/quests/ - Quests

Further investigate bracelet. Are the wooden spheres removable without breaking the bracelet entirely or not? Are the animals recognizable?
Aside from the bruises and wounds, check both arms if there's anything else that was missed, like markings or tattoos that have suddenly appeared.
Look around as well, does the nearby vicinity look inhabited, a clearing in what looks to be a forest that has had some kind of caretaking out into it, or currently stranded in a sea of trees?

>>86
>Further investigate bracelet. Are the wooden spheres removable without breaking the bracelet entirely or not?
Each sphere has a hole drilled through it, and a string keeps them together. The two ends of the string are bound together, but you don't think you can unknot it without some precision tool, save for tearing the whole string apart. 
>Are the animals recognizable?
You look at the animals, they're not too detailed, but the first looks like a lion, the second is probably a bird, third is maybe an elephant, the fourth... um, you're not completely sure what is this, but it has huge tusks, like some walrus. The fifth is some kind of butterfly, and after it the patterns seems to repeat.

>Aside from the bruises and wounds, check both arms if there's anything else that was missed, like markings or tattoos that have suddenly appeared.
Now that you check your arm again, you rubbed of the dirt from it and you find some unknown tattoo under it. You don't really understand what it wants to mean though, it looks like some abstract art... maybe it represents some kind of fire? But it's black, there are no colors. You start to have a bad feeling about this.

>Look around as well, does the nearby vicinity look inhabited, a clearing in what looks to be a forest that has had some kind of caretaking out into it, or currently stranded in a sea of trees?
You look around, but you can't find any traces of human life, there are trees for as far as you can see. However, when the birds quiet down, you can hear the sound of some waterfall in the distance.

>>87
What color is the sky? Light blue for dawn, blue for noon, or red for sunset? I don't think it's night, else visibility would have been impossible.

Birds suddenly quieting down feels like a bad omen. Attempt to stand up and use the trees as support whenever possible. The possibility of a nearby waterfall to slake the thirst would be the best thing to do.

>>90
>What color is the sky?
You look up, the endless sea of trees around you obstruct most of the view, but the sky looks blue. You have no idea where the sun is shining from though.

Next you attempt to stand up, but you stop midway because every part of your body hurts. You wait a few seconds before retrying again, second time you overcome the pain and manage to stand up. You slowly start to walk toward the waterfall sound.
Actually, only the few first steps were terrible, your body got used to pain in no time, and now you can walk almost normally. Of course, you still feel some pain, but it's bearable.

After a few minutes of walking, the landscape in front of you starts to get brighter, and you soon reach the end of the forest. There are a bunch of bushes around here, some of them have some kind of fruit on it. It's like grapes, but smaller, and it has a black color. Also in front of you is a clearing, the waterfall is further ahead. It's not a huge something, but still sizable enough to be audible hundreds of meter away. Other than the waterfall, the area looks quiet, it looks like those noisy birds decided to stay in the forest.

>>91
Is there a stream coming from the waterfall? Check if the water is clear, and hopefully it is, cup some water to drink. Either death has been evaded or it has already happened, so pick some of the strange fruit, check each one for any bruising or subtle difference like scent or color. Pop the ones that doesn't trigger a gut feeling of dread into our mouth to have something to eat.

>>92
By death I mean that avalanche. Perhaps we already died, or somehow we lived through it, so what's a few odd fruits?

>>92
You walk to the waterfall and look around. You're standing at the bottom of the waterfall, it's about 2 meters high, so you can't see the top of it. It doesn't look like that you could scale it, but you might find a route around if you want to go that way. Downward, you can see a small stream flowing through the relatively flat clearing. You walk down a few steps, when you find a small bay where the water looks still.

You get down on your knees to get some water, but as soon as you look at the body of water, you're taken aback.
The face that you can see in the reflection... it's not yours.
At first, you though there's some dead body in the water, or there's something wrong with your eyes... You start to randomly make faces and poke at the water, like a baby when seeing himself in a mirror for the first time. But it's no use, in the end you have to admit that it's really your face. You take a good look at it, it looks much younger, your body also looks more muscular. (Feel free to complete this description, just don't go too overboard.)


After looking at your reflection for a few minutes, you finally proceed to drink some water. The water is cold, but it feels good in this hot weather. You want to stand up, when
"Grrrr."
There's an animal in front of you. You don't know what kind of animal is this, it's about 1 meter tall, it looks like a puma, but it has two huge tusks... Wait, it eerily resembles that carving you saw on the bracelet.
"Grrr!"
Whatever is this thing in front of you, it doesn't look friendly.

>>94
Too bruised and battered to actually fight back, or even run away. Find the bead with the creature on it, squeeze on it and command it to stop.

>>95
You find the bead with the similar looking creature on your bracelet, and squeeze it.
"Stop!", you say, but the beast looks back at you with a befuddled expression.
"Stop!", you repeat, but it doesn't seem to help.
The creature bites at your hand! Fortunately, you manage to pull back it just in time, but you drop the bracelet in the process. The animal snatches the bracelet, and starts to chew it with a rattling sound. However, the bead was made from hardwood, the beast has problems chewing it, shortly it starts to choke.

>>96
Well, didn't expect it to really work.
Check if there's anything, like a sizeable branch, a large enough rock, or somehow a blade nearby to defend ourselves with. Does it look like it has anything on the animal that would signify it being owned by someone, like a collar on its neck or something on any of its paws, or even tail? If so, attempting to kill it would just invoke the ire of whoever owns this creature.

If there's nothing that would signify ownership, attack the creature whilst it is choking.

Normally I would've suggested attempting to befriend it, but it bit us first.

>>97
You look at the creature, but you can't see any signs of human intervention, it looks like a wild beast. In fact, it's possible this is the first time it encounters a human.
You look for an item suitable as a makeshift weapon, and you find a bunch of rocks around the water. You pick up a sizable one, and throw it at the creature as hard as you can.
*Bang*, it hits the animal's head, it whines and growls, then it tries to attack again.
You pick up a different rock and swing at the beast again. In response it spits out the remains of the bracelet and runs away. Hopefully it won't come back...
You notice that one of your wounds opened during the fight. It's not like you will find a pharmacy around there to get bandages, so you just wash it with the stream's water. You're pretty sure that there are some herbs around here that would help to decrease the chance of infections. However, you lived your whole life in a town, you have no idea about herbs.
Before the fight you wanted to get some fruits, so you go back to the bushes, and pick one of those weird fruits. When you taste it, it tastes like concentrated sugar. Even those extra sweet milkshakes at fast food restaurants are not this sweet. You eat a few pieces of them anyway, because you're too hungry to care, but you have to go back and drink some water afterward to get rid of the aftertaste.

>>98
Now that the threat is gone for now, since it spat out the bracelet, put it back on and examine it. Aside from the likely bite marks, is there anything else on it?

Aside from that, are there any pebbles around, that can be used as a makeshift trail? It would be a good idea to make a trail and try to explore a bit, in the opposite direction of where the creature ran off.

What kind of wageslave duty did we use to have, or is none of it applicable in a forest setting?

>>99
>bracelet
The creature managed to tear the string, so the beads are all over the place. It managed to break some of the beads into multiple small pieces, and the ones that are still in one piece are full of bite marks.

>pebbles
There are a bunch of stones around the place, from tiny pebbles to sizable rocks. However, without a container of some sorts you won't be able to carry enough pebbles to make a trail.

>wageslave
Um, I didn't think about this, you can choose anything you like. Even though I don't know what can you pick up in an office setting that is useful for surviving in a wild forest.

>>100
Now that I was thinking of it, a more probable scenario is that you saw something in some survivor-like TV program. Of course, trying it out for the first time, expect that you forget some details and some fuckups...

>>101
>>100

What kind of leaves are available to us? Are they all small leaves, or are there very large leaves? If there are very large leaves, it may be possible to have some sort of make-shift container, basically just something to hold the pebbles with.
If it's all small leaves, then forget about it, and see if there's a cave nearby or a hollow tree that's empty that can be somehow be used as temporary shelter.
If somehow there are also none of that, head towards the opposite direction of the creature, and make use of the sound of the waterfall as a way to know how far we've gone.

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>>102
You look around and you find some huge leaves on the other side of the stream. Since you don't have any knife to cut the stem, so you have to break off the leaves by hand. It's not that easy as you think though, since this plant has thick stems, but you succeed after a few minutes. Imagine something like pic related
You collect a bunch of pebbles, and you pick up the leaf. You manage to form a bag from the leaf, but you have a feeling you will create a trail even when you don't want.
Feeling prepared, you start to head towards the opposite direction of the creature. You enter the forest and walk, and walk and walk. All you see is trees and trees and trees... You're almost out of pebbles when you reach the end of the forest, and you find another clearing.

It's smaller than the previous one, it doesn't have any kind of water, but you find a path here. You're not completely sure whether it's being used by people or animals. It's pretty narrow and runs from left to the right, no signs or anything either. On the other side of the clearing the terrain start to become rocky, it's the edge of a mountain. If you're looking for a cave, you'll likely find one there.

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>>104
Since this is a clearing, look up to the sky, is it late? All the same, is this so far off that we can't even hear the waterfall anymore?

Is our current location similar to the image? We just exited the forest behind us, and in front of us is a rocky area with a pathway to our left and right.

If so, I'd like to know what's on the left and what's on the right, or does it just go to parts unknown?

>>105
Also that is a top-down perspective.

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>>105
>look up to the sky, is it late?
It's still blue, based on the sun's position it's somewhat past noon.
>is this so far off that we can't even hear the waterfall anymore?
Yes.

>Is our current location similar to the image?
Yeah, something like that, but the path is narrower, and not that proper. I mean, it's just the grass is trampled down, like in this pic. Nice image btw, where is it from?

>If so, I'd like to know what's on the left and what's on the right
You look left, the path shortly disappears into the forest. To the right, the clearing with the path continues as far as you can see.

>>108
I made the image using Dungeon Painter Studio.

Anyway, make a mark at our current location, make it obvious to us that we made it. Proceed towards the rocky area, and check if we can easily find something that looks like a cave, and explore towards there, spend some time trying to look for a cave for about what feels like half an hour.

>>109
>Dungeon Painter Studio
Is there no torrent for this shit?

You place the remaining pebbles in a recognizable pattern on the ground. But since you don't think it's noticeable enough, so you tear off some branches from a tree and place it on the track.
You walk toward the rocky area, looking for a cave. You find many small cave entrances, too small for a human to fit, but after about 10 minutes you find one large enough. However, it's very dark inside, you don't think it's a good idea to walk more than a few meters in. There might be scary monsters inside!
You're thinking about what to do next when you hear a horn sound from the distance. You look around, but you can't see the source, it must be far away.

>>113
Doesn't seem like there's no torrent for it. Personally I bought it because I used it extensively for making combat maps. Also most of its mods(aka the premade assets) are via Steam Workshop.

-----

If we still have something to mark the cave, like another rock, just bash the rock on the outside of the cave, make a noticeable X or something there, afterwards, is it possible for us to figure out which direction the horn came from? Also what kind of horn was it, a car horn, or one of those 'ye olde' type horns?

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>>114
>Doesn't seem like there's no torrent for it
I didn't find any at least one that doesn't look shady as hell. Anyway, I made a map like thing in tiled using some random RPG tileset showing our "known word".

>mark the cave
You find a rock around the entrance and carve an X mark next to the entrance.

>horn
You're not completely sure about the horn, you only heard a faint sound. You think it came from the path's direction, right from the spot where you left the forest before. It didn't sound like a car horn or anything like that, it was a longer sound with varied pitch. It was probably an old-fashioned horn, where you have to blow it with your mouth.

>>115
Well, now that it's marked, and the horn is a non-mechanical source horn, let's get to the source of the horn sound, but try to be as hidden as possible when we see something or someone.

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>>116
You return to the path and start walking in the direction where you heard the horn sound from. A few minutes later you hear the horn sound again, this time it's louder, but you still have to walk a bit to reach the source.
You continue walking for a couple of minutes, when you come to an intersection. It has an Y shape, where the other two paths are wider than you were coming from. You can go left, almost turning back, or you can continue slightly right. Since the last sound come from in front of, you continue right, and you shortly find two people walking in front of you.
Fortunately, they're walking away from you, so you don't have to jump into the bushes to hide yourself. You inspect them from a distance, the left one only wears a loincloth, has a shoulder-length black hair and keeps a bow-like object on their back. The right one wears in addition something looks like a shirt, has a short hair and keeps a horn in their hand. They appear to be talking to each other, but you're too far away to hear it.

>>118
Attempt to follow them, check if we can understand what they're talking about. The worst thing that can happen right now is we get shot by the bow.

>>119
You attempt to follow them, but when you get near they stop. Fearing that they noticed you, you quickly hide behind a tree.
The guy with the horn sounds it again, but you don't notice any difference in the sound it makes. It looks like they didn't notice you. They just look at each other and wait.
Now that you're nearer, you can confirm a few more things. They're both males, and you notice that the one with the horn also has a saber or something like that, attached to his belt.
"Nothing," finally one of them starts to talk. "I'm telling you, it's futile."
"I know, I know, but it's Breezug's command, there's nothing we can do."
"But it has been three days. There's no way..."
"Enough! Do you want to be charged with treason?!"
"No! ... Okay, let's continue."
The two men start to walk, but they're no longer in the mood to talk with each other.

>>120
That's surprising we can understand them, the names sound very non-modern though. Do they look human, they're definitely biped.

Follow them a bit more, surely they may head to a town or something similar. Survival in a cave, whilst naked sounds a bit too much for us.

>>121
>That's surprising we can understand them
I'm not autistic enough to come up with a constructed language. Plus it would make some things harder than necessary.

>Do they look human, they're definitely biped.
Yes, they look human.

>Follow them a bit more
You follow them, trying to stay hidden while doing that. The two guys' routine is pretty simple: walk forward for a few minutes, stop, sound the horn, wait a bit, then repeat. You can only hope that they'll get to some village before the night.
You follow them for a while, until they start to talk to each other.
"It's getting late, we should head back."
The other person looks at the sky, then replies, "yes, there's about two hours until sunset. If we want to get home before it gets dark, we'll have to turn back now."
"I'm telling you, that guy either ran away, or he's dead, there's no point in searching."
"You might be right, but until Breezug changes his opinion, there's nothing we can do."
"I hate when you do this."
"But he is our commander! You know what happens to people who disobey, don't you?"
"Yeah, yeah... Well, I guess Ezuki will have a rough time tonight, haha."
"Aw, I wish I'd have such a cute slave you have, but I can't afford it."
"Maybe one day you'll get lucky like me, and find one while looting an enemy village."
"One can dream, right?"

Hopefully we're not the ones they're actually looking for. Follow them until the village, perhaps, we can find some form of hospitality from their village. If the the village is guarded, wait for them to enter first, wait a few minutes, then try to approach said guards in an injured manner. I suppose we're naked already so that could help out in our attempt to invoke compassion.

>>124
You continue to follow the guys, back the way you came from, until the intersection, from where they continue the other way. You follow them for what feels like hours, the sky already dark red when they finally reach a group of people.
The crowd looks similar to them, everyone has some kind of weapon---it's better not to interfere with them.
"Gobukur, Wazkhala returned!"
"That's the last of them, right?" a guy in front of the group responds. He has fancier clothes compared to the others, he's probably some higher ranking person.
"Yes, Sir!"
"Damn it. ... Alright, we're continuing the search next morning."
The bunch starts to murmur, nobody wants to continue this search.
"What's the problem?"
"With all due respect, Sir... we don't think there's any point in continuing this search. It has been three days, if we haven't found him by now, it's unlikely we will find him alive..."
"Enough! I know he's still alive, we will continue the search tomorrow."
The crowd grumbles even louder for a while, but in the end they accept his decision. You wait until they dissolve and only two men remain, standing guard at the entrance of the village.

Until now, you were hiding in a bush. Your plan was to walk to the guards, but as soon as you move an inch, the guard on the left notices you.
"Who are you, intruder?! Stand up!"
It only took a split-second for him to draw his bow, you're looking directly at his arrowhead. Meanwhile, the other picked up his horn, ready to sound it, in case you do something stupid.

>>125
"I mean no harm!"

Stand up slowly, both arms up and slowly as well step out of the bush. Let's not make any kind of sudden movement.

"I got lost in the woods and thought to follow someone in hopes of not dying in the woods. My name is.. um..."

I want to see their reaction, if somehow their reaction is they know us, play along a bit, and see if we're in a favorable light to them, if not, just say our name, Tom.

>>126
"I mean no harm!", you reply but it's not enough to clear their suspicion.
You stand up slowly, both arms up and step out of the bush. You take a few steps toward the guards and reply,
"I got lost in the woods and thought to follow someone in hopes of not dying in the woods. My name is... um..."

"Hey, um," the guard on the right says something to the other, but you can't hear the rest.
"You're right! It's him!" He turns to you and continues, "J'Amal, what's wrong? What happened? Where's your clothes and stuff? The whole village is looking for you, where have you been? You have to go to Breezug immediately! ... Wait, no, you look badly hurt, I'll go tell Breezug, you should go to the shaman instead!"

>>127
"Can you show me where the shaman is? My memory is a bit hazy."

>>128
"Can you show me where the shaman is? My memory is a bit hazy."
"Huh? What's wrong with you? He lives at the center of the village, how can you forget it?"
"Umm..."
"Okay, follow me, it's not a big detour for me. But, before that...", he says and walks to a nearby basket.
After searching for a few seconds, he picks up a piece of a table cloth---or at least that's what you think. He ties it around your waist, turning it into a makeshift skirt.
"Don't run around naked. Now let's go."

You follow the guard, he tries to ask a few questions on the way, while you try to reply with as vague answers as possible.
The trip is an interesting experience, it feels like you traveled back 500 years in time. You can only see some small, primitive shacks, no sign of any modern technology. Most residents already returned their homes, you only meet a few people on your way. But most of them seem to recognize you, so by the time you get to the shaman's place, news of your return already spread out.
The shaman's place is easily recognizable, it's the only tent around here.
"Guardir!", the guard shouts toward the tent, possibly to call the shaman. A few minutes later, a middle-aged man appeared. He's bald, but his beard is long enough to cover his stomach... He also wears some white robes with fancy decorations around his shoulders.
"Yes?"
"Guardir, J'Amal returned!"
"Oh, J'Amal, we were worried about you! Come in, I see your wounds need some treatment. Anything else?"
"He's acting a bit weird... But now I have to go and tell Breezug, so I'll leave him in your care."
"Alright, goodbye soldier."

You enter the tent, and the first thing you notice is that it's so dark that you can barely see anything. The only light source inside is a small torch, so your eyes need a few minutes to adapt to the changed lighting conditions.
"So, what happened, great warrior? What's wrong? The whole village were worried when you didn't return from your hunting. But before you begin, drink this numbing potion, it takes some time before it takes effect."
He hands you a cup with some unknown fluid inside. You can't see it clearly, but it definitely has a cloying smell.

>>129
Drink it. It will be too suspicious, if we do not.

"I... feel like, my mind is in a haze. Guardir, I may have hit my head. I don't remember much."

I want to try and coax as much information as we can about ourselves. If we can manage it, play the amnesiac card and hopefully they don't try to bash our head open thinking it's an evil spirit that needs to be exorcised.

------
Also Merry Christmas.

>>130
You drink the unknown fluid. First it tastes sweet, but not long after gulping it down, you start to feel a bitter taste. You don't notice any effect for now.
"I... feel like, my mind is in a haze. Guardir, I may have hit my head. I don't remember much."
"Don't remember much? That's bad, warrior. Do you feel some kind of nausea or dizziness?"
"No, I feel fine, I just don't remember things, like who am I."
"You're J'Amal, the youngest son of the legendary J'Emakal, don't you know it?"
"No?"
"Hmm, it might be a bad spell or an evil influence. I'll try to contact the spirits of the Elders, lay down here."
You follow the shaman's instructions and lay down. He picks up a drum from a corner of his tent, then he sits down next to you. He starts to play on the drum, while chanting some unintelligible words... Like those charlatans who make a fortune by claiming they eradicate evil spirits. You're not sure what is happening, is he high or what?
However, the potion you drank starts to take effect, your body starts to go numb, if you try to move your limbs they feel heavy, you start to feel dizzy, the world begins to spin around you, the chant of the shaman reverberates around your body, a fortress attacked by a bunch of imps appears in front of you... Wait, what!? The commander of the defense forces is a medieval knight in plate armor. No, wait, it's the shaman.
"Sorry, I couldn't establish a connection with the Elders. There must be some interference. But worry not, we will retry tomorrow. Until that, I'll treat your wounds. It'll be a bit painful, as I have to reopen a few of them, but you're a strong warrior."
The whole scene feels surreal. The shaman's voice is high-pitched, it almost feels like a little girl is talking, but he still has that beard. Also, a pair of horn started to grow from his forehead. You try to respond, but an "uhmm" is all you can muster.
A sudden pain snaps you out of this state. You're back in the tent, but now your hand and legs are tied down while the shaman is massaging some unknown liquid onto one of your wounds. Your body is numb, your sensation is gone and yet, that things produces an unbearable burning feeling. The whole world becomes hazy and it starts to fade away...


"What are you doing!?", the harsh voice of your boss wakes you up. You're sitting at your desk, and it looks like you fell asleep during work.
"This is the second time this month! Next time you're fired! Finish your work already because here's your present, I mean, more work that you have to finish today."
He's standing in front of you, with a pile of documents in his hands.

Here's my Christmas present then... oh wait.

>>133
"...Right." Take the documents from his hands. Read them, are they legible or have they begun to not make sense?

Is this our original job? Are there other people in the vicinity or just us? Is the boss wearing his clothes? Are we wearing clothes?

>>135
"... Right," you say and take the documents from the boss.
"Now let's get back to work," he replies, just before leaving.

You take a look at the documents, "Report from field trip TL-3490/4RA," "Summary for GTBZ/3456-12," and the likes. Just the usual bullshit, turn them into boring Excel tables. Even an idiot could do this, except your co-workers, they're too stupid even for being an idiot.

>Is this our original job?
Yes.

>Are there other people in the vicinity or just us?
It's only you (and the boss before he left) in the cube, but based on the background noises, there are other people around.

>Is the boss wearing his clothes? Are we wearing clothes?
Yes...
If you're looking for anomalies, the boss was a bit more cocky than usual, but that might be due to your actions.

>>137
Keep on doing the excel sheets, but check the weather report. Is there a winter storm on its way? Try to remember what day it was when we got struck by that sudden winter storm, and check today's date.

Also, as mundane as it feels, does this workload, feel familiar? Even if it is the day-to-day tasks and things feel repetitive, minor details differ, do even the minor details here match up to our memory, any kind of déjà vu? Or perhaps that truly was just a massive fever dream.

>>138
You keep doing the Excel sheets, and you check the weather report when you have a free minute (you don't have). It's -2 °C right now, sunny weather, but a storm is coming tonight, -15 °C and 100 km/h wind to be expected. "Everyone should get back home before 7:00 PM." Haha, fat chance. Next day, sunny weather, temperatures between -5 and -3 °C.

>Try to remember what day it was when we got struck by that sudden winter storm
You don't remember being struck by a sudden winter storm recently.

>any kind of déjà vu?
The job being as boring and repetitive as it is, you probably wouldn't even notice if you would have to do the same documents you did a few hours ago. Yet, every now and then you stumble upon some random number or name that you feel like you have seen before. After a while they start to bug you, but you can't remember where have you seen them before, or why do they sound so familiar. You can't find any connection between them either. In the end, you check the documents you have done before, thinking the boss gave you the yesterday's work as a prank or something like that, but that's a dead end as well.

>>139
What is the current time? Mentally prepare to bunker down at the office for the night if there's a storm approaching, unless there's a miracle and all work is done hours before 7pm.

If possible, get up and grab a coffee.

>>140
You look at the time, it's 3:46 PM, there's no way you will be able to finish the work on time. You go and get a cup of coffee, hoping it will save you from falling asleep again, then continue the work.

After 6:30 PM, people start randomly popping up in your cube and giving you some work that they couldn't solve. By 7:00 PM, almost everyone left, the few people still in the office are hurriedly leaving. Soon you're alone in the office. At least, this way you can work without interruptions.

The weather forecast said 7:00 PM, but in fact nothing happens until around 8:00, and even after that you only see some light snow---just the usual accuracy. But soon the wind picks up, and it turns into a real storm, which drags on four hours. When you finish your work at 10:30, it's still going on, even though it looks like the worst part of the storm is already over.

You go to the office's kitchen, you want to eat your sandwich you left in the fridge. You open the fridge and look for it, but it's not there. "What the?" Did you remember wrong? Or just some scumbag co-worker of yours ate it?

You wonder what to do now. There's some convenience store on the way to your home, you could buy something there. The weather is not that bad anymore.

>>142
We're definitely hungry. Check the window outside, are there any brave souls walking outside, or even a car passing by? Seeing one would improve our morale in going out, even then, our hunger would force us out.

Did we bring a coat or any cold weather clothes, at the very least? If so, let's wear 'em.

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>>143
You check the window, but you don't see much due to the snow... Hey, a car is just passing by! Or more like crawling, the driver doesn't dare to go fast in this weather.
You pick up all clothes you have, a sweater, an extra sweater and a big coat. It might feel it's excessive, but given the cold wind outside, it won't hurt.
You go down to the ground floor, take a good look of the outside world for a moment, then you brace yourself and head out.
"Brr," is your response as you feel the cold wind on your skin, you try to hide every bare skin you have as you walk to the store. But hey, at least you don't have to deal with the crowd.
You reach the shop you were heading for, to buy some food for dinner, but the entrance is dark. You walk closer and you notice a small sign: "CLOSED DUE TO WEATHER."
"Shit," you sigh and you start to enumerate your options. There's a bigger shop, that's more likely to be open, but given the current weather, it would take at least 30 minutes to walk there. Another 30 to walk back home. Alternatively, you could just walk home, it's about 5 minutes and you're pretty sure that you still have some emergency rations at home.

>>144
"Surely, I can't be that dumb to not have food at home.. right?"

Walk home.

>>145
"Surely, I can't be that dumb to not have food at home... right?", you think and start walking back home.
You suddenly hear a low, grumbling sound. You stop and look around, but you don't see anything. What is this? Finally, when you look up, you see a big lump of snow falling toward you! This view shocks you, and before you could react, the avalanche hits you and you pass out.

It's white. Everything is white. You don't exist, you don't feel anything, but still, everything is white. You start moving, swimming in the endless white ocean. How can you move when you don't exist? You don't know, you can't even control it, you can just feel that you move, even though nothing changes.
Minutes pass. Maybe hours, or seconds, you don't know. Time no longer exists. You notice something in the distance. You start moving toward it. You speed up. You go faster and faster, you can't control it. The tiny dot in the distance becomes larger and larger. You see snapshots from your life speeding by you. Being at an amusement park with your parents. Bob, that asshole from elementary school playing pranks on you. Christmas with your family. The feeling when you failed your university entrance exam. If you wouldn't fail that, perhaps you wouldn't have to do this wageslaving now. You continue to move at incredible speed, when you realize that you're speeding towards the ground!
"No, no, no!" you shout even though you don't have a mouth. The ground is approaching at breathtaking speed, you can't do anything, you're going to crash...

"Huh? That was a weird dream," you mumble as you sit up in your bed.
"Wait, something is not right." You wanted to turn on the lamp on your nightstand, but it's not there! You look around, but it's pitch dark. Is there a blackout? And why are you naked, where are your pajamas?
You're looking left and right, when your hand accidentally touches something warm and soft.
"Mnnnnggh...," it responds.
Is there someone else sleeping next to you?

>>146
Does the response sound feminine or masculine? Are we covered by a blanket of any sort?

>>147
>Does the response sound feminine or masculine?
You're not 100% sure, but it sounds more feminine.
>Are we covered by a blanket of any sort?
Yes, but you can only feel it, not see it.

>>148
Well, we can move our arms, so we aren't tied up. There's no sensation of pain, and unless we're actually married, then this person beside us is unknown.
Try to get out of bed and grope through the darkness. Extend hands upwards, because who knows maybe the room is small, and our hands reach the ceiling immediately and we just bop our head. Or maybe we're on a top bunk.

It's too dark, unless there's a bit of light from somewhere, getting out of bed to try and turn on the lights would be ideal.

>>149
You palpate around you in every direction. When you're sure that there are no unexpected obstacles around, you stand up. Fortunately, this is not a bunk bed, so you don't fall down either.
It's already clear to you that you're not in your own bedroom. Combine this with the pitch dark, and it takes you a few minutes of stumbling until you find a door. You cautiously open it, and you step into a different room.
Unlike the previous room, this one has a window, and the moon illuminates the room. For your eyes, whose are already adapted to the dark, it's more than enough to see in monochrome. You find a table here, next to a fireplace and some other cooking utilities. It looks like a kitchen in those medieval-themed movies. In the other end of the room, you notice three people sleeping under a blanket.
You want to explore the room more, when a soothing voice from the behind stops you.
"What's wrong, J'Amal?"
You turn around and you notice a girl standing next to the door.
Holy crap, she's beautiful!---is your first reaction. Maybe the dark helps to hide some details, but what you see is wonderful. She has a waist length black (or at least some kind of dark color) hair, an attractive face, it looks like she's in her late teens. She's naked, just like you, so you can also see her breasts, maybe D cup? Her slender lines, unlike those ugly landwhales you usually see. Wait a minute, you took another look at her face, and it somehow feels familiar... Do you know this person? Did you meet before? You wonder, but you can't find the answer.
"Hey, what's the problem? You look confused."

>>150
"I... I had a nightmare. That's all. I dreamt of a large white storm swallowing me whole."

Try to remember who she is, and if we can remember, were we walking home? Take a deep breath, maybe ask for some water.

>>151
"I... I had a nightmare. That's all. I dreamt of a large white storm swallowing me whole."
You take a deep breath and you try to remember who she is, but no luck. You were walking home in that storm... Wait, no, you've woken up naked in a forest, and you met that weird creature, then... There was that shaman... Why is everything so fuzzy and weird? Why does she look familiar? And those documents back at the office, why did they look familiar? What's happening here?
You were so preoccupied that you didn't notice that the girl moved next to you. You only noticed her when she hugged you.
"That's so unlike you, J'Amal. The shaman said that you're acting weird, but this is... too much. What's wrong, J'Amal? What happened during that hunt? You didn't come back, only three days later. Without your clothes or equipment, let alone your loot. Something must have happened, what was it? You don't have to hide anything from me, you know that."
Since she's a bit shorter than you, she's looking up at you, you can't help not noticing her teary eyes---but it's also cute in a way. Also, her soft, warm body, pushing against you... If she continues this, you'll end up with a massive boner in no time.

>>153
"My head feels like it's been muddled. I don't recall too clearly what happened in the past few days. I've had these... memories of a different person seemingly invade me. Images and dreams of a different world, so very much like ours but different. I must have been attacked by something unknown during our hunt. I'm starting to forget things, and I'm afraid of forgetting more. How long has it been since I visited Guardir? I vaguely remember drinking a numbing potion, then, the weird dreams of another world happened. I was there for hours, before being swallowed by a large white storm, then waking up next to you in a cold sweat. I'm sorry for worrying you, but I'm back now."

Hug her back, and if there's enough light around, scan the room, what kind of room is this? Medieval-theme kitchen? Are they using metal for cooking, or is it all clay pots and such? Also do we somehow have that bracelet with us still or is it all gone now?

>>154
That's a mouthful response, I'm trying to break it down into smaller parts...

"My head feels like it's been muddled. I don't recall too clearly what happened in the past few days. I've had these... memories of a different person seemingly invade me. Images and dreams of a different world, so very much like ours but different."
"Different world...? You mean the Other World? But only the shamans have the ability to visit it. Unless... no, it's impossible."

"I must have been attacked by something unknown during our hunt."
"'Our' hunt? You always said it was your own idea, but now I see you lied to me. It was Breezug's idea, right? I know that a warrior's life is dangerous and that a warrior can die anytime, I accepted it... But it doesn't mean you have to take unnecessary risks. I know I can't tell you what to do, but please, J'Amal, I don't want to lose you so early!"

"I'm starting to forget things, and I'm afraid of forgetting more."
"Forgetting things... Is it a dark spell? Some curse? Evil spirits? Didn't that shaman say anything about it?"

"How long has it been since I visited Guardir?"
"The guys carried you here this night, they said that you passed out while the shaman treated you, that's all I know. Those bastards told everyone about your return in the village except, of course, me. Otherwise, I'd have gone to meet you, at the shaman or wherever you were. They knew how much I missed you, some of them even promised me that I'll be the first person they will tell if they find you, but nothing. They just rushed into the house this night, placed your unconscious body on the table and left. They seemed pissed off though... But anyway, at least it looks like you're fine now... How are your injuries, do they still hurt?"
"No?" You take a look at yourself and you're indeed filled with scars, but you no longer feel them. If this girl wouldn't mention it, you probably wouldn't have noticed them until the morning.

"I vaguely remember drinking a numbing potion, then, the weird dreams of another world happened. I was there for hours, before being swallowed by a large white storm, then waking up next to you in a cold sweat."
"Oh, that potion? You're not the first person to see weird things after drinking it, don't worry about it. There are rumors about guys getting hurt just so they can drink from it."

"I'm sorry for worrying you, but I'm back now," you say finally and hug her back.
"I'm glad to hear that, but something still not right. I can't tell you exactly what, but I still feel like something's not right. Something's different. Something's changed. But if you promise me that everything will be alright, that's enough, I guess."

>what kind of room is this? Medieval-theme kitchen? Are they using metal for cooking, or is it all clay pots and such?
You're not completely sure what era this kitchen is from, but you can definitely see metal tools around here.
>Also do we somehow have that bracelet with us still or is it all gone now?
I think it got destroyed: >>100

>>158
"What is this 'Other World'? Could you tell me more about it? Although, I suppose we can talk about that later."

If it's still obviously night time, "Let's head back to sleep."

Metallic tools, I just looked it up and that really doesn't narrow anything down. Romans had that shit available to them, but not widespread, middle ages usually had a cauldron at most, but the Han dynasty, which are the chinese, which is centuries before the middle ages had woks. So really, this time period could be anything at the moment.

>>159
"What is this 'Other World'? Could you tell me more about it? Although, I suppose we can talk about that later."
"... Huh? What kind of question is this? The Other World. The land where the Elders reside, from where they guide us. What the hell happened? You would normally never ask a question like this."

And I don't want to be a party pooper, but what about the other questions she had? I mean ignoring them is an option, but she probably won't like it too much.
And yes, it's still night time.

>>160
"I vaguely remember that it could be an evil influence, now that I think about it, when I talked to Guardir about it, that's what he said. My injuries are more or less fine. When I awoke in the middle of the forest in the nude, I was attacked by an animal.. I lost the bracelet on my wrist. I'm sorry. I ... don't remember who's idea it was to do the hunt."

>>161
"I vaguely remember that it could be an evil influence, now that I think about it, when I talked to Guardir about it, that's what he said. My injuries are more or less fine. When I awoke in the middle of the forest in the nude, I was attacked by an animal.. I lost the bracelet on my wrist. I'm sorry. I ... don't remember who's idea it was to do the hunt."

Ah yes, let me clean up my own post.

>"Forgetting things... Is it a dark spell? Some curse? Evil spirits? Didn't that shaman say anything about it?"
"Guardir did mention something about it being an evil influence, or a bad spell. He did say he'll try to contact the spirits of the elder."

>"How are your injuries, do they still hurt?"
"If you didn't mention them, I wouldn't have noticed it. It's probably the effect of the numbing potion. Hopefully tomorrow I don't get waken up by pain."

>"I still feel like something's not right. Something's different. Something's changed. But if you promise me that everything will be alright, that's enough, I guess."
"I'll do my best to get everything back to normal, don't worry."

This is just talking out loud:
"When I awoke in the middle of the forest in the nude, I was attacked by an animal.. I lost the bracelet on my wrist. I'm sorry."

>>162
>"Forgetting things... Is it a dark spell? Some curse? Evil spirits? Didn't that shaman say anything about it?"
"Guardir did mention something about it being an evil influence, or a bad spell. He did say he'll try to contact the spirits of the elder."
"That doesn't sound good, but let's hope he can do something about it."

>"How are your injuries, do they still hurt?"
"If you didn't mention them, I wouldn't have noticed it. It's probably the effect of the numbing potion. Hopefully tomorrow I don't get waken up by pain."
"I thought you already got used to that."

>"I still feel like something's not right. Something's different. Something's changed. But if you promise me that everything will be alright, that's enough, I guess."
"I'll do my best to get everything back to normal, don't worry."
"T-Thanks. But let's go back to the bed, we will catch a cold if we stand here like this for long."
"Yeah, let's go."

While you walk back, you continue.
"When I awoke in the middle of the forest in the nude, I was attacked by an animal... I lost the bracelet on my wrist. I'm sorry."
"I know, that bracelet was important for you, but you should be grateful that you're still alive. It's a miracle that you got back in one piece, don't mind the small details."

When you return to the room, you notice a window on the right side. Previously a shutter hid it, but now you can see the starry sky. It's still very dark, but it's enough to recognize the bed.
You lie down in the bed and as the girl closes the shutter, the room goes back to pitch black.
The girls lie down next to you, but after that, without warning, she hugs you from the behind.
"This is what I was missing, your big, warm body in a chilly night."

>>163
Relax, then realize we don't even know her name. Let's not ruin the mood and maybe, the next day, we'll find out her name.

As we sleep, hope that we don't wake up buried under 6 feet of snow, freezing to death, or wake up being nagged to do documents.

I don't think there's much we can do now that we're at the bed, also what kind of bed is it? Is it ... on the floor, raised, wooden, metal, does it have a mattress of any kind?

>>164
>what kind of bed is it
Umm... It looks like a wooden frame, filled with something. It doesn't look like a mattress, at least not in the modern sense, but it's soft...

You relax and shortly feel asleep. You don't even know the name of this girl but it doesn't stop you from sleeping like a log.
When you wake up, you're alone in the room, the girl went away. The window's shutter is still closed, but some light rays manage to get through it, it's already daytime.
You sit up and look around. You're still naked, getting really hungry, and you're inside a still (mostly) unknown bedroom. The room is rather plain, you have a chest in front of you. On the other side, it has a small nightstand, with a candle on it.

>>165
Check the chest, see if there are any clothes, for us. Sniff around, if there's any food being made, and listen if there's any sound outside or any kind of noise.
Does the night stand have a drawer? If it does open it as well.

Open the window shutter, is this a singular floor building or is it somehow multi-story?

>>166
I think I browsed wikipedia for an hour about ancient clothes and the like, and barely found anything useful...

>Check the chest, see if there are any clothes, for us.
You open the chest, the first thing you find is some fancy clothes... No, it looks like it's for the girl. You look further and you find something else, it's like a light-gray T-shirt, but without proper sleeves. There's also another piece of cloth around, you think it's similar to that loincloth you saw before, but you have no idea how to wear it. You probably have to tie it somehow, so it will cover your private parts and it won't fall off, but you're not sure how.

>Sniff around, if there's any food being made, and listen if there's any sound outside or any kind of noise.
You sniff around and there is definitely some meat being roasted somewhere near.
You hear various sounds from the door and the window. You're likely near to some frequented place, because you hear a lot of different voices and sounds.

>Does the night stand have a drawer? If it does open it as well.
You open the drawer, and you find a couple of potions and creams inside. You have no idea what they are for though.

>Open the window shutter, is this a singular floor building or is it somehow multi-story?
You open the window and look out. There are a few trees around here, grass, and another house a few meters further. It's a single story building, and yours should be similar, at least you're definitely on the ground floor.

>>167
If there's nothing else on the chests, try to remember what those two guys were wearing when we were following them, see if the loincloths is somewhat similar to what's currently in the chest. If we can't remember, were there any people out and what were they wearing? I guess try to wear one, instead of our prick hanging about.

I don't want to bother with the various items inside the drawer, it might be her personal effects.

Let's check the room just outside of this bedroom, I believe that was a kitchen. Perhaps the girl is making breakfast.

>>168
I'm out of ideas, so roll a dice: (##1d3) Rolled 1 dice with 3 sides = 1
1 => You fail completely, gain -1 INT
2 => You succeed, but if anyone would take a closer look, they would immediately realize something is not right.
3 => Perfect, gain +1 INT

10_Int.png
[Hide] (165.2KB, 303x311)

>>169
You try to wear the loincloth, you spend at least 10 minutes trying to tie that damned thing, but it looks futile. No matter what you do, it falls down after a few seconds.
You give up and start to wonder what to do. It's going to be an embarrassing discussion, that's for sure. Maybe you should at least try to hide your member somehow before you go out of the room.

>>170
Shrug it off, and let's just get out of the room.

>>171
You put that loincloth down and leave the room.
The first thing you notice is the girl, in plain, tattered clothes making some kind of food. She has a blonde, neck length hair... Wait a minute, this is someone else. But before you could react, the girl notices you.
"Good morning, my Master. The Mistress... Oh, sorry," she turns her head in the other direction and starts shouting outside. "Rudyny, where are you?! You have to take care of Master!" She turns back to you, and continues normally, "So, the Mistress went to the market in the morning, she should be back soon. I'll get your breakfast ready in a minute."
By the time she finishes her sentence, a new figure appears in the entrance of the house. She's a young girl, maybe 13-14 years old, in similar, tattered clothes.
"Good morning, Master, please follow me," she mumbles, then she walks to the bedroom, where you follow her.
She picks up the loincloth and helps you put it on. It only takes a few seconds, you have a feeling this is not the first time she does this.
"Is this alright? Do you request help with your upper-body?", she asks with a fearful voice. When you look at her, she just looks at the floor and nervously fidgets her fingers.

>>172
Check the loincloth, see how it's placed on.
"Yes, this is alright, and yes, my upper-body as well. Do you need me to sit down?"

>>173
Also, add in, "What is the Mistress' name and my name?"

I know our name is J'Amal, but no clue on the girl. So getting the answer straight up would probably help.

>>173
>>174
You check the loincloth, it looks like it's suitably secured. You watched how she put it on, so you're pretty sure that you could redo it on your own later. Maybe.
"Yes, this is alright, and yes, my upper-body as well. Do you need me to sit down?"
"Yes, please."
She picks up that shirt like thing, and puts it on you. Well, you have to wear it like a T-shirt, there's no surprise here, you could have done it on your own.
"Do you have any other requests, Master?"
"What is the Mistress' name and my name?"
"What?!", she looks back at you with a terrified face. "Please, stop teasing me. A slave is not supposed to call their masters by name. Please don't force me into misconduct."

>>175
"Hrm. Alright. So, you are Rudyny, is that right? What about the other one?"

So, it seems that J'Amal, due to being a hunter of great prowess, supposedly, does have a somewhat high position in this village.

There's nothing else for it, now that we're dressed, hopefully Rudyny does answer the question so we know both their names. Afterwards, instead of just waiting around for the 'mistress' to return, look around the surrounding area, how big is the house, etc, does it have a lawn or what not.

------
If you draw a rough outline of the house, I can remake it in Dungeon Paint Studio, assuming we'll be using the house diagram enough times

>>176
"Hrm. Alright. So, you are Rudyny, is that right? What about the other one?"
"Um, yes Master, but... Do you mean Elania or Todobo? I don't get you today, what's wrong? ... Did that beast do something bad to you?"

Going outside will have to wait a bit.
>house diagram
Um, I'll have to think about it, I already have a hunch that I'll do something contradicting with the house layout and the rest of the world building, I don't want to make it worse.

>>177
>Um, yes Master, but... Do you mean Elania or Todobo?
"Elania is the one who called you, then?"

>I don't get you today, what's wrong? ...
"Guardir said that my memory will be a bit hazy for the next few days, that's why I'm asking you these things."

>Did that beast do something bad to you?
"That's a part of it. Did I tell any of you, Elania or Todobo, anything before I left for that hunt that day? Did I say who I'll be going with? Don't be afraid, there's no punishment if there's nothing."

If we did go on a group hunt, then how or why were we left alone to fend for ourselves or get separated?
-----
I mean how bad could a house diagram be, haha

>>178
>Um, yes Master, but... Do you mean Elania or Todobo?
"Elania is the one who called you, then?"
"Yes?"

>I don't get you today, what's wrong? ...
"Guardir said that my memory will be a bit hazy for the next few days, that's why I'm asking you these things."
"... I see. I h-hope you'll return to normal shortly." She makes a sad expression while saying this, but you have a feeling that she's not sincere.

>Did that beast do something bad to you?
"That's a part of it. Did I tell any of you, Elania or Todobo, anything before I left for that hunt that day? Did I say who I'll be going with? Don't be afraid, there's no punishment if there's nothing."
"Master doesn't usually go into details when it comes to hunting. I think you went after that legendary beast roaming in the Dratorico forest. You left... 5 days ago, in the morning, to prove that you can defeat it alone. Mistress tried to persuade you to stay, but you decided to go ahead. You just said that you'll be back before sunset and left. We were waiting for you, but you didn't return. Everyone was worried about you, next day the village started looking after you, but it took them 3 days to find you. Some men I don't know brought you here last night."

>>179

>"Yes?"
"Where is Todobo right now?"

>"... I see. I h-hope you'll return to normal shortly." She makes a sad expression while saying this, but you have a feeling that she's not sincere.
Look at the girl, does she look like she has any bruises, or scars that are obvious? It's looking like, as slaves, they are being physically punished for any level of insubordination, hence their fear, or maybe that's just slaves in general, because slavery.

>I think you went after that legendary beast roaming in the Dratorico forest.
"I see. So I went alone, and paid for my hubris."

"Alright, I believe that would be all for now, thanks."

Does this body somehow remember what the beast was, or did our memory/spirit/soul merge completely switch everything out and throw away everything that's not us?

>>180
>"Yes?"
"Where is Todobo right now?"
"Outside, splitting wood."

>look for bruises
You look at the girl, but you don't see any obvious bruises. However, she wears a long dress, you can only see her head and hand, everything else is hidden. Maybe not without reason, Elania's clothes were shorter than this.
>I think you went after that legendary beast roaming in the Dratorico forest.
"I see. So I went alone, and paid for my hubris. Alright, I believe that would be all for now, thanks."
"... Really? Then, excuse me, Master," she replies with a surprised expression and hurries out of the room.

You walk out of the room, back into the kitchen area, where Elania is already waiting you with the breakfast.
The breakfast is, well, not exactly what you expected. First there's some bread like food, but it's much darker, and it's flat, like a pizza. There's some kind of room temperature meat next to it, maybe pork? You also have a bunch of vegetables next to it... but they're weird, you have blue onions, something between an olive and a tomato, and a bunch of green leaves. In addition, you have a cup of beer.

>Does this body somehow remember what the beast was, or did our memory/spirit/soul merge completely switch everything out and throw away everything that's not us?
I'd say reflexes and the likes are still there, but anything else that requires mental processing is out of reach for you for now.

>I'd say reflexes and the likes are still there, but anything else that requires mental processing is out of reach for you for now.
So muscle memory is still active, makes sense, that's basically physically ingrained.

>"... Really? Then, excuse me, Master," she replies with a surprised expression and hurries out of the room.
Did this J'Amal frequently request something from this girl after putting on his clothing? I wonder.
>room temperature meat next to it
Meat is meat

>blue onions
What

>something between an olive and a tomato
Cherry tomatoes, I guess

>a bunch of green leaves
...Lettuce or Cabbage?

>cup of beer
>for breakfast

Water must not be as sanitary. See if anyone else is eating or just me. If they're eating see how they eat it, which do they go first and follow along. If we're the only ones eating, start with the meat first, then bread see how it goes.

>>183
>"... Really? Then, excuse me, Master," she replies with a surprised expression and hurries out of the room.
"Did this J'Amal frequently request something from this girl after putting on his clothing?", you wonder while you walk out.

>a bunch of green leaves
>... Lettuce or Cabbage?
It's smaller that both of them, you're not sure what is it.

>See if anyone else is eating or just me.
No, you're alone. Fortunately, Elania is busy with the cooking, so she's not watching you. You start with the meat, you taste it... Wait, it's definitely not pork, it tastes like chicken, but it looks like red meat. Anyway, you try the bread and the vegetables too, and you decide to eat them all together because they taste flavorless alone. You definitely won't get foodgasm from it, but it's a passable, filling meal.

After finishing, you decide to go out of the house and look around. It's a plain looking, single-story building, with some lawn around it. You hear some chopping sound from the left side of the house, you look there and you notice a woodpile. You want to walk there when you hear a familiar voice from the behind.
"Hello, J'Amal!"
You turn around and you notice a girl in some fancy, black lacy dress. You haven't seen anyone in clothes like this since you woke up in that forest, everyone else had those tattered, cheap clothes. Maybe she's some high ranking character around here? But in this case, why does she carry two wicker baskets? And why does she seem so familiar?... Oh, yes, she's the girl from last night.

>>184
Well, atleast the food wasn't too bad. Single story house, with a lawn and Todobo is out there chopping wood.

Is she physically close to us? All the same, approach her. I'm assuming since she was in the market, that those wicker baskets would be full.

"Do you need help in carrying those?"

>>185
You take a few steps toward her and ask, "do you need help in carrying those?" Just as you expected, the baskets are full of various vegetables and meat chunks.
"What's with you? I've carried it here from the market, those few extra steps are nothing. But I've heard that you have an appointment at the shaman, do you think he will find anything today? Just make sure you return by the time the celebration starts."

>>187
>But I've heard that you have an appointment at the shaman, do you think he will find anything today? Just make sure you return by the time the celebration starts.

"Alright. I'll head towards Guardir. I hope he does so we get some answers. I'll be back here before the celebration."

While we walk towards the shaman's hut, which should be in the middle of town for the most part, and I'm sure we still remember what the structure looks like so we aren't horrendously lost... let's take a good look around, any children playing, the various clothing of people, etc.

>>188
"Alright. I'll head towards Guardir. I hope he does so we get some answers. I'll be back here before the celebration."
"Okay, bye."

You start walking in the direction that you think is the middle of the village... For the most part, the village looks the same, maybe there are a bit more people around here, which is not exactly good because every second person stops you to say hello.
You also take a good look around, you find some small kids playing around with a wooden sword, women washing clothes in big bowls, two men arguing about something in an alley. Watching the various clothes, you also notice that many men are only wearing a loincloth, some have a shirt like thing, similar to yours, and only a few wear more clothes. It makes sense, though, the weather is hot, you don't want to wear heavy clothes. Women, on the other hand, don't walk around half naked, they either wear dress like clothes, or a separate skirt and shirt. People working around the houses have plain, ragged clothes, while the others usually have better looking ones. Probably the ones wearing those ragged clothes are slaves, while the ones wearing better ones are normal villagers, you think. You continue walking toward the center, when suddenly an unknown person pops in front of you.
"Hey, J'Amal! Long time no see."
He's a muscular man, around the same height as you, short black hair, and he's smirking at you.
"I hope you didn't forget about our bet. Get ready to be humiliated, haha."

>>189
>"I hope you didn't forget about our bet. Get ready to be humiliated, haha."

"That monster attack took out more than I thought, how about you remind me?"

What kind of person was this J'Amal in this village? I recall him being a big-shot due to him being the son of the legendary J'Emakal. Sounds like that may have gone through his head, somewhat.

>>190
"That monster attack took out more than I thought, how about you remind me?"
"Ahaha, don't kid me, J'Amal. Just admit defeat, alright? I know you know it, your pride just doesn't let you accept it, right? Don't worry, the celebration tonight will be a perfect opportunity to show who is the top dog here, hahaha," he replies then walks away.
"Huh," you think to yourself and walk to the shaman. The rest of the trip is uneventful, you arrive at the shaman without problems.

"Oh, the great warrior returned. Yesterday the injury was too big and you passed out, but it looks like you're back now. How are your injuries now, do they need treatment? How's your memory? I couldn't connect with the Elders the last time, but I couldn't find any evidence of evil spirits either. If you're ready, we can retry the ritual, hopefully this time it will be a success."

>>191
>How are your injuries now, do they need treatment?
They're fine. Thank you Guardir. I don't feel pain from them anymore, though their appearance may say otherwise.

>How's your memory? I couldn't connect with the Elders the last time, but I couldn't find any evidence of evil spirits either.
"My memory is still hazy, I ... cannot even remember anyone, even the people I live with. This evil spirit may be a more sinister one if it can evade detection like this."

>If you're ready, we can retry the ritual, hopefully this time it will be a success.
"I'm hoping as well, and hopefully this will not take too much time that it will last until the evening celebration. Though, even that, I do not know what the celebration is about. I feel so vulnerable Guardir. My body is still strong but my mind is muddled."


Just play along with their story, maybe somehow this ritual will help, or we'll wake up in a medivac.

>>193
>How are your injuries now, do they need treatment?
"They're fine. Thank you Guardir. I don't feel pain from them anymore, though their appearance may say otherwise."
"I'm glad to hear that."

>How's your memory? I couldn't connect with the Elders the last time, but I couldn't find any evidence of evil spirits either.
"My memory is still hazy, I ... cannot even remember anyone, even the people I live with. This evil spirit may be a more sinister one if it can evade detection like this."
"What makes you think it's an evil spirit? That would be a probable explanation, but don't underestimate me, if were an evil spirit, I would have found it."

>If you're ready, we can retry the ritual, hopefully this time it will be a success.
"I'm hoping as well, and hopefully this will not take too much time that it will last until the evening celebration. Though, even that, I do not know what the celebration is about. I feel so vulnerable Guardir. My body is still strong but my mind is muddled."
"The celebration? It's about your return, how can you not know it? ... Hmm, it looks like the problem is bigger than I thought. Lie down and close your eyes."
You do as he told, and soon he starts to play on his drum again, while chanting. It feels different than last time, this time he's more calm---or maybe it's just the lack of the potion?
He continues playing on his drum, chanting, it's too monotone, you become sleepy... this is a lullaby, not some ritual. Your mind becomes hazy, you start to feel like you're floating.
You open your eyes, you're in the air, looking at some kind of village... wait, it looks familiar. You notice a man in front of a house, arguing with a woman, while two other women and a man watch them from behind. You feel like you've seen all of them before, yet you can't recognize any of them. The man finally gives up the arguing, and starts to walk away. He looks determined, he has a bow on his back and a sword in his hand, and a bunch of pouches attached to his clothes. He walks away from the house, away from the village, into a forest. It's a big forest, but he seems determined, he cuts across various clearings and tracks, until he stops in the middle of the forest. Here the trees are a bit more sparse, you can find areas where there are no trees for a couple of meters, he's standing in the middle of one of those areas. He restlessly looks left and right, it looks like he realized he's not alone, but he can't find who or what is following him. Suddenly some dark shape appears and...
Huh? You open your eyes, you're back at the shaman's tent, but he already finished his session.
"Oh, you woke up? I've seen that something is happening with your mind, but I've never seen anything like this... I was not sure whether waking you up would hurt or help, but this problem fortunately solved itself. Did you feel anything unusual? I managed to cross to the Other World and connect with the Elders, but I didn't understand their response. I couldn't find any trace of evil spirits, but... How can I put it? Your soul, it felt unusual. Different from everything what I've seen before. I don't know what's happening here, I'm afraid, this is the limit of my skills."

>>194
>You open your eyes, you're in the air, looking at some kind of village... wait, it looks familiar.

Looks like an aerial view of the village.

>You notice a man in front of a house, arguing with a woman, while two other women and a man watch them from behind.
"While you were performing the ritual, I had, a dream? Or perhaps a vision of my recent past. I seem to have argued with my ... wife, and stormed out to the forest."

>He restlessly looks left and right, it looks like he realized he's not alone, but he can't find who or what is following him. Suddenly some dark shape appears and...
"It seems I was attacked by an unknown assailant. I'm not sure if it was even human, or a beast."

>Your soul, it felt unusual. Different from everything what I've seen before.
"Did you see anything odd? If you could describe it to me?"

Maybe something like the skyscrapers being described as giant houses or, horseless carriages, large metal wagons running on their own, etc. Just to see if what he saw in his visions were remnants of modern life from before.

>I don't know what's happening here, I'm afraid, this is the limit of my skills.
"Thank you for the help Guardir."


Check the time, did we somehow miss out on the celebration or maybe just in time for it? I really want to ask Guardir for the wife's name but that may just make things somehow worse. Perhaps in the celebration someone will call out to her.

Look around the hut, ensure that it's just Guardir and J'Amal.

"I have one more question, what is the name of my betrothed, or rather wife?"

>>195
"While you were performing the ritual, I had, a dream? Or perhaps a vision of my recent past. I seem to have argued with my ... wife, and stormed out to the forest."
"A vision? Did you see anything else?"
"It seems I was attacked by an unknown assailant. I'm not sure if it was even human, or a beast."
"Hmm, it looks like whatever took your memories, still left a few fragments behind. Collecting the missing ones would probably unlock the mystery of what happened during your last hunt. The problem is, I don't know how."

>Your soul, it felt unusual. Different from everything what I've seen before.
"Did you see anything odd? If you could describe it to me?"
"Let's see... It was somehow more pale, less lifelike, like a big stone... Static, immovable, devoid of any passion... Even slaves' soul are not that desperate. It was like a shadow, not the real thing, or maybe more like a cheap knockoff... Some parts of it even felt artificial, but an artificial soul? That's impossible..."

>I don't know what's happening here, I'm afraid, this is the limit of my skills.
"Thank you for the help Guardir."
"Sorry I can't help you. Maybe, if you could find my great master, Somuron, maybe he could help. The problem is, he's probably still in Aggrigani, which means you have to cross over Pamphakukuloxine territory to get there."

>Check the time, did we somehow miss out on the celebration or maybe just in time for it?
It seems like it's around noon, so unless it starts very early, you still have a plenty of time.

>I really want to ask Guardir for the wife's name but that may just make things somehow worse.
>"I have one more question, what is the name of my betrothed, or rather wife?"
Um, I don't get it, you want to ask it or not? Sorry if I'm just too tired, I should sleep more than 4 hours I guess

>>196
Go ahead and ask for her name. Even I was feeling out of it when I typed that portion down.

>Hmm, it looks like whatever took your memories, still left a few fragments behind. Collecting the missing ones would probably unlock the mystery of what happened during your last hunt. The problem is, I don't know how.
"Well, one thing that's taken from me are the names of everyone. Guardir, would you tell me the name of my wife? I don't want to needlessly make her worry, or upset."

>"Let's see... It was somehow more pale, less lifelike, like a big stone... Static, immovable, devoid of any passion... Even slaves' soul are not that desperate. It was like a shadow, not the real thing, or maybe more like a cheap knockoff... Some parts of it even felt artificial, but an artificial soul? That's impossible..."
"That's a terrifying visage."

>"Sorry I can't help you. Maybe, if you could find my great master, Somuron, maybe he could help. The problem is, he's probably still in Aggrigani, which means you have to cross over Pamphakukuloxine territory to get there."
"That may be a journey that needs to be done, if I ever want to remember what I've lost."

>>198
>Hmm, it looks like whatever took your memories, still left a few fragments behind. Collecting the missing ones would probably unlock the mystery of what happened during your last hunt. The problem is, I don't know how.
"Well, one thing that's taken from me are the names of everyone. Guardir, would you tell me the name of my wife? I don't want to needlessly make her worry, or upset."
"Huh? You even forgot that? That's worrying... But anyway, she's Irziel. And, hmm, she said don't tell you, but she actually came here multiple times while you were missing, to pray for your return."

>"Let's see... It was somehow more pale, [...]"
"That's a terrifying visage."

>"Sorry I can't help you. Maybe, if you could find my great master, Somuron, maybe he could help. The problem is, he's probably still in Aggrigani, which means you have to cross over Pamphakukuloxine territory to get there."
"That may be a journey that needs to be done, if I ever want to remember what I've lost."
"Oh, you said that you forgot names. Let me remind you, we're at war with Pamphakukulox since 500 years ago if not more. Crossing that region, even for a warrior like you, is no easy task."

And what to do now? Like I said before we don't have to hurry back to the celebration yet.

>>199
>"Huh? You even forgot that? That's worrying... But anyway, she's Irziel. And, hmm, she said don't tell you, but she actually came here multiple times while you were missing, to pray for your return."
"Thank you Guardir."

>"Oh, you said that you forgot names. Let me remind you, we're at war with Pamphakukulox since 500 years ago if not more. Crossing that region, even for a warrior like you, is no easy task."
"I've learned some semblance of humility after being thrown about by that unknown monster in the forest. This may be a long term plan."

"I think that's all we can do for now. It might be good for me to walk around the village. Perhaps walking around might jog my memory slightly. Thank you again, Guardir."

If our souls have switched places, I wonder how J'Amal is dealing with the modern nightmare.

>>200
Ah, before walking around, let's head back to our home, and see how things are going there.

>>201
>"[...] she's Irziel. And, hmm, she said don't tell you, but she actually came here multiple times while you were missing, to pray for your return."
"Thank you Guardir."

>"[...] Crossing that region, even for a warrior like you, is no easy task."
"I've learned some semblance of humility after being thrown about by that unknown monster in the forest. This may be a long term plan."
"May the Elders guide you then."

"I think that's all we can do for now. It might be good for me to walk around the village. Perhaps walking around might jog my memory slightly. Thank you again, Guardir."
"Alright, J'Amal. If you need anything, you know where am I."
After saying your goodbyes, you leave the shaman's tent and walk back home.

Back at home, the first thing is notice is a man in front of the house, piling up tree branches in a heap.
"Welcome back, Master," he says when he notices you.
"Hello," you reply, but you notice a shriek coming from the house. You don't recognize this sound, the house muffles it enough, but you start running toward the house.
"Don't worry, it's just Elania," the man tells you, but you continue and open the house door.
Inside you find your wife, Irziel, and Elania, lying in Irziel's lap, with her bare buttocks openly visible. It's already red, based on the situation, probably from a spanking.
"Oh, welcome back, J'Amal. If I knew you come back so early, I'd have left the punishment to you. This stupid bitch spilled the soup again, wasting precious ingredients."
"I'm really sorry, Mistress, that won't happen again!"
"That's what you said last time!", she shouts at the poor slave and slaps her ass again.
"Please, Mistress, have mercy on me!"

>If our souls have switched places, I wonder how J'Amal is dealing with the modern nightmare.
You don't want to know it.

>>202
>"Please, Mistress, have mercy on me!"
"Well, punishment has to be meted out. How many times have you spanked her already? Hopefully she can still walk, properly."

"Irziel, can we talk?"

I would like to talk to her about what happened a few days ago and apologize for needlessly worrying her.

>>203
>"Please, Mistress, have mercy on me!"
"Well, punishment has to be meted out. How many times have you spanked her already? Hopefully she can still walk, properly."
"Haha, like you usually care about things like that. Oh, I see, you're jealous you didn't get to smack this fine ass."

"Irziel, can we talk?"
"Yes, just a moment...", she replies and helps Elania up.
"Thank you, Mistress, I promise it won't happen again, and sorry for the inconvenience I've caused."
"Now get back to work!"
"Yes, Mistress," she replies and runs back to the kitchen area.

Irziel lets out a long sigh, then she stands up.
"Let's go to the bedroom, it's more quiet there."
You follow her to the room, closing the door behind you.
"So, what did you want to talk about?"

>>204
>"So, what did you want to talk about?"
"Well, it may sound unlike me, but I want to apologize for needlessly worrying you in the past few days when I stormed out to go to the forest. I'd like to think I'm regaining some of my memory, just very little, and I remembered how I left here."

>>205
"Well, it may sound unlike me, but I want to apologize for needlessly worrying you in the past few days when I stormed out to go to the forest. I'd like to think I'm regaining some of my memory, just very little, and I remembered how I left here."
"Hmm, that's really unlike you. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not complaining, I'm just a bit surprised. B-But, thank you. I don't know what happened during the hunt, but if it means you'll be a bit less reckless in the future, I'll be happy." She takes a step toward you, and hugs you. "And by the way, did the shaman find anything? What are you going to do now?"

>>206
>And by the way, did the shaman find anything?
"Guardir said that my situation has stretched the limit of his abilities, and said that his master Somuron might be able to help, but he said that he's most likely still in Aggrigani. Attempting to journey towards there would mean having to cross Pamphakukuloxine, and that's a bit too great of a risk right now."

>What are you going to do now?
"My memories are still hazy, but I'm hopeful that I'll slowly get them back. Right now, I was going to walk around the town, maybe that would jog my memory a bit."

>>209
>And by the way, did the shaman find anything?
"Guardir said that my situation has stretched the limit of his abilities, and said that his master Somuron might be able to help, but he said that he's most likely still in Aggrigani. Attempting to journey towards there would mean having to cross Pamphakukuloxine, and that's a bit too great of a risk right now."
"Pamphakukulox? You sure there's no other way? That's very dangerous, even for you."

>What are you going to do now?
"My memories are still hazy, but I'm hopeful that I'll slowly get them back. Right now, I was going to walk around the town, maybe that would jog my memory a bit."
"Okay, I'll stay here and make sure everything is ready by the time the celebration starts. Just make sure you return in time, please."

Unless we want to do anything else around the house, which direction should we walk? Or just wander around randomly?

>>211
>"Pamphakukulox? You sure there's no other way? That's very dangerous, even for you."
"Not that I know of, perhaps it's possible there is another way, but I doubt it."

>"Okay, I'll stay here and make sure everything is ready by the time the celebration starts. Just make sure you return in time, please."
"Thanks, and don't worry."

I don't think there's much else to do at the house, aside from giving a quick glance at the slaves we have to see what they're doing. After checking on them, let's walk around the town, mostly at the perimeter, so we have an idea the size of this village. Seeing as how there were lookouts when we first entered the village, I think those would be the village perimeter limit.

>>212
>"Pamphakukulox? You sure there's no other way? That's very dangerous, even for you."
"Not that I know of, perhaps it's possible there is another way, but I doubt it."
"I see. But please be safe."

>"Okay, I'll stay here and make sure everything is ready by the time the celebration starts. Just make sure you return in time, please."
"Thanks, and don't worry."

You walk out of the room and the house. Elania is busy in the kitchen, Todobo is still piling up tree branches, but where is Rudyny? You find her at the side of the house, hanging out some clothes.
You start walking to the perimeter of the village, until you find two guards next to the street. The left one greets you,
"Where are you going J'Amal?"
"Just walking around."
"Haha, feels good to be back at home, right?"
"Yeah..."
It's pretty easy to see where's the end of the village: there's some kind of wall there. It's short and made from wood though, so you doubt it would be a serious obstacle to any enemy. Outside you only see some small fields and forest, you doubt they can grow enough food for the whole village here. Nevertheless, you can see two or three peasants, working on the fields.
You turn left and start walking around the wall, but you soon reach a river. You don't see a bridge around, but it doesn't seem like there's anything on the other side of the water, so you continue along the river.
After a few minutes you reach a small port, but you only find a few small boats here, not ships. There are also a few small houses on the other side, but it looks like the only way across is by boat.
You continue walking around the river, until you reach the perimeter. In front of you, it seems like some training grounds for soldiers, outside the city limits. You have a feeling that you'll have to come here sooner than later, so you memorize its position. Afterwards you continue walking around the perimeter, until you reach your starting position.
This whole endeavor took maybe 15 minutes, with relaxed, sight-seeing pace. With normal speed this would probably only take about 10 minutes.

>>213
"Not too big, not too small of a village..."

Atleast no need for a car...

I would like to re-visit the training grounds, and observe what kind of weaponry is there, and perhaps being there, if someone recognizes us, we'll get an idea if our current career is a soldier or full-on hunter. It would be interesting to go to the other side of the river, but, that may take too long.

>>216
>Atleast no need for a car...
Grrr.

"Not too big, not too small of a village...", you think and walk back to the training grounds. It only takes a few minutes---to be honest, getting anywhere in this village only takes a few minutes.
You don't see much from the outside, so you walk closer. You hear some sounds from the grounds, clanks and moans, people are probably fighting there. When you try to enter, however, a guard or soldier (you're not sure what) stops you.
"Hi J'Amal, already back, huh? I've heard you were badly hurt yesterday, and I know you're a badass warrior, but don't overdo yourself. We're not planning anything in the upcoming days, so make sure you have enough rest to heal properly."
"I'm just here to watch today."
"So you will play coach today? That's alright, I'm sure the juniors would love if you could teach them a trick or two though."
You have a bad feeling about this, you had a few brawls while you were a little kid, but that's all the "fighting" experience you have. But turning around back now would be even more suspicious, so you walk inside.

There are a few small huts left and right, and in the center there's a large flat, sandy place. You see a bunch of people here, an the left side people are fighting with swords, sabers, spears and the like. Most of them look like they're made from wood, but you can find a few real ones. On the right, they're practicing with bows, trying to hit dummies made from straw.
You're not a combat expert, but you notice that they're lightly armored if at all, they're probably specialized in quick surprise attacks... or maybe they just lack the technology to make usable armors?
The fighting people did not notice you yet, you will have to go closer if you want to talk with them.

>>218
before we go further, if we find somewhere private and think really hard can we see or remember anything about this warrior guy's life? People in particular. Maybe the same names as in the spreadsheet.

>>218
Keep observing them, and if we do get into a private area, try to practice some of their movements, see if it feels natural to us, or if we struggle fully with it. Try different weapons if possible.

>>220
>>222
You keep observing them, their movements and actions especially, trying to memorize them.
After a while you go to a nearby hut and check it---it looks empty, so you enter it.
It looks like a changing room with an intolerable stink... but at least if you look around, you might find something interesting. There are thrown away clothes and weapons everywhere, it's a huge mess. You randomly pick up a sword and try to imitate the movements you saw outside, but even you can tell that it was awful. You try the other weapons too, but they're all the same, you look like a complete newbie.
You also check out the clothes and whatever else you find, hoping you'll remember something, a name or a face or anything. The only names that come to your mind are Bob, Sarah, Jennet, Peter, and the like, they're from your world and not here. Somewhy, back at the shaman, you saw J'Amal and his actions, but now everything is completely alien. You wonder what might have been different, when you hear a "Yiaah!" sound from the background. You involuntarily pick up a saber that was lying in front of you, turn around, and block the guy's sword, mere centimeters away from your head. It takes a few seconds for you to process what happened, your body just moved on its own, but damn it, it was dangerous.
"Haha, I see your reflexes are the same as always. You came to practice?"
You look at the guy, but you don't recognize him. He's a huge brute, he could easily send people to the other world with his bare hands, you better not anger him.

>>223
>You involuntarily pick up a saber that was lying in front of you, turn around, and block the guy's sword, mere centimeters away from your head. It takes a few seconds for you to process what happened, your body just moved on its own, but damn it, it was dangerous.
Glad to see that this body still knows what's going on.

>"Haha, I see your reflexes are the same as always. You came to practice?"
"Yeah. Nothing better than to work out the injuries. Don't worry about them, they don't hurt anymore."

>>224
>"Haha, I see your reflexes are the same as always. You came to practice?"
"Yeah. Nothing better than to work out the injuries. Don't worry about them, they don't hurt anymore."
"Injuries? You mean those scratches?! What's with you, J'Amal? Oh, did that bitch say something? The whole village was talking about how overboard she went before you left. Don't let her influence you, show her who's the boss! But I'm going now, I just came here to collect my shield for the next exercise."
The guy picks up a wooden shield from a corner and leaves the hut. You're alone again.

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>>225
dont think we'll find anything more in here. Maybe watching some more of the training will spark something in us like that guy attacking us did.

Pic related is basically us right now we better figure out how to work things or we're in for trouble.

>>225
I agree with >>226

Let's head out and observe some of the trainees.

>>226
>>227
You take another look at the room you're in, making sure you didn't miss anything, then you go out.
The guys are still practicing out there, with swords, bows, pikes and other ancient weapons. Oh, there's something now, two guys at the left fighting unarmed. If you think about it, it makes sense, it's useful if you can defend yourself even without weapons. But they are really going out, not holding back at all... You're not sure whether it's still a practice, or they want to get rid of the other. The left guy's nose started to bleed, but he doesn't care about it, he jumps up and punches back. This vision disgusts you, you never saw a guy this beaten up in real life, yet you're sure this is just the top of the iceberg. You'll have to get used to this quickly.
You continue observing them, noting different patterns they make, but none of them strikes you as familiar. And while you memorized different moves by watching them, actually reproducing it a different beast.
Shortly, a group of men stop their training and start to pick up their stuff. You look at the sky, it's deep blue, but if you look right you notice fain tint of orange near the horizon.

>>228
"Hrm. Interesting atleast. Might be useful if I have to get into a tussle with that guy this morning."

Since it's now almost evening, let's head back home, taking note if there are more people out now, preparing for any sort of ceremony, because of the upcoming celebration.

>>229
"Hrm. Interesting atleast. Might be useful if I have to get into a tussle with that guy this morning."
You turn around and start walking back home. You don't see many people on your way home, you expected more people due to the celebration, but the streets are quiet. Hopefully it doesn't mean that everyone is already at the celebration...

You fasten your pace and a few minutes later you arrive back at home. Fortunately, you only notice your slaves around the house. Tobodo is standing next to a fire, roasting three big, pig like animals. Elania and Rudyny are busy setting up the tables outside.
"Ah, welcome back, Master," Todobo greets you. "Mistress is looking for you, I think she's in the house."
"Okay, thanks," you reply and go inside the house.
"Finally, J'Amal, it's almost time, quick, you have to bathe then change into some better clothes, you go ahead, I'll get Rudyny for you."

>>230
>"Finally, J'Amal, it's almost time, quick, you have to bathe then change into some better clothes, you go ahead, I'll get Rudyny for you."
"Alright."

Uh, let's head to where the bath could be. Let's just play along, no need to make a ruckus in just getting bathed.

>>231
"Alright," you respond and Irziel runs out.
Now let's go to the bath, you think, when you realize that you have no freakin' idea where could the bath be. Is it even inside the house? The room you're in has two other doors that you haven't checked so for, you wonder which one should you open, when Rudyny storms into the house.
"Oh, Master, you're still here? Mistress said it's urgent, so let's go," she says as she opens one of the doors and gestures you to go inside.
It's not exactly a room, it has a roof, but no walls, only some bushes serving as a fence around the area. There's a big wooden tub in the middle of the area, with some water inside, with smaller tubs around.
"Um, sorry Master, I don't think we have time to heat the water now, so just accept this lukewarm water."
"Okay..."
You remove your clothes and step into the big tub. She said lukewarm water, but it's rather cold, but you try to hide your surprise, you don't want to cause more problems. She picks up one of the smaller tubs and pours the water on your back and hair, then she starts scrubbing your back. Apart from the cold water, it doesn't feel bad at all.
It only takes a few minutes to finish the bathing, you stand up and look around, when you realize what's missing: a towel. Other than the clothes you took off before entering, you don't see any cloth or fabric around here.
"What's the problem, Master?"
It looks like she noticed your confusion.

>>232
>"What's the problem, Master?"
>It looks like she noticed your confusion.
"Did you forget to get the towel? I don't want to put on my clothes while I'm still dripping wet."

>>233
"Did you forget to get the towel? I don't want to put on my clothes while I'm still dripping wet."
"Toh-well? What is that, Master, some kind of weapon? I'm not very good with them... But more importantly, we don't have time for this, please dry yourself, your new clothes are waiting for you in the bedroom."

>>234
Look around, is there ANYTHING that can be used to dry ourselves off? Hell, even a blunt edge can be used to scrape off the water.

Well, atleast we know this isn't the 17th century in terms of technology since that was when towels were widely used/invented in Turkey.

>>235
You look around, trying to find anything that could be used to dry yourself, but the only thing you find is the clothes you take off before bathing. Maybe you should use that?
"Okay, I got it, I'll help, just get out of the tub."
Still not completely sure what to do, you decide to play along. She starts to squeeze of water from your body using her hand. Really? That seems pretty low-tech. After a bit you start doing what she does, and you manage to wipe off a big chunk of moisture, but what now? You're still wet.
"... And?"
"What's the problem Master? Do you want to wait until you're completely dry? You usually don't care about being completely dry, especially during summer. Your new clothes are in the other room, please let's go. Mistress will be very angry if I can't finish the preparation on time. You'll be able to have private time with me later, but please, don't bring me into a difficult situation."

>>236
just quit fussing and get our clothes on. slick our hair back to wring out the water and get moving.

>>236
Right, guess let's just stop fussing and do what the romans do.

>>237
>>238
"P-Problem? Nothing, let's go..." you reply and follow her. You slick your hair back and you shake your body before leaving the "bathroom", to get rid some water, then you walk to your bedroom.
You don't have to search for your clothes long, you immediately notice a blue cloth next to an already familiar loincloth on the bed. Rudyny immediately picks up the loincloth and puts on you. You think you could do it on your own, but you don't want to cause more trouble, so you just let her do it. Next the cloth, it's different from what you wore previously. It's like a robe with long, baggy sleeves, and it's long enough to reach just under your knees. It comes with a black belt, made from some kind of fabric, to keep the robe in place. Wearing it you feel it's made from a much finer material, and it has some fancy patterns on it, it doesn't look like an everyday wear.
"There you go Master. Now, if you don't mind, I have to hurry back and finish the preparation."
"Okay."
It would be good if this room would have a mirror, but in the morning you didn't find any. Yet, you think you saw one around that training field, so they should have the technology to create one. Anyway, you don't have time to fuss over this, so you head out of the room.
"Hmmm, not bad. I might not be able to control myself if I see you in those clothes for long *wink*"
Huh? Irziel is different than usual, is there something special about this apparel?
"Anyway, the guests can arrive any minute now, you should go out and welcome them, they're here because of you, after all. I'll make sure everything is alright in the kitchen."
It looks like people you ought to know will turn up soon, what to do?

>>239
>"Anyway, the guests can arrive any minute now, you should go out and welcome them, they're here because of you, after all. I'll make sure everything is alright in the kitchen."
"Alright. Thanks Irziel."

Well, we know we're somewhat of a celebrity in terms of strength, so let's just get on with it. Let's see how the others are dressed in comparison to what we're wearing.

>>240
"Alright. Thanks Irziel," you reply and walk out.
Todobo is still next to the fire, roasting that animal, while your female slaves are busy around the table. Shortly they start to bring out various mugs and plates filled with various appetizers.
Around the same time, the first guest arrives. He's a bit shorter than you, and he has cheap looking plain clothes, similar to what you wore today. Except maybe a bit more ragged.
"Hello, J'Amal, good to see you!"
You greet him back, but he doesn't seem to care much about you, he rather goes to the table and jumps on the food.
"Hey, what are you doing, it's not yet time. And generally, who are you?" Elania tries to stop the guy, but he grabs her hand.
"A slave like you should just shut the fuck up! I'm a free man, I'm free to do whatever the hell I please!"
"Hiyaaa!!! Master, please help me!"
"Leave it to me," Todobo replies, "don't ruin your clothes with this weirdo, Master."
He takes a few determined steps toward this guy, grabs him, then drives him out to the street.
"What are you doing!? A slave can't do this! I'm a free man!"
"A slave can protect his owner and his owner's properties from intruders. Nobody invited you, so go away!"
"What!? Y-You, you'll pay! Grrr...", he grumbles before walking away.
"This guy, he was reeking of alcohol. I'm afraid we'll have some more uninvited guests tonight."
"Just look at the mess he made! Rudyny, come here, I need some help to clean this up," you hear Elania's voice from the behind.

The second guest turns up. Unlike the previous one, he has better clothes, even though it's white and only has a few ornaments.
"Wohoho, am I the first? Hello, J'Amal! Oh, I can't wait to hear your story, even thought I hear you couldn't defeat that beast after all. Too bad. But first," he turns toward your slaves around the table, "hey slave! Bring us two beers!"
"Yes Sir!", she replies and brings two cups of beer, one for you and one for the guest. Oh-oh, drinking too much could cause problems later, and you have no idea how well this body can handle drinking.

>>241
fuck. Ask Irzel if she might be able to fill us in on who's coming as our memory isnt quite back yet.

>>241
>Oh-oh, drinking too much could cause problems later, and you have no idea how well this body can handle drinking.
Well, let's pace ourselves with the alcohol. Also, alcohol during these days is actually very weak in comparison to modern booze.

>>242
>>243
You grab one beer and drink a few sips. The guest, on the other hand, gulps down the whole cup in one go. Anyway, you excuse you for a moment and go back to the house.
"Oh, what is it J'Amal?"
"Um, can you tell me who's coming tonight? My memory is still a bit hazy..."
"Oh, my... Before you left for the hunt, you personally invited a bunch of people to celebrate after you return. I only know that you invited around 30 people, but there might be more if some of them bring their slaves with them." She restlessly looks around for a moment before she continues. "Maybe we should have canceled it? But it's too late now. What to do... I-I could go out and stay near you, in case you questions, even though the guests might frown upon that..."

>>245
>"Oh, my... Before you left for the hunt, you personally invited a bunch of people to celebrate after you return. I only know that you invited around 30 people, but there might be more if some of them bring their slaves with them."
"That's quite a number of people I've invited, huh. Well, as long as the guests are more or less happy..."

>"Maybe we should have canceled it? But it's too late now. What to do... I-I could go out and stay near you, in case you questions, even though the guests might frown upon that..."
"Why would they frown upon my beautiful wife? If they do that, memories or not that's an insult to the both of us."

>>246
>"Oh, my... Before you left for the hunt, you personally invited a bunch of people to celebrate after you return. I only know that you invited around 30 people, but there might be more if some of them bring their slaves with them."
"That's quite a number of people I've invited, huh. Well, as long as the guests are more or less happy..."
"That's quite usual from you. You know many people, after all."

>"Maybe we should have canceled it? But it's too late now. What to do... I-I could go out and stay near you, in case you questions, even though the guests might frown upon that..."
"Why would they frown upon my beautiful wife? If they do that, memories or not that's an insult to the both of us."
"Huh? Did you hit your head again? What's wrong with you, J'Amal? Other than serving food or drinks, a woman like me has no business around you men celebrating. Me being there without doing anything useful... it would feel really out of context."

>>247
Right. Patriarchal society, unlike today's rather equal society.

"Well, if there's really something I can't answer, I'll rely on you."

>>248
"Well, if there's really something I can't answer, I'll rely on you."
"Alright, you know where am I."

You walk out of the house, and oh, a handful of new guests arrived! You spend some time greeting them, drink a few sips of beer, without telling them anything specific.
Suddenly, a new man appears.
"Welcome back, J'Amal! I was expecting you, why didn't you came over?"
That man has very fancy clothing, even fancier than yours, it somehow sounds familiar... Oh, yes, it was that man you saw when you first get to the village, the one who wanted to continue looking for you, no matter what.
"What's the problem, J'Amal? Has the cat got your tongue? Something bad happened during the hunt, right? You know, you can talk about anything with me, so spit it out."

>>249
>"What's the problem, J'Amal? Has the cat got your tongue? Something bad happened during the hunt, right? You know, you can talk about anything with me, so spit it out."
"Yes, the hunt didn't go as well as I'd expected it would."

>"Welcome back, J'Amal! I was expecting you, why didn't you came over?"
"Sorry, I had to heal up more."

>>251
>"Welcome back, J'Amal! I was expecting you, why didn't you came over?"
"Sorry, I had to heal up more."
"Heal... what? After those scratches?! Don't kid me!"

>"What's the problem, J'Amal? Has the cat got your tongue? Something bad happened during the hunt, right? You know, you can talk about anything with me, so spit it out."
"Yes, the hunt didn't go as well as I'd expected it would."
"I see you're not in the mood to talk now, huh? Okay, I'm not going to nag you know, but give your old Breezug a visit tomorrow, alright? Then we can talk more comfortably. Also, there are a few things I'd need your advice on. Alright?"
"Alright."

Guests are still arriving, there are people everywhere around the house. There are so many of them that you lost track of them a long ago, you go left and right and try to do some small talk with the guests. Fortunately your slaves provide an endless supply of booze. Later you also receive from that big animal Todobo was roasting. It tastes like a pig, but somehow it's a bit different to what you're used to, it's more crisp, and a little bit sweet? Probably it was flavored by something.
You're still eating your portion, when a new guy shows up.
"Alamalus? What is he doing here?" you hear a voice from nearby. You look up, and you immediately recognize this guy. You met him today, that mysterious man who claimed he had a bet with you.
"What am I doing here? I've had a bet with J'Amal, and unfortunately for him, he lost it. He failed to defeat the beast after all, and I'm here to collect my reward. ... So, where is she?"
"She?", you hear a faint voice from the group. "That can't be... Really? You went this far, J'Amal?"
"Of course he did. You should have seen him before the hunt, he was like 'that legendary beast is a piece of cake for me,' pure concentrated ego. He got overconfident, and, well you can see the result. But I'm not here to give a lecture, so bring my reward here, J'Amal."
Up until now, there was a constant chatter and noise in the background, but now everything is quiet. No one dares to say anything, no one does anything besides looking at you.

>>252
Good grief what kind of bet did this man do. Ah jeez, did he bet Irziel on this? I bet he did.

How big is this guy, do we have the same build or is he much larger than us?

I'm a bit at a loss here, my first gut instinct is for him to show proof of our bet.

Or somehow rile up a story where he was the reason why we lost to the beast in the first place because of sabotage.

>>253
>Ah jeez, did he bet Irziel on this? I bet he did.
Who knows? If you don't want to be influenced, don't read the next spoiler. I was thinking about Irziel too, but I intentionally left it vague, in case someone can come up with a different person, and a plausible explanation for the guests' response.

>How big is this guy, do we have the same build or is he much larger than us?
So, to not contradict myself, at >>189 I said:
>He's a muscular man, around the same height as you, short black hair, and he's smirking at you.
Tom would have no chance against this man, but the legendary J'Amal could defeat him. Tom in J'Amal's body, well, that's anyone's guess.

>proof
To be honest, when you asked about the guests, first I wanted Irziel to give you a list of the invited members, but then I scratched it because I didn't think it would be realistic to expect that some random brute warrior could read in this setting. But on the other hand, J'Amal is pretty high ranking, so maybe it's not that out of context. And this quest doesn't have to be 100% historically accurate so whatever.

>sabotage
Good idea, but he'll surely demand proof if you want to go this way.

Some other ideas I have
Hope that he doesn't know who is she exactly, and bring someone else. Can backfire badly, and that other person will certainly not like it.
Try to fight him.
Try to negotiate some other terms.
Um, just accept your fate?

>>254
Well, for damn sure I don't want to just let this happen. There was no prior preparation for establishing that he has sabotaged the encounter, but he sure has the motive to sabotage, not wanting to lose the bet, and to prove he's top dog.

I'll mix in both answers, provoke him and state that there was sabotage in the hunt, stating that a beast, no matter how legendary would steal a man's belongings, and challenge him to a fight, right here, right now, unless he can't handle a wounded warrior.

Returning with all our belongings used up and broken is one thing, but we did wake up absolutely naked, which brings the question who could have stolen them?

>>255
"I can't do that. The hunt was sabotaged. A beast, no matter how legendary, would not steal a man's belongings."
"Aaand? I don't care about petty details, we had a bet and you lost. I don't know, maybe the beast knocked you out that hard that you flew a few meters and you haven't found your stuff after, or whatever."
"I... I woke up absolutely naked. That beast couldn't do it, only a man. Someone stole them."
"... Are you suggesting that I was the one who stole them? That's ridiculous, unlike you I play fair," he replies, but a laughter burst out among the guests. "Hey, you, shut up! Yes, I play fair. Besides, weapons and other equipments, I might have a reason to steal them, but your clothes? What the hell am I gonna do with them? Just quit this nonsense and bring me my reward already!"
"In that case, I have to challenge you to a fight, right here, right now, unless you can't handle a wounded warrior."
"That's how you roll, huh? We had an agreement, but when in turns out to be disadvantageous for you, you just try to escape with violence, knowing that you're a better fighter than me? And I don't believe that wounded nonsense, you look fine."

>>256
Judging from the laughter, this guy isn't the most honest. And I'm out of ideas for the most part. This could be incredibly incorrect, but, hey, might be fun to see.

"And what kind of beast leaves its prey alive? Untouched for days? I'd say you have more than enough reason to sabotage the hunt."

What if there was no beast, and this was all a ruse by this guy and he attacked us in the first place via subterfuge.

>>258
"And what kind of beast leaves its prey alive? Untouched for days? I'd say you have more than enough reason to sabotage the hunt."
"What? Um, fuck if I know, I'm not a zoologist, plus I wasn't there, how the fuck could I know what happened there? You, could, err, maybe you slipped and hit your head and passed out, without even getting in the vicinity of the beast. Argh, I'm not here to argue about irrelevant details, are you going to keep your word? Or you're just a fucking liar?"

>>259
"Enough of this. Fucking put them up."

Provoke a fight. Let's see where that takes us. I ran out of ideas.

>>260
"Enough of this. Fucking put them up."
"What's your problem?"
"You sabotaged the hunt, and now you're here stirring up more trouble?! Fight if you dare!"
"So, we're back at square one? Alright, if you wanna fight we fight, but I won't hold myself back!"
"Aaargh!", you shout and you try to hit this bastard with your fist.
And, um, some kind of combat don't cringe. We're complete amateurs when it comes to fighting, but this body has good reflexes and strong AF, while the enemy is a bit weaker, but is a better fighter, so I think that somewhat balances out. Let's say we also have 80/100HP (because we're not fully healed), and this thug has 90/90HP. Critical=skip 1 turn.
Your turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 16 -> 1 critical miss, 2-6 miss, 7-12 enemy blocks, 13-20 hit (damage=(x-12)*1.5), 21 critical hit (damage=20)
Enemy counter attacks: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 13 -> 1 critical miss, 2-3 miss, 4-10 you block, 11-20 hit (damage=x-10), 21 critical hit (damage=15)

>>261
You deal (16-12)*1.5 = 6 damage, bringing the enemy to 84/90 HP. You receive 13-10 = 3 damage, bringing you to 78/100HP.
"That's what you call a fight? My mom fights better than that!"
It looks like you'll need more than a few blows to scare this guy away.

>>262
How does the crowd react to the fight?

>>263
You take a look at the crowd, they were shocked when you started the fight, but now? It looks like they started betting on who will win...

>>264
Well, let's not disappoint the crowd.

>>265
>Well, let's not disappoint the crowd.
Let's continue the fight then. Roll a bunch of dice (actions the same as before).
J'Amal 1st turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 18
Alamalus 1st turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 18
J'Amal 2nd turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 18
Alamalus 2nd turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 17
J'Amal 3rd turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 9
Alamalus 3rd turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 16
J'Amal 4th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 12
Alamalus 4th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 17
J'Amal 5th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 5
Alamalus 5th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 3

>>266
J'Amal 1st turn: 18 -> 9 dmg
Alamalus 1st turn: 18 -> 8 dmg
J'Amal 2nd turn: 18 -> 9 dmg
Alamalus 2nd turn: 17 -> 7 dmg
J'Amal 3rd turn: 9 -> blocked
Alamalus 3rd turn: 16 -> 6 dmg
J'Amal 4th turn: 12 -> blocked
Alamalus 4th turn: 17 -> 7 dmg
J'Amal 5th turn: 5 -> miss
Alamalus 5th turn: 3 -> miss

J'Amal 9+9 dmg -> Alamalus 66/90HP
Alamalus 8+7+6+7 dmg -> J'Amal 50/100HP hopefully I didn't fuck up

Both of you start to tire out, many of your hits miss the enemy. It looks like Alamalus is at a slight advantage now, but it's not over yet.
"So, that's all you got, J'Amal?"
"Booo!", you hear from the crowd. "Show him who's the boss, J'Amal!" Well, at least it looks like most of the crowd is on your side.

>>267
I don't think there's not much more to do than fight until who loses. Though I am glad to see the crowd being on our side, which would make it feel like shit if the dice decides to make us lose.

Have the both of us just been throwing out punches?

>>268
You continue fighting. The crowd gives you a slight encouragement, but you're also getting tired, so your stats don't change substantially. The opponent however doesn't get bonus from the crowd, so he becomes a bit weaker.
J'Amal: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 10 -> 1 critical miss, 2-6 miss, 7-12 enemy blocks, 13-20 hit (damage=(x-12)*1.5), 21 critical hit (damage=20) (unchanged)
Alamalus: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 18 -> 1 critical miss, 2-5 miss, 6-12 you block, 13-20 hit (damage=x-12), 21 critical hit (damage=14)

J'Amal 1st turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 15
Alamalus 1st turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 18
J'Amal 2nd turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 3
Alamalus 2nd turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 7
J'Amal 3rd turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 5
Alamalus 3rd turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 3
J'Amal 4th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 19
Alamalus 4th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 3
J'Amal 5th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 13
Alamalus 5th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 11
J'Amal 6th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 11
Alamalus 6th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 5
J'Amal 7th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 13
Alamalus 7th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 4
J'Amal 8th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 5
Alamalus 8th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 17
J'Amal 9th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 2
Alamalus 9th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 17
J'Amal 10th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 1
Alamalus 10th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 12

>>269
Oops, I fucked up copy-pasta, we got an extra round
J'Amal: 10 -> blocked
Alamalus: 18 -> 6 dmg (44/100)
J'Amal 1st turn: 15 -> 4.5dmg (61.5/90)
Alamalus 1st turn: 18 -> 6 dmg (38/100)
J'Amal 2nd turn: 3 -> miss
Alamalus 2nd turn: 7 -> blocked
J'Amal 3rd turn: 5 -> miss
Alamalus 3rd turn: 3 -> miss
J'Amal 4th turn: 19 -> 10.5 dmg (51/90)
Alamalus 4th turn: 3 -> miss
J'Amal 5th turn: 13 -> 1.5 dmg (49.5/90)
Alamalus 5th turn: 11 -> blocked
J'Amal 6th turn: 11 -> blocked
Alamalus 6th turn: 5 -> miss
J'Amal 7th turn: 13 -> 1.5 dmg (48/90)
Alamalus 7th turn: 4 -> miss
J'Amal 8th turn: 5 -> miss
Alamalus 8th turn: 17 -> 5 dmg (33/100)
J'Amal 9th turn: 2 -> miss
Alamalus 9th turn: 17 -> 5 dmg (28/100)
J'Amal 10th turn: 1 -> critical miss
Alamalus 10th turn: 12 -> blocked
And I thought 10 turns will be too much
So J'Amal at 28/100, Alamalus at 48/90. And Alamalus gets an extra turn now: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 6

>>270
6 -> blocked. Phew.
You take a look around, the crowd is clearly not pleased with the situation.
"Come on J'Amal, this is just a small thug!"
"It's not the time to play a gentlemen now!"
You take a look back at the enemy.
"Are you having problems? Why don't you just give up? It would be easier for both of us."

>>270
>>271

I think the reason this is taking so long is the health values and the odd way for damage, which I suppose is just how it goes with posting limitations. Possible it could have just been a binary system -- d20, anything higher than 12 is a hit and deals 1 damage out of 10 hp etc.

I'd go until we hit less than 10 health to be honest.

>>272
So, some more rolls until we're under 10 hp.

J'Amal 1st turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 16
Alamalus 1st turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 1
J'Amal 2nd turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 7
Alamalus 2nd turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 7
J'Amal 3rd turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 21
Alamalus 3rd turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 11
J'Amal 4th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 6
Alamalus 4th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 15
J'Amal 5th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 12
Alamalus 5th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 7
J'Amal 6th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 6
Alamalus 6th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 10
J'Amal 7th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 3
Alamalus 7th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 11
J'Amal 8th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 13
Alamalus 8th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 2
J'Amal 9th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 9
Alamalus 9th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 15
J'Amal 10th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 5
Alamalus 10th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 14

>>273
J'Amal 1st turn: 16 -> 6 dmg (42/90)
Alamalus 1st turn: 1 -> critical miss, next skip
J'Amal 2nd turn: 7 -> blocked
Alamalus 2nd turn: 7 -> skipped
J'Amal 3rd turn: 21 -> crit 20 dmg (22/90)
Alamalus 3rd turn: 11 -> skipped
J'Amal 4th turn: 6 -> miss
Alamalus 4th turn: 15 -> 3 dmg (25/100)
J'Amal 5th turn: 12 -> blocked
Alamalus 5th turn: 7 -> blocked
J'Amal 6th turn: 6 -> missed
Alamalus 6th turn: 10 -> blocked
J'Amal 7th turn: 3 -> miss
Alamalus 7th turn: 11 -> blocked
J'Amal 8th turn: 13 -> 1.5 dmg (20.5/90)
Alamalus 8th turn: 2 -> miss
J'Amal 9th turn: 9 -> blocked
Alamalus 9th turn: 15 -> 3 dmg (22/100)
J'Amal 10th turn: 5 -> miss
Alamalus 10th turn: 14 -> 2 dmg (20/100)

Grr, another round (J'Amal 20/100, Alamalus 20.5/90):
J'Amal 1st turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 21
Alamalus 1st turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 12
J'Amal 2nd turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 4
Alamalus 2nd turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 4
J'Amal 3rd turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 4
Alamalus 3rd turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 16
J'Amal 4th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 2
Alamalus 4th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 20
J'Amal 5th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 1
Alamalus 5th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 7
J'Amal 6th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 20
Alamalus 6th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 18
J'Amal 7th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 3
Alamalus 7th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 14
J'Amal 8th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 4
Alamalus 8th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 8
J'Amal 9th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 7
Alamalus 9th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 17
J'Amal 10th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 11
Alamalus 10th turn: (##1d21) Rolled 1 dice with 21 sides = 7

>>274
J'Amal 1st turn: 21 -> crit 20 dmg, 0.5/90
Alamalus gives up! Okay, this fight was awful, I'll figure out something before the next.

"Okay, okay, I get it, you're big and strong, I give up. But it doesn't change the fact that you're still a liar."

>>275
"Alright, good, good, I hope everyone has enjoyed the show. Now please enjoy the rest of the evening."

>>276
"Alright, good, good, I hope everyone has enjoyed the show. Now please enjoy the rest of the evening."
"You're the best, J'Amal!"
"Yeah, you showed him who's the boss!"
"Come on, we have to drink for your victory!" The crowd looks enthusiastic, but you? You're glad that you're still alive, you don't really want to do anything with your 20 remaining HP.
"Come here, I see a scar there, let me check it."
You don't remember this person, but having someone check your injures won't hurt, so you comply. He takes a quick look at your injuries then without saying anything, he pours some kind of alcoholic liquid onto it.
"Ouch!"
"Haha, it's nothing, just a few scratches. You're fine."
It takes a few minutes until you manage to persuade the guest that it's better if they leave now. And of course, everyone wants to have a drink with you before leaving. You're trying to avoid drinking anymore, you're beaten up enough, you don't want to add hangover to the list, but it's not easy like this.
After a couple of more minutes the last guest leaves, and you stagger back to your house. You take a final look around, checking your slaves cleaning up, then you enter.
"Huh, already done... Hiyeeeeek! J'Amal?! W-What d-did you do again? In those clothes!? W-What happened?"

>>277
"Got into a fight to, uh, 'entertain' the guests. Nothing, too serious, I'm more worried about the possible hangover."

>>278
"Got into a fight to, uh, 'entertain' the guests. Nothing, too serious, I'm more worried about the possible hangover."
"Entertain? Nothing too serious? Just a day after coming back from the forest in a half-dead state? You're being reckless again, J'Amal, you can barely stand on your own. Should I go and bring the shaman here to take a look at your wounds?"

>>279
"Yes, please. Thank you, Irziel. I wouldn't know what I'd do without you."

>>280
"Yes, please. Thank you, Irziel. I wouldn't know what I'd do without you."
"Alright, but do not die in the meantime. I'll hurry, but I think it would still take a good 10 minutes."
"Okay."
Irziel turns around, and with quick steps she leaves the house. A few seconds later, Elania comes into the house with a bunch of plates, the slaves are still busy cleaning up.
"Um, Master, are you alright? If you need help, we're here, you know."
It looks like everyone is obsessed with your state.

>>281
>"Um, Master, are you alright? If you need help, we're here, you know."
"I appreciate the concern, but finish cleaning up first beforehand."

It seems the celebration is over at the very least. Is there a spot that we can sit down for the moment?

>>282
>"Um, Master, are you alright? If you need help, we're here, you know."
"I appreciate the concern, but finish cleaning up first beforehand."
"Of course, Master. And, um, sorry for troubling you."
She goes back to cleaning, and you find a chair where you can sit relatively comfortably for the time being.
You start to recollect the recent happenings. First, when that guy showed up, you pretty much acted on impulse. You're not even sure who this "she" is, first you thought Irziel, but it's possible that you waged one of the slaves. To be honest, if they're slaves, that means that you can buy and sell them, so placing a bet on them wouldn't be that outrageous. Maybe. There are still a lot of things you still don't know about this world.
You also think about the hunt. Waking up naked and without your equipment is too weird. If they only wanted to sabotage the hunt, why did they steal your stuff? That would only cause suspicion. If they wanted to get rid of you, why didn't they kill you? Or, maybe, after knocking you out, they thought you're dead, so they just stole your stuff?
While you're thinking about this, the door slams open, and two people storm in.
"Here, you are, warrior!", you hear a familiar voice, but he's clearly out of breath. Guardir, the shaman entered the house, with Irziel following.
"Let me see your wounds, getting into a fight just a day after getting back barely alive."
You let the shaman inspect your wounds.
"Oh, that's all? Your lovely wife described you like someone who's on the verge of dying. Let me treat it with some herbs, it should be enough."

>>283
>"Oh, that's all? Your lovely wife described you like someone who's on the verge of dying. Let me treat it with some herbs, it should be enough."
"Thank you Guardir and Irziel. Things got a bit heated, but it went rather well all things considered. Some of the herbs and a good night's rest should do wonders."

What's Irziel doing, rather how does she look?

>>284
>"Oh, that's all? Your lovely wife described you like someone who's on the verge of dying. Let me treat it with some herbs, it should be enough."
"Thank you Guardir and Irziel. Things got a bit heated, but it went rather well all things considered. Some of the herbs and a good night's rest should do wonders."
"Haha, you're the same as always. But don't overdo yourself, you can take a few days off."

>What's Irziel doing, rather how does she look?
Irziel is standing in the background, she realized that she overreacted the situation, and she tries to hide her shame. But at least she also looks relieved that you're fine according to the shaman.

>>285
>"Haha, you're the same as always. But don't overdo yourself, you can take a few days off."
"Hopefully a visit to Breezug wouldn't be too much of a problem tomorrow."

After Guardir is done treating us, call Irziel, and thank her again for worrying about us.

>>286
>"Haha, you're the same as always. But don't overdo yourself, you can take a few days off."
"Hopefully a visit to Breezug wouldn't be too much of a problem tomorrow."
"Haha, probably not, but you know where I live. Just in case. Anyway, with that done, I wouldn't disturb you anymore during this late time, so goodnight, warrior. And you too, you lovely Irziel."
You can see that she flinches at this last sentence. She opens the door and sees the shaman off, then she returns to you.

"That shaman, he always freaks me out when he says that. ... Anyway, it looks like you'll be fine. Feel free to go ahead, I'll take care of the slaves after they're done."
"Um, there's something I wanted to tell you."
"Yes?"
"Thank you. For worrying about me."
"Oh, what's with you, J'Amal? You're being unusually sentimental lately."

>>287
"Haha, I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. I mean, after what happened to me, perhaps I was fortunate to come back."

If there's nothing else, I think it's time to sleep.

>>289
"Haha, I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. I mean, after what happened to me, perhaps I was fortunate to come back."
"I see. Well, go ahead, I'll take care of the rest."
"Alright."

You walk back to the bedroom, and you lie onto the bed. You're exhausted after the fight, combine it with a slight intoxication, and it only takes seconds until you pass out.

You're in the air. It's like a déjà vu, you have a feeling that you saw this before, but you're not sure when. It's dark, but the city lights illuminate the sky, you descend and fly over a road. It's empty, there's a heavy wind out there, you can it from how the snow is falling, yet it still feels peaceful.
At an intersection you turn right, and you notice a bunch of cars with red and blue flashing lights. There's a huge pile of snow on the pavement, people try to clear it away with shovels. You fly nearer and you notice a hand sticking out of the snow. That coat around the arm, it looks familiar...

Huh? A touch woke you up. You look around, you're back in the bedroom. Some faint light comes through the shutters, it's probably early morning. You're naked... did you remove your clothes before falling asleep? Maybe? You drank more alcohol than you wanted, you don't remember details like this. But more importantly, you have a weird feeling from your lower parts, so you lift the blanket and...
Irziel is there, licking your dick.
"Oh, good morning, J'Amal. I see it's still working to wake you up."
Ah, this just triggered a headache.

>>290
If the headache isn't too bad, or rather, if it's not overpowering the pleasure from Irziel, fight through the pain, and somewhat enjoy ourselves.

"Morning, Irziel."

Look around, did something change significantly in the room? Guess that was a weird dream about our ... actual body.

>>291
You take a quick look around the room, it looks the same as ever. Probably. You still haven't got used to this house completely, and the hangover doesn't make remembering things easier. But it's not insufferable either, you expected worse, it's more like annoying than genuinely painful.

"Morning, Irziel."
"Hehe, it's so big... *slurp* I've been missing it for so long. *slurp* So, what do you say, great warrior, are you ready to capture the prey and make it yours?" She crawls to your head and whispers into your ear, "you know, some rough sex always makes my day."

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>>292
The body might know how to do the sex, but the mind does not.

How are we reacting to the whisper from Irziel? This would be so much easier if she would take the lead... but I don't think that's the case. Actually, let's try that.

"I'd love to, how about something different for now? Would you want to be the one to take the lead this time?"

>>293
"I'd love to, how about something different for now? Would you want to be the one to take the lead this time?"
"... Huh?", she looks back at you with a puzzled expression. "Is something wrong? Are you really *that* lazy? Oh, sorry, I haven't noticed it before, you don't look so well. Maybe we should skip now?"

>>294
If only there was a reflective surface ... do we have a mirror in this room?

Fuck it, sex can't be that hard can it?

"No, let's do it."

>>295
>reflective surface
Um, at >>239 we didn't have a mirror, so let's not contradict it unless absolutely necessary.

"No, let's do it."
"So you're just lazy. Anyway, I'm too horny to care, but I don't want to hear complaints."
Um, yes, you already noticed that she's acting different than usual. But at least it looks like she accepted to take the lead, this way it's less likely you'll fuck up things...
She gently bites your ear then she crawls onto you, sitting on your stomach.
"So I guess you'll just lie like this?"
She moves toward your lower parts, and teases your penis for a short while before she takes your member inside her wet pussy. To be honest, this is already an unimaginable pleasure for you, her warm and tight hole slightly squeezes your dick...
"What's with that look on your face? How long will you last if I start riding you?"

Then she starts moving. The first few thrusts are slow, letting you enjoy the stimulation given by her vaginal walls. Since you're so inactive, she starts massaging her own breasts, while continuing to ride you. Her nectar overflows her cunt, helping to fill the room with the peculiar sound of copulation. You can't enjoy this for long though, she speeds up until she's pistoning with all her might. Her up and down movements sends constants shocks to your lower parts, you can no longer think straight, the headache got worse, but in your current situation you can't even say anything. You're surprised that you're still standing, your normal body would cum from the tenth of this.
She's moving up and down like a madman, you're not exactly sure why your body is not hurting as hell, you can barely feel anything... except some familiar feeling. You're about to cum. Any minute now.
"Ahhhr you reahdy..? Come ohn, big guuuy!"
You can't hold it back anymore, you shoot your load right into her womb. And what a load! Your dick is pulsating constantly, while you cum, and cum, and cum... You're on the verge of losing your consciousness, your throbbing organ, her twitching body, it's too much to bear. She also orgasm with a loud scream, seconds after you, but you barely notice it.
She collapses on top of you, breathing heavily for a few minutes before she raises her head and looks at you.
"How did you like, J'Amal?"
As she moved closer to you, your limp dick slides out of her, you can feel various body fluids flowing out of her.
"This was a huge load. I hope it means that I can finally deliver your sought after son."

>>297
"That felt good."

Unless she's left us, hold her for a bit.

>>298
"That felt good," you reply and hug her.
"Hehe, thanks. But next time, we will go back to usual, right?"

You continue lying for a few minutes before Irziel interrupts the silence with a heavy breath.
"Time to wake up. ... Hm, here are some rags to wipe yourself. Do you want to take care of the slaves or should I do it?"

>>299
>"Hehe, thanks. But next time, we will go back to usual, right?"
"Yeah, definitely. Just, like you said, I got into a fight immediately again, heh."

>"Time to wake up. ... Hm, here are some rags to wipe yourself. Do you want to take care of the slaves or should I do it?"
"Let's both do it."

>>301
>"Hehe, thanks. But next time, we will go back to usual, right?"
"Yeah, definitely. Just, like you said, I got into a fight immediately again, heh."
"Why you must be so reckless? You're making me worried unnecessarily."

>"Time to wake up. ... Hm, here are some rags to wipe yourself. Do you want to take care of the slaves or should I do it?"
"Let's both do it."
"Both? But there's only one key... Okay, I release Todobo, and you release the girls, even though this feels excessive."
"Keys? Release?" You're a bit surprised, but you try to keep it to yourself. Irziel opens the drawer and picks up a keychain. Hmm, you didn't see that keychain yesterday when you opened the drawer, where was it yesterday? But you don't have time to think about it, as Irziel immediately walks out of the room, still completely naked.
You follow her, you walk past the kitchen area, to the other end of the room. Now that you think about it, yesterday, when you woke up in the night, you think you saw some people sleeping here. But it was too dark and Irziel popped up, so you couldn't examine the situation in depth.
Now, in the morning sunlight you notice that there's a single person sleeping next to the right wall (Todobo), and two next to the left wall (Rudyny and Elania). They don't have a bed, only some hay on the floor, then a blanket on their body. Plus their hands are chained to the wall, using some sturdy, handcuff-like device. It doesn't look comfortable at all, but probably nobody cares about slaves' rights here.
Irziel walks next to Todobo, and using a chain she unlocks both of his hands, then passes the keychain to you. You grab the key, then move to Elania's right hand. There's a D-shaped cuff around her hands with a small keyhole, you insert the key and after a few seconds you manage to unlock it. Afterwards, you can remove the peg, allowing you to free the hand. You repeat the procedure for the remaining three arms.
"Wake up, sleepyheads, it's time to work. Hurry, hurry!"
"Yes, Mistress!" they reply in union. Todobo is already getting dressed, Elania just jumped out, Rudyny... well, she's also trying to get dressed, but she's hiding behind that blanket the whole time, greatly complicating the whole activity.
"What are you doing again, Rudyny? J'Amal, don't just stand there, do something with that good for nothing brat."
"Please no, Master!", Rudyny protests. "I'll be ready in a minute, I'll help you get dressed or whatever else you require, just please don't hurt me!"
"Haha, I got there faster, slowpoke."

>>302
>"Please no, Master!", Rudyny protests. "I'll be ready in a minute, I'll help you get dressed or whatever else you require, just please don't hurt me!"
Slap her ass.

>>303
>"Please no, Master!", Rudyny protests. "I'll be ready in a minute, I'll help you get dressed or whatever else you require, just please don't hurt me!"
You hear her plea, but you don't care. You grab her right arm, remove the blanket with your other hand and give her ass a good smack.
"Ouch! Okay, okay Master, I understand," she replies and finishes getting started without trying to hide behind the blanket anymore. You involuntarily notice some scars on her otherwise completely white and soft body, maybe that's what she's trying to hide? Did Elania have scars too? You didn't notice anything, but her naked body only flashed into your vision for a split second, you didn't have time to inspect it.
"Slaves, get the breakfast ready before we get dressed. Hmm, J'Amal, how is your hangover?"
"I'm fine... I have a light headache, but otherwise I'm fine."
"You heard that, Elania?"
"Yes Mistress."
"Good."

Irziel walks back to the bedroom and you follow her. It kinda amazes you how kind and caring can she be when you're alone with her, and how rigid is she with the slaves.
"You went quite easy on Rudyny this time. Anyway, what's your plan for today? Will the usual clothes do?"

>>304
>You went quite easy on Rudyny this time.
"Have I? I must be in a very good mood thanks to you then."

>"Anyway, what's your plan for today? Will the usual clothes do?"

"I plan on talking with Breezug, and hopefully not get into another fight. The usual should do. Thanks."

>>305
>You went quite easy on Rudyny this time.
"Have I? I must be in a very good mood thanks to you then."
"Thanks, but if you're so lenient they'll grow delinquent, you know."

>"Anyway, what's your plan for today? Will the usual clothes do?"
"I plan on talking with Breezug, and hopefully not get into another fight. The usual should do. Thanks."
"Then it's in the usual place."
You don't exactly know what is the usual place, but you walk to the chest where you found your clothes yesterday. You open the chest and you find some clothes similar to what you had before the celebration.
You pick up the shirt, then the loincloth. Rudyny is not here and you're not completely sure what is appropriate to do right now. Fortunately, you still remember how you wore it yesterday, so you try to reproduce it. It takes a few tries, but in the end you end up with a snugly fitting loincloth.
Irziel got dressed in the meantime, she's wearing a plain-looking white dress now. It looks like that fancy dress she wore yesterday is reserved for special occasions. But even that plain dress looks more expensive than what the people around here wear, it's made from a fine, shiny material.
"Let's go."
You leave the room, and you sit next to the table with Irziel, while the slaves are busy serving the breakfast.
They bring a big plate, filled with food like yesterday: that weird bread, vegetables and some smoked meat. But before you could get started, you receive a cup, filled with what looks like a raw egg yolk, but it has a darker tint.

>>306
>But before you could get started, you receive a cup, filled with what looks like a raw egg yolk, but it has a darker tint.
Look like you're about to drink it, take a sniff, a bit of a sip, then reflect on the taste.

>>307
You sniff that egg thing and take a small sip of it. It definitely egg yolk, but it's mixed with some pepper and garlic. You're not completely sure whether you like the taste or not.
"Hey, what are you doing?! You're supposed to drink it in one gulp! It won't work otherwise."

>>308
>"Hey, what are you doing?! You're supposed to drink it in one gulp! It won't work otherwise."
Well, had a feeling that would be the case.

Down it in one gulp, and grit our teeth through it. Maybe the aftertaste would be to our liking somehow.

>>309
You down the rest of this drink(?) in one gulp. You can't say it's any better though. But at least it'll likely work as a placebo, as you'll try your best to not receive another one.
Afterwards, you continue with the normal breakfast. You eat much more than Irziel, after a while she just sits and watches you until you finish.
You're about to stand up when she suddenly hugs you.
"You have to go, right? I wish we could be together, for just a little more."

>>310
>"You have to go, right? I wish we could be together, for just a little more."
Hug her back.
"I'll be back before you know it."

>>311
You hug her back.
"I'll be back before you know it."
"Okay, thank you."
You continue hugging each other for a few minutes, before you stand and head outside.
Wait a minute---you stop after a few steps. Where are you going now? You wanted to visit Breezug, but you have no idea where he lives.

>>312
If all else fails, let's head to Guardir's hut, and ask him about it, but if for some reason he's pre-occupied, we can always just wander around town until we see him outside.

>>313
You leave the house and head to Guardir's hut.
You look inside the hut, but you can't find anyone inside. Did he leave? You take a look around and you find him behind the hut, working on a small wooden statue.
"Hello, warrior. What brings you here today?"
"Good morning, Guardir. I'm looking for Breezug..."
"I think he should be at his house."
"Could you please tell me where is it...?"
"Oh, there are still problems with your memory? Anyway, you should go right here, then turn left at the second street, you should find a big house at the end of the street."
"Thank you."
You follow Guardir's instructions and you indeed find a house at the end of the street. It's not that big, though, it's only slightly bigger than yours.
"Hello! Is there anyone?", you shout in front of the house, because, well, there is no doorbell. A few seconds later the door opens and a guy emerges from the house. He's probably Breezug, you saw him yesterday, but you drank too much alcohol and you're not completely sure.
"Hello, J'Amal! Finally, come inside!"
You follow him, you walk past the slaves working busily, then you enter a second room. It's much smaller, you suppose it's Breezug's own room, as it only has a small desk and two chairs inside.
"It's good to see you again, J'Amal. We were all worried when you didn't return. What happened? Um... do you really think that it was Alamalus? That he sabotaged it?"

>>315>>315
>"It's good to see you again, J'Amal."
"It's good to see you too."

>"Um... do you really think that it was Alamalus? That he sabotaged it?"
"I don't think he's smart enough to do it on his own, there could have been others."

>>316
>"It's good to see you again, J'Amal."
"It's good to see you too."

>"Um... do you really think that it was Alamalus? That he sabotaged it?"
"I don't think he's smart enough to do it on his own, there could have been others."
"That's worrying... any idea who could be they be? If there are traitors among us, we will have to find them quick, before they cause more trouble. They probably cleaned up all traces by now, so we will have to catch them while they're preparing for their next action... I wanted to talk you about our upcoming attack against Kessax, but if they're planning to do something while we're away fighting, that would be a disaster."

>>317
>If there are traitors among us, we will have to find them quick, before they cause more trouble.
"Randomly throwing out accusations will lead to more issues. Has anyone acted suspicious from what you've noticed? Notably, while I was gone?"

> I wanted to talk you about our upcoming attack against Kessax
That's a fresh term.

"Alright, you'll have to refresh my memory more than usual about that."

>>318
>If there are traitors among us, we will have to find them quick, before they cause more trouble.
"Randomly throwing out accusations will lead to more issues. Has anyone acted suspicious from what you've noticed? Notably, while I was gone?"
"Suspicious? No. I mean, trying to organize the search, I had so many things to do, I could easily miss signs. *Sigh* Somewhy, our men weren't too eager finding you, especially after the first day. Maybe there's a reason behind that..."

>I wanted to talk you about our upcoming attack against Kessax
"Alright, you'll have to refresh my memory more than usual about that."
"Huh, what's your problem? It's a Pamphakukuloxine outpost, likely heavily guarded, but with the right plan, we could loot some nice slaves and money. But given the current situation, we might better look for something smaller."

>>319
>Somewhy, our men weren't too eager finding you, especially after the first day. Maybe there's a reason behind that...
"Can you tell me which men these were? And thank you for organizing the search."

> But given the current situation, we might better look for something smaller.
"Any other smaller ones around?"

>>320
>Somewhy, our men weren't too eager finding you, especially after the first day. Maybe there's a reason behind that...
"Can you tell me which men these were? And thank you for organizing the search."
"That's the problem, almost everyone were like that, I don't think I could point out one or a few. But like I said, I was too busy with the search, by the time I realized the problem, it was already widespread."

> But given the current situation, we might better look for something smaller.
"Any other smaller ones around?"
"Hmm, I've heard that Fiabof is having problems recently, plus they're pretty small, without any significant defense. But I don't think destroying our mostly neutral relationship would worth it. Other than that, maybe Grakkix, a smaller Pamphakukuloxine outpost, but I doubt we would find anything valuable there."

>>321
>"That's the problem, almost everyone were like that, I don't think I could point out one or a few. But like I said, I was too busy with the search, by the time I realized the problem, it was already widespread."
"It sounds like someone was spreading rumours."

>"Hmm, I've heard that Fiabof is having problems recently, plus they're pretty small, without any significant defense. But I don't think destroying our mostly neutral relationship would worth it. Other than that, maybe Grakkix, a smaller Pamphakukuloxine outpost, but I doubt we would find anything valuable there."
"Destroying our neutral relationship wouldn't be worth it in the long run. Going after Grakkix might be worth it especially if we have fresh blood in our ranks."

>>322
>"That's the problem, almost everyone were like that, I don't think I could point out one or a few. But like I said, I was too busy with the search, by the time I realized the problem, it was already widespread."
"It sounds like someone was spreading rumours."
"Yeah, but who? I'm not sure we can figure it out now, without alerting that person."

>"Hmm, I've heard that Fiabof is having problems recently, plus they're pretty small, without any significant defense. But I don't think destroying our mostly neutral relationship would worth it. Other than that, maybe Grakkix, a smaller Pamphakukuloxine outpost, but I doubt we would find anything valuable there."
"Destroying our neutral relationship wouldn't be worth it in the long run. Going after Grakkix might be worth it especially if we have fresh blood in our ranks."
"Yeah, you're right, but I'm a bit worried about not finding anything valuable there... But it if we look at it as a training opportunity for the newcomers... Hmm, that's not a bad idea! You take the rookies and a few olders, just in case, while I remain here with the rest of the bunch."

>>323
>But it if we look at it as a training opportunity for the newcomers... Hmm, that's not a bad idea! You take the rookies and a few olders, just in case, while I remain here with the rest of the bunch."

"Having actual experience would prepare our newcomers better. When do you think we'll go after Grakkix? Might do me good to get some warm up as well."

Inspect self, does anywhere hurt?

>>324
>"But it if we look at it as a training opportunity for the newcomers... Hmm, that's not a bad idea! You take the rookies and a few olders, just in case, while I remain here with the rest of the bunch."
"Having actual experience would prepare our newcomers better. When do you think we'll go after Grakkix? Might do me good to get some warm up as well."
"We should send a few scouts there before, but unless they find anything odd, it shouldn't take more than a few days to prepare the attack. They might be better guarded than Fiabof, but not much."

>Inspect self, does anywhere hurt?
Your body is still full of wounds, but they don't really hurt, at least when you're not doing anything. However, a workout or fight could change things to worse.

>>325
> it shouldn't take more than a few days to prepare the attack

"I better get myself back in shape then, wouldn't want to demoralize the newcomers."

>>326
>it shouldn't take more than a few days to prepare the attack
"I better get myself back in shape then, wouldn't want to demoralize the newcomers."
"Haha, but you're always ready, J'Amal. Anyway, I'll go and send the scouts right away, so by tomorrow morning we will have enough information to decide how to proceed... And I guess we should both keep our eyes open. If you find something, you know where am I."

>>327
"Thanks."

Check the current time, is it afternoon, lunch time? I doubt it's already evening...

>>328
"Thanks."

You try to determine the time. You woke up early in the morning, and maybe around two hours passed since then... so maybe around 8-9 o'clock?

>>329
Well there doesn't seem to be more discussion with him, so let's walk around town again, but headed towards the training grounds.

>>330
You say goodbye to Breezug and leave to the town. You decide to head toward the training grounds, but an uproar sidetracks you. Investigating the source you find a market nearby, filled with people. It looks like a market what you would expect in some village, you see a large selection of vegetables, fruits, meats, some clay pots... But what's the commotion? There's a group of loud people nearby, you walk there to check out what's happening.
They're standing around a stage, where you see a 3 naked girl and 2 boys---the youngest is probably younger than Rudyny, while the oldest is around 25---each chained to a wooden pillar. It looks like they're bidding on these presumably slaves, the current offer is 50 gold coins, but you have no idea whether that's cheap or expensive.

>>331
>They're standing around a stage, where you see a 3 naked girl and 2 boys---the youngest is probably younger than Rudyny, while the oldest is around 25---each chained to a wooden pillar. It looks like they're bidding on these presumably slaves, the current offer is 50 gold coins, but you have no idea whether that's cheap or expensive.

If we're close enough to get a decent look, look at the 3 girls then the two boys. We probably don't need more slaves in our home, but I'm curious what's going on here.

I don't expect us to be able to purchase any of them. Look around, is there anyone who is familiar to us among the crowd?

>>332
You take a few steps toward the stage to get a better look at the slaves. Two of the girls are crying, the third tries to hide behind her hair. The leftmost one could be around her early teens, she looks terrified, she restlessly moves left and right, as much as the chains allow. She's very thin, you can see the outlines of her ribs on her skin, but other than that you could call her average. The next one, well, she's an obese one. Nothing compared to the landwhales what you had back in your world, but you don't think you have seen anyone this fat since ending up in this world. She's also short, shorter than the previous girl, and her body is much whiter than the other slaves. Finally, the last girl, her body is full of unknown dark spots, she's probably the oldest among the slaves, and her face... Oh my god, it's so ugly that it could be a perfect cover photo for a horror story. You turn your head towards the boys, you don't want to look at this witch anymore. The first thing you notice is that the boys look very similar, maybe they're brothers? The left one looks a few years older, but their build, features are almost the same.
"Hiya, J'Amal!" a voice interrupts your thinking. "When is the next raid going to be?" You think you saw this person yesterday at the celebration, but you can't recall his name. "I heard rumors that the quality will be lacking, so I came here this morning hoping maybe I could get some relatively cheap slave, but come on. The girls are ugly as hell, that center one probably couln't even cook the simplest foods. The boys are fragile and weak, they're totally unsuitable for anything. And yet the bidding is already at 70 gold coins for that weakling, I doubt he could lift a small log. 20-30 coins would be reasonable, but 70? Sorry, no, it's already 75. The only not completely defective product here is the leftmost girl, but I don't think she'd be sold under 500 coins. Way out of my league."

For extra fun assume that one gold coin is 5-15g gold and put the value into this: http://coinapps.com/gold/gram/calculator/

>>333
"Next raid? Next few days, most likely."

Does this face look familiar to us at all or nah?

"The hell are these slaves going for ridiculous prices?"

>>334
"Next raid? Next few days, most likely."
"Good, I can't wait for it. We need fresh articles."

>Does this face look familiar to us at all or nah?
<You think you saw this person yesterday at the celebration, but you can't recall his name.
I think that's a yes.

"The hell are these slaves going for ridiculous prices?"
"Fuck if I know. Prices usually go slightly up the further we're from the last raid, but this is ridiculous. ... Did they really sell him for 80? Fuck, I'm leaving, there's no sense spending more time here. I have more important stuff to take care of. See you later."

>>336
"Alright, see ya."

Did we see who bought the slaves?

>>337
"Alright, see ya."
You watch the guy as he turns away and leaves the auction.

>Did we see who bought the slaves?
You managed to take a quick glance at the guy who bought the slave, but you don't know him. He's a middle-aged figure, his hair already has a few gray spots. He walks next to the stage to settle the deal. Meanwhile the helpers on the stage untie the slave, to put some cheap rags on him. Then they tie his hand together again behind his back and give him a collar. With a connected chain, the new owner unceremoniously drags him away. There's nothing more to see here, nobody cares about the slave not wanting to leave his (probably) brother behind. The crowd is already betting on the rightmost female slave. On that hideous one.

>>338
Well, we have the time to burn, let's watch who buys the ugly slave, afterwards, let's move to the training grounds.

>>339
You continue watching the auction, the price quickly reaches 40 gold, but after it slows down. One bet from here, then an another one from the other end of the crowd... Finally they sell her for 55, it looks like even that meager boy was more valuable than her. And the buyer is an unknown woman, she should be in her early 30s. To be honest until now you didn't notice that there are women in the crowd. You reenumerate the group, but you only find a few of them, and they don't really stand out, so it's not that hard to miss them. Anyway, on the stage they untie her and she receives some clothes, like the other slave. The only difference is that at the end, they put a bag on her head. Huh, even the buyer doesn't want to look her?
It's enough, you think, and you walk away, while the crowd is busy betting on the other male slave. You head to the training grounds, it only takes a few minutes to reach it.
"Hello, J'Amal!" the guard greets you.
You walk inside and you immediately notice a big group of people training, but now even the surroundings of the huts are bustling with warriors hurrying from one place to another. You don't think you've seen this many people yesterday.
"Oh, hiya, J'Amal! So the rumors are true? We're finally going after those Pamphakukuloxine rats?"

>>341
>"Oh, hiya, J'Amal! So the rumors are true? We're finally going after those Pamphakukuloxine rats?"

"Heh, getting the details settled, let's not get too excited..."

Speaking of Pamphakukuloxine, what the hell is this tribe called? Pretty sure we never asked though...

>>342
>"Oh, hiya, J'Amal! So the rumors are true? We're finally going after those Pamphakukuloxine rats?"
"Heh, getting the details settled, let's not get too excited..."
"Aw, don't be such a killjoy! Anyway," he continues, while picking up a sword from his side, "fancy a match?"

>Speaking of Pamphakukuloxine, what the hell is this tribe called? Pretty sure we never asked though...
I think we don't even know our own tribe's name...

>>343
>"Aw, don't be such a killjoy! Anyway," he continues, while picking up a sword from his side, "fancy a match?"

"Sure. It might be good to get a little bit of exercise."

>I think we don't even know our own tribe's name...
I'm sure this won't bite us in the ass.

>>344
>"Aw, don't be such a killjoy! Anyway," he continues, while picking up a sword from his side, "fancy a match?"
"Sure. It might be good to get a little bit of exercise."
"Cool. Grab your gear, I'll wait for you at the leftmost field."

>>345
>"Cool. Grab your gear, I'll wait for you at the leftmost field."

What gear did he bring, no armor? Just a blade? If it looks like a personal blade, before he goes too far, tell him:

"Wait, I think I forgot where I placed my gear. Would you happen to know where?"

But if it looks like one of the blades from just a rack and impersonal, then just grab what he grabbed.

I'm assuming since this is training grounds, there would be practice gear available for anyone in the grounds.

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>>346
>What gear did he bring, no armor? Just a blade?
Yeah, just a sword. That sword was next to him since you saw him, so it's probably his personal one. Looking around you only find some clearly broken gear, tossed on the ground, and a few wooden weapons, probably used for practicing. (But this guy has a real, metal sword, not a toy.) Armor is just what he is wearing: some kind of leather jacket on his upper body, but you doubt it has any protection against a sword attack.

>"Cool. Grab your gear, I'll wait for you at the leftmost field."
"Wait, I think I forgot where I placed my gear. Would you happen to know where?"
"Huh? How should I know? It's not in the barracks? Oh, wait, didn't you take most of them with you when you went to that hunt?"

>>347
>"Huh? How should I know? It's not in the barracks? Oh, wait, didn't you take most of them with you when you went to that hunt?"
"Damn. This is embarrassing, I'll need a blade."

"Well, atleast I know now that I've been disarmed due to that hunt... I'm sorry, but we may have to do this practice bout next time, unless you'd rather try with wooden swords?"

>>348
>>349
>"Huh? How should I know? It's not in the barracks? Oh, wait, didn't you take most of them with you when you went to that hunt?"
"Damn. This is embarrassing, I'll need a blade. ... Well, atleast I know now that I've been disarmed due to that hunt... I'm sorry, but we may have to do this practice bout next time, unless you'd rather try with wooden swords?"
"With those dummies? I'd just go to the barracks and find some leftover gears, but whatever, let's play with those dummies. Do you fancy anything else, Mr. J'Amal?"

>>350
>"With those dummies? I'd just go to the barracks and find some leftover gears, but whatever, let's play with those dummies. Do you fancy anything else, Mr. J'Amal?"

"Eh, leftover gear should be good enough for practice, then."

Look around for a blade.

>>351
>"With those dummies? I'd just go to the barracks and find some leftover gears, but whatever, let's play with those dummies. Do you fancy anything else, Mr. J'Amal?"
"Eh, leftover gear should be good enough for practice, then."
"Um, is everything alright, J'Amal? Anyway, make up your mind, I'm waiting for you at the field."

You go into one of those building you checked out yesterday, and you indeed find random gear lying around. Some of them are in a pretty rough condition, but you find a few acceptable ones: a few daggers and some swords, around 50-60 cm in length. Some of them are much heavier than the others. You also find some wooden shields, but you can't find anything similar to that leather stuff that guy wore (that's not in 1000 pieces).

>>352
Let's grab a sword, one that isn't rusted, and isn't too heavy for us. Give it a few practice swings, make sure the blade doesn't suddenly fly off the handle, and let's hope our body remembers how to fight...

>>353
You check a few swords, then you pick one that doesn't feel too heavy. You try to give a few practice swings. Uh, you hope nobody saw that, your stance is far from ideal. Nevertheless, the sword looks fine, your body is probably fine too, your mind is... well, there's going to be a few problems there.

You head out and you indeed find that guy, at the left side of the training grounds, waiting for you. You head there. He looks the same, except he got a wooden shield in the meantime.
"Are you ready? Oh, no shield," he replies and he tosses his own shield on the ground. "I keep forgetting that you're such hardcore. But don't hold yourself back just because I'm younger than you, I want a real fight!"
You try to copy his stance, right leg in front, knee slightly bent, sword in the right hand. And, now what?

Quick, let's try to remember every piece of entertainment we have that had a sword, like that movie with the gladiator and Gerard Butler.

>>355
You try remember anything you have seen about sword fighting in your life, in a movie or game or anything. But you wait too much and the enemy attacks! You manage to block his first attack, but the opponent quickly gets behind your back, and before you could react... BAM! You receive a hit to your back.
"AARGH!" you shout, as you collapse on the ground.
"What the fuck!? What happened J'Amal!?"
You can see a few men running to you, before the reality fades out.

It's white. Everything is white. You don't exist, you don't feel anything, but still, this somehow feels familiar. Where are you? What's happening around here? What can you do? You have no idea.

>>356
>It's white. Everything is white. You don't exist, you don't feel anything, but still, this somehow feels familiar. Where are you? What's happening around here? What can you do? You have no idea.

Try to blink, see if that sensation can be felt. Afterwards, attempt to breathe.

>>357
You try to blink, but nothing happens. You also try to close your eyes, but still nothing. You don't have an eye or eyelid, how could you blink without one?
You attempt to breathe. How can you breathe without lungs? You have no idea, but your attempt changes something. A new sensation. The wind started to blow. At first, it was just a light breeze, but it got stronger and stronger, it's already a storm now, but a weird storm. It's still white everywhere, you still can't see anything, and since you don't exist, the wind doesn't affect you, you just feel it blowing.

>>358
Try to turn, check if the sensation changes somehow or if the wind is just blowing.

>>359
You turn around. How can you turn around, when you don't exist? Who knows. But it doesn't matter. The scenery is the same, everything is white, except the wind now blows from the other direction. It looks like it's blowing in one, specific direction.

>>360
Attempt to move closer to the direction of the wind source.

>>361
You attempt to move closer to the direction of the wind source. At first nothing happens, but after a while the wind becomes stronger around you. It's getting louder and louder while the whiteness around you gradually becomes darker and darker. You start to see things, first just some small snowflakes, then leaves, plastic bags, flying rubbish, skyscrapers, and an avalanche. Avalanche? Wait, this is wrong! You try to evade it, but it's too late...
"Huh?" You wake up in a bed. That was a weird dream.
*beep*... *beep*... *beep*...
What is that? You look around, but you don't recognize the room you're in.
"Where am I?" you wonder, as you inspect your surroundings. There's a tube attached to your arm, some unknown machines next to you, beeping every second. Also, there are four other people around the room, in a similar condition. "Am I in a hospital? What happened?" you murmur to yourself while you try to recall what happened.
"Oh, yes... I was walking home after a horrible workday, I wanted to buy some groceries en route, but the shop was closed. I continued home, then... um... suddenly, there was snow everywhere, and... that's it? No, there was something else, but what?"

>>362
Do we feel massive pain? Any of our body we can move somewhat freely?

>>363
>Do we feel massive pain?
No, your body a hurt a bit, but nothing too serious.

>Any of our body we can move somewhat freely?
Yes, it looks like you can move your body, it's not chained to the bed, nor you have any pain that makes movement impossible. There are some tubes and wires attached to your body, so you should probably not move too much around thought.

>>364
Are there more people here than the ones bedridden? Or is it just the five of us in the room?

>>365
No, only the bedridden. And I think I've forgotten to mention an important detail, right now it's the middle of the night, so everyone else is sleeping, and generally everything is dark.

>>366
I thought it was light, so it was night time. Okay.

Are we atleast somewhat comfortable? Try to recall those weird dreams we had. Do we remember that sword slash that got to us?

>>368
>Are we atleast somewhat comfortable?
Yeah, as much as it is possible after being hit with a small avalanche...

>Try to recall those weird dreams we had. Do we remember that sword slash that got to us?
You try to recall what happened after the snow hit you. Everything was dark and cold, but then you started to see illusions. What was they about? You're not sure, everything is fuzzy, like a dream a few minutes after you wake up. The only detail that you can remember is a girl. She's unlike any girl you have seen in this world, she had a completely natural yet attractive figure. Long, dark hair, contrasting her glittering white body, looking with a worried expression at you... Oh, her cute face, you're going to melt if you think so much about it. But who is she? You have no idea. Yet, she somehow feels familiar.

>>369
We're more or less restrained, medically, unless we want to rip the tubes out, which I don't think is a good idea. Do we feel sleepy or are we wide awake? Is there a window near us or we're in the middle of the room with no window close by?

>>370
>Do we feel sleepy or are we wide awake?
You're a bit sleepy, but not terribly, it's just like the usual. You don't even remember the time when you had a good long sleep, you're in a constant half-asleep state.

>Is there a window near us or we're in the middle of the room with no window close by?
You're on the second bed from the window, but you don't see anything out there besides total darkness.

>>371
Try to talk. Say something, if we have the strength to do so. Something like, "What happened?"
Not too loud, but not like a whisper either. Regular talking voice.

>>372
"What happened?", you say in a normal voice.
"You're in a hospital, idiot," the patient right of you responds. "Now shut the fuck up, I want to sleep."

>>373
Oh I guess we're not the only ones here.

"Oh. Did we all get caught in the same disaster..?"

>>374
"Oh. Did we all get caught in the same disaster..?"
"What? I really hope you weren't in my house when I fell down the stairs two days ago. And as I already told you, shut the fuck up, or I'll call the nurse."

Oh right, was the voice talking to us male or female? Eitherway, I guess we can use this opportunity to get some shuteye.

>>378
>was the voice talking to us male or female?
It was a male, and at least 30 years older than you, if not more.

You decide to go back to sleep.

You wake up to the voice of a nurse.
"Good morning, Tom. Are you alright?"
"Um, yes?"
"That's good. Can you remember what happened before the snow hit you?"
"I think. I was walking home..."
"Great, it looks like nothing serious happened. You were unconscious when they brought you here yesterday, but it was due to shock. You had a mild hypothermia, but nothing serious. Expect a few bruises and some light pain though. You might go home now if you want, but your own safety, we advise you to stay here for 5 days."
"How much is it?"
"Um, I can't tell you that in advance, it depends on many factors, like your recover progress... but it should be around $2000-$8000 per day."
Huh, like you have that much money. Maybe you could stay here for two days without ending up indebted for life, if you use up all your savings and nothing happens. And you have like the cheapest health insurance available, it's unlikely they'd pay even a cent of the bill, since it's not "essential."

>>379
>"Um, I can't tell you that in advance, it depends on many factors, like your recover progress... but it should be around $2000-$8000 per day."

"I think I would prefer getting discharged now, if there's nothing too serious. I might die from the crushing weight of debt instead if I stay here much longer... I mean what are the odds of me getting into an accident the very moment I exit the hospital, eh?"

Does she have a nametag of some sort, so we can address her properly?

>>380
"I think I would prefer getting discharged now, if there's nothing too serious. I might die from the crushing weight of debt instead if I stay here much longer... I mean what are the odds of me getting into an accident the very moment I exit the hospital, eh?"
"Um, okay, I understood. I'll call the doctor to have a final check on you."

>Does she have a nametag of some sort, so we can address her properly?
Not what you can see.

A few minutes later a doctor shows up, introduces himself as Dr. Thompson, then runs a few routine checks on you. Nothing interesting happens, he acknowledges that you can safely leave the hospital. You get dressed, collect your belongings and you leave the ward. You check your phone while waiting in the hall, you got a bunch of new messages, all from your boss.
"Where the fuck are you Tom!? It's a workday!"
"Get your lazy ass to the office immediately!!!!"
"Are you sleeping or what!?! Respond for fucks sake!!"
"I changed my mind, you don't have to come anywhere, you're FIRED!!!"
It's a good way to start a day, huh?
You finally receive the bill for the services you used... $5638 for a half day!? You can just hope that your insurance will pay, otherwise you're screwed.
But now, what to do? It's 11 o'clock, the formalities took a long time, and since you said you're discharging, they didn't even provide a breakfast for you. Plus checking your map, you're in the middle of the fucking nowhere, you'll need to catch a train or a taxi to get home, your workplace or whatever.

>>382
>Plus checking your map, you're in the middle of the fucking nowhere, you'll need to catch a train or a taxi to get home, your workplace or whatever.

How's the weather atleast? Sunny, snowing, or awful?

>>383
>How's the weather atleast?
You check the weather, it's still cloudy, you can't see the sun, but at least it seems calm. No snow, no wind, but it's a bit chilly.

>>384
Since we haven't even eaten breakfast, and after seeing that stream of messages, let's get some breakfast atleast. Seeing as the weather is somewhat calm, any fast food joint or anything? 

Actually, check if we have any money on us.

>>385
You check your wallet, it looks like its contents survived last night, you still have your credit card, so it should be okay. Probably.
You check the map for any fast food restaurant nearby, and you find one just one block down the road, so you head there.
It looks like breakfast menu is only available until 9, so you order some regular burger. It's expensive, tastes like paper and unhealthy as shit, but at least it makes your hunger go away. You also drink a coffee, hoping it will make you more awake, then you start to wonder what should you do next.

>>386
Stay in the burger joint for now. Check our phone, if there are more messages now, or such. Did we have any acquaintances in that dumb job?

>>387
You check your messages, but nothing happened in the meantime. I mean, you got one of those useless newsletters from a site you visited 5 years ago and you still can't unsubscribe from their spam list, but that's all.
You check your contacts, let's see what you have from that workplace. Jane, a turbo-feminist landwhale bitch. They had to change doors in the company, because she didn't fit through the old ones. Daniel, your boss. Rebecca, she's like the only woman at the company who's not completely dumb (she's only 99% dumb). Jonathan, a new hire, so he's yet to assimilate into the general dumbness at the company. Drake, he's working at a completely different department, why the hell do you even have his contact?

>>388
Why not, let's message Jonathan, ask him what's going on in the dumb company.

>>389
You message Jonathan, since, well, he's probably the most normal guy in the whole company, to inquire what's up with the company. Fortunately, you only have to wait a moment to receive his reply.
"Uh, what did you do? Boss was shouting your name so loud that I couldn't turn up the volume of my headphone enough to not hear it! Fortunately he had to go to a meeting, and things are calm since then."

>>390
>"Uh, what did you do? Boss was shouting your name so loud that I couldn't turn up the volume of my headphone enough to not hear it! Fortunately he had to go to a meeting, and things are calm since then."

"If he asks you for some reason where I was, I got in an accident and had to be hospitalized for the night. It seems I recently received some colorful messages from him while I was unconscious, ending with me getting fired."

Wait for a reply back, and possibly think if we had a backup plan of any sort if we ever were removed from that company, probably none though. Let's wait if Jonathan will say something, but atleast we're somewhat in an amicable relation with the guy.

>>391
"If he asks you for some reason where I was, I got in an accident and had to be hospitalized for the night. It seems I recently received some colorful messages from him while I was unconscious, ending with me getting fired."
"That sucks. I think you should still try to come here and talk with his head, hopefully he'll be in a calmer mood by the time you get here."

>think if we had a backup plan of any sort if we ever were removed from that company, probably none though.
You think about what could you do if you're removed from that company, but the future is not too bright in that case. You have enough savings to get by, maybe two months, if you cut back your expenses substantially.

>>392
>"That sucks. I think you should still try to come here and talk with his head, hopefully he'll be in a calmer mood by the time you get here."

"Thanks. Might do that then."

How far is the office from the burger joint? Could probably get there via cab. When were those lovely messages from Dan sent? Has it been a few hours already?

Do we also have some sort of receipt from the hospital?

>>393
"Thanks. Might do that then," you reply to him.

>How far is the office from the burger joint?
Your maps say 45 min with a car, or 1.5 h with public transportation.
>When were those lovely messages from Dan sent? Has it been a few hours already?
The first message arrived a few minutes after 8, the last around 10, now it's already 11:30.

>Do we also have some sort of receipt from the hospital?
You have that lovely $5638 bill.

>>394
Well, atleast we have that bill from the hospital showing that we were in the hospital. Check on our phone if there's any news about last night, if there were any reports about a snow storm or something.

Is our home near the office, or is it far from it, that we would need to make a choice between going home and going to the office?

>>395
>Check on our phone if there's any news about last night, if there were any reports about a snow storm or something.
You check the news and... well, like half of them is about yesterday's weather. Places became inaccessible, blackouts, trees that fell on parking cars... Hey, wait. You find a CCTV footage, a guy is walking in the storm, he stops for a second, and the next moment everything is covered in snow. Was it you? You rewind the video, to check it... yes, it's your clothes, the building in the background is also familiar...

>Is our home near the office, or is it far from it
I'd say about 10 minutes walking (last time you walked to the shop, and your home was about 5 minutes from it, and the shop was on the way home, so let's say 10 minutes in total).

>>396
The office is near enough, let's head to the office, assuming we're somewhat presentable, see if we can get into the office. Who knows maybe we'll bump into Daniel.

That's interesting there's CCTV footage of us getting fucked by the snow.

>>397
You hire a cab and head to the office. The traffic was a bit worse than you (or more exactly your map) expected, it's already 12:30 when you get to the office. You go inside the build, get to the entrance, you pick up your entry card from your pocket... and it worked!?
You're a bit surprised, maybe they forgot to disable it? Anyway, you enter the elevator and go to your floor. You walk around, you bump into some colleagues, and you learn that the boss is in a meeting room right now. You're not sure whether you should disturb him now.

>>398
Let's not disturb him, but let's check our cubicle, and see what's up.

>>398
Oh right, if we bump into Jonathan, let's thank him again.

>>399
>>400
You go to your cubicle to see what's up, but when you try to login to your computer you get a big "access denied" message. But other than that, your cubicle looks exactly the same you left it yesterday, even the work that you were supposed to do is still on your desk, not that you would be able to do it without your computer.
Looking around the office is pretty quiet now, almost everybody is having their lunch break now. You can't seem to find Jonathan either.

>>401
Ah well, didn't expect much actually. Let's pick up our things if we have any laying around in our cubicle, and head out. Assuming we have any belongings here, that isn't work related.

>>402
You take a look around the cubicle and collect your personal belongings that you still have there. It's not much, you stuff them into a small bag, then you head out.
However, it looks like people are slowly returning from their lunch break, and you bump into Jonathan on your way out.
"Hello, Tom! ... Um, are you leaving? Things didn't go well with the boss? I-I'm sorry..."

>>403
"S'alright bud. He was in a meeting and my computer access has already been revoked. I appreciate the gesture. I'm just glad to get what little belongings I got back. I better go."

Then we leave.

>>405
"S'alright bud. He was in a meeting and my computer access has already been revoked. I appreciate the gesture. I'm just glad to get what little belongings I got back. I better go."
"I see. I wouldn't have given up so easily... But it's your life, if you wanna go, you go. And, thanks for all the help you gave me, during the short time we worked together. Bye."
"Bye."
You head to the elevator and back to the ground floor. You leave your keycard at the reception---you won't need it anymore---, and leave the building.
"Freedom" is the first word that pops into your head. On one hand, you're glad that you got rid of this shit job, but on the other hand, you worry about your future. Your savings won't last long, unless you want to end up on the streets, you have to find some other income source fast.

>>407
>"Freedom" is the first word that pops into your head. On one hand, you're glad that you got rid of this shit job, but on the other hand, you worry about your future. Your savings won't last long, unless you want to end up on the streets, you have to find some other income source fast.

Alright, let's head back home and mentally get settled in. Even if our savings won't last long, it won't burn out suddenly in 2 days.

Are we alone in this world, no family and such?

>>408
You head back home and sit down at the edge of your bed. It's a small flat, there's not much here---and to be honest, you spent most of your life at the office so you didn't really care about it.
You can't sit down for long though, you find some garbage on the floor that should be in the trashc(h)an, a shelf with a centimeter high dust layer, random misplaced item... You end up spending hours tidying up your flat, you should have done this months ago, but you were too busy to do it until now.
*Yawn* It's only afternoon, but all these physical work quickly tired you out. You should really go to the gym sometimes, but until now you didn't have time, and now you probably shouldn't waste your money on things like this.

>Are we alone in this world, no family and such?
You still have your parents, but they live across the country, they have a small farm, making just enough money to get by, so you don't think they can help you much. As a last resort, you might be able to move back to them, sleeping in a barn, next to some cows is still better than sleeping under a bridge, right?

>>409
>You still have your parents, but they live across the country, they have a small farm, making just enough money to get by, so you don't think they can help you much. As a last resort, you might be able to move back to them, sleeping in a barn, next to some cows is still better than sleeping under a bridge, right?

Let's give them a call. Ask them how it's going. And sleeping next to a cow sounds preferable than under a bridge.

>>410
You decide to give them a call.
"Oh, it's you, little Timmy-Tommy."
"Stop calling me that, mom."
"No, you'll always be little child. You hadn't contacted us in ages! How are you?"
"I'm fine..."
"That's wonderful! When are you getting married?"
"Sorry, what?"
"Wait, you still hadn't found a girlfriend? You can't remain alone forever, Tommy-boy."
"I know, I know, but that's not the reason I called."
"Then why did you call?"
"I-I just wanted to ask how it's going."
"It's just the usual. I mean not exactly, because your dad had an accident last week, and his leg is in a plaster cast now, so he can't really work now. I try to look after the animals in the meantime, but the crops will likely go waste this year, and that will be a huge blow for us. But I think none of these concern you, you just sit in a comfortable office all day, without having to worry about the weather, disease, prices..."
"Yeah, it's just the usual," you think to yourself. You went to the city to learn and get out of that shithole, because, well, things never went good at your family.

>>411
>things never went good at your family.
Dang, sounds normal but rough though, not everything is sunshine and rainbows.

>without having to worry about the weather
I wish that were true still

"Dad got into an accident? What happened?"

I mean I'm hoping the reason why it's rough with the family is because we've left them, and they felt somewhat betrayed at us leaving, but at the same time, they don't really hate us. They just feel upset that we've chosen something else instead of them. I'm thinking because of the nickname and the fact they answered, we're still in amicable terms.

>>412
>tfw you realize you wrote about how she can't deal with the crops
>it's the middle of the fucking winter
>oops

"Dad got into an accident? What happened?"
"He slipped it the bathroom, and he managed to fell on his own leg in an unfortunate position."
"Was he drunk again?"
"Just a little bit."

>>413
How far is our country home from the city? Is it an airplane ride away and stuff?

"How long has it been since I last called?"

>>414
Add on to the sentence:

"Sorry for not calling as often as I should..."

>>414
>>415
>How far is our country home from the city? Is it an airplane ride away and stuff?
Yeah. (Or a very very very very long car trip.)

"How long has it been since I last called? Sorry for not calling as often as I should..."
"I don't know, maybe last year? But what happened Tommy, normally you wouldn't say thing like that to your old parents."

>>416

"Well, I guess like dad, I got myself into an accident. I got caught into a snowstorm and wound up in a hospital. Don't worry though, I'm fine, arms, legs, body's good, the bill's been fully paid, thankfully. Doc said it's nothing major. The thing that just worries me is seems my good 'ol boss maybe didn't know I got caught in an accident like that and fired me while I was still out cold. I still have some money to last a few months, so I'm not that dead in the water yet, but I'm thinking of already making sure I would still have enough to maybe get back there, if it's alright with you."

>>417
"Well, I guess like dad, I got myself into an accident."
"Wait, what!? Why didn't you tell me earlier? Are you alive?"
"Um, yes? I got caught into a snowstorm and wound up in a hospital. Don't worry though, I'm fine, arms, legs, body's good, the bill's been fully paid, thankfully. Doc said it's nothing major."
"That's good to hear."
"The thing that just worries me is seems my good 'ol boss maybe didn't know I got caught in an accident like that and fired me while I was still out cold. I still have some money to last a few months, so I'm not that dead in the water yet, but I'm thinking of already making sure I would still have enough to maybe get back there, if it's alright with you."
"Wait, you're fired? What will you do now? I told you not go to one of those big corporations, they suck you dry, but you didn't listen! All these years at that expensive school is wasted, just like this? And now you want to come back!? ... But of course, it's fine. Even though your room got repurposed for other things in the meantime, so it could be a bit problematic... but I think we can figure something out."

Did our good 'ol mom sound slightly pleased in the prospect of us getting back, although the fact she immediately thought about our old room and trying to figure something out for it feels reassuring.

"Thanks mom, I appreciate it a lot. All of this happened just today, so maybe something might happen that would change things later today or maybe tomorrow, but I wanted you guys to be the first to know. I'll let you know if something else happens. All this happening did give me time and a chance to call you."

>>419
>Did our good 'ol mom sound slightly pleased in the prospect of us getting back
Not sure whether this is meant to be a question or not, but the answer is somewhat. She probably still hasn't processed completely what you said.

"Thanks mom, I appreciate it a lot. All of this happened just today, so maybe something might happen that would change things later today or maybe tomorrow, but I wanted you guys to be the first to know. I'll let you know if something else happens. All this happening did give me time and a chance to call you."
"Alright, we're not going anywhere, feel free to call anytime. ... And, thank you for calling, finally."
"Will do. Bye."

With that done, you continue sitting at the edge of your bed, staring at the white wall for a few minutes, trying to collect your thoughts. Worst case, you can go back to your parents, but what are you going to do in the meantime?

>>420
Take a deep breath, slightly relieved that, even though it's not the greatest, we have something to fall back on. Right now though, we've cleaned up and our rather plain flat is tidy. Do we have a kitchen, maybe we can try our hand at cooking, see how that goes, now that we have time to do things, even just for today, try new things out.

Hopefully we don't accidentally cause a fire and kill ourselves with it.

>>421
>>423
"Let's try to cook something," you think, and you walk to your kitchen. When was the last time you tried it? You have no idea. But it doesn't matter, you open the fridge, the cupboards, and well, you don't really have any ingredients.
You walk to the shop, making a short stop at the place where the snow hit you, but they already cleaned up the place, there's nothing to look at.
Back at home you start cooking, being very careful to not set your home on fire. After finishing, you sit down and eat it. Well, it's not the best, but still edible.

>>424
>but they already cleaned up the place, there's nothing to look at.

I guess the sudden snowfall went away like it appeared.

Now that we've eaten some lunch, I'm assuming lunch, do we have a laptop/computer at our home? Let's check our emails? If no computer, our smartphone I suppose?

>>425
>Now that we've eaten some lunch, I'm assuming lunch,
Late lunch, maybe even early dinner. We were at the office during lunchtime, we tidied up the room, talked with the parents, did the groceries, cooked. This took a couple hours.

You go to your old laptop, and turn it on. You never get to replace it, but you barely used it anyway. After returning from work, you only had time to do you absolutely had to, so it didn't bother you much. You check the emails, nothing new, but you still have 13482 unread emails from the past. You also check your browser, your account at that specific social network site still exists, but as you open it you're flooded with notifications from months ago.

>>426

"Good God. What about emails within the past week..."

>>427
"Good God. What about emails within the past week...", you murmur and start sorting through your emails. Most of them is junk, a bunch of random newsletters, your bank trying to force a loan on you, is there anything interesting here?... Oh right, your mom sent you a mail about dad's accident. You should have read it before calling, because mom now knows that you didn't even bother to read her mail. Oops.

>>428
>Oh right, your mom sent you a mail about dad's accident. You should have read it before calling, because mom now knows that you didn't even bother to read her mail.

"Dang, well atleast I called her, much better than just not responding to the email."

Actually let's check, are there anymore emails from mom?

>>429
"Dang, well atleast I called her, much better than just not responding to the email."
You check the older mails, but the last mail from her was about a half year ago. You read it, there's nothing interesting in it, they just describe how the life is going and the recent happenings in their region. And fortunately you already responded to that.

>>430
"I suppose that's most of it."

We didn't have many friends in the company did we? Do we have a TV, anything on the news?

>>431
"I suppose that's most of it."

>We didn't have many friends in the company did we?
Not really. You left your childhood friends behind when you moved to this city, and you didn't have time to make new ones, you were focusing on your shit job.

>Do we have a TV, anything on the news?
You turn on your TV, and to your surprise it actually works. You didn't watch it in a long time. You start browsing the channels until you find a news channel.
Politicians being corrupt as usual, disasters happening around various places of the world, random sport news. You can't say you heard anything noteworthy, but at least you have now some idea of the recent happenings. This time they didn't show that CCTV though.
You also check the other channels, maybe you find something interesting to watch. Some random documentaries, a decade old movie, some talk show, whatever. At the end you end up watching a comedy show, at least it makes you feel a bit better.
You continue watching the TV until it's dinner time.

>>432
Oh man dinner time. Let's eat out and hope we don't get snowstormed again.

>>433
You head out and walk to a nearby part of the town where are a bunch of restaurants around. You look around until you find one that looks good. Not too cheap, but not too fancy either, you don't have a lot of money to burn right now. You read through the menu then you order something you like. While waiting, you look around, but you notice that this place is full of couples, so in the end you just browse the web on your phone until your meal arrives.
It's pretty good, but after paying you also realize that if you're continuing to live like this, your savings won't last long. Oh, well. Anyway, the night is still young, you could walk around a bit, there's a park nearby, or go window shopping, or maybe go to a bar and hope that some alcohol will drive your problems away.

>>434
>but after paying you also realize that if you're continuing to live like this, your savings won't last long

Something nice after goodness knows how long is good for us.

Let's walk around a bit, making sure to always be at a relatively lit area in the park. Watch people go about their business, relax by a bench.

>>435
You walk to the park and walk around it. You don't think this is a particularly dangerous part of the city, but you try to stay at the well lit areas, because who knows. There are only a few people around at this time, plus the weather is a bit chilly, not an ideal time for walking around. Anyway, you sit on a bench, and just watch your surroundings. Finally, you don't have to run anywhere, you have time to do whatever you want.
"Hey, yo... I'm, uhm, vheery poor aaand I'm staaaviiing, so please ghive meh a feew bucks, alrhite mate?"
Oh, come on, you just tried to enjoy the scenery and a beggar turned up immediately. And while he might be starving, he's certainly not thirsty.

>>436
What does the beggar look like?

>>437
You take a moment to inspect the beggar. He's a bit shorter than you, he has a black hair, an unkempt face with beard, he's wearing some cheap trench coat...
"Uhm...", the beggar shakes a bit, he seems a bit disoriented, but at the next moment... VOMIT! You jump up from the bench, but it's too late, your trousers receive a chunk of this beggar's dinner or whatever.
"Uhm, sohhry sir, I-I don't know... w-wat happ-ened. My sto-sto... khr, stomch can't stand beehing empthy."

>>438
"Holy hell"

Check that the stain isn't blood red. I hope not, else the guy could've literally just coughed up a lung or something. All the same lung or not, we're not a doctor nor do we have the means to help more than just giving him five bucks or something. Just so he doesn't follow us.

"Look, that's fine, but I'm going now, ugh... here's five dollars, try not to throw up on other people."

Best hurry home, and try to get clean. Hopefully they aren't following us.

Damn, that's probably who we'll end up as if we aren't careful. Hopefully we atleast have five dollars on hand for the guy.

>>439
"Holy hell"
You take a look at the stain, it looks brown, with small orange pieces. It's probably not serious... but you're not a doctor, so who knows.
"Look, that's fine, but I'm going now, ugh... here's five dollars, try not to throw up on other people."
"Thaank y-you shir... and, uhm, am sohhry aggin."
You collect 5 bucks from your wallet, give it to the guy, then you quickly leave the area. You look back, the beggar is still next to the bench, looking at aftermath, so at least it looks like you managed to get rid of him. You head home, and you immediately throw your trousers into the washing machine. Hopefully the neighbors won't mind too much you doing the laundry now, because you don't want to wait until the morning.
Phew, this was a day. Normally you'd wait for the washing machine to finish, but you're already sleepy.

>>440
Are the washing machines a communal thing? Like just a set of machines for the whole flat/building?

Well, as long as nothing's inside our pair of pants before we tossed it inside the washer, we'll just pick it up in the morning.

>>441
>Are the washing machines a communal thing? Like just a set of machines for the whole flat/building?
Nah, you have your own. But it still makes noises and the paper-thin walls doesn't do much to suppress them.

>Well, as long as nothing's inside our pair of pants before we tossed it inside the washer, we'll just pick it up in the morning.
So are we going to sleep or is there anything we want to take care of before?

>>441
>Are the washing machines a communal thing? Like just a set of machines for the whole flat/building?
Sweden does that shit, people get into fist fights over them.

>>442
sleep is good, take a snooze.

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>>442

>>443
I know they exists, but let's suppose this is that part of word where they only do that at very cheap accommodations.

>>444
>>445 don't drool
You go to sleep, the clothes in the washing machine can wait until the morning.
It takes a long time until you fall asleep. Your mind is constantly thinking about what happened today, what will you do next, how will you find a new job, what will happen if you don't...

...

You see a forest from the above. You start flying around, soon you find a small village. In the center of it, there's a crowd. Man and woman, children and old, all gathering around a heap in the middle... there's something there. You fly closer to inspect it, you find a man lying on wooden planks, covered in a white blanket. What is this, what's happening? The people around here are crying, and they're throwing small rocks at the body. But the body doesn't move. Is he... dead? There's a person near the head of the body, he's bald but he has a ridiculously long beard. He's humming something, while holding a burning torch in his hand. Is he going to set the whole heap on fire?  The people around start chanting too, in a low, whispering voice. Their voices are mixed together, you can't understand anything, except one word,
"J'Amal."

"Huh?"---you wake up in your bed. You look around, but there's nothing out of the ordinary. It's your room, why would anything change? Why would the window suddenly be on the other side of the room? And what's this "J'Amal," why does it sound so familiar, why did everything feel so real if it was just a dream? Are you going insane? Did that avalanche hit your head and cause some injury that those good for nothing doctors didn't notice?

"I'd go to a shrink, but those guys charge out the wazoo for a session..."

>Why would the window suddenly be on the other side of the room? And what's this "J'Amal," why does it sound so familiar, why did everything feel so real if it was just a dream? 

Are the windows actually different? Well, first thing's first, ourselves on a mirror, I'm sure we have one, then let's check on our pair of pants in the wash.

Will we have these nightmarish dreams each night...?

>>447
"I'd go to a shrink, but those guys charge out the wazoo for a session..." you murmur while you walk to the window. It looks the same as usual. The city landscape outside is also the same. Why would these change, where did you get that idea?! "Well, I'll have to go, after I get a job, this won't do..."

You walk to the bathroom, and you notice that the washing machine is already finished, so you check the results. Well, at least it looks like the stain is gone. You go to the basin and check yourself in the mirror, you look a bit tired but otherwise everything is fine. No visible injuries from the snow or anything.

"Right, how exactly did I land my previous job? Let's check our emails, I suppose, maybe something's there."

"Nice to not have to wake up and drag our feet to work, but not having a job will become worrisome."