[Burichan] [Futaba] [Nice] [Pony]  -  [WT]  [Home] [Manage]
[Catalog View] :: [Graveyard] :: [Rules] :: [Quests] :: [Discussions] :: [Wiki]

[Return] [Entire Thread] [Last 50 posts] [Last 100 posts]
Posting mode: Reply
Name (optional)
Email (optional, will be displayed)
Subject    (optional, usually best left blank)
Message
File []
Password  (for deleting posts, automatically generated)
  • How to format text
  • Supported file types are: GIF, JPG, PNG, SWF
  • Maximum file size allowed is 10000 KB.
  • Images greater than 250x250 pixels will be thumbnailed.

File 136693421442.jpg - (76.67KB , 450x400 , Title4-1.jpg )
507761 No. 507761 ID: d73527

Legacy Quest

Chapter 4: A Grave Mistake

Older Chapters
Chapter 1 - http://tgchan.org/kusaba/questarch/res/445572.html
Chapter 2 - http://www.tgchan.org/kusaba/quest/res/450063.html
Chapter 3 - http://tgchan.org/kusaba/questarch/res/474421.html

Discussion Thread - http://tgchan.org/kusaba/questdis/res/59003.html

Story by Kaed
Art by Fen
97 posts omitted. Last 50 shown. Expand all images
>>
No. 545042 ID: db5510
File 138250386988.gif - (622.44KB , 600x600 , Belayment.gif )
545042

>>544835
>>544843

... Bwuh? Yeah, yeah... I can hear you. Feel like my head has been stuffed with clouds or something... my tongue? Hang on...

:garrl: "... Blaaaah? Looks normal to me..."

Yeah, I guess I can talk fine, so whatever he did wasn't to mute me forever.

>>544848
>>544837

Yeah... probably right. But I couldn't just walk away and do nothing... whatever, let's just move forward and tack up another screw-up to the list. At least I'm alive.

>>544838

No... I don't think I've ever seen anyone with red and purple fur. Maybe he dyed it? Who knows what evil mages do with their free time, maybe he's got a whole fancy dye-tattoo thing over his whole body. I'm probably never going to see him again, so I'm not going to fuss over it right now. Best just to let these things go instead of dwelling, yep...

>>544839

Sounds like a good plan to m-

...

Oh no. What time is it now? Almost midday?

CRAP. I don't have any more time left! I was supposed to have already gotten food from the farmer by now!

God this hurts. I think.... I think I have like, less than a half hour to eat something before I collapse from starvation? I'm going up to his shack, figure out something to say to him. I can't even think straight right now, I need food badly.
>>
No. 545048 ID: c23ab0

Let yourself get so weak then throwing yourself into the arms of a necromancer. You are such a screw-up.
>>
No. 545052 ID: d2995c

Make, make your way over to his shack then. If you get there before you collapse he probably won't leave you to die.
>>
No. 545062 ID: dbbfc7

Walk to the shack and ask them "Would you like to heard about your goddess and savior Aetheria? if a poor paladin could join them for breakfast. In exchange we could tell them a wild story about a grave robbing necromancer!
>>
No. 545067 ID: d2b9fe

> tack up another screw-up to the list
Hey, you tried to do good! That's hardly a screw up. Not your fault you were caught off guard.
>>
No. 545098 ID: 5fd94e

>>545067
Actaully getting caught off guard is kindof his fault, however it was a leaning experience. He survived and that is the important thing.


Lets see if you can't request some food in exchange for assistance with some chores.
>>
No. 545464 ID: 105554

Well... Grab your axe, and grab the shovel. I'll give you a few ideas depending on how desperate you are.
1) Return to the shack and offer to cut firewood, dig some holes, or trade him the shovel for a bite to eat. After all, the shovel is worth something, and it's better than showing up and asking for handouts.

2) Find a trail beaten in the underbrush of the woods, dig a hole, sharpen some sticks to pit the hole with spikes, cover it with brush, wait to trap your own game. If you're so desperately famished, nibble on some worms or grubs or whatever you find while digging. I don't think you're really moments from starving to death. That could take a long time. You'll probably dehydrate way before you starve. Suck it up?

I'm leaning towards the first idea. And if you do speak to any one... I wouldn't tell them the shovel was used to dig a grave... buuut may be you can ask how to find some authoritative figure or faction in this area and see what they know/ will do. Heck, they may even pay you to investigate further.
>>
No. 547502 ID: db5510
File 138413860825.png - (237.37KB , 700x500 , Knockin.png )
547502

>>545067

Thanks, I feel a little better I guess...

>>545048

... helpful, thanks.

>>545052
>>545062

Yeah, I'm up for that idea. I'm sure we can discuss the details later, time is not really at a premium here! Most people don't just let a stranger starve to death at their doorstep.

Here we are, then.

-knock knock-

:garrl: "Hello? Is anyone there, I could really use some food, I'll help out after!"

...

....

:garrl: "Hello?!"

-bang bang bang-


>>545464
>>545098

Crap, I don't think he's home. I really don't have time for this, I've been on hunger belayment for nearly a week now, and I was serious - I literally am going to starve if I don't eat something very soon! I dunno what to do now, uhm uhm...

... maybe he's just a heavy sleeper?

-BANG BANG-

:garrl: "HELLO, IS ANYONE IN THERE? I NEED HELP!"
>>
No. 547505 ID: d315b1

>>547502
Can you pick the lock?
>>
No. 547506 ID: db5510
File 138413995232.png - (222.15KB , 700x500 , gnollish lockpick.png )
547506

oooooh... oh goddess my stomach hurts so much I can't barely think and there's no food I'm going to-

>>547505

...

-BAM BAM BAM CRUNCH-

LOCK PICKED FOOD TIME
>>
No. 547510 ID: 982487

Ok eat your fill and while we're at it might not be a bad idea to get some extra for the road...
Oh, and definately come back to apologize/pay off this, sometime later.
>>
No. 547556 ID: dbbfc7

Is anyone inside or is the house abandoned? And hopefully this wasn't a lemon orchard or you are in for a sour breakfast.
>>
No. 547626 ID: fc937d

Breaking and entering? Stealing? Ooh, you're wracking up negative pally points here.

I suppose there are allowances to be made when you're literally starving to death, but we'll have to see what we can do to put things right. Fix the door maybe, at least apologize.
>>
No. 547749 ID: 105554

Feast! Loot! Plunder! Pillage! Sack this house, kill the men, take the women for your own pleasure! every good warlord needs a gaggle of bastards out in the world seeking revenge against their absent father. Also, take a towel. You never know when it will become useful.
>>
No. 547879 ID: db5510
File 138432982488.png - (351.04KB , 1800x2000 , Paladinskills.png )
547879

>>547556

No, no one is in here, but it smells like someone was in here this morning. It looks like a pretty simple house, one big room with everything in it, couple cots and stuff, plus a pantry. The pantry is of special interest, of course.

Not much in the way of fresh fruit in here... or really fresh anything. Assorted dried fruits, dried meat, grains... all very tasty, but I think it's a little odd he doesn't store any of his own produce inside his house.

>>547626
>>547749

I can't hear you over the delicious taste of food in my mouth.

I don't know what animal this came from but it's delicious. Mmmm.

>>547510

Mmmm... yeah, I dunno... I'm already taking so much, it feels like stuffing my pants with food would be a little bit taking advantage of a situation that's already bad enough...

On that note, I think I need to clear up a few things about what it means to be an Aetherian Paladin, since there appears to be some misunderstanding. There's more to it than just doing good and helping people. I'm going to be eating a while, so we have time.

Everyone can - well, all of us anyway, I think the dog-people have a different kind of magic, but that's beside the point - but, yes, all of us can control our bodies from shortly after birth. It's stronger for some than others, and a rare few can even enter a Bloodrage when pressed, but the training of a paladin is one of learning discipline and pushing your body rather rather than the quick bursts and simple most people learn to use in normal life.

Briefly delaying physical needs is one of the more simple practices that finds common use, but one of the first things we were trained in was to refine it into something much more potent - I have not eaten for five days, which is about the limit of my ability to push myself right now. I can also forgo sleeping instead for an about as long, or do neither for nearly two days. Of course, I'd rather not have to, it's exhausting in the long term.

I completed training up to the ranking of Novice and was working on the Adept training before I left, which means I also learned some tricks to ignore stress on my body from physical exertion or harsh environments, but they're a lot harder to do than belayments, and I can't do either for nearly as long.

I haven't completed the main parts of the Adept training, but I know how to do them at least, on a rudimentary level. I can block out pain and give myself what amounts do a sort of prolongued adrenaline rush on command, which is good when I need a burst of strength.

There were things I would have learned later - Master paladins can literally refuse to die until they're decapitated or they're unable to fight anymore due to extensive dismemberment. But... I wasn't really learning to be a paladin entirely for the purpose of the training they gave me, so I sort of... skipped ahead a little bit to try and hurry things up,

See, one of the Journeyman techniques they teach you is to accelerate your body's natural healing by a massive factor, like to the point of compressing a week into several hours. I read up on it when no one was looking and figured out the basic idea of the process, but uhm... they apparently teach you other things first as a foundation for the later things, so while I can set my body into overdrive, I don't have a whole lot of stamina to deal with it.

And I can't stop it. It just keeps going. Until I collapse from exhaustion. I was out of action for several days if I remember right. They were kinda mad at me about that.

But I guess it would be useful in an emergency, where exhaustion and unconsciousness would be preferable to bleeding to death?

Anyway, I think I'm about full now, but there isn't a whole lot of food left in here. The farmer isn't going to be happy when he gets home.
>>
No. 547881 ID: a36601

If he doesn't keep any of his own fresh fruit in his house, they he probably wouldn't mind us taking a few from the trees.
Is there any way for you to tell how long the owner/s left for?

How does will recharge? Is it a recovered per day or per event thing?
>>
No. 547885 ID: 4bd8ca

How do you get more will and how much stronger does the bolster strenght make you?

And if you aren't a dog-person the what are you?
>>
No. 548605 ID: db5510
File 138466762408.png - (235.67KB , 800x653 , Busted.png )
548605

>>547885

A day or two of non-strenuous activity and rest should do fine, I there is nothing special I need to do. Just take it easy and recuperate.

As for the strength, a lot I guess? I can't pick up and throw boulders, but I could push one off a trapped person. That's actually one of the things we did during training, only with dummies instead of real trapped people of course.

>>547881

Well, the Khal people are different from us, the Gnar. I don't know all the specific details, it's not something I studied much, but they're a bit smaller and physically weaker, though supposedly they have used to have a high magical ability, until they outlawed it all centuries ago. I hear it sort of died off since from disuse, and is very rare among them these days. And kept quiet about, if they know what's good for them. The Order takes stamping out magic seriously, I've heard.

As for the owner, I can still smell him in the house so he can't have been gone more than a couple ho-

:dubblin: "My door! My door is broken down!"

:guarddog: "Yes, so I see. And look, our resident bandit is still inside."

:dubblin: "He ate all my food too! What is wrong with you, have you no shame?!"

:garrl: "Uuh... this isn't what-"

:guarddog: "-it looks like? Come on, is old line the best excuse you can come up with? You've got stolen food hanging out of your mouth, kiddo, it looks pretty clear to me what's going on. Vandalism, petty theft, grave robbing-"

:dubblin: "-My brother! Where is my brother, you monster!? What did you do with him? I saw you sleeping in his grave! Where is-"

:guarddog: "-I've got this under control, farmer. Please don't interrupt me again."

Oh no oh no what do I do this is really bad I don't know what to say he's got a sword and I just realized I forgot my axe back outside!
>>
No. 548665 ID: 5fd94e

Try to talk to them, hope that tongue thing doesn't kick in.

Tell them that you say the grave robbers and was ambushed. Something should seem off to them about what happened as grave robbers generally don't sleep in the holes they dig up.
>>
No. 548666 ID: d315b1

>>548605
Just tell them that you're a lawman who's been pursuing the graverobbers for some time. You haven't eaten in days.

Hey, it's at least partially true.
>>
No. 548707 ID: a36601

So since he did not wake you up when he saw you in his brother's grave, the farmer most likely went to get help. Since this other guy responded to his call, but refers to him as farmer; I suspect he is either a lawman, an adventurer, or another paladin.

First thing to say is that you're a paladin on a Proving quest. If the not-farmer knows what that is, then he may also get a bit more of your situation. Apologize to the farmer for breaking into his place and stealing his food, but you were literally starving and he was not around to answer his door. After admitting to what you actually did wrong they may be more willing to believe you didn't grave rob. Try to avoid lying. (in case of magic stuff from tongue or being caught in a lie later)
>>
No. 548709 ID: dbbfc7

Manners man! Greet these men and offer your name, then explain that you are a warrior of justice!
Tell them what you witnessed last night and demand a skilled tracker to help you hunt down the evil warlok!
>>
No. 548787 ID: c23ab0

The graverobbers got you. They used magi-erk. That's when you fall to the ground writhing in pain as your enchanted tongue chokes off your breathing passages. With luck you'll die then, instead of having to go through an embarassing execution.
>>
No. 548833 ID: db5510
File 138475485441.png - (237.33KB , 800x653 , Behave.png )
548833

>>548665

Yeah, okay. That's a pretty good idea to work with.

:garrl: "Well, you see, there w-"

>>548787

What, what? Is that a thing that can happen?! I'm not going to risk killing myself! And, you don't know they're going to execute me...

:guarddog: "Yes? I'm listening, let's hear your excuse already so we can move things along."

:garrl: "Uh, that is... sorry, you're not going to execute me for that stuff, are you?"

:guarddog: "Coming clean, are you? That's a refreshing change. No, none of the charges you're facing are capital offences, but you are under arrest for them. You'll probably get a year or at a labor camp, though."

>>548707

:garrl: "Can't... can't I just apologize? I'm on a quest and I was starving to death and-"

:guarddog: "Doesn't work that way, kiddo. You've committed crimes and you have to accept the consequences. Now, are you going to cooperate with this arrest, or do I have to beat you unconscious with my cudgel first?"

>>548709

:garrl: "Wait now, listen. My name is Garrl, I'm a paladin of Ae-"

:guarddog: "Well that's right lovely to know, Garrl the 'paladin' thief, but aside from probably being a lie, it doesn't have any relevance to the problem at hand. Last chance, bandit. Are you going to come quietly, or do I have to beat you into submission?"

:dubblin: "Can't you just beat him anyway? I'd like to see him get clubb-"

:guarddog: "OUTSIDE, NOW."

:dubblin: "Just saying grumble grumble..."

Well, shit.

I don't have my axe, but I'd rather not spend a year breaking rocks or whatever they do with prisoners... I guess I could try getting past him. He looks pretty tough though... should I fight him or let him arrest me?
>>
No. 548867 ID: a36601

>>548833
You haven't recovered any will yet, right? If you had a weapon I'd say you might be on an even keel with him, but you don't have anything. The only ways you could escape would be to throw the bench at him and hope he does not dodge, or to jump out through that window which appears too small to get through quickly. I say go with him, but ask him to get your stuff and investigate the grave site with you; because you did not do that.

Wait. Do you still have that tree limb with you? That might be enough to let you rush/block past him. (I still vote for cooperation though)
>>
No. 548870 ID: 3c3765

Oh shit Gnar what are you doing!

Instead of spilling your spaghetti all over the place you have to stand up tall and proud like a real paladin that is being falsely accused of crime he didn't commit.

Then with a booming voice tell that lawman that you will gladly come with him to clear your name since you have only told the truth.
>>
No. 548874 ID: c23ab0

Technically you totally did commit the whole vandalism and petty theft crimes. But you're no grave robber!
>>
No. 548884 ID: fc937d

You're a paladin, you broke the law and wronged these people.

If they won't allow you to make up for your transgression in some other way, you have no choice but than allow yourself to be arrested. At least you won't be starving.

...and yeah, totally come clean about what you witnessed last night.
>>
No. 549165 ID: 105554

You know... that's a lot of meat standing between you and the door. Go for it. Kill them both. Have a feast. Strip their bones clean. Burn the shack and leave no witness to the crimes. You shouldn't need a weapon, you have claws and fangs.
>>
No. 549640 ID: db5510
File 138526950231.jpg - (233.80KB , 800x653 , murderpally.jpg )
549640

>>549165

Yeah, wow, that's actually a really good idea, I can't believe I didn't think of that myself!

I'll just slam the guard's head into the wall a couple times then go kill the farmer while he's out I can come back and finish him off with his own sword. Then I'll have to strip both of them so I can skin them, I mean clothes are pretty inedible I think, but what do I know? Maybe that will be your next excellent idea, I can't wait!

How fun!
>>
No. 549641 ID: c23ab0

No way you're that good at fighting. You just got knocked out, didn't you.
>>
No. 549642 ID: d315b1

>>549640
what
>>
No. 549643 ID: 6c4b89

UM...
>>
No. 549654 ID: fc937d

Please tell that was sarcasm and you have a very vivid imagination.

Seriously. We're a little scattered sometimes, you gotta learn to disregard the crazy outliers and/or the voices obviously having you on.
>>
No. 549670 ID: 279f18
File 138529165823.jpg - (43.95KB , 500x332 , 1251856724119.jpg )
549670

>>549640
...Please tell me you're just unconscious.
>>
No. 549677 ID: 3d837e

Garrl. Stop. Look at what you are doing. Think over how your thought process has been going.
If nothing else, you should go back to your home, wherever it is, and show them that marking on your tongue. I know, you want to show them that you CAN do it on your own, but your impatience is getting the better of your judgement, and because of it you've gotten in over your head.
I think you've been legit cursed or something, and should no longer trust that you can think and act for yourself...Sadly, said curse probably will prevent you from actually heeding my words.
>>
No. 549679 ID: dbbfc7

This is no time for jokes Garrl, so time to snap back to reality.

This was a joke right?

Or did we jump from paladin quest to outlaw quest?
>>
No. 549690 ID: a121c5

Oh great. That magic guy cursed you to obey the terrible suggestions. Fuck.
>>
No. 549706 ID: 279f18

>>549690
>cursed you to obey the terrible suggestions. Fuck.

...

...

M̶a̶t̶e̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶r̶p̶s̶e̶.̶
>>
No. 549733 ID: db5510
File 138535352670.png - (389.82KB , 1008x754 , Arrested.png )
549733

>>549641
>>549670

I'm fine.

>>549679
>>549654

Of course it bloody was, I still have some sense in me, which is more than I can apparently say for you. I would appreciate less suggestions spiralling into stupidity and depraved insanity, though. If you could restrain the crazy parts, perhaps?

>>548870
>>548884

I already did it, while I was busy imagining horrible murders for your benefit. It's not as bad as I thought it would be, at least he only took away my armor and weapon, rather than... everything, I guess. And I've sort of got my hands tied up, but yeah, not as b-

:guarddog: "Are you even listening to me? Look, kid, scowling at me isn't going to frighten me into letting you off the hook. You're not even a full grown gnar yet, I think I could take you on if you tried anything. Now, I have a job to do, which means due processing and stuff. So work with me here, and I'll not smack you upside the head with my club, got it?"

:garrl: "Whatever."

:guarddog: "Good boy. A-hem. Now, as I was saying, as you may or may not have been aware, magic has been forbidden in khal lands by edict of Order of Simplicity, so - while I doubt a half starved bandit like yourself has anything - please declare any magical items or enchantments you may have in your possession for confiscation. Failure to do so is a serious crime and will be punished under ecclesiastical court by the Order, which trust me kiddo, you really don't want to go through."

:garrl: "Uuuh..."

:guarddog: "I'm waiting. We can't go anywhere until you give me an straight answer, gnar."
>>
No. 549757 ID: dbbfc7

Tell him that you were possibly put under some spell by the body stealing magican but keep quiet about us.
Though he might not even believe you at this point.
>>
No. 549788 ID: d7b500

>Murder fighting was fake
PLEASE don't scare us like that! We seriously saw that and flipped.
Ok...Considering the BUCKETFULS of help we've been, part of me wants to say go ahead and tell him about us. Can't make things worse than we already have if we're with him right?
>>
No. 549818 ID: 955dc5

>>549733
What is this guy willing to even believe, a graverobbing magician stamped your tongue with a magic brand and possibly cursed you?

They might as well next say they'll cut out your tongue just to be safe.
>>
No. 549821 ID: c23ab0

>>549818

That might actually work in your favor. Then you won't be able to say anything stupid again.
>>
No. 550099 ID: 105554

You do not have to speak until a proper trial is in place. This fellow may enforce the law, but he isn't the one to make critical decisions. Plus, I doubt he will let you starve during the trip.
>>
No. 550166 ID: fd6ae9

Hey, we've confirmed you're capable of giving us a false perception of reality. That's interesting. That means what we see is connected to you- even though we're not looking through your eyes. Not sure how to explore or exploit that, though.

>declare magic!
...well, tell him you might have been enchanted by the thing you ran into last night (and that he doesn't really believe you about), but you wouldn't really know. (If they check later, you'll have proof your story is real).

We'd appreciate it if you didn't give us up, though. We'd rather not be brutally destroyed, or locked in a storeroom forever, or taken apart and studied.
>>
No. 560671 ID: db5510
File 139139048148.png - (162.06KB , 800x600 , the green mile.png )
560671

>>549818
>>549821

Gosh, that's comforting. I'd love for my tongue to be cut off, why didn't I think about that? Oh, right... because it's completely a stupid thing to do.

More stupid than even some of my recent decisions, even.

>>549757

I think, after some thought, that I will refrain from attempting that until I'm sure my tongue isn't going to strangle me to death for trying. If something does happen, it would probably be better for it to happen in a trial, where maybe they would be able to do something about it? This is just a constable, I don't think he'd be able to help me much.

>>549788
>>550166

No, you might be annoying, insane, and often unhelpful, but you appear to be intelligent and on some level sentient, so until I know more about you I'm not going to turn you over to people who would destroy you. And I have no doubt they will, the stories I've heard say the khal have no tolerance for magic. You would be considered heretical and dealt with appropriately.



:garrl: "Do I look like someone who would be carrying magic around?"

:guarddog: "I'm not fooling around with you, he-"

:garrl: "No! No I don't have any magic! Can we just move on with this?"

:guarddog: "I'd watch your tone with me. It wouldn't be hard for me to confiscate all the rest of your belongings. I just need to claim reasonable suspicion of contraband. You want to walk the rest of the way in your fur?"

:garrl: "... No, sir. I'm sorry."

:guarddog: "Good. Let's get going."


Besides, if I'm going to declare my magic my magic just to avoid getting in trouble, there would be no point in telling them about you.

I'd have to tell them about my axe too, and that isn't going to happen.
>>
No. 560673 ID: d2995c

I don't think you have even told us much of anything about your axe.
...So why of all places to travel are you in the land of magic-hating jerks?
>>
No. 560721 ID: c04e3e

So what kind of magic can you do with your axe? Also what kind of a goat bear is that guard riding?

Ask what is the magistrate/judge like, a reasonable person who listens and usually lets people off easy hopefully.
>>
No. 561475 ID: db5510
File 139188895536.png - (38.85KB , 800x600 , End Chapter 4.png )
561475

>>560673
>>560721

Well, I actuazzzzrt~*

-connection with Garrl lost-

-END OF CHAPTER 4-
[Return] [Entire Thread] [Last 50 posts] [Last 100 posts]

Delete post []
Password