From Out of a Dream [Quest]

[WarDragon]

I'm okay with either "What's in the scrolls?" or "That's all I need to hear."

When we do depart, either take Wei with us, or kill him.

[Zelbinnean]

When we do depart, either take Wei with us, or kill him.

I'm fine with getting paid to kill people, but casual murder is pretty one-note and I'd anti-vote this suggestion.

[Erinys]

He's a hostage! Somebody might pay to get him back.
Although not enough to leave his family destitute or something.

[wonderandawe]

I'm fine with getting paid to kill people, but casual murder is pretty one-note and I'd anti-vote this suggestion.

Just Say No to Casual Murder.

[L'het'esh]

eh? Wei's on the other side, and leaving him is just asking for another escape. Tie up loose ends. His death was likely as we plowed destructively through Himetsu's place and burn it down. Why should that place stand when Ayumu's is gone?

Do the job right or don't bother. We didn't let any of the miner/bandits go, when we could have run them off.

[Zelbinnean]

eh? Wei's on the other side

Only in reductively broad strokes. I'd say make him an offer he can't refuse and let him know that his old boss isn't getting out of this alive. Wei is a roach, he'll do whatever he needs to in order to survive.

Do the job right or don't bother. We didn't let any of the miner/bandits go, when we could have run them off.

This isn't a job, though. This is personal.

[TrueMonk]

Did he do anything personal against us? It is just, I am all for bringing hell to anyone who crosses us, but I think killing peoples servants when they are not resisting might be a bit more than is nessecary.

But on the other hand, could we use him intelligently? If not I would say just scare the shit out of him, I think we can make him more afraid of us than his old boss and let him go.

[Zelbinnean]

I was thinking, he could help in keeping a semblance of order in the town after we kill his boss. He's a professional bureaucrat. That could be useful!

[L'het'esh]

Well, if you think Wei can be of use and made to sit the rest of the struggle out...

[Erinys]

We killed those miners/bandits because they saw the Mark of our Blessing. We weren't really planning to kill them all until that happened.

We don't need to kill Wei. Yet.

[WarDragon]

Fine. At least tie him up and knock him out before we go.

[semicasual]

“That’s all I need to hear,” you announce, turning to Nuo. “Is that proof enough for you?”

Nuo stands up at once, adjusting her clothes. “Plenty. Heh…” she shakes her head. “I know that all we’ve done is confirm what you already guessed, but it’s better to be certain before… dispensing justice.”

“I’m sure.”

“Of course, now we know our enemy is a sorcerer with unknown powers and a xian with the same…” Nuo grimaces. “Truthfully, I’d hoped we would learn it wasn’t them, and we’d hunt someone easier to kill.“

“Do you want to back out?”

“No.” she answers immediately. “I’ll find a way… whatever it takes.”

“…Good¹. Let’s walk and talk.”

“Are we leaving Wei behind?”

You scrutinize the clerk long enough to make him uncomfortable, even though you have already decided that you are not going to kill him. “…Yes. I think he’s got sense enough to know that if he runs back to his master now, he won’t live to regret it. Isn’t that right?”

Wei’s face goes pale. “...That is correct. I would… stay out of it… will you let me go?”

You shrug. “You got out of your bonds before. Just wiggle your way free whenever you want to leave. Come on, Nuo.”

The two of you walk out into the rainy night – or early morning, now – while you pretend to ignore the sounds of Wei grunting and moving around in his chair. Nuo moves ahead of you to push open the back gate. “Where are we going?” she asks. You cannot tell if her tone is more anxious or excited.

“I don’t know, yet,” you answer, truthfully. “I just didn’t want to talk killing in front of Wei.”

Nuo looks at you with surprise. “That is reasonable, but… you mean you have no plan?”

“I have some ideas… we could just walk back now, sneak in, slit their throats while they sleep.”

“The direct approach. Fine, in its own way, but any mistake means we’ll be fighting him and all of his guards at the seat of his power.” She frowns. “Also… I don’t know about you, but I would find it… unsatisfying… for the man who killed Ayumu to die like that, without knowing why.”

“Or we could wait and watch them. Ambush one when they’re away from the house, guards, and each other.”

“That plan has risks too. By morning, Himitsu is sure to notice that Wei is gone. By tomorrow night, he’ll probably have learned that you’re still alive. He’ll increase security, maybe start a manhunt.”

“Then there’s the hole in the world,” you muse, not really speaking to Nuo anymore. “…I can… make things, there. Maybe something to even the odds…”

Nuo shivers. “I don’t want to go back there… After all we did to get out, I’m surprised you’d consider going back.”

“Is there a plan you would support?” you ask with annoyance.

“I’d want a dozen trained assassins with experience in mage-hunting,” she answers, dryly. “But that isn’t going to happen, so I suppose it’s a matter of deciding what risks to take.”

You stop talking for a while to think. Wandering aimlessly through the dark streets, hungry, tired, wet, and sober, you wonder what it is that you want out of this. If it were just about killing one or two people so you could feel safe again, things would be easy. But in this country, almost everyone wants you dead – most of them just don’t know it, yet.

Bringing yourself back to the present, you have a decision to make. Someone has to die, and you need to work out how.

• Strategize (Open Player Challenge! How should Nergüi approach this revenge-killing?)

¹

She came this far – it would be disappointing if she just quit now.

[WarDragon]

I am so tempted to say a frontal assault, forehead-symbol blazing, but that would meet all the same objections as the stealth kill, only more so.

Could we do it like we did the bandits? Whittle down his guards and charge in once we can take what's left?

[Erinys]

Tangent: Why do I live in a country where my Blessing and ancestry supposedly make me a "devil"? Truly, this is a rotten place, and the people here are rotten, too. I've already gotten as much revenge for my people as I can. After I kill Himitsu and Joy and take the Stone of Making, maybe I should leave.

[L'het'esh]

Same as last time: enter from the second floor and try to locate either Himetsu or Joy of Metamorphoses to start the rampage of death. If they are together, let Nuo have her revenge on Himetsu (while we tackle the wrong thing) so she can learn for herself how pointless that is.