.

Zigzag sees her at the same time you do and freezes.
Whoops.

Okay, so you did get the wrong room. But Oster's room should be right nearby.


>Quickly leave before anything else happens.

>Wake the constrictor.

>Nobble.

>Maybe if you wait long enough you can go back out the window again.

>Inspect the cabin first.

>You can use the fireplace to brew properly.

>Other

>>232577
>>Quickly leave before anything else happens.

>>232577
>Inspect the cabin first.
keys

>You can use the fireplace to brew properly.
snake oil to keep her asleep

>>232577
>Quickly leave before anything else happens.
NOPE

>>232577
Who's up for something really stupid?
Feed her an advanced thought brew

>>232577
>Quickly leave before anything happens.

Urge to nobble... rising...

>>232577
>Inspect the cabin first.
This might be the leader

>>232591
>>232596
>>232600
why are we not looking around?

>>232641
slightly meta knowledge i suppose. this person is just a figurehead, we might learn something from hanging around here, but it'd be better to expediently rescue oster.

>Quickly leave before anything else happens.

You have to admit, you do feel the urge for just a moment. To have a snake laid out unconscious right in front of you...It's like an open invite for a nobbling. But you remember what Hiss told you back at the docks and you stay your hand. Nothing good would come of that.
And besides, you don't have the best success rate at nobbling constrictors. They're too damn large.

Best not to tempt fate and to just leave immediately.
Zigzag, Hom, quit gawking and let's go. If we wait here too long she's gonna wake up or a slave is going to visit or something. Fuck that.

There's only one door that you can easily see and it's immense, the handle is higher than your head. You open it just a crack and look out to see a hallway that's mostly empty.
There's a few constrictors and human slaves loitering around but they seem to have their backs to you, intent on watching everything but this cabin.

Are they guarding it? Is this someone important? Either way, they apparently aren't guarding the hall from something within the cabin itself so you might have a chance to sneak across to the very next door.

Hopefully that'll be the one housing Oster.

>Sounds like a plan. Go for it.

>Hold on a moment. Let's try literally anything else.

>>232650
They already know we're on the ship, we should AT LEAST incapacitate her and maybe check to see if she has keys since she may be the jailor.
>Hold on a moment. Let's try literally anything else.
Toxic gas.

>>232641
I'm gessing we're on a schedule and her waking up would complicate things.

>>232658
Toxic gas could also kill Oster, hom, and zigzag

>>232655
>>Sounds like a plan. Go for it.
Ill say this for now, i can't think of anything that isn't going to take a bunch of time, but if i see i suggestion i like ill change it.

>>232655
>Sounds like a plan. Go for it.
Have a snake dispel in hand and a snakebreaker in the caster just in case

>>232668
Toss it into the far end and have people hold their breath. It doesn't make THAT big of a cloud.

>>232658
Really wish we had made a paralyzing gas right now. And brought a couple of antivenoms.

>>232678
It could still affect them in this enclosed space

>>232597
To elaborate on this. This snake looks important, what if we implanted her with the idea that there's a faction of traitors amongst the constrictors plotting to kill her, have her go mad with paranoia and start infighting within the fleet?

>>232683
Oster has a closed door to shield him, and Zigzag and Hom can simply poke their heads out the window if need be.

>>232655
>Sounds like a plan. Go for it.
I wish we had a second soulsight to pinpoint Oster's location for sure

>>232687
an amusing idea but its even more meta than avoiding her because she's a patsy.

>anons taking the guaranteed bad option.

Christ this is a transparent trap guys.

>Sounds like a plan. Go for it.

You nod to Zigzag and Hom before cracking the door open again and pointing to the next one. Not only do you have to make a dash for it, you're going to have to do it silently. You're breath is starting to come short and heavy, even under the effects of the Champion's Elixir.

There are constrictors in the hallway. There's one literally right behind you. You cannot afford to fuck this one up.

And yet so much of it is completely out of your control.

>Roll a d100. Best of the first 3.

>>232692
Yeah, but so is everyone else they sent. This is all an exercise to weed out the less competent youth

Rolled 31 (1d100)

>>232699

Rolled 18 (1d100)

>>232699

Rolled 94 (1d100)

>>232699
RIP

Rolled 74 (1d100)

>>232699

File: tumblr_mo1uutdK4m1s72wkvo1_500.gif (994 KB, 500x314)

994 KB GIF

>>232706
Not today

File: 1449708349165.png (1.48 MB, 1199x1247)

1.48 MB PNG

>>232706
WE GONNA GET DAT BOI OUTTA DERE

File: tegaki.png (8 KB, 400x400)

8 KB PNG

>>232706

>>232706
AND TEAR

>>232718
is Hiss watching this via brand?

>>232722
she can only yell at us through it

>94

You lean the door open and Hom and Zigzag rush past you, neither of them making a sound. You follow them the ten paces to the next door and lunge for the handle.
And miss. Everything is too high up.

But Zigzag is on it, running up your extended arm and leaping off to grab onto the door. The handle swings down and the door opens silently inwards, dragging Zigzag with it.
You and Hom push on through, quickly and without making a sound.

Hom catches Zigzag as she falls and you push the door closed. You let out the the breath you had been unknowingly holding all this time.
Holy shit. You can't believe that worked.

You're in a large room, understandably so considering that it's all built to constrictor proportions. It has two doors placed in it, the one you just ran through and closed and one in the far side. It's a room piled high with cages, little metal boxes covered in bars. They remind you of the cages the hunters back home use to keep their dogs in.
Only these cages are all so much larger.

They're all empty as well save for one. You spot Oster in the far corner, huddled up unconscious in a foetal position. The cage is almost too small for him even then.
And he's breathing. He's alive. Orange was right. He's here and he's alive!

>Break open the cage.

>Maybe you can find the key somewhere.

>Brew something to help him out.

>Other

>>232743
>Break open the cage.
try to bend it quietly with our ridiculous strength

>>232743
>>Other
skinshedder him into something small enough to escape the cage

>>232743
>Brew something to help him out.
Acid to melt the lock.

>>232743
>Give him a heal all
he must be in really bad shape and we're going to need him able to stand and run.
And this >>232770

>>232743
>Brew something to help him out.
Acid into the lock
This went really smoothly. Though I guess that's because of excellent rolls and not getting sidetracked by nobbling. Hopefully he didn't get mindfucked by the constrictors, I'm sort of worried about waking him up for that reason

>>232770
>>232772
add give him a heal all

>Brew something to help him out.

"Hold on mate," you mutter to nobody in particular as you unsling your pack from your back and dig out your cauldron. It's still wet.
You get to brewing as quick as you can. It doesn't have to be fancy, just a quick and dirty acid.

Once it's done you pour it slowly over the lock and cover your mouth as the room starts to fill with fumes. You keep this up until the lock melts off entirely and you spring the cage open, reaching in and pulling Oster out.

He comes out limply, still totally unconscious. He's a real fucking mess. The right side of his face is poorly bandaged up and beneath it you can see that they've peeled his fucking skin off. Fuck.
His clothes are stained in old blood and vomit and general muck. Your nose twitches. He's either been cooped up in this cage the entire time or unconscious the entire time because...well, he stinks of shit and piss. There's a general pallor to him that didn't used to be there and his hair is crusted with salt.

You waste no time in forcing a Heal-All down his throat.
"Oster, Oster...what have they done to you?"
Or perhaps, what have they not done? It doesn't look like they've tortured him or anything. Has he just been trapped in here unconscious all this time?

>Wake him up.

>Give him more Heal-Alls.

>Make something for him to eat.

>No time for any of that, gotta go!

>Other

>>232857
>No time for any of that, gotta go!
Have Aqua make the hole in the ship much larger. Then we dive off into the water to the side from a window or just busting through this wall and she'll pick us up and take us to safety

>>232857
>Give him more Heal-Alls.
Time to dive out the window onto the aqua bus

>>232857
>>No time for any of that, gotta go!
>>232865
This pretty much.

>>232857
>No time for any of that, gotta go!
I'm qorried about what the other anon said. If he was indoctrinated we can't afford him to freak out and give us away.

>>232857
>No time for any of that, gotta go!
We gotta make sure he doesn't breathe in water while he's unconscious underwater. Maybe cover his face with a watertight leaf mask if we can grow one