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>>474438
"I expected a debriefing about the Wendigo's corpse to have better catering." Francis takes a bite out of one of the donuts. "At least we're getting custard filling."

"The coffee is a special Italian brand I was able to bring over when I was transferred," Orianne says. "I didn't think you Americans could appreciate it properly, but since this is a special occasion, I thought I would give you a chance."

Naturally, you ask the one question that really matters here.

"How much alcohol did you put in it?"

"There is no alcohol," Orianne says. "Coffee and milk only."

"Pass." You straighten out your haphazard notes and thumb through the pages to make sure you hit on all the battle's important parts, from the talking Ghoul to the moment you went in CQC against the Wendigo. That part might have a few embellishments added to it for effect.

Natsumi and Selene are both quietly sitting at the briefing table, although you suspect Selene is mostly being quiet on account of her light hangover rather than out of any sort of politeness.

At the head of the table, Commander Blumstein clears her throat to catch your attention.

"The Wendigo is dead," she says. "How did it happen?"

It's a surprisingly simple question for what was such a massive problem.

- "We made effective use of teamwork and tactics to create weaknesses to exploit."
- "It's possible that this 'Master' arranged for us to fight the Wendigo in a more or less fair arena."
- "I'm still not certain."

>>474441
>- "I'm still not certain."

>>474441
>- "It's possible that this 'Master' arranged for us to fight the Wendigo in a more or less fair arena."
I mean it's a possibility

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>>474441
"I'm still not certain," you admit. "It's possible that this 'Master' arranged for us to fight the Wendigo in a more or less fair arena."

"That seems to be the most likely explanation," Natsumi says. "I have read the reports on previous battles. The attack squads were delayed by heavy wind and snow, but we encountered no such thing. It made the fight much easier for us than it could have been."

"My superior tracking skills are the reason why we didn't encounter any opposition," Selene says. "If not for me, we might very well have encountered traps or more enemies."

"That is also a possibility," you say. "As much as I hate to say it, I'm not sure I have anything else to say until we kill another 'boss.'"

The Commander nods and scribbles some things in her notebook. "I won't take anything for granted," she says, "but I hope you can repeat that miracle, for all our sakes. What about the Ghoul? I have a transcript of the conversation, but I would like to know what you thought about it."

- "I don't think it really wanted to fight us."
- "It was definitely one of the Wendigo's Ghouls, but it spoke on behalf of the Master. We need to research that further."
- "I got the impression that it was almost alive, like a normal person, despite its twisted motivations."

>>474512
- "It was definitely one of the Wendigo's Ghouls, but it spoke on behalf of the Master. We need to research that further."

>>474512
>- "It was definitely one of the Wendigo's Ghouls, but it spoke on behalf of the Master. We need to research that further."

>>474512
>- "It was definitely one of the Wendigo's Ghouls, but it spoke on behalf of the Master. We need to research that further."

>>474512
>- "It was definitely one of the Wendigo's Ghouls, but it spoke on behalf of the Master. We need to research that further."

>>474512
>"It was definitely one of the Wendigo's Ghouls, but it spoke on behalf of the Master. We need to research that further."

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>>474512
"It was definitely one of the Wendigo's Ghouls," you say, "but it spoke on behalf of the Master. We need to research that further."[/green][/b]

"It's possible that the Ghoul was speaking on behalf of the Wendigo on behalf of the Master," Orianne says. "Or the Wendigo created the Ghoul as a proxy so it could communicate with the Master, or the Ghouls have form some kind of society which has some sort of relationship with the Master, or…" She trails off and shrugs. "There are too many possibilities."

"It would be wise not to make assumptions until we know more," Natsumi says. "However, it would also be best to investigate this before we engage our next target so that we can have access to the most accurate information possible."

It's quite obvious that you should investigate the Ghoul - and possibly all of the Wendigo's remaining minions in order to figure out what happens, but that doesn't really tell you how you should investigate.

- "Can we… capture live samples of the Wendigo's servants?"
- "Is there any way we can observe the Wendigo's remaining force?."
- "We should check to see if the other battle fronts have reported sentient creatures as well."

>>474599
>- "Is there any way we can observe the Wendigo's remaining force?."
- "We should check to see if the other battle fronts have reported sentient creatures as well."

>>474599
>- "We should check to see if the other battle fronts have reported sentient creatures as well."

>>474599
>- "Can we… capture live samples of the Wendigo's servants?"
>- "We should check to see if the other battle fronts have reported sentient creatures as well."
We can easily do both at once.

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>>474599
"Can we… capture live samples of the Wendigo's servants?" You ask. "Maybe ask the other branches if they've seen something similar?"

"My senpai told me we did have containment facilities," Natsumi says. "It should be possible to arrange something."

Orianne shakes her head. "It wouldn't be that simple," she says. "Servants like Ghouls and Goblins act a lot like mindless tools, but Lucifer, Shezmu and Andhaka all have perfectly ordinary human cultists in their service. They would be difficult to tell apart from creatures such as sentient Ghouls."

"The other branches haven't reported any unusual behaviors," the Commander says, "but I did send a specific request to let me know if there were any changes on that front. However, there's something else you need to decide."

A screen rolls down and a projector displays an image of the North American battle front. Weather patterns are beginning to normalize already, and random attacks have dropped significantly since your victory yesterday. It looks like you'll be able to reclaim the continent after all.

"I have roughly a hundred Relics under my command," the Commander says, "and with the Wendigo gone, it's possible they could be better used elsewhere. The New York squad will be reassigned to conduct assassination missions on the other battle fronts, but I'd like your advice on how I should deploy my other assets."

- "Leave them where they are until the cleanup is done."
- "Send them elsewhere where they're most needed."
- "Send them wherever we're not going, I guess."

>>474723
>- "Leave them where they are until the cleanup is done."

>>474723
>Leave Some here for clean up and training, send the others to reinforce other areas.

>>474723
>- "Leave them where they are until the cleanup is done."
The remaining monsters might go nuts and starting nomming everyone. A relatively safe continent would be a good symbol for the other forces too

>>474723
>- "Send them elsewhere where they're most needed."

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>>474723
"Probably best to leave them where they are until the cleanup is done," you say. "The other fronts are holding together, so it's not like they need the reinforcements urgently, and we won't be able to reclaim settlements until the Wendigo's leftovers are all dealt with."

Orianne, Selene and Natsumi all nod in agreement, and Francis doesn't look like he cares either way. Francis doesn't seem to care either way. He's the transport, so it isn't like this effects him much anyway.

"In that case, let's talk about your next assignment," the Commander says. The projection behind her changes to a world map. "The Wendigo is dead, but we still have Balor, Lucifer, Arachne, Andhaka, Shezmu and Vucub-Caquix to deal with, so… take your pick."

You expected this to be sudden, but it's a little too sudden. Maybe you should negotiate for some time off, maybe just a few days while the transfer is arranged? Then again, if you want to just get it over it, that's a possibility too.

- [DC14] "Any chance we can get an actual vacation first? This kind of a big deal, you know."
- "Okay, let's go over our options."

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>474855
>- [DC14] "Any chance we can get an actual vacation first? This kind of a big deal, you know."
We just killed a boss we deserve a break

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>474855
>- [DC14] "Any chance we can get an actual vacation first? This kind of a big deal, you know."

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>474855
>- [DC14] "Any chance we can get an actual vacation first? This kind of a big deal, you know."

>>474876
We are Sisyphus

Just as a head's up since I forgot to edit it into the pastebin, but I decided to adjust XP down to the roll's DC instead of (DCx2). DIV and CHA are progressing too quickly, but END and SPD are a little too slow, so I'll be making adjustments until I find the right balance.

>>474924
Fair enough

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>>474855
"Any chance we can get an actual vacation first?" You ask. "This is kind of a big deal, you know."

"You got some time off after you returned yesterday," the Commander says. "What more do you need?"

The response is a room full of puppy dog eyes. Even Francis and Selene are contributing to your valiant war effort.

"Fine, fine." The Commander sighs and rubs her forehead. "I'll get you a vacation for a few days, but you still need to pick your next assignment."

The room cheers, then it's back to business.

The remaining targets are Balor, Lucifer, Arachne, Andhaka, Shezmu and Vucub-Caquix.

Balor leads his Fomorians to war in and around Ireland. It's all fairly traditional as far wars go, and the battle lines are firmly established. More importantly to you, fighting Balor means you'd have to go back home, which is something you would much rather avoid. After all, you did transfer out.

Lucifer's cult is present throughout most of Europe, although it's especially strong around Italy. He has some fortifications, but not many. His skill lies with intrigue rather than conquest.

Arachne is nothing more than a monster, plain and simple. She makes her home in Greece for obvious reasons, and she defends her lair with a legion of giant spiders. She's very straightforward, as far as monsters go.

Andhaka dominates large swaths of India. He has cults, but most of his subjects obey him only out of fear and survival. His palace and armies are quite obvious, but they're also very powerful.

Shezmu is somewhere between Lucifer and Andhaka. Most of his influence comes from his highly devoted cult, but he has some demonic forces under his command as well. His base of power is in Egypt, but he exerts influence over much of northern Africa.

Last is Vucub-Caquix, a demon that controls day and night. It's similar to the Wendigo in that it wages guerilla warfare, but its territory is concentrated around forests and other specific areas. Unlike the Wendigo it relies on its cunning rather than brute force, not that anyone would dare call it weak.

"I think we should go with…"

- "Balor."
- "Lucifer."
- "Arachne."
- "Andhaka."
- "Shezmu."
- "Vucub-Caquix."

>>475068
>- "Vucub-Caquix."
Our huntress should be very useful for this.

>>475068
>- "Arachne."

>>475068
>>475080
>a legion of giant spiders
Does any of us even have good area attacks?

>>475068
Balor

>>475101
I'm not sure if we have anyone that focuses solely on area attacks, but there may be other teams there that we could work with that specialize in that area. We also don't have to take on Arachne's army all at once as we could probably find a way to lure her out and eliminate her when she's alone.

>>475079
>>475080
>>475124
Three-way time. Going to let the vote go for a few minutes in case there's a tiebreaker. If not, I'll just roll for it.

Since anons are discussing pros and cons may as well get my opinion out of the way. Balor is tough as nails, and our character seems the type to do his job and get drunk. Doing Ireland now just means we get slightly drunker.

t. Irishfag who is slightly intoxicated atm

Rolled 1 (1d3)

>>475079
>>475080
>>475124
1= South America
2= Fucking spiders
3= Go back home

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>>475068
"Vucub-Caquix," you say. "Since we've cleared North America, we might as well take care of South America as well."

The rest of the squad nods in agreement.

"It will make it easier to re-establish trade routes," Orianne says. "We need to show we can rebuild after we defeat the Eskathos."

"I look forward to this challenge," Selene says. "No matter how mighty Vucub-Caquix is, my arrows shall claim its life."

"This seems like a reasonable course of action," Natsumi says. "I believe our powers are well-suited to defeating Vucub-Caquix."

And now you're jinxed. Still, Natsumi has a point. You have gotten stronger since defeating the Wendigo, and Vucub-Caquix's power over the Moon and Sun should hopefully be countered by Selene and Natsumi.

"I'll arrange your transfers as soon as possible," the Commander says. "And as agreed, your vacation will start tomorrow. I'll see if I can send you to Hawaii or something. Until then, you're all dismissed."

You slide your written report over to the Commander and get up. It looks like you have some time to kill once again.

- "Go to your room and pack."
- "Look around New York for a bit. Random encounter 1!"
- "Just hang around the base. Random encounter 2!"

>>475217
>- "Look around New York for a bit. Random encounter 1!"

>>475217
Hang around the base

>>475217
>- "Look around New York for a bit. Random encounter 1!"

>>475217
>"Just hang around the base. Random encounter 2!"

Rolled 5 + 1 (1d5 + 1)

I guess I'll start with the random encounter and see what happens from there.

>>475319
So that's not how you roll two die at a time. Good to know!

Rolled 1 (1d4)

>>475329
Goddamn it.

>>475319
>>475335
Oh, wow. This is going to be interesting.

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>>475217
Gleipnir unwraps itself from your arm and gently pokes the side of your head to get your attention.

"Are you all right, master?" Your Relic asks. "I thought you would have been more excited about defeating an opponent such as the Wendigo."

"Yeah, me too," you answer. "I guess I just got too used to this job. Maybe I'll feel more cheerful when we've won the war instead of just a single battle."

You gravitate, as you often do, towards the bar. It's just you, Francis and a couple of grunts from the guard roster.

"Hey, bro," Francis says. "Come to get smashed again?"

"I haven't really decided yet," you say. "I'm just looking for something to do until tomorrow." Gleipnir pokes your head again. "We're looking for something to do."

"Well, there's plenty of booze here," Francis says. "Or I can bring you to a very special place."

"I'm not going to a strip club, Francis."

"It's not a strip club," Francis says. "Just really close."

- "Nah, I'm good right here.."
- "Okay, I'll check it out."

>>475363
>- "Okay, I'll check it out."

>>475363
>- "Okay, I'll check it out."
Hang out with our best bro!

>>475363
>"Okay, I'll check it out."

>>475363
>- "Okay, I'll check it out."

>>474924
I think you should also increase base DC to 12 or 13 since we use best of 3

>>475417
Hmm... I think I'll keep that in mind.

>>475424
>>475417
I'd agree with this anon.

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>>475363
"Okay, I'll check it out," you say. "It's not too far, right?"

"Nah, just a couple of blocks," Francis says. "You got cash, right?"

"… Unless I'm going to need a lot of one dollar bills, I have cash, yes."

"Then let's go!"

Francis hums and skips all the way to wherever it is you're going. Oddly enough, he's actually walking there instead of using the Vimana. He even signs out properly at the gate and everything.

The establishment you're visiting is only a few streets away. On the outside, it looks like a non-descript store, but the muted curtains, the heavy door and the simple sign - The Life River - hanging over the door just screams bar to anyone who's used to frequenting certain high-class drinking establishments.

Plus, if you focus enough, it kind of smells like booze.

Francis opens the door for you. The host - bouncer? - lets him in without asking any questions. It's a nice, dark place, and the staff are dressed professionally, but you don't see how this place is like a strip club.

Then you see the bartender's uniform.

"Welcome back, Francis," she says. "Can I get anything for you and your friend?"

"Amelia, it's a pleasure to see you again." Francis grins and pulls out two stools for you. "I'll have the usual. Eamon, what's your poison?"

- [DC8] "Something simple."
- [DC9] "Something fancy."
- [DC10] "Something hard."

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>475484
>- [DC10] "Something hard."

Rolled 8 (1d10)

>>475484
>- [DC10] "Something hard."

Rolled 18 (1d20)

>>475484
>- [DC10] "Something hard."
We are irish

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>475484
Is the DC not to ogle her or laugh while saying it? Because I have a sudden desire to mess up.

Something hard

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>>475484
"Something hard," you say. "No ice."

"Hmmm… I think I have just the thing." Amelia reaches behind her and takes a bottle of Irish Mist. She pours you three fingers a whiskey glass. Francis gets a mojito to match his shirt. "Please enjoy."

Irish Mist has a high enough alcohol content to have a solid kick to it, but the honey and spice give it a pleasant aftertaste. Francis and you clink your glasses and start drinking. You deliberately avoid looking at your watch.

"So, what's happening with you two?" Amelia asks. "My regulars always ask, but I never have much to tell them. Most of the people who come here from the base aren't well-connected."

In other words, they're regular soldiers, so they don't really keep up with what the Relic-wielders are doing.

"Wendigo's dead," you say. "I'm sure you'll get the official notice soon enough."

"Really?" Amelia reaches over the counter and grabs you both in a bearhug. Francis starts shoving you out of the way to monopolize her cleavage. You try to accommodate him as much as possible. "That's wonderful news."

"We're deploying to South America next," Francis says, "so this is probably going to be my last visit for a while."

- "South America's going to be really, really dangerous, so look after Francis while you can."
- "We're just getting some liquid courage before the trip."
- "It's exciting, knowing we can win this."

>>475558
>- "South America's going to be really, really dangerous, so look after Francis while you can."

>>475558
>- "South America's going to be really, really dangerous, so look after Francis while you can."

>>475558
>Irish Mist
I hope we get to drink Johnny Walker if we're going for Irish meme drinks.

>>475558
>- "South America's going to be really, really dangerous, so look after Francis while you can."
Let's see if we can get him laid

>>475558
>- "South America's going to be really, really dangerous, so look after Francis while you can."

>>475558
> "South America's going to be really, really dangerous, so look after Francis while you can."

Full wing man

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>>475558
"South America's going to be really, really dangerous," you say, "so look after Francis while you can."

You pat Francis' back and push him slightly deeper into the tracts of land he's currently prospective.

"Yeah, it's especially bad for me," he says. "After all, I have to handle high-risk extractions."

You're pretty sure Francis can dodge light if he tries hard enough, but Amelia seems to be buying into the tough guy routine.

Meanwhile, Gleipnir dips a few of its strands into your glass.

"Can you even drink?" You ask. "And are you absolutely sure that's sanitary?"

"I can absorb fluids, master," Gleipnir says. "I can also choose not to absorb them, and since I'm made of divine ichor, I am completely sterile. You have no reason to fear poison or infection."

Then again, with your drink's alcohol content, that probably wouldn't be an issue even if Gleipnir was absolutely filthy.

You slide away a little so Francis can have a little privacy with Amelia and keep on drinking your glass.

>>475657
And that's all for today. Since we're now officially done with Part 1, I'll be moving to a regular weekly schedule, so the next thread of Relic Quest will be Sunday August 21st at 7PM EDT. As usual, I'll also be running Beleaguered Prince Quest next Friday at the same time. You can follow me on twitter @BeleagueredQM for updates and such.

Goodnight, and thanks for playing.

>>475657
I hope Gleipnir talks more.

>>475668
Thanks for running.

>>475668
Thanks for running and see you later.

Rolled 45 (1d100)

>>475668
I like this quest