Fell Quest

>>1173777
Stand up and look for any high points around, for scouting purposes.

>>1173777
>Take inventory
>Try to remember who the fuck you are

>>1173816
>>1173807

First thing's first, you check yourself over. An utter lack of inventory it would seem though, as you don't even have clothes. Well, there are some shreds of what might have been clothes in the water about you, but in no way useful for their original purpose. You also find that you're more injured than just your eye, with some other wounds to your body in places; a stab here, a blow there. Perhaps worst of all though is a deep ache at your back and through to your chest. It's difficult to get at because of where it is, but you realize you've got something embedded in your back. Something with a handle, as best you can feel, a knife perhaps? Whatever it is, you were stabbed with it and it seems lodged in your back, at a placing as to cause you difficulty in breathing and causing some trouble of movement and feeling in your left arm.

That's about all you can discern physically, though you try to remember what you can. Although you know what you are, a female human, your actual identity eludes you. Just some vague memories and imaginings, like trying to recall a forgotten dream. Maybe it has something to do with the injury to your head, that also cost your eyesight?

Either way, you struggle to your feet even in your poor condition, at least to get out of the bloody water. Clamoring out of the little crater, you reach even ground above, finding yourself in a little clearing of the forest. Unsure of where you are, you look around for anything that might help with locating. As before it's quite difficult to see, but in one direction you can definitely tell that the land slopes upwards, by the look of the trees. Maybe you could head to higher ground, to get a better sense of the lay of the land.

>?

>>1173878
>Higher ground means climbing/upward slopes
>Instead make your way through the muck and try to find a clearing
>I also advise checking on the baby
>What? Baby.
>Of course baby, there is/was/always will be a baby
>And you will never stop its cries

>>1173952

You head for higher ground, the cold wet ground uncomfortable and difficult to move by. All the while, thoughts persist of who you are and what your life is... was... something. Something of... a baby? Crying for sure, but whose is it? No sense is made of it, only more confusion. Stumbling a few times on the way up, eventually you reach the top of a hillock. The light is not much better up here, but you can at least see a little better.

While searching around with your good eye, you do come to notice some sort of structure in the distance. Down the slope again in the other way, and farther still, but it wouldn't take too long to reach it. Whatever it is, amid the trees as best you can see. Perhaps alarming though, when you look back and come to notice a source of light from back the way you came. Someone, or something is down, back by the little gully where you awoke. By coincidence, or searching? You can't tell.

>?

>>1173999
Go to the light and hope it is a person and not a monster of some sort.

>>1174026

You continue back down the slope towards the light, cautiously hoping it isn't some nasty. You end up catching sight of them about halfway though, clear that they must have been tracking you.

As best you can tell it appears to be some sort of tribal looking woman, certainly dressed that way with body markings and pain, and rather simple clothes comprised of some animal skins and plant matter as well as a healthy helping of bones and even a skull or two. When she catches sight of you though she raises a spear threateningly and speaks in a commanding tone, telling you to get down and don't try anything.

>?

>>1174067
>Well do as the the woman says.
>Tribal women are nice
>And she has a spear. Which is the superior meele weapon of a noblewoman.

>>1174085

You do as she says, and drop to the ground. Approaching carefully, she nears with the torch but you can't help notice how quietly she moves. Kneeling beside, she prods you a bit before knocking at the knife in your back, causing you to cry in pain. Sitting you up, she asks you some questions about yourself, like who you are and what god sent you, while she rummages through a little bag to her side. Eventually she pulls out, oddly enough, some actual cloth rather than just animal hide or fur. Chewing up some plant she also brought out, she spits it on the cloth and sees to some of the more serious injuries you have.

>?

>>1174103
>Well her our name is Luna, because its the first name you can think of
>Tell her you think you were attacked but you dont know by who or why.
>Ask her to remove the knife if she can.
>Try ignore the crying, and the shouting, and the laughter.

>>1174185

Luna, the first word that comes to mind, that you use as your name. At least for now. You explain your situation as best you can, likely that you were attacked and either left for dead or managed to escape. Whom it was that did this to you and why though, you have no idea.

She seems content with those answers, though as she sees to your injuries, you ask if she can remove the knife. Telling you to brace yourself and hold onto something, she tries to remove if with a tug. Not only does the pain of the embedded knife sharply increase to agonizing levels all the way through to your heart, but the force of her pulling the knife pulls you backwards with it. Your cry again from the pain and your head flashes with sounds and fleeting memories of crying, shouting and laughing. Without a budge, it seems the knife is lodged firmly, and can't simply be pulled out. At least not without extreme risk to you, and she comments thinking that the blade may be barbed to resist being drawn like that. For now at least she tries as best she can to similarly tend to the stab injury, and remarks that you're very lucky for it to not to have killed you obviously but also that despite being quite severe it isn't gushing blood or anything of the sort.

Eventually after having gone over what she thinks needed seeing to, she quickly and unexpectedly binds your hands together quite firmly and lifts you up. Nudging you with the spear, she says she's taking you back with her to where she lives. Something about her father wanting to see you, and that he'd probably want the knife at least.

>?

>>1174256
>Welp guess we gonna meet her f-old man
>Some old dude probably
>Your more anxious than you should be though, you dont know why.
>"No please you CAN'T!" "RuNnNn!" "DADDY DON'T LEAVE ME!"
>Ask the woman to take it slow your starting to feel light headed.

>>1174363

Not much you can do otherwise, seeing as she ties you up. Being led along with her, you feel pretty nervous about things, and keep getting memory flashes. Feeling worse for the wear, mostly in part from your injuries, you ask to take things slower. At first she obliges but after awhile your pace starts to annoy her and she offers to carry you.

While trying to figure out how to proceed though, she's struck by some flying object too fast to see and knocked to the ground. Dropping low in a panic, you try to see from where it came, and notice a small group of men approaching from down a slope of the forest. You only get fleeting glances of them, but they seem more properly clothed and armed, and nearing enough you can tell some of them have bows.

If it wasn't obvious enough though, the tribal woman gets back up, angrily yanking an arrow out of her shoulder with a curse, and yelling at the small group. An exchange takes place between them an argument about you it seems, as to who rightfully has ownership. Naturally the tribal woman claims ownership for finding you first, though the group of guys say that any lost persons are their responsibility. Over the arguing, some of the guys spread out while on guard, making the tribal woman obviously nervous about being surrounded. One of the fellows even calls over to you under the arguing going on, if you're alright and want to come with them?

>?

>>1174413
Go with the group

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>>1174429

While the arguing is going on, you make a decision and run for the guy. He grabs you in support when you reach him and lifts you up to carry you out of there. When the tribal woman notices, the arguing turns into an actual fight, though you're not really privy to it. You just get some glimpses as you're carried away, but she seems quite dangerous and with the first throw of her spear manages to skewer one of the men.

The sounds of the fighting are quickly left behind though as the fellow hauls you away and farther down the slope of the forest, finally taking cover behind a large fallen tree. Setting you down, he asks if you're alright from the look of your injuries, better than they were before but then he didn't see you before. He also takes off his cloak and offers it to you to cover yourself up, though you face some obvious difficulty with the knife handle sticking out of your back. To help, he cuts a hole in the cloak at the right spot, so you can wear it better. This is welcome at least, so you're no longer naked, especially now that the rain is starting to pick up.

Shortly after you're joined by another guy of the group, stopping to catch his breath and saying you should all keep moving together. The tribal woman who they refer to as Toa, will be tracking after you all soon enough he thinks. In agreement, they ask if you can move well enough on your own?

>?

>>1174541
say you'll need a shoulder to lean on

>>1175474

You can move on your own, but some help would be appreciated. So together, the three of you take off again, continuing through the forest at a decent pace. A few times you slip up or have trouble, without shoes, but the guy picks you up for those bits. You think to be making good progress overall, and proceed for awhile, but eventually the other guy notices you're all being followed and separates off while you two wait in hiding.

It seems it was a good plan, perhaps unfortunately for him though since he doesn't return. After an hour or so though in hiding, the guy you're with thinks the coast is clear at least as far as not being tracked by the tribal woman. Given your condition he doesn't think you'd be able to make it back to where they live during the night, but at the same time he doesn't want to stay here since this region of the forest belongs to a witch. In the end he asks what you'd want to do, since any progress relies on you.

>?

>>1175572
"leave me and go, you've done enough as it is" urge him to return alone and if he still feels like it, to come back the next day

>>1175606

You try and convince him to leave, but he says he'd be in hot water if after he and the other guys got in a fight with Toa, maybe some dying from it, he then returned home empty handed without you. Doubly so since you're a human and obviously in poor shape, when they need all the able bodies they can get.

If you want though you can still try and convince him, and make a roll to attempt. A d100, for the try.

Rolled 93 (1d100)

>>1175633
"I will find the witch. I will not remain idle and bleed out. If anyone can help me, it will be her."

>>1175747

When he learns you're actually interested in looking for the witch, he thinks you're crazy and probably for the best that he doesn't bring you back, though he wishes you good luck. As further goodwill, he gives you his bag of rations and a dagger before taking his leave. Maybe if you see him again, you can return the things.

So you're back on your own now, but at least you have something to eat and defend yourself with if you really need to. Do you actually want to go looking for the witch though, or was that just an excuse to get rid of the guy? If you do want to seek her, you can make another roll.

>?

Rolled 18 (1d100)

>>1175791
We quest to do something fun. Risking death is pretty fun when done right.

>>1175840

You actually do intend to seek the witch! Well, wherever she may be, you actually have no idea. So you wander around the forest for awhile looking for any signs of... well, anything.

Unfortunately you don't find a witch, but while following what you thought was a trail and only turned out to be a dried up riverbed, you happen upon what looks like some lightly armored men standing around guard of some defeated goblins crowded in the center. A closer look, and you come to realize that the "men" are actually clothed skeletons, which might explain why they aren't moving at all, not even to breathe. Well this isn't a witch, but you can stick around to act if you like, otherwise you'll proceed on.

>?

Rolled 57 (1d100)

>>1175897
March on! Call for her to. Tell her that we seek audience with her.

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>>1175911

What a strange scene to happen on, but it doesn't concern you. Marching on, you head past the group with your head held high. The goblins plead for assistance, but you just wave to the skeletons as you pass, who nod in turn to you with... what you assume to be smiles? You suppose all skulls smile in that way though.

Awhile later and it's well into the night, you having trouble seeing where you're going and feeling pretty dizzy, probably a mix of exhaustion and your injuries. Feeling quite confident from lightheadedness, you start calling out to this witch, saying you want help.

Now, you can't tell if it's because you went looking for trouble, or just because you're in the area, but not long after and you start to get the impression that you've been places before that you're treading. Even despite directional changes and efforts to leave otherwise, you still find yourself coming the same way invariably, and before long finally catch sight of lights through the trees in the distance. A large cottage in a clearing of the dark forest, illuminated windows piercing the darkness of the night. Smoke rises from the chimney, and ever so faintly you can hear some singing. Too faint to hear any words but a melody is unmistakable.

Now that you're here though, you're starting to have second thoughts.

>?

>>1176015
Nah. She'll probably be cool. Hum her tune to psychologically and subtly establish familiarity and impress non-hostility. Then approach. Make sure to knock on the door. Knocking is polite.

>>1176015
turn back

>>1176054
>>1176079

Oh dear, opposing actions. Either come to an agreement, or make opposed rolls for the winner!

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>>1176079
C'mon. You know you want to.

>>1176096
you can roll a d2 if you want, thats what other authors usually do during ties.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>1176126
>>1176112

Ok, will do. 1 for the first response, 2 for the second.

The one thing is, if you end up leaving, you'll have to make a roll since you basically called out the witch, and magically was drawn here. To escape will require escaping the magic.

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>>1176139
Onwards! Time to befriend a witch.

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>1176139
d20s?

>>1176139
>>1176054

Well you've come this far. You're not familiar with the tune, but it's easy enough to pick up as you match the sound in humming to yourself, approaching the cottage. You notice that various things which might have impeded you, like low growing plants and a little wooden gate, all give way at your approach to the front door.

You go to knock, but see the door has an actual door-knocker, in the shape of a stern-faced man with the ring in his mouth. You knock it three times, before the door opens and you're tossed inside, knocked off your feet when the doormat lifts up to shove you in. In alarm you notice no person opened the door, and no person shuts it either, all seemingly happening on it's own. Looking around in a panic, your fears are somewhat mitigated when you see how cozy the place is compared to the dark forest outside. Warm and inviting, everything has a quaint, rustic feel to it. Handmade-looking wooden furniture, stone floor smoothed over time and mostly covered with fancy carpets anyway. The walls and other furniture, cabinets and the like are covered in various trinkets, goods, and other decorations, similar to those hanging from the ceiling. You're sure many of these things have an actual purpose but whatever it may be eludes you.

At any rate you struggle to your feet, hearing the singing more clearly now. It stops momentarily though, as the singer calls you to the kitchen, another room over. Making your way through, you startle yourself at some birds hanging in cages, enough that you don't notice the step lower into the next room and tumble in. You're caught by a large hand though, clearly not human, that helps your right yourself. The kitchen by comparison to the other room is even more wildly crammed full of stuff and even less organized, as cabinets overflow with ingredients, tools, and other such things. Your attention though is mainly drawn to the other person, as you notice by the light of the fire, that she's a troll. Surprisingly not too bad looking either, for a troll at least, which means not monstrously hideous. She must be young or takes care of herself, and being a witch, you can't tell for sure. It does make more sense now though, why everything from the doors to the furniture in this place were much too large for any human.

She asks if you'd help with the stew she's making, and continue stirring while she fetches a missing ingredient. Without much inclination to say no, you take the ladle and keep stirring while she asks questions like who you are, what a young lady like you is doing out a night on her own in these woods, and what you hope she can do for you? When she returns, she adds in the missing ingredient, what appears to be a human leg from the knee down. Strongly, you try not to scream or be sick, and answer her questions.

>?

>>1176220

Always d100s, except in the case of rolling to see which action is chosen in case of conflict, I guess.

>>1176279
Continue to be as courteous and cooperative as we can manage. Then ask a little about her when she seems like she won't mind.

>>1176308

You remain as polite as you are able, which seems to work at least in keeping her the same way towards you. For now you dodge her questions about you, and ask instead about her. She's a little surprised, admitting to not having much company let alone any interested in her. While finishing up with the stew she introduces herself more properly, Draga, and says she moved out here after her old tribe took to war against Lord Rubel. Rather than devolving to the warlike ways of old, she preferred instead some semblance of civilization so chose to live here in this part of the forest where she could remain mostly unbothered by the group dwellers, humans and others.

Eventually with your help, she thinks the stew finished, and with some oven mitts takes the pot off the fireplace. Telling you to be careful since it's hot, she leads the way through the kitchen and out a back door to an animal pen. Therein are a number of pigs, whom quickly gather to the fence edge, following her as she goes along. Pulling up a chair beside, she sits with the pot at the ground and asks you to fetch her a bowl and spoon, one for yourself if you like, while she waits for the stew to cool off before giving to the pigs in a trough nearby in the pen.

Nudging a footstool over your way, which by her size is enough of a chair for you, she wonders why you're so badly injured, and if you'd not mind her tending to you?

>?

>>1176441
We would be overjoyed. And thankful.

>>1176441
accept and thank her for medical care.
Tell her we awake naked with no memory.
Also tell her about the people we met and see if she knows them and ask about groups living in the wide area.

>>1176441
>>1176506
Ah, ask her if she knows how to unlock hidden or forgotten memories. Explain to her our situation.

>>1176590
>>1176506
>>1176486

You accept to her offer gladly, any help you can get is great. While you wait for her to feed the pigs then, you explain your situation and how you awoke to find yourself in this injured state, barely a live in some muddy hole and without even any clothes. A strange situation indeed she thinks, but is surprised to hear of what happened after.

You speak of the people you met after, and she answers your questions about them a little. Toa the tribal woman, is a demigod though not a local one by any means, and it's rather strange for her to be around these parts. Probably her father's doing, sending her out this way for something. The group of guys you met *are* locals though, a small group of human survivors of an unsuccessful migration through these parts. She's not sure why they chose to settle here of all places, but they've persisted so she has some respect for them. As for the skeletons and goblins, those she's not sure of. It's not uncommon for the unliving to wander these parts, but in her domain of the forest at least she always tries to keep them out or at worst destroy them. Some organized, armed and armored skeletons must have been associated with someone or something with power or a mind enough to guide them.

Lastly you wonder if maybe she knows of any way to help with repressed or forgotten memories. She says she can certainly try, though making clarity and sense of dreams is something she's better at. Either way, over the course of your talking Draga deems the stew ready for the pigs, and having eaten her own share dumps the lot of it in the trough. The oinkers go wild for it, which makes her happy to see and she pats a couple on the back, before getting back up and heading back inside.

She says she can try and see to your injuries, but first you'd best get cleaned up. leading the way to a storeroom, she shows you a big wooden tub which she has a tank of water leading to. Coming out warm with the pull of a chain, you're surprised how she manages it, but don't question if you don't need to. She does ask you though, how you intend to pay her back for her help here.

>?

>>1176719
Offer to get rid of those undead near her land after fixing our injurys.

>>1176719
Ask to be her apprentice. We will make a new living with her, and when the time comes, we will aid her in exterminating the undead. We will pull our own weight.

Rolled 10 (1d100)

>>1176856

Dealing with the undead? That seems fair, right? She thinks that's enough of a payment for her to let you go after coming to her house in the first place. Normally that's enough of an offense to punish trespassers. For her to heal you though, that's a more significant cost, and will take something more meaningful. Turn you into furniture maybe, or put you with the pigs? She's sure you'll come to an agreement, as the tub stars to overflow and she stops the water flow.

The washing is, well... unexpected. You thought you'd be given the room but without much warning she picks you up like a small child, removes the cloak with some difficulty and holds you in the tub while she scrubs you clean. She has many sorts of droughts, potions and other concoctions on hand that she uses for herself when she bathes, but comments at that stuff probably being too strong for you. Basic soap will have to suffice for now, as she washes you over with firm but careful grip. A few times in the process she ends up knocking the knife handle in your back, and noticing it tries to pull it out which causes you the same pain and for the blade not to budge. Apologizing, she takes a closer look and thinks it to be green steel, that's her best guess. Whoever it was that did this to you then, must have been mighty powerful or had a very good reason to want you dead, to be using such a blade.

Not that it's any of her business though, as she finishes washing you up and holds you under the water for a few seconds to get all the suds off. After that she grabs a troll-sized dishrag, fortunately a cleaned one, to dry you off with.

>>1176990

An apprentice, she's not too keen on, but she always has use for a servant at least. Someone to do chores around and clean up, that would be a welcome help to her, and should you happen to pick up any knowledge along the way then that's just an added bonus.

If you're ok with that, then she'll put your name to it, if you'll give it.

>?

>>1177284
On one condition. We will be friends.

>>1177315

Well she's not too big on a human friend considering she doesn't have any friends to begin with, and she tends to eat humans. But who knows, maybe you'll change her mind.

Either way, after drying you off she remarks at the markings on your body. Not the injuries, but it looks like you've got some patterns on your skin in places, tattoos or something like that. Indeed you do, when you examine yourself, now clean of mud and blood. An odd detail but maybe a clue to who you are. At any rate, taking you in a hand again, she sits down in the main room with you on her lap and grabs at some hanging bags to line up a little tray with various ingredients. Mixing them in various ways and with use of some proper bandages, she properly patches you up with her big hands as best she can where you need it, and applying medicine where you don't. It takes awhile and is rather embarrassing as she turns you around and looks your body over for other wounds, but since she doesn't seem to mind you sort of get used to it.

Last is the eye, which she unfortunately can't do much to until you heal up better with it naturally, but for now she can wrap it up and put a salve on the bandages so it doesn't hurt so much. Once everything is taken care of, she carries you back to the storeroom one last time and rummages around for some human-sized clothes. How she has them and why, you decide not to ask, but she gives you the freedom to choose what you want to wear, from a surprisingly varied amount of clothes. Undoing the back of the tub so it starts to drain, she gives you the room while she heads back to the kitchen to clean up. From there you can hear her asking what you'd want for dinner, since you must be hungry and probably don't want a stew with human meat to eat.

>?

>>1177464
You should probably not ask for pork, so just say that anything will suffice. Also grab some green or otherwise dark colored cloaks, good for hiding in the woods, just in case.

Also, if possible, tell her that if she is not interested in a servant you could maybe try to locate her old tribe?

(also, is the knife still in your back?)

>>1177544

No pork, but anything else will do. You quickly realize what that could mean though and say something simple, and with bread. You hear clattering as she says she'll see what she has.

Meanwhile you get dressed in some simple women's clothes, dress and blouse, underwear and all that. In particular though you keep an eye out for anything green or dark, especially a nice cloak you manage to find. Everything you wear though, you have to cut a hole in the back for the knife handle, the blade still embedded in your back. Yes, even the witch wasn't able to remove it, considering she attributed greensteel as being special like that.

As for a servant, she was totally fine with one and would welcome your help. To do so though you would have to put your name to a contract for her. Your choice if you want to do that, or try and take your leave. Chances are though she'll want some other form of payment then.

>?

>>1177619
What does she mean by other forms of payment?

>>1177619
wait you're a chick?
dropped

>>1177699
OP literally said that on the second post tho

>>1177684

From what she described it didn't sound too pleasant, like being turned into something or having something dear taken from you. Though maybe that is preferable to servitude? You could definitely think of worse things than being stuck in a seemingly safe and cozy place with seemingly kindly troll witch, when compared to your time since waking up in the bloody, muddy water earlier today.