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/monster/ - The Last Bastion of Romance

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231f40 (36) No.330812[Watch Thread][Show All Posts]

Also known as Wizardquest 2

Welcome back to Deleor, a country of men, magic, and Monsters!

It is twenty years after the events of the first story and the land has changed greatly.

Monsters are widely accepted and integrated into the land and Wizards have left their rooms, sparking a massive revolution in Magitechnology or Magitek. Life is good for most people and Monsters in the ancient human nation.

But all is not well, for the Monsters of Galmathoria eye their neighbors with jealous lust and rumors come of unrest from the sands to the east. Internal strife threatens to boil to the surface as the exterior threats loom large.

But that doesn't concern you, for you are a new Wizard, barely grown into your magic. While the restrictions on sex have been lifted, such things come with other consequences…

Now, step into the role of a new Wizard as you embark upon a new quest, and return to the realm of Deleor!

How to play: When prompted, insert any request for the player action you'd like. All requests will be considered, and I try to make them work, depending on the number of answers. Let's have some fun!

Thread 1: https://archive.is/bZuIt

Thread 2: https://archive.is/Y8Pls

Thread 3: https://archive.is/Bpyiu

Thread 4: https://archive.is/S2z3K

Thread 5: https://archive.is/gqlxT

Thread 6: https://archive.is/t7O7e

Thread 7: https://archive.is/7Vd9k

Important people, current items, spell list, story synopsis: https://pastebin.com/7LpDuf1N

For those new to this quest, if you wish to read up on the first wizardquest, this archive link has all the 8chan threads:

https://archive.is/eBiCg

For those interested in Illusionistquest (Colorfully called: Wizardquest 1.5) the archive link is here:

https://archive.is/jZGls

You can also find the stories on Touch Fluffy Tail. Please remember on Touch Fluffy Tail to watch the tags before reading any story. You'll thank me later.

http://touchfluffytail.org/

231f40 (36) No.330813>>330814

>Story continue

Mutely, you stare at Liala as she slithers away. On one hand, she hasn't done anything to harm you, and yet you feel deeply distrustful of her. Everything she does seems to be pointing toward something, yet you can't see the end of this road. Is it betrayal? Supposing it is though, is there anything you can do about it?

Looking up at the sky to find the moon on its way out, you resolve that there's not much for it. You'll cross that bridge when you get to it, or you'll die trying. Guess there's only one way forward in either case.

"Everyone ready?" You ask, folding up the map.

Your party all nod their heads, grim resolve on their expressions. They know what is asked of them, and despite trying to give them ways out, they want to stay. Hells, out of all them perhaps you have the least reason to be here and yet… something greater pulls at you. This needs to finish or else you'll never reach some hidden closure from a story you aren't aware you're reading.

"What's the plan?" Alice asks, hand on her sword hilt.

You point at the enthralled guards heading into the Palace. "We follow them to the chapel. It's probably safest to use them as… as…" Trailing off, you sigh and say, "Well, I doubt there's much to do in order to return them to their senses. Doing so may break them from what they've been doing anyway."

"Likely." Selene sighs. "I've seen the aftermath of these sorts of things after certain Monsters use similar powers."

"Might as well not make such sacrifices be in vain." Tabitha grunts, though you know she doesn't really mean it. Controlling the actions of another like this is even worse than slavery and it's quite rare for even Monsters these days to do such things without punishment. But what are you going to do? They're already like this and you don't have time to complain.

"Yeah… yeah. Anyway, we'll follow behind them as we push toward the chapel. Once we locate it, we'll keep a team down here and myself, Sylphie, and you two-" You point at the Grand Wizard and Selene. "We'll head to the roof."

"Why?" The Grand Wizard asks, looking confused. "We're to drop in from behind?

"Not quite." You say, shaking your head. "I'll let you know once we get there. Just make sure your mana reserves are full."

"Of course." Selene says, holding up a vial full of white liquid. "I filled up during the bath."

"Gods damnit…" Sylphie groans, her face turning red. "This is so embarrassing."

"It could be worse." Sophie says, patting her shoulder. "Mother could be going down on him at a dignitary dinner at the consulate again."

"Gooooooods." Sylphie groans louder.

Flicking a glance at the parents, they both look away, whistling. Rolling your eyes, you say, "Now's not the time, we need to get going."

"Of course. We can't fall into these gags every time we have a pause." Sophie says, falling in step behind you after her obvious jab. The others nod and head after you across the blood stained courtyard.

By the time you reach the Palace proper, a line of corpses wearing Royal Guard uniforms line the gate. The only way you can tell who was on your side versus who was on the other is by the way they've fallen- more casualties for yours than there's. No one ever said the Royal Guard weren't tenacious you suppose.

Walking through the ornate, open doorway, you hold up your staff and look about for signs of enemies. Nothing but the sound of battle further down in the Palace greet you. Stepping into the main foyer, you look around and whistle.

The room is massive. Hallways leading off to various other parts of the Palace align from every which way as well as an elevated walkway lining the second story of the circular room. A massive granite statue of a slender woman reaching toward the heavens sits in the center, her fingers almost brushing the ceiling but not quite making it.

Breaking away from the statue, you look to the marble floors and notice that the white and black stones are now stained with red. Only a few corpses line the floors here, riddled with arrows. Looking up at the walkways, you see a corpse on the floor. Considering the gaping wound, it was likely from one of the enthralled Anubis reaching them and driving them back.


231f40 (36) No.330814>>330815

>>330813

Past the statue a longer, if more narrow, hallway stretches. Red carpeting lined with various paintings in stages of disarray are seen and from it you hear the sounds of battle. Pointing in that direction, you move forward again, vigilant for attackers. You see none, however, until arriving at the end of the hallway to find two paths to the right and left of a wall before you, a massive painting depicting the serene face of a woman with long, black hair and ectrian skin.

Something about it makes you shiver, but your concentration is broken when from a left a cry is heard as an Anubis wearing the colors of the guard slams into the wall. A javelin protrudes from her chest and she gives a feral cry before leaping back into the fray, obviously a warden. The crazed eyes she has however speak of enthrallment.

"Guess we've reached the edges of the welcoming party." You say to the others before nodding to Sylphie. She takes in a deep breath and casts [Trick of the Light], shrouding your group as you huddle close and move toward the battle.

Before you sits a chamber even longer than the hallway, and much wider. Along the walls sit booths and chairs for people to sit and watch those who enter and the point at the end of the room where a dais sits. Upon it sits a large throne carved to look like flowing sand which turns into the faces of the Goddesses. It sits empty, yet undisturbed as Royal Guard fight from atop the dais to drive back their former friends.

"This is going to take awhile." Alice mutters, looking over the battle. "We can't get past them this way."

A cursory glance shows you that she's correct. The enthralled guards are giving a good showing, but the Royal Guard are fighting for time rather than to win. The ground they give is hard won and you watch as more appear from a side corridor at the right of the room. Sweeping your gaze to the left side of the room, you see a closed chamber. If that's correct, then that should lead to the chapel.

Gesturing for the others to pull back, you get out of sight of the maelstrom. Once clear, you say, "Chapel is ahead, we need to get in there and destroy that altar."

"Isn't that where the Pharaoh is though?" Ebe asks, looking worried. "Shouldn't we help out and clear this room first?"

"Maybe." You say watching the battle. You'd hoped you could do a good [Survey], but with all the fighting, there's no way to get a good reading. Too many vibrations and other interference. "But we can make an even greater entrance."

Turning to the spell casters, you say, "Alright, it's time."

"Time for what?" Selene asks, looking confused.

You hold up a hand, pointing upward. "We're going to the roof."


231f40 (36) No.330815>>330816

>>330814

A night wind whips Selene's hair about into her eyes and she grumbles as she sits upon the stone roof of the chapel. She looks to you and says, "Why are we here again?"

"Because." You begin, shielding your face from a particularly strong gust. Your other hand anchors you onto the roof with a handhold you made from the stone. "We can't go in from the bottom at the moment, and this is as good as any for what needs to be done."

"I'm quite interested in dropping down like a Batgirl and getting her." The Grand Wizard says, holding up a hand. "Just like my Eastern theatre."

"Dad, please, only nerds watch that." Sylphie sighs. She turns to you and asks, "Are you certain I shouldn't have stayed with the others?

"They'll be fine, they can look after themselves. Besides, Mr. Ed and Erwin are there with updates." You say before making a small hole into the roof with your magic. Taking a deep breath, you lower your face and look into it with [Farsight].

The chapel is larger than expected, holding about fifty pews. Statues of the Goddesses line the walls along with plants coiling around the Phallian ones, full of vivid life. At the center is a lectern with a book upon it and behind it sits a large, stone altar. Faces of the Twins are carved into the stone at each end along with various phrases of divinity along the sides.

And there, sitting upon the Altar, eyes staring forward, is a woman you recognize from the painting in the Palace. Tall and with a very feminine build, she radiates femininity, even at this distance. True to form as a Priestess of Dollora, her clothing is sparse and covers only her breasts with a feathered motif while a leotard extends downward to cover her loins. Her long, beautiful legs are wrapped in fresh cloth while her feet are bare.

Various pieces of Ectrian jewelry adorn her form, including a crown made of solid gold inlaid with an emerald and a collar about her neck extending to her shoulders. Strangely, she also has vines with beautiful white flowers weaved through her hair- probably a symbol to Phallia.

Finding yourself momentairly mesmerized by the woman, you watch as she closes her eyes and sighs out, placing a hand to her head and muttering something to herself. Clutching a golden staff with the motif of hooded serpent at the top, she looks up at the closed door and then begins to swing her eyes upward.

Catching one glimpse of those glowing, purple eyes, you pull away, heart thundering in your chest. She didn't see you right? Right?

"What's wrong?" Sylphie asks, sounding afraid. "What did you see?"

"I saw the altar and ah… the Pharaoh. She's there."

"Did she see you?" Selene asks, hesitant.

"I think we'd be dead if she did." You mutter. "Anyway, she's alone. Let's do this then."

"Do what? You haven't told us what we're doing!" The Grand Wizard says, exasperated.

"Oh, right." You say, pointing at the roof. "We're going to turn this whole roof into lava and drop it on her head."

The three stare at you in shock before turning to each other, frowning, and then turning back. Selene chuckles and shakes her head. "Wow, that's even crazier than the shit my husband here comes up with."

"I'd probably make a plan involving literal shit." He says, nodding his head. "Still, could work, though…" He trails off looking at his wife. She gives him a slight nod as Sylphie cuts in.

"That's… a lot of stone though." Sylphie says, looking worried. "Are you sure we can do this?"

"Just us two? No. But with the greatest spellcasters in the world, perhaps!"

Selene and the Grand Wizard roll their eyes but smirk as Sylphie quickly teaches them the spell you two came up with. They pick it up nigh instantly and together you back into a corner. Sparing one glance for the rapidly setting moon, you nod to the others and begin to channel mana.

Without much of a need to manipulate the rock, you focus all your effort on the heating. Within moments the rock turns molten red and nearly explodes into molten lava, dropping to the ground in a wave of liquid stone. It splashes onto the ground, instantly annihilating all the pews and the plant life, destroying the carpeting, and burning the doors leading outside.

Or, that's what's supposed to have happened.


231f40 (36) No.330816>>330817

>>330815

As you watch the lava fall from what was the roof, a deep, powerful magic makes you very bones shiver. Staring in wonder, you see the molten rock flow down the sides of the room as it falls, parting as if a river coursing past a stone. It gushes to destroy the plant life still and damage many of the statues and pews, however the center of the room leading to the dais is free of the rapidly cooling stone.

Blinking in confusion, you turn your gaze from your section of the roof to the altar to find it intact. The Pharaoh stands there, looking about the destruction with petulant annoyance before snapping her head to the door as it bursts open, three enthralled Anubis bursting in with weapons raised. They barely have a chance to make a move before she raises her hand and a blast of something begins to tear away their flesh.

Despite their magic resistance, every step they take leads to more and more of their skin being flayed until they collapse to the ground in agony, having only reached halfway to her. She frowns deeper than before and swings her eyes to the roof, eyes going wide as she sees you. Thrusting out a hand, you feel something pull at you and it takes all of your effort to push yourself away with the stone, freeing you of her grasp.

Sylphie lets out a cry however, the hold upon her as well. Thrusting out a hand to grab her, you pull with all your might and create a wall from the leftover roof to block the Pharoah's sight to her, allowing you to pull the Cat o'Ninetails close to your chest. She breathes heavily and then hugs you fierce before her parents rush in and grab her.

"Gods, that shouldn't have worked, but I'm glad it did." Selene says, hugging her daughter as well.

"She must be weaker at night then." The Grand Wizard says, shaking his head. "It didn't feel near as powerful, and breaking line of sight shouldn't have been enough to keep her from getting you."

"Yeah, I-" You begin, but are cut off as the roof explodes underneath you. A weightless sensation comes to you before gravity drags you downward. Crying out, you manage to cushion your fall with a slope made from the cooled lava, but you still feel the impact as you hit with a solid crunch. Staggering to your feet, you gasp as something grasps you, pulling you forward.

You barely have time to register that you're being pulled toward the Pharaoh before you're floating above her, held in her magical grasp. A maniacal look fills her eyes as she asks, "Where did the girl go?!"

"The… the what?"

The pressure tightens on you and panic begins to fill your body. Oh gods, is this it? You came all this way just to die such a pathetic death? No, but… there's so much more for you to do! If you die then your friends and Deleor will perish. Not to mention your dear, dear sister.

Panicked, you struggle against the force as the Pharaoh shouts, "The girl! The one with the nine tails! Where did she go?!"

Your gaze drifts to the roof but the others are nowhere to be seen. Did they abandon you? No… of course not… right?

"I…I…" You say, feeling it hard to breathe under the pressure. Blackness begins to fill your vision and you wonder if you're about to die when shouts are heard behind you.

The Pharaoh curses and points the staff toward the door, her focus elsewhere. Instinct kicks in and you erect a wall between you and the Pharaoh, dropping both her hold on you and yourself to the floor. Hitting hard, you groan and then scamper backward as the wall you erected shatters outward, revealing a furious Pharaoh behind it. She points her staff at you this time and you erect more walls as you push yourself toward the door, scrambling in panic.

The skeletal remains of enthralled Guard line the carpet here, edges of which are singed by the sea of molten rock. Each wall before you explodes, tossing stone upon the corpses until you reach the doorway, leaping behind more Guards as they rush in, forcing the Pharaoh to turn her attention to them.

As you scramble out of the chapel doorway, you notice the ground is littered with corpses and pockets of fighting, yet more and more enthralled are pouring into the room, seeking to do their duty. Breathing heavily, you place a hand to your chest and feel your heart thundering in your chest. Her power it… it's too strong! How are you supposed to defeat something like that?

"ROMMEL!" Sylphie shouts, dashing toward you. It takes you a moment to realize it and you shout back,

"STAY AWAY!"


231f40 (36) No.330817>>330818 >>330822 >>330824 >>330848 >>331142 >>331143

>>330816

She pauses as the others run toward you, slaying any Guards with enough wit to come after you. Tabitha helps you to your feet and you stutter, "G-Get away from here! We need to regroup!"

"Is she not coming after you?" Alice asks, holding her sword up. "Why isn't she coming after you?"

"Probably has other things to worry about, but not for long." You say, trying to calm yourself. Turning your head to Sophie you say, "Both of you, you can't be here."

"What? Why not?" Sophie asks, looking hurt.

"Because she wants you. I don't know why, but she really wants both of you."

"She'll get them if we don't think of something quick." Alice says while Ebe holds your head to her chest and sings a song to help soothe your anxiety.

Another wave of the enthralled guards runs, leaving decidedly few left, battling the remnants of the Royal Guard stationed here. Where are the other cultists though? Where is Hent-ateh? Still battling outside in the courtyard and within the walls? Damnit, you expected her to be powerful but not like this!

Still, now that you're not as frazzled you can think this through. The Grand Wizard and Selene have both defined her as not being as powerful as before, and you can block many of her attack with walls. The issue is, she has time on her side and you have a finite amount of magic at your disposal. If she can catch onto whatever you're doing, she'll likely block it like with the lava. However, the fact that she couldn't deal with both you AND the cultists is something else to take into consideration.

"Come on Rommel, we need a plan." Alice says, nodding to the room.

She's right, of course. And with the looks everyone is giving you, they know it too. Time to be quick about it too, because once those enthralled guards are dead, it's likely she'll be after you too, searching to kill all of you save for the twins, though you're still not certain why.

>What do you do?


231f40 (36) No.330818

Okay, so, real thread. I'll need to update the pastebin still, so I can do that tomorrow.

If there are enough responses, I can write tomorrow too. Sorry about yesterday.

>>330817

As great as turning the roof to lava was, sadly it's noticeable. Or at least, she had enough foresight to prevent it from killing her. But hey, you learned something today!

Gods you're in for some shit if she leaves that chapel.


dd8384 (4) No.330822>>331026

File (hide): ff695e87127f9a5⋯.png (4.25 MB, 1409x2000, 1409:2000, __queen_of_sheba_fate_gran….png) (h) (u)

>>330817

This is kinda bad, but we do have strength in numbers

Have slyphie far back on building walls duty with ebe to help her escape if need be, have selene far back trying to snipe, GW and sophie should try to get to the roof and attack from above, alice and tabitha should focus on keeping the guards away unless they see an opportunity to take her out, We should see if we can talk to her and distract her if possible, ask her why she's changed or if she's been brainwashed by phalia too. Try to stir her up and maybe see if we can get some info on apophises.


c7908d (7) No.330824>>331026 >>331143

File (hide): b370f108426127d⋯.jpg (88.55 KB, 745x782, 745:782, gordon.jpg) (h) (u)

>>330817

Well then, time for Plan B. Fortunately, Plan B is a universal constant that can be applied to almost any situation.

Step 1: Apply explosives. In this case, our best option is plasma. It shouldn't be too draining on everybody if Selene and Rommel focus on making the fire while GW makes use of his specialty.

Step 2: Repeat step 1 until the problem is no longer a problem.

As Ace has made very clear, we need to keep the twins away from the Pharoah. Have Sylphie tunnel them into the tank, then drive themselves somewhere safe, perhaps back with Polah or wherever Zoras is hiding out. If the Pharoah manages to break one of the fundamental laws of reality and Plan B doesn't work, we need to work on preventing her from becoming even more powerful. Get all of our remaining spellcasters to combine Geomancy and Aeromancy, creating a [Dust Storm] that will block out the sun, emulating a nuclear winter. I guess all those patrolling royal guardsmen will get their wish.


4a6faa (8) No.330848>>330883 >>331026 >>331143

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>330817

So, the good news are that the bitch is severely limited in three ways.

>1)She is bound to the Chapel.

Why else would she hole herself up so deeply in the very back of the palace, instead of helping out her forces with her unlimited power. She could have just set up her elite guard around the dais and fuck the invaders up with the rest of her forces.

Instead, she is sucking on her thumb and nervously muttering to herself while clutching the overpowered staff and praying that the fucking sun comes up already.

>2)The telekinesis is limited to a single direction based on a line of sight.

She can't deal with crowds. A single shitty wall is enough to make her drop Rommel. And she can't pull him through it either.

>3)Her staff is made from gold.

With those three notable features combined, we can really fuck her shit up. However overpowered she might be during the day, during the night time she is not so tough at all.

So here is the plan:

We need to work around her magic sealing abilities first. So go up to Mr Ed and have him pass on to GW, Selene and Sylphie that they should stay on the roof and very obviously and very noticeably start channeling a twin plasma blast while sitting behind cover. Sylphie meanwhile can slip away and regroup with us.

The key here is not to actually use it, but to make the Phraoh shit out a million bricks and focus on sealing their magic, since she can't just force pull them from behind cover. Every time she stops doing so, they should resume the channeling at every opportunity to keep pressuring her.

The rest of the crew meanwhile will do the following:

Rommel: Build up a bunch of walls throughout the room to provide cover from the telekinesis and then just keep throwing piles upon piles upon fucking piles of rocks at the Phraoh over and over and over to distract her.

Tabitha and Alice: Engage the Phraoh in melee range. Constantly try to flank her and keep distance behind cover while not engaging.

As we know, the Pharaoh can only direct her telekinesis to repel the rocks from a single direction and when she tries to push them back, Rommel can wrestle them against that push with his geomancy, protecting him from retaliation and creating openings for the two melee fighters to sneak attack the Pharaoh.

Sylphie and Sophie will be guarding the entrance to prevent enemy reinforcements from pouring in. We can't let them get close to the enemy leader for obvious reasons. Dire Ed and Dire Erwin will back them up too.

Ebe will fly up to the roof next to Selene and GW and stay out of enemy range to provide party wide combat buff like usual.

Now the key here is to overwhelm the Pharaoh with our attacks. No matter how infinite her magical powers are, she does not have an infinite attention span and stamina. At some point during this overwhelming focused assault, Tabitha or Alice will get a hit in.

This is when we use our improved gold manipulation skill that we specifically practiced for before the final battle to fucking yank the staff out of her grasp while she is exposed and her guard is down.

Then Tabitha and Alice stab the shit out of her and end it. AND THEN we use that overpowered staff to fucking gravity hold the Hentateh who will inevitably arrive to kill us in place, levitate her above the roof and have GW and Selene finish channeling to plasma blast her ass into the sky without causing any destruction to the local area.


c7908d (7) No.330883>>330893 >>331026 >>331713

File (hide): b97b1a5b7c6ae2d⋯.jpg (90.75 KB, 680x834, 340:417, spicy snek.jpg) (h) (u)

>>330848

The only problem I can see with this plan is disarming the Pharoah. I have no doubts in my mind that she's either instinctively or subconciously got that thing in a white-knuckled death grip. If we can't just pull it out of her hands, we should combine [Lava] with [Metallurgy] to try and melt it out of her hands. After Tabitha and Alice give her a swift introduction to the wonders of blood loss, we can reform the staff again. I can't see changing the physical state of the metal as releasing any of it's power, so we should be fine on that front.


4a6faa (8) No.330893>>331026

File (hide): 338c5c47bcfd5e0⋯.png (264.71 KB, 505x431, 505:431, smug_dice.PNG) (h) (u)

>>330883

Better yet, instruct the swordsmen to aim for the hands, so that Tabitha's eventual successful flank attack ends up cutting the Pharaoh's right hand off at the wrist, followed with us pulling the staff away before she can grab it again.


231f40 (36) No.331026

Ah, might as well wait to see if there's others. Besides, Nekopara OVA was cute as fuck and i'm riding a high.

>>330822

Talking with her, ooo interesting.

>>330824

Explosions are interesting and certainly a way to do things. I can see some explosions occuring.

But Sophie and Sylphie are great assets. Why would you keep them out of the battle? What if more Royal Guards come from behind?!

Too spooky.

>>330848

1. Yeah that's really weird. Why IS she in there by herself?

Maybe she's just shy.

2. Well, it's more that she only has so much concentration. She certainly dealt with the guards while fighting YOU. You just… weaseled out of it.

3. It sure is.

Actually they managed to get down to your level during your scramble. How you ask? MAGIC.

No really, they used magic to lower themselves and reach you.They can go back tho, not like it will take long.

Also, I think once her power is gone, maybe a plasma blast is overkill. But hey, y'all like that.

>>330883

Oh yes, she certainly is not letting that staff go. At all. Of course, melting it could work!

>>330893

Or chopping her hand!

Brutal times. So brutal.


4a6faa (8) No.331082

>>331081

>Not using sage

Faggot


d4d8b7 (8) No.331142>>331143 >>331166 >>331233

Merry Christmas you wonderful faggots.

>>330817

From my understanding, the staff the Prophet wields is mandatory for her to access Hevensferth's power, so if anything were to happen to it she would only be left with the power she naturally has. As such, I propose we attempt to sever the connection of the staff to Hevensferth by channelling [Reverse Polarity] on it. If successful, her strength will drop significantly, which will give us ample opportunity to destroy the High Altar, if not the opportunity to end her where she stands with the combined strength of the enthralled Royal Guard and the parents who were enough to overpower her previously on our side, so long as we're given protection from what magic she does have left to ensure we can keep up the channel. The downside to [Reverse Polarity] is that it will take time for us to discover the frequency we need to channel against with our [Magesight], but luckily we have a supply of suicidal servants to keep her attention and to force her to keep casting spells on our side, so abuse their assistance while it lasts to study her magic. There's also the possibility of [Reverse Polarity] simply outright failing to work, which would be a problem for us if we went through all that effort to set it up only for it to be useless for us, but this can be circumvented by casting [Mana Burst] as the first thing we do to see if disabling the staff is even an option, seeing how both it and [Reverse Polarity] have the same effect and work on the same targets, so test the waters with that first before committing.

Should disabling the staff not be an option, then opting to distract her in order to ruin her concentration and thus give our party opportunity to break the High Altar while she's busy may be our best bet. As for how to do this, what others have said about spamming destructive spells sounds good to an extent, see below, but there are other things we can do on top of this that would work wonders. For example, [Sonic Blast] can be used directly on the Prophet, forcing her to block the attack even if it wasn't going to hit her since she can't risk taking unnecessary damage, or indirectly by firing it at a wall or the floor near her, creating noise which will continually hamper her concentration by forcing her to acknowledge it, and has the benefit that [Pebble Gun] doesn't of not requiring us to be able to see our target for the spell to be fired effectively, not to mention it can be spammed to create a cacophony of random noises that can't be easily filtered out. [Vox Caster] can have a similar effect to [Sonic Blast], only the noise won't stop until she dispells the anchor, so setting up numerous amounts of these should have great effect, more so if the source of the sound for each tether differs to disoriantate her further. [Daylight], a spell we haven't really touched, would be great for blinding her, and Sylphie could use her own skill with Luxmancy to redirect the light directly into the Prophet's eyes as to blind her while not negatively affecting our party, giving the cat something to do other than dealing with the Royal Guard since she will be staying far back and out of sight of the Prophet to be safe. A final example of distraction methods would be Ebe, who has a pretty good amount of effective songs at her disposal, but in particular [Bolster Confidence] and [Scream Metal] come to mind, as the former is noted to be very distracting if one isn't use to it and the latter is just noise so loud it deafens a target and can apparently cause massive physical damage, so setting up a [Privacy Barrier], an [Amplify] and a [Vox Caster] for her to use at a safe range to play these songs would probably be a good idea -- just make sure she doesn't sing [Bolster Confidence] for too long, as we wouldn't want to help the Prophet were she to become accustomed to the music; stick to short intervals in this case.


d4d8b7 (8) No.331143>>331166

>>331142

>>330817

Other than all that, I only have four more things worthy of mention that didn't really fit anywhere else. The first thing, as others have brought attention to, is that we should ensure that the Prophet does not have direct line of sight to anyone at any point by either throwing up a [Build the Wall] every now and then or using distraction methods which directly hamper her vision, like the [Daylight] example, to stop her from murdering our party. Second of all, Sophie and Sylphie should stay as far back as possible and handle other threats like the Royal Guard pushing into the Chapel, as it has been confirmed that the Prophet absolutely needs to have them in her grasp and we can't risk that happenning. Furthermore, they should really have plans on how to evade any other threats, as there's no telling if the Violet Sands or a third party will attempt to capture them for their own nefarious purposes following or even during the confusion when we're weaker or distracted. Thirdly, consider giving the [Grace of the Wind] to Sylphie, as she isn't going to be taking any of the Prophet's attacks, thus making the downside to the concoction irrelevant, and frankly I doubt we're going to find a better opportunity to use it than here. Finally, our purpose for coming to the Chapel was to destroy the High Altar, not to kill the Prophet; if her power is taking too long to drain or if something goes horribly wrong and we have at least destroyed the High Altar hell, even if we haven't, then don't be afraid to make a tactical retreat to save our party or ourselves, as their safety is of far greater importance than the mission. Besides, we can always come back later when the Prophet has lost access to the divine powers and is more vulnerable, as there isn't much forcing us to kill her tonight outside of the threat of her now missing reality bending powers.

>>330824

>>330848

>Plasma

Vetoing this particular element. Without fail, every single instance of plasma has nearly killed the caster, and has at least caused extreme amounts of destruction in a very large area surrounding the target, leaving very little behind in the aftermath; [Twin Plasma] in particular destroyed pretty much the entirety of the Keep of the Forgotten which was probably around the same size as, if not bigger than, the Palace and would have definitely killed our entire party back in the original WizardQuest if it wasn't for us getting really lucky with the gateway to El Dorito pulling us out of the way of the blast. Unless your intent is to get everyone in the Palace killed, ourselves most certainly included given our proximity to the Prophet and our lack of magical defences, plasma isn't a good idea right now. Just stick to Pyromancy, as it can play the same role as plasma only without all the horrible consequences.


4a6faa (8) No.331166>>331171

>>331142

>>331143

>Suggesting to break the staff.

>Suggesting to break the high altar.

>Not collecting the fat loot for ourselves from our enemy's cold dead hands.

>Not turning the high altar into the core of our tank, giving it infinite fuel.

>Not installing a gravity gun on it.

Ayy lmao, lad. You are way too green for this. Also Plasma blast ain't gonna do shit if it gets directed into the sky, at worst it might blind a few people.

That fucking Terminator-X bitch, however, survived multiple encounters with us and is practically invincible to all common physical threats. She needs to be vaporized, annihilated, completely disintegrated without a single speck of her existence left. That's the only way to make sure she stays dead.


d4d8b7 (8) No.331171

>>331166

>Using the staff ourselves

>Forgetting about the constant mental torture the Prophet is going through simply wielding the bloody thing, something we probably couldn't deal with even when healthy

>Risking the possibility of someone else taking the staff from our person and using it against us when we aren't prepared, or at the very least forcing us to be constantly paranoid about this

>Implying that someone else wouldn't destroy the High Altar themselves solely to stop us from having godlike powers

>Implying we would be able to wield the staff in the first place considering it's divine nature

I know this is a WizardQuest, but there has to be SOME limitations, otherwise there is no conflict and you don't have a story to tell, making for a seriously boring read. Also, Hent-ateh has survived the combined efforts of Dwarves, Wizards and the Ectrian Royal Family; do you really think a single plasma spell would cut it, especially when it's implied to have seen usage by Wizards and they have likely tried it before?


487c54 (1) No.331198

File (hide): 41d7136c4223b1a⋯.png (263.96 KB, 573x1024, 573:1024, streasm407acetheunclean_pr….png) (h) (u)

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you're having some holiday cheer and spending time with loved ones, even if that's just your 8chan family of autists.

I wish i had the finalized picture to post, but the colors weren't done this weekend for obvious reasons. So although its not much of a christmas present, here's a WIP of the Pharaoh for y'all!

We're back tomorrow and almost done with the holidays so hopefully we can get on track. I'll have to make a news year's resolution to be more consistent with updates!

Feel free to talk about any christmas stuff y'all did or any uhhh christmas wishes you have for the story, setting, pictures, etc.

Have a good one!


de80c6 (3) No.331233>>331234

>>331142

I'm on board with everything you've just said EXCEPT for using any form of light-based spells. I have a feeling that using those spells against someone about to be empowered by the Sun could backfire horribly.


de80c6 (3) No.331234

>>331233

Fuck, forgot to sage


de80c6 (3) No.331235

Ok, posting while drunk is not a good idea


428aec (2) No.331398

There is a deep irony in this world. I think i have the flu or something and I got home and passed out hard. Needless to say, noy gunna try to write like this. We'll see what tomorrow holds….


231f40 (36) No.331505>>331509 >>331537 >>331555 >>331606

Okay so as it turns out, I DO have the flu. I've spent 21 of the past 24 hours asleep. While I'm fairly lucid at the moment, the aches are going to make it difficult to type what I'd like.

So story is temporary on hiatus. Maybe I'll be fine tomorrow or hopefully by friday. I'd say go read up on Slavsan's story but he's out until the new year also.

Sorry guys.


dc3f8e (1) No.331509>>331660

>>331505

just ask your nine-tailed catgirl waifu because we all know Selene is a self-insert of your waifu into the Wizardquest universe you fucking loser :^) to make you some chicken noodle soup


ecae08 (3) No.331537

>>331505

>temporary hiatus

>inb4 ace is one of the few people to die of the flu

Hope you get well soon dude


7ca3af (8) No.331555

>>331505

I too hope you feel better soon, Ace.


b3d6fa (1) No.331558>>331563

It's that time of the year to get shitfaced then get sick. Been there done that. Hope you get better.


7ca3af (8) No.331563

>>331558

Sage Anon!


d4d8b7 (8) No.331606

>>331505

Take your time if you need to, we'll all still be here when you get back. Here's hoping for a quick recovery.


231f40 (36) No.331651>>331652

>Story continue

Without much time, you give orders as another wave of enthralled Guards run to their deaths. Pointing to Sylphie you say, "Stay here with your sister. The two of you aren't to go into that room for anything, you hear me? Defend our rear in case more Guards show up."

"But-" Sylphie begins, but you hold up your hand to forestall her.

"No buts! You're to follow my commands, right?"

She sets her jaw and nods her head, clearly not happy with the decision, but you have little time to care. Next, you say to Ebe, "Get to the rooftop with the Wizard and Selene. I need you there as a back-up for them and to be out of her line of sight. If I give the signal though, start singing."

"Sing what?" She asks, looking alarmed.

"Whatever seems appropriate." Putting a hand on her shoulder to calm her, you look into her eyes. "I trust you."

Ebe takes in a deep breath and nods before heading off toward the entryway that Sylphie made in the Palace by tunneling in. Rather fast now that you think about it, but it's not like she could break down the walls, which are magically warded. Guess whomever worked the wards on this place didn't expect much of a subterranean attack however. Or one from above you suppose, thinking back to the lava.

{Go with her} You send to Erwin. {I might need to channel through you.}

{Right.} He sends without question, jumping onto Ebe's back and she sighs and jumps into the tunnel. Before he's gone, you've already turned back to the others, but your voice is drowned out as the door behind you blasts off its hinges. The wood crashes into an enthralled human guard, crushing him into paste as it drags him across the floor. In the silence ensuing a voice calls,

"YOU CANNOT HIDE THEM FROM ME!"

Licking your lips, you quickly say, "Okay, so we need to get back in there before she comes after us here."

"Why hasn't she though?" Alice asks, confused. "Seriously, is she that afraid of us breaking the altar?"

"Or does she know how much weaker she is at night?" Tabitha grunts.

"I don't know, but I do know that this is our only chance." You say, taking in a deep breath. Looking at both the twins and the two swordswomen, you say, "I don't know if my choices here are correct, or if everyone is going to make it out of this alive, but…"

"Oh shut it." Sophie says, rapping you on the head. "You've lead us well so far, barring a few hiccups here and there. We all trust you so we don't need you getting cold feet at the moment."

"I'm not-" You try to say, but are cut off by Tabitha.

"Rommel, we're all a little out of our league here." Shrugging, she chuckles, "But we have been almost every time we've been fighting and we manage to pull through. This is just another day for everyone, and I'll be damned if the final fight is going to get the better of me again." She points down. "What is she going to do, break my legs?"

"Tabitha…" You say before nodding your head, knowing that everything that needs to be said has been said already. Taking a calming breath and gripping your staff, you say to them, "Alright, the name of the game is hit her from every angle. Her concentration is limited so if we can hit her from multiple sides and either draw her away from the Altar or get the staff away from her, then we'll have won."

"Cut off her arm, right." Alice says, smirking. "Ohhh I'm going to enjoy this. You're not the only one mad at losing in the final battle."

Rolling your eyes at her behavior, you take your staff in hand and dash into the room after a group of Enthralled guards. Immediately you toss up a wall as the guards meet their fates. Before your wall is obliterated, you create another, and another, throwing them across the room as you dash about, forcing her to destroy them randomly as they focuses on trying to destroy you.


231f40 (36) No.331652>>331653

>>331651

"Why are you playing these games?" The Pharaoh shouts, anger in her voice. "Who are you? Why can't you just leave things alone?"

The sound of more guards entering the room allow a moment of respite and you're able to send to Erwin, {Are you on the roof yet?}

{Yeah, we're watching you. Want Ebe to start singing?}

{Not yet, but the other two, get them to start casting something big.}

{Ehm… well, I'll try to communicate with them and-} He cuts off before saying. {So the MILF can read thoughts by touching my forehead. Did you know that?}

{MILF? I- You know what, whatever, I don't care, just make sure they're on top of it.} You send quickly before creating more walls and dodging as another one is destroyed. Above you, power begins to be channeled and you hear the Pharaoh say,

"What is this nonsense?"

Another part of the roof explodes and the magic begins to fade away, but you don't feel any pain from Erwin so… they're probably fine. This is what you wanted from them anyway. Chancing a look, you crane your head from a wall to see the Pharaoh standing before the Shrine, the fires of candles around her casting her in a low glow. Her eyes glow a soft purple in that light and in her expression you see a look of… fear?

Without looking at you, she makes the wall you're hiding behind explode. In your hesitation she was able to get the jump on you and you pay for this with shrapnel slicing across your face, even as you holding your hands up. Dazed, you curse and roll over toward another wall when you feel that impossibly powerful force grab at your leg again.

The Pharaoh stares at you with eyes filled with anger and says, "You're ruining everything! The Goddesses have shown me the path and without me this world will be sent to ruination!"

"What?" You ask, confused and scared.

"Nevermind." She says, gritting her teeth. "You can't understand." Lifting her hand, she makes to crush you. A blade flashes behind her and she gasps, turning about to block a blow with her staff from a glowing sword, Alice's eyes gleaming in the glow.

"Ruination they say! Bah, everyone always gives that same shit." The swordswoman says, pushing her advantage upon the Pharaoh who snarls and pushes back with an unseen force. Unfortunately for her, Alice seems to have expected this and leaps away before it can hit, smiling.

"What?" The Prophet says before crying out as Tabitha leaps in, her legs thrusting her forward far faster than her normal legs could have. In a blur, her sword slashes at the Pharaoh's leg, cutting a gash in it. Crying out, the Pharaoh slams her staff down, causing a bubble of force to push outward and force Tabitha flying toward you. Planting your feet, you grab her as she flies past and twirl with her, allowing your body to cushion her fall.

"Shit." Tabitha says, hoping off you and dragging you both behind a wall. "Sorry about that."

"D-Don't mention it." You wheeze out.

"That was kind of stupid though." She says. "I have stabilizers in these legs."

"I said… don't mention it."

Tabitha smirks at you before peering out from the wall as another group of enthralled Guards approach. Managing to do the same yourself, you wince for the wall to explode. Thankfully it doesn't, and you're able to watch as the Pharaoh faces the guards which run at her. She looks down upon them with eyes filled with hate and with a gesture they die much like the rest. What's different this time, is that she winces when finished and only then do you notice the blood trailing down her leg. Of course, as you do, you notice something else- vines.

Small, almost difficult to notice vines snake up through the wound, knitting it back together before your eyes. Both you and Tabitha share a glance, similar thoughts going through your heads. The Pharaoh is infested with plants like those Priestesses? If that's the case then… is she acting on her own volition?


231f40 (36) No.331653>>331654

>>331652

Unlike the Dolloran Priestesses, she seems quite in control of herself however, especially as she destroys another section of the roof that has yet to be destroyed, stopping another channeling of magic. What exactly are they channeling down there anyway?

"Wow! That's fucking crazy!" Alice shouts from behind a wall you'd created earlier on the other side of the room. "I didn't know you were one of the plant bitch's underlings!"

"I will not suffer you Deleorian swine to insult a Goddess you know nothing about! It is because of your lack of understanding that this world sits upon a knife's edge!"

As the Pharaoh shouts this she destroys the wall Alice is behind, though not before she can start running, and then the one you're hiding behind. Both you and Tabitha have done the same, splitting into different directions as you fire off pebbles at her while running toward the new walls you've made. The pebbles bounce away from her, as if from an invisible shield and she gives an exasperated sigh.

"If only they didn't force me to use this accursed power. Releasing the Apophis again, and the voices… these damned never ending voices. You've set things so far behind, I don't know if there's time to save us anymore."

"What are you talking about?" You shout at her as she destroys another wall. You watch as Tabitha moves to a good position near the Pharaoh, readying another dual strike with Alice. All they need to do is cut her hand and drop her guard and you'd have her. Which means you need to keep her attention.

Flicking <vox casters> about the room as you run, you send the signal to Erwin for Ebe to start playing, a familiar tune to begins inside the chapel, and you feel your earlier fears begin to diminish as [Bolster Confidence] begins to play. The Prophet looks a little confused as it starts, and you feel a few of your spells being unbound, forcing you to throw out more as she says,

"I said you wouldn't understand. The power is unleashed now and it is my responsibility to end the Apophis once and for all before turning it upon Deleor. It is the only way."

"Only way for what? How is enslaving Deleor going to save anything?"

"Enslaving them? You think that is my only goal? The only reason you and yours would be enslaved would be to get you out of the way and punish you for your laxity. The power of the Goddesses is out of balance ever since that damned Wizard changed everything."

Well, that certainly takes you back. What the hells did she mean by this? You prepare to ask her when the two swordswomen dash out from behind cover again, their movements sharper than before. They almost seem to move in time to the music, something the Pharaoh hasn't achieved yet. As before, they attack in tandem, forcing the Pharaoh to use her power to push back one before dropping to stop another.

Despite the earlier success, they find it more difficult to strike at her hand than before. She twirls her staff with a mix of magic and martial skill you didn't think she'd have, deflecting their blows and pushing them back. Seeing her attention fully upon them, you chance a shot with [Pebble Gun] as you feel another surge of power rising from above you. In a lucky twist, two more enthralled Guard enter, their weapons raised as they charge.

Things seem to slow down as everything comes together. The rock fired from your finger travels at a speed the eye can follow while the two swordswomen dash in, blades ready to exploit any weakness. The sounds of Ebe's playing reverberate slowly and you can almost hear the footfalls of the guards as they rush forward. Then everything returns to normal..


231f40 (36) No.331654>>331655

>>331653

Your pebble hits her the back above the left shoulder, shattering the bone and making her stagger forward. At that instant Tabitha's blade hammers into the staff while Alice's sword cuts deep into the flesh of her arm. They both sit there, pushing upon the dazed Pharaoh, their expressions angry as their swords try to free the staff from her grasp. Mere seconds seem like ages in that moment before the Pharaoh's eyes go wide and she screams before violently repelling both Alice and Tabitha away from her.

They cry out and slam backward into the sides of the room, sending up a cloud of ash from the cooled lava and debris. The wall you're hiding behind cracks at the blow and you have to hold on not to pushed away. The Anubis Guards charging at her are unaffected however, and they race toward her, weapons leveled as she turns upon them. Not using the same magic as before, she instead side-steps one's sword and grabs her throat, crushing it before driving her staff through the chest of the other, pinning the poor creature to the ground. The enthralled Anubis tries to pull herself off the staff, but the Pharaoh's eyes flash and a power surges into the Monster, causing her to arch back in agony before blood gushes out of her mouth and she dies.

Alice staggers to her feet, woozy, and looks at the Prophet before raising her sword. A look of determination comes across her face before she looks down with surprise. The glow around Energieschwert is gone, leaving the sword only the bare steel.

Across the room, Tabitha staggers to her feet as well before slumping back down to the ground, her legs shorting out as the magitek circuits begin to go haywire. Her eyes trace over to the Pharaoh who stands in the center of the room, casually pulling the staff out from the center of the Anubis's chest, dropping the body to the floor. Behind her, the High Altar of the Twins shudders as if being filled with power and it glows faintly, as does she.

Eyes glowing a deeper purple, she looks down at her ravaged hand and watches as vines re-knit her wounds. With a sickening "pop" the pebble pushes its way from out of her back. Standing straighter, she rolls her shoulders as the flesh re-knits there as well. She takes a deep breath and then turns around to face you, your wall crumbling down around you.

"I don't know why I was so afraid." She says, shaking her head. "Of course the voices would grow louder, but did I have much of a choice? Eventually they'd come crawling further through my mind. Hissing at me, whispering my downfall, speaking of the death of my line and the rise of the Apophis." She places her face in her hand and chuckles in a manner not quite sane before rolling her head to look at you again.

"But the power of the Goddesses is far greater than they are, don't you see? I don't need to be afraid anymore. I will return the balance to this world by stopping the cancer your kind unleashed in Galmathoria. I will return Phallia to balance with her sister and make this world right again."

As she says this a vine curls around her wrist and around the staff, tying them closer together. A tear rolls down her cheek as she whispers, "Even if it means breaking myself with this power. There must be balance."

Ebe's music abruptly cuts off through your remaining <vox-caster>, the others having been cut off. Her voice sounds rushed as she shouts, "ROMMEL! GET EVERYONE OUT OF THERE, NOW!"

Blinking in confusion, you only then notice the raging torrent of magical power above you. You can feel a mix of pyromancy and fulgromancy dancing in the air and that can only mean one thing. Licking your lips, you begin to breathe hard before dashing toward Tabitha as fast as you can.

"Shit." Alice says, dashing for the exit, while the Prophet merely turns her head skyward and watches the two powers come together, not moving.


231f40 (36) No.331655>>331656

>>331654

You drop your staff as soon as you reach Tabitha and quickly put one of her arms over your shoulder. She looks utterly stunned by the events that just transpired and you have to shake her before she looks at you with a stupor as she mutters, "I… I failed again." Quickly making a board from the cooled rock, you <rock slide> yourself out of the chapel as quickly as possible, shouting at the others to get as far away as they can.

Raw power collides behind you as the fire and lighting combine, forming the signature spell of the preeminent spellcasting duo of Deleor. [Twin Plasma], a spell which could level entire keeps forms behind you in blinding light. You asked them to cast a spell, but you didn't think it would be this fucking spell! Are they crazy, or do they really not care what will happen with collateral damage? Sure they're not as strong as they normally are, but Plasma spells have almost never been cast without taking something else out!

Cursing at realizing you're not going to make it in time, you rip your magic across the floor and create a [Trench] to which you leap into along with the others. As soon as Sylphie leaps last into the pit, you pull Tabitha in close and close the hole, awaiting the inevitable explosion of fiery death to remove you from this world. You sort of expected the Grand Wizard to kill you at the end of this journey, but not exactly like this.

You wait…and wait… and wait before it hits you. You're not dead. At least you're pretty sure you're not dead. Reaching down, you feel Tabitha's cool skin and then blink in the darkness before pulsing out with your [Survey]. The throne room still feels solid around you, still intact. So…

"What just happened?" Sylphie asks, looking confused. "Wait, where is Mr. Ed?"

The horse neighs next to her and she jumps before sighing and wrapping her arms around him. You do not recall making this trench large enough for a horse, but apparently he managed to fit in… somehow. Licking your lips, you say, "Your parents cast their Plasma spell and… we didn't die."

"What?!" Sophie says, incredulous. "That was incredibly reckless of them? Why would they do that?"

"I don't know, but I feel like we're kind of running out of air in here." Alice says nearby. "Care to open up before I pass out?" Carefully moving the rock from above you, you make your way out of the trench to survey the devastation, or rather, the lack thereof.

The room looks as pristine, which is to say utterly ruined, as it was before. Corpses still line the floor at all intervals and the way to the chapel is still cleared yet the chapel itself is in a clear state of collapse. The walls crumble down as the ash from before is plastered up to whatever is left of the ceiling, as if being pushed back from a great wind. Windows unshattered break into pieces and yet at the center of the devastation stands the Pharaoh, staff in hand, the High Altar unscathed.

She whirls the staff before clinking it on the ground and thrusting out her hips, which are exposed now as her silken veil was removed during the last attack somehow. Her eyes scan out across something you can't see before she locks upon you and the twins. The purple orbs grow larger and she holds out a hand, pulling the two toward her. Crying out, you throw up a wall, arresting the control of the magic, but a moment later the wall breaks and you watch with shock as the Pharaoh appears behind it.

The two slide toward her and she grabs Sylphie by the hair before stamping her bare foot on a few of Sophie's tails. The free tails from both of them flail at her, causing a few scratches and other wounds, but even those inflicted by Sophie are quickly healed and with a force of magic, she forces Sophie to go limp while she inspects Sylphie.

"I didn't expect them to do something so devastating. I was surprised in one aspect that I was able to stop it and yet… how could I not? I have a greater purpose than to die here."

"What the fuck did you do?" You cry, readying your magic to assault her as Alice gets to her feet, weapon ready. With Tabitha in her condition, you hope she'll be fine in the trench while you… you figure something out.

"The rites of Pah'sen are infinite in power and yet the more I use them, the more the voices tear at me." Her lip twitches as she shakes her head. "However, that doesn't mean that I will give in. No, no I'm the descendent of the one who put them in their place. They will bow to ME! NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!"


231f40 (36) No.331656>>331658

>>331655

Her grip tightens on Sylphie's hair and you do the one thing you can think of in the situation: Try to get the staff with your [Gold Manipulation]. The enchanted gold resists at first and then begins to slide toward you. The Pharaoh blinks as she notices what's happening before shrugging and allowing the staff to slide out of her hands. Before it can completely clear her grasp however, she quickly grabs the ends and hits you with a bolt of force that slams you back into the trench and makes your vision go black for a moment.

When you come to, you cough violently as all the accumulated pain on your back spasms through you. Oh… oh Gods the PAIN. Eyes swimming, you watch as the Pharaoh turns her eyes back to Sylphie to find the Monster staring daggers at her. "Mr. Ed… do it."

The Prophet looks up too slowly to react before a hoof the size of dinner plates smash into her face, throwing her flying across the room. She hits the ground and spins twice before coming to a rest, staff clanking down beside her. Her hand instictively shoots out to grab it before she pulls herself up slowly, a massive gash in her face being repaired as all her other wounds.

Sylphie begins to drag her sister back toward you with Alice's help as the Pharaoh faces off against the new threat. A massive horse stands before her with coat black as night. His mane and tail burn with bright red fire as well as his massive, steel shod hooves. Smoke drifts out from his nostrils and he lets out a neigh that shakes the throne room around you.

"Mr. Ed! Kill her!" Sylphie says as she cradles her sister. "You're authorized to do anything necessary to KILL THIS BITCH!"

Dire Ed nods his head and scrapes his hoof against the ground before galloping toward the Pharaoh. She stares at the horse and readies her staff to strike him as she did the Anubis before. Unlikely the Anubis however, the horse twists faster than she can react and hits her with his rear hooves again, throwing her up in the air. As she comes down, he grasps her with his teeth and throws her to the ground with a hearty "thwack."

Raising his hooves high, he makes to crush her skull, but she rolls out of the way as the hooves splinter the ground and throw up shards of marble into the air. Turning to her, he snorts smoke again and charges as she rights herself, face bloody.

"Rommel, are you okay?" Sylphie asks as she looks you over. "Damn, I don't see an injury but… you don't look good."

"I'm… I'm fine." You say, wheezing. "Just need to… to get my breath back. How is Sophie?"

"She's breathing." Sylphie sighs. "But what crazy power! I didn't expect her to be able to block a [Plasma Blast] like that, but… oh Gods, how are my parents?"

{Erwin.} You send to your familiar, figuring he must be alive since you are uh, alive yourself.

{Ugh… hey Rommel.}

{Thank the Gods. Are you okay? What happened?}

{Well, those two crazy bastards fired off this insane magic and told the bird brain to fly away with me. Next think I know there's a crazy flash of light, I'm dizzy, and then it's gone with the two of them on the ground, passed out.}

{Passed… out?} You send, confused. {But they're alive, right?}

{Yeah, I just checked. How are you?}

{Fine for now, Mr. Ed is kicking her ass.}

{You don't say? Well, Ebe is fine, so we'll be making our way out with the two of them.}

{Wait, she's not in the chapel anymore! Can Ebe destroy the altar?}

{Eh? What do you need Ebe to do that for isn't-}

Erwin's voice is drowned out in your mind suddenly as Sylphie shrieks. Her eyes grow wide and she puts her hands to her head before letting out the most terrifying howl you've ever heard. Tears leak from her eyes and not even when she was shot did she look to pained or distressed. You shake her but you can see she's already unconcious. Twisting to the side, you look back at the battle between Dire Ed and the Pharaoh with a look or horror.

Mr. Ed's transformation has regressed as he slumps to the floor, legs growing weak underneath him. His breathing grows heavy and walking toward him is the Pharaoh, her own breath coming in ragged bursts. She uses the staff to hold herself up as she plods toward the horse, holding out one hand as her wounds heal up again. An oppressive force seems to emanate from her hand and the more Mr. Ed's breathing grows ragged, the worse off Sylphie becomes.


231f40 (36) No.331658>>331659

>>331656

Eyes growing wide, you turns to the Pharaoh again and snap fire a [Pebble Gun], the shot lodging in her arm and staggering her backward. She turns to you, eyes glowing deep purple and you scream, "YOU'RE KILLING HER!"

Something seems to click then and she cuts off her assault on the horse, who sighs and collapses on his side, taking in shallow breaths. Sylphie slumps in your hands and you back her up into the trench as the Pharaoh walks toward you, staff clicking on the ruined floor. She stops above your trench and regards Alice with a cool impassivity before saying, "Thank you. It wouldn't do to have her die before her time."

Clutching Sylphie close to your chest, you say, "What the hells do you even want with the two of them? You have more than enough power to do anything you want! What would sacrificing them mean?"

"Children of those touched by both Dollora and Solos, imbued with powers of Master Witch and Wizard. Their blood courses with more Godly power than any in this world. I was made aware of their birth, did you know? At first I didn't understand it, but as the years went on the visions grew more intense and my purpose become more clear."

"What…?" You ask, but she doesn't seem to hear you as she speaks.

"The Twins… they've been so out of balance. Can't you see it? How wrong things are growing? The strength of the Lady of the Dark threatens to overwhelm her sister and threaten the harmony. Monsterkind was never meant to become what it is in Deleor now."

"But… Humans and Monsters live peacefully together…"

"Perhaps. But in such a world as yours Monsters will surely win out over men eventually and in doing so, will Dollora's power push over her sister's. When that happens, plants will wither and die, and all will turn to dust."

"I don't understand." You say, shaking your head. "That doesn't sound like the Dollora I know."

She looks at you as if looking at you for the first time. "And what do you know of Dollora? What divine connection to do share with her that I, the Prophet of the Twins would not?!"

Anger creeps into her voice as she reaches out and grabs you, smacking aside Alice with her power. She pulls you in close to her and hisses, "Say that again."

"I… I don't believe Dollora is as cruel as you make her out to be. In fact the more I see, the more I become convinced that something is wrong with Phallia."

Her hold on you increases as she says, "You DARE insinuate that the visions I've had are false? That what I've seen of the future, that the benevolent whispers from the Goddess are a lie?!"

"Have… have you spoken to Dollora?"

"INSOLENCE!" She says, throwing you back into the trench. She stands up and looks at you with unbridled rage. "I will not be talked down to by a Wizard of Solos about the ways of Dollora! There is no way you could have spoken with her when I have not in so many years." She takes a shuddering breath and says, "I am done with you. When you are dead, I will offer their blood and open the nexus point. Perhaps I can make up some lost time with that in hand."

"The… what?" You ask before she points her staff at you.

"This is the end of your meddling, Wizard. May Nerg be kinder to you than this world."

You feel the power build up within that staff. With nowhere to go, you turn your head to look upon your companions one last time. Sophie and Sylphie lay in a heap while Alice shouts in disbelief and Tabitha… Tabitha is…

A horrific crack echoes through the room. The Pharaoh cuts off her spell and turns about, eyes growing wide with horror. In the back of the Chapel, atop the High Altar of the Twins stands Tabitha, her legs twitching and unstable. Her breath comes in ragged gasps and she stares at the Pharaoh with a smug look of satisfaction. Underneath her metallic feet, a crack begins to spread in the altar.

"How?!" The Prophet asks. "I nullified the enchantments!"

"You nullified my power source, yeah." Tabitha replies, chucklng. "But thing is, the Wizard put in a back-up plan. I can power these with my life force in an emergency." As she says this the legs become a little more stable and give off a soft hum. She gasps and says, "I'd call breaking this piece of shit an emergency."

"NOOOO!" The Pharaoh shouts as Tabitha drives an adamantium foot straight down into the Altar, destroying it in an explosion of light and stone. Tabitha drops to the ground as her footing is destroyed and from within the altar you see a series of glass and inscribed formulae now ruined.


231f40 (36) No.331659>>331660 >>331683 >>331684 >>331688 >>331759 >>331765 >>331866 >>331881 >>332012

>>331658

The Prophet staggers forward and looks at her staff before dropping to her knees and putting a hand to her head, shaking it. "No, no, no. The voices are receding so… the power, is it leaving too?" She turns to the staff again before it's forcefully yanked from her hand. This time she's unable to hold onto it and it flies into your grasp where you drop it to the floor and melt it into a pile of molten gold.

"What… have you done?" She asks, eyes wide.

"Stopped your power, of course." You say, standing up and brushing dirt off yourself. Picking up Sylphie's staff, you hold it out before you and prepare a searing [Flame Lance] to end her once and for all.

Her face contorts into a snarl and she says, "You think the staff was the source of my power? It was but a focus! A way to channel it! It-" You fire your [Flame Lance] mid-sentence and it shoots out toward her before hitting something and being deflected out of the way, burning a hole into the ground nearby. Staggering to her feet, the Pharaoh says, "The voices… they're fading. Oh Twins, the power is leaving!"

Weakened, but not dead, she stares you down as Alice walks up beside you, mostly not worse for wear. All of your other allies, however are either outside or unconcious- neither an immediate help. Though she's bleeding power and tired, the Pharaoh, Prophet of the Twins, and Ruler of Ectria still glares at you with rage-filled eyes.

"I will end you, and salvage what I can before this night is through."

So be it.

>What do you do?


231f40 (36) No.331660

File (hide): 876e576c8283274⋯.png (4.12 MB, 3360x6000, 14:25, ProphetoftheTwins.png) (h) (u)

>>331659

HEY FRIENDS

As it turns out, my fever broke around 3:30am yesterday and I felt pretty good today. I really should have wrote this earlier but I was super distracted and did a lot of shitposting. And failing to catch big fish on ff14. RIP

Anyway, wow, this did not go as planned and yet it did? Time for a grudge match I guess!

I'm sorry there weren't as many explosions as expected.

Oh yeah, here's the full picture of the Prophet, was finished during my brief period of lucidity yesterday. Yay.

>>331509

And fuck you a big thanks to you too, Beardicus :^)

Oh and as for next update, it's in the air as to whether it will be saturday or New Years eve. Got friends in town and I won't be contagious, so I'm not certain when they'll want to do stuffs.


6eb70f (1) No.331675>>331684 >>331764 >>331881

>I can power these with my life force in an emergency

So how bad is this? The lizard waifu dream isn't dead r-right?


a16540 (3) No.331683>>331713 >>331764 >>331882

>>331659

I kinda feel bad for her tbh. She has no idea she's being manipulated by the plants and she has sacrificed a lot to accomplish her misleaden goals. While we combat her try to explain to her all this fuckery Phallia has been up to. Bring up the brief encounter in Wizardquest one where she dropped hints shit was about to go crazy, Alice can drop what happened in Illusionquest, And then we can follow it up with the Phalian priest literally enslaving the Dolloran priest. She no longer is dealing with the voices of dead sneks in her head so maybe she'll ponder our words a bit more. Tell her that by putting that seed in her head, her will and even her thoughts are no longer completely her own. She is being manipulated into throwing the balance out of harmony and Phallia is likely the one responsible for stopping her from hearing Dollora's voice.

We have spoken to Dollora twice so far and she has apparently added her scent to our heavenly musk so if the Prophet would simply smell us she'd know it to be trueAnd possibly rape us, But Im not to against that since we got >>331660. I mean, Unless the balance is threatened why else would a chosen of Solos be affiliated with Dollora, Of all the other gods?


7ca3af (8) No.331684>>331685 >>331688 >>331713 >>331764 >>331882 >>332208

>>331659

>"That doesn't sound like the Dollora I know."

Sounds like Phallia is playing the Pharaoh for a fool. Need to get the plants out of her. Wake up the G.Wiz. Then explain about our meeting with Dollora.

Perpare for Sis and her posers to show up. If they try and steal our 'loot', tell them it's 'MINE'.

Tell Helene she needs to undergo a 'ritual' to become ruler of Ectria.

>>331675

>The lizard waifu dream isn't dead r-right?

Nah, she'll be very exhausted afterwards tho.


a16540 (3) No.331685>>331688 >>331703 >>331764

>>331684

Jokes on you Tabithafag's, In order to secure a victory is this fight Tabitha gave up her ability to conceive.

/S


7ca3af (8) No.331688

>>331659

>>331684

I wonder if she was visited by a weird red-head a few years ago?

>>331685

Fakenews of a sore loser. :-)


ecae08 (3) No.331703>>331713 >>331882

File (hide): 7edb598b3f51365⋯.jpg (30.3 KB, 320x180, 16:9, IMG_4758.JPG) (h) (u)

As for what to do I would suggest we try to convince her that phallia is manipulating her and is throwing everything out of balance. Though there is the matter of how ectria is going to be ruled given the apophis is returned and the pharoah may yet survive this battle. And not to mention the ritual which e apophis may or may not recognize and would resist its completion.

>>331685

Pic related


4a6faa (8) No.331713>>331764 >>331866 >>331881

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>331683

>>331684

>>331703

People, we are beyond any options for diplomacy at this point. We have already fucked her plans up for all intents and purposes, the snake ghosts will soon fade away. But for now, she is out for blood!

She will use what is left of her power to kill us even if it's the last thing she can do. Even in the absolutely insane 0.01% chance that we roll a twenty on our bluff or influence attempt, the only thing this will do is make her do a Saren and then we will be forced to fight a shambling plant tentacle abomination anyway.

However, since we have already accomplished our task, we just need to get the fuck out of here and we have a very easy way out.

Down the [The Threefold Path] and hand Alice all our health potions.

It, coupled with our awesome magic glove and the fact that we are not particularly winded, at least magic reserve wise, will allow us the last rush of energy to stall the prophet while Alice drags everyone into a pile or wakes them up.

The pharaoh is still limited to single target magic for the most part, even now. With our super charged magic and glove, we should be able to conjure some multilayer stone armor with [Rock Solid] that will allow us to tank her last desperate attacks long enough for Alice to do her thing.

When everyone is neatly piled together or lucid enough to stand in one place, we send Ronnie and co at her to give us an opening to <Rock slide> our stone covered ass next to our allies, make a stone platform underneath them and then get the fuck out of there at max speed magnified by the potion, letting the enthralled leftovers of our neesan's followers tear our enemy apart.

She does not even drop any good loot anyway, because this dumb asshole >>330883 thought that we should melt her cool staff. Might as well take the gold puddle though.

The reason we HAVE to do this is because we have nothing left to use on the Hentateh anymore and we NEED to leave the battlefield and run away as far as we fucking can, before literally digging our ass into the sand again to let the withdrawal from the potion wear off and for everyone else to at least catch their breaths, before we are forced to fight the real final boss.


7167c2 (1) No.331759>>331764

>>331659

Slam our knee into her face


231f40 (36) No.331764

>>331675

Ah well, you know.

She's probably alive.

>>331683

Here's the thing. If what she's saying is true, then she's been receiving these visions for 20ish years. She clearly has plants in her body, but she is very well likely to be receiving actual visions from Phallia. She may not be under anyone's actual control but her own decisions guided by another's hand.

Course,I could be wrong.

>>331684

Maybe Erwin can get him awake? But I'm pretty sure you'd have to subdue her first.

>Ritual to become ruler of Ectria

Innnnnttteeerrreessstinnngggg

>>331685

That's terrible, I would never do something like that-

>Veronica

…..

>>331713

At the moment you seem to be outnumbered, but there is time! Maybe it will come down to this anyway

Also, [The Threefold Path]. Wew.

>>331759

I like your style.


064e4f (1) No.331765>>331814 >>331895

>>331659

Use our geoflaxing to give a powerful, stone-covered bitch slap to this cunt. Each time she gets back up, bitch slap her again. Keep going until she's down for the count. Then curb stomp her brains out.

We're done being nice.


7ca3af (8) No.331814>>331832 >>331882 >>331895

>>331765

>Use our geoflaxing to give a powerful, stone-covered bitch slap to this cunt.

This or tame her with headpats!


c7908d (7) No.331832>>331863 >>331882 >>331895

File (hide): 1aabe396e5f06af⋯.jpg (23.8 KB, 320x320, 1:1, sex pistols.jpg) (h) (u)

>>331814

Use the power of headpats to overcome the plant brainwashing! Solos's will shall free her mind from Phallia's shackles!


7ca3af (8) No.331863

>>331832

This anon knows style when he sees it. Tho, it does feel bad to do it in front of Tabitha… we need to give headpats to Tabitha with BOTH hands!


dd8384 (4) No.331866>>331882 >>331895 >>332012

File (hide): d05ccafe340923e⋯.jpg (453.5 KB, 920x1226, 460:613, __niyah_xenoblade_and_xeno….jpg) (h) (u)

>>331659

I say we go with >>331713

also GW should be the top focus on waking up and getting ready since we could get a moment to take that seed out of her head if we get a chance. Our tactic should just be to stall her as long as possible til everyone is up and then attempt to restrain her. If we somehow succeed see if we can remove the seed and attempt diplomacy, if we can't ask her if there's any weaknesses apophises have and then kill her


d4d8b7 (8) No.331881>>331895

>The glow around Energieschwert is gone, leaving the sword only the bare steel.

>Across the room, Tabitha staggers to her feet as well before slumping back down to the ground, her legs shorting out as the magitek circuits begin to go haywire.

I seriously hope that attack from the Prophet merely temporarily disabled the magic present in those items instead of completely dispelling it, as we’re going to have some real problems going forward otherwise.

>>331659

Given the poor positions our party members have found themselves in, I’m in agreement with >>331713 on how to proceed here, at least regarding the whole ‘engage the Prophet mano a mano while Alice, being freed from the Prophet’s onslaught, takes the opportunity to grab everyone in the room and drag them to a single location Mr Ed’s position might be best, as I doubt Alice can drag a fully grown horse anywhere quickly and Ebe does the same outside so we can easily get everyone to safety’ part of the plan. On top of what he has already said, however, I will add that we should consider drinking a portion of a [Health Potion] ourselves, as our back is probably the worst it has ever been in this story and we absolutely cannot let it be a hindrance during this fight, with this being the only method of reducing that pain without unknown and probably serious consequences we would get from something like the [Strength of the Mountains]. I will also that add we should prioritise offence over defence where applicable here, as forcing the Prophet to defend against our own attacks is the only real way of preventing her from turning her attention to Alice or one of the unconscious party members and simply executing them on the spot -- sure, we could instead go on the defensive and block any attacks she throws out towards anyone with [Build the Wall] or something, but that’s just begging for us to slip up and lose someone in the process because we were too slow and frankly that’s more unnecessary pressure on us. Finally, I’ll add that we should strongly consider trying [Reverse Polarity] on her, as that option being successful would lead to her being limited to physical combat only, something we can counter quite easily with [Rock Solid] which we theoretically should be able to maintain alongside the channelled [Reverse Polarity] with the enhanced magic from the [Threefold Path] we drank.

All that said, I’m not sure I agree with leaving the Prophet alive for the cultists to deal with. Even without the reality warping powers of Hevensferth at her disposal, she’s still a credible threat with power that was only barely shy of the combined efforts of the Grand Wizard and Selene and should as such be more than capable of murdering anyone that comes near her; the only ‘person’ who has any chance against her on the Violet Sands’ team would be Hent-ateh, and even that is questionable with the implications that Hent-ateh isn’t even close to its full strength yet. If we don’t finish the Prophet off now, then there is the definite possibility of her regaining control of the situation or at least causing a large amount of destruction before perishing, both of which will probably result in her targeting our sister due to her new position as the Apophis, which isn’t something we can allow to happen. It would probably be better to just finish what we started and kill her ourselves after getting our vulnerable party members to a safer position, of course to take any possibility of things going wrong out of the equation before we retreat to anywhere the tank sounds like a good defendable spot to head to, especially since we’re going to have to deal with Hent-ateh in the aftermath no matter what the case may be, be it with us still in the Chapel or in a hole somewhere, so trying to plan around it isn’t going to make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things.

>>331675

She has barely moved while utilising this previously unmentioned feature and has the highest constitution of anyone in our party as a result of constant training and fighting, so I sincerely doubt there would be any lasting damage beyond her being drained for a while as it would be cheap as fuck otherwise.


d4d8b7 (8) No.331882>>331895

>>331683

>>331684

>>331703

>>331814

>>331832

>>331866

>Attempting diplomacy with the Prophet

>Even considering diplomacy with the Prophet

If we take the whole “being lied to and/or corrupted by Phallia” thing out of the equation, then the Prophet is still an awful, horrible individual who upholds the tradition of slavery in Ectria, treats the lower class like dirt and is willing to make her own people suffer if it means achieving victory, as shown by how she was more than happy to destroy every single residence in the eastern side of the capital if it meant flushing out the Violet Sands despite her never having the need to as all she had to do was wait. If you somehow can forgive her for all that, then I seriously question your morals and there’s still the issue of how we’ve been opposing her ever since the Grand Wizard and Selene first attacked her with no regard for diplomacy themselves, which isn’t something she is going to forgive, especially since we’ve allied ourselves with her most hated enemy, have all but destroyed her home and have severed a large portion of her connection to the Gods. And even if that somehow doesn’t end up being a problem and we’re able to reconcile with the Prophet via some absolute bullshit, then she’s just going to be murdered by Hent-ateh or one of the Violet Sands cultists given her position any way, so it’s a pointless act and it would have been much easier to just kill her ourselves rather than waste time and effort in not killing her while she tries to tear us apart with her magic.

All in all, peace was never an option. This bitch has had it coming for a very long time. And serious shame on you who think giving her headpats is warranted. Our curse gift should be saved for those that actually deserve it, not given out freely like a cheap whore.


231f40 (36) No.331895

>>331832

I won't lie, I mostly didn't write based on when I got home, the fact that my tongue feels weird, and that I was on the last level of Shadows of Valentia.

That level is a piece of fucking work I tell you h'what

Sadly, I have a bad feeling I'll be called out tomorrow too, though pending on the time I can get to work once I get home. Soooo y'all can continue to argue!

>>331765

So rough. Like rock!

>>331814

>>331832

Clearly this can't backfire

>>331866

Fair enough!

>>331881

Considering what happened beforehand, it's most likely temporary.

As far as the other stuffs you have written… battle plans. Righto then.

Oh, and Tabitha dragged herself mostly toward the altar, which is why no one really noticed her.

>>331882

Hey man, some people are dreamers who want to share the gift with every-

Ewww.


dd8384 (4) No.332012

File (hide): 0c3bba1a5005d4e⋯.jpg (3.06 MB, 2480x3508, 620:877, __niyah_xenoblade_and_xeno….jpg) (h) (u)

>>331659

Also to add onto >>331866 we should use flash freeze on all her jewelry


231f40 (36) No.332110

My goal of writing this before going to be social failed and I don't think I'll finish before passing out. But I have tomorrow- today- off so there's that.

Anyway, Happy New Year! We're out of holidays now so I'm out of excuses- errr, obligations to keep me from writing unless I get sick again.

New Year's Resolution is to finish this story and make it interesting!


231f40 (36) No.332170>>332171

>Story continue

"Are you certain you wish to do this?" You ask, slowly slipping your hand into your pocket. The top of a bottle filled with [Health Potion] brushes against your fingertips and you curl about it, waiting.

The Pharaoh's breath comes fast and shallow, though not from injury since she heals too quickly, but anger. Her purple eyes seethe with a rage that can barely be contained, one born of months, perhaps years of torment toward a goal only to see it being torn down. You can perhaps understand this rage a little, if not completely.

"How DARE you ask that." She growls. "You come here, destroy everything, and you ask if I am CERTAIN I wish to annihilate you?" A little titter escapes her lips, though whether from a spark of madness or anger you can't say.

A pillar nearby crumbles from the earlier damage, sending a puff of dust behind you. Hand grasping the potion, your options fly through your mind. Clearly, she's being manipulated here, but is it worth pointing it out? Will she even listen to you? And if she does, does she even deserve to live?

No. The answer comes to you after much deliberation. She doesn't, not after everything she's done. Her behavior isn't new to Ectria from what you've come to learn. Even if she was being manipulated, and you're pretty certain she is, you doubt the aspects of slavery or oppression of her people are fully from outside control. Sad as it is, this is who she is and you doubt your can change it.

Still, your position sucks right now. With your friends and allies scattered, even if you do go forward and fight her, you'll be in a poor situation if and WHEN the rest of the Violet Sands come around. You need to get them together and ready to get out as soon as possible. The Pharaoh has already failed, and with the altar destroyed she will eventually be overwhelmed by the Violet Sands. Even if you cannot defeat her then you still win by staying alive and-

Your attention focuses as the Pharaoh thrusts a hand out toward you. Invisible force moves and you quickly use [Rock Solid] to block it, shattering the piece of stone into bits. Back flaring up in pain, you push yourself out of the way while shouting to Alice to get the others as you throw up a series of walls. The hand in your pocket pulls out the [Health Potion] and you down it as the wall before you breaks apart.

Feeling the healing magic soothe the pain in your back, you fire back with a barrage of [Shotgun Pebbles] at near point blank range, forcing the Pharaoh to step backward as she defends against the powerful shot. Following up, you step forward with a mighty swing of your fist and power through with your geoflexing, causing a solid wave of rock to crash into her, pushing her backward. To finish, you build a prison of rocks and then quickly dig in your pocket while reaching out to Erwin.

{Erwin!} You send to your familiar. {Get the Grand Wizard and Selene awake and get into the Chapel to help Tabitha. Everyone needs to be able to get out of here, NOW.}

{Ehm, they're kind of passed out. Are you alright though?}

{Not really, but just have Ebe sing at them or something, I'm a little busy.} Where is- ah, there it is.

{Oh, right, the singing, yeah. You going to be okay?}

{We'll see.} You send before snapping to Alice and throwing the remaining three health potions to her. "I'll hold her off, get them to the chapel and meet with the others."

Catching the potions, she sets her jaw and begins to say something before shaking her head and sighing. "Yeah… yeah you're right. What about the horse?"

Mr. Ed's breathing comes a little less labored than before, but he's not going anywhere. You'll have to move him yourself. Grimacing, you tell her just to go and she nods as you turn your attention back to the little prison you've made. Watching it begin to come undone, you pull a vial from your pocket and uncork it.


231f40 (36) No.332171>>332172 >>332852

>>332170

The magic holding the walls together fractures and explodes outward, showering the room in bits of stone and marble. From the dust, the Pharaoh strides toward you but stops as she notices Alice moving the twins, focusing her attention then upon the swordswoman. Before she can launch an assault however, another column of earth strikes her and she's forced to turn her attention. Angered, she begins to rapid fire spells at you, but as she does, they're intercepted by well placed stones, seeming to know exactly where her strikes will come from.

Blinking in confusion, she narrows her eyes and then widens them as another barrage comes at her. Furiously blocking the rocks while trying to cast her own, she shouts, "How are you doing this? What is this?!"

You barely register her sounds as you stride toward her, each step allowing you to push out with Geoflexing, each strike of your fist throwing out pieces of stone to assault her. Breathing slowly, you take a part of your mind and push the earth underneath the horse, sliding him toward the chapel, if not completely into it. The rest of your focus is upon your singular task- to keep the Pharaoh from doing anything but surviving.

"NO!" She shouts, throwing a wave of force toward you. You create a wall before you to catch the spell and then immediately take the destroyed pieces of the wall and thrust them back at her in a wave of your own. The spells flow from you as if they were nothing, your consciousness seeming almost disconnected from your body. Was magic supposed to be this easy? Perhaps you were merely trying too hard before. Either way, you feel a surreal sense of awareness and calm with your magic, allowing you to take full effect upon the Prophet.

"How?" She asks, focusing her power on defense. "What changed?"

"Focus." You lie, hiding away the empty vial of [The Threefold Path]. "Focus on the goals laid out ahead of me. Focus on the lives I must protect."

"Focus, as if it were so easy." She hisses. "There is nothing that-"

"Why do you let Phallia lie to you?" You ask, interrupting her to stall for time. "Can you not hear Dollora?"

"What?" She asks, taking a momentary lapse in your assault to reposition herself. A cloud of dust brushes off her with magical force, though with her clothing ripped and torn showing off an obscene amount of skin, it doesn't much matter. "Why do you insist on these lies? Is it a form of torture to you?"

"Aren't you tortured enough already? Those voices clawing at your mind while a Goddess herself puts plants inside your body, twisting you. It must be terrible."

Gritting her teeth, she launches another offensives at you. This time, she doesn't telegraph any of her attacks, the assaults coming from different angles, forcing you to spread out your concentration. Had you not been under the influence of this potion, you're not certain you could keep it all in place. But you have to, and so you do, waiting for a lapse to come in her assault. When it comes, it's an almost imperceptible falter and you drive forward with a series of Geoflexing stances.

The shattered earth drives into her and she shouts in frustration as some of the stones strike at her flesh, opening up tears which heal themselves. As you do this, you begin to drag pieces of stone about yourself, preparing for later, though even this doesn't fully tax your mind on this potion. With your remaining concentration, you agitate her further by saying,

"I can help you, you know."

"Help? You can do that by dying!"

"No. I meant help remove Phallia's influence from you. Remove the plants in your mind, in your body. You can't have known what they would do to you."

"You assume I didn't willingly take the blessing of the Goddess." The Pharaoh says, eyes cold. "I told you that I spoken with her for years, that I am the conduit of the Twin's will, the keeper of the balance. Her gift is not something which controls me, I control it. However…"

An impassive look comes across her face then as she begins to move toward you. Confused, you assault the ground beneath her but she shifts to the side and pulls something from between her breasts- a vial of white liquid. Flicking the cork off, she drinks it in one gulp and then looks at you with deep scorn. "Perhaps you are right, however. Perhaps the balance within myself is off as well. I had taken Dollora's gifts for granted."


231f40 (36) No.332172>>332173 >>332852

>>332171

Her eyes flash as purple light envelops one of her hands. "You claim to have spoken to Dollora. To have her blessing despite being a Wizard of Solos. Very well then, if she has clad you in her blessing so, then you will survive this."

{Erwin.} You send, feeling worried for some reason. {Is everyone ready to go?}

{Sylphie and Mr. Ed are still out of it, but Ebe got the others awake. Are we really just leaving?}

{That might be-} You begin to send, but are cut off as an oppressive feeling comes over you. Staggering as if disoriented, you feel the rock you've layered upon your body shatter with tremendous force, driving you backward and causing the air in your lungs to be forcefully driving out. A sense of dread fills you and then a moment later you're picked up as if you were nothing and slammed into the ground. Had you not have the potion on board, you may not have had the forethought to pad yourself with more stone before hitting. As it was, a disgusting sense of pain and disorientation comes to you as you throw up a wall and roll out of the way.

"Do you feel it? Dollora's power weighs down upon you, judging you. Her strength bears down upon men and drives their will from their bodies."

Is that what this is? The magic she's using is clearly dark magic, but are the overwhelming sensations you're feeling are because of that? Though you know it's a spell, something drains your will to fight, making it all seem hopeless. Perhaps she really does have the right of it, perhaps she really does understand Dollora better than you. She can wield her magic, after all, which means at some point Dollora gifted her with the ability to do so.

And yet… this oppressive feeling, this sense of hopelessness. This isn't what you remember of your interactions with Dollora. The Goddess was strong, imposing even, yet beneath it all was a current of something more, something gentle. The power radiating over you has the hallmarks of her strength, but misses the other sensation. Suddenly it all seems so pointless, this manifestation of Dollora's power. It bleeds from you oil from water as you realize that your perception of Dollora is stronger than The Prophet's manipulation of this magic. Oh, she could probably kill you with that magic, but you adamantly refuse to allow it to control you.

Perhaps due to your potion, this realization takes but an instant, in which time the wall before you explodes, showering you with more debris. If not for the healing potion you took earlier, your face would likely have a LOT more bloody scratches all over it. As it stands, you're glad for your goggles.

"Bow and accept your… what?" The Pharaoh trails off as she sees you rising to your feet, reforming your armor from the available stone. A look of utter shock comes to her face as she cries, "How?! How are you still standing?!"

"Because." You say, taking in a deep breath to steady yourself. "You seem to have forgotten that underneath that strength, Dollora's power is gentle. You can't make me bow before something you don't understand yourself."

"No!" She shouts, "I refuse to accept this!" The purple glow intensifies around her and you know she's lost to your words at this point.

"It didn't have to be this way." You say, knowing that's a lie.

"Yes, it does." She says, knowing you know it's a lie.


231f40 (36) No.332173>>332174 >>332852

>>332172

The earth before you shatters in a display of raw power as the Pharaoh assaults you with everything she has. [Deflect] pushes much of it away as you charge forward through the destruction, building more and more ablative shielding from the rubble. She fires a bolt of purple light at it that destroys segments of the armor and pushes more of her oppressive will upon you, but you shrug it off, your trance-like state pushing into a single goal. Something begins to feel a little off within you, as if your mind is starting to wander, but you push it down, narrowing on the singular goal of reaching her.

Waves of powerful force crash upon you, destroying the ground under your feet or crushing the rock you're throwing in front of you like a battering ram. The closer you get, the more you're unable to keep all of it from striking you. Bits of rock slice against your face, tear gashes in your trousers, bury into your chest, yet you push on. A bolt of the dark magic singes your arm and you bite down the pain as you seem to run in slow motion toward the avatar of destruction before you.

Your whole body seems to shake within your very core, but you keep yourself steady through sheer determination. Throwing her hands out before her in a final desperate gambit, the Pharaoh throws out a line of force that obliterates your barriers, leaving you bare and at her mercy. A smile of triumph fills her face and she makes to land the killing blow when your foot hits the ground before her. She looks down at the raw determination in your face and you see in those eyes a look of fear.

Good.

The earth resonates with you as you draw your frustration and terror together into a blow of geoflexing that drives the earth up under the Prophet, slamming into her gut. Staggering backward, she's unable to respond as another blow hits her from the side, then the back, throwing her forward. She grunts as you grab her head and slam your knee into her face, breaking her nose. Blood dribbles as plants try to fix the damage, but you give them no chance, driving your knee into her face again and then again.

Even though you feel tired, the anger and frustration being released sustains you and you use the last motion to geoflex her in an uppercut, throwing her backward in a shower of stone chips and agony. Her body thuds to the ground, multiple wounds being repaired by plant life doing its best to re-knit the host. Mouth working soundlessly, her hand twitches and tries to recover the purple glow, but you step on her hand, crushing it under your boot.

"N-No." She manages to whisper out, her voice seeming to come sharp and painful to your mind. "It can't end like this."

"H-How else was it supposed to end?" You ask, heart pounding loud in your chest. "Someone was going to die to today."

"You've… you've damned everyone."

"No. I don't doubt this world is in chaos, but you were wrong. I'm not sorry for what I'm about to do but know this: I will not let the ruin you feared come to pass."

Tears streak from her cheeks as you say this, and she makes a futile effort to swat at you, but you just let her hand strike your coat and slowly wrap her fingers on the clothing. Breath shaky, you move your hand to her forward and gently brush aside a strand of her long, black hair. Though she doesn't deserve it, you give one, small stroke of your fingers across her scalp. Her eyes go wide at this and the tears comes faster as she whispers, "Will they leave me alone now? The voices?"

"I don't know. You'll have to ask Nerg."

"Ah…of course. Just… just don't let the Apophis hurt my people." She says, not understanding the irony. At least giving her one last bit of solace, you nod as you place your have above her forehead and cast [Flame Lance].


231f40 (36) No.332174>>332175

>>332173

The vibrant power burrows through her skull, melting the flesh and annihilating her brain. Her body convulses and shudders, hair alighting from the magic, though you quickly put it out. The plants under her skin try to move and repair the damage, but simply can't and they eventually stop moving themselves, dying along with the host.

Her corpse is disgusting, filled with multiple wounds and a ragged, burned hole in her forehead. But there was no other way to make sure she was dead for good. Despite everything she'd done, all of the suffering she'd caused and would cause, seeing her like that made you feel sick. You brush her hair over the ragged wound and then close her eyes before you realize something is shouting from the back of your mind.

{ROMMEL!} Erwin's voice comes in. {Rommel we've been ready to go! What are you doing?}

{Sorry.} You send, shaking your head. {She wasn't going to let us go I had… I had to kill her.}

{Holy hells… shit are you alright?}

The adrenaline is still flowing in your system, dulling some of the pain, but you know it won't last. {Yeah.} You lie. {I'll be good for now, we need to get out of here and recover before the Violet Sands arrives.}

{Well come on then, everyone is ready to see you.}

{Yeah, yeah.} You send, making to stand up. Instead, you find yourself collapsing to the ground, feeling a little odd as you stare at the floor. That's weird, you meant to be walking, not laying down. As you struggle to push yourself up, that feeling that was nagging at you from before returns, magnified. You feel as if you whole body is vibrating, trying to separate into multiple directions while coming together at the same time. Bile forms in your mouth as you grow nauseous, the world starting to spin and shake all about.

{Rommel? ROMMEL?!} Erwin sends before cursing in your mind. A few moments later Alice runs into the Throne room and slides next to you, putting a hand under your chest.

"Holy hells, what the fuck happened to you?" She says, helping you up.

Your reply is to vomit all over her, which she looks at in worry. Though you try to mumble something to her, she merely curses and begins dragging you over to the chapel with the others are. Sophie comes to help you as well, but you're still swimming in the disorienting nausea. Why was this happening? Did you use to much magic? Or… no, it's the potion. It was said to lead to disorientation when all was said and done.

"What happened to him?" Sophie asks, biting her lip as she looks you over.

"He killed the Gods damned Pharaoh, that's what he did! But Gods damnit, how are we supposed to get out of here now? We have too many immobile people!"

"Well, we did just help the Violet Sands with their plans…" Sophie says, looking to her unconscious sister. "But you're correct, this is not a good situation. Father, Mother, do you believe you can transport us out?"

"Perhaps some distance, but this place is going to be crawling with cultists soon." The Grand Wizard says, grunting. "I don't think we can get out if Rommel is out of commission."

You want to tell them you'll be fine, that you only need a little rest, but you can't make the words form. Even trying makes bile rise in the back of your throat again and you have to calm down and focus on breathing. As the others talk however, you notice something outside the ruined building, a shape scuttling through the wreckage outside. Mouth fumbling, you fail to make sounds of any worth and instead try to focus on sending something to Erwin.


231f40 (36) No.332175>>332176 >>332181 >>332208 >>332434 >>332491

>>332174

The fox turns his head toward you, then to the outside. His ears perk up at the same time as Selene and Sophie's, and they both turn about in unison as two figures drop into the room from the roof. They make almost no sound as they land, rising in unison to look over the group. Masks cover their faces, but you can tell there is a hint of a smile in their eyes as they look over everyone.

"Ako… Sayaka?" Ebe asks as she recognizes them. "W-what are you doing here?"

"Our Master had us watch the confrontation." Ako says, bowing her head. "Now that it seems to be over, we wished to inform you that subjugation of the wall guard is complete by the Violet Sands. They will begin sweeping the Palace soon."

"I… thank you for the information?" Sophie says, confused. "But I have a feeling that letting us know about our impending doom isn't your only reason for talking to us."

"Indeed." Sayaka says, nodding her head. "In accordance with our Master's will, we extend to you an offer to help you escape from here and help recover from your wounds."

"What's the catch?" Alice says, gritting her teeth.

Ako replies, "That is up to Ammon. It is your choice, but make it quickly. I do not doubt there is little time remaining."

"Wait, Ammon?" The Grand Wizard says, looking to Selene, then back to Sophie. "You know Ammon?"

"Yes, he's the one who got us this far, but… how do you know him?" His daughter asks, confused.

"He's… the one who helped us as well." Selene trails off, brow lines furrowing. She looks up at the Kunoichi and says, "What is going on here? What game is Ammon playing at?"

"You must ask him yourself." Ako says before holding out a hand. "Will you take our offer, or will you face the Apophis alone?"

Though you feel like trash, you think you can get Erwin to give your answer. Though you want nothing more than to sleep, there's no rest for the weary.

>What do you do?


231f40 (36) No.332176

>>332175

Well, the Pharaoh is dead by the hands of a Deleorian Wizard. Perhaps in a different reality, you could have called her waifu friend. Either way, there's nothing much for it, the potion ran out and with the injuries the others have suffered, you can try to get out on your own, or take the help from Ammon…

This was actually difficult to write, because slightly less than half of the people wanted dipolomacy while slighty over half wanted combat, and yet there was a divide between get out of dodge and killing her. Killing her won out, but the potion was going to run out, so getting out of dodge would no longer work? Tried to work most stuff in there but man, it's weird.

Oh well! You killed her anyway so story's over, right?


dd8384 (4) No.332181>>332213 >>332398 >>332492

File (hide): 33b172815bf4cf1⋯.jpg (112.42 KB, 872x918, 436:459, DSfKXjkX4AAp7sU.jpg) (h) (u)

>>332175

Well shit, did it really have to be this way?

It's a risk going with Ammon, since I don't doubt he would sell us out to the violet sands, but I also can't help but think he just wants to end them as well for a hand in the new leadership of the country if we're successful in taking the violet sands out. We're not really in a state to fight another army so I say we hear him out and focus on getting everyone healed up, we should also try to get GW's attention with erwin when no one is paying attention and let him know that ammon is not to be trusted with our safety


c7908d (7) No.332208>>332213 >>332241 >>332398 >>332492

>>332175

I don't like the idea of leaving ourselves indebted to a man we know very little about besides having obvious designs on the throne. We should have our remaining magic users get us out of there with the power of stone surfing, but not before hiding the Pharoah's corpse. Hent-ateh probably won't turn on us until the Pharoah is actually confirmed dead, and we aren't exactly in any shape to deal with her right now. Hypothetically, she'll be stuck as Helene's servant forever if they never find a body. Once we regroup, we should do what >>331684 suggested and trick Helene into participating in the ritual to remove the voices from her head, but still leaving a puppet state functional government in Ectria.


7ca3af (8) No.332213>>332239 >>332398

>>332181

>Well shit, did it really have to be this way?

No, but alot of people were being autistic.

>>332208

Noice to know someone else is paying attention enough to think a few moves ahead too. Got any ideas on how to sell it to Helene?


c7908d (7) No.332239>>332265 >>332398

>>332213

Well, obviously we would need to separate her from the rest of her group (as they would be the most likely to see through it). It's also probably best to have Ebe present the information since she's the only Ectrian in the group, but Selene can help with the details by getting by on the "I'm 400 years old and the Monster Lady" excuse. We should also help by feeding her obvious attraction for us in subtle ways so that she's both more willing to listen to us and is less on the lookout for our typical tricks.


c7908d (7) No.332241

>>332208

I really want to see Hent-ateh rushing into the throne room to find us in our current state with GW telling her "We don't know nuffin' about no dead Fare-oze"


dbd380 (1) No.332265>>332332 >>332398

File (hide): f268fb390257ed8⋯.jpg (59.82 KB, 570x598, 285:299, Necklace.jpg) (h) (u)

We should find our own way. Don't trust Ammon.

Now that the fighting is done, I'd like to throw an idea at the anons who wanted to give Tabitha jewelry in the last thread. We're in the middle of a warzone, so there's bound to be a bunch of steel swords just lying around. It doesn't even need to be intact, we'll only need the steel from the blade. We're not in any condition to go looting ourselves, so have Erwin grab one on our way out. After we've rested, we can use the steel to make a chain necklace and some wire. Ask Tabitha for that enchanted basalt we gave her a while ago, wrap it in the wire and attach it to the necklace to make something like pic related. Take a moment to admire the work, then hand Tabitha her new enchanted necklace or, alternatively, place it around her neck ourselves.

>>332239

If we want to distract her with her attraction to us, another option is to tell her we've thought over her consort offer and decided to accept after all, as long as we can make it official "in a place where Dollora may witness our union". Then we can solve the possessed sister problem by crashing our own wedding with no survivors. Obviously, we should go over this plan with our party beforehand, to prevent more misunderstandings.


f80e2e (1) No.332332>>332342 >>332398

>>332265

This nigga knows what's up


7ca3af (8) No.332342

>>332332

Sage Faggot Lord!


231f40 (36) No.332398>>332482

>>332181

Yeah. Yeah it did.

So you got one person for Ammon

>>332208

One for no Ammon.

Elaborate again on the "Ritual" needed to make her ruler of Ectria. Now I know what the actual ritual is, but how do you want to spin this again?

Also, kek, hiding the corpse? Easy enough to bury I suppose.

>>332213

Oh right, that.

>>332239

Well, it's not like you can't speak Ectrian now through Wizard shit. But the other stuff… hmm.

>>332265

You can barely move at the moment, you're about to be discovered by the Violet Sands, and you want to tell Ammon, "No."

I mean, yeah sure, jewelry for her, alright.>>332332

Oh but that lying part could work. probably. Tabitha is fine if you Lost your virginity to your sister right?

>>332332

The enabler.


4a6faa (8) No.332434>>332492

File (hide): 6a9087beb9248c1⋯.jpg (84.62 KB, 1024x576, 16:9, amon.jpg) (h) (u)

>>332175

You know what? Fuck it! I'll take being an unwilling pawn of Littlefinger over having to fight Hentateh right now when everyone, including us, is on the brink of death.

Our neechan is fucking dead though. Without us around, she will be the first one to fall against T-X over there. All those talks about hiding the body is pretty funny, considering that the the pact binding it to Helene is magical in nature. As soon as the Pharaoh drew her last breath was the moment when the Hentateh was broken free of any obligations and free to rampage.

Now all we can do is get our asses dragged to safety by the two kunoichi over there and start bargaining with the future supreme ruler of Ectria: Sultan Amon.


59bab2 (2) No.332482

>>332398

I think we'd best go with the twins for now.

I can't see Sister Snek honouring any deals whilst we're weak.


d4d8b7 (8) No.332491

>>332175

We’ve only interacted with Ammon briefly so our knowledge on him and his motives is limited, but it’s clear that he isn’t the most trustworthy character -- that said, we can at least trust that he will try to take advantage of any situation he can if it benefits him, as shown by how he preyed upon our plight of being cursed by roping us into helping him in return for not dying horribly. This offer, which is effectively a ‘get out of jail free card’ for us, is very likely to be another example of this rather than a trap to get us killed, because we are clearly still of great use to him, as a result of our skillset and accomplishments thus far proving our capabilities to perform any task he may require of us, we have certain vulnerabilities that he can take advantage of, such as our desire to save our sister from her fate and there is no way he doesn’t know about that, he’s an information broker who has been stalking us, and, rather importantly I might add, it wouldn’t make sense for this to be a trap; if he wanted us dead, he could have had his two bodyguards ambush us in our current moment of weakness, as we wouldn’t be able to retaliate very well and the two of them are clearly good at their jobs, or even simply stay out of things and let particular members of the Violet Sands do their thing, seeing as we’re in a terrible spot any way. As such, I’m going to opt for taking him up on his offer so we can see him again (as Ammon was kinda fun) and get out of this mess as cleanly as possible, rather than trying to do so by ourselves with severe consequences. It’s not like we’re forced into following his orders once we’re out of peril, after all, so we could always flip him the bird and leave should we so desire but he will probably have something else of use to us on top of this assistance so that might not be the best idea.

However, there is one thing I would recommend we do before we leave or rather, have the others do as we aren’t doing much for a while, and that is searching the Prophet’s body and the surrounding area for the [Talisman of Tet'hua] while we still have the chance. If you recall, this artefact was said to be “imbued with the greatest magic of the Apophis” and was in possession of Liala back when her cell was attempting what can only be assumed to be the same ritual that Helene underwent near the Chasm of Regret, before this ritual was interrupted and the artefact was taken by the Prophet’s guards and brought back to the Palace. Should Liala retrieve the artefact and I don’t doubt she’s frantically searching for it now, as we wouldn’t have had the bare minimum of backup otherwise, then it’s almost certain that she will once more attempt the ritual and we will have yet another Apophis on our hands, only one which is likely to be much stronger than Helene and perhaps wants both us and Helene out of the picture for opposing her ideas and stealing her thunder respectively. We probably won’t find it given the time constraints and limited area, but it’s worth a shot nonetheless solely as an attempt to prevent more problems down the line.


d4d8b7 (8) No.332492

>>332181

>Well shit, did it really have to be this way?

Abso-fucking-lutely. If there was any potential for the Prophet to be redeemed, then it would have been mentioned a while ago, at the very least before we got to the capital so we would have had some time to mull it over, and not at the last moment during the bloody confrontation in which she had already tried to kill us and our friends. It was also pretty clear that she didn’t want to be redeemed, as she stayed true to her delusions regarding the situation of the world and her perception of the Goddesses until the very end, despite mounting evidence showing that she was clearly wrong on a few, rather important, things.

>>332208

>Hent-ateh probably won't turn on us until the Pharoah is actually confirmed dead, and we aren't exactly in any shape to deal with her right now. Hypothetically, she'll be stuck as Helene's servant forever if they never find a body.

As great as this would be, I don’t think that’s how the covenant or any contract with an eldritch entity for that matter works. If it did work in the way you describe, then there would have been nothing stopping Hent-ateh from simply saying “I haven’t personally seen the Prophet alive, so she must be dead”, ending the covenant as she has ‘fulfilled’ her end of the bargain and proceeding to murder everything around her, at any point from when she was first locked away in that chamber up until now -- after all, the burden of proof would be on Helene to prove that the Prophet still lives in that case. This isn’t something we’re going to be able to cheese our way past unfortunately.

>>332434

>Our neechan is fucking dead though. Without us around, she will be the first one to fall against T-X over there.

I’m not convinced. Helene has hung back and focused on enthralling the guards given to her while Hent-ateh rushed ahead into the fray to murder everything it was allowed to in the two previous cultist attacks, which leads me to believe that this will be the case in this instance as well, thus giving her a good distance away from the abomination and thus a good amount of time to slither away into the sunrise. It’s also unclear on how Hent-ateh will act following its release; it could immediately target its old master, it could start indiscriminately killing everything around it while making its way towards Helene, it could target us in an attempt to kill the only loved one Helene still has as to make her suffer first, it could do any number of things.


231f40 (36) No.332506>>332507

>Story continue

Part of you knows you shouldn't accept this. Though he's never treated you with any hostility that you know of, it's precisely for that reason you have trouble just accepting this: It's the things you don't know. Putting yourself in the power of a man who, apparently, had been working with the Grand Wizard and Selene before you even got here and then conviently managed to get in contact with you now? That scares you.

But…what choice do you have?

Gritting your teeth against the pain and nausea, you send to Erwin to have the others agree. He gives you a concerned expression before nodding his head and tugging on the Grand Wizard's robes. The older Wizard looks him over and then turns to you with a grim face. Sighing, he walks over to you and puts a hand on your head before whispering, "Don't fight it."

A sensation of utter violation comes over you at his touch. Your very core rebels against it, but you fight to keep yourself under control as you feel him penetrate your very core. Something near your stomach tickles and… suddenly you don't feel nauseous anymore.

Confused, you look up at the Wizard and see him retract his hand and mutter, "One hell of a toxin…" before waving at you. "Get up, you have things to do."

Though you feel like sauce covered noodles, you stagger to your feet, much to the relief of your comrades. Ebe moves over to help keep you standing on your unsteady feet. Giving her a brief smile, you turn your head to notice Tabitha sitting next to Alice, her legs still twitching every now and again. She looks pale and sweaty, as if she'd just run a marathon, but she still gives you a smile and nods her head.

"Ah, Rommel." Ako says, breaking the moment as she addresses you. Does she seem happy to see you again? Ugh, damn her sister for telling you she has the hots for you. "It seems you're recovered enough then. What is your answer?"

"Recovered?" You wheeze, taking a waterskin from Ebe and drinking it. Cool water dribbles down your cheek as you wipe your chin and say, "I feel like I got hit by a Leyway."

"You look like it too." Alice says, much to Tabitha and Sophie's annoyance.

"You say Ammon can get us out of here?" You ask, watching their expressions. They betray no emotions as Sayaka nods her head.

"Yes, there are assets in the area which can help you and your companions out of the Palace."

"How convienient." You mutter, though they don't seem to hear. That, or they pretend not to hear. Sighing, you say, "What choice do we have? We're not exactly in a good position and Ammon has been quite generous before." Shrugging, you instantly regret the motion as you shudder in pain.

Sayaka nods her head and then leaps into the air, bounding off rubble and out of the ruined building faster than you can follow. Giving Ako a questioning look, the sister shrugs (without pain, you may add). "You did not expect that we would transport you ourselves, did you?"

"There's… more of you here?" You ask, surprised. "How did the cultists not discover you?"

"Ammon is… very good at being discrete. Besides, they have their hands full at the moment." She holds a finger to the air and then points at Sophie. The Cat o'Ninetails looks confused for a moment before her ear twitches and she turns her head to the south, frowning.

"Was that… an explosion?"

Ako's eyes twinkle.

"The Prophet." You say, turning back toward the Throne Room interior. Your eyes linger upon the dead Monarch, her corpse covered in so much dust and debris it might as well be part of the floor. A twinge of something comes to you though you can't say if it's regret or anger. Doesn't matter much now, does it? There's something more pressing that's bugging you.

"What of her?" Selene asks, rubbing her head. "She's dead now. I hope."

"Yes but… does Hent-ateh know that?" You ask. Selene blinks in surprise and then cocks her head.


231f40 (36) No.332507>>332508 >>336516

>>332506

"I'm not certain. Does it matter?"

"It does." Ebe says, understanding. "If Hent-ateh knows that the last Pharaoh is dead then it's possible that it's contract to the Apophis is over. And if it's not dismissed by the Apophis then it could go feral."

Ako curses under her breath in a language you guess must be Eastern in origin. She turns to the Pharaoh and begins to make the hand signs for that odd sorcery she used against Hent-ateh, but you call out to stop her. Grabbing you staff, you at Ebe to help you move and head over to the corpse. You say, "There's something I need to do first."

Ebe sets you down next to the corpse and cocks her head as you look over her body. She shares a look with Ako before the two let out a soft gasp as you pull down the remains of her top, exposing her rather shapely breasts. Ebe stutters, "R-Rommel! W-what are you doing?!"

"Are you afflicted with the Curse of the Mummy again? Why would you go after such cold breasts when there are warm ones all around you?"

"Shut it." You groan, feeling up the body of the dead Pharaoh. "I'm looking for something." They're right though, it is creepy as fuck what you're doing, but where else was she going to hide that damn thing? She's basically wearing a one piece outfit.

All in all, you're only able to find another vial of semen (which is distressingly warm) and an amulet shaped to look like a stylized eye. A single ruby shimmers in it, but you're fairly certain you feel no magic coming from this thing. Frowning, you stuff it away as Ebe cocks her head.

"Not what you're looking for?"

"Perhaps he needs to perform a cavity search on her, just to be certain." Ako sighs. Her eyes flick back to the chapel as she does so, but she makes no move for you to go.

"I was searching for the [Talisman of Tet'hua]." You say before shaking your head. "I'm not even certain I know what this thing is supposed to look like, but I don't think this is it." After explaining what the Talisman is, the other two look to each other.

Ebe looks pensive. "Well… what you have there is the icon of the Pharaoh's so… maybe it's some kind of keepsake? "

"Hmm." Ako says, rubbing her chin, but says nothing further.

>You obtain [Keepsake pendant]

>Shaped like a stylized eye, this pendant looted from the Prophet of the Twins is the symbol of the Pharaohs.

"We don't have much time." Ako says, gesturing for you to move back. "I'll do the duty."

"No." You say, shaking your head. Something… something just doesn't feel right about burning her corpose. Perhaps too disrespectful? Either way, you push yourself and dig out a small trench in the stone underneath the Pharaoh. Her corpse slumps in as you dig and with effort you bury her in her own Throne room.

"Huh, I'm just glad there weren't any tunnels under here." Ebe says, shaking her head. "Wouldn't have done to have her plop into the prison. Or would it?" She lets out a strained giggle before sighing. "Sorry. I… I should be more respectful. She wasn't the best ruler but… but she did have Ectria's interests at heart."

Closing her eyes she sighs and spreads a wing over the grave. A soft, melancholic song escapes her lips, words in Ectrian that you understand. A dirge, sung for the dead of Ectria. Perhaps the Pharaoh didn't deserve this much, but who were you to judge? You're just some asshole Wizard.

{Hey! Get back here!} Erwin sends, a moment before Sayaka seemingly appears next to her sister, spooking Ebe.

"We need to go, now. The horse is accounted for and the others are being aided." Sayaka says, to which Ako nods.

"Of course." She walks over to you and puts an arm around your shoulder, helping you up. Ebe puffs out her cheeks and does the same, the two staring at each other with annoyance. Sighing, you say,

"Girls, you're both pretty." Oddly enough, this seems to calm them both down and they move you into the chapel again.

A group of men and one Anubis in black outfits are in the chapel now, helping get the others ready. Two of the men and the Anubis hook Mr. Ed up to a sling, the Monster pulling without too much apparent effort. A large wagon with two horses attached sit outside and you watch as they put him into it, something you find mildly hilarious. They do the same with Tabitha and Sylphie, who can't walk, putting them in a secondary wagon where they usher you and the others inside. Confused, you just follow their orders as they load you up and then throw a tarp over you, shrouding you in darkness.


231f40 (36) No.332508>>332509

>>332507

The wagons start pulling soon after and you create a small light to look at your companions who seem dumbfounded. How in the name of the Gods did they manage to get these in here without being noticed? Better yet, how did they manage to KEEP from being noticed as they approached? The wagon bumps a few times and you feel disoriented until a hand grabs, sharp nails digging into your coat. You turn to see Tabitha next to you, to which she shrugs. Another bump jostles the two of you together and you make to break away, but her grip intensifies, so you stay put.

Voices are heard soon outside so you cut the light and wait. A grating noise sounds before you and then the wagons are moving again, progress significantly less bumpy this time. Though you feel a little worried, the reassuring hand of Tabitha keeps you in steady and you allow yourself a moment to let all the aches of the evening wash over you. Gods, but you're tired. To just sleep now would be the greatest thing you can imagine and yet… there's no chance for it. You need to put on a good face for Ammon so you can get out of this, figure out how to get to your sister and…

A pain fills your heart at that thought. Your sister… still a slave to the Apophis. A part of you screams, telling you that you abandoned her by going with Ammon, but what choice did you have? Did you expect you were going to somehow just convince her that she needed some kind of "Ritual to become the ruler of Ectria?" Or maybe you would accept her disturbing advances and trap her when you were alone in order to purge the Apophis from her?

Yeah, right. And Hent-ateh would just allow you to do that. Like Liala would allow you to do it either. Thoughts of the Lamia Cult Leader make you sick as you imagine what would happen if she found the [Talisman of Tet'hua] again. Would there be another Apophis to contend with? Would she stand idly by and allow Helene to live? Or perhaps she'd make damn certain that Helene was to fade away, forever replaced by Hel'alin…

"Rommel…" Tabitha whispers next to you. "Are you alright?"

"I… no." You say truthfully. "But I don't have the time to be not alright."

"Well, my legs don't really work, but I think we're doing pretty good." She says. "I'm two for two on breaking legs but at least I'm also two for two on no one dying. That's a pretty good I'd say."

"Are you just trying to make me feel better?"

"Is it working?"

"Well-" You begin, but are cut off by Sophie as she hisses,

"Quiet. You two can get a room later."

Both of you immediately quiet down as the wagon comes to a stop. Feet landing on paving stones sound around you and a moment later the tarp is thrown back, casting you in lantern-light. It immediately makes you blink and put your hand up, shielding you from the light as a familiar figure in a well tailored suit comes into focus.

"Ah! Rommel! So good to see you again." Ammon says, smiling at you as his guards help you from the wagon.


231f40 (36) No.332509>>332510

>>332508

Ako hands you a bowl of soup with a large hunk of bread. You take the bowl with shaky hands and sip at it under you blanket as she steps toward her sister and takes her place beside Ammon. The man doesn't look to have changed at all since you last saw him, still wearing the suit with white undershirt and grey vest. The only thing you can notice different from now compared to the warehouse before is the threads of gold woven into the vest. It's stylish, though you're not really one to comment on such things.

The man chuckles and waves a hand. "First, let me welcome you to one of my many homes."

The room you're in is rather lavish, filled with a variety of silks and plush cushions, most of them centered around a large hearth upon which a fire blazes. Your companions rest around it too, bowls of soup in their hands as well. All except for Sylphie, who rests with her head on her Sister's lap, mother and father nearby to keep her company. Outside you're certain Erwin is resting atop Mr. Ed as well, likely keeping him guarded from any… unsavory advances from Ammon's men.

"Quite nice." Selene says, a perpetual scowl on her face. "Though a little ballsy to be in the Alnabil district right now."

"Oh, I assure you, we are not in that district. A little too dicey right now." He chuckles. "Though I do have a much nicer place there, this is Masrah district."

The theatre district then. Which means you traveled northwest after leaving the Palace. Probably the best place to go, all things considered. Looking to the man he continues.

"I'm certain you're asking yourselves, 'how did he manage to get us out of the Palace?' Well, there's a few small cargo entrances in the walls and one of them was fairly… unguarded."

That must have been the grating noise you heard. Still, seems a little convenient. Before you can ask, Sophie says, "How did you know to have wagons readied for us? I suppose we are thankful, but I find it a little too coincidental."

The others nod their heads with the same sentiments. To the man's credit, he merely shrugs and says, "I had a vested interest in watching the proceedings of the fights. Did not Zoras tell you that?"

"Where is she?" You ask, stirring at the mention of the Girtablilu's name. "And what happened to Polah?"

"Polah? Oh, the fires in the Tajr district abated. I believe she's alright now, though she isn't exactly in my employ. Did you know she speaks to animals all day? Interesting Monster." He shakes his head. "As for Zoras, she had other business to attend to for me since you dismissed her."

The Grand Wizard grunts and drinks his soup in one, messy burst before setting down the bowl and burping. His daughter gives him an exasperated look, but his wife just continues to stare at Ammon. Wiping his mouth on the blanket given to him, he says, "You know, as I spent months of my life being tortured and beaten while my wife was mutilated before my eyes, I wondered something. 'What was my old friend Ammon up to?'" He gives the man a cold look. "For a man who is able to get us to the Ectrian capital without being noticed, establish the cult of the Violet Sands from nothing, and get us into the Palace to try and assassinate the Pharaoh, you certainly didn't try very hard to spring us from the dungeon."

"Oh, dear Wizard that's quite harsh." Ammon says, putting a hand to his chest. "You wound me with those words. I was quite distraught myself, though at the time neither of us could have known she'd do what she did."

Ebe wrinkles her face at that before looking down in contemplation. The man sighs. "A chain of events no one predicted. I know it must have been rough for you down there all those months, but at least what I had helped you forge kept the Pharaoh's attention on Ectria and not on Deleor. A regrettable outcome, but as soon as I'd heard of two girls who looked much like their beautiful mother, I knew I could make right the wrongs."

"By sending my CHILDREN into mortal danger?" Selene says, fury on her face. Her tails begin to writhe behind her and both Sayaka and Ako's hands drift to the Eastern knives at their belts. They halt as Ammon holds up a hand.


231f40 (36) No.332510>>332511

>>332509

"Peace, all of you." He says, holding both hands up to Selene. "We were lacking in options and Rommel here… well, when I met him the first time I knew that he'd have what it takes to free the two of you."

"All it took was the Violet Sands rising up after a certain Urn reached them." You say in a flat tone.

"The Khepri made quite the sum from the sale, so I'm told. Of course, so did I, so we all profited." He gives you a miserable look. "I am sorry to hear about your sister though. To think she would become the Apophis…"

"Yeah." You say with maybe a hint of sarcasm. "Yeah, I'm sure you're real sorry."

"In more ways than you know, yes." He says, shaking his head. "I'd heard Helene was a good woman, but this Hel'alin… I'm not so certain. However at the moment she is who we know of and she will take control of Ectria soon. I expect a proclamation tomorrow."

"A proclamation?" Ebe asks, looking concerned.

"Yes. The Palace is claimed, the Pharaoh is ah… 'absent' and will be presumed a captive of the Apophis since no body can be found." He gives you a sidelong glance. "The guards upon the walls are likely to lose morale in that case and the people will end up submitting- well, those who don't find a way to flee, of course."

"If that's the case, then why are you here still?" Alice asks giving him a cool look. "You're a little too smart to stay on a sinking ship. Or do you want to pledge your loyalty to her?"

Ammon smirks and folds his arms behind his back. "Not quite. While the Pharaoh was a danger to many things, these cultists have grown out of hand. Hent-ateh is a danger to all the people of this country and their leader is, forgive me, likely to impose very disturbing dictates if history is to be believed." He sighs. "I never expected this when we first found them, Wizard. If only I'd known, perhaps… well, we cannot change the past, but we can secure the future."

"Secure the future for what?" You ask, skeptical.

"The existence of our people and a future for Ectrian children." Ammon says before giving a wry smile. "Ah, perhaps that was a little too melodramatic. Still, I believe that if we allow the Apophis to gain power again, it will only lead to further suffering."

"What are you saying?" Ebe asks, hesitant.

"I am saying that it would be in the best interests of the people of Ectria if an Apophis was not to take the throne."

Tabitha's eyes narrow. "And who would? You?"

Ammon sighs and looks to Ako. The Kunoichi bows her head and he looks Tabitha in the eyes before saying, "If I must."

The room goes quiet at those words. Ammon… the King? No, no… this is Ectria. It would be a return to ancient times, before the rule of the Pharaoh. If he were to do this, he would become Ammon, the Sultan.

"I don't understand." You say, breaking the silence. "Why are you telling us this? Why didn't you just leave us to die back there?"

"Because Rommel, I'll be frank. In forgiveness for everything that's happened, I wanted to offer both you and the Grand Wizard chance before things slip out of control." As he says this, two men walk into the room and stand behind Ako and Sayaka. The Grand Wizard grunts and Sophie gasps as you notice what's in their hands: Magitek Rifles.

"Where… How did you get those?" The Grand Wizard asks, clenching his jaw.

"Wizard, please." Ammon says before turning back to you. He sighs and continues. "You see, the Apophis must be removed. However, knowing what she is to you I am offering you the chance to spare her life."

You can barely comprehend what he's saying. He's going to… to kill Helene? After everything you've learned, everything you've planned to save her, he's just going to kill her? A rage flares up within you and you stand up, feeling your magic spike up about you. How DARE he threaten her and you like this? Who does he think he is?!


231f40 (36) No.332511>>332512 >>332537 >>332539 >>332549 >>332749 >>332750

>>332510

The men level the magitek rifles at you and you hear the whirring sounds of their power generators come alive. More of the same sounds come from all around you and you curse, realizing you're surrounded. Perhaps you could take out Ammon and a few of these men, but the chances of them hitting and killing one of your friends is too great. Your mind flashes to Sylphie, laying unconscious and you merely clench your fist, seething in anger.

"I'm sorry if it seems like a threat, but you know it's true." Shaking his head he says, "However, the chance I offer you is good. I will not go back on my word on this."

Teeth clenched, you hiss out, "What… do you want?"

"Hent-ateh must be destroyed." He says, shaking his head. "While I'm certain it can be dealt with, the destruction and chaos would be immense. Even worse if it were to escape when its master is removed. Slay it, and I swear to you that I will remove Helene without killing her."

"I…" You begin, thinking it over. A thought passes through you and you go ashen. "What of the rest of the cultists?"

"Unfortunately they're too far gone. I'm afraid they were just in their goals but the means are too much. The people will never accept it and they are won't to foment bloodshed again. They will have to be dispatched."

Your mind drifts to the woman who hailed you in the Temple garden and you feel sick again. Sitting down on the cushions, you put your hand to your head and groan as Tabitha rubs your back. You're aware of Ammon turning to the Grand Wizard and saying,

"As far as making it up to you, I've found where the Nexus point is in the Palace. If you can open it, then I will gladly make certain that Ectria will become connected with Deleor and the Monster Nation."

"I don't see the downside to this." The Grand Wizard says. "What's the catch?"

"No catch." He says, holding up his hands. "The profit to both of us is immense from this. If I'm correct then this will allow mana into Ectria. It will change this place for the better."

Both Selene and the Grand Wizard exchange looks of consternation, yet they slowly nod their heads. "The Prophet seemed very insistent it would require a sacrifice to open." Selene says, hand drifting protectively over her daughter's head.

"I believe you proved that the Prophet was not omnipotent." He says, nodding his head. He's about to say more when a man walks over and whispers in his ear. Ammon frowns and then sighs before giving you a pitiable look. "I'll have to cut it short here, I'm needed for something."

"One question." Tabitha asks, hand still on your back. "What if we say no?"

Ammon cocks his head and then shrugs. "Nothing, I suppose. I'll release you to the streets and you'll be free to do as you please though I'd be careful." He stands up and gestures to Sayaka and Ako. "These interesting times are far, far from over." With that, he walks out of the room, taking his guards with him and leaving your party alone with your thoughts, and worries.

>What do you do?


231f40 (36) No.332512


ecae08 (3) No.332518>>332532

Well I think our goal here is quite clear. We have to kill/destroy hent-ateh, rescue Rommels sister from the apophis with that ritual and somehow stop Ammon from taking power. Sounds simple enough.


aa823a (2) No.332532>>332538

>>332518

>somehow stop Ammon from taking power.

I think we all mostly agree that the Apophis shouldn't be allowed to rule this place. But eventually someone is going to fill the power vacuum. What if after we dispose of Ammon his place will be filled with another maybe even worse Ammon?

We should really think about who we want in power here or weither or not that concerns us in the first place. The Anubi run the day to day governing around here I think (?) maybe we can establish a council of not batshit insane Anubi or something. Or let the priestesses take power but I'm not sure if that's a good idea.

But as I said we really should talk about to what degree we should get involved in the first place. It's not like we know a whole roster of good potential rulers we can put onto the thrown. Plus our understanding of Ectrian politics isn't that great to begin with.


4a6faa (8) No.332537>>332538 >>332549

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>332511

>What do you do?

Walk away.

Do a Tobias. Just turn one hundred and eighty degrees and leave this shitty, dusty wasteland behind. Let the locals sort their bullshit out themselves.

I am dead fucking serious. We have zero reason to stick around here anymore. Now that the parents are safe and their mission is complete, we are done.

Simply pragmatically speaking: all the power hitters in the party ,including us, are down for the count. Tabitha's legs are out of juice and busted. Selene and GW are exhausted after being forced to cast a fullblown plasma blast while weakened.The twins are remarkably fresh (Well maybe not Sylphie) but lack combat experience still and also Ed is down for the count as well. Alice is less beat up than most, but her magic sword is broken and it did not do jack shit against the Hentateh even when it was enchanted. Ebe is not a fighter and Erwin won't be able to do much either.

And Rommel is the one who got his ass kicked the hardest, to the point where he can barely stand and has completely emptied his magic reserves.

Simply put, we can no longer fight and there is no time for the group to rest and heal. The only thing that could motivate us to even try is Helene and let's be honest, it's not a big motivator for Rommel. It's been like twenty years, Rommel barely remembered her as it was and she has become a very different person even before she had transformed, embracing the darkness in her heart and letting her selfishness and hatred guide her actions at the expense of misery and death of people around her.

If he truly cared about her in the context of the story, he would try to save her firsthand, but he prioritized a favor from GW, a man who he only yesterday despised and wanted to beat the shit out of, over the life and soul of his own sister. That should tell all you need to know about how the man really feels about this situation.

I say we take our winnings of zero fucking casualties on this whole journey, fold here and now, while we are ahead, and just go back home to Deleor.


428aec (2) No.332538>>332541 >>332549

>>332537

>>332532

Aye. What y'all are saying is true. It's not overly your fight anymore.

Now then, i should have been more specific, but Ammon did not give a timeframe upon which this needed to occur. He did specify that tomorrow would be a proclamatiom but not that it would be a deadline, pardon the pun. Its also worth mentioning he has the best healers money can buy, though you'd still need some rest anyway.

So yes, its not hopeless really, but at the same time there is more than one option available to you.


a16540 (3) No.332539>>332549

>>332511

This honestly sounds like a pretty good gig, I don't see where this anger is coming from. We want to save our sister and we probably should finish off Hent-ateh. Amon basically saved our asses from fighting it earlier when we would certainly be destroyed by taking us out of there. We clearly know that letting the Snek rule would be disastrous and he outright told us his goal is to kill her, And her puppet too. He knows we have a vested interest in her not being dead so Amon is holding off on his plans to give us a chance to settle things without killing our sister.

Lets be real, Does any of that sound nefarious? Amon has done right by us so far. By killing/removing the leaders we are leaving a power vacuum. We can't install a democracy overnight, So if someone is going to be in control I'd take the devil we know.

Now before Y'all start calling me an Amon shill, We still shouldn't blindly trust the bastard. The late Prophet sounded like she wanted to sacrifice the cat twins to open the nexus under Ectria. If that does prove to be needed I don't trust him not to try and take us all out since we are so weakened from battles.


4a6faa (8) No.332541>>332549 >>332750

>>332538

Okay, okay Ace, fine, we won't skip the finale again, geez.

Ask what everyone thinks we should do. If people are okay with leaving, we leave, if they are not, then we stay and finish this.

Yell to that scheming semite to get back into the room, he could not have gone far. It's very rude to leave in the middle of negotiations. Whatever it is that he is needed for can wait, we are still in the middle of bartering here.

We'll play along with his scheme and power grab. Which I admittedly did not see coming and found to be pleasingly surprising. Not to suck my own dick too much, but I like to consider myself proficient in the art of writing Shyamalan tier twists.

However, if he needs our service, it's only fair we get something in return. First, the promise to gradually abolish all slavery in Ectria after he ascends to the throne for one thing, starting with withdrawing every slaving party from Deleor and make the act of selling Deleorean slaves punishable by death. Should be fairly easy if we unlock the nexus and establish Union presence in the country which will provide automation of labor in the form of constructs.

And the second thing will be a nonagression pact with Deleor. If we can't get our neesan back to our senses and betray Amon, we will have something to fall back in the grand scheme of things.

Have him give us the best treatment and rest options possible if he wants us to have a leg to stand on when fighting the true final boss.

Request some mana crystals for Tabitha's legs and whatever other magical implements and tools that GW might need to jury rig them back together.

A new enchanted blade for Alice if her old one can't be repaired.

Go into Tabitha's room, offer her a smoke and then confess our love and bang her lights out with all the intensity of a depraved thirty year old man while her legs are being repaired. All the tender awkwardness included. She has been mana starved all her live and can still go toe to toe with lesser dragons while armed with an iron fucking sword. She will go super fucking lizardman after we are done with her.

Reconnect with Polah and request her to become our eyes and ears in the city. We need to learn what the Violet sands are planning now and how bad the Hentateh situation is along with constantly monitoring her location.

That should be enough shit to do while we rest. Once we get our info from Polah and Amon's information brokers we can formulate a proper plan.


59bab2 (2) No.332549>>332573 >>332574

>>332511

>>332538

Rite, I'm going to get my 2 Cents in before shit hits the fan.

>>332537

>We have zero reason to stick around here anymore.

Nope we've got shit to do here, otherwise it's gonna come back and bite us in the ass later!

>>332539

>This honestly sounds like a pretty good gig, I don't see where this anger is coming from.

Me neither bruh, sounds like the autistic kids got scared and have been sent to live with their Aunt and Uncle in Bel'Air. :D

But seriously, we're going to free our sis by performing the ritual by sealing the spirits of the dead gRape sneks in the [Talisman of Tet'hua] thus freeing our sis. Then we convince unpossessed Helene that even if she's a gud ruler, there will still be Pharaoh supporters and people that are scared of her. And that there no reason why her children wouldn't go bad. Absolute power, corrupts absolutely. And that vemon is a real easy method too corruption. She can dismiss Hent-ateh from this plane and disband the Cult.

Need to talk to Ammon about this plan and getting rid of Liala, she will try to fuck things up.

>power vacuum

I would suggest a council or some such. With Ammon as the head. Absolute Power, Corrupts Absolutely.

>shouldn't blindly trust the bastard

Gud point, we need a backup plan just in case.

>>332541

>abolish all slavery

>nonagression pact with Deleor

A lot of this is noice! Slavery needs to be BANNED! If he argues about it, point out that in the short term slavery is profitable. However in the long term it's not, slaves can't buy shit and thus can't contribute to the society. And Deleor and the Union will always be wary of a slave owning society.

https://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2013/09/economic-history-2

>enchanted blade for Alice

Alice's blade was just temp knocked out by the device, it should still work now.

>Go into Tabitha's room, offer her a smoke and then confess our love and bang her lights

Dude, Tabitha is best girl and has standards, we gotta best her in a duel. She won't let us bang her until then if we did try in the state she is now it could be considered rape by her. I'm all for a proper heart-to-heart talk though. maybe a kiss and a headpat??

<Anyone else want to add something?


aa823a (2) No.332573

>>332549

This sounds like a solid summary on what to do. Make our intentions clear to Tabitha (and Rommel himself) end the age of the Pharao and Apohis by exorcising Helene and have a serious political talk about the future with Ammon.

Conveniently enough the leader of the monster nation is right there and having a Union Wizard around might also be good if Ammon wants to reactivate the Leyways. Speaking of the Union is that something Rommel might want to get into once we are done here?


c7908d (7) No.332574>>332750

File (hide): 9029df5441ae186⋯.png (774.36 KB, 958x926, 479:463, remove slaver.png) (h) (u)

>>332549

>Quoting a Brit who was butthurt about Napoleon

Think before you post.

Our best course of action is to help Ammon. First, however, we need to call him back int othe room to iron out the details of the deal. What is our deadline? What will he do after Helene is out of the picture? Why should we trust him to do as he says? What kind of support will he give us in our fight against Hent-ateh? Was geting GW and Selene caught part of your plan? While we're asking questions, Ammon shouldn't be the only target of our inquiry. Why did the GW and Selene come here? What else do they know right now that we also should? Can Tabitha's legs be fixed before we head into our next fight? Can Alice's sword? After that, two more things need to happen in the immediate future: working out a plan to stop Hent-ateh, and working out a plan to remove the daemons voices from Helene's head, so that she can be taken to safety. As for Hent-ateh, electricity seemed to work well against her, causing her to spasm out of control when it was first used on her. Other than that, good 'ol brute force should work if we can crack her open and hit her core. We also need to consult with GW and Selene to see if there's any easier way of dispelling the revenant. Fixing Helene is another matter. If we can collateral damage Liala out of the picture, then there won't be anyone to stop us from saving Helene once Hent-ateh is dead. Ammon can even help us with my earlier plan if he role-reveals as the one who started the cult in the first place. As far as R&R goes, I have a few ideas. Depending on how much time we have, a few things can happen. GW should work on opening up another gate to [El Dorito] so that we can get as many resources as they have to offer us in the Union building and also say helo to Bearson and co.. Alice needs to either fix Energieschwert or get another enchanted sword from the Union. GW can help with that once he's done. Tabitha needs her legs back in working order, which shouldn't take too long with a little help from GW as well. Once she's healed up, I think it's finally time for the duel. Not only will it resolve some potential emotional conflicts in the final battle, but the ensuing marital consummation in the missionary position will undoubtedly result in a power boost. Selene should spend some time training to get used to her newly missing tail being gone so that we don't get a repeat of what happened before. Sylphie can focus on helping her dad with the aforementioned actions, and so can we once we work things out with Tabitha. Everyone else should focus on recovering to their full fighting strength. The few days Ace has implied we have should be enough to accomplish all of this in time for the battle.


914ef2 (119) No.332725>>332726 >>332728 >>332744 >>332750 >>332766 >>332803

Oh, I should have made responses yesterday evening.

But jussst to make sure if anyone is around (Still at work anyway), I understand the questions and the other stuff, easy enough to do, but the important thing here:

The confession Duel with Tabitha. Y'all want to do this now, yeah?


2ebefd (20) No.332726

>>332725

>confession duel

of course since her legs aren't okay, the only viable position for us to do together when we inevitably win is missionary


b9afec (22) No.332728>>332750

File (hide): 44771d88e199888⋯.jpg (207.61 KB, 1024x1099, 1024:1099, amatsu_ultra_instinct_by_e….jpg) (h) (u)

>>332725

It depends entirely on how long it will take for the Hentateh to find and kill everyone. If the game master is giving us a breather though and is even throwing us a deus ex machina that will fix her legs on a short notice, I say we take it.

Honestly, I just want to see Tabitha do something stupidly cool like attaining ultra instinct with the sudden mana love influx in her body that has been starved of spirit energy for her whole life and dominating the Hentateh with it.

Bonus points if it makes Alice bitch even louder at her being left in the dust and playing second fiddle which will make her train even harder instead of fucking around all day long.

I can picture it already. Tabitha cutting the abomination's regenerating adamantium frame to pieces over and over again with an iron fucking sword and dodging every single attack the Hentateh throws. The monster first growing annoyed, then worried and finally terrified in realization that it's outmatched this time instead of matched.

Hey, this is as good excuse as any to give best girl a power boost that will let her hard carry and stay relevant and useful throughout the series finale later on. Oh and also tender tomboy feels. Tender tomboy feels are pretty cool too.


0db64e (9) No.332744

>>332725

The time has come and so will we.


bf4e63 (28) No.332749>>332750

>All these people saying to fix/replace Energieschwert and Tabitha’s legs

Ace said the disabling effects were most likely temporary and no one in the story has made a big deal about either of the items and their conditions. We don’t need to worry about them.

>>332511

In our current situation, we’re effectively left with three options, with the outcomes of these options depending on whether or not Ammon is being genuine with us in his desire to spare our sister. These options are accepting Ammon’s assistance and helping him with his ploy for the throne in return for saving Helene, refusing Ammon’s assistance and attempting to save our sister on our own in which we will likely directly oppose Ammon, and throwing in the towel and effectively leaving our sister to die, along with Ectria to whatever fate has in store for it without our intervention.

If Ammon is being genuine with us, then the best option of the three would be to help him with his plans. Other than the obvious benefits of Hent-ateh being dealt with and our sister being saved, we would also prevent Ectria from falling into chaos by putting someone who clearly knows what they’re doing on the throne, instead of leaving the country to be torn apart by the many different factions that would crawl out of the woodwork in their attempts at power grabs following the vacuum we have created. Furthermore, it would give us an opportunity to give Deleor and the Monster Nation a powerful ally in the form of a newly rebuilt Ectria, which is something the two nations desperately need with the threat of Galmathoria looming over them, as Ammon would be smart enough to realise that getting the two on his side would help Ectria as well. It would also give us the opportunity to influence Ectria through Ammon, such as the already proposed gradual reduction in slavery across the land gradual being the key word here, you don’t want to shut it down immediately and cause a civil war led by the angry nobles when the Ectrian way of life is challenged, should we wish to try something there. As for the other options, both going against Ammon and walking away would be disastrous in this situation, as the former would involve stopping the person who is probably the best candidate for the throne it’s doubtful that Helene would know what she’s doing, let alone be accepted by the populace when the vast majority of Ectrians fear the Apophis and have just witnessed a bloody coup when there was no need to, and the latter would get our sister killed when there was very clearly an opportunity to save her, not to mention if Ammon is successful without our assistance and he will be, he wouldn’t try something like this if he wasn’t sure about the outcome then he may look towards Deleor and the Monster Nation’s plight with indifference at best, scorn at worst.

If Ammon is full of shit and has no intent on helping us, then leaving would be a pretty good option as it would ensure we don’t lose too much in the process. That said, assisting Ammon is still a good option here as well, as it would force Ammon to help us by getting us supplies, equipment and healers to put us in a good position and would force him to tell us how he’s planning to pull off this stunt so we can actually help him with it before he can even consider trying anything on us, meaning we would stand a very good chance of combating his ambitions should he oppose us. Going against Ammon is still the worst option here as we would be forgoing Ammon’s assistance and insight into exactly how he plans to take the throne, putting us at a massive disadvantage, when we really don’t need to.


bf4e63 (28) No.332750>>332766

>>332749

>>332511

As for whether or not Ammon is being honest with us, I’m of the opinion that he is. Firstly, he’s told us very plainly that he is planning on securing the throne for himself and will have to take our sister out of the picture in some fashion in order to achieve this, which you wouldn’t do if you were planning on turning on your allies as you would want to keep them in the dark as much as you possibly can. Secondly, he’s given us the option to simply walk away, which gives the implication that he means us no harm and again seems like an odd move to make if there was any malicious intent. Thirdly, by getting our assistance he is forced into putting us into the best position we can possibly be in so we can achieve our shared goals, which would make dealing with us following this very hard for him and would yet again be a tactical blunder if he was lying, especially since he knows what our party is capable of. Finally, turning on us would mean turning on both Deleor and the Monster Nation should he successfully obtain the throne, which seems like a terrible move in the long term for Ectria as it means the country has no allies and will have to deal with any future threats, like the ever present Galmathoria should Deleor fall, alone, and Ammon realises this if his dialogue is any indication.

With all this in mind, I’m going to advocate for helping Ammon with his plans. Whether he’s genuine or not he very likely is, we benefit with this course of action, and it’s the only option that gives us the chance to save Helene, so there isn’t much reason not to take it.

Unrelated to all that:

>The Nexus point being locked

I’m not sure if this is entirely related, but the Grand Wizard opened access to the Groodle Tether back in WizardQuest by having his face slammed against a panel; wouldn’t a similar action lead to a similar result here? In any case, needing to sacrifice one of the twins just seems silly, especially when this ‘requirement’ came from the Prophet of whom was heavily influenced by Phallia, a Goddess who would gain much from the death of one of the heirs to the Monster Nation throne.

>>332541

>>332574

>>332728

>power boost

Since when did monsters who don't use magic at all get any real benefits from spirit energy in this setting? Hala certainly didn't get any stronger despite ravaging Blake at every other opportunity, and heroes were said to be pretty potent in that department. Saya didn’t either and Tobias should theoretically be more potent than Blake was considering his magical abilities. Why would Tabitha be any different, especially from only one session?

>>332725

>Y'all want to do this now, yeah?

That would involve both us and Tabitha resting up to full strength, beating the shit out of each other and then resting up to full strength once again, all of which would take quite a bit of time considering our current conditions and the conditions we will both find ourselves in post-duel. I’m not really opposed to going through that ordeal now it might be rather beneficial for the two of us and it’s certainly something I’ve been waiting for personally, but I sincerely doubt we would be able to get that all done in the day or so that we have until shit hits the fan, what with Hent-ateh going completely out of control and the Violet Sands beginning to spread their influence into the surrounding area following the securing of the capital, and putting our mission on the backburner to focus on other things doesn’t seem like a good idea when the minimal time we have left is so crucial. If we have enough time and space for that matter, there’s no way we’re getting this done anywhere in or near the capital, more so if we want to do this discretely, then go right ahead because it beats anything else we could do right now by far, but otherwise save it as something to look forward to instead. And if we’re doing this, then make sure to remove [Heldoran’s Glove] before fighting; we don’t wat to give ourselves an unfair advantage.


454ef3 (1) No.332766

>>332725

>The Duel

I don't think Tabitha or Rommel are in a gud enough shape to do this.

But, if you can make it work… then full steam ahead! I trust you Ace to make it gud!

>>332750

>power boost

I also don't think Tabitha will get a boost. There is no evidence to support this. It may help her replace the life energy she used up. But that it.

Tho I'm not against giving Tabitha some of OUR freshly squeezed 'milk'. Maybe milk it in front of her, when she's nude… :-D


a7ce9a (1) No.332780>>332803

Everyone wants to bone the cripple lizzard, and that's fine, but don't we have a stupid grape snake to take care of first? I vote for fixing ourselves up and prepping for the potential murder fest that may come up. More equipment and learning how to take the grape out of the snake so we can kick the shit out of our former sister for becoming one with the grape in the first place. disowning her or killing her afterwards would be nice but I don't think rommel has it in him. Then again, she is not his sister anymore.


652f69 (8) No.332803

>>332725

I am of the opinion that helping Ammon is the best option here. Given what he's told us I'm inclined to believe he's honest for the most part. Giving us the chance to save our sister was also nice. Though I can't help but feel the long term consequences of leaving Ammon in charge of ectria might cause trouble for Deleor. Though once we save our sister we may change our mind about that if we discover something else that changes matters.

>>332780

>disowning her or killing her

What? It's obvious she's possessed and most likely had a form of Stockholm syndrome given the circumstances that surrounded her capture, and later transformation. Killing her or even disowning her is a thought Rommel would never even think about let alone seriously contemplate.considering the debt he owes to her.


914ef2 (119) No.332811>>332812

>Story continue

"Well." Alice says, sitting back against her cushion. "I'm sure we all saw that coming."

Sophie gives her a cold look while her parents just shake their heads. Behind you, the sound of the magitek rifles cycling down makes your spine shudder, though it could easily be the mix of rage and fear you felt. Tabitha begins to rub your back at the tension and you look to her before letting out a long sigh.

"Hmph." The Grand Wizard says, crossing his arms. "I suppose it all makes sense when you put it together. Have us increase the presence of a cult while using the Khepri covens to sell supplies to them. Increase tensions in the Kingdom and when the first assassination attempt fails, use the conveniently empowered cult to finish the job. Even better, when you swoop in and "liberate" the people to restore order, you'll seem like a hero."

He turns to his wife and shrugs. "Did I get it all?"

"I'd say so." She says, clenching her teeth. "Of course, that means you're implying he wanted us to fail, or at least force the Pharaoh to perform the Rites of Pah'sen. Clearly, he wouldn't do that though."

"Clearly." He says with all the sarcasm in the world.

Sophie looks down at her sister before over her shoulder. You can't see anyone standing nearby, but the way her ear twitches makes it obvious that you're being watched. The faint thrum of the magitek weapons nearby also further that belief. Ammon isn't just going to leave you alone, not in his house.

Sighing, you cast [Privacy Barrier]. Almost as soon as you begin to speak, a man appears from a dark corner of the room and taps your shoulder. Leaning in, he whispers, "Master Ammon would appreciate if you did not cast such magic in his abode. I hope you understand."

The barest hint of a threat laces those words. Giving him a slow nod, you dismiss the spell and he walks away, back into his hidey-hole. What's distressing is you watched him walk over there, but you can't see him any longer. It's only a small corner! Right…?

"Well." Tabitha says, shrugging. "It won't do us much good to pretend we're free to talk here anyway. I doubt even if we talked about assassinating Ammon here much would happen of it."

"Personally, I'd use my sword." Alice says, holding up her sheathed weapon before frowning and setting down. She lets out a sigh and slumps her shoulder. "Though honestly, I'm… just tired at the moment."

Everyone nods their heads at the sentiment. Exhaustion fills you to the brim and the outburst of emotion you just gave only made it worse. Still, there's too much to do and you force yourself to take a deep breath and address the others in a soft voice.

"So… do we take the offer?"

The others blink in surprise before turning to themselves, confusion on their faces. Sophie looks at you, brows knit, and says slowly, "Rommel… don't you usually decide these things?"

Surprised, you say, "I… well, most of the time yes, but this time it's too important." A sigh escapes your lips. "I want… no, I NEED to know everyone's thoughts on this. It's important."

Sophie nods her head slowly before saying, "I cannot speak for my sister, mother, or father, but for myself? I do not trust Ammon." Her ear twitches to the corner where the man is hiding, though she doesn't otherwise acknowledge him. "However, just because I do not trust the man does not mean that I don't believe this offer isn't generous. I believe he himself would agree that accepting this would some caveats would be appropriate."

Selene smiles and rubs her daughter's hair, to which Sophie rolls her eyes. Once again, the Monster Lady looks defeated, staring at her palm with the expression of a mother who just now realized that her daughter was fully grown and didn't need her. The Grand Wizard takes her other hand and squeeze it before speaking.


914ef2 (119) No.332812>>332813

>>332811

"I'll speak for the two of us then. Looking at the wider picture, it seems as if this nation is going to need leadership. For all his faults, Ammon is nothing but cunning and at the moment that seems like a good thing for Ectria. We will see about this business with the Nexus, but removing the cult from power is the first step."

Selene sniffs but doesn't withdraw her hand. "Fine then, I will speak for the Monster Nation since you spoke for me. Officially another Monster monarch would be seen as favorable by the Monster Nation, however allowing such actions as theirs could invoke poor behavior on the part some residents of the Monster Nation. During a crisis with Galmathoria, we do not dare allow a civil war to erupt."

"What, like this "Queen of the West" business that happened a few months ago?" You ask, to which Selene grunts.

"More little episodes like that are occurring. Deliberate or not, I need to put a paw down on this." Nodding her head, she says in a resolute tone, "Therefore, I will support Ammon. I do not trust him from a professional, nor a personal standpoint, but I will support stability."

Sophie and the Grand Wizard nod their heads. You turn to Alice who takes a deep breath and speaks in a serious tone. "I'll be honest. The thought of that creature Hent-Ateh still walking around disgusts me. Ammon seems smart, and I don't much care who sits on what's left of that throne, but that thing…" Her face contorts to anger. "I… we need to kill it."

Tabitha sits up straight and says, "Alice, if this is about what happened before-"

"No, I mean… yes, I mean, ugh." The swordswoman takes in a deep breath after cutting off Tabitha and says, "Yeah, so I didn't end up doing much, again. But this is about actually protecting people against Monsters, and not just you lot." She waves her hand at Tabitha and the others. "It's about… I don't know. Maybe about finally doing what I should have been doing from the start."

Her eyes go flat and she looks about the room as it goes silent. "Oh what, going to make fun of me again?"

"No." Tabitha says, shaking her head. "Not at all. It seems an appropriate goal."

Alice narrows her eyes and then looks to the others with a wary expression. They echo the sentiment, even the Grand Wizard and Selene, though they don't really know her. Pursing her lips, she leans back and smirks before asking loudly, "Well, oh great Teacher, what about you?"

"We are offered a good enough deal. We can increase stability in the region and save lives. If we can get concessions from Ammon, then Deleor is protected as well. On top of that, we are offered and option to save Rommel's sister, which accomplishes many goals." She shrugs. "As a Lizardman, I despise duplicity and underhanded tactics, however I do not see any downside to this. Besides, Ammon should know that things never go as planned if one tries to betray Wizards and those they keep around them."

The others nod at this, all except for Ebe. She frowns and says, "Save lives… You just heard him, he said he's going to kill all of those cultists. Do you think that will stop with just those in the capital? What of Lady Aliph and the people of that town? What of those in my hometown with sentiments against the Pharaoh? Will he just slaughter them to consolidate his rule?"

She looks around at your party and narrows her eyes. "Everyone here is dear to me but… I forget sometimes you're not Ectrian. That this isn't your homeland, and these aren't your people. While I don't approve of the methods of the cult, I know the feeling of most of the cultists. They wanted change, to improve their lives, even if it meant bloodshed."

She wraps her wings around her legs and says, "I don't approve of this, but what choice do we have? It's going to happen whether we want it or not, it's just that we get the choice of reducing the collateral damage I suppose." Tears begin to trail down her cheeks. "It… it wasn't supposed to be like this."

Both you and Tabitha share a look and she nods as you stand up and walk over to her, kneeling down before her. She looks at you with teary eyes and you clench your jaw, looking into those hurt eyes. When you first met her, she was so naïve and carefree, yet now… perhaps the cruelest part of this journey was the innocence everyone lost, and it affected none so much as it did Ebe.


914ef2 (119) No.332813>>332814

>>332812

"Ebe…" You begin before hanging you head. Taking a deep breath, you look up into her eyes and say in a firmer voice, "I'm sorry, but… I have to go with Ammon's offer. I'm sure he'll listen to reason about sparing some of them, but… but we can't throw away this offer."

"I know." She whispers. "I know you can't, and that's why it's even more infuriating."

Nodding solemnly, you stand up and turn about to the others, looking at them. In the center of the circle of the people you consider your friends, you study their expressions before taking in a deep breath.

"Alright then. We're in agreement, for better or worse, it's the course we're living with."

Selene gives you a quick nod before turning to another, oddly shadowed corner in the room. "You there, return your Master to us. We have words to speak with him."

A man dressed in a form of Deleorian butler's uniform steps forth and bows before heading toward where Ammon left. Watching the man leave, you can't help but think that Ectria was about to get a man in power with seriously eclectic tastes in followers. Dapper, you must admit, but very strange.

Sitting back down next to Tabitha, you wait for Ammon to return. Alice pat's Ebe's back as she sobs, but otherwise the scene is quiet and somber. It actually takes less time than expected for Ammon to return, his two Kunoichi bodyguards standing next to him as he clasps his hands behind his back. Ako blinks and rubs something off his cheek to which Ammon doesn't seem to notice. When you give him a questioning look, he just shrugs and says, "Politics." Standing straight, he looks over you all and asks, "I understand you have a very heartwarming and productive chat while I was away?"

"Yes." You say, firm. "We agree to your terms, however there are certain provisions we wish to settle before fully cooperating."

"Oh ho, so you're a negotiator now?" Ammon says, smirk on his face. He snaps his fingers and a servant enters from another room with a chair that he flips around and sits with his arms on the back of it. "Though I suppose you've played some hardball before. Fine then, shoot."

"Master…" Sayaka says, her eyes looking conflicted at him discussing serious politics while sitting in a chair the wrong way. He ignores it while waving to you to speak.

Some might consider the gesture to be unprofessional, but you know that Ammon is anything but. This is a calculated move on his part as well, showing that he doesn't have be formal around you- he has that much power over the situation. Pretending to ignore the gesture, you begin again.

"Your offer is generous to allow us this option, however as you can see, we're not exactly in prime fighting form. We will require time to rest so that we may be able to deal with Hent-ateh."

"Oh, certainly. I have some of my best healers coming to patch you up soon as well." He says, nodding his head. "While I'm certain that proclamation will come tomorrow, I did not expect you to perform the deed so soon. In fact, that may make things worse. No, I need to set a few things up myself, so you will have time to rest."

"How long?"

"Long enough, but not too long." He says, waving a hand dismissively. Well… it's not really an answer, but it's something. Basically you take it as, "Not so long that you wear out your usefulness."

"Good. Now for some questions. What do you plan to do once the cult is out of the way? I assume you will set yourself up as a Sultan, but what will you do with the outlying towns and villages? What will you do with cult members out there who did not directly participate in the revolts?"

Ammon's eyes flick to Ebe before coming back to you. He sighs and says, "The plight of the people of Ectria has been near and dear to my heart. I am afraid I cannot afford to be lenient to their leaders, but some citizens will have a choice. I would rather not wholesale slaughter."

"But you will still set yourself up as a monarch."


914ef2 (119) No.332814>>332815

>>332813

He chuckles, "Oh Rommel. What would you have me do, form a council of the wisest Anubis in the land? I'm afraid this land will only respond to one ruler. Besides, with only one person, you reduce the bureaucracy to have an audience."

"This isn't a game, Ammon." You say, narrowing your eyes. He gives a dangerous smile in return.

"I never said it was. Now continue."

Casting a glance to the Grand Wizard and Selene, you ask, "Though we have little recourse but to trust you at this point, I would like to know if you knew that the Pharaoh would activate the Rites of Pah'sen. Did you believe she was going to kill them?"

Ammon's smile doesn't change. It speaks of secrets hidden behind a power you can't crack and it makes you damn back itch. "I had my suspicions it wasn't just a legend. However, given the stories I'd heard of the Grand Wizard and the Monster Lady, I didn't find them to be in danger. Though if they were, political prisoners would be much more advantageous than corpses."

The couple look to each other with unreadable, yet unsurprised expressions. For your part, you narrow your eyes and say, "Why did you ask them not to Plasma Blast the Palace into oblivion?"

"Too much risk to the Nexus. I wasn't certain it was present under the Palace at the time, but I am now."

The Grand Wizard nods his head. "I had my suspicions as well. Ectria was not always a land devoid of mana, but it's been so long that no one remembers such a thing even exists here. I only learned of it through some ancient texts that managed to survive destruction in the Keep of the Forgotten, though even they didn't say much on the subject as Ectria had almost no Wizards. With the changes in movements the Pharaoh was making, I was afraid she had found and opened it herself."

"Which, of course, caused us to come all the way out here and cause this mess." Selene sighs. "What a farce."

"Come now, change had to happen one way or another to protect Deleor. Now, that it had benefited me is happy coincidence, but that's neither here nor there." Ammon says.

"Does that nexus have to be opened?" You ask the Grand Wizard, who rubs his chin.

"No, but… returning magic and restoring a Leyline would allow Ectria to progress into magitek. It would certainly be a benefit to the people here."

Ammon nods. "I am quite keen on such a thing myself. Oh and the trade opportunities would be fantastic to have something other than long roads to the ports. Think of it."

"I am." You say, not lying. While there was a certain charm in the old ways, your adventures here had proven that change was not only necessary, but inevitable in Ectria. Bringing it in line with Deleor would be one the first steps. Of course, in such a situation one other thing would need to be established.

"We require a non-aggression pact between Deleor, Ectria, and the Monster Nation." You blurt out before thinking.

"Done." Ammon says. "What else?"

Sophie gives you a look that says, "What the fuck are you doing?" before looking at Ammon with the same expression. This was NOT how something like this was supposed to go! There was usually more maneuvering and… more than this!

"Rather easy." You ask, unable to contain it.

"I personally don't see a reason to get in a war with our largest trading partner. Besides, unless we were to ally with Galmathoria, there would be no reason to invade Deleor in our current state. No, I believe mutual cooperation to be most appropriate here."

"Good. Now let's also abolish slavery."

Ammon's dangerous smile returns. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves here."

Narrowing your eyes, you say, "Slavery is disgusting and only serves to break the wills of your own people. It will not stand in Deleor, especially if slavers continue to enter through the Mountain Pass."

"Oh, well they also go through the ports, but they have to try a little harder to keep them secret." Ammon says before giving you a serious expression. "I can and will punish any who aid in slavery of Deleorian citizens, but the institution has been a bedrock of labor in Ectria. The nobility and merchants will accept many of my changes but will balk at this."

"Then make it gradual." You growl, anger building inside you. Irrational at the moment? Yes, but you can't really help it. It's irrational.


914ef2 (119) No.332815>>332816

>>332814

The Grand Wizard shrugs, "Magitek constructs could be quite useful for rebuilding efforts, better than slaves anyway. Might not really need them."

"You forget that many here have pleasure slaves."

"Many residents of the Monster Nation are quite hungry for sex, even degrading sex." Selene says, shrugging. "I'm sure exotic Monsters immigrating would be rather interesting to the eclectic nobility."

Ammon seems to consider this, likely running the figures in his head on how much he could tax prostitution of these Monsters. Eventually he sighs, "I will take it into consideration. Perhaps when things are less turbulent we can discuss the niceties of such a thing, but at the moment I've given more than I need to."

"You can't just-"

"Rommel." Selene says, her voice cold. "I think that's enough on that subject."

"… Right." You say, trying to dissipate your annoyance. Unfortunately you're unable to do so and switch to another topic. "You have been very… gracious so far. I suppose it is time to ask how we can better accomplish your… our goals."

"Ah, see, this is how a negotiation works." Ammon chuckles. "Yes, the destruction of Hent-ateh. Frankly, I don't know how to do it, but I'm sure you'll figure a way out."

"What a vote of confidence."

"Indeed. Now then, I suppose once Apophis is quite settled she will use Hent-ateh as an object of fear and assassination. Too risky to allow it out of her sight at the moment, but if a juicy and threatening enough target appears, it would be easier to have it attack than sending her cult, which will be tired."

"So." You ask. "You're saying that.. what, we'll be used as bait to draw out Hent-ateh?"

"No, I'm afraid you might just attract Hel'alin instead. While it would be excellent if you were going to kill her, perhaps not the best in this situation."

"So then… what, you're going to lure it out into a trap which we'll spring?"

"Seems sound enough to me, yes?" Ammon says. "Of course, once there, it's up to you how to deal with it. I'm afraid if it escapes or things go south, our deal is going to have to be cut off, you understand?"

"Of course." You say, frowning. "What will you do once it's destroyed?"

"Well I suppose that's up to you. If I can help in any way, let me know, but the important thing is that she is not allowed to interfere in what comes next." He gives you a look filled with implications. "At all."

"I… understand." You say, frowning.

Ammon nods and stands up, handing the chair to the servant who scuttles away with it. "Now then, I think that was rather productive, let's have the healers come and-"

"One more thing." You say, holding up a finger.

That dangerous smile appears again. "Yes, dear Rommel?"

"I want to speak with Polah again. I believe she can be an asset in tracking the movements of the cult."

Ammon considers this for a moment before nodding his head. "Very well then, I'll have Zoras speak with her." He looks up as two women and a Desert Catgirl enter the room, dressed in the garb of healers. "Well, good timing. Now, there are rooms upstairs for all of you, plenty to go around so rest up and don't worry about any stains on the sheets. We'll be in touch."

With that, he signals to his attendants and leaves the room. The healers come in his wake and begin looking over Sylphie and Tabitha first before moving to the rest of you. You all let them do their work without complaint, too tired and too preoccupied trying to process all of this to care. Fortunately, thanks to the [Health Potions], your wounds are less severe than they could be and exhaustion is your main ailment.

The Catgirl, a Monster Witch with affinity for healing, determined that Sylphie is physically fine, however a major trauma had been inflicted which had upset her humors- something her father said he already knew. She casts a soothing spell over Sylphie and when told about her familiar bond, she says she'll look over Mr. Ed also. For now, allowing Sylphie to rest is the most important thing.

The other healers tended to Selene's stump tail, freshening it up and applying some salve, though most of it had granulated in already. As for Tabitha, well, she insisted she was fine and was forced to show that she was not just wearing elaborate greaves, but instead had magitek legs. They had stopped sparking some time ago, and as the healers work on the rest of her, the Grand Wizard looks them over and declares that "Whatever that bitch did, it's fading." Unfortunately, one of the mana capacitors burned out, and he'd need to repair it. However, as luck would have it, you're in the care of fucking Ammon. One of his servants goes to requisition the materials needed without fuss.


914ef2 (119) No.332816>>332817

>>332815

"Well, nya." The Catgirl healer says in Deleorian with that annoying accent some Catgirls have. "You'll all live, but I would recommend a good night's sleep and perhaps some wine for the humans and a little semen for the Monsters. Fresh squeezed would be best, nya."

"No thank you." Sophie and Ebe say in unison, much to the Catgirl's surprise. Turning to Tabitha, she offers the same, but the Lizardman merely shakes her head.

"I'll be fine as well."

"Mmm, nyalright, suit yourselves." Gathering up the others, they head off, leaving your party "alone" again.

Alice stretches and stands to her feet. "Alright, I think sleep sounds good. I'd rather collapse here, but if I'm going to have someone watch me sleep, I'd rather it be in a bed."

"Where someone could join you?" Sophie asks dryly.

"No, but I appreciate the thought." The swordswoman says, sticking out her tongue. Turning to Tabitha, she asks, "Do you need a hand making it upstairs?"

"I'll take her up." You say before Tabitha can reply, causing the Lizardman to give you a quizzical expression.

Alice blinks and then lets out a snrk. "Oh, I see. Well, I'm going to cry over my sword, which is glowing again thank the Gods, and sleep. We'll see what tomorrow brings!"

She leaves as well as the others, Selene helping to carry Sylphie upstairs with Sophie. The Grand Wizard lingers and coughs in his hand. "Tabitha, in order to work on your legs, I'm going to need to…"

"I know." She says. "Let me at least get in bed first beforehand. I'll have them ready for you."

"Right, right." He looks at you and coughs into his hand. "She might need a hand with that."

Tabitha frowns, "Wizard, that's a little much to-"

"Sure, I'll help if I can." You say, cutting her off. Both of them blink in surprise before the Grand Wizard smiles and a little color comes to Tabitha's cheeks.

"Just get me upstairs." She sighs. Despite your aches, you pick her up, this time in a princess carry as opposed to on your back. The Lizardman narrows her eyes at you but doesn't complain as you walk up the stairs, the Grand Wizard's laughter drifting behind you.

"Asshole." She says under her breath.

"Well, he is a shit Wizard."

She closes her eyes and chuckles at that, holding around your neck as you take her to an open room, closing the door behind you with your foot. Gently, you place her on the bed where she promptly begins to remove her pants.

"Uh… uh?" You stutter as she tries to get them off her umoving legs. Finding it difficult, she grumbles and asks,

"A little help?"

"Tabitha, you-"

"Rommel, I'm wearing underclothing." She says, rolling her eyes. "Or did you expect I'd go without?"

"I'm questioning why you're removing your pants at all."

"Because, I need to remove my legs." She says, matter of factly. "Now then, give me a hand."

You do, though it's a little embarrassing. They come off easier than expected, revealing the gleaming adamantium legs which end a non-descript white set of female undergarments. Your eyes linger there a moment and you begin to feel your heart beat a little faster. Feeling a little heat come to your cheeks despite yourself, you look down at her feet instead.

"Hmm." Tabitha muses to herself, considering something as she works at a panel on her right leg. A moment later a popping sound is heard followed by a hiss and then the leg slumps onto its side. You look up at that in surprise and see the stump of her leg, fitted with an interface for the magitek. This, of course, brings your eyes back to her undergarments and she catches your look.

"Expected a different color?"

"No, not really." You say, trying not to act totally embarrassed. Gods, why should you care so much? It's not like you haven't seen multiple Monsters in states of undress before, not like you haven't been almost raped either. And yet this is different. Is it because it's Tabitha? But why should that matter, it's not like she really wants you or anything, she stated that in the Temple.

"Ah, well, I figure simplicity is best for these things. It's not like you're showing them off very often anyway." Her clawed fingers work at a panel on the left leg and it too detaches, leaving her without legs. She sighs and leans back onto a pillow, placing her hands on her stomach while looking up at the ceiling.

Feeling a little uncomfortable, you take her legs and place them on a side desk before turning back to her. Her expression seems distant and melancholic which makes your heart twinge and reminds you of the boat ride where the two of you connected before. An urge rises within you that drowns out your embarrassment. You feel an almost magnetic need to support her, a feeling you have difficulty describing.


914ef2 (119) No.332817>>332819 >>332874 >>333070

>>332816

Removing your [Trenchcoat], you let it drop to the floor as you walk to the other side of the bed and get on, sidling up to her. Without even looking, Tabitha's head slumps onto your shoulder. Both of you stay like that for a few moments before she says, "When I first lost control of my legs, I was terrified you know. I thought I'd lost my way in life, thought I'd failed everyone. When the Pharaoh shut them down again, I felt myself slip away again."

You remain quiet as she continues to speak. "It was Veronica back then who gave me the drive to fight on after the pain, to get where I am today. I'm ashamed to admit that I'd almost given up hope today as well but… then I remembered I had someone else to support me." She turns her eyes up to you and gives a wan smile.

"Thank you Rommel, for being my pillar of support when I needed you."

You inhale sharply at these words as something snaps within you. You can't say what it is exactly but an immense warmth fills you as she says this with eyes filled with genuine emotion. Lizardmen do not play with tricks, and their emotions are often layered with armor to protect them as a warrior would in battle. But this raw emotion, this tenderness, it breaks through what little resistance you had left in your heart. Words come unbidden to your lips, unable to be contained any longer.

"Tabitha, I want to duel you."

She freezes at those words, eyes going wide. Slowly, she opens her mouth and tries to form words before taking a deep breath. Her hand grasps the sheets of the bed tight as she asks, "Rommel, you don't- Rommel, do you understand what you're asking?"

"Yes." You say, feeling your heart hammering in your chest. "I think… I think I've wanted this for some time, I just could never admit it to myself. Or perhaps the timing wasn't right."

Her eyes drift to her legs and you say, "Well, of course, I would wait until your legs were repaired and-"

"Challenge accepted." She says, smiling broadly, tears streaming down her cheeks. She buries her face into your arm and you embrace her, feeling her cold blooded body against yours. Strange though, she should be cold and yet all you can feel is warm.

She sniffs and looks up at you, a smirk on her face. "I'm not going to pull any punches though!"

"I wouldn't expect you to."

"Your form with a sword sucks though."

"I think I can handle you."

Smiling wider, she nestles into you and sighs, "I know you can. And if you can't, well, you'll just have to try again and again….and again…"

"Yeah." You say, stroking her head as she drifts off to sleep, exhausted from the events of the day. "You can count on it."

The last thing you recall before falling asleep yourself is someone entering the room and taking Tabitha's legs. They give you a thumbs up and a shit-eating grin before they walk out of the room, robes trailing behind them. And with it, your consciousness as sleep claims you, your heart lighter than it's been in quite some time.

>To be continued


914ef2 (119) No.332819>>332821 >>332823 >>332851 >>332906 >>332907

>>332817

There wasn't time (This was 5k words as it was) to write out fugging,because the duel is too important. Could Rommel have waited to challenge her until after her legs were fixed? Maybe, but the simple act of challenging holds so much weight that it's important.

Also, maybe you'll lose the duel. I dunno, you tell me how you think you should do it.

But yeah, I think we answered… most of the questions. A few other things will be handled with the other part of this update and if anyone has anything else to add, just let me know. For now, I'll just let the coffee drain from my system because I started writing super late.


652f69 (8) No.332821>>332948

>>332819

>2am update when I need to be up at 7

>mfw totally worth it

Perfect job ace. A beautiful moment that melts the heart.


b9afec (22) No.332823>>332825 >>332826 >>332844 >>332851 >>332907 >>333070

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>332819

Very naisu. As for how the duel will proceed, I would have liked to abuse the fact that she already accepted to set up a rule set that will be greatly in our favor but shit, she is so expectant about us wielding a sword, so I say fuck it. But we should insist on the "first blood" rule for victory instead of exhaustion.

No magic, no leg overclocking to enhance strength and agility beyond normal, iron swords only, final de the backyard of Amon's many mansions.

Now since we are completely fucking helpless here, the important thing will be to at least put up a good show.

Start out by employing the famous strategy of bravely advancing in another direction because as soon as we get into melee range, we are fucking done.

Since this will be a backyard of a rich Ectrian person there will surely be all sorts of aesthetically pleasing additions here like a pond of water and some trees. We need to use the environment for maximum advantage. Circle around the pond as much as we can until we can bait Tabitha into jumping over it to reach us.

Then throw our sword at her in midair. She will be unable to dodge it and will instead deflect it. And that's when we throw our second sword at her.

Under normal circumstances this would probably be it, but this is Tabitha we are talking about, so she will most likely deflect the second sword as well. In that case, keep advancing backwards while bantering about the rule set not implying that we were forced to only use one iron sword.

And then we keep chucking swords at her that we have stashed in our coat pockets in advance. Trying various ways to stall her advance by dodging and weaving through the garden as we keep chucking dull cheaply mass produced garbage at her.

There should be a rose bush somewhere in there as well. If we get close to running out of swords, we need to lure her in one, so she inevitably gets scratched there, winning us the duel through a technicality.

If we fuck up though despite our best efforts, which is the most likely scenario, accept defeat gracefully and promise to win later on because we love her and want to marry her.


b9afec (22) No.332825>>332851 >>332948

>>332823

If we somehow do win, I want a fullblown autistic screeching tier freakout from Alice too.


914ef2 (119) No.332826

File (hide): 6dfe8159482f182⋯.gif (1.14 MB, 250x250, 1:1, c5f.gif) (h) (u)


50cb7c (10) No.332844

>>332823

Winning by throwing a thorny rose to her would be hilarious but duel are meant to be taken seriously. Tabitha might very well just completely ignore the rose


a5be29 (26) No.332851>>332858 >>332907 >>332948

>>332819

>>332823

Wait a minute… why no magic?

If Rommel is being serious then he needs to go all out. And his magic is one of his skillsets, like a swordman's skillset. How is magic any different from a sword technique? Rommel using magic is no different then Tabitha using her metal legs.

Let's be serious for a moment. Whilst it would be awsome to have Rommel pull a MacGuffin… it ain't happening. Rommel can't hope to beat her with technique, so he's going to have to do it through a different means.

Rommel is not a sword wielder, he's a MOTHERFUCKIN' WIZARD! He needs to act like one and throw spells and shit… maybe not shit, leave that to the GWiz. Besides, it's not like Tabitha is just going to stand around and let him do shit gawd damnit. In a sword fight she'll win hands down. Stop fanboying with silly shit… (groans) and get real.

During the duel Rommel gets hard pressed and his stubbornness and desire to win comes out; Rommel uses [Reverse Polarity] on Tabitha's sword, removing the enchantments. Turning it normal, if good quality sword.

Then using [Iron Manipulation] and [Geoflexing] to shatter the sword in to bits. Al goes quiet, Tabitha is in shock, Rommel's in shock, anybody's in shock.

Rommel just broke her sword bare-handed. Rommel realizes he's just destoryed Tabitha's sword and begin to apologize in the most embassing way possible (promising to make/get her a new sword). He realizes Tabitha's looking downwards, he follows her gaze. In his he's autistic panicked rambleing, he grabbed Tabitha's hand…

Tabitha looks up at him with a very red face, Rommel is about to freak out again… a very quiet voice can be heard, "H-husband?!"

>>332825

>fullblown autistic screeching from Alice

This sounds fucking Glorious!


46cf2d (1) No.332852

>>332172

>>332171

>>332173

>and another villain turns out to be an easily stompable pushover

like pottery


0db64e (9) No.332858>>332864 >>332948

>>332851

I agree that we shouldn't outlaw the use of magic, and I like your idea of how we would win. Plus, it also gave me another idea. Why make something as useless and nonfunctional as a ring to marry a lizardman? We should forge her a new sword using our collected metals, and add a gold band to the hilt in lieu of a ring.


a5be29 (26) No.332864

>>332858

Thanks

>forge her a new sword using our collected metals

Our friends will help protect her… noice idea.

I didn't know there was a Salamander icon in the gallery… found my new post pic


5b0725 (4) No.332874>>332906 >>332948

>>332817

>Tabby Duel

I'd be fine with using magic, particularly geoflexing, for this. I don't think it would be a cop out, particularly since Tabitha is one of the most dangerous combatants in the story. Also, I don't think it'd be a taboo to use it or anything since the first lizard lady we beat didn't seem to mind at all.


bf4e63 (28) No.332906>>332907 >>332948 >>333366

>"I know you can. And if you can't, well, you'll just have to try again and again….and again…"

I’m rather curious, is this going to be a case of “even if you lose now, I know that you’ll eventually defeat me so I might as well claim you any way”, or is it “don’t worry about losing, you’ll still have as many chances as you require and I’m willing to wait for you”? Tabitha was described as being an ‘abnormal’ lizard, so it wouldn’t surprise me if she abused the loophole in the former for her own benefit being possessed aside, believing the Grand Wizard to be a warrior was apparently good enough for her back in WizardQuest, and there’s no way that she doesn’t hold a similar opinion of Rommel so a similar situation could occur here, but it could be either or. This is still good for us whatever the case may be though.

>>332819

Everyone else is giving their own two cents on the duel situation, so I guess I will too.

There isn’t any reason we shouldn’t be able to use magic. Other than what >>332874 brings up about Bahiti being fine with magic back when we duelled her, there’s also Tabitha’s perception of the Grand Wizard being a warrior despite only using magic up to the point this belief was mentioned, how she’s always had positive things to say about wizards whenever they’re brought up, and in particular this last scene where she expressed confidence in our success despite just prior stating that our form with the sword is terrible, giving the implication that she isn’t expecting us to wield solely a blade against her, so there’s a lot in favour of magic being allowed. And as a5be29 mentions, not letting us use our magic would be like not letting Tabitha use her legs. Or sword for that matter.

Moving along, strategy for the duel. Assuming we are allowed to use magic and we bloody well should be, then Cryomancy and Geomancy are our best offensive options -- the former is an established counter to cold-blooded monsters that can be used to manipulate the battlefield to throw Tabitha off balance if needed, while the latter is our most potent divination of magic and comprises of things like [Geoflexing] and [Metallurgy], giving us multiple options of attack in the form of projectiles, arena manipulation or even simply grabbing her sword to tear it from her hands unlikely, her grip is pretty strong or to throw her swings off course as to ‘deflect’ her attacks whenever she swings her blademore likely and reasonable to disable her. In terms of defensive options, a mixture of Geomancy and our weapon skills should suffice – we can throw [Build the Wall]s and [Trench]s around to keep her away from us, use our staff or the [Ectrian Sword] in combination with our staff preferred to parry the majority of her close range attacks, cast [Rock Solid] to mitigate any attacks we fail to parry and do the aforementioned deflection thing with [Metallury] if required, not to mention she would appreciate the usage of the skills she taught us over the course of this adventure.

If for whatever reason we aren’t allowed to use magic, then I guess we’re stuck using the [Ectrian Sword] or the [Ectrian Spear], with either option working about as well as each other given our skills with both and us not having our staff on hand to make the spear redundant. We’re clearly not going to win in this scenario no matter what we try, as we’ve never come close to matching Tabitha’s skill in those previous sparring matches we’ve had even when she did pull her punches, so the goal here is to try our damnedest nonetheless. Even if we fail, she will definitely appreciate the fact that we put everything in this fight in spite of it being pretty much hopeless for us.


bf4e63 (28) No.332907>>332910

>>332906

>>332819

As for the outcome, I’m personally not too fussed how everything ends up. If we win, then we’re both happy, so great! If we lose, it doesn’t really matter as Tabitha is willing to give us as many attempts as we need to defeat her, and we’re pretty much inevitably going to succeed if given enough time, so whatever -- what would matter in this instance, however, is whether she would accept us in spite of our failing or be content waiting for us to get stronger before doing anything first.

Finally, four more things that didn’t quite fit anywhere else. Firstly, the goal here is to overpower Tabitha, not seriously injure or even kill her during the fight; be a bit cautious with what we cast and make sure to avoid aiming for the head and stuff. Secondly, I’m once again going to recommend what I said in about taking off [Heldoran’s Glove] before the fight, as Tabitha doesn’t have an artefact that makes her every action less taxing, so really we shouldn’t be allowed one ourselves. Thirdly, this is a bit of a minor point, but try to not make too much of a ruckus or a mess where we’re fighting, since we both don’t want to attract unwanted attention and don’t want to give Ammon much grief as I would assume we’ll be fighting somewhere on his property. Lastly, ranged-melee combat via [Metallurgy]-controlled flying sword when?

>>332823

>Changing the rules to benefit us

>Using underhanded tactics to win

>Trying to win on a technicality

The whole point of this duel is to have honourable combat in order to see which of us and Tabitha is the strongest fighter and to give her the fight she’s been craving for a long time, not for us to win in a pragmatic fashion and to disappoint her.

>>332851

>Destroying Tabitha’s sword

I have no issue with anything else you’ve written, but this particular point I’m going to have to oppose. That sword has been with her for just over twenty years and it holds great sentimental value, as shown by the brief conversation back at the mountain pass and how she’s still using it despite better options being available. Were the blade to be destroyed or even permanently damaged in some fashion it would cause her a ton of unneeded distress, which really isn’t something we want to be doing when we’re trying to make her happy, even if it is somehow accidental on our part -- really we should go out of our way to avoid something like that happening in the first place.


a5be29 (26) No.332910>>332912 >>332948

>>332907

>sword has been with her for just over twenty years

Or it can be a way of showing that she has left her lonely wandering days behind her. I understand where your coming from bro. Sometimes tho, we have to go through an unpleasant experience to grow and go forward in life. That's what I was getting at. That and I can't see a more obvious way of ending the duel.


bf4e63 (28) No.332912>>332948

>>332910

>Or it can be a way of showing that she has left her lonely wandering days behind her.

I suppose you have a point there, but couldn't you get the same effect without breaking the blade? It's not like she couldn't just take up a new sword while still keeping possession of her old weapon if that's what people wanted. And if the blade was to break at any point, I would argue having this occur during the final(?) encounter with Hent-ateh and forcing Tabitha to switch to a procured replacement mid-combat would be better for a more dramatic and climatic feeling.

>That and I can't see a more obvious way of ending the duel.

It's a pretty good finish, I'll give you that.

Also, completely unrelated, but the runite dream is dead, isn't it?


914ef2 (119) No.332948>>332970 >>333049

File (hide): 4642a00de94703b⋯.png (212.37 KB, 800x523, 800:523, Sadcats.png) (h) (u)

I hope no one expected an update today, but tomorrow unless I pass out from sleep deprivation accumulation, we'll settle this.

Anyway…

>>332821

I try, thank you.

>>332825

Shit, if Tabitha gets married, then that means Alice is the dirty hag. Guess she has to find a mang.

>>332851

You really got shit on the brain, friend.

>>332858

Could be nice. Guess who has experience in blacksmithing and engineering and would totally help you make this?

That's right, it's Alice someone else.

>>332906

>>332874

So this is an interesting situation. Kind of thinking on how I set up the lore on this, it's very similar to MGE because I'm a hack influenced by other works. So in most cases they'll travel around, challenge people to duels and when someone beats them they'll autistically follow them until they get married. In most situations anyway, sometimes things are different, or the man will chose another option, like with Blake.

Which puts Tabitha in her current situation. Given what she's gone through, she isn't exactly in the market to duel for love. Well, she didn't consider herself that way. Compared to many Lizardmen, she's had a different life.

So in this situation, she's been able to grow fond of Rommel and get to know him in a way similar to her quest with the Grand Wizard, but without the distraction of Blake being present. If it came through correctly, it would be that she wasn't looking for romance, which allowed her to be more open once Rommel got her trust.

It's rare that someone will express interest in a Lizardman without her challenging them, so this is sort of a shock, but at the same time she clearly has feelings for Rommel. However, she comes from a very traditional species and there are just some things that need to happen- He has to defeat her in a duel.

Now, there's nothing that says they can't try and try again until the man proves himself worthy- most Lizardmen would only care about the outcome rather than anything leading up to it. So while she doesn't have anything to prove to them, she still feels like she should.

TL;DR- She wants this, you want this, it's a formality and she's willing to wait for you. How nice.

As far as magic goes, one would say it's a skill you possess as a warrior. Maybe those crazy Salamanders would think something different, but given Tabitha's perspective, she might find it an insult for you not to use your full potential.

Also yes, magitek legs.

I'm certain that Ammon can find a large, well lit room with plenty of space for hiding things. Like a warehouse but clearly not a warehouse. He doesn't like warehouses.

Clearly.

>>332910

>>332912

The symbolism behind that is beautiful mang, but I'm not certain it will have the effect you think it does. I mean, unless you present her with a different sword.

Maybe a cool one you forged yourself or something. If people think that's a good idea and such. Although depriving Tabitha of the weapon she's familiar with before going into one hells of a fight might also not be uh… smart.

Oh yeah and here's another picture for y'all. Manos went for sad cats over headpats. I'll gib the transparent once I receive it.


5b0725 (4) No.332970>>333066

>>332948

I'm for not doing anything to her current sword. If we can make a new one that'd be cool, though we should probably ask somebody who knows better if we're not doing something stupid first, maybe Selene, or Alice, since she's probably got a decent read on lizard people at this point.


ae8375 (10) No.333034>>333066

While talking about cripple lizzard's, we should put some more thought into a weapon for ourselves. Well, the design of a weapon. A simple but effective weapon that we can make out of rock when ever we need it. Rommel may bad with a sword but he is is pretty decent shape so he could just swing something heavy. 8 would suggest a spiked mace. Simple but brutal, should be good enough.


a5be29 (26) No.333049>>333066

>>332948

>unless you present her with a different sword

Well Ace, Tabitha would be getting another 'sword' from Rommel. And in return that 'sword' will have a very beautiful 'sheath' to go with it… wink wink


914ef2 (119) No.333066>>333076 >>333122 >>333131 >>333132 >>333201

Remember that time I said I'd write today unless accumulated sleep deprivation got to me? Well, I've been awake a grand total of 4 hours today and I'm still tired/ I'm not going to drink 8pm coffee again today.

Sorry guys, tomorrow. But did you know that Slavsan is back? Oh boi.

>>332970

It's not Alice, the joke is it's the GW

>>333034

Well, you do kind of have a chain in your pocket. That's pretty cool.

>>333049

Yeah, just beat her in a duel and whip it out where everyone can see.

That's how you get a REAL autistic screech from Alice.


442055 (4) No.333070>>333076

>>332817

>Lizardman duel concludes not with an autistic spergout over Rommel 'proving' himself, but with him and Tabitha having an intimate reconciliation over the experiences they've shared in this journey

I can hope anyway. I know how badly Tabithafags want their duel, but having the two of them profess their love for one another would speak far more than a sparring match. Before this quest is done, Tabitha could even do something to prove she's worthy of Rommel's love as well. Ebe was too good for this board.

>"Strange though, she should be cold and yet all you can feel is warm."

You're a cheeky guy Ace.

>>332823

>No using magic

Absolutely not, we will not gimp ourselves. We're a wizard, we use magic, end of story. Ask Amon if he's got a training area, I'm sure the twin ninjas have something they themselves use. Then get ready to geoflex old scale-vag into the stone age.


a5be29 (26) No.333076>>333078 >>333088 >>333201

>>333066

>Yeah, just beat her in a duel and whip it out where everyone can see.

>That's how you get a REAL autistic screech from Alice.

Well… Selene did say she wouldn't mind… But, yeah. That would kinda rubbing it in Ebe's face, and that's just cruel.

>>333070

>Ebe was too good for this board.

Sorry m8. The moment Ace made Tabitha available as waifu material, it was going to end like this. Tho, if Tabitha hadn't shown up, I'd be rooting for Ebe. Of shit! Do we need to talk to Ebe?!


652f69 (8) No.333078>>333090 >>333201

>>333076

>do we need to talk to ebe?!

I don't think we would. I mean our intent to waifu Tabitha has been pretty clear for a while now. i will laugh if the GW shouts out something stupid like "Let the baby making commence". Sounds like something he would do anyway


442055 (4) No.333088>>333090

>>333076

>Do we need to talk to Ebe?

I knew I forgot something, thank you anon. Ebe loves us and she deserves to be let down as gently as possible.

When we wake up the next morning, we talk to her alone, give her the biggest hug she's ever been given, and tell her that we'll always love her. Platonically I guess. We won't let Amon hurt her or her mother, we're family.


a5be29 (26) No.333090

>>333078

> GW shouts out something stupid like "Let the baby making commence"

It's a sad day when children realize they're more mature then one of their parents. And we won't have it any other way :)

>>333088

>Ebe loves us and she deserves to be let down as gently as possible.

That's what I thought.

>we'll always love her/we're family.

She might take that the wrong way…


ae8375 (10) No.333122

>>333066

A chan is neat, But is it worth anything in combat? It would be really helpful for us to have something to cover our ass if magic were to fail. Perhaps upgrading the chain would be cool, but I can't think of anything other than adding spikes to it to make it a big bundle of thick barb wire. We would need a hilt or something to hold it if we did that tho. Or just hold it with magic like a badass.


5b0725 (4) No.333131

>>333066

>It's not Alice, the joke is it's the GW

I was more thinking about double checking that we weren't about to do something culturally stupid, but you're right about the GW being the one to talk to for making something.


a5be29 (26) No.333132>>333173 >>333355

>>333066

>depriving Tabitha of the weapon she's familiar with

Fine fine. Rommel woun't break her sword. Can't run the risk of killing her in the final battle!

Instead; during the duel, he'll use ice to hopefully slow her down a bit. Rommel uses [Reverse Polarity] on Tabitha's sword, removing the enchantments. Then using [Iron Manipulation] to catch the sword and uses [Geoflexing] in a double palm hold to hold it in an unbreakable grip (hopefully whilst on one knee for dramatic effect.)

Then he uses a small [Build a Wall], a [Build a Pillar] to hit Tabitha in the gut. Because of the cold from the ice. Tabitha's hands are a bit numb, causing her grip to not be that great. She's sent fly a couple of metres. Whilst Rommel is left hold the sword.

All goes quiet, Tabitha is in shock, Rommel's in shock, anybody's in shock. He's managed to catch her sword, disarm her, barehanded no less. (Suck on that Blake!)

Tabitha is sitting on the ground, stunned. Rommel walks over, gets down on one knee and presents her sword toher (hilt first). "Will you be my waifu, Tabitha".

Tabitha looks up at him with a very red face, a very quiet voice can be heard, "Yes, H-husband?!"


ae8375 (10) No.333173

>>333132

I like your idea, however I think it should be done more dramatically. Yah know, some earthquakes and Rock spires for effect. Make her feel like she is fighting a wizard.


bf4e63 (28) No.333201

>>333066

Even if Alice doesn't have knowledge of smithing, she's still the only person in the party besides Tabitha that uses a sword. It might still be worth discussing with her what makes a good blade for some pointers.

>>333076

>Do we need to talk to Ebe?!

Why would we? She's already come to terms with how we feel on the matter after having shot herself down twice, so such a discussion really isn't necessary. At best she'll be indifferent, at worst the talk could be seen as us rubbing the fact that she can't have us into her face and thus be taken poorly.

>>333078

>"So, when are you two going to fuck?"

If the Grand Wizard doesn't attempt to make everything awkward should we succeed, then I will be very disappointed.


914ef2 (119) No.333281>>333282

>Story continue

Light playing from the blinds nearby tickles your face and you groan, eyes opening as slowly as a castle gate. Groaning, you feel as if your body is leaden, weighed down by all the aches and pains of the previous day. You're used to feeling like this after sleeping from a long day fighting, but what's really weird is that your left side feels a little cold and heavier than the right. You try to lift your arm and notice a resistance followed by a grumbling sound. Confused, you turn your head and it takes you a moment to recognize what you're seeing.

Curled up against the side of your body is Tabitha, her arms wrapped around yours, head nestled into your shoulder. Her torso is pressed up against your side allowing you to feel the toned curves of her cold blooded body. A soft swishing sound catches your attention and you notice her reptilian tail ruffling the sheets of the bed. She stirs and then slowly opens her eyes, blinking much in the same way as you did before looking up at you, drowsy.

"Mmm, morning."

"Morning to you too."

It's funny how not so long ago this would have made you panic, or at least irritable. Today, after everything that's happened, just waking up to look into that sleepy face makes some of the weight of aches lessen. You wonder if this is how the Grand Wizard feels every day? It wouldn't be a bad thing at all if you were able to have something like this yourself, would- Oh wait.

"Did… I challenge you to a duel yesterday?"

"Yeah." She says, gripping your arm tight. "You better not be thinking about backing out."

"Gods no, of course not, I just… huh." You scratch your chin with your other hand. "Guess I never saw myself doing something like that."

"Well." Tabitha sighs out, "I for one am glad you did."

"Hey now, I never said I wasn't glad about it too."

Her eyes twinkle, "I was just making sure." She pulls away from you and stretches before cocking her head and lifting the stumps of her legs. Her eyes go flat and she lays back down on the bed before groaning. "Right, out for repairs."

Standing up, you do a few stretches, feeling some of the tension go away before going to get your [Trenchcoat]. You walk toward Tabitha and hold out your hand to her. "Well, I suppose someone is going to have to be your aide on this today then."

She shakes her head, sighing. "No, I'd rather they didn't see me like this. I think I'll just rest here for a little while the Wizard finished repairs."

"Want me to bring you something to eat?"

"Now that, I can do."

Smirking, you walk to the door and touch the handle but stop as you hear her ask, "Rommel?" You turn your head back to her and she asks, a little worry in her voice. "You are serious about the duel, right?"

"Have you known me to not be serious about something?" She raises a clawed finger and you hold up your hand in response. "Never mind. I'll be back."

A series of laughs follow as you close the door. Despite the mocking laughter, you can't help but feel a little good inside. Tabitha's laughter is always a treat, and it sounds a little better knowing you're the only one who can hear it. Taking a deep breath, you begin to walk down the hall toward the stairs when you notice a door nearby ajar, two pairs of feline eyes staring at you. A giggle comes from the door as it closes once you turn your gaze to it. Welp, looks like everyone knows at this point, although given that there's two pairs of eyes, it means that Sylphie is awake.

Unknown pressure releases from your chest at that. You didn't even realize how worried you were about the poor girl. She's suffered a lot on this journey, but you suppose everyone has. Shaking your head, you continue down the hall toward the stairs, sending out to Erwin to wake him up.

{Mrmph. What do you want this early in the morning?}

{I really doubt it's that early given it was early morning when we went to bed.}

{Early is relative.}

{Yeah, yeah. How is Mr. Ed?}

{He's awake, munching on hay. Says that Sylphie is awake so he's feeling quite happy. He also says you slept with Tabitha.}

{It's not- Look we just slept in the same bed. No sex.}

{I know, I figure if you'd done the nasty I'd have felt something.}

Hesitating, you send to Erwin, {Erwin, I'm going to tell you something and I need you to keep this to yourself, okay?}


914ef2 (119) No.333282>>333283

>>333281

{Yeah, sure, you can trust me bud.}

{Well, I challenged Tabitha to a duel last night.}

{Give me a moment.} Erwin's sendings cut off and a few moments later the door to the twin's room busts open and Sylphie points at you before wincing and then doing it anyway.

"Holy shit, Rommel, did you-?!" You cut her off by casting a [Privacy Barrier] and groaning.

{Erwin, what the fuck?!}

{Oh no, our connection must have flickered, Mr. Ed heard everything. Gosh, that's a damned shame. Sorry about that.}

Gritting your teeth, you shake your head and hurry down the stairs, knowing that everything is downhill from her. Guess you can't fucking tell anything important to him now! You grumble to yourself as you make your way downstairs. A guard nods to you at the bottom of the stairs, tipping his hat and saying, "Good morning Mr. Rommel."

"Uh… thank you." You say in response, feeling a little odd with something addressing you that way. "Is there anywhere I could get some food?"

"Of course, the servant will escort you to the dining hall."

"Servant, what serv-"

"Good morning Master Rommel." A voice says from behind you, making you jump and summon up your magic. Standing there is the man from last evening, dressed in the Deleorian butler's outfit. He seems utterly undisturbed by your outburst."Please, if you would follow me."

Shaking your head, you sigh out and follow the man through the luxurious house, marveling at how oppulent it all was. Did he say this was just ONE of his houses? With all this shit, why would he ever need want to be sultan? Man lived better than the damn Pharaoh, even with a bounty on his head! Of course, given the last regime was just dismantled, that probably held no bearing any longer.

The man leads you into a large room where a table that could easily seat twenty people sits, piled high with various food stuffs. You stare in wonder at the heaps of breads, meats, and other traditional Deleorian and Ectrian foods. Despite yourself, your mouth begins to water and it takes you a moment to realize that some of the chairs around the table are occupied.

At one end of the table Selene sits next to her husband, a loaded plate quickly being devoured before. The Grand Wizard, on the other hand, is busy taking bites of food proffered by his wife's tail while working on Tabitha's legs. The adamantium seems so out of place on the table, but when did this man ever care about manners?

Looking about, you next see Ebe, sitting without anyone nearby, a small plate filled with various fruits and breads. She doesn't look like she's touched most of it, her expression tired. Finally, at the far end of the table you notice a chair larger than the others where Ammon sits, arms folded in his lap. His eyes meet yours the moment you notice him and he smiles, waving for you to sit.

"Ah, good morning Rommel. I trust you slept well?"

At this address, the others turn to you. Selene's eyes twinkle while the Grand Wizard merely nods and continues his work. Ebe gives you soft smile and then turns back to her food, deftly handling a fork… somehow… before putting a piece of fruit to her mouth.

"Uhm… good morning." You say, confused at the expressions the others give you. The servant bows and walks away as you move toward the table and take a seat. Despite the smells making your stomach growl, you can't help but watch everyone with a confused expression. "Did… I miss something?"

"Not at all." Ammon says, still smiling. "Everyone is just enjoying brunch after hearing some good news. By the way, how are you feeling?"

"Good? What news are you talking about?"

He chuckles, "Oh, about your duel with the Lizardman. My, I give you time to recover and then you go and do something like this. To each their own I suppose!"

Your eyes go wide and you turn to look at the others. Ebe closes her eyes and nods her head while Selene smiles broadly. The Grand Wizard just continues working and says, "Gotta get these up and working all the faster then.."


914ef2 (119) No.333283>>333284

>>333282

"I- But-" You stammer, trying to figure it out before it hits you. Your eyes go flat and you turn to Ammon. "Of course you're watching us."

"Of course." He says, nodding his head. "However, this was unexpected. I will have to prepare warehouse thirteen for the event."

"What, no rose garden battle?"

"As romantic and thematic as that would be, the estate with that is currently in enemy territory. Besides, I'd rather not have all of you outside if it could be helped?"

Shrugging, you give that it would make sense, just in case anyone saw you. Ammon nods, seeing your reaction and continues. "Now then, just let me know when you intend to conduct this little event, but please be cognisant of yourselves. I do not need you breaking each other during, or after the duel."

"If he wins." Selene says, holding up a finger. "It's very important."

"Indeed." Ammon says. "But, enough of such things. I'm sure it's embarassing for our dear Rommel." At your flat expression he chuckles. "Ah, I figure I should tell you. The flags around the Palace were changed and the wall guard were informed this morning of the Pharaoh's 'imprisonment.' Hent-Ateh was used to deliver the news, silencing any of resisted in quite the show of gore."

He leans back in his chair. "Currently, the Violet Sands forces are shoring up the Palace, but they've secured the perimeter of the Alnabil district as well as the Mushtarak district. The common people have been allowed to return to their homes, but the nobles are being made to swear fealty to the Apophis. I suspect many of the people will incur similar penalties once the governance of the city is restored."

"What about the channelguards?" You ask. "And the Mina district?"

"They've been opened, but some of the former Royal Guard are confiscating any goods from those who try to flee. Most captains have nothing if they leave and merchants have to figure out how to adapt to this change." He smirks, "However, there's confusion in the Tajr district. Gangs of hooligans have made off with most of the products and the Merchant's guild is sealed tighter than the Palace ever was. It will take time for them to coax them out, how strange."

"How strange indeed." You say with a dry expression. Well… at least it's stalling things anyway.

"Oh, speaking of the Tajr district." Ammon says, leaning forward to butter some toast. "I'm having Polah brought here. You did wish to speak with her, yes? Well, Zoras will be by soon with her."

"Ah, I see." You say, remembering you'd asked for that.

The man stands and takes a bite of the bread. He chews and swallows before wiping crumbs from himself. "Ah, terribly sorry, but I'm afraid I must be off. Congratulations again and have a good day!" He walks away before you can say anything further. You can't help but wonder if the asshole was just waiting for you to arrive so he could fuck with you.

An uncomfortable silence fills the room, punctuated only by the sounds of the Grand Wizard working on the magitek and his curses. Looking down, you fill your plate with food and then go to do the same for Tabitha. As you do so, Selene asks, "Is that for Tabitha?"

"Uhm, yeah. She can't really come down here herself so…"

"That is so sweet. I haven't been brought breakfast in bed in ages." She looks to her husband who rolls his eyes. "It's been ages since we've slept in a bed."

"You could at least try."

"I could, but I'm busy." He continues working on the legs. "Good work though."

Somehow his lack of enthusiasm makes you feel okay about the situation. Turning to Ebe however, you see her primly eating and pretending not to notice what's happening. A twinge goes through your heart at this and you look down for a moment before saying, "Ebe, sorry you had to find out like this-"


914ef2 (119) No.333284>>333285

>>333283

"Rommel, please." She says, putting down her fork and looking at you. "I'm quite alright. I'm mostly just happy that you were honest with yourself as you were with me. I wish you luck in your duel."

You search her expression for any trace of anger, but you can't find any. You… kind of wish she was angry with you however. Grumbling to yourself, you continue to fill a plate for Tabitha and say, "Well, thank you everyone. I just hope I can live up the expectations then."

"Mmm, just remember wider goal." Selene says, wagging a piece of sausage at you. "We need both of you in shape to fight that monstrosity, alright?"

"Tell your husband to hurry up then."

"OH MY GODS." The Grand Wizard says, slamming down his tools. "Can I fucking work on this without someone criticizing me every five seconds?"

"Dear, you have some crumbs in your beard." Selene says, using a tail to wipe them away. He gives her a cold expression and she chuckles to herself. Picking up his tools, he continues working at things you have no idea how they work. As he does so, he catches you off guard by asking,

"So, do you have a ring for her?"

"Huh?" You ask, almost dropping the plate. "A ring?"

"Yeah, if you win, you're marrying her. I assume you know that, right?"

"W-Well sure." You say, though the words only now just sink in. Marriage… to Tabitha. You're going to marry her. Holy shit.

"Great, so then do you have a ring?"

"Dear." Selene says, holding up a tail like a teacher would a piece of chalk. "Lizardmen culture does not often use rings. Very often because they are the ones who challenge men and then propose after losing in combat, they don't have such things. Besides, they don't fit well on their fingers." She does waggle that tail at you a moment later though. "However, it is often customary for the husband to present a trinket or weapon to his wife early in the marriage."

"Trinket or… weapon?" You say, thinking it over. Well, it would be a first, because you haven't thought this over at all. Licking your lips, you ask, "What is customary when the man challenges the Lizardman?"

Selene thinks about it for a moment. "Mmm, there's no real custom there. It's pretty rare for such things to occur, so I suppose you can do whatever you want." She leans forward, "However, if I were her, I'd appreciate something. All I got was fucked in the ass."

The Grand Wizard drops his tools and throws up his arms. "Okay, can we please not bring that story up again?"

"Oh, but honey, I like how you fuck my ass."

He sighs and looks at you with a pleading expression. "Please make it stop."

"Why, I like to see you suffer." You say, chewing on a piece of toast. He glares at you and then taps the legs.

"Listen, Tabitha is one of my closest friends. I'm glad she's found happiness. Honestly it's odd for me to say, but I hope you kick her ass. Still…" He folds his hands together. "I'd appreciate it if you made this special for her. She's important to the family."

Nodding your head slowly, you think it over. Getting her something nice really would be good to do, however… what would it be? She doesn't seem to be one for jewelry, though you did have an idea for making a necklace for her with that enchanted pumice stone, so… then what? A weapon then? Thinking about how she still uses that old blade of hers, it makes you feel kind of jealous. What if you broke that sword and then gave her a new one?

You dispel that thought. No, you won't do something so horrible to a treasure of hers. But, if you could give her a new one… As your thoughts wander the Grand Wizard says, "Seems you've made up your mind."

"I… well. Maybe." You say, rubbing your chin. "I just don't have much practice in forging or anything…"

The Grand Wizard puffs out his chest. "Well GUESS WHO DOES?"

"Alice?" Ebe says, much to his surprise. He deflates a little and Selene chuckles at the suggestion.

A smile comes to you face and you bow your head to the Grand Wizard. "It would be appreciated if you could give me some pointers."

He sighs, "Fine, but it's not for you! It's for Tabitha."

"Sure, sure." You say, standing up with the plates of food. "I'm going to go, I'll talk with you later about this."

They wave you away as you make your way back to the room to find Tabitha sitting on the bed, fingering the pumice stone you have her. As you enter, she smiles and pushes herself up as you present her with the plate of food. She smirks and says, "Lot of meat on the plate here."

"Yes, and?"

"Nothing at all." She takes a bite of some bacon and waves it before her as she says, "So, Alice came in and said something interesting to me…"


914ef2 (119) No.333285>>333286

>>333284

After your meal you chat some with Tabitha before heading downstairs again on the excuse of seeing how progression on her legs are going. She seems to know you have something else in mind, but keeps it to herself, which you're thankful for. When you return to the dining room, you find it empty, and are instead lead by the servant to a workshop-like room where the Grand Wizard is busy working on the legs. At your approach he closes a small hatch on the left leg and wipes his brow.

"Damn, I'm good."

"Finished already?" You ask, curious. He nods his head and pats them.

"Again, just replacing a mana capacitor, but I needed to make one from a larger capacitor designed for those Magitek rifles. Still, seeing as I had a hand in making the damn things, it's not too difficult."

"So she can walk again?"

"Yes, and she can kick your ass again." he sighs. "Anything else?"

You fidget before nodding. "Yes… I'd like your help on what we talked about before."

The Grand Wizard nods his head and looks over in the corner where you jump as you notice a man standing there. Fucking hells, he has guard EVERYWHERE. Sighing, you return your attention to the other Wizard and say, "I think I'd like to make her a sword."

"Oh ho, that's a good choice." He rubs his chin. "What kind of sword?"

"The same as the kind she has, I guess?"

He frowns at you. "It's kind of a boring design though."

"I mean, the same length, etc. I'd like her to be able to use it."

"Fine, fine." He thinks about it and looks around the room. "I'll need to requisition materials then."

"No need." You say, pulling out ore from your pocket and placing it on the table. "I'd like you to use these."

The Grand Wizard frowns and looks over the ore, your friends which had protected you through your journey. You can find no better symbolism then to use them to protect her.

He pokes at a few and separates out Ronnie, Midas, and the silver ore you obtained. Looking over the pieces, he says, "I think we can work with this I suppose. I'll need to smelt them down though, are you okay with this."

"Yeah." You say, putting your hands on your friends. It's almost like you can feel a warmth from them. "I think they're okay with it too."

"Yeah okay, weirdo." He says, summoning fire. "Let's get started then."

>You lose [Iron Ore]

>You lose [Gold Ore]

>You lose [Silver Ore]


914ef2 (119) No.333286>>333287

>>333285

Both you and the Grand Wizard deliver Tabitha's legs later that afternoon. She takes some time to get used to the changes he made and over dinner you agree to the postpone the duel until tomorrow. Ammon finds this agreeable as well and everyone is well excited, especially as they already knew the duel was occurring.

News from around the city is that not much else has changed, though the cult is currently consolidating power. A rumor has spread in the city that the Pharaoh is actually dead, and some people want to see the body. Ammon only smiles when it's brought up. It seems as well that the city needs further provisions and the cult is eyeing the Merchant's guild critically. Ammon believes that perhaps in 2-3 days they may very well send Hent-ateh to break open the defenses of the guild. Something which may be your ticket to isolating the creature in the end.

Halfway through dinner, you get a surprise guest in the form of Polah, escorted in by Zoras. The Griffon seems a little more than anxious at everything and immediately retires to a room set up for her, along with only one animal, her shoebill. The bird merely shakes her head as you try to speak with the Griffon, and you get the distinct impression of "later." As for Zoras, she merely sits down at the table and starts eating like nothing ever happened.

"Bloody good to see you lot here." She says, chewing on some beef. "How are things?"

"Zoras I-" You begin before shaking your head. "I was kind of worried when I heard some of the things happening in the market. I should have known that Ammon was behind it."

"Ah, well, yes." She says, blushing. "Bloody thankful you didn't look farther into it. It was a large help to get this set up and securing the Merchant's guild." She looks to Ammon after that and he shrugs, clearly not thinking she spoiled anything, or that it matters anymore. "Still, very glad you're safe. A shame Polah didn't think the same but it's for her own good."

"Where are her other familiars?" Sylphie asks, looking much more hale than when you last saw her.

"They are being cared for." Ammon says. "And no, that isn't cryptic, I do mean that they are being well cared for. Just not here. The shoebill alone could have blown the cover…"

"Aye, she doesn't really want to bloody talk with anyone at the moment." Zoras says, shaking her head with a sigh. A moment later, she turns to you however and asks, "Sooooo, I hear you're having a duel."

Both you and Tabitha sigh.


914ef2 (119) No.333287>>333288 >>333347 >>333351 >>333355 >>333356 >>333366

>>333286

The evening was spent going to bed early and resting up for the next few days. Both you and Tabitha share a room again, though she wears her legs to bed this time. She does snuggle up against you again and you have zero complaints with that. It doesn't go any further than that, despite the two of you being awake for some time, enjoying each other's company. You heart does race a little as she presses that firm body with soft, tender breasts against you, but you keep it to yourself, even if your little friend is a little less patient. Tabitha manages to keep herself in check better, not making any obvious signs that she's turned on by your presence, which is both a good and a bad thing you suppose.

Still, with thoughts of the duel in your head, you both drift off to sleep, cuddled up against each other.

The following morning, everyone eats breakfast together, including Ammon, Sayaka, and Ako. At Ammon's orders, they eat breakfast, though they seem uncomfortable as people stare. Both of them have the most beautiful lips you think you've ever seen on someone, a fact they hide quickly with their masks as soon as possible.

Ammon goes over a few more details of happenings in the city, but most of them are economic and of interest to Selene mostly. As they speak, you're aware of the fact that Polah isn't present for the breakfast either. You suppose you'll need to speak with her later due to her shyness. At the moment, you have more important things to do. Turning your attention to the Grand Wizard, he gives you a sly smile and pats the robe he was given. Nodding back to him in thanks, you stand up and say,

"The duel will commence in three hours. I hope all of you can attend."

Everyone chatters amongst themselves at this and you look to Tabitha, who nods at you with a look of determination. How strange to know that she wants you to win, and yet she refuses to lose. Well, perhaps human courtship rituals are equally as confusing.

The two of you go your separate ways to prepare for the duel after the meal to prepare. When the time is close, one of Ammon's servants and some guards hide you and take you to a warehouse where they release you to join the other group- a party that arrived with Tabitha.

The warehouse is large, much like many others you've seen, however all the boxes have been moved to the corners of the room, opening a wide space. Curiously they all have strange labels, marking them as either dangerous or fragile. Some of them feel downright creepy. Ignoring the odd objects of Warehouse 13, you regard the cleared area. A ring of chalk has been made with plenty of light in the room cast by oil lamps. A spectator area with chairs has been set and all in all, it looks a lot like an underground pit fight arena.

"How romantic." You say, shaking your head as you step up to the ring, [Ectrian Sword] in one hand, [Wizard's staff] in the other.

"Personally, I find this rather delightful." Tabitha says, chuckling. "But it's not about the venue, it's about the fight."

"Fair enough." You say, nodding to her.

She points at your sword and raises an eyebrow. "So, you're going with the sword then?"

"We'll see. I trust you want me to hold nothing back, yes?"

"What kind of duel would it be otherwise? No, use you full magic. If it's not enough then you're going to have to try harder."

Smirking, you shake your head and roll your shoulders. Heart hammering in your chest, you do your best to calm yourself, but you can't help but feel nervous. Though you soon need to fight a horror you can barely understand and maybe can't even kill, this feels like the most important fight you'll ever have. Gripping your staff tight, you stare into Tabitha's eyes across the ring as she adjusts her cloak and places her hand upon her sword.

"Ladies and Gentlemen." Ammon says, standing up from his position. "We are gathered here today under the eyes of the Gods, to watch a union of blades between two warriors. Their prowess together will clash upon each other, testing their limits and forging something stronger than they are apart. If any now would wish to deny this duel, speak now or forever hold your peace."

No one says anything.

"Should Rommel emerge victorious in this duel, then the contracts of the Lizardmen will acknowledge these two fit to be wed. Failure to do so will bring shame to him. Now then, under the eyes of Gods, men, and Monsters, do you, Rommel, accept the terms of this duel?"

"I do." You say, tensing.

"And you, Tabitha, do you accept the terms of this duel?"

"I do." She says, smiling broadly.

"Then by the power vested in me by this being my damn warehouse, I now pronounce this duel: BEGUN!"

Sayaka rings a bell and immediately Tabitha charges toward you, determination in her eyes.

>What do you do?


914ef2 (119) No.333288>>333366

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>>333287

I uh…. by the time I realized what I'd done, it became evident the duel wasn't going to be written tonight.

I'm so sorry.


652f69 (8) No.333294>>333389

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My dissapointment is immense and immeasurable. We were promised a duel with best girl and marriage!the update was still good ace and I eagerly await the duel. There will be no shenanigans


a5be29 (26) No.333347>>333389 >>333407

>>333287

>I'm so sorry.

Ok Ace, But the duel best be EPIC!

Would like Tabitha's new sword to look like this. :)


b9afec (22) No.333351>>333356 >>333361 >>333366 >>333389

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>>333287

>What do you do

Cast [Reverse polarity] on her legs followed by [Flash Freeze], so she can't take them off and to make them shut down permanently while at the same time causing her indescribable agony.

Then just pelt her with little pebbles and make cripple jokes while she helplessly lays on the floor and cries in shame, pain, frustration and despair. Then after we win, tell her that she is not our type.


a5be29 (26) No.333355>>333379 >>333389

>>333287

>What do you do?

This >>333132 Lots of Ice Rommel will give some warm love later and [Build a Wall] to create obstacles. With Tabitha gets to close, the duel ends quickly.

Anyone else have some ideas?


50cb7c (10) No.333356>>333358 >>333389

>>333287

Step one is to freeze this building. Make it as horrendously cold as we can. No matter how much you guys love to wank off Tabs she is still bound by biology. This should slow her considerably and make sure we don't get instantly gutted by her superior speed and reflexes. From there we can do whatever y'all want to see.

Alternatively we can go easy mode by making a tall slopped hill underneath us and cover it with ice. Tabs has no range game short of throwing her sword at us while we pelt her with rocks. Though I doubt you all would like to take the easy mode given the situation.

>>333351

And then propose to Alice in front of everyone


50cb7c (10) No.333358>>333389

>>333356

Side effect of the cold would be a cute moment of Zoras and Ebe cuddling together with the furry and fluffy cat twins since they can't stand the cold either. So adorbs, It would make for a fantastic picture Wink wink nudge nudge


c41f09 (4) No.333361

>>333351

Is this what the last stand of Ebe fags looks like? :^)


bf4e63 (28) No.333366>>333389

>They wave you away as you make your way back to the room to find Tabitha sitting on the bed, fingering the pumice stone you hgave her.

Actually, it was the [Basalt], not the [Pumice], which we gave to her:

>Taking a deep breath, you take Tabitha aside and pull out the [Basalt], handing it to her.

>>333287

Everything I've written in the "magic allowed strategy" section of >>332906 is relevant here, so I'll just link back to that to avoid redundancy and writing another essay.

>>333288

You say that like anyone expected you to write everything in one go. The duel does require its own part, after all.

>>333351

Go away, Hent-ateh.


c5c4b9 (4) No.333379>>333389

As others have said, Ice and lots of Geoflexing are probably our best bet here.

>>333355

>give some warm love later

How long would it take Rommel to figure out <hotblooded>? I know we're in a desert, but superheated cuddles are a must for cold-blooded girls.


914ef2 (119) No.333389>>333407 >>333586

>>333294

T-thanks

>>333347

It could, if you want it to.

>>333351

I'm sorry that we're not gunna frolic through the rose bushes and throw swords at her. Trust me, I thought it was funny at least.

>>333355

WARM

LOVE

>>333356

>Propose to Alice. You cheeky man.

>>333358

Please no bully.

>>333366

Q-quads dubs.

Yeah I… had forgotten. I'm sorry about the rock.

But essays are wonderful. But yeah this could have been a "to be continued" but I wrote "what do you do" anyway.

>>333379

Hot blooded? Hrm. I dunno, if a situation arose in which warming her up was necessary he might imagine it. At least like, causing heat to flow through your palms or something.


2ebefd (20) No.333407

>>333347

>>333389

what we SHOULD do is make the most impractical weapon possible (like a magitek riflesword) for the lulz and it wont matter because tabitha wont give a shit probably

that, or maybe make her a piece of armor or something that has a heat enchantment on it so she can stay warm not that she'd need it since she'd cuddle with us all the time


a5be29 (26) No.333586

>>333389

>causing heat to flow through your palms

Leadin' up to something lewd.


914ef2 (119) No.333650>>333651

>Story continue

Ah, the direct approach. How very… Tabitha.

Anticipating such a move from her, you thrust out with your magic and throw up a wall of stone from the flooring of the warehouse. With the moment of time bought with that move, you concentrate your magic into cryomancy and begin to drop the ambient temperature around you using <Cold blooded>. Your skin begins to get goosebumps as the spell radiates outward, but before you can drop things further Tabitha leaps over the wall. Her refurbished magitek legs sparkle in the lights of the warehouse and she drops down toward you, sword held in two hands.

Gasping, you leap out of the wall, rolling across the ground as she hits, her legs stabilizing her and cracking the ground underneath. You come out of your roll to stand on your feet and cast [Ice] along the ground as Tabitha's duelist reflexes allow her to chase after you far faster than you can get up. Though her speed decreases some, the stabilizers in her legs allow her to trasverse the ice without much difficulty. Unable to avoid her entirely, she reaches you and swings her sword, which you barely catch with yours, deflecting the blow.

As she makes for another strike, you can see the pure joy in her expression as she trades blows with you. Well, despite the fact that she could easily kill you with any of those swings, she clearly loves dueling. It must seriously run in their blood to get this much enjoyment out of one on one combat. Or maybe it's just because it's you?

Of course, there's no time to think about such things as she makes for another swing. Dropping your sword, she hesitates in confusion, allowing you to throw your empty hand up in a fist, power of the earth driving forth a pillar of rock toward her gut. She reacts quickly to your geoflexing and pushes away with her legs, rocking back as her legs try to stabilize on the ice again.

Another wall comes between the two of you and you continue to drop the ambient temperature. Things grower colder and colder, to which you can start to see your own breath. The spectators murmur to themselves and shudder for warmth as your magic begins to do its work. In your peripheral vision you can see Zoras cuddling up to Ebe who returns to gesture, too cold to think it over. Once again, before things are finished, Tabitha corners you. This time, she comes from around the wall and dashes toward you, sword held behind and ready to swing.

Stomping your foot down and creating a wave of uneven earth slows her down enough that you're able to notice that she's starting to look a little pale. Is the magic getting to her? Feeling a little more confident, you square up with your geoflexing and go through forms, casting up spikes of rock that she either dodges or destroys with her sword. One of them grazes her side and she winces, but still pushes forward.

Perfect. You think, seeing a chance at victory. Being cold-blooded, even the mighty Tabitha is not able to fully resist her biology. The ambient cold saps her strength as her body becomes sluggish and tries to shut down to conserve energy. All you have to do is keep this up for a little longer, tire her out, and you're golden. With that in mind, you step back and prepare to build another wall when Tabitha's eyes flash with anticipation and she dashes at you in a lunge.

"What the-?!" You cry out, halting your cast as you scramble to get anything for defense. Your thoughts seize up as her sword comes for you and you can only think to pull up a rock before you in [Rock Solid], deflecting her blow. The sword shatters the rock into a hail of shrapnel and the two of you back up, panting.


914ef2 (119) No.333651>>333652

>>333650

"Oh come on!" You shout, heart racing. "You were getting tired!"

Tabitha smirks and taps her hip. "Warmth enchanted undergarments. Or don't you recall?"

Right… right she still had a pair or two of those. She winks as well and says, "I also keep your gift close to my heart."

The [Basalt] you gave her… the enchantment isn't much, but if she has it near her core, it would certainly radiate enough to keep most of her warm. You notice a small jewelry chain around her neck and curse- she thought of doing what you were going to give her for a present! Well there goes the anniversary gift in a year. Of course, with her returning to form with her sword which bursts into flames, you begin to have your doubts as to whether or not there will BE an anniversary.

"Well. It was a nice try anyway." Tabitha says. "Clever. But I don't think you have any further tricks." She smiles."Or do you?"

"Hmph." You say, keeping the ambient temperature low despite what she says. It has to be having SOME effect on her, though the flaming blade likely mitigates some of it, again. "You think after all that embarrassing stuff I said, that I'd just go and give up so easily?"

Her smile widens and she says, "Then make it interesting for me!"

Metallic feet dance toward you while her flaming blade readies for a strike. Since she doesn't seem to be cold from your ice magic, you might as well do the next best thing. Moving backward, you freeze her legs.

She jerks forward from the gesture and then looks down at her legs before grunting and jerking, a motion that shatters the ice. As she recovers, a pillar of rock burst toward her chest- she cuts it in half. Pieces of detritus and rocks begin to swirl around her, obscuring her vision and causing her to pull back and protect her eyes as her burning sword slides through the vortex of dust. A few moments later a shout of annoyance is heard and she leaps out, trailing dust as she lands upon the floor of the warehouse, searching about for you. Her eyes trace about until, with a start, she notices a pillar before her.

"Hello!" You say, waving a hand down at her. "Enjoying my tricks?"

"Not exactly what I had in mind, but I suppose that's who you are. I expected you to throw swords at me or something."

"Yeah…" You say, watching her intently, making no motions to attack her. Eyes following her movements, you watch as she walks around your pillar, tapping the stone with her knuckles. It seems unlikely that jumping up would end well for her, so she merely contents herself to wait for you to come down it seems. Good, because you only need a little bit more time studying her before-

Tabitha steps back and raises her sword before slamming the enchanted blade into the rock, tearing out a massive chunk in an explosion of stone. The structure of the rock pillar cracks and shudders, falling apart from the strike. You let out a surprised cry (as does Ammon who shouts quick order to Sayaka and Ako) as your seat slides out from under you. Arms flailing backward, you feel yourself about to fall when you quickly leap forth from the top of the pillar and plant your feet on the section quickly going horizontal. The rock shifts under your feet and you slide yourself down as it crashes, <Rock Slide> allowing you to zip across the pillar and leap off right before it hits.

A flaming sword comes flashing toward you mid leap. With a shock, you realize Tabitha had been watching you and predicted your course of action. Thrusting your hand out, you push her into the air with a burst of rock, throwing off her aim. The sword whistles past you, flames singing your face as you hit the ground and roll.

Distantly, you can hear Ako and Sayaka as they keep the pillar from smashing into other parts of the warehouse with their strange, eastern magic. Of course, your main focus is intent on Tabitha, who leaps off the pillar you made under her and lands on her feet, sword at the ready. She cocks her head at you and you grit your teeth continuing to watch. Almost there… almost there…

Tabitha moves in again, this time faking a blow with her sword that you deflect with your staff. You try to get a lock on the sword with your <Iron Manipulation>, but you're unable to with the conflicting sigils embossed in the blade. Not that it matters much, because her true intention is revealed as she flips about and slams your chest with the full force of her reptilian tail. The blow staggers you backward, pushing all of the air from your lungs.


914ef2 (119) No.333652>>333653

>>333651

The flaming sword comes for you again. Twisting back, her blade slides down directly before you and you wheeze to step away when the backstroke returns. Your chest hurts abominably from the blow, but you manage to throw out a string of pillars with your geoflexing that causes her to dance back and allow you to build a quick wall to gain a moment to get your breath. Unfortunately things are a little more taxing than they have been recently as you removed the [Heldoran's Glove] before the match. You know, to make things more fair. You sort of wish you didn't do that.

Consequently, the wall you've made is smaller than the others and she's easily able to swing around it, literally. Grabbing the corner of the wall with her free hand, she kicks out toward you with an adamantium foot. The blow catches you in the chest and drives you onto your back with a crash. Groaning, you look up to find her foot pressing down on you, a look of disappointment on her face.

"Well." She sighs. "It was fun while it lasted. You'll do better next time, right?"

Staring up at her, it finally clicks together. Closing your eyes, you sigh out as your [Mage Sight] goes away, "I don't think we'll need a next time."

"Rommel, what are you talking about- ahn!" Tabitha gasps as the flames of the sword in her hand wink out. Her breaths become shallow and she staggers back off you, shuddering as she rubs at her skin, eyes looking shocked. "W-w-what did you?"

Picking yourself up from the ground, you take in a deep, steadying breath and look her in the eyes. "Took me awhile, but one of my tricks paid off it seems."

"B-Bastard." She says, teeth chattering as the cold permeates her body. "You even undid the-the spell on the gift you gave me and my damn undergarments."

"Don't worry, it will go back to normal eventually. [Reverse Polarity] doesn't last forever." Holding out your hand, the [Ectrian sword] you dropped flies into it via your magic and you move into one of the forms Tabitha taught you. "Besides, is that any way to talk to your future husband?"

She blinks twice before giving you a look of utter bewilderment and then laughing. The laughs grow so intense with her shuddering that she has to hold her stomach with one hand, the other still holding her sword out toward you. Taking in a few, deep breaths she says, "Of all-all the people- Gods hahaha, oh Gods." Exhaling she shudders and takes up her blade stance again before smiling. "You're one of a kind, Rommel. Come, let's finish this."

"My thoughts exactly." You say steadying yourself for the battle. This time, you take the lead, charging at her as a man should.

Steel meets steel as her slower reaction time is still more than enough to match you. The two of you trade blows, you catching some of swings with your staff while slicing with your sword. Back and forth you fight over the ruined ring of the warehouse, the voices of the others calling praise a dull roar compared to the duel before you. The rush of the contest, ache of your muscles, the ringing of sword against sword- you begin to see why Tabitha likes this so much.

Your blade meet and your faces are but mere inches from each other. Looking into her eyes, you see the thrill of the duel in her eyes and an adoration you'd seen before but hadn't fully recognized. She really does love you, doesn't she? And yet, at the same time, she can't lose this duel. The internal conflict within those eyes steels your own determination as you press forward with your weight, caught up in the rush of the duel. Unfortunately, Tabitha's lifetime of experience cuts through the difference you've created, and with a twist of her blade, disarms your sword.


914ef2 (119) No.333653>>333654

>>333652

Before the sword even hits the ground, she strikes again, throwing your staff from your hand to clatter to the ground. Finding yourself without a weapon, you square off against her with your hands before you, feeling the connection with the earth. Well, you suppose you never would be able to defeat her at swordplay, but clashing blades with her felt so damn… appropriate. Waving at her to come at you, she does so, sword already swinging.

You know you can't beat her normally, she's just too good with that sword. You have an arsenal of spells at your disposal, some of which could level buildings if you put your mind to it, but you can't risk hurting her or the others. Merely fighting with geoflexing is likely to end in a loss for you as well, so what do you do? As the blade comes toward you, you notice your own sword on the ground and the answer comes to you in a flash.

Tabitha's sword arcs at you, and you deflect it with a pillar of rock from your geoflexing, throwing more of the rock at her to make her dodge. More of the rock grazes her legs and torso, cutting into her clothing to expose her skin underneath, but it doesn't slow her down. Pushing both hands toward her, a wave of rock pushes forward. Gritting her teeth, she leaps into the air over it, sword held high as she makes to bring it down upon you.

A cry issues from her throat as the blade comes down, almost shining in the light filling the warehouse. Mere inches from striking your head, she twists the blade to hit you with the flat side, anticipating the victory. The blade stops suddenly and she shudders, feet planting hard on the ground. Body shuddering, breath coming heavy, Tabitha stands before you, eyes wide as she beholds an unexpected sight.

On one knee, arms over your head, you clasp her sword in shaking hands coated in various metals of your rock collection friends. Breathing out hard, your literal metallic grasp on the blade firms and you look up into her eyes with smug determination. Her eyes go wide before she grits her teeth and tries to push the blade down, as if realizing something.

Your arms begin to burn from the force of Tabitha trying to push down the blade. You begin to feel yourself begin to slip when you behold a glimmer of something else in her eyes- doubt. For the first time in the duel, Tabitha shows a sign of worry, that perhaps she can lose. Something within your core begins to feel more stable and you draw forth the power of the earth. Perhaps it isn't geoflexing which allows you this burst of strength but you'll take it anyway, using it to begin to push her sword up and away from you.

Hands trembling from the cold, Tabitha presses in harder with her blade, but her eyes begin to grow wide as you begin to stand up. Hands still holding the blade above you, you lock eyes with Tabitha and she gasps as she realize what's happen to happen. With a twist, you tear the blade from her freezing hands, sending it clattering to the ground.

The room grows silent as everyone looks to the sword which continues to wobble for a moment before going still. Tabitha's eyes shift to you and she raises her hands in an unarmed combat gesture, but in her state she's unable to stop your next attack. Stepping forward, you bat aside her arm, put your other hand around her back, and press your lips to hers.

Tabitha's eyes go wide at the lightning assault. She makes one furtive protest, beating at your back before her fist goes slack, fingers instead digging into your back. Her cold lips press against yours and you feel the pressure of her body against you, her cold blooded frame drinking away the heat from your sweaty body with a desperate hunger. Even though the air is rapidly leaving your body, you can think of nothing else but this embrace as you hold her tight, lips pressed against hers.

When you let go of the embrace, the two of you pull away, catching your breaths as your exhalations steam up in the frigid air. Her eyes search yours and she gulps before saying, "You win. Husband."

A cacophony of clapping startles both of you and you turn to see the makeshift audience clapping and shouting for joy. Sophie and Sylphie run up to both of you, offering congratulations to the two while the Grand Wizard and Selene hang behind, using their magic to warm up the building. As they offer their warm wishes, you find Tabitha's hand sliding down to grab yours in a tight embrace. She shares a coy look with you before turning back to the others, talking about how she was certain she'd win.


914ef2 (119) No.333654>>333655 >>333659 >>333663 >>333699 >>333713 >>333799 >>334018

>>333653

With the duel concluded, Selene goes over a few rites to recognize the outcome of the duel and your… well, your marriage. Even though she isn't a Lizardman, her centuries of life and position as Monster Lady made her expert on such rituals as well as the authority to pronounce them.

The whole time you two continue to hold hands, Tabitha pressing close to your body for warmth. Of course, neither of you ,mention that the enchatments you used [Reverse Polarity] on have returned. It's better this way.

When the final rites are said, Tabitha gives you a sly smile and stands up to kiss you again, a gesture that makes the assembled Monsters (including Sayaka and Ako) titter. Even Ammon and the Grand Wizard smile at the gestures while Erwin, who was small enough to come along sends you many, MANY mental congratulations. In fact, the only person who didn't seem as enthused about all of this is Alice, who let out a shriek of disbelief as it occurred to her that TABITHA of all people was getting married before her. Zoras was forced to sedate her. Even still, she let out soft sounds reminiscent of the sounds of an irate frog.

Before returning to the house, you do your best to restore the ring to the way it was before, Ammon promising you that a crew would sweep the rest out. When you apologize for any damage, he waves it off and wipes a tear from his cheeks, saying, "I always cry at weddings."

The procession back the house unfortunately is done in secrecy again, but when you return a feast greets you. Even though breakfast wasn't all that long ago, you feel utterly famished and both of you eat with abandon, laughing with everyone about how no one thought Tabitha would find anyone good enough for her.

Halfway through the event, the Grand Wizard stands upon a chair, holding his hand up to the air. "Now that much of this is settled, I believe Rommel has something he wishes to present to his lovely bride."

Tabitha chuckles, "It's… still odd to hear that." She looks to you, an expectant expression on her face.

Holding out a hand to the Grand Wizard, he pulls something long out of his robes. How it kept it in there, you're not certain, but you think he may have borrowed a bag of holding from his daughters. Either way, you turn to Tabitha and go to one knee, proferring up the gift.

"Though it's not exactly traditional, I thought it's something you might like. Something with meaning that even if you never use, I hope you keep it with you."

Tabitha's eyes go wide as she reaches out and takes the gift in her clawed hands. In her grip rests a sword made of steel with a golden cross guard and silver inlaid into the pommel shaped as a fox's head. The length of the blade is comparable to the one she currently wields even though this one is lighter, with both [Sigil of Endurance] and [Sigil of Reduction] weaved into the metal.

She takes a few practice swings with it before looking over the blade again and then nodding. "It is an acceptable blade. I am surprised you could find one like this in such a state of the city however."

"Find it?" The Grand Wizard chuckles. "Tabitha, he made the damn thing. Well, with a little help of course."

She looks at the blade with newfound admiration and quirks an eyebrow. "This was made with your rocks, wasn't it?"

"I figured my friends could protect you as they protected me."

Tabitha who heartedly laughs and leans down to kiss you on the lips. It's so weird to see the normally reserved Lizardman being so full of emotion, but you can't say you don't like it- at all. The other laugh and make sounds of "awww." Alice, who had woken up from her little sedation, makes to grumble but claps her hands instead when Zoras raises her tail.

"Now then." The Grand Wizard says, putting his hands on both of your backs. "Now that the tradition of beating the shit out of each other and then eating food is finished, there's only one thing left to do."

"Oh Gods, dear no, please don't." Selene says, looking aghast.

"LET THE BABY-MAKING COMMENCE!"

Sophie and Sylphie both respond immediately by berating their father while Ebe's cheeks grow violently red. Alice sips at her wine while Zoras sighs and smirks. Tabitha looks a little uncomfortable herself, but her eyes drift to yours and she whispers,

"That's not a bad idea."

Oh.

>To be continued


914ef2 (119) No.333655

>>333654

Oh boi, that was a close one there for a second. Good thing someone mentioned reverse polarity. A few times.

Anyway, the good bits will have to wait until next time because I was losing steam and this was a good place to end. Seeeeee y'aaaalllll


a5be29 (26) No.333659>>333672 >>333673 >>333713

>>333654

Noice Ace, very noice!

>Tabitha has two swords

Will she become a duel-wielder?

>"LET THE BABY-MAKING COMMENCE!"

>"That's not a bad idea."

Before this happens, Rommel/Tabitha needs to ask either Selene or Alice how to pleasure a woman/man. For Alice, the Student becomes the Master!

This CYOA has gone on for far too long without any smut!


2ebefd (20) No.333663>>333667 >>333673 >>333799

>>333654

we should hold her hand again in front of everyone to embarrass her, and then afterwards give her a kiss and then princess carry her to a room that Ammon has inexplicably set up for just us and our new waifu

we should also PRETEND to set up a [Privacy Barrier] before we make little Tabithas, but instead make it so that everyone can just BARELY hear our waifu as we make love to her


a5be29 (26) No.333667>>333799

>>333663

>Do waifu stuff with our waifu

This sounds lovey.

>everyone can just BARELY hear our waifu as we make love to her

This is GWiz levels of fuckery! It does sound gud tho…


c5c4b9 (4) No.333672>>333673 >>333722 >>333730 >>333762

>>333659

>asking for sex tips

I'm sure Rommel will do just fine without if he puts those [Hands of Solos] to work. He needs to experiment, see if their power extends beyond headpats. Either way, Tabitha hasn't experienced the good pats yet, and that must be corrected.


914ef2 (119) No.333673>>333689

>>333663

>>333659

Not in the near future. Duel wielding swords is difficult.

Also, asking for tips. Weeeew.

>>333663

First part, can do, second part… well, it's not like Ammon can't hear EVERYTHING in this house anyway..

>>333672

By Solos… are you saying his hands could give massages for things other than pats?!

Madness. You could break the world.


652f69 (8) No.333683>>333919

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Thank you ace. That was beautiful, just absolutely perfect. I am now content. May Ammit and Reitia bless you


5b0725 (4) No.333689>>333919

>>333673

I can't say that I feel like we need tips to fuck around with privacy barriers fake or otherwise, but if we did ask somebody for advice I at least think Selene would probably be the best bet. That being said, I figure the first thing she'd say is not to accidentally stick it in her ass.


084d9c (10) No.333699>>333722 >>333762 >>333919

File (hide): 9790b980f719bf5⋯.jpg (110.54 KB, 600x847, 600:847, __queen_of_sheba_and_roman….jpg) (h) (u)

>>333654

Just remember to rub tabitha's belly, lizards love that shit


50cb7c (10) No.333713>>333722 >>333762 >>333919

>>333654

And so the real boss battle finally begins… Not for us and Tabitha though, No we have the fun part. The real BBEG is going to be Alice. It will take the full combined might of the party, Amon's entourage, and perhaps even the gods themselves to keep Tabitha from trying to join in with us…

>>333659

No this is something we need to figure out ourselves. Just go with it and let the hands do their work. Not even point out that we, marked by 2 separate gods, Are likely the most tastey man in the world to monsters. Poor Tabs has starved herself for 4+ decades, Such an immense infusion might give her a heart attack.


a5be29 (26) No.333722>>333726 >>333762 >>333919

>>333672

>>333699

>[Hands of Solos]

>Full body/belly rubs

>blessed by two Gods

>might give her a heart attack

<Tabitha starts ovulating

<Tabitha faints after multiple climaxs

<Rommel's potent wizard seed, impregnates Tabitha on first go

>>333713

>It will take the full combined might of the party, Amon's entourage, and perhaps even the gods themselves to keep Tabitha from trying to join in with us…

You meant Alice, didn't you.


50cb7c (10) No.333726

>>333722

Shit. Guess I'm still having subconscious issues about losing the vote. Yes, I meant Alice.


470f2a (1) No.333730>>333762 >>333799 >>333919

>Offer Tabitha a massage with your [Hands of Solos], because we just had a tiring duel and her muscles need to be warmed back up again

>Such a gentleman

>Start with gentle headpats, slowly moving towards maximum potency

>Proceed towards the rest of her body,

>Let your hands unleash their FULL potential followed by passionate lovemaking

Give this crippled lizardwaifu a long and intense fucking session deserving of a forty year waiting period. Lack of experience by both parties be damned, it's time for raw instinct and the blessing of literal gods to take over.

>>333672

I'd love to see Tabitha admit that she was actually really dying to know what the headpats feel like, would that be within her character? Or would she initially be defiant to Rommel's skills before melting into a puddle of bliss? Either way works fine for me.


b9afec (22) No.333762>>333919

>>333672

>>333699

>>333713

>>333722

>>333730

>Intense intimate massage session that induces multiple orgasms and ovulation followed by missionary.

Oh yes. This is my fetish.


bf4e63 (28) No.333799>>333818 >>333919 >>333947

>>333654

I take it we’re just going to ignore the fact that Ammon is spying on our every move and go right ahead with the lewds then? I mean, if Tabitha’s fine with it then sure, but it’s still a little weird and awkward, especially for our collective first times. Could we convince Ammon to temporarily give us some privacy? (No? Damnit.)

As others have already suggested, getting advice before the climatic duel in bed with Tabitha would be greatly beneficial to us, since it’s probably something we’ve never thought about previously considering our prior stance on Wizards and sexual intercourse before this adventure -- I doubt our knowledge on that front is completely lacking to the point of not understanding how the female body works in a general sense or where we’re supposed to stick our ‘weapon’, but we’re unlikely to know things like the best positions, the location of specific erogenous zones on lizards and so on. Again as others have suggested, Selene would be the best choice for who to query on this topic, as she has experience with this unlike the majority of our party, doesn’t have the possibility of giving poor advice for the purpose of sabotaging the experience out of spite like Alice does, and will actually give useful advice unlike the Grand Wizard who will probably give useless, albeit benign, tips at best. I suppose Zoras, Ako or Sayaka might be able to help out here too dependent on their own experiences, but it would be a tad odd for us to request their assistance in such a fashion what with the lack of trust between us.

An informative discussion later, it’s time to get down to business. I don’t really have much to say regarding how to proceed that hasn’t already been said in some form or another, but I will say that the one thing we absolutely MUST do before anything else lewd is to stay true to lizard traditions and pass the pipe with Tabitha; it’s been hyped since the original WizardQuest and there’s no way in hell we’re going to miss this golden opportunity presented before us, especially when showing respect for Tabitha’s culture would make her first time that much more special for her. Hopefully we can procure some [Purple Leaf] from Ammon or perhaps Tabitha took some from the Angry Wurm when she had the chance without us knowing and thus has some on her person, who knows for this purpose, but the [Green Leaf] we have should work fine here if we can’t.

Once that ritual is done, just go with what feels right I guess, keeping good communication with Tabitha to ensure the two of us are doing things properly for maximum mutual pleasure. And don’t expect Tabitha to be completely submissive once we get going; she is physically stronger than us, after all, not to mention that all that pent up sexual frustration she’s accrued over the course of her lonely life is bound to be released in some fashion eventually.

>>333663

>>333667

>Purposefully making it so everyone can hear us

As if Ammon watching us like 1984’s Big Brother wasn’t bad enough as it is. Plus, such an action would be a giant middle finger to Ebe and Sylphie and Alice too, as you’re effectively saying “Hey girls that once crushed hard on me, I’m fucking another woman who isn’t you and am purposefully making you very aware of this fact to make you envious!” to them.

>>333730

We’ve touched Tabitha’s head plenty of times up to this point and, if the scene back in Jahardin is any indication, she clearly enjoys these moments. That said, we haven’t unleashed the full potential of our curse ‘gift’ upon Tabitha like we’ve done with Alice and IIRC Ebe, so we might as well take it to the next logical step here by giving her a similar, if not superior, treatment with her permission, of course.


a5be29 (26) No.333818>>333915 >>333919

>>333799

>Pass the pipe

Indeed, gud shout.

>Purposefully making it so everyone can hear us

Ok your right, that would a really dickish move and very unlike Rommel.


5823b7 (1) No.333915>>333919

>>333818

Make Erwin listen to it though. It'll make up for all the smug he's given us.


914ef2 (119) No.333919

>>333683

Glad I could help

>>333689

I mean.

It's good advice

>>333699

checked and yeah, makes sense. Good on ya.

It's weird because I don't think I've done a lewd with audience participation before. Hmm.

>>333713

Honestly, Alice won't do shit. She actually might want to reflect on her life a little.

>>333722

checked as well, and damn, when the memes makes dreams into reality. Who could have seen this coming.

>>333730

I assume Ammon's maids are going to be very annoyed by the mess.

Unless they're Monstergirls in which case they'll be annoyed if it's dried or… something.

Also, yes, Tabitha got the pats, but maybe not the BEST pats.

>>333762

It's a damn good fetish sir.

>>333799

M-More dubs. Bless this update cycle.

What, privacy? You could be plotting against him! I mean. Let's be real here, he's tolerating your bullshit because you're useful to him at the moment.

There is a correct answer out of the three girls you posted there at the bottom. You wanna go asking all three though, eh?

Selene would be a solid choice, though clearly you must remember not to stick it in her ass.

Ammon would easily have purple leaf. Given the culture of smoking in Ectria it would be something he would certainly be able to procure.

>>333818

Yeah that really wouldn't be something in the character built up until now.

>>333915

The only way this would work is if you planted a <vox caster> near him, which may or may not end up with others listening.

I mean. You could also trap him in the room with you, but that's really fucking weird.


e20bf3 (1) No.333947

>>333799

Ah. Thanks for the clarification about Tabitha and headpats


a5be29 (26) No.334018

>>333654

I just thought of something! Male lizards rake the sides of the female before coitus. Rommel come do something similar with his hands to Tabitha.


914ef2 (119) No.334060>>334061

>Story continue

"I… well. That sounds…"

Despite keeping your composure earlier, those words from Tabitha seem to hit you from out of nowhere. It's not like it's something you don't want to do with her, hells it's… well, you ARE a Wizard after all. It's just something you never really considered doing before in truth and now that it's presented before you, it's a little startling. In a good way.

Clearing your throat, your expression changes to a smile and you say, "Isn't that what's supposed to happen on a wedding day?"

A smirk crosses her face and she elbows you in the ribs gently. The others chatter amongst themselves or berate the Grand Wizard so they don't notice as your fingers slide against each other before culminating in one of the most profane and lewd of gestures- holding hands. Well, all except for Erwin, who sends smug thoughts into your head like the little bastard he is. Lovable, but a bastard.

Across the room you see Ammon at the end of the table, wine glass in his hand. He raises it toward you and gives a knowing smile to which yours droops. Oh… right. He's got people watching and listening to you. The thought immediately makes you embarrassed for a moment before you stand up and think it through. Should you really care if Ammon watches you fuck your wife? Yes, yes you should, but at the same time, you hope he feels a jealously that burns him inside.

At your slight nod of the head and smug smile the man blinks a few times before hiding his smile in his wine glass. Maybe he's just a pervert. Either way, you have more important things to do. Thinking about such things again makes your heart beat faster, to which Tabitha looks at you with a smirk. She can probably feel your pulse through your hand and she squeezes tight to make it even more apparent what she thinks about this.

"Shall we go now?" She whispers in your ear.

Her voice makes your spine tingle in the best way. You have to stop yourself from immediately responding and instead thinking it over. Gods, there's nothing else you'd rather do right now- something you never thought you'd say before meeting Tabitha- but… maybe you should get some advice first. You know how sex is supposed to be done of course! It's just the minutia, like how best to do it and such. It is Tabitha's first time and you want it to be good for both of you of course. Maybe if you asked…

Your eyes drift over to Tabitha's again and you see the longing there. Over forty years without experiencing sex or the touch of a lover, buried under mountains of duty and guilt. Only now does she dare hope again that such things are open to her. Would she know if you lacked the experience? Would she care?

No, of course not. If there's one thing you know about this Monster it's that she's truthful to a fault. A true Lizardman does not deal in mind games, only duels, and what is sex if not a duel? The best ones are those met on equal terms, right?

Nodding your head to her, you let go of her hand and pick her up once more in a princess carry, to which she lets out a little gasp of delight. With her legs working this time, it's a little awkward, but you can handle it. Everyone turns to you as you pick her up. Smiling at everyone, you say, "I think we're both full. Have a good time with the feast and thanks for something to our wedding."

"It was a duel." Tabitha says, chiding you.

"Same thing." She doesn't deny it.

"Oh, you're full now, but I'm sure you'll be STUFFED soon enough." The Grand Wizard says, shit-eating grin on his face. His wife slaps him on the backside of the head as she smiles,

"Oh, don't forget: Don't fuck her in the ass by mistake."

Both you and Tabitha look at each other with uncomfortable expressions before you leave the room to raucous sounds behind you. So what you killed a Pharaoh two days ago and helped usher in chaos into the capital of one of the oldest countries in the world? Weddings…er, duels, are something to celebrate!

Making your way to the room the two of you have appropriated, you kick in the door, thankfully not destroying the hinges in the process. Entering the threshold, you deposit Tabitha upon the bed once again and stand above her, looking down into her eyes. In return, she looks into yours and you both stare for a long while before she coughs and says, "Well… we're here… in the bedroom."

"Yeah." You say, feeling a little awkward now. Maybe… maybe you should have gotten tips from Selene after all. The silence drags on for a few moments more before Tabitha sits up on the bed and smirks, patting it.

"Nervous?"


914ef2 (119) No.334061>>334062

>>334060

"A little." You say, sitting down on the bed. She chuckles and turns your head to hers before pulling you into a kiss. Though your kiss at the duel was long and powerful, it was more full of force than anything-appropriate for the situation. This, on the other hand… this is something else.

Her lips melt into yours as she presses herself into you, her body sliding up against you. Without knowing it you put your hands around her back as well, wanting to feel her toned yet soft body. Her breath, mingles with yours and you catch sweet hints of the wine she drank earlier as her tongue begins to invade your mouth. Not backing down from the challenge, you press back, the two of you dueling between each other's mouths until you're forced to pull back for breath, finding yourself panting from the surprise assault.

Heart hammering in your chest, you feel your trousers tightened from the kiss and a burning longing builds in you again. Tabitha squeals in delight as you press her down to the bed with another kiss, passion flowing through you as a drive you long thought dead reawakens. When you pull away this time you can sense a hunger within Tabitha that was suppressed and is now trying to assert itself- with interest.

Taking in shallow breaths, you shrug off your [Trenchcoat] and prepare to taste of her again when you notice something on the bed. A small, paper wrapped package lies there tied in string. Tabitha's eyes follow yours and she cocks her head in confusion. "What is that?"

"I don't know." You say, sitting up and reaching over to take the package. Inside sits a stack of a few dried leaves cut into pieces along with a note that says, "Enjoy, with love, Big A." Cocking your head, you take one of the strips of leaf and turn it in your fingers. "It's purple."

Tabitha gasps and you turn to see her looking incredibly embarrassed. Her eyes flick from you to the leaf and back again. It's actually really adorable to see her looking like this and it takes you a moment for your adoration to turn to recognition. Oh, it's a leaf and it's purple and… ohhhhhh.

A smile comes to your face and you lean into to Tabitha to say, "Do you want to… pass the pipe?"

"Y-yes."

Chuckling to yourself, you get up and rummage through your things for your [Pipe]. After crumbling some of the purple leaf into the pipe you light it with a little magic and take a few puffs to get it going. Soft, purple smoke begins to drift from the burning leaf. It suffuses you and fills you with a calm feeling, something which soothes the raging fire within you. Confused, you blow out some of the smoke and look at the pipe before handing it to Tabitha. She looks at it for a few moments before putting the pipe to her lips, closing her eyes, and inhaling.

Though she's never smoked as far as you know, she seems to instinctively know not to take too much and instead slowly exhales, some of the tension leaving her. Handing the pipe back to you, she leans her head back with a smile on her face. Confused, you take another puff of the pipe, trying to discern why this was called an aphrodisiac. When you look back to Tabitha to hand her the pipe, you find her removing her shirt and exposing her bare chest.

The black garment slips to the floor. Her strong, powerful arms slip back to behind her head and she undoes the ponytail there, letting her medium-length hair fall about her slim, yet steady shoulders. Shaking her hair, she looks at you with hungry eyes, that look down, inviting you to partake of her body. Not wanting to be rude, you do so.

Strong though she is, Tabitha's body appears to you soft and inviting. Freed from her clothing, her deceptively large breasts hang loose before her, captivating you as you trail further down with your eyes. Lines of green scales glitter along her body, framing her white skin which hadn't tanned like yours. You can see the tightness of her abdominal muscles as well, though not such much that they stand out- the physique of a duelist, not a warrior.

Something begins to stir within you. The calm feeling from the smoke starts to change, making you feel hot. Your trousers seem to tighten further as you behold the captivating form of her body and she slides up to you, pressing her bare back against your chest before taking the pipe and inhaling, breathing out a thin cloud of purple smoke.


914ef2 (119) No.334062>>334063

>>334061

Unable to help yourself, you place your hands on her strong shoulders. As soon as you do a familiar, yet terrible feeling comes over you. Instead of feeling any panic, you invite it, as if accepting the curse you have been given. You whisper in her ear as your fingers begin to knead the taut muscles of her neck, "Let me loosen you up a little."

Tabitha lets out a soft gasp as you press upon her sore shoulders with an unearthly skill. Unable to form words, she merely places the pipe to the side and lets you work upon her back. Allowed to do their work, your hands explore the whole of her back, pressing into the tight, strong flesh while gliding over to soft, silken scales.

Moans of pleasure escape her lips as your fingers course over her back, her breath coming light under your touch. Her skin, cold to the touch, makes you remember how you chilled her body and how the Grand Wizard reversed the skill. Focusing on your magic while your hands work, you try to increase the ambient heat but find it difficult to spread it out like that. Annoyed, you instead find you can concentrate it in one spot- your hands.

"Ahhh…uhn…. ahn!" Tabitha lets out as your warm fingers knead her back like dough. She melts into the motions then as the purple leaf sinks into both of you, heightening your arousal. Even as you work upon her body, you can feel your own, painfully erect member in your pants. This is highlighted as you slide your hands down to her reptilian tail and the split pant she wears. She looks back over her shoulder, hair obscuring your look at her. Her hands grab yours, their cold scales drinking in the warmth of your magic and helping you push her pants down to expose her warmed undergarments.

Taking the initiative, you remove the rest of her clothing then to reveal her ass underneath her tail. It lifts upward, giving you a better look at the pale flesh there which is firm, yet supple. Placing your hands upon it, you massage her with your heated hands, making her let out cries you hadn't heard before. Hands sliding closer and closer to her inner thighs, you notice a wetness coating the inside and trailing down toward her adamantium legs. Smirking, you squeeze her buttocks and she gasps before slapping you with her tail, which actually hurts!

"You remember what Selene said, hmm?"

"Ouch… yes, I do." Adjusting your jaw, you lean over and whisper in her scaled ear, "Turn over."

As she does so, you finally reach back and lift your own shirt, exposing your chest. The air in the room is not particularly cold though, so the burning inside you does not subside- not that you want it to. Tabitha flips over onto her back, revealing her alluring chest. She gasps as she beholds your body and you feel a mix of pride and embarrassment, something you're sure is reflected in your expression. She bites her lip and her moistened thighs rub together as if in anticipation.

Unfortunately for both of you, your hands, these damned, cursed hands, are not finished. Almost as if being pulled by a magnetism, you lean forward and place your hands upon her shoulders again. Shrugging, you lean down and kiss her, tasting the vapors of the smoke she inhaled earlier. She lets out a gasp of pleasure while you do, your hands beginning their nefarious work again.

Fingers gliding down her chest, you find your hands sliding to cup her breasts, taking in the while scope of their grandeur. With little effort they sink into the soft flesh of her mounds before gliding up to play with her delicate nipples. She lets out low moans in your kiss as your fingers do everything to them. When you pull back for air, she lets out a shuddering breath and gasps as you continue to knead her, hands claiming dominion over her breasts.

From there, you slide down to her abdomen. Fingers which were so rough with her before trace delicate lines across her belly. Oddly enough, this makes her eyes go wide and she arches her back with a cry before sinking back to the bed, squirming as you rub her belly. Did Lizardmen really get off to having their bellies rubbed? This is very, VERY useful information.

Your hands find themselves stopping close to when her eyes glaze over from the pleasure. Tracing the lines of her hips, you find your fingers lingering near her groin. Heart hammering in your chest, you gently spread her legs to explore the fountain where the mess that covers her legs originates.


914ef2 (119) No.334063>>334064

>>334062

While you've seen naked women this is your first time up close seeing a pussy. Perhaps it's the purple leaf in your system, or perhaps it's the incessant drive to have sex with Tabitha but you find it's one of the most beautiful sights you've ever seen. Your fingers twitch, as if wishing to explore the space, but a scaled hand touches yours and you find Tabitha looking at you. She shakes her head and says, "Not yet. It's my turn."

Frowning, you pull away at her insistence, though her hands are shaky from your ah… "massage." You stand before her as she pushes herself up, her magitek legs stabilizing her as she leans forward and drops yours trousers.

Immediately you cock pops out, reveling in the glory of being freed from the cloth prison. Tabitha stares at your member for a long while and you begin to grow concerned when you notice a tear rolling down her cheek. Clearing your throat, you ask, "Are… you alright?"

"I just… I just never thought that… I mean…" She sniffs and rubs at her face. "I mean uh, wow! It's just so big!"

Sighing, you rest your hand upon her head and say, "I'm here for you, alright? We're in this for the long haul." Coughing, you say, "Also, it is fairly large, isn't it?"

She smirks at you before reaching out and grasping your shaft. Her hands, covered in scales as they are, make you shudder at the cooler temperature, but you admire the way her scales rub the tender flesh there. Even though she has calluses there from years with the sword, you still shudder in pleasure as she strokes your cock.

"You're not the only one with magic fingers." She says as you feel yourself getting harder under her touch. "Now then… let's see if I can do this right." Pushing herself forward, she kisses the tip of your penis before placing the head in her mouth.

A cool, ye pleasant sensation travels down your dick and up your spine. You shudder as she does so, looking up at you with anxious eyes. You nod at her and stroke her head, to which she makes a determined expression and begins to take you further into your mouth. The pressure upon your member feels heavenly while her tongue and saliva coat your dick.

She starts slow, hesitant, but as she grows more confident her speed and depth increases. Hand upon her head as you stand awash in this pleasure you feel your fingers twitching. Uh oh. Before you can stop yourself the power of your [Hands of Solos] unleash themselves on her unsuspecting scalp. She gasps while your dick is halfway in her mouth, entire body shuddering. Her eyes slowly begin to roll back from the pleasure but before they do, she snaps back to it, determination coming to her expression.

Swallowing, she presses the attack by thrusting your whole member into her throat. The sudden sensation makes you buck your hips a little and she coughs, doing her best to keep you inside. At your protest she pulls out, allowing herself to breathe before glaring at you and taking you again. It seems even she has a limit to what she can do, but that won't stop her from continuing. That's the Tabitha you know and love.

As your fingers give her the royal treatment, gliding through her hair, rubbing her scalp, etc. she continues to suck you. A pause followed by a delighted sound comes as you leak pre-cum and it further invigorates her. Soon you feel yourself shuddering as you come close to your climax. Not exactly certain the protocol on this sort of thing, as not having asked anyone, you say, "Tabitha, I'm almost-"

She cuts you off by going faster and you let out a little grunt before gasping. The orgasm hits you like a hammer and you almost thrust yourself into her mouth as you ejaculate. At the same time, your hands hit the masterstroke, finishing your pat of her head. Years of pent up sexual tension you never knew you had pour out in that moment, culminating in a tide of semen that gushes from your loins. It splashes against Tabitha's throat, sliding down and filling her mouth before leaking out in dribbles down her chest. She never flinches though and when you finish and pull out of her mouth, she shudders for a few moments, cum dripping down her chin before swallowing. Tears form at the corners of her eyes which run down to join the sticky fluid on her chin.

"Uhm… Does it taste that bad?" You ask, wincing.

"No." She whispers, crying in earnest. Her long tongue snakes out and licks some of the split semen on her hands and she shudders, making a soft moan. "It tastes better than I'd imagined it would. Every Monster says it's amazing but I never imagined it would be like this." Head bowing forward she shakes as more tears roll down her cheeks as she begins to outright bawl.


914ef2 (119) No.334064>>334065

>>334063

"Tabitha…" You say, sitting on the bed next to her. Pulling her close to your chest, you feel her cold-blooded skin against yours, sharing your heat. You stay quiet as she cries, her body shaking in anguish while you hold her. Eventually she sniffs and says,

"Gods, look at me. All it takes is one load of cum to reduce me to tears. How pathetic."

"I don't think so. I think it's actually kind of flattering. To think, my cum made the mighty Tabitha, the Wanderer of Deleor break down into tears. It'll make Alice super jealous and- oof!"

You wince as she elbows you in the ribs. "Don't you dare tell Alice a word about any of this!"

"I won't." You say, kissing the top of her head. "You take as much time as you need."

Sniffling again, she pulls away from you and takes a steadying breath. She makes to rub at her eyes but pauses and studies the cum on her body, licking it off before doing do. Oddly enough, that's actually kind of hot. Watching her do this, you feel a stirring in your crotch again, and you feel somewhat… unsatisfied. Yes, the blowjob was one of the most pleasant experiences you'd ever had but your eyes drift down to her crotch and you feel a hunger, a fire building inside you from the drugs and the emotions. You want to breed to Tabitha more than anything else you've ever wanted.

This makes it all the harder to contain yourself while she gets composed. Finishing clearing her tears, she turns to you and pauses, studying your eyes before looking down at your dick. Understanding flashes and she reaches over to grab the pipe again, taking in a long puff before drawing you in for a kiss, spreading the smoke into your mouth as well. Unable to breathe unfortunately, you cough and pull away, the smoke filling your lungs in a bad way.

"Tabitha! Gah, are you craz…y…" You trail off as you look at her upon the bed. She lays on her back, adamantium legs spread with one clawed finger opening the folds of her pussy in invitation. Blinking, you look down to find yourself still hard as a rock, despite just blowing your load. Purple leaf burning in your lungs, your heart hammers in your chest and you drive into a singular burning need. Holding your cock ready in your hand, you guide it toward her waiting lips and enter her.

Both of you let out gasps at the same time. Even just inserting the head feels amazing as Tabitha's tight vaginal muscles clamp down upon you. Her juices, overflowing from her snatch allow you to easily slide into her, filling her deepest places with your warmth. You both look at each other, getting used to the sensation before she nods her head and you push onward with slow determination to sink your sword into her scabbard.

"Does it hurt?" You ask, having remembered that being said somewhere to happen.

"No." She says, shaking her head. "Things are a little different for Monsters you know. We're kind of built for this sort of thing."

"So you don't mind if I-"

"Just fucking do it, I NEED IT."

Without further adieu, you plunge yourself fully within her to the hilt and she throws back her head, pushing her chest outward at the sudden force. You can feel yourself swelling within her as her walls tighten down upon you, as if afraid you might take away this source of pleasure. Despite the pressure you pull yourself out and then thrust back in again, forming a rhythm that drowns you both in ecstasy.

Tabitha lets out gasps and moans with each thrust of your hips, her own body moving in time with your motions. You feel overwhelmed at first with the influx of sensation but your world begins to narrow down to the singular desire to drive yourself into her, taking in her cries of pleasure as encouragement to continue.

Scaled hands reach out toward you and you lean forward as she laces her fingers behind your back, pressing her mouth to yours. The passionate kisses you shared before were somewhat orderly compared to this sloppy, messy affair as your lower bodies slap into each other, making both halves rock. Pulling out of the kiss, Tabitha looks into your eyes with a passionate fire and hisses, "Deeper."

"I’m not certain I can go much-"

"DEEPER."


914ef2 (119) No.334065>>334066 >>334104 >>334122 >>334343 >>334417

>>334064

Something cold and metallic touches your ass and you cry out as Tabitha's magitek legs lock behind you, driving you into her like a piston. She lets out a cry of delight and matches the rocking of her legs to the timing of your thrusts, using her metallic frame to bring both of you to greater heights as you press upon her cervix with your thrusts now.

Your breaths come faster as a need, a drive forces you to make your thrusts stronger and quicker, as if you need to hurry and unleash yourself within her. Tabitha's cries of delight only increase at this and she moans, "Do it, do it, oh Gods, do it."

The familiar sensation builds up in your loins, signaling your climax and you cry out as you press into her yourself with as much power as you can muster. Unyielding metallic legs lock you into place as you explode within her, unleashing a tide of semen just as thick and powerful as your earlier load. Multiple shots, eager to enter the promised land fly forth from your dick, painting her with your sperm.

Each gush of cum makes Tabitha let out a cry, her head thrashing back and forth under your onslaught. Forty-three years of being a virgin, undone in one torrent of semen. Years of inhibition and pent-up lust let loose to wrack her body in unimaginable pleasure drive her nearly to the breaking point and even by the time you finish her legs have yet to unlock.

"T-Tabitha? Dear?" You ask, feeling circulation cutting off. "Do you mind?"

"H-huh? W-what?" She says, words slurred. It takes you clanging on her legs for her to get it enough to let you enough slack to begin to pull yourself out. Her eyes flash open as you do and she cries, "No!" pulling you back in. When you look at her in confusion she looks to the side and says, "Can we… just stay like this for a moment?"

Her legs loosen enough to not crush you and you sigh in relief before nodding your head. Holding out a hand, she takes it in hers and you smile down at her, still connected by the groin, awash in the after-glow of what you just did together.

"Yeah. Take as long as you need. We have all night and the rest of our lives."

---——————————-

The next morning the two of you awaken sore yet happier than you've ever been since you can remember. Using the water basin to clean yourselves for the moment, you make for the bathing facilities Ammon had set aside for your group, bathing each other and preparing for the day. You both agree that you will not succumb to the pressures of the others when you arrive downstairs for breakfast and comes up with a few remarks on how to deal with Alice. Bathed, dressed, and perhaps having a quickie, you make your way to the dining hall.

As you enter, the two of you prepare for judgment but instead you find something amiss. Everyone turns to regard you with serious expressions and Ammon stands, nodding.

"Ah, good morning. I trust you are both well rested and recharged, yes? Good. Polah has informed us via her scouts that there's been movement in the Palace. The cultists speak of an assault on the Merchant's Guild today."

His expression grows stern. "Sorry to cut the honeymoon short, but it's time for your group to live up to its end of the bargain.

>What do you do?


914ef2 (119) No.334066>>334077 >>334343

>>334065

Well, you got your cyborg lizard smut. I hope it's everything you wanted from it. As it turns out, three people said no advice and two people said yes advice so… there's that.

Oh but also shit's about to go down. I'd look into that if I were you.


652f69 (8) No.334077>>334078

File (hide): a66bb27e7ae6321⋯.jpg (110.65 KB, 714x532, 51:38, IMG_3519.JPG) (h) (u)

>>334066

Good stuff ace. I guess we should prepare for battle and get ready to take down hent-ateh.


652f69 (8) No.334078

>>334077

Forgot sage


ae8375 (10) No.334079

Cute update. Now back to the fighting. We can hold back against the spook goop, not without dieing anyways. But how is the question? Getting better at making rock armor and increasing mobility with it would be a huge plus but I don't think we have time for that now.

On a note for the future, we need to make double sure grape snake can't mind rape lizzard wifu and use her agents us.


b9afec (22) No.334104>>334295 >>334343

>>334065

Just perfect.

Now back onto business. We will go for an ambush strategy instead of a direct assault.

While the cultists are ransacking the merchants guild, we should sneak right into their HQ, most likely the temple still. Knowing how our sister did not participate in the final battle personally, it's fair to assume that she is still hanging back.

Before we go inside, Ebe should lullaby everyone inside to cull the fortified opposition before we ride in with our tank.

Erwin, Sylphie and Sophie will search the temple for the urn while everyone else engages Helene. If there is still anything left of her to save, then we perform the [Evil containment wave] the ritual with Selene's help after be beat Helalin within an inch of her life.

If not, well. We should ask Tabitha to deal the killing blow to spare Rommel the trauma.

We can assume that Liala will be with Hentateh, since she was last time. In the unlikely scenario where she isn't, we will have Selene and GW deal with her while everyone else fights grape nee san.

Most importantly, we need to figure out why Hentateh still obeys the cult. There is a good chance that there is a member of the royal family that we might have missed. We need to ask Amon about it, before we get blindsided by another concealed power player on the board.

We could try a diplomatic stealth approach but honestly, it would be too difficult to explain why we just plain disappeared after offing the Pharaoh. Just go in hard and fast before Hentateh can come back. We will be saving that thing for the very last.


0db64e (9) No.334122>>334295

>>334065

From Wizardquest Classic™:

>"So, what, I made everyone in a Lizardman?"

Selene sticks out her tongue as if she ate something disgusting. "Eww, no, gross. I wouldn't be caught dead wearing a bonnet."

"But Tabitha never wore a…"

Selene holds up a finger, "I bet you, if you give you a bonnet, should would wear the hells out of it."

We should get Tabitha a bonnet. What, did you think we would all forget?

As for the plan, trying to kidnap Helene seems like a great way to get a surprise fight with Hent-ateh that wouldn't be on our terms. I think we should try to ambush her, with a focus on disabling her with electricity (as has been proven effective in the past) while our melee team goes in and cleans house. Just an idea, but can [Reverse Polarity] work on whatever magical things are happening that keep her construct body working? If so then GG.


944cbd (1) No.334295>>334299

Howdy, I forgot to type here yesterday. Work was awful, buuuut I have a cool pic of what you're fighting. At least from the second encounter anyway.

>334079

Lest you forget, Lizardmen are very resistant to mind games. They no a work on them, only duels.

>>334104

Its well known that Hel'alin is in the Palace.

I'll say this, you'd need a very, very good reason to convince Ammon to go after her instead of Hent-ateh. He sort of made this deal with the intent of you ridding the world of this thing.

>>334122

Oh god that grammar. First thing I'm doing once this is over is editing wizadquest 1 and publishing- I mean, making it not horrifically embarassing.

Theoretically [Reverse Polarity] would disable any working magitek components.


b9afec (22) No.334299

File (hide): 2c87b23213b6b57⋯.mp4 (309.84 KB, 384x288, 4:3, Abandon_cab.mp4) (h) (u) [play once] [loop]

>>334295

>what you're fighting


bf4e63 (28) No.334343>>334353

I approve of these cute lizard lewds.

>>334065

And back to our regularly scheduled final act. Right now our information regarding the situation in the capital is limited, so we should try to rectify that immediately unless we want to be running into danger blind and without a proper, thought-out plan. As for how to go about doing that, we clearly have Polah watching the Violet Sands and relaying information to Ammon, so querying him regarding the details of what she’s found is a must. We also still have access to [Aliph’s Sigil] which is linked to the rest of the cultists, so we should listen into that as well to see if any information Polah didn’t pick up comes to light, such as what Helene and Liala are planning to do themselves, as well as in case any part of the cult’s plans suddenly change for any reason. Other than those two things, I guess we could also gather information about the layout of the capital and the Merchant’s Guild that our simplistic map doesn’t mention from Ammon, as this knowledge would be useful for determining where we want to engage Hent-ateh when the time comes so we can fight in an advantageous position or something. I kinda wish there was more to work with here.

That all aside, I’m going to further expand on what >>334104 mentioned about Hent-ateh and the covenant that binds it, because it’s pretty important. From what we know regarding the covenant, Hent-ateh was summoned by the Apophis, who were desperate for assistance at the time, to fight for them, and the pact which binds it was to terminate upon the end of the royal line of Pharaohs. Despite the Prophet being dead and the royal line coming to an end, however, Hent-ateh is still apparently in service to Helene as far as we know, that is, but it’s very much implied to be the case, which implies a number of different situations, dependent on whether or not the pact has actually ended or not.

If the pact has ended, then one of three scenarios is true: Hent-ateh is ignorant to its servitude being at an end, which is rather unlikely considering Helene’s proclamation about now having control over the capital and the Prophet being suspiciously absent and I would hope that the big endgame threat isn’t completely retarded, Hent-ateh doesn’t care about no longer being required to follow Helene’s commands and is simply doing it for its own entertainment, which could be the case considering its love for cruelty and how Helene’s commands lead to a lot of killing although this is once again unlikely as Hent-ateh doing its own thing and ignoring Helene would get it better results and more enjoyment, or Helene has made another pact with the abomination prior to the conclusion of the original in order to secure its service to her, which is the most likely of the three and would help to explain why she had control over Hent-ateh despite not being an Apophis before the attack on the palace commenced while no one else in the cult did though begs the question of when she made this pact, as the eldritch horror only recently escaped from its prison in Deleor and didn’t even enter Ectria until later still. If the pact hasn’t ended, then this means that either the royal line is somehow still present, which is unlikely as a piece of information this critical would probably have been mentioned prior, or our information regarding the conditions of the covenant is incorrect, which is definitely possible as our belief regarding when the covenant ends is based on what Lady Aliph apparently claims to know and the rest of our knowledge about Hent-ateh comes from Chike’s telling of legends and Dwarven runes describing a sealing process, with the former two sources being relatively unreliable.

Whatever the actual truth is, it’s important that we come to a conclusion regarding this swiftly, as particular circumstances might have an effect on how future events play out, such as how Hent-ateh may or may not immediately try to kill us on sight dependent on whether or not it’s still forced to follow Helene’s orders, and knowing the situation in advance would allow us to plan accordingly for a better chance of success.

>>334066 (checked)

>As it turns out, three people said no advice and two people said yes advice so… there's that.

In hindsight, getting advice would have likely broken the flow of the rest of the update, so I'm sort of glad things turned out the way they did.


914ef2 (119) No.334353>>334376

Hey guys, this weekend has been fairly draining and tomorrow is basically friday for me and it's not looking any easier because the new office manager doesn't know how to schedule people.

Anyway, I'm gunna just chill tonight and see if anyone has any other suggestions to post. I think wednesday I'm filling in for raid again so we might have another delay in update but.. we'll see!

If we need an update just getting more info and the lay of the land, I can do that without issue.

>>334343

Aye, the hard part about lewds updates and such is finding a place to go after that. The update had hit the critical limit but I needed something at the end to put it back on track. Sadly I was out of energy and it seemed a good place to stop.

Anyway, I'll give more details in the next update, but unless we wanna hold out for more updates it's the question between this plan of trying to go after Hel'alin while Hent-ateh is away or actually going after the creature.


652f69 (8) No.334376

>>334353

We go after the creature first I say. No telling if hel'alin has some way to call Hent-ateh back to her if she is under threat. If the abomination is destroyed that should leave the forces of the apophis weakened enough we can attempt the ritual without any risk of it being disrupted by outside forces.


084d9c (10) No.334417

File (hide): 5e602930a8663a0⋯.png (1008.27 KB, 1280x1710, 128:171, tumblr_p1vfrtATBg1vca34co1….png) (h) (u)

>>334065

We should try to find a way to ambush Hentateh While they are moving to the merchant's guild. We should have ebe use lullaby to knock as many cultists as possible, Have rommel try to control the metal on her body to hold her in one place/slow her down and have tabitha and alice attack her


914ef2 (119) No.334445>>334446 >>334453

>Story continue

Both you and Tabitha share a look of understanding. With grim determination, you nod to each other, acknowledging that the time for play was over. You need to clear this task before anything you'd promised can truly come into effect. As pleasant as the last day was, it was only a temporary reprieve from the debt you owe to Ammon and it's time to deliver.

Ammon waits until both of you sit down at the table before he continues. "As I've mentioned, Polah, who still won't come down from her room, has said that one of her familiars is noticing the Violet Sands gearing up for battle again. Hent-ateh is restless and it's clear the goal is to strike at the last remaining hideout: The Merchant's Guild."

"What's so important about the Merchan's Guild?" Sylphie asks, frowning. "Can't they just… contain them? They can't stay there forever."

"Ah, I'm afraid the problem lies in the fact that much of the city's food stores have been… moved there. A city devours food quite rapidly and without a constant influx they can't sustain this population. The Apophis didn't conquer only to have no one to rule, after all."

"Then won't they have more food just come in from the ports?"

"Not yet." Ammon says, shaking his head. "Messages have gone out before the city was taken informing other merchants to stay away." He smirks at Sophie's frown directed his way. "Either way, they need to keep things together and consolidate control before being able to pay for food, etc. Given that many of the vessels, trade routes, and warehouses are kept by influential merchants, it's going to be difficult to work without their cooperation."

"Now, I don't know too much about merchants beyond the happy variety." You begin. "But I do know most of them are fairly cowardly. Why wouldn't they just side with the winning team?"

The Grand Wizard sighs. "While I appreciate your understanding of the Danuki, it's fairly obvious why this is occuring." When you give him a questioning look, he thumbs a finger toward Ammon.

"Oh." You say, frowning.

"Come now, don't look that way." Ammon says, shaking his head. "The Merchants understand my reputation and know it would be better for them to side with me than a, forgive me for saying this, cult of psychopathic snakes."

"Very well then." Tabitha says, nodding her head. "You want us to destroy Hent-ateh then, correct? Give us more information about the area."

"Of course." Ammon says. He snaps his fingers and the servant in the butler outfit walks in with a map that he places on the table. It's a far more detailed map of the city than the one you have and actually looks like it was drawn by someone with talent and not a hack on his lunch break. He points at a section of the map denoting the Merchant's Guild.

"The building is three stories in size with two spires where officials usually stay. The lower levels are for goods storage and day to day trading. Merchants come in, purchase and sell goods, then move along to the docks to through the city. Second floor is for accounting and administration and third floor is housing for influential merchants and people who need to be impressed."

"Sounds like the first floor would be the easiest to ambush." Alice says, rubbing her chin. "Lots open space, yet plenty of goods and other merchandise to hide in."

"I would appreciate." Ammon says, folding his arms. "That the creature does not damage anything. The merchant's goods staying in tact is how they'll capitulate."

"Will it… will it come alone you think?" Ebe asks, looking worried. Out of everyone, she still fears the creature the most.

"Doubtful. The Apophis knows it can't or won't hold the goods so cultists will likely arrive, potentially more of the enthralled too."

Looking over the map you tap a spot before the Merchant's Guild. "This area before the Guild, is it some kind of open market like the Grand Bazaar?"

"Yes and no." Ammon says, looking at the spot indicated. "Trading does occur outside, but it's mostly for those waiting their turns and for organized flow of people and wagons. Some wagoneers will stay the night in this area and others will offer services there."

"Is it still full of wagons?"

"Yes, at the moment."

"Hmm." You muse, looking back at the map. "This street runs directly from the palace to the Merchant's guild, right?"


914ef2 (119) No.334446>>334447

>>334445

"Correct. Many prominent businesses and accounting houses line this promenade."

"Looks like there are quite a few side streets too." Sophie says, looking at what you're seeing. "Could be used as an ambush spot also."

"Is the area evacuated?" Ebe asks with a serious expression.

"Mostly. Can't keep every vagrant out of the area." Ammon says, shrugging. "I can't say if there are any looters out or not, but it's mostly empty."

A wealth of large, ornate buildings are marked out on the map with plenty of windows, availability to get to rooftops, etc. The street itself is very wide, but you could try something from there possibly, or…

"Do you think it's still possible to draw them away from that area? To a more advantageous position?"

Ammon considers. "Possibly, there are plenty of areas in town I could mention, especially in the Mina district which could be used to lay a trap. I do not know what bait you could possibly use, however."

"You said they might go after you if proffered the chance?"

He purses his lips. "At the information, I made it known my whereabouts were in the Merchant's Guild."

"Ah." You say, dropping that. Another thought comes to you though. "What if the Apophis were to be threatened? I assure you they'd pull away."

"Too much of a risk." He says, shooting it down. "I need you to destroy this creature, anything further will be handled afterward." A dangerous look enters his eyes and you feel a shiver down your spine. Tabitha puts her hand on your leg and gives you a look out of the corner of her eye, saying nothing. It still calms you down, however.

"Well, so we can ambush the creature, take care of the cultists, but how do we kill it?" The Grand Wizard asks, shuddering. "That thing was creepy and it reminded me of Xanthia. Frankly, I don't know how to kill her either and I've thought about it, a lot."

"What's odd is it should know the Pharaoh is dead." Selene says, folding her arms. "Why is it still here and serving the Apophis then?"

"Maybe it really doesn't know?" Alice suggests, shrugging. "I mean, it doesn't look totally with it."

"There is not another Pharaoh, is there?" Sophie asks Ammon, who shakes his head.

"No, the Pharaoh did not have a husband, though she had a consort. She did not have a child, though no one is certain why not."

Selene sighs. "I suppose she was so driven by her righteous quest and Phallia's whispers that she ignored such things. A sad life."

Sylphie sighs, "Maybe the covenant is different than we thought it was? Maybe it's something else linked into all of this? Or maybe it had a new contract drawn up?"

"Seems unlikely seeing as it's so driven to fulfill the covenant." Tabitha says, shaking her head. "It's possible that the covenant is over but it's pretending to follow orders?"

"I don't think so." Ebe says, shuddering. "It looks like it takes too much pleasure in killing people."

"Perhaps." You say, rubbing your chin before changing the subject. "When we fought it before, the major flaw was the construct body it's inhabiting. Sylphie's [Thunderstrike] damaged the chest and I thought destroyed the core which it is housed in, but perhaps it survived? Maybe if we remove that, then we can kill it for good?"

"It's possible." The Grand Wizard agrees. "Short of terminating the ritual it was summoned with, removing what it's bound to could produce desired effects. Or free it to fully manifest, you know, one of the two."

"Great confidence boost, dear." Selene says, patting his shoulder. "Do you believe your control over metal is enough to stop it, Rommel?"

"I think it's made of adamantium in most spots." You say, shaking your head. "Or some metal I'm not familiar with. I'm not confident I could."

"What about that short-circuit thing?" Alice asks. "You could shut down the magitek enchantments, right? Then, once she's immobilized, BAM!" She slides her sword out of her sheath some. "We hit it with everything we got."

"Could work, I suppose." Tabitha says, nodding. "It's not a fan of your sword."

"Everyone loves Energieschwert." Alice says, pouting. "People who don't just don't understand."


914ef2 (119) No.334447>>334457 >>334746 >>334748

>>334446

"It's something." You say, frustrated. If only there was a clear path here, but unless you can make an Apophis remove the covenant and send it back, there's no other choice. Even if it's enough to just make Hent-ateh hide for awhile while you work on Helene, that's something, right? It's not like you have enough knowledge to bind the damn thing again, even if you had a vessel for it.

Clapping draws your attention as Ammon addresses everyone. "Transportation and further supplies can be provided as needed, but time is of the essence. We do not know when they mean to strike out and I'd rather we be in place sooner than later, hmm?"

Nodding your head you recall something you have which could be helpful here. Rummaging in your pockets, you pull out, [Aliph's Sigil]. Ammon gives you a curious look as you touch it to your forehead and hear the cultists speaking. Where it was a frenzied chatter a few days ago, it's fairly quiet now, only a few voices communicating over it.

"…See to the Apophis's will." A man's voice says. "However, Lady Liala wishes not to be disturbed while this occurs. Protect her within the Great Temple, but do not enter without her orders."

A female voice chimes in. "Preparations are almost complete. Hent-ateh grows restless and I fear it has lashed out and killed a member of the cult who strayed too close. When will the Apophis send us forth?"

"Patience." The man's voice comes again. "When the sun is full in the sky, we will be seen visible to all as we complete our revolution by casting down the merchants and the usurper. The creature will serve its purpose and remove all who stand in our way. The Apophis's designs will come to fruition."

"Of course. I am sorry for doubting, the wisdom of the Apophis is infallible" The female voice finishes before the sigil grows silent beyond some unimportant information about weapons and food stores looted from the Palace.

"I think they're going to strike at noon." You say, putting the sigil away. It clinks against the [Keepsake charm] you have in your pocket. Purposefully keeping the part about "the usurper" quiet, you continue, "And Hent-ateh is growing more and more unpredictable. It even killed a cult member."

Ammon looks fairly distressed at this information, frowning deeply. "Thank you for that Rommel. If noon is correct then…" He looks at a clock in the corner which reads 8:12. "Only a few hours to prepare."

"Indeed." Tabitha says, turning to you. "So, how do we want to do this?"

You have a few options on where to make your attack, but how do you want to do it? This thing is dangerous and unpredictable, but everyone is rested again and ready for the fight. You have to believe you can do this before ending this charade and returning home. With a clenched jaw you set about thinking how you want to handle this horror, if you can.

>What do you do?


914ef2 (119) No.334448

Short update full of dialogue, sorry. Hopefully that gives a little more information. Unfortunately no one knows WHY Hent-Ateh is doing what it is doing. Maybe you should ask it really nicely?

I don't think the cultists were told much either, but they're clearly scared of the thing too.

If there's enough responses I can try to get an update in tomorrow too!


084d9c (10) No.334453>>334457 >>334542 >>334628 >>334748

File (hide): 1cc4f0115756590⋯.jpg (1.74 MB, 2674x3119, 2674:3119, 62995506_p0.jpg) (h) (u)

>>334445

>"As I've mentioned, Polah, who still won't come down from her room

Either rommel needs to barge in there or erwin needs to go in there, there's something wrong

>"However, Lady Liala wishes not to be disturbed while this occurs. Protect her within the Great Temple, but do not enter without her orders."

I have a feeling we're gonna have another apophis on our hands

Also, for dealing with hent-ateh lets try to find a an area she would likly cross, make a ner bottom less pit and cover it with a thin section of earth that wouldn't hold a person or persons crossing it. If that works and she falls into have slyvie and rommel pour a healthy dose of lava down in it and then collapse the thing


0db64e (9) No.334457>>334628

>>334447

Since Hent-ateh has shown repeatedly that she is immune to almost all of our attacks, I think we need to focus on disabling her before we run down our checklist of murder tools. If my previous idea of using [Reverse Polarity] to stop her metal bits doesn't work, the idea >>334453 had with the tiger trap will probably work, provided we bait it with a human sacrifice enthralled cultist who totally has it coming and use [Vox Caster] to make it seem like they're mocking her. After that, we try everything we have available to us to try and destroy her.


2ebefd (20) No.334488>>334529 >>334628 >>334748

i just realized, maybe the reason Hent-Ateh is so crazy is because it's never received a headpat before


cd50f9 (1) No.334529>>334628 >>334748

>>334488

Honestly, this isn'y a bad idea. We do have hands supposedly blessed by solos.


b9afec (22) No.334542>>334628 >>334746

File (hide): 8ba54cb5812005d⋯.jpg (151.6 KB, 599x1500, 599:1500, carbonite.jpg) (h) (u)

File (hide): 04f3f6717300b94⋯.png (321.2 KB, 637x276, 637:276, menda11.png) (h) (u)

>>334453

The hole is not going to work. We have seen that the creature has superhuman strength and not even lava can melt adamantium.

I am also keen to agree with GW about the whole "breaking her physical vessel will only make her worse" thing.

The only thing that can kill her reliably is a direct impact of a plasma blast, but unfortunately this spell is not designed for handling personnel, at least not on individual scale.

So the safest bet for us is to trap it. However, as it was said already, lava won't cut it and she will break out of any icy prison. What we need is to somehow execute a pic related.

A prison so solid and thick that her physical strength will be useless against it. For that I propose the hole scenario, but instead of lava, we fill it with as much metal as we can. Every fucking cheap piece of shit sword, spearhead, knife, pot, cheap junk armor. Anything goes. Then have Rommel, Sylphie, GW and Selene superheat it until we get a hole full of molten cast iron.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cast_iron

However, to actually put the Hentateh in that hole is an entirely different task. We will require cooperation from Amon and his buddies.

While the servants are collecting all those weapons and piling them up in the hole we dug up outside the guild, as well as stacking barrels upon barrels of water on the roof of the building, the bodyguards and mercenaries should prepare to engage the regular cultists so we won't get distracted by the small fries during our task.

Once the metal is sufficiently superheated, only a single caster will be necessary to maintain it in that state, for which we can leave Selene in charge.

Luring Hentateh will be as simple as having Tabitha taunt it fortunately, since that abomination has a particular hate boner for her.

While the majority of our team deals with enemy spell casters, Tabitha, Alice and Rommel will fight with the big bitch herself. Make sure the edges of our little death pit are made from sand so that when she inexplicably manages to grab a hold of the edge during her fall, she will only succeed in embarrassing herself as she plummets into the molten cast iron pool.

As for how to actually dump her there? Cast Rock slide underneath her after GW and Sylphie blast her smug, metal cunt face with the Father-Daughter [Indignation].

It might not destroy her, but it will hurt like a bitch and paralyze her long enough for us to dump her immobilized ass into the hole and signal for the servants on the roof to roll the barrels down and flood the street.

When all is said and done, we present the future sultan a gift for his ascension to the throne in the form of a modern art piece called "Dumb bitch gets bodied by Ronnie." that he will then be able to put outside the palace later.


914ef2 (119) No.334628>>334692 >>334707

File (hide): 2a0ba5912a066e6⋯.png (4.37 MB, 3423x4402, 3423:4402, Hent-ateh.png) (h) (u)

File (hide): 5a0e8c11e0358a0⋯.png (2.75 MB, 4544x2968, 568:371, realsadcats.png) (h) (u)

Oh hey, there's the full res pics of sad cats and Hent-ateh. Now I have nothing in the picture queue again.

The urge rises.

>>334453

Polah is a gud girl who is very shy. Nothing bad has happened to her probably.

>>334457

She didn't care for Energieschwert if we recall

>>334488

Checked.

>>334529

I think it very unlikely that she has been pat before. Sure, why not. Pat the horror's head. Do it.

>>334542

I…

Hrm.

Well, it's certainly a method to deal with the creature, but will it blend?

It's the best option put forth so far!


c41f09 (4) No.334692>>334804

>>334628

Jesus that Hent-ateh looks terrifying.


a5be29 (26) No.334707>>334708 >>334804

>>334628

Why are the twins really tanned? And their mother is paler than both of them?


084d9c (10) No.334708>>334804

>>334707

They've been in the desert and selene has been in jail


bf4e63 (28) No.334746>>334748

>>334447

>If only there was a clear path here, but unless you can make an Apophis remove the covenant and send it back, there's no other choice.

I really don’t think we’re capable of killing Hent-ateh right now. We have less resources and information than the previous group who tried to find a solution to the abomination problem, and if they could only seal the bloody thing at best then we’re unlikely to do much better. With that in mind, I would recommend attempting to temporarily seal it in some fashion in order to buy us time to figure out a more permanent solution, which will probably involve somehow querying Helene as she seems to have the most knowledge about the thing, because we don’t have any other options short of leaving and avoiding the problem only means it will bite us in the arse at some unknown point in the future.

As for the sealing process, we’re clearly not capable of performing a set up like last time due to a combination of factors -- including a lack of manpower, understanding of the warding technique and, rather importantly, the fact that the warding technique involved “using the mana in the land”, something Ectria is infamous for lacking unless we want to open the nexus point now which is probably why the sealed chamber was located in Deleor’s borders now that I think about it – so we’ll have to improvise. What >>334542 suggests is probably the best way of doing it, and it has the added benefit of hopefully convincing Ammon to spare our sister so we can have the opportunity to discuss matters with her in order to figure out if the thing can be dismissed or not; after all, Hent-ateh will effectively become Schrödinger's Cat Abomination and Ammon sure as hell isn’t going to open up its jail to prove it’s dead the burden of proof is on him if he makes the claim.

That said, I would like to make a couple of additions/alterations. First of all, simply sealing Hent-ateh in a case of iron isn’t going to be enough for two reasons: one, rapidly cooling metal tends to make it brittle [Shatter] is based around this concept which will as such make it weaker I guess we could avoid rapid cooling via a process like annealing or something, but that risks the abomination escaping mid-cooling, and two, Hent-ateh has access to dark magic, meaning its magical strength must be taken into account as well. Thus, we should add some wards to the jail in order to make it more physically and magically resistant - the Grand Wizard has access to both the [Sigil of Endurance] and [Sigil of Warding] and he’s had a good twenty years of fucking about with enchantments and the like, so him casting a few of each once the metal cools and even while its cooling to be safe should suffice. I’m also going to suggest we show the Grand Wizard the [Runic Rubbings] via the [Oculus of Henhotep], because while we don’t have the exact technique for the warding the Dwarves used, the concept behind the warding techniques could potentially be repurposed by him for usage here even in spite of the wards requiring the surrounding areas to have mana and even if not, he’d still find interest in it nonetheless and possible inspiration like we did.

Second of all, I don’t think Ammon is going to be giving us assistance besides handing us any requested supplies, so we’re going to have to find a way of handling the cultists and the cooling of the metal ourselves. For the former, Sylphie could probably handle it herself via repeated usage of [Build the Wall] and [Trench], and latter is solved dependent on the location of the hole. If we’re close enough to the river on the western side of the capital, then we could simply use [Water Spout] a spell which won’t get use otherwise with a little bit of extra manipulation to draw up most of the water there and dump it into the hole, which would be a hell of a lot more efficient than a bunch of men and monsters hurling barrels of water. If not, then Cryomancy is our friend as always.


bf4e63 (28) No.334748

>>334746

>>334447

Finally, regarding the whole ‘breaking the core risks it fully manifesting thing’, I’m not convinced that destroying the core will doom us all, as otherwise Hent-ateh would have purposefully shattered it by now for a power boost. However, it is definitely a risk that we shouldn’t take unless absolutely necessary, which is why I’m going to advocate for keeping the option of its destruction as a last resort when everything goes horribly wrong and retreat isn’t possible, as at that point any attempt at survival is worth it.

Also, unrelated to strategy, but we should try to get Polah to spy on the events occurring in the Great Temple of the Twins, because it would help to know what Liala plans to do once she succeeds with her own long overdue ritual so we can plan accordingly should we find success in taking Hent-ateh out of the picture for a time.

>>334453

>Either rommel needs to barge in there or erwin needs to go in there, there's something wrong

I'm fairly certain Polah normally doesn't leave her chambers, so she should be fine. If she was outside her chambers, though, then things would be wrong.

>>334488

>>334529

That sounds like a great way to lose our hands, so let’s not do that -- I’d rather us be still be capable of giving divine headpats to our future daughterus once we’re clear of all this madness.


914ef2 (119) No.334804

So yeah, got subbed in for raid and dragged through OS4 (which we cleared, yay!) so no update. Guess I'll get on that tomorrow!

Oh yeah, slavsan returned from the grave for an update too.

>>334692

I'm really glad you think that. I like how the eye turned out, it's creepy as fuck, right? Almost makes me want to get a picture of perfect Hent-ateh…

>>334707

>>334708

Selene is probably a little more pale than she should be, but as another picture of Sophie showed, they tanned.


914ef2 (119) No.335071>>335072

>Story continue

You can't kill this thing. Inside your heart you know damn well that Hent-ateh is something beyond your talents. The Grand Wizard confirmed your suspicions, but this thing is too close to Madame Xanthia and from the stories you've been told of her she's probably the strongest creature on Deleor and is only contained by pacts anchoring her to this world. Hent-ateh, on the other hand, does not have such limitations.

As time progresses and the creature grows more and more into what it truly was, you're certain that the only thing which would be able to remove it would be the end of its covenant, which would necessitate Helene dismissing it. As far as actually killing the creature…Gods, only Alice's blade seemed to show any apitude for that, but would it be enough?

Groaning, you lean back in your chair and put a hand to your forehead. Honestly, you've had little time to think through most battles, merely going on instinct most of the time. To actually have the ability to sit down and just go through all of these options makes the task seem insurmountable in a way. You know so very little about this creature that even attempting to formulate a plan to kill appears impossible. With only a few hours left to get this set up, you really don't have the time to figure it out either.

"If we can't kill it, maybe we can… seal it?" You mutter to yourself. Sylphie's ear twitches, hearing what you said.

"Seal it? How?"

Blinking in surprise, you look over at her and then down at the table before sighing. "I'm not overly certain. But it was done before, so maybe it can be done again?"

"Do you have any idea how to do that?" The Grand Wizard asks, looking skeptical. "I'll be honest, I've looked for many ways of doing such things as a tangent of research into beings such as Xanthia and I can't find anything worthwhile."

"Well… I do have this." You hand over the [Runic Rubbings] to which the Grand Wizard scans before frowning at you.

"I can't read this shit."

"Ah, right." Digging in your pockets you pull out the [Oculus of Henhotep] and hand over to him as well. Frowning, he uses the device for a moment before his eyes go wide.

"Well I'll be damned. That's one hells of an enchantment. I wonder if it attaches the spell weaving to the person looking through the device and pulls on- ah, right, focus." Coughing, he reads over the rubbings and then clacks his tongue.

"Grounding it into the mana of this world? A very, VERY interesting solution. It cuts it off from the power of wherever it came from and renders it almost useless."

He sighs and hands the items back to you. "Fairly useless here though unless that Nexus point were opened. There just isn't enough mana in this land to do something like that."

"Unfortunate." Ammon says at the head of the table. "What other suggestions do you have?"

His words may have sounded encouraging, but his tone of voice said, "What the fuck are you going to about this?"

"If we can't kill it." Sophie beings, looking thoughtful. She ignores Alice as the swordswoman makes to protest, continuing on herself. "And we can't seal it or unbind it. Then the only option left is to trap it."

Everyone goes silent as the unspoken question lingers in the room. "How?"

Eventually Sylphie breaks the silence by sighing and muttering, "What, it's not like we can just dump it in a hole and bury it." She hesitates as she finishes saying that, looking at you with a curious expression. "Rommel?"

"Dump it in a hole and bury it…" You mutter to yourself as you try to piece this out. No, perhaps you can't just do that but maybe… maybe there's another option. Eyes drifting downward to Tabitha's legs, they go wide as it hits you.

"Sylphie, you're a genius."

"What."

Grabbing a bowl of grapes you hurriedly mash them down into juice and say, "Imagine this is the pit."

"Rommel, did you just punch a bunch of grapes?" Tabitha asks.

"No time for that. Listen, imagine this is a pit we've dug and it's filled with all sorts of scrap metal." You punch the grapes again, liquifying more of them and generally making a mess. The sound of the servant sniffing in disdain sounds behind you but nothing happens. "Now then, using our magic we heat all of this up into a molten slop of iron, steel, brass, whatever."


914ef2 (119) No.335072>>335073

>>335071

"Okay…" Sylphie says, seeming hesitant. "So we have a pit of molten metal. Now what?"

"We somehow lure or thrust Hent-ateh into the pit and then, as it's flailing in the metal, we harden it and trap the thing in a block of metal so thick and powerful that it can't get out!"

Feeling remarkably good about this, you lean back and say, "It's the best I have."

Everyone else looks between themselves and, surprisingly, shrug. Selene sighs and says, "That's as stupid as one of my husband's plans."

"Hey now, I'd talk about a prison of shit in most cases."

"True." Selene says, rolling her eyes. She gives a sympathetic smile to Tabitha. "You have many, many years ahead of you to get used to this."

"I think I can manage." She says, smirking. "Anyway, it seems solid enough if we can hash out the details. First and foremost, we're going to need a lot of metal."

"I'm already on it." Ammon says, handing a sheet of paper to a servant. When… when did he write this? "Such a bold plan, but if worse comes to worse you can annihilate it with that plasma of yours, yes? Good." He stands and waves for another servant to approach. "I'll arrange escorts, this will take time to accomplish and you have very little. Gather your things, you need to go."

Your group members nod and stand up, making ready to get their things. As Tabitha spoons food onto plates for the two of you to eat before leaving, you're reminded of something you heard from the cultists, something that didn't bother you until now…

"Ammon." You say, catching the man's attention as he's walking out.

"I have one more thing I need to do before leaving."

---———————————————--

"Go away."

Sighing, you knock on the door again. "Polah, it's Rommel, can I come in?"

A pause occurs on the other side of the door. Moments later, wings flap madly before a groan of annoyance sounds followed by heavy footsteps and the door opening to show the form of a rather dishelmed Polah. She looks down at you, then back over to the Shoebill before sighing at you.

"What?"

"Can I come in?"

She fidgets momentarily before whispering, "Can we just send messages?"

"Polah, please." You sigh. "If it makes you more comfortable, but-"

{Good, I'm sick of speaking with words.}

Her voice in your mind sends a shudder through you after not hearing it in so long. Well, a few days, but they felt like another lifetime, all things considered. Shaking your head, you attune to the wavelength she's on and send, {Polah, I'm glad to see you're doing well.}

{No thanks to you. Fuckers say you asked for me to be here.}

You wince. {Sorry about that. I wanted to make sure you were safe.}

{I was safe in my own damn home!}

{One of your familiars told me there were fires heading toward your place beforehand though.}

{Fires? What fires? I'd seen some through my familiars, but none that came close to me. Which familiar are you talking about?}

Interesting. So someone had used another familiar to get your attention or… perhaps it was one of hers acting on his own. It would seem rather advantageous way to pull Zoras out if needed but… well, you have no true evidence of anything. Perhaps it's best to keep this to yourself for now.

{It's… complicated. Anyway, I'm glad to see you're safe however.}

The slovenly Griffon turns her head away but you can see the blush on her cheeks. {You're married so I hear, already trying to get cozy with another woman?}

{Polah, please.} You send, shaking your head. {Time is short as it stands. I did truly wish to see how you were doing, make sure you were being treated alright.}

{It could be worse. I don't have to leave this room often and they bring me good food.} She sighs. {However, you seem like you want something else.}

{Yes.} You send. {I'm afraid something is going to happen in the Great Temple of the Twins. If you have a familiar there, can you look into it?}

{Look into something like what?}

{I'm afraid there might be another Apophis ritual.}

Polah frowns deeply and nods her head. {I… see. I believe Helbrecht, another mouse is around that area, he should be able to look into it. I'll send to you once I see something.}

{Thank you.} You say, nodding your head to her. As you do, Tabitha emerges from your room, carrying both of your things. She nods to Polah who pulls back some into the door way.

{It… was good to see you again. I'm glad you're safe.} She sends back before looking away and closing the door. Perhaps you could have asked her to come along but… no, it's better for her to be here. Sighing, you turn about take your things from Tabitha before heading downstairs to the wagons prepared by Ammon.


914ef2 (119) No.335073>>335075

>>335072

"Hurry it up, dump more of the scrap iron in the pit!"

Men dressed in a variety of clothing throw another barrel of rusted swords and other scrap into a large pit, the metal bouncing across other pieces thrown in before. Grunting, they toss the barrels back in and head away as another group comes forward with armor deemed worthless before tossing it in as well. You supervise the work, using [Survey] to assess how deep the metal is getting. Looking over to the side, you watch as the family of spellcasters (minus Sophie) apply heat to the metal, beginning to melt it into a silvery soup.

"Rommel, we don't have much more time." Ebe says, landing next to you. You both watch as more men come from the Merchant's guild with useless items, throwing them into the pit. The Ghandharva sighs and says, "Only about an hour, how are things coming?"

"Good, we're almost there." Casting out with your magic again, you nod your head. "We should be on time."

"I hope so." She mutters before shuddering. "I really don't want to fight this thing again."

"It's fine Ebe, if everything goes well, you won't have to." Giving her a reassuring smile, you gently pat her head and she sighs, leaning into the pat.

"You can't fix everything with a headpat, you know that, right?"

"I don't see you complaining."

Ebe puffs her cheeks out before sighing. "I'll handle the regular cultists as best as I can. You're certain these men won't help us?"

"Sadly, no. They're merchant's guild workers, not Ammon's men. Beyond arranging supplies and them, he hasn't deigned to help us."

"Honestly Rommel, I wonder if he wants us dead."

You think about that for a moment before shrugging. "Maybe. He'll find it's harder to kill us than that. Anyway, he's held up his word so far, so we might as well see this through."

"Think we'll be alright?" She whispers, eyes looking to you for succor.

Unable to meet her gaze, you say, "Yeah. I know we'll be fine."

"Rommel!"

The two of you turn as Sophie approaches, two wagons laden with barrels behind her. As she approaches men begin to unload the barrels and place them out of sight, but within range of the pit. She nods at their work, directing them with ease of one born to what is essentially nobility. When it seems everything is moving smoothly she turns to you.

"Water collection complete. Will this be enough?"

"It'll have to be, thanks." You say, nodding your head.

"Very well then, I'll make sure nothing tries to sneak up on us."

"Erwin has it covered I believe." You say. "Though help would be appreciated."

She rolls her eyes and then leaps away toward the street. Turning your eyes back to the pool of molten metal, you add your own heat, helping with the process until a thick, bubbling cauldron of metal lies before you. As agreed, Sylphie and the Grand Wizard back away from the mess while Selene continues to channel heat, keeping the temperature where it needs to be. After resting and eating well for a few days, she seems much better than before and some of her color has returned, though even being nearly naked in the sun hasn't allowed her full tan to return.

"Alright, time to get into positions." You say to everyone as the barrels get put away. The men retreat toward the Merchant's Guild while you gather up your team. Once everyone (Save Sophie and Erwin) have assembled, you address them.

"We all know the plan, right?"

"Yes." Tabitha says with grim determination. "We're well versed."

"Yeah, yeah." The Grand Wizard says, waving his hand dismissively. "Now we just need the thing to show up. I'd like to be done with all this bullshit thank you very much." His daughter nods her head in agreement.

"Well, we need to-" You're cut off as a voice sounds in your head.

{Rommel! It's coming!}

{What?! Now?!}

{Yes! It's coming straight for you and it's alone! It's left the cultists behind!}

"Shit!" You cry out, readying your staff. "It's early!"

The others grow alarmed but quickly move to their battle positions. Ebe flies away to a rooftop overlooking the street while Selene makes for an alleyway she can keep an eye on the pit with. Alice, Tabitha, and yourself stand with Mr. Ed, Sylphie, and the Grand Wizard, weapons ready. With a quick spell you make a thin layer of rock cover the pit, hiding it somewhat as part of the road again so it's not obvious.


914ef2 (119) No.335075>>335079 >>335296 >>335341 >>335768

>>335073

With that done, you hold up your staff and prepare yourself. Something moves toward you down the long promenade at rapid speeds, a distressing sound ranging ahead of it. Using your [Far Sight] you get a better picture of what's headed toward you: Hent-ateh in it's disgusting glory. Laughter issues before you, sick and disjointed, growing louder with every passing moment.

Magic coursing through your veins, you ready yourself to fight. Closer and closer it grows until it lands before you, feet breaking apart stones from its leap. The abomination stands up tall, showing off a distressingly feminine physique of black ooze. Medium length hair made of the same material as it's body flows over pieces of red metal, the last visible remnants of the construct skeleton it possessed. Purple, feminine eyes look over the assembled group with malign intelligence as a crooked smile opens in the shifting black face.

"Ehehe..HEHEHEHE… AHAHAHAHA!" Hent-ateh cackles, voice seeming to break between worlds. Spreading its arms out to the side, the talon-like fingers extend into wicked claws as the dark ink of its body forms into weapons. It crouches down, preparing to pounce as muscles from nothing before, with a mighty leap, it bounds forward.

Right over your heads.

Cursing, you cast [Ice] at the creature to slow it's movements, but it dashes past all of your assaults, leaping with incredibly speed atop wagons before bursting into the Merchant's guild on the second floor through a window. Distant screams and cries of panic sound from within the building.

"Fucking hells!" You shout. "It just ignored us! We have to get in there and save those damn merchants before-"

An entire section of the third floor explodes as a body flies out through the rubble, hitting a carriage outside and crushing it into a disgusting explosion of wood and gore. From the hole emerges Hent-ateh, holding a fat Ectrian man by the head. Jaws opening impossibly wide, you see the face of the construct underneath the roiling darkness. You watch on in horror as the mouth extends and bites the head off the screaming man, silencing him forever.

The creature drops the headless corpse before leaping from the third floor to break another wagon with its physique. As splinters rain all about, it spits out the head onto the ground before pointing at you and speaking in a voice that sounds far, far too sweet.

"I killed most of them, but I did not see the one described as Ammon. Where is Ammon?"

"He's not here." You say, feeling sweat trickle down your back. Oh Gods, she killed MOST of the merchants so easily? "Why are you even following orders anymore? The Pharaoh is dead! Your covenant is over!"

It cocks its head, eyes moving at impossible angles. "Of course the Pharaoh is dead. I dug up her corpse. I could smell it." It smiles at you with that far too large smile. "But the covenant is not fulfilled, the rein of the Apophis must be secured. The man known as Ammon must die, as well as two others. Then, the covenant will be complete ONCE AND FOR ALL, ehahahahehe."

"Two others? But, you were supposed to just end the Pharaohs!" You fumble, confused. "Who else do you have to kill?"

It's smile grows very, very wide, almost forming a U shape. "You for one."

"Impossible, Hele… Hel'alin would never order that."

"That's the thing, isn't it?" Hent-ateh chuckles. "She's the other one! ehehehAHHAHAHAHA!"

And with that, the maddened abomination from the beyond lunges toward you, claws extended and ready to fulfill this covenant.

>To be continued


914ef2 (119) No.335079>>335125 >>335338

>>335075

Man

Fuck all these convoluted power plays, am I right?

Also, sorry about not finishing the whole fight stuff up, I was typing slowly today. If you have further suggestions, please put them here, otherwise. We'll go with the pit.

Oh, and if y'all have another art suggestion, let me know. I think everyone of importance has a art done.


e7e7f8 (1) No.335125>>335193

>>335079

It's a little ambitious, as I don't know if you want to keep GWs appearance a mystery or not, but I think that a picture of him and Rommel working on Tabitha's new sword would be pretty neat


6e5443 (1) No.335179>>335193 >>335341

Maaaan, I knew we should have fucked off after killing the pharaoh. Is it too early to call the "pit of lava" a failure?

Hent-ateh keeps getting likened to Xanthia. The only person to ever be able to stand up to Xanthia was Fiora. Oh and Bearsy, I guess. Maybe we can find more of Phallia's priestesses hanging around somewhere?

I still feel like I don't understand the covenant. Hentateh needs to "secure the reign of the Apophis", and somehow that means killing us, even though we didn't decide to go against the Apophis until after we already killed the pharaoh. What do we, Ammon, Helen, and the pharaoh all share in common? Why will the Aphophis' reign be "secured" after we're dead?


914ef2 (119) No.335193

>>335125

mmm, yeah I'd rather keep his appearance a mystery at this point. I just don't think his beard could be drawn to JUSTICE.

>>335179

Well, if the goal was to protect the merchants, then yes. Yes it was a failure.

If the goal is to drop her into it, well you've barely even started the fight yet.

To be honest, I wanted to do a short story exploring Xanthia's past but never got a chance to do it. There's… a poorly understood realm between the realms of god and man and within it, these things exist. Don't feel bad, I never talked much about it because no one knows much about it in the lore. Such creatures are impossibly rare.

As far as the covenant goes, well.

I'm sure you'll figure it out.


a5be29 (26) No.335296>>335338

>>335075

>Killing Ammon, Rommel and Helene…

Ok, I'm guessing the Lamia has something to do with this. A new Apophis? There's a lot of info we're missing here.

Hent-ateh needs dealing with first, any ideas?


bf4e63 (28) No.335338

File (hide): 3842d1cffe1ab74⋯.png (193.74 KB, 800x800, 1:1, what a rotten way to die.png) (h) (u)

>A bunch of Ammon’s potential rivals and men who happen to keep up the slave trade in Ectria suddenly all died horribly

Oh dear, how terrible.

>>335079

The only things I can think of adding here is to remember that [Rock Solid] is a very useful thing we can use on more than just ourselves, as it can be used on our allies defensively to save them from otherwise certain death or on our enemies offensively to catch them in a net of rocks of sorts to lock them in place or forcibly move them about, and that, should luring or <Rock Slide> fails to get Hent-ateh into the molten pit, dragging it in is also a viable option.

>>335296

>Ok, I'm guessing the Lamia has something to do with this.

Liala is pretty much confirmed to be the culprit at this point, unless the Apophis somehow knew a rock autist and his clingy sister would threaten their control in the distant future back when they first made the pact millennia ago. Or I suppose if there’s another individual pulling the strings, but no one else we know of fits the bill here.

It does beg the question of how she was able to do that though. And also why she opted to only target us, Helene and Ammon when that leaves the rest of our party (bar Erwin as the familiar bond would unfortunately lead to his death too) alive, all of whom are committed to taking down the cult and would probably kill her, though I’m guessing that’s probably to spite Helene out of some sense of envy before taking her place as leader as per what was likely the original plan before the royal guard intervened back at the Chasm of Regret.


084d9c (10) No.335341>>335378 >>335416

>>335179

I'm calling it now rommel was related to royalty and would have been in line to rule.

>>335075

As long as she's unaware of the pit and chasing rommel, we can still use the trap and while she's burning use flash freeze or shatter on her if she seems like she will escape


a5be29 (26) No.335378>>335416

>>335341

>rommel was related to royalty

More likely, he's the one who killed the Pharaoh, thus he gets the throne. Dollora did say something like; the strongest rules.


914ef2 (119) No.335410>>335411

>Story continue

Hent-ateh dashes toward you with alarming speed. Only your experiences in battle on a near daily basis allow you to quick cast a wall in your way and intercept her charge. Although it blocks some of the momentum, she still destroys it in a spray of rock, claws reaching for you.

Both a glowing and a burning blade slash down before you, forcing the abomination to abort the charge and turn on its heel, leaping backward before being cut apart. Alice and Tabitha take up positions before you, weapons held at the ready while both the Grand Wizard and Sylphie step forward and blast spells at the creature.

A mix of ice and electricity annihilate the wagon upon which Hent-ateh is perched, the magic surging and destroying or freezing a swath of ground as the thing leaps away. Cackling, it hangs upon a wall before leaping off again as the destructive magicks destroy that as well.

With some breathing room allowing you to ready yourself, you too begin in the add your geomancy to the battle, turning a section of stone where the creature lands into [Inhospitable ground]. The spikes of jagged earth dig into the inky darkness of its "flesh" but all this does is reveal pieces of the metallic body it inhabits, the red a stark contrast to the black.

"Ehehahahahaha!" Hent-ateh screams. As you try to drop it into a pit it springs forward again, directly toward your line of defenders. Tabitha and Alice ready themselves to intercept, but mere yards away it adjusts the charge and bounds toward the wall of a building before twisting and springing at the Grand Wizard and Sylphie.

To her credit, Sylphie's hesitation is only momentary but it's enough to make her useless in this situation. Seeing the danger, the Grand Wizard pushes her out of the way, but is too late to fire off a spell at the creature. The cackling abomination lands before him and grabs the man by the face, raising the other claw to impale him in the chest.

A violent light bursts before you, blinding you for a moment. You can hear Hent-ateh screaming and as your vision clears you see the thing throwing him away like a wild animal that bit it. The inky flesh roils and smokes while a look of rage comes over its face. To his credit, the Grand Wizard only bounces once before he controls his roll, skidding backward on his knees. Electricity crackles from his body, encasing him in a wall of powerful force.

{Rommel!} Erwins sends. {The rest of the cultists are coming!}

{A little busy Erwin!} You send, watching the creature's smoking flesh. {Can you, Ebe, and Sophie handle them?}

{I… yeah. Of course we can!} He goes quiet focusing on his task. You trust Erwin to allow you to do this, even if you'd really want his help. Still, you all have your own battles to fight.

The damage is fleeting though as you watch Hent-ateh's body restore itself, re-knitting over the construct body after his shocking surprise. The creature's face contorts in a smile and it giggles before pointing down at Sylphie who lay on the ground, cradling something next to her. Without saying anything it extends the arm into a wicked sharp spear of darkness and drives it down at the girl.

"NOT THIS TIME!"

Sylphie screams in rage as she intercepts the killing blow with a ball of searing flames. Just as before with Ako's magic the flames burn at the dark flesh, driving it off the armor plating of the construct underneath but does no lasting harm. Still, the unexpected strike from Sylphie drives the creature back long enough for aid to arrive in the form of Selene.

Unable to watch as her husband and daughter are attacked, she latches onto Hent-ateh with her body, tails driving into the flesh and tearing chunks of it away that dissolve into nothingness. When the creature's head turns about 180 degrees she leaps away to avoid a sweeping blow of the claws that extend wide from the body. As she lands Selene slaps the ground and a line of flame jets through the stone, destroying it before consuming Hent-ateh in a column of flame so hot you can feel it from where you're standing.

Through the inferno a single, glowing eye shines. Your stomach roils as Hent-ateh steps forward, body seeming to melt off the construct underneath. The red paint of the plating is gone now, showing the metallic plating underneath and a fractured core that glows a sickly purple as darkness leaks forth from it. Jaws of bubbling pitch form a sloppy mouth that laughs at Selene in garbled slurs and it lunges at her, steaming flesh reforming to try and kill the Monster Lady.


914ef2 (119) No.335411>>335412

>>335410

The core… that damn core powering the constructed body. Is it really powering the magitek or is it something else. Nodding to Alice as Sylphie shouts for Mr. Ed to help Erwin and the others, the woman dashes forward to help while you open your [Mage Sight] and look at Hent-ateh.

A tightness seizes your chest as you behold the truth behind the creature. You begin to breathe heavily as tears come to your eyes. Man… man was not meant to comprehend what you're seeing here. This creature rests in a realm that no living being should want to have anything to do with and to even comprehend it is enough to drive you insane. Shaking, you narrow your focus down to the core and have to wince in agony as you find the resonance of the magic flowing through the core.

Alice charges in, sword held low. Hent-Ateh's arm is seized by Selene's tails, but the roiling body splits apart like muscle fibers uncoiling to latch onto the tails, pulling her inward. The Monster Lady hisses in fury as magic flares to life in her hands. Before any further blow can be struck, Alice slides in and, with a face of pure determination, slices off the arm of the construct.

Hent-ateh howls in pain as the severed arm drops to the ground, the disconnected flesh boiling away to nothing while the ragged stump attached to the body sizzles. Hent-ateh thrusts an arm toward Alice, focused entirely on the swordswoman who deftly steps aside and slashes this one as well, although it's only composed of the inky body of the creature. Still, where Energieschwert strikes, the black body sizzles and burns, clearly causing delayed healing and discomfort to the thing.

"Rommel, are you alright?" Tabitha says, shaking you. "You're pale, Rommel, what's wrong?"

"J….Just a little longer." You wheeze, eyes growing unfocused. You… you almost have the resonance. Just a little longer…

Hent-ateh seems to realize something as it snaps its head toward you, reformed eyes glowing. Alice and Selene charge at it, but it bodily shoulders them aside before leaping toward you, good arm poised to sweep aside Tabitha. Instead of easily batting away the Lizardman however, Tabitha deftly activates the thrusters on her legs and roundhouse kicks Hent-ateh in the head with enough force to shatter the ground and drive it half a foot into the dirt.

Legs cooling down, the swordswoman takes her sword in two hands and drives into the back of the creature, shouting, "YOU WON'T LAY A FINGER ON MY HUSBAND!"

"The… covenant." Hent-ateh says as Tabitha's blade is unable to pierce the metal casing of the construct underneath. Flames from the blade melt away the inky flesh in a ring, the darkness trying to push in against the light coming off the blade. A gasp issues from the creature as it pulls its head up from the ground and stares at you. With your [Mage Sight] open, you can see into the essence of this creature, for it has no soul that you can hope to describe. In that moment you know that it can see you as well.

"NOTHING ELSE MATTERS! THE COVENANT WILL BE COMPLETED! I WILL BE FREE!"

The missing arm bursts forth from the creature's body in a wave of viscous flesh. Despite her stabilizers, Tabitha is driven backward as the blackness of Hent-ateh's true from explodes outward. A popping sound is heard as it tears itself from the pool of darkness radiating outward like a creature rising from a vat of tar. As it rises you realize with horror that the form has changed again. Like a butterfly rising from a cocoon, the Hent-ateh pulls itself out and throws it's head backward, a stream of long, black hair arching behind it.

Where the previous iteration was a poorly defined mass of black flesh in the simulacrum of flesh, this body is smooth and well formed as the even the most beautiful woman's. Though you're certain the construct body lays underneath, the allure of the creature is made manifest. Having looked at Hent-ateh with your [Mage Sight], you know that it's not a Monster, and yet… there's no denying any longer than this creature is female.

Beautiful lips of pure black part as eyes open, revealing those same eyes you'd seen before. Turning her head ever so slightly toward you, Hent-ateh regards both you and Tabitha with a neutral expression, as if you were nothing but ants beneath her.

Snapping off your [Mage Sight] you shout to Tabitha as her hand casually shoots toward you in a blur of motion. Only the quick imposition of Babyface from your pocket saves your life, though your friend crumbles into dust to save your life. Even still, the dagger-like talons of her hand pierce into your breast, eliciting a cry of agony from you. A cold chill fills your breast and you feel yourself growing faint before the pain is ripped away as Tabitha lets out a war cry.

>You lose [Granite]


914ef2 (119) No.335412>>335413

>>335411

Panting, you put a hand to your chest, pulling it away to find blood there. Pressing a piece of rock there with your magic to hold back the bleeding, you push yourself up to see Hent-ateh bat aside Tabitha. Cool eyes look over the rest of the group which readies blade and magic to strike down the creature. Though the sudden change in demeanor confuses you, a glimmer of the madness from before shows as the smile opens a little wider than it should, tongue licking her lips.

Shifting, Hent-ateh, dashes back toward you, but it's forced backward as Sylphie throws up a wall of rock, allowing Tabitha to get you to your feet. Hent-ateh perches upon the wall and fires down at you arms seemingly made of elastic material. One grazes your face, but your able to block the other with some of the ambient rock. She follows you as you run around toward the others, back flipping to land in front of you, toned body stretching out to deliver a kick that Tabitha blocks with her blade. Before it reaches the burning blade the flesh splits into ten blade-like protusions and shoots toward Tabitha. She grunts as they pierce into her shoulder while she tries to pull away.

Alice rushes in again while The Grand Wizard fires a devastating [Thunderstrike]. In a distressingly fluid motion, Hent-ateh twirls about on one leg, the electricity missing her body to destroy a section of building before her while in the same motion she slams the same foot which struck at Tabitha into Alice, slamming the woman into the ground. Only her armor saves her, though a cry of agony bursts from her lips.

"Hmm." Hent-ateh muses.

"Why me?" You ask, gripping your staff tight, desperation starting to set in. The pit… it doesn't seem aware of the pit so you can still try to trap it but will it be enough? Gulping, you try to buy some time while organizing your thoughts. "How could your covenant know about me or Helene? How could it even know about Ammon? It was made centuries ago!"

Pursing her lips, the abomination says, "The descendant of the pact-maker declared this is as what would end the covenant. The bargain was changed with the change in circumstances."

"So what, killing me will somehow secure the Apophis's reign? Why not kill all of us? Aren't we all a threat?" You shake your head as you circle her. "Better yet, why would you kill Helene? She's an Apophis now, isn't she? Why would she have you kill her to free you from the covenant?"

A smile forms upon her lips. "She has never been the holder of the pact."

"What? But she controlled you!" Pointing at her, you say, "She held you back last time we fought!"

"Hmm." She muses again. "I wonder. No matter though. I WILL be freed." Her face splits into the wicked smile again as her hands explode into vicious claws. Using Alice as a springboard, she launches toward you only to stumble in her charge, crashing to the ground and rolling aside at a blast from the family of mages. She leaps backward and staggers on her leg, looking down as her foot is missing, the flesh their sizzling.

Alice looks up at her with a shit-eating grin, Energieschwert gripped in her hand. "I'm not getting stepped on twice, bitch."

Hent-ateh gives her a cold glare as her foot regrows. She snarls and then stops in place, a look of surprise on her face. Her formed arm moves without issue as well as the new foot, but everything connected to the construct form is frozen in place. She searches about before noticing the concentration on your face.

"Thanks Alice." You say, [Reverse Polarity] being channeled. "Gave me the opening to do this."

"You think stopping the skeleton will stop me?" Hent-ateh growls. The trapped limbs begin to shift underneath as begins to grow used to carrying the construct underneath with more attachments of the black flesh as muscles. Before her movements can grow any faster however you shout out,

"NOW!"

Slapping your hand to the ground, you shift the ground underneath Hent-ateh to slide her back toward the hidden pit. Rock shifts underneath her, carrying the slow moving creature toward the pit. As she approaches the hidden covering breaks apart, falling into the boiling cauldron of metal. Her eyes widen in surprise at this, and with a shout of anger she shoots tendrils of her flesh into the ground, anchoring against your movements.

"Sylphie!" You shout, continuing to push her forward, yet failing to make much headway.

"Dad!" She shouts, to which her father nods his head.

"Anything for my sweet little girl!"


914ef2 (119) No.335413>>335414

>>335412

Together they hold hands and point toward the creature as massive amounts of electricty build up between then. Roaring out together they cast a [Thunderstrike] so strong it might as well be a force of nature. The blast of power strikes Hent-ateh directly in the abdomen with enough force that it blows straight through the construct body underneath, leaving a gaping hole you can see straight through.

Hent-ateh staggers, dazzed as it tries to reform, inky darkness dripping from the spot in the chest the core is hidden. It reaches out toward you but something blurs into sight from behind you. With a shout, Tabitha runs forward and delivers a devastating kick to Hent-ateh's chest. The force of the blow tears apart the already weakened tendrils in the ground and she topples over backward into the pit of molten metal, a look of confusion on her face.

A column of red-hot metal flies into the air as she submerges into the pit. Shouting at the other spellcasters, you hurriedly draw forth the water from the barrels placed about and use them to cool the metal. A cloud of steam rises from the rapidly cooling metal and underneath it you can hear the thrashing of Hent-ateh as the weight of the metal drags her down.

The Grand Wizard points at the cooling metal and burning sigils appear on the surface, solidifying it further as the [Sigil of Endurance] and [Sigil of Warding] become applied under layers of cooling liquid metal. When all the water is drawn forth, Sylphie uses her aeromancy to push away the steam so you can get a better look at the pit.

All of you recoil backward as you see the shape of a clawed arm sticking out of the metal. It looks to have been cast of the steaming iron as well as the face that presses out from the pit. Even more surprising than the arm is the face. Instead of rage, a look of agony paints her expression, as if the thought of being trapped again was her greatest fear. Unfortunately for her, this fear was realized.

"Did… did we do it?" Sylphie asks, shaking. Nervous sweat trickles down her face as she slumps to the ground, the built up adrenaline and spell casting putting a toll upon her body.

"I… think so." You say, looking further into the pit. "She's not dead by any long shot but… I think she's trapped."

"That will have to do for Ammon." Selene says as she hugs her daughter. Kissing her on the head she whispers, "I'm so proud of you."

"Some fine spell slinging." Her Father says, collapsing down next to her. "Gods but that thing was terrifying. Well, at least things went better than with the Pharaoh."

Sylphie nods her head, "Yeah at least everyone is… OH FUCK." Her expression turns worried for a moment before a long sigh escapes her lips. "Thank the Gods."

"What's wrong?" You ask as you help Alice up.

"Mr. Ed and the others, they've contained the cultists. Sophie's been injured fighting some of those enthralled, but Ebe… wow apparently she cracked a few skulls."

Nodding your head, you prepare to send to Erwin when another voice fills your head.

{Rommel, it's Polah.}

Starting, you send back to her, {Polah! You scared me. What's wrong?}

{My familiar has been observing things inside the Temple. While there are plenty of cultists on the ground, the worship chamber has been converted into some kind of ritual site from what I can tell. There's some Lamia in there alone chanting something and exuding dark energy.}

Her voice grows concerned in your mind. {I had him leave, it was beginning to wear upon him.}


914ef2 (119) No.335414>>335416 >>335455 >>335628 >>335773

>>335413

{I… thank you.} You send, worried. Before you can process it, Erwin's voice pops into your mind.

{Ha! Told you we could handle it. Man, Mr. Ed is a BEAST. Even without transforming he caved in a few skulls!} His tone becomes more serious. {I'm told things are well on your end? You managed to trap her?}

{Yeah, we did, but… I'm worried we've been looking at things without the bigger picture.}

{What does that mean?}

A voice interrupts your thoughts as you notice Tabitha intercepting Ako as she leaps down from a building before your party. Surveying the creature in the pit, she says, "I believe Ammon wished for you to destroy the creature."

"It might be destroyed, it might not." She says, shrugging. "It's up to Ammon to find out if he's so bold. At the moment it's trapped."

"Think of it as a gift for Sultan Ammon." Alice says, sniffing.

Ako looks over the Merchant's guild, her eyes looking worried. "You were supposed to protect the Merchant's guild."

"We did what we could." Tabitha says, pointing at Ako. "Now then, hold up your end of the bargain."

"I will report this to Ammon and gather a team to collect this… gift. For now, you're to return and await as Ammon collects the Apophis and organizes things together."

Collects the Apophis… right, he was going to go in and try to keep her alive, wasn't he? That was the bargain. Though you feel tired, emotionally and physically, and the wound on your chest hurts almost as much as the loss of Babyface, you can't help but feel disturbed by what Hent-ateh said and Polah's warnings. But… what are you to do about it?

>What do you do?


914ef2 (119) No.335416>>335457

>>335414

Hey what do you know, it's trapped. Probably. You're not dead so I think it worked. As it turns out the thing is basically invincible all things considered but you have like, 6 people who are all fairly strong attacking it so a killing blow was unlikely to happen. Lucky you.

Alice probably isn't feel too great at the moment but she's happy she wasn't unconscious!

>>335378

>>335341

I can, have, and will pull a lot of fresh bullshit but that's even too far a stretch for me, especially since the line of Pharaohs only produces female offspring.

It's far more likely Ammon would be related to royalty than you since your parents were 100% Deleorian.

On a side note, this is officially the longest of the Wizardquest stories at over 407k words. We should have stopped a long time ago, but let's keep going and see what happens.


a5be29 (26) No.335455>>335685 >>335756 >>335774

>>335414

Well it's obvious now.

Lady Liala is the one in charge behind the scenes. She's decended from the pact-makers, the pact-makers did not have to be Apophis, but a normal Lamia. Using Hel'alin/Helene as a puppet/front for the time being. And now she's trying to become an Apophis, using the ritual to get the throne and sit on it, too. We should've killed her in her cell, sigh… but how could we know. Unless we'd gone to the Chasm of Regret like we were meant too. And not turn away because some autistic anons thought it was beneath them.

Helene is no longer the primary target, Liala is. Ammon needs to redirect his resources to the temple, not the palace. Inform him that Hent-ateh was sent to the Merchent's Quarter by Liala, to kill him (Ammon) and the Merchant's Guild was just fun for the horror. Looking for him.


50cb7c (10) No.335457>>335467 >>335685

>>335416

So lets get a ranking system started,

Final Form Hent-Ateh vs Xanthia, Who wins?

Based on lore I would assume Xanthia would end up devour/assimilate'ing her since she is to be far better at manipulating her body and seems to be immune to all forms of physical trauma.

Next course of action is to pop a remaining healing potionIf don't have any readily available Im sure we can find some in the guild quickly or just ask Ako to bring us a couple for Alice and us and maybe some mana for the witches. Inform Ako about what we think is happening at the temple and put in a request to Amon to try and send some of his firing squad to help give us a hand.

Other small things to do before continuing

*Use that one ability we have to detect what under our feet to make sure Hent-Ateh is fully encased in the metal.

*See if GW can do any more runic shit to strengthen the prison since its safe and he has some time

*Ask GW to check us over to make sure Hent-Ateh didn't give us some lovecraftian form of aids since she was quite literally inside us. Last thing we need is to get superaids or even possessed because we were careless.


b9afec (22) No.335467>>335502 >>335685

>>335457

>Final Form Hent-Ateh vs Xanthia

We haven't even seen final form Hent-Ateh. I assume it will reach it when it breaks free of it's construct body completely and the core that binds it to it gets broken.

I keep trying to figure out what she is based on, but the only thing I could get is that her name means favoured by the royalty which is pretty ironic considering her purpose.

We just got an implication that she comes from the same Lovecraftian source as Shoggoths, but I still can't find what she is based on exactly since I doubt Ace would come up with another OC donut steel monster.

My best guess so far is to take her at face value. She is probably a plain old regular shoggoth that has been bound to a thing instead of a place, and unlike Xanthia, who was born from the amalgamation of benevolent souls of many loyal servants, which slightly shifts her incomprehensive moral compass into the side of good, Hent-Ateh has none of that shit and exists only to consume and destroy.


377536 (1) No.335502

File (hide): 4dd6c400f5363f0⋯.png (36.73 KB, 171x232, 171:232, Qyqy6tX.png) (h) (u)

>>335467

>Doubt Ace would come up with another donut steel OC monster


084d9c (10) No.335628>>335685 >>335768 >>335806 >>335945

File (hide): 7af0137b8c65d52⋯.jpg (591.33 KB, 858x1200, 143:200, __serval_kemono_friends_dr….jpg) (h) (u)

>>335414

Can we use the cult sigil to get in touch with helanin? Maybe we can convince her she's being betrayed?


914ef2 (119) No.335685>>335774

>>335455

Whaaaaaat. Liala has been nothing but kind and mildly distressing to you! So rude.

Yes, everything would have been very, very different had you gone to the Chasm. Things would have been different had you gone to the other districts in the city too, but here we are!

>>335457

It's entirely likely that Xanthia would not respond well to Energieschwert either. Still, such wounds will heal, if slower, but Xanthia has had centuries in this world compatatively unbound while Hent-ateh spent even longer than that trapped in a cell, basically forgetting what she even was.

Tough call really.

I should update the list but Ammon would have given you healing potions/ Ako could easily get one for you/ there's a merchant's guild which hoarded all the supplies in the city and, I didn't read your spoiler text but hey I'm too lazy to delete this.

>>335467

Perfect Hent-ateh… How scary. And yet she was still brought down by the Pharaoh of yore.

Man, fighting in the daytime would have sucked. Someone could have died.

Actually, while looking through egyptian names I saw Hent-ateh and thought it was close to Hentai and the term "favored by royalty" or whatever was funny too. Now you know my naming processes.

I'll be real tho, Hent-ateh is not an easily definable "monster" Shoggoth is a close enough approximation though Xanthia can spread herself everywhere, make clones of herself, etc while Hent-ateh is a predator. It acts much differently.

I won't attach an autistic name to her unless I have to, but yeah. Dickbutt face.

>>335628

You can, but the sigil isn't exactly private communication. You'll inform any of the cult listening.


9ad3ed (1) No.335756

>>335455

>calling everyone who wanted something different from you autistic again

you might be an autist yourself m8


0fc885 (1) No.335768>>335772 >>335796

>>335075

>Ehehe..HEHEHEHE… AHAHAHAHA!

As far as strength goes she wasn't that impressive, relatively speakin., We should have just gotten a super strong monster clad in adamantium to toss her in the pit

yes that was a shitpost

>>335628

We should convince her that the cult is no better than the SLAVER SCUM who raided our village, because they take slaves.


084d9c (10) No.335772

File (hide): 9b7d4053eece9dd⋯.jpg (136.52 KB, 1036x1200, 259:300, DUHSnreUMAEDcw7.jpg) (h) (u)

>>335768

That didn't work too well last time, but I think sowing discord in them might be a good idea


bf4e63 (28) No.335773>>335796

>Babyface has perished in a heroic sacrifice

We need to collect what’s left of him for a proper burial. He deserves at least that much for his contributions towards this campaign.

>>335414

Hent-ateh who I’m still going to refer to as ‘it’ being imprisoned is great, but it was fairly obvious when we went ahead with this plan that the containment was little more than a temporary fix to a much larger problem. If Hent-ateh is still alive in its metallic cast and let’s be real here, it most certainly is then there’s no telling how long it will be before it bursts forth from the cocoon of steel to murder everything in sight in search of its targets, so we absolutely need to capitalise on it being out of the picture to find a more permanent solution before that happens. As for what a more permanent solution would be, trying to terminate the pact prematurely is likely our only choice as we clearly can’t kill the abomination -- this gives us two options for how to proceed, because sitting around with our thumbs up our arse waiting for Ammon to uphold his part of the bargain in which we didn’t technically uphold our own part, but we didn’t have much of a choice there and he should hopefully realise that killing Helene is only going to make things worse for him even if he can handle us isn’t going to achieve much of anything: we either go after Helene or confront Liala.

Helene was apparently never a holder of the pact if Hent-ateh is to be believed, but she was still able to control the abomination in spite of this, which is something that even it doesn’t understand. This means that either Liala granted control over the abomination to Helene or Helene somehow managed to gain control over the pact herself by means unknown to us, with both cases having Liala not making use of Hent-ateh herself, as otherwise Lady Aliph would have noted this during our conversation with her. If the latter is true, and I’d like to think it is because at least Helene wresting control from Liala until recently would give the Lamia a plausible reason for not having Hent-ateh guard her during her incredibly important ritual if she was capable of doing so and thus make that whole sequence not completely fucking retarded as a result of this revelation, then that implies Helene may still have some control over the pact or at least an understanding of how it works, and we may be able to convince her to end the covenant early. Of course, this hinges on Helene listening to us, which may be rather hard while she still has that ancient snake in her head, and it would potentially cause conflict with Ammon’s plans, so it may not be a good idea for now. It’s still a viable option though.

Going after Liala, on the other hand, probably is a good idea. She’s all but confirmed to be the one in control of the pact and, while she isn’t going to willingly dismiss Hent-ateh should we request as such, the pact could theoretically end the moment the “secure of the reign of the Apophis” clause is impossible to achieve, so killing her and exorcising the fiend inside our sister to remove all existing pact holders may have the desired effect. Even if such a statement isn’t true and the pact would somehow persist past her death, confronting Liala is still the better option as she is clearly a threat to us, our sister and Ectria as a whole and we need to put her down before she has the chance to get accustomed to her new form and powers and to cause a revolution within the Violet Sands with her original plan of sacking Hent-ateh on Helene failing. As such, I’d recommend we go with this option.

In any case, what others have said about getting more supplies from Ammon is a must, as is taking a moment of respite before proceeding, because we clearly aren’t in much condition to go charging into the fray right now. And talking into [Aliph’s Sigil] doesn’t do anything but alert the Violet Sands that we’re listening in to their conversations as we aren’t going to convince anyone of shit without being face-to-face, so continue to avoid doing that.

Completely unrelated to everything else, but it’s just occurred to me that the [Eye of Ant'anha] was used in Helene’s ritual. Does that mean she has the same powers of precognition that the tiara bestowed? If so, Ammon’s plan to subdue her if he actually was being genuine has a high probability of failing, and we might need to plan for that.


bf4e63 (28) No.335774>>335796 >>335811

>>335455

>the pact-makers did not have to be Apophis

Actually, they did:

>"Legends speak of the final days of the Apophis, when the last few of their species were being eradicated by the Pharaoh. In their desperation, they formed a pact with a creature from beyond our realm, this Hent-ateh, and brought it forth, binding it to them with a covenant to slay their enemies."

It’s explicitly stated that the Apophis made the pact in a final ploy for survival. Which means one of three things: Apophis give birth to Lamias, one of the Lamias had a child before she underwent the transformation, or Liala isn’t actually the descendent in question though that last one probably isn’t the case.

>>335685

>Yes, everything would have been very, very different had you gone to the Chasm.

I know this probably isn't the time to be asking, but you’ve made me curious: how would have things differed exactly? Also, is the release of 4.2 going to slow down updates?


914ef2 (119) No.335796

I'm not going to lie, I just don't feel it today. Partially because I needed to figure out how I wanted to make this all logically flow/ maybe the caffeine from this morning ran out. Either way, I'm sorry guys. To be honest I was going to have to skip Friday anyway due to an event I'm going to so something was going to give anyway

>>335768

That's not even her final form!

>>335773

Goshes, it very well might. Maybe you should try doing something to Hel'alin that might be considered dangerous

>>335774

Guess you'll have to confront Liala to find out!

As far as the chasm goes, you'd have some insight into Dollora sooner on, would have connected with the cult earlier and then be forced either to help them which would have accelerated their plans with Liala in charge. Since it didn't happen it didn't really… think some of it through more, but there were, of course, implications.

As we all know, slavsan plans things out meticulously, but I… don't. I make things work out in the end sort of! He's actually not kidding about planning this out a year ago I've seen it.


b9afec (22) No.335806

>>335628

Honestly, this is our best bet. I am now glad that people agreed against revealing that we had access to their network before. Just casually tell her that her confidant tried to sick Hentateh at us which would enrage her human half then tell her that Liala wants to usurp her and is transforming as we speak which will enrage her evil snake ghost half.

Then casually stroll through the city while the infighting occurs. When we get there, clobber the much weakened victor and unposess them both.


914ef2 (119) No.335811

>>335774

Oh, I did forget to mention

Yes, 4.2 will delay updates some.

I will be slaving over a submarine on Tuesday and I'm filling in again for 2 weeks in my old raid group starting on the 31st. Which means it will be difficult to do updates on monday, wednesday, or sunday unless I also have the day off… but I'll make it work.

We're probably close to the end maybe!


914ef2 (119) No.335929>>335930

>Story continue

Scooping up the pieces of Babyface, you gently place as much as you can within an empty vial. The glass filled with the crumbled remains of one who had been so far with you hurts to look at. Are we all just dust in a vial, in the end? With a sigh, you place the vial in your bag before standing straight and turning to Ako.

>You obtain [Granite dust]

>RIP Babyface

"We don't have time to rest for long, there's going to be another Apophis soon."

Everyone looks at you with surprised expressions. Oh, right, you didn't tell anyone about this. Coughing into your hand you say, "Liala has holed up in the Great Temple of the Twins. Polah's familiar has found that she's preparing for a ritual. You can guess what kind."

Ako's eyes look pensive. "I see, that is certainly information Ammon would wish to know. How long until this ritual is complete?"

"I don't know, Polah's familiar left. Based on what we saw here though she was making a play before moving to take out Hel'alin."

"The Apophis eating themselves?" Sylphie sighs, waving her hand. "Something something, snake eating its own tail, something something."

"This is much to consider, but at the moment you will still stay here and-"

"No." You say, walking up to Ako. Though you can't see her mouth, you get the impression she's frowning as she looks up at you. Her hand subtly goes to the knife at her side as you loom over her and speak. "We going to stop this mess once and for all. You WILL go and have Ammon prepare his resources for strife within the cult and you WILL allow us to go."

Ako's eyes go wide at your forceful nature and you see her shift uncomfortably. Behind you, Tabitha stiffens and walks over, hand on her sword, though you can't see why. The Kunoichi gives her a flat expression before she sighs, a slight blush on her cheeks.

"I will tell Ammon, but if he decides to punish you for disobeying orders then I will not help you."

"As far as I see it, we fulfilled our end of the bargain, he can fuck off."

"I see." She chuckles. "Do you have any more demands?"

"Yes."

Surprise comes to her eyes. "Eh?" Clearly she didn't expect you to say that.

"We need some healing potions, because this really hurts." Pointing at the holes in your chest and the blood there she blinks before saying,

"Ah, of course. The men inside the guild will provide some. I will be back shortly, if you're still here." She makes a hand signal to someone behind you and you hear footsteps approaching soon after. Turning to see what it is, you hear a soft, "Poof!" sound before turning back to find a small cloud of smoke and a missing Kunoichi. Did… did she just use a smoke bomb?

As the men approach you turn over to Tabitha who sniffs and crosses her arms. "Her sister did say she liked you."

"I never knew you the jealous type." You say, smirking. "It's kind of cute."

She narrows her eyes before growing concerned as you wince. Now that the battle is over, this wound actually hurts a fair amount! She gently feels it and turns to the Grand Wizard, waving him over. The man sighs and walks up, touching your chest before channeling magic into you. Shuddering at the invasion, he nods his head as he pokes around the humours in your chest.

"Uh huh. Oh, I see. Sad, sad, sad." He turns his head toward Tabitha and gives her a downcast expression. "I'm sorry but… you're going to be an early wido-" His speech is cut off as a flaming sword appears at his neck, singing his beard. Licking his lips, he says, "Actually, now that I think about it, he's going to be quite alright."


914ef2 (119) No.335930>>335931

>>335929

"Thanks doc." You say, grumbling as you try to pull away. He catches onto your shirt however and says,

"I said, GOING to be. That damn thing did something to your humours and- Tabitha put the Gods damned sword away."

She grumbles and deactivates the enchantment on the blade before sheathing it. The Grand Wizard sighs and continues. "Anyway, give me a moment to extract this." He closes his eyes and you feel something like a suction within you. Through the wounds in your chest a thin stream of back ooze flows out to roil over his hand. Frowning, he incinerates it before shaking his head.

"Well that's not disturbing. Looks like it injected you with something."

"I don’t really… feel different." You say, patting your chest and wincing. "Still hurts."

"May have been a slow poison, or some kind of corruption, I don't know." He shrugs. "It's fine now I suppose." He places a hand on your shoulder and says to Tabitha, "This one, is clean."

"Thanks doc." She mutters as men from the guild arrive with potions. They hand a few mana potions to Selene when she asks for them as well as healing potions. Thankfully you're the only one wounded beyond a few scrapes, bruises, or pride. For Alice, it's mostly pride, though she takes a potion anyway, breathing a little better once it does its job. As they divvy things out however, Mr. Ed trots into view, Sophie trailing behind.

Sylphie goes to meet her and gasps as she notices the limp arm at her sister's left side. Sophie shakes her head, wincing. "It's fine, just hurts abominably. One of them caught me off guard is all."

She drinks a health potion when it's thrust upon her by her sister and parents. Sighing as her father gives her an examination. Her arm works well enough, but it's still painful and one of her tails was injured too. In her current state, she's likely to be a little less combat ready that you'd like, but she did do a pretty good job holding the cultists at bay.

Ebe and Erwin are unharmed and by the time everyone is healed up and restocked, you have about four [Healing Potions] left. Should be fine enough…

>Healing Potion count: 4

"I think we've dallied here long enough." Selene says, crossing her arms. "We have a job to do, right?"

"Yes dear." The Grand Wizard says, applying another sigil to Hent-Ateh's prison. You confirmed that she's still in here with [Survey] and hasn't burrowed out like some kind of deranged weasel, but it still scares you to know that she's still alive… or whatever you'd call her existence.

"I don't like leaving this open." You say, shaking your head at the pit. "But we don't have much of a choice. She could have finished the ritual already."

"Can Polah look for us?" Ebe asks, walking up toward you.

"I can't really get back in touch with her but…" Pulling out [Aliph's Sigil] you listen in to the cultist reports.

{Our brothers and sisters sent to the Merchan'ts guild are all dead!} A man's voice cries.{I was patrolling and saw it! I do not see Hent-ateh either!}

{No, it can't be…} A woman's voice says. {Did the creature betray out brethren? Mistress, what has happened to the creature?}

It is a few moments before Hel'alin's voice echoes through the sigil. {Hent-ateh no longer has a use to the Apophis. The defeat of our brothers and sisters was not caused by the creature but instead by the hands of another. There is no doubt that it was Ammon and his vile rebels who wish to harm us. But they are a fading light before the glory that is the Apophis!}

Her voice grows more bold and yet… sinister. {Do not falter with this setback! Take the sacrifices and burn as fuel for our journey! Liala even now asks for the blessing of Dollora that we may triumph upon the correct path and bring this land back to its rightful rulers!}

As you listen it become blindingly obvious to you that she didn't know she had been betrayed. And why would she? She's blind to even her own power while Liala has been raised her whole life waiting for this chance. To have some upstart take it from her likely set her off, but you can't be certain. A twinge of panic sets in you as you think of the implications of this.

She admitted Hent-ateh was not in use at the moment. Which either means she knows it has been captured or… she isn't controlling it. Was the covenant truly finished then? No, it seemed absolutely certain that it needed to fulfill it, and part of that was killing Helene. Which means that someone has to be targeting her. Certainly it isn't Ammon, or else he'd have just killed you without the fuss- besides, it named him as a target. Which means…


914ef2 (119) No.335931>>335933 >>335935 >>335942 >>335990 >>335991

>>335930

It all comes back to Liala. But how would SHE have control over the creature? She didn't make the pact! She's not an Apophis! It doesn't make sense!

Rubbing at your head, you feel frustration from not knowing enough. Running into this blindly could easily get you killed, but if you don't act now, you'll be dealing with an Apophis who knows how to control her powers and is more than just a figurehead. Is that worse than the Pharaoh? You'd rather not like to find out. Besides, the greatest problem will lie in attacking Liala and having to face down cultists and possibly your sister to get to her. If only there was a way to warn her like…

You look down at the sigil and the snake motif it shows. There is a way, but it won't be pretty. Hesitating, you run through the options in your head before gritting your teeth and placing the sigil to your forehead. There's no time to second guess this, if you want Helene alive there's little choice, although you do this only by the barest of margins.

{Helene! You are being betrayed by Liala!}

Your thoughts echo through the sigil, eliciting shock from those listening. Many voices clamor out but the loudest is Hel'alin who says, {Rommel?! You're alive?! Oh, my brother, Liala told me you had betrayed us! Fled to work with Ammon!}

Well. She was actually correct, even if Liala was probably lying through her teeth. {She's using you Helene, she's ordered Hent-ateh to kill me and then kill you!}

Voices speak over the sigil, taxing your mind before Hel'alin's hiss silences them again. {Hent-ateh is not under her control, it is a tool which has finished its purpose.}

{Fine, believe that if you will, but know that she is currently conducting the ritual to become Apophis as we speak. When it is complete, she will claim you traitor and kill you, taking it all for herself.}

{Impossible! Liala would not betray the cause!}

{She won't, at least, not HER cause. Help me stop her, please. Don't let her rule over this land and make slaves of them as you were before.}

{I… I…} Hela'lin begins before another voice cuts in.

{Mistress! The Wizard, he stands before the Merchant's Guild where our brothers and sisters were slain! He is working with Ammon!}

Though you search about, you can find no one watching you. Is someone hidden or is this a trick?.

A violent hissing rises in your mind. {No… Rommel, you… you've betrayed me? You would run from my arms into the those of our enemy?!} An anguished scream echoes through the sigil before her voice cries out in your mind, {BRING HIM TO ME! BRING ME MY BROTHER AND KILL ALL ELSE WHO STAND IN YOUR WAY!}

Dropping the sigil you grow pale. Oh Gods, what have you done? You didn't expect it to go the best but this is the worst case scenario. The cult knows exactly what you're up to and now Helene thinks you've betrayed her! If that was all that was keeping her from being subsumed by the Apophis within her, then… oh Gods.

"Rommel, what's wrong, you look pale." Tabitha says, taking your arm. "Did something happen?"

"I… I might have made things worse." You say, looking out toward the Palace. "Much, much worse."

>What do you do?


914ef2 (119) No.335933

>>335931

This could have been a longer update I suppose, but reading through the suggestions, y'all wanted to try something pretty ballsy.

And look where it got you.

So, you have a few more options again. But hey, if you're a good boy, Ako might be back soon.


084d9c (10) No.335935>>335945 >>335990 >>336008 >>336098 >>336106

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>>335931

Get back on that sigil and tell helene that mom never loved her

Nah, but we could turn this into a good opportunity. We can have Rommel and tabitha out in the open and draw out the cultists when we confront them and have everyone else try to ambush liala


0db64e (9) No.335942>>335945 >>335975 >>336008 >>336098 >>336148

>>335931

Keep talking shit on that link. It's time for the return of [Old Man Rommel]. Let Helene know that we're not betraying her, we're trying to help her, Liala is working against her, her troops have no chance of defeating us, that she's being a colossal idiot for trusting the megalomaniacal snake over her own flesh and blood, etc. Don't stop talking until she actually starts listening. Yell over everyone else if need be. We'll show her reason one way or another.


a5be29 (26) No.335945>>336008 >>336098 >>336106

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>>335628

>use the cult sigil to get in touch with helanin

>Let's the cult know that we know what's going on

>Sister goes mental…

Well… worked out alright did it?!

NOW GO AND SIT IN THE CORNER!!

This is Cair in WarriorQuest all over again. One anon makes a stupid suggestion and anything goes to hell.

>>335935

>We can have Rommel and tabitha out in the open

Yes another GRRREAT idea; tell our clingy, gRapey sister we're married… she'll lay an egg… as will Tabitha too, in what 9 months?! I'm be sarcastic here, Ace. It's not a suggestion.

>>335942

Oh what the fuck, we might as well.

>To mention Tabitha or not to mention Tabitha? >That is the question!


50cb7c (10) No.335975>>336008 >>336098 >>336148

>>335942

Yeah since we decided to do this we need to fully commit now. We are not betraying her, We love her and are trying so desperately to save her. The only reason we even stayed to fight the Pharo was because we didn't want Helene to perish to her the next morning. We've done everything we possibly can to keep her alive up to this point and we are not going to let that get fucked up now because Helene isn't aware she is being played. We straight have the information from Hent-ateh that the next part of its covenant was to kill us and her. Literally who else is a higher end member of the cult and has a snake lineage?

Combine this into an [Old Man Rommel] rant and end it with something like "Years ago you saved my life, Now please just let me do the same for you. I love you".


bf4e63 (28) No.335990>>335991 >>336007 >>336098 >>336106 >>336220

>Helene only just learned of our ‘betrayal’

You’re telling me that none of the cultists who were attacking the Merchant’s Guild mentioned to her that our party were the ones responsible for killing them when they can do that nigh instantaneously? It’s not like they don’t know who our party comprises of, as it’s no secret that we’re travelling with every remaining Cat O’Ninetails by this point. Sorry Ace, I’m not buying it.

>We went ahead with the ‘talking through [Aliph’s Sigil]’ idea

I’m starting to regret not making that second or I guess third post further adding to what I said prior about why this was a bad idea I was planning to. Then again, it wouldn’t have mattered vote wise and no one bar Ace reads my shit any way so it wouldn't convince anyone, so whatever. Well, here we are I guess.

>>335931

The worst part about this situation isn’t Helene losing herself much sooner than intended, as awful as that is for us; it’s that Liala is now aware of Helene having heard the possibility of her being betrayed. While previously Liala would have likely waited for the perfect opportunity for murdering Helene to arise following her Hent-ateh plan not working out, as Helene would have been none the wiser to her plot and Liala would likely be willing to wait a little bit longer since it would be nothing in comparison to how long she has waited for the rise of the Apophis, Liala will now try to take out Helene at the first opportunity she has, because she can’t take the risk of Helene becoming wise to her plans with the information regarding her intentions now being available and leading to an internal revolution, however unlikely that outcome may be. So our ticking time bomb just got a much shorter duration.

We unfortunately cannot take back the words we’ve already said, so we might as well accept this and play with the hand dealt to us. Which leads us to having two choices for what to do here: do we double down and continue trying to bring our sister around to our line of thinking, or try to capitalise on our failure in some other way?

To start, doubling down is frankly the worst thing we could do here, my reasons for this belief being twofold. Firstly, and I’m really going to stress this, it will achieve absolutely nothing for us. We were barely able to get through to Helene when we first met her post-transformation, and she almost immediately lost control again without any provocation from anything -- do you really think that we will stand a chance of getting through to her now, when she has been influenced by the ancient, hateful being inside her head for about three days and has just learned that we’ve turned on her? We couldn’t find success talking to her face to face, so how the fuck are we supposed to do anything over long-distance when we’re only a voice? Secondly, it wastes time. Even if there weren’t any other negatives to trying this like it making the problem worse, we still need to use all of our concentration to keep track of the conversation, which means we are doing bugger all besides this. Sure, our party could probably handle things while we try to talk to Helene, but that still means we’re stuck where we’re stood and aren’t helping them when doing so would be much more efficient.

Which brings me to the other option, taking advantage of a bad situation. Helene has decreed that we are to be taken to her and anyone else in the way is to be killed, which means that she is prioritising us above everything else, even things which would be beneficial to the cult like securing the Merchant’s Guild and the supplies therein. This in turn means that, as >>335935 alludes to, we make the perfect bait for her. But rather than trying to pull cultists away from Liala to give our party the opportunity to reach her, which I don’t think is a good idea as Liala will still have a ton of defences and that would mean our party would be split for a major threat, I’m going to instead advocate we take this opportunity to put into action one of our primary reasons for staying in Ectria: saving Helene.


bf4e63 (28) No.335991>>336007 >>336106

>>335931

>>335990

Previously there were many factors in the way of performing the ritual, such as Helene being surrounded by cultists, a lack of information regarding how the ritual works and the location not being right when we needed it to be, but now Helene won’t have nearly as many cultists by her side, as the majority are guarding Liala, and we can now lure her to exactly where we want her by virtue of her running on emotion with little to no regard for logic in her desperate desire to get us. As for how to go about doing this, we should head to one of the consecrated areas required for the ritual and tell Helene that we’re waiting for her there -- this should get her to come to us, since there’s no way in hell that she’s not going to handle this matter personally when the limiting factor of her not knowing where we are is no longer present, especially if we were to deal with the first wave of cultists verifying our claim – then, we restrain her once any guards she may have brought are taken down and perform the long-awaited ritual. In terms of which location we should choose, the Great Temple of the Twins is occupied by Liala and the Chapel within the Palace is probably still swarming with cultists, which leaves the Lesser Temple of the Twins as our best bet; one could argue that it might not be enough, but Helene was able to undergo the ritual in the first place in some unknown location outside of the capital, so the third most holy place to Dollora in Ectria that we know of, being behind the other temple in the capital and the Chasm of Regret, should suffice for our purposes.

The only downside to this plan is that Liala gets to go through with her own ritual uncontested, but we were unlikely to do much on that front following that poor decision prior and, with Helene all but losing herself to the Apophis’ control, we need to do something about her situation as soon as possible if we want any chance of saving her, from both herself and Liala’s plans.

TL;DR: This situation sucks, but we might as well make the most of it. Fuck doubling down or trying to go after Liala nonetheless, instead take the chance to bait Helene into a consecrated area so we can purge the snake from her head and save her before it’s too late.

The frustration of watching your tower of cards collapse as the result of someone else’s terrible decision aside, this is one of the things I love about CYOAs like this. Having multiple people making suggestions means you can never be sure how events are going to play out, keeping things fresh, and the possibility of everything going horrendously wrong because someone didn’t think things through logically adds an extra layer of depth to problem solving you don’t tend to get alone.


a5be29 (26) No.336007

>>335990

>>335991

Ignore my previous post. This anon makes many good points.


b9afec (22) No.336008>>336009 >>336018 >>336051 >>336098 >>336106 >>336119

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>>335935

>Get back on that sigil and tell helene that mom never loved her

>>335942

>>335945

>>335975

Honestly, this and bits and pieces of above is the right course of action. Only instead of ranting we need to shitpost.

That's right shitpost over that connection as hard as we can, projecting our location for all cultists to see and hear and smear their ruler in front of the eyes of all of her followers.

Hel'alin is easily enraged and we must bring her to a boiling point, where she personally slithers out of the palace to go after us in a fit of autistic hissing rage while spitting venom everywhere. So that the second snake won't be able to reach her before we do.

Call her a bitch. Call her fat. Say that her skin is unappealing in color and is reminiscent of sour prune juice. Say that we hate her and despise everything she represents and that she is spitting on the grave of our parents. Tell her that she is just an old world ghost left behind that will never be the true ruler because she is not even strong enough to kill the pharaoh herself. She needed her strong big brother to wipe her cloaca for her because she is that fucking pathetic and wouldn't be able to rule over even a pile of cow dung, let alone a country and that we are backing up Ammon's claim for it because he is better smarter and more charismatic than her in every way. The reign of Apophis has ended millennia ago and will never return.

Then we lure her to our location, beat the crap out of her and restrain her because we don't have the motherfucking magical urn to seal her back in. She can go cool off in a basement somewhere at Ammon's while we brainstorm on how to beat an omniscient opponent without being able to shut down her ability to see the future.


bb9afb (6) No.336009>>336106

>>336008

I'm down with this. Take your sister out of play.


54362d (1) No.336018

>>336008

If anyone were to be omniscent it would be Helene since that artifact was used in her ritual.


e83620 (2) No.336051>>336098 >>336119

>>336008

There's alot of assumptions being tossed around here. How do we know she'll personally slither out of the palace? Even if she does, do we even know whether we can handle her when she's enraged? We have no idea what she's capable of.


914ef2 (119) No.336098>>336106 >>336108 >>336119

>>335935

It is very rude to insult your probably dead Mother.

>>335942

The return of [Old Man Rommel]… perhaps that is his true stand.

>>335945

There were many things leading up to Cair.

Oh and mentioning Tabitha. Sure, that will go over well probably.

>>335975

I mean, I'm sure she'll listen to it. CONVICTION.

>>335990

Basically all who could have responded were knocked out by Ebe's [Lullaby] as was suggested beforehand. The main issue were the enthralled who didn't seem to uh… care.

I'm sorry no one reads your stuff. I like it! But it's long so other people might not care for it.

Poor Helene, she's all those cultists who are very loyal to the Apophis, right?

>>336008

Shitposting?

My God, you have the greatest shitposter in the world standing next to you… but is it a risk you should really take?

>>336051

This is also a pretty good point. What guarentees do you have that she'll come after you beyond a sick obsession now turned into potential bloodlust? What powers does she truly possess? What will Ammon do about this once he sees what's happening?

Who can say.

At the moment it sounds like shitposting/ doubling down is what people want.

Want to take some more time to discuss this? You have until tomorrow unless something weird happens or you need more time to plan your move. Y'all should think this over carefully because you did already mess up once. What will happen this time?


a5be29 (26) No.336106>>336119

>>335935

>>335945

>>336008

>>336009

>>336098

>Shitposting to his only blood relative he has left.

This doesn't sounds like the Rommel we know. It's much more the G.Wiz's or Tobias' territory then Rommel's. I don't see Rommel wanting to hurt her.

It would make more sense for the G.Wiz to take over the shitpostin'. Whilst Rommel stands around like an idiot after he realized how much he fucked up. With everyone just lookin' at him like, "WTF DUDE?!"

>>335990

>>335991

I personally wouldn't go down the shitpostin' path. But as majority of anons are, well… special. We might as well try and make an omlette out of these broken eggs.


2ebefd (20) No.336108>>336433

>>336098

>imb4 our mother is/was Hent'ateh


bf4e63 (28) No.336119>>336156 >>336243

>>336008

Shitposting not really being a part of Rommel’s character and thus this action making no sense as pointed out by >>336106 and how what you’ve suggested might be a bit beyond the realms of shitposting aside, I’m going to veto this for a similar to why I oppose trying to convince Helene of anything; it will achieve nothing and simply wastes time overall. Furthermore, this particular idea actually has a huge negative to go along with it -- Helene has slipped further under the control of the Apophis from simply learning that we’re now on the opposite side, so what do you think is going to happen when she hears such insults coming from us? There’s a very good chance that, in her emotional breakdown, she comes to the conclusion that we hate her, which in turn will likely push her even further over the edge as any hope she had of restoring what’s left of her family is crushed and she just gives up as a result. All in all, the idea doesn’t achieve much that couldn’t be done with simpler methods and has a high probability of making things worse, which is the last thing we want right now. There is a time for fucking about, and this isn’t it.

>>336051

>How do we know she'll personally slither out of the palace?

Helene’s personality and beliefs have been warped by her transformation, and she was described to be very overprotective towards us back when we were both children, which has still been shown to be the case in our previous conversations with her. While it’s definitely not a guarantee, it’s still highly likely that she will want to handle things herself if given the opportunity, especially since she clearly isn’t thinking rationally about things at all and will as a result be more spontaneous with her actions, driven by purely emotion with no regard for the consequences; consequences like making herself more vulnerable as a result of exposing herself, for example. And besides, this is the best chance we have at getting her to come to us, so there isn’t much reason not to take it.

>Even if she does, do we even know whether we can handle her when she's enraged?

We don’t, but we’re clearly going to have to deal with her at some point and doing so when the majority of the cultists aren’t backing her up seems like a pretty good time to do it. Also, anger makes you stupid, or more accurately irrational; she’s going to be much easier to take down when she’s not thinking clearly than when she is.

>We have no idea what she's capable of.

We do however know two things: she will use dark magic, as Lady Aliph suddenly gained access to that divination with her own failed transformation, and she doesn’t seem to know about simple spells like [Privacy Barrier], as shown by our conversation back in the Great Temple of the Twins, both of which giving the strong implications that she will solely be using dark magic as she doesn’t know anything else of worth magic-wise. We can also theorise that she will have access to the precognition powers of the [Eye of Ant'anha], seeing as that was all but confirmed to have been used in her ritual, which we have ways of combatting and, unlike Tarula, Helene still isn’t entirely used to her new form, so she won’t be able to make much use out of her agility which means we don’t even need to rely on the same strategy of setting up and using [Reverse Polarity] like last time.

>>336098

>Basically all who could have responded were knocked out by Ebe's [Lullaby] as was suggested beforehand. The main issue were the enthralled who didn't seem to uh… care.

I didn’t really consider that, so I’m going to rescind my earlier statement on the matter.

>Oh and mentioning Tabitha. Sure, that will go over well probably.

Telling our overprotective and currently insane sister that we’re married and didn’t even invite her to the wedding is a great way to get her blood boiling and to put a colossal target on Tabitha’s head, which isn’t really what we want right now when we’re trying to avoid making things worse. That said, it would be a great way of convincing Helene to come out of to handle things herself, as she may feel the need to prove herself to be the most important woman in our life, so keep it as an option should other methods of coaxing her out fail and we’re desperate.


e83620 (2) No.336148

>>335942

>>335975

My vote's on this course of action, but we need logical [Old Man Rommel] and not pseudo-GW shitposting Rommel. No mentions of Tabitha either, that's simply irrelevant to the matter at hand and will only cloud Helene's judgement even further.


c027bd (1) No.336156>>336243

>>336119

Voting for this course of action, we need to stop fucking around


4c126e (1) No.336220>>336243

>>335990

I don't think we're going to get our sis to listen to anything we have to say unless we're able to speak to her directly since she's pissed, so voting for this in order to get her into a private setting to talk about this and to subdue her should words prove insufficient at calming her down before purging the grep snek from her and depositing it into something for immediate destruction.


a5be29 (26) No.336243

>>336119

>I’m going to veto this

> it will achieve nothing and simply wastes time overall

Too true.

>>336119

>>336156

>>336220

Glad too see some Anons are being sensible about this.


ae8375 (10) No.336265

Kill every snake humper in our way to the church. Then every snake/snake humper in the church. Then kill every snake humper on our way twords sister snek. Then kill everything around sister snek. Then beat some fucking sense into sister snake. Then kill everything that tried to stop us. Repeat last two steps u till we get what we want or everyone dies.

Simple enough right?


914ef2 (119) No.336272>>336275

Ah….I was afraid of this.

I hit the wall today really hard again at work and when I got home I passed out for a few hours. I'm going to delay again because my head still hurts. I don't know when I'm getting home tomorrow but I'l do my best to see if I can get something done.

Supposedly there might be apology art coming anyway so I'll have that… backup. Ugh what a shitty day.


2ebefd (20) No.336275>>336276

>>336272

>apology art

since we waifu'd tabitha, some art of Rommel, her, and their daughterus would be nice


914ef2 (119) No.336276>>336277

>>336275

You fuckers are on thin ice as it is.

There's no guarentee you'll live long enough for daughterus.

It's something else I think people will enjoy


2ebefd (20) No.336277>>336278

>>336276

>implying this story wont also have a happy ending like the other two, and Rommel and Tabitha will end up living long and happy lives


914ef2 (119) No.336278>>336280 >>336386

>>336277

Are you implying I'm too much of a pussy to kill a character because I like happy endings?

HUH? HUH?!!!


2ebefd (20) No.336280>>336444

>>336278

i'm implying you need to check 'em do like happy endings and dont want everyone here to hate you for not giving everyone the house, two kids, and a dog ending for Rommel and Tabitha and a happy ending for everyone else in the party as well


b9afec (22) No.336386>>336444 >>336512

File (hide): c72fe2a0917f9eb⋯.gif (94.15 KB, 325x244, 325:244, 1348235296816.gif) (h) (u)

>>336278

Do it Ace chan, kill 'em all!


bb9afb (6) No.336433

>>336108

>tfw Hent'ateh's weakness is headpats


bf4e63 (28) No.336444>>336456 >>336512

>>336280

>>336386

Stop tempting him.


2ebefd (20) No.336456>>336512

>>336444 (checked)

dont worry, it's not like he'd make a sad ending where his waifu Selene ends up depressed because of her daughterus and/or Tabitha kicking the bucket


914ef2 (119) No.336509>>336510

>Story continue

"Made it worse?"

Tabitha looks at you with a worried expression. "How did you make it worse?"

"Someone informed her we were to blame for stopping the assault and then lied that we were with Ammon and… damnit."

"But… we did go with Ammon."

"I know, but they didn't know that." Rubbing your face you groan, "Someone was watching this, but even if they weren't it's likely that someone loyal to Liala spoke in to deflect blame to us. Worse, she now knows that Helene could be suspicious and she might move forward faster to remove her."

"That does sound worse." Tabitha says, frowning deep. "I'm surprised they didn't implicate us when they were being attacked."

"Uhm." Ebe says, walking forward. "I doubted we could have beaten all of them as they were so I tried to make them all sleep. I got most of them but the ah… what did you call them? Enthralled? They were resistant."

"I see." You say, looking back down at the sigil. What do you do now? How can you resolve this? Should you get back on there and try to explain it away, try to make her see reason and apologize? No… that won't work, especially if someone cuts in again. It will only make things worse. The way things stand however, she's going to send all her might after you while Liala finishes her ritual and then kills her, potentially even blaming you for doing it. Who is going to argue?

Then maybe you should strike at Liala? No, she knows you're on to her as well likely. Security is likely increased at the Temple now and besides, Helene can easily reach you with her cultists and potentially even come out to fight herself and- wait.

"We get to her to come to us." You mutter, thinking it all through.

"Huh?" Sylphie says, cocking her head, cat ear's twitching. "Get who to come where?"

"Hel'alin." You say, coming to the conclusion. "She's angry but she's also in danger. There's just no feasible way to take out Liala now- we'll have to fight her later and pray we can finish the job, or let Ammon take her out. But Hel'alin… we can use this anger to our advantage."

"By having her… try to kill you?"

"I don't think she'll try to kill… me… at least." You say with some hesitation. "But if we can lure her to an area where we can perform the ritual, we can at least stop that threat."

"An interesting plan, but how do you propose that we do that?" Sophie asks, still holding her arm. "The chapel in the Palace is ruined and the Great Temple is under control by Liala."

"Theoretically it could be done anywhere, but there is one more place if memory serves." You say, digging out the shitty [City Map] you were given. Wish you took the better map from Ammon but whatever, it serves the purpose well enough. Tapping a section in the east of the Mushtarak district you say, "Here. The Lesser Temple of the Twins."

"Selene walks over and looks at the crude map with a serious expression. "It will likely work I suppose, but there were supposed to be many civillians in that area seeking succor. A lot of people could get hurt doing this."


914ef2 (119) No.336510>>336511

>>336509

"It… might be necessary." You say, having not thought of that.

The eldest Cat o'Ninetails looks at you with worry in her eyes. "Rommel… you don't… you don't want to be involved in causing a mass murder of innocents. I'm told you're a student of history and so you know that I…" She takes a deep breath and shakes her head. "I understand your feeling of being trapped and lost when it involves your family but involving others is not going to make things any better."

The others look uneasy at the prospects of involving innocents in this. Even if you were to clear most of them out beforehand it's still likely some will remain in the temple. Is there another option you could try? Somewhere else you could do the ritual? Hells, they did it in a fucking basement in some random house, so it doesn't need to be in a Temple. Pulling out the note again, you read it over.

While the majority of the note talks about ritual phrases to go over while channeling magic and a few sigils to draw, the only other thing to be mentioned is that:

"From what I can surmise, you will need what is to be transferred to and from. In this case, Hel'alin back into some person or container which could contain such a spirit. An artifact of power or an icon of great significance. While the location does not appear to matter, such rituals are best done in places with greater connections to the Gods, especially Dollora."

Which would be the Lesser Temple of the Twins… but damnit. Shaking your head you put that thought out of your mind for now. You're running low on time and frankly the most important aspect coming up is whether or not you can get her to even come after you- or who else you'll drag along in tow.

The sigil feels heavy in your hand as you bring it back to your forehead to immediately hear a flurry of angry hissing and spitting in your mind.

{Bring the rest of the blessed and make for an assault on their location at the Merchant's guild! This time, I expect it to be done RIGHT!}

{Of course, Apophis.} A man's voice says back. {We are your humble servants.}

{Yes… servants to my will. Servants who will do EVERYTHING commanded of them.}

Mentally preparing yourself, you dive right in and send {Slaves, you mean.}

The connection goes silent for a moment before Hel'alin hisses, {ROMMEL! BRING YOURSELF BEFORE MY MERCY AND GROVEL!}

Ignoring the command you send, {I'm surprised to hear the way you're treating those under you. They sound like slaves, like you used to be. It hurts to hear you like this.}

{Don't you DARE speak to me as if you understand! It is my RIGHT as Apophis to command the faithful!}

{Command them to what though? Death? You know they cannot stand against us, against me.}

{Their devotion is without the boundaries of life or death! Service to the Apophis is all they desire!}

{And when they're dead, their bodies lying in the gutters as their blood runs through these ruined streets? I assure you, this won't be on my hands, they'll be on yours.}

{You…. you….}

{Bastard? That would implicate you as well and insult our dear Mother. No, if you want me you're going to have to come get me yourself.}

{Don't listen to him, my mistress!} The same male voice from before says. The very same man who ratted you out to be the ones who stopped the cultist assault. Yes, Liala certain has some yes men. {He is trying to trick you!}

{Trick you into what? To exposing yourself? I could easily walk into the Palace like I did before and finish this, but I'm offering you the chance to do it yourself. Or are your powers incomplete? Do you not really have the strength to subdue your brother and his pack of trash?}


914ef2 (119) No.336511>>336516 >>336617 >>336847 >>336848

>>336510

Mentally sighing as you do, you send, {Or could it be, you're afraid?}

Murmurs from other cultists come across the network. Did he really just challenge an APOPHIS to battle? Impossible! He would never win! But… he did take down the Pharaoh. Could he defeat her? Is it actually not impossible?

The murmuring of foolish cultists does more for your case than anything you could say. Hel'alin hisses, words dripping with venom. {Brother… When I find you and flay your friend's skin from their very bones, I will then take you and make you see how far beneath me you are. I begin to wonder if I should have saved you all those years ago, if I'd known it would lead to this.}

{Fine, but it won't happen here.} You send.

{Then where, dear, sweet, brother?}

{You'll see.}

Dropping it there you shudder. The more she spoke, the less and less she sounded like herself. The intention was to rile her up enough to have her come after you, but this… Gods, will there be anything left to save? If it comes down to it, do you have the will to end her?

Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that.

Putting the sigil away, you turn to the others and say, "Alright, we need to get going then."

"Where?" The Grand Wizard says, rubbing his head. "Where the hells do we go?"

"East." You say, pointing toward the Tajr District. "We'll head toward the Lesser Temple, but if we see something else come up, then we'll have to use that area."

"Do we have something to even seal her away in? Can we even seal her away, what even can she do to fight? Do you have any idea what we're getting into?"

Closing your eyes you take a deep breath and say, "I don't know. We'll have to think of that on the way there."

The man takes your shoulder and looks you in the eye. "Look, I'm not one to complain about making shit up on the fly, but this is getting serious. If you don't come up with something here we might just have to kill her. Are you willing to do that?"

Looking away for a moment, you take a deep breath and look back. "If there's nothing else we can do, then I will put a pebble in her head myself."

He watches your expression for awhile before sighing and letting go of you. "These quests they… they take a lot of out you at times."

"Tell me about it."

He shakes his head and nods to Tabitha. "But, you always have to think about what you've gained, rather than what you've lost. Can you do that?"

Tabitha, your wife, takes you hand (in broad daylight no less) and squeezes it. She nods to you and smiles, "Well, we've done some hard stuff as it is. Might as well keep the leyway going."

"This is really touching." Alice says, pointing behind her. "But what do we do about that thing?"

You follow what she's pointing at to see Hent-ateh in the pit. While you'd rather not leave this alone, she's sort of covered in metal which is magically reinforced. Hopefully when Ako returns, she'll be able to move her somewhere so the cultists can't get her out or something.

Speaking of Ako, you still see no sign of her and figure it's for the best. If Ammon wants to speak with you, he can have someone find you. They clearly know where you're going, and worst case scenario he'll probably ask Polah to have one of her familiars to find you as well. Either way, you can't stay here and wait, because time is against you.

Leaving the Merchant's guild behind, you begin your migration toward the Lesser Temple of the Twins. With limited time, you need to figure out what you need to do and where you want to do it. Hel'alin will come for you now, and you hope that deep inside you didn't remove all traces of Helene with your words.

>What do you do?


914ef2 (119) No.336512>>336514 >>336516 >>336519 >>336577

So hey! I got home late but turns out this was another short update mainly because I need to nail down some things y'all want to do.

It's a strange turn of things people want to do, since half wanted to make her mad and the other half wanted to be civil. Anyway you got her attention because her power is based on reputation and guess who fucking has one at the moment? You do. You do.

But you have some choices to make. Where do you want to do this? How are you going to do it? What happens if there are civillians around where you want this done? What fallout will come from that?

We'll get a much larger update once I have a great idea on how to do that.

>>336386

S-slavsan

D-Desu. I can't kill party members the same way you do!

>>336444

Damn, trips. Guess I can't kill anyone.

>>336456

BEARDICUUUSSSSS

Also, I mean, there's no daughterus unless everyone survives the events of Wizards and Warrior anyway.

And I know slavsan wants to roll the dice.

Oh and no apology art this weekend I bet. We'll see but I guess something came up. Ripp


2ebefd (20) No.336514>>336516 >>336718

>>336512

>no Rommel, Tabitha, and daughterus art

w-wew lad


a5be29 (26) No.336516>>336684 >>336718 >>336848

>>336511

>>336512

>How to stop a gRape snek

pit n' ice

Ask party for ideas.

>seal her away in?

The artifact from the dead Pharaoh. >>332507 >You obtain [Keepsake pendant]

>>336512

>D-Desu. I can't kill party members the same way you do!

No Ace, don't do it. Killin' off his characters so easily, is one of the more annoyin' aspects of slavsan's stories.

>>336514

I too am sad at no Rommel, Tabitha, and daughterus art. Tis' a crime, most cruel.


7cecd2 (1) No.336519>>336552 >>336718 >>336848

>>336512

I know there are better guys to plot the hell out of this, but we really are in a pickle. The grapesnek is pissed and on the move, and we're losing our sister (if she's not already gone). If we stand any chance we should break for the temple possibly use Erwin to clear it? It'd be more poetic to get the gods to fight in their own house.

We are also very closely monitored by someone who is playing the field. We should spend the time to find the person following us and eliminate them. It's far too likely they will bring both sneks to us at the same time. This is bad strategy and totally preventable.

But, on the other hand, if both are in the church at the same time could we try the spell on both as they're tearing each other apart?


50cb7c (10) No.336552>>336718 >>336848

>>336519

You have a good idea but bringing them together will backfire on us. We're simply to big a threat for them to ignore us and fight each other. We solo'ed the Prophet who wielded unlimited power and then managed to stop the cults unstoppable killing machine. They would try to curb stomp us together and then Liara would reveal her treason afterwards.

So I have 2 ideas.

1. We send a dire Erwin into the lesser temple to get everyone the fuck out of there. People should evacuate real quick with a demon fox thrashing around and scaring all the children.

Or 2.

We go crash Liara's ritual. I don't frankly know why we ruled this out already to begin with. Best case scenario we kill mooks and have to deal with a cross priestess. Worst case we have to deal with a newly minted Apophis and some mooks. Getting her while she is still fresh out of the ritual and doesn't have perfect control of her powers is better then giving her a few hours of rest, No?


0db64e (9) No.336577>>336718

>>336512

Can we turn the roof of the Great Chapel into lava like we did to the throne room of the palace? It's not like Liala and the cultists have some magical bullshit way of stopping it like the Pharoah did. Afterwards, we can still use it for the ritual for Helene by using the keepsake we got from the Pharoah.


b9afec (22) No.336617>>336718

>>336511

It's time for copromancy to return. We need to clear out a large city district of civillians on a short notice? Let GW handle that. He will be able to do it in under thirty minutes with zero casualties and one hundred percent efficiency rating.

Let the champion of Nerg conjure the most vile, repugnant and rotten cloud of miasma he can muster and cover the entire district with it. Even if someone remains, they will hide in their houses and eventually fall unconscious and will not get in the way later.


c5fb09 (3) No.336684>>336709 >>336718

File (hide): 66030dd086c1163⋯.png (698.58 KB, 669x800, 669:800, Sub-Zero_MKX_Render2.png) (h) (u)

>>336516

>pit n' ice

Yes, ice is the way to go, she's cold blooded right? Freeze her to subzero to send her into hibernation


ae8375 (10) No.336709>>336718

>>336684

Can't we just freeze the fuck out of the place Liara is at to slow her and any other cold blooded fuck and murder everyone. The gwiz and selen can help with that. Then use that area to trap grape snake and un grape her? Seems to be the best way without a bunch of collateral damage.

Other option would be to plasma bomb the fuck out of everything besides grape snake.


914ef2 (119) No.336718>>336765

>>336514

Aww come on, if you don't all die, I promise I'll get a picture of the daughteru I totally didn't already plan out in my head.

It's a present!

>>336516

Pit n' ice sounds like a shady pita and shaved ice shop.

>>336519

>>336552

Dire Erwin would spook people i suppose.

And yes, it's far, far more likely they'd both kill you. Some people find that erotic.

>>336577

Mmm. Yes and no. Yes in that it's possible, no in that you'll probably be found out by the time you get that close. You can try it though and see what happens!

>>336617

I uh.

Uhhhhhhhhh.

Nrrrrghhhh, yeah that would probably… work on most people. Or drive them further into the Temple where they have censers and like, magic and shit. Would have to plan this correctly but uh… man that sounds rancid.

>>336684

Sounds appropriate, if you can make it work!

>>336709

>Plasma bomb everything besides her

That's not really how that spell works


b9afec (22) No.336765

>>336718

>Or drive them further into the Temple where they have censers and like, magic and shit

Well then obviously make the cloud originate from the temple and make it highly visible!


914ef2 (119) No.336846

Oh hey guys, because I'm going to be out tuesday and wednesday because of ff14 and getting my new rig (first new computer in uhh… 6 years?), I'll do the update tomorrow to make sure everyone has their say. Bleh. Sorry for making these so delayed


bf4e63 (28) No.336847>>336848

>>336511

Our current conundrum can be broken down into three parts: how we plan to evacuate the Lesser Temple of the Twins, how we plan to combat Helene when she inevitably arrives, and how we plan to go about the ritual, or more accurately what we’re planning on using as the new host for the Apophis’ spirit.

For evacuating the Lesser Temple of the Twins and the surrounding area to limit or avoid civilian casualties entirely, the two ideas other anons have brought up regarding Erwin and the Grand Wizard seem reasonable enough, so I’m going to opt for a combination of the two for maximum effectiveness -- that is, the Grand Wizard casts a weaker variant of [Miasma] the aim is to cause serious discomfort, not kill via severe respiratory diseases over the area while Erwin heads into the temple itself, activates his dire form and starts rampaging, thus causing people to seek shelter and get out of the way while also avoiding the temple in particular. That said, we would have to figure out a method of protecting Erwin from the effects of the Grand Wizard’s magic before we could do something like this, but he probably has something available or could come up with an idea that works. Also, Erwin should be careful not to go too overboard while thrashing about, since we’re not trying to destroy the temple and defile the consecrated ground as a result.

In terms of combatting Helene and I guess any cultists she brings with her, but those guys are just nuisances at this point and hold minimal threat comparatively to restrain her, we should have everyone maintain a good distance from her at all times when possible, since her venom will enthral anyone she bites, and while the Grand Wizard could probably remove the venom with his knowledge of Plagamancy before any effects take place it’s still not ideal to be bitten in the first place. As for offensive options, what others have said about a mixed use of Cryomancy and Geomancy is clearly the correct course of action here due to our proficiency in both and the former being a weakness, especially as Helene is still unlikely to be used to dealing with the cold in any capacity with her transformation being so recent so she will be exceptionally sluggish. There are still two factors to consider, however: how to combat any magic she will have access to and how to handle the potential precognition abilities she may possess.

It’s unknown exactly what spells Helene has in her arsenal, but we can at least be confident in saying that it will involve a lot of dark magic considering how Lady Aliph gained access to the divine magic of Dollora upon her partial transformation -- as such, Selene, who has the most experience with dark magic out of everyone in our group and has some control over it IIRC, should primarily focus on defending everyone else from these attacks. For everything else or for those spells Selene is unable to do anything about, a [Counter Circle] from the Grand Wizard or a [Mana Burst] from either us or Sylphie should do the trick.

Moving swiftly along, we can’t really be certain whether or not she actually has any abilities that work in a similar fashion to the [Eye of Ant'anha], but it helps to plan around it just in case it turns out that she does. Unfortunately, we no longer have the option of simply disabling the source of the powers to prevent the precognition available to us, as the source of the powers would be Helene herself, not an artefact, and I’m fairly sure we can’t just cast [Reverse Polarity] on her with the same frequency as last time for the same effect though it’s worth a shot any way, so we’ll actually have to deal with the foresight instead of circumventing it. Our best options here are be to either utilise attacks that Helene is unable to dodge, such as those with large areas of effect, or to overwhelm her with many attacks in sequence so that she either tuckers out or makes a mistake and takes a blow; effectively, anything which makes seeing an attack or multiple coming irrelevant due to her limiting physical factors.


bf4e63 (28) No.336848

>>336511

>>336847

Should we find success in defeating and restraining Helene, the final step is obviously to perform the ritual to transfer the Apophis’ spirit within her into a new host before destroying it, which begs the question of what we should be using for this purpose, with us having a few viable choices. One option is what >>336516 suggests, the [Keepsake Pendant] we took from the Prophet’s corpse, but I’m not so sure on this since the item was said to lack any kind of magic and the significance it holds is related to the line of Pharaohs, with nothing to do with the Twins or the Apophis in the slightest -- that said, it would be fairly fitting to have the Prophet take down an Apophis post-mortem and it is very unlikely to see usage otherwise, so consider it. [Aliph’s Sigil] would probably work better here, as it is enchanted and actually holds a lot of significance to the Apophis specifically by virtue of being their icon, so I’d recommend trying that before the [Keepsake Pendant]. Should either of those two fail, we could try searching for artefacts within the Lesser Temple of the Twins that could fit the requirements, since the temple is unmolested by the Violet Sands and may as such hold anything that wasn’t brought to its bigger sister temple, or try various other objects in our possession, like the [Crystal Shards] that once held Hent-ateh were we to attempt to repair them, to see if anything sticks.

If all else fails and we come to our wit’s end, then there is one final option available to us before we’re forced to kill Helene, though it’s not ideal: using another living host. Theoretically, we should be able to take one of the still-living cultists of the human female or lamia variety with one of the enthralled being preferable, stick the Apophis in her and then kill her to ultimately end the grape snake. The reason I’m recommending this as a last resort is that it will lead to us having to fight another Apophis immediately upon the end of the ritual, which could prove to be rather difficult seeing as we’re coming into the first fight in not the best shape, so it would be better to avoid that if at all possible; still, it’s better than having to put down our sister. On a semi-related note, make sure Alice stands back a bit while we’re doing the ritual, if not have her leave the room entirely -- while very, very improbable, a series of very unfortunate events that leads to her becoming a host is still a definite possibility, so it would be for the best if we prevented that outcome entirely to avoid drama in that department.

>>336519

>It's far too likely they will bring both sneks to us at the same time.

Liala is currently busy with her own ritual in the other temple and, as shown by the outcome of Lady Aliph’s attempted ritual, even the slightest mistake or interruption will cause the ritual to fail. As far as we know, the artefact she has with her, the [Talisman of Tet'hua], is the last remaining source of the Apophis’ power not to mention the most powerful of all the artefacts, so she only has this one chance for things to go right or else millennia of planning and waiting will have been for nothing; there is no way in hell she is going to take her attention away from her ritual when the stakes are that high for her.

>>336552

>We go crash Liara's ritual. I don't frankly know why we ruled this out already to begin with.

Because that doesn’t solve the problem of our sister being on the verge of losing herself to the Apophis.


914ef2 (119) No.337007>>337008

>Story continue

The empty streets of the Tajr district feel alien compared to the days you were here before. Even during the chaos of the previous evenings, the rather "criminal" activity in the streets was better than the eiree silence. Here and there you can see the signs of the fire which consumed this area, possibly created on purpose by Ammon's men. The charred remains of the once vibrant houses and stalls make you feel a little ill inside- something which is furthered by the occasional corpse.

Unfortunately the time for such worries cannot be now. Your pace is swift, if not breakneck. It's doubtful that going faster would change the outcome of things other than making you tired. Besides, you hadn't made up your mind on the decision just yet. By the time you reach the broken remains of the Great Bazaar however, your course of action becomes clear.

{Erwin.} You send, walking through the destruction of the once proud market.

{Yeah?}

{There's someone following us.}

{He's not making great speed, but I'd assume so, yes.}

Mentally sighing, you send. {Can you and Selene remove him for us? I'd rather not have our location compromised until absolutely necessary.}

{Why not Sophie?}

{She deserves a rest for the moment.}

Erwin mentally nods and then walks over to Selene, pawing at her leg. She looks at him with a confused expression before following the twitches of his ears, her own following the same motions before she looks at you and then nods. While the rest of you continue to move forward, Erwin leaps into her arms, cradled close to her breast and she slinks off through the ruins.

Placing the sigil to your forehead, you grow dimly aware of your surroundings as you walk through the market. Sure, you maybe trip one, two, or seven times, but it's fine as you listen to the chatter over the sigil. Well, by chatter it's more like, "Hel'alin is fucking angry and where the fuck is Rommel, I want his head." You sure hope she means the one on your shoulders.

In between her ravings you hear a distinctive voice, the sound of the man from before. "Apophis, they are through the Great Bazaar."

"Where are they headed?"

"I have not seen this yet, but I-" He cuts off suddenly before his voice comes back. "Apophis! Help I am- gaaaah!"

His sendings grow silent. Hel'alin screams obscenities into the network but you merely remove the sigil from your forehead and continue forward. A few moments later Erwin sends {He's been ah… "removed."}

{Thanks, you two okay?}

{Uh, yeah. I could have taken him myself you know.}

{Insurance.}

He mentally scoffs. {Oh yeah, sure, insurance. Bringing the Monster Lady to take out one ratty cultist. There's a term for that, it's called OVERKILL.}

You roll your eyes as Selene leaps down beside her husband, Erwin sandwiched between her breasts for cushions. She smirks and tosses the fox at you, whom you catch deftly. Looking down into the smug bastard's eyes, you lean down and whisper, "Tabitha's are bigger."

Every pair of cat ears swivel in your direction and you get the distinct feeling of animosity directed at you. All you can get from Erwin however is fox laughter as the little guy leaps down from your arms and walks beside you. Standing up straight again you say out loud, "With that gone we can talk again."

"Uh huh, and what pray are we talking about? Breasts?" Sophie asks, giving you a flat look.

The Grand Wizard and Alice both perk up before blinking and looking away, trying not to seem like they were interested in the topic. Tabitha gives you a curious look and you wave your hand in dismissal. "A fascinating subject, but no. I've decided on the course of action. We will do this in the Lesser Temple."

"Rommel…" Selene says, a worried look in her eyes.

Holding up both hands in placation you say, "But I have a plan to clear the area of civilians without harming anyone." You cough into your hand. "Much."

Everyone gives you a skeptical look as you look down at Erwin. "I'm going to need your help buddy." He cocks his head in an inquisitive fashion. "I'll need you to go dire and flush people out of the Temple."

Selene sighs, "That may work in a small scale, but it won't clear people too far from the area, and some may even attack him."

"That." You say, holding up a finger. "Is why I next need your husband." Pointing said finger at him, the man blinks in surprise a few times before a devilish smile comes across his face.

"Oh no." Selene says, face going pale. "You don't mean to-"

Both Sophie and Sylphie grow a few shades lighter in the face as well. Sylphie whispers, "Please say he isn't going to do what I think he's going to do."

"Those poor people…" Sophie says, shaking her head slowly.

As the Grand Wizard breaks into maniacal laughter while his family has a little break down of their own, Ebe turns to you and says, "Uhm. What is about to happen?"

Your only reply is a slowly shake your head.


914ef2 (119) No.337008>>337009

>>337007

It began with a cry of pure terror. A yipping sound followed soon after, something uttered from the throat of a beast which could not be properly described. As if by the hand of Sveth in the grips of battle fury, the creature burst forth from nowhere in the midst of the packed Temple and drove the panicked populace from the building with shrieks and screams.

The resident priestesses tried to stop the beast with spells but it moved too quickly, it's moves too focused. In moments they were subdued but still alive, furthering the people to flee even faster. Once at a safe distance they watched as the beast, massive fangs dripping saliva as the fires of the braziers danced upon the orange fur. Eyes filled with pure rage kept them back, yet still inside the Temple, the people crying out for the Goddess to save them.

That's when the next of the curses happened. As if from nowhere a smell so rancid, so horrifying that it made the largest pile of disease ridden shit they've ever smelled seem like the finest of flowers in comparison. Some vomited, others uttered supplications to Nerg in release from this hell upon the mortal world, and yet others till passed out as they were unable to stay conscious through the vile smell.

The vast majority fled the area however, driven out of the Temple and it's grounds by a rapidly spreading cloud of odorous filth. Though they'd come to the Temple for supplication and relief from the lack of food and the war ravaging their fair city, there was little else to be done for now: Either run, or become one with the smell of death itself.

You watch from atop a nearby building as the people clear out, panicked by the smells. Next to you, Ebe shakes her head in disbelief while Alice and Tabitha look on with grim expressions. All the while the Grand Wizard has his hands out, laughing maniacally as he works his magic, a spell he calls, [Fate's Favored Flatulence.]

"It's a fucking fart!" Sylphie says, waving her hand out over the rooftop.

"Oh, that's too simplistic, but good try at alliteration dear." Her father says, manipulating this magic.

"Dear, you said you weren't going to do this shit anymore." Selene says, furred hand cover her forehead as she looks down. "It's embarrassing."

"Desperate times dear. Besides, I thought you loved me for my magic."

"Don't you dare twist my words."

"Either way." You say, breaking them up. Again. For like the eighth time. "It's working, they're clearing out. Erwin says it's the worst experience of his life but he's doing fine."

"Ah, darn, time to stop huh?" The Grand Wizard sighs, stopping his flow of magic, though the shit-eating grin remains on his face. "Sorry Erwin got caught up in it."

"He'll be fine, right?"

The man thinks for a moment. "He doesn't like to use that nose to smell things, does he?" At your glare he chuckles. "Calm down, it's only temporary."

"Come on, let's get down there." Tabitha sighs as you make stairs from the ground below. The descent is quick and with some… "Controlled" use of his magic, The Grand Wizard is able to keep people at bay, driving them into homes, etc. Some people can't leave the area though and you send Alice, Selene, and Ebe to help them while making your way into the Temple. Curiously, throughout all of this, Ammon didn't make a single move or try to contact you. This is rather… ominous, all things considered.

Entrance into the temple is smooth enough, though a lingering scent of the rancid stench sticks despite everything. There's just no good way to remove it all, as The Grand Wizard admits. This spell was meant to be an option of no return, and could easily swamp most of this district if he tried hard enough. He could easily start a war with this spell, which is why his family was not amused at him using it. You assume the anger sex Selene will performs will be both painful and very arousing.

You find Erwin slumped next to the altar in his normal form, eyes blurry and filled with tears. Kneeling down beside him, you pat the little guy on the head and whisper, "Thanks buddy."

{That was… I think I saw the face of my own mortality. It looked like a pile of shit.}

{You have now lived the human experience then, my friend.}


914ef2 (119) No.337009>>337010

>>337008

He wheezes and then falls unconscious. The Grand Wizard sets to purging any traces of the spell from him while you survey the Temple. While smaller overall than the Great Temple and only one story, the Lesser Temple has a much, much larger worship room which lacks the antechamber of the Great Temple. The statues and carvings around the room are less ornate but at the same time have a charm that only a person of common birth could understand.

At the back of the room sits a dias where a plain altar stands. Simple vines cover half of the altar while the other half is decorated in runes and scripture dedicated to Dollora. Behind it is a lectern with a book of prayer to both Phallia and Dollora.

Remember what happened last time, you make sure the priestesses are unconcious before having the Grand Wizard check them for plants. He declares them clear and you feel much better about the abundant vegetation surrounding the walls of this Temple- it's far less likely they'll try to kill you than in the Great Temple.

"We've cleared all the civilians at least to the outer courtyard." Selene says, entering with Alice and Ebe. They look around the Temple with the same anxiety as you until you assure them it's safe. The Cat o'Ninetails nods. "What's the plan now?"

"I'm growing concerened we're running out of time." You say, nodding your head. "I think if they haven't figured out where we are now, they will soon enough. We need to prepare the ritual."

Selene nods and begins to set up an area for the ritual, drawing various runes in the open space where larger Monsters sit for the worship. For your part, you touch the sigil back to your forehead and send,

"I'm at the Lesser Temple of the Twins. I'm waiting for you."

Without waiting for an answer, you put the Sigil away and turn to your allies. "Selene will handle most of the ritual while we fight her. I assume she'll come with a host of cultists, but we can deal with them easily enough, right Sylphie?"

The Cat o'Ninetails blinks in surprise. "Huh? What? Me?"

"We'll likely need magic to keep them at bay, and I'm going to need your Mother and Father. Can you do this?"

She frowns and then leans her head close to you. "I suppose I could with the right motivation…?"

Sighing, you reach out and then pause, looking to Tabitha. She rolls her eyes and says, "It's fine." Nodding your head in response, you pat Sylphie's head, even though her father looks on with horror.

Collecting herself and Mr. Ed, she leaves along with Ebe to a point outside to await the cultist while the rest of you prepare. It doesn't take long to create the ritual site, though how intact it will be when it comes down to it is left to be seen. Keeping most of the pews in place for cover, you make sure Erwin is in a safe location before sitting upon the altar, staff in hand, and await your sister while wondering if this was how the Pharaoh felt when you came to kill her.


914ef2 (119) No.337010>>337011

>>337009

"ROMMEL!"

The doors crash open as Hel'alin, might Apophis enters the Temple. Flanked by Anubis guards, enthralled by the looks of them, she immediately finds you on the altar, alone. Hissing, she points toward you and says, eyes wild. "What is your game? Is this some ploy? Or have you given up your struggles."

"I wanted to talk, Helene."

She hisses, serpentine tongue flicking out from her mouth. "I am no longer Helene. I am the Apophis, Hel'alin."

"I don't know about that." You sigh, toying with your staff. "If there was nothing of Helene left, you wouldn't care to face me. You'd have spared the words and immediately tried to kill me. Instead you're talking with me."

"Because, this is my victory. You have given yourself to me fully." Holding out a hand, the jewelry on her arm tinkles as she smiles wickedly. "You will be my slave and consort. I have decided that to be the best course for you, whether you like it or not."

"It's not too late to turn away from this Helene." You say, shaking your head. "I'm sorry I hurt you, I never meant to do it, but there was no other way to talk in person."

"Perhaps on your terms." She hisses. "But it no longer matters." Slithering toward you, she holds her arms out, the sensuous motions of her hips making the scanty clothing she wears stand out and highlight her sexuality. "Come to me."

The Anubis guard follow close behind while outside a group of cultists begin to follow behind and secure the perimeter. Once Hel'alin is sufficiently close you sigh, snapping your fingers. "It didn't have to be this way."

Immediately Hel'alin rushes you, moving at blinding speed. The sudden movement at the apex of your snapping stuns you to the point that you forget entirely about casting your spell, <Cold Blooded>. Shouting out to her followers, the Apophis cries, "To the flanks!"

The enthralled Anubis dash to the sides, weapons leveled. The rest of your party, hidden by the pews, leap forth and defend themselves against the surprise attack. How did they know what you'd be doing? Was she prescient or something? The thought strikes you immediately as she reaches you that yes, she very well may be prescient.

Her hands grasp your shoulders and she opens her mouth wide, fangs almost dripping with venom. Driving her face down, her teeth graze your neck before pulls away as a burning blade strikes the space before you that was filled just seconds before by the Apophis.

"Are you alright?" Tabitha asks, sword ready.

"Yeah, I uh… I think." You say, touching your neck to find a small amount of blood there. "I don't think she injected any venom. Good thing you were behind the altar."

"Yeah, but I didn't expect her to have the same power as that artifact."

"Me either." You say, channeling your magic. At this she hisses and whips her tail around at you with more skill than you'd expect a newly Monsterized Monster to have. You step backward from it, interrupting your spellcasting again and realize it's her intention.

Outside, you see cultists dropping from Ebe's song while Mr. Ed with Sylphie on his back plow through the remaining cultists. At least their fight is easy. Sadly, the enthralled are also keeping the rest of your group at bay, at least for a little bit as Alice has already dispatched one while Selene has three attacking her, and two going after The Grand Wizard with Sophie. They'll have to do their best for now.

"So you can see the future, huh?" You say, holding out your staff. "But even if you can see everything, that doesn't mean you can stop it anything."

"I have already won this battle, it is only a matter of time." She hisses while chuckling. Reaching in between her breasts, she pulls out a small vial of white liquid and downs it, her tongue reaching into the vial for the last drop. Licking her lips, she says, "I can only imagine your semen will taste far better, and so much more when you willingly give it to me."

"Why would I do that?" You say, frowning. "It's kind of creepy anyway."

"Because, as I said before, I am no longer your sister. Also, because it should start to effect you now."

"I don't know what-" You cut off as your neck suddenly feels warm. Your mouth moves soundlessly as you touch your neck and feel a sensation spreading from there, something not overly unpleasant. Your breathing increases as the sensation slowly spreads through you. Something… something tells you that you may have taken in some of the venom from that graze. S-shit.

"What did you do to him?" Tabitha shouts, holding her sword out.


914ef2 (119) No.337011>>337012

>>337010

"I've given him a taste of the truth!" Hel'alin shouts, firing out bolts of dark magic at Tabitha, which drives the Lizardman backward. One of them seems to unnaturally strike her left arm, causing the scales there to grow dull and force Tabitha to gasp in pain. Hel'alin merely laughs and slides forward, dodging the sword swings with Tabitha's right arm with contemptuous ease.

It starts to be difficult to think properly, but something about this scene feels wrong. Why are they fighting? It's your wife and your ah… sister? No, that term isn't strong enough to describe what you feel about her… Mistress? That seems much more appropriate and yet… it's wrong somehow. Feeling your eyes grow unfocused, you begin to slip into unconsciousness when Tabitha screams, forcing your eyes open.

Having drawn a knife from her belt, Hel'alin stabs it into Tabitha's right arm, forcing her to drop the sword. Pulling it out again she stabs the left arm and begins to chuckle as she points the blade at Tabitha's belly. "Mmm, no legs, soon to be no arms, and I'll make it no guts either. You've caused far, far too much trouble for us. But you'll be an example." Slicing through her clothing to reveal the fair skin of Tabitha's stomach, she begins to chuckle before gasping and turning to you with wide eyes.

You shout, "STAY AWAY FROM MY WIFE!" before casting, <Cold Blooded>. The spell has an immediate effect in forcing Hel'alin to back away as she begins to shiver while the temperature continues to drop. Despite the shivering she continues to stare at you with wide eyes, as if uncomprehending. Her lips move slowly as she says,

"Y…Your wife?"

"Y..yeah, my mis- nrghhh." You put a hand to your head and pant as Tabitha sinks down next to you, huddling up close as her arms bleed. "She's my wife."

"You… found love." She whispers, looking horrified. "Rommel… found love and I…" Confusion comes over her expression before she gasps and darts to the side as a bolt of lightning sears the air near her. Her motions aren't as fluid as before but she can still anticipate them and dodge out of the way as the Grand Wizard runs up while Selene strikes at her, using her tails in a pattern that makes it hard to dodge, even when you know how to dodge them.

"Gods Tabitha, what happened to you?"

"Nevermind." She says, shaking her head. "Get to Rommel, she poisoned him!"

Your vision swims as you watch the fight between Selene and Hel'alin. A sudden and overwhelming hatred rises within you at watching someone try to defile your mistress and you roar, trying to summon your magic to kill those in your way. A solid slap turns your head at a ninety degree angle, and though you find you're not even dazed, it's enough to allow the Grand Wizard to grab your face and begin to channel magic into you.

"No… NOOOO!" You shout, thrashing under his magic. "LET ME GO! I MUST GET TO MY MISTRESS!"

"Oh shut him up." The Grand Wizard says as you begin to feel numb, the warmth sliding away from you. Though you make to scream at him again, Tabitha pushes her face toward yours and kisses you, silencing your protests. Though you try to pull away, eventually the warmth of your devotion to the Apophis is replaced by the warm and fuzzy feeling of kissing your wife.

She pulls away and you pant, feeling sick to your stomach from the experience. The Grand Wizard snorts and throws the venom he pulled out away before turning back to the battle and lowering the temperature further. "Sorry Tabitha, but this is the plan."

"I s-still have those undergarments, it's fine." Through her ruined shirt, you notice the necklace holding the enchanted basalt you gave her sitting between her breasts. Holding a hand out, you caress it and her chest, to which she gives you an embarrassed expression. "Not the time, love."

"Right." You groan, pushing yourself upward before really looking at her arms. "Dear Gods, she cut you up bad."

"I'll live." She says before gritting her teeth. "But I'm not swinging a sword anytime soon."

Moments later Selene leaps before all of you, tails held before her as she creates a shield to block the magic thrown by Hel'alin. She says, "Her magic is fairly inexperienced and she's sluggish from the magic. If she didn't have this damn prescience, she'd be child's play to defeat."

"She's freshly Monsterized too, doesn’t know much about her body, despite the Apophis inside her."

"Didn't help that you stunned her by saying I'm your wife." Tabitha says, nodding. "By the way, that was very sweet."


914ef2 (119) No.337012>>337013

>>337011

"Uh, sure. Yeah, that's what's happening to her." You say, not quite remembering that. You feel you may have blacked out for a few moments there. Either way you can't afford to linger. Pushing yourself up, you add in more to the dropping temperatures, which makes your sister scream in frustration.

"This… this unbearable cold! It… it shouldn't be possible. H-How are you? Why is…?"

"Well." The Grand Wizard says, nodding to Sophie as she goes to help Tabitha. "I doubt there were any cryomancers in ancient Ectria, and very few modern ones as well. They'd likely have been killed early as well since cold blooded Monsters would fear them, so I doubt anyone would know how to deal with this."

He taps his head. "You got beaten by biology."

"I am NOT beaten!" She screams. "Liala will come and the Apophis will rule this land even if I die."

"I don't want you dead." You say, shaking your head. "I want you to live, but not as this creature." You say, waving your hand over to the Apophis. "I want you to live as my sister."

"Never." She hisses. "Helene is DEAD."

"I refuse to believe that!" You shout, pointing your staff at her with shaky hands. "Helene, if you truly love me and everything you believe in, keep fighting. I'll free you one way or another."

Her eyes flash and she dashes toward Selene as the Monster Lady begins a leap at her. Her sluggish movements allow her to dodge the blow but she cries out moments before you cast [Ice], already seeing your spell trapping her lower half with her prescience before it even hits. She slumps to the ground, shivering, hand grasping at the stone floor, a look of terror on her face.

"No… no, no, no no!" She shouts before hissing flecks of venom at you. "You can't do this! The Apophis are eternal!"

"You aren't an Apophis!" You shout, shifting her into the circle created by Selene with <Rock Slide>. "You never truly were!"

"Then what am I?" She screams back, tears running down her cheeks. "What has this all been for?"

"The Pharaoh needed to die." You say, bowing your head. "But none of this ever needed to come this far."

"You could have stopped it before it did!" She says, weeping in earnest. Something shifts in her demeanor and you sense that the malevolent force within her is suppressed, at least for now. "When I saw you Rommel, you were supposed to come save me! I wanted you to come for me, but all you did was send that fucking letter!"

Looking down at your hands you grip them tight and say, "I'm sorry. I truly am. But there are things in this world greater than just us two siblings." Kneeling down next to her while encasing her in more ice, you look into her eyes and say, "I'm going to draw the spirit of the Apophis out of you."

Her eyes go wide and the rage of the Apophis returns. "NOOOO! YOU SHALL NOT DARE LAY ANOTHER HAND UPON ME, I COMMAND YOU!"

"The way I see it." You say, standing up. "You're not in control of anything any longer."

Nodding to Selene, the Monster Lady begins chanting the words written for you on the note while channeling magic into the spell. Everything things to grow quiet in the room as an omnipresent darkness looms despite the light outside. You feel something around you and while most in the room shudder at it, you feel a comforting sensation. It feels like… Dollora is around you, as odd as it may be say for a human. But well, things have been odd for you.

Hela'lin's rantings begin to grow more subdued as the magic seeps in, the ritual connecting the worlds of man of Gods by powers only Solos could describe. You sense a vital but of something occurring, a dark and divine thread calling out to the Apophis. It reaches out toward her and you get the impression of a hand poised to grasp something yet the image is within your mind. When it is by inches away from Hela'lin's face you hear something in the distance.


914ef2 (119) No.337013>>337025 >>337051 >>337103 >>337169 >>337234

>>337012

"LOOK OUT!"

A rumbling crack catches your attention after Ebe's words echo in from outside. Your attention is torn away from the ritual and you gape in horror as the roof of the building cracks and collapses in on itself, falling down to crush you. Only by quick action of your magic are you able to stop the falling pieces of stone from crushing you and Selene, and thankfully the Grand Wizard was able to do the same when the dust settles.

Using some aeromancy to move aside the dust, and debris, you look on in horror at the devastation. A full half of the roof had caved in and the other half is crumbling. Searching about in confusion, you spot something at the ruins of the entrance, light shining in from the ruined ceiling to illuminate their presence.

Standing there alone is the figure of a Lamia with purple skin, dark purple scales, yellow, black-sclera eyes, and a familiar face. Holding out her hands, orbs of dark magic appear there, stronger than any you'd seen before. She smiles a wicked, disturbing smile and laughs softly before saying,

"Well now, this saves me the trouble of hunting everyone down. Thank you, Rommel."

Though dazed and confused, Hel'alin turns her head toward the other Apophis and says, "Liala… help."

Liala thinks about it for a moment before raising one of the orbs. Hel'alin's eyes go wide and she looks utterly shocked as from the orb a beam of dark energy streaks forward and pierces the other Apophis's back. You watch in shock as the Monster before you screams in agony before collapsing, eyes unfocused. Hurriedly touching her neck, you find she's not dead, but only because she turned away enough in time to keep herself alive…. barely.

"You bitch…" You growl, anger flaring up inside you. "How could you do that?"

"She was never fit to be an Apophis." Liala says, shaking her head. "But she served well enough. Now then, to finish up some loose ends."

"We took her down even with her prescience, what makes you think we can't take you down? The cold will seep into your bones soon enough."

She nods toward the open ceiling and the heat of the burning Ectrian sun above. Making things cold in here is going to be next to impossible now, as you realize with surprise. Gritting your teeth, you say, "Fine then, it's still our advantage."

"True, I am outnumbered." She says, holding her hand up. "However, the spirit in the relic I used was the oldest and most powerful of the Apophis. She was the only one who could even think about summoning Hent-ateh, let along binding it to a covenant. There are many things which set ME apart from HER."

The orbs of dark magic ooze down from her hands to the floor. They run out in lines before pulling together into pools of darkness which rise upward, forming shapes of pitch black women without faces. The shadowy puppets stagger forward for a moment before standing up taller and facing Liala, as if awaiting commands.

She smiles at you and says, "You came here and did so much, yet this is where it ends. How pitiful for you."

>What do you do?


914ef2 (119) No.337014>>337034 >>337051 >>337053

Oh wow, you guys did a great job at capturing Helene, everything went really well and for some reason he was actually maybe happy for you when you said you were married,oh boy and you were gunna do the ritual and-

Oh no wait, Helene's gunna die. So much for all that I guess. Well, you tried anyway, it's almost game over for that, but hey, what are you going to do about it eh?

Have fun!

Oh and those shadow spawn aren't what you think they are. It takes a loooooot more effort to summon something.


2ebefd (20) No.337025>>337051 >>337264

>>337013

take the rubble from the ceiling and use [Pebble Shotgun] on Liala

there's no way she can dodge ALL of it


ae8375 (10) No.337029>>337051 >>337264

>what do you do?

What the fuck els is there to do? We run, or we fight. Negotiations or talking is out of the question at this point.

Kill her dead with everything we got. No point holding back with her. She is pretty much the only big threat left in this shitty city.

And on a note for the future. Kill lady alph, she wanted to be a grape snake and if this shit was her end game too than we really should go over and finish her off.


cf72fc (1) No.337034>>337051 >>337264

>>337014

Melt the ground underneath Liala with a single, decisieve motion and then watch her burn.


a5be29 (26) No.337051>>337054 >>337072 >>337264

>>337013

>>337014

>Helene's gunna die

Have G.Wiz heal her and/or use a health potion. Would keeping Helene in ice prolong her life? Like a type of hibernation.

Use a Health potion on Tabitha.

Tell Liala: that being an Apophis requires rather low standards.

>>337025

[Pebble Shotgun] is a noice idea, she'll block using her dark magic.

>>337029

> Kill lady alph, she wanted to be a grape snake and if this shit was her end game too than we really should go over and finish her off.

She was going to use gRape snek vemon to tranform, not an artifact there was no gRape snek spirit.

>>337034

>Melt the ground underneath Liala

From one extreme to the next.


bb9afb (6) No.337053>>337055 >>337234 >>337264

>>337014

I'm wondering if Alice is the pin in this, her sword has demonstrated the capacity to deal with this before. If we can giver her an opening.

If the puppets rely on commands/will, could targeting Liala slow them down? We can we try divide and crush again. Eg: trap one and reverse polarity the other?

Give Tabby a health potion obviously, we need to keep her in the fight, since I suspect she can beat the foresight.


bb9afb (6) No.337054>>337055 >>337264

>>337051

If we get out of this, we should get Ammon and lady alph together. It'd be solid power base with both real influence and symbol to match.


a5be29 (26) No.337055

>>337053

>>337054

Sage Damnit!


ae8375 (10) No.337072>>337126 >>337264

>>337051

>She was going to use gRape snek vemon to tranform, not an artifact there was no gRape snek spirit.

Oh shit you are right. Now i feel like an ass.

Makes me wonder if we sided with her could we have prevented some of this mess?


084d9c (10) No.337103>>337264

>>337013

We're gonna need all our friends for this and not just the ones present.

Let's unleash a pebble shotgun to distract her as we get out all our golems and have them take position around liala. Then we channel an arc node through them, hopefully stunning her. Then lets attempt a mana burst on her while everyone spreads out and attempt to take her out


50cb7c (10) No.337126>>337130 >>337264

>>337072

Well I mean Helena did exactly tell us she wanted us to come save her. Had we gone full in with the cult she'd have stayed human and we would have at least made Liara have to juice up to fight the Prophet. Pity, I'd have liked to seen a grudge match between them. Even at night time, I'd give my money to the Prophet.


c5fb09 (3) No.337130>>337264

>>337126

>Helena did exactly tell us she wanted us to come save her

What? Was she peer-pressured into transforming? What a cuck


223184 (4) No.337169>>337170 >>337264

>>337013

>Final Boss?!

We could cheese the system and have the G.Wiz cast [Cancer] on this bitch. If it worked on a Temple Guardian, then it should also work on this silly snek. We've got an acolyte of Nerg here, load this other .

>Time for Old Rommel.

Tell Liala: "No in the end you needed outsiders, to help make the cult of the Violet Sands something worth the notice of the Pharaoh. Then you needed another group of outsiders to kill said Pharaoh at the high of her power. Then you had to wait till your rivial was trapped and harmless before you would dare do anything. You could have lived, instead you got drunk on what little power you have sucked from others."

"You are a parasite. You are a little thing, of no real substance and no real power. You have dreamed yourself for decades to become something powerful. In the end you are Nothing and you have become NOTHING!… Correction; your about to go up in the world. Your about to beome a stain on my boot!"


047c6a (1) No.337170>>337171 >>337264

>>337169

We also have a man who's hands are apparently blessed by solos. We should give her a head pat. Then impale her with some stone.

Weaponized head pats are the new age of war.


223184 (4) No.337171>>337264

>>337170

>We should give her a head pat. Then impale her with some stone.

Liala is No DRAGON. We're done here. Kill her in the most anti-climatic way possible.


bf4e63 (28) No.337234>>337264

>Standing there alone

>"True, I am outnumbered." She says, holding her hand up.

Liala came here without any of her servants to back her up despite having hundreds at her command? It’s not like Ammon’s lot are keeping literally every remaining cultist occupied or anything, so that’s a really dumb move on her part.

>>337013

First things first, we need to get those injured or otherwise unable to fight out of the way so they don’t end up as collateral in the ensuing chaos. Staying inside the temple probably isn’t the smartest idea though, so we should use <Rock Slide> to take them outside via a hole in the wall made with [Trench] because Liala is blocking the only other entrance, give those with injuries [Health Potion]s, drop them off in a secure location, potentially with someone else left behind to defend them, and head back inside to regroup with the others. Tabitha may be able to come with us depending on how bad her wounds are post-potion, but if her sword arm is still in a bad shape even with the concoction then it would be for the best if we just left her to guard Helene and Erwin.

With that out of the way, Liala. Since she, in her hubris, decided not to bring backup, those shadow puppets she conjured are the only things keeping her from having a numerical disadvantage against us, so priority should go to taking them out so our party can be freed up to focus on Liala and thus spread her concentration thin as she had to worry about more and more opponents attacking her with each puppet gone -- even if she just summons more as a result, it will still take a portion of her strength and all of her focus to do so, not to mention she isn’t doing anything else in the meantime which gives us an opening. In terms of how to go about doing that, we can’t really be sure what being conjured of dark magic are vulnerable to, but things Hent-ateh was apparently weak to, such as Energieschwert and Fulgromancy, should have similar effects here, so Alice, Sylphie and the Grand Wizard can hopefully handle things. Also, going from a point along the lines of what >>337053 mentions, there’s a good chance that the puppets are being perpetually channelled by Liala to keep them up, so simply finding the correct frequency and then using [Reverse Polarity] should cause them to disperse; in the case that they happen to be a ‘cast and forget’ kind of deal, then [Mana Burst] should fill the same role by dispelling what binds them to the physical world.

As for Liala herself, she’s effectively just a slightly stronger version of Helene, only without the precognition and without us having an opportunity to abuse Cryomancy unless we wanted to block out the sun somehow with all the debris in one big [Flurry] above the temple, but that seems a little difficult to pull off while avoiding being murdered outside of [Flash Freeze] due to its focused area of effect on her, so a similar strategy to the fight we’ve just had, that being handle the dark magic and keep our distance, should suffice here. Offensively, focus should be placed on disabling her magic with [Mana Burst] and [Reverse Polarity], as that’s her greatest and only, honestly strength, followed by trying to limit her mobility to give the others the opportunity to attack without the risk of being bitten and for us to hit [Pebble Gun] or [Shotgun Pebbles]. Should we become desperate, as in we get to the point where keeping the temple intact is no longer a factor, and the others in our party are out of the way, then also consider using the more destructive spells at our disposal like [Epicentre], [Tremor], [Razor Wind] and [Lava Flow] on her, as such attacks are very difficult to avoid and are very destructive when they do hit. Defensively, [Rock Solid] will no doubt stop her fangs, so using that whenever she tries to strike in conjunction with methods of stopping her magic will make her pretty much useless.

If we get out of this mess without too much incident and if this fight ends in this update, which is questionable, then our focus should immediately snap back to Helene’s condition and the ritual we were attempting prior. We need to determine whether or not the current location will still suffice for the ritual’s conditions in the aftermath of combat, as there’s a good chance that we will have added to the current damage; if it does, then the ritual should proceed in the Lesser Temple of the Twins as per the original plan, if not, then we need to take Helene to the Great Temple of the Twins, which will now have much frailer defences with the Violet Sands no longer having a leader, and perform the ritual there instead. In either case, we can’t delay this any further.


914ef2 (119) No.337264>>337265 >>337336 >>337337 >>337350

Well hey there friends! Sorry about the radio silence, I've been busy with ff14 and then getting my new computer all set up! It's been years since I've had a desktop and I'm getting used to the new keyboard. Anyway, someone fucked up and I work the next 7 days straight. I promise you I will hit the fucking wall at some point, but who knows when!

Also, sundays, mondays, wednesdays for the next two weeks I'll be filling in for raid so we'll see how this fits in with writing schedule. Sorry y'all, but we'll make it happen.

>>337025

You may be surprised.

>>337029

THEY MAY TAKE OUR SISTER. BUT THEY WILL NEVER TAKE OUR WAIIIFFFUUUUU

Aliph is a gud girl and is up for discussion likely. She's edumacated.

>>337034

Worth a shot!

>>337051

It would be difficult to channel that much ice given how hot it is now, but a healing potion and some quick care by the GW should keep her alive. Probably. You'd need to devote him to this however and he'd be out of the fight for a min or two

>>337053

Energieschwert is a fantastic weapon and, as Alice has said before, "I ain't afraid of no ghost."

Oh and Liala does not have precognition as far as you know.

>>337054

Sage is very important, and I'm sure Ammon knows about Lady Aliph. Whether or not he wants that tight snake cloaca is up for discussion.

>>337072

Things probably would have been different.

>>337103

That sounds super fun, but remember, [Mana Burst] is a double edged sword

>>337126

The Prophet almost certainly would have mopped the floor with her eventually. Daytime? No question.

>>337130

Partially, yes. Might want to ask her about it. You know. If she lives.

>>337169

It could be the final boss.

As far as [Cancer] goes, you could ask him to do it! Though again, where do you want to divert his power?

Those are some fun quotes

>>337170

weaponized headpats. You go too far sir!

>>337171

What's the dragon reference here, I have forgotten my own work.

>>337234

Mmm.

Check outside.

Speaking of which, you wanna go outside eh?

And yes, it's unlikely Healing potions will bring those arms back to fighting strength today. The cuts are deep, if not fatal.

So far we have people wanting to use the GW to protecc, others to attac. I wonder which it will be at the start…

We'll see on the fight with a mix of: "How fast can Ace type on his new keyboard" and "Should ace start drinking coffee?"

Let's find out.


914ef2 (119) No.337265

>>337264

I forgot my hat


223184 (4) No.337336>>337357

>>337264

>What's the dragon reference here, I have forgotten my own work.

Valinthia, the the Monster Lady that became a 20ft tall dragon… Are you going senile?

What happened to the blue dragon from Illusionistquest?


223184 (4) No.337337

>>337264

>To Do or not to Do, that is the question.

Have the G.Wiz look after Sis Snek.


bf4e63 (28) No.337350>>337357

>>337264

I was more referring to how she entered the building without any backup immediately present by her side. It’s not like the enthralled would have given a damn about her attacking Helene, after all.

That aside, I guess I’ll take this opportunity to make a few alterations to my previous suggestions. Firstly, sending the non-combatants outside was clearly a poor call on my part, but that still doesn’t mean we should leave them in the open awaiting further injury or death. While it’s not exactly ideal, sticking them in a corner with a [Build the Wall] or [Trench] or perhaps both to protect them would increase their chances of not dying horribly massively, so start off with that. Secondly, Liala is currently alone, seeing as any backup she could call for is stuck outside, so blocking the entrance with a [Build the Wall] and maintaining that barrier should be our highest priority to ensure she stays alone -- even if she could simply lower or destroy the wall herself, it still wastes her time and gives us openings to press the advantage whenever she turns her attention towards that instead of us. Finally, if the Grand Wizard’s intervention is that paramount to Helene’s survival, then we should get him to focus on that before anything else. The sole reason we personally are still in Ectria is to try and save her helping the locals and preventing Deleor from getting fucked over are bonuses which may or may not happen at Ammon’s mercy, so there’s no reason not to take the option to do so when the Grand Wizard isn’t absolutely required to be present and active during the current fight.


914ef2 (119) No.337357

>>337336

I didn't see what headpats had to do with Valinithia is all.

Also, the blue dragon probably went home or something. It was an odd party.

>>337350

She's kind of overconfident.


0db64e (9) No.337366

Voting to have GW focused on healing, if there's still time left for input.


914ef2 (119) No.337389>>337390

>Story continue

You turn the floor into lava.

Firing out twin bolts of magic, the ground beneath Liala churns and boils before melting into a puddle of burning lava ten feet across. As you channel your magic into this assault she smirks and pulls backward, her tail twitching furiously in reaction to the heat. Though you didn't expect it to take her, you immediately follow up with a blast of [Shotgun Pebbles] from the ground. She can't block them all!

Unfortunately for you, she can block them all. At the wave of her hand, one of the shadow spawn leaps before her, it's body absorbing the pebbles into itself. Tiny holes of purple appear in the flesh where the rocks strike, sinking into the skin slowly afterward. It staggers momentarily but then turns the faceless head toward you, the pebbles dropping from its body to hit the floor.

"Hrm." You grunt, holding your staff out. Behind you, Helene lets out a gasp and shudders, her body spasming despite the melting ice holding her. At this, Liala smirks and shrugs her shoulders.

"Physical attacks, how boorish."

"I should have let you rot in that prison."

"Yes, perhaps you should have." She says, musing. "From what I hear though, our goals were never really that separate. You opposed the Pharaoh though for different reasons. I'd even heard you'd helped some of our number, even met little Lady Aliph. We could have been allies, you know."

"Then why are you trying to kill us?"

"Because, you're a symbol, and a threat. You are not members of the cult who bow before the Apophis, and thus you stand apart from the order which will be created."

Helene begins to pant and you curse to yourself before digging in your pocket to pull out a [Health Potion] and tossing it to Selene who somehow catches it with one of her tails. As you do one of the shadow spawn rushes toward you. Moments before it strikes you a bolt of lightning blasts its head, causing it to stagger backward enough for you to thrust it away with a [Gust].

The summoned spirit crashes into a pew before standing up, head reforming as Liala's magic radiates from her. The rest of the shadow spawn run toward you, five more in total as Liala sends a bolt of magic toward you. Gasping in surprise, you make to summon a wall when the Grand Wizard slides forward and creates a shield of unaspected magic, dissipating the bolt of power while the shadow spawn bounce off.

"Hmph." He says, dusting his hands. His eyes follow the spawn as they rise again and he cracks his knuckles, saying, "She's not to tough. Just need to finish off these little things and then pummel her into the dirt."

"Dear!" Selene shouts, taking his attention. "The potion isn't doing enough! I need your help!"

The Grand Wizard looks between Selene and you. While his help would be invaluable, you need him to help Helene. If she dies, then this is all for nothing! Nodding your head you say to him, "Go, I'll get your help soon."

"Are you sure?"

"Please, she needs you." You say, shaking your head and preparing your magic. He nods and runs over to Selene and Helene, waving away his wife to give you a hand as he begins to channel his magic into her.

Selene takes up a spot by your side while Alice takes up the other, sword drawn, smirk on her face. You're surprised when you see Sophie and Tabitha walk forward, Erwin trailing your wife. "Hey, you two need to get healed."

"Rommel, if this marriage is going to work, you'll need to understand that I'm stubborn." Tabitha says, holding out a hand, though she winces when doing so. Rolling your eyes, you hand her a health potion and, with some effort, she downs it. A sigh of relief comes from her lips and she reaches for her sword and winces.

"It's fine, I got this-" Alice begins, but is cut off as a bolt of dark magic flies past her face. She blinks a few times and then looks at her hair, a section of which was hit by the magic and has turned grey. Licking her lips she turns to Liala and says, "I'm sorry, did you have something to say, bitch?"

"Yes, but not for you." Purple energy surrounds Liala as her shadow spawn ready to strike. Slamming her hands onto the ground, it glows with violent energy that shoots toward you in a line. In the wake of it, the shadow spawn race toward you with silent strides.

You can feel the wrongness of the magic in the ground. Though you try to stop it by stabilizing the ground with your own magic, it bursts through and explodes upward, throwing your group into the air in surprise. Strong arms grab you before you hit the ground and you look to see Tabitha grunting, arms shaking as she holds you. Her legs stabilize both of you while you drop to the ground, giving her a nod of thanks.


914ef2 (119) No.337390>>337391

>>337389

Sophie and Selene flip in the air and lands on their feet before catching Erwin while Alice lands on her back, covered in gravel, her sword flying from her hand. She groans and turns around right as the spawn land on her. It raises a hand which becomes a blade and stabs down into her back, skidding off the armor. It cocks its head before Alice flips about and trips it with her legs, causing it to fall to the floor as she jumps up to get her sword.

You have little time to think about this yourself as two of the spawn appear before you and Tabitha, arms turning into various weapons. You channel magic within yourself, looking to blast these things into nothingness with… fire, sure, fire works. You totally didn't get this because of Tabitha's sword coming to light.

The spawn before you charges in, striking with surprising skill. Parrying an axe-strike with your staff, the weapon biting deep into the wood, you blast it in the face with [Fireball], magic melting through its structure. Despite this, the creature strikes at you with the other arm, seeming to ignore the magic attacking it. The sword-like arm cuts into your [Trenchcoat] before you push it away, a cold sensation washing through your body as you realize it managed to draw blood.

Beside you Tabitha strikes a blow through the creature, bisecting it with her burning blade. It falls apart and looks up at her with a faceless head. The legs melt into the floor as the torso begins to glow, forming another body via magic channeling through Liala. Speaking of which, you feel the magic rumbling through the ground again and you cry out, grabbing Tabitha and leaping to the side. The ground explodes behind you again and you turn to the spawn as they strike in the wake of the magic.

"Rommel!" Sophie shouts, ducking and using her remaining tails to cut the shadow spawn into pieces which reform with Liala's magic. She points with her good arm toward Helene and you gasp as you notice one of the creatures heading toward her and the Grand Wizard.

"Tabitha!" You shout to your wife. She nods her head and drops her sword from her hand as the shadow spawn charge. Raising one of her legs, she grabs the blade with surprising dexterity of the toes on her foot and slashes both of them in half with a fiery blaze, granting you time.

"Gods damn that's kind of hot." You mutter, not thinking about the pun in that statement because you have more important things to do, hard as it is to believe. Slamming your staff onto the ground, you SHIFT the stone underneath Helene and the Grand Wizard, shunting them away from the charging shadow spawn. It dashes after them but as they reach a corner a wall appears and it slams into it, staggering backward before cocking its head.

Tabitha steps back toward you and pushes you down as more bolts of dark magic begin to fly toward you. Nearby, Selene maintains a shield of magic herself, blocking some of the blows from Liala, a surprised expression on her face. Is… she worried about Liala's magic?

"We need to shut down those spawn." Tabitha says, helping you up awhile juggling her sword in her foot. "Otherwise she's just going to destroy us with that magic."

"We just need to hold out until the Grand Wizard is finished with Helene." You say, gritting your teeth.

Liala raises her hands into the air and a ball of purple energy forms between them. She smirks and then throws the ball into the air. Selene's eyes go wide at this and she shouts, "Get over here!"

Without hesitation, you break toward her, running as she begins to power up a shield. The distance is short, but as Tabitha outpaces you something grabs your leg and you fall to the ground. Turning about, you see one of the shadow spawn broken by Tabitha holding onto your leg. You try to shake it off and fail before channeling your magic to remove it, realizing there's no time.

Erwin leaps from safety onto the spawn's arm, digging into the thing's arm. It doesn’t seem to do much until Erwin's eyes glow and his mouth widens unnaturally, tearing into the arm and breaking it apart. As you stare in surprise, his body bursts into its dire form and he grabs you, running both of you into Selene's shield.

A veil of purple surrounds you as the dark light of Liala's magic slams down upon it. You try to cast walls to block the magic but they're obliterated under the might of the spell. Selene gasps and staggers to a knee, still holding the spell up, gritting her teeth. Cracks appear in the shield but eventually the destructive magic dissipates, bringing the light of day back to the ruined Temple.


914ef2 (119) No.337391>>337392

>>337390

Selene slumps, her shield going down. Sophie kneels next to her mother, shaking her as the Monster Lady takes deep breaths, gathering her strength. Within a twenty foot radius of you the Temple is annihilated, pews literally removed from existence while only sterile earth sits where the stone flooring once was. Staggering to your own feet, you look about and see the shadow spawn, which had survived the attack untouched, readying to attack again.

"H-how?" Selene say between breaths. "How is that possible?"

Liala chuckles. "We Apophis were born of the direct might of Dollora. Her Priestesses may be A conduit of her magic, but WE are the true masters of it." She flicks her gaze to the wall where Helene is hiding and shakes her head. "Had she accepted her role, she may be strong enough to use her magic correctly, but she was never meant for this task. A useful tool, nothing more. Had I not been captured before the ritual was complete, she was have been nothing more than a former slave with delusions of grandeur for a better Ectria."

"What are you talking about? She was controlling Hent-ateh!" You say, steadying yourself.

Liala shakes her head. "Because I gave her that power, temporarily." She fingers a golden snake talisman hanging around her neck. "It was dreadful to cede just newly found power, but there was little choice until I had the [Talisman of Tet'hua] returned. But once I did, well…" She shrugs and gives a smug smile.

"The greatest of the Apophis, of whom I am named after, the first of her kind and the holder of the pact. In my veins now her blood flows. I can feel her limitless power, channel her years of experience, and bring it to bear upon those who are in the way of the Apophis." Chuckling, she says, "The Monster Lady is old and powerful, but Liala is even older, even more steeped in Dollora's power."

"I-I'm sorry." Selene says, sweat on her brow. "That attack was… Dollora, it took everything I had to stop it."

"Sophie, get her to the Grand Wizard." You say, nodding to the Cat o'Ninetails. She gives you a hesitant expression before nodding her head slowly and taking her mother, helping her head toward safety.

"Hmm." Liala muses, watching them go. She holds up her hand and prepares to fire at them but you pre-empt her by shooting a [Pebble Gun] at her. Her attention diverts toward the pebble, dissipating it into the darkness of her magic. Shrugging, she waves toward the shadow spawn which rush toward you again.

{Rommel, we can't keep doing this.} Erwin sends, growling furiously at the spawn.

{I know, I know! I think I can dispel them though, but it might be risky.}

{Yeah, and so is being eviscerated.}

{Point.} You concede. {How did you transform anyway?}

{I don't really know, I just… I don't know, felt that you needed the help and it uh… happened.}

{Well, keep at it then, thanks bud.}

{Nooo problem.} Erwin sends, growling in his dire form. {We'll cover you.}

"Alright." You say as the shadow spawn close in. "Get in close."

Everyone moves in. Right before the spawn reach you, you slap the ground with enough force of magic that it creates a handprint as you PUSH into it. A cracking sound is heard and a moment later the newly stripped earth explodes into a wave of devastation, throwing the spawn backward and tearing them apart as the [Epicenter] destroys the ground around you.

"Alice, go!" You shout, the woman not even waiting for your call to run. Despite all the devastation, Energieschwert is perfectly fine, glowing in the corner of the room. As she runs, Erwin leaps before you and growls at the spawn as they begin to reform.

"Oh no you don't." Liala says, swiping her hand and forming a wall of purple flames before Alice. To everyone's surprise, she keeps running, screaming as she leaps through the fire. Liala blinks in confusion and cocks her head. "Well. That was easy." She turns back to you and says, "Was she an idiot?"

"No." Tabitha says, shaking her head. "That girl is some kind of genius."

"If you say so." Liala says, shrugging as more magic appears in her hands.

Before Liala can cast, the wall of purple flames explodes outward, revealing Alice standing tall with her sword, armor scorched. Her pure black hair is now a silver coloration and her face is flushed, but she holds her sword out toward Liala and says. "Hey. Fuck you."

"What." Liala says, distracted by Alice's sudden reappearance. Using the opportunity, you turn on your [Mage Sight] and scan the magic in the shadow spawn. Thankfully they are entirely different than Hent-ateh, which is from another realm. These things are entirely made of magic, though they happen to be tethered to Liala. Perhaps simply dispelling them will remove them? It's worth a try.


914ef2 (119) No.337392>>337393

>>337391

As Alice charges in alongside Erwin, you throw up walls and target the farthest of the spawn as they try to reach your little center of stone. Focusing upon the spawn, you cast [Mana Burst] upon the thing. Hitting the correct frequency, it breaks the connection with Liala momentairly, but it's enough that when Erwin tears into it, it dissolves into nothing, unable to reform.

"What is this?" Liala shouts. Moments later the walls explode inward as her magic destroys them. Gravel showers over all of you, but you slap up more walls and cast [Mana Burst] again. Erwin destroys this one while Alice's blade slices through another. Even without your burst it fails to reform, the enchanted blade destroying it utterly.

You quickly dispatch the last two in the same fashion before turning your attention toward where Liala was hiding. Oddly enough, your walls are still intact. What could she be planning? Cautiously, you lower the wall and blink in surprise as you find she's no longer present. Next to you, Tabitha shouts and you stagger almost off the little platform of stone in the sea of devastation as Liala lunges toward her, a sword of dark magic in her hands.

Though her legs are not nearly as well trained as her arms, Tabitha blocks the strike by her sword while forcing her backward with a kick. Liala pulls back and spits at Tabitha, a line of venom streaking toward her. She manages to block it with her black, the venom hissing as the flames burn it away.

Pushing inward you fire a [Shotgun Pebbles] and she dodges it, deflecting some of the strikes with her blade made of magic. She seems stronger than you'd expect with it, but given that she has the experience of ages within her, it's not surprising. Going head on at her may be difficult, so it's time to distract her…

"Now you're outnumbered." You say, shaking your head. "Give it up Liala, you can't defeat us all."

As you say this Erwin and Alice close in from the flanks, ready to attack. Tabitha, goofy as she looks, holds her burning blade up as well while you drop a few things from your pocket, whispering softly as you do.

"So you defeated the spawn. Not a terribly hard feat, they aren't exactly dangerous, just annoying." She shrugs as purple dark magic appears along her arm. "But I can always summon more."

Alice charges her, but she's too late to stop it as the magic bleeds into the ground. A hand grabs Alice's leg as she charges, tripping the swordswoman as a spawn forms. Around you ten of the spawn appear, but it doesn't stop there. Fifteen, twenty, thirty… they numbers continue to increase.

"Now then." She says, holding up her hands. "I don't think you have enough friends for this."

Tabitha frowns. "Rommel…"

Standing up tall you put a hand on Tabitha's shoulder. She looks at you and nods her head at your expression, seeming reassured. As the spawn rise you look toward Liala and say, "You say I don't have enough friends, but you don't know my friends. Friends are not just men, Monsters, or beasts. Friends are those whom you trust, those you who won't fail you in a moment of need."

You shake your head. "In the end, you didn't even have friends. You needed outsiders to make the Cult of the Violet Sands worth the notice of the Pharaoh. You then needed another group of outsiders to kill her at the height of her power, then you had to wait until your rival was trapped and harmless before you would dare to do anything."

Looking her head in the eye, you say. "So again, you of all people say I don't have enough friends? It's not about the number of friends, it's about the quality of them." You hold up your hand and point at her. "And frankly, my friends are a lot better than yours, even the ones you don't notice."

"What?" She asks, cocking her head before looking down in surprise. Standing all around her is a group of rocks shaped like people and Monsters, each with their own distinct features. In each of them is a core of magic, an [Arc Node] you've implanted. Her cry of alarm comes too late as you channel magic through them.

A storm of electricity explodes through the arc node from all different directions, showering her in energy. She screams in pain and all around her the shadow spawn waver before slumping and dissipating. Alice and Erwin stand up and watch as the deluge of electricity slows down. Smoke rises from where Liala was standing, obscuring your view. With a little push of [Gust] you blow it away, revealing what you hope is a smoking corpse.


914ef2 (119) No.337393>>337394 >>337397 >>337406 >>337615 >>337622 >>337636 >>337857

>>337392

Liala is still there, her purple skin scorched by the electricity, she twitches violently from the shocks running through her body, but she doesn't seem to react to anything. Waving to Alice, the woman approaches with her sword at the ready and holds it up to cut her head off. As the sword swings, Liala's eyes open wide and she screams, pushing outward with full force of magic, making Alice stagger backward.

Purple dark magic flows over her body and the burned sections slough away like a snake shedding skin. Cursing, you fire a [Shotgun Pebbles] into her but they encounter a wall of force as Liala shudders with pure dark magic. Her eyes glow a violently yellow and she puts her hands to her head, bending over and she screams.

"Alice! Everyone! Continue to attack!" You shout, trying to [Flash Freeze her]. The magic takes hold but moments later it melts. Cursing, you fire a [Flame Lance] as well, but it encounters massive resistance and fizzles out. Alice and Erwin run in but as they close the gap Liala throws back her head grabs both of them by the throat with unnatural speed and precision. Almost as an afterthought, she throws them across the room with strength fueled by magic.

Her head sinks back down as they hit the ground and she turns to you, eyes looking into yours. You gasp as you see something there, an ancient malice that gives you pause. This is no longer the Liala you were fighting beforehand, is it?

"You're… the other Liala, aren't you?"

She hisses as her magic surrounds her body, forming a spear and baroque armor of dark magic. "Yes. She was weak, unable to do what was required. Where I was content to share her body, it will once more be mine." Pointing the spear at you, the ground rumbles with the might of her dark magic. "There will be no games. You will serve or you will DIE."

A rumbling sound is heard in the distance and everyone turns to see the wall you formed being lowered. From behind it, the Grand Wizard walks forward, wiping his hands on his robes as he looks about with a mock expression of surprise. Behind him, Helene, Selene, and Sophie rest. Walking forward, he cracks his neck and says,

"Oh hey, she's still here. Need some help?"

"That would be much appreciated." You say, nodding your head. To the side, you see the forms of Sylphie, Ebe, and Mr. Ed approach, all of them looking a little haggard and Ebe with less clothing than before and some fresh wounds across her breast and chest.

"Hey." Sylphie says, coughing into her hand. "Cultists are assholes, so I assume their leader is too."

"Looks that way." Ebe sighs. "Need some help?"

The ancient Liala looks at those arrayed against her. Shrugging, she says, "You may all come against me. It matters not. None of you are equal to the Pharaohs."

"You're right." You say, scanning her with [Mage Sight]. "We're their superiors." With that, you cast [Mana Burst] upon her to temporarily stop her magic and-

It doesn't work.

"Eh?" You say, blinking in surprise.

She shakes her head. "You misunderstand. Liala did not lie when she said my mastery of Dark Magic was stronger than even this Monster Lady's. Such feeble spells have no effect on me, for I draw my power straight from Dollora herself."

Pointing the spear toward you, she shouts, "COME AT ME! LET ME BEGIN MY REIGN AGAIN BATHED IN THE BLOOD OF THOSE WHO WOULD OPPOSE THE TRUE RULERS OF ECTRIA! I WILL OFFER YOUR SOULS TO DOLLORA AND THE ETERNAL NIGHT WILL BEGIN!"

>What do you do?


914ef2 (119) No.337394

>>337393

This isn't even her final form.


2ebefd (20) No.337397>>337532

>>337393

is there any way for us to go Super Saiyan channel our magic back into ourselves to make us stronger or something and for reasons, our hair turns yellow and spikey, just like from that one [Eastern Theatre Moving Picture Show]

for fuck's sake Ace, when are we going to give headpats to the BBEG? which could totally work because we wouldnt technically be giving her a headpat so much as channeling magic through our hand which just so happens to be resting on top of Liala's head when we inevitably win and kill the grep snek


b9afec (22) No.337406>>337408 >>337458 >>337532 >>337534 >>337622 >>337623

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>337393

>Such feeble spells have no effect on me, for I draw my power straight from Dollora herself.

So she is only vulnerable to magic of equal source or level. Good to know.

The cornerstone of our offense will be Ebe and GW. We need to weaken her and simultaneously empower our party first. So have Ebe sing the [Crusader's Call] which has been established without outright stating it to be channeling the might of Sveth directly to empower the bard's allies. She will need to be protected while playing though, so have everyone except for Alice and Selene move to the back row, doing exactly that and warm up Helene in their off time in between dealing with waves of Liala's shadow spawn.

Not quite succubus yet Alice is shown to be at least resistant against dark magic so she will take the front row of the fight, keeping Liala busy and trying to get into melee reach to stab her with her holy weapon.

Selene is tired but should down a mana potion and come upfront as well, since she is still the most skilled dark magic specialist we have and should have the best idea on how to deal with Liala the first, as well as help Rommel execute the backup plan.

GW will be doing an encore of his famous "kill the literal Avatar of Dollora in one hit" act which he hopefully still has enough mana left to perform. Move him to the backrow next to Ebe and have him begin the "ritual" to summon the [Plaguereaper].

Now Rommel will not be quite going super wizard, but I still suggest a suicidal maneuver based on nothing but faith.

The man clearly is in good graces with Dolora if he was able to communicate with her directly, so we should test just how much we are favored her by trying to walk through a direct hit from one of Liala's attacks.

The keyword here is once again faith, since gods very much exist in this setting and we know that Dolora is not malicious, despite the unfortunate history of her followers. I am willing to place it all on the chance that Rommel can ignore it, if he really puts his mind, soul and spirit in the right idea which is love.

Dolora pretty much represents this concept as much as a chaos god would, with both its positive and negative aspects like jealousy and the desire to protect. Have Rommel focus on the positive aspects of her power: his experiences and intimate moments with his wife, sister and friends. Channel them all into his magic with his head held high and walk right into Liala's melee range without fear.

The positive aspects of Dolora, as well as his blessing should allow him to harmlessly phase right through the dark magic which will just cancel out and flow around him like water.

After Liala stops shitting bricks, we can have an awesome three on one battle between a halfsuccubus, the monster lady and a melee fighting chaos wizard.

At some point in this, Helene's protective sisterly instincts mixed with her head passenger's thirst for revenge at the betrayal will be mixed together and add another powerful figure to the board on outside that will at least provide one hell of a distraction for Liala the first which will hopefully allow one of our plans to work.

Now then, if stabbing Liala with a Energieschwert won't work and if [Plaguereaper] misses, we will have only one option left. We are still in a temple, so perform the Evil Containment Wave sealing ritual on Liala, using the [Pharaoh keepsake] as the container.

Specifically, Selene will be executing the ritual while Rommel latches onto Liala's head with both hands to hold her in place, so she can't slither away as an ironic way to headpat her and make a callback to his "blessed hands".


b9afec (22) No.337408

>>337406

Oh! And when he passes through the wall of dark magic, the first thing Rommel should do is bitch slap the stunned and terrified grape snek while staring her down with his meanest old man Rommel look to intimidate and shock her further and put her on the defensive, instead of trying to hit Ebe and GW for the rest of the fight.


c5c4b9 (4) No.337454>>337532 >>337623

File (hide): b984475d62d2031⋯.gif (185.3 KB, 466x322, 233:161, POCKET SAND.gif) (h) (u)

If we need a distraction at any point during the fight, we should open up that vial of [Granite dust] and let our recently departed friend give one last "fuck you" to the Violet Sands. Yelling "POCKET SAND" optional


bb9afb (6) No.337458>>337532

>>337406

So the idea is to risk making Tabitha a widow by testing god? Even if Dollora plays along, we're gonna owe some serious headpats.


914ef2 (119) No.337532>>337535 >>337539 >>337540

>>337397

You'll get your fucking headpats. Mainly because all the suggestions want headpats, tho deathpats are more like it I guess.

>>337406

Potentially on the first point, at the very least you won't be turning her magic off with a point and click spell.

Ebe shoulder have a crusader's call still left in her!

>Not quite Succubus Alice

What could he mean by this?

Now remember, the Avatar of Dollora just was in a fight with the Avatar of Solos, but oh boy, Plagues!

Phase through the dark magic weapon? Man I'm going to need some more people to be on board for this one. That sounds crazzzzy. But hey, crazy is what Wizards do.

>>337454

Who do you think you are, some kind of Illusionist?

>>337458

Is this a yes?


0db64e (9) No.337534>>337535

>"Such feeble spells have no effect on me, for I draw my power straight from Dollora herself."

>Wizards draw power directly from Solos

>>337406

Do this, but first laugh at her for having to go through all of the trouble that she did just to get powers equivalent to that of a wizard, and then thinking she would be able to go two on one against people with similar powers. something something drag her down to our level and beat her with experience


0db64e (9) No.337535>>337536

>>337532

>>337534

Oh shit, am I too late to be in the response?


914ef2 (119) No.337536

>>337535

Nah, I'm not writing today.

Y'all got until tomorrow unless I'm dead inside


2ebefd (20) No.337539>>337558

File (hide): 9061e9f814694a6⋯.jpg (44 KB, 637x442, 49:34, d00.jpg) (h) (u)

>>337532

>That sounds crazzzzy.


2ebefd (20) No.337540

>>337532

completely forgot to add something

>You'll get your fucking headpats.

i better get my happy ending as well and maybe a part 3 to wizardquest or a part 2 to illusionistquest where the main love interest/waifu ends up being a big-titty'd holstaur who's also THICC in all the right places


854bca (1) No.337558

>>337539

We need more cuhrazy


084d9c (10) No.337615

File (hide): c6432af1ca116f9⋯.jpg (116.78 KB, 1145x1200, 229:240, DVE8NQwU0AEhBTw.jpg) (h) (u)

>>337393

It's time to unleash our party's ultimate attack: Dual plasma strike. Have rommel and slypie prepare a plasma blast as GW and selene do one as well.


bf4e63 (28) No.337622

>>337393

I don’t really have any comprehensive battle plans, and what >>337406 has said seems reasonable enough as it is bar one major exception I’ll get onto later, so I’ll just spend this time spit balling ideas for things we could try during the battle instead.

One such idea is to set up a [Reverse Polarity]. Certainly, [Mana Burst] failed to accomplish anything when used to stop Liala’s magic, but [Mana Burst] is a spell which we still don’t entirely understand the inner workings off, meaning it could actually require the magic being cancelled out to be weaker than or equal to the caster’s power, and is also a spell which has a different effect to [Reverse Polarity], just with the same results. While not necessarily guaranteed, there is a chance that [Reverse Polarity] doesn’t take into account the magical strength of the caster due to the way it works, so, considering there is no risk involved in trying it and we’ve been in combat long enough to likely quickly identify a frequency to use, it’s worth a shot. Even if it can’t block the connection Liala has to Dollora, we still might be able to block any spells she tries to cast, which in itself would be great for us.

Another idea is to continue sticking with what works, so Pyromancy and Fulgromancy, because Geomancy was shown to have little effect against Liala’s defences, ruling that out as an option until we can remove said defences, and her getting a power upgrade doesn’t suddenly mean divinations of magic that were effective against her previously no longer work. Of the two, I’d recommend the former over the latter, since we’ve just been re-joined by two powerful users of Fulgromancy and our own strength with that particular divination is lacking in comparison to our Pyromancy, something we’ve had much more practice with. [Flame Lance] needs more love.

Following from the previous paragraph, the combination of fire and electricity in the form of plasma should have great effect here as well. I say this not only because the magic is obviously very powerful and destructive in nature, but because we have previous examples of plasma working against targets shielded and empowered by dark magic, such as how [Plasma Blast] completely obliterated Jakovitch after Tolosh’s dark blessing mutated him into an abomination -- seeing as Liala’s own defences are derived from Dollora’s dark powers as well, it should follow the same rule. With the Grand Wizard and Selene actually having had a chance to recuperate from their imprisonment and the protection of Lesser Temple of the Twins no longer being a factor as the temple was just destroyed, there isn’t much reason not to try this.

A final idea, which is relatively minor and something I’m not entirely sure about myself, is to drink the [Grace of the Wind] we’ve had sitting around for a while. The logic behind this is that Liala is powerful enough at this point where the majority of her spells will kill us if they successfully connect, meaning that the increased pain drawback of the potion is no longer relevant in the current situation, because we cannot afford to be hit by anything she throws at us, so it’s worth downing to give us that edge to help with dodging and the like. The downside is that if any of her spells don’t kill us then they will suddenly go from somewhat manageable to completely crippling, but in that scenario we should be able to drink the [Strength of the Mountains] to cancel out the effects as the two are near enough opposite in effects and hopefully be fine. Still, it’s a risk I’m not sure is worth taking.

As a side note, it wouldn’t surprise me if Ammon’s lot tried something against Liala while we have her distracted, especially since this would be the only real chance Ammon has of ensuring his only remaining opponent to rule over Ectria goes down, so be prepared in case their involvement alters the battle somehow, be it in our favour or not.


bf4e63 (28) No.337623>>337857

>>337406

>Now Rommel will not be quite going super wizard, but I still suggest a suicidal maneuver based on nothing but faith.

This is silly, cheesy as hell and I love it in concept because I’m a sucker for such things, but I have my doubts about it working:

>{Those who became the Apophis performed their ritual and sought a blessing to enrich themselves and thus was the price paid. What they did with such acts is the business of mortals. Should they rule it is because they had the strength to do so.}

Dollora has gone on record saying that she doesn’t really care what those she has given her blessing to do with their powers, so do you think she cares if Liala is using those same powers to attack us? Furthermore, Dollora has stated that those with her power deserve to rule if they prove themselves to have the strength required to do so, so do think she actually gives a damn about the outcome to this fight? And even if she did care about how this fight ends, why would she back up a Wizard, a follower of Solos, who may or may not have actually concluded the mission she was talking about by killing the Prophet and thus no longer have use to her she never specified the objectives, and has stated that we won’t be speaking to her again, implying her assistance to us is at an end, over one of her own faithful? Hell, if she was definitely on our side, why does Liala even have access to Dollora’s divine powers in the first place?

But let’s imagine for a moment that Dollora is indeed on our side and has now cut off Liala’s connection to her powers; why would that suddenly give us immunity to Liala’s dark magic? Delilah was capable of casting dark magic despite being a servant to Nerg, a god who doesn’t use dark magic, and having no faith in Dollora, and Ace has stated previously that Wizards can use dark magic themselves despite having no connection to Dollora, so clearly dark magic can be cast without her assistance. Liala may not have access to Dollora’s power in this scenario, but she can still cast dark magic herself, so divine powers or no it’s still going to hurt like hell if it hits. If we just walk into it without fear, we’re pretty much guaranteed to perish.

All in all, your idea involves putting blind faith into a Goddess who isn’t necessarily ‘good’, let alone confirmed to be on our side, and hoping for the best despite all odds and logic being against it. While such a plan may have merit when nothing else has worked and we don’t have a choice but to believe in a higher power to help us, right now, when there are plenty of potential options available to us, it’s not great though I wish it was. That said, I have no opposition to anything else you’ve said other than the mention of Helene, because she’s clearly not a factor in this fight given her current condition.

>>337454

Defiling the corpse of our fallen friend aside, giving Babyface the chance to posthumously assist in the killing of the women who indirectly ordered his own death sounds like something he would want, so this should be incorporated in our next actions where applicable.


914ef2 (119) No.337630

Sorry, I really thought I could cool down after work but an issue with the bank has fired that up again.

Writing in this condition is not good, especially not for this importance in the story. I'll have to type it up after work tomorrow before raid but I should have time. Worst case- I type up the rest right after raid.

What a shitty week and it's only wednesday.


c5fb09 (3) No.337636>>337669

>>337393

Can't we just create a bunch of dust, wait for her to enhale it, and turn the dust into blades and shread her insides with it? It's edgy I know but desperate times call for desperate measures and I don't think plague-o-mancy or whatever it was called will work on her.

Also, we could get GW to make Fate's Favored Flatulence and direct it straight into her nose with the dust so that even if we can't stread her insides at least we faze her with the smell.


b9afec (22) No.337669

>>337636

There are anti cheesing mechanics innate magic resistance fields that humans and monsters have that prevent this kind of precise manipulation of magic. Only expert necromancers can breach it.

I am actually certain that FFF will be super effective here however, considering that snakes can taste the air with their tongues and even an accidental wisp of it just might force Liala the first into a fit of uncontrollable vomiting. The risk of friendly fire is too great though and GW would not be able to summon Plague Reaper while doing it either.


914ef2 (119) No.337737>>337763

I deeply apologize. I came this close to getting home okay but then a train broke down on the tracks and I couldn't go home. I broke down as well.

I don't know when the next update will be in all honesty. I'm guessing maybe tuesday and only because I'm going to work up the courage to call in sick to work. Or wednesday for other reasons.

So again, really sorry to do this guys.


b9afec (22) No.337763

>>337737

No pressure!


442055 (4) No.337857>>337873

>>337393

Can't add much more that hasn't been said, except not to walk through the beams of literal death magic that's a terrible idea. It's worth noting that we can synchronize our casting with the GW to power up our spells. Dual casting [Flame Lance] or [Flash Freeze], combined with Ebes battle song, would make them much more powerful.

>>337623

It surprised me how quickly everyone here was to put their trust in Dollora. Especially since her avatar was one of the big bads of WQ1 and she's a big reason humanity and monsterkind have been in constant conflict until very recently. Just because Phallia is putting plants in peoples heads doesn't mean Dollora is suddenly a good girl.

Dollora knew that the Violet Sands by themselves would not be able to overtake the Pharaoh by themselves, that's why she helped us get this far and break the GW and Selene out of prison. She wanted someone powerful to do the dirty work and she got it. Now, as an apophis, Liala is poised to bring about the Eternal Night, giving Dollora a physical body and setting the stage for monsters to rule the world. Everything that's happened here in Ectria is just another case of the twins trying to one-up each other.


b9afec (22) No.337873>>337877 >>338031

>>337857

>He still hasn't realized that Phallia is a jealous thot that set up the chain of events that lead to the great transformation and the banishment of Dollora from heaven, so she could have chad Solos all to herself while simultaneously shitting on her sister and her creations at every opportunity since, to make sure she never comes back while the depressed monster goddess just wants to be left alone and doesn't give a shit anymore about who uses her powers and how anymore because she gave up hope herself.

Wew lad.


b9afec (22) No.337877>>338031

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>337873

>Or the fact that the first Wizardquest was an elaborate manipulation plan to make GW unknowingly weaken the entirety of monsterkind, to make them unable to fight back later on when she unleashes whatever has been cooking in the Cradle for the past twenty years in the name of good intentions with Phalia showing up at the end to personally pat him on the back and give him a thumb's up for it.

>Or the fact that Tzeentch Jackor is the only entity besides Phalia herself who has suspicions about what really happened and is going on behind the scenes right now and has been busy rigging the game himself for personal amusement and a lingering suppressed anger at the inJUSTICE that happened to his friend. Why do you think he is the only one who can freely enter Dollora's realm without repercussions?


914ef2 (119) No.337939>>337948 >>338031

File (hide): 28accf73d396f5d⋯.png (1.67 MB, 1709x1711, 1709:1711, Ebepats.png) (h) (u)

Hey guys! I totally did play hooky today, so there will be writing. Probably gunna start on that here soon.

Have this as a peace offering for now.


2ebefd (20) No.337948>>337989

>>337939

>finally get ebe headpats

>no word on tabitha daughterus yet


f1e2e7 (1) No.337989

>>337948

Well, yeah we Just impregnated her


914ef2 (119) No.337991>>337992

>Story continue

The ancient Liala radiates with power. If you hadn't literally spoken with a Goddess, you might be cowed by this show of might. As it stands, you're still a little taken aback by the declaration. Even Hent-ateh, as insane as such a creature she is, couldn't compare to this. The cold, malicious intent you sense sends a shiver down your spine.

There's no time for fear however. You've been through a lot of bullshit recently and frankly you'd just like to go home and snuggle up with Tabitha or count rocks or something. But she won't let you do this, will she? In order to protect yourself and those you care for, you must stop Liala.

You can't help but chuckle at that thought. As you do, Liala asks, "What is so funny?"

"You're filled with Dollora's power, yet I'm not certain you understand her at all."

"It matters little whether she is understood, all that matters is her power." Purple magic begins to roil over Liala, spreading to the ground and forming more shadow spawn. She levels the spear at you and begins to charge forward.

"Alice!" You cry, stepping backward off your little platform of unmolested stone. The swordswoman doesn't hesitate to dash forward, her silver-blonde hair flowing behind her as her blade deflects the thrust of the spear meant for you. Her return blow is dodged, but she uses the motion to slice through a spawn, making it collapse and vanish as it hits the ground.

The others cluster around you near the prone form of Helene as you assess the situation. You're going to need something big, something that can kill someone so powerful. If only you didn't destroy that damn staff… though still it's perhaps for the best. Most of your spells are likely to be ineffective without a serious power boost, but you have a few in your arsenal that might work, such as [Flame Lance] or [Flash Freeze]. Still… will it be powerful enough?

"Selene, ideas?"

"Plasma blast her into nothingness." She says, frowning. She still looks tired, but a small breather has given her at least a little color back. "Though I'm not keep on the collateral, and I don't know if she'll just let us do that."

"No El Dorito to save us this time I'm afraid." Her husband says.

"El… what?" You ask, confused.

"Don't worry about it." He says, waving his hand. "I forgot you're new to this racket and it wasn't in the book. I'll fill you in later."

"Fine. What about you? Any suggestions?"

He watches as Alice parries another blow by Liala, her expert skills coming into play. What the dark flames did to her, you're not certain but she at least doesn’t seem harmed by them. In fact, she seems more excited than before, which is slightly more disturbing. She is… okay, right?

As you watch, more of the spawn move from around the sides, converging on your position. Sylphie nods her head and Mr. Ed bursts alight into his dire form. Flames snort from his nostrils and he rides forth to crush a spawn before breathing fire onto it, melting the unfortunate manifestation of magic. He dashes off to another one while Tabitha stands with her sword raised to protect your little group, watching Alice and your foes in equal measure.

"She doesn't seem to have much in the way of defenses, but that offense is impressive and she has incredible reflexes. Hitting her with spells is going to be difficult."

"So we'll want to get in close then? I'm not certain any sword beyond Energieschwert is going to be enough to take her out. We'd need something stronger."

The Grand Wizard snaps his fingers. "Of course! [Plague Reaper!]"

"You haven't used that spell in decades!" Selene says, surprised. "Are you sure you can do it?"


914ef2 (119) No.337992>>337993

>>337991

"Hah, I haven't neglected my Plagamancy training. I've got a reputation to keep up." Cracking his neck, he holds out his hands and begins to channel power. "This might take some doing to gather up the required materials." A spawn flies behind him, propelled by a kick from Mr. Ed. He sighs. "And some time to concentrate."

"Ebe." You say, turning to the Ghandharva. She blinks at you, exhaustion on her features. Poor girl, her clothing is basically non-existent and the wound on her chest looks fairly painful- it's going to need medical attention. "Ebe, can you play a song for me?"

"I…" She begins before taking a deep breath and nodding. "If it means stopping all this madness, then yes. I can sing."

"Thank you." You say, placing your hand upon her head. Under your fingers you can feel some of the tension leave her body.

"What's your request?"

"Use your guitar from Sveth, play a song as heavy as metal."

Nodding her head again, she pulls the unwieldy guitar from her back and sets it up in her wings with practiced ease. She takes a deep breath and then strums the cords. An almost physical shockwave of power pulses from the guitar and you feel your soul resonating with it. The shadow spawn stop momentarily against the song of the God of the Earth before continuing their assault.

Feeling the strength within you, you blast a hole through two of them with [Flame Lance]. The power of the spell seems much stronger with the music in your ears and with the [Heldoran's glove] on your hand it feels almost effortless to cast it. Smirking, you do the same to two other spawn, though you know they'll reform once Liala's magic has the chance to do so. As it stands, your main goal now is to buy time for the Grand Wizard.

Liala shouts and wall of dark magic fires toward Alice. The swordswoman laughs and cuts through the magic with her sword, giving her enough room to squeeze through and then slice at the Apophis. Unfortunately, Liala must have predicted this as she strikes from the side with her tail, hitting Alice hard in the side and throwing her bodily a few feet back before landing on the ground.

As Alice pushes herself up, Liala dashes in, spear ready to impale her. Before she can reach, a lance of incredibly powerful flame shoots forth. It strikes her in the arm and while it doesn't pierce right through the dark armor, it causes a small singe and causing the trajectory of her attack to miss. Wary, she pulls backward as both you and the mildly recovered Selene move forward, magic held at the ready.

"Hmph, I had her right where I wanted her." Alice says, wiping her chin.

"Sure you did, you half-succubus." You say, trying to be snarky. Selene gives you a worried look though you're not certain what it's supposed to mean.

"Hurr hurr, she sleeps with a lot of men, she's a succubus. Yeah yeah." Alice says, sniffing. "Just because I can rock the silver blonde better than you doesn't mean you need to be jealous."

"Really though, are you okay?" You ask, worry on your face. "You don't feel uh… different, do you?"

"Hurrr, she jumped through dark magic and has silver blonde hair so now she's a Monster, hurr." Alice rolls her eyes. "I don't have time to be a Monster, okay?"

"Alice, that's not how that works-" Selene begins, but the swordswoman cuts her off.

"We have more important things to do." Alice says, readying her sword.

Liala frowns and in her other hand a sword forms. She brandishes the two weapons of dark energy effortlessly and says, "This begins to tax my patience." Dashing forward, she drives the spear into Selene while slashing toward you.

The Monster Lady catches the blow with her tails and deflects it with a properly timed application of dark magic shield. She doesn't seem to fire back with a powerful counter attack, but instead lashes out with her other tails, though even the coating of dark magic on them isn't enough break the armor the Apophis had formed. Even though her attention is on the sword swing, she easily shrugs Selene off with a blast of magic that forces the Cat o'Ninetails to leap backward or face more damage.

The dark magic sword coming toward you is blocked by Alice, who deflects the blow and gives you an opening. Glaciemancy powers through you as you cast [Flash Freeze] onto Liala's exposed abdomen before immediately firing off a [Flame Lance]. The combined spells shatter her armor and cause a rise of steam of fly into her face. In a fluid motion, she slaps her tail at the two of you to drive you back as she asses her situation.

Placing a hand to her abdomen, she finds a small trickle of blood there. She growls and covers it over with her fingers and you look on in shock as the scabs over. Not fully healed, but at least not bleeding any longer. She scowls at you and hisses, "I have never been forced to bleed. You will pay for this you dirty little Wizard."


914ef2 (119) No.337993>>337994 >>338037

>>337992

"She thinks I’m the dirty one." You chuckle, feeling more confident. With the power chords of Sveth's sound blasting through the room and the might of conviction, you're certain you can keep her at bay long enough. Speaking of which, you send out to Erwin, not wanting to look away from the Apophis as she slithers back and forth, her sinuous body looking for openings to strike at you.

{Almost ready. This smells fucking disgusting though. How did his familiar deal with this?}

{His familiar with a rat.}

{Ugh… of course it was. Anyway, hold her off for a little while more.}

You nod to Alice and Selene, the two understanding the signal. Just a little longer. At your nod, Liala frowns, wary. Dark magic channels about her and it immediately drops into the ground below you. Fearing that she'll destroy it like the other Liala before her, you solidify the ground quickly with your magic and await the strike.

Instead of the ground exploding however, the magic bursts up from below and grabs your legs, rooting you in place as cold washes over your body. Selene breaks out of it fairly easily, but it trips both you and Alice up enough to allow Liala to dash forward again. The Cat o'Ninetails intervenes but as she does another tendril of the magic grabs her ankle and, with a disgusting snap, breaks it. Crying out in pain, Selene drops to the floor in an agonized heap.

With no time for shock, you raise a wall between two of you in an attempt to stop the strike. Liala's spear pierces through anyway, catching Alice in the chest. Her breastplate dents horrifically and the swordswoman coughs violently as she's driven backward. Crying out, you drop the wall quickly, dragging down Liala's spear, which hits the ground before vanishing in a puff of dark magic. Her sword, however, drives toward you as if waiting for the wall to fall.

Almost in instinct, you grab the nearby form of Greg, the copper ore to block the blow while simultaneously digging in your pocket for a small, special vial. The dark magic blade crashes into your friend and seems as if it will break it until you uncork the vial and throw the contents into Liala's eyes.

The Apophis cries out and pulls away, her magic dissapating on the ground around you, allowing you to call for Sophie and Erwin. The two leap forward past the shadow spawn to grab the wounded Selene and ailing Alice. With a mighty tear, Erwin rips off the breast plate from Alice, allowing the woman to breathe again while he drags her away, sword held tight in her hand. Sophie takes her mother away, leaving you alone to face Liala.

"Was… was that rock dust?" She hisses, visage furious.

"No, it was the remains of a trusted friend who fell in the line of duty against this madness."

"But was it ROCK DUST?"

"He was a rock, yes." You bow your head. "Rest in peace Babyface."

>You lose [Granite Dust]

"Enough games." She says, shaking her head as the spear reforms in her hand. "I'm tired of this annoyance."

"Me too!" A voice calls from behind you. Daring it, you look behind to see the Grand Wizard standing there with a massive spear of frozen feces. It looked more like it belonged on a ballista than in a man's hands, but he holds it with little effort as the rancid material of its construction.

Ebe's playing increases in intensity just then. Slamming your foot down on the ground, three walls appear around Liala, boxing her in. The Grand Wizard shouts and charges toward her as Liala looks on in confusion, unable to move out of the way fast enough due to your walls. She smashes one aside, but it's still too late. The rancid [Plaguereaper] slams into her abdomen and her eyes go wide as she's pushed into the back of the box.

The Grand Wizard lets loose a primal cry and you feel an immense amount of power course through him followed by a disgusting wave of smell. You let loose a cry of your own, swept up in the charge and the music. He did it! He got her! Watching for the explosing of plague as was described in Wizardquest, you begin to go worried as the Grand Wizard's face turns ashen.

Liala roars and dismisses her sword. In the same motion, she backhands the Grand Wizard in the face with enough strength that he flies backward from the blow in a spin and hits the stone floor HARD. The man coughs violently and then goes still. The [Plaguereaper] clatters to the floor in a pool of spreading liquid shit as it begins to melt.

Horrified, you look toward Liala to find her touching her abdomen where the spear hit and left a smear of feces. Mere inches from the opening you created earlier the spear had struck and was unable to break the armor she had created. Had his strike been true, it may have very well ended the Apophis. Now, however, the Grand Wizard is out of commission, as is the Monster Lady and most of your party. With a growing horror, you realize there's no one left but yourself to combat her.


914ef2 (119) No.337994>>337995

>>337993

Breaking the rest of your wall, Liala turns to you, a cold rage in her visage. Narrowing her eyes she hisses, "Is that all? You challenge the dark might of a Goddess with what… fire? Feces? Pathetic. The Pharaohs truly were the only ones enlightened enough to be a threat. How you defeated the last of them, I will never know."

Standing tall, you hold up your staff and go over your options. You know that your magic can possibly hurt her, but the effects are so mild and you'd have to get through that armor first unless you could hit her tail, but you doubt that would slow her much. Perhaps her head? Good luck striking it from anything but close range.

The Grand Wizard's words from before ring in your mind. You need to get close to her, but how? Her prowess with a sword might not be equal to Alice's but she can certainly slice you to pieces with it without proper defenses. You don't think your friends can adequately protect you either. So what do you do? How do you get in close to someone channeling the power of the Dark Goddess with such skill?

How did Alice get through this magic? Was it dumb luck, sheer determination? Or was it something else? You wish you could ask her, but you doubt she'd say anything other than, "I thought I could, so I did." What a dumb-

Wait… no, no maybe she actually was a genius after all…

This magic comes directly from Dollora, whom you know is more complicated than she appears. While you don't know if she actually wants you to win here, you do know that she at least acknolwedges you. If you can cancel out magics but finding the right frequencies of magic, is it possible to do something similar if you have the same emotions in your heart as the magic itself? It's risky, but what other choice do you have?

Digging deep in yourself, you find what you know of Dollora to attune your mind to this. Dollora asked you to protect that which you care about, that which you love. Her children long deeply for men, for lovers. Even if that love comes as jealousy, regret, lust… it's all a part of her being, her spirit. In a spark of inspiration, you realize what Dollora is. Not just the Goddess of Beasts and Monsters, but the true Goddess of LOVE.

Liala charges at you while you stand there, stunned at this revelation. Looking up at Liala, you allow your heart, which has been cold and distant, yearing for power to fight back against those who ruined your life, to fill with all the joys and sorrows you've experienced. The need to protect your friends, the people of Deleor, and even of Ectria swells within you. Most importantly of all, the need to protect your wife flows into you, whom you can unreservedly say that you love.

As Ebe's song booms, you feel a calmness within you from the bursting emotions playing in your mind. You stand before her as the dark magic spear drives toward your stomach, knowing that you have nothing to fear from it.

Right up until the spear impales you through the abdomen in a fountain of blood.

Stunned, you blink in surprise as you look down at the length of magic metal through your body. A coldness washes over you, but you're unable to feel pain for some reason. Shaking, you look up at Liala who seems as surprised as you are. She cocks her head and asks, "Why didn't you dodge?"

"I…I…" You say, beginning to feel sick. Behind you, Tabitha cries out in horror while Erwin's voice shrieks in your mind. Dimly, you grow aware of warmth spreading along your belly. Oh, that's your blood, isn't it. Guess… guess you screwed up. You won't be able to protect them after all, huh? Sorry everyone… sorry Dollora…

"ROMMEL! DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE ME ALONE!" Tabitha shouts as shadow spawn converge upon her. "DAMN YOU, YOU SAID WE'D BE TOGETHER! WE WERE GOING TO RAISE A FAMILY DAMN YOU!"

Ebe's playing fades away as she's ripped from her singing at the encroaching spawn. Without the noise only a dim awareness fills you. Leaving Tabitha alone when she'd just found love… damn you're a right bastard. After all the things you'd prepared yourself with, and here you go backing down on all of it. It… it…


914ef2 (119) No.337995>>337996

>>337994

No. No, no, NO!

You REFUSE to let it end like this! Body shaking, you cough up blood that dribbles onto your chin. Liala merely watches you with a disdainful gaze as you meet her eyes. Something passes in her vision as she catches sight of your emotion then, yet she doesn't react further as you grab the spear's shaft. Taking a shaky, difficult breath, you push yourself along the spear toward her, much to her now surprise.

"What are you-?" She begins as you make one, massive push that sends your whole body screaming. Tearing your hands from the spear you latch them onto her head and feel something both beautiful and dreadful occur.

Liala begins to scream as your [Hands of Solos] activate, digging deep into her scalp. She tries to rip your hands off her, dissapating the spear to do so. She's unable to remove them however as they latch on with a force you can barely describe. Pats with a fury you've never given before course over her face and though she spits venom at you, covering your face in the disgusting fluid you still continue to pat, driving her to the ground.

"S-STOP! IT BURNS!" She screams, wrapping you in her tail to squeeze the life from your. You feel something break, perhaps a rib or two, though it really doesn’t matter anymore. Your hands don't appear to do any real damage to her, but she screams as if she's burning alive. Guess the bitch doesn't appreciate a good headpat. Still, as you feel your conciousness fading fast, you know this won't be enough to kill her. Well, you tried anyway.

A shadow falls over the two of you and you're vaguely aware of a blue glow. Above you, Alice says, "Looks like I get to win this time." Sword in both hands, she drives it down into Liala's skull, piercing the skull between your hands and ending Liala's existence once and for all.

The coils around you go slack, as well as Liala's arms which drop limp to the floor. You collapse upon her corpse as Tabitha, Sophie, and Sylphie run up to you, crying out in panic. Something disgusting is shoved into your mouth and down your throat, but you can't seem to feel much. Your wife, your beautiful wife's visage appears before yours and you see her mouth moving but can't hear anything. How crazy is that?

The corners of your vision turn black, but before you fade into darkness you see a familiar, masked face appear behind Tabitha. Ako looks at you with deep concern before pointing to something behind you. You can't tell if she said anything, because everything fades to black the next moment.

>The End


914ef2 (119) No.337996>>337997

>>337995

Welp good game everyone, you defeated the Apophis and brought and end to a milennia old conflict and only at the cost of one Wizard's life. Probably a fix's too I guess but-

Oh.

Wait a second.


914ef2 (119) No.337997>>338028 >>338031 >>338043 >>338091 >>338101 >>338107

>>337996

>Story continue

Light is not meant to be this bright. Wincing, you open your eyes and then close them again at the blinding light. How… how is it so bright out? You take a moment to steady yourself before opening your eyes again to find it's just a normal lamp in an otherwise dark room. Confused, you try to move, but find yourself unresponsive. A disgustingly powerful thirst rises up in your throat as well as you realize that your head… no, your entire body aches.

Something shifts nearby you and you look to see Tabitha stirring from a sleep, her head and arms on the bed near you. She blinks a few times before her eyes go wide and she gasps. Tears appear at the corners of her eyes and you realize she looks so disheveled and tired. That was one hells of a fight, wasn't it?

"Oh Gods, Rommel, I… I thought you might." She blubbers before wiping her cheeks. "I'm so… so glad. When you did that reckless stunt I thought I'd be a widow."

You open your mouth but nothing comes out. She blinks and then grabs a glass of water, slowly helping you drink. Coughing, you nod in thanks before whispering, "Where are we?"

Tabitha begins to answer when the door opens and Ammon walks in, flanked by his Kunoichi bodyguards. What surprises you the most about what you see is not that he's present, but by the crown upon his head and the rich, regal clothing. It seems so different from the stiff, if well tailored suits he was used to wearing.

"I believe I can answer that. Welcome to the Palace of the Pharaohs, though I suppose it should be renamed the Sultan's Palace as it was in ancient times." He waves and Sayaka brings him a chair from the corner to which he sits in. Leaning over he says, "It's been two weeks, we all thought you were going to die, dear, dear Rommel."

"Two… weeks?" You whisper, confused. "H-how… what?"

"I'm sure you have questions." He says, shrugging. "Thanks to your service, I think you've earned an audience with the new Sultan. Now then, what would you ask of me?"

>What do you do?


47402d (2) No.338028

>>337997

Well, first off. Let's ask about how is everyone, including our sis.


442055 (4) No.338031>>338230

>>337877

>>337873

Speculation aside, every point that you've made has been sound, but it's just more evidence that Phallia is off her rocker, not that Dollora is benevolent. It's not a coincidence that her most fanatical followers think that humans should be enslaved and are more than willing to kill anyone who disagrees. I'll say it again, just because Phallia is bad doesn't mean Dollora is good. Getting rid of the monsters retard-strength was a good outcome for everyone involved. It's the main reason they can coexist with humans peacefully, and with them working together they've managed to break their world out of the dark ages.

>>337939

You're too good to us Ace. I love this. Damn you Tabithafags.

>>337997

Have the two-faced fuck tell us where our sister and friends are. Then ask him about his plans for Ectria.


03b191 (1) No.338037

File (hide): c42a13ed741e8ba⋯.gif (526.68 KB, 484x383, 484:383, giphy.gif) (h) (u)


b9afec (22) No.338043>>338230

>>337997

Good, this worked out in the end even if the cheesy anime strat failed initially.

So how did we danuki Nerg out of his rightful claim this time? What did those two kunoichi do? Is Alice okay? Did the Hentateh break out yet? Has GW got his bag back from the palace yet and opened the nexus? Do we get a reward from the Sultan? Can we take it in favors?


bf4e63 (28) No.338091>>338230

>>337997

>He didn’t play the cheesy suicidal plan straight in spite of the drawbacks.

I’m actually rather pleasantly surprised though my poor heart isn’t. Well played, Ace.

>“Now then, what would you ask of me?”

To be perfectly straight and honest with us for once, with no smoke and mirrors or any other bullshit involved in his responses. We’ve sweat, bled and nearly died so that he can wear that fancy crown on his head, so we at least deserve this much from him.

Following that, we’re clearly not going to be moving for a while given our condition, so we might as well use him to fill us in on the details of what we’ve missed during our time spent comatose. Others have already suggested some of the obvious questions, so I’ll just list the others that come to mind:

>How are we still alive?

>What the hell has happened in the last two weeks?

>What is our current condition? How long will it take to recover from our injuries, if we even can recover from all of them?

>On that topic, is there any lasting, permanent damage from that battle? If so, how will it affect us going forward?

>Where is Erwin? Is he still alive?

>What of the Violet Sands? How have you dealt with them?

>Why are you still helping us? We’ve already achieved our mutual goals, so it’s not like you have any obligations to continue in your assistance.

>Furthermore, why are you being friendly with us? You don’t have to keep up the façade any longer, so are you actually being genuine?

>Did anyone collect the remains of Babyface, or is he lost to the wind?

>How long has Tabitha been by our bedside? Has she actually taken the chance to rest at all in these past two weeks instead of constantly fretting over us?

>Just how long were you waiting outside for that perfect moment to burst into the room? It’s too coincidental to be genuine, you cheeky cunt.

After that’s out of the way, there isn’t much else to do but lie back and wait until we’ve recovered, having Ammon send word to the others stating that we are in fact alive and possibly also requesting some form of painkiller or any other substance that can dull the constant aching we’ll be putting up with, like strong alcohol, from him. I suppose it might be worth thanking him for his assistance up to this point while we’re at it, if only to stay on good terms since he apparently likes receiving gratitude, if our final conversation at Hatset is any indication. Besides, he does kind of deserve it given how he’s been a large factor in our survival during the events in Ectria.


ae8375 (10) No.338101

>>337997

Ask about party status?

Is alice a stupid monster slut now?

Is your pice of shit sister dead?

Did he murder fuck the rest of the cult?

Why the hell is he helping you.

Why are you not dead?

Has the city calmed down any?

Can we have some sick wizard crap or any rocks in the palace?

As for what to do. Head pat lizard wifu.


2ebefd (20) No.338107>>338230 >>338290

>>337997

>what would you ask of me?

enough money to buy a nice plot of land in Deleor and put a house on it really just enough money to buy the land and any and all expenses covered in the process of building the house we want so we can raise ourselves a family of lizards

maybe a vacation home in Ectria because why not also so we can visit Ebe (assuming she stays in Ectria

also, get us the fuck out of here, we're done, fuck everything we just wanna go home


c41f09 (4) No.338111>>338167

I'd be surprised if the sister is alive. She still is an Apophis and her children are going to be Apophis. Even if she doesn't have all the dark magic voodoo her mere existence is still a threat to the Sultans rule.

I don't even want to talk to him too much I just want to read a sweet scene between Rommel and Tabitha.


bb9afb (6) No.338167>>338230

We obviously need information. Who lived, who died. The political structure. We need to make it up to Tabitha since we damn near made her a widow. Further down the line, we still have to get the grape out of our sister, if she's alive. I suppose that we should also check out that place in the desert that started all this… I can't remember the name. We should also find out if Hent-Ateh can be cured of her anger with heatpats, if she hasn't been released from the contract yet. She deserves a non-shitty end.

>>338111

This is why Rommel needs to set up Ammon and one of the sneks. It's a relationship of convenience to stabilize the region.


8bf9d3 (1) No.338230>>338393

Oh hello everyone, lets see…

>>338031

All dem tbeories, which is right? Guess you'll have to figure it out!

This topic im most pleased about discussion on because its so important.

Also, you're welcome. Ebe a gud girl.

>>338043

Everything somehow worked out in the end probably. Now for the fallout.

Im too much of a bitch to let you die at the end for the majority supporting such a stupid maneuver

>>338091

Even i can be surprising at times. Oooo.

>>338107

>Money for land in Deleor

Yeah, about that…

>>338167

A side trip to the Chasm of Regret mite be nice. The GW could probably move you around pretty quickly once he's feeling better and retrieves his bag, which probably wasnt destroyed.


c41f09 (4) No.338290>>338291

>>338107

>enough money to buy a nice plot of land in Deleor

We could also help rebuild and repopulate that lizard stronghold/city we helped liberate. They have a mine there with lots of fancy rocks in it.


2ebefd (20) No.338291>>338393

>>338290

that works too

i mean we would need a job to provide for our new family, and a geomancer would look really good on our resume when we apply for the foreman position at the mine


914ef2 (119) No.338379>>338380

>Story continue

Though your mouth is drier than the desert around you and your body aches abominably, you have to ask your questions. Making a motion to Tabitha for more water, she pours the sweet nectar from a jug next to your bed and helps you drink. Unfortunately you don’t feel well enough to move your arm and take it yourself, though she doesn’t seem to mind nursing you, bless her.

“You don’t look very good.” Ammon says, a smirk on his face.

“Fuck you.” Both you and Tabitha say in unison, to which his smile broadens.

“Oh, so very rude to the lord of this land, that’s a punishable by death you know.”

“If you wanted me dead, you had ample opportunity.” You say, wanting to throttle the man. Of course, this begs the deeper question of WHY he didn’t just let you die as you were pretty sure you were going to die. He seems to read the question on your face and speaks before you can answer.

“I’m certain you’re wondering why you’re still alive, yes? By all accounts, you should have been dead. In fact, that spear pierced not a few very important organs there. It’s something that not even my best healers could have dealt with on a good day, but somehow you lasted long enough that they could salvage your miserable frame.”

“We did give him a health potion pretty quickly.” Tabitha says, to which Ammon shakes his head.

“That may have helped, but honestly no one is certain why he survived. It took some time for Sayaka to bring us in after this was discovered for my healers to arrive and they’d thought about just ending your life.”

“As if I’d let them.” Tabitha hisses.

“Quite.” Ammon says, smirking. “You Lizardmen are quite the doting wives so I’ve heard. So feisty.” He shakes his head. “Honestly, it’s almost as if a God was looking out for you, though it certainly wasn’t Nerg.”

Both you and Tabitha share a look. Dollora?… But she wouldn’t… would she?

“Well that’s neither here nor there as you’re clearly out of danger, however…” He trails off and waves to Tabitha. “It might be better coming from you.”

She takes a deep breath and pulls back the sheets of the bed to reveal your exposed chest. Thankfully you’re wearing pants, though at the moment you don’t much care if you had happened to flash the Sultan of Ectria. You’re far more focused on the massive, wicked looking scar on your abdomen. Too weak to touch it, you suddenly feel a burning itch from the freshly healed skin.

Tabitha gently sets one of her cool fingers upon your belly and you wince in pain. It’s a dull thing but it’s still a shock to see on yourself. Maybe Dollora really was looking out for you, because this is insane!

“The healers say that you might be bedridden for awhile longer.” She says in a soft voice. “Strenuous activity is forbidden, though small walks may be appropriate. They specifically mentioned no sexual acts as well, though none of your… equipment was damaged. “

“That’s… good.” You say, not really certain how to respond to that. “Anything else?”

Tabitha sits back. “They say you may not be able to eat as much as before due to damage to your intestines, but with some healing in Sanctifrond they might be able to help somewhat.” She huffs, “I was looking forward to serving you large bowels of Blackfire Stew.”

“I uh… didn’t know you could cook.” You say, surprised.

“You never asked.” She sniffs, though with a little smile on her face. It’s good to see some of the tension leave her face- Gods know she could use that right about now.

“Well that’s sweet.” Ammon says, leaning back in his chair. “But I am quite a busy man now and as much as I enjoy our company, there’s still much to be done!”

“Says the man who was waiting outside the door.” You say with a sarcastic tone.

Sayaka interjects, “His majesty Ammon was not waiting for you, however his prides himself on being prompt when he found you were awakened.”

“He has people watching all the rooms again.” Tabitha says, shaking her head.

“Invaluable information.” Ammon chuckles.

“Right. Some more water if you would.” Tabitha helps you again and you sigh before asking. “Liala is-?”

“Oh she’s quite dead.” He says, nodding his head. “The woman with the magic sword saw to that.”

“Alice. How is she?”


914ef2 (119) No.338380>>338381

>>338379

“Hmm? Oh, she’s quite alright. The Monster Lady fretted over her during these past two weeks, seeming convinced she had started to become a Monster, but in the end the only changes are a rather fetching change of hair color.”

Sayaka looks at her short, black hair with worry on her features as he continues to speak. “Ah, but you must be wondering about your other companions. Well, they were quite beat up, but all going to make it. The Monster Lady’s ankle is still a little sore, but nothing that won’t heal up while her husband had a small concussion. He’s quite alright now. As for the younger Cat o’Ninetails, they’ve both made good recoveries, though I’m afraid the bookish one is going to have that scar from the magitek rifle for the rest of her life.”

“I think she accepted it.” You say, nodding your head. “What of Ebe? Erwin?”

“The Ghandharva? Mostly flesh wounds, though she’s been a little mopey in between performances she’s been doing for the populace. I must say, I never really thought she’d be quite as instrumental to helping with the tensions after the purges, but the people ADORE her.”

“Purges?” You ask before shaking your head. “No, first, how is Erwin?”

“The fox, yes?” Ammon’s face becomes troubled. “He’s been asleep as long as you have, and while my healers are looking after him the best they can, they aren’t exactly used to treating foxes. I’m not certain his condition. Ah, you’ll be pleased to know that the horse is the best off of all of you by the way.”

Tabitha squeezes your hand as you take this in. Breathing out slowly you reach your mind out to find Erwin and feel… a troubled nothingness. Your bond is still present, but he’s unreachable, as if a blackness is present where his mind should be. Though your heart aches, you send out, {I’m here buddy, please rest as much as you need. I’ll be here when you return.}

Sighing, you look to Tabitha and notice her arms. The knife wounds that Hel’alin inflicted appear to have been healed, leaving nary a scar due to healing magic. Still, she notices your gaze and gives you a soft smile.

“I’m alright. Wounds weren’t as deep as expected and they said I can swing a sword again. Worst case scenario I’ll just get magitek arms too.”

“As if I’d let you cut off those pretty hands.” You say, sighing out in relief. “Glad to hear it, though you look tired. You haven’t been here this whole time, have you?”

“Of course not-“ She begins but is cut off by Ako

“Yes, pretty much.”

The Lizardman glares at the Kunoichi, but you just chuckle before wincing. Oww, oww, ouchie. “W-well, that’s good to hear that everyone is at least alive although…”

Ammon clacks his tongue. “Yes, the Elephantgirl in the room. What of the Apophis.” He laces his fingers together and takes a deep breath before answering.

“Our agreement was for the destruction of Hent-ateh and in return I would capture Hel’alin for you. While you did not technically hold up your end of the bargain at first, with the destruction of Liala, we are not certain what the effects are upon the creature. We have removed it from the ground encased in metal but have just locked it up. As far as the Grand Wizard and the Monster Lady say, the creature is still present, yet dormant. I do not yet know what that means.”

Looking you directly in the eyes he continues. “Now, as to how this pertains to your sister… by all rights the bargain was not upheld and I should have ended her life. However, she was already unconscious and easy to detain, as such I have imprisoned her in the dungeons with specific safeguards.”

You watch the man with a concerned expression. “You sound as if there’s a ‘but’ in there somewhere.”

He sighs. “Yes. There is. Rommel, it has been two weeks of imprisonment for her. She is not… I don’t know an easy way to put this, but she is not quite rational. She fades in from rants about killing everyone to crying and wailing your name. She seems barely lucid and frankly the only reason she’s probably alive is that Lamias don’t need to eat very much, because she hasn’t.”

He sighs, “Had you been asleep any longer, it would have been a kindness to kill her.”

A shaky breath escapes your lips as you take that in. Gods, it didn’t even occur to you that the ritual wasn’t going to be performed, not with Selene fairly out of action and everyone worrying about you. The mental hell that Helene must be going through- if she is even Helene anymore. It seems so unlikely that she’d be… be…


914ef2 (119) No.338381>>338382

>>338380

You begin to shake as emotion takes hold of you. Tabitha stabilizes your arm until you start breathing easier. Ammon stays silent until you’re ready to speak again. With a gulp, you look up at him and stabilize your breathing before saying, “I… thank you for… for at least allowing me to see her again.”

“Of course.” He says, nodding his head. “You might find it strange, but I do pay my debts. None of this would have been possible without your interactions and truly no one has suffered as much as you and yours have.” His mask slips for a moment as weariness creeps into his voice,

“Everyone assumes me to be a heartless backstabber, but all men with ambition must eventually dirty their hands, even if the goals are noble. I must believe that the ends justify the means.”

And just like that the smile is back on his face. He winks at you and says, “That’s our little secret, okay?”

“I… yeah.” You say, licking your lips. Tabitha helps you with some more water for your parched throat before you speak again. “What of the city? What happened with the remaining cultists and the populace?”

“Without their leadership, the cultists fell quickly. Most of the enthralled had already been slain and the regular cultists couldn’t survive the assault by my forces. It was over before it truly began, thanks to you. As we’d spoken about before, however, the cultists needed to be executed. There were few who objected.”

He continues, “With the demise of both the Pharaoh and the Apophis, the people needed an icon. Thankfully there was one present who had both stability and FOOD in abundance, especially since most of the other higher merchants had been slain…” He trails off at that before shaking his head. “It will cause trouble down the line as the surviving noble houses suspect foul play in that department, but I’m not worried about that. For now it’s about repairing the city and keeping people fed, which we’ve been able to do since supply lines are reopened and the largest group of pirates on the rivers has been dealt with mysteriously.”

“Yes, mysteriously.” Tabitha says without a hint of emotion.

“For all intents and purposes, the Violet Sands are no more. The outlying settlements may yet have some resistance, but few of them truly believed in these demi-goddesses. They wanted change more than anything, and I believe some cooperation with them will lead us to an amicable agreement. A one, “Lady Aliph” has already been in contact and we have begun discussion on how best to defuse the remaining cultists.”

“Maybe you should marry her for political reasons.” You say, to which Sayaka shoots you a dark look.

Ammon chuckles, “Oh I don’t think so. While I do love the slither of a sexy snake lady, I believe that it wouldn’t be correct to do at the moment. Besides, I’m a little busy for a wife at the moment.”

Sayaka looks a mix of pleased and disappointed at that statement. This is more emotion than you’ve seen from her in quite some time. Anyway, you ask, “Sounds like things are going well then.”

“Better than expected, all things considered. Running a nation is similar to running an information network, just this time people respect you for it. I think most people were ready for a change, and I can safely say that Ectria is in NO position to invade Deleor I’m afraid.”

“What of the slave trade then?”

He sighs, “That’s another matter entirely. While it is currently forbidden to take slaves from Deleor, I cannot stop the trade overnight here in Ectria, nor am I certain I could. However, I have allowed the borders opened for those who want to enter the country, so if they get captured as slaves while here, it’s… well.” He shakes his head. “We shall see what happens on that front.”

“Oh, in one of my trips outside.” Tabitha begins before turning to Ako and glaring at her. “Which I did take… occasionally, the Grand Wizard mentioned that he had found out how to open the Nexus point here.”

You look at Ammon which interest to which the man beams. “The madman did it, he managed to return magic to Ectria. It will be a painfully slow process as leylines begin to reform, but in a few years I expect we can have our own Leyways. Ectria will finally be a modern nation again.”

“That’s… wonderful.” You sigh, laying your head back onto your bed. “At least most things went well.” Turning to Tabitha you use a little of your strength to squeeze her hand, though you wish you could pat her head. “Just a little more business here and we can finally go home.”

“Home, huh?” She says, looking a little distant. “I haven’t… huh, I haven’t had a home in… I can’t even remember.”

“Well, you could always stay in Ectria.” Ammon says, smiling. “There’s plenty of space in the Capital here.”


914ef2 (119) No.338382>>338384 >>338394 >>338395 >>338412 >>338493 >>338787

>>338381

“Thanks, but I believe we’ll be going back to Deleor.” You both say before smiling. Following up you say, “We could always live in Blackfire Reach if you wanted. I’m sure a Geomancer would be in demand there.”

Her eyes sparkle for a moment before she bites her lip, hesitant. “We’ll talk about it later, when you’re doing better.”

You try to read her expression but give up and instead sigh as you feel overwhelmingly tired from all the questioning. Ammon nods his head and stands up, smoothing out his clothing. “I believe our patient needs his rest. I’ll have some food sent over soon for you, though I doubt it will be very appetizing. I hope you like gruel.”

“My favorite.” You sigh. As Ammon makes to leave, you say, trying to speak a little louder, “I have to know. Why did you do all of this for us? What is it that drove you to this end?”

The Sultan pauses at the door frame, not looking at you for a long time before he turns and says, “I too grew up knowing the oppression of the Pharaohs. What separated me from the Violet Sands is that I looked to the future instead of rooting myself in the past. This world is changing Rommel, Ectria could not afford to stagnate any further. As for you in particular…”

He chuckles, “I always liked stories about Wizards and the one you’ve helped weave will last in Ectrian history for as long as this country lives. Have you considered writing a book?”

Before you can answer he leaves the room, his laughter echoing down the halls as the door shuts behind him. Both you and Tabitha watch the door for a few moments before she sighs and leans her head next to yours, burying it into the pillow.

“I still don’t know what to make of that man.”

“For better or worse, he’s the ruler of Ectria now.”

“Yeah…” She says before lifting her head and whispering, “Are you alright?”

“No.” You say, shaking your head. “But you’re here with me so, I think I might be.”

She chuckles and picks herself up enough to plant a gentle kiss on your mouth. “That’s the cheesiest thing I’ve ever heard, but it’s the sweetest too. Get some rest, I’ll be here if you need anything.”

“Yeah.” You say, closing your eyes. “Although if you could do me one favor?”

“Anything.”

“Take a bath, you smell terrible.”

“You best be thankful you’re an invalid with a nice smile.” She says, with a slight chuckle. Even as she says this her words start to fade as you drift off. The last thing you hear from her is, “Sleep well, my love.”

---—————————————-

When you next awaken Tabitha is there again, ready to help feed you a rather unappetizing gruel. Despite her protests, she eventually helps you out of bed, where you find that you can’t walk by yourself at all quite yet. Still, there’s some important things you need to do, people to speak with, etc. As much as you just want to go back to sleep, there’s more to be done and questions to be asked. Just because the fighting is finished doesn’t mean that everything is over.

Steeling yourself, you dress in a simple undershirt and try our connection to your magic to form a small cane of stone, which you use to stabilize you while Tabitha helps you walk otherwise. Walking out into the hallways you’re met by a passing by maid who offers to help direct you about. Who do you want to speak with first and what else would you wish to do? It’s time to finish up business here and then look to returning home to Deleor, finally.

>What do you do?


914ef2 (119) No.338384>>338393 >>338394 >>338405 >>338446

>>338382

E X P O S I T I O N

I think that answered most of the questions. Oh, and you know that Babyface is gone forever. I'm sorry.

So, everyone got to live, but not exactly unscathed. Due to the time lag as well from your suicidal little ploy Helene… Well, anyway, I'm sure you have questions to ask people, or maybe you want to time skip to leaving this place. I'd say there's a few things to fix of course.

Also, I've got the commission itch again, though it probably won't be done until next week at the earliest. Any requests?

Also, I guess I'll need to get with you again Slavsan and see how destroyed my poor setting is and how we can salvage this together- if that's even possible.


47402d (2) No.338393>>338500

>>338384

>Due to the time lag as well from your suicidal little ploy Helene…

We might still be able to remove the gRape snek spirit. If she's both raging one minute and sobbin' the next, it's possible. But, Helene will need alot of mental help… she's our big sis after all.

>>338291

>foreman position

You think too small.

>>338230

>majority supporting such a stupid maneuver

Yes, a very stupid, fuckin' maneuver! I leave and you lot nearly burn the fuckin' house down! *slow clap*


2ebefd (20) No.338394>>338500

>>338382

go see everyone, who are all together because reasons

also go see our sister if we can, physically or otherwise

>>338384

>Babyface is gone forever

in body maybe, but not spirit

we should find another deposit of granite and make a [Babyface Jr.] make a ring for Tabitha out of it because i dont think we've gotten her a wedding ring yet


f6e293 (1) No.338395>>338500

>>338382

>He chuckles, “I always liked stories about Wizards and the one you’ve helped weave will last in Ectrian history for as long as this country lives. Have you considered writing a book?”

tbh I really like this as a character motivation. Ammon is being a Nice Guy because he wants to look good in WizardQuest 2!


ae8375 (10) No.338405>>338500 >>338787

>>338384

Honestly, we need to deal with the damn snake. Having the damn thing stew in its own mess is just going to make it worse to clean up.

And honestly, rommel needs to stop viewing the gRape snake as his sister. She sacrificed all of that to be this damn thing and should be treated as such.

However, hearing her story should answer why she did it, and should be the deciding factor on what to do with her.

Ammon has done more than was asked and proved to be an ally the whole time. It would be less stress on him if this problem is sorted out asap.

Second thing to do is check on the fox. My guss is he caught some sort of "super death fuck shit" from us being on the good end of a pointy boy. Needs fixing.


50cb7c (10) No.338412>>338493 >>338500

>>338382

First thing we do is go check on our little buddy. Follow that by a visit to Helena. Im sure Ace can whip out something soapy to read and hopefully paying her a visit will bring some ease to her troubled mind until we can preform the ritual.

Ace Im glad you chose to not monsterize Alice like some anons were suggesting. That sort of troupe is terribly overdone. Now she can stay her slutty badass self and still maintain her prejudice for monster kind without having to have some kind of bullshit reason for her to change her views to "monsters ain't so bad".

So if anyone asks us why the hell we took that attack full on, We're telling them it was a ploy to get past her defenses and make an opening for others to attack her directly. We will never tell anyone that we expected to just phase through concentrated and hardened dark magic because we believe in love. Thats gay and Im glad you punished us for it.

Also when we see the Grand Wizard we have to rip on him terribly about how shit he has become. Couldn't even kill a single snake with a weapon blessed by Nerg. Truly pathetic. And I guess we should go thank Alice for using that opening to end it.


b9afec (22) No.338446>>338500

>>338384

Go and mercy kill what's left of our neesan. Go there alone.

Sent you a summary. Sorry for never checking my mail.


bf4e63 (28) No.338493>>338500

>Gods, it didn’t even occur to you that the ritual wasn’t going to be performed, not with Selene fairly out of action and everyone worrying about you.

While I can definitely buy this and am glad that particular actions have consequences even if the action in question was something I opposed, I do have to question why no one tried to get someone like the Head Priestess of Dollora to perform the ritual in Selene’s stead; she’s very likely to be alive, as no one would kill a priestess without good reason, and she has motivation for assisting, seeing as their goddess wished to help us, after all.

>“Have you considered writing a book?”

If we ever do end up going down this route, then I’m going to suggest we omit or alter certain details about the adventure for any public publications, like how we assisted in the return of the Apophis, how our inaction caused the majority of the merchants in the capital to die and, as >>338412 mentions, how we stood in front of a spear charge like a muppet in the delusion that powerful emotions would save us as some examples.

>>338382

Everyone is pretty much in agreement with how to proceed here, that being checking on Helene and Erwin as a priority before potentially searching for anyone else, and I too believe this to be the best course of action, so I don’t really have much to add or say here other than throwing in my own two cents regarding Helene and reminding everyone that there are more things to do in Ectria outside of the capital so we shouldn’t leave the country immediately.

On the topic of Helene, while it’s very unlikely that there will be much left of our sister following the two week time skip from our coma, we shouldn’t immediately rule out the possibility of being able to help her until we’ve actually been to seen her and witnessed her condition first hand, nor should we not bother attempting the ritual at least once more to salvage what might remain of her. There are no downsides to trying to save her other than wasting time, something we have a ton of right now, and it’s clear that losing Helene would be a huge blow to us, so any chance of saving her, no matter how slim, should be taken. Something about ‘never giving up hope’ comes to mind.

>>338412

>Ace Im glad you chose to not monsterize Alice like some anons were suggesting.

What you mentioned about Alice changing her opinion aside as she’s kind of already done that by this point, I agree. It would be rather odd if the person trying to kill us opted to transform one of her opponents instead of, you know, just bloody killing them.


914ef2 (119) No.338500

>>338393

Ayep, let's see sis.

And a foreman is a respectable position! Good pay! Good benefits! Get to come home at night and fuck your wife!

Yes, it was a stupid move, but gosh if it had worked it would have been AWESOME

>>338394

Together because reasons! Oh you.

A granite ring?

You already got her a sword. Which she didn't use in battle actually but she will soon!

>>338395

Nah he was always a nice guy at heart who needed to do mean things.

But yeah he really liked Wizardquest

>>338405

But she is his sister maybe probably

Yes, Erwin needs hugs

>>338412

Oh, I can do soapy. I can do so soapy your skin will be clean as fuck. I CAN CLEAN GODS WITH MY SOAP

Also sappy I can do that too.

Let's be honest here, I just ran with that shit about Alice monsterizing. The change in hair was due to her resistance to the dark magic, but it did bleach her hair basically. She was never going to Monsterize- Alice would never allow that to happen to herself! Also, Energieschwert is one hell of a sword and it's bled some of it's magic into her over time.

Yes, the GW must be mocked

>>338446

I got it, I'll reply later

>>338493

Sadly, not enough people did oppose it. And here we are now!

Listen, the head priestess was a little busy after her run-in with Liala and then sort of fixing the country.

Yes… Helene will be the first to check up on.

Because that won't be a good place to end the next update… totally…

Oh and Liala was totally trying to kill all of you. Those fires were killing fires. By all rights she should be dead.


914ef2 (119) No.338623>>338624

This actually isn't supposed to be that bad an update but I wore myself out today and then made the critical mistake of watching both Darling in the Franxx and Killing Bites before deciding to type.

Now I'm like, fading in my chair. Blurgh. Well, I have to do something tomorrow anyway so I'll be home earlier than I'd rather be so I'll write when I get home then.

Blurgh.

Also, if you want an impact on things, go and read ol' Warriorquest and make suggestions.


914ef2 (119) No.338624>>338755

>>338623

My bad, i forgot my hat


7e7966 (2) No.338755

>>338624

You are going to lose that hat someday.


6aa642 (2) No.338787>>338790

>>338382

Our group, despite a few bumps and bruises, is largely alright. When we reached out to Erwin earlier despite being out of it he was still ok too. Give a quick detour to see how the fox is doing in person. After that go straight to our sister and talk to her. We made the mistake of not going straight to her earlier in the story, and she transformed herself because she saw no other option to save Ectria. She was reckless to do so, but it was not done out of hate. She needs her brother now more than ever. If anyone needs headpats at this point it's her.

>>338405

Helene will always be our sister, doesn't matter what she looks like. If she's suffering, if there's nothing that can bring her peace, then we will do what we must. Until that point we must do everything in our power to save her.


7e7966 (2) No.338790

>>338787

It's not the looks that makes her scum, it's the fact that, as far as I know, willingly became possessed by the gRape snake and our enemy. And I think it would be a good idea to treat her as such until proven otherwise. We were granted one more chance to possibly unfuck this, let's not waste it by blinding ourselves with emotions.


914ef2 (119) No.338812>>338813

>Story continue

“Let’s go find where Erwin is first.” Instructing the maid to help you find him. She walks ahead, a little faster than she should given your condition, but she eventually gets the message and slows her pace. As you walk, Tabitha asks,

“Sure you’re up to walking about?”

“Surer than I am about sitting in my own filth all day.”

“I gave you a sponge bath you know.”

You smirk at your wife’s response. Yes, she did give you a sponge bath during your bed stay and yes, she did help you with your uh… more unsavory functions, but that’s all the more reason to get back on your feet. Besides, Ammon’s words about your friends and your sister have you worried even more than before.

The Palace of the Pharaohs, or whatever Ammon calls it now is much different in the daytime. Gentle rays of the Ectrian sun filter though areas of the keep which were relatively untouched by the chaos. Beautiful portraits of past Pharaohs and landscapes of Ectria line the walls as well as tapestries and vases from here and abroad. You even spot some Deleorian items here and there.

“Curious that he kept the Pharaoh’s likeness on the walls.” You say, nodding to a picture which looked very similar to the Prophet. Tabitha looks at them and shrugs.

“Maybe there wasn’t time to remove them yet?”

The maid notices your attention and she says in Ectrian, {No, I am afraid the Sultan did not want them removed. He does not want to forget our history.}

{Respectable.} You reply, much to her surprise. Why did she speak in Ectrian if she didn’t think you could respond to her? How strange, though she seems far more self-conscious afterward.

She leads you through hallways where other maids and members of Ammon’s staff wander about, to which you see a familiar face. As you approach she turns and delight comes over her features. “Well bloody hells, if it isn’t Mr. and Mrs. Rommel.”

“Zoras.” You say, nodding your head and smiling at her. “It’s been awhile.”

“Hrm, I’d say right around two weeks, wouldn’t you?” She chuckles. “Looks like your wife is giving you plenty of bloody support, eh?”

“It’s part of the job.” Tabitha sighs before nodding at Zoras. “I trust things are going well for you?”

“Ah, yes.” Zoras replies. “With all the damages, something experienced in findings things of value is needed, and I’ve also been given a task of cataloging things in the Palace. It’s boring at times, but digging through the vaults is rewarding.” She leans in, “Ammon also wishes to have people spread out and find all the ancient tombs to learn all we can about ancient Ectria. Well, and gather the riches.”

“Ah, so the profit motive is still there.” You smirk.

“Well, he bloody well needs it to keep this place stable.” Zora says, leaning back. “Of course, you’re not looking so good yourself. Should you be out of bed after ah… what was it you did, ‘stood in the way of a lance like some kind of mummer’s puppet?’”

“Hmm? Oh, actually it was a ploy to get past her defenses and make an opening for the others to attack directly. As you well have heard, Alice delivered the finishing blow.”

Tabitha stares at you with unbelieving eyes as you deliver the line with a straight face. Zoras looks between the two of you and rubs her chin, her large claws mimicking the gesture under her. “Hmmmm.” She muses. “I don’t know if I can trust that.”

“Have I ever done something so stupid?”

“Well, you did ask to milk me once.”

Tabitha glares at you and you sigh. “Point taken, but in my defense, I didn’t really know what the connotations of that were.”

“Sure, sure.” She says, chuckling. “Are you going to be leaving Ectria here soon then?”

“Probably as soon as we’re able to.” Tabitha responds. “It would be good to see Deleor again.”


914ef2 (119) No.338813>>338814

>>338812

“Mmm. From what I hear a lot has gone on in Deleor, though since this supposed bloody nexus of yours isn’t fully operational the news is a little stale.”

You look at her, concerned. “News such as what?”

“Ah, well, this Galmathoria place appears to have made some attacks I hear, but it’s…” She shakes her head. “It’s not really anything I know too much about. It would be better for someone else to tell you.”

“I… see.”

The three of you stand there a little awkward after that. Tabitha shifts you against her while Zoras’s claws clack. Eventually she coughs into her hand and says, “Right then, well enough of that.” She takes a deep breath and plants her hands on her hips. “If I don’t see you around again then it’s been a pleasure, both of you.” She bows at the waist, which is kind of funny with her body before she says, “Sorry about everything Ammon has done, but it was for the best. I hope you understand.”

You sigh and wave your hand, though it’s a little tiring. “What’s done is done.” Nodding to her you hold out your hand. “We’ve said goodbye before Zoras, but who knows, maybe we’ll cross paths again.”

“Hmph, wouldn’t be the first time.” She takes your hand and shakes it. “I doubt it will be the bloody last.”

She shakes hands with Tabitha as well before departing on her way while you and Tabitha continue forward. The maid apparently didn’t wait for the two of you as she scurries back into sight with a worried look on her expression before bowing a few times. The two of you smirk but you let her know it’s fine as she escorts you further.

Turning a corner down the stone corridors, you wince as bright sunlight fills your vision. Once you get adjusted to it, you look around in surprise at an inner garden within the palace. While not as large as any devoted to Phallia, this one seems more ornamental than anything and only has a few bushes and trees as well as a small pond where exotic, eastern fish swim next to a stone bench. Warm light from the Ectrian sun fills the garden, but doesn’t overpower it with the oppressive heat and you feel a sense of comfort from the little enclosure.

Sitting upon the bench is Sylphie and upon her lap rests Erwin. The little fox looks like he’s seen better days as he lays there, talking slow, shallow breaths. Sylphie gently strokes his fur but looks up as you approach, her eyes going wide. “R-Rommel?”

“Hey there.” You say, giving her a smile. “How’s the little guy?”

“Little? Oh! Erwin! Ah…” She hesitates before sighing. “He’s been out as long as you have. I’ve done by best to nurse him, but he’s just so little. He has seemed a little more peaceful lately though, so maybe…” She looks back up at you with tears beginning to form in her eyes. “I-I thought you were going to die!”

You nod to Tabitha to help you over to the bench. With a grunt of effort, you sit down next to the crying girl and slowly place your hand on hers. She sniffs as you say, “It’ll take more than a spear of pure dark magic to the gut to slow me down, you know that.”

“That was fucking retarded, you know that?!”

“I have been told.”

She sniffles and rubs at her eyes. “Oh, who am I kidding, I’ve done just as reckless shit and for less of a reason.” Stabilizing herself she says, “Ugh, I’ve cried far too much recently. It’s good to have you up although…?”

“No, I probably shouldn’t be up, but I kind of need to be.”

“He has me to chaperone him so he doesn’t get in trouble.” Tabitha says, to which Sylphie smiles.

“Ah, I can always count on you to keep people in line, Tabitha.” She looks down at Erwin and frowns. “I’m still worried about him.”

“Can I hold him?” You ask. She nods and hands him over, placing the sleeping fox in your lap. Gently, you stroke his fur and feel how much weight he’s lost. Gods, it’s a miracle they were able to keep him from being skin and bones.


914ef2 (119) No.338814>>338815

>>338813

“Hey buddy.” You say, hanging your head. “I’m up and about. Isn’t it time for you to berate me about my shitty choices?” The fox doesn’t stir under your hands. Gritting your teeth as emotion starts to well up in you, you say, “Erwin… I’m sorry. I didn’t think about what would happen to you when I did that. After all the trust we talked about before and everything, I just went and did it without thinking. I’m so sorry, so please, please just wake up.”

You feel hands on your back and shoulders and tears begin to fall from your eyes. You didn’t think you’d break into crying, but you’re still recovering and the sight of your familiar like this… why wouldn’t you cry? The spots of wetness drip onto his fur like rain and yet he still does not stir, though in the back of your mind… something? No… it’s gone.

“Rommel…” Sylphie begins before trailing off. “I’m taking care of him the best I can. I’m sure he’ll be up again soon, especially the stronger you get. Dad’s helping too! Erwin… Erwin’s going to make it, alright? He’s one of us, and we all came through in one piece or another.” She smiles, “It wouldn’t do to let one of ours not see the end of the journey, would it?”

“Yeah.” You say, nodding your head. “Yeah, that’s right. He’s the strongest of us all. Erwin’s got this.” Gently touching his head you motion for Sylphie to take him back, which she does with the utmost caution. Once he’s been relinquished to her, you look over to Tabitha who sighs and wipes away your tears.

“Honestly. This isn’t very manly you know.”

“I seem to recall I helped with your tears before too.”

“I have a reasonable excuse.”

“Sure, says the Lizardman with the stare who can shatter rocks.”

She narrows her eyes, but as she does Sylphie giggles. Both of you stop at the sound, which fills the green space with a sound far more harmonious than the crying beforehand. Shaking her head, the Cat o’Ninetails smiles and says, “You two really are good for each other. I’m glad for you.” You begin to say something but she holds up a hand to forestall you. “No, no. We’ve been over this. Besides, maybe when I get home I can find a strapping sorcerer who has a love for animals or something.”

“Hmmm?” Tabitha asks, a sparkle in her eyes. “You’d have to leave your house for that.”

“Yes, well.” Sylphie says, sniffing, “Maybe it’s about time to go out on my own anyway. Even after all we’ve been through it… it’s nice to travel. I’ve been many places with Mom and Dad, but it’s just… it’s different when you’re not with them, you know?”

“Yeah, it is a little different, though traveling with friends is much more enjoyable than traveling alone.” Tabitha says, smirking.

“Ah, well, Sophie agreed to traveling too, but I think… I think we’re going to go our separate ways. It might be good for us. Oh, but Mr. Ed will be with me anyway, so…”

“I’m happy for you.” Tabitha says, putting a hand on her shoulder. Sylphie gives a soft smile in return and nods her head.

“Thanks. We need to get home first though!” She says, puffing out her chest. Nodding, she turns to you and says, “I’m sure Mom and Dad want to talk with you. I think Ebe would be happy to hear from you as well, but I think she’s busy helping people out in the city.”

“Ammon said the people love her?”

“Oh, they adore her. Ebe’s gotten a lot tougher since we first met her, but she still has that demure personality. She’s easily likable and easy on the eyes too, not to mention her songs have really helped keep people calm in these troubling times.” Sylphie shrugs, “She wanted to help change things, and honestly I could see some people ask for her to be the new Sultana.”

“Ugh, I don’t think she’d go for Ammon though.” You say, grimacing.

“Gods, I hope not! But I can see a good future for her here if she’s willing to stay. I’m happy for her.”


914ef2 (119) No.338815>>338816

>>338814

Both you and Tabitha nod at this and say your farewells to Sylphie before rising (with difficulty) and leaving on your way again. Tabitha asks if you want to return to your room, but after seeing Erwin’s condition you feel all the more that it’s necessary to see your sister. Finding another maid (who turns out to be the same maid from before, much to her dismay) you ask her to lead you to the dungeons. Sighing, she does so.

As you head to the dungeons you begin to see signs of damage from the battles. The cultists who were broken from the dungeon had come up though here and fought with the guards as well as broke many of the furnishings. New ones had been installed but they seem strange compared to the relics from elsewhere. The damaged flooring and ripped carpets were harder to obscure in such a short period of time.

As you approach a pair of Anubis guards look you over. Apparently even after the Pharaoh had been killed, most of their number slaughtered or turned into enthralled, the Anubis in the Palace were still loyal to the Palace itself. Still, they seem a little more relaxed having some kind of stability around. They ask you your business and you inform them, to which they allow you in having been ordered by the Sultan to do so. One of them asks if you’re okay and you just give her a flat look.

The dungeons are much as you remember them, dark, cramped, and still damaged from where you broke all the cells. Only a few have bars placed, holding simple criminals that give you confused looks. Anyone with more serious crimes are executed to save the effort. Walking through the tight confines, you hear sounds ahead. Walking staff clinking against the stone floor, you make your way in that direction.

“We should just kill her.” Alice says in the distance, her voice echoing down the hallways. “Come on, Rommel doesn’t need to see this.”

“It’s not really our choice to make.” The Grand Wizard sighs. “But… you might be right. She’s not long for this world if nothing is done.”

“We can try but- wait.” Selene says, cutting off.

Both you and Tabitha look at each other before shrugging and continuing forward. When you turn the corner, you see the three awaiting you, looks of surprise on their face. Looking between the three you cough and say, “Hello everyone.”

“Well shit, he’s alive.” Alice says, adjusting her sword belt. In the light of the lantern you notice her silver-blonde hair shining and lustrous, but otherwise she seems much herself. “I thought your little stunt was going to be the end of you.”

“Join the club.” Tabitha sighs.

“I bet everyone has told you to get back in bed.” The Grand Wizard says. “But I also bet you’re a stubborn ass who has better things to do than sit in bed and be fed gruel by his loving wife.”

Selene gives him a sidelong glance. “As much as his dear wife protests otherwise. Of course, he’ll learn never to risk his own life like that again, right?”

“Honestly Selene, it wasn’t that bad of an injury and you know it.” The man waves his hand in dismissal. “Anyway this is neither here nor there. Rommel, what are you doing down here?”

“I could ask the same of the three of you.” You reply with a flat tone.

They look between each other before Selene sighs. “Rommel, listen. Helene is-“

“Yeah, Ammon told me.” You say, looking toward the metallic door where you sister… or the Monster she’s become is being held. “You’re thinking about ending her life then?”

Selene nods her head. “She would die on her own and she’s not really in her right mind. Rommel, I know she’s your sister, but I believe the time has passed to remove the Apophis from her.”

Alice nods her head, expression serious. “I’ve heard some of her ravings… Rommel, she’s lost it. Please, just let me end her suffering.”

Turning to the Grand Wizard, you watch as he sighs and says, “I don’t know. It’s not my decision to make, it’s yours. But what they say is true.” He walks up to you and puts a hand on your shoulder. “Rommel, you’re going to need to see this for yourself. All I ask is you don’t delay this. We all need to be strong to return to Deleor after the attacks and the sooner this is dealt with, the sooner we can return.”


914ef2 (119) No.338816>>338817 >>338823 >>338841 >>338842 >>338917 >>338924

>>338815

“Attacks? I was told about raids by Galmathoria.”

“Yes, but the tactics they’ve used are severe and without myself and Selene present, I’m afraid of what this means for the country. The changes occurring in the realm of the Gods and their chosen priests and priestesses as well… something is happening Rommel. We’ve been here too long, and frankly if Selene wasn’t still injured we’d have left by now.”

You look to Selene who nods her head. “Sadly, he’s right. That fracture was worse than expected, but the healers set it well. It’s stable but jumping too much may re-injure it and I can’t afford that.”

“I can’t access El Dorito yet either.” The Grand Wizard sighs. “The Nexus point is too weak and without a leyline connection I can’t speak with the other Wizards even though I have my bag back.”

“Right this… El Dorito.” You say, frowning. “So, what you’re saying is, we either travel by foot or by boat back to Deleor to find out more.”

“Correct. Either way, you’re not in a fit state to travel, so it’s not going to be in the next few days. Besides, there’s still this matter.” He points toward the door. “There’s no point delaying it, you might as well go in there.”

Turning to Selene, you ask, “If I decide to try the ritual, will you help me?”

Selene frowns and then sighs. “It’s not exactly ideal, but it would need to be performed here. If we’re not careful, this could go poorly. Still…” She sighs again. “Beyond that stupid move with the spear, you’ve shown that you can be trusted. I just hope you make the correct choice.”

Nodding your head, you look to the doorway and touch the handle to find it’s locked. Frowning, you look back to the Grand Wizard who coughs and holds up a key. “You’re forgetting something.”

“Coming from the oh so mighty Wizard who wasn’t able to defeat a simple snake with something that killed an avatar of a Goddess.”

“HEY! If you recall, I had a little help getting through those defenses. It’s not my fault a spear made of frozen shit isn’t going to pierce armor, okay?” He grumbles and unlocks the door before opening it slowly. “Be careful, alright?”

Nodding to him, both you and Tabitha enter the cell. Holding up your hand you cast a simple spell for light and immediately pause at what you see. A pair of sunken, red eyes stare at you with a hollow expression. Hel’alin, thin from malnourishment hangs from the wall by shackles on her wrists, and in multiple places bolting her tail to the floor. One of the magic suppression collars sits around her neck, keeping her from casting spells.

“Gods.” You whisper as you behold what’s become of your sister. As you speak her mouth quirks and she says,

“Rommel?”

“Helene…” You say, taking a shaky step toward her. As you do she lunges forward, straining at the chains.

“ROMMEL! YOU LEFT ME! ABANDONED ME TO THIS HELL! EHEHAHAHA!” She screams at you, voice hoarse as tears begin to trickle from her eyes. She titters in mad, hysteric laughter, straining violently.

“Oh… oh Gods.” You say, unable to word a proper response. Watching her like this is… it’s horrible to behold. She stops straining all of a sudden and pulls back, a twisted smile on her lips.

“Free me and we can live together again. We’ll take what’s ours now that Liala is dead and make a grand life for ourselves. Won’t that be wonderful?”

“Who… who are you?” You say, looking into those insane eyes. Despite her composure, tears still roll down her cheeks.

“It’s me, Helene.” She says. “Rommel… please… help your sister. I need you Rommel…”

“You’re… you’re not her.” You say, taking a step back. “Gods, you’re the Apophis.”

The expression flashes to anger. “RELEASE ME! TAKE ME AWAY FROM THIS AND RETURN ME TO MY RIGHTFUL PLACE!” She begins to strain again, though with her being so weak the gesture is meaningless.

“Rommel, she… she’s gone.” Tabitha says, clenching her hand. “There’s nothing left but the Apophis.”

{Protect that which is dear to you and do not… lose hope.}

Dollora’s words once again play in your mind as you watch this before you. Gripping your staff tight, you watch her for a long moment as she rants and raves and yet, tears still pour from her eyes. Despite all the anger, all the venomous words, there’s still a frantic cry for SOMETHING underneath it all. Is it a ploy or… is it worth it to try? Would it be kinder to just end her suffering or put her through the ritual?

>What do you do?


914ef2 (119) No.338817

>>338816

Heeeeeyyyy

Sorry guys things lasted longer to plan out this trip to Japan and then raid lasted long. Anyway, got where I needed to get for this update as it stands, because I wanted to give you one last choice. Also because I ran out of time.

Anyway, other suggestions after what potentially happens here will be important too! A timeskip can (and probably will) happen too, though not just to Deleor. Depends on if you want to do anything else in Ectria.


914ef2 (119) No.338821>>338842

I should have made a new thread. Eh I'll do it tomorrow


5e81c6 (1) No.338823>>338841

>>338816

Mercy kill her with a high velocity pebble gun. She is too far gone. Even if she survives the ritual, she will end up lobotomized. She spent too much time under the revenant's influence and their souls are now partially merged.


bf4e63 (28) No.338841>>338842

>>338816

Having put some further thought into the Helene dilemma, I’m still sticking to my guns of trying to help her one last time. My logic is as follows:

If we decide to just kill Helene, then that will be the end of it, with our only reward being sadness. There will be nothing to gain here; only one huge thing to lose and the burden of knowing that we abandoned her to her fate to carry with us for the rest of our days. Not exactly the best of outcomes to be had.

If we instead try to save Helene with one final attempt at the ritual, then there are two potential outcomes, depending on whether or not the ritual succeeds as intended. If it does succeed, then we will have saved our sister, or at least what’s left of her. She’s clearly not going to be as she was pre-ritual, as she’s effectively undergone unending mental torture for just over two weeks, but at least she won’t have to deal with said mental torture any longer and, depending on her condition, she may still have a chance of recovering given enough time and support. Even if the trauma proves to be impossible to handle and ends up staying with her for the rest of her life, it’s still better than what she’s like now. And even if the worst possible case happens like >>338823 seems to believe, where something goes horribly wrong and she comes out of the ritual irreparably fucked to the point where death is the preferable option to bring her peace, at least she can die as Helene and not the monster for lack of a better term that is Hel’alin.

But what if the ritual doesn’t succeed as intended? Well, a further one of two things will happen: either the best case of absolutely nothing happening, or the worst case of something unexpected occurring that we will then have to deal with. In the best case, Helene will have to be put down as there is nothing further we can do to help her and she is a lost cause, so no real harm there. In the worst case -- which, by the way, is very unlikely to happen, as if anything bad was going to occur it would have happened the first time we attempted the ritual, before Liala had a chance to interfere – any number of things could theoretically happen, though the only thing of any real danger that I can think of would be Helene suddenly gaining strength from the short interaction with Dollora’s power. But even then, Helene is still bound and has her magic sealed by that collar, not to mention she’s completely starved and thus has no present strength of her own, so the problem could easily be dealt with by executing her before she has the chance to pull anything, which is something which every person present is capable of doing in an instant. In both cases then, Helene ends up dying and nothing more, which is the exact same result as the only outcome from not bothering with the ritual and just killing her, bar only a little bit of time being wasted that was going to be wasted any way as the Grand Wizard’s lot can’t leave until Selene’s ankle has healed and we can’t leave until we’ve had time to recover ourselves.

So all in all, just outright killing her gains us nothing and loses us everything, while trying to save her will potentially gain us something if we’re successful and has the same result as just killing her if we don’t succeed outside of a tiny bit of time being wasted that was going to be wasted no matter what. So why the hell shouldn’t we attempt the ritual one last time?

As a side note, I’m fairly confident about us having some success with the ritual. To once more refer back to our conversation with Dollora:

>{Those who resided over the Chasm and drew forth my power the first time have passed down knowledge of the rituals needed to imbue the power of the Apophis. If the spirit of this Apophis which has escaped my brother's grasp is not fully bonded, not fully accepted by the host then it can be removed with the same ritual and placed into another container.}

The key phrase here is “not fully bonded/accepted”; if there is even a slither of what Helene was previous to the ritual that caused her to host the Apophis, then there is still the chance for us to save her. As for whether or not this tiny remaining piece even exists, it’s hard to say, but I think it should. Our only other point of reference, Liala, was apparently entirely replaced by her own ancient spirit in an instant, which is something that hasn’t actually happened to Helene yet, considering how she just pleaded for our help why would the Apophis ask for herself to be removed? and still apparently values us highly the Apophis would not give a shit about us or anyone else that isn’t herself or Dollora, if her constant wailing our name in her desire to see us and that bargain she attempted to strike is any indication, so, until we actually do see an effect similar to what happened with Liala, the possibility of something remaining of Helene is still definitely present.


bf4e63 (28) No.338842

>>338841

>>338816

However we end up dealing that whole mess and the consequences of any actions we make aside, there are still a few things we need to do in the capital besides resting, of course. Firstly, the Hent-ateh situation hasn’t really been resolved so much as it has been delayed though the fact that it hasn’t broken out of its metal tomb in the two weeks we’ve been comatose is promising, so we should definitely look into that. Secondly, it may prove rather beneficial if we were to visit Polah, seeing as she’s a familiar expert and may be able to give us assistance or advice regarding Erwin’s condition and recovery which is something I’m surprised Ammon didn’t do himself, thinking about it. And finally, we should probably go check on Sophie and Ebe, since we haven’t actually seen either of those two yet.

There’s also some things outside of the capital we need to do, like deciding whether or not we inform that one Anubis mother that we killed her slaving daughter or visiting Farya as per our promise since we are unlikely to be coming back to Ectria for some time and because it would help to give her some warning of Ammon’s plans that Zoras mentioned, but we’ll probably get to that after next update.

>>338821

You might as well just make a new thread when you next update to keep the responses in one place unless you plan to update tomorrow, in which case disregard what I just said.


ee4746 (1) No.338844>>338855

Yeah I agree on giving her one last chance with the ritual.


c5c4b9 (4) No.338855

When Rommel gets back to Deleor, he had better find a lady fox to form a familiar bond with so Erwin can have a waifu too. The thought of Rommel and Tabitha's future army of little spellblades being backed up by a skulk of Mini-Erwins is truly fearsome and so goddamn adorable

>>338844

One more for the ritual. If she ends up braindead or begging for death and nobody can convince her to hang on to life, then so be it. At least then she can die in peace.


6aa642 (2) No.338917

>>338816

Perform the ritual and help our sister. We have to try.


efce4e (1) No.338924

>>338816

Go with the ritual. We need to hear her side of the story. We can decide on what to do with her afterwatds. Still an enemy/brain ded/insane =murder fuck. Best case scenario, we get another party member to replace the ones we will be losing.


914ef2 (119) No.339021>>339167

Ehm.

I had an overwhelming urge to sleep when I got home and then I did and now here we are.

Fuck I guess I'll do it tomorrow then.

Bleh.


50e101 (1) No.339167>>339169 >>339263

>>339021

It's treason then.


2ebefd (20) No.339169>>339263

>>339167

Ironic, really. He could protect others, but not himself.


914ef2 (119) No.339263>>339332

>>339167

>>339169

I am the senate


914ef2 (119) No.339322


2ebefd (20) No.339332

>>339263

Not yet.




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