Night slowly falls completely, the dwarf falling asleep once more. Shi and Ella rise and wander off, Shi giving me a meaningful look just before the two of them disappear into the darkness.

A raven caws.

>>96581
This may be Raven. Look for the source of the caw.

>>96584
I look up and see a single black bird on a perch up above the fireplace. It flutters down and lands opposite me and Jax, growing in size until it is humanoid.

"We meet again, doctor." Raven says.
Wow, it's been a while since anyone called me that.

>>96588
Greet him.

>>96589
"Hello, Raven." I say amiably.
"Who is this?" he asks, indicating Jax.
"I am Jax, Seeran of your broken church. I have come today to swear myself to you."
"Excellent. Hattori, this process is somewhat... intimate. Could I ask you to please give us some space?"

>>96591
Give him some space.

>>96594
I wander off to the north, out of sight of the camp, and I hear excited whispers.
"I know it was right here..." ...That would be Shi.
"What was?" ...And Ella.
"It's amazing, just trust me!"

>>96597
I wonder what they're talking about. Eavesdrop if you want to.

>>96600
I move in a little closer, and hear a rock fall out of place. Steam curls up around me. Hm. I'm on the ledge near where the cliff begins and the land below ends.
"I told you! It was right here." Shi says happily.
"It smells horrible." Ella replies.
"Oh, that's just the rocks. Once you get in you'll forget all about it, I promise."

>>96601
Inspect the steam closer.

>>96602
Just water vapors, nothing of...
Wait a minute. Smelly rocks, underground, and the girls went together?

I can feel an impish grin cross my face.
But wait, I'm a gentleman! I'm not about to peek on two fine... young... women...

>>96603
It's up to you, but remember your "no tricks" promise.

>>96603
Well... perhaps you can compromise. Call out to them before you get within sight. See what they do. It's not peeking if they invite you in...

>>96605
>It's not peeking if they invite you in...
True...

I wait until the ladies are inside, then slip down to one side of the cave. I hear the clicking and slipping of clothing, then soft splashes.

"Oh, this is nice." Ella says, and Shi giggles.
"Isn't it though? I found it a year ago."

Alright, you seem to know better than I how to handle this. What should I say?

>>96607
"Hey girls, what's going on in there? Did you find something interesting?"

>>96618
>"Hey girls, what's going on in there? Did you find something interesting?"

I call out.

I hear a splash and Shi laughs uproarously.
"My goodness Ella, you are uptight!" she says, then calls out to me. "You just wait a moment, all right?
More splashing.

>>96621
Wait politely.

>>96623
I wait until...
"All right~!" I hear Shi call, then seconds later,
"No, no, wait!" Ella cries out, and Shi laughs more.
"No really, it's okay, Hattori. Come in, I have a towel for you."
I slip into the cave, the mist blinding me at first, then enter into a very warm, muggy room with a wide, deep pool. Both Ella and Shi lay in the water, relaxing at the edge. Well, Ella is about as tense as a harpstring, but Shi just has a big smile on her face. And aside from the black towels she and Ella wear, that seems to be about it. Shi tosses me one, and points to where the cave turns.
"Change there, if you like."

>>96625
Change at the cave turn

>>96625
Wait. Act like you're going to do it right in front of them but stop after taking off one layer, then go over to the cave turn.

>>96629
Ahahaha!

Both Raven and Anansi are amused!

I remove the jacket and slip off my shoes, and Shi smiles. Ella, however, pays rapt attention, and I can see the blush on her face even through the thin coat of white fur.
When I unbutton my pants, she passes out into the water. Shi laughs and pulls her out, laying her back against the wall and rim as I slip away to change into the towel entirely. I slip into the warm water beside Shi, and slip in up to my neck.

Oh wait, Shi's gone silent. She glares pointedly at Ella.

>>96630
I guess when Seeran are unconscious, their anti-magic thing doesn't work. Well, if we want to ask questions, They'll have to be yes/no ones.

>>96632
I chuckle.
"You like being able to talk, huh?" I ask, sliding in up to my neck.
Shi nods and sighs soundlessly, doing the same as she watches Ella. Then she looks away and closes her eyes, sliding closer to me and resting her head on my shoulder.

>>96633
Pet her head a bit.

>>96634
I relax and gently pet her head, and she moves slightly closer, smiling.

This is nice.I could be like this for a while.

Ask her if she ever thought about learning sign language.

>>96637
"Have you ever thought about learning a sign language, Shi?" I ask her. She shakes her head, and ond of her hands places a finger on her mouth, then indicates Ella.

>>96638
Smile and nod.

Put your arm around her.

>>96638
Take a quick glance at Ella. Shi pointed to her for some reason.

>>96640
Ella is actually asleep, evidenced by the slow, soft snoring. Shi smiles and looks into my eyes, her body moving closer to me.

>>96643
Hug her lightly.

>>96645
I reach out and hug Ella to me, a look of surprise crossing her face as she smiles and holds me in return. I can feel her body pressing softly against mine, and I can see into the deep brown eyes. Her hair is soft and warm.

>>96648
I'm feeling a little awkward here. How about you just let her make the next move?

>>96657
A-agreed.

She smiles and slips closer to my face, her eyes looking into mine the whole time, he hand reaching up to touch my white hair, and-

COYOTE IS AMUSED

A howl pierces the air.

I think we'd better get moving and check up on Jax.

>>96660
Let her down lightly and say that you two shouldn't upset him.

How do I shot trip?!H508X.HbJ6 2009/12/22(Tue)15:56 No. 96678 ID: 6faa8c
File 126152620429.png - (21.73KB , 640x480 , Coyotelaugh.png )

>>96668
Shi looks dissapointed when she hears the howl and moves off me as Ella wakes up.

"Jax!" she screams, leaping out of the water and grabbing her spear. Shi moves out of the water and slips into a white dress. I look at her askance.
"Leather shrinks when it's wet." she says simply, picking up her knives from her outfit. I put on my pants and shoes, grab my hat, and move with the others.

The air is still outside, as we bound up the ramp and into the camp.

Death greets us. Sa'lan's body is crumpled on the ground, huge parts of himmissing from enourmous triangular bites.

Coyote, his very form flickering and wavy, pulls his cane out of Jax's ribcage, laughing hoarsely.

>>96678
Damn it, we could've prevented this. The watch warned us.

What can we do against Coyote? Hmm. Ask Ella to turn away, then try pulling his cane through the hat.

>>96688
Don't do this. It'll upset him!

>>96678
Ask him why he's shown himself here.

>>96688
I reach through and-
?!?!
I can't grab it! My hand just phases through!


"NiCe tRy." Coyote says, "BuT i CaNnOt Be HaRmEd By YoU." He laughs, and dissapears, Ella running to Jax's side.
"Shi! Go back to my things and fetch the red thread and my cloak!"
"Wh-"
"DO IT!"
She flinches and runs off, while I move in beside Ella and Jax, who is just barely breathing.
"A trick. A trick." he manages, angry on his pale face.

>>96692
Shi returns with the cloak.
I remove a medical mask and gloves, putting them on. I retrieve some simple anesthesia.

"What are you doing?" Ella asks, her voice cold. "Get away from my brother!"

>>96727
"What? I'm going to save him. I'm a doctor, after all."

>>96730

"What? I'm going to save him. I'm a doctor, after all."

I say, leaning forward as I begin using the tourniquet on his arm.
"If you don't like it, leave. But I'm not letting someone I can save die, am I clear?"

Ella pauses, then growls and walks away.
I sigh as I inject the chemicals to knock out the Seeran. "Shi, I will be needing your help. Hand me what I ask for, please."

She nodes and sits beside me as I work. Things go very smoothly, and in a matter of moments, the wound is sealed, disinfected, and dressed with bandages. I get up and sigh as Ella returns with the spear, clothed. She tosses my shirt and jacket at me.

"Between the ramps. Ten minutes." she growls. "We had a deal."

>>96732
Ask Jax if he's OK.

>>96750
I put on my clothing and stand up.
"Jax, are you alright? Any pain?" I ask.
"I'll be fine." he says simply. "What happened?"
"Coyote tried to divide us." I look at Ella. "And it almost worked."

Ella drops her spear and falls to her knees, clutching her head.

>>96752
Check up on Ella.

>>96753
I move beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you all right?" I ask gently.
"I... I almost fell for it... I almost thought you had set it all up... I'm so confused..."

>>96754
in during
Hattori hug Ella.

>>96754
"I'm guessing you couldn't see Coyote stabbing Jax with his cane. I could, somehow."

>>96755
I kneel beside her and hug her tightly, as she cries into my shoulder, holding me. After a little less than a minute, I rise, petting her soft head, and sigh.


"I'm guessing you couldn't see Coyote stabbing Jax with his cane. I could, somehow."


"So my suspicions are correct. Coyote is behind this!" Jax says, starting to rise.
"No, don't. You'll open them up, they need a day. We aren't going anywhere, and we need to bury Sa'lan."

>>96766
"What happened with Raven? Was that even the real Raven?"

>>96767
>>96767
"What happened with Raven? Was that even the real Raven?"
Jax looks away from me and chuckles, holding up his hand. A scar like a bird with outstretched wings is there.
"Little known fact: Raven is a goddess."

>>96772
I think we can guess what happened. No need to ask. (They had sex)

Ask him what ability he's got now. Shi's got complete silence, and that ffffffangsworn had godly Luck, so Jax must've gotten something out of the deal.

>>96774
"What is your ability, Jax?" I ask. Jax shrugs. "I am uncertain. She did say that... something important about me has been lost, and something greater was gained."

I nod.

"So we need to stay here for a day." Shi says. "Do you think we will be attacked, Jax?" I ask.

RAVEN'S CUNNING!

"It is more than likely. Having defeated one of their heroes, and having been weakened by a severe blow to our forces, it is quite possible that there will be another assault upon this location, probably sooner than the previous one. Furthermore, our tactical ability here was weakened by the last assault, and they now know the terrain much better than before. We cannot move a great distance safely, but to maintain the same campsite is doom."

Jax blinked. "I'm sorry, what did you say, Hattori?"

>>96780
"Nothing. Thanks for the advice."

>>96782
"So what should we do?" I ask everyone at large.

"We should hide in the hot springs. I'll roll the boulder back and go into hiding myself." she says.

Ella thinks for a moment.
"We can further fortify the campsite."

As for myself? I think we should hoof it as hard as is safe, in one direction.

Who do you think has the best plan, Legion? Or do you have one of your own?

>>96790
First, check on everyone's life expectancy with the watch. That's an easy way to determine how important this decision is, and who to keep tabs on in the future. I am adamant that we not let what happened to Sa'lan happen gain.

>>96794
Everyone is switching between three or four different times, all of them radically different.

Jax: End of the day, three days, old age.

Ella: End of day, two days, five days, old age.

Shi: End of day, old age, and HOLY FUCK, THAT'S A LONG TIME FROM NOW.

>>96801
You really like Shi, don't you Hattori?

Given your abilities, could you make another medical lich from someone, hypothetically?


As for plans. How long is it till the end of the day? If it's a reasonably log time, is there a place nearby where you can see for a long distance? If so, perhaps if you hold hands with someone and teleport, you can all arrive safely somewhere. I'm not saying we should do this yet, though.

>>96801
So, it looks like this choice could lead in one or more people dying at the end of the day, and Shi has the potential to become immortal. Interesting. That's probably what will happen if you two survive and get into a lasting relationship, Hattori. You can bestow lichdom or something similar upon other people right?

If you ask me, running is what leads to death. We'd have to stop eventually, and make camp. That is when they will strike. At the end of the day.

Fortifying is a straightforward answer, and hiding in the hot springs will probably work. I think it would be a good idea to hide there. However, they might be able to track our prints to the boulder, and having Shi out in the open isn't great... but they're going to come to find us soon. That means she will survive. Both options will work.

But wait. The watch doesn't give us all information. It doesn't tell us if someone can get wounded. Let's hide in the springs. Shi is awesome at stealth, she'll be fine.

>>96812
Hattori, can you get someone to tell you your life expectancy?

Everyone but you could hide in the spring, you push over the boulder, and then you teleport through the rock.

>>96813
>Hattori, can you get someone to tell you your life expectancy?
Sounds like a bad idea.

We choose the springs, but I tell shi to get inside. I roll the boulder in, and carefully tip the hat towards the boulder.

I land in hot water and stand up in the perfect darkness of the cave.

Well done!

I note that the dry land is somewhat... no, very crowded.

>>96818
Drain some of the water with the hat. Don't want people getting trenchfoot.

>>96818
OK. First thing: NO MORE USING THE HAT UNLESS IN EMERGENCIES. This was not an emergency, it was a test. If we keep on using it with success each time, that'll get us thinking you won't get killed by it. Then one time, you tip the hat and BAM you're dead!

>>96820
I under-

Is that the sound of... Clothing?
I hear splashing and... Shi sighs in relief.
"You're all so uptight..." she says, and laughs.

>>96821
Place inventory in hat.

Get in water.

>>96818
Get in the damn water already.

>>96822
>>96823
Okay, okay.

I put my clothing into the hat, and slip into the water as near Shi as I can manage.
"Come on, Ella, it's not like anyone can see you!"
"I... but... this really isn't..."
"Where's the harm?"
Of course, I kept my monocle on. I can't see anyone yet, though.

>>96825
Heh. Lets hope Ella wishes to hide her shame. ;)

>>96827
Hey now, I am a gentleman! I daren't simply stare crudely at...
"V-very well. As you insist."
Such an amazingly beautiful work of art that only a God could create.
Whereas Shi is very much a womanly figure, with wide hips and a generous bosom, Ella is slim, but graceful. her legs are long and digitigrade, her thighs thick with musculature, likely for the high jumps of her attacking style. her face has a snout, but it is more endearing than ugly, like a mouse or another small rodent, and her eyes are blue and clear. Short, short white fur covers the entirety of her body, and I notice I can still see small, pink nipples poking out between the hairs as she sits opposite me in the water.

I blush for the first time in over a hundred years.

>>96835
two thoughts, esteemed Hattori. Is the monocle two way? Does it only work for the person wearing it, and where is shi in relation to you.

>>96835
Nice. Try not to pop your monocle; that's audible. Just put it in the hat.

"So how long do you think we should stay in here, Jax?"

>>96840
The monocle can be seen through both directions but the enchantment works one way.

Shi is beside me, very close.

"How long do you think it'll take for them to lose interest?"
"About a day or so, I'm guessing." Jax replies, laying on the dry earth as his sistersteps into the water, and sits beside me.
That's enough for now. I remove the monocle, close my eyes, lean back, and relax.

>>96843
Is this like an intermission thing, or...

Well, we're gonna be stuck in here for a while. It's a good time for everyone to get to know eachother better.

>>96858
So our enemies can hear us talking.

>>96859
Actually...
"Shi, when I asked to get away from the boulder earlier..."
"When did you do that?"
"Ah, nevermind, then. I was worried they might hear us." I say, and lean back again.
"Doubt it. The rock is too thick, and pocked with air to transfer sound well." Shi pauses briefly, "There is something I... nah, it'll probably be no trouble... eheheheh."

>>96865
That laugh doesn't seem promising.

>>96865
Pry hattori! pry!

"What do you mean, Shi. Tell me."
"Ahahahah, well, ah, you see... Remember how Anansi met me? How I used to drug rich men and steal their things?"
"Yes..."
"Well, ah, the drug was made by me, one batch a month, starting about a year ago. My relationship with Anansi was rather recent... Anyway, the drug is a hyperpowerful aphrodisiac. I would have gone with something more simple, but the ingrediants to the drug were readily available..."

>>96870
...what does that have to do with our situation?

Oh wait. It's this spring. She discovered it a year ago.

>>96870
Remember when she said that gods are poor lovers? It seems she fucked Anansi and was disappointed by his performance.

>>96871
"So..."
"I'm not all that worried. The stuff is only really potent when it's powdered. Otherwise, it just gives you a buzz. You'd have to inhale a lot of it for the effect I achieved."
"Shi, we're in here for a few days."
"I know!" she bursts into laughter. "I'm sworn to Anansi, you think I'm not getting a kick out of this?"

>>96874
Well, tell her how long you can hold your breath.

>>96876
OR, we can use it as an excuse.

>>96876
"I can hold my breath indefinitely, you know."
"Not here~!" she laughs. "Isn't that right, Ella?"
"What?"
"You see, Hattori, while your existence is not magical, some of your abilities are! Like holding your breath, or controlling your limbs. While you're here, you're a normal human being, subject to normal human urges."
Oh, she's right.

>>96879
Remember what caused Ella to faint the last time you were in here? Perhaps you can make that happen again.

>>96881
She fainted from extreme embarrassment. I think she was raised in a highly sheltered environ. I don't really care which way this works out anyway, so long as the truth of it never leaves this cave and you.

>>96881
Why?

Oh, hmmm... if we do traditional pairings with earth normals, then there's only one pairing that avoids unfortunate consequences...

Meh, you guys will be fine. We don't even know if seerans are affected like humans.

>>96884
"Well, either way, I'm certain we'll be fine." I say. "We are only certain of how this drug affects humans anyway."
"Actually..." Shi said, and I can hear the impish smirk in her voice...
"No, no, don't. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." I mutter, rubbing the bridge of my nose. I must say I feel attracted to Shi. Even though it seems like a minor prank, the fact that...
Wait,
"Shi, didn't you mean to just leave me, Jax, and Ella in here?"
"Maybe~"
Okay, this is a woman I do not want to anger. Ever.

There's quite some time before any action is going to be required though so I think maybe it would be best if everyone got to know eachother better. That way once the drug starts to kick in it will be less awkward.

>>96891
"Fine, you win this time, Shi. But let me tell you something. You might not end up with me. You could end up with Ella." I say with triumph.
Ella makes a strange noise. and Shi laughs.
"Who knows? Who cares! You need to loosen up a lot."
I feel her hand on my arm.

>>96889
"H-how about we get to know each other better, before anything happens?" I manage.
"Sounds like a good idea." Jax manages from where he lays.
Ella makes an affirmative sound.

>>96892
Let's ask Ella and Jax about their past.

>>96893
"Ella, Jax, why don't we start with your past?"
Ella speaks up first.
"We were born near the time of the blighting, and so we were considered blessed children." she begins. "As such, we were given more attention and training than our peers... much more. We were seperated in our youth, taken to masters of our seperate styles, and trained heavily until adulthood. I learned of the Piercing Arts, and my brother learned of the Slashing Arts. There's really, not all that much to talk about." she says, trailing off meekly.
Jax chuckles.
"I've heard of the one who trained her. Probably taught her manners and ettiquite, too. It's no wonder my sister is so uptight and nervous in these situations..." he lets out a little chuckle, and she stirs uneasily.

>>96896
"Is there more, or should I tell of my past?"

>>96898
"Is there more?"
"Not really." Jax says, "Our lives were pretty dull and sheltered. I never even met another girl before my sister. Tell away."
Another thought enters my head: Maybe Sworn lose their virginity to a god?
I take a deep breath.
"I was born about three thousand years ago." I begin. They don't seem all that surprised. "As a youth, I was intensely interested in how the human body worked, and how the human mind grew. I excelled in most of my classes, focusing all my will on my studies. By the time I graduated from a medical apprenticeship, I was heralded as the next great surgeon."
"I sense a but approaching." Shi says.
"But I was obsessed with death. I tried so hard to stop it at any cost, and as my medical ability grew, it became less a question to the medical committee I worked for not whether I could save a life but whether I should." I sigh. The Francis case...
"One case was the straw on the camel's back. A young boy, maybe ten, was run over by a carriage in front of me. They broke and almost severed his neck, but I managed to save the rest of his body. I took him back to my lab and did the impossible... I saved him. I removed a part of his brain, placing reduced versions of his internal organs into place in the spare room I had created."
Needless to say, when it was discovered, the boy was killed and I was barred from my practice, exiled from the city forever. I moved north, and began more research. Soon I was able to fabricate a whole brain, and use it in place of my real one. I discovered the truth of the human soul, and it was like the world opened up before me."
I cease.
"And thus, I am."

>>96905
Now it's Shi's turn.

>>96906
"Shi? What about you?"
Shi pauses then sighs.
"My mother and father died when I was young." she begins. Of course, I grew up a street urchin, stealing food I could. As I got older, I found men attracted to me. At first I rebuffed them, but when some of my friends grew older, I had an idea. I know what they did with their bodies to make money. I decided I would do it the better way."
"The better way?"
"Well... Prostitution, both buying and selling, was illegal. So I would make my way into someone's home, knock them out with something, and rob them blind.When I grew up, I skipped town and became a traveling bard. I picked up my old act again when I found the..." she seems to smile in the darkness, "let's call it a love spring. And you know the story from there."

>>96896
Has "the blighting" been explained?

>>96914
Not really.
"How does this blighting work?" I ask.
"We are as of yet uncertain. we know it's a medical problem, it's not magical in any way we know of. not even our best doctors can heal it, though. Something about the environment the eggs and the sperm live in..." Jax says.

I think.
If the eggs and sperm are not in a carefully regulated environment, they can die very, very quickly. The blighting might just be a simple change in the area of the ovaries and the testes...

>>96916
So, a doctor who's so great he can stop death, and a medical problem facing a whole race.

Well, if the wish thingy doesn't work out, you can prolly still fix it.

>>96917
"I beleive I may be able to help." I state soundly. "Yes, yes... the most efficient manner would be to damage the thermal regulation on the female body and heat the eggs to the point of damage..."
It all makes sense. With a simple procedure and a drug I can probably reset the process of production...
...Introducing the drug into the water suppky and doing the procedure in person would work best, assuming the race is truly in danger of extinction...
...At worst, I can expect a healthy baby concieved after the fifth month of the drug therapy...

>>96922
Is that if you mess up horribly somehow?

>>96924
He won't. Besides, the hat's gonna kill him, not angry mouse people.

>>96922
This is all well and good, but Ella wanted more than just the continuation of the species. She wants a complete reversal of what Anansi did to them. We're gonna need the wish for that.

>>96925
There's nothing I could do to make thier problem any worse. In reality, the goal is a single healthy baby, preferebly female. At that point, we'll have unharmed natural eggs to work with and everything will smooth out.

"Are you okay, Hattori?" Ella asks.
"Oh, yes. I'm just in deep thought."
"Ah... good..."
Wait...
"Shi, what was special about the Seeran you mentioned earlier?"
"Oh, they're strong against magic, but... their bodies are very receptive to all sorts of things~!"

Even as she speaks, I feel a gentle, soft hand on my chest. It's not Shi's...

>>96927
True, and I suppose we should mention that we're still good for it, to avert her or her brother going off on us.

>>96928
Whose hand is it?

>>96928
That was quick. I wonder how long it will be until they pass out from the stuff.

I'm a little worried about Jax though. Is his injury going to get worse if he joins in?

>>96931
More than likely...
But we wouldn't dare crack open the stone. I wonder... No, storing him in the hat is too dangerous.

"Shi... if Jax starts acting up..."
"I'll handle it, Hattori." she says with a smile, getting up. I feel Ella move closer to me... Soon, I think, the drug is going to take over her senses.

>>96932
Shi is such a trooper.

Well, be a gentleman. Pay attention to the lady next to you. Try stroking her ears.

>>96933
I would talk about morals, but... I guess that isn't the legion's place, is it?

So stroke to your heart's co....

I really should've worded that better.

>>96933
I turn to her and stroke her ears gently, the soft skin warm under my touch.

This is going to be a very interesting couple of days...

.
.
.
.
.

After four days, the boulder moves.
Not by much at first, but then it rolls heavily out of the way, falling down the cliff with a rumble. I pant harshly, galling to my knees as the mist issues out of the cave and we all emerge, fully dressed.

"Mmmn, that was nice." Shi says, stretching.
"We will never speak of it again." Jax and I say in unison.
"Why no-"
"Never again!" we are quick to interject. I sigh heavily.
"Just because you got distracted for a wh-"
"SILENCE, WOMAN!" Jax roars, a few birds leave the trees above. "I must calm myself."
"I'll bet you must." she says with a giggle.

>>96936
So you waited until the danger was passed (well, for everyone except Ella). Effing smart. Inspect environment. Can one of the anti-magic people climb a tree and make sure our immediate surroundings are clear of enemy activity?

Okay, first thing's first. Mortality check. Point the watch at everyone again.

>>96938
Certainly.
"Jax, could you get somewhere hi and look around?" I ask.
Jax nods and walks over to the nearest tree. He kneels low, then...

I see the spear hit the earth and he's literally gone. I look up just in time to see him grab the tree, looking around.

"I see noth-no, wait."
He drops back down. "We have company. Unusual company. They do not appear hostile, and this one is carrying a small spider in his hand. Shall we wait here, or leave?"

>>96943
Okay use the watch now, then.

Also, that sounds almost like Anansi guiding some people. I'm not sure if he would approve of the Seeran being with us... but we can probably convince him to just trust us.

>>96943
I also suggest waiting for them.

>>96945
I check everyone with the watch.
Hurm.
Deaths either five-thirty seconds from now, five minutes from now, or... old age or later.

>>96948
So... whoever that is is very strong and we have the potential to piss them off somehow. With the spider, though... I think we should have the Seerans in plain sight. If we try to hide them, it might seem like an ambush. Plus they'd be within earshot and that would make Shi not-quiet so Anansi would immediately know there was a Seeran nearby.

So let's wait, with everyone out in the open.

Hattori!H508X.HbJ6 2009/12/23(Wed)02:07 No. 96951 ID: 6faa8c
File 126156284034.jpg - (383.71KB , 731x1200 , Gerald.jpg )

>>96950
>Wait.

I wait.

Jax is right: the company is strange. A large, lumgering mass of green plant matter maches towards us and stops, holding out it's hand, which opens to reveal none other than Anansi.

"You got some 'splaining to do, kiddo, and you gotta do it fast, or Gerald herew with tear you three new ones."

unusual how? Lets be prepared to run if necessary, considering the we're dealing with gods that can masquerade as other gods.

>>96951
Explain that you think coyote is behind all of this, and how it's in everyone's best interests to stop this, including the seerans.

>>96951
Explain everything that has happened to you after you set out on your third favor

>>96951
Start up by saying "Coyote is back, and is controlling Raven's churches". Then when he asks for more information, give him the whole shebang. Try to gloss over promising Ella the wish.

>>96957
And what happened inside the cave. That's a given, though.

>>96957
"Coyote is back, and is controlling Raven's churches."

"WHAT."
Anansi drops to the ground and grows immensely, easily ten times, no, thirty times his original size, dwarfing us. "DON'T JUST CASUALLY SPEW WHATEVER COMES TO MIND YOU LI-"

"It's true, Anansi." Shi says. "Hattori, expel the hat."

?

I do so, and the head from the heavy-set creature from the assault rolls out.

"Coyote is back, Anansi." she says harshly. "And he's pulling the same thing... again. And you're falling for it... again."

"Impossible. But... Hurm. And the Seerans?"

"They are friends." I state, "Of both myself and Shi."

Anansi returns to normal size.
"Well th-" he pauses, seeing the mark on Jax's hand. His expression changes, becoming intense.

>>96959
"Raven had to do that to survive, Anansi."

>>96960
"And to convince you it was actually her who had talked to us."

>>96960
"Raven had to do that to survive, Anansi."

Anansi looks at me.

"I'm such a goddamned moron." He says, climing back onto Gerald. "I should have seen this from a mile away. A ghost? Of course that little bastard would do that! Of course he'd try to do this for kicks."

The spider groans. "And the Seeran, oh man..."
he walks in circles.

"I'VE BEEN PLAYED!"

>>96962
Ask him if he'll be OK. Then tell him about the wish we gave to Ella.

>>96962
"I guess it's hard to expect him to come back from fighting Clown. Raven didn't think he was back either."

>>96964

"I guess it's hard to expect him to come back from fighting Clown. Raven didn't think he was back either."

"That's right. We thought the Clown tore him apart. But... I don't know, maybe he put something into place that we missed. Either way, Coyote's playing hardball now. Trying to slay a Sworn right after... That's when they are weakest. We could have Hattori pledge to..." he shudders, "The Incarnate, but that would be troublesome.What we have to do is trifold: One!" he calls out, holding a leg in the air, "We must re-establish the real word of Raven in her churches. Two! We must remove Coyote's Mongrels from the world entirely, not one left. and Three! we must burn his scripture, destroy his temples, so on, so forth, jolly crusade... you know the deal. That's in order of import, mind. So, I've decided to change the meaning of our little deal. Right now, I shall remove the blight entirely. This should help somewhat in putting doubt in the falseness that Coyote's spread. Hattori, I'm sorry, but your wish will be for when Coyote is toasted, roasted, grilled, charred, blackened and otherwise burned to the damn ground."
The green creature rumbles and points at himself. "Yes, Gerald, you too."

>>96966
Oh, we should tell Anansi that Sa'lan is dead. Coyote chewed him up. Also, ask him about the watch.

>>96966
Ask him if it's one wish per person or something else and tell him you gave your wish to Ella.

>>96967
"It's a wish per person, right?"
"Yeah, I shoulda cleared this up. I'm paying through the teeth in favors for this."

I show him the Watch and he immediatly recoils on his back legs.
"Put... that... away." he says slowly. "Put it away NOW."
I do so.
"Who the hell gave you that?!"

>>96969
"Near as I can figure, death. Or one of it's reapers anyway. Any idea why?"

>>96969
"Entropy. I received it in a dream I had."

>>96969
"The personification of Entropy visited me in a dream and gave it to me. Apparently even It doesn't want Coyote to win, Anansi. It said it did not seek unfair death. Do you know any of its powers? So far I've found that it can predict the time of death of whoever you point it at, except yourself. Very handy for planning ahead, if you keep up with it."

>>96970
"Near as I can figure, death. Or one of it's reapers anyway. Any idea why?"

"Death as a figure doesn't get involved unless something is really wrong, out of the scope of even Gods. the fact that he's working through a cat's paw and can't directly do anything should be indicitive of how bad Coyote is this time."

He sighs.
"I'm starting to think me and Raven made a mistake, all those years ago."

>>96973
"Mistake? You mean getting Coyote killed?"

>>96974
"No, not that. It doesn't really matter. Gerald, gaurd this group with your very life, am I clear?"
the creature nods, and Anansi shoots his silk straight up, beyond sight. "I'm counting on you all!"

And then Anansi is gone, and the big thing is.... looking at me.

>>97040
Do you think it's OK to check everybody with the watch again, or will Gerald be pissed at us or something?

>>97040
Greet the thing. Ask it if there's any way it can use to communicate.

>>97076
"Greetings, Gerald. Is there any way to communicate with you?"
It holds up an arm and a mass of vines extends, turning and curling in the air.
will this work out of combat or stress? they spell.

I quietly check the times on everyone. It's switching between half an hour, a full hour, two days, four days, and old age.

>>97116
"Yes, that should work fine."

What's our location? Where can we go next?

How do I shot trip?!H508X.HbJ6 2009/12/23(Wed)18:22 No. 97214 ID: 6faa8c
File 126162133066.png - (34.15KB , 1000x1000 , initialmap.png )

>>97122
Your current location is HERE.

The circled areas are RECOMMENDED LOCATIONS at this point in time.

>>97214
Ask Jax if he thinks there may still be enemy troops nearby, and where they might be. If he has no idea, then there's this plan:

We go northwest for a while, then straight west to Rivermeet. Jax should jump up to the treetops every now and then, trying to spot enemy movement. There is something dangerous nearby that we should avoid. Possibly two groups of dangerous opponents.

>>97216
"Jax, might there still be enemy troops nearby?" I ask, and his eyes go entirely black as he replies.
RAVEN'S CUNNING!
"It is unclear whether the enemy is currently, but the one we evaded is still at large. not to mention that both came from roughly the same direction, from the North. This leads me to believe that the enemy stronghold may or may not be behind the Golem-arm mountain range to the northeast. That area is mostly unexplored and only partially inhabited due to large concentrations of ambient magical energy, it being the site where Coyote and Clown faced off. One can imagine what sort of mutations and changes the wildlife has gone under since. It would take a long time to spread military influence very far from such a location, and the recent assaults we faced may have been part of a much larger movement of troops. my advisement is to move towards Rivermeet, and arm ourselves. From there, we must gather whatever remaining allies we can from proving the truth of Raven at churches and from whatever mercenaries we can hire."

>>97221
Right! I think we should go with the plan I suggested earlier, except go straight west for half a day before heading directly for Rivermeet. I don't want our path to be completely predictable, but staying away from the mountain is even more important now.

rolled 55 = 55

---

((I might as well tell you folks how random encounters work. I roll a 1d100 once a day. The probability of an encounter is determined beforehand, but increases by ten every day. Random encounters aren't neccessarily good or bad, they just are.))

>>97225
Very well. It is a three day trip. We will begin immediately. We will start by heading west for a single day. However, as I announce our plans, Gerald leans down.

Shi smiles.
"He's just a big softie." she says. "He'll happily carry us, and he'll only get tired after a whole five days." she grins.

"Well, in that case... Ella, Jax, each of you taks a shoulder. Me and Shi will ride the hands."

Ella nd Jax nod, climbing with ease as I settle into place and we begin the march.

rolled 10 = 10

---

>>97249
We continue through the night, Gerald feeding us with small berries from his form. We try hard not to think about what, exactly, we're eating.

rolled 8 = 8

---

>>97258
We finally make camp within sight of Rivermeet, a huge town that expands past the fork in the river. It is the capital of the Incarnate, but other religios members are free to roam inside.

>>97262
It's been said if you want to buy it, you can buy it at Rivermeet. And it's true: I used to work here after my exile from my home town. Remember, 1 gold is 10 silver is 100 copper.

So what would you like to see the prices on? What should I direct my friends to do, or should I let them have a day to themselves?

Current funds: 300,000 gold peices, held in the cape of Holding.

>>97315
Anyone selling an infinite quiver of arrows, or bottomless water bottle or something similar? That would make it easy to reload the hat's weapon capability.

Shop around for weapon and armor upgrades for everyone, too.

>>97319
Oh! Uh, use the watch again.

>>97321
All around: Five days, ten days, thirty days, sixty days, sixty one days, and old age.

>>97319
No one sells or buys magical items, that is very, very illegal.

>>97323
question. Is Shi's HOLY FUCK still intact?

Another question, how's Gerald's resistance to fire? Is he more like a clump of seaweed or a walking tree?

How good are our Seerans with ranged weaponry? Bows and such should be much easier to use from the treetops, and much safer too, IIRC?

>>97329
>Shi's insane life expectancy
Only seems to pop up occasionally, actually. And just before we left the springs, Ella came up on it too. Hurm.


>Another question, how's Gerald's resistance to fire? Is he more like a clump of seaweed or a walking tree?
Chloronoids are known for their hatred of fire, but are not particularly strong or weak against it.

>How good are our Seerans with ranged weaponry? Bows and such should be much easier to use from the treetops, and much safer too, IIRC?

"We are accomplised in the use of the Crossbow and shortbow, but we are not expert marksmen. We prefer to shoot from on high." Jax states. "My sister is actually quite competent with a longbow."

>>97332
That would seem a good investment, assuming she enjoys the longbow. Ask her about if. If she's enthusiastic, lets see about purchasing one. Ask Gerald about his skills, I was going to suggest buying him a heavy bashing weapon, but he may be skilled is some other area, or dislike weapons all together.

Ask Shi if she'd like some new armor.

>>97323
Sounds like nobody's gonna get shanked in an alley or anything, then.

I forgot about the magic items thing. Get some mundane upgrades for everyone. Best you can get. Also, fill the hat with 100 bolts. Buy even more and put them in the cloak. Like, 1000 of them. Assuming we can reload around the Seerans somehow, this should result in a powerful weapon that can be replenished in the field, albeit slowly.

Can we hire some mercenaries? Also, buy some rope, grappling hooks, bottles of oil, matches, bottles of acid, and say... 10 bombs. Traveling rations and water, too. Any other standard supplies you can think of.

>>97335
>Ella, longbow?
"Mmmm... it's interesting. I wouldn't mind the tactical possibility."

A good bow costs maybe 2 gold. A quiver, 5 silvers, and fifty arrows is another five silver. 3 gold altogether.

"I, ah... I was also wondering if you'd like to spar, later?" she asks, looking at her spear in her hands.

>Gerald, weapon?
When I mention a weapon, he looks around and picks up a cobblestone. lifting it up high with his vines, they wrap around it tightly, then release a fine powder into the air.

>Shi, armour?
"I wouldn't mind. The skin suit is seperate, but some metal banding for my hides would be excellent."

She leans closer.
"I also happen to know of a nice place in town, if you wouldn't mind, later."

>>97339
>100 bolts. Buy even more and put them in the cloak. Like, 1000 of them.

At the most, I could get 200 bolts from the local store. That's all they have in stock. Good plan, though. I place them in the cloak.

-3 Gold

>Also, buy some rope, grappling hooks, bottles of oil, matches, bottles of acid, and say... 10 bombs. Traveling rations and water, too.

-5 gold.

(newly condensed!)

Does everyone have a proper change of clothes? Low priority obviously, but excepting Gerald and possibly yourself, someone might need to get out of wet clothes quickly if you deal with cold environ, and there are other reasons it'd be a good idea.

What about a proper medical kit if we don't have one. Hattori, I assume you know what I mean by this. Anesthetic, bandages, something to cleanse wounds (maybe alcohol? since that would have other uses. Up to you though.) Obviously you have needles and stitches covered.

How much would whistles for everyone cost and can Gerald whistle? Could be useful for long distance signaling, especially for the, shall we say, sonically impaired.

Also, sparring with Ella sounds like a good idea. Practice can't hurt, right? and we're likely to face more seerans in the future. As for... whatever Shi wants to do. Well it's interesting, certainly. It'd probably be best if you tried to work that in too. I don't know man. Anyway, buy the banding for shi and the Bow and accouterments for Ella. It's not like we don't have the money.

>>97354
>>97348
Trust me when I say I have the supplies to do anything up to and including open heart surgery with my level of skill.

As for clothing, I spend a few dozen silver to acquire some winter clothing and some hot weather clothing. It's not specially fit though.

The whistles are merely a copper apeice. I also buy bells and flash-chems, which are two ingrediants seperated in one bottle. When thrown, they explode with bright light.

I purchase the bow, arrows and quiver for Ella, and the banding for Shi. She now has metal banding on her hide plates, and metal along her arms.

I will go with the more practical choice of sparring with Ella, unless there are any objections?

>>97356
I think you should go with Shi. She's been with you from the start. (Optional(MEANING DO NOT HAVE TO USE THIS): Before you leave, tell Ella how you met Shi. They both tried to kill you.)

>>97356
Before I forget, buy a lantern, or maybe some candles. Sustained light could be useful.

>>97358

I'm fine with going with Shi. And frankly don't want to feel too responsible for either way this goes.

How do I shot trip?!H508X.HbJ6 2009/12/24(Thu)01:49 No. 97372 ID: 6faa8c
File 126164817654.jpg - (97.45KB , 566x800 , Ellawritng.jpg )

>>97361
I buy a mirrored, lidded lantern and a whole barrel of oil, stuffing it into my largest pocket.

>>97360
Night falls, and the time to choose arrive. I'll tell Ella, first. She deserves to know why.
I knock on the door to her room in the inn we rented for the group. (Gerald sits in the provided atrium, and roots for the night.)

She does not awnser and I enter slowly and carefully. She appears to be deeply involved in writing something.

>>97372
Politely cough/clear your throat.

>>97372
...

Now I feel sort of guilty for not sticking up for her. Ah well.

>>97374
She looks up, ears perking.
"Ah... Hattori. I... I wasn't expecting you, I, ah...er, I mean, rather..." her ears droop slightly.
"Calm down."
"Sorry."
"It's fine."

Eeergh.
God damnit, when most people say puppy-dog eyes, they mean metaphorically. What am I gonna say to her?

>>97384
Ask her why she's down.

>>97384
...


FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF Too late to change your mind now, I guess.

>>97388
She doesn't seem down to me... I agree with getting the general gist of why she seemed jittery. Ask if you're interrupting. That';s nice and neutral.

>>97391
Not too late, really. Shi said it was up to me what I did with my time. I didn't even tell her I'd be there.

"Am I interrupting something?"
"It's tradition to write one's experiances away from home, among my people." she replies.
"The spri-"
"No mention."
"Good."
"So what did you come for, Hattori?" she asks, her tail swishing from side to side behind her as her ears perk up again.

>>97395
Smile and say "I came to spar with you."

>>97395
... I'm such a waffler. I think we should spar with Ella. Discounting her being adorable and awesome, we've had constant r&r for what, a week now? We need to make sure we're still sharp. and sparring with someone who's a member of a species we'll probably have to fight at some point is just a good idea.

Also she's adorable.

"I came to spar with you."
Her ears go higher on her head and her tail straightens out behind her.
"Re-Really?" she asks.
"Yes. I think we should stay sharp, and it'd be nice to be able to get some practice with someone so well-trained."
"I, ah, I'll get the equipment, th-then. J-just outside the N-north Gate should be fine."She gets up and knocks over the chair, rights it, and scurries off into the storage room, where theres a little cry and a crash.
"I-I'm okay!" she cries. "Ah-ah, you should get g-going, I'll be right a-along!"

>>97407
Tell her you'll be waiting... in, where exactly did she say?

>>97412
The northern gate of town. I make my way out, and see Jax making his way in.
"Hail."
"Er, hail."
"I suppose you're on the way to spar with my sister?"
"Yes."
"Ah... maybe I should tell you something." he says, scratching the side of his nose. "Listen, my sister's business is her business, but you should understand something. When a Seeran is defeated in a duel, it's generally implied that the winner and the loser are linked, the winner being dominant."
"Linked?"
"Yes... it's hard to translate. But, ah... hypothetically, you and I duel. I win. that means, I am your older brother."
What.
"What about me and Ella, in a formal duel?"
"Male and female? That's a different matter. The loser would take the family name of the winner, and be bound to serve them."
Er...
"What about a draw?"
"There's only losers and winners. There is no draw."
oh dear.

>>97417
...

"Is this for any duel, or just for formal duels? Do I only have to worry if she declares it a duel?"

>>97417
Tell him you understand. You won't try to take advantage of her like that.

>>97420
"Formal only, and a Seeran witness is needed."
I'm not sure I like where this is going!
"Ella asked me to see her at the North Gate, is that where you are headed?"
"Er... yes..."
We make our way there, a large circle made of stones some way off the road.

>>97423
Ask him if it can be declined without either forfeiting or horribly insulting her.

>>97425
"So, uhm, let us say, hypothetically, that I am not prepared for this sort of commitment. Is there any way to back out?"
"Well, certainly. You tell the challenger that. But, ah... let me a little clear, Hattori. This is my sister we're talking about." he lifts his hat with one finger, his eyes seemingly glowing in the night. "You break her heart, I'll rip yours out. Do we understand one another?"

>>97428
It's obvious we have no way of backing out of this nor throwing it. We have no choice but to battle her.

>>97428
Of course. We will treat her with the utmost respect.

Hypothetically, if we start out sparring, we could "sustain a grievous injury". Something like the loss of a leg. I'm not suggesting we do this, merely stating we could.

>>97429
Erm clearly.
"Very well. I shall do my best."
Jax smiles, patting me on the shoulder as Ella approaches with two fighting sticks. they are of equal length, both of them sword-sized.
"I feel it would be unfair if we used traditional spear-sticks." she says simply, "And I trained in short swords for some time." she tosses one at me.
"Hattori, I challenge you to another formal duel, under the rules of a Wood-Ring match."
I look to Jax.
"There are three ways to win." he says. "Force your opponent to submit, strike three blows upon their body, not including the hands, or force them out of the ring."

I nod.
"Very well. I accept your challenge, Ella."
Her ears droop, and she looks at her feet as she takes a deep breath, and then...

Her whole stance and expression changes, and it's the same Ella I met in the woods again. She holds the stick as I do: professionally.

>>97439

Hattori, do you have an advantage over her in that you do not tire as easily, or is this canceled out by anti-magic?

For now, watch her and try to dodge her blows. Try to get her to overextend herself so you can strike.

>>97439
We need to get in close with her while dodging her blows somewhat. I have an idea.

>>97445
I'm going to assume I cannot extend myself more than a normal human being.
As the match is called to start, Elle lunges in low, and I block several attacks easily, moving in a slow circle as I defensively draw her into exerting herself. For a while, there is nothing but the clacking of sticks, but as I watch, I notice her slowing down.

You see, the body naturally releases a sort of acid into some areas when you exert yourself. It's the burn of excercise. This not only cleans away torn muscle mass to make way for more, denser tissue, it also lets you know when you should think about slowing down a bit.

I do not produce this acid any longer. I've removed the glands since I have achieved the muscle mass I am seeking, and also since I can replace it should it become worn and lean. The end result is a higher-than-average stamina. That is coming into play even now.

>>97462
Once you see an opportunity, go in close ans kiss her. And not just a peck on the cheek. This may be the only way to end the duel with no one winning.

>>97468
...

Yeah, okay, I approve of this plan. Assuming you do, Hattori.

>>97468
Wha-
oh, okay.
I block and then move her weapon out of the way, close in and kiss her lips. It's a little different from kissing a human, but... still pretty close.
Her ears droop and her eyelids seem to grow heavy.

I think I hear Jax laughing as her stick falls from her hands to the ground.

"Match! Hattori wins, by submission. And what a submission it was."

Anansi and Raven are amused by both sides!

>>97474

Pull back and tell her that when she invited you to spar you never expected something so formal.

Assuming she hasn't passed out again.

No, don't do that...

This was so not as planned. Did not turn out right at all. I feel terrible.

Ask Ella if she's okay.

>>97507
Actually, yeah do this instead.

Be prepared to catch her if she falls.

(sage for delete/edit thing)

We part after a moment and Ella looks away.
"Are you alright?"
"J-jax..."
"Yes?"
"Do not record this."
"What?"
"You heard me! I will not get what I want by the insect's tactics, am I clear!?"
"Y-yes, sister. I will record the match as a no-contest."
"Very good."

I sigh as she turns to me. "I'm sorry, Hattori. I just, I just heard what Shi was doing, and and and..." she sighs. "I'm a horrible woman for tricking you like that..."

>>97656
Aren't you even now? You tricked her and now she tricked you.

>>97662
"We're even now. I tricked you and you tricked me."
"Y-you're not angry?"
"I have to take a pretty good run at it before I can get miffed, Ella. Now..." I lean close to her and whisper. "Send your brother away so I can spar with you without worrying about him breaking me in half."

She giggles, waving Jax away as she picks up the sticks.
"Again?" she asks.

>>97678
Let's! We'll fight with more straightforward tactics this time. Also, don't just try to outlast her, that's boring and not particularly productive. Be aggressive. B. E. Aggressive.

>>97707
I move in low, sweeping up with the stick, and she barely manages to catch it with hers, stumbling back a few steps before she returns with her own strong blow, almost knocking the stick from my hands.

I'd forgotten how exhilarating combat was. Certainly, I've been in a lot of combat recently, but not a lot of throwdown, drag-out fights that really boil the blood.

"If you want to kiss me again, you're going to have to earn it!" she says as she knocks away attack after attack, now clearly focused in her defense.

>>97711
Try some quick attacks mixed with feints to slip past her guard.

>>97722
I move in close feinting several times, then sliding a quick attack past her gaurd. For some reason, there's a resistance as I pull back my stick, and a loud snap. Ella gasps a little, her jacket notably more open than before... Ah, I must have accidentally pulled off a button.

Her attacks become much more focused now, and it's getting harder to stay ahead of her!

Let her slip in an attack in order to counter-attack and get in a hit of your own.

>>97727
I let one slip just past my gaurd, but bring up my stick up towards her chin.

I swear I'm not doing this on purpose! The other button on her jacket pops off, and she looks at me, her ears twitching as she hops away, her tail curling on itself before whipping the ground.

"Hmmm, so you want it that way, do you?" she asks quietly, slipping out of the jacket to reveal a white blouse and simple leather pants that hug her legs nicely.

>>97733
Sounds almost like a trickster's hand is at work here. Buuut I dunno.

Grin at her anyway. Then say "Ah, then I must even the field." Take off your something. Coat?

>>97744
I slip off my cape and coat, dropping them by the side of the ring. Just as I turn around, she lunges at me, and my own arm lifts in self-defense, clacking off her stick, sliding down her arm, into the sleeve... and out the other one, with a loud tearing sound. She lets out a little gasp again, but the blouse is only torn along her back, not the collar.

I'm thinking Anansi might be involved in this. Or Raven. I don't know. She lunges again, this time the stick slides under my sleeve and through my collar, tearing a long rip and making it hang on one shoulder.

She dances away, a wide smile on her face, eyes glittering in anticipation as her tail flicks at the air behind her.

>>97748
Alright, advance carefully and start testing her defenses, then gradually pick up the pace again. Try to move in for a grapple at some point. It might be time to try for that second kiss.

ooooor, she could be doing it on purpose.

>>97754
>>97756
I move in slowly but unstoppably, testing her defenses in various areas. It soon becomes clear where her weakest point is, which is to say, the center of her gaurd. She is good at stopping and pushing aside blows, but not stopping them outright.
Thus I slip in close and slam past her defenses, the stick sliding past her neck to catch on the remains of the collar of her blouse, ripping loudly as I push forth. Without the support around her neck, the ruined garment falls down to hang on her hips, short clean white hair glistening in the night as a shiver runs down her body as her ears droop to the sides of her head. I move in now, kissing her lips again, holding her close against me.

...

We part as she gasps, hiding herself absent mindedly. And then I see the scars I never saw in the spring, even wearing the monocle. Long, snaking pink scars adorn her chest, belly, and sides, probably her back as well. She notices when I see them and smiles, lifting her hands to stretch as she takes in a deep breath. The effect is quite flattering.
"My instructor never believed in practice blades." Ella murmurs softly.

>>97828
Nice. I approve.

Ask her what her training was like, while inspecting her scars. Ask her if any of them still hurt; you could do something about that I imagine.

>>97839
"Do any of those hurt?" I ask, hugging her from behind, my hands on her belly while I rest me head on her shoulder.
"No. Except in strange weather. They are very old, and only look bad." she takes a deep breath, and leans against me slightly, her hands sliding up behind my neck as she looks to the northeast.

Her eyes narrow.

"Hattori... do you see anything on the horizon?"

>>97841
Check it out. Could you try using the hat as a spyglass?

>>97842
Not with Ella around. I peer over her shoulder and.. ah! I do see something.

Or, rather, a lot of somethings. Little points of flickering light, large triangular shadows, smaller moving shadows. Something seems wrong... I hand Ella my coat and tell her to get to the inn.
"Wha-"
"Please, Ella. Trust me."
"A-all right."

Also use the monocle.

USE THE HAT TO TELE-


I kid. You ought to inform the town guard though. They might know more about what it could be, and they could buy you time to run in a heroic last stand. Do this after using the hat as a looking glass and trying the monocle.

>>97868
I pull out my eye, carefully, and unfasten my ear. While the sensory organs are in my head the ear is still connected to them psuedomagically, much like the eye to my optical nerve.
Using the hat to send my hand, holding both, over the camp, I observe what I feared.

A large force of mongrels, easily twice if not three times the size of the group at Raven's Loft. Three stand out in particular.

The first I notice is old, leaning on a long, warped stick. A small human skull hangs from it, joined with a Seeran skull, an Ogre's horn, and a shriveled square of heartwood from a Chloronoid. His free hand is warped like the staff, heavily mutated, a haze of magic hanging around it ominously.

Beside the older mongrel sits a taller, stronger one with white hair and glowing red eyes. It has wide shoulders, and longer than usual hair. Some of this is braided, and the braids end in decorations much like the one that hang from the older one's cane. Only he has kobold, dwarf, and elf skulls as well, and a young dragon's skull serves as a helmet. On his hips rest two axes, huge and serrated and as savage as his own face. He is easily taller than most of the tents.

The third is the most disturbing. Lean as bone and in between the other two in terms of height, he is armed with two long cleavers, and both glow softly with power. This is frightening: An enchant,ent on a weapon is not usually noticable. For it to glow like this, it has to be something... dangerous. But even worse are his features. Slightly warped in every facet, one eye a bright gold and the other a dull blue, his snout turning upwards oddly, one ear longer than the other, a horn protruding oddly from where his shoulder meets his neck. His shoulders are knotted like old oak, his hands facing the wrong way, with longer claws than apparently normal,as scars on his palms indicate.
And on his left breast is deep, black scar, of a mask, split into smiling laughter and frowning tears.

The symbol of the Clown.

>>98048
The one with the clown scar walks aways and the other two converse.
"I do not trust him." the one with the staff says. He is... wrong. Clown destroyed the Father. He may betray us."
"The Clown has as much stake in this coup as any of us. And besides, there is no worry. I doubt even a Lawsworn could stand alone against this force... and the next, and the next. If he dares to turn on us, he has no one to turn to but his wretched god."
The one with the staff nods.
"Still. He is worrying me."

I remove my organs from the hat, put them back, and rush back to town, grabbing the first guard I come across.
"I need to see Luitenent Arryn!" I shout. "There is an incoming assault! Send up the alarm immediately!"

The gurad looks at me, shaken, then runs back, calling for his higher-ups. Why...
Oh.

I pick up my ear and restitch it on.

A beautiful woman approaches, in full plate armor, lightly glowing. A scar like a cross sits over one eye.
"What is it, surgeon?" she asks, irritated.

Argh, looks like Clown thought it would be funny to help Coyote out a little. We probably shouldn't worry about him in the long term though. He may even decide to help us out at one point. Start loading the hat with bolts and rocks and shit. We can take out most of that army with a big enough payload.

There's no way to guess what the mongrel heroes' powers are, but the Clownsworn is probably just as dangerous to its allies as it is to us. Anyway, we're going to be in a city with fortifications so we shouldn't be in much danger, really. The force they have is really kinda small to be assaulting a city, but I guess they're counting on the three big guys to break through defenses.

Okay, looks like the town guard has a lawsworn on their side! Tell her that there is an army approaching the city, with a clownsworn among their ranks... alongside two other notable foes that she would have to see to believe. Demonstrate with the hat why you were able to know this.

>>98057
"We have a full army of mongrelmen about a league from your north gate. There are three sworn among them."

"Mongrels?"

"As in the sons of Coyote."

Her face goes even paler than before, her scar standing out bright pink, the eye it covers turning into a sphere of light.

"How dare he. How dare he! He does not even follow the laws of life and death!" She gives me a harsh glare. "Thank you for bringing me this information. Get the hell out of my sight, and if I see you on the feild without a uniform on, I will personally take your eyes." she whispers, leaning close. "I am wed to none but the Incarnate now. Do not think you can claim me again."
With that, she walks off, shouting orders.

>>98118
What?! Hattori, you were married to her? Sounds like it was a messy divorce.

I would suggest getting a uniform, because she's gonna need the help. I would suggest bringing a Seeran along to help against the casters but it would fuck up Arryn's abilities and armor, probably. You and her should be enough.

>>98127
>You and her should be enough
I SAW that.

Yes, I will find a uniform.

As to me and Arryn... we were a very strange couple. Whenever we would meet, we would fight, because of what I was. I defied nature's Law... But always, those fights would end in the same thing. Eventually, we decided to make it official... which ruined whatever spark there was between us.

As for her abilities, she can force people to tell the truth, and she can use luck offensively. She can alwaysseem to just manage to land lucky blows, just manage to block that surprise assault... And so on.

I bribe my way into a pair of pants and a uniform suit of armor.

Should I fetch any friends before I go out?

>>98137
I guess a Seeran wouldn't mess up her luck ability; it's too subtle. Check the watch on everyone before we decide.

Do you know anything about the abilities of the archers of this town? Another bow can't hurt the defense, and should be far enough away to not mess with magic. I say take Ella and Shi, have Ella find a good vantage point to provide supporting fire with her bow, preferably far enough away so as to keep her from suppressing magic (it does have a distance limit, yes?). Check Jax's life with the watch, if it's flickering under one day, then keep him back. Tell him to guard the town or something.

If you can't find them within a few minutes of finding Ella (who's location we basically know) then it's not worth it. Time is critical.

>>98158
>>check the watch on everyone

Also this.

>>98324
I manage to find Ella quickly, who has changed into new clothes. She's found the others, who are waiting for me in the inn. Gerald's large form dominates the room, his back brushing against the ceiling and rafters as he leans over.

I quickly tell them the situation, and each of them nod. Gerald leaves first, clearly knowing his own position on the field. Shi walks past me, kissing my cheek and whispering "Too bad..." into my ear with low tones.
Er...
Ella nods at my instruction to support from above, But as I check his time on the watch, he reaches out and snaps it shut.
"Do that again and I will toss the damn thing in a lake to freeze. You are becoming reliant upon it, and I can tell what it does. Do not let it make your decisions for you."
I nod.
"I will be speaking with Arryn as to where she wishes to place me. May we meet after the battle, Hattori." he said with a smile.

That leaves myself.
Should I support from afar? Or should I use my nigh-invulnerability to target the Fangsworn?

>>98602
Nigh invulnerability.

Also, I'm assuming it was Jax who was chiding you about the watch?

>>98714
Very well. I shall wade into the thick of them, using Crowd Gasper (the lesser version of Show Stopper) to handle the lesser enemies.

As for Jax, yes, he was the one who insisted I cease using the watch so flagrantly. I admit I see his point somewhat.

I load the hat with the bolts, stones, and, in a last minute inspiration, I empty the barrel of oil inside. If they wear any armor...

At any rate, do you have any more advice before I move into battle?

What? but... my toy!

I guess it was being overused. I was starting to realize that it isn't really useful for gauging risk anyway since we're pretty much constantly in danger now. When death is around every corner, knowing exactly when it's possible to die doesn't help a lot, and it says nothing about injury. It looks like it was giving us the most useful information when we used it when we thought we were safe, not when we thought we were in danger, so as to detect hidden threats... although it did help a little one time because the specific time of death could be linked to a certain course of action. Right now there's no point. I bet no matter who we took, there would be a chance of them dying.

I do think that the watch is still useful, and it is basically a free source of information. Knowing when to use it is the issue, so we don't wind up looking at it all the damn time. I admit that losing Sa'lan due to not using the watch led to me obsessing over it. I swore I wouldn't let it happen again. Damn you, Coyote...

I've got an idea for a new Hat Trick. If while fighting in this pitched battle you decide to absorb an enemy's attack using the hat, try to imagine a spot behind that enemy for the destination. Make him stab himself. Or even someone else, if you're so inclined. You may even be able to use it to parry an additional attack! That could be tricky of course.

>>99370
>I've got an idea for a new Hat Trick. If while fighting in this pitched battle you decide to absorb an enemy's attack using the hat, try to imagine a spot behind that enemy for the destination. Make him stab himself. Or even someone else, if you're so inclined. You may even be able to use it to parry an additional attack! That could be tricky of course.

It.... yes, that could work!

Hat trick discovered!
HAT TRICK: CUNNING TURNABOUT!
The unfortunate thing about this attack is that it would only work for thrusting attacks. Axes and maces, as wel as most curved blades, would foil it.

And I heartedly agree. The watch is specific, but not all that helpful. When only one or two options were present, yes, but now that there are multiple people in the party as well as multiple threats against me...

It does however, keep absolutley perfect time.

Even in areas where time is slowed, in which cases, it heats up, and areas of prolapsed time, in which case, it cools. I discovered this while I was on the town, after walking through such zones generated by a charlatan magician group.

I walk out to the north gate, and see most of the standing gaurd prepared and in formation, with the exception of Arryn, Ella, Jax, and Gerald. Gerald is himself covered in thicker wood and bark than normal, and tied to each of his hand-vines s a wickedly long, curving blade with a point. I do not see Shi anywhere.

Hattori, do me a favor, will you? Find out what happens if you thrust the cane at something. Say a creature's chest. I mean, if it makes the Earth quake, it might do something cool to them.

>>99658
Only the earth and terrain is effected by my cane. If I were facing, say, an earth eleental or a stonegolem, I imagine it would absolutly horrible effects, especially localized...

Hurrrm... I wonder. Maybe after this I should find a boulder or something...

Anything else?

>>99791
The earth begins to rumble and shake, and I look up to see the enemy charging at us. Gerald braces himself, while two others of his kind, noticabley thinner and brighter in coloration, punch the earth.
A palisade of green and brown thornbushes erupts from the earth, and the enemy army slams into it, as Gerald steps over and whips his vines through them. Halves of mongrel fly everywhere, raining down gore as Gerald roars, a rumbling, crackling sound. The heroes appear to be holding back.

>>100063
How localized is the cane's earthquake? Could you, for instance, reach through with the hat and tap it near the back lines so it won't affect your allies?

>>100082
I reach through and...

HAT TRICK: STANDING OVATION

The earth rumbles, and with four taps, the main force and the heroes are seperated by a huge chasm.... that narrowly misses the town. Gerald takes the initiative and sweepsa large portion of the enemy army into it, then steps aside as the brair patch opens, allowing Arryn and her men to finish the wounded.

RAVEN IS AMUSED!

>>100097
This battle is far from over. Be prepared. The heroes might be able to jump over the chasm.

>>100097
The leaders are still active, though. I think you should lead the assault against them. Test their abilities on your durable body. Be prepared to block fireballs or whatever from the two mages using the hat. Hey, I have an idea. Arryn has luck on her side, so if SHE uses the hat to expel its contents, perhaps the fangsworn will be unable to dodge.

>>100123
Arryn walks to the edge of the chasm, closing her eyes. She draws her blade, and... steps out?!


FAITH'S FETTERS!
Light appears under her feet, forming a bridge. Rocks and earth are pulled from the sides of the chasm, sliding into place and fitting to form a bridge. She opens her eyes, and points her sword at the ClownSworn, who laughs and leaps onto the new bridge, which is by now made of pure stone and rooted well into place.

Out of nowhere, a blade appears of shimmering and prismatic colors, in the Clownsworn's hand. He holds it aloft, and light shines over the whole area, even the city itself.

MADNESS OF THE CLOWN!

!!!

I hear laughter behind me, and turn to hear the unsheathing of blades as Arryn and the Clownsworn fight. The other two heroes walk past them over the bridge slowly.

"No!" Arryn growls. "Atoinette, Fiona!"
The bright chloronoids slam their hands into the earth again, only for one to wilt and turn brown, crumbling, and the other to lose an arm. The heroes are here.

Where is Ella?! Where is Jax?! They were right with me, just now!

>>100142
Before I can do much more, however, a roar shatters the skies.
Wait. I've heard that before! Isend the cane through the hat and tap the stone bridge three times, then, pull the cane in and...

"I need to go forward!" I mumble, and the cufflinks shine. A blast of enourmous kinetic force barrels me forward, catching Arryn and sending us onto the other side. We land, panting as the three sworn Do the same on the other side. The old one rises just in time for his head to be sent flying by Gerald's vineblade.
But the hulking one defends himself, using the wide area of the axeheads like sheilds, fending off six seperate assaults at once, the pulsation of magic registering as Coyote's luck only three times out of, as I count, twelve.

The roar shatter the sky again. It seems like Gerald's assault is wavering, and the Clownsworn won't stop staring at me.

>>100240
Damage check. Once your done with that, Ask why the Clownsworn finds you so interesting.

>>100259
Three broken ribs, which do not matter in the slightest.

"Why do you find me so interesting, Clownsworn?"
"The one who will destroy the old world. The one who will pave his way through chaos. The one with all the toys..." he laughs manaically. "You, tiny person-thing? AAAAHAHAHAHAH-"

And suddenly, green-scaled jaws snap down and I am looking at half a mongrel. The severed legs step forward into the pit and stumble out of sight, and I look up to see Ella and Jax riding on the back of...

?!?!

Jerasp?!

>>100264
Greet him with mild surprise.

Alright! I always thought Jerasp should have been developed begone just being "hey lol I have a sword that you want and- OHMYGODRUNSHITSHITSHIT *dies*"

>>100267
"J-j-jerasp? You're alive?!"

"HAHAHAHA!" he roars, spittiong out the dead Sworn into the pit with a chuckle. as he lands. Ella leaps over the pit and lands beside me, helping me up. "YOU THINK A TINY SPEAR COULD END JERASP, LORD OF THE MOUNTAINS?!"
"Are you alright, Hattori?" she asks.
"I'll be fine. It's Gerald I'm worried about..." I say quietly, looking up at the mighty warrior backing away from a blindingly fast onslaught of axes and fangs.

>>100272
Ask if Jerasp can carry/fling you, Arryn, and Ella over the chasm in order to help Gerald.

>>100272
Focus and carefully tip your hat to teleport to the other side of the chasm. Then lend your support to Gerald. Try using the flamecane to break through the fangsworn's parrying ability, if you can't just eliminate him with a sneak attack.

>>100442
>tip hat
...no. Just no.

>>100451
If Hattori is calm when he uses it, he has excellent control over the teleport. Using it only in emergencies is actually a BAD idea, since he'll be stressed and might fuck up.

>>100472
And it can still kill us at any time. Besides, I gave another viable solution.

Or we could have him, y'know, just fly us over there. Or have our bridge making friend make a bridge.

Moreover, why not just use the hat + cane to attack from here?

>>100476
((Remember: The Hat can only truly kill you if you enter a state of Panic, which I will notify you about. The hat-tip is core to several hat tricks, and I wouldn't nerf my first homemade unique character with something so silly! Furthermore, to those suggesting that Jerasp take him, have you ever seen a dragon take off? :3c I'll let you folks mull over this, but please, no arguing. I'll check in the morning, but for now Gooodnight))

>>100713
Can't use the hat to attack right now; Jax and Ella are around. We can still use instant abilities like the cufflinks shield, teleporting, expelling the contents of the hat, and Show Stopper.

>>100442
I tip my hat deeply, and suddenly I'm behind the reaving Fangsworn, pulling off my hat, and leaping into the air.

SHOW STOPPER!
Reaving Axes!

I place my hat on his head as he turns, the axe slicing open my belly as his head teleports above the chasm.

I pass out.

>>100963
Well, that actually turned out okay, aside from the passing out bit. Was that due to the special axe, or the special ability? I guess we'll know when we wake up.

Man, You guys really have to stop abusing the awesome stuff, like the clock and SHOW STOPPER. Use some cunning and let them kill themselves, or something like that.

For crying out loud, we have a cane that reduces beings to ash, how about implementing that in some awesome, grand master plan.

Being direct all the time makes you too predictable.

>>101062
But we like abusing awesome stuff.