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>>5070512

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TvSjLLOdiU

This can’t be happening.

Before you lies a scene cobbled from your most twisted nightmares. The kind that ends with you lunging awake, frantically scrabbling in desperation to escape into a marginally more comforting reality.

But it just won’t go away.

The undead remnants of your former brothers-in-arms, shambling monuments to your failures as a leader and soldier, move ever closer, intent on devouring the little humanity you have left.

Deep down, you always knew that this was coming.

It’s almost poetic in its way, having the full weight of your sins crash down upon you.

As they grow nearer, baying for your blood, you idly wonder if it’d be better to just throw in the towel and let it happen.

You’re tired. Tired of seeing their faces when you close your eyes, tired of hearing their cries echo in your mind, tired of carrying this burden no matter where you go.

Before these malignant thoughts can gain further purchase on your mind, you banish them with a sobering realization.

You have always been here. You will always be here.

But it’s not over. So long as you have breath in your lungs, a fire in your heart, and iron in your spine, it’ll never truly be over. Rolling over and playing dead would be tantamount to spitting on their memories.

These aren’t your men. These aren’t your friends.

And even if they somehow are, the existence of these….abominations is a crime you will not tolerate.

Whatever twisted entity sent you here even decided to strip you of your firearms, leaving you nothing besides your commando knife.

Regardless of the means, it’s time to serve your penance and put their souls to rest.

For both their sakes and yours, this needs to end.

You…

> Stick with the knife and use your mobility to stay out of their clawing grasp. Can’t kill what you can’t hit.

> Bring out the Claw and activate your Volcanic Rage. There’s a time for caution and levelheadedness, this is not that time.

> Cast a spell. (Specify, they’re listed in the pastebin should you require a refresher.)

> Other?

Holy shit it lives!

>>5070514
> Bring out the Claw and activate your Volcanic Rage. There’s a time for caution and levelheadedness, this is not that time.

>>5070514
> Stick with the knife and use your mobility to stay out of their clawing grasp. Can’t kill what you can’t hit.

I'll give it about 10 minutes more to vote, then roll a tiebreaker if needed.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>5070538

1 = Claw + Rage
2 = Knifework

Rolled 46, 54, 25, 66, 76, 49, 13, 83, 92, 13, 1, 68 + 15 = 601 (12d100 + 15)

>>5070545

Alright, roll me some d100s + 35.

Rolled 49 + 35 (1d100 + 35)

>>5070546
How many?

>>5070566
Just the one, you're trying to beat individual rolls, not the group total.

Rolled 65 + 35 (1d100 + 35)

>>5070546
Welcome back Axis.

So much I dont remember. Gonna have to read through the threads again.

Feel free to roll again if you've done so already.

Rolled 99 + 35 (1d100 + 35)

>>5070610
Cum is stored in the balls

>>5070566
>>5070584
>>5070615

A good showing to open with, writing.

>>5070584

Feels good to be back, anon.

>>5070615
That's a lotta cum.

>>5070615
Looks like you started NNN one month Early.

>>5070619

Part of you contemplates a more esoteric method of conflict resolution. The Claw could come in handy, as could some of the spells in your arsenal.

But no, this is a matter that calls for a bit of finesse.

With your knife, you’ve got the advantage of range and mobility.

Their advantages? Force of numbers, mixed with sheer animal ferocity.

While you can still recognize their faces, you force yourself to suppress any wayward feelings that threaten to cloud your judgement.

If it’s hostile, you kill it. Same as it ever was.

And you can’t afford to get sloppy about it neither.

Charging right into the fray would be tantamount to flinging yourself into their gaping maw.

You’ll pick them off while staying quick on your feet and avoiding the potential for getting cornered.

But first, you need to gain a bit more intel what it’ll take to put them back down for good.

The perfect opportunity makes itself known when one pathetically trips over itself in its haste to be the vanguard of the pack.

Fluidly, you cut its throat, stepping back to observe the effects. To your surprise, it seems to do the trick quite well, resulting with the shambling corpse thrashing in the last few moments of its unlife, before going still.

Well, that certainly makes it easier.

The vast majority fall like wheat before a scythe, as you whittle them down one by one, making sure that none of them are attempting anything tricky.

Interestingly, some are much more dangerous than others.

Case in point, a pair of them seemed to possess a rudimentary intelligence that far outstripped that of their fellow horde. Almost managed to successfully play possum and pincer you, but you were too fast on your feet.

Panting from the exertion, you survey the canyon for any further threats.

A bolt of pain rips through your mind, forcing you to briefly close your eyes.

When they re-open, you’re back in the same room you were originally transported from.

The previously closed door is now open, and all of your previous weaponry has been returned.

After taking a moment to steady your frayed nerves, you proceed through the open doorway, finding yourself in a smaller library than the previous one.

Guess this must be the restricted section. “Blessing of Introspection” my ass, what kinda sick fuck calls that a blessing?

Now that you’ve made a bit of progress, you decide to…

> Scour the shelves for anything valuable. What kind of self-respecting looter would do otherwise?

> Just focus on finding the Scrolls and getting out. This place is starting to get in your head.

> Scrub the mission and leave. You’re not looking forward to whatever weird horseshit is protecting the Scrolls.

> Other?

>>5070679
>> Just focus on finding the Scrolls and getting out. This place is starting to get in your head.
Great to have you back, Axis!

>>5070679
>> Just focus on finding the Scrolls and getting out. This place is starting to get in your head.
Indian Jones taught me well. Get what we came for and nothing else.

>>5070707
>>5070708

Looks like discretion is better part of valor, writing.

>>5070707

Thanks, anon. I'm actually a bit touched that people still remember me.

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You’ve come much too far to chicken out now, as tempting as it may be.

And while the idea of plundering the stacks for a few new additions to your personal library sounds nice in theory, you manage to reign your greed back.

After all, you’ve already got plenty of books to work through already, no sense in taking risks just to further increase your backlog.

No, you silently decide, the restricted section is too much of a risk to gamble on, at least right now.

Knowing your luck, it’s probably full of fakes that either teach nothing of value, or purposefully trick you into doing something that’ll kill you.

While proceeding further still through the hallway, you spot a doorway. Chiseled into the stone above the door is a warning to trespassers, thieves, and the unworthy to turn back, lest they meet their end and eternal damnation.

Sounds like you’re going the right way.

You push the door open and enter a sparsely decorated room. Despite its lack of furnishings, it’s easily the largest room you’ve been in so far.

Weirdly, every inch of the cavernous walls are covered in writings from various dead languages and several you’ve never even seen before.

Laying on a large pedestal in the center of the room, are what appear to be the Scrolls. Well, they could just be the regular kind of scroll, but if you had to hedge your bets, you’d guess they’re the ones you’re looking for.

After a bit of contemplation, you decide to…

> Sprint as quickly as you can towards the Scrolls. Even if the place is trapped, your reflexes are strong enough that you’ll be there and back again without any problems.

> Head back to the entrance and see if that scribe spirit is willing to give you a hand. You made a good impression, maybe he’d be willing to do the legwork for you.

> Scan the room and look for anything suspicious. You’ve raided enough tombs and seen enough cheesy adventure movies to know that there has to be something nasty protecting the Scrolls.

> Attempt to translate some of the writings on the walls. Maybe they’ll give you some clue as to the nature of the Scrolls or their defenses.

> Other?

>>5070767
>tfw see pic and immediately think its cigars
>for a moment i think we're being rewarded with cigars for killing so good
i got cigars on the brain.

>>5070767
> Attempt to translate some of the writings on the walls. Maybe they’ll give you some clue as to the nature of the Scrolls or their defenses.

I'll leave the vote open another 10 minutes or so, then call it.

>>5070767
>> Attempt to translate some of the writings on the walls. Maybe they’ll give you some clue as to the nature of the Scrolls or their defenses.
Read.

>>5070767
>> Attempt to translate some of the writings on the walls. Maybe they’ll give you some clue as to the nature of the Scrolls or their defenses.
>>5070719
The festive QTG question got me thinking about all the (at the time) dead quests I enjoyed. You and WorstJojo were two QMs with relatively recent quests that ended abruptly and with little indication that you were getting tired of running. I was just lucky you were lurking.

>>5070773
>>5070795
>>5070800

Looks like we're doing a bit of reading.

Roll me some 1d100s+15

DC: 60 / 75 / 90

Rolled 80 + 15 (1d100 + 15)

>>5070804

Rolled 18 + 15 (1d100 + 15)

>>5070804

Feel free to roll again, just need one more roll in case of crits.

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Rolled 36 + 15 (1d100 + 15)

>>5070837
CUM IS STORED IN THE BALLS!

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>>5070806
>>5070822
>>5070838

Translating the word jumbles chiseled all over the walls prove to be just as difficult as you imagined.

Not only is the sentence structure cobbled together like it was written by a madman hopped up on stimulants, but it also has the irritating tendency to suddenly change languages randomly throughout.

Fortunately, you manage to find a couple paragraphs written in a dialect of Greek that you’ve become semi-familiar with. The author, some crazed worshiper of Hecate, manages to provide a few pieces of useful information.

First, the path to the Scrolls isn’t trapped. According to the wall, the scribes are big on tests of wit and willpower, rather than just feats of strength or dexterity.

Next, the Scrolls are sealed for a reason. The wall ramblings don’t go into why, but while it’s safe to use them for ritual purposes like Jack is intending, cracking one open and perusing it carries some serious risk. And of course, said risks are never explained in greater detail.

Lastly, the last roadblock to the Scrolls is something called the Trial of the Crossroads. Again, not much detail is given, but it’s better than going in blind.

Hopefully it’s nothing like the last trial they put you through, you’ve had about enough with their pseudo-intellectual sadism disguised as philosophical merit.

Is there anything else you’d like to do before attempting to secure the Scrolls?

> No, let’s get this done.

> Yes. (Specify)

(Need to grab something to eat, be back soon.)

>>5070838

True.

>>5070845
> No, let’s get this done.

>>5070845
>> No, let’s get this done.
Can't think of anything else. Rather not risk sneaking an artifact or tome.

>>5070848
>>5070875

Looks like we're all ready to get going, so I'll get writing.

With the revelation that the path to the Scrolls is safe to navigate, you begin to head their way carefully, just in case you mistranslated something. It’d be embarrassing if you got yourself killed over a grammar error or something equally asinine.

You reach the Scrolls without incident, but when you reach out to grab them, a now-familiar burst of pain signals that you’re in for another trial.

When you re-open your eyes, you’re in somewhat familiar surroundings.

More specifically, you’re in a Gotham police station, judging from the GCPD iconography.

Nobody seems to be able to see you, which is probably for the best. However, you’re unable to move, which is somewhat worrying.

Suddenly, there’s a large crash. The heavily beaten body of a GCPD beat cop is thrown through the doors, sending it flying off its hinges.

A figure bursts through the open doorway, wearing some kind of heavy combat armor, with the Intergang logo stamped into it.

The officers attempt to open fire, but he vaporizes them with a burst from some kind of twisted alien machine-gun.

From there, he goes on a spree of carnage.

You’re forced to watch, unable to move or intervene in any way, as he methodically and systematically hunts down and kills every worker in the building.

None are spared, everyone from the lowliest pencil pusher to the station captain are found and eliminated.

As it turns out, he likes to play with his food, pretending to let some of the more helpless ones go so that he can rip their last hopes away from them.

A few of the weaker-willed attempt to surrender in hopes that they’d be spared. The key word there is “attempt.” He brutalizes them even harder, seeming to revel in the violence.

Finally, once his bloody work has been done, he turns and stares directly at you, before removing his helmet.

It’s you.

“Well, well. What have we here?” He says, with an equal mixture of unfiltered bloodlust and intense excitement.

The disgust on your face must be easy to spot, given his reaction.

“What’s the matter? Got a problem with seeing how a real man handles business?” He laughs, sporting an ugly sneer that seems out-of-place for your features.

“Not much of a shocker there. You’re weak. You always have been.” He spits out, practically snarling.

“A killer with a code, how fucking original. At least I have the balls to admit what I am. And how I’m gonna enjoy what happens next.” His death threat is bolstered with a grin that the Joker’d give a 9/10 to.

Y’know, maybe you should’ve really ducked out earlier.

Your strategy is to…

> Get in his head and try to get him off-balance. If he’s like you, he’s bound to have a temper. (Feel free to include something nasty to try and piss him off with.)

> Just find some cover and start shooting. This farce has gone on for long enough.

> Bring out the Claw and blitz him. If you’re fast enough, maybe you can pulverize him before this gets even uglier.

> Hit him with a spell. (Specify)

> Other?

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>>5070929
> Other?
Fake and gay. Go be a faggot somewhere else you failed highschool shooter. Also CUM IS STORED IN THE BALLS!

>>5070929
>> Other?
Throw a rock at him. Like we did back in Egypt. That should spark our sense of humor.

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>>5070942
this. this amused me.

>>5070942
+1
Call this guy a loser

>>5070942
>>5070954
>>5070955

Alright, roll me some 1d100s+20

DC: 80

Rolled 10 + 20 (1d100 + 20)

>>5070958
SAY IT WITH ME GUYS
CUM!

Rolled 8 + 20 (1d100 + 20)

>>5070958
Nat 1

Dice gods have been shitty recently

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>>5070966
you should had said IS, followed up with another anon saying STORED, followed up with IN, THE, BALLS. Shame on you.

>>5070969
REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

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>>5070974
YOU HAVE ONLY YOURSELF TO BLAME!

Still need one more roll, feel free to roll again.

Rolled 91 + 20 (1d100 + 20)

>>5070984
Im scared

Rolled 7 + 20 (1d100 + 20)

>>5070984
IS STORED IN THE.......

>>5070985
>>5070966
>>5070962

Success, writing.

>>5070985
Thank god

>>5070986
Look at you. The Dice gods Frown upon the Coomposter

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>>5070994
Have you already forgotten my 99 coom post? The RNG gods are fickle. My time will come again. You cannot stop the coom.
because there is already coom inside of you.

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>>5070995

>>5070987

As it stands, he may actually have you outgunned. You could whip out a spell or something heavier, but wasting your trump cards in the opening stages of the fight is just poor form.

You’d be better off just trying to bait him into going off the rails and giving you the advantage. Hell, his sanity seems to hanging from a thread as-is, all you need to do is give him a nudge off the edge.

> “I’m gonna enjoy what happens next.” You mock, doing a crude impression that makes him sound like a mentally deficient ape.

You have to duck behind cover when he starts firing wildly in your direction. Looks like he’s not great at handling banter tossed in his direction. Good to know. Let’s see if you can get anything else to stick in his craw.

> “I’ve gotta ask, how’s it feel being an Intergang stooge? I mean, if you’re such a badass, how come the best you can do is whoring yourself out as their attack dog? It says a lot that you consider having basic standards a weakness. Honestly, the fact that there’s some timeline or universe where I end up being such a loser is depressing. I mean, god damn.”

You punctuate your barbs with the driest, most condescending tone you can muster.

And it works like a charm, pissing him off so hard that he throws his machine-gun at the wall. Just to put a little sprinkle on top, you rummage around in your pockets and find a rock that must’ve worked its way in while you were skirmishing outside the dig site.

You put it to good use by chucking it and bouncing it off his head. When you see the look of stunned rage on his / your face, it’s all you can do to avoid breaking down laughing at him.

Seems that was the straw to break the psychotic camel’s back, as he gets his bearings and charges at you, summoning a Claw of his own.

Now that you’ve got him in a frothing rage, what’s the next move?

You…

> Wait for him to get in close, then sucker punch him with the Claw. All’s fair in love and war.

> Start shooting at him. He’s angry and making stupid decisions, you can’t ask for more.

> Just keep taunting him, it looks like he’s going to stroke out at this rate. Looks like you’ve found a sensitive spot.

> Hit him with a spell. (Specify)

> Other?

>>5071010
> Just keep taunting him, it looks like he’s going to stroke out at this rate. Looks like you’ve found a sensitive spot.
Death by insult. This will be a new one. I want to see if it's even possibly to kill someone via stroke.

>>5071010
>> Just keep taunting him, it looks like he’s going to stroke out at this rate. Looks like you’ve found a sensitive spot.

>>5071010
> Just keep taunting him, it looks like he’s going to stroke out at this rate. Looks like you’ve found a sensitive spot.
King of shit-talkers

>>5071018
>>5071026
>>5071029

Looks like a moderate amount of trolling has been chosen.

Roll me some 1d100s+20, same as before.

DC: 90

(If you crit, I'm going to lose my mind.)

Rolled 23 + 20 (1d100 + 20)

>>5071031
No crits today.

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Rolled 94 + 20 (1d100 + 20)

>>5071031
please dice gods, just this once. One solid.

Rolled 4 (1d100)

>>5071031
Hey, I remember this quest.

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>>5071035
>>5071031
>>5071033
SAY IT WITH ME LADS!
CUM IS STORED IN THE BALLS!

>>5071033
>>5071035
>>5071036
Oh shit, we're getting fucking chokeslammed at this rate

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>>5071035
PRAISE BE

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>>5071041
YOU SEE!? THE GODS STILL FAVOR ME!

>>5071033
>>5071035
>>5071036

Success! Writing, probably the second last or last post for tonight.

>>5071050

At a certain point, you’ve almost gotta feel sorry for the guy. Getting this riled up over some light bantering has to be a sign of serious emotional turmoil.

When you offer up this opinion verbally, and far less sympathetically, he takes your diagnosis poorly. So poorly, that he bodily charges through several workstations in an attempt to reach you faster and presumably maul you.

You lead him on a merry chase around the offices, keeping just enough distance to comfortably fling insults, but close enough that he doesn’t wisen up and stop pursuing you.

And boy, he is definitely not in a good mood.

He tears through the station like a rabid animal, smashing desks, putting holes in the wall, just doing everything in his power to get a solid hit to connect.

Unfortunately for him, his anger is the type that makes people send threatening emails to government officials then be surprised when they get blackbagged and dragged off. In other words, it makes them sloppy as all hell.

His reflexes are at the least equivalent to yours, but he consistently misses by a country mile, too preoccupied with your various musings about what a terminal failure he is.

Now that he’s good and truly seeing red, what’s the next step?

You…

> Bring out the Claw and give him a metaphorical spanking. Time to finally see if he can put his money where his mouth is.

> Just pump him full of lead and call it a day. At this point, he’s just embarrassing you.

> What’s the harm of needling him just a bit more? (Include some kind of joke or one-liner to use if you actually make him stroke out.)

> Hit him with a spell. (Specify.)

> Other?


(I'm not going to lie, this is not the direction I envisioned this fight taking. Good work anons, this is fun to write.)

>>5071070
>> Other?
Make him swing into a reinforced wall, and get his arm stuck. Then walk out the front door.

>>5071070
>Bring out the Claw and give him a metaphorical spanking. Time to finally see if he can put his money where his mouth is.

THE CLAAAAAAAAW

>>5071070
> Bring out the Claw and give him a metaphorical spanking. Time to finally see if he can put his money where his mouth is.

>>5071070

> Bring out the Claw and give him a metaphorical spanking. Time to finally see if he can put his money where his mouth is.
It's time

>>5071070
> What’s the harm of needling him just a bit more? (Include some kind of joke or one-liner to use if you actually make him stroke out.)
Can't take a joke? Careful now or you might slip up.
Proceed to slip the water cooler or cup of liquids at his feet so he literally slips. Throw more liquids so he keeps slipping and falling.

>>5071074
>>5071084
>>5071085

Looks like battering him with the Claw wins.

Roll me some 1d100s+10

DC: 40

OOOOH shiet what is thiS? We back!?

Rolled 50 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>5071091

Rolled 48 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>5071091
NOICE

Rolled 41 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>5071091
crit?

>>5071095
Yup, we back.

Rolled 74 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>5071091
darn. no insults?

>>5071097
>>5071099
>>5071100

Average rolls, but a success nonetheless. Writing.

>>5071095
We back.

>>5071103
I'll see if I can throw in a couple anyways.

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>>5071106

While you really want to see if you can actually manage to stop a man’s heart via concentrated ego death, you reluctantly acknowledge that you’re just toying with him at this point.

It’d be better for all parties involved if you just brought out the Claw, met him tit-for-tat, and wiped the floor with his psycho ass.

Doesn’t mean that you can’t be irritating while still throttling him though.

Case in point.

After a bit more harassment, you maneuver him into the perfect position, parking yourself directly in front of a reinforced wall.

When he throws a wild haymaker intended to take your head off, you practically dance out of the way. While you were just hoping that the impact would stun him a little for a follow-up, to your delight he gets his Clawed arm stuck in said wall.

Never one to abandon a golden opportunity, you summon the Claw, and land the first actual hit of the fight, a crushing uppercut that flings him back across the office.

To his credit, he manages to get back on his feet after a shot like that. Guess it might be a little harder to ring his bell than you thought.

Despite his toughness, he’s still dumb as a sack of rocks due to his rage. When you subtly maneuver him towards a destroyed water cooler, he doesn’t realize the danger until well after the fact, losing his footing and going down hard.

You’re quick to take advantage, kicking him a few times when he’s down before being driven back.

After that display of ineptitude, the fight degenerates into a war of attrition. Unfortunately for him you’ve got a lot more gas in the tank. Guess he’s finally figured out that throwing random combinations at every single potential opening isn’t really a winning strategy, but it’s far too late by now.

He’s practically hamstrung defensively, and you begin to dismantle him piece by piece, landing bodyblow after bodyblow. Near the end, he’s barely standing on his own two feet.

Victory is yours for the taking, you just have to finish it.

You finish him off with a…

> Chokeslam out the window.

> Flying knee to the face.

> Powerbomb through a table.

> Bone-shattering haymaker.

> Other?


(This is just for flavor, no rolling necessary)

>>5071123
> Other?
Throw heavy officer furniture at him. Staplers, pencils, a computer monitor. Everything. It's gonna be funny.

>>5071123
>> Powerbomb through a table.
>then Tea bag him

>>5071123
> Powerbomb through a table.

>>5071123
As entertaining as it would be to try and camel clutch him into submission or just bonk his head down into his body like that one Doom glory kill, I'm gonna say powerbomb.

>>5071137
...Additional note, does it reflect badly on us that we're having as much fun with this fight as he did with the police station?

>>5071133
>>5071135
>>5071137

Looks like powerbombing him wins. Writing.

Unfortunately, no teabagging.

>>5071140
no. we're in the right because we've turned a killer chase into a Saturday morning cartoon chase.

>>5071140
No because we aren't a dipshit unlike this guy, nor are we a literal kicking can.

>>5071140
Not really, if anything he's technically stronger than you, he's just also really bad about leveraging it.

>>5071143
A perfect summary.

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>>5071141
>no T bagging
WHYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Also, that picture was from thread 4

>>5071151
I say we shoved a piss and shit stained pair of boxers in his mouth. you know because you piss and shit when you die or something.

>>5071156
whoa there. remember we are in a mental screwy trap and doing shit like this could fuck us up.

>>5071151
Lets compromise, We grab a dead cop and have them t-bag his face with the pants off.

>>5071168
I can accept this

>>5071141

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2Bitn3-8UE

Time to end this.

While he’s still dazed and confused, you drive your armored knee deeply in his gut. Even though his own armor probably blocked some of the force, it’s still more than enough to stagger him.

Now that he’s doubled over, you take the liberty of lifting him backwards unto your shoulders, before carrying him over to one of the few unshattered desks.

Once properly positioned, he’s treated to a powerbomb with all the considerable force you can muster, leaving him a moaning shell of a man writhing on the floor.

For a moment, the thought enters your head that maybe you’ve been bullying him a bit too far. Then you remember the fact that this fucker swept a whole police station, possibly for the fun of it.

Nah, he had this coming. Honestly, if this was supposed to be another “fight your darkest reflections” thing like the last trial, they need better material. Unless the point of it was “learn to take a joke pal,” in which case they nailed it. Food for thought, nonetheless.

Before you can finish pondering the various indignities you could further inflict on your pitiful opponent, you’re treated to another phantom migraine that transports you back to the Scroll room.

Given that you’ve passed the last hurdle, it seems like the remainder of your mission is smooth sailing. Now that you’ve gotten a closer look, turns out there’s actually five Scrolls, all of which you pocket.

Mission accomplished, time to head home. Of course, you could always sneak a peek first. Might learn something valuable for your ever-increasing magical arsenal.

You…

> Just leave. No sense in tempting forces beyond your understanding.

> Read one of them. You’re not exactly a novice anymore, you can probably handle it.

> Other?

>>5071172

(That's all for tonight folks, hope you enjoyed the ride. Next session is Friday at 5:00 EST. I'll try to remember to add it to the pastebin. As always, I'll be lurking nearby for a while, so feel free to ask questions, call me a talentless hack, or just shoot the shit. Thanks for playing. It's good to be back.)

>>5071172
> Other?

Can we take pictures or transcribe some of the stuff on the walls onto paper? Maybe draw some of the art and detailed icons on the walls?

>>5071175
Sure, you've got a camera. I will make you roll for drawing it though.

Rolled 61 (1d100)

>>5071176

File: Spoiler Image (15 KB, 400x400)

15 KB PNG

Rolled 35 (1d100)

>>5071176
Well if we have a camera....

This is what he drew

Rolled 61 (1d100)

>>5071176
Then we leave

>>5071181
>>5071183
>>5071189

Alright, it's a pretty good drawing. Make sure to vote on whether or not to read a Scroll though.

I'll close that particular vote when the next session starts.

>>5071172
>> Just leave. No sense in tempting forces beyond your understanding.

>>5071172
> Just leave. No sense in tempting forces beyond your understanding
Leave before we have to fight dream Batman and he takes us to dream jail.

Glad to have you back and running Axis. Good start back IMO

>>5071201

Thanks, anon. I was a little apprehensive about it, but I'm glad to back in the saddle again.

>>5071204
Interlude when?

>>5071172
>Just leave. No sense in tempting forces beyond your understanding.
Good to see you again.

>>5071204
>Just leave

>>5071205
Very funny. As much as I enjoy interludes, that'll have to wait until something more important happens. Don't worry, I've got some irons in the fire.

>>5071206
Thanks, anon. I probably sound like a broken record at this point, but I'm glad to see you lot again.

Now I'm really wondering if maybe we could have caused Reeeetard us to have had an aneurysm and die from the taunting. His blood pressure must have been through the roof, and the mad ghost in the glove certainly wasn't helping him out.

>>5071232
It looked like we could had. We were so close, but other anons chickened out and wanted to go for a powerbomb.

>>5071241
To be fair a good powerbomb is pretty hype. Doubly so if it's the capstone to a double-suplex combo.

>>5071241
It was basically bullying at that point. Like baiting a special-ed kid into doing something stupid.

>>5071172
>> Just leave. No sense in tempting forces beyond your understanding.
Very tempting though

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Henchman

Archive for lurkers and others who dont know what this is

If there’s one thing that you’ve learned via your flash-in-the-pan style of magic training, it’s that biting off more than you can chew carries some hefty penalties. Hell, you’ve managed to summon some kind of portal by bungling something as simple as practicing your Greek. Don’t want to find out what might happen if you cock up something immensely powerful.

While the possibility of getting to strengthen your magical muscles is enticing, you’ve seen firsthand the consequences of getting a bit too experimental with it.

You shudder a little just thinking about it. Rockwell, that nutcase you tangled with back in Gotham, let it go to his head, and look where it got him.

However, that doesn’t mean to say that the option is forever off the table. Maybe in the future, once you’ve more carefully vetted the risks and potential gains of reading the Scrolls, you’ll reconsider.

To that end, you take a number of pictures of the writings on the wall, just in case Jack can understand anything you missed.

In the name of being thorough, you also do some quick sketches of the various symbols and markings that crop up frequently. Most of them seem to be random scribblings, but a handful look to be a bastardized variation of the Wheel of Hecate. Instead of having the traditional star in the center, it’s got a cross of some kind instead.

You note the difference, just in case it ever matters.

As you finish documenting you, you idly wonder if you could convert this place into a safe house of sorts.

With a bit of sprucing up, this wouldn’t be a half-bad European base of operations. It’s got magical defenses, plenty of space, and it’s well camouflaged.

Of course, the only potential downside is that Intergang might come sniffing around at some point, once their recon and excavation teams fail to report back.

You could probably think up a few countermeasures to mitigate those risks though, if you’re so inclined.

Then again, it may just be safer to blow this place to kingdom come, just in case you’ve missed something that Intergang’s looking for.

In the end, you decide to…

> Use the library as a base. Could make for a decent bolthole / sanctuary if the heat ever gets too much to handle.

> Use the blasting charges you stole from the dig site to permanently block the entrance on your way out. No point in leaving anything that Intergang might want.

> Talk to that scribe spirit and see if there’s some way to magically seal the door behind you. Might come in handy if you ever need to come back.

> Other?

>>5072809
>> Talk to that scribe spirit and see if there’s some way to magically seal the door behind you. Might come in handy if you ever need to come back.
Also tell him what to expect incase Intergang breaches the door. Also ask if he wants some food or maybe a television to watch shit.

I'll leave the vote open for another 10 minutes since it's the start of the session, then lock it in.

>>5072809
>Talk to that scribe spirit and see if there’s some way to magically seal the door behind you. Might come in handy if you ever need to come back.
Missed the 1st session, but glad to have you back boss

>>5072818
>>5072836

Roll me some 1d100s.

DC: 60 / 80 / 100

Rolled 57 (1d100)

>>5072843
> Talk to that scribe spirit and see if there’s some way to magically seal the door behind you. Might come in handy if you ever need to come back.
if he says yes then
> Use the library as a base. Could make for a decent bolthole / sanctuary if the heat ever gets too much to handle.

(i swear if get a 1 i will crush my balls)

Rolled 12 (1d100)

>>5072843

Rolled 19 (1d100)

>>5072843

>>5072849
>>5072854
>>5072857

That's a failure. Would you like to use Roll the Die for another attempt?

> Yes.

> No.

(I'll leave this open for 10 - 15 minutes to keep things moving.)

>>5072860
>Y
never anger a wraith

>>5072867

Alright, give me some more d100s, same as before.

Rolled 56 (1d100)

>>5072872

Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>5072872

Rolled 66 (1d100)

>>5072872
Suffer

>>5072881
>>5072876
>>5072883

That's a minor success, writing.

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>>5072884

Before you make any hasty decisions about retrofitting this place into a safehouse or something similar, it’d be wiser to see if you could adequately secure it.

Regrettably, most of your magical toolbox is used for causing bodily harm, magical protection is a bit out of your wheelhouse.

Maybe that scribe spirit knows a bit more about it, hopefully there’s some built-in security that’ll save you from doing all the legwork.

When you head back to the entrance, it immediately beelines towards you.

“The Scrolls!” It murmurs, almost reverently.

Shit. Hopefully it doesn’t have a problem with you taking them.

“You need not worry. The Scrolls were always meant to be shepherded from this place, the fact that you could retrieve them means that they are yours to take.”

That’s a relief. But now, onto business.

> “I have reason to worry that enemies of mine may attempt to break into this sanctum. Do you know of any way that I could improve its defenses?”

In lieu of an answer, the wraith circles you like a tiger circling its prey.

“You possess the spark of the enlightened. Perhaps it may be enough.” It says, neutrally.

“When you take your leave, merely channel your will into the entrance, and instruct it to remain locked. But take heed. All locks can be broken, and by my reckoning you are merely a fledgeling. A sufficiently determined foe may still manage to shatter these wards.”

> “And if they were successful in breaking in?”

The wraith gives a nasty little chuckle.

“They will be….greatly inconvenienced.”

> “Good to know. Before I head out, you need anything? Some food, a TV, anything to help pass the time? It’s got to get awfully boring down here.”

“I am content as I am. However, should you ever return, know that I would enjoy learning more about your world. The pursuit of knowledge is both eternal and impossible to satiate.”

> “I’ll keep that in mind.”


(CONTINUED)

>>5072914

When you exit, you do as the spirit instructed and mentally order the stone slab back into place. After nothing happens, you start to feel a bit stupid. Upon giving it a much firmer command, the slab begins to slowly force itself back into its originally sealed position.

Hopefully that’ll be enough to keep Intergang from getting further in.

Now that you’re back to breathing fresh air, it’s time to do a quick inventory of your spoils.

When you raided the general section, you managed to find a couple useful scrolls. The first looks to be a basic primer on how to speak and write Ancient Greek. Should prove to be a useful supplement to your education on that front.

The other, seems to be less of a text and more of an instructional manual of sorts. After you quiz Pandion about it, he identifies it as Pankration. According to him, it’s basically a nasty mix of wrestling and boxing. Always nice to have more options.

> You’ve acquired: Language Primer. (Greek)

> You’ve acquired: Strength of Olympus. (Pankration)

And then there’s the spoils you’ve managed to liberate from Intergang. Apart from the cache of conventional weapons and ammo, there’s also a pair of armored suits.

They’re similar to the armor you currently wear, albeit a little lighter. Those are definitely going into storage for now.

Plenty of Intergang intel too, some chatter about their dirty dealings, a few encoded files on something marked ENDBRINGER, and most promisingly; a list of Intergang black sites / holdings throughout Europe.

Could make a pretty penny if you sold the info to Index, or you could use it to hammer their operations yourself. Either way, this oughta be a nice kick in the ass for them.

What do you want to do with the conventional Intergang weapons?

Your plan is to…

> Store the lion’s share of it in the library, never hurts to have a covert weapons cache. If you’re ever stuck in the region, could be the difference between life or death.

> Get in touch with the local criminal element and use it to strike a bargain. If you play your cards right, you could kickstart some skirmishes against Intergang, or buy yourself some informants.

> See if Jack’s willing to cart it back to the mansion. Could be useful for outfitting your own forces, if that day should ever come.

> Other?

>>5072916
> See if Jack’s willing to cart it back to the mansion. Could be useful for outfitting your own forces, if that day should ever come.

I would recommend using the libary as a safe house after some time has passed because Intergang is going to send someone to look for the team we just destroyed and they are going to check the library with smarter and more powerful agents but once they find nothing they will abandon the place

>>5072916
>> See if Jack’s willing to cart it back to the mansion. Could be useful for outfitting your own forces, if that day should ever come.

>>5072925
>>5072926

Carting it back home wins, writing.

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>>5072916
>sees the thread name
>DC: Henchman Quest #10
>no, that can't be right
>sees the the OP name
>AxisQM
>holly shit, guess Christmas came early this year

I saw your post about the board slowing, anon. It's fine if I have to slow down a little, I just didn't want to get bogged down. Just figured a couple votes for something of meh importance was enough.

>>5072932

Feels good to be back.

>>5072942
sorry qm im an indecisive fellow at times

>>5072916
> Get in touch with the local criminal element and use it to strike a bargain. If you play your cards right, you could kickstart some skirmishes against Intergang, or buy yourself some informants.


Cash money now. Saving it for the future < using it to make the future.

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>>5072916

After careful contemplation, you decide to just supplement your stockpile back at the mansion.

It’s easily the safest option, trying to cut a deal with some local scumbags you have no real knowledge about could easily backfire. Honestly, they could probably just take whatever you offer, then sell you out to Intergang the second you turn your back.

The library isn’t feasible either, the defenses still aren’t strong enough for you to be comfortable stashing equipment in it.

No, building your reserves back home makes the most sense.

Now that you’ve got that settled, you ping Jack using your comms sigil and give him your location.

Not long after, he teleports in and you hand over the Scrolls.

“Good work, Sean. Seems that you’ve been a bit busy.” Jack says, spotting the numerous corpses littered throughout the dig site.

You shrug your shoulders.

> “Nothing too big, just Intergang poking their noses where it doesn’t belong. Again. Starting to become a real pain in the ass.”

“That’s….concerning. Sooner or later they’re going to start putting the pieces together.”

> “Not this time at least. Managed to nail everybody here, did a bit of scavenging too. Mind giving me a hand getting it back home?”

“Not at all.”

The pair of you bucket brigade the stolen gear back to the mansion and get it done quick, just in case reinforcements got summoned. Overall, you’ve got quite the war chest going. Not to mention those armored suits, might be perfect for that pair of defectors you’ve taken under your wing.

Once they prove themselves, of course.

After getting everything properly checked and stored, the sun’s fading below the horizon.

Feels good to be back in Gotham, cesspool that it may be. You hear a polite double knock on your door, followed by Jack’s voice.

“Now that we’re out of that ghastly heat, how about we have a proper chat about the mission?”

> “Sounds good.”

The pair of you settle into the parlor.

“I would’ve preferred that we celebrate at the Oblivion Bar, but I’m afraid that’d be a bit too risky just for a night of carousing. What with the gang war and all.”

> “Any developments on that front while I was out?”

“Still deadlocked, I’m afraid. Penguin has more men and more money. Bane has better men and more weapons. Sprinkle in the small-timers looking to advance their positions, and things get murky fast. But enough of my ramblings, how’d it go?”

You…

> Give him a carefully edited version of events, keeping your personal issues out of it. You got in, death with some mystic bullshit, found the Scrolls, and got out.

> Tell him most of what happened in there, but spin it like it didn’t bother you. Jack’s got his own problems to deal with, no sense in burdening him.

> Tell him everything that happened. Jack’s put a lot of trust in you, the right thing would be to reciprocate.

> Other?

>>5072950
>> Tell him everything that happened. Jack’s put a lot of trust in you, the right thing would be to reciprocate.
Ghostbro deserves it

>>5072950
> Tell him everything that happened. Jack’s put a lot of trust in you, the right thing would be to reciprocate.
He is our best friend.

>>5072950
>> Tell him everything that happened. Jack’s put a lot of trust in you, the right thing would be to reciprocate.

>>5072954
>>5072956
>>5072959

Calling it for telling ghostbro Jack the details, writing.

>>5072960

Part of you wants to just bury everything nasty you saw in a deep hole to be forgotten.

But if there’s anyone you can trust in this world, it’s Jack.

So you tell him the whole thing, even the parts you’re secretly ashamed of.

At first, you keep things mostly detail-oriented, mentioning the photos and drawings you took of the Scrolls’ resting place.

But then, you start getting the real problems off your chest.

About the fight at the dig site, and how you executed the cowardly Intergang commander. How in hindsight, he reminded you of the gutless cowards that spent lives like they were nothing greater than pieces on a board.

You tell him old war stories about your unit, about how you used to be a true believer in something greater than yourself.

At first, you practically have to force yourself to speak. But once you power through the initial worries, it’s as if the dam breaks.

You tell Jack about the canyon, how you were forced to fight the vengeful remnants of your past. That you still blame yourself, even now. And that in order to secure the Scrolls, you had to defeat a monstrous reflection of yourself. The part that sticks with you is that you could almost see how it happened.

Had you been pulled out of the gutter by somebody nastier than Jack, you could’ve become something truly awful.

And what does that make you, if the only demarcation between you and that is that you were more fortunate?

After you finish speaking, you’re struck with a heavy dose of self-loathing. Christ, Jack asked for a debriefing, not to be your goddamn armchair psychiatrist.

> “I shouldn’t have dumped all that on you, Jack. Sorry if I-“

“Shut up, and don’t move. I’ll be back shortly.” Jack states, before porting away.

A minute or so later, he returns, carrying a bottle filled with amber liquid. There used to be a label on it, but it appears to have worn off due to age.

Jack pours you a large glass, as well as one for himself.

“Now, you listen and listen good. Never apologize for sharing your concerns with me. And I’ll tell you something else. The fact that you have these doubts and regrets is proof that you’re not some glorified monster or hatchet man. You’re not perfect, Sean, but that’s still better than most. Now drink your damned scotch.”

The pair of you settle into a comfortable silence, interrupted only by the occasional refill and some of Jack’s tales about his travels.

You stumble off to bed, thoroughly inebriated. For the first time in a long time, you sleep soundly.

>>5072989

In the morning, Jack whips up breakfast while you catch up on the most recent headlines. Looks like Penguin’s been throwing a hell of a temper tantrum after you torched the Iceberg Lounge.

Jack informs you that he’ll be busy tinkering with the Scrolls for today, so it looks like you’ve got a free day to train.

You decide to… (Pick 4, feel free to double up on an activity)

> Practice a spell. (Specify)

> Try and learn a new spell. (Specify Nature)

> Try and get an elemental combination down. (Specify Natures to mix)

> Read something from your library (Specify the book(s), they’re in the pastebin if you need to check em.)

> Other? (Subject to QM veto)

>>5072990
> Practice a spell.
Lightnig

> Practice a spell.
fire bolt

> Try and get an elemental combination down.
Lighting and fire.
goddamit the dice gods have cucked us too many times on this one

> Other?
Meet up with Bongo and see if he has pointers to being a PI.
I remembered the plan about opening a PI company for magic. also ask him on his opinion doing so.

>>5072990
>Read Language Primer (Greek)
>Read On What is Contained in Silver
>Practice a spell (Storm Bolt)
>Try and get an elemental combination down (Fire and Chaos)

>>5072990
>> Practice a spell. (Specify)
I'd like to train shadow cloak if possible. If not then fire bolt.

> Try and learn a new spell. (Specify Nature)
I'd also like to try and get a spell out of Storm nature. Maybe something like an EMP or a way to force electronics to function.

> Read something from your library (Specify the book(s), they’re in the pastebin if you need to check em.)
And I'd like to read The Exterminator's Cookbook and the Strength of Olympus books.

This feels like a good point to take a quick break and get something to eat, I'll close the vote / roll a tie breaker if needed once I return.

>>5072990
>> Read something from your library
Tobin’s Spirit Guide
> Read something from your library
Strength of Olympus
> Practice a spell.
Lightning Bolt
> Other?
In movies and books there's always some pompous fool or organization that stumbles across a powerful artifact without realizing what they have. You wonder if the Gotham Library has any rare books that are even rarer than they know...

I also want to see if our favorite redhead is working there. Been forever since we've seen her.

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>>5072998
alright now that hes gone, batgirl is best girl

>>5072997
+1

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>>5073000
Barbara a Cute

>>5073004
Barbara a having knee pain and aches later in life.

If she gets Joker'd how do you think Sean would feel? It's one thing to try and give someone a bum leg but taking out their spine? Bit much.

>>5073008
Probrobly would say, "that crazy clown needs to be put down", and in reguards to her, "A damn shame"

>>5073008
Depends, if we just know her as a semi-rival, we wouldn't know unless we taunt Robin about her disappearance and he lets something slip. But if we work with her as Dresden/Thema, we might arrange for the clown to catch lead if we like decide she isn't the worst.

>>5073010
I think our current relationship could be called a rivalry. We beat her two times, managed to avoid being recognized when she caught us during our ritual interuption.

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i would love to see the reaction of everyone once they found out that Sean is Gunsmoke, Adjutant Tango,Dresden, etc
Also we are becoming the closest thing to an equal in mind games of this fucker

>>5073013
It is, but a minor one. We have yet to reach the vaunted Killer Moth levels of archenemy-ness. We're making good progress though.

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>>5073016
>tfw half the criminals in gotham are somehow the same guy

>>5073016
We havent used A. T. for anything yet.

>>5073019
I predict a relationship raise in about 3 threads

>>5073010
>we might arrange for the clown to catch lead if we like decide she isn't the worst.
If we ever get a chance to kill the clown, I will support it 100%

Alright, let's see if I can do basic arithmetic.

3 votes for Lightning Bolt
3 votes to read Strength of Olympus
2 votes for Shadow Cloak
2 votes for a new Storm training
2 votes to read the Exterminator's Cookbook.

As a gift and to save from doing a convoluted tiebreaker, I'll lump the 2 books together and count them as one.

Roll me some d100s for Lightning Bolt training.

DC: 50 / 70 / 90

>>5073021
We havent used A. T. for anything yet.
YET
(i think A. T. would be useful for infiltration,assassination,protection,etc of wealthy clients/targets)

Rolled 99 (1d100)

>>5073023
Actually come to think of it, what do you think Joker would think of Sean? Sean isn't a bad guy. But he's willing to do serious bad things. Dances by the beat of his own drum.

I think he'd hate us.

>>5073027
Big money

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Rolled 67 (1d100)

>>5073027

Rolled 5 (1d100)

>>5073027
here you go boss

>>5073029

Something tells me that Sean would steal his punchline. He HATES that.

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>>5073029
Beautiful...

>>5073029
>>5073032
>>5073033

That's an excellent success, go ahead and roll me some 2d100s for the books while I get a writing. I'll mix it into the next update.

Remember, that's 2d100s, not 1d100.

Olympus DC: 60 / 80 / 100
Exterminator's Cookbook DC: 40 / 55 / 70

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>>5073029
Neat

>>5073034
Fastest way to piss of a clown.

>>5073029
I think Sean will hate him as much or more than traitors for the simple fact of everything that the Joker has done and represents.

Rolled 58, 16 = 74 (2d100)

>>5073040

Rolled 51, 68 = 119 (2d100)

>>5073040

Rolled 73, 98 = 171 (2d100)

>>5073040
In the words of the great reverend father Uncle Ruckus; Read nigga

>>5073042
Yeah just the casual disregard for his comrades and subordinates alone is immediate hate grounds.

Rolled 98, 48 = 146 (2d100)

>>5073021
>I predict a relationship raise in about 3 threads
I mean, I tried to get us to chat with her off-duty
>>5073040
Rollin'

>>5073044
>>5073046
>>5073048

That's a minor success, and excellent success respectively. Writing, more rolling to come. Feel free to speculate as to what comes next, it sustains me.

>>5073048
+ the fact that he deliberately seeks the innocent and the vulnerable to cause as much pain or suffering posible on everyone involved when he wants to play a "prank" on Batman / Gotham

>>5073052
>Feel free to speculate as to what comes next,
Gauntlet ghost is going to be happy we're learning the classics. We learn that ghosts truly don't have a nervous system. Sean gets a call from Bird and hears about a new batch of armored cars that just came on sale. A bird is watching.

>>5073055
Yeaaahhh kind of a deal breaker with any relationship really. Unless you're totally psychotic like Zsasz. Or lacking in empathy like Ra's.

Hey there's an idea, let's go gun down Zsasz.

>>5073052
>Feel free to speculate as to what comes next
Short term? More criminal work with Bane, poker night with Bobo, Jason Blood, Zatara, Enchantress, and Nightshade, the creation of another persona, fun with Barbara.

Long-term feels more like Barbatos, the Court, and a No-Man's-Land arc.

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>>5073029
Godly anon

>>5073060
What I like about our various personas is how they all have different MOs. Utilizing the various tools we have. While not wholly necessary is it just super neat.

>>5073052
It's been a while, so I can't quite remember all the irons we've got in the fire... But in the immediate future, since the gang war is still going on and Bane doesn't want to use us for it for opsec purposes, either more out of town work, maybe some strikes of opportunity in the city, or just getting our house in order and tying up whatever loose ends we've got lying around.

>>5073057
>Hey there's an idea, let's go gun down Zsasz.
i support this if we deliver a stupid 1 liner before we blow his brains

>>5073052
We find a hidden answer key in the back of the book

>>5073068
How stupid do you want it?

>Mark this
or
>You brought a knife to a gun fight

What was that old Bruce Lee adage?

I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 spells once, but I fear the man who has practiced one spell 10,000 times.

Something like that. Either way, the principle is sound. While your storm powers are easily the trickiest, that’s no excuse for not refining your techniques.

You head out into the forested thicket surrounding the mansion to work on refining your lightning bolt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcByktP-mdE

It’s slow going at first, until you’re struck with inspiration. You’ve been trying to push the lightning out of your palms, what if you found a path of less resistance?

With some tinkering, you discover that generating the energy within, then allowing it a path to exert itself allows you to generate far more voltage at an equivalent cost.

When you zap an old oak tree, testing out your new discovery, you split it right down the middle.

Yeah, that’s never going to get old.

> Spell Improved: Lightning Bolt: A bolt of electricity. Capable of putting down an elephant.

After flexing your magical muscles for a while, it’s best to let them rest and work on your actual muscles.

Unfortunately, the training manual on Pankration is more difficult to utilize than you thought. Your Greek is still a bit spotty, but thankfully Pandion chimes in with his knowledge of the subject to give you a more stable foundation.

At the very least, you get to work on the various forms and takedowns endemic to the style. If you had a partner, that’d make it easier, but Genghis is in a bolthole of his own somewhere.

> Fighting Style Unlocked: Pankration: +10 to unarmed combat rolls when grappling, striking, or dirty fighting.

After your workout, you relax with a nice, cozy treatise on how to how to mix poisons.

Nothing like learning about deadly poisons, their counteragents, and the process of manufacturing both those things. Maybe you could start a garden for ingredients at some point. Never had much of a green thumb, but things change after all.

Gonna need to find more books though, should you wish to improve your skill further.

> Skill Unlocked: Medicine Man: +20 to rolls involving the manufacture of poisons, the manufacture of antidotes, and identifying / detecting poisons.

Roll me some 1d100s to train Shadow Cloak.

DC: 75 / 85 / 95

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>>5073052
Short term we are going to be doing jobs outside Gotham
Long term we are going to deal with the scum of Gotham, we are probably going to have an encounter with the SCP Foundation and we are going to have our revenge on the fuckers that betrayed us and after that i'm unsure

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>5073072
The dice will decide

Rolled 19 (1d100)

>>5073077
Lets go

Rolled 2 (1d100)

>>5073077
The dark is our ally

Rolled 50 (1d100)

>>5073077
What about "I guess this settles our score"? Kind of doesn't work if we don't have a score to settle, though.

oh no

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>>5073082
My luck has been used. Noted.

Well I guess we haven't managed to make a permanent cloak of night to keep us safe. Dang.

>>5073081
>>5073082
>>5073083

That's a failure, go ahead and roll me a set of 1d100s+10 for a new Storm spell.

DC: 80 / 90 / 100

>>5073080
>>5073081
>>5073082
holy shit. two near crit 1s. clearly we have wronged the dice gods somehow.

Rolled 25 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>5073089

Rolled 7 (1d100)

>>5073089
>>5073090
They are fickle and capricious. It is known.

Rolled 58 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>5073089

>>5073092
>>5073093
>>5073095

Another failure. All part of the process, at least it wasn't a critfail. Last update of the night, coming up.

Rolled 96 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>5073089
captcha pls give me something I can read. I swear I am not a machine.

>>5073099
too late.

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>>5073099
Man fuck you captcha.

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>>5073099
>>5073100
>>5073103
>mfw

>>5073097

Despite a couple setbacks, you’re feeling a little cocky when you start working on your afternoon training.

Maybe that’s what proved to be your undoing.

You try to work on a Shadow Cloak that can survive for a limited time during the day, but to no avail. When it feels like you’re just banging your head against the wall fruitlessly, you just scrap that idea for now.

Frustrated, you start trying to unlock a new Storm-natured spell.

Turns out, that’s entirely the wrong frame of mind. The irritation saps your willpower, keeping you from breaking the limit required to ascend further.

You can practically taste it, but you just can’t muster up the strength to pull it off.

Dejectedly, you throw in the towel and go watch some TV.

At least you got lightning bolt to work right.

While slowly and surely killing your brain cells with evening television, you get a sigil ping from Jack.

Looks like whatever he’s been doing with the Scrolls has borne fruit, but it’ll take a few weeks before he can organize another expedition.

Until then, you’re given carte blanche to pursue your own interests for the time being.

How would you like to occupy your time?

> Set seemed interested in going on a road trip, that could be fun. Of course, you will be hanging out with a literal God of Chaos, so it’s bound to be interesting.

> The Academy that the Executive has offered you a spot at sounds like an intriguing prospect. Jack has been yammering that you should expand your horizons and meet new people, what better place than a school?

> When you first told Batgirl that you were a private investigator, the idea was laughable. But after letting the idea swirl around in your brain for a while, maybe it’s worth giving a try.

> You’ve got a list of Intergang black sites and holdings scattered throughout Europe. This seems like the perfect time to kick in some doors and sow some fear.


(A brief explanation of your choices)

- Roadtrip with Set: You’ll be cruising around the Middle East, basically doing a lads tour of Alexander the Great’s conquests. Plenty of flexibility, lots of places to choose from.

- Academy: After some thought, I’ve done a slight retcon to just use H.I.V.E Academy. Saves me a boatload of work, among other things. You’ll have a number of classes to pick from, as well as extracurriculars. Stat gains are not guaranteed, you’ll still have to work for some of them.

- Private Investigator: You’ll have the option to either be a mundane gumshoe, one that specializes in the paranormal, or a glorified thug with a fancy title. Heavy on noir.

- Intergang Smashing: You’ll be raiding Intergang black sites and holdings scattered all throughout Europe. Heavy on political intrigue and espionage.

>>5073116

That's all for the night folks, next session is Monday at 5:00 PM EST.

This vote decides what we'll be focusing on for quite some time, so feel free to ask questions if you need anything clarified. Vote closes when the next session begins.

As always, I'll be hanging around for a while.

>>5073116
> Set seemed interested in going on a road trip, that could be fun. Of course, you will be hanging out with a literal God of Chaos, so it’s bound to be interesting.

>>5073116
>> When you first told Batgirl that you were a private investigator, the idea was laughable. But after letting the idea swirl around in your brain for a while, maybe it’s worth giving a try.
BEGIN THE PERSONACRAFTING

>>5073116
>Set seemed interested in going on a road trip, that could be fun. Of course, you will be hanging out with a literal God of Chaos, so it’s bound to be interesting.
You can never go wrong with a road trip! Although I would've preferred infiltrating HIVE with Set...

>>5073116
>> When you first told Batgirl that you were a private investigator, the idea was laughable. But after letting the idea swirl around in your brain for a while, maybe it’s worth giving a try.

>>5073118
What did the number batgirl give us do?

>>5073116
>Roadtrip with Set

>>5073116
Actually shit these are all good choices. Part of me wants to go out and do supernatural P.I. stuff. We could hang out with Bobo and maybe run in with the Bat family on less violent terms.

On the other hand going to H.I.V.E. and just being a grown-ass menace would be pretty great, too. Lots of interesting characters you can find in there.

But on the other OTHER hand we could do a intercontinental pub crawl with an honest to goodness deity. Who knows what kind of crazy shit you'll get up to like that.

And even though it might seem the most basic, being able to cut lose and smash and grab places that have dosh ranging from supernatural doodads to genuine alien gizmos and everything in between feeds the lootwhore in us all.

>>5073129

I think I know what you're talking about. Back during the Rockwell stuff?

She didn't really give us a number, just requested that we call the GCPD and coordinate something with Batman and Co. if more demon stuff popped up.

>>5073138
Ah okay.

>>5073121
The only sad thing with that is since we already made ourselves known as Jonah with Babs we're kind of limited in what we can spin with it. Unless you want to start wearing a mask.

At least if I'm remembering everything correctly.

>>5073142
She figured out "Jonah Thema" was a pseudonym five minutes after we gave it to her. We're in the Batcomputer as "Dresden."

>>5073116
> When you first told Batgirl that you were a private investigator, the idea was laughable. But after letting the idea swirl around in your brain for a while, maybe it’s worth giving a try.

Paranormal PI, I'd rather have Gunsmoke be more of a Prohibition hired gun hussler type sporting classic 1900s to 1950's weapons. We Need a pair of tommy guns.

>>5073144
Yes but it's important to be consistent. The more aliases you give the easier it becomes to crack them all. Which is also why we can't swing a .44 around in front of her. Instant PTSD.

We'd still be stuck being the magic man to try and keep our other stuff secret so just giving a different name wouldn't do much.

>>5073116
> When you first told Batgirl that you were a private investigator, the idea was laughable. But after letting the idea swirl around in your brain for a while, maybe it’s worth giving a try.
Being an actual magical PI is a great fallback for when we inevitably get fucked with Jack's ritual thingy because batman batman's his way into it because reasons. Remember for all our shit we aren't the worst person out there so if we can get away from total henchmen shittery because being a henchman in Gotham sucks.

>>5073152
Really other than killing Intergang and working with Bane there aren't many reasons for Batman to be mad with us. The roughing up of the kids notwithstanding. He lets Catwoman off easy for theft which is pretty much the extent of our crimes not including the aforementioned shenanigans. Of course Bruce is also mentally unstable enough to dress up as a flying mammal and beat people nearly into comas.

Eh maybe we can convince Bobo to moonlight as a lawyer for us when we inevitably get snatched by the Bat.

Fucking bull, why does everything we try with magic fuck up. We need training from set ASAP

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>>5073169
>tfw his training is more akin to learning how to swim with your dad in the 1920s than actual tutoring

Try and see the silver linings. At least we're learning what is and isn't feasible as we go. Helps us plan for future practice.

>>5073170

Get out of my notes

On the bright side, failures make the next training session easier. Or at least it should, feel free to prod me if I get my DCs mixed up.

>>5073180
>failures make the next training session easier.
As long as it makes us less likely to cause self-inflicted nerve damage when we cock it up I'm happy.

>>5073116
> You’ve got a list of Intergang black sites and holdings scattered throughout Europe. This seems like the perfect time to kick in some doors and sow some fear.

>>5073116
> When you first told Batgirl that you were a private investigator, the idea was laughable. But after letting the idea swirl around in your brain for a while, maybe it’s worth giving a try.

>>5073116
> When you first told Batgirl that you were a private investigator, the idea was laughable. But after letting the idea swirl around in your brain for a while, maybe it’s worth giving a try.

>>5073116
>Academy: After some thought, I’ve done a slight retcon to just use H.I.V.E Academy. Saves me a boatload of work, among other things. You’ll have a number of classes to pick from, as well as extracurriculars. Stat gains are not guaranteed, you’ll still have to work for some of them.

Voting to get out of dodge due to the whole gang-war thing going on. But don't want to get too buddy-buddy with Set since he is exactly the type of guy to set Sean down a sketchy path.

IT LIVES holy shit! I gotta go back and reread the archives, nice to see you Axis

>>5070512
OH SHIT

>>5073116
> When you first told Batgirl that you were a private investigator, the idea was laughable. But after letting the idea swirl around in your brain for a while, maybe it’s worth giving a try.
Paranormal PI, here we come.

>>5073116
> When you first told Batgirl that you were a private investigator, the idea was laughable. But after letting the idea swirl around in your brain for a while, maybe it’s worth giving a try.

>>5073116
> The Academy that the Executive has offered you a spot at sounds like an intriguing prospect. Jack has been yammering that you should expand your horizons and meet new people, what better place than a school?

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This is arguably the most freedom you’ve had for quite some time. No federal dragnet surrounding the city, no work piling up, just you and your thoughts.

So you get to thinking.

For lack of a more compassionate way to describe it, your work with Jack comes with a shelf life. Once you gather enough artifacts for his ritual and he moves on permanently, you’ll be left alone to decide what comes next.

Laughable as the idea may have sounded at its conception, having something semi-legitimate to fall back on has it merits.

After all, mercenaries, freelancers, and guns-for-hire aren’t exactly careers known for having a cushy retirement with a pension. God forbid, you may even get tired of people shooting at you one day and settle for something different.

And while it may seem like a bit of a large transition between working as glorified street muscle and becoming a private investigator, the difference isn’t as big as you’d think. Just look at the Pinkertons.

Plus, you’ve gotten a bit of tutoring from Bobo, so it’s not like you’ll be stumbling into it blind. And if you do happen to bite off a bit more than you can chew, you’re uniquely equipped to handle it.

For example, the whole Rockwell murder cult thing. In hindsight, that was basically a case study for everything can and will go wrong during an investigation. Secretive cults, nightmarish abominations, Batgirl; the whole nine yards.

You made it through that without too many issues, how much worse could it get?

Besides, if it turns out you don’t have the right chops for it or that the work isn’t too your taste, you’ll just move on to something else. Plenty of fish in the sea.

But now, you have a decision to make.

You could just work as a regular detective and keep your powers to yourself. While the cases may offer less chance of honing your magical skills, it’ll help keep you off the radar.

Then again, you do have quite the ace up your sleeve. While you’re far from any semblance of being a masterful practitioner of the arcane arts, the skillset is few and far between.

Regardless of whatever option you choose, going out as Gunsmoke would definitely attract the wrong type of attention.

Penguin’s infamous for holding grudges, and you’re probably near the top of his shitlist for torching the Iceberg Lounge.

No, you’ll have to at least project a veneer of legitimacy if this is going to work.

In the end you decide to…

> Keep it simple, maybe take out a small ad in the Gotham Gazette and start from there. (Will mostly result in getting conventional cases.)

> Raise awareness at the Oblivion Bar. Gang war or not, that’s the best place in town to mingle with the magical element. (Will mostly result in getting paranormal cases confined to Gotham.)

> Use that list of influential contacts the Executive gave you after your last job for MC&D. Powerful people with strange problems are just the clientele you want. (Will mostly result in getting paranormal cases located internationally.)

> Other?

Before I forget to mention, I tweaked the pastebin a bit and added a lot of miscellaneous stuff that I used to only have stored in my notes.

Feel free to let me know if I've made any mistakes.

>>5076053
> Raise awareness at the Oblivion Bar. Gang war or not, that’s the best place in town to mingle with the magical element. (Will mostly result in getting paranormal cases confined to Gotham.)

>>5076053
> Raise awareness at the Oblivion Bar. Gang war or not, that’s the best place in town to mingle with the magical element. (Will mostly result in getting paranormal cases confined to Gotham.)

>>5076061
>>5076064

Calling it, writing.

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>>5076082

Despite the war raging in the streets, the Oblivion Bar is still the go-to watering hole for all things bizarre and arcane. Jack was kind enough to take a quick break from whatever project he’s been slaving over to transport you over.

Once there, it’s a relatively simple matter to persuade him into accompanying you inside. Guess the prospect of a stiff drink trumps all fears.

Honestly, you’re a bit surprised how few civilian casualties the conflict has sparked so far. Guess both Bane and Penguin know that indiscriminate chaos would just fan the flames for something even worse to take the stage.

Bolstered by that confidence, a hefty chunk of Gothamites are treating the matter like business as usual. Guess you still need to acclimate a bit more.

Judging from the brisk trade that the Oblivion Bar, plenty of other locals feel the same way.

To your delight, you spot Bobo in his regular spot, and he waves the pair of you over.

Over a couple drinks, you told him about your interest in working as a PI, and he promised to put in a good word for you.

After a toast to your health and your new endeavors, you leave Bobo and Jack to do a bit of catching up.

Still have a bit more business to take care of.

With permission from Eddie, the owner and bartender, you hang up a couple small posters. Nothing special, mostly just a number you can be reached on, and that you’re available as a paranormal investigator.

Who knows, maybe once you establish a bit of brand recognition you’ll splurge and get some business cards or something.

Still got one last errand to take care of.

Since Gunsmoke is ostensibly taking a vacation for a while, now’s the perfect time to upgrade your regular equipment.

Back before your excursion into Italy, Index managed to provide you with the contact information of a couple specialists suitable for this kind of work.

Just one slight hair in the soup. You’ve only got the one vial of Xenothium handy, meaning that you’ll only be able to get one of these projects rolling.

The other should be available in time, but you’ll have to prioritize.

You choose to pay a visit to…

> Dr. Conrad Zeiss, to see if he can synthesize the Xenothium into some kind of serum.

> John Smith, to have your Apokoliptian Battle Armor modified.

>>5076101
> John Smith, to have your Apokoliptian Battle Armor modified.

>>5076101
>> John Smith, to have your Apokoliptian Battle Armor modified.
Don't do drugs, kids.

>>5076101
>> John Smith, to have your Apokoliptian Battle Armor modified.
Forgot about the Xenothium-drinking meme.