The wind bites at your face, harsh and unforgiving, carrying with it the faint, bitter scent of death. You pull the hood of your ragged cloak tighter around you, hiding the fine clothing beneath. It's not the time to flaunt appearances, not when you’re this close to your quarry. At your hips, your dual swords hang with a comforting weight, their edges sharp and deadly. Your repeating crossbow is clenched firmly in your grip, each bolt loaded and ready for the kill. You can feel the ache in your body—three days without food, one day without water—but your resolve drives you forward. The thirst gnawing at your throat is a constant reminder of just how close to the edge you are, but you can’t stop now. Not when the demon’s lair is near.You unroll the map, its magic shimmering faintly in the dusk light. You see it immediately—a new threat. The red swirl of a demon portal has appeared, pulsing as if alive, not far from your current path. The sharp scent of sulfur fills the air, confirming the worst. A new portal, and with it, new demons ready to spill into the world. You glance south. There’s a village two days away, a place that would be easy prey for these creatures once they get a whiff of human life. You’ve seen it too many times before—demons hunt by scent, and it won’t be long before they sniff out the village. To the north, a river. Just a day’s journey, and it could offer you the precious water your body so desperately needs. But you know what lurks there. Demon fish infest the waters, vicious and deadly, and your magic map can’t track them—water blocks the magic’s reach. You could handle them, maybe, but who knows how strong they are in this region?Then your eyes fall back to the original target—the demon you’ve been hunting for days. Its lair is close now, close enough that you can almost taste the fetid air seeping from its depths. The demon must have water, maybe food. If you push on, you might make it before you collapse from thirst. But this new portal… if you leave it unchecked, the demons will spill out, free to wreak havoc.You’re running out of time and energy. The village is vulnerable. The river holds risks of its own. The demon's lair promises survival—if you can reach it. But now, the portal threatens to upend everything. What will you do? The map pulses in your hand, as if urging you to make a decision before it’s too late.> Continue chasing the big demon: The lair is close, with water and maybe food, and killing the demon would be a significant victory. But the new portal will go unchecked, releasing more demons. > Head to the river: There’s water there, but demon fish are dangerous. You don’t know how many or how strong, but you need water to survive. > Head to the village: You could save the village, but it’s two days away. The demons from the portal won’t take long to find it. > Head to the new portal: Close the portal before the demons spread, but without water or food, you’re on borrowed time.> Write in
>>6122596> Continue chasing the big demon: The lair is close, with water and maybe food, and killing the demon would be a significant victory. But the new portal will go unchecked, releasing more demons.
>>6122596> Continue chasing the big demon: The lair is close, with water and maybe food, and killing the demon would be a significant victory. But the new portal will go unchecked, releasing more demons. Kill two birds with one stone.
>>6122596>Head to the river: There’s water there, but demon fish are dangerous. You don’t know how many or how strong, but you need water to survive.1. We desperately need water.2. There MIGHT be food and water in the layer.3. There IS water at the river.What good’s a hero if he dies before saving anyone?
>>6122596>> Head to the new portal: Close the portal before the demons spread, but without water or food, you’re on borrowed time.
>>6122720Lair*
>>6122596>Continue chasing the big demon: The lair is close, with water and maybe food, and killing the demon would be a significant victory. But the new portal will go unchecked, releasing more demons.As it stands, we've been tracking this demon for a while now. We must know what it does and is. Plus, big usually means potentially important- all the other options except the river either net in a likely sacrifice of ourselves, or even more potential danger for the village... though->Write-In (asking a question to QM/ourselves)What do we know of the edibility of demon meat? If we can eat demon fish, we might be able to eat other demons for sustenance... Plus, how many bolts do we have in our crossbow? It might come in handy for later expeditions to keep a running tally of these things.
You decide to pursue the big demon, your parched throat and burning muscles forgotten as you push forward. The map in your hand pulses faintly, guiding you through the twisted landscape, but it’s not needed now. The air thickens with decay the closer you get, the sickly sweet stench of death and rot making every breath an effort. You’ve grown accustomed to such foul scents, yet this one carries an extra weight—a dark, choking presence that presses down on your lungs.As you crest a hill, you see it: the demon’s lair. A grotesque structure, the very earth seems corrupted around it. Bone spires, unnaturally tall and jagged, jut from the ground like obscene monuments, each one etched with pulsating demonic runes. These bones aren’t natural—they’ve been grown, forced into the shapes they now take through twisted magic. Hanging from the spires, their bodies contorted and broken, are creatures you can barely recognize as once human. They’re still alive, twitching and gasping, their faces locked in eternal torment. The sight is sickening, but you’ve seen worse. You swallow down your disgust. They’re beyond saving.You press onward, the thick, foul air burning your nostrils as you near the heart of the lair. Then, through the putrid fog, you hear it—a grotesque chorus of low, guttural moans and wet, sickening sounds. Your stomach turns as you round the final corner and see them. A pack of smaller demons, their malformed bodies twisted and muscular, hunched over the mutilated forms of women. Their massive members violate the torn, broken bodies of their victims, and the sight fills you with fury. These women, like the others, are beyond saving. Their eyes are empty, souls long departed or trapped in unimaginable agony.The demons notice you, turning their grotesque faces in your direction, snarling. But they don’t stop. They charge, dragging their victims with them, still impaled on their monstrous bodies, the lifeless forms bobbing limply as the demons lunge forward, lust and hunger etched in their grotesque features.There’s no hesitation in your mind. There’s only one merciful thing to do for those tortured souls.You raise your repeating crossbow and let it sing its deadly song. The bolts fire in rapid succession, each one carrying a silent prayer for the damned. You aim carefully, your hands steady despite the fury and revulsion swelling inside you...
Rolled 2, 16, 15, 3, 4, 11, 13, 11, 16, 11, 7, 12, 19, 14, 5, 7, 1 = 167 (17d20)>>6123283Rolling 17d20 for the demons. Those who roll 10+ manage to get close to you. In a 20, they harm you as soon as they close in.You can fire 12 shots before they close the distance. Each pull of the trigger is swift and efficient.Please roll 12d20. Rolls of 8+ kill a demon. Rolls of 19+ are a double kill.Where will you make your stand as the demons charge?> Run away from the structure: You could retreat, drawing the demons into open ground. The wider space would give you room to fire more freely, but it would also allow the demons to charge unhindered. The open area means both you and the demons will be less accurate. (-2 on rolls for both)> Run towards the structure: You could charge forward, diving deeper into the demon's lair. The narrow spaces would make it harder for you to maneuver, but it might also force the demons into tighter formations, where a well-placed shot could take out more than one. You'll be more vulnerable in the chaos. (+2 for demons, -2 for you)> Run around the structure: You could use the bone spires and twisted terrain to your advantage, ducking behind the gruesome decorations and firing from cover. Your shots will be more accurate as you take quick potshots, but the constant movement will wear you down quickly. (+2 for you, -2 for demons, but it's exhausting)> Do not run, stay still and shoot: You could hold your ground, planting yourself in place and firing with cold precision. You’d be able to focus entirely on shooting, and reload quickly between shots. But the demons will have no trouble closing the distance, and once they're close, it'll be a deadly fight. (You can fire 6 extra shots, or get a +4 bonus on all rolls. Demons also get +4 on all rolls.)(Your crossbow holds 10 bolts at a time, and with two extra cartridges, you can reload quickly.)
>>6123252>What do we know of the edibility of demon meat? If we can eat demon fish, we might be able to eat other demons for sustenance... Plus, how many bolts do we have in our crossbow? It might come in handy for later expeditions to keep a running tally of these things.Demon meat is tainted, and consuming it is a gamble with your life. The corruption inside twists anyone who dares eat it, spreading infection that brings unpredictable and horrifying effects. Some feel it almost immediately—a fever burning under their skin, violent hallucinations, or waking nightmares. In other cases, it causes physical transformations: boils, twisted bones, or even growths resembling the demons themselves. Worst of all, it can warp the mind, sending the eater spiraling into madness, paranoia, or fits of violent rage.There’s no telling how the infection will strike, but once it’s in your system, there’s little hope of stopping it. Some say the only thing that can slow the spread is a strong dose of powerful spirits—the kind of booze that burns on the way down and dulls both pain and sense. You've got a little bit left in your pouch, barely enough for a swig or two, but you know it won't be enough if the infection takes hold. Most demon hunters know the risk isn’t worth it. You’d rather starve than suffer what the taint brings.
Rolled 15, 7, 11, 6, 11, 19, 12, 11, 4, 6, 3, 2 = 107 (12d20)>>6123284> Do not run, stay still and shoot: CHOOSING +4 bonus on all rolls.If we have the ability, we should be able to focus fire on the closest demons, as with 12 shots and 10 of them close to us we have a decent chance at taking care of the majority of them. Might want to draw our blades though instead of reloading.Any other ideas?>>6123286(Aight, thanks for the clarification. Might want to stock up on spirits when they're available then, or loot any fermenting drinks from bodies in the future.)
Rolled 7, 18, 10, 7, 10, 16, 10, 12, 10, 1, 20, 11 = 132 (12d20)>>6123284Is it only natural 20s that harm us as they get close, or can bonuses get them the same results?> Run away from the structure: You could retreat, drawing the demons into open ground. The wider space would give you room to fire more freely, but it would also allow the demons to charge unhindered. The open area means both you and the demons will be less accurate. (-2 on rolls for both)Going with this for now, just so that that 19 doesn't become a 21. If it is only on natural 20s, then I'd switch to going deeper in the lair, for more kills with the crossbow, and a more constrained space once melee is joined.
>>6123301>Is it only natural 20s that harm us as they get close, or can bonuses get them the same results?That’s a great question!Bonuses can indeed have the same effect as natural 20s. If a demon (or you) rolls, for example, an 18 and has a +2 bonus, that would count as a 20, resulting in the same effect as a natural 20. However, keep in mind that if a natural 20 is subject to a penalty, it can be downgraded to a common roll. For instance, if you rolled a natural 20 but had a -2 penalty, that would reduce the effective roll to an 18, which might not have the same devastating impact. This applies equally to both you and the demons, meaning that any bonuses or penalties will factor into the final outcome in the same way.
I'm planning to provide updates once a day, and possibly more often if time allows. To ensure everyone has ample opportunity to participate, I'll keep the polls open for at least two hours, even on fast update days.
Rolled 6, 9, 13, 10, 10, 19, 11, 11, 3, 13, 20, 3 = 128 (12d20)>>6123284> Run around the structure: You could use the bone spires and twisted terrain to your advantage, ducking behind the gruesome decorations and firing from cover. Your shots will be more accurate as you take quick potshots, but the constant movement will wear you down quickly. (+2 for you, -2 for demons, but it's exhausting)
