1/3 Heretic 2017/06/15(Thu)15:54 No. 808122 ID: 8a947d
File 149756724803.png - (375.94KB , 1102x1653 , Veil over Olmec.png )

New Olmec, a sprawling illustrious city in the desert of Moree, one that's been a around for years, one that has, sadly, become wrapped in the grip of the Regent Church. However despite all of this... The city is empty.

2/3 Heretic 2017/06/15(Thu)15:54 No. 808123 ID: 8a947d
File 149756729043.png - (218.78KB , 1212x826 , Veil over Olmec 2.png )

As you and your group continued through the gate there were no guards, no one manning the gate, no one greeting people through. Only empty rooms and quiet hallways.
There were no birds singing or animals barking and mewling, just silence, a silence that burned your ears and weighed heavy on your soul.
You look into the sky as you exit the empty registers building. Even the moon had an ominous glow too it, and the sky felt darker inside the cities walls. something is definitely wrong

3/3 Heretic 2017/06/15(Thu)15:55 No. 808125 ID: 8a947d
File 149756732861.png - (325.76KB , 1102x1653 , Veil over Olmec 3.png )

You reach the streets, also empty, and stop wandering after a while to stand and talk. Everyone's been so quiet it was starting to make you angry, you hate the unnatural silence, it makes you feel like you were in the deserted New Olmec alone.

Troy: Well? You see now right ? Something's definitely wrong with this damned city!

You: No, you were right Troy. This is too weird.

Issei: i smell very few people, a lot of them are corpses.

Troy: What !?

Issei: something's screwing with my smell, but i too can tell that something unnatural is at work.

This is not good. Troy we're here for your woman, where is her place?

Yes, that's our first priority. Meet a friendly face and see if she knows what's going on.

We're here for Troy's sister, so we head to her place first. You assume he has her address from her letters, that correct?

Take inventory of what you and your associates have. Make note of any stores you've seen and see that might have useful reagents or equipment that you can break into later.

You've already spent a bunch of blood and you're getting low, so using Aether Sight to try and locate the source of this unease would be wasteful. Perhaps a Voyeuristic Globule would be in order to recon? But would it be able to see immaterial or magical things? And you don't have the ingredients for it anyway. So what would be good for sniffing out where corpses.

Make sure everyone knows to take extra care with using fire while here. With nobody to man the fire brigade, New Olmec could go up like dry tinder if a building catches fire, spreading roof to roof. That means no plans that rely on open flames or magic or summons that make fire. You're a bit surprised half the place hasn't already burnt down from a accidentally tipped over candle or similar. And for that matter, why isn't there signs of panic or looting? It's like most of the population just up and vanished all at once.

How long ago did Troy lose contact with his sister? 'Cause if it's been a bit, undoubtedly other folks have lost contact with New Olmec too and some of them have come to investigate; Business associates, family members and so on. But none of them have come back from New Olmec, have they? That doesn't bode well for y'all.

Heretic 2017/06/15(Thu)18:35 No. 808180 ID: 8a947d
File 149757691908.png - (104.88KB , 1212x826 , Troy.png )

>>808135
>>808126
>>808142
The trek here is was a long one, you've recovered a lot of blood on the way (40oz). Voyeuristic Globules can only see physical threats, the Shadowmen on the airship were physical beings inside of something immaterial so you could see them. Besides the Globule has a range to it so you can't just scan the city it'd take too long.

Troy: I haven't heard from her in four weeks, she'd never go a week without mailin' me. I'm all the family she's got an vice versa. That and in the most recent letters she sounded worried 'bout somethin.

Troy: I know where she lives, I lead us here cuz it ain't far from her buildin' lets get the lead out and find her.

You: Troy, things look pretty bad here...are you even sure she's-

Troy: I said let's go Gallows.

Troy leads you around the alleys.

>>808180
Well, keep an eye out.

We're either here in time to help his kin or not. No use dwelling on it. If the worst happened, we'll deal with that when we get to it.

Stay on your toes, keep and eye and ear out for any survivors along the way

If this is a zombie apocalypse I am going to be very annoyed.

1/2 Heretic 2017/06/15(Thu)20:42 No. 808211 ID: 8a947d
File 149758455809.png - (501.74KB , 1102x1653 , Finding Troy's Sister 1.png )

Troy begins to run towards his sister's building until you all reach an apartment complex, you pass the city's clock tower and notice that it reads 12:00 on the dot despite being much later than that.

Troy busts into the apartment entrance, abandoned like the rest of the city. He rushes up the steps and through the hall until he reaches his sister's room. The door is wide open.

2/2 Heretic 2017/06/15(Thu)20:50 No. 808216 ID: 8a947d
File 149758504271.png - (141.33KB , 1212x826 , Finding Troy's Sister 2.png )

Troy runs inside and begins to panic.

Troy: Oh shit, Oh shit... APRIL!? APRIL!

You notice as he runs into her bedroom that there's rotting food and the furniture is covered in dust, there are no bugs however. Its almost like life has just stopped existing in the city. There's no sign of struggle however.

Troy comes back out of Aprils room, he's very visibly panicking now.

Troy: She left with nothin', her purse, her effects, all still in her room. Ain't no blood or broken bits of furniture, she's just up and gone.

Troy: B-But she couldn't have just left on her own! the doors wide open! What's goin' on here !?

...can we summon a demon that can track? Lots of personal effects with sentimental value to use as a focus. Probably some hairs if we check her pillow or find her comb.

Can we use the Globule as a bloodhound? Or maybe the Aquatic Stalker?

"hunter killer hawk" sounds like something that could track? We still have the materials to summon one, right? Actually we didn't get any descriptions of the summons aside from the globule, gnat, and gluttony. Can we get some?

Oh, since Lisa isn't here I guess it's time to try the location of the pagan colony?

Tell Tory you don't know. It's like everyone up and vanished, like a summon that was de-summoned. ...Or they just up and walked away from what they were doing all at the same time and didn't come back.

You're thinkin' you need to find somebody who was here at the time it all went down. Issei said he could smell very few live people, but that's still more than zero. Find one of 'em and question 'em.

You also should find the Pagan colony that was, and you hope still is, in this city. If weird, crazy magic and paranormal shit went down, they might have been able to hide from or resist it.

Check the other rooms, see if they also ring the same tune. If they do, we can rule out a classic kidnapping; a master assassin could pull off such a caper, but multiplied on the whole city and its infrastructure, there's little need to leave such a cleanliness.

Which means we're dealing with a mass spell, something that would charm everyone to take the path of least resistance to their doom, or something that would grab them all with surgical precision. While the energy cost would be high, there was enough preparation time and laboratory space in this low-crime city to pull this off. Or maybe she survived, but that would mean she went on a walk or ran without anything but possibly the clothes on her back. Very unlikely.

>>808216
Slap him in the face and tell him to calm down because panicking won't help!

Since this is one of the Church's towns, do you think they had something to do with what's going on here?

Make sure you grab things that can be used as ingredients for summons while you're searching the town.

Do you think going to the roof of the tallest building in town and then using Aether Sight to look down at the whole town will help?

Also, what business did you have here in town, Gallows? Because from the looks of things, you ain't gonna be getting any business done!

Heretic 2017/06/15(Thu)22:31 No. 808253 ID: 8a947d
File 149759109724.png - (157.87KB , 1212x826 , Finding Troy's Sister 3.png )

You: Troy! Troy! Calm down! Don't panic okay? That's the worst thing to do here.

You: Now listen, something beyond the mortal realm of possibility did this. It's some sort of magic ritual or god bullshit, got it?

You: This food's been out for possibly weeks but hasn't attracted a single fly to it. There are no spider webs anywhere!

You: Somethings caused everything to disappear from this city. I doubt well ever find April searching conventionally, but before we jump to conclusions we should search the rest of the rooms for anything else, okay?

Troy: Y-Yeah... we gotta keep lookin'

You: I came here to speak to the Pagan colony in the city, so if we can't find anything else through searching this place we'll go there and see if they're still there, okay?

Troy: Right, Lets go

You, Troy, and Issei begin to search rooms. Lots of doors were left opened and non of the rooms show sign of struggle, they all match the previous scene with no new evidence. From the rooms you take a statue carrying a shard of Amethyst, an Amethyst necklace, a Ruby Ring and a Silver Hand Mirror. All that's left is to head for the pagan colony.

>amethyst necklace
Jackpot! Don't spend it all at once.

Well, actually, you could invest further. I'm surprised this town wasn't looted by other adventurers by now. So spend a few shards on weak collectors and have them grab all the components they can get their greedy little paws on.

>>808253
Nice looting. We need a second ruby still, but the amethyst and mirror helps for sure.

So um, can we get descriptions of what your other summons do?

1/2 Heretic 2017/06/16(Fri)16:02 No. 808393 ID: 8a947d
File 149765415812.png - (342.02KB , 1212x826 , Finding Troy's Sister 4.png )

>>808261
The Amethyst Necklace has 3 Shards on it bringing you to four Amethyst Shards all together. It's a good amount.



>>808262
From what you have to summon:
The Aquatic Stalker is a small but fast carnivorous fish able to bit clean through bone, can be summoned out of water but can only flop around.

The Bulwark Brute is a large slow moving beast that can block bullets, but its weak from behind.

The Living Pyre is a moving being made of pure flame. Weak to water, obviously, and any fire it spreads is uncontrollable.

The Hunter-Killer Hawk is fast flying and can shoot bolts of explosive energy from the space between it's horns ( You didn't get to see this last time you summoned it since you were knocked out of the air so quickly)

And the Serpentine Vanguard is a large snake like creature with viscous teeth covered in strong armor. Though it will not attack you or your allies after it is summoned it will do as it wishes.

2/2 Heretic 2017/06/16(Fri)16:14 No. 808394 ID: 8a947d
File 149765484421.png - (188.32KB , 1212x826 , Finding Troy's Sister 5.png )

You continue through the city, looking at other buildings and noticing that their doors have also been left open. All of the occupants must of just gotten up and left... It sounds ridiculous but you can't think of anything else.

Troy: You know where these pagans are right ? You think they can fix this ?

You: I'm not even sure what THIS is Troy. This whole thing is insane, impossible !

Issei: you two...look at that building.

Issei points you at a flower boutique, the window's been defaced and the front door's been kicked in. on the window in what is, thankfully, red pain is written "HE CAME EARLY!". Troy speaks up

Troy: I know this place... I bought April flowers from here.

You: This is the only building with a kicked in door, and the inside is in shambles. Do you know anything about the owner ?

Troy:... She's young woman who inherited it from her folks, she's blind and owned a seeing eye dog. Not much else besides that...

>>808394
Maybe whatever happened required sight to be caught by. Like some kind of hypnotizing light?

Maybe we should find someone who's dead, and look at their wounds. It'll give us an idea of what did this-- man or beast.

>>808394
Well, it's different from the rest of the town so far. Let's check it out.

>>808394
Well, if someplace is different from all the others, that usually means that there's something important in there. And seeing as this is the only place that's got a kicked in door and has been defaced, there might actually be something in there. Let's go take a look.

1/2 Heretic 2017/06/16(Fri)18:48 No. 808432 ID: 8a947d
File 149766412966.png - (51.22KB , 1212x826 , Edi's Boutique.png )

You: Do you think whatever caused this needed the victim to see, and that's why this woman had to be forced out ?

Troy: That's all we got to go on, seems like it

You go inside the boutique. There are scuff marks on the ground presumably where the girl was dragged out, and one of the table's has been broken. All of the flowers inside are dead, and any of the documents or notes all pertain to flower orders or other business subjects. There is an Obsidian Earring on the ground.

You move back out to the front and examine the graffiti on the window.

You:"HE CAME EARLY ?" What could that mean...

You: Let's keep going, Troy you're more familiar with New Olmec do you know where Kaiden Center is?... Troy?

2/2 Heretic 2017/06/16(Fri)18:49 No. 808433 ID: 8a947d
File 149766417746.png - (126.17KB , 1212x826 , Gone.png )

Troy is nowhere in sight...

>>808433
Did he just run off on his own?! I hope that's what happened, otherwise.....whatever did this is still here.

Issei is right behind you, ask him where Troy went and ask why he didn't try to stop Troy. But if Troy was taken, then ask Issei what happened and why he wasn't taken.

>>808433
If Issei didn't see Troy leave, could he track Troy by scent?

Heretic 2017/06/16(Fri)20:49 No. 808453 ID: 8a947d
File 149767136772.png - (106.63KB , 1212x826 , Gone 2.png )

You: Issei! Where's Troy ?!

Issei: i was looking at the writing on the store window, i didn't notice him leave.

You: Can you smell him at all ?

Issei:... yes, a little. he's this way hurry !

Issei sprints forward down the city streets twisting and weaving into alleyways and over stair steps. He stops occasionally to sniff for Troy getting more frustrated each time.

Issei: the smell of corpses is only getting stronger! but... i can tell Troys this way!

Issei leads down another path, the dark city streets becoming more and more maze-like as you follow. Issei stops and points at an alleyway

Issei: there! Troy's down there!

Draw arms! Be ready for anything!

>>808453
I don't know if that's Troy or someone else, but whoever that is seems to have some sort of outline around them.

Well, let's try to see what's going on. Use Aether Sight!

Wait, look out, there's something in the alley!

>>808459
We already know that. That's what Issei is pointing at!

1/2 Heretic 2017/06/16(Fri)22:01 No. 808468 ID: 8a947d
File 149767570606.png - (54.78KB , 1212x826 , The Alleyway.png )

>>808458
You use Aether Sight (40 oz==>30 oz) and- OH GOD EVERYTHING'S RED, FUCK THAT HURTS YOUR EYES. It...Your Aether Sight is registering the entire city as a threat! the FUCKING AIR is being registered as threatening and it hurts your brain, you don't have time to think about you continue forward and grasp for Troy.

2/2 Heretic 2017/06/16(Fri)22:02 No. 808469 ID: 8a947d
File 149767575967.png - (120.39KB , 1212x826 , The Alleyway 2.png )

You reach for him and grab...nothing. Its a shadow...its YOUR shadow.

What the hell?

Oh crap... is Issei still with you?

>>808468
Please tell me that doesn't mean the whole town is cursed!

>>808469
Try touching the wall to see if it's an illusion.

Wait.....there's only one shadow.....and the light source is behind you to cast your shadow in front of you.....and Issei is also supposed to be behind you.....right? So, where's Issei's shadow?!

Don't tell me he's gone too! DX

>>808469
I think we'd better just get the hell out of this town.

Is there another Pagan colony you can go to?

>>808480
We can't leave without our teammates! Because, let's be honest, if they weren't with us, that voodoo worm woulda killed us! And if we leave, then odds are the next thing the voodoo guys send after us is gonna be a pain in the ass without Troy and Issei to back us up.

So, I guess we'd better start looking!

The town is ALIVE. This is some Apex-level voodoo, but the city itself is one big demon or curse monster.

Summon a flying creature before the ground swallows you!

1/3 Heretic 2017/06/17(Sat)10:49 No. 808541 ID: 8a947d
File 149772176070.png - (284.13KB , 1212x826 , The Alleyway 4.png )

>>808480
>>808490
You don't have any other plan than the pagan's in New Olmec and even if you did you can't leave without Troy.

>>808495
Just because the whole town is registered as a threat by Aether Sight doesn't mean it's alive, that's ridiculous.

You go to regroup with Iss-OW! what the...

2/3 Heretic 2017/06/17(Sat)10:49 No. 808543 ID: 8a947d
File 149772179972.png - (85.99KB , 890x764 , The Alleyway 5.png )

There's another wall blocking your exit of the Alley.

3/3 Heretic 2017/06/17(Sat)10:51 No. 808544 ID: 8a947d
File 149772186427.png - (85.17KB , 1212x826 , The Alleyway 3.png )

Issei: Roland!...Roland, that's the wrong alley way. Troy's down this...

Issei: Roland?

Yell so Issei can hear you. Tell him you're behind the wall, and that this entire town is dangerous.

>>808544
Start banging on the wall and yelling to let Issei know where you are!

Or you can just aim your gun straight up and fire a single bullet. That should be loud enough for Issei to hear!

If you don't hear anything from Issei after a while, then summon something that can smash through walls and bust out of here!

1/2 Heretic 2017/06/17(Sat)12:50 No. 808587 ID: 8a947d
File 149772905015.png - (189.03KB , 1212x826 , The Alleyway 6.png )

>>808545
You: ISSEI!...ISSEEEIII!!!

There's no response, you look up and notice their's a ceiling on the small room your in... the very, very small room... the minuscule inescapable room.

you feel like you're going to throw up...

2/2 Heretic 2017/06/17(Sat)12:52 No. 808588 ID: 8a947d
File 149772912007.png - (153.53KB , 1212x826 , The Alleyway 7.png )

you feel the room shake, the ceiling begins to descend on you getting smaller and smaller

>>808588
Okay, do you have any viscera left from the horse? A Flagellum should be able to hold the ceiling up or bash through the wall. Alternatively, do you have something Tough?

It's possible this trapped city is feeding off your fear. Try to calm down.

>>808588
OH SHIT!!!!!

I'm thinking either summoning the Demon Flagellum or the Bulwark Brute to smash through the wall and get us out of here!

Quickly, summon the one you have the materials for!

Heretic 2017/06/17(Sat)14:26 No. 808616 ID: 8a947d
File 149773480261.png - (172.29KB , 1212x826 , The Alleyway 8.png )

>>808593
>>808591

Your chest is tightening up, but maybe you can summon something to help you. Your reach for your backpack, but don't find any ingredients or items. Just blood filling the sack to the brim.

But there is something floating to the top of your sack, what is that ?...

>>808616
No time to waste, grab it!

It's probably the AZERITE.

>>808616
>Just blood filling the sack to the brim.
That's actually useful! Now you don't need to use your blood to use Aether Sight! Which I recommend using to see if there's a fake wall or a switch or something to stop all of this!

>>808617
This!

1/2 Heretic 2017/06/17(Sat)14:58 No. 808634 ID: 8a947d
File 149773673813.png - (100.11KB , 1089x717 , The Alleyway 9.png )

>>808624
Aether Sight only registers the city as a threat, you can't see anything other than red when you activate it.

>>808621
>>808617
You grab whatever it is... You hold it up and look at it... Its an eyeball

2/2 Heretic 2017/06/17(Sat)15:00 No. 808636 ID: 8a947d
File 149773680341.png - (105.29KB , 1122x826 , The Alleyway 10.png )

it's YOUR right eyeball

Alright. You are in an illusion. Don't panic.
A red light is shining. Find it's source.

>>808636
Okay, I see what's going on. The entire city is blanketed in illusion magic. What you need to do is close your working eye and see out of your blind eye, like the shop owner did.

It's impossible for your right eye to be there...
you cannot trust what you see anymore, so you should close your remaining eye.

>>808636
How... can you tell its yours? I'm not sure I would recognize one of my eyeballs outside of my head.

>>808651
This makes sense! Unwrap your right eye and close your left eye!

Heretic 2017/06/17(Sat)17:11 No. 808683 ID: 8a947d
File 149774470920.png - (124.77KB , 1066x772 , The Alleyway 11.png )

>>808651
>>808657
>>808659
You don't have a blind eye to see out of! your right eye's been gone for years, plucked out.

>>808658
You just... You can feel it, theres a puncture mark in the side where it was torn out. You know its yours

The ceiling stops just above your head, there's no more movement in the small... small room, all you can hear now is your heavy breathing. You feel the walls around you, the ceiling, and the floor but feel no indents or anything.

Your heartbeat starts to sputter as the room gets darker and darker as an indiscernible light source begins to fade leaving you in darkness. It's getting harder to breath.

Voyeuristic Globule can only discern solid things, so they shouldn't be deterred by illusions, since they can't see them in the first place.

>>808692
He can't summon anything.

See here: >>808616 .
>don't find any ingredients or items.

>>808683
>You don't have a blind eye to see out of! your right eye's been gone for years, plucked out.
It's right there in your hand. Close your left eye and maybe you can see out of your right eye in your hand.

But seriously, what the fuck are we supposed to do?! DX

>>808701
He can't find them. He didn't put them out of the bag, so the ingredients are there regardless of what he's seeing right now.

1/4 Heretic 2017/06/17(Sat)18:25 No. 808707 ID: 8a947d
File 149774912186.png - (67.81KB , 1212x826 , Smaller.png )

>>808703
There's only dried blood in you bag, nothing else.

It gets quiet, the same silence you heard before only more intense. The sheer lack of sound drills at the back of your head.

2/4 Heretic 2017/06/17(Sat)18:27 No. 808708 ID: 8a947d
File 149774923679.png - (37.30KB , 1212x826 , and Smaller.png )

The booming silence mixed with the small room sends you over the edge, you panic. you cover your ears in a futile attempt to block it out.

3/4 Heretic 2017/06/17(Sat)18:28 No. 808709 ID: 8a947d
File 149774929464.png - (9.45KB , 1212x826 , and Even Smaller.png )

you drop to your knee's shaking. There's nothing you can do, there's nothing.

Heretic 2017/06/17(Sat)18:29 No. 808711 ID: 8a947d
File 149774939459.png - (3.90KB , 1212x826 , Trapped.png )

You're going to die in this hole.

>>808711
I remember you having a bit of a strong opinion concerning inevitable design.
Was it... People like you burn fate.

1/3 Heretic 2017/06/17(Sat)18:40 No. 808716 ID: 8a947d
File 149775000348.png - (3.28KB , 1212x826 , Darkness.png )

>>808713
The darkness is heavier then any night you've faced, you can't escape. Why would you want too ?

HE CAME EARLY! HE CAME EARLY JUST FOR YOU

2/3 Heretic 2017/06/17(Sat)18:40 No. 808717 ID: 8a947d
File 149775002139.png - (3.28KB , 1212x826 , Darkness.png )

...

3/3 Heretic 2017/06/17(Sat)18:41 No. 808718 ID: 8a947d
File 149775009214.png - (3.73KB , 1212x826 , Oww.png )

Oww.... Ow,Ow,Ow. Your head's killing you. Everything dark.. where are you?

No idea, this whole city is wrong, just wrong. Are you feeling ok? It looked like you got overwhelmed by some kind of fear spell or something.

I can't see anything either, try feeling your way around?

>>808718
Any spells/summons that help?
Do you have your ingredients back?

Feel around your body to make sure you've still got your clothes and your bag. Most importantly, make sure you've still got your Azerite!

Wait, doesn't Azerite glow a little? Think maybe it would be enough to see in the dark?

1/2 Heretic 2017/06/17(Sat)19:11 No. 808732 ID: 8a947d
File 149775190708.png - (3.93KB , 1212x826 , Wandering Eye.png )

>>808722
>>808720
You feel fine now, you don't know what got you but next thing you knew you're here! You feel around the room a little for a switch or something... oh wait, there's a light switch hanging from the ceiling.

2/2 Heretic 2017/06/17(Sat)19:13 No. 808734 ID: 8a947d
File 149775201199.png - (103.41KB , 1212x826 , Surprise.png )

That's better!

Urm, dunno how to put it to you, but it looks like you're in Issei's body. Mind swap magic, IDK, things ain't right here.

What's on the table next to you?

>>808732
Oh good, you're alive! Now let's-

>>808734
ISSEI?!?! HOLY FUCK!!!!!

.....well, let's check the table to see what's there.

Wait! Check your pockets! Someone might've stolen your strawberries!

>>808739
Or maybe we just switched characters? Quests do that sometimes.

Wait wut? What happened? Issei, Roland is trapped somewhere! We gotta find him!

1/2 Heretic 2017/06/17(Sat)20:26 No. 808756 ID: 8a947d
File 149775641492.png - (191.78KB , 910x826 , Issei Stat Sheet.png )

>>808739
>>808744
Mind-swaps? No no, you are quite yourself.

You are Issei. you've traveled far and wide through out Second Helchaim but have never seen a catastrophe as odd as the one you've currently stumbled into. your new companion ,Troy, had disappeared and you were attacked while searching for him with Roland who had vanished seemingly into thin air as well.

You have no magical or godly abilities like Roland or Troy, but your less than human physiology makes up for it. The strength and speed of you and your tendrils gives you a leg up against other normal humans, but you can tell what's going on here is something you will struggle with. What ever forces are at work here is dulling your senses and doing who knows what else.

You try not to get to attached to people, but ultimately fail at every turn; So at the moment you seek to find your vanished companions and escape or fix or whatever this forsaken city.

>>808756
Issei, do you smell Troy or Roland anywhere?

Heretic 2017/06/17(Sat)20:36 No. 808762 ID: 8a947d
File 149775701611.png - (63.65KB , 977x802 , Letter.png )

>>808741
You check your inventory:

You have

A 1/3 Bag of Strawberries
A Large Burlap Sack
A Pocket-watch
and A Copy of Into the Wild

You check the desk next to you, there are many tools and bits for machinery but what catches your eye is the note left for you.

"Dear Friend

You are obviously not human, you have not succumbed to his power yet. You were attacked by a victim in the middle of the streets but I saved you and brought back to my shop. I had created a way to stave of his control but have run out of ingredients to create it, I will soon come under his control and be a threat to you. As such I am barricading myself in the backroom and leaving you the supplies I have, it's not much but its better than nothing. The recipe for the mind protection m3thod and the supplies aRE in my workshop, y u are currently in my storeroom.

/ don't know whYy you are in New Olmec, but y0u should leave as soon as poSsible. TherEs nothing we can dO...

HE CAME EARLY.

>>808762
>You are obviously not human, you have not succumbed to his power yet.
Huh, looks like not being human is a good thing.....for now.

>You were attacked by a victim
I guess this means a random citizen attacked you? Or maybe it was Roland and/or Troy that attacked you? It sounds like these people are being controlled somehow.

>I had created a way to stave of his control
That's good, we could use some help to find-

>but have run out of ingredients to create it, I will soon come under his control and be a threat to you.
Oh. Never mind.

>As such I am barricading myself in the backroom and leaving you the supplies I have, it's not much but its better than nothing.
Ok, so don't let that guy out and get the supplies.

>The recipe for the mind protection m3thod and the supplies aRE in my workshop, y u are currently in my storeroom.
Let's get that recipe and- wait, why is his handwriting starting to- oh, right, falling under control.

>/ don't know whYy you are in New Olmec, but y0u should leave as soon as poSsible. TherEs nothing we can dO...
Now don't say that. Because we can't leave without our buddies!

>HE CAME EARLY.
Who the fuck is he?! Because so far the only thing he's made me want to do is MAKE HIM SUFFER SO MUCH THAT HE'LL BEG FOR THE SWEET MERCY OF DEATH!!!!!

>>808767
Jeez calm down.

>>808762
Check the recipe, collect what ingredients are left and let's start looking for the rest. We need enough to treat at least two people.
Optimally we should just kill whoever's doing this. Then the whole city should snap out of it. We don't know who's doing it yet though... if he's a god, it's gonna be hard to kill him.

Heretic 2017/06/17(Sat)23:29 No. 808782 ID: 8a947d
File 149776739330.png - (165.77KB , 1212x826 , Workshop.png )

>>808775
You exit the storeroom and enter into the workroom. To your right you see a table with a Shotgun, a Supply Bag, and an Ingredients List. you take them all despite being unskilled with firearms, and notice the door next to the table is shaking violently; behind it you here mad gibbering and laughing.

Inside of the Supply Bag is...

A Roll of Bandages
10 Shotgun Shells
and 2 Jars of Strawberry Preserves!

You take the Ingredients List, it's hastily scrawled, but still legible. It reads...

- 20 Pounds of Chopped Eel
- 2 Bleeding Tooth Mushrooms
- 3 Cups of Sugar
1.) Boil water in vat for 15 minutes
2.) Add Sugar then stir
3.) Gradually Add Eel chunks, continue to stir
4.) Drop whole Bleeding Tooth mushrooms into pot
5.) Let cool then soak small rag no bigger than your hand in the mixture.
( Rub into any functional eyes of the afflicted, Good for treating up to 3 people.)

Make a note of where this place is, you should help this guy out when you have everything you need and find the rest of your group.

>>808782
You may not be skilled in firearms, but what about using bladed weapons? Because those things hanging above the table look like swords and I'm sure you could use those!

>(Rub into any functional eyes of the afflicted, Good for treating up to 3 people.)
Looks like Roland's guess about needing to see in order to be affected was right. This does explain what happened to the blind flower shop lady.

Speaking of Roland, do you have any guesses on why he's always got his right eye covered? Oh, well. You'll just have to hold him and Troy down in order to rub this stuff in their eyes.

Although, that guys note said you'd be unaffected for now, so maybe you make this stuff, you should rub some of it in your eyes also.

>>808782
Can you use bladed weapons? Those look like a whole bunch of sharp things.

Also, keys. Lots of keys. Sure to be useful.

Heretic 2017/06/18(Sun)15:05 No. 808880 ID: 8a947d
File 149782351631.png - (267.47KB , 1212x788 , On the streets.png )

>Sharp Weapons
A lot of the tools hanging from the wall are heavy and awkward to wield, it's obvious they're not meant to be used as weapons. Besides, your tendrils should be good enough weapons.

> rub some of it in your eyes
You don't really have "eyes" they're just parts of your mouth you shape to look like eyes, Roland has stated on several occasions how odd they look. You aren't really sure how you see, you just do.

You exit the workshop, the chaos is more obvious in this part of the city, dried blood and more graffiti. You see an area map in front of the workshop.

Nearby there's:
An Apothecary
A Meat Market
and A Bakery

Each one should have an ingredient you need for the recipe, where should you go first?

Let's get the eels last, in case exposure to the air affects their potency. I say get the sugar first.

>>808880
Let's go to the bakery to get some sugar.

1/2 Heretic 2017/06/18(Sun)17:07 No. 808910 ID: 8a947d
File 149783087058.png - (123.57KB , 1212x788 , Bakery.png )

>Bakery

You head to the bakery. Troy and Roland were very obviously disturbed by the total lack of noise in the city, but you aren't necessarily concerned by it. The fact that you can't hear any of your heartbeats is a little disconcerting at times however.

You arrive at the front of the bakery.

2/2 Heretic 2017/06/18(Sun)17:09 No. 808911 ID: 8a947d
File 149783098573.png - (145.75KB , 1212x826 , Bakery 2.png )

You enter the building, the smell of rotting cakes and treats is revolting, The sight of the rotten strawberries on the cakes breaks your hearts a, and a table has been knocked over in the corner.

You're sure there's some sugar in the back so... Something moving behind the front desk.

>>808911
Well, the victims here can be cured. Use your strength to restrain whoever it is, don't kill them.

There's gentle takedowns, and ones that are less so. People still survive the latter, just with more broken bones.

Try not to hurt, but mostly, try not to get hurt.

Immobilize it with your tentacle cuddles.

What do you smell? Anything?

>>808911
>The sight of the rotten strawberries on the cakes breaks your hearts
No! Not the strawberries! D8

>Something moving behind the front desk.
Unfortunately, you're not going to be sneaking up on them. They already know you're here because of the bell that rang when you opened the door!

>>808924
>Smell anything?
He just said that he smells rotting cakes and treats and said that smell is revolting.

Any people in this city are presumably controlled by a hostile entity while they themselves may not be "rotten" by your standards. You'd prefer not to kill them, but if they attack you you'd have no choice but to defend yourself. Furthermore, they may have abilities or powers channeled through them from said hostile entity. Following from both of these, the best course of action would be to avoid interaction if possible.

The bell on the door has already given your position away, so don't continue forward. Instead head around the back of the bakery and look for a back entrance. Check corners and watch out for any other effected people on the way. Look in any windows on the way as well.

>>808913
We may not be able to secure enough ingredients for more than three people; That's Roland, Troy and Troy's sister. That means avoiding contact with anyone else if possible should be the way to go for now.

>>808936
>Furthermore, they may have abilities or powers channeled through them from said hostile entity.
Ah, shit. I just thought of something. What if whoever's being controlled is the one with the powers? That would mean we've got to deal with Roland's summons/Aether Sight/Stun Spike and Troy's Jet Black whenever we go to rub this stuff in their eyes!

>Instead head around the back of the bakery and look for a back entrance.
Well, whoever is there in the front isn't just going to let Issei walk away, so if we're going around back, there's a chance this guy will follow.

>We may not be able to secure enough ingredients for more than three people; That's Roland, Troy and Troy's sister. That means avoiding contact with anyone else if possible should be the way to go for now.
No, that guy wasn't talking about using the medicine to cure everyone. He was talking about taking out whoever's controlling everyone in order to cure everyone.

1/3 Heretic 2017/06/18(Sun)19:34 No. 808945 ID: 8a947d
File 149783969655.png - (100.04KB , 1212x826 , Bakery 3.png )

He already know's your here, the bell gave you away. Right now you feel its best to approach whoever's back there.

You step forward slowly

You: hello? is there somebody back there ?

???: O-Oh? Just a moment...

2/3 Heretic 2017/06/18(Sun)19:36 No. 808946 ID: 8a947d
File 149783981710.png - (102.76KB , 1060x814 , Bakery 4.png )

???: Hello! Hah! I do not work here if that's what you were looking for, I am simply on a mission from our glorious guest!

???: You are new to New Olmec I assume? Heheheheh. You've come at a wonderful time! We are in celebration!

3/3 Heretic 2017/06/18(Sun)19:40 No. 808947 ID: 8a947d
File 149784004714.png - (82.39KB , 993x825 , Bakery 5.png )

His eyes are...different, and that's coming from you. They look human, just a little too human. His head rocks back and forward like his neck is unsupported, and he's swaying so off balanced that it looks like he could fall over at any minute...

???: Have you witnessed him f-friend? Can you believe he's here? Somebody l-like him would be so busy, so caught up in his own w-work, but he's here! for us! and early of all things! He came early just for us !

???: So... why are y-you not celebrating with the rest us?

how fortuitous- please tell us of your local celebration. and festival!

I'm not from around here, and I don't know what to do! I wouldn't want to offend my hosts.

>>808947
Don't be fooled. You were knocked unconscious by someone just like this guy. Don't lower your guard.

Ask him who came early.

...Where is the celebration?

Is that blood on him? I have a feeling that's not strawberry jam on him.

>So... why are y-you not celebrating with the rest us?
...because I'm hungry.

1/4 Heretic 2017/06/18(Sun)20:22 No. 808959 ID: 8a947d
File 149784256478.png - (94.72KB , 1212x826 , Bakery 6.png )

You: i-i simply...got lost on the way over, yes i have forgotten where the celebration is being held and need directions...

???: W-what?! How, HOW, h-how could you get lost? Can't you HEAR him? His sickly s-sweet voice urging you towards his festivities ?

You: uhh...who is "him" ? who exactly came early ?

2/4 Heretic 2017/06/18(Sun)20:24 No. 808960 ID: 8a947d
File 149784264372.png - (78.21KB , 945x800 , Bakery 7(1).png )

???: W-What?! W-What do you mean who ? You haven't heard him!? Y-You...

3/4 Heretic 2017/06/18(Sun)20:25 No. 808961 ID: 8a947d
File 149784270543.png - (88.04KB , 945x800 , Bakery 7(2).png )

???:YOU HAVEN'T WITNESSED HIM?! HIS GLORY?! YOU HAVE NOT GAZED UPON THE NOTHING THAT IS HIS VISAGE ?!

4/4 Heretic 2017/06/18(Sun)20:25 No. 808962 ID: 8a947d
File 149784275216.png - (142.47KB , 945x800 , Bakery 7(3).png )

???: HE CAME EARLY JUST FOR US AND YOU HAVEN'T EVEN HEARD HIS VOICE ?!?!

Ha haa mistaaaake

When talking to an insane man, smile and nod Yes to everything. Try to salvage this situation and say of course you have heard his glorious insistations, it just echoed around and about so much that you lost track of which doors had walls.

Tell him you were just joking.

Hey, Issei, I know you don't know much about humans, but normally they don't cry blood.

So I suggest saying, "Well, if it's a celebration, then what're you standing around for?! Get a cake! We can't have a celebration without a cake!"

If that doesn't work, try saying, "Hey, isn't that him right behind you?" while pointing behind him. When he turns to look, bash him over the head to knock him out!

Buuuuut, if that also doesn't work, then just shove past him and make a run for the back! Getting that sugar is your highest priority!

Apply some FIST directly to the forehead to calm him down.

"Well actually, I've been hearing this grating voice all day that said 'I am here and I want my cake where is my cake eat the cake so I can taste it' over and over so now I'm here in this cake store. I don't think that was him... right?"

Back away as the civilian proceeds to gorge himself on rotted pastries.

1/3 Heretic 2017/06/19(Mon)08:36 No. 809018 ID: 8a947d
File 149788659587.png - (221.93KB , 1212x826 , Bakery 8.png )

You: uhh wait! i was just joking! his voice was just... uhmmm... he already told me t-ACK!

You aren't WITTY enough to quickly salvage your blunder!

The strange man grabs you with his... arm ?

2/3 Heretic 2017/06/19(Mon)08:38 No. 809019 ID: 8a947d
File 149788671306.png - (441.20KB , 1212x826 , Bakery 9.png )

???:HE CAME ALL THIS WAY TO BLESS US WITH HIS GRACE, EVEN COMING EARLY DESPITE HOW MUCH HE MUST DO; AND YOU STILL DON'T GIVE HIM THE RESPECT HE DESERVES ?

he flings you across th room.

3/3 Heretic 2017/06/19(Mon)08:39 No. 809021 ID: 8a947d
File 149788677468.png - (238.29KB , 1212x826 , Bakery 10.png )

You're not sure whats happening to this poor man, but you're sure the time for tact is over.

Pull out your tendrils and whip him! Whip him good!

Stab him through the heart! NO ONE DISRESPECTS THE CONSUMER OF THE ROTTEN!

I'm guessing Issei's primary stats are strength and charisma.

Pound this screwball into the floor.

Those arms are made of blood! Blood is mostly water and easily infected blood cells! Throw the rotten cakes into his arms and let the diseases fester!

Those arms are made out of blood! EAT THEM!

Heretic 2017/06/19(Mon)14:06 No. 809103 ID: 8a947d
File 149790641559.png - (269.69KB , 1212x826 , Bakery Fight 1.png )

>I'm guessing Issei's primary stats are strength and charisma.

Being a tall gangly barely human creature with fake looking eye tends to turn people off. Your STRENGTH is high however.

The Blood Arms leaps at you.

>Pound this screwball into the floor.
You can fight this creature head on.
(Roll 1d20 adding 9 from your STRENGTH Success= 18)

>Throw the rotten cakes
Grabbing something to help you fight off the Blood Arms is possible, there's plenty of stuff lying around to bash him with.
(Roll 1d20 adding 7 from your AGILITY Success= 22 )

rolled 16 + 9 = 25

---

>>809103
Again, I say eat the arms. (rolling strength)

rolled 15 + 9 = 24

---

>>809103
Issei, you're unnervingly charming. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Rolling for direct attack.

1/2 Heretic 2017/06/19(Mon)16:57 No. 809173 ID: 8a947d
File 149791666287.png - (512.38KB , 1212x826 , Bakery Fight 2.png )

>rolled 16 + 9 = 25

You STRENGTH allows you to perfectly deflect the Blood Arms' attacks for long enough to find an opening...

2/2 Heretic 2017/06/19(Mon)17:02 No. 809174 ID: 8a947d
File 149791692471.png - (520.74KB , 1212x826 , Bakery Fight 3.png )

And strike with your TENTACLE SPEAR attack to stab through him and finish the fight! The man struggles on your tentacles before going completely motionless.

You didn't want to have to kill him, but thing's had escalated to an odd point. You couldn't smell his soul, almost like something else was taking up it's space and masking it's stench.

They are probably not very good eating...

Heretic 2017/06/19(Mon)18:09 No. 809207 ID: 8a947d
File 149792094267.png - (122.43KB , 1212x826 , Jelly and Jam.png )

>>809179
Yeah probably not, luckily you have two jars of Strawberry Preserves to tie you over for this.

You look around the back of the Bakery and find a Sack of Sugar. You return to the front and go through the dead man's corpse, he has 50G and a Ruby Ring; he won't be needing those anymore. You rummage through the Bakery's front desk and find 120G, giving you 170G on hand.

Now you have the sugar, next is the Bleeding Tooth Mushroom and the Chopped Eel.

Where to next ? You can go to The Meat Market or The Apothecary

>>809207
Let's go to the Apothecary for the mushroom.

Also, if that guy's soul wasn't in there, let's hope that because Roland and Troy are newly infected, you'll be able to get to them with this medicine before their souls get replaced also!

>>809210
Replaced? How about we try and get them BACK.

Mushrooms next I think. If convenient drop off the sugar somewhere, you wouldn't want it to spill everywhere if the bag split.

>>809214
That's what I said! Cure them with the medicine before their souls get replaced!

1/2 Heretic 2017/06/19(Mon)20:09 No. 809238 ID: 8a947d
File 149792819881.png - (221.58KB , 1212x826 , Apothecary 1.png )

>Souls get replaced
Their souls weren't replaced, it was like something else just sort of nested in next to it and suppressed the original soul. You should still hurry to save Troy and Roland.

>Apothecary
You drop the sugar off at the workshop and head for the Apothecary. You're on edge after the attack at the bakery, now that you know there are people able to pose you a threat relaxing is impossible. The cities gotten more menacing after that, almost like someone's watching you.

2/2 Heretic 2017/06/19(Mon)20:12 No. 809240 ID: 8a947d
File 149792836526.png - (202.76KB , 1212x826 , Apothecary 2.png )

You enter the Apothecary.

A few shelves to your left are stocked with medicine and ingredients. No signs of violence. You sniff the air, you smell bitter medicine and... someone in the backroom.

Someone? Or something? Proceed with caution...

>>809240
See if you can find the mushrooms without going in the backroom.

Can you smell their soul? Could be another survivor, if you're very lucky.

Also I am pretty sure the big bad is in the clock tower. It's been a prominent background element.

>>809242
>See if you can find the mushrooms without going in the backroom.
This.

>>809243
Let's not forget the fact that the clock still says 12:00! We've been here long enough that thing should've changed time by now!

Heretic 2017/06/19(Mon)21:57 No. 809258 ID: 8a947d
File 149793466635.png - (129.54KB , 1212x826 , Apothecary 3.png )

>Get mushrooms without going into the backroom
You search the shelves of the shop, all of the goods in stock are packaged medicines but no raw materials. The raw ingredients for concoctions would probably be kept in the back.

>Smell a soul
You do smell a soul in the backroom, meaning there is an unaffiliated human back there.

Oh good, start off the conversation by telling him not to worry, you're not human and can't be controlled by whoever "he" is. Ask him if he knows where the mushrooms are, tell him it's for a cure to the madness thing.

Maybe it would be a good idea to ask how he avoided being controlled?

>>809258
I guess just casually ask if there's any Bleeding Tooth Mushrooms back there?

>>809259
>you're not human and can't be controlled by whoever "he" is.
I doubt telling that person that Issei isn't human is going to make them feel better. In fact, it might make them panic at the thought of having to deal with a monster of some kind on top of whatever's going on in town!

Let's just say that we can't be affected and leave it at that.

1/2 Heretic 2017/06/20(Tue)09:15 No. 809343 ID: 8a947d
File 149797534852.png - (127.75KB , 1212x826 , Apothecary 4.png )

>You're not human
You'll keep that to yourself for now, whoever's back there probably won't question a sane person to help.

You head to the back and open the door. The lights in the back room are all shut off much like in the rest of the city and there is a woman crying in the middle of the room.

She flinches and begins to sob louder when you open the door but doesn't look your way.

2/2 Heretic 2017/06/20(Tue)09:22 No. 809345 ID: 8a947d
File 149797572173.png - (132.03KB , 1094x792 , Apothecary 5.png )

Issei: hello? it's alright i'm not one of them. are you okay, are you hurt ?

She doesn't make eye contact with you, from the look of it she's blind. After crying for a while sh finally speaks.

Woman: It's too late for us, he's not going to let either of us leave. You shouldn't have come down here.

Issei: what are you talking about? who won't let us leave? who is he?

You hear groaning and breathing from somewhere in the Apothecary.

Well, one innocent soul present doesn't mean that those puppet people aren't here.

Prepare to defend yourself and the blind lady.

What do you smell? Does this groaning sound human?

Ask her if she runs a flower shop.

>>809345
Multitask. Talk to her while you're looking for the source of those sounds and/or looking for the mushrooms.

Ask her if she's Troy's sister. Either way, you're getting her out of here, you have no idea where the exit is and she knows more about this city than you ever will.

>>809345
Issei, are you strong enough to break down walls? The enemy has sent minions into the shop, but we can escape through the back wall.

Get the mushrooms first, of course. Barricade the entrance to this room while you search.

Heretic 2017/06/20(Tue)16:06 No. 809389 ID: 8a947d
File 149799999506.png - (174.07KB , 1212x826 , Apothecary 6.png )

>Does this groaning sound human?
Vaguely

>What do you smell?
Just the one soul and... blood?

>Ask her if she's Troy's sister.
You doubt this is Troy's sister, he'd have said something about hear being blind; and from what Roland pointed out at the apartments and the flower boutique Troy's sister's apartment would have had been in tatters if she were.

>Strong enough to break down walls?
Enough strikes to the back wall could break it, but you need to find the mushrooms first.

It's too dark to search anything properly, it'd be best to ask the woman assuming she works here.

Issei: you stock bleeding tooth mushrooms right? i need to make a medicine to fix this mess. what's your name anyway?

Bridgette: B-Bridgette, there should be some mushrooms around h-here. I think they're somewhere in the back there, but my husband usually helps keep stock.

You hear the door slam behind you.

shit, it's another one of those blood arm fuckers.
this means they are smart enough to plan rather then are mindless beasts. grab her and dodge roll to negate any surprise attacks and then get into your fighting stance.

rolled 20 + 9 = 29

---

It's on the ceiling! Tentacles out, protect the both of you from the possessed!

1/2 Heretic 2017/06/20(Tue)16:57 No. 809395 ID: 8a947d
File 149800304224.png - (451.94KB , 1212x826 , Apothecary 7.png )

>dodge roll
Not enough room to roll out of the way like that, but plenty of room to strike at the noise.

>rolled 20 + 9 = 29
You lash a tentacle out and sever the arm closing the door! The stump retreats to the ceiling.

2/2 Heretic 2017/06/20(Tue)17:06 No. 809398 ID: 8a947d
File 149800356407.png - (174.02KB , 1212x826 , Apothecary 8.png )

Blood Arms: y-Y-yoU! YOu aRe InterrUPting an ImporTANT MissI0n... VEACRIEL will be pleased wheN I bRinG anoTh3r GueSt t0 the FestiviTIes.

Blood Arms: THE PO0r gIRl caNNot FatHom HiS GrEatNESS, so I must USher Her t0 HIm.

Blood Arms:HE CAME EARLY! JUST FOR US! YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL, HOD DARE YOU STAND IN HIS WAY!

The Blood Arms rears back and prepares another attack.

Try to dodge between its attacks
(Roll 1d20 and add 7 for AGILITY, Success=20)

or Attack back directly.
(Roll 1d20 and add 9 from strength Success=25)

rolled 12 + 9 = 21

---

>>809398
Dodging isn't a great idea while we're protecting someone. Gotta be the tank until she can get behind cover at least.

Strength. Though I'd honestly like to switch to Agility as soon as the blind lady is safe.

>>809405
Oh, wait, I misunderstood his intentions. He intends to capture the woman to bring her to VEACRIEL, I think? Maybe we don't have to worry about her getting hurt, then. Roll's still too low anyway.

rolled 20 + 9 = 29

---

>>809398
Kick his/her/its ass!

>>809398
From what we've seen, this VEACRIEL appears to be a real treat, though I doubt we should meet him by ourselves. I say we deal with this welcoming committee(permanently), grab some mushrooms, get our friends in party mood and then join the festival for a feast.
subtle as a sledgehammer

How does he have so much blood?

>>809410
Sweet! I rolled a natural 20! Isn't that a critical hit?

1/3 Heretic 2017/06/20(Tue)19:08 No. 809420 ID: 8a947d
File 149801089519.png - (491.10KB , 1212x826 , Apothecary 9.png )

The Blood Arms lunges at you from the ceiling.

2/3 Heretic 2017/06/20(Tue)19:09 No. 809422 ID: 8a947d
File 149801095424.png - (680.04KB , 1212x826 , Apothecary 10.png )

>rolled 20 + 9 = 29
You quickly dismember all attacking limbs coming your way.

3/3 Heretic 2017/06/20(Tue)19:12 No. 809423 ID: 8a947d
File 149801112141.png - (204.35KB , 1212x826 , Apothecary 11.png )

The Blood Arms topples to the ground, spasming in pain. Bridgette is startled but untouched.

Blood Arms: ArrGGhhGGG!!! He will make YoU PAY!!! YOU"ll AcCept VEACRIEL oNe WAy or AnoTHER!

Now that he's been taken care of, let's get back to what we were doing, getting those mushrooms!

>>809426
Oh, almost forgot! Ask Bridgette if this guy is her husband.

If yes, knock him out.

If no, kill him.

Gods DAMN, Issei! You are a badass! The way the mention this Verceal or whoever, this makes me think he is more of a kind of god. Maybe this the work of an evil prophet?

>>809423
I'd suggest disabling this guy somehow but I don't think we can really prevent blood arms from reforming. Can you tell if he can be saved, or is he like the other one?

>>809429
Technically, they can all be saved if we kill the guy controlling them. Well, except for the guy in the bakery, he's dead.

>>809430
With the amount of blood outside the body I'm pretty sure that the moment that connection gets severed any possessed cucks are going to die.

>>809438
Unless the blood gets pulled back in their bodies when they're freed.

1/2 Heretic 2017/06/20(Tue)22:12 No. 809447 ID: 8a947d
File 149802193364.png - (101.63KB , 1212x826 , Apothecary 12.png )

Issei: do you know this man?

Bridgette: N-No, he busted in here and tried to kidnap me. He hid when he heard you coming in.

Bridgette: I don't know exactly where the mushrooms are, but we do have some.

A lot of his blood is outside of his body... You doubt he'll be fine after all this. He's probably going to die.

2/2 Heretic 2017/06/20(Tue)22:14 No. 809449 ID: 8a947d
File 149802208367.png - (277.84KB , 1212x826 , Apothecary 13.png )

-But he's not yet! at least parts of him aren't. The arms you cut off before fling themselves off the ground and tackle you from behind.

Blood Arms: Hehehehehehe! VEACRIEL'S giFt too Me is More pOWerFul tHan Anything you've WITNEssed! You will PAY!

>>809449
Unfortunately for him you have more than two arms. Skewer him.

>>809449
Let's kill this guy! Since these arms came out of him, they should hopefully disappear when he's killed!

Please stop that. Skewer him, hopefully he can't control the hands when he's dead.

1/2 Heretic 2017/06/21(Wed)09:55 No. 809552 ID: 8a947d
File 149806412727.png - (262.25KB , 1212x826 , Apothecary 14.png )

You try to unleash your tentacles, but the hands begin to pile onto you more and more, each one feels heavier than the last. You are soon forced to the ground by the swarm of bloody hands.

Blood Arms: dO NOT unDerEstimaTE me or The P0weR of VEACRIEL yOu FoOl. You WiLL bE CrUshED for YoUr INSOLENCE!

2/2 Heretic 2017/06/21(Wed)10:01 No. 809553 ID: 8a947d
File 149806450549.png - (298.06KB , 1212x826 , Apothecary 15.png )

You feel the hands on your back congeal together into one giant mass of blood, the weight is too much to bear you cannot move any part of your body. The blood begins to twist and connect until it's turned into muscle and organs, and the large chunk of muscle starts to squeeze down on your body slowly crushing you.

Blood Arms: FeEl The WEIGHT OF THE FLESH yOU HeATHEN!

Oh no. How loud can you yell? This will attract attention for sure but if it's loud enough it might give you a opportunity to escape from under that.

Otherwise the only option I see is to hope the woman does something, which given that she's blind is unlikely.

>>809553
You've reshaped your body before! Can't you reshape yourself small enough to squeeze through that tiny little opening where your head is?

1/2 Heretic 2017/06/21(Wed)11:50 No. 809572 ID: 8a947d
File 149807102953.png - (113.42KB , 1212x826 , Apothecary 16.png )

>How loud can you yell
Your chest is being crushed by a large pound of flesh yelling is not optional, at most you can make a hissing wheeze noise. Besides, the odds of anyone sane in town hearing you is low.

>Reshape your body?
That...might work but the flesh is starting to congeal around you faster and faster. It begins to cover your head and face cutting off your breathing.

Blood Arms: HA! WHaT DiD i SAy ? nOTHiNG You CAn Do Can DefeaT ThE Power OF VEACRIEL! No HUmAn CoUld ever StanD AgaiNSt his GRacE !

2/2 Heretic 2017/06/21(Wed)11:51 No. 809573 ID: 8a947d
File 149807110622.png - (58.99KB , 1019x787 , Apothecary 17.png )

You: i may have neglected to mention i'm not a human

Fuck him up, Issei...

>>809573
Consume! who thought meat powers can beat an eater.

COMMENCE VIOLENCE!

>>809573
Issei, you know what must be done. Kill him!

1/2 Heretic 2017/06/21(Wed)14:26 No. 809618 ID: 8a947d
File 149808039091.png - (538.93KB , 1212x826 , Apothecary 18.png )

In your smaller form you are less strong, but much more agile you leap off of his shoulder and dash at the Blood Arm's eye.

2/2 Heretic 2017/06/21(Wed)14:29 No. 809619 ID: 8a947d
File 149808058023.png - (294.65KB , 1212x826 , Apothecary 19.png )

With your speed and smaller stature you puncture his eye and blast through his skull. The Blood Arms crumples to the ground without a sound. The Mass of flesh that was his hands melts into a puddle of blood. It's over.

tablet pens busted, sorta functions but is really hard to work with. updates will slow down

>>809619
Phew, these guys are dangerous. Quickly search through the supplies to find the mushrooms.

Also, hmm, this hiding spot isn't safe for the blind woman anymore. Ask if there's anywhere else she can go... or is this going to turn into an escort mission?

>>809619
Change back to your normal size and tell Bridgette that it's safe now. Continue your search for the mushrooms. And, for the sake of not letting that happen again, make a mental note that next time you run into one of those guys, just because the arms are cut off, doesn't mean that the cut off limbs are harmless.

Also, due to the lack of one of their senses, sometimes blind people's other senses are heightened. So when you were tiny and your voice was practically a whisper in the Blood Arms' ear, Bridgette might've heard you mention that you're not human. Be prepared for her to be afraid of you.

This time, make sure he's dead. Cook the blood, see what happens.

Look around for stuff, ask the girl where you can find some eels.

Good grief these guys are a pain in the arse. How are you energy and injury wise?

Tell Bridgette that the man is dead now, I guess.

Don't forget to eat the soul!

Compact Carnivore is good. Stay that way, so you'll be harder to find (plus, you can pack a wallop into a punch by decompressing.) Tell Bridgette to follow you, you've got a plan to get us out of here.

>>809696
>you can pack a wallop into a punch by decompressing
Issei just said that he's weaker when smaller.

>Tell Bridgette to follow you
She can't follow, she's blind. Issei will need to change back to normal size and either lead her around by holding her hand or pick her up and carry her.

>>809700
Yes, that's the point of getting bigger temporarily. Plus he's still strong enough to bore through skulls as he is. Issei can reach a tentacle up to guide her.

Heretic 2017/06/23(Fri)18:44 No. 809950 ID: 8a947d
File 149826864202.png - (128.36KB , 997x811 , Apothecary 20.png )

>Stay small.
Form change takes a lot out of you, and you can't keep a form for too long. You revert back to normal size.

>Eat the Blood Arms
You take a bite of his hand, the flesh tastes disgusting like its rotten; and not the good kind of rotten. Whatever else is inside of the body next to the soul is screwing with the taste. You still have strawberry preserves to keep you sated, but to be honest you're kinda getting sick of strawberries.

Bridgette: I-Is...Is he...

Issei: yeah, it's over.

You rummage around the storeroom for a while until you find the few bleeding tooth mushrooms in the back. You go through the dead Blood Arms' pockets for belongings, he's got 105G's on him The Apothecary probably isn't safe for Bridgette anymore.

Issei: hey, this palace isn't safe for you anymore is it ? there's a workshop i woke up in that seemed pretty safe. the owner locked himself in the backroom after he turned so it should be okay.

Bridgette: That's better than here i guess. lets go.

Check the list for the other ingredients. And grab everything you can carry, having ingredients will be kick-ass when you find the others.

Have you fully introduced yourself to this young lass yet? Maybe she could help you find what you are looking for.

>>809950
Only thing left now is 20 Pounds of Chopped Eel.

After you take Bridgette to a safe place, head on over to the Meat Market.

>you're kinda getting sick of strawberries.
Blasphemy! Heretic! How could you say that?!

>>809954
Is that code for 'eat her'? Issei, do us a favor and don't eat this one. You can eat the one-eyed one if you want.

Heretic 2017/06/23(Fri)20:53 No. 809985 ID: 8a947d
File 149827640325.png - (304.30KB , 1212x826 , Meat Market 1.png )

You drop Bridgette off at the workshop along with the mushrooms, last stop is the meat market for the chopped eel.

When you arrive there are a large number of booths and set ups each selling different sorts of meats. There's got to be a fish stand somewhere with some eel, as you make your way through the market everything seems to be getting...redder. The clouds in the sky begin to part revealing an ever reddening sky, whatever's happening you'd better hurry up your search.

>>809985
Do you know what fish smells like? Start sniffing around for anything fishy and follow that smell to the fish stand. Make sure you grab 20 pounds of the eel!

>>809985
Start moving quickly then. Use your large agility stat to its fullest!

Yeah, get the lead out. Look for any signs pointing towards the fish and seafood section. And watch those kinda tendril-y black clouds to your right. They look like they might be closer to the ground and could be trouble.

Big problem here is that it's been so long since whatever the fuck did all this that any butchered or dead eels will have gone rotten by now. You'd either need to find canned eels or a live eel tank and hope the eels in it haven't died yet.

If that's blood in the air, you know what it can do.

Hopefully rotten eel will work. Start from the area with the highest traffic, and look at progressively worse areas until you find the stall with the worst stench.

And if you get cheese, take it for the penicillin.

Heretic 2017/06/23(Fri)22:40 No. 810020 ID: 8a947d
File 149828282179.png - (233.62KB , 1212x826 , Meat Market 2.png )

>signs pointing towards the fish and seafood section
Nothing's marked or clearly distinguished you're basically just running around until you find something.

>cheese for penicillin
You're not sure moldy cheese constantly equals penicillin, and if you can use it to make penicillin you sure as hell don't know how.

>fish smell?
All of the meat here smells the same. Rotten. Shit will rotten eel work ? Hopefully there'll be some in an ice chest or freezer or something. You do smell something odd though... salt water ? Those must be tanks for fish! You head in the direction of the smell but you can also hear something in the same direction, sounds like... repeated strikes against wood ? Maybe a knife chopping ? Whatever it is it's right next to the salt water scent.

Use your agility for stealth! Get the drop on the next psycho, watch them from afar and maneuver your tentacles around in the shadows. If they spot you, stab like hell!

Best to be prepared... I have a feeling that when the sky gets like this we might find bigger and badder psycho people. If an evil prophet is responsible for this we should find him and kill him soon. Maybe once we end this ritual we can free Roland and Troy, although I'm hoping we find them before that.

>>810020
Quietly go over and see what it is. It might be another Blood Arms trying to get to another survivor that's barricaded themselves somewhere.

Or the guy controlling everyone knows what you're trying to do and has sent a Blood Arms to destroy the remaining ingredient! And if that's what's going on, then the Blood Arms that was sent might be one of the stronger types, in the hopes of stopping you!

>>810031
That's why we're gathering these ingredients. To make a medicine to rub in their eyes and free them from whatever's controlling them! It'll be easier to stop whatever's happening if Issei isn't by himself. And hopefully we can stop it before the medicine wears off and Troy and Roland go back to being controlled again.

rolled 12 + 7 = 19

---

>>810020
Use stealth to sneak up on the noise. Possibly from above. Rolling for agility.

Heretic 2017/06/24(Sat)23:40 No. 810218 ID: 8a947d
File 149837284642.png - (219.72KB , 1212x826 , Meat Market 3.png )

>Stretch your tentacles
Your tentacles have a fixed range to them unless you take one another form, but you don't know any form that allows you to do such. You came up with your Compact Carnivore form under the stress of dying, you'd need to either be in an equally life threatening situation or have time to think of one; shifting your body into different shapes isn't as easy as it looks.

>Stealth
You creep towards the source of the noise doing you best to hide your shadow and be quiet, as you approach the booth you see a man hunched over the table chopping away at human limbs and muttering to himself.

Butcher:...Everyone else gets to bask in his glory, worship at Veacriel's alter and I'm stuck preparing the feast. Rotten luck in both lives...

Butcher: He'll fix this, the church, the world, Veacriel will fix it all.

It seems he's turned the booth with the eels in it into a makeshift butcher's station, he has no idea you're there. How do you progress ?

What do you smell? Anything rotten and good to eat around here?

Can you shrink down for long enough to steal the eels and run away?

Alternatively, you could throw something to make noise and distract him, then dart in and steal the eels while he's not looking.

>>810218
I really hope that's not Troy's sister! Or Troy! Or Roland!

>>810221
>throw something to make noise and distract him, then dart in and steal the eels while he's not looking.
This.

Take him out before he can kill anyone else

Well, this is a fair point. Does the guy butchering piles of human meat have a rotten soul, or is he just deluded like the rest?

Because you might have to decide between bending a rule, or taking a risk.

1/2 Heretic 2017/06/25(Sun)15:44 No. 810337 ID: 8a947d
File 149843065515.png - (206.73KB , 1212x826 , Meat Market 4.png )

>distraction
You chuck a rock past the butcher, he goes to investigate the sound leaving the stand open.

2/2 Heretic 2017/06/25(Sun)15:46 No. 810338 ID: 8a947d
File 149843076189.png - (421.85KB , 1212x826 , Meat Market 5.png )

You rummage through the booth, a few jars of eel but you don't think its 20 pounds. There's no scale on the booth to measure it and you can hear the butcher coming back around.

Just take what you can and move on to the next stall.

>>810338
Shit, need to buy some more time to look for any more eel that you might've missed.

Try making a mess of whatever he was chopping up and take that bloody arm off the hook and throw it somewhere. Then go hide somewhere in the opposite direction you threw the arm. Hopefully he'll get pissed and follow the blood that dripped off the arm while it was flying through the air, thinking that a thief stole the "food" he was preparing.

If there's no more eel we're gonna need to find another spot. There should be more meat-themed stalls nearby...

Heretic 2017/06/25(Sun)18:48 No. 810395 ID: 8a947d
File 149844172196.png - (186.77KB , 1212x826 , Meat Market 6.png )

> Make a mess.
You ruin the butcher set as well as you can, you toss limbs and throw down knife sets. After that you duck behind another booth has quick as possible before he catches you

The butcher returns.

Butcher: W-What! DAMMIT, WHO'S HERE ?

Butcher: I SWEAR I'LL FIND YOU YOU MISERABLE WHELP! I'LL MAKE STEW FROM YOUR ENTRAILS DAMN YOU!

He sounds angry, best to retreat quietly and look for more eel now, or you can engage right away and get the drop on him while he's in a fit.

I'm not sure there's any benefit to killing him aside from loot, and every time we've killed one of them the environment has gotten more foreboding. Let's just keep looking for eel.

Too late, he's aware now. I doubt it's that easy to get the jump on aware blood-men, each might have a different modification to surprise the hunters.

Just go look for more eel. The more allies you can get on your side by curing them, the better.

Keep looking for eel when he runs off looking for a thief.

Heretic 2017/06/25(Sun)20:37 No. 810416 ID: 8a947d
File 149844822610.png - (202.05KB , 1212x826 , Meat Market 7.png )

You decide to leave him and look for more chopped eel somewhere in the market. The butcher will be looking for you while you search now.

As you check the multiple stalls and booths you begin to see a large building in the center of the market set ups. The central market building is has a large number of shops set up inside, all with a more diverse inventory. You can smell more salt water possibly from containers made to hold fish, there could be eels in there.

You enter the central market. There are several floors above the bottom one each with a varied stock, it won't be long to find what you want but you aren't sure if there will be any eel or enough of it to use.

Get in and take anything fresh-looking, Bridgette must be starved by now. Not to mention your crew, they'll need comfort food after this nightmare.

>>810416
A place like that has to have a scale! Go in and find a scale so that you know where it is or, if it's small enough, bring it with you! Then go look for more eel until you have 20 pounds of it!

>>810419
Or find a scale to see if the amount of eel you already have is 20 pounds or not. It'll save you some extra time if it turns out you've already got what you need!

Start at the second floor and work your way up. That way you have an exit if the butcher starts searching the building. Also you can check the first floor while the butcher is looking through the second/third floors.

1/2 Heretic 2017/06/26(Mon)14:34 No. 810545 ID: 8a947d
File 149851284275.png - (163.87KB , 1212x826 , Meat Market 8.png )

A lot of the booths on the bottom floor mostly sell cloths and clothing, there are a few that sell jewelry but you don't see any scales or measuring tools.

You continue up to the second floor which seems to stock vases and other artisan creations, with a few stalls containing food; a lot of which had gone bad but there are a few iceboxes with fresh food. You grab something for Roland and Troy when you find them and maybe something for Bridgette, you take 3 loaves of bread and a jar of grape jelly.

As you rummage through the booths you find a note on one of the tables.

2/2 Heretic 2017/06/26(Mon)14:43 No. 810547 ID: 8a947d
File 149851338823.png - (132.51KB , 1212x826 , Meat Market 9.png )

It's torn but legible.

Arty

Talo keeps raving about this thing he found the other day says he can fix things around here. Talo has been right before, but this sounds insane; do you believe any of this ? He told me to tell you just in case you were going to go, but I'm staying far away form this. Also, Talo keeps talking about someone coming to meet us early; says they'll be up in the clock tower of all places. If you do go tell me whats going on, and be careful.

Edith

Roll 1d20 for adding 7 from AGILITY (20 to Succeed)

rolled 19 + 7 = 26

---

>>810547
Welp I guess it's time to fight.

rolled 18 + 7 = 25

---

>>810547
Oh, shit!

>>810553
Now that rolling is outta the way.....

>>810547
Sounds like this Talo guy is the reason this whole town is fucked up and has something to do with a thing that he found. Whether he did this on purpose or he was manipulated by this Veacriel thing the Blood Arms were talking about, remains to be seen.

We're gonna need to find Roland and Troy and give them the medicine so that they can help. Because I'm pretty sure Issei would like to have some help for when he goes to the Clock Tower.

Oh right, further combat actions:
Throw heavy things at him. Don't get your tentacles near him since he'll likely try to chop them off.

1/2 Heretic 2017/06/26(Mon)16:40 No. 810573 ID: 8a947d
File 149852044175.png - (128.12KB , 1133x677 , Meat Market 10.png )

>rolled 19 + 7 = 26
You hear the knife flying through the air and dodge it with ease.

Butcher: So... YOU'RE the one who vandalized my work.

Butcher: You need to be more careful, your bloody footprints led me to ya.

Butcher: Guess since you ruined my meal I'll have to make a new dish...

2/2 Heretic 2017/06/26(Mon)16:44 No. 810575 ID: 8a947d
File 149852064458.png - (143.79KB , 1212x826 , Meat Market 11.png )

He steps out of the shadows wearing some sort of odd square helmet. It seems like it's fused with his flesh and oozes blood from his neck.

Butcher: Veacriel gifted me my very own shard from his body, my power is far BEYOND that of any HUMAN.

Issei: well come on then, i'm no human.

The Butcher begins to advance

rolled 10 + 9 = 19

---

>>810575
Again, do not get your tentacles near him, he'll cut them off with that knife. Grab anything heavy, or that knife he threw, and use that as an improvised weapon. At least to test his defenses and find out how fast he is.

>>810583
Oh, and don't bother trying to attack his "head". If it's a shard of Velacriel, it is likely far more resilient than his body. One worry is if you don't damage the cube he'll regenerate his body, but we'll just have to find out if that happens or not. Weakening his body would make attacking the cube easier anyway.

rolled 1 + 7 = 8

---

Dodge the knife and find something to close the box once you decapitate him!

Heretic 2017/06/26(Mon)19:21 No. 810610 ID: 8a947d
File 149853009111.png - (402.07KB , 1212x826 , Meat Market 12.png )

>rolled 1 + 7 = 8

You attempt to keep your distance from The Butcher, but he's much faster than the Blood Arms you fought before. He swings his knife and cuts you deep across the abdomen.

Butcher: Oh! So you aren't human after all. I wonder what cuts from you would taste the best.

You can regenerate your cut, but it's so deep it will take a long time.

You can suffer through the pain for the rest of the fight. (subtract 3 from STRENGTH and AGILITY rolls)

Or you can accelerate your healing to get rid of it now, but it will take a lot of energy and slow you down (subtract 5 from AGILITY rolls)

rolled 11 + 9 = 20

---

>>810610
Well he only has one weapon, and it's short ranged. Maybe grappling would be a good plan. Accelerate healing, then grab him and keep the knife away as the first priority. Second priority is doing damage to his body with a free tentacle. Or if there are no free tentacles, just try to wrench his arm so that he drops the knife. Then you can use it against him or toss it away and use your own tentacles to stab him.

>>810632
I agree with accelerated healing, but I don't think we should just twist his arm to make him drop the knife. I think we should completely twist his arm off his body so that he loses both the knife and an arm!

>>810635
Fair enough.

1/2 Heretic 2017/06/26(Mon)21:44 No. 810647 ID: 8a947d
File 149853866530.png - (169.36KB , 1212x826 , Meat Market 13.png )

You accelerate your healing at the determent of your agility.

>rolled 11 + 9 = 20
You catch the Butchers knife arm...

2/2 Heretic 2017/06/26(Mon)21:47 No. 810649 ID: 8a947d
File 149853885021.png - (290.63KB , 1212x826 , Meat Market 14.png )

...and in one fluid motion tear his arm off and stab him with a tentacle.

rolled 20 + 9 = 29

---

>>810649
Okay now strike at his helmet thing!

>>810649
Just because you managed to stab him through the chest, that doesn't mean that he's dead! We're not making the same mistake we did with the Blood Arms at the Apothecary! Make sure this guy is dead and he stays dead!

...the runic skull incident is making me wonder if we shouldn't try to recover the helmet thing intact.

>>810663
Didn't we figure that the "helmet" shard would probably be too tough to break through. His neck and head, however... I say aim a tentacle through his neck, separate his head, then pulp it through the opening in the shard "helmet." Quickly follow that with dismembering and pulping the rest of his body, throwing the chunks far apart.

Heretic 2017/06/26(Mon)22:28 No. 810680 ID: 8a947d
File 149854133714.png - (450.22KB , 1212x826 , Meat Market 15.png )

>rolled 20 + 9 = 29
CRITICAL

You bring your arm back up and smash it hard against his helmet. It doesn't break, but you see it crack a bit and more blood begins to ooze from the fracture.

You take a bite of his arm...

Issei: tastes like failure.

The Butcher is still conscious after his beating and brings himself to his knees.

Butcher: T-There's so much more to Veacriel's power than you know... *cough* *hack*. It'll take more than that to kill me you freak!

rolled 15 + 9 = 24

---

>>810680
I guess we'll have to chop him into itty bitty pieces then. Or just decapitate him?

rolled 9 + 9 = 18

---

Men with loose arms shouldn't throw knives...

TEAR HIM APART

1/3 Heretic 2017/06/26(Mon)23:14 No. 810700 ID: 8a947d
File 149854404063.png - (295.07KB , 1212x826 , Meat Market 16.png )

You rush toward the Butcher, but before you can reach him he reaches into the Shard of Veacriel and begins to pull something out...

2/3 Heretic 2017/06/26(Mon)23:15 No. 810701 ID: 8a947d
File 149854415696.png - (331.44KB , 1212x826 , Meat Market 17.png )

Butcher: Witness Veacriel's GREATNESS YOU FOOL!

He leaps towards you.