The thought crosses your mind of hauling Tidol's body up and carrying him on your back by his arms over your shoulders to act as a shield. But while that would protect from bolts, even with your strength it would likely slow you down enough for that scythe wielding fucker to catch up and reach around your neck with their blade. You also probably don't have enough time to pick up his body and get it positioned before they shoot, and it'd also be time the scythe wielder will close distance with you which you won't get back. Unfortunately, you have to leave Tidol's body here to have a chance to successfully flee.

Get to your feet and move so that you put the scythe wielding one between you and the one with the bolt launcher, then sprint into the forest towards the village. Keep trees between you and the shooter and if you have to cross a open space juke from side to side random distances. If you know of any brier patches or thickets on the way, then skirt them in the hopes the scythe wielder gets their robes caught on the thorns and slowed down.

And don't think that you'll be leading them to the village. If they don't already know about it, there's a path back there, or at least a trail left by you and your friends. And even if there isn't, they'll figure y'all have to come from somewhere in walking distance and search that way anyway.

Did you see that wisp trail up from Corvaks' head to the scythe wielder's face? What was that? ...His soul? Did they eat his soul? Oh, no...

I figured there'd be some kind of massacre to this intro to the heroine's story. I was thinking "doomed hometown" trope, but should have figured her friends and love interest would be the ones to get killed since they had more screen time. Now, based on what Elder Ilena was reading when Ema entered the temple, I'm wondering if the berry picking was a setup to put them out here as a sacrifice to appease the metal men. Maybe by Mr. Thorson alone, maybe with Elder Ilena, or maybe the whole hamlet is in on it and they've been making secret sacrifices of their own for ages to protect themselves. Anyway, lets see how it turns out.

Oh, and I also have a hunch that the choice of what to pray for chose who would survive this story's intro. Like, if we chose "love," or maybe "lust," then Tidol (or Tola) would have lived through it. I just hope that even though we didn't choose "Good health" that Ema will live through this, and in a way we won't dislike.

Ok, you are strong, and Tidol is small, can you carry his body without slowing you much? You are more likely to convince the town about this with him, also I think it sounds as something someone might do in a panic.

Anyway, run trough the woods, it gives you cover and is harder to swing a long scythe in there.

we prayed for like the protection of our friends and stuff the gods suck

>>859077
Oh my gosh! You are absolutely right!
While prayers don't often have instantaneously effect, they usually prevent stuff like this huge catastrophe from happening instantly after. This is either a really untimely misfortune coinciding with your prayer or the gods themselves are dicks.

The gods are dicks. Go take their swords.

>>859082
When are they not dicks?

Kaktus 2018/01/17(Wed)09:31 No. 859108 ID: 65a774
File 151621028698.png - (85.37KB , 700x550 , 16.png )

>Ok, you are strong, and Tidol is small, can you carry his body without slowing you much?
While you might be able to carry him without problem, the simple act of bending down and picking him up will give those things enough time to cut your head off… or put a bolt in your forehead, whatever come first. No, you need to act now or die!
>Run into the forest, lose them in the trees!
You practically throw yourself off the path as another bolt barely nicks one of your fins. You were simply lucky, as it seem they expected you to run through the less dense foliage and aimed there, but instead you used your superior strength to simple barrel through the closes opening in the trees, bushes and pain be damned.

Then you run… run as never before. You can hear them trying to follow you, but the thick foliage makes it hard for them to pursue in any kind of decent speed. Soon enough, the sound of your pursuer disappears completely, yet still you run… you run until your legs can run no more… and then you listen.
…
Nothing… everything is quiet…
…
…
…
They must have lost you… they must have… right? They ca-
Then you hear it… another scream in the distance… they must have found someone else… oh goddesses…

>Did you see that wisp trail up from Corvaks' head to the scythe wielder's face? What was that? ...His soul? Did they eat his soul? Oh, no...
What were those things!? Demons!? They can’t have eaten his… soul… can they?
>We prayed for like the protection of our friends and stuff the gods suck.
Fuck the goddesses… how dare they do this to you… to us! FUCK THEM!
>And don't think that you'll be leading them to the village. If they don't already know about it, there's a path back there, or at least a trail left by you and your friends.
The hamlet! Oh fuck! The scream, they must have… they can’t… not that fast… you… you must warn them!

Kaktus 2018/01/17(Wed)09:31 No. 859109 ID: 65a774
File 151621029696.png - (54.33KB , 700x550 , 17.png )

You make your way as fast as you can towards the village… luckily, you had already been running towards it before… but when you arrive you’re met with a horrific sight. As you come up on the hill that the old temple stands on, you’re greeted by the corpse of the elder. Her decapitated body is filled with bolts and is slumped against the temple doors. Looking out over the hamlet all you can see is destruction and agony. There is at least another dozen of those robed things down there… and they are lighting all the buildings on fire. The main square is filled with corpses of people you knew, mutilated beyond recognition… oh goddesses… mom… dad… they… t-they can’t be… your house… it’s burning like the rest… they… t-they can’t…

“Justice…”

…what?

“Bring them Justice…”

: …who… who are you?

“Ema… use us… punish the guilty…”

From inside the temple you can hear something fall down hard unto the marble floor… it must have been the swords. Oh gods… you’ve never even held a sword, how are you-
Your thoughts are interrupted as you hear the small wooden gate suited near the path behind the temple shatter. The one who attacked you in the forest have arrived here as well… but… they still don’t know you’re here. The ones down in the hamlet proper haven’t notice you either... but… if you try to grab the swords they’ll… they’ll have you cornered for sure. You… you can still run, can’t you? You can flee… and live… or go grab the swords… and…. and…

“Justice…”

Run or Fight?

This is all you have ever known, your family, your friends.. Murdered by beings that seem to take an almost bored looking tone to their killing as if they were just threshing the fields.

Do you desire to let them go? Without them paying the price for what they've done?

Where would you go if you run? What would you do? Would it be worth it? Will you be able to live with of this and the thought of you having done nothing about it? Do you think this will stop here? There are lots of other inocent lives that can be taken, that can be harvested, and eventualy they will find you, no matter where you go. The spirit of Justice is giving you a chance make things diferent. The gods might have fail you, but there is stil another way. Pik up the swords and face this evil. Not for revenge, but for retribution. failure would be as bad as living with the guilt of having done nothing.

>>859109
>Run or Fight?
Take the swords and fight!

And as hard as it may be, don’t strike these guys down out of revenge for your friends and family! Instead, when you fight, strike them down in the name of justice for all the terrible things they’ve done!

Run, run away.

Fight.

Do not go quietly! Fight!

As a greatest warrior in the universe once said;

"Remember all the pain he's caused, all the people he's hurt, now make that your POWER!"

>>859109
Where would you even go if you ran away? Take the swords.

If you can stop them here you can make sure no one else will be harmed by these creatures.

>>859109
Fight, damn you!

Kaktus 2018/01/17(Wed)13:37 No. 859149 ID: 65a774
File 151622503430.png - (61.83KB , 700x550 , 18.png )

>Where would you even go if you ran away?
You… you could run off to hamlet of Umstream, it’s just a few hours away… or… or you could follow the river… there’s supposed to be a big city at the end of it… or… o-or… t-the blackroot cave… the one where all those rumors about gold is about… it’s n-not far and… and y-you don’t think they’ll… they’ll find you there…
>Would it be worth it? Will you be able to live with this and the thought of you having done nothing about it? Do you think this will stop here? There are lots of other innocent lives that can be taken, that can be harvested, and eventually they will find you, no matter where you go.
You… y-you can… run… … …y-you… can’t…

>This is all you have ever known, your family, your friends… Murdered by beings that seem to take an almost bored looking tone to their killing as if they were just threshing the fields.
…they… this… this can’t continue… y-you… you need to stop them…
>"Remember all the pain he's caused, all the people he's hurt, now make that your POWER!"
Turning your fear and grief into fury, you open the gates to the temple and seal your fate.

>Take the swords and fight!
You bend down to pick up the bigger sword, as bigger is better after all, but somehow you manage to cut yourself on the blade.

Ow!
“Bound in blood…”
Wha-
“Sealed in death.”

Kaktus 2018/01/17(Wed)13:37 No. 859150 ID: 65a774
File 151622504475.png - (51.72KB , 700x550 , 19.png )

Any response you were trying to make quickly disappears as the doors to the temple are forced open. One of those things must have seen you enter, as they now have you cornered. The one with the oddly shaped shooting apparatus raises it to take aim but is stopped by the robed figure next to it.

Fose ge tagarana. Fensa forteg kata.
Keso? Forteg?
Forteg kata gat.

The second cloaked figure gesture to a third, before pushing it towards you as it speaks.

Kataga et gat!

The third figure takes a few hesitate steps towards you and raises its small… err…scythe? It seems almost unused… especially compared to the others weapons who are all bathed in blood. As this third figure stops several steps from you, the second one speaks up once again.

KATAGA! KATAGA!

…both of you just stand there, weapons in hand, and look at each other…

Smite

Do unto others.

They are likely setting up an initiate with his first kill, they seem to want his first kill to be you it seems, a trapped cornered prey that would be easy for a newcomer.

oh also pick up your second weapon.

Grab the small sword too, you might need it later. Somthing is off about that one with the clean scythe. This might sound crazy and i might be wrong, but i would advise not to kill that one, if posible. He doesn't seem as far gone as the others. Maybe we can "save" him. If he hasn't kill anyone yet, it would be wrong to kill an "inocent". Then again, i am not sure.

>>859150
RUN: COMBAT
ENGAGE: VIOLENCE

>>859150
>Hesitating
>No blood on weapon
Uh oh, I think he might be considered “innocent” since he hasn’t killed anyone! And if the legends of your 2 swords are to be believed, your swords are meant to protect the innocent, so you might not be able to hurt this guy!

Also, don’t lose hope! There could be someone still alive and hiding in the village! You can protect them by getting rid of these guys!

>>859150
Wait. This one has not participated in the bloodshed. I think the others are trying to get it to kill you, because it hasn't done so yet. Wait for it to attack first, because attacking someone who isn't willing to fight is not just at all.

Also this guy is some sort of plant monster inside the armor. Don't expect it to have the same body parts as you. I think you should take this opportunity to peel away the disguise and reveal what parts of its body are vulnerable.

Starting off with one sword might be easier on you.

Poke him right in the eye slot.

>>859162
Maybe you can scare him away?

Try making a scary face at him and then threaten him by saying, “Leave now while you’re still innocent or I will kill you!”

Kaktus 2018/01/17(Wed)16:19 No. 859190 ID: 65a774
File 151623478224.png - (61.59KB , 700x550 , 20.png )

>Grab the small sword too, you might need it later.
You can barely hold the sword you already have with your shaking hands. Picking up the other one will have to wait.
>They are likely setting up an initiate with his first kill, they seem to want his first kill to be you it seems, a trapped cornered prey that would be easy for a newcomer.
Then you’ll have to teach them that you’re no easy prey. You will become the hunter, and they the fresh kill.
>This might sound crazy and I might be wrong, but I would advise not to kill that one, if possible. He doesn't seem as far gone as the others.
It seems to hesitate for a long while… then it lifts its weapon and starts to advance towards you. It might not want to do it, but it seems to be forced to… maybe… maybe you might convince it to… to…
>Try making a scary face at him and then threaten him by saying…
L-Leave now while y-you’re still innocent or… or…. or I will kill y-you!
…the cloaked thing ignores you. Instead, it readies itself to strike as it getting close to you.

>Do unto others.
…yet… they killed them…
>Smite!
They slaughtered your friends… your… family…
>ENGAGE: VIOLENCE!
You cannot let it stand! You charge towards it and before it can react, you plunge the blade through its skull, killing it instantly…

Kaktus 2018/01/17(Wed)16:19 No. 859191 ID: 65a774
File 151623479302.png - (61.81KB , 700x550 , 21.png )

…or it would have died, if it was human. Instead, it simply ignores the blade and grabs your throat. Its strength is beyond this world, as without effort it pries you lose from the sword and lift you up from the ground.

I’m sorry for this…

You didn't hit the weak spot! Grab the sword and pull it down until one of you is dead!

Kaktus 2018/01/17(Wed)16:35 No. 859201 ID: 65a774
File 151623570830.png - (32.98KB , 700x550 , 23.png )

May your soul go in peace… unlike the rest of those that died here…

The thing leaves as you are laying on the ground… your body twitching a bit as your life leaves your body…

…you have died.

Kaktus 2018/01/17(Wed)16:35 No. 859202 ID: 65a774
File 151623572409.png - (48.82KB , 700x550 , 24.png )

Final Stats

Kills: 0
Items: 2
Secrets: 0
Consumed: 0

Allies: 0
Enemies: 1
Forms: 0

Cheeses: 0
Grains of Dust: 0
Mating Presses: 0

Killed by: Cloaked Harvester.

Final rating: F.

gg

I hope this is a timeloop quest and not an undead quest.

>>859202
Ok, now what.

That was fucking stupid.

I vote for the Souls[Bloodborne] route.

On the plus side, we know what the collectables are now. I bet there's a cheese in the starting room that we missed.

>>859202
Welp, we tried.

I guess it’s time for Vic to choose a different game to play with Xi.

.....what? It’s kinda obvious this is the game that we chose to play in the arcade over in Boldly Coming. Legends of Risavia might’ve looked like a Strange Bedfellows sequel, but it’s actually a game within the Boldly Coming arcade.

"Bound in blood. Sealed in death." The sword did not say who's death would seal its pact with Ema. Perhaps it is her death that fulfills the and this is not over yet. Tidol did say the previous wielder of the blades was a immortal spirit of justice who wakes when great injustice happens and eats the souls of the guilty. Sounds rather like a avenging undead, doesn't it?

>>859251
That thought did cross my mind more than once, but Kaktus has been known to throw curve balls before so maybe it wasn't the VR arcade game. Best to play it seriously, just in case. We'll see what it actually was tomorrow.

However, if this was the VR arcade game, then where was Xi? It was supposed to be a shared, multi-player game between them, right? So where was Xi? If she's played this before, I'd figure she'd know who to pick and what to do to at least not get cut down in the very beginning of the game, and that she'd seek out Vic's character to group up with.

>>859286
>Sounds rather like a avenging undead, doesn't it?
I’m getting lots of Rust vibes from this. Eve might end up being the new Jericho in this quest!

>Best to play it seriously, just in case. We'll see what it actually was tomorrow.
Yeah, you’re right.

>>859286
>However, if this was the VR arcade game, then where was Xi? It was supposed to be a shared, multi-player game between them, right? So where was Xi? If she's played this before, I'd figure she'd know who to pick and what to do to at least not get cut down in the very beginning of the game, and that she'd seek out Vic's character to group up with.
Xi never said they’d be on the same team. And she could’ve been Tidol, the guy that just killed us, or someone else that got killed before we could meet up with them.

Online RPG and we just got raided. Maybe this is Rishi playing Q&Q?
That or we get rise again from the ashes of our home and the ones we love, to roam the world seeking justice and defending the helpless or some shit.

This was the worst run i have ever had in a RPG.

LOL TPK git good nuubs

what was that voice that got us kill with false hope?

>>859325
Every single one that thought the power of tropes would bless them if they fought.