>A refugee, no longer welcome Somewhere, with Nowhere only left to go.

>>2483568
>>A believer, on a quest for enlightenment brought forth by the Weird of Nowhere.

>>2483568
>>An adventurer, in search for new riches, hidden in the desert sand.

Rolled 1 (1d3)

>lets tiebreak this one

>>2483657
Bro slow down

>>2483568
>An impoverished Nobel, looking to write some Stories of your own.

>>2483665
Lad, maybe he wants to get on with the next update?

Well, looks like someone's late to the party - no bigie tho

>Voting's closed, gonna get y'all yer update

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You dust off your houses crest - once, some time ago, that crest stood for something greater than yourself. Now, it’s a reminder, maybe of mistakes of the past, maybe of a future that could have been. “Fallen from grace, i see?”, the master replied, offering another swig of hootch, “You should feel right at home then. The Middle collects all kinds of people. To a bright future.” With his cup downed in one go, the master excuses himself and leaves you to watch the fire for some more time.
>You are now: An impoverished nobel!
>Gained: A family heirloom, a Florett, and some fine clothes.
>Gained: Perk - An old name of fame. Meant something, long ago, Somewhere
>Cont...

>>2483568
>>A refugee, no longer welcome Somewhere, with Nowhere only left to go.
We must run away from our problems.

>>2483727
>nobel
Nigga stop it's "noble"
Also you ALWAYS capitalize I and I'm
Just some handy english tips

File: the middle of nowhere.jpg (280 KB, 1280x800)

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A few more days and nights have passed, but you reach your destination at last: The buzzling town, aptly called “The Middle of Nowhere.” Metal shacks are stacked ontop of each other, houses made of mud bricks line the main streets, workshops are busy repairing cars, making armor and weapons, casting metal from scrap. Following the roads, your caravan ended up at a clear oasis, overlooked by a large temple carved into the rocks overhanging the undisturbed waters. You helped unloading the good in the shades of palm trees, until the master took you aside one last time.
“You should stop by the Old Archivist - he’s always looking for wanderers like yourself. And give the Ticking Mechanist a visit afterwards, you’ll need a ride - no one will have a better offer than her.” After patting you on the shoulder a bit too rough for your likings, he handed you a small piece of parchment. “Payment, for your work!”
Inscribed on it is a short story - No really the kind of payment you had in mind.
>Gain: One story.

Relieved of your duties, you started wandering the streets, considering your options:

>Meet the Old Archivist, in his crumbling spire.
>Seek the Ticking Mechanist in her workshop.
>Visit the Temple overseeing the oasis.

>>2483765
>Visit the Temple overseeing the oasis.
We gotta find some faith.

>>2483765
>>Visit the Temple overseeing the oasis.

Closing voting in 10 minutes, expect the update soon after!

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You took a stroll around the oasis, marching towards the place that caught your attention. Along the way, you listened in on the conversations of passing merchant stands and workshops. None seem to haggling in coin or much of wares, but in cryptic passages, poems or other stories - just like the one tugged into your pocket. Shaking your head at this apparent oddity, you arrived at your destination: The Temple of Strain.
Carved into the stone, the age of this construction weighed heavy on all onlookers. Every inch bares runes and pictures, history made eternal. The monks strolling around were just as of historical importance as the stone itself: In black ink, the late history of Nowhere was displayed, tales of great battle, riches untold, but also enorm suffering. The tattoos of older monks have faded, leaving behind only white scars, whispering of their tales.
One of the older monks passing you at the entrance greeted you, asking how he may be of help, to make sense of your own pain and scars.
>In the future, you will be able to trade in stories and scars here, for further character upgrades.


>You do have an old scar of a grave wound - ask for his guidance. (This will give you a malus in the Vigor stat, but you may gain a bonus elsewhere.)
>Ask to have a tattoo made - you’d be paying in coin.
>Bid farewell and go elsewhere - enough sightseeing for today.
>Ask the monk a few questions (Write-in)

>>2483882
How about
>take a moment to read the story.

>>2483882
>Ask the monk why stories are currency.

>>2483895
>>2483900
Sounds good

Any chance you are from Germany OP?

The Banished Killer?

LET'S GO FOR A RIDE!

>>>2483900
That.

>>2483882
>Ask the monk what makes a story valuable here, and if a story can be exchanged more than once

>take a moment to read the story.
Before moving onto asking your question, you pulled out the reward that had been given to you, and read it. It started out as a sickly sweet story of a knight, setting out to rescue his beloved princess from an ancient dragon living up above the kingdom, high in the mountains.
Against all odds, the knight succeeds, slaying the dragon, only to have its corpse transform back into his beloved princess. Consumed by grief and hatred for the cruel world he lived in, he went forth to destroy all that he laid eyes up. From that day forward, he would be known as Wrath, wielding a sword of flame, and a heart of stone.

>Ask the monk why stories are currency.
>Ask the monk what makes a story valuable here, and if a story can be exchanged more than once
The monk nodded slowly, before explaining: “Unlike Somewhere, beyond the mountains, Nowhere is… fluid. Things happen, have happened, will happen, all the time and out of order. Places grow out of the earth and get swallowed by the dunes. Nowhere is alive, in a sense - And stories are its lifeblood. They hold what happened here, anchor places in the real, sort the past from present and future. Knowing a story means having a piece of that life - We trade them, like coin, or use them, inscribe them onto the flesh. It will make you stronger, borrowing the force of Nowhere itself. But once spoken, or inscribed, a story fades from the mind, like a dream in the early morning hours. It gets reclaimed, only one may hold a story’s power.”

>You have more questions, and not enough answers. (More write in)
> You have heard enough - Either do one of the things from the previous menu, or leave for another place.

>>2483916
What gave it away?

>>2483943
>Ask about tattoo's, and if the story we have could be used to give us power.

>>2483943
>What gave it away?
Your steam account I can see your ID for your google account on the document you might want to change that

>>2483943
>> You have heard enough - Either do one of the things from the previous menu, or leave for another place.

>>2483943
>You've heard enough - Ask to have a tattoo made

>Ask about tattoo's, and if the story we have could be used to give us power.
>> You have heard enough - Either do one of the things from the previous menu, or leave for another place.
>You've heard enough - Ask to have a tattoo made
“Tattoos, living history - They make us powerful, let us remember. If you ever find yourself in possession of some stories, or bare scars from your adventures, we can weave them into ink on flesh. They will make you stronger, more charming, knowledgeable, wiser - and more. And, sure, for a single story we can give you some in-depth knowledge of whatever field you want. Ever wanted to know how to repair a car? How to butcher an animal? How to use a longarm? All is in the realm of possibility.”
>A skill will give you a +1 modifier to all rolls concerning that field, tipping the odds further in your favor.

>Gain knowledge in Mechanical Engineering
>Gain knowledge in Melee Combat
>Gain knowledge in Local Culture
>Write-in a skill (Rule of thumb: if you can pick it as a course in university, its a skill.)

>>2483962
Touché, and thanks for the tip!

>>2483955
Supporting.

>>2484020
>Gain knowledge of archeology

>>2484021
Im late again hah

BURN THEM ALL!

>>2484020
>>Gain knowledge in Mechanical Engineering
Thanks okay, I dread the day I dox myself by doing something similar.

>>2484020
>Gain knowledge in Local Culture
Best we get to know this place, right?

>>2484020
>>BURN THEM ALL USING SPELLS

>>2484030
Change to local culture

>>2484020
>Gain knowledge in melee combat

>Gain knowledge in Local Culture
The monk simply nodded, leading you deeper into the temple. The two of you keep chatting a little more about a few uninteresting topics… until you find yourself standing outside the temple once more, the sun too bright to look at, you head still a little hazy and a stinging pain on your right upper arm. Drawing up the sleeve, you find a fresh tattoo of various runes, and your head clears up - Immediately, you feel a lot more familiar with your surrounding, can name each street around you, even have a good recommendation for a place to stay the night. All without ever having been there, of course. The sun had shifted, the day had progressed. Time to move on.
>Gained Skill: Local Culture level 1

>Go to the Old Archivist - His crumbling spire is just down the street.
>Meet the Ticking Machinist - Her workshop lies on the outskirts.
>Go back to the monks - there’s another question you just remembered.

>>2484083
>Go to the Old Archivist - His crumbling spire is just down the street.

>>2484083
>>Go to the Old Archivist - His crumbling spire is just down the street.

>>2484083
>Go to the Old Archivist - His crumbling spire is just down the street.

File: Spire.jpg (213 KB, 1251x638)

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With your newly gained knowledge you quickly navigated the streets and alleyways, till the towering building lies in front of you. The stone and mud brick construction is crumbling, the tower leaning in the wind, the tiled roof having seen better days too. Pushing open the heavy wooden door, you found yourself in midst of a labyrinth of shelves, stacked up high, spiralling around the outer walls. You take up post at the rather messy receptionists desk and hit the bell. It takes a minute for someone to emerge from the labyrinth: an old man, short, round, grey hair and nickel glasses. “Ah - Ah, yes! We haven’t met yet, have we?”, the Old Archivist asked, setting down the lap of petroleum onto a wonky looking stack of papers, “You must be a new Nomad! Very, very well! I can use all the help i can get, yes-yes: A proposal, beneficial to us both! A… A win-win! Yes!”
Grabbing his lamp, he leads you over to a wall, plastered with notes, errands, rumors. “I collect them all, you see - Just can’t leave the archives, need to quantify, sort and order! But you! You can leave! Pick out something that interests you, find that place, write a report, and come back with your findings. All reports submitted, i will reward with whatever the archives spit out! Stories, Secrets, maps and charts, all i trade for reports turned in!”
The old man seemed giddy, and maybe a little crazy from being cooped up in here - but the proposal seems not too bad, directions will come in handy out there in the sand.
>The Archivist will offer rumors of new places to explore, and will give small rewards for visiting these places. On top of that, he can turn cryptic messages into secrets, which can be used to learn new things about the places in Nowhere.

>Ask the Archivist a few questions (Write in)
>Accept his proposal - directions will be handy out there.
>Ask him if you can venture into the archives.

Also, i will do one last post before i hit the hay, i'll continue posting tomorrow, or more precise, in about 10 hours.

>>2484203
>Ask him if you can venture into the archives.

>>2484203
>Ask him if you can venture into the archives.

>>2484203
>>Ask the Archivist a few questions (Write in)
How dangerous would it be?

>Ask him if you can venture into the archives.
>>Ask the Archivist a few questions (Write in)
How dangerous would it be?
“Oh - Want to go hunting secrets, wrestle a bookworm or two, maybe even help me out with all these damn contracts?”, he asked, hope bubbling out of him, “Well, it takes at least one seasoned Archivist to navigate the spire, plus, there are some parts that are… off-limits. But, sure, you can go and have a gander at the city record and sanctioned maps in the front - Just, don’t go further back. That is, unless you can defend yourself. The archives are rather wild back there. Still cleaning up since the last nomad-mishap! ”
>Going Archive-diving can be a very good idea when you are looking for something specific that the Archivist shouldn’t know about, or if you feel luck and not mind fighting the critters.

Alrighty, sorry for the short session, but i gotta get my 5 hours of sleep. I can get back to posting through-out the day in about 9 hours, or do another, longer session, in about 18 hours. In any case, leave yer thoughts down below, criticism is highly appreciated, seeing how this was my first ride!

Seems cool so far lad

>>2484314
Really interesting stuff so far, OP. I really like the setting details.

>>2484314
Forgot to post yer options for this - i need my sleep.

>You tell him that you can handle yourself, showing the florett (This will gain you a melee skill)
>You tell him you know yourself around archives and libraries (This will gain you a archiving skill)
>You tell him you won’t venture far, just looking through the selection. (This will gain you a skill of your choice.)

>>2484336
>You tell him you know yourself around archives and libraries (This will gain you a archiving skill)
We are a noble, after all. We probably don't fight much.

>>2484345
Supporting.

>>2484336
>>You tell him you know yourself around archives and libraries (This will gain you an archiving skill)

>>2484336
>Tell him you know your way around libraries (This will gain you an archiving skill)
Also, just an aside, ur doin a real grand job. This is super intriguing so far. Love the setting, can't wait to really utilize some of these mechanics. Oh, and if it means anything, a longer sesh is worth the 18hr wait in my book. No rush.

>>2484336
>>You tell him that you can handle yourself, showing the florett (This will gain you a melee skill)
Archiving skill seems sort of locked, but I still hold hopes for this, I just can't see too much practicality in knowing how to archive things, or navigating archives and libraries.

Really enjoyed reading through this Op, hoping you don't end up dropping the quest due to lack of motivation or some such.

Alright, OP is back as promised, armed with a pot of coffee, a sandwich and no more responsibilities for the day.
I'll throw out the Update to yesterdays vote in about 20 minutes, so go and get your snack or whatever.

Also, thanks for the encouragement, I'll do my best to keep y'all entertained!

>>2485368
And don't worry: I got loads of stuff in the backlog, this has been in the works for a few nights and i am determined to see where this will end up at.

>>2485673
Wooo

Rolled 4, 3 + 1 = 8 (2d6 + 1)

“Ah, I see, I see - You should be mighty fine then!”, the old man nods, producing an additional petrol lamp and a couple pieces of chalk, handing both to you. “An archivist never goes without.”, he adds, before grabbing a sheaf of paper from the desk alongside his own lamp. Before vanishing between the shelves once more, he tells you to hit the bell again if you are ready to accept his proposal.
>Gained Skill: Archiving level 1

Now, left alone once more, you light the lamp and venture forth into the winding corridors of the archives.
>Rolling: Archiving + Vigilance
>In the interest of time, I've included the roll for the skill in this post. In the next vote, y'all should give me a shout if it's alright, if I roll for you lot.

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Even tho you have been marking your path, just like you have learned from your many hours spent in labyrinths like these, you feel like this place doesn’t add up - aisles that should be crossing each other never meet up, passages loop up into themselves and corridors lead to different clearings depending on the way you enter them. Still, after strolling around for some time, you do find something peculiar. And large. And rather impassible.
In front of you lies a large mountain, comprised of tumbled over shelves, torn books and scattered papers. You could backtrack your way around this blockage - tho, something has been around, you hear pages being crumpled up in the distance, and some books have marks of many teeth. You are not keen on meeting whatever it is.
Alternatively, you could try and scale the mountain, but one wrong step might mean falling or loosing something.
Another thing you could try: ticking out a book that looks like its supporting the mountain - more a matter of luck than anything.
Lastly, the “Scorched Earth” approach: After all, you do have a lantern… No, this is a bad idea. Even you can see that.

>Backtrack and hope to not meet the bookmuncher.
>Scale the mountain. (Roll for Vigor)
>Pick out a random book. (Roll for Weird)
>Burn it all (I don’t have to tell you how bad this idea is, right?)

>>2485714
Totally fine to have you roll I think (eliminates a lot of the delay in averaging multiple rolls)

>>2485719
>Pick out a random book (roll for Weird)

>>2485719
>Pick out a random book
And yeah, you rolling for us is fine by me. Speeds things up for a story heavy quest.

Rolled 2, 6 = 8 (2d6)

>Lets roll for that Weirdness then!

After pondering which book to pull, you settle on one large hardcover square in the middle. With one last breath, you grab ahold of the back of the book and yank it out. A moment of silence passes. And another. The mountain is not impressed. But, not all was for naught: The book you hold in hands is even heavier than it looked - No wonder, someone had cut a secret compartment into the pages! You pull out a small but heavy box, adorned with gears, letters, numbers - You try to open it, but it won't budge. Maybe someone else can help you out, or you can have a go at it another time.
>Gain: Locked small box

Still, this leaves you with one large problem of mountainous dimensions, but you think, if you continue to pull out loose books like this one, you could make the climbing effort a lot less dangerous…

>Backtrack and hope to not meet the bookmuncher.
>Scale the mountain, but make climbing aids by pulling out loose books. (Roll for Vigor+1)
>Burn it all (I don’t have to tell you how bad this idea is, right?)
>You got what you wanted, more or less - let’s go back to the front.

>>2485763
>You got what you wanted, more or less - let’s go back to the front.

>>2485763
>>You got what you wanted, more or less - let’s go back to the front.

This archive is in more disrepair than you thought - better go back with what you have gained, before the mountain does crumble, against all odds. Following your marks, you retrace your steps, with an ever-present feeling of jamais-vu. Are these corridors shifting every time you don’t look? After a few minutes of walking, you find yourself back at the receptionists table, the wall of rumors, and the door to the outside. You could have a gander at the wall, many pages are pinned to it, strings of many colors connect reports, transcripts and scribbles. Or, you could hit the bell, summoning the Archivist. After all, the proposal is still not confirmed. But, the door beckons you as well, light piercing the cracks like plasma cutters. The Machinist has yet to be met.

>Hit the bell, summon the Archivist.
>Pick something out from the Wall of Rumors.
>Go through the door, it’s time to move on.

>>2485817
>Pick something out from the Wall of Rumors.

>>2485817
>>Pick something out from the Wall of Rumors.

>>2485763
>Scale the mountain, but make climbing aids by pulling out loose books (Roll for Vigor+1)

>>2485817
>Pick something out from the Wall of Rumors.

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Studying the wall, you start to piece together a few rumors, disregarding most of the scribblings - otherwise, you’d have to get out your tinfoil hat. The Archivist really needs to get out more.
One set of accounts from various caravans and travellers speaks of a cult that has taken up residency in a former ruin up north. They seem neutral, although they have started to demand a toll for everyone passing their territory. Someone who has visited the enclave has reported on some kind of saint, stating that “he would lead his flock to the second coming”. Weird stuff.

Another few reports tell of a walled off grove in the middle of the sandy south. Not much is written here, but the grove is said to be dead, with the gate closed. A ‘golem’ stands guard, apparently, granting access to those who ask.

A few scavengers have reported on a salt lake in the rocks of the north-northeast. While the water is said to be “undrinkable”, the scavengers swear by all that is holy that the stone on the bottom of the lake have memories of the dead imprinted on them.

Lastly, the obelisks seem to have gotten a life of their own - Spooked and distrubed survivors speak of savage attacks by “Insect-like men”, wielding costly technology… All but one of the four obelisks, apparently. The fourth, in the southwest, has remained rather neutral, only ever returning fire, and retreating if given no chase.

You make mental notes of all of these, maybe even take a few notes off the wall.
>You people may make notes of your own, or come back here to get another run-down of current rumors.

The lobby is still pretty lonely…

>There’s something you really wanted to do before departing… (Write-In)
>Hit the bell, you need the Archivist.
>Time to go, the Ticking Mechanist awaits.

>>2485849
sorry mate, you were kinda late for that one

>>2485873
>Hit the bell, you need the Archivist.

>>2485873
>>Hit the bell, you need the Archivist.

>>2485817
Hit the bell, you need the Archivist

You hit the bell, and as expected, the Old Archivist emerges from the shelves after a few moments. “Ah - Ah, yes! You must be a new Noma- No, no-no. We have had this conversation, didn’t we? Nevermind, I see, you are still in one piece! Good, good. lamp and chalk? Ah, keep ‘em! A gift, from Archivist to Archivist.”, he nods multiple times, “Now, what can i do for you? Have you had a gander at the wall? Or did you find something peculiar, back in the archive?”

>Remind the Archivist of the proposal and accept.
>Ask about the box you found and show it to him.
>Inform him of the book-berg.
>Ask him something else (Write-In)

>>2485924
>Remind the Archivist of the proposal and accept.
>Ask about the box you found and show it to him.
>Inform him of the book-berg.
No reason not to go for all three, I guess.

>>2485924
>>Remind the Archivist of the proposal and accept.

>>2485924
>Ask about the box you found and show it to him.

>>2485924

>>2486001
That one's got my vote

>Inform him of the book-berg.
“Oh, that’s unfortunate.”, the archivist replies when told about the book-berg, “The bookworms cause them every now and then. Knock over the shelves, feast upon the books. I’ll get on it tho, next time, the passage should be free once more.”

>Remind the Archivist of the proposal and accept.
“Ah! Wonderfull! I’ll be looking forward to your reports. Do you have a ride, a vehicle? No? Ah, well, I might have to get something from the library tho. Tell her, she got one good with me, like an I.O.U.”, the Old Archivist takes out a pencil and writes a small note, which he hands to you, “Proof for that favor. The Ticking Mechanist will recognize it.”

>Ask about the box you found and show it to him.
He looks very surprised. “Oh my - where did you find that? A book? In that berg? That’s very lucky! It had been traded for a particular secret - Never figured out how to open it tho… Maybe ask the Mechanist, she might know what’s up with it.”

>Ask another question. (Write-In)
>Time to leave for that mechanist, you bid the Old Archivist farewell.

>>2486028
>Time to leave for that mechanist, you bid the Old Archivist farewell.

>>2486028
>Time to leave for that mechanist, you bid the Old Archivist farewell.

>>2486028
>>Time to leave for that mechanist, you bid the Old Archivist farewell.

File: the mechanists workshop.jpg (234 KB, 1600x798)

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The Archivist thanks you multiple times, even as you are slowly opening the door to leave that old man behind. The sun is slowly descending, while you walk the streets down towards the outskirts. Out here, the adventurers camp in their vehicles, from motorcycles over refitted trucks and tanks to multi-legged walkers, all can be found out here. The first campfires have been lit, and all but one particular workshop have been closed down already. Many people run around the complex, sparks are flying everywhere as the workers assemble, repair and recycle all that has wheels. Or tracks… or legs. Entering the workshop, you feel very out of place, in your fancy clothing between the oil-stained workers. Very quickly, someone takes note of you. You inquire about the Ticking Mechanist - the apprentice nods, beaming, leading you to the back of the workshop. Behind a dense beaded curtain lies a small room, stained glass up above lets in warm colored light, to the right lies a small mountain of pillows and some comfy chairs grouped around a steaming pot of tea. To your left, a woman sits on a workbench, tinkering away at an implant, an arm replacement, wearing nothing but a light robe, not a single hair growing from he rubber-like skin. The woman does not look towards you as she speaks up: “Please, take a seat. Take some tea. I will join you but in a moment.” After sitting down and taking a cup, the woman gets up and joins you. Her face is lined with black ink, telling stories of… lives past? Were they hers, or someone else's? “Now, to what do i owe the pleasure of meeting a noble?”, the woman asked, a near silent ticking emanating from her as she points to your family’s crest.

>Tell her the Archivist sent you, and that you’d need a ride.
>Show her the box, asking if she could open it.
>Ask her about the tattoos. After all, these things carry a lot of meaning around here.
>Ask er a different question. (Write-In)

>>2486098
>Show her the box, asking if she could open it.

>>2486098
>>Ask her about the tattoos. After all, these things carry a lot of meaning around here.

>Ask her about the tattoos. After all, these things carry a lot of meaning around here.
“They are reminders. Reminders of lives past. Yes - My lives. I know, most think we last for all eternity, and that is true, in parts. My body might not age, but the code does. It needs a reset every so often… And yes, that means i do die. Only difference: I am reborn every time.”, she picks up her cup, taking one long sip, “The tattoos remind me of who i have been, before this one. And new one will join sooner than later....”
Even tho her face looks rather rubbery, she has a very convincing somber look.

>Show her the box, asking if she could open it.
She perks up as you show her the box. “What delicate thing! May i?”, she asks, before you hand her the box. Her trained eyes scan every inch of the contraption, before looking back at you: “Here is my proposal: I’ll buy it from you. I will part with 4 stories of my own, and you will leave this box with me. What do you say?”

>Inquire further about her somber look - she will outlive you, surely, right?
>Accept her proposal - After all, what’s this box to you?
>Decline her offer - You will see what is inside it someday.

>>2486163
>Accept the proposal
With 4 stories we could get 4 tattoos! Mysteries be damned!

>>2486163
>>Accept her proposal - After all, what’s this box to you?

>Accept her proposal - After all, what’s this box to you?
She snickers, as she places the box in front of her, folding her hands. “Well then - Listen up, i won’t repeat myself!”, the Ticking Mechanist grins, before reciting 4 different stories of her current live, some sprinkled with raunchy details, other a bit more violent than she would let on she could ever be. After the four stories are recited, engraved into your mind, she pockets the box. “Pleasure to be doing business with you.”

>Get back to the topic of her somber look a minute ago - is something wrong with her?
>Mention the Old Archivists IOU, and how you need a ride.
>Inquire about something else (Write-in)

>>2486237
>Get back to the topic of her somber look a minute ago - is something wrong with her?

>>2486237
>>Get back to the topic of her somber look a minute ago - is something wrong with her?

She averts her gaze, asking if it was that obvious. Shame, displayed all over her synthetic skin. She repeats herself, explaining how she does not live forever, but degrades over time - like a human, succumbing to age and disease. Junk-data and corrupted code, bits and pieces of herself missing - she confesses, she will find herself in need of a reboot soon. “You are a Nomad, aren’t you? Someone, far from Somewhere, without a clear goal. I am seeking one last memory - Something to remember this life by. Maybe you could help me? Take me to some places out there, maybe i will find something worthy - I’ll carry my weight, don’t worry.”

>Accept the Ticking Mechanists last request. Having an extra set of hand won't hurt in any case.
>Decline her request - you are no site-seeing tour leader, you are a noble! She knows that, she should act like it.
>Inquire about something else (Write-in)

Alrighty anaons, you know the drill from yesterday, one last post or two, then its off to dreamland for me.

>>2486296
>>Accept the Ticking Mechanists last request. Having an extra set of hand won't hurt in any case.
Sounds like plot to me

>>2486296
>>2486314
Supporting.

A slight smile reveals the mechanical jaw of hers, just for a split-second. She thanks you, drinking the last sip of her tea. “Say, you do have a mode of transportation, yes? No?”, she begins to grin ever so slightly - it does look more like a smirk, after all, “Fret not! I might have just the thing for you... ” With that, he woman leads you back out into the workshop. A majority of workers have left, only the most dedicated few are still cleaning up the place. Ticking and tocking, the mechanist stops in front of a pick-up truck, the base modified to use tracks instead of wheels. “It might not be an airship or a walker - but it’ll take you - us - anywhere you need it to. And, it got enough space for extra cargo. It’ll be yours for the duration of our travels!” Her hand caress the vehicles drivers door, as if it needed the love and support.

>Accept the proposal, keeping the Archivists IOU to yourself.
>Tell her that you’d be taking the truck, traded against the Archivist’s IOU.
>Suggest something else entirely. (Write-In)

Alright, one more post and i am off!

>>2486363
>>Accept the proposal, keeping the Archivists IOU to yourself.
Cheers for running

>>2486363
>Accept the proposal, keeping the Archivists IOU to yourself.
We gotta be smart with this thing.

“Then it’s a deal!”, she exclaims, producing a set of keys from under her robe and throws them to you, “I’ll make ready from departure tomorrow morning, just come by and pick me up.” One of the apprentices come over hand lets the only slightly Rusty Rover down, fills its tank with gas and gives you the thumbs up. Looks like you won’t have to search for a tavern tonight, your new ride shall suffice. You pull out of the workshop and park in midst of other wanderers like you. At the campfire, you share food and drink, have a few good laughs, before the Sandman gets you.
The morning sun is bright and burning already, waking you up from your slumber. The grab a quick snack for breakfast and think about what to do with the new day.

>Go to the temple, you have business with the monks.
>Meet the Archivist in his spire, you have business with him and his records.
>Pick up the Ticking Mechanist - She is eager to leave the Middle for adventure.
>There is something else you wanted to take care of… (write-in)

>>2486419
>Go to the temple, you have business with the monks.
Gotta get tattoo'd up for this journey.

And that's it for today! Leave you thoughts, critique or question, i'll be responding to them in about 9 hours - Otherwise, i'll be back for more in around 18 hours, for another session! Looking forward to it!
And thanks for not being brain-dead players and burning down the archives when i gave you all the chance to!

>>2486424
Good stuff, OP, keep up the good work.

>>2486421
Supporting >>2486424
Seems cool, interested to explore the nowhere

>>2486424
supporting >>2486421

Hello anons, it's yer QM, OP here - Just checking in to dish out the one hour notice. I'll be making dinner and jump into the session right after. See you all in an hour!

>>2487726
Woooo

File: monk.jpg (64 KB, 900x525)

64 KB JPG

You make your way downtown, watching the first shops and stands open up for business, the smell of fresh coffee and tea is everywhere. Once you arrive at the temple, you see multiple monks sitting in the sun, meditating, while two others have engaged in a practice match of staff fighting. They display astonishing quickness, hitting, blocking and parrying. A few other onlookers have gathered, some mumble in wonder: “These new tattoos of quickness are really impressive.” - “You should see the more seasoned monks! They say, some of their tattoos let them cheat death itself!”
Looking around a little more, you see a familiar face, the old monk from yesterday, standing near the entrance, watching the fight with an approving smile on his face.

>Join the monk’s morning meditation.
>Ask to join the practice match - Maybe you can prove yourself worthy.
>Approach the monk, you have business that needs to be taken care of.
>Actually, you really wanted to do… (Write-In)

Sorry for the delay, the expedition into the mysterious realm called "The Kitchen" took longer than expected. OP didn't die in a fire while cooking, y'all can relax.

>>2487825
>Approach the monk, you have business that needs to be taken care of.
Let's get beef'd up before we try to spar with these monks.

“Back already?”, the monk smiles at you as you approach, “Last minute preparations before heading out? Why, of course. What shall it be this time - explaining what you already have, or adding something new?”
>With 4 stories, you can upgrade an existing skill for two, add a new level 1 for one or buy an upgraded skill for three Stories.
>Upgrade an existing skill for two stories. (Write-in which)
>Purchase a level 1 for one story. (Write-in)
>Purchase a level 2 for three stories. (Again, write in.)
>Ask something else, before continuing. (Yep, you guessed it. Write-in.)
>On second thought, you’d rather spend your stories elsewhere - or save ‘em.

>>2487911
>Purchase a level 1 combat skill for one story.

“Proficiency in combat - I presume that would be Melee?”, he nods to the florett, “Very well - Anything else? We can do more than one tattoo in one sitting, it won't take long.”

>That’s all, let’s get this over with.
>Upgrade an existing skill for two stories. (Write-in which)
>Purchase a level 1 for one story. (Write-in)
>Purchase a level 2 for three stories. (Again, write in.)
>Ask something else, before continuing. (Yep, you guessed it. Write-in.)

>>2487988
Is there any chance they could tattoo some extra endurance in us?

>>2487990
They can - if you consult the character sheet in the shared folder linked to in the top, you can see the different stats. Everything concerning physical prowess belongs to the "Vigor" stat.
But - If you do look to the right of the sheet, there's a table for prices of upgrades and other things like equipment. For initial balancing, i decided to put an attribute increase at six stories, or the equivalent of two level 2 skills.

>>2487988
>>2488005
In which case, can we get a level 1 upgrade in some sort of survivalist skill? Just so we're not going into Nowhere blind.

>>2488030
Hell yeah, i'd give either a Foraging skill or a Scavenging skill - The former more oriented towards living off the (although barren) lands of Nowhere, the fauna and flora and such, while the latter would come in handy every time you'd look for stuff in whatever other humans have left behind, plus the odd knowledge about ancient ruins and stuff.

>>2488037
Hell, we've still got three stories on us. Let's put 1 point in Foraging and 1 point in Scavenging, then we can save the last story for later.

Once again, the monk takes you further into the temple. You two talk about how you just got a ride and planning on leaving soon - Until you notice an odd set of repeating runes on the walls. A mesmerizing view, the runes twist and turn, dancing on the stone. You start to formulate a question, but by the time your brain has figured out the words, you are rudely disturbed in your trance. Two monks, sparring with wooden staffs, hitting, blocking and parrying. A few other onlookers have gathered, some mumble in wonder. Your body slowly loses the numbness, your arm tingles in some pain - Three new tattoos have appeared, slowly working their way down your upper arm. Next to the sparring monks, the other group still sits, meditating, bathing in the morning sun.
>Gained: Skill - Melee combat level 1
>Gained: Skill - Foraging level 1
>Gained: Skill - Scavenging level 1
>Lost: 3 stories.

>Join the monk’s morning meditation.
>Ask to join the practice match - Maybe you can prove yourself worthy.
>Approach the monk, there’s something on your mind.
>Time to get going, lets go to: (Write-in destination)

>>2488062
>>Ask to join the practice match - Maybe you can prove yourself worthy.

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

You wait until the monks put in a small break. Stepping forward, you announce that you, a former noble from Somewhere, want to proof yourself in combat. The crowd chuckles a little, but the monk can be humored. You lay down your florett, open up your fancy clothing to gain some more mobility and take the practice staff handed to you. You opponent bows, you do the same, and assume fighting positions.
>Gained: Equipment - Staff (Medium, Melee, Blunt, Primitive, Non-Lethal)
>Welcome to the combat tutorial! This will showcase how combat works - and no worries, all wounds gained are all but temporary, no real harm will be done. This post will roll for the first round, the next post will contain the possible actions you can take with that roll.

>You rolled a 6 or less - this means, something bad happens this round. You may choose from the following disadvantages:
>You have to open yourself up to an attack, receiving wounds,
>You put yourself in a disadvantageous position, receiving a -1 modifier to all rolls,
>You break or lose an item or piece of equipment, or the GM invokes an items drawback

>>2488117
>You have to open yourself up to an attack, receiving wounds,

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

The two of you start trading blows, the crowd cheers every time the staffs connect. Still, you have a hard time keeping up with the quickness of the monk, every hit comes faster and faster. As you go for a right sipe, the monk quickly shifts, drilling his staff into your torso. The air gets knocked out of your lungs and you stumble back a few steps, but the onlookers are entertained, while the monk reassumes combat positioning.
>Gained: Two temporary wounds.

>You rolled a 7 to 9! this means, you get to perform an action, while taking one disadvantage of your choice. Choose one Action:

>inflict wounds,
>you may remove yourself from melee combat,
>put yourself in a better position, giving a +1 modifier until you lose the advantage,
>force the opponent into a disadvantageous position, giving everyone a +1 forward to hit them,
>put yourself into a defensive stance, suffering -1 wounds until you move.


>Next, the disadvantage:
>you have to open yourself up to an attack, receiving wounds,
>you land but a graze hit, deal -1 wounds,
>you put yourself in a disadvantageous position, receiving a -1 modifier to all rolls,
>you break or lose an item or piece of equipment, or the GM invokes an items drawback

>>2488168
>inflict wounds
>disadvantage

Rolled 1, 2 = 3 (2d6)

Having regained your breath, you start retaliating strike for strike. The crowd is in awe as you drive the monk further and further back. Realizing an opportunity in the monks defenses, you manage to land a left swipe into his left side - He groans, but immediately throws a series of light blows, catching you off guard - driving you back, while busy blocking and deflecting his strikes.

>Once again, the monk bests you:

>You have to open yourself up to an attack, receiving wounds,
>You put yourself in a disadvantageous position, receiving a -1 modifier to all rolls,
>You break or lose an item or piece of equipment, or the GM invokes an items drawback

>>2488229
>You break or lose an item or piece of equipment, or the GM invokes an items drawback

>>2488229
>>You have to open yourself up to an attack, receiving wounds,

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>Lets tiebreak this one

Rolled 3, 1 = 4 (2d6)

A loud *thonk*, the splintering of wood - the crowd roars. Despite deflecting one strong strike from above, your staff gives in to the punishment. Holding both pieces in hand, you discard one, using the other piece as a makeshift one-handed weapon, like a saber.
>Lost: Practice staff.
>Gained: Equipment - Broken Staff

>Your opponent drives you back further, but the onlookers seem to be thoroughly entertained.

>You have to open yourself up to an attack, receiving wounds,
>You put yourself in a disadvantageous position, receiving a -1 modifier to all rolls,
>You break or lose an item or piece of equipment, or the GM invokes an items drawback

>>2488287
Wait, at this point are we now unable to succeed because we can't get higher than a six?

>You have to open yourself up to an attack, receiving wounds.

>>2488287
>You have to open yourself up to an attack, receiving wounds

>>2488287
>>You have to open yourself up to an attack, receiving wounds,

>>2488304
I think so? Generally, when using 2d6, u need to roll in the 7-9 range to be successful (though that's only considered a partial success on this scale). Rolls of 6 and below are usually considered failures of varying degrees (2-4 ranges usually garner a penalty in addition to not being able to complete the task)

>>2488304

>>2488312
what he said - you always roll 2d6, if the combined result lies above 6 you succeed to some degree, a 10 or higher is a full success without drawbacks.
Thus, these rolls have a near 50% chance of succeeding every roll. 4chan's prng is just in a bad mood i guess.

For a moment, it looks like you were gaining the advantage over your opponent, the large group of onlookers is near silent as you trade blows. Right after landing a series of alternating blows that nearly throw the monk of balance, he regains his footing and parries the last heavy hit of yours, leaving you wide open for one final jab to the chest.
With the last remaining air forced out your ribcage, you go down onto your knee, the monk stands above you, not triumphant, but bowing down to you. Their way of recognizing a good fighter. He helps you up, holds your hand up high, announces your name to the crowd, and speaks of how well you have fought right until defeat. The crowd, pleased by the entire match, cheers on, some shout your name even - Looks like no one expected you to last that long.
A few minutes later, you sit with the monks, enjoying some fresh water, while talking about your techniques.
>Gained: one story.
>Changed: An old name of fame - some people have started to recognize the name.

Time passes, it is time for the monks to get back to their routines, and you should get moving too.

>Look to join the monks’ meditation routine.
>There was something on your mind, find the old monk and ask him. (Write-In)
>It’s time to go. Let’s meet up with the machinist.
>It’s time to go, but you wanted to browse the stands and workshops for equipment.
>It’s time to go, but you wanted to go somewhere else… (Write-in)

>>2488348
The monks seem like a cool bunch, let's meditate with them.

>>2488348
>It's time to go, but you wanted to browse the stands and workshops for equipment

Gonna give this one an additional 5 minutes before tie breaking!

>>2488348
>It’s time to go, but you wanted to browse the stands and workshops for equipment.

Strolling down the roads, you stop by the different traders: Rifles, pistols, shotguns, laserbeams, plasmacaster - But even traditional weapons like swords, knives, axes and hammers are on display. In addition, there are many pieces of armor for sale, from crude scrap plating to hand-crafted chainmail, from scavenged kevlar to high-grade combat uniforms.Then, there are the munitions vendors: Barrels full of all kinds of ammunition, bolts and arrows, grenades and other explosives. Even a few auto-workshops sell upgrades and attachments like spikes, armor plating or mounted guns.
But, of course, there is all kinds of tit and tat as well - all that can be hauled back here is on display, small mountains of neigh useless trash.
>You can buy extra weapons, armor and ammunitions for a story per size - small, medium or large. Each weapon has tags, describing its properties in a little more depth. You may write-in suggestions, tho not all will be available - I’ll try to model an item to the best of my abilities. I recommend looking at the equipment chapter of the rules, everything is explained there too.

>Look for a new weapon (Write in size, range, damage type and a general description)
>Look for a new armor (Write in size, damage type and a general description)
>Get some more ammunitions
>Buy an auto-upgrade (if its a weapon, write-in rules above apply)
>Look to sell something off.
>Enough window-shopping, time to get going (Write-in where to go.)

>>2488414
>Look for a new weapon
>Small
>Melee range
>Poison coating of some kind
We're not the strongest in a melee fight, but if we can at least disable/sicken an enemy, it might be enough.

>>2488414
supporting >>2488420

In an alleyway a little ways off the main street, you find a few wanderers, selling all kinds of easily concealable weapons. A particularly vendor, with a thick accent from the coast of the Somewhere’s, has just what you were looking for. “If you can jam it into some exposed flesh, the fight is yours,”, he assure you, as he presents the blade, a rather flimsy looking dagger, with a silvery coating, “It induces pain, but not the way you’d think - It poisons the heart. In all but a moment, the person cut with this will break down into a puddle of snot and tears.”
He is unwilling to say what is actually on the blade, but he is willing to part with it for a story of yours.

>Buy the blade, and be sure not to touch the coating.
>Decline, and look for something else.
>Actually, can you tell me… (Write-in)

>>2488468
>Buy the blade, and be sure not to touch the coating.

>>2488468
>>Buy the blade and be sure not to touch the coating.
I assume we won't need to apply a new poison on it after a while?

You recite the story as the Somewherer hands you the blade. With utmost care, you conceal the weapon and head back out into the streets.
>Gained: Equipment - Heartbreaker (Small, Melee, Piercing, Poisoned, Concealable)
>Lost: one story.

>Look for a new weapon (Write in size, range, damage type and a general description)
>Look for a new armor (Write in size, damage type and a general description)
>Get some more ammunitions
>Buy an auto-upgrade (if its a weapon, write-in rules above apply)
>Look to sell something off.
>Enough window-shopping, time to get going (Write-in where to go.)


>>2488485

Don’t worry, if i can’t be arsed to keep track of stuff like that, so shouldn’t you. The poison doesn't wear off.

>>2488517
>Look for a new armor
>physical damage resistance
>Some kind of helmet with a built in telescope/binoculars to better scout out areas in the distance.

>>2488525
Sounds good

After some browsing, you encounter an artificer in his small hole-in-a-wall workshop, tinkering away at set of cobbled-together looking combat armor. Most pieces are missing but the torso and the helmet, the latter equipped with a beaten-up scout’s scope. “The lense is still working just fine”, she encourages you to put try it, “But the computer-y parts are all busted. Couldn’t fix them on my own.” She’S willing to leave both to you for another story.

>Buy the armor, after all, if it saves you life, it doesn't matter in how much disrepair it is.
>Decline, and look for something else.
>While we are at it, could you tell me... (Write-in)

Also, this is the bit where i tell you lot that i need my sleep and will be posting two more times!

>>2488568
A helmet AND torso armor? We gotta take that deal!

“I’d go and mend both at some point again.”, she mumbles with a smirk, as she hands you the pieces. Not really the shining armor of a noble knight, but a bullet it’ll stop just fine. At least once. You recite her a short story, she thanks you for your business and gets back to etching some runes into a metal plate, mumbling about how the Ticking Mechanist left her shop to the lead apprentice. “Hasn't happened in decades. Hope she is alright. Liked working for her.”
>Gained: Armor - Mended combat armor (Light, Piercing, Slashing, Scavenged, Mended, Broken Sight)
>Lost: one story.

>Look to sell something off.
>There was one more thing i wanted to check out… (Write-In)
>Enough window-shopping, time to get going (Write-in where to go.)

And, even tho i said i'd be post once more, i just saw the time. This little OP needs his sleep. Hope y'all had fun again, more will be happening.. well, not tomorrow, because i went and got the corpse that is my social life out of the cellar and will be out for drinks. All i can offer is posting throughout the day starting in about 8 hours time until the eve. In any case, we'll do a full run either Saturday or Sunday again, so keep your eyes peeled on this very thread!
As always, leave your thoughts (and prayers, if you must) down below. OP out!

>>2488601
>Enough window-shopping, time to get going (go meet up with the machinist)

>>2488612
Good stuff as always. Apologies for taking control of a lot of the narrative when player count was down.

>>2488612
supporting >>2488628

And, hey, at least someone was here. It's better to have just one person driving forward than it is to make no progress at all. I'm sure OP appreciates the participation, in any case.

>>2488628

What >>2489227 said - Dedicated players like you keep small time OC Quests like mine alive.

Anyways, y'all guessed it, it's yer boi, OP here. Project servers are still down, I got jack all to do at uni, so i'll be posting every now and then throughout the day. Expect an update on possible runs this weekend in about 9 hours when i'm back home.
Alright, consider this something akin to a 30 minute notice, i'll go and gather my notes and grab second breakfast.

Packed with your newest purchases, you make your way back to the outskirts. Most of the make-shift tents have been broken down, the wanderers, scavengers and adventurers have moved on. The Rusty Rover still stands where you left it, baking in the sun. Getting the thing to run, you pull up in front of the Ticking Mechanists. Just as you were about to get out of the car-tank-truck-thingy, you hear someone throwing a bag of equipment onto the back of the pick-up. Turning around, the Ticking Mechanist waves at you, dressed in a jumper suit, reinforced with metal plates of various kinds. “Got yourself some new gear as well? Good - I’m all ready to get going, if you are”, she seems rather content, sitting there in the passenger seat.
>Make sure you have done everything you wanted to, it will take some time until you come back to the Middle.

>You are all set and head out… (Write-In the Direction you want to head, or which rumor you want to follow)
>Actually, you wanted to get something else done first… (Write-in)

Interesting world and dice system. I'll stick around.

>>2489519
>Head northeast
>Check out the rumor centering on the stone with memories of the dead

>>2489712
Seconding.

>>2489712
Supporting

File: heading_out.jpg (149 KB, 1280x629)

149 KB JPG

With a destination in mind, you let the engine roar and the treads start eating themselves through the dust-dry ground. Your new companion is silent, although her ticking is still around, as if she was humming in tune with the engine laboring away. Odd.
>Overworld travel is split up into phases of day(Morning, Midday, Evening and Night), where you may plan out your actions:

>Move towards your destination. Pretty self-explanatory.
>Scout. Get your ass out of the vehicle and get a good vantage point. Useful when you are expecting trouble or have no idea where you are going.
>Scavenge. Comb over the near surroundings, provoking some sort of random encounter. If you feel lucky, or the call for lootz.
>Set Camp. Get that tarp up, make a campfire and rest. Normally, you do that every night, but if the need for speed arises, you can skip shut-eye and make camp sometime else.

>Plan out your actions of the day, and i’ll play them through. As a point of reference, You can reach the edge of Nowhere within seven days of full travel, minus the night for resting.

Also, OP is going to head out soon, as i layed out yesterday, no run tonight. But, good chances a run will happen tomorrow, same-ish times like the last days (or in about 23 hours, for those wondering.) Anyways, this is OP, signing off, and wishing y’all a good friday!

>>2489890
Morning
>Scavenge. Comb over the near surroundings, provoking some sort of random encounter. If you feel lucky, or the call for lootz.
Midday
>Set Camp. Get that tarp up, make a campfire and rest. Normally, you do that every night, but if the need for speed arises, you can skip shut-eye and make camp sometime else.
Evening
>Scout. Get your ass out of the vehicle and get a good vantage point. Useful when you are expecting trouble or have no idea where you are going.
Night
>Move towards your destination. Pretty self-explanatory.

It gets super hot during the day, so we shouldnt travel then.

>>2489890
This quest fells oddly similar to sunless sea/fallen London

>>2489934
I personally get banished vibes.

>>2489934
>>2489969

OP here, i dearly hope it reminds you in a good way! I'd have to lie if i didn't admit tge influence Fallen London, Sunless Sea, Sunless Skies or A House of many Doors had when making this world - although, I tried my hardest to give it all my very own spin and not make a blatant ripoff.

>>2489899
Will support.

>>2489890
Morning:
>Move towards your destination
Mid-Day:
>Set Camp
Evening:
>Scout
Night:
>Move towards your destination

This plan is set in the interest of getting there more quickly, only stopping at the hottest point of day to rest. As for encounters, we can always poke around on our way back. Best save our strength and get the lay of the land, first.

>>2490134
This is true, we are doing this on behalf of another person, ill switch from >>2489899

Alright anons, OP is back from his night out, and this'll be the one hour notice before our run today! As always, i'll be off doing my cooking before i dish out the update, therefore expect a possible slight delay!

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

>Gotta roll something real quick

>Morning

You two start riding out into the dunes, only making the occasional stop to wait for a dune to collapse or move out of the way. The winds are hot, the sun is hotter and you swear, the closer it gets to midday, the more you see little pools of molten sand every now and then. With midday nearly there, you find yourself a rocky outcropping and make camp in its shade.

>Midday

Having set up camp, the Ticking Mechanist pulls a small notebook out of her bag, sits down on the flatbed of the truck and starts sketching the Rocks. “A previous me really enjoyed making these little scribblings.”, she confesses, “I myself don’t find it that entertaining, but it is a nice tradition - More to remember my travels by.”
You yourself make sure the truck cools off, and that both your blades are combat ready. Safe is safe.

>Evening

With the heat passing, you get back in the truck and drive around the rock formation, looking for a way to get some height. After a while, you find a slope you can climb with some effort. From up there you make good use of the broken scope. The artificer didn't lie - All electrical components kicked the bucket: Rangefinder, Friend-Foe Systems, Entity Tagging System - None are booting up. At least the lenses are clear. Far in the distance, you can see the many rocky formation in the north-northeast. You estimate that your destination is about 2 days out, meaning 6 day-phases of travel. In addition, you make note of a small column of smoke, coming from the north. The source isn’t moving, meaning you’d have to make a simple detour of one phase.
Other than that, the dunes wander, the rocks are silent, and the sun still burns.

>Night

It is nice and cool as the rover shovels itself through rock and sand. You have decided to keep the low beams out for now, not to get spotted by any nightly raiders. Plus, you can take in the sea of stars up above. “The Archivist once told me, the stars are the souls of the brightest minds, shining for all eternity. Not that i believe he is right, just a novel thought.”, your companion remarks as she stares at the sky.

>Again, for the next day, you may choose your actions - keep in mind, you can choose to take a move to make that detour.

>>2492851
>Morning
Follow the column of smoke.
>Midday
Stop to scavenge.
>Evening
Continue moving.
>Night
Scout ahead.

>>2492851
>Morning
Move, making the detour
>Midday
Make Camp
>Evening
Scavenge
>Night
Move

I'm assuming we only need to scout when we don't already have a direction, right?

>>2493038
Supporting

>>2492902
>>2493038

To clarify: Scouting shows you stuff like the current distance to your destination, other minor locations and the occasional hazard you can then outmaneuver.
Scavenging is basically driving around in circles for a few hours, looking around. This will produce a encounter of some kind, which might not have popped up through scouting, with some options of loot to be gained - well, or not, if you find, say, a pack of rogue androids, or something similar.

>>2493098
Oh, alright! Thanks for the clarification

>Morning

When the sun slowly lays her warm glare over the blue sky, you decide to take the slight detour towards the column of smoke. With the smoke drawing near, you park the Rusty Rover near you, behind a dune, before scaling the small hill of sand to gain a vantage point.
Below you lies the burnt out shell of a reclaimed tank, the few treadmarks that can be made out in the ever-moving sands seem chaotic, blasted craters of glass are all around. Near the smouldering wreck, a few things surry through the sand: Nealy like a centaur, but instead of half horse half man, these things are half ant, quarter crab and another quarter man. One of the appalling creature wields a sandthrower, using it to quench the last few flames, while three of his smaller brethren (or sisters?) cut metal plates out of the wreck, carrying them to sledge-like contraptions.
Your companion come up the dune behind you, armed with what looks like a magazine fed shotgun. You show her to keep low, she lays next to you into the sand. “Freakish, right?”, she shows one convincing face of disgust, “These things were made by people long dead, their inventions now with a mind of their own. Probably attacked the tank… tanks? In any case, they got what they wanted, better not intervene… Unless...” She points out something on one of the sledges: A few heavy looking lockboxes, cargo. “If you feel lucky and stealthy, we could try and snag it. Probably not bad loot. And, this would make a great story to tell, dont you think?”

>Stay put, observe the insects haul off the remains, before going down there.
>Try and sneak up to steal the lockboxes.
>Nothing that should concern us, right? Let’s go back and get going.
>You got a better idea for what to do… (Write in)

>>2493227
>Stay put, observe the insects haul off the remains, before going down there.

>>2493098
Stay put, observe the insects haul off the remains before going down there

Maybe they'll leave a lockbox behind eh ha

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

>Rolling the dice

You tell her to sit tight and watch the antaurs loading up the sledges. After what feels like half an eternity, the sledges are filled to the brim with metal sheets, and the insects start the weird contraptions up. With a low-pitched whirring sound, the sledges start levitating upwards a little ways, so these beings can easily pull them. When they vanish behind the next set of dunes, you decide to take a look for yourself.
The tank had been devastated by some kind of explosive under the vehicle, the bottom got blown inwards, causing the entire thing to explode and burn out. Inside, you find the charred remains of multiple people, definitely more than should be required to staff this tank. Their equipment is all but busted, nothing more than scrap, the munitions bay burnt out completely, the engine block got fused together due to the heat.
But, there is something, your scavenger sense tingle: There are some small compartments for the crews equipment that got welded shut from the blast. You suspect that the contents might be intact, if you had any means to open these up. You ask your companion for tools, but she shakes her head. “Only got stuff for the treads of the rover, and to tinker with the engine.”

>There is something you wanted to have a particular look at… (Write-in)
>You better get going, and leave this sorry sight behind.

>>2493465
>You better get going, and leave this sorry sight behind

>>2493499
Seconding

You decide that you won’t be able to get anything out of this husk. You grab your things, climb out of the tank and move back to the rover. “It’s weird. Y’know, with the insects. Their hive must be a few days away, they rarely venture this far out, only for scrap metal.”, the mechanist pauses, her head tick-tocks a few times, “They blew this tank up, specifically. They knew what was on-board, and needed it. Poor people. Thought they were safe from them.” You try not to think too much about it as you walk back, get in the rover and start looking for a place to camp out.

>Midday

The sun passes overhead, no place giving off shade was found, as long as you didnt want to backtrack. With the tarp draped over the truck, you can hold out the heat a little better, the wind pushing the hot air around make it less insufferable. The Mechanist sits with you, ticking away, while cleaning her weapon for the second time this day. “I need something to keep me busy. Sitting around was never my strong suit.”

>Evening

Time passes, Nowhere slowly cools off. You take the opportunity to scour the dunes for curiosities. After some time, the mechanist bumps you in your side, telling you to cut the engine. With the rover silent, you hear it too: Motorbikes, not too far in the distance, one by one turning off. “Raiders.”, your tattooed companion tells you, “They love their bikes, fast and light, the perfect strike craft.” You two get out of the rove and follow the sound of people talking. Scaling a dune covering a rock overhanging, you use your scope to spot ahead: Nested in the protection of another large rock, three bikes stand around a fireplace, three bikers in badly made armor sit around, laugh, drink and eat. “Damn raiders, no one would be sorry if we snuck up on them and took them out. Could score one of those bikes, if you feel comfortable to ride one of these patchwork-jobs.”
Soon enough, the three quiet down. Two go off to sleep next to their bikes, the third stays by the fire, watches it, still drinking some hootch.

>You got a plan, how to take out their camp (Write in)
>You don't feel like its worth the hassle. They haven't done anything to you, anyways. Get back in the Rover and move on.

>>2493666
>"we can use the dunes as cover, get the sun on our backs and sides. We should take the ones sleeping, silently if we can, then gang up on the last raider at the fire."

>>2493666
Supporting >>2493705

>>2493666
>Since two of them are already sleeping, we should take care of the one who's awake first. If we can get him down quietly, we can probably just take two bikes and sabotage the third -- you've got those tools to mess with engines, right? Those things don't don't look too sturdy anyways. The other raiders can't exactly keep up on foot so, even if they wake up and find the bikes gone, we won't have to worry about them. Hit and run might do the trick, if worst comes to shove.

>>2493666
>>2493719
Huh that's really odd, I didn't remember submitting a support...sorry about that. Consider it retracted, if possible.

Gonna give this one another 5 before rolling the dice for the tiebreak!

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>roll that tiebreak.

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

Having explained the plan to the mechanist, she pulls out a heavy looking wrench and nods. Together, you sneak around the dunes, creeping up on the campsite. The raiders snore away, while the awake one chuckles to himself, throwing the bottle over to his equipment. Coordinating with your friend, you take a raider each….
>Rolling!

A quick stab, a muffled thump, and sleeping raider were no more - But, the Raider at the campfire hears you two, jumping up and drunkenly stumbling over to his equipment, trying to reach for his gun!

>Have the Machinist get her Shotgun out and blast his ass to hell and back!
>Draw the florett and end him rightly!
>Scramble for another raiders gun and be Han Solo yes, that means shoot first

>>2493939
>Be Han Solo
I'm sure the Machanist can be used to fry bigger fish with the heavy weaponry

Rolled 3, 2 = 5 (2d6)

Realizing you’d be better off grabbing one of the guns laying around you, you quickly grab a makeshift revolver off the dead raider. Quickly, you rise up, pull the hammer back and unload whatever bullet is chambered.
>Rolling!

But, with a disappointing poof, the revolver misfires. It is only now that you see the gun dripping, cheap alcohol spilled all over the chamber. Your opponent, on the other hand, has gotten his own weapon out, taking aim and….
… with one hell of a blast, the raider is thrown aback, riddled with holes, the shotgunshell’s having torn off the flesh off his bones. “Never trust pipe weapons.”, the machinist laughed, a smug grin on her face. Was she enjoying this? “I told you, i’d be carrying my weight. Next time, check your weapons.” She then carries on, grabbing loot off the raiders.

>Go through their equipment, take usable weapons, ammunition, rations…
>Pick out a bike for yourself.
>You got what you need, let’s leave these bodies to rot.
>There one other thing to do… (Write in)

>>2494024
Damn, are ya ever gonna catch a break with these rolls!?? lmao this is almost as bad as the time I rolled six nat1s in a row :p

>>2494071
I know mate, i feel like the prng of 4chan is taking one great piss right now! :D

>>2494069
>Pick out a bike
>go through their equipment

If we can only do one, just pick a bike

>go through their equipment

You look through everything, besides some ammunitions for their peashooters, one dry pipe revolver and some rations, you find a crude map. On it, and some ways out, a place named Memory Point is encircled, with lines going through the desert, coming from the south east, a place called Rover. “I thought Rover was a legend.”, the shotgun-wielding companion comments, “Looks like i wasn’t quite right...”

>Gained: Pipe Revolver
>Gained: 1 small ammunition
>Gained: 1 ration food and water
>Gained: Rumors about Rover

>Pick out a bike
With all loot collected, you take yourself the one bike that looks less than an engine-failure waiting to happen. The Machinist tries the other bikes but complains about the noises they make. “Horrible condition. Scrap metal at best.”
>Gained: Raider Bike

>You got what you need, let’s leave these bodies to rot.
>There one other thing to do… (Write in)

>>2494205
>dump the bodies in a place slightly less conspicuous and kick the campfire so it will go out.
Shots were fired and we dont need any freinds of these to hunt us down.

>>2494205
>check their bodies for tattoos.
Hey man, we're new hear and for all we know they might have some good stories inscribed into them.

>>2494282
Shit this is a good point too.

>>2494205
Supporting >>2494282

>check their bodies for tattoos.

Before you dispose of these wastes of space, you inspect them for tattoos. Unlike the tattoos you bare, made by the monks, these raiders wear a very different set: The expression in the runes and pictograms is very rough opposed to the smooth and clean presentation of the monks. With a little effort and guesswork, you can make out some tales inscribed on their skin. With their life quenched, their stories have lost a significant part of their strength - but you are able to recycle a few bits and pieces into one completely new story. The mechanist leans against a bike, observing you piece together this new story of your own.
>Gained: one story.

>dump the bodies in a place slightly less conspicuous and kick the campfire so it will go out.

Next up: Clean-up. With the fire put out and the bodies hidden under some kicked-up sand, you feel confident enough that no passer-by’er will notice anything - or at least, it’ll take them enough time, so you are far ways away.

>One last thing to do…. (Write-In)
>Everything’s done and dusted, time to move on.

>>2494413
>Everything’s done and dusted, time to move on.

>>2494413
Supporting >>2494492

>>2494492
Agreed.

>Night

After loading up the new bike onto the truck, the two of you continue your journey down north-northeast. The moons shine bright tonight, their glow illuminating your way. “Do you think the people that once were got to be up there? After all, they have made so much incredible stuff - It would surprise me, if they never made it.”, the machinist muses. A good question, actually, after all, humanity has changed many times, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.

>You estimate that your destination is 3 more phases of travel away. Choose how to spend the next day!

Also, sorry for the far too late response, OP’s life decided to act up this late at night. Gonna hit the bunk very soon too, but i’ll be posting in about 8 hours again, and throughout the day - No run on sunday tho, gotta catch up with some friends.

>>2494783
>Morning
Make Camp
>Midday
Scout Ahead
>Evening
Move
>Night
Move

real life comes first, OP! This quest is more than worth the wait :)

>>2494890
Supporting.

Rolled 6, 5 + 1 = 12 (2d6 + 1)

>Morning
You use the cool morning air to catch some shut-eye. It’s way easier to find your way into dreamland this time of day. And for once in quite some time, you dream. A mistress, her hair flows like molten sand, her skin rough and rocky, her gaze burns. She smiles when she catches you, but you are not sure, if it’s a playful or mischievous smile.
When you wake up, you see the machinist inspect your new bike. “I don’t sleep. I thought you could guess that”, she barks back at you, finishing up whatever she was doing back there.

>Rolling for Scouting

>Midday
As you go and look for a good vantage point, you come across a real oddity: A firewatch tower, sticking out of the sand. It feel unbelievably out of place, so much so that it gives you goosebumps. Climbing up, you notice how the language on the signs and posters seems very foreign to you, but it’s certainly not from Somewhere.
Up, inside the tower, you find the place to have been abandoned for a long time. All circuits are rusted through, most records have vanished from the crumbling paper they were written on, any foodstocks have gone so bad, you can practically hear the bad banter they are throwing at you.
The only thing of interest you find are charts. Not that they are useful, no, they seem to describe a place that is most certainly not here, nor Somewhere. Still, you pocket them - Maybe the Archivist is interested in them.
>Gained: Oddity - Charts of a place that doesn’t exist.

Afterwards, you take your time to have a good look around. You a pretty sure, the first time you looked for the rocklands, you saw spikes and spires of rock. Now, there are arches, ridges and plateaus. Still, the place you are looking for seems to not have moved - a large clearing of rocks is right in your sight. You estimate that it will take three phases to get there safely.
On another note, you see a building, right in your path. Not too large, it looks like a small tower, no, more like a shrine. A few people seem to be hanging around, although they have no vehicles. Instead, they appear to have been riding massive scarabs. How odd.
In other news, you spot a school of sandflyers, about to cross your path. These fish-like creatures burrow through the melting sands, and use dunes as ramps to gain height. They can be observed to fly longer distances that way.
>You can encounter the shrine in the morning next day, the school of sandflyers on midday, if you choose to not outmaneuver them.

>Evening and Night.
For a change, the Ticking Mechanist drives, giving you time to take in the beauty of a sky turning blood red, before the blue rolls over the land. The two moons have dimmed down a little, but the stars guide you through the sands. At some point, you slip away, dulled by the ticking of your driver, and the rumbling of the vehicle. You do dream again, but not of the mistress. This time, you are alone in the black. Waves of water break around your knees. You are not sure, but you think there is someone out there, on the water, on a boat, or raft. They whistle, as they use a stick to push their boat along. You want to approach, but with every step, the water gets deeper. Soon, you are nearly immersed in water - it is then that you feel yourself slipping, falling, salt biting in your eyes and scratching in your lungs.
You wake up with a tang-y feeling in your dry mouth.

>Choose your day, and think about encountering both shrine and sandflyers!

>>2496896
HELL YEAH, FINALLY A GOOD ROLL!!!

>Morning
Move, visit shrine
>Midday
Move, encounter sandflyers
>Evening
Scout Ahead
>Night
Make Camp

Definitely throws off the whole "sleep during day" routine but two encounters in a row while still keeping pace has GOT to be worth it

>>2496926
Sounds like good logic to me.

>Morning

With the first light, you, too, arrive at the shrine. The structure is not too old, in fact it looks like it was built rather recently. Clean cut stone slabs, metal sheets, even some paint on some of the pictograms. The shrine consists of a large spire, a fire placed on top, with a alcove carved inside. There, people have left various things: Munitions, weapons, food and water, items of more personal value. All is offered to a painted statue of a man of slender build, wearing plain robes - but his face, one half depicts and old, wrinkly man, the other a young adult. Candles have been placed at the foot of the statue, incense are burning alongside.
A few shrouded people hang around the shrine, some currently praying or meditating, others preparing breakfast. Their pack insects, huge scarabs, lie in the sands, emanating a low hum, as they wait for the sun to heat them up. The strangers don’t look hostile, the majority seems to not even bare arms.
“Cultists”, the Mechanist explains, “They set up shop in an old ruin far up north. Looks like they built a new shrine here. Not sure if that’s good or not, tho.”

>Approach the people, sit with them, have breakfast. There are question you have. (Write in)
>Join the meditation, maybe pray.
>Leave something at the shrine. Might bring you luck.
>Loot the shrine. The statue doesn’t need all this stuff, but the people around won’t be happy.
>Take hostile actions against the strangers. Shit happens out here - and this time, it won’t happen to you.
>You wanted to do something else… (Write in)
>Better leave them be. These scarabs give you the heebie-jeebies.

>>2497250
>Approach the people, sit with them, have breakfast. There are questions you have (just get to know them and learn what they're all about from their lips...might get us some good stories.)

>>2497261
Supporting

>>2497261
Supporting

You slowly approach the small encampment of cultists. The few armed guards tense up once you and your companion get close, but relax soon after they deem you to be no threat. On the contrary, the others welcome you in their round, offering you water and some kind of very dry and dense bread. “Milebread, invented by our ancestors, a proud tribe of nomads”, the elder explains, while showing you that you need to wetten your bread with some water, before it is remotely edible. Still, it is no king’s feast. The Mechanist turns down the food that’s offered to her, simply sitting by your side, watching the shrouded strangers.
“We are returning home from the south”, the elder explains, “Returning from a mission there. The Fog Farmers in the mountains have been kind, tho somewhat broody hosts.” The others chuckle a little. “But, we have fulfilled our mission, and can’t wait to be home soon.”
You continue to ask them about their mission, the elder starts to skirt around an actual answer, but you can gleam that besides the obvious religious part, they were sent there to look for some kind of device or spare parts. Lucky for you, with all the bits and pieces the elder and other describe, a story starts forming in your mind about their travels, taking root in the back of your brain, growing as the conversation continues.
>Gained: One Story

After some meandering in topics, you redirect the flow of the conversation onto their religion. “We are worshipers of the Mistress herself, Nowhere.”, a youngling explains, “But we follow her prophet, the one that lived, died and lived again, all in Her name!” The elder nods, “The shrines are built in his image. The wisdom of over one entire lifetime condensed into a young mind and body. He will guide us through the second coming, into a new era, where Death is all but a distant memory.” He then goes on to ask you if you were a believer. “I do not know much of the Gods of Somewhere, but even there, their power must be palpable.”

>You don’t believe in Gods or the like. You’ll start when you see one with your very own eyes.
>You do worship one or multiple Gods from beyond the mountains. (Write-In what kinds of gods)
>You are eager to learn of Nowheres Gods and ask him to give you a run-down of them.
>You don’t think there are Gods, but there is the Weird that permeates all that is Nowhere. It does not need worship.


As a heads up, there might not be a full run happening on monday. I'll try to post before i get home at least once, and depending on how late it'll be, we might only do 3 or 4 hours in the night - that would be starting in about 18 or 19 hours. Anyways, hope you all had a good weekend and found this entertaining and all - OP, signing off for the day!

>>2498387
>You do worship one or multiple deities, from beyond the mountains
>(1)
>VILAS
>spiteful, windy spirits. like faeries but violent. infamous for a volatile temper and proclivity towards murder.
>more here: http://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-europe/beware-wandering-wilas-002273

I'm thinking we just default to one Vila in particular. Might explain our bad luck, might make for an interesting family history, who knows

>>2498387
>You are eager to learn of Nowheres Gods and ask him to give you a run-down of them.
>You didn't really believe in the Gods until the Weird nature of Nowhere suggested otherwise.

>>2499325
I support this.

>>2489969
100%. I even half-joked (super srs btw) that this was the Banished Killer Quest.

The elder beams as he begins to explain the pantheon of gods found in Nowhere. “All begins with the Mistress herself, Nowhere. Harsh, but loving, She provides for us all, those who wander, who are lost, we find comfort in her scorching embrace. Then, there was her Sister, the Weaver of Stories. She made the fabric that hold Nowhere together. To this day, we take scraps of her creations, the tales we make and trade, all began with here.
The Weaver was married to a wanderer we all know too well: Decay. He does not reside in Nowhere at all times, but travels the Somwheres as well. The Weaver thought she could cure Decay, He who brought misfortune wherever he went. But She herself fell victim to Decay, her powers were no match. When Death took her from Decay, he shed two tears. One, filled with all his love for his Wife, fell into the south, bringing forth the only Creation of Decay: The Undying Tree and the Grove of Life. To shield his precious reminder of his wife, he erected a wall around it and made a golem guard the gates.
The other tear he shed was filled with all his grief and regret. It is said it fell down not too far from here, into a lake. The village next to it died out in mere days, the lake having gone too salty to make any drinkable water out of it. Rumors have it, it attracts the lost souls of those filled with sorrows and regrets, entombing them on the bottom. A traveller once told me, he saw Death himself, ferrying the dead from here to the afterlife - Or casting them into the waters, hidden under the salty crust.”
The other shrouded figures had stopped eating, listening to the elders words with intent. “And then, there are other Gods, minor compared to Nowhere or Decay. The insects worship some kind of broken god, some seem to try and fix it. Some nomads believe in a wide array of natural spirits. And some beings that aren’t quite gods - Like Death. He is said to travel alongside men, as a mysterious stranger, when he’s not at Memory Point. Or our prophet, surely a mortal like us, but blessed by our Mistress.” The others mumble a name, Noah, and praise him. The Mechanist looks a little annoyed at all the religious talk. Still, you can feel the little story in your head grow and bare new fruits, learning about these things might be a good way of concocting new tales to trade with.
>Gained: one story.

>You have some other question you wanted to ask the elder… (Write-In)
>Bring up your dreams, ask the elder for his wisdom.
>Ask the Ticking Mechanists if she is alright.
>Excuse yourself, there was something else you wanted to do.

>>2500105
I just looked it up in the archives - I guess there truly is nothing new under the sun. Oh well, I hope I've made it distinct enough to make it not feel like a rip-off!

Alright, OP here once more, just giving a heads up that I'll be around for another 3 hours of impromptu running.

On that note, we will be doing a full run again tomorrow, I'll post exact times when I head out, as always.

>>2500149
You're good. Don't you worry about that. It must be good if it's a Banished KILLER.

Well, looks like today was a slow day - Anyways, to all those interested, there'll be a full 5-6 hour run tomorrow, starting in 18 hours! In any case, i'll try to dish out an early update before that, depending on my workload tomorrow. OP, signing off!

>>2500145
>Ask the Ticking Mechanists if she is alright

>>2501478
Sorry for the late replies, OP. It sucks when you've got a slow day.

>>2500145
>Bring up your dreams, ask the elder for his wisdom

>>2501480
Yo, no pressure, after all there was no actual run scheduled for today anyways - But i expect attendance tomorrow. :P

>Bring up your dreams, ask the elder for his wisdom.
The elder listens intently as you describe your dreams in full detail. “It seems Nowhere has taken note of you - You must be blessed! I am sure, our Prophet would want to see you!”, the old man muses, “Here, this token will grant you free and safe passage through our lands - and grant you access to our enclave.” He hands you a sigil, depicting the roving dunes, cast from a metal unknown to you. It is oddly warm to the touch.
“You other dream, on the other hand, is not uncommon around these parts. Memory Point is said to be not far from here. Maybe, the legends about the lake are true after all.”
>Gained: Oddity - Sigil of the roving dunes.

>Ask the Ticking Mechanists if she is alright.
Just as the Mechanist wants to reply, a youngling speaks up: “Are you really concerned for this… thing?”. The Mechanist throws him an annoyed look, before replying to your initial question. “This, the cultists disregard androids like me as mere hunks of metal on two legs.”
“Why would we consider this thing as anything but?”, the youngling responds, “They are soulless shells, even worse, they never die! There is no salvation for beings like it.” The Mechanist tick-tocks a few times while rolling with her eyes.

>Simply thank for your meal and get up - no need to lose the goodwill you currently have.
>Defend the Mechanist - Even tho her skin might be synthetic, her body made of metal, he’s a being like everyone else.
>Agree with the Youngling - The Mechanist wont like that, you can tell.
>In fact, you have a more nuanced opinion on the matter…(Write-in)

[Spoiler]Here we go again! As promised, i'll be around for about 5 hours, i'm stoked![/Spoiler]

Op here, sorry of the late update, i was unable to post due to a gateway error - Anyways, I'm back, and will be updating regularly.

>>2502845
>Defend the Mechanist
Even if she's mechanical, she was once flesh and blood like everyone else, and still has feelings, and that has to mean something, right?
>(some attempt to defend her while also not trying to poop on their religion as a whole)

You do your best to bring your point across in the most diplomatic way possible. No small feat, but something you are used to from your days back at court in the Somewheres. The people around listen with great interest as you construct your arguments revolving around the state of Being, feelings, motivations, goals - all that makes humans human in your eyes.

The youngling has a very ponderous look, processing the way you played with his statements to clarify the humanity of your ticking companion. The elder is the only one that is responding, smiling. “I am beginning to understand why our Mistress would be interested in you.”, he nods, “It’s refreshing, your way of thinking. I do hope you will visit us to discuss such issues some more.”

The Mechanist looks somewhere between surprised by and thankful for your nuanced intervention, as the group of cultists slowly finishes up their breakfast. The old man explains how they need to get back to making the scarabs ready for their march today and thanking you for your insights.
>Changed: Perk - The Mechanist knows you have her back. She will have yours.

>Walk up to the elder overseeing the preparations, you have another question(Write in)
>Join the meditation, maybe pray.
>Leave something at the shrine. Might bring you luck.
>Loot the shrine. The statue doesn’t need all this stuff, but the people around won’t be happy.
>Take hostile actions against the strangers. Shit happens out here - and this time, it won’t happen to you.
>Time to get moving. Those sandflyers await!

>>2504028
Time to get moving!
Also Tuesday mornings aren't a great qst timr

>>2504218
Agreed.

You watch the cultists saddle their scarabs, before driving off yourself. With these insect behemoths behind you, you make haste to catch your next interesting bit of the day. “I’m telling you, you are in for a treat.”, the Mechanist smiled, “A past version of me had seen these once, i still bare that tattoo - But actually seeing them must be a real eye-candy.”

The sun now high in the sky, you spot the dust clouds not far from you. A small adjustment of the route, and soon after you witness these creatures. Some burrowing through the neigh molten sand, others using dunes or rocks as ramps to launch themselves into the air. Large wing-like fins glitter like rainbows in the sun, letting them glide along, while shouting to each other with deep, rumbly calls. Truly, a sight to behold. “What a nice memory...”, your companion sighs, “Who would have thought something this beautiful lived out here?”
>Gained: one Story

>You stay a while longer, taking in the natural spectacle, before getting on the move.
>You wonder what they taste like… Ask the Mechanist for her shotgun.
>Ask the Mechanist if you have materials that could be used to catch one.
>There’s something else you want to do, before the opportunity passes…. (Write in)

Also, as a heads up, as soon as our party reaches Memory Point, i'll be opening up a new thread, seeing how this one has survived over an entire week already! I'll give y'all another notice once that's happening.

>>2504372
>You stay a while longer, taking in the natural spectacle, before getting on the move.

>You wonder what they taste like… Ask the Mechanist for her shotgun.

>>2504372
>>You stay a while longer, taking in the natural spectacle, before getting on the move.

>>2504609
Supporting

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>Rolling for that tiebreak

Rolled 5, 6 + 1 = 12 (2d6 + 1)

>You wonder what they taste like… Ask the Mechanist for her shotgun.

The Mechanist gives you a confused look, but doesn’t object - After all, a story is nice, but a trophy of such rarity might be worth something to the right person. “Don’t break it.”, she tells you, grinning, as she shoves the gun into your hands. Although you are not familiar with such a weapon, it’s hardly the first time you have handled a firearm for the hunt. Taking position with the gun at the ready, you wait for a sandflyer to pass by.
>Rolling plus Foraging as a survival-style skill

One shot, one kill. Clean, quick, precise. If the sight of the sandflyers wasn’t impressive, your display of skill most certainly is. As the creature flops back down into the sand, it lets out one last song: deep, rolling, nearly sad. The others replied in kind, as if they were saying goodbye to one another. You watch the group pass on, now a little more hurried, while your prey lies before you, ripe for the taking.
>Gained: Oddity - A tale of sorrows.

Even with the help of your companion, it takes a considerable amount of time in the heat of the midday to strip your kill of it’s scales, meat and bones. Still, you manage to not only gain at least two days worth of fish, but also the shiny fins and scales, as well as the rather sturdy bones of the beast. “I know exactly why I never have been a hunter, or anything to do with hacking at someone's flesh.”, she tells you as you two clean yourself of the shimmering blue-green blood and secure your new trophies on the flatbed.
>Gained: two rations of food.
>Gained: Oddity - Sandflyer fins
>Gained: Oddity - Sandflyer bones

With everything packed up and secured, and the songs of the sandflyers nothing more than a distant drone, you decide it’s time to get a move on. After all, the rocky canyons of the north-east are in your sight, Memory Point is not too far. The Rusty Rover starts laboring away, the mechanist tick-tocks and your cargo rattles as you plow through the sands.

And with that, i declare this thread as finished! As promised, I'll be putting up a new thread with the continuation of our adventure once I am home in about 7 hours.

Anyways, it has been a real blast so far, and i am stoked to continue this thing in the next thread.

Feel free to post any questions, thoughts or random stuff here, i'll be answering it all before archiving it as soon as i have figured out how to do so.

In any case, keep an eye on the catalog, qtg or this thread for a link to the next one once that happens - and happy questing!

>>2505546
Heck Yeck!! This has been a real fun time, ur worldbuilding is fascinating and ya manage to keep a potentially chaotic situation (so many players) under control. Very excited to continue :)

>>2505546
A ton of fun, OP. The openness of the quest really forced me to rethink my normal expectations of quests, but it all works out fairly well. Plus it's always nice to see more OC on this board. Keep it up.

OP here once more with good news - I have finally set up the new thread and archived this on. Also, in other news, i adopted a tripcode, so y'all know who I am regardless of my thread-bound ID, as i'll continue to post at uni and such.

Anyways, have fun with the new thread!
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