Oh god--

What now?

Mark 2011/06/23(Thu)10:38 No. 316751 ID: a9ba96
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>"Mark, come on. You're falling behind."
"Sorry. I'm uh, I'm starting to get a bit hungry."
>"Don't worry, my good friend. A great feast awaits you in Egias. All the more reason to get through this Kobold mess as fast as we can."

...Are uh, are you guys there? I keep losing your voices on this trail for some reason. I think something in the woods might be interfering with your magic or something.

you were reminiscing. we saw it. wanna talk about it?

if we accessed your subconscious somehow then it was when you were with the cyclops and orc or ogre dude and you were covered in blood.

>>316751
uhhhhh

WHAT DID YOU DO?
Okay that was probably a long time ago... but still......
You know what? NEVER TAKE US OFF. Because it seems if left to your own devices you accidentally kill people. And we can at least TRY to prevent that.

>>316751
We had a vision of you. You were covered in blood and standing next to a cyclops and some burly guy who wasn't wearing a shirt.
You were babbling about not having a choice, and the others mentioned never letting Lin and Faer find out.

So, how about you give us some context on what we saw? I mean, unless you would rather we get our answers from Lin.

Mark 2011/06/24(Fri)13:36 No. 317157 ID: a9ba96
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Oh... I was just thinking about... you guys actually saw... but how did you... uh, never mind.

Well uh, listen. The cyclops was Neena, the big guy was Ramal, and Faer was a Paladin like Lin. They were all part of the adventuring group I used to be in about two years back.

We split up over a year ago, though. Hadn't heard from any of them since, until you guys started telling me about Lin. I uh, I wouldn't expect to run into any of them out here, though. Neena swore off adventuring and went back to Egias, Ramal joined up with some bandits, and Faer was an even bigger screw up than you guys insist I am, so he probably got eaten by a bear or something.

As for the blood, that was uh, well, it was something that happened almost two year ago. I don't mind telling you guys about it when we uh, when we have more time, but please keep Lin out of it, okay? I'd rather keep this thing a thing that Lin never found out about.

>"Hold on Mark. I think these elves are up to something. Hopefully they're about to throw your old friends here off our trail."

Mark 2011/06/24(Fri)13:57 No. 317161 ID: a9ba96
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>"Vinbal."
>"Yes, Nessya?"
>"The path divides here. Which path would you suggest we take?"
>"Hmmm... the positioning of the trees on the left path seem to hold more potential for setting up traps than the ones on the right."

Mary sighs.
>"Can we hurry this up?"

Mark 2011/06/24(Fri)14:02 No. 317166 ID: a9ba96
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Nessya nods to Mary, then turns to Vinbal.
>"Take the lead, Vinbal. I need to check on something."
As we continue down the path to the right, Nessya approaches the Prince and I at the back of the group.
>”Alright, we’re heading down a pathway that’s probably as booby-trapped as an Ogre’s treasure room. I can have Vinbal lead these guys into one of them, but we need to figure out what to do after that. I’m not sure if we can get all four of these guys at once, so we have a few options after the first trap springs and we get our hands on that bag. We can take our chances and try overpowering the ones who aren’t left stuck in a trap, but even If we outnumber them I’m still worried about those mages. If we make a break down this path, I can try luring the guys chasing us into other traps, but we’re going to have to be careful not to hit any of them ourselves. Or we could try heading off the path, losing them through the woods, and then switching over to the left path, which I think has less traps. The issue there is that there’s no way for me to tell how safe the forests off the path will be.
>Either way, you need to make up your mind quick. I need to get Vinbal in on our plan before the first trap springs.”

>>317157
Some of us are kinda totally loose lipped, but we'll try to keep them in hand.

>>317166
"Mary is the core of the group, so if something happens to her the rest will be confused and easy to handle. She's also impatient, rash, and stubborn, so the best bet is being overly cautious, covertly disarming subtle traps, and announcing the discovery of the blatantly obvious ones. She'll get overconfident and impatient and take the lead.
At that point we can 'rush to her aid' and keep her alive. Her party will think it's her own fault, spend their time tending to her, and respect us for helping treat her. No fighting required."

>>317172
hmm i suppose that works.

>>317172
Damn it Seven, now I'm forced to agree with you.

>>317172
Thas good, and if she dies... No tears shed here.

Mark 2011/06/24(Fri)18:55 No. 317286 ID: a9ba96
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"Mary's the head of the group, so all you really need is for her to run into a trap to throw the others off. She's also impatient, rash, and stubborn, so I think the best bet here is actually to be overly cautious. You know, covertly disarming subtle traps, and announcing the discovery of the blatantly obvious ones. Knowing Mary, eventually she'll get overconfident and impatient and take the lead. After she runs into a trap, we can rush over to help her. If the party thinks running into a trap was her fault instead of ours, they'll respect us for trying to help we'll have a better shot at getting the bag with no conflict at all."

Nessya pauses for a second.

>"Oh. Well, I'll go tell Vinbal, then. I'm sure he'll be happy to know there's no fight."
"Alright, let's-"
>"By the way, when you hit me with your sword's handle back there? You fucking cut my face open. Thanks, I really needed a huge scar on the side of my face."

And with that, she walks off to talk to Vinbal.

I'm not really sure what that was about, but uh, okay.

>>317286
....I think she lost the right to bitch about minor, nonlethal injuries when she tried to GUT you with a KNIFE. What is this, some kind of weird... elf.... attraction thing?

Mark 2011/06/24(Fri)19:00 No. 317288 ID: a9ba96
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As we continue down the path, Eline slowly drifts towards the back of the group.

>"Hey... Mister Mark?"
"Huh? Oh, uh, what is it Eline?"
>"You know, Mary says that back when she was on a team with you, you were always the bravest one."
"She does?"
>"She also says you were the dumbest."
"Oh. That kinda figures."
>"I just wanted to ask you... how do you stay brave when you're scared?"
"Huh? Why are... uh..."

Well, that came out of nowhere. Honestly, I'm uh, I'm not really sure how to answer this one.

just good ol "bravery is not the absence of fear. it is doing something in spite of the fear. a warrior may fear death when he fights, but he fights anyway."

Aha, the poor nervous girl wants to know how to be brave like you. How cute~

We've got this. "Bravery doesn't mean you aren't scared, it means you don't let it stop you." You might also say something about a little fear being healthy but too much is also dangerous, you make poor decisions. For a little self depreciating humor you could also tell her being dumb like you helps you not think too much.

>>317286
I'm not sure what it's about either, but I think she likes fighting.

When the Paladins get here we can make them heal her face. Keeping her around to meet them is as easy as telling her that helping with your mission would get her a cut of the loot and amnesty for anything she might have done before. Also, excellent health care.

>>317288
"Have something you believe in. Something worth fighting for. I'm not afraid for myself because I have things that matter more to me than me. Back then it was my team.
Also, it helps to be dumb. I kinda have trouble telling how much danger I'm in."

>>317288
Just ask her if she really wants to do this.
>>317286
Um. Tell her that if she wants it fixed you know a friendlyish paladin? Not sure if sarcastic.

Mark 2011/06/25(Sat)18:25 No. 317679 ID: a9ba96
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>>317287
Though I'm no expert, I'm pretty sure Elves are pretty good at healing magic innately. If Nessya really wanted to, she probably could have fixed her face with a couple of flowers and a quick chant an hour ago. Not really sure why she's making such a big deal over it myself, either.

"Being brave doesn't mean you aren't scared. It means you don't let those fears hold you back."
>"That makes sense."
"Hah, I guess being dumb kinda helps too. I've never been too good at telling how much danger I'm in."
>"...I guess that makes sense too."
"Eline, are you sure you really want to do this?"
>"Kobolds don't scare me."
"Well, I'm just making sure."
>"I understand. It's just that a lot of people are going to die very soon, and I want to be able to stay brave when it happens."

Mark 2011/06/25(Sat)18:25 No. 317681 ID: a9ba96
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"...Come again?"

... her amulet seems to be moving. grab it and yank it off. NOW.

That necklace. It's an eye. It's staring at you. Send it on a little trip AWAY.

>>317679
"What? Why do you say that?"

if it tries to do something to you when you grab it then take us out and poke at it with us.

Hey don't just snatch the necklace. Ask her what it is first.

don't just grab the necklace, i'm guessing its a scrying item and its picking up on something big and nasty in the near future.

Mark 2011/06/26(Sun)09:14 No. 317953 ID: a9ba96
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"What? What makes you say that?"
>"Huh... Aaah! I... I wasn't supposed to say... I just got a bit... I... I wanted... I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."
"Your uh, your necklace is starring at me."
>"It... that's... d-don't touch it! I--it's important!"

>>317797
Yeah, something is certainly weird here. I'm uh, I'm not sure if I want to just touch whatever it is that this thing is, though.

>>317702
Hmmm... you know, that actually gives me another bearhound-level cool idea.

Mark 2011/06/26(Sun)09:20 No. 317957 ID: a9ba96
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Mark removes the artifact from his vest and shows it to Eline.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to take it. I've got something a bit like it, actually."
>"D-does yours talk, too?"

...Yeah, something is certainly up with that eyeball.

"Sometimes."
>"And... a-are the voices nice?"
"...When they feel like it."

Eline leans in to get a closer look at the artifact.

Well hello there, lovely.

Mark 2011/06/26(Sun)09:23 No. 317960 ID: a9ba96
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Perfect, and now I can... oh gods I have no idea what this is going to do.

I sure hope this doesn'

... 2011/06/26(Sun)09:23 No. 317961 ID: a9ba96
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...

??? 2011/06/26(Sun)09:26 No. 317962 ID: a9ba96
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Eline.

Eline, I cannot feel your presence. Has harm befallen you, young one?

Eline?

>>317960
The fuck are you staring at, Eye-gor?

hey dude. nice outfit. you can see outside right? we are the ball that just poked you. just wanna know what's up with you.

Nah she's fine, you're just being distracted from her by being touched to us. I'm sure it's temporary. Mostly sure. We're blinded too at any rate.

So what's your story, fellow orb?

Guess again my friend. Notice how I said 'my friend' as a show of peaceful intent. That peaceful intent will disappear fast if I learn your trying to harm Eline. Seriously I will destroy you seven kinds of crazy. But if your not trying to harm her, then none of that's relevent, in which case uh, it's nice to meet you Mr...?

>>317962
You know, preparing this girl for the apocalypse or whatever, cool beans, but why are you having her follow that outrageous bitch around?

In case you are wondering, Big Bad Evil Guy, someone just got Orb of Infinite Psyche into your Eyeball Necklace. Reeces Apocalypses will soon ensue.

Also, I agree with the previous voice. Why have Eline follow that gigantic bitch around? Literally ANYONE else would be acceptable. Even that demon. He was an evil bastard, but at least he had DRESSS SENSE.

Warpath the Unstoppable 2011/06/26(Sun)11:14 No. 317989 ID: a9ba96
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Voices. Interesting.

First, I would like to thank you for the compliment regarding my outfit. Many believe black armor and a horned helmet to be overdone, perhaps even cliche, but I feel that the look is still quite effective in intimidating opponents while remaining practical.

As for Eline, I'll have you know that I have no intentions of harming her. It would be both senseless and counterproductive. I also did not request that she follow the "outrageous bitch" she is currently in the company of - Eline joined "The Pack" on her own. Eline has no other duties for me than to go about her own business. Her job for me is fulfilled simply by being one of those who bare my Seeing Eye, as they aid me in scouting Ution. Eline is free to do as she pleases, as long as I am free to observe.

As for me? Here on the Orc's home continent of Turgeth, I have been given many names. Charnelbone. Madspawn. Lord Skulldeath. Bloodgulch Murderkill. Dark Baron Evilrage the Cadaverous.

...Though they're all flattering titles, for purposes of practicality I prefer to go by "Warpath." Or "Warpath the Unstoppable", if I'm feeling dramatic.

I don't speak to many outside my Watchers these days. It's nice to meet you.

For a guy named Warpath, you are incredibly polite. No offense.

>>317989
Hrm. Need any help conquering the planet? It's one of our hobbies. We're great at brainstorming and constructive criticism.

Also, when are you planning on sweeping across the globe with your limitless orcish hordes, slaughtering all in your path? Just a rough timeline would be handy, so we know when to dump all our stock and head for the hills.

just what are you? i don't mean to offend but your bearing and habits are indicative of some sort of immortal, or a very magically powerful mortal.

huh, that is interesting. why does eline carry your eye? surely she must gain something from it.

Well you seem nice enough, pleased to meet you too. Is your bloody history of carnage more of your own design, or is it only because you hung out with violent warrior types?

You say she is free to do as she pleases, but have you helped or hindered her ability to do so? I have no doubt you have done well by her. but clearly she doesn't have confidence in her abilities and decisions. If you provide a strong commanding presence that would be a help her to as a crutch but not to help her find her own strength. Now with us, less focus means the host has to make judgement calls on our scattered advice.

In short, Warpath what kind of help do you really give this little girl?

>>317989
I'd like to ask about your post conquest plans. How are you going to govern?

Warpath the Unstoppable 2011/06/26(Sun)13:12 No. 318020 ID: a9ba96
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I take no offense to the inquiries regarding my mannerisms. I see no reason to be impolite to you, as you have shown no intentions of being impolite to me. It's as simple as that.

As one of my Watchers, Eline bears my Seeing Eye. It allows me to obverse her travels and scout the land. Any aid I give her is merely simple advice, as I prefer my Watchers to be capable of self sufficiency. Eline is not confident, but in time I believe she will grow to overcome that.

Now, conquest and ruling... it was an aspiration of mine long ago, I'll admit. But I don't intend to conquer the world, or even all of Ution. I simply intend to conquer enough land to construct a dungeon upon.

You see, many, many generations ago, before even the war between the Drow and Elves, I brought my army to Turgeth in search of a challenge. I had made a deal with a Devil to stop me from aging so I could hunt down and eradicate the bloodlines of several families who wronged me, but once that was complete I was left with a great deal of power, weapons, and undead servants I had amassed in my admittedly short-sighted quest for vengeance, and little else to actually do with them. So, having heard stories of the Orcs and their power, I lead my hordes against the mighty Tribe Grool, slaughtered their armies, decapitated chief Garbag, and claimed their territory for my own. Upon the land of Tribe Grool, I built a great, sprawling dungeon and waited deep within it for warriors to oppose me. They came by the hundreds at first, then by the tens, and over time Orcs began to simply avoid the land that was once owned by the great Tribe Grool, and I faded into folklore amongst the Orcs. I'm sure another attack on a tribe would spur another thousand years of hundred-orc raids on this dungeon, but I've come to a conclusion as of late. Orcs... are boring.

They’re great fighters, but they’re nothing but brawn. From the great war against Garbag’s tribe, to the fight with Garbag himself, to the hundreds of thousands of Orcs who valiantly threw their lives away in my dungeon, well rest their souls, none of them ever deviated from the strategy of “run forward yelling and swininging weapon.” They lack strategy. Tactics. Formation. Don't get me wrong, I like Orcs. It's just that They too predictable.

So I’ve set my sights to other places. Ution, while home to Orc traders and immigrants from Turgeth, is also home to Dwarves and Elves and Humans and all sorts of species I have not yet had the pleasure of fighting. And so, I sent my men to Ution to disperse the Seeing Eyes to travelers and adventurers, so I could see the land and determine which of the Kingdoms I will wage my next great war against, and upon which capitol’s ashes I will build my next great dungeon.

I apologize if I droned on for a bit too long there. It’s been a while since I’ve given that speech to anyone.

But that's enough about me, what about you? You appear to be in the care of the sibling of the aforementioned "outrageous bitch" whom Eline follows. How has that been for you so far?

>>318020
Eh. Pretty good. He's a bit of a klutz when it comes to helping people to be honest, but he means well. It's just that his track record so far includes releasing two psychotic killers, and burning down an entire village, killing basically everyone who wasn't killed by the psycho.

Poor lad. He needs our help, or he'll accidentally release the Balrog of Morgoth and destroy the world on the way to the post office or something. Though at least when WE are around, he's competent. Ish.

However, I like you. You're probably the best Evil Overlord I've ever seen. Keep up the good work!

oh not to bad. he's a bit of an idiot, but his hearts in the right place and he has potential. though I do have to say razing an entire kingdom just to get people to fight you does seem a bit wasteful. maybe you could raze a medium to large city, build your dungeon and then send out powerful raiding forces? this would have the advantage of having countries rather than individuals coming after you. if thy lose interest or decide your not a big enough threat just go burn down another city. fewer civilian casualties.

he is some kind of idiot savant. he sometimes does stupid things but sometimes does things AMAZINGLY clever. think with us keeping his stupid shit in check he would be a pretty cool dude.
also, i suggest hitting a point between two or three countries. would result in them putting aside differences to fight you, and you getting the most adventurers you could want. everyone wins!
and yeah, seems your devil deal has just the classic "too much of a good thing" downside.

>>317989
Interesting, but I'd like to offer some advice.
People are more scared by the unknown than by aggression, but that prompts caution more than violence.
If you attack outright then they'll immediately launch counter-attacks and deplete their resources in a bid to remove you. That will leave them weaker and much less of a challenge, which is contrary to your goals.
If you simply show up in a desolate area, build your dungeon, and dress the place up to be ominous, then you'll get people preparing for war. You'll have small border skirmishes that they'll learn from, and they'll start drafting proper plans to fight.
After a year or two you can conquer a few towns and raid a few cities, and that will prompt them to put their plans into action. Rather than a disorganized poorly planned mess, you'll have a prepared opponent that's ready for a proper war.

That's your goal after all, correct? The challenge of fighting the strongest foe you can?
Who knows, maybe with time to prepare they'll be capable of killing you.

As far as Mark goes? He's a brave idiot. He's well intentioned, but his incompetence tends to leave destruction in his wake. We think he might be halfway competent while we're helping him, but hold no illusions that he'll ever fare well on his own.

Would you be against helping us get Eline away from Mary? She seems like a good kid but Mary is going to inevitably put her in harms way or just abandon her to the wolves.

Interesting thing you have going there, I'll admit. But I wonder if you're really going about it the best way. You love to be challenged and you don't like to be bored. It seems like the worst thing you want to do is crush other places and build dungeons upon it's ashes. Because at that point you've already won. Sure you'll be resisted and revenge will be sought, heroes will try to bring it down for a while. But ultimately there is nothing to be gained for them and you'll end up being avoided and ruling yet another wasteland. Or they could win and that's just as boring until you go and take it back.

You need to have incentive! You need heroes to oppose your dungeons because of what it is doing, not already done. As a base of operations for attacks upon the surrounding lands stealing their wealth and valuables you'd have some fighting to protect, some to avenge, others for glory and some just to loot. I think you get that well enough already, but they also need to sometimes win. More dungeons, smaller expendable forces, singular dangerous beasts, specific goals and plans that can be learned of and thwarted.

And if you really want to have fun with it you can play both sides. Instigate heroes to go after you by dropping hints and rumors about plans that may be true or not, employ shopkeeps to outfit heroes on the cheap if only "they stop that menace that is driving away business". Heck you can even give them relics to sell that were purloined from other heroes!

Another idea: drop the fighting thing and make an empire to rule properly. But if you wanted that you would have already done so... Still it wouldn't be boring as long as you ran it fast and loose, letting uprisings and wars and such play out. It's the "peaceful" solution for you, if and when you want it.

>>318020
Eh, pretty good. Not my favorite host ever, but at least he tries.

So hey, we seem to have pretty similar things going on here. Except that, you know, you actually live on this world. But, amulets that let us see and speak to their bearers? Seems pretty close.
...Say, you think we might be related to your amulets? Or is that kind of a common thing around here?

>>318035
Not to imply your lack of education, Mr. Warpath, but I feel the need to simplify and summarize the previous words.

>Being a dark, scary overlord won't keep the adventurers coming, but being a dark scary overlord with A SUMMONING RITUAL THAT WILL RESHAPE THE WORLD IN HIS IMAGE will, provided that you restart it every ten generations or so. We have a similar fellow, by the name of Dracula? You may not have heard of him.

>Set up temporary decoys that both appear and are legitimate threats, save for the fact that the heroes who take it out find that the leader was just a soulless puppet that you taunt them through. Nothing spurs on a good adventure like getting a hero to think 'Now It's Personal'.

On a side note, would you mind building a small empire on the side so that we could inherit it when you finally get defeated? It would help start up a proper legend of 'The Dark Reign of Lord SkullDeath'. We love building and managing massive power bases, and using them to CONQUER THE WORLD via a mix of socio-economic dominance and really big weapons. If nothing else, I can assure you that we are experts at hero building, and when you eventually 'come back from the dead' you can be certain that the next batch will be even tougher than the last.

We get a place to rule, you get your life of endless challenges, it's a win/win situation!

Oh, I almost forgot, what about hiring yourself off to fight other big name fellows, or meddle in wars, and such? Be a good, and quick, way of finding other strong people to fight, that also have the wisdom of experience and the cleverness to win.
Not to be a weeaboo, I'm getting a Zaraki Kenpachi feel here. Anyone else drawing similar comparisons?

Warpath the Unstoppable 2011/06/27(Mon)17:08 No. 318525 ID: a9ba96
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Hmm... interesting suggestions, though I have to wonder if you are making them with the intent of aiding me, or reducing the destruction my arrival will bring. Either way, I'll take them into consideration. After all, there remains a great deal of planning to do. I still believe that the fall of one of the kingdoms of Ution is an important part of bringing the right warriors. From experience, I can say that the desire for revenge fuels great battles.

Regarding Eline... I understand that her current company is dangerous, but so is the role of adventurer itself, and that role necessary for my Watchers. And as I said before, I prefer for my Watchers to make their own decisions.

...But I'll see what I can do to convince her to leave The Pack, if you agree to do something for me. The man your orb is currently in the possession of. Mark, I believe. From the way that you describe him, I cannot help but be reminded of a man I once knew. Headstrong, and Reckless, but... well-intentioned, if anything else. You say he has potential, but I wonder just how much...

If I were to persuade Eline to seek new company, do you believe that there is any chance your guidance would be able to prepare Mark for a fight with me?

totally. win or lose i can promise it will be an interesting battle.

>>318525
Is that a challenge, my good sir? I do believe it is.

The game is on!

Dude, this is the kind of stuff we EXIST for.

assuming mark is allowed to bring companions and we are given sufficient time to help him grow, I would put the odds at least 50/50 of him wining against you.

Challenge Accepted!

We are enthusiastic givers of advice, aimed towards the goals of whoever will listen. Even if we put a little spin on how we say to do things what we say is far too impulsive and random for deceptions. It isn't like we could convince you to be a nice guy or something. I honestly believe you will get bored of how you are doing things now, and that restrained and sustainable villainy would be more interesting in the long term.

If there is half a reason for him to do so we can steer Mark towards fighting with you. All you need to do is show us the path and provide an incentive. The fact that you have an interest in him will help greatly with that. All you need to provide is two things: What can be gained by challenges you, and the consequences of him not. Then we can simply tell him such and that will be that.

Realize though, as enthusiastic and straightforward as we are if we go with Mark to fight you we won't hold back at all. His survival and your destruction would be our aim... But you wouldn't want it any other way, would you?

>>318525
I'm pretty sure we could lure her away from them anyway, but then again we'll probably wind up trying to make Mark somewhat competent.

I think you kinda missed the gist of what we were saying, though. He keeps getting people killed through poor decisions and bad luck. This includes at least one town and at least one friend.
Also? He's not headstrong, he's just incapable of understanding that he's a screw-up.
He's reckless, but that's because he's long since given up trying to think problems through. He's not following an instinct, he just flails about wildly and hopes things work out.

>>318550
I'd give Mark way better odds than that if we actually had a party.

I wouldn't give the party such good odds of survival, though.

Warpath the Unstoppable 2011/06/27(Mon)18:53 No. 318589 ID: a9ba96
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This is great to hear.

If Mark has friends by his side when the time to face me comes, so be it. But for now, focus on ensuring that he is ready for his goal.

Your voices grow quieter. It would seem it has come time for us to part ways.

I hope to speak to you again sometime in the future.

Mark 2011/06/27(Mon)18:57 No. 318591 ID: a9ba96
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>"I...I told you not to touch it!"
"Eline, I don't think I broke them."
>"B-b-but neither of them are working now!"
"It's uh, it's fine! Mine just kind of stops talking every once in a while."
>"M-mine doesn't!"
"Uh, well, I'm sure that, uh..."

Oh gods oh gods oh gods oh gods

back
tell her to relax, we and the big man were talking. you try paying attention to your surroundings when talking to someone on another continent.

>>318591
Tell her not to worry. We just had a little chat with her boss.
Turns out he's some immortal warlord that slaughtered most of the orcs after getting bored. He's convinced that nobody could possibly be as incompetent as you so you must really be incredibly competent and simply hiding your true capabilities.
Sooo he's decided that you are his nemesis and you're destined to fight each other to the death.

You are so fucked.

SO! Tell Eline that she's the most powerful person in her group, and she doesn't get the respect she deserves from them.

Yeah about that eye, turns out it's the watching eye of an ancient evil warlord. As it happens he is rather polite and bored. Eline is being being advised by him but apparantly not controlled. He doesn't seem intent on doing any harm to her which is good. But he does seem to taken an interest in you and that is... well to put a positive spin on it you might get the chance to do something about him. At least he doesn't seem to be in any kind of a rush, but he has plans to attack Ution somehow or another. Better learn how to kick ass and gather a team to help you do it, because fight or flight shit is going to get harder for you and everyone else.

This is the most important thing: Don't freak, you do not want him to think you pussied out. Elines fate depends on him looking forward to your efforts. So look at him right in his eye and accept his challenge. Or don't, but it really won't help anything.

>>318591
Mark, could you please just stop panicking every time we leave for a little while? Pretty please?
Because so help me, when the time comes for legit fight-or-flight with the big man, I'm gonna leave your cowardly ass out to dry if you refuse to man up.
There are those who survive deadly situations by panicking Rincewind, and then there's everyone else. Guess which group you're in?

>>318591
DUDE! AWESOME NEWS! We scheduled you for an ultimate deathmatch with a never-before-defeated Overlord (I think his name was Killmurder or Flesheater or something) who's literally beaten the life out of so many Orcish adventuring parties that he's gotten bored of it! He want's to beat adventuring parties over here now, and we promised we'd make YOU into a worthy arch-nemesis.

ISN'T THAT GREAT? This is going to be awesome! High five!

>>318633
wow, that is quite possible one of the worst ways to tell him. the good news is that he's patient and wants a good fight so he's willing to wait until you are strong enough to have a good chance of beating him. His only real goal is to get worthy people to fight him. this means that he's probably going to give you a sporting chance. But if you don't beat him he's going to burn a kingdom to the ground to make sure someone worth fighting comes after him. Don't panic, you do have the postnatal to beat him. your just going to have to work you ass off realizing it.

Clearly you must get Eline working for your party instead of your crazy sister's party. Eline's going to have a dramatic amount of development until she casts aside the Seeing Eye, renounces Warpath, helps you defeat him, and bears you a son.

Well that last part is optional I guess.

>>318716
What're you on about? Have her renounce the Seeing Eye? Do you think we're Warpath's enemies or some such? We're just friendly rivals, and obviously we actually want to join forces. Eventually.

...Of course we do still need her to defect from Mary's party to ours for that. And on general principle. So, that would be our current PRIMARY OBJECTIVE, yes?

Suggestion 2011/06/28(Tue)04:14 No. 318866 ID: 28e94e
File 130925965224.jpg - (22.66KB , 452x339 , k290475_thats_the_joke.jpg )

>>318659

Hey Mark? It turns out those eyeball necklaces are the eyes of an Evil Overlord from another continent. He's simultaneously the most terrifyingly evil badass and the most charmingly polite fellow ever. He's decided that he's going to conquer one of the countries around here. Which is the bad news. The GOOD news is that he's doing that to find a worthy opponent, and wants us to use all our awesome might to transform you (and maybe Lin's party can come too) into an UNSTOPPABLE BADASS. Which we can do. Please don't be upset. The alternative is one day an unstoppable badass shows up one day and blows up a random country, and we have no prior warning.

Mark 2011/06/28(Tue)12:08 No. 318964 ID: a9ba96
File 130928812720.png - (139.73KB , 453x577 , Dungeoncrawlers132.png )

>>318592
Oh! Good to see you're back. I was worried for a second.

"Don't worry Eline, my voices were just talking to the big man."
>"Oh! A-alright, that's kinda cool. My voice just came back too, s-so I'm sorry if I w-worried you."

Wait, what do you mean "from another continent?"

>>318602
>>318610
>>318621
>>318633
>>318659
>>318716
>>318761
>>318887
>>318866
...
I...

....

oh gods what

>"Haha, m-my voice says that he had a great conversation with your voices!"
"Th..That's nice to hear, Eline."

Mark 2011/06/28(Tue)12:20 No. 318970 ID: a9ba96
File 130928883501.png - (167.18KB , 398x587 , Dungeoncrawlers133.png )

>"Hey, Nessya?"
>"Yeah, Vinbal?"
>"I found another bear trap under these leaves."
>"Good find. That could have been trouble."
>"Yeah. You see anything?"
>"I think there might be a bear trap under that clump of leaves ahead."
>"Check it out. We can't be too careful when bear traps are invol-"

Before the two can continue, Mary interrupts them.
>"Are you guys serious?"

Mark 2011/06/28(Tue)12:24 No. 318972 ID: a9ba96
File 130928909620.png - (110.92KB , 288x693 , dungeoncrawlers134.png )

>"I thought that these Kobolds were supposed to be like, trap masters or something. If the extent of their trap mastery is literally "bear traps under piles of leaves," I don't think we really need two guys leading the way and pointing out every suspicious pile of leaves they see. We've been walking down this path for fifteen minutes, and I have yet to see you "great thieves" find anything that I wouldn't have been able to find.

>in fact, allow me to amaze you with my pro trap-detecting skills."

Mary pushes ahead of Vinbal and Nessya, pointing to piles of leaves as she walks.

>"Bear trap!"

Mark 2011/06/28(Tue)12:25 No. 318973 ID: a9ba96
File 130928911607.png - (84.87KB , 288x693 , dungeoncrawlers135.png )

>"Bear trap!"

Mark 2011/06/28(Tue)12:26 No. 318976 ID: a9ba96
File 130928921259.png - (129.45KB , 333x694 , dungeoncrawlers136.png )

Thwip!

>"Bear tra- hhhhng!"

>>318976
Uh oh.

>>318977
why uh-oh? that is EXACTLY what we wanted to happen.
now mark ,charge in and pretend you care.

Point to her and yell "Spear Trap!"

Please remember even though he isn't actually here the immortal villain in question is looking right at you so please don't act like s- oh shit. That's uh... a bit more lethal than expected. Try to help her not die.

Damn. I mean, she was a GIGANTIC bitch, but still. Right through the kidneys and intestines, probably hitting several arteries. Sorry man. Unless Eline is the best healer ever, your sister is probably dead.

... huh. I don't think that's survivable. it probably cut open her intestines and quite possibly her liver and kidneys as well. Not to mention blood loss and internal bleeding.

just need her stabalized enough that the paladins can get her.

>>318976
Rush over to her! Call Eline over and get her to start healing!
Elevate the wound! Which in this case I guess would mean propping her up in the doggy position?
Then start sawing off the tip of the spear so you can remove the GIANT CHUNK OF WOOD stuck in her body.
Don't actually remove it yet, though, since the wood is applying pressure and keeping things from bleeding even worse.

You're going to end up pulling the thing out bit by bit while Eline heals the damage in the recently vacated area.

>>318980
Do this if your one stone-cold motherfucker. Otherwise run over to your dying sister and act like the worried brother that you are anyway.

Mark 2011/06/28(Tue)13:51 No. 319009 ID: a9ba96
File 130929425794.png - (130.27KB , 502x512 , Dungeoncrawlers137.png )

Oh shit, I was hoping for traps that were a bit less dangerous than that.

>Eline: "Miss Mary!"
>Samwell: "Spear trap!"

Eline rushes over, and I follow close behind.

>>319009
Oh, good, Samwell did it so we didn't have to.
Deck him in the jaw, then rush over to help.

Do this: >>318996

Mark 2011/06/28(Tue)13:57 No. 319011 ID: a9ba96
File 130929464209.png - (121.94KB , 461x435 , Dungeoncrawlers138.png )

>Tur: "Now, lass, if ye can hear me, I want ye to listen. Not to say I don't think ye gonna make it, but if ye' don't make it, I just wanna make sure it's alright ta' take ye belt. It's a very nice belt, and I'd hate to see it go ta' waste."
>Furor "Wonderful. And I suppose I'm going to have to fix this?"
"Oh gods that looks bad. Is she going to be alright?"
>Furor: "Maybe. Can't be sure, but I think I can fix this. Eline, get over here. We have work to do."
>Tur: "Just eh, groan once if ye' okay with me looting ye' belt, and groan twice if ye' not, okay? I'm not gonna take it if it's a problem, but if ye' don't reply, I'm gonna assume you would've said 'yes.'"
>Furor: "You guys can help out if you want, but you're more than welcome to run ahead. With any luck, you'll solve this Kobold issue before she gets up and I won't have to worry about... whatever the hell it is they have planned."

tell them that they don't need to fix her just get her stable enough that the paladins can fix her.

>>319011
...then punch Tur in the back of the head, call him an asshole, an start doing the things here:
>>318996

"Nessya, Vinbal? If you don't have any healing magic, then could you take this asshole" Point at Samwell "and keep going with the traps? I'll take care of things here and meet up with you outside the village."

>>319011
In any other version of this situation i'd recommend staying with your sister as it would probably help improve your relationship, but considering your sisters general attitude I'm not sure that would happen here..

Mark 2011/06/28(Tue)18:48 No. 319174 ID: a9ba96
File 130931208310.png - (195.57KB , 514x523 , Dungeoncrawlers139.png )

I'm not just going to leave her here. I kneel down in front of Mary, shoving Tur out of the way.

>Tur: "Oy! Wazzat fer?"
"Nessya, Vinbal, you two take my friend down the path, I'll meet up with you at the camp, okay?"
>Furor: "Seriously, you don't have to do this."
"Just tell me what you need me to do."
>Furor: "...If you insist. First, we need to prop her up an keep her still if we we want to get that thing out of her. If we act quickly, we should be able to save her. Maybe."

Mark 2011/06/28(Tue)18:48 No. 319175 ID: a9ba96
File 130931210513.png - (2.29KB , 450x369 , blank3.png )

>"Everyone ready? Good. This is going to get messy."

Lin 2011/06/28(Tue)18:57 No. 319183 ID: a9ba96
File 130931267020.jpg - (40.84KB , 499x524 , Dungeoncrawlers140.jpg )

"Another disarmed bear trap. They shouldn't be far."
>Ath: "I... I just wanted to thank you again for showing me mercy back there, miss."
"This would be the eighteenth time you have."
>Ath: "You know, it's been a while since I tried being a Kobold, but if you want I could disguise myself as one and scout ahead."
"That really won't be necessary."
>Ath: "Well erm, speaking of disguises I've been trying to settle on a new "regular" look. How's this?"
"Fine."
>Ath: "You didn't look."
"Do you have a mouth?"
>"Ye-"
"Then you're fine."

...

>Ath: "You know, we probably could have found some armor or something for me to wear back in that town."
"Yes, we probably could have."

Hey Lin, Mary just got herself impaled on a spear trap.

yo. and yes they aren't far. and the beartraps were dragged out into the open. LOADS more traps around here that you don't see. mary found that out the hard way and took a spear to the gut. you know mary right? mark's sister? huge bitch?

>>319183
Okay, that's just mean. Our next job after this is to locate some pants for Ath.

>>319183
They're not far, but they need medical aid. Hurry up!

Also: The 'kidnapped' girl is the one forcing the kobolds to threaten the town, but the only thing the kobolds do there is exchange gold for weapons.
Mark tracked down the people supplying the weapons and convinced them to give up, and that's when Mary showed up, stole the bag containing the next weapons shipment (which we took as evidence for you), and bullied Mark into getting the payment back from the kobolds if he wants the weapons shipment back.

Mark had the thieves doing the weapons smuggling clear the traps along the path to the kobold camp, but Mary got frustrated because it was taking so long and marched on ahead and got impaled with a spear.

Other things you should know:
The thieves get amnesty for their cooperation, and if they help get Samwell to his destination they get clean records and a cut of whatever loot is scrounged. Just go along with this, since they're damn good at their jobs and they fill a hole in our roster.

There's a warlord or something on the Orc continent that's preparing to invade. I don't mean any old warlord, I mean one that made a pact with an archdemon lord of the deepest circle and has been leading his undead army of horrors in brutal slaughters for thousands of years. We've done what we can do delay that and reduce the damage, but it's going to be completely horrible.

OH! And we saw a squirrel today! It was so cute!

By impaled we mean Mary is in critical condition, but still alive and being treated by Mark and Mary's mercenary band. Some paladinish healing would quite likely help.

How much can Ath shift? He might be able to just grow himself some pants.

Lin 2011/06/29(Wed)07:30 No. 319452 ID: a9ba96
File 130935781094.png - (103.00KB , 370x389 , dungeoncrawlers141.png )

You guys come back and the first thiing I hear i that The Pack is in the area, and there's an Evil warlord on his way to conquer Ution. Great. I'll add that second one to the list of thing I'm going to have to tell my superiors next time I see them. "Hey guys. What's my report for the week? Oh, well a town burned down, an unstoppable overlord is on his way to kill us all, Changeling can be Paladins now, and uh, oh yeah, we saw the cutest looking squirrel!"

You guys are just full of good news, aren't you?

We've walking throgh these woods for about a half hour. The elderly archer back in the town next to this path told us about Mark, Samwell and a bunch of other guys heading down this path, and filled us in on most of the situation. You say the kidnapped girl isn't actually kidnapped, though? Interesting.

Either way, if Mary was with Mark and she's injured, it's probably slowed them down. Shouldn't be long before we catch up to... What's this?

>Faer:"Hey, Lin? Those guys heading our way, isn't that-"
"Yes it is. Get ready."

Lin 2011/06/29(Wed)07:37 No. 319456 ID: a9ba96
File 130935822079.png - (521.15KB , 906x553 , Dungeoncrawlers142.png )

It's been a long time since I've seen the pack. This isn't exactly my idea of a friendly reunion, though.

>Tur: "Listen, okay? The lass has taken a mighty fine blow, and she ain't in very good condition. Ye palie Mark did his best to help patch her up, and we got her on her feet, but her insides are fecked up the arse something awful. Mark sent us back down this way, told us that ye palie Faer could patch up Mary good as new. But we're gonna be honest. We was hoping to be gone before ye' showed ya faces, because we don't want ye' help. We know any help ye' give is gonna come with a trip to the stocks and a good old fahoned judgement free of charge, and even if Mary gets off easy since ye used to be buds, the rest of us aint. Listen lass. Furor saw some flowers a good ways back, and he says they could be used to whip something up he could heal Mary with. Says the 'Bolds probably grew the flowers just in case these kinda accidents happened wit‘ the traps. If we move quick, we should be able to find 'em. But if ye' stay in our way, pool ole Mary might not make it. So with all due respect lass, feck off."

Tur’s right. Mary is a bandit and a thief, true, but there’s little beyond that we could actually charge her for. If we were to take her in for judgment, she would probably lose a finger at worst. Her partners are a different story, though.

Tur is wanted for murdering twelve men in a drunken rage after one implied his mother was a gnome.

Furor is wanted on charges of Drow sympathizing, and the public practice of several dark magics including necromancy.

Eline is a runaway whose parents are offering five hundred gold for her return.

Basically, there’s no way I’m just going to “feck off.” This has been a pretty shit night, but finally bringing in The Pack would make it all worth it. They're practically down a member as it is, what do you guys say?

>>319456
I'd say that sounds like:

-Exploiting the suffering of another for personal gain
-Utilizing their weakened state while aiding a suffering comrade to bring about their ultimate destruction
-Motivation by total and complete selfishness rather than any real desire for justice

Ready to fall, Paladin?

>>319460
I think all the paladins are like that. It's no big deal. It's justice.

>>319462
True, all Paladins eventually fall in pursuit of "Good" and "Justice". This one was quick though.

>>319460
>>319462
>>319463
You must have missed a part where they're a murderer and a necromancer. We HAVE to arrest them.

>>319464
Lets be honest here, they called a dwarf's mother a gnome. They were going to die stupidly eventually anyway, it might as well have been then.

And whats so bad about necromancy? They're dead! It's not like they're using the corpses anymore, and it's a lot cheaper than hiring actual labor.

Regardless, we can hardly impede a mission of goodwill. Stopping them now is liable to cause whatsherface to die in a rather painful manner.

priority one should be saving marry. she's a bitch but she does not deserve death. once she's stabilized we can figure out what to do with the rest of the pack.

>>319456
Don't listen to these pacifist voices, these guys have to be brought in. Right now their leader is out of it, leaving them in a uniquely weakened state. You are a Paladin. With that in mind I'd probably let Eline go. She hasn't commited any crimes, and last I heard Paladins weren't in the business of collecting rewards. But as for the rest of them it's time to BRING DOWN THE BOOT OF JUSTICE.

I agree. Paladins serve the Good and the Law. Healing first, THEN arrest everyone. You serve BOTH, and can therefore adhere to your oath too.

yeah those sound like real charges. again drow sympathizing, not so much, but that necromancy sounds like a big deal. and tur is a jackass. he tried to steal mary's belt the MOMENT she fell over.

Lin 2011/06/29(Wed)11:32 No. 319483 ID: a9ba96
File 130937237310.png - (212.92KB , 571x482 , dungeoncrawlers143.png )

It's not my fault that we ran into a dangerous bandit group while their leader was injured. I don't see how taking advantage of that isn't fair or just. I'm not going to let Mary die, but I'm not going to heal her just so we have to fight an extra person. That's not justice, that's just being stupid.

"You know I can't let you go."
>Tur: "Why does that not supprise me?"
"...At least let us help Mary."
>Tur: "We don't need you to help Mary. If ye let us go, we can help her ourselves. But you can't keep us standing here, or she won't have enough time."
"I said I can't let you go."
>Tur: "And I said if ye let us go, we can-"
>Furor: "Tur, this conversation is doomed to go in circles, and we don't have the time for that. Don't worry, it' not a complete loss. I was waiting for an excuse to try this. Eline, you ready?"
>Eline: "For uh...f-for? Oh... I uh... I-I guess so..."
>Mary: "Nngh...Wait, why does she look so worried? What are you about to do?"
>Furor: "Remember earlier when I said I was testing a theory of mine regarding enchantments?"
>Mary: "Yeah...?"
>Furor: "I've concluded that the spell-increasing property of the myriad of magical pendants Eline adorns herself with effectively allow me to utilize her body as a living conduit for my own enchantments, increasing their effectiveness while reducing the energy it takes up to use it. It's quite similar to a tactics used by the Elven Prince Belldornin during wars."
>"Mary: "...Wait, you're basically casting a spell through Eline and bouncing it off of all that magic jewlery we found for her? That sounds a bit painful."
>Furor: "Incredibly. Now Eline, remember; don't scream. This doesn't work if you scream."

Lin 2011/06/29(Wed)11:34 No. 319485 ID: a9ba96
File 130937244515.png - (213.47KB , 506x470 , Dungeoncrawlers144.png )

Furor releases his grip on Mary to grasp his staff with both hands, causing her to stumble backwards as she attempts to maintain her ballance.

>Furor: "Te̯ŗ̗͓r͓̹a̜̰̺̫̖͚͍͡o̝̹̭ḻ̯͚̱̺̫ͅ!̧̜̰͇̻ "
>Eline: "Nnngh!"

Furor takes the end of his staff strikes Tur in the back with it.
>Tur: "Yeeagh!"

Lin 2011/06/29(Wed)11:34 No. 319486 ID: a9ba96
File 130937247860.png - (146.80KB , 400x473 , Dungeoncrawlers145.png )

>Furor: "Oh, Tur. I forgot to ask if you were ready."
>Tur: "Always ready, lad! Hrrrgh... don't worry, I feel fi-Hnnngh! I feel fi- feel f- f--"

Lin 2011/06/29(Wed)11:36 No. 319488 ID: a9ba96
File 130937257497.png - (552.23KB , 1008x718 , Dungeoncrawlers146.png )

>Tur: "YEEEEEEEAH! I FEEL FECKIN HUUUUUUGE!"

>Furor: "Hm. Reults are even better than intial practice."
>Mary: "...When the fuck did you guys practice this?"
>Furor: "Irrelevant."
>Mary: "Nngh... and why the hell can't you heal me doing whatever that was?"
>Furor: "Different kinds of magic, I'm afriad. So Paladins, I get the feeling that there's no need for me to repeat Tur's instructions of 'Feck off,' correct?"

...You have got to be shitting me.

you have any enchantment breaker powers? if so then use them. if not then stab him in the nuts. being huge doesn't make that not hurt.

Leap up, grab his beard, and jam your fist as far up his nose as it will go.

He'll never expect that.

Stab him in the balls while he's flexing like an idiot. I don't care how mad he is that's not an injury you can ignore.
Oh, and if you can't pull this off, now would be a good time to use your own secret weapon. Ya know, the one thing these guys would never expect a Paladin to have: SHAPESHIFTER.

>>319488
Eline is now bleeding from the nose. I think that took more out of her than they planned. I wonder if they will still fight you, realizing they cannot heal both Mary and Eline?

>>319488
I totally gave you fair warning.

Prepare thine anus.

>>319533
Assuming the spell didn't make his skin like iron or something.

I would laugh if the sword bounces off.

>>319488
Sigh
"Faer, go heal Mary. Ath, do what you can to help Eline.
Alright you two idiots. We have bigger fish to fry, so I'm going to make you an offer. Mary's criminal record is pathetic, so if she hands over the bag we'll call it even. Eline doesn't even have a record.
That leaves the two of you. I notice those massive legs of yours could easily outpace us all, and while backing down from a fight isn't an option I can't kill what I can't catch.

Mary, you're their leader. Do you want to die while we fight these two?"

>>319552
no offers, just stabbing. they made their choice. mary had no idea this would happen, and eline appears to have been bullied. but tur and furor both need to be beaten up.

>>319575
Yeah your right Paladins that beat up mass murdering dwarfs and necromancers are the best.

>>319488

Since this doesn't work if Eline is in an altered state of mind, alter her state of mind.

Knock her out or hurt her enough that she can't keep channeling magic. She's the weak link in this arrangement.

Mary and Eline are in no condition to fight, and I don't think they want to. But tell them to stay out of this all the same.

Now then you have a giant pissed off dwarf in front of you, but his groin is at a very convenient height for your weapons. Take advantage of that. Also if you need to distract him, call him a son of a gnome.

>>319648
Thats it, beat the innocent child senseless. You can do it!

>>319488
We've got a dying woman on our hands, we don't have time to fuck around like this. Just heal her and let them go for now.

Also, avert eyes from the pillar of meat's... pillar of meat.

>>319664
You're either trolling or stupid. Either way, please shut up with that already.

>>319670
I reserve the right to mock the suggestion of beating a child in the hopes that the theory that she is sustaining the enchantment upon the dwarf is correct, and that the enchantment is not self-contained within the dwarf.

Lin 2011/06/29(Wed)18:55 No. 319684 ID: a9ba96
File 130939892744.png - (137.87KB , 432x465 , Dungeoncrawlers147.png )

When the dwarf grows to fifteen feet in height and starts yelling about being huge, you've passed the point where negotiation and reason are an option.

Not sure how durable his skin is, but Mr. Dwarfgantic' new size puts him at the right height for me to hit him where I know it'll still hurt.

I approach Tur.

>Tur:"Yer making a big mistake, lass! Do ye' even know how much HUGE ye' be up aga- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGH!"
"Can it, you damned son of a Gnome."

Lin 2011/06/29(Wed)18:58 No. 319687 ID: a9ba96
File 130939909080.png - (210.90KB , 534x460 , Dungeoncrawlers148.png )

Tur lunges forward, grabbing at his injury with one hand and swatting Lin to the side with the other.

>Tur: "You bitch! I'll feckin' kill ye!"

Hyugore uses this opportunity to leap for the wounded giant's back.

Lin 2011/06/29(Wed)19:00 No. 319689 ID: a9ba96
File 130939920962.png - (277.37KB , 748x625 , dungeoncrawlers149.png )

Heh. Hyugore's got a tight grip around Tur's neck, but I can't tell where Faer or Ath are. I'm pretty dizzy, but gods be damned if it wasn't worth it.

Furor is moving towards the two though. He's saying something to Eline, but my ears are ringing too much to make it out.

Either way, gotta act fast.

>>319689
Shout "Eline! Mary's dying while we fight! You can save her! Stop this!"
You have a sword, he has giant nostrils. Combine and stir vigorously.

eline is already feeling ill from doing that. furor is probably going to try using another spell through her. perhaps killing her. while tur is bust throw us to furor while rushing him, we'll distract him with a billion pointless thoughts and let you get into melee range. wizards cannot deal with melee range.

>>319689
Kill the wizzurd.

>>319689
Hyugore's such a beast that he'll probably pop that head right off, but if he can't finish him you have to use this opportunity. Their melee fighter is busy, leaving their wizard wide open. Wizards usually suck ass at close quarters combat, and looking at this guy I'd bet he fits that stereotype. I mean he's a friggin skinny elf. You only thing you need to worry about is him getting a spell off or Eline doing something stupid.

Rush the wizard, shouting "Eline, will you side with these villains who abuse you or save Marys life and your freedom? Choose, now!"

>>319710
Seconding the shouted part of this, but you should advance towards Furor while doing that.

Lin 2011/07/08(Fri)17:21 No. 323808 ID: a9ba96
File 131017086105.png - (76.76KB , 407x489 , Dungeoncrawlers150.png )

I rush the mages. Neither seems to notice me as I approach. Eline is too messed up from that spell channeling stunt Furor pulled, and the elf is too caught up in trying to get Eline to stop shaking.

>Furor: "...I know that Tur's bouncing back from his injuries rather well, but I can't tell how long the spell will last with the big guy wearing them down. You did very well Eline, but the enchantment will wear off too soon if we don't do it again."
"Eline, Mary is going to die if you stop this right now!"
>Furor: "What th--"

Furor notices me a bit too late.

The most important thing I've learned in all of my travels is there's only three things in this world you can always be sure of. The Elves love trees, The Dwarves love ale...

Lin 2011/07/08(Fri)17:22 No. 323811 ID: a9ba96
File 131017093632.png - (54.70KB , 344x558 , Dungeoncrawlers151.png )

...And mages can't do shit once you get within melee range.

nice. ask eline to break one of her trinkets, with the magic going through them a break could result in something BAD happening to tur.

Lin 2011/07/08(Fri)17:32 No. 323818 ID: a9ba96
File 131017153016.png - (66.56KB , 469x416 , Dungeoncrawlers152.png )

>Tur: "Furor? Furor? Get up, ye' feckin' long-eared sissy!"

The next order of business is making sure this overgrown gnome stays down long enough for the Elf's spells to wear off. Hyugore's holding on pretty well, but even he seems to be having trouble bringing the behemoth Dwarf to the ground.

>>323818
sever his hamstrings.

>>323818
Attacking his legs would be a good idea.

>>323818
He should be pretty top-heavy, have you tried knocking him over? Bonus points if you can give him a concussion when he lands.

>"Eline, Mary is going to die if you stop this right now!"

I hope that's us mis-hearing you, because that's kinda the opposite of what should be said not.

Cut the dwarf's Achilles tendons. He'll fall forward and likely be unable to stand.

>>323896
>not ->now
("Incorrect Password"! Hooray!)

>>323896
Whoops. Yes, it should say "don't stop." My bad.

Back of his legs are vulnerable, and as long as you keep moving he won't much be able to swat or step on you in retaliation.

Oh and you make damn sure that mage doesn't even move, we do not want him coming to and slinking off. Actually put our shapeshifting friend on the job of making sure he doesn't.

Lin 2011/07/15(Fri)11:29 No. 326574 ID: a9ba96
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Without another thought, I charge the gigantic dwarf and draw my blade across one his his legs. Either the behemoth’s skin wasn’t as durable as I had suspected, or the spell was already beginning to wear down, as the strike draws a considerable amount of blood.

Tur lets out a pained groan. It only takes a moment before he begins to stagger…

Lin 2011/07/15(Fri)11:30 No. 326575 ID: a9ba96
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…And another moment for Hyugore to use this opportunity to bring him to the ground with a thunderous bang. The force of the impact cause the earth to shake, and a nearby tree collapses to the ground. Tur releases a loud, painful grunt before slipping into unconsciousness.

Lin 2011/07/15(Fri)11:31 No. 326576 ID: a9ba96
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The Dwarf’s body quickly shrinks back down to its original, miniscule state. Hyugore lifts the naked Dwarf and casually tosses his limp body to the ground on the path, next to where Furor Eternity lay.

>Eline: “They were just trying to help… just trying to make sure that…”
“They were crooked, lawless men soon to face proper judgment for their crimes. The fate that waits these two is the fate that awaits all those who live their lives in opposition to justice.”
>Eline:”But… but…”

Suddenly, Faer taps me on the shoulder.

Lin 2011/07/15(Fri)11:32 No. 326578 ID: a9ba96
File 131075477239.png - (82.11KB , 319x348 , Dungeoncrawlers156.png )

>Faer: “Hey uh, Lin? Not to ruin the moment, but I just took a look at Mary and… uh, to put it lightly, it doesn’t look good. Furor somehow got her up on her feet and walking, but we’re talking some really, really bad internal damage here. I don’t know how Furor planned to fix this with some plants- we’re talking kidneys, intestines… basically, she has a hole through a lot of stuff you shouldn’t have a hole through. I can probably keep her stable for a day or two, and maybe add another day onto it if we can find the flowers Furor was talking about. But the truth is, this is too bad for me to actually fix on my own. We’re going to need to get her back to camp, or she’s not going to make it.”
“Shit. Do you think we can get her back to the nearest outpost in time?”
>Faer: “Yeah, almost certain. But what about this whole deal with this hostage and the Kobolds? You sure you want to leave that up to Mark of all people?”
“I know, Faer. It’s just that… what other option do we have? Splitting up the group could be dangerous.”
>Faer: “And what about the rest of the pack? A judgment ritual for people with as many alleged crimes as these guys could take up the entire night, and we don’t have that kind of time. I’m almost tempted to say that it would be faster to bring all four of these guys back to camp.”

Faer has a special gift when it comes to completely killing the mood.

Saving Mary comes first. Also, getting those flowers would be important.

A question- would Eline be required to bring to judgement, or can you release her into Mark's custody? She strikes me as a good girl in bad company.

I'm also wondering if you need Ath for this. Where did he go, anyway? Perhaps he ran off, reverting to his previously meek nature.

Well, take as many people as you need.

hmm... this could be a good chance for ath. have him go after mark and you will take care of the prisoners. see, we find the girl who is controlling the bolds, ath turns into them and BAM the bolds are confused about who is the real master and mark can take her down easy.

Splitting up is dangerous, but it may be the best option left to us. Mark and his fellows are capable enough but they do need some backup. I think you should go forward while your teammates handle the two brutes and save the girl. I would like to bring Ath except he is needed to help move Mary while the other two handle the others. But that isn't to say you should go alone...

This is going to seem odd for you right now, but take along Eline. Trust me on this. She doesn't deserve to be thrown in with that lot, and punished or not she's likely to try to bolt. That will end badly no matter how far she gets. We saw her with Mark she'll agree to help him. And more importantly you can have a massive positive influence on this young girls life in the short amount of time you spend with her. Enough perhaps to redeem her one way or another. Please?

Before doing this or anything else, ask Eline about those flowers. I doubt the mage would say anything useful about it even if he could.

>>326578
I think we told you to kill them in the fight, and since you didn't you'll have to take them with you.
Tie them up and have Hyugore drag them by their feet. With luck they'll crack their heads on rocks and die on the way.
Yes, I know, 'tempting but you have standards to abide by'.

Bind and gag them, then run a pole or two through their binds so you can easily hoist them between two people. You and Hyugore will need to carry them.
Could you bind a decent sized piece of cloth between the poles as well? You could carry Mary on that and greatly reduce the stress that travel would put on her system.

Wait, wait, wait. I'm being an idiot.
There's a hamlet nearby. Take a cart from them.
Walk over to Eline, take her aside, and say this: "Furor lied. Faer's healing makes up for his uselessness elsewhere, and he'll only be able to keep Mary stable for one or two days. If you knew Furor couldn't save her you'd come to us for help, and neither he nor Tur would risk execution by going with you. He was going to let your lover die to keep you in his company.
We're going to save Mary, but we need you to help find those flowers and keep her calm."

So, what ARE the rules of the judgement ritual? Could Mary be sentenced to help with the Elf Prince mission in lieu of dismemberment?

Lin 2011/07/15(Fri)19:00 No. 326671 ID: a9ba96
File 131078161018.png - (57.50KB , 395x526 , Dungeoncrawlers157.png )

>>326608
>Your lover

…That uh, I’m not sure why Eline sticks with the Pack, but forgive me if I think that that seems like a bit of a leap in logic to make. Either way, it’s a good idea to try to get some information out of her. Even if Furor was awake, I doubt that he would be very compliant.

“Eline, if we’re going to save Mary, you’re going to need to help.”
>Eline: “They were trying to help too! You… you didn’t have to…”
“Listen Eline. Faer is a really good healer, and only he’s going to be able to keep Mary up for a few days. Furor wasn’t going to be able to save her, but he knew you would come to us for help if you knew that. He was going to let Mary die to save his own ass, just like how he almost let you die back there with that spell-channeling stunt he pulled.”
>Eline: “He… that’s not true! We practiced it before, and it’s not… he wouldn’t do that okay? And Mary would have been okay… Furor was going to heal her. Just… just not with the magic that you guys use.”

I had a feeling that’s what was going on. Furor planned to heal Mary with dark magics, most likely a blood ritual.

“Eline, where are the flowers? We want Mary alive just as much as you do.”
>“Eline: “…There’s a really tall oak tree by where the paths split. They grow underneath that.”
“Thank you.”
>Eline: “They… they’re not bad people. They helped me eat after I ran away. They might not be they good guys to the paladins, but they’re not as mean as you think they are.”
“…”

…Eline is young. She won’t face judgment if we bring her in, but her parents have offered the High Knight of the Paladins quite a bit of money if we find her, and a cut of that money is going to the squad that finds her. I’d love to be able to drop her off in Mark’s care or bring her with us on some sort of grand adventure, it would probably be a good character-building exercise for the kid, but it’s dangerous out there.

I'm pretty sure reuniting her with her family is probably the right thing to do…

Lin 2011/07/15(Fri)19:00 No. 326672 ID: a9ba96
File 131078163030.png - (72.90KB , 414x449 , Dungeoncrawlers158.png )

I turn to Faer and Hyugore, who’s hoisted the two unconscious criminals over his shoulders.

“Faer, you and Hyugore can take the pack back to the camp. The flowers that you’re looking for are under a large oak by where the paths split. Ask the elderly archer back in the town if they can spare a cart, it should make the trip a lot easier. I’m going to send Ath up the path to meet with Mark, I think his talents should be able to help.”
>Faer: “What about you? You going to go with Ath, or back to the camp with us? The potion should take a bit to make once I have the flower, so we could wait for you back in the town, but if you want to stick around with Mark for a while to make sure he gets out of the Outlands okay, we could meet up with you back at the camp.”

We don't know exactly why she ran off or what waits for her at her old home, but we have more than a little indication from our other end that trying to send her home now will result in her running away again and possibly tapping her rather dangerous powers to do it. So I'm going to say don't do that. Whatever the dangers out there she is a far greater risk to herself right now. That "character building" is the thing that is going to save her. Even sending her to camp is risky right now, if her "friends" utter one bad suggestion she could become a big problem. We need to keep her far away from them.

Besides if you go help Mark and take her along, you can talk to her and find out what her deal really is. A final decision about what to do with her can wait until after we know what we can. She should be helpful and not in too much danger as long as she is kept back. Offer her the chance for her to "prove herself and make amends" by helping you and Mark if she doesn't want to be turned in. Faer probably won't agree, so take him aside and quietly explain that she is a danger to herself and others right now and much more so if she is anywhere near them.

Now, just how dark are those dark magics, exactly? I mean we're not about to condone them or anything, but we don't know much about them either. How vile is it to use even when used to save a life? What are the consequences and punishments for doing so?

>>326672
Give us to Faer, then go with mark. That way we can act as a line of communication.
Ask Eline if she would rather go with you instead of back to camp.

I'm pretty sure we mentioned that Eline is being manipulated by an evil overlord. If you try to send her back home then at least one of two nonexclusive things will happen:
A: The evil overlord will convince her to flee, requiring that you either restrain Eline like a thug or put-up with her escape attempts.
B: The evil overlord won't convince her to flee, since he's perfectly happy gathering information for an invasion of her home town.

Sending her home risks the lives of everybody there. You can't do that.
That's also why I suggest offering to let Eline go with Mark; to keep an enemy from being able to research his foes.

>>326608
[Since people were complaining about telling Lin how we knew about the overlord and I can't seem to delete and repost:
Excise everything about the overlord.
Instead I'm going to claim that we think Eline ran away because her parents were abusive, and we need more time with her away from camp to find out for sure, since we need to make sure that she'll be stable around a bunch of people that could send her home. If Lin doesn't bite for that, then claim it might include sexual abuse.]

have them wait for you in town, shouldn't take long. and mark will be along back to town as well. there mark can pick up eline, and mary and the prisoners can go to the camp.

Lin 2011/07/16(Sat)13:37 No. 326909 ID: a9ba96
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If you guys have your suspicions about her safety back home, I guess it won’t hurt to take her up to the camp with us. Hopefully we can talk to her and figure out what we want to do along the way.

“Faer, we shouldn’t be too long. Mark’s going to have to come back through the town to confirm that he’s solved their Kobold problem anyway, so wait for us back at the town. If it starts getting too late, go on without us and we’ll meet you back at the camp. If it’s alright with her, I’m going to take Eline with me. I don’t know what I’m going to run into at that camp and we could benefit from her talents.”
>Eline: “Yeah… that… that’s fine.”
“Good. I’ll see you soon, Faer.”
>Faer: “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us? I mean, If one of these guys starts causing trouble and…”
“Faer. I’m pretty sure you and Hyugore can handle it.”
>Faer: “Yeah, but if something happens to you and I’m not around, and I’m not there to help…”
“Faer.”
>Faer: Or, or, if something happens in town, and we need you to-”
“Faer. I’ll be fine.”
>Faer: “Alright then. Uh, be safe.”

…Gods. Sometimes that elf worries me.

To clarify, a judgment ritual is a ritual in which a criminal, while restrained, is read his crimes by a group of three paladins, and is given an opportunity to attempt to justify these crimes. When all three present paladins reach a consensus on what punishment can be considered just given the circumstances, the punishment is then carried out on the spot. For criminals with lengthy lists of injustices, the debating can go on for quite some time. They say that there was a traitor to the kingdom of Farway tried after the Drow-Elf war whose judgment ritual lasted three straight days.

The Magic I believe Furor planned to use on Mary is called the Blood Ritual. All you need to know is that it’s very dangerous, and completely forbidden to utilize, with death as a common punishment for those who use it.

Lin 2011/07/16(Sat)13:38 No. 326911 ID: a9ba96
File 131084872370.png - (56.21KB , 315x510 , Dungeoncrawlers160.png )

After Faer takes Mary off of Ath’s hands and begins heading back down the path with Hyugore, I pull Ath off to the side.

“Alright Ath, it’s time to make yourself useful.”
>Ath: “It… really? Cool. I‘ve had some ideas about-”
“You were whining about not having any clothes on the way up the trail.”
>Ath: “Well, I wouldn’t really call it whining, I jus-”
“Can your kind mimic clothing at all?”
>Ath: “Cloth, wood, metal, it’s all within my abilities, but it’s a lot harder to maintain than skin, hair, and fur. That’s why I was kind of hoping we could maybe pick me up some clothes at some point. Just like, a nice shirt or something would-”
“Good to know. And how good are you at mimicking other people’s appearances?”
>Ath “Well, let’s see here…”

Lin 2011/07/16(Sat)13:39 No. 326912 ID: a9ba96
File 131084879320.png - (63.67KB , 315x510 , Dungeoncrawlers162.png )

>Ath: “Gods be damned, I sure hate those abominations! Dirty, baby eating, king slaying beasts, the lot of them! What’s that? Smiling? Why, the code of the Paladin simply forbids smiling! I am one hard-assed, no-nonsense, ruthless individual, I do say!”

you can give him a wap to the head. but yeah that is plenty good enough for the plan.

Well he clearly is messing with you, and thus doesn't really mean all that. In fact if you really want to make sure he knows you know it's all a good joke, you'll laugh at his antics.

You can laugh at them, right?

Insubordination!

Just deal with it like you would deal with a different novice paladin doing something similar.

>>326912
Oh, go ahead and laugh. You deserved that one, and if you can't you're already dead.

"Ok, you're good at mimicking people. The basic plan is going to be sneak in, spy on the kobolds' leader, then mimic her and order the kobolds to all go off somewhere. Fix their traps or something."

Then turn to Eline and put a gentle hand on her shoulder "Eline, you've seen what Faer is like. His healing prowess makes up for his, well, everything else. He's the best field medic you could hope for, and he'll do whatever he can to help Mary. Proper healing, not that dreadful Blood Ritual."
Give her the best grin you can manage and continue
"Also, now it's impossible for Mary to be judged until we get back to town. When that happens you'll be there for her.
If you don't mind me asking, why do you like Mary? What sort of relationship do you two have?"

Just keep up that look. He'll learn...

>>326923

Laugh and then say, "I'm still getting used to you."

Laugh and then discipline him appropriately for a novice who pulled that kind of stunt.

>>326913
Hey, I thought it was funny.

Lin 2011/07/17(Sun)15:35 No. 327227 ID: a9ba96
File 131094211349.png - (104.32KB , 482x477 , Dungeoncrawlers164.png )

Eline and Ath start laughing. Forgive me if I sound like a stick in the mud, I get that he’s just messing around and all, but I don’t feel particularly inclined to join in.

“I… I’ll let that slide. For now.”
>Ath: “Oh, come on. It was funny, admit it.”
“It was insubordination, and it’s not tolerated in a group like-”
>Ath: “Oh, whatever. I know that you still don’t like the idea of having me on the team. The only way you wouldn’t jump on a chance like that to chew me out is if you thought it was funny.”
“…Alright, it was kind of funny. Your powers should work just fine for what I have planned.”
>Ath: “See? Was that so hard?”
“…I have a feeling you’re going to take some getting used to.”
>Ath: “I promise not to eat any babies while you’re around.”
“…”

Well, at least Eline seems to have lightened up a bit. This seems like as good an opportunity as any to figure out a bit more about her. I’ll admit I don’t know much beyond the fact that she’s a runaway and the High Knight is offering quite a bit of money for her return, but I’m not sure where to start. Her parents? Her motive for running off? Why the hell she stuck around with Mary and the Pack for so long?

First question is to ask why she ran off. I can assume she stuck around Mary and the others because she felt useful and that she was doing good things. Hell, I'd stick around with a group of people that didn't treat me very well if I felt like I was contributing to a good cause. You should confirm that though. Assumptions should always be confirmed when possible.

Second question is to ask about her parents, building off her reason for running away. Maybe ask if she has any siblings?

OH and ask what all the magic stuff she has does. And what she can do on her own.

"So, Eline, why did you run away? Why did you fall in with the pack? Most importantly, I noticed that Mary seems to actual care for you, which for her is almost unheard of, and I was wondering... Could explain what sort of bond you two share?

Ask how she fell in with the Pack. That should say a lot about the why and how, and it would start with the things she is more comfortable talking about. Then after that you can ask followup questions.

Lin 2011/07/18(Mon)08:39 No. 327509 ID: a9ba96
File 131100359571.png - (51.47KB , 321x388 , Dungeoncrawlers165.png )

“So, Eline?
>Eline: “hmm?”
“I’ve always kind of wondered, how did you end up with The Pack, anyway?”
>Eline: “Oh, well, a little while after I ran off I tried to explore one of the dungeons in the Outlands to see if I couldn’t find something valuable. I’ve always heard stories about there being all sorts of cool stuff hidden down inside the dungeons around here.”
“Wait, you mean by yourself?”
>Eline: “Well, not for very long. I started out in there by myself, but Mary, Furor, and Tur were also exploring the dungeon and I ran into them there. Furor was impressed by my magic, so he asked if I wanted to tag along with them. I didn’t really have anywhere else to go, so I did.”
“Well, I can understand tagging along with The Pack to make sure you got out of a dungeon safely, it’s usually a good idea to dungeon crawl in groups, but why in the world would you stick around with them so long?”
>Eline: “I told you already, they’re not that bad.”
“I used to travel with Mary. “Not that bad” isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when I think about her. Of course, she does seem to actually like you, which is… well, kind of strange for her.”
>Eline: “Mary’s nice. She takes care of me and makes sure I always have enough to eat. I know she’s not nice to a lot of people, but I don’t think very many people have been that nice to her, either. She seems kind of grumpy a lot, but she has a really hard job keeping the pack together and stuff. Mary and Furor and Tur argue a lot, but it’s important that we stick together since none of us really have anywhere else to go. We’re kinda like a family. That’s why Mary calls us The Pack.”

Lin 2011/07/18(Mon)08:41 No. 327511 ID: a9ba96
File 131100370758.png - (39.12KB , 321x390 , Dungeoncrawlers166.png )

“What about your actual family? Why did you run away from them?”
>Eline: “…Oh. Well, my mom’s part of the Guild of Mages, and…”
“Wait, the Guild?”
>Eline: “Yeah, they’re a bunch of Magicians who study magic, and Kings seek them out as seers and stuff sometimes because they’re really smart and some can see the future.”
“No, no, I know what the Guild of Mages is, I’m just a bit surprised no one’s mentioned that you’re one of their daughters. I just figured that’s something the High Knight would have told us when he sent us all out looking for you.”
>Eline: “Maybe they didn’t want word spreading. I dunno, they’re really private about stuff.”
“Do Mary and the others know about this?”
>Eline: “Yeah, but Furor says not to talk about it too much.”
“Well, why did you run off?”
>Eline: “Well, my mom is one of their members, which means I’m gonna have to take her place eventually. And I’m okay with that, but all I ever did when I was with them was practice my magic. And once you’re actually part of the Guild, all you ever do is research when people aren’t looking to you for advice.”
“The Guild has a very important job, Eline. A lot of people I know would consider it an honor to be among their ranks.”
>Eline: “I… it’s not that I don’t want to do it. It’s just that they never let me leave the Guild’s tower because I had to train, and once they make you a member you almost never leave the tower because you have to study. I… I’m going to go back, I just wanted to explore a bit before I spent the rest of my life practicing spells in a tower and giving advice.”
“You plan to go back?”
>Eline: “Well...eventually."

That's... a lot simpler than I'd figured on. Was she expecting to have to take her moms place any time soon? It seems like it would have been easier to wait and train until she wasn't a minor before sowing her wild oats. Ask her about her ability in her magic now, it seems like she was doing dangerous things with far more power than control, make an issue of that.

Lin 2011/07/18(Mon)12:36 No. 327599 ID: a9ba96
File 131101779060.png - (102.02KB , 426x506 , Dungeoncrawlers167.png )

It's not that unusual to see a kid run away to try their hand at adventuring because they found the idea more exciting than whatever their parents had planned for them, but most of them either end up dead or realize how dangerous it is and come back home. Sometimes kids get the taste of adventure and never look back, and sometimes you get people like Mark who come home, but find that they can never quite adjust to a life of cobbling or smithing after experiencing the thrill of a dungeon crawl. This is the first time I've heard of it happening with one of the Guild of Mages' kids.

"Eline, if you're the daughter of one of the Guild's members I'm sure you're talented with magic, but if watching Furor run a mutation spell through your body is any indication it seems like you're playing with magic that's way beyond your level of talent."
>Eline: "No it's not! I... I mean, maybe it would be... but... I'm wearing a bunch of my mom's charms, and they help me cast spells I usually wouldn't be able to handle."
"Wait, so your saying that all of that magic jewelry you wear belongs to your mother?"
>Eline: "I'm sorry..."

...I get the feeling that there's more to this than she's letting on, but I'm not sure how much more I'm going to be able to get out of her besides sad faces and angry glares from her necklachold on a second.

I never got a close enough look at that thing before but I'm pretty sure necklaces generally don't contain functioning eyeballs. And yet, hers appears to be glaring at me.

Living charms usually denote cursed or hexed objects, which means Eline is likely walking around with a very dangerous object dangling off of her neck. Knowing Furor, this is probably how The Pack was keeping her in line. I'm going to need to get that thing off of her as soon as possible.

ah, no, it's one of us. well, not a member of our set. but a talking thing. marked was worried about it too so he poked it with us and we had a friendly chat. it talks less then us, only tips and stuff but we asked it try and get eline to leave the pack. perhaps that is why she came with you without much fuss?

>>327599
We know what it is. Relax, it's fine. It's... something like us. Best you don't know the details.

it puts her in touch with another entity. we have talked to what it puts her in touch with and we believe it has her best interests at heart. we'll explain exactly what it is latter when you have less on your plate.

Actually it is aware of it's environment for a reason right? It is some kind of semi-sentient ball of advice. We investigated it on marks end, we touched it and it seemed polite enough. It says it doesn't control her do much besides give simple advice. Seems actually kinda disinterested in what her decisions end up being. Didn't give us many details past that though. We told it to try and steer her away from Mary and the group but that is a moot subject now.

If you like you can touch us to it and try to get more information but be aware that will shut us down for some time. I'd hold off on it for now, I mean it's kept her safe so far so taking it away just before a possibly dangerous situation seems unwise.

Instead lets talk to you about something else. You know how you said sometimes Faer worries you? Well this is something we kinda have good instincts on... From the sound of it I think he simply worries about you, in particular, an awful lot. I mean he is probably fond of you. Very. Is this... something you are aware of or have at least considered? Is it something that can be a problem among paladins?

Lin 2011/07/18(Mon)17:24 No. 327771 ID: a9ba96
File 131103507483.png - (50.49KB , 283x517 , Dungeoncrawlers168.png )

Well, alright then. If you guys say it’s tested and safe, I don’t have much of a reason to doubt you. I’ll check it out later, ask her what kind of information it’s been giving her and see if touching you guys to it will work like you guys say it did with Mark, but if you’re sure it’s not hexed I have no reason to slow us down trying to figure out how to get it off of her.

I still don’t like the way it’s looking at me, though.

Oh, Faer? I’d be a fool to have not noticed something like that. He’s a nice guy, but he’s a bit… unhealthily clingy, to put it nicely. I’d love to talk about my teammates when we had a bit more time, but for now I’ll let you know that yes, I am aware that he’s pretty fond of my company, and no, that sort of thing isn’t a problem in the Order.

Lin 2011/07/18(Mon)17:26 No. 327772 ID: a9ba96
File 131103518671.png - (115.87KB , 647x506 , Dungeoncrawlers169.png )

Camp can't be far now. Time to prepare these two for whatever is up ahead.


“Alright, we’re getting close to the camp. Before I explain the plan, I need to make sure that…”
Eline’s hand shoots up in the air.
>Eline “Ooh! Ooh!”
“Yes, Eline?”
>Eline: “I almost forgot to ask, but Miss Mary says that Mark used to be your boyfriend. Is that true?”

Lin 2011/07/18(Mon)17:32 No. 327776 ID: a9ba96
File 131103552286.png - (1.61KB , 376x304 , blank4.png )

“Wh… no.”
>Eline: “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”

…

“Now before-”
>Ath: “Who's this lucky Mark fellow? He's the elf, right?”
“Okay, you get to stop talking.”

Mark 2011/07/18(Mon)17:35 No. 327780 ID: a9ba96
File 131103570033.png - (74.35KB , 532x417 , Dungeoncrawlers170.png )

>Samwell: “And you say it talks?”
“Yeah.”
>Samwell: “It didn’t talk when I touched it.”
“Well, it only talks sometimes. The voices only seem to be there when there’s like, danger afoot or I’m in need of advice or something.”
>Samwell: “And you say you’ve heard at least twenty different voices from it thus far?”
“They’re uh, they’re actually what helped me help you kill the bearhound, your highness.”
>Samwell: “Ah, well, that sounds rather interesting. I’d love to talk to your little head voice friends when we have more time.”
“I’d be honored to introduce you. Now, about uh, about that holiday you were talking about earlier.”
>Samwell: “Hail to the Great and Splendid King Erick Day? What of it?”
“Well, it sounds cool and all, but where are you going to get that many virgins?”
>Samwell: “Hah, I’ll be the king, good friend! Do you think kings ever have trouble finding an ample supply of virgins?”
“I guess maybe not for the first couple of times, no. But you’re talking a yearly event, here.”
>Samwell: “You underestimate the power of royalty, friend!”

>>327779

They have surgeries for that kind of thing, too. You can make virgins.

Yep.

yo. just got jumped back to you. heads up that usually means something "interesting" is about to happen. also the pack ran into some paladins. marry is about the same and is being stabilized and transported to somewhere she can be treated. her dwarf and elf friend are in paladin custody.

Yeah we just go back and forth, that we show up when we're handy could be just luck. Or maybe fate. Or we switch over when we feel urgency, or are bored. Does it really matter?

Oh yeah updates from over there. Umm... well the paladins ran across the pack, one thing led to another and one punched out elf and giant dwarf attack later I think the Pack is down by half. Mary is in real bad shape but they are taking her back to camp with the two prisoners. Mary should pull through all right. Lin is on the way here to help, along with Eline and Ath the changeling paladin. In the end things went well enough, I think.

Tell Samwell we think he's a hoot, maybe we'll hang out when things aren't so dangerous.

So anyway, what's up on your end?

if you want you can have him hold us now and we can spook him.

Mark 2011/07/18(Mon)19:00 No. 327815 ID: a9ba96
File 131104083628.png - (113.17KB , 678x510 , Dungeoncrawlers171.png )

Oh good, you guys are back. We’re outside the camp, we’re just waiting until Nessya and Vinbal finish scouting. They pretty much confirmed what you guys suspected on the way up- the girl from the town faked her kidnapping to help the ‘bolds with something, but they never bothered asking what because of the money they were getting.

I’m glad to know my sister’s doing alright, and I’m sure that Samwell will be glad to know you can uh, can re-virginize people. Bit of a shame about the rest of the pack, though. Not that they didn’t deserve it or anything, but I always hoped that I would be there when they finally got what was coming to them.

Lin’s on her way? It’s been a while since I’ve seen her. I wonder ifGAH WHAT THE--

>Nessya: “We finished scouting.”
>Samwell: “By the gods, where did you come from?”
>Nessya: “I burrowed under the ground. Like a rabbit.”
>Samwell: “How in the…”
>Nessya: “I’m just that good.”
“Well uh, well what did you find?”
>Nessya “Camp’s empty, but the forest around it is not. I can’t figure out where the girl is, but the Kobolds are broken into five groups, positioned around the camp, and lying in wait for… something. They’re using the weapons we’ve been trading them over the past few weeks. Some of them are simply being wielded, and some of them have been fashioned into parts of these bizarre ‘Bold death-contraptions. Vinbal is waiting for my word. If we’re careful, the four of us can try to move about and take out the groups one by one. The five Kobold squads are too far apart to hear the noise if we’re quick and lethal. Otherwise… well, otherwise we can wait to see what they are waiting to see… whatever that may be."

Quick and lethal? Hey now, the kobolds are being bullied here. They might be lying in wait to attack the people bullying them. Personally I'm hoping that they're not waiting to ambush Lin and the two others. See if you can meet up with them- they should be arriving from the same direction you came from. If we can get in one group then we should wait and see what the kobolds are planning.

If we're going to be interacting with the kobolds at all it will be to interrogate them, not kill them.

i'm not really sure if the actions of the kobolds merit lethal response. on the other hand it does seem like she's building them into an army. we need more info. it would be nice to get more information before anything started dying

hit one, be LOUD and non-lethal. then back off and circle around and go through the gap opened by another group moving to see what happened.

>>327815
Rather than taking down all the groups lethally, focus on capturing one group alive so you can interrogate them.
It's vital to know what they're waiting for in case it's not you.

Mark 2011/07/19(Tue)09:03 No. 328031 ID: a9ba96
File 131109142978.png - (45.56KB , 365x425 , DungeonCrawlers172.png )

“Do we need to be quick and lethal? The Kobolds are likely being bullied into this, and we’re going to want to get as much information as we can. Is there uh, there any way we could try to interrogate one of these squads?”
>Nessya: “Quick and lethal, quick and non-lethal. It’s all the same, as long as we’re quick. Keeping them alive and quiet is a lot harder than keeping them dead, so trying to press them for information is a risk. One Kobold shouts for help instead of talking, and the whole camp knows we’re here. But if you want to keep them alive, I guess I can work with that. I know what an animal smells like right before it cries for help, so keep me close when you press the little buggers for information.”
“I have a few friends that I think might be coming this way. I don’t know how long they’ll be though.”
>Nessya: “I’ll have Vinbal keep watch. He’ll send them in your direction if they come. No point in delaying the hunt. Head up through the trees to the right, they’ll see you if you head straight into the camp. Keep walking until you see the first squad, I’ll meet you there. Can’t keep it waiting. The hunt’s in blood now, can’t keep it waiting, Gotta… gotta dig like a rabbit, gotta… gotta climb like a squirrel… gotta hunt like a bloody animal…”
>Samwell: “Miss, are you okay?”
>Nessya: “Never better, sir. Never better.”
“…Wait, where did your scar go?”
>Nessya: “Fixed it.”
“But you made such a big deal about it earlier.”
>Nessya: “Don’t worry Mark, this changes nothing between the two of us.”

Mark 2011/07/19(Tue)09:04 No. 328032 ID: a9ba96
File 131109145416.png - (16.28KB , 402x425 , DungeonCrawlers173.png )

With that, she pops back underground.
“…Oh gods, what?”
>Samwell: “Well, friend… let’s uh… get going.”

Mark 2011/07/19(Tue)09:07 No. 328034 ID: a9ba96
File 131109165268.png - (174.19KB , 779x718 , Dungeoncrawlers174.png )

The two of us head through the woods as directed until we come across a small group of Kobolds hiding among the trees. Six of them, from what I can see. Three of them are attempting to play cards, and one of them is napping by a rock. The other two are working on…

…Well, it’s certainly not a bear trap.

Is that a multi fire rocket launcher?

Dude. That "little girl" is a SUPERVILLAIN. We should find a way into the camp. See if you can lure one of the Kobolds over to you with a rock. Or something. Do not be seen.

I think your rogue friend is on combat drugs. or something with a similar effect. what is that thing with the spikes?

>>328034
Have Prince Asshole grab the two working on the trap while you take the card players. Grab the necks of the two sitting apart from each other and let us dangle onto the one in the middle.
"Quietly answer our questions, we leave, you can go back to your game, nobody gets hurt.
Where's that bossy girl?"

don't forget the one siting with his back to the rock.

oh, tie them up and put them in front of the death machine and tell them that if any of them yell then you will cut the rope and kill them all. endangering themselves? sure, endangering a bunch of the rest of the tribe? no way.

>>328075
This.

Mark 2011/07/19(Tue)16:45 No. 328277 ID: a9ba96
File 131111910033.png - (67.15KB , 467x557 , Dungeoncrawlers175.png )

“Your highness, that machine that the Kobolds have built seems to be some sort of mobile spiked wall of some sort, built to drop the wall when the rope is cut. I’m going to go around and take the Kobolds playing cards, and I need you to take the Kobolds working on the trap. Don‘t kill them though, we need to figure out what‘s going on here.”
>Samwell: “Wasn’t Nessya supposed to meet us here?”
“She probably got distracted by a chipmunk or got caught up trying to like, find a place to mark her territory or something.”
>Samwell: “She doesn’t exactly strike me as very, well, stable anyway. Perhaps it’s for the best that we get this done before she shows up and does something… regrettable.”
“If we’re quiet and quick, we can do this without too much noise. There’s a sleeping Kobold by that rock, but he shouldn’t be much trouble if we work fast. Once you’ve dealt with the Kobolds by the trap, make sure at least one of them stays in front of that wall. If we threaten to cut the rope with a Kobold in front it, they’ll do and tell us anything we want them to.
>Samwell: “Ah, I see. Kobolds throw themselves in harms way all the time, but they’d never do something they thought would get one of their friends killed. Oh, the power of friendship- the one true weakness of the Kobold.”
“Well, that and pretty much everything else.”
>Samwell: “Indeed, my friend. let’s go.”

Mark 2011/07/19(Tue)16:45 No. 328279 ID: a9ba96
File 131111915022.png - (78.56KB , 571x507 , Dungeoncrawlers176.png )

Haha, look at these guys trying to figure out how to play cards. Kobolds are such inattentive little things that using stealth against them is almost unfair. I won’t make it harder on these guys than it has to be, so lemme just grab one and…

*snap*

Mark 2011/07/19(Tue)16:46 No. 328280 ID: a9ba96
File 131111917616.png - (82.28KB , 571x507 , Dungeoncrawlers177.png )

...

Mark 2011/07/19(Tue)16:47 No. 328283 ID: a9ba96
File 131111926883.png - (128.56KB , 571x507 , Dungeoncrawlers178.png )

>Kobold: "Heys, yous not supposed to-"

Mark 2011/07/19(Tue)16:48 No. 328284 ID: a9ba96
File 131111928982.png - (90.45KB , 496x539 , Dungeoncrawlers179.png )

CLONK
“Stealth!”

Mark 2011/07/19(Tue)16:49 No. 328286 ID: a9ba96
File 131111937894.png - (54.20KB , 473x428 , Dungeoncrawlers180.png )

“Don’t you dare scream don’t you dare scream don’t you dare scream don’t you dare scream I swear to the gods don’t you dare scream!”

Well then! I think that went well! Did you guys see how I uh, lured them into a false sense of security and then, uh, bam! Just, uh, just, just like I had planned all along! Yeah!

okay. look around real quick. see if his highness got the others under control. then tie them all up and have them put in front of the spike crusher. then question the one and tell him that if he calls for help you will cut the rope. then ask where the girl who is ordering them around is.

"If I wanted to hurt you I'd have just had you and your friends killed. But I'm a nice guy, see? A nice guy that really needs to know what is going on here. What are all these traps for? Who are you planning to attack?"

>>328286
Yeah. Way to stay cool under pressure, buddy.

ok you just came off as kinda crazy. if we want info thought crazy can be worked with. ask them where the girl is, and what she's planing.

Examine the table for anything that could be of importance.

Mark 2011/07/19(Tue)18:58 No. 328389 ID: a9ba96
File 131112710471.png - (103.36KB , 554x491 , Dungeoncrawlers181.png )

I stand up, keeping my knife against the Kobold’s neck. I look over at the table- it’s fashioned out of one of the countless tree stumps left behind when they built traps like the mobile spike wall. Besides the playing cards, there’s nothing of note there.

“Wait, uh, wait a second, just, just hold on, I might have made a poor first impression there. Listen, if I wanted to kill you guys, I would have done it by now. I just want some information, no one’s here to hurt you.”
>Kobold: “What abouts him?”
“What about who?”

I look over my shoulder to see Prince Samwell forcing one of the Kobolds to walk under the trap.

>Samwell: “Your friend’s life is at stake here, so stand right here of I’ll open his neck in an instant.”
“Oh, him? He’s just, he’s my friend. He’s not here to hurt you guys either, he’s just here to uh… Ah, screw it.”

Mark 2011/07/19(Tue)18:59 No. 328392 ID: a9ba96
File 131112716542.png - (50.82KB , 443x422 , Dungeoncrawlers182.png )

“Tell me what I need to know, or I’m gonna cut that rope.”
>Kobold: Wait! Wait, I tells you anythings, just don’t hurt friends!”
“Where’s the girl? What are these traps for?”
>Kobold: “Girl is out. She is bringings the goblins here. Traps are for goblins. Swords and bows and arrows and helmets are for goblins, toos.”
“What are you talking about?”
>Kobold: “There is Goblin tribe to norths, sometimes makes Kobolds gather foods for them. Sometimes not enough for Kobolds to eat once Goblins takes the food, somes goes hungry. Somes even dies. Goblins mean, but Kobolds not fight them because they wipe Kobolds out if they try. Until now. Goblin tribe had witchdoctor, name was Sogux. The girl who help Kobolds pay Sogux to leave tribe and help Kobolds, but when he see how much treasure girl had gathered to pay Elf Thieves for weapons, he take bag full of treasures and run off weeks ago. Haven’t seen since. Didn’t matter to girl, all she needed was for Sogux to not be with Goblins. She wait until we have enough weapons, then she tell Goblins that Sogux is here. Goblins come, Kobolds attacks with traps and weapons. Kill bad goblins. Never goes hungries again.”
“So she’s arming you to fight the goblins?”
>Kobold: “She bring them here twice before looking for Sogux, but Kobolds too scared to attacks. Third time we readies. Just needed, more weapons to feel safes this time, we think we will be readies. Still worries, though. Goblins scary, but Kobolds have to impress the biddermens.”
“The… bitter men?”
>Kobold: “No, biddermens. They come watch when Goblins come. Watch Kobolds fight goblins. Girl says when Kobolds kill Goblins, biddermens will sees that Kobolds are just as good mercenaries as Goblins are. Will go to highest biddermen’s bid. Will be first step in restorings old tribes from very long times ago. Makings Kobolds strong again. No more hidings in forests, caves, and dungeons. No more doings what Goblins tell Kobolds to do. That’s what girl says. Girl is nice. She… understands Kobolds."

UGH! UGH UGH UGH!! god dammit. people try to do the right thing but go about it in such a wrong way it looks bad. god dammit. happens SO MANY FUCKING TIMES! you would not believe!

>>328392
Well, this is interesting. Maybe we can help them make the first move to kill the goblins? Talking to the prospective buyers might be worth a shot, but at this point I'm not sure we have anything more that we need to do.

Hmm.... The kobolds trying to liberate themselves from the goblins' oppression is a good thing... But trying to establish themselves as mercenaries? That's something of a threat that I'm not sure we ought slip by.

simple, kill the goblins and the bidders.

huh. it looks like she is planing on forging the kobold tribe into a mercenary company. that is unexpected. is that even illegal? I don't think she's actually hurting anyone... I mean you might want to get her to pay reparations to the village for the whole thing with the well. but this doesn't seem like the kind of scheme that is in dire need of foiling. unless shes planing something else.

Mercenaries... somehow I think the bolds themselves won't be exactly in control of their own destiny as independent contractors. Either the girl will be in control or will simply sell the bolds off. And these bidders, what the hell are they about? I can't imagine they are doing good for anyone here.

About the goblins I'm not sure what we're dealing with. Are they nasty folk, or might they be no more monstrous than the hapless bolds here?

In any case the bolds here aren't really the problem and we won't learn enough from them, it's that girl and the "biddermans" that need to be dealt with, assuming we don't end up actingt against the goblins as well. Find out when and where they all should be showing up.

>>328392
Facepalm!
"The biddermans are probably slavers or something. I don't know if the girl knows this, but nobody good would send in an army to kill innocent people. If you beat the goblins then the biddermen will take you away and make you fight forever.
We'll deal with this. Take all your weapons and equipment and go to the human town. Tell them what's going on, say your sorry, and set things up to defend the town. There are paladins there that will help you.
On the way there you'll run into a Paladin named Lin. Tell her Mark said to send Ath and Eline here and go back to town."

Ath knows what Sogux looks like, so he'll know what it would look like if Sogux was impaled on a wall of spikes. If we fake Sogux's death then they won't come back for him, and killing some of the biddermen will discourage them from returning.
If we get an alliance going between the Humans and Kobolds then the Goblins won't try to do food raids, and Kobolds are unlikely to steal from friends. Ideally this would mean having it be a Kobold/Human settlement, but that would be a long-term goal.

Mark 2011/07/20(Wed)11:40 No. 328587 ID: a9ba96
File 131118725503.png - (49.63KB , 332x443 , Dungeoncrawlers183.png )

Mercenary work isn’t illegal in the Outlands. In fact, most Mercenary companies in lower Ution operate from the Outlands. Still, there’s something about this whole auction that feels… I don’t know, but I’m certainly interested in meeting these “biddermens.”

>Mark: “These bidders sound like bad news. I need you to tell the other ambush parties to take your equipment and head back into town, we’ll deal with-”
>Kobold: “But…no, no, no! But Kobolds not want to run aways again! We swears, Kobolds readies this times! Kobolds want to prove that they can fights, want to prove that they are strongs!”
RING RING RING
>Kobold: “Aagh! Gots to wake up friends, gots to get in positions! Please misters, let Kobolds go! Will not tells her you’re here, we swears! We swears!”
>Samwell: “Mark, look over here!”
“Alright, you… you stay put, I have to uh, check on something really quick.”

I head over next to Prince Samwell, who is peering through the bushes into the main area of the camp.

Mark 2011/07/20(Wed)11:50 No. 328593 ID: a9ba96
File 131118780114.png - (109.30KB , 403x710 , Dungeoncrawlers184.png )

As I look into the camp, I see what appears to be a teenage human girl and a Kobold entering through the bushes at the camp’s northern end.

>Girl: “We talks to Goblin Tribe messenger. Goblin chief and many mens will be back in ten minutes. Biddermens will be with yous soon for inspections before fightings. Everyone in position! Helmets on! Weapons ready! Traps set! I know we can do it this time, you just has to be readies for it!”

“Looks like that’s our ‘kidnapped girl.’”
>Samwell: “Hold on now, my friend. I don’t know, maybe it’s the way she’s intentionally mangling her speech, maybe it’s the dead wolf around her neck, but I don’t think walking up and talking to her is the safest bet here. She says the bidders are coming to the ambush spots for “inspections.” We should either wait here and see if one of them show up, or keep moving to the next ambush spot to see what other death contraptions these guys have cooked up.”

okay. hide in the bushes and when the bidderman appears for inspection knock him out as well. and take his place.

No, let's just hide and watch. A good moment to intervene might pop up.

>>328595
>>328593
Dude, this is awesome. Watch.

guys. this group is KNOCKED OUT. we need to knock the bidderman out or he will sound some kind of alarm.

we could just talk to her. explain we were here investigating the thing with the kobolds. but if shes just helping rally them your not going to interfeare.

Her speech? I'd say it's that crazed look in her eyes that should give pause. Eech, and I thought Nessya looked unstable.

Best way to stop this entire confrontation is to leave the forest and tell the goblins what is going on, convince them to leave peacefully. Vinbal and Nessya should be able to handle that.

Stay here and have Samwell keep a hostage. Hopefully the knocked out bolds will wake up before anyone arrives and will keep silent about your presence. Then you can spy on these bidders and we can relay the info to Lin.

I think we should just watch. Let's not ruin the chance these kobolds have to make their place in the world.

Mark 2011/07/20(Wed)16:35 No. 328690 ID: a9ba96
File 131120495429.png - (88.32KB , 497x443 , Dungeoncrawlers185.png )

It would be a good idea to, at the very least, try to see if we can’t figure out how many Goblins are coming. For now though, our best bet is hiding and trying to see just what kind of people we can expect to be here bidding.

“We’re going to hide in the bushes over here, you guys get ready for the bidders.”
>Samwell: “If you do anything to tip them off, gods help me…”
>Kobold: “We won’ts! I swears it!”
“Any idea where the Goblins will be coming from?”
>Kobold: “Go ups to the trees where Girl enter from. Goblins come through that way to get into camp too, camp is to the norths. They pass right through one of our ambush teams to get in, they hide when Goblins pass by and then pop back out once they pass, keep them from running back where they came. Our group and group on east side of the camp block off main enterance when we jump out. Trap Goblins. No run away. Has to stay and fight! Stay and gets killed by Kobolds!”

I nod, then duck into the bushes with Samwell.

Mark 2011/07/20(Wed)16:36 No. 328691 ID: a9ba96
File 131120498392.png - (39.20KB , 511x394 , Dungeoncrawlers186.png )

>Kobold: “Come on, come on! You gots to wake up, biddermens be here soon! Come on…”

Mark 2011/07/20(Wed)16:36 No. 328692 ID: a9ba96
File 131120500622.png - (39.39KB , 511x394 , Dungeoncrawlers187.png )

A voice can be heard, growing gradually louder.
>???: “You’re right, he was wearing the mask again. I have no idea why he insists on wearing that thing every time he comes here, that girl’s told him she’s taken precautions to protect his identity. But back to what you were saying earlier, I can understand why you wouldn’t trust goblins for that kind of job. Goblins are always willing to do dirty work for cheap, but you can never trust the sneaky bastards not to steal your shit on the side…”
>Kobold: “Uh oh…”
>???: “… I mean, Goblins are huge in the merc business, but their lack of loyalty’s the main reason why people don’t hire goblins for all the mercenary work. Now, if this Kobold thing ends up working, you have a bunch that’s plentiful, cheap, AND trustworthy, since they won’t steal your shit as long as they consider you a friend. Between the Kobolds and the Goblins, most the other mercenary companies in the Outlands just won’t have room for business…”
>Kobold: “Uh oh, uh oh, uh oh…”
>???: “That’s why I’m here, in fact. If this whole “Kobold mercenary” thing’s actually gonna take off, I want the Black Harpies Company to be on top of it when it does. After fifteen years of running this group, I’d hate to fall behind just because the ‘Bolds got bold, you know what I’m… hmmm? What’s this?”

Mark 2011/07/20(Wed)16:38 No. 328693 ID: a9ba96
File 131120508180.png - (56.35KB , 378x458 , Dungeoncrawlers188.png )

Two men emerge from the woods near the Kobolds at the table.

>Mercenary Bidder: “Hey, what’s their problem? Sleeping on the job?”
>Kobold: “They’re uh… passed out.”
>Mercenary Bidder: “Passed out?”
>Kobold: “From drinkings. They’re drunk.”
>Mercenary Bidder: “Hah! Taking a page from the dwarves’ military book, eh? Well, a good bit of booze never hurt anyone before a fight, just make sure your friends are up by the time those Goblins show up. We’re going to check out this contraption you’ve built, alright?”
>Kobold: “Yes. That would be fines. We built it with-”

Mark 2011/07/20(Wed)16:39 No. 328695 ID: a9ba96
File 131120515405.png - (59.44KB , 511x356 , Dungeoncrawlers189.png )

>Leprechaun Bidder:
“ON YOUR USE I HAVE YET TO BE SOLD,
AND I’M GROWING QUITE TIRED OF ‘BOLDS,
YOU BEST BE UP TO SNUFF,
OR ELSE I’LL SAY “ENOUGH!”
AND SHE WON’T GET A PINCH OF ME GOLD!”

>Catch Leprechaun
>Force it to tell you where its pot of gold is hidden

>>328696
don't do that. that is a stupid idea.

>>328695

...

...

If you want to kill that leprechaun then you have my full support.

the guy with the axe is the more important thing. he looks a lot more powerful.

>>328695
Patience. Wait like a kiwi in the bush.

Mark 2011/07/20(Wed)18:18 No. 328743 ID: a9ba96
File 131121109407.png - (42.65KB , 395x353 , Dungeoncrawlers190.png )

>Samwell: “Interesting crowd this girl’s attracting, wouldn’t you say my friend?”

The guy with the axe said he was part of the Black Harpies Company, which is a large mercenary company that spreads throughout the Outlands. They’re mostly human, but elves and dwarves join from time to time as well. This guy seems to be taking the idea of Kobold mercenaries affecting business pretty seriously, so he’s likely willing to throw around a lot of money.

Leprechauns are pesky little creatures. They look like dwarves, but they’re technically part of the fairy family. Unlike fairies though, who are attracted to sources of magic and grant wishes, Leprechauns are attracted to large sources of money and pretend to grant wishes, but usually just screw people over. They’re pretty rare to come across, partially because they’re good at hiding and partially because there aren’t very many of them around, but they’re interesting little creatures due to the fact that gold enhances their strength and magical abilities. This leads to Leprechauns hoarding large quantities of gold that they’re very protective of, so finding a Leprechaun willing to spend his gold is rare. The only real explanation is that this one thinks investing in the Kobolds will end up earning him back more gold than he plans to bid.

What do you guys think? Should we stick around and watch these two, or head down to the next ambush point and see who else showed up to bid on the Kobolds? We could uh, we technically could try to fight these guys and see what information we can get out of them, but we’re dealing with a member of a very powerful mercenary squad and a dangerous magical creature, I’m not sure if it’s worth the risk just yet.

>>328743
>>328743
Nope. You are stealthy like the koala.

>>328743
Let's just watch. Maybe afterwards we can talk to them politely... or maybe we stand a good chance if Lin and her friends are helping out. Then it'd be 7v2, yeah?

it dos'tn look like this is a scheme that needs foiling. there may be something else going on here though so more info might be useful. Though if it turns out that its a straight mercenary deal we should probably just politely introduce ourselves to the girl and say we were originally here to rescue her.

>>328744

And like the koala you will bite the genitals off competing males!

Mark 2011/07/21(Thu)10:10 No. 328989 ID: a9ba96
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We wait and watch as the mercenary the leprechaun inspect the mobile death wall. After a few minutes, a man in a cloak and a plague doctor mask emerges from the bushes and approaches the two other bidders.

>Plague Mask Bidder: “Ahhh, there you are.”
Mercenary Bidder: “Yes, I remember you from the last bid. You don’t forget a get-up like that.”
>Plague Mask Bidder: “It is quite a beautiful device they’ve built, isn’t it? There’s a similar moving spiked wall on the other side of the camp, but if you really want to see an example of the Kobold’s potential, I implore you to head up to the northern side of the camp. These walls are nice, yes… but they have quite a grand finale prepared up there. Since the goblins are passing through the spot where it’s been built, they’re disguising it, but if you act quickly you should be able to catch a glimpse of it before the show.”
>Mercenary Bidder: “We need to get to our lookout spots soon like the others, but that does sound interesting. A grand finale trap, you say?”
>Plague Mask Bidder: “A most.. splendid one.”
>Mercenary Bidder: “Alright then, sound worth checking out. What do you say, O’Callaghan?”