ANTON PEAS: lover, fighter, Divine Champion AND limbo enthusiast… at your service! It’s become a long, winding road ever since a botched devil-summoning ritual brought you to ZORAL: a fantasy world shrouded in everlasting darkness, but, well… you’re getting the hang of things!That’s not to say it’s been smooth sailing, of course. Dueling with demigods? Been there! Dealing with devils? Done that! Skirmishing with siegers? Still a work in progress! Oh, and your memory’s been fuzzier than your new Bardy beau ever since you arrived!The cure? Putting Zoral’s FOUR LORDS on ice, apparently–and if you think they aren’t just called that because it sounds catchy, well, you sure ain’t whistlin’ Dixie! Nevertheless, the lords must fall if you want to regain your memories… and, y’know, save the world. Maybe. See, the last one you mulched, ARCHMAGE TRIER? Seems he made a deal with someone, or someTHING, to seal away KNODD: the Earthmother and god of land. Once you wasted the wizard? Boom–DIVINE POWERS!Before you could really bask in all the status and glory your new DIVINE CHAMPION title offers, you found yourself smack-dab in the middle of yet another crisis: a two-sided siege on CROSSROADS: Zoral’s main trade hub and conveniently where a lot of your new pals call home! Beset on all sides by Skog Marauders and fearsome Fuuxi, you somehow managed to break both belligerents with some help from your friends–new AND old–a handful of local militia members, and a heaping handful of luck!With the appetizer finished, the main course remains… accompanied by a strike team including TZAH-TZIE: plucky performer and your sneaky sweetheart, MOROOK: reliable ranger and your pal Volka’s half-brother, and a mysterious strike team hand-picked by VOLKIR: curmudgeonly commander of the clandestine STAR-CLOAK cabal, all that remains is to stealthily sortie to the sinister Skog Siege camp in the swamps… Your mission? Disable their magic-suppression devices and eliminate their charismatic commander: BREAKER TAA’JHAA!It’s been some time, but you can’t afford to get rusty… borne upon steam-propelled wings, THIS is where your story continues…https://youtu.be/1lR8VLt1Xlk
>>6473769Load up and tuck in… it’s DARK QUEST! Didja’ miss us? Yea, well… we’re back anyways! Deal with it!>Archive link to catch up with the last thread:https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Dark%20Quest>Pastebin for INVENTORY, SKILLS, and MORE:https://pastebin.com/xdk5kHyA>Character and Other Info compiled by everyone’s favorite Spinner…https://pastebin.com/YKhP6xCtRolls are handled by a 1(or more)d100--I take the BEST OF THREE ROLLS! 1’s are CRITFAILS while 100’s are CRITSUCCESSES! Certain boosts and maluses will be applied based on the situation and existing skills.PLEASE ONLY 1 VOTE/ROLL PER PLAYER! If it’s exceptionally slow I’ll ask for people to roll again!BAD LUCK BALATRO: Every day you get ONE reroll on a LUCK-BASED ROLL (Bluffing, Acrobatics, Dodging... situations where BAD LUCK would make sense!) I will provide the prompt when appropriate!Describing your actions, write-ins, and GENERAL CREATIVITY are all APPRECIATED AND REWARDED--we like to keep things LIGHT and CHILL here, so come on in and have some fun! FAN ART, THEORIES, AND CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK ARE ALL VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!DISCLAIMER: THIS QUEST IS DARK. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
>>6473771The airship’s upper deck is dark as always–its polished wooden floor slick and crunchy from the ongoing blizzard strangling the skies around you. The flakes sting your cheeks as you stare off into the inky abyss… but you don’t bother wiping any off.Victories in CROSSROADS aside, you suspect you’ll need every ounce of ability you have to pull this magic trick off… far tougher than tugging a rabbit out of a hat, at any rate. In times like these, you think to yourself as Joji’s Starcutter soars through the storm with steam-engines on full-blast, sometimes you just need a moment or three to yourself……but only a moment. You don’t wanna be antisocial! Not to mention it’s COLD out here, man! And wet!As you move to go back inside, you just barely manage to hear the telltale sound of boots climbing up the ramp onto the deck over the roaring winds around you… guess you’re not leaving yet!Who do the boots belong to? Pick 1 or more (within reason pureezu : c)>Tzah-Tzie! Your favorite fuzzball!>Morook! Taciturn, but reliable as always!>One of those Irregulars Volkir sent with you! (Who?)>... No one? You feel a familiar feeling in your skull, though… RED…>Wait, no… it’s your SENDING STONE! Volkir must want to brief you. AGAIN.>Write-In!
FIVETHOUSANDYEARSDARKQUEST>>6473773>... No one? You feel a familiar feeling in your skull, though… RED…DIAL RED FOR DEAD
Thank fucking God, we're BACK! >>6473773>... No one? You feel a familiar feeling in your skull, though… RED… I wanna talk to the Irregulars too, but I think as a group.
WE ARE SO BACK DARK QUESTIES (darkies for short)>>6473773>>... No one? You feel a familiar feeling in your skull, though… RED…no good thread starts without RED
>>6473787>>6473813>>6473851Good to BE back, holy shit. Feels like ages--we'll see if I can shake the dust off a lil. Sorry for the wait!>REDWRITIIIINGGGG, MIGHT BE A WHIIIILEEE AAAIIEEE
You bristle at the familiar sensation akin to someone shady taking a seat next to you on a park bench heralded by the distant scent of rotting meat and sweet, Southern woodfire BBQ.”Anton…” RED purrs in his grizzled, raspy tone, ”Can ya’ smell it?”What, him? Yea, but… y’know, you’ve been out in this snow for a little bit and you’re getting kinda dry and cloggy-”Not that…” He interjects before borrowing your nose for a long, exultant whiff, ”THAT.” … Yea, he’s really gonna have to help you out with this one…”Oh fer’ Pete’s sake… here.”A moment passes before you feel a mote of unearthly energy spread across your body like spiderweb strands straight out of the oven! The ensuing heat flooding your features is sudden… but not unwelcome! Errr, thanks?”Wouldn’t wanna give up an early ghost because someone caught ya’ shivering, now would we?” Snorts the demon’s disembodied voice. ”Not before our deal’s met, in any case.”Right, you huff, THE LORDS. You’re workin’ on it, okay?!”Wasn’t criticizin’, son… no, I’m actually rather tickled by these ‘siegenanigans’, actually!”… Nice one.”It was, wasn’t it? Now where were we…?”… The smell, you mutter, stretching your arms as the blizzard fails to bother you. He’s talking about CROSSROADS, isn’t he? And that whole ‘change’ pipedream he was ranting about earlier…”It’s only a pipedream, pard, til’ it AIN’T.” RED replies in a matter-of-fact tone! ”And what’s wrong with a little dreaming here an’ there, hmm?”He made it sound like you should take over, you retort as you meander back over to the deck guard rail, that sounds… a bit wrong. Doesn’t sound very nice, at any rate!”Like I was ‘ranting’ before, Anton, this is an OPPORTUNITY slapping you in the face!” Continues the fiend with renewed vim in his incorporeal voice! ”The whole town’s held together by some crusty old coot, a smug Choir Boy, and an insecure Guard Captain! Oh, and those ‘candidates’ happily watching from the wings while you do all the dirty work, can’t forget them!”Yea, but like, you stammer, not expecting yet ANOTHER political debate today, that’s… that’s government, isn’t it? You’ve got enough on your plate without throwing your hat into… however they choose the next leader!”The train, my friend, is rolling into the station–and if you don’t hop aboard, someone else will!” RED chides like a nagging parent! ”... I just want what’s best for you and yours, y’know? Think of how much easier it’ll be to liquidate those LORDS with a CITY-STATE at your command! Think of all the perks! The prestige!”The problems.>CONTD.
>>6474014”Since when have THOSE got in your way, hmm? Barely even a week in this plane and you’re besties with The Gods! And let’s not forget how you handled a Wizard the most advanced settlement in the realm couldn’t manage! You really shouldn’t sell yourself short, Tex!”You’re not exactly ‘ruler’ material, okay? He’s starting to sound like those RAELO FOLLOWERS or whatever–THE LEGION OF SPARKING TOMORROW or whatever the hell they called themselves…”Hey, don’t talk about my best pal Anton like that!” RED laughs! ”And don’t worry about those jumped-up Zealots–’the enemy of my enemy is my friend’, right?”They seemed pretty organized to you! They even helped Volka and the others when you were clearing out that Fuuxi tunnel! How do they factor into his little election scheme, huh?”They don’t. Not yet.” Answers the Archdevil. “Look, stick to the cards yer’ dealt, yea? And don’t get all squeamish when it’s time ta’ ante up a little! We’ve got a hot hand, you and I!”… Sure. RED seems to be in a chatty mood… is there anything you wanna bring up while he’s ‘here’? You get the feeling those magic-suppression devices might mess with his ‘signal’ soon.>Any tips on what to do with Breaker Taa’jhaa?>You’re gonna be operating without magic–ideas?>Where’s LIZ in all this? He hasn’t said a word about her in a while!>What are his thoughts on those RAELO FOLLOWERS? And that BURROWER CULT?>Why is he so adamant about this TAKEOVER PLAN? What’s wrong with the current leaders?>What’s he think about the folks you brought along for this mission?>Any other HELP he can provide?>Right, you need to focus. Bye for now, RED.>WRITE-IN!
>>6474015>You’re gonna be operating without magic–ideas?>What’s he think about the folks you brought along for this mission?
>>6474015>You’re gonna be operating without magic–ideas?>What’s he think about the folks you brought along for this mission?>Where’s LIZ in all this? He hasn’t said a word about her in a while!ZE LIZ ZIL EZ
>>6474015>You’re gonna be operating without magic–ideas?>What are his thoughts on those RAELO FOLLOWERS? And that BURROWER CULT?>What’s he think about the folks you brought along for this mission?
How long HAS it been since we've seen Lizz anyways? In game like maybe a few days, I think, but at least a thread? Maybe two?
>>6474133She's probably fine, anon :^)
>>6474015>Any tips on what to do with Breaker Taa’jhaa?>You’re gonna be operating without magic–ideas?>Why is he so adamant about this TAKEOVER PLAN? What’s wrong with the current leaders?
>>6474019>>6474057>>6474105>>6474151THE TALLY:>NON-MAGIC IDEAS: 4>THE FOLKS I BROUGHT: 3>LIZ: 1>RAELO AND BURROWER: 1>TAA'JHAA: 1>TAKEOVER: 1Looks like non-magical warfare and our stalwart crew win it! Writing--got shit going on today so expect a few delays!
You know better than to entertain RED’S fantasies, political or otherwise–the guy had plans, clearly, and you know better than anyone that he’d lay ‘em out for ya’ when he was good and ready… and not a moment before.Your mind drifts onwards to Liz–you still couldn’t believe your ex had followed you into Zoral… and who could blame you? Based on the few memories you’d recovered, the two of you hadn’t exactly parted ways on the best of terms… So why? Why was she here?… She hadn’t answered that message you had RED pass along. That means she was either busy, still pissed-off, or both. Having known her as intimately as you did, you’d be a fool not to imagine it wasn’t all of the above!”Heh! She IS a spitfire, ain’t she?” Remarks the voice in your skull with mild bemusement! ”But you’re all tangled up with that singer, ain’tcha, pard? In more ways than one, you sly dog, you…”And there he goes getting all creepy about TT again. Creature of habit, this one. Say, you mutter, desperate to change the subject, he’s got a tactical eye–what’s his take on the folks you brought along?”Oh, you know exactly how I feel about your lil’ ‘gal-pal’, Ant…” The Archdevil cackles, ”But don’t you worry–I ain’t in the habit of stealin’ past flames while they’re still present, y’feel me? ‘Sides, I’m already taken, remember?”You’re SO relieved to hear that, you mutter as the Devil lets loose another loud, raspy laugh, but that wasn’t what you asked and he knows it!”Right, right… the mission.”Yea, that, you snort. Thoughts?”Not a bad lineup by any means…” He muses like a teacher checking your work, ”But not the best, if ya’ don’t mind my sayin’ so.”You’d be lying if that didn’t sting you a little. How so?”If yer’ aiming ta’ be sneaky, well… you’re all set.” RED remarks with a touch of approval seeping into his tone, ”But if you get caught? Especially before you take down those Magic-Jammers? You’ll be sweatin’ harder than a sheep at a coyote convention, pard.”He wasn’t completely wrong–Tzah-Tzie and Morook could hold themselves in a scrap–you’d seen it more times than you cared to count–and while you didn’t bring Toppel or Oti due to their reliance on magic, you’d be lying if you said you wouldn’t appreciate Volka, Rezalith, or even JOHNNY at your side on this one! They, along with the rest of your crew, were stuck tunneling under the Skog Base courtesy of the latter’s Landshaping proficiency. Still, a good blade never hurts!”And them other folks? The ones the ole’ fart foisted on ya?”What about ‘em? You spoke briefly with a few before you departed along with their Captain… they seemed pretty versatile to you if nothing else!>CONTD.
>>6474422”Did you, now.”Yes, you groan, you shook hands, okay? Or… claws! They had weapons, magic, silly little character quirks-”Any clue what the Mage/Warrior ratio is? They gonna stick with you on this mission, or do you want ‘em running interference?” The Archdevil pauses. ”... You even know their names?”… You… you were just gonna call ‘em, you know, ‘Bud’ or ‘Pal’ or something! It’s… all that isn’t necessary, right?The stare you feel pressing into your psyche tells you that yes, it very much might be! A weary sigh slips free from your lips. You… should probably go do that, huh? Soon.”You don’t gotta’ take ‘em out to a dinner and a rodeo, Tex,” RED sniggers, ”But you might wanna know what their plan is when those Magic-Jammers, well… jam their magic, right?”C’mon, you scoff with a good-natured smile, does he REALLY think the lion’s share of them focus solely on MAGIC? That’d be silly!”... Just trust me on this, kid. I know my way around… managerial strategizin’.”… Yea. Sure. So, you continue, these Jammers–any idea on how to work around them?”... Break ‘em?”… Okay, but what if you CAN’T?”Good thing about my lil’ gift? It ain’t magic magic. Well… not pure, anywho.” RED explains as you pace around the deck. ”Your powers’ll still work–got no doubt in my mind about that–but they’ll be weaker, I’d reckon. Less oomph, y’know?” He pauses. ”Same deal with those DIVINE powers you snatched up, most like… if it were me, I’d tackle those jammers first–just, y’know… be ready for whatever comes next.”What, like those SHAMAN of theirs?”Nah, nah… you heard it from them yerself, didn’t’cha? Skog magic is different from yer’ run-o-the-mill magic too.”… This magic stuff is giving you a headache.”Ah, don’t hurt yourself thinkin’ about it! Just follow the… emptiness? Yea, emptiness…” RED handily instructs, ”That oughta’ take you to the Jammers. An’ remember: ya’ only gotta take a few down–definitely the ones near that Breaker Bigwig. I’ll help out any which way I can, no sweat!”Like he did with Trier?”Are you STILL sore about that? C’mon, Ant, the guy had his soul divvied up into a hundred pieces! I ain’t clairvoyant, for cripes’ sakes!”You just wanna know how he intends to help you so that you can tune your expectations accordingly, is all.>CONTD.
>>6474423”Y’know, pard, all that negativity’ll kill ya.”Not if his ‘help’ does first, you fire back! Or lack thereof!”Fine, fine… when ya’ got a point, ya’ got a point…” RED answers with a wistful sigh, ”But this time I mean it. Trust me–you’ll love it.”You doubt that, but you don’t bother pressing the issue any further. As if on-cue, you feel your COMMUNICATOR GIZMO crackle in your robe pocket once… then twice! The signal your pilot and Tech Whiz Joji cooked up for when it was time to get ready for the mission!”OPE! No rest for the wicked, huh, Tex?” RED snickers as you turn to leave the deck! He’d know, wouldn’t he? Another round of boisterous laughter rocks the inside of your skull!”HA! True! TRUE! By golly do I love these chats of ours, Ant… it’s gonna be one Hell of a time once we getcha’ down here permanently! Maybe get Rezzie ta’ come back… coax your gal-pal down… bring Liz in for a visit too… one hell of a family, huh?”No thanks, BRO.”Right, right, nose to the grindstone… Can't blame a guy for yearnin’, right?” RED sighs. ”Run along then, you rascal–oh, and try what I mentioned earlier with those newbies, yea? Ya’ ain’t gonna regret it!”You don’t bother responding as you descend from the Upper Deck down into the Airship’s innards via the ramp. RED was a crafty one, sure, but he was on your side for now… and as much as you hate to admit it, he DOES have a good idea from time to ti-ACK!Rounding the corner on the way down, you nearly bump into…>Tzah-Tzie! That darn Bard babe!>Morook! Was he just… waiting here?>One of those Irregulars Volkir sent with you! (Who? Or RANDOM?)>That stern Gnok lady that came with the Irregulars… Captain Ilya, you think?>Joji the Pilot! Wait, who’s FLYING, then!?>A wall! There’s no one to walk you over to the others here, but watch your damned step, idiot!>Write-In!Sorry, all--day got away from me! For the newbies: I'll usually post some pics, but as mentioned above things got wacky today. Next time, maybe!
>>6474425>One of those Irregulars Volkir sent with you! (RANDOM)
>>6474425>One of those Irregulars Volkir sent with you! (RANDOM)Dealer's choice, but maybe somebody gregarious enough to take us over to meet the rest of them for a quick mission brief.
>>6474425>One of those Irregulars Volkir sent with you! (Who? Or RANDOM?)Any of them. A shame I missed that whole sequence. It seemed pretty fun!It’s taken me countless eons, but I finally caught up. The only thing I’ll note is that we never gave Volka the speakstone Lutza gave us for her. But that kind of stopped mattering now that she knows Lutza in person.
>>6474425>That stern Gnok lady that came with the Irregulars… Captain Ilya, you think?She'll definitely know all of the Irregulars... I would have voted for MY character but it feels a little arrogant!
>>6474448>>6474466>>6474472>IRREGULARS>>6474536>CAP'N!You fools. You simpletons. You proles. You actually let ME DECIDE! ... Oh, this is gonna be one of those 'golly gee, I hope he picks MY character and shows how much he liiiikes them' moments, isn't it? Sneaky bastards. Anyways, writing.>>6474472So glad you made the journey! Sorry for all the shit you had to wade through--hopefully the new stuff will make up for it.Oh, and me totally forgetting a plot point? Ha! Never happens! (it does. A lot. Sorry)
You know those times where your foot doesn’t really catch on anything, per-se, but you still overcorrect and stumble a bit?Yea, well, the situation that unfurls as you round the corner is NOTHING like that. You catch a glimpse of two weary-looking yellow eyes just about at your trunk level just in time to plow straight into their squat owner and topple over like a poorly-placed mop! “Oh no…” Mutters a low, nasally voice as you roll down the remainder of the ramp like an apple dropped from a kitchen counter, “Watch out…”Too little, too late! Fortunately your frankly embarrassing ‘evasive maneuver’ is cut short when you slam into something… or rather someONE waiting at the base of the ramp!“Oh! Have a nice trip? Ehehehe~”Wincing through the pain, you look up and find six baby-blue eyes peering down at you with fresh amusement!“Sorry… let me help you…”Sensing a helping hand extended above you, you reach out and clasp your mitts around a gnarled, raptor-like talon…“Strange claw…” Mutters the Mzz’goe’virr as she hoists you up with a reassuring smile! “You’re him, right? DIVINE CHAMPION PEAS?”Err, y-yea, you mutter, still dazed from your swift descent, and she is? The woman’s already-wide eyes expand even wider!“Oh, right, I’d nearly forgotten! Just call me RENNY, sir! Reporting for duty and all that… did you happen to see-”“WATCH… OUUUUUTTT!!!!”The yellow-eyed roadblock you’d barely avoided above comes lumbering down a few minutes later–the Mox clearly not suited to feats of speed. “HE’S… COMI- Oh.”“Just missed him, Xuon.” Renny mutters with an apologetic grin. “Careful around him, Champion–Xu is slow, but once he arrives? Watch out!”“Who’re we watching out for?” Purrs a sultry voice belonging to a Maroon-eyed Gnok peering around the corner. “... Oh. So this is him, hmm?”Yea, hi, you mutter as you brush the soot from your robes and smile at the newcomer, Anton Peas. Charmed!“The Champion!” Repeats The Gnok with a half-lidded, but very intrigued stare, “Enchante~”>CONTD.
>>6474620The way the newcomer stares at you sends a not-unpleasant shiver down your spine, but you buckle it up when you remember TT’s skulking about somewhere…“Easy, Terrii…” Chides Renny, clearly used to being a goalkeeper, “Err, this is Terrii, Champion. A powerful fighter with a passion for f-”“Fashion, yes…” Terrii interjects in a velvety tone. “I could smell that robe of yours across the ship, Champion. T’iistrari Weave, yes? A fine product.”Yea, well, you chuckle, your tuxedo’s in the shop! Err, the tailor’s! The tailor’s shop!“Is that right?” Terrii remarks. “It’s refreshing to stumble across someone with an eye for finer things… and a planejumper, no less!”“He’ll probably leave the first chance he gets…” Sighs Xuon as his big yellow eyes fall floorward. “... It’s what I’d d-”“Hoo-HOO! If we do what YOU do, Xu, it’ll never ensue!”The laugh coupled with the jangle of bells sends you violently reeling away as ANOTHER Mzz’goe’virr cartwheels down the corridor! Is… is he a-“This is Rinkle…” Terrii announces with a bemused smirk as the Mzz’goe’virr drops into a low, dramatic bow at your feet! “Good sir, hello, my fine fellow!”“He’s… an entertainer…” Renny adds with a sheepish grimace, “... Among other things.”“Aye, and none of them very good!” Cackles the clown! “But not very bad, either, and that’s better than most! HOO-HO-OOUGH!”Rising into the air like a lost balloon, RINKLE barely gets a panicked ‘HOO’ out before he’s SLAMMED into the metal wall with a resounding ‘CLANG!’“Quite enough of that, thanks.” Mutters a steely-eyed Gnok woman as she drops the Jester at her side. “Champion Peas–are you prepared to discuss our Battle Plan?”… Sorry, you smile, it’s… she reminds you of someon-“Captain Ilga, Ser, and yes, Irya is my sister.” She interjects as she slams a gauntlet against her armored chest in a salute honed over what you can only assume are years of practice! Oh, you blink, is… is that right?“It is. And irrelevant.” She curtly replies as Terrii watches her with quiet admiration etched into her gaze. “My skills are forged wholly of my own sweat and blood, Ser, and this team of mine is second to none, I’m pleased to assure you.”The Irregulars smile at that–even Xuon seems to perk up somewhat. Yea, you nod, you uh… you met a few of them earlier…“Ah, yes… Angkis, Wally, Beats and Huxxer.” The Captain recites with an approving nod. “Forgive their informalities, Ser–what they lack in etiquette and discipline they make up for in ability, I assure you. You’ll find the remainder of the team as well as your colleagues in the…” She pauses mid-speech as if finding the next word distasteful, “... ‘Rec Deck.’ Shall we?”
>>6474622Shall you? Anything you’d like to ask The Captain? Or the others?>Does she have any strategies she’d be willing to share?>How long has she been… Bellcountering anyways?>What do they know about SKOG WARFARE?>You have a question about (Who?)>Any word from the other team yet? The Tunnel Team?>Write-In!>Nope, let’s roll!
>>6474622>What do they know about SKOG WARFARE?WAR.WAR IS WHAT MAKES A MAN.
>>6474623>Write-in >I hand-picked TT and Morook to stick by my side for the mission. You've already been in the trenches with this crew, so I am going to trust you to decide how they'll be split up during the assault - and I'm sure you already know that anyone reliant on magic will be at a handicap until we hit the jammers. Can you tell me which of them that is, and what you advise for deploying everyone?
>>6474623>Does Ilga have a recommendation for an attack plan?Ideally, the heavy hitters and melee-focused ones would go first, one or two to each group assuming we split, to act as screening for the rest to get in and disable the jammers—I would think anyway. Magic will be next to useless while those are still in play.
>>6474623>Does she have any strategies she’d be willing to share?Glad to see everyone's back!
>>6474628>SKOG WARFAAARREE>>6474635>DEPLOYMENT ADVICE>>6474638>ATTACK PLAN>>6474659>STRATZFuck it we'll ball 'em all up. Writing in a bit!
You shall, you say as the rogue’s gallery gathered around you gets moving, but you have a few questions you’d like t-“Let’s walk and talk, then.” Ilga interrupts as she pivots and strides with purpose back the way she came, “Time is hardly in high supply. Come.”Yes mom-err, yes, Ma’am, you sputter! Powerwalking to keep up with her soldier’s gait, you start with the most pressing concern you have… no, not Terrii, though the Gnok does seem to be hovering obnoxiously close… then again, so is that Rinkle thing, so.… Right, QUESTIONS. To begin, you mutter with a nervous cough, you handpicked your pals Morook and Tzah-Tzie for their flexibility-“‘Zat so?” Terrii remarks as she leans in with renewed interest.“I… think he means in battle…” Renny adds with a nervous laugh!“Silence.” Ilga drones to her subordinates like a mom driving a van full of sugared-up kids, “... Proceed.”You picked them because they don’t need magic to get stuff done, you continue as Xuon gradually falls behind with panic and horror etched into his wide gaze, but you’re not up-to-date on her people’s abilities-“Prudent.” Ilga observes with a curt nod. “Most of them have a few spells up their sleeves, but Huxxer, Barbaran, Cazz’tar, Chy-Lee, Angkis, and Rinkle rely upon it quite heavily.” She pauses. “... I see your point. Rest-assured they have ways to mitigate the challenge before us–give them a weapon and they’ll use it–but if you’d rather board with a smaller team and leave the magic-reliant here for support roles, well… I’d defer to your judgement, Ser.”You blink. Just like that, huh? The Gnok Captain clanks out a shrug. “By my estimation, it’s ingenuity that wins battles… not power. These lot held their own against the Fuuxi admirably, they can manage some magical dampening.”Any candidates she’d recommend to lead separate squads?“Dividing and conquering, is it?” Ilga replies with a singular, professional laugh, “I intend to lead one myself if you’d allow it, but yes, I can name a few potential Squad Leaders…” Her confident tone falters for the briefest of moments. “... if you can overlook their… quirks, that is. Leedle, Beats, Xuon, Terrii and Wally come to mind… though the latter might need some convincing.” She blinks. “You’ll see.”You’re no stranger to overlooking quirks, you reply as the squaddies continue to crowd you, but that’s good to know! Filing the names into your mental cabinet, you drift into the next query: they dealt with some Skogs during the siege–any tips for this mission?“We move quickly and quietly.” Answers Ilga with barely a pause, “Your division strategy is sound–Skogs excel in ambushes and stand-up battles… skirmishes and sneak attacks?”>CONTD.
>>6474930Her eyes drift your way. “Not so much. That all goes out the window once they detect us, however, but if we deal with the Jammers swiftly then we’ll fight on a more level playing field.”So that’s her priority, then? Taking down the Jammers? Ilga grunts.“If I had to choose between the Breaker and the Magic Jammers, yes… for all their stomp and shout, Skogs have a nasty habit of exceeding expectations. Rushing The Breaker is risky. Regaining our maximum magical potential cuts that risk in half.”… And if we get detected?“Don’t.” The Captain sighs. “Even with your ‘bag of tricks’ we’ll be severely outmatched. Battling Skogs on their home-turf is tantamount to a slow, painful suicide, doubly so if we’re stuck magicless on a floating deathtrap.”Charming, you groan, you’ll uh… take that into consideration…Upon arriving in the ‘REC DEC’ you’re greeted by what feels like the tail-end of an office Christmas Party. A jovial-looking Chytr-no, MZZ’GOE’VIRR stands poised behind the counter slinging food and chatter to his fellow fighters–chief among them a gregarious Skogess–Beats– and a weary-looking Durher woman who looks like she’d rather be anywhere else. Off in the corner stands an unusually-talkative trio: A bookish-looking Skog you recall as Barbaran, a deep-voiced Chytree, and a familiar magically-inclined Mzz’goe’virr… Huxxer, all of whom are wearing spectacles save for the Chytree.Across the room in a booth sits Tzah-Tzie, the garrulous gal locked in a spirited conversation with her fellow fuzzball… Angkis, was it? Across their table sits the ever-taciturn Wally and Morook who looks like he’d rather be anywhere else, really.Sensing your approach like a dog hearing their food bowl rattle, TT’s eyes light up like fireflies as Captain Ilga addresses the partygoers with a gruff, booming voice!“ATTENTION!”Needless to say, she GETS it! Motioning you forward, the woman waits for you to take her side before speaking again!“Right, gather round! Don’t like to strain myself.”The Irregulars fall in with admirable speed–save for Xuon who manages to amble in well after a circle’s formed. “Thought you mighta’ fallen overboard up there~” Chirps Tzah-Tzie as she greets you with a cheeky wink! “... Err, mind if I slip in, Miss…?”“Terrii.” Purrs the more playful Gnok as she lingers in the spot next to you, “And there’s plenty of other spots, love–it IS a circle, after all~”>CONTD.
>>6474931It takes a moment for Tzah-Tzie to react. Mouth agape and eyes wide with scandal, the tiny terror turns to you with disbelief plastered onto her foxlike face! “... I…. h-hey, th-that’s…!” Her shock disappears as swiftly as it arrives, replaced instead with a roguish smirk and a patronizing tone.“... Right, you’re new here… see, that spot? It’s mine. Special privilege! Sorry!”“It would appear the privilege is now mine~” Terrii purrs, earning a few laughs from the others!“Hoooooboyo, t’garlzer bestrummerin up t’pot, like!” Guffaws Angkis! “Gedder betts reddin’!”“No idea what ya’ said, but yea!” Beats adds with a knowing nod!“HOO! This circle’s sharp!” Howls Rinkle, the clown filling the room with a deluge of jingles as he throws his head back in laughter!As for Morook, well, he simply stands next to Wally outside the circle like a lost child at the supermarket–the latter watching the situation unfold with disinterest honed from years of practice.Chaos descends upon the huddle like a seagull upon an unguarded hot dog. As the room fills with jeers and japes, you catch Captain Ilga’s sharp glance out of the corner of your eye–one that says, with no words needed, ‘deal with this… or I will.’How do you shut this down?>Tell everyone to COOL IT!>Pick TT up!>Politely inform Terrii that yea, she’s in your girlfriend’s place!>Plead for everyone to stop!>Do a cool trick to defuse the situation!>Assert dominance! (How? Leave blank if you want me to decide)>Let Ilga handle it!>Write-In!
>>6474932>Assert dominance! (How? Leave blank if you want me to decide)>"I-I'm GAY!"surely this will lead to more respect from this RABBLE
>>6474932>Assert dominance! (How? Leave blank if you want me to decide)>"GOD HAS SPOKEN TO ME."Religious psychosis time.
>>6474932>Write-In!TT scrambles up our back and onto our shoulders, glaring daggers like a possessive mountain lion for the rest of the meeting.Anton sees nothing wrong with this.
>>6474953If the tie keeps up, and because I have always despised the dreaded dice roll, switch me to >>6474937I can roll with religious psychosis.
>>6474937+1 to this with the addendum of doing some kind of Divine Champion type thing to suddenly get everyone's attention too. Also Bones idunno what your plan is for Angkis magic orb but I think it would be funny if he has to strap it to his back and carry it while already being one-armed because it's Jammed. Or maybe it rolls around on the floor after him like a hamster wheel and can't float again until jammers are busted?>Chaos descends upon the huddle like a seagull upon an unguarded hot dog.Kek'd!
>>6474932>Pick TT up!
Ah, a veritable SMORGASBORD of options! Lessee what we've got...THE TALLY:>>6474934>GAY: 1>>6474937>>6474959>>6474960>GAWWWWWDD: 3, kinda>>6474953>TERRITORIAL TT: 1 (she might just do this anyways, can't control this broad)>>6475028>PICK TT UP!: 1Writing!
You’ve been called a lot of things during your brief stint on this wacky carousel they call life: weak, pathetic, wimpy, a Communist, milquetoast, stupid, cute in a two-legged pomeranian way, a limbo GOD…So when you move to retake control, you don’t do it with the pure, raw strength you definitely don’t have… you do so by channeling that one homeless guy that lived beneath Fryer Three at work:RELIGIOUS CRAZE! The most powerful–and widely accepted–kind!As the Irregulars continue to laugh and jeer, you stride with purpose into the center of the circle and shout loud enough to make your voice crack!GOD HAS SPOKEN TO ME!As you might imagine, that earns the crowd’s attention. Sensing her chance, Tzah-Tzie scrambles up your back and wraps her arms around your neck like you owed her money, glaring at her would-be opponent like a dog guarding their food dish!That’s right, you continue in a low voice as your gaze sweeps across the squad, YOU did. ANTON PEAS. Planeskipper. Adventurer. Magician par excellence!All eyes are on you now… their owners watching every move you make with rapt attention. Even Wally seems to be listening in!When they were working their day jobs? You were beating LORD ASS! When they were picking out cute fragrances for their robes and armor? You were toppling CRIMINAL EMPIRES! When they were living out their pastoral little lives in the dark? You were FREEING GODS!Barbaran adjusts his spectacles. Terrii watches with wide, engrossed eyes. Xuon looks ready to kiss you.And where you go, you add as you cast a sweeping gesture across the crowd, SOLUTIONS FOLLOW! Where they go?TT trembles with delight against your back–the girl no-doubt grinning from ear-to-ear while Morook observes from afar with approval etched into his glowing gaze.Is wherever their commander TELLS them to go! SEETHEDIFFERENCE!?The sudden snarl that leaves your lips sends everyone reeling–well, almost everyone, but the point still lands!And right now, you conclude with a resolute sigh, you’re about to save this whole damn city… so fall in… or FRIG OFF!An uneasy silence falls over the ‘Rec Dec’ like a particularly-itchy blanket and lingers long enough to make you wonder if you screwed up.Then, from the corner of the room comes a clap. Then another. And another! It’s RENNY! And after tha-“Right, stop that.” Ilga grunts, putting a kibosh on the Mzz’gal’virr’s gesture, “Couldn’t have said it better myself, Ser. Any other items of import that can’t wait?”>CONTD.
>>6475164The itchy blanket remains settled… until a solitary scoff shreds through the silence! All eyes shift from you to its owner… a green-eyed Mox who needs no introduction…“Wally…” He mutters with a cocky smirk, “Wally…”Your eyes lock with his in a fresh glare… what did he say..?!The Mox leans in a step closer. “... Wally.”The fragile calm covering the crowd comes apart like a piece of tissue paper in a dog’s mouth! Surging forward to meet Wally across the circle, you’re held back by Barbaran, the six-eyed chef, Angkis (who is SUPRISINGLY strong, by the way), and Terrii, but the way her arms wrap around your waist and the death glare TT gives her tells you she might not be doing so for the same reason everyone else is!Wally, on the other hand, is held back by Beats and an unfamiliar Chytree! Morook, in the meanwhile, looks ready to knock the offender on his squat ass!“YOU’RE OUTTA’ LINE!’ Snarls Huxxer!“BREAK IT UP!” Roars Ilga!“FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!” Cheers Rinkle!Whether it’s Wally’s words or the growing chaos you’ll never know, but whatever the reason you snatch up a ‘thread’ in the Rec Dec’s hull and YANK it upwards through the floor with a violent metallic shriek! A rash decision, sure, but it does the trick… and as the proverbial ‘dust’ settles, so too does the crowd…And Wally? He simply shakes his big head.“... Wally.”And with that, he departs. Moving to grab him, your hand is intercepted by Angkis–the stout soldier giving you a look that says ‘acch, letterm goar, boiyo’.“Apologies, Ser,” Ilga groans as the tension in the room leaves with Wally, “I’ll be sure to file another insubordination report after this.” Her hawklike gaze flits over to the corridor he departed from. “I’d like to say this is the first time this has happened, but…”“He’s something of the… ‘Bad Boy’ of the group…” Renny mutters with an apologetic sigh.“A maverick…” Huxxer grunts, earning a nod of assent from his bespectacled colleague Barbaran.“He does… get results…” Intones the unfamiliar Chytree as he glides over from the circle’s outskirts! “CAZZ’TAR, by the way.”“LEEDLE.” Mutters Tzaht-Tzie’s fellow female Durher, “And alas, alack… I’m not one of this realm eith-”“CHY-LEE, pleased ta’ meetcha!” Grunts the Mzz’goe’virr Chef with a nervous, but reassuring laugh! “And just so ya’ know: us Chytree? We ain’t used ta’ confrontations like that! Wowza!”“... You’re clearly not a-”“NEVERMIND THAT.” Ilga snarls, cutting off Morook before he can observe what you’re all thinking, “We’ll proceed with the briefing. What Irregular Wally lacks in tact he makes up for in ability, Ser Anton. The floor is yours.”>CONTD.
>>6475165Damn right it is! Clearing your throat and adjusting Tzah-Tzie’s position like a fuzzy backpack, you restart your spiel with renewed confidence!WHAT IS YOUR BATTLE PLAN? SET UP SQUADS BELOW!ITEM/ABILITY PASTEBIN:https://pastebin.com/xdk5kHyAhttps://youtu.be/VvKIH5OYcAASQUADMATES:>Tzah-Tzie (Buffs N’ Stealth)>Morook (Ranged N’ Stealth)>Angkis (Caster)>Leedle (Greatweapon)>Beats (Warrior)>Cazz-Tar (Rogue. No, I’m joking… a CASTER. DUH.)>Huxxer (Caster)>Terrii (Sword N Board)>Renny (Ranged)>Rinkle (Caster, Buffs, ‘Humor’)>Barbaran (Caster, but tough)>Cap’n Ilga (Sword N’ Board, Healing)>Wally (Wild Card)>Chy-Lee (Rogue, Healing, Caster)>Xuon (Tank/Warrior)POSSIBLE SQUADS:>ANTON TEAM>SQUAD A>SQUAD B>AIRSHIP RESERVE>WRITE-IN
>>6475166ANTON TEAM>Tzah-Tzie (Buffs N’ Stealth)>Leedle (Greatweapon)>Angkis (Caster)Let us CATMAXX. Why? I thought it would be funny. Also, generally well rounded.SQUAD A>Morook (Ranged N’ Stealth)>Cap’n Ilga (Sword N’ Board, Healing)>Rinkle (Caster, Buffs, ‘Humor’)>Renny (Ranged)Another well rounded(ish) squad.SQUAD B>Beats (Warrior)>Chy-Lee (Rogue, Healing, Caster)>Xuon (Tank/Warrior)>Terrii (Sword N Board)More aggressive squad.AIRSHIP RESERVE>Cazz-Tar (Rogue. No, I’m joking… a CASTER. DUH.)>Huxxer (Caster)>Wally (Wild Card)>Barbaran (Caster, but tough)These are the "I don't particularly care where they go one way or another" choices.
>>6475178+1I was originally thinking we would take Morook with us at our side, but honestly we should have him with Ilga to maximize their chances, and B squad not having to account for casters is smart too. This is a good layout imo.>>6475166
>>6475178+1I can roll with this, it’s not a bad idea. If we’re discovered, and stealth goes out the window, Squad Bravo has the toughness and damage to hold ground, draw the enemy, and act as a screen for the other two to disable the jammers. Having someone to act as a tank/melee damage for each of the other two squads lets them manage to fight off minor resistance that might otherwise pin or halt them. We still have Volka, Rezzy, Obber, and Johnny waiting below to act as good melee themselves.I sometimes forget that Obber is a creature of the night and also intensely tanky and dangerous as demonstrated in his fight with Rezalith.> and Terrii, but the way her arms wrap around your waist and the death glare TT gives her tells you she might not be doing so for the same reason everyone else is!Lol
>>6475166>>6475178 +1
>>6475256Yea Obber is def powerful--dude was going toe to toe with Rezalith who as we all know is the protagonistAnywho probably keeping this open a lil longer and will update later today
>>6475166Ok so, we know the squad leaders are >Leedle, Beats, Xuon, Terrii and WallyWally is his own man - following his behaviour I'd be happy to leave him alone.ANTON TEAM>Anton>Tzah-Tzie (Buffs N’ Stealth)>Morook (Ranged N’ Stealth)>Chy-Lee (Rogue, Healing, Caster)The rogues, the "quiet team". Will go and sabotage the antimagic without getting caught, as much as possible. Anton will be the frontliner here.Squad A>Cap’n Ilga (Sword N’ Board, Healing) (leader)>Terrii (Sword N Board)>Renny (Ranged)Potentially a distraction squad to take the heat off of ANTON TEAM. Terrii and Ilga get along, the extra ranged support will be nice. Can hold out on their own thanks to Ilga's tactical acumen. Would benefit the most from being reinforced by the reserve.Squad B>Leedle (Greatweapon) (leader)>Rinkle (Caster, Buffs, ‘Humor’)>Beats (Warrior)Heavy physical damage squad. Leedle and Beats can reign in Rinkle and would enjoy their buffs, they can also come help ANTON TEAM in case the alarm ends up ringing!AIRSHIP RESERVE>Xuon (Tank/Warrior) (leader)>Angkis (Caster)>Cazz-Tar (Rogue. No, I’m joking… a CASTER. DUH.)>Huxxer (Caster)Keep the casters safe and led by Xuon - once the fields go down, they'll come out and assist in a pincer attack!WILDCARD>Wally (Wild Card)Unleash him and let him do his thing.(I know i'm too late for this plan to work out, but hey, that's another option!)
>>6475178>>6475199>>6475256ANTON TEAM>Tzah-Tzie (Buffs N’ Stealth)>Leedle (Greatweapon)>Angkis (Caster)Let us CATMAXX. Why? I thought it would be funny. Also, generally well rounded.SQUAD A>Morook (Ranged N’ Stealth)>Cap’n Ilga (Sword N’ Board, Healing)>Rinkle (Caster, Buffs, ‘Humor’)>Renny (Ranged)Another well rounded(ish) squad.SQUAD B>Beats (Warrior)>Chy-Lee (Rogue, Healing, Caster)>Xuon (Tank/Warrior)>Terrii (Sword N Board)More aggressive squad.AIRSHIP RESERVE>Cazz-Tar (Rogue. No, I’m joking… a CASTER. DUH.)>Huxxer (Caster)>Wally (Wild Card)>Barbaran (Caster, but tough)>>6475392>OTHER CONFIGRight, let's DO THIS. WRITING
In conclusion, you add as you draw close to finishing sharing your squad plan, that’s why you think that…… That…“Everything alright, Ser?” Inquires Captain Ilga as she tightens her headlock on Terrii.“Arcane interference, perhaps?” Barbaran asks, earning a nod of assent from his BFF Huxxer!“Need me ta’ loosen my grip around your neck, Skip?” TT hisses into your ear.Yes, maybe, and no, you mutter, though she can get down if she wan-“Nope~”… Okay then…“So what IS the problem?” Shrugs Beats with a good-natured laugh tossed in for good measure, “Dog in yer’ throat?”No, you groan, it’s… … Does that happen here? With Zoralian ‘dogs’?“Happened to my Uncle, yea.”… look, it’s your damned pocket, you conclude as you send the offending orifice an irate gesture that no one can see! It keeps vibrating like some sort of cellph-Oh. Oooohhhh… WHOOPS!“Old fart’s gonna be piiiisssseeeedd….” Snickers TT as she continues to dangle from your neck like the laziest scarf you’ve ever seen. SSSH, you hiss as you fish the violently-vibrating SENDING STONE from your pocket, ix-nay on the easing-tay!“... Bless you?” Mutters Renny.Sending a magical pulse through the stone to activate it, you greet the person on the other side with a spirited ‘yello-’“About time you picked up, you hole-headed ignoramus!” Volkiiiieeeee, you reply as you struggle to find out how to turn off the stone’s ‘speaker’, how’s it hangi-“Low! And slightly to the left! But that ain’t important!” Snarls your favorite Star-Cloak Grandmaster, “You brief your meatshields yet? I did the calculations–you should be approachin’ the drop zone!”Just when said ‘meatshields’ begin to exchange uncertain glances, a deafening crackle blasts the REC DEC as another familiar fogey’s voice blares through the ship’s intercom system!“AHOY-HOY, ALL! CAPTAIN JOJI HERE–WE’RE APPROACHIN’ THE DROP ZONE! OVER!”… yea, you mutter as Volkir triumphantly cackles like the bastard he is, you just finished divvying everyone up an-“Well do it again! I wasn’t listenin’!”You don’t even bother sighing as TT gives you a few sympathetic back pats with her fluffy tail. WHY?“Because I’m WORRIED, that’s all!” Answers the old man’s crackly voice! R-really?“No, dumbass, I wanna see where yer’ head’s at! And I wanna know what fatheaded decisions ya’ made in case ya’ muck this all up! Y’know, fer’ historical records!”“...Is it too late to withdraw from this mission?” Whines Xuon, to which Ilga responds with a swift and harsh ‘HUSH!’>CONTD.
>>6475445You relay the plans to Volkir again as best you can: You’ll dive with CATTE CREW, Morook’ll lead the SMASH SQUAD, and Beats’ll quarterback DIAMOND DOGS.The lion’s share of the casters will remain on the Starcutter until the Jammers are down!The line goes deader than that rat you found fused to the bottom of Fryer A that one time at work. “... The Hells is a ‘Dime-A-Dogs’?”Dunno, you swiftly interject long before Beats can get started again, but how’s that all sound, hmm? Any abuse or scathing remarks he’d like to share?“Maybe later after a nap… but forget about that! You’ve got your ‘TUNNEL TERRORS’ burrowing over as we speak… and we’ve mustered some forces to carve an overland route! Should overlap a little after you an’ yer’ squads do some damage!”What if the airships take off, though, you retort with a frown!“They won’t! But if they do, well… if ya’ take care of those Jammers then we’ll be able ta’ improvise. Magic, remember?”… How could you possibly forget?“I can think of a few ways. Idiot. Right, you know what yer’ doin’, probably… and if ya’ don’t, well… ya’ ain’t gonna be in any condition ta’ complain about what we say about’cha here. Give ‘em Hells, kid! You too, Morook!”“Thanks, dad.” The Chytree mutters with an appreciative flicker in his gaze.Hang on, you add, any info on The Candidates? And, y’know… the others?Ilga cocks her head to the side as you struggle to shy away from her hawklike gaze.“Candidates’re still locked up tight at the Belltower,” Volkir grunts through the stone, “An’ we managed ta’ collect The High Bellcounter an’ The Beacon too. Taa’jhaa’s got about as much leverage now as I’ve had rounds in the sack with his mother!”It feels odd giving a rock a befuddled glance, but you manage. Huh?“Zip, but that’s bound ta’ change! Now quit flappin’ yer jaw at me an’ go kill us some Skogs, will ya? Don’t call me again til’ it’s over! That’s it! Bye, Morook!”“Bye, dad. Miss you.”The stone goes dormant once more, leaving you in a dark, quiet room with a bunch of people you’ve just met staring you down as if waiting for a miracle.… Except for Terrii. She looks like she might be waiting for something else, which is impressive considering how long the Captain’s had the poor girl in a chokehold.“RIGHT! CAP’N JOJI AGAIN! WE’RE BRINGIN’ SHUURI INTA’ ‘SILENT RUNNING’ MODE–DOESN’T MEAN SHE’LL BE SILENT, MIND–GONNA STAY PRETTY LOUD, ACTUALLY–BUT IT’S BETTER THAN FULL-BORE AND SOUNDS MIGHTY KEEN TOO! PREPARE TA’ DROP! OVER!”>CONTD.
>>6475446“Welp,” Tzah-Tzie remarks as the intercom falls silent, “Sounds like a good time as any fer’ a heroic peptalk, ey, ANTON THE UNDYING? Hmmm? Eeehhh?”Quit leaning into your cheek like that, you mutter sheepishly! A-and is she seriously putting you on the spot like this!? You didn’t expect to do a speech!“C’moooon,” Purrs the performer, “They’ll love it no matter what! Right, fellas?”Tzah-Tzie only has to Tzah-Tzurn to the others for a moment before they explode into different blends of agreement–even Ilga seems eager for a few inspiring words!“He’s so good at these…” Murmurs Morook into a clearly-disinterested Leedle’s ear.Well, you sigh as a resigned smile slips onto your face, you can never say no to an audience… ”Give ‘em the ole’ ‘Razzle-Dazzle’, kid…” RED remarks in a bemused tone, ”Funny thing about battles: y’never quite know which one’ll be your last!”Gee, thanks, prick. VERY inspiring! Right, how’re you gonna play this peptalk?>Focus on THEM! What a team!>Focus on CROSSROADS! It’s what you’re fighting for!>Focus on GLORY! Imagine all the fame!>Focus on YOURSELF! You’re doing pretty great!>Focus on THE SKOGS! Oh man, they’re in SO MUCH TROUBLE!>Focus on FREEDOM! Those Skogs can pry it from our cold, dead hands!>Focus on a Write-In! (You can even write specific lines if ya’ like! WOW!)
>>6475447>Focus on THEM! What a team!We gotta highlight their strengths and how they're perfect for the job!
>>6475447>Focus on THEM and the SKOGS! What a team! The skogs are going to be in SO MUCH TROUBLE after we're done with them!
>>6475445>“Arcane interference, perhaps?” Barbaran asks, earning a nod of assent from his BFF Huxxer!Wait a second, something's not right here...those two never interacted in the entire skirmish! You broke lore! HEY, THIS GUY'S A GREAT BIG LORE BREAKER!
>>6475457They became best friends off-screen and if you call me that again I'll write shit that makes the dude that made Heated Rivalry blush
>>6475460I suppose we'll never know what crazy adventures lead to such a brothership-from-another-mothership
>>6475455This one here, boss.>>6475460Look, we don’t need to get extreme here, okay?
>>6475447>Focus on THEM! What a team!>>6475472>I suppose we'll never know what crazy adventures lead to such a brothership-from-another-mothershipWrong. This will be the subject of my quest >BARB'N'HUX: A Dark Spinoff Story Which will be based heavily on Lethal Weapon, Rush Hour, and Driving Miss Daisy.
>>6475482Now you have to do it or a thousand year curse will fall upon you and your house
>>6475482.... AND Heated Rivalry.
>>6475499Don't you contaminate the buddy kino with your hockeyslop
>>6475447>Focus on THEM! What a team!
>>6475451>>6475482>>6475546>THE TEAM!>>6475455>>6475475>TEAM AND SKOGS!WRITING! Might throw in some Skog slander too, fuck it. Sorry Barbaran and Beats you da' real homies>>6475504I can do whatever I want... because I'M. THE. QUEST MASTER.
>>6475617>I can do whatever I want... because I'M. THE. QUEST MASTER.I was gonna say the power has finally gone to your head, but frankly that had already happened by the middle of Slice Quest or thereabouts.Was it the Pepper incident? I feel like that was the catalyst. It changed us all in different ways. I still have trouble trusting /qst/ dice.
>>6475619I became a demon long, long ago, anon... long, LONG ago...
Right, you begin with a polite cough, here’s where we’re at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTsD2FjmLswYou-err, TT?“Yezzir?” Chirps the pint-sized performer standing atop your shoulder like a smug parrot.… What are you doing, hon.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNHooTszyW4“Oh, I uh…” She mutters as she plucks away at her Striilii, “I figured you could use some accompaniment, y’know? Set the mood!”“Ah lahggit!” Smiles Angkis as Rinkle gives your gal a polite golf clap.“Gets me ichor flowin’!” Chy-Lee adds!… How is she doing that with just one instrument? The cattethinge merely meets your stare for a moment… then smiles a nervous, toothy grin.“Should I stop?”No, no, you mutter with a shake of your head, it’s rad, you were just curious, is all! Can she start over, though? You want it to start from the top of your speech.“You’re the boss.”Clearing your throat again, you give Tzah-Tzie a silent four-count before starting anew with renewed confidence!RIGHT!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTsD2FjmLswEverybody take a moment to look around this room-“Rec Dec.” Leedle mutters with a withering glare.… REC DEC. What do you see?“Soldiers.” Ilga reports.“Comrades!” Renny chirps!“Chums!” Chy-Lee laughs!“A vessel… propelled… by non-magical… means…” Intones Cazz’tar with a hint of awe!“My best pal Huxxer.” Barbaran grins as he adjusts his spectacles.“My best pal BARBARAN!” Huxxer answers with a cheeky smirk!“My BEST PAL LEEDLE!” Cackles Rinkle, bells a-jingle!“Wrong. And darkness.” Answers the cruel-eyed catte.“Cannon fodder…” Xuon mutters with a downcast sigh.“Ah rait bander ferruleyed muckstirrers!” Laughs–well, you can probably guess.Terrii winks. “A very well-put-together comman-”“AVERYWELLPUTTOGETHERCOMMANDER!” Squeaks your favorite Spinner, eyes wide and panicked!“Uh, what Tzah-Tzie said?” Morook muses with confusion etched into his features!“A glaring lack of dogs...” Frowns Beats.Wally isn’t present, but you’re pretty sure you know what he’d say.What YOU see, you retort, is a TEAM! And what could be more terrifying… more fearsome to a pack of bloodthirsty invaders… than a team?“... TWO teams?” Renny asks with a meek smile!… Rhetorical question, you mutter, but sure! “THREE TEAMS?”… Yea, this Rinkle guy pisses you off… Look, you huff, these Skog Invaders? Those Fuuxi? They’re tough, sure… but look at them now! The Fuuxi are buried, the Skog Siege is tapering off… and now? We’re on an express elevato-“DESCENDOCHAMBER.” TT corrects you politely.… DESCENDOCHAMBER... to HELL! GOING DOWN!>CONTD.
>>6475683The Irregulars exchange a smattering of glances–most of them uncertain.You aren’t gonna lie, you continue, casting a wary glance across the team, it ain’t gonna be easy–not even with DIVINE POWERS... but you’ve got something those Skogs don’t have!“Friendship?” Exclaims Renny!… The audience participation part is over.“Oh! Sorry!”No, no, you mutter, it’s fine! You didn’t-“Sorry…”No, you weren’t clear… a-anyways, you were gonna say uh… oh yea!SKOG STRENGTH! DURHER SPEED! CHYTREE INTELLECT! GNOK COURAGE! MZZ’GOE’VIRR GUILE! AND MOX STURDINESS! And with all of those strengths pooled together, you conclude as your arms sweep across the crowd, there’s nothing… NOTHING we can’t stop! No summit we can’t reach! No limit we can’t break!Issval Squad explodes into cheers as you near your speech’s conclusion… enough that you take a moment to bask in the exuberance! TT’s tail gives your back an approving pat! Ilga sends a half-smile your way! Angkis leads the lads in a cheer! Terrii mouths what you think i-… yea, I ain’t writing that down here. Giving them all a moment, you raise your fist one more time with fresh passion burning in your eyes!TOGETHER WE RISE! TOGETHER THEY FALL!You weren’t much of an athlete back on Earth–you don’t think so, anyways–but you can’t help but feel a bit giddy as the squad rushes over once your speech is done and lifts you onto their collective shoulders like something out of a sports movie!“RIGHT!” Barks Captain Ilga as Tzah-Tzie tumbles from your shoulders with a panicked yelp, “TO THE CARGO HOLD!”https://youtu.be/ToxICRNTM4w“CAP’N JOJI SPEAKIN’! APPROACHIN’ THE DROPZONE!”The intercom barely registers over the roaring winds rushing in through the lowered cargo ramp when your team arrives… and as you’re graciously lowered onto the snow-slick floor, you feel a subtle change in the air around you…Jammers, you think as your teeth begin to tingle and a dull whine gets comfortable in your ear, we’re close…!“Standing orders remain the same!” Ilga announces as TT helpfully hands you the PILLOWPLUME PACK you won from that strange merchant earlier, “Do NOT engage enemies unless instructed to by your squad leader! Focus on taking out those Jammers! Stay low, move swift, and put a button on the godsdamned chatter!”The airship lurches under a fresh gust of wind as Angkis and Leedle form up with you and TT–the older merc nodding as he straps his orb to his back as Leedle gives her blade a few last-second scrapes on a whetstone!>CONTD.
>>6475684A wave of wizardry washes over the Cargo Hold courtesy of Huxxer, Cazz’tar, and a few others!“Slowfall… and silence…” The latter explains with a flickering stare, “Use… wisely…”“Aye, they won’t last for long in this interference,” Nods Huxxer, “But take care of the noise and we’ll help any way we can!”“Good luck, you two.” Murmurs Morook as he adjusts his Slinger with a nod. “... And the rest.”“Won’t need it! Right, Ant?” Chirps TT as she tugs you low by your robe and plants a warm kiss on your lips! “Lets give ‘em a show to remember!”“Damn right! You’re up first, Ser!” Nods Ilga as she clears the ramp for your exit! “Spread your wings and fly! Gods be with you!”>ANY LAST WORDS, ACTIONS, OR MOVES (INCLUDING HOW YOU DIVE) BEFORE BEGINNING THE MISSION?>ALSO I NEED A 1d100 ROLL FROM 3 VOTERS! BEST O’ 3!
Rolled 70 (1d100)>>6475685
Rolled 62 (1d100)>>6475685Ready to rock!
Rolled 7 (1d100)>>6475685AIE AIE AIE LET'S KILL PEOPLE NOW
>>6475685Lass Go
>>6475685>whoops I slipped off of the ramp!
>>6475706You got it!
>>6475687>>6475688>>6475694>>6475706>HIGHEST ROLL: 62!WRITING!
>>647572470 is higher than 62 bonehead
>>6475731Whoops yea I'm a ditz sorry I meant that. Both pass but, y'know... questing! What a wild ride! Weird getting back in the saddle, haha! Whoops!
You’ve said all that needs to be said… and this siege won’t be broken til’ Taa’jhaa is. Taking one last breath of what little warm air remains in the Cargo Bay, you shake off your pre-jump jitters as best you can… and stride with purpose prepared to j-WHUH! WHOAAAAAAAHH!!!!!!A muttered ‘watch out’ squirms out of Morook’s… whatever he has as you take a step on a particularly-slushy patch of loading ramp and are violently LAUNCHED out the airship like band merch from a T-Shirt Cannon!Terminal velocity greets you along with a banquet of razor-sharp winds, but despite the shock of the whole situation, you somehow manage to keep your cool…… until you start spinning. THAT’S when you start screaming!https://youtu.be/qWaGVtBEt4gAt least no one’s here to hear y-“Pathetic.”A familiar bored-eyed Durher catches up with your tumbling form with admirable speed and grace.“A dismal display indeed, this early in the operation. One ill-timed tumble and our Leader’s composure lies tattered…”You make to prepare a snappy comeback, but it’s hard to manage when you’re flipping through the air like a hot dog dropped from a skyscraper! Fortunately for you, something–or someONE, rather–stops your spin cycle with a well-placed paw!“Gawrdzlaive, mehboyer! Ter’ be spunnern’ laik ern tayl ofe a furz tyme loubber, spen!”You don’t even bother trying to parse what Angkis says–you simply thank the silver-toothed soldier with a bob of your nauseous head… Just in time for a familiar fuzzball to wrap her arms around your neck like the cutest noose you’ve ever me-OW, watch the damned CLAWS!“GOTCHA!”TT, you croak as the four of you fall towards certain peril, guess that’s everyone, then?Time doesn’t wait for an answer–from the yawning abyss below, you slowly spot a muted glow akin to a single firefly in the dark… then another. And another. And another!Eyes, you swiftly surmise, and plenty of them! Emerging from the gloom like Christmas lights, the outlines of Taa’jhaa’s Airship Flotilla slowly take form in your head… you don’t see enough to be certain–you never do in this damned world–but you’d wager that if you’ve got the size estimates right, well… there might be at least five!Roughly the size of an office building, by your estimation, but you couldn’t say how many levels each one has!“Aye, boyor! Primp tharse piepers ‘fare thar spotturned!”… Yea, you HAVE to stare at Angkis after that! The meaning comes quickly, however, when you notice him squinting!Right. If you can spot their eyes, well…Excellent timing, too–no sooner do you squint does a flock of… SOMETHING whizz through the air just past you and your pals like a school of fish made of razorblades!>CONTD.
>>6475733“Whoof…” TT hisses as she hugs you ever tighter, “Air defenses, maybe? But they ain’t-”“Magical in make….” Leedle sighs as she sheathes the blade you never saw her draw, “Which clearly confirms what we’ve since surmised: these brutes hold the home-team advantage…”“Yep, ain’t it just swell….” Grumbles TT as she rests her chin on your hatted head with a sigh. “Any guesses where ta’ drop, Ant?”… Kinda? You think the flotilla’s organized in a… like a stickman pattern: one ship up-top like a head, two arms, and two legs, but you could be wrong… if those Jammers weren’t wreaking havoc on your senses before, well… They are now!At least RED’s Hellish pick-me-up is keeping you moderately warm….“I KNOW! Say, lemme get a lil’ closer!”You prepare a protest, but the performer is too peppy! Scurrying to your chest like a squirrel, Tzah-Tzie’s big ole’ eyes look up at you as one of her claws closes around the ripcord for your PILLOWPLUME PACK! A reusable parachute, if you recall correctly–not bad to have!“The others’ll have their Slowfall,” She hisses, “But we’ve got a bit more control… which one calls to ya, chief?”Good question! Where we droppin’, senpai?>The Head… or as close to it as possible! Taa’jhaa’s gotta be around there, right?>The Arms. The middle of the Flotilla! You can already taste some Jammer around them…>The Legs. As far from the ‘action’ as you can get, really… Probably the sneakiest option!
>>6475734whoops, I should mention that Angkis AND Leedle will come with ya wherever you drop. They'll cling to you or some crap
>>6475734>The Arms. The middle of the Flotilla! You can already taste some Jammer around them…Solid Anton needs to disable Metal Gear Jammer ASAP
>>6475734>The Arms. The middle of the Flotilla! You can already taste some Jammer around them…
>>6475734>The Arms. The middle of the Flotilla! You can already taste some Jammer around them…It's gotta be there. If we land right on top, it's the ideal position!
>>6475745>>6475747>>6475756>>6475804>>6475808>THE ARRRRRRMSSSShit, look at that synergy right there. Crazy. Anywho, writing! Might take a bit due to errands today, but, well... y'know.
You don’t see any sign of your other squads during your descent–meaning they’re trying and succeeding to be about as sneaky as your catte collective, or they’re dead.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1zZGd2kSiUEither way, you don’t have much time to think on it: the buzzing in your teeth seems to be much stronger near the CENTER of the flotilla, so that’s where you’re headed! Motioning for your kitty comrades to cling to you, you tug the ripcord on your pack just as that flock of sharp, swooping somethings comes whizzing by!A moment earlier and you’d be shredded… but in true parachute form there’s a moment’s delay in its deployment–just enough to let the Flotilla air patrollers, well… patrol somewhere else!“Muzzer’s mumblins’... t’hellerdoze bummering buzzers!?” Snarls Angkis under his breath as his remaining eye follows them as they depart! You dunno, you hiss back, but could, like… he choose a different spot to cling to? He’s like… breathing STRAIGHT into your mouth!“It’s… kinda crowded, yea…” Mutters TT as she struggles to share your front.“Foolishness.” Leedle sighs from a safe and comfortable perch below your PILLOWPLUME PACK! The good news is that the landing comes sooner than you expect–not that that’s a bad thing, really… you’d hate to miss an airship entirely and land in the muck! The bad news, well…https://youtu.be/iDLmYZ5HqgMIs that you land horizontally. Into what feels like some kind of smoke stack? Fortunately the sudden stop is cushioned by the two fuzzballs clinging to your front–their limp forms letting loose a pair of synchronized groans on impact. The rest of the landing is cushioned by your face.Ow.Sliding down the remainder of the stack while Leedle sighs like a teenager, you land in a heap at its base into a clump of bunched-up snow…“Well…” TT remarks with a pained grimace as you recover your footing, “We made it… for better or worse…”Kept ya waiting, huh? Beneath the hill of snow your boots find purchase on a metal deck buried a few inches below. A frown slips onto your features–metal’s not exactly easy to sneak across… and you only have to stand in place for a moment or so before your party’s collective ears perk up from activity!“There.” Leedle hisses as her eyes dart just a few feet ahead, “Sentries.”You hear them long before you see them–not that that’s a huge feat here in Zoral–but as the sentries in question lumber towards you at a lazy trot, you can’t help but tense up a little!The metal deck groans beneath their combined weight: massive steel boots, tails dragging behind them like tree trunks, tusked mountains covered in metal topped off with closed-off red-lensed helms making them seem more fearsome than ever!>CONTD.
>>6475931You’ve tangled with a few Skogs during your stay in Zoral, sure, but seeing them fully geared-up for a fight? You’d be lying if you said the sight didn’t give you the heebie-jeebies!Tzah-Tzie merely watches as they approach–her spritely smile replaced by a stony expression as she preemptively closes her eyes. Angkis instinctively reaches for his Orb, but his claw stops mid-reach when he remembers the Jammers! And Leedle? She merely waits like a cat poised to pounce…Poses aside, the team silently looks to you for instruction. How do you handle this?>You’ve got weapons–take these punks out while you’ve got the element of surprise!>Let them pass… no need to risk it for the biscuit!>Tail them both–maybe they’ll let some intel slip!>VENTRILOQUISM! See if you can draw them away!>Send someone after them and continue! (Who send?)>Write-In!
>>6475933>VENTRILOQUISM! See if you can draw them away!Maybe see if we can mimic another Skog voice we know to trick them into leaving in the direction of the jammer, like saying it needs to be looked at? We could follow them and sneak attack, two versus two, then hit the jammer...
>>6475933>Let them pass… no need to risk it for the biscuit!They shouldnt even know we're here!>closed-off red-lensed helmswait a minute... how do we know the color if it's all DARK?
>>6475973Because they glow because of the eyes behind em. Don't think too hard in my quests--it'll only hurt your head
>>6475933>Let them pass… no need to risk it for the biscuit!........................
>>6475933>VENTRILOQUISM! See if you can draw them away!>Hey guys lookit me down here off the ship I found some captives nice and pudgy good eating haha amirite? Better come along before I eat it all haha lookit me!
>>6476104If the tie keeps up, switch my vote to>Let them pass… no need to risk it for the biscuit!But if not, this anon >>6475959 has a good idea.
>>6476104Holy shit how did a Skog Sentry get in here
>>6476104AIE AIE. SWAP MY VOTE (>>6476080) TO SUPPORT THISTIES ARE ICKY
>>6475933>Let them pass… no need to risk it for the biscuit!or in other words stay silent maybe they'll think you have disappeared
>>6476107Someone left the damn door open.
>>6475959>>6476104>>6476108>VENTRILOQUISM!!!!>>6475973>>6476195>LETTEM PASSWRITING!
>>6476317Wait, no I'm not! ROLL FOR IT! ROLL FOR ME>Roll me 1d100+5 (+3 All The World's a Stage, +2 Spinner Support, +2 Good Write-In (2gAq0nnj)+2 Favorable Beginnings, -2 Extra Squaddies, -2 Wary Patrols) to VENTRILOQUIZE! Best o' 3 rolls!
Rolled 37 + 5 (1d100 + 5)>>6476318With these upgrades, they never stood a chance.
>>6476325It would appear they stood a chance. We have two rolls left, at least!
Rolled 52 (1d100)>>6476318okay, roll
Rolled 77 + 5 (1d100 + 5)>>6476318
>>6476325>>6476341>>6476350>HIGHEST ROLL: 82!WRITIIIINGG
As the Skogs draw closer, you preemptively press your hand against Angkis’ mouth and earn a befuddled glare for your troubles! That’s not all you were doing preemptively, though–see, while everyone was listening to the sentries, YOU were warming up your vocal cords!“Ha ha oh shit, here it comes….”Tzah-Tzie Tzah-Tzpeaks the truth! Just when the Skog stomps start to shake the scaffolding surrounding you, a new Skog recruit sounds the alarm!‘hey lookit me im a skog an its my first day an i found some really tasty-looking captives down here off the ship haha lookit me an they look really fat and tasty too boy golly you two should come and share some with me im not anton peas lookit me’The sentries stiffen at the sudden suggestion–their red-tinted gazes meeting as they process the information as Leedle groans as quietly as she can manage!“... Call it in?”The other nods. “... Call it in.”D’OH!Something crackles at the first Skog Sentry’s side–but just as you snatch a knife-wielding TT out of the air mid-pounce, the Sentry pauses.“... Wait… he DID say they were fat, right?”Their partner nods. “AND tasty.”The Armored Skogs exchange a long, silent stare… and then scamper off the way they came, no doubt towards some sort of disembarkment point!“HEY NEW GUY, WAIT UP!”“I WANT THE FATTEST ONE!”“NAH, DIBS”“DAMMIT”Waiting until the bootstomps grow faint, you turn to your squaddies with a smug smirk that puts TT’s to shame!“... They told us you were good…” Leedle nods with unusual approval.“Aye, a regglar Beesee’s bazzard, ‘tez!” Laughs Tzah-Tzie! Yea, just kidding–it was ANGKIS!“Well, they’re gone…” TT observes somewhat unnecessarily, “... So what now? Head the way they came… or the way they were headed?”Good question! Without any intel and a head full of fuzz from that damned Jammer, you wouldn’t know the first place to start to find these damned things! Sure, the Sentries might’ve been on the way to check on the Jammer… but they could as easily have been on the way to the Snack Bar or something for a pick-me-up!“Whatcha’ thinkin’, Chief? Divide n’ conquer?” Suggests the Spinner as she cocks her head to the side.“Amidst the inherent risks… there may be a reward.” Leedle remarks as she hefts her blade. “We have many soldiers on our side… but Time isn’t one of them.” She glances into the surrounding murk. “And every boot we add to these balloons is another capable of being uncovered by similar sentries.”>CONTD.
>>6476409“Aye, terz’ a brainboggler, ‘tez.” Angkis nods warily. “Burd t’aint nar groond gainer’d b’setterin’ on arr toesers!”… He has a point. Probably. You’ve gotta work fast while you have the element of surprise–lord knows the other squads aren’t as good Ventriloquists as you are!Where to?>Head the way The Sentries were headed! Maybe they were gonna relieve some other guards!>Go the way The Sentries entered from! You think it might lead you indoors!>Split the party! (Who goes with you?)>Write-In!
>>6476410>Head the way The Sentries were headed! Maybe they were gonna relieve some other guards!Don't wanna head towards their break room!
>>6476421+1 I think we should stick together. Angkis and his Eye will be useful when the jammer is scuttled and with three of us to cover the squad is solid, but before then if we stick him with Leedle or TT, it'll just be a liability.
>>6476421+1
>>6476410>Head the way The Sentries were headed! Maybe they were gonna relieve some other guards!
>>6476421>>6476438>>6476549>>6476619>GO THE WAY OF THE GUARDS!Writing! Might take a bit since work, but y'know
It’s a 50/50 choice, really, and when the proverbial coin falls, well… you opt to take over the route the wayward sentries abandoned! None of your catte comrades complain, but whether that’s due to their implicit trust in your tactics or simple resignation remains unclear.Nevertheless, you persist…Following the original patrol route leads you toe-first into a guardrail.STUBBED TOE COUNTER: 40!After a bit of reorienting, however, along with retracing your steps to what feels like a path etched into the airship’s walkway, you trudge ever-so-sneakily past a few more idling Skog Soldiers into what you soon realize is some sort of rampway leading deeper into the belly of the proverbial ‘beast’! “Inside, huh?” TT remarks as you linger at the ramp’s head, “Gonna be harder to slip past sentries…”Sure, you shrug, but these Jammers… wouldn’t it be smarter to keep ‘em inside where they can’t be hit easily?“Prudent indeed, yes…” Murmurs Leedle as her perpetually-bored peepers gaze deeper into the airship’s guts, “Shall we, then? You first.”Gee, you mutter, thanks... though truth be told you’d rather go first anyways–you’re loads stealthier when Tzah-Tzie isn’t doing that annoying thing where she trots right in front of your feet an-“WHOOPS!”AND TRIPS YOU JUST LIKE THAAAAAAT!!Tumbling head-over-heel down the ramp, you manage to slow your descent by smashing into a few walls on the way down… good thing, too, because when you hit the bottom your head is pounding like a drum at a power metal concert! To your great surprise, however, it’s not from the head trauma!… Well, not JUST from the head trauma… craning your neck so you can peer through a doorway to an adjacent room left open, your senses are immediately buffeted by… Well, some sort of force!That’s not all–over the din of what can only be some sort of massive engine comes the sound of Slingers being fired… their Skog users cruelly-cackling at whatever their targets might be!“THERE you are!”The remainder of your ‘Dream Team’ scurries down the ramp to regroup.“Tere’ been a great muckkuvem a steppover!” Hisses Angkis as his remaining eye darts to the landing above! “Keeper’ kreeperin’, boyer!”Hold that thought, Angkis, you murmur as you cock your head towards the open doorway, you hear something! Joining you in dropping some eaves, the cattething cadre creeps into the room with you at their head just as a panicked shriek rings out above the roaring machines!“Hells… damned cords need a greasin’...” Mutters a helmet-clad Skog just a stone’s-throw above you on some kind of catwalk, “Got any?”>CONTD.
>>6476813“Fuck off!” Snarls the other as he fiddles with his own Slinger! “Yer’ always usin’ too much–das’ yer’ problem!”“I do NOT!” Roars the original as he gives the gangway a spirited stomp, “If ya’ don’t slather enough the cords’ll crack! Fact!”“Fiction!” Counters his counterpart! “One dollop on yer talon… then SMEAR! How many times have ya’ run outta’ grease, hmm? An’ how often does yer’ Slinger gum up?”The former Skog pauses ever-so-sheepishly. “... Big Azznaa says ya’ need ta’ slather it…”“Well Big Azznaa says Durhers can’ read minds!” The other answers with a derisive snort! “What’cha say ta’ that, ey?”It takes you a moment to realize The Sentry isn’t speaking to his partner any longer–following his red-tinged gaze, your eyes fall upon a sorry, simpering sight:A trio of Durhers tremble like trees in a typhoon next to the source of the stinging sensation in your teeth and eyes–their movements jangling unseen chains around their neck and legs!“N-n-not a th-thing, no!” Sputters the center slave, their weary eyes wide in fresh panic! “No readin’ minds for us, Goodsers…”“Right!” Cackles the informed Skog, “Cuz’ if ya’ did, you’d know who I’m about ta’ aim at! GHAHAHAH!”A fresh Slinger dart leaps from the Skog’s weapon and clangs against something thick and metallic at the captive Durher’s side, prompting him and his associates to hasten their work at what you can only assume are machine controls!“Don’t mind us!” Sneers The Skog as The Durhers work with renewed haste, “Jus’ keep a steady pace an’ you ain’t gonna get skewered!”“Seriously,” Mutters his mate, “Gimme some grease.”“FUCK. OFF.”As the two continue to ‘motivate’ their workers, you and your workers exchange a wary glance… The Skogs are up on a catwalk which won’t make them easy to sneak up on… and you probably shouldn’t do anything rash until you know for sure what the heck this room is…All the same, it’s only a matter of time before one of those Durhers gets hurt! What do?>Lure a Skog down and jump ‘em!>Try to slip over to The Durhers and talk!>Make a distraction to lure The Skogs out!>Toss some cattethings up there! ATTACK!>Free the workers! You can chat ‘em up elsewhere!>Try to find a way to destroy that machine!>Write-In!
>>6476814>Write-In!>Lure a Skog down and jump ‘em!Have TT nab their communicators off of them like the petty thief she excels at being, and then draw one of them down with the promise of ABUNDANT GREASE. Then, y’know, kill them.
>>6476876+1 Using her Thieving skills to isolate them is big-brained.
>>6476814>>6476876 +1
>>6476876>>6476878>>6476997>TZAH-TZHIEVERY!>VENTRILOGREASE!>steveharvey"KIIIIILLL".mp3Hoo boy roll time. I need 3 ROLLS of 3d100! I'll hash out the bonuses/maluses below:>Roll 1: TT Stealth! +5(+4 Sneaky Spinner, +2 Distracted Skogs, +2 Surprised, -3 Tricky terrain, -1 Jammer Pains)>Roll 2: Ventriloquism! +7(+3 All The World's A Stage, +2 Spinner Support, +2 Good Write-In, -5 Dependent on Roll 1 Success)>Roll 3: KILL -1(+7 CATTETHING CADRE, -+5 Depending on success of Roll 2, -5 Skog Soldiers, -3 No Magic)Roll me some dice!
Rolled 69, 24, 8 = 101 (3d100)>>6477078TT!
Rolled 45, 20, 77 + 7 = 149 (3d100 + 7)>>6477078VENTRILOQUATION
Rolled 62, 45, 82 = 189 (3d100)>>6477078steveharvey"KIIIIILLL".mp3
>>6477079>>6477087>>6477108>HIGHEST ROLLS:>1 (TT Stealth): 73!>2 (Ventriloquism): 52!>3 (KIIIIIIILLLLL): 86!WRRRRIIITTIIIIINNGGG
>>6477112>2 (Ventriloquism): 52!I think it's 85 boss
>>6477116Eh? For the second roll?
>>647711877+7?
>>6477087>Rolled 45, 20, 77Oh I'm slightly dumb it'd be 84, unless we are doing Mid of Three instead of Best of Three?
>>6477126Oh, sorry--I needed three rolls each, one for TT's Stealth Check, one for Anton's Ventriloquism, and one for attacking the Skogs in the end, hence why I wanted everyone to roll a 3d100. I take the best of those three rolls. So looking at>>6477079>>6477087>>6477108Then the best of Roll 1 would be 69. Best of Roll 2 should be 45. Best of Roll 3 should be 82. Anyways it doesn't really matter much since you lucky duckies passed, so.... anyways!
The Captive Durher’s risks end up being your reward! While the sinister Skogs shoot their Slingers at their scrambling slaves, you softly share your scheme with your stalwart squaddies!“Savvy!” Says the spunky Spinner with a sneaky smirk! “Shall we?”You shall, you nod with a conspiratorial wink! There are plenty of things you could say about the feisty fuzzball–maybe not all of them in polite company–but when her lime-green gaze fades into the shadows you can’t help but marvel at how sneaky she can be!“Ach, tharz’ a dyyed in ther’ fuzz sneekerfeef ef oi ever sawrswon!” Hisses Angkis as he draws a blade from his side!“Well see….” Leedle chides as the three of you watch from afar giddier than kids on Christmas Eve!Your plan, as you so-succinctly shared a moment earlier, is simple… a classic three-parter! The appetizer? Disabling The Skog’s communicators. You couldn’t quite tell how they operated in that brief moment up-top, but if there’s one thing you can count on TT to do, it’s improvise! Whether she needs to pop them off The Skog’s armor or simply shut them down with a stealthy stab doesn’t matter: what matters is that they can’t cry for mommy!If Tzah-Tzie runs into any trouble, you don’t hear it… and neither do The Skogs!“Heheh… hey, if you had ta’ choose,” Snickers the first shooter, “Which one’d you wanna eat first?”“One on the right, fer sure!” Answers his aiming associate as another dart flies from his weapon!“... Huh?” Mutters Skog One, “That ain’t the fattest one, though…”“H-hey… thanks!” Chirps the Not-Fattest furball by the machine with a sheepish laugh! “I’ve really been trying to stick to this ‘Oulb Shoot Diet’ an-”“SHADDAP, SCUM!” Snarl The Skog Shooters in sublime synchronization! “And, well,” mutters the second after firing a shot at the dieting Durher’s head, “Look: my mate read this study from Umberal, right? Said that too much fatty meat ain’t good for ya.”“Pfft! ‘UMBERAL’! Like they know what’s good fer’ Skogs!” Spits Skog One with a derisive snort! “And here I thought you and Boori’d be smart enough to pick out the inherent biases against Skogs in those studies! Guess I was WRONG!”“H-hey, leave Boori outta’ this!” Grunts his fellow guard with an indignant scowl! “She’s… she just wants me ta’ be healthy!”“Right… with UMBERAL studies! Y’know who comes up with those, don’tcha?” Continues Skog One with a wary glimmer in his red-tinged gaze! “DURHERS. Durher Think-Tanks! And they’d LOVE ta’ keep Skogs malnourished and flimsy, now, wouldn’t they!?”>CONTD.
>>6477172“A-actually,” Stammers the leftmost Durher, “I used to be on one of those research panels and, well, eating too much fatty meat CAN be detrimental in the long-run, even to Sk-”“SHADDAP, FATTY!” Snarl The Skog Shooters in subsequent sublimer synchronization! “... He’s mine, by the way.” Adds Skog One as he paws at his shooter, “Ta’ Hells with da’ ‘research’... I like ‘em juicy… now if I could just get my claws on some Paragonsdamned grease…”And that, you think, is where you come in! See, while they were jabbering about diets and TT was presumably working her magic, you were readying your vocal cords for another audible assault!’hey lookit me i got some grease fer your shooter haha lookit me greasy boy over here thats what they call me haha’Your bait is bitten in seconds flat, and within moments four red-lensed eyes are locked in on your position!… Well, they would be… if you hadn’t WALKED A FEW STEPS AWAY first! Chessmaster!“Hey, ‘ja hear that!?” Exclaims Skog One as he points his Slinger’s business end towards the exit!“You bet I did!” Snarls his associate! “They must think we’re IDIOTS!”A shiver runs down your spine as both Leedle and Angkis’ gaze meet yours with equal amounts of panic! If Tzah-Tzie hasn’t Tzah-Tzone her Tzah-Tzask…!“Greasy Boy is down HERE? In The Jagged Peak’s Jammer Control Room!?” Skog One sputters in clear disbelief! “No way–he’d never grace grunts like us with his presence!”“But… but what if he DID!?” Mutters his fellow marauder! “A-and… What if we’re the only ones who know he’s here!?”The Skogs exchange a wary, red-tinged glance.“... Call it in?”“And bring the rest of the pricks running ta’ snatch up all our grease!? FUCK no! C’mon!”“Wait! Lemme stow my Slinger first! Don’t wanna accidentally shoot anyone if they surprise us!”“Oh yea! Hey, let’s take off our helmets too! That way Greasy Boy’ll see who we are!”“C-can we have some?” Squeaks the central-working Durher with a weak smile!“No.”One Skog barely has time to recover from hopping from the scaffold before Angkis CRASHES into the back of his knee with the strength of a very angry, fuzzy medicine ball!It doesn’t seem to hurt the hulking horror, but it’s all Leedle needs to bring her greatblade cleaving across the Skog’s now-exposed neck! Eyes wide and mouth agape from the surprise, Skog Two’s head goes careening across the room like a wayward beach ball before landing with a dull ‘SPLUT’ in front of the center-assigned Durher!While they’re busy fainting, the remaining Skog’s eyes widen in shock! They certainly weren’t expecting an attack, but they definitely weren’t expecting a familiar set of lime-green eyes scampering up his tail and back either!>CONTD.
>>6477173A muffled ‘shhk’ rings out from above as Tzah-Tzie buries her POISONED BLADE in the remaining Skog’s neck… and while he gurgles in angry protest, the attack is not enough to bring him down!… Well, the attack DOES cause him to stumble off the catwalk and down to where you and the others are, but you get the picture! Wide-eyed and snarling, you see something slowly emerge in the Skog’s eyes… something… primal...!… He’s not gonna try to KISS you, right!? RIGHT!?“L-LOOK OUT!” Exclaims the Dieting Durher with fresh fear in his features, “He’s… going BERSERK!”… Thank god… wait, what was that about going ‘berse-’A beastly bellow rocks the room as the remaining Skog smacks a nearby machine into metallic splinters with one swing of his tail! … Ah. Right.“You got this, Ant!” Chirps TT as a few spirited strums spring from her striilii! “Give ‘em a good show, yea?”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEzBebzmLOQAngkis and Leedle form up on your flanks as the drooling, panting Skog rips a fresh machine from its moorings, presumably to wield it like some kind of cudgel!Super. What do!?>Wear it down together with some dodges… then strike!>See if you can get him to destroy the Jammer!>Slow him down with some Pricklepod caltrops!>Trip him up with your Telescoping Meat Hook!>You’ve still got some DEVIL POWER–enough to heat the metal in his claws, maybe!>Throw Leedle and Angkis at his exposed head!>Try to reason with him!>Break line-of-sight, then sneak up on the bastard!>Write-In!
>>6477174>See if you can get him to destroy the Jammer!Nothing'll get those jammers down faster than retard skog rage.
>>6477174>See if you can get him to destroy the Jammer!Ey, sorry, I was busy petting Leedle for 24 hours straight. Thank goodness the update's still open!
>>6477174>See if you can get him to destroy the Jammer!Lemonade moment
>>6477184>>6477251>>6477256>IT'S TIME TO SLAM JAMLet your anger work for YOU! Or rather... someone ELSE'S anger!>Roll me 1d100+1 (+7 Spinner and Squad Support, +3 Berserk Skog, +3 LIMBOOO, -10 BERSERK SKOG, -2 Cluttered Quarters) to smack this machine! Best of 3 rolls!
Rolled 9 + 1 (1d100 + 1)>>6477538
Rolled 94 + 1 (1d100 + 1)>>6477538it'll all work out trust
Rolled 68 + 1 (1d100 + 1)>>6477538AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
>>6477620Is it better to get a natural 69, or to gain one through bonuses?
>>6477622It's contextual. Per The Official Dark Quest Strategy Guide, rolling a natural 69 will cause Tzah-Tzie to be overcome by her feral urges and jump your bones for a few hours. Needless to say this can have a few effects on the current intended actions.>>6477543>>6477577>>6477620>HIGHEST ROLL: 95!WRITINGGGGGG
Sorry, all--not ignoring ya. Today got real busy outta nowhere and I still have some shit to do. Might get something out tonight, maybe tomorrow early--sorry again for keeping you waiting!
You don’t have time to fight this mook! You’ve gotta’ take down that Jammer, save those poor and presumably unpaid Durhers AND disrupt this stupid flotilla so your allies have a fighting chance! Ugh! If… if only there was some way you could take care of it all at once!… Wait a second!“We don’t have a second,” Leedle grumbles as a fierce bellow burns your ears, “We’re being charged.”… W-with what? You’ve never been arrested in your… OH, YIKES!Ducking below what feels akin to having a freight train swung at your head, every bone in your body rattles like a tuning fork when the berserk Skog slams their machine-turned-mallet into the wall behind you! Fortunately you and the others are well a way’s away when the tusked terror tries to catch you on the backswing–even TT stops strumming for a second to relocate further down the catwalk above!“ARKH! HE BE SPATTERN SORE AN’ WHALLORPIN’ WARLLS LIKEA’ BLINDERED BLUGERRER!”Angkis took the words right out of your mouth! H-hey, you shout as The Skog charges at you with froth falling from his mouth like snowmelt from a rooftop, cut it out! You’re gonna break someth-If he hears you, he chooses not to heed your practical advice–quite the opposite, really! The chamber fills with the sound of screeching metal as the Skog soldier carves a brutal swathe through the floor’s machinery! Dodging blows, sparks, and sharp edges, you slowly but surely lead him towards the device dominating the room!Fortunately Angkis and Leedle catch on almost immediately… and instead of moving to strike, they instead goad some extra swings from the smasher to help herd him towards your target! TT, meanwhile, keeps the tunes coming! … Is it weird if you admit they kinda help? Even with magic muted, the steady beat keeps you focused… no, you’re not just making excuses for your girlfriend! SHADDAP!The Durhers working the device finally catch wind of your antics just in time to scuttle away as your anger-fueled assailant brings his improvised armament arcing over his head for a decisive blow… but rage is a helluva drug–and as you bust out one of your Anton-brand SIDE-LIMBOS (In which you just kinda dart to the side with a cagey whimper), all that remains in the unwieldy weapon’s wake is what you can only assume (and hope) is one of the MAGIC JAMMERS!>CONTD.
>>6477894A shriek of steel and a low, metallic groan are the only warnings you get before the machine behind you violently erupts in a shower of piping-hot steam and foul-smelling fluids–the caustic cocktail enough to send every Durher packing like someone farted in an elevator! Not one to be ignored, The Skog roars in frustration as you hear steam splash against his face, sending him reeling like he’d just taken a truck to the face!You, on the other hand? Well… y-you’re feeling GREAT! The persistent itch in your teeth fades as the steam leaks grow… and like a heavy backpack being lifted from your shoulders you feel the Jammer’s power over you fade away like a paycheck into a slot machine!“AAAARRRHARHAAARR! T’ORB BE HUNGKERIN’ FER’ A BLOODERLETT, IT BE!” Cackles Angkis as he unsheathes his magical focus with a manic look on his one-eyed face!“For once we agree, o’ foul-scented soldier…” Adds Leedle with equal parts menace on her mug! “But let us hurry… the rest are certain to surmise our sabotage soon…”As if on-cue, a low, rumbling horn blares across the floors above–right, you think as you sidestep a clumsy Skog swing, they’d totally notice a Jammer going down! Drat!“Ant!” TT exclaims with an alert expression, “I hear boots far above! We’re gonna have company!”“Aye, me chue…” Nods Angkis!“Me as well…” Mutters Leedle!Damn it, does EVERYONE have better senses than you do here?“Aye.”“Yes.”“Mhm!”“GRUUUUH!”Oh right, the Skog! Still berserk, from the looks of things! Unfortunately for him, you think as you just barely avoid having your face smacked off your head by another wild swing, you’ve got some MAGIC at your fingertips!No time to waste–how do you and the others take care of this kook!?>HELLFIRE!>GEOMANCY!>Leave it to your TEAM!>TT! Use that Paralyzing wand thingie!>Just RUN! Maybe take the other Durhers with you!>Write-In!
>>6477895>HELLFIRE![RED]KILL THEM ALL[/ISTHECOOLESTDEMON]
>>6477895>Just RUN! Maybe take the other Durhers with you!His zerk rage should hold back the people coming down, hopefully...
>>6477895>TT! Use that Paralyzing wand thingie!Don't wanna start a fire, don't wanna leave a berserk Skog to tip everyone off that we are here, though the jammer being down will attract attention - every second counts for the other teams.
Also gonna be outta' town this weekend so expect sporadic updates, if any. Big family thing, you know how it is!
>>6477895>TT! Use that Paralyzing wand thingie!
>>6477895>Just RUN! Maybe take the other Durhers with you!Perfect. We’re gone, the other guards arrive to find a conveniently enraged Skog tearing up the ship with no explanation, and are forced to deal with that while having no idea what happened. You couldn’t ask for a better cover.
>>6477931AIEEEEE I HATE TIESCHANGING VOTE TO>Just RUN! Maybe take the other Durhers with you!
>>6477945>>6478144>>6478146>PEAS FAMILY TECHNIQUE>>6477962>>6478111>BRRRZZATStill outta town but I wanna keep shit movin:>Roll me 1d100-2 (+3 Swift Footwork, +2 Illusionist Initiate, +3 TT Leads the Way, -5 Big Group, -3 Berserk Skog, -3 Chained Chums, -2 More Incoming) to slip out! Best o' 3!
Rolled 98 - 2 (1d100 - 2)>>6478230
>>6478230This quest has a severe lack of nat 100s.>>6478146Sorry, anon.
Rolled 57 - 2 (1d100 - 2)>>6478280Forgot my roll
Rolled 80 - 2 (1d100 - 2)>>6478230
>>6478254>>6478281>>6478300>HIGHEST ROLL: 96!Call me Garfield, cuz' I hate Mondays! Hope this upcoming update'll make you feel better, though. We're back! WRITING
Skogs! One can be fun… but… but more than one? You’d better run!Ducking another mashed-up machine hurled at your heads, Leedle gives you a more disapproving glance than usual! What, you retort, it’s… it’s a phrase!“... No one has ever used that phrase. Ever.” She murmurs as she cleanly bisects another piece of machinery with one smooth swing of her Greatblade, “And no one will ever use it again.”… Y-you might! Anyways, it’s pertinent! You can probably corral this guy for at least another post or so, but if those reinforcements arrive!?TT, you bark as you duck between your angry attacker’s legs, pack up the performance–we’re leaving!“Bawadderboud dem’ pitysome prizzers!?!” Angkis exclaims as his trust ORB putters to life with renewed magical energy! Right, right… those pitysome prizzers! You almost forgot! Fortunately Tzah-Tzie’s attempt at exiting stage right earns the attention of your assailant… which gives you just enough breathing room to scamper over to the slaves with Angkis and Leedle! While she screams and scurries back and forth beneath a scrap metal barrage, you approach what looks like the Durher working the center of the Jammer devise–the poor thing trembling and huddled beneath some wreckage like an abandoned kitten!“Y-y-you…” He murmurs, wide-eyed with fear, “Th-they’re not going to like this… n-not one bit!”That’s why you did it, you answer with a nonchalant shrug! Screw these Skog slavedrivers, right?“Th-they’re going to punish us!” Sputters the Leftmost Durher as you give Angkis a well-deserved fistbump, “Once they see their machine all broken, well…!”Which is why you’re LEAVING, you reply somewhat hastily over the sound of Tzah-Tzie yelping and dodging scrap metal behind you! So c’mon!“W-WAIT!” Sputters the Central Durher as you move to pick him up like a rowdy Pomeranian, “DON’T! I-If we leave, they’ll…”NOT kill them? C’mon, dude, you don’t have time to argue, jus-As you pick up the struggling fuzzball, your hand brushes against a heavy, jagged gizmo tightly-bound around the Durher’s neck like a metallic ring… but while the outer rim is smooth as rusted metal can be, the interior is covered in nasty, serrated spikes pointed towards the prisoner’s neck!“All they have to do is push a button in the c-control room,” The prisoner mutters as his wide eyes wander upwards, “And… h-heads will roll…”Hmm, you frown as the room fills with the sound of crashing scaffold and panicked shrieks from your favorite Spinner, yep, Corporate had you wear something like this once for a few shifts back at work… was pretty effective until a few malfunctioned and prompted all those Senate hearings, but hey–you got a few unpaid days off, so…>CONTD.
>>6479086“Not to interrupt,” Leedle interrupts, “But do we intend to flap our gums until reinforcements arrive?”You weren’t planning on it–the sound of heavy boots pounding across the floor above you tell you everything you need to know… oh, and TT is probably getting tired of drawing aggro.“YEPI’MDONE” She squeaks!Super. Snatching up the Durher Captives like watermelons on sale at the grocery store, you lead the charge towards the exit despite their protests…… and subsequently skid to a halt right in front of a platoon of masked Skog mooks!Fortunately Mama Peas didn’t raise a stooge… and neither did Mama Angkis, Leedle, or Mama Prisoner 1, Mama Prisoner 2, or Mama Prisoner 3 either! Your eyes are SLAMMED SHUT long before you see the Skog Squad!Based on the lack of firing or shouting, it sounds like TT got the memo–if the sound of a machine slamming against the wall just next to you is any indicator, however, the berserk Skog did not! “HELLS!” Grunts the masked leader a mere stones’-throw in front of you, “He’s gone rabid! Deploy incense and move to detain!”“Deploying!” Barks his squaddies as you hear the click of some sort of gizmo! “Crazy bastard’s tore the whole place up…”A smell somewhere between burnt vinegar and buttered hair emanates from the doorway–one that causes your entourage to barely stifle a gag as it slowly drifts into the room! Daring to open an eye, you see your opportunity for an exit as one of the armored Skogs takes a wary step deeper… As their crazed comrade’s anger wanes, you wait til’ you feel a familiar set of claws dip into your shoulders before LIMBOING past the patrollers and out the way they arrived!As you deftly climb the ramp with your quiet colleagues, the ping of some sort of communication device bounces off your ear on your exit!“Jagged Peak Command, this is Idri Squad–Jammer disabled. Operator status unknown, one rabid in-”The Skog pauses.“... Understood. Rendering punishment and sweeping.”The conversation barely concludes before the squad raises their machine-gun-like weapons–BLEEDERS, if you recall correctly, and subsequently light up their crazed compatriot like a Christmas Tree!You feel TT’s pulse quicken as she presses closer against your back–the Durher captives staring wide-eyed towards the carnage as you, Leedle, and Angkis climb the ramp back towards the upper decks!“Th-they… they just executed him…” Mutters a Durher Machinist as they dangle from your hand like an unruly puppy! “Just like that!”>CONTD.
>>6479087“And you’re surprised?” Tzah-Tzie retorts in a low, still-shaken tone! “... Why?”“W-we knew the risks when we agreed to work aboard their airships,” The captive meekly replies, “But, well… normally they aren’t so… zealous towards their own…”“You AGREED to work for them!?” TT sputters in wide-eyed disbelief! “I thought you were slaves!”“These are merely… motivational tools…” Mutters the captive amidst a few murmurs of assent from his pals, “But yes, um… w-we volunteered. Better than what they had us doing back West…”Yep, yep, yep, you groan, never a dull moment… at any rate, you’ve got some magic again–but if what just transpired is any indicator, this place’ll be on full-alert any minute now! Taking your team to what you can only hope is a secluded corner of the snow-caked upper deck, you plot out your next move as a horn continues to blare from a central spire!“If you wouldn’t mind,” Mutters your captive as you set him down with his fellow fuzzballs, “Could you please release us from these collars? There’s no telling when they’ll trigger…”“Aye, t’ard ter’ chatterbogs whil’ yer’ gabber be gibbetterd!” Remarks Angkis with a knowing nod!Totally, you reply, just, uh… gotta figure out the best way to–hang on, those are made of metal, right? Not, like… crystals or anything?“Chitin?” Leedle suggests.“Resin?” Adds TT.The captives exchange a concerned glance. “... Yes?”Sick, you grin, you can work with that! As you whip up some LOCALIZED GEOMANCY, you decide to pick these prisoner’s brains while you can…CHOOSE 1-2!>What were they doing in The West?>Do they know where the other Jammers are?>How does one get from one airship to the other?>Taa’jhaa. How do you get to him?>Where are they from, originally?>Any Security or Baddies you should be aware of?>Nevermind, actually!>Write-In!
>>6479088>>Taa’jhaa. How do you get to him?>>How does one get from one airship to the other?Gotta trust the other squads to knock out their jammers, and we can close in on the Breaker meanwhile. We can learn more about the West and more after we've won.
>>6479088>Taa’jhaa. How do you get to him?>Any Security or Baddies you should be aware of?
>>6479088>What were they doing in The West?I wanna know what they were doing in the west>Taa’jhaa. How do you get to him?
>>6479088>Taa’jhaa. How do you get to him?>How does one get from one airship to the other?Long as we know where each ship is, we know where each Jammer is. After that, there’s only one target.
>>6479088>Taa’jhaa. How do you get to him?>How does one get from one airship to the other?
>>6479093>>6479097>>6479098>>6479113>>6479267THE TALLY:>TAA'JHAA: 5!>AIRSHIP TO AIRSHIP: 3!>SECURITY: 1!>WESSSSSSSST: 1!Writing later!
>>6479337Damn, now we'll never know what they were doing out west...
>>6479341Yes... NEVER! EHEHEHEHEH NEVER EVER
Soooo, you chirp like a stylist making conversation while giving someone a trim, they’ve probably heard all kinds of wild shit on this boat, huh?“Yes…” mutters The Central Durher–hereby referred to as Centy–as he watches you tug away at his torture device with growing trepidation, “They said we’d have lodgings… that we’d be treated like staff… but… w-we’re packed into niches… barely enough to fit us all… and those that slack or disobey? I… I can still hear the metal closing around their necks… that horrible, HORRIBLE noise..!”Yea, well, you mutter as his coworkers fall into equally-mortified catatonia, you were more referring to, y’know… helpful stuff. Intel. “Oh.” Centy mutters as Tzah-Tzie gives him a reassuring pat, “Well, sure… it was a long flight over…”Super! A sharp CLANG shoots from your hiding spot as the collar falls from Centy’s neck–the poor thing paralyzed with fear long after the danger fades!“... Hells…” He mutters, massaging his neck in clear disbelief, “H-how did you-”NEXT! And long story short, you continue as ‘LEFTY’ ambles over for his collar, you’re ANTON an-“ANTON THE UNDYING! DIVINE CHAMPION! LORD LANCER! HERO TO THE WEAK, MEEK, THE UNBLEAKER OF BLEAK!” … Does she mind?TT meets your stare with one of her own. “... Yes? Gotta share your titles, Ant! Brand recognition!”You know, you shrug, but, uh… does she have to strum with every word? You’re trying to lay low, y’know?The Spinner’s gaze drifts between you and her Striilii. “... Yes?”Whatever. But yea, you sigh, you’re… you’re here to take down TAA’JHAA.The Durhers gasp in uncanny unison!“Really!?”“Oh dear…”“Nice knowing ya…”Okay, OKAY, don’t everybody offer encouragement at once, you grumble! Look, just pretend you DO have a chance against The Breaker–do they have any tips on fighting the guy?“Yea,” Lefty murmurs, “DON’T.”“... What did he JUST say about positivity.” Grumbles Leedle as she points her blade at the downtrodded Durher!“R-right! Sorry!” Replies Lefty with a forced laugh! “I, uh… well… we, er…”“We and some other Tinkerers were tasked with outfitting select Skog Soldiers with MECHANICAL IMPLANTS.” Centy explains, his voice far more composed now that he doesn’t have a death collar to worry about! “It’s a whole thing in The West now.”Right, you nod, you heard that might be happening–Skogs regenerating over bits of metal and such, right? The Durhers exchange a surprised glance!“You knew? That makes it easier, then…” Centy continues as Lefty quivers beneath your divine grasp! “Y-yes, the base project focused on, well… strategic armor grafts, yes… the Skog body is alarmingly-receptive to invasive procedures like that…”>CONTD.
>>6479413“But,” Righty adds, opening his mouth for the first time in a while, “That’s merely Stage One.”“An whardin’ inther’ HELLS be the segurnd staggerns!? ARN’ TORD!?”TT, don’t imitate Angkis like that. It’s rude.“... Sorry.”She has a point, though–other stages?“Indeed. Once we realized how ‘open’ the average Skog body is to… modifications, well… Tinkerers and Machinists like us were snatched up like hotcakes.”“Some willingly,” Centy remarks with a sigh, “And some, well… not so much.”“And you said earlier that you volunteered.” TT jeers with a menacing strum!“Y-you don’t understand!” Lefty exclaims as you finish work on his collar, “The Skogs pay well for foreign imports! Sure, some Merchants go missing, but…” His enthusiasm dies as a weary sigh leaves his lips. “... But no one ever thinks it’ll happen to them… not when the Bells are flowing and trade is amicable…”Well it did, you shrug, so now what? What about Stage Two?“Taa’jhaa has… enhancements.” Centy explains with a shrug as you beckon Righty over to you. “Armor grafts, yes, but adrenal pumps, a rudimentary magical shield…”Are they KIDDING!? That’s STAGE TWO!? What, do they get to fly next? Shoot eye beams!?The Durhers exchange a somewhat worrying approving nod. Their eagerness fades, however, when the reality of the situation sets back in!“Err, n-no, we were… well… we were cut off.” Centy sighs with an almost despondent look on his face. “A security measure, I assume. With our knowledge more or less passed along to other Machinists as well as Skogs, we were worried we’d be, well… terminated.”… Hence why they volunteered for this little joyride. The Durhers nod. Right, you sigh as Righty is freed, any ideas on how to counter that crap? Any tricks? Weaknesses?“There… IS something…” Lefty remarks as the three bask in their newfound freedom, “The magical shield–it works, sure, but during trials we noted that with the implants embedded beneath tissue, well… they tend to overheat under continued duress.”“Meaning,” Centy cuts in with a roguish smile, “That if it repels enough magic, it’ll heat up and cook like a meat skewer!”“... Can you please not interrupt me when we talk about this stuff?” Lefty remarks with a despondent huff. “You always do this…”Centy looks dumbfounded. “... I’m… d-do I? I never noticed, but, well, I’m sorry if you’re upset about i-”“You DO! You ALWAYS interrupt ME!” Lefty snarls! “Never HIM! Never K-”“I’M SORRY, OKAY!?” Centy shouts with an incredulous glance! “I’ve been under a lot of stress!”“... We really should focus on the task at hand…” Righty mutters.>CONTD.
>>6479415Centy pauses, then lets out a resigned sigh. “... You’re right. But yes… overloading that shield should greatly impact Taa’jhaa. Until his body absorbs the broken mechanics, that is.”Follow-up Question: how do you GET to the prick? The Durhers exchange a puzzled glance.“The Command Tower is situated on his flagship: ‘Forward Unto Dawn’,” Centy explains after giving Lefty some time to respond. “Every sentry on that ship is equipped with implants that automatically nullify any anti-insurgent trap onboard.” “Said sentries are also, well… the best of the best.” Righty adds warily. “They call them Taa’jhaa’s SCAR SQUAD.”Great, you groan as your mind wanders back to your run-ins with Sixface’s Assassins, lemme guess–they’re a handful?“Very much so!” Centy laughs! “But there are only about five of them… and for good reaso-”“The Forward Unto Dawn is their PLAYGROUND!” Lefty interjects with a hint of hautiness in his features! “All other troops know to stay away!”“... So that’s what that feels like…” Centy mutters with a frown. “... In any case, if you’re able to defeat one, well… you should be able to extract that Nullifying Implant–it’s hard to miss: thick, rectangular, and emits a PING.”Grody. Good to know, at least! Right, you cough, one more follow-up and then they’re done!“Y-you… you aren’t going to EAT us… right?”You blink at Lefty’s, well, out-of-left-field query. N-no?“Oh.” He answers with a relieved sigh, “Good…”“Yea, you lot really should hit the bricks once we’re done here…” TT suggests as her eyes dance over to yours for approval, “We have some other teams approaching from the swamps–they should be able to get you somewhere safe afterwards.”“That,” Centy groans, “Is the best news I’ve heard in AGES…”As you were saying, you repeat a tad more urgently than before, you’ve got some ground to cover to get to Taa’jhaa’s ship… do they know how you move from one to the other?“Umbilicals.” Righty replies with a polite cough, “Insulated tubes tacked across gaps. Terrifying in a breeze, but perfectly-servicable when landed.” He pauses. “... And also very well-guarded.”“Any way we could… I dunno, jump from ship to ship?” TT asks with a shrug. “Y’know, with magic or something?”“Even if you could,” Centy grumbles, “I wouldn’t suggest it–If you don’t smack against someone or something you’ll more than likely impale yourself on anti-boarding spikes… or simply tumble to your death to the swamps below.”“There is, well…” Lefty murmurs as he glances at his comrade, “... another way around…”Your attention is piqued, to say the least. R-really?>CONTD.
>>6479416“Ugh, do you mean the RIGGINGS?” Groans Centy, earning some fresh scorn from his companion! “Even if they DID manage to avoid the BLADEWINGS they’d probably just lose their grip and fall!”“It might be better than trying to bypass guards at the umbilicals!” Protests Lefty! “The sentries will only double-down with the destruction of that Jammer, you know! And I don’t see an ARMY with this lot, do you?”As the Durhers descend into bickering, you weigh your options with your pals–you could try to slip through an umbilical, sure, but you could also take your chances climbing the undersides of the airships… or you link up with some allies…TWO-PARTER! CHOOSE WISELY!Where’s your next destination?>Taa’jhaa’s Vessel!>Wherever the closest working Jammer is!>You wanna link up with your teams!>Securing this vessel!>Write-In!How ya’ gonna get there?>Umbilicals!>Rigging!>Neither! If you stay here your pals might find ya!>.... Can Joji grab you again?>Write-In!
>>6479418>Wherever the closest working Jammer is!If we have any idea which ship Morook landed on, I say we go with the one where he didn't. I trust him to handle business, but that other squad was all irregulars, and they could probably benefit from some backup on their jammer, and even if not, doubling our numbers is the right play to punch through the Scar Squad to face off with Taaj. We should stick to the plan and knock out as many jammers as we can first to boost our odds, and help us overload the magic shield. We can message the reserve squad to have them go right for Taaj's ship once we get a second jammer down or detect that Morook has taken down his. >Rigging!Sounds risky, but also the stealthiest option, and we need every minute of stealth we can get our paws on. So from here I would say: >Use rigging to go to whichever ship had Squad C, trust B to knock out their jammer in the meantime >Help C with their jammer OR simply regroup with them >Move as a bigger, now magically reinforced team to Forward Unto Dawn >Have Squad B make their way too, assuming they've hit their jammer >When we hit Forward, give the signal for the Tunnel Team to attack the camp on the ground, now also having their magic unlocked, and we spring our final attack on Taaj. The airship crews will focus on the infiltrators up here and won't be able to reinforce the ground, and once we have beat Taaj, we make a second jump down to the surface where our friends can cover our escape.
>>6479418>Wherever the closest working Jammer is!>Rigging!
>>6479428This.
>>6479418>>6479428 +1
>>6479428>>6479477>>6479491>>6479596>CLOSEST JAMMER>RIGGINGWaow lookit this synergy right here I hope nothing happens kehehehe anyways writing
You ain’t sure of much these days, but you’re sure of one thing: Morook and his team won’t let you down! Hell, they’re probably tearing up a Jammer right now, if not beating the snot outta’ Taa’jhaa! You saw that dude throw hands a few days back in the tavern–still waters run deep!“... Why are you explaining this to us?” Mutters Centy as he shares a befuddled glance with his fellow freedfuzzballs.“SSSHHT! Let him work!” Chides TT with a glare!“S-sorry…” Mutters an Armed Skog Guard before he and his partner backtrack with ashamed looks in their red-lense’d eyes!… Anyways, you proceed to ponder, you’re not as certain about Beats and her team–“Ack, dun be warryin’ bou’der, bayo! T’gurl be ter’ blooderin’ az me mudder ter’ cookerin'!” Angkis interjects with a laugh! “Wish, me bai, be sekkern ter none, mindyer!”“Doesn’t matter, really…” TT remarks as she presses against your side to share her warmth, “We have no way of knowing where they landed… if they landed.”Yea, you sigh, you could probably communicate with Morook through your COMMUNICATION DOOHICKY, but you’d rather not blow their cover and get ‘em all killed… turning your attention to the captives, you ask them the question they’ve probably all been dying to answer:Any idea where the closest Jammer would be?Lefty opens his mouth.… BESIDES the one you just trashed?Lefty closes his mouth.“That would be across the way on Stormpiercer.” Righty replies in the usual nonchalant tone as his eyes wander into the horizon on your right. “More of us workin’ that. I’d imagine they’d want to be saved too.”No kidding. Well, you sigh, worst case scenario you’ll link up with another team, maybe.“And the best case?” Leedle inquires, glancing up from idly sharpening her blade.… You find a sea of gold. And get super powers.She frowns. “... And the ‘not-bad, not-terrible’ case?”We find a Jammer and bust it while the others take care of some more, you shrug.“I like the BEST case, personally.” Tzah-Tzie remarks.“Sekkidded!” Angkis nods! You know what, Angkis, you say with a fresh smirk on your face, you LIKE him! He gets you!“Aye, we be raite chummery, we!” He cackles as he gives you a spirited smack on the back! “Too blayz in a bagk, tass’us!”ROMANCE RANK-UP: ANGKIS!!!… Wait, what?“H-hey!” Sputters Tzah-Tzie as her tail slaps indignantly against your side, “Where was that when WE got chummy, huh!?”“Nevermind THE ROMANCE RANK SYSTEM for now…” Centy mutters with a grave expression, “How do you intend to reach Stormpiercer?”THE RIGGING, you reply, earning a trio of gasps for your trouble!“Th-THE RIGGING!?” Mutters Lefty!Yes, you nod, THE RIGGING!“THE RIGGING!?” Exclaims that Skog Sentry from before!>CONTD.
>>6479744Yes, you nod again, you… you just said that! And why are they back here again? Your girlfriend told them to skedaddle! The Skogs exchange a sheepish glance.“Well, uh… I mean… this niche is kinda on our patrol route…”“Yea,” Mutters his fellow footskog, “It’s… it’s kinda our thing, y’know? Patrolling…”“Well patrol somewhere ELSE!” Snarls Leedle! “This is a private discussion that you aren’t privy to… now SHOO, FLIES!”“Yea, just… take a scenic route! We’ll be gone soon!” TT adds after sparing her fellow Durher gal an approving nod!Tails tucked between their legs, The Skogs depart muttering to each other like kids after a good scolding! “... can’t believe they YELLED at us like that…”They’re never going to climb any ROMANCE RANKS with you pulling stunts like that! With the matter settled for now, you return to the one that was interrupted: yes, you nod, THE RIGGING. They wouldn’t have said it if it wasn’t an option, right?“A dangerous, stupid, risky idea, yes!” Sputters Centy! Okay, you huff, they didn’t exactly bring that up before!“It’s mainly for emergency maintenance on the airbladders and such.” Righty sighs, no doubt massaging his temples as he does so, “Historically they send smaller technicians like us out to patch and repair… but it’s still traversable by taller folk, especially when the ships are moored.” He pauses. “Merely… ill-advised.”Brother, literally everything you’ve done in this adventure of yours has been ‘ill-advised’... but between your spells, Hells, and other tricks, you can probably manage! The Durhers exchange another wary glance. You HATE when they do that!“Right, then… follow us.”The trek across the deck remains treacherous… especially when you realize your little sabotage sesh below left the remaining sentries on high alert! Creeping after the captives from cover to cover amidst the roar of blaring horns and stomping Skogs, you eventually reach a spot where the frosty wind batters your face with fresh, frigid flakes!You’re on the edge.“Down here, quick.” Mutters Righty as Centy and Lefty follow close behind! It takes a moment, but you aimless groping eventually finds a small guiderail that snakes down along a narrow footpath bordering the side of the ship, and fighting the wind all the while, you descend to what you can only assume is the airship’s underbelly!Even landed, shrill blasts of steam echo across the expanse below you–easily a fifty-foot drop if you had to wager–and though you soon find shelter from the storm, you’re still battered by the blizzardy breeze as well as gusts of sweltering-hot steam rushing to escape the underside!>CONTD.
>>6479745Before you can venture any further, however, your fuzzy friends duck and press themselves against the wall as a flock of those sharp things from your earlier descent buzz by like a pack of flying glass shards! Once they depart, your guides come to a stop further down the catwalk.“This path will take you up to some hull netting,” Righty explains as you follow his eyes, “You’ll have to climb from there. Keep heading that way,” He adds, cocking his head to the right, “And, well…”You blink. Well?“You’ll-”“You’ll have to improvise.” Centy explains, cutting Lefty off again like the jerk he is. “The ships come close here in the underworks, but don’t connect. Just, er, well…” His gaze drifts downwards. “... Don’t miss.”Noted. Right, you huff, anything else? “There is.” Centy nods. “We are–well, I can’t speak for the others–but we’re in your debt, Ser.”“Mhm, I agree!” Adds Lefty!“I suppose.” Righty mutters.“If you ever visit Umberal, please call upon SENTII OLKAAREN--that’s me–and I’ll treat you like a king!”“LEFFDEE MANAARAN.” Lefty bows. “As will I and my kin!”“JON SPIDT.” Righty adds with a curt dip.Yea, well… about Umbera-“W-WE’LL LOOK YA’ UP!” Stammers TT as she gives your foot a good stomp! “Mhm! You betcha!”“Right, well!” Cen-err, SENTII coughs, “This is where we part ways, I suppose!” He glances around the underbelly with a puzzled frown. “... Once we think up a way to leave, that is…”You’ve got one! Angkis, you begin, got any more SLOWFALL in the tank for these guys?“Duzzer spuugul leyyer tousern’ eggs in der’ tide!?” He laughs as his remaining eye–and that dang orb–glow with fresh magical power!… You genuinely don’t know.“Oh… w-well!” Senti mutters as magic washes over the troubled trio, “I, erm… suppose this is a method, if any…”“You don’t have any other escape routes, do you?” Whines Leffdee as he casts a wary glance at the gap behind him!Nope, you shrug, just find a spot in the swamp and hunker down–the cavalry is on their way! With that, you pick each prisoner up one by one and toss them over the side like a drink off the side of a boat!You wait until the screaming subsides before plotting out your next move. The Rigging’s still a great idea, sure, but there’s some metal around here you can probably reshape into a walkway of your own–a tad loud, sure, but maybe better than scurrying along the side of the ship like a spider!You could also HELLGEYSER your way across with your fuzzball friends in tow… but if your GEOMANCY doesn’t get anyone’s attention, HELLFIRE definitely will! When asked if he has any levitation magic, Angkis simply stares at you like a cow does at passing traffic. Guess not!>CONTD.
>>6479747What’s the plan? You get an eerie feeling you don’t have much time to think…>CLIMB! Sneaky, but scary!>CONSTRUCT! Louder, but safer!>HELLGEYSER! Fun, fast, but definitely noticeable!>Write-In!
>>6479748>CLIMB! Sneaky, but scary!Though if Angkis is still able to do a short teleport, he ought to, but the rest of us will just need to rely on our dexterity I suppose. We got plenty of that stuff!
>>6479747>>6479752 +1
>>6479748>CONSTRUCT! Louder, but safer!Too scary!! If any skogs follow us we can just collapse the walkway, too!
>>6479748>CLIMB! Sneaky, but scary!The longer we can go without them being aware of our presence, the better.
Who would win? Trier or Tibius Maximus?
>>6479752>>6479761>>6479885>CLIIIIIIMB!>>6479766>CONSTRUUUUCTT!Looks like the CLIF Bar Commercial wins it... but let's see how it pays off for him!>Roll me 1d100-1 (+3 Swift Footwork, +3 Sneaky Leather Armor, +3 LIMBOOO, +3 TT Leads the Way, +2 Magical Support, -5 Big Group, -7 BLIZZARD, -3 Flying Dagger Things) to climb like your life depends on it! And it probably does! BEST O' 3!
>>6479940Fuck and I totally missed this! It's a tough one, honestly--TIM specialized in DEATH MAGIC of course, but he was also kinda self-taught and whatnot... but also was commanding armies all over Clearwater. That said, Trier was splitting himself too.I'm leaning towards Trier only because had you not done your homework and Batman-like prep time you'd have a rough time of it. That said, TIM could very well just rip a skeleton from your body too, so... hmm.I can say with absolute certainty that they wouldn't like each other at the very least... but I'll also say it's a good thing the roles weren't swapped and Stanley didn't face off against Trier.In terms of Bonesverse Protags, Diesel is the one with the most raw, initial power (fighting skills, strength, endurance, etc) followed by Stanley due to her Self-Defense Training and overall rabid raccoon energy. Anton ranks last in overall fighting ability and strength, but like Stanley with her Bone Marrow Powers he's swiftly moving up the ranks with both DIVINE and DEMONIC powers! I daresay he might be the most powerful right now, actually! Yowza!... but will it LAST!? KEHEHEH
Rolled 74 - 1 (1d100 - 1)>>6480035Spider-monkey time.>>6480039I thought it would be an interesting match-up because they’re both powerful mages who split their souls up to command an army. Trier was definitely more intimidating, but TIM will always be cooler to me.I like seeing you power-scale your own protagonists lol. You lined them up about how I imagined it. Anton’s been going places, that’s for sure. >... but will it LAST!? KEHEHEHHe’ll get by with or without it. Dude was making his way through the start of this basically by the seat of his pants and an uncanny knack for deception. I could totally see Anton becoming a pure illusionist who relies on practical abilities to trick foes. Like Mysterio from Spider-Man or something.
>>6480068Yea, not to distract too much from the rolling, but Trier had a more formal education in that shit in a world that has a pretty decent grasp on magic whereas TIM, well... dude kinda did the equivalent of a Youtube Tutorial Binge. Trier's also arguably more versatile--I'd think him vs. The Sea Witch at the height of her power would be a pretty big scrap too.
>>6480072I forgot about the Sea-Witch for a minute. She was definitely dangerous. Just ask Magical Snake Tire-Iron… he was there for it.
Rolled 23 - 1 (1d100 - 1)>>6480035NIG
Rolled 76 - 1 (1d100 - 1)>>6480035
>>6480068>>6480124>>6480128>HIGHEST ROLL: 75!WRRRRRRRIITIIIIINGGGGGGGG>>6480095He's in your inventory! Go ask 'em!
You’ve never climbed in a blizzard before! And you’ve gotta say:It sucks. It sucks HARD!Even with your gloves, your hands are cold, dry, and aching shortly after you begin your inaugural ascent, and that’s not even counting how numb and stingy your face feels from all the damned snow! Can’t RED pump up that Hell Heat or whatever some more!?Strainin’ the system enough as is, buckaroo. Put on a sweater!Uuuugh!!!“Beset by Skogs and low on time, our hunky hero began to climb…” TT mutters to herself, tapping away at her tablet while sitting in your hood like a makeshift baby pouch! Not that you don’t appreciate being called ‘hunky’, you begin-“Ya’ like it?” Chirps TT as Angkis covers the rear perched on his Magical Floating Orb like a cat on a Broomba, “It was that or ‘spunky’, but-”… But does she have to compose now? Like… right this instant? Leedle’s tail smacks your face from above–the girl clearly not keen on waiting for you to catch up.“Can’t conjure inspiration outta thin air, Ant!” Chides TT as she drums her claws against her note-taking doohicky! “Gotta take it as it comes! Besides,” she adds with a demure shrug, “You’re doing great so far! Very inspirational!”... R-really? You ask, the cold melting from your cheeks as they grow a tinge redder! She really means it?!Before the Spinner can respond, your Pointgal Leedle’s ears perk up amidst the roaring winds around you! You’re just about to ask what’s what when you hear it yourself–something, or rather someTHINGS whistling through the air like a flock of very confused daggers!The metaphor proves a tad too apt in this case! From the surrounding shadows comes those strange, knifelike sentries from before–their presence only given away by the faint vibration they give off as they carve through the air with sharklike precision! While Tzah-Tzie fumbles with her tablet and Angkis slows his descent, you and Leedle simply freeze mid-climb! It’s a gamble, sure, and one that works… for a moment! You don’t wanna point fingers, but just when you think the Drifting Daggers (TT’s name for them–you were gonna go with Stab Sharks) are about to, well, drift, Angkis makes a weird, muffled dad cough noise and sends them all a-titter with faceless anger!You and your pals are about two seconds away from lighting them up with spell, steel, Spinnery, and VENTRILOQUISM when you feel a familiar tingle in your teeth and tonsils…Magic. And if you had to guess, well, it was coming from below the airshi-Your guess, as they tend to be these days, is right, but you don’t have much time to celebrate! Even from far above the swamps you feel it–a gravitational tug that can only herald the arrival of a rift… but this one doesn’t suck!It EXPELS!>CONTD.
>>6480185You’ve never heard or felt a bomb go off before–yea, yea, you’ve been around blastcaps, siege artillery, and every magical boom in the book–but whatever launches from that rift and slams into the airship’s underbelly like one of those spiky plant burrs? It ain’t magical… but it’s definitely a bomb!A panicked ‘LOOK OU-’ is all that manages to wriggle free of Tzah-Tzie’s lips before the blast wave hits… and if you thought the blizzard was battering you, well, hold onto your hat, kid!… Seriously. Your hat’s gonna get blown off.A storm of stings rushes through you like a rogue wave–the sudden sharpness nearly enough to send you tumbling from the netting! Scrambling for the side like a cat trying to escape a bathtub, you don’t even get the satisfaction of hearing the boom–your ears ablaze seconds after with a dull, persisting whine!TT’s shouting at you–tugging at your hair. Leedle tries to pull you up the rigging while Ankgis assists from below… but all you can see as you dangle like a shirt from a coat hanger are the faint glow of countless tiny embers in the swamps below…They’re soldiers, you think as the ringing in your head begins to wane, but they ain’t yours..!“-TON!”A familiar claw smacks your cheek and rouses you from your post-ringing reverie–its owner peering over your hat to stare you down with wide, worried eyes!“W-WE GOTTA GO!” TT sputters as you feel your foothold groan beneath you, “NOW!”https://youtu.be/NPm5e9nvd7QShe doesn’t have to tell you twice–no sooner do you start to scamper upwards do you hear the upper decks erupt in warning horns!“ATTENTION ALL HANDS!” Barks an unfamiliar voice over the sound of freshly-shredded steel and roaring flames, “THE JAGGED PEAK HAS SUSTAINED HEAVY DAMAGE FROM BELOW! ENGINEER TEAMS: DROP ORDNANCE AND EVACUATE TO THE NEAREST VESSEL! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!”Where one announcement ends, three more begin, and as you feel your ship sink towards the swamps, the rest of the flotilla is geared up to head out!“THE IDLE SKIES REPORTS CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE TO JAMMER 3!”“OVERDUE GUARD REPORTS ON THE SINKING CLOUD!”“FUTSKAA SHORTAGE ON THE SINGING WIND!”Far below you hear the distant trill of hasty orders followed by what you can almost swear is small-arms fire… some kind of Slingers, maybe? From deep within the ship’s bowels, you hear the whistle of several containers as they plummet groundward–one of which hitting the moors and exploding with a head-thumping BOOM!The swamps erupt in booms and blams as the two sides start to trade blows–but with the announcement of a second Jammer downed comes the roar of distant artillery–the kind that leaves your teeth chattering as they take a long, lazy arc towards their targets!>CONTD.
>>6480186One of the arcing enchantments slams into the swamps below. Another is swatted aside by some unseen barrier… and as the Drifting Daggers depart to deal with the rabblerousers below and your airship begins to drop, you feel a familiar buzzing in your pocket…The SENDING STONE. You’re kinda busy!Scrambling up the rigging like a spider on a sugar high, you soon realize you’re much further from your destination than you thought… doubly-so when some unknown ordnance slams into the hull next to you and rends a hole clean through it!“T’hoarl blullern be goarn t’herll!” Roars Angkis as he conjures a shield to cover you and Leedle! “Getter’clummin’, boyer!”“THIS WAY!” Leedle snarls as she doubles her pace above! You don’t see any reason to refuse!>Roll me 1d100-5 (+3 Swift Footwork, +3 Sneaky Leather Armor, +3 LIMBOOO, +3 TT Leads the Way, +2 Magical Support, -5 Big Group, -7 BLIZZARD, -7 IT’S A GODDAMN WARZONE!) to climb like your life depends on it! This time it DEFINITELY DOES! BEST O' 3!
Rolled 27 - 5 (1d100 - 5)>>6480188rollan
Rolled 49 - 5 (1d100 - 5)>>6480188
>>6480188Not on my watch.
Rolled 72 - 5 (1d100 - 5)>>6480235Forgot my roll.
>>6480190>>6480194>>6480236>HIGHEST ROLL: 67!WRrRRrrrRIITIIIINGGGG might take a while, though! Busy day!
Yup sorry, got a lil' busy with the 4cc and stuff--will probably update early tomorrow or something! Apologies for the delay, folks!
Your innards lurch as the airship sinks even swifter… but where your body fails you, adrenaline succeeds! Hot air licks at your heels as you scramble up the netting–a little motivator born from the ship dropping its remaining depth-charge-like bombs into the swamps below! “H-hope those prisoners made it to safety!” Mutters TT as her arms remain wrapped around your neck like a noose! “Who ARE those guys, though!?”“Tey ern’t CARSSROHDDZ, TASS FERSHUR!” Angkis shouts as he smacks a bomb away from you with his magical shield! “BUDDER BLUGGERIN DA’ SKOGGERS!”“The enemy of our enemy, perhaps?” Leedle remarks, the girl far too calm for the rapidly-degenerating situation! Yea, you huff, you’ll… you’ll worry about faction drama later!A sound idea indeed–for no sooner do you shift your attention back to climbing what little hull isn’t blown to ribbons by explosive ordnance do you spot a peculiar sight heralded by a muffled ‘BOOM’ from far below!Shooting upwards like a fast-forwarded elevator comes a crew of the mystery attackers! Their hood-covered eyes make it hard to get a headcount, but you count at least SEVEN rocketing upwards–you can almost swear one even NODS to you! What the FRICK!?“They must be propelling themselves up on land chunks!” TT observes a bit too loudly into your ear! “Geomancy?”They don’t stick around long enough to take questions–reaching the apex of their flight, their entire host is met by what can only be described as a DELUGE of Bleeder fire–the Skog’s fancy new weapons tearing them apart like dollar store tissue paper! Though a few Interlopers return fire with weapons of their own, it becomes violently clear that The Skog defenders don’t intend to give up much ground!“W-well…” Mutters Tzah-Tzie as you hear a few gurgled groans tumble past you amidst a shower of gore and guts back towards the ground far below, “It was a good effort, kinda?”As if on cue, however, you soon hear more muffled explosions from the swamps like an underwater drum solo! Up they come in droves, and while The Skogs keep the pressure on, it soon becomes clear there’s a LOT more of these folks than they expected!As the sky above becomes crowded with ammo, a violent gust of magic-tinged wind rakes through the flotilla… but the flavor is… off... like the stuff you sampled interrogating that one Skog Shaman before!Some Interlopers fall. Others hang on for dear life to their loam lifts as their trajectories are unexpectedly altered. Quite a few, however, hold firm as someone–a mage, perhaps, sends their platforms rocketing across the air towards other airships!Not to be left out, Arcane Artillery continues to crash down upon the invaders from far away–each shot sending scores of Skogs tumbling to their doom! And you?… You’re still climbing, man! Onto a sinking ship, no less!>CONTD.
>>6480766“Not that I’m not impressed by your climbing skills, Ant,” Tzah-Tzie begins as Angkis blasts at a flock of Drifting Daggers with his orb, “But ya’ think we oughta… find a way across? Soon?”She’s not wrong–even with your fast pace the airship ain’t getting any more buoyant… and though you originally planned on transferring to another one at a close point, you quickly realize you might have to change tack! Fortunately you have your HELLGEYSER trick–and there might be enough metal in this sinking ship to cobble together a hasty bridge…Or, adds a crazier corner of your brain, you could always hop aboard one of those Earthy Elevators these Interlopers are using! They don’t seem to wanna waste you, so… maybe?What do?>HELLGEYSER to another ship!>GEOMANCE a bridge to safety!>HITCH A RIDE with the Interlopers!>Write-In!
Sorry again for the lateness--might be the last one of the day too thanks to SPOOKY DAY. Sunday might be a bit busy too, honestly, but I'll keep trying! Honest!
>>6480767>HITCH A RIDE with the Interlopers!Fuck it we ball The Skogs know they are under attack now, but don't realize that the Crossroaders are about to pile on from below, and some of us have already snuck aboard. No sense trying to hide in all this chaos, the Skogs will have their hands full already. We should beeline it for another jammer and then Taaj. Maybe we can get some of these cultists to help.
>>6480767>HITCH A RIDE with the Interlopers!Since these fuckwits went and blew the element of surprise we had going on, intercept one and tell him to relay the plan to his compatriots to disable the jammers on the ships.God damnit. I knew shit was going too well.
