Sports Drink with Electrolytes 2015/11/06(Fri)03:22 No. 681796 ID: 0fff38
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he barely has time to react when I lay the killing blows upon his form.

Sports Drink with Electrolytes 2015/11/06(Fri)03:22 No. 681797 ID: 0fff38
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"your turn." I step toward the woman. her mask has tumbled off in the confusion, revealing her face. to call her a woman would be an overstatement. this is a girl. the daughter of a farmer. her mother was a seamstress.

>>681470

...hesitation. why am I feeling... hesitation? this is an unnatural and uncomfortable feeling.

That's probably because she's an important npc or something. Don't kill her, offer her a hand up.

>>681797
Hesitation is okay. just bind and gag her and carry her along. We can find a use for her later.

No rest for the wicked. No mercy for the weak.

Unless they might turn out important. Question her, and eventually remove her if she's useless.

>...hesitation. why am I feeling... hesitation?
Probably because you were a weapon designed to slay gods and you're about to instead slay a child who's barely off her mother's tit.

I say crouch down to her eye level and get right on up in her face and ask what she plans to do now? What did she hope to achieve by leaving the farm? By joining a cult?

Hell if we play our cards right you might be looking at a new follower.

>>681797
It could very well be that despite your nature as one who hunts and kills, you remain a social and ethical being, whatever ethics those might be.
As you said, Daemons and Gods are your prey, and these are but mortals. Apparently you can see so much as to know her past as though it were written on her face. I can't see many ways that would fail to create empathic resonance.
Are the deaths of these people necessary if their ability to do you harm is so limited?
That said, you have killed someone very close to her, and she may seek vengeance.

Because something inside you may have decayed during your slumber, developed... erratic behaviors. Shake it off and send this farmgirl back into the ground she tills.

You've been stuck in a coma for ages, unable to move, possibly sentient all that time but constrained against the weakest of chains. Now that little girl is left in a similar situation.

You may not give two @#$%s about the girl, but performing any action that makes you consider your coma can be... distasteful.

In any case, you shouldn't kill her yet. You don't know if Numot is feeding you lives to save his skin, and Mercatl could have a different skill set that could be useful on the road. If either of them becomes a problem down the line, do what you have to, but right now this is a scared little girl who can be easily "recruited".

You are hesitating because its not fun to kill the weak the young and the sick.

If you were out hunting you would not chase down a yearling for its meat. You would go for the old buck who has years of experience behind him.

Ask her how she came to be here.

>...hesitation. why am I feeling... hesitation? this is an unnatural and uncomfortable feeling.
Because you exit for proper battle, not senseless slaughter. There is no doubt as to the outcome of this conflict, nothing to be gained or proven. Their deaths are pointless.

>>681797
How do you know her lineage?

How about you give her a chance to convert first.

>...hesitation. why am I feeling... hesitation? this is an unnatural and uncomfortable feeling.
Perhaps your task was to bring to bring the mortals into a position of being able to take care of themselves.

Sports Drink with Electrolytes 2015/11/12(Thu)00:50 No. 683472 ID: 0fff38
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>>681900
>How do you know her lineage?

I can read the strands of her fate. it gives me a hazy picture of their past and, if I concentrate for some time, their future. I did something similar to Numot after I awoke.

>>681926

I... can't remember. I think I may remember my task being... protecting... something...? perhaps I was designed to protect mortals?

>>681799
>>681801
>>681848
>>681812

I present my hand to the child. she looks at it, terrified.

"who..." she speaks in a mousey, breathless murmur.

"I am... I'm not sure what I am" I reply. I realize she's staring not at me, but at the blood on me. "who was he?" I ask.

"Kuzotl Zumoqeh." she replies, "he... you..."

she looks like she's going to start crying. I lean down, and look into her eyes, she averts her gaze.

Sports Drink with Electrolytes 2015/11/12(Thu)00:51 No. 683473 ID: 0fff38
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"I am sorry for what has happened." I lie, "I am not going to hurt you. I need to leave this building. if you follow me, I can make sure you leave this building as well. you wish to see your family again, don't you? if you do as I tell you, I will make sure you see your family again. do you understand?"

her eyes harden. she is young, but in her eyes there is a certain grim fire that reminds me of someone from a very long time ago.

"I understand." she whispers.

"excellent." I reply, "my name is Alba, and I promise I will protect you.

Sports Drink with Electrolytes 2015/11/12(Thu)00:51 No. 683474 ID: 0fff38
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SEARING WHITE HOT PAIN EXPLODING OUT OF MY BODY.

Sports Drink with Electrolytes 2015/11/12(Thu)00:52 No. 683475 ID: 0fff38
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MY BLOOD IS ON FIRE. WHAT IS THIS PAIN?!

"my Go- Alba!" Numot embraces me even as my scalding blood sprays forth like a boiling geyser, "what is happening?"

I have no idea what is happening. this has never happened before. my blood is burning, dissolving me from the inside out.

"what do you need?" he asks, shaken.

"BLOOD." I bellow, "I NEED BLOOD. FRESH WARM LIVING BLOOD."

"take mine!" he replies.

"I NEED MORE THAN YOU CAN GIVE. I'D NEED TO DRAIN A BODY TO THE MARROW."

Sports Drink with Electrolytes 2015/11/12(Thu)00:52 No. 683476 ID: 0fff38
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>>681802
>>681845

>>683476
Oh shit, we can't mercy or it kills us
haha, that's kinda hilarious actually

Or is it she can't disobey us without exploding?

Because if that's the case we'd best be careful not to disagree.

Did that feel like it was caused by sparing her, or promising to protect her, or was it just bad timing?

Anyway, if the fresh corpse doesn't work then you're gonna have to go with whoever you feel least attached to. Shame about that promise, huh?

Oh. That's... unfortunate. There's really only one option to you now, if you want to live. I'd say that an apology for having to break your promise so soon would be in order if I were more sure that the act of apologizing wouldn't outright kill you.

What the hell caused this, though? I mean, you have one mortal ally- so it's not like not killing someone did it. Was it for sparing someone you earlier intended to kill? Or for making the guarantee to save them? If it was either of those, you can work around them int he future by choosing your battles more carefully- but if it was because of some other reason that you couldn't avoid, that's one hell of a curse you're going to be living with.

Oh, wait- is the blood of that guy you killed fresh enough? Because if you can use that, it would probably be preferable to killing the girl.

Could you eat the dead body you just killed?

YOUR BLOOD WILL DO NICELY FOR THIS TASK, CHILD.

NEVERTHELESS, A PROMISE IS A PROMISE. SO I PROMISE... I SHALL FIND YOUR FAMILY, AND SEND THEM ALL TO THE AFTERLIFE.

(We can protect them from the horrors of this world by ending their life, so we aren't breaking that vow. Just in case, y'know, oathbreaking also causes spontaneous bloodsplosion.)

Know this, Numot. When your usefulness is at an end, you will likely meet a similar fate. Should you not want that to happen, I advise you to run as far away as you can.

Oh. If you really need to know for sure what to do you could always look at her fate.

>I NEED BLOOD. FRESH WARM LIVING BLOOD.
>I'D NEED TO DRAIN A BODY TO THE MARROW.
Isn't there a nice warm body you created not a minute ago?

Or if it really has to be from a living person, you could split the load. Drain some from each of the two mortals here.

A nonlethal blood transfer should give you some extra time. You're strong enough to take on an army, so switch to high-profile mode and draw out all the cultists to the slaughter.

Sports Drink with Electrolytes 2015/11/19(Thu)04:19 No. 684832 ID: 0fff38
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>>683477

forgive me but I see no humor in this situation.

>>683481

not likely. I fought a war against your kind. if disobeying you were so catastrophic, I doubt I'd have survived that war.

>>683482

I've shown mercy before. I've let vermin crawl back into the shadows unmolested. this is not normal. this is unlike anything I've ever experienced in my life.

>>683485

cold. too cold. I can consume it, but it will have an adverse effect on me. I will need to get a fresh transfusion as soon as possible. then again, any blood is preferable to my current blood.

>>683490

I don't have time. I have a scant few moments to reach some decision. trying to read strands of fate that haven't been laid yet would take hours.

>>683487
>>683483

I shamble to my knees. I can barely move. I turn to the girl. she looks back at me, expectantly.

"Alba, don't!" Numot grabs me hard by the shoulder, "take mine, please!"

"it will be fatal." I reply.

"I know." he says solemnly, "I called you here. it's my fault you're here. if anyone has to die it's me."

"you had nothing to do with me awakening nor did you have anything to do with this affliction." I reply, "and beside that, the entire reason you 'called' me was in order to save your own life. your sudden sacrifice is illogical nonsense."

his brow furrows sadly, and opens his mouth to speak.

Sports Drink with Electrolytes 2015/11/19(Thu)04:20 No. 684833 ID: 0fff38
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>>683519

"you need blood?" Mercatl says, cutting Numot off, "too much for one person to give you... can't you just split it?"

"you have tried to walk around with half of your blood missing?" I ask, "I would end up with two corpses, then."

>>683522

"well..." she thinks, "do you need all of that blood immediately? you can't... say... take some from one of us now and find more later?"

"I need to drain my blood right now. it is poisoning me. if I were to take a less than lethal amount from both of you I could keep alive and combat ready for a quarter hour perhaps. how close is an other creature I can drain?"

"we're in the upper Nethertombs right now." Numot answers, "if we hurry, we could reach the barracks in less than ten minutes."

that doesn't leave much time to feed. it would be a risk.

it seems my current options are:

feeding on either Numot or Mercatl. this would certainly be fatal. Numot is strangely willing to give himself to me, but I suspect Mercatl would put up a fight. in my current state, she may well be able to escape.

feeding on the corpse. it will fill me up, but cold blood will leave me rather slow, and I would need a fresh transfusion very quickly.

feeding lightly on both Numot and Mercatl. the process, even if not lethal, is certainly uncomfortable, and it will leave both of them anemic for some time. I will need a full transfusion very quickly afterward.

>>684833
Could do a bit from all three so you wouldn't be completely bogged down and they wouldn't be as anemic.

Feed lightly.

Use the corpse for now; you have the tactical advantage, and there should be a few more patrols here and there.

While Numot sudden sacrifice sounds illogical, it does make sense from a standpoint that he values you above his own life, which from his previous standpoint of calling you a "goddess" seems to stem from.

If you could drain from all three, you might be able to leave them alive for longer, without the full penalties of drawing forth much from a corpse.

Make that corpse extra-dead.

Assuming you're the sort who keeps their promises, killing Mercatl would be counter productive to that.

I'd say drain the corpse. Flush the poison out of you, if nothing else.

Potentially nonlethal does can be taken after or in addition to that to hang on if you don't find a more appetizing target sooner.

>this is unlike anything I've ever experienced in my life.
What is the origin or source of your divinity? If your originator were to be destroyed, could you be suffering the aftereffects / reverberations of that?

Sports Drink with Electrolytes 2017/01/31(Tue)06:18 No. 775981 ID: 5e2c69
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I don't have much more time before the little blood I have scavenged will need to be flushed. this one will have to do.

Sports Drink with Electrolytes 2017/01/31(Tue)06:19 No. 775982 ID: 5e2c69
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I pull him into the shadows and prepare to feast.

Sports Drink with Electrolytes 2017/01/31(Tue)06:19 No. 775983 ID: 5e2c69
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he's paralyzed in terror, mute. he's young. only 17. his father owns a corn mill and he desperately wants to go home. he has a sweetheart in his home village that he wants to marry, and he never wanted to truly abandon his religion, but the cult of the Red Queen promised him all the gold and power he needed to make his life better.

Sports Drink with Electrolytes 2017/01/31(Tue)06:19 No. 775984 ID: 5e2c69
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his muffled scream hums lowly as my auger begins to drain away his life force.

I silently watch as the last bits of survival instinct flee from his body. his last vestiges of life drain away and his kicking stops. I am not finished, though. I drain even the essence of his form.

Sports Drink with Electrolytes 2017/01/31(Tue)06:20 No. 775985 ID: 5e2c69
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when I am finished, there is little more than dust left in my hands. dust that once had aspirations, once had dreams...

I am a war machine. weapons of war do not question themselves. I banish such feelings from my mind.

Sports Drink with Electrolytes 2017/01/31(Tue)06:20 No. 775986 ID: 5e2c69
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"are... are you finished with... whatever it is you do?" Mercatl says, covering her mouth and looking away as she beholds my regenerating form. Numot is no doubt lagging behind. I tried to drink only enough blood from him as was necessary, but even still, he is likely anemic and close to passing out.

"yes..." I state finally, "I have consumed all I need to for now."

she looks behind her to see Numot approaching slowly, and whispers under her breath, "what do you know about the inquisition?"

"virtually nothing." I reply.

she looks back and forth worriedly, "long story short, the inquisition is the part of my race's government that hunts down witches, Daemons, and cultists."

I nod, "I suppose you are going to tell me you're an undercover Inquisitor, then?"

"no." she shakes her head angrily, "you killed the undercover Inquisitor down un the catacombs. I was his apprentice. you've made EVERYTHING more complicated! the two of us were about to spring the bulk of the whole Orditas on these wackos before you came in and cut him into ribbons!"

Sports Drink with Electrolytes 2017/01/31(Tue)06:21 No. 775987 ID: 5e2c69
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"am I meant to feel some kind of guilt for foiling the plans of a few mortals?" I reply, "the lot of you are little more than a food source to my kind. my only objective right now is to escape this tunnel."

"bullshit." she spits, "if you're so above us then why let Numot and I tag along at all? you've proven you can cut a man up like he were made of wicker, and yet you don't. why is that?"

my eye regenerates in time for me to glare at the child. she certainly is bold for someone speaking to a god, "the truth is, I am not sure myself. if I were you I wouldn't question it and just thank providence that I don't siphon you dry like I did to this unfortunate soul."

Sports Drink with Electrolytes 2017/01/31(Tue)06:21 No. 775988 ID: 5e2c69
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"Alba." Numot gasps as he rights himself against the wall, "you are healed!"

"I am. stay awake, I need you to navigate."

"yes of course, Alba." he takes a moment to catch his breath, "we are close to the surface of the compound. the path splits up here. one direction leads to the cathedral, the other leads to the dormitories."

"the dormitories?"

"yes." he huffs, "today is the Red Mass, so most everyone is in the cathedral, but there will be some faithful still working in the dorms, if you need more to feast upon."

I shiver slightly. I am still somewhat unfed, but the thought of feasting on an other mortal makes me uncomfortable for reasons I am not willing to think about. I suppose I could just walk out into the chapel and be done with this, but from what Numot tells me, there are likely quite a few mortals waiting up there.

Leaving through the cathdral serves two goals: Sating your hunger, and ingratiating yourself with the local non-cultists. (or scaring them half to death. Either works.) Instruct your two tagalongs to stay back - you're not likely to differentiate friend from foe in the middle of a bloodbath.

Also, it's a 'Red Mass.' I am led to believe there will be some sort of sacrifices there. You'll be a hero for brutally murdering their captors. Everybody wins (except the cultists) and your face doesn't explode again!

Before we continue - do you feel so hungry you could consume an entire cathedral? I'd hate to let warm bodies go to waste.

>Killed the undercover cop
Whoops. Well, they wouldn't have shown you mercy anyway, you aren't exactly a scripturally canonical heroine...

>What do
They want a sabbatical? You'll give them a sabbatical. Teach these inquisitors the meaning of doubt. Teach the cultists NOTHING. Head in, save the civilians, and use every eldritch ability at your disposal. Kill or incapacitate all targets, and make sure the survivors know who hunts the gods.

It might increase your profile, but once you show the inquisitors that their beliefs are insignificantly close-minded and infest a sliver of eldritch insight into their feeble minds, their faiths will crumble and their word will be moot in the eyes of the grandmaster. Some may even join you!

well, it's because having someone worship you is kinda fun, you wont tell them that, of course.

head out, be ready to kill various flavor of cultist.

I think the problem was that you promised something that was counter to your purpose. You are a killing machine. You promised to protect a life. Or maybe it was a promise to protect an enemy. She's an inquisitor in training, you're a monster. Also you just killed her friend/master. Also you're already aiding someone who would be hunted by the inquisition. So you probably performed a traitorous or self-destructive act by that promise, and you have safeguards.
Alternatively, it was that you made a promise at all, but you must have done that before, surely? Like promised to kill someone?

Anyway, you can see the fates of people. Look into the future of the two "allies" you're currently with. Maybe that will clear things up.

You. A weapon. Find Killing distasteful. Oh the sweet irony.

You truly have forgotten your purpose.
Good.
The wound you just endured was but a single blow from this era's machinations.
However... in your current state the child of Nihilim might yet spare you.
Accept and explore this new part of yourself. Do not let it die in the coming moments of violence. You have been granted a new existence.
Embrace your newfound mortality.

ask the girl if the inquisition is ready to strike right now and ask Numot how many cultist are actually here. a dozen, a hundred, what? Because if you're still up for building an army... or at least a group of followers, to assist you we might be able to march through the cathedral and slay the head cultist and whoever resist and maybe get some more followers as well. However if they're are a lot of them might be better to sneak out seeing how something is clearly wrong with you right now and I rather not risk you exploding into gore again if I can help it.

>"no." she shakes her head angrily, "you killed the undercover Inquisitor down un the catacombs. I was his apprentice. you've made EVERYTHING more complicated! the two of us were about to spring the bulk of the whole Orditas on these wackos before you came in and cut him into ribbons!"
So... from the local goverment's position, you did their dirty work for them. They should have no objection to this. Win-win for everyone. Except the cult, but they were dead anyways.

>where go
If there's bodies both ways, and what you're interested in is in the chapel, might as well go to the chapel.