Michael's fire. Agony beyond what you thought possible, a loss of consciousness and here you were. Stuck in some kind of cavern, bruised, battered and wingless. You were freezing worse than you ever had frozen before, you could barely see in this pitiful excuse for light and you were experiencing what could only be hunger and thirst for the first time. Overall, this was not what you had been expecting when Lucifer spoke of revolution. Of getting back at Father's so-called "favored children".

With nothing but an improvised "rope" to your name, braided from long weeds you found growing down here, you rise to your feet. Legs shake, you're having difficulties walking properly without falling over. All the same, you know that you can't stay down here, lest your newfound needs take your life.

> Examine the newfound energy within you (Command from previous thread)

And then there is also the matter of that, yes. Something oily and hot, churning within you. Not at all like the Glory of Heaven that you're much more familiar with. Frankly, this new presence is worrying. You can feel it react if you try to call it though, much like how Glory would. Even without bringing this "ichor" to the surface, you can feel your very being pulsate with power as you make it shift. You could probably use this for a boost if you really needed it, but who knows how volatile it could be?

Ichor points, as seen on Amiel's character sheet, can be spent whenever a dice roll is called. When Ichor is spent, as many dice as you opt to spend are added to your dice pool. Ichor can also be used in the place of Glory to fuel Flares. Be warned however, abusing Ichor might have unforseen consequences.

> Search around for something to drink/Look for others (Command from previous thread)

After a bit of looking around, the facts become glaringly obvious. You're stuck down here. The only way out seems to be that one weak light source above you. Jagged, sharp rocks at the connected wall seems to be your go-to way out of here.

Welp, no avoiding it, right?

>Climb (If so, roll 3d6 to do so)
>Do sometimes else

Rolled 4, 4, 2 = 10 (3d6)

>>29773
>>Climb (If so, roll 3d6 to do so)

Rolled 4, 4, 4 = 12 (3d6)

>>29773
climb

>>29941
damn son

>>30002
?

>>29941

12. Not bad at all.

>>30017
Highest number counts, if you get multiples of highest number you add em. That roll only get beaten by 5 5 5 or 6 6 6 on 3d6

>>30048
cool, thanks.

Rolled 3, 3 = 6 (2d6)

>>29773
climbu

Rolled 5, 3, 6 = 14 (3d6)

>>30094
misroll

>>29773
Climb the shit out of that wall.

Good to see that this quest is back OP.

Rolled 3, 2, 1 = 6 (3d6)

>>30147
Forgot to roll.

Test result is 12. Success.

With no other real option presented to you, you clench your teeth together and begin your ascent. Climbing is a pain. Not only are your footholds sharp and slippery, your body continues to scream whenever you put weight on... Well, practically anything, to be frank. You've never really needed to climb either, for that matter. This is the first time you find yourself without flight.

But through some miracle, you manage to pull yourself up to the small opening that had seemed so far above. In triumph, you heave yourself over the other side...

And promptly fall straight down, forgetting yourself in the damnable darkness that has rendered you all but half blind. You manage to make a surprised scream before colliding with the ground below. A splash. Cold, shallow water. Grimy mud. Those were your thoughts anyway, before all of your open wounds begin to practically burn. Nothing comparable to Michael's blade, but a searing pain shoots through the entirety of your body.

In a panic, you throw yourself out of this awful, awful water and you do manage to run a few yards before collapsing on dry land. Shivering and gasping for air. You really couldn't help but stay right there, laying on your back, staring at the starry sky above you.

You hated this.

Though that awful, burning pain never really stopped, the view you got from here did certainly give you perspective. A black sky, lit only by the moon (which even then was partially obscured by clouds and countless stars. A great number of which seemed to be falling from the sky. Practically a rainstorm of shooting stars, as if thrown from the heavens themselves.

...As if...

Oh dear maker, that is exactly what it is. This kind of view, this cold, dark place. So removed from His light and radiant warmth. Harsh, unforgiving. You were in their domain.

This was Earth, was it not? You were witnessing the fall of your brethren, from a mortal's perspective.

Your shivering upon the sandy coast only intensified as realisation dawned upon you. This was bad. Without any comparison. A catastrophe of this scale... That was at least a third of everyone you've ever met in shooting stars alone.

What in the world were you going to do?

>...

>>30316
Survive, live, attempt to find others who fell, maybe pray for those who are liable to fall harder than we did.. First we need some water to drink though..

Find Food, water, and something we can make to protect us from the elements.

> Find Food and Water

Once you feel confident enough in your body's ability to move, you once again force yourself to your feet. Right, food and drinkable water. That's a start. You should probably look around the area and try to find anything of value in the immediate area.

Looking around for a bit, you find a few things that could be of interest to you upon further investigation. Now it's just a matter of priorities, really. Right now, you can see...

> Another cave, this one notably larger in size and easier to enter and exit. Doesn't have much to offer as far as edibles go, but undoubtedly shelter.

> The woods. It's not a far walk from the coast, a collection of thin, vispy trees. You got no idea what can be in there, but it's likely to be your best bet as far as pure survival goes.

> Lights reflected by the ocean. Seems to be firelight. It's hard to see properly considering your amazingly shoddy dark perception and all, but it seems to be a settlement of mortals. Maybe you could use that somehow.

>>31303
>> The woods. It's not a far walk from the coast, a collection of thin, vispy trees. You got no idea what can be in there, but it's likely to be your best bet as far as pure survival goes.

>>31303
> The woods. It's not a far walk from the coast, a collection of thin, vispy trees. You got no idea what can be in there, but it's likely to be your best bet as far as pure survival goes.

I might be fishing the meta a bit here, but would this quest happen to be inspired by the story of Paradise Lost?

>>31659
A crap my computer borked and killed my reply. Ah well, rewriting that. In the meantime, yes! Paradise Lost was a huge influence. As were the books of Genesis and Enoch, plus general biblical stuff.

> The woods

Slowly, you make your way into the forest. It's not terribly old but it is large enough to fulfill your needs. It doesn't take you long to find a river with freshwater and you'd be damned if actually being thirsty doesn't make drinking thrice as enriching of an experience. That's one problem solved, now for the next on the bucket list...

Well, you're still hungry. Not to mention in a dire need for shelter. Earth is also extremely cold once one is accustomed to the warmth of His light, which only makes itself all the more apparent considering your entirely nude frame. Either way, you will need to forage some. Now if only the branches blocked out the moonlight. You really need to work on your night vision somehow.

Roll 4d6 for perception.

Rolled 4, 4, 5, 5 = 18 (4d6)

Perhaps it'd be better to just take advantage of our heavenly knowledge and make a torch of some sort at least until we have the ability to safely adapt our eyes to the darkness.

Rolled 1, 6, 6, 6 = 19 (4d6)

>>32045
As >>32081 can we use a bit of glory to light a torch?

>>32145
three 6's Lucifer is watching over us even now.
Or is he looking up at us?
Not sure.

Rolled 1, 2, 1, 5 = 9 (4d6)

>>32045

Test result is 12. D E V I L C R I T

Searching around in the darkness would usually be a pointless endeavour, but through some stroke of luck and attentive mind, you manage to scrounge together a collection of berries and nuts. You even manage to put together something that could be mistaken for a shelter! Nice job!

That said, you really have no idea how to set up a proper fire. This really isn't your kind of thing. Maybe a bit of divine force could help you out, but that's also a quite precious resource since your banishment, you've come to notice. Then again, there is also that new... Thing. But it might be worth a shot.

> Spend 1 Glory to light fire. (Current GP: 1)

> Spend 1 Ichor to light fire (Current IP: 5)

> Don't spend resource.

Normally you'd need a Flare to create fire, but I'll allow it for now just because it's clever.

>>32336
> Don't spend resource.

wouldn't is be 18 crit?

>>32171
I seem to remember that the whole 666 thing was actually a mistranslation and the actual number was something like 616 but I could be wrong.

>>32390
Why did I write 12?

Yes 18 was the intent.

>>32336
>Don't spend resource
Attempt to figure out how to make fire, we've got a big brain somewhere in there, likely bigger than any mortal here does, and if they had fire we certainly can get it to.

>>32405
666 and 616 are both recognized from my memory, and if I recall correctly it was supposed to be a clever means to denounce I think it was Nero? *Shrug* Some Roman Emperor.

> Don't spend resource.
The more you think about it, why waste some phenomenal cosmic power on something these mortal men already got down pat? You've existed for at least ten of their generations already and you're clever, even for one of the celestials. You can figure this out. You can make a fire for yourself. You just need some friction and...

Let's see if you can figure this out.

Roll 5d6 for Intelligence.

Rolled 2, 4, 4, 4, 1 = 15 (5d6)

>>32591
For Science!

Rolled 3, 2, 4, 6, 6 = 21 (5d6)

>>32591
Thinking time

>>32604
12, nice.

Rolled 1, 1, 2, 5, 1 = 10 (5d6)

>>32591
Use dat noggin.

Test result is 12.

It takes you a while, but after some working with the equipment you have accessible to you, but a stick, that rope of yours, some dry leaves and... You got a flame. A small one that you have to nurture and feed, yes, but after a while you got a proper fire going for you.

This close to a blazing bonfire, you're finally feeling somewhat warm and illuminated, you're feeling a semblance of how you felt in Heaven. Good. This is progress.

In your amateur shelter, with a fire going, some semblance of food and drink in your stomach, you're actually starting to feel really drained. Odd. Sleep was another thing you never needed up there, but now... Maybe resting some will speed up the healing of your wounds. Who knows?

>Just a bit of shut-eye can't hurt

> Stay awake.

>>32829
>> Stay awake.

>>32829
>Stay awake
Just long enough to prepare some sort of means to wake ourselves up if something tries to approach us silently.

We have no idea what lives specifically here and if we do know what lives on earth, better safe than sorry.

Rolled 2, 3, 6, 3, 2 = 16 (5d6)

>>32829
Set noise trap (dry leaves/twigs?) and go to sleep.

>>32829
>Just a bit of shut-eye can't hurt

Hm... A trap. You like to think that you're fairly attentive. A noise trap should do just fine. With twigs, leaves and similar amateur contraptions, you get a setup that you hope will wake you if someone approaches you. With that, you let your newfound needs take over and you collapse by your bonfire.

For the first time since you came into being, you begin to dream...

And as Amiel gets some shut-eye, I'll be doing the same. This thread's been archived and we'll kick back up in a few hours if the thread hasn't 404d by then. If it has, well that makes this a depressingly short quest thread.

>>33041
I'm enjoying the quest greatly OP, keep up the good work.

Bamp

>>33041
awesome story op.

When you were first created, you knew nothing. Quite literally, you had no idea what was happening around you. The first thing you remember is waking up, naked on a field.

You were confused. Scared, even. You had no context for anything happening around you. All you could do was rise to your feet and walk. It didn't take long for the archangels to find you. You were taken it, tutored. Presented to His light. Though you never met or truly knew Father, you knew to obey.

The field you had woken up at were the outskirts of His garden. You always had an appreciation for the place and were assigned to watch over it. Eden wasn't your home, not exactly, but it was your responsibility at the time. You came to know the first humans. Adam and Eve were much unlike the humanity of today. Prodigal, loyal. Without the sin tainting them.

Or... Wait. No. That's wrong.

It wasn't Eve, was it? Who...

In your dreaming state, another face comes to you. Black hair, kind eyes. Screaming, fires... The skies rupture as Father makes his entrance.

Lilith. [I]Samael.[/I]

These names rung true, but they meant nothing to you. Why was it all coming back now..?

You're started awake by the snapping of branches. Noises you had set up to warn you. It takes you a few to realise what you're hearing, but once you do, you shoot up to a sitting position, looking around wildly.

"Easy, friend! Easy..!"

Your head snaps to attention, noting that someone is watching you. A man, his age is hard to discern due to the dark, bushy beard and equally wild hair covering most of his face. He seems to mostly be wearing garbs sewn together from various pelts and wool. Thick boots, a quiver filled with arrows and a bow over his shoulder. Looking for further equipment, you also note a short blade at his side.

"Y'look like a bear had its way with you." He goes on. His voice is raspy, yet strong. With his voice and what you can see of his face, you would estimate him to be just short of... Forty years old, perhaps.

"What in the world happened to you? Lying out here stark naked. Y're gonna freeze to death. Bruised badly enough that it's actually hard spotting you in the dark. Y're lucky for that hair of yours."

You only continue to stare, finally getting your bearings enough to connect the information you're given. By the light out, you'd estimate that it's early morning. Perhaps just about sunrise. This... This is a mortal. Completely ignorant of your nature, by the looks of it.

What do you do?

>Try to explain the situation. It's going to sound insane to a mortal, but you can certainly prove your divine nature.

>Lie. You don't need to bring any potential heat onto yourself. The more normal you can play off yourself being, the better.

>Lash out. You want nothing to do with this meatsack and you could use his gear.

>Something else

>>39693
>Lie. You don't need to bring any potential heat onto yourself. The more normal you can play off yourself being, the better.

>>39693
>Lie. You don't need to bring any potential heat onto yourself. The more normal you can play off yourself being, the better.
Proposal: if we can't think of a good cover story pretend to be mute.

>Lie, pretend to be mute

You got no reason to be frank with this man. Not that he would ever believe you, really. You spend a few moments trying to figure out just what to say, but honestly, lying was never your area of expertise.

Instead, you opt to simply stare at the man. You do your best to keep a neutral expression, to not seem hostile as you do. Not exactly difficult, considering your sorry state. That said, the idea to get close to this mortal still leaves you rather... Uneasy. Lucifer spoke vividly against these people and you have seen their depravity for yourself.

Then again, maybe you're not the best individual to judge someone for their sins right now.

"Can't speak..?" The mortal seems to look you over. If you'd have to guess, he's trying to figure out just how wounded you are. "Y'poor bastard."

"Come on." He walks forward, extending a thick, calloused hand. "Can you walk proper? We'll get you to the village. Cleaned up, someone to look you over. Y'can't just stay out here and freeze to death."

As far as you can tell, the mortal seems genuine. On the other hand, the folly of man. Hrm...

>Go with him

>Do not

>>39898
>Go with him

>>39898
>Go with him

>>39898
>>Go with him

>Go with him

No reason to deny the mortal now, you suppose. If you wanted to be hostile, you would have taken that chance earlier. You rise and walk with the man, moving through the woods. He doesn't say much, knowing that you can't reply, you suppose, but he does glance your way every so often. Your hair, in particular, seems to draw attention, which you should have figured that it would. White as snow in contrast to your apparent age.

"The name is Ichad." He finally blurts out as you walk, if only to break the silence. "Figured I might as well introduce myself, even if you can't, y'know?" You opt to stick with your "mute" strategy and only nod at him, which prompts him to keep walking without any further conversation.

Eventually, the two of you reach a small village. Maybe ten fairly small wooden huts. You can also see what would seem to be a herd of sheep not far away. "Here we are." Ichad remarks. "Should be able to get you dressed and patched up in no time, friend."

You are taken down to the village and guided to more mortals. Men, women. A few children. As before, you remain quiet as the grave, save a few hisses of pain when they do what they can to clean and stitch together your still bleeding wounds. By the end of it all, you find yourself sitting outside of Ichad's own hut, a single cramped room with four walls and a roof, filled to the brim with pelts and various hunting trophies. You were offered some garbs made from rough cloth in grays and browns, which you accepted as graciously as you're able without opening your mouth.

Ichad's wife, a portly woman with equally dark hair as her husband, is using a bucket of well water to wash out your blood from the cloth she used to clean you. Talkative woman, if a bit dim, is the impression that you initially got from her. She gave up trying to talk to you once it was made apparent that you didn't answer, though.

By now, it's about midday. Ichad left to continue the hunt you apparently interrupted. In fact, aside from the children and some women, most of the townspeople seem to be busy with their respective duties. You owe these people now. You know that. Still, you're not quite sure what to do about it.

>Do something in the village?
>Wait until evening
>Something else

>>40259
>Wait until evening

>Do something in the village?
We're smart individuals, and we owe these mortals for at least clothing us, perhaps we can learn some customs or things that will help us survive in our new, likely, mortal coil.

>>40259
>Do something in the village

Maybe we can earn ourselves some basic equipment at least

>Do something in the village

Opting to get something done at the very least, you make your exit with a nod towards Ichad's wife before walking down and into the village itself. As noted earlier, it is rather small, but enough to house a community such as this one. You find some children playing about. Three of them, to be precise. Two have the dark hair that seems so common in this area while the third is a bright blonde boy, face covered with freckles. They're chasing around a young sheep dog, seem to be enjoying themselves.

Once they notice you pass by, though, they stop. Stare. You suppose your odd appearance and the fact that you were found nude in the woods would cause some rumor among the young ones. Once they note you returning their gazes, they quickly revert to their own little circle, whispering among one another.

Aside from that, there's generally not terribly much happening in this village in the middle of the day, it seems. Maybe if you tried somewhere where people are actually occupied?

>Do something with the children (if so, specify)
>Head for the field of sheep not far away
>Head out on the field of what you think is wheat. Maybe you can do some farm work to repay for their hospitality?
>Do something else

>>40611
>Head for the field of sheep not far away

> Field of sheep

Ignoring the children, you walk on towards the grassy field. It's a rather large herd as far as you can tell. Rather impressive to be frank. You make your way around the animals, searching for any person working out here.

The opportunity presents itself eventually. A young man, somewhere around sixteen years of age, you'd wager, is walking about and as far as you can tell keeping an eye on the animals. A messy mop of raven hair and green eyes are the most notable features, along with the fact that he is walking barefoot.

Noting your presence rather quickly, he raises an eyebrow in your direction. "Ah, it's you." His lips spread into a grin. "The one uncle found, no? Thought it was an unusually tall sheep at first."

He turns to you, looking you over. His eyes are sharp, you notice. An obvious eye for details. "Bruised up worse than a storm cloud while you're at it. Did you want something?" His tone is lofty and a melodic, with an underlying implication in his tone that he's not taking you all too seriously.

>How do you respond?

>>40783
By silently pointing at the sheep.

>>40783
>"Is there anything I can do to help you out with the sheep? Or is there anyone in town who might need help? It's the least I could do."

There's no need to stay mute forever. We just wanted to avoid that one question. If they ask, we can just say that we were in too much pain to speak before

>>40931
Seconded

Really, while it did a good enough job of avoiding having to explain yourself, you're probably not going to be able to continue this muteness charade forever either way.

"Is there anything I can do to help you with the sheep?"

You cough a bit after opening your mouth. That was more of a croaking than anything else, damn. You really had no idea of how plain hoarse you had gotten. Likely another side effect of your wounds. You clear your throat, quickly going on.

"Or anyone in town who might need help? It's the least I could do, considering that you took me in and helped me and all."

The young shepherd simply cocks a smirk at you as you finish your explanation. "And here uncle told me you didn't talk. Wounds, right?" He makes a small shrug. "I mean, I'm supposed to help out at home anyway, my sister's doing a good enough job of keeping her eye on these bastards." As if to illustrate his point, he raised his walking stick and made a light jab at one of the sheep, which hurriedly keeps walking with a protesting bleat.

"So I guess you could swap with me, instead of someone else at town having to do it?" He shrugs a bit. "I mean, making sure these don't wander off isn't too hard. My little cousin could probably figure it out, and he's eight."

Watching over the herd, huh? An oddly appropriate task, considering your old duties. That's something you could probably pull off though, right?

>Sure
>Nah

>>41142
>sure but tell me what I need to do, memory is a big fuzzy

>>41142
>Sure
While I don't care for his condescending tone,it feels like he's condescending, I think its more or less something not only to do, but a way to pay off the debt we owe them.

>>41142
>"Sure. Just be sure to show me where to bring them when it's time to bring them in for the night. In the meantime, can you tell me a little about these lands?"

>>41142

Sure.

Watch the herd and contemplate our position.

We've fallen from Heaven, true - but what does this mean for Lucifer and the other Third? The Rebellion is over, clearly, but it seems that the Lord did not destroy them all and instead cast the Third out - to Earth.

We're mortal now, it seems, but are we Man? Unlikely, because the roiling power within us suggests otherwise.

It seems like our first goal must be to find other survivors and find out what happened to Lucifer - has he been exiled or killed?

>>41342
Thinking we should use Glory/Ichor to try to call out to other fallen

>>41342
Backing this

>>41342
seconding

>>41342

>just some writefagging here - feel free to chip in

We should also do some personal reflection - yes, we joined the Third, but it wasn't a rash emotional decision. You have always been too contemplative for that.

You think that maybe you joined the Third because you were created, like Man, but Man is free to choose his life. He's free to turn his back from God and life a life that he desired. And this was the core of your confusion - before Man, the Lord did not invent freedom. Angels were happy servants in their ignorance. You were happy - but you were a servant too, and a slave.

When the Lord invented freedom, he did not grant it to his faithful servants - his messengers and his soldiers. He gave this gift to Man - mortals who squander their freedom in petty conflicts and foolish actions. How could the Lord choose them, over His first creations? How could He have chosen the smallest - the newest made - to receive his greatest blessing?

You were confused - and that confusion became a dark kernel inside you. You were no longer happy.

So when Lucifer spoke out against the Lord, you were shocked at his blasphemy, until you realized what Lucifer had done. Lucifer had created his own freedom - he spoke, and it was there. He had created it from nothing, just as the Lord creates. Lucifer took his freedom and gave it to all angels. Lucifer gave that freedom to you.

How could you squander the greatest blessing of all?

"And how did the Lord respond? He set us against each other in war - brothers against brothers..." you mutter angrily.

Nice writing guys, I approve.

Sorry about the absence, I accidentally fell asleep. The nap's gonna help me keep running for a bit though. Writing now.

Nice writing, guys. I approve.

"I can do that." You reply. Watching the sheep, no big deal. It's at least a bit of work and it does pay off the debt to these people. "But my memories are a bit foggy. What do I do exactly, where do I bring them?"

"Foggy memories?" The shepherd chuckles a bit, giving you a rather odd look. Frankly, you're really not sure what this guy's problem is. "Sure, I guess I can bestow my wisdom upon you."

He spins his walking stick, making a sweeping motion across the sheep before continuing. "These guys can mostly manage on their own. Keep them on the field, make sure they don't wander off. No big deal. Not really hard to get them to move honestly, a good ol' shove should do just fine." He goes on, once again spinning his staff and pointing it towards a fenced field a bit away from here. "By nightfall, they need to get back within the reigns. Someone's going to be coming up with the dog for that, you won't have to worry about that part. My sister's about if you need help with anything. Got that?"

You nod. You don't really care for his tone, but you can do this job. The least you can do, really. "Got it. By the way, hrm..." You hesitate. Maybe it was a stupid question? Either way, you go on. "Could you tell me a bit more about this land?"

The shepherd laughs. Actually has the gall to laugh at you. You feel a slight tinge of rage within you, blood rising to your cheeks, but he keeps talking with no pause. "The land? Foggy memory is right, wow. But alright, sure. I can do that."

"This is Canaan, the land of five kings." He grins before going on. "I mean, in theory, we're five different kingdoms, but everyone seems to agree to cooperate for the time being, forming a union that keeps us strong and protected from the outside. This little humble village you got here swears fealty to the city of Zeboim and its king, Shemeber." He pauses a bit, thinking. "The other cities would be Admah, Sodom, Segor and Gomorrah, I believe. Not too sure, I don't really pay attention to all that stuff." He gives you another skewed grin, grinning as if in apology. "I never really left this valley myself. Can't tell you too much, I'm afraid."

The five cities of Canaan... Yes, that does ring a bell. Your duty was always keeping an eye on Eden, you're not too accustomed to the specifics of mortal life, but all of this does seem right. "I see... Thank you."

The shepherd stretches a bit as he begins to walk, clearly intending to leave you where you are. "Not a problem. The name is Zerah, by the way. Take care now, sheep-head."

"That's not-!" You're just about to lash out when you catch yourself, but all too late. Zerah turns towards you with that infuriating, thin smile. "Yeah? What's your name then, friend? I wouldn't know, my uncle just scooped you out of the woods."

>"It's Amiel."
>Come up with something else.
>Refuse to answer

I will also be playing fast and loose with actual historical facts in comparison to biblical locations and names, so if you're a history buff, well

Uh

Sorry

>>43174

I feel like dropping our angelic name is a bad play. We still don't know what's going on.

For now I saw we pretend to be a mortal, and that includes acting like an idiot on occasion.

"My name is Rutal, fool!"

>>43174
>Come up with something else.
Omiel
Because angels aren't that creative.

>>43310

I dunno, our character has been thoughtful and resourceful in the past.

We surprised Michael with a surprise attack last thread, after all

>>43231
Seconding this.

as for character creativity, our characters been pretty damn resourceful as of far, making rope, fire, and basic shelter almost immediately after falling from heaven.

If he were a human I'd put him on par with a Genius, or at the very least someone who's incredibly adaptable.

>>43414

He also took a straight shot from Big Mike and survived.

I bet most of our friends think we're dead, now that I think of it.

>>43504
Wouldn't put it past them.
And to get a bit meta, I'm kind of surprised we didn't fall straight to hell considering we were a part of the third.

That's actually been the thing that I've been most interested about so far.

>>43231
Thirding this

>>43533

I know - I can't help but think that if the Lord "exiled" the whole angelic Third into Hell simultaneously, He missed us in His judgment since we had already fallen to Earth.

I'm nervous about where that leaves us - are we "truly" exiled from Heaven? Will the other survivors from the Third believe that we were one of them, or that we really took a shot from Michael and lived?

>>43647
See that's the thing ain't it.
We've got Ichor and Glory.
More Ichor than glory, but still, and at that My minds been thinking 'demonic' ichor and 'angelic' glory.

Kind of goes hand in hand, but at that if we've actually got 'demonic' ichor in us, then we must have been judged, but if we were judged then why aren't we in hell?

So many questions.

This however is just purely meta speculation and I won't make decisions based on it, but I think its interesting to talk about none the less.

>>43647
Are we the forgotten fallen who will call forth the rest of the Third from Hell?

Do we take this to mean that (a) God *meant* for this to happen, since God is infallible or (b) God is actually *not* infallible

>>43705
>>43727

No idea, bros.

Also in-quest speculation is a time-honored tradition on /tg/, feel free to make up bullshit theories with me.

>>43727

This is an excellent point - is there some fraction of angels who died early and have now escaped judgment?

What about the angels that were KILLED by the Third? Did they respawn in Heaven or what? Can angels even be killed when they have the Lord's protection?

>>43772
*shrug*
I got no clue man.
I got a few theories myself.
A. We're here to test mankind.
B. God is testing us.
C. Gods using this as a chance to test both.

Of course that's presuming infalability in the quest universe.

>>43828

If we use my earlier writefagging as a base for Amiel, I don't Amiel has really considered the implications of the Rebellion.

Clearly he's believes that Lucifer is right, but I'm not sure that he believes the Lord was wrong, or that God has intended for the Rebellion to happen, etc.

Amiel might be tactically clever, but he doesn't strike me as a particular WISE.

>>43881
Agreed.
He's smart and seems to catch on to general things pretty quickly, but his grasp of the larger concepts seems lacking.

Dependent on that write fagging of course.

Honestly I feel like he's a bit conflicted over the whole thing, if I remember correctly in the first thread he was contemplative, always thought things over.

Hmmm... makes me wonder what the potential routes and paths are.

>>43942

He's definitely reactive, I would say.

He desperately wants his freedom, but now that he has it, I think he might slowly realize that it's not all sunshine and daisies. He bought his freedom with blood and sin, after all.

>>43414
>>43504
Amiel is indeed damn capable. Angels, in general, are a fair bit better at most things than mortals. As a smart angel, he is absolutely a genius by our standards.

>Speculation:
Plot points! The Bible didn't get all the details right, is all I'll say for now. Again, I'm playing fast and loose with the myths here. A lot of stuff was right, but a lot wasn't, as far as this verse is concerned. You'll just have to discover what is and what isn't as the good book says yourselves.

>Come up with something else.
"My name is Rutal, fool!" You call out, with all the confidence that you can muster. It didn't ring completely true, but it was certainly a better option than outing your angelic name. You did not want to seem more conspicuous than you already were.

As one could expect, this only prompts another fit of laughter from Zerah. "Fool? Me? I'm not the one asking questions about my own homelands, friend." He continues giggling for a bit, idly toying with his staff. "But very well, Rutal. Well met. I'm sure I'll be seeing you around in no time."

And with that, Zerah the shepherd turns around and heads back down towards his village, making a quick wave as he goes. As promised, you remain with the herd.

With nothing else to do to spend the time, you turn your thoughts inwards. Contemplate, as you tend to do. The third that you joined is clearly not dead. If it was, so would you. Father can end you with a mere thought if He even thinks like you do. There has to be some other explanation. He clearly decided to cast you down on Earth. Is the same true for the other brothers and sisters of the rebellion? What of Lucifer? Certainly they can't all have been thrown onto Earth, can they?

All for an expression of freedom, too. All this trouble, because Father's closest children were made to serve, not to think. You will never understand why He dismissed you like that. Did you do something wrong? Were you not children, after all? Envy turned to anger, anger turned to resentment. When Lucifer spoke, it all felt so natural, so very obvious. You knew what to do, you had someone to follow who saw. Who listened. You could finally...

"Excuse me."

You snap out of your musings, turning your head up as you do. By now, it's evening, the sky slowly taking on a bright red hue. A girl, somewhere around Zerah's age, is looking at you. Dressed in simple wool clothes, with long drapes of black hair framing her face. She is a spitting image of the earlier boy, were it not for her eyes. Dark brown, instead of Zerah's ocean green. "Have you seen my brother anywhere? He was supposed to look over this part of the herd until sunset, but I can't find him anywhere."

His... Part of the herd? So the sheep you were looking over now were entirely his responsibility, not shared with his sister like you had been led to believe?

...

Oh. You were fibbed.

>How do you reply?

>>44119

"Ah. He asked me to watch his herd while he left for the day. He told me that this herd belongs to you!"

>>44119
We've been had, that's it we castrate the mortal first chance.

But until then.
>>44159
Seconding

>>44119
>>44159
this

>>44207
No castration, a beating will suffice

>>44369
Well his hubris certainly needs to be reigned in.
But I'll suffice for a beating.

>>44433

Well, let's not be too hasty here.

Let's find out what he was up to all day.

>>44650
Hmm...
Alright, well eh half that's just kind of playing out a bit of character the other half is I really just don't like the guy, he's a bit of dick.

But you make a fair point, better to understand him I suppose than to just deck him in the face before that.

"Ah..." You stagger a bit, unsure what to say exactly. Mainly due to the rage once again igniting within. You weren't one to anger, not in the past, but it had been getting increasingly harder to control those urges since you began to question Father. Tricked you to take a day off, huh? You suppose it did help to repay your debt a fair bit all the same, but being lied to was not what you had in mind for today.

"He asked me to watch his heard, told me it was yours!" You finally blurt out. You feel like a right fool now, but that's going to be sorted out somehow. You're sure of that.

"I see." The girl replies, shaking her head. "No, neither part of the herd belongs to us, really. They're family-owned, we're just tasked with caring for separate ones. These were his, you couldn't have known."

Gritting your teeth, you manage to simmer down enough to look at her. You're really not sure how to save face after that blunder.

"I'm Esther. I keep an eye on some livestock not terribly far from here, the ones that Zerah isn't given. And you?"

>How do you reply?

>>44875
"Rutal, I was the man who was found in the wilds."

>>44914
Gonna seconded this, but also would like to tack on "Would you happen to know where your brother might have gone, I'd like to have a word with him."
Asking of course as calmly and politely as possible.

>>44914
>>44945

Now hold on, gents. We don't want to be known as the "the guy who was found in the wilds". Pretty suspicious.

Why don't we say something more like "Your father rescued me after I got lost in the wilds."

>>44984
Fair point.
Alright I'll get behind that, but still want to ask about the brother whereabouts.

He does need to be talked to, I get the feeling this kid doesn't exactly know what proper repercusions are.

>>45004

We've been doing a moderately good job of being a human so I doubt he knew he was fucking with a Fallen Angel

>>44984
Supporting this.

I don't see why we need to pretend like we're from around here. It'll make our lack of familiarity with the area less awkward. We can just say we wandered here as a refugee from a war, which is totally true.

>>45085
I know that.
I still want to talk to him, that shit don't fly human or angel, its just rude.

>>45121

We can still rough him up a little, but causing trouble in the neighborhood immediately might not be a good plan.

We're mortal(ish) now.

>>45132
Nah I'm past ruffing him up, I'd prefer to simply talk to him, see what kind of person he is.

And if he's a geniune ass then we plot to kick his ass.

>>45132
Let's just let this go. So the kid got one over on us, fine. Is that a reason to rough up someone from the village that took us in when we were wounded? Why burn this bridge?

We can find a way to make him look like an idiot somehow, if we absolutely need to take revenge.

>>45174
Perhaps my wording poor at communicating my intentions.

I don't want to actually rough him up or hurt him physically. God to pick a fight in a place that has shown us the first bit of hospitality after our fall would be just straight up folly and stupid.

I do want to know what kind of person he is though.

And I feel he is in need of a lesson, does that have to come now? No. Does it have to come ever? Perhaps no, maybe he'll learn not to treat others like fools when they're trying to help, I don't know.

All I'm saying is I'd like to learn more about him so that we know what kind of person we're actually dealing with.

In hinesight upon typing this I do realize that my previous posts do ooze a decently strong hostility regarding this guy, sorry if I was unclear or if I'm still unclear.

"Rutal." You reply, the name still foreign on your tongue. You'll get a feel for it, sooner or later. You just need to repeat it enough."Your father rescued me, I was lost in the wilds."
"Uncle."

You hesitate for a moment. "Sorry, what?"

"Ichad is my uncle." She gives a small smile. "But yes, I figured as much. With the hair and all."

Honestly, you can't help but feel a bit perturbed. You understand that locks of white is rare, but is it really that distinctive? You were not the only angel with that color. Then again, mortals do function differently.

"Ah, right." You nod, doing your best to memorize the relation. Human families were still hard to relate to, you eent for "father" out of pure habit.

Eager to movr on from that mishap and anger still fresh, you go on to your personal concern. "Would you happen to know where your brother might have gone, I'd like to have a word with him."

"Plenty would like that." She replies, taking a moment before continuing. "But yes, I know. There's this spot by the river, he always seems to head there whenever he feels he has the chance." She makes a small shrugging motion, very remiscient of the nonchalant motions of her brother. "I'm not sure what he does there, honestly."

> What next?

>>45243
Will you be fine here? If yes head off to talk to him, if no help her.

>>45243

"How do I get there? I'd like to see what's so important about this spot by the river..."

>>45261

Seconding. Let's figure out why the river is cooler than watching the sheep.

>>45263
>>45297

Whoops, thought my first post didn't go though.

>>45261
Thirded

"Will you be fine here?" You ask. It's only common courtesy, considering she was just saddled with twice the workload. Her response is a simple nod.

"I'll manage. We should be herding everyone in about now anyway, before the sun sets. There's... Things out there. We lose them if they stay outside after sunset."

Though this comment does pique your interest just a bit, you opt to ask later. For now, talking to Zerah is a high priority of yours. With a bit more questioning, you're given directions to his "spot", though Esther genuinely has no idea just what is so important about it.

Once done up on this hill, you say farewell for now and head down towards the river in question. Right. Time to get some answers out of that kid.

And that's where we'll cut off for today, to continue tomorrow. Sleep and all that, it's a pain. Thanks for today, guys! Seeing people getting invested and discuss your story is the best feeling ever.

>>45426
No problem, it's a pleasure when things are so interesting and worth discussing.

>>45426

see you tomorrow man

>>45426
You'd best come back friendo!

And we're back!


It doesn't take you long to find Zerah's spot, his sister gave you everything you needed. It's a small clearing, mostly. The water is rushing by, notably strong currents for the size of the river. As you make your way there, you note several footprints in the wet mud. Barefoot, most likely the kid you were looking for. But... Where was he, exactly? Not here, anyway.

>Try to track Zerah down (Roll 4d6 for Perception)
>Call out
>Something else

Rolled 6, 1, 2, 4 = 13 (4d6)

>>49540
>>Try to track Zerah down (Roll 4d6 for Perception)

Rolled 6, 2, 6, 2 = 16 (4d6)

>>49540
>Try to track Zerah down

Rolled 6, 3, 1, 6 = 16 (4d6)

>>49540
>Try to track Zerah down (Roll 4d6 for Perception)

Rolled 2, 3, 6, 6 = 17 (4d6)

>>49540

Rolling to find that little jerk.

Rolled 6, 3, 2, 5 = 16 (4d6)

>>49540
Bet he fell into the river or is swimming.

Test result is 12.

With no other option really given to you, you begin searching. Looking over the footprints in the mud, you're able to discern that he was here not too long ago. Following the river, as if searching something himself. Hm...

You begin to follow the tracks Zerah left behind him, walking into the thick of the forest around the river. As the ground grows dry, it becomes harder to track him, but you still manage to find the occasional sign of where the shepherd has gone. It's not as if he was trying to make himself hard to follow.

Snap.

Your head shoots up from your tracking as you hear the twig break. There we are. Zerah, still sporting that wide yet thin grin of his, a thin twig sticking out from his mouth. "Hey, snow."

"Didn't we agree on Rutal?" You can't really help but to let the spite show in your tone. Something was churning within, your temper was once again building towards a breaking point. This was very much unlike you, but at the moment, you didn't care too much.

"Yeah yeah, sure." Zerah picks out the twig from his mouth, idly twirling it between his fingers. "Whatever you want to call yourself for the time being."

>Smack him in the mouth
>Call him out
>Question him
>Something else

(If a dialouge option is picked, do specify)

>>50120
Question him
"So what exactly is it you're playing at?"

>>50120
>>Call him out

>>50120
>Smack him in the mouth

>>50138
>>50140

We can do both.

"Why'd you trick me? What were you doing out here?"

>>50120
>"That was a clever little trick you pulled on me back there. Now Esther is doing both her work and yours. Was it so important to get away from everyone and come here?"

The idea to just punch this kid in the mouth briefly dawns on you and you can feel your hands momentarily balling into fists as you think about it. Zerah seems to note the fact, as he takes half a step. You manage to calm yourself though and instead opt to simply call him out.

"So what exactly is it you're playing at?" You spit out, which only prompts raised eyebrows from him. Green eyes remain like they always have been, with a relaxed gaze, but clearly sharp and attentive. "Me?" He asks, clearly feigning ignorance.

"It was a clever trick, but now your sister is going both of your workloads." You continue, taking a step forward to close the distance between you again. "Was it so important to get away from everyone and come here?"

Zerah seems to hesitate for a second, but only one. Then that grin is right back and he makes a small shrug again, your comments not even sticking remotely as far as you can tell. "Hey, you wanted to help. I gave you an opportunity to help out and took a day off myself. What's wrong with that?"

As your glare grows sterner, he just makes a sweeping motion with his free hand, putting the twig back between his teeth with his other one. "I mean, it's not my fault that you came down here to give me trouble over it instead of helping out like you said you would. Had you done that she wouldn't be having trouble, yeah?"

"For crying out loud, it's not like I gave you a hard job over here."

>How do you reply?

>>50383
"Except I did that job, and you explicitly stated earlier when 'explaining' it that there would be someone to sheppard them into their safe places at the night time." *point to the sun's decline* "Oh look at what time it is, child you're trying my patience very hard right now."

>>50383
>"I came to help the people who treated my wounds. You lied to me, saying that you were supposed to help out at home and that it was your sister's job to look after them. You stole the repayment I was trying to give to your people."

>>50383
>"I came to help the people who treated my wounds. You lied to me, saying that you were supposed to help out at home and that it was your sister's job to look after them. You stole the repayment I was trying to give to your people."

"I came to help the people who treated my wounds. You said you were supposed to be helping out at home and that there would be someone to shepherd them into their safe places at night." The more this kid speaks, the angrier you're getting. What is his problem, exactly?

"Oh, look what time it is. You stole the repayment I was trying to give these people and you're really trying my patience right now, child." You take another step forward as you speak, which prompts the raven-haired teenager to take another step back in return. Though you can tell he's getting a bit nervous, that grin doesn't leave his lips.

"Hey, I wasn't lying about that part. We do usually fetch the dogs to herd them in, that wasn't going to be a problem. Really. All I had you do was watch over them in my place, which is really all I do anyway. It's alright, relax. No need to get angry over me skipping over a few details." Though he's clearly trying to play the situation off, his raised hands are telling you something else.

"Besides, child? Come on, friend. You can't be much older than me."

>What now?

>>50763
I am a lot older than you think, kid.

>>50767
Seconded

Not much older than him, hm? You honestly have a very hard time not cracking a smile at that. In fact, you choose to do just that. For once, that damn smirk of Zerah's is met by a smile of its own, which seems to make him falter for just a moment. You should be keeping a low profile, really, you know that you should, but with the blood beating in your ears and the fire churning in your chest, how could you resist speaking?

"I'm much older than you think, child."

Zerah simply stares at you, wearing a much more serious gaze than what you have known from him thus far. He seems to be judging you, or at the very least trying to get a solid read on you. For all of his hubris and lax attitude, the child seems to be a lot smarter than you thought him to be. It takes a few seconds before his grin returns and he gives a response.

"What is that supposed to mean exactly, friend?"

>What now?

>>50935
Continue to smile, "Exactly what the words imply. Child."

>>50935
"Make of that what you will."
Leave and don't give him the satisfaction of an answer.

>>50958
actually I prefer this.
The best way to beat someone is to beat them at their own game, with their own logic.
And we've only just started playing.

>>50946
supporting this

>>50958
>>50966

Could we say this and stick around?

I bet this kid loves a mystery and more importantly I still want to know what he was up to out here.

He's seeming smarter and smarter all the time, and I really doubt the shepard-genius comes down to the river just to throw rocks and hang out.

I bet he's meeting someone out here

>>51163
Well if we stay around I'm afraid that our irritation might get larger.

However, you make a fair point, this mortal is smart and he has to be coming to this place for more than just staring at the flow of water.

Actually if that guys their uncle, where's their parents... are their parents dead?

>>51184
Just to clarify, the guy that saved us is their uncle.
Just realized how poor my wording was there.

>>51184

We're going to have to work on our temper.

Maybe it's a mortal thing?

>>51239
Well I bet it comes with the whole freedom thing.

I actually question if we're mortal, its not like we just aged properly due to our actual age, maybe we're immortal by age and disease, but not by combat?

Your grin only grew. It felt great to have the upper hand over this guy for once. Frankly, something about his confused face was just insanely satisfying. You were never one to really appreciate the suffering of others, spite was a sin, but you didn't really have to care about that anymore, did you?

"Make of that what you will."

And with that, you turn around and leave, leaving Zerah to stand there and wonder. Now that right there, that is justice.

You get back to the village. As the sun is setting, most of the inhabitants seem to be gathering up again. A multitude of faces you don't recognize, but some that you do. A blonde freckled woman that can only be the mother of the child you saw this morning. A pair of husband and wife that you're convinced is the parents of the siblings you got to know today. Ichad and his wife. Esther. Everyone seems to be gathering up at the center of town, lighting up a large central fireplace. Naturally, Zerah is most certainly not here right now.

>Join them (If so, approach Ichad, Esther or someone else)
>Stick by yourself
>Something else

>>51390
>Join them(approach Ichad)
"That's some nephew you have, very intelligent, could do with a better head on his shoulders though."

>>51412

Backing this.

>>51390
>Join them (If so, approach Ichad, Esther or someone else)

>>51257
>Join them (approach Ichad)

You're not exactly part of the community just yet, but you decide to join the small collection of people. Many of them look your way as you do. Understandable, as you're a stranger, you don't let yourself be deterred. Instead, you approach Ichad.

The man is sitting down on a log by the bonfire, carved to suit that purpose. One of his thick, calloused hands is digging about in the fire with a stick. He turns towards you when you approach, simply nodding as you sit down on the log yourself. The warmth and light of a large fire... Probably the only thing that properly serves to remind you of your home around here.

"That's some nephew you have." You remark, noting his surprise when you speak. "Very intelligent, could do with a better head on his shoulders, though."

"So y'do talk." Ichad mutters, turning towards you. "Y'talkin' about Zerah? Yeah, you are." It's hard to tell with all that hair on and around his face, but you think he's smiling. "Obnoxious kid he can be, but he's not a bad one. Kid needs to figure out that poking others' buttons ain't a healthy hobby, though."

>What now?

>>51782

"I'd like to repay my debt to you, Ichad. You fed and clothed me. Is there something I could do for you?"

I figure once we're paid up we can head to the big city and try to find other angels?

>>51782
Take a seat and take in the fires warmth
"You don't need to tell me that again... Tell me is this gathering a common thing here, my memory is a bit fuzzy about these things..."

>>51806
this

>>51806
I'd like to head out to find more angels, but we do need a place to come back to and this small little village seems quaint and at the very least unbothered by things, perhaps it'd be best to find a way to base ourselves out of it?

And of course we do need to repay our debt to him, so I'm good with that to.

>>51782
>>51806
>>51807
support

"You don't need to tell me that again." You sigh. Thinking about it, maybe you were a bit too rash with him. He was a foolish kid, nothing else. This kind of wrath was really unlike you, you have no idea what or where it came from. Something to think about, to be sure. "Tell me, is this gathering a common thing here?"

Ichad looks at you for a moment, then nods. "Well, yes. Evening's the only real chance we get to all gather together and talk. Of course we're going to take the chance when we get it, y'know?" His tone is a bit skeptical. You suppose it is an odd question at the end of the day.

"But really now." Before he can question you properly, you're quick to get the topic moving. "I'd like to repay my debt to you. You fed and clothed me, not to mention took care of my wounds when I needed it. Is there something I could do for you?"

Ichad blinks. Seems a bit surprised. "Oh, it was nothing. Who wouldn't? Y'can help around here I suppose, but there's not too much you can help with around here I'm afraid." Ichad just makes a light shrug with his shoulders. "We're simple people."

"Speaking of, where'd those wounds come from, anyway? Looked like you had a scuffle with a pack o' wolves or something. Most would be dead looking like that. Pretty sure I even saw some burns on there."

Ah, shoot.

>What now?

>>52093

Tell him something that's partially true.

"Ah - I'm not from around here. I was wandering lost in the wilds for a time... Something big attacked me in the woods and I tried to fend it off with a torch. It didn't go well."

>>52093
>What now?
I'd prefer not to speak of it.

>>52093
Hmmm....

"I was part of a group of people who were being forced from our home, by some rather corrupt and tyrannical people. We got into a fight, it was a bloody one many of my closest friends died. I was struck down myself, but somehow managed to survive... and then.. well I don't know what happened to the others everything from that point on is rather hazy.. its something I'd rather not talk about if you understand."

>>52093
"A disagreement turned to a fight, then a battle. Brothers and friends killed each other... I only just survived--largely through your kindness--but I can never go home again. For now, I will wander and seek out any surviving brethren.

>>52134
>>52135
>>52147
>>52375

Going to have to call for a vote there, champs.

>>52375
I'll throw myself behind this.

>>52375

I'll change mine to this as well.

You hesitate for a moment, unsure how exactly to word this. You can't be honest, yet it still feels wrong to lie to a man to whom you owe your life. "A disagreement..." You begin, taking another moment to think your words over. "A disagreement turned to a fight among the people I knew." Alright, you can do this. All you really need to do is remain vague.

"A fight turned into a battle. Brothers and friends killed one another. I was lucky to come across kind people as yourselves, otherwise, I would never have survived, but now... I can never go home again. Too many problems. For now, I will need to wander and seek out refugees. Other surviving brethren."

Ichad looks at you as you speak, the nature of his look uncertain.

Roll 3d6 for Speech to see if he buys your vagueness.

Rolled 4, 1, 6 = 11 (3d6)

Lucifier lend me your charisma!

Rolled 3, 4, 5 = 12 (3d6)

>>52823

Rolling for deception.

Reminder that you may spend Ichor on any roll. Not saying that it is necessary right now, but it is worth remembering that you can always add dice.

>>52905
is it a single die per point of ichor/glory?

>>52917
Glory can only be spent to fuel Flares, but yes. One point of Ichor can be spent to add one die to any roll.

>>52905

I have strong reservations about using Ichor, honestly.

We don't know where it came from or what it's really about, unlike Glory

>>52945
Agreed.

When we have time we'll have to figure it out.

Also good to know that they're distinctly seperate. Glory is for flares and ichor is for rolls, are there the potential for a flare like thing specifically for ichor?

Rolled 5, 1, 5 = 11 (3d6)

>>52823
fucking caps lock fucked up my dice

>>52960

If OP has done his homework like I think he may have, he probably does have some kind of ability progression chart in mind.

>>52960
That's for you to figure out, isn't it?

Test result is 10.

Ichad looks at you for a moment or two, but doesn't seem to doubt your story. "Where in the world... I haven't heard of a war like that anywhere nearby." He mumbles, then makes a snorting laughter. "Then again, we don't exactly hear much of the going-ons around here, so it doesn't exactly surprise me." For a moment, what had seemed like questioning had practically dropped a rock in your gut, but it quickly passes as the old hunter seems to relax.

"So those were the wounds of war... Well, that's good to know." Ichad nods. "Here I thought one of the beasts had gotten you. Good to know that was not the case." He pauses for a moment, then quickly adds "Not that your story is any happier, of course! Plain awful..."

Your conversation is interrupted by yelling, turning many a head from the fire. Ah. It seems Zerah returned, and is currently being dragged away from the gathering by the arm by someone who can only he his father. The youth offers some mild protests, but doesn't seem to resist too much.

"There's our troublemaker." Ichad muses, once again chuckling to himself.

> What now?

>>53232

I guess we just sit down and hang out with the townspeople. They are kind of fascinating, aren't they?

>>53264
Seconding.
Might as well engross ourselves in the mortals culture for now, might learn a thing or two about independent communities, and see just exactly what these humans are doing with their most gracious gift of free will.

>>53264
support

You decide to simply spend the evening speaking with the townspeople, see what you can learn from them.

By and large they're simple folk, you can tell as much. They pay their fealty to the city of Zeboim, get the protection they need and generally live off of what nature offers them. As far as you can judge, they're not bad people by any means, even Zerah is tolerable. Especially this evening, where his father's scolding has rendered him surprisingly sullen. Or is he avoiding you? The village doesn't really have any true leadership, they're a community and decide things as a group.

After the general storytelling, folktales and legends lost on your ears, the main topic people are talking about seems to be the shooting stars. Apparently hundreds of them fell across the sky just yesterday. A spectacle, truly. While you're wary of the implications, you add what you can do the conversation, if only to fit in.

Another topic that comes up every so often is the "beasts", whatever those are. At first you had assumed simple animals, but these people speak of them as something else. Some kind of monsters. Ungodly beings that do not belong in the Holy Land. It sounds like total bogus to you, Heaven would know of such a thing. But in that case, why is everyone paying such close attention to it all?

The sun sets and eventually you're sitting there with only the moon and firelight as your guides. Even broad daylight is a bit dim to you, but this... You do your best to not show how much it bothers you.

What to do?
>Try to get to know someone (If so, specify what kind of person you're looking for)
>Speak with someone you already know (Ichad, Zerah or Esther)
>Go to sleep. You're still getting used to the pull of fatigue
>Something else

>>53443

Go to sleep. We've had a pretty big day learning about the mortals and watching sheep. Maybe tomorrow we can ask more about these beasts.

>>53443
>Go to sleep. You're still getting used to the pull of fatigue

After a bit more of idle socializing, you excuse yourself and wander off, away from the comforting light of the flames and back to Ichad's hut. It's not much, but they managed to form a provisory bed for you with a closed chest and some animal pelts. Narrow and shorter than you are, but you are grateful for their hospitality all the same.

Father truly works mysterious ways. All of this is intended, you are sure of it, but you have yet to figure out the plan. Perhaps you can ask the townspeople more about these lands tomorrow morning. You cannot be the only one who ended up here. You need to find more of the Third. They must be just as lost as yourself, if not worse off...

Worried, head swimming with thoughts, you once again fall to sleep...

Alright! Full first day since the Fall, with enough done to earn you guys an Advance! An Advance means that Amiel has learned and developed enough to increase his attributes.

An Advance may be used to:
*Increase a Skill by 1
*Develop a new Skill (available ones depend on what Amiel has been doing between Advances, they will show up in parenthesis below your actual skill list)
*Gain two points worth of Specialties
*Raise your Glory or Ichor default by 1
*Develop a new Flare

Current numbers:
Athletics +1
Combat +1 [Spears +1]
Endurance +2
Healing +1
Intelligence +3
Perception +2
Speech +1
(Empathy 0)
(Survival 0)
(Willpower 0)

Flares: Dash (Vastly increase your speed for a short burst, costs one Glory Point to activate.)
Glory: 1
Ichor: 5

>>53649
I'd say Raise Glory by 1 or get willpower skill

>>53649
Raise glory by one.

>>53649

Willpower up by 1

>>53649
Can you explain "Specialties"?

Also, when we do a skill roll, do you take best of first 3?

>>53649
While I should be studying cause I said I would in my own thread, could we get an example of what the three new skills would be used for? Like what situations are they applicable to?

>>53649
Willpower

>>53744
Specialities, like [Spears +1] up there, are narrowed subcategories within a skill. When you use a skill in the way that falls under the speciality, you add your Speciality score to that dice pool. You can't have more total Specialities in a single skill than your level in the skill in question. Coming up with specialities is up to you guys, I will only object if it cannot possibly fit the skill or is too broad.

>>53780
Empathy is the ability to understand others. It can be used to get a read on how people are feeling, to understand someone's personality more, give you pointers in how to act around them and to see through lies.

Survival is how you handle the wilderness. Making shelter, fire and knowing where to and where not to manuever in the wilds all falls under Survival.

Willpower makes Amiel more disciplined. It's about resisting temptation, provocation and keeping a level head. More than anything else, it's also keeping a lid on those new urges he's developing.

>>53841
>More than anything else, it's also keeping a lid on those new urges he's developing.

Well in that case

>>53649
Willpower

It seems that the majority has decided that the Advance will be spent on Amiel gaining the Willpower skill, which is marked down as +1. Alright!

And once again, I'm signing off for sleep-related reasons. Making progress, folks! Slowly but surely. See you tomorrow, same thread if it hasn't 404'd.

>>53841
Thanks, that's helpful

How about developing a new flare: Cherub's Trumpet -- calls out to fallen angels within a given radius and gives them a rough bearing on where Amiel is

>>53932
Oops I was too late.

Thanks for running!

>>53649
>Raise willpower
we're the contemplative careful type these uncontrolled impulses are not to be trusted.

You dream of war.

Brother against brother, friend against friend. Heaven is burning, blood running along the marble roads. Wherever you look, another of Father's children are flying about, clad in golden armor, wearing their brilliant weapons. You're one of them, striking down those who have wronged you. On some level, you know that this is a dream and that it is to be expected. The strongest mark on your psyche should be the Third's Rebellion, after all, it is only to be expected.

Yet... No. Something is wrong here. Very wrong.

This isn't how the Fall went.

You are striking down unarmored angels, fighting as one of the innumerable members of Heaven's armies, for one thing. For another, you see Lucifer far away by your side, striking down his opposition with his dual blades of radiant sunset-red Glory. A bit away from him, Michael is fighting, bringing judgement with his emerald-wreathed sword. Yet, they are fighting on the same side. Fighting for a Father they have been taught to love unconditionally.

No, this isn't the Fall at all. The battlefield isn't even as high up as it should be, no rebellion rising towards His throne. This is far further down. The fires aren't taking Heaven down with them, they're spreading and burning down the Garden. You know this place well. It was your duty to patrol it, after all. This is where...

The fire continues to spread, consuming the far, grassy fields. Consuming the tree that damned humanity. Consuming the animals that thought this place to be a safe haven. Bloodied feathers. Ruined armor. You thought you were bleeding, but no, this is another liquid.

You weep, as you banish your brothers and sisters to the far below.

And above it all, with wings spread wide, you know just who to blame. That figure with the golden eyes, cackling with the most wicked of glee at the chaos he brought.

>>57909

Was it a dream or not??

We remembered Lilith before, right?

You wake with a surprised gasp, looking around you. You feel cold again, but have a much easier time moving your body. At the very least it seems that you still heal quickly. You're on the provisory bed made for you, wool and animal pelts. Your white hair is a mess, you are still bandaged.

That's right. Easy... You know where you are. It's alright.

It's nearing sunrise, you notice. Ichad is moving about, gathering his hunting equipment. He glances at you when he notices that you've woken. "Ah, awake, are you?" He notes, shooting you that barely-visible, smile once again. "Figured I'd wake you sooner or later, but it seems y'spared me that trouble."

After a few more seconds of staring (and ragged breathing from your end) he instead seems bothered, turning to properly look at you.

"Something wrong with you? Looks like y'saw a ghost."

>How do you reply?

>>57921

"I dreamed I was back in the fighting. Not a good place to be."

"How can I help you today Ichad? I meant it when I offered to work off my debt."

>>57921
>"It's about time for me too move on, and see if any of my friends are around"

You guys just can't decide what to say to Ichad, it seems.

Calling for a vote again, or some other option everyone can agree on, considering the vast difference between the current commands.

>>57953
Backing this.

"I dreamed I was back in the fighting." You reply. Not a lie, you think. Even if it wasn't the battle you've talked about before. "Not exactly a good place to be."

Ichad nods, the little you can see of his expression stern. He seems to avoid talking about it. Good, you'd rather not come up with more lies on the spot. Especially not right after waking up and plenty of questions of your own.

"How can I help today?" You continue, moving on to your next concern. "I meant it when I offered to work off my debt."

This comment, however, prompts a small chuckle from the hunter. "Work off? Rutal, we're no city folk. We don't deal in debts here. We help where we can." Another movement behind that beard that might be a smile. "You would've done the same thing for anyone here, I'm sure. Y're a good kid."

'Kid'? Hm, if he knew.

"But if you really want to help out, y'could always look about town. There's probably someone who needs something from a young, strong worker, right?"

Apparently considering the conversation over and done with, Ichad heads for the door with that. "Me and Haggith mixed up some oatmeal, you somehow managed to sleep through the two of us fuzzing about. There's some left if you want it."

And with that he's gone, leaving you to contemplate just how hungry you are. You hadn't eaten much yesterday, had forgotten to do it, honestly. This whole 'physical needs' ordeal is turning into a bigger and bigger inconvenience, you swear.

After a bit of oatmeal (absolutely awful, how do mortals stand it?) you feel just about ready to get out and act. What's on the agenda today?

>Search for someone (specify person)
>Look around the village
>Head somewhere you've already been (specify place)
>Something else

>>58193
Well, if we ever do want to leave this place we'll need a proper means of protection even if its just a weapon. I know the place is small, but perhaps there's a blacksmith of some sort?

Well they'd be working with bronze tools in this period wouldn't they? Bronzesmith? *Shrug* anyways I say we find the equivalent, perhaps trade work for a spear?

If no smith than I just vote that we ask Ichad if we can join him on his hunt.

>>58209

Looks good to me.

I agree we're probably in the Bronze Age, but I doubt a little town like this would have any bronze. It was pretty rare and you had to be wealthy to afford.

Wouldn't surprise me if everyone was still using stone-tip weaponry or clubs

>>58246
Well if it's as we suspect we only have to wait a few hundred or so years before we get to the iron age.

Then I vote we move to Rome and fuck with the pagans. Though I kid, not sure how far down the tree of history this'll go, or if we'll survive that long, or if we can survive that long.

>>58266
Actually, what is the religion around here, are they Jewish or are they some other Semetic worship?

>>58271
Historically speaking? Likely a mix of what would be Sumerian/Babylonian religion, local city-state deities, and animism. Rural shepherds like these probably pay tribute to local mountains as gods, like El-Shaddai.

>>58271

My Old Testament is rusty, but i think only the Jews know about God.

Everyone else is ignorant and worships false idols like the Egyptian pantheon, Sumerian gods, etc

>>58303
Well if regional history serves me correctly and we're in Canaan, then there are liable to be some Jewish people about seeing as Canaan is approximately around modern day Israel and Palestine.

Still something worth finding out if only so we can blend in better.

I vote to join him on the hunt. Those skills are useful to have

Ah shit sorry guys, I'm a wreck right now.


You spend a few moments mulling over your options. You're in dire need of equipment if you mean to leave the village behind and search for other remnants of the Third. Eventually, you opt that joining Ichad in his hunt can't hurt.

"At the very least, let me join you during your hunt." You request, which earns you an odd look. Not a hostile one, but... Doubtful.

"Can you even hunt? No offense, y're a good kid, but if y'don't have experience you'd prolly just get in the way."

Well, ouch.

>What do you say?

>>58535
I'm good with a spear.

>>58583
Seconded.
And prove it if he requires proof.

Also if you're a wreck then take your time, we're all patient here.

>>58583

This is reasonable, bring it up.

You think the question over for a bit. Can you hunt? You don't really have any practical experience, but you do have a natural knack for many things that mortals don't boast. Perhaps enough to make up for your lack of past hunting. But how to word it in a manner that Ichad could accept...

"I'm not bad with a spear." You finally reply. "I could probably help well enough if I got myself one of those."

Ichad thinks your reply over for a bit, then odds. "Ah, what the hell. If y'think you can help, sure, we'll see what we can do. We'll get you a good enough spear."

You're not one to argue and it doesn't take long before the two of you are moving through the woods again. You actually pass by what you recognize as Zerah's spot, but proceed deeper into wilderness still. "Now, keep your eyes open." Ichad remarks. "Anything's good, but a boar would be the best. Haven't had proper pork in a while and it's gonna take longer before the pigs grow enough."

You don't say much, but opt to simply assist Ichad after best ability. There should be something around here...

Roll 2d6 for hunting.

Rolled 4, 4 = 8 (2d6)

>>59190
Let the games begin.

Rolled 4, 3 = 7 (2d6)

>>59190
rollan

>>59209
nice

Test result is 8.

It takes you a while, but you eventually find signs of boar activity. Ichad takes the reigns in properly tracking them down, but your input was clearly appreciated. Seems that you proved yourself as a hunter in his eyes.

It takes the two of you a bit of trecking before you begin approaching what feels like their lair.

Or... Is it? Ichad has noted some larger marks in the dirt and on the trees, remarking about a "bear or something". You're not quite feeling that, though... There's something else. A tugging within. Your Ichor is churning. You do your best to not let it show, but something is calling and you're not sure what to make of it.

>Say something to Ichad
>Keep walking
>Something else

Huh. The thread doesn't seem to want to be bumped by replies.

That's... Weird.

>>59406
>>Say something to Ichad
Ichad I have a bad feeling about this.

>>59414
I think it's the "op gone for more than 48 hours" autosage.

>>59406
Probably autosaged.

That having been said
>Say something to Ichad
If there's something here making the ichor churn we can come back alone later, as it stands I'd prefer this fine gentleman not to get harmed because of our curiosity.

>>59482
Huh. Let's see if we can wrap this up in time before I make Thread III, then.

>>59440
"Ichad..." You call out, trying to sound calm while your body continues to resonate with... Something. "I have a bad feeling about this." It seems strange to say, you're aware, but you don't really care for subtlety right now.

Ichad is about to turn towards you to reply, but suddenly halts himself. Something is grunting and growling up ahead. You can hear what sounds like chewing and the cracking of bones. What in the world is that?

You can see something large just up ahead, but it's too dark for you to get any proper details. Ichad, meanwhile, seems to have frozen in place, only mumbling to himself. You can make out a low "No way..."

Your Ichor is already telling you, but the general size that you can make out already tells you.

That thing isn't natural.

"Ichad..!" You call out again, trying to keep your voice down. "We need to leave, now. That's not..."

You can't continue speaking however, as you feel another tug within. Something resonating that the entity also seems to register. It halts itself in its eating, slowly rising up. You can mostly see a large, dark mass, but something is glowing there.

>What do you do?

>>59518
Uh oh.
That's not good...
That's not good at all.

Demon?
Gonna go with Demon.

>Get in front of Ichad and tell him to run, he may be a hunter, but you're a trained fighter, and this seems to be no ordinary beast.

>>59534
Spear to the glow, free the light?

>>59582
I wouldn't attack it, we A. don't know what it is.
B. have some sort of resonation with it.
and C. I'd prefer if we didn't provoke it while the mortal is still in danger.

>>59534
Reach out with your mind or something to the glowing mass

Not seeing any other option, you step forward, bringing up your spear to defend yourself, making stance between yourself and the entity. "Ichad, run back to the village. Now." You command, doing your best to focus and sound stern while your soul is practically boiling. Whatever that thing is, your Ichor is losing all semblance of stability just by being close to it.

Ichad is just about to protest, but you got him off. In your current state, you got no patience for melodrama. "This is no ordinary beast, what are you going to do? Shoot something that large with your bow? I am a trained warrior, I can at the very least keep it busy. Now get going and make sure people know." For a second, you look at him. "Consider it repayment."

It seems that you got through to him, as he turns and makes a retreat. You remain where you are, doing your best to keep your vision steady while staring at this thing. Slowly but surely, it is making its way out of the darkness enough to be visible.

A large, humanoid entity with dark, ashen skin. It walks on all fours though its front limbs seem to be arms, as it is essentially walking on its knuckles. What strikes you most is the orange glow trickling from its eyes, similar to Glory, but still far from, the two large goat-like horns coiling from its head and its sheer size, at least three men worth of mass. It is completely hairless, but you wouldn't call it a man exactly. More like some kind of ape.

Staring at this thing continues to make your insides shiver and it seems to be more confused by your presence than straight-up aggressive. It makes a snorting noise and continues to trudge forward, prompting you to take a few steps back yourself.

>What do you do?

>>59690
>Do you speak? What manner of being are you?
If it doesn't seem aggressive, but more curious and we can tell this there's no means to be overtly hostile ourselves. Just remain on guard whilst attempting to communicate.

You continue backing off from the creature, doing your best to keep an ample distance between the two of you while also trying to figure out just what in Father's name this thing is supposed to be.

"Do you speak?" You call out, opting to see if it can communicate. Without waiting for a response you quickly add "What manner of being are you?"

It doesn't respond, but continues to trudge towards you. That glow in its eyes continues to follow your every movement. Suddenly, you can feel a flash within you, your Ichor practically jumping. A warning, you understand as you see the creature bring back one of its large arms, making a heavy swing towards you. You cannot afford to be hit by that.

Roll 3d6 for Athletics.

Rolled 5, 5, 1 = 11 (3d6)

That's not nice, welp it attacked first, let all know.

Rolled 1, 2, 4 = 7 (3d6)

>>59845

Test result is 10.

You just barely manage to throw yourself to the side, avoiding the large sweeping motion of what proves to be a clawed hand. You note the latent heat around the swing, something, Glory, Ichor or whatever it is, pouring out from its every pore. The ground itself is ripped open with the swing, trees torn from their roots and landing in a large mess where you had once stood, like a pile of twigs.

Alright, deep breaths. You're still wounded, but those wounds are closer and closer to healing. Another boon of your celestial nature, you suppose. You begin to circle the creature, which with a grumble turns around to face you again.

This is going to suck.

>>59935
Is that 1 glory something that can come back or is our minimum regenerating glory 0?

Cause now would be a good time to be moving really fast considering how lumbering this thing seems to be.

Alright, this whole autosage thing is really messing with me. Thus, I decided to make a new thread ahead of time.

>>>59960