Muschio 2023/11/01(Wed)13:12 No. 1076107 ID: 46e818
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>"...are you absolutely sure it's over?
>All we have to go on is your dream."

Muschio 2023/11/01(Wed)13:14 No. 1076109 ID: 46e818
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>"Yeah! One time, this one time, I had a dream that everything turned into candy.
>That doesn't mean I went outside trying to bite all the trees to see if they were really candy."

Muschio 2023/11/01(Wed)13:14 No. 1076110 ID: 46e818
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>"I only did that to like two or three."

That’s why Ona is here and not resting, she’ll be able to tell if the possession of Pendle is over.

Ona: cast detect malignant spirit on buggo boi pendle

Well, I am glad that this all thing has been dealt with so is it up for some food?

Have Tislomer and Ona(and maybe Erisol, too) taken a look at the black goop you barfed up?
Could be important for any lasting effects to your health.

That aside, talk to "Pendle" and have him formally introduce who he really is. Then tell him about the dream events with the demon and ask if it's truly gone or not.

Additionally, inform Ona about the nature of the mountain as a giant magic amplifier and how her sigil and magic should be greatly enhanced in here. She might be able to cure herself now.

Defer to Ona's expertise. If she doesn't know how to check with accuracy, does she know someone who does?

you think we should tell ona about that weird dream you had where blue floating mage hands saved young her, its probably related

We have our dream and a big ol’ pile of demon puke to go off.
…Could somebody please clean that up, by the way. Burn your clothes afterward.

I wonder how close the demon was replicating Pendle? Will this be like meeting a new person?

We can, at the very least, untie Pendle and let him move around his cell. And give him some better medical treatment. Under Dompag's supervision.

As for finding out what's true... Pendle showed that he had knowledge of the demon that it didn't want being shared, before, giving us the antidote. If he can tell us more things the demon wouldn't want people to know, and we can confirm them, that should demonstrate that he's free.

If that was a trick, it was a really good one. Had you horking black goop 'n all.

Has that been looked at, by the way?

I still think we should have the bile that Muschio threw up tested to really see if it is. If that is dead demon essence that will prove it.

If there is a way to check, might as well check everyone. Then it's just a question of if the one checking is possessed.

We could also try the orb, but that seems unreliable. The demon could just trick us.

If the demon IS gone, then we should be able to figure out how our dear Pendle really is.

And whether or not he's the individual we were sent to find by our friend Mondegreen, one "Leonid Travask."

Providence 2023/11/01(Wed)14:57 No. 1076127 ID: 93d066

>>1076106
We need to be sure. So rituals, sigils, the works.

I mean, other than some discomfort on the part of Pendle, there's nothing wrong with keeping him tied up for right now. We should be absolutely sure before we free him.

Maybe take another shard of us and stick it in him? I'm pretty sure at this point we've proven we can take whatever that demon wants to dish out.

>>1076106
Oh yeah, also, if you haven't already, apologize to Ona for making her have to get up so soon and, you know, for letting her get attacked in the first place from not properly vetting new personnel.

Regardless of if Leonid's possessed or not, tying him up like that did not stop the demon from wreaking havoc in your head. The only concern might be he'd attempt to take his own life, to free the demon. But FLAYED DEMON: the SPIDER handily revealed to you that he doesn't need to kill his shell to be free.

Set him free, but keep him under watch. He knows more about demons than any of you, and it won't help to try to figure out how to navigate such being on your own assumptions about how they work.

And please get him some medical attention. Wes is a beast when he's bringing down the hammer.

It certainly seemed conclusive from our perspective, but we're aware it's not infallible.

No rash decisions, some precautions and testing are still in order, but we might just be on the other side of this particular ordeal.

Agreed. You need a professional to confirm all of this.

But we need to weave that into more pressing matters. Inzare Citta isn't going to 'cit' on their hands for very long. And their champion might not be their only agent.

We need more alliances. We need more officers. We need a horde ready to march on the Czar and the know-how to stop him.

Also WTF is up with that sprite? She was acting way sketchy, jerking your infinite psyche around like that, right before this happened.

Not sure at all, no.

Does he still have a demonic sigil scratched into his chest? What else can we check? Pendle, how you feelin'?

Shard testing? Just to add to the extensive tests Ona will do. Like additional tests will be bad.

"No, everyone. You see, after the spooky dream, I did a big barf, and it was ominous-looking. Therefore there is no explanation but that the demon is dead for real, and we can all go about our business."

Muschio 2023/11/02(Thu)15:07 No. 1076231 ID: 46e818
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"No, I'm not sure it's over. I feel fairly confident I've defeated the demon, but the stakes are too high for us to assume with anything but perfect certainty.

Have we learned anything from, uh, the vomit?"

>"Well, only so much testing we can do on that."
>"Yeah I don't really have a demon barf test"
>"I'm not sure what sort of magic signature this demon gives off in the first place, but what little Erisol and I could do didn't yield anything."
>"Yeah it just looks like plain ol' barf to me."

Why are there so many alive people here?

>>1076231
Well what tests do we have available for testing for demonic presence? I'm assuming we would need to find a cleric who specializes in exorcism for that but I don't know if we really want to send to the sun church paladins who tried to raid us. Let's analyze our options.

Alright so how do we test a potentially-possessed person to see if they've got a demon in them? Do we just try an exorcism to see if there's a reaction?

...check the bug dude's chest to see if the symbol is still there. Then check Muschio too, and everyone in the base for that matter.

What we felt had to be real. We don't usually get trapped in people's dreams, do we? Surely that must count for something. We were totally unable to reach out to anyone, and you weren't even aware you had fallen asleep until we failed to do so.

>>1076231
Ok, next order of business: Can anyone detect demons in Pendle or you anymore? Can they do a sweep of the base to make sure it's lurking around in someone else?
I suppose we should first ask if anyone has the ability to detect demons to begin with.

After that, check with Ona and Erisol if they can put up any wards, protective spells or the like to prevent demon incursions in the future.

Start by warding the place up. Create some artifacts with shards of us at their core, then have them installed in the walls.

Witch doctor rituals use some piece of the target. Perhaps the vomit or something else can be used to target the demon. Even if not, the demon seemed convinced that Ona was the only one present that could do something about it, for whatever the demon's word is worth.

If you really think Pendle could still be possessed, you should be moving him out of the magic enhancing base.

>>1076231
Finnie witnessed the events with the child in the Kobold village with similar outcomes.
Can we have her input on this?

Yes, I do wanna see more Finesse

Looked pretty dark and spoopy for regular ol barf to me

Muschio 2023/11/03(Fri)13:00 No. 1076345 ID: 46e818
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>"Master Muschio, do remember we still have the excursion to the Timore Woodlands planned this morning.
>We should figure out who'll be going."

Muschio 2023/11/03(Fri)13:03 No. 1076346 ID: 46e818
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"Ona, can you set up some wards to help control the demon?"
>"I'll try. I don't have a ton of experience with demons, but I'll lay down anything I can think of that even might be relevant."

>"This guy's not able to just jump brains while we're awake, right? He would'a done that by now.
>Well, either way, if he tries anything I can just kick his ass. You know you can trust me to be your muscle while you're away."

Can we please just go and eat somthing I am so starving

Let's take Donpag, Geppa, and Finesse. Tislomer, Babrakus, and Erisol will do some extra prep (bombs, artillery, and some magic to tie it all together) and then follow us as a reinforcement party. Ashedel can take charge of the vault.

Has "Pendle" said anything? He doesn't look possessed anymore and he's a lot more distressed looking.

Try talking to him. If nothing else finally ask him about that damn pendant the czar wants. If he's in too much pain to talk, have Ona heal him or Tislomer give him some painkillers.

Anyways, on the topic of the expedition, leave Ona here. She's still recovering and she can work on this demon business while we're gone.
We're after a scared forest animal, so Dompag's out, too. He's too big to be sneaking and tracking game.
Erisol's a wildcard, but I wouldn't trust her for this mission. We don't know how the locals view sprites, what with the Czar now fielding an army of them. Her magic might be helpful, but it and her demeanor are too random. She might wind up killing/maiming the animal we're after.

I'd say take Finesse and both kobolds since we're going to have diplomatic dealings with with kobold and goblin tribes. Having them along will help reassure our intentions with them are benevolent. Also, some translators for local languages will be helpful.

Oh right, Verity. Yes we must rescue Verity it is top #1 priority.

>>1076349
>We're after a sacred* forest animal

Muschio 2023/11/03(Fri)13:59 No. 1076354 ID: 46e818
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"Where's Wes, by the way?"
>"He's Westing."

Pour butter directly on her head

Pat her head.
Everyone needs a bit of relief.
She tried.

Give her a very tired look. It's the least that pun deserves.

>>1076355
Pat her on her cute head you know you want to

That was a demonically good pun.

i still think it's a good idea to have wes around when you're interrogating pendle/leonid, he'll probably be more comfortable with a more familiar face around even if him and wes were just acquaintances. we should probably let wes west for now, though.

plus ona will probably be a bit uncomfortable around pendle, too, considering the spider just puppeted his body to try and kill her. she'll probably appreciate having wes around, too.

i agree, it’s probably a good idea to at least have wes and pendle catch up about everything that’s happened, both for their sake and ours.

also pat finnie on the head

So he's still asleep. Which is a state the demon can use. Wake him NOW.

Well done... Well done indeed.

Alright, have Emmy check in with him every so often. Until we know if the demon is truly gone, I recommend everyone sleep in shifts to minimize chances of possession.

>>1076345
Let's take Finesse for brainy consult, Tislomer for kobold diplomacy, annnnd... I really don't care who we take for muscle.
It's a tossup between Dompag, Geppa, and Ashe. They're all good, someone else pick.

>>1076355
oh no


my heart

>>1076345
Balance the parties, muscle and smarts in the missions and in the vault.

>>1076355
Pat her head and give her butter a gold star.

The diabitus

>>1076355

Protect that smile!

You could have made that joke with a bit more Finesse. But that's understandable when came up with it Ona the spot. Get some practice and you'll be Muschio better at landing them dePendlebly.

This was delicious but it is more of a desert, I am hungry for some bloody meat.

The last opponent was an appetizer at the beast

>>1076355

Glad he's not easting.

>>1076373
Voting for Ashedel. Geppa is way too unhinged for catching animals or diplomacy.

Muschio 2023/11/04(Sat)16:19 No. 1076455 ID: 46e818
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>"No, I'm-- I'm here."

Muschio 2023/11/04(Sat)16:19 No. 1076457 ID: 46e818
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>"Hey b-buddy."

Let them talk for a bit. Not to watch for discrepancies in the persona or anything because the demon clearly had Pendle perfectly imitated but because last time the demon had to listen to the stutter it had a freakout.

>>1076454
That face expressión was uncalled for prince.

At least be gacefull in your dealings.

Oh, his mouth isn't still covered. I though it was. Nothing to say, Pendle? That idea about telling stuff the demon wouldn't want known to help prove things still stands, if there's anything that could be independently confirmed. Or was the demon able to leave some sort of standing compulsion to not talk? Or steal his voice when it left or something, is that possible?

Dude's probably got heavy ptsd from getting possessed. Who knows what kind of mental damage has been done. Both from the demon being there and (supposedly) leaving.

Maybe Wes can help him through it. Either way, we should still see to it that he gets healed since even if he tries something we have all our muscle currently in the base now.

"Pendle, I want you to understand that I don't give more than two @#$%s about justice. I get that you were rigged, but we have to make sure that you don't develop an addiction to serial killing, or if there's a backup engram of that asshole in your amygdala."

Okay, just a few more items on our checklist:
* Relocate Vittima to a secure room
* Review 'Amongus' self-defense measures (in case the demon comes back); everyone works in threes, regroup at the main hall periodically, always prepare as if the colleague next to you has been possessed, and set up locked rooms.
* Write up an estimated timetable and loose quotas on minor stuff to make
* Major Project: Construct an animal containment unit in case we manage to capture the unicorn or other beasts.

You never knew Pendle. Wes may never have even known Pendle. I doubt we'll notice anything. Let's just let this play out.

I don't think the demon is coming back any time soon, but a cautious approach isn't unfounded.

>>1076468
That's true. All we know is the demon's "perfect imitation" of Pendle.

What good are restraints if he attacks mentally anyway?

>>1076454
Tell finesse that she's lucky you don't have any butter on hand

What is up with that face long nose green guy are you trying to hide a smile or are you angry with what she said?

Hey hey wait hold on. Sorry to break up the flow but alarm bell going off.

The sprite said she talked to Dompag while he was miles away, right? I see he's here now, but something just feels off.
Is Greta also here? His gnoll sister person. Did they arrive from traveling overnight? IS that Dompag?

>>1076348
>Donpag
>>1076485
>Greta
I am officially ignoring all suggestions from now on that can't be bothered to get the character names right

Muschio 2023/11/05(Sun)14:19 No. 1076532 ID: 46e818
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>"Fumo.
>I... owe you my thanks. And an apology."

Muschio 2023/11/05(Sun)14:19 No. 1076533 ID: 46e818
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>"Y-you... want to ap-p-pologize to me."

Muschio 2023/11/05(Sun)14:21 No. 1076534 ID: 46e818
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>"Well. Yes.
>You stopped something horrible from happening.

>You did what you had to. What I asked you to.
>I can't imagine it was pleasant for you. I'm sorry that it fell to you to go through that -- to stop me, because I could not stop myself."

Ugggh, too saaappy
Throw a pear at Pendle just to be sure and let's get questing

Hey Pendle, my man. Don't put all the blame on yourself. If you weren't in control of your body and will, you can't be fully accountable for the misery your actions brought. You can be held accountable for letting the demon possess you in the first place, but not what it did using your body.
I'm just going to assume some lessons have been learned. The price you paid was way too high not to learn any.

dude you literally have the perfect excuse for doing anything, it's fine.

>>1076534
Ask him how the fight with the demon went, in his mind. Why did he lose?

>>1076540
Good questions, and there are many more.

I just don't want to interrupt yet.

Maybe we should redo introductions. Let Pendle know he isn't bound by any decisions the demon made for him.

Assuming we're not just going to sit idly by and watch them sweet talk each other, ask "Pendle" to formally introduce who he really is and now that he is free from demon control inquire if he would like to work for you.

Uhhh I am just wondering how is your body feeling. Can you move your limbs, as for your apology you should feel guilt for what your body did. You should never be alone in a room with a girl.

>>1076534
It would be in our best interest to really know how was his own inner battle against the demon went.

Boss we need to compare notes.

Muschio 2023/11/06(Mon)13:32 No. 1076640 ID: 46e818
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>"Y-yeah, but... being on the r-r-r-rr-receiving end m-must have been worse. II-I mean."

>"You kept me alive. You kept Ona alive.
>It was a necessary sacrifice."

Muschio 2023/11/06(Mon)13:39 No. 1076642 ID: 46e818
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>"H-hey, sh-s-s-ss-shouldn't you b-bbe apologizing to her t-too?"

>"Oh, trust me, he already did. He went on and on about how he was glad I didn't die. And I didn't even remember it!"

>"O-oh."

>"And it was like, a waaaayyyy nicer apology than he gave you, too. Like a hundred times. A lot more groveling."

>"Y-y-you're awful. I-I'll b-bite you myself."

>"Ha ha ha"

Muschio 2023/11/06(Mon)13:45 No. 1076645 ID: 46e818
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Yes, yes, I'm glad they're all feeling a bit more at ease, but I still don't know how to move forward.

I feel deep in my soul that the demon is truly gone. But none of us were able to recognize when it was right here, walking among our ranks, so I cannot trust my instincts.

Still, I suppose further interrogation couldn't hurt. There's much to learn.

I mean, as far as I'm aware, an exorcism of some sort shouldn't hurt Pendle even if he's completely cured. It'll just mean a bunch of wasted energy on our part. But frankly I'd rather waste the time being thorough as opposed to letting him go now and regretting it later.
Besides, it's not like we've got anything Pendle really needs to do right this second! He's fine where he's at! Probably just bored out of his mind.
Maybe we can give him a book or something.

I don't really have any questions for the guy, other than a general report of what was going on while he was possessed, what he was doing before the possession, that kindof stuff.
Ask if anything happened on his end last night. Look for any naked inconsistencies.

We do not know if the demon had an accomplice.
Worst Case Scenario: We get infected, and then your operating system drives you off a cliff.

And like you said, we still don't know who Pendle really is. While we've got him tied up...

>>1076645
Tell him we know his real name is Leonid Travask and to come clean about his past, his former mentor's death and how he came to be possessed in the first place.
If nothing else ask for some more in-depth information on the demon so we can determine if it's gone and what kind of counter-measures we might need against future demonic incursions.

Can we use the spa girl who came here to do her job and help with this whole demon thing? I mean isn't that her specialty?

>>1076652
Good place to start as any.

>>1076645

You've lost trust in your companion's abilities, understandable. But consider that the situation has changed now. It was a minor vice for Pendle to entertain so many female companions, and now it's a warning sign. The demon, whatever it is, must find and isolate females to carve up for its rituals. Now you can have people stick together in pairs, both to avoid being caught alone, and to avoid being left alone. Ona doesn't "have a ton of experience with demons" well now she will have good reason to change that.

Plus you know more about how your orb works now, or rather how it doesn't work. If your head voices start getting shunted into strange places, or minions they speak with act erratically, it might be some form of psychic attack. You will know exactly what's going on if ever you find yourself in bed at night, unable to send us to anyone else.

That being said, don't trust your instincts. Learn more. Pendle, or Leonid is probably the best way for you to do that. Be aware he could be lying to make you vulnerable to the demon, but please do get his help with this.

Also don't forget about the Palidans and all those other forces threatening to batter down your door. And thank the lady dragon for getting you here posthaste.

yeah knowing about what the hell he and his mentor did to end up like this would be nice (and also have him identify the bloody artifact we've been holding on for AGES)

>>1076645
>all this scowling
Also, try to be a bit tactful about any inquiries.
Remember, he's as much of a victim in this ordeal as the others that were hurt. Maybe more so depending on how this possession originally happened.

We can only live in fear for so long. Take what precautions are reasonable, but a demon hardly needs to invade your mind when it already lives there rent free.

>>1076645
Ask him about the magic thing.

Muschio 2023/11/07(Tue)12:44 No. 1076719 ID: 46e818
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"You'll have plenty of time to rebuild your bridges when we've cleared the state of your mind. For now, we return to the facts."

>"Ah yes.
>I must say I feel... unburdened, as I've not felt in a year. But consequences of misjudgement as they are now, and even being unsure if I can trust myself, I agree that it's best to take anything I tell you with the utmost prudence. Treat my words as though I were still an enemy.
>As for my condition, lacking better indicators, I agree it is wisest to go through with the exorcism still, just to be sure. Better to waste the effort than live with the risk and uncertainty."

"Tell me about Kivas Sun and your first encounter with the demon."

Muschio 2023/11/07(Tue)12:50 No. 1076720 ID: 46e818
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>"Yes... Kivas was my mentor for a time. A master of the unseen world. From her I learned of long-abandoned religions and the cults of the woods.
>But she was... ambitious. It was not enough to simply know, as a scholar. She wished to tap into the power of the Old Gods, and the Hosts of the Wild. She began a ritual to bind a demon to her service. Invited it to this world through a doorway she opened.
>But... it sought a living vessel.

>To make gruesome events brief, it killed Kivas when she resisted it, and took control of my body. I have been under its thrall for the past year, moved as a puppet and forced to witness my own hand commit unspeakable evils."

Ask him about the amulet. We can always discard what he says later if he turns out to be affected by the exorcism.

> cults of the woods

...Verity...

Alright while we're on this subject, ask why he failed the mental battle. The demon said his mind was disciplined, was that a lie?

Tell him all the details of your dream/battle with the demon. Particularly the voices in the darkness and the demon's apparent destruction.
Ask him what those voices could've been and if he knows what it takes to truly kill a demon.

More pertinent to matters at hand, did any of these "cults of the woods" happen to be located in any of the local forests?

It'd also be a good time to ask Ona if his broken limbs can be healed by her magic and if keeping him wrapped up any longer without healing might deny her the ability to fully heal him. We don't want to permanently hobble the guy, after all.

What is the connection between tapping into those powers and summoning a demon? What exactly did Kivas hope to gain?

How did the demon kill Kivas?

Ask if the demon targeted flaws that were meant to empower but could rip his defenses apart from the outside. Traumas that inspired him to work harder, for instance.

How much of the events we have seen have actually been you and how much was the demon?

>>1076720
Was this the reason why he was asking for courtesans, to feed the demon?

Or it was it doing the talking at the time?

>>1076722
What does a knoll nurse have to do with this?

>>1076720
There's no point in badgering him about why he didn't manage to resist the demon. Get try to get him to explain what it was doing.

Muschio 2023/11/09(Thu)14:49 No. 1076871 ID: 46e818
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"Can you describe how it happened? How it came to take over your mind?"
>"It was an intense... a pressure. I was myself, then all at once my head felt it was about to burst. There was -- it was some kind of sudden crack and my body wouldn't respond. I was trapped in my head, staring out my own eyes, but paralyzed. And then it moved, but not by my will."
"You never saw the demon in your head? Never confronted it?"
>"In my...? I saw through my eyes, by then it was too late to confront it. It was inside me."
"I see."

"Did we know you at all? Has it been only the demon speaking?"
>"Since we have met, more or less. I am ashamed to say it has learned to mimic me quite effectively, to slip into society unseen. The mannerisms you knew were very much mine."

Muschio 2023/11/09(Thu)14:51 No. 1076872 ID: 46e818
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>"From time to time, it would loosen its grip, as if to taunt me with the possibility of control. But never was I able to rebel. The few times I tried, my punishment was... severe, and swift."
"Until the fight."
>"Such an outburst would have resulted in unspeakable torment. But it was distracted, unfocused. I saw my chance.
>Better this pain than another minute under its thrall."

"Only one more question, then.
Well-- many more, I'm sure, when we're more able to trust you.
But for now, just the one, for its urgency:"

Muschio 2023/11/09(Thu)14:54 No. 1076873 ID: 46e818
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"Does this amulet mean anything to you?"
>"Ah... is this what you needed me to identify? I half expected a grander artifact. I relish a chance to flex my freed mind, but without my reading glasses I won't be able to study it very closely. What can you tell me about it? Is that bone?"

Have whoever has the best skills draw it for him at a larger scale.

dangle it right in front of his nose, so that he can grab it in his teeth, and start bellowing what fools you were to trust him.

are you sure about that man? this artifact is something that others literally tried to steal, maim, and even kill others for. It's got to be important for SOME REASON

>>1076873
Hold it closer but for crap's sake do not allow him to reach it.

"You're the one who was possessed because your master said 'nothing can go wrong'. Everything has been going wrong with this trinket. Tell me if I can destroy it."

>>1076873
Hes not asking for the trinket to be placed closer but for a better, more comprehensive, description of it.

We can indulge for now, describe as much as you can boss, even taste if possible. But avoid placing it within his reach.

>>1076873
For the sake of security I wouldn't hold it any closer to him until a full exorcism can confirm he's free of possession.
Go get him some glasses to wear.

In all fairness, we thought it was nothing but a trinket ourselves. It wasn't until we were damn near assassinated that we started to think it was anything else. That's why we're asking about it now.
Apparently it's very important to some people.

Much as I'd like to learn about this thing before any more ne'er-do-wells make a grab at our life, I agree that we still can't really trust him at this stage. Hold it as close as you dare, and no farther.

So, uh.
Does he prefer to go by ‘Pendle’ still? Or ‘Leonid’? I quite like ‘Leo’, myself.
I'm probably going to call him Leo regardless.

“Someone fetch this man his glasses please.”

>>1076871
Something doesn't add up Boss.

In the past when he had the shard, we could interact with him well enough, when the demon took possession we could Visually tell.

How come he now says that he was a demon's puppet 100% of the interactions?

We could understand if he was "absent" in the events the demon took over, but this doesn't seem to be the case.

>>1076961

The only reason we could tell was that he risked unspeakable torment to fight his possession. He only did it because he thought we might be able to save Ona, and uh, disable himself. Normally he remained passive to avoid said unspeakable torment.

>>1076961
Well, according to Pendle, the demon studied Pendle's mind until they could mimic him, then spent every waking moment pretending to be Pendle even after they migrated to an area that nobody knew Pendle or Leonid or whatever from, just to be extra sure that anyone who knew Pendle and was passing by wouldn't suspect much.

Maybe Erisol's hijinks unlocked some new passive skills.

But yes this requires multiple assumptions and your suspicion is more likely. Let's get multiple exorcists.

Muschio 2023/11/10(Fri)14:44 No. 1076969 ID: 46e818
File 169965629036.png - (11.38KB , 800x600 , 1823.png )

"Would someone please get this man his glasses?"

>"They got smashed."

"In the fight?"

>"I dunno why are you asking me"

"I'm asking anyone who might know."

>"Okay but you're looking at me"

Muschio 2023/11/10(Fri)14:48 No. 1076970 ID: 46e818
File 169965650970.png - (9.01KB , 800x600 , 1824.png )

"Fine, I'll just describe it:
It's a small, hand-carved trinket with a loop of twine to make it a necklace. By feel, yes, I assume it's bone. Feels quite old. Smoothed but still coarse, like weather-worn bone gets.

It's shaped like a... I'm not sure. A bat, maybe. Or a beast's skull. Three prongs on top, maybe horns, and three more on the bottom, maybe teeth. Hard to say how much is symbol and how much is literal. Two holes near the top, which I can say more confidently are eyes."

>"Hm. Check the back and edges of the trinket. Do you see carved notches? Tally marks maybe?"

"Let me see. A series of parallel grooves cut into the back. I count... nine."

Muschio 2023/11/10(Fri)14:55 No. 1076971 ID: 46e818
File 169965695317.png - (8.73KB , 800x600 , 1825.png )

>"What you have there is likely a religious heirloom, passed down nine generations. Or at least nine deaths.
>By shape, it could be a ceremonial arrowhead, but it probably represents a deity. I've seen things like this before, and the bone is likely carved from an ancestor, not an animal. I'm not familiar, offhand, with the shape. It might be someplace in one of my reference tomes, but... well, that will wait until I'm cleared.

>My first instinct, then? It's a guardian token, meant to honor and receive protection from a god. A local Totem God, I would presume."

"Erisol couldn't detect any magic from it, and it's not a monster mannekin. Why would the Czar want some crudely made heirloom?"
>"There, I'm afraid your guess is as good as mine."

>>1076971
It could be a piece of something larger. Perhaps it a part of something greater? For example if it doesn't have all the pieces of... Whatever the Czar is putting together there's no magic associated with it, but together there is?

Alternatively, if it's an heirloom then perhaps its part of whatever religion the Czar represents, perhaps this is the actual holy symbol for it?

If you put a blade to my throat and made me guess I'd say the Czar intends to use it as an empty template or vessel for some manner of enchantment that only such an artifact as this could hold.
Judging by what Pendle said, most likely a favor from a god or perhaps a focus to become the avatar of a god.

But really, without further clues, who knows? He could want to resurrect the original owner of the bone it's made of for all we know. Once Pendle's cleared he can begin researching it and try to get a better idea what the thing's purpose could be.

Anyways, before we leave to handle the missing sacred animal nonsense, ask Pendle about his real name and how he wishes to be referred.

Perhaps it was to be used in a ritual to contact the related god? Even if it's small, a point of contact is a point of contact.

Now we know the bone was taken from a person, perhaps there's some significance to whoever it was taken from. Perhaps some magic could be done to affect those with a connection to them, or it could conjure up their ghost. Or perhaps it's not for a magical purpose - if the bone was from someone of particular significance, perhaps presenting it to the right people would be a significant diplomatic overture. Or perhaps someone has tied some oath of honor to it in some way. Something like that. There are many possibilities.

The Czar might have something which Erisol could detect ALL the magic from, that has a little bat/bone/dragon skull shaped recess that you need to slip something into to activate it.

Erisol could also be lying, since she's been working for the Czar this whole time.

We could see if our witch doctor can use the bone to target something, but a necromancer might be better for that job.

Maybe Dompag has some reading glasses.

>>1076971
there is an off chance it's simply sentimental. not the likeliest reason, but still a potential answer.

>>1076971
Either it has sentimental value, or the Totem God involved is important somehow. Perhaps we should find out which God it is?
...hmm, I wonder if this is related to the mission we're about to send people on.

I really doubt it’s sentimental. The way he acted, and given how power hungry the czar is, it has to be something with power, or some kind of important component. Maybe there’s something hidden in it? Is it possible that the item has some kind of “anti-magic” magic that makes it hard or impossible to detect magic with?

>>1076971
Maybe it's not important, but the person it's made from is. Not that we know any more about necromancy than demonology, but that's probably not enough to animate or anything, but maybe he has a ghost he needs to answer a question?

>>1076971
We should note, this trinket alone is not the only time we've seen this symbol: it has a larger twin within the Czar's throne room, in a prominent position no less.

There it seemed like a banner or device to rally around, though it wasn't evident anywhere else in the city. The charm you have if not magical, might be instead ritualistically significant, a necessary component to some process relating to this Totem God. A sign of allegiance, or other evidence of a pact.

Might be worth explaining both that and the fact the small one was here in the possession of Red Fang, so it might be local to here but also might originate more closely to Tela Cruz (or, it's from a figure who's worship was widespread enough to be present in both locations)

"the bone is likely carved from an ancestor, not an animal"

This could be the key to why the Czar wants the amulet. Perhaps the bone the amulet it's made out of is one of the following:

1) An actual ancestor of the Czar. This could mean something 9 generations old in the Czars past is important to them.
2) A creature of some importance, prominence or power that the Czar wants a bodypart of (dragon?), presumably to improve his power.

We mustn't forget the symbol's shape either - it's adorning the Czar's throne. That symbol means something important to the Czar (or the history of the place he inhabits).

If the symbol might be somewhere in his reference tomes, maybe we could check those notes out ourselves (or have the best reader minion check it out). Where are those tomes?

Pendle's comment about glasses - have we ever had an occasion where Pendle wasn't wearing his glasses? Would or did the demon possessing him suffer the same bodily issues he did (in case demon vision is somehow different).

I'm curious about the demon's killing spree. Why was it doing it? Pure malice? Ritualistic need/devotion? Can Pendle share some insight there? In case the killing spree was trying to achieve something with a bigger scope (like a summoning, or empowering itself).

Yes, that might be useful information. Could we gain power of our own, by carving up the bodies of luscious female—wait, no. No. Just no.

Muschio 2023/11/11(Sat)18:09 No. 1077062 ID: 46e818
File 169975498697.png - (15.38KB , 800x600 , 1826.png )

"There are many reasons I can imagine, but none that seem to immediately fit into place. I suppose we'll have to continue looking into it and research further."

>"I'll gladly give you an in depth lesson on Totem Gods when all this has passed. They are fascinating concepts, though their age has rather passed.
>If I were to put emphasis on any aspect of it, know this: Totem Gods are, essentially, grown from small cults. The unfamiliarity of that symbol and the density of lesser races in the area leads me to believe this is a local deity. You might find answers in the nearby woods. As you are already headed there for today's business, you may yet find worshippers who can give you better insight."

>>1077062
>>1077062
So in essence we are dealing with a minor deity or spirit. Intriguing but it doesn’t give us an answer why the Czar wants it. Seems like we are going to have to make an expedition out to the woods to see if any locals can tell us more.

That advice is good enough reason to take it with you on our mission out to the woods, but be wary of the Czar's minions trying to take it or just thieves in general.
Show it off as little as possible. Keep a drawing of it with you to show to the woodland denizens first instead of the amulet itself. Or better yet, have someone quickly carve a replica to use for this purpose. Only show the real thing if you find someone trustworthy and knowledgeable enough.

My guess is this 'minor' deity gives specific boons that, in the right hands, are actually overpowered. The Czar accidentally discovered this synergetic utility, conquered a city with it, and now he's convinced that restoring the deity to 'major' status by collecting all the deity's scattered artifacts will make him emperor of the planet.

>>1077079
This is the vibe I'm getting too. Working theory is, the Czar is looking to become close friends with one of the smaller, forgotten gods.

>>1077069
carved replica, excellent idea +1 to that.

>>1077062
The local woods, eh? Don't Finesse and Tislomer come from there? They probably know a few of the local cults/deities/traditions, that could be a good starting point to figure out where to search and who to ask.

Red Fang had it, so we could try asking Terva. But Red Fang didn't have it in a place of importance, so he probably didn't know or care much about it.

Local to where? We found it here, but Red Fang could have gotten it anywhere.

>>1077079
that is... that is a good idea. We need to ask if these totem gods can provide minor boons and any examples that he might know off the top of his head.

It's possible that the Czar is trying to turn this 'minor deity', formed from a 'minor' cult, into a major one. Us having the idol might be 'diluting power' so to speak. If every worshipper of this deity is exclusively in his city or aware of it there, it would no doubt be completely under his control or possibly ascend to greater power.

We should be careful about the 'replica' idea, as the mere symbol or creation of it might be important. We can't replicate the ancestry of the material but we can imitate everything else, and maybe it's the symbol and it's spiritual usage that's important - i.e. it's use as a 'holy symbol' for a cleric in D&D.

Muschio 2023/11/12(Sun)15:27 No. 1077129 ID: 46e818
File 169983167602.png - (10.52KB , 800x600 , 1827.png )

Very well, we've spent enough time with an interrogation we can't necessarily trust. I'm sure more details will be forthcoming once Pendle's cleared to return to duty.

For now, I must return to planning today's journey to the nearby woodlands, to meet with the goblin and kobold factions about their holy horse or what have you.

I've got more or less my entire force home and at the ready for a change. Pendle's out of the question and Ona's probably best left to rest another day at least, but for the others, I'm free to pick my ideal adventuring team.
I should leave some to guard the base, especially with everything going on lately, though.

So, who's coming with me to find this sacred equine of the woods?

I mean, again, I'm going to say we bring Tislomer for kobold diplomacy. Babrakus isn't as social as she is, so she's the better option.

I'd also like to bring Finnie just so that we have someone to throw ideas around and plan with, although that's pretty optional.
And we should definitely have one person who's good at fighting, too, probably Dompag or Ashe.

>>1077129
Tislomer or Babrakus would be a good choice for the Kobolds, and always helps to bring Finesse for the goblins.

Any one else we bring should match the tribes or people living out there. Anyone we should know about that you have knowledge of boss?

>>1077129
-Finesse: Having a goblin along for diplomacy with the goblin tribes is essential
-Tislomer: Likewise For the kobold natives
-Ashedel: Of our "muscle" she's the one best suited to tracking and capturing a sacred animal alive while also being stable enough to not strain any diplomatic actions

And if we can afford taking a fourth:
-Babrakus: More kobolds in party equals more trust from the kobold tribes, as well as being a backup in case Tislomer isn't up to the task. Pairing our two kobolds in the party will also improve their moral.

Everyone else needs to recover or is unsuited for the stealth and/or diplomacy this mission requires.

>>1077132
Strongly agree with this one.

I would only add that everyone gear up properly for a track/hunt mission and a possible fight.

Don't know if Wes is ready for action, but we could also take him. After all he seem to be our best runner.

If it possible, we could also take our denling?

Finesse and Tislomer are no-brainers for extra dialogue options diplomatic insight.

For muscle let's take Dompag. Also doubles as a gentle giant in case some of the locals can be swayed by his charms.

>>1077129
Send Tislomer and Finesse.
No need for muscle if all we're trying to do is locate the horse.
They're both locals and it'd cover both goblin and kobold communications.
The party would have a small profile and remain inconspicuous. Tislomer's skills as a seasoned huntress and forager would be able to to keep then fed on the go so they can travel light, not to mention actually tracking any lead they might get.

Have Babrakus carve an image of the amulet on a small wood shingle as well for them to carry along so they can ask around about that as well.

>>1077191

> Have Babrakus carve an image of the amulet on a small wood shingle as well for them to carry along so they can ask around about that as well.

This is a Capital idea, that way we got the people multitasking.

Muschio 2023/11/13(Mon)15:24 No. 1077200 ID: 46e818
File 169991789559.png - (13.86KB , 800x600 , 1828.png )

Very well. We'll have Babrakus make a representative replica so we're not caught out with the amulet itself.
Tislomer and Finesse will accompany me to the woods. An enforcer isn't strictly necessary, but should I run into any sort of threat, it would be good to have.

>"Wait!"

Muschio 2023/11/13(Mon)15:27 No. 1077201 ID: 46e818
File 169991802206.png - (13.56KB , 800x600 , 1829.png )

>"I will wait for your judgement patiently, but...
>I hope I am not out of line in requesting some kind of an anodyne in the meantime. My body is broken and the pain is truly incredible."

>>1077201
Huh? Has noone given him medical attention? Well, take care of that. Just be sure you've got someone tough watching over him while any drugs are administered.

Yeah, you uh, might want to have Ona or Tislomer heal him or at least give him some pain killers.

Ona should be able to heal him quickly what with the mountain being a giant magic amplifier and all.

Oy vey...

>>1077201
God damnit. Someone get him some numbing serum or at the least some strong spirits to drink before we leave.

I... yeah, that should be fine.
However, I'm gonna have to say there should always be another person in the room while they're wound tending. Like, if Ona is tending the wounds, Wes or maybe Geppa needs to be on standby.
Geppa can probably do that, right.

If we’re going with the third person idea, I think Wes would be a far better fit than Geppa. He’s close with both parties and the three need to reconcile after the whole situation, anyways.
Not to mention if Pendle and Geppa were left alone in a room together someone would end up dead, and it’s not really fair to put Ona in the middle of that.

If we’re going with the third person idea, I think Wes would be a far better fit than Geppa. He’s close with both parties and the three need to reconcile after the whole situation, anyways.
Not to mention if Pendle and Geppa were left alone in a room together someone would end up dead, and it’s not really fair to put Ona in the middle of that.

>>1077200
whoever was supposed to be in charge of his care is going to get a verbal trouncing, oh my god

>>1077231

"We wrapped him in bandages! Isn't that how you treat injuries?"

>>1077201
I'll be more worried as to how he is going to relive himself.

Oh sweet god I thought he was already medicated, have Tislomer make enough to keep him well until we get back

>>1077201
Maybe don't force Ona to treat him right now. We have something like a slug of whiskey around? Wait, can he bite himself and knock himself out? I mean, probably not, but I'd love to know.

consider loading him up with a bunch of hallucinogens with the painkillers- he might accidentally divulge incriminating info if he's still possessed

Hm. Ok, it's possible that someone did give him something and he's STILL in pain despite it. If that's the case you'll need to give him as much more as possible and, if that's still not enough, arrange for whoever keeps guard over him to chat and keep him diverted.

>>1077201

In addition, we might want to strongly consider proper medical procedure for exoskeleton breakage, since uh ... since Wes kinda had to ...

Look, there was a hammer involved and I'm pretty sure Pendle here is probably extremely messed up right now.

Muschio 2023/11/14(Tue)13:28 No. 1077280 ID: 46e818
File 169999730023.png - (11.27KB , 800x600 , 1830.png )

>"Oh, God."

Muschio 2023/11/14(Tue)13:55 No. 1077282 ID: 46e818
File 169999894517.png - (11.75KB , 800x600 , 1831.png )

"Pardon me, but am I meant to understand this man has been hanging here since yesterday evening with broken limbs and no analgesic?"

>"He didn't complain until now! I didn't think he could even feel pain! We just assumed it was a demon thing!"

"Get this man some kind of pain medicament immediately. Dompag, stand watch!
I don't care if you have to put him unconscious to do it, if that is our man in there we need to spare him any further suffering."

>"Yes, sir."

"I'm going to make final preparations to leave. Finesse, Tislomer. With me."

wouldn't it be better to have wes stand watch? he's the one who hammered the shit out of pendle, so he probably has some good insight into pendle's injuries that might make it easier for ona to deal with, like which limbs did wes hit first. with pendle's current state it'd probably be smart to have an order of most broken to least broken or something lol

It probably *was* a demon thing up until we turned it into puke. Or rather it felt the pain of Pendle's body but just didn't give a shit. But, if this truly is Pendle, then ever since we came in here he's been holding a conversation with us and maintaining remarkable lucidity through some almost unimaginable pain.

Remember to commend him for his fortitude and dedication to making things right straight out the gates, when we're sure it's him.

>>1077282
Alrighty, we'll head out with you boss. We should also maintain communications with Dompag since he is gonna be watching over Pendle.

>>1077283
Honestly if we get Dompag to watch over him that means Geppa will also watch over him, she is MORE than enough.

>>1077282
Again, hes wrapped in bandages and hanging from the ceiling.

How is he supposed to go potty?

>>1077282
Wow, Real Pendle is kind of adorably tough. Ona needs some rest badly too, clearly. Or maybe she's just still a little resentful despite... mitigating circumstances.

Muschio 2023/11/15(Wed)12:24 No. 1077354 ID: 46e818
File 170007986817.png - (16.61KB , 800x600 , 1832.png )

"All right. Listen up -- today we're making an outing to the Timore Woods, an area you're both familiar with and spent many years in. I will be relying on you both as pathfinders, interpreters, and envoys.
We are leaving to endear ourselves to the locals and convince them to join under our banner. Remember the intel we've received: some manner of sacred horse needs our intervention, a symbol to restore the Woods from encroaching forces.

Are either of you familiar with this animal?"

>"No, Master."
>"Nuh uh."

"Unfortunate. Any words before we leave?"

>"Master, I recommend we bring some kind of muscle. We are the three of us capable of dealing with peaceful encounters, but if we run into these human and elf forces who've been threatening the woods we would be glad to have a strong backup. I recommend Ashedel at the least -- she came along last time."
>"I think Babrakus should come too 'cause he also lived here and also we could both talk to them and also, and uh, and also we could both get that mint soup. It's really good. He told me he never had it and I think he should."

Very well, this is the final role call.
I should be very considerate about who I bring and who I leave to defend the base in my absence.
Other than myself, Finesse, and Tislomer, who should I bring for this mission, if anyone?

Well, I was gonna say "we might unfortunately have to leave Babrakus here..."

... until I remembered the platoon stationed outside the Vault, ready to fend off any incursion. Much as I don't like their leader since he seems scummy, I doubt he'll disobey direct orders from his prince to defend this place.

So yeah fuck it, why not bring Babrakus and Ashedel? I hate to separate the kobolds, and we definitely need the muscle in case we get jumped. Dompag and Geppa are kind of a strike squad in their own right, so just having them here with the platoon should be alright, defense-wise?

>>1077354
Ashedel is a good plan, let's grab her. As for Babrakus, we should only bring him if he is not needed here for anything.

As important as bonding over soup is, it can wait until later. Not to belittle Babs or anything, but if worse comes to worst, I'd like us to have more muscle than a kobold.

I'll agree to heed Finesse's advice and go with Ashedel.

I mean, I think we've got the most important two right here. If they both want to bring along some extras, I don't have a problem it.

I still think that if the elfs or humans are properly equipped you're getting outmatched in any given fight anyway so a team that can avoid detection is a much better choice.
Dompag's natural armour would make him a good pick but he's much more valuable as a defender.
It might be a good idea to humor Tislomer's request though. She'd probably get really antsy and unfocused if she was forced to be away from him.

>>1077354
Definitely Ashedel, she's skilled, strong and can keep a low profile if sneaking and evasion are the goal.
Babrakus is also a good pick if we can afford a fourth. He can be backup for both fighting and kobold diplomacy.

Between Dompag, Geppa and Erisol we have the base totally covered on might and magic.

That said, it's very odd that Tislomer and Finesse have heard nothing of this supposedly "sacred" beast. Being long time natives they should've heard at least myths or campfire stories of it if it's so important to their people.
Pry a bit further with them and ask how they haven't heard of it before if it's so sacred to their people. Ask Babrakus, too. He might know something. Also, check with Ashedel about how she came to know of this animal.
If the natives of the land are somehow ignorant of this thing's existence while people spying on the place can pick up on it, then this information she gathered might be some kind of ruse or trap.

Babrakus still has work to do constructing the outside barracks, right? I think he'd be best left to his work here, and Ashedel would be the best "muscle" to take along. She did the footwork here anyway.

>>1077354
I see no harm in either person coming along, Ashedel is useful all-around and I even see there being an additional benefit in having Babrakus come along, beyond just being another local kobold and making Tislomer happy.

The two being visibly together in your employ would probably be an encouraging sight for some of the forest's residents.

Erisol is the only one that can protect from heavy magical attacks if the Pretender shows up.

>>1077354
I'll say

Ashedel: Equally strong and dexterous.
Babrakus: More kobolds equals more 'bolds cred, and we need the extra muscle.
Wes: (If hes ready for action) Our best runner and a good melee fighter.

Properly geared up for a track/hunt mission and a possible fight. And you have a balanced party of diplomacy and strength.


Or

Dom' & Geps: Power duo that can take down a big boss plus the henchmen.

A strength oriented party that we could really use more interactions with.

Or

Ona
Emmy
Erisol

We embrace chaos

>>1077373
I completely forgot my favorite character existed for a second there, what the fuck. You raise a great point though, and it seems like The Pretender can't actually use his magic inside The Vault because of the pereghast fucking with it; he had to get outside to teleport.

Might be wise to bring her along no matter what the party configuration looks like.

>>1077389
The thought suddenly occurs to me that it isn't that he couldn't use his magic, but that it would be a bad idea to use magic in the Vault. I mean, Muschio normally conjures up a candle flame and it was magnified to being almost volcanic in here. So maybe if the Pretender tried anything this whole place would have just exploded.

Which means that having Erisol around here is like having a chain smoker checking for gas leaks. So, we should absolutely take her anywhere that isn't here, right now.

>>1077436
I think the presumption was that the ore caused interference, not just enhancement, and teleportation/portal requires a lot of precision. We shouldn't count on anyone being unable or unwilling to use magic in the base.

Muschio 2023/11/17(Fri)18:39 No. 1077517 ID: 46e818
File 170027519785.png - (9.61KB , 800x600 , 1833.png )

"One other question -- if this sacred beast is so important to the villages in the region, enough that its absence can cause local upset, how is it neither of you, as locals, have any knowledge of it?"

>"The truth is, Master, I lived quite separately from my settlement. You may remember when you first recruited me I was occupying a small shed at the very edge of the village. I had not lived my whole life there and was not particularly social, so I suppose I just never engaged with the local superstitions."

Muschio 2023/11/17(Fri)18:40 No. 1077518 ID: 46e818
File 170027521603.png - (9.29KB , 800x600 , 1834.png )

"And you, Tislomer?"

>"I'm five."

"Ah."

How long do kobolds live, anyway?

>>1077518
They don't even teach you about the sacred beast? Damn, what are they teaching you kids these days?
I swear, all these kids want to do these days is mix herb and shoot bow. Back in MY day they made damn well sure you got yourself some good religious learnin'. None of this willy-nilly oral tradition nonsense either! You got sat down and read to with some proper written dogma!
Oh, you kids got it so easy nowadays, when we was young we had to prayed five miles through snow! Uphill! Going both ways! EVERY SUNDAY!
And we LIKED IT! We loved it! We couldn't get enough of it!

It might behoove us to ask any elders or shamans we can find then.

Are Logos and Pathos busy?

>>1077436
Hadn't even considered that little episode of his as being caused by the pereghast but that makes a lot of sense. I do think there's something more there though, even without the ore, as seen when he dove at The Pretender to save Finesse.

our boy has anime powers that activate when he's emotional about saving his loved ones and I think that's fucking awesome :V

>>1077517

It's hard to believe in Finnie's case, since she's like 100+ years old. She being a little kid in the days of the Malto's Barony and all.

I mean, by virtue of just being part of the tribe, you get to know what's important to them.

>>1077541
Finesse is known to lie about things to cover her ass. She was probably an outcast or seen as an outsider to the other goblins and therefore not privy to tribal lore.


...which calls into question how useful she'll be for diplomacy. We might want to rethink having her along.

For the sake of this mission's success we might want to press her harder and make her to tell us exactly what her relationship to the goblin tribes was. More specifically, if her presence would jeopardize our goals with the tribes.

>>1077520
They're usually pretty long-lived, barring ‘accidents’. Said accidents being pretty frequent among kobolds. Rapid maturation was developed as a defense mechanism, since few kobolds actually live to a ripe old age.

Uh. I presume. It's entirely possible I'm projecting knowledge from less relevant sources. Maybe that's something we can ask during the negotiations, y'know, just casually ask an elder or something as a matter of cultural curiosity.
Honestly this might be a fascinating opportunity to learn more about both goblins and kobolds.

Muschio 2023/11/18(Sat)16:16 No. 1077583 ID: 46e818
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"Very well. Ladies, while the rest keep the Vault safe, we'll be setting out in just a few moments for the troubled forest. Familiar territory to all four of us, to be sure, but do not let your guard down.

The trek to the denser forest will take an hour or two at a good clip, and who knows what we may run into along the way.

So prepare yourselves for a challenge and an adventure! We're off to the Timore Woodlands."

Muschio 2023/11/18(Sat)16:17 No. 1077586 ID: 46e818
File 170035306682.png - (20.77KB , 800x600 , 1837.png )

"Well, here we are in the Timore Woodlands!"

Wow!

And nobody even died on the way to their home planet
Bonus!

Every true overlord knows how to travel by map

Fast-travel, the best videogame superpower (for a ruler).
An inventory or quest system is probably better for individual adventurers.
... Being the administrator of a quest system would be pretty dang good for a ruler though.

Anyway, keep an eye out. Do you see anything out of place between entering the woods, & getting to the village?
I assume nothing was out of the ordinary on the way to the woods.

>>1077586
Great! ... Now what?

Which village is the closest?

Check for Verity tracks!

We had a plan, right? That's why we chose we chose?

We should start gathering information. Where the horse usually is, who's seen it recently, did it look or act different, has this happened before?

Check with the kobold tribes first. They're a lot more forthcoming and easier to please judging by our first expedition here.

LOL

Muschio 2023/11/19(Sun)13:06 No. 1077651 ID: 46e818
File 170042801157.png - (16.98KB , 800x600 , 1838.png )

Very well. We should immediately head to the nearby kobold village and speak to the elders, the priests... anyone who might have knowledge of the sacred beast, and what's become of it.

"Tislomer, I never asked -- what is the name of your village?"

>"It's called Blue Trees!"

Muschio 2023/11/19(Sun)13:08 No. 1077653 ID: 46e818
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"And why's that?"

>"B-... because... the trees are blue??"

"I must not have seen them. Which ones are blue?"

>"All of them??? All the village's trees?"

>>1077653
… Mental note, Kobolds may be colorblind.

Onwards to the village.

>>1077622
Also be sure to inquire about the becomings of the lil' 'bold girl that you cure of her possession/poisoning.

Last we saw her, Rider's party bumped into her and shenanigans ensued.

Isn't Muschio's face/skin green and his hair blue? Ask her what color she sees your face and hair as. That'll find out if they're colorblind real fast.

A degree of colour blindness is common in creatures with good night vision. I'd bet Ashedel knows if any trees are blue in this forest, though! And likely has a good idea of settlement locations from seeing smoke and such! Surely she's been stretching her wings in the general area.

Don't question it until you've actually seen the village.

Yeah. Could be that that kobolds are colorblind.
Could also be that the trees specifically around the village are a different color.

It's not important, so guessing risks putting your foot in your mouth for no reason. Just wait to see.

Guys, our "white" is her "blue", you saw it when we switched

Ask the other two what colors they see.

>>1077653
Ridiculous, everyone knows trees are white, just like everything else.

Did I mention we're partially colorblind? It takes something intense, like furnace fires or freshly-spilled blood, for us to see anything that isn't shades of grey. Maybe the kobolds have something like that.

It's possible she sees more colours, rather than less. If only some of the trees are blue to her and some aren't, but they all look green to us that implies she's seeing something we're not.

Just be careful while in the woods not to bump into the Slur Slinging Slasher

>>1077653

Note to self: look up, when we arrive. Clearly we were too engaged with the proceedings last time we were there.

Or maybe our dear 'bold just has an inherited case of ... oh, I forget the name. Something dreadful, I'm sure.

Remember kids, not all languages, cultures, or species groups have the same understanding of color that you do.

Homer called it the wine dark sea, because it was a good metaphor for the rich tones in a world where there were few words for understanding color. Some languages get by with just two or three words, and people in them are notably worse at differentiating hues without the benefit of language to mentally sort the information.

Also like 95% of the world is in black and white, so we are in that category.

>>1077653
Oh right, I don't know if it was ever mentioned but it's quite possible that some of the other races literally see the world differently from us.

Sometimes even our perspective through your companions is altered, Ashedel being onesuch example in fact. If I recall correctly, her perspective was one of high contrast, and a vivid differentiation between the subject of her focus and everything that was not.

Muschio 2023/11/20(Mon)12:26 No. 1077705 ID: 46e818
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"Tislomer, what color is my skin?"

>"Oh my gosh I know what COLORS are, the trees were blue! Most trees are green, that's what made them special!"

"Tislomer... I've been to your village, remember?"

>"And so have I. The trees were green, just like every other tree here."

>"NUH UH, they were blue! That's why they CALLED it that! Why else would they call it that??"

Muschio 2023/11/20(Mon)12:27 No. 1077706 ID: 46e818
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>"If EVERY tree was blue they wouldn't call it Blue Trees, that would be a dumb name for--

>oop."

Note for later: perhaps Kobolds can see magic, and these trees exude a blue aura?

For now though, we seem to have stumbled upon a hunt. Looks like a deer though, so not our sacred horse, but we still might want to have a chat and see if they’ve seen the horse.

>>1077705
Oh... she might have UV vision and can see ultraviolet as "blue," so the trees in her tribe's area are a color you can't see.

>>1077706
Just to check, the sacred beast we're after is indeed a horse, right? And horse don't have horns, correct?
Either way take a good look at these guys and ascertain if they're common hunters or military scouts. Also take note of their demeanor, both towards us and in general.

>>1077707
This.

>>1077708
Or it might be a language thing, and in her culture "blue" and "green" are the same word. In any case, there's no reason to press this until we arrive at the village. Clearly it's just making Tislomer frustrated.

>>1077706

... don't those elves an orgy to attend? What are they doing away from their very sparkly woods?

Also what kind of horse is that?

Are these elves not supposed to be here? Is this poaching?

Well I hope there are no deer people in this world because then this would be murder

Wave politely before continuing into the woods and continuing the argument. No reason to worry about some hunters doing their jobs.

What's the word, woodsmen?

OH NO VERITY wait no, no that's just a deer.

>>1077766
Who the fuck is Verity, why do you keep posting this

Muschio 2023/11/21(Tue)12:33 No. 1077772 ID: 46e818
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A pair of elves stand around a freshly killed deer of some sort.

>"Ah! Hello!"
Skinning knife in hand, the left elf waves to us.
>"I'm sorry to make you go around, but this one didn't ask our opinion on the most convenient spot to finish the hunt!"

Muschio 2023/11/21(Tue)12:34 No. 1077773 ID: 46e818
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>"HEY! PSSST! BOSS!!!!

>This is our forest! Why are there elves here?? They're not supposed to be here!!"

They're obviously hunting. Probably with the "hostile encroachment from nearby humans and elves" we came here to put a stop to. Our tactics here might colour our interactions later. We should be tactful.
My advice: Keep our distance and attempt to diplomatically pump them for info. Don't make yourself out to be a threat just yet.

Unless... you want to do that, in which case charge in and beat them up, and then pump them for info.
These guys look like dorks. You and Ashe could probably take them.

Politely inquire why they've ventured so deep into the kobold's territory while offhandedly mentioning the ongoing tensions between their peoples.

We're here on just diplomacy for now, so no threats or violence until the tribes give us information and permission to represent them.
We don't want to be stepping on toes, putting a foot in our mouths or prematurely starting wars here. Let Tislomer know this if she becomes too incensed.

I am conflicted on if we should mention the horse.

On one hand, as trackers they might know something. Even if they haven't, it could be good to warn them off doing anything to the horse if they do see it.

On the other hand, if they don't know about the horse, we don't want to make it a target.

> Politely inquire why they've ventured so deep into the kobold's territory while offhandedly mentioning the ongoing tensions between their peoples.
Sounds like the best course of action.

Well, that settles it kill them all!

>>1077775
This.

>>1077781
Channel the power of beardbeard

>>1077787
Deforestation is contrary to our goals.

So yes. They are poaching. Tell them to fuck off or die.

Remember that any question we ask of them they might ask of us, and we have no official capacity.

>>1077775
This is the best we can do.

>>1077775
This seems to be our best option so far.

Ask them if they got permission to hunt in these woods.
Take their stuff if they didn't, buy their meat if they did.

you gotta poymit for that?

ask them why they hunting here, lets see their excuse

God, poaching is a little below our pay grade isn't it? Besides, they make a good point. They may have started this hunt way outside of this territory and crossed an invisible line without knowing it. It's not like we passed any territory markers, right?

>>1077773
This reaction is very unlike what we have come to expect from Tislomer.
Let's ask her what she means exactly and maybe try to calm her down a little before things heated beyond our capacity to manage. The elves can wait.

Fairly normal. I'm betting the elves and humans aren't even aware they've encroached.

Be friendly, give no indication you're anything except a weirdly diverse friend group. Casually pump them for info. What're they doing here? How's the hunting?

>>1077773

Well, if they ARE poaching, no sense leaving the kill behind and attracting nastier things.

Ask if these woods belong to them, as the kobolds seem to have staked their claim to this region. Then politely, but firmly, inform them that, as vassals to your budding empire, the kobolds (and their forests) are under your protection, so you must ask that the elves leave with their kill and hunt elsewhere.

Surely they will understand the gravity of offending your lordship.

Muschio 2023/11/22(Wed)10:18 No. 1077830 ID: 46e818
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I lower my voice to a whisper so Tislomer and I can confer privately.

"I'm not used to seeing you this agitated. What's got you so angry?"

>"This is our woods!! The elves and humans keep coming in more and more! They cut down all the trees on the edges so the forest gets smaller, and they kill more and more animals, and uh, and, and they keep getting closer to Blue Trees!
>And sometimes, they even hurt us! Or they take some of us away and we never see them again!
>Every year they get closer to the villages and they're mean to us and we don't even want them here!
>And you know what happens in other places! They tell us we have to stay in the forest but then they don't stay OUT of the forest?? That's not fair!!"

Muschio 2023/11/22(Wed)10:22 No. 1077831 ID: 46e818
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I suppose I should get information from these strangers before proceeding.

"Good morning! What's brought you to hunt so deep into kobold territory?"

They glance at each other, curiously.
>"Um..."
>"'Kobold territory'...?"
>"Well, yes, surely we are on all kinds of territories. I suppose this land is the territory of wolves, and stags, and any number of other animals too, all drawing their lines. No harm in that, though."
The shorter one nods in agreement.
>"It's good hunting in these woods. The kobolds don't bother us much."
>"But we appreciate your concern! We'll be quite all right."

... They think of them as animals. Revolting.

We need to remain calm. Best not sour things straight away.

Welp, there it is. They do not see kobolds as a people nor do they respect their independence.
We didn't come here to debate morality and ethics with common hunters nor would the venture be fruitful under these circumstances. We also don't currently represent the local tribes, so our words are our own, for now.

Sternly tell them their encroachment on the tribal lands of the local peoples is driving the them to the brink of war with the hunters' people. Firmly recommend that they withdraw. The locals will scarcely tolerate much more and violent actions are probable if they stay.

If they start asking questions about why we're here, tell them diplomacy to prevent a war.
If they get too impudent, well... again, we've been given no authority by the locals, so-
Take no action, begin to leave and most importantly: tell them to watch their backs, bad things happen to unwelcome visitors in the woods.

>>1077837
Authoritative, ominous, excellent. No notes lol

Cool, racism! Is it typical for people to not think of bolds as people?

Don't react yet. We don't want these people to know we're about to come down on them. Make polite conversation and get directions to their camp. We may do some hunting ourselves, and we'd appreciate experienced woodsmen to help us dress our kill.

Ask them if they're aware that kobolds can speak and have intelligent conversation. Or just otherwise ask if they're aware kobolds are generally sapient.

>>1077831
Poor things. Their society is so warped they have no proper definition of what an animal is.
Best clear things up. Tell them you misspoke. It's YOUR terrritory. They can't be here.

Tell the elves that the cutebolds and goblins are under your jurisdiction, as you claimed these lands by conquest from The Fangs.
Which means they're poaching in front of the owner. Please take the meat and leave.

It's important to not react to this like a child and fly off the handle because your friends are getting bullied. We are on the cusp of being a political force in the world; that's what we are on the way to do right this moment, cement our alliance with the local powers. Culture and bigotry aren't non-factors, but the real issue in this case is that the kobolds aren't influential enough for their neighbors to recognize their borders. So if this is really upsetting to you, then you should focus on our original task and not get distracted dealing with these yokels.

What is up with people calling these things racist, they clearly aren't they just know the pecking order. That and poor knowledge of geological territories, or maybe just maybe this kingdom is so small that they don't even know it even exists.

>>1077857
They phrased it as kobolds being animals. They didn't even acknowledge them as a tribe, let alone a kingdom. They thought we were warning them in the same way you might tell someone "hey be careful there's bobcats in these woods," rather than saying "hey wtf are you doing poaching on someone else's land."

obviously we must hunt THEM