/monster/ - The Last Bastion of Romance

>B - Try to summon a spirit that might help

You got up, there was no time to cry. You had won against nature countless times before, and now you would do so again. You slightly bowed your head as thanks towards the wooden head before freeing the spirit. It's wooden eyes vanished as if they were only a figure of dementia and the wood was lifeless once more. The ghoul placed the mirror on the table, just as you asked, and followed you through the door.

Your creature held a single candle, the only light there was during these dark nights. The flame danced right in front of the ghoul's hollow eye sockets, hot wax dripped on it's grotesque decaying fingers, yet there was no response. A ghoul was an empty shell, only a vessel for instructions. His instruction was to follow you and light the way. It did so unwavering.

The candle didn't illuminate much, but you were used to it. For years a single candle had been your own personal sun, for years it had shown you the way, and for years it still would, it could not fail now.

You opened drawers, chests and trap-doors. The ghoul would hold the candle closer to illuminate the insides, then wait for your signal to retreat the light. The process continued on, your movements slowly became as mechanical as the ghoul's were.

A loud creek sounded out as you opened the wooden trap-door, the ghoul moved to your side to illuminate the skulls inside. You took one and examined it. It was perfect.

Flames erupted as the candle touched the dark-red mass, the skull stood impassive beneath the flames. The mass slowly started to melt, draping over the skull as it let out an inhuman screech. As if becoming alive, the liquid began changing color, changing shape. It was turning into muscles, then into skin, the disfigured chunk of a body gently arose, it's gaze fixed on yours and it's lips squirmed into a cold smile.

The creature was unpleasant, but it's knowledge vast. As soon as you told him about the plague, it seemed to understand the whole situation, as well as it's solution. The words were polite, but the tongue provoking. Something about creature's speech made you want to torment it, and it's mocking eyes showed you it knew. Yet, such knowledge was vital, you would not indulge in it's desires.

Everyone knows about gods, the ones responsible for the world and it's balance, the ones who lived since time immemorial. Gods were rarely, if ever seen. At first, they were present, they had to be present, without gods there was no world, without a world, the gods would die. Then, creatures were made, that created a balance, and the world would be able to stand on it's own.

However, such balance was a delicate one. As soon as it was tipped, it would start to fall, slowly at first, then the pace towards destruction would increase more and more, until the world, the gods and the creatures were no more. There was a need for a force that would keep the balance, but the gods didn't have to be that force. The gods then created servants, special creatures, with vast knowledge, immeasurable power and endless devotion. Arbiter of change, and a vessel for the gods, if such would ever be needed.

Demigods, men called them, though the demigods themselves loathed the name.

Amongst them there were four creatures, the twins of disease, wretched monsters responsible for diseases, including your own, who lived at the northernmost corner of the world, close to the lands of the living, and the twins of cure, two bear shaped demigods who lived in the southernmost corner, past lands uncharted. The bears would listen only to the ones who ruled them, they would only listen to the gods.

You bowed in thanks to the creature, more out of habit than desire, and freed the spirit. The process reversed itself in a grotesque yet entrancing sight. You now had a possibility.

A - Read books to find information on the demigods. (1d20)

B - Summon another spirit for information on the demigods. (1d20)

C - Travel to town.

D - Pack up and get ready to leave.

E - _

>A - Read books to find information on the demigods. (19)

You give an order to your ghoul and he obeys, leaving you alone in the candlelit room.

Books are one of the few things you take an extra care to organize. Materials can be recognized even by the untrained eye, but a book could deceive you until it's last page.

The ghoul knows the precise location of the books and the layout of the corridors, it did not even take a candle, the ghoul needed not one, a candle would only occupy one of his two hands, and hamper his work.

The books would soon start coming.

Your servant brought the first batch of books, placed them neatly on the table and left. You picked up a book and studied it's dusty cover, a single quick blow of air sufficed to clean it.

The book's pages were now bathed and candlelight, a flickering irregular light that was bothersome to some, but comforting to you. After a quick glance at the new pile of books the ghoul had brought in, you began reading the first book.

Books are always trustworthy, written words don't change, nor do they deceive. The writers, however, like to distort information, before solidifying it with a quill. Stories of gods, specially, tend to allure falsehood.

There was little information, yet you weren't sure how much to trust, and how much to doubt.

One book told a story of a great king who subjugated the twins of disease by the might of his army alone.

The creatures respected god, but they also respected strength. Thus the king lived a healthy live, as did his kingdom, and as did all who bowed before him.

After the king's passing, a great turmoil was caused over the crown, there was no disease, but men does not fall by disease alone.

Men fell, then the kingdom fell, and the twins were once more free to serve the gods.

An old book with fancy illustrations told the story of a girl hated by all.

Wherever she was, the girl brought misery. Wherever she was, the girl brought disgrace.

The girl wandered and wandered, away from others, away from the hate, to a place where all her misfortune would hurt no one other than herself.

Upon her travels the girl found someone, a female with long silver hair and a stoic emotionless face. The girl was afraid of people, yet she was not afraid of this figure, it's body was that of a human girl, but it's red eyes and long ears were those of a rabbit.

The rabbit took the girl in and cared for her, she did not want the rabbit to suffer, but she could not refuse the rabbit's warmth.

As if the gods had decreed it so, the girl's misfortune was replaced by luck and she suffered not once from that day until the day of her death, in the rabbit's arms, under it's emotionless red eyes.

You closed the last book. unsure of whether you had learned anything other than tales and legends.

A - There might be a need for might, summon a servant. (1d20)

B - Summon another spirit for information on the demigods. (1d20)

C - Travel to town.

D - Pack up and get ready to leave.

E - _

>A - There might be a need for might, summon a servant. (5)

>B - Summon another spirit for information on the demigods. (9)

You poured more of the concoction over the skull, the thick, almost solid mass, slowly dripped over. You set it ablaze for another summoning.

As a skilled user of the dark arts, summoning spirits was a trivial matter. You would not fail at it, you could not fail it even if you tried. The skull would be set ablaze, and a spirit summoned. However, as far as you were concerned, the spirit itself was a matter left to luck and luck alone. You had no knowledge of the rituals necessary to seek particular spirits, you weren't even sure if such existed. And though you could call one by name, you knew not the name of the dead.

The skull's jaw twitched and let out an ominous sign: a laugh. A crackling, deranged laugh, one belonging to no one other than a mad man. This was unmistakably one which had not yet accepted his own demise, one who had no alternative but to deceive himself. You weren't sure how long ago this one had died. Newly dead usually took some time to come to terms with their fate, but some never did.

Mass turned to muscle and the muscle turned to flesh, the delirious laughs and insane ramblings continued. You let it continue and waited until the summoning was done before sending the spirit away. You would not get any information out of this one.

A single crack appeared on the skull, signifying it would not last much longer. Magic took it's toll on the body, a living being could heal, a dead one could not. You wondered whether to try another soul summoning, but decided against it. Soul summoning was a gamble, one you had already won once this day.

You grasped the skull and settled on a servant summon. Though you weren't sure on what to do against your disease, you were sure the answer wouldn't lie in your manor. You had to go outside, and a permanent servant would undoubtedly be useful out in the world.

A black mass surrounded the skull as you infused it with your mana. You gently let it go out of your hand and the mass delicately resisted the fall.

The mass started to grow vertically, holding the veiled skull at it's tip. First the bones started taking shape, distinguishing themselves from the pitch black mass starting from the jaw, then the contorted muscles formed, followed by the irregular patches of skin. The creature's sole left eye turned to look at it's master.

Examining your newly summoned servant, you found him to be slightly unsatisfactory. You required a warrior, and you attempted to make one.

Due to the quality of the material and your own skills, it would certainly win against a group of men, but unarmed peasants were the last of your worries. At the very least, it could buy you time to summon additional servants, however, without the proper materials, those would in time give in to the forces of nature. You would take some materials for your journey, but a steady supply could not be guaranteed.

The sunlight crept through the window, announcing the morning had come.

A - Attempt to resummon your servant. (3d20-40)

B - Travel to town.

C - Prepare to leave.

D - _

Rolled 9, 9, 13 - 40 = -9 (3d20)

>>387660

It's 3d20 -40, the -40 is a modifier.

Not rolling for you because I have shit luck in these.

>>387661

Fuck, I didn't mean to roll.

>A - Attempt to resummon your servant. (-17)

>B - Travel to town.

Flesh and bone seemed to vanish into thin air as you return the creature to it's original shape. A single bone remained in your hand. You grasped it and attempted a resummoning.

The skull was weak, failure seemed to irradiate from it's cracks, yet you sensed a possibility, an uncertain one, but a possibility nonetheless. You would attempt the ritual.

Pitch black mass once again clad the skull and began to grow into bones. The figure had barely stood upright when you heard a single revealing crack. The summoning had failed.

The headless cluster of bones and mass fell to it's knees. As if bowing to apologize for it's failure, the figure's torso gave in and tilted down. First it became a single homogeneous viscous mass, then, moments before disappearing completely, it became no more than a stain on the floor, leaving no traces of the ritual nor of the skull.

You left your ghoul to take care of the manor, as it had always done for years before.

Alone, you headed for the town.

All the life this little village had during late hours seemed to be sucked out and dissipate during the night. By the time you arrived, it's heart was just barely starting to beat life into the town again.

A single woman came out of the inn dragging a green reptile tail behind her, a single rag protected her hair and her left hand hid her scaled yawning face. She stretched her back then began working.

You recalled these lizard-like creatures to range from fighters to warmongers. The image in your head violently clashed with the figure before your gaze.

She politely waved at you, then went back in.

A - Visit the blacksmith.

B - Search for companions at the inn

C - Visit the church and buy potions. (1d20)

D - Visit the stable.

E - Buy supplies for traveling.

F - Buy supplies for dark arts. (1d20)

G - _

>B - Search for companions at the inn.

>F - Buy supplies for dark arts. (17)

Passing by the inn, you looked inside hoping to find someone fit to guard you during your travels, yet, there was no one. The doors had just been opened and the beds were still being used, there was no one inside but the lone inn keeper. You hoped the place would be more crowded by the time you came back.

Posing as a novice alchemist, you could easily buy certain incriminating materials without suspicion, posing as a farmer, you easily bought remains to make into fertilizer, you had to buy them whole, you told the store keeper, or else you wouldn't learn how to process them once you inherited the farm.

Lies and deception were usually reserved to thieves and spies, yet you had had quite a bit of success with it today. The materials you had bought would be very useful, and after sorting through the useless bits of food and plants, you found bones and other mortal remains, the sort of which would eventually fight in your stead.

There were bones of animals and, perhaps by accident, bones of men. Ghouls, undead animals and, perhaps, even undead chimeras were now possibilities.

You couldn't remember the last time your spoils were so plentiful, nor the last time you had made an undead chimera.

Perhaps your memory had failed you, perhaps it was just a slow day for the town. You went back to the inn to find the crowd had grown threefold, there were now three souls.

One was a small horned girl, resting in the back. Her long white hair contrasted with her dark-red clothes. A large bloodstained blade stood by her side, making you wonder if the red of her clothes was anything more than incidental blood splatters.

The other figure was a robed old man joyfully eating bread and soup. His grey robe marked him as a godless, a priest who was banished, or perhaps a priest without a god.

Priests borrowed power from a god in return for workship, if their connection with god was removed, so was their power. The ones condemned to wear the grey robe would never cast another spell. There were rare instances, however, in which grey robed men would take up wizardry, and excel at it. The staff near the white bearded man marked him as such.

Unlike priests, who used the forces of nature to cast spells, wizards fought against those forces. By definition, you were also a wizard.

You noticed a board, filled with requests and varied rewards. Perhaps you could ask for an escort and return later.

A - Request aid from the girl

B - Request aid from the man

C - Put up a request for an escort.

D - Return home.

E - _

>B - Request aid from the man

>E - Ask the Inn Keeper about info on the Lizardgirl.

As approached the old wizard, you passed by the inn keeper. The girl appeared to be the same lizard you had seen this morning, her cleaning clothes were replaced by more proper ones.

You stopped near the wizard, he looked up from his food. Noticing your intentions, he invited you to seat.

The wizard, Kalaziel, introduced himself, you did the same. After explaining your need for protection, he asked you where you were headed, you simply answered "south".

South by itself was a powerful word. There was not a single person who did not have strong thoughts towards it's meaning. From fear to dread and, at times, curiosity.

The south was divided in four zones. The first one, the zone of the soul, a thin line where wanderers went and returned healthy and alive. Next, the zone of the life, a place where some went and the empty husks of their bodies returned alive, the soul however, was forever lost. Further down was the zone of death, a place from where bodies would sometimes return from, gently being carried back by the current, all the way to the shores. Beyond that, the zone simply known as remote south, a place from where there was no return.

Long had passed the time where the zone of the soul was explored for riches. Now, the south was only a place for death and misery.

The wizard, unfazed by the word, looked up and asked "Can you defend yourself?".

A - Tell him the truth.

B - Tell him you are a wizard. (1d20)

D - Lie. (1d20)

E - Tell him you're defenseless, that's why you need a guard.

F - _

>F - Ask him if his dick works (1)

>F - Make an excused and go and talk to the cute scalie Inn Keeper (7)

The old man insulted you, implied you are weak, unaware of your strength. A mighty overlord such as yourself had no need for such mindless companions, he was of no more use to you than a skeleton you could summon in the blink of an eye. It was only right you put him in his place.

You asked him if his dick worked. He did not understand and replied with a confused yes, questioningly thanking you for the worry with his health.

The simple minded fool was obviously too dull to understand your superior intellect. In order not to offend the poor brainless creature any further, you told him you had left the window to your room open and had to hurry back and close it.

The wizard replied with a confused "okay" as you got up from the table.

Next, you approached the Inn Keeper and stroke up a conversation.

The Lizard, Sarah, told you her name. She seemed smarter than the old man, even if she looked a bit confused by the sudden barrage of questions.

She replied at first, but then proceeded to dodge your questions and talk her way around them.

You looked up from your soup. Sarah was casually talking with customers and writing information down on a small notebook.

You looked back down at your soup, unsure of why or how you bought it. Your coin pouch feels lighter and your stomach was already sated long before.

In the end the only information you got from the girl was that she is the daughter of the owners, her father worked the kitchen and her mother was still sleeping. Sarah had said her mother was the one you should be asking questions to, but you doubted she would give you the answers.

You took another spoonful.

At least the soup was good.

A - Return home.

B - Try the chuch.

C - _

>C - Speak to the Redcap (10)

You had not yet exhausted your options, you could still get a companion. You looked at the girl in the back and started making your way towards her.

As you got closer, you got a better look at the girl. She was small, you couldn't measure it well, but she would probably barely pass your waist while standing. The small creature slept without a care, she looked cute, like a tiny harmless animal, but her equipment showed a different story.

She was clad in rags, all seemingly dyed in blood. One covered her body like a dress, tied around her small neck. The other was in her head, like a hat. Though her rag dress wasn't much, the rag on her head showed signs of once being an actual hat.

By her side stood her weapon, a huge blade still dripping with blood. Despite it's appearance, it seemed to be properly cared for. You didn't have much experience with blades, but you always made sure to sharpen the dagger you kept at your side. That blade could probably cleave a boar in half.

You sat down in front of her, hoping she would notice.

She did not and her soft breathing continued. She also did not notice the random assortment of noises you made in a futile attempt to wake her up.

Not wanting to embarrass yourself any further, you attempted to shake the girl awake, but your wrist was suddenly stopped short.

The girl held your hand back firmly, glaring at you with blood red eyes.

You stuttered and only let out a meek "H-hi".

Not sensing any further threat, the girl let go of your hand.

A - Play it safe, be honest.

B - Be aggressive. (1d20)

C - Run. (1d20)

D - _

Why is everything so shit for image searching nowadays?

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>391310

>D - Be confident. (1d20)

There's little chance she'll be receptive to our request if we act timid. I'm not saying we should act like a huge asshole either. We just need to make sure that we're very serious and convincing, or she'll just see us as an easy mark. Ask what she would require for her contracted services as a bodyguard.

>>391771

This monster would not be pleased with your talking shit about loli monsters.

>>391330

>D - Be confident. (10)

You cleared your throat and recomposed yourself, you could not afford to seem meek in front of such a beast.

The girl simply looked at you with the eyes of a predator while you explained your destination and your need to protection. The word "protection" seemed to get a reaction out of her, her analyzing expression very slightly changed into one closer to a smile.

Still, she did not pounced you on the spot as you feared she might, she showed no signs of wanting to. The girl merely stood static, and listened to your request.

You finished your speech with a triumphant smile on your face. "Okay", the girl said, nodding her small head and agreeing to be your companion.

She leaned back on the chair and went back to sleep. She would wait for you here until it was time to leave.

The sun outside seemed to shine life on the town.

You could see various groups of adventurers leaving or preparing their equipment to do so. The town wasn't located in an area that could be considered dangerous in any way, but night was ofttimes treacherous.

Aa - Leave the town

Ab - Return home

Ba - Tell the redcap to get ready

Bb - Take the redcap with you

C - Put up a request for a companion

D - _

Ab - Return home

Ba - Tell the redcap to get ready

C - Put up a request for a companion

You were still quite ready yet, your options this day were to leave unequipped or brave the dangerous night roads. Neither of the options were worth the risk.

Giving up on the travel for the day, you told the girl to wait and get ready, you'd leave the next day. She complied and left, picking up her weapon with ease and taking it over her shoulder.

There were not many adventurers in the inn at this time, but many would still arrive before the end of the day.

You wrote down your request down in a piece of paper.

"Looking for a guard for a travel south"

If anyone were to pick up your request, those words would be enough.

Beneath it you wrote the time you would meet and placed it on the bulletin board.

You kicked the object and it rolled away on the dirt.

At first you were traumatized by the hard stone paths you walked upon, as a kid they often hurt you, but as years went by you got used to them and started looking up, away from the ground. The roads to your manor were usually empty and unused, it was unexpected that someone would leave something there.

You picked up the object and examined it.

It seemed to be a box, filled with religious symbols of various gods.

There was no one around this box could belong to, you picked it up and brought it home with you.

Curiosity got the best of you, the first thing you did when you got home was to open the box.

Inside was a golden amulet adorned with a jewel.

Such amulets were often used for rituals, but you lacked knowledge of the rituals of priests.

A - Study the amulet

B - Summon a spirit for information on the amulet. (1d20)

Ca - Summon a spirit (1d20)

Cb - Summon a companion (1d20)

Cc - Summon a spirit and a companion (2d20)

Cd - Create a chimera (3d30)

D - Rest until tomorrow

E - _

>A - Study the amulet

>Cd - Create a chimera (20,22,28)

>D - Rest until tomorrow

The amulet puzzled you.

The gold and jewels that adorned it were not the type one would lose without noticing, nor were they the type to stay lost, away from the omnipresent sight of thieves. Its religious nature only confused you further.

You sent your ghoul to look for any books he could find.

As you studied the various bones your mind began to wander. Eventually you came to a single simple term, strength.

With that in mind you spread the bones around.

Undead were simple creatures. They ignored the mind and heeded to the body's wishes to continue its life. First came the reconstruction of the body, then the fabrication of a soul, the former required alchemy, the latter magic rituals. The end result would be an emotionless creature whose body would last for as long as it's connection to the realm of the living existed.

Chimera were not.

Chimera were created by using the remains of at least two different creatures to summon both and bind them together during the ritual. The strengths of one would cover the weaknesses of the other, allowing each to surpass their limits. A chimera would always be stronger than the sum of their parts, for as long as it existed.

The laws of nature dictated a vessel would always remain whole, it would resist any and all change. Thanks to it, necromancy was possible, the dark arts simply made vessels whole again. Yet because of it, chimera would never be perfect. All vessels would reject the change and, without a strong force binding them together, the end result would come apart.

You looked around the room. Containers of various shapes, sizes, and materials stood neatly organized over shelves and tables.

Your fingers studied the containers, choosing some, and pouring their content over a bowl.

With the bowl almost filled, you began to mix its contents and pour the green viscous liquid over the various bones.

A single flame set the liquid on fire, giving it life. It slowly grew its way into the bones and pulled them together into an almost organic shape.

The liquid darkened and stiffened, forming muscles, then skin, then fur.

Bones twisted together into a distorted shape, with an animalisitic horned skull standing at its head.

The ritual had worked perfectly, the vessels were brought together almost perfectly, granting it endurance and strength a ghoul and a familiar could never achieve.

The creature stood still, waiting for orders, as did the ghoul, standing under the doorway.

You had ordered it to go and bring all the books related to the amulet. The ghoul's empty hands were unsurprising, but still disappointing.

Giving up on your research, you simply made preparations for the trip, taking whatever you needed and whatever you could need.

With the preparations complete, you went to your room and rested until morning came.

Appearances were often misleading, the only difference between a king and a priest were the clothes, and those could easily be replicated. There were, however, some exceptions.

One exception took your request from the inn's bulletin board and walked in.

From the man's stature and appearance there was no doubt he was a warrior. Kids playing with swords and pretending to be adventurers were common anywhere, but the man wasn't one of them.

A - Take the amulet to the church

B - Talk to the man

C - Call the redcap

D - Leave

E - __

>>394429

>>394430

>Kobolds are wans

This is what Kobolds look like.

>A - Take the amulet to the church

>B - Talk to the man

>C - Call the redcap

>D - Leave

>E - Ask the lizard to come with you

You were early, there was still time to spare before leaving. Ignoring the warrior, you headed over to the church.

It was early in the morning, but the church doors were already opened. It seemed as if the church had never been touched before, standing tall, an entity apart from the realm of men.

Hesitantly, you walked in.

A priest greeted you and showed him the amulet. His face instantly showed many emotions. It was as if he already expected it to happen. but did not want it to.

The man spoke in riddles, even the priest next to god is still made of flesh, he said, refusing to give you any further information.

The priest told you you could keep the amulet, until you could not anymore.

You left, with the amulet still in your hands.

The inn was starting to come to life, a few adventurers sat around eating and chatting.

You greeted the warrior, with your request still in his hands, and talked with him about the job.

Urtok was his name, he proudly proclaimed, he was already set on taking the job from the moment he read it. You were surprised he could even read.

After telling the warrior to wait, you headed for the rooms, you passed by the lizard along the way, and tried to get an extra companion, but at no avail. She was too busy with work to even listen to your request.

You took the friendly warrior and the sleepy girl to a quiet corner and told them your plans and your skills.

"Okay" the redcap replied, rubbing her hazy eyes.

The warrior thought for a while longer before coming to an answer. "I get it, you're a wizard. Don't worry, I'm strong enough to protect you, magic man!"

With your party now set and nothing left to do, you left the town with your companions.

Their reactions to your Chimera ranged from mild surprise to disappointment it wouldn't chase thrown objects.

A - Head over to the harbor town (Dangerous path, but a chance to get a boat)

B - Head over to the dwarven mines (Long journey, but it's safe and you're guaranteed to get a boat)

C - _