You are Kuroda Haruka and King Lot of Lothian, Orkney and Camelot. Previously went off to recruit some mortals. It was a smashing success convincing them to come to Camelot. Unfortunately, most of them have problematic personality issues or are just plain crazy. That's what you get for recruiting kids from a school known to deal with troubled kids. You also sent teams of vassals to raid the hateful World for resources; most of these teams were successful and came back home in a timely manner. All except for Team Feline who had the most simple and easiest task. They've somehow gotten into difficulties. Your doughty Baphomet vassals aren't helpless; they're capable of extracting themselves out of trouble unless it is something that they can't deal with. You set forth to the rescue with your trusty Guide, valiant Bodyguard and anxiety-ridden Dowser in tow. That's when you discovered a fake Cath Palug has captured your vassals and cat. There are demands for a ransom, and you're willing to try negotiating, but the fake is too busy dealing with a problem. You also discovered that the more fresh victims verbally declare that the real Cath Palug is dead or call out the fake, the weaker the monster gets. Not that it helps you out too much at the moment. Two Knights of the Round Table have invaded its domain and are trying to kill the fake. They're so distracted the enemies don't realize that you're even in. Your Namesake helpfully identifies the two Knights as Merlin and King Arthur...Past threads: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=villainessCharacter sheet https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cAkKYIXfbFfyBIXMxgzBtCFPGWJTBrFQe0b2hoQZfKw/edit?usp=sharing
>>6183472In the air, flying high above, are two teens. A boy in flowing robes and a girl wearing a gold crown hovering out of reach of a gigantic cat. It is a smart battle tactic, for the gigantic cat can only dodge and try to hide from its foes since it cannot reach upwards into the sky. Another spindly stone tower collapses into a cloud of dust and debris, hiding the scene of battle from your sight. "Oh gods, it is King Arthur. I'd rather not battle with the King of Knights this day." The warrior Baphomet sweats at the thought of crossing blades with such a powerful enemy. "Whee, whee, around and around I go! Here is the blade, here is the horn, and there is the cat, there is the goat." The Dowser spins gleefully like a top before coming to a stop and pointing towards a section of the domain away from combat. Without even waiting for you, he starts trotting away. Your group follows after the intoxicated goat, eager to get some distance from the battle. "Tell me, Yatagarasu, what do you know about King Arthur and Merlin?" You carefully push the supernatural candle along; it makes no sense to leave the door to get out behind if it can travel with you. "Meep. Merlin is a very odd Wizard, he knows no combat magic and always works alongside a comrade. He can fly, divine, heal, and shield. I hath not seen too much of his abilities, but make no mistake! Just because he can't attack with flames or lightning doesn't mean he isn't dangerous. He once dropped Lord Mordred over a cliff and tried to drown her by churning the waves and tides." You aren't happy; Merlin sounds like a very versatile and troublesome enemy. You almost consider King Arthur easier to deal with when Yatagarasu explains her abilities specialize in long-range attack. More specifically, Light of Avalon which is basically a laser attack. She can concentrate it as one gigantic beam or split it up into a dozen smaller but weaker beams. "She wields a holy light that scorches the earth and all in the way. Her aim isn't all that good, but I believe she can cast it twice a day. The sword she wields is not one of the named swords such as Excalibur, Clarent, or Caladfwlch. Of that, I am sure! Meep. I know not how skilled she is with a blade. I assume she knows how to use it." You know that Arthur fired off her attack once earlier. If Yatagarasu is right, then she only has one more attempt to nail the fake Cath Palug. Otherwise, she will get in close and fight. It is no wonder that the Knight remains in the air and waiting for the right opportunity to attack while Cath Palug tries to hide and dodge.Well as long as the enemies are busy, you can safely look for your missing vassals. Despite--- or rather because--- he is high as a kite, the Dowser uses his divining skill with supreme confidence and complete fearlessness. The Bodyguard notes he still has a few more pieces of candy just in case.
>>6183482The Dowser leads everyone past shattered towers until he stops before one particularly impressive derelict. It must have been a very grand tower but now it lies crumpled on the earth. Blocks of stone shattered by the fall retain traces of fine carving. The stones have fallen in such a way it has created a cave."Meep! Praise the gods, we have found them."The Dowser cheerfully announces and immediately runs into the cave before anyone can stop him. A slingstone whizzes past the head of the drugged Baphomet but he pays it no mind at all. Instead, he simply continues his run and disappears from view. A series of meeps and yees emanates as the inhabitants of the cave.A horned goat head pops into view, you recognize it is one of the apprentices. He looks frazzled and injured but he's smiling as your group is bade to enter. When you do, you take stock of the situation. Team Feline is in terrible shape, several Baphomets have dirty bandages wrapped around their wounds and one goat covered by large sheet of canvas is lying in the corner of the cave is very still. There is the distinct smell of rot in the air. You order Yatagarasu to pull back the sheet."Ack, tis my comrade Guide." A disemboweled corpse; innards hastily stuffed back inside the body and sewed up with a rough stitch. It was all that the apprentices could do to keep the corpse whole. It explains why they couldn't flee. You look around the cave and see that the walls covered in Runes, a desperate attempt by the inexperienced to escape the domain."Where is Lady Kizaemon?""She's gone to challenge the fraud after he slew the master. We know naught where she is. Twas two days ago and not a hair or whisker since then."Damn.You'll need to decide what to do. There's 10 acorns of Mana to use, it'll come in handy...>Send Team Feline back to Avalon, you can use 5 acorns of Mana to brute force a Gate out of the domain....>Eat 5 acorns of Mana and power up, you're going to need it...>Eat all 10 acorns of Mana and power up, >Use all 10 acorns of Mana to heal Team Feline, you're going to use them against your enemy...>Don't use any acorns, tell Team Feline to rest up. Your team will go and find the cat...>Give 2 acorns each to the Dowser, Bodyguard and Yatagarasu, and eat the rest for yourself...>write in
>>6183483>Eat all 10 acorns of Mana and power upWe're gonna need it. Our meeps are fodder to knights of the round. Yatagarasu can help them form proper runes now that he's here.
>>6183483>Eat all 10 acorns of Mana and power up,
>>6183483>>Eat 5 acorns of Mana and power up, you're going to need it...
>>6183483>>Eat all 10 acorns of Mana and power up,
>>6183483>Eat all 10 acorns of Mana and power upReturning after a 4 thread absence. Mana is our biggest issue, both for our lacking personal power that is causing some anons anxiety, and regarding our bottlenecked Camelot repairs.If we need more to make an escape, or want to try and get a good gift for the Romans, then we can scrounge for Relics. Finding our cat should be our priority though.
>>6183510+1
>>6183650I think we can do that eventually, but we still need to do stuff regarding city management. Those Romans are an eyesore and stopping us from finishing up the guild issue so the meeps can do their assigned tasks effectively. I say we address the Romans quickly and make them fuck off so that's one immediate problem dealt with. We need ONE relic to throw at the Romans so our end of the niceties are upheld, and time is running out. I don't know if we can safely get out of here to try relic raiding outside. Do we just ditch the Team Feline stragglers plus any injured into Avalon so they can make their way back to Camelot? Or do we take everyone plus Kizaemon with us for looting? Is it easier or harder to open a gate to shift back to Avalon in a Domain like this one?
>>6183510>>6183563>>6183624>>6183650>>6183657eat it all>>6183581eat half
You'll have to go looking for the cat then. What concerns you most is Team Feline and what to do with them. Can they be returned to Avalon and make their own way home? "Once they're in Avalon, they know enough lore to find their way back to Camelot. If they can leave this place. Getting into a domain is much easier than getting out, meep." Yatagarasu twirls his stick and thinks over his answer. "The monster still commands and rules the domain. To break out of here swiftly, we could use Mana and force a Gate back to Avalon. I reckon five acorns will do the job. The other options take time or risk peril. One option is to use the candle to get as close as possible to the border between the hateful World and this domain, then start collapsing it to get out. HOWEVER! This will take time, and we have accumulated much Backlash already. Sending out a large group of Baphomets risks triggering the hateful World to raze what does not belong." The apprentices start carefully packing their belongings as Yatagarasu continues his explanation of escape routes. They move painfully slow and won't be much use in combat. "Meep. The others that risk peril. We pay the toll to the monster, and he lets us out. But who can trust such a beast? One who would murder a powerless goat so brutally? My brother Guide, who lies dead at my hooves, is not a fool; he could easily see how powerful the fake is and try to buy mercy. Failing that, he'd try to avoid angering the monster and wait for our arrival with ransom..." "I can guess what the other perilous option is... Kill the monster, and that will cause the domain to collapse and allow escape." "Or weaken it to cause it to abandon this domain for elsewhere. Remember that strange fear plant in the manor? I didn't need to use Mana to pierce the domain because it abandoned it." Your personal Guide pulls out a large leather bag and some rope from his backpack. The volume of the items far exceeds the dimensions of the backpack; it clearly came from his magical storage area. The injured Baphomets take them and begin carefully wrapping and binding the corpse of the veteran Guide. They lift the corpse and reverently carry it over to Yatagarasu with his backpack ready and opened as wide as possible. Sorrowful chants echo in the dark cave as the bearers of the dead slowly march forward. "To halls more royal than found in Avalon he has gone.""Rest well, oh master Guide, thy journey is at an end.""Tales shall be told in thy honor at every feast.""Great Lady of the Lake, bear him away." Feet disappear first, going past a depth that should be impossible for a backpack. Then the torso goes in, and then the head, until finally the entire corpse is safely stowed away. "Meep, your Majesty, we have at least one deed done to our honor. We have the Cellphone. 100% charged." Cellphone fully charged, it'll last a week at least.
>>6184876An apprentice kneels before you and presents your Cellphone with both his hands. With a quick flick, you enter your password and open the screen. You decide that powering down the device is best for now and put it away in a secured pocket within your tartan. "You've done well to survive. We will go back to Camelot together, even if I have to slay everyone in the way." You look down at your acorns of Mana, there's only ten of them. How you wish there were more. You pop each acorn of Mana into your mouth and chew quickly. The crunch of each is toothsome and satisfying and the taste is nothing like you expected; it tastes something like your favorite caramel pudding. Except much better. It is a marvel that Yatagarasu refrained from devouring the entire harvest of Mana you gifted to him so many days ago. You feel the Mana flowing within like a stream, filling in the cracks.Something is rising from the depths of your soul.You feel...>Calm and focused, action and consciousness blur together and melds into perfect concentration...>Strong as a bear, your strikes are heavy enough to crush the enemy who dares to stand before you...>Swift and enduring as the horses coursing over the field of battle, flying towards danger...>A flash of enlightenment, the Gods listen a bit more closely to your prayers and pleas... >Tougher than a stout shield, blows feel lighter and cuts shallower as your body is fortified...>More skilled in battle, the swirl of blades and the din of war become familiar friends...>The icy voice of the Queen of Winter whispering something secret, strengthening the might of frost...
>>6184878>Strong as a bear, your strikes are heavy enough to crush the enemy who dares to stand before you...All are useful, but wisdom and skill can be developed naturally, to a certain degree. Right now I think either need raw strength or the ability to endure greater blows or those that bypass our other defences or attempts to dodge. Greater physical attributes are also probably less susceptible to backlash from the hateful world, compared to our ice magic. Unless we start throwing cars or something.
>>6184878Thank you for keeping me updated on my queen's mental status, brave warrior. Serge et Vince!
>>6184878>>Calm and focused, action and consciousness blur together and melds into perfect concentration...if we need to, somehow get around Arthur and Merlin with our inner voice aggroing them, we need the mental presenceIt's not like being stronger will help us against either of them, they are way beyond our league
>>6184878>>The icy voice of the Queen of Winter whispering something secret, strengthening the might of frost...
>>6184878>Swift and enduring as the horses coursing over the field of battle, flying towards danger...
>>6184878>Swift and enduring as the horses coursing over the field of battle, flying towards danger...Swift as the Wind...
>>6184878>Swift and enduring as the horses coursing over the field of battle, flying towards danger...Speed AND stamina? Fuck yeah.I yearn to be a blitzkrieg that enemies cannot hope to touch, a storm that none can weather.
>>6184878>>Calm and focused, action and consciousness blur together and melds into perfect concentration...
>>6184906bear>>6184914HUH? Okay.>>6184948>>6185248Calm before danger>>6184973Grandma is teaching>>6184975>>6185001>>6185185gotta go fast
got home late. no post
I'm going to post what I have. Got home late and got midway done.
Your fellow classmate Yanagi Naomi is the fastest girl in the school. School? Huh, you still consider yourself a class president walking each day to study at school after everything that has happened. It is worthy of a quick chuckle, but the memory remains vibrant. When Naomi runs, she simply leaves all her competitors in the dust. The sheer physical superiority she possessed always left others gaping in amazement. Even with her overwhelming advantage, the sporty girl continued to polish it through practice and exercise. That stray memory of your friend running with all her might, swiftly and untiringly on the field, remains inspiring. Oh, how you would love to surpass that speed. To race as fast as the golden horses of mysterious Parthia, coursing over the open fields and parched deserts for miles and miles without rest. Akhal-Teke, dost thou remember Mithridates of yore? Or of Basileus Iskander marching ever eastward to Oceanus? Or how the great Middle Kingdom illustriously hailed thee as 'tien ma'? Grant this King too the blessing of your swiftness and hardihood! Trait: Akhal-Teke— You run as fast as a horse and can keep on running for almost three days without rest. You still suffer the effects of thirst, hunger, lack of sleep, heat, etc., while running, though. The magical endurance effect only applies if you are running. Did you really end up choosing a 'get faster' power because of envy? "I'm not petty, am I?" You direct this question to your vassals, who all look very baffled by the sudden question. "Petty, Your Majesty? About what? Thou hast been a generous and diligent King... Mayhap a bit more Questing for Mana?" One daring apprentice voices his answer as the others murmur in agreement. There's that excited look when anyone goes on about Mana glimmering in their eyes. Ah.... Mana, the one resource that Camelot cannot generate to resource drop. Mana taken by force from hapless mortals or violently ripped from deadly monsters or sacrificed from Relics randomly spared by Avalon. The obsession with Mana by your vassals makes a lot of sense. You can't wait to test out your new powers.Yatagarasu is already at work just outside the cave and sketching out Runes for a Gate. Once the fake Cath Palug is defeated or driven off, it will work to transport the apprentices back to Avalon. The Runes are drawn with care and the apprentices look a bit lost."All apprentices shall remain here in safety. I shall go forth with my band to find Lady Kizaemon."A thought occurs to you as the apprentice meep and bow in obedience at your orders."Answer by raising your hands only, how many called the monster a fake?"Immediately, you see hands go up but there are three apprentices who don't answer. Combined with the Dowser and the Bodyguard, you have five potential declarations to weaken the name of the monster. It's something to keep as an ace up your sleeve.
>>6186650>You still suffer the effects of thirst, hunger, lack of sleep, heat, etc., while runningAnd items on our person might not be protected either, I take it? We'll have to be careful whatever we carry. Also it is NOT envy. The reason is we've kept being cucked over and over due to lack of speed. Biggest and most immediate excuse is chasing the wyvern and in the haunted house. At least this power can also help us explore Logres faster too. And the vassals are right, we need to go for MORE MANA the moment the Romans leave and we have the guilds dealt with
>>6186650"Be ready then to denounce the fraud. Who has a Talking Stone?"Talking Stone acquiredIt's time to get going. The Dowser uses his last petal of the Mana flower and begins his odd chant while pointing the dowsing stick forward."Lost and found, found and lost! Onwards, backwards, and onwards once more! MEEP!"The candy clearly still has its hold on the Dowser; the smile on his face is broad despite the danger to come. Exiting the cave, a flash of light brighter than the sun whitens the sky before fading away. The air is silent, and then an explosive air blast throws up dust and whips your clothing. Your team stumbles, and they look about for the source of the blast."That would be the second Light of Avalon. The beast is still alive; the domain remains."Yatagarasu announces as you cast your eyes up to the sky. The Knights are nowhere to be seen high above; had they fled or gone to take the battle up close and personal with the fake? You tighten the leather cords of your Mask once more and move on.The Dowser divines the way to a part of the domain still replete with stone towers. The key difference is that they are no longer spindly, thin structures but thicker, freestanding towers. There are no doors to any of them to bar the way in. Out of curiosity, you look inside one and see the stairs spiraling upwards. It is safe to assume that those stairs reach the very top.Eventually, the Dowser stops at one particular tower. It is bigger than all the rest, and unlike all the others, it has a fully intact closed door sealing it. It is an odd one, triangular in shape and with no windows. Smooth stone all the way upwards with no windows at all. The inside of the place must be dark."What is this? The tower of the boss?""I know naught, but here Lady Kizaemon hides."The Bodyguard grips the door ring and pulls. It does not open; barred from the inside. Your 'princess' is in this tower according to the Dowser. "Hmph, should have brought a Bombard Stone. Tis too late now."The Bodyguard mutters with irritation as he lets go of the ring. Whereupon the Dowser ambles up and knocks as if making a house call."Yoohoo! Open up in the name of the King of Baphomets. We don't have all day!"Clearly, the drug candy has melted the brain of your vassal. There is no way someone is going to open up."Wait, wait. I'm coming down!"To your shock, a voice from within the tower echoes to your ears. It is a reedy, old voice full of exhaustion and desperation. Pressing your ear to the door, you can hear the slow footfalls of someone coming down some stairs.
>>6187310It is hard to believe your eyes when the door swings open and an old grey-haired man appears at the door. He must be well over 50 years old, exhausted and dirty from living in the tower for who knows how long. His once-standard office worker suit is in tatters, and his eyeglasses have a crack in one of the lenses. The look of relief upon seeing a fellow human is intense, but fright soon takes over as he sees the Baphomets."It's okay sir. No one is going to hurt you. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Lot. And these are my vassals."You switch to the 'responsible and respectable young lady' voice and demeanour to calm the older man. He stoically tries to hold back tears of relief; it is awkward to see an adult ready to cry. "Young lady, I've been stuck here for three days with the others. You are the first human since we've arrived here."Entering the tower with him, you discover there are two other humans. One is a parcel delivery guy still in his uniform and about thirty years old and the other is a woman wearing flashy clothing as though coming home from her job at a bar.When you ask about a cat, the humans of the tower lead you to Lady Kizaemon. She's in bad shape, a deep claw wound marks her side. A few more inches to the right and that wound would have gutted her. The carefully stitched up corpse in Yatagarasu's storage space comes to mind when you see the wounds."Ah, thou art here."The weak but familiar accent of a TV samurai lady from the feline brings you to tears. The wounds are infected; you need to get her to the Doctor back in Camelot straight away."We found the talking cat when we had to sneak out and find water."The delivery guy explains and softly pets the cat.What will you do now?>Go up to the top of the tower with one of the humans, learn how they go there and find that monster...>Order the Dowser and Bodyguard to take everyone back to the apprentices, you and Yatagarasu will go hunt down the monster...>Stay by your cat's side and hear her side of the story, maybe she discovered a weakness...>These mortals have Mana, you should try to harvest it. Oh, you could also use some of the harvest and rescue them too...>write in
>>6187311>Tell the mortals that you can defeat the monster and free them all, but to do so you'll need some of their mana. Explain that it's not a harmful process, though it can be somewhat frightening. Put your manipulative skills to good use here.A willing donor is better than an unwilling one. And maybe we can give Kizaemon some mana to help her recover, once we harvest some. Anyways, we should take into account the natures of the humans here when manipulating them: The deliveryman is likely to be the honorable type who puts duty above himself usually, so emphasizing that the faster they can get out of here the better is a good move.The barlady and the office worker both have a high chance of being alcoholics, so offering them some of the absinthe we have isn't a bad idea, and if they're inebriated then they'll be calmer for the actual harvesting procedure. The other things that the box produces are good bribes too, since they've been stuck here for a while.
>>6187311>>Stay by your cat's side and hear her side of the story, maybe she discovered a weakness...
>>6187311>>These mortals have Mana, you should try to harvest it. Oh, you could also use some of the harvest and rescue them too...
>>6187342+1We need to stabilize Kizaemon IMMEDIATELY. She is who we are here for alongside the BaphometsWe can turn ice back to water to produce clean water to wash the infected wounds. Mana might be strong enough to disinfect a wound like this by giving power to Kizaemon herself? We can tear some of the lady's clothes plus deliveryman uniform to help make makeshift bandaging. Yatagarasu can stitch up Kizaemon, though I doubt the cat will let him without any anesthesia methods. We have options
>>6187311>Stay by your cat's side and hear her side of the story, maybe she discovered a weakness...>These mortals have Mana, you should try to harvest it. Oh, you could also use some of the harvest and rescue them too...These people are resources, we should use them. We'll save our cat, and them. Basically >>6187342 but with the addition of forcefully taking some of their mana if no one complies, and hearing out Kizaemon afterwards.I kinda want to push in the direction of doing more dark magical girl things, without fully compromising on any and all morals, like a certain black heart. More like reciprocal altruism/noblesse oblige gone wrong, with a bit of wavering to convenience, plus insanity, anger and loneliness taking their toll.
>>6187435I like this, changing my vote from >>6187411 to backing this one, +1also what do you think about what I wrote in >>6187411? Think that'd all help? But we are NOT using absinthe to disinfect Kizaemon, that is a horrible HORRIBLE ideaDo you think the other towers in this section also have captive humans? We might be able to rescue Kizaemon + Team Feline along with other people AND score way more mana than we otherwise would have... but could that be being too greedy? We've been starving for mana and resources and, let's face it, other human interaction. This is one way to get a lot of reward out of this rescue mission, no?
>>6187440Washing Lady Kizaemon's wounds with meltwater is a good idea, though I imagine healing her with mana will render mundane methods irrelevant. Giving Kizaemon some of the mana is a good idea, now that we've eaten our fill for the moment. As is saving some to help Team Feline escape, or as a reserve for our own emergency exit if we intend to stay around to fight or raid for loot.As for the towers, yes, I imagine they hold captive humans, relics taken as tribute from unwilling supernaturals, and maybe retainer cats. A cat's gotta eat after all, fake!Cath seems to be the resident master of a realm parallel with the hateful world. Presumably he can easily exit at will, but importantly iirc this place isn't in Avalon. He won't have access to monsters to feed on, which means his food is definitely humans.Of course, if possible, we should free them, perhaps not all at once, or even during this mission though. The real prize in my eye would be dethroning the faker, and installing Lazy Kizaemon in his place as a more just ruler of this sad domain.All that being said, if we don't intend to face Cath Palug or the Knights this time, then I don't think we should stay to reap mana from some hypothetical human prisoners or lost wanderers who stumbled in. We can reap mana any day of the week, if we make it a priority. Sure, this place isn't exposed to backlash, but we hardly need our powers to restrain and drain those on our shit list. It's slower, but way less risky, and if we don't get into a fight during our Questing, then we can get a bunch of acorns in sequence rather than playing it greedy in the middle of a warzone. The only other reason to stay, imo, is to hunt for Relics.
>>6186730Sorry for the late answer to this. But yeah, you can still damage items on your person or lose them if not careful.
>>6187342write in option, ask victims to contribute>>6187348talk cat>>6187362harvest mana>>6187435>>6187440combo with cat and negotiate some Mana harvest>>6187460I am going to assume you're with the idea of asking for mana donations and talking with cattoSo let's go with write ins.Right now, it is a shitshow with the tariffs in Canada. I have no idea how things are going to go. Lots of pissed off fellow Canadians. If you don't hear from me, I'm probably running around distributing non perishable food or something.
>>6187734>just got Haruka a speed powerup in-quest>QM using his speed powerup to help people IRLGoddamnit it's just like the heat levels increasing combined with you distributing ice before. That WAS you, right?
>>6187748Yeah, that brutal heat wave. But these tariffs will seriously effect the Canadian economy and maybe tip it into recession. Meaning seniors and children I deal with are going to be screwed.
>>6187734Yeah, going with the write in, and talking to the rightful heir of this misused domain. The sickle is only out for noncompliance.>>6187778>MaybeThere's no maybe about it. We're taking the plunge.
Well I'm back but I'm not happy with the situation. I'll try to keep this quest going but things are still unsettled since nothing got solved.
Yatagarasu opens his pack and brings out pieces of kit needed. He even begins opening and checking for supplies in your small pack to bring together everything to treat the cat. "Beira, to my aid come. Spare some small mote of ice, fresh and pure, for us." It seems so long ago when you first summoned small ice chunks that were only good enough to get fresh water. It wasn't an impressive power, but clearly in the eyes of the three kidnapped mortals, it's a miracle. They watch particles of ice dust gather in a wooden bowl set out by the Baphomet until solid chunks of translucent ice form. When enough has gathered, you simply wave your hand over the small pile of ice, and it melts into water. Yatagarasu carefully cuts off the bandages covering the wounds of the cat with a knife. The cloth was once a white shirt, now stained with dried blood and pus. You gently attempt to clean the wounds. "Ah, that damned fraud is running quite the swindle." The cat hoarsely laughs as a burst of words leaves her lips. "Stay quiet, Ki-chan, you're very badly hurt." "Hmph, tis but a flesh wound. Owie. What's important is the secret dream of the kitty cat pretender." The wounds are no mere flesh wound. It is definitely going to kill your cat unless you can get her back to Camelot and under the care of the Doctor. Unless... You give a side glance to the humans gathered around Yatagarasu. The Guide is passing around a wineskin of water and bread for the starving mortals. You also spy the Bodyguard sliding a bar across the front door while keeping an eye on the loopy Dowser. "What secret is that?" "That half of the cat is not actually here. Cowardly feline is out somewhere outside this domain. Safe and sound... Eating fine tuna and lounging about in the sun, no doubt." That makes no sense to you. Half of a cat? There is clearly a very deadly monster in this realm; you saw a fake Cath Palug fighting two Knights of the Round Table. If that's half the cat, where is the other half? "So even if we kill the damn thing in this realm, there's still part of it alive elsewhere and start shit all over again? That is some amazing bullshit." You cleaned some of the wounds and started wrapping them, but the severity of the situation remains. Lady Kizaemon will undoubtedly die without healing. Either you get out here as fast as possible and back to Camelot or... You harvest some Mana. You take a glance at the three mortals within easy reach as they chew bread and drink from the wineskins with gusto. What you're about to ask of these scared and exhausted people is one hell of a request. Can I take a sickle with a magical blade to cut you open and take some of your Mana? You don't want to use force but it's always an option. Your mind is racing to set up the situation to allow such a conversation to begin. Luckily, you've always been really quick in reading people and sizing them up, taking notice of the smallest of clues.
>>6189935The hardest to convince will be the oldest in the tower. The salaryman is not going to listen or respect a teenage girl, being 50 years old and used to automatically taking the lead. The fact he was the one who opened the door and was alone solidified that first impression. That leaves the other two mortals. The delivery guy looks like a typical blue-collar young adult and is probably the hardest working one. His clothing is dirtier than the rest with blotches of stains from grass and unidentifiable plant essences. He probably diligently went out of the tower to look for supplies and food. Probably the bravest of the three. While the bar lady is missing her shirt, she has clearly taken it off and cut it up into bandages. Her flashy red blazer is the only thing covering her chest up. A tired look of a woman always working the night shift lines her face. You rather not have to harvest Mana from her; she took care of your cat by sacrificing her shirt. These are all very interesting things to observe, but there's something else that catches your eye. You see a pile of crushed cigarettes and ashes smeared about in a corner of the tower. Several of those cigarettes have lipstick staining on the butt; others were crushed underfoot thoroughly, while the rest have been burnt straight down to the filter. Each adult in this tower is a smoker. You reach into your backpack and pull out the strange box of cigarettes the Artist paid as a tax. If there is one thing you look forward to when the Guilds are set up for a proper government, it is regular and timely tax collecting. The Artist has not willingly paid up a share of his summoned vices like another bottle of Absinthe. Taking the opportunity, you remove the Mask to show your undisguised face to the mortals before handing over the pack of cigarettes to them as a small bribe. They light up the cigarettes with joy. The air is thick with smoke as you begin speaking."I realize the situation is overwhelming. So I'll just focus on how we can get out. One is the defeat of the master of this domain. Something that is very dangerous for me since I'm the only warrior with a hope in defeating it. The second involves someone volunteering to give up Mana, a sort of magical energy that will pierce through the barriers trapping you here in this place."There's a third option involve using the exit candle to get to the border of the hateful World and domain but these mortal don't need to know that. The look of shock and dismay is on display on every face. They don't even know what to say, the air is silent as each absorbs your request.
>>6189937"Now see here young lady, why even risk yourself? I saw there's other strange flying warriors fighting it out against the monster. Why not just rely on them?"The salaryman finishes off his cigarette with one inhalation before crushing it on the floor."Do ya even hear them fighting anymore? There were two explosions yesterday. Two explosions today. I figure we won't hear anything again until tomorrow."The delivery guy just revealed something very important. Those damn Knights don't continue fighting against the fake Cath Palug after using up Light of Avalon. "This is one horrible cig. Unfiltered, ugh. If all it takes is this Mana to get out, then why not use some of your own and do just that?"The bar lady clearly has a premonition that Mana harvesting is not a particularly pleasant experience. "Because I need all my strength to protect my vassals and you. Weakening myself is a bad idea in place of such danger. Also..."Here you bow your head in humility to the three hesitant adults and begin pleading. Surely none of them would be hardhearted enough after witnessing you begging."I also need your assistance to save my cat. A bit of Mana from someone will help accelerate her natural healing abilities and ease her pain. With that, she'll last long enough until I get her to someone who can help her.">2 anons to roll 3d6 and 1 anon roll 4d6!
Rolled 3, 2, 3 = 8 (3d6)>>6189940
Rolled 3, 1, 1 = 5 (3d6)>>6189940
Rolled 3, 5, 6, 6 = 20 (4d6)>>6189940
>>6189986Praise Madoka! We're saved! Thank you anon.
>>6189986You had me worried there for a second, lad
>>6189986>>6189970>>6189956>10d6>only 3 rolls 5 or above>everything else is a 1 or 3If you needed further evidence the rolls in this quest are cursed to always suck, look no further
>>6189956>>6189970>>6189986Success
>>6190467That is actually the most likely result, and perfectly expected. Use a dice pool calculator and look for yourself.