File: Post-2-Fire.jpg (449.4 KB)

label die_intro:
Nymph "Pffffahaha! How charming, not like you have a choice."
Shaman "If it shall not rise to perform, the prelude ends with the assertion of the self."
Nymph "What? No! At least let me keep it in the garden."
Insect "Ha! Yes! Bite the hand that taunts you."
Nymph "Shut it."
Shaman "Shut it must, I close the veil for thee, human. Find peace before death does you."

"The figures become blurs that blend into the night."
"You are alone again, unsure if those were delusions from your dying brain."
"It does not matter, you no longer have the strength to fill your lungs with air."
"There is panic as you fight the invisible hands that hold your throat."
"The sky becomes even more distant. You try to move, to escape this fate."
"You taste blood, and it's the last thing that remains certain as you plunge into darkness."
"Your story ends before it even properly began."

File: Post-3.4.jpg (1.4 MB)

Hello, this might be a little different. I’m making a visual novel, but I’m stuck. So to motive myself to write and make sure its not garbage I’m making a quest out of it. There is a lot written but not 100% by far. So I would appreciate if you pointed out mistakes, plot holes and the likes.

So something you need to vote now is how do you want the post’s to be.
From choice to choice (Will select default dialog for minor things and you will things that have an impact in the story.)
OR from story beat to story beat (Smaller updates but you will interact with the characters more and everything will be more personalized. This intro post is an example of how that would look like.)

Also Visible stats or not? They are Humanity and Freedom, they wont be visible in the visual novel because I don’t want players focusing on the numbers going up or down. But I guess you can choose.

Yes, the finish visual novel will be free and yes, I will add all of you to the credits if you want.

>>6396397
>"How about paid worker, with an exit clause that allows for permanent life retention, and of course you save my life..."

>>6396399
Choice to choice works for now.

>>6396397
>>6396401 +1, we are a modern wagie.

>>6396399
>Choice to Choice

>>6396399
Also, I'm in favor of visual stats.

>>6396399
how many endings are planned?

>>6396399
No AI used, right?
Also
>Visible Stats

File: Answer.jpg (836.9 KB)

>>6396524
7
Unless you count the ones where you ask to break the contract and you die becouse of it.

>>6396529
In the art? No, I steal references but I draw them on paper.
I havent been on this board in 2 years. Is that normal now? fuck.

>>6396557
No I mean AI to write. And AI sucks so if you're not using it your good in my book

>>6396397
>>"Help me..."

>>6396557
Is this the QM from Last Few Fey and I'm a Demon?

>>6396576
The art does remind me of that. I kind of miss Pony Phil(?) and his doppel

File: OldArt.jpg (1.7 MB)

>>6396561
No, I'm not using AI to write. The formating is weird becouse I'm copypasting from the Renpy code.

>>6396576
>>6396594
Yeah, I'm that QM.
Sorry for flaking on "I'm a Demon?".
For the last thread, the story's focus became too much.
Too many moving parts, too many variables to prepare in advance, plus the art... I burned out.

I think. My memory's a bit fuzzy.

I understand if you guys are mad about it.

>>6396608
No prob at all, glad you're back!

File: Post-4.1.jpg (1.6 MB)

>"How about paid worker, with an exit clause that allows for permanent life retention, and of course you save my life..."

Insect "You are a tool, in all senses now."
Nymph "Look at you, making jokes! This human is doing wonders already."
Shaman "To payment time immortal. Death shall be restrained while family you remain."
Insect "Stop gilding the chains and give him a proper answer."
"The creature with a human face blew a raspberry."
Nymph "Let the guy cook. He is VERY old school."


"The voices become distant as the cold sinks into your bones."
"You cannot seem to be able to grasp the world again, and so you are left adrift."
"Heavy eyelids slowly blanket your world, the howling wind lost beneath the bickering of the fae."
"You fall unconscious."

...


"You woke up on a floor. No blanket. No bed. Just the taste of copper on your tongue."
"For a moment, you expected to find yourself still inside the wreck. To be greeted by the warmth of the fire."
"Light came through a window, tainted yellow by the curtains."
"You got up, and everything hurt. You were covered in mud and blood, your shirt broken to reveal a jagged wound in your chest."
"You drag your fingers across it"
"You don't know what the fae did to you, but no longer have a pulse."

"You stepped outside, and you were greeted by the nightmare again. Barely hiding at the edge of the green, they pointed towards work."
"You obeyed and the days bled together. Each morning you woke up in that cabin, the wound never healing, making coffee from a tin that never seemed to empty."
"Using uniform that didn't belong to you, yet it fit. The forest greeted you with birdsong or silence most of the time."
"The task were simple and pointless. Clearing paths that lead to nowhere, kicking down snares set by no one, marking some trees with symbols that vanished by morning."
"You never saw another person in all that time. No hikers, no hunters, no sign of civilization. Sometimes you though you heard some voice, but always too distant to track."
"The fae came and went, the Shaman and the Nymph instructing some tasks, the Insect only watched from afar."
"You started to think this was designed to drive you mad, then came the girl in the mirror and you figured you already were."
"First it was a blur in the bathroom glass, then a shape. One day her face was just there, watching."
"When you stopped looking altogether, she started speaking."
"The radio hums static. You keep working and walking the same loops. You just keep going."

"You look into the mirror knowing there is something wrong with your reflection but you can't nail down what."
"There is reflection of a girl behind you."

Girl "I think you should give another chance to trying to escape."

"There is no response to her words. How many times have you tried already?"
"Every time you try to leave this valley a pain stabs you from within and you taste blood."
"A warning, the crack before the break."

"You leave the bathroom and enter the living room."
"This cabin, almost abandoned in the middle of the forest, was small."
"Or at least it seemed that way with the amount of papers and junk left by the previous warden."
"Now all yours by inheritance of position."

"She speaks over your shoulder."
Girl "There is a town not far away, you haven't been there yet."
Girl "Maybe you'll find something there."
Girl "At least someone to talk to other than your jailers, Ranger."

"Ranger"
Ranger "Do we have names?"
"You turned, trying to look at her eyes."
"You are alone again."
"Looking back at the past gave you migraines and only returned blurred memories."
"Like watercolors painted by someone who has only seen the scenes in passing."
"Best thing you can do for now is to not think about it."

Girl "Maybe there is a doctor in town."

"But what was a doctor going to do?"
"There was a knock on the door, heavy and slow."
"You let the conversation die in the air as you approached the entrance."
"Hollowed eyes leveled to yours once it open."
"The mass of brittle furs that smelled of dead leaves blocked out the sun."
Shaman "Till old night comes, I claim again your debt, Ranger."
Shaman "Interlopers besiege the frontier of the veil once again. Upon the mountain, in the forsaken resort, the offshoots of the town are partaking in revelry."
Shaman "By your means of preference, expel them."

Ranger "Why would you care?":
Shaman "This is not something to be ignored. Now make haste."

"He palmed your face, covering your eyes with a forceful grip."
"It had a chitinous skin that was off-putting to the touch."
Ranger "Hey!"
"You moved trying to escape from his hold, your hands found nothing in front of you."
"And in the second you took a step back the world was turned to white."

---

File: Post-4.2.jpg (1.3 MB)

"A minute of stunned silence and slowly adjusting to your new surroundings stretched until the cold forced you to move."
"Placed in the mountains, at the boundary of the forest and the wastes of snow and jagged stones."
"Further away, after an old dirt road, the abandoned ski resort."
"A small mansion of logs and granite stone. The only tell this place was left to rot were the boarded windows and the piles of snow that threaten to swallow the place whole."
"The ski lift was no more than pillars of rust scattered across the peak. And on the front entrance, peeking somewhat through the snow, a truck."

"You resigned yourself to your task, hoping the Shaman would at least have the decency to return you when this is done."

"And while the wind whistles in your ears you evaluate how to deal with this."
"You can hear music from the outside. When close, you peek through the gaps in the boarded windows."

"In the heart of decay, smoke dances above a bonfire."
"And around it are the casted shadows of the youth that have made this place theirs."
"Their laughter mingles with a low but jagged music that echoes through the cavernous place."
"And from time to time you see the glimmer of a bottle being passed around."
"They are just having fun while hanging out."

"And it's your job to go ruin it. But how?"
>Enter as the forest ranger. Issue a warning. (How?)
>Enter pretending to be a hiker and talk to them. (And say what?)
>Scare them off.
>Write in

>>6396401
>>6396467
Do you want me to rewrite the Ranger dialog as disgruntled office worker?
Or another type of personality? You guys can choose, just dont pick horny.

>>6396608
There's no reason to be mad at you. You're a soulful writer and artist who provides us entertainment for free. Welcome back, QM.

>>6396926
>Enter as the forest ranger. Issue a warning. (This is an unsafe place, people go missing, maybe there's bears or cougars, etc)


>Do you want me to rewrite the Ranger dialog as disgruntled office worker?
I'd find it amusing, personally, but stick to what makes sense if you have a mysterious backstory in mind. For instance, we seem to maybe be an actual forest ranger, right? or is that just a cover identity our "benefactors" fabricated?

Islam came and a watch was set and broke
A flower came and died and Holly picked it up
And cried a tear for Allah
>She says hi
>Bye
>What are we doing here

Nymph

>>6396608
Forgiven QM, and from what I remember we basically finished and only had the epilogue thread left to figure out if our peace would work.

>>6397134
Support

>>6396926
>>6397134
+1 to this idea

File: Post-5.Subliminal messages or not.jpg (755.7 KB)

>>6397373
>>6397371
>>6397134
>Enter as the forest ranger. Issue a warning. (This is an unsafe place, people go missing, maybe there's bears or cougars, etc)
"You approached the entrance of the crumbling building."
"The main door broken into, a jagged hole served as an entrance."
"Bending low, you stepped through the opening."

"The reception area of the old hotel greeted you, a large and hollow space devoid of much of its original furniture."
"Floral wallpaper clung stubbornly to the walls, its once-vivid colors faded to pale ghosts."
"The dreariness broken only by the chaotic array of graffiti scrawled across all surfaces."
"Drawings, scribbled signatures and hastily scratched messages that formed a discordant mural."
"Echoes of laughter and music unsettled the sepulchral quiet that should have cloaked this place."
"The light source could be seen from your position, not that far away into the shadowed hallway."
"Their silhouettes were more clear, there were seven of them."

"You had decided to be civil, but carry authority."
Ranger "Hello."
"You maintained a calm but firm tone, announcing your presence."

"There was a jolt of panic in most of them, turning to your direction."
"Some had taken to erasing evidence of wrongdoings."
"Moments of silence later, three teens stepped cautiously closer to you, their expressions guarded."

Teens "Ayo, who dis?"
"One asked, the boy looked no older than seventeen at best."
Ranger "I'm the forest ranger."
Ranger "You're not supposed to be here. Please leave."
"The trio exchanged glances, deliberating how seriously to take you."
Teens "You ain't the nature boss."
Teens "Just let us vibe, senpai. We ain't out here to hurt nobody."
Teens "Deadass"
"Behind them, more teenagers approached, their faces a mix of curiosity and wariness as they assessed the situation."
Teens "Who's the character?"
Teens "He's like, the ranger now."
"His tone dripped with incredulity."
Teens "Lol."

File: Teens.png (317.8 KB)

"Their chatter grew louder, repeating the exchange in discontented tones."
"They were young, but not so young that they didn't understand why what they were doing was reckless."
"Their presence here was more than just a bad idea."
"This whole thing felt stupid."

Ranger "Why are you even here of all places?"
Teens "We can't vibe in the town, there's always someone cramping our style."
Ranger "Well, I'm cramping it now. This place is dangerous and there is at least one bear that prowls around the area."
"It was a lie, in all your time trapped here you had seen no sign of any animal larger than a squirrel. It was aerie."
"But they didn't now that."
Teens "yo, dude's says a bear do be livin' here fr fr!"
Teens "Aight, dip out."

"There was a mild panic that spread though the teenagers, and they started walking away from you."
"Sinking into the darkness of the abandoned building."
hide Teens
"A few seconds later you heard the engine of the car parked outside start and the sound of it rapidly moving away."
"A scattering of trash remained, but it was nothing anyone would care about."
"Peering through a window, you confirmed their car was gone."
"They wouldn't be back, for some time at least."

"The satisfaction of a job well done lingered."
"Then reality set in: you had no way back to the cabin."
"The Shaman had stranded you here, on the mountain."
"You sighed, glancing downwards from the peaks."
"From this height, the town below was visible, nestled like a splinter in the valley."
"Maybe it was time to explore- step back into a world more mundane, more familiar."
Ranger "You are a slave to the fae. You don't belong anymore."
"You sighed, invasive thoughts plagued you again."
"Maybe there was more work to be done in the forest."

What will you do?
>Go to the Town
>Stay in the Forest

STATS:
Humanity = 2 Freedom = 0
Inventory:
[Null]

For the first half of the game, the narrative will be divided as follows. Mornings consist of mandatory events that the other characters drag you into. In the afternoon, you choose between two options: the forest and the fairies, or the village with its humans. Afternoons are the only time to modify your stats and acquire items.

It's not the best system, but I'm already too invested to change it.

You generally don't know what you're going to find, and that would be part of the reason to play it multiple times, like Night in the Woods.

But I don't think we'll remake this quest with other variations (I don't know if it would be fun; we'll look at it in the future). So, I'll give you some hints about what you'll find.

If you want the authentic experience, vote and then you can look at the spoilers.

Go to town: Meet old friendly woman who has lived her entire life in this town, you can ask questions.
Stay in the forest: The Nymph has stolen stuff, you get to talk about it.

>>6397134
>For instance, we seem to maybe be an actual forest ranger, right? or is that just a cover identity our "benefactors" fabricated?
Its the cover identity, the role given by them.
The Ranger is a blank stale, thats why he does not even get a name.
The lack of past is something that gets mention in the story and other charactes.
You might find bits and pieces, but nothing substancial. Nothing you can lach to.

>>6397371
>only had the epilogue thread left to figure out if our peace would work.

The fall of the Oposing Empire was missing. Had too many variables, too many posible situations.

>>6397489
>Stay in the Forest

She tackles her to the ground and says love. And they get up and do stuff. Later they embrace and kiss. Acting Lesbians.

The Nymph flirts with the other ones there And drinks a ton of water and does it all over again.

*

>Go on the ground
>Get up puke
>Give a diamond jewelry to another nymph

ماسة بيضاء

>>6397489
>Go to the Town
Let's at least try before we give up.

>>6397569
Bro, wtf?

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>6397509 -1
>>6397679 -2

File: Post-Town.jpg (714.0 KB)

"You had fulfilled your duties to the forest, at least for today."
"From the mountain's summit, you could make out the patchwork of roofs nestled within the forest, a faint marker of human life."
"..."

"You began your descent, leaving the mountain behind."
"The dirt road winding down seemed impractical—its stray path hugged steep cliffs, so you cut through the wilderness."
"You approached the treeline, where the forest rose with a wall of shadowy greens and browns."

"Entering the embrace of the woods, the world became muffled, and the wind that soared the mountains was distant."
"The walk was uneventful, nature seemed to fade faster than you anticipated."
"The vegetation thinned abruptly, as if bidding you farewell."
"And just like that, the edge of civilization loomed before you."

"The settlement sprawled before you, larger than expected."
"Three-story apartment buildings jutted up between more traditional houses, an uneasy clash of architectural eras."
"The mishmash of styles created a strange, almost unpleasant chaos."
"Above it all, a lone church bell tower pierced the horizon. A rock and brick obelisk, an unintentional guidepost."

"Your first step onto the cobblestone streets felt heavy, significant."
"The rest came easier, made by inertia."

"As you wandered deeper into the town, the locals began to notice."
"Passing glances turned into stares, acknowledging that your presence was not a known."

"Eyes surrounded you, gazes sharp as needles prickling against your skin."
"The farther you ventured, the more oppressive their attention became."

"Interloper."
"The word echoed in your mind. You don't belong."

"The steps felt heavier, the air thicker, clinging to your lungs with every strained breath."
"You shouldn't have come."

"The whispers of unease grew louder in your thoughts."
"Every head seemed turned to face you silently."
"You shouldn't have come. This is wrong."
"They knew, every one of them. That you are not something of their world, that you are contaminated."

old_lady "Excuse me sweetie, would you mind helping me carry my groceries home?"

File: Esther.png (234.0 KB)

"It was a sudden jolt back to reality, and you blinked as you realized an old lady stood before you, her red shopping trolley in tow."


"Her hair was dyed a deep, artificial black that contrasted with the spiderweb of wrinkles etched across her face."
"She gave you a kind smile, although there was an unmistakable sharpness in her eyes."

old_lady "Oh, thank you very much, dear. Follow me. I don't live far."

"Before you could respond, she turned surprisingly quickly and began fiddling with a set of keys."
"You stood there on the sidewalk, her bags in hand, realizing you'd just been conscripted into another task. "
"Despite your reservations, you complied, her quiet command leaving little room for argument."
"..."
"You followed her up a flight of stairs, her voice filling the space as she chatted about her family."
"She gestured with one hand, directing you where to go."


"Her apartment door creaked open, revealing a space filled with landscape paintings, mismatched furniture, and a faint smell of lavender."

old_lady "Just leave the groceries on the entrance. And thank you, sweetheart."
"She paused, glancing at you as though measuring something."
"She still kept a kind smile."
old_lady "Let me get you some coffee and biscuits for your trouble."

"You opened your mouth to protest, but she waved you off."

old_lady "Sit down, sit down. No hurry, right?"

"The floral-patterned sofa was firmer than you expected, creaking faintly as you sat."
"A minuscule coffee table before you, its surface plastered with knick-knacks and extremely old magazines."
"The walls covered in shelves crammed with memories: photographs, figurines, and faded books."

"Nearby, a dusty dining table was adorned with plastic flowers, their garish colors discordant with the rest of the room's muted tones."
"Across from you, an old television reflected you like some sort of fun house mirror."

"The woman returned, balancing a tray with clinking cups and a small plate of biscuits."
"She settled herself beside you, placing the tray on the coffee table."

old_lady "It's nice to have company this time of year. My daughter only visits for Christmas. By the way, my name is Esther."

"She smiled warmly, pouring coffee into delicate porcelain cups."

Esther "What brings you to this town?"

"There was a level of concern in her voice, like she suspected the answer might be unpleasant."

Ranger "...I'm the new forest ranger."

Esther "Ah, that's good. Newcomers... don't always come for the right reasons."
"Her expression softened, and she studied you with curiosity."
Esther "How are you adjusting? This is the first time I've seen you around."

"It was a sudden jolt back to reality, and you blinked as you realized an old lady stood before you, her red shopping trolley in tow."


"Her hair was dyed a deep, artificial black that contrasted with the spiderweb of wrinkles etched across her face."
"She gave you a kind smile, although there was an unmistakable sharpness in her eyes."

old_lady "Oh, thank you very much, dear. Follow me. I don't live far."

"Before you could respond, she turned surprisingly quickly and began fiddling with a set of keys."
"You stood there on the sidewalk, her bags in hand, realizing you'd just been conscripted into another task. "
"Despite your reservations, you complied, her quiet command leaving little room for argument."
"..."
"You followed her up a flight of stairs, her voice filling the space as she chatted about her family."
"She gestured with one hand, directing you where to go."


"Her apartment door creaked open, revealing a space filled with landscape paintings, mismatched furniture, and a faint smell of lavender."
show Esther at center with fade

old_lady "Just leave the groceries on the entrance. And thank you, sweetheart."
"She paused, glancing at you as though measuring something."
"She still kept a kind smile."
old_lady "Let me get you some coffee and biscuits for your trouble."

"You opened your mouth to protest, but she waved you off."

old_lady "Sit down, sit down. No hurry, right?"

"The floral-patterned sofa was firmer than you expected, creaking faintly as you sat."
"A minuscule coffee table before you, its surface plastered with knick-knacks and extremely old magazines."
"The walls covered in shelves crammed with memories: photographs, figurines, and faded books."

"Nearby, a dusty dining table was adorned with plastic flowers, their garish colors discordant with the rest of the room's muted tones."
"Across from you, an old television reflected you like some sort of fun house mirror."

"The woman returned, balancing a tray with clinking cups and a small plate of biscuits."
"She settled herself beside you, placing the tray on the coffee table."

old_lady "It's nice to have company this time of year. My daughter only visits for Christmas. By the way, my name is Esther."

"She smiled warmly, pouring coffee into delicate porcelain cups."

Esther "What brings you to this town?"

"There was a level of concern in her voice, like she suspected the answer might be unpleasant."

Ranger "...I'm the new forest ranger."

Esther "Ah, that's good. Newcomers... don't always come for the right reasons."
"Her expression softened, and she studied you with curiosity."
Esther "How are you adjusting? This is the first time I've seen you around."
>"I live in a cabin in the woods. This is my first time down here.":
Esther "That must get lonely. You're welcome to knock on my door anytime, dear."
Esther "Maybe you can come to church with me. I'd love to introduce you to the community."


"She handed you a cup, the porcelain warm against your fingers."


Esther "Let me think... What might you need to know?"
"She tapped her finger against her cup."

Esther "Dr. Hazan's office is above the electronics shop, no sign, just a little letterbox."
Esther "The town hall has a library in the basement. It's small, but you can borrow books if work gets dull."
Esther "Oh, and the Boy Scouts might look for you; they haven't been allowed in the forest since the last ranger... well, since he passed."

Ranger "The Boy Scouts?"

Esther "There's not much for the kids to do here. It keeps them out of trouble."
Esther "In other towns, they'd roam the woods without a second thought, but... Its dangerous"
Esther "The old Ranger dealt with most problems quietly."
"Her hands trembled faintly as she picked up her cup again."


"Could I ask you some questions?":

>"What other reasons do people come here?"
Esther "The forest has a reputation. It draws people who want to... take their final rest."
Esther "Sometimes, their bodies are found. Two or three times a year. Some years are quieter, others... not so much. Been like that since before I was born."
"She sighed, resting her hands on her knees."
Ranger "That's a lot. Hasn't anyone done anything about it?"
Esther "The Mayor and Sheriff tried. But... what can they do, really? I talk to them when I can, It's the least we can do."
Esther "Your predecessor did his best to keep the problem out of sight."

>"What could you tell me about the previous Ranger?"
"She looked surprised, lifting a brow and slowly taking a sip of her drink."
Esther "I understand why you are curious, but I have few stories of him."
Esther "He was a reserved man, barely came out of the woods. Only talked with him a few times."
Esther "He was not a good man."
Ranger "What became of him."
Esther "He died, the obituary said lung cancer. Heavy smoker apparently he was."
Esther "The pastor took some time to,'remember him'. But he is not in our cemetery, not like anyone would have brought him flowers."


>Write in more questions


When leaving:
>"Maybe I could try to help. The people that come."
>"I think I should leave. I'm sorry."
>"It was nice meeting you, but I need to leave."
>Write in

"It was a sudden jolt back to reality, and you blinked as you realized an old lady stood before you, her red shopping trolley in tow."


"Her hair was dyed a deep, artificial black that contrasted with the spiderweb of wrinkles etched across her face."
"She gave you a kind smile, although there was an unmistakable sharpness in her eyes."

old_lady "Oh, thank you very much, dear. Follow me. I don't live far."

"Before you could respond, she turned surprisingly quickly and began fiddling with a set of keys."
"You stood there on the sidewalk, her bags in hand, realizing you'd just been conscripted into another task. "
"Despite your reservations, you complied, her quiet command leaving little room for argument."
"..."
"You followed her up a flight of stairs, her voice filling the space as she chatted about her family."
"She gestured with one hand, directing you where to go."


"Her apartment door creaked open, revealing a space filled with landscape paintings, mismatched furniture, and a faint smell of lavender."
show Esther at center with fade

old_lady "Just leave the groceries on the entrance. And thank you, sweetheart."
"She paused, glancing at you as though measuring something."
"She still kept a kind smile."
old_lady "Let me get you some coffee and biscuits for your trouble."

"You opened your mouth to protest, but she waved you off."

old_lady "Sit down, sit down. No hurry, right?"

"The floral-patterned sofa was firmer than you expected, creaking faintly as you sat."
"A minuscule coffee table before you, its surface plastered with knick-knacks and extremely old magazines."
"The walls covered in shelves crammed with memories: photographs, figurines, and faded books."

"Nearby, a dusty dining table was adorned with plastic flowers, their garish colors discordant with the rest of the room's muted tones."
"Across from you, an old television reflected you like some sort of fun house mirror."

"The woman returned, balancing a tray with clinking cups and a small plate of biscuits."
"She settled herself beside you, placing the tray on the coffee table."

old_lady "It's nice to have company this time of year. My daughter only visits for Christmas. By the way, my name is Esther."

"She smiled warmly, pouring coffee into delicate porcelain cups."

Esther "What brings you to this town?"

Can we ban 6397679 he isnt white

nevermind *

Can you say it in a nicer way though

File: download (9).jpg (2.9 KB)

>"Maybe I could try to help. They that come

I help you
Go to Iceland and make it the wetland talk to a Nymph and she will tackle you

Theres much to do You can go over here use become Immortal (Archive) or go over here and use this device to give yourself peace All from Allah who resides in Islam (there are 725).

>Go to greenland to the Amazonians (dont want to get off track-)
>Kiss the first Nymph
>Go down in the water (Haha)

Its called a healing ball if you want to know. (dont mean to take over)

You might wanna pick up a Tripcode, QM. Kinda confused as to what's going on here...

>>6397876 Post 1
>>6397882 Post 2
>>6397891 Post 3

>>6398012
My impatience and my horrid internet conection are at play.
Plus a range ban.
Bought a 4chan pass just to avoid this shit.
l

>>6397891
>"Maybe I could try to help. The people that come."

>>6398141
The site is also all fucked up today. It's lagging like hell.

>>6397891
>"Maybe I could try to help. The people that come."
A man needs a hobby.

File: Post-6.Cabin.jpg (943.7 KB)

$ humanity += 1
"Her eyes lit up with something that might have been hope."
E "That's kind of you to say, dear. Truth is, it's not an easy thing to deal with."
E "If you see someone out there, just talk to them. Sometimes they just need to be heard. A kind word can go a long way, you know."
"You continued talking for a while, and when orange rays filtered through the window, you decided to start heading back."
"You didn't want the night to lose you among trees."

"..."

"Into night bleed a lazy dawn, preceded by the singing of anxious birds."
"You faced the mirror again. The fractured reflection stared back, jagged and unkind."

Girl "Was yesterday a bad day?"
"There was concern in her expression, even when she only saw you through the growing cracks."
Girl "Its okay if it was, progress isn't always moving forward, you know?"
Girl "Don't let the noise distract you, there is no need to do this alone."

"You are in a fog of others making, and every answer you try to give her comes out mute."
"She steps closer, you avert your eyes from the reflection and anticipate for a touch that never comes."
Girl "Someone is coming."
"There was surprise in her voice, and then there was a knock on the door."
"An impatient and heavy hammering, turning around, she was already gone."
"You sighed."

"Leaving your confessional, you headed to the door, stepping carefully through the cluttered remains of a life that was never yours"
"The piles of forgotten things. They kept you company, in their own way."
"The door was opened."


"On the porch stood a man in a long jacket, the fabric weighed down by something unseen."
"Beneath it, a uniform, and pinned to it—a dull, worn star."
"The sheriff."
"His face was all sharp angles and hard lines. Square jaw, narrowed eyes."
"His hands stayed buried in his pockets, but you could imagine them brushing against a holster."
Sheriff "Mornin'."
"His voice was gravel and patience worn thin."

Sheriff "I'm the sheriff of this town. We need to have a talk."
Sheriff "May I come in?"

Ranger "What do you need?"
Sheriff "Okay, straight to the point then."

$ cop.trust += 1

Sheriff "Yesterday, my son told me something interesting. Said he met a guy claiming to be the new forest ranger."
Sheriff "Which seemed a bit strange to me because there was no news about it. No notice, no paperwork."
Sheriff "So I did my own checking. No official channels list a replacement."
Sheriff "I'm sure it's a mix-up but could you kindly show me some identification."
Sheriff "I'd like to ensure you're not a civilian pretending to be a federal agent."

Ranger "I don't have the documentation yet.":
Sheriff "Thats fine. I didn't get my badge till my third week."
Sheriff "Tell me who's your boss, I get a hold of them."
Ranger "uhhhhhhh.... John? Joe?...."
Sheriff "Seriously? I reckon you done forgot your's name too. Listen, I'll give a few folks a call, be back tomorrow."
Sheriff "Call your people too."

"He began to leave."
"A lame leg trying to be hidden slowed down his movement."
"From the woods at the edge of the clearing that was the entrance, the shaman emerged, first his horns and then the body raising to his full height. "
"The plants recoiled unnaturally to allow him passage. The concave voids of the skull following the sheriff."
"You panicked"
"When the cop got into his car he would be face to face with the fae."
"Too far away to push the cryptid into the darkness. Too close to it to cause a distraction."
"The man opened the car door and looked back at you once more before getting in."
"A moment that stretched painfully as it was impossible for him not to be seeing the creature that stood not so far from you."

"But there was no revelation, only a continuation of mundanity."
"He didn't seem to see the creature."
"The loud engine moved away until you were alone with the shaman again."

"It advanced towards you, the mask a vacuous reflection of being."
Ranger "Did he ignore you?"
Shaman "Eyes of the corporeal, cannot pierce the veil. Witnessing calls greater than presence."
Ranger "Uhh.."
Shaman "Forget, the plight is other. Present to your claim of belonging here is no proof bar our word."
Shaman "A interloper settled in town will provide the backing mortals require."

"There was silence between you.”
"There was another human with knowledge of the fairies."
"An ally, another prisoner, an accomplice. The truth is that it didn't matter."
"Just that there was someone else."
Ranger "Who is he and how do I have to find him?"
Shaman "It's the intangible withheld in a human, facsimile. The address can be found on the papers of your predecessor. Do not linger."

"..."

"The house on the address was squished between the other buildings."
"It was something built at a later date and forced into a space too small for it."
"The mailbox confirmed it was the place so you rang the bell."
"*Bzzzzzzzz*"
"The electric hum sounded much louder than it should have. The silence of the street echoing."
"There was a movement between the curtains and a short wait."
"Very slowly the door opened."
"An old man in khakis and a polo shirt greeted you."
Old man "Hello"

"He said in a raspy voice as he scanned you from head to toe."
"Sizing you up."
Old man "Who are you?"

Who are you?
>I’m the new forest ranger, they wanted to make it official.
>The fairies told me to come here.
>(Stay quiet)
>Write in

>>6398398
>I’m the new forest ranger, they wanted to make it official.

>>6398398
>I’m the new forest ranger, they wanted to make it official.
He'll (probably) know what it means.

>>6398398
>The fairies told me to come here.

Sheriff "Yesterday, my woman told me somethingother. Said he met my girlfriend claiming to be the new white forest ranger"

=+1 Intellige
She comes to the bank with the three otherwomen. Takes 1000 gold (worth 600000d) and runs out with the other three. They sit in their mansion smoke

Run into the olympic size pool and invite 10000 other woman over inclusing one good man. Because their that good. They kiss and the day ends

مسبح أبيض بطول أولمبي
Next day +=1 Charm

>Drive to spend unmarked cash
>Go to the Beach
>Build a spaceship and go to the venus to have fun

File: Post-7.Otto.jpg (672.9 KB)

>>6398399
>>6398628
>I’m the new forest ranger, they wanted to make it official.
$ Otto.Trust =+ 1
"His face remained unchanged."
Old man "And who are you?"
"Was this a test?"
Ranger "The new forest ranger?"
Old man "No, that's a job. Who are YOU?"
Ranger "..."
Old man "Don't make that face, okay. Come inside, I need to grab some stuff before we begin."
"He didn't wait for you, sinking into the depths of the house."

"The door was left open and ajar. Was this what you should have expected?"

"Slowly, you entered the hall. To your left was living room."
"It was mostly bare. The walls only held generic paintings of the countryside."
"The furniture seemed unused—no stains, no wear, no history. A room made to pretend this was someone's home."

"The man returned shortly, carrying a shopping bag from another room."
"He sat on a chair next to a plastic table."

Old man "Don't just stand there, sit."
"You entered and sat across from him."
Old man "Now, I'm guessing there's been a problem with someone from town."
Ranger "The sheriff is looking into me. I need to officially become the forest ranger."

"He nodded.”
Old man "Why should I help you?"
Ranger "Why would you not?"
Old man "Because I'm no thrall to the Animas. I'm not forced to help you."
Old man "And helping you would only benefit them. Why would I help those parasites?"

Ranger "Why do you call them 'Animas'?"
Old man "Professional reasons. And I will not entertain their fantasies."

Ranger "Who are you?"
Old man "That is a broad question."
Old man"I would consider myself first a metalhead."
Old man"But what do you think?"

What is he?
>You are old
>You are retired
>You are a cop
>You are military
>You are from the Illuminati
> Write in

File: Post-7.Shithome.jpg (756.9 KB)

Old man "Now, again. Why should I help you?"

Why should he help you?
>You will help me because it keeps the fae from acting directly
>Because I'm still human, and I need your help.
>Because if you don't, the fae will get involved, and it will be ugly.
>I guess I will ask the fae for another way to fix this.
>Write in

[If you have any questions for him you can ask and I will write out his answers.]

>>6398930
>You are old
>>6398931
>Because if you don't, the fae will get involved, and it will be ugly.

I realized the next post would be too short.
You can now choose which direction to go during the afternoon section.

>Stay in town You talk to the guy in the junkyard about your car
>Return to the forest You reach the edge of the mundane
>Write in (Go visit specific people, go to specific places, whatever you want.)


>>6398941
Holy shit you are quick.

>>6398930
>You are retired
He worked for or with the Animas/Fae, but no longer does.

>>6398931
>Because I'm still human, and I need your help.
Am I not a man and a brother?

>>6398953
>Return to the forest
Report back to management on our mission results.

>>6398953
>Return to the forest

Rolled 3, 3 = 6 (2d4)

Locking and rolling diferences.
>>6399035
>>6398941

>You are old -1
>You are retired-2

>Because if you don't, the fae will get involved, and it will be ugly.-1
>Because I'm still human, and I need your help.-2

Rolled 1, 1 = 2 (2d2)

>>6399343

>>6398941
>>6399035
>You are old
Old man "No shit, Sherlock."
Old man "I guess we can go with that. I'm old and know shit."

>Because if you don't, the fae will get involved, and it will be ugly.

Old man "HA! Is that a threat?"
O "It's hilarious that you think the Animas would do something to keep you."
O "No, they would just replace you. That's what you are to them."
O "Another tool that eventually they will replace."
O "Your predecessor was the only one that lasted more than a decade."
O "And that was only because he was a smart bastard."
O "You, on the other hand, maybe only a bastard. We will see."
O "..."
O "Oh, don't worry. I'm going to help you."
O "Not because I'm nice, I want something in return."
O "Every time you see a weakness in the Animas, you will tell me."
Ranger "I-"
Old man "If you are worried they might hear us, don't."
O "They are not omnipresent. They are not God."
O "Nor can they read your mind after the Frankenstein they have made of you."
O "So don't worry. We both want them dead."
O "Just avoid an open conflict that brings attention from civilians."
O "You don't need me to tell you what happens if the secret of their existence gets out, right?"
O "On that note, yours."

"He passed you the shopping bag."
Old man "Use the money to smooth things over when needed. Don't abuse it or no more will come."
O "Now get out. I got work to do and don't care for chit-chat."
"You opened the bag, the inside holding several bundles of bills."
"(Monetary Funds 3/3)"

File: Post-8.HeyYou.jpg (1.1 MB)

"A few seconds later, you were in the streets of the town."
"Your familiar but unsettled corners judging as you walked past them."
"As if you had done something wrong."
"Step by step, you began to move away, looking for the green."
"And when you found it, you sank."
"There was no plan on where to go, just into the comforting embrace of the forest."

"The air is different here."
"Thick, humming with something that makes you belong."
"A strange warmth seeps into your skin, like roots curling into your bones."

"You didn't mean to find this place, but it found you."
"The ground pulses beneath your feet. A deep sense of calmness washes over you."

Insect "Turn back. Now! The further you go, the harder it will be to return. If you hesitate, you're already dead. Move!"

"You looked up, and between the branches that made up the verdant canopy was the Insect."
"Perched like a vulture pretending not to be interested in your death."

Insect "Are you frozen, prey? Leave. This place isn't for you."

Ranger "Why should I leave?"
"A sound like teeth grinding, a warning. Then, a low snarl before the sound became words."
Insect "Turn back. The deeper you go, the more you will want to see."
Insect " And you'll forget yourself in witness of the ocean ahead."

Ranger "Can I ask you some stuff?"
I "...One shot. Make it count. After that, I shut up."

>"What are the fae?"
>"How do you kill the fae?"
>"What am I?"
>Write in your own question, he will answer.

Ranger "I want to keep going, See whats deeper."
"What you thought were his eyes stopped looking at you for a second."
"Contemplating the invisible path that seemed increasingly darker in the silence."
"You noticed that there were no animal sounds, nor the buzzing of insects."
"Even your breath seemed muffled, stolen by the silence."
Insect "I can take you further through the veil. Knowing won't break you, but it will change something."
Insect "Are you sure?"

> See past the veil
> Some things are better not knowing

File: 1754139463260269.png (611.3 KB)

Reposting this beautiful chart I saved earlier

>>6399368
>"I need to ascend. How do I ascend?"
>See past the veil

>>6399550
It makes me happy in a way I can't explain that you still have that.
It's the same setting, so that table is useful here.
I'll redraw the art since I've improved it a bit. We can make a game out of it, though.

>There are three fairies, guess which category they're in.
2/3 and you can choose one benefit of your choice. (Yes, 2/3 because it's difficult.)
You can answer now or wait until you know them a little better.


Also, Ascend? As in transcendental flesh? I didn't expect you to lock in for an ending so quick.

>>6399368
>"What am I?"
We need to know what we are befroe we learn what we can become.

> See past the veil

>>6399559
Shaman is probably of the Bloodless Lineage, Insect may be a Parasitic Guard, and Nymph... I don't know. Aristocrat?

>>6399642
>>6399550
>"What am I?" + "I need to ascend. How do I ascend?"

Ranger "How do I escape… this"
"You said this as you revealed the open wound in your chest. Never closing and always bright red."

Insect "You're a corpse. Soulless flesh. An abomination of Shaman’s making."
Insect "I don't know how. So escape with death, have dignity."
Insect "Or... Kill the Shaman. Piss in his garden. Let a Whore's son starve to death."

>See past the veil
"He descended from his perch, floating slowly as if gravity were a suggestion."

Insect "Don't step where I haven't been."
"And it began to walk, and you followed."
"The changes around you were gradual. First, some plants changed to a bright hue and the edges of their leaves became more blurred, as if someone was painting a memory."
"Stepping stones jutted from a sea of red mud that glistened like wet clay, or coagulated blood."

"You walked the bridge, and the universe stopped pretending to be kind."
"In the outside world, the forest, the rules faded."

"The Insect stopped."
"Before you stood a gate."
"It was shaped like a circle, made of crooked sticks lashed with sinew."
"The opening pulsed with light so bright it had no color, only impact. You crossed it"

File: Post-9.MindblendLSD.jpg (1.2 MB)

"A wasteland is before you."
"Inorganic monoliths rise like twisted, petrified trees."
"Their trunks are seamless columns of metal, ceramic, and crystalline formations."
"Some coil in frozen spirals, others split into jagged fractals, and all stretch infinitely upward toward the void, vanishing into the blackness above."

"There are no stars."
"No moon."
"Only the immense silhouettes of vast, bloated corpses of ancient leviathans, drifting."
"Some are fused into grotesque amalgamations, their rotting masses welded together, while others pulse subtly, dreaming what the dead do."
"Beneath this cosmic graveyard, there is no true ground, only an expanse of translucent, shifting substance."
"It aches of flesh yet it drifts in the stillness. "

"The air that had escaped your lungs refused to return, and your brain, in shock, could not grasp a thought."
"There was a depth in the closing horizon, as if dark had begun to expand."

"Instinct, born at the beginning of life, kicked in, and you fell backwards into your side of the world."

"..."

"You awaken on the ground of the forest floor, looking around you see no indication of the world before."
"Birdsong is distant. Familiar. Real."

Insect "Beautiful, wasn't it?"

$ humanity -= 2
$ freedom += 2
$ insect_trust += 1
$ SeenWastes = True

File: Post-9.Girl.In.Mirror.jpg (965.4 KB)

"As you began to leave, the thing called to you."
I "Wait. My turn."
I "To what are you talking to in the cabin?"
R "What?"
I "You talk to the mirror, but its empty. What do you see staring back at you?"

What do you see?
>A girl
>A friend
>One of you
>Nothing
>Write in

"You returned to the cabin, a star filled sky above."
"Silence greeted you. No voices. No presence. Sleep came swiftly, not as comfort, but as an inevitability."

….

"Into night bleed a lazy dawn, preceded by the singing of anxious birds."
"You faced the mirror again. The fractured reflection stared back, obscured, lessened."
Girl "Are you going to meet the mayor?"
"Her shimmering reflection peeked over your shoulder, closer than usual but less distinct, as if struggling to hold form."

Ranger "I should, right?"

Girl "It would make that shady guy's work easier."
Girl "I know it might be a waste of time, but it can't hurt to try."

"It'll be a disaster":
Girl "Don't worry. Whether it is or not, we'll be in this together."
"She leaned in, the scent of dead flowers invading your nose."
"Her hand remained behind you, never quite reaching, but there was a subtle current against your shoulder. Maybe just a trick of your senses."

File: Post-9.Mayor.and.Sheriff.jpg (2.6 MB)

"You left without interruption, no petitioners at the door this time."
"The path to the village felt longer than usual."
"You arrived at the edge of civilization, guided by an increasingly familiar path."
"The town's streets pulled you inland, directing your steps without effort."
"In a square where there were more pubs than people stood the Town Hall."
"A nearly modern structure, its cracked walls and worn flags dreamed of better times."


"Inside, the building had not changed since the '80s. Some furniture seemed even older."
"A secretary barely glanced up from her computer, wordlessly pointing you to your destination."
"The office was half expected— an austere wooden floor clashing with colorful wallpaper, the bookshelf held a microwave and other amenities."
"Minimalist glass furniture sat uncomfortably within the center of the space."
"Two men stood inside, their conversation halting the moment you entered."

Mayor "Hello, welcome, welcome. I'm Mauricio, the Mayor."
Mauricio "Nice to finally meet you. You're the ranger's replacement, aren't you?"
M "We've had a lot of issues since he disappeared. No one to take care of his responsibilities, sometimes it feels like the government forgets we exist."
M "But don't worry, we'll try to accommodate you."
M "First, though, there are some overdue matters that require approval from someone in your position."

"He handed you a stack of papers, thick with neglect."
"The Sheriff took this as his cue to leave, slipping past you without a word."

M "Don't mind him. You know how people are when something new replaces what they knew."
Ranger"No, I don't get it":


Mauricio "Great. Anyway, there are plenty of other things we should discuss."
M "I have big plans for this town, to finally put us on the map. I don't understand why we haven't gotten in one yet."
M "Well, that's another issue."

Mauricio "As for you—one of the things we were planning is guided nature tours."
M "The valley is well-preserved, and one of your tasks will be to plan a route for these tours."
M "I think it could be a great way to revitalize the town's economy. Wouldn't you agree?"

"You look into this person's eyes, unsure of how much of their ignorance about the forest is due to stupidity
and how much is them ignoring the situation."
"You decide to stall your judgment by flipping through the papers he gave you."
"Maintenance reports, fire service requests, some paperwork about dead animals and people found in strange situations."
"Plus the aforementioned documents validating the start of the project."

>"Try to discourage him."
>"Stay neutral"
>"Agree with the plan"
>Write in

STATS:
Humanity = 1 Freedom = 2
Inventory:
[Null]

>>6399643
This is morning day 3 of the Renpy script. Lets lock anwswers on... end of morning day 5.
Seems good? time in advance to ask a bit but not enough to get near the endgame.

>>6399761
>A friend
>>6399762
>"Try to discourage him."

>>6400180
>A friend
Insect "Weak. Caressing a bleeding wound for warmth? Pathetic."
Insect "Now go."


>"Try to discourage him."

$ insect_trust += 1
Ranger "I don't think it's a good idea."
Ranger "There aren't many paths, so any type of route we take would carry the risk of someone getting lost."
Ranger"That's not even considering wild animals, some of them are dangerous."

Mauricio "Hmm, I agree. That's why we should start the project; we have to make our forests safer."

Ranger "We can't make them safer without invading the ecosystem or risking people's lives."

Mauricio "Well, you're painting it in black and white. I don't see it that way."
M "This is a task that requires a degree of perfectionism, which I see in our conversation."
M "You bring up some great points, which is why I want you to collaborate with me 110% to make this dream of ours a reality."

Ranger "No, no, no, the risk is greater than any theoretical benefit."

Mauricio "I appreciate your skepticism. So I want us to work closely together to prevent the problems you're envisioning."

"The cyclical nature of the conversation continued for a while."
"You countered or criticized his plan of action."
"He pretended to take notes and stated how he would be prepared for those situations without actually proposing a solution."

"You decided to stop talking, and he must have assumed that meant you agreed with his plan."

Mauricio "Great, I hope to see you soon."

"You left the building feeling drained, the weight of small-town pressing against your skull."
"The high noon sun glaring down with full force, reminding you how much time you had wasted inside that office."

Sheriff "Ranger."

"The Sheriff was waiting for you near the exit, leaning against the wall."
"His arms crossed and eyes shadowed beneath the brim of his hat."
Sheriff "You know, I've been doing a little digging on you. Wanna guess what I found?"
"A small smile formed on his mouth, but it was not of amusement."
Sheriff "Nothing. Not a single file. No records. No history. Cant even be sure what your real name is."


Ranger "Well, it's normal. You've only had two days.":
"His expression barely changed, but you saw it, the flicker of irritation."
Sheriff "If you want to summarize a whole week's work in 'two days', then sure. I've had two days."
"The silence between you stretched."
"The Sheriff exhaled slowly, like he was letting go of something for now"
Sheriff "Goodbye, Ranger."

"He pushed off the wall and walked away, his pace unhurried, but you got the feeling he wasn't done looking for answers."
"You were alone, in the center of this bustling human world. Far from your jailers."
"But far from your comfort zone."
"You had the chance to return to the woods, or take advantage of being here."

What will you do?
>Remain in town. Some traveler is lost and needs help
>"Return to the forest." The Nymph is eating, conversation about nature of sustenance
>Write in (Go visit specific people or go to some place in mind? You can also make something up)

Got stuff to do, will post art later.

>>6400231
>"Return to the forest."

>>6399760
>Post-9.MindblendLSD.jpg
Your art is so cool, QM.

>>6400249
>"Return to the forest."
Let's talk to our bosses about the mayor's plan.

File: Post-10.Mayors.Oficce.jpg (743.8 KB)

Late art.

>>6400428
>Let's talk to our bosses about the mayor's plan.

I'm going to admit that within the quest format, I'm railroading.
Its that way because you guys are basically playingtasting the visual novel.

It's easier for me, but if you want more freedom or want to break from the format of me forcing specific story beats we can.
The story will go on in the background but if you just want to explore the forest and tell all humans to fuck off you can.

The second and last act will be more like that but but it will not be completely a free exploration.

and also, What is a good time point to post for you guys?
For me is the usual posting time and around this time of day.

>>6400496
More freedom is usually more better imo for quests, but do what works and is sustainable for you.

>What is a good time point to post for you guys?
I usually pop by /qst/ once or twice a day when I'm not busy, less so these days.

File: Post-11.Messy.Eater.jpg (853.9 KB)

>>6400249
>>6400428

>"Return to the forest."
"You returned to the forest. The green carpet of moss and soft undergrowth parted gently beneath your steps."
"You watched the birds in silence. Everything felt natural. Almost."
"And in the rhythm of routine, something found you again."
"Your steps carried you to the edge of the forest, where the land gave way to the mountain's base. A scar of tall grass, broken stones, and loose shale."
"A wind slid between the trees, whistling softly. It carried with it a coppery sting, sharp and metallic."
"The pungent smell of blood."

"You stared forward, the forest never offered you the option of looking away."
"There was a hollow in the grass ahead, like something had fallen into it and thrashed about."
"Crimson sprayed the green like a grotesque bloom. A flowerless poppy field, swaying gently in the breeze."
"And in the center of it, crouched low to the earth, was the Nymph."

"Her arms and mouth were slick with gore. Her fingers worked tirelessly, stripping away pieces of flesh."
"With each bite, she paused to greedily savor it."
"The blood dripped down her neck, soaking into the brown fur and chest. Her jaw glistened."
"The feral hunger in her movements clashed with the human like disguise she usually carried."

"And then she looked up."

"Her eyes locked onto yours, and she smiled."
"Raising one gore-streaked hand, she beckoned you with a slow and deliberate gesture."

"You turned without a word and began to walk."
"Not running, you knew better, just get back into the woods, deeper into the familiar."
"The forest welcomed your retreat, the path ahead unnaturally clear."
"But as you moved, something tugged at your sleeve."


"You glanced down and there she was again, crouched beside the corpse. Her amber eyes shone brightly in the sunshine."
"You had never left the field."
"With eyes downward, only then did you truly see the body."
"A middle-aged man, pale skin painted with death."
"Guts unspooled from his abdomen like discarded rope. His leather trench coat soaked through with blood."
"His face slack, expressionless."

Ranger "How…?"
Nymph "I told you to come closer, didn't I?"

"She followed your gaze into the dead. "
Nymph "Oh, don't worry about him. He is already dead."
Nymph "But this bring a question I had."
Nymph "Do you care he is dead?"

Ranger "What?"
Nymph "Do you care this human died today?"

Do you care?
>Yes
>No

Nymph "Why?"

If yes:
>Loss of potential.
>I could be next.
>Death is sad.
>I don't know.
>Write in

If No:
>I didn't know him.
>He did this to himself, didn't he?
>Its boring.
>I don't know.
>Write in


Okay, I wrote an interaction. If you guys want to ask her questions or stir the conversation into certain topics add it to your vote.

>>6400798
>Yes
>I could be next.

>>6400798
>>6401028
+1 to this

>>6401028
+1

>>6400798
Plus
>Ask if she killed him

>>6401028
>>6401044
>>6401219
>I could be next
$ nymph_afection += 1
Nymph "Oh. Ooooooh! That makes sense. But don't worry, you aren't planning on jumping off a cliff are you?"
"She plunged her hand once again into the red opening and extracted a string of meat. Then she lift it up for you."
Nymph "Anyway, want a taste?"

Ranger "Why are you offering this to me?"
"She laughed as she tilted her head in confusion."
Nymph "All creatures eat. You're no exception, even if you like to pretend otherwise."
"She leaned closer, her expression unreadable."
Nymph "You haven't eaten since you arrived, have you?"
"You thought back. She was right. You hadn't. But there was no gnawing pain, no hunger pangs, just hollow."
Nymph "You're still trying to live like a human and it's adorable."

>>6401219
Ranger "Did you kill him?"
Nymph "Nah, he was one step ahead."
"She raised a bloodied hand and pointed towards the mountain."
Nymph "See that cliff? Look at the bottom, you can see a little of the splat."
Nymph "Then he rolled down here. I can never taste the last few seconds so I don't know if it hurt."
Ranger "Taste?"
Nymph "Yeah, I mean I could go back to animals. But it's all impulse, all instinct. It just worries about the rational part of life and death. "
Nymph "But humans? Oh, humans worry. They dread and dream! It seeps into the flesh, makes it richer."

R "So you don't need to do this?"
Nymph "Need is such a human word."
"She sighed."
Nymph "Yes. I mean, I can survive without humans, for a while. I'd shrink... Fade? ...Wilt. I think is the word your kind uses."
Nymph "Would you live like that? A lesser version of yourself. And for what? Just to think you are pure?"
Nymph "This guy wouldn't make it to the end of the century."
"She slapped the corpse with the back of her hand like knocking on a hollow wall."
Nymph "Ha, didn't even make it to tomorrow did you. Fucking idiot."

Would you life like a lesser version of yourself to preserve identity?
>"Yes"
>"No"
>"Aren't I already a lesser version of myself?"
>Write in

>>6400428
>Let's talk to our bosses about the mayor's plan.
"You were already too distracted by this, so you decided to tell her about the mayor's plan."
"She listened thoughtfully, then grinned, showing all her fangs."

Nymph "That's amazing! So many new people to come here, that's..."
Nymph "Don't tell the others. Please? I don't want them to ruin this for me. I'll give you the rest of this guy. He has some good memories. I will also…"

"She closed her eyes, thinking, calculating."
"One of her hands scratched her head, smearing gore in her hair."

Nymph "If this goes my way, I will break the threads that bind you to the garden. That way you can leave. It's a good deal, right?"

Ranger "Seems like a good deal."

"You paused for a second to think about everything she had said."

Ranger "What is the Garden, and what is this about memories?"

Nymph "The Garden is complicated; the Shaman will eventually take you there to do cleaning duties. The previous Ranger did that a lot."
Nymph "And you remember that thing about things seeping into flesh. You can see bits. Since you don't have memories I thought It might be an attractive offer, no?"

Ranger "Can all fae do that?"
Nymph "I'm the best at it. I appreciate humans more."

Ranger "Could you retrieve memories from me? Even if I don't remember?"
"Her eyes widened, flickering with childlike curiosity. A string of drool began to fall."
Nymph "Maybe. Memories closest to the surface... but no one has ever volunteered."
"She looked away quickly, returning her attention to the corpse, biting her nails anxiously."
Nymph "Don't tempt me unless you mean it. I won't forgive you if chicken out."

What will you do?
>"(Offer flesh to gain something back)"
>"(Eat the meat)"
>"(Politely decline)"
> Keep asking questions, don't leave yet. (Write in your questions)
>Write in

Sorry, no art till late. Stuff to do.

>>6401432
>"Aren't I already a lesser version of myself?"
Gonna need to read the contract.
>>6401433
>"(Eat the meat)"

File: Post-12.I.hope.Meat.is.not.a.metaphor.jpg (316.8 KB)

Late art

>>6401580
>Gonna need to read the contract.
Bold of you to assume she can read.
Enjoy the snackies.

>>6401432
>>6401433
>"Aren't I already a lesser version of myself?"
>"(Eat the meat)"

>>6401432
>"Aren't I already a lesser version of myself?"
Certainly less human.

>>6401433
>"(Politely decline)"
Let's not yet commit to becoming even lesser still, in terms of matter or of spirit.

>>6401662
nymph is a cutie patootie tho

File: Post-13.Ranger.jpg (446.1 KB)

>>6401580
>>6401664
>>6401667
>"Aren't I already a lesser version of myself?"

Nymph "Mmmh, oh!"
"She giggled, fangs peeking."
Nymph "You poor, poor guy. You are making me salivate all over again."


>"(Eat the meat)"
"The Nymph's eyes sparkle with a thrill that makes your skin crawl."
"She tears off a piece and presses it into your hands."
"You hesitate. But you take a bite anyway. A taste unpleasant and it clings to you."
"But you endure. You do not gag. You do not spit it out."
"You vision blurs, and-"

"I see a forest half way down, trees like stalactites hand above."
"I don't feel any less guilty. I feel the pull of gravity and regret in quiet.
I try to-"
"..."

Nymph "How was it? Dope, right?"
Ranger "Strange."
"She laughed and licked the blood from her fingertips."
Nymph "Baby steps, Ranger. Next dinner date is on you."

$ freedom += 4
$ humanity -= 3
$ nymph_affection += 1

STATS:
Humanity = -2 Freedom = 6
Inventory:
[Null]


"You returned to the cabin, a star filled sky above."
"The door creaked open, the moonlight slicing through the darkness, illuminating the dust and the ghosts of memories that did not belong to you."
"Sleep comes fast."

File: Post-13.Garden.jpg (1.2 MB)

"..."

"You faced the mirror again. The fractured reflection stared back, obscured, lessened."
Girl "I cannot see much from this side. But I know you."
Girl "I know you are trying your best. Please, stay human."

"You looked at her eyes, so full of hope. She did not belong to this world. She did not belong in this hole."
"She didn't receive an answer to her encouragement this time."


"A slow knock on the interrupting the moment. You recognize it, the beast was at your door again."

Shaman "I call upon your debt once again. Grab a shovel and follow."

"There was no point in arguing. "
"You stepped out into the cold air as he took the lead."
"The woods swallowed him immediately, forcing you to keep close."

"He wasn't following any trail you recognized, yet the underbrush yielded to his passage."
"The ground bore the only sign of your path, a thin, disturbed line in the dirt, snaking between the trees."
"The air felt heavier, with a scent you couldn't quite place. Earthy, but tinged with something sharp, like rusted iron soaked in rain."
"Then, the forest relented."

"The trees had recoiled from this place, their twisted branches clawing at the sky as if afraid to encroach further."
"In their absence lay a field of reddish mud, thick and glistening, pocked with mounds that rose like termite nests."

"At the heart of the clearing stood the tree."
"Rotten, yet defiant, its massive trunk was wrapped in faded cloth, inscribed with symbols you didn't recognize."
"Its blackened limbs stretched skyward in some grotesque mimicry of prayer."
"Among the knots, small pink fruits dangled like drops of flesh."
"You strained to see them through the layers of trinkets and talismans swaying in the air."

"Above it all, the sky was wrong."
"It was blue, but not the blue you knew. Too dark, too deep, like staring through a tainted window."

Shaman "Admission to the Garden has been bestowed upon you. "
Shaman "Unearth the bad roots, dispose of them outside the Garden. I care not how."

"He pointed toward one of the mounds, where the loose silt had begun to crumble away, revealing something beneath. A shape. A body."

Ranger "Whats all this?":
Shaman "Questions will be found after completing the task."

….

"You lie beneath a gravel sky.
No stars to watch, no help nearby."
"No light to reach your shallow grave.
No hope to find, no soul to save."
"Your bones are broken, breath is still.
Your chest is rotted, but there is a will."
"No scream remains to right this wrong.
Just rage to wait a little bit more."

"A clang of metal near your head.
They dig you up, but you are already dead."
"Yet not at peace, not truly gone.
Trapped in silence, unwilling to go on."
"The earth is torn, the sky returned.
But in your chest, a fire burns."

"A scribble moves, a man shaped blur.
The stranger belongs not to your curse."
"It drags you out, drops you low."

"You cannot speak, you cannot reach.
Just watch and rot down beneath."
"You choke with frustration.
After such a wait in stagnation."
"To not be able to reach out, to make it count."

How will the ranger dispose of the corpses?
>He gives you new burial somewhere else.
>He burns you
>He abandons you in the forest
>Write in
>>6401667
>Let's not yet commit to becoming even lesser still, in terms of matter or of spirit.
I think this guy(>>6399550) has locked in into escaping from the flesh/humanity.
For better or worse, I wont tell.

>>6401980
>He gives you new burial somewhere else.
Lets hope no human sees this scene.

File: Post-14.He.Tall.jpg (811.7 KB)

>>6402142
>He gives you new burial somewhere else.
"The man believes he brings you peace,"
"A sense of clarity, some release."
"But he can't grasp the truth you keep."
"That chosen torment runs too deep."
"To endure for a new future to reap."

"He cannot hear your voiceless cry,"
"Or see the fire that burns inside."

"He leaves you in a grave once more,"
"Far from the rot, far from the core."
"Not alone—you're not the only one."
"This pit holds many, all undone."
"In silence shared, you all remain,"
"A buried choir that hums with pain."
"You lie beneath a gravel sky,"
"No stars to see, no gods nearby."
"No light will reach this shallow grave,"
"No hope to clutch, no soul to save"

"..."

"The crime buried again, though now beneath new soil, somewhere far from the heart of this hell."
"Perhaps it would bring peace to those interred, or perhaps just to you."
"At the very least, it would keep scavengers from picking at the bones."
"You left."

"The way back seemed simple enough at first, mountain peaks to the west, a dirt path underfoot."
"By all logic, you should have returned to the civilized edges of the woods."
"Instead, the forest turned in on itself. The trail withered. The trees leaned wrong."
"And you found yourself once more in that cursed Garden."
scene garden

"The Shaman stood where you last saw him, silent before the row of emptied graves."
"He did not look at you, yet slowly raised a hand, beckoning you forward."

Shaman "Your task is done. Well made. This level of service will be expected again. Be prepared."

Ranger "Do I get a reward?"
Shaman "Do you seek reward?"
Shaman "Does the pulse in your flesh seem insufficient?"
Shaman "Is work such an offense to your soul?"
Ranger "You asked me to dispose of a body."
Shaman "And its demanded by our nature, do you not understand?"

Ranger "I don't get it."
Shaman "To live is to consume. That is law among organics."
Shaman "And we, who are ethereal, have been tainted. Broken elements amend this."
Shaman "Now, like you, we live. And so we feed. As you do."
Shaman "So long as the forest breathes."

"The conversation ended, but the Shaman made no move to dismiss you."
"You neared the center of the garden, where the willow-like tree stood."
"Its withered limbs and blackened bark were wrapped in faded cloth, as if to hide the scars of age and rot."
"A single branch sagged slightly lower than the rest, its talismans shifting in the breeze to reveal a pink, velvety fruit beneath."
"The fruit glowed faintly in the dim light, too perfect, too ripe."
"The wind stirred. The talismans. Bone charms, straw dolls, and etched wooden slivers. They clinked together like a warning chime."
"You ran your hand over the cloths covering the tree, trying to imagine what exactly they were hiding."
"A soft, warm surface with a rough texture was all you could make out."
"You pulled your hand back when you noticed a creaking sound."

"You glanced toward the Shaman. He wasn't looking."

What do you want to steal? (There is no punishment to stealing ONE thing)
>A Fruit
>One of the talisman's
>Write in

"You returned to the Shamans side, he was distracted by one of the empty graves."
"Some roots were slowly moving inside, searching."

Ranger "What is this place?"
Shaman "A beacon for the broken elements of your race. To be removed and lost better for us the scraps."
Shaman "That is all the know you should have."

Ranger "How long has this been going on?"
"A moment of silence as ancient memories flooded his mind."
Shaman "The web was made in the last millennium"
Shaman "The nature of consumption... Around the taming of fire."

>>6401580
Ranger "Can I see our contract?"
Shaman "Immortal life for eternal service. An exchange. You can withdraw and so can I. No more rules."
Shaman "Would you sever the bond?"
Ranger "No."
"You know what he meant with that question. If you were ready to die. Not yet."

What will you do now? (You can pick several)
>Tell him about the Mayors plan
>Ask about something else. (How to kill or what are fae, maybe about something specific)
>Leave the Garden (end of interaction)

(Next post will be later becouse I got the morning shift.)

>>6402383
>A Fruit
>Ask about your jailer's fears.

>>6402382
Oh man, poor dead guys. Did we pick wrong?

>>6402383
>One of the talisman's
Could be useful to protect us from our bosses, or what they send us to deal with in the future.

>Ask if more humans coming to the area would be good for then, then.
Don't tell Shaman about the mayor's plan, pose it as a hypothetical.

>>6402627
Can switch to talisman.

File: Post-15.Funny.Human.jpg (811.7 KB)

>>6402525
>>6402627
>One of the talisman's

$ TalismanItem = True

"Your hand brushed the rows of charms."

"You chose a carved wooden sliver, half a circle etched with faded runes."

"It came free with a gentle pull, as if it had always been meant for you."

"You tucked it away, pretending to continue your inspection."


>Ask about your jailer's fears.

"You ask about their fears, what drives them to orchestrate all this."
"You know this whole system is far too elaborate to be just a fight against hunger."
"The creature with the deer's skull turned before you. Internal movements beneath its skin gave the impression that it was less a solid creature, more something covered by a blanket."

Shaman "What does it call for? Empathy or Treachery?"

Ranger "I want to—"
Shaman [red]"NO LIES IN THE GARDEN. ANSWER. "[/red]
Ranger "Curiosity. I want to know if you fear like a man."

"You didn't think that answer; it was extracted from you. Something forced."

Ranger "What was that?"
Shaman "Over you we have command. To order, we all hear; to answer, we all listen."

"You stood there with him in silence. Still shocked they could force your mind like that."
"Was there anything truly yours still?"
"Before you could spiral, you noticed the Shaman was shaking. His form tilting forward."
"He was... laughing?"

Shaman 1: "Curiosity?"
Shaman 2: "CURIOSITY."
"From the wound that descended from his neck emerged mouths, with different shapes and sizes."

Shaman 3 and 4 "Bahahahahaha-"
Shaman 1 "We are doomed, we are like them."
Shaman 3 "They are like us."
Shaman 5 "SHUT UP!"

Shaman 2 and beyond "PfhahahahahhahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-"
Shaman 6 "We die a little more each day. Mother weeps for us."
Shaman 4 "No one weeps for us."
Shaman 5 "SILENCE!!!"

"The creature doubled over, trying to contain itself. You fleetingly glimpsed the abyss of flesh beneath the cloak that covered it."
"Dozens of arms emerged from the folds and pushed the already exposed faces back to their center."
"Splashes of blood stained the earth, but you didn't notice them."
"When the shaman regained his composure, he seemed larger than before."

Shaman Unified "Speak nothing of this."

...

Shaman "Fae fear as humans do. Betray no lies to this. To scale is just not."

Ranger "So you fear humans... as if a lot came to the forest? That is why the isolation."
Shaman "I meant not like that. But more souls on the web."
Shaman "Spiders larger than I might come to pass."

Now what?
>Ask about something
>Leave

>>6402627
>Oh man, poor dead guys. Did we pick wrong?
Nah, the wrong answer was leaving them in the open.
That activates a tag for a future avent where they come back to fuck shit up.
Has some interactions with certain items but the main idea is to punish players who still aren't a good Forest Ranger.

Not sure if its a good idea, but its in the game for now.

Wait, If we just leave I'm just going to do the... nevermind. OPTIONS:

>Ask about something
>Leave, stay in the forest Boy scouts want you to accompany them to the lake, you do because you don't trust the fae.
>Leave, go to town The Sherif's son is going into the forest, alone. You can talk to him and figure out what he is doing and advise him on it.

Nobody dies if you choose the other option.

>>6402991
>Leave, stay in the forest
Hopefully nobody dies this way, either!

>>6402937
>Leave, stay in the forest.

>>6403173
>>6403192
>Leave, stay in the forest

"You were tired and whatever just happen was too much. So you decided to go home."
"With quiet steps, you left that cursed place behind."
"When you finally emerged into the clearing of the cabin, you were surprised by the presence of a young adult sitting on the porch steps."
"He was dressed like a Boy Scout or whatever they had around here. He saw you immediately and approached you."

Trooper "Hello Ranger, I'm the Boy Scout troop leader for this area, and now that our activity plan has been approved, I came to let you know what we're going to be doing."
Ranger "No."

Trooper "That’s not how this works."
Trooper "While there was no ranger, we weren't allowed to enter deeper parts of the forest."
Trooper "I partially understand. On the other hand, the kids aren't idiots, and neither am I. We're not going to wander very far."
Trooper "Now that you're here, I'm letting you know that we're going to do some activities at the lake."
Trooper "Making fishing nets, catch and release only, learning about the local flora, and obviously, swimming."
Trooper "We haven't done it in... Maybe two years. I'm not sure."

Ranger "That is not a good idea.":
Trooper "Ha, you sound like the old ranger. But no, we're going. I already know all the excuses."
Trooper "I assume you're just as protective as the old man, and I assure you, nothing ever happens."
Trooper "I'll see you, or not, at lake, Ranger."


"You were alone again. Evaluating your options."
"You could not go, but if something happened, it would hang over your head."
"And imagining what the Nymph could do if she found out about them was disturbing."
"You did not see other options so you started making your way there."

"The path was intuitive, just follow the path of rocks and moss covered signs."
"By a quirk of time or by the luck of you getting lost at some point, the other humans arrived a bit before you."

"The few adults drew the limits of the outing,"
"And as the children made their games of tasks, you drifted into thoughts of elsewhere."
"What form or direction they took did not matter, as they all vanished the moment your eyes laid upon the Insects frame, resting among rocks near the lake shore."

"A breaths away from the group, observing in silence."
"It did not seem to like people, so what was it doing so close to them?"
"Whatever the case, confronting this now would be the best of options. No need to delay the inevitable."
"You started walking over to the encampment of stones, where the fae rested."

File: Post-16.Smoll.jpg (721.8 KB)

Insect "You approach with worry, Ranger."
Insect "But you should not, I'm too far removed to be seen by they."
Ranger "Sure."
Insect "Hmmm."

Insect "Statistically, one child will be gone before twenty. Which one do you think it is?"
"He shifts slightly, limbs moving like bone scraping stone."
Ranger "Who the fuck starts a conversation like that? I just got here!"
Insect "I wonder how. Maybe it will our fault, another corpse for the pile."
Insect "Or maybe their own flesh will betray them. Something they cant help."
"There was silence, the children were distant, attentive to the adults telling them something."
"The wind carrying dead leaves across the surface of the lake."


Ranger "This is very morbid. Do you just want to monologue?"
Insect "No. To find answers raw they must be bleeding. Lets put an example-"

Insect "What would you give to keep that child breathing?"
Insect "A stranger? Nothing. His mother? Her life."
Insect "Maybe. Not always. You would be disappointed to know how often that happens."
Insect "Cruelty comes wearing any grace and face. Strange, isn't it?"

"You didn't answer. It didn't expect you to. It wasn't seeking your opinion."

Insect "I think most humans are born broken. I understand that the 'perfect' human is myth."
Insect "But is disgusting how few aspire toward being better. "
Insect "All of you trapped thinking you are good, reinforced by your own mind."
Insect "And cruelty? Cruelty is when guilt goes missing."

Ranger "You are talking about a lot of stuff that is not related."
Insect "I talk about suffering that serves nothing. But humans need it to matter, always."
Insect "As if meaning could redeem blood spilled."
Insect "...I hate human concepts."

Ranger "Why are you telling me this?"
Insect "Maybe I hoped for understanding, maybe I want a better answer."

What will you say?
>"So you are above it all?"
>"Humanity doesn't need pain to have meaning; it creates one for it."
> "What if cruelty isn't the absence of guilt, but its consequence?"
> "You're talking about yourself."
>Write in (And expand a bit)

>>6403461
>"And what would you give, to save a child? Any human? The Nymph, or The Shaman? Me? Anyone?"

>>6403461
>"So you are above it all?"
Smug ugly bastard.

File: New-Updated-Chart_8MB.png (553.8 KB)

>>6403486
>>6403559
>"And what would you give, to save a child? Any human? The Nymph, or The Shaman? Me? Anyone?" + "So you are above it all?"

Insect "There's nothing to save. You humans have such fragile lives you're barely alive. And I deeply loathe my kin. The Shaman is a stagnant piece of shit and the Nymph a sensation junkie."

Ranger "And you're full of ancient wisdom, so you're above it all."
Insect "I'm attempting transcendence."
Ranger"Fuck off, what are you? A fifteen-year-old kid, you smug ugly bastard."

"He remained silent; you could tell he was angry, but he didn't respond."
"That's when it hit you."

Ranger "You are a kid."
Insect "I have seen more than you will ever live! And what would you give to save any of them?" Insect "You sold your soul to devils. And now what? You get to clean their asses and make sure more humans die like..."

"It stops, perhaps realizing that he is blaming you for wanting to live. You don't know for sure, you don't need to know."
"He retreated into himself, trying to hide under plumage and chitin from your eyes."

$ humanity += 2
$ insect_trust -= 1

Insect "You get one question again. It would be unfair to force you listen to me without a reward."

What do you want to ask?
>"How do you kill the fae?"
>"Why are you still here?"
>Write in (He will answer truthfully)

"The sound of children and the wind dragging dead leaves into the water drowned the silence left."
Insect "Our conversation ends here. They come now. Small and soft."
Insect "The children come for you."

Ranger "Goodbye?"
Insect "Enjoy the humanity, ephemeral as it is."

"It sat in silence as the swarm of little ones surrounded you, all clamoring for your attention."
"Begging for things and permissions that other adults would not give."
"They dragged you with them to negotiate with the other grown ups, taking you away from the rocks that hosted the unseen."
"..."
"Night came with a clear and star filled sky, the trip extended so they could see the constellations."
"You sat on stacked rocks near the small fire pit they had made, the smell or roasting sweets and burnt chocolate tinged the air."
"The sound of crickets and moving water receded to the horror stories told over the light."
"You waited, expecting something to happen. Something to come and break the peace."
"It never did."

...

Now, the game from>>6399559
+ New chart, not sure if its funnier but I tried.

>What are each of the 3 Fae? 2/3 and you win.
Prize? Stat boost (+3) of your choice or any item you might want.

STATS:
Humanity = 0 Freedom = 6
Inventory:
[Garden Talisman] []

>>6403848
>"How can I keep these children safe?"

I still think Shaman is Bloodless Lineage and Nymph is an Aristocrat, but I'm thinking Insect is of The Befoul Fae.

>>6403876
I'll support.

File: Post-17.Video.Star.jpg (562.4 KB)

>>6403876
>>6403988
>"How can I keep these children safe?"
"There was a ruffle in the feathers, maybe a laugh."
Insect "You have to kill us, Shoot the Nymph in the head, many times. Then burn the Garden."
Insect "It won't save anyone but it will buy time. That's the best you get."
$KillfaeByIn = True

...

"Into night bleed a lazy dawn, preceded by the singing of anxious birds."

"Once again, you're at the edge of the mirror."
"The routine has become a ritual. A habit."
"You look in the mirror again, another dawn pressing in through the small window."
"The light does nothing to soften the image before you. The reflection is a smudge, a distortion that writes and ripples like heat rising from the pavement."
"You try to focus, but the shape that should be your face bends and twists, refusing to settle."

Girl "Hello again, Ranger."
"You hear her voice again for the first time in what feels like years."

Ranger "It's difficult to see you."

Girl "I'm here to say goodbye. I know I haven't been with you much but I know I'm not helping you."
Ranger "If you leave, I will be alone against the fae."
Girl "You are not alone, and I'm just another tool for the fae."
Girl "I'm so sorry. But it's for your own good."

"She was gone, again, the mirror an empty reflection that bearely showed itself."
"You called out, nothing responded until another knock on the door forced you to move."

"A few rhythmic, energetic knocks on the door. Long strides led you to it."
"There you found the Mayor, that fat ball of ambition waiting with an old camera in one hand and papers in the other."

Mayor “Ranger, I caught you at a good time, right?”
Mayor "I’ve been thinking about our last conversation. And I’ve come up with an excellent idea.”
Mayor “We are making an ad for our town.”

Ranger “I don't think it's a good idea.”
“You said that while trying to close the door on him”
"The slimy bastard wedged himself in the door opening and made his way in."

Mayor "And rightly so, that is why I want your help. A fresh face like yours can appeal to the outside world. Just be hip, you know."

"Once he was fully inside he handed you a stack of papers and moved to the sofa, sitting there and setting up a camera towards a chair."

Ranger “You are not going to leave until we do this, are you?”
Mayor “You know me well.”

Ranger “And these papers?”
Mayor “A script you can use as a guide for your genuine impressions.”
"You sit down and flick through the pages. They mostly consisted of mad ramblings about the town."

Mayor “So, what would you say is the most striking feature of this place?”

Do you want to say positive things about the town?
>No, say all the negative
>Stay neutral
>Try to say positive things
>Write in.

[While we are at it where to next after the this?]
>Stay in the forest Previous Ranger hiding spot
>Go to town You go buy ingredients with Esther, later cook something.

>>6403988
>>6403876
>I still think Shaman is Bloodless Lineage and Nymph is an Aristocrat, but I'm thinking Insect is of The Befoul Fae.
Nymph is a very weak Aristocrat, and the Insect is a Befoul Fae with Parasite origin.

So, Victory.
What do you want? Stat boost or an item of your choice? You can also ask for other things but I will need to see how to implement into the story.


Also, tomorrow I cant post. Double shift at work.

>>6404453
>Stay neutral
>Go to town

>>6404455
A humanity + 1 i guess?

>>6404453
>>No, say all the negative
>Go to town You go buy ingredients with Esther, later cook something.

>>6404453
>Stay neutral
Repeat the mad ramblings deadpan. Anyone who hears crazy bullshit and comes anyway is at least ignoring red flags, which will make me feel less bad for them if they die.

>Go to town


>>6404455
I wouldn't mind a magic gun, being a ranger. If not viable, I'll +1 >>6405061

File: Post-18.Market.jpg (1.0 MB)

>>6405128
>>6405110
>>6404456
>Stay neutral
You didn't give him anything substantial. You talked a lot, but about nothing in particular.
Superficially describing the area in a monotonous tone of voice. Something to fulfill without actually contributing anything.
After several minutes of this, the mayor seemed tired, although his stupid smile didn't disappear.

M "Not what I was expecting, but I'm sure I can give it a good spin. Enjoy the rest of the day, Ranger."

>Go to town
Everything that had happened since you woke up had been a bitter experience, and you didn't feel like putting up with the Fae on top of it.
So the logical decision was to head towards civilization.
The journey was short; you became more familiar with the dirt roads as you traveled.
Soon the settlement sprawled before you, looking almost familiar now.

Three-story apartment buildings and old houses clashed in their jagged arrangements, but the chaos had lost its edge.
It simply was.
The town acknowledged you in its own watchful way.
Passing glances like a kid looking at a bug. You were something new
Eyes followed, but the sharpness had dulled. You ventured farther and left them behind.
The whispers were faded. There was space for you here, just suffocatingly small.

Esther "Hi! Hello again Ranger. How have you been?"

The familiar voice of the old woman brought you back to the present.
Frail as the last time you saw her and still with a warm smile.

Ranger "I have been good."
She probably noticed the lie because she tightly engraved your arm.
Holding on as old ladys do.

E "Would you be a dear and help me with the groceries? It's been a little while, hasn't it?"
E "You've gone all gaunt, poor thing. Good thing I was just off to the market."
E "Come on then, let's get some bits for a nice meal. It always helps to have a stomach full."

She started walking, talking to you about family recipes and the things that had been happening to her.
You try to pay attention, but you were distracted by the idea that you really hadn't eaten anything since... and before that too.
Lost in thought, you hardly noticed Esther had steered you all the way to the market.
It was a repurposed industrial unit awkwardly pressed into the town's layout. Rows of makeshift stalls, some shuttered, others bright with fresh produce and canned goods.

File: Post-18.Butcher.jpg (600.1 KB)

E "Ranger, would you mind going to the butcher and picking up some pieces for stew and such?"
You didn't have time to speak much, and were sent away quickly.
You smelled the butcher shop before seeing the stall.
It was much cleaner than you could have imagined,
The cutting boards were white and spotless, the glass displays gleaming. The meat, red and glistening, didn't look quite like pork or beef.
The butcher was a large, red-faced man in a bloodless apron. He welcomed you warmly.

Butcher "Well, look here. A new face! How can I help you?"
Ranger "What kind of meat is this?"
B "Ahh, now *that* is the eternal question. Mostly goat. Sometimes venison. Rarely snakes. Almost never anything I can't pronounce."

A "...Almost never?"
Butcher "The less you know, the better it cooks. I find that mystery seasons the meal."

R "Do you do your own hunting then?"
Butcher "Me? No, I buy local, never roadkill. Although sometimes things wander in from the woods. You'd be amazed what gets caught in a salt trap."
R "Salt trap?"
Butcher "Don't think about it."

What will you pick? (You can pick several.)
> Chicken
> Wild game meats
> The weird blob of meat
> Wait, is that blob moving? Is it alive?
>Better I buy nothing
> Write in (ask questions or accuse him of something, maybe?)

Shortly after making your selection of cuts from the untrustworthy butcher, you returned to Esther.
She was chatting with the vegetable stall woman; you learned and forgot her name.
It was a pleasant break from the isolation.

You went back to help Esther with the shopping and took it up to her apartment, coinciding just as a teenager you recognized from the abandoned resort was leaving.

Esther "That's my granddaughter, Michela. Her mother brings her here during the summers; she hates it but won't tell me."
E "Anyway, why don't you stay for dinner? I'm going to start cooking now. When was the last time you ate something home-cooked?"
E "You'll get to meet my daughter too. She's divorced, a bad husband, narcissist. You'll like her."
E "I don't know if Michela will come; she's playing in a band with her friends at night. They go near the train tracks."
E "They're having a concert before they have to go back to school. It would be nice if you showed up."
She kept talking, telling you about the many things that seemed important at the time.

What will you do?

>Stay for dinner with Esther and her family
>Help her cook, but then leave
>Leave now
>Ask her something (what do you want to ask her about?)
>Write in


>>6405128

>a magic gun
Funny enough, I have programed something like that into the game.
Options seem to be:
+3 Humanity or [Revolver] + [Blood Iron Bullets]

>>6405313
>Wild game meats
>Stay for dinner with Esther and her family
I'll go with the Revolver and ammo.
Have dinner, what else is there to do?

File: Post-19.Nymph.jpg (531.2 KB)

>>6405340
>Wild game meats

He hands you a neat, wax-paper bundle that leaks slightly at one corner.
Butcher: "Just cook it and trust it. No refunds."

$ humanity += 1

>Stay for dinner with Esther and her family
$ AcquaintanceInTown = True
$ humanity += 1

What else could you do, except stay for dinner?
It was a good question that didn't require much thought.
You stayed cooking with the old woman; she told you recipes while you prepared the ingredients.

You poured the mixture into a large pot and seasoned it in an order you didn't quite understand.
At some point during the process, the lock on the house started clicking, and the woman you assumed was the daughter entered.
She looked at you somewhat suspiciously during dinner. Esther paid no attention, telling stories unrelated to the situation.
With a conversation in which they forced you to pretend everything was normal, the situation gradually relaxed.

You weren't sure why, but it all felt nostalgic.

By the time you excused yourself to leave, you'd already been invited to the town's book club and several other upcoming festivities.
Esther seemed worried about your lack of mention of any kind of family and was trying to adopt you into hers.
Her daughter wasn't sure whether to trust you, but she found the situation amusing, to say the least.

Out on the street, the wind carried a chill from the mountains. Your walk to the cabin was peaceful, giving you time to reflect.

...

You find yourself under the electric smoke of the bathroom lights. The fractured reflection stared back, lacking.
A new day began with the stain of shadow that did not return your gaze.
Simply waiting for a while, an interruption, someone tapping on a window took you away.

There, pressing her face to the glass like a child in an aquarium, the Nymph grinned at you through the smudged pane,
her breath fogging up the cold surface.
She made faces at you through the glass, trying to get a reaction.
You approached and opened it, letting the cold morning air and the smell of dew invade your home.
Nymph "Pekaboo!"
N "You're coming with me. We go shopping!"

File: Post-19.Clerk.png (219.0 KB)

Ranger "Can't you just steal?"
N "Obviously. But I need you to distract the clerk, if he's watching me, he'll see past the veil."
N "C'mon, record your things. Off we go."

This is what came for you today, not screams nor dream in the mirror. Duty came quickly to drag you away.
The forest welcomed you with an unusual hush. Birds hesitated in their calls as she walked beside you, not wanting to sing over her rambling.
She spoke half-singing her plan while guiding you.
The idea was simple: you keep the clerk busy. She helps herself to everything not nailed down. A soft heist. No confrontation.
N "As long as there's no direct interaction, no touch or direct sight, the clerk won't notice me."
You then asked about the cameras. She shrugged.
N "Technology is too grounded. When something from ether interacts with it, it focuses on the material world. The machines get confused. They show a blur."
The destination? The old gas station near the edge of town. Far enough to avoid nosy townsfolk. Enough variety in stock to make it worth it.

...

A building clearly never meant to be a gas station and smothered in concrete sad beside one of the few roads that escaped the valley.
The glass door is smudged with fingerprints and the outside walls covered in graffiti. The bell overhead jangles as you step inside, a familiar yet annoying sound.

Behind the counter, a man in his late thirties looks up from a small portable TV. His uniform is stained and sun-faded, the name tag is unreadable.

He looks at you like he's trying to remember your face, but can't.
Clerk "Mornin'. You the Ranger, yeah?"

At that moment, the Nymph slid in beside you and strolled past. The clerk didn't even flinch, he was oblivious.
She gave you a wink. You'd need to keep his attention.

Ranger "Yes, I'm."
Clerk "Thought so. Got that look to you. What can I get you?"

Suddenly, something thumped in the back hallway. A dull metallic noise.
The clerk jerked in his seat, hand sliding under the counter.
Silence.
Then he sighed.

How are you going to distract him? [PICK 2 OPTIONS]
>Buy a lot of stuff (use 1 of 3/3 Monetary Funds)
>Ask him about the town
>Ask him about strange happening
>Ask him about his job
>Ask him about the abandoned resort
>Write in

STATS:
Humanity = 2 Freedom = 6
Inventory:
[Garden Talisman] [Revolver] [Blood Iron Bullets] []


Note:
Not going to be home for a few days so posting times will be weird

>>6405897
>Ask him about the abandoned resort
>Buy a lot of stuff (use 1 of 3/3 Monetary Funds)

File: Post-20.Clerk.jpg (1.1 MB)

>>6405904
>Buy a lot of stuff (use 1 of 3/3 Monetary Funds)

You started to ask him for arbitrary items, making him turn around for each one instead of telling him all at once.
He seemed annoyed but said nothing as the stack of stuff piled on the counter.
To make more time you starting asking questions about even more things and changing your selection to force him to not scan the items.
You got the Nymph a lot of time, but a disgruntled worker knows the tricks to ignore annoying questions and just move on.
You were left with two bags of random crap and a very high bill.
Forking over the cash the clerk whistled impressed.

Clerk “That’s the most anyone has ever spend. Does being a forest ranger pay good?”
Ranger “Not that good.”

$ morethanher = True

The thunk of one of the refrigerators in the back jolted both of you away from your haul.
One of the doors seemed ajar and a faint shadow moved behind some boxes.
He made a soft shushing noise and pulled a gun from under the counter, his eyes hard and fixed in the direction the noise came from.
Silence.

>Ask him about the abandoned resort
You broke the tension by asking about the abandoned resort. You weren’t sure why that topic came to your mind, but it seemed… important.

The man pun the gun away before answering your inquiry.
Clerk “The resort… oh yeah, an avalanche killed 14 people and injured a few more back in 82’.”
C “Owner took his own life after all the families of the victims came for him for negligence.”
C “Thing is, during the trial his argument was that it was impossible for there to be that much snow on that side of the mountain.”

R “So, he made excuses.”
C “You would think that, but other weird stuff has happened here since before that. Like when a chunk of the train tracks went missing.
And no, it wasn't stolen, there was a piece of forest in its place. With trees and such. But that happen in 1876 so people think its a myth.”
R “And you think its real.”
C “It happened, and you know what causes all the weird things in town? Aliens.”
R “Aliens…”
C “Extraterrestrials. They must have a big lab nearby, that’s why pieces of terrain move and so many animals and people go missing.
They are taking samples!”

On one hand, this man was incredibly wrong. On the other, he was noticing pasterns other people ignored or were oblivious to.
He keep talking about theses aliens and the UFO sightings, most was crazy talk but from time to time he seemed to be talking about the fae without knowing.

While he did that, the Nymph walked pass. Soda in one hand m filled shopping bag on the other.
He was so entrance with the conspiracy that he did not notice the automatic door opening “on its own”.
With her outside you made your goodbyes and left as well.

The air outside was sharp with gasoline and pine. She was waiting by the pumps, perched on one of the concrete blocks, her legs swinging idly.
If morethanher = True

N “Hey! How come you got two bags? You got more than me! Thats not fair, I stole this fair and square.”
R “You owe me for this.”
N “Do I? Hm. Maybe. What do you want, mortal? A favor? A kiss? One of this marvelous granola bars?”
N "Anyway... got a few snacks."
N "Come on. Let's get some distance before he checks his inventory."

You walked, until the station was long behind you and the trees swallowed the all traces of man. Neither of you spoke for a while. The forest was quiet.
After a while, she stopped beside a fallen log, plopped down cross-legged, and dropped the heavy pack with a thud.
N "Here is fine. Wanna see what I got?"
She patted the earth beside her and emptied her bag like a child showing its Halloween candy.
Bags of chips, candy bars and a few soda bottles tumbled out. The only thing out of the ordinary was a small tool set, probably intended for minor car repairs.
N "I had my eye on a few more things, but thats fine, got the important stuff."
She gave you a sideways look.

N "So... did you get me anything?"
>No
>Cheap gas station toy (ideas on what?)
>A bottle of bourbon
>A few porno magazines
>Write in (something that makes sense in a gas station.)


And while we are at it, what will you do after?
>Go to the town Conversation with the old man, less useful because you already got the Blood Iron Bullets.
>Stay in the forest The Teens are hanging by the Traintracks, Shaman is listening

>>6406351
>Cheap gas station toy (ideas on what?)
Ome of those cheap light-up Tinkerbell toys.

>Stay in the forest
Let's not let anything bad happen to the nice granny's family.

>>6406351
>>6406381
+1

>>6406351
>>Go to the town Conversation with the old man, less useful because you already got the Blood Iron Bullets.

>>6406351
>A few porno magazines
>Stay in the forest

>>6406467
>>6406429
>>6406382
>>6406381
$nymph_affection += 1 (This is for successfully distracting the Clerk. I forgot about it)

>cheap light-up Tinkerbell toys
N "The fuck is this? You got me a doll?"
R "What?"
She dove into the other bags you had brought, opening and rummaging through them.

N "There's no way this is the best thing you've ever gotten. Come on, come on."
N "Cigarettes, trash, sunglasses, trash, condoms, for what?, non-alcoholic beer, NO ALCOHOL! YOU FUCK!"
R "You don't like it?"
N "I have eaten real pixies, the only good thing they have is the popping sound."

R "Okay, give it back."
N "What? NO! Its mine, I'm never letting you forget about this. What's more, I'm getting you a real pixie! A live one, in a cage, that way you won't be alone in your shitty hut."

Then he began to describe the various methods of torture to which he would expose said pixie and the doll you had given her.
Some ideas were indeed torture, some, like replacing all their food with plain donuts to drive them insane, were silly.
She was just having fun trowing ideas, trying to horrify you.
Despite the protest, she clung to the doll.

$nymph_affection += 1

When she got tired, she made hastened goodbyes, probably remembering she had things to do.
She left you alone, sitting on the grass, surrounded by empty soda cans and bags of chips you had both eaten.

>Stay in the forest

Once again, you let the paths in the wilderness take control of the destination.
The canopy above thickened, filtering sunlight into a hue, and the sky hinted at rain.
Eventually it gave way to a corridor in the woods. Of gravel and rusted steel, the train tracks, cutting a clean scar in the green.
Following the path of least resistance and your curiosity, you began to walk along it.
Only lazily did the track bend out of sight.
Only when you heard the music did you know your walk was coming to a stop.

Closest to you, the Shaman stood in silence, slightly swaying to the rhythm of the instruments.
Then a mucus membrane that seemed to half the world, slightly staining the other side with bluish reflections.
And further upon a hill near the iron read, the teens spread over with second hand instruments and beer bottles.
They couldn't see either of you two.
The old skull turns to you, acknowledging your presence.

S "Greeting, Ranger. Forth is time to wait, youth is concern with motion. They are sheltered, worry not."
R "Why don't they see me?"
S "I had no want to hear the music cease, so I thickened the veil."

R "And what are you doing here? Are you protecting them?"
S "Ether made stowaways travel on the metal rail, at times. Unmaking them is my burden."

S "True is also the juveniles here serve as observation into the future that comes, over six generations of humans I have shepherded in the valley."
R "Anything learned?"

S "All generations believe themselves to be new. All desire to break the old and make room."
S "Technology IS something new, but that does not exempt consequence of patterns old."

The conversation ended there. You didn't ask anything else, and he didn't want to say anything more.
Just listening to poorly constructed melodies and dick jokes of varying complexity.
It was kind of creepy just standing there, watching.
The Shaman probably didn't see anything wrong with it though.

A train began to approach, and the music died with the thunderous sound of steel.
A swift pass displaced the air, creating a howling whistle that almost hid the visceral scream of something alive.

S "Interloper of the mirror cities. Divert the youth, lead them away. The veil may fail, perception opened is not easily closed."

The train continued its journey, leaving behind a creature with a canine form but a human face.
Trapped in a spider web you saw the threads tangle and disappear.
The dog like snarls must have made it to the material world because the teens looked confused, searching round them for the origin.
The shaman began to slowly move towards the intruder.

How do you get them out of here?
>[Revolver] Shot at fae creature
> Step out of the veil, talk to the teens (What do you want to day?)
>Step out of the veil, scream at the teens to run.
>Write in

(Will make art later in the day)

File: Post-21.TwoPart.jpg (1.6 MB)

Art

>>6406695
>Step out of the veil, scream at the teens to run.
There's a bear in the area! We pursued it here!

>>6406750
Reggae keeps the fey away
Noted.

>>6406695
>Step out of the veil, scream at the teens to run.
Make like a banana and SPLIT

>>6406695
>Step out of the veil, talk to the teens
Killer bear.
>>6406753
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9oLSMSW4SI

>>6406824
kek, good song

File: Post-22.Intruder.jpg (569.8 KB)

>>6406753
>>6406754
>>6406824
>Step out of the veil, scream at the teens to run.

With urgency and panic, you crossed the membrane that separated you; it felt like breaking through the water's surface.
The teenagers saw you immediately, startled by your sudden appearance.

Ranger "RUN!!! There's a rabid bear! Run!"

Most of them didn't argue and sprinted toward the edge of the forest, probably using the path they'd taken to get there.
Two of them froze in place. Turning your head, you saw the Shaman ascending the web with a dozen limbs that didn't belong to him.
The still-trapped creature writhed and barked incoherently.

Lycan: "Bad Dog! Bad Dog! Sit!"

The shaman's narrow appendages began to grip it, and the beast entered a frantic panic, its sounds becoming more guttural.

You turned your attention back to the teenagers; they were frantically looking around,
searching for the source of the sound, trying to figure out where to run.
You caught up with them soon, and with a start, they snapped out of their trance, running after their companions.
Leaving instruments and bottles behind.

*SNAP*

The intruder's sounds stopped. You turned around, and there was nothing to see.
The Shaman was blocking the view of his act, but you could smell the blood.
His descent from the web was swift.

Shaman "Good job, Ranger."

He left slowly, a trail of orange blossom and more than a few questions behind him.

$ humanity += 1

There was nothing more for you here. So with quiet steps, you went home.

You returned to the cabin beneath a sky like tar. A few rain drops grazing you by.
The door creaked as you pushed it open. Inside, the light switch flooded the room with a glow that stung your eyes.
After a time, you fell to dreamless sleep. Because what else was left to do but wait for sunrise.

…

File: Post-22.ResponsibleAdult.jpg (479.9 KB)

Today you have no reflection that serves as judge.
The mirror that served as a window every morning was shattered over the sink. Only a patch of mold was there now.
You are alone, as always.

You return to the living room, as abandoned as the day you arrived here, subtly changed by your presence.
Your contemplation doesn't last long, the frantic knocking on the door calls for you.
You opened the door, the sheriff and a pair of bloodshot eyes in front of you.
Sheriff "My son is missing. I need you to help me find him”

Ranger "How long has he been missing?"
Sheriff "A day, maybe a little longer. I woke up today and he wasn't there. The last time he was seen was yesterday morning."
S "They're combing the town and a few other places, the forest would take days. With your help, it might only take hours."
S "If you know the forest like the previous Ranger did."

There would be no getting away from this situation, at it would be better to get involved now before something worse happens.
But dealing with the fae while having the sheriff with you might be a problem.

>We can cover more ground if we split up. [Condition Meet; coptrust >= 1]
(Must select a location for Sheriff and yourself)
>Okay, we go together
(Select 1 location for both of you)

LOCATIONS:
>Abandoned Resort
>Lake
>Train tracks
>The Garden (You cannot send the Sheriff alone here, You go alone or with the Sheriff)

++GAME OF DISTORTION++
Add an image to your vote an I will integrate its content to the story. The more specific the less distortion there will be.
A cat would remain a cat, an airport might be turned into an airplane crash.


STATS:
Humanity = 3 Freedom = 6
Inventory:
[Garden Talisman] [Revolver] [Blood Iron Bullets]

NOTE:

Hello, many choices today.
Mainly because tomorrow I got double shift so I wont be able to post and because we have reached the end of ACT I.
From this point on there is very little pre-written and you might actually die.

So WARNING, from this point on in the game there are some [BAD END'S] active and I will not tell you.
But you have been doing great so I trust you can keep making good choices.
Good luck.

>>6406753
I kind of wrote it as a one of joke, but maybe just making it cannon is funnier.

>>6406824
Good music Anon

File: GX-a4SkWIAAOIFc.jpg (284.6 KB)

>>6407228
>Okay, we go together
Even if we barely pass the bar for his trust, he was very suspicious of us earlier. I also don't trust him not to get himself killed or to see something he shouldn't.

>The Garden (You cannot send the Sheriff alone here, You go alone or with the Sheriff)
Check here first, and we can split up afterwards if we must.

>++GAME OF DISTORTION++

File: Cactuar.jpg (105.9 KB)

>>6407228
>Okay, we go together
>The Garden

File: Post-23.Ligma.jpg (1.2 MB)

>>6407271
>>6407319
You left quickly, this journey could only be done on foot, so time wasn't on your side.
You found the hidden path and followed it in silence.
It took you what seemed like an eternity, wandering around in the gloom of the canopy.
But you reached your destination, the clearing of red earth centered by that twisted willow.
As you moved forward and checked the still-open bass, the Sheriff hung back, trying to process what he was seeing.

Sheriff "What is this place?"
His voice a quiet whisper, Then the cocking of the gun.
You turned, he was reassuring the barrel, but not to you.
Shaman "A Mortal."

You followed his gaze, and there stood the Shaman, is skull-mask emitting black smoke that rose to the heavens.
Shaman "Ranger. To what end did you bring flesh here?"
Sheriff "Abomination. Did you take my son?"
The fae stood tall, the wound that split him opening slightly.
New eyes peaked out in curiosity.

*BANG*

The bullet passed through the space between them and tore a large piece of viscera and fur off the vessel.
bouquet of red emerged from behind, hanging in the air without gravity.
The mask and wound oozing a black tar.
Shaman "[--------]"

The sheriff collapsed, his face sinking into the reddish mud, his chest static.
Shaman "RANGER!"
There was silence, even the wind seemed to stop.
Shaman "The kin of the carrion lies in the mountain cabin. The Joy Seeker has him."
Shaman "Return the child to the village. NOW."

You looked at the man you knew, the earth beginning to swallow his corpse. Like a snake swallowing its prey.
His gun still in hand.
[You already have a gun, you cannot take his.]
You take the sheriff's badge, it was probably the only thing of his you could give a proper burrial now.
[Item gained: Sheriff's Badge]

...

It didn't take you as long as you expected to reach the snowy peak, nor to finally see the ruined wooden structure.
The resort was still standing, just as you remembered it

You approached, the cold wind trying to keep you away.
You started imagining what you would find. The Shaman had warned you in his moment of anger.
It did not bode well.
The porch showed the front door ajar, although it had new graffiti, symbols that were already familiar to you, they spread like wine around the walls.
More Fae writing.
Studying the building a little more closely, you realized that all the windows that had been broken had been boarded up in your absence.
You entered and were greeted by warm sensation and a heavy smell of burnt wood.

The graffiti and murals were still there, although the entrance was now filled with furniture and chairs taken from some other place.
Going forward seemed like the best option, it was only a matter of time that you found the blame.

You delved into the bowels of the building, and navigating it was very straight forward.
You passed the hall into a dining room where tables and chairs had been cleared
A large empty space where the floor now displayed a pattern of concentric circles graffitied on the floor.
Between them, symbols and runes littered the space.
A ruined chandelier hung precariously from the ceiling, swaying slightly, if lit, it would have barely illuminated the room.

The Nymph was sitting on the ground, reviewing the patterns and making small modifications to the drawings where she saw fit.
She was wearing a more human-like disguise that covered her whole body. You approached on instinct.
A few steps closer and she looked up, she saw you in an instant.
She smiled as always and waved.

Nymph "I knew they would send you. Like what I have done with the place?"
Ranger "I came for the Sheriff's son. He's here, right?"

She sighed, staring at the ceiling, disappointed.

Nymph "Just business. Really? At least tell me something nice before you start."
Ranger "...I like your outfit."
N "Thanks for noticing! Can you tell me what you like? Be specific."
R "..."
N "I agree. If you behave, I'll even let you take it off."
N "Now I will show you to the boy. The sooner you see it, the sooner you'll give up."

She guided you through these ruins, you climbed the stately stairs to the upper floor, each step groaning beneath your weight.
The smell of dust and rotted varnish clung to the air.
Only narrow beams of light cut through the boarded windows, painting bars on the walls.
Once upstairs, the hallway stretched ahead, a row of dead rooms. Except one, leaking soft, unnatural light.
You stepped in behind the Nymph.

The room was lit by string lights and the walls were covered in posters that clung like mold. Trash and dirty laundry carpeted the floor.
A mattress had been dragged to the far wall. On it, the Sheriff's son was lying.
The soft rise and fall of his chest was the only indicator that he was alive.

N "See? He is fine, wanna join in?"
You approached to check on his condition. Shaking him while taking his pulse. It was too low.
R “Whats happening to him?”
N "Just dreaming, he will wake up once he gets tired of the dream he is having, if he does."
R "I'm taking him to the hospital."
N"And then what? He will wake up, walk out and end up here again. Back with me. Might as well save you the trip."


R "What are you doing to this place?"
N "I think I peeled the veil around this resort, not sure."
She made a little motion, fingers miming the act of peeling the skin of a fruit.
N "Just copied the Shaman. Carved out a little pocket for myself."
R "What does that mean?"
N "Everyone here is on the same layer. I think."

R "Why?"
The Nymph didn't answer immediately. She turned, kicking aside some clothes just to look at the bare rotting floor.
N "I've walked to the edge before. Out of the forest and into a city of glass and concrete."
N "Out there I'd be another monster hiding under someone's bed."
N "I would be as much prey as predator. But if I do this I get to interact with humans directly.”
N "Now the I dictate the flow of things. I don’t have to follow the Shamans rules, I make them."

How will you get the kid out of here? (Pick 2 Options)
>Negotiate with her (What can you offer her in exchange?)
>Try to convince her (Whats your argument? Why is all this a bad idea)
>Try Shooting her (Use the Blood Iron bullets or not?)
>Leave, you can’t save the kid.
>Write in

Note:
You can pick 2 since some arguments might not work and going one by one would give a small update.
I will give priority to the options that do not kill you.
Also, If you guys were compeating on who could break my brain more with the game of distorsion,
>>6407319
Cactuar won, here is a (you)

File: Rats.jpg (25.6 KB)

>>6408055
>Negotiate with her
Kidnapping a kid will bring too much heat. The Sherrif raised it a lot, a kid will make it worse.
>Give her the garden talisman
Could be a big loss so can switch if someone else thinks it's not worth it.
>If you guys were compeating on who could break my brain more with the game of distorsion,
You wanted something like this?

>>6408053
Oof. I suspected one of the fae had him, but I was hoping we wouldn't arrive to find them "home."

>>6408180
I'm down to +1 the argument (too much heat) plus the negotiation (here, have this talisman)

>Also, If you guys were compeating on who could break my brain more with the game of distorsion
Always, QM. That's half the fun of it!

>>6408055
>>6408180
+1 to this

File: Post-24.BoyAndImitation.jpg (602.0 KB)

>>6408180
>>6408286
>>6408287
>Give her the garden talisman

N "Ha, you stole that? Very proud of you. But I have more, I'm starting to make them myself. "
She looked at it a bit closer by leaning in.
N "Its a... Can we still give you orders if you got that?"
N "DROP IT!"

You did not, you had no compulsion to obey. She let out a laugh that echoed through the empty hallways.
N "Neat. Don't worry. I won't tell them you are off the leash. This is so much more interesting."
N "I will also assume you don't really want to part with it."

>Kidnapping a kid will bring too much heat. The Sheriff raised it a lot, a kid will make it worse.
N "Good. Let them believe this place is a drug den. More curiosity means more visitors, more things to play with."
R "They will tear this place down and you with it."
N "Then back to routine."
R "The others won't let you go back to your old games."
N "They'll beg me to, they sent you after all. To keep me from... Unless they didn't know."

There was a sinister smile on her face as she hatched a plan.

N "Can you turn around? This is kind of embarrassing. And no peeking."

For some reason, you agreed and turned around. The sound of the boy's breathing was the only thing that broke the silence.
And then you heard bones break and a hiss like steam escaping from a pot.
A hand on your shoulder.

N "Don't look yet."

Her voice sounded strange, each word shifting.
The sound of something being ripped out reverberated.
After a few steps, and the movement on the piles of clothes, she gave you the go-ahead to turn around.

++GAME OF DISTORSION++>>6407319

N "Look, Now I look like him! I can go back in his place and set shop inside town!”
She had changed her body and flesh to imitate the boy lying unconscious.
It was an imperfect copy, the face was not quite the same and the hair was a different color.
R "They are going to notice. Humans and Fae."
N "Damn, though I was better at this. Then I'm killing the kid. Didn't want to so soon, but I need his skin. Disguise must be perfect."
R "What? NO!"
N "Why not? I will even let you have a piece of him as well? You want the heart? Kid was a failure, very anxious, rich flavor."


Now what?
>"I will give you the talisman." (+1 Nymph Power, She will be the only one you are forced to obey commands from)
>Negotiate with her (What can you offer her in exchange?)
>Try to convince her (What's your argument? Why is all this a bad idea)
>Try Shooting her (Use the Blood Iron bullets or not?)
>Wait until she makes her new disguise. (Take the meat or not?)
>Write in

New mechanic: Fae Power
How much the fae have an upper hand over one another. MAX 10
Nymph power = 4
Insect Power = 4
Shaman Power = 3 (He just got shot)

>>6408180
>You wanted something like this?

The idea with the distorsion game has always been for players to introduce elements they want to see in the story.
In the case of the digimon, we have not only a big monster, there is also the concept of the natural in the artificial
(digital world with nature and animals and so on.)
The intent is probably not that, but that is what I can extract for now on how to use it.
Another example, on another quest a guy submitted to a space station,
he probably wanted something from structured from within the planet going out.
I flipt it, something structured from out the planet going in.

I was focusing to hard on cactuar being a cactus and the desert and a joke enemy.
Could not get a grip on it.
But then it hit me, it's a shitty imitation of something real.
Probably not the intent you had but the Nymph trying to get into town was not part of the original script, so lets see where this goes.

>>6408286
>Always, QM. That's half the fun of it!
I asumed yeah, thats why I waited for act II.

>>6408457
>Try to convince her
Does the kid even have any good dreams? Wouldn't a older person be better to play with?
>Negotiate with her
Threaten her. Tell her you got something that could hurt her and you will attack her if possible. Will probably need to shoot her if she continues.

>>6408618
I think telling her about our weapon without using it is a good way to lose it while we sleep, or fail when it comes time to use it. Tipping our hand, you know?

>>6408457
>Try to convince her
>>Does the kid even have any good dreams Wouldn't a older person be better to play with?
This does seem good. If it fails...

>Try Shooting her (blood iron bullets)
Losing our autonomy to someone we can't reason with sounds like a bad idea is all.

>>6408710
Ok. Just didn't think it was worth using a bullet. Can switch to blowing her away.

>>6408618
>>6408714

>Does the kid even have any good dreams? Wouldn't an older person be better to play with?
N "Yeah and adult would be better, but how am I going to get one here?"
R "Does it need to be here?"
N "No??? But it's so rare for adults to stray into places I can get them."
R "But they do, why not wait?"
N "..."
She groaned annoyed at your insistence.
N "You know he'll end up coming back, right? Why delay this?"
N "I just need his flesh until I get something better. Just until I can trick the other fae."
She seemed determined, perhaps you would have managed to convince her by appealing to some other emotion, it was too late.
Her claw raised ready to make her plan come true.

>Try Shooting her (blood iron bullets)

*BANG*

You fired with the gun still hidden in your coat, not letting the worse come to pass.
The impact flung the Nymph back against the opposing wall, cracking the plaster and the silence.

Its body warped, changing between forms so quickly that it melted into one tumorous mass of flesh and ichor.
You fired again. It shrieked with several mouths.
She threw herself through a boarded window in a mess of bone and light to escape.

$nymph_affection -= 10
$nymph_power -= 4

You wasted no time in grabbing the boy and making your escape.
You stepped outside with the teenager in your arms.
The wind had died down, and the sun was beginning to warm the mountain peak.
The descent to the village would be long, but you had survived

...

Days later the consequences of what had happened were still noticeable.
In the town, you handed the boy over to a doctor, who over time was able to restore his condition.
But the Sheriff's disappearance left a void, and the search for him was intense.

They tried to ask for your help with this too, but the Shaman refused to let his body go.
A empty casket funeral was made, you attended.
Esther made sure you got to know the people living there, forcing you to make conexion.
This was just another disappearance added to the town hall's records.
A sad normality in the minds of this people.

His son was taken to relatives in the city, probably for the best.
The old man did his best to smooth things over for everyone involved.

The fae, on the other hand, had been absent.
The Shaman was still somewhat angry with you in the few times he came to give you work, but he remained neutral.
You crossed paths with the Insect on patrol, but he didn't want to say anything significant.
The Nymph had completely disappeared, from your life and from her kin.

...

You decided to go to town, ever since the incident you had started talking to the locals more.
Maybe out of guilt for what happened, probably out of loneliness.

When you arrived in the town, the industry beast was gnashing its teeth.
Strangers and construction equipment were settling on the outskirts. You went to investigate, and without even looking, you ran into the mayor.

Major "Ranger, my good boy. The ad was a success."
M “And because of that I got to meet this lovely lady here, Ms Wormwood.”
M “She is planning to heavily invest in us.”

You looked at the suit beside him, old and grey, the stitching remade several times trying to pretend to be brand new.
Inhabiting it was a woman of similar age and composition.
It smiled.

Wormwood "Ah, the man who keeps the woods clean. The mayor was talking about you, still new here but enough time to see patterns I suppose."
The mayor started babbling about something, the suit interrupted him.

Wormwood “That's good and all, but I'm not trying to get the version from the chamber of commerce.”
He hesitates, then waddles off towards the arriving construction crew.
Someone there will probably listen to him there.
W "So, what is wrong with this place? No way I'm the first to come with good money and loose morals."
W "Is it the locals? They don't give that impression but you never know."

R “Why are you asking me?”
W "While I'm not here to play cop, I'm smelling shit hidden somewhere. Now are you going to answer?"

A “This place attracts the wrong people.”
W “Are you saying that because of me? Aren’t you funny.”
W “Well, I’ll see you around. We both got work to do.”

Fuck

>Go visit the Old Man, you should speak to him first
>Go report this to the Fae, this is trouble
>Go home, It's not your problem
>Write in

(Art will be later becouse I fucked up.)
>>6408864
>Just didn't think it was worth using a bullet.
Bullets are unlimited within reason, I don't want to program a limit.

>>6408935
>Go report this to the Fae, this is trouble

>>6408935
>Go visit the Old Man, you should speak to him first
The fae keep trying to eat kids whenever we aren't paying attention. I would rather ask a human.

File: Post-25.Shot.jpg (707.8 KB)

Late art.

>>6409143
Alas, poor Nymph. I kind of liked her.

>>6408935
>Go visit the Old Man, you should speak to him first

File: Post-26.DrinkingBuddy.jpg (726.7 KB)

>>6409280
>>6409140
>>6409049
>Go visit the Old Man

You started walking towards the old man's house.
He had lived here a long time and probably dealt with similar things before.

A few minutes later you were knocking on his door and he was opening it.

Old man "Good to see you again."
He jerks his head toward a side street.
O "Come. We've got business."

...

He leads you to one of the town's pub's. Inside, the air is heavy with the smell of fried grease and damp wood.
Patrons murmur and laugh beneath a blaring sports broadcast on an old flatscreen bolted high to the wall.
The old man nods to the bartender. He moves toward a booth in the far corner, both of you sit.

Once comfortable, he digs into one of his pockets and pulls out a smooth gray stone with a hole though the center of it.
He lifts it to his eye and begins inspecting you through it.
The bartender comes over and drops off two beers then leaves without a word.
After a full minute, he lowers the stone.

elif humanity >= 3 and freedom >= 3:

O "Still got fire. That's good. You'll need it."
O "For someone with no prior training or knowledge, you've done a remarkably good job."
O "The loss of the Sheriff is tragic, BUT the Skin Walker is permanently damaged. Consider a future in the Bureau."
$collaborator = True

O "Now on the problems of recent investment. How much do you know?"
R "Some buisness woman is going to build something in town."
O "Yes. It's some kind of hotel for hippies. Doesn't matter, the animas are going to be at war with each other for control on how this goes."
O "That means they are going to ask a LOT from you. Comply with their orders as little as possible. And try to sabotage them so none get ahead of each other."
O "If not, we're screwed. The agency will try to help you as much as possible."

R "Why don't you intervene now? The Nymph is dead or dying, the others can't be that strong."
O "We could fumigate the valley, but people live here. And going in blind into the forest is a bad idea."
R "How do you know so much of what is happening."
O "Got a lot of measuring devices at home, got everything set up a few days ago to monitor the animas."
O "That's why we are here, you would cause interference and break one or two."
O "I even got a modified geiger counter, from way back when we were monitoring Hiroshima back in 57'. I never set foot in Japan after that, dont recomend it."

O "Now, a toast. To see those parasites dead in our lifetimes."

You drank with him, the ale had a bland taste,
After a bit he gathered his things and left a few bills on the table to pay for the drinks.
You were left behind. Around you, the jubilation continued over the TV game.

You wondered how you'd ended up in this situation and if anything should've gone differently.
You left before the sun dipped entirely below the hills, moving through streets that never seemed to change
The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering. But nothing happened. Not really.

...

The day began with rain and wind. Autumn was approaching.
A knock on the door forced you to wake up before the sun had finished rising.
You recognized them.
You opened the door and there was the shaman, tall body and healed wounds.
Shaman "We are called, for the actions of man may drive us back. The road to survival must be determined."
R "What?"
He extended a hand towards you and handed out a few acorns of yellowish colour.
S "The end is nigh, the others seek to pierce the masquerade. For your fellow man, the veil will be safeguarded with our collaboration."
R "What do I do with these?"
S "What you must."

Then the thing left, and you pocketed the seeds.
[Leyline Seedlings] acquired
Each of the Fae probably had a different idea on what you should be doing.
And considering the old man words, maybe you should hear them to be able to sabotage them effectively.
Or you could just lock yourself at home and ignore them.

What to do now?
>Stay at home, don't participate.
>Go search for the Fae (Which one?)
>Go to the construction site.
>Abandon your Cabin, crash into people's homes to avoid the fae for a while [If AcquaintanceInTown = True]
>Write in

STATS:
Humanity = 3 Freedom = 6
Inventory:
[Garden Talisman] [Revolver] [Blood Iron Bullets][Leyline Seedlings]

Nymph Power = 0
Insect Power = 4
Shaman Power = 3

>>6409396
>Go search for the Fae (Which one?)
Nymph. Let's play "sorry, I panicked" and try to extract intel or concessions for our aid in getting her back up on her feet.
or finish her off, if all else fails

>>6409491
I'll support.

>>6409491
>>6409503

>Go in search of the Fae (Nymph)

You began walking, determined to find the Nymph. Long strides led you into the verdant surroundings.

Under the canopy, sheltering you from the light rain, you had time to think about what to say when you found her.
And what to do in the worst-case scenario.
It was a calm day, the scent of wet leaves was pleasant.
Pillars of light pierced the clouds, leaving a comfortable warmth on your skin.
Unconsciously, you found yourself back at the abandoned resort.
She was there; it was the only place she could be.

You approached silently along a gravel path exposed by the water.
The main gate had been hastily boarded up with wooden planks and loose rocks.
Some drawn symbols that you recognized as fairy writing were visible.
Looking a little further, you saw some of those same symbols on the windows.

Girl "This is a bad idea, Ranger. Please go back."

The voice surprised you, and you looked around you for its origin.
In the reflection of a broken window you saw her.
The girl in the mirror. Same appearance as the moment she disappeared.

Ranger "You told me you were going to disappear for my sake."
Girl "I'm still watching out for you. This is a bad idea."
Ranger "I know, I'm testing the waters."
Girl "Go back, she is starving. She is dangerous. You are a tool to her."
Ranger "Trust me."
Girl "I want to, but you are here. Risking your live for nothing."
G "How many people has it hurt before you met it? Let her die, she is trapped."

What can you say?
> "Why did you leave?"
> "What are you really?"
> "You know I have to do this."
> "You're missed."
> Ignore her
>Write in

File: Post-27.MixedSignals.jpg (914.9 KB)

You circled the building, looking for another entrance.
You found it on a metal door with a paper talisman tied to the doorknob.
The string looked like hair; you decided to assume it was animal fur and went inside.
Exploring the building's interior, you found it in the entrance hall.
A gaunt figure leaned against the wall, disheveled hair covering its face and chest.
What looked like bandages made from rotten sheets wrapped its abdomen.
She looked up after you stepped into the room, a single orange eye set on your figure.
The distance between you was large, but you could hear anger in its breathing.

Nymph "Did you come to fish me off? Was it not enough for him to trap me in here?"
Ranger "You are dying."
Nymph "Yeah, you shot me. I bled all my guts out. Now all of those flavors are truly dead, gone. I can't remember."

R "I panicked, you were going to kill a kid."
N "All animals die! Its natural! The wolf sometimes eats the fawn because its easier."
N "And so much of them is lost, but not if I eat them! Their flavor lives forever with me! I keep them!"
N "I shared that with you, you ate their meat with me! You owed me... I thought we were friends…"

Her voice broke with the last few words.
It seemed like she was going to cry, a crimson liquid pooling under her eyes.

R "You really don't see why its wrong? You are not an animal."
G "She is an animal. Please, put her out of her misery, or leave. But don't free her."
G "In her state she will tear into any innocent she can find."

The Nymph turned towards the sound of the voice, you did after.
In a broken mirror on the wall you saw fragments of the girl.

N "Oh... I don't know you. Are you going to feed on me? Did you come to take my body."
G "No, I don't want you in us."
The creature wiped its eyes with a clawed hand.
N "This is such an unfair way to die…"
R “And the kids was fair?”
N “… No, but-”
She saw the disappointed look in your face and the words failed her, skulking back to the wall to hide under her mane.

What will you do?
>Talk to her for a bit (What do you want to say and ask?)
>Kill the Nymph
>Offer your flesh
>Consume the Nymph (Live or not?)
>Leave and don't look back
>Write in

(Sorry for the delay, I was a bit busy)

>>6409946
>"What are you really?"
>>6409947
>Kill the Nymph
Put her out of her misery.

>>6409946
> "What are you really?"

>>6409947
>Talk to her for a bit (What does the others want? What otehr options are there to save you, without feeding you my own kind?)

>>6410071
I can switch to talking.

>>6410071
>>6410241
>>6409974

>"What are you really?"

Girl "If a leash could talk, who would it be loyal to? The user or the wearer?"
Ranger "You're not answering directly."
Girl "The truth makes me feel guilty. I try not to think about it. Forgive me."

>Talk to her for a bit
Ranger "What do the others want?"

She laughed rasply, finding humor in such a simple question.

Nymph "To get rid of the others. We have different visions of what to do in this valley.”
Nymph “The Shaman just wants to keep existing, to 'endure beyond time,' said he. Just maintain the status quo forever."

Nymph "Leo wants to remove all the humans from the valley to try to reinforce the path to the Mother of the True-Born Fae."
N "It's impossible according to Shaman, but he keeps trying."

Ranger "Leo? The Insect has a name."
N "Oh, yeah. I never mentioned right? It's a funny story. Leo showed up here a little over a decade ago.”
N “He was a girl's imaginary friend and he accidentally killed her. Happens, all fae need to feed even if it's slowly.”
N “That's why he is so obsessed with existing without humans. It's an idiot."

R "Has it managed to do it?"
N "No. He tries to survive by hunting in the space beyond the veil, but when he starts to lose any sapience, he consumes humans like the rest."
N "He used to be so cute. So fluffy."

>What other options are there to save you, without feeding you my own kind?

G "RANGER! No! This is a bad idea, she is a MONSTER."
While the girl in the reflection argued against this course of action, the nymph seemed shocked.
Then she had a thunderous laugh that echoed around the empty halls.

$ nymph_affection += 5 (Now its at 1)

N "You like me."
N "Even funnier is that I asked you this question a long time ago. Would you live like a lesser version of yourself? Or wilt as you?"
N "I don't want to die. I will submit. I can bind myself to you."

G "NO! Ranger, don't consider it! She will drain you slowly and kill you."
N "Like you are doing already? You just don't want to share your man."
G "I'm trying to cut myself off for him. I want him to be free!"

The Nymph pointed at the mirror, as if accusing her of some crime.
N "You can check what I'm doing with the binding, you can tell if I’m not doing it right."
G "No, no, no. You want to take advantage of him."
R "Yeah, you just said Leo killed the human it was bound to."

N "He is an idiot. And if you feed me I won't need to take from you at all.
N “Its that simple, I become what you were to us not long ago. What should I call you then?"
N “My love? No. Master? Maybe. Owner? Kinky. Lord?”
She waved her hand, dismissing the thoughts for now.
N "What do you say? I don't want to die."

R "And if I bind you to her?"
You pointed at the Girl in the mirror
N "You want me to fuse with your girlfriend?"
G "Ranger, stop. I can't take her, even weak as she is."
N "I could be her for you. I promise to preserve as much of her taste as I can."
G "You are disgusting."
N "Why? He is the one that proposed the threesome! I'm just doing the math."

What will you do?

>Bind the Nymph to you
>Kill the Nymph
>Consume the Nymph (Live or not?)
>Leave and don't look back
>Write in

Note:
As you can guess by now, the Fae magic works on feels, I got no hard system.
So you can propose any crazy write in it should be possible.
But I write this so you don't propose one thing because the Girl in the Mirror would say no.
The Nymph and Her switching places.

I will make art later.

>>6410297
>Bind the Nymph to you
She's a monster, but no more so than any other predatory animal. As long as she doesn't kill and eat people, especially children, I don't mind her existing. And she could give us an edge over the others... The old man said we should play them against each other, keep any one from gaining too much of a lead.

>>6410349
>>6410297
As for the girl in the mirror... If she wants us t maintain our humanity, and by that she means our connection to human emotions, then sympathizing with a wounded, feral animal who has befriended us is a very human behavior.

>>6410297
>Bind the Nymph to you

File: Post-28.RangerNo.jpg (732.9 KB)

Late art

>>6410491
>RangerNo.jpg
Sorry, but RangerYes.jpg

File: Post-29.NewCompanion.jpg (630.2 KB)

>>6410349
>>6410455
>Bind the Nymph to you

Ranger "Okay, let's do it."
Girl "Ranger, No. Why would you risk it?"
Ranger "She's a monster, but no more so than any other predatory animal. If we can control the worse impulses it should be fine."
Girl "A dog that bites a human gets put down, this is not that much different. Please reconsider."
Nymph "Don't be jealous. I can share."
Girl "Shut it. You are going to get him killed. There is no benefit to this, Ranger."
Ranger "It could give us an edge over the others."
N "I would regain strength by eating them, But I'm not savoring them. They must taste foul."

The ritual itself was something beyond your understanding, although its form was simple.
The Nymph took two pieces of cloth and transcribed symbols into them. Then it gave them to you.

N "Now you have to bleed on them. And wear the one on the left."
R "That's it?"
You looked at the girl in the mirror. She was mad at you, but she still noded.
G "She is not lying."
R "Is it the same for me?"
N "Yeah, but insted of some cloth you got your heart replaced and the Shaman put the leash on the big tree in the Garden."

The rest was easy, she wore one on her neck and then you put on the other as a bracelet.
N "Now this will suck a bit."

She crouched low, letting her long mane cascade forwards and over her body, hiding from your eyes.
Then came the sounds, A dull pop of a shoulder shifting. The scrape of bone grinding against bone.
Her breathing changed into something deeper and rougher. Animal like.
From the shroud of hair, new limbs emerged, furred and too long. They bent at wrong angles.
A snout pushed through next, sharp and angular, followed by the rest of the form.
A lean body clad in dark fur, a tail that moved too independently, and eyes that blinked wrong
It was a flawed mimicry of a mongrel, like something half remembered.

[Acquired Leash on the Skin-Walker]
(You can give orders to the Nymph, she will obey.)
Nymph power = 1
Basic Rules the Nymph has set:
>Protect You from Humans and Fae alike
>Don't lie, or steal without an orders to do so
>Don't hurt humans without orders to do so
>Be within earshot of You unless ordered to do so
>Dont try to remove the leash
(Any rules or changes you might add?)

R "Why do you look like that?"
N "Weak. Will get. Better. In time."
It was strange seeing the mouth of the beast bend trying to articulate words.
G "I hope we don't regret this."

...

You left the abandoned building accompanied, what. Once the door opened she rushed to the nearest pile of snow.
Smashing in the white softness and enyoing the sensation.
N "Though. I die. Inside."

You let her enjoy the snow for a time, it was time to decide what to do next.
With what the Nymph had told you, you could find freedom in the Garden.
But going there without achieving any of the Shamans goals might be a bad idea.

What to do now?
>Go home, don't participate.
>Go search for someone (Who?)
>Go to the construction site, see whats up
>Abandon your Cabin, crash into people's homes to avoid the fae for a while [If AcquaintanceInTown = True]
>Write in

>>6410708
>Go to the construction site, see whats up

>>6410708
>Go to the construction site, see whats up
>Ask the Nymph what we're supposed to do with the acorns, and what effect they will have exactly

>>6410864
>>6410910
>Ask the Nymph what we're supposed to do with the acorns, and what effect they will have exactly

Seeing an opportunity to resolve a doubt, you took the seeds out of your pocket and brought them to the creature that now accompanied you.
R "Do you know what this is?"
It looked at it for a minute
N "I think you plant those. Then you get the Shamans fake trees."

After a bit of probing you concluded that you were basically setting up cameras for the Shaman.
And that additionally he could make the roots grow into patterns to form even more rituals.

>Go to the construction site, see whats up

You began your descent, leaving the mountain behind once more.
The dirt road winding down was impractical, so you took the path through the wilderness.
The rain stopped some time during you walk, but apart from that it was an uneventful trip.
An abrupt cut through the vegetation stopped you in your tracks.
A vast expanse, much larger than it should be, stretched at least a kilometer toward civilization.

Construction crews and lumberjacks were clearing this section of the forest, preparing it for what was to come.
The Old Man said they were going to build some kind of hotel.
But this was too much space.
What you saw them planning was a quarter the size of the town.

At the edge, you saw the Insect.
Seething with rage at the vision of his beloved nature mutilated.
The Nymph hid as you approached.

Insect "They need to be impaled for this. To be hurt like they will never know."
R "Do you know what's happening?"
I "The animals speak of computers and plans to divert part of the river. Whatever that means."
I "Ranger, burn down every machine and sabotage every action these jackals take. I promise your freedom at the end."

The offer was unexpected, but so simple it seemed stupid. like there needle to be a trick.
R "Just like that?"
I "Yes. These bastards shit on my floor and gut my refuge for profit."
I "Shaman will try to control the flow and the Nymph is gone. Fuckheads."

I "The eyes are on you. They are judging. They are laughing at us, on the inside."
It was true some of the construction crew had turned to see what you were up to.
But they were probably watching the man at the edge of the forest talking to himself.
Having Fae so near other humans always gave trouble.

R "You are unwell."
I "I am. And I will make them suffer for it. I will hunt their sleep. This is the only way to survive."
I "Just take care of the Material part for me."
R "Is your entire plan just scaring them off?"
I "I'm not stupid. I will also make all of this unprofitable by... The head of the serpent approaches."

As it said that you noticed someone coming near.
An old suit over an even older woman greeted you.

Wormwood "You were the Ranger, right? What bring you here?"
Insect "This vulture is the worst of them. This one dreams."
You ignored the comments from the creature and asked about the things around you and what the plan was supposed to be.

W "Ah, well. We were making space for a small data center."
I "The fucks a data center?"

R "Was that always the plan?"
W "It was one of several. Mauricio proposed a dozen urbanization plans for the same land, half of those and one of them were approved. "
W "This one was the most promising economically."

W "It's good that you're here. We need to designate the areas where we could channel the river, I have a map in my office."
R "Why this town?"
B "The water is plenty full and there is a powerplant on the other side of the mountains."
I "I will burn the lightning structure, you steal the plans of this viper."

The Insect left and the business woman did so after giving you an invitation to the prebuild structure they planted on the side of the field
Their cheap center of operations.

What to do now? (You can pick a few)

>Plant the [Leyline Seedlings] around the construction site
>Talk to the Business Woman (What do you want to say, what do you want to ask?)
>Try to steal the plans for the project
>Wait for the night and sabotage as much as you can
>Talk to the workers, try to get them to unionize
>Talk to the townspeople, try to get them to oppose the project
>Go home
>Write in

I'm going to start posting at this time for work reasons. Sorry for no art today.

>>6411417
>Plant the [Leyline Seedlings] around the construction site
>Talk to the Business Woman (What do you want to say, what do you want to ask?)
What is this data center for? What company owns it? What sort of effects will it have on the ecosystem here? The community? You know... Ranger concerns.

>>6411417
>Try to steal the plans for the project
>Plant the [Leyline Seedlings] around the construction site

File: Post-31.businesswoman.jpg (729.0 KB)

>>6411514
>>6411727

>Talk to the Business Woman
You approached the structure they used as an office and knocked on the door.
She received you with the foreman.
They took out the map and started asking their questions.
You did what you could, but without knowing exactly what the fae had done over centuries in the woods you could not tell what they would find.
So you did your best to possibly minimize the risk.

When the time came for your question, they were be vague in their answers.
They were not willing to share who would own or for what this place it would be for.
Just that it would bring some specialized jobs to the town and whatever impact it would have on the environment would be minor.
You didn't trust their words much.

>Plant the [Leyline Seedlings] around the construction site

You walked around the construction area, observing the details.
They were starting to pour concrete foundations and excavate what would become the cooling channels.
And as you moved you began dropping the seeds in the ground and burying them with your foot.
By the time you had circled the entire place, you saw the first seeds planted sprout.

Shaman Power = 5
[Leyline Seedlings] Lost

>Try to steal the plans for the project

You left and waited for nightfall.

With the sun long gone and stars at witness you came back.
The lot was empty and the first steel rebars rose from concrete beds forming the begging of the structure.
You did not pay much attention and went directly for the office.
Forcing opening a window you slipped inside and began to search through the paperwork.
Legal documents and permits for things that would not come to fruition.
It took you time to find things of substance.
A schematic for the place was among the most important, and so you could notice the many inconsistencies in it.
Like how half the plan was approved by the mayor and the other half was a miss and mach that shared the names of the other unused projects.
The clearing permit for this section of the forest was supposed to go to build a medical clinic and so many more examples stuck out.

You took photos of all of them, but were unsure who you could show.

Insect Power = 5
Shaman Power = 6
$ IllegalprojectKnow = True


You returned to the cabin, a star filled sky above.
The door creaked open, the moonlight slicing through the darkness, illuminating the dust and the ghosts of memories that did not belong to you.
For the first time, you did not enter alone, as the Nymph followed close behind.
Yet she ignored your tired movements and bolted to your bed, making sure she would get the largest amount of cushions.
You followed, sleep not close behind.
It had been a long day.

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