Raelynn 2021/06/18(Fri)23:21 No. 1003640 ID: 8483cf
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Wolf pelts. Single slit. Skinned, fleshed and stretched. Sold for a modest price. Fur is cheap this year. Lady Kensington’s bombs ruined some of the pack, but I slew enough myself to make the trip profitable.

No luck finding boars. Would have been nice to get a bonus for pest control.

Always enough deer to hunt, but deer aren’t worth the weight. Perhaps if Minga gets a taste for venison, it might be worth chasing a herd.

My clothes are too tight. It’s been two whole seasons and I still can’t afford a new outfit. That’s fine. Not like I’m going to need it. As long as I don’t get hurt, I can take care of myself and my gear.

I run my hands over my bow. It’s solid, with several backup strings. I could head out tomorrow if I wanted. Or I could stay here and take a day to myself. It’s my choice. Nobody’s telling me what to do. I’ve got total freedom.

If I really wanted to, I could sell my shortbow. Odds are some merchant in Minga would take it on consignment, ratchet up the price, say it was made by a wood elf, hype up the craftsmanship. I’d get a pretty penny and could go make a new one. The only things I can’t replace are my enchanted rope and my long dagger, Samhain. The rope is hard to come by in the best of times, and I can’t weave the magic myself. Samhain was my birthright, just as Imbolc was my brother’s. He can melt it down for all I care.

If I sell my shortbow, I could branch out and learn to use traps. Maybe a rifle; some upstart humans are investing in firearms. But no. Waste of money and make a racket. Why chase off the whole herd just to get a kill or two? Doesn’t make sense. Bullets and gunpowder can’t be made in the field or used when wet. How do they expect to survive if they’re cut off from civilization? Short-sighted and dangerous. A gun is a city-dweller’s weapon.

Or maybe I should just go bivvy for a few months. Save on rent. And food. And clothes. Beds and a roof are luxuries, when you think about it. I’d just need to find a secluded place all to myself with food, water and shelter. I think there’s a likely mountain range to the north. I should go hunting for a waterfall! I could find a nice clear pool with a hot spring beside it. I’d have it all to myself, with no one for miles. Just my own personal slice of-

There’s a knocking at my door.

Oh.

Living in the mountains is sounding better and better by the minute.

“What?” I ask.

“Lady Kensington,” a voice calls out. “Oh. Sorry. You didn’t ask who it was. Uh. Can we try again?”

“No.”

“Okay.”

There’s an awkward silence.

“How about now?”

I sigh. “The door’s unlocked. Come in.”

“Thank you,” Lady Kensington says. She’s nervous. Not exactly out of the ordinary.

“What is it?” I ask, bracing myself for a long and winding conversation from a noble girl whose etiquette just can’t let her get to the point unless she’s taken a detour through the next parish or two.

“Well…” Serah rubs the back of her neck. “I need an experienced tracker to take myself and Sir Terrorscale to his wife's lair in the mountains north of here and if you think you can handle navigating through highly dangerous terrain I’ll pay for your provisions and a retainer for the three or four months it’ll take to get there and back.”

I take a moment to process what she just said. This is very odd: I can actually, physically feel my opinion of her changing. It feels like confusion. Confusion and discomfort.

“Wait. Terrorscale? Did you just walk in here and ask me if I’d help take you to a dragon’s lair?”

“Oh dear. Did I pop the question too soon? I’m sorry, I’m just in such a hurry. I understand if you’re not confident in your abilities, it is fairly far north, but the caravan is leaving tomorrow morning. Can I count on you?”

Wow. Talk about a hard sell.

Free food and passage? A retainer for doing nothing but tag along for a few months until the going gets tough?

It’d be a good deal if I wasn’t bound to do it with a novice noble, her incompetent fairy, and an enigmatic fox spirit who I suspect would turn on me the moment it’s convenient for her.

This is a recipe for disaster and I should turn it down immediately.

But I could really use the money.

Just offer to do it solo. Come to think about it, the other party members would probably support you; they don't want to follow this incompetent fop through miles of blizzards and giant wolves. The only reason you don't offer to Terrorscale's little consort yourself is because Serah can negotiate a deal that gives you a cut of the pie that is bigger than the whole pastry you would get if you asked directly. Pampered nobles and their educated silver tongues, you see.

>>1003640
You don't have all the information. Ask who Sir Terrorscale is (aside from being the dragon's husband-- like, is he good in a fight? is he trustworthy?) and why you'd be escorting him. How long will you be traveling without the caravan once your party splits off? Traveling with the caravan is easy, they have guards.
Does she have a plan for surviving the trip through the mountains with just your group? What's the plan once you REACH the dragon's lair? Suggest you send Sir Terrorscale in first so that he can tell his wife you're friends. Also that you should securely restrain both the fairy and the fox spirit so they can't do anything stupid in the lair like trying to steal things.

>until the going gets tough
Are you implying you'd ditch them once things got dangerous?

Sure. Take some of that retainer in advance and buy a new outfit. And finagle a promise of a mutagen out of her. A permanent performance booster, surely they're good for more than scraping your head against the ceiling.

Take it. See other places, meet new people, make money, find promising breasts and creatures to make a companion of. As guide, it's not like you can't leave if they don't believe you if you say something is to much to handle.

You also seem extra grumpy today. Something/one bugging you?

>>1003646
*Beasts*

Maybe you'll find an animal companion in the mountains

1/3 Raelynn 2021/06/19(Sat)15:10 No. 1003691 ID: 8483cf
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“This is a lot of information to take in at once,” I say. “But let’s get a few things out of the way. First, you’re smart to ask a ranger if they’re familiar with new terrain. The answer is yes, I can navigate in the mountains north of here, and you’ve picked the right ranger for the job.”

Serah nods.

What I don’t say is that I’m miffed at the way she brought it up. I’m not sure how much, if any, of her nervous act is just that- an act. She came at me like this trip was a challenge to my skills, and with most ranger, that would have worked pretty well. Pampered nobles and their silver tongues don’t always have to be flattering to work their magic.

“Second,” I go on, “You didn’t mention a plan for the part of the trip for when the going gets tough. Obviously you don’t need an escort for the caravan journey itself; they’ve got guards. I’m assuming you’ll split off at some point after the caravan stops outside a few towns and boroughs, maybe terminating at a trade hub. Then what? How far off the beaten path are you going? What’s the expected elevation? How much climbing will you need to do?”

“I don’t know,” Serah says. “Sir Terrorscale seems to remember the local fauna, wildlife and winged kin are the major threats this time of year, not the climate. We’ll need to search for the entrance to his wife’s lair; hopefully he’ll remember the general location.”

“That’s not very much to go on,” I say. “The going will get tough very fast, and combat drains supplies quickly. If I were to join you, it’d be my responsibility to see us all get home alive, not to guarantee success in finding this dragon’s lair. If you hire me, I need you to understand that if I say we’re turning back, we’re turning back.”

“I understand.”

She says that, but I don’t think she’s prepared to turn back. She’s not good at accepting failure. That’s good and bad.

“Third,” I say, “Tell me about Sir Terrorscale. Why are you dropping everything to follow him up a mountain?”

“It’s a long story,” Serah says, wringing her hands, “But I’m honor-bound to see him home. He’s honest and well-meaning, and a paladin of Tate Yempi. He has the holy symbol embedded in his chest scales, and the aura he gives off matches the description in my books. Even if he’s not a great fighter- which is very unlikely- he can cast healing spells.”

“Don’t think like that,” I say. “The best policy is to not get hit at all. Are you sure you can do this?”

Serah looks at me, about to say something, but she bites her tongue.

2/3 Raelynn 2021/06/19(Sat)15:31 No. 1003697 ID: 8483cf
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That came out harsher than I’d intended. What’s gotten into me? That wasn’t fair to Serah. I’m in a foul mood and I’m taking it out on her.

I’m still put off by the encounter with the Spirit of Bloodshed a few days ago, and even more bothered by the lack of response from the local druidic circle. I’ve spent the morning trying to contact them via sending spells from the Guild’s wizard, but he was only able to reach any of the people I described to him. He told me my connection wasn’t strong enough to cold-call them, which was fair, but still irritated me. I grew up with their sister circle- even if I’m happier on my own, I should at least be able to contact the druids in the event of an emergency like this one. They need to know what the effects of their irresponsible behavior are, and the fact that they either can’t, or won’t, take a message from me means there’s nothing I can do aside from telling the Guild to put out a warning to the community. The druidic circles are still as violent and irresponsible as ever, and there’s nothing I can do about it.

Well, that’s why I’m here and not there. It’s not my problem. They don’t need me, and I don’t need them. I’m on my own, and it’s better this way.

This job is just what I need to clear my head.

“Let’s talk compensation and provisions,” I say.

Serah’s eyes brighten. Good.

“This job will need specific equipment,” I say. “We can procure a good deal of it on the road if we need to, if this trip is really going to take that long before branching off. But we essentially have tonight and tomorrow morning to pack and move out for the big-ticket items, unless the caravan hits a trade hub.”

“Understood. You’ll be compensated fairly,” Serah says. “I had to use a good deal of pure silver this morning, and it’s stuck in an intermediary stage between gold. Most of my remaining funds are being used to pay for the trip, meals and gear. I’ll be able to finish my silver-to-gold transmutation once we return.”

“I’ll still need an advance,” I say. “This is short notice. I have things I need to wrap up here in Minga.” Like a new outfit. This skirt is not built for travel, and I don’t feel like wearing my armor every day. I could strip the armor down into the undershorts and top, but that’s needless wear and tear on gear I need to be comfortable later.

“I’ll advance you what I can,” Serah says. She pulls out a coin pouch and counts out a handful of silver coins stamped with her family seal. She’s made them herself- and specified the percentage of silver contained in the coin.

It’s high. It’s very high. I can easily buy the nicest outfit I can dream up and have more than enough left over for whatever else I want. It must be nice to be allowed to make your own money.

“Is this enough?”

3/3 Raelynn 2021/06/19(Sat)15:31 No. 1003699 ID: 8483cf
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“Yes,” I say, clearing my throat. “That’s enough.”

“Excellent. But that’s only if you take the deal,” Serah says, curling her hand up. She deposits the coins into a separate, smaller pouch, making a point of not putting it away.

Oh, she’s good. But I’ve got one more card to play.

“Money is great,” I say, “But it doesn’t keep you alive. If I come along, that’s plenty of time for you to take the time to figure out how to design a mutagen for an elf like me.”

“I suppose that’s true,” Serah says, uncertain.

“I’d like a custom mutagen before we ascend into the mountains. You can take a day the next time we stop at a place with an alchemical lab and whip it up on the trip.”

Serah hesitates slightly before speaking up. “That’s … acceptable. Do we have a deal?”

“Deal.”

We shake on it and Serah hands me the silver coins. I take a moment to appreciate the weight. Then I’m all business.

“I’ll prepare my list of recommended travel supplies,” I say. “I’ll need to complete my business in Minga as well. I’ll be up before dawn to help you get ready and discuss my opinions on Sir Terrorscale.”

“What errands do you need to run?” Serah asks. “I think we can combine our efforts and gear up while you finish your errands.”

I pause. Do I really want to tell Serah that I’m going clothes shopping? She’d ask to come along, and might bring the rest of the party- and that would make things take far longer than they need to (and result in lots of me sitting around and waiting, or them insisting on making me try on things I don’t want). I’m not comfortable with that.

If I were to have my way, I’d pick the nicest, most comfortable travel shorts and top I could, grab some hair dye of whatever shade I wan, and call it good. It’d all be easy, comfy and low-maintenance. I’m not being paid to look pretty- I’m being paid to keep people alive.

But with all this money, I could wear things on this trip I’ve never even considered before …

Ask for some kind of improved eyesight mutagen, something that can help you aim better, see in the dark, see the slightest of movements, and/or even see spirits.

Or lesser dragon armor

Or something that improves stealth, something that can make you hide in the shadows.

Tell her that it will be more effective if we spread out and do our own errands for today, so we can get more done. You do your tasks, she does hers. You'll need complete focus to figure out which would be the most effective equipment for the upcoming mission.

>>1003691
>the best policy is not to get hit at all
That's only possible with a focus on evasive combat techniques or an overwhelming advantage over the enemy like the ability to kill them before they get close to you. Fights usually don't turn out that way, only hunting does. Healing is an extremely important resource and it's good that you have a source besides potions. That both gives our alchemist the freedom to focus on offensive potions and ensures we have enough healing when we need it instead of potentially running out of healing potions in the middle of the wilderness because we didn't make enough.

>>1003697
>the druids
Can you hire a messenger? The druids themselves need to know what they've done. You eliminated the spirit, they didn't. They might not know it existed.

>>1003699
Be honest. Tell her you're going clothes shopping. It might be inconvenient but you're going to be spending a lot of time around them and they may have more chances to inconvenience you during the months you're spending on the mission. Might as well start getting used to it. Plus, if you're thinking about trying things you hadn't considered before, it would sure help if you had people to consider things for you! And give you opinions on if something looks good or not! Lastly, I believe the things you described are what friends do with eachother...
The sitting around and waiting can actually be turned into useful time. You can spend it getting to know whoever's waiting with you. What were you planning to do with the rest of your day, anyway?

>mutagen
What were you thinking about? Stealth of the cat? Sight of the eagle? Speed of the cheetah?

>the best policy is not to get hit at all
Agreed, but you're going into hostile, frozen terrain. Your agility isn't going to be as effective up north.

>Clothes shopping
It's not a waste as long as you dress for the occasion. Your job will plow you through miles of dirt, snow, and giant monsters to meet a dragon. You need to buy multiple layers of cold-resistant armor, and you need to look presentable at the end. That also goes for the rest of your party.

Tell her you're equipment shopping instead of clothes shopping, just to help drive in the fact that you're not looking to waste time looking for fashionable clothes, just stuff that will effectively help you.

Buy something extremely fluffy and warm. This is important.

OH
Ask her when she's gonna honor her part of your original deal, and help you with getting an animal companion.

Raelynn 2021/06/26(Sat)19:24 No. 1004325 ID: 8483cf
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I cross my arms and look down. “My errands? Just a few loose ends from my last job,” I tell Serah truthfully, without mentioning the druids. “I’ll also need to get some cold-weather gear and clothing.”

I’ll see if I can get an adventurer headed into the woods to deliver a message. It’s unlikely to work. The druids are insular and distrustful of outsiders, so they do their best to avoid social interaction. The only way to find them is to track them down and know what you’re doing.

But right now I’m on the clock, and I can’t waste time looking for someone familiar with druids like I am. The shops in Minga will only be open for a few more hours. If we’re going to need a rush job for gear preparation and cold weather outfits ready to go tomorrow morning, it’ll have to be done ASAP. We’ll also need to grab other gear and emergency supplies that are unlikely to be found anywhere but a major city.

I want to split up and just get the job done, but if Serah, Dotti or Landi buy the wrong cold-weather gear, it’s going to be an uncomfortable trip into the mountains at best and life-threatening at worst. It would be the right thing to do to help them gear up. Terrorscale will be fine with what he has already if he’s just making a return trip.

“I already bought a set of cold-weather gear a few weeks ago when I was out shopping, just in case,” Serah says without a hint of self-awareness. “Dotti and Landi will need to get their own sets. I think I know a gnelf who can help. She’s fast, and her work is good. Let’s go visit her shop!”

“A gnelf? You mean Miss Venmiphi? I’ve seen her work. It’s very good, but it doesn’t come cheap. I think we’d be better served by a merchant who doesn’t ask for so much money. I can show you how to fit your gear and make sure it’s properly padded for hiking and long trips. We don’t need the high-end equipment, it just needs to be functional.”

“I have a line of credit. It’s not a problem.” Serah pauses. “I can negotiate a discount for you. I’m sure she’ll oblige.”

I stay silent. She’s already agreed to pay for my provisions, make me a mutagen (I’ll think about the specifics later) and advance a portion of my retainer. And now she’s getting me a discount on gear I should be paying for myself.

I like it, but at the same time, it makes me uncomfortable. She’s throwing around all this money like it’s nothing. I’m a good survivalist, but she’s practically rolling out the red carpet.

Fine. If she’s paying me top-rate, she’ll get top-rate. I’ll just have to make sure everything goes off without a hitch, no matter what Landi and Dotti might do during the trip.

This job is looking better and better. Money, gear, and the chance to go further north than I’ve been in years. I’ll see new sights and creatures… and maybe one of them will be my animal companion. I don’t want to bring up the animal companion issue with Serah. It’s not her problem, it’s mine.

“Thank you, Lady Kensington.” I say, bowing my head slightly. She’s a noble- I’d better start treating her like one. “I am in your debt.”

“Think nothing of it,” Serah says instantly, as if on reflex. She hesitates for a moment, bites her lip, then shakes off whatever was bothering her. “Come on, let’s go visit Miss Venmiphi. I’ll find Dotti and Landi. Meet you out front!”

Serah slides out the door. I’m still amazed she can walk through those doors so confident she won’t slam her head into a beam.

Well.

If I’m going to be as efficient as possible, I have to brainstorm. I’m getting cold weather gear, but what should I buy for casual wear on the trip? Anything else I should think about recommending Serah buy, other than camping supplies, crampons for everyone in the party, emergency medical supplies, and maybe one of those new enchanted waterskins?

Oh, I should probably buy some hair dye too. I know a basic enchantment that blurs my hair color (and the rest of my body) in with my surroundings for combat situations, but it’s draining to keep up for too long. I could change colors if I wanted to.

>>1004325
Casual wear? ...for before it gets cold?
How about a nice jacket and some pants you can move easily in.
Hair color for a mountain... you'd want light brown or grey, right? Maybe green before that, but green isn't really your color and it should be peaceful before the hiking starts anyway.

>It’s not her problem, it’s mine.
You should remind yourself why you agreed to help her. Her helping you find an animal companion was what kept you from walking away after you helped her with Dotti's contract. Though, it was more along the lines of Dotti and Landi helping you, not her.

Since you'll be in a snowy area, white seems best to blend in your surroundings. Though the current color we have i think is best.

And a hooded cloak for casual wear

Raelynn 2021/07/03(Sat)16:15 No. 1004790 ID: 8483cf
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Daylight is about to give way to evening. I’m on the clock- there’s only so much time left before the shops close.

I quickly take stock of what I’ve got in my trunk. Plenty of survival gear for one elf, but not enough for a Jotund-enhanced human, a lizardfolk, a fox spirit, and a fairy. I’ll need to make sure Serah buys cooking supplies that are as light as possible.

As for me, I’ll need to grab some whitish-gray hair dye. It’s only rational. Pure white is too white, even on snow. As for casual wear, a comfy cloak will do, perhaps with some comfy pants with plenty of pockets.

With that settled, I head downstairs to meet up with my charges. I don’t need to guess where I’ll find them.

Dotti is standing across the table from a recently-arrived adventuring party. There’s a cooked chicken between her and them, and they’re passing out plates. She’s obviously begging. Landi is tugging on her ear, telling her off. Serah is nowhere to be found- presumably, she’s working something out with Sir Terrorscale.

I step behind Dotti and wait for her to notice me. She doesn’t. In fact, it’s Landi who spots me first.

“Holy shit! Raelynn!” Landi gasps. “Stealth elf!”

Dotti turns around and gives a jolt of shock, then nearly trips over herself as she scrambles backwards from me.

Good.

If this trip is going to go off without a hitch, I need both Dotti and Landi to understand that I’m not going to let them step out of line. Serah might have put up with their nonsense, but not me.

Dotti is obviously scared of me- that’s good. She won’t try to betray me if she knows I’m watching her. If I’m going to get Dotti (and Landi) to obey my commands on this trip, this is an excellent start.

Dotti might want to be treated like a person, but she acts like an animal- and a dangerous one at that. Animals need strict discipline if they’re to be kept. A stray thought enters my head…

>Her helping you find an animal companion was what kept you from walking away after you helped her with Dotti's contract. Though, it was more along the lines of Dotti and Landi helping you, not her.

Yes, of course. The reason I’ve had no success in finding an animal companion is because I haven’t been putting in enough effort to trap and tame one, that’s all. Taming Dotti- as unpredictable and vicious as she is- will be perfect practice for all manner of beasts.

I need to establish discipline, because clearly Serah hasn’t. Dotti and Landi both need to stay in line in order to keep the entire party safe on such a dangerous trip. I have to make sure they know that not following my orders will lead to them getting hurt.

How should I make sure they know not to cross me?

Appeal to skill rather than brute force.
Casually twirl a knife in your hand. Ask for a thinly cut slice of chicken. Glare when they start eating the chicken, casually ignore them and slice the chicken to ribbons while it's still jammed in Dotti's jaws.

Well, how did your trainers treat you during your early years in training to become an adventurer? were they like drill sergeants? maybe you could act like your trainers acted to you towards Landi and Dotti. Harsh, but fair. Intimidating, but with intention to better their behavior. Tough love!

And treat Landi the same way you will treat Dotti. Of course you feel like she needs to be treated like a wild beast, but at least Dotti is trying to become more than a wild animal. So treat Landi in the same way you will treat Dotti, and she'll understand that to you, they are both equally inferior until they can prove themselves.

Really, we don't want Dotti to get angry with us for treating her inferior to everyone else including Landi in the event she gets her magic back somehow and uses it for revenge. Having you treat Landi and Dotti the same way should keep Dotti's mood stable as you make her think she is more than a wild animal while treating her at Landi's level, while at the same time let you fix her wild animal behavior and mannerism.

>>1004790
Aren't you being presumptuous? Serah is the leader of the group. You will be giving her instructions on how to keep the group alive, not giving orders, unless Serah directly tells the group to listen to you. Intimidating these two will be counterproductive, as they will think of you as attempting to steal the leadership position. That might cause them to complain to Serah.
Besides, what would you do if they didn't listen to you? You can't punish them.
It's SERAH who needs to make sure they'll listen, which means you need to get Serah to discipline them. You can even help her do it. Or get permission from Serah to teach them discipline.

What you need to do right now is convince them you are capable enough to keep them alive. They've just seen a demonstration of your stealth ability. You can show off your skill with a knife by carving the chicken in some fancy way, I suppose?
Be sure to tell them that the trip will be dangerous and you are the only one standing between them and a slow death in the snow, bleeding out from a monster attack. They can both understand words, you know.
If Serah gives you the authority to give orders when it comes to survival, THEN you can tell them that not following your orders can get them killed.

>The reason I’ve had no success in finding an animal companion is because I haven’t been putting in enough effort to trap and tame one, that’s all
Mistake. Trapping a creature is not part of finding an animal companion. Go over the process again in your head. Where did you learn it from? Who taught you? Were they a successful ranger? Was their companion loyal?

1/2 Raelynn 2021/07/04(Sun)07:59 No. 1004814 ID: 8483cf
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I was never trained as an adventurer, but being raised by the druidic circle Uí Liatháin made me an expert in tough love.

“Are these two bothering you?” I ask the rightful owners of the chicken.

“Oh! Raelynn,” says a young human male with the most peculiar expression on his face. He looks like he’s about to burst out laughing for some reason. “No, no. They’re not bothering us at all. Dotti just told us the funniest joke.”

“Dotti told you a joke?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

“It’s not important,” Landi says. “Hey, Flax! How about that chicken, huh?”

“Oh, right,” the adventurer says. “Landi said she and Dotti are headed out of town tomorrow morning, so we thought to offer them one last hot meal.”

“Fitting,” I say. “May I carve?”

“Uh, by all means.”

One of the adventurers snorts as I pick up a serving knife. “Uh, don’t you want a larger one?”

“No need,” I say, spinning the knife between my fingers while grabbing a fork to hold the bird in place. The knife isn’t made for carving, but I’ve worked with worse, and the chicken is well-cooked and juicy. I twirl the blade between each cut, moving so quickly the cheap metal becomes a blur, until the chicken is sliced into thin, market-ready slices.

For some reason, Dotti and Landi aren’t impressed. Actually, Dotti seems even more nervous. Landi is practically vibrating midair with poorly-restrained laughter.

For a second, it doesn’t make sense. Then I see a piece of paper poking out from underneath the chicken plate. I pull it out and suddenly everything makes sense.

It’s a fairly accurate drawing of myself and Dotti, along with some childish doodles begging for chicken and proclaiming my love for knives and hatred for pink bows.

“Did you draw this?” I ask Dotti. She makes a move to shake her head, but stops halfway and gives a begrudging nod.

Wait. Did Dotti just tell the truth, even though it made her look bad? That’s not normal for a fox spirit. What’s she playing at? Is she actually trying to act more like a human? I can’t think of any other explanation.

“I helped!” Landi says. “You totally proved me right, too. It’s not the size of the knife, it’s how you use it! Also, we didn’t have any purple ink, so you got pink hair. Do you like it?”

2/2 Raelynn 2021/07/04(Sun)08:00 No. 1004815 ID: 8483cf
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I don’t dignify it with an answer. Still, Landi’s response makes sense. If Dotti wasn’t the one who drew the doodles, then of course she’d take credit for the art.

Still, I’m going to need to investigate this further. Dotti’s clearly hiding some kind of skill set that she hasn’t been showing off- in this case, artistry. I reconsider my thought; Dotti being an artist exclusively seems fairly unlikely, since she hasn’t had time to practice with charcoal and paper. Her artistry is probably an extension of some kind of talent for mimicry.

Landi stares at me for a second, waiting for a response, and I still don’t give it to her. She groans. “You’re no fun.” Flax holds out a fig and she eagerly grabs it. “Thanks, cutie!”

Dotti looks at the chicken and slowly reaches for a cut piece, keeping her eyes on me the whole time.

“Go on,” I say. “It’s good you’re both enjoying the last comfortable meal you’ll have for a long while. From now on, food will be harder to come by. Especially when we leave the caravan.”

Dotti stares at the chicken forlornly, then dives in with eagerness. Landi devours her fig, then pauses.

“We?” Landi says. “Oh, so you’re coming along, too?”

I nod.

“Great!” Landi says. “You’re awesome at hunting and gathering. You can get us fresh-caught food every night!”

“That’s not how this is going to work,” I say. “I’ll be guiding and protecting you. I’m not your personal fruit stand.”

“You’re not?”

“No,” I say with a glower. “If you want fresh fruit, I’ll be happy to teach you where to get it and how to gather it without getting eaten yourself.”

“That sounds like work.”

“It is.”

“Lame,” Landi says. “I don’t eat much. Just grab me a handful of berries. Come on, be a friend! Even you can do that.”

Dotti looks at Landi with a confused expression, then shakes her head.

Well. At least one of them respects the dangers of the wild, and how difficult it can be to feed yourself. I didn’t expect Landi to be the more difficult party member to work with… but life is full of surprises.

I can’t let this slide. I pluck the fig from Landi’s glowing grip.

“HEY!” she shouts. “What gives?!”

“Mountain squirrels have been known to snatch food from fairies,” I say, matter-of-fact. “What if I bring you food, but it all gets stolen? How will you eat then?”

“Mountain squirrels?!” There’s a sound of a tiny foot stomping on the table. “That’s bullshit! You’re just bullying me. Flax, gimme another fig.”

Flax shrugs. “She has a point.”

“You’re both jerks,” Landi huffs.

Dotti smiles with a mouthful of chicken.

I hand the fig back to Landi; I think she’s had enough of her lesson. It’s nowhere near as harsh of a method as my mother liked to use, but I’m mature enough to recognize that not everyone learns the same way.

I take a moment to think. I’m still on the clock and I need to bring Dotti and Landi to Miss Venmiphi to get mountain gear soon; I’ll need to get them to hurry up with their early dinner. This is an excellent opportunity to find out more about Dotti and Landi, and gauge how well they’ll handle the strains of a mountain trip.

What do I need to know about them, and how to I get it out of them?

Dotti will be the easiest of the two to secure cooperation in this case, she is already familiar with the dangers of the wild and appears willing to make an effort to learn the ‘civilised’ way of things.
She’s more likely to cooperate if she believes something will benefit her and she’s less reckless if she understands why. I.e name the problem then explain the solution and why you involved her.
Treat her with more respect (and occasionally treats) the more she behaves and she should see cooperation is worth it.

Landi is more troublesome, she appears to be even less disciplined than the fox which is saying something.
She seems to love acting out and expects to get what she needs with little effort, not to mention she usually works terribly with Dotti.
For now it seems she doesn’t cooperate well unless she’s either forced, considers it to be absolutely necessary or fun.
We’ll need to work on her.

>>1004814
>I was never trained as an adventurer, but being raised by the druidic circle Uí Liatháin made me an expert in tough love.
So they never taught you how to get an animal companion of your own? You're just assuming you have to treat an animal the same way you were treated. Confirm that theory, and ask someone who has one. Your repeated failures are evidence that your approach is flawed. If it is, trying harder will do nothing but waste time.

Dotti is someone we need to work on too, just as much as Landi

hmm...

to drag out Dotti's flaws, lets take a detour through the outdoor market where they sell food on our way to the clothing store, see how Dotti behaves against temptation. We'll call her out on that if she can't resist, or maybe through alleys where there are dumpsters. If she can't resist, mention how Landi and you are strong enough to be able to resist temptation, and let her know there are monsters and people out there that can manipulate victims' who are weak against temptation through magic, or through their words alone.

As for Landi, her issue is laziness. Ask yourself, wasn't she supposed to be practicing her magic every day until she is out of magic as per Serah's deal with Landi? She's still glowing, and it's almost the end of the day. We gotta tell Landi that you and Dotti are making effort to prepare, so why can't she by casting her magic to help us get our errands done quicker, with some speed magic or something? If she showed effort, she'd be able to make equipment for you all without having to visit the the store like most fairies can. Tell her that if she can train herself to do that, we won't have to spend money like this, and that would make Serah happy and would like her more (say that part for motivation, Landi seems to be driven by Serah's love for her as a motivation if it means getting something she wants, like mooching off of Serah). We could issue a challenge: if she can use up all her magic helping you with this errand in different ways, you'll offer her a reward of some sort. Tell her to get creative on how she can help you.

1/2 Raelynn 2021/07/04(Sun)16:40 No. 1004844 ID: 8483cf
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Once again, I’m confronted by the simple fact that I don’t like dealing with people. Especially with difficult people like Landi.

Landi is bothering me more than I’d expected her to. Not because of the doodles; that was a joke, and I’m not going to hold it against her. Even if the pink hair is ridiculous. She’s irresponsible, and I don’t feel like teaching her how to behave like a functioning member of an adventuring party.

I could think up some way to teach her to behave better, but frankly, that’s Serah’s job. I should point out Landi’s intransigence and let her deal with it.

Ugh. I’m a ranger, not a babysitter. Even though Dotti’s behaving better than I’d expected, I don’t trust her at all. Life would be so much simpler if she’d agreed to join me as an animal companion. That way, the expectations would be nice and straightforward: I help her get her magic back so she can transform into a fox, then she stays that way and gets to experience human society without all those rules she seems to enjoy breaking.

The problem is that looking and acting a fox isn’t what Dotti wants. And it irritates me that I’m going to have to deal with whatever fallout comes of her decisions on the trip. I can’t imagine the caravan guards are fond of her.

But…

As much as I’d hate to admit it, perhaps my need for an animal companion is coloring my view of Dotti’s behavior. Perhaps I should be treating Dotti like she wants to be treated- maybe even with a little respect. After all, it’s not like I learned all the rules of society in a single week.

No. What’s bothering me is how much of an unknown Dotti is, and my own uncertainty of whether I can trust her not to cause chaos, and how much self-control she has.

I have just the plan to test that. And while I’m at it, I might be able to build Landi up as well. I don’t expect her to like it- I just need to see if she’ll follow orders.

“Landi, Dotti, I’d like to ask you to come along with Serah and I to grab some cold-weather gear and clothes,” I say. “Finish your servings fast, please. I’ll meet you at the door outside.”

Dotti looks at the chicken in front of her with a sad expression, knowing it’s probably the last juicy, well-spiced bird she’ll have for months. I can see her reach for it, as if to take it with her and deprive Flax and his group of their own meals…

But she leaves the bird on the table, and sticks to her plate. She shoots a sidelong glance at me. So she’s smart enough to know when I’m judging her. Good. That’s the basics- but can she pass the real test?

I quickly disappear to meet up with Serah, and tell her I’ll bring Dotti and Landi to Miss Venmiphi’s shop myself. Her nose is buried in maps and caravan routes alongside Sir Terrorscale, and she’s grateful for the help. She’ll meet up with Landi, Dotti and myself once we’re done being fitted for gear, and she’ll sort out payment.

That means it’s just Landi, Dotti and myself for now. Perfect.

I meet up with Landi and Dotti at the front door of the guild.

“Is Serah coming?” Landi asks.

“Later,” I say, and push the door open. “She’ll meet us there.”

“We’ve already been all over Minga!” Landi groans. “Dotti, fluff your hair! I’m hitching a ride. That bow of yours is a great back rest.”

“We’ll have plenty of rest on the caravan trip,” I say. “Landi, you’re flying for today. You need to work on your cardio.”

“What?!” Landi says, voice full of indignation. “Are you calling me fat?!”

“I’m saying you need to be in shape for when the going gets tough.”

“I weigh nothing! I am light as a feather! A feather!” Landi says. “You can carry me if I get tired on the trip!”

“It’s for your own safety,” I say. “Everyone pulls their own weight on this trip. You weigh the least- you should have no problem at all.”

Landi grumbles, but doesn’t argue further. Maybe there’s hope for her yet.

2/2 Raelynn 2021/07/04(Sun)16:41 No. 1004845 ID: 8483cf
File 162544208856.png - (97.50KB , 498x539 , LFT4_10.png )

Landi, Dotti and I reach a metalsmith about halfway to Miss Venmiphi’s shop. Here is where I’ll need to get the crampons for icy travel and combat conditions. It’s also where I’ll get to test Dotti’s resolve.

“Dotti, could you wait out here while Landi and I place an order for gear?” I ask. “Please stand right here and see if Serah is coming up behind us. I trust you to be on your best behavior.”

“Shyeah. Best behavior,” Landi gasps. “I’m gonna see if this smith place has any water. I’m sweating buckets.”

Landi and I head inside, leaving Dotti at the edge of a short alleyway.

An alleyway with two massive, overflowing containers of trash.

CAN DOTTI RESIST?

She tries.
She really tries

But she goes over and knocks the containers over. A skunk was hiding inside! Or something valuable

Dotti feels the incomprehensible weight of a million middle-class newspapers!
Incomprehensible because middle-class newspapers haven't been invented yet.

No, never resist trash

there is nothing to resist, the trash is her home now

No. Eating garbage is the first step on the path to a third tail. Eat the garbage and become it.

Cmon Dotti you can do it you can resist the trash for just FIVE SECONDS!

>>1004845
Surely, she can resist the temptation of the trash for the sake of following orders considering that she JUST ate? Unless she messed up both her metabolism and tastebuds with the transformation? Ignore her for now, Raelynn.

1/2 Raelynn 2021/07/05(Mon)14:25 No. 1004881 ID: 8483cf
File 162552032677.png - (302.24KB , 909x893 , LFT4_11.png )

I place an order for crampons and lightweight steel stakes while Landi douses herself in what is hopefully clean water.

“These are adjustable,” the smith says. “You know how to set these tight on all your boots?”

I nod.

“Just making sure,” the smith says. He looks at the silver I’ve given him. “These coins are Kensington make. Is the Lady going to be picking these up herself?”

“No need,” I say. “Landi, Serah said you can carry a little more than thirty-nine kilograms. Stash these in your inventory and be ready for more later.”

Landi flaps her wings dry. The crampons glow bright, then disappear in a sprinkling of dust.

“Cool, huh?” Landi says. I don’t bother responding.

We leave the shop. I look over to see how Dotti’s behaving herself.

Hmm.

Well, at least she’s not causing chaos.

Dotti is hugging one of the two giant trash receptacles like she’s found some kind of ancient treasure. She’s sniffing it excitedly with her eyes closed, nuzzling the grimy metal and taking in all the smells she can.

“You are so fucking weird!” Landi gags. “Stop it! You’re going to smell like trash! I can’t sleep on a fox pillow that smells like trash!”

“Come on, Dotti,” I sigh. I guess the lesson to be taken from this is that Dotti’s not an active agent of chaos like Serah warned me about, but she’s still, as Landi said, very weird.

Dotti lets out a whine. It’s obvious what she means.

2/2 Raelynn 2021/07/05(Mon)14:25 No. 1004882 ID: 8483cf
File 162552034335.png - (33.26KB , 400x322 , LFT4_12.png )

“I don’t care if you’re not done sniffing” I say. “We’re on the clock. Now come on and-“

I pause.

There’s a skunk between the two trash containers. It’s sleepy, and just woken up. Skunks are easygoing creatures, but Dotti and Landi aren’t exactly easygoing themselves. If Dotti or Landi notice the skunk and freak out, it might panic and spray one or both of them.

How should I handle the situation? I don’t have my animal treats, but I can mimic many, many different animal sounds. Or I could try and make it my animal companion… no, what am I thinking? A skunk would be a horrible animal companion. I should just calm it down or chase it off.

I need to decide before either Dotti or Landi notice it.

Wound skunk with a sleep arrow, have it deposited at the local scientific guild for study.

Just say "Oh it's a skunk, let's give it some space." and do exactly that.

Attempt to shoo it away with animal sounds to scare it off
...
Wait, why is it attracted to your animal sounds??? No! You dont want this skunk to be your animal companion! The one time you dont want one, and this skunk is forcing itself to be your companion! Nooooooooooo!

Leave the cutey be. Nothing stealthy about a skunk. You need something that works well with you in tandem.

What are you looking for in an animal companion exactly?

Grab it and take a massive huff of it's ass

Raelynn 2021/07/11(Sun)00:23 No. 1005334 ID: 8483cf
File 162598818054.png - (54.63KB , 456x400 , LFT4_13.png )

It’s best to try the direct approach.

“Dotti, there’s a skunk between the trash bins,” I say. “Leave the bins alone and come on. We’ve got work to do.”

Dotti blinks, sniffs a moment, and her eyes widen in surprise. She’s obviously been more focused on the trash smells than the skunk smells- it’s hardly surprising, especially if the skunk hasn’t been here for long.

Dotti bares her teeth.

The skunk looks back at her with beady little eyes.

“Dotti,” I say softly, “Calm down and leave it alone so nobody gets sprayed.”

Dotti glares at the skunk angrily, reluctant to give up her trash treasure trove.

“You already smell like trash!” Landi says. “Don’t get sprayed! I need my fluffy fox pillow to be clean!”

Landi’s not helping. I roll my eye at her and decide to defuse the potential stink bomb.

I tighten my throat and make a high-pitched chirrup, as close to a skunk’s call as I can get. Both Dotti and the skunk look straight at me.

The skunk chirrups back and cocks its head. I chirrup a second time. The skunk does a little pitter-patter with its front paws delightedly.

Dotti looks at me like I’ve gone crazy.

I beckon her over. She keeps looking at me with the oddest expression.

The skunk gives a series of squeaky chirrups, inviting me to continue, but I end the conversation with a guttural growl. The skunk stays put and hisses at my rudeness.

Good.

Dotti, Landi and I leave the alleyway and head to our next stop on our shopping trip in silence, giving me time to ponder. If I’m going to get an animal companion, it needs to be smarter and more dangerous than a simple skunk.

The skunk is too friendly for my tastes. I won’t coddle my companion. It’ll need to understand that the world is harsh and deadly; it’s eat or be eaten. My animal companion needs a killer instinct if it’s going to survive, and have a measure of cunning and stealth. I don’t like to draw attention to myself in the wild. Not from the animals, and not from any druidic circles.

Strike fast, strike unseen, fade away. That’s how I’ve made my living so far, and that’s how I like it.

Unfortunately, I haven’t learned how to make a trap strong enough to snare a beast like that. I’ve left food as lures, but any animals just grab it and run away from me before I can use magic on them. My mother taught me a very powerful incantation to dominate beasts, but I only got to use it on enraged bears she’d sicced on me. There’s a big difference in effectiveness of a domination incantation when you get to look the target in the eye, and it’s not trying to run away.

I suppose I need to try and get a potential companion to try and kill me, then. Yes, that’s the reason I haven’t been able to get any animal to join me.

Speaking of things that might try to kill me- part of me wonders if the incantation would work on animal spirits, if it had to. Hmm…

“I’m tired,” Landi says, breathing heavily. “Can we take a break? Puh-leez?”

We’re a few more minutes away from Miss Venmiphi’s shop. Landi could use the exercise.

I don’t feel like giving her a break, but she might be grateful if I give it to her. Should I?

>>1005334
Your approach is full of contradictions. You don't want your companion to be friendly, but it needs to be friends with you to be a companion, obviously. It needs to think of the world as eat or be eaten, yet you're not doing either of those to it.
It sounds like a cat would be a good match, to be honest. A large cat if you really want something strong. Puma, maybe? You don't need to trap a cat, just feed it repeatedly. Or, I don't know, TALK to one like you just did, and convince it to join you?

>domination incantation, used it against enraged bears
Did those bears become animal companions?
What even is your definition of animal companion? Is it based on descriptions of rangers cooperating with beasts, but no description of what their relationship was so you assume it's slavery?

>Landi's tired
Sure. Take a break, a short one. Don't carry her or anything though.

Raelynn 2021/07/11(Sun)01:50 No. 1005339 ID: 8483cf
File 162599344928.png - (72.50KB , 520x549 , LFT4_14.png )

“Go ahead and set down on that shop sign,” I say. Even if a few extra minutes of cardio would do Landi a world of good, this is as good a start as I could have hoped for. “We can take a few seconds to rest. It’s important to push your limits, but not too far. That’s asking for injury.”

It also lets me think more about what’s been bothering me.

Even if I had the time to cast a full domination incantation on an animal, it wouldn’t last forever. The bears my mother sicced on me only stayed under my control for a few hours. I could probably improve that with practice, but I couldn’t rely on it forever.

If I’m going to make this work, I’ll need to dominate the animal for as long as I can, then tie it up until it accepts me as its master. That’s how Uí Liatháin did it, and it worked exceptionally well. We had more than a hundred fully enchanted animal front-liners ready to fight at a moment’s notice. The animals kept us safe, and they were completely reliable.

I need an animal companion like my mother had. I need something to keep me safe when I’m asleep. I need something to sic on beasts, people or spirits I can’t fight on my own.

I’ve seen rangers with hawks and other animals accompanying them as animal companions, but they’re just trained beasts.

If I’m going to feel safe, I need a powerful ally completely loyal to me. It’s not my friend. It’s my companion- and companions don’t mean friends. Just look at Landi and Dotti. They’re companions, and they hate each other.

The only way I can trust my animal companion is if I do it my way, and make sure it’s properly brought to heel. First with a lure, then with a spell, then with appropriate training.

It hasn't worked so far. But it does work. I've seen it. And when it does, the results speak for themselves.

>>1005339
Ask Dotti and Landi if they're companions.

Skunks can be helpful by spraying your enemies to disorient them, and their black fur hides them pretty well in the dark and... what are you thinking? no skunks as animal companions

Is it possible for companions to be friends? I think a companion would work better if you treat them as a friend since they'll trust you more and be more willing to put more effort in their attacks to protecc you.

So you intend to find an intelligent, stealthy, and deadly animal to force to serve you with a combination of magic and Stockholm syndrome and expect to not be killed in your sleep? Maybe there are flaws in this plan?

Dotti and Landi may not be trying to kill each other but they also have no reason to kill each other. Your plan involves seeking out a creature who can kill you and providing an excellent reason to do so.

Find an animal that has been forged in Chaos and is sick of surviving alone. Worry about the species later.

Canines of all variety are a tried and true beast to have accompany you, smart, easy to train and groom to a specific task, loyal by nature. But it you're wanting a challenge, a big cat of any kind ought to work as well. Agile, stealthy yet still powerful, hunters bread thoroughly by the survival of the fittest. They are however solitary by nature, and have a dangerous capriciousness that may be hard to break.

Raelynn 2021/07/17(Sat)16:00 No. 1005833 ID: 8483cf
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My lack of an animal companion is still bothering me, just like it’s bothered me for more than a year. It shouldn’t be weighing so heavily on my mind, but it does. I’m just fine on my own. I don’t need anyone, or anything, to help me make my way in the wild. I’ve done well so far.

Maybe my standards are too high. Maybe I should settle for a canine, like the rangers I’ve seen so far… but canines and I just don’t get along for some reason. They rub me the wrong way, and even the pups are uncomfortable around me. That bothers me too.

Well, my druidic circle didn’t need our animal companions to be comfortable around us, just like soldiers don’t need to be comfortable around each other to fight effectively. They just need discipline.

“Time to get moving, Landi,” I say. “Daylight’s burning.”

“Uuuuugh,” Landi groans. “Dotti, you’re giving me a ride back.”

Dotti rolls her eyes but doesn’t refuse, even though Landi’s out of favors for the day.

They certainly seem like companions. They don’t need to like each other to work together.

“You’ve put in a good amount of exercise, Landi,” I say nonchalantly. “It’s good to rely on your companions when you’re drained.”

“Companion? Are you talking about Dotti?” Landi asks, her tone incredulous.

“You’ll both need to look out for each other on this trip,” I say. “You’re traveling companions.”

“No way!” Landi says. “Dotti’s not a companion. She’s a self-propelled pillow, per the terms of our contract.”

Dotti sticks out her tongue.

This is ridiculous. They both clearly stand to benefit by agreeing to work with each other in a nonconfrontational manner. Landi and Serah have all the power, per the contract. Everything is clearly spelled out, and their working relationship is mutually beneficial.

They’re companions. Period. Landi should accept her responsibility as contractor, and Dotti should respectfully accept Landi’s authority and expertise on human and fairy society. They both stand to benefit.

I push the irritation from my mind. I have a task to perform- namely, gearing up the team. We proceed to Miss Venmiphi’s shop at a brisk pace, and I brainstorm options.

Will Dotti need a hooded parka? How well do fox spirit ears handle cold?

Yes- those are the questions I should focus on, not issues about animal companions.

Well, Dotti has a fur coat, though it isn't her winter fur coat, so she probably doesn't need anything too warm, but will still need something against the elements nonetheless... Hopefully she won't get too upset if we buy something heavier for the cold weather than her with her wanting to be human and all, and wants to have equal stuff humans have. Earmuffs are fine (if earmuffs exist in their time period)

Do we smell something... skunky around here? whatever, go inside the clothes shop and lets ask Venmiphi her opinion.

Yes to the parka. Ideally, you want to buy clothes with organized pockets that contain heat-insulating rations, and a few dozen firestarters.

Remember, the mountains are filled with snow, so water isn't an issue as long as you have a consistent source of heat.

Also, buy some rope, a hammer, and three hundred stake-hooks. This area isn't bandit-infested, so set up a consistent source of markers and safety harnesses.

>>1005833
Do you always run away from questions you can't answer?

Raelynn 2021/07/17(Sat)17:50 No. 1005843 ID: 8483cf
File 162656943494.png - (80.99KB , 459x389 , LFT4_16.png )

Warmth is critical in higher elevations, especially if we’ll be camping overnight. It’s worth serious consideration, and is in no way a distraction from other questions weighing on my mind.

Parkas are a solid investment. They’re lightweight, and if Landi’s dimensional inventory is based on weight (and not volumetric space), I have the luxury of being able to invest in items that are very space-inefficient, such as feathers and down insulation.

Fires will be essential for cooking and warmth in the evenings. I should make sure my flint is…

Wait. Dotti is a fox spirit. She should be able to make fire… if she has access to her magic. I need to investigate.

Dotti is ahead of Landi (of course), and she seems preoccupied by a chocolatier’s display. I pull Landi aside and ask her a quick question in a hushed tone.

“Do you sense anything different about Dotti?”

“She kinda smells skunky,” Landi says, breathing heavily.

I lean in. “That’s physically. I’m asking about magically.”

Landi pauses.

“Uh-oh,” she whispers. “Her aura’s warmer. Like, really warm. Way warmer than the last week. And it doesn’t smell burnt-out anymore.”

“So that means…”

“She’s armed and dangerous,” Landi whispers. “I don’t think she’s aware of it. It probably just happened. I’m not even sure how much mana she’s managed to generate. It’s not much.”

This could be bad. Very bad.

But if we get Dotti to get used to using her magic in ways that help us, it could be very good.

Should I tell Dotti, and if so, how should I do it?

Reward Dotti for gaining her powers back! She deserves all the attention from everyone.

Conduct experiments on her powers. If she can throw fireballs in a snowstorm, that's going to make survival much easier.

>>1005843
If you ask me, honesty is the best policy. Just be frank with and don't hide anything.

Best we tell the truth

1/1 Raelynn 2021/07/29(Thu)22:25 No. 1006715 ID: 8483cf
File 162762271727.png - (315.72KB , 722x1036 , LFT4_17.png )

“Best we get this over with,” I sigh. “Come on. Let’s tell her she’s got her powers back.”

“You’d better know what you’re doing,” Landi says worriedly.

I don’t know for sure what’ll happen next. I need to trust my instincts, and what I’ve learned about people so far. It’s worked well with Landi and Serah… but can I handle someone who’s neither fully person nor spirit?

I step up to Dotti and stand beside her, not saying a word.

Dotti’s still engrossed in the chocolatier’s display. She looks up at me and points at the caramel nut candies, nose sniffing curiously, doing her best to smell them through the glass.

“Those turtles do look delicious,” I say. “But you can’t eat sweets all the time, or you’ll get fat. Then you’ll be as slow as Landi.”

“Hey!”

Dotti smiles.

“Still…” I ponder. “I think Lady Kensington would be fine with a little celebration.”

Dotti’s ears perk up. She looks at me eagerly.

“Yes, that’s right,” I say. “You must have done something very special today to earn your magic back.”

Dotti looks at me with confusion, then anger. She bares her teeth, assuming I’m making fun of her- and then she pauses.

She puts a hand to her chest. Then she lets out a long, loud squeal of pure delight. Her magic flares up, so raw and wild I can actually see her begin to glow pink.

“Oh, shit!” Landi shouts. “Illusion magic! Fire magic! Duck and cover! Close your eyes!”

I brace myself for the worst.

A flash of heat washes over me. I wince- but instead of the white-hot fire I expect, it’s a tender, soothing warmth.

I hear the crackling of campfire.

I smell cinnamon. Butter. Sweet, freshly leavened bread.

A girl’s laughter echoes faintly, carried from a great distance, disappearing as quickly as it came.

Tears are rolling down Dotti’s cheeks. She’s trying to bat them away, but they just keep coming.

>>1006715
What magic is that? Does Landi know?

Well. She seems happy. Better encourage whatever she just did, and give her a hug.

Is there anything else we need Dotti and Landi for besides getting cold weather gear that fits them?
Because if we’re done with that then we can let her go off to celebrate while we finish buying the rest of the supplies.

oh huh. a COMFORT spell? How unexpectedly situationally acceptable. Give the fox a smile and a word of praise/encouragement.

Comfort and warmth... if that was real warmth, then she's suddenly become much more useful for the trip.

Raelynn 2021/07/31(Sat)23:46 No. 1006926 ID: 8483cf
File 162780038431.png - (203.62KB , 977x814 , LFT4_18.png )

Well, I wasn’t expecting that, whatever it was.

“How much of that warmth was an illusion?” I ask Landi quietly.

“Huh?” Landi pauses. “Oh. Uh. None? Just the smells and sounds.”

Good. Very good. Uh. But Dotti’s crying, and that’s not good. I don’t know how to deal with this kind of problem. Am I supposed to say how good her for her spell was? I’m pretty sure congratulations are in order for getting her magic back. But she’s still upset for some reason.

Landi’s not helping. She’s still suspicious of Dotti. I’m going to have to deal with this myself.

Should I hug Dotti? That’d be awkward. She’s not very comfortable around me. Would she freak out?

I stare at the ground for a moment. I am not good at this touchy-feely stuff.

Um…

I reach out and give Dotti two pats on the head.

“There, there,” I say, with all the understanding I can muster. It’s not much.

Dotti sniffles and nuzzles into the headpat. I freeze up, unsure of whether it’s patronizing to continue the pat or not. I pull my hand back after a few seconds of awkwardness.

“…You wanted caramels, right?”

Dotti nods eagerly.

“All right,” I say, quickly stepping into the chocolatier’s storefront. “Come on, let’s get some caramels quickly, before they close up. Come on, come on. No time to waste.”

-----

Dotti is still happily chewing on a caramel when we arrive at Miss Venmiphi’s storefront. The caramel is fresh and sticky, and she’s having what looks to be a mighty struggle getting her jaw unstuck from taking too big of a bite.

From what I remember of Miss Venmiphi, she’s a half-elf, half-gnome (gnelf) specializing in high-end, custom-fit adventuring gear made quickly, but not cheaply. Thankfully, Serah’s promised to negotiate me a discount. It’ll be nice to have some real gear.

Before I can open the shop-front door, it swings open, and I’m face-to-face with Miss Venmiphi’s assistant.

The assistant takes one look at my seasons-old shirt and dangerously undersized skirt, both of which I’ve outgrown, and says…

Describe the gnelf’s assistant, and their response to Rae’s outfit and the rest of the group! Do they take DRASTIC MEASURES?

The assistant is a Leprechaun.

The cutebold says:
"Your outfit is so wretched and old that I will pay you to take one of our outfits, so long as you burn your clothes in front of me."

Half elf, half gnome?

Parents must have been an interesting couple.

1/2 Raelynn 2021/08/01(Sun)11:28 No. 1006939 ID: 8483cf
File 162784249104.png - (137.22KB , 514x1314 , LFT4_19.png )

“In! In! Before someone sees you!” a tiny, bearded gnome says. He’s wearing the most ridiculous green hat and coat.

“Sees me?” I ask, taken aback. “Are you trying to hide something?”

“Yes! You!” He dashes behind me and pushes me through the door. “We can’t let anyone think elves with such bad fashion sense shop here!”

“Rude,” I mutter, but allow myself to be taken in, followed by Dotti and Landi.

I look around. Miss Venmiphi is nowhere to be found. The store is a mess of leather, cloth and furs in various states of work piled without rhyme or reason. With more than a little bit of pride, I recognize one of the wolf pelts in the corner as one I skinned myself.

“Now th’ that… thing is off our doorstep,” the bearded gnome says, gesturing at my skirt, “Int’roductions are in order! Th’name’s Patches McGee, atcher service.”

I let the insult slide; it’s a fair shot across my bow. “Raelynn Uí Liatháin,” I reply curtly.

“I’m Lady Kensington’s fairy!” Landi says. “And this is Lady Kensington’s Dotti.”

Dotti curtsies.

“I recognize you from last time,” Patches says, with a tip of his hat to Landi. “You’re just a hair less on fire this time. Well done!”

“Thanks!” Landi chirps.

“And as for you,” Patches looks up at me, “ ‘T’aint often we get one o’ the woodland kin in Minga.”

“I’m aware,” I say, not bothering to answer the obvious unasked question.

“Not a talker, eh?” Patches says, disappointment in his voice. “Don’t worry, I got enough words fer the two of us. Would y’at least be so kind as t’tell me how quickly I can get t’burn’ th’abomination y’find yourself carryin’ around?”

“We need cold-weather gear for a journey north, and we need it by tomorrow morning,” I say. “Where’s Miss Venmiphi?”

“She only gets involved when she’s int’rest’d,” Patches says. “Let’s get’cha into something warmer, then. I’ve got just the thing f’r tackling the peaks!”

The gnome digs around in one of the voluminous piles and somehow pulls out two complete outfits. “Go on, try ‘em on!” He pushes me and Dotti to a slightly less-messy corner of the shop and then slides a pair of curtains behind us.

I have to say, I was expecting this to go quickly, but not this quickly. I look at the pile of clothes in my arms, and to my surprise the material is a fairly close approximation of my fit. It’ll take some adjusting, but this is good enough for a first pass.

I hear a whine from the next fitting stall over.

“What’s wrong, Dots?” Landi asks. “You need big sis Raelynn to help you figure out how pants work?”

Dotti lets out an angry bark. It sounds like she has everything under control, or at least she’s trying. More power to her- I realize that pulling winter leggings over fur, and getting the outfit around a pair of tails, is probably challenging even to an experienced fox spirit. But if she’s got it, she’s got it.

I step out of the fitting stall and look myself up and down.

It’s comfortable.

It’s very comfortable.

There’s no saving me from this outfit. I can’t go back. I won’t go back. I need this gear like I need air.

“Is it to your liking?” Patches asks.

“It’s fine,” I say, trying the best to keep my voice level.

2/2 Raelynn 2021/08/01(Sun)11:28 No. 1006940 ID: 8483cf
File 162784251460.png - (108.35KB , 480x747 , LFT4_20.png )

“Let’s have a look’a the seams and hems while we wait fer’yer fox friend,” Patches says, and he whips out a string to take measurements.

A few minutes later, Dotti steps out of the fitting room, grinning ear to ear.

“The fluff monster cometh!” Landi laughs. “Look at you! You’re so poofy!”

Dotti deflates.

“Don’t list’n to her, lass,” Patches says. “ ‘Tlooks good on ya.”

It looks nice, but… does she really need that bow?

“Yeah, whatever!” Landi says. “It’s all on Serah’s line of credit anyway. We might as well try buy everything.”

I glower.

“Fine, fine,” Landi says sheepishly. “But we can still try everything on! Hey, Patchy!” Landi shouts. “Do you have any frilly pink dresses in Rae’s size????”

I glower harder.

“I’m sure we have something that might work,” Patches says. “Do you want me to grab one?”

“Do it!”

“Do not do it.”

“The vote’s tied!” Landi says. “Dotti, tiebreaker! Should we put Rae in a cute dress?”

“This isn’t a vote,” I say, exasperated.

Dotti ponders…

What outfit does Dotti point to?

For once, Dotti agrees with Landi to have Rae wear the dress for a bonding moment (to rae's expense)

Raelynn 2021/08/01(Sun)19:17 No. 1006949 ID: 8483cf
File 162787062430.png - (339.16KB , 877x1038 , LFT4_21.png )

Dotti grins a big, toothy grin and points her finger at the frilliest, least adventuring-ready dress she can find.

"Nice choice!" Landi squees. "You're outvoted, peek-a-bangs! C'mon, let's see you in that dress!"

"I am under absolutely no obligation to do so," I say.

"True," Landi says. "But can you resist... Dotti begging with big, beady fox eyes? C'mon, Dots, make with the eyes."

Dotti gives me her biggest, best beady fox eyes, but I my resolve is unwavering. I am not wearing that dress.

"Curses," Landi says. "Well, then I'll have to use my trump card."

I raise an eyebrow.

"I solemnly swear to be on my best behavior for the first week of the trip... if you treat us to girls' night out tonight! Starting with putting on that dress!"

I cross my arms. "You should already be on your best behavior all the time. I shouldn't have to bribe it out of you."

"What was it you said?" Landi giggles. "I am under absolutely no obligation to do so?"

"...Fine," I say. "Girls' night it is. But only if you're on your best behavior for two weeks, not one."

"Deal!"

I resign myself to trying on the dress.

I slip back into the fitting stall and put it on.

I feel like a cake.

I slide open the curtains. Dotti claps her paws together and lets out a squeal.

"Yeee!" Landi shrieks. "You are so fancy! Makeup! Patchy,we need makeup!"

"No makeup," I say firmly.

"Fine, fine," Landi says. "We'll make a girly girl out of you yet. Starting with GIRLS' NIGHT!"

"Let me get back into my cloak and gear," I say. "This dress is ridiculous."

Patches, meanwhile, is in the middle of lighting a fire in the stove for what I can only assume is for my old outfit. If I want it back, I'd better speak up now.

Plus I'd better come up with ideas for, uh, girls' night before Landi can get us into too much trouble.

>>1006949
She's burning something you own. That's grounds for her to replace it, with something similar. You'll get a better-fitting casual outfit out of it!

Your idea of girls night for you is going to a library, where it is quiet and you all can silently read and study...

If Landi or Dotti complains, mention how Landi can "study" the fairy anatomy books or the adult novel section. Dotti, well, she can look at the pretty illustrations in the children's book section.

You on the other hand will be reading on animal behavior to figure out how to gain an animal's trust to be your companion.

>>1006962
>animal's trust
Raelynn has made it clear she believes trust is not needed to get an animal companion. Brute force is all that's needed, despite that being a druid's method and not a ranger's. Also despite the fact that the local druids have done measurable damage to the wilderness from their violent behavior. And despite the fact that it hasn't worked for her even a little bit.

>>1006963
Ah okay, I'll rephrase that

Rae will be reading on animal behavior to figure out how to manipulate them into become her companion through brute force.

"You do realize I made that armor with oleander, right?"

Raelynn 2021/08/02(Mon)19:38 No. 1007062 ID: 8483cf
File 162795832275.png - (279.05KB , 1066x675 , LFT4_22.png )

Any doubt about the fate of my too-small skirt and top are is removed as they go straight into the blazing wood stove.

“When you said you were going to burn my old outfit, Patches, I assumed it was in jest,” I say, slightly irked.

“ ‘Twould be a crime to allow you to leave with that curs’d skirt”, Patches says. “Don’t worry, lass. We’ll comp’nsate ya.”

“I assume I’m wearing my gear back to the guild, then.”

“ ‘T needs t’be alt’red t’yer fit,” Patches says. “ ‘Twill be ready in t’morning, just in time fer your trip, as will all y’r other gear, and the outfit th’ lovely fairy ordr’d earlier fer herself.”

“So what am I supposed to wear back?”

“Wear the dress!” Landi squeals. Dotti nods.

“You can’t be serious,” I say, feeling the irk rising.

“Wear it! Wear it! Wear it!”

“Only if I get to pick what we do for Girls’ night,” I say. Anything to get the job done with minimal fuss, even if it’s wearing this layer-cake dress.

“YAY!”

-----

“Dotti, if you don’t stop laughing so loudly, they’re going to kick us out of the library!” I hiss.

Dotti shuts up.

Then she turns the page of her comic and lets out another ungodly gekker.

I’m never going to find what I need in these book on animal domestication at this rate.

I am officially irked.

Well, let’s treat this problem as an opportunity to demonstrate what kind of Illusions Dotti is capable of.
Kindly ask her to ‘silence’ herself with an illusion and you can read in peace. Let’s see how long she can hold an illusion like that.
Just make sure there’s some kind of signal to communicate when you want her to dispel it.

"Dotti, that isnt even funny, that poor guy got hit in the head with an anvil, and you're laughing at something so sadistic... thats psychopathic..."

Fail to realize it's a slapstick comic.

1/2 Raelynn 2021/08/03(Tue)20:56 No. 1007152 ID: 8483cf
File 162804936303.png - (106.20KB , 704x704 , LFT4_23.png )

This is ridiculous. Dotti’s going to get us kicked out, and I’ll be stuck wandering around Minga in this dress thanks to her. I ought to teach her some discipline. How can she be expected to behave in society if she can’t even be quiet for five minutes?

I take a deep breath.

Easy, Rae. Don’t blow up over nothing. Dotti’s just having fun, maybe even learning a little about reading. See how happy she is at the… cartoon picture of a gnome being flattened by an anvil?

“Dotti!” I swipe the comic book away. “This isn’t funny! That gnome could really have gotten hurt!”

Dotti looks at me with the biggest grin and nods enthusiastically.

“This comic is going to teach you the wrong lessons about society,” I say, placing the comic book on my chair and sitting on it to ensure she won’t get the chance to read any more. “I have an idea. How about you sit over there in that bean bag and practice your illusion magic? You can find another comic book and read that, just make sure you can hold a perfectly silent image for as long as you can. I need to focus on my research.”

Dotti looks behind my back. She obviously wants the book she was reading.

“No, not this one. It’ll give you the wrong ideas about how to treat gnomes.” I hand her another comic. “Here, this one is about proper table manners.”

Dotti grabs the comic and glowers at me. I resume reading my book on animal domestication, and Dotti makes a show of stomping behind me over to a cushion in the corner.

Silence. Blessed silence.

A few minutes later, I look over to the corner and see the smuggest fox grin staring back at me, reading the same violent comic book she had been earlier.

I reach under the frilly seat of my dress. It’s gone. She stole it! She must have slid it out from under me- and I didn’t notice because of this absurdly frilly dress.

Frankly, I’m not even mad. I’m impressed, but also curious why Dotti’s illusion shows her as a fox. It’s not the highest-quality illusion; it’s a static image, and I can see Dotti’s arm pop out of the illusion to turn the page.

The fox is fake, but the smug is real.

As long as she stays quiet, maybe the nearsighted librarian behind the front desk will confuse her for an orange cat. Librarians are cat people. I think.

I focus on my book again. It’s not telling me what I need. It’s just going over the history of circus acts, and how lion tamers used to beat their animals into submission. Modern trainers mostly raise the animals as cubs, and use positive reinforcement over an extended period of time to build conditioned responses based on cues.

That won’t work for me. I can’t raise an animal from a cub. It has its own instincts- I can’t trust it to not attack me just because it feels hungry. Where are the books on long-term enchantments and effective methods of discipline? Or the books on whatever methods we elves used to employ, when we were renowned for our connection to nature? Are those lost to time? Did we conceal our techniques that well?

“Hey!” Landi whispers in my ear.

I look up from my book, still in a foul mood, but doing my best not to show it. “What?”

“I think that guy over there is checking you out.”

I glance over my shoulder. There’s a human stacking books on a cart, probably a clerk just starting his training at the library. He’s nervous, and making a point of not looking over at us.

“I don’t care,” I say.

“Look at you, playing hard to get!” Landi says. “Come on! You’re dressed the part! Enjoy yourself the last night you have before we head out!”

“Pass.”

“Lame!” Landi huffs. “You’re no fun.”

“Nope.”

I grab a few more books for the evening. I’ll return them in the morning- I’ve got work to do, even after Girls’ Night is over.

2/2 Raelynn 2021/08/03(Tue)21:02 No. 1007154 ID: 8483cf
File 162804974561.png - (119.78KB , 649x569 , LFT4_24.png )

The rest of the evening in the library passes uneventfully, and we head back to the guild. Dotti managed to keep her illusion up for a full half hour, which if she’s really running on empty, is quite frankly shocking.

I tell Landi to give Serah a list of the items we bought that evening so she knows we’re properly geared up- and also so I don’t have to face her wearing this dress.

I hurry upstairs with my newly purchased hair dye. It’s a whitish-gray, perfect for camouflage in the bleak mountains and grab a few herbs from my pouch to protect my hairline from the dye. I’ve done this enough times that I can handle it myself. I head to the bathrooms and get to work.

This is what I grabbed my books for. The settling dye takes a while to dry out and set. In fact, it takes long enough that when I’m nearing the end of the developing time of the dye, the guild has settled in for the night.

“Rae! Rae, are you in here?” There’s a tiny tapping on the bathroom doors. I open them up- it’s Landi. “Oh! Hey! Nice hair.”

“What do you want?”

“Yeesh, straight to the point, aren’t you?” Landi says with a groan. “I need to sleep in your room tonight. Dotti’s doing her snap-crackle-pop thing again.”

“…Could you be more specific?”

“She fell asleep, and her aura’s condensing into another tail. It’s noisy for me. Very noisy.”

So. Dotti’s getting her third tail. I suppose I’d better be ready for anything…

“Yes, you can sleep in my room tonight.” I test a strand of my hair. “Looks like the dye is set.”

“Thanks!” Landi says. “I’m gonna sleep like a log. I need my beauty rest, otherwise tomorrow is gonna suck.”

---

I wake up at the crack of dawn and don my woodland armor. I’ll wear it for the first day of the trip to travel light.

Landi is still sleeping atop a spare blanket at the foot of the bed. Should I wake her up?

I pause and check my hair. This is my last chance to make any adjustments. Is it the right shade for the trip?

a little lighter? I think it's fine.
Don't wanna mess with our hair too much, we may risk having... that shown where our left eye is

Don't wanna deal with Landi's crankiness, let her have her 5 more minutes. Probably best if she is well rested. Time to shower...

wait, there's noise coming from Dotti's room... crying?

>>1007154
>right color?
It's fine probably.

If you're looking for elven animal training secrets you should've asked the librarian. Or maybe Serah can help?
Don't wake Landi just yet, she said she needs sleep for today. Could be some kind of fairy thing.

Raelynn 2021/08/04(Wed)21:04 No. 1007228 ID: 8483cf
File 162813624399.png - (163.76KB , 720x633 , LFT4_25.png )

I check my hair. It’s lightened somewhat overnight as the dye’s set in further. Perfect. Time for some exercises to start the day, then shower time.

I walk past Serah and Dotti’s room and hear soft snuffling, then a long, drawn-out whine.

Is that Dotti? Is she in pain?

There’s another sniffle. No, she’s just crying. It’s soft, but it’s there.

It’s none of my business. I’ve got no right to barge in.

I try to convince myself it’s not important, and move on.

----

I finish my morning exercises and shower up, making sure to clean up my hair as I do. I don’t need any extra dye rubbing into my gear on the trip.

Breakfast is communal as usual, paid for by our dues and rent. It used to be a severe dent in my purse, but when you need quick, filling food, it pays to have a place you know you can get it.

I pull up a spot next to Serah. She looks worried, but as soon as she sees me she shoves it aside.

“Good morning, Raelynn,” Serah says warmly. “Did you sleep well?”

I nod.

“Good!” Serah says. “I have high hopes for the trip. Once we pick up the gear from Miss Venmiphi’s shop, we’ll be all set!”

“Splendid!” A broad lizardfolk with a holy symbol embedded in his chest scales- that’d be Jek Terrorscale, then. “I can’t wait to see my wife again. She’ll be beside herself when she sees her anniversary gift.”

“I’m sure she’ll have a strong reaction of one sort or another when an adventuring party shows up at her lair,” I say. “Where’s Dotti?”

“I’m letting her sleep in to get some extra rest,” Serah says, her face falling for a second, but then she brightens up. ”She grew an extra tail last night! I’m sure it took a lot out of her.”

“A third tail?” Jek smiles. “How exciting for her! We’d better watch out, or she’ll have nine before we know it.”

I shrug.

“You’re not surprised?” Jek asks.

“I already knew about it,” I say, nonplussed. “Landi gave me forewarning last night.”

“She did?” Serah purses her lips. “She’s better at picking up on magical things than I thought.”

“She’s also good at sleeping in,” I say.

“That’s fine,” Serah says. “Frankly, I’d like the chance to debate our route before we need to worry about Landi and Dotti causing any chaos.”

We all look at the map, and Serah lays out what she’s discussed with Jek last night.

The trek via caravan will take approximately two months.

We’ve planned for two weeks in the mountains. By then, if we haven’t found the Terrorscale home, it’s unlikely we’ll succeed by sticking around any longer.

Of those two weeks, we have two choices: can tackle the side of the mountain with harpies and magical beasts, or we can travel up the more wooded side with more conventional beasts, but the trip will take longer and face a more difficult climb, some of which will require roping. There’s nothing on the magical side that risks someone breaking their neck.

Of course, there’s the potential that Sir Terrorscale will get his memory back and we’ll find his shortcut home, but I wouldn’t count on it.

The question is: do we feel more confident facing magical threats, or taking a longer path and facing terrestrial beasts and terrain hazards?

The other question is… should I tell Serah that I heard Dotti crying? She probably already knows. But is it worth discussing? It’s definitely none of my business.

>>1007228
>It’s none of my business. I’ve got no right to barge in.
Do you know what knocking is?
Yes, tell Serah about the crying. Maybe it was happy tears from getting a new tail? It's a big deal for fox spirits isn't it? Also tell Serah about the warmth spell Dotti used- it seems she's experimenting with nicer forms of magic, which is very unusual for a fox.

>what path to take
Erm, depends on how good Jek and Serah are at climbing, since Landi can just fly up cliffs and Dotti should be light enough to drag along. We know the group is going to have trouble with combat since Dotti and Landi are kindof garbage at it. Well, wait, that's changed now. Dotti can use magic again which means she'll be an absolute terror in a fight. Landi is the weak link.
Still, ask if Jek and Serah are any good at mountain climbing.

I'm leaning towards the combat-heavy path. Maybe you can get a good animal companion out of it, too.
Come to think of it, isn't a magical creature your best bet? If they can understand you and think like a person, then you don't have to worry about the whole animal instincts thing being a danger to you. No need for the brute force method either. You can just come to an agreement, and they'll be almost like a traveling companion. Dotti refused because she's a fox spirit and obviously fox spirits don't do that sort of thing. Too prideful.

Just in case, ask Serah if she can find some elven knowledge for you about animals.

Magical path sounds more fun

Before you're about to decise whether to let Serah know of Dotti crying, Landi actually flies in complaining about the loud crying Dotti is making in the other room which woke her up. (Rae left the door open by accident which resulted in Landi waking up from Dotti's crying)

Maybe Terrorscale can comfort Dotti, he has experience comforting sad people considering he is a father.

>>1007231
Rae didn't open the door.

Take the magical beasts; Serah isn't skilled in any form of rock-climbing, while you know how to scout out weaknesses from beasts.

Also, consider capturing a beast.

>>1007232
Sorry, i should have been more specific. I meant Rae left her own bedroom door open after she left her room, not Dotti's door open

1/3 Raelynn 2021/08/05(Thu)20:40 No. 1007298 ID: 8483cf
File 162822124480.png - (49.17KB , 369x286 , LFT4_26.png )

At first, less combat sounds like the better option. Our last outing was very nearly a disaster. But this time, we have a paladin on our side. I haven’t seen Jek’s healing or combat prowess myself… but I have to assume that anyone who can have fourteen hatchlings with a dragon has at least a certain level of stamina. Add that to the fact that Serah and Dotti don’t have practice climbing, and combat actually seems less risky than trying to tackle sheer cliffs.

And then there’s Dotti.

I mention how she cast multiple spells when we were out for Girls’ Night, and we discuss how much we might be able to rely on her if worst comes to worst. Jek says he’s willing to trust her. Serah says so too. As for me…

Now that Dotti has her magic back, I’m going to have to keep my guard up. She’s shown she’s willing to steal from me (the comic book) and takes delight in small, petty victories. She’s a menace.

“You’re both demonstrating exceptionally poor judgment,” I say. “We shouldn’t trust Dotti. We don’t understand her, where she came from, or what her motivations are. We don’t know anything other than the fact that she takes what she wants, when she wants it.”

“Dotti has shown she is capable of generosity and compassion,” Jek says. “She helped me regain my memories.”

“You never told us how you lost your memories,” I press. “Was Dotti the one who erased them in the first place?”

“How did I lose my memories?” Jek puts a claw to his temple in contemplation. “Oh, dear. I seem to have completely forgotten.”

I glower at him.

“She’s learning quickly,” Serah says. “And she’s using her magic in ways I’ve never even heard of fox spirits doing. What was that warmth spell? Was it from your memory, or hers?”

“Definitely hers,” I say. “The illusion smelled like some kind of cinnamon pastry. I hate sugar.”

“You hate sugar?!” Jek gasps. “How horrible! Why?!”

“It’s too sweet and it makes you fat.”

Jek shakes his head sadly. “I weep for your poor, deprived taste buds.”

2/3 Raelynn 2021/08/05(Thu)20:41 No. 1007299 ID: 8483cf
File 162822127685.png - (45.89KB , 320x320 , LFT4_27.png )

I don’t dignify that with an answer. “What I’m saying is that I’m confused and concerned. Serah, I heard Dotti crying through your door this morning. What is going on?”

“You heard that?” Serah grips her arm nervously. “Well, it’s not exactly a secret. Landi’s been complaining about it for a while.”

“Complaining about what?” I press.

“Dotti’s been having nightmares,” Serah says, slightly downcast. “She’ll start crying in the middle of the night, and I don’t know how to help her. We’ve tried waking her up, but she doesn’t seem any happier after we do.”

Jek lets out a sigh. “I am not surprised,” he says. “My hatchlings slept poorly when we moved from the swamps to the mountains. It’s hard to feel safe in a strange land.”

“Safe?” I ask. “She’s protected by House Kensington. She should feel safe.”

“Safety is far more than that,” Jek says. “What have you done to make Dotti feel welcome and accepted?”

“I… gave her hugs?” Serah says.

“A good start,” Jek says. “Keep that up. If she feels like she’s constantly being judged or threatened, of course she’ll be stressed.”

“Just like a paladin,” I groan. “I should have known.”

“Known what?” Jek asks.

“That your solution is love, friendship and hugs.”

Jek just smiles and resumes eating his breakfast.

3/3 Raelynn 2021/08/05(Thu)20:46 No. 1007302 ID: 8483cf
File 162822159534.png - (76.87KB , 539x491 , LFT4_28.png )

“More hugs,” Serah notes. She looks to the map and plots our route up the mountain. “As for the ascent, it looks like we’ll be facing harpies at the least, and very likely magical beasts who’ve managed to stay alive on the same mountain as, well, a hungry dragon and her children. They’re probably eager to take a bite out of us, and clever about how they’ll do it.”

“Or they’re crafty enough to stay out of sight,” I add. “Some of the more interesting beasts are the ones you never fight at all.”

“Do you have one in mind?” Serah asks. “You’re looking to tame an animal companion, aren’t you?”

I don’t answer. I don’t have one in mind, because frankly, I’m not sure I can tame a magical beast. They’re smart, clever, and would resent being compelled to serve me. I don’t have anything tempting or valuable to bait an intelligent beast into accompanying me off that mountain, either.

“You have to have something in mind,” Serah says. “Do you like magical birds? We could look for a stormcrow. They’re intelligent, and have plenty of lightning magic of their own- there’s probably one on that mountain somewhere. Maybe you could –“

“If you’re suddenly the expert,” I interrupt, “Maybe you can tame one yourself? Do it like my great-great-grandparents did a thousand years ago? Sounds like you have it all figured out. Why don’t I learn from you?”

Serah and Jek share a glance.

I stare at the table and sulk. We all sit in silence.

“Raelynn?” Serah asks.
I don’t respond.

“I’m not an elf. I don’t know the first thing about how your great-great-grandparents did anything.”

“Yeah, well…” I scratch at the table. “I don’t know how they did it either. I was… kind of hoping you knew more about them than me.”

If Serah and Jek are shocked, I don’t care. I don’t bother looking up.

There’s another minute of silence.

“I read a few books on elven society over the ages,” Serah says softly. “There are a few theories that elves simply lived so long, and spent so much time around wild animals, that they just… trusted each other.”

“There has to be more to it than that,” I say. “Trust isn’t enough. It never is.”

“It’s just a theory,” Serah says. “I don’t have much to go on. A thousand years ago, humans were busy fighting the elves, not learning from them.”

I get up from the table I shouldn’t have expected anything useful. I’m on my own, as usual.

“I’m going to get our gear from Miss Venmiphi’s,” I say. “Lady Kensington, the discount is appreciated.”

“Wait,” Serah says. “Rae, I just want you to know that I appreciate your company. You’re a valuable member of the team. Don’t forget that, okay?”

I raise an eyebrow. Of course I’m valuable. I’m going to keep them alive for weeks in the wilderness.

I nod, turn around and leave them behind.

Ahh… sweet, sweet silence. Well, silence but for the soft jingle of coins in my pocket.

I have a few hours to myself before I have to meet up with the caravan. I’m not going to find any books on animals. So… what should I do with my last bit of free time?

You need some alone time. Anywhere but here. Go out into a garden and meditate (friendly trash skunk comes back to greet you.)

Are those markings on Jek's chest?
>I don’t have anything tempting or valuable to bait an intelligent beast into accompanying me off that mountain, either.
You sure about that? Dotti seems to want to tag along with Serah and Landi for some reason, and it doesn't seem to be money related. Perhaps a stormcrow would want to tag along with you for a similar reason. They can communicate with you and eachother. All you'd have to do is ask one if one of them is looking to team up with a ranger to go adventuring, and hope you're lucky.
You don't need to develop trust for that kind of companion, and you don't need magical brainwashing either. It'd be a straightforward business relationship. Possibly temporary, if you wind up giving the stormcrow what it wants and it doesn't want to stay with you. Possibly permanent, if the stormcrow winds up liking you. Even if it does turn out to be temporary, you'll learn from the experience and your next companion will be easier to work with. It's an easy victory from every angle.

>free time
Do you know where you can find another elf? Perhaps you could ask them about the ancient methods, just in case the stormcrow angle doesn't work out. Stormcrows sound cool though.

1/3 Raelynn 2021/08/15(Sun)20:18 No. 1008043 ID: 8483cf
File 162908390815.png - (77.39KB , 500x439 , LFT4_29.png )

I need to clear my head. I need open air, away from all these buildings. Or at least something to pretend I’m not surrounded by people.

I find my way to the edges of Minga, where the walls are thick and the buildings are set back to prevent scaling from infiltrators. Humans have learned a lot about fortified defenses- I’ve never seen the point to staying in one place for too long, but this seems like a big reason the humans ultimately won the war against my people all those years ago.

Buildings may be prohibited near the walls, but gardens are perfectly fine. There’s more than a few well-tended groves, and even one sponsored by the City Council.

It’s nice.

I take a deep breath and just… appreciate that something like this can be here.

A few minutes later, I hear something behind me. It’s a familiar face from earlier.

I kneel down and cock my head. It’s followed me? My skunk imitation was good, but I’m not the real thing. Are there even any other skunks in the City? Was I the only skunk noise it’d heard in a long time?

The skunk squeaks at me, clearly still peeved at my dismissal earlier, but still curious about me.

It wants to be around me?

It’s no animal companion, but… it wants to be near me. That means a lot to me right now.

I give it the same chirrup I gave earlier.

The skunk gives a happy pitter-pat of its paws and scampers eagerly towards me. I don’t have any treats, but it still rubs up against my leg happily.

Maybe it just wants company.

Is that all some animals want? Someone they can communicate with and share company with?

Is that what it means to be a companion? Was that how my ancestors did it?

I’ve got no idea. The elves old enough to remember those times must be olden than seven hundred, and if they’ve lived that long, they stayed far, far away from humans. If elves that old exist- if they ever existed- I won’t find any of them here. I find it very hard to believe that any elf ever lived beyond two hundred and fifty years. But these days, we’re warring, killing, and assassinating each other so much that maybe we just forgot that it was possible.

I reach out and pet the skunk. It leans into my hand, just like Dotti did.

I feel like there’s a great weight lifted from my shoulders.

Maybe I can find an animal companion.

“I can’t take you on my trip,” I tell the skunk, even though it doesn’t understand. “It’s going to be dangerous, and you’re no fighter.”

The skunk just lets me pet it.

“Will you be here when I get back?”

The skunk yawns.

“I’ll tell you all about my trip when I’m done.”

The skunk turns around and looks up at me happily. I stand up.

I chirrup.

It chirrups back.

We both go our separate ways, a little happier than before.

2/3 Raelynn 2021/08/15(Sun)20:46 No. 1008048 ID: 8483cf
File 162908561657.png - (103.63KB , 650x346 , LFT4_30.png )

I drop by the guild, clean out my room, and tie everything up in ready-to-go haversacks. Then I make a final trek across Minga to grab the last of our gear from Miss Venmiphi’s shop and grab the overnight orders from other smiths, returning that ungodly dress to Patches in the process.

I point out to Patches that Dotti’s gotten another tail, and they should make adjustments accordingly. Patches just says that Miss Venmiphi accounted for it, and that Dotti’s gear is set for up to four tails if need be.

Between fairies and fox spirits, I wonder if there’s a creature Miss Venmiphi hasn’t outfitted.

I arrive at the caravan with more than enough time to spare before we depart. I hand over the bulky gear to Landi, who dutifully places into her extradimensional inventory. That’s going to come in handy.

Jek is helping load our rented wagon. Serah is running through checklists. Dotti is… stealing paper from Serah’s stack of checklists?

I’m about to scold her, but then I realize that it’s not Serah’s stack. It’s Dotti’s. She’s packed stacks and stacks of paper and a few bags of charcoal. They must be to keep her entertained while we’re on the road- she is a bit of an artist. She’s also packed… books? But she can’t read. Even the comic she read last night was mostly pictures.

Mostly.

This is going to be an interesting trip.

“We’ve got our gear… we’ve checked out of the guild… we’re ready!” Serah declares. “Raelynn, Landi, Dotti, Sir Terrorscale: I hereby declare this adventure BEGUN!”

CHOOSE HOW TO SPEND YOUR TIME.

Raelynn can direct the party’s focus to improving the party’s combat stats, teaching members of the party new skills, and learn new skills herself. She can also try and improve her RELATIONSHIPS, but this is draining, and she can only improve one at a time.

Stats are shown as Current Level / Soft Cap for that particular individual. Soft caps can be increased via special methods. Some stats are unknown until figured out by either the individual, or correctly guessed by advisory spirits.

-Strength: Damage with melee weapons not relying on finesse. Increases carrying capacity.
-Dexterity: Increases odds to dodge attacks, and affects accuracy of ranged weapons.
-Toughness: Higher toughness means higher chance to ignore damage, and can imbibe more potions at once.
-Magical Resilience: Odds of resisting magical attacks. This stat represents innate ability to resist, and can only be added to a stat sheet via special means. Once a character has it, it can be leveled up as normal.
- Mana Efficiency: Only applies to creatures that use their mana or dust pools to cast spells. Characters that use distillations or prepared spells do not have this stat.

- The trip with the caravan will take approximately EIGHT WEEKS. After this, it becomes DANGEROUS on foot, and Raelynn can no longer spend time to improve stats, skills or relationships.
- Each week, Rae can spend time points (TP) to train a party member to improve their stats. One TP = one specific stat improvement. Stats past level 5 require 2 TP to increase by 1.
- HP can only be increased by 1 every month, and requires additional TP to increase based on its level past 3 HP. Specifically: HP 1 to 2: 1 TP, HP 2 to 3: 1 TP, HP 3 to 4: 2 TP, HP 4 to 5: 3 TP.
-Skills take FOUR WEEKS to learn and cost ONE TP each week.

3/3 Raelynn 2021/08/15(Sun)21:03 No. 1008050 ID: 8483cf
File 162908661164.png - (50.71KB , 1000x362 , Combat Panels2.png )

The party’s current STATS are:

Serah:
HP: 3
Strength: 4/6 (Jotund’s might increases strength and soft cap)
Toughness: 2/5
Dexterity: 2/4
???: 0/4
???: 0/3

Landi:
Strength: 0/0
Mana Efficiency: 1/5
Dexterity: 1/10
Magical Resilience: 2/10
???: 0/3
???: 0/???

Raelynn:
HP: 3
Strength: 2/4
Dexterity: 4/7
Wild Magic: 1/5
???: 1/5
???: 0/3

Dotti:
HP: 1
Strength: 1/2
Dexterity: 1/5
Fire Magic: 3/8
Mind Magic: 2/5
Illusion Magic: 1/5
Mana Efficiency: 1/4
???: 1/5
???: 0/2

Jek:
HP: 5
Armor: 5
Strength: 5/7
Toughness: 7/8
Dexterity: 3/4
Magical Resilience: 1/1
Healing Magic: 3/5
Faith: 3/3

Skills in parenthesis are skills eligible to be practiced and learned over time.
The Party’s current SKILLS are:

Serah:
-Alchemy: Transmutations, Mutagens, Potions, Elixirs, Bombs, Oils, and Distillations
-Political Knowledge
-Historical Knowledge
-Charisma and Social Graces
(Alchemy: Concentrates, Philtres, Infusions)

Landi:
-Fae Knowledge
-Magical Knowledge
-Party Knowledge
(Magical Knowledge: Forgotten Spells from College)
(Summoning)
(Charisma and Social Graces)

Raelynn:
-Survival and Beast Knowledge
-Druidic Knowledge
-Wild Magic: Camouflage, Beast Domination
(Wild Magic: Forgotten Spells)

Dotti:
-Art
-Spiritual Link
(Literacy)
(Charisma and Social Graces)

Jek:
- Draconic Knowledge
- Divine Knowledge
- Dad Knowledge


YOU MAY SUGGEST ADDITIONAL SKILLS TO LEARN, AND GUESS AT HIDDEN STATS.

RELATIONSHIP IMPROVEMENTS ARE FREE, BUT RAE CAN ONLY IMPROVE ONE AT A TIME.

The party has only THREE TP this week due to learning how to travel together and being irritated with not having fluffy beds.

Teach Serah to use her Jotund juice to the fullest, and beyond! Boost Strength to 5.
Then spend time increasing Dotti's HP.
Spend time getting to know Jek, the newest party member.

* Serah -> +1 HP
* Dotti -> +1 HP
Get the HP increases out of the way.

Here's my overall plan:
Serah is a melee fighter and thus should focus on Toughness, maybe get one or two more points in strength, and raise her max hp to 4. That'll cost 5-7 tp.
Landi needs mana efficiency for not dying and dexterity for dodging and she should get her magic skills back. That's gonna cost 12-15 TP. Do projectile-based spells count as ranged weapons and thus use dex for accuracy?
Dotti should level up HP twice, and we should grant her wish of being more of a person and teach her both of her desired skills. So, 10 TP in all. Wouldn't hurt to spend some TP on magic stats too.
Jek doesn't need help, really. He should just help Rae with training the others.

Week 1(month 1):
Dotti train HP.
Dotti learn Literacy. (1/4)
Landi learn Summoning. (1/4)

Rae work on your relationship with Serah.

Guess stats: Dotti has Compassion, Rae has Animal Empathy, Serah has Leadership, Landi has... fae glamour?

Wait, Serah has no armor at all? Shouldn't she have some basic armor of some sort? Well whatever she can just use protective potions I guess. Or is Jek's 5 armor stat from his scales?

>>1008050
I'm going to guess Landi's second hidden stat is HP: 0/???
She might want to strengthen up enough to like, take A punch?

1/2 Raelynn 2021/08/16(Mon)21:56 No. 1008119 ID: 8483cf
File 162917621165.png - (59.58KB , 390x475 , LFT4_31.png )

Dotti’s too frail to last long in a fight. If she goes down, she’s not getting back up without some better reflexes. I spend some time teaching her how to duck, weave and roll if worst comes to worst. She might have been nimble and confident as fox, but she’s not used to walking and fighting on two legs.

Dotti has gained +1 HP!

Dotti’s drained at the end of each day, but she still finds energy to memorize letters and sounds that go with them. Unfortunately, she can’t make the sounds herself; her vocal cords and mouth are more vulpine than humanoid. I can tell it’s frustrating her, but she’s channeling that anger into motivation to learn all she can.

Dotti has made progress towards Literacy! [1/4]

I’m torn on how to use the little time we have left. It’ll be important to make Serah the best frontliner she can be, but I don’t know whether to let her rely on her mind (and alchemical potions) or body (via training). Ultimately, she will likely get more bang for her bullion through alchemical buffs than she will doing push-ups, so I decide to put her training off until next week.

Landi, meanwhile, is a problem. She has so much potential, and so little willingness to tap it.

I spend time questioning what she’s good at, and occasionally mention how dangerous the adventuring life is. She goes quiet when she remembers how she almost died during the last fight.

Landi begins to appreciate the value of preparation, and perhaps finding ways to fight that don’t put her at such a high risk of dying.

Landi has made progress towards Summoning![1/4]

This week, I decide to get to know Jek better.

He’s a friendly lizardfolk, content to do most of the talking. I’m grateful for that.

I ask about his weapons. He uses an unusual polearm that looks like a voulge on one side and a guisarme on the other, with a wickedly sharp tip in the center. He doesn’t remember the name of the weapon, but does know that he can throw it, and then call it back to him to fight aerial targets. The sharp, frilled cleaver-like voulge is enchanted with dragon’s fire and folds back when thrown, and the whole spear catches flame in flight. It’s quite a sight.

His shield is so reflective it can blind targets at the right angle, even on cloudy days. I think that’s enchanted too.

Finally, his scales are scarred, but very tough. Even the pitted scales are thick. His holy symbol is directly embedded in his chest scales- he’s a paladin of Tate Yempi, the lizardfolk god of life. I ask what exactly “life” is supposed to cover. He says the core tenets are hard to translate, but the closest translation is “resilience, rejuvenation, and resourcefulness.”

Jek is mostly called by Tate Yempi to protect and nurture lizardfolk communities in their most troubled times, usually on the edges of civilization, even by lizardfolk standards. He wishes he could spend more time with his family, but is confident that his wife, Mai, has everything under control.

I ponder what a powerful ally a highly-trained paladin, married to a dragoness, would be for a lizardfolk community under attack, or being taken advantage of by other species. Jek’s presence alone would be an incredible mediating factor, let alone how dangerous he would be if push came to shove.

I’m glad he’s on our side.

Rae’s relationship with Jek has improved!

2/2 Raelynn 2021/08/16(Mon)21:58 No. 1008120 ID: 8483cf
File 162917628294.png - (54.36KB , 1000x379 , Combat Panels3.png )

Stats change from last week: Dotti HP +1
Skills change from last week: D: Literacy 1/4, L: Summoning 1/4
Rae’s hidden stat has been revealed: WILD EMPATHY! More practice means better communication and better odds of recruiting animal companions.
Serah’s hidden stat has been revealed: LEADERSHIP! With Rae’s encouragement, she can potentially develop her charisma to embolden allies and strike fear in battle, and use diplomacy and reputation outside of battle.
Dotti’s hidden stat has been revealed: COMPASSION! This stat cannot be leveled up traditionally, and is soft capped at each level (Last week’s 1/5 was an error).

CURRENT STATS:

Serah:
HP: 3
Strength: 4/6 (Jotund’s might increases strength and soft cap)
Toughness: 2/5
Dexterity: 2/4
Leadership: 0/4
???: 0/3

Landi:
Strength: 0/0
Mana Efficiency: 1/5
Dexterity: 1/10
Magical Resilience: 2/10
???: 0/3
???: 0/???

Raelynn:
HP: 3
Strength: 2/4
Dexterity: 4/7
Wild Magic: 1/5
Wild Empathy: 1/5
???: 0/3

Dotti:
HP: 2
Strength: 1/2
Dexterity: 1/5
Fire Magic: 3/8
Mind Magic: 2/5
Illusion Magic: 1/5
Mana Efficiency: 1/4
Compassion: 1/1
???: 0/2

Jek:
HP: 5
Armor: 5
Strength: 5/7
Toughness: 7/8
Dexterity: 3/4
Magical Resilience: 1/1
Healing Magic: 3/5
Faith: 3/3

CHOOSE HOW TO SPEND YOUR TIME.

WEEK 2: This week, the party has SIX TP. It’s the honeymoon period! Landi’s promise to be on her best behavior last week has paid off, and everyone is getting along. For now.

A boon of TP! Start Serah on a physical and mental regimen - 2 TP on strength, and work on her skill with mutagens. You want her to be able to provide you with the very best craftsmanship upon resolving her end of the bargain, after all.
Get Landi and Dotti doing magic pushups. Train that mana efficiency!
And through it all, take some time to appreciate nature and train your wild empathy.

-2TP +1 HP Serah
-2TP +1 HP Raelynn
-1TP +1 Mana Efficiency Landi
-1TP +1 Mana Efficiency Dotti

>>1008120
Okay...

Dotti: Literacy training (2/4)
Dotti: boost mana efficiency
Landi: Summoning training (2/4)
Landi: boost mana efficiency
Serah: start learning Alchemy: Concentrates, Philtres, Infusions (1/4)
Raelynn: boost Wild Empathy

Work on your relationship with Serah.
Hidden stat guesses: Serah has healing magic, Landi has toughness, Raelynn has Stealth, Dotti has faith.

>>1008121
>mutagens
Oh, good idea. I'd support getting better mutagens.

Week 2 (1/2) Raelynn 2021/08/17(Tue)18:13 No. 1008188 ID: 8483cf
File 162924920442.png - (103.44KB , 581x463 , LFT4_32.png )

The second week of the trip is productive and blissfully conflict-free. Serah is learning how to sleep on less-than-fluffy surfaces, and Dotti’s apparently sleeping well too. All the studying and training is keeping her mind occupied. Good.

I’m not particularly good at teaching magic, but Serah knows enough theory that she can coach Landi and Dotti to ease up on their casting motions, letting their mana flow more freely and naturally without wasting too much. We draw a bit of an audience at Dotti’s show of fire magic and Landi’s space-time defying portals. The lessons inevitably end when Landi runs low on dust and refuses to be seen for hours. We could probably get more out of the day if she stuck around until she was fully drained, but I’d be lying if I said that Landi’s absence in the afternoons wasn’t at least part of the reason why this week has been going so well, so I don’t push it.

Landi and Dotti have each improved their Mana Efficiency by 1!

I try communicating with the horses and oxen in the caravan. They flick their ears and generally focus more on work than talk, but at least one of the leads is open to communicating with me. Over the course of a week, she noticeably perks up whenever I visit.

She’s a nice horse. Maybe I can get animals to like me, with a little more practice.

Raelynn has improved her Wild Empathy by 1!

It didn’t take Dotti long to memorize Alsatian letters, but phonetics are more difficult, especially since she can’t communicate her confusion about specific pronunciations. I find myself having to tag-team with Serah when her eagerness to learn outstrips my own ability to describe concepts like grammar- I’ve I’ve always taken it for granted, and I’ve never been much of a reader.

Serah, Jek and I take turns reading books aloud to Dotti, and letting her tug on our sleeves when she needs clarification. It’s slow going, but hopefully it pays off in the end.

Dotti has made progress towards Literacy! [2/4]

Landi is spending time scribbling geometric symbols on papers, then inevitably ripping them up in frustration. I see scraps of fae writings lying on the floor of the wagon, glimmering at night, disappearing in the morning.

Landi has made progress towards Summoning![2/4]

This week, I decide to try and improve my relationship with Serah. She and I are spending more time together, it only makes sense. At first it’s strategizing for combat, but soon we’re talking about books we might pick up for Dotti at the upcoming trade hub, Ostdaltingen.

Serah thinks it’s best to pick up the books she read growing up, but I think we should find something a little less focused on ancient noble houses and romanticized tales of chivalry, and perhaps focus on rugged adventure stories. Chivalry Dotti would probably appreciate reading about brave adventurers like us, instead of shining paragons of virtue that in all likelihood never existed.

If Serah grew up reading about stories of perfect people, it’s no wonder she’s so focused on unattainable success. Which is also probably why she hates me bringing up the idea of mutagens. She tells me about the accident she had at the adventurer’s guild where she first brewed up her Jotund Juice and made a blunder mixing it with Lesser Dragon Armor, with Landi hardly helping resolve the issue. Serah calls it the second-worst day of her life.

Frankly, if that’s the second-worst day of her life, she’s had it pretty good. But I don’t say that.

I not-so-subtly say that I hope she does better for my mutagen. Serah buries her head in her arms.

Serah has made progress towards Concoctions and Improved Mutagens! Concoctions are safe mixtures of Mutagens.[1/4]

Rae’s relationship with Serah has improved!

Week 2: 2/2 Raelynn 2021/08/17(Tue)18:15 No. 1008189 ID: 8483cf
File 162924930472.png - (54.93KB , 1000x379 , Combat Panels4.png )

Stats change from last week: Dotti Mana Efficiency +1, Landi Mana Efficiency +1, Raelynn Wild Empathy +1
Skills Change from Last week: S Improved Mutagens & Concoctions 1/4, D Literacy 2/4, L Summoning 2/4
No hidden stats have been revealed.


CURRENT STATS:

Serah:
HP: 3
Strength: 4/6 (Jotund’s might increases strength and soft cap)
Toughness: 2/5
Dexterity: 2/4
Leadership: 0/4
???: 0/3

Landi:
Strength: 0/0
Mana Efficiency: 2/5
Dexterity: 1/10
Magical Resilience: 2/10
???: 0/3
???: 0/???

Raelynn:
HP: 3
Strength: 2/4
Dexterity: 4/7
Wild Magic: 1/5
Wild Empathy: 2/5
???: 0/3

Dotti:
HP: 2
Strength: 1/2
Dexterity: 1/5
Fire Magic: 3/8
Mind Magic: 2/5
Illusion Magic: 1/5
Mana Efficiency: 2/4
Compassion: 1/1
???: 0/2

Jek:
HP: 5
Armor: 5
Strength: 5/7
Toughness: 7/8
Dexterity: 3/4
Magical Resilience: 1/1
Healing Magic: 3/5
Faith: 3/3

CHOOSE HOW TO SPEND YOUR TIME.

WEEK 3: This week, the party has FIVE TP. Landi is upset at how Rae is making her almost run out of dust every day, and she’s peeved.

Continue all the skill training. That leaves us with 2 TP. Train Dotti's Dex and Serah's Leadership. Hang out with Dotti, that's like training your animal and human empathy at the same time.

As an addendum to the above:

Skill training can be put on hold, if necessary. Also, the five TP you have this week does not account for skill training, so the party, if it continues training skills, only has TWO TP this week to spend on stats.

Because I didn't make it very clear, here are what strength and dex are used for specifically for Serah, Dotti, Landi and Rae:

Strength: Carrying capacity, melee attack accuracy and damage, grappling, and dominating/overpowering foes. Very high strength gives you a chance to simply deny attacks by opponents via overwhelming force and aggression.

Dex: Dodging attacks, ranged attack accuracy(only of limited benefit to targeted ranged spells; mostly for projectiles), damage for finesse-based weapons such as rapiers and armor-piercing weapons, pickpocketing, stealth checks. Ranged attack damage is mostly based on enhancements to the weapons, or strength if thrown.

Also, you can suggest books for Dotti this week.

-1TP +1 STR Serah
-1TP +1 DEX Raelynn

Bond with Landi, ask if there's a way to make her less embarrassed when she drains her magic.

>>1008189
Continue skill training.

Serah: boost leadership
Raelynn: boost dexterity

Work on your relationship with Landi. See if you can get her to understand how important the mana efficiency training is for her- it makes her more durable *and* more dangerous. Also since you're going to continue training Dotti, she might get outpaced... That said, it's ok if she takes a break.

Hidden stat guesses: Dotti has shapeshifting, Landi has light magic, Serah has charisma, Raelynn has some kinda psychic power that's letting her see untapped potential.

Books:
Adventures of Tintin
Harry Potter
A Wrinkle in Time

Week 3: 1/2 Raelynn 2021/08/18(Wed)21:40 No. 1008284 ID: 8483cf
File 162934803643.png - (102.61KB , 530x542 , LFT4_33.png )

The caravan stops in Ostdaltingen for two days to catch our breath. Ordinarily that would mean we have more time to train, but in this case, we’re a little too focused on keeping Dotti and Landi in line. It’s been three hard weeks on the road and they’ve remembered what fresh bread and wine taste like.

At first I’m nervous, but instead of causing chaos, Dotti is just… spending hours and hours waving a sign all over town. I finally get a good look at it, and it just says PETRA

I ask her what it means, and she writes another word down, so it says FIND PETRA

“Who’s Petra?”

FRIEND

…Dotti has friends?

I try to get more out of her, but she’s taken off waving the sign again, and I have to go chase her down. She’s got a mind of her own.

Serah picks up a book to occupy Dotti once she gets better at reading and the caravan is rolling again. It’s called There Is Such a Thing as a Tesseract.

Dotti has made progress towards Literacy! [3/4]

With the break, Serah finally has time to visit the local adventuring guild and spend a few hours in the lab. When she joins us at the caravan for the evening, she’s tired and obviously stressed.

Serah has made progress towards Concoctions and Improved Mutagens![2/4]

I try and remind Serah that she has a responsibility not just to the party, but to herself. Just like I need to keep my body in shape, she needs to keep her mind clear and focused on what matters: leading us safely through trouble.

I tell her she has the right posture for a leader, but she has to get used to acting with authority. I tell her about my mother, a matriarch of my Druidic Circle. My mother’s leadership style was cold and harsh, but she had the Circle’s best interests first and foremost, and everyone knew it.

If Serah can get used to thinking of us as a group instead of focusing on the (many) flaws in us as individuals, maybe she can get us to work together just a little better.

Serah has improved her Leadership by 1!

Landi takes a week off magical training, but I still find more and more scraps of fae scribbles lying around. This time, the ink is actually glowing, and the glimmer sticks around until the morning’s first light.

I try and learn a little more about what Landi’s doing, and she’s happy to fill me in. Apparently, her major in college was space-time manipulation, but she minored in contracts. I ask how close a thing it was that she graduated, and she giggles without answering the question.

If she’s proud of her magic, then she should have no problem showing it off. I take the opportunity to broach the subject of dust drainage. None of us care if Landi runs out of dust; it’s not a big deal unless she makes it one.

She sputters at me and goes on a rant about how running out of glowyness is indecent, weird-looking, and hideously dull.

I get an idea.

“What if running out of dust wasn’t indecent, weird-looking, or hideously dull?”

“Literally impossible,” Landi says. “But go on.”

“You’re going to run out of dust sooner or later. That means you’ve given everything you have to protect us. Possibly save our very lives.” I take a breath. “That’s very heroic, and you should feel good about it. I have a feeling that adventuring fairies run out of dust more often than college bookworms do.”

“I suppose…”

“What if we get you a nice sparkly outfit to wear? That way you’re presentable even without dust.”

“Ooooh! Sparkly outfits are EXPENSIVE!” Landi squees. “Can I get one? Can I?”

“If it means you’ll be comfortable giving it your all, I think I can convince Serah to make the investment. But we might have to wait until she finishes her transmutation.”

“It would be pretty brave of me to run out of dust,” Landi ponders. “And if I’m still sparkly, even if I’m not glowy per se… Well, it’s a different fashion, and way more risqué than I’m used to.”

“Landi,” I say, “Have you seen some outfits adventurers wear?”

That gets a giggle out of her.

Landi has made progress towards Summoning! [3/4]

Rae’s relationship with Landi has improved!

Finally, I spend the rest of my spare time perfecting my stretching exercises and honing my aim with my bow. The few days of rest are just what I need, and everything starts to click.

…and at night, when the caravan starts moving again and there’s no one to see, I have time to shut my right eye and retrain my left.

Just a little.

Raelynn has improved her Dexterity by 1!

Week 3: 2/2 Raelynn 2021/08/18(Wed)21:41 No. 1008285 ID: 8483cf
File 162934806038.png - (34.46KB , 379x197 , LFT4_34.png )

Stats change from last week: Serah Leadership +1, Raelynn Dex +1
Skills Change from Last week: S Improved Mutagens & Concoctions 2/4, D Literacy 3/4, L Summoning 3/4
No hidden stats have been revealed.


CURRENT STATS:

Serah:
HP: 3
Strength: 4/6 (Jotund’s might increases strength and soft cap)
Toughness: 2/5
Dexterity: 2/4
Leadership: 1/4
???: 0/3

Landi:
Strength: 0/0
Mana Efficiency: 2/5
Dexterity: 1/10
Magical Resilience: 2/10
???: 0/3
???: 0/???

Raelynn:
HP: 3
Strength: 2/4
Dexterity: 5/7
Wild Magic: 1/5
Wild Empathy: 2/5
???: 0/3

Dotti:
HP: 2
Strength: 1/2
Dexterity: 1/5
Fire Magic: 3/8
Mind Magic: 2/5
Illusion Magic: 1/5
Mana Efficiency: 2/4
Compassion: 1/1
???: 0/2

Jek:
HP: 5
Armor: 5
Strength: 5/7
Toughness: 7/8
Dexterity: 3/4
Magical Resilience: 1/1
Healing Magic: 3/5
Faith: 3/3

CHOOSE HOW TO SPEND YOUR TIME.

WEEK 4: This week, the party has FIVE TP. Serah is doubting herself, and spending a little less time helping train Landi and Dotti than she would be otherwise.

Continue skills, good on Dotti and Landi for finishing those. Train Serah's leadership to boost her confidence, and Jek's healing magic. Hand out with Serah more.

Continue skill training.

Serah: boost strength.
Raelynn: boost wild empathy.

Work on your relationship with Serah. See if you can cheer her up.

Hidden stat guesses: Serah has battle tactics, Landi has space-time magic, Raelynn has WEIRD EYE POWERS, Dotti has ghost-related magic. Not sure if that last one is called necromancy or something else. I mean, she came back from the dead, shouldn't she still have a connection to the other side?

Give Serah a break from mutagens improvement and work on strength: Hopefully it'll give her some confidence she did a good job on her jotund mutagen.

Any way to sort Landi's sparkly dress? Maybe Sera can treat a dress alchemically if there's nothing suitable?

A little worried about how squishy Dotti is still, so let's get her more used to her new body and train dex as well as literacy.

Serah: Strength +1, Leadership
Landi: Train Summoning
Dotti: Train Literacy and Dexterity.

Improve relationship with Serah.

Maybe Serah has some sort of nobility hidden skill? She is a Lady after all. Seems like there'd be a lot of overlap with Leadership though. Decorum? Charisma? Moneybags?

I bet Dotti's hidden skill is "Is A Fox".

Week 4: 1/3 Raelynn 2021/08/19(Thu)23:57 No. 1008387 ID: 8483cf
File 162944263883.png - (243.31KB , 674x976 , LFT4_35.png )

I’m walking alongside the caravan and feel a tug on my sleeve.

I turn, and am greeted with a sign in my face.

[Hello! My name is Dotti. I wrote this all by myself, without any help! Please give me lots of yummy treats.]

“Congratulations, Dotti,” I say. “It’s a very pretty sign.”

Dotti smiles. She pulls out her charcoal stick and writes on a piece of paper taped to the back of the sign.

[I am going to go get ALL THE TREATS!]

She dashes off around the caravan wagons, holding up her sign. There’s a few kind-hearted travelers who know her by now, and soon she’s munching happily on yummy treats.

I’m concerned about her diet, but for now, I guess she deserves a bit of celebration.

Dotti has completed Literacy! [4/4]

The next day, Landi clears her throat and makes an announcement.

“Ahem! I have a very important announcement to make!”

Serah turns her head. So does Jek. I do not. Neither does Dotti.

“Well, fifty-fifty ain’t bad,” Landi says. “Guess what? I can summon minions now!”

“Minions?” Serah asks. “Is this related to all the writing you’ve been doing?”

“Sort of!” Landi says. “I’m not really ready for big summons or big risks, but I think I can call Djinn friends from Fairy College. They still owe me a favor or two. Hehe! Won’t they be surprised when I call it in!”

“I’m only passingly familiar with summon magic,” Jek says, voice full of concern, “But if you summon a Djinn for a fight, aren’t you putting them in danger?”

“Nah!” Landi says. “I’m not good enough to summon their true form. It’s like… I’m giving them a magic link to send a projection of themselves through, you know? And they power it, and give it shape, and stuff, so it doesn’t take too much effort on my end. And they have to answer my call or it’s SUPER RUDE.”

“What Djinns do you know?” Serah asks, curious.

“I know a fire Djinn! She’s hot. And an ice Djinn, and a wind Djinn, and a few others,” Landi says. “I’ll try and remember who owes me for bringing tons of booze to those parties. They’re not very powerful Djinns, but they’re super fun to party with!

Landi can now use Summon Magic! CHOOSE A DJINN FOR LANDI TO TRY SUMMONING.

Week 4: 2/3 Raelynn 2021/08/20(Fri)00:00 No. 1008388 ID: 8483cf
File 162944280233.png - (85.25KB , 500x500 , Contract.png )

Landi's completion of SUMMONING [4/4] refreshes her memory of CONTRACTING! Landi gains one free skill point.

The next day, I walk up to Serah and find her looking down on her mutagen notes. She’s unsure of herself. A little lost and frustrated.

Well, there’s nothing that’ll take her mind off that like some good old-fashioned woodland warrior therapy: exercise, workouts, and drills. All with lots and lots of push-ups.

Serah’s not doing so well at first. She’s obviously used to getting her strength from a bottle: from potions and her mutagen. She hasn’t worked out a day in her life, and her form is horrible.

I fix that soon enough. Serah’s still pretty strong, though, and body-weight exercises only go so far. I have to make a bit of a game of finding things to put on her back to weigh her down, and eventually I’m sitting on a fully geared-up Serah’s back, wearing all my gear too.

“Can I… stop… now?” Serah pleads.

“No.”

“Now?”

“If you stop before I say stop, I’ll have to punish you.”

“Punish me?!”

“You’ll be doing even more push-ups, only this time it’ll be Jek sitting on you.”

Serah doesn’t like that one bit. She keeps going, and after a few more sets, I can feel her giving out for real. I hop off her back before she hurts herself. “Good. You’re done for now.”

She collapses, sweating and gasping. “I want a shower. I want to forget that push-ups exist.”

“Push-ups make you strong,” I say. “Push-ups are good for the spirit. Push-ups feel good.”

“I don’t feel that good…”

I shrug. “Well, I didn’t say it would feel good right now. Fitness is just delayed gratification. You’re leading Landi and Dotti by example.”

Serah has increased her strength by 1!

I coach Serah through more workouts, and at the same time, keep providing her encouragement. Dotti and Landi both cheer her on from the sidelines, and soon it’s a team exercise. Jek is the towel boy.

Serah begins to appreciate the support, and I can tell she feels just a little bit proud of her team. She’s giving it her all- and for a little bit, she’s forgotten all about whining, and how stressed she is over her mutagen studies.

As the week draws to a close, I ask Serah about how we can make Dotti and Landi feel the way she did this week. Serah brightens, and she comes up with some pretty good ideas- alchemically-enhanced sparkly clothing for Landi, more books for Dotti as rewards for steadily pushing them to improve themselves. As long as they’re happy, they’re likely to try harder.

I’m not sure happiness is the best indicator of success; it’s never really been a factor for me. But if Serah thinks it’ll work, we can try her plan out.

Serah has increased her Leadership by 1!

Raelynn’s relationship with Serah has improved!

Week 4: 3/3 Raelynn 2021/08/20(Fri)00:04 No. 1008393 ID: 8483cf
File 162944306863.png - (99.03KB , 401x485 , LFT4_36.png )

Stats change from last week: Landi: Contracting +1 (Bonus from learning summon magic!); Serah Leadership +1; Serah Strength +1
Skills change from last week: D: Literacy 4/4, L: Summoning 4/4, S Improved Mutagens & Concoctions 3/4
Rae’s hidden stat has been revealed: BLINDSIGHT! Low levels grant Rae perfect vision, even in lightless areas. Higher levels allow Rae to see through objects. This stat is special and disappears once maxed, replaced with a new, better stat.
Landi’s hidden stat has been revealed: CONTRACTING! Leveling up this stat allows Landi to better word the terms of her summon spells and contracts, allowing her to “enlist” the help of more powerful entities with less risk. Leveling this stat also grants Landi and Serah additional abilities through adding clauses to their adventuring contract.
Dotti’s hidden stat has been revealed: SPIRITUAL MAGIC, A.K.A. IS A FOX! This stat indicates Dotti’s level of foxy power. The lowest level allows Dotti to shape the yin and yang of her aura to influence the unseen, such as attract or repel spiritually sensitive entities. Higher levels allow Dotti to steal life force, possess the bodies of others, and grants her authority over the spirits of the dead, and all sorts of magical foxy things. The soft cap of this stat is the number of Dotti’s tails minus one.



CURRENT STATS:

Serah:
HP: 3
Strength: 5/6 (Jotund’s might increases strength and soft cap)
Toughness: 2/5
Dexterity: 2/4
Leadership: 2/4
???: 0/3

Landi:
Strength: 0/0
Mana Efficiency: 2/5
Dexterity: 1/10
Magical Resilience: 2/10
Contracting: 1/3
???: 0/???

Raelynn:
HP: 3
Strength: 2/4
Dexterity: 5/7
Wild Magic: 1/5
Wild Empathy: 2/5
Blindsight: 0/3

Dotti:
HP: 2
Strength: 1/2
Dexterity: 1/5
Fire Magic: 3/8
Mind Magic: 2/5
Illusion Magic: 1/5
Mana Efficiency: 2/4
Compassion: 1/1
Spiritual Magic: 0/2

Jek:
HP: 5
Armor: 5
Strength: 5/7
Toughness: 7/8
Dexterity: 3/4
Magical Resilience: 1/1
Healing Magic: 3/5
Faith: 3/3

CHOOSE HOW TO SPEND YOUR TIME, AND WHAT DJINN LANDI SHOULD TRY SUMMONING.

WEEK 5: This week, the party has FIVE TP. Landi is agonizing over which Djinn to summon, Serah is stressed from learning skills and Dotti is busy reading Tesseract, but everyone is energized by Jek pulling out the big guns and using some secret herbs and spices.

>>1008393
ALRIGHT. It's time. Time for the fox to learn how to be less of a little shit.

Dotti: start learning Charisma and Social Graces (1/4)
Dotti: boost HP.
Serah: continue Improved Mutagens & Concoctions (3/4)
Landi: boost Contracting
Landi: start learning Magical Knowledge: Forgotten Spells from College (1/4)

Hmm, well, we're going into the mountains, which will be cold. I don't think we want to summon an ice djinn since everything there will be resistant to cold, and I'm not sure how effective the wind djinn would be. Let's go with the fire djinn for now.
Also yes let's try to get that sparkly outfit for Landi so she can train mana efficiency next week.

Improve your relationship with Dotti. Pretty important when teaching her to be a person.

Hidden stat guesses: Serah has necromancy, Landi has shapeshifting.

-1TP +1 HP Dotti
-1TP +1 Contracting Landi
-1TP +1 Blindsight Raelynn
-2TP +1 Strength Serah

Summon Wind/Earth Djinn (Her family argues so much)
Bond with Dotti

Serah: Charisma
Landi: Pride

have Landi summon the wind djinn we are going up a mountain and a safety net would be appreciated even if we don’t end up needing it.

-2TP Dotti and Landi group session: Charisma & social graces. (Maybe a bit overdue.)
-1TP Dotti: spiritual magic.
-1TP Raelynn: wild empathy.
-1TP Landi: contracting

Relationship: Dotti
Skill guess for Landi: spatial manipulation

Use a TP to work on Serah's confidence and lower stress by going to strip poker!

Mainly want to get a start on these new skills, and see if anything nice happens from capping Strength considering it's mutagen affected. Also Serah being stronger than Jek might be funny.

Serah: +1 Strength (2TP), Improve Mutagens
Landi: +1 Contracting
Rae: +1 Blindsight.

Improve relationship with Dotti.

Serah skill guess: Knowledge of other magic disciplines? Landi: Fairy Godmothering or Navigation.

Oh and go with the ice djinn. Ice is versatile, and might be handy up in the mountains.

Try calling the ice djinn. We could use a disabler, and see if there's synergy with jotun abilities.
Finish studying mutagens. Sadly, no second skill for Serah, but this gives her more time to train stats!
New month, new HP training. Train Dotti's HP and spiritual magic, Landi's magic resilience, and Raelynn's blindsight. For the last few weeks, once we've gotten the basics down in stats, we should probably focus back on the strongest stats.

Oh, and hang out with Landi.

Week 5: 1/3 Raelynn 2021/08/21(Sat)15:26 No. 1008501 ID: 8483cf
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If we’re going to be putting Dotti and Landi in front of Jek’s wife- a dragoness with a name like Terrorscale- I want to make sure they don’t get us into trouble. Serah agrees. She takes time to teach Dotti the basic niceties of polite society, and that dragon hoards, while shiny, are not to be touched under any circumstances.

Landi takes offense at the idea that she would need to be included in this discussion, and immediately disappears to “work” on summoning a Djinn. Neither Serah nor I are going to force the issue- if worst comes to worst, we can make Landi promise not to get drunk during the visit, and that should keep us out of harm’s way.

Dotti treats this all as if it’s very obvious, but when Jek mentions that Mai had a bit of a habit in her youth of eating adventurers who didn’t show proper respect, Dotti listens much more carefully. She’s obviously nervous about meeting Mai, and she even asks me to give her more training on how to survive if someone, for example, swipes at her with a set of dragon claws.

I take her on my morning runs. Dotti isn’t the most eager student of cardio, but all I have to do is make a few miniature dragon roars and she picks up the pace.

As we run, and as Dotti’s distracted behind me, panting and gasping, I shift my bangs aside and practice moving with the dim senses from my scarred, ruined eye instead of my good one.

Dotti has increased her HP by 1!
Dotti has made progress towards Charisma and Social Graces! [1/4]
Raelynn has improved her Blindsight by 1!

We’re getting further north this week, and it’s time to break in our cold-weather gear. Dotti absolutely loves her new coat, but she loves her new tail even more.

“You look happy,” I say, a brilliant observer as ever. Dotti nods happily.

I figure I should take advantage of her attention now that she can communicate, and that she’s not off causing chaos or begging for treats.

“Back at Ostdaltingen,” I say. “You spent hours and hours looking for someone named Petra. Who is she, really?”

Dotti stares at the ground for a minute. She picks up her sign and charcoal, writes a word, but falters. She looks up at me with her big, beady eyes and waves her arms, desperately trying to convey whatever it is she’s feeling.

“You can take your time,” I say. “I don’t mind waiting for you to pick the right words. Really.”

I pause for a moment, then put a hand on her shoulder.

Dotti sniffles and nods, obviously grateful. After a short minute of silence, she picks up her charcoal again.

[Petra fed me when I was starving. Petra hugged me and kept me warm. Petra was the nicest girl in the whole world. Petra saved my life, and then we were attacked. I need to know if I saved hers, or]

Dotti can’t finish the sentence.

“It’s okay,” I say. “I understand now.”

Dotti sniffles again.

I’m really not sure if I should hug her right now, but I do it anyway.

Raelynn’s relationship with Dotti has improved!

Week 5: 2/3 Raelynn 2021/08/21(Sat)15:31 No. 1008505 ID: 8483cf
File 162958507319.png - (157.85KB , 412x678 , LFT4_38.png )

“All right ladies and gentle-lizards, hold on to your butts!” Landi declares. “Genice is one of my besties from college. She’s an Ice Djinn, so she should be able to use her powers around Serah without freezing her ‘cause of that awesome Jotund Juice. But, uh, don’t expect her to be a quick thinker. Her train of thought is more of a glacier. So whatever you do, do NOT ask her any questions AT ALL. You will be waiting all day for an answer.”

Dotti grabs her sign and writes:

[WOW! She’s even dumber than u? No wonder u like her!]

“Why did you teach her to write? Why? Why was that necessary?” Landi asks Serah.

“Dotti, remember what I told you about how to fit in in society?” Serah sighs.

Dotti gives a big, foxy grin.

“Whatever!” Landi says. She swirls midair, gathering dust around her, and calls out:

”Djinn of Ice! Looks real nice! Don’t you make me call you twice!”

“Is that actually how summon magic works?” Jek asks, mouth agape.

“Shh!” Serah shushes. Jek shushes up.

”Genice, I summon thee!”

A cold wind blows, and I can see my breath in the air. An icy blue haze appears in front of Landi, collecting, reflecting, crystallizing into a beautiful gem- then it shatters into a thousand pieces. In its place there’s a tiny Djinn just a little larger than Landi, and she is hyped.

“Landi! Oh my slosh how ARE YOU?!” The Ice Djinn launches herself through the air and glomps Landi tight. “I haven’t seen you in forever! Does this mean you’re a summoner now? Can you swear Oaths? I wanna hear you swear!”

“Yes, I’m a summoner. That’s how I summoned you,” Landi says with a mix of pride and dismay. “Wait… oaths. Shit! Oaths!” Landi slaps her forehead. “Please, girl! We both know Oaths are out of your league. I gotta save those for the big time power players! Once I remember how to swear ‘em…”

Genice doesn’t pay attention. She’s busy holding out a shard of ice like a mirror and checking herself out. “Look at me! I’m so pretty!”

“Of course you’re pretty. You picked this form,” Landi says.

“Oh yeah. I did!” Genice says. “My head is so big! That makes me smarter AND cuter. You should summon me all the time!”

Landi has improved her skill at Contracting by 1!

Landi’s hidden skill has been revealed: Oaths!

Genice can now be used on Landi’s turn in battle to freeze enemies in an area of effect and fire razor-sharp icicles. Outside of battle she can create bridges across still bodies of water and make your drinks icy cold! She’ll also help in other ways, but you will have to phrase your requests VERY carefully and clearly.

After a long week of stress, strain and swearing, Serah swaggers up to me proudly.

“I figured it out,” Serah says. “I did it! I balanced my proteins! I’m compatible with so many different mixes now!”

“I have no idea what that means,” I say, “But congratulations.”

“Thank you!” Serah says. “Once we get to the next trade hub, I can make you an even better mutagen than I could before, too! I have some spare Essence of Shade and some Felinid strains I can refine into Essence of Filicity. Stealth for one, agility and senses for the other. I bet you’ll like them!”

“Where did you get those?” I ask, curious.

“I’ve been spending some time with the a wizard in the caravan, and I’ve learned a lot! Alchemy is all about change- but I’ve been neglecting my observational skills. He cast a few spells and I made a distillation from them, and took the base essences. Now I think I can learn a lot from any magic caster we meet!”

Serah has completed Mutagens and Concoctions! [4/4]
Serah’s hidden skill has been revlealed: Alchemical Replication!

Serah can now improve her mutagens and create concoctions, which are mixes of mutagens that are not normally able to be combined, such as Jotund Juice and Lesser Dragon Armor. Serah can also create mutagens for Raelynn, but not concoctions.[/b]

Do you want to upgrade Serah’s Jotund Juice to improve cold resistance to Cold Immunity and improve her strength bonus and soft cap by 1, or combine her Jotund’s Might with Lesser Dragon Armor to grant her 2 points of armor that she can generate before each battle? The armor can dissolve into her skin when not in use. Or should she try a new mutagen, with a new essence as a base?

Raelynn can request a mutagen to do all kinds of crazy stuff. Does she want Serah to use the Essence of Shade, Essence of Felicity, or shop around at the next trade center to find something else?

Week 5: 3/3 Raelynn 2021/08/21(Sat)15:32 No. 1008507 ID: 8483cf
File 162958512452.png - (47.17KB , 258x239 , LFT4_39.png )

Stats change from last week: Landi: Contracting +1; Dotti HP +1; Raelynn Blindsight +1
Skills change from last week: S Improved Mutagens & Concoctions 4/4; Dotti Charisma and Social Graces 1/4
Landi’s hidden stat has been revealed: OATHS! Oaths are solemn vows sworn between a summoner and a being of great power. As long as Landi keeps to the Oath she swears, she can access the level of power that the being chooses to grant her. Broken Oaths require penance depending on the being, ranging from none (easy forgiveness, as long as Oath is renewed) to difficult (Landi will be punished for breaking the Oath). Landi’s maximum number of Oaths are limited by many factors and are difficult to quantify.
Serah’s hidden stat has been revealed: Alchemical Replication! This stat reflects Serah’s ability to analyze magical and divine effects and create potions, mutagens and distillations. Higher levels allow more powerful spells to be replicated, including supernatural effects.


CURRENT STATS:

Serah:
HP: 3
Strength: 5/6 (Jotund’s might increases strength and soft cap)
Toughness: 2/5
Dexterity: 2/4
Leadership: 2/4
Alchemical Replication: 0/3

Landi:
Strength: 0/0
Mana Efficiency: 2/5
Dexterity: 1/10
Magical Resilience: 2/10
Contracting: 2/3
Oaths: 0/???

Raelynn:
HP: 3
Strength: 2/4
Dexterity: 5/7
Wild Magic: 1/5
Wild Empathy: 2/5
Blindsight: 1/3

Dotti:
HP: 3
Strength: 1/2
Dexterity: 1/5
Fire Magic: 3/8
Mind Magic: 2/5
Illusion Magic: 1/5
Mana Efficiency: 2/4
Compassion: 1/1
Spiritual Magic: 0/2

Jek:
HP: 5
Armor: 5
Strength: 5/7
Toughness: 7/8
Dexterity: 3/4
Magical Resilience: 1/1
Healing Magic: 3/5
Faith: 3/3

CHOOSE HOW TO SPEND YOUR TIME, AND WHAT MUTAGENS/CONCOCTIONS SERAH SHOULD MAKE.

WEEK 6: This week, the party has FIVE TP. Serah is brimming with confidence and Landi is happy with her summonable friend, but Dotti is having nightmares and sleeping poorly. Serah is working hard on Landi’s new dress!

TP or not, whatever happens, lets have Landi take Serah for poker. i have a feeling Lots of good things are going to happen there.

Serah: power up that Jotund juice! It's a free stat, and the sooner you re-tailor your clothing the better.
Spend time with Jekk and ask what Mai's like some more. It could improve his recollection. I can guess what Dotti's nightmares are about - try having her work on proper posture and clearing her mind.
Dotti: Grace and Dexterity, Serah: HP, Landi: get the first level of oaths.

Go with the improved Jotund Juice. Mixing dragon and jotund might bring up bad memories. Maybe wait for Rae's mutagen, I think I'd prefer something more complementary to her abilities.

Nothing fancy here, want Serah taking full advantage of her mutagen and to see if hitting the cap does anything, and others training their new skills.

Serah: Train Strength (2TP)
Dotti: Charisma and Social Graces
Landi: Contracting
Rae: Blindsight.

Spend time with Jek, he doesn't need training as much as the others so I hope he's not feeling left out. Do something fun with Dotti to keep her mind off things, maybe pull her into the others' training?

-1TP +1 Toughness Serah
-1TP +1 Alchemical Replication Serah
-1TP +1 Blindsight Raelynn
-1TP +1 Dexterity Landi
-1TP Social Graces and Charms Dotti

Try a new mutagen using Genice's... fluids. Be extremely careful, this could cause brain damage; get a test subject.

Look for mutagen bases on the market. Focus on intelligence and charisma boosters.

Bond with Jek

>>1008507
Don't forget to fix Landi's mutagen so she doesn't catch fire anymore.
Going full jotun on serah makes sense considering we're heading into cold monster territory.
I'm undecided on Raelynn's mutagen. Probably senses, so we have a dedicated spotter?

TP:
Raelynn: boost Blindsight
Raelynn: boost Wild Empathy
landi: boost contracting
landi: boost oaths
serah: boost toughness

We should really boost some of Dotti's magic skills in the last couple of weeks! Illusion magic is basically her only defensive stat, we should get at least one more point in that. I'd also like to boost her fire magic a bit to ensure she can do good damage. Though, I suppose mind controlling enemies would be extremely good too.
Also Landi NEEDS more mana efficiency since that's both an offensive and defensive stat for her. I wanted to get it to 5, but I guess 4 will be enough. I also wanted to learn her other spells so she'd have more than one thing to do in combat (right now I think she can summon the ice djinn, cast an armor spell, and... portals if we can figure out a way to use them. Defensively maybe, to redirect enemy projectiles?)
I'd like to get Raelynn's empathy to at least 3 so she can get an animal companion like she wanted.

Week 6: 1/2 Raelynn 2021/08/22(Sun)12:56 No. 1008569 ID: 8483cf
File 162966219793.png - (110.92KB , 595x711 , LFT4_40.png )

I decide to involve Jek in the party’s training this week. He teaches Serah how to roll with punches and utilize armor more effectively, and helps teach Dotti manners with his Dad Knowledge. While we’re training, I also ask Jek about his wife.

Years ago, Mai made a name for herself by raiding treasure-filled galleons of Aragon-Castile. Unusually for a red dragon, she was comfortable over the open sea, and the risk of her fire breath was just too much for the ships to handle. She became incredibly wealthy over a very short period of time, before the King of Aragon-Castile was able to come up with an effective way to protect wood ships from a seafaring fire dragon.

The King sent adventurers to reclaim “his” gold, and the rest is history.

Apparently she’s a very pretty red dragoness, a devoted mother, and terrifying fighter. He remembers all of their courtship- apparently, it involved lots of thievery. Mai would steal artifacts of Tate Yempi until Jek was ordered to get them back, they’d fight, and Mai would “reluctantly” give the artifacts back. By the fourth time, the fights had gotten slightly, ah, less than lethal.

Dotti listens to the story eagerly. She’s obviously interested in how Mai became so wealthy and feared, but Jek stresses that a large reason Mai was able to hold onto her gold (and not get killed) was because of her diplomatic prowess and ability to play royalty against each other. Occasionally she would fight on the side of one King or Queen to gain experience, then declare her obligations satisfied and immediately open her lair to ambassadors for another round of tribute and treaties.

Dotti finally realizes she is not a dragon, but perhaps she can learn something from one.

Jek has helped Serah increase her Toughness by 1!
Rae’s relationship with Jek has improved!
Dotti has made progress towards Charisma & Social Graces! [2/4]

We arrive in Penzingard, the last major trade hub before we pass into the wild north. Serah leaps at the chance to use a proper alchemist’s lab.

Serah has improved the Party’s existing mutagens!
Jotund’s Might upgraded to Level 2: Improves cold resistance to Cold Immunity. Improves Strength stat bonus and soft cap increase from +1 to +2 each. User’s size is not changed from Level 1.
Dragon’s Might Upgraded to Level 2 (Landi Mutagen): Dragon’s fire is no longer painful and drains less dust. Improves boost to spell potency, dexterity boost, and magical resistance granted by dragon’s fire.

- New Mutagen: Winter’s Grasp: Grants cold immunity and armor, and can generate ice weapons and armor from body. Less effective in hot climates.
- New Mutagen: Acrobatic Archery: Improves Dex stat and soft cap by 1 each. Allows Raelynn to fire while moving and dodging, including backflips and tumbles.
- New Mutagen: Wraith’s Embrace: Can be activated to greatly increase stealth, reduce user’s mass, and allow some attacks to phase through user’s body.
- New Mutagen: Feline Grace: Improves dexterity stat and soft cap by 1 each. Improves reflexes to the point of halving damage from area of effect spells and weapons, improves damage in melee combat, makes user immune to fall damage, and grants perfect balance over unstable, narrow, or normally impassible terrain when not performing acrobatics.

Landi holds out a piece of paper, recites a few words in fae, and ignites it with a flare of dust.

“Genice! Hey, Genice!” Landi calls out.

The Ice Djinn materializes instantly. “Heya Landi! What’s up?”

“I need you to shoot me with your icicles.”

“What? Why?! That’s not very nice!”

“Just try it! I’ll be fine! I think!”

Genice hesitates, closes her eyes, and launches a single, tiny icicle at Landi. It passes through her harmlessly.

“FUCK YES!” Landi cheers. “I nailed that clause! I am now officially immune to bad things from my own summons!”

“Hooray?” Genice says. “Does that let you swear Oaths too?”

“No,” Landi says. “I need to pick a great Djinn, like the Spirit of Western Winds, to share their power with me, then get them interested in me, and offer to do stuff that makes them happy, like spreading plant seeds every day or something. Maybe I shouldn’t call Western Winds… I think she’s kinda pissed at me right now.”

“Oh! And now my spells can affect Serah and use less mana! And I remembered some, uh, iffy things I can do with Serah’s contract. But maybe I won’t tell her that.”

Landi has improved her contracting by 1! Allows her spells (such as portals) to affect Serah with less mana. Also allows Landi to tap Serah’s HP to restore Landi’s dust.
Landi has gained the ability to swear an Oath to a being of great power!

One night in Penzingard, Serah dresses up in a heart-themed outfit baring a truly incredible amount of cleavage. She takes Landi along for something called “Strip Poker.” I can make a fairly educated guess as to what it is.

When Serah and Landi get back the next morning, she’s wearing a much smaller denim-and-shirt getup that appears to be made for a man, and Serah’s twirling a pair of… underwear?

Again, I can make a fairly educated guess as to what happened.

Week 6: 2/2 Raelynn 2021/08/22(Sun)12:57 No. 1008570 ID: 8483cf
File 162966225418.png - (67.19KB , 379x286 , LFT4_41.png )

Serah proudly produces some kind of net, which she calls a Dreamcatcher, and sets it by Dotti’s bed in the wagon.

Dotti can now sleep peacefully!

Finally, I grow more comfortable switching between my good and bad eyes. I can “see” clearly in the dark even through my bangs, and with a little more practice, I just might be able to see through more dense obstructions.

Raelynn has improved her Blindsight by 1!



Stats change from last week: Landi: Contracting +1; Landi: Oaths +1; Serah Toughness +1; Raelynn Blindsight +1
Skills change from last week: Dotti Charisma and Social Graces 2/4


CURRENT STATS:

Serah:
HP: 3
Strength: 6/7 (Jotund’s Might Lv.2 increases strength and soft cap)
Toughness: 3/5
Dexterity: 2/4
Leadership: 2/4
Alchemical Replication: 0/3

Landi:
Strength: 0/0
Mana Efficiency: 2/5
Dexterity: 1/10
Magical Resilience: 2/10
Contracting: 3/3
Oaths: 1/???

Raelynn:
HP: 3
Strength: 2/4
Dexterity: 5/7
Wild Magic: 1/5
Wild Empathy: 2/5
Blindsight: 2/3

Dotti:
HP: 3
Strength: 1/2
Dexterity: 1/5
Fire Magic: 3/8
Mind Magic: 2/5
Illusion Magic: 1/5
Mana Efficiency: 2/4
Compassion: 1/1
Spiritual Magic: 0/2

Jek:
HP: 5
Armor: 5
Strength: 5/7
Toughness: 7/8
Dexterity: 3/4
Magical Resilience: 1/1
Healing Magic: 3/5
Faith: 3/3

CHOOSE HOW TO SPEND YOUR TIME, WHAT MUTAGENS SERAH SHOULD MAKE FOR RAE, AND WHAT TYPE OF GREAT BEING LANDI SHOULD TRY TO CONTACT.

WEEK 7: This week, the party has SIX TP. Serah is beside herself with excitement and brimming with confidence, Dotti is sleeping soundly, and Landi is pondering what kinds of great elemental Djinn (or other powerful beings) might lend her some of their power. Serah has finished Landi’s new dress, and it is SO SPARKLY!

>>1008570
Excellent.

Dotti: continue skill training
Dotti: boost illusion magic
Landi: boost mana efficiency
Serah: boost Leadership
Raelynn: boost wild empathy
Raelynn: boost blindsight

Mutagen for Raelynn: Feline Grace. It's just the coolest one I think, especially out of combat.

Oath choice: um, how about an earth djinn? Not many things that can stand up to a rock spike traveling at high speed, and geomancy is useful for altering the field of combat. There might be some issues using earth magic if we're fighting on a boat, but I figure we can prep for that scenario in other ways.

Improve relationship with Serah.

Choose Feline Grace and get cool cat ears! Landi should contact a greater being of dragons. Get in her good graces by practicing your mighty dragon-ness!
Dotti's skill training continues.
Train Serah's HP in case Landi needs to make use of that... trick.
Landi: Train Mana Efficiency so you don't have to make use of that trick.
Raelynn: train Strength.
Dotti train mind magic.

-1TP +1 Alchemical Replication Serah
-1TP +1 Leadership Serah
-1TP +1 Wild Empathy Raelynn
-1TP +1 Blindsight Raelynn
-1TP +1 Magical Resilience Landi
-1TP +1 Fire Magic Dotti
Bond With Dotti

Mainly some stuff to be better adventurers this week:

Serah: +1 Str (2TP)
Dotti: + 1 Illusion magic, train Charisma and Social Graces (need to do it this week and next week or we won't finish it)
Landi: +1 Magical Resilience
Raelynn: +1 Blindsight

Wraith's Embrace seems like it might have some interesting synergy with Blindsight. Bond with Landi, how does she like the new dress? Try an oath with an earth djinn: great for health, wealth, and rock powers.

>>1008605
Oops since it's tied, will go for magical efficiency instead of resilience.

Week 7: 1/2 Raelynn 2021/08/23(Mon)19:31 No. 1008636 ID: 8483cf
File 162977231944.png - (30.13KB , 373x289 , Dottiloaf2.png )

Before we depart Penzingard, Serah presents me with my requested Mutagen of Feline Grace. It lets me scout ahead in so many more conditions than I’d normally be able to, and since we’re on a mountain, I could even go cliff jumping with zero consequences. Theoretically. I put it on my list of things to work up to.

I look at the mutagen and raise my eyebrow. “Will give me cat ears?”

“No!” Serah says. “Um. Unless you want me to go back and add that feature? It’s an option.”

“That was a joke,” I say, deadpan.

“I didn’t know you could joke,” Serah smiles. “Careful, try not to do it too often, or you’re in danger of smiling.”

“Like this?” I bare my teeth.

“Close enough,” Serah snickers. “Rae, I like you when you’re trying.”

“Trying what?”

“To fit in.”

Is that what I’m doing? I didn’t know that… it does kind of feel nice.

Serah’s Leadership has increased by 1!

Raelynn now has Feline Grace Level 1! She takes half damage from AoE, is immune to fall damage, has perfect balance on unstable, narrow or otherwise impassible terrain, has improved melee damage (e.g. with her long dagger Samhain,) and has +1 Dex stat and soft cap.[/b]

This week, I decide to spend time with Dotti. She’s happy to tell me about her time in the woods, what magical animals like to eat and where they like to get scratches, which animals are nice to magic foxes, and which are total assholes.

Our conversation turns to her book, There Is Such a Thing as a Tesseract. At first, she was scared by the Thing and how much it reminded her of when she was attacked, but she just couldn’t stop reading. It’s taught her how to look for light- and there’s so much light to be found in people’s hearts. If we return to Minga soon, she wants to visit the library again for more books like this one.

Speaking of which, I was very impressed by Dotti’s illusion magic during Girls’ Night at the library, and that was just a static image with a noise damper. If she can improve that, she might even have the potential to keep the entire party safe when we pitch camp for the night, and provide warmth if she has the mana for it. I doubt she can do both for very long as she is, especially after combat.

What I’m most curious about, though, is if she can maintain the illusions even when distracted. If she gets good enough, perhaps she can even maintain her even when sleeping- and then we’d really have a leg up on anything trying to track us.

I ask Dotti to try a more ambitious illusion, making sure to compliment her as I do. She’s weak to flattery- she’s a lot like Landi in that regard. She happily pulls a veil over us and creates a perfect facsimile of the entire party fast asleep- twenty feet away. I focus on it with both eyes, and to my delight I can see it perfectly well, even the portions hidden behind another wagon.

I spot not-Dotti curled up in a fluffy loaf at the edge of “camp.” Just like last time, she’s projected herself as a single-tailed fox. I point it out to her. She gets flustered and drops the illusion in obvious embarrassment.

“Is that still how you see yourself?” I ask.

[I guess.] Dotti shrugs and points at her half-fox, half-human body. [I hate seeing myself like this. I look like a stupid mutt who messed up her shapeshifting spell.]

“For safety, you should practice projecting yourself as you are now,” I say. “I’m sure Genice can give you a nice mirror.”

[I really don’t want to. Can’t I just project myself as a person?]

“You certainly could,” I say. “But if we get into a fight, you’ll want to have a believable doppelganger, at least until you learn how to shapeshift into a person. Can you do that soon?”

Dotti takes a moment to think. She looks at her three tails, holds out her paw, and conjures a tiny ball of white-hot fire, eyes blazing red.

“Dotti!” I jump backwards, and Dotti realizes what it looks like. She douses her flame ashamedly.

[Sorry!!! I was testing my mana.]

“Next time, please warn me before you warm me.”

Dotti nods. She looks back at her tails and grimaces. She doesn’t answer my question about shapeshifting, and it’s obvious she doesn’t think she has enough power to make the jump to full personhood.

I wonder if she could transform back into a fox, though. Maybe. Maybe not. Is it worth asking? How would she take that question? I don’t know.

I decide not to take that risk.

Dotti has improved her Illusion Magic by 1!
Raelynn has improved her Wild Empathy by 1!
Raelynn has improved her Blindsight by 1!

Week 7: 2/2 Raelynn 2021/08/23(Mon)19:58 No. 1008639 ID: 8483cf
File 162977390394.png - (319.34KB , 373x819 , LFT4_42.png )

Dotti has made progress towards Charisma and Social Graces! [3/4]

“Serah! Hey, Serah!” Landi calls out. “I think I found some awesome earth Djinn who might actually take me up on an Oath!”

“That’s great, Landi!” Serah says. “Who are they?”

“There’s Sierra, the Earth Djinn of Creation. We’re in her backyard, I think she’d notice me just ‘cause I’m close and can say hi, you know?” Landi says. “She’s kind of standoffish and doesn’t get out much. But she’s super reliable, and kind of nice once you get to know her.

“…and then there’s Salt,” Landi says nervously.

“Salt?” Serah asks, curious.

“Don’t say her name too loud!” Landi winces.

“People say that name all the time,” Serah says. “Why is this any different?”

“Intent to refer to her specifically matters,” Landi says. “And why do you think she’s so powerful?”

[Salt must be powerful because she makes my dinners so tasty!]

“I’m ignoring you!” Landi says, wiping out Salt’s name from Dotti’s sign. “And she’s not literally, you know, in charge of table seasonings. But she’s, like, got the metaphysical market cornered on that shit.”

“You seem afraid of her,” I say.

Landi shivers. “Yeah. You know all those stories about people being turned to pillars of… seasonings? That was her. Throwing it over your shoulder to prevent evil spirits from chasing you? That’s her work, too. Nobody wants to mess with her, not even the dead.”

“Duly noted,” Serah says. “So why are you thinking of swearing an oath to her?”

“She’s one of the most powerful earth Djinn. She’s not afraid of change- she loves it. She’s super active in the mortal world, so she’d definitely pick up the phone,” Landi says. “And she’s ambitious. Any chance she gets to expand her influence, she’ll take it. We’d just have to keep her happy. Not hard for a party girl like me, I guess.” Landi shivers.

Landi has improved her Mana Efficiency by 1 out of fear of disappointing a Great Djinn!

SIERRA: Calm, Collected Earth Djinn of Creation. Landi can call the earth upwards and harden it to create cover for the party. Higher favor allows her greater control over the earth and more impressive feats of construction. Sierra likes raising mountains, shaping valleys and creating beautiful views.

SALT: Ruthless, Ambitious Earth Djinn of Entropy. Landi can channel her power dissolve earth to create quicksand, and if Salt is happy with Landi, turn her enemies to dust. Can also solidify quicksand and loose earth around her victims- entropy works both ways. Salt likes interfering with the natural rate of change, both accelerating and decelerating. Is currently stronger than Sierra.

Stats change from last week: Landi: Mana Efficiency +1; Dotti: Illusion Magic +1; Serah: Leadership +1; Raelynn Blindsight +1; Raelynn Wild Empathy +1; Raelynn Dex +1 (Feline Grace)
Skills change from last week: Dotti Charisma and Social Graces 3/4
Rae’s Super-Stat has been revealed: SEERSIGHT! With enough practice, Rae can spot weak points in enemy armor at level 1, see magical energies to interrupt spellcasters mid-cast to cause spell backlash if timed well at level 2, gain limited precognition in combat at level 3, upgradable to improved precognition at level 4.


CURRENT STATS:

Serah:
HP: 3
Strength: 6/7 (Jotund’s Might Lv.2 increases strength and soft cap)
Toughness: 3/5
Dexterity: 2/4
Leadership: 3/4
Alchemical Replication: 0/3

Landi:
Strength: 0/0
Mana Efficiency: 3/5
Dexterity: 1/10
Magical Resilience: 2/10
Contracting: 3/3
Oaths: 1/???

Raelynn:
HP: 3
Strength: 2/4
Dexterity: 6/8 (Feline’s Grace increases dex and soft cap)
Wild Magic: 1/5
Wild Empathy: 3/5
Blindsight: 3/3; Seersight 0/4 (Seersight requires 2 TP each level)

Dotti:
HP: 3
Strength: 1/2
Dexterity: 1/5
Fire Magic: 3/8
Mind Magic: 2/5
Illusion Magic: 2/5
Mana Efficiency: 2/4
Compassion: 1/1
Spiritual Magic: 0/2

Jek:
HP: 5
Armor: 5
Strength: 5/7
Toughness: 7/8
Dexterity: 3/4
Magical Resilience: 1/1
Healing Magic: 3/5
Faith: 3/3

CHOOSE HOW TO SPEND YOUR TIME, WHETHER LANDI SHOULD SWEAR TO SIERRA OR SALT, AND WHAT SHE IS PREPARED TO OFFER IN EXCHANGE FOR POWER.

WEEK 8: This FINAL week before it gets dangerous, the party has SIX TP. Serah is coming into her own as a leader, Dotti is still sleeping soundly, and Landi LOVES her new sparkly dress so much she’s willing to show it off just a little.

>>1008638
Super-stat?! Gosh, I wonder what the other party members' super-stats are... Well, maybe Raelynn is the only one that has one. I am eyeing alchemical replication and spiritual magic though. Well, maybe not spiritual magic, since it can't reach its true cap until Dotti has 9 tails. Or maybe a super-stat unlocked by Spiritual Magic would just have its cap based on how high Spiritual Magic is?

>earth djinn
Let's go with Salt. Shake things up a bit.
THIS SPIRIT THINKS IT HAS A SENSE OF HUMOR, DOESN'T IT?
Dotti: finish skill training
Dotti: fire magic
Dotti: illusion magic
Landi: mana efficiency
Landi: magic resilience
Serah: alchemical replication

Improve relationship with Serah.

-2TP +1 Seersight Raelynn
-1TP *Charisma and Social Graces Dotti
-1TP +1 Oaths Landi
-1TP +1 Alchemical Replication Serah
-1TP +1 Healing Magic Jek

Bond with Jek

alrighty, let’s finish final preparations before the trip gets dangerous.

Great Djinn: Salt
Offering: offer to spread her influence wherever we go.
YES, YES! LEAVEN LAND AND BEAST TO A MOCKERY OF WHAT WAS WILD, FATTEN THE PEOPLE TO INDOLENCE, TEAR DOWN WHAT IS SACRED, BRING RUIN AND BURN CREATION, ALL IN MY GLORY. BEND THE WHEEL OF ETERNITY UNTIL IT BREAKS UPON MY WILL. SO SWEAR IT.

-1TP Sarah: leadership
-1TP Raelynn: wild empathy
-1TP Landi: mana efficiency
-1TP Dotti: spirit magic
-1TP Dotti: mana efficiency
-1TP Dotti: charisma & social graces

Relationship: Landi

All these flavors, and I'm choosing to be salty! Can she offer to be the devil on Serah's shoulder, inciting change? Serah's an alchemist, and her potions and mutagens are definitely a perversion of the natural order.
Get Seersight 1, train Serah's HP, train Raelynn's strength, and finish Dotti's training.
This week, instead of hanging out with a party member, why not meet your fellow caravaneers, like that wizard Serah's been practicing with? This may be the last time you see some of them.

1/2 Raelynn 2021/08/24(Tue)23:19 No. 1008701 ID: 8483cf
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At long last, we’ve arrived at Askabergen.

Askabergen is a small mountain range created by Sierra when she was in one of her better moods. The landscape is stunning, the peaks are shimmering, and the only thing keeping it from being a picturesque mountain community is the fact that harpies just love the place. That and the dragon that just moved in.

Dotti is making one final round through the caravan as we prepare to split off. She’s actually saying her farewells, and she seems genuinely sad to say goodbye. A part of me suspects it’s the easy access to treats she’s missing, but when she gets to a certain caravan guard, that thought gets banished instantly.

[Hi Ulrich! It’s been a long time since you tried to kick me out of the caravan in Minga, remember?]

Ulrich nods.

[You might never have trusted me, but I trusted you. Thank you for keeping us safe.]

“Wasn’t just me,” Ulrich says. “But you’re welcome. Now get the hell out of my caravan so I can miss you.”

Dotti smiles.

Dotti has learned Charisma and Social Graces![4/4]

The last week is a whirlwind of training, drilling and packing light. I make sure Dotti is ready mentally and magically for a fight, and she doesn’t disappoint. Serah tops off her field potions, and she learns a few extra tricks from the caravan’s wizard.

I don’t want to spend time with the caravan. I’ll probably never see them again. Not the wizard, the guards, the beefy squire and his bumbling knight, the diminuitive man in the aged cloak and-

Wait. Is he an elf?

I focus all my Sight at the man who hasn’t left his wagon all trip, and with all my practice, I can finally see what’s in front of me.

He’s an elf. And he’s ancient.

I let my pace fall so I can slide to the back of the caravan. My heart is pounding. He’s been hiding this whole time for a whole host of very good reasons- I can’t blow my one chance at this. I have to talk to him. I have to learn.

Fear flashes in my mind. I realize I have no idea how to do this. I’ve never seen an elf this old before. I don’t know how to show proper respect. I don’t know anything about how to connect with strangers, and for the first time in my life it’s driving me to grief.

Suddenly, Dotti is walking beside me.

She looks up at me, the to the cart. She sniffs the air once, twice, three times. She looks at me again, then at the wagon.

Without warning, she grabs my hand and tugs me to the back of the cart and gestures me to follow behind. She writes words on her sign.

[I really don’t want to say goodbye, but I have to go now. I never learned your name, but you had the best treats in the whole caravan. Rae never got to know you either, but if we ever meet again, I bet she’d like some treats too!]

She delicately drops her sign under the flap of the wagon like she’s delivering a letter. There’s a long silence.

“Beluar,” a tired voice says, the words thin as air.

The sign slides back through the slit. There’s a tiny map drawn on it in quick-fading ink, with a B in the center. I burn it into my memory before it disappears.

Dotti gives a curtsy and grabs my arm, dragging me back to Serah like the antisocial idiot I’ve been this entire trip.

2/2 Raelynn 2021/08/24(Tue)23:19 No. 1008702 ID: 8483cf
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Still reeling, I clear my head and guide our party clear of the caravan. Serah nods to Landi.

“Swear it now,” Serah says. “They’re far enough away to be safe if something goes wrong, but close enough to see us and come back if it does.”

“Okay,” Landi breathes. “Whoo. Okay, girl. You got this. You’re the best. Everyone wants a piece of this. Why not her too? Yeah. She’ll like you for sure. Definitely. Everything’s gonna be fine.”

We’re all quiet. Even Dotti isn’t messing with Landi.

“All right!” Landi says. “Stand back! I’m gonna do it!”

“I believe in you!” Serah says, while at the same time gesturing for the rest of us to clear away.

Landi’s glow doubles, then doubles again, and finally erupts into a conflagration of whitish-blue light. She’s burning her dust with her mutagen- and she’s pouring so much mana into her words that my teeth buzz.

Lady of Brine and Blood, I speak to thee! Earthly Conqueror of the Sea, I ask of thee! Djinn of Entropy, I call upon thee! I offer solemn service and beseech your power! Hear my voice and accept my Oath! SALT!

The earth shakes beneath us. Jek puts a hand to his spear warily. Dotti falls to the ground and clutches my leg, eyes wide. A young woman’s voice forces itself into our thoughts.

SPEAK YOUR OATH.

Hearing Salt’s voice, Landi’s fire burns even brighter.

I will force your will upon the spinning wheel of eternity! I will banish death and decay! I will corrode the incorruptible! In your name, I will change the nature of nature itself! This I swear!

The earth rumbles once more.

MY POWER IS YOURS, SO LONG AS IT PLEASES ME.

Landi’s flame falters, and she flutters to the ground, dust all but spent. A heavy weight disappears from all our shoulders- or perhaps the Earth’s pull itself has simply lessened.

“I did it,” Landi gasps. “I did it!”

“You did it!” Serah cheers. Jek slaps his holy symbol in delight, and I let out a sigh. Dotti, seeing Serah relax, lets go of my leg. I look down and see she’s clawed it.

Ow.

Stats change from last week: Serah: Alchemical Replication +1; Dotti: Fire Magic +1; Dotti: Illusion Magic +1; Raelynn Seersight +1
Skills change from last week: Dotti: Charisma and Social Graces 4/4
Landi can now change earth to quicksand once per day! Additional powers will be gained as she pleases Salt.


FINAL STATS:

Serah:
HP: 3
Strength: 6/7 (Jotund’s Might Lv.2 increases strength and soft cap)
Toughness: 3/5
Dexterity: 2/4
Leadership: 3/4
Alchemical Replication: 1/3

Landi:
Strength: 0/0
Mana Efficiency: 3/5
Dexterity: 1/10
Magical Resilience: 2/10
Contracting: 3/3
Oaths: 1/???

Raelynn:
HP: 3
Strength: 2/4
Dexterity: 6/8 (Feline’s Grace increases dex and soft cap)
Wild Magic: 1/5
Wild Empathy: 3/5
Blindsight: 3/3; Seersight 1/4 (Seersight requires 2 TP each level)

Dotti:
HP: 3
Strength: 1/2
Dexterity: 1/5
Fire Magic: 4/8
Mind Magic: 2/5
Illusion Magic: 3/5
Mana Efficiency: 2/4
Compassion: 1/1
Spiritual Magic: 0/2

Jek:
HP: 5
Armor: 5
Strength: 5/7
Toughness: 7/8
Dexterity: 3/4
Magical Resilience: 1/1
Healing Magic: 3/5
Faith: 3/3


Landi is out of dust for the day. Do you decide to push forward into the wooded foothills and risk an encounter, or take it easy your first day away from the caravan and be visible from the road, leaving you potentially vulnerable to bandits at night?

>>1008702
Both options have risk.

Push forwards. We haven't gotten to the dangerous terrain yet, any encounters with wild animals should be easy. Landi should hide somewhere, like in a backpack or something, so that nothing can ambush her.
Oh wait, can't we use some of Jek's healing magic on her to restore dust? IIRC, her dust recovery does respond to healing potions, so it should respond to healing magic as well.

Press on. You can handle an early fight with one less party member, but you can't risk getting into an ambush on enemy turf.

Push forward!

Push on, don't want to worry about bandits.

Raelynn 2021/09/02(Thu)22:37 No. 1009345 ID: 8483cf
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“I’m very proud of you, Landi,” Serah says. “You look drained. That must have taken a lot out of you.”

“I’ll say,” Landi says, exhausted. Her wings droop, and her glow is dim and dull. “I’m gonna, like… just relax for a bit.”

“You can ride at the top of my backpack,” Serah says. “But first, let’s make sure you’re safe. Jek, can you heal her?”

Jek nods. He holds out a claw-tipped finger and taps Landi on the forehead.

“Whoa…” Landi sighs. A golden glimmer washes over her, and she melts into Serah’s backpack. “That’s the good shit…”

Jek has used one of three healing spells for the day. Each healing spell restores 2 HP, or restores Landi’s dust to full.

Landi is still exhausted and cannot cast spells, but she is fully shielded.

---

We make good time in the first few hours of our trip, and we’re almost halfway to the forest’s edge. We should arrive by nightfall.

It doesn’t take long to run into our first sign of wildlife. I spy movement in the treetops- a pair of Great Eagles taking flight. They reach heights so far above us that I almost lose them in the sunlight, even with my Seersight.

I fall back in our marching order and ask Jek if he remembers anything about exceptionally large eagles, and if he was ever attacked by them.

“We should be fine,” Jek says. “They always leave me and mine alone. The Great Eagles aren’t intelligent, but they do know what makes a good meal. Their diet is mostly fish and sea monsters from the nearby rivers and lakes- they won’t attack unless they spy something tender enough for their young, and about the right size to carry in their talons.”

“Tender and talon-sized…” Serah blinks. “What’s tender, and small enough for a Great Eagle to carry?”

Everyone looks at Dotti.

Dotti’s eyes go big. She looks terrified for a moment- but then she up at the sky, squints, and bares her teeth. The air grows hot around us.

“Jek!” Serah says. “You and I will circle around Dotti. Be ready for dive-bombings. Rae, do you think you can take them out with your bow if they come for us?”

“I can slow one down,” I say, “But even if I strike it in the heart, it’ll still have momentum, and the other one will be right behind it.”

The air around us grows hotter still. Fire crackles around Dotti’s paws, and her lips are pulled back in a furious snarl.

“We might be able to take them in a fight,” Serah says, wary of Dotti’s fire but still standing over her with a drawn warhammer. “But it would all be over quickly. What are our odds of making it out without injuries, Raelynn?”

“Without injuries? Low,” I say, scanning the sky. “We’d need to go all out with Dotti’s fire magic, and I’d need a very good shot. You’d need to burn an armor potion to protect Dotti- they look to be avoiding Jek. Even with Jek’s healing magic, I’d rather not have to deal with any injuries this early in the trip, Serah.”

“We don’t have to resort to violence,” Jek says. “This is an excellent opportunity for Dotti to practice her illusion magic and distract them. A few hard impacts with the ground may discourage them.”

“Or Dotti could run out of mana after an hour or two of such convincing, moving illusions,” Landi says from the backpack.

Dotti growls, but begrudgingly nods. She flares her fire magic again, eyes to the sky. She’s scared and angry, and it shows.

“Dotti, please,” Serah says nervously. “Put the fire out. We need to save your mana.”

Dotti looks up at Serah, and, though it obviously pains her to do it, she extinguishes her flames.

“We do not have to risk a fight,” Jek says. “There may be another way.”

“If we do bring one of them down,” I say, “We can extend our trip. There’s more than enough meat on the birds for a few days of meals. I can clean the carcass tonight and we can move out tomorrow easily enough.”

The anger goes out of Dotti’s eyes. She quickly pulls out her sign and charcoal.

[Serah, please make sure we have lots of food.]

“We have plenty of food for two weeks,” Serah says. “Don’t worry. Jek will remember how to get home.”

Jek nods. His faith is much stronger than mine.

Dotti looks up at the circling eagles and writes:

[I never want to starve again.]

Do we fight for food? Or do we try to get to the forest’s edge unscathed?

What about attmpting to tame one to become our animal companion? Having a bird companion, especially as strong as those fly high in the sky in search of danger up ahead that we cant see could be useful.

Can Dotti just make herself appear larger and less portable? Or even actually larger, via her transformation magic or one of Serah’s potions. Whatever helps you avoid a pointless fight with eagles.

>>1009345
Can Jek carry Dotti on his shoulders? The eagles are avoiding him, so... put her with him and that should make them think twice.

Raelynn 2021/09/04(Sat)16:36 No. 1009448 ID: 8483cf
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I briefly consider trying to lure the Eagles in to try and tame one, but they’re focused on Dotti, not me. I’d need to give them a reason to shift their focus- and I don’t have good enough bait, or anything to distract them other than arrows. It’s a good idea when I’m scouting on my own, but not when they’re stalking the party.

“We need to make sure the Great Eagles don’t even try to attack us,” Serah says. “Dotti, can you shapeshift yourself to be large enough not to carry? larger and more threatening?”

Dotti pauses. She looks down at herself, bites her lip, and shakes her head in frustration.

“It’s okay,” Serah says. “Illusions might be draining for the time it takes us to get to the forest. To save Dotti’s mana for a fight, we’ll go for Plan B. Jek, carry Dotti on your back. I’ll strap her in with your shield straps, so she’ll take the place of your backpack. I’ll carry your supplies for now.”

“A sound choice,” Jek says. He kneels on the ground and unbuckles his shield and backpack.

Dotti reluctantly climbs aboard the Jek Express, and Serah buckles the shield across her back, just in case the eagles decide a Fox Spirit meal is worth attacking Jek. To be doubly sure, Serah follows behind and keeps her Warhammer drawn, ready to swing.

It works perfectly. The Great Eagles circle, but don’t risk anything. We make it to the forest’s edge as dusk falls. Jek and I get to work making camp and dinner under the cover of trees, away from the Eagle’s eyes.

I forage for food and get lucky with greens. Landi falls asleep immediately after eating her fill of wild berries. The proteins are the less-preserved meat we’ve got left over from the caravan. We’ll eat well tonight, but soon we’ll have to move to jerky and salted provisions.

Dotti refuses to make eye contact for the whole meal. She’s staring at the food with a nervous expression.

“Dotti, what’s wrong?” Serah asks. “Eat up. You’ll need your strength tomorrow.”

Dotti pulls out her sign and starts writing angrily.

[I don’t want to be treated like prey. I don’t want to be a backpack. I’m cute and powerful! I know how to survive. I can fight, and I can hunt!]

“Fighting is not always the best option,” Jek says. “We are here to protect you- and everyone here.”

I nod. “That’s what I was hired to do, Dotti. I’m here to make sure everyone makes it back safely. You included.”

“I’m bound to protect you too, Dotti, You’re sworn to me, and by extension, House Kensington,” Serah says. “It’s not your fault that you looked like an eagle snack. You’re not as nimble as when you were a regular fox. It’s okay.”

Dotti looks down at herself, then back up at us.

[I can be a regular fox again. I won’t eat as much. I’ll be faster, and more nimble, and I’ll make sure I have my winter coat for cold. I can still use my magic, and I can hunt rabbits.]

“Are you sure?” Serah asks. “Can you change back? Can you still write?”

Dotti hesitates, then nods. [Yes. Changing back would be hard. But I can write words in the air with my magic, or make a fake sign.]

I take a moment to think. Would it be more useful to have Dotti as a humanoid, or a fox?

Keep Dotti humanoid. She wants to be human, so it's best to respect her wishes by not having her become a fox again.

Plus dotti did say it will be difficult to become humanoid again after becoming a fox, which will also force dotti to take a step back from her dream to become human.

Keeping her humanoid will also help her practice getting used to having a human body and becoming human with human behavior. Turning back to a fox might revert her back to her animalistic instincts.

>>1009448
Hmm. As a fox she would certainly be harder to hit and could hunt better, but would she be as durable in a fight? She wouldn't be able to help with anything that requires hands, which is certainly a lot of things. We're not taking the climbing path which means she won't need hands to climb, but even if we were I suppose she could be carried.
It's kindof a wash if you ask me. She can choose whichever.

>using illusionary signs to talk
What about illusionary speech instead?

Keep her as she is now.

Let Dotti chase her dreams of being human. She can write better this way. Being frail and vulnerable is only a temporary state that all young humans go through! At least, that's what we keep telling ourselves.

Raelynn 2021/09/04(Sat)22:10 No. 1009490 ID: 8483cf
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Serah is looking at me. She must want tactical advice.

I shrug. “I’m ambivalent. If it keeps Dotti from getting hurt, she can change into a regular fox. But I can always use an extra hand making and breaking camp. I presume it’s rather difficult for a fox to pack a backpack.”

“Jek?” Serah asks. “Would you rather have Dotti as a fox, if it means not having to worry about her as much?”

“I have spent my entire life protecting others.” Jek straightens his shoulders. “The blessings of Tate Yempi will be upon her, whichever form she takes.”

“It’s up to you, Dotti,” Serah says. “If you want to go back to being a fox, I won’t stop you. But I will say that a large part of being human is accepting your weaknesses, learning from them, and growing stronger with help from your friends.”

Dotti looks down at the ground.

[I want to stay like this. Even if it means being weak. If all humans have to go through this, then I want to go through it too.]

Serah gives her an affectionate rub on the head. Dotti smiles.

“Very moving,” I say, “But I just thought of something. Dotti, in combat, you’ll need to communicate to us. Writing won’t work. Barks and fox noises are good for if you’re in trouble, but if you need to shout a warning, that won’t cut it.”

Dotti bites her lip.

“You mentioned that you can make signs out of thin air with your illusion magic,” I say. “Can you make yourself a fake voice, too?”

Dotti puts a paw to her throat.

[Yes. I guess. But I have no idea what I sound like.]

“You can sound like anything you want,” Jek says. “You can be a young girl, and old woman, even a burly man if you want. Just as long as you keep it consistent.”

“You could pick a familiar voice, to make it easier to use if you’re stressed and can’t take the time to remember what it sounds like,” Serah suggests.

“Make sure it’s different than our voices, so we know it’s you,” I add.

Dotti spends a minute thinking. She writes a few words on her paper.

[I know who I want to sound like.

She closes her eyes, and a voice wells up from within. Without moving her lips, she speaks.

“I know this voice best.”

It’s a young woman’s voice. The words are soft and kind, but unhesitating and full of confidence. It’s voice of a girl determined to make things right.

Suddenly, Dotti’s magic wells up inside her, and she barely restrains it. I doubt Serah or Jek noticed, but I catch a glimpse of memory with my Seersight. It’s a moment frozen in time like perfect crystal. When I shine my attention on it, the memory catches everything good about the world and warms me from head to toe.

It’s breathtaking.

“That’s a beautiful voice, Dotti,” Serah says. “You can practice more, if you want.”

“Okay.” Dotti opens her eyes. She looks around at us. “What do you want to hear?”

The elements of the periodic table, in order, followed by all the famous battles from Marathon to Waterloo, and topped off with a recital of the navy seals copypasta.

Can you sing? Maybe say a poem? Perhaps try some tongue twisters? Maybe say some famous quotes, or pieces of famous speeches? Or some common proverbs?

Dotti: Tell Petra's story.

Ask what Dotti would think about being a book author as a hobby. She is pretty good at writing, and loves to read. Maybe tell her that everyone will like what she writes if she makes a novel for people to read in the future. Ideas could be a story of our adventures, or of her life. Having a hobby like writing stories during our adventure could keep her busy when we're not fighting.

I wouldnt bring up that woman in Dotti's vision since it might make her sad, but maybe we can ask her some advice on getting an animal companion considering she used to be a fox, seeing that the woman and Dotti seemed to have been companions.

Raelynn 2021/09/05(Sun)13:21 No. 1009519 ID: 8483cf
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“You could tell us about the books you’ve been reading,” Serah suggests. “You liked There Is Such a Thing as a Tesseract. What did you think about about Aesop’s Fables?”

“I like the fables,” Dotti ‘says’, “But he doesn’t know a thing about foxes. Why does he assume we all like grapes, and that we’re huge flatterers? At least he knows we like to eat chickens. And why are tortoises racing hares? Tortoises never race unless they have to.”

“I don’t think Aesop knew very many foxes,” Jek smiles.

“Are you saying all those stories are based on ideas humans have about foxes that are maybe only a little bit true?” Dotti frowns.

“Yes. They’re called stereotypes,” Serah says.

“Well, that’s stupid.”

“It’s not that much different than how you thought about humans a few months ago,” Jek points out.

Dotti rolls her eyes. “Yeah, well, whatever.”

“You’re starting to sound like Landi,” Serah jokes.

“Ew!” Dotti opens her mouth and gags. “Well … Serah, if you want to know about what foxes are actually like, I have some foxy wisdom for you. Very rare. Very special.”

I’m a little skeptical, but listen a little more closely.

“A chicken in the mouth is worth two in the coop, unless you figure out how to sneak inside the coop.”

“Makes sense,” Serah says.

Dotti puffs out her chest proudly. “The early bird gets the worm, but the early fox gets the bird!”

“Does all fox wisdom have to do with food?” I ask, deadpan.

Dotti growls at me. “Food is very important! You’re so skinny, I hoped you would understand.”

“I’m not skinny. I’m lithe.”

“Does fox wisdom have anything to say about compassion?” Serah asks.

“Yes!” Dotti says. “Nice foxes eat last.”

“I walked right into that one,” Serah sighs. “What else did you learn from fox, uh… society?”

“I had a skulk for a bit,” Dotti ponders, “But food got scarce, and we split up. I never saw them again. But I did learn a lot from foxes when I was on the other side.”

Serah leans in, curious. “On the other side?”

“Yeah. When I was dead,” Dotti says, as if it was obvious. “Being dead wasn’t that exciting. Not many spirits had much to say. But there were a few foxes who stuck around before passing on. They usually had advice for me. Human spirits were a lot…” she pauses, looking for the right words. “Heavier. Humans were like giant boats passing through, and I couldn’t get near them without getting capsized. I was smaller. Nimble. Harder to catch.”

“What did the other foxes have to say?”

“There was one who had a story a lot like mine,” Dotti says. “He said he was tamed by a boy. A prince, even.”

“A little prince?” Serah purses her lip, racking her brain for something she can’t quite put her finger on.

Dotti nods. “He told me I was smart to try and tame a human. One only understands the things that one tames, he said. Humans have forgotten how to understand anything. They buy things already made for them at shops. But there is no shop anywhere where one can buy friendship, and so humans have no friends any more. So if you want a friend, you have to tame one. He was sad when the little prince left, but he always remembered the color of his golden hair whenever he saw fields of wheat.”

“How wonderful,” Jek says. “But who was the human you tamed? Was it the girl you were looking for whenever we stopped in cities and towns?”

“Yes.” Dotti pauses. She wrings her paws. “Her name was- is- Petra. We were best friends, and… I died protecting her. I need to find her to know if I succeeded, or if something horrible happened to her.”

“You came back just for her?” Serah asks, hand to her mouth.

Dotti nods. “I won’t cross over to the other side until I see her again. I can’t.”

“We will protect you. I promise,” Serah says. “Dotti, this is incredible. I wish you’d told me sooner.”

Dotti sniffles slightly. “It’s hard to talk about. But it’s getting easier. Just a little.”

“This would make a wonderful story,” Jek says.

“A story…” Serah snaps her fingers. “Dotti, you could write letters to all the mayors from here to the sea describing what happened, and asking if there’s anyone they know who recognizes it. I’ll stamp the letters with my seal, and that will guarantee a response. Dotti, we can do it. It’ll take work, but we can find her.”

Dotti hugs Serah tight. “Thank you. Thank you, thank you!”

I wonder what kind of response Serah’s father will have to this letter campaign, but I keep my thoughts to myself for now.

Is there anything I want to ask from Dotti, Serah or Jek before I take first watch?

This is the last post before the group advances up the mountain and faces combat.

Ask Dotti and Serah if they can work on Testing Magic - create a magical construct that obeys the laws of biology, and then magic the @#$% out of it with mutagens and see how long it takes before they stop breathing. Or have lungs in general.

Rae can probably use her time during the night watch looking for an animal companion before facing combat.

Maybe to get more information about taming animals, debate with Dotti the implications friendships can have on a animal one is trying to tame, since you're not looking for a pet, but an animal you can order to help the team. Mention you believe being friends with an animal you're trying to tame will only soften them up and not make them strong. You don't really understand how taming and friendship can go hand in hand.

Hopefully Rae will learn something when she tries to tame an animal tonight. this is her last chance to tame an animal before we go into combat after all

Raelynn 2021/09/06(Mon)14:50 No. 1009621 ID: 8483cf
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I spend the time on first watch scanning for wildlife and creatures at the edge of the forest. I climb to the top of the closest trees- my new mutagen helps me balance perfectly, even on the branches. It’s quite useful.

After an hour of watching, I know I’m not alone. I can barely make it out, it’s so difficult to see- my Seersight is straining to pick it out from such a distance. But I can discern it, just barely.

A large corvidae with silver-tipped feathers perched on a tree miles away stares back. Contemplating. Knowing.

Then it’s gone.

----

Serah’s Bombs
1x Glue
1x “Sticky” Earth Shrapnel bomb that sticks to target
1x Solvent
1x Fire
1x Flashbang
1x Smoke

Serah’s Potions
3x Healing
2x Mage Armor
2x Strength
1x Invisibility (Failed)

Serah’s Elixirs
2x Healing
2x Mage Armor
2x Strength

Oils
1x Coating of Flame

Distillation
2x Magic Missile

Landi’s Spell List
- Inventory: Can hold up to 87 lb./ 39.4 kg.
- Calamitous Cacophony: A blinding display of glowyness. Can also deafen for extra dust cost.
- Portal: Tunnel through space-time to a location within 50 feet. Visibility or reasonable assumption of distance required; accuracy reduced if not able to see target. Currently limited to nonmagical, inanimate objects. Alchemical products are considered nonmagical. Portal entrances and exits cannot terminate within objects or creatures, but can open and close in midair.
- Godmother’s Blessing: Increases defense of armor based on amount of dust used.
- Godmother’s Makeover: Transforms outfit of one willing target into something more stylish. Duration depends on dust used.

Landi’s Bombs
1x “Sticky” Earth Shrapnel
1x Glue
1x Smoke

Landi’s Potions
2x Healing

Landi’s Elixirs
1x Healing

Raelynn
- Elven Shortbow, nonmagical
- Camouflage Spell
- Elven Rope, magical
- Quick-Draw Quiver, nonmagical
- Samhain (heirloom; magical; long dagger; half of paired set)
- Antidote and First Aid Kit (Stabilization only; works at 0 HP)
- Flint
- Provisions and Water Cleansing Pellets
- Animal Treats (Wrapped in scent-proof liner)
- Uncanny ability to mimic animal noises
- Feline’s Grace Mutagen: Perfect Balance, ½ damage from AoE, and deals increased melee damage
- Seersight Lv.1: identifies weak points, allowing extra damage to armored targets and instant kill chances on unarmored targets.

Dotti
- Fire Magic: Large Aoe with moderate damage, or single-target for high damage
- Mind Magic: Charm on eye contact, stun on break.
- Illusion Magic: Odds of seeing through illusions increase as target gets closer.
- Novice pickpocket (only works on the overly trusting; bonus to stealing jerky treats)
- Can throw bombs with no chance of dropping them at her feet

Jek
-Healing Spells: restore 2 HP per cast on others; 3 HP on self
- Can pray for divine intervention in times of need. Effects increase with target’s and caster’s faith. Effects can range from increasing stats, to granting armor, to stabilization at brink of death, and healing diseases or neutralizing potions.
- Can throw enchanted spear at distant targets and call spear back, dragging them to him if hit successfully.
- Shield can blind attackers with reflected light.

---

We break camp and prepare to pass through the forest up to the mountains. We’ve decided to take the route climbable by foot, with no sheer cliffsides. It’s safer in the sense that we won’t have to risk climbing, but riskier because it’s well-traveled by the local beasts and magical creatures in the area. I wonder if Mai Terrorscale came here because of that, or if it’s Mai herself who draws the creatures here.

I scout ahead and quickly find our first dilemma. In order to ascend the mountain, we’ll need to cross a river. There are only two crossings within a day’s travel from where we are. One, a giant fallen tree, has a nest of owlbears nearby, and it’s mating season- they are extremely territorial, and we may even be near a nest. The fighting will be very difficult if they get on top of us.

The other bridge is a collection of giant rocks, where the water rushes below. It’s exposed to the air with no tree cover, and my instincts tell me it’s easy hunting grounds for aerial predators. Some areas are slippery, which is a hazard for those without superior balance or experience crossing the rocks.

I advise Serah to drink up her first of the two Elixirs of Mage Armor she has. We’ll be fighting soon.

Which crossing do we take? Should we hand off potions or bombs?

>>1009621
Hmm, is it possible to cross the river by using our ice djinn to make an ice floe? Or a full ice bridge?

If not... let's go for the fallen tree. Raelynn should focus on keeping an eye out. She can see through stuff, which means we can prevent ambushes, and possibly even sneak past them by observing where they are. In the even of combat, we can try using smoke and glue bombs to aid running away.

>>1009626
pretty much this

Raelynn 2021/09/06(Mon)18:30 No. 1009651 ID: 8483cf
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I ask Landi if Genice is powerful enough to get us across the river. She says Genice isn't powerful enough to create a full bridge, but she can freeze a solid enough floe to float us across, if we pick our launch point right.

The best spot for us to cross is just at the edge of the owlbears’ territory. Not enough to enrage them, and a very safe distance from the nests. We have crampons to strap to everyone’s boots, so we won’t slip off the floe if we’re ambushed by birds of prey on the crossing.

Serah orders Landi to summon Genice and get us across.

It takes longer than we expect for Genice to freeze the floe. The owlbears take notice, and I prepare us for a fight. We take up a defensive position.

Three owlbears come out from the woods. They’re defending their territory, and they obviously don’t like Jek, but he’s reflexively taking point, protecting the rest of the party.

The slightest move could set the owlbears off.

We have a good defensive position. Our most vulnerable party members are hidden behind rocks, and the owlbears haven’t noticed me. We have many options- we could fight and strike first, use magic, or something else.

The floe is a few minutes from finishing.

What should we do?

Dotti: Look one in the eyes, make him hypnotized.
Landi: Dazzle them with a stunning display of magic.
Jek, Rae and Serah: Sucker punch one!

Can Dotti charm the one in front? Get it to convince the other two to back off a bit and wait for us to leave. Or even to indirectly communicate that we're going to leave, so that they do it by their own free will.

Charming one would greatly sway any ensuing fight in out favor as well. There's three of them, so charming one and having it occupy one of the others means we only have one owlbear to fight with our own troops.

Raelynn 2021/09/06(Mon)19:59 No. 1009660 ID: 8483cf
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I give the signal to Dotti to try and charm one of the owlbears.

She gives a loud bark, drawing their attention- and their eye contact. She pours magic through the connection. I see she’s targeted the smallest of the bunch. It’s mating season, and the small owlbear doesn’t need much encouraging to go after the next-largest competitor for mates.

Small Owlbear is charmed into attacking Medium Owlbear! Dotti does not need to maintain eye contact or spend mana to maintain the geas because Small Owlbear felt like doing it anyway.

“Landi!” Serah commands. “Light it up!”

“Party time!” Landi hurls herself forward and casts Calamitous Cacophony! Serah has been a good leader, and made sure we all know to cover our eyes. We don’t take any ill effects or lose initiative.

Large Owlbear overcomes the noise and blinding light and does not lose its action, but it loses accuracy and has slowed initiative!

Serah strikes a glancing blow on Large Owlbear’s head!

Small Owlbear strikes Medium Owlbear!

Jek spears Large Owlbear in the torso! It’s bleeding profusely!

Medium Owlbear strikes Small Owlbear back!

Raelynn’s arrows strike Large Owlbear in its sensitive underarm! It’s weakening!

Large Owlbear lets out a desperate roar and swipes with both claws, striking Serah and Jek!