>>6467266
Real shit?

Not an ordinary monkey -- a monkey that has found a way out of many difficult situations with both wit and strength, and gained some skills to show for it. You're no Monkey King of legends, of course, but you're pretty great! That's what you think, at least.

You're a traveller, as is common, since no sane monkey would settle down and run an inn or business, become an official or some such stuff. It's not like most humans would allow it, anyway. However, you have a specific purpose to your travel. A small one, but one important to you, and fairly lofty as well. You're wandering the lands in search of immortality. There is not much to it besides selfish reasons. Quite simply, there is an impending sense of time lost creeping upon you, even at your young age, and this little fear has compelled you to begin your search.

You are not alone on your journey. You travel with a witch due to some circumstances. Some things that bound you in the past, but also mutual benefit and protection. It is not a particularly friendly partnership, but you've seen worse. She's pleasant to the eye both in body and face, with long dark hair and an sharp look in her eyes. Her name is Rikka Sugawara.

Chapter 1 -- Waterworks

Cresting over another hill, you shield your eyes from the sun and look over the river valley before you. Spring has arrived, and the land is already green.

"We'll have a place to rest a bit," you say with a grin. "There's a small town on this river."

"Small towns always have bugs and fleas in their inns, not much rest there," the witch rolls her eyes. "Though I guess it's less of a problem for you. One more, one less - doesn't matter too much when you have a hundred, does it?"

"My pride is not enough for them to notice me, unlike some."

"Your fur is enough for them to set up camp even with a lack of self-esteem."

"Would the magic user of our company have a ward to aid me, then?" You smirk.

"I could burn it all off, I guess," the witch shrugs, "but I suspect you wouldn't like that outcome." She seems slightly amused. "Let's go. I suppose any bed is better than no bed at all."

"That much is true."

You're not troubled by the idea of sleeping on trees or solid ground -- you're a monkey, after all! -- but the softness is definitely better.

You're met by suspicious looks from the locals, but manage to get 2 rooms, for yourself and for the witch.

What name do you introduce yourself with when the keeper asks for it?
>Invent a name, best is East Asian / Japanese feel, but don't take it too strictly if you have a cool idea

With occasional experiments by Bananas and the "And Then" quest appearing recently, I figured it's time for my own brand of schizo to have a thread on the board.

So this is an experimental quest. I may offer explicit choices once in a while, but a large part of the story will most likely be without prompts, guided by the character and background of the hero. However, you may at any point link to some past experience of the main character, or make a reasonable alteration to his method of solving problems and interacting with people. Simply state so in a separate post in reply to any story post of mine.

For example, you can write-in
>Change global objective from obtaining immortality to help [x character] achieve their goal because Monkey thinks it is worthier after getting through [y event] together.
or
>Monkey should become more wary of [z character] because of [m suspicion].

(the first is an abstract example, it would require some very strong reasons for Monkey to change his global goal)

If some anons support it and there is no strong opposition, I'll declare it changed, and the main character's behaviour will change accordingly.

Please don't start a flame war with repeating overrides of others' directives! It's a collaborative story, let's take each others' interests into account and discuss.

I may change the experimental rules later down the line.

There will be no rolls, the quest is purely narrative.

Also I made a thumbnail quickly, but don't want to make this a full drawquest. Mentioning this just to set expectations. I may (and probably will) make more drawings in the future, but not for every post.

>>6467269
>Qing Kong

>>6467269
>Lü Bu
>You've heard this name belonged to a mighty warrior in the distant past, undefeated in battle and feared by all, a warrior whom they say it took a God of War to lay low. A worthy name for someone set to achieve the ultimate goal of immortality

>>6467269
>Qing Qong

>>6467452
I second this name

>>6467440
>>6467450
>>6467452
>>6467741
Qing Qong. That's your name, not given at birth, but obtained during your apprenticeship with that warrior monk years ago. A remembrance of technique and a source of pride.

You rest for the day, enjoying a hearty meal before going to sleep. When you wake up in the morning and have some time to see what's happening in this town, you notice carts filled with large chests of various things: tools, clothing, sacks of grain, cured meat and other food, and a multitude of knick-knacks simply thrown into a single heap.

You ask the keeper of the tavern why the people are preparing to leave. A shadow cast over his face, he tells you that the town and the surrounding countryside depend on the regulation of water level by the dam and waterworks built upriver. The townsmen perform maintenance and regulate the amount of water let out each spring to prevent a flood. However, during this winter, a monster, something akin to a walking giant crocodile, has taken up residence near the waterworks. The town first sent warriors and hunters of its own to bring the monster down, but they either fell or fled in the face of the crocodile's power. The magistrate has sent a runner to the governor to request aid, but it seems helping the town dwellers is not the top priority, so the people are planning to leave and wait out the spring flood in the higher hills.

"It's a shame we have to abandon our town, Dotsu, but there is no other way. The town can be rebuilt, but human life is extinguished forever," the keeper shakes his head in bitterness.

You mull over this information for a while, then share it with Rikka.

"Helping these people out could be an interesting distraction," you shrug as you conclude the story.

"Exactly -- a distraction from our journey. I can't believe you're aiding someone for free again."

"Who said we'd do it for free?" You smirk. "I'm sure this town would richly reward its saviours."

The witch averts her eyes, thinking for a moment. "If that's so... sure. More coin wouldn't hurt. It may have useful parts as well."

"Bring your alchemy, then. We're going upriver."

-----

You spend the day getting to the waterworks. It's a big structure, with ducts going out into the plains and towards the town to irrigate and provide a steady supply of water. The dam is not the greatest you've seen, but quite tall still, a massive wall built into the cliffs that the hills slowly turned into as you travelled. The river is swelling beyond it, almost ready to overflow.

The beast is here as well. It really does look like a giant crocodile, able to traverse the land both on all fours and in a hunched standing gait. You observe it silently for a few hours. It hunts fish, swimming through the waters with speed, and sometimes attacks other animals. It's mode of hunt looks to be a frontal charge. The crocodile is quick, maybe on par with you even, in spite of its great mass, which it uses to overwhelm its prey. However, it is quite clumsy during its charge -- a natural consequence of being big and un This may be useful in bringing it down...

"It's dangerous both on land and in water," you explain to Rikka after sharing your observations. "But I feel we can trick it. If it charges bait in a special place, it may fall down the dam's front and onto solid ground. Finishing it off will be easy after that."

"And the bait will be you?"

"Yep. Can't risk losing the prettier face of our duet."

The witch sighs at that, with a 'tired of your shit' expression. "Do you need any pills or bombs? I've brought alchemy, like you asked."

"Do you have those drought bombs you prepared in Tatsuno? It should be deadly to a water creature. Just in case it doesn't fall for it and I have to fight it alone."

The witch rummages in her big backpack and hands you what looks like three red marbles.

"These are rare. Use them as a last resort," she says. "Best to try your staff and nunchucks first."

You roll them between your fingers and nod. It's time to bring this thing down.

(end of today's update)

Letting out a whistle, you direct the beast's attention towards you. Standing on top of the dam, you test your footing, your war staff in hand, as the crocodile swims towards you at speed.

The beast dives, then leaps out of the water, maw wide open, to chomp you in half with a single bite, but with a high jump, supported by your staff, you somersault over it, just in time for the crocodile to rush through and plummet to its death.

That's what was supposed to happen, at least.

The beast grabs the precipice with its claws in the nick of time, pulling itself up and back into the water pooled by the dam, leaving deep gorges in the stone from the sheer force needed to pull a creature of its size to a stop this quickly.

You're in the water now, swimming back towards the dam, but this is the beast's domain, where you are hopelessly outmatched. For a moment, you remember the drought bead-bombs. But...

"These are rare. Use them as a last resort."

You know from her own words and your own eyes how tough it is to prepare sorcery of this kind. The rituals leaving her drained for days and the materials that can't be found on the road or even in ordinary wilderness. So you decide to hold off from using these for now.

Besides, you've still got your nunchucks.

You take them off your belt with one hand and swing just in time to catch the head of the beast ready to devour you. The water ripples with threads of electricity. It doesn't harm you, of course, but the shock paralyses the beast. Its inertia is enough to knock you away, but with powerful strokes, you manage to stabilise yourself and get back on top of the dam. The shock wears off on the croc, and you find yourself in much the same position you started in. There is a slight alteration to the plan.

The river beast jumps out of the water, and you do the somersault again, however, just as it tries to stop itself, you strike it with the end of your staff, invoking its force magic. It doesn't expect the push, and even its strength is not enough to prevent it from falling.

The dam is not that high in comparison with the size of the beast. You realise this as you climb back on top and look down to see where it landed. It lays below, on the stones that the cliffs supporting the dam turn into. But it still writhes.

You climb down as quickly as you can, jumping between crevices, ledges and canals of the waterworks, and finish the beast off, jamming your staff down its throat and invoking the force again to turn the insides of its skull into mush.

The threat is dead, and the battle is over.

But when you turn back, to go tell the witch of your success, you hear the waters roaring in a strange way. Before you, a spirit manifests - a huge mass of water in the form of an amphibian.

"Answer me," it utters in a voice that echoes with the whispers of a hundred streams, "why have you killed my Scourge upon the men dwelling on my shores?"

(end of today's update)
(Sorry for the delay, I was busy and kind of tired, and when not, I didn't have access to my PC in order to write)

"My name is Qing Qong, wise spirit," you bow to show respect to the river. "The people of Dottsu were troubled by the monster. They told me only that it blocked the waterworks, and there was a risk of flood if it was not defeated. I didn't know it was your creation when I came to slay it."

"That is a reasonable mistake to make," the spirit's voice is calmer. "But there was a reason I spawned that creature. The people of that town have corrupted the river. They have repeatedly dumped ashes burdened with curses into my waters. I grew tired of that taint and punished them."

"I see. Then I won't interfere if you punish them again. Forgive me for moving against you. I see now that I was mistaken."

"Very well. Return to the townsmen, if you wish. I won't impede your journey. You are at no fault."

...

You tell Rikka of your conversation as you travel back to the town, the crocodile's head slung behind you. Even if you'll respect the spirit's wish, you can still expect a reward from the townsmen, who don't know this won't be the end of it.

"Strange story," the witch says, mulling over this new information. "I'd like to see what this is all about. Ask the town mystic, or whoever they have there. Just out of curiosity."

"Let's stay a bit longer, then. I'll help out with the investigation."

...

The townsmen welcome you with cheers as you walk through the streets towards the magistrate's office. The magistrate rewards you with a hefty sack of gold qian. These should last you a while with your simple way of life, travelling light and quickly.

You ask the townsmen where the town mystic lives. They look confused at first, but you assure them that it's just for the witch to consult him about warding creatures like this off.

The mystic is young, in his thirties, with a few apprentices studying together in his house -- not of magistrate's glory, but evidently rich. As you sit down for tea, you inquire about the cursed ashes. The mystic looks at you dubiously, but after a pause, slowly starts explaining the story.

For several years now, the land has given bad harvests. The people of Dottsu and surrounding lands grew tired of meagre yields and meagre food, and asked the mystic to find the cause and solve the problem. He used his magic to consult the spirits of the land and the gods, but found no trace of the reason for the misfortune.

When his investigation grew long, the people took matters into their own hands. Groups of vigilantes monitored the fields and streets for anything suspicious, and soon, a woman was presented to the mystic, the townsmen claiming they saw her do sorcery. The mystic was in doubt, but agreed to help, thinking the witch is cunning enough to conceal her power. The woman was executed, in spite of her claims of innocence, and to prevent her from returning as a vengeful spirit, the mystic crafted and planted talismans on her body, and burned it afterwards.

To disperse the ashes and refuse the malevolent witch a proper burial, they were thrown into the river, to forever be lost in the currents.

However, the bad harvests didn't stop. So the townsmen found another witch. And another. And another. And all of them faced the same fate. Cursed, burned, and thrown into the river in hopes that this one will be the real cause of the problem.

Rikka's gaze is filled with hatred and disgust as the mystic finishes his tale.

"You... you imbecile," she curses. "Not only did you prefer common men's judgement on magic to your own, but decided to put literal cursed dead into the river? You don't deserve the title of a mystic."

"I offered sacrifices to the river," he asserts. "They should have appeased the spirit."

"Do you really think you can carelessly make a grave offence, then placate it with offerings? The spirit is a thinking being, equal to human in intelligence, if not more. They see what attitude you approach them with. And they demand respect," Rikka makes an emphasis on the word, "as is fitting for a partner with his own interests and values. And you failed to treat it properly," she pauses and sighs, becoming less agitated. The mystic grows red in the face and sweats. The witch continues. "I've heard enough. I don't know what it'll take to get the river to forgive you, but this is not my problem. Endure the scourge and find a way to get in the spirit's good graces again. Our business here is done."

You leave quietly, the mystic staying in his place without even giving you a farewell.

...

"What do you think was the real cause for the bad harvests?" You ask Rikka as the town disappears behind the crest of another hill.

"I don't know," she shrugs. "I think it doesn't have anything to do with spirits or gods. Sometimes it's not divine punishment, but regular misfortunate weather and pests. But people will always try to find a cause they can easily solve if they feel powerless. The strong have freedom to judge and decide. The weak have only their bitter fear to hold onto."

"I sure like being the former."

The witch rolls her eyes. "You're far from that. Don't let that victory get in your head."

"Humility isn't my strong suit," you laugh, but quickly quiet down. "It's been a while since we've found another clue about immortality. The taoists are tricky to investigate."

"I feel like we may stumble upon one soon," Rikka muses, "but I can't say why. Just a hunch."

"We'll have to see. I hope you're right."

And so your journey continues...

End of Chapter I - Waterworks.

(I'll need some time to prepare for the next one.)

When do we vote or roll?

>>6469812
>>6467271