It is a minor miracle that that stinger doesn't land a hit on your unprotected body and pump a dose of nasty black poison into it. Whether it is instinct, luck, or just simply not knowing how to fight at all, you manage to flinch in your charge and slow down just enough for the attack to almost miss.

Almost miss being the key detail.

The sharp end of the Wyvern's tail catches on a fraying piece of rapidly decaying clothing and pulls it away. Your clothing is a False Relic, a thing that persisted in Avalon for a brief while before revealing its temporary nature and disappearing. And apparently, a single rip is enough to dissipate it completely.

You are now standing before your vassals and the enemy, completely naked. A cold wind blows, and every part of your body feels it.

"No.... No... NOOOO!!!" You scream, desperately trying to cover your private parts.

The Baphomets clearly misunderstand the true source of despair. In fact, the gaggle of goat men believes you are injured and swarms to interpose their bodies as an obstacle between you and the Wyvern.

"Protect Her Majesty!"
"MEEP MEEP MEEP!"
"Are you injured? Someone call the Doctor!"
"Form up! Form up!"

The only thing that's injured is your pride!

You can now use 'Let No Insult Pass' against the Wyvern

"I am not hurt! Get back into formation!" You shout, but it's too late.

Because the Baphomets are so focused on protecting you, the encirclement containing the Wyvern is weakened. The gaps are wide, and the wyrm senses the opportunity to escape. It takes full advantage, charges through a particularly weak section, and bulldozes its way through by pushing aside the hapless goat men in the way.

Damned serpent of the nine Hells, do ye believe that a mere beast can escape my wrath!?!

Fury burns away whatever embarrassment you feel about your state of nakedness. The Baphomets aren't even aware of it!

You run after the Wyvern, barefooted and naked as a baby. The Baphomets scamper after you with loud meeps and yees in their wake.

The Wyvern cannot escape! You won't allow it the pleasure of humiliating you like this!

Yet escape it has.

It is heading straight towards the garden containing many stone arches. Does it intend to enter a Gate? A flash of light pierces the darkness, and your fears are answered. The damn thing has escaped through a twisted metal arch of greenish brass and disappears.

"HUZZAH! It's gone!"
"What a terrible night."
"Oh poor goats, eaten by a Wyvern."
"Tis a small price to pay. It can't take more of us."

The Baphomets seem satisfied with chasing it away and slow their pursuit.

What will you do?

>write in...

>>5987732
>We cannot let this insult pass! Gather a guide and a cohort of volunteers to come with us to pursue the beast! It has rendered us naked and eaten two of our goats, it must pay with its life (and mana)! Let our seneschal handle the casualties and damage in the aftermath of the attack, and have him get some clothes for us.

>>5987732
>Let No Insult Pass
Don't let that thing escape. Purse it immediately and fight like a true Avalonian (nude).

>>5987732
Pursue

>>5987871
+1

>>5987871
+1

>>5988035
>>5987945
>>5987917
>>5987871
>>5987840
Going Wyvern hunting !

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Ugly feelings twitch and bristle within you as the goat men grimly proclaim satisfaction that the crisis has passed adequately. The enemy chased off, and though it killed two of their comrades, it was a job well done, in their opinion.

It satisfies your black rage naught.

"I'll be damned if I let that thing glut itself without properly settling the score. Summon a guide! I call upon willing spears to hunt with me. Damned worm. I'll chase it round the islands of Avalon, round the lands of the hateful World and round perdition's flames before I give him up!" Your shout shatters the night and puts an end to the lackwit twittering of the Baphomets.

"Your Majesty, please! The enemy is gone and cannot return. There's no reason---" Hanbei weakly attempts to protest, but you silence him with a sharp glare.

"Bring me clothing and take care of things Hanbei."

Your servants know better than to get in the way of a King on the warpath. They rush about to do their duties and follow the efficient orders of the Seneschal. The injured are attended to, servants sent out to find clothing and so forth. All the while, you are standing in the courtyard of the Castle in the nude and waiting. You hope that there's some stitch of clothing left in the Castle.

You watch as small groups of certain Baphomets go about preparing and debating with each other quietly. Certain groups are clearly coworkers, but others are more mysterious in composition. The group of five Yatagarasu gravitates to and organizes with are clearly all guides. When these particular five start sorting out and packing a kit for a guide, it becomes clearer through their actions that Yatagarasu won't be joining your hunting expedition.

To your surprise, the guide that steps forth is a very fat Baphomet. The stout goat man is as wide as he is tall, as though he ate two of his fellows and then started chewing a third one because he was still hungry. His fellow goats are all svelte and sinewy, so the fat guide stands out all the more.

"Huff, at your service, Your Majesty! The Brass Gate is my area of exploration." The guide trundles along slowly and shoulders a hastily assembled pack put together by his comrade guides.

"And three spears are at your service. The Longship Meeps won't forgive the taking of our own!" A trio of hardy Baphomets step forth. They are of a different attitude from the majority of goat men and have an indefinable quality to them that you can't quite grasp. Then you realize what it is: these were vassals used to violence and combat, and they have a poised bearing to them.

>>5989012

"One of your own? So that Wyvern ate him. Let's go and kill it."

There's no room for the meek and reluctant on this hunt. You don't want them. It's surprising that a Faction has sent members to the Castle as guards; you were under the impression that the vast majority prefer to keep their section of Camelot.

As you think about it, a servant comes running towards you with something in his hands. At first, you thought it was your clothing, but you quickly see that it isn't.

It's...

>A vibrant red cloak trimmed with white fur...
>A silvery cloak with a hood....
>A black cloak with gold thread embroidery...
>A deep blue cloak with white snakes decorating it...
>A pure white cloak with a green tree embroidered on the back....

>>5989014
>>A vibrant red cloak trimmed with white fur...
Just a cloak? Nothing else?

>>5989014
>A silvery cloak with a hood....

All the better to hide our shame. It wouldn't do to let people see our blushing face as we run about the isles and the world naked.

Plus we can be all chuuni and edgemax with our hood, all mysterious-like.

It was this or the red one for me, I do love vibrant colours.

>>5989014
>A black cloak with gold thread embroidery...
Black and gold is a fucking CLASSIC, anons. Absolutely stylish villainwear.

>>5989014
>A pure white cloak with a green tree embroidered on the back....
If we're going commando we should pick something that matches the skin

>>5989014
>>A deep blue cloak with white snakes decorating it...

>Literally every single option gets a single vote
Is this a joke? Are we in a clown world? What is happening?

At least no one can accuse us of being a hivemind right now. Only the most individualist taste for the discerning anon.

>>5989073
I mean...you could also argue the opposite would provide a nice contrast.

>>5989091
>>5989024
>>5989029
>>5989040
>>5989073
>>5989076
The real question is which of these are closest to real life Kuroda colors?

>>5989014
>A black cloak with gold thread embroidery...
Proper villain look

>>5989014
>A black cloak with gold thread embroidery
Villain drip

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>>5989131
Depends on the Samurai lord. Kuroda Kanbei's armor is... well...I'm not a fan.The bright red tea cup helmet always make me thing it doesn't suit the mempo face guard mask.

Kuroda Nagamasa went for black with a silver helmet mount thingy.

>>5989210
OK thank you for the info
You know, somebody vaguely Japanese running an interesting setting quest on here... it takes me back to STANDO QUEST from many years ago...

>>5989014
>A black cloak with gold thread embroidery

>>5989014
>A vibrant red cloak trimmed with white fur...

>>5989014
>A black cloak with gold thread embroidery...

>>5989024
>>5989029
>>5989040
>>5989073
>>5989076
>>5989138
>>5989153
>>5989220
>>5989617
>>5989638
Looks like we go for black and gold drip.
I'm surprised the sartorial choice attracted so much attention.

Admittedly, each cloak has a unique power.

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"Meep, Your Majesty. I am sad to report that almost every piece of clothing you possess proved to be a False Relic. There are some things left behind by the other Kings, so we broke open some chests, searched, and searched.... AND FOUND THIS!" The servant dramatically flourishes a long piece of black cloth so that it billows in the air.

It is a beautiful black cloak; the tint shimmers even in the fire light. It reminds you of the oily black plumage of a crow, with hints of blue, purple, and green flashing depending on the angle the light hits. The hues of black are subtly shifting before your eyes as it undulates in the air and settles downward to the ground.

A cloak of this color, full of grace and sumptuousness, is one heck of a fashion statement. Yet somehow, it manages to be even more impressive. The striking tenebrous tint is paired with a thick band of gold embroidery running along the collar and center hem. The black emphasizes the brightness of the gold; you reach out to touch it and find that the threads are made of metal.

Is it real gold?

You take up the cloak and put it on your shoulders. It is lighter than you expected, and the length goes all the way down to your knees. You are grateful that it is long enough to cover up your nakedness, though it must look silly to have the cloth terminate above bare knees and bare feet. There's no fastener, but fortunately, the servant has brought a cloak pin made of pure gold. It is a circular brooch covered with a stunning swirling pattern of interlocking bands.

This has got to be the most luxurious piece of clothing and jewelry you've ever worn in your life. There is gold and gold and gold, wedded to the most voluptuous black color you've ever seen.

What was Sen no Rikyu's obsession with the color black again? Black is the color that remains after all excess is removed, or so he claimed. In your opinion, adding gold elevates black to a realm of fashionableness you never knew could exist.

"Which King stashed this treasure away?" You can't believe that someone would hide such an astonishing thing in a chest and not wear it.

"Ser Rodomonte, I believe. He liked the color black," is the answer you get back from Hanbei.

You make a face. Of course, an edge-lord murderhobo would like the color black. You don't have much choice; it's either wear the cloak or go completely naked. With a sigh of resignation, it is time to begin your hunt.

"This is the Brother Brass Gate goes into the World. It is fixed to always open in an abandoned location with no one around. Better yet, the Gate will remain in that location for a week before shifting to another! It's a unique feature and always reliable. Huff. There shall be no witness to create excess Backlash. I have Talking Stones, one-time use. I'll hand one to the vanguard who crosses the threshold; they can report back what they see on the other side. The Wyvern might be lurking about right at the entrance."

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>>5989859
The guide explains as two plain rocks pop into existence in his hand. They are small, round stones; they look completely normal.

"I'll go in first; someone lend me a shield!" You're curious to use the Talking Stones but one of the spear-wielding Baphomets protests. He is a well-scarred goat man with numerous marks of combat over his body.

"Nay, nay. Tis not a good idea for the strongest to risk an ambush. I'll go in first with the shield and Talking Stone to make sure the damn Wyvern be not lingering about at the Gate. Me shipmate will go unavenged if the most puissant dies."

"Hard to argue against a volunteer. All right then, go in first."

The scarred Baphomet enters the Gate without hesitation. The familiar flash of light briefly blinds you as the goat man disappears. Your group huddles over the stone in the hand of the guide and waits. Ten long seconds pass before you hear the voice of the brave warrior emitting itself from the Talking Stone.

"The deck is clear. No wyrm hangs about."

Then the Talking Stone splits in half as easily as a dirt ball. So the Talking Stones are a magical one-time walkie-talkie. No hesitation now. Your group steps boldly through the Gate under the watchful, apprehensive eyes of the other Baphomets. The light blinds for a second as you take a step forward and through.

The familiar stinging of the transfer washes over you but it is not painful. A clear sign that wherever you are going is not witnessed by anyone.

Your advancing bare foot splashes into ankle deep cold water before resting on an equally cold stone. The familiar night sky of Earth is above, with a familiar moon shining down. In the silvery moonlight, you see a grand abandoned estate. It is startling to see the size of the house looming above and the area you are in. You can't possibly be anywhere near Tokyo; a house this gigantic and derelict would have long since been demolished and built over. The place is not silent, but it is silent. There's no sound of birds, insects, or anything human, but the place 'breathes' in an unnatural manner.

You are not alone in this place. Goosebumps rise on your arm, and it is not from the cold wetness soaking your tender bare feet.

"Huff, I'll hold the light." The fat guide takes out from his voluminous pack an old look oil lantern and lights it. A feeble amount of luminescence creates a circle around your group.

"Meep, water everywhere but we aren't on a ship. Fortuna's fickle affection. So, what's the plan?" The three spear wielding Baphomets turn to you for orders.

Hm, where did that Wyvern go? You injured its wings very badly, so it can't fly any time soon.

"Try to find the tracks of the thing. Also, what happens if the Wyvern lingers too long in Japan?" You ask as the Baphomets look downwards to find out where the Wyvern has gone off to.

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>>5989860
"If we are lucky? The World will destroy the invader in a few days since it cannot find a way back to Avalon. Worst case, it does find a Gate and return." The guide moves his lantern close to the ground to look for some trace of the monster.

"Wait, what happens if some person finds the damn thing before that happens?!" You don't like the first part of the answer from the guide at all.

"Then that mortal shuffles off into the gullet of the beast alongside our shipmate," one of the hardened Baphomets answers.

"Are you to tell me that monsters from Avalon attack and kill people regularly?" You try not sound disturbed by the realization. This hunt has taken on greater urgency than you expected. It should not startle you overly much to learn that Avalon's deadly creatures can spill into the World, after all your classmates riding the train spilled over into Avalon and got attacked. You should have realized that it is entirely possible.

"There are Gates everywhere in Avalon and some lead to the World. It's not as if anyone here realizes one or two blighters disappearing into the ether. The World 'corrects' itself and fills in any holes created by the missing mortal. Hundreds could be dying each night and not one would notice." Another of the Longship Meep callously shrugs.

"Ah ha! Tracks of the beast. Damnation, it leads straight into the manor," with a spear in hand, one of the warriors points downwards to the muddy impression of claw tracks. Your eye traces the path of the tracks as it goes straight into the open doors of the abandoned house.

What will you do now?

>Burn down the house, no need to go in.... (this will attract attention)
>Enter the abandoned house as a group, it's time to go hunting...
>Explore the surrounding area, maybe you can find something useful...
>Split the group up and enter the house to cover more ground...
>write in

>>5989863
>Enter the abandoned house as a group, it's time to go hunting...

The wyvern's death (and mana?) come first. We have to pay back the insult that was dealt to us as a matter of priority. Saving lives comes in as a close second. Even without burning down the house, we may be on the clock, the magical girls may sense the beast somehow. Relics will have to wait.

>>5989863
>Enter the abandoned house as a group, it's time to go hunting...

killing the wyvern for mana sounds interesting, but i wonder if we could capture and tame the damned thing. feels like a more fitting end instead of granting it the mercy of death

>>5989863
>Freeze the expanse of water surrounding and inside the house. If it's on the first floor, the Wyvern will be trapped within the ice. If it's not, the lack of a reaction will tell you to search the second floor instead. Besides, having so much ice around will be a boon to you in combat.
Another benefit is that the ice will melt after a few days at most. If nobody comes across the ice in that time, it's like it never happened at all. Should be less attention-drawing from the world than a house burning, since that's more permanent.

>>5989863
>>Enter the abandoned house as a group, it's time to go hunting...

>>5989863
>>Enter the abandoned house as a group, it's time to go hunting...

>>5989863
I'll switch to supporting >>5989917

It's a good idea.

>>5989881
Come to think of it, regardless of whether we kill or capture it, we'll have to drag it back to Avalon for the mana either way. I don't think we paused to pick up our mana reaping sickle, what with the rush to defend our home and pursue the beastie. Should be worth a lot of mana though, natives of Avalon are supposed to be chunky.

>>5989863
>>5989917
>support

>>5989917
+1

>>5990042
>>5989983
>>5989957
>>5989931
>>5989928
>>5989917
>>5989881
>>5989875
You choose a very ambitious course of action that Haruka can't pull off at her level of expertise. I'll let her do something a little more practical as she's hunting

>>5990395
I figured we'd be able to manage it because we had the option of creating a big boulder of ice in front of the gates of Camelot right after receiving our powers back in thread 1, thought the volume created would work out to be vaguely similar. We have plenty of water to work with after all, more than back then in the rain. Just gotta freeze it, or does it not work like that?

>>5990414
Create a boulder of ice? I guess my writing was bad, you happened to find a stone boulder and hid behind it. Otherwise, Argeste would have noticed an unnaturally large ice boulder outside the gates of Avalon....

Also, uh, you have to pray to Beira while making ice.

>>5990418
More specifically truly powerful ice effects require asking the Queen of Winter for assistance.
Minor effects like creating small chunks of ice or creating a limited slippery path of ice doesn't require it.
You'll get powerful enough not to constantly bother grandma winter.

>>5990418
>Otherwise, Argeste would have noticed an unnaturally large ice boulder outside the gates of Avalon....

Yes, I think that was the point of the prompt.

Oh well, I'm confident of victory either way.

Ran out of time, I will post tomorrow

Have just returned home. So I don't have time to post.
Also, I shall be absent from May 2 to May 7 due to a trip. So I will make a post detailing the hunt before it at least.

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The house before you is possibly the largest home you’ve ever seen. The main house is three floors tall and still in remarkably good shape despite the neglect. A lot of wealth must have been poured into acquiring the expertise of very skilled carpenters to build it, as you note the rarity of nails. Evidence suggests that complex wood joinery is used extensively throughout. There is a broad garden, now waterlogged, and covered wataridono corridors connecting the main house to two smaller buildings close by.

An imitation of a very old-fashioned manor. Only an eccentric homeowner would recreate a Heian-style home by putting other parts of the house into separate buildings.

This is very annoying because that means there is a lot of ground to cover. The damn Wyvern has the choice of hiding out on one of the three floors of the main building or perhaps crawling along the rooftops of the corridors to other buildings. If the house is older-style inside too, that also means the stairs will be extremely narrow and steep.

Frostbind is a spear, and your three armed Baphomets also have spears. In a tight indoor space, these weapons would be a detriment. You don’t bother counting the fat guide as a potential fighter; he’s too valuable to risk in front-line battle and, quite frankly, is not made for combat.

The goats remain silent, waiting patiently as you do the brainwork required to hunt down the enemy.

“Other than spears, what other weapons do you have?”

“I have an axe; my shipmates have hammers. If we really need to cut loose and fight, we can eat some Hjaldr mushrooms and go at it. But chowing down on them mushrooms means we see everything needs to get chopped up and killed, including you. Fatty here has his guide stick and probably other goodies if you make him cough it up.” The battle scarred Baphomet answers without hesitation.

“Huff, I am NOT fat! This is only an unfortunate, temporary condition! As for ‘goodies’, huff, I have two Tourney Stones, a Smoke Bomb, my Mana Reaper, and a ‘Peacemaker’ with one charge.”

You can easily guess what the Smoke Bomb will do, but a ‘Peacemaker’? What the hell is that?

“Let me see that ‘Peacemaker’,” you order the guide to bring it out, and he obliges by pulling it out of his pack.

The Peacemaker is a gun. An actual freakin’ gun. A revolver with a single silvery bullet.

“Where the hell did you get a gun!?” You blurt out in shock. It has to be a Relic, Avalon would have rejected it otherwise and let it fade away into nothing.

“I won it in a game of cards against Black Phillip. Huff. Are you opposed to powder weapons because they go against Chivalry, Your Majesty? Lord Mordred wasn’t too enthused,” the guide is absolutely sincere and not sarcastic in his response.

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>>5992031
"Chivalry? Why would I care about that? The true way of the warrior is to loyally achieve victory for your Daim---, I mean, King. If guns are effective against all enemies, then I would move heaven and earth to arm all of Camelot with them."

It is a simple declaration of truth. Rodomonte must be of the same mindset since he went on a Quest to Florida to rob someone of his gun collection. The fat guide has a very powerful weapon.

"Tis unfortunate, but powder weapons are not useful against all enemies. And, alas, I only have one silver bullet left. But fear not! I trained diligently on Time Crisis II while wandering the World, I shall surely hit my enemy this time!" The guide boasts and poses with the revolver, his finger on the trigger. Your confidence in the guide's ability to aim plummets to rock bottom and starts digging downward. A powerful weapon means very little if the blow doesn't connect.

Your cohort of Baphomets switches to weapons more appropriate for close combat while you experiment with shortening the haft of Frostbind. Varying the length of the haft is easier than expected, but the best part of a spear is how it keeps the enemy as far away from you as possible. What you have now is a Frostbind that's like a weird sword with a slightly longer handle.

Then again, why should you enter the ruined manor and hunt the damn monster room by room? You cut down on the search time and keep yourself safe by freezing the first floor with ice! If that Wyvern is still on the ground floor, it'll be trapped. If not, then it's on the higher floors.

"Before we go in, I want to try something first." You announce and begin concentrating. The air around you changes, and you can smell it. That strange, subtle scent of winter in the wind, the first hint of fresh snow about to fall.

"Beira, oh Beira, hear me. Old and wise, mighty and proud, sovereign of the darkest season! My enemy spited me, affronted me, injured me. I go to return the bitter favor with hateful blows. Let the Wyvern not scape; create for me an icy prison to pinion the foul wyrm."

Where do the words of prayer come from? They don't feel like your words at all. Never in your life have you prayed to this foreign Kami until you became King Lot. Yet you know the sweetest words to appeal to the old veiled Dame.

And the divine Cailleach answers... partially.

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>>5992032

The area you are trying to freeze is simply far too large; there's too much water, and you aren't powerful enough to fulfill your ambition to freeze the first floor. Instead, ice crawls slowly around the house in a rough circle and then tries to advance inward but the strain of covering so much area is too much. Dizziness and nausea threaten, so you let your concentration go. Frost and ice might have penetrated the outer reaches of the house, but the inner sections must be completely untouched. White ice tendrils crawl on the windows of what surviving glass exists on the first floor.

"It seems we'll have to do things the hard way," you sigh with disappointment.

"Aye, a shame. Oh well, let's go gut that wyrm so we can return to our Eilean nan Gobhar." The axe wielding Baphomet commiserates with you.

It is time to hunt!

When you get past the entrance and inside...

>You step on something nasty...
>There's a loud creaking noise above you....
>Something dashes away into the darkened hallway....
>You hear unnerving whispers...
>The inside of the house is simply wrong....
>The guide immediately fires his Peacemaker at something...
>One of the hammer wielding Baphomets smells something...

>>5992034
>You hear unnerving whispers...

>>5992034
Guess we didn't go with the practical option, but I'm thankful to discover our current limits.

>You hear unnerving whispers...

Oh no...

>>5992034
>>One of the hammer wielding Baphomets smells something...

>>5992034
>You hear unnerving whispers...

Huh?

>>5992068
+1

I'm off on my trip so I won't be posting soon... but I guess everyone really like J-Horror stuff.

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>>5992034
>You hear unnerving whispers...
bet its gonna be ghosts

>>5992034
>>You hear unnerving whispers...

>>5992046
>>5992068
>>5992150
>>5992155
>>5992343
>>5992374
>>5992996
I hath returned!
So let's see if I can write out a post tonight.

>>5997349
Welcome back! I await the horror.

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Your bare feet are tender and soft things. A lifetime cocooned in socks and sturdy shoes has done nothing to harden them. The moment you step through the threshold and onto debris-lined floors, you immediately feel it. It is like stepping onto a floor with thousands of Lego pieces scattered about. It is a testament to the depths of your grudge and anger against the Wyvern that this is not enough to stymie your icy determination to kill the damn thing.

You'd step barefoot into Hell itself if necessary.

The abandoned manor has dust everywhere. At one point, the owner or heirs of the property attempted to box up belongings to remove but gave up midway. A hammer-wielding Baphomet pokes a slightly frozen cardboard box, causing it to spill out the items inside it. Clothing, books, and some dishes; the abandoned detritus of a family who no longer residing here.

The Wyvern has gone this way: shoji paper doors shoved aside, a trail of deep scratches and gouges on the floor, and tatami mats tell the tale. Your group follows the trail grimly and with tense anticipation. Painted shoji doors block line of sight; it is necessary to move them aside and unblock the view of wasted, ruined rooms.

Each and every one of them shows signs of sudden abandonment. One room has a table with a teacup; the liquid has long since evaporated from it and left behind a stain ringing the white porcelain. There are books lying scattered on the ground in another room, with an ashtray overflowing with cigarette butts nearby. The kitchen has black, shriveled vegetables laying on the chopping board next to a rusty, chipped knife. The corridors connecting the rooms are numerous and interminable.

There are so many rooms.

Too many rooms.

"Stop, stop! Huff. It's not because I need a break, you hear... But... There's something wrong. I've been counting our steps the moment we entered this manor. A thousand trots we've done. Why haven't we reached the back?"

What you had suspected has been spoken aloud by another.

"The Wyvern is a blind, dumb beast that relies on sound to find its prey. Meep. It is incapable of trapping us in endless rooms. Something is afoot. AND I DON'T LIKE IT!" With a swift slash of his axe, the Baphomet leader angrily knocks down another shoji paper door to reveal a long corridor that seemed to stretch out to infinity. It is so long that your eyes cannot perceive the end of it.

"Look upward," a colorless sentence from the guide tears out from his reluctant throat.

Upwards, your eyes go up to look. At first, in the pale light of the lamp, you do not understand what you are trying to see. The ceiling panels are made of very old wood that somehow avoided rotting despite the abundance of moisture everywhere. There are brownish smears and shapes on them. The years have reduced them to something akin to watermarks. As your eyes track the strange slashings and spatters of brown, you eventually lock on to what looks like a footprint.

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>>5999127
"Tis old dried blood staining the wood..." One of the warriors pronounces gravely.

"Aye, and lots of it. The entire length of the ceiling has them." Another points to a series of wooden ceiling panels down the hallway.

"There are weapon marks nicking the wood too." The final battle hardened Baphomet announces his discovery.

"A chitenjo worthy of Genkoan," you mutter. The dark story of the siege of Fushimi Castle comes to the forefront of your mind. The tale of two thousand samurai holding out against an army of forty thousand for eleven days and then the entire castle garrison committing suicide at the very end. Their blood streaming over wood floorboards and staining them for centuries to come.

That's when you realize something. The strange sounds within the house are not wind blowing through or wood shifting; it is something else.

"Quiet, and listen." You order your group.

Your group strains their ears and listens; the place is alive, for lack of a better term. Rooms weep, wood groans, paper sighs, metal screeches. There are moments when the house steals a sobbing intake of breath and then unfetters a panting, ragged exhalation of a quiet something.

You can only designate the sound of it as a scream.

One long, silent scream.

Relentless.

Eternal.

Unnatural.

Words!

Your ears don't quite understand, but the lacerated shapes of the sound are most definitely words. What sort of horror have you walked into!?

"I hear, 'let me out'." A terrified, weak voice interrupts your concentration.

It takes all your nerve not to jump in surprise at the sudden sound of your guide's voice. The fat goat man looks pale and is shaking in terror, eyes wide, and frantically looking around for an exit. The three battle-hardened warriors look only mildly spooked and irritated.

"Meep. Me shipmates can hack and bash at fleshy things. Meep. Ghostly horrors require different equipment." Gripping his axe tighter, the leader of the three grimly eyes the hallway leading further into the house.

You sigh. "I've watched enough horror movies to know that retracing our steps back to get out is pointless. I am open to hearing what you think is actually going on."

You hate this situation. Why are you suffering through a real-life version of the movie Ju-On?

"Huff. The Brother Brass Gate is paired with the Sister Brass Gate. So the Sister must have allowed a terrible thing into the World."

Great, so there are TWO fucking things that need killing! Those things might even be working together to kill the Baphomets and you. Of course, if you are lucky, maybe the Wyvern will eat the other damn monster.

>three anons roll 2d6 each!

Rolled 6, 2 = 8 (2d6)

>>5999129

Rolled 6, 6 = 12 (2d6)

>>5999129

Rolled 2, 4 = 6 (2d6)

>>5999129

>>5999137
>>5999157
>>5999183
3 successes!

>>5999280
Succeed against one threat, fail against the other?

Returned home late. Post tomorrow

>>5999316
More like, what can you hear with the sounds.

>>6000089
I had hoped to post tonight, but worked late again. Tomorrow the weekend, so I'll do it then.

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Recommended sound track if you want an idea of the atmosphere of the house.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md0FLVpdPnw

You set your face into a grim look of determination because the Baphomets are watching. Even though inwardly you cringe at the eerie sounds haunting this place, but the vassals don't need to know that! The only bright side to the unnerving situation is that somewhere there's an unearthly monster you can kill to end this nightmare.

A monster that relies on frightening prey rather than fighting it out can't be too much of a challenge in direct combat.

Probably.

Actually, there's another unexpected positive aspect to the situation that just occurred to you.

"You mentioned that Wyvern hunts by sound, right? It must be going completely insane from all this noise." The idea warms the cockles of your cold, black heart. You smile and chuckle happily at this unexpected event, despite the grimness of your present situation.

You are joined by the three warriors, who meep with dark glee too. The guide, on the other hand...

"Huff. You're all mad! MAD!" The despairing guide is aghast at the company he is forced to keep for his survival.

There's no need to plunge ahead just yet into the unknown. You listen closely to the unnatural whispers and try to see if there's anything particularly unique about them other than being unnerving. Ironically, listening to the nonsense closely actually decreases your fear of it.

Also, you hear a distinctive clicking sound of talons somewhere down the hallway.

"I think I just heard our enemy. Let's go kill it, and then go kill the other thing keeping us trapped here," you announce. This brings a quiet cheer out from your vassals, and they get into formation to proceed down the hallway cautiously. The feeble light of the lamp doesn't extend too far ahead. The axe-wielding leader takes up the rear to keep an eye on the rear while you lead at the front with the two hammer-wielding goats just behind you to the left and right. The guide, with his precious lantern and Peacemaker in hand, is in the middle.

A sound of thumping is heard behind one of the thin paper doors. It must be the Wyvern!

Instantly, the warriors take their positions and wait to throw open the paper doors. You get ready to instantly attack once they do.

This is the moment of truth! You'll gut that damn thing personally and retrieve the bodies of your poor goats.

In an instant, the doors are thrown open to reveal a well-lit room. The light is startling and blinding, as it is unexpected. The room is also unnaturally beautiful and whole; not a single mote of dust or evidence of decay is evident in the entire place. After seeing the deteriorating state of dozens of rooms within this house, discovering a pristine one is disorienting. The smell of mildew is banished and replaced with the scent of sandalwood perfuming the air. The tatami mats are fresh and clean, with nary a piece of furniture in sight.

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>>6001982
It is not an empty room, though. Standing in the middle and looking utterly shocked by the sudden intrusion is a girl in armor. She looks about the same age as Sakura, and is therefore ridiculously young looking. She has beautiful green eyes and unruly hair style that desperately needed combing. She stares at you and your goat men, speechless. She is carrying something that looks like a spear but is more conically shaped. They call that weapon a lance, if you remember correctly.

"Why, it's Sir Gareth! Sir, oh Sir, returneth to Camelot with King Arthur!" The fat guide looks rapturous at finding a Knight of the Round Table and begins making nonsense prayers about the return of the Rightful King.

"Bwuh? Are you... WHOA! WHY ARE YOU NAKED?! I AM NOT LIKE GAWAIN!" Gareth shouts, utterly shocked. You are, after all, mostly naked. The cloak covers up a great deal of your body, but given that you are holding your spear at the ready, the cloak is drawn open and reveals the soft white skin of your breasts, stomach and hairy private parts.

Heat seeps into your face and turns it bright red with embarrassment. You can only really say one word in this situation.

"Nope!"

You slam the door shut, cutting short whatever else the magical girl is about to say. In the brief interval of time you are out of sight, you hurriedly arrange the cloak to hide your nakedness more fully before ordering the Baphomets to open the shoji door again. The rearrangement of the cloth takes only a second.

When the doors are thrown open again, Gareth is still standing in the room.

"Okay, now we can talk." You announce grandly.

In response, the Knight raises her strange lance at the ready. "So you're the one who trapped me here and won't let me out!"

"Do I look like I have that sort of power?"

"How should I know, you exhibitionist?"

It takes a great deal of willpower not to die of embarrassment. Running around the nude with just a cloak on was hard to get used to, but having a living human being see you in this state is mortifying to the extreme.

Of course, that feeling is surpassed by something else. This fat guide of yours. He looks starry-eyed and happy at finding Gareth. You can only assume that he is a member of the weird religious nuts. What were they called again? The Rightful King Society. You know that Baphomets can't disobey you without risking annihilation by Avalon, but it is nevertheless enraging to discover another vassal who wants you replaced so shamelessly.

"Meep, I can hear the Wyvern! It's heading straight for us!" One of the warriors shouts.

"Look, let's kill the monster first and then argue later!" You say and enter the room with your cohort of Baphomets. The hallway is dark and hard to fight in; the room, in contrast, is brightly lit and spacious. It makes sense to fight in it.

A True Heart "Magokokoro", bonus in one on one interaction with a hostile opponent. Auto succeed. Gareth accepts a truce.

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>>6001984
"Grrrr. Fine, we slay the Wyvern, and then I shall challenge you to a duel to leave this place!" The young Knight readies her lance.

What will you do?

>Order the guide to fire Peacemaker the moment the Wyvern becomes visible...
>Stand at the side of the door to ambush the Wyvern with your warriors as it enters...
>Ready an ice attack, pray to Beira for flying ice spears to skewer the wyrm...
>Retreat deeper into the room and lure the beast in, you don't want it to escape into the hallway easily...
>Stand with Gareth and coordinate your attack with hers...
>Write in....


Also, will you use Let No Insult Pass?

>Yes
>No

>>6001985
>Stand with Gareth

>No
Save the insult for Gareth, if necessary

>>6001985
>>Stand at the side of the door to ambush the Wyvern with your warriors as it enters...
>>No

>>6001985
>Stand at the side of the door to ambush the Wyvern with your warriors as it enters...

>No
There's no way to remain decent while fighting and moving, so we'll just have to accept that

>>6001985
>Stand with Gareth and coordinate your attack with hers...
>No

>>6001985
>Stand at the side of the door to ambush the Wyvern with your warriors as it enters...

Don't want to give our abilities away to a potential opponent.

>No

We have three potential threats to deal with, it is too early to use this when we are surrounded by allies.

>>6001985
>Stand at the side of the door to ambush the Wyvern with your warriors as it enters
Gareth's lance is a lot better to take the Wyvern head-on. We have an axe and a spear to go straight for the unarmored bits below and to the sides, plus 2 hammers to try breaking limbs or the wings.
>No
We're not letting the insult pass on Gareth. We are going for the Wyvern first because they insulted Haruka first, and that's why we are here.
Also despite the moment with her being kinda hot, I can imagine self-care would be a tough prospect in Avalon where non-relic Earth objects disintegrate. Vikings used to shave with their axes or something, right? I don't think something similar is any good here for our girl, as things are. Perhaps raiding a cosmetics store or a girl's school could be worthwhile?
Also I really like this quest being not only Arthurian magical girls, but having a survival aspect to it where we have to loot the real world to survive

>>6001982
>Shalebridge Cradle
my fucking knigger

>>6002009
>>6002226

stand with gareth

>>6002090
>>6002143
>>6002266
>>6002490
Ambush position at the sides

Also NO for our special ability triggering against the Wyvern

I shall not post tonight as I'm more tired than expected.

A fun thing to note. Because you're 'King Lot', there's going to be a lot of Viking, Picts, etc influence for our character instead of generic knight stuff. That's why there 'warrior' mushrooms, axes, spears and hammers (ie less metal usage due to scarcity), lots of snake/dragon motifs, use of Runes, etc.

>>6002795
>a lot of Viking, Picts, etc influence for our character instead of generic knight stuff
Extremely interesting setting and elements you're working with here
>Picts
Finally, I can post this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpWJv7alqQE
>'warrior' mushrooms
Reminds me of Hollow Knight
>less metal usage due to scarcity
And due to previous metals being looted or taken away by other rulers
>use of Runes
Will we get a magical girl that actually uses magic circles or makes them weird?

>>6002795
So pictish bodypaint to cover up her nudity then?

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Wyvern. Blind two-headed snake-like creature with a poisonous stinger. Dangerous in direct combat.

Unknown monster. Creepy, dimension-shifting thing trapping everyone in an abandoned house. Potentially not good at direct combat, it makes up for it with indirect effects.

Gareth. Knight of the Round Table. Assumed to be really good at combat and can actually be negotiated with, unlike that bitch Gawain.

You entered the World to chase down the Wyvern and avenge the deaths of two of your vassals, but ended up expanding the list of enemies to three. Yes, you do count Gareth as an enemy. After all, she's part of the group that left you behind in Avalon. It's hard to forgive that.

Having to face three enemies is terrible, but there's nothing that can be done about it. At least you don't have to deal with all three at once.

"All right, goats. Take ambush position by the doors. We'll attack the Wyvern's blind spot. I'll leave the frontal attack to you, Sir Gareth." You take easy tactical command of the situation and get into position. You take the right side and extend that haft of Frostbind for length along with your guide and one hammer wielding Baphomet. The left is taken by the leader with his axes and the other hammer wielding Baphomet who exchanges his weapon for a spear instead.

"Are you using me as bait? You should stand with me against the monster." The girl protests at the arrangement of forces and glares with suspicion.

"Are you serious? You have armor; I don't." For emphasis, you cause the cloak to flutter to hint at the unprotected, bare skin hidden underneath.

Whatever words are on the girl Knight's lips die a swift death, as it is hard to argue against the logic. A warrior should be brave, not suicidal. There's also no more time to argue; the sound of hard claws clicking and scratching wood is getting louder, accompanied by a frenzied hissing.

There is something off about the Wyvern. The creature is making noise. Back at Camelot, the thing didn't make any sound at all but hunted in the dark in near-complete silence. The constant, unnerving whispers reverberating throughout the house must be disorienting. You glance at the guide, who is shaking and twitching with fear.

You don't want to assume that the fat guide is a coward. After all, this Baphomet took up a very risky career as a guide and should be used to some sticky situations. He even accompanied Mordred as a guide. Could it be that the unknown monster trapping you here has some sort of power to induce fear?

"Here are bitter harms, so I call for arms. Wyrm of corruption and decay, I shall surely slay!" Gareth's chants distract your line of thought. A flash of soft light surrounds her as her armored body is reinforced with even more protective metal. Helmet, shield, cuirass, and more are added to complete the ensemble.

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>>6004161
Urgh, that's not fair. A slightly armored state and a fully armored state for the enemy Knight and she can switch between the two?

The Wyvern is very near now, hurrying to the open shoji doors. Light from the pristine room spills into the dusty, derelict hallway you left and emphasizes the gloom you left behind. One side bears the years of mundane degradation of time and neglect; the other side is unnaturally wholesome and clean. The dividing line between them is the sliding rail of the door, where split down the middle, you can clearly see aged grey wood in contrast with young bright wood.

Your hand tenses, the enemy is here!

Crafty attacker activated due to ambush position!


>Stab high! Roll 8d6!
>Stab low! Roll 8d6!
>Stab mid! Roll 8d6!
>Slash sideways! Roll 8d6!
>Slash horizontal! Roll 8d6!

>>6003808
Yup! Of course, our character Haruka is not going to be happy to discover she has tattoos. They're extremely frowned upon by Japanese. You get rejected from respectable establishments and most public baths in Japan if you have them.

>>6004170
Does that apply to women too?
Another thing on the list the world won't like i guess...
Especially if they move like magic tattoos often do in fiction.

>>6004170
Villain in a western way
Villain in an eastern way
No escaping either for our girl

>>6004164
...forgot to vote.
>Stab low

The Wyvern is usually almost hugging the ground right?
That means it has to protect a softer underbelly.

>>6004164
>Stab low! Roll 8d6!
Get em in the underbelly, and hope we don't pierce through too much and hurt the goat allies trapped inside

>>6004190
I think the taboo is even greater for women if they have tattoos in Japan. Or at least the shock from most Japanese would be extremely large.
The vast majority of people with tattoos are men. Typically yakuza, delinquents, or weirdo artist types or people who do not fit in to Japanese society in some way.

>>6004164
>Stab low! Roll 8d6!

Cripple its legs and victory shall be ours! Even if it flees, it won't get away from us.

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>>6004164
>>Stab low! Roll 8d6!

>>6004170
Can we choose to embrace nudity instead of tattoos. Some Pictish/Gaelic warriors do fight naked.

>>6004243
I think it's still too early to go native for our girl and she has no incentive to do so yet, but it would be funny that she can find no clothes.

Will she have to resort to duels to strip others of their clothes and armor?

>>6004164
>>Stab mid! Roll 8d6!

>>6004321
Are we throwing KLK into the mix now?

>>6004164
>>Stab low! Roll 8d6!
Let's just get used to nakedness

But guys, the fashion! Think of the fashion! We just need mana to form some nice clothes. Or we can mug people megucas for their attire. Every dark magical girl needs an outfit!

>>6004207
There has to be at least one mystery guy out there in Japan who finds that hot. He can be the Queen to Haruka's King

>>6004586
I agree on the outfits, but we need to return from this hunt first before we decide where to target for supplies

>>6004164
>>Slash sideways! Roll 8d6!

>>6004196
>>6004203
>>6004209
>>6004243
>>6004338
>>6004511
>>6004685

Stab low is in the lead.
So let us have two anons roll 3d6 each and one anon to roll the 2d6

also... what is with you guys about our girl fighting in the nude? I mean, unless she has a personality like Majima from Like A Dragon, she isn't quite that touched in the head.

Rolled 5, 4, 4 = 13 (3d6)

>>6004862
I wasn't one of them! Don't lump us together! It's your fault, pervert. Hentai! Baka!

Rolled 1, 5, 2 = 8 (3d6)

>>6004862

Rolled 4, 5, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 3, 5, 3, 1, 5, 4, 3, 6, 5 = 57 (16d6)

I'm now rolling for the veteran warriors.
Autofail guide.

Rolled 2, 1 = 3 (2d6)

>>6004862

>>6004866
>>6004867
>>6004877
>>6005065

So our girl has 2 successes.
One success for spear wielding warrior
one success for hammer wielder
3 success for axe wielder (also leader of the warriors)

>>6004862
We must become a native queen, learn their ways

post tomorrow, ran out of time

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"HERE I AM BEAST!" Gareth shouts and stomps her heavily armored feet to further attract the attention of the wyrm.

The resulting roar is terrible and tortured, almost like the beast is relieved to find something it can hurt after suffering from the strange house and its endless whispers. A dark shape rushes from the hallway and over the threshold of the room.

Frostbind is a killing beauty of great versatility. Or, at least, a great deal of variety. You have seen the magical ice weapon morph into an array of elegant spears. From a simple broad leaf blade of ice to a trident-shaped spearhead to a shortened stabbing ice pike, the weapon never seems to settle on just one style. Yet no matter what form it takes, it always feels perfect in your inexperienced hands.

If the tool is perfect, then the only explanation for its inability to severely hurt an enemy lies with the end user.

You.

The moment the two blind heads of the Wyvern came rushing past the door in a maddened dash, you hesitated for a second on where to attack before stabbing at the lower part of the monster. The hesitation to attack means the best opportunity to harm the beast has passed! At least the sharp blade bites into the hardened scale and sinks into a clawed foot, pinning it to the ground. You lean on the spear bodily to fix the spear point, and you try to arrest the movement of the creature.

The hammer-wielding Baphomet takes a swing to try and break the limb. Alas, despite the heavy hammer hitting the Wyvern's scaly leg, it bounces off after a solid thwack. If only the fat guide assisted with a swing of his stick with the attack, it might have succeeded in breaking it.

"Aaaaahhhhh!" The fat guide drops his stick and backs away frantically. You can't spare a look; you see the rotund goat man crawl away from your side for a second before he's out of sight.

The other side of the ambush doesn't seem to be going any better. A spear sticks into the flesh after losing much of its penetrating force digging through the hard scales, and a hapless Baphomet is tossed upwards when the bucking wyrm rears its body. The goat man didn't let go of his spear in time, and he meeps with rage as he is shaken like a rag doll, unwilling to let go of his weapon.

But the rage of the flailing Baphomet pales in comparison to his leader's rage.

"DEEEEAAAAATTTTTHHHHH!" It's hard to imagine such a battle cry, full of energy and hate, being emitted from such a small body. Eyes burning, muscles bulging, spittle flying, and the axe splitting flesh and scales in a series of rapid chops do more damage than you expected.

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>>6006539
How powerful is the leader of these warriors? You've been told by Hanbei that Baphomets aren't combat-oriented, but here you are witnessing one of them equal to your combat ability!

Or maybe you're just weak.

Wow, the thought stings!

"What the hell are you doing, Gareth!?" You shout at your bait standing about. You dodge the Wyvern's poisonous tail by a hand's breath.

"You're handling it pretty well; I think you can beat the Wyvern on your own... I'll duel you right after." Gareth blows her nails and looks at them as though inspecting them for dirt. There's not even a hint of a desire to attack the Wyvern and help you.

"YOU DEVIOUS BITCH!"

You can't believe this sneaky girl. How dare she pull an act of sudden but inevitable betrayal! That's your shtick! You are the King of craftiness, the mistress of the underhanded, and such.

"I'm joking."

You can use Let No Insult Pass on Gareth in the future.

With a smile at her own joke, Gareth leaps forth with her lance and joins the battle. Her shield smashes straight into one of the Wyvern's heads, pulverizing it into a mass of unrecognizable flesh. The second head staggers and tries to gnaw on her, but her lance wards off the attack.

You are so tempted to attack to Gareth over her little joke...

>Keep the Wyvern pinned!...
>Pull Frostbind out and attack!...
>Attack Gareth while she's distracted! She deserves it...
>Try to see what happened to your guide!...
>Start using your ice magic at close range!...
>Leave Frostbind, start pummeling the Wyvern with your fists!...
>Write in...

>>6006540
>>Pull Frostbind out and attack!...

>>6006540
>Keep the Wyvern pinned!...
>"It's pinned! The Peacemaker, use the Peacemaker!"

>>6006540
>Keep the Wyvern pinned!...

Not gonna lie I'm going to vote to pick up the pacemaker and push it in in Gareth's face right after the beast is killed and ask the motherfucker what's her damage.

>>6006540
>>Start using your ice magic at close range!...

>>6006598
+1 especially the Peacemaker stunt
No way I wanna waste GUN on a lizard like this

>>6006540
>>Keep the Wyvern pinned!...

I will leave the voting open tonight. I can't write.

>>6006720
>>6006684
>>6006639
>>6006598
>>6006585
>>6006566
Keep it pinned wins.
Also, putting a cap into Gareth is strongly preferred.

Oops, shouldn't have watched tv. I will post tomorrow.

>>6008713
>shouldn't have watched tv
Was it at least something worthwhile?

>>6008713
Boomer

>>6008713
At least you're honest.

That, and the updates at least reassure me that this is still alive.

>>6008734
>>6008741
>>6008745
Technically. It's an old vhs tape of Misora Hibari's last performance. She's singing her famous Kawa no Nagare no Youni. I'm trying to play the violin parts for karaoke time with family during New Years. Someone else is allegedly going to do the piano part and trumpet part. I expect disaster when it's actually performed.

So you're not half wrong to say it's boomer related.

>>6008529
Woah woah woah, I didn't mean for our girl to become a stone cold killer but instead that we intimidate Gareth gangsta style into an apology.

(And if she keeps being a shithead then we bust a cap in her kneecap).

>>6008782
Something like that scene with Jack Sparrow, "this gun has a bullet with a name and that name is ser Rodomonte, but keep this shit up and it may just turn into yours".

After years of dealing with delinquents and watching yakuza dramas on tv our girl may just turn into a delinquent herself.

(Or at least that's what I would like to go for)

>>6008790
Oddly enough, the Yakuza's icily deadly way of respectful dialogue is something our girl Haruka could pull off very easily.

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You try to ignore idle fantasies of revenge and focus on the task at hand. You did not walk into this haunted hell just to see your enemy escape! The spearhead, buried well into the floor through bone, scale, and flesh, pins the Wyvern in place for your cohort to attack. It's desperate struggles to move away and escape will always fail so long as it remains.

Which means you are sitting duck, defenseless, and barely moving.

Straining, you press downwards on the spear haft and attempt to dodge the thrashing attacks of the desperate enemy. You really should have taken that shield off the leader of the warriors. The cohort of Baphomets does their best to protect you, but they are also hard-pressed by the bucking enemy with its claws and fangs.

One of the warriors uses his hammer to knock away the poisonous stinger aimed at you, catching it mid-strike. You left out the damn scorpion-like stinger. You wouldn't have been able to dodge that blow in time! The furious enemy isn't dying fast enough in your opinion.

"Hurry up, Gareth!" You scream in frustration.

Gareth has blown off one head of the Wyvern and is trying to destroy the second head to end the battle, but the Wyvern isn't stupid enough to tamely allow that to happen.

"I'm trying!" The Knight snaps back and jabs her lance once more at the Wyvern. The sharp point drives deep into the base of the neck of the last thrashing head. Black blood oozes from the wounds and coats the floor beneath.

Why is this thing so resilient?!

The roaring wyrm bucks again trying to pull free from your spear pinning down it's foot. There's a tearing noise as the strength of the attempt is enough to rip a gigantic tear where the foot meets the ankle. Come hell or high water, the beast wants to escape and deemed losing a foot as a minor sacrifice.

Of course, if it can get rid of you, then it can keep its foot.

It heaves and slams its body straight into you....

>STAND YOUR GROUND!...
>BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME!...
>THAT'S NOTHING!...
>DAMN YOU!...
>NO ESCAPE!...
>SAVAGE DEATH!...

>>6009777
>BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME!...

Is this our cool ability name phrase time?

A dodge ability sounds nice.

Nice holy trips.

>>6009777
>>THAT'S NOTHING!...

>>6009777
>>STAND YOUR GROUND!...

>>6009777
>THAT'S NOTHING!...

>>6009777
>DAMN YOU!...

>>6009777
>THAT'S NOTHING!...

>>6009777
>NO ESCAPE!...

>>6009782
>>6009796
>>6009875
>>6009911
>>6010042
>>6010066
>>6010086
Seems that's nothing wins. I won't be posting today as it's a day off.

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Automatically, you anchor Frostbind to the floor with ice and let go of your hold on the haft. It is an unconscious action to keep the damn thing from escaping by making sure the spear pins down the beast. You realize that you cannot dodge, block, or counter the living wall of steely muscle and adamantine scales shoving mightily at you. Even your vassals cannot help. The scoured tatami floor beneath the wyrm's injured foot cracks, a good clue to just how much energy this body blow contains.

This is going to hurt.

A surge of energy pulses and forms a new power!

The knight bore no helm nor hauberk, neither gorget nor breastplate, neither shaft nor buckler to smite nor to shield...

???

The Wyvern slams full force into you and sends you flying backwards. You lose sight of the combatants as you tumble and roll through two different rooms. To your amazement, you don't feel any pain at all. Could it be shock? Scrambling back on to your feet after the energy from the blow bleeds off, you quickly check for injuries and discover nothing at all.

That's Nothing! - Can only be used exactly once against each enemy and never again. The first deadly blow does no damage.... but only if you wear no armor.

NO ARMOR!? ONLY ONCE!? What kind of useless power is this!? Did you waste this on the Wyvern!? No wait, the feat says 'each enemy'. That means as long as it is a completely new opponent, and if you are wearing no armor, you can tank exactly one deadly blow. So if Gareth tries to skewer you with her lance, you'll survive... unless she skewers you again, in which case you're shit out of luck.

The Wyvern will never be affected by 'That's Nothing!' ever again. The next blow will do damage!

Okay, so maybe the power isn't as useless as you feared but the limitation still rankles you.

"Your Majesty! Meep! HELP!" A warrior screams, bringing you back to reality.

Back to the battle, where death awaits!

>Rush back in and attack with ice magic...
>Pick up the heavy table and toss it at the Wyvern...
>Get back into the room and pick up the Guide's fallen weapons...
>Attract the Wyvern's attention to allow the other warriors to strike...
>Grab the tail of the Wyvern and try to rip it off...
>Get back Frostbind and strike with it...
>write in

>>6012753
>>Rush back in and attack with ice magic...
That's an....... interesting ability

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>>6012753
Not what I wanted, but useful. Would be awkward if we did get useful armour though, guess we'd have to dramatically combat strip, discarding equipment and having things torn from us as the fight progresses to use it. Very Gundam, or Hollywood, I suppose.

>Rush back in and attack with ice magic...

I didn't want to have to reveal this, but oh well! mfw no chuuni 'but I was holding back this whole time' reveal on Gareth. Why even live?

>>6012753
>Get back Frostbind and strike with it...

>>6012753
That's useful against assassins, and we can go in really fearlessly against an unknown enemy to do a devastating first attack without worrying for defense.

>Rush back in and attack with ice magic...
Freeze it's ass!

>>6012753
>>Rush back in and attack with ice magic...
Does it apply once per enemy per encounter or just once per enemy forever? Also does it mean nude anons have won?

>>6012753
>>Pick up the heavy table and toss it at the Wyvern...

The power is inspired by Sir Gawain and The Green Knight where the Bertilak survives the first deadly blow and picks up his head, telling Gawain to come in a year and a day hence to the Green Cathedral. The green text is actually directly from the poem itself.

The power only works against once per enemy. Any enemy at all. From Merlin to Vivian, Ser Rodomonte to King Arthur, individual monsters to rando muggles in Japan.
But once and never more. Next time you meet the same enemy/person and they hit you with a deadly attack, you're dead.
Fortunately, it has to be a deadly attack that could kill or cripple you. So if you get a scratch or shallow cut, it doesn't activate.

>>6012753
>>Grab the tail of the Wyvern and try to rip it off...

>>6012896
>useful against assassins
It is time to start sleeping completely naked ignoring the heavy blankets for warmth. When an assassin sneaks into the royal bedchamber to run our girl Haruka through with some poison knife or other, it's instantly nulled and she wakes up. BRILLIANT

>>6012969
I think Haruka will end up as the sort of villain girl more than half of the show's viewers will love, both as a character and for the obvious.

>>6013031
Dank lore reason makes me love this more

>>6012753
>Rush back in and attack with ice magic...
GO IN AND SLAY

>>6012753
I gotta ask, what's the pic sauce? It's dope as fuck.

>>6012825
>>6012833
>>6012864
>>6012896
>>6012969
>>6012987
>>6013166
>>6013166
>>6013207
Guess we'll use our ice powers!

>>6013269
So the pic is from the new trailer for Mononoke. It looks aesthetic as fuck.

shall post tomorrow. Had to do paperwork

I may have food poisoned myself with undercooked eggs. Not a brilliant event. I'll have to post tomorrow.

>>6015008
Take care

>>6015008
Stay safe QM. Maybe let the Baphomets cook next time. We'll be leaderless without our king to guide us!

For future reference for those who make tamago kake gohan, make sure the rice is hot enough to partially cook the egg when you mix them up.

I'm writing but give no guarantees I'll post tonight.

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The room you have landed in is subtly unnerving. Painted paper shoji do not depict delicate trees and flowers or natural creatures like birds and fish but of silently terrified men and women tormented by horned oni. A Buddhist hell sans flames and blood.

And there's a pool of water. Or at least, you hope it's water. The color is too rich of a blue tint to be natural. All in all, you are glad to leave it behind and charge into danger.

But to get back to battle, you have to pass three more rooms. You got tossed through two rooms from the attack. When did this place add a third? If there was ever a keen reminder of how the manor house is an eldritch location of some sort, you can't think of a better demonstration.

You return to the battle and bear witness to a changed situation after your brief absence. The Wyvern has seen better days. Black blood coats its scales; two of its clawed feet are gone, leaving fleshy stumps where they used to be. Your spear is still plunged blade first into the floor, skewering the now-severed foot of the Wyvern.

Fortunately, your warriors and Gareth are in much better shape. Your Baphomets are scattered about the room, trying to flank the enemy and prevent it from escaping back into the corridor. They look exhausted but, luckily, don't have any visible wounds. They've switched to spears at one point during the battle to give support to the only heavy hitter left.

The Knight Gareth.

The once-gleaming armor of Gareth drips with black Wyvern blood, and through the blackness, a startlingly red gleam of red human blood streams from a cut on the cheek. It is the only injury on the girl, and she bleeds freely. She dances around the furious blows of the Wyvern, seeking to give a final strike to end the battle.

"About time, how about some help?!" Gareth barks out as she raises her shield to fend off a deadly stinger strike.

You give a nasty smile.

"You're handling it pretty well; I think you can beat the Wyvern on your own... I'll duel you right after."

Even through the grime coating Gareth's face, you can clearly see the twitching brow and scowl of annoyance on the girl. You treasure the look on Gareth's face. Let no one say that you are above pettiness.

Wait, you need to put the cherry on top.

"I'm joking."

"FUCK YOU TOO!"

Now, you could go and grab Frostbind and join in the fight once more, but you want to end this battle as quickly as possible. You do not know where your guide went; you don't see him in the room, so he ran off somewhere. The manor is expanding and changing; he could end up anywhere.

He's the only Baphomet who can transport you back to Camelot.

"I call upon thee once more, Queen of Secrets, to borrow thy strength. I vow to give you a seat at my high table and to partake in my meat and drink as a sacrifice. So let me return back to demesne by striking dead my foe."

>3 anons required, two to roll 3d6 and one to roll 2d6!

Rolled 5, 3, 3 = 11 (3d6)

>>6017183

Rolled 3, 2, 6 = 11 (3d6)

>>6017183
FUCK YOU LEATHERBITCH

Rolled 4, 5 = 9 (2d6)

>>6017183

>>6017188
>>6017198
>>6017206
three successes. It's done.
I'll write out the next post hopefully soon.

Post tomorrow hopefully.

Hm, a bit of a writer's block.

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You sense crystals of ice form in the air around you. They glint like sparkling diamonds and visibly bend the light into waves from the clash of cold and warm air. It floats in the air like smoke around you; to anyone watching from afar, it looks like a harmless swirl of white.

It is anything but harmless.

The Goddess has heard and answered your prayers, well pleased by the vow of sacrifice in her name.

Vow of Sacrifice: You owe Beira meat and drink from your table. Do not forget to discharge your vow...

You toss the cloud of icy cold at the rampaging Wyvern, and the effects upon impact are impressive to see. Whiteness immediately forms over the black scales of the wyrm, creaking and cracking as it traverses the body and congeals blood and flesh into a solid block of ice around the neck. The monster cannot breathe and cannot dart its head forward to attack.

Eyes flashing at the opportunity, Gareth lifts her lance once more.

"Knight of the Seventh Seat shall never suffer ignoble defeat. My lance conquered many a knight; this wyrm's might is but slight."

Is it your imagination? No, it's not. Just as Gareth makes her blow, the color of her armor changes to red, and her lance instantly becomes white with heat, as though left in a fiery forge. It is a true and fatal blow, with the tip of the weapon piercing the open maw of the beast and exiting the back of the head, cooking the flesh before bursting into flames. You would think a dead thing would stop biting, but clearly, the Wyvern didn't care much for your opinion despite being partially frozen and on fire. It chews and bites with unceasing rage on the superheated lance, and it tries a last death strike with its stinger tail on Gareth. It is a desperate strike in vain as the Knight lifts her shield to block the final blow with ease.

It is the end; the Wyvern twitches and gives one last bellow before slumping dead in a black pool of its own blood. The sizzling head of fire put out by its own spilled blood on the floor.

Gareth celebrates her victory while you quickly look around the room and see that your guide has dropped his guide stick and Peacemaker on the floor. You even see that he's left his lantern behind in his blind panic to escape. The poor goat must be terrified out of his wits to leave all that behind. You reach down and pick up Peacemaker and hide it under your cloak before the Knight notices.

"Meep! Victory!" One of your warriors scampers closer to the dead beast to give pin the convulsing stinger tail to the ground and prevent it from accidentally hitting anyone. Then he starts poking around the still-twitching corpse.

Clearly, that particular Baphomet is careless and trusting. The other two veterans are still on their guard, warily watching Gareth. Indeed, the young Knight has subtly shifted her lance and shield to defend against a possible attack.

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>>6019837
What you can't figure out is why she's blushing so hard as she's doing this. Underneath the gore of black Wyvern blood and her own is the telltale pinkish hue of a flushed face of discomfort.

"I don't suppose you could cover up a bit more before we start fighting? I see London, I see France, but I can't see your underpants."

You blush fully red and rearrange your cloak to better hide your nakedness and Peacemaker. How are you going to negotiate without dying of personal embarrassment?

"You can't be serious! To get out of here, we have to find the other monster trapping us here."

"A likely story."

"Meep, Ser Gareth?"

"If I were powerful enough to trap you here, why would I bother being in here with you!? That's insane. I would just let you rot and starve to death instead."

"Meep, your Majesty?"

You bite your tongue as you realize your mistake. Logic doesn't work against emotion, and you made an implied threat to someone who is already suspicious. In most cases where you have to persuade suspicious people, you never use logic but work to reassure them and listen to them. Ask a few questions, let them tell you how they feel, and work to shift those feelings in a positive direction.

"I don't make assumptions about the sanity of the Accursed. You are a parasite feeding on unsuspecting people. Not one Accursed from Avalon ever remains sane or who they used to be. You must realize this by now, King Lot. Have you ever found yourself saying or doing things you never would before? Or how easy it is to harm people and not feel guilty? What about those three girls you attacked last week? Gawain says you were out trying to collect Mana. Do you think a sane and normal high school girl would go around attacking people without hesitation!?"

You are not insane, and you remain who you are. You are Kuroda Haruka, not that you would tell Gareth your True Name. Telling her that you didn't reap Mana from your former classmates is probably unbelievable from her perspective. It's also true that you didn't lose much sleep after harming the abusive asshole Keisuke or attempting to harm NHK man last week. Yet you can easily explain why you don't feel guilty about that; they deserved it! The most important issue right now is establishing a basis of trust and cooperation with the Knight.

Gareth turns her glaring eye on the two veteran Baphomets still on their guard, waiting for your orders.

"You there, goats! Have you not told your King about the side effects that Avalon has on her? Don't make excuses by saying 'the Lady wills it' or 'the King is the King' or such rot!"

The leader of the warriors coolly lifts his spear at her, ready to fight, as an answer to the question. Given the strength disparity between him and the Knight, it's a bold move.

"If you explain---" You try to coax Gareth to talk. The longer she talks, the greater the chances she might be open to negotiation.

"Enough! Raise your spear! I, Gareth, challenge---"

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>>6019839
"MEEEEEEP!! DUEL EACH OTHER LATER!"

The careless warrior from earlier had been prodding the corpse of the Wyvern and is now covered in black blood. There is evidence that he has been trying to rip open the monster and get inside, but he has no knife or blade to help him. His big goat eyes are wet with unshed tears. He gets on one knee and raises his arms in supplication to you both.

"Haro, Haro, Haro! L'aidez moi, mon seigneurs, there is a wrong here to be righted! What say you, Knight of the Round Table, and what say you, my Liege King? Shall ye blemish thy royal honor and scorn Chivalry? Here is one in need of succor, Knight! Here is thy helpless vassal, my King!"

Criant - A hard-to-ignore appeal from the weak to Errant Knight or vassal to his Liege King. Only affects those with the Trait: Chivalrous or is a feudal superior to the pleader.

There is a tug on your arms to lower your Frostbind and drop Peacemaker on the floor. You can see that Gareth's lance is also trembling at the force of the appeal. It is a bewildering feeling to find out that your vassals have a Trait, that can force you to do their bidding. Actually, no, you can resist it! You are their King and they are your vassals; they cannot command, only plead for your consideration. Though you hate to imagine the consequences of ignoring the Baphomet's Craint. Is there an additional penalty of some sort for ignoring the Baphomet? And what will Gareth do about this plea?

>Resist the Criant and attack Gareth while she's distracted!
>Bow your head to Gareth and ask for her assistance....
>Vow to duel Gareth after opening up the stomach of the Wyvern, but you have no intention of keeping it...
> Vow to duel Gareth after opening up the stomach of the Wyvern, and keep your promise...
>Assume that Gareth isn't the type to attack you while your back is turned, go immediately to assist the Baphomet...
>write in

>>6019843
>Vow to duel Gareth after opening up the stomach of the Wyvern, and keep your promise...
The insult will NOT stand, and the sting of it still makes itself felt! Our vassals need to be rescued, and they come first over a fellow knight's duel. A king's duty is to his people first, or does a simple knight not know this after serving under Arthur himself?

>>6019843
>> Vow to duel Gareth after opening up the stomach of the Wyvern, and keep your promise...

>>6019843
> Vow to duel Gareth after opening up the stomach of the Wyvern, and keep your promise...

I assume Gareth would be honorable enough to not attack us when we help our own, but I would also still ask her to leave the room and wait just outside.

(I wonder if beating Gareth with peacemaker as an opening gambit would count as ignoble defeat in regard to their skill).

>>6019843
>vow to duel Gareth after opening up the stomach of the Wyvern, and keep your promise...

>>6019843
>>Resist the Criant and attack Gareth while she's distracted!

>>6019843
>Vow to duel Gareth after opening up the stomach of the Wyvern, and keep your promise...

>>6019843
> Vow to duel Gareth after opening up the stomach of the Wyvern, and keep your promise...

Gareth actually makes me so mad!

>>6019871
>>6019873
>>6019890
>>6020102
>>6020125
>>6020366
>>6020441

Seems we'll make a vow to Gareth and keep it.

Spent too much time trying to see if there are any oaths by Vikings.
Will try to post tomorrow

Came home too late.

I am still in the process of writing up the post. I will probably post one or two times, then take a few days break to generate some ideas for the quest and read more Norse stuff.

>>6022532
It's alright OP. I like the fun benefits you come up with for wearing no clothing.

>>6022678
It will all come in handy when our girl finally has a male love interest at some point. Until then there's still more loot to be found and more renovation of the kingdom to be had

I think I'll end the thread here. I'll put up a thread on June 6 and continue our adventures.

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The reason you entered this godforsaken place is lying a few feet away from you. The Wyvern lies in a pool of its own blood. It is partially frozen, partially scorched, and completely dead. There's a chance that one or even both of the devoured vassals are still alive in the gullet of that damned wyrm. If you could just rip it open and see...

But do you dare turn your back on this enemy?

Gawain was a showboating, arrogant prick with immense physical powers and some sort of lesbian mindrape power. She also loved talking and was careless about revealing her abilities. You even learned a Trait of hers and spoiled its activation inadvertently.

Gareth, in contrast, isn't giving much away; she is more secretive and careful than her fellow Knight. And her personality couldn't be more different from that of the brash Knight of the Maidens. Gareth is straight to the point with business-like efficiency. Attempts to get her to negotiate fail because of it; she wants to Duel you right now and do her duty. Despite witnessing the young girl fight and using her powers, you didn't learn any particular Traits. You know she fights with a Lance, wears Heavy Armor, has the ability to change the color of that armor, and some powers utilizing fire.

You take a step towards the Wyvern, which causes Gareth to shift one step. The enemy Knight is wholly focused on you. You don't want to accidentally start a fight.

"Enough, already. My vassal begs for my help. Hell, he even begged for yours too. So how about we leave aside murdering each other for a second?"

The brat has the nerve to roll her eyes in disbelief. It takes all your strength not to unleash a salty oath and berate Gareth. Instead, you take a deep breath and begin.

"I, King Lot, Rightful King of Lothian, Orkney and Camelot make this oath. That after butchering yonder Wyvern and succouring my devoured vassals, I do pledge to Duel. Wherever and whenever Knight Gareth desires. I swear by the almighty Gods, I will not shirk this lawful combat though death be before me. Witness my words! Let the point of my spear bite me and my rightful rule be broken should I fail to satisfy this vow."

Words have power. The power to destroy, to heal, to move the heart of men and more. You have always believed this, and apparently so does Avalon.

Binding Oath - When you make a Binding Oath, anyone who hears it knows that Avalon will enforce its keeping. Breaking a Binding Oath has consequences. On the same token, keeping a Binding Oath has rewards?

"I, Gareth, have heard your vow. As have Avalon." Gareth says it with confidence and lowers her Lance and relaxes.

[END OF THREAD]

>>6023466
Thanks for the thread QM

>>6023467
Cool Quest, I'll be on the lookout for the next thread!

>>6023467
Remember to archive the thread!