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You are Brianna la Croix, journeyman necromancer, and you have to treat a severe case of iron poisoning in a fairy.
This would be a lot easier if you had even the tiniest clue what you were doing.
>>44823614
"You, slab, now," you bark at Silence, and the fairy hastens to obey. You pull your knife from your belt and cut her clothes away because fuck if you're going to waste time trying to carefully undress her, and it's looking bad.
Silence's right side, from her hips to her shoulder, has iron fused to it. There's some on her arm too, though in small enough amounts that you feel comfortable cutting it away. The fairy hisses at the feeling of steel biting into her flesh but doesn't complain.
"You," the medic you're addressing looks up, "liquor, now."
"We need it to - oh merciful gods," she murmurs, looking down at your patient. A jug of whiskey is handed to you, which you pass to Silence; Silence drinks it like it's going to be outlawed.
"Do you need your organs to live?" you ask.
Silence nods, still packing away the whiskey.
"Have you ever had iron poisoning this bad?"
Shake of the head, throat still visibly moving as she works her way through the liquor.
"Any advice?"
Silence throws the empty jug aside. "Not really," she slurs.
Fuck.
> Try to cut the iron away, worry about long-term effects later.
> Have Kat leave her post to help you peel the iron away. It'll hurt a lot more, but Silence is tough. The shock shouldn't kill her, right?
> Investigate with necromancy before attempting any treatment.
> Kill her, get the iron off, then revive her.
>>44823857
> Investigate with necromancy before attempting any treatment.
>>44823857
> Investigate with necromancy before attempting any treatment.
>>44823857
>> Investigate with necromancy before attempting any treatment.
>>44823857
> call Kat over while investigating with Necromancy.
>>44823857
> Investigate with necromancy before attempting any treatment.
easy enough to see where the iron is by the giant balls of death
>> Have Kat leave her post to help you peel the iron away. It'll hurt a lot more, but Silence is tough. The shock shouldn't kill her, right?
>"The Mine still needs you"
maybe the Mine can help with this? At least support her mentally
>>44823857
> Investigate with necromancy before attempting any treatment.
This is why we held back from using it earlier. To save it for shit like this.
>>44823857
>> Investigate with necromancy before attempting any treatment.
>>44824047
More like
> Mine, you still need her
assuming we can get any kind of handle on her mumbo-jumbo.
>>44823857
>> Investigate with necromancy before attempting any treatment.
while planning/doing this to immediately workable spots.
>> Try to cut the iron away, worry about long-term effects later.
>>44823857
>> Investigate with necromancy before attempting any treatment.
This is the sort of shit that the necro power was reserved for.
Vote'll be extended a bit, I have a powerful craving for popcorn.
>>44823857
> Investigate with necromancy before attempting any treatment.
>>44823857
We can bring her back if needed, but its probably better to figure out how fucked the situation is first. (Hint: Pretty fucking bad).
>>44824994
>bringing back an immortal being
I don't know about that...
>>44823857
>> Investigate with necromancy before attempting any treatment.
Diagnose before attempting treatment. If we have to kill and revive her, we'll deal with it, but let's not spend our life until we know how bad the problem is.
>>44823857
>> Investigate with necromancy before attempting any treatment.
Hey, can we rust the iron? And, if so, would rust be better or worse for a Fae?
I mean, on the one hand, it's breaking down and corroding the iron. It could be better. On the other hand, it'd be breaking the iron down into tiny rusty pieces that could break down and spread further into Silence's body. Which I'm betting would be pretty bad.
>>44825953
we could ask her if Rust affects fey, assuming she isn't too drunk.
>>44825979
Rust is oxidized iron. So if steel means it isn't iron . . .
>>44826660
That's what I was thinking, but magic likes to be a fucker, so it may be best to ask.
Popcorn acquired, business of the night squared away, votes called, writing.
>>44826923
Bind her soul to ours to give her resistance to iron!
>>44826923
Can we ask her if she would want us to use her death to bin her as an undead and maybe Lich her later?>>44826923
>>44823857
Welp. This is gonna be a stone-with-a-hole-in sort of problem, which makes you glad you haven't been triaging with it. You take out the talisman and mutter under your breath while you focus. The actual divination is never difficult.
Understanding what the fuck it is you're looking at, on the other hand...
"Where the shit is your soul?" you ask.
"Don't have one," Silence says, closing her eyes. "Fairies don't."
"How the fuck do you have a personality?"
"Do I look like a scholar of consciousness?" she snaps. "I'm a mine boss, not a fucking sorceress."
You sigh. "The iron's in your veins but it...looks...like a healing potion might purge your system. The bigger problem is the stuff burnt onto your sides. I might just kill you trying to get it out."
"Great," Silence groans. "Never died before. That'll be fun."
"Is that a thing you do more than once?" you ask.
"DO I LOOK LIKE I KNOW THINGS, WHELP?"
You sigh and touch her ribs. "Okay. I've got a few options, all of which could kill you in varying degrees of agony."
"Hit me."
"I can manipulate your ribs and stretch 'em. That'll make the metal easier to cut away, assuming you can survive the pain. Or I can just cut the flesh the iron is attached to off and hope you survive /that/. Or I can kill you, remove it, graft some flesh from those dead guys on, and revive you."
"Ew," Silence comments. "I'm not sure if reviving me will work."
"Neither am I," you admit. "Without a soul I have no idea what'll happen."
"...You decide," Silence murmurs.
> Expand her ribs
> Just cut
> Kill her and revive her
AND
> Revive her if she dies
> Don't revive her
>>44827976
>> Expand her ribs
> Revive her if she dies
>>44827976
> Expand her ribs
>Shout: MORE BOOZE!
> Don't revive her
>>44827976
> Expand her ribs
and
> Revive her if she dies
For science!
>>44827976
>>> Expand her ribs
>> Revive her if she dies
Well, this is going to suck.
>>44827976
> Expand her ribs
> Revive her if she dies
>>44827976
> expand ribs
> Bind her if she dies.
Fuck, we spend our life force like it's nothing, let's share our soul with a fey
> Expand her ribs
> Revive her if she dies
>>44828132
> Fuck, we spend our life force like it's nothing, let's share our soul with a fey
> TFW I hadn't thought of this
Thank you for the idea anon.
>>44827976
>> Just cut
Figure we do it quick and shove a potion in her mouth. Less time for stuff to go wrong.
>> Revive her if she dies
>>44827976
>> Expand her ribs
>> Revive her if she dies
might want to give her something to bite down on too as well.
>>44828092
>Expand her ribs
and
>Revive her if she dies
For science!
I approve of this message
>>44827976
>> Expand her ribs
>> Revive her if she dies
risking pain is better than risking damage.
>>44827976
> Just cut
Look ma, I'm doing surgery
> Revive her if she dies
CLEAR!
>>44827976
>Expand her ribs
>>44827976
>Revive her if she dies
Won't hurt to try at leastRight?
Right, so, she's GOING to die, that much is obvious.
Question is whether there'll be a completely different person inhabiting her body when we revive her.
>>44828332
Well, the best-case scenario is that she comes back to life.
Middle scenario is she stays dead.
Bad scenario is she comes back as a new kind of undead being.Worst scenario is like the bad scenario but the Mine is pissed at you too.
>>44828433
Better-case scenario: she lives?
right?
...right?
>>44828423Not necessarily anon. At least one of these choices involves her living.
I do make an effort to avoid railroading.
>>44828458
Well yes, I was speaking in terms of an attempted revival.
>>44827976
Maaaaybe before we fly off the handle we quickly ask the experienced mage if he has any idea what the fuck to do.
>>44828477
Isn't saying she;s going to die jumping the gun a bit? we don't actually know beyond "This procedure is risky as fuck"
>>44828193
So what you're saying is . . .
I have a chance?
Rolled 45 (1d100)
Rolling for dice jesus to save us!
Despite this not being a roll quest
>>44827976
>Expand her ribs
chug them pots
>>44828498
... would reviving an immortal being with necromancy require a scaled amount of lifeforce to perform? Could we just up and die trying to do so because we didn't have enough life left?
>>44827976
>> Expand her ribs
> Revive her if she dies
>>44828949
Bri can stop if it comes down to that. She's not locked into dying.
>>44828949
That's why we share our soul. I mean, she gets to be mortal but isn't dead yet.
Which is really what it means to be both mortal and immortal. Fuck after lives. What don't die don't change, and what don't change don't live. So yeah, worst comes to worst she gets a time limit but also a soul, and we get a split personality la Croix
>>44829164
what would happen to our title of 'Heritor' then? Would Silence gain part of it since we are now 'merged' or whatever?
And for that matter what would happen if we died? Would we go the whole Lora route +1 day or stay unconcious and come back or whatever?
>>44829251
I've been wondering this also. We're spending life force, but... we can't actually die at the moment. Not that we have a good way to test, or that we should press our luck, but I do wonder what would happen if we spent all our remaining life.
As for the vote,
> Expand her ribs
> Revive her if she dies
That sounds like it'll give us the best odds. Granted, it's also the most draining, but since when have we been good at pacing ourselves?
>>44829379
Our chain smoking shows that we're pretty bad about pacing in general
More coffee acquired.
Called, writing.
>>44827976
You sigh heavily and pocket the stone with a hole in it.
"I'm going to expand your ribs," you tell her. "Do you have any last words, if this goes poorly?"
"Vik gets all my shit, and I need you to punch Lark right in the fucking face."
"Understood," you tell her softly. You pull your spare knife and give it to Silence to bite down on; she clamps the hilt between her teeth while you tie her down.
Her struggling in agony would really fucking complicate this.
Your hands go to her ribs, and you close your eyes to feel the bones within. This needs to be done carefully, since you can't necessarily just go 'oops' and revive her if you kill her too much.
Fuck. The phrases you think in this business.
The shock of her ribs being expanded would kill Silence outright if she were a mortal. As it stands, she remains remarkably composed; her sounds of pain are more like enraged snarls than screams, despite the way you adjust her injured side.
The sobbing starts when you begin cutting, and you do your best to ignore it and focus on the work. Blood flows over your hands while you work the knife. One of the medics looks over and sees you, and you make eye contact - "Potion. Now. The moment this iron comes off."
You return your gaze to the task at hand, adjusting the angle of the cut. "You're gonna be fine, Silence," you murmur, deaf to the sounds of the battle around you. "You're doing really well. Almost done...almost done..."
The cut moves through, and you fling the iron to the ground immediately. The medic pulls the knife from Silence's mouth and pours the potion down her throat; there is a gush of red-and-black blood from her wound, like it's expelling the poison, before it seals over. At first you think the heal shock did what her wound couldn't, but after a moment you see her chest rise and fall.
Thank the gods.
> Sit for a moment
> Back to the other wounded
> Join the battle
> Investigate the iron
>>44830775
> Investigate the iron
>>44830775
>> Investigate the iron
Knowing is half the battle!
>>44830775
> Investigate the iron
Alright folks, I'm hittin' bed. Vote's open until I wake up.
As always, discussion, questions, commentary, feedback, and critique are both welcome and appreciated.
Thank you all for reading and participating!
>>44830873
What does double coffee taste like?
>>44830775
>Investigate the ironMmm, could make good sympathetic shit out of something that almost killed a Fey
I mean, uh, we need to know what that elemental was all about. Yeah.
>>44830873
Is physics the same as in this world when magic isn't involved? Like, are machines running on electricity even possible?
>>44830775
>>Investigate the iron
>>44830775
> Investigate the iron
then
> Back to the other wounded
Battlefield triage ain't leisurely.
>>44830775
> Sit for a moment
We just did meatgrinder surgery. Clean ourselves before we treat others.
>>44830873
> Back to the other wounded
I would say let some subordinate know we have no urgent cases, and are available to troubleshoot, but honestly we have our minions out and right now our priority is our patients. Shock comes later when we can have our loved ones support us, right now we are in triage and we need to save lives.
As for joining the battle . We aren't a front line fighter and we should trust those who are. At most I would say we send out our Shadow if it looks like anyone is breaking away or trying to escape.
>>44831191
> sit still for a moment
Nah man. Medic here. It's better to just push through and focus on the job. Once you stop it can take a while to get back together again.
You quit once you can't focus on the job, and I don't think we're at that point yet. It hasn't been long enough, and what we did worked so we can ignore it. It isn't a priority any more.
If shit went wrong or if we were physically exhausted then I could understand. But right now we should be assembly line stabilizing and moving on.
I mean, do we even have someone to relieve us? What you have to do, you can do.
>>44832052
but you voted to sit still?
greentext votes are counted here.
>>44830775
>Investigate the iron.
If there's something strange or magical stuck to it, show it to Lawrence. If its just weird-ass Fae shit, go back to dealing with the wounded.
Also, if its a case of that latter, cycle the POV over to either Diving Shadow;
"Awww! My baby's all grown up and killing people by herself! Hey, where d'you think your going? SKREEE!!!"
Or Sir Fetch;
"Stand and fight like men of honor, or your cowardly hindquarters shall feel the scorn of my talons! BUCKAW!!"
>>44830873
I wonder if that Forge Beast was purposefully summoned and bound to deal with Silence? I mean, normal humans are squishy and weak, but she's eight feet of coal-chewing, spear-chucking, bitch-smacking badass with only one krypronite.
Also, I am so fucking pleased by the new lewd. It's the same kind of pose I'm doing with my sketch - which, thanks more joyous work interruptions (BADGER FUCK CUNTS!!) - should be complete by Monday morning. Dammit.
>>44832494
>>44832052
> cancel this vote
Happy now? Because it wasn't linked to the voting post, just c&p from the other guys.
Just saying that this isn't the place to stop, or think about the surgery or anything. Best thing to do is keep our focus small. Next job. Stabilize. Done. Next job. Stabilize. Etc.
>>44832538
I'm just warning you because plenty of people vote without linking to the actual story post.
Yes, Vox's method can lead to misunderstandings, but if you have a problem with that take it up with him. I'm just pointing it out to you.
>>44832588
Fair enough. I suppose with each qm kind of doing their own thing it is silly to just assume.
>>44830775
> Back to the other wounded
>>44830775
> Investigate the iron
Ain't that thing still alive? I dont remember it getting killed just being angry it's quarry escaped. We should learn what we can.
Also it wouldn't hurt if it was a candidate for a prosthetic leg for nate :)
> Investigate the iron
Have a quick gander, lest someone just chucks it away without caring. The source of it seems relevant and we're not the main surgeon here.
>>44833902
Iron is heavy and would make for a poor base material in that regard. But a gun or other weapon made out of this might have some fun use depending on what qualities it keeps when mixed into steel.
>>44830775
>> Back to the other wounded
But don't let anyone throw the iron away. We'll want a look at it once people aren't actively dying around us.
I'm confused -- wasn't she fine when she fled underground? I've been assuming she phased into an unmined vein of iron, based on Bri explicitly saying it was "raw" iron.
>>44834861
>This, back to the wounded but keep the iron
>>44830775
>> Investigate the iron
>>44835754
Silence wasn't paying attention to what the elemental hit her with.
"raw" iron is unworked iron. Molten iron is unworked iron. Molten iron ore is unworked iron. Molten iron ore in the shape of a beast is still unworked iron, although I don't know the specifics of summoning/binding.
If the elemental is called a Forge Beast, does that literally mean it was spawned in a forge? That spells out one thing for me: the Chain-Holder of New Hell is trying to get rid of us before we can reach his lair, and will be pulling out all the stops. Likely also try to ambush us or attack us after the Baron goes down.
>>44835931
The short version is that the 'elemental' property of the beast - that is, the purity of essence - gives it a certain amount of leeway. Where a mortal trying to produce the same results might end up with something less than effective, the iron of the forge beast is iron because it IS iron. If that sounds circular, welcome to the headache of the world's academics.
>>44836562
Forge beasts do often arise in forges and foundries and are a known hazard, though in many cases there's not enough molten metal on hand to make one this big. A smith with a friendly one on hand can find a lot of uses for the elemental, though in most cases the relationship is more immediately hostile. Forge beasts also sometimes arise on volcanoes and can be summoned into an appropriate amount of molten metal.
>>44833902
Bri didn't get the chance to keep an eye on it, but it rampaged in the direction of the base of the Shaft and was put down by the Baron's forces after doing significant damage to the ground-level defenses.
>>44831023
They're possible but the tech paradigm isn't prepped for them yet, especialy since most people think of sorcery when they think of electricity rather than thinking of the party trick you get with glass rods and wool. Sorcerous electricity is a lot more like lightning bolts and a lot less like batteries, so for a lot of people electricity is a destructive force rather than a generative one.
Certain academic necromancers have noted that if you blast corpses with the stuff they move, but unfortunately their influence on mainstream technology is somewhat limited by the fact that they're supervillains.
I need to hit some dishes, then I'll call the vote and write.
>>44837393
> but unfortunately their influence on mainstream technology is somewhat limited by the fact that they're supervillains.
I guess showing them all dos'nt leave much time for peer review, or reproducible experiments.
>>44837393
Speaking of tech paradigms, are there places where steam engines are used? Or can magic be used to propel boats or trains or something?
>>44838155
You sometimes see vessels retain inaccurately-named "weather mages" who help move it in bad circumstances, but moving an entire ship is a bit of a bitch. You do sometimes see a vaguely steam-like method of propulsion - bonfire ships, which stoke a flame in the ship's belly and transfer the energy to oars chained to the flame. This is still somewhat rare, both because persuading someone to walk onto a boat that's constantly on fire is difficult, and because it's expensive as hell.
Steam is probably a matter of time, but the circumstances that will enable its rise are not yet present.
Alriiiight folks, votes are called, tallied, and I'm writing.
>>44830775
You pick up the iron, as much to ensure that no one throws it away as anything else, and feel it pulse faintly in your hands. At a guess, it came off of that forge beast - which means it's elemental iron, and thus still somewhat alive. Great for prosthetics and grafts...like wings. Or a leg. Or a lot of things, really - you're certain Nathan, Harry, and Isoldt can come up with more ideas.
You put it in your backpack and turn back to your patients. The medics know their trade, for which you're grateful, and they for their part appreciate the aid your death sense offers them.
Slowly, the gunfire dwindles, then dies. The wounded from your side that you can save are hastened away to make room for wounded from among the Baron's forces. For long hours, all you have to worry about are the lives in front of you.
You wash your hands, gods know how long later, and feel a small tap on your shoulder.
"We have prisoners," Amy murmurs.
You breathe deeply.
> "Bring me to them."
> "Stash them somewhere, I'll deal with them after I rest."
> "Kill them cleanly and bury the bodies."
>>44839464
>> "Bring me to them."
>>44839464
>> "Bring me to them."
>>44839464
"Bring me to them."
now we have material for wings and a leg, goody
Though, if that's pure iron it may not be the most durable material.
>>44839464
>> "Bring me to them."
> "Bring me to them."
>>44839464
> "Bring me to them."
>>44839464
>"Bring me to them."
Some days being one of the 'good guys' is rather exhausting.
>>44840011
Maybe that's why bad guys exist? It's the easier job, so to speak.
>>44840037
being bad is incredibly short sighted but presents a lot of easy solutions.
I want something? I take it. FUTURE ME CAN WORRY ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES
>>44839464
>> "Bring me to them."
>>44839544
But it is elemental iron, might have some magic left in it.
>>44840142
that is the other side of the coin
It's pure iron, but its living pure iron. oh well, we can go visit harry and ask him for help.
(and check up on what is likely to be a somewhat pregnant Isoldt)
>>44839464
>> "Bring me to them."
I'd imagine the horribly bloody and gory attire we are currently in would have an intimidation factor if we needed it.
>>44840380
This is a very valid point
>>44840201
Demon kids goooo
>>44839464
Ugh, I'm being torn away for gainful employment.
>"Bring them to me."
These guys were all press-ganged, right? I mean, a lot of the Baron's men were just folks that got a gun pressed into their hand and told to shoot some other folks or the magic collar round their neck would kill them, or some variance thereof.
If they're mercenaries like the Red Waerlochs, though, fuck `em. Just tie them up and toss `em in a corner until the Baron is dealt with.
>>44840109
>shortsighted
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0763.html
evil guy's explanation related
Alright folks, I need to hit the store, will write when I get back.
>>44839464
You look Amy over; the half-harpy is surprisingly well, considering the battle she just took part in, though you can see a bandage on her cheek and a certain stiffness in her movements. You give her a grateful smile and nod.
"Take me to them," you tell her. "Is Nathan okay?"
"Nate's fine," Amy confirms. "Do you want to clean yourself off first?"
You look down at the blood and gore slathering your clothes - you removed your coat hours ago, to spare it, but the rest of you looks like you've walked through a small sea of blood and viscera - and then look back up at Amy. "Nah. Let's go."
You stop long enough to light a cigarette, and then you're on your way.
The wounded prisoners are still in the care of the medics, but a little more than twenty men and women kneel in chains, lined up next to each other and with Miners watching them warily. The Mine bosses you'd met with stand near them - they'd been waiting for you.
You can see the fear in their eyes when they take in your bloodstained form. Good.
"My name is Brianna la Croix," you say softly, taking a drag on your cigarette. "There's been a lot of death today. I'm not inclined to add to it, but I'm going to need a bit of a reason."
One man throws himself flat against the ground to grovel. "Please! Mercy, I'll do anything you ask, anything at all!"
"See, that's a shitty reason," you say to the rest. "That's just cowardice. It tells me you'll go right back to serving cowardly men the moment it benefits you. Amy, make a note, that guy goes to the Caretaker."
"Noted," Amy says, mischeviously.
> "Anyone else?"
> Remain silent
> Write-in
>>44842715
> Remain silent
>>44842715
Fuck it. They'll be held until Silence can deal with this shit. If she wants to run the Mine, then she gets to deal with this headache.
Break them into small groups and hold them separately.
>>44842715
> "Anyone else?"
>>44842715
>Remain silent
>but look over the prisoners as if inspecting them
>>44842715
> remain silent
> Fuck it. They'll be held until Silence can deal with this shit. If she wants to run the Mine, then she gets to deal with this headache.
> Break them into small groups and hold them separately.
Fucking annoying greentexting on phone.
>>44842715
What's the caretaker going to do with that guy?
>>44842715
> Where is the Baron?
Anyone who wants to offer help can do so now. Make no effort to imply there will be a reward for helping, but instead imply that there's a threat for not. They'll rush to sell him out before someone else can.
Also, slaves don't trust rewards. They can too easily be taken away. But they KNOW the lash is never far.
>>44842832
Put him to honest work and give him someone scarier than the villain he was working for.
>>44842867
Is doing that with 20 people impossible?
>>44842954
Not necessarily, but you might want to talk to the Caretaker before you dump that many folks on him. For one thing he may not have food or beds for that many.
>>44842715
>> Write-in
Give as many to the Caretaker as he's willing to/wants to take on
>>44843072
I don't think giving them to the caretaker 'just because' is a good idea.
As Vox mentioned when we stayed there, he doesn't really have the sensibilities to see to humans, and it should be kept as a punishment.
>>44842715
>Right. Let's try this again. Someone tell me what's going on. Don't try to embellish or make things out in ways you tink will make you sound better. That'll just make me angry. Just tell me the truth of who you are and how you got here.
>>44842715
> Remain silent
>>44842715
>> Remain silent
silent intimidation!
Called, writing. Business of the night should be squared away in theory.
>>44842715
You suck a drag on your cigarette and let it out through your nose. The prisoners look at you, some defiant, others afraid or indecisive, until Kat slithers back to your side. You can feel the shadow seething in pleasure at being unleashed.
You stare at the men, and they stare at the cat-eared shadow.
"I ain't dyin' for the Baron," one man snaps at last. "When the spell broke they promised better pay, but all we've got for our troubles is death and desolation. Chain me to a forge or make me dig graves in the Lichyard for all I care, just take me away from this wretched place. I can't live here any more. None of us can."
There is a faint murmur that becomes assent, amongst the prisoners, and you flick the butt of your cigarette away. "Not badly reasoned," you agree. "We need information. So here's the deal - you'll be held, while we re-take the Mine. You'll be released when we're done, to whatever fate awaits you. The bottom end of that scale is helping the Caretaker. You don't want to be near the bottom."
"Understood," that first man says.
"Take 'em away, chain 'em up. We'll deal with them after everyone's rested."
The Miners bustle the men off, and you turn to the bosses. "Send a messenger up the Shaft to Brigette the Poet. Tell her the situation down here and ask her to send someone to Lakehallow and to River la Croix, in Split."
"Aye," the boss agrees, moving off towards his own men.
> Collect Nathan and Amy, wind down to rest
> Check on Silence
> Check on your forces
> Write-in
>>44844800
>Check on your forces
>Get back to triage on the last few injured
it's not overworking if we're purposely waiting for Nathan and Amy to pick us up
>>44844800
> Collect Nathan and Amy, wind down to rest
> Check on Silence
>>44844800
>Check on Silence
>>44844800
>> Check on your forces
>>44844800
> Check on Silence
>>44844800
> Collect Nathan and Amy, wind down to rest
>>44844800
>Check on Silence
>Check on your forces
>Check on Sir Fetch
>>44844800
>Collect Nathan and Amy, wind down to rest
>>44844863
Remember, she's not the only healer around. She also saved one of the top bosses, so Bri can get some rest before the next push is planned.
>>44845207
yes, I'm well aware
Seven minute warning on vote. Got some things to do.
(Curse you real liiiife)
>>44844800
>> Check on Silence
Should really make sure she's OK, *then* rest.
Called, writing.
>>44844800
"Alright Amy. I'm gonna go check on Silence and then probably collapse somewhere and pass out."
"...Is that a good idea?" Amy asks, worried.
"We'll be consolidating here to make sure the reinforcements actually arrive. It'll be fine." You ruffle Amy's hair and give her a wan smile. "I know sometimes it seems like I keep shit from you and Nate but right now I really, honestly, just need some time to be alone."
"...Okay," the half-harpy agrees. She gives you a warm, gentle hug, and chirps softly. "But if you need us..."
"I know," you murmur affectionately.
Amy waves when you go to check on Silence; the fairy woman's life is steady, though you can feel the pain flickering through her. She's going to have a rough time of it soon.
You pull a chair up and sit next to her, the blood crusting to your pants. "Crazy fucking fairy," you chide, softly. "What were you thinking, fighting something like that on your own?"
Weakly, Silence's hand raises. You watch in vague concern, until all but one finger closes into a fist.
"...Well fuck you too," you tell her, and the hand flops back down onto the stone slab.
"Is she awake?" one of the medics asks, in concern.
"I'm not sure awake or asleep are distinctions that apply to her," you note. "...I, on the other hand, am going to pass out in this chair."
You put your hat over your face, and close your eyes.
Lora waits, in her empty room.
> What do you say?
>>44846658
>...any word on what happened with my aunt?
>>44846658
>Wazzup L-dawg howz it hangen?
>>44846658
>Hi. Good news, I hope?
>>44846658
> Slaughter, Kells, and Sir Fetch. Wife, Bed, or Kill? (While offering a smoke, of course.)
Alright folks, I need to turn in early. If the thread's still open in the morning I'll update at that time; otherwise, a new thread will be had.
As always, discussion, questions, comments, and criticisms remain both welcome and appreciated.
Thank you all for reading and participating!
>>44846658
>You mind showing me how you use that sword for when you're ordered to use it on me?
>>44846658
> Well, we don't have the chain yet, but the Baron's got precious little else left at this point. We'll have him for you soon.
> Anything else I can do for you while I'm here? Or once I go back there?
>>44846658
>know any ways that can help me not be killed by you?
>>44847037
If I remember correctly Lora has told us she cant be ordered to kill us, but our friends are still on the chopping block
>>44846658
> So if the Baron unleashes you on my friends, what could I do to slow you down?
>>44846969
> Slaughter, Kells, and Sir Fetch. Wife, Bed, or Kill? (While offering a smoke, of course.)
Seconding this
>>44846658
>>44846728
>...any word on what happened with my aunt?
>>44847827
>>44846728
Lora can't talk about this, remember? Stuff on the Other Side is one of the things nobody can talk about.
>>44847323
> So if the Baron unleashes you on my friends, what could I do to slow you down?
This is a pretty good question, but it also brings to mind another. Why the hell hasn't the first move of the Chain Holders been to break out the literal Angel Of Death to wipe out those who resist them? I mean, by this point they know we're coming. Brigitte had to put forth her best effort, whether she wanted to or not. Yet, letting Lora go on the direct assault has always been the /last/ resort.
I wonder if using those Chains has another price we don't know about...
>>44848236
The dead can't talk about the other side.
Whether deific entities can is unknown as they generally don't talk in the first place.
>So I've been wondering... what DOES happen to a being without a normal soul, like say a fairy, when it dies?
>>44848649
>They just stop existing. Their persistent self is purely physical. Pretty spooky, huh? They truly live a cursed life.
>>44846658
This >>44847323
> So if the Baron unleashes you on my friends, what could I do to slow you down?
>>44846969
I second this, just for the lulz it would spawn.
>>44848236
>>44848847
These are excellent topics to discuss, and one of them could give us a new way to attack or disable the other Chain-Holders.
Also, I will not be able to complete the lewdness of our fair necromancer, due to more fuckin' work shenanigans. On one hand, gainful employment and sexy greenbacks. On the other, irritating pig-folk, half-assed coworkers and an unfinished doodle. Sadness appears to be the flavor of the week.
>>44852749
Won't be able to complete it at /all/?
>>44854307
All these bumps remind me of Knight Apprentice Quest.I miss Damp ;_;
Miiiight as well bump this before I flee.
>>44855295
I'd bump that.
...I think Vox has already mentioned this somewhere, but if we've taken the Mine proper, and the Shaft, where is the Baron hiding now?
Is he all the way down in New Hell, which, IIRC, is the Traitor's demesne (so, trespassing on his fellow chain-holder's hospitality)? Or is there still an enclave he holds within the Mine level that we haven't breached yet?
>>44856502
Bri said to the prisoners "you'll be held while we retake the Mine", so I don't think we've taken the mine proper yet.
>>44856502
As I understand it, we have the Shaft and the Company Store, not the whole mine. Plenty of mine left for the Baron to hide in, and I seem to recall something about him being well fortified.
>>44856502
>>44856684
>>44856767
We've only just begun to break through his defenses.
>>44848236
> I wonder if using those Chains has another price we don't know about...
That's the right question.
>>44856502
>>44856767
Aye, the Baron and most of his surviving forces will be pulled back into his own territory, defending their places of living and business. Most Miners live in areas dug out as company territory rather than in the Store; the Baron's are not different in this regard.
Votes called, writing, internet is kind of kill.
Internet is extremely kill. I literally cannot post.
>>44857541
Hold on, let me try something....
>>44857541
>Literally cannot post
>Cannot post
>Posts to say cannot post
>???
Just messing with you, lichlord. Hope your internet becomes unkill soon enough.
>>44857541
Any luck connecting?
Okay so the good news is my internet is un-kill and the bad news is I have to go to work too soon for me to be comfortable attempting to update.
So...Q&A time!
>>44859274
>Slaughter, Kells, and Sir Fetch. Wife, Bed, or Kill?
>>44859654
that was not supposed to be green text
This is more a question for the anons than Vox:Who is your DLQ waifu?
>>44859809
Kells.
>>44859809
If I'm going to be honest? Bri
>>44859927
...You have my attention. Expand?
Leaving for work in five minutes. Will update with time to update when I can.
>>44860071
>Expand?
My dick's gonna expand up inside that brown necromancer pussy.
>>44860107
>>44859809
SilenceWhat can I say? Tall and sassy are my type
>>44860071
She's a very honest and earnest person. She also can't help but hate herself even after all the good she's done, i have a soft spot for people like that.
and like >>44860107
She's hot
>>44859927
Unbeknownst to Bri her actions in the dungeon have slowly caused a fan club to form, simultaneously someone overheard that she would inherit the dungeon and a hord of suitors out to marry into power/wealth are soon to arrive.
>>44861553
Unofficial, erotic woodcuts have been produced.
>>44861688
When asked to comment, Amy couldn't stop laughing and Nate was too busy blushing and not looking at it.
>>44861791
Then they got out some of Nate's and tried to measure the accuracy of size.
>>44861826
Drinks were had, and poor Nate, in his drunken state did not notice Amy until she had rather unceremoniously pulled down his trousers.
Roughly three hours to update.
Pic relatedd What I immagine Caretaker does when he has less than polite guests and feels like messing aroundd.
>>44861553
>>44861688
>>44861791
>>44861826
>>44861901I kind of want to write fanfiction based on this...
>>44863157
Do it
>>44863113
I was going to give you some shit for posting a version with such terrible lettering, but that's the one on the guy's site...my bad. https://rapozacomics.carbonmade.com/projects/5313679
>>44863157
Do it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0u4M6vppCI
>>44853271
I'll be working on it when I can, but like I said before, I want to take my time and do it /right/ rather than give folks something shitty. Problem is I'm scheduled to work the night shift. All. Week.
>>44859809Vox himself, of course. Who doesn't want to tap that fine Lich ass?
>>44863157
Do it coward!
>>44863201
>>44863204
>>44863664
Eh, why not. Hopefully it'll be done tonight, but I make no promises.
>>44846658
Let's go with
>Slaughter, Kells, and Sir Fetch. Wife, Bed, or Kill? (While offering a smoke, of course.)
>>44854935
Someone else remembers that?
Great story, sad to see it go. Same as Causality and, though it was on /a/ and from long ago, Necrobatmancer. Which I would provide a link to if there was a living archive of it anywhere on the entire damn internet, considering the quest I'm mentioning a necromancer quest in.
>>44863157>>44864149
Fantastic. The more writing we have, the better.
>>44863204
Why bring up Actual Cannibal Shia LaBeouf?
>>44864247
Just out of curiosity, why is he called 'Actual Cannibal' Shia LaBeouf? I'm assuming its a dumb internets meme and not, y'know, based on any real consumption of human flesh.
>>44854935
>>44864247
>Someone else remembers that?
I remember it too. Anyone know if anything happened or did he just, stop and never come back?
>>44864474
It's the title of a song that turned into a dumb internets meme. The song is amusing in a very, very weird way.
>>44864518
The song was linked in >>44863204 and is just called Shia LeBeouf.
>>44864474
The song linked has the lyrics "Killing for sport (Shia LeBeouf), eating all the bodies. Actual cannibal Shia LeBeouf"
>>44864490
I had the catalog set to catch his threads at the time, and... things just stopped being posted.
Other than that, I have no idea if anything was said.
Also, for those curious, the actual name is "Lessons in Knighthood" and can be found on suptg.
Going to be late; have to get food.
In the meantime, I've been musing about the Duchess. Would you prefer that to be a Gdoc story, or a PoV swap (complete with defining votes as with others) taking place while Bri awaits her reinforcements?
>>44865362
What would the choices entail?
>>44865451
That would be telling.
>>44865362
I'd say do like with Isoldt. Separate, but with choices.
If you want to do a long story with a lot of choices, then switching to royalty in quest would be the better option.
>>44865362
I feel like it's too distant from the current story and I really don't want to see you write female royalty senpai, because like most modern day authors you're probably gonna fuck it up big time. Inb4 massive hate from Voxsuckers (geddit, like cocksuckers)
>>44865680
>female royalty senpai
What is this even?
>like most modern day authors you're probably gonna fuck it up big time
In what way?
>>44865898
It's a troll, don't feed it.
Whatever happened to the idea of getting a bottle we can store death energy in, and harvesting the death that's happening near us anyway, with all the battles we end up in, to defray necromancy costs without having to kill anyone specifically to get such energy?
I remember asking about the possibility, and Vox saying it was indeed possible to do, but then it doesn't seem to have gone anywhere. Will we be getting any opportunities to obtain such a bottle? Besides the bottle, is there anything else we need to get to start doing such harvesting?
>>44866509
We learned how as part of studying with the Caretaker, iirc. But as you say, it hasn't come up since.
>>44857015
>>>44848236
>> I wonder if using those Chains has another price we don't know about...
>That's the right question.
And would Brigette be the right person to ask that question of? Lora can't answer it, and most others are unlikely to know, but Brigette both should know, and would likely be inclined to tell. Is she able to answer such things, though? What, exactly are the limits placed on her ability to act against her former co-conspirators?
>>44866524
Might want to get on that. Have already missed multiple very nice opportunities to charge it up.
>>44866552
You have a point. If nothing else, then the triage time probably had LOTS of death going on. I'd rather spend a bottle of energy than a month of Bri's life
>>44846658
You look down - yep, you're still crusted in blood and filth - and realize you left your pipe in your coat. You sigh and light up one of Lark's sins against nature.
"So," you say to the angel. "Slaughter, Kells, Sir Fetch. Which would you marry, which would you bed, and which would you kill?"
"I don't know who two of those people are," Lora tells you with a shrug.
You're in the middle of taking a drag on your cigaretted when she continues, "Though I'm certain Sir Fetch would be a peerless husband."
Lora laughs prettily while you choke on the smoke; it's one of the first genuinely happy sounds you've heard from her. She crosses the room and pats your back hard, and you breathe deep while you give her an incredulous look.
"Are you /trying/ to kill me?" you ask, at last.
"No, but you have to admit, if you're gonna go..."
"Heh. Yeah, I can see it," you grant, grinning impishly. "Feeling well?"
"He's afraid," Lora says with a predatory grin. "He's asking the Traitor for more men, and she's living up to her name. She sealed New Hell from her side and sent his last messenger back in a dozen pieces. There's no one left to save him."
"Except you," you point out.
"Well, mostly," Lora admits. "He's counting on me to kill your friends; he thinks he can take /you/ on his own. What he doesn't know, and I haven't bothered to tell him, is that as extensions of yourself I can't touch your shadow or your familiar either."
"So if I ordered Kat to restrain you while you fought Nathan and Amy..." you suggest.
"I would be highly inconvenienced," Lora agrees. "Not stopped and certainly not easy, but I'd have a hard time of it, in addition to doing what I can to not kill them in the first place."
"Excellent," you say with a broad grin. "Everything seems to be going well."
"Aye," Lora agrees. "For a value of well. May I ask you a question?"
"Please," you tell her. The angel sits on her bench and lights her own cigarette, looking thoughtful.
>>44867558
Aaaand this is why you don't forcibly enslave divine entities, because they fuck you over with insane restrictions.
In fact, I have an idea, what if we tied fetch and those hands onto vital parts of amy and nathen so that lora can't smite them or harm them without harming our familiars, and as a result stopping her from attacking them via red tape.
>>44867558
"If you could name your payment for all of this, what would it be?"
"Payment?" you ask.
Lora gestures to the room in general. "The Master lies dead at your feet. I am free. Your enemies are broken and bloody behind you. And in exchange for your service, you ask for...?"
"Is this a binding question?" you ask hesitantly.
"Answer the hypothetical you annoying little shit," Lora groans.
"Alright, alright..." you take a long drag and furrow your brow in thought. "I'd want..."
> The chance to raise a family
> My freedom
> To keep making a difference
> I don't know what I want
> Write-in
>>44867642
>> I don't know what I want
>>maybe
>> The chance to raise a family
>>44867642
> I don't know what I want
> The chance to raise a family?
> To keep making a difference?
>>44867642
>> The chance to raise a family
>>44867642
>> The chance to raise a family. But you won't be able to give me that. There's always gonna be another job to do.
>>44865362
It's honestly something happening pretty far away. Unless the Duchess is secretly the Traitor or the Daughter, some other Chain Holder, or is about to get involved with the Dungeon soon in a big way, it might be best to leave her interlude in a Gdoc.
I wouldn't mind her having choices and affecting the story though.
>>44857015
>That's the right question.
Always nice to know my line of questioning is relevant.
Off the top of my head, there's a few different reasons I can think of not to do it.
The first, is that the Chains have limits. You only get so much direct intervention, before you have to pay up. Lora has to listen to their orders, but there's only so many 'Wishes' or big invocations of her power they can do before shit starts going wrong. Either with them, or with the Chains.
The second, is the classic Fae problem. You bind a living and highly intelligent creature, and they're gonna resent the shit out of you for it and look for all sorts of ways to spit in your eye. When Lora's off in the spirit world or whatever, her options are limited. But in order to murder Bri's friends, she has to be in the real world. So they have to be very careful with those orders, or she's gonna make it her business to fuck them over. "Well, looks like I accidentally this critical support beam on my way to murder those people, burying you under a ton of rubble."
Possibility number three, is that whenever an Angel enters the material world, it sends up flags somewhere. And while the Gods don't have eyes in the Dungeon, I can bet that some of them are picking up on the fact that something's not right over there. They can't see inside, but they're probably aware of whenever Lora steps into the real world. And the more it happens, the more suspicious they're gonna get until they start routing their own people over their to discreetly take a look.
>>44867642
> [jk]Power, unlimited power!!![/jk]
Seriously though
> I don't know what I want
If only because I don't know what she would want more by the time this all ends.
>>44867642
>Bag of the best tobacco
We've had the worst, might as well try the best
>>44867642
>I want to be able to live life in a way that when I die, I'll be satisfied with what I've accomplished.
>>44867642
The seeds to the rare, elusive, and incredibly valuable Tomacco plant.
We could be rich boys! RICH!
>>44867642
>> The chance to raise a family
> To keep making a difference
>>44867642
>>> I don't know what I want
>>>maybe
>>> The chance to raise a family
And to polish off my post here >>44867746
Number Four is the possibility that Lora can only be in so many places at once. One of the first things she said to us was that she was being pulled in too many directions at once. If she's attacking us, then the other Chain Holders can't tap her powers for their shit. And if some project of theirs requires her direct intervention, then it probably starts to suffer once she's not actively maintaining it anymore.
>>44867642
>The seeds to the rare, elusive, and incredibly valuable Tomacco plant.
Greentexting my comment at >>44867826
>>44867642
>I don't know what I want from it
> The chance to raise a family? To keep making a difference? There's too many things to 'want' that I couldn't ask for one of them, and certainly not all of them.
>>44867852
>This.
>>44867835
Let's add a number five, while we're speculating. The power to bind and control an angel doesn't come out of thin air. We cast from our lifespan. What do they cast from?
>>44867852
>I don't know what I want from it
> The chance to raise a family? To keep making a difference? There's too many things to 'want' that I couldn't ask for one of them, and certainly not all of them.
Thirding.
>>44867746
>>44867835
Almost makes you wonder if we should work out a way to get her summoned and kept that way for a while, just on the off chance it fucks with their plans.
>>44867642
>> The chance to raise a family
>just a little protection for La Croix
The La Croix do needful work. They do the work when nobody can, when those that SHOULD are dead or refused. The La Croix are the safety net. So, just a little bit, let the safety net have a safety net. At least something that prevents huge branches of it dissappearing when there's still work to be done. Like the Flood.
>>44868016
That actually raises another potential for limitation.
What is allowing an angel to be in the physical world? Is it just 'fuck you, it's fine, it's magic' or does it have some stress on the world? Or a limit? Is there only so much time she can be physical, or a certain number of times that she can become corporeal? Might her becoming physical degrade the world itself?
>>44868087
Could be that's why angels are the big guns, and only concern themselves with things seriously breaking. Or the gods, et. al. just don't want to bother mortalkind too much directly.
>>44868087
She built the dungeon, so it's possible that as long as she stays in the dungeon there is no price.
It may be draining on her to sustain a physical form.
or it may be like the demons where there is technically no harm in an angel coming to the mortal world. other than her being significantly more powerful than the natives.
>>44867852
Backing this.
Heh, I'm just imagining old Bri in a rocking chair rocking a grandkid to sleep while smoking her pipe. 'Tis a good image
>>44868087
I doubt it. Angels are enforcers of the Natural Order, after all.
>>44868074
Now while I can see the appeal, I don't really think that we want to do this. The La Croix were terrible once, and it's only because they made a big, concentrated effort to be better that they started to get better. Calling the La Croix a safety net is just a bit egotistical sounding. We're not exactly the Abhorsen, you know.
... Although, now that you mention it, it's rather odd that all the La Croix in that region were wiped by a flood. Marsh folk are just as susceptible to natural disaster as everybody else, but the La Croix are very practical. They wouldn't panic, and probably kept an emergency chest on hand to throw in a boat. Floods don't exactly happen without warning, either. Even flash floods are predictable to a degree. They could've been hit by a hurricane or a monsoon or something, but still.
>>44868238
Kong! New drawing for the queue!
>>44868238
Bri rocking one (or two) to sleep, while Nathan teaches swordplay to the older children. Aunty River telling stories. Amy is inside making dinner.
Sometimes Lora drops by with gifts or plays with the kids. even after Brianna's death.
>>44823614
I feel i'm required to point out that stupidity killed the cat. Curiosity was framed.
>>44868261
As I understand it, the Blind Marsh la Croix were already a rather small branch, considering Bri has only quoted about four of them? Obviously my assumption could be wrong and most are just unquotable.
Angels are enforces of the Natural Order -when it goes wrong-, which should be rare in the first place. Rarer still should be fuck ups that require a physical body to solve.
Obviously we're all just using induction to create unproven facts, though.
>>44868350
And Satisfaction just sat in the corner smiling, while Planning Ahead performed CPR.
>>44868261
I believe I mentioned before, though I may be mis-remembering, but a dam broke and flooded the region out. More than just the la Croix there died; the community they served was drowned as well. Bri survived by virtue of being elsewhere, at higher ground, but she knew they were dead well before she got there to take care of what bodies she could find. Even their graveyards are now drowned and doomed to be forgotten.
>>44868401
... Christ, Bri's life sucks. 'No Good Deed', indeed.
>>44868541
You remember the bit where like 80% of the family traditions and cultural habits are geared specifically to prevent supervillainy and even then sometimes people flip their shit and start raising armies of the dead and buying up mercenaries to seize a dark throne?
Shit like this is why. They know it's an occupational hazard.
>>44867642
> I don't know what I want. Let's see what all this costs me first.
>>44868261
>egotistical
I just figured it Emphasized the volunteer aspect than any sort of arrogance. You did it because it had to be done, not because you had the ability to do it. To be a La Croix was a declaration that you would keep making that choice.
So rather than rewarding the Good Deed, why not mitigate the Punishment part? That at least, they'll live, if only to continue to suffer to do The Job.
Might we consider just making the final run at the Baron a solo thing? Would having Best Bird and the Hero not show up to their fight with the Angel be sufficient to keep the Angel from killing them? Sure, it means going at the Baron's fortress with just one necromancer, a shadow, 3 chicken knights (2 of which are really just chickens-at-arms, not properly knights), and maybe an extra set of hands (are they extension-of-Bri enough?), but kat and the chickens are established as pretty good fighters, and we can do a tactical and/or stealth approach instead of a frontal assault.
>>44868943
We should ask if the protection extends to the hands and the squire-chickens, as Lora didn't mention them.
Though soloing an entire compound is not a good idea. This is not a video game where the whole place is scaled down in size and difficulty to finish in an afternoon.
>>44868401
>>44867642
> Rebuild the Dam so we can re-claim the graveyards and make peace with our past.
>>44869005
It's also not a video game, where everything's tailored to the specific type of group expected to go after it, and anything else would be doomed, but that group has a contrived chance.
We really don't know that much of what sort of compound it is, but what we do know gives us no good reason to think it's particularly more vulnerable to frontal assault than it is to having its defenders picked off by a stealth squad. For that matter, a small enough, stealthy enough group may not even /need/ to take on the "entire compound", we may be able to evade some of them outright.
voxxxxxxx?
OH NO! REAL LIFE GOT HIM!!!!
>>44870573
It was probably the "dishes" again.
