>>46007432
Intricate hallway

>>46007432
>Go down the plain hallway.

>>46007432
>>Go down the intricate hallway.

Intricate Hallway Locked In. Writing Now.

You head down the intricate hallway. Inlays of scenes that you don’t recognize cover the walls and floor. Some look like battles, while other seem to be court scenes or commemorations of new cities. You can’t read Dwarvish, but you appreciate the calligraphic quality of the letters underneath certain statues. Whatever this place was, it was important.

When you finally reach the end of the hallway, the room at the end practically shines in the dim torchlight. Thousands of glittering diamonds decorating shelves, holding thousands of books and scrolls. Tables with piles of books and papers are scattered around, and you see that it isn’t just in Dwarvish, but in Human and a dozen other tongues.

But the greatest treasure seems to be sitting in the middle of the room. Encased in a glass sphere, a small orb seems to be slowly rotating. As you approach, you swear that the orb seems to be moving faster, barely speeding up in response to your presence. Below the orb is what look like golden threads and rough angles, all pressed onto a flat silver surface. As the orb picks up speed, the threads almost start to glow, like there is some sort of energy moving through them. But the glass orb is definitely radiating some sort of magic, maybe it’s the same sort of magic that is keeping the Goblins out?

Do you
>Try to remove the orb from the apparatus
>Leave it in and continue exploring

[Would a Pastebin be a good idea? At least for keeping track of the character's current powers and inventory]

>>46007901
I'd say it would be. Also YES made it early.

>>46007886
Leave it and continue exploring.

Honestly I kinda want to put this on the backburner real quick and want to see what the goblin matron wants with us.

>>46007901
Can't hurt.

>>46007886
>>Try to remove the orb from the apparatus

>>46007886
Leave the orb.

Locking in Leaving the Orb. Writing Now

You decide it is best to leave the orb. Probably best not to disturb unknown magical contraptions without looking a bit more into What they do. You move on through the library, and start picking up a few of the books. Some look fairly well preserved, other seemed like they were new whenever the Dwarves left them, while others still seem ancient and fragile. Amoung one pile of papers you notice something that worries you a bit.

A simple paper, with rough pen marks in a nearly unreadable font that you assume is Dwarvish, but the penmanship is too terrible to tell. There is a pen perched on the paper,the tip is even pressed up against the last word written in the middle of the page. But it seems like the writing stops mid word, mid letter even. Though you can’t read it, you recognize that whatever was being written was suddenly interupted. The more you explore, the more little things seem to pop out. Chairs slightly pushed back, books dropped in the middle of the floor. It doesn’t seem like the place was abandoned. It feels more like everyone in the room just vanished suddenly.

Your line of questions is halted by the sudden sounds of screaming and rhythmic yells that you assume are coming from the Goblins out front. Something is happening outside. Though they cant get inside, it may behove you to check it out.

Do you
>Go back out front and investigate the Goblins
>Continue exploring the building. They can wait for you

>>46008715
>Go back out front and investigate the Goblins

>>46008715
Go out front. Let's see what's up.

>>46008715
>Continue exploring the building. They can wait for you

>>46008715
>Go out front

>>46008715
>>Go back out front and investigate the Goblins

Going out front locked in. writing Now

http://pastebin.com/sn9n2zqf

Here is a Pastebin for Mia

You head back out front, setting the torch in a small notch in the wall of the antechamber. Stepping back through the door and whatever magic protects this place. Through the door though is something you weren’t expecting.

Every Goblin you had seen when you passed through earlier is now crowded around the path to the older Temple. There are fires being stoked and two very large statues being dragged down the way. Both are rough, crooked things that vaguely resemble humanoid shapes. One is completely decorated with leaves and burning pieces of moss and wood, while the other has mushrooms and rotting animals tied to what you thinka arms and legs.

One Goblin, towering over the others at about four feet, is perched between them on a palisade made from animal bones. The Goblin leaps off as soon as she sees you and the rest of the crowd part like water to let her by. She is covered in twisted gold and metal, like dozens of random knick-knacks were melted together and wrapped around her. She stops in front of you, uncomfortably close, before backing away and going down on one knee.

“OH! Great Mothah o’Rot! Alra! You brought us ah hero! Now we mus destroy tha Up-mountain hobgobs~”

It seems they really are convinced you are some kind of hero sent from one of their gods. Though...neither of the statues look remotely like the God you’ve already promised to patron.

Do you
>Tell them that you are sent by Alra, their god.
>Tell them the truth, that you are a prophet of Lera

>>46009731
>Tell them the truth

>>46009731
>>Tell them the truth, that you are a prophet of Lera
Wouldn't be a good prophet if we didn't ...y'know. Prophetize our god.

However, I am concerned about the ramifications of this action. Is there any way we can kinda...I dunno, tell them but not? Or maybe strike a bargain with them since that I think might be our thing?

>>46009731
>Tell them the truth, that you are a prophet of Lera
I don't see much to gain by tricking them. It's not as through we need their support for anything. And if they get upset we can just walk back through the pathway they can't enter. We might get a hint on how to release their god.

>>46009731
>Tell them the truth, that you are a prophet of Lera

>>46009731
>Tell them the truth
They will learn to worship the True God, in time.

Telling the Truth Locked in. Writing Now.

>>46009937
>Make a bargain
Like what? We have little to gain from these gobs, and we would probably be better off investigating on our own rather than helping them with their pointless war. THe Hobgoblins probably worship the same god anyway.

>>46010055
Just a suggestion. If we don't, no big.

>>46010082
I mean, if you have an idea go for it. It sounds like the common thing with the Old Gods were making bargains.

You decide to stand firm and tell them the truth. You are not a liar, and if you are going to be a prophet, you shouldn’t hide your newfound allegiance.

“I am not sent by your Gods. I don’t know any Alra. I was sent by an older God.” You feel a swell of words inside you. You were never a learned speaker, but you feel something move through you. You can’t hold back the wellspring of words.

“Gods from before! Gods that stood when the mountains were pebbles and will stand again when they sink into the sea. Gods that stand on the thrones and will let the mortals sit beside them. I am the Prophet of Lera!” Your voice echoes out into the cavern, every creature dead silent.

The Goblin Mother seems to be seething, puling out a knife and waving it wildly in your direction.

“Blasfee! Horror an’ horror! Blood blood blood!” Everyone else seems to be unsure of what to do. You hear a voice in your head, and your vision doubles. Like you are elsewhere and not all at once. Lera stand before you and looks perpexed at the little Goblin.

“Well. This is interesting. Goblins are such pitiful creatures since the New Gods pulled them down below the ground. Worshiping statues and hoping to make themselves their own Gods. It’d be best to just leave unless you want to fight her once she’s done rambling...Or.” Lera turns their one eye to you.

“You could kill her. It’d set an example...and what’s a prophet without a few followers? As lowly as they are in their current state.”

What do you do?
>Leave. There’s no use in starting violence and I don’t have time for this.
>Kill the Goblin Mother and gain control of the Goblin Horde.

>>46010268
>Kill the Goblin Mother and leave

It might throw the tribe into chaos, but it might also throw them towards old god worship. In either case we don't have the time for goblins when there are gods to find. Leave.

>>46010268
>Kill and take control

>>46010268
>Kill the Goblin Mother

Lawful Evil/Neutral Holy Empire is go.

>>46010268
Hmmm...I agree with Kill, but I'm not sure what to do after that.

>>46010268
>Kill the Goblin Mother and leave

>>46010268
>Kill the Goblin Mother and gain control of the Goblin Horde.

>>46010268
Okay, this is >>46010421
Basically whatever course of action might free the Old God that resides here after she dies. But this is baby stakes, an isolated group- remember that. We should be getting a move on before too long.

Killing The Mother is locked in. Writing Now.

I'm real interested in those elves after we clear this out. Maybe see about that thief, too. We've dallied here for long enough.

You don’t waste time, and grab the Goblin Mother by the Throat. She tries to stab at you, and you feel the knife part your flesh, but the deadened sensation hardly registers. As her life force drains out, you feel a tingling in the spot where the knife is lodged in your Gut. As her hand fall limp and begins to degrade, the knife is pushed out of your stomach as your body stitches itself back together, fueled by the lost life of the Goblin. In moments, you feel more energized and alive than you ever have before.

As she falls dead at your feet you look around at the Goblins. A joy overtakes you, the thrill of conquest and control. The feeling of ownership that you’ve never experienced before. You aren’t sure if this is from Lera or a part of yourself you never knew existed. Every one of the Goblins seems terrified,and a command once more comes from somewhere inside you that you can’t recognize. You point at the statues.

“Tear them down.” No sooner had the words left your lips then the Goblins lept at the statues and began pulling them apart. Some tore at the rotting carcasses and began devouring them, while others lit themselves on fires trying to smother the other one out. Lera laughs in your mind.

“Oh, lovely creatures. No matter how much the Usurpers tried, they never could remove the streak of destruction my brother gave them. Perhaps one day they might return to their former glory. And you, my young little acolyte...well done.” With that, the God is gone.

Several Goblins come and take the Mother’s bones away, throwing them down into one of the many pits. As they approach, they ask you what they shoudl do.

“Hobgobs want land. Want pits an’ prats. Mus kill! Kill ‘fore we kill!” It seems that they are asking you to wage war.

What do you do?
>Agree to wage war. These are you people and you should help protect their land.
>Decline to wage War and head off alone.
>Decline to wage War and take a group of Goblins with you

>>46010723
>Agree to wage war. These are you people and you should help protect their land.
I don't want to go down the 'take responsibility' route, but this might be fun. And the Hobgoblins might know something about a old god.

>>46010723
>Decline to wage War and head off alone.
We've spent more than enough time here, time to track down that thief!

>>46010723
I pretty much have the exact same feelings as >>46010845
Not really INTO it, would prefer we move on, but we might get something interesting out of it. We already know these gobbos have something to do with one of the Old Gods, and that's kinda our primary mission. Might be worth looking into the second set.

>>46010723
Decline and Get a Group to go with you.

>>46010723
>>Decline to wage War and take a group of Goblins with you

>>46010723
>Decline and obtain minions

>>46011312
Disregard Wars, Obtain Minion

Leaving with a Group of Goblins locked in. Writing Now.

“No. There are other things at work here. There is a temple in the Green somewhere and it is vitally important that I reach it as quickly as possible.” You pull out your map and show it to the few in front of you. You explain there is a river somewhere along the mountains, and you need to get there and follow it down into the woods.

“Yes mum!” They say, and in a flurry of activity soon you are flanked by well equipped Goblin soldiers. Well, as equipped as they could be. They have rough weapons, some made of stones and others are old knives or swords tied onto sticks. Roughshot armor and dark strips of grey that seems like it was ripped off and tied on quickly. It is probably in your honor.

They show you the underground tunnels that are much quicker than walking on the above surfaces. Sheer cliffs and jagged peaks are passed over, and in half the time you emerge under cover of nightfall. The river is raging nearby, white rapids crashing against the cold rock.

You begin to walk down the river, when one of the goblins stop you. It seems like someone on the other side has made a camp. You didn’t notice because it was well hidden between several converging rocks, but now that you’ve spotted it the orange glimmer of a fire is undeniable.

Do you
>Go to investigate the encampment
>Continue down the river quietly

>>46011939
>Go to investigate the encampment
Either we suck more energy out of some poor unsuspecting adventurer, or we get more minions.

It's not like killing adventurers matters after all, they'd just end up killing someones parents and looting the body. We're doing the world a favor.

>>46011939
>>Go to investigate the encampment
>>46012021 knows what's up

>>46011939
>Go to investigate the encampment
Could be the thief

>>46011939
>Go to investigate the encampment

>>46012021
I agree with investigation, but without the goblins. And of course we aren't gonna just stroll up to whatever it is. We aren't godlike.

Yet.

Discretion is advised.

Investigation Underway. Writing Now.

The Goblins show you a path to cross over the River that you wouldn’t have seen otherwise. You command them to stay back and wait, only to cross if they hear any sounds of fighting. They all nod and curl up on the far side of the river, waiting for your signal.

As you crawl over the rocks, careful to stay quiet despite the dim rush of water behind you, you hear the sounds of talking as you approach the camp. You feel another tingling sensation, stronger than the one surrounding the Dwarven Ruins, but it doesn’t stop you. Between a crack in the rocks you see three people talking. All of them have to look of more adventurers. Though they seem a bit more experienced than the last two.

It is an all female party, with Two Warriors, an Orc and an Elf by the looks of it, and a Human Cleric. By the bright blue and greens on her outfit and the trident around her neck, you assume that she is a worshiper of Eva, the God of Water and Fishing. One of the New Gods that is well known for rapidly changing between benevolence and violence at a moment's notice. You’ve heard tell of Eva wiping coastal cities off the map because they forget to offer her sufficient sacrifices at yearly festivals.

It seems like they are talking of battle strategies, but they are distracted. You notice that there is a small glowing orb near the fire, and determine it must be some kind of protection field. It must be why they are unaware, they don’t think anything could get at them because the barrier would hurt anything that tried.

Do you
>Stay and Listen to Their Plans
>Try to Attack one while they’re distracted
>Return to the Goblins

>>46012597
>>Stay and Listen to Their Plans

Only long enough to get a decent gist of it, that elf probably can hear for days. Don't try to leave during a lull in the convo- you bounce mid-conversation, and they'll be paying less attention to their surroundings.

>>46012597
Attack when distracted. We have nothing to lose, staying would just mean we could get caught

>>46012597
>>Stay and Listen to Their Plans

>>46012597
>Stay and Listen to Their Plans
I'm actually not sure if we should attack, but it seems like a good opportunity to see how strong we are. We know we can ignore pain and most injuries and are probably some form of undead.

If they are talking about battle plans, they probably are just planning on attacking the goblins or hobgoblins for whatever reason. We should want to attack them while they are in a fight with their targets. Plus we might learn something from them.

>>46012597
>You’ve heard tell of Eva wiping coastal cities off the map because they forget to offer her sufficient sacrifices at yearly festivals.
Justice is with us

>>46012597
>Stay and Listen to Their Plans

>>46012597
>Stay and Listen to Their Plans

Eavesdropping locked in. Writing now.

You stay still and listen in to their plans…

“...this is going to work? No one has been to these parts of the Greens and survived Long.”

“I’m absolutely sure! And besides, we are doing this for a righteous cause. You two will get your pay, but I will be remembered as one of the heroes that secured these demons. The Church of Eva and Solas stand together and all the Grand Deities will save this world from their evil influence.”

“Yeah yeah. Honor and Glory and all that. Look, you said there was probably gold in the temple. I’m more interested in hearing about that!”

They bicker off for a while, before they decide to head to bed. You stay still for at least an hour before you feel safe wandering away again. You become more thankful for your strange new nature, as you no longer need to breathe either save to speak. It makes sneaking away all the easier when the only noise to worry about is your steps.

You return back to the goblins, who have fashioned some crude dice out of rocks and were wagering their weapons against each other. One of them is completely nude at this point.

Now that they are asleep, you might be able to sneak up on them if you could try to deactivate the protective barrier. Or you could slip on by and beat them to the Temple anyway.

Do you
>Kill them now. Less enemies to worry about.
>Head to the Temple. You shouldn’t risk a confrontation if it could be avoided.

>>46013468
>Kill them now. Less enemies to worry about.
They follow a rival god and might be trouble down the line if they're talking about attacking our temples.

>>46013468
>Kill them now. Less enemies to worry about.

>>46013468
>Kill them now. Less enemies to worry about.
Yeah, they will just get in the way if we are heading to the temple. Lets kill them.

>Sneak in
>dispose of the orb
>Drain the priest first
>Have the gobs help with the other two if they are awake
>PRAISE DREAD LERA

>>46013468
...Okay so I have an idea but it's risky. Two of them is obviously more interested in gold and riches than honor and glory. I'm betting their allegiance is...malleable. We might could get something useful out of this. Especially as I want to know about this grand plan. Could save us headaches down the line.
I'm not hardcore behind the idea, but I think it's worth sharing the prospect.

>>46013598
We might be able to convince them by promising gold, but our secondary goal is to REMOVE ADVENTURERS.

>>46013701
ugh, that's right, I forgot our character specifically loathes adventurers.

...I'm still sorta liking my idea. But eh, no big loss. I guess.

While hiring them would be beneficial i think we kind of have a vendetta against asshole adventurers.

Killing the Adventurers Locked In.

>>46013778
Next time we come across fresh blood, I'll vote to turn them to aid the one true God.

>>46013931
I appreciate that. Thanks!

Brings to mind a thought. What kinda adventurer would it take for us to go 'Aight, you're cool.' ?(Although I have to imagine there'd be an unspoken 'But I'll be watching you...' behind it.)

>>46014092
Assumably an adventurer that we can use and /trust/ to help us on something else. Like UNLEASHING THE DARK GODS.

>>46014188
...I don't think they're dark so much as just old and supplanted.

You tell your new soldiers of your plans, and a rough layout of the encampment. With the rush of water, they may just be able to get close enough to attack before the Adventurers can retaliate. They agree, excited for the prospect of blood and battle.

You all cross the river and the Goblin soldiers get into position just outside of the barrier. Each one holds their arms up and are ready to strike. You crawl into the camp and see the three asleep in their blankets and furs. The fire is slowly dying, but the orb continues to move and pulsate in a steady beat.

You approach the orb, hoping to knock it down or perhaps bleed it’s power out. But once your hand connects, you feel a surge of energy and a weird sensation as a bright light flashes. You hear roars and crashing, in what you assume are you goblin soldiers taking the flash as the signal to strike. By the time you get your sight back, the three adventurers are cut to pieces. But something is missing...it seems that the sensation you felt was the feeling of your arm getting blown to pieces.

There is a fine red mist all around you, and specks of blood on your clothes. But you aren’t bleeding, the place where your arm should be seem is more leaking than anything. Just another consequence of not having a heart you guess.

“Oh, that looks bad.” Lera pipes up again. “Didn’t know that would happen. Well, you could alway just suck up one of the goblins. Oh, but there is the option of taking one of those poor girls’ arms. There should be enough life in them to make it stick…”

What do you do?
>I repair my arm using one of the Goblins. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind ‘dying for their leader’
>I’ll use one of the Adventurer’s arms. I can’t just wantonly sacrifice lives I’m responsible for.

>>46014247
>I repair my arm using one of the Goblins. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind ‘dying for their leader’
We need our own hand back!

>>46014247
>>46014306

Put a positive spin on it. 'Becoming a part of the Great Ones.'

>>46014247
>I repair my arm using one of the Goblins. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind ‘dying for their leader’
Goblins kill each-other all the time, and if things had turned out differently we might have had to kill a few more of them to put them in line. We nearly left them behind anyway.
There might be residual magic in the priest, we don't want her arm.
Good to note that we can not touch holy objects.

>>46014247
>I repair my arm using one of the Goblins. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind ‘dying for their leader’
Having someone else's arm on our body would be a bit weird.

There goes the easy energy. Should have kicked the orb into the water or something,

>>46014507
From the sounds of it, that would've just resulted in our LEG getting blown off instead.

>>46014568
We could have played a very intense game of roll rocks at the orb.

Sacrificing a Goblin.

>>46014743
We corrupted the innocence of a poor farm-girl pretty quickly.

>>46014829
I regret nothing!

You tell the Goblins that you need a sacrifice, someone to repair your arm. It seems like Goblins don’t have a very high sense of self preservation, and one practically throws itself at you. It only takes moments before your arm is re-grown, though it looks a little more pale than the rest of your body.

You and the Goblins peer through the late Adventurer’s belongings. The Goblins re-equipt themselves with fancier equipment. One of the bigger Goblins even manages to get the chain mail from the elf and puts it on, though it takes a few belts and strips of leather to get it to hang properly.

There isn’t much else to the equipment save for better food and more maps. You store some of the maps and other books in the Bag of holding, including another letter that matches the one pulled from the Sorcerer from Earlier. Another letter about the rewards of hunting down dangerous artifacts.

Amoung the dead bodies is the cleric. Before you sleep, the Goblins ask what you wish to do with her body and the others. Apparently it is customary for this Goblin tribe to carve the mark of their own God into the dead bodies of their enemies before disposing of them. They recommend the River, since it will carry them downstream and take the smell of dead bodies away from them. It may even attract predators further down and beyond the part where you will have to break off.

Do you
>Agree to throwing the bodies in the river, but don’t mutilate them
>Mutilate the bodies and dispose of the false warriors.

>>46015068
.>Mutilate the bodies and dispose of the false warriors.

Captcha was rivers, so be it.

>>46015068
>Mutilate the bodies and dispose of the false warriors.
Let them come

>>46015068
>Agree to throwing the bodies in the river, but don’t mutilate them
Don't fuck with the bodies, that could tip off other adventures to what's going on, and we don't want that yet

>>46015068
These guys are growing on me. Maybe we can go take care of the hobgoblins after we see what there is to see at this temple.

>>46015068
>Agree to throwing the bodies in the river, but don’t mutilate them
I'm usually for doing new things, but mutilating them right now could bring a bit more trouble than we can handle. Especially by throwing the cleric, mutilated by another god's follower, into the easily enraged god's territory.

So, if we are a prophet of LERA, once we free another god is there going to be another prophet running around doing various anti-establishment things? Because that would be good and bad in various ways.

>>46015068
>Agree to throwing the bodies in the river, but don’t mutilate them

>>46015068
>>Agree to throwing the bodies in the river, but don’t mutilate them

It'd be intimidating, but we don't have the force for what might come from that. They just ran into the wrong group...

>>46015355
I think we're supposed to be the prophet if all the old gods.

You tell the Goblins to not carve into the bodies. Though they are confused, you explain that it might be a sign to others that there is more at work here, should anyone find the bodies. They seem displeased, but they still offer up prayers and solicitations to their new Old God, despite you having to correct their pronunciation a few times.

You tell the goblins to rest a while, lick the few wounds they received and when the light starts to return you shall head off. The early morning is safest to travel through these woods, as the daytime and nighttime animals both still want to sleep. The Goblins agree and take the furs to sleep in a pile.

You don’t need to sleep. It seems like you are beyond it as well. You contemplate your own existance, questioning what you can or can’t do. Can you eat? Will you ever sleep? Will you age or be a young woman forever? Those are questions for the future. For now, you sit down on the edge of the camp and stare out on the forest. Now you wait. Now you will plan.

- -
I’m going to call it a day. It’s been fun, and I hope you guys are enjoying it.

If you want to keep up with whatever this schedule will settle out to be, my twitter is @ch_sun246

>>46016123
Thanks for running!

>>46016123
Thanks Sun