VAGABOND

[PersonPerson]

When he gets back ask the price of the sword. If the price is too high stab him with it and run away yelling your fiancee's name.

[Gloopy]

> Are you a knight or a pansy? Quit being a pansy.

> Also, REAL men get drunk before they go on dangerous missions.

[THEWIZARDMAN]

>Go to the pub, Alcohol goes great with Emotional distress.

> Are you a knight or a pansy? Quit being a pansy.

> Also, REAL men get drunk before they go on dangerous missions.

You go outside for some fresh air. Shit was just too hot to handle in there.

You just weren't ready to steal from that poor guy. You haven't stolen anything since you were six years old because that's when your mother started to beat you for doing bad stuff. You once stole 3 COPPER PIECES from her because you really wanted a LIQUORICE DELIGHT that a traveling vendor was selling by the fountain. When you came home with the liquorice, she threw glass bottles at you, beat you with a broomstick, and pretty much flipped the fuck out all over the house until you retreated to your room. That was when she would start her drinking games. Her high score was 23 shots before she passed out.

Good times, mom. It was fun until you died of alcohol poisoning.

Speaking of alcohol, you haven't had a good drink in hours. You head to the house just beyond the BLACKSMITHERY and make a right into an empty street.



Hell fucking YES. The ELMROSE MEADERY is still here! It's got the best drinks in the entire town, and quite possibly the best drinks in the empire itself! Also, it serves as an inn for travelers who have nowhere to stay for a night. They should probably change the name to reflect that or something.

You know how hard it is to keep your KNIGHT GAME going without something to help encourage you. And you know that you are FAR less of a pansy when you're so drunk you can't walk in a straight line. There's only one way to go in this situation.

You head inside for a glass of CONFIDENCE.



Huh. This place has changed a bit.

You can see that SHAYLA is still running the bar.

There are MANY PATRONS manning the tables to the right and there is a STAIRCASE to the left that leads to the second floor, where you can find some beds that you can sleep in if you've got the money to pay for the room. Besides that, the rest of the place looks pretty normal. What do you want to do?

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Sorry for not updating yesterday. Had stuff to do!

[PersonPerson]

Go punch the person who spilled that drink in the face.

[Karp]

>Notice fountain you just passed on the way to the tavern, which triggers flashbacks to the beatings previously mentioned. Suffer a nervous breakdown and curl into fetal position.

[BlackholePA]

> Challenge bandanna wearing woman to an arm-wrestling competition. It's a matter of knightly pride!

[Gloopy]

> Gimme a drink bar-tender!

> Challenge bandanna wearing woman to an arm-wrestling competition. It's a matter of knightly pride!

> And don't forget to put great emphasis on the fact that she is obviously a woman.

[Askia]

^and ask her mother if she would be so kind to move

[Blizz98]

>Recall exact relationship with SHAYLA.

[THEWIZARDMAN]

>Recall exact relationship with SHAYLA.

That's going to have to wait! There's some important shit that's about to go down.

> Challenge bandanna wearing woman to an arm-wrestling competition. It's a matter of knightly pride!

> And don't forget to put great emphasis on the fact that she is obviously a woman.

You will establish your dominance over this meadery and prove your worth as a KNIGHT by arm wrestling the poor sap over there. Why him? Because he looks like an easy target, of course! Part of your KNIGHTLY TRAINING involved learning to only fight battles that you can win. Unless you had to fight to protect someone weaker than yourself, but that can't even be applied to this scenario.

THAT GUY WILL NEVER KNOW WHAT HIT HIM.

>Notice fountain you just passed on the way to the tavern, which triggers flashbacks to the beatings previously mentioned. Suffer a nervous breakdown and curl into fetal position.

Wait what? You're completely okay with those memories. Honest!

You're mother was a total bitch and if any one person missed her, it sure as heck wouldn't be you!
Not that you WANTED her to die or anything. There's still that paternal tie that kind of bonds a mother and her son no matter what. You know?
This is stupid. Let's do something else. Like arm wrestle that guy over there.


DIALOGUE

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"HEY YOU."
"..Who me?"
"No, not you. That fuckin' guy right there."
"Whaddaya want?"
"I don't know who you are or where you're from. What I do know is that I can't let anybody, even a burly woman with beard stubble, sit in my favorite seat at my favorite pub and get away with it."
"Who do ya' think yer talkin' to, bub? There's only one bitch by this table, and it ain't me or my pal."
"Yeah? How about I challenge you to an ARM WRESTLING COMPETITION?"
"What're yer terms?"
"If I win, you beat it. If you win... I dunno. You win."
"HAH. All right, pretty boy. Come get some."

[THEWIZARDMAN]

DIALOGUE

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"Move it old, man. We've got business to attend to."
"I'm going to have fun slamming you out of here."
"I'll make you eat those words, chump."
"Any last words before we start? I'd hate to have to tell your boyfriend that you couldn't even come up with a good insult before you lost your PRIDE."
"There isn't anythin' to be said. Just shut yer mouth and sit down before you talk me dead."
"Whatever you say, Jasmin."

You slam down in a pokemon-esque X VS Y BATTLE SCREEN.

The intensity has you both breathing heavily. You are at the edge of your seats staring each other down with all the psychologically impairing power that you can muster. Neither of you are breaking under the pressure. There have been many ARM WRESTLING COMPETITIONS in the pub's past. But this is unlike any other. This is not just a test of strength. This is a test of METTLE. This is where you can find the line that separates any other guy from REAL MEN. With elbows on the table and jaws locked in place, there's only one thing left to do. You lock hands and give each other your fiercest glares! You each bare your fangs and unleash the monsters within you! Who will win?? WHO IS THE TOUGHEST STRANGER IN TH--



OH WHAT THE FUCK OW

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I think I need to stop trying to use every single suggestion. Haha.

[Kíeros]

> Pretend like you gave up to be chivalrous.

[PersonPerson]

This^

[Foerumokaz]

Get drunk and then get into a fist fight with the same guy.

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But instead of using fists use your sword.

[THEWIZARDMAN]

> Pretend like you gave up to be chivalrous.

DIALOGUE

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"Ya lost, kid."
"Erm... Yeah. I did!"
"Your PRIDE is at an all time low. I can just smell it."
"Not at all! Can you really be that dense? Why do you think it was so easy for you?"
"Because you're weak."
"It's obviously because I threw the match! How would you even find a KNIGHT of the Empire that's as weak as that? It's impossible I tell you!"
"Then tell me this, smart ass. Why did you throw the match?"
"Uh... My CODE OF CHIVALRY forbids me from humiliating others..! Surely you know this, even with a level of education as low as your own!"

The meadery's PATRONS burst out in laughter. Some covering their now reddened faces and some pointing at you and bellowing their ugly laughs out into the air around you. How humiliating. They all know you're full of it. This was the worst idea ever. You should have just taken the loss like a man.
"You're somethin' else, kid. Get lost."
The bandana man returns to his seat with his wizened friend.

You let out a big sigh and move to the bar area.



Man, that was rough. You're never gonna live that down, you just know it.

"Take it easy, champ." Says Shayla. It looks like she hasn't forgotten about you. "Don't worry about that guy. You're not the first he's utterly dominated at an arm wrestling match."
"Thanks, Shayla. I guess that kind of makes me feel better."

You are now at the bar area. Your RIGHT ARM hurts like a mother fucker. What do you do?

[Foerumokaz]

GET DRUNK

EDIT: Oh wait, after getting drunk, ask Shayla if there are any rats in her cellar and if she wants you to kill them. (Bitches love when you kill the rats in their cellar)

[THEWIZARDMAN]

HE'LL GET DRUNK TOMORROW IT'S LIKE MIDNIGHT OVER HERE

EDIT: I've actually got some busy work to do over here and then I might be hosting a party so I can't guarantee an update tomorrow (4/15)

I'll try my best to at least get one update in, but we'll see how it goes.

[PersonPerson]

Kay. G'night.

Punch that sleeping person till they wake up.

[Kíeros]

GET DRUNK

I think that's both the simplest and best course of action for our current scenario.

[Gloopy]

> LUCILLE

[ballisticApothecary]

Get a mug of.....wait for it......MILK!

[Rena Taniyama]

==> Forget yourself and Lucille for the moment and try to make a move on Shayla using the line, "I lost my number, so can I have yours?"

[Foerumokaz]

Elbern Dagonall: Become Torrent. Not change to Torrent's perspective, but actually shapeshift into Torrent

[THEWIZARDMAN]

Sorry about that week-long hiatus. I am drawing up the next panels as we speak!

[THEWIZARDMAN]

GET DRUNK

EDIT: Oh wait, after getting drunk, ask Shayla if there are any rats in her cellar and if she wants you to kill them. (Bitches love when you kill the rats in their cellar)

DIALOGUE

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"Get me a drink, Shayla. I need something to help me mellow out."
"You got it."
"How much?"
"It's on the house. Think of it as a 'welcome home' gift."
"Thanks."
"So what exactly are you doing back in ELMROSE? I hear the RESISTANCE is still giving the EMPIRE hell back in FARDÜR, so what made you come back?"
"My fiancée."
"Lucille? What about her?"
"You haven't seen her have you? I went AWOL because a courier told me that she's been missing for two years. I came to look for her."
"Yeah, it's true. Thank god, I didn't want to have to be the one to break it to you."
"Yeah, I already know about it..."
"I haven't seen her any time recently and I hadn't seen her for almost a month before she went missing. I'm sorry but I don't know anything about where Lucille is."
"Sigh. That's all right, Shayla. I wasn't really expecting that much. Let me have another drink."

5 MINUTES LATER

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"AND. I DON'T EBEN KNOW WHAT TO DO! BECAUD-- BECAUDS... WHAT IF CHE'S ALREADY DEAD?? OR, OR WHAT IF SOMEVONE IS KEEBING HER PRISTHONER SOMEBWERE? AND.. AND I DON'T EBEN KNOW WHAT TO DO SHAYLA I DON'T KNOW!"
"Calm down, Elbern. I think you've had a little too much to drink."
"OH, SCHUT UP, SHAYLA. I CAN'T BELIEBE YOU... AFTER ALL THIS STRESS I'M UNDER... ALL THE WALKING I DID TO REACH ELMROSE... DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA-- THE DISTANCE BETWEEN FARDÜR AND ELMROSE?? IT ALMOST TAKE A FUCKING MONTH, SHAYLA. A MONTH OF WALKING. DAY AFTER FUCKIN DAY, MAN! AND NOW I CAN'T-- I DON'T EBEN KNOW WHERE TO START... SHE'S GONE SCHAYLA, DON'T YOU GET IT!? SHE'S GONE!"
"Elbern, there's just no way Lucille can be gone for good. You have to remember that she's got MAGICS with her. And she's REALLY good with them too. If I remember right, she graduated at the very top in each school of magic. And in case you forgot already, she was about to be signed up for a spot on the Emperor's council because of her skill with MAGICS."
"...
Maybe some of dat slipped my mind. But so what? She's still missing and I hab no leabs..."
"Well then, you should ask her brother where he last saw her."
"What? Her brother is still in ELMROSE?"

MORE DIALOGUE

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"Yes. He graduated from the WIZARD'S HALL last year, but for his graduation speech he said something about how he has 'an undying love for the MAGICS of the world', and how he wanted to continue taking classes there for a while. Sounds like a load of crap, if you ask me. But he's still there doing whatever crazy things he does in that school."
"You're right... You're absolutely right. If anybody knows about her, it's Vincent. The guy watches over her like a hawk."
"Well, if you want to get started on your little adventure as quickly as possible, I'd say that you should hurry over to the school now. It's nearly noon and their lunch hour should be starting in a bit."
"Dat's probably the best time to talk to 'em... Tanks for the drinks, Shayla!"
"Hey! Next time your drinks are worth double, got it!?"
"dYeah, whateber! I'll catch you later!"

What a turn of luck you've had! You'd nearly forgotten that Lucille had a brother. Why? Because he's a big fat jerk face to everyone and you've really only met him once. Then again, when you DID meet him he was just a little kid. He's got to be an adult now, huh?

In any case, you're glad that he, like Lucille, and probably like everyone else in his family, is an extremely powerful WIZARD. If he doesn't know, he can at least provide you with a SCRYING SPELL. Thank you, Shayla! Thank you!!