Sleeping Gods Quest #44

>>This lens. What is this Truth it will lead me to?
"And be honest, is there even a point to learning this Truth? Or am I better off focusing on what I have here in Tenngaru?"

(I think it's the latter)

>>This lens. What is this Truth it will lead me to?

>I did have a question for you... (Write in)
The Emperor. What do you know of the prophesy given to him, and how do you feel about his desire to....go over the gods' authority, putting it lightly.

"Selene told me that I'd die in every possibility she'd seen if I sought this out and while I don't take too much stock in prophesy she'd seen this in multiple futures so I am inclined to believe her a bit more."

Selene was lying.

Possibly. We won't know until we hit the catacombs.

night guys. Honestly, I couldn't care less about the lenses, the Emperor and this impending massacre is way more important. We still don't know if killing the War God is going to be the smartest way to go about it

which, I guess, is something to also ask. Best way to stop Kala?

>Honestly, I couldn't care less about the lenses
Yeah I agree, but if we continue to collect them like we have we should get some more info if we can.

This lens of his, you ask, what is this Truth that it leads to? Is it even something worth knowing, something with purpose, or would you be better off without ever learning it?

“For some, knowledge is its own reward,” Nodens replies slowly, “Learning such an elemental truth, a lost pillar that holds up much of our history, is a prize that would drive many to destruction – just to satisfy their own curiosities. It has done so before, in fact.”

Selene said as much, you reply with a careful nod, she warned that every path to this Truth would end in disaster. You're not one to believe, without a single doubt, in prophecy, but her words had a certain... weight to them.

“She said that learning this Truth would destroy you,” Nodens muses on that, a hideous smile touching his lipless face, “She would, I suppose. She always cared about her reputation, about the worth of her good name. That's why she's holding court in a silver palace, and I live in a pit. Still, she wishes to keep you away from this Truth, and I cannot bring myself to disagree entirely. I will tell you, Wanderer, what you NEED to know. Then, you can turn your eye to the live you've built here.”

Then please, you murmur, continue.

“Makai, the disaster that scoured it of all life,” Nodens croaks, “We three - noble Titanos, fair Selene, and I – we could have prevented it. We could have stopped it from happening... but we did not. We allowed the land to be purged. That is the crime we have sought to bury.”

They let it happen? They let the land fall into that blasted, ruined state?

“And I will say no more of it,” the old god says, in an unusually stiff voice, “Ask what you wish, Wanderer.”

The Emperor, you ask as you try to clear your head, he was given a prophecy. It weighs upon him, and it drove his family apart – what was it?

[1/2]

“A simple thing, really,” Nodens shrugs his shoulders, “But a thing need not be complex to destroy a man. Would a mother wish to see her son die young? Would a father wish to see his line cut short?” A hard laugh escapes the old god, one without humour or sympathy. “What would a boy think, growing old hearing these curses over and over – you will die young, boy, and as the last of your line.”

And that, you ask, was Selene's prophecy?

“You will die young, and as the last of your line,” Nodens repeats, “That was the prophecy she gave to them. Her reasons for doing so... they are her own. I could not guess as to her motives.”

Whatever her reasons, Selene's prophecy woke a terrible desire to defy the gods within Sho. Even now, he seeks to place himself above their authority – what does Nodens think about that, about the boy's arrogance?

“He is young,” Nodens waves a dismissive hand, “Dust, although he is yet to realise that. Either he will learn his place in the natural order, or he will not. It doesn't matter to me – allow him this arrogance, if it comforts him.”

The blunt dismissal, the utter lack of concern, surprises you a little. Then again, Nodens is naturally a thing of history, of the past – the present day is of little concern to such a mind. What of Kala, you ask, how best should you stop her?”

“Kala IS warfare – she may reach her end, but she will always rise again,” Nodens reaches down and drags a paw through the water, letting it fall through his deformed hand, “Destroying her will buy the land a few years free of her influence, but she will always return. That is the way of things. As long as one man seeks dominion over another, it will not change. Not the answer you were seeking, is it?”

No, you sigh, but it's the one you were expecting.

“A wise expectation,” Nodens replies, in a voice not without sympathy.

>Time to leave. You're finished here
>One last question... (Write in)
>Other

>>Time to leave. You're finished here
"Are you okay with me telling the land that you're up and about? It's kind of hard to keep a city rising secret."

>One last question... (Write in)
Has Seer trained any other sorcerers besides the Ascetic? How many are left?

>Time to leave. You're finished here

>>Time to leave. You're finished here
But ask these

If so, then every cut would have been a painful step closer to freedom, admittedly the freedom of death but honestly that was probably the best result anyways for someone who suffered like that would imply.

I might not call it peace, but definitely rest. Or maybe I've spent too much time in hospices around peoplet who are old and tired and just kind of done with shit but haven't died yet. A lot of them aren't even in pain or anything, and a large number aren't upset by their infirmity or lack of capability, because there's nothing they want to do.

I mean, I personally won't ever go that route but I see people who do all the time. The future holds nothing for them because they can't go back to when they understood and enjoyed life without changing to the point of being someone they wouldn't recognize.

Again, that's not everyone. I personally hate that outlook and plan on enjoying every last drop of suffering I must to see what happens next. Fuck, when you want to argue your own point. Anyways, being trappedal for eons as a monster might change my opinion though.

> I won't ask for your reasons or to hear you justify what you did in the past. But do you feel that what you let Makai was . . . Right? Not just correct or fair or anything. Just do you feel that it was the Right thing to do? I find it hard to think about how such a thing could happen, and I dread to think about why it would be necessary, and I'm sorry you had to be in the position of making that choice.

> Also. We're helping out with the shrine of the Hero that saved you last time. The small god there (official title) would probably appreciate it if you could just talk to her, she'sstill human enough to have some regret and guilt about how things ended when she was here last.

>I'm just rewriting my last post now, sorry for the delay. I hope it shouldn't be too long.

Damn. Too late to see how Nodens felt about his decision. Or to get him to reach out to the Hero.

I mean, it's someone from the time when his city still stood. At the least he could forgive the Hero god and the Hero God could tell him about the good times of the city sInce apparently Nodens has forgotten much of it.

It's nice to have a familiar face when re-entering the world.

Shit. Also forgot to ask him about Selune giving prophecies that aren't actually true, but steer people to different futures by avoiding them. IE, prophesie that a King will never do something, so he acts to do that thing from spite and by doing so creates a better future than if he had just been told to do that thing.

Can we ask him about Selunes prophecies? I mean, if it's A future that would happen without acting against it then it's not a lie if she gives the prophecy and that action changes the future. It's just not necessarily true.

> Only a fool, a madman or a truly desperate soul would come this far to speak with me.”

Aw shit. Which one does he think we are? Also

> You will die young, and as the last of your line

Define Young. Quick. Let's kill him and then bring him back to life. Technically you're dead when your heart stops right? Then we can get him to take a new name as an Emperor with divine mand ate and start a new line. Then the Shah will have to unbanish us!

Could we be greedy and ask for a boon for our Sailor lady? Maybe just some maps and such, the right to copy them and use them.

>Let's kill him and then bring him back to life. Then the Shah will have to unbanish us!
That was a fun thread.

What happened to Makia, you begin, you won't ask for reasons or justifications. All you want to know is one thing – was it the right thing to do? It couldn't have been an easy decision, and you can't think of what might have made it necessary, but was it, at least, the right path to take?

“The right thing to do?” Nodens asks, pausing for a long, long time to consider the matter, “No. It was wrong – a crime. A sin that cannot be forgiven.”

But...

“I will speak no more of this, Wanderer,” Nodens growls, “Do not overstep your boundaries.”

Frowning, scowling as hard as you can, you steer the conversation onto safer grounds. The Seer, you ask, has he trained any others in the ways of sorcery? You know that he has taken one apprentice, the Ascetic, but are there others?

“He is the only one,” Nodens confirms, “This... Ascetic is the last student, taught by one of the two masters left alive. Two too many, if you ask me...”

And what of Selene and her prophecies, you ask hastily, has she ever used them to steer people along a path? She has her own way with the truth, you know that from experience, but how willing is she to use her predictions to manipulate people?

“All too willing,” Nodens tells you, “Fair Selene... ah, she likes to see people dancing to her tune. Perhaps everything she does is for the best, for the sake of a pure future – or perhaps not. Always weigh her words carefully, Ira.”

It's going to be hard to keep his return a secret, you warn, is he okay with you telling the land about it?

“Do as you wish,” the old god shrugs, “I will not send you out to spread the news of my return, but if you wish to do so... I cannot stop you. As you say, it would not remain a secret for long – a single fishing boat is all it would take to reveal the truth. I doubt I will be bothered much, in either case. Only a fool, a madman or a truly desperate soul would come this far to speak with me.”

[1/2]

Inb4 Selene, Titanos, and Nodens were once sorcerers and killed Makai to attain thier godhood

I feel it might be something as petty as 'With the gods of Makai gone we will be the big dog Gods on campus in the lands that remain.'

Selene, Titanos and Nodens might have been small fry compared to the gods of the mainland/Makai.

That, you've got to admit, might be a good point. Any pilgrims coming this far hoping to be blessed by divine wisdom might leave sorely disappointed. Probably, you think with a faint smile, with a string of complaints still echoing in their ears. Before you leave, a thought occurs to you – the hero of legend, the small god of the north... is it possible for them to speak? For her part, she regrets her failures, and you think that they would both benefit from a long conversation.

“I fear that may not be possible,” Nodens admits, “The ocean between us is a great one, vast and wide. Perhaps a human could act as an intermediary, but such a task would be a lengthy, thankless one. A regrettable fate, but I cannot see a way to reach out to her.”

Nodding sadly, you accept his decision. Gods and their lands are tightly bound together, and their reach can only extend so far. Maybe one day you can return here with a ship of your own and help bridge the gap between them, but that is a task for another day – one when you're not busy. Right now, there are other matters to attend to, back out upon the open waters. You have but one last request – Murasa, your captain, was instrumental to the help you gave him. She deserves a reward as much as you do.

“Ah, but she cannot work her will as you do,” Nodens points out, “However... you recall my old college, yes? There, hidden away, there are stone slab – maps, from ancient times. A fine reward for a sailor. Take them with my blessing.”

“I...” Murasa, startled out of her silence, stammers helplessly for a moment, “I... thank you! A great gift, truly!”

“Now get out of here,” Nodens gurgles, “The land beyond this city still exists, unless you've forgotten!”

Hiding a smile at the god's sullen command, you offer him a deep bow, one that Murasa mirrors. With your business concluded, you turn and leave the pit.

[2/3]

For the entire journey back to the Hijiri, Murasa keeps up an excited, rambling speech about the stone charts you had been led to. Truly ancient maps, they nevertheless retain a level of detail that the modern charts cannot match. Not only is the northern island, the shrine to Veragi, marked, but countless other small islands as well. That information alone could be worth huge amounts to the right buyer, let alone the value in lost knowledge.

Suffice to say, Murasa is in a much better mood. It's only when the Hijiri enters her sight that her excitement fades to a more simple contentment.

“So!” she declares, “To the open ocean once more. We should move quickly – for the crew, you understand. They get restless, you see.”

For the crew, you nod, of course.

>Let's head over to Black Rock
>Time to return to the mainland. Can you take us to the capital?
>Time to return to the mainland. Can you take us to Garuna?
>Other

> A sin that can not be forgiven

Damn it. I knew I should have added the part about getting him to leave that shit in the past and make a new world. The Seer already caused enough problems trying to fix his old mistakes that quite frankly weren't problems anymore and all he did was make us almost go through an unnecessary fight.

Ah well. I said we wouldn't judge so we shouldn't.

I plan on asking the other gods about this though.

Eh. I think it was more likely they went "Man's mess, Man's problem. Not our place to get involved." And underestimated how bad it would be. Or they chose to let Men decide and thought they wouldn't be nuts enough to do it.

I mean, how could they have stopped it? Reached out and just made it not happen, or refuse to aid men in ventures that led to it, or ruled directly over men, or a bunch of other things. Letting something happen implies a lack of complicity but if you look hard enough you can always find guilt.

>>Let's head over to Black Rock
Let's end this thing.

>Let's head over to Black Rock
It's time. If our spells haven't come off cooldown yet meditate or something.

Elaborate.

Banished quest joke.

>Let's head over to Black Rock
The only one that can't walk off that island is Ascetic. For his men or the warrior priests we'll have to see when we get there, but the sorcerer himself needs to go.

> Let's head over to Black Rock

We got the anti-sorcery sword and anti-magic buff and we're pretty stabby.

I mean, what, we going to bring an Army to the land of the war god?

Nope. I say we pop in and do some recon and look for any opportune weaknesses to strike or alternatively open up some dialogue to negotiate with the locals. Hell, we can still negotiate with Kala without agreeing to any deals. Stall you know? Maybe find a different god to support I mean there has to be other gods. Or use negotiation to get close to her and scout things out while remaining non-committal. Or to shank her, but ehhhh war god.

Too many questions, not enough answers, and none of those are back in the Empire. At the least, even if we have difficulty getting through to Black Rock we'll have concrete information about that to give to the Emperor and his Generals - who also have nothing but "Possible invasion from war god buffed cultists."

So this way we can say "Here's the credible threat. Anything anyone wants to say about past deals and first Emperors? Because we might have to fight that battle again from the other side."

So it's not just mysticism and God's and shit but something familiar and tangible that will sway them.

Time to head over to Black Rock, you tell Murasa, it's time to put an end to Kala's influence. True, she might return within a few short years, but the militant cultists will suffer for her absence. When the land isn't perched on the edge of war, you'll all be in a better position to deal with her. That alone is worth the effort.

“Black Rock, here we come,” Murasa nods, her smile turning grim, “I won't lie, though, I've not got a lot of good things to say about that place. I don't think anyone who's ever been there does – it's... far from friendly.”

What, you ask, the island with the warrior goddess and her bloodthirsty cultists? That sounds perfectly welcoming.

“Of course,” the former pirate laughs, “When you put it like that... Anyway, it should be a short enough trip, and the waters are safe. I don't expect any trouble, not until we arrive, at least.”

Then you'll leave the sailing to her, you tell her as you head below deck, you should meditate and prepare yourself.

-

A few hours into your meditations, and the first signs of trouble show their ugly face. Starting with a frantic pounding on your door, you know that things aren't going as smoothly as Murasa predicted. Naz, that mousy pirate, is at your door, breathing heavily.

“Boss, sir, you're needed up on deck,” she says hastily, rattling the words out at a fair pace, “Captain's orders. Might be nothing, but it might be... something.”

Thanking her, you brush past and hurry towards the top deck. A light rain – nothing like the storms that hammered you earlier, thankfully – has started to fall, but none of the sailors pay it any attention. All eyes are locked on a forlorn shape bobbing in the waters ahead of you.

A ship, floating aimlessly along.

[1/2]

> Killing an Ascetic

Making a Martyr 101. Honestly might even be part of his plan. Or he's gonna eat a War God that he sees as being terrible and responsible for the Empire anyways. Ooh OOH ooh OOH OOHoooo.

I say we discredit his power of sorcery first by telling people it's stolen from the gods. Then telling them the gods are protecting us and using the knife/chant and that we are here under the mandate of the Empire to stop people from playing silly buggers. Tell them they've won in the end and that Sho has agreed to journey to the Dragon to seek a divine mandate to rule with, and that the Dragon has decided to meet with and test the Emperor directly to ensure that the Empire moves with the gods not against or away from them.

There's no-one left to fight, unless they just want to fight for themselves. The people want to move on and plant crops and worship and have kids and a drink or two. The Gods don't want to fight. The Emperor doesn't want to fight. Seriously, who are they going to fight?

Wouldn't they prefer to build a new world, the one they fought for, then tear it down for no reason that still exists?

A Martyr for who? The few people that know about him are on the island.

user I really think you have a tendency to overthink things.

“She's a cargo vessel, bearing the Emperor's colours,” Murasa explains, “Easy pickings. Lightly armed, and without much in the way of crew. You see them every so often, carrying all kinds of things between the islands and the mainland – grain, bullets, gold coins even. I used to make a good living picking on them, back in the day...”

So, you ask, so what's the problem?

“You see how slow its going? It shouldn't be moving like that,” Murasa continues, “It looks just about dead in the water. Besides, this isn't any shipping route I've ever seen – it's way off course. Nothing about this is right... I want to check it out.”

To investigate it, you ask as you raise a curious eyebrow, or to loot it?

“...Maybe both,” the former pirate admits, “If it's been attacked, there won't be much left to take. Still, I want to see what's up with it. Do you want to come along? Sure beats waiting here while I take a look around.”

>Sure, I'll come with you
>You're on your own this time
>We're not stopping. We've got more important business
>Other

user Soma made it perfectly clear that these militant couldn't be reasoned with. If they were disgruntled farmers sure, but these guys are deserted soldiers and the worst kind of people trying to cause chaos.

What you want isn't going to happen with them.

>Sure, I'll come with you
Spooky

>>Sure, I'll come with you
It's an ambush spot, I can feel it.

>Sure, I'll come with you
Does she have one of those breathing bladders for herself, in case we have to make a quick getaway into the ocean?

Huh. I mean, if the Emperor is building the railroad but using the Gods design, and the Gods recognize the Emperor as the ruler of men and secular matters, and the atrocities against the commoners have stopped so they aren't angry any more . . .

Oh wait they're fanatics. Who are probably more tied to this cause now that it's hopeless because they can all be martyrs! Or have personal reasons and grudges like the traitor priest did against Holm.

Hey. How paranoid ARE sorcerers? Would they pick a name that actually has no relevance to them in order to mislead their enemies? "They call him the Blade!" Is actually a dude who pretends to be him and is a duellist/knight whatever and the real sorcerer is the accountant who destabilizes the economy by fucking around with crop subsidiaries. And also ZAP Magic mother fucker. So you go expecting Sword dude but end up facing difficulty maintaining supplies or dealing with problems at home or can't fund significant forces. And then when you find him magic of fucking couse.

And then when you go to finally stab him, he pulls out a pair of daggers and goes full Parkour while shanking because Blades aren't just swords.

The remaining extremists who would tell stories about him.

The war goddess he was going to drain.

I dunno. But I assume he has some plan for it. You see, Ascetic originally had a meaning closer to athlete, and most accurately means one who trains/focuses to the exclusion of other goals. The concept of self denial came later but is really just an extension on the concept of exclusive focus. The religious aspect treats the denial as a necessary part, but keep in mind that even Bhudda Bhodisattavah said "fuck this" when he realized he wasn't moving towards enlightenment with Asceticism and was just waking off about how little everything meant to him.

So we have a Sorcerer called the Ascetic, who is focused on a goal or achievement to the exclusion of all other desires. Meaning EVERYTHING he does is (theoretically) to progress towards this single goal. He may or may not be swole.

So, while killing him might end his life there's no guarantee it will stop his plan. Ideally we could convince him his plan is counterproductive or at least a distraction from his goal. Heck, we might even get him to end his life voluntarily to get rid of sorcery if we can show him his goal is completed or inevitable regardless.

Or he might just be a dude who is massively depressed and doesn't care about anything like comforts or happiness or sadness because he never feels anything but depressed. And he's going to do what he is going to do regardless because it's something to do and he doesn't care about the outcome or even the journey, it's just easier than changing.

I...uh think I am just going to vote to kill him. And probably Seer when we see him. End the threat and all, not get lost in a myriad of 'But could this be his keikaku all along?'

You do you I guess.

Soma explicitly told us his followers are ex soldywho hate both gods and Sho. They won't care.

>This everything

You know when I mentioned you might be overthinking things a little? They don't give a shit about gods or their country.

Sure, you reply as you gaze at that eerie vessel, you'll come with her. It might an ambush of some kind, true, but two people would be in a better position to deal with that. Far safer to have someone there watching her back, and you want to know about this just as much as she does.

“I was kinda hoping you'd say that,” Murasa admits, “You ever gone ship to ship before? We'll get close, and then throw grapples across to keep us together. Then, we can just swing across and the thing's ours for the taking. Easy really, once you've done it a few times.” Rubbing her hands together with what might be glee – it's clear that she has sorely missed the chance to do a little plundering – Murasa gives the vessel a hungry look. “Hey, Toramaru!” she calls, “You've got the wheel. Take us in, real close!”

Without waiting for the reply, Murasa gets to work gathering her kit together. Following her into her cabin, you watch as she tucks pistols and a heavy dagger into her sash. “If there's fighting,” she says to herself, “It'll be close. Bloody.”

What about making a hasty exit, you ask, does she have any way to breathe? On Dumas, they used goat bladders to store air. It wasn't exactly pleasant, but it certainly worked.

“Good point,” Murasa nods, delving into another chest and taking out a leather sack, taut with the air trapped within, “It's not a goat bladder, but it'll do. I think I've got a spare somewhere, if-”

No need, you correct her, you've got your own way.

“I bet you do,” she laughs, “Got a trick up your sleeve for everything, don't you?”

You try.

As Murasa is giving her weaponry one last check, the Hijiri's motions slow and eventually stop. As much as a ship on open waters ever stops, at least. Looks like you've arrived. Heading back onto the deck, you take a closer look at the ship, bound and helpless, that the Hijiri has snared.

It's dead – a ghost ship.

[1/2]

The Hijiri is close enough that the crew are able to drag a long plank across, forming a barely stable bridge between the two vessels. Slowly, carefully, you and Murasa cross over to the barren ship, your weapons at the ready.

“Look at this place,” Murasa mutters, gesturing around at the deck, “No blood, no bodies, no shell casings. Nothing that says “fight” to me.”

The rain could have washed away the blood, you point out, depending on how long this ship has been drifting. Still, you've got to agree with her – it doesn't look like a battle was fought here, not any kind of normal battle at least.

“Below deck,” the captain suggests, her voice barely above a whisper. Something about this place discourages shouting, any crass noise that might disturb the deathly silence. “If there's anything, it'll be down below,” she adds, “Standard protocol is to retreat and defend the treasure... the cargo, I mean.” Smiling a little at her slip – a forced smile, admittedly – Murasa leads the way down into the bowels of the ship. Down below, the darkened walls tell a different story.

Long arcs of blood are painted across the wood, telling a story of slashing cuts and bloody battle. Still... no bodies. Grimacing, you press on towards the hold, slipping through the ajar door. Inside, a glittering catches your eye – a chest, thrown open, shines with a heavy cargo of gold. On each wall, however, rifle racks stand empty.

“They took the weapons, but not the gold,” Murasa mutters, “But what did they do with the bodies?”

And who, you ask in response, are “they”?

“Shit,” she breathes, “Let's just get out of here.”

>The quicker the better
>Wait, I want to take another look around
>I've got a spell that might help, here... (Write in)
>Other

> Can't be reasoned with

I don't believe it. They're fanatics, true. That's why the first step is to break their faith in the sorcerer. Reveal his use of sorcery and remove his authority as a religious leader. Next break their faith in sorcery. So it's a tainted power, but it's still power. And if it's used to make a good thing happen, from their point of view, is it so bad? A bit of pain now to save the Gods later. Really, it's like borrowing the power. Fuck that, cancel his sorcery so they don't have faith in that.

Then break their faith in their cause. Let them know that not only do the people no longer support them, they no longer care. They've moved on. They haven't forgotten the reasons for the Cult, the atrocities at Sarna, or their faith and respeCT for the gods. They've just moved on, the Emperor and the Gods are reconciling, and nobody won or lost it's just not relevant anymore. There aren't any loses suffering reprisals to defend or winners looting or occupying to fight because everyone has just kind of gone home.

So they don't have a divine mand ate from the gods. They don't have the power of sorcery to do for the gods what the gods won't do for themselves. They don't have an oppressed people to defend or a Conquerer to drive out. They simply don't have a fight anymore.

What we can give them isn't what they lost personally in the fighting. What we can give them is the chance to return home. To reconcile with people they left, to rebuild what they lost, or to build something entirely new.

After all, the Empire DOES need brave men willing to stand up for what's right. Not the Emperor, but his citizens as well need them. Not as fighters, not anymore, but as watchmen who will raise children and teach them to stand vigilant. Who will stand for their fellows against those who would abuse them. Who would remember and protect the Gods.

There are other fights to come, it's the nature of the world. But this one? This one is over.

>>I've got a spell that might help, here... (Write in)
Magic detect. If nothing picks up, we leave.

MFW I'm just stoned and rambling because I want to do a big speech at people.

And then probably kill a bunch or at least kill the Seer and then boogy woogy out a there.

>I've got a spell that might help, here... (Write in)
The history spell we just got from Nodens! See what happened here.

These two. History first and if things aren't clear by then, use detect magic.

They do not CARE you idiot. They are fanatics powered on hate. Hate of the gods AND the Empire. The futility of the fight hasn't stopped ISIS, it won't stop them either. The want to burn it all to the ground, like the Joker. Who is never reasonable.

He's just stoned and likes to be long winded. Let him do him while we figure out what's up with this ship.

>>I've got a spell that might help, here... (Write in)
>[Nodens] Drowning in History
I hope that title isn't literal when we use it.

If you didn't know any better, you'd say that Nodens knew this moment was coming and gave you a new magic to help uncover the truth. But then, the future isn't really his concern, is it?

Still, it's uncanny.

Kneeling, you gesture for Murasa to stay quiet – this is going to take a great deal of concentration – and press your hand to the bloodstained wood. What happened here, you wonder to yourself, what dark deeds unfolded in this place? Slowly, like fading into a deep sleep, the world around you drops away. When the curtain lifts, you find yourself standing exactly where you were a few moments ago. The blood, however, has yet to be spilled.

A sudden noise, in this memory, as the door to the deck crashes open. Sailors – panicked, terrified even – stumble down into the hold of the ship, fumbling with their weapons as they do so. The guns refuse to fire, some magic rendering them silent, and soon the sailors are defenceless against their attackers.

The warriors that flow into the hold of the ship – exactly a dozen of them, not one more or less – are human, but only in form. Too quick, too lethal to be natural, they set to work butchering the crew with knives and hatchets. It's disturbing, watching the streams of blood that you saw being painted in real time as the slaughter plays out before you. All too soon, the massacre has ended, the crew reduced to cooling corpses, many shorn of their limbs. As a terrible silence descends, a new figure appears, the thirteenth member of this gruesome company.

His face is beautiful, purged up all uncertainty, doubt or fear, but the expression is one of blank cruelty. Indifferent to the bodies piled up around him, he enters the hold and throws the chest of gold open, gazing upon the contents.

He laughs, a scornful laugh that chills your blood.

[1/2]

“Take what trophies you wish,” he announces to his band of murderers, “But no hands, no fingers. I have a need for these bodies.”

Leering with wordless lust, the killers strip the rifles from the racks and play with them, heedless of any safety or caution. With their trophies claimed, they set to work dragging the bodies away, up towards the deck. To throw them overboard, perhaps?”

“This will be a fine surprise,” the leader decides, “Whoever should stumble across this vessel... I only regret I won't be here to see it.” He starts to leave then, a mocking grace in his light step, and the vision starts to degrade. As reality returns, a great crash rocks the ship, and Murasa's voice punches your ears.

“Damn you, Ira, wake up!” she yells, “We've got a problem, a big damn problem. Something just hit the ship, we need to get out of here before we break away from the Hijiri!”

Nodding, slurring some affirmative, you rise and stumble forwards a few steps. You keep expecting to trip over bodies or to slip in pools of fresh blood, such was the intensity of your vision. Following her out, you start to feel a familiar hatred rising up within you. Murasa said something hit the ship, could it have been...

On deck, you see that the Hijiri has already come loose, the improvised bridge having fallen away from the vessel. Still, it might just be close enough to reach – for now. On the opposite side of the vessel, you spot a hand – a human hand – clinging to the railing. As that hand pulls, straining against the weight of the vessel, the ship begins to list to the side.

Whatever that hand is connected to, it starts to drag itself up, climbing aboard the ship. Another hand joins it... and then another pair, one after the other.

>Flee while you can
>Strike while the creature is vulnerable
>Other

>>Strike while the creature is vulnerable
Sorcery, REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

>Strike while the creature is vulnerable
Yeah... having none of that. Have Murasa jump to her boat while she has the chance so she can order her men and be out of harms way. She's more useful to this fight on her boat.

>Strike while the creature is vulnerable
Fucker used the crew's bodies to make an abomination, just as a trap for anyone that came across it. He is going to get his.

>>Strike while the creature is vulnerable
REMOVE ABOMINATIONS

>Looks like we're attacking! In that case, could I get a 1D100, aiming to beat 60/80/90, and I'll take the highest of the first three
>This is going to be combat, so we can use whatever spell cards we like.

Rolled 27 (1d100)

Rolled 78 (1d100)

Wrath.

Rolled 52 (1d100)

Wrath of the gods

Yup. Wrath. Start that combo early and it'll get us over the 80.

You know what the funny thing is, sorcerors kill gods to gain power, with stronger gods giving more. So chances are they went to the black isle to kill the god of war, eat her and gain her power that constantly grows and feeds on combat.

Not quite how it works, stealing a God's power forces her to sleep, it would not grow. She'd just wake up little PISSED.

Possibly though I don't think Kala would go down that easy specially to a newbie, although strong, sorcerer. I'd wager she is aware of his overall intentions but is using him to make war.

Snarling out for Murasa to flee while she can – she'll be more use aboard the Hijiri, and she won't get in your way – you draw your sword and dagger. This trap, this aimless act of violence, is a dirty trick, a vile act of sorcery. When the time comes, you'll crush the life out of the culprit. For now, though, you've got this beast to deal with.

This time, you embrace the violence burning within your heart. This is a desecrated thing, the bodies of the crew melted and twisted into a new and terrible form – destroying it will be a blessing, a ray of light upon the land. Calling upon Titanos to lend you his strength – it feels natural now, tapping into that well or wrath – you reach the beast as it is still hauling itself up to the ship. Leaning over the side for one brief moment, you have the misfortune to catch a glimpse of the thing.

Once, you saw the stiff, preserved corpse of a squid hanging in a shop window – it disturbed you on some nameless level, a silly fear that you never told anyone. This thing has the same rough shape, but only just. It barely seems solid, flesh squirming as it desperately holds onto physical form. As you stare down at it, it opens it's mouth – no, a shattered ribcage – and lets out a keening wail

The monster that created this beast, he let it scream. He left it with that one small privilege.

Cursing both the beast and it's creator, you slash the dagger's blade through one wrist, cleanly cutting the hand from the body. As it screeches and rears back, you take the chance to thrust your sword down into that yawning mouth. That knocks it loose entirely, sending the loathsome thing back to the sea.

You get a moment, a very brief moment, to celebrate your victory before the ship shudders again. From below deck, you hear the muffled sound of wood shattering.

[1/2]

Rolled 33 (1d100)

Near blind with anger, you storm down into the hold as the creature tears its way inside, human hands ripping away bits of wood with decidedly inhuman strength. Water begins to rush into the ship, pooling around your feet as the stricken vessel begins its slow demise. Coins from the overturned chest float around you, adding a strangely gaudy touch to the scene.

With it's four limbs – one missing a hand – flapping, the beast drags itself closer to you and lashes out. You duck, bringing both weapons around to intercept any of those grasping hands. Up close, you can see the flesh, that awful green and grey of a waterlogged corpse, and the white bone that shines though in sickening detail.

It doesn't move like it has bones. That simple fact infuriates you in a way you can't quite describe.

>Please roll 1D100, aiming to beat 60/80/90 again. This will be at +10, and I'll take the highest of the first three. Name any spell cards you wish to use, as well
>I'll roll an attack for the beast, aiming to beat 60/80/90 as well

Rolled 64 (1d100)

Rolled 80 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

It missed so we are okay on defense. Let's see the rolls.

And we are okay on attack to.

So I guess As the Mountains just to have it on.

Rolled 27 (1d100)

Seconding As the Mountain.

Rolled 65 (1d100)

So he failed horribly while we critical'd. Least this will be quick for them.

Flailing with a spectacular lack of grace – but then, what else should you expect from a thing pieced together from corpses? - the beast lashes out with its tentacles, the hands set in rigid claws. Ducking low and darting forwards, you step neatly inside its guard, the aimless attacks whistling through the air above you. Exposed, the beast can do little to stop you slicing clean through another tentacle, cutting the limb off at the source.

It doesn't bleed much, you notice distantly, another insult thrown in the face of natural life. But then, maybe you're just not trying hard enough – if there's a single drop of blood left in this thing's body, you'll see it shed. That, you swear, is a promise.

Shouting out to Titanos, you step forwards and bury your sword in that blind stump of a face, planting the blade deep inside the flailing, gurgling mouth and tearing upwards. As it falls open, split nearly in half, your eye falls upon the horror within. Clustered together, melted into one lumpen form, are the skulls of every sailor that once crewed this vessel. Some even have eyes left in their sockets, those blank and glassy orbs swaying madly in search of... what, some comforting vision?

It won't be found here.

Heaving your sword free, you throw all your weight behind the blade and smash down on that cluster. Bone splinters, shattering apart in a hail of shrapnel, and the grey flesh within bursts wetly. That, mercifully, is enough to still the beast's struggles.

Whilst this would have made a terrible surprise for any normal crew, it offered little resistance. All it's done, you think bitterly, is waste your damn time.

Time to get back to the Hijiri.

[1/2]

Tenngaru coins float?

>You know, I honestly have no idea why I thought they should float. That's a really stupid mistake for me to make!

>All it's done, you think bitterly, is waste your damn time.
Bad Ass

As the veil of anger drops away, you remember that the ship was slowly sinking, pulled down into the water with a kind of inevitable grace. Unlike the beast, that died floundering and flailing, the ship faces death with a remarkable dignity. Hurrying back up to deck, you shout across to the Hijiri and wait as they shake off their fear, their amazement. A second shout, this time from Murasa, and they snap into action. Throwing a rope across, they seem reluctant to get any closer.

When you return to the Hijiri, you join the rest of the crew in watching the nameless cargo vessel slide beneath the waves. A slow demise, it gives the various men and women plenty of time to say their prayers. Wishing the departed ship well, you presume, and hoping that their vessel will be spared the same fate.

“What was that?” Murasa asks you quietly, taking you aside so the crew can't listen in, “Someone trying to kill you, friend?”

That wasn't meant for you, you tell her as you shake your head, it was meant for anyone who got too close. An act of blind spite, lashing out at the entire land.

“Bastards,” Murasa mutters, taking out her pipe as she stares again at the sunken ship – now just a few ripples on the surface of the water. “Who were they?” she asks, “I mean, do you know?”

You've got a few ideas. Even discounting your vision, there are only three people – three sorcerers – in the entire land that could do something like that. You know the Seer and the Mentor on sight, so that means the man in your vision could only be the Ascetic.

“Might be, he won't be on Black Rock,” Murasa muses, “He must have had a ship of his own. Maybe he's already on the mainland.”

>Without a lead, we've got no hope of finding him. There might be something on Black Rock
>Good point. Take us back to the capital
>You're right. Let's head back to Garuna
>Other

>Without a lead, we've got no hope of finding him. There might be something on Black Rock

>Without a lead, we've got no hope of finding him. There might be something on Black Rock

>Without a lead, we've got no hope of finding him. There might be something on Black Rock
Gods help us if he got to the mainland. At least Seer has restraint, this guy will just kill whoever.

Meditate to restore our two spells and also try to work the sorcery rage into cold hate. Rage has it's place for sure, we just saw it right now but against a dude with a brain like Ascetic we can't go into it with blind rage.

>try to work the sorcery rage into cold hate
This. Let's be fucking terrifying.

Maybe he is, you admit, but there's no hope of finding him without some kind of lead. You need an idea, a clue to where he'll strike first. If there are any of his allies left on Black Rock, they might be able to tell you about his plans.

You pray to all the gods in the land that he has a plan. If a man with the kind of power he has chose to go on a rampage, killing his way across the land, the death toll would be horrific. No, better to be sure – you'll get every last scrap of information you can out of Black Rock, and then you'll consider your next move.

No matter how savage, how feral his warriors seemed, the Ascetic is no mindless brute. He's as sharp as dagger, and perfectly cold. You won't be able to get the advantage over him with simple strength, especially not if he gets your blood boiling. He can be calm, but you'll need to be unshakable.

“Ira?” Murasa asks, “Thinking deep thoughts, there?”

Perhaps you are, you reply. Can she handle things up here, taking the Hijiri the rest of the way to Black Rock? You need to concentrate, to meditate and plan our your next move.

“Everything under control here,” the former pirate confirms, “You... you should rest. I only caught a glimpse at that thing, but...”

Don't think about it, you suggest, it's better to forget that thing. Giving her one last nod, a firm, comradely nod, you head below deck and find your borrowed quarters. There, you settle down and make yourself comfortable, focussing on the rise and fall of the ship as you drop into a state of meditation.

[1/2]

What, you ask yourself as the Hijiri cuts through the water, does the Ascetic want? Not gold, for he left the chest of coin alone, but what else? Again, your thoughts return to that one issue – what if he doesn't want anything, save for what he's already doing? From what little you know, the ancient sorcerers were content to rule as tyrants and indulge their monstrous whims. Perhaps the Ascetic is no different to them?

It's an awful thing to consider – one of those butchers, dragged into the modern day to spread chaos and suffering. All the more reason to hunt him down and destroy him.

When the next knock on your door comes – a more sedate knock this time, thankfully – your thoughts have settled into a calmer rhythm. Naz, speaking with the usual haste, explains that Murasa wanted you up on deck. Nodding to the mousey girl, you head up to meet with the captain. On deck, the first thing you see is the island – Black Rock itself. It's a pretty mountainous island, with the foot of the mountain shrouded by thick trees.

“Ira,” Murasa greets you, “See that? A smart man could get lost in those forests. When I was here last, I travelled inland along a river. See it there, that thin streak of piss? It's shallow, but it cuts right through the trees. Follow it far enough, you'll get to kind of a village. Beyond that, and you're on your own – that's as far as I went.”

Sounds simple enough, you think aloud, but you doubt it will be that easy in reality.

“Leaving a skeleton crew here, we make a good attacking force,” Murasa offers, “But we might as well be declaring war on whoever's there. Course, they might attack anyone who comes ashore... Anyway, what do you say?”

>Get your crew, we're taking the island by force
>I'm going in alone. Trust me on this
>Come with me. The two of us can handle this
>Other

>>I'm going in alone. Trust me on this