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Author Topic: Web of Life: A Drider's Adventure (Ended)  (Read 190078 times)

Liquefied Spleens

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Re: Web of Life: A Drider's Adventure
« Reply #1425 on: January 19, 2018, 08:07:45 am »

Once outside, you run. As fast as your poor legs can carry, which isn't nearly at your usual speeds. You know that, as a drider, you are unreasonably fast. It makes sense when you look at how fast a spider is if you were to catch one out in the open. The second they want to move, they move FAST. So, even when you're note exactly at your best, you still move quite fast. The average human sprinter (without magical enhancements of any kind) would be outpaced by you after a while. Of course, you still don't feel too hot. Your legs soon begin to throb in pain, a hollow, "hungry" sort of feeling. You need to replenish your fluids properly, over the course of a few days or even weeks. The transfusion potion helped to get you moving.
Speaking of potions. Your anesthetics are running out. Soon enough, your hook-wounds begin to sting ever so slowly. You hardly know where you're going, and your children cannot help you in this regard. You have a faint idea of where the forest is, they don't. You repeat a mantra to yourself, winded and injured.
Get to the forest. Get to my friends. Get to the forest, get to my friends.
Your children  hold on tight, their little legs giving you a small beacon of comfort in the all-consuming pain that soon spreads through your body. You're pushing yourself too hard, but it's this or death. You can't let up for even a second or you're DEAD.
Worse. Your children would be dead too.
(Restraint points are not spent on this. When it comes to pushing yourself physically, it's not needed, but it WOULD be needed if you needed to restrain your instincts or do something that would deliberately harm your body, like pulling out a knife out of your shoulder to use as a weapon.)

You hope you're not leaving too much of a trail. You just can't both run fast and cover your tracks, and you're not too good at it regardless. You pass by the castle again, from a distance. While it's risky, it's the only way to get closer to the forest again. You see that there is a siege underway! The gate must be on fire, and even the stone walls are affected by the flames, either covered in oil or perhaps the reinforcements and trash on the walls has caught fire. Flames lick into the night's sky, casting an orange glow around the castle. You can't slow down.
The exhaustion is getting worse. Your vision is blurry, and the edges seem to darken. But you keep going for just a little longer, the forest is in sight. Just a few more minutes, and you and your children will be safe.
Suddenly, you hear a roar coming from the castle. Even from this distance? you twist to it, and see a massive shape jump from the tallest tower. It's eyes glow red, smoke and shadows seem to spill from the bat-like figure.
Is that the vampire?!
Through the smoke and fire, he comes crashing down on the attackers, and disappears back into the flames. A creature of pure rage and evil, that's what it is!

You chide yourself for stopping, and keep on going, the exhaustion catching up to you even more now that you stoodstill for a moment. You feel every part of you screaming in protest, and when you finally cross the threshold into the forest you allow yourself to stop running. Tears drip from your eyes, your teeth are clenched, but you've made it. Whatever's going on at the castle, it provided enough of a distraction. You stumble through the forest, leaning on the trees, desperately clawing to get air in your lungs again. You have never been this tired in your life!
You can hardly see anymore... Just a dark tunnel, trees blending into eachother, until you suddenly hear a deep barking voice!
HALT! Who are you? Step into the light or you will be shot!
I-I'm...*hhh* S-sydney. Aesti *Grk* You have to stop just to breathe a little more. You've gone completely blind in your exhaustion and panic!
Step into the light!
C-Can't see... You cough. You feel a burning sensation inside you, and you cough up some mucus that seems to flay you on the inside.
Stop, you bumbling idiot, that's Sydney! The one we told you about!
You suddenly feel small, warm hands around yours. You've never been happier to hear Eveline's voice before. You even allow yourself to crack a smile before collapsing outright.

When you wake up again, you're at a bonfire. The camp looks nothing like how your left it. It looks like an honest to god army camp now, filled with tents and cut down trees. Even practicing ranges and a medical tent. When you look behind you, you see Eveline hard at work, alongside a nun dressed in a white habit with a red cross on the hood. They're hard at work with medicinal herbs and the like.
Good god, look at what they did to her... they just strung her up by some hooks or something...
Spot on... You say, weakly. You feel your children under your hair. Good, they stayed hidden.
Oh, good, you're up. Look, most of the camp is gone for now, but most of our friends are still here... Including the other Sydney, by the way. She told me you sacrificed yourself so she could escape with Yunikki. Considering Yunikki's state, I can see why you'd want her out of there.
How is she doing?
...We've been keeping her into a medical coma, for now. The stress on her body looked like it was going to kill her if she didn't rest.
If I may, miss? The nun says, you assume she's Arania. I have some... bad news. The crusaders did not look kindly upon her... condition. If it wasn't for her earlier history and unwilling change, they would have killed her outright. Instead...
What? Y-you didn't let me enter her tent. I thought you said it was safer. What did they do?!
Arania looks around her, seemingly fearful of somebody listening in.Now that they're gone, I can tell you. They marked her. The mark of the abomination... I've been trying to stop the injury from getting infected, but I don't think.

Eveline jumps up and runs to the tent marked with a cross in a panicked frenzy. You were about to do the same, but you feel a sharp stabbing pain as you try to move your legs.
You hear some murmuring in the tent, clouded by the distance and the tentflap, however, you can't hear anything. Eventually, you see Eveline leave again, tears in her eyes and looking absolutely FURIOUS. You've rarely ever seen a truly angry kobolt, and there is something primal in their anger. Teeth bared, a constant low growl, and their fingers flexed ever so slighty, perfect for clawing. Sucy follows right after her, surprisingly. Was she already in there?
I can't believe you! You KNEW about this and didn't warn me!?
If I did, you would have flipped out at the crusaders. No need to get our allies in a tizzy.
How does it look!?
It's... IT'S AWFUL! They burned an "A" on her face! She... She'll never be able to recover from this! She was already nearly insane, this will... She's going to... Slowly, her anger seems to disappear. She begins to slack, and eventually just starts crying.
Sucy, clearly uncomfortable by the show of emotions, walks to wards you, leaving Eveline behind.
I'm... Sucy beings to speak. She looks like she's trying to force up a hairball with how hard it is.
I'm sorry I didn't stop them. Yunikki seemed... She seemed... principled? And nice. I think. She looks uncomfortable to the point that she looks ready to start running, but she eventually sits down next to you and pulls out her own alchemical kit.
Eveline? Please. There's nothing to be done about it for now, please help me take care of your friend. She's in deep pain, I can feel it.

Eveline closes her eyes, takes a deep breath and walks towards you. She begins working on your back legs. With three healers (or one healer and two general purpose alchemists) you rapidly start feeling a lot better.
Miss? What drove you to push yourself so hard? Your body was close to outright giving out when you came here! If you want to walk within two days, you'll probably need a stimulant... Goodness, look at this! Tissue damage. And ALL your wounds have opened again. Eveline? Could you give her a transfusion potion? You can use one of mine, over here.

After about an hour of medical care, you feel a lot better. Arania wasn't lying, however, you don't feel like you're able to get back up right now. They keep the stimulant they talked about close to you, though. Just in case.
As you lay there, other people came from their patrols. Meandra was the first to come by, and she practically screamed when she saw you, uncontained relief and giddiness that you're safe and sound (kind of). She hugged you straight away, and only Sucy had the heart to tell her about Yunikki. She quickly went to go see, but seemed unperturbed. In her words: Nothing a little make-up and some hair won't cover. I can take care of her, no troubles!
She is just painfully optimistic, sometimes.
The one person you really didn't expect was the witch-hunter. He was surprisingly amicable, considering he didn't really know you too well. He didn't spend a lot of time on smalltalk, however. He begins sharpening swords by the fire. There's a fairly large collection of them nearby, and a larger collection of cleaned and sharpened ones lay to the right of the witch-hunter. Seems he's also a decent weaponsmith, at least when it comes to taking care of weapons.
Finally, you see the thief again, Sette. You did hear she escaped...
She doesn't stick around long, though, only saying that she's glad you escaped. She's on guard duty, apparently. But before she leaves, you hear something similar to the flapping of wings. It sounds large, the wings of a hurricane. Out of the shadows comes a massive, smoking, bat-like creature. It twists and cracsk back into a humanoid shape before spotting you with glowing red eyes.

SYYYDNEEEYYYY!!! bellowed the vampire.
The whole camp stands up, at the ready, and you look at the screaming figure. He looks... burnt. Burns cover his whole body, blackened tendrils of destroyed flesh and deep, bleeding gouges elsewhere. Any human would have died from those injuries, but here he stands, breathing heavily at the edge of camp.
He begins to charge.

Protect me!
Forcing yourself now is likely to kill you! Command your friends to effectively take him down! You have 20 mana remaining (looks like he took care of your zombies, as well)

Stimulant. Let's go, tough guy!
You'll finish this yourself. Your allies will help, of course, and you will join them.

Stimulant. Run!
You need to get out of here. As long as he's focused on you, your friends can likely attack as you stay away.µ


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omada

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Re: Web of Life: A Drider's Adventure
« Reply #1426 on: January 19, 2018, 11:28:50 am »

Doombolt
Stimulant
Another doombolt where he will land after the jump
Grab a sword if there is one nearby (witchhunter?)
Run backwards while yelling "HE IS FAST, PREDICT WHERE HE WILL BE, AND YOU, YOU SHOULD HAD STICK TO THE CHESS"
Prepare to hit him when we think that he will be in melee range (and he WILL be in meele range, there is no way he won't reach us)

then

Alexia

Orders for alexia are:

DON'T CONSUME THE VAMPIRE OR WE DIE
HOLD HIM OFF and LAUGH at places where there is no one as if the vampire was ready to be hit by something that isn't there
DEFENSIVE FIGHT, make he jump backwards for people to hit but if got a good chance, hurt him, but hurt him badly ,cut the head with your fucking bare hands if needed
ALWAYS near campfire, vampire will at least get uneasy

as alexia (not an order of sydney but a player dumb suggestion):

When ready for a killing blow yell how we are so close to being married, and by black widow costumes he just need to stop resisting




And the crusaders are fucking assholes

Well, Meandra was the one who was having problems with scars and stuff right? it's nice that she got over this

« Last Edit: January 19, 2018, 11:33:24 am by omada »
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Devastator

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Re: Web of Life: A Drider's Adventure
« Reply #1427 on: January 19, 2018, 11:50:05 am »

Stay back.  The others have been fighting well, and the vampire will be incredibly distracted looking for us if we don't face him right now.  If he does reach us, doombolts to the face, but right now we're not in shape to fight him.
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Liquefied Spleens

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Re: Web of Life: A Drider's Adventure
« Reply #1428 on: January 20, 2018, 07:04:56 am »

These are two opposite commands, essentially.
Going to need a tiebreaker, i can't combine these.
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DolosusDoleus

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Re: Web of Life: A Drider's Adventure
« Reply #1429 on: January 20, 2018, 09:09:10 am »

Stay back!
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Liquefied Spleens

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Re: Web of Life: A Drider's Adventure
« Reply #1430 on: January 20, 2018, 05:34:54 pm »

You do your best to stay out of sight from your prone position. You take a closeby rucksack and throw a sleeping bag over yourself. It's not perfect, but your radiant blue isn't quite as visible. Hopefully it's enough to keep him from spotting you immediately. The vampire is distracted, at least. Eveline and Sucy wasted no time throwing their potions at the vampire, but he's still far too fast, even in his burnt state. Not nearly as good as he usually is, though. He catches one bottle, and only barely dodges the next one. The dodge was such a reflex he accidentally crushed the caught potion in his hand. To your surprise, and disappointment, it caused a collection of plantlife to sprout from his hand. He doesn't seem to like it very much though, screaming in pain as he dashes forward at an unnatural speed. Eveline reacts quick, throwing flashpowder in the air while covering her eyes, and then throwing herself sideways. The vampire is clearly blinded, but doesn't stop moving. Eveline is clipped on her leg, sending her turning through the air. Sucy, unfortunately, wasn't prepared for the flashpowder, and clumsily throws a firebottle in the completely wrong direction! Before the vampire can act again, however, an arrow strikes him through the chest! The witchhunter is here, standing right next to you and readying his next shot with his longbow. The vampire, pure murder in his eyes, turns to the new enemy before suddenly screaming more. The plants on his arm suddenly begin to grow more, and you see Meandra performing all manner of arcane movements and chants. Seems like very advanced  floramancy is at work here. As you remain hiding, you see his arm shriveling up as he sprints towards her and tackles her to the ground!
The Witchhunter lets fly another arrow, but it doesn't stop the vampire's vicious mauling of Meandra! All she can do is flail her arms, desperately trying to stop the savage blows of the deranged undead. To your surprise, she manages to get his plant-covered fore-arm to SNAP OFF! The vampire only barely grunts in response, beating  with the stump and even clawing with the bone sticking out.
He's completely deranged.

Fortunately, Eveline reaches Meandra before she is killed. In a roar you've never heard anything sentient make, Eveline jumps on his back and begins to bite into his neck, clawing and growling. It's like a deranged animal, and she begins to tear out chunks of his flesh causing massive bleeding until she is knocked away by a punch. She is sent flying through the air, before hitting a tree and falling to the ground, still and unconscious. Meandra, meanwhile, crawled out of there before the vampire could recover. Another arrow strikes the vampire, in the leg this time. The witchhunter is still firing, having switched to the crossbow. Unfortunately, it seems to have been the straw that broke the camel's back, and the rampaging undead now switches to him. The hunter anly manages a single show from his crossbow, which goes wide, before the vampire is on him. To your surprise, however, the witchhunter is quicker on the draw than you thought. Holding the crossbow like a bat, he knocks the vampire away with the edge of the crossbow. The tool, reinforced or not, cracks and splinters as the metal bends from the great force. The arms of the hunter don't fare much better, and he drops the weapon while groaning in pain. The vampire is RIGHT near you!
Then he notices you. Kicking the witchhunter away with an amazing force, he turns to you. He tears off everything you did to try and hide yourself, and lifts you by the neck. You force your legs to stand feeling a pressure on your whole body as he looks at you.
YOU
ARE
MINE!

He roars, and then he tears off the gown you were wearing like it was paper! What is he doing!?

He clamps his hands around you, like he wants to squeeze the life out of you! You struggle, but try as you might, you just can't break free. You can't breathe, and he's LICKING you! You desperately fire off doombolts, but it hardly even phases him at this point, his near-death strength counteracting any damage. There's hardly a soul left to displace!
Suddenly, two glowing syringes are jabbed into his shoulders by Sucy. He barely seems to care, only turning around to grab Sucy with his impossible speed and throwing her away like a ragdoll! That was the last ally you've got left...
He continues crushing you, stroking your body as he does, tasting you. He more intent on dominating you than he is on killing you. He's still choking the life out of you, ever so slowly. Already, you see lights dancing in your vision, your muscles screaming from the struggle!
You think.
This is it. You're going to die here.

Suddenly, you hear him scream, and he lets go of you. You crawl back, ever so slightly, and look to see what just saved you.
Your children! You don't know how they did it, but they are on his head, stinging him! You don't know what their poison does, but it's enough to faze even the vampire! You look around, hoping to find that stimulant, but you can't find it! It was right next to you, how could it!
GGGRRRAAAAAAGGHH!
Out of nowhere, Yunikki springs on the vampire! But she was in a coma, what just...
Her chains wrap around his neck, and soon any part in reach is completely tangled up! In a frenzy, she tears, vomits(!?) and bites the vampire, who is taking it all very badly with our children's attempts. You can't see them, but you think they got off. Yunikki's weight and chains prove too much for the vampire, and he falls to the ground. As if from nowhere, you see a glint of metal flash against the fire, jamming the vampire's remaining hand into the dirt! A puff of smoke later, and you see the thief, Sette, dancing around Yunikki's raging pounce. Careful not to get hit, she hunts around, preventing the burnt undead in even moving.
Yunikki is just slamming her chains across the vampire, lashing him APART! His burnt skin flakes off, revealing more and more of his body. His muscles can be seen contracting and twitching, their intense power weakening as he finally, slowly begins to die. There is corrupted blood EVERYWHERE, the nearly skinless vampire is bleeding copiously.

With a final burst of strength, he throws off Yunikki, tearing his hand in two as he forces it off the blade! Yunikki is thrown into the fire, causing her to scream and roll to get the fire out, her clothes catching fire nigh-instantly! The vampire runs to you, his mouth open, his teeth ready to strike.
You hold both your hands out, and feel your weak arm breaking entirely as the shock forces itself through your body. Fighting through your pain, you raise your pedipalps to keep him away for just a few more seconds...
You use your remaining good hand grab him by the jaw. You pull.
*CRIK*
You hear wet slaps, like an elastic band snapping as more and more of the muscle gives and tears, the vampire screaming and trying to pull away, which only aids your attempt.
Finally, with a final crack and gurgle, you rip off his jaw entirely. Your hand is bleeding from the sharp teeth, but you aren't infected any more than you already were.
Gurgling, stumbling and bleeding, the nearly skinless mumbling abomination makes a final grab at your breasts, leaving a bloody handprint before falling to the ground. What a disgusting way to finish it.

Just as you're about to crawl over to one of the many blades to finish him, he suddenly catches fire! Purple flames come from all around him, and he soon begins to dissolve.
So... That's that. Hello, Sydney... You look like hell.
It's Erika. God-damn, she looks good.
That's about your last thought before you black out.

You'll be waking up soon. Maybe make a few choices on what will happen next, but mainly just consider what you want to hear from or say to your allies.
Finishing the vampire off also gave you a level. Yes, this soon. You were always going to get a level by killing this guy. But it'll be for quite a while later, AFTER you're done dealing with the post-vampire dealings.


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RAM

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Re: Web of Life: A Drider's Adventure
« Reply #1431 on: January 20, 2018, 07:36:41 pm »

Well, hearing ANYTHING from our allies is important, but that is a matter for the healers... I think that Yunikki is our priority, probably focus on thanking her for saving us and pointing out that if afflictions defined someone then we would have been gone way back when our tattoos activated. If she wants to condemn her self as an aberration then she is going to have to condemn us as a lieutenant of Old Gesty, an eater of peoples, a cannibal, host to whatever Alexia is and the kill-count that entails, a killer of children, even if they were mimics, a double-vampire... actually, no need to go over the full list... just point out that we went on to achieve things after being marked and that she still had the sense to attack Vampy and not us.

Check on Eveline for vampirism... If she ends up being a little blood-crazed from time-to-time then, well, we have experience with that. Maybe try to get her to will off her first feeding impulse and keep her restrained until she can ask politely and wait civilly. Also get in touch with Her mother...

See if we can retrieve the pieces of our familiar. We were able to reanimate it once... If there is anything left of our once maid then try to find her a place, with us if nothing else, and if there isn't... well, let's just try to find something respectful to do for Vampy's victims. But it is probably urgent to send someone to back-track Vampy's rampage and see if any urgent aid is required in its wake.

Snub the Crusaders. We should have official vampirism papers to protect ourself, so long as they don't look too closely at the strain of vampirism listed, and they could have kept Yunikki monitored until a proper assessment by more capable professionals could be conducted. Regardless of their rules their work here was sloppy and harmed us and our allies, and we have little interest in collaborating with them outside of an apology and acknowledgement of Yunikki's skill, courage, and above-all diligence(both past and future) towards the cause of opposing corruption and whatever else the crusaders do. They have their own reasons to want this vampire gone and by all appearances Yunikki did more for the crusader cause here than they did!

Thank Sucy and Meandra. Neither are here to fight our battles and they both faced that monster.

Feel sad that Erika has to leave soon, and annoyed that we aren't well enough to learn that purple flames trick...
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Devastator

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Re: Web of Life: A Drider's Adventure
« Reply #1432 on: January 20, 2018, 08:19:16 pm »

Don't forget about the vampire's castle.  We need to deal with the now-freed thralls, any surviving blood slaves, and to properly loot the place.

Also, as for the level, we really should get bigger if it's an option.  I'm tired of us getting beat in melee combat, and we're not properly strong enough to carry a full-sized human, which would have been useful so many times.
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omada

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Re: Web of Life: A Drider's Adventure
« Reply #1433 on: January 20, 2018, 09:07:32 pm »

Give the sack of something that Eveline's mother gave us to her


Yes, it's better for us to ask for something physical at least this time


and hmmm, Erika didn't said that she has to leave right now, talk a bit and discover what she is being through and tell us our own news
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Re: Web of Life: A Drider's Adventure
« Reply #1434 on: January 20, 2018, 10:57:49 pm »

we really should get bigger
Alternate universe:
A dying world.
[merciless nightmare about being too large.]
* RAM huddles in a corner.
"Can't get too big, spleens will kill us. Can't get too big, Spleens will kill us. Can't get too big, Spleens will kill us. Cant get too..."
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Devastator

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Re: Web of Life: A Drider's Adventure
« Reply #1435 on: January 21, 2018, 10:18:37 am »

I'm not worried about that.  All we would have to do is keep in mind that we don't want Sydney to be any larger than a medium-sized building.  ;-p

Nah, I simply think it would be quite useful for Sydney to be able to properly carry a human.  If she were bigger, not necessarily much bigger but some, that would be quite possible.  Besides, it isn't like we have any intact armor or remaining gear, so now's the ideal time for it.

Plus, we've got spiderlings now, which would remove many of the potential drawbacks from being very large.  Want to look inside that tiny crack?  No problem!  Worried about someone trying to colossus climb you?  Spiderlings!

It'll likely also mean we'll moult again, giving more carapace segments for use.
« Last Edit: January 22, 2018, 10:50:47 am by Devastator »
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Re: Web of Life: A Drider's Adventure
« Reply #1436 on: January 22, 2018, 04:04:05 pm »

Thanks again for charging the castle for me.
Well, when your doppleganger and Yunikki arrived, it was clear we needed to get our plans moving. Not to mention, Sydney, the double I mean, was more than willing to lead a detachment. She did a good job, from what I heard. Knew the exact places to strike to take down a castle.
Well, that's good to hear... Where is she now?
Taking care of some of the injured. She knows her way around herbs, too. Nothing quite like our healers, but well enough.
That reminds me, how is everybody?
Well, they'll live. Mostly... I'm sad to inform you that Sucy suffered a broken neck. She's paralysed from the neck down, for the moment. But, good news. Paladin Reiner is willing to offer his services for the  defeat of the vampire. Eldritch abominations like that are kind of high on his shitlist, to say the least.
...Don't remember you swearing much.
I learned a lot from Sette, to say the least. I had a lot of training, most of which you wouldn't see at the tower. Speaking of which, I promised you I'd teach you some necromantic fire, no?
...Right now?
Oh, no. We're resting and gathering up the materials for the healing ritual. The hardest parts are getting a paladin to agree to it, to be honest, but we still need a couple bits and bobs. You'll all be at the peak of health by the end of this.
Crusaders are bit more stingy with healing than branding, huh. You say darkly. You're not in a position to yell at any of the crusaders, considering you're still kind of crippled. You haven't made your distaste for their actions subtle, though.
Yes. For what it counts, I truly am sorry I wasn't here to stop it from happening. The crusaders mean well, but they can be overzealous, at times. At least they saved the civilians, no?
Mmhm. You just nod. The kobolts have been coming in steady waves. You gave Eveline the pouch her mother gave you, but you couldn't see what was inside.  She was still dealing with a monstrous headache from her concussion, so she wasn't too reactive. She seemed very happy to receive it, however. There was a more joyous reunion when Eveline's mother actually arrived and took her daughter in a bearhug. Eveline got her small size from her father, if you had to guess, as her mother stands nearly a head taller than her.

The ritual itself was impressive, kind of. It seems crusaders willingly get their life drained to heal the wounded. They were very stoic, and the massive paladin swung that warhammer around like a baton while he worked. Very impressive, yadda yadda.
It won't heal Yunikki's mark. Now that you're at full health again, however, you do have the ability to flip out at the paladin.
The rant was blistering, and even though the giant of a man stands on equal footing with you, you soon tower over him, your voice carrying across the forest for all to hear about how they should be ashamed of themselves for marking your friend like that and the horrible effects this is going to have on her. You ranted about how she was dedicated enough to the crusaders to try out for paladin, how she REDEFINED herself for them, how she went from a lowly disgraced immigrant to a proud crusader and they went and RUINED that for something that isn't her fault and nearly cracked her in two both mentally AND physically!
The paladin stood there stoically. For a time. Soon, all the armor in the world didn't seem to help against your rage and the slit in that helmet of his never seemed to meet your eyes. When you're done he just stands there, looking ashamed. Two crusaders block your path as you walk away, however.
It was our right and DUTY to brand her. Be glad we did not release her from life, drider!
Take that tone with me again. You invade her personal space and lock eyes with him inches from his face. And see what happens.
That shut him up.

Sucy is hard at work getting her alchemists kit in order, even though she was a paraplegic just minutes ago. You take a moment to thank her personally for helping out, considering this wasn't her fight. She brushes it off.
He would have killed the rest of us if we let him.
But you didn't have to distract him while he was crushing me.
I... I wanted to... Shut up. She looks away from you, almost embarrassed. Her face didn't change a bit, but she's not looking at you in any way and works harder on her kit.
You then go over to Meandra, to thank her for the same thing.
...Don't mention it, I guess. I, uh, AM going to ask you people to not add in any more unexpected stops. I'm a bit tuckered out from all this adventuring.
Of course. Straight to the dwarven cities when we're done here. I'm tired, myself.

To your dismay, the castle has been burnt to the ground, leaving only a smoking husk. Your familiar is dead and gone, officially. You ARE glad to hear he and the zombies was the main reason the vampire was as burnt as he was. They knocked him down as he tried to climb up the shaft, throwing him into the fire. Just as you're about to ask, however, you see the dancer you left inside that room, being carried bridal style by one of the adventurers (holy hell, they survived?!). She seems notably more lucid than before, and is clinging to the adventurer (the shieldbearer). The bearer seems to be a fan of the attention. You decide to leave the two be, considering they're getting along like a house on fire.
Yunikki's next on the list. You find her sitting in a tent, away from the others, staring at the ground.
Heard you screaming... she says, her voice sounds hoarse. She's still wearing those chains, and her hair is in front of her face. When she looks up, the strands move out of the way enough for you to see the brand. It's... horrid. Black and brown scar tissue surround her eye, the giant 'A' having been placed around her eye. It reaches from forehead to cheek, but it will be impossible to hide. Meandra was really just being nice, you suspect. She looks at you like a wounded animal, apprehensive but not aggressive. You don't know what to say, honestly.
Well, i meant every part of it. You're still you, Yunikki. Don't forget that.
She turns away from you, hugging her knees. She starts sobbing to herself, but when you step closer she tells you to leave.
She needs her distance. Best give it to her.

Finally, you reach Eveline, who is talking to her mother. When she sees you, however, she looks... quite sad.
Sydney. I don't know how I could EVER thank you enough for what you've done. Which is the reason that... this next part is going to be difficult for me.
I have my family back. My home... I know more of the outside world than anybody, not to mention the first one to have finished an education. My mother was already the leader after the vampire killed the mayor and all the other rebellious kobolts and now... Well.
I can't keep following you, Sydney. I have to stay here and help rebuild. I'm sorry.

She can't even look you in the eye.

...I understand.
Let her go. This is important for her, and you can't just bar her from doing this, right?

I need you for this.
You would have never made it this far without her! Can't she just stay, for your sake?

...I need a moment
Y-you need a moment to think this over. And try to calm down.

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Neat stuff I do:
A suggestion game about a drider that does a lot of stuff. I think it's kinda neat.

RAM

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Re: Web of Life: A Drider's Adventure
« Reply #1437 on: January 22, 2018, 06:25:54 pm »

I understand, but Alexia...
Back when we first met, she saw us at our worst (coining the phrase "ate a dude") and stuck with us anyway. She saved us more times than we'd care to count and has bee a good friend. We'll miss her, but these are her people and they are in desperate need of someone who knows healing, and what she knows of speciality agriculture will no doubt be invaluable too. She has been through more than her fair share and deserves some time settled down with family.

That said. If Alexia doesn't get to say her piece she'll probably be ticked off. If she insists on being quiet, we can meditate on our inner self and try to pull out her feelings. Try to just let her talk without actually putting her in control. It'll probably just be a "good riddance" and a "now Sydney is all mine" but it would be bad for Alexia long-term to have no input here. Who knows, maybe there could be some grudging respect at the departure of this implacable foe...

(Eveline: "I'll always remember you!" RAM: "Sink all ships! Mwahahaha!" Sucy: "I-it's not like I l-like you or anything, b-baka!" Yunikki: "I need you to be my light, to lead me back to myself!" Meandra: "I'm taking you back to my home to meet my parents." RAM: "Yes! Eveline is gone! The seas are clear! Not a ship in sight!")

I know that we got the "he's dead Jim" bit, but I'd still like to go back to the castle and try to commune/dowse for bones. We likely can't get our adorable little lizard friend back, but we might get a corpse-detection spell out of it...
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Vote (1) for the Urist scale!
I shall be eternally happy. I shall be able to construct elf hunting giant mecha. Which can pour magma.
Urist has been forced to use a friend as fertilizer lately.
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DolosusDoleus

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Re: Web of Life: A Drider's Adventure
« Reply #1438 on: January 22, 2018, 06:40:32 pm »

I understand
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Does that make scientific sense? No? Well it's Earth IV and he's a giant crocodile-man. Use your imagination.
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Puppyguard

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Re: Web of Life: A Drider's Adventure
« Reply #1439 on: January 22, 2018, 08:01:20 pm »

I understand
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