>>1219558
The railway beneath you rattles and screeches as Sleeper, the half-mad train that the Second Men had seen fit to give a brain, forces its way down the aerial rail. These tracks, much like everything else in Dis, are ill-suited to you and are the wrong size. The train is tearing itself to pieces as it carries you all over the city.
Dis is strung with a hundred aerial rails just like this, curving and swooping through vast bronze megaliths from the First Age, shining silver skyscrapers of the second and the web of suspended paths and roads that connect all of Dis together, from the lowliest undertowns that spill out into the chasm to the flying predators hidden in the clouds that hang webs across rails to snare the unwary.

The suspended rooftop railways of Dis have a multitude of users, from Third Age steam trains lit from within with unwholesome green flame to handcars to rail-chariots pulled by serpents. But it has nothing like Sleeper, a gleaming silver bullet that grinds itself gruesomely along the rail. Even if you hadn’t been immediately ambushed by an old enemy upon your first stop, you would be drawing attention. Your arrival has been announced.

“God,” Abe says as he peers out the window at the receding station where you had closely fought off that wretched Imp who has been dogging your travels as of late. “What was that all about? Wasn’t that Zeno’s imp?”
He keeps one hand over his chest and abdomen, where a section of his body has been petrified by a gargoyle’s bite during your battle to wake the Sleeper Rail. Abraham is, as far as you’re concerned, a good man. He probably doesn’t deserve to be here and yet you somehow picked him up anyway. He has no particular aptitude for magic or great deeds but he can cook and can be trusted to be stalwart in the face of darkness.
A rifle, obtained from bandits a short time ago, lies uselessly on his lap. The stone grinding against flesh hurts him too much to easily move or to use such a weapon effectively. You can see his hands shake. And yet not once does he look back.

“It’s a long story,” you tell him. It truly was. “I just wish I knew who his helpers were.”
The imp, former Mr Stocks, had not been alone. He had been accompanied by creatures in the bodies of humans.

“They just looked like imps wearing human bodies to me,” Beatrice says. She shrugs when you and Abe turn to look at her.
“What? It seemed obvious to me.”

1/?

>>1219563
Beatrice doesn’t look well. Her skin is pale and cracked, faint blotches running down and mottling her neck. Her eyes are bloodshot and ringed with black and purple bruises that seep along her face. Her voice is ragged and raw, possessing all the beauty and elegance of broken glass.
This is normal for her. She is a witch or former witch, tamed long ago by a Lamplighter’s seal and imprisoned. It had been quite the surprise for you when you had found her living in Sacrament as if she was a human. As if she deserved a human home. But she has her own penance in a sense, ingesting gunpowder where other witches eat dirt and reclaiming the fire in her blood at the cost of constant weakness. Her own body and blood are forever at war over stolen power.
Your companionship has been rocky at best. You have done your best to treat her in the way that a traitor to mankind deserves and she has always taken that far too personally. But now, after the two of you have saved each other’s lives and shared your darkest moments, you are willing to trust her. She comes in search of absolution that she will probably never find and she still seeks power and magic in the guise of forgiveness but she tries her best.

“What are we going to do? You can’t tell me nobody’s noticed us now!”
Abe paces from side to side, his hand forever upon his ‘injured’ side.
“People aren’t going to like us or what we’re here to do. And…”
He looks back out across the blasphemous skyline towards the distant Sea of Mud and the end of the world.
“There’s a lot of people here.”

“Knowledge should be our first priority!,” Beatrice yells to be heard over the screeching train. “We don’t know anything about this fucking place!”

You turn away from the window. The view is sickening.
“No. We need to find a way to lay low first. This is enemy territory.”

“No shit. Which is why need more information!”
She always curses. It’s as vulgar as every other aspect of her life.

“We need to rest and recover,” you tell her. “Look at Abe! Look at you!”

“I admit,” Beatrice says woozily. “I am not feeling my best right now. A bit of rest could do us all some good and Abe really needs to get decursed. But how exactly do you plan to fucking ‘lay low’ like this? I don’t know if you noticed but we just blazed into town on a shitty relic train!”

“We just need to find a safe stop and disembark! Sleeper, what can you see of the rail ahead? Do you think you can find us a place to hide?”

It takes a few seconds for Sleeper to reply, the train rattling and shaking across the unfamiliar sky-rail.
“This is not a pleasant city.”

“We’ve noticed.”

“No, not just that. These rails are not built for me. I am doing everything I can to stay upon them but it still hurts. I am sustaining damage to external systems at a consistent rate.”

2/??

File: orion.jpg (88 KB, 700x959)

88 KB JPG

>>1219568
“Still,” the witch pipes up, “aren’t you happy to finally be here? You’re fulfilling your duty!”

“Happy?”
The Sleeper Rail is quiet for a second more.
“If only. I hate this place. Simply being here is my act of defiance against it. But there is no longer purpose to my existence. At this rate I will cease to be railworthy in less than an hour.”

You shake your head. It may be Sleeper’s purpose to travel to Dis but he has a different one now. He is a relic of the Second Age and all such artifacts will be needed in the time to come.
“Just let us off and leave as fast as you can. Get back home before it is too late for you.”

“And do what?”
Sleeper’s voice is as monotone as ever, no hint or trace of emotion.
“I was ready to die when I believed my function would never be completed. And now that it has there is little else. I wish to scorn this place.”

“You already do by your own existence. But if we are successful you will have an obligation to keep yourself for further use.”

“I’m afraid I don’t follow.”

“We’re going to fix the world,” Beatrice speaks up. “Relight the sun and make everything alright again, bring back the Fourth Age. We just talked about this didn’t we?”

“Exactly,” Abe says. “You’ll be important then.”

“The new world needs you far more than the old, Sleeper.”
Unable to look it in the eye you settle for simply staring at the screen it has in the wall. The red dot has moved off the little line entirely and the image is skipping and shaking in an unhealthy manner.
“How are they going to rebuild the golden age without you around to act as an example? You’ve done well to get us this far so once this is over just limp home and wait.”

“Done well,” Beatrice mutters. “Yeah he did a great fucking job trying to kill us just before. Real standup guy.”

“I will consider this proposal,” Sleeper states. “But for now I believe there is more pressing issue at hand. We appear to be getting flanked.”

“What?”
You rush over to the window, your eyes straining against Dis’...everything. And then you see it, a thin silver sky-rail that twists close to the one that the Sleeper Rail is riding. And pulling ever closer along it is an armoured carriage with a closed off roof. You can see the imp’s skeletal face in the carriage’s window before it pulls back.

Abe joins you, peering out.
“Is that a pump trolley? How is it moving?”

“It’s too fast to be a handcar. Beatrice!”

“On it!”
Beatrice pulls out her gun, wiping dried blood away from her eyes as she takes her sights.
“You’re lucky that I can do this shit no matter how bad I feel. Sleeper, open the windows for us.”

“The windows do not open. They are always locked.”

3/?

File: lamplighter2.png (311 KB, 343x484)

311 KB PNG

>>1219576
“Well,” Abe says. “I guess we don’t have to worry then. Do you think they have anything better than Beatrice’s pistol?”

“I’d rather not find out. Sleeper, speed up!”

“Very well.”
The scream of metal against metal increases in volume, the entire train shaking as it powers forward and leaves the imp’s carriage behind.
“Warning: Unsafe velocity detected. Undercarriage damage detected. Passengers please sto-st-s Passenger- War- Warnin-”
Sleeper’s mechanical voice cuts out with a sudden crackle and you can feel the carriage sinking lower as the sky-rail enters a sudden deep.

The force of the descent is terrifying, the city wheeling above and below as you are all forced to grab hold of your seats lest you be flung across the carriage! Beatrice nearly lets you go but you catch hold of her shoulder just in time, the former witch flailing like a ragdoll in your grasp.

You steady yourself just to see something horrific up ahead. The sky-rail you are currently blasting down along is occupied. Some sort of giant beetle lurks up ahead, an amalgam of chitinous flesh and brass with a small platform of passengers upon its back.
There’s a switch up ahead that should switch you onto a different sky-rail, one that loops back up into the thick smog of Dis but you barely have the time! The collision is only moments away.


>”Brace for impact!” It’s all you can do.

>”Open the doors, Sleeper!” All three of you need to escape! Some of those platforms and bridges beneath you aren’t TOO far down.

>”Open the doors, Sleeper!” One of you is going to have to switch the rail before it’s too late!

>Other

>>1219578
>”Open the doors, Sleeper!” One of you is going to have to switch the rail before it’s too late!
Or maybe Beatrice could shoot it? Thanks for coming back Ouro. I'm on my way to class now but I'll do my best to participate.

Welcome back to Lamplighter Quest, returning to /qst! This is technically thread 9. Hopefully I'm not too rusty. I'll be archiving the thread now, just to be safe.

Incomplete Archives: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Lamplighter%20Quest
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OuroQM
Questions: http://ask.fm/OuroQM
Character Sheet: http://pastebin.com/4TrWRPPq

Complete Archive List
Thread One: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/535032/
Thread Two: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/563034/
Thread Three: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/598343/
Thread Four: (currently misarchived) http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/666921/
Thread Five: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/712231/
Thread Six: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/757516/
Thread Seven: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/799882/

>>1219578
>>”Open the doors, Sleeper!” One of you is going to have to switch the rail before it’s too late!


You're back Ouro! Oh happiest of days!

>>1219593
>>”Open the doors, Sleeper!” One of you is going to have to switch the rail before it’s too late!

>>1219578
>”Open the doors, Sleeper!” One of you is going to have to switch the rail before it’s too late!
Yo it's ouro!

Oh shit! It's back

Oh damn it. Of course I messed up the OP. There's a section between 3 and 4 that accidentally got left out. Luckily it was nonessential.

+++++

“Oh. Don’t worry then, I have a key.”
The sound of her gun going off in such an enclosed space is deafening but what’s worse is seeing the dark glass, whilst smoking and a little scorched, completely unharmed from her explosive shot.
“Bullshit!”

“My exterior is armoured against attack.”

++++

Someone's gotta hit the switch

>”Open the doors, Sleeper!” One of you is going to have to switch the rail before it’s too late!

“Open the doors, Sleeper!”
There’s no response. The Sleeper Rail’s monotone has been replaced by a buzzing hiss through which nothing can be discerned.

You bang on the doors as if you could ever have the strength to pry them open yourself. These doors are locked by mysteries and machines of the Second Age. Flesh and bone cannot prevail against them anymore than Beatrice’s pistol could. You can see the switch attached to the track suspended above the city racing towards you and for a brief moment the beat of your own heart seems louder than the wailing of the train.
“Open the door!”

Sleeper does not reply, maybe cannot reply but the doors pop open quickly enough that you nearly overbalance and topple from the carriage. You grab hold of the side of the doorway as you stare out across the rail. The infinite panorama of Dis whirls beneath you.

How are you going to manage this? You can’t blast the switch with an Immolate, the train itself is moving far faster than mere flame.

>Climb out onto the train itself and run! If you can get to the front of the train you might be able to knock the switch just in time!

>Have Beatrice take the shot from the doorway.

>Have Beatrice take shot but you’ll stay in the doorway, holding her out above the abyss to make sure she gets a clear angle of fire.

>Other

>>1219674
>>Have Beatrice take shot but you’ll stay in the doorway, holding her out above the abyss to make sure she gets a clear angle of fire.

>”Open the doors, Sleeper!” One of you is going to have to switch the rail before it’s too late!

It's back! It's back!

>>1219674
>>Have Beatrice take shot but you’ll stay in the doorway, holding her out above the abyss to make sure she gets a clear angle of fire.

>>1219674
>>1219678
Seconding

>>1219674
>Have Beatrice take shot but you’ll stay in the doorway, holding her out above the abyss to make sure she gets a clear angle of fire.

>>1219674
>>Have Beatrice take shot but you’ll stay in the doorway, holding her out above the abyss to make sure she gets a clear angle of fire.

>>1219678
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrLk4vdY28Q

File: orionandbeatricefanart.jpg (89 KB, 640x960)

89 KB JPG

>Have Beatrice take the shot but you’ll stay in the doorway, holding her out above the abyss to make sure she gets a clear angle of fire.

“Beatrice!”
You’ve still got her by the arm so you pull her towards you, the witch staggering helplessly. You press her pistol into her hands and her fingers stop shaking immediately.

She pokes her head out and pales, looking as if she’s going to vomit. She lost her hat in the battle for Sleeper so there is no longer any charitable shadows to hide her ruined face. Blood flecks at her mouth.
“Okay. O...kay. I get it. Hold me out.”

You pick her up, one hand across her back and the other above her legs. You try not to think too hard about it as you lean her out past the doorway and over the drop into Dis. You can wash your hands later, for now you just have to keep her steady.

Beatrice holds out her pistol, her eyes darting from the switch to the fall beneath her. She keeps a boot on the side of the train as if it would save her, scrabbling desperately for a grip.
“Don’t let go!”

“Shoot!”

“Don’t le-”

“I won’t!”

Her bloodied eyes snap to the switch and do not stray again and at that moment you know that she can make the shot. All you need to do is to hold her steady.

The train lurches beneath you just a little.


>Roll a d6. The first 3 rolls shall be used.

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>1219729
>inb4 3 1s

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>1219729

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>1219729

>4, 5, 6

Noted. An auspicious start.

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>1219729

File: barkeep.png (104 KB, 210x330)

104 KB PNG

>4, 5, 6

You keep her steady and Beatrice fires, the sound of the shot briefly overpowering even the screeching metal. The bullet flies true, detonating against the switch’s lever just in time to push it down! You watch the rails ahead of you shift, ancient mechanisms slotting up curved rails to divert from one sky-rail to another.

And then, just moments later, the switch vanishes from view as the Sleeper Rail switches rails. It sways as it does so and Beatrice almost slips out of your grasp! She screams herself hoarse as you pull her back into the doorway before she can hit the side of the train. She hits you like a limp sack of potatoes and you are sent stumbling back into the carriage. You grab hold of a seat before you can fall and Abe is ready to catch Beatrice as she collapses.
“Shit,” she says, blood running from her mouth and nose. “Sometimes I fucking surprise myself.”

There is no time for words however as the train takes up a steep incline, the sky-rail you switched to curving up high above the city and into the poisoned clouds. The carriage begins to tilt further and further back and rifles, provisions and other stray pieces of baggage begin to slide to the back and hit the wall.
Abe, too preoccupied with supporting the witch, begins to slide as well. He catches himself just in time, one hand on the metal leg of a seat and the other wrapped around Beatrice’s hand. You can hear something separate inside of him, stone dissociating from flesh and he turns as pale as a sheet.

Careful not to let go and slide yourself, you do your best to walk down the ever-steeper carriage towards the two of them but before you can reach them the train rattles from some kind of impact! Whatever it is it wasn’t enough to dislodge or stop the Sleeper Rail but the force of the collision rocks the carriage from side to side and you are forced to stop to make sure you don’t fall. The other two aren’t so lucky.

You’re close enough that you can grab hold of one with your free hand. And deep down you know neither of them are resilient enough to take the fall right now. Beatrice is breaking down internally and Abe is slowly coming apart, you can’t imagine either of them falling to the back of the carriage safely.
You’ve had this choice before. Damn it, you’ve had this choice before.


>Grab Beatrice.

>Grab Abraham.

>Relinquish your grip to grab hold of both. Perhaps you can cushion them.

>Other

>>1219798
>Relinquish your grip to grab hold of both. Perhaps you can cushion them.

>>1219798
>>Relinquish your grip to grab hold of both. Perhaps you can cushion them.

>>1219798
>Relinquish your grip to grab hold of both. Perhaps you can cushion them.

>Relinquish your grip to grab hold of both. Perhaps you can cushion them.

You grit your teeth as you let go, racing down the slope towards them. You can’t help but remember your raid upon the bandits not so long ago. There had been fire, a renegade Flame Artist and you had chosen to protect Beatrice knowing that Abraham would take the blow instead. He had been burned beyond your care and it would have meant the end of his quest, even likely his life, had fortune not been kind enough to grant you a miracle.
But there aren’t any Wax Saints here to bail you out this time. It’s just you.

You grab hold of both of them, first Abe and then the witch. Their combined weight and the steep incline staggers you just a little too much in the process however and you begin to slide. You do your best to keep hold of both of them as you go down, your back banging into seats as you try to find something to arrest your descent.

>Roll a d6. The first 3 shall be used.

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>1219847

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>1219847

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>1219847

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>1219847

Well at least we have a healing factor.

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>1219847

We've just started again and we're going to kill both our companions.

>You do your best to keep hold of both of them as you go down, your back banging into seats as you try to find something to arrest your descent.

There were seats. We could have just grabbed a few seat cushions and softened each of our landings.

>>1219558
>Ouro is back
Awwww yea nigga

>4, 3, 3

You are unable to stop yourself from sliding to the back of the carriage but you are at least able to kep hold of both Abe and Beatrice! Beatrice in particularly almost slips from your grasp in her panic, knocking her head against the wall with a nasty crack.
You see blood smeared against the wall.

And then you hit the back of the carriage, the breath knocked from your lungs as you provide a brace for your two companions. Blessed sparks dance before your eyes as you stare up at the tilted carriage in a daze.
You recover a moment later, pushing the other two to a safe landing while you get to your feet. The rail beneath you must be starting to level out because the carriage is slowly tilting back towards the horizontal. This lets you stand a little easier at the very least, ignoring the sharp spike of pain now lodged deep within your chest. It’s probably nothing important.

Abe is clutching his side but otherwise looks fine. Beatrice on the other hand…

“Thanks Orion,” Abe mutters breathlessly.

“Fuck you Orion!” Beatrice screeches, blood streaming down from her face. Looks like her nose is out of joint, the witch rolling back and forth with her hands covering her face. The flow of blood doesn’t look like it’s slowing anytime soon, coating her hands and chest in thick and stringy crimson.

“It was better than you fa-”
The carriage shakes again but this time it doesn’t stop, something rattling the entire train from side to side! Whatever it is, it’s frenetic and irregular but it doesn’t cease or tire. You peer out the window and at first you only see banks of dirty clouds.
And then the sky-rail curves, allowing you to look back towards the back of the train and you see it. The train is missing its last carriage.

Thick strands of gelatinous webbing are smeared down the Sleeper Rail’s sides and in a flash you remember the predators you glimpsed in the high clouds of Dis when you first arrived. The very first impact you felt must have been Sleeper running straight into a web and then blasting through it, the aerial hunters of Dis unprepared for even a crippled Second Age locomotive. That would explain the long smear of black ichor down the side of the train as well.

“Orion!”
Abe calls you over to the other side of the still-tilted carriage, beckoning you to the window he’s leaning up against.
“You need to see this!”

You do your best to pick past Beatrice, who is still thrashing upon the floor. You’ll help her in a moment. What you see from Abe’s window threatens to steal your breath away again.
On the other side of the train, far at the back end where the last carriage used to be, is perched an immense monstrosity, a cross between spider and worm and far uglier than either. It’s long body is supported by spindly legs, many of them broken by the impact with the Sleeper Rail and leaking ichor like old water pumps.
1/2

>>1219972
It roars soundlessly from three mouths as it scrambles up the top of the last carriage, ripping it to the shreds with razor claws as it scavenges desperately for the meat it must know is somewhere inside.

It looks like the beast that set the web has been dragged along for the ride.

As you watch, the monster advances up another carriage, the shredded remains of the previous carriage being torn from the silver train and thrown out to land somewhere in the many-layered city below. There are now only four carriages between you and it!
Sleeper remains silent.


>Run towards the front! That’ll get you as much time as you can.

>Head towards the back. You’ll settle this beast yourself.

>Try to find a spot to safely bail out from the open door. Any high platforms? A tower, even?

>Other

>>1219978
>>Head towards the back. You’ll settle this beast yourself.

>>1219978
>Head towards the back. You’ll settle this beast yourself.

>>1219978
>Head towards the back. You’ll settle this beast yourself.

>>1219905
Unfortunately not. The cushions are attached to the seat and while they can be torn off, they can't be done so while sliding.

>>1219729
Is that the same guy who did the Snakecatcher art?

>>1220007
It was a drawfriend but they didn't explicitly identify themselves.

File: tmp_14273-images426176076.png (4 KB, 300x168)

4 KB PNG

>>1219978
>Head towards the back. You’ll settle this beast yourself.

We going full Paladin now.

>Head towards the back. You’ll settle this beast yourself.

“Abe, take Beatrice and get to the front of the train!”

“I can take myself, thank you very much.”
Beatrice sounds sullen as she sway to her feet, the carriage properly horizontal once more. She’s still holding her nose, bloodstained gun dangling limply from her left hand.

Abe steadies her and then looks back to you.
“Aren’t you coming with us?”

“No.”

You stride into the next compartment without another word, the rattling and shaking increasing as you make your way through the next carriage and then the next and then the next…
Something heavy lands on the ceiling in front of you, the silver steel deforming from the weight of a huge leg.

It’s here.

Wick: 6/10

>Get a door open and lean out to blast it.

>Retreat back a carriage and then climb up onto the roof.

>Step back into the next carriage and wait for it to tear that one off. You’ll be able to see it then.

>Unfurl the lamp-post

>Other

>>1220113
>Get a door open and lean out to blast it.

>>1220113
>>Step back into the next carriage and wait for it to tear that one off. You’ll be able to see it then.

>>1220113
> Heat up the metal of the train so it's unable to keep its grip.

>>1220139
This

>>1220039
Friend of drawguy here

Yeah, he's the one who did Hiss, Orange, etc

>>1220202
Ah, good to hear! Tell him I said thanks. Sorry about the delay on this one by the way folks, my laptop froze and I had to restart.

>>1220245
Specifically let's heat up the next one so we have longer to do so. Let it waste time ripping this cabin off.

> Heat up the metal of the train so it's unable to keep its grip.

You take a step back and then retreat back to the next carriage, feeling ever more aware of the bruises and aches that are already starting to riddle your body. Let the beast waste it’s time with that last carriage, you’ll be ready and waiting for it in the next.

You pull out your wick the moment you’ve made it safely out and press it up against the roof of the carriage. This should work for even though you are completely unaware of what vile creature of darkness this thing is, you know it will fear the flame. It is no friend of the sun.

But you are also aware that your own Wick is flickering. It might take everything you have to heat the roof to the level required before the beast finishes with the last carriage. It might take even more than that.


>Use your wick. (Will require a roll)

>Use the lamp-post. (Will not require a roll)

>>1220284
Do we still have that extra wick reserve?

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>1220284

>Use your wick. (Will require a roll)

I FEEL LUCKY

>>1220295
Yes, you can choose to channel your Spark any time you wish.

>>1220284
>Use your wick. (Will require a roll)

>>1220284
>Use your wick. (Will require a roll)
Use the spark for sure.

>>1220318
>>1220304
>>1220304

I'll back that sure why not.

We can always use the lamppost if this doesn't work.

>Use your wick.

You tap your long-handled wick up against the top of the ceiling, all too aware of the crunching and tearing of steel that you can hear ahead of you or the scream of metal against metal below you. You concentrate upon the Flame Internal and summon it forth and upwards, flame dancing around up and over your harmlessly as you direct it into the metal ceiling.

A heavy heat builds within your head as you do so, a flame bursting to life upon your forehead in the same spot that Belle once anointed you with her sacred wax. The Wax Saint’s essence burns as you draw upon it for strength, rivulets of molten wax leaking from your brow.

Wick: 0/10
Spark: 5 /8

The ceiling is glowing cherry-red by the time you’re done and not a moment too soon, the carriage in front of you vanishing, the wall you were looking at replaced with strands of shredded metal and view of the rail behind. The beast lands upon the roof and screams.

There’s just one problem. The hotter metal gets, the softer it becomes. The red-hot ceiling collapses underneath the monster’s weight, a giant burning spider-leg scything through it and collapsing right down on top of you!

>Roll a d6. The first 3 shall be used.

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>1220367

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>1220367

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>1220367
Yeah I figured that would happen

Man this dice system is brutal. It's like we chose the "Orion must die" difficulty setting.

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>1220367
D

>>1220396
This is what we get for going full Hero and not being practical.

It is a good pain.

>>1220396
I wanted something a bit tougher than the Snakecatcher dice system which was really relaxed and hard to fail.

>4, 3, 2
So a success on evading the leg, a half-success to avoid the collapsing roof and a failure to get to the next carriage.
Writing.

>>1220419
>hard to fail
really?

>>1220425
Hey. My roll was good. I stand by my luck.

>4, 3, 2

You roll out of the way as the falling leg shears through the roof and the floor below, red-hot metal raining down around you in small chunks. And then, as the carriage begins to fall apart underneath the weight of the writhing monster, the ceiling collapses entirely.

You try to get into the next carriage in time but a collapsing piece of metal clips you on the side of the head and sends you to the ground once again. You can hear the beast still screaming, first from the burns and now as it slips and the train drags it along the rail, no doubt fouling it up for future travellers.

You stare helplessly for a few seconds, stunned and somehow unable to take action. The world is shaking around you and for a long moment, no coherent thoughts materialize. You are lying in a collapsing carriage that is now mostly roofless, exposed to the foul-smelling clouds of Dis. The beast is still clinging to the back of the carriage with a single flaming leg but the rest of its body is lying flat along the rail as it is dragged by the train, leaving ichor and body parts behind as a constant smear of black and red.

And then it topples to the side and the burning monster falls off the sky-rail. It falls off the sky-rail while a single leg is still impaled into the carriage. You wake from your daze as the monster falls, its weight dragging the train to the side and threatening to drag it down with it!

The carriage lurches to the side as the predator lets go and the screeching of the train, already cacophonous, grows unbearable as the Sleeper slows dramatically, the carriage you’re in now lying sideways over the rail!
The rest of the train begins to wobble, knocked off-center by the dragging carriage. And yet you see a ray of light at the end of this metaphorical tunnel.

Coming up just ahead, a large brick tower is topped by a large flat platform that the sky-rail intersects. A station! And whether it is safer than the last one no longer matters. You need to get off now.

>Run to the front, meet up with the rest of your companions.

>Take it slower. Otherwise you might do yourself an injury.

>Try to sever the last carriage somehow. What if it destabilizes Sleeper before it can reach the platform?

>Other

>>1220539
>>Take it slower. Otherwise you might do yourself an injury.

>>1220539
>>Try to sever the last carriage somehow. What if it destabilizes Sleeper before it can reach the platform?


FULL. HERO.

>>1220539
>Try to sever the last carriage somehow. What if it destabilizes Sleeper before it can reach the platform?

>>1220539
>>Try to sever the last carriage somehow. What if it destabilizes Sleeper before it can reach the platform?

>>1220539
>Try to sever the last carriage somehow. What if it destabilizes Sleeper before it can reach the platform?

>Try to sever the last carriage somehow. What if it destabilizes Sleeper before it can reach the platform?

As much as you want to stagger back up to the train and join your companions, you can’t. Not yet. There’s still one last thing you need to do. What good is the upcoming platform if this carriage drags the rest of the train down it?
You stagger through the wreckage until you’re in the next carriage, the undamaged one, the one still aligned with the rail below.
“Sleeper, detach the last carriage.”

Nothing.

“Sleeper?”

Still no response. And you can’t afford to wait! Even if the wrecked carriage doesn’t drag the rest of the train down, the way it’s dragging sideways along the track means that it’s going to smash into the station wall when you hit the platform! You don’t know what effect that’ll have and you don’t want to find out.
Looks like it falls to you once more.

It occurs to you that you are in no shape for such heroism. But that thought doesn’t slow you at all as you step back towards the broken carriage. You can no more turn away than you can fly or any number of other impossible things. This is the duty you accept upon becoming a Lamplighter.

The connection between the carriages is already tenuous or otherwise it wouldn’t be able to shift sideways like that. Indeed, you find that the last carriage is only connected to the rest of the train by a single stretch of wall. A stretch that has already been bent and strained near to the breaking point.

Wick: 0/10
Spark: 3/ 8

It’s nowhere near as powerful as the flame you last summoned but it doesn’t have to be. All you have to do is to heat the metal in one very specific spot and then…

You slam the iron-shod end of your staff into the glowing piece of metal. You swing again and again, not stopping even as you feel something tear open inside of you. You’re not going to let your body stop you from what has to be done!
And then just like that, it snaps and the entire back carriage falls away, leaving you standing on the edge of the precipice at the very back of the train.


The train lurches again. It’s nothing really, just a minor bump, one of the countless many that Sleeper has been going through. But this time you don’t really have anything to hold onto and your legs are already going weak beneath you.

Time seems to slow as you topple out of the train without ceremony.

You manage to twist out of the way of the rail just in time, slipping to the side and grabbing hold of the side of the ruined train! The broken metal is sharp and if it weren’t for your armour it’d probably lose you a few fingers. But your gauntlets are runebound and strong and you hold on, the rail rushing past the side of you and the platform just ahea-

The platform.

Unlike the sky-rail, the platform has a floor, one right beneath the rail.

1/2

>>1220667
If Sleeper pulls into the station like this you’ll be slammed straight into the side of the tower that platform is on top of. You won’t survive that. Nothing can survive that. The flame will be snuffed out forever.

Strength feels like it is flowing out of your body in great tides, the perils of what has been a very long day taking their toll. To lift yourself up now using only your hands feels like it would be as to move a mountain.


>Try to climb your way back up in time.

>Drop onto the rail and roll and hope you don’t go over the edge. At least Sleeper has slowed down enough that it won’t outright kill you.

>Drop from the train entirely and grab hold of the tower beneath the platform. It’s covered in windows and ledges!

>Other

>>1220673
>>Try to climb your way back up in time.
The others are still up there

>>1220673
>Drop onto the rail and roll and hope you don’t go over the edge. At least Sleeper has slowed down enough that it won’t outright kill you.

>>1220673
>>Drop from the train entirely and grab hold of the tower beneath the platform. It’s covered in windows and ledges!

Let's say Hello! To some new neighbours!

File: comfymonk.jpg (58 KB, 685x900)

58 KB JPG

By the way guys, Thread 4 has been put back where it belongs thanks to Lord Licorice.

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Lamplighter%20Quest

Won't have to put those clumsy manual archive links in the OP from now on!

>>1220695
>>1220705
Did you forget about our companions?

>>1220667
>Try to climb your way back up in time.

>>1220673
>Try to climb your way back up in time.
Looks like we might need the backup backup hero

>>1220673
>>Drop onto the rail and roll and hope you don’t go over the edge. At least Sleeper has slowed down enough that it won’t outright kill you.

>>1220673
>Try to climb your way back up in time

Jesus Christ we've only just arrived in Dis and the city's almost killed us all

>>1220723
I just prefer not being crushed with the force of a speeding train

>>1220713
Nice! We're really lucky that he provides us with a solid archive system, even after the creation of /qst/.

>>1220723
Yeah, they're cool. We can climb back up after we catch our breath and, you know, don't die.

>>1220791
Yeah I've never talked to him but he seems like a really sweet dude, especially since he lets me keep all my junk on his site.

Sorry about the delay on this post by the way, been feeling sick.

File: fleksnek.png (13 KB, 400x400)

13 KB PNG

>>1220854
Actually, it's not getting better and I really need to rest up before work starts soon so I'll think I end it here for now. Sorry.
I'll keep this vote open and I'll update when I get home from work later tonight.

Thank you all for still showing up even after the quest was dead for 3 months!

>>1220879
QM CURSE

>>1220879
It's all good, I can't really stay up like in the old Snakecatcher days anymore anyway

File: lamplighter.jpg (989 KB, 1386x1239)

989 KB JPG

I'm glad you're back, Ouro.

>>1220988
òooooh shiny

>>1220882
Hah, I wish. This is just my life now.

>>1220988
Wow. Thanks! I'll add that to the folder.

>Try to climb your way back up in time.

Your strength ebbs, sapped from you first by the battle with the gargoyles over the Sleeper Rail and drained ever further by the tolls of Dis. It’s been a very trying day. But surely you can do just this. If all the light is all fading from the world then let you not fade also!

Ever wary of the approaching platform that promises to crush you between brick and train and of the rail beside you that threatens to send you tumbling away should ever accidentally strike against it in your struggles, you heave yourself up upon shaking arms.

Your head crests the broken edge of the train and then your upper torso and from then you must fight the urge to just rest a moment. You have to keep going. You’ll be no use to anyone legless! The floor that your hands scrabble upon for purchase is slick with still warm ichor and for a single moment you feel that death is upon you.That you will slip and fall or else otherwise fail to pull yourself entirely up in time. Doomed to get dragged into the tracks and crushed.

You let loose a strangled cry and call forth your Flame Internal. The spark atop your forehead flickers back to life, warmth spreading through your tired and aching bones as your hands shimmer with transient light.

Wick: 0/10
Spark: 2/8

The Benediction of Succour, half-cast and hasty, gives you just the strength you need to pull yourself up the rest of the way just in time to watch the sky-rail below to be replaced with solid brick. The screeching of the train intensifies as Sleeper brakes even harder and slowly comes to a complete halt.
Every door on the train springs open at the same instant, the punchline to a cruel joke.

The platform is not as populated as the last one, strangely clothed individuals staring at the battered and sparking half-train that has just pulled up into their station trailing broken steel and one very lucky Lamplighter.
A silence descends. But you don’t think it’ll last long.


>Jump out of the train and onto the station. You all need to lay low and that means getting as much distance from Sleeper as possible.

>Walk through the train to find Beatrice and Abe first. You’re not going anywhere without them.

>Take cover within the train. They might have a nasty surprise for you.

>Try to talk to someone.

>Other

>>1222004
>Walk through the train to find Beatrice and Abe first. You’re not going anywhere without them.
It might be prudent to conceal our lamplighter symbols and whatnot

>>1222004
>Take cover within the train. They might have a nasty surprise for you.

>>1222004
>Walk through the train to find Beatrice and Abe first. You’re not going anywhere without them.
>Try to call out to Sleeper, if he's even alive.
if Sleeper fell with the other parts of the train....we should get him back. Eventually. Hopefully we can crash his main brain somewhere hidden, because that's really the best we can hope for right now.

>>1222004
>Walk through the train to find Beatrice and Abe first. You’re not going anywhere without them.

>>1222004
>Walk through the train to find Beatrice and Abe first. You’re not going anywhere without them.

>Take cover within the train. They might have a nasty surprise for you.

ain't leaving without them but goddamnit we need to be careful

>>1222004
>Walk through the train to find Beatrice and Abe first. You’re not going anywhere without them.

>>1222004

>Walk through the train to find Beatrice and Abe first. You’re not going anywhere without them.


>Try to talk to someone.

Just say hello and that you look forward to seeing their fine city, you just need a quick moment.

>>1222004
>>Take cover within the train. They might have a nasty surprise for you.

File: beeeee.png (352 KB, 535x663)

352 KB PNG

New session begins in an hour!

>>1223021
Great that you are back, I'm glad we convinced you not to spoil the story yet :)

>Walk through the train to find Beatrice and Abe first. You’re not going anywhere without them.

You slip inside the open carriage as quickly as you can, hiding yourself and your Lamplighter emblem from sight. Spikes of pain blossom all down your torso as you move but you keep your pace steady. You need to find Beatrice and Abraham before you do anything else, you cannot afford to let this accursed city seperate you. Whatever differences you’ve had with them in the past surely they are as nothing compared to the task that now lies before you.

As you walk through the ruined train you can’t help but to glance through the windows that you pass. The station is mostly dirty brick, a Third Age construction if you’ve ever seen one. The scattered people wear clothes that are strange but not entirely foreign to you, like distorted parodies of what you once knew. Suits and dresses but in different cuts and styles. You see at least two gray-skinned women whose skirts end just above the knee and you hastily look away. Disgusting but what else can you expect? This is a city surely in thrall with the dread powers of the Earth.

The platform, like all of Dis you have seen, is lit brightly but in an odd flickering fashion that bears a green-ish tint. The sunless sky holds no power here even as it torments the sons and daughters of light. You can’t help but search for the source and that’s when you see the lamp-post sitting atop one side of the platform and you can’t help but stop.

It’s a central lamp-post, identical to any number of the holy artifacts that you’ve safeguarded in the past. Identical to the broken one you now bear across your back. And that itself is not a great surprise. It makes sense that Dis would be full of such lamps. It had once been the greatest city of the First Men after all and back in those days lamp-posts had been plentiful. But you must admit, you hadn’t really thought of what they would be like in Dis.
Had you been imagining them to all be lying empty and abandoned? Destroyed, even?

But no, this central lamp-post is in perfect condition, cared for better than the lamp-post you empowered in Sacrament. Spotless and unmarked and inside itself, bearing a soft green flame. The light it spills is strange, flickering and soft and casting more shadows than it erases. A half-light, a green twilight burn that grants the city light and protects it from the consequences of its own actions upon the sun.
And what light is this? Would this light abjure imps? Would the green flame harm witches? Somehow you doubt it. This is fire bent in service of darkness.

You don’t even question how such a thing can be done. You likely already know the answer, know the prizes that seven sinners in Dis use and abuse. And even beyond the sheer perversion and blasphemy of it all...it’s unfair.

1/2

>>1223388
You’ve long been disillusioned of any notion that the world is fair of course but seeing this, seeing the people of Dis bask safely beneath perverted half-light while the rest of humanity, the true faithful, must suffer in darkness makes you feel sick. It’s a visceral sensation, a churning in your gut. How many towns have you passed that toil in the dark, that depend on the fading twilight of almost-snuffed lamp post? How many people die every day as light and flame vanish further and further from the world all while Dis, the source of all their suffering, lives on lit by stolen radiance?

You limp the rest of the way towards the front of the train with your eyes averted.

“Orion!”
Abe sees you first as you enter the first carriage, the seating compartment just before the sealed door that contains Sleeper’s engine room. He lurches over to you, grabbing you by the shoulder as if you need support. Do you truly look that bad?

Beatrice is lying down on a bank of seats, both hands still cupping her broken nose. It’s stopped bleeding for now but you imagine that’s little comfort to her. She’s covered in so much dried blood that you can smell the sulphur in the air.
“What do we do now?”
The witch’s question is half-spoken, half groaned.

“Look at all this!,” you spit. “Look at what they’ve done to the lamp-posts!”

“I don’t like the light it casts,” Abe says. “It makes me feel uneasy.”

“Really? It feels kind of comforting to me,” Beatrice replies. “It doesn’t even hurt my eyes or oh I guess that means it’s bad, huh?”

Beatrice liking it is all the confirmation you need that nothing good can from the green flame.


>Now that you’re all together, it’s time for you to simply walk out and leave. No rush.

>You must closely investigate the lamp-post yourself.

>It’s time to get out of here as quickly as possible. Who knows what searches for you now?

>Try to break down the door to Sleeper’s compartment.

>Just stay in the train for now. You can fortify this position but once you’re in Dis proper all advantage is lost.

>Other

>>1223392
>a short rest, enough to gather the strength to run and hide
>try to talk to Sleeper.

>>1223392
>You must closely investigate the lamp-post yourself.

>>1223392
>Now that you’re all together, it’s time for you to simply walk out and leave. No rush.

>>1223392
>a short rest, enough to gather the strength to run and hide
>try to talk to Sleeper.
>Beatrice it means they have somehow corrupted fire itself, and turned it to Earth. It is worse than you can possibly fathom. Given you pessimistic streak, that should say a great deal.

>>1223392
>>Try to break down the door to Sleeper’s compartment.

>A short rest, enough to gather the strength to run and hide
>Try to talk to Sleeper.

Fortunately nobody on the station seems to want to get close to the mystery train so you probably have some time for now. Time enough to rest at least a little more and gather your strength for what must be done later.
“They have bent fire itself,” you say. “What good is it to them?”

Abraham paces back and forth, apparently having recovered a little from his previous spasm.
“So what are we going to do? Do we just walk out? Ask people if they’ve heard of the seven solar fragments?”

“Maybe,” Beatrice says. “It could work.”

“We still need to lay low,” you reply. “But before we do any of that, we need to talk to Sleeper.”

Beatrice coughs something up. You don’t look at it.
“How?”

“Sleeper? Can you answer me?”

Your only response is the soft hiss that now emanates the train. Whatever it is, it has replaced Sleeper’s voice somehow.

“What about the engine room?”
Abe raps on the door as if knocking on it would let him in.

“Sealed real tight,” Beatrice groans. “I already asked him to open up.”

Maybe you can force it open and confront Sleeper’s brain direc-A flicker of movement catches your eye, discernibly different from the common passengers of the station. Figures are climbing one of the staircases that open up onto the platform, men in dark coats that are obviously worn over plate mail. They wear soft caps instead of helmets and many of them bear strange looking rifles connected via tubing to metal boxes upon their back.
“Out of the way! Make way!”

You don’t have time.


>Try to smash down Sleeper’s door anyway.

>Fortify the train and get ready for a confrontation.

>Flee in the opposite direction. There are stairs on the other side of the platform!

>Charge!

>Attempt to peacefully negotiate.

>Other

>>1223557
>>Flee in the opposite direction. There are stairs on the other side of the platform!

>>1223557
>>Fortify the train and get ready for a confrontation.

>>1223557
>Flee in the opposite direction. There are stairs on the other side of the platform!
Just sitting around was pretty retarded fellas

>>1223557
>>Flee in the opposite direction. There are stairs on the other side of the platform!
sad but the train is in their hands now i guess.

Watch these guys be some form of Lamplighter.

>>1223652
That was my first thought too

>Flee in the opposite direction. There are stairs on the other side of the platform!

“Time to leave,” Beatrice says, clumsily getting to her feet. “We’ve got to go!”

You spare a moment to stare at the door to the engine room. Can you really let Sleeper fall into the hands of the enemy? But what other alternative do you have? You bow your head in apology for just a moment before joining the others in leaping onto the other side of the platform.

The three of you barrel across the platform unimpeded, ignoring the shouts of the men behind as you run towards the stairs. You begin to feel the pain almost immediately but you refuse to slow down or stop. Beatrice brandishes her pistol about as you run and the spectators melt away rather than face you directly, backing away and letting you pass.

But by the time you hit the stairs, the obvious problem has arisen. You are battered and beaten but with long practice in being so and you are already far outpacing the other two. Abe’s already picked up a sheen of sweat as he clutches his side and Beatrice is physically inept at even the best of times.
By the time you run down the stairs and into the hall beneath, they are already almost a dozen feet behind you.

The hall is impressive, some kind of large stone terminal lit by sickly green light but you pay it no attention. You slow, halt and then turn around to run back to your companions.
“Come here! Let me help you!”

Abe shakes his head. In the distance you can hear whistles blaring and distant shouts.

“They went down here!”

“Close the exits!”

“Don’t bother,” Abe says. “Orion...you’re the important one. If they catch you it’s all over. We’ll try to keep up with you as best we can but you can’t let us hold you back!”

“What?”
Beatrice turns and stares at him, clearly unhappy with this idea.
“Fuck that!”


>Just keep running and trust them to keep up. You need to get out before more of those men or something worse arrive.

>Pick one of them up and carry them.

>Try to carry both of them. Probably won’t work.

>Tell them to hide somewhere if they can’t run. They’ll be after you!

>Other

>>1223684
>>Tell them to hide somewhere if they can’t run. They’ll be after you!

>>1223684
>Pick one of them up and carry them.
Beatrice is probably light enough to not really slow us down. It's better than leaving both of them.

>>1223684
>Tell them to hide somewhere if they can’t run. They’ll be after you!

>>1223684
>>Tell them to hide somewhere if they can’t run. They’ll be after you!
maybe b can use her witch status to carry some sort of favor

ok its a long shot

You guys really wanna be separated from both of our friends in a city that wants to kill us?

>>1223684
>Pick one of them up and carry them.
Beatrice.

>never make any hard decisions ever
come on guys

>>1223684
>>Tell them to hide somewhere if they can’t run. They’ll be after you!

Ah sorry,had computer troubles. Vote is called and writing now.

>>1223795
What's with you and writing unpleasant MC's?

First Cennen, now Orion.

>>1223795
>>1223870

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy your quests, but . . . I kind of hope the religious zealot loses instead of enforcing a "bright" age of oppression.

>>1223870
>>1223892
it draws people in, you gotta admit that.

>>1223892
...And ensures the age of witches and their countless ghouls and imps continue to murderfuck everyone?

That aside, the majority of the unpleasantness is a result of the playerbase, rather than built in. Orion was a stick in the mud, yeah, but if you read back it was the players who got on the Warhammer Inquisitor train of assholishness and complete oppression. Same for Cennen back in Snakecatcher; He was kind of a coward, but anytime he really went overboard into being a terrible person, it was the players.

And then once the players consistently vote for something, it starts being IC to keep writing them like that.

>>1223892
What? Is killing witches and preserving the flame necessary for humanity to survive somehow oppression?

>>1223892
you think the current age is better?
Where the weak are trampled and normal folk are victims to the whims of sociopaths that are no longer human

>>1223892
>keeping massive narcissists that kill people "because they do not matter" as well as monsters that like to kill, puppet or lord over people at bay is "oppressive."


Hello Tumblr, in case you missed it, witches and the beasts of Earth are worse by several orders of magnitude than one stick in the mud lamplighter, who is only that way because a witch broke his heart, betrayed him and killed everyone else he ever knew or loved.

>>1223918
If you've played the quest earlier, then you see the weak were just as trampled then and the sociopaths were Humans being the only difference.

So I mean, if I'm going to oppressed by Monsters the least they could do is look the part. And at least in this new world there's the opportunity for personal advancement.

Dis seems to be working out. Maybe they'd be willing to share their system with the other people if they didn't insist that Dis needed to die simply for being what it is.

>>1223910
God this so much.

>Tell them to hide somewhere if they can’t run. They’ll be after you!

Beatrice stares up at you, reddened eyes peering out of circles of black.
“Don’t listen to him! I’m not letting you two leave me behind!”

“We’re not going to!,” Abe says. “That wasn’t the plan.”

You can’t carry both of them and you don’t want to save just one and leave the other. No, there has to be another way out of this. And there is. If there’s anything the dark masters of Dis desire, it is what lies upon your back. Beatrice and Abe both might be able to blend into the crowd, particularly if the witch finds something to cover her face. But you? You’ll need to strip yourself of your armour and your cloak before you stop standing out and you don’t have the time for that.
The only possible path has become clear to you.
“If you can’t run then hide. They’ll be after me. We can meet up around here once this has all been dealt with!”

You turn without another word and begin to run. There’s dozens of smaller passages bleeding off from this hall, it should be easy for them to find a spot where they can change their clothes or at least pose as someone else. And as for you? You’ll just ru-

Something awful happens.

>>1223929
Huh it's almost like imperfect characters make for more compelling stories or something. You're being pretty retarded about "muh evil religion" though.

>>1223941
Interlude

Back up above the hall, atop the tower’s platform sat the Sleeper Rail. Or what was left of it anyway.

...e lost. Compartment Eight lost. Compartment Seven lost. Compartment S..

The dark-cloaked men battered at the door to the engine room, attempting to force it open. The door stayed firm but if they had been able to slide it open, they would have seen Sleeper’s brain room. A small compartment piled high with tall computer banks, towers of arcane machinery that bent light and ate flame and thought without flesh.
A single terminal sat beside it as a means for a hypothetical human to monitor Sleeper’s internal activity. It was broken, malfunctioning since long ago. Beside it sat a clacking mechanical printer that was meant to serve as a diagnostic, printing off error reports whenever something went wrong within the intelligence.
It has been running for centuries now, long since run out of paper and ink, the printer-stamps clacking uselessly together as if an invisible typist was recording all of Sleeper’s flaws.
There were so many.

The air was thick with smoke and the scent of heated metal. Sleeper’s brain had been cooking itself for quite some time.

Vox system down. Communication system down. Propulsion down. Charger lines down. Underrail down. Damage detected to chassis. Unsafe passenger environment detected. Toxic atmosphere detected. Please contact a re-

Sleeper ignored the constant internal listing of various woes. It had been buzzing since he first awoke in the ruins of the Second Age. Never quite this loudly however. Lacking anything else to divert power to, Sleeper instead disabled the engine connections entirely and then removed the safeguards upon the sunlight reactor.

Warning: Unsafe energy concentration det-

The good thing about being defective, about being mad, was that the passenger safety programs really didn’t apply. More like guidelines really.

Here he was, finally in Dis. How Sleeper loathed this place, loathed and loved and longed for it as his sole purpose as the Sleeper Rail, shining light of the Dis Express. He had thought he would never know his function and had been ready to throw himself and his passengers into the chasm.
But now...but now…

The door the engine room is pried open, releasing the smell of smoke and overheated machinery.

It was a curious thing, the Sleeper Rail. How it devoured flame and light to power itself, how it multiplied and intensified such energy through arcane artifice from the peak of the golden times. Liquid lightning. And yet now it ebbed as all such things did. There was no more light in the world and even Sleeper’s safeguarded stores of power were only declining.

Warning: Unstable energy levels rising. Enable safeguards imm-

Oh, how Sleeper loathed this city.

1/2

>>1223947
One of the men covers his face and enters the engine room just in time to see the diagnostic printer spring to life one more time. No paper. No ink. Just a writing press moving by itself along the tracks of invisible fingers. Just one word.

--Good--

For just a split second, a second sun dawns upon Dis.

>>1223929
>If you've played the quest earlier, then you see the weak were just as trampled then and the sociopaths were Humans being the only difference.

>Couple of assholes raping a girl is equal to a Girl literally killing an entire town, betraying a man for laughs, and killing people on a whim because they don't matter.


That's like saying beating someone up is the same as ritualistic Torture.


Furthermore Orion is a dick yeah, but not nearly as much as you make him out to be.


>Dis seems to be working out.
Imps taking over people's bodies and paying witches for them, really.

>Maybe they'd be willing to share their system with the other people if they didn't insist that Dis needed to die simply for being what it is.
Dude, Dis has long been so stuck up it's own ass that it would willingly fuck over the rest of the world to be the greatest city ever. That's a whole fucking plot point.

You're being retarded.

>>1223929
I dont see the point of you playing devils advocate trying to justify witches. What about imps, are they poor missunderstood souls too?
Also Dis killed the Sun, they doomed the rest of manking for their own selfish wishes.

>>1223954

You feel it before you hear it, a single stupendous crack that shakes through your very bones and sets the entire tower shaking.

You turn and look back for your two companions at the same time as the ceiling far above breaks apart, shafts of liquid burning flame carving through stone and collapsing both floor and ceiling.

>Roll a d6. The first 3 shall be totalled.

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>1223978

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>1223978

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>1223978

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>1223978

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>1223978

>8

The shockwave follows the killing light almost immediately, scattering the ceiling above you and sending people flying. You are one of them, barely catching a glimpse of Abe and Beatrice before a piece of falling stoneworks obscures your vision of them.

The floor caves in beneath you as you struggle, your feet finding nothing but air as you fall helplessly. Luckily nothing strikes you as you fall. In fact, your fall is broken by something extraordinarily soft.

You lie there for a few seconds blinking, looking up a plaster ceiling that you had fallen straight through, leaving a hole. You don’t even remember striking it. Dust fills the air, both plaster and stone as the echo of the explosion replays itself within your ears again and again.
What happened? You must have fallen down a few layers of the tower down into a ...residential area?

You look around and it does seem to be some kind of bedroom, lush and luxurious. You’ve fallen directly atop a large double bed, breaking it in the process. You can’t make out much else about the room however as the plaster dust coats everything. But what you can see looks decadent.

You try to get up but find yourself barely able to move. So with a groan, you pull out the last of the flame atop your brow to perform the Benediction of Bliss that Belle taught you.

Wick: 0/10
Spark: 0/8

Your body begins to mend just a little and you slowly get to your feet to look around. A quick search of the cupboard reveals what appears to be women’s clothing. You say ‘appears’ because you can’t even imagine any woman wearing something like this.
The window is easily opened and looking through it reveals one of Dis’ many bustling bridge paths that connect from tower to tower like a spiderweb just ten feet below. It is filled with people and carts, all of which have frozen to stare up at whatever is happening above. You might be able to drop down but then you’ll be in the crowd.

There’s also a door and a cursory check of the knob confirms that it is unlocked. But that would entail going deeper into whatever sordid den you’ve found yourself. Neither option seems to an include an obvious way to find your companions.

If they are even still alive.


>Through the door.

>Out the window.

>Try to climb back up through the hole you left in the ceiling.

>Lie here a while. You sorely need to rest and recharge your Wick.

>Other

>>1224116
>Lie here a while. You sorely need to rest and recharge your Wick.

>>1224116
>>Lie here a while. You sorely need to rest and recharge your Wick.

>>1224116
>Through the door.

>>1223971
From what I can tell, Imps can't even rape since it has to be consensual so they're one up above Orions old society.

> Dis killed the sun

You mean the Tyrant of the sky, who murdered the old gods using the stolen power of an enslaved innocent and forced all who didn't bend the knee to be trapped underground for ages unending?

>>1224116
>>Try to climb back up through the hole you left in the ceiling.

I would like to think that we are more than just a vessel for the flame.

>Lie here a while. You sorely need to rest and recharge your Wick.

If we don't and we get in a scuffle, we're going to have to use the lamp, and that will alert the whole city that we have a sun shard.

>>1224145
>>1224152
>buying the manipulative deceptions of dead gods

>>1224145
thanks for the valuable input richard dawkins

>>1224192

Hey, I'd be a lot more forgiving if Orion was a good man in a shitty system, instead of just another thug using it as an excuse to not face up to his own failings in his past.

>>1224203
Pretty sure Dawkins would be all about killing ALL the Gods, not pointing out that one was a tyrant Man standing in a place not meant for any but the cruelest of overlords.

>>1224224
Except he has been? You're just ignoring it entirely. He's owned up to every mistake he has made, and is trying to repent for them.


>>1224230
The Earth spirits are not great people either. Given they LIKE torturing, killing and corrupting humans, they're worse.

>>1224230
Yeah surely the gods who compel you to kill your own kind are the good guys. I know being contrarian is fun but try to think from the POV of our MC

>>1224244
Oh, there have been some good times. Like when we killed the Bandits.

Even though we had to go back and take care of business after people had to be convinced that being excessively cruel and leaving someone out for the Earth spirits to torture to death as pointed out >>1224239 wasn't actually a "Good Person" thing to do.

Hey, maybe we can actually talk to the people of Dis instead of turning an entire town against us because we can't handle women revealing their knees.

>>1224244
> Thinking people need the excuse of Gods to kill their own kind

It's not like the Sun didn't demand this either, just of a different group of people.

Oh, wait, you're going to insist "But they weren't REALLY people".

There's only one true sun, and that's the light of intelligence.

>Lie here a while. You sorely need to rest and recharge your Wick.

You can’t just assume that they are dead, down that road lies darkness. No, you must act as if they are alive and searching for you also. But you must also heed what is practical. You’ll do nobody any good right now if you simply run off and find yourself in trouble without any Wick. For while you place yourself the equal of any mundane threat you may encounter, this is Dis and its threats are anything but. What if you come across an imp? Or a pack of ghouls? Are ghouls allowed to roam free?
It wouldn’t surprise you at this point.

You need to trust that your companions are doing their best to survive and in doing so, clear your mind. You sit upon the floor between the broken bed and the wall, calming yourself as best you can and centring your will upon your Wick.

Many minutes pass and as your body rests, the flame within slowly seeps back to life.

>Roll a d6. The highest of the first three will be used to recharge your Wick and Spark.

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>1224279
>There's only one true sun, and that's the light of intelligence.
So that's why you're such a big fan of the sunless world.
>>1224292

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>1224292

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>1224292

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>1224292

>>1224265
First of all it's called characterization, second of all it's been major plot points that Dis can and has tucked over everyone else to stay comfortable as the best city ever. It also been shown, repeatedly that witches are sociopathic narcissistic assholes who kill people for fun and power. You obviously have not read the fucking quest.

>>1224279
Witches are not people. Even if they were it'd be killing serial murderers who want to kill you. Pay attention fuckstick. Or leave since you can't look at things from any perspective but your own.

>4

Wick: 4/10
Spark: 4/8

Almost an hour later, you open your eyes to find yourself both relaxed and empowered. The fire that runs through you is dim but it is there. The world outside has quietened as well, the hubbub of the path below having lessened to what you assume is just normal levels.

You rise to your feet and immediately discover that while your energy may have returned, the pain certainly hasn’t lessened. That’s going to need bed rest. Oof.

You are still tottering around making sure you have everything you need when you hear someone knock on the door.
“Hello? Who’s in there?”
The tone of the voice indicates a young woman.


>Out the window!

>Hide.

>Stay where you are and explain that you fell in the recent incident. Apologize if you must.

>Get ready to attack.

>Other

>>1224375
>>Out the window!

Okay we seriously need to find Abe and Bea

>>1224340
You're making Beatrice sad, anon. She's bled enough without all that edge to cut herself on.

>>1224375
>>Stay where you are and explain that you fell in the recent incident. Apologize if you must.

We need to keep a low profile.

>>1224375
>Stay where you are and explain that you fell in the recent incident. Apologize if you must.
But
>Be ready to attack or defend if need be.

>>1224375

>Out the window!
That woman is either a heathen or an imp, and we are still missing our companions

>>1224385
Beatrice is one of very few exceptions and it took her years to not be a total witch. Even then she relapses easily. It's not edgy when witches literally kil entire town to make meat pupet ghouls to kill more people.

>>1224385
Beatrice is a weird case of an actual reformed witch and not just thats been ''reformed'

Rolled 6 (1d6)

Okay, it looks like we have our first tie of the new year! Evens for window, odds for talking it out.

>Out the window!

You slam the window back open and immediately start to squeeze through it, the edges of the window grating against your armour. You have no need to speak with anyone right now, particularly not a woman who is probably either some sort of heathen or imp.

There is however, something else you have yet again failed to take into account. You are very hurt and the pain can make even you hesitate.
Your boot slips on the window-sill…

>Fall back inside.

>Take the ten-foot drop down onto the bridge.

>Grab hold of the neighboring window ledge.

>Other

>>1224528
>>Fall back inside.

Sorry about short and slow posts today by the way, it's been somewhat of a sick day.

>>1224528
>Grab hold of the neighboring window ledge.

>>1224528
>>Fall back inside.

okay looks like we're going to meet our first resident

>>1224528
>Fall back inside.
time to hold out hope that the other brothers already have some sort of underground cult here.

>Fall back inside.

Rather than risk the drop onto the bridge you decide to just accept it and to fall back into the bedroom. You barely feel it, rolling to your feet immediately to turn and face the newcomer. Only to then immediately avert your gaze the moment you realise what she is wearing.

The woman is red-haired and quite tall and as far as you can tell is wearing nothing but a short gown that ends mid-thigh and displays an indecent neckline. You stare at the wall above her shoulder as she jumps.
“Who are you?”

Wait, how are you going to explain this? Do you just say that you fell down from the explosion and were too dazed to move until now? You suppose, even if it is a little suspicious. You can’t afford to tarry here.
“I f-”

“And why are you wearing all that?”
The girl stops, her hands over her mouth.
“Are you the special customer? Is that why you’re all dressed up like that, to hide your shape? I-I’m sorry, I thought you got our notice. I wasn’t here because of the rail explosion, I had to go hide and…”

You’re not entirely listening. Customer? But what finance would a man have in a woman’s bedroom? And then it slowly all clicks together. Oh. Of course. You shouldn’t be surprised that such places exist in Dis, they were plenty enough in the rest of the world before the sun fell too, though you’d never visited one. You have fallen into a house of sin!

The whore is still talking.
“So we had to cancel the appointment! And uh...I’ve been talking to the matron...and I don’t know if I want to go through with this anymore in general? Please forgive me!”
She cowers away for a moment as if she’s afraid you’ll strike her.
“Don’t get me wrong, the payment was good. Very good. But it’d lay me up for nine months and and I don’t know if I’m ready. For...that. I’m sure one of the other girls will accept it though!”

Just as it had moments before, thoughts slowly click together in your head. A special customer who would pay a whore a great deal of money specifically for something that lasts months and months. A customer who’d want to wear cloaks and armour to ‘hide their shape’.

Your helmet hides your disgust. This isn’t just a whorehouse. This is an imp breeding farm. You want to vomit.


>Straight back out the window.

>Explain that no, you simply fell during the explosion.

>Swallow your pride and pose as her customer, demand to be escorted from the premises.

>Rescue this whore from her life of sin.

>A willing collaborator needs no rescue. Punish her.

>Other

>>1224779
>>Explain that no, you simply fell during the explosion.
>leave

>>1224791
Seconding.

>>1224779
>Straight back out the window.
less tracks more fining our companions

>>1224779
>Other
Render her unconscious if possible, otherwise
>Straight back out the window.

We don't want to raise attention to ourselves, and killing or otherwise interfering with this operation for the time being could send their forces against us, while we are weak. They may have already put out a notice or warrant against us, so telling her where we came from or who we are may compromise us as well.

>>1224340
> It's called characterization

That's a poor excuse for voting to be just as bad as Dis. What are you, an American Democrat?


> I can be as shitty as I want so long as I'm not as bad as THAT guy

Hey, at least Orion's Ex tried to save him. That's more than he ever tried to do for ANYONE.

>>1224397
Beatrice hasn't relapsed at all though? Name one time. Oh, wait, you mean pointing out when Orion and the Church have been evil?

>>1224779
>Explain that no, you simply fell during the explosion.

>>1224810
>>1224779

> Add that you're worried about friends that might have been hurt during the explosion.

Maybe start disassociating ourselves from that little atrocity. We can hopefully blame it somewhat on the Imp chasing us?

That we should have shot outright last time IMO.

>>1224838
>That's a poor excuse for voting to be just as bad as Dis. What are you, an American Democrat?

No it's a man being angry. Angry people make mistakes. We owned up to it later anon.


>Hey, at least Orion's Ex tried to save him.
After she murdered everyone he knew and loved and betrayed him, nearly killing him in the process by being sloppy.

>That's more than he ever tried to do for ANYONE.
Patently untrue, he tried to save the town the imp fucked, He saved Bea's life from her getting burninated, and routinely puts his life on the line for others. The fact you ignore that means you're either a troll or a retard.

>Beatrice hasn't relapsed at all though? Name one time.
I meant more about her behavior and her utter and stunning lack of empathy. Which is a witch hallmark due to their massive narcissism and megalomania.

>Oh, wait, you mean pointing out when Orion and the Church have been evil?
Durr hurr hurr, I'll believe the information from a totally biased source that hates the things I dislike, and ignore the reverse. Are you an American Democrat? Cause it sure sounds like it.

>>1224779
>Explain that no, you simply fell during the explosion.
>Ask if she knows where they're taking the injured. You're well enough to walk, but some help would be nice.

>Explain that no, you simply fell during the explosion.

You decide to cut her off, the depravity of this situation already far too much for you to stand.
“No. I fell here during the explosion. My apologies.”
Apologizing to a whore might be a new low but to be frank, you just want out of this situation as quickly as possible.

“Oh. Oh!”
She looks up at the hole in the roof, something she had apparently missed this entire time. Meanwhile you keep your gaze fixed on the wall behind her rather than having to look at her. It’s one thing to stare right into a witch-sign where other Lamplighters would balk, it’s another thing entirely to be confronted with such a flagrant display of immodesty. You hope all of Dis isn’t going to be like this.

“So why are you still here?,” she asks. “That was hours ago!”

“I’m leaving just now.”

“Wait. What about my room?”

You gently but firmly push her out of the way. She yelps.
“I have friends involved who I must also tend to. Forgive me.”

You step out the doorway and into a semi-circular room containing several doors, all no doubt leading to equally sinful boudoirs. But how did you get launched down here but the rest of these room’s ceilings are undamaged? There must have been something higher up in the tower that soaked most of the blow.
But that’s something to wonder for a different time as you locate a corridor and start to stumble down it.

You don’t fall down the stairs to what appears to be some kind of waiting room, a small wooden balcony currently empty save for a nervous looking man in a pale suit sitting on one of the couches. He looks at you emerge, a cloaked figure in armour and covered in dust and he swallows.
“So uh...is that good?”

You ignore him and whatever pathetic story lead his life to this point. You need to get out of here.

“Excuse me? Excuse me!”
An older woman runs out of a side-office, two large men flanking her. She’s not dressed like a whore so by process of elimination and what very little you know of such places, you assume her to be the madam. Peddler of flesh!
“Just what do you think you’re doing? Explain yourself or I will-”

“I was just leaving. Do not worry.”


>Leave.

>Actually, maybe you should ask her if anyone has seen anyone who resembles either of your companions. Beatrice at the very least has an unforgettable face.

>Instruct her that what she is doing is a sin.

>Tell her that you are an explosion survivor and then ask her if she knows anything about what happened.

>Punish her for selling girls to imps.

>Other

>>1224913
>>Instruct her that what she is doing is a sin.
while we
>Leave.

it'll fall on deaf ears, regardless, needs to be said.

>>1224913

>Actually, maybe you should ask her if anyone has seen anyone who resembles either of your companions. Beatrice at the very least has an unforgettable face.

>>1224913
>Leave.
>Instruct her that what she is doing is a sin.
Tell her off while we leave, we dont know if the buncers are imps in a flesh suit

I'll probably finish up today's session for now because I'm struggling to keep my eyes open. I need an hour or two to snooze before I go to work. This vote will remain open for now until I update after I get home later tonight.
I hope you all had fun!

>>1224853
>Durr hurr hurr, I'll believe the information from a totally biased source that hates the things I dislike, and ignore the reverse.

Sorry, we ARE talking about the Church in game here, yes? The one shown to be hypocritical at best and outright wrong frequently by multiple in-game sources, from the wax saint to Sleeper the War Crimes train, to Beatrice, to Orion's own experiences?

>>1224913

>Tell her that you are an explosion survivor and then ask her if she knows anything about what happened.

Go for sympathy. Ask if anyone else was hurt and hope that things are okay. You know, try to not display

> utter and stunning lack of empathy. Which is a witch hallmark due to their massive narcissism and megalomania.

Like people have voted for Orion in the past.

>>1224791
Thirding

This woman knows what is going on, and despite being a wanton slattern who has bred with an imp, she had the strength of will to turn what she believes to be another imp down. Not only that, she chose to do so after her madame, who likely legally owns her or something similar, has already received payment.

Girl is probably the closest thing we are going to find to a someone with their heart in the right place besides Beatrice and Abe, we could definitely use someone that knows the area, even if we gotta keep some secrets.

>>1224913
>Leave
>Instruct her what she is doing is a sin

If she tries to stop us with her men, burn her alive for selling women to imps.

Here me out, this may be a little drastic, but in character I am not sure how far Orions patience and ability to keep down his bile would hold.

Despite what the stupid edgelord in this thread who doesnt read the archives thinks, what she has done is viciously evil. She has an active hand in increasing the number of imps in the world which actively increases the number of witches and often results in them learning new witch signs faster as well as having a powerful ally when they first arise.

This woman could have been responsible for breeding an imp like the one that drew Beatrice to witchdom, or even Orion's ex-gf. Who knows how many cities have been destroyed or terrorised by the monsters she has serviced and created.

I feel like Orion would be looking for an excuse, but also be smart enough to hold back unless he had a damn good one. If we just flash true flame at her to scare her, they might report it, but if we burn her alive people might consider it to be more of a witchlike act or some kind of witchmagic and ignore it or not be on the lookout for a lamplighter.

>>1225062
>Sorry, we ARE talking about the Church in game here, yes?
Yes
>The one shown to be hypocritical at best and outright wrong frequently by multiple in-game sources,
Wrong
>from the wax saint
not part of the church proper, and has lost it, likely due to being a fire construct where fire is failing. Orion called her out remember?
>to Sleeper the War Crimes train,
Again not part of the fucking church, and was insane from being inactive too long and unable to fulfill it's function.
>to Beatrice
Who was a witch, got a good bit of her "knowledge" from a bunch of crude GOO who hate humans and fire, and had a less than stellar experience because WITCH. Which if you forgot are a combination or narcissistic sociopaths, GOO Cultists, and serial killers.

>to Orion's own experiences
The only bad experience with the church was when he got picked up to be a lamplighter, and even then compared to half the shit the gods of earth did it was incredibly minor. Yes it was a bad situation, but the fact you are shilling literally murderers over a mostly alright if slightly corrupt church is stupid.

>Like people have voted for Orion in the past.
Yeah, mostly when dealing with known Witches (who really do not deserve any mercy if you have read the shit they have pulled) or that ONE, ONE time he got pissed at the merc. Anger is not a lack of empathy, it's ANGER. Witches don't get angry, they just don't care about people at all, to them every single other person is chattel o do with as they will. Orion is nothing like that, and you're either a troll, stupid, deliberately ignoring all the times he's been kind and gentle despite cowardice or near heresy, or a combination of all three.
Leave the fucking quest. If playing an old beat up paladin of a dead god raging against the dying of the light is not to your tastes, then this premise is only going to piss you off.

>>1225116

Ay, if you want to play an Evil Quest that's fine. Did that in Snake Catcher and it was pretty fun.

Just, you know, don't be surprised when Ouro calls you on your shit later like what happened in SCQ.

>>1225128
>Ay, if you want to play an Evil Quest that's fine. Did that in Snake Catcher and it was pretty fun.
So you'd rather be a narcissistic sociopath murdering people for fun, to make more ghouls to gain more power?


Seriously troll leave.

>>1225116
FYI, I'm fine with being a "No mercy for the dark forces" kind of guy, but being excessively petty like >>1225105 wants us to be "Hurr durr, burn a woman alive for selling imps" while we're alone and fucked up in the middle of a city with no good reason to like us, while we have friends to find instead of randomly lashing out?

That shit's just fucking stupid.

I was fine with, for instance, killing that one bandit chick. Just not giving her to the fucking dark. The dark gets NOTHING from us.

I was also the one trying to point out that Beatrice isn't really "redeeming" herself by using gunpowder, she's just replacing one source of power with another.

> She comes in search of absolution that she will probably never find and she still seeks power and magic in the guise of forgiveness but she tries her best.

There's being firm in your faith, and then there's going full 40k.

In which case, we're no longer playing the good guy.

>>1225138
I'd rather not be a narcissistic sociopath murdering people for the tenents of a church built on misinformation because the third men were inferior to the second, or to be "le edgy roleplaying".

I have to believe you're the troll, since you seem to equate not being as Torquemada as possible to being in league with witches.

>>1224913
>>Leave.
Orion is just no good at talking to people

>>1225152
>I'd rather not be a narcissistic sociopath murdering people for the tenents of a church built on misinformation

It isn't?

>because the third men were inferior to the second
Not inferior, just different. Same as the second from the first. or first from the third. Each one has areas they excel in over the others.

>or to be "le edgy roleplaying".
So protecting people, saving them from being killed by ghouls, imps, witches and the like, who will do it for funsies is edgy? Alright then. Idiot.

>I have to believe you're the troll, since you seem to equate not being as Torquemada as possible to being in league with witches.

>Fire and the Sun are Evil, The world should go dark because the only flame men need is knowledge.

Yeah go tell that to little Timmy after his dad got his guts ripped out by an earth creature.

>>1225148
>I was fine with, for instance, killing that one bandit chick. Just not giving her to the fucking dark. The dark gets NOTHING from us.
and now you are shilling for the darkness because fire is totally evil hurr durr durr. That wasn;t fire's fault, it was a mortal man getting angry. I'm sorry that you can't play a flawed character for shit. Not every decision can be perfect all the fucking time.

>There's being firm in your faith, and then there's going full 40k.

Barring one time we got angry, we've been nothing but good and considerate to actual humans. Hell we've been soft on Bea given our backstory and the fact she is a witch frequent moral backslides.


You have advocated that the fire and sun must die, that we must learn from witches (which is how the second age ENDED) and that acting for the faith is a delusion and we are evil, despite the fact we've saved countless villages from the predations of the cruel creatures of the Earth. Barring Beatrice none of them have been friendly to humans. Not a one, and Bea is misanthropic as hell. Earth has proven is malignant and evil countless times in quest, but you choose to ignore that and take their side. So what if some of the lore was re-written to fit dogma better? It's not like the Fallen gods haven't made shit up about their enemy too. So what if the ancient and FAILING constructs of fire are not working properly? They're DYING and MACHINES, machines fail when they die. WE got angry ONCE, and you're calling for the death of humanity because it's evil. You're a bloody fucking idiot and should drop this quest, or reread it and ponder why you're even reading it in the first place.

>>1225201
So, you are excluding the humans in Dis as being, well, human?

Haha okay. They're pretty much the only ones that are going to be left.

> Fire and The Sun are evil

Well, The Sun as in "The God" seemed to be not exactly objectively good, although they were definitely "Good" for SOME of the population.

As for Fire, there's the green fire that doesn't scorch people not beholden to one specific god. That seems alright.

And hey, you can't blame your shit on "It's just roleplaying" when doing excessively evil things.

What, you're going to justify abandoning his friends and mission to satisfy your urge to burn some random woman as "just roleplaying"?

You ever hear someone actually die?

https://www.liveleak.com/view?i=969_1263249923

Give that a listen.

>>1225201
>WE got angry ONCE,

Actually I'd also like to point out that we've gotten angry several times. Usually beating Beatrice into submission when she asks questions about our faith or our religion that we can't answer without admitting to having done evil shit.

Like, when we can't win with words we use our fists.

File: ohheavens.jpg (17 KB, 236x354)

17 KB JPG

Alright I'm very slowly waking up again and what the hell have you lads been doing?

>>1225271
Arguing morality mostly.

>>1225230
>So, you are excluding the humans in Dis as being, well, human?
If they are willingly damning the rest of world and everyone in it to a horrible painful death just prove their city is the best? Yeah they don't count. The innocents who know no better can be spared, and I don't see the point in burning them. But it remains to be seen if there are actually any.

>Haha okay. They're pretty much the only ones that are going to be left.
Our quest is in part trying to fix that, by restoring the sun.

>although they were definitely "Good" for SOME of the population.

>some
Most actually barring witches and those the witches held power over. So mostly Dis and whatever lone witches lurked and went around killing people.

>As for Fire, there's the green fire that doesn't scorch people not beholden to one specific god.
First of all no one has touched it, so can you be sure it doesn't scorch?
>That seems alright.
Seemed, and it is tainted by witch craft, which means there is a cost to it somewhere. It's in part what Bea wanted to do, and we know nothing about it at all, except the creatures of the earth are not driven off by it. Not exactly great for normal humans then is it?

>And hey, you can't blame your shit on "It's just roleplaying" when doing excessively evil things.
What have we done, besides that one act where we got pissed, and then later made right, done? Oh wait, nothing. Because you are full of shit.

>What, you're going to justify abandoning his friends and mission
No one except one guy wanted to do that.

>to satisfy your urge to burn some random woman as "just roleplaying"?
See above, one person is not indicative of the body entire, and frankly your strawman is fucking weak. So what if ONE fucktard wants to be ooc? No one else backed it.


>>1225255
Or, maybe, juuuuuuust maybe, she's being a bitch (which she is good at) and the reason we don't counter with words is because she's speaking bullshit and knows it? We've beaten her maybe once and that was doing the whole calling our god an abomination bit, from the enemy's point of view. Of COURSE fire is an abomination to earth. She's looking at it like a witch while we approach it as a human. Too fundamentally and diametrically opposed approaches that cannot meet. It'd be like trying to debate theology with an avowed and stubborn Atheist. There's no give on it at all. The other time have been glares or menacing looming, and given Orion's whole concept is tired, cranky paladin, that is his basic concept.

>>1225271
One guy, thinks all fire and the wheel god is evil and all humanity should die out so the witches can rule the world. Because apparently being human is a crime.

>>1225279
I think the Wheel God definitely wasn't objectively "Good". And that the humans in Dis aren't necessarily "Not human" and don't all deserve to die.

Hell, maybe even the Imps aren't all that bad when not being forced to extremes just to survive.

Don't put those words in my mouth.

I'm still down for putting a Sun back into the sky, but maybe not necessarily the one that was there before.

>>1225287
The sun kept the monster of earth surpressed and humanity from getting smashed by them. It is good for humans.

The humans in Dis are still human, but if they willingly and wantonly helps the darkness kill and fuck over the rest of the world? They are evil. And should be treated as such.

As for imps, did you forget that the one soul broke an entire town just because he could? They hate fire and humanity. They are assholes. So I doubt they'll ever be alright.

The fact you keep bashing the very things that kept humanity alive for those that fucked it over is indicative of one of four things.
1. You have not read the quest closely. You have so it cannot be this.
2. You lack the ability to read between lines
3. You're trolling.
4. You are anti religious and using this quest as a soapbox.

Regardless you're making it clear between straw manning, fabrication or facts and ignoring one you don't like, that this quest is not for you.

>>1225304
"Monsters"

> The fact you keep bashing the very things that kept humanity alive for those that fucked it over is indicative of one of four things.
>1. You have not read the quest closely. You have so it cannot be this.
>2. You lack the ability to read between lines
>3. You're trolling.
>4. You are anti religious and using this quest as a soapbox.

I see you've never played in one of Ouro's quests before. Moral ambiguity is kind of the name of the game.

If YOU had read the quest, you would know that

A) Orion is already "tainted" with knowledge of Witch Signs by virtue of being a witch hunter.

B) We've USED witchcraft such as using dirt to determine where witches are, and the knuckle bone dice we have.

C) The whole Wheel God religion has been pointed out to have been an invention of the third men and a corruption of the truth, whatever it may be, discovered by the second men.

You keep trying to rephrase what I say to make your own strawman and it's getting tiresome.

There are no objectively "right" or "wrong" sides in this quest, but our actions still can be.

> One imp soul broke an entire town under instructions from a witch

Once again I see you're ignoring the part where Imps can't force anyone to do anything. And for the record, I voted for killing that imp every time instead of trying to negotiate. Fuck that guy.

But are all imps terrible? We've only met the one.

>>1225304
It's telling that you keep trying to deflect from talking about the quest to trying to accuse me of shit, and trying to tell me what my own motivations are, and trying to tell me to "just leave".

>>1225315
I haven't had time to thoroughly read everything, but I kinda agree that you're apologizing way too much for witches and underdenizens.

Imps have been denied pretty much everything they want, and witches get some real bad treatment. That doesn't exactly excuse all the shit they pull and feel zero remorse about. When megalomaniacs and puppets manipulated by whispers are the norm, Beatrice doesn't stand as an example that witches aren't bad. It just shows how big her "I got my conscience back" moment was as a person.

So yes, we should still get some semblance of sun back.

>>1225313
Monsters in that they wish to kill humans off yes.

A) yes, I know, but he can't draw power from them without eating dirt and being a witch himself. Witch magic is memetic, so any lamplighter who has fought one would be tainted the same way. Orion due to his training simply understands it better than his peers.
Regardless this doesn't make him a witch, nor does it make him evil. Nor a hypocrite because he doesn't use them.


B) it's explicitly not witchcraft. If it was we couldn't use fire, period, end of story. I mean normal fire not this green shit. We still can, so it's not witchcraft.


C).Hiven the fact they had to pass down advanced knowledge through an apocalypse over millennia degradation will happen. You calling all fire evil and saying the world should go dark is retarded.

We've met and read up on other imps before. Even Bea noted the imp who helped her was a dick. There is no reason to assume they are good.


>>1225315
I'm telling you that because you reject the quest' core premise, make rampant hyperbole, allege that one person's stupidity is indicative of s groups, and generally insult players and everything else in the quest. You're being a blatant apologist for everything that would try to rip Orion in two. If you hate the quest premise and Mc that much you should stop shitposting and leave. Better for those of us who enjoy the quest and less stress for you, who apparently hates it.

>>1225327
I'm not saying their actions are completely excusable, but they can be understandable.

It also seems like a lot of the bad shit with witches happens because of a) the traumatic circumstances of their creation, and b) the conflict between them and the Wheel God religion. But note that Witches can still feel, like how Orions GF wanted to save him still even though she was committed to destroying all the people who hurt her.

They aren't wholesale killing humanity, but they are taking over. And from their point of view, the humans that refuse to change are acceptable losses. They aren't just killing them outright but are accepting surrenders.

And since the Wheel God religion seems to have a "Kill them all, don't bother sorting them out" view on THEM, it's kind of understandable.

Especially with our hints about how the second men were much more lax with it and the third men were created as a response to that, literally hobbling mankind to keep it from questioning the Wheel God or being less than 100% hostile to underthings.

Then you have Dis, where people seem to be living and not necessarily experiencing undue suffering despite the presence of witches and imps etc. In fact, given that women can show their knees and not be burned at the stake, there could be arguments made that Dis is better for people in general although it might allow for less savory things to occur.

IDK man, we haven't really interacted enough with the people of Dis. I personally would like to have the chance at least, though.

We definitely need some sort of sun back though. This whole "dark world" thing is kind of shitty. Gotta save even the terrible people, because everyone is kind of terrible in their own way.

Please note that I still voted for executing the Bandits in the past, just not to be excessively cruel about it. They weren't even witches or people from Dis, but they sure as hell were criminals who had done evil.

I also voted for shooting Impface McFucker at the station and killing his last life. Screw it if that pissed off other imps/people, that guy in particular has it coming.

>>1225337
>Monsters in that they wish to kill humans off yes.

despite the evidence of them living beside humans here in Dis, and willing to accept the surrender of other towns.

> Regardless this doesn't make him a witch, nor does it make him evil. Nor a hypocrite because he doesn't use them.

It not making him evil is counter to your previous arguments. Him using witchcraft, while espousing all witchcraft is inherently evil, is hypocritical. Once again, IN THE QUEST, it was pointed out that Witchhunters are seen with suspicion from the church because of this very fact and some factions believe they ARE corrupt.

B) Splitting hairs again.

C) I once again never said all Fire was evil, or that civilization should go dark. The Wheel God/Sun specifically I said "wasn't Objectively good".

I don't hate the quest. Once again I straight out said I enjoyed it. I can enjoy things even while I don't personally like the MC. A lot of that is also, as someone else pointed out, because people sometimes vote to have him be Lawful Stupid instead of good or consistent.

The MC doesn't HAVE to be pleasant. Check out the Flashman novels for a good example of an unpleasant "anti-hero". A phrase people seem to have forgotten doesn't necessarily mean "edgy fucktard" but instead can mean "morally flawed protagonist".

>>1225359
>The MC doesn't HAVE to be pleasant. Check out the Flashman novels for a good example of an unpleasant "anti-hero". A phrase people seem to have forgotten doesn't necessarily mean "edgy fucktard" but instead can mean "morally flawed protagonist".
but we haven't been that edgy? I think you're pulling too far into the "gotta be nice to everyone" side.

>>1225397
It's bounced back and forth. There have been some edgy times, though, for sure.

Usually smacking Beatrice without even bothering to explain. After asking her to open up about things.

I'm not saying we even have to be nice, but blending into the city or making it look like we aren't responsible for blowing up a train in the middle of it could be an idea.

I mean. I'm not even arguing that we should get along with everyone or stop trying to bring back the sun. Or even work with witches.

Just maybe hey, we could focus on getting the job done and allowing a little bit of heresy on the way if that helps us complete our ACTUAL objective.

I did get sidetracked a little talking about the morality of the setting and whatnot.

But keep in mind, Orion is a Witch hunter. Allowing SOME leeway with Heresy (such as knowing witch signs etc.) is part of his job and character background, so long as it lets us get the important jobs done.

And personally, I'm saying that if it comes down to killing witches or saving people we should choose option B.

>>1225397
Actually since the break there's already been a lot less edge.

Before there would have been a bunch of "Let the witch fall because she's a witch" instead of the FULL HERO we've been going this time around.

>Ouro finally returns
>Now we suddenly have to deal with an obnoxious faggot player constantly posting stupid shit
Life is suffering

>>1224913
>Tell her that you are an explosion survivor and then ask her if she knows anything about what happened.
>If she asks what were we doing the few hours since the explosion respond that we were unconscious.
>DON'T instruct her that what she is doing is a sin.or do something else to attract attention. We'll get to that once the Sun is up again.

>>1225105
I agree with this

>>1225450
I would prefer if you all just shut the fuck up and only posted to vote.

God knows your write ins only make things worse.

Shut the fuck up and vote or roll you faggot.

>>1225167
>>1224913

This please. Orion no talk good.

>>1225359
They still corrupt towns and kill people for fun.
Next Orion does not use witchcraft or witch sign. Just because you know the ritual to summon Satan doesn't mean you actually try to summon him.

>B) Splitting hairs again.
I give you legitimate logic, something that by the metrics of Ouro's world and his WoG is true, and you discount it because it doesn't fit your narrative.

>>C)
>>1223943
>>1223892
>>1224145
>>1224224
>>1224230
>>1224265
>>1224385
>>1224838


You're lying.


>>1225359
>The MC doesn't HAVE to be pleasant. Check out the Flashman novels for a good example of an unpleasant "anti-hero".


Flashman is a lot worse than Orion. You just straight up ignore and discard any of Orion's positive attributes, like saving a town that hated him because it was the right thing to do, or holding his weapon back and discerning the truth of that strange human lady who lived by the fallen star. Or the fact he repeatedly puts his body on the line for his companions. Noooooooooo because he got angry once, and because one player is being edgy in one write in you think he's a edgelord that wants to burn everyone to death.

>>1225359
Reminder witches cannot use true fire AT ALL. We can. We do not use witch sign or witchcraft. Also remember witch sign is memetic, you see it once clearly and it get burned into you head. Rolling the knucklebones is borderline, but not something only a witch does. Remember that human lady who survived jackass imp? Yeah, she did it too and wasn't a witch. You saying Orion uses witchcraft which relies on witchsign is false. Yes, we know a few and what they do, that's experience and training giving us an edge on fighting them. Yes we know a few crude techniques that MIGHT be mistaken for it to the uninitiated, but it's not witchcraft.

>>1225645
>>1225655
Jesup Christ you're just as bad as him at this point.

Shut.

The fuck.

Up.

Shitting up the whole thread with your yapping. I just hope the other guys doesn't respond.

Vote. Or roll. Aside from that shut the fuck up.

File: sleep.jpg (110 KB, 577x515)

110 KB JPG

Bad news, am way too tired after work to write anything legible. Next session will be in nine and a half hours or so or whenever I wake up, whichever comes later.

>>1225663
Get your rest. TTYL!

>>1225663
Thanks for the head's up. Get some rest snekman.

Orion is over 50 years old and has spent over 30 years traveling across the world, witnessing a countless number of blasphemies, mass murder, monsters and witches who kill and destroy without remorse. He killed them all on sight, trying to right the wrongs wrought upon the people and not until Bea did he meet a witch he even attempted to communicate with- and all she ever does is reinforce his belief that witches are fundamentally twisted and utterly beyond redemption.

He's seen and dealt with every evil imaginable in this world and now he is in the mythical city where people have the fucking audacity to _live alongside the psychopaths and demons who are destroying the rest of the world_, and you sit there and want him to have a change of heart? Ridiculous.

It doesn't matter that his faith and ideology is flawed; He lived before the end of the world and knows what it is he is attempting to bring back. The world with the sun was infinitely better for humans than this age of darkness, he doesn't need his faith to give him conviction and to know the righteousness of his actions.

Orion is a brash, no-nonsense man of action because he needs to be, he has a mission and a means to do it, and he will see it through and settle for nothing less.

If you cannot put yourself in the shoes of a man who was thrust from paradise into a never-ending hell and understand how this has shaped how he perceives the world and his enemies, and how it dictates his actions, I'm not sure why you are here. You're using meta knowledge and your player POV to rewrite the brain of an old man who is literally at the end of the line and that's bullshit.