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Character and setting info: http://pastebin.com/u/MagicalPrincess
Archives (Episodes 1-59): http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Start+Over+Quest
Archives (Episodes 60+): http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Start+Over+Quest
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MagicalMarquise
Ask.fm: http://ask.fm/MagicalMarquise
Collection of character descriptions (WIP, courtesy of anon): http://pastebin.com/pzYffs0R
Collection of quest art (NSFW): http://imgur.com/a/2nEyB/layout/grid (NSFW)

>>366552
>>Check on Tama, see if she's still there.

>>366552
>Hug Bryld and stay quiet.

Noncombatants hide and stay quiet~

>>366552
>Check on Parvaneh.
See how our favorite centaur is doing.

>>366552
>Hold Bryld and stay quiet.

You hold Bryld tightly and find what you suppose to be the safest corner away from any potential attack vector; the two of you then sit there, alert and wide awake but at the same time aware that you have no way of contributing in the actual fight. Strictly speaking, it would be most efficient for the two of you to sleep so you can be in top shape tomorrow when you'll need to lead your party back to Maner.

But yeah, how can you sleep when you're expecting a vampire attack?

"Are- are you sure they're going to come?", Bryld asks at some point, giving you a hopeful look. As a matter of fact you are not a hundred percent certain that they're going to come for you, for all you know they're going to assault the kobolds while being blissfully unaware of your very presence, just like you suppose they were when they passed your party by to join that strange meeting of theirs. It was, after all, only thanks to Tahenohan's half-elven senses that you even noticed their passage.

"We can't be sure", you confess, "It's possible they won't come at all, but if they do we have to be ready to face them. We can't lower our guard, even if it turns out we're waiting for an attack that never comes".

The news don't really give her much comfort, but she sighs as if though she was expecting this kind of answer from the beginning, "Thought so...", she mutters.

The weak crackling of the fire Carrera started a second time is the only sound that accompanies the night, along with the idle clopping of Parvaneh's hooves, as she doesn't seem to be able to find anywhere satisfying or comfortable to lie in wait. Sometimes this is accompanied by the clattering of bones from Tahenohan's skeleton warriors, along with the jingling of their very old armour, or what's left of it.

Other than that, it's quiet. Too quiet. Not a single animal call can be heard, no nocturnal birds, and even though you can still hear bugs buzzing about or making calls every once in a while, it's nothing compared to the cacophony you grew used to while exploring. Something is definitely afoot out there.

The problem is: will it come your way?

You have no idea how much time has passed when Carrera comes to visit you, kneeling down close to your position and keeping her fox-like ears tense and alert. "Just so you know, I have no idea whether they're going to come or not".

You already knew that, but then she continues, "But we've a small problem here", and she points at Parvaneh, who has her back turned to you, "Horses don't belong in the jungle. This position has too treacherous footing for her, even though it's good for us, and I don't want to leave her alone out there. She's at a disadvantage here".

“What shall we do?”, you ask.

Carrera sighs, “... I don't know, move out or hope they don't come and target her? I have to admit this is a good position to defend ourselves, but...”.

>”Let's move out”.
>”Let's stay here”.
>”Let me ask her first”.
>Other?

>>366567
>>”Let me ask her first”.

>>366567
>”Let me ask her first”.

>>366567
>"Let's stick her in one of Tama's webs high above
She can shoot fireballs at the ground, right? She will be safe.
Alternatively:
>”Let me ask her first”.

>>366567
>”Let's move out”.
Lillithbots, roll out.

"Let me ask her first", you tell Carrera. You can't make a choice without consulting her first, especially since it seems there can't be a way to have everyone benefit from the situation you're in right now, "She's a wizard, I bet there's things she need that deviate from common sense", you add, feeling like you had to justify your actions in front of her solid stare. She nods and practically disappears from your sight even before you turn around.

You keep Bryld's hand tightly held in yours and inch closer to the centaur, careful not to trip or to alarm her. She does peek behind her when you approach, but only distracts herself enough to offer you a smile when you're right next to her; both you and Bryld keep some distance from those ethereal orbs of multicoloured, iridescent flames that orbit her, even though they seem to be wandering farther from her than before, almost as if they're going to trail off and start wandering the forest on their own.

"My fearless leader, it's nice of you to visit me, but you shouldn't put yourself in peril", she calmly and courteously tells you, offering a sincere smile, "Shall an evildoer cross my path, I will set him ablaze, you can go back and rest, you are going to need it".

"I couldn't help but notice the ground is a bit too treacherous for you, where we're staying", you go straight to the point, "This position is good for us but not for you, and we don't want to leave you out there on your own, not with a pack of vampires roaming about".

"Fear not, my leader", she shakes her head, a flicker of pure red flame bursts from her eyes, "I shall not let my cowardice forfeit your safety nor the success of our quest. I will fight on, no matter the odds; what are my powers for, after all, if not to turn the tides?".

"That is... Very nice of you", you admit, she does sound as if though she's really that confident, you don't think she's just putting up a facade to put you at ease, but at the same time the fact this ground doesn't benefit her is pretty much objective and undisputable, "But we were considering moving out if that ends up being more convenient".

"Moving out? Where to?", she chuckles, "There's no way we're going to make it back to Maner even if we leave now, and why leave a defensible position when we have one?".

“Not even with you?”, Bryld suddenly asks, then blinks, “I mean, last time with Leiana we covered a lot of ground really, really fast. I bet it wouldn't be a problem for her to run all the way back in less than half the time it took us to move through”.

You also didn't move in a straight line. Not that you can guarantee you would if you were to try to find your way back to Maner at night in the jungle. That, and Leiana was a giant spider, not a horse.

>”Think you could run all the way back to Maner before dawn?”.
>”Can't you come any closer to Tama's nest?”.
>”We'll get someone to stay with you”.
>”As you wish then”.
>Other?

>>366589
>”As you wish then”.
>>Try to get some sleep.

>>366589
>>”Can't you come any closer to Tama's nest?”.

>>366589
>”We'll get someone to stay with you”.

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>>366592
>>366600
>>366601
>Three posts
>Three different choices

Alright, alright. Changing.
>”Can't you come any closer to Tama's nest?”.

"Can't you move any closer to Tama's nest?", you ask, "We can help you out if you don't know where to put your feet- hooves...".

"It's not that", she smiles, "The ground is too uneven there, if I had to move quickly I could slip and break a leg. It's very good for you but terrible for me. I'd rather be in the prairies where I could fight at my maximum potential", she chuckles, green licks of flame shooting from her eyes, "Alas, complaining will contribute nothing".

You think as hard as you can, "... We could stick you to one of her webs-".

"No", she abruptly says, hiding a shiver. You can understand her, you've been stuck in a giant spider's web before and it wasn't a very pleasant experience.

"Alright then", you nod, "Stay safe then".

"Fear not, my dear leader", she smiles, the flames on her eyes turning iridescent pink for a moment, "I shan't disappoint you".

"We'll get someone to stay with you, just in case", you assure her, but she shakes her head.

"That won't be necessary. Your visit was more than enough".

You feel a little better, partly because you had a normal conversation with someone despite the tense situation, and partly because she was really confident in her bearing and tone, which made both you and Bryld feel a little better about this situation.

"What do you know, maybe we're all getting worried for nothing, I bet it will end up like that undead outbreak", Bryld whispers while chuckling. Her mood has definitely improved, even though she still is somewhat nervous, you can tell by the way her hand is sweating as you're holding it. It's not just the heat and the jungle humidity.

Still no sign of Tama as you nest back in what you feel is the most secure spot and huddle there with Bryld. You try to not think of anything, especially not of the danger surrounding you, and fail for the most part. You are plagued, despite your best attempts and your recent reassurements, with the sinking feeling that something's right behind you, or right around the corner, and ready to jump you at any moment with wild, savage abandon. Those vampires did not look like people who were right in the head, and in the worst way you could possibly mean it.

Twigs snap, steps inch closer to you, all of which makes you jump and jolt more often than you would like to. It's an unnerving time, and after some time you can't even manage to find a comfortable position any longer, and neither can Bryld, but none of you dare move away from where you are.

“Hey”, Carrera pokes your horn, and you instantly jump up, almost scaring her. You thought you were about to doze off, which would have been nice, but now it's spoiled, “We're all ready, I'm cooking something real quick”.

“What?”, you blink, all of your muscles feel sore.

“Dawn's breaking”, she holds a yawn back, “Bastards didn't even come”.

>Prepare to return as fast as possible.
>Be especially wary for vampire ambushes.
>Just be careful to not step into kobold territory.
>Other?

>>366618
>>Just be careful to not step into kobold territory.

>>366618
>>Be especially wary for vampire ambushes.

>>366618
>Prepare to return as fast as possible.

Fiiiine.
>Just be careful to not step into kobold territory.

>>366618
Not even a little spar with the skellies?
>Just be careful to not step into kobold territory

"What?", you ask, befuddled. Did you sleep? Did you actually sleep through the night? Or have you been woefully awake and just lost track of time? You feel tired, tired and sore all over. You've never felt like this before, it's like you spent all night up and wide awake but you actually haven't, apparently. You're also drenched in sweat and tremendously thirsty, and so is Bryld, whose clothes almost got stuck to yours with all the humidity, from both the air and your bodies. Needless to say you both need a good bath, but that's something you got used to: needing a bath the very morning after you set off for a journey, just because you know you can't get one.

"Bastards didn't even come", Carrera sounds rightfully pissed off, even as she bends on her knees to check on what she's been cooking at the campfire. Some kind of concoction in an iron canteen it would seem, "Been mostly awake all night waiting for them, didn't even come. We eventually took turns staying alert, just so we could all get a bit of rest each. Damn waste of waking hours".

You didn't even notice that. You must've dozed off without even noticing. And there you thought you've been awake all night. Bryld looks equally shocked to learn of this, and her hair has a strange bend on a side of her head, as if it stuck to something flat and took its shape, also rising up a little. "So... They... You... Wow", is all she manages to say as you take advantage of her distraction to try and comb her hair back in place with your hands. Can't say the results are great, but it's better than before.

Tama skitters out of her abode, stretching and looking fresh as a rose, "Mmmmh... Is it food I smell?", she chirps with that strangely-pitched tone of hers. The way she moves, so unnaturally quickly and with such deft moves of her hairy legs, is unnerving no matter how much you try to get used to it. Well at least someone did sleep comfortably last night.

The concoction Carrera is preparing has a strong aroma, and when she offers it to you she mentions something about it helping you stay awake, and that you're going to need it. You have no idea what she made it with but it probably came from one of the many small pouches she's carrying on her. There's a surprising amount of them, as well as belts and sashes in that intricate pattern of cloth that forms what first appeared as simple travel clothing.

"The morning sun has vanquished the horrible night", Parvaneh quites as she carefully approaches you, trying to not slip and break a leg as she herself said she feared if she came too close. But, now that it's safe, she can take her time, though she still keeps a certain distance from Tama. You swear you keep hearing her stomach growling when the centaur is around.

“Since the vampires are such losers, we just have to be careful to not stray into kobold territory”, you decide. Carrera and Parvaneh nod in agreement.

>Continue

Oh no, I'm late to start over!

Apparently, that strong-scented and spicy drink Carrera gave you was some kind of stimulant. She doesn't explain what she made it with nor where she procured the raw materials, but she does warn you that it's better not rely on such devices for long and urges you to hurry home. "If we get stuck another night with another potential ambush to be on the lookout for, we might start to doze off at the worst moment. Or collapse, which would be way worse".

You don't want to collapse out there in the jungle, you ran a fever once while exploring and it made you a liability to the entire expedition... Although fortunately you were with friends and helpful monsters, and there were no hostiles around who were going to try and suck your blood out. Maybe.

"We're going to the human place?", Tama sounds excited, and very fresh. She didn't need any of that concoction, and Parvaneh just declined it. Carrera did not insist, unlike with you and Bryld.

"Yes", you assure Tama in the meantime, "When we get there, please stay close to me and let me speak first, okay? I want to make sure they give you a warm welcome, but we have to be clear of misunderstandings".

"What misunderstandings?", she innocently asks. You're not sure what to answer her, so you tell her to just trust you with a warm smile and that seems to settle it.

The path you take on your way back is not the same you took when you arrived, both because the area is unfamiliar to you and because you're more in a hurry than before, so you're being extra careful to not step into kobold territory but are also skirting much closer to the swamps just so you don't have to worry too much and can just proceed onwards at the highest speed you can achieve.

As expected, Tama is much better than Parvaneh at prowling through the jungle, moving comfortably across even the most treacherous terrain. You make sure to avoid the worst kind of terrain for the sake of covering as much ground as possible, which makes Parvaneh's progress much simpler. You have her take point just to make sure you're going the fastest and simple route, and because she seems most comfortable away from Tama.

At one point, she turns, her eyes flickering with a purple flame. She looked like she was trying to start a conversation, but what comes out of her mouth is just "GET DOWN!".

You instinctively duck, and a quick, almost blinding flash of searing-hot energy flashes right above your head. An inarticulate scream comes from behind you; several paces behind Tama, a still-sizzling humanoid figure staggers backwards, burnt but still alive, it roars, baring long and very sharp fangs, and immediately jumps at your party with lunging steps that could match the speed of a running horse.

Parvaneh has a look of disbelief on her face. You too have no idea how it survived a hit like that. But it did, and it's out for your blood.

>Fighting retreat!
>Hold your ground!
>Flee!
>Other?

>>366663
>Fighting retreat!
Fug

>>366663
>Hold your ground!
Action!

>>366663
>Hold your ground!
Afternoon, MP

>>366663
>Fighting retreat!

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>>366669
>>366656
Good afternoon, anons. Let's see if the other anons come out and break the tie.

>>366663
>Fighting retreat!
Staying is a terrible idea. The furry tanked magical fire and is fine.

>>366676
Maybe it's just fire-resistant but weak to steel!

>>366677
I don't think we have any steel wizards, unless Parvaneh starts throwing her horseshoes around.
Start Over GO when?

>>366678
But where would you find the futa Tieflings in real life anon?

Before you can react, the creature lunges at you, but is suddenly thrown aside by a powerful force and slammed against a tree, that shakes hard enough to make a lemur fall down, hit the ground, and run away screeching in panic. You then see Tama follow through with the attack and pin the creature with her pedipalps as she slams its neck with a knife hand strike, followed by a second blow that cleanly beheads it.

It's only after you see the charred head rolling that you realize it must have been human... Once, maybe. Its fangs are way too long and sharp to be human, but it's neither furry nor big enough to be a kobold either. That only means one thing.

"We're sitting ducks here!", you shout, pointing Southward, "Keep moving! If we reach the plains we'll be safe!".

You needn't repeat it twice, everyone follows your command, with Parvaneh leading the way, followed by the clattering of skeleton warriors as Tahenohan decides to take point. Behind, in the distance, you hear inhuman screams. They sound almost gleeful, and you're certain you're being chased by more of them.

"So much for night ambushes!", Carrera curses with a clear tone of spite, "So much for them being nocturnal!".

"Hey that was a nice spell!", Tahenohan meanwhile compliments Parvaneh, "What was it, The Last Beam of Twilight?".

"Uh? Oh!", the centaur's eyes flicker with orange flames as she recollects herself, "The Twilight Spark, yes. I'm still baffled how that vampire was still standing, I thought it was especially effective against the undead".

"It's supposed to be, yes", the half-elf smiles, "So don't use it again, eh? Just in case you hit my skeletons".

"At this point I won't even bother casting it again", Parvaneh agrees with a grin.

You're then interrupted by Carrera's shout, "LEFT!", she goes before steel flashes and two throwing knives lodge themselves into another vampire, mid-jump, staggering it enough for Julio to lunge with a curved slash that takes one of its hands clean off, but the creature leaps back into the cover of the jungle before the follow-up strike can connect.

He whistles in appreciation, "They're tough!". At that moment, Tahenohan summons several ice shards from thin air and shoots them in a cross pattern across a wide area of foliage, eliciting some screeching from the right side as well.

"They're trying to flank us!", Carrera warns. Bryld grabs your arm, "What do we do? They're too fast, we can't outrun them!".

She has a point. Parvaneh can't outrun them in the jungle, and the rest of you can't outrun them at all. Well, not you or Bryld, that's for sure. Still, for now you have numerical superiority, but then again it's strange that they aren't jumping on you all together now that they're in position to flank you.

Maybe they found out you're tougher than they first thought?

>Stay and fight.
>Keep moving South.
>Break the encirclement and go left.
>Break the encirclement and go right.
>Split the party (how?)
>Other?

>>366688
>>Keep moving South.

>>366688
>Keep moving South.
Oh shit

>>366688
>Break the encirclement and go left.

>>366688
>Keep moving South.

>>366688
>Break the encirclement and go right.
One just came from the left. That means the right has fewer of them.

"We have to keep going! Just keep them at bay!", you order as you continue running as fast as you can without hitting something. At this point you can only hope you're still going in the right direction and that you'll be seeing the plains before the vampires get you. It shouldn't be too far.

... Oh who are you kidding of course it's far, it took you one full day to get where you were, you'll be out by sundown, not by noon for sure. Still, the further South you go, the farther you'll be from where they started, and the less likely the vampires will be to have backup.

At least, that is your reasoning. You hope they didn't set up ambushes all along your route during the night. That sounds impossible though, for all you knew they weren't even aware of your presence, how could they? Besides, they attacked you from behind, meaning they were coming from the North. If your guess is correct, this is just a small pack. Still, it's tremendously annoying, and if you weren't surrounded by experienced adventurers you wouldn't stand a chance.

What's worse, they can keep up with your pace no problem, and keep harassing you. After all, they need but one moment of distraction on your part to get you. You also suspect they're trying to target you specifically, as you and Bryld are the only ones who still didn't do anything to fight back. You hope they're not smart enough to realize you're the easiest targets there.

And of course the jungle is full of vegetation barriers that often block or hinder your progress, forcing you to proceed in a line or to avoid obstacles: be they tall roots, large rocks or vines so thick that they are impassable without hacking them away with something sharp, and even if you had it you don't have time for that while you're hounded by vampires.

You pass across a small gulch, the quickest past beneath several overgrown trees that Parvaneh has no way of getting through. Predictably, a vampire jumps in front of the exit just as the centaur was getting out. Fortunately, she was ready for him.

Shouting an arcane word you can't possibly recognize, she lets loose a barrage of exploding fire bolts from point blank range, sending charred yet still burning body parts whistling away in the jungle, followed by a trail of black smoke.

Nope, they're not that resistant to fire.

You barely have the time to feel relieved when another drops down in the gulch, right next to you, fortunately failing to land right ON you thanks to your abrupt halt. The stroke of luck did save you, but you only have about one second to react before the vampire, whose bloodshot eyes are already locked on you, gets back up and does its best to undo your existence.

And you have to admit, chances are on her side.

>Cover Bryld.
>Jump to the front, behind Parvaneh.
>Jump to the back, near Tahenohan.
>HIT IT!
>Other?

>>366717
>Cover Bryld.

Keep the bunnybutt safe and plushy!

>>366717
...can we tell its gender?
>Boot to crotch action

>>366717
>HIT IT!
These vampires are very rude.

>>366717
>HIT IT!
Nothing could possibly go wrong.

>>366717
>Cover Bryld.
We've had repeated talks on how Lillith shouldn't try to fight!
And trying to hit it will only confirm she's a very vulnerable target and easy prey.

>>366717
Ok, seriously, stop with the ties, next time I won't change my vote.
>Cover Bryld.

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>>366765
There... Actually was no tie, anon.

>>366777
Are you sure?

>>366724
>>366735
versus
>>366727
>>366728

>>366777
MP confirmed for magical in the head

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>>366782
And what about >>366725, anon? Even if it's not greentext of my exact choice I'd argue it still falls under the "HIT IT!" option.

Not that I'm against you changing your mind but if you did it because of a tie... There was none of that.

>>366717
>HIT IT! with wand!

>>366787
...I missed that one.
On the other hand, I can join >>366735 in saying that we have to remember the basics of CQC and realize how bad of an idea fighting is, specially after EVERYONE said it's a bad idea.

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>>366791
And now we're tied again.

Ten more minutes to choose before I choose.

>>366765
I'd imagine that this fella'd swap back.

>>366717
>>Cover Bryld.

You have very little time, which means very little time to form a real plan, and little but instinct to go by. And instinct tells you that you want to protect Bryld no matter what. Besides, you're bigger and you can take a hit, whereas Bryld doesn't strike you as tough by any stretch of the word.

You push Bryld away, quite forcefully even; you don't want to hurt her, but you rather her get some scrapes and fall down than be assaulted by a vampire. Meanwhile you frantically try and grab the wand from your backpack, but you aren't calm and collected enough to do something that complex in this little time.

The vampire is on you faster than you'd have thought possible. You try to keep her away with a kick but the sheer strength of her abs is enough to push your entire weight back and you trip and fall down as well, almost on top of Bryld who barely managed to scuttle back. The ravenous, bloodshot eyes of the vampire are enough to chill your blood, her pale and strangely gray-tuned skin gives her an even worse look, as if she needed any help in making you terrified.

"GO GET HER MY MINIONS!", a familiar voice shouts as three skeleton warriors charge to your rescue, distracting the vampire enough to prevent her from getting on top of you once you've fallen down. Had they taken a moment more you'd have been in deep trouble.

A solid punch and some tearing and a skull goes flying, a skeleton arm gets ripped off and the rest of the ribcage smashed to inanimateness. "Oh come on!", Tahenohan comments with a touch of frustration as she opens her arms wide.

The second in line doesn't fare that much better. The vampire really fights like a wild, bloodthirsty beast that is far stronger than its frame gives her any right of being. Parvaneh is on the other side and she can't exactly shoot fire when her target is so close to Tahenohan's minions, not to mention Bryld, or you.

As the second skeleton is reduced to snapped and crushed inanimate bones, its chain armour too old and rusted to offer any protection, Tahenohan keeps her nonplussed expression and slightly shakes her head. "Well, fuck you then", she says as she snaps her fingers.

The destroyed skeletons explode in a cascade of sharp, bony splinters, mauling the vampire's legs. It screeches and falls to her knees and the third warrior nails her head clean and hard with its battle axe, dislodging it with a bash of its shield, only to chop her skull again. And again.

You see Carrera leap up and peek over the sides of the gulch, climbing them and keeping herself up with the same ease you'd have in climbing a ladder. You guess she saw no hostiles as she jumps back down, helping you and Bryld back on your feet.

“We can't go on like this all day”, she comments.

>”There's only a few left, let's keep going”.
>”If we stop they'll circle us”.
>”What if we lure them in kobold territory?”.
>”What if we split up?”.
>”What do you suggest?”.
>Other?

>>366832
>”What do you suggest?”.

>>366832
>”What do you suggest?”.
She's the expert.
>”What if we lure them in kobold territory?”.

>>366832
>”If we stop they'll circle us”.
>”What do you suggest?”.

>>366832
>”What do you suggest?”.
Poor Skellies 1 and 2.

"What do you suggest?", you ask. She is the expert after all.

She urges you to move out of the gulch first, and considering your experience with dropping vampires before you gladly follow her. All in all the group keeps moving to what you hope is the South and still with a decent pace. Bryld is clearly shocked but she's doing a good job at keeping it together for the time being. "We can't outrun them", Carrera reasons, "And their morale seems unbreakable. Any other group would have given up by now. And I don't get why they don't attack en masse. I get it they're trying to circle us, but it was stupid of them to do these isolated attack, and that gets me worried".

"Why?", you wonder why your enemies being stupid should be a case for concern.

"Because they're unpredictable, and if you can't predict your enemy's movements you're going to get caught flat-footed when something bad comes your way", she looks back at Tahenohan, who took a long thigh bone from the fallen skeletons as a souvenir and only has one minion left, its axe still bloodied, "It feels like they're minions to a leader, they fight to the death with no fear of injury even just to test us out, and I think they realized you two are the only ones who can't fight back. I think they'll try to just snatch you away the next time they attack".

You shudder, and so does Bryld. They indeed look like they're strong enough to just grab you like a bag and carry you away, which would be the end of you.

"But if we stop, they'll circle us", you say, and she nods in agreement. "Yes, if we stop we'll just give them time to collect and prepare a very targeted assault, we can't give them this advantage", Carrera explains, looking at you, "But since we can't escape them, we might find ourselves in a bad spot all of a sudden, and if they take advantage of it before we can react...".

"Okay", you don't want her to continue, "What... What if we lure them in kobold territory?".

She gives you a long look, then blinks in disbelief. For a moment, it's as if though she can't believe she heard something like this coming from you instead of Julio, then her expression changes and you can see she's a lot more serious. "... That is so stupid it might just work".

"... Really?", you're kind of surprised yourself.

"If we get the kobolds to chase us, and run as fast as we can, they'll encounter each other, and since the kobolds already faced them they might decide to attack them instead of pursuing us".

"But", Bryld interjects, "What if the vampires jump in and kidnap us while we're fighting? Won't a distraction also make us more vulnerable?".

Carrera blinks, then hits her head with her palm a couple times, "Damn, that's right. Stupid sleep deprivation...".

>"Let's lure the kobolds in".
>"Let's just continue running South and hope for the best".
>"I'll bait them out".
>Other?

>>366878
>"Let's lure the kobolds in".

>>366878
>"Let's lure the kobolds in".

>>366878
>"Let's lure the kobolds in".
Also pray for some kind of divine intervention.

>>366873
They re-undied for a good cause, anon.

>>366878
>"Let's just continue running South and hope for the best".

"Let's lure the kobolds in", you insist.

"Are you sure?", Carrera asks, "There's no guarantee they'll bite, and it might end up being worse for us".

"You said it yourself, we can't go on like this all day, we can't outrun them, and if we fight again they might just try to seize us and run away", you list off, taking a deep breath, "And we can't stop either because you can't fight effectively if you have to keep thinking of protecting us. It's our only chance at turning the tables".

Carrera remains silent for a bit, then lets out a deep sigh, shaking her head, "Alright, alright, I mean why not, I followed stupider plans".

The jungle is unfamiliar to you, you haven't had the time to properly explore and you can't check Bryld's sketches as you go, so you take the safest East turn you can find, following the bed of an ancient, now-dried river full of overgrowth, and follow it along a path of multicoloured flowers, many of them with petals larger than your head and of bright, mottled colours such as red, orange, purple and pink. Your self-preservation instinct is telling you to steer clear from them, although it may be because the golden stems in the middle make them look like open, ravening mouths.

Unfortunately you have no way to confirm whether it's actually carnivore fauna or not, you just have to keep going and hope it isn't, or that you won't step in it by accident. You have no problem crossing the blood red vines, it's kind of icky especially because of those creepy feelers they have, but you have worse things to worry about and besides, it's completely harmless, they're not even irritating or anything.

There are two separate occasions in which Tahenohan shoots an icicle barrage into the woods, and another where Parvaneh lays a barrage of fire bolts somewhere in the distance, though she doesn't seem convinced to have hit anything. The vampires are still there, but they don't dare attack now, likely preparing for one last assault all together or waiting for you and/or Bryld to be separated enough from the rest to become an easy target.

You're almost relieved to see red paint on the trunk of a tree, the shape and pattern is unfamiliar to you, but you're pretty sure it marks some territory of some kind, which can only mean one thing. Carrera nods and leaps ahead to scout. You silently signal everyone else to turn South again, with Parvaneh taking point. You had agreed beforehand that Carrera, being the stealthiest and most agile of the group, would lure the kobolds out, with Julio following to give her backup and support in case the vampires decide to attack them instead.

You're left with Bryld, Tahenohan, Parvaneh and Tama, rushing through the jungle and hopefully to safety. You're thirsty, sweaty, tired and getting out of breath, but you know you can't stop. Actually, you might have to run even faster in a few minutes...

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And this is it for Episode 67!

Yes, it took us 67 episodes before we got into some actual action. Not that we had any obligation to considering the kind of quest we're in, after all, but it may be a good idea to show you how I fare at describing it, in case you eventually want me to switch to a "new" quest later on.

I promise I won't be offended if you want me to stick to SoL.

Thank you for participating, anyways. Next episode we should be able to reach the conclusion of this chase scene! And by the way, unfortunately I won't be able to run next Wednesday, I'll see what I can do for Thursday though but again, no promises.

>>366992
Thanks for running! Pretty tense escape.

>>366992
You're not bad at this action thing, I like it.

>>366992
SoL? Shit outta Luck?

>>366992
Thanks for the thread. I thought the action was alright, though I do like your SoL a bit better. If you're gonna run a more combat-focused quest, some kinda dice system might keep anons more engaged, but I'd definitely get it if that's not your kinda thing.

>>367004
Slice of life.