Board 8 > The Notes of Cain [CYOA/Forum Game]

(+) Yeah! (+)

you guys I think the clinic will be okay
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Lancer Aaron - Old Inn
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Abomination to Woodcutter
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JeffreyRaze posted...

I'm a bit surprised you've never seen one. There's been a fair few of them and they've often ran for multiple topics. I think someone runs an archive if you want to read some of the older ones, but I don't have the link myself.

Now that I think of it, I probably have seen a couple but I think because they were already a fair amount into the story and such, I decided not to join.
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Name: Cata Spade
Trait: Duelist
Item: Saber

Location: Woodcutter
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Speaking of regulars.
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Hail and well met to the newest scion of the Spades
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For every Mariaverse there shall be a Cata, it is only tradition by now
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Name: Owen Grey
Trait: Coward
Item: Photograph

Location: Farmlands

tag

The Spades are a universal constant
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Fakeru, Lucky Girl - fake

Smithy
Ignael Gades - jeffraze
Torin Gemmason - Mana
Maria Taylor - nfun

Old Inn
Gunslinger Kidd - drak
Jamison, Investigator - maniac
Lancer Aaron - FB

Farmlands
Captain Punch - xey
Tristan - oracle
Owen the Coward- stan

Woodcutter
Dismas the Guilty (1 Kill) - eddv
Chained Prisoner (1 Assist) - decider
Cata Spade - cata

Clinic
Matsuda, Gambler (1 Assist) - trdl
Seth, Golden Agent (1 Assist) - reg
Leone the Cat - cpu
Beastkin Zephyr (1 Assist) - ermine

MID CONTEST 1: DIGGING UP DIRT

For this contest I will be awarding one shovel to a particular player of grand charisma. The qualifications to obtain the shovel are as follows:

1. You must express interest in obtaining the shovel.
2. You must have another player 'vouch' for you.

At this time you will receive the shovel. The player who vouches for you will obtain nothing.

The shovel can be used as a weapon and a tool, but it is relatively fragile. Some people will choose to fight for themselves, while others seek comfort in companionship. But aren't all things temporary?
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Smithy
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You want the shovel NFUN?
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I want the Shovel
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I will vouch for Eddv
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Dismas the Guilty will obtain the shovel.
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Makes sense, considering he can't have his bike
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Yeah, that's cool.
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https://imgur.com/vGFsWre
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Considering how Eddv's first character was the MVP last year, I don't have an issue with this
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MariaTaylor posted...

https://imgur.com/vGFsWre

Spooky
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MariaTaylor posted...

https://imgur.com/vGFsWre

Looks sorta like the grinch
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Fish grinch

So glad to be back in one of these after missing the last like one and a half.
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Its the dude from Shape of water
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Was thinking of her being from a more modern setting getting thrust into weird stuff but hey may as well toss her in this!

ENTRY:
https://imgur.com/a/aef9MhH

NOTES: A generally introverted somewhat anxious sort. She probably got dragged here by a friend.

She's going to head on over to the Old Inn to get settled.
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Name: Goetic
Trait: inquisitive
Item: Winchester rifle

Area: the most empty area
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Oh man wow I was at work and so much happened lol

Im in the story right? Then Ill go to the old inn!

If somethng bad happens I hope o can tilt the odds in our favor slightly even tho I know asking for luck was kind of presumptuous lel

Who knows!

Also cool story so far, and I dont mean in a cool story bro kind of way. Whew, I am getting flashbacks to the teennnnsion of wondering whos gonna die even though it was less likely someone would die in the intro lol

Two things I definitely need to know more about are the mysterious origins of beastkin and who the chained prisoner is dun dun...
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And with that all of the placements are done. I'll probably be free to write in a few hours, so stay tuned!
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:) cool!

I wonder if the fish grinch is hypnotized or has hypnotizing powers because of the swirly eyes.
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Smithy
Ignael Gades - jeffraze
Torin Gemmason - Mana
Maria Taylor - nfun
Goetic - lefty

Old Inn
Gunslinger Kidd - drak
Jamison, Investigator - maniac
Lancer Aaron - FB
Fakeru, Lucky Girl - fake
Jen Lowell - pk2k

Farmlands
Captain Punch - xey
Tristan - oracle
Owen the Coward- stan

Woodcutter
Dismas the Guilty (1 Kill) - eddv
Chained Prisoner (1 Assist) - decider
Cata Spade - cata

Clinic
Matsuda, Gambler (1 Assist) - trdl
Seth, Golden Agent (1 Assist) - reg
Leone the Cat - cpu
Beastkin Zephyr (1 Assist) - ermine

One last full roster update. 19 characters were signed up in total! Should be fun trying to work with such a large cast with a relatively short number of chapters. If people still want to sign up there is a little time left, but you will only be able to join the Farmlands or Woodcutter area. The Smithy, Old Inn, and Clinic are already set in stone.
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Woo! Team Clinic let's go!
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Old inn is gonna be interesting haha
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Probably for the best that we've sent the most players that way.
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This is a pretty colorful cast!
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trdl23 posted...

This is a pretty colorful cast!

now in color!

https://imgur.com/TN8XzA8
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Okay, those are amazing. I love pixel art, you've managed to pack a lot of character into small packages. Also, the raised eyebrow on Ignael is great
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Intriguing!
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I don't think the Lady's Wagon is going to make it very far with oval wheels LOL
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Lol Matsuda looks so derpy compared to all the others
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I think the fact that one of those wheels is apparently shattered would be a bigger problem. There's basically one working wagon left
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Yeah, these look great, you can get a sense the traits each character has judging by the pictures
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Leone's outfit is pretty great, especially with the hair covering his eyes
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We got this Inn Squad!
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MariaTaylor posted...

19 characters were signed up in total! Should be fun trying to work with such a large cast with a relatively short number of chapters.

"work with" totally a euphemism for "kill"

party pic is great

the abomination's an angel?
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so cute. Are people dead already? lady marigold looks unwell. Love how punch looks kinda like luffy with a big straw hat :3 zerphyr adorbs.

i wonder how long a chapter is?

aaron's little spear and determined look..like a lemming from lemmings. :3
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In my head, Torin originally looked more like Dirk from Tales of Symphonia. But now. Now, from your pixel art. And from watching lots of Legion.

https://tinyurl.com/yak3pbfv

That's pretty awesome.

EDIT: https://imgur.com/a/zEg8IUr
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Entry 1: Flame, Dear Flame...

The wagon manager of this group was a man named Torin Gemmason. Despite his lack of experience in long range expeditions over land he was old and experienced and that counted for quite a bit. At the very least, the men at Golden Group and the other private corporations seemed content with placing their fate at least partially in his hands. Representatives from each group had also been sent to keep things moving smoothly.

When Torin saw flashes of harrowing light and heard the sounds of combat from ahead and behind, he knew he had gotten in over his head. It would have been more wise to keep his head down and play the part of follower.

The wagon ahead had been dubbed as the Prisoners Wagon, because of the two prisoners who were stationed there. But really it was the 'Scouting Wagon' which was supposed to be scanning the area ahead for threats. The Lady's Wagon, belonging to Lady Marigold, was stationed behind. Torin himself was riding on the wagon which held the majority of supplies for the expedition. It had twice as many stationed as the others.

With the rear and the vanguard both being hit at once in a surprise attack, Torin almost wondered if he should have spread out his forces a bit more. It was too late to second guess that. All he could do now was think of his current situation. He grabbed his scepter and rose to his feet. At this point he would need to divide up his forces, sending reinforcements to each location, and hope that it wasn't too late. At the same time, he needed to keep some men here to defend the supplies in case there were more enemies in waiting.

Geotic and Ignael were two Abnormals who had joined the expedition. Due to their miscolored eyes, one could immediately tell they were not completely human. Torin used his scepter as a cane, propping himself up. His old bones were feeling more tired and less stable than usual. Perhaps it was just his nerves. From this position he gave his orders; Those two who return to the rear flank and protect the Lady's Wagon.

At that time, another person came from around behind the wagon. His name was Owen. He was actually a photographer who had volunteered to come along and document their expedition. By his own admission he was a bit of a coward, and poor at fighting. He thought he would be safe if he hid behind the others and waited for the danger to clear before coming forward. The coming days would show if he could truly remain safe in such a place.

"A wise decision," Owen noted, as the two Abnormals left.

"Yes, those two are strong," Torin agreed. "They can handle it."

Owen gave a slight frown. "And the less Human. They are... expendable."

Torin wasn't trying to think that way. He had earned his living and his experience as an overseer in the Lord's Mine. That was a dangerous place, a dangerous occupation, where they were prone to lose men. Sometimes it was needed to make hard calls but... he had always been the sort of man who tried to look after his team. Owen's remarks had shaken him slightly, but he reminded himself with steady conviction; he had chosen those two because he believed they could get the job done.

Kidd and Cata were sent ahead to secure the lead wagon. The man known as 'Punch' seemed restless, but there was nothing for it. They had to be ready if something came here. Thankfully, nothing did.

By the time Ignael got to the Lady's Wagon he found it burning and in ruin. There was a moment, just a brief moment, where he allowed himself to be mystified by the sight. Embers rose steadily with the heat and swirled in the air. They cascaded back down in a shower of gold and red. The wagon was a wooden station, a symbol of the ability of man. They could build tools, vehicles, and shelter. Yet in a moment the heat and fury of nature could tear it down.
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At the base of the wagon was a bloody wreckage that was far more gruesome and held no beauty. Guts and bone and brain were tangled among each other to the point where one almost couldn't distinguish the two corpses. Marigold's hair was caught in the scales and fingers of the fish monster which, itself, had been bludgeoned to bits while it was consuming her.

Apparently one of the girls here had grabbed a wagon axle and thought to repair it in the middle of the combat. Her shock had been so great that she must not have even realized how dire the situation was. But she quickly realized that there was no way to repair the wagon; the creature had melted the bottom half of it out completely. And beyond that, when her adrenaline began to surge, she found herself on the monster's back.

That axel became a tool to bludgeon and impale the monster... but not quickly enough to save Lady Marigold.

Goetic wiped his nose with the back of his hand and went over to the dark haired woman who was weeping over the corpse. "They told me that the undercarriage of the wagon melted while you were sleeping inside. You fell through the bottom of the wagon just in time to avoid getting disintegrated by the second blast," Goetic muttered to her. "You must have been lucky."

Fakeru looked back at him, the edges of her eyes had turned red. "Lucky? My Lady was just murdered. I no longer have a reason to live... or to be here..."

Ignael sneered at that but didn't say anything about it.

Goetic took a knee beside the stinking fish corpse. "Now... what are you? And -where- did you come from?" He was talking to himself more than he expected the corpse to actually answer him.

"Come on," Ignael urged him. "Let's get on ahead with the others. You ladies come with us, too."

The party began to collect themselves, along with what items they could carry. Ignael found himself sneering once more. Along with a silver mirror and carrying case that was filled with a collection of different hair brushes, there were all sorts of ridiculous supplies stowed away on this wagon. Those were the first to be left behind. "Goodness... did she think this was a vacation or something?" He glanced back at the corpse one last time before the leading the group ahead.

A red haired woman appeared at his side, speaking so suddenly and without hesitation that it almost startled him. She hadn't made a noise on approach either which left Ignael in quite a state of shock. "You know," she said, "this could have all been prevented with better management." In her dark dress and little hat that inexplicably stayed on her head, she definitely looked like a young noble. Though it was hard to say why such a person would come to a place like this, the same was true for Lady Marigold herself.

Perhaps the promise of fortune was tempting for previously fortunate families which had fallen on hard times.

"Do I look like I'm in charge?" Ignael asked simply.

"I'm just wondering who I should talk to first when I'm ready to start a mutiny," she answered in a flat tone. It was hard to tell if she was joking or not. Her pointy nose was aimed completely forward, never moving, as she failed to give any nonverbal signal to clarify her tone. "I'm Maria, by the way. Maria Taylor."

"Ignael," he responded in his own empty tone, mimicking her behavior as he kept his attention focused ahead.

Apparently the rear wagon would need to be abandoned. The only fortune turn of events was that they were already so close to their destination. Unfortunately, they were going to need a few strong backs to help push the Prisoners Wagon the rest of the way. Ignael had a bad feeling he'd be called up for this task, and he wasn't wrong about that.
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The groups which had been spread apart over the journey were now clustered together. The supply wagon wasn't too far behind the other, and the ones traveling on foot were spread out between. Everyone who had moved to the front was helping to push the lead wagon.

Meanwhile, Maria had taken her map of the estate to the ones who seemed to be making decisions, and was helping to get an idea of what they would be in store for up ahead. They were comparing the map to what they could see from up here on the ridge, and planning out how to advance the party.

Ignael hoped they weren't going to be splitting up. Splitting up always led to disaster.

"We'll be splitting up into groups," Torin explained, as the wagons came to a rest at the edge of the hamlet. "With this strategy we should be able to effectively and quickly clear out the village. Once we know the perimeter is safe we can mount our expedition into the estate.

Ignael let out a sigh and subconsciously drifted closer to the lead wagon. He had been chatting with the men from up ahead while helping them push their wagon, and at this point he felt more kinship with them than he did with Torin.

Dismas, whose hands had been freed, had slung a crossbow over his back and was rummaging around for more supplies. "I'll be taking this shovel too, I think. Should come in handy."

Seth, the man who had been charged with watching over him, glanced over. "We should wait and see. Someone else might need that shovel. I think the man in charge was an, um-..."

The chained man took the shovel and held it out, away from Seth, and giving it to Dismas. Ignael didn't know it, but this would be the second time that Dismas had been given an item after being denied by Seth. The chained man looked to Seth. "This man saved my life... and yours. I'd rather he be holding it than anyone else here."

"Yes," Seth replied, quietly. "I suppose you are right."

The chained man hadn't spoken much, so perhaps it carried a greater weight when he did decide to speak up. At that time, Dismas now had a ridiculous silhouette as the crossbow and shovel were both tied across his back in a cross like shape.

Dismas went over to Matsuda, who was seated on the edge of the wagon. Matsuda had taken quite a beating, and even gotten scarred up a little bit. They all seemed to agree that he was going to need some medical treatment. Not just for the pain, but also to clean and dress the wound. Hopefully it would be possible to disinfect it as well.

They were able to get Torin to agree with this logic; Matsuda, Seth, and Zephyr were going to help secure the local clinic. They could look after Matsuda's wounds while they were there.

"Is anyone here trained in first aide?" Maria asked suddenly. "Even an improvised battlefield medic is better than nothing."

A cloaked hand slowly raised up, the face and figure of the person hidden beneath a cat eared hood. "I can do it, if I must."

"Why don't you go with them, then," Maria offered, almost commanded. It seemed as if she was trying to take charge. Most fascinating was that it was almost working. Torin wasn't objecting or even really questioning her suggestions at all.

Had she already committed a silent mutiny with no resistance?

"Leone." Jen grabbed the cat ears sleeve for a moment, hesitantly. Her round spectacles were dotted with blood still, having failed to effectively clean them. This uncertain looking girl was apparently the one who had taken down that monster. It was almost impossible to imagine that. "I only came here because of you. We shouldn't-"

"I'll be fine," Leone replied. "You'll be fine."
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Jen Lowell was sent with the group to clear out the inn of any lingering threats, and so the two were split up regardless of their wishes. This wasn't a vacation. These people needed to understand that if they were going to survive.

"Igni, you're with us," Maria said, drawing him over with a gesture. "We're going to go clear out the forge and see if the smith was able to leave anything of value before he perished."

Torin, honestly, was just grateful that he wasn't forced to make any tough decisions for the time being. He was content to follow Maria as she took Ignael and Goetic under her command. The four of them headed across the southern side of town. Goetic was watching the buildings carefully for any signs of movement, but it almost seemed as if he was more just curious what was inside.

Maria even caught him creeping forward and peering through one of the back windows as they passed.

"The smith should be just ahead, according to my map," Maria explained.

The back wall of the smith had been partially destroyed. Along with the front door, which was barely even a door anymore, this left two points of entry. Interestingly the upper floor was still relatively stable and there weren't any holes in the first floor ceiling. The stairs had been partially rotted away but it might still be possible to climb up there.

"Well, I don't hear anything inside," Goetic confirmed as he knelt down beside the ruined wall. "There's no way to be sure, though. I was talking to the others and they said those monsters took their wagons quite off guard. It's possible they can move without making sound."

Ignael glanced at Maria for a moment, and then turned his attention back through the hole in the wall.

The forge had grown cold and dead. There was nothing here for him.

"Ah... Ignael..." Torin stepped around Maria for a moment. He straightened himself up as best as he could. "I seem to remember when I was constructing the original wagon groups, you mentioned you had some kind of special tool for scouting. Perhaps now would be the time to put it to good use?"

Ignael had to smirk at the old man attempting to take charge. Perhaps he was finally starting to see what was happening, or maybe he was just letting it get to him. "Yes, of course." He was also smiling for another reason.

His eyes lit up as he held the Eternal Torch in front of him. "Flame... dear flame..." he whispered to it, bringing it to life. And that light became real, reflected from the burning fire that was swirling in front of him. This was his power, his magic, his source of life. "Stand back then," he told the others in a soft and gentle way.

As Ignael entered the smithy from behind, the torch illuminated the space and cast light in each direction... but it also bent the shadows. The interior of the place became almost warped in a way, visually, not displaying like one would imagine with a static source of light.

"Now this is fascinating!" Goetic almost exclaimed, but caught himself before he raised his voice too much. "What is it that I'm seeing? What are you doing with that torch?"

"This is a special source," Ignael explained to him. "Note how the tone and hue of the light changes. Watch where you see the bright and the dark illuminate my surroundings. This torch will burn as long as I feed it energy from my own life, and it will give me special aide..."

He knelt down beside a patch of ground that was surrounded by a pale red glow. "Here it will show us signs of danger. Something is waiting beneath the floorboards."

"And those bright lights," Goetic inquired, indicating the wall to their left. "What are those?"
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