>>2845136
As the goblin rotted, the power you had sucked from the other minions and even your creator bled from you, just as it had bled from them. Your edge dulled, your blade rusted, and even your corrupting influence waned. But your resolve was tempered. You realized that wanton murder was not your purpose, no, you would not be a weapon wielded to kill. You would wield those that held you, and you would wield the best. You would corrupt a king, and swing legions as your swords. But you would blood to get there.

Finally, you hear a party clattering drunkenly towards you. A few goblins, the first movement you've detected in years, stumbled past you. One of them kicked the bones of your last holder, "Oi, look at this sod, he's been lost a while" the smallest goblin of the lot cackled, before noticing you near the bones. "He dropped something too," he stooped. As he held the cold steel, you reached for his feeble mind, and he griped the handle tighter.

"What's that, 'ouve got there?" a larger goblin questioned, stepping closer.

"It's mine!" Your holder snapped suddenly, weak mind already beginning to rust.

"Yeah? What'd you find? Lemme see it." The larger goblin insisted, curious.

>He going to take your dagger, they all will. KILL THEM!
>No. The dagger is yours, you found it. Let none other touch it.
>Let him see the dagger, it is his right.
>Give him the dagger, he is your better and will have your blood

>>2845137
>Let him see the dagger, it is his right.

>>2845137
>Let him see the dagger, it is his right.

>>2845137
>Give him the dagger, he is your better and will have your blood

>>2845137
>Give him the dagger, he is your better and will have your blood

>>2845137
>Let him see the dagger, it is his right.

>>2845153
>>2845155
>>2845186
Writing

>>2845153
>>2845155
>>2845186

The small goblin looks feebly at the outstretched hand of the larger one. He clutches the dagger close for a few moments, before handing it over resignedly. The new holder inspects it closely. It is long and slender, somewhat rusted and a bit dull, but well balanced and in terms of goblin weapons, sharper than most. The goblin grins widely and tucks the dagger neatly in his threadbare belt. He then restarts the march back to the goblin clan, with a renewed swiftness. The original finder begins to voice a protest, but bites it quickly, and instead lags behind the procession.

Upon making it back to the small village, the large goblin finds and reports to the chieftain in his tent, the largest of the small enclosures. "We found a bit of copper, a few wrought iron ingots, a small bushel of tasty mushrooms, and this pile of rags for fire," he lists as he spills the ragged sack he had been carrying across the table the chieftain sat at. The couple of young goblin servants in the tent shrink back from the table, afraid of seeming too eager to take any of the booty.

"Small haul for a long search," the chieftain mused, casually inspecting the loot.

"I should look under sky, I'll find a lot more with corpses of humans" The goblin sniffs, hand resting comfortably on his new weapon.

Inevitably, the chieftain's eyes fall the dagger. "What's that? Didn't take it with you."

The goblin shifts suddenly, "Uh, just a rusted dagger, not worth much but I'm keep it."

The chieftains eyes narrow. It appeared this was not custom, and any weapon was of good value to the beleaguered village. "No matter. Stay ready, you not be resting for long." The chieftain dismisses the thug with a short wave and gestures for a few servants to take away the haul.

You must get into the hands of the goblin chieftain, one way or another, and regardless of which putrid creature that ends up being. You whisper into the mind of your thug, you must grant him power and he must grant you blood.

>You must go under the sky, kill the humans and bring their loot here.
>Gold glitters in the darkness of the caves, you must go deeper and find it.
>The village has too many weaklings, fight all and make each prove their worth or die
>Gather your friends, you will need them beside you wherever you go.
>The chieftain is weak, challenge him and take his throne.
>The chieftain is unwary, strike from the shadows and prove your superiority.

>>2845255
>Gather your friends, you will need them beside you wherever you go.
No need to hurry, lets wait for now

>>2845255
>Gather your friends, you will need them beside you wherever you go.

>>2845255
>Gather your friends, you will need them beside you wherever you go.

>>2845278
>>2845281
>>2845298
Writing

>>2845278
>>2845281
>>2845298

With safety being in numbers, especially for such lowly creatures as goblins, you whisper to your holder that he should gather some numbers around him.

The next day, the goblin struts around the village before finding a largeish rock to scramble up and start shouting. "Listen you maggots! Gather about and hear me!" He draws his dagger and gestures with it into the air. "You are weak! You scatter like roach bitten rats at the first glint of fire or steel!" A few smaller goblins are starting to mill about below him. "Any one of you could be torn in half by a human child, or crushed to pulp under a pony. A crow could carry you off, and a brook would sweep you along." Even the chieftain now is leaning on a nearby rotted log with raised eyebrows. "Alone each of you are vermin! But together, you are a swarm. Three of you could pierce the armor of a knight, and seven could overturn a warhorse. Come together, behind me, and we can take on the sky!" Most of the crowd had dispersed, but eight of goblins stand close to the rock, and as the big goblin slides off his rock, they surround him begging to be led into battle. The goblin pays no heed and strides right through the throng up to the chieftain, who claps a few times sarcastically.

"Point made. Fine, take your lackeys where you will, bring back what you can and you get first spoils."

The goblin grins toothily, and begins his stride, "Gather your weapons! Were going under the sky."

You groan internally at your charge's ambition, but your corruption powers are limited, and all you can do is make the most of it.

After a long day's march, the goblin party emerges into the afternoon sun, shading their eyes with their tiny decrepit shields. The large goblin climbs a small tree and surveys the nearby landscape.

>Descend upon the farmland, hit their barns hard and take the unguarded food back to the clan.
>Surround the small smithy outside the village, you can kill the smith and take the weapons underground.
>Find the hunting cabin, kill the hunters, and take their bows, daggers, and quarry.
>Invade the town, take on the humans directly, and reap the gold from the shops, the food from the stores, and the weapons from the fallen.
>Set an ambush along the road, raid the first caravan that passes, it will be guarded but it will be a rolling hoard.

>>2845416

With safety being in numbers, especially for such lowly creatures as goblins, you whisper to your holder that he should gather some numbers around him.

The next day, the goblin struts around the village before finding a largeish rock to scramble up and start shouting. "Listen you maggots! Gather about and hear me!" He draws his dagger and gestures with it into the air. "You are weak! You scatter like roach bitten rats at the first glint of fire or steel!" A few smaller goblins are starting to mill about below him. "Any one of you could be torn in half by a human child, or crushed to pulp under a pony. A crow could carry you off, and a brook would sweep you along." Even the chieftain now is leaning on a nearby rotted log with raised eyebrows. "Alone each of you are vermin! But together, you are a swarm. Three of you could pierce the armor of a knight, and seven could overturn a warhorse. Come together, behind me, and we can take on the sky!" Most of the crowd had dispersed, but eight of goblins stand close to the rock, and as the big goblin slides off his rock, they surround him begging to be led into battle. The goblin pays no heed and strides right through the throng up to the chieftain, who claps a few times sarcastically.

"Point made. Fine, take your lackeys where you will, bring back what you can and you get first spoils."

The goblin grins toothily, and begins his stride, "Gather your weapons! Were going under the sky."

You groan internally at your charge's ambition, but your corruption powers are limited, and all you can do is make the most of it.

After a long day's march, the goblin party emerges into the afternoon sun, shading their eyes with their tiny decrepit shields. The large goblin climbs a small tree and surveys the nearby landscape.

>Descend upon the farmland, hit their barns hard and take the unguarded food back to the clan.
>Surround the small smithy outside the village, you can kill the smith and take the weapons underground.
>Find the hunting cabin, kill the hunters, and take their bows, daggers, and quarry.
>Invade the town, take on the humans directly, and reap the gold from the shops, the food from the stores, and the weapons from the fallen.
>Set an ambush along the road, raid the first caravan that passes, it will be guarded but it will be a rolling hoard.

Corrected formatting

>>2845423
>Invade the town, take on the humans directly, and reap the gold from the shops, the food from the stores, and the weapons from the fallen.

>>2845423
>>Descend upon the farmland, hit their barns hard and take the unguarded food back to the clan.

>>2845431
Support

>>2845431
>>2845553
Writing

>>2845827

Coming out under the sky was risk enough, best to hit the humans where they're soft.

The large goblin descends from his tree having made his decision "Who's hungry? We're taking back food from the farm!"

Sticking to the forest, the party approaches the barn, getting as close to it as possible before drawing any attention. As they near the edge of the tree line they ready a charge, with no humans in sight. They run at the barn, and while they raise no battle cry, they could by no stretch of the imagination be called stealthy. They burst through the barn door, surprising the few farmers therein. The large goblin led the charge, sinking his dagger straight into the heart of the strongest looking farmer before he could even bring his club to bear. The goblin watches life drain from behind the human's eyes as the blood pulses past the dagger and the other goblins cut down the other farmers with minimal losses.

The goblin turns now to looting the barn and getting out of there before any human reinforcements could arrive. "Get that bag of oats, you three, slaughter that horse, you two, all the goats" he barks, pointing at the various food items. "You three, with me. Quietly!" He scampers out of the barn with fellows in tow, towards a smokehouse he had noted. He makes a sign to his followers, reiterating the need for silence, and opened the door, peering down the stairs into the smoke cellar. One young human stands there with his back turned, preparing some meats for smoking. Motioning his followers to stay, the goblin stalked down the stairs and stabbed the human through the throat, pulling his blade out quickly, and the human fell, choking on blood. The goblin lifts a sausage from the table the human had been standing over, now splashed with blood, and grins as the human watches him eat it in his last moments of life.

>>2845937
Cont.

Suddenly, he's toppled over and rolling on the ground. Taking a moment, he realizes what hit him, it was the smaller goblin he had taken his dagger from, it had become a sunken craven creature, with gaunt face and dark eyes, it looks as if it hasn't eaten in many days, and it was going for his knife. Despite the creature's strength born of desperation for the object of its obsession, the larger goblin managed to wrest it off, and impale him mightily through the chest. Standing and stepping back, he's quite surprised to see the creature stand again, one hand vainly attempting to stem the blood flowing from the wound, and the other outstretched for the dagger. With one mighty swing, the wretched goblin's head rolls, and the decapitated body lies with the human.

Gooooood.

Gathering up all they can carry, the other two goblins return to the barn and the largest leads them back to the mouth of the cave, carring along all the food they can handle. One goblin even had the wherewithal to take a cart, and is carrying even more food. No other spoils wre claimed, but this was bounty great enough.

After the march back, there was a great feast in the party's honor, and the large goblin was hailed as a hero. As they slept stuffed with horse and goat and grain, power balances began to shift.

It's time to take over the place, all that need be decided is how.

>Have the large goblin challenge the chieftain and kill him.
>Have the large goblin assassinate the chieftain and fill the power vacuum.
>Have the large goblin challenge the chieftain and fail him so he is killed by the chieftain, and move on to the chieftain.

>>2845940
>Have the large goblin challenge the chieftain and kill him.

Who ever wins is stronger, and better for us

>>2845940
>Have the large goblin challenge the chieftain and kill him.

>>2846002
>>2846023

It's time to play kingmaker

Several days later, the large goblin quietly gathers his remaining followers and strides into the chieftain's tent. "Your weakness has become clear," he says, pointing at the chieftain with his dagger, "step down, or I will take you down."

The chieftain weighed the non-choice for a few moments, it was quite obvious that he knew that stepping down would only result in having a knife in his back before sleep time, and it was equally obvious he had hoped the expidition to the surface would have ended in the death of the whole party, if not just its leader. "Fine. Take me down." He stood.

The large goblin struck instantly, vaulting the table and stabbing for the heart, the was dodged and a couter attack by a previously concealed shank drew blood from the outstretched arm. The fight quickly moves out of the tent with the chieftain ducking under the canvas and taking a few moments the run inorder to gain some distance. The fight went on with the chieftain retreating and landing small counters against the large goblins reckless deep attacks. As the large goblin lost blood, he began to slow, panting. Eventually there was a moment for each to breath with several feet between them. The chieftain began to speak, "There's still time for you to-"

Throw me, NOW!

The large goblin in a burst of effort, flung the dagger clumsily, and it flew unexpectedly into the heart of the heart of the chieftain, inturrupting his proposal for surrender. He looked down in complete surprise at the hilt projecting from his chest, and began to reach for it slowly with his remaining strength. "No! That's Mine!" The large goblin shouted, stepping forward to reclaim his weapon, drawing it swiftly, and the blood flowing from the chieftains heart accelerated.

And with that, we have a new chieftain.

>>2846385
Cont.

As the food from the raid was dwindling, the new chieftain was beginning to plan another, larger, bolder raid on the humans. Not only food but weapons and gold would be claimed this time. He was in his tent when the scout returned, breathless. He stood panting on the threshold, trying to report some thing, when suddenly he sprouted a short stick with a small piece of iron on the end. He fell forward, revealing the rest of the arrow, and a long way back, the hunter that had put it there. The hunter was flanked by two more, both with bows drawn, and behind them was a small line of knights. The two other hunters loosed their arrows on lone goblins, and the hunters fell back to allow the knight a clear charge. With a sudden irrepressible burst of anger, the chieftain took up his dagger, and charged the charging line. His rotting brain seethed that these humans would dare to come to his lair, that they would challenge his authority, that would attempt to claim his sword. He lunged for the nearest knight, getting inside the range of his large unwieldy weapon, and, beggaring belief, pierced the man's chest-plate, sinking his dagger into the knights heart, to the hilt.

Excellent

>>2846390
Cont.

The rest of the knights recoiled in shock and horror, the illusions of invincibility shattered instantly by watching their comrade fall. The goblin stood triumphant atop the corpse of him, grinning wickedly, hand resting on the pommel of his weapon. He tugged at it. It remained.

I'm done with you. Enjoy your fate.

The goblin's grin dropped, replaced instantly with insane terror, that he was defenseless, and that his most prized possession was kept from him, that it had abandoned him. The knights horror was exchanged for rage, and they descended upon the miserable creature, still tugging at its dagger.

The entire goblin camp was exterminated. A few were able to flee deeper into the caves, but they would be killed by the caves soon enough. Almost all were put to the sword. The camp was then burned, the rotten excuses for food and shelter turned to black acrid smoke. The humans took exactly one loss. A friend of his approached his body, lying on his back outside the camp. He knelt beside him, giving a brief prayer for before he was disturbed, and looked at him. He lay there, a small amount of blood coming out of his pierced plate, most pooled within. His helm was down, concealing his face. The man lifted off the helm and closed the corpse's eyes. He then turned his attention to the dagger protruding from him. He, with considerable effort, peeled the fingers of the goblin hand still gripping the handle open, the goblins arm torn from the shoulder when he was struck skyward by a warhammer. He then wrested the dagger from the corpse's chest. It was much easier than he had imagined, given that the goblin with enough strength to drive it through the plate had struggled with it. He stood, and went to report.

"Sir Aethen, Cyne was struck down by one of the vermin."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Martin, I know he was you bunkmate."

"And Friend"

"Naturally, you trained together. How was he killed? Surely he did not get separated as to be swarmed?"

"No sir, it was but one of them, ran right at our line in the initial charge. With one lunge sunk this right through his heart, straight through his chest-plate." He held up the dagger for his commander to see.

"Odd that such a crude weapon would pierce, especially in the hands of such lowly creatures, may I take a closer look?"

>NO, the dagger killed your friend, it is yours BY RIGHT!
>You want nothing to do with that dagger, BE RID OF IT!

>>2846396
>You want nothing to do with that dagger, BE RID OF IT!

>>2846647

I'm Tired of lackeys, hand me over.

Martin hesitated for a moment before thrusting the dagger towards Sir Aethen, who, though startled, took it and examined it closer. It'd didn't look like much, rusted in places and not particularly sharp, but he reasoned that it was of decent quality, given that it had pierced the chest-plate of one of his men and had no apparent wear for it. He noticed as he finished examining it that he was gripping it unusually tightly, and despite noticing, did not stop. He gave it another cursory look over, as if justifying to himself as to why he was still holding it, then tucked it in his belt without a second thought, as if it had been his own all along. None challenged him doing so of course, Martin had already hurried away to tend to his fallen comrade, and everyone else had their duties.

After the destruction of the camp was complete and Cyne had been loaded on a cart to be transported home, the party began it's ascent back to the surface, it would be a long walk in the dark, and it was likely to be well pat nightfall before they saw the sky again, so they wanted to make good time.

"Good, good, he will do.

For now."

>>2846680
I like how it's treated just kinda forgotten about till someone snaps

>>2846680

Alright guys, That's the end of this session, thanks for all of your participation, this has been the first quest I've run that did well at all and I can't wait to keep this story going.

I've created a twitter for this quest specifically, you can follow it @zigiml I'll post when the next session will be, probably sometime next week.

Thank you all.

>>2846687
That's a lot of the point, the whole time its there, rusting at your mind, and not until there's a stressor does something weakened break, just like regular rust. Also Saonast hasn't had much time to actually rust anyone yet, look forward to more interesting wielder/weapon interactions in the next one.

>>2846689
Well scratch the twitter account, it got flagged as a bot or something. Looking into alternatives, although I know twitter would be the easiest I'd be fine with using Gab.ai or Minds I just know that those aren't as popular

>>2846704
I went ahead and created a gab.ai account you can follow for notifications, @ZigimlThakad let me know if there are other avenues for this, I will take them into consideration.

>>2846715
I normally steer clear of quest with less than five parts under their belts but that was a pretty good read. Ill keep my ear and this tab open for updates.

>>2846983
So you never join new quests?

>>2846993
That is implied quite heavily anon.

>>2847045
Yeah, but that seems pretty fucking stupid.
How could you not want to be part of critical decisions?

>>2847053
How many quests have you seen die? 20? 40? 100?

Ive been around since Frost Giantess Quest first started running, and I have seen thousands of quests start and die, plenty of which I cared about. It is without a doubt, 100% not worth your time to follow or post in a quest without 5 or more parts unless you are entirely okay with closing the tab and never looking at it again.

The breakout quest is rare anon. Dont give yourself unnecessary heartbreak. Unless you want to collect campaign seeds, in which case quests are great.

TLDR 'critical decisions' only exist in your head, and the quest you think you have influence on today will in fact drop dead tommorow with 99% certainty.

>>2847062
Is that a challenge?

>>2846983
In any case, thanks for the kind words, this thread is probably going to be archived pretty soon, so if you want a tab that will definitely keep you posted on this quest, bookmark https://gab.ai/ZigimlThakad I'll be putting all time sensitive Saonast information there.